#I DOD ANOTHER PART :D

[mayas-illusion]

MAYA FIRST DAY AT ANAKT GARDEN [PART 2]

Oh, there's a face she had seen at parties. Ava had a beauty that felt serene. Like the ocean Maya heard about, in a way. But there was always the sense that something wasn't...right. Ava never looked fully aware of present at the parties. She still looks almost...empty, even at in the garden. [Ava by @tinypaperstars ]

Maya heard murmuring and let her eyes fall on a duo. They seemed to be be rather smitten wit each other...it was rather adorable, to say the least. The red-haired girl seemed to be the quiter of the two, and seemed to always be...uneasy. Nonetheless, she visibly enjoyed being around the other girl.[Cinnabar by @everpresent-neverending ]

The girl, with her lilac hair, clinged onto the redhead with pure affection. She smiled and rambled, though Maya wasn't close enough to decipher any of it. She was the more outgoing of the two, she could tell tha much...opposites really do attract, huh?[Yuna by @starry-skiez ]

...and there's another couple. At least, Maya thinks they are. They seemed to be opposites too, almost like night and day. They were both...beautiful. One had raven black hair and seemed to keep to herself as far as Maya could tell. She seemed almost nervous but didn'thate the fact that the other girl stuck by her so much.[Isla by @nottoonedin ]

The other one seemed very taken by the raven-haired girl. She smiled wide and Maya swore, she could almost see heart-eyes. Bright and willing to give out her love openly...romantic, but sometimes overwhelming. Maybe that was what was happening. [ Monica by @nottoonedin ]

...Why does that kid remind Maya of a squid? She doesn't even know how or why, but that boy who was sat by himself, with pink hair, a streak of black running through it, remind her of a squid. He looked to be shy, quiet...but he didn't look dangerous. What a sweet kid. [Kune by @pengugu09 ]

Oh, and there was another shy one. A boy with...with a missing eye....He seemed like a sun that was hidden behind clouds (Maya doesn't know how that makes sense to her, but it does). He seemed to also keep to himself as best as he could. As though he felt like he was taking up more space than he should. Maya shouldn't be thinking like this, she really shouldn't...but he made her feel uneasy. She wants to just- just look away. Look away- [Can by @14-alc ]

[bronx-bomber87]

Saturday afternoon review. Another glorious episode. The intro of their fur child. Kojo-Chen-Bradford baha A pup we all know and love. Also that we hope to get to see in S6. This is a very solid Tim backstory ep I’m excited. I’ll delve little more into the actual ep than normal. Just because it’s so tied into everything in this ep. Especially Tim’s past. I always love delving into his past. As I always tell my friend D, When I get into Tim's past I go off a lot haha I can't help it I relate so much to him. So bear with me while I rant off about him in this one. He is a subject I am very passionate about. But let’s get this ep started.

2x14 Casualties

We start our episode with our fav canine. Destroyer of chew toys Mr. Kojo. He really is a beautiful dog. The dog lover in me adores him so much. Jackson is awoken by this sweet boy and honestly handles it better than expected haha Lucy clearly has gotten him for post DOD reasons. Smart on her end. I know my dog has helped me a ton emotionally. I totally understand why she did this.

I think Jackson is very aware of reasoning and doesn’t push it. Look how cute this dog is I can not. Also how happy Lucy is to have him. She’s literally beaming and so adorable with him. Another reason I don’t think Jackson says anything to Lucy. He isn’t happy about it but won’t fight her on it either. Such a good friend putting her ahead of his discomfort about this. He knows how much she has been through so he's not going to tell her no...Oh the power Lucy Chen holds over the men her life ha

Lucy tells Tim about Kojo and he instantly thinks it’s a mistake. Discouraging her owning him. (Of course he does). Lucy is her sassy self and tells him she didn’t remember asking him. LOL Tim tells her tough. He’s there to teach her how to succeed. That adding a dog into the mix is only going to distract her. Lucy shows him a picture of Kojo. Says what if he is cute and snuggly?

You can see Tim also thinks he’s cute and snuggly when she shows him the pic haha but says that’s not the point he’s trying to make. Can tell he loves Kojo but isn’t going to give her that satisfaction right now. Lucy is too damn happy about her new pup to let Tim ruin it. He continues his interrogation and asks who’s watching him while she’s at work? Lucy replies she paid a neighbor let him out. Then asks if Jackson is ok with it? Lucy being clueless (which is a rarity for her as we all know) replies 'Why wouldn’t he be?'

First off I always love when we get tall and smol shots. They make my soul so very happy. Their height difference always gets me in the feels in a way I can not describe. This whole scene cracks me up though. Both trying so hard to top the other with who's right. It’s what they do and they do it so damn well.

It’s so cute how Tim defends himself about dogs when Lucy says he doesn't like them. ‘Wrong. I love dogs.’ LOL He is definitely not wrong about the responsibility part. They are a lot especially for a rookie trying to survive her training. Lucy mocks him and says he’s about to go off on a ‘But you were when you were my age?’ rant. Tim then does just that haha Our marriage moment of the episode.

Telling her all he’s done at her age. How he already did 2 tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, Second in charge of his squad of ten soldiers. Lucy is not indulging him this time, scoffs loudly and calls him a show off haha You know he heard her but says ‘What was that?‘ Her face in those two last gifs. Be more married you two please.

They knock on the door of their call. Someone has reported a peeping Tom. They head back with the husband to their pool area. He says his wife likes to tan in the morning. A drone has been watching her the last few mornings. Tim says they can put out an alert but they’re tricky to track down.

The wife comes in and and is instantly checking Tim out. I can’t say I blame her. The man is sinfully delicious especially in uniform. She shamelessly flirty with him. He could not be cuter being embarrassed about it. That smile of his as his reaction. He’s always so caught off guard when women hit on him. Lucy’s face during the whole thing is hilarious. She’s so awkward and uncomfortable as this goes down. His polite ‘ma’am ‘ and shyness we rarely see in him. *fans self* Can’t blame a girl for trying LMAO

Lucy gets a call from her apt about Kojo shortly after they return to the station. Tim says they’re not going unless it’s a crime scene. It kinda is...One of her apt. Lucy opens the door and we see the destruction the poor boy has caused. Lucy clearly has no control over this sweet angel. He just jumps up on her when she arrives. Clearly so stressed being alone. He wants her attention. Kojo won’t get down until Tim shouts a firm command at him to sit and he does…Oh my...

Tim barking out orders like that shouldn’t be so hot and yet here we are. I am a puddle. This man does things to me I can't properly put into words haha Also his sexy and confident ‘Come on.’ afterwards. Lucy girl, it’s a miracle you get any work done around this man LOL Kojo you just met your dad and you have no idea. They go through the destruction that is her apt. Tim basically beaming with an ‘I told you so.’ energy as they explore the wreckage.

He is so pleased with himself. They enter Jackson's room and it is trashed. He is at the height of his smugness at this point. He starts taking pics of her and the damage to Jackson's room. These two and their pics of one another I love it so much. Tim says ‘I don’t have to say anything do I?’ Poor Lucy.. ‘I rather you didn’t…’ Already feeling the massive guilt for Kojo destroying Jackson's room the most.

After they leave their fur baby, Lucy and Tim join in on a suspect Nolan is chasing. He was sharing a shady SRO with the man who was found killed earlier. He took off and they end up catching him in an ally. It’s here we find out he and Tim have a history. The shock on Tim’s face gets me. There’s so much going on in that look that we don’t understand right now. Eric is conveying so much in just this small window.

We rejoin them at the station booking him. Tim looks like he's in a state of shock. Thought Mitch's life was going well post-service. Definitely wasn't expecting him to be living on the streets. Knowing he's not in a good place is bringing back all his guilt in waves. There is so much Tim is carrying in these interactions with Mitch. He asks what he's even being charged with? Lucy tells him resisting arrest to begin with. The DA will sort out the rest.

Mitch is all over Tim about what’s going on. He tells him he can’t violate the victims privacy. Mitch then pieces together his friend Joe is dead. Tim refuses to give him anymore info. Says detectives will be by shortly to talk to him. He looks so damn distraught walking away from the holding cell. Lucy points out the obvious tension between them. Tim lets her know exactly what their history is. I’m so proud of him for not brushing her off or being angry with her for asking. He’s just defeated and tells her why.

Like he wants to share this emotional burden with her instead of holding onto it solo. How far we've come. Truly. When just Isabel's name would set him off for most of their shift. Now he just tells her when she asks him. Telling Lucy things is a safe place for him at this point in their relationship. It’s a beautiful thing to watch him not even fight that. To let her know with no pretense. Allowing her to know something from his military past is huge. Something he keeps quite guarded. Watching him feeling comfortable enough to share with her. My heart. I'm not crying. You are.

Tim watches Armstrong and Nolan interrogate Mitch. The emotions in his eyes as he does is killing me. You can feel his guilt through the screen. There seems to be more than just Mitch's guilt there to me. But we will touch on that later....Nolan lets him know Joe had his neck snapped. It seemed like a professional. Mitch tells them he didn’t kill him. That Joe came to him about finding a lot of money. Pallets of cash in the millions. Found it in a building with a bunch of weaponry. Being guarded by heavy duty guys. Lots of machinery too.

Mitch says he and Joe were tight cause they were both vets. That’s why he shared the cash. But he begged him not to go back there for any more. Mitch says he feel guilty. Wishing he would’ve gone with him, because Joe would’ve gone with him. We go back to Tim and see more guilt flitting across his handsome face. The weight of what he is carrying is so evident. Kills me to watch it him bearing it alone. Harper comes in and tells them all that money is counterfeit. Really good but fake none the less. They figure out the machinery could’ve been printers from Mitch. Armstrong decides to get a search warrant and go to the building Joe found.

Naturally when they make it to the warehouse it’s empty. They ask Tim if he still believes his army buddies story? He says yes. That they must’ve cleared out of here after they killed Joe. Nolan finds some evidence. It’s linking them back to a security guy who was “fixing” a camera at their crime scene. They were about to run his face off his body cam when Grey calls them back to the station. Says they are to leave that area immediately.

Once they’re back Grey says their search warrant sent an alarm all the way up the food chain. Telling them to stop. That the path they’re on isn’t allowed for their investigation any longer. Tim asks what if it’s the path that leads them to his killer? Grey looks conflicted. Harper asks what they’re really into? He says he doesn’t know and tried to push to find out. All he knows is it’s non-negotiable. They all look very frustrated especially Tim. Grey tells them to take the night to reset. Tim goes off saying this isn't right. Armstrong says no it's not but it's a direct order.

Harper looks at Tim and he knows what he needs to do. Earlier in the episode we learned about LA Clear. Used to prevent blue on blue situations. It’s the best way for them to find out who is behind all this. What higher up agency is preventing them from investigating further. Only higher up officers can use it. i.e. Tim. They were told at the beginning of the ep the feds were in town for something. Sounds like this could be it. Harper asks what Tim thinks. He says this is clearly a federal operation and they don’t have enough information to proceed.

Tim asks Lucy how they get more clarity on a federal operation? She proudly produces the right answer and says LA Clear. He tries to get them all to step outside while he calls. Lucy being her sassy self says not a chance. Her wifey look is so cute I can not. You know he loves it when she’s fresh with him. Tim having to answer his personal security questions is too damn funny. Lucy is enjoying the hell out of this. His answers are so sporadic and funny. 'Lady Marmalade' and 'Xanadu' LOL He gets off the phone says they’ll get back to them within an hour.

Tim goes to see Mitch. Tells him he’s free to go. Naturally he wants more info on the case. Tim tells him they haven’t found anything yet. The money is gone. They’re working late on it though. Lets him know he just needs to go home. Then realizes how insensitive that is. Mitch tells him just to find his killer. That he served his country with honor. He deserves as much. You know that's hitting Tim right in the gut.

The ever present guilt on his face with Mitch hurts to watch. There’s an undercurrent of something else going on with this whole thing for Tim. More than just what happened with Mitch coming to the surface. It’s coloring everything he’s doing and saying in this episode since Mitch showed up. He gets the call from LA Clear and tells Mitch to take care of himself.

They find out it’s a defense intelligence agency OP. Harper says that’s national security. Nolan asks if they told him anything else? Tim says just a contact name. Colonel Norman Jangus. Nolan asks what a National security agency is doing printing counterfeit money for? Harper chimes in and says this is bigger than they thought. That they should take the night like Grey said. Tim says an off the books op isn’t great on a good day and today definitely isn't that.

Nolan gets a visitor. It’s Colonel Jangus. Tells him he is DIA, but his team works in the shadows. Does things people don’t want to admit to. John asks why he came to him? This is a great part and accurate. Says he’s the weak link. Lists why above. He’s not wrong those three are certified bad asses and John is well John LOL sorry dude. I'm so mean to Nolan I know ha I do like him but he is the weak link out of the four of them.

Tells him you always push on the weak link. Wants him to relay something to the other three. That it was a mistake to call LA Clear, to leave it alone. Nolan tells him they just want Joe’s murderer that’s it. He leaves with telling him every war has its casualties. That if they don’t stop he’ll end up being their next one.

Harper, Tim and Lucy show up lurking in the shadows. They were expecting him to show at Nolan’s. Do love them all in black street clothes. Looking ever bit the bad asses they were just explained as earlier. Tim was able to get a tracker on his car while Jangus rambled on. Tim says now they can follow him wherever he goes. Lucy is ready to go when Tim tries to stop her. (Why he think's he'll win this fight I do not know) No way in hell she was going to let him do this alone. She’s his partner through and through.

Harper telling them they’re more likely to survive the storm if this goes wrong than her and Nolan. She has a golden ticket and Tim has unblemished record. Says they don’t even need a reason to fire them as rookies. Lucy replies like the BAMF she is ‘ I’ve been buried alive by a serial killer. This rabbit hole doesn’t scare me.’ God I love her. Her resolve is rock solid. Nolan’s reply pales in comparison tbh LOL That unshakeable drive is one of the reasons why Tim falls for her. He doesn’t fight her any further. He's just hopes Jangus leads them to the money.

