#things i like to think about

[greenhikingboots]

Dance With Me, Jon Snow

Hey there. So I’ve been sweetly tortured by a headcanon ever since I read @cappymightwrite anon meta, and now it’s time for you to be sweetly tortured by it too.

Wait! Last minute addition inserted right here! I’ve just realized I never actually finished Cappy’s meta. Sorry! The thing is, it’s super long and every time I’ve tried to finish it, I’ve gotten way too excited. Seriously. Such jittery energy. And then I have to scurry off to channel that energy into something like writing snippets of one-shots I’ve never posted. But basically, I think Cappy says way more brilliant stuff than I’m about to but doesn’t directly say my headcanon despite coming very, very close at some points.. So, yeah, I just wanted to clarify that distinction before moving ahead. ❤ Okay, let’s review! As Cappy’s meta taught us, “anon” means soon or shortly. That means when Alys uses the word in the passage below, she uses it incorrectly.

When Owen the Oaf began to dance with Patchface the fool, laughter echoed off the vaulted ceiling. The sight made Lady Alys smile. “Do you dance often, here at Castle Black?” “Every time we have a wedding, my lady.” “You could dance with me, you know. It would be only courteous. You danced with me anon.” “Anon?” teased Jon. “When we were children.” She tore off a bit of bread and threw it at him. “As you know well.” “My lady should dance with her husband.” — ADWD, Jon X

Cappy has some great stuff to say about this, though the strikethroughs and bracketed additions are mine. 😜

Jon immediately picks up on this fumble [and thinks of Sansa, as my headcanon will imply], though tellingly perhaps, he does not clarify this mix up to the reader, he simply repeats it quizzically and teasingly back to her. I’d wager that was very intentional on GRRM’s part — an instance where he is encouraging his reader to do a bit of investigative work, instead of offering up a clear explanation right there on the page. [once again hiding Jon’s direct thoughts of Sansa. That’s the headcanon, anyway. Give me a minute to explain it better.] 

So Alys uses “anon” incorrectly, but two Jon POV chapters later, he uses it correctly when thinking to himself. He’s watching the wildlings pass through the Wall. It’s taking all day. When they start to jostle each other, Jon realizes it’s more than impatience. It’s fear. And then there’s a new paragraph with the new anon line. 🆕

A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. — ADWD, Jon XII

The line feels out of the blue to me, which got me thinking about another headcanon I’ve shared — the one I already linked in my bracketed additions above. Maybe you’ve read it before? It’s about the scene where Jon sees Val with Ghost, her physical description changes to be more like Sansa’s, and he thinks that it’s been a long time since he’s seen such a lovely sight. Then, two pages later, there’s the willowy creature line.

Val looked the part [of a princess] and rode as if she had been born on horseback. A warrior princess, he decided, not some willowy creature who sits up in a tower, brushing her hair and waiting for some knight to rescue her. — ADWD, Jon XII

Basically, I made the argument that even though it isn’t acknowledged on the page, Jon knew he’d briefly, unwillingly thought of Sansa. I wrote, “Go read it again, and I think you’ll see that when the willowy creature line happens, it actually feels like a weird logic leap. The dots aren’t connecting because one dot is missing!!!!” 🔍 To me, it seems like this second “anon” line is similar (but without Jon’s defensiveness which leads to a judgemental thought). In short, both are seemingly out of the blue because GRRM is hiding something from us. My evidence to support this is limited, but I do have some. As Cappy pointed out, Jon and Sansa both have memories of snowflakes falling on Robb’s hair the day they left Winterfell. Jon thinks about it a few more times than Sansa does, but here are some  examples from both of them, as a reminder. ❄

He remembered the day he had left Winterfell, all the bittersweet farewells; Bran lying broken, Robb with snow in his hair, Arya raining kisses on him after he'd given her Needle. — AGOT, Jon V He remembered Robb as he had last seen him, standing in the yard with snow melting in his auburn hair. — AGOT, Jon IX She had last seen snow the day she'd left Winterfell. That was a lighter fall than this, she remembered. Robb had melting flakes in his hair when he hugged me… — ASOS, Sansa VII

