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coulsons-left-arm · 4 days ago

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You remember that "father's finding their kids as babies," post I made of Coulson and Daisy the other day?

Yeah, I'm dropping the fic here since people aren't seeing it in my reblog (I'm so sorry about that 💀😭).

So here's a subpar 1.4k of Coulson and May finding the 084 (aka Daisy) back in 1989. 🫶🏻

Coulson and May are called in for a level 8 classified op even though they're entry level agents. It's all hands on deck for this one, so they're a little nervous, but May is holding it in well while Coulson is tryna be extra goofy (that's how she knows he's nervous).

Boots on the ground, and it's an absolute massacre. Many SHIELD agents look like they've been torn to shreds, and it's hard to look at, but they assess all but one are dead. Coulson leans closer to an agent who's last breath was used to "Find the squad leader." He closes the eyes of the dead and hopes and prays they can get at least one of their men out alive.

May happens upon the squad leader propped up under a bridge, covered in blood... But he's holding something? She looks closer to find something bundled up in a piece of bloodied fabric... And it's a baby... Fast asleep by the looks of it.

Gunfire behind them starts to pop off. They have to act fast. May grabs the baby and holds it close to her chest, staying low and trying to soften her steps to avoid any jostling of the little one. Coulson was able to fireman carry the squad leader's body back to the jet right before the ramp closed. It was close, but the agents and baby made it out unscathed.

Coulson leaves the squad leader's body with one of the spare agents, giving a moment to honor his sacrifice, before heading over to May who was still holding the baby. She's covered in blood which was hard to look at, but her features were cute, juxtaposing the sight. Coulson runs a finger along her cheek, wiping some of the blood off her and earning a tiny, content yawn.

It wasn't too terribly long before they landed, immediately greeted by scientists and a doctor who removed the child from May's arms. The baby began to cry, and the two agents felt a pang in their stomach. They had to trust that they would take care of the little one.

~~~~~

It had been three hours with no word from the analysis department. Coulson couldn't take it, so he marched down there and was greeted by some upset scientists at his presence. He didn't have high enough clearance level to know what was going on, but he could hear the high pitched cries just beyond the doors. He fought his way through the twiggy researchers, and was met with a horrifying sight.

They *did* clean her off, but they had kept her all but naked and on a hard surface like a specimen... Which she was far from being. Multiple vials of blood samples were nearby and he almost absolutely *lost it* on a nearby white coat. He ran through the grasping arms trying to stop him, but he was able to snatch the protesting baby up and hug her close to his chest. Cradling her, her cries were beginning to wane while scientists were flapping their gums about "unknown origins" and "possible contaminates." But it didn't matter.

They were treating a *baby* like a *lab rat*, poking and proding the poor thing.

May reached the lab, all eyes on her and giving way. The analysts knew better than to mess with someone who graduated from Ops. She walked over to Coulson, standing her ground and signalling over the doctor. She demanded he find "something to cover the baby." From the bunching of his shirt collar in her fist, he read her loud and clear and retrieved a diaper and a fuzzy blanket. Although he never had any experience, Coulson's confidence carried him through cladding the baby in the diaper, and returned her to his grip, laying the blanket over her back and over the top of her head. He could feel a little spot of drool forming on his chest through his PT shirt, but he didn't mind. Her little body wasn't squirming and her breaths came easy with a couple hiccups dappled in for good measure. He swayed side to side as May almost took out one of the scientists who dared to inch closer and asked if she had eaten at all since they took her.

Of course not...

But formula was quickly retrieved from *somewhere* (honestly, did SHIELD just keep baby stuff on base? And what for??? Was it normal for babies to show up on their doorstep???? If so, Coulson wasn't taught about any of this in his training...), along with a bottle and a pacifier.

May singlehandedly scared all of the analysts outside the lab, including the heartless doctor, and locked them out. They found the light switch and dimmed it for the baby. Who knows how long they kept poking and proding her. They snuck out the back entrance with her, finding a way to Coulson's bunk since May was currently sharing hers with another junior agent. They had snatched the Bunsen burner from the lab, and May snuck out and snatched a pan and a few bottles of water from the mess hall. She noted a silent alarm had been activated and kept to the shadows, avoiding cameras to get back to Coulson's room.

She was met with an evergrowing fussy baby in Coulson's arms as he was trying to keep her calm and soothed by gently speaking sweet nothings over her head as he sat on the edge of his bed. They both made quick work with the formula, getting the bottle to a warmer temperature they thought might be right. Neither of them knew *exactly* what they were doing or how to do it, but it sure was better than the treatment the scientists were putting the baby through.

