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polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup · 3 years

Note

For the character prompts: Jon, of course! And, if you’d like another, Danny :)

Jon:

general opinion: actual love of my life

hotness level: hot jon rights, i'm making a new category for him, hot in a feral, unhinged sort of way, i will die on this hill

hogwarts house: ravenclaw through and through

best quality: he! is full! of love! this man makes my heart hurt. he tries so hard to hang onto his humanity and he makes these awful, clumsy, human decisions which, at the end of the day, ends up being driven by the fact that he just. loves people. he was heartbroken over sasha when he discovered the not!them. he killed elias citing the friends he had lost. the hunters had a knife to his throat and he still was defending gerry's memory. he tried to save jordan kennedy in the only way he could. he loves in such a clumsy, human way and i love that for him. Alternative best quality: he's a total bitch and that's great

worst quality: the boy can't think two steps ahead to save his life. literally. he has almost died several times because he can't plan worth shit.

ship them with: martin, i love them together, but i also ship him with gerry? they shared exactly one (1) episode together but they had a fantastic dynamic in it and they both legitimately treated the other with respect as a person? which is just so huge for characters that were systematically abused and used? they're both people who are isolated and used and still trying to be good. it also just has a huge ships-in-the-night aspect to it. gerry was working with gertrude when jon was at the institute. they just missed each other. and maybe, if it hadn't, they could have had someone legitimately in their corner for once

brotp them with: tim. they! were! friends! I relistened to season 2 a few months ago and tim shows such genuine concern for jon towards the beginning, before it gets messed up. and in season 1, jon trusts him to look into the oliver banks statement when he was worried it was a prank from the other two. we see so little of their early friendship but they seemed to legitimately care for each other?

needs to stay away from: elias bouchard. jimmy magma. that man. my favorite part of nhthcth comments are all of the death threats elias gets. it's great.

misc. thoughts: he's just such a tragic character and he was human until the end. he was deeply flawed and i love that because it made him so human? he wasn't your typical hero protagonist. he was just. some guy. trying his best. and in the end, he didn't win. i love that. like, the real tragedy of jonathan sims is that he was human and failed in human ways, and losing his humanity was what people accused him of most.

Danny:

general opinion: actual love of my life

hotness level: absolutely off the charts hotness, he gets a new category too, this is not me saying this this is god's truth, canonically he is obscenely hot

hogwarts house: gryffindor, my only character inspiration for him was himbo and all the boy wants to do is explore exceedingly dangerous places, the boy is just here for a good and potentially fatal time

best quality: he's very straightforward in what he wants? i'm speaking specifically of him from nhthcth, i don't have much to work with when it comes to canon danny, but like, he doesn't get caught up in a balancing risk and reward like most people. he's going straight for the gold and not getting caught up in logistics. like, he's not willing to play the sacrifice game. tim is. tim is willing to say, i'll sacrifice myself to this job because it gives danny better odds. danny would have said tough shit, we're going to succeed on the shitty odds because that's the one that actually saves us all, fuck off bouchard. like, he would die for the people he loves but he's not going to crucify himself or anyone else early. he's very solid in what he wants and what he's willing to do to get there but he's very hard to play because he's going to go the distance even if it's risky

worst quality: he will not. fucking. back down. ever. which can be a good quality in some things but it can be a really really bad quality in others. he's stubborn as shit and willing to go to ridiculous lengths to realize what he wants and sometimes that leads him to be way more reckless than is necessarily good for himself or for his greater team. he's also kind of bad with nuance? like, with jon, jon's a good person to him. he does good things with his powers. jon is good and what he does is good. simple as that. which means he fails to grasp the sheer cost of the powers and how they're legit bad to use. like, this isn't one of those things where the power is a tool and all that matters is how you use it. the power is feeding an evil god and if you use it, you're choosing to torture the person on the receiving end every single night for the rest of their lives. and yeah, jon's using it against bad people, but the act itself is bad. doesn't necessarily mean jon picked wrong when he decided to do it that way, but it does mean that jon picked something bad.

ship them with: nhthcth danny is actually aroace and has no prospects in my mind

brotp them with: jon. i love him and jon as friends. danny legitmately does not want to use jon, which is something nhthcth jon needs so badly. danny really just thinks he's a cool guy he'd like to get to know and he'd treat jon like a person, not someone who can help him get what he wants. even tim is guilty of that, to an extent. jon is tim's way of saving his brother. for danny, jon is a huge part of keeping him alive, yeah, but he doesn't want jon in his life because it's helping him. he thinks jon is a great person to have in his life because he's the sort of guy who would risk his life for a stranger. also, he's an absolute riot, holy shit, keep saying those words you crazy magic man

needs to stay away from: Grimaldi, the clown wants to peel him like an orange

misc. thoughts: kind of heart, dumb of ass. force of chaos. love is stored in the danny.

#nhthcth #tma #ask game #danny stoker #jon sims

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yaboyspodcastpalace · 3 years

Note

For the character asks: Jon, Peter Lukas, Annabelle Cane? (giving multiple suggestions so you can pick one in case you get the same character twice in different asks)

very kind of you to assume i get many asks :') THANKS ill do all of them u_u

[Send me a character and i'll tell you...]

(under the cut bc i love talking and this got long lmao)

Jon

First impression

he's a uptight prick with obvious favoritism for sasha and tim and i love him so! much!!!!!!

Impression now

my poor little mew mew hm................I've got a complicated relationship w/ jon bc i love him a lot, but i loved s1 him the most, and literally everything else just makes me really, brutally, sad ;_; The way he tries so desperately to cling to his humanity and how other characters just call him by the title imposed to him makes me wanna cry

...also he just cares so much ;_; i cry

Favorite moment

probably his interactions with georgie at the beginning of season 3!!! From s5 id say when he killed not!sasha, it felt vindictive ù_ú

Idea for a story

Dhfhdh im p basic when it comes to him ngl, either jon/tim/sasha friends to lovers or jon and desolation!tim or *something*!sasha trying to stay as human as possible, together 😔 (or just any of them living and coping together in s4 n s5)

Unpopular opinion

Im just not a fan of monster jon, at all! He's not the type of character that i enjoy seeing having a corruption arc unfortunately!! It just hurts!!! (and this Is from someone that Loves corruption arcs!!!)

Also i really hate moth jon imagery??? For not particular reason, moths are pretty, but i still hate it u_u AND THE ASSOCIATION OF GREEN W/ JON (or the beholding in general!) I CANNOT STAND IT!! i know its bc of the tma logo but guess what! Its wrong! Purple jon rights!!!

ALSO ALSO the so called pining he had for martin just.... didnt felt like that at all! i have Many feelings abt this!

Favorite relationship

either georgie in s3, or sasha!!! i love how he always praises sasha in her research in s1 and even thought he's at his driest & sharp Trying-To-Project-Professionalism-And-Skepticism she still rolls into his office, interrupts him mid statement to banter w/ him abt pronunciation n stuff and its just Normal, like that speaks volumes of how comfortable they felt around each other! they were friends gdi! the moment he realizes she died and then everytime the not!them mocks him w/ her death makes me wanna break smth q_q

im not even gonna mention tim bc even though i love their relationship It 👏 makes me👏 very 👏 sad 👏

non shippy and also staying strictly canon, i love his relationship with melanie!

Favorite headcanon

sometimes i think abt that one hc that hes really good with arcade games bc he lived near the coast and i smile bc thats cute :) also hes a trans man 💙💗🤍💗💙

Peter

First impression

Mystery evil captain man!!! Fog?? I LOVE him :)

Impression now

I STILL LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! Hes an asshole and has a lovely voice and smile and hes not, hes not Dumb but also he's far from the whooooa evil lonely influence he think he is (played like a cheap fiddle). He also makes me sad in ways i cannot and wont describe, and its a shame that he died cuz he was the best part of season 4 😔 rip you beautiful bastard man i still miss you </3

Favorite moment

"It has blood on it" "thats Leitner's too :D". Also when martin was angry abt idk, breekon? Jon going into the coffin? Cant remember, but peter was like I said id protect the institute, that guys not my problem ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Idea for a story

dfgdfg i have..... a petermart story that dealt with the different flavor of loneliness they both had, half smut half genuine meta of both of them and theorization on the branching of an Entity & how their powers manifested in other people...

basically, peter thinks hes hot shit when it comes to loneliness but gets overwhelmed when martin accidentally projects his feelings abt *fic's plot stuff* on him, its fun stuff!

Unpopular opinion

people either paint him like an absolute devil or an incompetent idiot and hes neither of them! hes an asshole who loves being an asshole but far from the worst monster in the show and he tried to do a clever scheme TWICE on his life and 1. while it was established that any of the rituals wouldnt work singularly the Silence was still a pretty clever attempt if it weren't for gertrude! and 2. well... he tried to manipulate someone petty and formerly supposed to be a web avatar, again not his fault, cant call him stupid for trying dfgdfg

i Do think hes kinda pathetic in some sense considering his backstory, but more out of personal pity than anything else

Favorite relationship

Canonically speaking him and martin! The pull and push of them was The best thing about season 4! Peter being a quite dangerous avatar and martin, beautiful and scared and kinda feisty, confronting him every chance he gets, peter doing his best to manipulate him and martin letting him believe hes succeeding (even thought, he is, partly). They're fascinating characters to have side by side

Favorite headcanon

Partly canonically speaking him and mikaele salesa :) they do bets together! They're lonely sea men! What else could you possibly want?

Also non shippy i like thinking abt peter's and simon's relationship but thats entirely non canon ♡

Diversity wins! The heir of the lonely is a gay man!

Also I think as every rich household(?) the lukases had many paintings and peter as a kid saw the ones w/ sailing ships and imagined sailing far far away from his family. That and seaman aesthetic fucks, which is why he always has the same vibe going on as an adult. He does Not know half of the things he'd need to know to have a ship though but hey he's rich and thats all he needs

Annabelle

First impression

thats a horrible psychological experiment they're making there D:

Impression now

THATS STILL A HORRIBLE EXPERIMENT AND ANNABELLE DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER............. idk! she makes me sad in the same way jon (and to a degree, peter) does! to be a living puppet for the thing that traumatized you as a kid and that later kinda killed you / is the only thing keeping you alive, to be devoted to it scrambling to believe in a higher reason for all of it to happen bc to believe otherwise is............. anyway. i love her, and i feel so so sorry for her

Favorite moment

her "maybe ive never been to the beach" at the end of ehr statement (that i fully believe its bullshit but, yknow, i love that she adds that), most of her convos with martin, her "i told you this might happen" "you did, you did" with mikaele

Idea for a story

i think a lot about her having conversations w/ either mikaele (platonically) or sasha (shippy) and their different points of views and treat with her making her doubt the web a bit

Unpopular opinion

listen, listen, i know it sounds like im woobifying her i Know it but reading the scraps of her story how can i Not feel sorry for her? when the story framed her very similar to jon? the supernatural childhood encounter that gave them arachnophobia and the subsequential joining with an Entity against her will? the fact that both the story and the fans treat her like a spider woman always sat very very bad to me, and the fact that the story itself always framed her like a villain (considering All The Other Characters that get the benefit of the doubt) was extremely disappointing

Favorite relationship

her and mikaele!!!!!!! wish we could have seen more scenes of just the two of them!!!!!! *singing* he is her daaaaaad, hes her dad! boogie boogie boogie! (ok no but like... their offscreen friendship is my favorite thing of season 5 ;_;)

Favorite headcanon

Sigh i dont know...i still think she's scared of spiders which make her current existence harder but thats a sadcanon :/ umm...... i love the idea of mikaele and her cooking together from time to time! Mikaele showing her some plates he used to eat as a kid as he talks stories about his life :) and she listens and sometimes tells a story of her own! its been so long since he had a quasy normal conversation! its weird yet nice!