Let me come back to this in a second. I now want to make sure it’s very clear that Jon’s thoughts while the wildlings pass through the Wall — the second “anon” line in the book — are a callback to Alys, sure, but he isn’t quoting her, right? As previously established, she uses anon incorrectly whereas he uses it correctly. Plus she never says, “Dance with me, Jon Snow.” Those are not her words. 🚫 So what is Jon recalling in that moment, if not Aly’s wedding day? Well, I guess it could be argued that he isn’t recalling anything in paticular. It could be a pure daydream, a piece of foreshadowing and nothing else. But that doesn’t sit right with me. I think this line is a direct hint at moments from Jon and Sansa’s shared past. Because, correct me if I’m wrong, but the books have plenty of instances of characters repeating past conversations and quotes to themselves (“You know nothing, Jon Snow,” is one that leaps out at me, of course), but not instances of characters making up fake conversations that could happen in the future. So here’s my headcanon. “Dance with me, Jon Snow.” ← A younger, courteous Sansa who loves to dance tried to help Jon feel involved during some fancy feast where he’s mopping in the corner (to quote the show). Given the next line, he must have obliged. 🆗 “You’ll dance with me anon.” ← What Sansa said to Jon the day she left for King’s Landing and he left for the Wall. It was her way of saying, “This isn’t goodbye forever.” 💃 It’s the way they both think of Robb with snow melting in his hair that really does it for me. It’s so close to a shared memory, almost like they were in the courtyard at the same time. And yet GRRM doesn’t tell us about their final goodbyes to each other!? Yep, put another tally in the column labeled Jon Was Directly Thinking of Sansa In That Moment But We’re Not Supposed to Know That Yet. That’s my headcanon and I’m sticking to it. I’m never going to get around to putting into in a fic, so here’s a Tumblr post instead. 🎉

#jonsa #headcanon #mini meta maybe? #anon #inspired by cappy #the evidence of jon's crush is growing #he's smitten already #but he can't admit it cuz that would be weird #things i like to think about

[sylvies-kablooie]

i do unironically think the best artists of our generation are posting to get 20 notes and 3 reblogs btw. that fanfic with like 45 kudos is some of the best stuff ever written. those OCs you carry around have some of the richest backstories and worldbuilding someone has ever seen. please do not think that reaching only a few people when you post means your art isn't worth celebrating.

#i often wonder about how many things would be considered classic or high art had they only received the marketing #how many short films that were made for class could have been the most powerful thing you'd ever seen? if you'd seen them? #“you know the greatest films of all time were never made” etc etc #but like. these works of art ARE being made. it's just enjoyed by a smaller audience with equal impact though #i think about this one furry i used to follow on insta who had the coolest worldbuilding ever. it's been years. #thought prompted by that sketch of nimona from ten years ago that was just for a character design #posted to the creator's tumblr and now it's nominated for best animated feature film at the oscars #and by the genuine emotional reaction a fan comic made me feel. how much work had gone into it. how beautiful it was to me. #idk what to tag this but i hope whoever needs to hear it does #writing #writer #fandom #fandom culture #artist

[riacte]

not romantic not platonic but a secret third thing [what would happen between earth and the moon if the earth stopped spinning as illustrated by xkcd randall munroe]

#'your moon is here' things that make me explode like a supernova #UGHHHHHHH what if i was perpetually in your orbit. influencing the tides. protecting you from asteroids. and slowly drifting further away. #then you stopped moving and i was only pulse to your dead heart. orbiting you. right where ive been left. and so you started turning again. #ria.txt #personal #space opera au #(<- not about what you think is about) #hiiii this is gaining traction so glad we're all going insane :D your moon is here is SO fucked up. so good. #xkcd #randall munroe #space #moon #anyways xkcd comics are so good. entertaining witty and informative. check em out!

[lazylittledragon]

can't believe we're all adults being forced into the club penguin level of censorship in 2024

#ramble #if you say unalive in front of me i will personally kill you with my hands #you just can't muffle and censor and hold someone's hand through some things #some things are horrible. and they should be spoken aloud and they should upset you. because they are horrible #the second we started kidzbopifying the world was the end of taking anything seriously i think #i'm not even joking i've spoken to people older than me who won't even say the world sex #this isn't the playground you're not going to get in trouble just let us say the word!!!!!! #how am i supposed to listen to you when you won't even say the thing you're supposed to be talking about #yes this is the fault of the platforms with their censorship rules but the fact that we all just go along with it like it's not dystopian #you do know it doesn't stop with cursing right. people are already having to censor queer terms because they get flagged as inappropriate

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The math just adds up!