Now comes one of my favorite parts of the entire episode. Also another iconic OTP line stemming from it. They pull up together in Tim’s truck (LOVE them riding together) Lucy wastes zero time asking about Mitch’s leg. Just like earlier he doesn’t fight her on it. Doesn’t shut her out like he used to. Not even a little. I can not emphasize enough how huge this is for him. The beautiful place he has gotten to with her. This is confession time right now for him. He'd been letting it build up all day. Now he was letting the damn loose with her. Makes me so happy to watch his growth. I never tire of watching her chip at his wall one section at a time. It’s about to have another piece break off and shatter to the ground.

There is so much to love about this scene. I love her challenging him to open about this. It’s been so obviously eating at him all day. I'm just like him where I need my anxiety off loaded by someone I trust or I'll self destruct. It's clear he needs it off his chest. Lucy knows this. Knows him and it's why it's the first thing she asks when they're parked. They have a moment alone. She is going to take advantage of that. Lucy reads Tim like a book and knows he needs to talk about it. I've said this a lot but I am a lot like Tim. The more I analyze him the more that fact becomes true. I get his mentality towards things.

Where you think everything is your responsibility or your fault when things go wrong. Because when you grow up in a volatile household like he did (As did I) it was. A mistake was the worst thing you could do. So it's beaten into you that its your fault and you're given no grace by those around you. It's almost like a reflexive shame you feel when you make a mistake. It's how it is for me. I know it is for him too. So why would you give yourself any grace even when its warranted? When you are like this you need that 'Lucy' to unburden you. To have that safe space to off load that burden. To let you know not everything is your fault.

Lucy is that person for Tim and has been for quite some time. He confesses his sin to her. Like it’s a dark part of his soul he’s expecting to repel her. News flash it does not. She loves every part of this man especially the damaged parts. What he finds as absolutely shameful Lucy sees as something redeeming and wonderful. You can see above how much he is beating himself up over it. Even as he speaks the words he's chiding himself. The way his eyes dart around and how can't face her. He'a so ashamed of himself for not being by the book. To him he slipped up and it cost Mitch his leg. That's unforgivable in his book. He's so hard on himself. I relate so much it makes me wanna cry for him. Because I know that moral pressure.

I love her little smile before she tells him 'It's the most Tim Bradford thing she’s ever heard.' Because it really is. She just knows him so well. Lucy wants desperately for him to cut himself a break. To lower his high standards of himself just a bit. He won't but damn if she won't try to to change his POV on this. The reason she says that line is she KNOWS the depth of which he beats himself up for things. This is the type of situation where he is going to fault himself and flog himself mentally over it until someone stops him. i.e. Lucy.

I empathize with this on a deep level. I know that guilt driven anxiety you get when you feel you’ve wronged someone. It consumes you and feels like that feeling is bottomless. Lucy is very aware he will destroy himself over this. The reaction on his face below when she tells him it wasn't his fault. That he showed humility. Gets me right in the gut. Telling him that it’s nothing to feel guilty about is everything to him. Tim can't believe she's absolving him for this. Not only doing that but commending him for what he did. By praising him for that humility he showed Mitch.

I want to delve into his reaction above a little more for a couple reasons. One. Once again what Tim sees as weakness Lucy views as a strength. Knowing he is wracked with guilt over this. Trying to give him absolution for it. His sunshine human is striving to let him know not EVERYTHING is his fault. As much as he would like to think so. Beautiful thing is Lucy being in his life has lightened that emotional load he carries. Whether he realizes it or not she's shouldering part of it now.

Two. I said earlier there was an undercurrent of something else coloring Tim’s guilt in this episode. Something unspoken in the way he was carrying that guilt. Like it was more than just Mitch's guilt he was lugging around. I know he’s comparing what happened to Mitch to what happened with Lucy. By not being by the book he put Lucy in danger. The guilt about Mitch has also brought up the burden he still inflicts upon himself. Which is what happened to her in 2x11. There is some deep subtext in this scene. The way he looks at her when she says he doesn’t need to feel guilty. It's very telling to me.

In a way she is absolving him of what happened with Caleb. Because the situations are similar, in the fact that Tim wasn't by the book and something bad came of it. Lucy does this without even knowing she is doing so. Because in her mind she never blamed him. Doesn't even know he's added that to his emotional load. For Tim her acceptance of what happened with Mitch is hitting close to home with him. It feels like she is also absolving him of his immense amount of guilt he still feels about Caleb. It’s not something they’ve talked about yet. It’s coming but I felt this scene was a good precursor to that. Lucy reminding him not everything is on him like he thinks it is.

Even though it seems to him he's been absolved of both things he still defaults to being a stickler. That is his default mode. He just can't help himself. Letting her know ‘Rules matter boot. ‘ You can see the glimmer of tears in his eyes when he says this. Still feeling unworthy of her kindness and understanding of what he thinks he’s done not only to Mitch but to her. Lucy once again having that sassy smile asking him ‘Then what the hell are you doing out here? Sweetly calling him out for being a living and breathing contradiction.

The way he looks at her and says ‘Some things matter more.’ *heart clutch* Eric and his wonderfully expressive face. We are lucky to have him everyone. He is a blessing to have as our Tim Bradford. By saying this he is saying she matters more. That what they're currently doing matters more. Tim showing Lucy his moral compass for Mitch and Joe means more. I’ve said this before but I feel Lucy is never more attracted to Tim than when his moral compass is on fire.

It’s a raging inferno in this episode to find Joe’s killer. That bending the rules a bit to do the right thing means more. to him. That doing the right thing and the easy thing are rarely the same. Her respect and honestly love for him grows for him in this scene. As his does for hers with the previous moment. It's a slow climb to the top with them but what a view it is when we get there. It's so worth the wait.

I friggin love this shot of them. Forever adore how in sync they are in the field. All dressed in their black ops gear. Sexy Af watching them be poetry in motion together. The aesthetic is very pleasing to the eye. Watching them doing an off the book ops together. It ticks a box for me I love. They decide they need to make sure those pallets are actually the money first. Once they do that they can get Joe’s killer during the arrest. Harper asks how they’re gonna do this? Tim says no idea. LOL

Tim goes off to check it by himself. He’s so tall and you can see that as he ducks under a semi to check the container. Sexy af how tall he is to me. I would say I’m sorry but let’s not lie shall we? Ha Tim gets caught confirming the pallet has the money and sees the rest have been caught too .You can see the panic on his face when he sees Lucy has been caught. Jangus rants that he warned them and they didn’t listen. Harper then signals Angela with her sniper rifle. Trained right on Norman.

They’re at a stalemate with this. Tim wants to negotiate a settlement. I love how Tim takes control of this whole situation. Sexy af. Saying all they want is Joe’s Killer. If they give him up they walk away. Norman considers this. Then asks about the money. Tim says 'Not our problem.' Lucy pipes up and Tim looks right at her and repeats himself. Now that she’s in danger he’s not taking any more risks. That game is over. He’s gonna break one more rule tonight to keep her safe. Letting the money go.

I love him so much. If bailing on the money keeps her safe and gets them their killer it’s a win win for him. The way he stares the Colonel down as he decides. *Oh my lord* Causing me repeated ovary explosion in this one. Protective Tim is one of my fav Tim flavors haha He’s got me going more in this episode than normal. I would say I’m sorry but I’m very much not. LOL

It works and they give up one of their men as the killer. The plan worked for the most part...They didn't get everything they wanted but getting Joe's killer was the most important. It gets back to Grey and he does some rule breaking of his own. Just accepting their wild unrealistic story of how they found Joe’s killer just walking the docks. Says the paper work better be spotless on this. Harper smiles and says yes sir. This is an excellent episode all around.

Next morning Jackson wakes up and notices Kojo is gone. Lucy says she’s really not ready for a dog yet. (Or his new owner heh) That he is gone. Lucy continues on to apologize for getting him without asking his input. That she was going to pay to replace all his things. How sorry she was about all his stuff. Jackson quickly breaks and is sweet and says he did like Kojo but hopes he went to a good home. Lucy smiles and says he did.

I want to talk a little bit about Tim taking Kojo. The amount this man cares about not only Lucy but animals is prominent in this moment. He knew how much this dog meant to Lucy therefore he was important to Tim. Also taking him so she could come visit him and have access whenever she wanted. The depth of caring this man shows for her in his actions are unreal. They legit became co-parents to this dog in this episode and we all loved it. They own a dog together long before they were together. Makes me so happy I can not.

We then get this GLORIOUS shot of Tim walking Kojo. Tim looking fine as hell walking his new fur baby. Basically a model walking down the street. That sweet smile on his face as he looks down at him. He loves this dog so much already. Tim meets up with Mitch and does something I know Lucy would be beaming over. He put in a good word to get him a live in guard job. Tells him it’s not a handout. That it’s a job and a roof over his head. Mitch thanks him and he hugs Tim. He looks like he’s gonna cry. My boy. Mitch can still see the lingering guilt in his eyes.

Tells Tim ‘It’s not your fault you know?’ That what happened to him is nobodies fault. Tim is grateful for his words. Getting forgiveness for a weight he’s been carrying around for far too long. Such a good way to end the episode. Tim wipes a tear from his eye and looks down at Kojo. Tells him ‘Not a word’ LOL I love this man so much and how much he’s grown. Makes me want to cry. Damn good episode holy moly.

As always thank you to everyone who like/comment/reblog. You all make my whole day with them. I enjoy doing these so much and you make it all worth while :)

No non chenford notes this ep was pretty intertwined. See you all in 2x15 :)

[merakiui]

HELP ME YOURE CHILL you did accept my request actually . like right after I sent that !

I was sitting there for awhile after like 🧍‍♂️ oh wow I hope mera didn't take that the wrong way and thought I was just trying to get her to accept my request 😭 bc it was damn near immediate. tbh I thought you wouldn't answer that at all so that eases my brain a little. I am in your friends list tho! Lurking! I truly hope you enjoy my maxed jade 💜💜 he's my pride and joy :D! Even if you don't know which one he is lol

Speaking of actually!!! That twst Halloween thing... the leaks were deleted bc the poster got scared iirc (understandably so. as if work got back to aniplex/disney theyd probably make the game harder to datamine which is a Pain),, but they're still being kinda circulated around in private dms n stuff. So you'd have a hard time finding them if you Dod look for them really. I saw them and I do agree with the other anon though :-)!! I think you'll like it (also,, considering we're still slowly getting through the cast?? I don't think jade would be the ssr just bc he's already had one 💔 ohh but I do also hope for another event jade soon. my silly little creature I miss him!!!)

- :3 anon

Oh I did wanna add to my ask abt the leaks that we don't have the full cast yet?? So tbh it's still mostly up to guessing who's even getting ssrs, etc 💔

Aaa I'm hoping for a Floyd ssr this year personally since he doesn't have one yet . but there's no telling if he's even there this year :-( !!gosh I hope so. Especially looking at that little freak in the preview with the two heads and rolling pins?? Tho tbh?? Could just as much be like. Trey! He's missing an ssr too and he bakes!! Lots it could be aaaaa I'm so excited :D!!!

- :3 again

- - -

OH what unintentional timing!!! Σ(°ロ°) I'm happy I friended you!!! It would've chewed my intestines if I didn't and you were still waiting for me to add you back. T^T but it's a relief that's not the case!! Thank you very much for the max Jade!!!! I will use his power to charge into battle (gathering guest room supplies LOL). May my tako be of use to you!!! <3

I had to physically withhold from searching out the leaks, as difficult to find as they may be. I genuinely opened my writing notebook and started scribbling just so I could prevent the temptation from creeping up on me. >_< feeling like Rollo when he sees ankle for the first time....... </3 AAAAAAA I AM TOO CURIOUS. OTL

👀 oooo now I'm even more excited if you also think I will enjoy it!!! Knowing me and how easy I am to please, I already love it and I don't know anything yet. ^^;;; my heart may not be able to handle how amazing the event is sure to be!!!! AAAAAAAAA >0<

💔 not another SSR Halloween eel..... one can dream. I'm continuing to cling to the hope for Coral Sea event with SSR Jade. Aaaaa but I'm also hoping Floyb gets the SSR for this event!!! Or any of Savanaclaw because they've yet to have a Halloween SSR. :D I've been turning all kinds of characters over in my head trying to determine who might get the SSR (or SSRs if it's more than one). So many thoughts.......

Although I do hope at least one of the eels is part of the cast for the event!!!! Or Azul....... on second thought, they should just put all of the fish in the event (shameless favoritism). (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

[drippywing]

12, 17, and 23 for the ask game? :}

| 12. One thing you'd add to an arc/ book?

Hmm this one's interesting! I think that the arcs already have a good amount going on, but what arc 1 could have used more betrayal. Other dragons fully taking advantage of the Dragonets and possibly using them as a bartering chip.

That being said, the other side would be a stronger and more committed Talons of Peace. They already have a few who died for the Dragonets, but I want MORE! A wider web of secret Talons throughout the world, helping the DoD when they're backed into a corner. The Talons of Peace should be a force not to be reckoned with, not just a bunch of lame-o exiles.

| 17. General character headcanons? (all these are post-canon)

This one I've posted about in the past, but I think Fierceteeth has continuous nightmares from what Darkstalker did to her. Turning a dragon into another, pre-existing dragon based off your own MEMORY of them (after thousands of years!!!) is incredibly irresponsible. Even after animus magic is 86'd she has a hard time sleeping soundly, and suffers from insomnia and paranoia.

Winter actually likes living alone. After so many years of others telling him how to act, look, or react to things- its so nice to just have room to breathe. He goes out when he needs socialization, but for the most part he's a homebody. He eventually takes a liking to home improvement, gardening, and general self-sufficiency; after relying on a queendom's resources for so long, it feels liberating.