Coulson shifted the baby from his shoulder to the crook of his elbow, and grabbed the heated bottle as the baby's cries were coming to a crescendo. Guiding the nipple into her mouth, she ceased her racket, and began frantically sucking while looking up at him with wet, red rimmed eyes. He couldn't help but swipe away some of the wet tears coating her chubby cheeks, smiling softly at her.

"Is that what you wanted?" He cooed over the light sucking sounds. "Does it taste okay? It's our first time making this stuff, so it's probably not five star worthy. Sorry about that."

It must've not been too bad since she consumed almost the whole bottle, her sucking coming to a slow as her eyes began to droop.

But aren't you supposed to burp babies after they eat? That was a thing, right? As much as he didn't want to disturb her entering a slumber, Coulson set the bottle down and propped her back up to his shoulder, patting her back. It didn't take long before he felt a warm sensation drip down the back of his shirt.

"She spit up, didn't she?" May nodded her head, looking towards his dresser drawers. "Second drawer from the top. Don't care which one.... As long as it's not my Cap shirt. Don't want her messing up that one." He received a scoff as he settled the baby in between his closed thighs, carefully pulling off his dirtied shirt. He twisted behind him to reveal nothing got on his sheets, a sigh of relief eacaping his chest. But the baby began whimpering, so he didn't wait for May to throw a shirt at him before picking up the (once again) fussy baby and cradling her close to his bare chest. She seemed to immediately quiet at the contact. Maybe it was the heat from his bare skin on hers? Maybe she could hear his heart thumping in his chest? Maybe... Maybe she just *liked* him??? Yes, it was a silly thought, but Coulson knew a lot of people liked him, whether it was someone he met out in the street, or a fellow junior at the academy. Maybe he had a similar effect on babies?

He snapped out of his silly thoughts when a lump of fabric hit his side, seeing an olive green t shirt sitting at his side.

"Thanks, May... But I don't know if I want to put that on quite yet. Look," he said as he twisted his torso in her direction. She peered over at the bundle against his chest, Coulson possibly seeing the tiniest sparkle in her eye. Completely forgetting to close his dresser drawer, she slowly padded over and sat down next to him on the bed, eyes trained on the little one who's breaths were lightly puffing against Coulson's chest hairs. She reached a finger towards one of the tiny balled up fists, her breath slightly hitching when it uncurled and grabbed a hold. The baby seemed the most calm they had seen her since finding her, settled deeply and undisturbed by the outside world. May carefully reached for the baby blanket that was discarded on top of the bed and draped it over Coulson's front.

"Maybe you should lie down with her," she suggested. "Make sure she gets some rest." It seemed reasonable, especially since they saved the poor little one from torture. It felt *right* to give her some rest. Coulson scooted back across the covers carefully, lying down against his pillow and feeling the gravity of the tiny weight naturally press against his chest.

There were a whole lot of things swirling around his brain. A sense of fierce protectiveness. Of unconditional love even though he only just met her. Of some sort of gap that filled that he didn't even know was there? Or maybe he did, but never acknowledged it? Either way, something in him wanted to break, but it would have to wait for later.

May reached for the baby blanket, covering up the both of them just right and placed a gentle hand over the baby's back... Which was also where Coulson's hand was. He'd be lying if his heart didn't skip a beat... Or two.

"I should probably head out and grab a couple things--"

"Stay?" The single word escaped his mouth before his brain could even catch it. He could feel his ears go warm at the way her hand's weight shifted on top of his. It almost left, but at his word it stopped for a moment before returning pressure.

*She wanted to stay, too.*

"...Okay." And before his brain could even process, let alone his bleeding heart, his partner in crime laid down next to him on her side, facing him and the baby, keeping her hand planted over his.

Coulson's mind boggled at the fact that he was shirtless, with a random baby on his chest snoozing away, unaware that he had his academy crush lying in his bed with him (fully clothed, but honestly, he wouldn't have it any other way).

Fury wasn't kidding that SHIELD was unlike any opportunity he would ever receive in his lifetime.

#i apologize for thinking people would look in the reblogs bc thats ehat i do all the time when i find a banger post #i like seeing peoples unhinged/freak out tags. they give me life 🫶🏻#agents of shield #phil coulson #melinda may #daisy johnson #i also feel like im slowly getting more confident in posting fics even when i feel like theyre trash 🫠#bc i think ive finally realized that yeah my execution of words isnt the best. but its the *idea* that really matters #and now that ive posted this i shall flee and not come back here for a little bit bc im v v shy 😭

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astradrifting · 3 years ago

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

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

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

(TWOIAF, Aegon II)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(ACOK, Tyrion XII)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- the youngest child of their family

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for the ask!

