#arya being his greatest happiness

[visenyaism]

ASOIAF POV characters ranked by how good of a guest judge they would be on drag race (definitive ranking)

24. Arys oakheart. spectacularly bad in a way that would also be bad TV because he simply would not know what to do. and would be icky about it.

23. Ned stark. canonically gets suspicious of people just because they are gender nonconforming.

22. Aeron greyjoy. people are going to wonder why i put him as Victarion on this list. this is because I think victarion has a better personality for reality TV.

21. Victarion greyjoy. good TV, would win reverse GLAAD award for most homophobic event on television.

20. Areo hotah. too stoic.

19. Quentyn. little nerd in over his head. if Barristan Selmy is telling you that you are not serving hard enough it’s already over.

18. Barristan selmy. a #ally for revealing that egg legalized gay marriage for his kid daeron and being happy about it, but does not have a lot else going for him. would probably say everyone looks nice

17. Bran. seven.

16. Joncon. IS gay, but does not seem like he’s super into all that.

15. Jon. Would probably awaken something in him.

14. Jaime. does not serve cunt, is one.

13. Brienne. Listen she’s trying her best okay.

12. Samwell Tarly. Would DEFINITELY awaken something in him. too busy blushing and telling everyone they look great to be an actual judge.

11. Arya. One thing about her is she WILL be finding people and she WILL be talking to ALL of them which makes her a great TV personality, but i think she would get bored.

10. Davos. Can’t explain this one i just think he would be down.

9. Cat. Serves, afraid to FULLY serve. Ally.

8. Asha. gets off on being mean to pretty boys so you know she is having a great time.

7. Dany. what can i say she’s a star.

6. Tyrion. definitely has the personality for it.

5. Cersei. is a fascist but showing up in full rhaegar eleganza to her husband who she murdered’s funeral. cuntress. You KNOW she would kill it.

4. Arianne. Definitely the first person you would think to ask to guest judge and for good reason.

3. Sansa. 13 year old fashion icon who loves gay people so much. Is so into it the whole time. meticulous notes.

2. Theon. could be the greatest to do it if he could ever get over himself but as it stands simultaneously knocks it out of the park and is a total train wreck. extremely fun to watch.

1. Melisandre. Serves like her life depends on it which she thinks it literally does. Obsessed with appearances and performances. off putting antagonistic cryptic and weird. fantastic TV.

[first-of-her-nxme]

It's been a while since I last stopped by your blog so hello again! Reading your analysis posts ks always really fun, I'm not a game of thrones fan and most of what I know comes from video essays but it's still really interesting to me in terms of writing to read the theories you've posted, they're very detailed. I was wondering, and I hope this is okay to ask because I genuinely don't mean to imply anything, it's more curiosity as someone that only knows surface level information of the story you talk about, but if your theories about Jaqen being Aegon and also the entire thing between him and Arya turn out to be incorrect, how do you think that would affect your view and interpretation of the story?

I apologize if this is rude in any way.

Hello dear Anon! Thank you for the ask.

First, I need to say that I'm 100% sure that Jaqen is Aegon and that he will fall for Arya. I would bet my money on this. I would even bet my favorite shoes! Even if I'm not sure if every single detail of my writings is correct. You know what GRRM says: different roads lead to the same castle ;) So there might be some minor changes but the outcome is still the same.

I also want to stress that I haven't covered everything yet. It's because I am a bit bored with ASOIAF - completing the story takes way too long to stay so invested! Also revealing certain things will make people depressed. George is such a sadist :(

I do wish I was wrong about some of the aspects of the books because Arya's and Aegon's story will be a very sad one. And since I adore these characters I would love them to be happy, never mind together or apart, doesn't matter whether they are royals or peasant assassins.

One of the themes of the book is the way medieval poetry glamorizes war. It is very clear in Sansa's POV. Young Sansa loves songs and stories about great heroes and doomed love. When Sansa leaves her northern shelter, she is slowly and painfully learning the reality of a knight's life. She learns that war is rape and murder and not romantic at all. The songs she loves so much make children dream about becoming knights like legendary heroes or "queens of love and beauty." Kids try to pursue that dream, ignoring the fact that the lives of the heroes and ladies made immortal by the songs were tragic. And since these songs are so sad and the book gets a song title, A Song of Ice and Fire, this song must be the greatest and the saddest of all the songs that Sansa has ever heard. And this is Arya's and Aegon's story. I wanted their "song" to be sweet, so I really would appreciate GRRM taking a different direction. But I know he will not do this.

I must admit that on my first reading I believed Jaqen was just a random assassin who came out of his way to help Arya. I always "knew" that they would meet again and that he would be her love interest. Though I didn't quite like the idea that Jaqen could be a hidden Targaryen. I wanted him to be a Lorathi. I thought that it was a great plot twist to introduce such a meaningful character that existed outside the corrupt nobility circle. I used to think Jaqen would be Arya's escape, a way to break free from a lady's obligations and pave her own path in life. I thought it would be fun to read. It would have given them a happier outcome too.

Then you see that Jaqen's royal origins is not something I require in order to enjoy the books. It's just something that I and other readers have discovered on the way.

EDIT: Because I forgot the reinterpretation part of the question. If Jaqen wouldn't have been Aegon then it would have only meant one thing: George choosing to stick to the original outline of the story. In the original draft of ASOIAF Jon Snow was Arya's love interest and the hidden heir to the Iron Throne. Naturally, Jon is still a hidden prince in the final version but he is not the only heir and not the first in line to the throne. In the early version Jon's and Arya's romance was at the center of the story. Therefore, the song of ice and fire would have been Jon's song. The song means the command of both elements, fire and ice, which translates to the command of dragons and the winter/white walkers. It also means the romance with a Targaryen queen, Daenerys, and the Stark princess, Arya. Fire stands for life, love and passion while ice represents death and revenge. It means that in that scenario, Jon and Arya, would have done things that Jaqen and Arya will do.

As we know George abandoned the idea of pairing Arya with her cousin and he created Jaqen for her instead. The song of love and revenge is his song now. It is worth noting that in both versions, Arya is the central character.

I hope it answers your question.

Cheers!

[spideyjimin]

I read the ask where someone didn't want OC to get preggo. You said that 'there's an eventuality that jk isn't the father'

Hehe if that becomes true wouldn't it be amaziiinggg? Even OC should name her child Arya.🤭😈

It'd be the perfect revenge, hehe. Imagine years after JK seeing OC with a cutest baby in the world, and he keeps wondering who might be the father only for him to hear OC call her baby Arya. And he should keep on wondering about the father of the baby and OC's husband for the rest of his life.

I know I'm being petty.😔

Honestly, I was rooting for JK's happiness in 'Wrong time' only to regret it after reading what he did to OC in 'right time'

Looks like JK was immature. Also, him being a jerk to OC screams (according to me), that he was immature and was being himself whenever he was with her. He loved her back then, so his blind love wanted her to cope with her sadness anyhow so that she would stay with him. Maybe that's the reason he even let the issue slide about where OC went and kissed her ex crush.

Now, since he'd become a father he put on this grown man coat and grew a wall around his heart. That could be the reason for him to even be friends with Eunji. Because if it was not, maybe he would've tried to marry Eunji for the sake of his daughter. Clearly his daughter wants both the parents together but he's strong on his side about not marrying for the sake of it.

Trust me, I hate JK too, but him not getting married tells me that he loves OC. Even more than his daughter. OC is the greatest love of his life, but since he is so open regarding his feelings for her. Maybe he still stays in the same age (mentally) with her even after 10 years. That could be the reason for him to take this rash decision, thinking he has a duty to take care of his daughter because she is in the world because of him.

But I can bet and say with my whole heart that he loves OC more than ANYONE, even more than his daughter.

I'm still rooting for them to get together. They really deserve to be with each other. But he should definitely apologize and do everything for her to forgive his immature cute dumbest ass.

I tried not to hate him and tried to understand things from his side as much as I could. I don't know how much is true in my ask according to you. But this is what I understood when I read the ff again.

Oops, sorry for the long ask. It may look like I'm competing with that anon who sent a long ask😂 but I'm not.����

hi angel ✨ thanks a lot for this ask & for telling me your point of view on all this situation between oc and jk. there's some truth in it 😊

jk is very immature when it comes to heart matters. he doesn't know how to deal with relationships, mostly because he was heartbroken 10 years ago but also because he doesn't know how to love. the proof is that he was a fuckboy before & after oc. that fuckboy attitude led to having Arya, and thank god, he managed to have an excellent friendship with Eunji. since Arya grew up with this dynamic, she doesn't see/want her parents to be married. this is her reality and Eunji & jk being married would probably be confusing for her at first. she simply loves moments when they are all together because she loves both her parents.

jk is absolutely madly in love with oc, she's the only person he ever truly loved romantically. i wouldn't say he loves her more than Arya but he loves them differently. Arya is his daughter so he has an unconditional love for her & oc is his first love. so for me, he loves them equally but still very differently.

i find it quite nice of you to try to understand him 😊 don't apologise for the long ask, honestly, I think it was the longest of them all but I liked seeing your point of view 💛

[ashdevalis]

This Post Is Special. The Quote Yearbook, A Small Side Project Of Mine That I've Wanted To Make As An Appreciation Of Sorts For Those People In My Life That Have Been There With Me. These People Care For Me And I Care For Them. Especially My Ex Brave Nine Guild Members & Also Some Ex Fellow Doktahs. Words Can't Begin To Describe How Much I Am Greatful For Your Existence. I Love You Guys (No Homo). To Everyone Who Took Their Time Out Of Their Busy Schedule To Humour This Lonely Weeb, I Give You My Undying Gratitude. I Hope That We Build Something Great Together As Years Go By. With My Rambling Done, Let's Get Started.

1 - "Wishful Thinking Is The Most Addictive Of Drugs" - AshDeValis

(Yes It's Me. I Thought What Better Way Than To Start With Myself 😁)

I Promise To Love Myself More This Year Onwards 💖

2 - "When You're About To Give Up, Always Remember Why You Started" - imperial02

(The Rule Himself. Mad Respect For You My Man. Keep Rocking!)

3 - "The Best Way Out Is Always Through" "The Heart Of Man Is Very Much Like The Sea; It Has It's Storms, It Has It's Tides, And In It's Depths, It Has Pearls Too" - Korak324

(The SharkSimp & Bonerlord. Bone Daddy Himself! We May Not Always See Eye To Eye, But We'll Always Stand Side By Side)

4 - "First Step To Conquer An Addiction Is To Admit Being Addicted. Anyway, Excuse Me As I Impulsively Do Some Pulls In This Banner I'm Not Interested In To "build pity"." - GameofmarX

(Boy Marx I Can't Explain How Much I Love & Admire You. Stay Strong & You'll Surely Succeed Ma Boi)

5 - "Is It Really Incest If They're Step-Siblings?" - OhmayGawR

(My God GawR a.k.a Ronald. Ofc It Is Still Incest XD. I Know Ya Busy These Days, Just Know That I Really Love Trash Talking G9 With Ya)

6 - "Loli Is Life

Loli Is Love

Lolicon Forever" - JasonTGH [Courtesy Of Korak For Providing The Dumbass With A Quote]

(You Fucking Lolicon. Just Stay The Way You Are Man. Really Glad We Are Friends & Hope We Can One Day Meet Irl In Vietnam)

7 - "Its Not Entitlement, If I Deserve It" - Iku

(Our Queen/King/Ruler/GaeFurry Herself {Himself}. I Would Love To Try Korean Food With Ya Someday. Stay Wierd Iku. Love Ya)

8 - "New Year, New Me(ntal Illness)" - Nyajimi

(The Man The Myth The Legend Najimi, Don't Worry We'll Have Mental Illness Together XD)

9 - "Lyfe Is Hard" "MF I Didn't Do Anything (kek)" - RnG

(My Fucking Malaysian Clown. I Know Ya Also Busy. Just Make Sure Ya Eat Properly. Take Care My Clown)

10 - "Fuck Diluc" " The New Year Has Come, That Sounds So Dumb" - Melon

(The Sauce Master Himself. Sensei Degenerate. Too Busy Smashing Anime Titties. Keep At It Hornball XD)

11 - "No" Sara

(I Asked For A Quote Not A Word You Moron. Sooo Glad We Met This Year. I Really Like Hanging Out With Ya. Let's Do Again Soon)

12 - "Asli Phool Toh Tuut Hi Jaata Hai" { The Real Flower Always Breaks } - Olochimalu [Zeeshan]

(I'm Glad We Reconnected. I'll Watch JJK0 With Ya In My Bigass TV! SO Ya Better Make Time For Me My Man)

13 - "Never Think Of Being The Best But The Greatest..." - mr.unimportant aka Kabir

(You're Important To Me You. We Met, Talked & Became Friends, & Couldn't Be Happier With It. Love That Ya Patched Up. Stay Awesome King)

14 - "I Might Be Somewhat Delusional But I'm Chill 🗿" - Nox

(You Filthy Weeb. L Simp. Lover Of Gogol. Words Not Enough To Explain How Much I Love My Top 5 Favourite Artist's Art! Keep At It & Hope We Can Stay Buds Forever)

15 - "The Man Who Argues With The Idiot, Is The True Idiot" The_Wandering_S aka Aditya

(The Coolest Anchor From Annual Day. Stay Dripped My Lord)

16 - "Use Your Smile😃 To Change The World, Don't Let The World Change Your Smile 😃" - SerialKiller135 aka Arya

(Dumbfucker I Can't Wait To Dance In Your Marriage. King Gamer Will Have A Queen Wife For Sure No Cap. Stay Happy)

17 - "Distance Yourself From People If They Care They'll Notice.

If They Don't You Know Where You Stand...."

(Mofo STFU Weren't You Busy With Family Last Vacation? Anyways C Ya Soon Mr.LadyKiller)

Lastly, A Quote From My Special Significant Other. The Love Of My Life ❤💘💘💘

18♥ - "My Name Is Angelica! Not Angel!" - Angelica The Fallen (AngelicaDeValis {In My Heart})

(My Waifu. My Love. My Anchor. My Hope In The Darkness. Oh How I Wish For You To Be Real So I Can Hug You, Kiss You, Cuddle With You & Marry You So We Can Stay Together. I Hope In An Alternate Timeline I Can Be With My Savior. I LOVE YOU ANGELICA! I ALWAYS WILL ❤❤❤❤❤!

