#so most of the time i was just saying opinions. about stannie life. which is easy since that's my literal escape from facing my own life as | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aboveallarescuer · 3 years

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No question, I just wanted to let you know that you & your metas/posts are so so SOO appreciate 🎉😊 you are such a blessing to the Dany fandom.🍾

Your metas are always so thoughtful & insightful, and the frequency with which you publish them, is astonishing & almost a tad scary. 😅

Anyway bless you 🤗💕

And not to mention how you always manages to remain polite, level-headed and respectful in discussions, whenever addressing a real person or talking about a character, yet unwavering & straight to the point. Very admirable 👏🏻 [ I envy you for that😬]

Thank you for sending these messages <333 I have a few mutuals who write much faster than I do, but I appreciate the compliment anyway lol. Especially the second one, because yesterday I was kind of sad thinking about how I probably helped to split the Dany fandom for being so vocal, particularly after that big fight last year...

I don't want to make it seem that the people I disagree with (the "neutrals", as I call them) never make interesting points or are "bad" people (I don't know them in real life and I don't think fandom is activism at all) or necessarily resent/hate Dany because none of these things would be true... So follow whoever you want and never feel like you're "betraying" your group because you don't owe anything to anyone here.

At the same time, though, I do get frustrated when I see that a lot of the "neutrals" mischaracterize Dany as arrogant and/or ruthless and/or hot-headed and/or obsessed with prophecies and/or susceptible to flattery and/or someone who doesn't think ahead and/or anything that actually defines Cersei and/or Stannis (both of whom are foils to Dany). I do get frustrated when I see them acting as if fighting for the Iron Throne is worse than fighting to retake Winterfell. That book!Dany is actually humble, modest, self-reflective, hard on herself, not susceptible to flattery and unwilling to use violence are all things that, to me, should be accepted as obvious facts just as much as Catelyn being driven by her loyalty to her family, Tyrion and Sam being intellectually driven, Davos and Brienne being good people, etc. And when I questioned them about these things, I was accused of dogmatism and intolerance at best and harassment, bullying, doxxing and stalking at worst. That crossed a line for me. And it makes no sense because they say that they're book only fans, but they're clearly still being influenced by the show's portrayal of Dany. I don't know about you, but I change my opinions when I'm presented with information I may have overlooked. That is why I always tend to bring up textual evidence (which most of them don't care to do). But what it seems to me is that the "neutrals" willfully ignore the evidence that Dany stans (and Arya stans too, because we've had similar issues over the years) provide instead of adjusting their views accordingly. Their attitude seems a lot more like mob mentality to me than what I do, imo. And considering how a lot of the people who made/agreed with the false accusations about me were also involved in this disgusting attack against the RL shippers, I can't help but look askance at them and their requests that people accept their takes (which are already the commonly accepted ones) and be nice to each other (because that seems more like telling us to keep quiet because they don't want to feel uncomfortable by having their views challenged, especially since they themselves often start fandom wank and are pretty nasty). So I avoid engaging with their content nowadays because of all these factors and I express my anger sometimes. But I also want to make it clear that it's a personal choice and anyone can follow whoever they want. I don't think it makes you "less" of a Dany fan (though that doesn't prevent you from judging her based on higher standards either because feelings don't always align with logical arguments).

Sorry for using these asks to get some things off my chest, I was feeling kind of guilty after I saw a post about how someone's appreciation for ASOIAF was ruined by their fandom experience (which is supposed to be fun). I hope people can see where I'm coming from. If what I say makes you dislike me, it's totally fine. But I won't stop defending Dany and presenting textual evidence when/if I have the time and energy to accurately characterize her because the double standards against her in this fandom are endless, go way beyond Jonsa hate and the claims that she's being set up to become a villain/Mad Queen and become really evident when you have a comprehensive knowledge of book!Dany's characterization and judge her actions based on the moral standards of her society.

#answered

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ramblings-of-a-mad-cat · 3 years

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I feel sorry for Shireen but she's hardly the "best Baratheon" when Gendry and his father are right there. I get the feeling you don't like Stannis though.

Oh my good anon, you have no idea. Do not get me started on Shireen. Because I will cry, and rage. Not at you, but there will be tears and anger. (Also I low key wish another character had said this because it's the perfect line but Viserys is trash. Love the actor though.)

Anyway, I have a lot to say about this.

House Baratheon appears to be a fan favorite among the Game of Thrones fandom and for the life of me, I don't understand why. I'm not here to step on anyone's favorites, I'm not out here saying the Baratheons suck or anything. They have a cool theme, a neat sigil, and some interesting characters. But it's always Robert, Stannis, and to a lesser extent Gendry, who are propped up as the favorite characters from this House. Never Renly, for some reason - even though he appeared in about as many episodes as Gendry, when all is said and done...and never Shireen.

I adore Gendry, I find Robert amusing...and though he's flawed, I think Renly is easily the most likeable of his brothers and would probably have made for the best king, if one was to choose between the three of them. Which is not to say he'd have made a good king, because it's clear he wasn't ready. But Stannis wouldn't have been a good king either. He'd have certain strengths that Renly wouldn't, but that's not necessarily an endorsement. Tommen was the complete opposite of Joffrey, and in some ways, that was actually a detriment because it allowed the Sparrows to walk all over him and later manipulate him. Would Joffrey have let that happen? Of course not. It's good that he was removed from power, but Tommen had his own weaknesses. The same applies here. Robert ruled in peace time and he had good advisors, so everything was basically okay. Renly was sociable and good hearted but he also felt entitled to the throne for no real reason and I got a pretty clear sense that he was naive. But Stannis? He might have made for a decent King before he converted, I suppose. But even then.

Robert is very much a mixed bag. I know Ned loves him and considers him a dear friend, and normally Ned's opinion of a character is a good indicator of who they are...but not always. He had a real blind spot for Robert. I don't fault him for wanting to spend his time at brothels, I don't fault him for being an alcoholic, but his established tendency toward rage, his line "Killing things clears my head." That...is disturbing. Sure, he may not enjoy cruelty like Joffrey does, but I believe Joffrey is a product not just of Cersei's grooming, but of seeing Robert as a King with a unchecked temper. I likewise don't blame him for cheating on Cersei - that marriage was mutually loveless, she was likewise cheating on him, and also...it's Cersei. She's the worst. But that's not an excuse to hit her, never. Or just generally treat her the way he treated her from the beginning. It's not her fault that his first love died. In general, Robert has the "Snape" like quality of idealizing a dead woman that he loved, who never actually felt the same way.

The Snape parallel continues when we come to Jon Snow, easily the starkest proof (no pun intended) of Robert's flaws. Technically, he never knew about Jon's heritage, so we don't know what he would have done. To be fair, we don't know. But we also don't know what he would have done if he had learned the truth about Cersei's children. Doesn't change the fact that everyone who knew Robert made the same calculation about him. They all assumed that he would kill children and babies without hesitation. He had no problem ordering the death of a pregnant teenager just because of her family name. We'll never know if Robert would have turned on the children he raised as his own, but Ned and Cersei both seem to think that he would. That's depressing as hell. Look, I know Robert's funny, I know he's one of the characters to take things less seriously, but his anger issues and his sense of entitlement toward Lyanna are warning signs that, had the story turned out differently, he could have been a terrifying villain. Here's something I've always wondered...did he know Lyanna chose Rhaegar? Did he know that she wasn't kidnapped?

There isn't much to say about Renly or Gendry. Neither of them appear that much and both of them are quite likeable. Gendry is a good person. He's like the very best of Robert. Hell, people have pointed out the parallels and the line from Robert "I have a son, you have a daughter, we'll join our Houses." How it can apply to Gendry x Arya. (Or could, if she hadn't dumped him, I suppose.) Literally Gendry is like a less toxic version of Robert. He's kinder and less angry, so he actually get the girl - for one night, anyway. As for Renly? I liked him. He wasn't perfect, but he and Loras were sweet together, and in general it can't be easy to be gay and live in Westeros. Hell, I would have supported his claim for no other reason that the knowledge that he would probably legalize gay marriage (or at least relationships) when he took the throne. But ultimately, he had no right to it. The true heir of the Baratheon dynasty was either Joffrey or Stannis, depending on if you believed the rumors. There was no interpretation that serviced Renly's claim. He simply wanted it based on the idea that he was best for it. Which is rather arrogant. Renly was a good guy, he was kind and caring...but he got in way over his head.

But I need to discuss Stannis, because I have...feelings, about this guy.

Stannis is a fan favorite, and when I say that sentence, I always have to bite my tongue before I instinctively add "for some fucking reason." Because I now know the reason, he was apparently gutted in the adaptation. I haven't read the books yet, so I'm only going off show-Stannis, but show-Stannis never impressed me. Even before he did what he did to Shireen (I will get to that, believe me.) I just got a bad vibe from him. He was so certain that he was right and was completely unwilling to hear other points of view. He gave Melisandre way too much leeway despite the red flags (no pun intended) and her magic being an unknown and unpredictable force. I guess he was into her or whatever, but morally speaking? She burned people alive with a smile on her face because they chose other religions. And logically? It was a poor decision to trust her so completely when she clearly followed "Her Lord" above anyone else, including Stannis.

But that's not to say it's just about Melisandre, though that's a major part of it. Look, the whole environment surrounding Stannis' family is strange and toxic. There's this unspoken tension between him, his wife, and his daughter. It's like he and Selyse have broken up but won't admit as much. The fact that her stillborn sons are treated as her failing Stannis, the fact that she keeps them in jars...it's creepy as all hell. You know, I'm no fan of Selyse either. She is way too devoted to this whole Lord of the Light thing, and she openly hates her own daughter. Why? I guess because she's not as wild about having to convert? Or maybe it's because Shireen is the only surviving child and isn't a boy? Or maybe it's because she's disfigured. Whatever the reason, Selyse is just someone I strongly dislike and I don't see people talking about her very much. Maybe it's because she has less agency than Stannis in everything that happens.

The show wants you to believe that Stannis was a good guy once, it really does. Ned Stark approved of him, and he gets along well with Jon on that basis. He offers to naturalize Jon, even. The show would have you believe that he descended into darkness gradually, that there was a time when he was honorable. To which I say...was there? Really? Because one of the first things we see him do is cheat on his wife (Who "disgusts" him, apparently) with Melisandre to produce a "son" that lives for two days and serves no other purpose than to assassinate his little brother. I know he was a political rival, but that's ice cold. I'm not saying Stannis was evil by this point, but don't try to convince me he was ever a man of "honor." Yes Davos, I am talking to you. I adore Davos. But after Stannis killed Renly with no hesitation and was prepared to do the same to Gendry...oh Davos, you should have gotten Shireen out of there, damn the consequences. Hide her somewhere safe, because in hindsight, she was not safe with Stannis and if Davod wasn't so blinded by his loyalty to Stannis (the guy who cut off his fingers, mind you) he might have seen it.

I don't hate Stannis as much as I hate Melisandre. But I didn't mourn him for one moment. I've seen people post admiring comments on videos of that final clip where he draws his sword and heads into battle, and like...this is after Shireen's death. How anyone can be a fan of him after that is just...beyond me. I know, I know, she's still alive in the books...but much like with Jon's heritage, we can assume that this event from the show will happen in the books as well. Am I supposed to think of him as a tragic figure? Because I don't. I was never that invested in his storyline anyway. The most likeable he got was when he was onscreen with Jon...and even that was tainted by what he did to Mance Raider. Hey, why does Stannis get to execute the King Beyond The Wall by burning him alive? Isn't he like, the Night's Watch's prisoner? And one of high value? Shouldn't this be Thorne's decision? In general, Stannis has the same issue as other people on this show who are vying for the crown. He gets ahead of himself. He threatens to punish Jon for mercy-killing Mance...even though he doesn't sit on the Iron Throne yet, and the Night's Watch have their own justice system that is beyond the reach of the King anyway. Just, the sense of entitlement is more subdued in Stannis than other characters, but it's there.

But none of that compares to his greatest sin.

I am not kidding when I say that Shireen's death is the single hardest moment to sit through in all of Game of Thrones. At least for me. The Red Wedding? No, I can handle that. Daenerys torching King's Landing? Easy. Ned Stark's death? Give me that any day. No, it's this. Shireen's death makes me genuinely sick to my stomach when I watch it. This moment is so despicable that I can barely sit through it even after multiple attempts to re-watch that episode. It's worse than any moment Ramsay is onscreen. Just, no...and unlike other tragedies in this show like Ned's death or the Sept of Baelor getting blown up...there isn't any one person to blame or hate for this. Selyse, Stannis, Melisandre, all of the men who stood by and did nothing...all of them share responsibility. Melisandre is definitely the most culpable, but it was Stannis who had the final say and he chose to do that. I know Selyse regretted it at the very last second and later hanged herself...but no, that's too little, too late. Hearing Shireen scream for her father and beg him to let her down...while he just stares ahead? No. Even writing about it makes my hands shake. He murdered his daughter for no reason. In earlier episodes he acts like he's only pursuing the throne out of duty, not because he wants it. No, I don't buy that excuse for one moment. Tell that excuse to Shireen's ashes. God, the poor thing. And poor Davos.

