#doing r’hllor’s work

[xenonwitch]

I just discovered that with her most recent posting of TB&TG and her hitting of the 1.5 million words in a single work mark…

That @sweetestpopcorn has officially earned the Bronze medal in the ASOIAF fandom for single fic word count 🥉

That means, for at least this brief moment in time, Popcorn is…

THE BRONZE BITCH!!!

(Given she controls Daemon’s life and has written more about him than anyone else it’s a very fitting title for her imo)

(I will leave you with that. And, no I will not be taking any comments at this time.)

[juniorfor2]

I cannot believe that Ryan Condal seems to be making ANOTHER character in the show his mouthpiece (and for some bullshit magic explanation). Jace would never say, “our Valyrian histories, meant to gild us in glory.” Where does that work with his character, where has his characterization developed to make us think he would say such a thing? Oh wait, it hasn’t. Also, there would have been plenty of Valyrians who couldn’t ride dragons, why would they lie?

I had heard that Ryan Condal didn’t believe that one needed dragon rider blood to ride a dragon, but I didn’t think they’d be shoving it in so soon like that. And I knew that he fundamentally misunderstood magic in ASOIAF, but did he really have to be so weird about it. And just throw out all the lore?

One thing a writer MUST understand when it comes to magic, is that it must be grounded. It cannot have rules that are thrown out at a moment’s convenience, it must have very clear lines that are not to be broken. If a crystal ball gives someone visions, it can’t then two books later give someone the powers of a god. How magic works in a universe must be clearly understood by anyone who cares to take even a small amount of time.

GRRM, even with so many characters and different types of magic on different continents that isn’t always clear, manages to understand this where C&H don’t. He generally picks a certain area, and out of that area only a certain few that have the genes may access certain powers. Otherwise, it must usually be asked with blood magic.

Only the First Men have warging blood, but not everyone has the actual power. The genes passed through a few of the Starks (Bran, Rickon), and is more prominent in the free folk (Orwell, unnamed others, referenced as a normal part of life). NO ONE ELSE GETS IT THOUGH. Not the Lannisters, or the Baratheons, or the Targaryens (excluding Bloodraven because of his mom). ONLY those with First Men blood have the potential to access this power.

Out of all the Valyrian houses, only 40 houses were able to ride dragons. This points to the genes being fairly exclusive, they aren’t just mutating all the time to produce the genes/magic to ride dragons. Now, out of the 3 houses that fled the Doom, only one has the most prominent genes to ride dragons. If House Targaryen or another dragon-riding house ever married with the main Velaryon or Celtigar line pre/post Doom, then they also have carriers and occasional riders (Addam). BUT ONCE AGAIN, NO ONE ELSE CAN ACCESS THIS POWER. It is a power established through blood.

If that rule, after now being established in both the First Men and the Valyrians, is broken, then none of the lore makes sense and any magic can happen. There’s no way to make predictions in ASOIAF, no way to understand who gets to do what. Hereditary magic cannot be written and tossed aside for fun or random whim (looking at you Nettles. I know your ambiguity is important, but we know you’re not non-Valyrian cause that breaks the rules).

All other magic accessed, typically through R’hllor or the once of Dany’s fire magic, must be through blood or death. The sentence “only death pays for life” works for this. Dany got her fire magic by sacrificing Drogo, her son, and Mirri to the fire. Lady Stoneheart comes back, and kills the Frey men. Stannis summons a shadow monster, and kills his own brother.

GRRM UNDERSTANDS how magic must work when created. He knows it must be grounded, and he doesn’t even include that much of it to ensure it doesn’t get out of hand. Ryan Condal, however, does not.

Ryan Condal, and any other writers, throw around magic when convenient. The Iron Throne is insinuated to cut whenever someone makes a mistake in ep1. It shouldn’t say anything, because Aegon created it to be an uncomfortable seat and getting cut would be fulfilling that very purpose, but they give credence to a myth that GRRM has already implied is false.

“Cursed? It’s a throne made of swords!”

The White Stag shouldn’t mean a thing, but for some reason now it represents the rIgHtFuL ruler. Is there no such thing as a god ordained ruler for animals? Correct, but ignore that I guess.

Somehow making people experience magical hallucinations (they are magic, yes, Condal said it) is just shoved in with no explanation. How is Alys doing this, why is she doing it. Even Melisandre and Thorros of Myr had an explanation for their magic and a reason for using it.

And now in s2 ep5, the magic is just erased? It’s such a wishy washy conversation that I don’t even know. Now, it doesn’t matter if you have dragon blood? Or it must be thick? These people don’t know how genes work, so what are they saying and how would they know? The dragonseeds are already established to have the blood/genes, so what’s the point of the saying anyways for the audience? And why would bastards be recorded? There’s no reason. Everyone who married out of the family died or their children married back into the main line so they’re out too. It’s just incoherent.

Writers, you cannot be so irresponsible with magic. You must establish your rules, you must stick to them (preferably just grab GRRM’s rules). You need to be better. Even if you disagree with some of the rules or change them, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.

[pinkydevil16]

You’re doing the Lord’s work(R’hllor lmao) by giving us all these AMAZINg stories. lmao

Can you PLS do one of Rhaenyra x reader, where Aemond or Aegon’s betrothed is also in love with Rhaenyra and maybe that’s what leads to some sort of reconciliation of feelings between the siblings- cause they share the same lover. This literally comes to mind cause I can’t decide who I want more- Aemond, Aegon, or Rhaenyra lol

Rhaenyra had not meant to fall for her younger sister, a girl of 21 when she first met her again, now married to Aegon. The two women sharing a look as they sat at the table, Y/n blushing as Rhaenyra looked at her, Aegon's hand on her thigh as he glared at his nephews unaware of his wife's eyes on another. He was obsessed with her, always finding his peace with her as she showed him love and affection no one else did. He craved her attention but with his nephews taking his Y/n was free to give it to the older woman. The two giggling as they whispered in hush tones next to each other, Rhaenyra taking the first step and grasping Y/n's hand, comparing the two as they felt entwined by the simply touch. Aemond cast his gaze towards the two, nodding slightly at Aegon as he turned and saw his wife and Rhaenyra touching hands, he recognised the glow on Y/n's face. Squeezing her thigh tightly as she snapped away from Rhaenyra, her hand on his as she leaned into Aegon, a smile on his face as she gave him the attention he wanted. A kiss placated him enough to be able to turn his attention back to Jacaerys, taunting him about his betrothal as Rhaenyra smirked at Y/n. The two touching hands beneath the table, Rhaenyra bolder than her younger sister, moving her hand to her other thigh as Aegon now held Y/n's hand on the table. A show of possession he did often when he saw other Lord's look at her, his ring on show and her hands adorned in beautiful rings and bracelets he had gifted to her. Y/n blushed once more, Rhaenyra's long fingers covering her thigh under the table as Aegon played with her other hand, his fingers twirling her rings around her pointer finger. 

Their father left for bed, Alicent and Rhaenyra now talking as they used to as children, Rhaenyra's hand tightening every now and then to see Y/n's attention back on her. Aegon's comments to Jacaerys now becoming too much as the latter stood, Rhaenyra's hand coming off Y/n's leg to grip the table. Jacaerys speaking kindly of his betrothed, then moving to ask Halaena to dance as she had been spaced out. The two dancing as Aemond glared at him, aware of Lucerys smirking and laughing across from him. Aegon now aware of everything going on around him, letting go of Y/n's hand to pull her chair closer until he could turn and whisper in her ear.

"I think our brother is jealous of the bastard dancing with Halaena." Aegon laughed as he took another drink, Y/n looking towards Rhaenyra wishing to be closer to her once more, she loved Aegon dearly but she felt such an attraction the white haired woman next to her that she had not felt since she was a child and fell for Aegon. As a pig was put in front of Aemond and Lucerys snickering he stood, the room silenced as Y/n held her hand out for Rhaenyra to take, not knowing why she did but her hand joining hers gave her great comfort. Aemond raised his cup, Aegon mockingly doing the same as he could see his brother was done being kind something Aegon had been waiting for all night. Taking Y/n hand and kissing it as he listened, Y/n in her own head as she concentrated on Rhaenyra's thumb brushing against the top of her hand, the tenderness she gave her making her head spin until she felt Aegon shoot up next to her. Slamming Lucerys to the table as Aemond pushed Jacaerys to the ground, Daemon standing to walk in front of his step sons, Rhaenyra running to her sons after Y/n pulled Aegon off their young nephew. Her body against his as he gripped her waist, glaring at Rhaenyra as Aemond and Daemon stared at each other, the younger one humming in response and storming off annoyed he could not cause more trouble. Aegon pulled Y/n with him, watching how she longingly stared at Rhaenyra, the same way he watched Y/n before he could call her his. 

He felt jealously bubbling in him in a way it never had before, not even Aemond's obvious interest in Y/n made him feel so angered he could not think straight until he had her against rhe wall of their chambers. Her little whimpers and begs for him making him feel more secure in her love for him, until he reached her thighs, on his knees for her as he did almost every night, seeing small nail marks in her left thigh. Standing straight as Y/n whined for him, her hands on his arms until she saw his face, moving them to his face as he glared at her. Confused at his sudden change until he gripped her face, pulling her close until he could see her soul through her eyes.

"You are supposed to love me. You are mine, not Rhaenyra's. Everyone loves her more than me except you, you cannot love  her more than me. You love me." He watched as her eyes softened, taking his hand from her face she kissed his palm. Face smiling gently at him as she pulled him into a kiss, resting her forehead against his as she spoke calmly to him.

"I love you with all my heart Aegon, you will never be replaced but i have enough love to give away without taking it from my love for you. I cannot help who i love, but you are my husband." Aegon seemed satisfied enough with her answer, resuming his previous actions as Y/n imagined the both of them. 

Aegon was more possessive of Y/n whilst Rhaenyra resided in the keep, but he was still needed by their mother allowing Y/n to spend time with Rhaenyra. Daemon did not care for his wife having a relation with Y/n, he was the father of her children and who she would come back to each night, he most certainly did not mind a third in his chambers either. Rhaenyra did not wish to share Y/n with him as she had shared previous lovers as much as he shared his with her, Rhaenyra wished to keep Y/n for herself. She was already competing with Aegon for Y/n's heart and she knew she could not take her to dragonstone as she wanted to. She resided instead to enjoy the time they could have together, the two holding hands when no one looked, Rhaenyra pushing her against the walls and enjoying the noises she made as the two kissed as though they never would again. Rhaenyra decided when she was Queen she would take Y/n as her second wife, if Aegon the Conquerer could have two wives then she could have a husband and a wife. She had thought of approaching Aegon, agreeing to terms for them both to have Y/n but she knew he would never give her up. 

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

Can’t stop thinking about the possibility of Jon potentially gaining the ability to raise people from the dead in the future. It’s kind of out there but I don’t think it’s totally baseless, especially if he ends up being brought back to life by Mel (basically R’hllor magic). So the thing with the Last Kiss is that is involves breathing the fire of life into a deceased person, thereby reviving them. Thoros attributes this to his being able to resurrect Beric? And Beric then uses this to resurrect Catelyn Stark. But it’s like there’s a difference since Beric passed his entire life flame to Catelyn whereas Thoros only breathed life into Beric; also the idea of breathing life into someone gives some serious Judeo-Christian “and God breathed life into man” type stuff.

So anyway, if Mel uses red god magic to bring Jon back then it seems Jon might be similar to Beric in that he can also breathe life flame into someone else. There’s already enough parallels between them and it’s also possible that Jon might replicate Beric and create his own flaming sword, but his will be more like the Lightbringer that was wielded by Azor Ahai. But, I wonder if Jon’s ability to do this will have a much greater effect since he, unlike Beric, is an inherently magical being. And I also have to wonder if ice magic could play a role since Jon has both ice and fire; we have wights and possibly Coldhands as people brought back through ice magic.

There’s also another bit that just screams Christ-like ability to resurrect

She is Azor Ahai returned … and her triumph over darkness will bring a summer that will never end … death itself will bend its knee, and all those who die fighting in her cause shall be reborn …”

- Tyrion VI, ADWD

So this is obviously about Dany being AA, but the part about death bending it’s knee and Azor Ahai resurrecting people who fight his cause screams Jesus and some of the stuff said about the resurrection of saints to fight in Jesus’ cause. I’m personally a ‘Jon is also AA’ believer but the thing is that this also gives me Odin and the Einherjar vibes - fallen warriors who reside in Odin��s hall Valhalla and are poised to be reborn to fight in the god’s name during Ragnarok. There are a lot of similarities between Judeo-Christian apocalyptic imagery and pagan apocalyptic imagery, so Odin’s Einherjar mirroring Jesus’ saints isn’t surprising. And then we have Jon who has parallels both Jesus and Odin.

There’s also another bit that makes me think that there’s something about Jon bringing people to life - or rather reanimating dead people - as seen with his Winterfell crypt dreams.

Last night he had dreamt the Winterfell dream again. He was wandering the empty castle, searching for his father, descending into the crypts. Only this time the dream had gone further than before. In the dark he’d heard the scrape of stone on stone. When he turned he saw that the vaults were opening, one after the other. As the dead kings came stumbling from their cold black graves, Jon had woken in pitch-dark, his heart hammering. Even when Ghost leapt up on the bed to nuzzle at his face, he could not shake his deep sense of terror.

- Jon VII, AGOT

The Kings of Winter are recurring persons in several other dreams (e.g., Ned’s and Theon’s), but it’s only in Jon’s dreams where they actually come to life and leave their tombs. Jon even converses with them (and we don’t hear of that in either Ned’s or Theon’s inner narratives. It’s hard to tell if Jon is the one bringing them back from the dead, or if it’s something about him that causes them to rise. The interesting thing is that the Kings of Winter should have iron swords in their laps (possibly to keep their spirits at bay) but that doesn’t seem to work with Jon since they are reanimated anyway.

So considering all the evidence, I think it’s pretty likely that Jon could probably bring people to life, though it’s hard to tell how and with what magic (since he has a lot going on). Beric, who purposefully serves as foreshadowing for what mint happen to Jon is a good starting point. Anyway, both Jon and Beric for sure are like Christ-like figures. And Jesus has several instances of bringing people back from the dead which foreshadowed his own death and resurrection, most notably with his cousin Lazarus. Which leads me to the question, who’s going to be Jon’s Lazarus?

