#and i might be wrong but i don’t think jon burns his hand in the show so they may not know this

[im-in-andromeda]

one thing that always amuses me is when people imagine jon snow to have the same ability as dany to just not be burned by fire when it’s a rather significant plot point (one which leads to him getting longclaw) that one of his hands is burnt and painful as fuck and he has to compulsively flex it constantly as a form of physical therapy

[estrellami-1]

If I Should Stay

Part 1 | . . . | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10

“So,” Nancy says, all business. Steve knows her, knows she’s pushing down whatever feelings she has. Knows it won’t last. Appreciates it anyways. “Barb?”

Steve nods, leading her back down the hall. “Listen up,” he says. “Our top priority right now is saving Barb and Will from the Upside Down.” He looks around. “Jonathan’s already out looking for Will. We’ll need to read him in before we go, but he deserves to be part of the rescue mission for his own brother. First things first, though, we’re going to need weapons.”

“They’re vulnerable to fire,” Robin continues. “So Molotov cocktails, and lots of them. Nancy, you had a gun last time. Any idea where that would be?”

Nancy frowns, shakes her head. “I don’t have one.”

“It’s Jonathan’s.” Steve runs a hand through his hair. “So we’ll need to bring him in soon. He also had a bat filled with nails, which I ended up taking. Dustin, Mike, Lucas, I need you to think up ideas on flamethrowers. If nothing else, lighters and cans of hairspray. Let one of us know what you need, and we’ll find a way to get it for you.”

“And me?” Eddie asks.

Steve grins. “Oh, you’re gonna love this.” He tosses a tape at Eddie. “Metallica, Master of Puppets. 1986.”

Eddie looks down at the tape, then up at Steve, open-mouthed. “Holy shit,” he whispers.

“I’ve got a player in my room. How fast can you learn the second track?”

“Oh, my guitar!” Eddie says, scrambling up. “Holy shit. Uh, depends on how hard the song is. I’ll let you know once I’ve listened to it a few times.”

“Eddie,” Steve says before he can leave. He freezes in the doorway. “If you want to back out…”

“You’re a distraction,” Robin says softly. “The bats follow the sound. The first time around, you die because you weren’t willing to let them get to Dustin.”

“Which we’ll fix this time,” Steve says firmly. “We know what went wrong. We’ll make sure to close the vents this time.” He works his jaw. “I’m not losing anyone.”

Eddie looks at them. Robin, to Steve, to everyone else. “I’m in,” he says quietly.

Steve nods. Eddie leaves. They hear his footsteps heading upstairs. Steve’s door closes, and a few seconds later the song starts up.

Steve tenses. “I’m never gonna not think of that.”

“Steve,” Robin says, and nods to the couch beside her, inviting him to sit down.

He does, taking her hand and squeezing it, breathing out harshly. “Okay,” he says. “Boys, start brainstorming. Nance, can you go find Jon? We need him and his gun.” She nods and walks out.

El approaches Steve. “You gave me a hug,” she says seriously. “When they were being loud. Your head is being loud. Will a hug help?”

Inexplicable tears burn at the corners of his eyes. “Y’know what? I think it just might.”

She smiles and hugs him, and he hugs her back, pulling her to sit beside him. “Y’know what?” He whispers.

“What?” She whispers back.

“Your hair grows out, and it looks so pretty.”

She looks excited at the prospect. “It does?”

“Mhm. Right, Robs?”

“Oh, yeah,” she agrees. “Bitchin’, even.”

“What is ‘bitchin’?” El asks as Steve slaps at Robin.

“Something Robin shouldn’t’ve said,” he says, pretend-glaring at her. “Timeline, Robs, c’mon.”

She snorts. “Okay, nerd.”

“Band geek.”

She squawks and launches herself at him, and Steve laughs as he curls over El, who’s giggling.

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[melrosing]

sparknotes for ep 2 of my made up Robert's Rebellion adaptation because I don't trust HBO :) this part is more detailed because the introductions are over and I am having fun. once again, some changes: Rhaegar and Joncon canonically meet when squiring together, but I want to introduce him slightly earlier so now they'll first meet with Joncon as a page at the Red Keep (so he's maybe a little younger than Rhaegar). also, spot bonifer hasty - this is just before he finds jesus Prev Part - Episode 1

Next Part - Episode 3

Episode 2: The Boys Are Fightinggg

It’s been five/six years since ep 1. We open in the library of the Red Keep, where a fourteen year old Rhaegar Targaryen sits reading a heavy tome, brow pinched. After a moment, he shuts it carefully and rises to walk to a window overlooking the training grounds. A maester asks if he’s alright, and Rhaegar answers “it seems I must learn to fight” (cryptic lil fuck)

Opening credits roll. They’re the same as GOT except the music is caramelldansen

Joanna Lannister at Casterly Rock, sat in her solar with Genna; she’s visibly pregnant. A maid enters the solar looked panicked, and insists she speak to Joanna alone. Joanna allows this, and the maid confides something (guess what) concerning the twins. After ascertaining the maid won’t speak (and maybe issuing a tiny little threat), Joanna dismisses her with a bag of gold

Joanna confronts her children one at a time. Cersei is belligerent, insisting it was only a game. Jaime is distressed, unable to comprehend why what they were doing was wrong. Joanna states she will be placing their rooms apart, with a guard on Cersei’s etc - and don’t make her tell their dad. Both children look utterly horrified by that prospect, and Joanna seems uneasy threatening it

Aerys and Tywin at the King’s council. Lots of matters on the table etc. Some guy called Denys Darklyn is asking for a charter for Duskendale (it's clearly not the first time), which Tywin dismisses. Some Kingsguard has died, and they need a replacement. Tywin makes some suggestions of his own, and asks Aerys which he would prefer. Aerys is not really listening, only waving his hand over the flame of a candle. Tywin interrupts his musings, and Aerys burns himself in surprise. Asking the King his input on some matter, Aerys has little to offer. Tywin says something faintly facetious regarding the King’s attention span, and Aerys thinks he sees Pycelle smile

Rhaella, also pregnant, is in the gardens at the Red Keep, sat beneath a memorial statue of her parents. She grasps a bunch of flowers that she presumably means to lay at their feet, touches her bump and looks uneasy. Watching on is a castle guard who stands at the garden gate; Rhaella meets his eyes, pleading him closer, and they hold one another’s gaze for a long moment. Ultimately the guard breaks it, and looks down to his feet. Rhaella, looking away in despair, stiffly but violently shreds her flowers, and drops the remains beneath the statue before rising and leaving the garden

Anime boy Rhaegar learning to fight in the training yard. He seems a little surprised if reassured by his own skill, overpowering the master at arms at one point. Young page Jon Connington watches on, looking like he’s about to burst into applause. Aerys himself looks on from a high window, and looks Intensely Bothered

Aerys walking through the halls past a small crowd of men. He hears one say that Tywin truly rules the Seven Kingdoms, and turns abruptly to see the speaker - one Ilyn Payne, who looks shocked to see Aerys there. Aerys looks violent, like he might do something for a moment, but is ushered onwards by Barristan Selmy

Rhaella and Rhaegar at the dinner table in the royal… chambers??? whatever lol. Rhaella says she’s heard Rhaegar is fighting: that is good. Rhaegar is not super responsive to this praise. Rhaella then asks her son if she thinks the baby will be a boy or a girl. Rhaegar looks at her sadly

Aerys arrives belatedly to ruin dinner, decides he dislikes how quiet and miserable his family looks. Cracks a shit joke, doesn’t like the way his son looks at him, reads judgement in the kid’s eyes. Aerys is about to escalate in this sudden disagreement with his son, when Rhaella begins panicking - there’s blood pooling beneath the table. As Aerys realises what’s happening his anger abruptly turns to Rhaella, and he looks like he might strike her - then Rhaegar stands between them, and silently warns him off. Aerys is furious, but it works, and he storms out

Now Aerys is storming into the throne room, where Tywin sits his throne, listening to the grievances of some visiting lord. Aerys identifies Ilyn Payne at the sidelines, calls him over, and orders his tongue ripped out. This is appropriately grim :) Tywin looks on, displeased but unable to say anything. Aerys orders him off of his throne then takes it himself, and announces that as king he is ordering a tourney: the winner will join his Kingsguard

[justatiredghost]

Collapse Ch 7

They are Somewhere Else, and Jon didn’t expect to make it. But now that he has, he has to try to figure out how to keep living. Martin helps. But how is this going to affect him and his connection to the Eye?

AO3 Ch1

-

“Jon? Jon, please wake up!“

“Hmm? Wha—?” Jon slurred groggily. 

It was still dark out when Jon was shaken awake by Martin. He was barely coherent as he tried to get his bearings, his first thought was to worry they were in danger and he cast about, looking for anything out of the ordinary. 

“Oh thank god,” Martin sighed in relief, flopping back to lie beside him again. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Jon asked, still confused.   

“Sorry, sorry,” Martin said, running a hand along his arm soothingly to reassure. “You just— you were so still, and since you sleep with your eyes open, you looked— I thought—“

“Ah,” Jon said, putting it together. “I looked a bit dead, I assume.”

Martin nodded, his eyes wide, relief but also fear lingered in his expression. “Sorry, nightmare.”

“It’s okay,” Jon said, moving closer, placing his hands on Martin’s face, thumbs brushing along his cheekbones. “I’m alive, we’re okay.”

He leaned in to place a tender kiss to Martin’s lips, wiping away his tears as they began to fall. He kissed him again before pulling him into a tight hug, just holding him as he began to cry. He felt tears burning his own eyes in sympathy, feeling Martin tremble in his arms. All he could really do was rub a hand across his back in a manner that was hopefully soothing. 

This had never come naturally for Jon, he never knew what to do when someone cried in front of him. But they’d had to comfort each other so often that he at least knew what to do now, what would help. He would never stop holding him if he had his way, he just wished he could do more. He would do anything for Martin, and his chest ached seeing him in pain like this. 

It was strange, knowing it was Jon’s wellbeing Martin was worrying about. He’d lived so long thinking it didn’t really matter what happened to him, so long as it spared the people he cared about. It was difficult to accept that, while he himself might not care if he fell because he refused to use his cane, it would upset Martin. 

That had stopped him on more than one occasion from doing something foolish. He didn’t want to keep hurting Martin. He knew he wanted him to take care of himself, for himself, but maybe, for now, it was okay if he did it for Martin. That had to be better than nothing. 

Even after Martin cried himself to sleep, Jon stayed awake, stroking a hand through his curls, hoping it might do something to keep the nightmares away. 

-

“Hold still!”