#i say the same phrase many times but basically best parts of s4 are hands down peter. lonely!mart. peter and martin. melanie's arc. thats it #best parts of s5 are jon killing the not!them. annabelle. mikaele. annabelle & mikaele. annabelle and martin. thats it #dhfjfj sorry half of these are a bummer but you asked me... characters i have a complicated relationship with... i love the three of them s #statement ends #THANKS i love... talking

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backofthebookshelf · 5 years

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Book Recs for Magnus Archives Fans

I was just rambling in tags the other day about how my avatarsona was "the Archivist, but a public librarian: Oh, you like dirt?? Let me tell you all the dirt stories I have!!!!" so, uh, here I am I guess.

I'm gonna spare you all the M.R. James and Algernon Blackwood and House of Leaves and Blindsight; you know all that already. These are my horror backlist recs.

The Bone Key by Sarah Monette Y'all. Y'ALL. Kyle Murchison Booth was absolutely the Archivist before Gertrude. He was poached from the Parrington by the Usher Foundation and the Eye glommed onto him at once, because the Eye loves disaster queers who can't people right (and also Gertrude). This I believe to be true, and so will you.

Kyle Murchison Booth is an archivist at the Parrington Museum, which is somewhere in New England, sometime in the early twentieth century. He also has a lifelong entanglement with the supernatural which is almost entirely not his fault, and he would very much like it to stop, but he also feels responsible and he can't just let evil mirrors and cursed necklaces and possessed dressing gowns randomly eat people who have no idea what's happening. Even if it means he's going to suffer for it.

(This collection doesn't contain all of the Booth stories, so here I am going to link to "White Charles", which happens to be my very favorite Booth story.)

For you if your favorite part is: honestly everything about MAG, from the modern sensibilities about early twentieth-century-horror, truly eerie ghost stories, to suffering eldritch librarians (thanks to whoever tagged my most recent fic with that you're so valid), monsterfucking and soft gay pining. No happy endings here, sorry.

Bedfellow by Jeremy C. Shipp You may or may not have heard that Macmillan-Tor is launching a horror imprint, and I don't know how long it's been since a major publishing house has had a horror imprint, but I am EXCITE. This book is part of the trend that's the reason why: Tor.com has been publishing these kickass novellas for a couple years now, and their horror books are top notch.

One night a stranger knocks on a family's living room window and asks to be invited in. They ask him to stay the night. He's an old friend, after all, he needs a place to stay. You can't kick out your twin brother when he's just gotten divorced, no matter how much Gatorade he spills on your two-year-old hardwood floors.

For you if your favorite part is: the Stranger, this is all Stranger, it's terrifying and good.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll A graphic novel, some of these were originally posted as webcomics (have you seen His Face All Red, and if not, why not???) and the only disadvantage to having them in book form is they can't blink at you. Probably. Very folktale-ish, with all the death and violence that implies, and also the slightly eerie feeling that you know this story already, and then it turns around and slaps you.

For you if your favorite part is: looking over your shoulder when the foley gets good; Once Upon a Time in Space (I know that's not technically part of the Magnus Archives but shush)

Universal Harvester by John Darnielle I am not usually a fan of artists who jump media. Just because you can write songs doesn't mean you can write novels. Apparently writing good songs doesn't mean you can't write good novels, though, because John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats (pretty sure that's his full name at this point) wrote Universal Harvester and I love him for it.

Jeremy works at a video rental place in Nevada, Iowa (it's pronounced Nah-vey-da, and yes it’s real, I've been there, and yes, it's probably haunted). It's the 1990s, and someone's been returning their VHS tapes with something on them that isn't just the movie. Footage that includes a barn that he recognizes, just outside of town.

Fair warning: this is not the kind of mystery that gets tied up in a nice bow at the end.

For you if your favorite part is: Jon losing it with paranoia in S2, The People's Church of the Divine Host, the Lonely

The Good House by Tananarive Due If this author's name is unfamiliar to you, RUN, do not walk, to your nearest internet bookseller and purchase every single one of her books immediately, you will not regret it. She also just came out with a documentary on black horror, Horror Noire, on the Shudder streaming service. They've got a free month if you aren't a horror movie person, it'd be worth your while. This book summary sounds like it's full of tropes. It is, but Due has the cred to write them well.

Angela Toussaint hopes to salvage her suffering marriage and her troubled relationship with her teenage son with a trip to her grandmother's house, a home so beloved the locals in small-town Washington state call it "The Good House," but tragedy strikes instead. Two years later she returns and finds that the tragedy isn't over, and it's not going to stop on its own.

For you if your favorite part is: the very practical statement-givers who know what's happening to them and Will Not Put Up With This Shit, the Desolation, the Hill Top Road statements

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins Is this horror disguised as fantasy? Found family disguised as horror? Grown-up Neil Gaiman? Less grimdark George R.R. Martin? Honestly I have no fucking idea, but it's amazing. Fair warning, unlike Magnus Archives, this deserves all kinds of trigger warnings, including but not necessarily limited to: sexual assault, torture, mental manipulation, dysfunctional families, incest(?)

Father is missing, and his twelve children (though extremely talented in their own ways, and not strictly speaking children any more) are at a loss without him. But also, without him, things are starting to seem different. He might be God? They might not be human? (They were probably human once.) He might not be God but maybe one of them might be next? If any of them survive.

For you if your favorite part is: slowly turning into a monster, the relationships between entities and avatars, monsters hot (not kidding about the trigger warnings)

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley I have to keep reminding myself that Magnus Archives isn't really folk horror, there are two separate (if related) strains of British horror here and folk horror is not the one we're on, but at the same time I really want a good creepy rural pagan cult to show up in the series, you know? Anyway.

When he was a child, our narrator used to go with his family on an Easter pilgrimage to shrine on a bleak stretch of Lancaster coastline locals called The Loney. His Catholic mother was searching for a cure for his older brother, and she was convinced if they kept going long enough she would be granted her wish. The locals, however, are not huge fans of her annual visits, and even less so when the boys become involved with the goings-on of a pair of glamorous tourists.

For you if your favorite part is: the Lukases, I didn't realize until I was writing this up that I'm picturing Moreland House in the exact place described by this book

Eutopia by David Nickle One thing I love about the historical statements in Magnus Archives is just how truly historical they are. There's almost nothing in "The Piper" that isn't historically accurate - yes, Wilfrid Owen spent several days in a trench underneath the shredded bodies of his fellow soldiers. Like. You can't make up horror worse than that. But then you add monsters and it gets good. And I'm a sucker for early-twentieth-century history, it's such a bonkers time.

It's 1911 and the new Eugenics Record Office is sending agents out to catalog the disabled, infirm, and otherwise undesirable members of society so they can figure out what to do about them. In the utopian town of Eliada, Idaho, Dr. Andrew Waggoner runs from the racism of American society and straight into the influence of Mister Juke, the most troubling patient in his new practice. (Trigger warnings for, obviously, a whole lot of ableism. Treated like the monstrousness it is, but there's a lot of it.)

For you if your favorite part is: learning history through horror, the Flesh

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay I hate male writers writing about teenage girls, so you are going to have to trust me when I say that I had to check, several times while reading this book, to make sure that Paul Tremblay is actually a dude. He's very good. This book was kind of his breakout, so if you follow horror you've read it already, but if you don't necessarily then please do not miss it. His newer ones, Disappearance at Devil's Rock (Stranger, Spiral) and The Cabin at the End of the World (Slaughter, Extinction), are also good but not as good as this, I think.

Fourteen-year-old Marjorie is having a rough time - outbursts, hallucinations, paranoia. Treatment is difficult (and expensive) and her family ambivalent; they turn to a local Catholic priest, who recommends an exorcism and, to help manage those medical bills, a production company who's interested in filming a reality TV show about the process. Fifteen years later, Marjorie's sister deconstructs the now-famous show and wrestles with her own memories of childhood. Trigger warnings for ableism on the part of many of the characters, but not the narrative.

For you if your favorite part is: the Spiral, metafictional analysis of horror tropes

#the magnus archives #book recs #there's a lot of other things i could tag this as #but i wrote it for this fandom #is this a transparent excuse to get more people to read booth stories??#it is #it really is

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joannalannister · 5 years

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Going back to what I was saying yesterday, as well as this quote I reblogged

They accept evil not because they say yes, but because they don’t say no.

we are all passengers pitching downward into the night. [...] we’re all helpless. So get up, and help someone.

This is a really big deal in ASOIAF imo. It’s this ... this indifference to the plight of so many people that is one of the great evils of Westeros.

tell me … why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when you high lords play your game of thrones?

So many people in Westeros just don’t fucking care.

There’s this line of Tywin’s I find so chilling, every time I read it:

“now that she is finally rid of Joffrey you propose to marry her to me. That seems singularly cruel. Even for you, Father."

"Why, do you plan to mistreat her?" His father sounded more curious than concerned.

“more curious than concerned” “Why, do you plan to mistreat her?” Tywin doesn’t fucking care. Tywin does not fucking care what happens to Sansa. It sends chills down my spine. (“the real enemy is the cold”)

Tywin’s line is reminiscent of Viserys’s indifference to Dany’s fate: “I'd let his whole khalasar fuck you if need be, sweet sister, all forty thousand men, and their horses too if that was what it took to get my army.” These men wouldn’t say no, regardless of what happens to these little girls.

That’s what makes many of GRRM’s villains so great and terrible -- they’re rather ordinary in their “humdrum, everyday” indifference and their willingness to uphold such an awful social system.

Fortunately GRRM knows how to make great heroes too -- they’re people who are anything but ordinary.

For example, when the old guard of the Night’s Watch would rather let the wildlings die beyond the Wall than let them in, Jon Snow says fuck no and let’s them in, and he dies for it.

This is the reason I feel so dismayed by the idea that Dany should have just ~~left the slaver cities alone~~. I can’t believe there are living, breathing people who read these books and actually suggest this. You can’t just walk away when people are being treated like that. You have to say no to the Randyll Tarlys of the world. You have to hold fast. You have to stand.