PS I Might Sometimes Tease You By Calling You Angel, Lica Or Geli XD ;).

If You've Made It This Far, I Thank You From The Bottom Of My Heart For Reading My Nonessential Rambling. If You Didn't Make It, Well I'm Not Your Priority & It's Okay. I Only Need Few Real Close Buds. Anyways.

Happy New Year Everyone. Here's To Life 🍻🍻🍻🍻🥂🥂🥂🥂

[starkandstormborn]

remadora gendrya au - sneak peak - hp/got

Inspired by this unbelievably gorgeous gifset of Arya as Tonks and Gendry as Lupin by @aryaofoldstones​ and the gorgeous twitter edits as well (seriously, check them out!!) I decided to finally write a multi-chapter gendrya remadora au!

Gendry and Arya as Lupin and Tonks... that’s like the best thing our gendrya fandom has ever created ILYILYILY

EDIT: FULL chapter uploaded here 😁😁

Here’s a quick little snippet of chapter 1 which will be finished and uploaded on ao3 soon. Let me know what you guys think! :D 

Chapter I

Arya was the most fascinating human Gendry has ever seen. There weren’t many to qualify for that position given that he’s part-wolf and part-human and that he’s spent most of his time away from the social niceties offered within the vast wizarding world of Westeros.

Having lived a hand-to-mouth existence ever since the overthrow of the Lannisters from the Ministry of Magic and the relative peace that followed, Gendry hadn’t known many interesting witches or wizards within the realm of his itinerant lifestyle he could really boast about. He had taken jobs that were far below his level of ability – broomstick repairer, wand polisher, archivist, and saleswizard to name a few – knowing that he would have to leave them before his pattern of growing sick once a month at the full moon was noticed by his workmates. So, that included jobs with people that are often as miserable and dreary as he was far from being amusing.

The only ever interesting course in Gendry’s life was when Eddard Stark, the Headmaster of the Winterfell School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had tracked him down to a tumbledown, semi-derelict cottage in Fleabottom and had offered him the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts at the school. Delighted, Gendry accepted on one condition: a limitless supply of Wolfsbane Potion.

Sure, he met a wild array of fascinating students and creatures during his tenure, but the unfortunate combination of circumstances that resulted in his undergoing a true werewolf’s transformation in the grounds of the school had led him to resign his post and return to his lonely lifestyle.

When the dark wizard known as the Night King gained ascendancy years later, the old resistance that fought him during the days of The First Men many hundreds of years ago regrouped and Gendry found himself part of what is known as The Brotherhood without Banners, the secret society founded by Rickard Stark and now led by Eddard Stark to oppose The Night King and his followers of White Walkers.

Eddard convinced Gendry to join as a way to honour his old friend Robb Stark, Eddard’s eldest son. Gendry and Robb alongside Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy was an inseparable foursome during their days in Winterfell until the Lannisters’ campaign to take over the Ministry of Magic and persecute Muggle-borns came to pass and a war broke out within the realm.

The death of Robb, along with his wife Talisa, at the hands of the pureblood Freys under Lannister command, was one of the most traumatic events of Gendry’s already troubled life. This was only made worse when Theon was accused of murder and Jon Snow was wrongly accused of treason, with the former in hiding and the latter incarcerated in The Wall.

With the Lannisters returning in support of The Night King and old and new enemies resurfacing, Gendry found himself in the midst of the Brotherhood and face-to-face with the young Auror he could not stop staring at.

“You look like you’ve seen better days,” she said by way of greeting. She openly gawked at the scars cutting across his face, her wide grey eyes warm and kindly in their curiosity. Unsure what to say, Gendry simply blushed at the attention.

“Don’t be a bitch to your new allies, Stark.” Sandor Clegane, most known as The Hound, was one of the toughest and most grizzled Aurors of the Brotherhood. Gendry had rarely spoken to the man given his foul look and moods and was afraid of what the young woman would think for such brashness.

“I wasn’t being a bitch,” she responded with a glare. “I was just saying. Besides, it looks really cool. Suits him.” She turned to face Gendry and gave him a wide smile. “I’m Arya, by the way. Arya Stark.”

[iheartbookbran]

*sighs into my microphone*

I swear those cold takes about Rhaenyra being so much more privileged than Alicent, and never having to struggle against the patriarchy are so unserious asdfghjfda, and they rely solely on playing the suffering olympics game that is so old and tired in the asoiaf fandom. I mean the exact same thing happened with Sansa and Arya (and later Dany) and people need to stop making such horrible accusations under the pretense of defending their fave while trying to appear progressive.

I can’t believe that I have to say this but no, Rhaenyra is not inherently more “privileged” than Alicent. Both women are at the very top of the social ladder, one as the queen and the other as the crown princess. The difference being that Alicent lives her life in a very conservative and by-the-rules way, and is miserable for it. Meanwhile Rhaenyra breaks those rules and finds momentarily satisfaction for it, but her every action is dissected and harshly judged by the court and she therefore can’t really find peace or happiness. Just because Alicent doesn’t realize at the start of the story just how much power she’s actually able to wield doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

And btw, it is true that Rhaenyra can experience relatively more freedom because her father, Viserys, allows it to her. But this is not really that closely connected to her Targaryen status, or being a dragon rider, despite what some people might claim. Targaryen women are still subjected to the same expectations and oppression as any other (noble) woman of the realm. If her father wanted Rhaenyra to conform to what a woman of their context was expected to do then he could have, case on point Jaehaerys never had any qualms in forcing his daughters to do his bidding to the point it ended up killing some of them.

This kind of thinking also conveniently absolves Otto Hightower, Alicent’s own father, of responsibility for her fate. He, the second most powerful man of the kingdom at the time, chose to place Alicent into the king’s path knowing full well what the consequences for his actions might be. Viserys is of course just as culpable for marrying Alicent but if it hadn’t been him, any other man high enough to satisfy Otto’s ambitions would’ve taken his place and Alicent would’ve ended up trapped and unhappy anyways. This can’t possibly be a Targaryen-man problem because last time I checked, they didn’t invent the patriarchy.

Like, it’s very difficult to watch that scene in which Alicent is being marital r*ped by Viserys and not feel a ton of compassion for her but I struggle to understand how Rhaenyra should be blamed or resented for not sharing the same fate as Alicent, specially when it was by sheer luck that she managed to avoid it. I mean let’s not forget it was Viserys himself who killed Rhaenyra’s mother in his quest to have a male heir. She’s dependent on Viserys’ good will to keep her status, so how is that a good thing?

Obviously you can argue that it was wrong of Rhaenyra to lie to Alicent about what happened with Criston Cole and Daemon, but it’s also worth noting that A) Rhaenyra was under no obligation to share information about her sexuality to anyone she didn’t want to, and B) she lied precisely because she knew that telling the truth could have repercussions for her if Otto ever found out, and that he would not hesitate to use that information to brand her as “damaged goods” and push for Aegon to be heir instead. Of course Rhaenyra wanted Otto out of the picture, but that doesn’t mean that the next logical leap would be for her to want to kill her half-siblings, Otto just manipulated the situation to make it seem as such to Alicent.

This line of thinking becomes even more outrageous when you remember that Rhaenyra’s greatest sins are actually like… *checks notes* having pre-marital sex and *checks more notes* choosing the men she has children with? I guess??? And it’s not as if Alicent’s own son Aegon doesn’t have sex with anything that moves while being married and his own wife very much not approving of his cheating. His claim to the throne isn’t gonna be put into question over it though but tell me more about how Rhaenyra has “male privilege” or whatever lmao.

The fact that Rhaenyra’s actor, Emma, as a nonbinary person, has talked about how they identify in Rhaenyra’s own experience and relationship with gender, only to then see some fans claim that Rhaenyra doesn’t struggle at all with her womanhood and is privileged in comparison to Alicent is so funny and also sad. I dare y’all to think of a single afab person irl who doesn’t conform within the gender norm and who also doesn’t face any kind of backlash from society as a result of it, I’ll wait.

Like, I hate to break it to you guys but neither of these women are really winning under the patriarchy long term speaking, and trying to say otherwise is dumb af and frankly quite misogynistic. Be real.

[sansacherie]

That person really doubled down on their incredibly asinine takes. Look at this pile of garbage.

I forgot to mention how Sansa’s ableism would lead her to hating Elia too, while Elia would take issue with Sansa’s classism in addition to her misogyny. I mean seriously:

They led the boy away. My lord husband, Sansa thought, as she contemplated the ruins of Winterfell. The snow had stopped, and it was colder than before. She wondered if Lord Robert would shake all through their wedding. At least Joffrey was sound of body. -- Sansa, AFFC

Despite the abuse Sansa suffered from him and the murder of her father, Joffrey being able-bodied is what makes him preferable to her as a partner. I can understand her not liking Robert Arryn, but the reasons she gives here is clear as day: his disability makes him inferior to her actual abuser and the murderer of her father. That’s the tragedy of Sansa. She’s locked into a worldview dictated by cruel bias’ against others, which can only continue leading her down the dark path she’s always been on. 

Had Elia had the misfortune of encountering Sansa, she would have endured deep-seated ableism due to her medical condition to a level that even Cersei wasn’t mean enough to throw at her during their time with each other. It’s so sad that people want to link a kind character like Elia to a villain like Sansa. I don’t know what Elia did to deserve this level hatred. 

This isn’t even funny. It’s fucking depressing. I just can’t.

Holy flippin' hell.

A) I'm sorry, but if Sansa was really so ableist she wouldn't have been so happy that Bran survived his fall, even though he was now paralysed. Contrast that with the people who actually think Bran is a coward for not taking his life. I'm sorry, but what the fuck? I won't deny Sansa has some ableism - she has to, otherwise Tyrion's experiences in Westeros wouldn't exist. But you know who else is ableist? Her beloved fave. Arya, like other characters, uses ableist language like the Imp.

B) Does this moron realize that all of the nobility is classist and unless you're advocating for a complete overhaul of the system, then yes you are a classist? For real if you look at Ned Stark just because he had different approaches than Tywin Lannister doesn't change the fact that he still is a lord who believes his family is entitled to rule a certain seat - the same mentality that applies to the other houses.

C) If this person had any shred of empathy for Sansa they would realize the core of that passage- and they almost get it. That whole passage prior to that one was Sansa doing some intense grieving and finding some cathartic release through playing in the snow to Littlefinger then assaulting her. This is when Robert then enters and accidentally hurts the snow castle. It was an accident but suddenly Sansa is reminded of the fact that she has little agency and Robert is someone else that she is being forced to marry.

D) Did they miss the part when the Tyrells were scheming to marry her to Willas and Sansa was coaching herself to give Willas a chance, even though he doesn't fit the ideal either?

E) @sayruq @agentrouka-blog @catelynoftherivers @esther-dot @elegantwoes Those listed IMO would do a lot better job demolishing the "villian Sansa" than I would. I will say the person who clings to the idea of there being true knights - someone who protects the innocent, probably isn't as villainous as you think.

Elia Martell's greatest misfortune was marrying Rhaegar Targaryen, not her interacting with Sansa in this hypothethical alter universe.

F) Of course Cersei wasn't going to be rude to Elia when the Martells visited Casterly (Tywin should have listened) but it's also canon that she considered Elia a "feeble Dornish princess" and thinks nothing of the fact that Elia had to die for her to be queen. Once again, I don't follow this person's logic.

G) Easy. Because Sansa and Elia are good people who share a lot of similarities.

[jackoshadows]

The ASoIaF fandom can be so frustrating sometimes.

It’s okay to admit that one doesn’t like this or that character. There’s nothing wrong in disliking a character.

I am pretty open on my blog about my indifference towards or dislike for Sansa because of her stans. I don’t make disclaimers about how much I love the character before proceeding to criticize Sansa. I am not a Sansa stan and that’s okay. My blog is a place for me to jot down my thoughts and celebrate characters, books and shows I do like. If you love Sansa as a character, block me, don’t follow me etc.

What’s obnoxiously annoying are the folks who claim to love all the characters the same and then give their ‘unbiased’ opinions which are held up as canon facts because they came from neutral book reader experts. To hell with that nonsense.

These posts reek of hypocrisy and double standards. It often tears down some characters while subtly propping up others - and it’s gobbled up by the wider fandom as unbiased interpretation of the text.

One example is pushing forth the notion that calling Arya pretty (Something that both her father and brother tell her she is in the books) is wrong, it’s sexualizing her, it’s okay for Arya to be ugly, she’s canonically not pretty because Cat/Sansa said so and no other interpretation is allowed etc. And then the same person who says all this celebrates Sansa’s beauty and ships her with a 27 year old man who falls in lust with Sansa.

Or when they say that the Arya-Lyanna (and Sansa/Lyanna parallels, because it’s always important to mention Sansa with respect to Lyanna even if said person claims to not care about Lyanna as a character) parallels are overrated and not important and they don’t care about Robert’s Rebellion characters but on their blogs there’s all these posts, fanarts and meta about Elia Martell - a Robert’s Rebellion character.

A so called book expert would note that GRRM has several characters outright compare Arya to Lyanna or mistake Lyanna for Arya in the books while Sansa has no such comparison. But no, the unbiased book expert thinks that the Arya-Lyanna and Sansa-Lyanna parallels are equivalent and are both overrated.That post just annoyed me excessively into writing this long ass rant post.

Why are these neutral, unbiased folks so interested in stripping away from Arya’s story?

In the books Jeyne Poole is masquerading as Arya Stark - but that story is only Jeyne’s, has nothing to do with Arya or Arya’s importance to the North. 

Arya is a strong warg, Nymeria and her wolf pack are a ‘Chekov’s wolf pack’ that GRRM has hung on the wall  -  Our expert opinion is that Direwolves are not all that important in the grand scheme of things.