Man, when you really break it down, House Baratheon is just tragedy after tragedy. Sure, it may not be as blatantly toxic as House Lannister and the show doesn't lead you to empathize with them like it does for House Stark...but still. There's no love between any of the Baratheons. Robert doesn't love his brothers, Stannis doesn't love his wife...Cersei's children (who I consider Baratheons; they were raised by Robert and carry his name) are living examples of this secrecy and contempt, of Cersei only wanting to have children with Jaime. House Baratheon is just flooded with lies, contempt, and kin-slaying. (Most of it from Stannis.)

#Game of Thrones #House Baratheon #Stannis Baratheon #Anti-Stannis #Robert Baratheon #Renly Baratheon #Shireen Baratheon #Gendry Baratheon #Selyse Baratheon #Melisandre #Davos Seaworth

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janiedean · 3 years

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Amazing how you can erase and twist everything someone says and not even bother to check things before launching in your 1000 words answer where you repeat the same things over and over again. When I say “Theon’s story is about destroying death”, I AM talking about his trauma and abuse. I’m not saying that Theon is a superhero, I’m saying that Theon’s story is literally about surviving and saying no to the dying of light, he’s always been trapped between life and death. How is that less meaningful than Jon being AA just because he’s special. Jon is stereotypical, not matter how much you deny it. He is the bastard son of the “good” Ned Stark that everyone seems to venerate, he becomes important, he’s actually a prince, and heir to the kingdom, he’s going to come back from the dead and apparently it’s not enough because he’s also AA. Also “I search for AA and see only Snow”, how is that not a red flag? Didn’t you think that it could be about Ramsay hiding Theon? I didn’t say that everything is about mythology and ancient literature, I said Theon has a lot of connections to it, connections that are hard not to notice, that actually make sense and are not taken out of nowhere like everyone in this fandom does. Theon’s story is about himself, not about Bran or any Stark, you’re just obsessed with throbb. Theon is connected to magic and to the gods, Theon is the rightful king of the Iron Islands, so why it’s so amusing to people when someone suggests that Theon has something to do. I’m not saying that Theon has to be important for his story to count, but why it’s so amusing to people the idea that Theon is an abuse and rape victim and at the same time he has something to do. When it comes to female victims, they want them to do great things, when it comes to Theon they constantly reduce him to poor say boy, but Theon is not like that, Theon is in pain and he wants everything to end, but he’s also angry and he wants to be free. I didn’t say that he has to explore the sea because he’s an Ironborn, you said that, not me. I think that that’s something Book!Theon would want to do if he survives everything. Because he would be free and he would go into the unknown. That’s not true Theon has no connection to the sea, the Drowned God himself wants him as king and he likes ships, there’s also the fact that he never learned how to use a ship because he was kidnapped at 10. Also what’s so wrong about him connecting with his culture? He could change things, he wouldn’t be a viking, he would be an explorer. The way you talk about it, it’s like dealing with trauma means closing himself in an house. And about the prophecy, what’s so amusing about saying that Theon has a lot that fits? I know that the prophecy is vague, but Davos and Stannis don’t come close to it as Theon does. Theon died in almost every possible way and managed to come back on his own. He keeps saying that he died in Winterfell. Read the last chapters in ACOK, it’s all there and it all happens at the same time, and still there’s so much more, so many things. And it’s like this HAS to be true, but you say no to everything, you don’t even think that he has something to do with the Iron Islands, you just think he has to “atone” to Bran, so how are you different from D&D? Theon doesn’t have to atone to Bran, Robb or anyone else called Stark, his story is about identity. And Bran is talking to Theon and yes, Theon took Winterfell, but it’s not the only reason their stories are connected, Theon taking Winterfell from Bran was a foreshadowing to them interacting in the future for different more important reasons, that was always clear to me

... anon never mind that I hadn't talked about this in ages so like you came into my inbox with some 500 words of replying at 8 am on a sunday morning and idk how *I* am supposedly twisting things when

you brought this out of nowhere

I hadn't talked about the AA thing nor anything wrt theon's ending in like... a year

you are basically making up half of what I said or didn't because like 'oh I didn't say he had a tying to the sea because he's an ironborn' but two lines later you say 'what's the issue if he reconnects with his ancestry' which.... means that he'd have a tie to the sea because he's an ironborn so what's the truth here

'you're obsessed with throbb' I didn't mention robb once in my entire answer nor throbb nor I have written throbb meta recently like... I ship throbb but I don't see how that has any relevance to an answer where I literally didn't mention it and I said theon's sl can't be just about the starks

idk why you seem to think I have great stakes re jon snow and 'he's stereotypical no matter how much you say he's not', I'm saying that for a chosen one archetype he's a deconstruction so he's not stereotypical in the way h*rry p*tter is or aragorn is or whatever and it's like objective text and honestly I have fic to write and stuff to do and I could have like completely ignored your ask and said 'I think you're wrong' instead yesterday I spent half an hour answering you like... you don't need to sound that aggressive or come at me with this entire block of text when I wasn't even the one starting this conversation

what’s so amusing about saying that Theon has a lot that fits?

anon I explained in those 1k reply or whatever all the reasons why everything theon has that fits is something every single other character has at that point dany has the exact same reasons for fitting it and I told you all the reasons why jon has extra things that fit that no one else has, like.... it's my opinion, I haven't changed my mind since 2012 on it, you aren't going to change it and no one is until grrm writes different, you don't need to convince me or look for me to validate your reading because you can have whichever reading you want and no one stops you, I just don't think it's correct, the end

The way you talk about it, it’s like dealing with trauma means closing himself in an house.

anon you keep on saying I say that but you are aware that if I say I want char X to get their little house in the village/woods/city of their choice and grow strawberries with their loved ones and be happy I'm not saying what you said and I'm talking abt endgame? jaime and brienne both also deal with trauma and when I say that I hope they get married on tarth have fifteen kids and never set foot in a court again I'm not saying having children is the only way to deal with trauma like.... one thing is the endgame one thing is how you get there, where did I say theon is gonna lock himself in a cottage in wow and stay there until ados? nowhere, like.... please a bit of chill here? you read a thing and arbitrarily decided it meant stuff it doesn't mean but I am the one twisting and erasing? like sorry but it sounds like you want a fight about it or smth and believe me fighting about who is AA is not on my list of to-do things for today, also 'I died in winterfell' is like... yeah, theon greyjoy died in wf then he became reek then he became theon again, it's metaphorical, jon literally died, also like if AA wasn't a main fiver then it'd probably be someone completely out of left field that no one gaf about and for that matter there's a character who has been dying and coming back to life who has a flaming sword since like acok, but do I see you telling me it's textual proof beric is AA? no, but that would make more textual sense than theon imvho so *shrug*

in short: anon sorry but it sounds like being that theon is your fave - which... I mean he's in my top three so I agree that he's a great fave choice - you want him desperately to have the main role in the main storyline which is imvho not the case and again... even if jon was stereotypical (which we can argue on but like... from your wording I think you hate jon ngl which fair enough everyone has their dislikes) it wouldn't make the textual evidence less evidence and like... idk how to say it nicely but not liking the protagonist is more common than not and if you don't whatever but that doesn't mean he's not and that the textual stuff indicating he has the mystical hero storyline doesn't exist, I'd suggest you make peace with that concept and with the concept that your fave doesn't need to have any specialness in their sl to be a legitimate fave, also like... in asoiaf everyone who is special™ has a shit life and when grrm says he wants a bittersweet ending like in lotr, do I have to remind anyone what was lotr's ending? samwise gamgee goes back to his little house and children and wife in the shire and says he's home and we're all happy that the dude who deserved it most got it great, if that's what he's aiming for I really don't think presuming everyone gets the magical great™ storyline is in the cards X°D but most of all: again, everyone who's had a sl being full of magic prophecies and shit in these books has had a crap life and hated every second of it that was related to those prophecies and I want theon to be happy at the end so in lack of any imvho text proof that says it's anyone but jon I'll stick with that because it means none of my faves is in line to hate their life, which is exactly what happens to jon if he's AA and exactly what I think is gonna happen and I don't particularly like that for him either bc I do want jon to have nice things but idt he'll get them, doesn't mean I'm trying to find any textual reason to decide on my own that AA is dany (a char I care a lot less about) so that she gets the brunt of it because that's now how it works, I made peace with it too X°D

#1 #2 #34 #5 #6 #anonymous #ask post #ch: theon greyjoy #ch: jon snow #honestly anon i'd ask myself why you're so invested in this you're looking for a fight #bc that's how you sound like #*shrug*#peace

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aegor-bamfsteel · 3 years

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Hello! I was hoping to add a bit to your thoughts on Bloodraven. I agree wholeheartedly with you that Bloodraven is a terrible person and made terrible decisions. But I disagree with you that he’s rewarded for it. The novels do quite a but to frame him as an evil person. Yes he’s a magical greenseer and has a lot of magical power, but he’s also a scary tree person with roots growing in him. He lives in a dark cave he can never leave with creepy elves that have probably killed Bran’s friend. There’s also a lot of theories that Bloodraven drove Euron crazy when testing Euron for magical abilities like he tested Bran. GRRM looks to be setting him up as a dark twist to the wise mentor trope while the show treated him like Gandalf.

Hello, Anon! Bl00draven as a villain is actually a very controversial opinion/theory in tumblr fandom, (which is why I misspell his name and use his anti tag) with at least some considering him a straight-up hero trying to save the world, or an anti-hero who commits atrocities to achieve “noble goals” (including, if I remember correctly, the same person who wrote at least part of the theory that Euron is Bl00draven’s ex-student). I believe Bl00draven is “a terrible person [who] made terrible decisions”, but I’m probably in the minority, (you’d probably find a better discussion with people who think he’s a hero in your analysis of how his character is framed), but you haven’t indicated why you don’t think he’s rewarded for his actions.

I have written about how the narrative protects Bl00draven from the consequences of his actions in the post you’re responding to, in a response to warsofasoiaf, and a response to godihatethisfreakingcat. In summary:

The two times BR suffers any setback (losing an eye; being sent to the Wall for high treason), it ends up working out for him in the end (not being affected by monocular vision at all if he held his own in a second duel against Aegor Rivers, getting a “scary” reputation and possibly greenseeing powers; having 200 of his personal guard and Prince Aemon accompany him, getting to keep the only Targaryen ancestral sword when he’s supposed to be punished, getting elected Lord Commander despite his horrible tenure as Hand, and deserting the Night’s Watch to become an immortal greenseer despite desertion being a death sentence)

When it looks like BR is going to suffer other setbacks, they magically go away (he and Baelor have a dispute over how to treat the defeated Blackfyre rebels, but Baelor dies before he can become king; he mocks Maekar in front of his own son and unsubtly threatens to kidnap Egg, but is said to have become Maekar’s Hand; his spy network fails to capture Aegor Rivers multiple times and couldn’t keep an eye on his ship as it made way for the Wall, but he isn’t punished for failing to do the one job he promised to do)

BR never had to work to gain anyone’s trust or his positions of authority, despite being terrible at his job (his mother was a friend of Da3ron II’s from birth; he was granted an ancestral Valyrian sword as a teenager despite not being the best swordsman; he gets his first Small Council position by age 20; Da3ron II trusts him enough to start a war on his say-so; Aerys makes him his Hand over his more competent brother Maekar; Maekar keeps him as Hand despite resenting him for decades; he’s made Night’s Watch Lord Commander). Maintaining so much power either undermines your claim that the narrative frames him as a villain (if he’s so untrustworthy, why do the supposed protagonists keep giving him jobs?), or it makes the characters who’ve granted him this power into idiots (at least 2 of whom are lauded as intelligent or clever).

Other villainous characters have done less harm than Bl00draven, but are punished for it while he gets to keep his power:

The infamously corrupt High Septon was torn apart by starving King’s Landing smallfolk during the bread riots of 299

The corrupt Rego Draz, who levied high taxes and tolls on the smallfolk (abuse of the smallfolk amidst a humanitarian crisis? sounds familiar), was stoned to death by a starving mob during the harsh winter and plague of 59

Rhaenyra was believed to have murdered Helaena Targaryen, and her husband did arrange for the murder of Helaena’s son (a parent and two young sons murdered in cold blood? sounds familiar). Thousands of smallfolk rioted out of desire for justice for the three, which caused the death of 5 dragons, Rhaenyra’s remaining son Joffrey, and Rhaenyra’s own flight from the capital. She never regained the throne again

Mysaria of Lys, explicitly compared to Bl00draven as Mistress of Whispers, also arranged for the murder of Helaena’s son Jaehaerys, informed on Nettles to Rhaenyra resulting in a warrant for her death (informing on someone to a monarch baseless rumors resulting in a warrant for their arrest? sounds familiar), and may have contributed to Helaena’s suicide that the riots were about. When King’s Landing fell, she was stripped naked and whipped to death as she was forced to walk out of the city.