#astra rambles #asks #its not quite 5000 words but i got it in under the deadline stumpy :P #half speculation half 'my wildest dreams and hopes'#anti tyrion lannister #kind of #rickon stark #jon snow #sansa stark #arya stark #anti got #speculation #meta #dod 2.0 #dod parallels

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fortunatelylori · 6 years ago

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I've been thinking about alliances and what the map could look like with a Jon/ Sansa alliance. Between the two of them they have the map covered as far a who is potentially or who will be left once everything is settled, to rule one of the 7 Kingdoms except for Dorne. As far as we know Elia is still alive and imprisoned. She has a tenuous allegiance with Dany but that's it. Dany has done nothing to come to her aid. If Sansa is kidnapped there is a high probability they will connect. Thoughs?

*Sidenote The Dany/Elia alliance was also formed on hatred. If Dorne is still in play then there should be a stronger basis to make it long lasting. Sure Jon was born in Dorne but he’s a Northerner. He has no allegiance to them.

Hey, nonnie.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this. Yesterday, in the comments section of my D*ny/Cersei comparison post , @blurredblue mentioned that Cersei’s real weakness at this time is that she has no allies left in Westeros. And that got me thinking … That’s essentially D*ny’s problem as well.

They sort of canceled each other out in season 7 on that front when Cersei took all of D*ny’s allies out of play, thus leaving her without legitimacy in terms of launching her campaign. D*ny returned the favor by burning the Tarlys alive, and leaving Cersei without her only true Westerosi ally.

But the burning of the Tarlys was also D*ny shooting herself in the foot because, his crappy parental treatment of his eldest son aside, Randall Tarly was a well respected member of the Westerosi aristocracy with a great military record. Not only that but by burning them alive without a trial and the legitimacy of a crown, D*ny committed a war crime by the laws established in this universe. As we remember from Robb’s campaign, it’s actually not ok or acceptable to kill prisoners of war in Westeros.

But D*ny’s biggest mistake to date is not that. The more I think of it the more I realize that in terms of strategy and diplomacy, her biggest mistake was her treatment of Jon Snow, aka The King in the North. Obviously all of this is predicated on the existence of political Jon in one form or another, which by and large has become, in my mind, the key GOT theory on which the entire Game of Thrones now rests. So for the remainder of this post, we will assume that in fact Jon’s actions in season 7 were politically motivated and that he is not a Northern Fool/cinnamon roll who fell in love with the Mother of Dragons and is ready to give up everything for her, like countless less important male character before him.

The reason why I say that D*ny’s biggest mistake was her treatment of Jon is because, right now, House Stark is THE HOUSE you need in order to control Westeros. Dragons will only get you so far. You need alliances in order to establish a peaceful and successful rule and while everyone is bleeding allies left and right, House Stark, through Jon and Sansa, is racking in the numbers. If she had not been so greedy, if she weren’t hell bent on dominance and submission of anyone she encounters, D*ny would have had a fantastic opportunity to enter a mutually beneficial alliance with House Stark, one established on collaboration not coercion. By dismissing Jon, demoting him, proving herself a fickle ally who is more likely to burn you alive than treat with you, by not entertaining the very pertinent reasons why the North is seeking its independence, she blew her chance at that alliance.

Tyrion, by the way, must share a part in this debacle because he tricks Jon into coming to Dragonstone, is as adamant about Jon bending the knee as D*ny is, albeit in a more diplomatic way and he fails to do his proper research in advance. He thinks Jon is the gullible King in the North and the North is an ally worth having, particularly once their other allies are wiped out, but he doesn’t seem to understand that whoever holds the allegiance of House Stark will in fact hold the geopolitical hegemony over Westeros.

Let’s break it down:

We’ll start with Jon, since he is the titular leader of House Stark, despite his status as a bastard. In season 7, Sansa mentions that the Northern Lords are loyal, by and large, to Jon. We see Lord Glover and Lord Royce of the Vale mention that perhaps they should have elected Sansa as their Queen but the rest of the lords do not join in this conversation. They are, for the moment, holding fast behind their decision to elect Jon as King. Of course, strife is coming because of Jon’s decision to bend the knee but considering that Sansa will most likely support him in front of the Great Council, the Northern Lords will probably stick around. Also, Jon has the Wildlings undivided loyalty.

People could be excused in ignoring the Wildlings since they’re a small group and one that has been brought South of the Wall only recently but the fact of the matter is they’re here now and they’re staying put. On top of that, they were involved in both the demise of Ramsay Bolton and fought alongside the Starks and their allies and are now part of the core group that will save Westeros from the apocalypse. So, unlike the Dothraki who are complete strangers to Westeros, the Wildlings are actually natives of this continent and are intimately involved in the goings on of the realm.