The whole point of ASOIAF, imo, is Don’t do nothing. Do something.

Barristan the Bold urges Dany to “Look away” when Drogon is eating people in Daznak’s pit, but Dany refuses to look away. She is not indifferent.

When everyone else is running away from the danger, she runs toward it.

Dany twisted from his grasp. The world seemed to slow as she cleared the parapet. When she landed in the pit she lost a sandal. Running, she could feel the sand between her toes, hot and rough. Ser Barristan was calling after her. Strong Belwas was still vomiting. She ran faster. [...]

The Meereenese were screaming, cursing, howling. Dany could hear someone pounding after her. "Drogon," she screamed. "Drogon."

[...] Dany stumbled into the hot red cloud, coughing. He snapped.

"No" was all that she had time to say.

^^^That’s some straightup superhero, Wonder Woman shit right there that Dany does. The world seemed to slow as she cleared the parapet...

“I am looking into hell, but I dare not look away.“

And Tyrion ... Tyrion, my baby ... I love him most of all, because he fails sometimes. GRRM has Tyrion walk the line between caring and indifference, and sometimes he falls on the wrong side of that line.

The Three Whores still dominated the market square inside the gate, but they stood idle now, and the boulders and barrels of pitch had all been trundled away. There were children climbing the towering wooden structures, swarming up like monkeys in roughspun to perch on the throwing arms and hoot at each other.

"Remind me to tell Ser Addam to post some gold cloaks here," Tyrion told Bronn as they rode between two of the trebuchets. "Some fool boy's like to fall off and break his back." There was a shout from above, and a clod of manure exploded on the ground a foot in front of them. Tyrion's mare reared and almost threw him. "On second thoughts," he said when he had the horse in hand, "let the poxy brats splatter on the cobbles like overripe melons."

ADWD is largely Tyrion’s indifference to life, even his own, born of his depression and PTSD. I believe this is something Tyrion can pull himself out of, but I think he is going to do some really horrifying, awful things in TWOW/ADOS before he does.

And I worry for Jon in TWOW. I worry that Jon will be indifferent. “the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference. Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies.” Jon will have to remember how to care, remember why humanity is worth dying for.

I think Jon will have to remember that evil is not just when one says yes to dehumanization. Evil is not saying no.

It is a constant battle, one I hope that Jon has the strength to fight.

That all our heroes have the strength to fight.

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Curse me ... Bless me ... anything but indifference.

Because that indifference, that villainous apathy -- of Tywin, of Roose, of Randyll, of Viserys, and all the people who won’t say no -- it is “an enemy that [...] will not break, will absorb all the losses you can throw at it and swarm over the walls” to overwhelm you. And it requires no strength at all -- only surrender.

We have to fight.

We are all passengers pitching downward into the night. We’re all helpless. So get up and help someone.

#i still say that's some W0nder W0man shit. fight me.#/#//#///#////#lannister thoughts #asoiaf themes #the meaning of asoiaf #jon snow #Daenerys Targaryen #tyrion lannister #tyrion meta #tywin lannister #tywin meta

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ihaveastorminme · 5 years

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ii. predators far and near

The leviathan of the seas, is it? The terrible shadow. The beast with a million eyes and a million ears. Conquest, rape, plunder. I studied your methods in your school and I do know the evil that you do because I was once part of it.

James Delaney, “Taboo”

As the afternoon grew late, Sansa saw her chance and excused herself. The moment she put her goblet on the table and curtsied to her uncle and some of the Lords around him however, Jon Targaryen’s eyes flitted across the hall and found her. She could not possibly say how she knew he was looking, only that she did. He had a way, her cousin, of taking up more space than he should, even in a place as grand as the Red Keep. A way of making others uncomfortably aware of him.

She remembered him from childhood, of course she did. How could she not? In her memories, he was tall and angry all the time, always turning those grey eyes towards Danaerys, following her like a shadow.

Whatever had been between them, Daenerys always tried to hide it, but Jon had never bothered. Now, with time and perspective on her side, Sansa thought perhaps he’d even delighted in exposing it. At thirteen, the thought might have struck her as romantic, but now she could see it for the power game it was. Dany treated it that way sometimes, though there was no doubt in Sansa’s mind that Daenerys cared for Jon sincerely, though perhaps just as obsessively as he cared for her.

There used to be such voracious gossip surrounding them. Him especially, even when he’d been barely more than a child. By the way he’d behaved, Sansa might have been forgiven for thinking the worst of it true at one point. Where everyone had presented such a careful image in court, the Black Prince had seemed to scorn the facade and he made no secret of it, ever. He was never rude, but he was never kind either, nor did he ever pretend to be – and was cruelest to those who did.

Sansa had not understood. Of course she had not.

But she’d understood his anger just fine. It used to be the reason she could hardly look at him in the eye when she was a girl. He used to frighten her. Not more than Sandor used to, whose rage she could always see so clearly and which always made her flinch, but perhaps for the same reason.

Neither of them scared her now though.

Her most vivid memory of Jon was from Viserys’ funeral. It came to her just as she met his eyes in the great hall as she was about to leave. She didn’t know why she thought of it then and not before. It was the most recent memory she had of him, but that was not the reason it rooted her on the spot. Looking at Jon now, seeing him notice her and then start walking towards her in that sure, steady gait of his, Sansa remembered with perfect clarity - and she shivered as if she’d been doused with ice cold water.

There was an undercurrent of violence to that memory, like a dagger wrapped in silk, an unspoken threat. That was what she remembered first and foremost. And of course, everything else. Viserys, who had loomed so large in Sansa’s world while he was alive, had looked small and frail in death. Soft and pathetic, like the carcass of a chicken without feathers. Sansa had stayed in the sept to pray until almost everyone else had gone. She’d thought she was alone when she finally rose from the foot of the statue of the Stranger. That’s when she’d seen him. Jon, Targaryen, Jon Blackyre, Jon Snow – Jon, standing over his uncle’s body, looking down intently, searchingly. The look on his face had given her such a terrible pause. He’d looked so utterly unaffected! Unnaturally so, Sansa had thought, for someone who was looking down at the body of someone who was supposed to be family. She had not been able to tell if it had been because he hated, or because he had simply been used to seeing bodies that were no longer people and the fact of death no longer surprised him.

The not knowing, more than anything, had been what had frozen her in place. She had not even been able to breathe.

But the more she had looked, the more she had seen. How’d leaned in, infinitesimally. Just a hairsbreadth. How there had been something simmering behind that placid expression, something that made his eyes sear. She had known it was hatred then, just as he’d leaned in: Jon Targaryen’s eyes had been as steady and dry as her own and yes, she had known, because in his eyes she had recognized the reason why she’d taken such pains with her veil that day. The reason she had not wanted to be seen, the way he was being seen. She had known he hated before her cousin reached and took the painted stones from Viserys’ eyes, downturned lips curling back in a silent snarl as he’d pocketed them.

Let him roam the seventh hell blind and deaf.

The viciousness of the satisfaction that had ripped through her at that thought still brought chills to her even now. Especially now perhaps, as Jon crossed the hall towards her, Daenerys following close behind.

“You were leaving, cousin? The feast has barely even started.” His voice was so pleasantly soothing when he spoke. It made the contrast between him and the memory of him feel like an irreconcilable breach.

“Sansa only attends court when forced, Jon.” Dany explained, though Sansa was grateful she kept her voice low. Jon Targaryen’s smile was small, but his eyes were still and very carefully taking in her face. She felt scrutinised.

“You seem to be far wiser than us both in this.” He said slowly.

“If you say so, cousin. I am also late for my prayers, so I will take my leave, unless you have a need of me, your grace.”

“Of course not, you’re free to do as you please, my Lady.” Dany said as she waved her hand carelessly in front of her, and then leaned in to kiss her cheek, unexpectedly and unabashedly affectionate.

Sansa smiled. “I will bring you roses tonight.”

She curtsied and turned to leave, but before she had taken her second step, his voice stopped her.

“And if I have a need of you? What then?”

Sansa turned her head, and then the rest of her body, towards Jon. His grey eyes were amused, even though his face looked serious. She linked her hands in front of herself and tipped her chin up, making herself smile.

“How can I be of service, your grace?”

She could not tell if she was unfair in thinking his expressions as exaggerated but it seemed to her that he was enhancing his every emotion for her benefit, as if he were putting on a show. It was this she thought of the disappointment that flashed on his face as he spoke.

“Am I ‘your grace’ so soon? Not a few hours ago you called me by name.”

“I did, but you just requested my services in an official capacity, therefore I must oblige.”

He wanted to play, she could see it, but Sansa was tired, the letters in her pocket were heavy and felt hot as a brand against her thigh, and her hand itched beneath her glove.

“I see I have upset you.”

Sansa startled. “Of course not, I-“

“My apologies cousin. I was just teasing.” He said warmly, and Sansa felt both foolish and wrong-footed. For a brief but intense moment, she wanted to explain to him that by this time of the day her hand started to itch and that she usually retired somewhere private, where she could apply the ointments on her burns, or they would trouble her for the rest of the night. That after a day spent in company, some hours to herself in the silence of the godswood were a gift, a solace and something she badly needed. Just that one bit of the day that was her own. She opened her mouth to speak but she had no words to say all these things with, appropriate words that would explain without giving so much away, so she promptly pursed her lips closed and gulped.

“I realize I may have given offense, but I promise I am not-“

“Never mind him, Sansa. You’re free to go, as always.” Dany said, pushing at Jon’s shoulder a little, looking genuinely annoyed at him. “Jon’s just being an arse.”

“And to make up for it.” Jon stepped to her side and offered his arm. “Allow me to escort you to the sept, my Lady.”

“I pray in the godswood at this hour.” She took his arm as a reflex.

“Then that is where I’ll take you.”

“How shameless of you both, abandoning me like this.”

Jon laughed. “I’m sure you’ll manage.”

Dany’s expression sobered a little. “Jon, you must come back, the dinner is in your honour. The king-”

“I’ll think about it on the way.” He said curtly and started walking, taking Sansa with him.

Once they walked through the doors, Sansa saw that Shae and Jeyne were waiting for her by one of the windows in the corridor just outside the main hall. They both stopped talking when they saw the prince. She knew that he did not miss the glove and the small porcelain jar set side by side with the scissors in the flower basket Shae was carrying. He made no mention of it however. They walked on and Shae and Jeyne fell into step behind them silently.

“I remember seeing you ride for the Great Sept often, when I was here last. It made me think you kept to the seven.”

“I keep to both.” Sansa said, instead of reminding him that she was a daughter of Winterfell and north of the Neck, people prayed in front of the weeping faces of the weirwoods and in ways that southerners would consider unnatural. That she had gone to the sept because it reminded her of her mother, and because everyone else did.