Chameleon eventually joins a traveling thespian troupe. He gets to pretend to be anyone other than himself, and he's quite good at it too.

Moon and Kinkajou eventually become roommates after being apart for some time. They live in a treehut close to the forest floor. Kinkajou begins a daycare service as well, and teaches young dragonets important things like sharing and making mary sue ocs.

| 23. Hot takes?

Not sure what qualifies as a hot take, but here's some quick ones:

Nightwings are the main characters of Wings of Fire, and I hate it.

We should not be using the word "Tribe" to describe a group of non-human creatures. I am still guilty of this and am attempting to use "Flight" whenever possible.

Peril is a little over-hyped at this point, but I get why people love her. Make her more autistic.

Rainwings are over-powered compared to other tribes. Also due to not being in the war they should have a much larger population that is not illustrated in the books.

Link to the ask prompts!

[astradrifting]

GRRM really created so many parallels and foreshadow using the DoD characters that honestly we could just figure the asoiaf ending by analyzing it. My favorite is the Aegon III-D@ny parallels, the fact that one of his closest allies was a face-scarred Master of coin Lannister who ended as Hand to Bran' parallel character just make it so obvious its funny.

Oh my god I didn’t even realise Tyland Lannister was initially on the greens’ side! I’m not super fond of Tyrion ending up as Hand, but you’re right that it’s so obviously meant to reference him. There’s so many parallels that it’s a little crazy. I don’t want to say that the second Dance will end exactly as the first did, it’d be a little too neat if history repeated entirely, but you can see so many echoes of it even in the show’s bastardised ending.

“The broken, shattered realm suffered for a while yet, but the Dance of the Dragons was done. Now what awaited the realm was the False Dawn, the Hour of the Wolf, the rule of the regents, and the Broken King.”

(TWOIAF, Aegon II)

I’m not sure what the False Dawn is going to parallel to, it refers to the period of time after Aegon II’s death but before Lord Stark got to King’s Landing, when people thought that peace had finally come. It kind of brings to mind the War for the Dawn, though personally I think that the threat of the Others will be resolved before the Dance is over. The Hour of the Wolf is obviously about House Stark’s rise back to power, and the Broken King is Bran - though if he actually becomes known as Bran the Broken I might end up committing violence ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. 

The parts about Lord Corlys Velaryon are why I’m so hopeful that Jon’s book ending will be completely different from the show’s. He’s arrested for Aegon II’s death by Cregan Stark, even though Cregan had previously declared for Rhaenyra, because as TWOIAF puts it, “to kill a cruel and unjust king in lawful battle was one thing. But foul murder, and the use of poison, was a betrayal against the very gods who had anointed him.”

Corlys didn’t deny his guilt, and expressed no regret. “What I did, I did for the good of the realm. I would do the same again. The madness had to end.”

Cregan Stark declared him to be guilty of murder, regicide, and high treason, and he was sentenced to execution. But many spoke in his defence, even people who had fought against him in the Dance. Baela and Rhaena Targaryen, Corlys’ granddaughters and Aegon III’s half-sisters, convinced Aegon to issue an edict pardoning Lord Velaryon, which Alysanne Blackwood then convinced Cregan to let stand. Lord Velaryon was pardoned and even restored to his offices and honours, made one of the king’s regents and given a place on the small council.

Corlys’ words definitely could be Jon’s as well, a much more in-character declaration post-D@ny’s death than the drivel GoT tried to feed us. I was worried for a bit that this would be how Tyrion is let off scot-free, but Baela and Rhaena, who were vital to his release, are such obvious Arya and Sansa stand-ins, and they’re certainly not going to expend any effort in helping Tyrion. So Corlys’ circumstances more likely lays the groundwork for how Jon will be freed and remain in political power, while Tyland frankly inexplicably becoming Aegon III’s Hand after he was in favour of brutally killing him parallels Tyrion managing to fail up, as a way of reconciling the old regime with the new one.

This makes Tyrion becoming Hand more palatable IMO. Either Jon and Tyrion both should have been punished or neither should have been punished, not the travesty where Tyrion gets everything he’s ever wanted while Jon is exiled to a Watch with no purpose and a Wall that’s already half-collapsed, so what exactly can it protect against? I suppose they were afraid of seemingly rewarding Jon for killing d@ny, especially if pol!Jon had been revealed, but most people noticed how nonsensical his ending was, and it just led to ‘Bloodraven/Bran is the real villain’ takes anyway.

(Side note: Asha/Yara basically still being loyal to D at the end annoys me so much, and made no sense. Jon did more to help save her by giving Theon that pep talk than D@ny did. Maybe it was a leftover from her taking Victarion’s role in the story, but in no reasonable world is anyone going to listen to the Ironborn who brought the Fire threat over in the first place.)

Of course Tyland Lannister isn’t actually Hand for long, given that he dies barely two years later from Winter Fever, feared and hated, alone except for a maester and King Aegon. It might be an indication that Tyrion will face a similar fate, that he’ll die after he’s seemingly won, exactly what he threatened Cersei with:

“A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid."

(ACOK, Tyrion XII)

So that I can stop talking about Tyrion, here’s some facts about Rhaena and Baela that are obviously meant to reference Sansa and Arya, so much so that it feels a little bit like GRRM is winking and going “See what I did there? Huh? Huh? Did you see??”:

- their descriptions: “Rhaena was slender and graceful; Baela was lean and quick; Rhaena loved to dance; Baela lived to ride...” + “Baela was wild and willful”, “more boyish than ladylike”, and kept her hair cropped short as a boy’s

- Rhaena spent most of the Dance in the Vale, where she lived in relative comfort as the ward of Lady Jeyne Arryn. Baela was a dragonrider and so moved between Dragonstone and Driftmark, but was captured on Dragonstone when Aegon II descended upon it

- Rhaena was favoured to be queen after her brother, considered more qualified than her wild sister

- Baela liked to spend time with “unsuitable companions” she would bring to the Red Keep - including a comely juggler, a blacksmith’s apprentice whose muscles she admired (!!!), a legless beggar, a pair of twin girls from a brothel, an entire troupe of mummers once

- After her brother’s regents tried to marry her to a lord 40 years older than her, Baela escaped the Red Keep by climbing out of a window, trading clothes with a washerwoman, then walking right out of the front gate. She ran away to Driftmark and married her supposed cousin (though more likely he was her half-uncle), the legitimised bastard Alyn Velaryon, which might have had me worried about j0nrya if Alyn weren’t best known for being a daring sailor who went on many voyages, including sailing the Sunset Sea, until he was finally lost at sea during Aegon IV’s reign. Alyn’s mother was also called Mouse, for being “small, quick, and always underfoot.”

- another fun fact about Alyn: he’s a bad haggler, and had to agree to a high ransom and many concessions in order to get Prince Viserys returned to Westeros. This automatically disqualifies him as a Jon stand-in, because as we all know, Jon Snow can haggle like the best of fishwives.

- My absolutely favourite detail that has my jonsa heart singing - Rhaena was more dutiful than her sister and would have married a man that the king and council chose, saying that as long as he was “kind and gentle and noble, I know that I shall love him.” She was able to marry her first choice, whom the regents didn’t immediately approve of but that they ultimately accepted  - Ser Corwyn Corbray, the brother of the Lord Protector of the Realm, a second son (!) whose late father had gifted him the Valyrian steel sword Lady Forlorn (!!!)

And as a treat for @istumpysk, some similarities between Rickon and Viserys II!

- the youngest child of their family

- separated from their older brother after they were forced to flee their home, trying to get to safety while their other brothers and mother were at war

- worshipped their oldest (half-)brothers, but were closer to the brother nearest their age

- spends the war stuck on an island, populated by people closely linked to their family’s origins - Skagosi are descended mostly from the First Men, while Viserys was on Lys, where the blood of Old Valyria still runs strong

- sought by/held hostage by a powerful and wealthy family, who will treat them well but whose intentions are dubious

- will be brought back from exile by an upjumped bastard/commoner from a port town who was raised to lordship and became their monarch’s chief admiral

- after they are returned, long after the wars and crises, is happily welcomed as the heir to their older brother’s throne (shhhhh just let me have this, let the baby live)

Thanks for the ask!

[helloitsghost]

Update you probably expected💀

Ok so.

First of all again tysm for 100 followers its freaking crazy that yall like my art and im so happy to share it with you

However somethings are gonna happen

Tktober is gonna have some changes and here’s why

I am no longer able to do my original plan of having a drawing for each day and I fully apologize for that lead on however I will try to get some in somedays in case I have time or I really enjoy the prompt

There is a good chance that the ones I cannot do this event I will do as time goes on or for another event if that happens

The reason why this is happening is for a few reasons

1. I have school

I gots highschool crap to deal with and it aint easy so that is my top priority to get my school shit done

2. I have volleyball

This will only be till near end of October but still volleyball is a huge part of my life that takes a ton of time and energy out of my day and having to come back and do my school work is another time spender

3. Im slow

As you know im very slow with drawing either I get distracted or its difficult for me or I just am slow I am getting better tho

4. I am planning a surprise for my team thag requires my full priority

Lol yeah that sounds mean and dw I do love you guys esp since u gave me a Ton of confidence in my work that im especially grateful for

Just wanted to get that out of the way first yall are amazing and again lmk how hall wanna celebrate :D

Anyways my team for volleyball is super special to me a lot of them are good friends of mine and I always have a blast hanging out with them and like I dod last year im redrawing the photo we took and surprising them with it cause I wanna be nice sjfjsjfj

I really do want this done and you probably wont see it here since it involves people I know irl and me irl along with my school so yeah nada djvjsjf but yeah I wanna do this nice thjng for them and it requires a shit ton of work and time that is my priority with art

Again I am really sorry for the changes I was really happy for tktober as well and again all the ideas wont be totally gone they’ll be round speratically just ya know shit happens that takes my time and priority

Again I’m really sorry for this happening and again tysm for the 3 digit followers

And hey if u read this far here’s a cookie 🍪

[esther-dot]

Ok but what do you think that dany's motive for burning KL will be in the books? I tend to think it's the treason for love when she discovers Jon is in love with another. That and him being praised as a hero, his id known, will bring home the original "let him be king of the ashes". I think she will want to destroy Jon's potential of becoming a "happy" king. And then Bran steps in to release him. What a shame the show didn't have the guts to pull this angle through!

(in reference to this ask)

That’s a cool take on it!

I truly don’t know. The longer I think about all of this, the messier it is.

If we have a prolonged interaction between Jon and Dany (with Dany going North first and both going South later), I can definitely see what you’re saying. I mean, s8 presented the idea that she wouldn’t be accepted in Westeros, that she realized she didn’t have love and that she would either rule by fear or nothing, and it felt like she was threatening Sansa’s life to keep Jon in line in 8x05, that she knew he didn’t love her (hence, “let it be fear”), so something akin to what you’re saying may certainly be what Martin told D&D.

My issue is, I don’t think Jon can be implicated in the burning of KL, or Bran wouldn’t be a preferred candidate for king, so I’m hesitant to place Jon in KL as an ally to Dany when she burns it. And if he is there, I don’t see how it could be with a Northern army. I mean, how does Martin write the Lords of Westeros selecting Bran if Northmen were involved in the greatest atrocity they’ve ever seen? Maybe Martin will do it, it just seems weird to me. If this is to have more of Robert's Rebellion's parallels (rather than strictly DoD 2.0), and Jon is the one to kill her a la Jaime and Aerys, maybe she burns KL when taking it from Aegon, Jon stabbity stabs, and then Bran shows up. There’s a line about Ned racing to KL that made me wonder. So, I’m not sure how much Jon’s parentage would weigh on Dany that way unless she feels how tentative her hold on Westeros is.

But practically speaking, I’m not sure how Jon could be a threat that way to Dany. I mean, after Dany v Euron and Dany v Aegon, and the North v Others, who will have the means to support Jon v Dany? I don’t know how it would be possible. Also, even if they did, I’m not sure what proof we will have of Jon’s birth. It seems like something people will recognize as true if it serves their purposes, deny if it doesn’t. We’ll know the truth, not sure that there will be a universal understanding in-world. I lean towards the idea of some people wanting Jon to be king after the wars and him refusing for Aemon parallels (link), and that being part of the events that lead to Bran being king as driftingsnowflakes outlined (link), but now I wonder if they wont go to war with Dany. I used to think that we needed a showdown, but considering how anti war Martin is, I’m no longer sure if we will get a clean victory. It might feel too much like glorifying war because then the path to kingship for Bran was via war. And, that’s the thing, if Bran is to represent this new era, I wondered if he would prevent there being any “right of conquest” to his kingship. That made me think back to the Arya killing Dany idea, and the possibility that Starks v Dany plays out in the shadows/subterfuge rather than out and out war, especially with the talk about Dany fighting shadows and there are some quotes about wolves and shadows that I’ll have to revisit.

I guess I would say, it makes sense for Jon’s identity to play into Dany’s paranoia, and I still think Jon is Dany’s treason for love, so your idea totally works, but I don’t want Dany’s decision to burn KL to be about other people. To me, Dany has that struggle between peace and war, and her choice to take the Iron Throne has always involved sacrificing the life of others for that goal. So, I think taking the throne should be the escalation of that. I think she should face a moment in which she must choose to kill innocents to get her throne, or not have it at all. I would like her to give up her patina of wanting good things for people to acknowledge what has been true all along: she wants what she wants and she is willing for people to die to get it. I guess my thought is, maybe she will suffer so many losses, she will have to use dragons on KL or fail to take the throne.