Martin was trying to pull off an old bandage so he could reapply a fresh one, but it kept pulling on the wound, causing Jon to flinch, making it incredibly difficult for Martin to keep his grip and get it over with. 

“Ouch— what do you think I’m trying to do?” Jon snapped in irritation. The movement truly was involuntary, and he was annoyed with himself for making this process more difficult. 

“Well, you’re doing an impressively bad job at it.” Martin grumbled, but there was the hint of a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. 

“Well, I’m glad my pain is at least amusing to you,” Jon said, but there wasn’t any heat behind his words. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Martin said, letting a fond laugh finally escape. “You’re just ridiculous. 

“I don’t like pain,” Jon huffed. “That’s a perfectly normal way to feel.”

“Well, you’re just making it worse by squirming around so much.”

“Look, just rip it off, get it over with,” Jon huffed, gritting his teeth in anticipation. 

“No, I don’t want to rip your stitches, too,” Martin objected, looking concerned now. 

“I certainly hope they’re sturdier than the adhesives on a bandage,” Jon muttered. 

“Okay, fine,” Martin conceded. “How about on the count of three? You can even count.”

“Okay, okay,” Jon said, taking a dreading breath as he prepared. “One— FUCK.”

The word had hardly left his mouth when Martin took him completely by surprise by ripping the bandage the rest of the way off in one swift motion. He looked up at Martin, incredulous and a little impressed, but mostly relieved.

“Don’t worry, you get to have your revenge next,” Martin said, placing a kiss to his cheek. 

“Oh joy,” Jon deadpanned, but he couldn’t help the small smile. 

They were quiet for a long moment as he watched Martin work, patching up his injuries, and he wondered how many times he’d done this for him by now. Martin’s brow furrowed in concentration and Jon knew that look. 

He was no doubt remembering how he had been the one to inflict this particular injury on him. He’d told him countless times that it wasn’t his fault, he had to do it. But he also knew that that wouldn’t erase the memory of what it must have felt like to pierce him with the blade. He couldn’t take that away, and he couldn’t bear that pain for him, but he could at least distract him by talking. 

“You know, you’re quite good at that.”

“Well, I do kind of wish this was a skill I didn’t have so much practice in,” Martin said, shooting an amused but accusatory glance back at him. 

“Well, excuse me for paying you a compliment.”

“I can’t believe how bad you still are at giving compliments,” Martin said, sounding impressed, which made Jon laugh. 

“Fine, I’ll just keep it to myself, then,” Jon replied. 

“Oh, no,” Martin said, voice completely deadpan. “How will I know when I’m doing a particularly good job on a morbid task no one except a professional should do as often as I do it?”

“Is it better or worse than when I said you were good at picking out paper towels?”

“That was less morbid, at least, and didn’t involve you getting injured yet again.”

“Fair point,” Jon said, voice turning soft as it was his turn to tend to Martin. 

Martin was much better at handling the pain than he was, wincing but otherwise holding still for him. It was hard not to think about those final moments as the tower burned and collapsed around them and they tried their best to protect each other as they tried to save a world. Apparently it was his turn to remember, now. It made his chest ache, seeing how close things had been, how much worse the injuries could have been. 

Apparently, Martin saw something in his expression, because he reached up and took his hand from where he worked on his temple, stilling his movements. His eyes were shining and he moved Jon’s hand to his cheek instead, turning into the touch to place a kiss to his palm and Jon’s breath hitched. 

“I like it when you touch me like that,” Martin said eventually. 

“Really?” Jon asked. “How is it different than usual?” Maybe he could always do it this way, if it was what he wanted. 

Martin just shook his head. “It’s how you always touch me.”

And then Martin was kissing him. There was almost something desperate to it, and all Jon could do was kiss him back. He held him like the treasure Martin was until they finally had to draw away to catch their breath. 

“Okay, I see,” Jon said with a breathless laugh. 

“What?” Martin asked, still a little dazed. 

“I get it, now. I’ll try to follow your example when it comes to compliments.” That won a laugh from Martin. Then, Jon continued, more serious. “I like the way you touch me, too. I like how you kiss me.”

“I’m-I’m glad,” Martin stammered, turning even redder. 

Not that Jon could talk, he could feel the heat burning in his own cheeks. 

“I know I can be— difficult. But I want to make sure I’m loving you right.“

“You’re doing a pretty good job from where I’m sitting,” Martin said, his smile so bright as he touched his cheek. 

Jon couldn’t help but lean into the touch, closing his eyes, and feeling something like peace for the first time in so long. 

[levaagrace]

https://www.tumblr.com/levaagrace/765322183535902720/im-bored-send-me-the-title-of-one-of-these-wips More snippets! @petrichorandarson asked for more Cicada Days!

There is no reason for Jon to feel trapped or cornered when Tim knocks to be let into his office. The somewhat disjointed tune of ‘shave and a haircut’ is enough to spike his adrenaline, however.

“Come in,” Jon calls in response and the door opens without hesitation.

“You got a minute?” Tim asks even as he closes the door behind him, taking a seat at Jon’s desk.

“I suppose I do.”

“Good,” Tim flashes a quick smile. “Have we done something wrong?”

“I-what?”

“I think you’ve spoken to us maybe twice in as many weeks and there haven’t been any requests for us to do follow-ups or research on any of the statements,” Tim says, crossing his arms. “Hell, I don’t think you’ve even checked on our other tasks either. You’ve gone from kind of overbearing to fully hands off practically overnight and-”

“You-you’re asking for… more work?” Jon interrupts.

“I’m asking for feedback and structure, mate,” Tim says. “We’re kind of floundering here.”

“The archives are looking more and more organized and presentable day-by-day, Tim,” Jon says. “You are all doing excellent work in what I need you all to be doing. I do not think any of you need my help with putting statements and their corroborating material where they are supposed to go in the stacks.” Jon’s tone is light, but he doesn’t smile. “Everything else, right now, is unnecessary.”

“Sure, but-”

“Genuinely, Tim, it is fine. This place is not going to be in order any time soon and none of you three need to burn out before then,” Jon says. “Now, if that’s all, we need to get back to work.”

“Jon, this is coming from me as your friend and not your coworker, it feels like you’re kind of checking out and I’m a bit worried.” The words are delivered with the intensity and concern that Jon didn’t expect from anyone, let alone Tim. The expression on Tim’s face only highlights this fact.

There is only one thing Jon can think to say, the only thing he knows will get him to leave.

“We are not nor have we ever been friends, Tim. I am your boss.”

Tim stares at him, wide-eyed and jaw slack.

“Please leave.”

It takes a moment for the shock to wear off and then, like the clouds parting, the anger Jon was so used to breaks through Tim’s expression. He leaves without another word or a second glance and the relief of it, of no longer having to worry about the relationship he and Tim had, is enough to get him to smile. It doesn’t last long, however, as he gets back to the tasks at hand.

[sailorshadzter]

stay.

shout out to this piece because i've officially cracked 900k words on ao3!

my goal was to hit 1mil words by the end of this year, which feels pretty daunting now considering its december 1st tomorrow lol. but we'll see how the month goes :)

He knows better than to take this path.

Yet, there he walks, his feet taking him the ever familiar pathway to her rooms, and he finds himself standing outside her door. From within he hears her muffled voice, perhaps singing to herself, perhaps singing to Ghost, a thought that warms him from his head down to his toes. A shaking breath escapes him and he raises his hand, knocking three times, his usual, she would know it to be him without even opening the door. Her voice silences and from behind the wood he hears shuffling, her footsteps, then the door swings open and she stands there in her dark gray gown of wool, red hair hanging down her back, the pins already pulled free. “Jon,” she says his name softly, blue eyes widening ever so slightly. But she takes a step back, allowing him entry, the door falling closed behind him.

Just as he’d thought, Ghost sits on the rug before the hearth, his tail thumping a greeting before he lays down, head to his paws, red eyes falling closed. “I thought you might be in bed,” Jon admits, turning his gaze from his wolf and back to her, finding she’s already looking right at him. “It is late.” The hour is so late that many of the candles that burn in the corridors have dwindled to little more than puddles of wax. 

She tilts her head, doing her best to keep her face passive as she stares back at the man she feels like she doesn’t even know anymore. Her mind turns back to their argument from earlier that day- did you bend the knee for the North, or because you love her? Have you no faith in me at all? She swallows, shaking her head. “No, I’m not all that tired,” she says finally, the silence between them palpable. “And I thought you might be with her.” She silently curses at herself for mentioning the dragon queen, but jealousy once again gets the best of her.

Surprisingly, Jon does not flinch, rather he shakes his head. 

“I always come to bid you goodnight.” Is all he says, simply, perhaps even defeatedly. 

Now her heart twists, her stomach sinking to her knees. 

“You do,” she responds softly, hands curling into fists at her sides. She can’t really explain why things have become so difficult between them… Except… The dragon queen’s beautiful face flashes in her mind and she sighs, knowing that it’s no more than jealousy on her part. Of course Jon was to fall in love with a woman, a beautiful queen no less. She can’t blame him for that, surely? Yet… She’s angry with him for it. “Jon, I…” His name is still so sweet upon her lips and she wonders why they can’t just fall back into what it was before he left for Dragonstone. But perhaps that was because if he loved another, they could never have back what they had before. 

Yet, he could never have loved her in such a way, being her brother and all. Such an idea was sick, was twisted, a thought that makes her no better than a Lannister. “You don’t have to say anything, Sansa,” he says next, interrupting her whirling mind. “I was wrong,” he goes on, quieter now, taking a single step closer to where she stands. “For not telling you the truth right away.” Her eyes widen with silent surprise, a perfectly sculpted brow arching with the question she doesn’t even have to ask. “I thought I might shoulder the burden of it all alone.” He had thought, in order to keep her and the North safe, that he would tell no one of his plans. But then, Bran had found him after their fight that morning and everything changed. There would be no hiding things from Bran and it was his encouragement that sent him to her rooms tonight, simply so he could be honest with her. And now that he thinks about it, he knows he should have told her it all from the very beginning. 

“We’re family, Jon. You never have to do anything alone.” She speaks passionately, reaching out for him- as always, she’s the one to reach for him. Her hand takes hold of his and squeezes, reminding him of those nights so long ago when she’d climb into bed with him after a nightmare, the feel of her hand grasping his in the darkness, the scent of her freshly washed hair against his pillow. “You can trust me.” 

Of course he can, there’s no one he trusts more in this world. 

Without another word, she draws him across the room, to take a seat at her small table, she sitting just across from him in the opposite chair. He wonders, just for a moment, who had sat across from her like this while he’d been away. “She must think we’re on her side, at least for now.” Jon says softly, as if anyone in the castle could be listening. “I can’t say what will happen after the Night King, but until then, she must be our ally.” Sansa nods, listening, thinking, deciding. “We can’t win this without her.” Another nod and she’s still holding his hand. 