Tyanna of Pentos, similarly mistress of whispers like Mysaria, tortured the king’s nephew to death (after having him imprisoned? sounds familiar), tortured dozens of men and women including rumored lover Alys Harroway, kidnapped children to ensure their mother’s good behavior while being repeatedly raped, and allegedly poisoned her fellow queens in order to be Maegor’s true wife. She was brutally murdered by the man she sought to influence, her heart thrown to the dogs

Bl00draven deliberately shot 2 unarmed 12-year-olds in front of their father to win a war, ordered the smallfolk back to their lands during the midst of a drought and after the Great Spring Sickness, caused the death of a young man under suspicious circumstances, threatened to keep the son of his rival a hostage, killed a man he promised safe passage to, denied critical aid to the crown’s vassals during ironborn raids, and created a reign of fear and paranoia that resulted in the deaths of innocent smallfolk. Bafflingly, while there are apparently riots and violence and rebellion, he makes routine trips into Flea Bottom to keep the people in line (yes, the smallfolk in King’s Landing are so complacent to authoritarian rulers as I just mentioned) and survives all of them (relatively) unscathed. Not only does he keep his position as Hand, or gained a new position as Lord Commander, but he lives to a ripe old age before running away to the cave to be an immortal greenseer with infinite knowledge. My point in comparing the actions and consequences of characters similar to Bl00draven is that if the smallfolk or the Targaryens were written consistently, he would’ve been horribly murdered for corruption or insubordination long before he ever met Bran. I understand he would have to live into canon era to be Bran’s mentor; but GRRM broke the rules of his own universe by letting Bl00draven get away with too much to be believable while giving him even more power. It is inconsistent writing that makes his survival due to authorial fiat than any skill or allies. That’s why I consider him possibly the worst-written character in the series.

Bl00draven has not committed enough good deeds to be a hero (in my opinion; other people consider keeping Da3ron’s progeny on the throne for a few generations longer to be heroic). But neither has he suffered for the consequences of his actions like a villain. We know that the Freys and Boltons will face comeuppance for their atrocities in the Red Wedding and at Winterfell because it’s already clear they have sown the seeds of their own destruction; the Freys’ violation of guest right contributed to the breakdown of the rule of law that made honorable parley impossible, and their murder of Catelyn Stark led to Lady Stoneheart in the Riverlands killing Freys with the Brotherhood, and their murder of Wendel Manderly led to his father Wyman orchestrating some of their deaths; the Boltons’ role in the Red Wedding led to nearly universal hatred among the northern lords, and caused the mountain clans to ally with Stannis to get them out, and Ramsay’s rape of who they think is Arya Stark just gives them further cause to resent their traitorous overlords. I don’t have to explain how Tywin’s cult of Lannister supremacy doesn’t survive his death as he’s offed in the most humiliating manner by the son he despised, since Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion are either imprisoned, enslaved, or in a trial for their life by book 5. Contrast Bl00draven, because the family he most wronged (the Blackfyres) are either no longer around or are uninterested in seeing him brought to justice; he certainly sowed the seeds of destruction, but he never reaped them himself (if anything, he got more powerful); instead the Targaryens did. I don’t see how he will be getting any personal comeuppance in the future, unless he is somehow unplugged from the weirwood network and executed as a deserter to the Night’s Watch (the Starks do have a pattern of executing those guys, so maybe it will be Bran’s turn). Until then, I don’t foresee him being a good asoiaf villain either.

#ask #asoiaf #anti bloodraven #grrm criticism #Asoiaf predictions #valyrianscrolls #villains

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jonathanrook · 3 years

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legally i have to give you intern 2

em you have awoken an ungodly beast inside me so i need to warn everyone that this post is. incomprehensible. but so is mymusic so i guess we're all used to it.

How I feel about this character:

i watched mymusic as it was airing/running/coming out specifically bc i'm a jack stannie, and as a kid melvin was my second favorite character (w scene being in first, obvs) for mostly that reason. he basically hovered around this ranking until my most recent rewatch in the summer of 2020, which was actually spurred by some events in my personal life that vaguely reminded me of scene's season two arc w jeff, and i thought it'd been a funny/nostalgic way to get my mind off things.

(i want to side note here that -- i know you didn't ask, but -- i love jeff. i have since i was a kid. like, obviously not as a person but i think he's honestly the best written character in the series, w indie close in second. idk what it says about the f*nes that their most interesting and well rounded characters are the villains, but i digress. to this day i'm salty that jeff never got added to the theme song and wasn't really included in promotional merch.)

however, in said rewatch, certain things about how he was written started to really get under my skin, and certain moments in particular have really stuck out to me in a negative way. like, for the entirety of season one and a good chunk of season two he's one person, and then he leaves mymusic and we have an entirely different person, but not in a nuanced character building sort of way.

i've said a few of these points before but i'll repeat them here regardless. at the risk of sounding like i've put on a tin-foil hat, it's my sneaking suspicion that scindie was supposed to be endgame, but since fan reception to it was pretty neutral, and scenechart stans were, at the very least, more vocal, changes were made to the intended finale, which is why in the last scene he's basically just. indie. like, if everything about the show was exactly the same but indie was the one who had ended up w scene in the end that would have made so much more sense since a) scene had a crush on indie that he/everyone knew about and b) indie was kind of a dick despite the half-assed attempts at redemption, so both combined make it slightly less weird/out-of-nowhere that he kisses her w/o her consent (since, even though like. implied consent is not real at worst and a fuzzy subject at best but you could argue that scene would want indie to kiss her); and this isn't even taking into consideration that c) melvin is heavily queer-coded in both seasons, with his friendship with nerdcore being, dare i say, homoerotic at times, and his arc about leaving the company and changing his name mirroring nerdcore's almost perfectly (with nerdcore being a character who b*nny [at least] has all but confirmed is actually gay).

i've also been on the fence about melvin's behavior in that final scene making more sense for indie's character being an intentional decision as a way of shoe-horning in a theme about the lasting effects of abuse/cycles of abuse/the corruption of power but i also don't think the f*nes are smart enough for that. however, for the sake of defending my straw theory, i also point to the scene where indie comes to visit the acid factory after melvin told him to shut up, and we see melvin use reggie as a foot-stool, going as far as to say that it feels good to do so (which, in all honesty, i think is a bit that was entirely improvised, since the f*nes were "notorious for never saying cut" [paraphrased from a bts video], but work w me here). he's also given a seltzer mug that perfectly resembles indie's kombucha mug. in these moment melvin is directly emulating the behavior of his previous abuser, purposefully or not, literal moments after being promoted to an equal position of authority, which was totally just included as a joke, but could also be argued is meant to show that he's becoming indie; or, if we acknowledge that the f*nes have no fucking clue what they're doing and were just directing like chickens with their heads cut off, it at least shows that melvin's new position of power is leading him to understand where indie was coming from, which is supported by their conversation in the finale.

the following contains a couple brief mentions of irl sexual assault so if that's something you'd like to avoid skip to the next section!

HOWEVER, that alone isn't what i have a problem with, since i think melvin is completely justified in being a dick to indie (and also reggie enthusiastically consents to being used as an ottoman so good for him i guess). the issue comes completely in how he treats scene in the scenes where the f*nes clearly thought what they were writing was super romantic. like, the fact that the only thing he's got hung on his cubicle wall is a single picture of scene taken from the fucking opening credits (like. how hard would it have been to have. literally any other photo[s] esp since there's an abundance of cute bts pics of the cast in costume that could have been put there) and him scrolling through her twitter at work really creep me out (and at the risk of oversharing the weird, like, social media stalking angle really fucks w me bc that may or may not have been the exact fucking thing i was trying to escape in rewatching mymusic in the first place). also, having him sexually assault scene as a means of comforting her after she had just been sexually assaulted in the same way by someone else was... a choice (which is also, uh, personally familiar).

again, i recognize that demonizing melvin wasn't what the f*nes were trying to do here, and i perhaps seem hypocritical for opening liking jeff, but what makes jeff work is he's intentionally "the bad guy." having melvin do the same things as indie and jeff uncritically only proves further that the f*nes can't write for shit, and ruins his character which had, up until he quit mymusic, been unironically good. like, it's obviously not beneficial that the exact asshole things he does are personally triggering, but the character would still be a mess and i would still dislike him regardless.

i want to say though that jack delivers a surprisingly great performance despite how shoddily his character is constructed and how little experience he has as an actor. like, it's clear he was having a lot of fun on set and i would love to see him in something, like, good; i think he could pull off even like, guest television roles, which is a lot more than can be said for other youtubers.

-----

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

nerdchart should have been canon i'm sorry. i know that close, nonromantic male friendships are valuable, esp between queer men, but also gd wouldn't it have been baller to have a canon interracial mlm ship. like. c'mon. and they could have been such a good friends to lovers story! we already got to see how melvin was the only person nerdcore could really be himself around so it would have been so cool if melvin's self-advocacy arc/flowchart arc had revolved more around nerdcore with a little role-reversal! and then they kiss! like god intended!

also i ship him and indie bc i'm a grubby little gremlin man ohoho. enemies w weird sexual tension? sign me up. not even enemies to lovers i'm not saying this one should have been canon i just love the vibes. do you think melvin and indie ever explored each other's bod-- *gunshot*

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My non-romantic OTP for this character:

i wish him and scene had just been bros. god remember in season one when they were just bros that was the life.

alternatively, i wish we'd seen more bonding w him and metal, as a means of reconciling that. uh. moment from season one. along similar lines i would have loved to see him get closer w rayna in a similar way to how she bonded w nerdcore in season two. i think that could have also worked to show how she'd grown between the two seasons.

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My unpopular opinion about this character:

HIM. AND. SCENE. SHOULD. HAVE. JUST. BEEN. BROS. (though i think my general dislike of him is pretty unpopular, lmao).

when the show was coming out i don't think it's unfair to say that scenechart/scenetern 2 was the most popular ship (aside from potentially techstep whatever) but luckily we're all gay and have better taste now. unfortunately i totally fell into this camp and scenechart was even my otp for years (until it was arguably more unfortunately usurped by reddie in 2019) and i didn't even realise that it's a hot mess until, again, the summer of 2020.

when actually watching the show the choices the f*nes made in regards to how the ship actually became canon are so odd and out of place, too? okay, so, on one hand everyone just shipped scenechart bc it was the whitest hettiest ship in the show (esp in season two when idol left) aside from scindie (and we already discussed what's wrong w that). but, on the other hand, lainey and jack clearly also just got along? and i suspect that lainey probably also admired jack's work and was happy to be working with him bc we have so many shots throughout even the first season when the ship wasn't the intended endgame of lainey scene looking really fondly at jack melvin at times when it doesn't make much sense at all, esp since she's smitten w indie? this trend continues into the second season which arguably works but it still seems really out of place for him to be the one to ultimately make the first move on her since it's clear she was the one crushing this whole time and also he's gay! this bitch is gay what the fuck!!

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One thing I wish had happened with this character in canon:

at this point i'm struggling to think of anything i haven't covered yet. oops.

i've talked at length before about how he should have been a woman/lesbian, but the tl;dr is that it would have solved a lot of the queer-coding "problems" that just didn't get resolved in the show. if he'd been a lesbian then not only would the friendship w nerdcore still made sense, but scenechart would have as well (not even mentioning that both of scene's other relationships w men make a lot of sense as comphet anyway).

#long post #this took me an hour to write i literally had to get a snack in the middle of it #mymusicshow #mymusic show #question #mlentertainment #also having a character named scene when you have to write about scenes like. in a story is an absolute bitch

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blacksunscorpio · 4 years

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Scorp you're a genius! So relatable and I love how you don't judge others or anyone who comes to you for help. Keep it up! I just had to ask since I see that you make pop culture references to make analogies with astrology. You've mentioned GoT a few times and im a huge fan! Can you do a quick post on Game of Thrones characters and their potential zodiac signs? I'd love to hear your input! Thank you so much!!

Game of Thrones Characters & Their Zodiac Signs

Aries

Khal Drogo- Impulsive. Warlike. Bloodthirsty. Alpha. Conqueror. Hardcore athlete [did you see him on that horse?] Extremely sexual. Forceful. When he first meets Daenerys, he forces himself on her. Afterward, however, he is the first to go to war if he feels the people around him have been disrespected.

Aerys Targaryen- Impulsive, sadistic. Boastful. imperial. He would be the Emperor [reversed] in Tarot, lol. Not as good with being a tactician as he ought to have been. Cruel. Rage problems. The need to be the first and the best. Fire and blood, anyone?