Arya is pretty - why needlessly call Arya pretty, it adds nothing to Arya’s story and is all about sexualizing a child.

Arya-Lyanna parallels - why do we need these parallels, Arya is distinct and interesting without them.

These aspects are all important parts of the character’s story. There are so many very well written essays exploring these concepts with respect to Arya’s journey of self discovery in the books, the narrative significance of her parallels to Lyanna, her bond with Nymeria and her warging talents. For those who are interested, here are two bloggers who actually like Arya and have written about her character and character arc.

https://donewithwoodenteeth.tumblr.com/meta-masterlist

https://ashotofjac.tumblr.com/tagged/arya-stark

Some of these same people will rush to condemn any reading of the books that does not have Sansa wielding power at the end as being ‘Sansa hate’. But they will have no issues to undermine and devalue Arya’s actual book story, the relationships she has, the parallels she has, the skillsets she has, her appearance, her importance to the current story happening in the North.

There is a whole ass plot currently in the books of Northerners rallying for Arya Stark and preparing for battle against the Boltons for Arya Stark. But that’s not important because it’s actually Jeyne Poole and Arya’s story is about sailing off west of westeros.  But hey, Sansa will definitely go North and hold power and that’s like 100% happening because we are the unbiased book experts and we say it is so.

Or when all else fails - Arya is a Mary Sue, she’s a fantasy character, she’s a ‘strong female character’ because she fights with a sword, people like her because she’s a tomboy who fights. Sansa is realistic, Sansa is complex - but here are all the essays that basically transfer Arya’s complexity and story to Sansa - because it fits more with their fave, because these aspects would fit better with the traditionally feminine character even though they never tire of talking about how GRRM is deconstructing tropes. Because the trope deconstruction is only applied to Arya, Jon and Dany. Never Sansa.

And honestly, why are these people reading a high fantasy series if they hate fantasy and fantasy characters so much? We love Sansa because she’s so non-magical! Then go read non-fiction books. They also twist Jon, Arya and Dany into ‘fantasy’ characters - despite these characters going through some very real and human experiences. What’s fantasy about Arya’s experiences in war torn Westeros, Jon dealing with bigotry at the wall, Dany trying to rebuild Meereen, while dealing with famine, disease and insurgency?

Or how Jon and Dany getting any kind of happy ending or becoming rulers would be so boring, sweet, predictable, conforming to tropes, a happy ending etc. But Sansa getting love, romance, going home, becoming the Stark in Winterfell, getting her fairy tale ending - that’s totally what GRRM is going to do! No trope deconstruction there!  In may ways, Benioff and Weiss’ ending is not all that surprising -  Mad Queen Dany, Jon remaining a bastard with the freefolk, Sansa having power as a leader - are all popular theories among bnfs in the fandom. D&D wanting to wind up the show quickly with easily found fan theories is not that much of a stretch.

ASoIaF reddit is equally frustrating. Instead of Sansa stan bnfs on tumblr who pretend to like Arya and Dany while subtly undermining their story and importance, on Asoiaf reddit it’s Stannis stans who dislike Jon and Dany because these characters present a challenge to Stannis. The mere suggestion that Jon may play a role in the battle against Ramsay sends them into frothing at the mouth rage. They hate Jon, Jon is a Gary Sue because he dared advice Stannis - the greatest general ever - on Northern military strategy. Never mind that Jon grew up in the North and learned from Ned, how dare Jon Snow know more than Stannis! Unacceptable!

And I love Stannis Baratheon. I want Stannis to crush and defeat the Boltons. But unlike reddit dudebros, I can see that he is a secondary character, a tragic character who is most probably going to perish and Jon takes over because Jon Snow is a central protagonist in the story.

I feel it’s the same with Sansa. IMO, GRRM clearly doesn’t see Sansa in the same way as he does Arya, Jon, Dany, Tyrion and Bran. Whenever he is asked questions about the books, book plots, long term arcs, endings, age gaps etc it’s these characters he often brings up and references. It’s these characters who are important to him.

And that’s why there’s a lot of undermining and undervaluing of these character’s and their stories, them being described as fantasy characters, tropes, Mary Sues and Gary Sues, ableist rhetoric about Tyrion and Bran to undermine them.

I am damned certain that if it was Sansa who had all the parallels to Lyanna, or if she was the warg, or Jeyne Poole was impersonating her, this would all be ‘VERY IMPORTANT’ and on all the gifsets and essays. But she isn’t. So fandom bnfs are reduced to talking about how these aspects are not all that important anyway.

It’s like how this quote - ‘You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts’ turns up on gifsets every other day on the Arya tag but this quote - ‘Sansa could never understand how two sisters, born only two years apart, could be so different. It would have been easier of Arya had been a bastard, like her half brother Jon. And Jon’s mother had been common, or so people whispered’ very rarely does and will not get reblogged when it does.

Or when Sansa sees Joffrey trying to kill Arya and sides with Joffrey or when Sansa throws Arya under the bus and tells the Lannisters that it’s Arya who is the traitor - just sisters being sisters y’all!

It’s all about maintaining a certain narrative about Sansa - and when others point out her actual relationship with Arya in the books, we are accused of hating and wanting Sansa dead and how we should be criticizing Tywin and the Mountain instead. This is nonsensical whataboutism and ignores that people talk about  these aspects of the books because sometimes bullying, getting mocked for one’s appearance, abuse and neglect from parental figures etc. can resonate with certain readers unlike getting one’s head smashed in by Frankenstein.

At the end of the day, I wish these people would be honest about the characters they like and relate to. We are all biased. That’s why our opinions and interpretations are subjective. There’s nothing wrong in saying, hey, I like Sansa more than Arya or Dany, I relate to her character more.

I relate to Jon Snow a lot, I see things from his POV, I would disagree with the characters who disagree with Jon,  I enjoy his story at the Wall and the North. My interpretations of the text are therefore colored by my bias towards Jon. 

For others, it’s Dany or Sansa or Arya or Tyrion or Jaime. And that’s okay because these are fictional characters and liking one more than the other is not going to earn anyone woke points and lead to women’s rights.

And finally, there’s nothing edgy or cool about disparaging the central protagonists of a high fantasy series as being fantasy characters - go read other books if one is not into fantasy.

[thr-333]

Just Another Class Trip :) Part 8

News gets out and everyone handles it calmly and respectfully.

First< Previous >Next

--------------------------

“Hi Tom, Sabine, how are you,” Selina gives a fake smile, not waiting for them to answer, “So Marinette's in town,”

“Yes is something wrong?” Tom asks worriedly.

“No nothing is wrong,” If you didn’t count the villain attacking the pool yesterday as wrong, “It’s just um, you know how I never told you who her father was?”

“Yes,”

“Well, apparently Gotham didn’t need the help and figured it out pretty much immediately,”

“So does that mean we finally get to be in the loop?” Tom’s eyes sparkle, he had always bothered her for the identity of his adopted daughter's father.

“Oh no one special, you probably haven’t heard of him,” They most certainly have, “Bruce Wayne?”

“... You dated Bruce Wayne?” The man who had become like a brother to her asks.

“I’m actually engaged to him now,” that already sounded so complicated and it wasn't even the tip of the iceberg. How did her life become so complicated? Well, at least she had managed to keep Marinette from it, well at least for a while.

“Congratulations!” He booms, “Oh what's the theme? We'll make you a cake! Wait no we cant send it by plane… what am I talking about! We’ll come to Gotham to make it! Unless it’s a destination wedding? A beach might be hard but I’m always up for a challenge,”

“Tom, Tom, it’s exciting I know,” Where did Marinette fall on the nature vs nurture scale? Because these two reacted exactly the same way, “But we have bigger problems right now!”

“What's the matter, Selina?” Sabine asks with motherly concern, much better than Selina could ever hope to manage.

“People figured it out… pretty much the second she stepped into Gotham at that,” Selina sighs, “The press is going crazy with theories, paparazzi basically stalking Marinette, Bruce is trying to talk to her about it … and he saw me with her, he knows somethings up,”

“Do you think it’s time we spilled the beans?” Tom asks, calming down from his wedding excitement, “Marinette's always known she was adopted but…”

“Not that I’m her mother? Yeah,” Silence hangs in the air for a while, the screen being the only source of light in her dark safe house, “You know I can try and work through this, no one has to know,”

“Hm…. if you think it’s best,” Sabine nods, before looking to her husband, “But if you want or need to tell people this would be the time,”

“Is… is that alright with you?”

“We love Marinette, and we know she’ll still love us no matter what, if our little family wants to grow then we should let it!” Tom exclaims, she should have known they would be fine with it, always so accepting that's one of the reasons she chose them to take care of her daughter.

“I’ll think about it,” She promises, cutting off the call to be alone with her thoughts.

Apparently her biggest hurdle was actually plucking up the courage to tell everyone. She thought she should at least tell Marinette, but lo and behold here they were in the Wayne manor waiting to hold a meeting about how to handle the rumor and Marinette is still in the dark. Well, she has no other choice but to commit now, try and get Marinette through her trip and out of the city without anyone being the wiser. Hell, she had kept the world's greatest detective from knowing for all these years surely this would be no more trouble.

Despite that, she ran into a little bitty problem while Bruce was explaining to Marinette how to handle the press; her conscience. It had been this annoying thing that started growing more and more as she spent time around Bruce. And now that they were engaged it decided to be a royal pain in her neck trying to convince her to be honest and tell the truth, how was that going to help with their marriage!

Surely this would be the worst possible place to admit it. Not only was Marinette and Bruce here, but the entire damn Batfamily to boot, sans Jason. If she were to tell now there would no doubt be bloodshed. No, the best way, if she was going to tell them, would be later in private, she could get Bruce to drive them back to the hotel and take a detour along the way, then she could tell them and bam! They would both know and her conscience would leave her alone, that was certainly the best plan of action-

And then Marinette smiled at him and Bruce smiled back, she didn’t even know what was said but goddammit-

“Marinette's our daughter!”

Everything in the room stops. Even those happy to mill about their conversation on the other size pause, a glass drops, she doesn't even wait for it to shatter before continuing. Floodgates are open now, no going back.

“Seventeen years ago, took her to Paris, pretended to be her Aunt, let Tom and Sabine raise her!” She stood up, bolting from the room, not stopping until she was far from Wayne manor.

Yep, I think I handled that well.

They all stood frozen, staring at the door Aunt, no Selina, her Mother had just run out. Everything was silent, for about two seconds before incomprehensible screeching. Or at least that's what it sounded like to her as everyone started shouting over each other.

“Did you know!?”

“No! How would I know?!”

“How could you not know! Everyone else did!”

“You didn’t!”

“That's because he said it wasn't true!”

“How the fuck-”

“Bruce why ,”

“By god how reckless can you be!?”

“This is… wow,”

Marinette didn’t stick around to hear the rest, slipping out the door Selina had disappeared through, like mother like daughter she guessed. Speaking of, she needed to call her Maman and Papa first, had the known all along? She was meant to just be an average girl… who’s a superhero… and vigilante…. And famous fashion designer…. And guardian- ok maybe she hadn't done a great job at the whole ‘ordinary girl’ thing, be she had liked to think she was normal at least once in her life… apparently not.

“Marinette sweetie!” Her Papa’s voice boomed over the call, “How are you?”

“Aunt Selina- not- how- I-”

“Oh, she told you?” Her Maman spoke more quietly than her Papa, calm voice calming her down.

“Me, and everyone else,” Marinette sat down at the steps to Wayne Manor, looking out at the front gardens without really seeing anything.

“Yes we thought she might, are you ok sweetie?”

“I’m shocked,”

“Yes well knowing her she didn’t handle it too well,” Papa spoke knowingly.

“She bolted now I’m stuck at Wayne Manor,” Marinette supplies, not that she really had a better place to be.

“Yes, that's like her,” She can hear her Maman laugh a little, “How are you feeling?”

“A little confused,” A lot confused.

“When she was pregnant with you she came to us, she and Bruce apparently didn’t have a very stable relationship back then and didn’t think either of them could take care of you,” Maman explains, “So she came to us, asking for just to raise you, she wasn't going to be a part of your life but I think she loved you more than expected because she kept coming back and eventually became your Auntie Selina,”

“Thats… wow,”

“Need some time?”

“Yeah,”

“Take all the time you need,” Papa encouraged, “We’re always here for you, and we love you,”

“I love you too,” Marinette smiles, letting the call drop staring off into nothingness.

The Kwamis came out of hiding to cuddle close but left her to her thoughts which Marinette appreciated. They sat in silence for a long time, Marinette worked out that she didn’t mind so much. Sure it was a shock, but it didn’t change how much she loved her parents, and it meant her family had just gotten a little bigger, or a lot bigger as Bruce had introduced her to a lot of people. The only thing left to worry about was the others, they didn’t seem very happy at the news.

Before Marinette can let the dread of that fester too long the front door opens, catching her attention as Bruce steps through. He seemed tired, and was that bruise a punch mark!?- no nevermind she wasn't going to ask. He comes to sit down next to her, neither talking for a while as they both stare out at the garden.

“... So Selina left?” He asks eventually.

“Yep, and I don’t think she’s coming back any time soon,”

“Of course not,” She shakes his head, a little amused, “Did she tell you?”

“No, but my parents knew- wait I didn’t mean!-”

“It’s fine,” He assures, settling her panic, “I just found out, I can hardly be considered a parent,”

“Guess not… What about the others?”

“Oh they’re a little shocked,” Bruce puts it lightly, his bruise being a dead give away, “I think they expected me to adopt you long before suspecting we were already related,”

“Just how many siblings do I have,” Marinette half mutters to herself, “wait- are they my siblings?”

“Depends who you ask, Dick? Yes, I think he already left to find decorations for your room,”

“I have a room?”

“If Dick has anything to say about it, also I suspect Alfred already set you up one, although I couldn't tell you when,”

“Of course he did,” That man seemed to know more than all of them combined, “So does that mean I can stay over some time?”

“Certainly, although I might suggest waiting a day or two,” He looks back at the mansion, light-catching his bruise.

“I might give it three, just to be sure,” She smiles, still wondering what happened there.