Instead, she looked at his face. “And you?”

“Neither.”

Sansa glanced at him. “That’s not in keeping with what I’ve heard.”

To her surprise he chuckled. “And what have you heard?”

They stepped outside, where the air was cooler and already fragrant with the scents of the blooms from the gardens. Sansa took a deep breath.

“That you used to sit by the great oak tree in the godswood all night, sometimes, lighting small fires.” Sacrificing animals at its roots to make magic come for from the ground, calling the names of the dead.

“I used to but I stopped.”

His admission startled her.

“What I was searching for wasn’t there.” He said by way of explanation, once he caught her eyes on him.

What had he been looking for? What had he wanted so desperately that it had taken him at the foot of the godswood, begging for it to gods that might very well be deaf and blind down here. She had the strange notion as she looked at his face in the light of the setting sun, that if she asked, he would tell her.

“And did you manage to find it anywhere else? Whatever you we relooking for.”

“No.”

She didn’t know what made her say it, in truth. He didn’t look happy or sad when he answered, but she still said “I’m sorry,” as if she was offering condolences.

“Do you like seashells?” He asked her suddenly after they’d walked a few yards in silence.

“I… suppose?”

“There is a strip of beach just outside the walls, where the cliffs meet the sea and form a natural alcove. I used to go there when I was a boy and hunt for treasures. Have you ever been there?”

Sansa smiled despite herself, at the picture he painted. Did he used to go there alone? She might have asked him, but refrained. It would be sad if he said yes, though it would confirm some of her suspicions if he said no. But then she remembered how struck he’d seemed by her offer to make him a shirt; such a little thing, and he’d looked at her like he had no idea what she was made of, before the look on his face became warm and soft. How he’d looked at her throughout their outing, his eyes insistent, but not invasive or obscene, the way she knew men’s eyes could be. His curiosity had been palpable and she could not say she did not feel the same… And he had brought her letters from her family. Letters that could not have been delivered by any hand but those her father trusted. Her father had trusted him.

No, she would not ask. A kindness for a kindness.

“I don’t think I have been there, no.”

“I want to show it to you. It’s beautiful there. I think you will like it.”

His enthusiasm seemed genuine this time, but Sansa hesitated. “It sounds lovely, but I have duties to attend to.”

“Dany won’t mind.” Jon said immediately.

The godswood came into view and just as Sansa started to dread him walking her to the heart of it, Jon stopped, right at the edge of the first trees.

“And yet, I must still ask for permission.” Her time was not her own in more ways than one.

“Then she can join us. I will tell her tonight.”

Sansa smiled. He was a practical person, wasn’t he? “Very well. Thank you for escorting me, cousin.”

“You’re welcome, Sansa.”

She’d held her hand out to and he took it, but instead of bending down to kiss her knuckles, her cousin simply held her hand in his as he leaned in, kissing her cheekbone. The brush of his lips was soft as a feather even as his beard ticked her cheek.

“Goodnight, Sansa.”

“Yes, goodnight.” She said softly at his back, then caught herself and turned towards the roods, Jeyne and Shae at her heels. Once they were deep inside the godswood, they sat down at the foot of the great oak and Sansa took off her glove slowly, to her great relief.

Shae uncapped the ointment jar. “That man is devious.”

“Oh, you think so?” Jeyne sounded disappointed. “I thought he was sweet.”

Shae snorted. “You think everyone is sweet. Give me your hand.”

Sansa placed her hand in Shae’s, who, despite her sharp tone, was as gentle as ever when she applied the ointment on the burned skin of her palm and carefully massaged her way up to the inside of her forearm. The cooling sensation made Sansa sigh in relief.

“You have been in pain for hours, I could tell.” Jeyne said as she sat on Sansa’s other side.

“Not pain, exactly. Discomfort.”

“It does not need to be terrible, for it to be pain.” Shae reminded her.

“You should have left sooner.”

Sansa agreed with Jeyne on that, but what she should do and what she could do were very different things. “I was lucky to be allowed to leave when I did.”

“What does he want?” Shae asked, directly to the point.

Sansa thought about it.

“Who knows? To finally get to know his cousin?”

She gave Sansa a look that told her all she need to know about how much Shae believed that. It made Sansa laugh.

“I don’t know what he wants.” Yet. She did not know yet. Sooner or later, she would find out. “Nothing, most likely.” She added softly, eyes fixed over Shae’s head as she thought back to the day she’d had.

Nothing with me, anyway.

“I know what he wants.” Shae muttered, just as Jeyne spoke:

“He and the princess-“

Sansa shushed her friend, putting her hand on top of Jeyne’s gently and shaking her head minutely. No, they had to watch that. Even here. Even together and alone as they were. Sansa knew better than most that in the Red Keep, no one was ever truly alone.

“He is a dangerous man.” Shae whispered, so low the sea breeze could have drowned her out. Sansa just looked at her and waited for the rest of it to come. “Half the cutthroats of Fleebottom know him by name, the other half fear him.”

“Are those Tyrion’s words or yours?”

“I say what I know!” Shae snapped, glaring at her before she looked down at her hand again, keeping up her gentle work. “I heard he sailed to Essos with a witch some years ago. That the ship sank and he alone survived.”

“That much we know it’s not true.” Sansa interrupted. “Others survived as well, my uncle Benjen among them, thank the gods.”

“That he landed on the Stepstones, and mixed his lot with pirates. That he does blood magic. That that beast of his kills by his master’s will. That he can shift skins possess animals. That he has killed people in terrible ways-“

“And sat down with the crows to eat their flesh, yes I heard this too.” Sansa said impatiently.

“You don’t believe it?” Jeyne asked, her voice steady but her eyes round with fright.

“There are not enough years in his life to have done half the things they say he has done,” Sansa said. And then, less certain, “I don’t know what to believe.”

Shae looked up. “Believe all of it, as you always do. I am finished. Keep your glove off until your skin dries, this time.” She warned capping the ointment jar closed again and placing it on the basket. Sansa looked at the skin of her palm, the puckered ruin, red in places and discoloured in other places. It was ugly, true, but it could have been worse.

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard you.” Sansa said as she turned towards the oak tree, folding her legs beneath her carefully. The blooming dragonbreaths around the oak could almost have looked like leaves of the weirwood. If she focused on the vines around the tree as she prayed, they almost did.

Almost, she thought as she dug her fingers in the dry earth of the forest. But not quite. She had thought about carving a face on the tree herself, but knew it would not have been the same. She was not one of the Children, it would not mean anything if she did it.

Shae’s words kept repeating in her mind.

He’s thrown his lot with murderers and cutthroats. He does blood magic. He’s killed people in terrible ways. He’s tasted human blood. He shifts skins and possesses animals…

Sansa shivered as she looked at the oak tree, wishing she would see the mournful face of the weirdwood, the blood red eyes. Scary as they were, at least they were a witness.

If he’s a demon, what am I?

It was almost dark when she finally found herself in the gardens. The last rays of the sunset were painting the sky in wondrous shades of gold and pink as Sansa picked the best blooms the gardens had to offer, to adorn Daenerys’ rooms and her own. Once she was in the middle of the walkway, she ran into Petyr Baelish who happened to be there with some Vale men. She met him by utter by chance, she was sure; a chance that had probably been constructed so carefully as to appear a perfect coincidence. They all bowed to her and made small talk, offered her news of her betrothed as she charmed them, before continuing on her way, snipping a white rose here and a yellow one there.

“Lord Hardying is expected to reach the capitol next month.” Petyr said as he followed her at a distance, picking a red rose and offering it to her.

“I shall be glad to see him.” She said placidly, as she took the rose and thanked him.

“I heard you met Prince Jon today.”

Prince Jon, she thought and again noted that no one dared to add anything after his name. Jon Blackfyre. Jon Waters. Jon Sand. Jon Snow, he would have been, back home… The prince with so many names, he had none.

“I did. Quite unexpectedly, as well.”

“Scandalous, is he not?”

Sansa reached for a white rose and smelled its sweet scent. Lovely. She cut it down expertly and added it to her basket.

“Some say.”

“But you do not?”

She did not yet know, in truth.

“He likes to shock.” She said instead. It was true enough but something Littlefinger already knew, she was sure. Sansa could feel his eyes on the side of her face, as aware of him as she was of the dress on her skin.

“Perhaps he just wanted to shock you.” Littlefinger suggested carefully as he circled her. Sansa chuckled.

“Oh I doubt I was his intended target.” She said, glancing at Baelish as she walked by him, not at all unperturbed by his hovering. He followed her every movement like a hawk and smiled back as if they shared a secret. And they did. They had many secrets between them, though this was one of the least precious. So many knew, it was hardly a secret, and she would bet all the roses of the world that it was about to become fresh court gossip again.

Sansa was sure whatever had been between Daenerys and Jon Targaryen that made the king insist on keeping them apart, continued. She had seen it plain as day at the picnic: the way their eyes met and held. How they picked up their intimacy as if it had never been broken by time or displacement. As natural as breathing. The way they bickered, like children. Like lovers.

She could almost feel sorry for them. A union would never be allowed. She did not need to have the King's council to know that. Everyone knew that the Targaryen's unstable nature came from their insistence on keeping their blood pure, wedding within their dwindling family. Everyone also remembered how the realm had almost been brought to its knees by the late king Aerys, the one the common people still called The Mad. And personally, Sansa knew that despite the court’s official position – one of pretending that this reputation of volatility and madness did not exist - too many pains had been taken to hide Viserys' true nature, for that official position to be true. It mattered very much indeed. She knew this better than anyone; she was walking proof of it.

No, another union of Targaryen with Targaryen would not happen in Rhaegar's lifetime. And perhaps that was why Jon Targaryen had come back. To defy his father again, steal Danaerys away like Rhaegar had done with Lyanna.

And maybe grow wings like a dragon and fly into the east, why not. If he could turn into a wolf to eat his enemies, why not a dragon.

“The king won’t be pleased.” Littlefinger said as he stroked his beard slowly, as if he was telling her something new. Every time he stated the obvious this way, Sansa suspected a trap. No, the king definitely would not be please, whatever his youngest son’s reason for returning to court.

Perhaps her cousin would be send away again. Perhaps Dany would, and Sansa would have to follow.

That could not happen. Not now. She had a plan to follow, and would not allow any detractions. Not anymore.

But -

“Is it true that in the three years he disappeared, he was in the Stepstones?” She asked, perhaps a bit too abruptly, turning towards Littlefinger.

His eyes glinted. “You sound fascinated.”

“I am rather weary, in truth.” Sansa admitted. Part truths served her just as well as whole ones. Petyr had taught her that, after all. And he liked feeling needed – or rather, making her feel as if she needed him. “Something about him makes me deeply uneasy. I have yet to meet someone who will even say his full name, let alone anything else.”