[aemondslefteyeball]

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (3)

Part 1 Part 2

[Modern!Aemond x Fem!reader]

[Warnings: Memorial service, death, human remains, child remains, substance use, reference to death by suicide]

[Summary: Garden party around the graveyard y'all]

(Hey guys! So I'm still figuring out a good pace to release this fanfiction. I'll probably stick to 2 chapters a week for now, but that could definitely change because I start a summer chem class soon yayyyyyy)

Word Count: 5.5K

Chapter 3

The sun shone through the dappled canopy, and the breeze was sweet as a kiss. It seemed an insult, you thought, that the world would look so beautiful on a day grim as this one. Sabitha pushed the sheet of metal into the soil with a sniffle, before standing and rejoining the circle gathered around. 

“Before we took off I heard Tanselle say that she was going to see Kim Petrys at the Oldstones next month,” You reached out to grip Baela’s hand, squeezing it as Sabitha spoke, her voice steady. “She was really excited. But she’s never gonna hear ‘Unholy’ again.” 

“Let’s join hands. We’ll pray for them.” Barba spoke up suddenly, her voice firmer than its usual timbre. The entire camp was somber, and you… well, you woke up feeling like you survived a plane crash. You were almost out of the woods, the rescue team would no doubt be here later in the day and the group would figure out exactly where to go from there. 

“Rohanne, you just started working in the labs a few months ago,” Barba said, as you squeezed Baela’s hand. It suddenly dawned on you how little you knew about some of these people. Upon finding out the plane seated twenty you had scrambled to fill the remaining fourteen seats. Inviting guests to bring a guest of their own, you figured that it would be a good opportunity for you to make new friends. Suddenly you were pulled out of your thoughts, “So we didn’t really know you.” Barba said, her voice wavering. 

“But in the lab, you never confused your Staphylococcus aureus and your Staphylococcus epidermidis.” You could tell your thoughts were reflected by others, the collective regret. “You seemed really smart.” Barba finished. 

“Anybody else?” It didn’t register as your own voice for a second, sounding detached. Foreign almost. 

“I saw her carry a flute case once.” Sabitha sputtered out, tears following immediately after. Shooting a sympathetic glance her way, some relief rising as Luke whispered something that calmed her. You dropped Baela’s hand for a brief moment, shooting her a look that said don’t worry before you placed a hand gently on Jace’s shoulder, removing it quickly after he flinched. 

“Old Gods and the new… and... Red God.” You didn’t miss Barba’s remark but didn’t worry about it. The worship of R’hllor was nigh unheard of in Westeros, and you knew it wasn’t from a place of malice. Besides, you were balls deep into the STEM field by now and had drifted from your religion. “Please accept Rohanne Westerling and Tanselle Yronwood into your arms. So that they may fill your kingdom with music” A fuse blew within you, and you gripped Baela’s hand harder. Unable to stop the tears that now flowed freely, you shook “Please accept Ser Laenor, and flight attendant Janys, pilot Robert, pilot Fred.” As the words flowed out. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” As soon as she started speaking, something came over Aly. Stepping back as if she had been electrocuted by Nettles’ and Myrielle’s hands. “I do not fear. The Gods are my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Gods are my strength.” Before Barba could finish, Aly swallowed hard. 

“I’m going for a walk.” Stated sharply, her usual staccato returned to Alysanne for a brief moment. You thought about going after her, but knew she wanted solitude whenever she was like this. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of a chair pulling out had Aemond snapping his good eye to the source. Emerson sat on the chair, looking like a zombie. The expression on her face told Aemond her mood was much worse than her appearance could ever show. She regarded him with an emotion he couldn’t quite identify, with a fury burning beneath it. 

“You don’t seem very concerned about her disappearance.” Aemond visibly bristled at her words. She wasn’t the one who had spent all night speaking to rescuers and all this morning checking his phone every other minute to see if anything, anybody had answers for him. Even Twitter. 

“I am.” He replied curtly, pouring his cup of coffee before he stood and watched the machine for a second. The kitchen felt strangely empty, and he realized it was missing the smell of your stupid coffee add-ons. “I spoke with rescuers well into the night.” As much ice as he could muster before fully awake was present, and he turned to watch that unidentified emotion shape into form. 

“Did you plan this?” She asked, Aemond noting that her phone was turned to face down. A departure from her usual behavior. She’s recording this, he thought suddenly. He knew he was cold to Y/N, but this? He felt genuine shock at it, the notion that he could harm a hair on her sweet, annoying head appalling. 

“No!” He yelled, perhaps the first time he had ever truly shown his full temper. An anger– sense of betrayal– arose within him as furiously as the weeks after he had lost his eye. “How could you say that?” He hoped she could feel the sincerity in his voice. Recording or not, there were some lines he would not cross. Not with innocent people, that was. 

“I think you’re a fucking liar.” She spat, eyes alight with a rage that radiated off her in waves. “You could get rid of the green card wife you resented,” The venom was so thick Aemond could practically cut it “And the nephews you hated.” She finished. “You’re a fucking wife killer.” She said with a shake of her head and a tremor in her voice. Finishing what she clearly came to start, She grabbed her coat and slammed the door on her way out. Wife killer, he thought. The grip on his mug tightened until the handle shattered. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nettles sat back on the log, holding Laenor’s foldable knife in her hand. You wanted to forget about looting the bodies of the dead. Happy to bury it with the memories of emergency water rafts uninflated and tossed over the corpses they couldn’t get out of the plane. They deserve better. A beautiful gravestone with a long life engraved into it. Instead it would say 2001-2023. Or 2002. You didn’t even know the birthdays of people that died because of your stupid vacation to the Eyrie. It’s my fault. You realized with a swallow, and palms that were suddenly sweaty. You all went around the campfire, had a little kumbaya moment, and talked about how you all crashed the plane. But these people… their parents would only ever have a body returned to them. Myrielle seemed to notice your change in expression, and reached a hand out to gently nudge you. “You okay?” She questioned, her hand squeezing your arm gently before rubbing it up and down. You met her gaze and nodded. Everybody here only had each other to rely on. We all need each other, I can’t waste time wallowing in self pity. You knew they would hate you when you were all rescued though, and that was okay. Because you would too. 

“This is all we have?” Nettles asked, a worried look on her face. A scanty pile of Swiss Rolls and other empty calories laid in front of the girls. 

“Yeah, we got to ration.” You answered. All the suitcases that could be salvaged had been stripped bare of anything useful. 

“Okay.” Floris nodded, turning to Nettles. “Cut them.” She commanded, opening a package and handing it to Nettles before preparing another. 

“Split this water.” Your voice sounded more sure now, and you were glad for it. They need you to at least pretend to keep your shit together. By tomorrow. 

“Careful.” Nettles said, “Don’t spill any.” You nodded and angled the bottle so it poured slower. Jacaerys approached suddenly, perpetually walking like an ornery bull. He leaned down and grabbed two packages of Swiss rolls off the top before walking away.

“Dude!” Sabitha exclaimed. “Jace, what are you doing?” She asked, throwing her arms up in exasperation. 

“Uh, maybe you didn’t notice, but we’re kinda in a situation here Strong.” you quipped, rolling your eyes immediately after. You understood his pain– the loss of a parent– more than he knew, and you wondered if you were this awful to others after your father died. Surely I couldn’t have been, but you weren’t sure if you were asking or reassuring yourself. 

Your best friend turned to you suddenly, a protective look on her face. “Don’t,” Baela warned, her expression grave. 

“I guess it’s fine if we go hungry as long as Jace’s feelings are okay.” You shot back before you could think. You felt for him, you really did. But you would all have time to grieve in a day when the rescue team got there. 

“We’re not gonna starve to death,” Sara interjected, and with a sudden burst of annoyance, you hadn’t gotten from her before. “When the rescue team gets he-” 

“If it gets here.” Sabitha quipped, her tone flat. Distant. 

Sara’s expression changed, concern falling over her face. “Don’t say that.” Her tone was calm, reassuring. You loved that about Sara, no matter how shitty you felt about your classes or workload she was there, perpetually optimistic. 

“Sara’s right,” Baela spoke, diffusing the staredown occurring between Sabitha and Sara. “There were way too many white people on that plane for them to not immediately notice.” She joked. Laughs rang out around the group, Nettles slapping Myrielle’s arm as she giggled. 

“Mr. President.” Nettles put on a serious facade, pantomiming and pressing an earpiece as she sat rigidly. “A plane carrying a bunch of rich white people crashed. Send the entire army right now!” She yelled out, voice raising to desolate treetops. 

“Where do you think we are?” Rhaena piped up suddenly. “Like, Winterfell maybe?” She explained, gesticulating as she did it. “Maybe that’s why it’s taking them a few days to find us.” Continued her voice, as you nodded in agreement. 

“There’s only pines as far as I can see.” You once again lamented the loss of Tanselle. She was a full-blown plant mom and would talk your head off about Monsteras at any opportunity given. You knew that if she was here she would be prattling off about how some of them were other types of trees you wouldn’t remember the names of thirty minutes later. “The soil is rocky. We’re in taiga, it has to be north of Winterfell.” Suddenly aware you were rambling the way Tanselle would, you got to the point. “I think we’re in the Northern Mountains.” You said finally. Multiple pairs of eyes looked out at the rolling forests. The wind sang through the valleys. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wife Killer. 

Wife killer. 

Emerson’s words rang through Aemond’s head as he sat down. His Mother had hovered around him, offering the mango juice he liked as a child. He appreciated her concern, but the only thing he felt was anxiety as she flitted about him. Apparently, she hadn’t yet heard that Emerson made multiple tweets suggesting he had something to do with your disappearance. Not plainly enough that it could be labeled as libel though. He had told Helaena from the beginning that the marriage wasn’t real. As old as they got, his older sister had always been his closest confidante. And given her nature, she wouldn’t turn and run her mouth to the vipers in the family. Viserys knew as well, having orchestrated the match for an old friend’s kid. As far as his Mom knew, he was still in shock from the terrible disappearance of his dear wife. Aemond knew he shouldn’t have been shocked at his Viserys’ apparent disinterest in finding you, yet was shocked when it brought forth a rage so extreme he had to excuse himself to the restroom. There he stood now, in front of the mirror. Wife killer echoed through his thoughts on a Sisyphean loop. He wasn’t sure he entirely felt the accusation yet. He was still in dumbfounded shock that you were most likely gone. His fists squeezed until his knuckles turned white, and he braced himself on the counter. Turning the faucet on and briefly splashing his face, he stared into the mirror before wiping his face and leaving the bathroom. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Guys!” Aly yelled as loud as she could. “Guys. There’s a lake.” She said, panting. “There’s a lake.” You perked up, “I saw it from that hill.” Alysanne pointed back in the direction she came from before turning back to the group. “It looks about four or five miles away.” She concluded. 

“Do you think we can hike it?” Floris spoke up, you nodding in agreement with her question and looking to Aly hopefully. 

“It’s pretty rocky, but yeah.” Aly responded, placing her hands on her hips and looking to Sabitha for reassurance she quickly granted. 

Sara stood up suddenly, a nervous smile pulled across her features. “Uh, we can’t.. We can’t just leave.” She asserted, while pulling her shoulders back with the confidence of a rooster. 

“We’ve got two days of water, tops.” Came the rebuttal, Aly’s reply condescending. “And then what?” She asked, spreading her arms. “Just sit around and die?” 

“What if the rescue team comes?” Sara asked, her tone letting more panic slip through. 

“Do you think they’re taking their time on purpose?” Aly clipped, her tone conveying a sense of hopelessness that had begun to ooze through the camp. “It’s been three days.” She said with a pointed stare at Baela. “If they knew where we were they would be here already.” Silence dawned after Aly finished, and you looked down at the thin soil ahead of you, digging the toe of your combat boot into it. 

Sara let it continue for another second, before raising her eyebrows. “You don’t know that,” Her voice almost came out as a coo. But the anxiety had already started to twist in your gut. Aly was right, and you all despaired knowing it. 

“What do you think, Ser Criston?” Aly asked pointedly, her eyes fixed on Sara. 

“I don’t,” Criston moved to grab the stump of his leg. “I don’t know.” He finally admitted. “Uh, I mean you’d have to leave me behind, I guess, but whatever.” He finished, a gloom cast over his handsome features. 

“We could make you a stretcher.” You interjected. You weren’t handy, but Alysanne was starting her MS in Aerospace Engineering in the fall. Sabitha would return to her job as an environmental engineer after rescue. There was no doubt in your mind that the two were up to much more complex tasks than this. 

Sara let out a laugh at your idea, and you couldn’t help but feel a pang of resentment. She hasn’t done anything to help rationing and now she’s going to act like the queen? You fiddled with the plastic friendship bracelet that sat on your left wrist.

“Seriously.” You argued. “If we take turns carrying it..” 

You didn’t even get to finish before Sara cut you off, shaking her head “No!” She half-yelled. Where have I heard this before? “This.” She gestured to Aly, earning a heated glare from Sabitha. “This is bullshit. I say no. Okay?” she crossed her arms. “No way.” 

“Let’s put it to a vote,” Aly stated, her eyes passing over the group while blatantly ignoring Sara. Her gaze landed on Sabitha for a brief second before a twitch of a smile came across her face. It’s good they have each other. A twinge of jealousy still ran through you, despite your overwhelming relief that Emerson’s asshole boss denied her PTO. He actually did her a really big favor. “All in favor of waiting here?” Sara immediately raised her hand, looking to Myrielle who hesitantly raised hers as well after the blonde’s gaze landed on her. Barba followed. No more hands raised. “All in favor of the lake?” Her hand was raised as she asked that, and Sabitha’s hand rose as soon as she finished the question. Jacaerys brought his hand up next, a tight expression pulled across his face. You raised your hand next, as did Baela’s. Rhaena, seeing her twin’s decision, voted in favor of the lake as well. Nettles and Luke followed her. You looked to Floris, who with a guilty expression, slowly raised her hand as well. You didn’t miss the look of betrayal on Sara’s face, astounded that her best friend would dare to have an opinion of her own. “Then it’s settled. Grab your shit.” 

You helped Sabitha yank the compass out of the cockpit. Angling the ax so that it pointed away, the two of you wrenched on the metal before it came free with a grating sound that made your skin crawl. Floris’ tall frame finished the last letter of the message as you returned with the ax slung over your shoulder. You backed up a few feet and looked at it. ‘SOS GONE TO LAKE’, it read. You hoped the lipstick would hold up to the elements. Sabitha and Aly led the way, and the rest of you followed, seemingly swatting mosquitoes off yourself every five fucking seconds. I’m not gonna miss this, you thought with another slap that resulted in a blood-laden mosquito popping over your forearm. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You know most people don’t believe it, right?” Helaena’s voice was as soft and dreamy as it always was. An almost ethereal edge to her every word. Aemond held his face in a grimace and said nothing in response. Helaena wouldn’t reach out to touch him, and he was glad for it. Every word, every gesture felt thousands of miles away from him. “Only conspiracy nuts think that you planned a plane crash that would include twenty people.” Insistence in her tone as she unsuccessfully attempted to make eye contact with him. “Or killed Y/N.” The weight of Aemond’s exhaustion weighed heavily on him. Especially since it yielded nothing. They hadn’t found you yet.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What’s that smell?” You immediately pinched your nostrils shut, trying to not reflexively gag from the stench of decomposition. “Holy shit.” The carcass of a bear lay there, trampled ferns underneath it. The skin was peeling back, and two vultures sat atop the oozing flesh, tearing off pieces with sharp beaks. Sharper eyes watched them as flies buzzed around the ruin. Various remarks came from the group, each one disgusted. 