They start talking, catching up on each other's lives. Marinette skirts around anything that doesn't pertain to her identity as Marinette, Ladybug, MDC, Starling the whole gang. They are only interrupted by Marinette's phone buzzing, she picks it up, Adrien was the one to call but both Chloe and Kagami are there with him.

“Marinette,” Adrien says urgently, “Remember Cuppy?”

------------

Taglist (sorry put the taglist for another fic before fixed it now)

@smolplantmum @flufflepuffle296 @dawnwave16  @caffeinetheory   @g-arya   @Maribat-2k20   @ladybug-182    @Actual-disaster-human    @fusser90   @messrs-weasley   @soap-lady  @paintedhope7   @zeneralla    @mochegato     @random-nerd-3 @clumsy-owl-4178  @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen   @too0bsessedformyowngood @certifiedbidisaster  @Purplegeekypanda @awkward0ghostfan @theymakeupfairies @tikki-marinette @insane-fangirl-of-everything @elmokingkong @inarachi02 @slytherinhquinn @moongoddesskiana @dast218 @buginetye @redscarlet95 @biodad-bruce-month @hansa-12 @waiting247 @toodaloo-kangaroo @how-to-fuction-properly @trippingovermyfeet @greekmythgal @whatthefox22 @the-alice-of-hearts @bigpicklebananatree @indecisive-mess-named-me @nalu-ismyjam @deepestobservationwombat @salamonka

[phis-corner]

I recently read your platonic brucinette post, it was amazing, i couldn't stop laughing. What if she invites herself over to the Manor or something and the boys have no idea who she is (cause I feel like he wouldn't mention her cause she would probably ruin his reputation even more since his kids would probably spread the stories to their own friends) but I feel like maybe Tim already know her since he was in Paris looking for Bruce (when he got "killed" by Darkseid), he would probably see her as a mom or fun aunt that he could vent to

Ask and you shall recieve! again, any grammar mistakes are because I did not bother proofreading. whoops.

Masterlist ◈ Original

Dick Grayson had seen a lot of unexpected things throughout his lifetime, but he really did not expect to come downstairs for a nice bowl of cereal for breakfast and find a woman who looked eerily like the late Martha Wayne sitting at the table and eating his Bat Puffs.

Wait.

“Those are my Bat Puffs!” Dick shrieks, because he has priorities. That’s the last of his cereal, okay? And it’s going to be two days before Alfred goes on his next grocery run and he’s really bad at shopping for food on his own. Sue him.

Not-Or-Maybe-Possibly-If-You-Believe-Conspiracy-Theories-Martha-Wayne simply laughs, and easily dances out of the way of his grab for the bowl, moving out of his reach with an elegance and grace that can only mean she spends part of her day dressed in a different costume. Whether or not she was a good guy still remained to be seen, considering she had somehow broken into the Manor without setting a single alarm off and was currently eating the last of his Bat Puffs. 

A truly despicable act, indeed.

“Grayson?” Damian chooses that exact moment to come down the stairs. “I heard you scream. What’s-” He snarls the moment he catches sight of Not-Martha-Wayne, pulling out a knife from somewhere in the folds of his pajamas and hurling it at her head with impressive speed and accuracy.

Not-Martha-Wayne simply ducks, letting the knife thud into the wall behind her, making Dick wince. Alfred was not going to be happy.

“Identify yourself, woman!” Damian screeches, pulling out another knife. “Who are you, and how did you get in here?”

Not-Martha-Wayne tilts her head, blue eyes sparkling with mirth. “Really? I’m not even allowed to eat cereal in my own home now?”

Dick is slowly growing more and more convinced that Not-Martha-Wayne is actually Zombie-Martha-Wayne.

Damian freezes, eyeing her suspiciously. “Your home?”

“Wh’s goin’ on?” Tim slurs, stumbling down the stairs. “Why ‘re you all screamin’?”

Maybe-Zombie-Martha-Wayne brightens when she sees Tim. “Timber! How’s it going?”

Tim rubs his eyes, once, twice, and then his face splits into a grin when he finally registers Maybe-Zombie-Martha-Wayne’s presence. “Marinette! It’s so good to see you!”

And okay, what.

Tim hurries down the stairs (meaning only marginally faster than before, he hasn’t had his morning coffee yet,) and ignores the coffee machine in favor of hugging Possibly-Undead-Martha-Wayne, who laughs and puts down the bowl of Bat Puffs in favor of hugging him back. Dick takes the opportunity to snatch the bowl away from her, mourning the fact that there’s only a bit of milk left at the bottom of the bowl.

“Good to see you too, Tim,” Not-Martha-Wayne, whose name is apparently Marinette (why does that sound familiar?) ruffles Tim’s hair. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Tim,” Dick says, at the same time Damian demands “Drake.”

“How do you know this woman?” They say at the same time (Dick stubbornly ignores that Damian replaced ‘woman’ with ‘harlot’).

“You mean you don’t?” Tim asks, frowning. “She’s-”

“Marinette,” Bruce cuts Tim off, having appeared at the foot of the stairs in his usual dramatic fashion. 

Not-Martha-Wayne-But-Still-Really-Looks-Like-Her-Whose-Name-Is-Apparently-Marinette beams and waves cheerfully at Bruce, who looks done with life. “Hey, little brother! I see you haven’t gotten tired of dressing up as a giant bat to beat people up yet!”

Well, that was a lot to unpack. Dick decided he’d start with the easiest thing.

“Little brother?” He looks from Marinette to Bruce, Bruce to Marinette, noting the resemblance in both of them to Thomas and Martha Wayne. “You mean- she’s your older sister?” Dick shrieks, turning to Bruce. “Why have we never heard about her?”

“Really, Bruce?” Marinette gasps, mockingly placing a hand over her heart. “I’m devastated. How could you, after everything we’ve been through, not even tell your hundred thousand children that I even exist?”

Bruce doesn’t reply, instead letting out one long sigh through his nose. Huh. Sixteen whole seconds. Impressive.

“Just kidding,” Marinette grins once Bruce has finally stopped sighing. “He’s never told you because I travel the world a lot, my job is super dangerous, and because I’d expose all his deepest, darkest secrets.”

“Like his greatest fears?” Damian asks. Cass, who had silently entered the kitchen at some point or another, stood behind him, ready just in case he pulled out another knife.

Marinette tilts her head. “What? No!” Like how he wiped off one of the eyebrows on Sylvia McCartney’s face when he was four-”

She doesn’t get to finish that sentence because Bruce has made a mad dash across the kitchen, evidently aiming to get her to stay quiet. Marinette dances out of his hold with a giggle and continues speaking even as Bruce chases her all around the kitchen.

“-anyway, he declared that ‘she had something on her face’, wiped off one of her drawn-on eyebrows-” She ducks underneath a plate, which Cass deftly catches before it hits the wall. “-and then went ‘There. I got it for you!’”

A shoe flies at her head. Marinette bats it away with one hand. 

Dick tries valiantly to stifle his snickers, but judging by the evil eye Bruce is giving him, it’s not quite working.

“And there was that time we were at that four-star restaurant in Star City and he ate too much and-” Marinette raises an eyebrow as she catches a toaster in her hands. “Really now, Bruce? A toaster? You know it’ll take more than that to stop me. So he ate too much and got a stomach ache, then started holding his torso and very loudly declaring that he was starting his period.”

Dick doesn’t even bother holding in the laughter this time, and neither do any of his siblings. If only Jason was here to see this, but alas, he was at his own apartment and had no clue that this was going on. Neither did Steph, for that matter, and Duke was already out on patrol since he was somehow a morning person. What a travesty.

“And then there was that time when-” Marinette is cut off by another one of Bruce’s long, very drawn-out sighs. 

“Look, Mari, I think they get the point,” He groans (well - as close to groaning as the Batman ever got), pinching the bridge of his nose. “You can stop now.”

“Oh, you’re just annoyed that you couldn’t stop me,” Marinette retorts with yet another smile, and Dick is once again struck by how similar she looks to the lady in the portrait that hangs over the fireplace in the largest of the Manor’s three living rooms. “I suppose you’re right, however. Despite the abundance of embarrassing stories, they do run out at some point, and I’d prefer not to use them all up in one go, ya know? I have to be the cool aunt. Kate can keep wine aunt, but I’m the cool one now.”

“I think Miss Katherine might disagree with that,” Alfred says mildly. “However, I do believe you can win the children over if you tell them about the time your father brought Master Bruce to his board meeting.”

The look of utter betrayal Bruce gives Alfred makes them crack up all over again.

--o0o--

“Man, I am so glad you got it all on camera,” Duke grins, placing two bowls of popcorn on the coffee table before flopping back down onto the couch. “This is going to be great.”

Tim waves a hand dismissively. “I just hacked the cameras in the Manor. Bruce’s paranoia backfired this time.”

Steph cheers and immediately makes a grab for the popcorn as Cass hits the play button on the remote, and Dick can’t help but crack a smile at his own face when he sees the last of his cereal being eaten.

“Richard, I find it concerning that your first thought was of your cereal and not the intruder,” Damian observes.

Dick ruffles his hair, drawing out a squawk of protest. “Well, what can I say? I really like Bat Puffs.”

The Wayne siblings settle down for a movie night that is definitely going to be filled with lots of laughter.

permanent tags

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[esther-dot]

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

(in reference to this ask)

That’s a cool take on it!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[dragonmartellstark]

AU: Elia Martell and Rhaella Targaryen, the sun and the dragon (2/?)

Shireen Baratheon: She was the only daughter of Stannis Baratheon and Selyse Baratheon, being the niece of Robert Baratheon. She was cared for by her aunt Lyanna Stark seeing her as a daughter to her. Shireen grew up being a curious, shy but polite girl, as well as being considered very pretty with big blue eyes, thick black hair and a cute smile. Despite the fact that her father longed for a boy, she had some appreciation for her daughter and every month she gave her a present.

The young woman and two of her cousins, Lyarra and Cassana appeared at the Maidens' Day Ball as candidates to be the next queen consort of the Seven Kingdoms and wife of Aegon VI. During the dance the young king asked to dance with little Shireen and they both had a good connection with Shireen being one of her favorites, but she was also the envy of other candidates including her cousins. At the end of the Ball, Aegon VI claimed to want to marry Shireen Baratheon and this engagement was welcomed by the king's mother, Elia Martell, and her grandmother, Rhaella Targaryen. In 299 A. C., the wedding of the young people was celebrated being a splendid and happy event for the young people. Elia Martell gave her daughter-in-law a necklace that she brought from Dorne and wore it during her wedding, inheriting it from Shireen and marking a good relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Shireen and Aegon did not consummate the marriage until 304 A. C., when Shireen turned 15 years old and shortly after sharing the bed, the queen announced her first pregnancy, being a great joy for the family and the common people. At the end of 304 A. C., Prince Aemon was born, the future Aemon I and it was a great joy for all, even for the parents of the queen. The kings were very close and had six children in total, bringing the couple closer together.

Aegon's reign was fairly peaceful and Shireen focused on charity work and caring for her children. In 335 A. C., Aegon VI died victim of puerperal fever due to a hunting accident where he cut his hand and the wound was not well treated. The death of her husband was painful for Shireen, wearing her entire life in mourning and taking shelter in her children, numerous grandchildren and in art, being she known as a great patron of the arts. Shireen Baratheon passed away in 353 A. C., at 64 years old while she slept in her rooms in the Red Fort. She was cremated and her ashes were placed next to those of Aegon VI.

Lyanna Stark: In the tower of joy, Lyanna gave birth to the only child she had with Rhaegar Targaryen, Jon Eddard Stark and despite the difficulties Lyanna managed to leave the birth alive as well as her son. When Rhaegar died and Princess Elia made a peace treaty with Robert Baratheon, Arthur Dayne traveled with Lyanna to King's Landing where he was reunited with his brothers and his fiancé.

It was a complete scandal that Lyanna had had a son with Prince Rhaegar intensifying Robert's anger, but Elia Martell convinced him to let Jon live in Winterfell and allow her mother to visit him whenever she wanted. This idea did not please Lyanna, but she could not be more stubborn as she had already had a relationship and a child with the princess's husband, so she accepted that her brother Ned would take care of the child as hers and she I would visit it.

Lyanna and Robert were married shortly thereafter in 285 A. C., to Lyanna's surprise, Robert was attentive to her and was eager to share the bed with her. Little by little Lyanna began to feel a great appreciation for Robert, both of them spending time at hunting parties and banquets. Shortly after her marriage, Lyanna became pregnant and gave birth to a son, Gendry Baratheon, the future Lord of Storm's End.

Their marriage was passionate and relatively happy, even though Robert had a discreet lover while Lyanna was pregnant, but it is known that these relationships were rare and short-lived. The couple had a total of ten children: Lyarra, Steffon, Cassana, Stella, Eddard, Sara, Rickard, Rickon and twins who died shortly after birth.

Lyanna was also present in the life of her son, Jon Eddard whom she adored, but she did not have a good relationship with her daughter-in-law, Ygritte who she considered somewhat mocking and suspicious because of her mysterious origins.

In the year 311 A. C., Lyanna became pregnant again, but she was already 45 years old so the doctors feared for her life. During labor, her mother suffered a hemorrhage caused by childbirth and in the end she gave birth to a pair of twins, but Lyanna died after giving birth being a heartbreaking grief for her entire family.

Jon Ned: Jon spent his entire life in Winterfell being raised by his uncle Eddard Stark and his aunt Catelyn, while he received visits from his mother, Lyanna Stark whom he adored very much.

Jon was a skilled swordsman and a good boy who was loved by Winterfell and his cousins, especially Robb and Arya Stark. From the beginning he wanted to find a fiancée so that he could have children and make his living, but surprisingly Jon brought an unknown young woman named Ygritte, who was said to be an illegitimate daughter of the Commander of the Night's Watch, Jeor Mormont, but others say that she was a savage that the young man found and fell in love with. The little wolf affirmed that he had married her and that he was in love with her being this something bittersweet for her uncles and her mother, but they ended up accepting and organizing a formal wedding.