She looked at him, waiting. She knew he would step into it, she knew it, it was all over his face as he looked at her…

“No, you will be hard-pressed to find someone willing to do so. People still remember what happened to the last man who got it wrong. And the man before that.”

Sansa nodded and cut another rose. Yes, Viserys, years ago, and the second son of lord Caldwell, a year before that. Jon Targaryen had been fourteen when he’d killed a boy five years his elder. She had not been there that day, it had happened before she came to King’s Landing, but people still commended on the Black Prince’s skill with a sword, even as they shuddered at how he’d used that skill to murder his opponent in cold blood, so efficiently Caldwell never even had the chance to yield.

The duel had been fair, they said. Fair murder.

Every murder was fair murder if it was condoned by the crown. But then again those who agreed Jon Targaryen was part of the crown, were as numerous as those who called him a Blackfyre and who did not see him as such. Maybe that was why he’d been so careful to make the arrangements so very formally and legal, before he spilled blood.

“You could have him, I think.” Littlefinger said unexpectedly. But Sansa only gave him one of her smiles. A secret one, both amused and fondly exasperated, one he knew. She had grown so used to his possessiveness of her and his treacherous way of showing it, it hardly tripped her anymore.

“You say that about every man.” She said, almost rolling her eyes at him.

He reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles, lingering. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She became acutely aware of the cold metal of the scissors in her hand.

“It is true for every man.” He said as he straightened, voice low.

Sansa looked down to her basket of flowers, fidgeted with her hands. She never looked too long at him when his eyes gleamed like that. She was afraid what he might see in her face.

“Flattery is below us at this point, is it not, my Lord?” She told him, lips arching up.

“I only speak the truth, as you know.”

Truth…

“I rather like the betrothed I have.” Sansa said then, returning to her flower picking.

“Yes, certainly Harry is handsome.”

“He certainly is.”

“And quite a bit more manageable than the Black Prince, to be sure.”

“If you say so my lord.”

“Though less intelligent, I suppose.”

“My Lord Hardying is very bright.” Sansa said, practiced. Perfect.

“Is that a word you would use about your royal cousin?”

Sansa shrugged. “It’s certainly a word.”

“I heard he’s taken quite the shine to you.”

“Has he?” She didn’t bother to hide her amusement. “Because he spoke to me once and brought me some letters?”

“I only mean to warn you, my dear Sansa. A dragon’s interest is never a good thing, especially for a Stark woman. And Jon Targaryen is a dangerous man.”

Sansa stiffened without meaning to. She did not look at Littlefinger as she made herself relax her shoulders, reach for another flower. If ever she might forget that Petyr Baelish was a cruel man, he was quick to remind her. She still did not know if he could not help it, or if he did it on purpose. She had found, it was safer for her to assume he meant everything he said. Every single thing.

She turned her back to him deliberately.

“You underestimate me in every way.” She said softly, letting some hurt show in her voice. Some disappointment.

He was quick to come closer, much too close than was proper for him to. That he should do so where anyone could see him, that he could not help himself in this way, gave her a dark kind of satisfaction, even as the disgust of having her space invaded crawled on her skin on millipede legs.

“My dear girl, you are more precious to me than anyone. And I know you better than anyone. I know your mind, Sansa. Believe me when I say, I know few others as capable as you.”

“And yet you insult me.”

He put his hands on her shoulders, slid them down her arms. “I mean to put you on your guard, my Lady. The things I have heard of this prince would make your skin crawl.”

She turned and he stepped back from her, as if he’d remembered himself, where they were and who he was with. It was true, they could not be seen from the palace in this alcove, but it was still in the open, and they both knew it. To remind him of this, Sansa looked about herself, and then leaned in, deliberately and only a fraction. Just enough for him to notice.

“Tell me.”

“They are of course only rumors.”

She had been prepared for this. For him to string her along as much as he could. She did not let her irritation so much as bubble, but rather, widened her eyes, let out a breath that fanned in Littlefinger’s face and watched as his pupils dilated.

“What kind of rumors.” She whispered.

“Awful and unnatural, and I'm sure at least partly untrue[1].”

She made a movement with her hand, as if to touch him, and then let her hand fall down again, but kept her eyes pleading, subtly so. He knew her abhorrence for over the top displays. “Tell me. If I need to be on my guard as you say, I will need to prepare.”

“Of course.” He stepped a little closer, smiled. “But you can also rely on me.”

She nodded twice, licked her lips. “I know.”

When he kissed her knuckles again, eyes holding her own, she knew that whatever information she needed, she would have to find out for herself.

“I hope you hid your letters well.” He said once they started walking back towards the palace. Sansa looked around for Jeyne and Shae, and saw them turning the corner, heading her way. She was grateful they did not hurry when they saw who she was with.

“I have, my lord.”

“Be careful, dear Sansa.”

Yes, I shall be, she thought as she smiled and bid him goodnight.

She knew he had had someone search her rooms for those letters the moment he’d had the chance; knew it with the same certainty she knew her name. It was plain to see on his face, as she could see his irritation at not having found them. He was probably not even the only one to have done so in the last twelve hours.

Those were the thoughts that kept her company on her way to her room. She was not disturbed however, thank the gods, and once she got there, she bid Shae and Jeyne to arrange the flowers, as she sat down on her desk and took the letters out from the inside of her skirt’s pocket. She laid them out in front of her and read them again, and then again. After she had read them five times, she got up, took her chamber pot and one of the candles. She steeled herself and then burned them, one by one.

Once she was done, she dried her face of tears and changed for bed. She cried some more once she was under the covers, Shae’s body warm against hers, her arm around her waist a silent reassurance and comfort. One moment she was thinking of home, the red sap of the weirdwood faces and eyes painted on small stones, and the next she was asleep.

That night, she dreamt of open skies.

[1] Taboo quote

#actuallyjonsa #dragoncourt au #i write things sometimes

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trinuviel · 6 years

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The Ice and the Fire of the Song (part 3)

What does the Ice and the Fire refer to in GRRM’s epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire? That is the subject of this series of posts. (Part 1, Part 2). In this series, Ice and Fire refer to many different things. That doesn’t mean that one meaning excludes the others but rather that the two concepts have multiple meanings and that these depend on context. In my previous post, I examined Ice and Fire in relation to the cult of R’hllor and its rigid theology of an eternal binary opposition between forces that are ascribed meanings as either Good or Evil.

In this post I’ll use Robert Frost’s poem Fire and Ice as the basis for an exploration of the elements of Ice and Fire in relation human emotions as well as to the history of the world in which the story takes place. Finally, I’ll ponder whether the text offers a possibility to escape the trap that dogmatic binary thinking constitutes. Things aren’t black and white, and sometimes opposing elements can meld together.

DESIRE AND HATE

There are many sources of inspiration for GRRM’s A Song of Ice and Fire but one of them is Robert Frost’s poem Fire and Ice from 1920.

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if I had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

This an apocalyptic poem where the elemental forces of Ice and Fire are interpreted through the lens of human emotions. Ice is hate and Fire is desire.

“People say that I was influenced by Robert Frost’s poem, and of course I was, I mean… Fire is love, fire is passion, fire is sexual ardor and all these things. Ice is betrayal, ice is revenge, ice is… you know, that cold inhumanity and all that stuff is being played out in the books.” (GRRM)

Here Ice and Fire come to symbolize common human feelings – things that unite and divide us: love and hate, etc. In this context, the Ice and the Fire can be applied to any number of the characters since these feelings are universally human. In order to decipher which feelings GRRM assigns to Ice and Fire, it is important to play close attention to the language of the text.

Cold inhumanity

When it comes to cold inhumanity, the Others immediately spring to mind. They are quite literally cold and inhuman. It is, however, more chilling when men and women act with a cold inhumanity. Tywin Lannister is perhaps the prime example of this. He coldly arranges for horrible events to happen without a twinge of remorse or regret. Tywin Lannister shows no empathy towards the people whose lives he ruins. He coldly weds Sansa Stark to his son Tyrion whilst he plots the murder of her family – and he does not display an ounce of empathy with the poor girl that has already been horribly abused by his grandson. In Tywin’s eyes, Sansa is not a person but a means to an end: She’s the Key to the North.

Tyrion rubbed at the raw stub of his nose. The scar tissue itched abominably sometimes. "His Grace the royal pustule has made Sansa's life a misery since the day her father died, and now that she is finally rid of Joffrey you propose to marry her to me. That seems singularly cruel. Even for you, Father." "Why, do you plan to mistreat her?" His father sounded more curious than concerned. "The girl's happiness is not my purpose, nor should it be yours. Our alliances in the south may be as solid as Casterly Rock, but there remains the north to win, and the key to the north is Sansa Stark."

"She is no more than a child." (ASoS, Tyrion III)

He doesn’t care about her feelings or her well-being. Tywin doesn’t care that a pregnancy could be very dangerous for a 12 year-old girl, he just cares that the Lannisters secure a claim to Winterfell and the North. He treats everyone as tools for his ambitions, even his own children. He doesn’t see them as persons in their own right but simple as vehicles for the legacy he wishes to build for House Lannister.

Hate

When it comes to hate, I find it interesting that the inhuman Others are describes as driven by hate towards humankind.

Old Nan nodded. "In that darkness, the Others came for the first time," she said as her needles went click click click. "They were cold things, dead things, that hated iron and fire and the touch of the sun, and every creature with hot blood in its veins…” (AGoT, Bran IV)

In the prologue of the very first book, the author drops a very significant detail: the Others have a language! One of them speaks when the ranging party from the Night’s Watch encounters them, and the Other says something mocking.

The Other said something in a language that Will did not know; his voice was like the cracking of ice on a winter lake, and the words were mocking. (AGoT, Prologue)

Thus, the text hints that they despise humans. We have yet to find out why but it is a delicious mystery.

Distance/rejection

GRRM also uses imagery of ice with scenes of distancing and rejection. Those can be negative things but it depends on the context and the POV of the scene.

He had always had a yen to see the Titan of Braavos. Perhaps that would please Sansa. Gently, he spoke of Braavos, and met a wall of sullen courtesy as icy and unyielding as the Wall he had walked once in the north. It made him weary. Then and now. They passed the rest of the journey in silence. After a while, Tyrion found himself hoping that Sansa would say something, anything, the merest word, but she never spoke. (ASoS, Tyrion VIII)

Notice how the distant courtesy that Sansa hides behind is described as sullen and icy by Tyrion. He is frustrated by Sansa’s refusal to open up to him. He wants her love and she doesn’t want to givet it to him – with good reason. In Sansa’s chapters her courtesy is described as an armour. For Sansa, it is a defense mechanism – she uses it as a means to avoid angering people and to hide her true thoughts and feelings. For Sansa, her courtesy armour is a positive thing whereas it is a negative thing for Tyrion. Some things are all about perspective.