I mean, we have two more books, I don’t know how she will evolve from here to there, but her motivation has always been the throne, I would like it to stay that way so that fans can tie it back to the first book, to her burning Mirri alive to get her dragons and realize, oh, this was always the way Dany’s journey to the throne was going to be, how it was going to end. All this evil has been done to win the throne, her final atrocity being done for the same purpose makes sense to me. But it’s hard for me to see how all these pieces we know need to be included work together.

Sorry, I’m back to my “I only have questions and no answers!” routine.

[lara635kookie]

Ranking the best The 39 Clues books(First season because the other ones just aren't canon in my mind).

SPOILER ALERT!

If you're a Clue Hunter and is reading this post, when you finish it reblog it and do your ranking of The First Season books(please I need to know I'm not alone on this fandom)(Please someone tell me I didn't get to this fandom too late). Also this is only my opinion. If you think different feel free to share your thoughts(respectly). So let's go:

My Personal Favorites:

10-Beyond The Grave(Book Four written by Jude Watson):

Honestly this book is overall good and I really wanted to go Egypt but that's only in this place because Ian and Natalie don't show up in person, they're only mentioned by Amy and Dan sometimes. It may seem like a stupid reason but Ian and Natalie were the biggest enemies of Amy and Dan, arch-enemies since the two understand themselves by person and their appearances have always been so iconic, the chases, the talks, the fights, the teasing so the fact they weren't in this book just didn't feel right. The Cahills and the Kabras have a lot of chemistry, both as enemies and as much something more(if you get me, lovers cough cough), and the Kabras have been sorely missed in this book(at least by me).

9-The Emperor's Code(Book Eight written by Gordon Korman):

I don't know compared to the other ones, this one just look kinda forgettable. Maybe because Amy and Dan spend a good part of this book apart. But of course the story has its good moments which are when Dan gives an autograph for a girl (D. Cahill is priceless), when Dan tells the Wizards that he is a Madrigal (as we say in Brazil: Iconic, Memorable and Timeless) (Dan was very amazing in this book, if you disagree, disagree in silence) and when Amy saves Ian(aka Love of her life) from falling off Mount Everest.

8-The Viper's Nest(Book Seven written by Peter Lerangis):

I love that one but the other ones are just better. I like the ending with Isabel(and everyone) thinking that the Clue was Diamond and It wasn't. I also like the scenes with Kurt because I wanted Ian to meet him and Kurt make Ian jealous of Amy(don't judge my dreams). Another thing that I really like is the history. I really like studying history and I learnt so much about Shaka Zulu. And was also with that book that I realized that Isabel had arrived to stay and that she would be the Main Villain in the end somehow. Maybe That's another reason why I don't like much The Emperor's Code:Isabel didn't show up and I thought she would appear in all the other books after In Too Deep. Natalie on Storm Warning said that Isabel didn't trust Ian and her to handle the Hunt without Isabel anymore since Russia so that just doesn't make sense. Maybe she didn't appearead to give Cora Wizard the spotlight but anyway let's continue.

7-The Black Circle(Book Five written by Patrick Carman):

I love this one so much. Probably because in this book we see that Ian is also in love with Amy. On Book three he seemed to like her but then he and Natalie let Amy, Dan and Alistair locked on the cave and we only see Amy Side of this story. Her sadness. But we didn't know if Ian was sorry, if he regreted his actions. And when they come back on this book we see Ian still likes Amy and the fandom goes crazy. I mean even if you are a Jamy/Carian shipper or shipps another shipp you probably shipped Amyan before because they were the only promising couple on the series(at least on series one). Back to the book I Love The Holts defeating the Kabras and Amy and Dan doing an Alliance with Hamilton(Dan envying Hamilton for driving a Kamaz will be Forever iconic). Also this book was when I realized Irina wasn't bad. I didn't like her in the other books and I didn't notice much of her but everything changed on this book and I started to love her. * sad sigh * Moving on!

6-The Maze of Bones(Book One written by Rick Riordan):

Uncle Rick(we call him like that on Brazil, in portuguese is Tio Rick) did a really great job on this one. For a series that has several authors writing, the beginning is very important and it is a great responsibility for the first author because those who will write later have to understand what you wanted to convey in the beginning to make a coherent continuation. Rick Riordan did it flawlessly. We can identify ourselves in the characters and we get really connected to the plot, the history, the riddles about Benjamin Franklin and after finishing the book we wanna know more about what happens next. So Rick Riordan absolutely slayed this introduction and no one can tell me otherwise.

5-One False Note(Book Two written by Gordon Korman):

This book is just unforgivable. I love this with all my soul. Probably because It talks about Mozart and his history and I really love arts. Also because the writing of this book is so satisfactory and so well done. I mean I really thought Fidelio Racco was a real person. What I also love about that book is the fact that every character get to shine. Amy and Dan are the Main characters but the appearences of all the other characters are really remarkable so yeah That's it. Deserves this spot on the Top 5 for sure.

4-In Too Deep(Book Six written by Jude Watson):

Going now to the four horsemen of the apocalypse from the best books of The 39 Clues. In Too Deep It's just something so perfect It's inexplicable. Something I don't like much about In Too Deep is that when Isabel was fighting to Irina and Ian and Natalie were watching Natalie was like:Irina is going to get Shoot on the head, That's gonna be so good. Like she wanted Isabel to do this, like she would be disappointed if she didn't, like she was used to seeing this type of thing. Then, In Storm Warning she was soft like:Not blood. It's so repulsive(several authors series problem but the series is good anyway). About that book I love the start, I love the middle, I love the apex and If It wasn't for Irina's death in the end this would probably be even higher than already is. Why Irina, Jude? Also:Why Pony? Why Erasmus? Why McIntyre? Why Alistair? Why Lester? Why Natalie? Why Evan? Why everyone? Why not Jake or Cara? Back to the story Jude Watson is Just a genius for transforming a dream(or a nightmare) in Isabel Kabra and adding her to the book. I don't wanna cry today so I'm just going for the next one.

3-The Sword Thief(Book Three written by Peter Lerangis):

If this book was a part The Plastics of Mean Girls, The Sword Thief would be Karen Smith of The 39 Clues, because let's face it:Amy and Dan were really dumb of accepting an alliance with Alistair and the Kabras. Principally with the Kabras. I mean they already were kinda used to temporary alliances with Alistair but not Ian and Natalie but they should have expected that It would have been bad on the end. I mean yes they needed Ian's coin to open the cave to find the clue but they look so surprised when Ian and Natalie leaves them on the cave and they shouldn't because that was obvious that they were going to betray them in the final. So they should have accepted the alliance but being more distant to the Kabras and preparing themselves in case they try something(which was obvious they would). But at the same time, I'm glad they didn't because AMYAN IS JUST MY ENTIRE LIFE(And even a little bit of Danatalie this book is Just a masterpiece). Just like In Too Deep, I love everything about that book, except the end. And I am a Kpop fan(not the cringe obssessed type) and I really like to study about North and South Korea and their history but South Korea's caves just left me depressed. I'm gonna cry so let's change the subject.

2-Storm Warning(Book Nine written by Linda Sue Park):

I love everything about this book. Literally everything. The start, the middle, the apex and the end. I love this book mainly because Natalie got the spotlight that she deserved. I don't know why I like Natalie so much since the start. Maybe because when I started Reading the books I was eleven, just like her. And Maybe because she was pretty, rich, savage and sassy wich I always wanted to be. But there is something more that I don't know how to explain that is really relatable about Natalie even with my reality being too different from hers and this book was the confirmation I needed that Natalie would be my favorite character Forever. I Also like it because it happened on Bahamas and Jamaica(two places I really want to go in the future) and It got a lot of revelations and twists in the end(wich I love more than everything on a book). If Storm Warning was a person and slapped my face I would probably say:Thanks, Could you do that again?

1-Into The Gauntlet(Book Ten written by Margaret Peterson Haddix):

I usually don't like the endings of books because I'm sad that it's over and as all the other books were good I usually demand a lot from the endings, even more than the beginnings (for me the final impression is the one that stays, not the first). I generally like the endings but I've never looked at a ending book and said: This one overcomes all the other books. I normally like more the start or the middle books. But man Into The Gauntlet caught me off guard. DoD is already a trash ending, comparing to Into The Gauntlet, DoD(fanfiction-forced-canon) seems even worse(if That's even possible). Everything about that book It's just top-notch, high quality, god tier, flawlessly perfect. Stan Haddix. We believe in Into The Gauntlet Supremacy.

It's going to have a part 2. Bye.

[calliecat93]

Star Trek Beyond. Since it looks like a fourth will will forever be stuck in Developmental Hell, this is currently the final part of the Kelvin Timeline. So far, haven’t been a fan. The Timeline has potential, but the character decisions must... fail. So dod Beyond manage to salvage anything?

In my opinion... yes. 100% yes. This film was great and I loved it~!!!

It DOES feel a little too late for me, but not too little. It’s still action heavy, but it’s still very good action. All the pros pf the first two films are still there. Effects, cinematography, acting, diversity in casting, and I failed to mention how all three have fantastic music. All of these continue to be highs, but the lows for me have been their lack of understanding the characters and TOS’ philosophy. This film had a new director and writers, which included Simon Pegg (Scotty) and while IDK how much into ST J.J. Abrams was (or I see conflicting accounts), it’s clear that the filmmakers this time DID understand and care for the original spur e material.

Kirk is FINALLY Kirk. There’s no womanizing. No cockiness, or at least not the same level as last time. He’s got the experience. He’s got the level-head. He’s got the strong will that made him such a great captain in TOS. It was good to place him during the Five Year Mission since that gives justification for his newfound maturity, though it means we don’t get to see it. But still, Kirk is so much more likable and competent. His crisis about his place as captain after going through the same thing over and over is a little out of place, it helps keep him differentiated from TOS Kirk while still honoring that incarnation and showing what was so great about him. They FINALLY got it right. Them also allowing him to reminisce about not getting to know his father also added so,e emotional depth that the first was lacking for his arc. It’s very much correction that may be too late, but is appreciated and finally I can call this man Captain James T. Kirk.

Spock and Bones are together for most of the film, and they’re both great! Spock was the one I was the most fine with and that continues here. Prime Spock’s death of course was sad, but with Nimoy’s passing it was inevitable and best not ignored. They used this to have Spock question his path and wanting to follow his predecessor and his legacy, which both in the films and in RL is VERY understandable. In the end, this isn’t Prime Spock. This Spock is his own being and needs to chart his own course. Which I’m glad that he decided to do in the end. Also t he ‘tracking device joke had me laughing SO hard XD Uhura relationships still unnecessary, but I’ve just accepted it at this point and it didn’t irk me the same way here as before.

Bones, compared to the last two films got it SO much better. He doesn’t really have an arc, but his character is allowed things to so. They pair him with Spock, allowing THAT dynamic to finally shine. While it’s not as emphasized as int he series, it feels like Bones is back in his proper place: the heart to Kirk’s body and Spock’s mind. He’s completely sympathetic to Spock’s loss and is supportive for Kirk, understanding how much his dad’s death and in turn his birthday affects him and being that emotional support that he needs. He is that emotional support that the two need and he is the one who keeps them alive, saving Spock’s life with his medical skill and limited resources. I still wish we had more but he didn’t feel left out and he feels like he freakin’ mattered.

Hell all the main crew felt like they mattered. Scotty got such great material and his friendship with Jaylah was really nice. Which I LOVE Jaylah BYW, a badass character who is smart, competent, and adorable without may unnecessary sexualization. Uhura was also a badass. I mean she ALWAYS has been but she got to kick ass here and was just fantastic. Chekov and Sulu were great as always, and of course it’s only appropriate to mention that this would be Anton Yelchin’s final performance as Chekov due to his passing. It’s sad especially because he was doing so well as the character and had so much ahead of him. But for the work he did in bringing this incarnation of Chekov alive, he did it beautifully and I thank him for it. The whole film felt like an ensemble piece, not just ‘Kirk and Spock and those other guys’ which even TOS was guilty of. I really love these characters and I enjoyed seeing them all be such a fantastic team.

The story is basic, but it didn’t need to be this complex piece about say... Starfleet turning into a military organization. Another major issue with the other two cause GDI just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Villain is fine enough for this film, though so far I feel like the films REALLY need to work on improving that part. But I also forgive it because they keep the focus on our heroes. This is a character driven film. The only real complaint is The Triumvirate still feels non-existent, but it IS greatly improved especially since we flesh out Spock and Bones’ dynamic. We now have the pieces and can imagine things for this incarnation and whenever the three were together, it just felt right. The three of them in the transporter room with Bones hating them all so much is PERFECT. It may not have been fully showcased, but they understood it. I don’t doubt that at all. The ending also had me smiling big and felt deserved. It marks that optimism for the future and for whatever awaits in the universe. Just as Star Trek was meant to mean.

So yeah, Beyond was a major improvement. This is what you get when you care less about getting those summer blockbuster box office numbers (IDK when this came out outside the year but still) and care about your characters and plot. What you get with people who care about the property you are rebooting, retaining the spirit but doing something new and more inclined to today’s values. I still like The Wrath of Khan, The Voyage Home, and The Undiscovered Country more and still haven’t seen the TNG films, but this is a good film that deserves to stand along those three. It’s the best reboot film for sure. If we get a fourth film, I truly hope that they keep the same care that went into this one. You don’t need flashy effects and action or plot complexity for a good film, you just need good characters, a good story, and people who care for and know what they are doing. This one honored TOS while being it’s own thing, as any good reboot should, and I respect that greatly.

So for rankings... I’ll give 2009 a 2/5 for good cinema elements, but otherwise an only okay plot and the characterizations/relationship establishments being poor. Into Darkness is a 2.5/5 for being better in the latter case, but still not great and for trying to cash in on elements and developments of the past without putting int he work that made the, great then. Beyond? 4/5. It’s not the best ST film (though again gotta do TNG), but a marked improvement over the other two with characterization, plot, and just felt like something made bu fans for fans. May be too little, too late but I am still happy that it happened a d was so welcomed after how I felt about the other two. The Kelvin Timeline has potential and this showed it, but whether it’ll have the chance to continue it remains to be seen. But the fans have something that they can get creative with. I want it to continue to end on a better note and see these characters more, but if it ends here, it’s not a bad place at all.