Then there’s the matter of Gendry. This could amount to something or it might not so take that with a grain of salt. But all of the Baratheons are dead, except for this one bastard that rowed his way back to Flee Bottom and has now been introduced back into the plot, fast becoming best friends with Jon and poised to meet his sister, Arya, with whom he might fall in love and marry. That, in geopolitical terms, is the potential start of a lifelong alliance. The fact that the show pointed to the close relationship between Robert and Ned in Gendry and Jon’s first meeting feels like this relationship is bound to pay off in other ways aside from Gendry’s superhuman running abilities. If Jon is to become a political player, he would be well served to legalize his sister’s future husband and install him as the new Lord of the Stormlands, using the good will and strategic acumen he has gained to support his perhaps disputed decision. Because he will need people he can trust in high positions of power and Gendry is just that.

Then there’s the matter of Samwell Tarly. This is another way in which the burning of the Tarlys will come back to bite D*ny in the ass. Because Samwell, the disinherited son of Randall Tarly, is now the only male representative of House Tarly. And with the demise of House Tyrell, the Reach is up for grabs. House Tarly is the only reasonable candidate for this position. Sam would chew off his own arm before supporting the woman that burned his father and brother alive and besides that he’s had “I love Jon Snow” carved across his chest since he first set eyes on the bastard of Winterfell.

So two men that are friends with Jon Snow could, potentially, give Jon access to the Stormlands and the Reach. That’s a start. :))))

But that’s just a small part of what Jon Snow brings to the table because his true value lies in his prowess in battle and he’s about to prove his worth in the greatest war/wars this continent has seen in 8000 years. However you chose to look at it, Westeros is a medieval society that is going through a period where warrior kings are the norm and what people expect from their leader.

We have moved away from this type of worldview but a successful medieval king is a military commander, who is always leading his army from the front lines: prowess in battle, courage in the face of hand to hand combat inspire a type of loyalty and devotion that is hard to discount. That’s what Edward I did, that’s what Edward IV, Henry V, Robert the Bruce and countless other successful warrior kings did.

Jon Snow is going to be spearheading the fight against the White Walkers and by the end of it he will be the military commander that saved Westeros from the end of the world. He will become a legendary figure in his own time. Forget Aemon the Dragonkinght and Florian the Fool, King Jon will be the guy generations of kids for hundreds of years will pretend to be while playing at swords. He’ll essentially be the King Arthur of this universe. And that type of clout and image is hard to come by. If he ends up riding a dragon and riding Westeros of the Dragon Queen and the Dothraki as well, people will be one step away from treating him like a God-like figure. That’s if he’s alive by the end of the story, which I think he very much will.

Then there’s Sansa … let’s talk about Sansa, shall we?

Since about season 2, Sansa’s political importance has been highlighted by the plot over and over again. Yes, yes, she doesn’t wield a sword and she doesn’t have dragons but then again neither did Elizabeth of York or Eleanor of Aquitaine or any of the countless heiresses of the medieval world.

Sansa has been called the Key to the North by Varys for a reason and there’s a reason why Tywin Lannister, Olenna Tyrell and Roose Bolton wanted her as wife for their sons/grandson. To quote Tywin: “Whoever marries Sansa Stark, has control of the North.”

But, since then, Sansa’s importance has only grown. And she is now not only the key to the North, but the most eligible match in the whole of Westeros. Because who ever marries Sansa Stark, essentially gets the keys to the kingdom and geopolitical dominance over the continent.

Let’s start with the North. There are two important factors that make Sansa essential to the North. For one, she is the heir apparent to Winterfell and the Stark ancestral seat, since Bran has renounced his claim. But because D*ny is stupidly generous, she helped Sansa become even more influential by forcing Jon to bend the knee. Jon’s credibility and standing has been jeopardized by this decision. Instead of keeping him as King in the North and marrying him pronto, D*ny gave the keys to the North to Sansa, who has been diligently working to keep the North fed, clothed and ready for the war and who will now have a position of leadership in front of the whole North. If Sansa chooses to support Jon, this can’t be beneficial to D*ny because the goals of the North/Sansa and D*ny’s are bound to collide. So Sansa and Jon’s alliance will come in direct opposition to D*ny’s quest for the throne, whether or not either Jon or Sansa plan on it.