Jon was in the service of his cousin, Robb Stark, when his uncle Ned Stark passed away and Robb was proclaimed lord of Winterfell. Robb appointed his cousin as his chief advisor, gaining fame for his peaceful reforms and not wasting so much money. Jon reportedly also had a good relationship with his half-sister, Rhaenys Targaryen, despite all the problems his mothers had in the past.

Jon and Ygritte had a passionate marriage, having thirteen children, even though three would die at birth. Jon was a loving and attentive father always looking for the best for all the sons and daughters, looking for important trades or marriages, he even agreed to marry one of his daughters, Raya with his cousin Eddard Stark, becoming Mistress of Winterfell.

The young wolf's life continued as usual until one day in 334 A. C., while doing a hunting party with his sons Cregan and Jeor, Jon was envestigated by a bear ripping off his leg causing him to bleed. Jeor tried to save his father, but the low temperatures and the amount of blood that he began to lose caused Jon to go into shock and die in the presence of his children at 51 years of age.

Ygritte was plunged into deep sadness upon losing her husband and six years later she would end up dying under strange circumstances. They were both buried in the Stark Cemetery.

Ygritte: The young redhead always lived among the savages being a tough and skilled archer, but Ygritte knew that the conditions were not favorable she loved to hunt, but the food was scarce and the skins even more.

Luck smiled at Ygritte when she met young Jon Targaryen, the illegitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, at a hunt. Jon was amazed by Ygritte's beauty and her strong temperament, Ygritte also felt attracted to the 16-year-old young man, her face seemed beautiful to him. The savage offered the young man a night of pleasure in exchange for food, but the little wolf offered him to marry her and live in Winterfell as her wife, to which Ygritte accepted in order to have a comfortable life.

Jon with the help of Jeor Mormont posed Ygritte as an illegitimate daughter of the commander with a prostitute before joining the Night's Watch. The young Stark took the redhead to the Forest of Gods where they were married privately only with the presence of Samwell Tarly and Dolorous Edd.  Jon and Ygritte appeared before Eddard Stark and Jon's mother Lyanna Stark claiming that they were in love and had married in the presence of the Old Gods. Lyanna Stark was not satisfied because she was not convinced by the origin of the young woman, but she ended up accepting the marriage for the happiness of her son and soon a formal wedding was held where some members of vassal houses attended.

The marriage was somewhat tumultuous at first due to Ygritte's strong and disorderly character, but the couple managed to have a solid, passionate and fun union as they both shared a love of combat and hunting. Ygritte became pregnant a year after getting married, giving birth to a boy named Jeor in honor of the Old Bear. Every two or three years Ygritte gave birth to more children, having a total of thirteen children: Irrla, Johann, Daeron, Raya, Sarra, Samwell, Brereton, Cregan and Cecily; Ella ygritte gave birth to two stillborn children and one died an hour after birth.

Ygritte's personality changed slightly with her motherhood being her a protective mother and something dominant especially with her children. Ygritte's life continued as always alongside her family and hunting for her until 334 A. C., her husband Jon Eddard passed away being a shame for her since she was very much in love with hers. Upon Jon's death, Ygritte took refuge in the hunt and in her children, especially in her daughter, Cecily, who was her tear cloth and her greatest consolation until her daughter died in the year 339 A. C., further increasing Ygritte's grief.

One day in the year 340 A. C., the body of Lady Ygritte was found near the Wall in inappropriate clothes for the severe winter that hit. It is said that she died of hypothermia or cardiac arrest from the pain of losing her husband and daughter. Ygritte was buried at the age of 60 next to Jon Ned and his children who had passed away at the time.

Shireen Baratheon: Fue la única hija de Stannis Baratheon y Selyse Baratheon, siendo sobrina de Robert Baratheon. Fue cuidada por su tía Lyanna Stark viéndola como una hija para ella. Shireen creció siendo una niña curiosa, tímida pero educada, además de ser considerada muy bonita con los ojos grandes y azules, el cabello negro espeso y una sonrisa tierna. Pesé a que su padre ansiaba un varón tuvo algo de aprecio por su hija y cada mes le regalaba algún presente.

La joven y dos de sus primas, Lyarra y Cassana se presentaron al Baile del Día de las Doncellas como candidatas para ser la siguiente reina consorte de los Siete Reinos y esposa de Aegon VI. Durante el baile el joven rey pidió bailar con la pequeña Shireen y ambos tuvieron una buena conexión siendo Shireen una de las favoritas, pero también la envidia de otras candidatas incluyendo sus primas. Al final del Baile, Aegon VI afirmo querer casarse con Shireen Baratheon y este compromiso fue bien visto por la madre del rey, Elia Martell y su abuela, Rhaella Targaryen. En el 299 d. C., se celebro la boda de los jóvenes siendo un acontecimiento esplendoroso y feliz para los jóvenes. Elia Martell le entrego a su nuera un collar que ella trajo de Dorne y uso durante su boda, heredándoselo a Shireen y marcando una buena relación entre suegra y nuera.

Shireen y Aegon no consumaron el matrimonio hasta el año 304 d. C., cuando Shireen cumplió los 15 años de edad y poco después de compartir la cama, la reina anuncio su primer embarazo siendo una gran alegría para la familia y el pueblo llano. A finales del 304 d. C., nació el príncipe Aemon, el futuro Aemon I y fue una gran alegría para todos, incluso para los padres de la reina. Los reyes estaban muy unidos y llegaron a tener seis hijos en total acercando mas a la pareja.

El reinado de Aegon fue bastante pacifico y Shireen se centró en las obras de caridad y en el cuidado de sus hijos. En el 335 d. C., Aegon VI falleció victima de fiebres puerperales debido a un accidente de caza donde se corto una mano y no fue bien tratada la herida. La muerte de su esposo fue dolorosa para Shireen vistiendo de luto toda su vida y resguardándose en sus hijos, numerosos nietos y en el arte, siendo conocida como una gran mecenas de las artes. Shireen Baratheon falleció en el 353 d. C., a los 64 años mientras dormía en sus habitaciones de la Fortaleza Roja. Fue incinerada y sus cenizas fueron puestas al lado de las de Aegon VI.

Lyanna Stark: En la torre de la alegría, Lyanna dio a luz al único hijo que tuvo con Rhaegar Targaryen, Jon Eddard Stark y pesé a las dificultades Lyanna logró salir viva del parto al igual que su hijo. Al morir Rhaegar y que la princesa Elia hiciera un tratado de paz con Robert Baratheon, Arthur Dayne viajo junto a Lyanna hacia Desembarco del Rey donde se reencontró con sus hermanos y su prometido.

Fue un completo escandalo el hecho de que Lyanna había tenido un hijo con el príncipe Rhaegar intensificando la ira que tenía Robert, pero Elia Martell lo convenció de que Jon viviera en Invernalia y le permitiera a su madre visitarlo cuando ella quisiera. Esta idea no le agrado a Lyanna, pero no podía ser mas terca al ya haber tenido una relación y un hijo con el marido de la princesa, así que acepto que su hermano Ned cuidara del niño como suyo y ella lo visitaría.

Lyanna y Robert se casaron poco después en el 285 d. C., para la sorpresa de Lyanna, Robert fue atento con ella y se mostraba deseoso de compartir el lecho con ella. Poco a poco Lyanna empezó a sentir un gran aprecio hacia Robert compartiendo ambos el tiempo en partidas de caza y banquetes. Al poco de casarse Lyanna quedo embarazada y dio a luz a un niño, Gendry Baratheon el futuro Señor de Bastión de Tormenta.

Su matrimonio fue apasionado y relativamente feliz aun que Robert tuvo alguna discreta amante mientras Lyanna estaba embarazada, pero se sabe que estas relaciones fueron escasas y poco duraderas. La pareja tuvo un total de diez hijos: Lyarra, Steffon, Cassana, Stella, Eddard, Sara, Rickard, Rickon y mellizos que murieron al poco de nacer.

Lyanna también estuvo presente en la vida de su hijo, Jon Eddard al cual adoraba, pero no tuvo buena relación con su nuera, Ygritte la cual consideraba algo burlona y sospechosa por sus misteriosos orígenes.

En el año 311 d. C., Lyanna volvió a quedar embarazada, pero ya contaba con 45 años de edad por lo que los médicos temían por su vida. Durante la labor de parto, la madre sufrió una hemorragia provocada por el parto y al final dio a luz a un par de mellizos, pero Lyanna acabo falleciendo tras dar a luz siendo una pena desgarradora para toda su familia.

Jon Ned: Jon paso toda su vida en Invernalia siendo criado por su tío Eddard Stark y su tía Catelyn, mientras recibía las visitas de su madre, Lyanna Stark a la cual adoraba mucho.

Jon fue un experto espadachín y un buen muchacho siendo querido por Invernalia y sus primos, en especial por Robb y Arya Stark. Desde un principio se le quiso buscar una prometida para que pudiera tener descendencia y hacer su vida, pero sorprendentemente Jon trajo una joven desconocida llamada Ygritte, la cual se decía que era una hija ilegitima del Comandante de la Guardia de la Noche, Jeor Mormont, pero otros dicen que ella era una salvaje que el joven encontró y se enamoro. El pequeño lobo afirmo que se había casado con ella y que estaba enamorado de ella siendo esto algo agridulce para sus tíos y su madre, pero acabaron aceptando y organizando una boda formal.

Jon estuvo al servicio de su primo, Robb Stark cuando su tío Ned Stark falleció y Robb fue proclamado señor de Invernalia. Robb nombro a su primo como su consejero principal ganando fama por sus reformas pacificas y por no derrochar tanto dinero. Según se dice Jon también tuvo una buena relación con su medio hermana, Rhaenys Targaryen pesé a todos los problemas que tuvieron sus madres en el pasado.

Jon e Ygritte tuvieron un matrimonio apasionado llegando a tener trece hijos, aun que tres fallecerían al nacer. Jon era un padre amoroso y atento siempre buscaba lo mejor para todos sus hijos e hijas buscándoles importantes oficios o matrimonios, incluso acepto casar a una de sus hijas, Raya con su primo Eddard Stark convirtiéndose en Señora de Invernalia.

La vida del joven lobo siguió como de costumbre hasta que un día del año 334 d. C., mientras hacia una partida de caza junto a sus hijos Cregan y Jeor, Jon fue envestido por un oso arrancando su pierna haciendo que se desangrara. Jeor trato de salvar a su padre, pero las bajas temperaturas y la cantidad de sangre que empezó a perder provocaron que Jon entrase en estado de shock y muriera en presencia de sus hijos con 51 años de edad.

Ygritte quedo sumida en una profunda tristeza al perder a su esposo y seis años después ella acabaría muriendo en extrañas circunstancias. Ambos fueron enterrados en el cementerio de los Stark.

Ygritte: La joven pelirroja siempre vivió entre los salvajes siendo una ruda y experta arquera, pero Ygritte sabía que las condiciones no eran favorables amaba cazar, pero la comida era escasa y las pieles todavía mas.

La suerte le sonrío a Ygritte cuando en una casería conoció al joven Jon Targaryen, el hijo ilegitimo de Rhaegar Targaryen y Lyanna Stark. Jon quedo maravillado con la belleza de Ygritte y su fuerte temperamento, Ygritte también sintió atracción por el joven de solo 16 años pareciéndole bello su rostro. La salvaje le ofreció al joven una noche de placer a cambio de comida, pero el pequeño lobo le ofreció casarse con ella y vivir en Invernalia como su esposa, a lo que Ygritte acepto con tal de tener una vida cómoda.

Jon con la ayuda de Jeor Mormont hicieron pasar a Ygritte como una hija ilegitima del comandante con una meretriz antes de unirse a la Guardia de la Noche. El joven Stark llevo a la pelirroja al Bosque de Dioses donde se casaron de manera privada solo con la presencia de Samwell Tarly y Edd “El penas”. Jon e Ygritte se presentaron ante Eddard Stark y la madre de Jon, Lyanna Stark afirmando que estaban enamorados y se habían casado en presencia de los Antiguos Dioses. Lyanna Stark no estaba conforme debido a que no le convencía el origen de la joven, pero acabo aceptando el matrimonio por la felicidad de su hijo y pronto se celebro una boda formal donde asistieron algunos miembros de casas vasallas.

El matrimonio fue algo tumultuoso en un principio debido al carácter fuerte y desordenado de Ygritte, pero la pareja logro llevar una unión solida, apasionada y divertida al compartir ambos el amor por el combate y la caza. Ygritte quedo embarazada un año después de casarse, alumbrando a un niño llamado Jeor en honor al Viejo Oso. Cada dos o tres años Ygritte alumbraba a mas hijos teniendo en total trece hijos: Irrla, Johann, Daeron, Raya, Sarra, Samwell, Brereton, Cregan y Cecily; Ygritte dio a luz dos niños muertos y uno falleció una hora después de nacer.

La personalidad de Ygritte cambio ligeramente con la maternidad siendo una madre protectora y algo dominante en especial con sus hijos. La vida de Ygritte siguió como siempre al lado de su familia y la caza hasta que en el año 334 d. C., falleció su marido Jon Eddard siendo una pena para ella ya que estaba muy enamorada de el. A la muerte de Jon, Ygritte se refugio en la caza y en sus hijos en especial en su hija, Cecily que fue su paño de lagrimas y su mayor consuelo hasta que su hija falleció en el año 339 d. C., aumentando mas la pena de Ygritte.

Un día del año 340 d. C., el cuerpo de Lady Ygritte fue encontrado cerca del Muro en ropas poco apropiadas para el fuerte invierno que azotaba. Se dice que murió de hipotermia o de un paro cardiaco por la pena de perder a su esposo e hija. Ygritte fue enterrada con 60 años de edad al lado de Jon Ned y sus hijos que habían fallecido en ese entonces.

[butterflies-dragons]

Daenerys's heart is a dragon not like Cersei's heart who was Tommen has belong to someone else, and even Sansa's heart will be herself.

I got this ask in reference to this post that I wrote back in 2017, especially this quote: 

Someplace no stag ever found … though a dragon might.