“What could have done that?” Floris piped up from behind you, her voice curious. 

“A wolf, probably.” Ser Criston stated, dangling his arms over the side of the stretcher as if on a pool float. 

“They can kill a fucking bear?” Baela turned around suddenly to face Cole, you following in tandem. 

“Yeah.” Criston responded grimly. “Wolves can kill anything if the pack’s big enough.” You froze for a second, a sense of dread churning in your gut. Just like it had before the crash. You fiddled with your hands. 

“Let’s keep moving.” Baela urged, growing tired of everybody rubbernecking the bear’s festering body. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aemond had always regarded food with something akin to annoyance. He had no issues with it in and of itself, he simply resented that he had to take the time out of his day to eat. It didn’t help that Helaena wasn’t a very good cook, but he supposed that was the result of growing up with staff to handle all that. Today was no different in regard to his feelings about food, but he made sure to take bites whenever his sister glanced at him. He thought she had gotten way too good at that, a silent command with just a look. Motherhood had done a number on his socially impaired sister. She looked as if she wanted to say something for a few minutes before she lifted her wine glass to her lips. Setting it down, she broke the silence. 

“It’s okay if you’re upset that she’s missing.” His older sister offered him a reassuring smile. “I know you have Alys,” She continued, “But Y/N is still a part of your life.” She finished. 

“Mmm.” Came his only response, sitting rigidly as the words bounced off him. “I’m fine.” He insisted coolly.

Helaena, whether emboldened by the wine or the circumstances, shook her head. “You’re not fine, Aemond.” The words came as gentle as a lamb. “I’ve known you since birth. I can see how not-fine you are.” His seat scraped across the floor as he stood up, quickly moving to exit the room. “She’s alive.” His sister blurted out, her tone sure. Aemond whipped around, furious. Now was not the time for his sister’s woo shit. “I’ve seen it.” She insisted, her face calm. Aemond let out a wry laugh and left the room. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This shit’s way longer than four miles,” Baela whined, gripping the handles of her rucksack. “What if we missed it?” She asked with a smirk. 

“From the angle of the sun, it looked just left of due north.” Aly insisted, her tone revealing tiredness. Sara let out a wry chuckle in response to that.

“Oh, great!” She mocked, pantomiming confetti. “Left. That’s a precise way of doing it.” You felt annoyance stir in your gut. Sara could be pissy all she wanted but the group made a decision, and didn’t have time for her fits. 

“I’m not a fucking cartographer.” Aly retorted, and you could hear the roll in her eyes. 

“Or maybe you saw a mirage.” Sara insisted snidely. Seconds after Sara shot back, Sabitha gasped. 

“Oh, shit.” She said, moving to gently hit Aly’s arm in excitement. “Oh shit!” She exclaimed. “Oh hell yeah, bitches!” A wide grin split her face, and she started to run toward whatever she had seen. As you followed in her footsteps, you breathed out a sigh of relief. The steely lake rocked gently at the shore, your salvation. You ran across the clearing as fast as your bruised and abused legs would carry you, stripping off your shirt in the process. Upon reaching the shore you removed your boots and shorts in quick succession, tossing them carelessly down at the lakefront before running in. “Guys come in!” Sabitha splashed around in the water, “It feels fucking great!” she insisted. The cold water lapped at your legs but you found it to be a welcome relief for your aching muscles. 

“Well, at least we have a beach..” You remarked, ducking beneath the water before surfacing again. Exhaling the breath you held in, you leaned back, allowing yourself to float. The hot sun shone on all of you as you splashed each other. Games of chicken occurred, with you hopping on Floris’ shoulders and knocking Barba off Sabitha. You looked back to the shore, Jacaerys was undressing. Your gaze shifted to Aly, who stood with her hands on her hips and couldn’t look less disinterested in the man stripping before her. Her gaze landed across the water, and you followed it to Sabitha who she looked at with a beaming grin across her face. Baela and Jace splashed each other when he entered the water. You dove beneath the water and felt the closest thing to peace since the night before your trip. When you resurfaced, you flinched for a moment. A glare had obstructed your vision in the most uncomfortable way. Metal? Maybe a ranger station. 

“Guys!”  You yelled out, pointing in the direction of the glare. “Look!” You insisted, moving towards the shore to get out. 

“What is that?” Sara asked, putting a hand up to shield her eyes from the glare. 

“It looks like a reflection.” You kept moving towards the shore with a hurried pace. 

“Guys there’s something on the hill,” Sabitha’s voice boomed out. “Come on, let’s go!” She yelled. Tracking the source of the light proved to be harder until the dilapidated cabin came into view. As soon as it came into sight you reflexively crossed your arms over your chest, hairs prickling at the back of your neck. The inherent wrongness of the place shook you to the core, as did the eerie surroundings. You turned to survey the area around it and swallowed at the sight of that fucking symbol showing up again, carved into a tree. You hung back, uncrossing your arms to fiddle with the strap of your backpack. The rest of the group banged at the windows and doors, with combined shouts asking if anybody was there. When only silence answered, Sara and Floris pushed to open the door. A sense of foreboding entered you as you saw them enter the shack, shoving down your nerves before entering after them. 

“-It reeks in here” Came Sara’s voice, with you wondering if she was going to do anything but complain since the group voted against her decision. 

“Guys. Let’s check the pantry and see if there’s any food.” You spoke, turning to seek it out, Sara one step ahead of you. “Could somebody go around the cabin and get stuff we can use? Flashlights, first aid... You know.” You walked into the small space to see Sara grabbing a can and peeling back the tab. 

“What the fuck Sara, that’s not your personal buffet.” You snapped, recoiling at the smell of the spoiled…whatever that was in the can. 

Sara threw it down as if burned, cursed, and let out a huff in frustration. “See this is why we should’ve stayed in the plane!” She lashed out, and you steeled yourself in place as growing anger flared within you. 

“Well, the group voted not to!” You hadn’t raised your voice in years but found a sudden catharsis in it. “So you need to find a way to fucking live with that.” You threw a hand up in exasperation, before waving it dismissively. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt your tantrum with silly little concerns like our immediate survival.” A venom you didn’t recognize was laced into your tone, but it felt good to stand up to her. “And this is helping how, exactly?” 

“This is a fucking nightmare.” Sara ran outside, sounding near tears over a can of spoiled milk. You shook your head in disbelief before walking to the living room. 

“Well heelllooooo,” Sabitha exclaimed, slamming a pile on the creaky table. You grimaced at the dust it shook up before turning your gaze back to Sab. “Don’t worry guys. We might be stuck in the middle of nowhere. But, hey, at least there’s porn.” She said, smugly lifting a magazine with a busty brunette on the cover. You snickered under your breath as Sabitha opened the magazine and flipped through it. Choruses of anything from “sick” to “whoa” echoed out. 

“Hey this guy kind of looks like you, Strong,” Myrielle spoke up, tilting the magazine so Jace could see it with a smirk on her face.

“If only any of you looked like her.” He retorted, his expression moody. You briefly wondered if you were sentenced to be surrounded by emotionally incompetent men as a lifelong purgatory. 

“Okay, very funny,” Sabitha said defensively, with a roll of her eyes. “Do guys, like, actually jerk off to this stuff?” She said, waving it around like a wad of dirty paper towels. 

“Nah, we hate that shit.” He answered with a sarcastic tone. “You know, you can’t even tell what her favorite book is.”

“Mmm. Ha ha.” Sabitha retorted with a roll of her eyes before following it with a middle finger. You stood around laughing at the bad porn with the group before the novelty wore off and you were once again uneasy. Leaving the cabin, you stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. That was where Aly found you a few hours later, worriedly scratching at your palms. 

“Fuck’s your deal?” She questioned. “Come inside.” 

You shook your head, arms crossed tightly over your chest. “I know it sounds crazy… I just have a bad feeling about this place.” You insisted as you pulled your arms tighter across your chest. 

“Well, yeah, because it stinks. And there are spiders that could eat your face.” Aly mused. “But hey, after that bear we saw today I’m not gonna let you sleep out here, okay?” You remained where you stood, and annoyance flicked across her face. “Are you kidding me? ‘A bad feeling’? I don’t believe in that shit, and you’re not going to either. Okay? So get your ass inside.” She moved to grab you by the arm, half leading and half pulling you into the cabin. 

Hours after everyone had gone to sleep, you stayed up. Despite your exhaustion, sleep could not find you. Your body simply refused to rest. You made your way to the attic, stepping as gingerly as you could. Making note of which boards creaked, you popped open the door and entered to confirm your fears. It still didn’t brace you for the skeletal state of the man in the chair. Your gaze lowered to the rifle that rested against his pelvis. The top of his skull blown off. That ended up being the least horrifying thing you found. Laid at the center of the massive symbol carved into the floor, two small skeletons sat precariously. You let out a gasp in shock and scrambled to the opposite corner. You sat and stared at the tiny skeletons just feet away from the man’s. That was where Aly found you for the second time that night. Her brown eyes met yours, and you stared blankly ahead of you. “Y/N?” 

“I told you.” You whispered, as she turned her head to the macabre scene and cried out. The moonlight lit up the triangular symbol that was carved into the wooden floor. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he returned home, Alys waited for him inside. Words of comfort that just felt cloying, and touch that brought him no peace. They sat in silence punctuated by occasional attempts at conversation by Alys. He sat appearing indifferent, growing more uncomfortable with her presence. “I think you should go.” He finally stated. Alys nodded and blinked for a second before she grabbed her bag and walked out of the door. His self-inflicted loneliness weighed heavily upon him, and he found himself searching the entire house for Vhagar. The ornery old cat had chosen a damn good hiding place wherever she was because he couldn’t draw her out of any spot. Finally, he came to the one part of the house he had been avoiding. Your room.

Wife killer. 

Did you plan this? 

The words tantalized him, drawing him to lows he had not felt in years. People had always assumed he was monstrous, and he had leaned into it after a while. Might as well, since it seemed people only ever waited for the other shoe to drop. Aemond took a deep breath before entering. The room smelled like you and told him a lot he had not known. Wife killer. He had always suspected you disliked the minimalist design of the house, and that was reflected by almost every inch of the exposed wall being covered. He also surveyed the room, his eyes passing over a Cramps tapestry and a poster for some horror film he didn’t recognize. He made a mental note to watch it later. Something gripped at him, as his eye finally came to rest on your bed. The duvet cover was lux, a soft cotton candy pink that fit with the rest of the room. There, on a massive ghost plushie, sat Vhagar. She blinked at him, and he felt a sense of judgment. He closed the gap between him and the bed and stared at it for a few seconds longer, running his hand over the smooth fabric. Wife killer. He balled his fist for the brief moment the thought popped into his mind, gripping the duvet tightly enough to tear it. Cursing, and feeling a roaring anger flow through him, he slammed his fist onto the bed and yelled out as loud as he could. When the scream stopped, tears began to flow from his sole eye. He turned to sit at the edge of the bed, his eyes landing on more of your decor. Clenching his fists again, and grateful for the emptiness of the house, he grabbed a pillow from the bed and squeezed it tightly. He inhaled the scent as deeply as he could, closing his eye and letting the scent give way to fractals of Y/N. Singing in the kitchen on a Sunday morning, stretching next to Vhagar’s cat tree and flexing your toes out of distance whenever the geriatric cat tried to bap them, knee deep in the garden and grinning with dirt smeared across your cheek. His chest shook with his soft cries, and he reached his hand out to stroke the other pillow wistfully. You were gone. Probably dead. If not, terrified and cursing his name. He wiped his eye off angrily as if trying to scrub away any evidence of his emotions. He missed you. 

Wife killer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist: @chainsawsangel

[macarenaing-madly-into-midnight]

Headcanon about The Doom

While I have MANY headcanons about the Doom of Valyria, my main one is inspired by the multitude of people saying how if the Doom really happened it would have been an extinction level event

In my opinion, In Universe it WAS going to be one, but (basically) every single deity/godlike entity on Planetos Hauled Ass to somehow manage to stop it from being so.

I’m talking R’hllor and The Black Goat somehow managing to halt the Smoking Sea from expanding into a gash into the planet’s crust so large it would engulf Europe; I’m talking the Gods of Old Valyria spending the last painful throes of the lives helping do so, trying desperately to stop the planet’s mantle from quite literally popping like a coke bottle you shook before opening, I’m talking a thousand thousands of nature gods almost breaking half of reality by FORCING nature to survive the aftermath and being forced into slumber for ten thousand years afterwards, I’m talking The-Maiden-Made-of-Light forcing sunlight to reach the surface through the power of elbow-grease, I’m talking the Drowned God forcibly stopping the mega tsunamis from doing laps around the globe, heck, I’m talking the Old Gods and the Seven distracting the Other from trying any funny business and only managing by getting the help of the mad deities of K’Dath and their ilk

and even then they almost didn’t manage to do so, with the first half of the Century of Blood being more or less the Little Ice Age on steroids; in fact, half the reason magic decays so much (and is in part only kept alive by dragon's and a few other beings being to magic what plants are to oxygen) isn’t that The Doom simply sent it into chaos (although it did) but that the sheer amount of it spent stopping Planetos from dying ACTIVELY DEPLETED IT (which, I should note, would, in my headcanons about how magic works on Planetos, be basically “breaking the laws of reality, cubed”), and even more than that, they are so incredibly tired that this is part of the reason why The White Walkers/Great Other started their gradual advance, because the time for them to prepare would be a magnitude smaller than the time it would take for most of the world’s deities to recover enough to properly act against them

why would they do all of this is also based on another of my headcanons, which involves most of Planetos deities being, while not entirely created by belief itself, intrinsically tied to the planet and life on it, so stopping the Doom from “spreading” so to speak would be nearly a life-or-death situation; why deities/entities no intrinsically tied to Planetos would get involved is relatively simple: if you have a thing of yours you like (not even strictly something like a garden or a diorama, but even something like a favorite chair or painting) in your house/neighborhood, and you saw it on fire, would you A) not do anything and just watch it burn to cinders or B) thrown some water on it, from relatively far-away even (AKA, to a Lovecraftian entity helping save Planetos from The Doom would be equivalent to sitting on the sidelines and throwing some water at a burning houseplant)

[alleyskywalker]

How do you think ACOK/AGOT Theon Greyjoy would have gotten along politically and personally with his uncle Rodrik “the Reader”, as well as cousin Ser Harras Harlaw? For me, Theon’s relationship with his mothers family is one of the more notable missed opportunities for interesting personal dynamics (also, if the Theon Latecomer theory comes to pass, R’hllor help us all if poor Alannys never gets to hold her baby boy one more time)

Hi! Sorry it took me so long to get to this ask. It's true that the Harlaws are not very developed, being minor characters mostly.