[reddie-fangirl24]

Losers Face the T-Rex at Jurassic Park (An IT Crossover)

NOTE: This is a crossover I thought up with the Losers in Jurassic Park in the scene where the T-Rex escapes from her paddock. I love writing crossovers! If anyone has suggestions for my future IT crossovers, let me know! Enjoy!

“Boo!” Richie jumped up onto the passenger side seat wearing these thick night vision goggles with a green glow, startling Stan and Eddie.

Richie laughed at Eddie, removing the goggles. “I told you that you screamed like a girl!”

“Where did you get those?” Stan asked sternly.

“They were in a box under my seat. Pretty cool, huh?” Riche responded checking out the goggles. 

“Are they heavy?” Stan asked, raising his eyebrow.

“Yeah.”

“Then they’re expensive, so put them back before you break them!”

Richie scoffed, crawling his way into the back seat. “Sure, dad!”

Eddie lightly whacked his friend in the arm. “Don’t scare me! This place is giving me the creeps!” he said staring out the window at the thick dark jungle behind the fence. Rain pelted against the car. Now, the cars had been stopped for a while now. Why didn’t one of the adults go with them?

“What are you crying about? Your Grandfather owns one of the soon-to-be most popular dinosaur attractions in the world! The place is awesome!” Richie played around with the night vision goggles, excitedly exploring outside through the windows. He took a look into the other Explorer car which held their fellow remaining Losers.

“Is Bill actually drinking rainwater?” Richie laughed.

“Drinking rainwater does keep you hydrated,” Eddy commented.

“Bev looks bored out of her mind! Ben, man, you’re sitting right next to her! This is where you put your arm around her shoulder!”

“Rich, would you quit spying?” Stan warned him.

“Who put you as the parent in charge?” Richie retorted. He looked out at the goat which was still outside, standing behind a gate made up as bait for any dinosaurs.

Meanwhile, in the other car, Mike tapped at the car, trying to get a response from the computers. “Do you think I should check under the hood?”

“No, the cars moved on a track. It must be a technical difficulty,” Ben pointed out.

Bev looked out the window at the falling rain. She watched as water droplets race each other. Something about all this wasn’t right. The cars wouldn’t just stop. Today had been one of the most incredible days she could ever experience. First, she got to come back to Derry to visit her friends after a year. It was strange how at first she didn’t recognize Bill’s voice. And that was when everything came back to her from the summer before.

Dinosaurs. Real-life actual dinosaurs! None of this felt real. Eddie’s grandfather really wanted their opinion on this part to open it to the world?”

“D-Do you think we sh-should walk?” Bill proposed an idea. “It’s not that far to-to the g-gate, right?”

“No, Bill, we should stay put,” Beverly advised. “It’s raining.”

“And we don’t know what could be out there,” Mike pointed out. “I’m sure the power will turn on in a bit or Eddie’s grandfather will send some help.”

Time crawled by. It was getting later now. Stanley shut his eyes for a little rest as Eddie was in one of his long tangents about... well, whatever was on his mind as Richie kept looking out the window through the night vision goggles. That was when he... felt it.

Crawling towards the backseat, Richie pressed a hand against Eddie’s shoulder, interrupting him. “Do you feel that?”

“Feel what?” Eddie asked, looking up at his friend, alert. Oh, if this were a trick...

Without answering, the ground shook. No, it was not an earthquake. Glancing at two cups filled with water, at each moment that they heard something pound against the ground making the water ricocheted in perfect circular rings. This wasn’t good. 

“Maybe it’s the power trying to come back on,” Stanley tried to think positively, although he sounded scared.

Richie looked through the night vision goggles again. He looked out at the spot where the goat was. But, there was no goat. The chain that held the goat swung back and forth in the air without an owner. 

Eddie grabbed his inhaler in his pocket. “Where’s the goat?”

Something hit the window. Looking up, Stanley and Eddie gasped in disgust at the half-eaten bloody leg of the goat.

His mouth hanging open, Richie removed the night goggles to stare up at the gigantic, sharp-tooth T-Rex standing right behind the fence in which separated them. The creature devoured the goat in one thick gulp. And then it turned its head and looked right at him! Its claws clung to the fence. Di it... know that her electricity was off? Yes, it was smarter!

“Jeez, on jeez!” Stanley uttered in horror.

Turning around when they heard a door open, Stanley ran out of the car!

“Where the fuck is he going?” Eddie screamed.

Richie saw him run into a bathroom which was luckily close by. “Well, when ya gotta go, then you gotta go.”

Stanley locked himself in a stall. He was a sissy to run away! He kicked himself for doing that when his friends were in need. Losers stuck together after all. Something told him that it wasn’t a good idea to come here in the first place.

“Should we leave, too?” Ben asked when he saw Stan disappear into the bathrooms.

“No, we should stay put,” Bev told them. “It’s going to...”

Hearing this horrifying creak, the group witnessed the T-Rex biting through the wired that once kept her from escaping the paddock. The poles tumbled into the mud just inches from even hitting the cars. The T-Rex stomped out of her paddock, emitting this loud and terrifying roar that made their bones raddle.

“Oh, God...” Beverly shivered. Ben placed a calming hand against her shoulder. 

Bill’s heart pounded. “J-Just keep very very still...”

Eddie scrambled into the back of the car. Anything. There had to be something here to get the other car’s attention. Opening a suitcase, he found a flashlight. Bingo!

Turning it on, the flashlight had the opposite effect that Eddie was hoping for. The Losers noticed the frantic light, but so did the T-Rex who was already walking towards the light.

“Turn the light off. Turn the light off!” Mike gritted through his teeth.

Richie grabbed for the flashlight. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

“Sorry!” Eddie cried trying to figure out how to turn it off.

“Turn it off!”

“That’s what I am trying to do!”

Hushing themselves, the T-Rex was right next to the car. The driver’s side door! It was open! Wow, Stanley didn’t even shut a door behind him.

Slowly, Richie crawled up to the front seat. He heard Eddie mutter something, but he ignored it. While the T-Rex was distracted, Richie reached out for the handle and shut the door. Unfortunately, the dinosaur heard and the creature snapped its head, staring at Richie with her ferocious eyes. Why-Why did those eyes look familiar, like another diabolical figure he knew all too well? 

Staying as still as statues, Richie just slightly turned his eyes to look at Eddie. The poor boy was shivering out of his skin. His breathing hitched, choking. The dinosaur peered in at them through the windows, staring right at Eddie who shined the light in her eyes.

“Nice move on the flashlight, dimwit!” Richie whispered.

“I didn’t know!”

Growling, the T-Rex studied the car. This gave time for the two to scoot as far back as they could. Then, thumping its mouth against the car, it dangerously rocked back and forth. Eddie screamed while Richie clung to whatever he could. What was she trying to do?

Richie climbed into the backseat, grabbing the flashlight from Eddie. “How dod you turn this thing off?”

“I don’t know!”

“How could you not know?!”

“Just find the button! It should be this one right...”

Right in sync, Eddie and Richie looked up to see the dinosaur plunging at them, breaking the glass window on the roof! It didn’t break into pieces, luckily. Screaming, Richie and Eddie could only hold the glass in front of them to avoid the T-Rex from grabbing them. What were they to do? Listening to Eddie scream in terror was bad enough, but it was the part about being helpless to do anything was what made Richie feel terrible and hopeless. 

Listening to the horrific echoes of their dear friends, the others were trying to figure out how to help their comrades if they could help them.

“We have to do something!” Ben yelled.

Beverly was already scrambled in the trunk trying to find something. Anything! “I got something!” She showed them a flare.

“Give it to me!” Bill ordered with a plan in mind.

“What are you going to do?” Mike asked him.

Now, the T-Rex capsized the Explorer making the two boys tumble with it! Pushing down on the car with her ginormous foot, she bit into the wheels. Muddy water pooled inside the car as Richie and Eddie struggled to do something.

“Richie!” Eddie hollered in fright and disgust. Were they going to drown? Oh, his mother would go insane if she were here!

Richie’s glasses were filthy that he could hardly see anything. “I’m here, Eds!” He called out to him.

Eddie managed to crawl over to his friend and grasped him as the seats, now above them, were slowly being crushed against them. The boys held each other tightly. “Don’t let go!”

“I got you! Just uh... think about your mom sniffing dog poo!”

“She doesn’t do that!”

Bill got out of the car, lighting the sparkler. “HEY!”

The T-Rex roared at him. This was insane! Here was attempting to battle a dinosaur. Sure, this nothing out of the ordinary. He battled against crazier things! 

Slowly, moving the flare around as if the dinosaur was a dog, the T-Rex actually fell for it, curiously watching the movement. Bill threw it as far as he could to the side. It proved to be the perfect distraction. The T-Rex went after it. Good, now he could help Richie and Eddie.

“Hey, hey!” Mike’s voice called out. Oh no, Bill thought to himself. Mike caught the dinosaur’s attention carrying a flare in his hand, too.

“Mike, freeze!” Beverly screamed at him. Ben held her back so she wouldn’t make a move to leap out of the car, too.

“G-Get rid of the flare!” Bill ordered.

“I got it under control!” The T-Rex changed her course, chasing after Mike who went into the direction where the bathrooms were.

“Mike, no!” Ben called out.

“Get rid of the flare!” Beverly called out to him.

Stanley felt the whole bathroom shaking. No, it was coming towards him?

Lucky for Mike, whose foot was bitten into, the T-Rex crashed into the small hut, destroyed it altogether. Mike was covered in the rubble, passing out from the pain. Stan ducked out of the way, hiding under a fallen stall. What was he to do now?

Bill fell to his knees, almost touching his head into the muddy ground to look into the mess of the car. He could just barely make out Richie and Eddie huddling together, crying. Eddie was gasping for breath.

“Hey, guys, I’m right here!” Bill told them, reaching his hand in. Beverly and Ben also arrived, falling to their knees to help.

Eddie looked up, his face completely filthy, but relieved. “Thank God!”

Richie pushed him towards the others. “Go on!”

“No, we go together!” Eddie begged, reaching for him. Bill already had his arm.

“I’m stuck! Don’t worry, I’ll get out of here!” Richie said trying to pry his foot from under one of the seats.

Eddie was pulled out, once again, mud pouring all over his face, even into his mouth. Ben sat him on his knees, helping him clean up, as Bill and Beverly helped Richie.

As soon as the mud was brushed out of Eddie’s eyes, he screamed. “GUYS!!”

Ben slapped a hand over his mouth. Bill and Beverly stayed perfectly still, holding hands.

Could the T-Rex really not see them if they were completely still? The dinosaur covered over them, its warm breath in their faces. Beverly shook. Its eyes. Why did they...

Right then, the dinosaur hit the car, turning it to the side, taking the Losers with it. Fortunately, it gave a new opportunity for them to hide as they were facing away from the creature. 

“Richie, are you okay?” Eddie asked, bending down to look into the broken windows.

“Yeah, I’m fine! My foot’s free. I can get...”

The T-Rex rammed its snout against the car, making the group back into the wall. The car was going to crush them! “Get up on the ledge!” Bill called out.

They all climbed up, nearly falling over into the paddock. The T-Rex wanted to drop the car all the way down there?!

“What do we do?”

“We have to get Richie! He’s still in there! We gotta help him!” Eddie cried. Ben was just holding him back from going to help his friend.

Bill looked around, spying a rope. “Climb onto my shoulders!” He told Bev. “Ben, take Eddie!”

Following orders, the Losers shimmied down the wall of the paddock as the car dangerously learned over, about to fall at any second.

“What are we going to do now? The car is going to hit us?” Beverly alerted.

There was another rope just off to the side, out of reach. “B-Beverly, Eddie, gr-grab the rope! Ben, we have to-to swing ourselves to that rope!”

“Huh?” Eddie was so pre-occupied about Richie still being in the car that was falling over the edge, several feet below them.

“Hey, Eddie, you’re choking me!” Ben croaked.

“S-Sorry!”

Traversing along the wall, it took a couple of tries until Bev grabbed the rope just as the car came careening into the paddock, landing in a tree.

The T-Rex let out another ear-piercing roar and then stomped off.

Making it to the ground, some members of the group cleaned off by a nearby tunnel spewing water. Eddie was trying to breathe. Bill walked up to the tree which held the car up in the branches like an apple. The headlights were still on.

“Richie? H-Hey, Richie?! Are you okay?” Bill called out.

No answer.

Eddie walked up to the tree, shaking, his breath hitched. “We gotta go help him!”

“What about Stan and Mike?” Beverly asked, noticeably shaken.

“Should we go help them?” Ben asked.

“N-No, first we help Richie, and then tog-together we go see if Stan and M-Mike are okay! You guys, w-wait here, hide, and I’ll go get Richie.”

“I’m going with you!” Eddie stepped in.

“No, Eddie, you should...”

“I’m going with you, Bill! I have to see if he’s okay. Besides...” he paused. “What if he’s hurt?”

With no more questions, Bill and Eddie climbed up the tree as Beverly and Ben hid in the tunnel. What was going to happen now?

Getting closer as they climbed the tree, there was no sign of movement in the car. “Richie?” Eddie called out. Right when he was close enough to look in, huddled up in the corner of the passenger side of the car was Richie, shivering and sniffling. 

Bill opened the door which was tricky at this vertical angle.

“Rich, are you okay? Say something!” Eddie gently said to him.

Slowly, Richie lifted his head to reveal his tear-streaked face. “I fuckin’ threw up...”

Both their faces fell at seeing their usually uppity and energetic friend look so sad and scared. Bill reached in touching the wheel to get a better grasp, inadvertently touching the wheel. 