Taurus

Maergery Tyrell - Classy, wealthy, sexy, laid-back, frank but with an air of elegance. Highgardeners have a love for the finer things in life. A love of fine wines and foods. Beautiful clothing and aesthetics. RICH RICH. Get on their bad side and they will take their time finding a way to subvert your authority.

Robert Baratheon- Love of luxury, bullheaded, strong, takes no shit. Fixed in his opinions of others, highkey jealous. In his youth, he enjoyed the gifts of Venus: Charm, wealth coming from the noble house of Baratheon, widely considered handsome by almost all in the 7 kingdoms.

Gemini

Tyrion Lannister- Silver-tongued. HIGHKEY intelligent. Social. Charming. Great sense of humor. A freak [in the sheets]. Chatty. Always finds his way out of a sticky situation. Finds a way to use his intel to bolster diplomacy between his family and the families who hate them.

Little Finger- Cunning, quick-witted, works behind the scenes, manipulative, a snake, jack of all trades. Top dog in the social circles of the 7 Kingdoms. There wasn’t a person who didn’t know of him and his... reputation. He singlehandedly, through his Machiavellian tactics, caused the events of Game of Thrones to unfold.

Cancer

Cersei Lannister- Protective, moody, caring [to her kids], motherly, cantankerous, jealous. A savage. People don’t give Cancer’s the credit they deserve in terms of what they’re capable of. Cersei is a prime example of the type of person who can show unrivaled levels of devotion to the one’s they love. “No one matters but us.” She can be cruel because she lets her emotions rule her actions. When her safety is threatened, she makes sure no one else feels safe either. She loves with a ferocity only rivaled by...

Catelyn Stark- Another mother who would die [quite literally] for her children. Fierce, Protective. Doting. JEALOUS. Let’s not forget how she treated Jon all because she believed Ned’s lie about him being a bastard. Followed her son into battle. Damn near lost her hands fighting off Bran’s would-be assassin.

Leo

Jaime Lannister- Proud. Handsome. Princely. Funny. We seem him go from underdeveloped Leo [arrogant, selfish, bully, prideful, snob, loyal to no one but himself] to developed [Kind, helpful, warm, honest]. Fought bears for his friends. Skilled and proud fighter even without the use of both his hands. Unfortunately, his loyalty caused him to stay loyal to his twin towards the end, but such is the nature of a Leo. They’re hard-pressed to abandon those they truly care for.

Brienne of Tarth- LOYAL. Proud. Devoted. A bit of a flare for drama especially brandishing her sword. Brienne is the definition of Leonine traits. Hard to miss. Devoted to those who show her kindness, i.e Renly, Catelyn, Jaime, Sansa, etc. Always at the front lines in war screaming “STAND YOUR GROUND”. Unrivaled levels of bravery and courage. Not to be fucked with. A true Queen.

Virgo

Samwell Tarley- Intelligent. Scholarly. Methodical. Always with his nose in a book. Unproblematic king. Caught the things everyone else missed, especially when he was an apprentice in Old Towne. Figured out how to cure Jorah Mormont’s affliction on his OWN without any formal training. Genius.

Lord Varys- Remember, Virgo is also ruled by Mercury who is the most cunning of the planetary rulers. Varys always had a spy to collect intel on everyone. A tactician. Never lost his temper. Always had the scoop but didn’t partake in gossip for gossip's sake. Not afraid to be critical or tell those “in charge” his opinion. We can see this specifically when he critiques Aerys, Daenerys, and Robert.

Libra

Davos Seaworth- a skilled diplomat. Davos is always seen seeking balance and fairness in the situations he finds himself in. The minute you see this man in a scene you know he’s going to give a moving speech and get someone out fo a sticky situation. He convinced the Iron Bank to support Stannis. Convinced Daenerys to entertain Jon Snow when they traveled to Dragonstone. Always breaking up a fight. He is in full support of law and order, especially when he called for Melisandre’s head after discovering her part in Shireen’s death [RIP.]

Rhaegar Targaryen- Had a love of music. Harmony. Balance. He brought two families together [Stark and Targaryen]. He was also blessed by Venus in my opinion because he was said to be extremely handsome. A fabulous singer. A fighter yes, but a lover first. Very good with diplomacy but not the best with defending himself against his cousin sign, Taurus [Robert Baratheon].

Scorpio

Daenerys Targaryen- Many see her as an Aries but I have to respectfully disagree. Daenerys is a Scorpio in my opinion. Remember, Scorpio is honorary fire. She was literally “reborn from the ashes”. A Phoenix, Scorpio’s final form. She went from a silent and meek girl to a skilled and commanding Empress. Unlike Arians, she did not jump headfirst into battle. It took many arrows in her dragons, many slights to her ego, copious council from her advisors, dozens of her loved ones lost for her to go nuclear. Like her father, she hungered for power, a very Scorpionic trait. However she, unlike her father, listened to reason [Jorah, Tyrion, and Barristan Selmy]. She had a long fuse until she didn’t, and then that’s when she rained fire and blood on everyone in King’s Landing. She was skilled at retribution and was unapologetic with it *cough* the Tarleys *cough*.. Unlike Arians who pop off at the drop of a hat, she gave her enemies fair warning if/when they crossed her.

Arya Stark- You already know what it is with this one. Arya is pretty much death [Pluto], personified. Stealthy. A tactician. VENGEFUL. I think we all fist-pumped when she served Filch Walder Frey his sons in that pie. Never forgets a slight. Keeps a list of people who’ve wronged her [All Scorpios can probably relate]. You never see her coming. She is “no-one”. She is the assassin that slips through the back. She may seem calm at first but trust that she has been planning your downfall for a while. LOYAL. The definition of a Scorpio.

Melisandre- Dark. Mysterious. Unafraid of the occult. So much of her life is unknown and I’m sure that’s how she preferred it. Even her Lord of light was mysterious. Strong supernatural abilities and highkey psychic. Knew immediately how many “eyes” Arya would “close.” Had ties to the underworld which is demonstrated with her ability to resurrect the dead. Came through at the clutch in the last battle wielding fire [Mars] with her witchcraft. It’s no secret that Scorpios are some of the most skilled in sorcery.

Sagittarius

Missandei- Exotic. From Naath which is an island just above the mysterious continent of Sothoryos. A world traveler. Lucky enough to escape slavery [until the end]. Jupiter's influence is here in my opinion because she is so kind and friendly. Also a polyglot and gifted with the ability to speak 19 languages. Her fire is seen at the end of the series when she tells her best friend “Dracarys”-- meaning “fire” in High Valyrian. She isn’t afraid to call wrath down on others.

Olenna Tyrell- Loud, unapologetically blunt, zero-filter, feisty. Olenna to me is the definition of Sagittarius. Always speaks her mind. Clap back queen. Will call you out. Was also quite promiscuous in her younger years. Very charismatic and extremely likable despite her penchant for saying whatever was on her mind.

Capricorn

Tywin Lannister- I can’t see the patriarch of the most notorious family in Westeros being anything other than a Capricorn. Methodical. Structured. Business-minded. Karmic [A "Lannister always repays his debts"] Cold. Cruel. Unfeeling. Like Saturn, he is the father figure. Basically ran the 7 Kingdoms for Aerys, [which was probably why the latter was so salty towards him.] Always has a plan. The man you want in charge if we’re strictly talking about law and order. Vindictive [had the mountain kill Elia because Rhaegar rejected Cersei.] He’s the ultimate son-of-a-bitch.

Jon Snow- Brooding hero that he is, Bae Jon Snow is without a doubt a Capricorn in my eyes. Duty-bound. Serious. A leader in his own right. Could also be cold and unfeeling in terms of distributing karmic justice. Lest we forget the “fetch-me-a-block” situation with Janos Slynt. In addition, the moment he was resurrected he took vengeance against the black brothers who betrayed him. Saturn, Like Pluto, is all about karmic justice. The beating he put on Ramsey after The Battle of the Bastards was one thousand percent a karmic beating. A proper lover as well, according to Ygritte, Jon also knew how to handle himself in the bedroom, a trait very akin to Capricorns.

Aquarius

Bran Stark- I thought about making Bran a Pisces, but then I changed my mind. Remember Uranus rules sudden insights and hardcore psychic receptivity. It also rules sudden and unexpected catastrophes or surprises/ sudden breaks. Bran suffered a literal “tower” moment at the beginning of the series which resulted in his psychic powers developing. Once he became the three-eyed raven, he became very detached from the world.

Grey Worm- Aquarius is also androgynous. Grey Worm is a eunuch. He is always down to fight for a cause though, specifically his queen’s. Cares about others, specifically Missandei, and was seen towards the latter season speaking up for the Unsullied against the slavers. Fierce combatant but also very detached. His job is his job.

Pisces

Jaqen H’ghar- Much like Neptune, Pisces’ ruler Jaqen has a mysterious and illusive personality. He wears “many faces”. Skilled at illusion and very very intuitive. Has a soft side though which is clearly seen with how he treats Arya. Hardly ever flies off the handle. Calm. Cool. Collected.

Hodor- Sweet and gentle giant, Hodor is a Pisces to me. Affected by psychic trauma, it’s revealed why “Hodor” is the only thing he can say. Calm. A bit of a baby. Caring. Easily adaptable [think of all the terrain he carried Bran through]

Eddard Stark- I don't care what anyone says, Ned stark to me represents the most developed form of a Pisces. Like the Hanged-Man in Tarot that represents sacrifice and which Neptune Rules, he willingly sacrificed his reputation as honorable for his sister, Lyanna. He later sacrifices himself for his children when he died at Joffrey’s [little bitch] command. He is wise. Though appears cold, he is actually a well of feeling and caring. Unfortunately, he also suffered from the naivety of Neptunian influence which is why he wasn’t very skilled at the Game of Thrones, which calls for more tactical ruthlessness. Pisceans however also have the rage of Poseidon flowing through their veins [which people like to forget]. This was displayed when he pinned Petyr Baelish to the Wall in King’s Landing for daring to dishonor Cat by inviting her into a Brothel. RIP, King Stark.

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margoshansons · 4 years

Text

N+A=J, Azor Ahai, and Dawn

Look, before you go and crucify me for presenting and actually believing this theory, just hear me out. I’m not here to convince you or bash on your theory, so please don’t do that with mine.

These are just my opinions and while proof for R+L is stronger and is probably what will happen in the books, I do think that people are missing out on the awesome potential for N+A.

This is not an attempt to prove it. There are people with more dedication and more time on their hands who have tried. I’m only here to discuss why I like this theory from a narrative standpoint better than R+L=J

TLDR: Jon is Azor Ahai and making him a Dayne gives him access to Dawn, cool warg magic, and the potential to be the Sword of the Morning, which I think is pretty sick.

So let’s go!

1. Jon Snow’s Narrative Arc

Jon Snow is arguably the main character of ASOIAF, with Bran and Daenerys joining him as other main protagonists of the series. And it’s no secret why.

All three have very distinct, very important relationships to Magic.

Daenerys has her dragons, Bran is the Three-Eyed Crow, and Jon Snow’s whole storyline is about preparing for the next Long Night. The war against the Others.

It’s been that way since the beginning. We get small bits and pieces of it here and there but once Othar attacks Mormont it’s finally revealed to us and Jon that there are bigger things beyond the wall than wildlings. And we know that this is a complete surprise to Mormont and the other men of the Night’s Watch.

We also know that there is little written about the Others in Westeros at all, seeing as Sam isn’t able to find much on them when he travels to the Citadel.

This leads to the Great Ranging which leads to the Battle of the Fist of the First Men, which leads to the mutiny, which leads to Jon betraying the wildings which leads to the Battle at the Wall, which eventually gets him elected Lord Commander.

My point being, Jon’s storyline at this point has been spent 100% in the North surrounded by magic. There is no indication of him going south, no indication of politics beyond strategy and Stannis, no indication of him doing anything except planning for a battle against the Others and trying to save as many people as possible.

IN FACT! The reason he gets shanked is because he momentarily forgets his duty and puts the same people he promised to save in danger.

Up until Jon gets the pink letter, he never thinks about going south, but then “Arya” is in trouble and he puts NW and wildling men at risk. That is why he gets stabbed, that’s why they say “For the Watch”

Because in doing so he not only forgets his vows, but also the cause the men had pledged themselves to.

Now, all of this next bit is speculation based on what I personally think is going to happen and why I think Jon being Ashara’s son makes for a better narrative.

We know several plot points need to be resolved regarding Jon. I personally think he warged in Ghost, and then Melisandre will give him the last kiss as a priestess of r’hllor, which resurrects him like Beric Dondarrion.

Now, interesting thing here. The last kiss is a common funeral rite for the religion of the R’hllor and there’s another name for it as well.