But Sansa’s importance stretches beyond the North. The obvious one is, of course, the Vale. The Vale is a historical ally of House Stark and the North. Robyn Arryn is Sansa’s cousin on their mother’s side and Littlefinger was kind enough to really drive home just how important supporting his cousin was supposed to be for Robyn. He did it for his own motives of course but there’s no reason why Sansa wouldn’t and couldn’t take advantage of that now that Littlefinger is dead. Also, keeping Robyn happy is stupidly easy. Just imagine Jon giving him a ride on dragon back around the Eeryie. The kid will be a fan for life. In addition, Lord Royce is probably writing Sansa sonnets as we speak so the military arm of the Vale is firmly on Sansa’s side.

Then there’s the matter of the Riverlands. Now that the Freys have been decimated by Arya, House Tully is poised to take back control of the region and here is where Jaime really screwed Cersei over. Because House Tully is headed by Edmure, the guy Jaime terrorized and forced to betray his blood with threats of killing his son. House Tully isn’t supporting the Lannisters anytime soon, Edmure probably feels like he needs to atone for betraying the Blackfish (you can see by the way Tobias Menzies plays him that he regrets what he does but feels he has no choice) and the best way for him to do that is by supporting his only other relatives, the Starks, namely Sansa, aka the girl Blackfish said was just like her mother.

Then there’s the Greyjoys and the Iron Islands … Cersei, I think, will hold Euron’s allegiance but Theon Greyjoy is on a quest to rescue his sister and he’ll end up on a collision course with Euron. I’m pretty sure Euron is biting the dust. I’m also fairly certain Yara won’t survive. Now even if you pretend that Theon has no issue with the fact that D*ny does fuck all to help free Yara, aside from giving Theon a boat or two, who do you think Theon, as the only Greyjoy and leader of the Iron Islands, is going to support? D*enerys Targareyen, a virtual stranger he got into an alliance with out of necessity or the family that raised him and that he identifies with, and also feels he has let down in the past. Theon is House Stark, all the way. And if he manages to defeat Euron, he’ll have access to the best navy in the whole of Westeros.

That leaves, as you well pointed out, Dorne … But honestly I’m not sure Dorne is much of a prize for anyone at this time. Nor are Jon and Sansa obsessed with collecting kingdoms, the way Cersei and D*ny are so they’d probably leave Dorne to its own devices unless the Dornish themselves seek an alliance with them. And they’d probably be best served to stay away from Dorne for the time being because I doubt the kingdom is in a good place right now.

As for Ellaria Sand, honestly I don’t want her to make a come back in season 8. Her arc was concluded. Yes, supposedly she’s still alive but what does she really have to bring to the table at this point? Her only claim to Dorne was through her bastard daughters (so not a claim at all as bastards can’t inherit in Dorne anymore than in any other place in Westeros), and the Sand Snakes are dead (I know 2 of them weren’t her daughters but the rest are children and not part of the show). They really did a number on the Dornish plot and went crazy with the laws of succession but in realistic terms, what Ellaria and the Sand Snakes did was a coup d’etat and a pretty stupid one at that. They essentially threw their own country into political chaos and the Dornish, if they’re smart and their history shows they are, should drop Ellaria like a hot potato. There’s plenty of old families in Dorne, just as proud of their heritage and blood as the rest of the great houses of Westeros, so the country at this time is most likely in the midst of a civil war for control. In the future, an alliance with them might prove fruitful because they’ll most likely avoid the whole War for the Dawn and Dance of Dragons that will ravage the rest of Westeros. They’ll probably be able to rebuild more quickly. But Jon and Sansa don’t need Ellaria for that. They can enter an alliance with Dorne’s new leaders based on economical and political interests. They can even seal the deal with a mutually advantageous marriage.

So, that begs the question, if House Stark is essentially running the board as the most influential house in Westeros, if between Jon’s military abilities and Sansa’s diplomatic and political maneuvering, they are capable of not only rallying people to their cause but also unite the whole continent under them, why the hell would they choose to support either the woman whose family killed their father, brother and mother, caused one sister to go on the run and tortured the other or the woman who is going around burning people alive and wants to conquer a war ravaged land with a hoard of rapists and murderers?

Wouldn’t it make much more sense for them to seize power for themselves? And wouldn’t it make much more sense for Jon and Sansa to join their strategic and political advantages in marriage? This is a Ferdinand of Castile and Isabella of Aragon waiting to happen.

Jon actually has nothing to gain and everything to lose by marrying D*ny and the same goes for a potential alliance between Sansa and Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion holds absolutely no power in Westeros, he’s a kinslayer and he brought a foreign queen, two dragons and two armies of foreigners to the shores of his country. D*ny is the daughter of the Mad King, a man so reviled people thought Robert Baratehon was good by comparison, and she’s going around imparting the very popular policy of fire and blood with everyone she comes in contact with. Those kinds of things are not easily dismissed and do not go unnoticed.