#dungeon meshi #falin touden #marcille donato #farcille #I always loved how chapter 27 ends with them both so bloody and 28 starts with them in the bath. #not just because of how iconic the bathtub moment is but because you know they had to scrap off so much gore first. #I think everyone in the party took a very long and methodical bath but Falin was basically *all* blood*. #Being covered in blood is one of those 'just girly things' that women deserve to stop being shamed about. #I just don't think Chilchuck is progressive enough. He probably made them take a bath first B*/ #Okay jestering aside I want to just highlight - #The magnitude of Marcille's joy at seeing her dearest friend again! Of holding her and sharing her presence in the same room! #Something about this reunion feels like a beautiful dream you are afraid of waking up from...

[cemeterything]

i think it's so fun that "damn" is such a casual curse word now that it's basically become divorced completely from its original meaning. like oops i dropped my phone, time to invoke the wrath of god about it in the most mildly annoyed tone of voice imaginable.

#🐉 #even around people who dont like swearing you can often get away with it. which is crazy if you think about it. #to be clear i think this is a good thing! fuck cultural christianity lol

[adjit]

I think we need to get more comfortable with the idea that sometimes shitty, racist, homophobic, bigoted people are still incredibly talented.

I feel like every time I see a post addressing someone’s shitty behavior the post also takes the time to mention that they’re not even good at [x] anyway. And that’s just not always true? Equating being good at a skill as being morally good is just not necessary. Someone can be a fantastic writer, can have a beautiful singing voice, can create breathtaking artwork, and still be a horrible person.

I know part of this is probably just the instinct to dislike everything about a person when you dislike them, but I also think this mindset leads to people defending creatives way past where they should, because if bad people create bad art, then if this person creates art that I like and resonates with me, then they can’t be a bad person!

And you know. That’s just not true. Those two things are simply completely unconnected and I think it’d be healthier if we all started disconnecting them in our heads.

#ramblings tag #like idk. I think it’s possible to feel distaste for someone’s stuff while acknowledging it’s objectively good #but sometimes people act like admitting there’s a single good thing about a person who’s been shitty is impossible #and like. no! people are multifaceted and can have many positives #those don’t change the fact that they’ve done shitty things

[astearisms]

catalysts, protectors

#man those episodes #so many things put into perspective #like Simon’s role as a protector and his kindness and empathy and compassion and existence being the catalyst for the rest of ooo to #flourish #and Betty is a protector of Simon #I wonder if the last two episodes will explore more of her character? there’s so much to be explored about her giving so much of herself #to Simon but not thinking about what she wants for herself #do we get to explore her feelings or see her at all? will she have changed or learned to let go #I think there will be some sort of closure for the both of them #but at what cost #I am still crying over that scene with Simon’s memory of Betty and their song #my art #fionna and cake #fionna and cake spoilers #simon petrikov #betty grof #petrigrof #golbetty

[eatyourdamnpears]

I’ve been in such a funk since the concert. I’m not even sure I enjoyed myself that much. maybe I did. I don’t know

#I don’t think I’m a concert person #parts of it were fun but parts of it were like …I’d rather be in bed right now and watching clips of this off tiktok #isn’t post-concert blues a thing? right? it’s a thing? #all I know is I feel really shitty and all I want to do is cry about it

[oars]

#i feel like tge fact im apprehensive about posting this is kinda proving my point #the way everyone talks about both weight gain and weight loss is just horrendous #like idek if i could fit all i wanna say in here especially while im at work but #i so badly wish people could be normal about weight gain and talking about it #its like if youre not in some constant state of wanting to lose weight people want to kill you #god forbid you want to put on weight to feel more comfortable in your body outside of muscles and a butt #fatphobia is a given thats a whole other few paragraphs #im grateful i have mutuals and friends who are normal but ill have or hear these convos and go #ok i feel sick. why do i feel this way why do you feel that way. #anyways i think fatphobia is one of the worst things to ever happen

[jupiter-suggestion]

consider the sperm whale and the squid. an ancient rivalry that dates back millions of years. we know the whales eat the squids. we know the squids do not make it easy for them. we know this because of the scars the whales carry, scars on the outside of their body, and on the inside as well. how badly must you want something to endure wounds inside your mouth? inside your gut?

consider the whale, who is harmed by what sustains her. consider the squid, whose flesh is soft and delicious but refuses to go down easy.