The last kiss is a rite practiced by the red priests of R'hllor. When a follower of the Lord of Light dies, priests fill their mouths with fire and breathe flame into the deceased, as they believe that fire cleanses and is a bright gift. Harwin and Thoros of the brotherhood without banners refer to it as the kiss of life. (Wiki of Ice and Fire)

So, a kiss of life that is related to fire, that’s interesting. You know what else is interesting?

The exact circumstances of Jon’s death. It’s very different than what happened in the show. The show scene was quoted as being “a bad guy killing a good guy” while the books made it much more morally grey.

The most interesting part of Jon’s death, however, is Bowen Marsh sticking the dagger in Jon. He’s not only the first person to deal a mortal blow, but GRRM describes in detail how much Marsh is weeping, and how tragic this end really is.

Hmmmm, is it just me or is this starting to sound familar?

Flames, saltwater, wow this is really starting to remind me of something, but I can’t quite put my finger on it....

*stares into the camera like I’m on the office*

He’s being set up to be reborn amidst salt and smoke!

And now we get to my main part of the theory (took us long enough) but before that happens I need to make one thing very clear.

The Prince that Was Promised and Azor Ahai are NOT the same person.

Yes, Melisandre refers to them interchangeably, but no offense, she’s wrong...like a lot.

And while we know that Rhaegar knew about TPTWP, it was highly unlikely he knew about the Others, because as stated above, there is little to no information about them in Westeros and they haven’t been seen since the Long Night. So I really don’t have any idea why Rhaegar would think his son was destined to destroy beings that didn’t exist.

He got the details of TPTWP from Valyrian scrolls, and based on the info we have, Valyrians never interacted with the Others.

Azor Ahai on the other hand, is prophecized to directly battle with “the Great Other” which Mel connects to the Others (although this isn’t confirmed). On top of this, here are the two prophecies of Azor Ahai and TPTWP

TPTWP

born of Aerys and Rhaella’s line

born of salt and smoke

prophecised by a bleeding star

has a song of ice and fire

“the dragon must have three heads”

will deliver the world from darkness

will wake dragons from stone

Obviously this is exclusive to Targaryens, and Rhaegar was even thought to be the Prince that was Promised, but I think this applies to Daenerys or Aegon more than Jon even with R+L.

Especially considering Rhaegar used the song of ice and fire line on Aegon before even thinking of Lyanna.

Azor Ahai:

will show up after a long summer

born or reborn amidst salt and smoke

born or reborn after “stars bleed” and “the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world”

will draw forth a burning sword named Lightbringer

will ultimately fight against the Great Other

There’s no mention of dragons, songs, or anything else that most people use to interchange the two. Now the reason I bring this up is because if Jon turns out to be the son of Ned and Ashara, then he not only has a claim to Winterfell through Robb’s will, but he also can claim Dawn, the Dayne’s ancestral sword.

Dawn is a unique sword in the fact that its not made of Valyrian Steel but it’s just as sharp. It’s blade is described as “pale milkglass” and it’s a two-handed greatsword wielded by the Sword of the Morning. It was forged from the heart of a falling star and is the entire origin for House Dayne. It’s even said to glow.

The intesting thing about it? Only a Dayne can wield it.

It’s not passed down from father to son like most Valyrian Steel swords, but is instead given to the knight most worthy of possessing it.

GRRM has always emphasized the importance of Swords, especially Valyrian Steel swords. But I think what’s so interesting about Dawn is that we get its history in the very first book, and Arthur and Ashara Dayne are some of the only named Dornish characters we get from that time period.

(Also, just a fun fact, George has said that if he could wield a sword it would be Dawn, so do with that what you will)

I think that Dawn is Lightbringer, and the fact that George hasn’t given much information about the Daynes (a relatively minor house) when asked, makes me think that they play a much bigger part in the endgame than we think.

They have ties to the First Men, which means they were around during the first Long Night and the Battle for the Dawn. This also means that they potentially have the same warging abilities the Starks do, which would only be heightened if they were joined.

(I have so many theories on the First Men and magic, but that would take longer to get into than this.)

So, if Jon were to be the son of Ned and Ashara, then he could become the Sword of the Morning, which provides interesting imagery when you place it next to “The Long Night”.

It also would create one of my favorite parallels. Ned Stark heads to Starfall to return Dawn to Ashara after killing her brother, The Sword of the Morning. Jon Snow/Stark heads to Starfall to claim Dawn after being declared the Sword of the Morning and Ashara’s son.

Tbh, I just love this theory because magic! And heartbreaking parallels.

In conclusion, ASOIAF is messy and complicated and won’t be solved with a perfect parentage reveal. I think this one is interesting and while I think R+L=J will be what’s revealed (tbh I don’t mind it as long as they don’t romanticize it), I think there’s just as great a story if Jon really is the bastard of Ned and Ashara Dayne.

Please be kind, I am only a lady who likes cool theories with way too much time on her hands.

#asoiaf #asoiaf meta #a song of ice and fire #jon snow meta #valyrianscrolls #jon snow #ned x ashara #*mine #house stark #house dayne #asoiaf speculation #{I just really needed to get this off my chest}#{please don't yell at me}#{also it's four am and I am very tired so please excuse errors}#{again please be kind}#{I just love magic okay?}

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night-unfurls-its-splendour · 4 years

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I'm watching the entire series of Game of Thrones for the first time. I've made my way to season 3, making sure to watch as many commentaries as I can. Last night I listened to the Set Design / Costume Design commentary for S3 Ep 4: "And Now His Watch is Ended".

I know most historical costume Enthusiasts / Critics either don't touch, or make exceptions for Fantasy productions and on the whole I agree with that. But something about the Game of Thrones costumes (and how the show's popularity has impacted costume design on productions actually set in the medieval / Renaissance time period) has just really been bothering me.

(Perhaps you see what I mean here with Contessina De Bardi in Medici: Master's of Florence and her sneaky mini structured neckline)

It may be a couple of things, but lots of the ... insights from Michele Clapton shed some light on this for me. I have a few questions.

First: North of the Wall, we spend some time in this episode with The Night's Watch at Craster's Keep. Of Craster's wives, Clapton said [Disclaimer this is not an *exact* quote because I couldn't find a transcript anywhere and my sister sent back the Netflix DVD and I do not have an idetic memory - but the important parts of the comment are, in my own estimation, accurate] : "With Craster's wives I got this idea of them just having bits of rabbit, whatever they can get, woven with grass..." this raises in my mind, SO many questions.

Firstly - we ARE north of the Wall, yes? Where, as we have seen, the ground is just about ALWAYS covered in snow, or 90% mud. So where is the grass coming from? And also what they are wearing is so clearly not grass?

This also provides a segue into my second question.

Do sheep exist in Westeros?

Why is it that this show has such an aversion to wool? Every man wearing protective clothing is wearing Leather (or rather I should perhaps say "vegan leather"). Every Hearty Weave (TM) appears to be an attempt at Linen; and every Fine Lady is wearing Silk satin, or if you're Olenna, silk brocade (in obviously hot weather, because naturally elderly ladies benefit from heat stroke).

I've not seen one woollen cloak. Not. One wool... anything really. I ask myself "Why?"

100% natural wool is wondeful. It's naturally flame retardant; it keeps you warm; it breathes well; it's soft in a light weave; it's strong in a heavy one; its water repellent. So what is with this endemic erasure of wool? Even productions like 2018's Mary Queen of Scots have had costume designers like Alexandra Byrne who, when searching for a durable fabric for cold and rainy Scotland, came out with a wardrobe comprised entirely of DENIM. Which, as we all know is the WARMEST AND MOST COMFORTABLE of fabrics when damp. Now we all know Byrne's real reason for using denim is because it's cheap. The problem is Byrne tried to justify it by saying all of that guff about wanting a fabric that wears well in rain (Which, I cannot stress this enough- denim does not) and, of course because denim would be "ReLaTaBLe". But I digress.

All that aside, perhaps the things that bother me most are components and composition. Which is where we get into the wooly (heh) area of me being a person with interest in HISTORICAL costume, critiquing a FANTASY series.

So let's just get this out of the way: I'm not saying that anything that the costume Department did with this series was "Wrong" [with one exception, but we'll get to that when we get to it]. I'm just going to say that I don't like the way it was approached, and my reasons on WHY.

I think I have a modicum of justification for my opinions here because, fantasy is fantasy, yes but the concepts of "Fantasy" and "Medieval" have become so strongly connected that the line between them has become so blurred in the modern mind as to be almost non-existent anymore. We're in a strange cycle here. "Fantasy" was directly inspired by Medieval and over the years took more and more creative wiggle room because, the great thing about fantasy is, you can make it whatever you want it to be aesthetically. But as Fantasy and Medieval have become so intertwined, more and more creative license has been taken with the latter, so that the original inspiration has become beholden to imitate the art it inspired.

But I'll save my pontification on the modern eye and Medieval fashion for another post, and try to keep on track only as far as this affects my feelings on Game of Thrones.

My justification is that GoT is not just inspired by Medieval England/Europe in the broad sense that most Fantasy of the Sword and Sorcery variety is; it was SPECIFICALLY inspired by ONE ERA of English History, The Wars of the Roses [15th century] (with character inspiration from other eras, as recent as the 16th century).

The thing about being interested in Historical Fashion is, once you know it, you can't UN-KNOW it. For example, my understanding of the medieval approach to clothing composition is "Cut as little as you need to because sewing is tedious". You don't want to have to sew more than you have to because what's the point of that? Practically no clothing in the medieval period was tailored because why bother doing that when you can just sinch it with a belt, or lace it up the sides? Is any of that applied here? Nah. Because when we look at Sansa's dresses, look at those obviously machine stitched, perfectly pristine seams. ~whistles~.

I'll never throw shade at a costume department for using sewing machines, but I will shade them for not bothering at all to make clothing for a universe that has no sewing machines look like it was made in a universe that has no sewing machines.

I can agree with not holding Fantasy series to historical standards - to a point. To wit: as long as it's believable IN-UNIVERSE.

AS FAR AS WE KNOW, the GoT universe doesn't yet have Mechanized looms. Now I know that they make some pretty unreal lace in Myr, but I just can't think of any in-universe justification for the texture of Danny's blue number in season 3.

Another thing that bothers me is the proliferation of corsets and how those corsets are approached.

Here are some historical corset facts.

• the term 'corset' wasn't widely used to refer to structured undergarments outside of France until the late 18th century (1700's). Before tart they were called "stays" (16th-17th century) or "a pair of bodies" (15th-16th century)

• structured undergarments first appeared in the 15th century, as the bodice of under-dresses(kirtles) were lined with reed or Buckram to provide back and breast support and provide a smooth surface for the gown worn over it. It also provided a foundation for multiple layers of petticoats, so the waistbands wouldn't dig into your sides.

• Structured undergarments that existed independent of a kirtle or petticoat aren't in evidence until the 16th century (Elizabethan/Renaissance) and aren't widely used by all classes until the late 17th century.

• Most 16th-17th century boned foundation garments had straps, since they didn't reach down much farther than the natural waist, unless they were designed with a high back.

• Corsets, stays and other structured undergarments were never worn without a shift/chemise/slip underneath because...

• Corsets chafe.

• Corsets are difficult to clean, but shifts are easy to launder. Shifts protect your skin from chafing and protect your very expensive corset from the oils produced by your skin

(Reproduction example of 15th century style kirtle, from Prior Attire. Source video here)

(Sansa's... corset here has this bizarre low back and 18th century style tabs on the bottom? It also seems to lace only down to her navel. Not quite sure what's going on here, it really doesn't seem to be supporting her at all.)

The reason I hate, hate, hate the way Sansa is costumed under her... very suit-like gowns is because she never ever is shown (so far) wearing anything under her corset; her gowns are all long-lined, flowing and loose fitting; and show only wears (usually) one petticoat under them. So in short, I dislike that Sansa wears a corset because Sansa has NO REASON to be wearing one.

◇◇◇◇Another Thing◇◇◇◇

I want to spotlight on a little thing from the commentary that really hits on one of my larger problems with the aesthetic interpretation of this show in general.

During one of the scenes with Stannis and Melisandre, Clapton mentions that they made Melisandre's hair a darker shade of red in season 3 than it was previously. She says the phrase "sort of makes her more earthy".

Yes. Let's make the FIRE priestess more EARTHY. LET'S JUST DO THAT. AS OF THIS SHOW ISN'T "EARTHY" enough.

There's this fantastic quote I read somewhere by GRRM about how he loves fantasy because it's colorful, where real life is gray and brown and olive and dull. Melisandre is arguably the most colourful character in the show/series. In the books, EVERYTHING about her is Red. And not just red. She's scarlet and crimson. When she's introduced there's this fantastic description of her wearing flowing robes of scarlet silk with slashes in it revealing a darker, blood red fabric underneath.