“She’ll expect us to ride South for her,” Sansa predicts and Jon nods, a thought he’s had himself. 

“Aye, but we can’t worry about that now.” Right now, all that mattered was if they would come through alive after the fight with the Night King. “I missed you,” he says next, surprising her once more, but in an entirely different way. “Every day and every night that I was gone, I missed you.” He isn’t certain where the courage comes to say these things, but somehow, this moment feels right to speak the other truth he’s kept inside. This time, he is the one to give her hand a tender squeeze. 

“I missed you as well,” she says softly, slowly, blue eyes dark and damp.

Jon swallows, uncertainty between them, a feeling of what could be, what should be, but she’s smiling then, a beautiful sight. It gives him hope he’s not had in all the time he’s been away from her. “I should go…” He says quietly, knowing the hour was late, she needed rest, she needed sleep. But her hand keeps him in his place, shaking her head.

 “Stay,” she urges, a simple request. 

One which he’ll readily give into. 

One which he’s always longed to hear.

[get-your-fuckin-star-bitch]

Wait what if Michael meets Jude Perry instead of Jon

Yes, yes I know, “oh no but then Jon won’t get marked by the desolation! It’ll wreck the story!” Hear me out.

They fuckin hated Gertrude’s guts cause she screwed stuff up for them.

Jude knows Michael’s the archivist, though the vibe doesn’t come through immediately, cause… well, spiral.

Michael also knows she’s important, but I think while Jon gets information in the form of words, Michael’s knowledge-grab stuff actually is more visual/vibe-based, cause that’s what his brain works best with. Processing words is annoying.

So instead of the information dropping into his head as “Jude Perry- member of the cult of the lightless flame” like a computer spitting words out of a search engine, his eyes “focus” again and he sees the symbol of the lightless flame cult somewhere on her, and remembers a bunch of random images he’d felt from statements she was involved in in some way.

The mental image folder goes away, and the lady sits down.

Introduces herself, though she doesn’t need to, and holds out hand for handshake.

But Michael isn’t comfortable with handshakes. (This is in italics simply cause I realized how amazingly perfect this is, and it didn’t even click until just now- I love it when this happens :D)

She assumes it’s cause flame cult but he’s like “no no I just don’t…” *Buffering, trying to figure out how to explain indirectly* “hands. They don’t feel good.”

She bursts out laughing.

The conversation goes well enough. She notices he’s not being too prying about his questions, I think, and he warms up a little bit to her, (pun unintentional but still totally there and perfect).

I feel like Jon’s method of asking just has the vibes of ‘Tell me or I’ll rip it out of you’, (cause he WILL), while Michael’s is… well, more indirect, and what basically ends up happening is that the person doesn’t even know what he did until the conversation’s over. Like casting “friends” on a person and then asking a bunch of questions, or something.

So Michael’s just got a better charisma buff than Jon, basically. /j

Anyway, they actually have a proper conversation about stuff, and Michael tries his best to explain a bit about how he got hurt by Gertrude. (Not all of it. He’s not sure he should, just yet.)

Jude’s internally like “oh fuck yes, vengeful ex-assistant who’s literally in the most important position at the institute, came to me for shit, this is Christmas!”

And then he remembers something.

And… nervously — mentioning she doesn’t have to talk about it if she doesn’t want to — asks her if they… killed Emma Harvey.

“Nope- … we did kill her assistant… that one little candle that Harvey went and burned out too fast… don’t remember her name, though, but I sure do remember her face!” *cackling*

He starts nervously unraveling the napkin.

Jude asks him what’s wrong.

Honestly… he doesn’t know. She’s been giving him answers, sort of, and she doesn’t seem totally evil, but.

“Can you ever… not hurt a person?”

“Only if you want that fire to burn out.”

And proceeds to explain herself similarly-ish to how she did in the original episode.

As the story progresses, Michael can feel his nails getting sharper, and the ends of his hair becoming more tangled and spiraling outwards just a little. He… understands the feelings she’s describing, and it’s…

They’re… not the answers he’d wanted.

But they were the answers that he’d been expecting, on some level.

She seems to kind of snap out of her zone once the story ends, and notices his hands, and the other bits of him that have bent and twisted a little.

She looks… a little bemused, but in an almost curious way.

“So you’re working with two now, archivist?”

He asks what he means, and she laughs, joking about him not knowing the basics, at which he gets really frustrated, and says something along the lines of “well, I’ve got someone to blame for that, haven’t I.”

She grins and says she likes his spirit (or something) and tells him he might want to use a flamethrower the next time he wants to go on a rampage. (Possibly a suggestion like “hey you should totally join our desolation cult, you’d be great” I think?)

(Unknown to either of them, Michael’s appearance got noticed by someone.)

Michael’s already been touched by the Vast, so it’s Jon’s turn in the falling chair. Maybe Michael manages to get a message to him through the mirrors? Not sure.

Also Jude goes up and is like “by the way.” And puts a hand on his shoulder, initially like a friendly pat, but it quickly starts to burn. “That’s for tricking me into spilling things.”

…Ow.

Though tbh it could have been worse- if she’d really been angry or hated him, she might’ve planted her hand(s) on his face or something. Shoulder’s not as painful. Nice one, Michael! /pos

[wodania]

What are some of your favorite quotes from the main series? And what are some from Dunk & Egg?

A lot of the asoiaf quotes are gonna be A Storm of Swords because it’s the book I read digitally the most, meaning I was actually highlighting as I went along. So lots Storm representation oops. Rule of five per series so I don’t get carried away.

Dunk and Egg (this one is long because I love discussing these novellas):

Something something the wealthy huddle beneath lavish roofs and tents and leave the poor to sleep in the rain and mud, but the wealthy have created for themselves gilded cages while the poor can watch the stars fall and claim the gift of luck that comes with it. Thanks George I eat stuff like this up like I’m a starving man.

Feel like we need to mention a dragon dream if we’re discussing Dunk and Egg. My favourite dragon dream in the D&E series. Everything about it is correct: Dunk will be a Kingsguard, he’ll be famed throughout the land, he’ll live for nothing but to serve his King. Though Daemon gets one big thing wrong and that’s that he is not going to be King. Second hand embarrassment. As Bloodraven put it, “The fool just got the colour wrong.” Literally Daemon’s entire character. Spitting facts but he can’t tell red from black.

Defending myself by saying this isn’t a dragon dream. Uhhh so! King Aegon V was killed in a massive fire that burned down Summerhall on the night Rhaegar was born. Duncan the Tall, the Lord Commander, died trying to save both King Aegon and the other party guests from the fire. In this scene, Dunk dreams that he’s digging a grave and people, dead or alive, are appearing in it and speaking to him. The last to appear is Egg, who is buried in the sand even though Dunk tries to pull him out. Dunk falls into the grave and suffocates in the sand. It’s obviously supposed to represent the smoke at the fire of Summerhall. Literally wtf George?

The context is pissing contests by the way. Ignore the pissing part there’s a metaphor there I promise. Dunk is super interesting to me because his raising of Egg makes Egg the small-folk loving King that later rules Westeros. Dunk is wise in his life experience, yet he knows nothing of the struggle of women in both noble and peasant settings. Rohanne let’s him know just how difficult it is for a woman to claim any power or influence in Westeros, using the metaphor of a pissing contest, that classic male bonding activity (a woman needs to piss twice as hard).

This does a really good job of putting into perspective how notable Aegon’s kingship was. “Kings do not heap honour on the likes of you and me,” yet King Aegon V named Dunk his Lord Commander and solidified Dunk’s place as a legendary knight. By ASOIAF, Dunk is spoken about admirably. Another King might not have ever given a man like Dunk the opportunity, but Aegon did.

Asoiaf (shorter because I feel like these have been talked about way more):

Daenerys Targaryen:

Makes me tear up. I feel like it’s obvious why. Also after this she tells Jorah that the people will not hurt her, for she is their mother. And then she rides her Silver throughout the crowd while laughing because she’s so happy and in love with the world!!! This is probably one of the only quotes here that isn’t going to be miserable.

Beric Dondarrion:

“Are you my mother, Thoros?” propaganda I think about this quote so much. Beric and Thoros aren’t even on my top ten list but their conversations and dynamic is absolutely heartbreaking. Beric omg how you rot my brain.

Catelyn Tully:

Not “Ned loved.” Instead, “Ned loves.” Because perhaps in her grief and panic, she forgot her husband had even died. I’m dead.

Jon Connington:

He’s so doomed. He’s so bitter and angry. He loves his son so much and that’s exactly why he’s so doomed. Because he refuses to give his son anything but the best, even though the best is going to kill them both.

Maester Aemon Targaryen:

I am a loyal Egg girl so this killed me nine different times :)

[a-mag-a-day]

MAG 93 - baking apple pie (I listened to MAG 91-93 on September 5th 2021 and then had to wait a whole week to be able to carry on because I went on vacation to Italy. Managed to finally reel my spouse in though and we listened to MAG 4 till MAG 16 on our drive home)

Such a long meow! At this point I also stormed out of the kitchen to announce to the group of friends that this episode starts with a cat! XD

Btw I'm listening to this while having a super fluffy calico on my lap. She's sleeping though.

JON "Bet the world ends, and you do just fine." - My favorite piece of foreshadowing xD

Hm, Jon hesitates at "Head Archivist". Did it just become unusual to him after two and a half months or is he thinking about using "The Archivist"?

"Instead, he stopped contacting me completely. He still answered the phone when I called, but was polite when I went to check upon him. Every bit of communication had to be instigated by me." - This is something that bugs me a bit. You know that stereotype of a relative saying "YoU NeVer cAlL mE", but they don't call you either. Difference is, I'm fine with it. Also, people grief differently. I want people to leave me alone when I'm grieving, I'd probably would have said some not so nice things if someone kept calling me.

"I didn’t know what I’d just witnessed. I still don’t, not really." - Not really! xD (I should go back and count all not-reallys)

Just a thought about the statement. Is there any indication why Greg could have been falling victim to the Corruption?