Harras particularly we know next to nothing about. We know he's a knight, perhaps encouraged in that direction by the Serrett/Westerlands side of his family, he's a good fighter and seems on the all-business side of things (although this is taken very from off-hand type of comments). He does not appear to be married? Not sure what that says either way. He's actually, if I'm reading the family tree right, a cousin of Rodrik the Reader, which makes him Theon's like…second uncle? Or whatever that's called? However, he's younger than Rodrik it seems, given that he was good friends with Rodrik Greyjoy, Theon's brother. While it's difficult to project a personality from these scant details, I think the friendship with Rodrik probably doesn't bode well for Theon and him being friends. Even if Harras didn't personally participate in Rodrik's bullying, he's the kind of person who would be friends with a Rodrik and, even if we say he was younger and grew out of it or whatever, Theon would still have that association. Politically, however, I see House Harlaw sticking with the Greyjoy kids, whether Asha or Theon. If we assume that Rodrik didn't consider his bullying of Theon personal (and more as normal sibling hazing he'd do to anyone), Harras might also feel an honor/chivalry-induced drive (see knighthood) to support his close friend's brother and rightful heir.

Rodrik the Reader is interesting because we do know a little more about him, but we don't see him interact with Theon or anyone else much in the family, aside from Asha. Theon's favorite uncle in his childhood seems to have been pre-conversion Aeron, i.e. someone of similar personality to himself - social, charming, fun-loving, brash, lusty, etc. Rodrik in comparison would probably feel boring or uptight to Theon. Theon in ACOK would also probably be, or at least try to appear as, on a bit of an anti-intellectualism bend. Not because he's dumb or even "was a poor student" or whatever, but because he's just not nerdy or a bookworm, generally to begin with, and he's trying extra hard to fit in with the Iron Islands cultural slant, which IS somewhat anti-intellectual relative to the mainland. (I'm willing to bet this is half of where those "Greyjoys are working class" modern AUs come from lol.) In any case, Theon is not likely to appreciate the nerdy, secluded company Rodrik would offer.

That said…an uncle doesn't need to be a buddy, necessarily. If Rodrik wanted to bond with Theon for whatever reason and/or just happened to be in the right situation… He seems to be a pretty insightful and above-average-on-empathy type of person. Theon also really needs a stable and compassionate father figure, or any family member really, who could offer him emotional safety and support. Rodrik may not be perfect in this role, but he'd probably do better than a lot of other people, especially in the Greyjoy family. So assuming either specific effort on his end or the right type of situation, I think Theon might be inclined to reach for him, just because he's so obviously starved for love.

Politically, even more so than Harras, I think Rodrik could be safely considered a supporter of Theon, at least unless he's going up against Asha. If it's Theon vs. Asha…that might be a different, difficult sort of situation which I could see falling either way due to a number of factors.

[greydeath]

the more i think abt my ideal main canon (that i have yet to fully work out all the kinks of, but w/e) the more i think that the best case scenario re her Joan Of Arc Moment is that it simply … doesn’t come to fruition? maybe stannis considers it, but can’t do it, and that causes a crisis for him, or maybe i go with how i think grrm will eventually write it in that it’s done behind his back, and then i simply shrug my shoulders and go - But She Survives! maybe r’hllor is not a load of baloney, maybe we have a real iphigenia at aulis moment and as soon as the pyre is lit and the flames begin to consume her she disappears and is replaced by a deer, I DO NOT KNOW! but. what i do know is that she is very very unlikely to forgive who it was that tried to commit her to the flames and very unlike to forget

[dhampiravidi]

I don’t talk about it much in threads, but my OCs (especially those who are WOC) do face discrimination on occasion.

(tw: ageism, sexism, racism, etc.)

Jayn: even YEARS after releasing the official results of a DNA test to the media, some still claim she can’t possibly be her father’s daughter, simply because she doesn’t have light skin. A few of those she works with dislike & undermine her purely due to her age, race, sex &/or sexuality.

Naela: some Westerosi do not take her seriously because her mother is from Dorne, a kingdom known for its much more liberal customs. One of these customs includes accepting various sexualities & religions—ones like bisexuality & the Faith of R’hllor, which Naela identifies with.

Achilles: half of his fights start with someone making fun of the traditionally “feminine” things he wears to express his gender fluidity (or saying something cruel to one of his lovers). He’s also openly pansexual.

Jasmine: like Jayn, she’s biracial in pretty much every one of her verses, so there’s that. In TSC & The Covenant, she’s feared/somewhat hated for her magical abilities. The Clave in TSC is intially very conservative in pretty much every way, which doesn’t help.

Skadi: her height makes her a target for some. In Marvel & DnD, her parents are from rival races, so she can’t be among one w/o hearing some shit. As a kid (in the Marvel verse), she shaved off her hair to be like her father’s people (who are hairless), but later on, she grew it out partly because some Asgardian women kept calling her ugly.

Oraia: though she can shapeshift, she typically retains her brown skin, which has made her a target of racial discrimination on Earth for centuries. In Supernatural, Heaven is cruel to her people, the pagan deities, for kind of no logical reason (on top of that, they make her work for them by threatening her brother).

Hestia: In her Marvel verse, her dad is Cantonese while her mom is (White) Québécois. But her childhood bullies hurt her because she was a ballet/soccer prodigy & this only became worse after her mutant gene kicked in. I often write her as part of a poly trio w/Gambit & Rogue, so I’m sure someone would have a problem w/that IRL. & obviously all mutants in Marvel do not usually have a good time. In the Hunger Games verse, Hestia is treated w/suspicion by her District because she came from the Capitol (they aren’t actually wrong though, since she acts as a spy until the Rebellion).

Rose: In her historical era, her homosexuality isn’t usually accepted.

Aurelia: though she’s very confident in who she is, some try to make snide comments about her body, height, race & sexuality…assuming they’re brave enough to say it to her face.

Rela: some Twi’lek who were not raised as Jedi speak her first & last name separately. In Twi’lek culture, doing so dishonors the name. Rela faces this because she was not raised by her own people (though her parents actually had her until she was 3). Also, it’s widely known that Twi’leks are (in-canon) sold as slaves on some planets, where they’re valued only for their beauty. This helps Rela when she goes undercover, though. Zehara: during the Hundred-Year War, her race sometimes keeps people from trading w/her, since the Fire Nation is seen as the enemy of the other 3 nations. Also, many underestimate her in fights due to her age & sex.

Eugenia: if she dates Damon, she has to come to terms w/the fact that he fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War (even though he’s not racist & he’s dated other Black women).

Shayera: a good chunk of the DC Universe hates aliens & treats them as unwanted immigrants. Physically, many humans think she resembles someone of Latina heritage, so if they’re racist towards POC, they’re probably going to be rude to her.

Mu Lan: she had to pretend to be a man while in the military because women/females weren’t allowed to serve. In England, she’s often looked down upon due to her social status, race, accented speech & sex.

Monet: some asshole is always mad about her being a pretty, wealthy, brown-skinned liberal Muslim woman. Oh & she’s a mutant in Marvel.

Renée Michele: her parents are a poly trio, she’s a mutant (who had to wear sunglasses as a kid to cover up her unusual-colored eyes), she’s genderfluid (she/they), she’s bisexual & she’s visibly part-Chinese, she speaks w/a Southern accent using Cajun slang…(it’s a lot)

Rhea Livia: she skipped a grade (though not everyone in town knows that), she’s biracial (Black & White) & she was raised by her 2 moms, who are casual friends w/her dad.

[goodqueenaly]

Something I’m so curious about is the extent to which R’hllor worshipers (obviously in the past few centuries) see and/or have seen the Doom as R’hllor’s divine judgement on Valyria. There’s the slightest suggestion of this in TWOIAF - Yandel, speculating on various scholarly explanations for the Doom, mentioning that “[o]there speak of the priests of R'hllor calling down the fire of their god in queer rituals” - but I have to think this connection has been made by at least some R’hllor worshipers throughout recent history.

After all, it’s easy to see what in the Doom could be taken as evidence by the R’hllorite faith. If R’hllor is the “God of Flame and Shadow” whose entire faith hinges and depends on fire, how could the terrible simultaneous eruption of the Fourteen Flames be interpreted by R’hllor’s faithful ones except the wrath of their fiery god? The Doom’s “fiery fountains spew[ing] molten rock” and “ash and smoke and fire so hot and hungry that even the dragons in the sky were engulfed and consumed” likewise very strongly suggest (again, to those inclined to see such a connection) the hand of a great and powerful fire god, using the power of flames to bring destruction on the Valyrians and all their works. This is an apocalypse of flame and heat (even to the accompanying “boiling” lakes and seas), one which might seem to have been obviously caused by a god who works in fire

And so you could see how the post-Doom R’hllorite theology might write itself here. R’hllor, in his munificence, gave the first Valyrians his promised land - literally, the “Lands of the Long Summer”, the same sort of verbiage employed by Benerro to describe the bliss promised following the final defeat of the Great Other - and dragons, those beasts that as “fire made flesh” best embody R’hllor himself, in order to spread the good word of R’hllor across Essos. But the Valyrians, in their pride and arrogance, turned away from their divine benefactor: instead of abasing themselves as R’hllor’s humble slaves, they made others into their slaves, for the extension of the temporal power R’hllor had provided (even corrupting the dragons in using for the sake of imperial dominion instead of the performance of R’hllor’s will); instead of worshiping only R’hllor, they arrogated to themselves the mantle of divinity, “believing themselves to be more powerful than any god or goddess”. So R’hllor, in the classic style of a vengeful god, smote the Valyrians, eliminating his former chosen people (and even the dragons) so thoroughly to teach the world that he was the one true god, who would not be defied or mocked even by those he had once blessed.

In turn, this may explain why the faith of R’hllor is so appealing to enslaved people across Essos, especially Volantis. If R’hllorism teaches that the sin of Valyria, punished by the Lord of Light, was to some extent slavery - perhaps not as an evil in itself, given the faith’s own participation in slavery (and that’s a separate point of criticism of R’hllorism outside the scope of this post), but as, perhaps, the assumption of slaveholding which should belong only to the god himself - then it might follow that any state which allows a similar sin to flourish will eventually suffer the same fate. How easy is it for R’hllor worshipers to see Volantis, especially, as a new Valyria, with its dragonless lords worshiping those same heretical Valyrian gods and enslaving so many of R’hllor’s faithful ones - and if a Doom came to Valyria by R’hllor’s hand, then Volantis is surely doomed as well to feel R’hllor’s divine wrath. Just as R’hllor once made his will known in Valyria through fiery destruction, so he will again in Volantis, so Benerro has prophesied, using Daenerys and her dragons as his instrument; as R’hllor had once destroyed the dragons which the Valyrians had used to claim a false godhood, so R’hllor, in this theology, will redeem the world through a Valyrian descendant and her dragon, just doing his will instead.

[aegor-bamfsteel]

OMG what do you think about the Old Gods I'm curious

This is such a broad question!

Well, there’s certainly something out there that enables certain people to take over the minds of animals (warging), to have prophetic dreams of the future (green dreams), and to be able to see through time via an immortal tree species (greenseeing). Just like R’hllor, there’s something out there that lets its followers (or people of the right blood) work magic. And just like R’hllor, their powers have a dark side. I have written part of a meta (Theory 2) about the weirwood network being powered by blood magic, that the children of the forest used blood magic to shape their environment, and warging has very sinister implications already (warging humans, everything about how Varamyr chose to warg). While kinslaying, breaking hospitality, and incest are considered offensive, in canon the old gods don’t seem terribly concerned (if they’re indeed sentient) with giving people who’ve done all that power including access to the weirwood (GRRM made a point to show that the “last greenseer” Brynd3n Rivers did all of those things; then there’s Varamyr and potentially Euron Greyjoy).

As for the old gods themselves, we don’t get a lot of information on them personally other than they are numerous aspects of nature (stream, stone, forest) that GRRM said he borrowed from irl paganism (he uses a lot of Green Men aesthetic). But if the old gods really are the deceased consciousness of greenseers trapped in the weirwood or their ravens, I’d like no part of that. No force that allows Brynd3n Rivers magical authority over others (leading to a generation of authoritarian dictatorship without any comeuppance for him) is ever going to be OK in my book.

Thanks for the ask!

[averagewriter-inthedark]

The Flames Led Me To You (Beric Dondarrion x Priestess! Reader) | NSFW 18+

Beric Dondarrion x Priestess! reader (There is barely anything on my mans Beric so here is a little something for my Beric loves)

I don’t own any of the plots or characters of ASOIAF/GOT that all belongs to George R. R. Martin

Jon Snow, Tormund Giantsbane, Sandor Clegane, Davos Seaworth x Priestess! reader (platonic)

PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 OR DO NOT LIKE SMUT. THIS CONTRAINS SEXUAL CONTENT THAT IS NOT SAFE FOR WORK

Prompt: The Long Night is here and Winterfell is preparing for the battle between the living and the dead. The prophecy and visions that carried Y/N to this moment are unfolding. A journey that lasted years is coming to an end, which includes the man she grew to love despite the odds against them. What started as a simple vision in the flames gave birth to a feeling neither thought they would endure.

Warnings: angst, fluff,  soft SMUT, NSFW 18+ (oral-Female and male recieving, vag-penatration intercourse), allusions to death which eventually happens at the end. Might make you cry idk. nsfw content starts below the **

Word count:  7567

dialogue in bold is High Valyrian, anything in italics are flashbacks.

Darkness loomed over the Northern castle that was Winterfell. Snow covered the ground and the only light that danced around the castle walls were the flames of the touchers on every corner. It was quiet all through out the large fortress, those who were fighting in the battle to come decided to spend their final hours sleeping, eating, and in the comfort of their friends and family. While everyone was gathered in the Great Hall or secluded in their quarters, a woman in red stood on one of the many terraces overlooking the castle grounds. Her face was blank and hidden by the silk read cloak, eyes starting straight ahead into the night. The Northmen would look at her strangely due to her attire which only consisted of a thin blood-red silk dress, a scarf with a hood, and a steel necklace that encased a glowing amber amulet, but the cold didn’t bother the woman. 