—A Feast for Crows - Brienne III

I don’t really get your message Anon, I didn’t mention Dany’s or Cersei’s heart in my post.   So, I will repeat my point for anyone interested:

“Where?” Brienne slapped another silver stag down.

He flicked the coin back at her with his forefinger. “Someplace no stag ever found … though a dragon might.” Silver would not get the truth from him, she sensed. Gold might, or it might not. Steel would be more certain. Brienne touched her dagger, then reached into her purse instead. She found a golden dragon and put in on the barrel. “Where?”

—A Feast for Crows - Brienne III

From this last quote I want to rescue this line: “Someplace no stag ever found… though a dragon might.” These words are talking about stags and dragons, not silver and gold, just the animals that the coins bare on one side. The stag is the sigil of House Baratheon and the dragon is the sigil of House Targaryen. And this makes me think about the Tourney at Ashford Meadow, where the first and the fifth of its final champions belonged to these houses. And according to this theory: “When you look at the names of the champions’ families and the fact they fight for a 13 year old maid, especially with the family Hardyng, we find out that they correspond strongly with Sansa’s suitors in A Song of Ice and Fire.” (*)

So, following the pattern established by the five final champions of the Tourney at Ashford Meadow, I believe that the stag in this line represents Joffrey Baratheon (Sansa’s first betrothed), while the Dragon who might find Sansa is Jon Snow, the Targaryen Champion (Sansa’s actual betrothed). This last idea is going to be developed throughout this post. 

(*) I would like to make some precisions:  1) The events of the Tourney at Ashford Meadow developed in ‘The Hedge Knight’ novella.  2) The champions are the final five after the first day of jousting.  We don’t know the results after the second day of jousting and the third day was the Trial of Seven.  3) The queen of love and beauty at the beginning of the tourney was the 13 years old daughter of Lord Ashford.  The champions weren’t fighting for her, the final five champions after the third day of jousting would decide if they crowned a new QoLaB or not.

(…)

Let’s go back to this line: “Someplace no stag ever found… though a dragon might.” In the text the word ‘someplace’ refers to where Brienne’s supposed “sister” is -the beautiful highborn maid of three-and-ten that has blue eyes and auburn hair-.  But in the history of ASOIAF universe, the word ‘someplace’ could also refer to the heart of a Stark girl.

Joffrey and Jon, Jon and Joffrey. I have a theory about them, I called it the ‘JoJo Theory’. Maybe one day I will turn my thoughts on them into words. But for now, let’s talk about these two in relation to Sansa.

Joffrey and Jon are supposed to be the sons of two best friends: Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark respectively. But none of them are really that.  And I think they both were living the other’s life.  I mean, Joffrey took Jon’s real place in the world, as Jon took Joffrey’s.  

Joffrey, who is supposed to be the trueborn son and heir of King Robert Baratheon, is truly a little shit bastard, the illegitimate child of Jaime Lannister. And he is the vicious, despicable type of bastard as well.

On the other hand, Jon who is suppose to be the baseborn son of Ned Stark, is actually the son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and the last Targaryen heir to the Iron Throne.  And he is the very opposite of the vicious, despicable Joffrey.  Jon is brave and has a noble heart.

Also note that the real fathers of Joffrey and Jon are the men who Cersei and Lyanna choose over Robert; that is to say: Jaime and Rhaegar.

So, reading again this line: “Someplace no stag ever found… though a dragon might.”, we know that in the past that line was true, as Robert Baratheon never found his way to Lyanna Stark’s heart unlike Prince Rhaegar Targaryen.  And it could be true again, in the future, as Joffrey (no stag) never really found his way to Sansa’s heart, but Jon (who is also a dragon) might do. Let’s see:  

His half sisters escorted the royal princes. Arya was paired with plump young Tommen, whose white-blond hair was longer than hers. Sansa, two years older, drew the crown prince, Joffrey Baratheon. He was twelve, younger than Jon or Robb, but taller than either, to Jon’s vast dismay. Prince Joffrey had his sister’s hair and his mother’s deep green eyes. A thick tangle of blond curls dripped down past his golden choker and high velvet collar. Sansa looked radiant as she walked beside him, but Jon did not like Joffrey’s pouty lips or the bored, disdainful way he looked at Winterfell’s Great Hall.

—A Game of Thrones - Jon I

Jon was obviously jealous of Joffrey, in the same fashion he was of Robb. Joffrey was ‘trueborn’, a royal prince, the heir of the Iron Throne, with a place of honor at the table just below the dais where the King and Queen were seated, handsome, taller than him despite being younger, and on top of all that, Joffrey got the beautiful radiant girl by his side. Jon just couldn’t believe why, while having all of that, Joffrey and his pouty wormy lips gave Winterfell’s Great Hall a bored and disdainful look.  

You don’t believe Jon was jealous of Joffrey? Read this then:

“Then you saw us all. Prince Joffrey and Prince Tommen, Princess Myrcella, my brothers Robb and Bran and Rickon, my sisters Arya and Sansa. You saw them walk the center aisle with every eye upon them and take their seats at the table just below the dais where the king and queen were seated.”

“I remember.”

“And did you see where I was seated, Mance?” He leaned forward. “Did you see where they put the bastard?”

—A Storm of Swords - Jon

I know that in this scene, Jon was trying to convince Mance that he really wanted to join the freefolk.  He was trying to deceive him and infiltrate into the enemy’s camp.  Despite that, the things Jon said to Mance at that moment, rang true.  So in the end, Jon did convince Mance and he ended up joining the freefolk, as a covert mission entrusted to him by Qhorin Halfhand.

Still you don’t believe me when I said Jon was jealous of Joffrey? Listen to Sansa herself then:

“What did you think of Prince Joff, sister? He’s very gallant, don’t you think?”

“Jon says he looks like a girl,” Arya said.

Sansa sighed as she stitched. “Poor Jon,” she said. “He gets jealous because he’s a bastard.”

“He’s our brother,” Arya said, much too loudly. Her voice cut through the afternoon quiet of the tower room.

—A Game of Thrones, Arya I

Now tell me that Jon saying ‘Joffrey looks like a girl’ is not proof enough of Jon Snow being obviously jealous of the crown prince.

But Jon Snow who knows nothing, except, maybe, that Joffrey is truly a little shit, has no idea that Joffrey was living his life.

And his sisters cousins, Sansa and Arya, unbeknownst to him, expose this truth to Ned while talking about Joffrey’s hair color (note that Ned always knew who Jon’s real father is):  

“Father, I only just now remembered, I can’t go away, I’m to marry Prince Joffrey.” She tried to smile bravely for him. “I love him, Father, I truly truly do, I love him as much as Queen Naerys loved Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, as much as Jonquil loved Ser Florian. I want to be his queen and have his babies.”

“Sweet one,” her father said gently, “listen to me. When you’re old enough, I will make you a match with a high lord who’s worthy of you, someone brave and gentle and strong. This match with Joffrey was a terrible mistake. That boy is no Prince Aemon, you must believe me.”

“He is!“ Sansa insisted. “I don’t want someone brave and gentle, I want him. We’ll be ever so happy, just like in the songs, you’ll see. I’ll give him a son with golden hair, and one day he’ll be the king of all the realm, the greatest king that ever was, as brave as the wolf and as proud as the lion.

"Arya made a face. "Not if Joffrey’s his father,” she said. “He’s a liar and a craven and anyhow he’s a stag, not a lion.”

—A Game of Thrones - Sansa III

"All three are Jaime’s,” he said. It was not a question.

“Thank the gods.”

The seed is strong, Jon Arryn had cried on his deathbed, and so it was. All those bastards, all with hair as black as night. Grand Maester Malleon recorded the last mating between stag and lion, some ninety years ago, when Tya Lannister wed Gowen Baratheon, third son of the reigning lord. Their only issue, an unnamed boy described in Malleon’s tome as a large and lusty lad born with a full head of black hair, died in infancy. Thirty years before that a male Lannister had taken a Baratheon maid to wife. She had given him three daughters and a son, each black-haired. No matter how far back Ned searched in the brittle yellowed pages, always he found the gold yielding before the coal.

“A dozen years,” Ned said. “How is it that you have had no children by the king?”

—A Game of Thrones - Eddard XII

I can clearly imagine Ned thinking about how he had to hide Jon Snow, the heir of the Last Dragon, as his bastard; while Joffrey, an actual bastard, was living the life that could have been Jon’s, had Rhaegar prevailed over Robert.

This kind of ‘switched at birth’ case between Jon and Joffrey and the possibility of Jon being Sansa’s fifth Targaryen betrothed, is actually foreshadowed in the Books. Let’s read this passage from Sansa’s first chapter in ACOK:

The morning of King Joffrey’s name day dawned bright and windy, with the long tail of the great comet visible through the high scuttling clouds. Sansa was watching it from her tower window when Ser Arys Oakheart arrived to escort her down to the tourney grounds. “What do you think it means?” she asked him.

“Glory to your betrothed,” Ser Arys answered at once. “See how it flames across the sky today on His Grace’s name day, as if the gods themselves had raised a banner in his honor. The smallfolk have named it King Joffrey’s Comet.”

Doubtless that was what they told Joffrey; Sansa was not so sure. “I’ve heard servants calling it the Dragon’s Tail.”

“King Joffrey sits where Aegon the Dragon once sat, in the castle built by his son,” Ser Arys said. “He is the dragon’s heir—and crimson is the color of House Lannister, another sign. This comet is sent to herald Joffrey’s ascent to the throne, I have no doubt. It means that he will triumph over his enemies.

"Is it true? she wondered. Would the gods be so cruel? Her mother was one of Joffrey’s enemies now, her brother Robb another. Her father had died by the king’s command. Must Robb and her lady mother die next? The comet was red, but Joffrey was Baratheon as much as Lannister, and their sigil was a black stag on a golden field. Shouldn’t the gods have sent Joff a golden comet?

— A Clash of Kings - Sansa I

See? From “Glory to your betrothed,” to “King Joffrey sits where Aegon the Dragon once sat, in the castle built by his son” “He is the dragon’s heir” Every word from Arys Oakheart’s mouth evokes Jon, not Joffrey.  Joffrey is not a dragon, far less the dragon’s heir; he’s not even a stag.

If Joffrey had truly been the son of Robert Baratheon, he indeed would have had a bit of Targaryen blood, because Robert’s grandmother was the Princess Rhaelle Targaryen, but that’s not the case.  

And the red comet could never be ‘Joffrey’s Comet’ as Sansa correctly pointed out when she said: “Shouldn’t the gods have sent Joff a golden comet?” The servants were right; the red comet was related to dragons, just as the person who knows everything in ASOIAF stated emphatically:  

Bran asked Septon Chayle about the comet while they were sorting through some scrolls snatched from the library fire. "It is the sword that slays the season,” he replied, and soon after the white raven came from Oldtown bringing word of autumn, so doubtless he was right.

Though Old Nan did not think so, and she’d lived longer than any of them. “Dragons,” she said, lifting her head and sniffing. She was near blind and could not see the comet, yet she claimed she could smell it. “It be dragons, boy,” she insisted. Bran got no princes from Nan, no more than he ever had.

Hodor said only, “Hodor.” That was all he ever said.

—A Clash of Kings - Bran I

Sadly the last part of this passage from Sansa’s first chapter in ACOK, also foreshadowed the Red Wedding.  The Lannisters once more would take her family from her; this time Catelyn and Robb.

But let’s stick with the good part, the part where she is called the betrothed of the dragon’s heir, that is not Joffrey, but Jon Snow, her own Dragonknight, her Black Knight of the Wall, her dark haired prince hiding in the north.  We can only hope that this time the betrothal will end in a real marriage, because Sansa’s betrothal record isn’t so good thus far:

Joffrey Baratheon (the Psychopath Bastard), the betrothal was broken.

Willas Tyrell (the Cripple), the betrothal was cancelled.

Tyrion Lannister (the Imp), the marriage was not consummated.

Harrold Hardying (the Arse), the betrothal still stands but the bride is Alayne Stone.

Jon Snow (is dead but on the third day he will rise again from the dead).

But against the odds, I believe Sansa will wear a Targaryen Cloak, and under that protection, she will slay her enemies.  

***

I wrote this three years ago.  I think it needs some adjusting here and there, but the main idea is there and I hope this time is clearer. 

Good night.

[fedonciadale]

Who writes women better ? Tolkien or GRRM ?

Hi there!

Hmmm. Interesting question... You know Tolkien doesn’t have a woman PoV in LotR and the Silmarillion is from the perspective of an outside narrator.

Nevertheless there are many compelling women characters in Tolkien and different as well. Headstrong Ar-edhel, smart Idril, warrior Haleth, brave Eowyn, wise Galadriel, sassy Rosy, powerful Melian, Eendis, whose ‘divorce’ Tolkien descries in a manner that has haunted me since I first read it.

And above all Luthien Tinuviel: brave, kind, headstrong, compassionate, the woman who defeated the greatest Dark Lord ever with singing, with SINGING.

If you consider when Tolkien wrote, his women are even more exceptional, and they are far beyond being ‘rewards’ for the men. There is no genuine equal representation there, and certainly no racial diversity, but he really, really has wonderful women. And people who say he just describes traditional women, don’t know his work.

As for GRRM: he has women’s PoV and they are different and diverse and important as well. It is difficult to compare to Tolkien.

I think GRRM really captures well, how the patriarchy is a lose-lose situation for women in every situation. For Cat as well as for Cersei, for Dany, Sansa and Arya, even for Arianne and Asha.

I do think he relates more the the sympathetic women though. I don’t think we are meant to relate to Cersei and yet I do, because she really chafes at the patriarchy and the narrow range of her choices.

It’s no secret that I love Sansa. And he writes her very well, and he gives traditional feminity a sympathetic and successful face. And I love that about his writing. It is not just the “NOt like other girls” trope. Even the posterchild of “not like other girls” Arya is much deeper than just this trope and does have feminine characteristics.

So, all in all I am happy with the way women are written by GRRM. They are not tropey, they are different, they are relatable, they show the flaws and the toxity of patriarchy in different ways, Cat the mother whose advice is set aside, Sansa the pawn, Arya who disguises herself all the time, Arianne who fears for her right, abused Cersei who becomes an abuser... etc.