Next 4 bullet points are Georgie slander, just a heads up xD

GEORGIE "Where have you been? And what happened to your hand?" JON "I don’t want to talk about it." GEORGIE "Tough." - Asshole move, sorry… He got his hand burned off, it's obviously been traumatic and Georgie is just dismissive and unempathic about it. Georgie has a history of being super nosy when it fits her bill and then she's a smartass about things she doesn't understand…

JON "Look, I’m moving out anyway, so just… just forget it. I’m out of your life. Alright?" GEORGIE "No." - This is the second time now Jon says he's leaving since there are things he wants to do that Georgie is not alright with and she just doesn't want to let him go…

GEORGIE "You leave, you don’t get your tapes back." JON "What?" GEORGIE "When you disappeared, I took the tapes you recorded, and locked them away. Honestly, I thought I might need them as evidence. You want them back, you tell me what’s happening." - Okay, and this is just the icing on the cake. Taking HIS stuff because she thought she might need them as evidence, ok, but then threatening to not give it back?? Yeah, she let Jon crash at her place, but she wasn't obligated to do that and it definitely gives her no right to hold Jon's things and demand from him to tell her everything. This is emotional blackmail and she's using the situation (her letting him stay) to guilt-trip him into obedience. Even though she never openly says it, she doesn't need to. she knows, she said she knew he wouldn't be here if he had other options. Even if she felt obligated to let him stay then, now she's using this monopole to her advantage. She knows Jon's at her mercy. God, Georgie makes me so angry… I'm happy Jon's got Martin…

JON "Georgie, please… You’ll think I’m… You’ll think I’m delusional." GEORGIE "I really hope so, Jon. Because right now I just think you’re a dickhead." - Oh really. He's a dickhead… Maybe you should clean up your own backyard.

I get Georgie's been worried. But does she really not see that he might have had a hard time too?

GEORGIE "What I mean is, if there’s no-one above you, there’s no-one to point out you’re doing everything wrong." JON "Look, can we put my professional competence to one side, please." - Okay, pointing out that it was a weird choice given his qualifications is alright, but now she's just, again, an asshole..

JON "Fine, er… What is something you would never choose to tell me?" GEORGIE "When we first met I thought you were putting on that accent to sound more impressive. Oh. Oh, Jon… I’m so sorry." JON "Oh… No, it’s alright. I, er, I mean, I-I guess I did exaggerate it. It’s a long time ago, anyway." - Haha, I already said I love it when stories are self-aware! XD Jon's Archivist voice in S1 was really… something xD Not so long ago taking the job as Head Archivist though, but Georgie doesn't know that…

GEORGIE "If your job is asking questions, I mean. You were always the one who pushed too far, and asked smart-arse, awkward questions. I always was surprised you never got punched." JON "Well, I think that bit of luck’s run out." - Bit of background story why Jon makes a good Archivist. But that's not why Elias chose him… That's why the Web chose him.

JON "some of the people I’ve been talking to have been… very dangerous. I’m starting to feel like a bit of a punching bag, to be honest. Would be nice to meet a monster, and not have a scar to show for it." - Oh yeah, I think that was the moment when I really, reaaaally started to feel for him… I have a softspot for whumpees. Also foreshadowing for the marks!

I mean, Georgie did take Jon in with no questions asked at the time and the police did come round and she had to lie about him being there. So I feel like to an extent she did deserve some answers if she was put in danger because of him. What do other people think?

[late-to-the-magnus-archives]

Magnus Archives fic in progress (I THINK it's called The Notebook)

You ever wrote a chapter and realize it's the scene you wanted to see but nobody's done and so you had to do it yourself?

So this is the Magnus Archives/Malevolent, beginning Somewhere Else.

(And if that made sense to you, you might be my target audience.)

(And this is just part of a scene, unedited, so please be kind.)

The actual traveling is dizzying as hell, and Jon can’t block it out.

Can’t avoid the vacuum-pinch in his ears or the clench of his sinuses or the spin of his gut.

But then it’s over, and they’ve arrived. 

It’s a temple. Dimly lit by distant daylight, all white marble, pillars carved with what look like tentacles or really thick vines, and the King’s three-hook symbol prominent in ebony and taking up most of the floor.

And apart from the King and Jon, it is absolutely empty.

Jon is on his knees, gasping.

Long game, he thinks, because it’s inevitable that this monster-god will lose patience over his continued refusal, and when that happens, it’s going to be bad.

Jon knows he’ll be tortured. Skinned. Burned. Broken. But until that time, he intends to give this thing no reason to hurt him apart from that one, crucial thing that he will not do. 

Thus: he remains on his knees.

He’ll hold out as long as he can.

“You’re so certain I’m going to harm you,” says the King, who sounds (and hopefully still is) amused.

Jon swallows.

“Have I hurt you so far, Archivist?”

“Just Jon,” Jon says, and flinches, because apparently he can’t not be contrarian for two seconds, even when he’s trying. Jonah couldn’t have picked somebody sensible, oh, no, that wouldn’t do…

The King leans in, close, so close that whatever weird heat he gives off makes Jon feel like he’s going to be sunburned. “As you wish - Jon.”

Jon suddenly wishes he hadn’t asked this thing to use his name. The way he says it is… not good. He feels it somehow, deep and violational.

The King’s laugh shudders through him, drives his hands to the floor, keeps Jon’s head down. 

“Have I hurt you?” says the King.

Jon’s fingers tense on the marble floor. “Apart from emotional scarring through… whatever happened at the Grove, and only ripping me away from my soulmate, no. Not at all.”

“Look at me, Jon,” the King says, and one of those hideous tentacles touches under his chin, lifting his face.

The King’s gaze pins him like nails through his eyes.

(And tempts with so much knowledge and so many statements and Jon could sit over this thing and feast on fear for a thousand years and never come to the end of it, and he pushes that thought away). 

“There. Was that so hard?” says the King. “Now, I’ll ask you this: what do you think I want from you?”

Jon is still shuddering. “Something I can’t give.”

“Can’t you? I only ask for something you already want to give.”

The King isn’t wrong. Of course there’s a broken, bruised part of him that wants to answer their call. 

Jon will never listen to it. “I don’t.”

“You do. A strange state of affairs, isn’t it? For one whose very blood flows with truths to deny one of his own.”

It’s prodding through his head, that’s what’s happening. Finding thoughts, lifting sensations like rocks to see what’s underneath. Finds, somehow, his tether to the Dread Powers, that connection, always on, circuit always open, always calling, always beckoning. 

For all the world, it feels like the King plucks that tether.

 - and Jon finds himself curled on the floor with no memory of going down. He’s gasping.

The King waits. Silent. Watching.

Jon doesn't know what just happened. He completely blacked out; feels the horrifying vibration of the Dread Powers in him, still calling - but he didn't answer. He didn’t. Relief brings tears to his eyes.

And there’s a bad sound, a rumbling sound, something like a growl but almost mechanical, a terrible tremor that Jon knows is the King’s anger. 

Jon forces his voice to work. “You don’t understand. I already did this. I damned everybody. I… I can’t do it again. You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

So much for the long game.

Not like I’ve ever been able to avoid irritating anyone, even when they were about to melt my hand, he thinks, and almost laughs, but that would peel right off into hysterics, so he keeps it down.

“Speak. I hear your thoughts, anyway.” 

Someday, Jon would like to deal with a monster who doesn’t do that. “I contain an entire world’s torture in me,” he says, haggard with memories planted under his skin. “I’ve seen it all. Felt it all, every scream, every torment. I know what can be done to the human body and mind, and I’d rather just get on with it, if it’s all the same to you.”

The King studies him, and Jon can’t read him at all, can’t get a whiff. 

“Walk with me, Jon.”

Jon grits his teeth, shudders. The King makes his name resonate deep, scraping some string hooked directly into his soul. 

Somehow, he stands, and walks.

[esther-dot]

I don’t know. I never bought into the whole Dany was abusive to Jon. I just don’t see it. Jon was an idiot he bent the knee after Dany already pledged to help. And I don’t remember her threatening his family just asking him not to tell them about his parentage which is hardly abuse.

We do not absolve abusers of their crimes by finding fault with their victims, so how we interpret Jon’s actions is a distinct thing from speaking about how abusive Dany’s behavior was in s8.

In 8x04 Dany is upset Jon won’t kiss her anymore and says she wishes he’d never told her about his parentage and then later, even though she knows he is done with the sexual relationship, she kisses him in 8x05 as he stands there, without reciprocating. She wasn’t ignorant as to his wishes at that point, she didn’t care. In fact, in s8 she told him it didn’t matter what he wanted, in that specific convo she meant him not wanting to take the throne wouldn’t stop others from trying to place him in it, but she also kept kissing him even after he was done. I think she did ignore his boundaries (point 2) and was dismissive of his feelings by telling him not to tell his family the truth about his parentage (point 5). I’d say Dany trying to convince Jon not to tell his family about his parents for her own reasons by besmirching Sansa and then later telling him it was Sansa’s fault she burned Varys alive were controlling and manipulative (point 3 and 4).

I guess we might quibble over those because of extenuating circumstances, how about this description:

If you think Jon could safely refuse her, the relationship might not seem abusive, but if you think that Dany won’t accept rejection, that actually, she might be willing to kill Jon (some fans refused to believe that even after the finale when we’re meant to understand his death at her hand is inevitable), then you aren’t going to take the great peril Jon is in seriously which in my opinion, incredibly unfair to him. Again, regardless of how he feels, we’re talking the objective reality of the situation, Dany was prepared to murder anyone and everyone who stood in her way, as proven not only by burning KL, but announcing her intention to burn other cities across Westeros.

I understand watching s8 as a Dany fan and not thinking anything was wrong because someone who didn’t believe she was capable of cold blooded murder or burning women and children alive wouldn’t take her threats seriously, but no one has that excuse now. We saw who she was, her actions in s7-8 must be interpreted through the lens of what she was, not what fans believed her to be. In s8, not only she did try to control Jon, insist that he live a lie for her own ends, insist that he not tell his family something he wanted to tell them, she threatened his family repeatedly.

In 8x01 she leaves a sentence hanging, “If she doesn’t respect me...” and people sympathetic to Dany didn’t want to believe there was an implied consequence there, but we had just watched Dany burn people alive in s7 for not bending the knee and she proceeds to burn an entire fucking city. Jon ultimately has to kill her or she will kill his family. And let’s not forget that implied threat was proceeded by her answer to Sansa’s question about what the dragons would eat: whatever they want. Not only was she trying to dictate Jon’s actions in s8, she was also threatening his family.

There was a lot of sloppy writing in s7-8, but Dany wasn’t merely an implied threat, she was verbally targeting Sansa throughout s8. Now, if that’s hanging over your head, that keeping the person you’re involved with happy is keeping your family safe because her response to the smallest resistance is threats, I don’t think it’s reasonable for anyone to deny that the partner is exerting power over them in a harmful way, and at that point, it’s doubtful that you’re in that relationship of your own free will, as you would fear attempting to leave.