Originating from the small city of Asshai in Essos, Y/N could barely recall her life before the Lord of Light. Father never in the picture and mother who worked in a brothel, the young woman was sold into slavery before she even could learn how to walk. It took years to escape and when she finally did was when she found justice and peace by surrendering herself to the one true God, R’hllor. She gave up her life to serving Him, becoming a Red Priestess who preached His messaged and traveled to wherever the visions in the flames sent her. It took years for her to master the arts of magic that the Lord bestowed on her, but she was rewarded when the time came each time.

It was in her journey of serving Him that brought her to the continent of Westeros where following the Lord of Light was rare and unheard of. For those of Westerosi culture, followers of R’hllor were seen as fanatics and looked down upon for their faith. It was here where she met fellow Red Priestess Melisandre and became an advisor to the Prince That Was Promised, Stannis Baratheon. 

There were times where the young priestess questioned the actions she and Melisandre performed. Despite this, she knew it was what was needed of the Lord of Light. Melisandre was the more assertive of the two and carried out whatever had to be done in order to secure Stannis’s claim to the Iron Throne and lead him to victory. Y/N wasn’t present for the King’s downfall. When the Lord sent her and Melisandre to the Riverlands, the flames told her to stay with the Brotherhood without Banners although she could not understand why just yet. 

The silence around her was interrupted by soft footsteps approaching. The woman never flinched when the figure walking toward her stood beside her and a hand made its way onto her lower back. “You’re alive,” her soft voice spoke without a waver. A deep chuckle was heard and Y/N slowly turned to the side where she faced the man with one eye.

“You knew I would be,” Beric replied with a smile. She didn’t return the smile, sadness consuming her and keeping her expression blank.

“And Thoros.” The man’s face fell, his gaze consorting to one of pain which was all she needed to know. Looking back towards the dark night she whispered,  “He served his purpose and the Lord called him home.” 

“Aye,” Beric muttered, “He did.” 

“He’ll be calling us too tonight.” She could feel his eyes on her, but she ignored it. Silence filled the area once more, and Y/N felt her eyes close as her mind began to reply the memories and visions leading to this moment. Her arrival in Westeros, the years with Stannis and Melisandre, and the years with Beric, Thoros and the Brotherhood. It was surreal to see how the journey her Lord had given her would end with this night. It was not surprising to her and the flames showed it months before. While she was prepared to meet Him and fulfill the divine purpose he gave her, Y/N was heartbroken by the fact Beric would be joining her.

Love was a concept Y/N avoided with her faith. She was devoted to R’hllor and there was always the feeling of knowing her time of meeting him would be at any moment. Loving someone brought complications, and Y/N cursed at herself when she realized she was falling in love with the heroic warrior. 

“You remember the day we met?” his voice spoke after several minutes of silence. The memory of that day made her lips curl slightly, a soft chuckle releasing from her.

“How could I not,” was her reply, “you wouldn’t keep your eyes off me.”

The journey to the Riverlands with Melisandre was long and gave Y/N relief when they finally arrived. They were confronted with Thoros of Myr, who Y/N had remembered was sent by the High Priest to covert King Robert Baratheon over to the Lord of Light but had failed. She stayed silent while the two conversed, her eyes glancing to the men behind Thoros every often. She spotted a small girl, dressed like a boy, watching the two closely and Y/N felt a strong aura from the young girl. Something was calling of her, but it was neither the place nor time.

Thoros led the two women to a hidden cave surrounded by the woods, the fire lighting the way allowing them to see. A lone man was seated by a fire and he turned around at the sound of them approaching. Y/N stood beside Melisandre, and removed her red hood at the same times she did allowing her face to be fully revealed to man in front of her. 

She was shocked when her eyes ran over his figure. He was missing an eye and had scars all along his neck and chest from where she could see skin. 

“Forgive my manners,” he spoke, “I don’t see many ladies these days.”

“Lucky for the ladies,” Thoros commented all while the man and Melisandre stared at each other. It was when his eye connected with Y/N’s that she felt her heart stop. She saw this man in the flames. Fighting an enemy north of the Wall although that moment would not happen any time soon. Her entire being felt drawn to him and it was in this moment Y/N knew the Lord of Light and led her to the one-eyed man.

His gaze stayed on her while Melisandre approached him. The only time he broke the stare was when the older woman was directly in front of him. Y/N slowly walked to them which had his eye flicker to her every few seconds. Melisandre looked at him amazed by his condition, realizing he had been fated with death on more than one occasion.

“How many times has the Lord brought him back,” she questioned Thoros leaving Y/N in shock. Up close she was able to see the fatal blows and shared the same amazement as the woman beside her. 

“Six.”

“That’s not possible,” Y/N whispered, her hand coming up to brush across the area where the man was missing an eye. He kept his vision on her, watching her every move and Y/N remained stoic under his stare. 

“The Lord has smiled upon me.”

“You should not have this power,” Melisandre accused which made Thoros smirk by the accusation.

“I have no power. I ask the Lord for His favor, and He responds as He will.” It went quiet in the cave after he spoke this. Y/N’s hand left the man’s face, but the two held eye contact while Melisandre turned to look at Thoros who was now sitting on a log by the fire. The older man went on a rant about his failures as a priest and being a drunk. Y/N broke the stare between her and the man to look at Thoros who continued to speak about his questioning of the Gods and stories. She felt shock through her once more when he revealed the first death of the man beside her. 

“I knelt beside his cold body and said the old words--not because I believed in them. He was my friend and he was dead. They were the only words I believed, and for the first time in my life the Lord replied.”  Thoros raised from the log, and looked toward the man he spoke of, “Beric’s eyes opened and I knew the truth, our God is the one, true God. And all men must serve Him.”

Y/N’s eyes connected with his lone once more. Never had she thought the Lord would bring back a man from the dead multiple times yet here this man, Beric, stood alive and in the flesh having been to the other side. 

“You’ve been to the other side,” Melisandre spoke the words the young woman had thought. Beric looked at her perplexed and almost offended expression.

“The other side?” he repeated, “There is no ‘other’ side. I have been to the darkneess, My Lady.” he took a pace towards them, keeping his gaze on Melisandre who stood stoic. “He sent you to us for a reason.”

A smirk appeared on the woman’s face, “You have someone He needs.” Beric’s eye traveled to the smaller woman in red.

“And you?” he voiced, “He sent you to us for a different reason I assume.” Y/N cocked her head slightly up, eyes narrowing at the older man.

“Yes, and we will find that reason soon enough.”

It had been years since that day and Y/N could recall every moment since she met the one-eyed man. His laugh had brought her out of the memory playing in her head. “Could you blame me,” he said, “It had been so long since I was in the presence of ladies and here was the most beautiful one in all of Westeros and Essos standing in front of me.” His words made her scoff.

“Stop trying to flatter me, Beric. You know it would never work.”

“You know I’ve always been one for a challenge.” He smirked back at her, although she couldn’t see it. She continued to avoid his stare, but Beric had other ideas and slowly brought the hand on her back to around her waist so he could gently turn her to him. Their chests pressed against each other and the taller man glanced down at the smaller woman in his arms. Her hands came up to rest on his chest, her hood shielding her face from the soft winds. “We’ve had quite the journey haven’t we?”

“We have,” she replied softly.

“I remember the Stark girl being so angry by your presence after we had just given the other woman her friend.” The memory made the woman chuckle. 

“She came around thought didn’t she. After all, I had to stay as a reminder in order for her to run away and continue the journey she was destined for.”

“And that destiny will be revealed tonight.” The smile fell from her lips, face consorting with sadness when she looked away from the man. Beric let out a sigh, “All those years leading up to this night. It’s a shame we won’t have anymore nights to come.” He spoke truthfully, but that didn’t mean it hurt all the less. Y/N’s eyes glossed over and she felt herself looking away from the man she grew to love. The man who made her break her vow. 

“I wish I could do more--.” 

“You’ve done all that you could.,” he cut her off bringing her chin up to look at him, “You have served our Lord well, and you will be rewarded by Him for your service.

“You dying doesn’t feel like a reward,” her voice wavered, “I was ready to go, but not watch you before it happens.” A lone tear escaped her eye when she closed them and she felt his thumb reach up to brush it away. Touch lingering on her skin when he brought it back down to trace her bottom lip. 

“I knew this would happen,” there was a crack in her tone, “This is why I told myself to never love anyone. It would only bring me pain.” Beric brought his lips to her forehead while she clutched onto his clothes. In the time they spent together, Y/N was very stoic when it came to expressing her emotions. She never really cried and when she did it would be away from prying eyes. The woman wouldn’t speak verbally of her affections toward him, but Beric knew from her lingering gazes and a smile reserved for only him that she felt returned the feelings he grew toward her. 

Beric realized his love for Y/N shortly after the two met. It was hard for him not too, she was breathtakingly beautiful who shared the same faith as him and knew how to calm his nerves whenever they were faced with a threat. He could see through her detached demeanor, being only one of two people with Thoros being the second, who had seen her vulnerable. It was in moments of vulnerability she showed where her guard was down that Beric felt his love her grow. It was two years from the present moment that he confessed his feelings, but the young woman told him “There would never be a future between us, the Lord has given me a purpose as he has you and we must fulfill that purpose.” Beric wasn’t surprised by her response, and though she was serious about her stance the man could see her conflicting behavior over it. She wouldn’t admit it to him and he knew that which is why he never said anything about it since.  

He pulled his lips away and rested his forehead on hers, hand coming to rest on her cheek. “I have done my duty, and I couldn’t have been more honored to have you by my side. The Lord of Light brought us together, he brought you to me for a reason all those years ago. Have you found that reason?” 

Her eyes fluttered open and their noses brushed against each other. “The flames led me to you. I saw you beyond the Wall, I saw you here at Winterfell protecting the Stark girl....” there was a pause before she finally spoke, “I saw you with me. I tried to avoid it because I knew how it would end and I wanted to save us from the heartbreak it would bring.” Y/N went quiet, unable to find the right words that could ease the pain they both were feeling even if it didn’t show. “I’m sorry, Beric. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything when I realized my feelings for you. You deserved so much better. If you could ever find it in your heart to forgive me--.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Y/N,” he told her, his tone nothing but genuine. “You did what you thought was right and I cannot blame you for that.” Another tear trailed down her cheek. Here was a man who faced death six times and was brought back by the Lord only to find the end of his journey on the Long Night. He deserved so much more in her eyes. Beric should have went on to marry, have children, and grow old alongside his wife before dying a peaceful death in his sleep. And the thought of it never happening to him brought anguish to the young priestess.

“But now it’s too late,” she said, “You should’ve been happy. I could’ve given you at least a year or two of happiness.”

“And you did,” he hushed her, “You did make me happy, for many years I was happy just by having you by my side. Having you kept me motivated and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” His lips came down where they hovered just over hers, “I always knew you felt the same, Y/N, but I understood why you never said anything. Despite not saying it, I knew in my heart you loved me and that made me happy.” A sob escaped her lips and Y/N couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Beric took the chance to close the gap between them, his lips capturing hers in a long awaited kiss. The action made her gasp, but she responded back all the same with her arms going to wrap around his neck and his resting on her waist. 

The world around them disappeared, and it was as if they were they only ones who existed. No Night King, no army of the dead, no wars between Kings and Queens, just a young priestess and a man gifted many chances at life.  

Y/N could feel the fire in her rising as they kissed. Her body leaning into the man who held her with care. When Beric pulled away, he kept his face close to hers, “It’s not too late just yet. We still have tonight.” His words confused her at first, but the desire in his eyes pieced the puzzle together. Her small hand grasped his before turning to walk, pulling him with her while she guided him to her chambers not too far away. Anyone could pass them and she wouldn’t care, there would only be a few hours before the dead arrived and Y/N was determined to make these final ones with Beric worth everything. 

**

The moment the two entered the small room the priestess had been staying in Beric had her pressed against the door. His arms lifting her off the ground where her legs wrapped around his waist which was easy since her dress was thin and not layered. His mouth found hers, claiming it in a passionate kiss that left the woman in a daze. A hand bushed over her thigh, hitching it up higher that caused Y/N to gasp when she felt his hard bulge rub against her thinly clothed core. Beric trailed his lips down her neck over any exposed skin he could find while her fingers ran through his hair.

As his lips ghosted over her collarbone, Y/N tugged on his hair to pull him away from her skin. “Will you surrender yourself to me, Beric,” she whispered against his lips, “Just as I will surrender myself to you.”  The hand on her thigh traveled up her body, cupping her breast before caressing the area between her neck and shoulder.

“I will have you, if you have me.” Her lips returned to his and Y/N felt herself being moved from her place against the door to across the room. Beric laid her down on the soft furs, his hands moving down her body to where the laces of her silk attire laid. He first reached up to remove her scarf before going back to her dress. Y/N kept her eyes on his while he undid the lace, never once breaking the eye contract when his hands went to remove the fabric from her shoulders to reveal her bare skin. The dress fell onto the bed leaving the young woman exposed in all her glory with only the amulet remaining around her neck.

Beric had never seen a more beautiful being. His lone eye traveled all over her figure, admiring each and every curve she possessed. She watched his expression turn to one of desire and he soon leaned over her to capture her lips in a soft kiss before moving his mouth downward. Y/N gasped when he kissed along the valley of her breasts, hands coming up to grasp the mounds while he continued to kiss every inch of her torso, playfully biting the skin on her hips. The moans escaping her filled the room and another gasp could be heard from her when Beric’s breath was felt on her inner thigh. 

Y/N’s eyes connected with his, Beric placing a kiss on the skin above her pubic bone where the hair of his beard ticked her, before reaching to interlace his hand with hers. His other hand rested on her hip to keep her in place and Y/N inhaled deeply when the first kiss to her inner lips was met. The moan she let out encouraged Beric to continue, his mouth connecting with her womanhood where he kissed and licked every inch of her while she was a withering mess above him.

“Oh, Beric,” her voice cracked, her free hand reaching down to grasp his hair. Beric’s tongue could be felt in between her folds and Y/N had to bite back a scream, squeezing his hand while her hips thrusted against him. His arm went around her waist to keep her down and the moans left her lips like a symphony. It was like music to his ears and he smirked all the while kissing her womanhood with more love and urgency. Soon she felt a knot form in her lower stomach causing her to gasp, but Beric never stopped his actions on her. “Beric, I-I’m close--I.”

Bringing his hand down and resting it on bundle of nerves was enough for Y/N to release, a groan living her lips followed by fast breathing. Sweat gathered on her forehead from the heat her body felt, and she whimpered when Beric gave a few final licks to her to clean up the mess gathered from her orgasm. Once she was cleaned, he rose up from between her legs and connected his mouth to hers. She could taste the remanence of herself on his lips causing her to moan and the desire for him increase.