There is just one thing that he completely and utterly fails at:

Female friendship.

In ASOIAF there is no place for that, only as a plot point (Sansa - Jeyne, or Cersei - Taena).

Am I truly to believe that Cat had not female friend in Winterfell, when she had lived there for 15 years?

He describes sewing circles, female activities and all that and yet completely misses the point of how important these are.

Tolkien doesn’t have that either (apart from his tale about Erendis, so he knew about that), but Tolkien did not claim to be realistic and he has no women’S PoV.

As I said, I think it is difficult to compare the two, but all in all there are many things I like about their women and they do far better, than the men who write stupid sentences like

“her boobity boobx boobed as she boobed down the stairs.”

Thanks for the ask!

[agentrouka-blog]

ASOIAF - Dany and the persimmons of doom

The persimmon is mentioned 13 times, 12 times in Dany chapters.

What’s a Persimmon?

The word Diospyros comes from the ancient Greek words "dios" (δῐος) and "pyron" (πῡρον). A popular etymology construed this as "divine fruit", or as meaning "wheat of Zeus" or "God's pear" and "Jove's fire". The dio-, as shown by the short vowel 'i', has nothing to do with 'divine' (δῑoς ), dio- being an affix attached to plant names, and in classical Greek the compound referred to "the fruit of the nettle tree". 

The word persimmon itself is derived from putchamin, pasiminan, or pessamin, from Powhatan, an Algonquian language of the eastern United States, meaning "a dry fruit".

The name was misconstrued to mean something a lot more elevated, something divine, olympian, fiery and impressive, when it really is a lot more basic than that. 

Kind of loving where this is headed already.

(Long, because many quotes.) 

The first and only persimmon mention outside of a Dany chapter is in AGOT, Eddard V. It’s contained in a list of offered refreshments by Pycelle, while Ned has gone to him to inquire about Jon Arryn’s death.

"Lord Arryn's death was a great sadness for all of us, my lord," Grand Maester Pycelle said. "I would be more than happy to tell you what I can of the manner of his passing. Do be seated. Would you care for refreshments? Some dates, perhaps? I have some very fine persimmons as well. Wine no longer agrees with my digestion, I fear, but I can offer you a cup of iced milk, sweetened with honey. I find it most refreshing in this heat."

 (AGOT, Eddard V)

Things in a list are, in my opinion, very often symbolically loaded. 

Dates. Persimmons. Milk sweetened with honey.

Dates, counting just the actual fruit, are also most heavily associated with Dany (7 mentions) and to a lesser degree Tyrion (3 mentions) and Arys Oakheart and Arianne (1 each). Also, Dorne in general. 

Milk with honey, which is what Ned ends up choosing, as a combination is associated with Brienne, Jaime and the Riverland mess, oddly enough, and, sweetened milk in general also with the suppression of Sweetrobin (sweetsleep). I’m sticking to the persimmon for now.

So, what are persimmons about for Dany? 

The first mention occurs in Qarth, close to the beginning of Daenerys III.

Descendants of the ancient kings and queens of Qarth, the Pureborn commanded the Civic Guard and the fleet of ornate galleys that ruled the straits between the seas. Daenerys Targaryen had wanted that fleet, or part of it, and some of their soldiers as well. She made the traditional sacrifice in the Temple of Memory, offered the traditional bribe to the Keeper of the Long List, sent the traditional persimmon to the Opener of the Door, and finally received the traditional blue silk slippers summoning her to the Hall of a Thousand Thrones.  

(ACOK, Daenerys III)

Another list. Hmm...

A sacrifice in the Temple of Memory... (If I look back, I am lost. What was Hazzea’s name again?)

A bribe to the Keeper of the Long List. (Keeper of lists... Arya keeps a kill list. Other list keepers might be the maesters at the Citadel for marriages births and deaths. There are two specifically mentioned “long lists”, Pycelle’s list of people who should swear fealty to Joffrey, and Hizdahr’s list of Dany’s enemies after smashing the slave trade.)

A persimmon to the Opener of Doors. (The red door likely foreshadows her Burning of King’s Landing, which is what I think this refers to. Elsewise, Jon significantly opened the gates of the Wall for the wildlings to march through. Jon, and Dany both open doors in significant dreams or visions.)

Then she receives the blue silk slippers and is summoned to the Hall of a Thousand Thrones. (Blue silk is heavily associated with Sansa, where it’s associated with catastrophe, violence, betrayal and defeat. To a lesser degree same for Brienne and Cersei. And the blue bard. This is not a happy fabric.)

But anyway, so the persimmon is associated with the Opening Of The Door. And what else?

The Pureborn reject Dany’s offerings and do not give her a fleet. She grumbles. She contemplates returning to Vaes Tolorro and making a home there but rejects the idea. Xaro asks her to marry him. A lot. Quaithe says reaches out to her again and gives her the “To go North you must go south etc” prophecy. She decides to go see the HOTU. (Destruction will follow.)

So, persimmon -> rejecting non-conquering path. And Quaithe egging her on.

Next Mention, still in Qarth. The persimmon opens the chapter.

She was breaking her fast on a bowl of cold shrimp-and-persimmon soup when Irri brought her a Qartheen gown, an airy confection of ivory samite patterned with seed pearls. "Take it away," Dany said. "The docks are no place for lady's finery."

If the Milk Men thought her such a savage, she would dress the part for them. When she went to the stables, she wore faded sandsilk pants and woven grass sandals.  

(ACOK, Daenerys V)

She consumes persimmon, and returns to her Dothraki garb, rejects Xaro’s proposal of marriage, finds herself unloved by the smallfolk of Qarth and pressured to leave. 

They know who I am, and they do not love me. Dany could tell from the way they looked at her.

Xaro refuses to help her get a fleet. She contemplates the visons in the HOTU. We get a book series title drop. 

“I remember,” Dany said sadly. “They murdered Rhaegar’s daughter as well, the Little princess. Rhaenys, she was named, like Aegon’s sister. There was no Visenya, but he said the dragon has three heads. What is the song of ice and fire?” 

“It’s no song I’ve ever heard.”

Dany wanders the docks and meets Barristan Selmy and Strong Belwas, who save her from a poison assassination attempt by the Sorrowful Men. Selmy and Belwas were sent by Magister Illyrio along with three ships. She accepts them, and renames them for the three conquering dragons Vhagar, Meraxes, Balerion. 

So, all in all we are on theme here with Dany embracing her inner dragon and rejecting alternative options of making a home. Aegon the Conquerer with Teats it is. Thank you, persimmon.

Next up, A Storm of Swords. Dany goes Unsullied-shopping in Astapor. The persimmon is at the beginning of the chapter.

“Your ears heard true,” said Dany. “I want to buy them all. Tell the Good Masters, if you will.”

She had chosen a Qartheen gown today. The deep violet silk brought out the purple of her eyes. The cut of it bared her left breast. While the Good Masters of Astapor conferred among themselves in low voices, Dany sipped tart persimmon wine from a tall silver flute. She could not quite make out all that they were saying, but she could hear the greed.  

(...)

Dany let them argue, sipping the tart persimmon wine and trying to keep her face blank and ignorant. I will have them all, no matter the price, she told herself. The city had a hundred slave traders, but the eight before her were the greatest. When selling bed slaves, fieldhands, scribes, craftsmen, and tutors, these men were rivals, but their ancestors had allied one with the other for the purpose of making and selling the Unsullied. Brick and blood built Astapor, and brick and blood her people. 

(…)

Two thousand would never serve for what she meant to do. I must have them all. Dany knew what she must do now, though the taste of it was so bitter that even the persimmon wine could not cleanse it from her mouth. She had considered long and hard and found no other way. It is my only choice. "Give me all," she said, "and you may have a dragon."

(…)

“Missandei is no longer a slave. I free you, from this instant. Come ride with me in the litter, I wish to talk.” Rakharo helped them in, and Dany drew the curtains shut against the dust and heat. “If you stay with me you will serve as one of my handmaids,” she said as they set off. “I shall keep you by my side to speak for me as you spoke for Kraznys. But you may leave my service whenever you choose, if you have father or mother you would sooner return to.” “This one will stay,” the girl said. “This one … I … there is no place for me to go. This … I will serve you, gladly.”

(ASOS, Daenerys III)

Persimmon & “buy them all, have them all, give me all” on triple display. Gee, I wonder if we will have another dragon escalation coming up?

Also, Dany’s special brand of slave liberation is in full swing. You are free to leave - with no alternatives provided for you. Or stay and serve as my “handmaid”. Ask Irri what that means.

The night before the transaction, she dreams she is Rhaegar on dragonback, bathing her enemies in dragonfire. A good dream, for Dany. She gets a visit from Quaithe. The next day, she dresses in Dothraki garb again. Fire and Blood.

“Unsullied!” Dany galloped before them, her silver-gold braid flying behind her, her bell chiming with every stride. “Slay the Good Masters, slay the soldiers, slay every man who wears a tokar or holds a whip, but harm no child under twelve, and strike the chains off every slave you see.” She raised the harpy’s fingers in the air … and then she flung the scourge aside. “Freedom!” she sang out. “Dracarys! Dracarys!” “Dracarys!” they shouted back, the sweetest word she’d ever heard. “Dracarys! Dracarys!” And all around them slavers ran and sobbed and begged and died, and the dusty air was filled with spears and fire.

It would appear that the persimmons signal the proximity of a dragon escalation. Persimmons always appear at the beginning of a chapter where Dany chooses Dothraki garb and dragonfire. 

Does it hold up?

A newly conquered Meereen has the next persimmon mention right at the top of the chapter:

Dany broke her fast under the persimmon tree that grew in the terrace garden, watching her dragons chase each other about the apex of the Great Pyramid where the huge bronze harpy once stood. Meereen had a score of lesser pyramids, but none stood even half as tall. From here she could see the whole city: 

(…) 

And beyond the walls was the pewter sea, the winding Skahazadhan, the dry brown hills, burnt orchards, and blackened fields. Up here in her garden Dany sometimes felt like a god, living atop the highest mountain in the world.  

(…)

All my victories turn to dross in my hands, she thought. Whatever I do, all I make is death and horror.

(…)

“My city,” said Dany. “I was looking for a house with a red door, but by night all the doors are black.”

“A red door?” Missandei was puzzled. “What house is this?” “No house. It does not matter.” Dany took the younger girl by the hand. “Never lie to me, Missandei. Never betray me.”

"I never would," Missandei promised. "Look, dawn comes."

(…)

 On the terrace, a few flies stirred sluggishly. A bird began to chirp in the persimmon tree, and then two more. Dany cocked her head to hear their song, but it was not long before the sounds of the waking city drowned them out.

The sounds of my city. 

(…)

“What will you do then, Khaleesi?” asked Rakharo. “Stay,” she said. “Rule. And be a queen.”

(ASOS, Daenerys VI)

After the first persimmon mention, she reflects on the conquest of Meereen in a terrible, savage sack. (Incidentally, using the same kinds of weapons to attack their gate as Jon defends against the Wildling attack on the Wall, specifically the “turtle” and ram. Jon/Dany romantic foreshadowing, surely.) 

Persimmon ->  Dragon and dothraki. Yes, it holds up.

But there is a second persimmon mention. Persimmons in the middle of a chapter tend to signal a rejection of the dragon path. 

After a series of bad news from Astapor and beyond, making her question the success of her actions, she decides to change her plans. The birds draw her attention to the persimmon tree of dragon escalation BUT the sounds of her city drown them out. She turns away from the siren call. She decides to try and responsibly deal with actual ruling. 

So far, so on theme. Will the persimmons make a comeback when Dany re-dragons? Yes. Yes, they will. 

ADWD gives us more persimmons. Many more.

Daenerys II. Middle-chapter persimmon -> Dragon rejection.

She is unrestful. The Sons of the Harpy killed Missandei’s brother, and many more. She agrees to have a suspect’s young daughter tortured to get answers. She grows very tired of ruling. She struggles to comfort Missandei who asserts Dany’s Mhysa identity. But Dany is lonely and longs to be loved, longs for Daario. She takes a bath and, hello, Quaithe!

A woman stood under the persimmon tree, clad in a hooded robe that brushed the grass. Beneath the hood, her face seemed hard and shiny. She is wearing a mask, Dany knew, a wooden mask finished in dark red lacquer. "Quaithe? Am I dreaming?" She pinched her ear and winced at the pain. "I dreamt of you on Balerion, when first we came to Astapor."

 (…)

“Daenerys. Remember the Undying. Remember who you are.” “The blood of the dragon.” But my dragons are roaring in the darkness. “I remember the Undying. Child of three, they called me. Three mounts they promised me, three fires, and three treasons. One for blood and one for gold and one for …”

"Your Grace?" Missandei stood in the door of the queen's bedchamber, a lantern in her hand. "Who are you talking to?"

Dany glanced back toward the persimmon tree. There was no woman there. No hooded robe, no lacquer mask, no Quaithe.

A shadow. A memory. No one. She was the blood of the dragon, but Ser Barristan had warned her that in that blood there was a taint. Could I be going mad? They had called her father mad, once. "I was praying," she told the Naathi girl. "It will be light soon. I had best eat something, before court." 

(…)

If I look back, I am doomed, Dany told herself … but how could she not look back? I should have seen it coming. Was I so blind, or did I close my eyes willfully, so I would not have to see the price of power?

(…)

I am the blood of the dragon, she thought. If they are monsters, so am I.

(ADWD, Daenerys II)

Dany is chaving under the pressures of ruling, already resorting back to cruelty, and under the persimmon tree, Quaithe beckons and tries to lure her back down the dragon path. Dany hesitates. She considers Hizdahr’s 7th proposal to open the fighting pits and questions Ser Barristan on his escape from Joffrey. She visits her dragons and questions herself, harshly. 

This chapter is one big hope spot before it all goes to ashes.  

Daenerys III. Closer to the beginning of the chapter, but not quite up there. -> less enthusiastic dragon rejection.