Love

Whilst GRRM relates fire to love in the interview quoted above, there’s a surprising dearth of direct linkage between fire and love in the text (I am excluding passion here because GRRM generally uses passion specifically in relation to lust and hate). Instead, he uses “warmth” in relation to love in its positive aspects.

He was not a man you'd expect to speak of maids and wedding nights. So far as Jon knew, Qhorin had spent his whole life in the Watch. Did he ever love a maid or have a wedding? He could not ask. Instead he fanned the fire. When the blaze was all acrackle, he peeled off his stiff gloves to warm his hands, and sighed, wondering if ever a kiss had felt as good. The warmth spread through his fingers like melting butter. (ACoK, Jon VIII)

The love that is healthy and positive, is the warmth of the bonfire or of the warmth of the body and soul of the beloved. It is a fire that shelters and gently warms.

Bones, Catelyn thought. This is not Ned, this is not the man I loved, the father of my children. His hands were clasped together over his chest, skeletal fingers curled about the hilt of some longsword, but they were not Ned's hands, so strong and full of life. They had dressed the bones in Ned's surcoat, the fine white velvet with the direwolf badge over the heart, but nothing remained of the warm flesh that had pillowed her head so many nights, the arms that had held her. (ACoK, Catelyn V)

Desire/Passion/Lust

When it comes to desire, passion and lust, the imagery of fire runs rampant in the text. One of the ways in which the text associates desire/passion/lust with fire is through the imagery of “kissing”:

She bit his neck and he nuzzled hers, burying his nose in her thick red hair. Lucky, he thought, she is lucky, fire-kissed. "Isn't that good?" she whispered as she guided him inside her. (ASoS, Jon III)

The wildlings seemed to think Ygritte a great beauty because of her hair; red hair was rare among the free folk, and those who had it were said to be kissed by fire, which was supposed to be lucky. […]Sometimes she sang in a low husky voice that stirred him. And sometimes by the cookfire when she sat hugging her knees with the flames waking echoes in her red hair, and looked at him, just smiling . . . well, that stirred some things as well. (ASoS, Jon II)

She would sooner sit bathed in the ruddy glow of her red lord's blessed flames, her cheeks flushed by the wash of heat as if by a lover's kisses. (ADwD, Melisandre I)

Fire is a perfect metaphor for strong emotions, yet the fires of passion are often framed negatively by the text:

Prince Quentyn was listening intently, at least. That one is his father's son. Short and stocky, plain-faced, he seemed a decent lad, sober, sensible, dutiful … but not the sort to make a young girl's heart beat faster. And Daenerys Targaryen, whatever else she might be, was still a young girl, as she herself would claim when it pleased her to play the innocent. Like all good queens she put her people first—else she would never have wed Hizdahr zo Loraq—but the girl in her still yearned for poetry, passion, and laughter. She wants fire, and Dorne sent her mud. You could make a poultice out of mud to cool a fever. You could plant seeds in mud and grow a crop to feed your children. Mud would nourish you, where fire would only consume you, but fools and children and young girls would choose fire every time. (ADwD, The Discarded Knight)

GRRM assigns hatred to ice but hatred can be passionate, it can burn red-hot - like fire:

He did not love, nor was he loved himself. It was hate that drove him. […] this man Sandor Clegane dreamed of slaying his own brother, a sin so terrible it makes me shudder just to speak of it. Yet that was the bread that nourished him, the fuel that kept his fires burning.” – The Elder Brother to Brienne of Tarth, (AFfC, Brienne VI)

Sex

When it comes to the Targaryens, the connection between sex and fire becomes quite literal. I can’t remember who first pointed it out, but when Daenerys rides Drogon for the first time, the language turns almost orgasmic:

The lash was still in her hand. She flicked it against Drogon's neck and cried, "Higher!" Her other hand clutched at his scales, her fingers scrabbling for purchase. Drogon's wide black wings beat the air. Dany could feel the heat of him between her thighs. Her heart felt as if it were about to burst. Yes, she thought, yes, now, now, do it, do it, take me, take me, FLY! (ADwD, Daenerys IX)

There’s a sexual subtext to the language. Dany mounts her dragon and feel his heat between her thighs – an expression that is often used as a description of sexual desire and Dany herself used the expression of taking someone as an euphemism for sex. She mounts her dragons, feels his heat, asks him to take her (“take me, fly”) and her heart feels as if it is about to burst. This is very much the kind of language used to evoke an orgasm.

When it comes to Dany’s father, the connection between fire and sex is direct and so twisted that I lack the words to properly describe it:

The sight had filled him with disquiet, reminding him of Aerys Targaryen and the way a burning would arouse him. A king has no secrets from his Kingsguard. Relations between Aerys and his queen had been strained during the last years of his reign. They slept apart and did their best to avoid each other during the waking hours. But whenever Aerys gave a man to the flames, Queen Rhaella would have a visitor in the night. (AFfC, Jaime II)

The fact that Aerys II became sexually aroused by burning people alive connects fire to madness in the text.

Madness

The Targaryen dynasty is often described as tainted by madness, which is related to the systematic incest they practiced over many generations. However, their madness is particularly tied to fire:

"Did you know that my brother set the Blackwater Rush afire? Wildfire will burn on water. Aerys would have bathed in it if he'd dared. The Targaryens were all mad for fire." – Jaime Lannister to Brienne of Tarth, (ASoS, Jaime V)

The traitors want my city, I heard him tell Rossart, but I'll give them naught but ashes. Let Robert be king over charred bones and cooked meat. The Targaryens never bury their dead, they burn them. Aerys meant to have the greatest funeral pyre of them all. Though if truth be told, I do not believe he truly expected to die. Like Aerion Brightfire before him, Aerys thought the fire would transform him . . . that he would rise again, reborn as a dragon, and turn all his enemies to ash. – Jaime Lannister to Brienne of Tarth, (ASoS, Jaime V)

Passion, desire and lust aren’t negative things in and of themselves, it is interesting that the text more often than not describes these feelings in a negative manner. An excess of passion is just as dangerous as an excess of fire.

“SOME SAY THE WORLD WILL END IN FIRE, SOME SAY IN ICE”

Revisting Robert Frost’s poem, you can’t help but notice that it is a poem about the end of the world. It is apocalyptic. As the story stands, Westeros faces an icy apocalypse brought along by beings that hails from the far North:

Yet there are other tales—harder to credit and yet more central to the old histories—about creatures known as the Others. According to these tales, they came from the frozen Land of Always Winter, bringing the cold and darkness with them as they sought to extinguish all light and warmth. (tWoIaF)

(The Land of Always Winter. Art by Rene Aigner)

Frost’s poem speaks of an apocalypse of either Ice or Fire, where fire is put before ice. This made me think about whether there has been an apocalypse of fire in the history of Westeros. It just happens that there has: the Doom of Valyria (link), where a catastrophic eruption of a ring of volcanoes, the 14 Flames, brought down an entire civilization in a fiery inferno so hot that even dragons caught fire in the sky.

An apocalypse is a world-ending event but it doesn’t necessarily have to destroy the entire world. The Doom did, however, destroy both the Valyrian peninsula and the Freehold as both a political entity and a sophisticated civilization.

Valyria. It was written that on the day of Doom every hill for five hundred miles had split asunder to fill the air with ash and smoke and fire, blazes so hot and hungry that even the dragons in the sky were engulfed and consumed. Great rents had opened in the earth, swallowing palaces, temples, entire towns. Lakes boiled or turned to acid, mountains burst, fiery fountains spewed molten rock a thousand feet into the air, red clouds rained down dragonglass and the black blood of demons, and to the north the ground splintered and collapsed and fell in on itself and an angry sea came rushing in. The proudest city in all the world was gone in an instant, its fabled empire vanished in a day, the Lands of the Long Summer scorched and drowned and blighted. An empire built on blood and fire. The Valyrians reaped the seed they had sown. (ADwD, Tyrion VIII)

That does sound like a world-ending event but there’s also an element of hubris associated with the Doom of Valyria. It was an empire built on fire and blood and it ended in a cataclysmic fire with a magical fallout that still poisons the Lands of of the Long Summer and the Smoking Sea that was created when the peninsula shattered.

Every man there knew that the Doom still ruled Valyria. The very sea there boiled and smoked, and the land was overrun with demons. (ADwD, The Reaver)

The Doom of Valrya spelled the end of the Dragonlords who subjugated the continent of Essos. The only Dragonlords who survived were House Targaryen and they did so die to the prophetic dreams of Daenys “the Dreamer” Targaryen. It was because of her warning that House Targaryen removed to Dragonstone with all their dragons, servants and slaves. A century later, Aegon Targaryen and his sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya set out to make a new homeland through the Conquest of Westeros.

As a descendant of the only Dragonlords to survive the fiery apocalypse of Valyria, it seems fitting that the Last Targaryen appears destined to become embroiled in the icy apocalypse of Westeros. Daenerys Targaryen has yet to travel to Westeros in the books but she has a prophetic dream that could foreshadow her fighting the Others with her dragons:

That night she dreamt that she was Rhaegar, riding to the Trident. But she was mounted on a dragon, not a horse. When she saw the Usurper's rebel host across the river they were armored all in ice, but she bathed them in dragonfire and they melted away like dew and turned the Trident into a torrent. Some small part of her knew that she was dreaming, but another part exulted. This is how it was meant to be. (ASoS, Daenerys III)

BURNING ICE AND FROZEN FIRE

My previous posts in this series explored what the Ice and the Fire could refer to in GRRM’s epic fantasy series. They also examined the title of the series, A Song of Ice and Fire - a title that encourages the reader to think in absolute opposing forces, which is the most common way that epic fantasies are structured. However, within the narrative, the cult of R’hllor could very well function as a metatextual discourse on this kind of binary thinking and how it is a trap for the mind.

In this context, it is worth noting that Martin combines the opposites of Ice and Fire several times in the text:

Nothing burns like the cold. (AGoT, Prologue)

The Other halted. Will saw its eyes; blue, deep and bluer than any human eyes, a blue that burned like ice. (AGoT, Prologue)

Ice can be so cold that it feels as though it burns, yet there is no equivalent when it comes to fire. There’s no fire burning cold within the text. Then there’s obsidian, also called dragonglass. The material that can kill the Others is called “frozen fire” in Valyrian and when Sam Tarly kills a White Walker with an obsidian dagger, the language evokes an image of the weapon being simultaneously hot and cold:

Finally only the dragonglass dagger remained, wreathed in steam as if it were alive and sweating. Grenn bent to scoop it up and flung it down again at once. "Mother, that's cold." (ASoS - Samwell I)

What are we to make of this? What does this melding of opposites signify? Jojen Reed knows the answer:

“Why can’t it be both?” Meera reached up to pinch his nose. “Because they are different,” he [Bran] insisted. “Like night and day, or ice and fire.” “If ice can burn”, said Jojen in his solemn voice, “then love and hate can mate. Mountain or marsh, it makes no matter. The land is one.” (ASoS, Bran II)

The land is one!!!