“Come on, Rich, it’s going to be okay. Let’s get out of here,” Bill urged him.

Richie just stared at him. “W-What are we going to do?”

“Stick together, Rich! We’ll find Stan and Mike and then we’ll get back to my Grandpa’s!” Eddie said to him with a smile.

The young man still didn’t show any signs of moving. It was starting to scare them.

That’s when Eddie had an idea. “Hey, Rich?”

Richie made eye contact with him as another tear fell.

“Who do you think is smarter? That T-Rex or your mom? I’d have to say the T-Rex!”

And finally, Richie movie, grabbing Bill’s hand and climbed out of the car. “Just you wait and see who’s smarter!”

Now, they had to get out of the tree. Slowly, climbing down the branches, the three easily made progress getting closer to the ground. “I’m never climbing trees ever again!” Richie said.

Just then they heard a snap. Oh no, the car was going to fall. Scrambling, as the branches broke Bill, Richie, and Eddie hurried down each branch. Getting his foot stuck, Eddie thought he was about to get killed just as the branch above him stopped the car from colliding with him.

“Come on!” Bill urged, helping Eddie.

Just as they got out of the tree, the car landed on the ground, tipped over, and the three boys fell in the line where the hole was in the car, as it smashed to the ground.

Beverly and Ben ran out of the tunnel. “Bill?! Are you guys okay?”

“Well we’re back in the car again,” Richie lightly jabbed, catching his breath. 

“At least you’re out of the tree,” Bill said looking at the bright side.

[yeniayofnymeria]

Dance of Dragons and Players

Will be happened second DoD? Short answer; yes.

-GRRM

Hi, short question. Will we find out more about the Dance of the Dragons in future books?

The first dance or the second?

The second will be the subject of a book. The first will be mentioned from time to time, I'm sure. - SSM

-Book

“ Dragons ?” said her mother. “Teora, don’t be mad." “I’m not. They’re coming.” “How could you possibly know that?” her sister asked, with a note of scorn in her voice. “One of your little dreams?” Teora gave a tiny nod, chin trembling. "They were dancing. In my dream. And everywhere the dragons danced the people died.” (TWoW, Arianne)

History repeats itself and GRRM knows it as a history lover. That's why he does the same in his books from time to time. Events can be based on the same root cause and similar points, but each has specific conditions and roles in itself.

Therefore, it will not be correct to search for one-on-one similarity while distributing the roles of the second dance that will take place(afterall GRRM will not copy and paste) but still, I want to talk to you about this.

According to you, which players of the second DoD can match the players of the first? How will the sides be separated? Greens and Blacks or something else? Hints from books? Reasons?

I'll start first. In my opinion, not all players match, but these are the ones I think match.(Some characters fit more than one person.)

Criston Cole - Jorah Mormont

Otto Hightower - Jon Conn. and Doran Martell

Corlys Velaryon - Tyrion Lannister

Dalton Greyjoy - Victarion Greyjoy

Larys Strong - Varys (Almost same name :D )

Erryk Cargyll and Arryk Cargyll: Well, these are twins Quenn/King's Guard, one was on Rae's side and the other on Aegon. In fact, they don't have a very important role, but a "tragic" sibling relationship. There are two separate rumors that they love and hate each other. These two brothers reminded me of Jaime and Tyrion; love and hate each other and i believe they will be two different sides in the first place (later, will change probably).

Also in books, Olenna Tyrell's has twins guards, their name are Erryk and Arryk too but I can not see them a role in this war.(for now)

Addam and Alyn Valeryon - Aurane Waters

Daemon Targaryen - Euron Greyjoy

The Shepherd- High Sparrow. In fact, the current High Sparrow also looks like the Sparrow in the time of Maegor and Aenys. We can say he is the mix of all of them.

This is the role distribution for me for now. Let's come to the leading roles.

How are the sides separated? A name, a color, a coat of arms ...

In fact, before the first Dance, divisions began in the form of the Rhaenyra party and the Alicent party, but then they were divided into blacks and greens because of the clothes they wore in a tournament.

No doubt there is no tournament. For the Dance of the Dragons, it is right to look at the colors of the dragons.

Rhaegal - Green (Jon)

Drogon - Black (Dany)

Viserion- White (Aegon?)

The first dance was between two sides, so it might be thought that the second dance would be the same. Readers often assume this way. Could be true. But we have three dragons and three colors. Also three of our throne candidates; Jon, Dany, Aegon.

If the dance is between the two sides, we will wait for them to separate as blacks and greens. If it will be experienced among three sides, it will be necessary to add whites.

Even Tyrion's eyes are a sign of this; green and black. He will play both sides like Moqorro's said.

"Someone told me that the night is dark and full of terrors. What do you see in those flames?"

"Dragons," Moqorro said in the Common Tongue of Westeros. He spoke it very well, with hardly a trace of accent. No doubt that was one reason the high priest Benerro had chosen him to bring the faith of R'hllor to Daenerys Targaryen. "Dragons old and young, true and false, bright and dark. And you. A small man with a big shadow, snarling in the midst of all."

"Snarling? An amiable fellow like me?" Tyrion was almost flattered.

And also he has dream. It is a sign too for Dance 2, i believe.

That night Tyrion Lannister dreamed of a battle that turned the hills of Westeros as red as blood. He was in the midst of it, dealing death with an axe as big as he was, fighting side by side with Barristan the Bold and Bittersteel as dragons wheeled across the sky above them. In the dream he had two heads, both noseless. His father led the enemy, so he slew him once again. Then he killed his brother, Jaime, hacking at his face until it was a red ruin, laughing every time he struck a blow. Only when the fight was finished did he realize that his second head was weeping.

It should not be forgotten that Tyrion is Jon's friend, and he has relatives with Stark as he is married to Sansa. (A bitter marriage, but ultimately a marriage.)

Some readers think that Jon cannot be part of this Dance because he is not interested sit the iron throne. I think we're looking at it from the wrong place. The sole aim and sole focus of this war will not be the throne itself. There are too many variable factors in the Second Dance that are not in the first.

What are those?

Starks and Targaryens hate the Lannisters, Targanyens (Dany) hate the Starks, Lannisters and Baratheons. Dany wants revenge. Lannisters cannot easily approach anyone this time, everyone hates them. But Tyreller wants to have power. Marg's being a queen means that Tyrels have power. So for now, there is an alliance between these two households. (Lannister-Tyrell) An probably there is this Blackfyre issue. There are the Others beyond the North. The battle of Ice and Fire will take place. Jon doesn't have zero ambition, as in the show. We know that he will experience a serious change after his resurrection. He will become a darker character. Anyway, even Arya can have an influence on Jon, as she turns into a vengeful spirit. (My “the champion” theory)

This dance will most likely be in the last book. In the last book, it is not possible to commit both the Dance and the Others war at the same time. This always makes me think. So I thought GRRM could nest these two battles.

As a result, Jon will be drawn into this war, even if he doesn't want to. Some things are inevitable, especially after deciphering his true identity. So, if the parties are going to be greens and blacks ... And if the colors of the dragons decide ... Then it seems inevitable that Jon is the leader of the greens.

If Aegon is truly a Blackfyre, Jon is the prince's only child. Is it wrong to wait for Jon to ride the dragon named after his father?

( I can't imagine Jon riding Viserion even if Aegon is the real Targaryen. Viserion name? Really? Püfff If the name of the white dragon was Rhaegal, okay but not. Actually, there is this too. If GRRM would not make Jon the leader of the greens, why he did call the green dragon as Rhaegal ? The white dragon would have given this name. Or he would have given the white dragon a more appropriate name. Since the dragon is white, we would think that Jon would ride this dragon. White-headed sword, white wolf arm and white wolf. It makes sense. But the green one was called Rhaegal and the white one was called Viserion. We need to think about that. )

One of the reasons I think the dance's main sides will be Jon and Dany is this.

A blue flower grew from a chink in a wall of ice, and filled the air with sweetness. . . . mother of dragons, bride of fire . . .

Jonerys fans believe this is a FS for "love". No it is not. First of all, the symbol of love is red rose, not blue rose. The blue rose symbolizes Lyanna and Jon. Another name for the blue rose is the snow blue flower. This flower is the symbol of the north and Winterfell. The sweet smell was presented as a death sign in this books many times.

Example:

He never left his bed, though, and the smell of sickness clung to him day and night, a hot, moist, sickly sweet odor. (Ser Darry's moment of death.)

A foul, sweet smell rose from the wound, so thick it almost choked her. The leaves were crusted with blood and pus, Drogo's breast black and glistening with corruption. (Drogo dies)

There was a smell of death about that room; a heavy smell, sweet and foul, clinging. (Cat's father's room)

Another important detail is that Undying ones showed her important things. The things and people threatening her, her enemies ... They tell her to be careful. In summary, Jon is a "death" threat to Dany, directly or indirectly. Ever since I noticed this detail, I waited for Jon to cause her death. I don't need to tell you the result. :D Of course I was waiting in the books ...

In order for this to happen, these two have to be enemies; greens and blacks.

Well, if there is a third side? Then it is Aegon. Whites. Blackfyre. Tyrion had a relationship with all three dragons. (He will meet Dany.) Moqorro actually counted all kinds of dragons.

3 number is important for Targaryens. Aerys had 3 living children, Jon is third child. Dragon has 3 heads. There are 3 dragons. Dany's prophecies and this Moqorro's dragon prophecies: old and young, true and false, bright and dark.

Generally, we thought that every word in a sentence describes a person, but so many dragons should not be expected. Besides dragon has 3 heads :D

Old-Young is 1 person.

True- False is 1 person.

Bright-Dark is 1 person.

All dragons are fighting, and Tyrion is in the middle of this war and is stuck in between them.

The white cyvasse dragon ended up at Tyrion's feet. He scooped it off the carpet and wiped it on his sleeve, but some of the Yunkish blood had collected in the fine grooves of the carving, so the pale wood seemed veined with red... He tossed the bloody dragon in the air, caught it, grinned.

This is an interesting detail. Perhaps the white dragon (Aegon) would die first in this war. If the dance is going to die between 2 sides (greens-blacks) then Viseron will probably never come to the west. (If this is a FS for Viserion. Viserion was the dragon that was frequently seen in this pov and took action. 6th book.)

What do you think?

[an-avid-reader]

Opal (Lux #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

my rating: 3.5/5 stars

After losing her father, Katy and her mom move across the country to West Virginia. With her luck, Katy's new neighbour is pleasing to the eyes...maybe even abnormally so. But that's not all, this town has it's secrets--maybe that's just how small towns are. Little does Katy know that her new neighbours Daemon and Dee are more than they appear to be. As Katy is swept into Daemon and Dee’s lives, she quickly learns that they are aliens; as she spends more time with them, Katy has an aura which makes her a target to other aliens. Paradoxically, Katy must be protected by the twins while also losing the aura before she gets killed.

Note: this review is written after rereading the book

Link to Goodreads // book 1 / 2 // Spoilers in review!

Alright, where do we start--the I-told-you-sos or the this-needs-to-happen-but-morals-are-a-things ? Man, oh man, this book is literally chasing one goal: to get Bethany (and Chris *sigh*) out of the warehouse, but the obstacles and challenges?? What a ride.

I wanted to start off by talking about Armentrout’s writing and how I appreciate how it’s changed from book 1 onto this book (and undoubtedly changes with each book she publishes (or doesn’t)). I felt like while there wasn’t as much “action” happening in this part of the series, we got to delve into the characters’ relationship with on another--notably Dee and Katy’s relationship and how we can still build bridges after a fire *wipes single tear*. We obviously get to see Katy and Daemon’s relationship grow - which (assuming you’ve already read the book) damn some of those scenes are graphic ! But at the same time, it didn’t feel like it was overdone, if that makes sense. In terms of the plot, or the timeline rather, everything felt like it was happening naturally; we don’t just skip from one part to another without an explanation. Everything seemed to be meticulously planned out--some events having much more foreshadowing than others--and we never lost sight of the main goal of the book. I feel like sometimes we get sidetracked into smaller adventures, but in this case, everything that happened was done with the intention of rescuing Bethany and Chris, so it just reinforced the fact that the Luxen really care about them.

Alright, now onto other aspects of the novel--I will admit, when I started reading this book, I don’t actually remember what happened in book 3+4 of this series. It’s odd because I didn’t feel like this book was just filler (though it did feel more like a “bridge book” than Onyx. Nevertheless, we pick up on where we ended in book 2 (I’m telling you--you’ve got to binge these books!). We get to connect with Dawson and Katy-I found that their exchanges seemed natural, I’m not surprised that Dawson didn’t really feel like talking with his siblings. Katy was just there for him, she was willing to listen, and she didn’t push him into an interrogation session. She was just someone from the outside who he could talk to without feeling judged--that’s the type of person we all need in our lives to be honest. 

I honestly felt a bit bad for Katy, or rather for her mom, because it was just...wrong...to keep her mom in the dark about the Luxen, but more importantly, about Will. Not to mention, it’s a huge risk as Katy’s mom would become a liability. I also think that Katy’s mom wouldn’t believe her--I imagine she’d say something like “oh Will isn’t trying to replace your dad” blah blah. But now Will isn’t a problem anymore...while these are fictional characters, we need to consider the morals of the situation. Of course Will was a piece of garbage (just like another character we all know…) so I guess his death was kind of his own doing, but then again a life is a life. Murder isn’t right, and it shouldn’t be justified unless it’s for self-defense, but even then things are a little hazy. I think what we can take away from this book is that it’s a good sign that Katy and Daemon understand the consequences of their actions, and they regularly check-in with one another to ensure that they don’t follow the same dark path that Will and Blake did.