A banquet to honor the visit of Xaro from Qarth. Sensual dancing. Food and trade on the forefront of Dany’s mind, longing for Daaaaario in the background. 

Daenerys held out her cup for Irri to refill. The wine was sweet and strong, redolent with the smell of eastern spices, much superior to the thin Ghiscari wines that had filled her cup of late. Xaro perused the fruits on the platter Jhiqui offered him and chose a persimmon. Its orange skin matched the color of the coral in his nose. He took a bite and pursed his lips. "Tart."

"Would my lord prefer something sweeter?" 

“Sweetness cloys. Tart fruit and tart women give life its savor.” Xaro took another bite, chewed, swallowed. “Daenerys, sweet queen, I cannot tell you what pleasure it gives me to bask once more in your presence. A child departed Qarth, as lost as she was lovely. I feared she was sailing to her doom, yet now I find her here enthroned, mistress of an ancient city, surrounded by a mighty host that she raised up out of dreams.” No, she thought, out of blood and fire.

(ADWD, Daenerys III)

Tart v. sweet. Right now, a sweet queen? The persimmons beckon. She and Xaro philosophize on the relative merits of slavery. He would buy olives, she has to wait seven years for the newly planted trees to bear fruit. She hears of all the alliances made against her. Then he offers her a fleet to leave Slaver’s Bay and go home. Selmy likes the idea. Dany is sorely tempted, but the swirling rumors cause her court to question her and she lets go of the plans. She rejects Xaro’s tart persimmon-flavored offer of sailing off to conquer elsewhere. Xaro regrets not having killed her in Qarth. They part on bad Terms, she receives declaration of war the next morning.

Daenerys IX. The persimmon’s open the chapter. Uh oh.

The sky was a merciless blue, without a wisp of cloud in sight. The bricks will soon be baking in the sun, thought Dany. Down on the sands, the fighters will feel the heat through the soles of their sandals.

Jhiqui slipped Dany's silk robe from her shoulders and Irri helped her into her bathing pool. The light of the rising sun shimmered on the water, broken by the shadow of the persimmon tree. "Even if the pits must open, must Your Grace go yourself?" asked Missandei as she was washing the queen's hair.

(...)

My handmaids are Dothraki, she told herself. Death rides with every khalasar. The day she wed Khal Drogo, the arakhs had flashed at her wedding feast, and men had died whilst others drank and mated. Life and death went hand in hand amongst the horselords, and a sprinkling of blood was thought to bless a marriage. Her new marriage would soon be drenched in blood. How blessed it would be.

(…)

He is fire made flesh, she thought, and so am I. Daenerys Targaryen vaulted onto the dragon’s back, seized the spear, and ripped it out. The point was half-melted, the iron red-hot, glowing. She flung it aside. Drogon twisted under her, his muscles rippling as he gathered his strength. The air was thick with sand. Dany could not see, she could not breathe, she could not think. The black wings cracked like thunder, and suddenly the scarlet sands were falling away beneath her. Dizzy, Dany closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she glimpsed the Meereenese beneath her through a haze of tears and dust, pouring up the steps and out into the streets. The lash was still in her hand. She flicked it against Drogon’s neck and cried, “Higher!” Her other hand clutched at his scales, her fingers scrabbling for purchase. Drogon’s wide black wings beat the air. Dany could feel the heat of him between her thighs. Her heart felt as if it were about to burst. Yes, she thought, yes, now, now, do it, do it, take me, take me, FLY!

(ADWD, Daenerys IX)

Well. I’d say the pattern fits. Persimmon tree shadow breaks the image of a new dawn on the water, dothraki references, FIRE AND BLOOD.

And her final ADWD chapter? 

Daenerys X. Persimmon joins us close to the beginning of the chapter, but not quite at the top. But Dany makes up for that with enthusiasm.

Hers had been a lonely sojourn, and for most of it she had been hurt and hungry … yet despite it all she had been strangely happy here. A few aches, an empty belly, chills by night … what does it matter when you can fly? I would do it all again.

Jhiqui and Irri would be waiting atop her pyramid back in Meereen, she told herself. Her sweet scribe Missandei as well, and all her little pages. They would bring her food, and she could bathe in the pool beneath the persimmon tree. It would be good to feel clean again. Dany did not need a glass to know that she was filthy.

She was hungry too. One morning she had found some wild onions growing halfway down the south slope, and later that same day a leafy reddish vegetable that might have been some queer sort of cabbage. Whatever it was, it had not made her sick. Aside from that, and one fish that she had caught in the spring-fed pool outside of Drogon's cave, she had survived as best she could on the dragon's leavings, on burned bones and chunks of smoking meat, half-charred and half-raw. She needed more, she knew. One day she kicked at a cracked sheep's skull with the side of a bare foot and sent it bouncing over the edge of the hill. And as she watched it tumble down the steep slope toward the sea of grass, she realized she must follow.

Dany set off through the tall grass at a brisk pace. The earth felt warm between her toes. The grass was as tall as she was. It never seemed so high when I was mounted on my silver, riding beside my sun-and-stars at the head of his khalasar. As she walked, she tapped her thigh with the pitmaster’s whip. That, and the rags on her back, were all she had taken from Meereen.

(…)

Below, she saw men whirling, wreathed in flame, hands up in the air as if caught in the throes of some mad dance. A woman in a green tokar reached for a weeping child, pulling him down into her arms to shield him from the flames. Dany saw the color vividly, but not the woman’s face. People were stepping on her as they lay tangled on the bricks. Some were on fire. Then all of that had faded, the sounds dwindling, the people shrinking, the spears and arrows falling back beneath them as Drogon clawed his way into the sky. Up and up and up he’d borne her, high above the pyramids and pits, his wings outstretched to catch the warm air rising from the city’s sun baked bricks. If I fall and die, it will still have been worth it, she had thought.

(…)

No, Dany told herself. If I look back I am lost. She might live for years amongst the sunbaked rocks of Dragonstone, riding Drogon by day and gnawing at his leavings every evenfall as the great grass sea turned from gold to orange, but that was not the life she had been born to.

(…)

“Quaithe?” Dany called. “Where are you, Quaithe?” Then she saw. Her mask is made of starlight. “Remember who you are, Daenerys,” the stars whispered in a woman’s voice. “The dragons know. Do you?”

(…)

“Drogon killed a little girl. Her name was … her name …” Dany could not recall the child’s name. That made her so sad that she would have cried if all her tears had not been burned away.

(…)

Never, said the grass, in the gruff tones of Jorah Mormont. You were warned, Your Grace. Let this city be, I said. Your war is in Westeros, I told you.

(…)

As the western sky turned the color of a blood bruise, she heard the sound of approaching horses. Dany rose, wiped her hands on her ragged undertunic, and went to stand beside her dragon. That was how Khal Jhaqo found her, when half a hundred mounted warriors emerged from the drifting smoke.

(ADWD, Daenerys X)

She WANTS the persimmon tree. There is the Dothraki environment. She WANTS Quaithe. She starts acting like a literal dragon, nesting, eating Drogon’s leavings, wanders the grasslands half-crazed, suffery dysentery, miscarries (Mhysa v. Mother of Dragons) and makes her sacrifice to the Temple of Memory (Hazzea), which was the first step to the Hall of Thousand Thrones in Qarth. 

Next up, a bribe to the Keeper of the Long List, persimmon to the Opener of (Red) Doors and then it’s Hello, Blue Silk Slippers of (stabbing) Doom in the Hall of Thousand Thrones. 

Considering how consistent the theme of the persimmon is, I’m kind of excited about it seeing how GRRM will use it in TWOW and ADOS.  

Next up I think I’ll look at the context of dates, and milk with honey, just to find out why GRRM chose to have Ned reject the persimmons and dates and did let him choose the milk and honey, in that very first mention. Iced milk and honey. 

[youngxblood]

Name: Eivor Bjorn Hagen Age: Thirty-Nine Birthplace: Ice Coast Eye Colour: Blue Hair Colour: Dirty Blond Height: 6’0”

Scars: Diagonal line across his forehead (left side) that crosses over his right cheek *thin line. Straight across the line on the side of his head (Right side). Notch missing out of the top of his left ear. Thick diagonal scar across his upper chest. Small scars liter the rest of his body, hands, legs and arms. Tattoos: All following tattoos are grey as they do not have coloured tattoos at the time. Back piece: The weeping Heart Tree. Right Side of head: Simple Crow. Left side of Head: Simple Dragon.

Loyal to: King Edric Stark & Queen Freyja Stark Seat: Ice Coast, Ruling Lord Relationship Status: Widowed, Unencumbered Sexuality: Bisexual

Siblings: One Sister (Younger) Children: Two Sons (Eighteen Months Apart), Lif (Daughter,Deceased) Other Relations: Mother (Deceased), Father (Deceased), Kiiara Bal (Wife, Deceased)

Religious Views: Gods of the Forest (The Old Gods)

Good Traits: Impassioned, Steadfast, Curious, Straight-forward, Creative Wit, Ambitious, Hardy, Statistical, Blunt, Adentureus. Bad Traits: Volatile, Insensitive, Untrusting, Merciless, Emotional, Cutting, Disrespectful, Brutal, Unyielding, Stubborn. 

History:

The Hagen name never had any nobel power attached to it until Eivor’s eighteenth winter. Before that, they were simple people. His great grandparents were wildlings that had been escorted across through the Wall by Jon Snow. They settled on the southside of the wall and began to work the land. In the short time between settling the land and the war of three kings starting, his grandparents had a few children. They then left to fight in the war . His grandfather ended up dying but Eivor’s grandmother returned once all had settled and moved the family to the Ice Coast. There, with a few other Wildling families, Eivor’s parents grew up on a cattle farm and began to set up House Crow. They became integrated into Westeros. His parents remained on that Cattle farm all their lives and until Eivor was about fifteen he grew up on the farm as well. 

The younger years of his life were simple but hard work nonetheless. A sense of hard work and responsibility was instilled in Eivor from a young age. He spent most of his days working the land with his father and most of his nights training with a sword and shield. However, unlike his parents, Eivor was not content to stay on the family farm. He longed for so much more. The stories of how Arya Stark sailed off to the edge of the world integrated him. They sent his mind spinning around what she may have found out there beyond the edge of the map. He longed to sail to such places. At fifteen, he convinced a small crew of young men to accompany him to sail out from the Ice Coast and go North West to see what might be out there. They were gone for close to ten years. Sailing from island to island. Plundering claimed lands that had no relation to Westros and pillaging whatever resources they could from any other unclaimed lands. In that time, Eivor met and married his wife. Kiiara had three children for him while they ventured from one place to another. Constantly moving. The only home they had being the boat that Eivor and his kin stole. They did make their way back to the Ice Coast when Eivor was about twenty-four. 

Upon returning, he found out that the North was about to go to war. The Ruling Lord, at the time of Eivor’s return, was not happy with his actions but delayed his judgement of Eivor and his crew after the war.  Without much time to settle at all, he enlisted in the Northern army. Battle after battle on the open sea had trained Eivor well for what was about to come about across the land of Westros. He rose through the ranks as a proficient warrior and man skilled in both battle and war strategy. To this day, Eivor prides himself on the ability to use the land, the weather, and the strengths of his warriors as well as the weaknesses of the enimay to his advantage. When the war finally settled, Eivor returned to the Ice Coast and found that while away a pledge had swept across his home town and killed a great number of people. His daughter and wife had fallen to its hold. Thankfully both his sons had survived and his sister had taken care of Eivor’s boys while he was away. The trouble, however, did not end there. He still had to answer for his crime of stealing a boat and abandoning his people for years. Though many of the Ice Coast’s men and women called for him to be pardoned due to his acts in the north war, the Ruling Lord would not allow it. Before he could pass a judgment however, Eivor called for a trial by combat. The Ruling Lord against himself. 

In a rather intense one-on-one battle, Eivor came out victorious. He earned his freedom and called for a voting for a new Ruling Lord. Yes, by all accounts it should have been him. He killed the last man to rule, so by right the title was his. He wanted the people to choose however. Two other men ran against him but in the end Eivor was voted ruler of the Ice Coast. Taking House Crow as his own, Eivor has been Ruling Lord ever since. 

Under his rule, Eivor has managed to expand their reach of trade goods. He has made sure to send Raiding parties to those islands he had discovered in his youth. Their rare treasures have and continue to bring boats to the shores of the Ice Coast to this day. He is known for being very proud of both his sons. His greatest joy in life is being a father to those boys. Though, it does haunt him that he was gone when both his wife and daughter passed away. He has not remarried since. Although he does have a reputation for bedding many and flirting with even more. He is rather shameless with his affections. Eivor is, generally, happy but that itch to see more of the world has begun to once again tingle his skin. The raids to the west are no long easing that itch either. He longs for new lands, new people, and new battle but is held in place by loyalty and family. 

Extra:

Spotify

Pinterist

Wanted Connections:

Children: Eivor has two children, both sons. One of them is 20-21 and the other is 22-23. They are the best thing thats ever happened to him, so bring that man his boys. Ex-Lovers/Current Lovers: What is the proper word for it? Man-whore? Shameless man-whore? I think we will go with that. Eivor is a flirt. He will sleep with men and woman. As long as you wanna sleep with him and he wants to sleep with you, its gonna happen. 

Friends/Allies: Bring me friendships that are pure and perfect. Bring me hate/love friendships. Bring me allies that trust each other. Bring me allies that don’t. I want them all. I am a plot whore, come to me everyone. 

Sister: Eivor has one younger sister. She is about 33-35. Please contact me before taking her. 

Enemies: THe way that Eivor conducts himself may not rub everyone right away. I would love for him to have people that do not like to be around him and find him generally unpleasant because he really, really can be.    Someone Special: For those of you who have watched vikings, I would just die if someone could bring me an Athelstan-esk character for Eivor. For those who did not watch Vikings, I am looking for a character that Eivor would have found on his travels. Someone who believes in a different set of gods than himself and challenges Eivor to think about different beliefs and costumes. I would prefer this character to be male and possible have a romantic interest in Eivor that we could build up to.