Pushing him to his back, Y/N ran her hands along his chest while his hands went to rest on her waist as she straddled him. Sitting up, he held her close to him while they continued to kiss and Y/N unlaced the cloak around his neck before moving to undo his armor. He helped her, the kiss breaking so they could remove each piece by piece until he was finally in just his undershirt and trousers. He kept his eye on her when she undid the laces of the shirt to expose his chest and torso, the fabric being discarded and onto the floor. 

His body shivered when her fingers gently glided over his skin, tracing over the many scars starting from his neck down to his abdomen. She placed a kiss over the deep one that surrounded his neck from the time the Lannisters executed him for treason, causing Beric to let out a sigh. She continued to trail her lips on the scar and once she got to the other side of where she started, Y/N pulled away from him and reached up to remove the cloth from his face.

Beric’s hands shot out to stop the woman causing her to frown. “I want to see all of you, Beric,” she whispered. He stayed silent although he appeared to be nervous. The last time Y/N saw him without his eyepatch was the day she met him, and Beric would by lying if he said he didn’t feel anxious about letting her see that ugly side of him.

When he didn’t say anything Y/N grabbed him by his cheeks to pull him into a passionate kiss, one that poured all the love she was feeling to him. He responded back whole heartedly, his arms moving to cradle her bare body against him. Their tongues clashed and Y/N pulled away after a few moments but kept her face close to him. “This is our last night, I want to see all of you.” All Beric could do was nod and watch as the woman brought her hand up and slowly took away the wrapped cloth that shielded his scarred face away from the world.

It was dropped to the floor, Y/N not caring as it fell and she then cupped his face so her thumb could run across the rough skin. Her lips maneuvered over to firmly press them on it and Beric couldn’t stop the lone tear that fell from his eye. His face buried in her neck, the roughness of his beard brushing her skin making her shiver. He sucked on the skin their, moving her hair over her shoulder to get better access while she held onto him and continued to leave kisses on his cheek.

Y/N moaned when he bit softly on her neck before kissing it once more. She knew there would leave a mark, but she didn’t worry at all. In fact, she wanted the mark to last forever, but forever would never come. Her thought were interrupted when she felt his manhood against her though, begging to be released. Drawing back from Beric, Y/N removed herself from his lap to kneel before him all while keeping her eyes on his. She nestled in between his legs and began to untie his trousers causing his heart to speed up.

“Y/N you don’t have to--.”

“I want to,” she stopped him, her face completely serious, “I want to, Beric. Let me pleasure like you did me. We only have tonight, so let us make the most of it. Please.” When he didn’t try to stop her, Y/N went back to untying the material until his cock sprung free. Beric’s breath hitched when she lowered her head and kissed the tip before slowly taking him into her mouth. A hand automatically went to her hair, but he didn’t pull or tug he simple kept a firm hold on her while she sucked. 

Beric let out a groan, eyes closing when she started to bob her head up and down his length, his breathing becoming heavy. Y/N picked up her pace after a few minutes of being slow and Beric moaned, his hips involuntarily thrusting into her mouth which almost made her gag. He mentally cursed himself, trying to stay calm and ruining the moment by finishing before she could prepare herself. The moans got louder, Y/N smiling at the sound. She took him deeper and could feel his fingers tangle in her hair. 

Beric was overwhelmed with pleasure and thanked the Lord of Light for giving him this moment. All those years of being alone and wondering what  it would be like to have the priestess surrender herself to him was finally paying off. It may be their final night in the world, but Beric was grateful he got to experience this moment with her. The woman he loved. 

When he opened his eyes he nearly came right then and there seeing his cock disappeared as she took him into her mouth so easily and willingly. His breath wavered and the sweat began to pool at his forehead. Not wanting to climax in her mouth, Beric gently pulled her from him, “Stop, Y/N.” The woman was confused by his words, but before she could say anything he added, “I want to finish in you.” 

She was speechless, her bottom lip falling to leave a small gap between it and her upper one. The woman allowed Beric to bring her up from her position on the ground, gently guiding her so her back was pressed flat against the bed. After discarding his pants, Beric nestled between her legs and hovered over her. The fire crackling gave the room a reddish-orange glow and the couple basked in the warmth it gave, their bodies on fire.

With their chests pressed together leaving little to no room between them, Beric grabbed Y/N’s hands and held them up beside her head. “I’m sorry if this hurts love.” he whispered to her, nose brushing against her own. The woman could feel him against her core and moved her legs slightly more apart, letting him push closer to her. 

“You could never hurt me, Beric.” With that, the man slowly eased his cock through her folds and Y/N gasped at the feeling. Her eyes briefly shut, and Beric placed a kiss to her the corner of her lips all while continuing to push into her. When he was all the way in, he waited a few seconds so she could adjust to the knew feeling, his lips moving to press kisses to her cheeks. It wasn’t until he felt her move her hips against his, signaling she was ready for him to move that Beric began thrusting into her.

His pace was slow. Gently bringing himself out before going back through her folds which had her whimpering beneath him. She squeezed his hands, hips moving to follow his pace and Y/N let out moan after moan while Beric made love to her. Their lips crashed together, Beric moaning into her mouth when she wrapped her legs around him allowing him to thrust deeper into her. Picking up the pace, Beric released one of her hands and placed his on her thigh to hitch it up higher to his waist. 

Y/N broke from the kiss when he did that. A scream softly leaving her when she felt him hit the spot deep within her that made her feel her second release begin to build. “Beric,” she whispered and the man’s hand soon found its way in between them where her bundle of nerves was. His thumb pressed against, urging her to come again and Beric thrusted harder, her free hand coming up to tangle in his hair. 

“I got you, Y/N” he spoke to her, and Y/N bit onto his shoulder as her second orgasm consumed her, milking his cock which had Beric following soon after her. He groaned, pressing his face into her neck while his thrusts wavered and his cum shot out into her. A few more thrusts followed, easing them both out of their climax and Beric kissed her once more. She leaned into the kiss, releasing his hand from hers so she could hold his face in both of them. Beric slowly removed himself from her and moved to gently rest his weight on her while continuing the kiss. The remanence of their love making pooled between her legs, and Y/N felt herself smile against Beric’s lips which had him smile too.

They pulled away from each other after a few minutes, but stayed close together with Beric moving to lay on his side and bringing the young woman against him. Her head laid on his chest with his fingers running along her back making her sigh in content. 

Coming down from their high, the couple basked in the silence with the only exception being the crackling of the fire. Y/N was grateful the horns hadn’t sounded, and prayed to the Lord they wouldn’t for awhile. She longed for more time with the man beside her. Their fates where already decided and there was nothing more they could do besides wait and enjoy whatever time remained. 

“I love you, Beric,” She whispered after several minutes of quiet. His hand never stopped their movement on her back and his breathing remained the same although Y/N could hear the slight skip of his heart from where head laid. A kiss was pressed to her head and she could feel his smile as he laid it there. 

“I love you too, Y/N.” 

Beric took her again, and again over the next few hours. Alternating positions where she was a moaning mess on top, or clutching the sheets in her hands while he thrusted behind her. He brought her to her climax every time with him finishing seconds later. Y/N was consumed with pleasure, the desire for him never once seizing as he continued to make love to her and leave the woman wanting more. It was roughly ten minutes after he brought her to her seventh orgasm of the night that the first of the horns was head. 

Neither spoke while they dressed, Y/N moving to help him with his armor after tying her dress together and placing the hooded scarf back over her head. The horns sounded again, and Y/N felt her hands falter with the gear which made Beric slowly take them in his palms. The two stared at each other while movement outside the door indicated those in the castle were preparing for what was to come and Y/N gave the man a smile though her expression was nothing but somber.

“I’ve enjoyed my time with you, Beric Dondarrion,” her voice trembled as her lip began to quiver, heart breaking in two. It would be the last time she saw him alive, and Y/N had to remain strong. They would never get to live out a life they could have had. Marry, have children and grow old to watch them have children. No, but maybe they get to have a life beyond the one they had now and Y/N could only mentally pray to R’hollor he would allow them to meet again in the afterlife. 

With one final look her to encase the last moment of her in his mind, the man reached up to cup her cheek, his now gloved thumb running along the skin. A final kiss to her lips, Beric smiled, “And I have enjoyed mine with you, Y/N of Asshai.”

~~~~

The battle waged on. The chaos could be heard from the doorways and windows Y/N and Melisandre where enclosed in. The two hadn’t seen each other in years, but neither spoke when they had reunited and instead nodded to each other in greeting. They didn’t have to say anything, the look on their faces was enough to speak volume in the silent interaction. 

Y/N was standing by the window, hood over head when noise approaching filled her ears. She turned around just in time to witness the young Stark girl burst through the door being dragged by the large man they called “The Hound.” Her body froze when another figure limped into the frame and fall to the floor. The two rushed to close the door, Arya putting all her strength in to hold it while Sandor barricaded them in. Once they were safe the girl ran to the limp figure on the ground to help them up and Y/N slowly approached them.

She didn’t have to see the other side of his face to know it was Beric, the attire he was wearing was enough to indicate. Arya snapped her head to her at the sound of the footsteps. Her eyes narrowed, recognizing the woman but she remained silent when Y/N got closer until she knelled beside Beric. Arya watched as the woman brought her hand to his cheek, and he leaned into it, head falling to the side so he could see her one last time. 

No words were spoken as Beric took his last breaths, willing his eye to stay open just so his final vision in the world was of the beautiful priestess who captured his heart. Y/N smiled softly at him, his own coming to rest on his face and she mouthed the words “I love you.” It was in that moment his movements halted, the final exhale leaving his lips and face becoming blank. The room grew silent, and Y/N gently brought her other hand up to close his eye and leaned her head down to kiss his forehead. 

“The Lord brought him back for a purpose,” she spoke when she pulled away, her tone never shaking. Her face became stoic and she met the eyes of the bloodied girl next to her, “Now that purpose has been served.” Raising herself Y/N moved to stand beside Melisandre, who Arya was now made aware was in the room with them.

“I know you,” the words left her lips while her eyes remained on Melisandre’s. The older priestess moved forward, staring back at the girl who remained beside Beric’s body. “And I know you.”

Arya stood and walked until she was directly in front of the red woman. Y/N moved so she was behind the Stark girl and could feel the Hounds eyes watching them closely. 

“You said we’d meet again.” 

“And here we are, at the end of the world.”

“You said I would shut many eyes forever,” Arya repeated the words the Witch told her years before, “you were right about that too.”

“Brown eyes...Green eyes,” Melisandre went off, and paused briefly and connected her eyes with Y/N’s.

“And blue eyes,” her voice spoke from behind causing Arya turn around slowly as if the wind had been knocked out of her. The two held eye contact as the sounds of the wright approaching got louder, and Y/N couldn’t help the smirk on her lips when she nodded to the girl who had finally pieced together what they were telling her. 

The slamming of the door down the hall caused Arya to turn her attention to the barricaded one in front of her. It soon rattled and Sandor clutched his ax, moving so he was behind Arya while Y/N and Melisandre paced forward so they were directly beside her. The sounds got louder and Y/N found herself leaning forward to Arya, all while keeping her eyes on the rattling door ahead.

“What do we say to the God of Death?”

“Not today.”

~~~~

The dead fell as the Night King crumbled. The battle of Ice and Fire coming to end. Y/N’s feet dragged her through the courtyard of Winterfell, bodies all around her with many she could recognize. Her breathing became heavy although her face remained blank. The wind ran though her hair and Y/N could see Melisandre leaving the castle where she passed Ser Davos. A slight light filled the sky and Y/N eyes turned up to see the clouded darkness become lighter with each passing second. Melisandre was already gone and soon she would be too. 

Her feet carried her to the middle of the courtyard where Jon Snow stood. She didn’t even look at him when she passed, even when he called out her name.

“Y/N.” There was no answer from her. All he could do was watch while she walked away, her eyes trained ahead. Her movement faltered as the energy that flowed within started to drain and she could hear Jon’s muffled voice call for her again when she nearly fell. Again she said nothing, and this time Jon started to follow her which only made her move faster as her body allowed her. 

It was just before she could reach the gates of Winterfell that Y/N could no longer keep herself up. Her knees buckled, Jon watching as the woman tumbled and fall to the ground.

“Y/N!” he shouted and his legs moved in a sprint. His voice had alarmed several nearby which included Sandor, Gendry and Tormund. All who had not seen her since EastWatch when they went north of the Wall and she went to Winterfell to wait for them. They gathered around when Jon knelt to the ground and took the woman in his arms. His face turned to shock when he moved her body so he could see her face.

The once warm and lively skin the priestess possessed was now cold and pale. Her prominent cheekbones she had appeared more hollow and her eyes were closed with her eyelids remaining stagnant, not responding at all to her being moved and adjusted in the mans arms. It was when the men around gazed down to her amulet that they realized what happened to the young priestess. 

The amber they knew had been glowing prior to the battle was now dull. Her skin was becoming more pale and her breathing had stopped. Jon brought his gloved hand up to her neck, removing the steel necklace and letting it drop to the dirt. He then placed his two fingers where pulse would have been and dropped his head when he felt nothing. Y/N was a peace.

“She’s gone,” he spoke through the silence. Tormund felt his eyes gloss over for in the short amount of time he knew the young woman, she was nothing but kind to him. Even if he spoke ill will of her God or jokingly called her a fanatic, she was not someone who snapped or insulted him. The free folk giant felt sadness consume him that her short life ended, and there was nothing he could do to save her. Gendry had always held resentment for Y/N, after all she didn’t stop Melisandre from taking him all those years ago, but in this moment all anger subsided and the young man dropped his head in remorse.

“Her Lord called her home,” a voice said causing them all to look up. Ser Davos was standing roughly 5 paces away from them, his vision focused on the priestess in Jon’s arms. The older man slowly approached while his mind replayed the moments he spent with her during their time with Stannis. She always gave him a smile that would light the room. While Melisandre was always glued to Stannis’ side and got him to let her do her bidding, Y/N would voice when she felt things were being unreasonable and Davos appreciated it when she did. He never really got to say goodbye to her when she left for Winterfell, the priestess was not one for emotions and liked to keep things simple. All Davos could feel was regret he didn’t get that chance and his eyes began to water. He kept the tears at bay, “She served her purpose for Him, and it was time for her to return home.”