#mine #suggestion #this is not a direct allegory to anything i just think about whales with scars inside their stomachs and i Feel Things #oh i do know what its like to fight the thing you need. i do know the bittersweet taste of victory for a price. #y'all ever relate to a whale? #50 #100 #500 #1k #5k #10k #25k #35k

[perfectlyripeclementine]

calling my lover "mine" but not in the way that my toothbrush or notebook are mine, mine in the way my neighborhood is mine, and also everybody else's, "mine" like mine to tend to, mine to care for, mine to love. "mine" not like possession but devotion.

#nonbinary love #nblnb yearning #nb4nb #nblnb #wholesomeposting #yearning hours #ive been thinking about how some languages dont have a possessive tense #so you dont say “i have a thing” but rather “a thing is by me” #and like im not usually one for psycho linguistics and like critical thoughts etc etc etc #but i really like the framework of responsibility/commitment rather than ownership #i think about this mostly in terms of ecology #and relation to land #but i also love it as it applies to language shared between lovers #like i LOVE calling them mine or for them to call me theirs #but i'm also nonmonog and that was kinda weird to square for a while #and it clicked one time when i was talking about my neighborhood and i was like well #when i say my neighborhood or my city it's understood i'm not taking it away from anybody else #its understood i just mean the city where i live #so why cant we apply the same to lovers? #mine in the way i want to show up for you again and again #ok #done now

[lgbtlunaverse]

Nothing will dispell the "the curtains were just blue" myth faster than writing something yourself, because the amount of pretentious symbolism i am putting in my silly little fanfics is ridiculous. I mean SO much with these words, literally every single one of them. This fic has twenty five typos and zero correct uses of punctuation but if there's curtains you bet your ass I put thought into what colour they were.

#writing #fic writing #like this is stuff i'm doing for fun with my perfectionism meter turned down as far as i can get it #and i am still thinking about it A LOT #talk to me about how in red string fic jgy perceives the memory block both as syrup and as mud but nmj thinks it feels like blood #it's just a thing in their heads that mentally feels kind of thick and sticky but they both made something different of it #it's about issues with cleanliness / lies as a way to craft an illusion of a better lopking world vs the constant violence nmj lives in

[caramelldansenu]

#art #fanart #drawing #cult of the lamb #cotl narinder #i think about the fact that it's the middle child a lot its the funniest thing ever #like damn bitch this is the most intense case of middle child syndrome I've ever seen

[inkskinned]

what is with men being mad any time a woman raises her voice where did that even come from. someone posted a video of a small electrical explosion, and the top comment was of course the woman screams. the second comment is women try not to scream challenge, level impossible. i had to go back and watch the video again. there is, somewhat fainty, a little gasp emitted off-camera, more of a yelp than a scream. it is mostly lost in the crack of the explosion. afterwards, you hear her voice, shaken, say, are you okay?

i am helping one of my friends train her voice pitch lower, because she wants to be taken seriously at work. she and i do each other's nails and talk about gender roles; and how - due to our appearance - neither of us have ever been able to be "hysterical" in public. we both appear young and sweet and feminine. she is cisgender, and cannot use her natural voice in her profession because people keep saying she appears to be "vapid". we both try to figure out if our purposeful voice lowering is technically sexist. is it promoting something when you are a victim to it?

a storm almost sends a pole through a car window. in the dashcam, you can hear the woman passenger say her partner's name twice, crying out in alarm. she sounds terrified. in the comments, she is lambasted for her lack of calm. how is that even fucking helping?

in high school, i taught myself to have a lower voice. i had been recorded when i was genuinely (and righteously) upset; and i hated how my voice sounded on the phone speakers when it was played back. i was defending my mom, and my voice cracked with emotion. it meant i was no longer winning the argument: i was just shrieking about it.