That was passed up for a monotone, very simply cut red gown and I can't stop asking myself why a designer would scrap something like that without even trying to pay homage to it.

This show just sort of takes everything colourful in Martin's world and MAKES it gray and dark for the sake of Gritty Realism (TM). I suppose that's part of trying to appeal to a wider audience, but I just find it increadibly visually uninteresting.

◇◇◇◇ONE MORE LITTLE THING◇◇◇◇

Is this the sofa from the Study in Clue?

???

#historical costuming #game of thrones #corset #sophie turner #sansa stark #a song of ice and fire #emilia clarke #danaerys targaryen #danaerys stormborn #melisandre #15th century

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hoaryoldbitch · 5 years

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How many need to die so that you can feel loved?*

*title from Florence + The Machine’s Hunger music video

For a while now I’ve thought that Dany’s descent into darkness started the moment she stood by and watched her brother be murdered by her first husband. I can’t speak for other people, but when I claim that, I am not saying she should have felt sorry for her abuser, or that she’s mad or a monster for not feeling anything. I think she did feel sorry, and that his death did impact her tremendously.

Yes, Viserys was her abuser, but he was also her brother, and the only certainty and safety in life she’d had until he sold her to Drogo. Viserys raised her, he informed her sense of identity, made her completely dependent on him, and because of that, she was quite literally nothing without him, as harsh as that sounds.

When she marries Drogo, that sense of identity and security starts to shift, and she’s growing stronger and braver, up to the point where she can stand up to Viserys. Then Drogo kills him, completely justified according to Dothraki law, and Daenerys watches, completely detached.

This doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any feelings, or that something is wrong with her, in other words, that she’s already becoming mad. On the contrary, it means watching Viserys die was too traumatizing for her to deal with.

Viserys was her abuser, but that doesn’t mean his death shouldn’t affect Dany. People feeling sorry for their abusers, mourning them even, is what sets them apart from the abusers, it’s a sign they haven’t lost their humanity because of their abuse.

It’s why Dany named a dragon after Viserys, it’s why Sam was upset that his father had been killed, it’s why Sansa cried when she senteced Baelish to death. Unfortunately for Dany, she hadn’t had a chance to start healing from Viserys’ abuse.

When Viserys dies, she loses a part of herself, and her sense of self and strength completely shifts to Drogo. Then Drogo dies, and because she’s never learned to be just Dany/Daenerys, she becomes the Mother of Dragons, and a whole list of other titles.

Noga Ariel-Galor talks about this in this GOT Academy video. Check it out, she’s much better at explaining it than I am. Unfortunately, she was also convinced Jon’s dick of redemption would be enough to save Daenerys from herself, so I’d advise to skip the end of the video if you want to miss that sexist bs.

Daenerys had/has a good heart, she really wanted to help people, but she also wanted the Iron Throne. After Viserys died, she took on the burden of that toxic legacy of fire and blood, and over time her entire sense of self and sense of worth became dependent on her taking the Iron Throne.

That’s why she also started to conflate this goal with her good intention of helping people. She told Jon in season 7 that they both wanted to help people, and that they could only do so from a position of strength. Daenerys thought that in order to save the realm, she needed to win the throne, a mistake Stannis also made.

I believe Daenerys thought everything would finally be all right after she took the throne. She’d feel better, and the throne would fill that gaping hole inside of her. But it couldn’t. For as much as she scoffed at the idea of people secretly raising toasts to her, it’s what she wanted.

Dany wanted to be loved, she wanted the North to accept her and raise their cups to her at that feast, grateful for her help, happy that she was there. She projected a lot of her feelings of being unwanted in the North on Sansa, but I won’t get into the specifics of that in this post.

What Dany wanted to happen when she won, was to ride into King’s Landing with people cheering for her because she freed them from Cersei.

But she didn’t have love in Westeros, only fear. In the end, she was alone. And it broke her.

In my opinion, getting the dragons is the worst thing that ever happened to Daenerys. Without them, she might have been able to learn that she’s good enough, that being Dany/Daenerys is enough, and that she is worthy of love, real love.

But she never did. And no throne or title could ever replace that. When the bells started ringing, Dany finally realized that, and it broke her.

Dany’s story has always been a tragic one, and while D&D definitely butchered the execution this season, the bare bones are all there.

Her story has always had the makings of a Greek tragedy, and watching her burn down King’s Landing, we can only feel fear and pity, the two emotions necessary to experience the mandatory catharsis at the end of a tragedy.

Sadly, this means there are only two paths available for her now: for her to realize what she’s done, and somehow act accordingly, or death. I think most of us know which option the writers of this story will choose.

#got spoilers #daenerys targaryen #dark dany #i know i'm going to get in trouble for this #but it's canon people #this is in the right tag #i'm not gloating #what happened is too sad and tragic and terrifying to be gloating about #and these are just my thoughts on it

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the-coldest-goodbye · 5 years

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Stannis Baratheon – SFW Alphabet Headcanons

Stannis Baratheon x fem!reader

A/N: I have a headcanon backstory of how the reader and Stannis come together, which I describe in more detail under “B = Best friend.” The tl;dr is that you two marry for political reasons, not for love, but the friendship between you (and eventually love) emerges from this alliance as you two get to know each other better.

This is pre-Selyse, pre-Shireen, and pre-Melisandre.

Also, apologies about length. Some of the headcanons at the beginning are ridiculously long because I want to get my headcanon backstory in there to give more context to future answers, but they get quicker and easier to get through in the second half.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Stannis is by and large pretty unaffectionate. He’s not very in tune with his emotions, especially not the “softer” ones. He shows little to no PDA. He might take your arm and escort you when you appear together in public, but it’s done more out of a sense of husbandly duty and for the sake of keeping up with appearances, not really done out of warmth or affection. In private, he may open up a bit more around you and may show a slightly more vulnerable side, but only after a long time of trust being built up between you two. He’s pretty awkward and uncomfortable with affectionate words and touches because they don’t come natural to him. He would get red and flustered when you’d show affection towards him. Despite his initial discomfort, he surprisingly didn’t hate it and kind of grew to enjoy the affection you gave to him.

He would rather show his affection by being very loyal to you. He would never do anything to dishonor you, and he wouldn’t stand for you being disrespected by others. Even if he wasn’t good at expressing his feelings verbally or with touch, he’d show his affection for you through acts of service. He would ensure that you’re safe and taken care of and have everything you need. He would even come to learn things like your favorite meals and would make sure the cooks made them regularly for meals, or he’d learn your favorite colors and have dresses made for you in those colors. He’d also come to respect you and your perspective on things. He would confide in you and seek your counsel on important matters.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Your friendship comes after your marriage. Love comes even later. Your relationship starts off very practical and without emotional attachment. His brother Robert had just taken the throne. Stannis was the second son of what had just become the most powerful house in the seven kingdoms. You were from a smaller noble family, and your parents knew that marrying you to a Baratheon was a good move for your house. Stannis knew of your house’s importance in your region and knew it would be a smart political move to unite your houses so he would have an influence there. Stannis was the one who proposed the idea of him marrying you to your father. He had met you a few times and you had left a good impression on him every time. You had a good head on your shoulders. Your father seemed to have similar ideals as Stannis, as did you. You would occasionally chime in during political meetings and Stannis thought your input was very thoughtful and measured. If he were to marry, you seemed like a good choice.

Your courtship was chaste and fairly traditional. The two of you spent a bit of time together to get to know each other, though there was no love or romance there. This shared time confirmed his earlier impressions of you as thoughtful and clever, and you got to learn more about him as well. He wasn’t the most charismatic or charming, but he seemed respectful and honorable. Though he wasn’t the smoothest with his words, he was respectful towards you through and through. You had heard girls share stories about his brother Robert, how he was a womanizer and a brute and a lush, but Stannis was nothing like the eldest Baratheon brother. Maybe he wasn’t your Prince Charming, but he seemed like a man of honor. Maybe you didn’t love him (at least not at that point), but you felt that the two of you could build a life together based on mutual respect. As far as potential husbands went, it could be a lot worse.

After marrying each other, the two of you continued to learn more about each other and eventually built a friendship between you. You become friends when he shows he’s not as icy cold as he appears and when you show that you’re trustworthy, loyal, and genuine. (He detests the fakeness of social and political conventions that come with being noble-born. He likes someone who cuts to the chase instead of beating around the bush.)

As a friend, Stannis is loyal and honest. He wouldn’t hold back on his opinion. He’d often give unsolicited advice, which can be annoying, but it’s coming from a place of care and concern. He’s not the best at showing sensitivity in delicate situations, so don’t expect him to give you comforting words or sympathy. He’d rather give you advice on steps you should take to resolve any issues you’re facing. Though this can initially come off as uncaring or aloof, you begin to learn that this is just his way of showing concern and wanting the best for you. He would be a great ally to have. He’s very reliable and keeps his word. Stannis can be a bit of a stick in the mud and isn’t the most fun. He very rarely shows humor, but when he does it always catches you off guard and makes you burst out laughing. He tries to keep a stony face because he doesn’t want to reveal how pleased he is with himself for eliciting that kind of response out of you.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He’s pretty uncomfortable with cuddling. He generally won’t initiate it. He’ll tolerate it if you initiate it, but he’ll be pretty stiff about it and might cut it off after a little while. He’ll lay back and allow you to snuggle into his side or rest your head on his chest, and he might awkwardly place one of his hands on your back and pat you. He wouldn’t like to sleep cuddling. He prefers not touching during sleep so he can get uninterrupted rest. As your relationship continues and he’d find himself genuinely falling for you, he’d find himself more eager to cuddle with you immediately after sex when he’s feeling vulnerable and exposed. Your touches would assure him that you also feel some level of affection for him and that you’re not just having sex with him out of a sense of duty to try and produce an heir. He’s not used to other people feeling affectionate towards him and so he’d be insecure once he genuinely began to fall for you because he wouldn’t be sure if you shared those feelings.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

As a Baratheon, Stannis feels obligated to rule over a castle, get married, have children, and continue the Baratheon line. He doesn’t look at it with romanticism but rather as his duty. However, once the two of you become more comfortable with each other and he begins to view you fondly, you would begin to feel like home to him.

As a nobleman, he doesn’t bother with cooking and cleaning as there are other people to do that for him. He tends to be naturally tidy, though, and he runs a tight ship.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Stannis would be pretty straightforward and blunt if he ended your relationship. He doesn’t approach tough subjects with much decorum or sensitivity.

F = Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Throughout most of his life, Stannis was never very sentimental about the thought of settling down. He knows that it’s expected of him and that it’s considered his duty to marry and have children. Not marrying for love doesn’t bother him. He is practical about it and sees it as an opportunity to unite houses for strategic political gain. If he and his spouse get along, all the better. If not, oh well. He just needs a functional arrangement that’ll get him an heir.

He would be very traditional in his courting process. He wouldn’t rush it or drag it out for too long. However, he would be fairly quick to begin the actual courting process. Because he views marriage practically and without sentimentality, he would begin to court you as soon as possible while you were still available once he felt that you were a suitable and beneficial match. He would be committed to you, though, even if your marriage began without love or passion. He takes his duties very seriously and wouldn’t do anything to dishonor you or your marriage.

He’d be pleasantly surprise after you got married and the two of you slowly began to develop a sense of love for each other. He never expected the marriage to work out so well. Deep down, he does get a bit more sentimental about your relationship as time passes and you come to love each other, though he wouldn’t really let it show.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Stannis is not very emotionally gentle. His words are often direct without sparing your feelings, especially at the beginning of your relationship before you two really get to know each other. However, although he’s harsh, he’s not entirely heartless. When he sees how much his words affect you, though, he makes an effort to soften his way of communication with you, particularly around sensitive topics. Both of you learn how to adapt your styles of communication to more effectively get through to each other.

Even at times when he cannot express himself through words, he tries to communicate with you through his actions. For example, if you had a hobby that you were passionate about, he’d initially scoff you, saying your hobby is inconsequential and a waste of time. He would see the hurt in your eyes as you angrily storm off. Within a few days, you would find a stack of neatly wrapped gifts on your side of the bed. They would be new objects related to your hobby, the finest quality available. If you liked reading fiction, you’d find a stack of books from your favorite genre that weren’t in your personal collection yet. If you liked painting, you’d high quality paints and brushes. If you liked sewing and embroidery, you’d find fine and expensive fabrics. As you’d go to thank him for the gifts, he’d hum in acknowledgment and softly say, “I know how important it is to you.” It’d be his own way of apologizing despite not knowing how to say the words.