That’s related to this,

I already mentioned how she didn’t want Jon to tell his family the truth and how she was saying bad things about Sansa to him to drive a wedge between them, so let’s continue with the intimidation part.

When Dany kisses Jon in 8x05 and says, “let it be fear” it’s clear that Jon is being paralleled to the people of Westeros (”I don’t have love here”), and when rejected by Jon, instead of accepting the relationship is over, she revisits it after burning KL--the people rejected her so she burned them alive, and here she is, wanting him again, and he knows to refuse her means death (he doesn’t deny it when Tyrion points that out), he only acts when he knows she will kill Sansa. I don’t see how the threat of death (for him, for his family) is anything other than intimidation, a mild term for it, surely.

She was a threat to his family from 8x01 on, and a threat to him from 8x02 on. I don’t think it’s reasonable to pretend she didn’t mean what she said after watching her in 8x05-8x06.

Also, to speak to the intent with how D&D presented the relationship, there were a lot of deliberate parallels with Jon/Ygritte and Jon/Dany in s7-8, from being taken prisoner, to having the pressure of proving loyalty over and over, to being viewed as a traitor by others for his actions while gone, to the threat to his own life when the women felt he betrayed them. I mean, the Waterfall scene in 8x01 actually just ripped the dialogue from a J/Y scene, so I think that was all pretty blatant and intentional. D&D didn’t include the scene where Dany summoned Jon to her cabin on the ship (although its in the script), so it did look like he voluntarily entered into a sexual relationship with her, and maybe saying he had to bend the knee to save the North (8x01) was a lie, but even if we don’t like Jon’s actions in s7, it doesn’t change what Dany did in s8.

As soon as you create a situation in which a character doesn’t have full autonomy, can’t refuse someone, and that person persists in wanting sex, if there’s any sort of threat or bad consequences if they don't get what they want, it’s coercion and as a result, an abusive relationship. That’s what Jon and Ygritte had, that’s what Jon and Dany had. Being annoyed with Jon’s behavior doesn’t change that.

(in response to this ask)

[baambastic]

Thoughts on Battle of the Super Sons (major spoilers for the entire plot):

Grazer is great as Jon

Laura Bailey’s Lois is great

I don’t particularly care for Travis Willingham’s Clark. His Superman is fine, but his voice sounds wrong coming out of mild-mannered journalist Clark Kent.

Love the whole opening. Especially love the old comics-style (complete with benday dots) montage of Clark’s life up until Jon’s birth

Glad to see we’re skipping the complicated multiverse stuff

Jon immediately jumping to “cosplay” as the reason for the Superman costume under the bed has made my day

But also Clark why was it just under your bed. Presumably while you were on a League mission for two weeks.

“I don’t care that you’re sorry! I just want you to be here!” OOF

The child is very sad, but at least the cat’s alive!

Jon feels like an actual kid, constantly excited by all the superhero stuff

They mentioned Kon!

Oh wow this movie has blood in it. I’m a bit surprised, even with the age rating

Tom Kenny Penguin! Haven’t heard that since 2004

Troy Baker doesn’t really sound like he wants to be here

It’s not Super Sons if Damian doesn’t make me want to punt him out the nearest window at first

Damian continues his bad habit of pushing kids to their deaths in the Batcave.

They did not make Jon an uwu soft bean, and for that I am grateful. He dishes out sass equal to or greater than Damian’s.

Also Griffo really sold how Damian felt about being rejected by the Titans. Really solid

Griffo’s Damian voice sounds like Damian’s trying to copy Batman’s gruff voice. I like it

Why is Damian the only person in this movie who says Jon and not Jonathan?

BAT-COW!!!!

Using two members of each main young hero team (Teen Titans, TT2003, YJ Animated (not the ‘98 version bc of overlap with TT2003)) for the Teen Titans is an interesting idea

Kind of surprising that Ollie and J’onn are the only other League members we get to see on the Watchtower

Blue Beetle and Hawkman (and I think the Atom?) were also shown on Starro’s hitlist, so it’s weird that they’re nowhere to be seen

I still need to get my hands on a hoodie like Jon’s

Those students have really low standards for insults

Bruce Don’t Beat Up Your Son Challenge (success on technicality of mind control)

Also, really effective body horror for something so bloodless

Damian you big softy

More body horror. yay

I dunno why i’m surprised Damian suggested killing Lois

Yo they made Krypto scary. Nice

Jor-El why did you send them to the watchtower if you thought they were probably gonna die

Lois continues to be awesome

Nice to see you, J’onn. Too bad you don’t get to do anything.

The dynamic between Lois and Lex is always fun to watch

Interesting Starro design. A bit too spiky for my tastes tho

“I’ve eliminated all human-based problems on your planet.” “You’re going to eat the planet!” “Correct.” Love that

Aw, poor baby demon brat

Oh, I never thought I’d see the day that Lois Lane used a DIY flamethrower on Lex Luthor. Incredible

I question the decision to include two green-skinned shapeshifters in the same fight scene

Speaking of, that’s a really cool effect they’ve got on J’onn when he’s burning

Jesus. No punches pulled on the sons v dads fight

Batman got punched out by an 11-year-old farmboy. He’ll never live that down

Man, this evacuation scene is wholesome

“I don’t know” *pushes all the buttons*

This whole Starro burning scene is very visceral, I gotta say

Jon and Dami are adorable, even when they think they’re about to die

Superdad to the rescue, with Jon looking like he’s about to cry with relief

Bathug! (they’re so awkward lol)

Starro covered in charred flesh? No thanks, I’m good

I think that lake water might be one of the few 2D animated things in this movie

Even with the character development, Damian’s still a demon brat (positive)

Aw, he’s so excited to go to Jon’s game

“Gotham’s Billionaire Prince Bruce Wayne Spotted With Son Damian at Middle School Baseball Game in Smallville, Kansas”

“Still can’t fly” *pained groans can be heard from the ground below*

They really didn’t mention any of the other Bats, huh? That’s surprising.

I’m guessing, since Jon can actually control his powers, all that stuff with Kathy and the milk hasn’t happened here

Battle of the Super Sons was a ton of fun! It has good writing, good humor, good emotional moments, and is consistently nice to look at. Shame it’s only got a 6.7 on imdb. I honestly might prefer this over the original Super Sons comics run

[bluejayblueskies]

for the kiss prompts: how about 22 for jonmartin!

22 - sad kiss

i’ve already done a pre-unknowing jmart fic, but i will never have enough of the idea that they tell each other how they feel before jon leaves, so here we are. takes place right before jon leaves for Great Yarmouth

cw for mentions of jon’s circus kidnapping (including mentions of skinning, non-consensual touching, and being tied up) and mentions of canon-typical worms 

.

Jon’s leg bounces up and down, drumming out a staccato rhythm on the stone floor beneath his desk. His hands shake, ever so slightly.

 He looks at his phone, the LED display harsh and grating on his eyes, before locking it again.

 One hour.

 He waits a few seconds before reflexively checking his phone again, like the time’s somehow changed between then and now and he’ll have missed the bus that will take him to the train that will take him to—

 Jon sets his phone down hard on the desk, screen facing down.

 He doesn’t want to go. It’s a childish thought—one he tries hard to suppress—but here, alone and waiting and resisting the urge to check his phone again, he can’t quite push it away.

 I don’t want to go back.

 He remembers the bite of rope against his wrists, turning his fingers numb and leaving him with angry red welts that, even now, haven’t healed quite right. They’d dug into the tender skin of his right hand, covered in fresh burn tissue, and he’d tried to ignore the pain, focusing instead on the sweltering heat that stuck his shirt to his chest and the headache that never quite seemed to go away.

 He hadn’t been able to ignore it when hard, unyielding hands had undone the ropes and held him tight and dug pointy, plastic fingers coated with oily lotion into the skin of his palm. He’d cried the first few times, out of pain more than anything. Then, he’d almost grown numb to it. Which he’s pretty sure is worse.

 He doesn’t know what he’ll do when he’s inside the museum again. He doesn’t know if he’ll be able to look at it without remembering placidly smiling faces and crooning voices and promises that he wouldn’t miss his skin, not really. That he’d have the perfect voice to sing as the world changed. That he didn’t deserve skin that he’d taken care of so poorly, so irresponsibly.

 He’d hated the sensation of lotion on his hands, even before. Now, the thought of it makes him ill. He tries not to think about it.

 He can’t stop thinking about it.

 His knee bounces quicker and his fingers drum in time with it on the desk. He resists for a moment more before picking up his phone and checking the time.

 Fifty-eight minutes.

 The clock has reached the forty-minute mark when there’s a soft knock on his door, one that startles him more than he’d care to admit. “Jon?” a voice calls, and Jon feels relief and anxiety overcome him in equal measure. “Are… are you there?”

 It takes him a few seconds to get his voice to work. “Yes, I… you can come in.”

 After a moment, the door creaks open—I should oil the hinges, he thinks absently—and Martin steps through the doorway, lingering on the threshold for a moment before moving past it and shutting the door behind him. For a moment, they’re both silent; Jon thinks it should feel oppressive, what with… everything, but it doesn’t. It feels almost comfortable, like a hand on the small of his back and a warm cup of tea pressed into his hands and a takeout container of Paneer Shahi Korma on the corner of his desk. Then, haltingly, Martin says, “I… I guess I just wanted to say good luck? For- for what it’s worth.”

 Jon doesn’t feel particularly lucky. Still, he gives Martin a tired smile and says, “Thank you, I suppose. Er… you as well? Your plan requires significantly more… strategy.”

 Martin laughs, an uncomfortable noise. “Yeah, well. No more so than trying to blow up an eldritch circus during their attempt to end the world, so…”

 He trails off, and Jon shifts in his chair. He notes, distantly, that his leg has stopped bouncing, though his fingers still tap tap tap against the desk. “Yes, I- I suppose so.”

 Martin’s face twists, his lips parting like he’s about to speak. Then, he seems to think better of it and gives Jon a forced smile. “Well, I- I guess I’ll leave you to- to pack or what have you. Don’t want to make you miss your train, after all, that- that would be quite bad, wouldn’t it?”

 Martin takes a step backwards towards the door, and Jon is seized by the sudden, intense thought of no, don’t go.

 “No, you- you don’t have to…” Jon’s leg bounces again a few times, and he hesitates only a moment before saying, “Could you stay? I- I don’t particularly… I don’t want to be alone right now.”

 It’s vulnerable, the words sticky on his tongue but easier to say than he’d thought they would be. And it’s worth it when Martin’s face relaxes into relief and he says, “Yeah, of- of course. I… I don’t want to be alone either, I suppose.”