 Another silence overtook the group, the snow beginning to fall from the sky as the Long Night came to an end. Before long they would have to gather all of the fallen and say their final goodbyes. “Burn her next to Beric,” Sandor’s gruff voice cut through the silence, his tone sounding like defeat although they had just won the battle. He gave one last look to Y/N,  “They were made for each other, they deserve to be sent off together.” The large man turned on his heel and left the group, not wanting them to see his vulnerability at loosing another friend. He hated it whenever Thoros and Beric preached about the Lord of Light and even when Y/N would talk about Him he would roll his eyes. It took weeks after he joined the Brotherhood Sandor noticed himself enjoying their conversations. She never made him feel awful for the things he did, and wasn’t afraid to look at him despite his scars. It surprised him the day she joked, “If I can look at Beric and Thoros all day with no problem, why shouldn’t I look at you. Have you seen them?” He could still remember the offended looks the two men gave her which was enough to actually make Sandor laugh. 

Sandor grew to care for her, much like everyone in the Brotherhood did and he was always aware of the feelings she and Beric had for one another. It annoyed him to no ends whenever he caught them giving lingering stares, even saying to Beric one night by the fire when she left for bed, “How about you quit eye fucking her ever minute and actual fuck her since you want to so bad.” Again the Hound found himself rolling his eyes when Beric went off about how the Lord of Light gave her a purpose, and how it was not with him. 

Beric was dead now, and so was Y/N. Sandor could only mentally scoff now by the facts of that thinking how now they will be together in the afterlife. All he could do now is wait till his time comes and be at peace. 

When the pyres were built the next morning and the dead laid waiting, Sandor gave a final hand squeeze to the young priestess, who laid beside Beric looking utterly peaceful. Glancing at the man and woman, Sandor took each of their hands and enclosed them together before leaving the two to stand with the others who had said their goodbyes to the fallen. 

It was Arya who took the torch that set fire to the pyre they laid on. Two people who were once on her list who ended up being the reason she were alive to see the next day. The girl held a frown while the sadness made its way through her. Arya would never get the chance to thank them for their sacrifice to her, so she closed her eyes and mentally said a few words to send them off before opening. Placing the torch beneath them, Arya stood back as the fire spread eventually consuming the couple and everyone that laid.

The flames that led them to each other, now devoured a young red priestess from Asshai and one eyed warrior from Blackhaven. Sending them off as the Lord of Light called them home. 

[rainhadaenerys]

Daenerys Meta Masterpost Part 6b - ASOIAF

This is a continuation of my Daenerys Meta Masterpost Part 6.

I’ve compiled more than 2000 metas about Daenerys, both about the books and the show, and I intend to constantly update this post with more metas. The metas listed here will be linked to their reblogs in my blog, (since many people tend to change their usernames, and I don’t want the links to stop working in this case). Of the metas linked here, the ones that I wrote are in bold text. It’s also important to note that the metas here reflect my own opinions about the characters, I don’t claim to be listing every meta that was ever written about Daenerys.

Tumblr has a limit of 250 links that can be put in a single post. Once you reach that limit, your links will no longer appear. Which is why I am making this continuation of my previous Masterpost, because Part 6 is very close to reaching this limit of links, since I constantly update it with new metas as I reblog them in this blog.

The topics of this part will be the same as part 6:

MAGIC AND PROPHECIES

DAENERYS AND FERTILITY

ENDGAME, SPECULATION AND STORY STRUCTURE

HOUSE TARGARYEN

DRAGONS

DOTHRAKI

WORLDBUILDING

Please check both part 6 and part 6b if you’re looking for meta about any of these topics.

This is a list about the books, but there might be a few metas that mix books and show if I think they bring up interesting points about the books.

Link to the complete Masterpost: HERE

Last update: January 13 2024

OBS: This post has reached (or is close to reaching) the limit of links established by Tumblr (250 links). To read more metas about the topics of this part 4, see the PART 6C.

MAGIC AND PROPHECIES

When the Red Star Bleeds (almost all mentions of the comet in the books)

It's possible that Melisandre also saw Dany in the flames when she asked for Azor Ahai

The Undying attacked Dany despite knowing her future went beyond that moment

Why dragons will be very important in the War for the Dawn

Speculations on the Song of Ice and Fire

Rhaegar is talking to Dany in the House of the Undying, it’s not necessarily saying anything about Rhaegar

Lightbringer is not a special sword, it’s dragons

The Sun's son is not Aegon, it's Quentyn, and the mummer's dragon is not Jon, it's Aegon

Dany losing Rhaego was not natural, it was magic

Daenerys, Magic and Self-sacrifice

The "dragon has three heads" and other prophecies that Dany took over

Dany’s three mounts

Edit: Main clues of Daenerys being Azor Ahai/Princess that was promised

More clues of Daenerys as Azor Ahai

Edit: Rhaego’s burning heart is a parallel to Nissa Nissa and R’hllor’s burning heart

What does Quaithe means when she tells Dany not to trust certain people like Tyrion and Quentyn?

Edit: Selyse's speech about Stannis being Azor Ahai actually applies to Dany

Dany's dream of soldiers melting matches the description of the Others melting

A comparison between Aegon V, Rhaegar and Dany and their attempts at bringing dragons to life/fulfilling prophecies

Revisiting Chapters: Daenerys X, AGOT

Why dragons will be necessary to fight the Others

GRRM portrays the dark sides of all magic and with all characters, not just the magic related to Dany

The sweetness of the blue flower in Dany's HOTU vision is not a bad thing

Visual, metaphoric, and linguistic parallels between Dany and Azor Ahai: (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)

Is Azor Ahai more than one person?

Dany's three attempts to forge Lightbringer mirroring Azor Ahai's original story and other obvious clues that Dany is Azor Ahai

The prophecies of the House of the Undying correspond with the three phases of Dany's life, and end with love

The visions Dany has before she reaches the Undying are not the same as the ones she has when she reaches them, and do not indicate that Dany will burn King's Landing

The argument that Dany can't be Azor Ahai because it would be "too obvious" doesn't make sense, because there are plenty of obvious prophecies in ASOIAF

How Melisandre's line about making life, light and casting shadows foreshadows Dany as Azor Ahai

Evidence that Dany is Azor Ahai: Dany's sacrifice and the price she has to pay is described in the same way as Azor Ahai

Interpretation of the meaning of "to touch the light you must pass beneath the shadow" considering Drogon and R'hllor

The first and last sentence of A Game of Thrones foreshadows Dany's involvement in the War for the Dawn

The fact that the narrative points out that a flaming sword is not very useful shows that Lightbringer is not a flaming sword, but dragons

House of the Dragon confirming the meaning of "the song of ice and fire"

How GRRM's statements and House of the Dragon show that Daenerys is the prophesied hero referred by the title "A Song of Ice and Fire"

Quotes from ASOIAF, GRRM and HOTD showing that Dany is the prophesied hero of A Song of Ice and Fire

The secret about Aegon's dream and how it will be lost before it gets to Dany

How Dany's dragon dream in Dany IX AGOT shows Dany's ancestors urging her to fulfill the prophecy of the song of ice and fire that the Targaryens always knew about

How an official artist's art shows Dany as the Hero of Aegon's dream, "the song of ice and fire"

Why it makes no sense for the fandom to use the same arguments that are used to support the idea of Jon being Azor Ahai to claim that Dany is not Azor Ahai

Edit: MAIN CLUES THAT POINT TO DAENERYS TARGARYEN AS AZOR AHAI/PRINCE THAT WAS PROMISED

About Daenerys being part of the song of ice and fire and what GRRM has said: (1) (2)

Edit: the prophecies about the return of the dragons and rebirth in fire

How Azor Ahai is meant to unite people

Dany, a woman, being the prince that was promised thematically fits due to the death of the dragons and the Long Night both being caused by women being usurped (another meta about this)

The Undying give Dany a false vision that is the stereotype of how wizards look

Edit: Prophecies from different groups of people foreshadowing Dany uniting the people of the world

Rhaegar could be talking to Dany when he says there must be one more in her vision, that doesn't mean he wanted a third child

Black magic was responsible for the tragedy with many Targaryen babies

Daenerys is the Stallion who Mounts the World

Resistance to Fire

Arya and Gendry associating the comet with a sword hints that the dragons are Lightbringer

Jon doesn't have to be Azor Ahai, because the prophecy doesn't ever mention "ice and fire genetics"

Daenerys is the Sword that Cuts the Cold

What could it mean that Melisandre saw snow when looking for Azor Ahai

Melisandre seeing Jon in her fires does not preclude Dany from being Azor Ahai

Dany could have warged silver (and Drogon)

Dany used the blood of two kings to hatch the dragons

Daenerys & the Great Empire of the Dawn

What does the 'child of three' part of Dany's House of the Undying prophecies mean?

Mentions of Dany's birth amidst smoke and salt

The theory that Rhaegar saw Dany in the House of the Undying

Slayer of Lies

Mother of dragons is Azor Ahai

Crack theory for the waking of Dany’s dragons

DAENERYS AND FERTILITY

How Mirri’s “prophecy” affected Dany

How Mirri's "prophecy" has been fulfilled

ENDGAME, SPECULATION AND STORY STRUCTURE

Potential plot where Dany meets the Free Folk before she even sets foot in Westeros

The double standards in the speculation about Dany and Dorne vs Stannis and the North

Queen of the Ashes (speculation on how Dany can become the queen of the ashes without being the one to burn King's Landing)

A “happy ending” for Dany is one where she’s able to find an equilibrium between her desires for home and for social change, not one in which she leaves all politics behind

Dany and Arya wouldn't be happier or freer without power, their endgames should be on power

Who are the three queens Littlefinger talks about?

Reasons to not believe Dany will burn King's Landing

A noble sacrifice as an endgame would be missing the point of Dany's character

Dany’s endgame is not reuniting with Drogo in the afterlife

Dany burning King's Landing accidentally has no purpose for Dany's character

The idea that Dany must acccidentally burn King’s Landing to pay for mistakes of House is based on double standards and misconceptions

Double standards in the theory that Dany will accidentally ignite the wildfire, but not Tyrion

Daenerys endgame speculation - born to make the world anew

When ice meets fire: Daenerys and the free folk

Refuting the argument that Dany needs to burn King's Landing accidentally to deal with her father's legacy

Refuting the argument that Dany needs to burn King's Landing accidentally because her story has "higher stakes"

Showing the double standard of the argument that Dany needs to burn King's Landing accidentally to reflect on feudalism or hereditary monarchy and claims

Rebutting the idea that Dany needs to burn King's Landing and die because "GRRM doesn't write happy endings"

Refuting the argument that Dany needs to accidentally burn King's Landing to "learn a lesson"

Why the speculations that all the current women in power will fail or die are sexist

The book Fire and Blood gives hope for a good endgame for Daenerys

Jon will not kill pregnant Dany

Why we hate the idea of Dany dying so that characters with "clean hands" who didn't fight their own battles can take over

List of arguments for why Daenerys should end her story as queen

About the "Dany accidentally burns King's Landing" theory, and why who sits on the throne is important

The double standards between "traditionalist" North and "civilized" South in ASOIAF's narratives, and possible consequences for the endgame in case Dany is portrayed as worse than the conservative traditionalist

Why Dany, Jon and Tyrion should live based on their ruling experience and the fact that they are also young like the other main characters

A reason why Dany should survive in the end is that she is always subverting people's expectations and surviving

Arguments against the theory that Aegon will easily win against Cersei in time for Dany to come and have a conflict against him and burn King's Landing

Speculation about Dany destroying the Iron Throne, what that means for her future as queen and what it symbolizes

Arguments against lemongate and N+A=D

Is princess Daenerys dying of shivers foreshadowing for Dany's death?

GRRM doesn't write foreshadowing by saying one thing and then doing the opposite

Who are possible riders for Dany's dragons and why?

Daenerys doesn't need to be evil or commit terrible mistakes to show what the dragons in the wrong hands can do, because Euron already exists

Daenerys doesn't need to burn King's Landing accidentally to "learn to care about others"

It makes sense given GRRM's talk of tax policy for Daenerys to end up in a ruling position

It makes no sense for Dany and Jon to sacrifice themselves given their ruling arcs

Speculation for the several plotlines in TWOW and ADOS

How foreshadowing works in ASOIAF

Daenerys doesn't need to destroy King's Landing accidentally to "learn" anything

The Original Outline

Dany having fewer chapters in ACOK and ASOS is not a "bad sign" for her

Inconsistencies in the theory that Dany burns King’s Landing accidenatlly and dies to redeem herself

Daenerys has already learned all the lessons that the theorists of “Dany burns King’s Landing accidentally” think she needs to learn

Reasons Dany's ending won't be the same as the show's ending given GRRM's words

Possible foreshadowing that Dany will reign as Queen of Westeros but let rulers of each region retain the title of kings

It will be hypocritical if the other two dragonriders don't have to deal with the same moral complexity of having dragons that Dany had to deal with

The pattern of threes with Targaryen monarchs and Stark supporters could hint that Dany will end up as queen of Westeros

About Bran being king and what that would mean for Dany

Why there is no reason for why Dany's sacrifice is necessary

Dany should survive because she is a symbol of perseverance

The parallels between Dany's miscarriages and what it could mean for her future

There are many agents that could burn King's Landing before Dany even arrives

Dany could unite the whole world

Daenerys could be forcibly taken to Vaes Dothrak in TWOW

If Dany sacrifices herself, it will culminate in her final rebirth

Dany doesn't have to die to "end Valyria's legacy"

The dragon in the puppet play who will eat the lions is meant to symbolize Dany, not other Targaryens

HOUSE TARGARYEN

House Targaryen and the Valyrians are not meant to represent white supremacy or the concept of divine rule

Daenerys is not genetically the daughter of Egg and Betha

Parallels between Aegon’s Conquest and Nymeria’s War

How was House Targaryen's relationship with the North? Does it justify wishing independence from the Targaryens?

On the Maesters of the Citadel, the Hightowers of Oldtown and the “Monstrous” Children of House Targaryen

a list of targaryens who had dragon dreams/valued visions and prophecies

Saying that the Targaryens have no rights to Westeros because of their conquest while also believing other houses have rights to their kingdoms is contradictory

“Inbred” shouldn’t be used as an insult against Dany (or anyone else)

Parallels between the downfalls of houses Targaryen and Stark

The connections between House Targaryen and House Stark

Why do the Targaryens have dragons?