Physically, Stannis is very gentle with you. He’s shy and bashful when it comes to affectionate physical touch. He’s not very confident and very unsure of himself. Stannis also wouldn’t be sure if you even wanted him to touch you, so he tried to avoid doing anything that made you uncomfortable. He’d rather let you initiate things. Also, even if he were enraged at you, Stannis wouldn’t harm you physically. He’d rather scold you and lecture you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Stannis isn’t the biggest fan of hugs, especially not in public, but he would grow to like your hugs in private. He’d be stiff and awkward at first, but eventually would begin to loosen up and allow himself to enjoy the affection. He would rarely initiate hugs except for in high emotion situations or before he’d have to leave you for an extended period of time.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It would take a long time for Stannis to say he loves you. He knew you didn’t marry him for love, and he didn’t expect you to love him. However, as you two grew more understanding of each other, he found himself becoming rather fond of you. He was more vulnerable with you than he had been with anyone else in his entire life, and he’d be surprised at just how much he felt comfortable revealing to you. He trusted you more than anyone else. During one of his trips apart from you, he’d find you on his mind a lot, wishing you were there by his side for your counsel and company. The tent he stayed in felt unbearably quiet without your soft voice. He began to wonder if maybe this was love. He didn’t dare say anything about it, though.

One night, you and Stannis would be bickering about some political matters in the privacy of your chambers. He felt that it would be best to make a particular political alliance with a house that you felt was unsavory and potentially dangerous, and he felt that your resistance was uncalled for as you tried to talk him out of it. You’d angrily spit out, “You’re my husband and I love you. I just want you to be safe.” Stannis would be shocked into silence for a moment, letting your words register in his mind, before muttering that he loved you too and assuring you that he wouldn’t do anything to put you or him at risk.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Deep down, Stannis feels some insecurity knowing that he’s widely not well-loved, so he’d get jealous fairly easily if he felt like you were connecting with someone else better than with him. He’d feel especially vulnerable after beginning to wonder if he were actually falling in love with you. If he felt like a conversation between you and another person was becoming too flirty, he would take whoever was talking with you aside later and tell them to stay away from his wife. Then later at night when you two were alone in your chambers, he’d remind you through gritted teeth that you were married to him and would warn you that he doesn’t tolerate dishonor or disloyalty.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

At first, his kisses would be chaste, quick pecks. As the two of you grew closer, his kisses lengthen and deepen. He would save the more passionate kissing for when you’re in bed together, only revealing the true depth of his love for you behind the safety of closed doors. When you kiss, he likes to focus on your lips and neck. Though he likes being kissed on the lips, shivers run down his spine when you kiss his jawline and nibble his ears. He breaks out in goosebumps when he feels your hot breath tickling his ear.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Stannis is awkward as hell around kids. Really young children make him especially uncomfortable, and he’s not good at playing with them. He prefers children to be older when he feels like he can actually discuss matters and impart his wisdom on them.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Stannis wakes up early each morning. He would like you to wake up with him so you could attend meetings with him and provide counsel. He generally wakes up before you so he gets you out of bed.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He typically stays up late. After dinner, he spends a few hours alone to get some work done, giving you an opportunity to have free time to pursue your own interests or hobbies. When he returns to your chambers, he’ll change into his bed clothes and the two of you will relax and continue some discussions from earlier in the day or go over what needs to be done the next day before going to bed.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Stannis has always been a fairly closed book. He doesn’t reveal much in general and would only do so after a certain level of trust had been built between you two. Stannis comes off as being very self-assured and stoic, but he slowly allows himself to be more vulnerable around you, revealing his insecurities and doubts. By starting to see him as a multifaceted person, you also start to fall for him. He’d be surprised at just how comfortable he felt confiding in you and how much he yearns for you to understand him. He tries to convince himself that he doesn’t care that he’s not well-liked by the public, but he finds himself caring whether or not you like him despite having a political marriage. He tries to be softer with you, especially when it’s the two of you alone, so that you realize he isn’t made out of stone. Him showing this much vulnerability would really help strengthen the bond between you.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

When irritated or angry, Stannis tends to make sharp comments expressing his displeasure and why you’re in the wrong, but he generally maintains his composure. He isn’t quick to get into a shouting match as he feels it’s undignified.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Stannis remembers information that he feels is important, but he’s not the best at remembering every little detail. He dismisses many things as inconsequential.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

His favorite memory with you is the first time you said you loved him (as detailed in “I = I love you”). He had been grappling with his feelings towards you for a while, and having you express these same feelings back at him unprompted caught him off guard. It really felt like a new phase in your relationship started and that your marriage was no longer just a political marriage.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Stannis is very protective of you. He makes sure that you’re guarded at all times, especially when he’s not with you. He also wouldn’t stand for anyone disrespecting you. If he heard one of his men say something bad about you, he would have them thrown in a cell for treason.

He wouldn’t expect you to protect him, but he would be deeply flattered when you would guard his honor and the honor of the Baratheon house as it would show that you care for him and for your life together.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Stannis isn’t the most romantic or sentimental person, so he wouldn’t put much weight into things like dates or everyday romantic gestures. On a more daily basis, he would show you he loved you through acts of service and making sure you felt comfortable and had everything you needed. On birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries, he would give you very nice and thoughtful gifts.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Stannis is stubborn as hell. He is very by the book and a stickler for enforcing rules. He tends to be overly serious most times and jokes generally don’t land around him. He typically doesn’t verbally apologize, even when he knows he’s in the wrong. He’s not entirely heartless, but emotional intelligence isn’t his strong suit. Getting him to the point where he shows vulnerability around you can take a long time. If you like a lot of physical affection, you’ll probably have a hard time feeling compatible with him since he’s relatively touch averse. Even after he gets a bit more comfortable with affectionate touches from you, he probably wouldn’t return physical affection to you as often as you’d like.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He doesn’t concern himself too much with aspects of his physical appearance that he can’t control like his face or when he begins to lose his hair, but he does try to wear nice clothes and armor. Because of the position of nobility he’s in, he likes to present himself as looking put together, wealthy, and dignified.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Stannis would scoff at the idea of needing someone else to feel complete; however, deep down after he falls in love with you, he couldn’t fathom not having you by his side. No one had ever gotten to know him as deeply or intimately as you, and he feels quite attached to you. He’d feel lost without your partnership.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He’s very tense at almost all times. His fists are usually clenched or he’s grinding his teeth.

He would always be quite pleased to see you wearing his sigil or colors, showing that you’re making an effort to into his house as his wife.

He would enjoy hearing you talk shit about his brothers. It sickens Stannis that Robert and Renly are so loved by the public when he believes that they disgrace the Baratheon name by not acting in a dignified manner.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Stannis doesn’t like rebels or people who don’t play by the rules. He is irritated by people who don’t publicly conduct themselves in a dignified way or when people don’t treat serious issues with the gravity they warrant. He also can’t stand people who only try to flatter him instead of giving their honest opinions.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Stannis is a very light sleeper. He gets very little sleep as it is, so he doesn’t like his sleep being disturbed for any reason. Because of that, he doesn’t like to be touching you while he’s sleeping, and the two of you each have your own furs to sleep under instead of sharing one. He doesn’t really snore, but he does grumble quietly in his sleep.

#Stannis Baratheon #Stannis #Game of Thrones #GOT #Stannis Baratheon x reader #Stannis x reader #Stannis Baratheon headcanons #Stannis headcanons #Stannis Baratheon headcanon #Stannis headcanon #Stannis Baratheon imagines #Stannis imagines #Stannis Baratheon imagine #Stannis imagine

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coffereadsasoiaf · 5 years

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Thoughts on ACoK Dany II and III

ACoK Dany III actually reminded me about the passage in ACoK Dany II that I wanted to talk about ages ago. So, she has just arrived to Qarth and while taking a bath, she has the following thoughts:

“The thought of home disquieted her. If her sun-and-stars had lived, he would have led his khalasar across the poison water and swept away her enemies, but his strength had left the world. Her bloodriders remained, sworn to her for life and skilled in slaughter, but only in the ways of the horselords. The Dothraki sacked cities and plundered kingdoms, they did not rule them. Dany had no wish to reduce King’s Landing to a blackened ruin full of unquiet ghosts. She had supped enough on tears. I want to make my kingdom beautiful, to fill it with fat men and pretty maids and laughing children. I want my people to smile when they see me ride by, the way Viserys said they smiled for my father. But before she could do that she must conquer. (…)

How could she hope to overthrow such men? When Khal Drogo had lived, men trembled and made him gifts to stay his wrath. If they did not, he took their cities, wealth and wives and all. But his khalasar had been vast, while hers was meager. Her people had followed her across the red waste as she chased her comet, and would follow her across the poison water too, but they would not be enough. Even her dragons might not be enough. Viserys had believed that the realm would rise for its rightful king… but Viserys had been a fool, and fools believe in foolish things.

Her doubts made her shiver. (…) As the handmaids toweled her dry and wrapped her in a sandsilk robe, Dany’s thoughts went to the three who had sought her out in the City of Bones. The Bleeding Star led me to Qarth for a purpose. Here I will find what I need, if I have the strength to take what is offered, and the wisdom to avoid the traps and snares. If the gods mean for me to conquer, they will provide, they will send me a sign, and if not… if not…”

A Clash of Kings, Daenerys II

When I first read this I was intrigued because (as far as I remembered on the spot) this is one of the first time Dany explicitly:

states her goal as the future ruler of the Seven Kingdoms (which no other contender to the throne has done yet - of course the thing is we have a pov for her and not for the others but still)

acknowledges what getting to the Iron Throne could (and, as a consequence, what she is willing to do to get there)

gives her reasoning as to why she thinks she should sit on it in the first place

I had some things I wanted to make note of about these three points, I’ll put them under a read more because I tend to ramble a lot. (Please keep in mind that I have not read further than ACoK Dany III so everything I’ll say is strictly based on what I’ve read so far).

So as to point 1, she says she wants her kingdom to be beautiful (since she’s clearly fascinated with Qarth I think she means for it to be prosperous and thriving), with fat men = people who are not starving (might be cause she just risked that in her last chapter), pretty maids (??? she has an aesthetic I guess) and laughing children = kids who are raised happily (unlike herself) and in good conditions. And she wants to be loved by her people, like she thinks her father was (probably not true, but Viserys wasn’t the most trustworthy guy around). So: a flourishing kingdom where the people have enough to eat and the innocents are safe and happy. Which is great on paper but also a pretty idealistic and somewhat childish vision, and I think it comes across especially because of the terms she uses to describe it (fat, pretty, beautiful); this makes a lot of sense to me since she is fourteen and (despite some very adult-like experience she had to endure) very much still a kid.

The most interesting though is point 2: she seems aware that the Dothraki way of raising funds is based on “sacking cities and plundering kingdoms” and she says she doesn’t want to reduce the Seven Kingdoms to a “blackened ruin full of unquiet ghosts”. But a couple of lines later, after thinking of how she would want a beautiful and peaceful kingdom where people loved her, she thinks: “But before she could do that she must conquer.” Then, in the next paragraph, she thinks of how Drogo’s support would help her in defeating her political enemies now (she mentions Robert, Ned, Tywin and Jaime): “When Khal Drogo had lived, men trembled and made him gifts to stay his wrath. If they did not, he took their cities, wealth and wives and all. But his khalasar had been vast, while hers was meager”.

So when I first read it I was like: this is the most Machiavellian* thing I’ve ever read, meaning that it’s a very “the end justify the means” type of mindset (*not using the term in a negative way btw). And she seems to lament not having Drogo to help her (which, in her own words, would mean conquering cities, stealing wealth, abusing women). But I was also a little confused because back in AGoT, even though she clearly accepted the support of the Dothraki and the idea of what they would do to help her cause (pillaging and raping and so on), when she was actually confronted with the reality of it she actually acted to stop it, putting herself in somewhat of a politically dangerous position, because she was defying the “rights” of the Dothraki warriors. So she actively used her influence over Drogo to save the girls from raping, despite being told by Ser Jorah (who can choke), her servants and bodyguards that she was offending Drogo’s men, going against their culture, dishonoring them and so on. Now, she was clearly too late and she doesn’t realize that before she stepped in to defend these women, they had already been raped multiple time and lost their families and homes because of a Dothraki attack that was initiated to help her get to the Iron Throne (which is what Mirri Maz Duur then tells her, but Dany doesn’t register because she is traumatized by the miscarriage and Drogo’s state and she quickly focuses on Mirri Maz Duur “betrayal”, by default refusing to properly listen to her point). She then burns Mirri alive and never (as far as I remember) reconsiders her opinion on her, maintaining that she was a traitor who killed Drogo and her child even though Dany tried to help her escape rape. Dany is very much in the wrong here, but I do think this is heavily influenced by 1) the trauma she has just gone through and also 2) her young age. The fact that when faced with the consequences of the attack on innocents she would act to protect them, but then she would fail to see that that is very much the type of support she had accepted from Drogo, reminds me of how some kids don’t have a proper grasp on real life consequences, so they end up doing stupid stuff because they can’t see the problematic aspect in the abstract concept but then when faced with the reality of their behaviour they might actually correct their actions (of course, in this world “stupid stuff” is like “allowing people to get murdered or assaulted” but we gotta work with what we’ve got I guess). In Dany’s case (until now at least) I see it as a sign of immaturity rather than straight up ruthlessness, as it is for Tywin or Bailon (adults who clearly know exactly what they are allowing, but accept it without blinking an eye) or even (big sigh) Theon who in this moment in the story is leading a type of attack on the Stony Shore which is comparable to a Dothraki one, and while Theon is also very young and does indulge in a lot fo self-denial, he doesn’t really do anything to help or stop people being murdered or women being raped (sigh again). Anyway, I’m intrigued to see if/how she will develop her thoughts on this issue.