In my previous post, I agreed with @thewesterwoman that purity is dangerous in GRRM’s world. As pure ice and pure fire, the Others and the dragons are equally dangerous. Purity represents an imbalance in the natural state of things. Perhaps this means that it is “impure” things that will play a pivotal part in the endgame. The obsidian is interesting in this context because it can be seen as a product of the marriage between fire and stone, the crystallized product of molten stone (lava).

So the weapon that is extremely effective when it comes to killing White Walkers (they die instantaneously) is made from a melding of different elements into something new. Obsidian is neither pure stone, nor pure fire.

(The Wall. Art by Feliche)

It is also worth remembering that the Wall that keeps out the Others and the undead wights is made of ice. However, the Wall is not made from ice that is “pure”. It is infused with the magic of the Children of the Forest – and their magic was of the living land, and the Land is One!

#asoaif #a song of ice and fire #meta #game of thrones #ice #fire

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urwarriorangel · 7 years

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battle scars (jon snow)

Prompt: Robert Baratheon had come and burned down the whole village, slaughtering the men and raping the women. You’d been young then but Robert Baratheon did not care. He took you with him and soon gave you to the filthiest brothel that he could find. Fast forward almost 8 years and you’ve been destined to meet the legendary Jon Snow.

Pairing: Jon Snow x Reader

Warnings: mentions of rape/death/murder/harassment, baelish being a creep, language

A/N: hello hi i hope you guys like this! it moves faster than my other fics but that might be a good thing LOL. keep in mind that robert baratheon is a lot more evil and terrible in this fic than he is in the show/books. same goes for baelish kinda. pls let me know what you think! XOXOX (!!!!!!GIFS ARE NOT MINE!!!!!!)

“Are you ready to meet Jon Snow?” Petyr Baelish leans against the doorframe, looking you up and down as you dress yourself.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” you roll your eyes at him and he hisses, swiftly making his way over to you and turning you around to face him.

“That is not a good answer, little Y/N. Jon Snow might be a bastard, but he’s Lord Stark’s bastard, so you will treat him as you would a Lord. He’s turned down Ros, I’d rather he didn’t turn down another one of my whores. Is that understood?” He leans his head down and you can feel his hot breath across the bottom of your face.

“Understood, my Lord,” you whisper, looking down as a smirk grows on Baelish’s face.

“That’s a good girl,” he traces his fingers up your arm and across your collarbones, slowly making his way down the valley of your plump breasts. “Don’t worry, I won’t tire you out. I just want to make sure you’ve prepared properly.”

Petyr whispers blessings under his breath and unties the front of your dress, slipping his fingers underneath and skimming them across the bottom of your breasts. He pushes your dress off, letting his fingers skim across your every curve, pinching and squeezing as he wills himself not to push you any further.

“Ser?” A soft voice pulls Petyr away from you, leaving you bare for the girl to see. “Jon Snow is here for Y/N.”

Petyr nods and the girl goes away, a smirk coming back to Petyr’s face. “We shall continue tomorrow, my darling. Now, remember: Jon Snow doesn’t leave here until he cums inside of your pathetic little cunt. Is that understood?”

“Yes, my lord,” you nod, almost sneering at Petyr as he ties up the front of your dress.

“Good girl,” he winks and makes his way out, sending Jon Snow in soon after.

You’d heard about how handsome the bastard of the North was: how his curly locks somehow looked even better under all the snow, how his low calm voice managed to woo even the most faithful, how his dark brown eyes melted even the coldest hearts. You thought you’d prepared yourself, thought you were ready to see him. But the second he stepped into the room, you felt your heart in your throat and your breaths completely stopped.

“Y-Y/N?” Jon Snow whispers nervously, his eyes studying your face as you snap out of your daze. You immediately plaster a soft smile on your face and walk over to him.

“That would be me,” you reach over behind him and close your door, ensuring the utmost privacy for Jon Snow. You look up only to find him already staring at you. You stop for a moment, faltering at the intensity of his gaze. He’s looking at you like you’ve known each other forever, like he’s found something he thought he’d lost. You clear your throat, pulling both him and yourself out of your thoughts. “And you’re Jon Snow,” you smile and gently hold his hand, allowing him to move out of your grasp if he’d so like.

“Indeed I am,” he chuckles nervously and looks around your living quarters.

“I’ve done everything in my power to ensure that no one can see or hear us,” you lead him to your bed and gently push him down in a sitting position. “Is there anything you’d like for me to know or anything you’d like to ask me before we start?”

Jon thinks for a moment, eyes looking everywhere but you. You’re gorgeous, breathtaking even. You could be doing anything and yet here you are. No woman would do this willingly, at least none that he knew. What brought you into this world? Why did you stay? What family do you belong to? Where did you grow up? What--?

“H-how long have you been doing this?” He questions before he can stop himself, slowly looking up at you and causing you stiffen. The questions stops your every movement; out of any possible conversation starter, Jon Snow asked you about the one thing you worked so hard to forget.

All the horrible memories came rushing back, normally they didn’t do that until you were asleep. Your breathing becomes shallow and you lose track of your surroundings, desperate to scream out. But you heard Baelish, you had to do anything for Jon Snow. Just as you opened your mouth to answer, Jon starts shaking his head apologetically.

“Sorry, sometimes I don’t know when to stop talking,” he whispers and try as you might you can’t find it in you to send him away. “I understand it must be tough to even think of how you got here, let alone talk about it. I don’t want you to--I could just--I should leave. I’m sorry for bothering you, I should--”

“Hey,” you whisper, placing a hand on his shoulder as you stand between his legs. “I-I can tell you. It’s just not the most arousing story ever.”

“I, I understand,” he nods, looking up at you as you run your free hand through his curls. “You could sit next to me if you’d like. Or I could hold you if you wanted?”

He watches you, innocent as ever with sparkles of curiosity. And you watch him, confused as to why he’d care about you. Then it clicked. He may be Lord Stark’s son, but he’s still a bastard. Life couldn’t have been kind to him. You felt an odd connection to him, one you’d forbidden yourself from ever feeling.

You lean down and press a soft kiss against his forehead, despite years of betrayal and pain telling you to turn the other way. You lean down and slowly start removing Jon’s coat and armour. He looks at you, about to protest and you give him a smile, assuring him you just want him to get more comfortable. So he relaxes a bit, closing his eyes as your fingers skim across his back and chest. You set his items aside and walk over to him, pushing him towards the headboard and laying next to him. He wraps an arm around you and you don’t oppose.

“Are you still sure you want to hear my story?” You look over to him and he nods, a slight frown settling across his features. So you nod and look anywhere but his face and you start your story. “I was 11 years old, Jon Snow. I was 11 years old when Robert Baratheon, the mighty King burned my village down and murdered my family, my friends, my neighbours. I was 11 years old when I was ripped from my mother and raped by Robert and his filthy soldiers, all while my mother forcefully watched. He murdered her soon after and then sold me to this place,” you point to your surroundings, a few tears falling down your face and escaping your notice. “I was raised here, Jon Snow. This is all I know.”

Jon brings a hand up and you flinch, still in your earlier mindset. Once you realize what you’ve done, you open your mouth to apologize and he shakes his head, pulling you closer and wiping your tears away.

“It’s just me, it’s just Jon Snow,” he whispers, brushing his lips against your hair as you regain control of your emotions. “I am going to rip Robert Baratheon’s head off the next time I see him.”

“You can’t do that, no,” you shake your head and sit up, looking into Jon’s eyes and seeing nothing but compassion and warmth.

“Why not? He’s a terrible man, you know that. We all know that, why can’t I rip his damn head off?” He nearly yells out, hurting for your younger self. His hands are balled into fists, head turned away from you.

“Because you can’t rule the Seven Kingdoms from six feet under, everyone knows that,” you whisper with a smile on your face, hoping to assuage Jon’s anger.

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?” He turns back to face you, a small smile on his face.

“If anyone should be King, it’s you, Jon Snow,” you smile at him, and you can’t seem to remember the last time you actually smiled.

“You’ve got a beautiful smile,” Jon whispers and leans forward, pressing a kiss against your forehead as he gently pulls you into his lap. “I only brought you into my lap because I want to hold you… and protect you.”

“You’re sweet and I’m certainly not complaining, but you paid for me to--”

“I paid for your company, and if Baelish gives you a hard time, I’ll lie and make up ways that I was able to keep you quiet. Is that okay?” He runs his fingers through your hair and you place a light kiss against his cheek.

“That’s perfect. Now, let’s compare battle scars, shall we?”

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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10 Best Cookbooks To Own Based On Popular TV Shows & Movies

Fans enjoy certain shows and films for a variety of reasons. There is probably an entertaining story. There may be lovable characters. There could be thrills, mysteries or jokes. And there is a chance that the piece is filled with yummy eats and treats, too!

These must-own cookbooks, which are all based on popular TV series and movies, allow people to take their interests a step further. They allow people to feel like they are part of the story. And they allow people to enjoy some amazing and some one-of-a-kind recipes, so keep these in mind when shopping for gifts!

10 The One with All the Recipes: An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of Friends

Amazon

Could these recipes BE any more delicious? This Friends cookbook is full of drinks, entrees, desserts and more, all of which are inspired by this celebrated show from the 1990s. The Not-So-Fine Margaritas could be made when someone is moving to Yemen (or when someone is pretending to be). The Fried Stuff with Cheese could be served at a Friendsgiving meal.

The Engagement Ring Lasagna could be eaten after someone gets a ring from their Rachel or their Ross. There are so many fans of this classic series, so there are so many people who would love receiving this gift!

9 Eat Like a Gilmore: The Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of Gilmore Girls

Amazon

Lorelai and Rory Gilmore can eat like no one else, so a book of recipes, inspired by this mother-daughter duo and their television series, makes sense. Sometimes, the two grab breakfast (and coffee...always lots and lots of coffee) at Luke’s.

Other times, they sample whatever Sookie has whipped up at the inn. Each week, they dine elegantly during Friday Night Dinners. And during movie marathons, these two stock up on junk food! With this gift, fans can try out and eat 100 different recipes (which are also accompanied by photos, tips and info about the show) from Gilmore Girls.

8 A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook

Amazon

Game of Thrones is one of the most-watched series that has ever been on television, and with this cookbook, fans can make over 100 dishes inspired by the Seven Kingdoms and beyond. The easy-to-follow recipes can be completed in modern-day kitchens, but adventurous souls can try to replicate these foods using medieval attempts! Plus, there are suggested substitutions, since not everyone may be able to find some of these fantastical ingredients.

So get ready for Mulled Wine, Beef and Bacon Pie, Almond Crusted Trout, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Honey-Spiced Locusts and other exciting eats that characters like Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow and Sansa Stark enjoyed.