Of course neither Jon or Sansa are thinking in terms of geopolitical hegemony at this time nor are they interested in the Iron Throne but between Cersei and D*ny, they will push them to the point where they will have to take action and assert themselves as the new power in Westeros, if they are to survive and thrive. It’s also very likely that their allies will push for them to become king and queen because they’ll understand that Jon and Sansa are their best ticket to a peaceful and healthy future Westeros.

Thanks for the ask!

#jonsa #jonsa is endgame #jon snow #sansa stark #anti-daenerys

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adambstingus · 7 years ago

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The 9 Fights You’ll Definitely Have With Your SO When You Move In Together

This summer, I purchased my first home with my fiance. Wed lived together in my parents home for several months, so we figured having a place to ourselves wouldnt be much of a transition.

I mean, we already lived together. We were going to be like two sexy little peas in a very overpriced pod! Except we werent. At least, not exactly.

Once its just the two of you, things do indeed change. By moving in with your partner, youre assuming the roles of husband and wife. But instead of being married to each other, youre mutually committed to this one, very expensive house thatll take the majority of your lives to pay off.

With such high stakes, theres a lot to gain and lose when you do finally move in. And as any couple whos ever lived together knows, you will find yourselves having a number of standard arguments over and over again.

Most of these arguments have no merit and brew from outside sources, but your partner gets the brunt of it because theyre, well, there. So lets get started on these arguments, shall we?

1.The conflict of the light switch.

Because I always grew up with pets, when I would leave the house, Id always leave the TV on for them so theyd feel less alone.

Since weve only had the house for a few months, I continue to leave the TV on when I leave. This INFURIATES my fiance, who, as soon as I step in the house, scolds me as if I were being reprimanded by a teacher in grade school.

Id then daftly counter with, Well, Im the one paying the electricity bill, so why do you care? and, as Im sure you can imagine, a whole other argument ensues.

2. Bills, bills, bills.

Money will always be a subject of contention for couples. Always.

Whenyou move in with somebody, you marry each other financially, so this contention can grow. Add to the fact that youre absolutely astounded by the amount of money youre now spending on bills that used to be spent on beer and just beer.

As such, your money becomes their money and vice versa. Your spending affects them and their spending affects you.

I should add here that bills arent often the source of an argument (at least in our home), but are instead used as a last line of defense in an argument.

For instance, if you pay the majority of the bills, you will undoubtedly use this against your partner when verbally backed into a corner. Its not a smart thing to do, but like I said, its a last line of defense. Its all youve got.

3. Settling on TV shows.

Im fortunate that my fiance and I like watching the same shows, but there are moments when we disagree and a lukewarm argument ensues.

For instance, I know my fiance doesnt want to watch a show when she innocently asks: Whats this? or What are you watching?

Knowing this is her method to vocalize her distaste for whatevers on, I surrender by delicately placing the converter on her lap, where shell then switch it over to The Food Network.

4. Accusations of ones laziness.

Since I work from home, my fiance likes to think I have the day to sweep the floors, do the laundry, fold the laundry and otherwise ensure the house is spotless.

To her, Im Cinderella with a laptop who writes the occasional boner joke in a Word document.

On the other hand, when my fiance comes home mid-afternoon, shell sit on the couch and eat a can of chickpeas, warm up some tomato soup and not do much else.

To be fair, she works as a baker and wakes up at 4 am, but when Im being accused of laziness, the claws comeoutand nobody is safe. Well poke at each other, accusing the other of being lazy, until an actual argument follows.

What you ultimately realize is that anyone can be accused of being lazy with the right argument.

5. The terrible, deplorable saga that is laundry.

Laundry. FUCKING LAUNDRY. Without a doubt, the worst chore of all chores.

While neither of us has any problem throwing a load in the washer or dryer, its the folding and hanging thats a pain in the ass.

There have been a few times where Ive washed, dried and folded the laundry, have gotten fed up and asked that she hang the laundry in the closet. This is where our arguments will usually begin.

Her side: Why not finish the deed yourself? Youre already 80 percent there. Mine: Ive done most of the work, just help me!

Conclusion: Laundry doesnt get hung but instead sits on the floor in a spare room.

6. Compromising on bedtime activities.

Because my fiance wakes up so early and I dont have a dedicated start time, our bedtime schedules are very different.

Though weve each compromised, we discovered many things about each other, such as: I like to watch TV in the bedroom; she doesnt. I like having a fan on in the room; she doesnt. She likes body contact; I dont. And so on.

I know were not alone on this one. I just know it.