 He settles in the chair on the other side of Jon’s desk, and Jon’s reminded, ridiculously, of the time Martin had stumbled into his office, slamming a hastily taped-over tin can onto Jon’s desk.

 Fresh Peaches, the can had proclaimed cheerily. The things that writhed and squirmed inside were distinctly not peaches.

 They make their way through halting conversation for a few minutes before it settles into something easier. Martin talks about the dog he’d seen on his commute the other day and the old lady who lives in the flat next to him who likes to bake him cookies and the plants he’s starting to grow on his kitchen windowsill. Jon talks about America—the parts that weren’t laced with terror—and the newest book he’s somehow found time to read and the stray cat he’s seen near his building a few times, now that he’s not staying with Georgie anymore.

 It’s only until Jon thinks to check his phone again that he realizes he has fifteen minutes left. At ten, he’ll have to make the short walk to the bus stop with the bag he’s checked over five times to ensure that he hasn’t forgotten anything and endure Tim’s tense hostility, Basira’s quiet indifference, and Daisy’s sharp eyes and sharper teeth for several hours.

 I don’t want to go.

 I don’t want to leave.

 I don’t want to leave him.

 “Jon?” Martin says, forehead creased in concern. “What’s wrong?” He worries his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment before saying, quietly, “Is… is it time?”

 Jon nods mutely. His knuckles are white where he’s gripping his phone, and all he can think is I don’t have enough time.

 He doesn’t know when, exactly, he started noticing the way Martin’s cheeks dimple when he smiles and the way his jumpers bunch up around his wrists and the way his voice softens whenever he talks about the people he cares about. He doesn’t know when he started thinking about Martin when he wakes up and on his morning commute and while brushing his teeth and every moment in between. He doesn’t know when the thought of Martin smiling at him or bringing him lunch or brushing his hand against Jon’s arm first made his stomach flip and his mouth go dry.

 He doesn’t know when, exactly, he realized that he’s a little bit in love with Martin Blackwood. He thinks it might have been around thirty-two minutes, when Martin had laughed at one of Jon’s awkward jokes and he’d tucked the sound away forever in the section of his mind labeled Martin Blackwood and thought, I want to kiss him.

 “Jon?” Martin repeats, and Jon realizes he’s been quiet for quite some time. Martin is looking at him with brown eyes wide with concern and his hand is resting on the edge of Jon’s desk and god, Jon wants to kiss him.

 He doesn’t know when he’ll get another chance.

 Jon stands before he makes the conscious decision to do so, and he makes his way around his desk, his hands shaking and his heart tight in his chest. This might be it, he thinks, even as his hand comes down to gently cup Martin’s cheek before stalling just shy of his skin, fingers curling inward in hesitation. This might be all we get.

 “Jon?” Martin says, his voice very small.

 “I…” Jon looks away from Martin for a moment, a familiar instinct within him telling him to pull away. To not bare himself like this, to not wear his heart on his sleeve. Then, he looks back and meets Martin’s eyes and pushes past the lump in his throat enough to say, “I… I don’t want to go. Not- not without…” His voice breaks, and he moves his hand the rest of the way until his knuckles brush against the line of Martin’s jaw, feeling Martin’s startled exhalation against the skin of his wrist.

 “Is this okay?” Jon says quietly.

 Mutely, Martin nods.

 “Okay,” Jon whispers. He’s short enough and Martin tall enough that even with Martin sitting, the height difference is small enough that he only has to lean down a bit to press his lips gently against Martin’s. They’re dry, a bit cracked near the middle where Martin has a tendency to bite them, and Jon commits the feeling to memory. His other hand comes up to cup Martin’s face, and Martin sighs against his mouth before moving his hands to Jon’s waist and resting there lightly. It’s so lovely that Jon wants to cry.

 When he pulls back, it’s too soon. But he has eleven minutes sitting in the back of his mind, and he needs to leave, and he doesn’t want to go.

 Selfishly, he wishes Martin were coming with him. He knows it’s safer here; he doesn’t have any delusions that they’ll all make it out of the Unknowing unscathed. But he wishes it all the same.

 “Jon…” Martin says softly, and Jon captures the way Martin says his name—like it’s something delicate, something to be treasured—and holds it close. Martin’s thumbs sweep gently over Jon’s hip bones before his hands move up and settle on the small of Jon’s back. Then, he stands and pulls Jon into a tight hug. “Promise you’ll come back,” he whispers, his hands twisting in the loose fabric of Jon’s shirt. “Please, promise you’ll- you’ll be safe.”

 Jon rests his head in the space underneath Martin’s chin and says, “I can’t promise that, Martin. I- I wish I could, but… I can’t.”

 Martin’s quiet for a moment. Then, he squeezes Jon a little tighter, buries his nose in Jon’s hair, and says, “Okay.” A pause. Then: “I- I promise I’ll be safe. For what it’s worth.”

 Jon lets out a shaky breath. “Thank you. I…”

 I love you.

 “I’m glad.”

 Jon makes it to the bus stop with a minute to spare. Tim barely looks at him before turning his gaze back towards the road. Basira offers a short, perfunctory greeting but nothing more. Jon doesn’t look at Daisy.

 He already misses him. It eats an aching hole in his chest as he steps onto the bus, and as the doors close behind him, he tells himself that he’ll be coming back.

 He wishes he could find the heart to believe it.

[weirwoodking]

I have a small headcanon that Sansa has already skinchanged into a bird without her knowledge once before. This passage about Marillion in the sky cells in particular:

“When she closed her eyes she could see him in his sky cell, huddled in a corner away from the cold black sky, crouched beneath a fur with his woodharp cradled against his chest.”

What do you think?

Oh, absolutely. I do think that she’s experienced her powers in some way, she just hasn’t thought about them.

George does leave these little subtle hints in the text that point to the Stark kids abilities, the earliest being in chapter one:

Halfway across the bridge, Jon pulled up suddenly.

“What is it, Jon?” their lord father asked.

“Can’t you hear it?”

Bran could hear the wind in the trees, the clatter of their hooves on the ironwood planks, the whimpering of his hungry pup, but Jon was listening to something else.

“There,” Jon said. He swung his horse around and galloped back across the bridge. They watched him dismount where the direwolf lay dead in the snow, watched him kneel. A moment later he was riding back to them, smiling.

“He must have crawled away from the others,” Jon said. (Bran I, AGOT)

While on horseback, and halfway across the bridge, already far away from where a mute direwolf puppy was, Jon was able to “hear” him. Obviously, he didn’t hear Ghost, he sensed him. Already, he was bonded with Ghost, even though this was about a year and half before Jon had his first “true” wolf dream. And furthermore, it takes a while before he’s able to clearly remember these dreams:

The wolf dreams had been growing stronger, and he found himself remembering them even when awake. (Jon I, ADWD)

So, yes, I definitely think that Sansa could already be having skinchanging dreams with a bird/birds. She just might not remember it. Also, she doesn’t have to have been having direct dreams, but moments of using the bird’s senses. Not fully in the animal, just sharing it’s space for a moment.

Unlike the sh*w, where skinchanging is an on/off switch (you’re either inside the animal or not inside the animal), skinchanging in the books is more nuanced. Jon is able to brush his hand up against Ghost and tap into the wolf’s senses, without fully warging him. He can even taste blood in his mouth after Ghost kills, and he can feel the wolf’s hunger. The most notable instance of this “one mind in two bodies simultaneously” thing is with Arya and the Braavos street cat:

That night she dreamed she was a wolf again, but it was different from the other dreams. In this dream she had no pack. She prowled alone, bounding over rooftops and padding silently beside the banks of a canal, stalking shadows through the fog. (Cat of the Canals, AFFC)

The tavern was near empty, and she was able to claim a quiet corner not far from the fire. No sooner had she settled there and crossed her legs than something brushed up against her thigh. "You again?" said the blind girl. She scratched his head behind one ear, and the cat jumped up into her lap and began to purr. Braavos was full of cats, and no place more than Pynto's. The old pirate believed they brought good luck and kept his tavern free of vermin. "You know me, don't you?" she whispered. Cats were not fooled by a mummer's moles. They remembered Cat of the Canals.

[...]

The Lyseni took the table nearest to the fire and spoke quietly over cups of black tar rum, keeping their voices low so no one could overhear. But she was no one and she heard most every word. And for a time it seemed that she could see them too, through the slitted yellow eyes of the tomcat purring in her lap. One was old and one was young and one had lost an ear, but all three had the white-blond hair and smooth fair skin of Lys, where the blood of the old Freehold still ran strong. (The Blind Girl, ADWD)

"It is good to know. This is two. Is there a third?"

"Yes. I know that you're the one who has been hitting me." Her stick flashed out, and cracked against his fingers, sending his own stick clattering to the floor.

The priest winced and snatched his hand back. "And how could a blind girl know that?"

I saw you. "I gave you three. I don't need to give you four." Maybe on the morrow she would tell him about the cat that had followed her home last night from Pynto's, the cat that was hiding in the rafters, looking down on them. Or maybe not. If he could have secrets, so could she. (The Blind Girl, ADWD)

While Arya is not fully outside of her body and in the body of the cat, she’s able to use the cat’s eyes as her own. And she isn’t even aware that she’s doing it, it’s just occurring naturally. I do believe that the same cat she dreams as in AFFC is the tomcat that she sees through in ADWD.

So, yes, I do believe that Sansa could be looking through the eyes of a bird. She’s just not aware of it.

It does seem like the Stark kids are much more powerful than the average skinchangers/wargs, immediately bonding to the wolves without realizing it, and already connecting with other animals. Arya is able to warg Nymeria from an entirely separate continent, which probably isn’t standard behavior, especially not for someone who doesn’t even know what they’re doing and has no training. Even Varamyr, a man who has mastered the control of five animals, recognizes Jon’s power:

The gift was strong in Snow, but the youth was untaught, still fighting his nature when he should have gloried in it. (Prologue, ADWD)

So, the Starks seem to be pretty powerful. And that includes Sansa, as GRRM has confirmed that she is still a skinchanger, meaning that he’s definitely going to have a bond with an animal at some point. It would make sense for him to have already been leaving little hints about it.