So that’s about it for the morals, I guess, but, for the I-told-you-sos...well there’s Blake and the attitude/confidence that everyone had. I’ll start with the latter: I think the most obvious foreshadowing was that “everything will go fine” pep talk that the characters had with each other for BOTH times they were going to the warehouse. Sure we might not have known what nor the magnitude of what was going to happen, but the who or why was pretty obvious: Blake. I felt like these pep talks--while it’s key to have a positive mindset when you do something that’s scary, I felt like it also hindered their (Katy, Daemon, Dawson, etc.) ability to plan just in case something went wrong. And how do we know Blake would have his hand in this situation? Because it’s Blake. After the first betrayal from book 2, anything that comes out of that man’s mouth can be taken with a bucket-load of salt. Not to mention he literally blackmails Katy into his plan, so that’s another warning that he must have some personal gain. Double agent? Big yikes. Luc’s comment on trust? Another big hint. Can I also just say that Luc acts like a spoiled brat who needs to get off his high horse?? He’s trying to replace Matthew by giving some advice, but he’s a smol child. Y’all can’t beat Matthew, he’s still the most underrated character! ANYWAYS, needless to say, I felt like everyone was just walking into Blake’s trap again and their lack of judgement and overconfidence was the cause of their downfall.

Gosh, I have to hand it to Armentrout, Blake is such a good villain--I honestly despise his guts and he’s a fictional character. I think what makes him a good villain is because he acts like a Venus fly trap--what he has to offer seems almost too good to be true and BAM you get sucked in and there’s no escape because he’s also a snake. The airborne onyx, the opal?? “Oh yeah those are minor details” BRO. He’s so manipulative and I feel like he tells little white lies which is how he was able to get away with his crap (in addition to the blackmailing). I think the worst part is that there are some people who are trapped in a similar situation--not the alien thing, but the manipulation of a partner or a “friend”, which stems from the same ‘methods’, if that makes sense. I also just have a question about a small detail that never made sense to me. So upon Blake’s death, Nancy would get a letter and she finds out about everything--Katy, Dawson, etc. But...how would the letter be sent???? Blake’s dead so that’s not an option, his uncle is in the same situation...unless there’s an implant watching Blake or there’s some sort of sensor that acts as a trigger...I mean I guess Blake also plays a pretty big role with the DOD so I feel like his death would be learned about pretty quickly, but still...these small details are still details!!

I just remember about halfway through the book, I was like how did we get into this mess. You know when you’re watching a movie or tv series and the characters are in deep trouble and they’re kinda stuck or have only a few options? Yeah, trusting that one person who ends up betraying you will absolutely blow up in your face, and hitting the rewind button isn’t a thing, unfortunately. Anyways, that’s the feeling I had when everything was heading south, and then it just kept getting worse and worse--gaaaahhh. I guess the only thing that wasn’t terrible was Katy and Daemon’s relationship. As I’ve already mentioned, some of those scenes were super steamy, and I’m sure the last two books will be no different (spoiler--I already know something that happens within the next two books but I forget when it happens lmao). Their relationship went from 0-100 quickly, but also because it developed over the course of 2 books, the pacing seemed reasonable?? 

And finally, I wanted to briefly mention Matthew and how he’s still underrated. LISTEN. This man literally says stuff aloud that’s on everyone’s minds; “Ash, you need to learn a tad bit more sensitivity". Get  W R E C K E D, Ashley (but for real, she’s developed a lot from book 1, and I think that has to do with maybe accepting that Daemon isn’t in love with her, as well as her brother’s death). Matthew is literally the glue that keeps the Luxen crew from falling apart, especially during those stressful times, such as the warehouse expeditions. He’s that wholesome but also high key broken character we need to appreciate a lil more.

So overall for me, this book felt slightly like a filler for what’s to come in the second half of this series, but with Armentrout’s writing changing from book one to book three, and the development of the characters and the timeline of the plot, I would say this installment falls between book one and two in terms of the rating. I sincerely hope that the characters continue to grow and develop some thinking skills, especially when it comes to trust and uhh...people whose names start with a B and end with a LAKE...You know the saying...seasons change but people don’t!! Ahhh something tells me Blake will still be in book 4 *sighs heavily*.

I’d love to know your thoughts on this book in the Lux series--how would you rate it compared to the other books in the series? Did you like it or nah? I’d love to know! =D

Thank you for reading my review, I hope you are having an outstanding day, wherever you are in the world!

- Cassandra / an-avid-reader

PS: Happy New Year everybody! I hope 2020 treats y’all well <3

[fortunatelylori]

Coming into Season 8 Jonsa will have old tension we saw in 6 and 7 (the subtext), new tension from being separated and reunited, tension from wtv is going on with Jon and Dany and then sibling turned to cousin tension (which I believe will find out pretty early). How do you see Jonsa acting with all of this going on and at what pt is this tension no longer subtext?

Hey, nonnie!

That sounds like quite the romantic bomb waiting to explode, doesn’t it? Those two crazy kids are just swimming in all kinds of tension. :))))

My short answer to your question is … fairly quickly. In fact, let me go even further and put a timer on it: in the 1st or 2nd episode this multi-layered tension should become text instead of subtext. If Jonsa doesn’t get revealed in episode 1 or at the latest episode 2, I would be very surprised if it happens at all. Or if it does, it just won’t be as satisfying. 

The main reasons why I say this are: 

1. We know from interviews and press coverage that episode 3 will most likely be the big battle with the army of the dead. 

This means that the bulk of the personal and political drama that will unfold at Winterfell must occur in episode 1 and 2. In order for Jonsa to have the full impact they’re looking for after building up the tension for 2 seasons and for them to explore the love triangle fully, Jonsa needs to get revealed during those episodes. 

Now I know a lot of people are afraid that the Sansa/D*ny conflict will be centered solely around Jon and their feelings for him and that it will feel like a cat fight. I don’t think that’s the case since the first two episodes have a lot of other pay offs that they need to reveal, namely the antagonism of the Northern Lords, Sansa’s own personal issues with D*ny coming over and wanting to take control of the North and potentially Winterfell, Jon contending with bending the knee in front of the Northern Lords and his family, Sam finding out about his father and brother, Jon finding out about his parentage and the Starks being forced to keep this a secret. In short, there will be opportunities for Sansa and D*ny to get into a lot more conflicts, than just their jealousy. 

However, since a love triangle is very much in play, they will bring it to the table. There’s no point in having it unless we’re going to get some pining, some sighing, some anger, some misunderstandings, some insecurities. And the easiest way of doing this is by revealing Jonsa in some capacity. If they don’t confess their love for each other or at least we see that Sansa loves Jon, then there is no love triangle to play with and what would be the point then? They would miss an opportunity for drama and I don’t know any writers who would do that. And what would be the purpose? Stretching the mystery even longer? You keep something secret in a narrative for a long time so you can reveal it at the most dramatic moment possible. And for Jonsa that’s episode 1 or 2. 

2. The potential kidnapping of Sansa

If this is to come into play it would have to be at around episode 3 or 4, at the latest so you can milk the Cersei/Sansa interaction for all its worth. Have enough narrative time for Jon to come over to King’s Landing. Deal with the Cersei issue. And then finish off with Dance of Dragons 2.0. 

And from a narrative perspective, Jonsa having been revealed, the audience knowing that Jon loves Sansa or perhaps them even being married at the time (in a secret ceremony I’ll delve into a little bit further down) just adds more stakes to the whole thing. Particularly if none of the characters, or very few, are aware of it. This is also the most opportune moment for Political Jon to be revealed to D*ny and her finding out that Jon never loved her and was in fact in love with Sansa all the time he pretended to be with her. Talk about DRAMA! :)))

So in terms of how I see the Jonsa vs. D*ny plot playing out, I’d say that: 

Episode 1 - Parentage and Jonsa reveal

Episode 2 -  full on love triangle ending with secret wedding

Episode 3 - Sansa kidnapping, Jonsa reveal to D*ny, Jon off to the rescue

Episode 4 - Sansa/Cersei showdown; Jon arriving to bend the knee

Episode 5 - Cersei taken out; Jon and Sansa together; start of Dance of Dragons

Episode 6 - Full on Dance of Dragons 2.0; Jonsa resolution/rebuilding Westeros epilogue

As for how the Jonsa reveal happens, one scenario I seem to come back to again and again is this: 

As you well pointed out, in addition to the romantic tension that has been building up for 2 seasons, Jonsa will also experience the tension of being separated. Jon looks like a love starved man when he rushes into Sansa’s arms. He’s weak as hell and he’ll probably be less able to control his emotions around her than he was before he left (and let’s be real, he was never that good at it to begin with, ). Add to that the fact that Sansa is most likely very angry with him for having bent the knee and Jon will try to look for any opportunity to explain himself. 

Also, while he was away, Sansa couldn’t help herself from mentioning him again and again. And LF has already planted the seed of him falling in love and marrying D*ny so emotionally she’s very vulnerable as well and perhaps with a lower guard than usual. 

So instead of the tension slowly unraveling, I see it just exploding in one scene. This most likely will occur after the parentage reveal. And in order to play with the season 1, episode 1 parallel, it will happen in the Broken Tower. 

So the way I see it is that all through the first episode for one reason or another Jon and Sansa aren’t able to speak privately. And at the end of the episode, after Jon finds out the truth about his parentage, they finally manage to talk alone. And that’s when things come to a head. Because Jon will try to explain pol!Jon to Sansa (good luck with that, Jon! it took me the better part of an afternoon to even scratch the surface). Sansa will be angry and go on the attack. And all that tension we saw in the tent scene will only exacerbate and they will end up giving into their feelings for each other.  And to end the episode on a cliff hanger, you’ll have someone seeing them. 

I think the best candidate for the “intruder” is Tyrion, mirroring him watching Jon enter D*ny’s cabin at the end of season 7. This would also play into him proposing a marriage between himself and Sansa after he discovers Jonsa.

By season 8, Tyrion would be aware of the power Sansa holds in the North and he already knows that Jon and D*ny have had sex. If he discovers Jonsa as well it might push him to propose a marriage for several reasons. 

For one, he’d want to break up Jonsa to ensure that D*ny doesn’t find out and abandon the fight with the NK. Since the show has portrayed Tyrion as a hero, it seems likely to me that he’d be pretty invested in not wanting the dead to kill the whole of Westeros and just like everyone else he’d be under the mistaken assumption that D*ny, her dragons and her armies are the key to defeating him (newsflash: IT’S BRAN!!!!). 

Then there’s the matter of him figuring out how much power Sansa holds and wanting to get that for himself and his queen and try to neutralize Jon in the process. 

Now as for the secret wedding I was referring to earlier … I keep coming back to this because of: 

The Sansa/Lyanna parallels: 

They keep pushing for this parallel with Sansa having her hair braided in a similar fashion to what we see Lyanna wear in the wedding ceremony flash-back as well as the play on the feather motif. That feather has come to represent the secret of Jon’s parentage but it’s significant that they chose Sansa to rediscover it in season 5. They could have gone with Jon in season 7 finding it to signal the secret parentage but they didn’t. They had Sansa dust it off and place it back in statue Lyanna’s hand and followed that up with the dialogue of LF intimating that he knew the truth behind Lyanna’s “abduction”. 

So since they took so much care to link Sansa to Lyanna visually, it makes sense to me that she would end up involved in a secret marriage of her own to Jon. 

The reason for this, I suspect at this point, is two fold: for one if the theory that D*ny’s camp will try to push a Tyrion marriage on Sansa is correct, the simplest way for her to get out of it is if she is already married. And you can have another parallel here to Rhaegar/Lyanna/Robert where Lyanna fell for Rhaegar as a way of getting out of her marriage to Robert. 

The other aspect is the reveal of Jon being a Targareyen. The easiest way to neutralize the threat he poses to D*ny from their perspective as well as ensure that the Northern Lords continue to support him is for Sansa to marry him and make him a Stark. 

Of course, this would also lead to complications because D*ny is bound to take Jon marrying another woman very badly, particularly coupled with her finding out that Jon is her rival for the Iron Throne. But that’s the beauty of this secret wedding theory and the parallel to Rhaegar/Lyanna because a certain amount of hubris needs to be involved in it as well. And just like the Rhaegar/Lyanna elopement and marriage led to Robert’s rebellion, the Jonsa secret wedding can lead to the Dance of Dragons 2.0. There are other reasons for the DoD 2.0, of course, but then again there were several reasons why Robert’s rebellion started as well. Jonsa/Rhaegar&Lyanna both serve as inciting incidents in a way. 

And also it would be a cool way of ending the episode as well because Jon and Sansa get married and are happy (hopefully with a wedding night to end all wedding nights) but they never manage to reveal what they have done because the NK and his army attack Winterfell. 

And the marriage ends up becoming public knowledge only after Sansa is kidnapped which would just exacerbate the Jon/D*ny conflict even further. 

So there it is, nonnie! My best estimation of how the Jonsa reveal and romantic tension will pay off in season 8. I feel like I just went to whatever version of heaven shippers go to. :))))

Thanks for the ask!

[astradrifting]

While Tyland seems to mirror Tyrion, the latter has already experienced all that in the book, hasn't he? Serving the wrong regime, being hated by the people, being badly disfigured etc. But now he's bringing an enemy with dragons to Westeros. Isn't that far beyond Tyland? I keep thinking the Lannister in the service of a rotten regime and for the wrong reasons (Cersei) might be Jamie. He too is disfigured. Is there a parallel for him in DoD?

(referencing this post)

Well, Tyland was sent across the Narrow Sea to Pentos to get sellswords for the Greens but failed, so maybe Tyrion bringing Dany across is meant to be him succeeding where Tyland failed. But you’re right, the foreshadowing events have already happened for Tyrion and it seems repetitive for his story to progress in exactly that way again. The show seemed to indicate that this was his endgame, but I could see D&D giving him this ‘happy ending’ purely because he’s their favourite, maybe swapping his ending with another character’s to facilitate it. The removal of the Tysha reveal so completely stagnated Tyrion’s character arc, which might be why D&D seemed to have no idea what to do with him post s4 aside from get him sucked into the Dany-cult.