7. Doing the dishes.

I actually dont hate doing the dishes. I really dont. I mean, I dont love it, but in terms of chores, its really not so bad.

I should add here that we dont have a dishwasher, so Ive kind of assumed this role myself. If you do have one and complain, youve got no foot to stand on. Im sorry, you just dont.

Like Ive mentioned, my fiances a baker and loves to bake at any and every given opportunity, so the dishes are seemingly endless.

I should also add that shes vegan and Im not, so to make sure that no animal product comes in contact with her food, our dishes are pretty much doubled.

When the dishes start piling on themselves, forming a steel volcano about to erupt with vanilla cupcake batter, Ill admit I get frustrated. Cue argument.

8. Whoever does the cooking holds all the power.

Like paying the bills, the person who cooks in the household will always highlight this fact when theyve got no other form of defense in an argument.

Its like a verbal stun gun: You bring it up, deliver the blinding impact that is your own pettiness and flee the argument hoping theyve got no retort.

9. Understanding that a womans beauty takes time.

Before living together, all Id see was my fiance walking down her driveway looking sexy and flawless.

Now that we live together, I understand that before she worked that driveway like a runway, she spent several hours doing her hair and makeup. Tack on another hour for the outfit.

Now that we live together, this becomes less flattering and more frustrating.

Here you are, all dressed, car keys in hand and should have left 10 minutes ago. But there she is, the love of your life, teasing her hair in her underwear with a glass of wine on the counter.

Like, come on. WEVE GOTTA GO!

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from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/the-9-fights-youll-definitely-have-with-your-so-when-you-move-in-together/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/170892645632

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christinaepilzauthor-blog · 7 years ago

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The Queen Without a Crown

by Catherine Curzon Caroline of Brunswick lived a life of drama, scandal and excitement. From her sheltered early days in Brunswick to a disastrous marriage to George IV (at the time merely the Prince of Wales) and a fling with an Italian chamberlain, she did nothing by halves. She had already survived George's attempts to blacken her name, strip her of her titles and even divorce her, and through it all, the doughty lady emerged unscathed. Darling of the people, favourite of the radicals and rallying point for those who loathed her husband, she simply refused to bend, let alone break.

Yet even the strongest bough must eventually fall.

Caroline of Brunswick by Samuel Lane

Having survived a trial in the House of Lords that threatened to end her marriage and leave her in disgrace, without rank, title or privilege, in 1821 Caroline felt unstoppable. So unstoppable, in fact, that she decided to join the estranged husband who hated her at his Westminster Abbey coronation. Here the queen would be crowned, the crowd would cheer and Caroline would once and for all trounce George IV on his biggest of big days.

The whole of Great Britain knew that George was due to be crowned at Westminster Abbey on 19th July 1821, and it was going to be the biggest party the country had ever seen. He was determined that Caroline would not be there; she was determined that she would. Whether he liked it or not, she was set on having her moment in the spotlight.

Caroline, or rather her advisors, had always been masters of judging the public mood. Yet this time, the queen misread the atmosphere in the streets catastrophically. Though the public had always supported her in her battles with George, her victory in the Lords was old news by now. Instead, as the people of Britain weathered the long, cold winter and waited keenly for the summer to come, they were looking forward to the Coronation party, which promised to be the knees up to end all knees ups. As far as they were concerned, she had a home in Italy and with her husband's efforts to divorce her exhausted, they began to wonder why she simply didn't just go home and enjoy the £50,000 annuity Parliament had granted her. Could it be, the people wondered, that Caroline liked the limelight a little too much?

As the king's Carlton House team went on the PR offensive, Caroline's own advisors began to distance themselves from what was becoming a toxic situation. Lord Brougham, her chief advisor, told Caroline that she must not go to Westminster Abbey at any cost. He warned her that the public didn't want it, and that, if she wanted to stay in their favour, the best approach was one of humility.

Caroline was having none of it.

Instead, she wrote to George IV to tell him that she would be there for her crowning. She requested that he let her know what he would like her to wear and asked for a retinue of ladies to assist her in preparing for the big day.

"The Queen from circumstances being obliged to remain in England, she requests the King will be pleased to command those Ladies of the first Rank his Majesty may think most proper in this Realms, to attend the Queen on the day of the Coronation, of which her Majesty is informed is now fixed, and also to name such Ladies which will be required to bear her Majesty's Train on that day.