A very important component to Sansa’s character, which could be affecting her skinchanging powers, is her memory. The way that Sansa’s mind has coped with her trauma is by suppressing and rewriting certain distressing, scarring, and confusing memories. This is something that all the Stark kids do, in different levels. For example, Bran believes that Rickon intentionally suppresses the memory of Ned being dead:

"Tell Robb I want him to come home," said Rickon. "He can bring his wolf home too, and Mother and Father." Though he knew Lord Eddard was dead, sometimes Rickon forgot... willfully, Bran suspected. (Bran V, ACOK)

Bran himself does this as well:

The dream he'd had... the dream Summer had had... No, I mustn't think about that dream. He had not even told the Reeds, though Meera at least seemed to sense that something was wrong. If he never talked of it maybe he could forget he ever dreamed it, and then it wouldn't have happened and Robb and Grey Wind would still be... (Bran IV, ASOS)

Sansa does this the most out of her siblings, it’s her primary coping mechanism. One example is how remembers (or tries not to remember) Jeyne Poole:

Sansa did not know what had happened to Jeyne, who had disappeared from her rooms afterward, never to be mentioned again. She tried not to think of them too often, yet sometimes the memories came unbidden, and then it was hard to hold back the tears. (Sansa II, ACOK)

She tries to not to think of her, because it’s too traumatic for her to do so.

Another example is how she’s trying to process the situations she’s in at the Eyrie.

I am not your daughter, she thought. I am Sansa Stark, Lord Eddard's daughter and Lady Catelyn's, the blood of Winterfell. She did not say it, though. If not for Petyr Baelish it would have been Sansa who went spinning through a cold blue sky to stony death six hundred feet below, instead of Lysa Arryn. He is so bold. Sansa wished she had his courage. She wanted to crawl back into bed and hide beneath her blanket, to sleep and sleep. She had not slept a whole night through since Lysa Arryn's death. (Sansa I, AFFC)

He is serving me lies as well, Sansa realized. They were comforting lies, though, and she thought them kindly meant. A lie is not so bad if it is kindly meant. If only she believed them...

The things her aunt had said just before she fell still troubled Sansa greatly. "Ravings," Petyr called them. "My wife was mad, you saw that for yourself." And so she had. All I did was build a snow castle, and she meant to push me out the Moon Door. Petyr saved me. He loved my mother well, and...

And her? How could she doubt it? He had saved her.

He saved Alayne, his daughter, a voice within her whispered. But she was Sansa too... and sometimes it seemed to her that the Lord Protector was two people as well. He was Petyr, her protector, warm and funny and gentle... but he was also Littlefinger, the lord she'd known at King's Landing, smiling slyly and stroking his beard as he whispered in Queen Cersei's ear. And Littlefinger was no friend of hers. When Joff had her beaten, the Imp defended her, not Littlefinger. When the mob sought to rape her, the Hound carried her to safety, not Littlefinger. When the Lannisters wed her to Tyrion against her will, Ser Garlan the Gallant gave her comfort, not Littlefinger. Littlefinger never lifted so much as his little finger for her.

Except to get me out. He did that for me. I thought it was Ser Dontos, my poor old drunken Florian, but it was Petyr all the while. Littlefinger was only a mask he had to wear. Only sometimes Sansa found it hard to tell where the man ended and the mask began. Littlefinger and Lord Petyr looked so very much alike. She would have fled them both, perhaps, but there was nowhere for her to go. Winterfell was burned and desolate, Bran and Rickon dead and cold. Robb had been betrayed and murdered at the Twins, along with their lady mother. Tyrion had been put to death for killing Joffrey, and if she ever returned to King's Landing the queen would have her head as well. The aunt she'd hoped would keep her safe had tried to murder her instead. Her uncle Edmure was a captive of the Freys, while her great-uncle the Blackfish was under siege at Riverrun. I have no place but here, Sansa thought miserably, and no true friend but Petyr. (Sansa I, AFFC)

Sansa knows deep down (not even that deep, just down) that Petyr is untrustworthy. She knows he’s fed her lies, but she wants to believe them. She wants to be able to trust him. She wants to feel like she can be safe with him. She wants to be safe. It bothers me a lot whenever people say Sansa is “stupid” for trusting Petyr, or “uncaring” for not thinking often of Jeyne. She isn’t stupid or uncaring, she’s a traumatized thirteen year old whose brain is trying to cope with what she’s gone through and what she’s currently going through.

So, she has built a wall. And behind that wall are the memories of Lysa’s death, the truth about Jon Arryn’s murder, and Jeyne Poole. I think it would make sense if skinchanging, something that involves the mind, is also something that she’s subconsciously repressing. I talked about this sometime a while ago, but I believe that a big moment for Sansa in TWOW is going to be her confronting her memories. And most significantly, confronting Baelish about what happened to Jeyne Poole and exposing the truth of Jon Arryn and Lysa’s deaths. Thus, defeating Littlefinger, the mockingbird.

It would make sense if this coincided with her skinchanging abilities truly awakening. As her mind opens, her powers become stronger. I’m pretty deadset on Sansa’s bird being a falcon, not just for the House Arryn connection and because she’s gone hawking with a falcon before, but also because of the symbolism. Falcons symbolize “vision, freedom, and victory. Hence, it also connotes salvation to those who are in bondage whether moral, emotional, or spiritual”. I think that Sansa bonding with a falcon and “flying free” would be perfect for the conclusion of her caged bird arc.

Sorry, this got really long, it just kind of turned into all my thoughts about how skinchanger-Sansa might come to be in TWOW. I think it’s going to be an important part of her story, as you don’t just give four of your POV characters the ability to control animals with their minds and not have that matter. (And, it’s already an important part of Jon, Arya, and Bran’s stories, so it most likely will be for Sansa, too.)

[hellsbellschime]

Why Will Dany Burn King’s Landing?

Although most fans of A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones understandably aren't keen on revisiting the sloppy final season of the TV series, season 8 of the show is actually home to some of the most interesting indications of where the book series may or may not be going.

Season 8 was largely so confusing because the series was attempting to get across the finish line as fast as possible, but many of the messier aspects of the show were also clearly driven by the fact that Game of Thrones had already significantly deviated from the story that George RR Martin was trying to tell. So, when the time came for the TV series to end, the show had to push its characters into their decided endgames despite the fact that many alterations to their prior arcs now made those endings somewhat nonsensical.

George has already directly stated that the broad strokes of the ending will be the same in the books, but I think it stands to reason that the most controversial aspect of the series end, Daenerys' decision to burn King's Landing, will likely be significantly different within the books.

There are a lot of theories about how Dany's dark, or at least slightly darker, turn is going to go in the novels. Many fans unsuprisingly have come up with speculations that alleviate most of Dany's responsibility for the destruction of the city, but I think the notion that someone else will burn King's Landing or that Daenerys will burn the capitol by accident are extremely unlikely.

I can't envision a world where George RR Martin lets any of his main characters off the hook for the most destructive choice in the entire series, and frankly it has always been completely in character for Daenerys to justify any amount of devastation and destruction if it's in service of reclaiming the Iron Throne. And honestly, despite the fact that Game of Thrones retconned most of Dany's darkest book decisions and characteristics, even within the TV series itself, burning King's Landing was largely a logical extension of Dany's habit of killing anybody who gives even the slightest indication that they might not follow her.

However, it also seems undeniable that the burning of King's Landing is almost certainly going to come about due to different circumstances. And, it seems extremely likely that the omission of one significant character in the books, Young Griff, will be one of the key differences in the destruction of King's Landing and the entire Targaryen dynasty.

While I don't think Young Griff's non-Targaryen heritage is nearly as undeniable as many other fans do, one thing that seems very probable is that regardless of whether or not Aegon is really Aegon Targaryen, Daenerys will not believe that he is the long lost son of Rhaegar Targaryen.

Cersei becoming Dany's greatest rival never really made sense considering how few legitimate supporters she had. But on the other hand, someone like Young Griff, who has spent his entire life training to become the best king possible, seems like the kind of person who will likely win at least a significant amount of support among the lords of Westeros and the common people, who at this point would honestly prefer anyone other than Cersei anyway.

But, if Dany arrives in Westeros and there is a Targaryen who she doesn't believe is a Targaryen already sitting on the Iron Throne with the backing of a multitude of kingdoms as well as the common people, clearly she's going to be pissed. And obviously she's going to have a huge axe to grind with the boy who she believes has usurped her throne.

Dany has always been prone to violence to begin with, but now that she seems to have decided to go full fire and blood, it's not that difficult to figure out how she is likely going to handle Aegon the Sixth. But, I think that the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones may have already explained exactly how that is going to happen.

Like most fans, as soon as any information about the final season of Game of Thrones was released, I thought about what it could possibly be referring to or what it would mean. And one aspect of season 8 that seemed to not quite fit into anything within the rest of the series was the title of the episode "The Bells".

What initially interested me about that name was that not only was it the title for arguably the most important episode in the entire show, but that it referred to something that has a lot of thematic relevance within the books but that has been barely mentioned within the TV series. Bells are mentioned constantly in A Song of Ice and Fire, but they've only gotten a few nods within Game of Thrones. And I was even more surprised that, when the show actually aired, the ringing of the bells didn't seem to be hugely relevant to the episode itself either.

Yes, the bells do seem to trigger Dany's decision to burn the entire city down, but they aren't important before or after that, and when there are so many possible titles that are more connected to the series and the story, it still seems strange that "The Bells" was called "The Bells".

However, while bells are a bit of a perennial theme within A Song of Ice and Fire, I think one particular bell-themed subplot might be the exact history that is going to repeat itself when King's Landing burns to the ground, and I think that Daenerys might defeat Aegon in the second Battle of the Bells.

Jon Connington is another fantastic character who was completely omitted from the TV series, but it's interesting that the most fervent supporter of House Targaryen who was on the front lines fighting for Rhaegar in Robert's Rebellion seems to believe that the war wasn't actually lost in the Trident, but in Stoney Sept when Jon failed to root out Robert Baratheon.

JonCon's perspective on Rhaegar and on the entire war is undeniably warped, and in retrospect House Targaryen's dynasty was always destined to fail. Rhaegar may not have had the violent impulses of Aerys, but a dude who lets the entire realm devolve into chaos because he really needs to impregnate a teenager who is dubiously consenting at best was not going to bring peace and prosperity back to the realm. And in a broader sense, the Targaryen values of isolationism, superiority, subjugation, and consolidation of power seem to indicate that no matter what happened, as long as the Targaryens stuck to their beliefs then they were never going to hold on to the Seven Kingdoms.

But still, it seems incredibly important that Jon Connington believed that the Targaryens lost the Iron Throne in the Battle of the Bells, and it's even more important that he's almost certainly wrong. A Song of Ice and Fire has been pretty consistent in its portrayal of brutality. It has proven to be an effective tool in the short term, but it seems to have disastrous results in the long run. And, given that George RR Martin is an ardent pacifist, it's obvious that JonCon's belief that if he had only been crueler and more violent in Stoney Sept then the war would have been won for House Targaryen is a belief that is bound to be undermined.