So about point 3, I read that quote and immediately thought about Dany and Stannis being the only two IT contenders who ground their claim on both birth right (they descend from the only two dynasties that sat on the Iron Throne, although to be fair the Baratheon one was pretty short in comparison) and religion, with the significant difference that while Stannis seems to be strategically using the religion of R’hllor as a political mean to strengthen his claim (without really believing in any of it), Dany actually believes she has been sent on a mission by the gods:

The Bleeding Star led me to Qarth for a purpose. Here I will find what I need, if I have the strength to take what is offered, and the wisdom to avoid the traps and snares. If the gods mean for me to conquer, they will provide, they will send me a sign, and if not... if not...”

This probably comes from what she has experienced so far: on one hand, she believes Targaryens are the rightful rulers of Westeros (something Viserys drilled into her brain since she was a toddler) and, on the other, she has done the impossible and given birth to dragons, magical creatures who were believed to be long dead. What is also really interesting, though, is that she is not entirely sure of it, she has doubts and even admits the possibility of being wrong (if not... if not...). And furthermore, in ACoK Dany III we actually get another little bit:

“Yet even crowned, I am a beggar still, Dany thought. I have become the most splendid beggar in the world, but a beggar all the same. She hated it, as her brother must have. All those years of running from city to city one step ahead of the Usurper’s knives, pleading for help from archons and princes and magisters, buying our food with flattery. He must have known how they mocked him. Small wonder he turned so angry and bitter. In the end it had driven him mad. It will do the same to me if I let it. Part of her would have liked nothing more than to lead her people back to Vaes Tolorro, and make the dead city bloom. No, that is defeat. I have something Viserys never had. I have the dragons. The dragons are all the difference.”

A Clash of Kings, Daenerys III

I was surprised to read that she actually seems to prefer the idea of getting back to Vaes Tolorro, with her little following, and abandon the IT quest for good. But then she gets “back on track” thinking “no that is defeat” and that her dragons are gonna make possible for her something that was never possible for Viserys, of whom she has at this point a pretty realistic idea (btw, she calls him mad!!! I feel it’s pretty relevant). This almost feels like she feels obligated to set forth for Westeros because it’s her duty to do so as the last Targaryen who was gifted with real dragons by the gods (which also makes sense with the fact that in the previous paragraph she thinks that the weight of the crown she was gifted made her neck ache), as if she wouldn’t necessarily want it herself and would be content to keep living with her khalasar in a place she could make flourish. Don’t know if that’s like a thing, but it’s a vibe that I never got from the show, so I thought I would make a note of it for the future cause I tend to forget stuff a lot.

In conclusion, the good thing is that even if the Qarth plot is still kinda boring, at least it’s giving me some food for thought lol.

#oh god i had to check this for grammar and orthography like a thousand times i feel like i'm giving birth #the silver lining is that now i'm 80% sure of how necessarily is spelled #catch this being totally refuted in the next dany chapter #daenerys targaryen #acok daenerys iii #acok daenerys ii

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shipping-receiving · 5 years

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Fictober 2019 Day 13: “I never knew it could be this way.”

Rating: T | Word Count: 1936 Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones Relationship: Jaime Lannister / Brienne of Tarth Tags: Alternate Universe – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Fusion

(read on AO3)

//////

My name is Jaime Lannister.

When I was fifteen, I was bitten by a radioactive spider. Since then, I’ve been the one and only Spider-Man. Or so I thought. But I’ll get to that part later.

I’ve saved King’s Landing again, and again, and again. And yet, the people of King’s Landing hate me. The things I’ve done for them have been twisted over and over by my enemies, and I’ve never had the chance to tell the true stories behind them. No one would listen.

A few years ago, I married someone I shouldn’t have married. But I never told her about this other life of mine. I managed to keep it a secret from her, even though I’d known her pretty much my whole life, even though she was my other half. Even though being Spider-Man was half of me. She knew me only as Jaime Lannister.

Through all of this, I just kept saving the city. I couldn’t seem to stop. Until one day, a few months ago, the city and its enemies decided for me.

I lost my right hand. I couldn’t be Spider-Man anymore.

Then, my wife left me. And it felt like I couldn’t be Jaime Lannister either.

I didn’t know who I was after that. I’ve not known since.

Three days ago, I discovered that even when I thought I was the one and only Spider-Man, I was wrong.

About the ‘one and only’ part, that is.

——————————

Jaime Lannister had been minding his own damn business in his own damn universe when he was thrown into this one.

All he really remembers is that he was lying in his bed, contemplating the futility of life, as he was wont to do these days. He was also in his full suit, without the right glove of course, because how else can a former Spider-Man missing a right hand best contemplate the futility of life?

Suddenly, there were violent tremors, and funny colours, and the distinct feeling of wanting to vomit. Not just the contents of his stomach, but all the internal organs in his body.

And then he was in the middle of King’s Landing.

But it wasn’t King’s Landing.

It called itself King’s Landing, but it was different. Everything just seemed slightly… off.

At first, he thought he was dead. But everyone else could see him, and bump into him on the street, and give him strange looks, and say the words “disrespectful” and “impostor” under their breaths. Not the cruellest things the people of King’s Landing have said to him while he’s been in his suit, but they might have been the strangest.

He soon discovered the reason for those words. There was another Spider-Man in this universe, and it hadn’t been a Jaime Lannister. It was, bizarrely, Renly Baratheon. The brother of one of his own nemeses, in his own universe. And this Spider-Man had just died.

In this universe, the people of King’s Landing had loved Spider-Man. Jaime stood at Renly Baratheon’s grave under the dark of night and looked at the massive pile of flowers and gifts and candles and assorted Spider-Man memorabilia that had been left for him. Gods, the man had memorabilia.

That was where he had met her. Brienne Tarth.

And by ‘met’, what he really means is, she had body-slammed him into the ground.

Then it was all, Who are you? How dare you come here dressed like him? and then they were struggling, and making far too much noise for a cemetery at night, and then there were cops, but the cops weren’t interested in him, they were interested in Brienne, for some reason, and then they were running, and then he very conveniently ran up the side of a building—he didn’t need a right hand for that—before he realised that Brienne was following close behind him. Running up the side of a building. She was far too awkward and uncomfortable about it, like he had been when he was first bitten, magnified a hundred times by her too-tall and too-broad physique. She had no litheness to her, not like a Spider-Man—or Woman, or Person really should. But there she was, defying gravity.

He would find out later that everyone thought Brienne was involved in Renly’s death. She had been his personal assistant—because in this universe, Spider-Man actually had need for a personal assistant—and she was the last to see him alive, the one who found his body. His death had been so quiet. No fanfare at all, unlike his life, from what Jaime could tell. But there was something about it, Brienne said. Something she thought might have been related to how Jaime was flung into their universe in the first place. She thought, in fact, that it might have had something to do with Renly’s brother. (The other one, not the one who was Jaime’s nemesis in his own world. The Baratheons were truly a choice bunch in any universe.)

Before the police had really got their bearings about whom they wanted to blame for Renly’s death—bearings likely provided by Stannis Baratheon—Brienne had been trying to conduct her own amateur investigation, which Jaime thought was the most absurd thing in the world for a personal assistant to do. But she had apparently managed to break into Stannis’s apartment, so she must have had skills, or perseverance, or dumb luck on her side. She had been at Stannis’s apartment, in fact, when she had felt a sting on her hand. Brienne had thought nothing of it—she was too preoccupied with trying not to get caught—but then, on the way home, she was getting stuck to everything.

Sure, Stannis obviously had something to do with his brother’s death, if there had been a radioactive spider loose in his apartment. But when Jaime first met Brienne—when she had first body-slammed him into the ground—she was a mess. A Spider-Mess, as he took to calling her. When she realised he had the very same powers, she had badgered him to teach her. Train her. He had refused vehemently, and pointed at his stump equally vehemently.

She had just looked at him with those unnecessarily blue eyes of hers, looked at him like it didn’t matter that he was missing a right hand.

Jaime gave in, after that. What’s the point, he supposed, of having superpowers if you didn’t know what to do with them?

They had spent the past three days training. Figuring things out, while keeping under the radar, though Jaime knew Brienne was anxious to get to the bottom of whatever Stannis Baratheon was planning. Brienne knew how to fight, even before she had been bitten—she had wanted something to do, with a body built like hers, begged her father to send her to a variety of martial arts classes since she was a kid. But being a Spider-Man, or Woman, or Person—that takes a different approach to the body. And Brienne was stubborn. She had such set ways of using her body, and Jaime had to get her to break all those habits. Even more so when he finally started her on the whole web-shooting part of it. Gods, that had been disaster after disaster, and he had honestly been concerned that they might end up breaking her nose a third time.

Now, three days in—during which Jaime had felt, maybe, a little bit like Spider-Man again—they are finally getting somewhere. They’d had to split his two existing web-shooters between them, so far, so they will need to sort that out first thing tomorrow, but in the meantime, they had earned themselves a break. A break far away from the city they’re meant to protect, though Brienne hadn’t quite gotten to the city-protecting stage yet.

In Jaime’s opinion, far above the city works just as well as far away. So they are lying on a rooftop—his favourite rooftop, from his own universe, and he is glad it exists in this one too. He is using his mask as a pillow, and Brienne is doing the same with her own makeshift one. (They’ll need to sort out her suit too, tomorrow, in addition to the web-shooters.)

For the past hour, they have been doing nothing but talking. He doesn’t remember ever doing this with anyone, not even his ex-wife. And Brienne knows. She knows he is Spider-Man, and Jaime Lannister. He tells her some of those true stories behind all the times he had saved his King’s Landing, and she actually believes him. Doesn’t have any preconceived notions about a hateful Spider-Man. As Jaime stares up at the handful of stars he can see in the light-polluted night sky over King’s Landing, he thinks perhaps that he might be feeling something stir within him, with Brienne.

“I’m not sure what it’s like for you, Jaime,” she is saying now, “But I never knew it could be this way.”

Jaime feels his heart beat a tiny bit faster, but he’s frankly relieved that he resists the urge to say something stupid like, “Me too,” because he soon realises Brienne isn’t talking about what he thought she was talking about.

“My body—it was always strong,” she muses to the sky. “All muscles, and brute force. That was how I had always moved. Always fought. I was strong, but I was also… dragging this huge weight around. I learned to use that weight to my advantage, but it still hung heavy on me, you know? Then, this happened.” She lifts her arms up, looks at them like she is seeing them for the very first time. “Suddenly my body has this agility, this—this lightness to it, that I’d never thought I’d feel, in a body like this.”

Jaime takes some time to consider her words. “I don’t think I can claim to understand, not exactly,” he replies, after a while. “But the truth is, before I met you three days ago, I’d forgotten what being Spider-Man can feel like. The freedom of it, of soaring through the air, of going places no other person could ever go. Even with all the shit I had to endure back in my world, that was always a solace for me. When I lost my hand—I didn’t know who I was, anymore.”

He sees Brienne turn her head out of the corner of his eye, and he turns his head to meet her unnecessarily blue gaze. “Didn’t you ever try?” she asks. “Figuring out how to make it work, without your hand.”

“Not really. Between that, and—and how everything unfolded with my ex. And the whole population of King’s Landing hating me. I suppose I—I never really had the motivation to try. When I go back—”

Jaime pauses. Brienne had flinched a little, when he said those last four words.

“If I go back—” He’s not sure, really, how things are going to unfold—whether he can even stay in this universe, with Brienne, and whether he should. But that ‘if’ is what he can offer her, now. “If I go back, I don’t know if I could keep going. I was… Just before I came here, I wasn’t sure if I could—go on.”

Brienne grabs hold of his wrist, then. “Jaime,” she whispers, so faintly he thinks he might be dreaming it. “You must. Go on, I mean.”

“I thought I’m the one who should be telling you what to do, Spider-Mess,” he quips, but she doesn’t laugh.

“Live,” she demands, and it seems to Jaime that this one word drowns out everything else but them, lying here on this rooftop. “Live, and fight, and take revenge.”

#fictober19 #jaime x brienne #braime #my fic #ANYWAY THIS HAPPENED #it's not all in first-person i swear.#you might need to have watched the movie to have any clue what's happening

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