The Queen being particularly anxious to submit to the good Taste of his Majesty most earnestly entreats the King to inform the Queen in what Dress the King wishes the Queen to appear in, on that day, at the Coronation. Caroline R."1

Needless to say, George didn't reply. Instead, he passed the letter to Lord Liverpool, the prime minster who was no fan of Caroline. He informed the hopeful lady that she wasn't welcome and should keep her distance. With Liverpool's warning echoing his own, Brougham redoubled his efforts to keep her from the Coronation. Even the press joined in the chorus of disapproval and begged Caroline to heed the words of the politician who had, so far, not failed her. Brougham's sound guidance in the Lords had saved her from divorce and disgrace, could he now save her from national embarrassment?

Alas, no.

Henry Brougham by Thomas Lawrence

Brougham knew from the start that Caroline wouldn't be dissuaded from her planned path, it meant so much to her to score a victory over George. Still, Brougham did all he could to dissuade her, yet she refused to accept that "the public feeling would not go along with her"2. Still, he wrote with an almost audible sigh, "having an order, she could not be stopt when she insisted upon it"3. So on 19th July 1821, Caroline sallied forth at six o'clock in the morning, determined to get into the Coronation.

Accompanied by the gallant and well-meaning Lord Hood, Caroline strode from door to door at Westminster Abbey attempting to gain admission. At each door she was turned away until, finally, one of the doors was literally slammed shut in her face. It was a humiliation like she had never known before, and as the crowd that had once cheered her now booed and jeered, one can only imagine what must have been going through Caroline's head.

Still she persisted until one of the exasperated doorkeepers told her that admission was by ticket only, regardless of who she was, queen or no queen. Trying to make the best of a bad situation Lord Hood offered Caroline his own ticket so that she might at least see the procession, but she declined, unable to bear such a humiliation. When he made the kind offer Lord Hood heard, "some persons within the porch of the Abbey laughed, and uttered some expressions of disrespect."4. He was mortified and Caroline, plunged into despair, had no choice but to flee.

"She flinched," wrote Brougham, "for the first time in her life"5, and it was the beginning of a swift end for Caroline of Brunswick.

From her rooms in Brandenburgh House the crownless queen Caroline continued to stir up trouble, but to no avail. A letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury requesting "to be crowned some days after the King, and before the arrangements were done away with, so that there might be no additional expense"6 was met with a polite but firm rebuttal and one by one, her remaining allies deserted her.

George IV by Thomas Lawrence

Caroline fell ill with stomach pains in late July and her doctors diagnosed an obstruction of the bowel. Her attempts to self-medicate with opiates made matters worse and as the days passed, her condition grew ever weaker. She became convinced that her death was drawing near and requested one final meeting with Brougham, at which she told him,"I shall not recover; and I am much better dead, for I be tired of this life"7.

Caroline of Brunswick, the uncrowned queen, died just after ten o'clock on the evening of 7th August 1821.

"Yesterday evening, at twenty-five minutes after ten o'clock, the QUEEN departed this life after a short but painful illness, at Brandenburgh House, at Hammersmith."8

Her last wish was to be taken back to her homeland of Brunswick and buried alongside her family. She envisaged a coffin bearing a plate that stated this was the last resting place of the injured queen of England. George IV ordered the minimum period of mourning possible for his late wife, and though he was happy to see her body leave England for Brunswick, her coffin was notably free of the plate she had requested. Enormous crowds turned out to watch her final journey to the coast, mourning the death of the woman who had always provided them with entertainment, if nothing else.

In fact, when the party paused for a rest at Colchester Caroline's supporters succeeded in fastening the controversial plate to her coffin. The triumph was short lived, and when the procession began again, the official plate was in place once more.

Lord Brougham wrote that the crowds who gathered to watch the procession pass moved him deeply. Though her final weeks had been unhappy, Caroline had not been deserted by her public after all. Mourned, celebrated and notorious, Caroline of Brunswick might be dead, but she would never, ever be forgotten.

Footnotes

1. Melville, Lewis (1912), An Injured Queen, Caroline of Brunswick: Vol I. London: Hutchinson & Co, p.542.

2. Brougham, Henry (1871), The Life and Times of Henry, Lord Brougham, Vol II. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, p.422.

3. Ibid.

4. Urban, Sylvanus (1821). The Gentleman's Magazine: 1821, Volume 91, Part 2. London: John Nichols and Son, p.74.

5. Brougham, Henry (1871), The Life and Times of Henry, Lord Brougham, Vol II. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, p.422.

6. Nightingale, Joseph (1822). Memoirs of the Last Days of Her Late Most Gracious Majesty Caroline, Queen of Great Britain. London: J Robins & Co, p.516.

7. Brougham, Henry (1871), The Life and Times of Henry, Lord Brougham, Vol II. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, p.423.

8. The Morning Post (London, England), Thursday, August 09, 1821; Issue 15725, p.3.

All images courtesy Wikipedia