The fact that Prince Aegon's greatest Westerosi supporter is so strong in this belief though seems to be an obvious setup for a clash in the future. It seems unlikely that the boy who Varys wanted to be the perfect king would be as brutal as someone like Tywin Lannister, and honestly, most people are not that violent nor do they believe that the only goal is winning no matter the cost.

But, it also seems to be a setup for a clash between Young Griff and Daenerys. After all, while most people wouldn't do absolutely anything to get what they believed was their birthright, Dany absolutely would. She internally justifies every action that she takes in service of getting the Iron Throne, and there doesn't seem to be a limit to the violence that she would excuse if it meant taking what she believes is rightfully hers.

The descriptions of the Battle of the Bells in Jon Connington's POV chapters are all very interesting, and it's telling that even in these few glimpses into his mind, this battle is so vitally important. But, Jon's memories are at their most interesting in the chapter "The Griffin Reborn," when he discusses his failings with Myles Toyne.

Jon tells himself that even Tywin Lannister couldn't have done anything more than what he did, but Toyne disagrees. Blackheart says “Lord Tywin would not have bothered with a search. He would have burned that town and every living creature in it. Men and boys, babes at the breast, noble knights and holy septons, pigs and whores, rats and rebels, he would have burned them all. When the fires guttered out and only ash and cinders remained, he would have sent his men in to find the bones of Robert Baratheon."

And while Myles is undoubtedly right that this is exactly what Tywin Lannister would have done, the particular description of the violence sounds undeniably Targaryen in nature. It literally sounds like fire and blood. And frankly, it sounds pretty close to what Daenerys did in Game of Thrones and is likely to do in King's Landing in A Song of Ice and Fire.

Conceptually, it's actually quite simple. Jon Connington will fight the Battle of the Bells once again, except this time he's going to be on the side of the new Robert Baratheon. If Young Griff is a remotely capable ruler who wins the hearts of the people, then it's entirely believable that the citizens of King's Landing would give him quarter when the dragon queen comes looking for him. And given Daenerys' typical patience level, it seems incredibly likely that Dany would just burn the traitors and find the bones of the usurper in the ashes.

Jon Connington has returned to Westeros operating under the belief that he is going to have to be tougher and more brutal to ensure that Young Griff ascends to the Iron Throne like Rhaegar never did, and to ensure that he's never overthrown like the Mad King was. So then, it would be a pretty perfect twist of fate if everything that Jon believes now winds up being proven wrong and he finds himself and the boy who he has vowed to defend to his last breath relying on the kindness of strangers to hide them from the Targaryen ruler and her armies who are searching for them.

And ironically, Jon will not do what he has set out to do, succeed for the son where he failed for the father, precisely because the enemy that he's facing now will be ready and willing to use the brutality that JonCon originally shied away from in Stoney Sept. If Young Griff and the elder Griffon were actually dealing with a rival who was similar to the younger Jon Connington, someone who wasn't willing to wreak havoc and destruction in order to find their enemy at all costs, then they might have a chance at at least surviving.  

But, because Dany is the type of person who serves up fire and blood to anyone she thinks even might be her enemy, any of King Aegon's protectors will be treated with the brutality that Jon currently believes is necessary to win, and Young Griff will be killed anyway. And of course, while Daenerys will almost certainly win the battle against Aegon the Sixth, her decision to be as violent and swift as possible in order to root out her enemies will also lead to her ultimate downfall and a truly irrevocable end to the Targaryen dynasty.

Thematically, the repetition of past mistakes, the false belief that great violence in service of a supposedly greater good is worthwhile, and the false belief that brutality is strength, all fits in well with A Song of Ice and Fire and George RR Martin's political point of view. But obviously, given that Aegon Targaryen, Jon Connington, and their entire branch of the story was omitted in Game of Thrones, none of this could have ever happened in the TV series. And perhaps the title of the penultimate episode was a subtle nod to the climax that the writers know will be coming in the books.

[voiceless-terror]

Inseparable (TMA)

For the @tma-valentines-exchange and @theotpauthor

Characters: Jonathan Sims/Martin Blackwood

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Some Bullying, Canon-Typical Martin’s Mother and Jon’s Grandmother

Summary:  Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood meet as children. Some things change, others do not.

As expected, he’s going to have to eat lunch alone.

Martin surveys the school yard, the teacher behind him smiling with encouragement. It’s nice that they let them go outside, sitting alone at a table in the cafeteria seemed far more intimidating than finding a tree or a bush he could hide behind. He’s getting better at making himself small.

It’s a bright, warm day and the sun beats down on his face, he’s going to need a shady spot. He spies a tree on the far edge of the grounds; it’s tall and thick, a perfect place to hide away. He trudges down the slight incline, his bagged lunch held tight in his fist. Maybe if he asks nicely his mum will get him a lunchbox. But this’ll do for now. He’s about to sit down in a small nook of roots when a disgruntled voice pipes up from behind the tree.

“Hey!”

Martin can barely see the boy’s scowling face but he recognizes him from class: Jonathan Sims. He’s a scrawny kid almost half his size, but that doesn’t make him any less intimidating. Jon always raises his hand in class and interrupts others when they have the wrong answer. The other students snicker but Jon pays them no mind, more interested in getting out all the information stored in his head. Martin admires his confidence, but still. He’s a bit scary.

“This is my tree,” he sniffs, patting the ground as if planting a flag. “This is where I eat. Alone.” 

Martin feels his face burning from more than just the sun. There’s tears forming behind his eyes but he tries desperately to hold them back, the last thing he needs is a reputation as the class crybaby. 

“I’m s-sorry.” He scrambles up, casting his eyes down to the ground if only to avoid Jon’s glare. “I’ll- I’ll find somewhere else, sorry to bother.” A brief scan of the school yard reveals there really is nowhere else, unless he wants to sit in the dirt or out in the sun where everyone can see. Maybe he should find an empty classroom, or a closet or even a bathroom, just to be out of sight. But he doesn’t think the teacher will let him, and she keeps looking over. She probably just saw his rejection, and he really doesn’t want her to come over and embarrass him further. Jonathan Sims already seems to hate him.

“You can stay.” The voice interrupts his internal panic, and he looks over to find Jon studiously avoiding his gaze, staring hard at a neighboring bush. Martin wonders what caused his sudden change of heart. “But you have to sit on the other side. And don’t talk to me.”

He hurries to sit down, afraid the other boy will take it back. “Y-Yes, thank you-”

“I said don’t talk to me!”

Martin closes his mouth, cutting off the ‘sorry’ that’s already spilling from his lips. With one final glare Jon swivels back around, dropping out of sight.

Martin sighs with relief and begins to dig out his soggy peanut butter sandwich. He packed it this morning with the meager supplies in their kitchen; Mum forgot to get the groceries again, he’d have to remind her. She’s been forgetting a lot lately; the move has been hard on the both of them, but especially her. Ever since his father left they’d been moving from town to town, wherever his mum could find work. She’s working at a doctor’s office now, and hence the move to their very small flat a few blocks from school. Once again, he’s the new kid.

And of course no one talks to him. Why would they? Mum always says he’s rubbish with people, that he should try to be more outgoing. It’s not his fault his glasses are too big and his clothes are ill-fitting and he’s awkwardly taller than ‘any seven year old has the right to be’ (his mum’s words). Whenever he opens his mouth, all that comes out is a high-pitched stutter. No, better to be quiet and stay out of everyone’s way. That’s easier. That’s how his Mum likes it at home, why change it up here?

But it doesn’t make it hurt any less. His teachers are nice enough and no one’s bothered him yet. As long as he continues to keep his head down and do his homework, he’ll be fine. Who needs friends, anyway?

And he’s got a spot to eat now. Jon sits on the other side of the tree, just out of sight, saying nothing. But Martin still feels a little less lonely with him here, like they have some sort of silent truce. Jon doesn’t seem to have any friends; in fact, Martin thinks he actually has enemies. People shove him in the hallway when they’re standing in line, throw paper balls at him in class, whisper insults audibly behind his back. But Jon never reacts other than a tensing of his shoulders and a pointed look the other way. Martin wishes he could be like that.

Jon lets him sit there for the rest of the week. Martin itches to talk to him, but decides it's easier to keep his promise. Mum likes it when he’s quiet so she doesn’t have to hear his ‘inane chatter.’ Jon probably wants the same.

The next day it rains. He doesn’t know where Jon goes when he can’t sit at his tree. Martin decides to eat at the very end of a lunch table where a few other quiet kids sit. No one talks to him. He’s getting used to it.

It’s too muddy to sit outside for the next few days. No matter where he looks, he can’t find Jon. The teacher doesn’t seem to care much about Jon’s whereabouts. Martin’s heard the word ‘handful’ muttered as the teachers gather in the common space. They just let him do what he wants.

But the next Monday, there he is. Sitting at the tree, a book in hand, his lunch box conspicuously absent. It’s bright yellow with a cat on it; it looks ancient, beat up and scratched as it is. But it’s not there. Martin sits at his usual spot, fidgeting with his lunch bag. I wonder if he’s hungry. He hears the crinkle of the library book, the turn of a page. Before he can second guess himself, he gets up and steps to the forbidden other side of the tree.

Jon barely deigns to look up from his book, instead focusing more intently on the pages. Martin shuffles on his feet and fights the urge to run away before clearing his throat.

Jon looks up. “What?” he snaps, clearly irritated at the interruption.

“S-Sorry, I just saw you had no l-lunch and I-” he fumbles around in the bag until he finds what he’s looking for and offers it out to Jon with a shaking hand. “I thought you might be hungry.”

Jon stares at the applesauce like it's bound to leap out and bite him. He looks back up at Martin with a suspiciously gaze, and he fights the urge to swallow nervously. Jon’s eyes are so large, even hidden behind glasses and it’s hard to meet his stare head-on.

“Fine.” A small hand reaches up and snatches it from Martin before he can so much as blink. Jon rips open the lid like a man starving and instead of asking for a spoon, opts to slurp at it like it's some sort of milkshake.

Martin stares at him open-mouthed as Jon scrunches his face in distaste and complains. “Ugh. Who gets applesauce without cinnamon?” He finishes it anyway and hands the crumpled plastic back to Martin in under a minute. He takes it, stupefied, as Jon picks up his book and goes back to reading, once again ignoring Martin. Well then.

Martin feels like he’s approached a feral cat and come back without a scratch. He takes his usual spot on the other side, mechanically biting into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and wonders if he can convince his mum to buy the good kind of applesauce when he hears the words, barely audible.

“Thank you.” It’s the softest he’s ever heard Jon’s voice go.

“You’re welcome,” he replies, equally as quiet. Jon says nothing else, but Martin will take this as a win.

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