7 The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Cookbook

Amazon

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo are known for many things...like their love of pizza. That being said, a cookbook based around these Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exists, and, of course, it is full of different types of pizzas; breakfast pizzas, mini pizzas, dessert pizzas and traditional pizzas can all be created and eaten up with this unique gift!

There are 65 recipes in this book, such as New York Style Pepperoni, Shredder's Revenge and Lean, Mean, and Green, and many of them would be great for after-school snacks, for dinner on the weekend or for watch parties where fans come together to watch these classic characters.

6 The Bob's Burgers Burger Book: Real Recipes for Joke Burgers

Amazon

Some other popular cartoon characters are seen on the animated series Bob’s Burgers; in this show, Bob Belcher owns a burger joint, and there is always a Burger of the Day. With this zany cookbook, 75 different burger recipes can be enjoyed at home, such as Bleu is the Warmest Cheese Burger, Bruschetta-Bout-It Burger, Shoot-Out at the OK-ra Corral Burger, Sweaty Palms Burger and I Know Why the Cajun Burger Sings Burger!

There is also art that has never been seen, which is done in the colorful style of this TV show and which is another reason to get this for any fans out there.

5 Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook

Amazon

Walt Disney World and Disneyland have new rides, lands, shops and restaurants that are themed around Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. These out-of-this-world eats and treats, found at the Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu, can be replicated at home by fans when this cookbook is given and received.

The entire thing is engaging and informative, and the recipes (which are, of course, the main attraction here) from a galaxy far, far away are sure to please so many people out there, since the Star Wars franchise is a huge one, with a huge following.

4 The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

Amazon

Another well-known franchise that exists is Harry Potter, as these flicks have been watched by fans all over the world. The magic, the battle of good versus evil, the relationships and the settings are all quite appealing, but there are also some yummy foods and drinks within this magical universe.

This unofficial cookbook is filled with over 150 recipes that witches, wizards and even Muggles will like, such as Treacle Tart (Harry's favorite dessert), Molly's Meat Pies (which Mrs. Weasley makes quite often) and Pumpkin Pasties (a popular sweet treat). Plus, no magic is even required to whip any of this up!

3 The Burn Cookbook: An Unofficial Unauthorized Cookbook for Mean Girls Fans

Amazon

In Mean Girls, actor Jonathan Bennett plays Aaron Samuels, and in this cookbook, he offers up some recipes inspired by this film and from his childhood. Fetch-uccine Alfredo, Just Stab Caesar Salad, Bennett’s mom's famous stuffed shells and You Go, Glenn (Hot) Cocoa are just a few of the awesome things that can be cooked and served by fans of this story.

Obviously, these foods and these drinks can happen at any time, but they probably taste even better while wearing pink on Wednesdays and/or while watching this movie for the 7,000th time.

2 The Walking Dead: The Official Cookbook and Survival Guide

Amazon

Ever dreamed of eating pudding with Carl, snacking on the cookies that Carol baked or dining on Hershel’s spaghetti? Well, all of that and so much more can be enjoyed with this official cookbook and survival guide, which is inspired by the hit show The Walking Dead. The recipes are based on actual foods from the series or are inspired by certain characters and locations. They are accompanied by expert information on foraging, hunting and outdoor cooking, as well, in case fans actually find themselves in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. This is another must-own gift idea to consider!

1 Binging with Babish: 100 Recipes Recreated from Your Favorite Movies and TV Shows

Amazon

Binging with Babish is a popular YouTube channel that features Andrew Rea teaching recipes based on television series and movies. The babka from Seinfeld, the beef bourguignon from Julie & Julia, the Timpano from Big Night, the chocolate lava cake from Chef and Bubba's shrimp from Forrest Gump are just a few of the dishes that fans can try and eat at home.

This book also includes behind-the-scenes stories and answers to frequently asked questions, and with all of its variety, it is a smart gift option for lovers of TV, cinema, Binging with Babish, cooking and/or food in general.

NEXT: Star Wars: 10 Dark Side Gifts For The Sith In Your Life

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ryanmeft · 7 years

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Spider-Man: Homecoming Movie Review

All Marvel Studios really had to do with their new Spider-Man movie, after a rash of poorly received efforts from Sony, was to get it right. It didn't need to blow anyone's mind; it just needed to be Spider-Man. It is that. It also contains the best supporting cast in a Marvel movie to date, pitch-perfect comedic timing, a fantastic villain, and some genuine twists whether you've read Spider-Man for decades or couldn't tell a Doctor Octopus from a Doctor Robert.

No matter how good a superhero movie is, the part a reviewer always dreads is having to describe the origin story, but I'll give it m...wait, there's no origin story? No, there isn't. It's one of the many touches that make this iteration of the web-slinger fast and funny: it just assumes you already know about Peter Parker's famous origin, and only briefly mentions a bite from a spider in passing. Right to it then: the film begins eight years ago, as a private clean-up crew led by a man named Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) is getting set to cart away the remains of the alien battle from the Avengers, a job that is apparently a windfall (2017 minus 2012 equals five, not eight, but it's no big deal). He's stopped by an officious Tyne Daly, who informs him Tony Stark has created a thing called Damage Control to deal with this kind of stuff and that he's out of a job. Realizing he's already got some of that sweet, sweet alien tech sitting in his warehouse, he announces "World's changing, boys. Time we changed too."

Jump ahead eight years, and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is an energetic, overconfident Spider-Man, getting on the nerves of his handler Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and begging his patron Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) for more important assignments than retrieving stolen bicycles and giving directions to old ladies. All of this builds from Captain America: Civil War, though Homecoming is a stand alone story that doesn't deal too directly with the fallout from that movie. Parker's no Avenger. Despite his comics pre-dating those of most of Marvel's characters, he's always been the kid in the room; the movie makes that official by having him be several decades younger than Iron Man or Cap. He's enthusiastic, naive, awkward, and yes, sometimes annoying, because a 15-year-old who is never annoying is like a unicorn. He acts before thinking (as when he heroically stops a man from stealing his own car), confronts crooks without considering the potential collateral damage, dismisses the advice of his mentors and treats it all like a game. He's bullied, too, though not as brutally or physically as in the comics, perhaps because that's a hot topic these days. If you give a put-upon kid a high tech suit that can actually talk to him, the power's likely going to go to his head. Holland gets both the man and the mask right: inside the suit he's a celebrity, outside of it he's too awkward to admit a crush.

He's up against a baddie who is a nice break from the usually larger-than-life villains of Marvel's movies. Toomes builds himself a suit of armor and set of mechanical wings that he can also operate independently of the suit, and becomes The Vulture, though this name is never stated. He doesn't want to rule anything; he simply wants to make a better life for his family and crew. To this end, he pulls off small-scale heists of alien tech, which his men turn into weapons for sale to ambitious crooks. Keaton is vital to the film. As Sam Raimi proved in his first two Spider-Man films, the hero needs a good villain to be effective, someone who is fascinating even when not pulling off acrobatics. Keaton makes Toomes more of an antagonist that should get equal billing. He doesn't kill if he can help it, focuses on crimes that won't get him noticed, and isn't given to grandstanding. Keaton's key moments come late in the film, in which, like any smart super-baddie, he tries to get the hero on his side. Most of the time that goes something like this: "Join me and be totally evil and kill lots of people." Not tempting for most. Toomes's offer is more realistic: join me and get a slice. Donald Glover, in a small-but-effective role that is also a nerd nod, calls him a psychopath, but he doesn't seem like one.

Also vital is the strong supporting cast. I was of the opinion that this was a major weakness in the much-loved Wonder Woman film, and Spider-Man is the opposite of that. Instead of being defined entirely by a single character trait, Parker's classmates, teachers and family seem like real people living real lives. The students naturally get the most attention. Parker's crush Liz (Laura Harrier) is the serious leader of his Academic Decathalon team, while his classmate Michelle (Zendaya) is frankly more interesting, nerdy, aloof and abrasive in that way young, smart people are. It's frankly a major step forward for female roles in superhero movies that she is both a nerd and not the butt of jokes; she puts me in mind of Mae Whitman in the underrated film The Duff. Peter's best friend Ned (Jacob Batalan) is adorably nerdy, more so than Parker, and I'd like to note that no jokes are made at the expense of his size. Marisa Tomei is completely perfect as an updated Aunt May, and rather than shy away from the ridiculous nothingburger that was the controversy about her age, director Watts and his army of screenwriters emphasize it, as waiters and billionaires are not shy about flirting with her.

Other excellent roles that I just don't have the space to go into detail about (I'm so sorry, actor people) go to Tony Revolori, Garcelle Beauvais, Logan-Marshall Green, Bokeem Woodbine, Michael Chernus, Michael Mando, Jennifer Connelly, Kenneth Choi, Hannibal Buress, Angourie Rice and Martin Starr. This alone is a shock. I recall my dread at having to simply list every X-Men character every damn time, and here I am wishing I had space to devote to each of a dozen minor characters.

The film's more down-to-earth plot is reflected in action sequences that mostly feature Spider-Man squaring off against a single baddie, but the two that define the character are when he must try and keep the Staten Island Ferry from splitting in half due to his own arrogance, and the final showdown with the Vulture, which I dare not describe. The reason they're fighting in the first place may be a bit shaky, but that's par for the course. What matters is the last fight feels, like the one in the original Iron Man, true to each combatant. Their respective motivations don't change at the last minute, and neither behaves in ways that haven't been established as part of their personality. The conclusion, and even the obligatory mid-credits scene, reinforce this as one of the better rivalries in superhero flicks. I'll go ahead and toss in a disclaimer here: I'm a big Spider-Man fan for lots of reasons I won't be discussing here. I have enjoyed all of the movies, though unlike the first two, I haven't felt the need to see the last few more than once. I saw this one twice in one day, when I almost never see a movie twice, period. Your mileage, as they say, may vary, and if you loathe the webbed one this won't change your mind. It is absolutely a product of the MCU universe, and trades in the quirk of earlier films for a more grounded story that may not be to everyone's tastes. Those who longed for Edgar Wright to return to Ant-Man may be left cold. For most, though, I think they'll find Jon Watts and his mob of writers have made a true crowd-pleaser. That word gets thrown around a lot to define a movie that is basically sugar (all sweetness, no nutrition), a definition I personally reject. Homecoming may not be prime rib, but it's completely enjoyable the whole way through, sad and surprising at times, with both good guys and bad guys you want to see again. The day I feel the need to get sniffy about a movie like that is the day I ought to hang it up. And yes, that was a reference to Spider-Man's webs. Hey, I never denied my own nerddom. Verdict: Highly Recommended Note: I don’t use stars but here are my possible verdicts. I suppose you could consider each one as adding a star. Must-See Highly Recommended Recommended Average Not Recommended Avoid like the Plague You can follow Ryan's reviews on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ryanmeftmovies/ Or his very infrequent tweets here: https://twitter.com/RyanmEft All images are property of the people what own the movie.

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