girls meet each other after a long summer and let out a little joyful scream. this usually stops around 12-14, because people will not tolerate this display of affection (as it has the effect of being passingly annoying). something about the fact that little girls can't ever even be annoying. we are trained to examine each part of our lives (even joy) for anything that could make us upsetting and disgusting. they act like teenage girls are breaking into houses and shrieking you awake at 3 in the morning. speaking as a public school educator: trust me, it's not that bad, you can just roll your eyes and move on. it does not compare to the ways boys end up being annoying: slurs in graffiti, purposefully mocking your body, following you after you said no. you know, just boy things.

there's another video of a man who is not allowed to yell in the house, so he snaps his fingers when he's excited about soccer. the comments are full of angry men, talking about how their brother is unfairly caged. let him express himself and this is terrible to do to someone. eventually the couple has to address it in a second video: they are married with a newborn baby. he was trying not to wake the infant up. there is no comment on the fact women are not allowed to yell indoors. or the fact that it could have been really alarming or triggering for his wife. sometimes i wonder if straight men even like women, if they even enjoy being in relationships with them.

for the longest time, i hated roller coasters because it always felt inappropriate and uncomfortable for me to scream. one of my friends called me on it, said it was unusual i'm so unwilling. i had to go to my therapist about it. i don't like to scream because i was not raised in a safe situation, and raising my voice would have brought unsafe attention towards me. even when i am supposed to scream, it feels shameful, guilty. i was not treated kindly, so i lack a basic form of self-protection. this is not a natural response. it is not good that in a situation of high adrenaline - i shut up about it.

something very bad is happening, i think. in between all the beauty standards and the stuff i've already discussed - this one feels new and cruel in a way i can't quite express. yes, it's scary and silencing. but there's something about how direct it is - that so many men agree with the sentiment that women should never yell, even in an emergency - it feels different.

is the word shriek gendered automatically? how about shrill or screech? in self defense class, one of the first things they tell you is to yell, as loud and as shrilly as you can. they say it will feel rude. most women will not do this. you need to practice overcoming the social pressure and just scream.

most women do not cry out, even when it's bad. we do not report it. we walk faster. we do not make a scene. what would be the point of doing anything else? no matter what we do, we don't get taken seriously. it is a joke to them. an instagram caption punchline. we have to present ourselves as silent, beautiful, captivating - "valuable."

a woman is outside watching her kids when someone throws a firecracker at them. she screams and runs towards her children. in the comments, grown men flock together in the thousands: god. women are so annoying.

#warm up #writeblr #this one has bothered me for a bit #any time a woman does something even passingly annoying we treat it like a fucking crime #hey man. women are allowed to be annoying. everyone forever is allowed to be passingly annoying #as long as they aren't hurting anyone/thing #like u wanna know something? i find it super annoying that men don't wear seatbelts #why arent there thousands of comments on driving videos thats just like : men try not to die in a car crash challenge #''this briefly annoyed me''. okay??????? AND????????????????? go get ur self a cookie and calm down about it #ur not entitled to control other ppl's experiences and emotions just so u can maintain ur own peace #if being briefly annoyed ruins ur whole day! you! need! therapy!!!! #men try not to become immediately angry about nothing challenge: level impossible #ps author is nonbinary. we didn't even get into the gender presentation thing #the fact men think it's SEXY that my voice is on the lower end....

[aphel1on]

i have such a love for characters who descend into madness or villainy out of deep, deep empathy. characters who fundamentally cannot cope with the cruel realities they find themselves in and blow up about it in spectacular fashion. fallen angel type characters with tears of outrage in their eyes. characters who break before they bend, and break so badly they splatter blood all over their noble ideals. every variation on it gets me so good

#getou suguru #kaneki ken #abyss twin #i know there are others who im not thinking of rn #feel free to reblog with more examples #aphelion.txt #tropes #WAIT I REMEMBERED MORE #jaina proudmoore #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #phosphophyllite #i just spent like half an hour trying to find this on tv tropes but it must be. Too specific of a thing i have in mind bc #I just kept finding similar and related but too broad categories #despair event horizon. fallen hero. well intentioned extremist. etc etc etc #like specifically i'm talking about when the character's EMPATHY is the CRUX of the problem. sosooo crunchyjuicytasty #edit: #also just know that i am reading every tag on this post #and enthusiastically scribbling down the names i dont recognizr #so i can check out their series later #edit 2 wow this post blew up 🫡 godspeed fellow villain likers #the amount of people tagging this as 'me lmao' is concerning to me #wwx #how did i fucking forget this was also yllz era wwx