There’s definitely meant to be a link between Ser Criston Cole and Jaime, though more of a mirror reflection than parallels. Cole was known as the Kingmaker, for his crucial role in playing Aegon II and Rhaenyra against each other at the start of the Dance, and was later made Aegon’s Hand. He was once Rhaenyra’s loyal sworn sword, until one of them spurned the other before her wedding to Laenor Velaryon. Either he asked her to run away with him to the Free Cities and she rejected him, or she tried to seduce him (for a second time) in the White Sword Tower and he rejected her. Either way, they clearly had a falling out, after which Rhaenyra turned to Ser Harwin Strong and Cole became a supporter of the Greens and Queen Alicent’s new sworn sword. This is similar to Jaime turning away from Cersei for her infidelity, though he doesn’t go so far as supporting the younger brother that will kill her and keeping her from the throne just yet.

Cole’s death is clearly a reference to the Red Wedding - at the Red Wedding, Robb was hit by three crossbow bolts, before Roose Bolton killed him while saying “Jaime Lannister sends his regards.” Criston Cole died at the Butcher’s Ball, a battle in the riverlands near the God’s Eye, killed by three arrows. The man in charge of the archers, and one of the men who killed him, was called Red Robb Rivers. His head was later put upon a spear and marched to another battle. But considering this is already a reversal of Robb’s exact fate in the books, I don’t know if Cole’s death is meant to provide foreshadowing for Jaime’s ending. He seems to be more of Jaime’s foil than a true parallel - Cole appeared to truly hate Rhaenyra in the end and worked to destroy everything she had, but I think Jaime is going to find it harder to give up on Cersei no matter what he says.

Some of Tyland and Tyrion’s parallels could actually apply to Jaime too, in some ways mapping closer to Jaime:

- Tyland was the younger twin of Lord Jason Lannister, as Jaime is Cersei’s younger twin.

- both were tortured and disfigured by the opposite side in war.

- Tyland’s policies benefitted lords, but made him hated by the smallfolk - similarly, Jaime’s slaying of Aerys actually benefitted the nobility, since it was they that Aerys tended to target, but has made him reviled by the smallfolk as the Kingslayer.

- Tyland advised Aegon II to kill his nephew Aegon the Younger instead of just gelding him or sending him to the Wall, because he would always be a threat to his reign. Tyrion has never threatened Bran (yet, at least), but Jaime has already tried to kill him, and later said that he should be killed, ostensibly for mercy but really because Bran was a threat to his and Cersei’s secret.

I’m still more inclined to think that Jaime and Cersei’s endings are linked in some way. But there’s also a lot of possible foreshadowing for Jaime being Hand within the books - @fedonciadale wrote a meta about Jaime possibly becoming Hand before s8. He also spends much of Feast riding around the Riverlands trying to clean up the war, during which he dreams of becoming known as Goldenhand the Just, instead of the Kingslayer. Of course, right now it’s incomprehensible why exactly either Bran or his council of regents would choose to make Jaime his Hand, aside from possibly appeasing supporters of the old Lannister regime, but Tyrion becoming Hand is pretty baffling too. I’d think that either of them would be especially insulting to both Sansa personally and the Martells, but if both the North and Dorne go independent at the end they probably wouldn’t have a say in who becomes Hand in the remaining kingdoms.

I don’t know why it would happen politically, but I could see why it might happen thematically. It might be a bitter, full circle of sorts for Jaime to end up loyally serving a king he’s already wronged.

In Jaime’s last AFFC chapter, he makes plans to eventually return to KL, but not for Cersei. He intends to separate Cersei from Tommen and find him a new small council, considering a slew of lords who could become the new Hand (even Baelish, bizarrely enough), but conspiciously not including himself, even though he’s already planning political manouevres and there have been previous Lord Commanders of the Kingsguard who have served as the Hand e.g. Ser Ryam Redwyne, and Ser Criston Cole during the Dance. He even wants to tell Tommen that he’s his father.

And he had done his own part here at Riverrun without actually ever taking up arms against the Starks or Tullys. Once he found the Blackfish, he would be free to return to King's Landing, where he belonged. My place is with my king. With my son. Would Tommen want to know that? The truth could cost the boy his throne. Would you sooner have a father or a chair, lad? Jaime wished he knew the answer. 

(AFFC, Jaime VII)

He seems to want a second chance, with Tommen after years of not truly acknowledging him as his son, and as a knight of the Kingsguard. The last king he truly served, he ended up stabbing in front of the Iron Throne. Robert barely even counts, because Jaime never had any real loyalty to him. Now he has grand plans to guide Tommen as king that will ultimately be disrupted, first by Lady Stoneheart, then likely by Aegon coming out of the woodwork and taking the crown from either Cersei or Tommen. If Jaime survives to the end of the series, he might end up serving a final king.

Bran and Tommen have often been linked to each other and contrasted throughout the series. They’re the same age, both second sons, and Sansa thinks explicitly that Tommen reminds her of Bran in ACOK. At the very beginning of AGOT, they have a sparring match, in which Bran knocks Tommen down:

There was a shout from the courtyard below. Prince Tommen was rolling in the dust, trying to get up and failing. All the padding made him look like a turtle on its back. Bran was standing over him with upraised wooden sword, ready to whack him again once he regained his feet.

(AGOT, Arya I)

There’s a more oblique link made when the Lannisters are discussing Bran’s fall:

“[...] There is nothing Lord Eddard can do for the boy in any case."

"He could end his torment," Jaime said. "I would, if it were my son. It would be a mercy."

"I advise against putting that suggestion to Lord Eddard, sweet brother," Tyrion said. "He would not take it kindly."

(AGOT, Tyrion I)

In AFFC/ADWD, Jon bitterly remembers the spar between Bran and Tommen:

"At Winterfell, Tommen fought my brother Bran with wooden swords," Jon said, remembering. "He wore so much padding he looked like a stuffed goose. Bran knocked him to the ground." He went to the window and threw the shutters open. The air outside was cold and bracing, though the sky was a dull grey. "Yet Bran's dead, and pudgy pink-faced Tommen is sitting on the Iron Throne, with a crown nestled amongst his golden curls."

(ADWD, Jon II)

Except Bran isn’t dead, and it’s Tommen’s prospects that aren’t looking good. By the end of the series, their positions will likely have reversed entirely from Jon’s statement - Bran will be the boy with a crown in his curly hair, while Tommen might be the one tragically killed in his home.

There would be something bitter and darkly ironic in it, if the boy-king Jaime gets a second chance with isn’t the son he desperately wants to know, but the boy he threw out of a window.

[mebongster87]

GOT Season 8 lineup

So the official Wikipedia page of GOT Season 8 has this list of episodes with the writers and directors for each episode and I am sooo hyped.

Looks like David Nutter of the “Red Wedding” and “Cersei’s Walk of Atonement in Mother’s Mercy” fame will be directing 3 episodes while Miguel Sapochnik of “Hardhome”, “Battle of Bastards”, and “Winds of Winter” fame is doing 2 episodes and the series finale is being helmed by D&D.

Based on what we know so far..I have some broadstrokes of what we might expect. This is just pure speculation.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Episode 1 will mirror S01E01, Robert’s Arrival scenes with Dany and her retinue showing up at Winterfell.

I am hoping that Jamie Lannister will probably arrive before Dany does because that will give rise to huge drama and surprise on D and Tyrion’s part to see Jamie at Winterfell without the Lannister army in tow and who knows maybe Jamie would've already sworn himself to the Starks by then. 

Episode 2 is being written by Bryan Cogman, Captain of HMS JonSa!!!!

Like if Jon does not get to know about R+L=J in Episode 1, I could totally see it happening in this episode. Who better to write all that JonSa angst, if not good ol’ Cogman!!! 

A tenner says that Jon and Sansa will have an angst-filled argument and may end up admitting feelings for each other...oh my shipper's heart is really looking forward to this episode, especially because the next Episode 3, I think, is going to be the battle against the Army of the Dead. If GRRM and D&D were always planning on depicting JonSa as the epic love story of ASOIAF and GOT, then having Jon and Sansa admitting their feelings to each other before the battle, would seal the deal for GA and the readers. I think. Not only will it fulfill a lot of romantic tropes where the hero goes off to war after promising his love to the heroine and vows to come back for her, but I believe that Jon doing this will hit the nail on the coffin of the red herring romance of Jon and D (just my personal opinion).

Episode 3 is being directed by Miguel Sapochnik, so I think he will do the major battle scenes. Episode 3 is probably going to be the fight against the Army of the Dead. 

Some non-war action will also happen here and I am guessing that if there is any truth to those kidnapping rumors then this episode could be where Sansa’s kidnapping by the Golden Company takes place.

Episode 4 will have David Nutter back at its helm, and I dunno, this episode just smells of “treason and betrayal” when shits going to hit the roof and D goes fully dark and breaks bad! This episode may be the set-up for the “Dance of Dragons 2.0″ to follow next. KL might burn in this episode, if not the next one.

Jon comes back from the battle and loses his marbles when he finds out Sansa has been taken captive. Plans on going to KL to bring back Sansa, Cersei demands he bend the knee to her in exchange of Sansa. Dany accuses Jon of treason/betrayal by willing to go over to the enemy side (D considers Cersei her enemy).

I think this conversation will mirror Jamie and Cersei’s conversation from the Dragon and the Wolf episode of Season 7 when Jamie decides to finally leave Cersei and head North. Jamie being a foil to Jon and Cersei being parallel to D. Both committed incest within the same season, and I think if D is pregnant then that would mirror Cersei being pregnant as well. Cersei accuses Jamie of treason and siding with his enemies and I can totally see D saying the same to Jon. Cue “treason for love”!!!!!

In terms of Political Jon theory, I think it will be ousted by episode 2 at the most to the Starks and maybe Bronze Royce. However, there is no way I see this getting out to D’s camp, because that will jeopardize her help in the battle against the Army of the Dead. Jon and the Starks cannot afford to let that slip. However, the truth will come out and that will probably happen in episode 4. The fact that Jon a) pretended to bend the knee, b) is the trueborn son and heir to the IT, and c) probably does not love D, and d) is ready to drop her like a hot potato to go to KL to bring Sansa back and may end up having to bend the knee to Cersei (for real this time) will be enough to trigger full-blown meltdown of D (and the GA in general). 

(*Grabs the popcorn and sits back!!*)

Episode 5 may be “Dance of Dragons 2.0″ directed by Miguel Sapochnik, so expect battles. This will probably see Jon, the North, and Jamie fighting D on Drogon and her armies of Dothraki and Unsullied. Jon on Rhaegal (probably) vs D on Drogon (greens vs blacks), Jamie vs Tyrion, Theon and Yara vs Euron....

Remember what Shireen said in S05E09

Shireen: It’s the story of the fight between Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother Aegon for control of the Seven Kingdoms. Both of them thought they belonged on the Iron Throne. When people started for declaring for one of them or the other, their fight divided the kingdom in two. Brothers fought brothers. Dragons fought dragons. By the time it was over, thousands were dead. And it was a disaster for the Targaryens as well. They never truly recovered.

Well, we will finally get to see DoD 2.0 in Episode 5. D and Tyrion and Euron may end up dead by the end of this episode. In almost every season of GOT, a big death always occurs in the penultimate episode of the season. It would be right cheeky if D&D name this episode “Meltdown”!!lol

Episode 6 is the Series Finale and will have D&D directing it and I would love for it to be called “A Dream of Spring”, where we will most likely get to see the aftermath of a war-ravaged Westeros. Jon and Sansa will be crowned King and Queen of the 7Ks, with Jamie Lannister as the Hand of the King.

The more I think about Jamie, the more I feel like it would be fitting for him to be the last surviving Lannister to carry his family name into the new era. Given what Tywin wanted for Jamie was to fulfill his legacy by becoming the Lannister heir and being the man Tywin always wanted him to be, Jamie realizing this would also echo another father’s legacy through his children. Sansa and Jon realizing Ned Stark’s legacy would mirror Jamie realizing Tywin’s legacy but in a much more positive and reconciliatory light. I could be wrong, but I think given that a Stark-Lannister Conflict, instigated by Littlefinger’s machinations, delved the realm into full-blown war, I could totally see GRRM going for a Stark-Lannister Coalition to defeat the real enemies and unite Westeros and usher in a new spring post-Battle for the Dawn. I think it would be fitting to bring the story to a full circle. 

Again, these are just simple speculations on my part. Would love to hear what do others in the JonSa fandom think?

[ramune-moved]

I've only played nier and automata but I want to play drakengard really bad...I love the nier cast so much kaine and Emil are my faves and EMIL IN AUTOMATA MADE ME CRY...

Ur so valid!!! I’ve only seen lps of dod (short for the jp name drag on dragoon) / drakengard 3, nier gestalt and nier automata but gosh I LOV EVERYONE SMM... minus some of the dod3 disciples (deca, octa and cent too but he’s on thin ice) bc they can choke!!!

BUT EEE big agree!! Kainé is such a good and if you love her then you’re gonna love zero in dod3 both are kick ass lesbians :D Emil is a big sweet ♡ too and gosh yhhh the automata stuff with him is a big :((( esp with the context of gestalt / replicant. like eee the experiment stuff and his sister gets me every time ;;;;

Also!! SINoALICE is getting localised this year I think so that’s cool!! It’s another part of the taroverse iirc and I’ve been playing the jp version a little on and off xbshvzzv the charas are cute!! All based off of fairy tales :0 and they’ve had nier automata and dod 3 collabs too!!

And re: playing dod, from what I’ve seen / know dod3 is the easier to get into compared to the other games bc of its gameplay and is more engaging !! It’s also the start for a lot of the lore in the series and is where the nier spin offs derive from :D

Anyway!! Have my fave dod3 screen(s)!!