The Targaryen named does not come from “aryan”

Daenerys embodies the greatest aspects of her house and even outshines them

List of reforms and other things the Targaryens did for Westeros

The queens who never were

Why it's not "unrealistic" for Dany or other Targaryens to be healthy, considering real life genetics

Metas against the argument that the Targaryens are "blood purists": (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

Nymeria’s Conquest vs. Aegon’s Conquest: Part 1

The regime changing doesn't mean Dany has no right to claim the throne, and people in their world tend to believe more in legitimacy by blood

The Starks never hated the Targaryens

The Targaryens having superior weapons doesn't make them colonizers

The Targaryen colors are opposite to the colors of the Others, and a subversion of usual villainous colors

The theory that the maesters were poisoning dragons and killing Targaryens

Daenerys' claim to the Iron Throne

About whether the Valyrians are white or not: (1) (2)

All of the leaders of Robert's Rebellion, that overthrew the Targaryens, died undignified deaths

The Rebellion didn't fight "tyranny" and didn't change any system

About GRRM's quote saying that the "Targaryen’s flaw was to create an absolute monarchy highly dependent on them"

Targaryen support in Westeros

The meaning of kings cutting themselves on the Iron Thrones and why this was intentional

How the prophetic dreams the Targaryens had are not a sign of madness

The parallels between the Targaryens and the Starks both passing down the knowledge of the Others for generations, and that knowledge being lost

A theory about how Aerys's madness might have been prophetic dreams

How both the prophecy of the prince that was promised and the pact between Starks and Targaryens have "ice and fire" in the name

How Aegon and the Targaryen did pass down the knowledge of the prophecy of the song of ice and fire

Contrast between the motivations in the conquests of Aegon and Nymeria, and why the Targaryens needed to wage war to unify Westeros

Targaryen women didn't really suffer that much with pregnancy as the fandom believes

GRRM confirms Aegon conquered Westeros to save it from the Others

How Aegon did the best he could to prepare Westeros for the Long Night

Aegon conquering Westeros to save it from the Others doesn't take away from the moral complexity of House Targaryen

How House of the Dragon shows all that Dany didn't have

How Dany carries the glorious Targaryen legacy

The Targaryens did prepare for the Long Night

The Starks and Targaryens as the shield and sword of the realm against the Others

A parallel between Starks and Targaryens believing there's a need for a Stark and Targaryens to occupy their seats

Dorne was not fighting an "anti-colonial war" against the Targaryens

How Dany's character and storyline encompass and are a culmination of everything that makes House Targaryen unique and iconic

Masterpost Targaryen/Stark parallels and contrasts in AGOT

Why House Targaryen having no regnant queens is likely intentional

Peace under Targaryens

The Targaryens did a lot for Westeros and are central to the story

Valyrian blood does help to control dragons

DRAGONS

What’s required to be a dragonrider? If the heads of the dragon are dragonriders, who will be the second and third heads?

How did the Targaryens control their dragons?

The dragons are nicer than people give them credit for, and usually don't attack people (another complement to this discussion here)

Dany’s dragons, their personalities, and their parallels to people

Figuring out Drogon’s true size (GRRM is just bad at math and physics and fact-checking his own work)

Dany's dragons and the Great Empire of the Dawn

Dragon Size Sources

Daenerys being a Mom™ to her dragons

How does Dany get Drogon to do what she wants?

Dragon Lore in ASOIAF

The parallels between Dany's bond with Drogon and Dany's bond with silver

Rhaenys would not have been able to "tame" the dragons better than Dany and make them harmless pets, and she wouldn't use them better than Dany

Dragons as an equalizer that expose corruptions and falsities in society

Dragons are portrayed as normal pets, not as evil incarnate

Eastern mythologies don't see dragon as evil the same way Western mythologies do

GRRM treats dragons as wild animals, not good or evil

Dragons are not easy to kill

viserion & rhaegal + wanting their mother

Dragons and direwolves were both believed to be extinct

The fact that Dany manages to bond with not just one, but three dragons, is impressive

The dragons give Dany freedom and protection in a deeply patriarchal world, to a girl who has abused and impoverished her whole life

About the order of the dragons' birth

Dany's words of dragonslayers dying coming true

About the amount of control the Targaryens have over their dragons: (1) (2)

Future books might reveal the sex of Dany's dragons

Dragons are a variety of things, not just destruction

Dany's names for her dragons

Rhaegal's personality and appreciation

Dany's dragons are exactly what she wished them to be when she named them

No man could be called the father of Dany's dragons

The colors of the dragons and their eggs could give a hint to their future riders

Main character Drogon

Dragons are not nukes

Dany wasn't gifted the dragons

The people who will bond and ride Dany's dragons will be people Dany trusts

DOTHRAKI

Commentary on Dothraki culture

What would make the Dothraki more realistic?

Why are there no differing viewpoints within Dothraki culture eve though it’s a complex culture?

Parallels between the Dothraki and the Ironborn

Braids are not exclusive to the Dothraki, but Dothraki braids have particular characteristics

The dosh khaleen is not a good institution

Dothraki braids don't mean "rape and slavery", they mean victory and there's nothing wrong with Dany using them

WORLDBUILDING

The fate of the poachers Jorah sold into slavery wouldn't have been much different

What's the difference between serfs and slaves?

The different reactions of the different groups of Dany's forces to the falling corpses during the Battle of Meereen

Daenerys, Valyrian and Dothraki in the show (this is relevant for the books as well since David Peterson analyzed the books to create his conlangs and worked with GRRM)

Ghiscari family names are different for men and women

Why Old Valyria was not as patriarchal as Westeros, and the Targaryens became more patriarchal as they assimilated into Westeros

How did the Andals start to hate slavery

Valyrian:

The word for king

The word for free

"A dragon is not a slave"

Popular sayings

[patrocles]

i am also enjoying our talks! pls imagine me nodding sincerely at every paragraph!! there is approximately a novel’s worth of theorizing i would like to do but re:jon being king beyond the wall and rewriting the myths — i think it is rather important that our number one northern myth source stresses that the sorcerous lord commander of the watch who fell in love with a wildling girl, usurped the watch, and became a king was alleged to belong to any number of families but was a stark and brother to the king in winterfell who eventually allied with the wildling king. because right after that we have jon, who falls in love with a wildling girl, effectively usurps the nights watch, is practically declared a king, may as well have his magic destiny tattooed on his forehead, and may have claim to many names — but ultimately is the brother of the starks of winterfell. which is to say, imo jon’s the night’s king rewritten, as well as the king beyond the wall—and, somehow, also the corpse queen, all rolled into one. (don’t get me started on the show, i have a great deal of incoherent rage about the show)

Jon is literally such A Character

(also him being the corpse queen makes me too insane to even think about.. is he also his own wildling, ie loving his wildling heritage hashtag self love. like jon is 5 different Main Characters in one and it all somehow works, how do u do it georgie)

It really is indicative of just how absolutely stupid D&D are that Jon was their favorite character and yet they didn't understand his narrative purpose literally at fucking all. (Like Rhaegar had 2 sons named Aegon? Who is he George Foreman??). They just saw a Main Character Type of character and went through all the beat-by-beat plot points but never actually bothering to explain WHY it all even mattered.

And you hit it all exactly. I think with all the stories we hear about in this series, there's always going to be some embellishment to a degree so the trick is picking out those elements of what's true, and I dont think the Night's King story is much different. (I do wonder if we'll learn the truth of it from Bran). But I do think for certain like you said that we're seeing the echo and rhyme of it in Jon's story going forward. Though I am worried if he'll be changed coming back- he'll technically a living ghost like Beric and Stoneheart (they're stuck in whatever their state was in death, with Beric he died hunting the mountain and protecting the smallfolk so that's what he kept doing.. with Stoneheart its annihilating the Freys.. Jon died immediately after getting the Pink Letter and trying to keep peace between the queens men and free folk so is that kinda a clue of what he'll be like post post mortem?) (and this is all totally contingent on him being brought back by r’hllor magic and not any other kind like maybe Bran Greenseer Magic????)

and god only knows what being in Ghost for too long will do to him, or if dying will put him closer to the great Other.. which would make sense if they're kinda looking for him? I think I read somewhere that the Others were testing Waymar Royce to see if he was a Stark or smth???? there's a LOT to think about and I have too many questions and literally every theory makes sense to me at this point, its been 10 years bring on the ice merlings

But yeah the show they literally just treated Jon's resurrection as a get-out-of-jail/nights watch vows-free card to get to the next plot.. which is damn near insulting to me personally lol

[agentrouka-blog]

What do you think about stannis arc to be ended?

I think it will be fun! 

He’s obviously doomed. Kinslaying, blood magic, obsession with prophecy and affronting all gods beside R’hllor… 

I’m quite sure he will pull a full-on Agamemnon. The shoe fits. Kinslaying, prophecy-spouting mistress (anti-Cassandra = Melisandre), on the war path… He and his ever more radicalized red-god-followers will probably end up sacrificing Shireen to compensate for a setback, in a mirror to Iphigenia. 

My hope: In some completely unexpected way, Selyse will be the one to kill him over it. Just a complete inward collapse of his House. 

"I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy on the head, but so long as I am the king, I have a duty . . . If I must sacrifice one child to the flames to save a million from the dark . . . Sacrifice . . . is never easy, Davos. Or it is no true sacrifice. Tell him, my lady."

Melisandre said, "Azor Ahai tempered Lightbringer with the heart's blood of his own beloved wife. If a man with a thousand cows gives one to god, that is nothing. But a man who offers the only cow he owns . . ." 

(ASOS, Davos VI)

What does Stannis have only one of? Children. 

Why would Selyse do it? Because she loves her daughter. 

"Eastwatch is not safe." The queen put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "This is the king's true heir. Shireen will one day sit the Iron Throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms. She must be kept from harm, and Eastwatch is where the attack will come. This Nightfort is the place my husband has chosen for our seat, and there we shall abide. We—oh!"

An enormous shadow emerged from behind the shell of the Lord Commander's Tower. Princess Shireen gave a shriek, and three of the queen's knights gasped in harmony. Another swore. "Seven save us," he said, quite forgetting his new red god in his shock. (ADWD, Jon IX)

Also, it would be beautifully ironic:

"Lord Snow, as Lady Val is a stranger to our ways, please send her to me, that I might instruct her in the duties of a noble lady toward her lord husband."

That will go splendidly, I know. Jon wondered if the queen would be so eager to see Val married to one of her own knights if she knew Val's feelings about Princess Shireen. (ADWD, Jon XIII)

Also, we are unsubtly pushed not to expect it:

"—and children, yes. Very sad." The queen pulled her daughter closer to her and kissed her cheek. The cheek unmarred by greyscale, Jon did not fail to note. "We are sorry for the little ones, of course, but we must be sensible. We have no food for them, and they are too young to help the king my husband in his wars. Better that they be reborn into the light."

That was just a softer way of saying let them die. (ADWD, Jon XIII)

A misdirection to make us believe she doesn’t truly love her daughter, and is unfazed by murdering children. Nope. Touch Shireen and she will forget the red god. 

Sort of a mirror to Dany. Magic, Rhaego dies, Dany kills Drogo. Fire. The khalasar scatters. Kingsblood wakes a stone dragon.

"Your brother's blood," Melisandre said. "A king's blood. Only a king's blood can wake the stone dragon."

Stannis ground his teeth. "I'll hear no more of this. The dragons are done. The Targaryens tried to bring them back half a dozen times. And made fools of themselves, or corpses. Patchface is the only fool we need on this godsforsaken rock. You have the leeches. Do your work." (ASOS, Davos IV)

Stannis shed a lot of kingsblood with those magic leeches: Balon’s, Joffrey’s, Robb’s. Plus Renly.

Dany: Viserys (Renly), Rhaego (Shireen), Drogo (Selyse), Mirri (Melisandre) -> woke three stone dragons. Stone being a bastard name like Snow. Jon’s heart having turned to stone. Possibly this connects to Sansa (Alayne Stone), as well, but it gives us a general timeline.

The clouds hid most of the Ice Dragon, all but the bright blue eye that marked due north. The sky is full of smugglers' stars. They were old friends, those stars; Davos hoped that meant good luck.

But when he lowered his gaze from the sky to the castle ramparts, he was not so certain. The wings of the stone dragons cast great black shadows in the light from the nightfire. (ASOS, Davos VI)

The nightfire will cast stone dragon shadows, in the North, where a hidden (ice) dragon has a blue eye. The enormous shadow that made Shireen shriek had come from behind the shell of the Lord Commander’s Tower. 

Ominous.

If it is not Selyse, very importantly, I do not want it to be Brienne. She is intimately connected to Catelyn and Arya’s arc of justice v. vengeance, and like Arya’s competing list of names (kill list v. alias based on loved ones), Brienne has competing oaths, competing swords.

It made sense enough for Brienne. “I will kill him,” the tall homely girl declared. “With my lord’s own sword, I will kill him. I swear it. I swear it. I swear it.” (ACOK, Catelyn IV)

She wants to devote herself to vengeance, but Cat gives her a different purpose.

Brienne closed her thick callused fingers around the hilt of her sword. The sword that had been his. "I swore a vow. Three times I swore. You heard me." (...)

“My son may be a king, but I am no queen . . . only a mother who would keep her children safe, however she could.” “I am not made to be a mother. I need to fight.” “Then fight . . . but for the living, not the dead.” (…)

“And I think, when the time comes, you will not try and hold me back. Promise me that. That you will not hold me back from Stannis.” Catelyn could still hear Stannis saying that Robb’s turn too would come in time. It was like a cold breath on the back of her neck. “When the time comes, I will not hold you back.” The tall girl knelt awkwardly, unsheathed Renly’s longsword, and laid it at her feet. “Then I am yours, my lady. Your liege man, or . . . whatever you would have me be. I will shield your back and keep your counsel and give my life for yours, if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new.”

(ACOK, Catelyn V)

Brienne is set on a path to preserve life, not take it, with Jaime.

Brienne pushed open the door and stepped inside the cell. “You called, my lady?” “Give me your sword.” Catelyn held out her hand. (ACOK, Catelyn VII)

Oathbreaking is a theme...

Up again. “Yield, or I’ll drown you!” “And break your oath?” he snarled. “Like me?” She let him go, and he went down with a splash. (…)

Brienne dove for her sword beneath the waters of the brook, but the Mummers were on her before she could lay hands on it. (ASOS, Jaime III)

She loses the bad sword of vengeance. But she will gain another one:

"A sword so fine must bear a name. It would please me if you would call this one Oathkeeper. One more thing. The blade comes with a price."  (…)

"I have made kings and unmade them. Sansa Stark is my last chance for honor." Jaime smiled thinly. "Besides, kingslayers should band together. Are you ever going to go?"

Her big hand wrapped tight around Oathkeeper. "I will. And I will find the girl and keep her safe. For her lady mother's sake. And for yours." She bowed stiffly, whirled, and went.  (ASOS, Jaime IX)

Kingslayers should band together. But she is not truly one, nor should she be. Her fight is for the living.

Lady Catelyn's fingers dug deep into her throat, and the words came rattling out, choked and broken, a stream as cold as ice. The northman said, "She says that you must choose. Take the sword and slay the Kingslayer, or be hanged for a betrayer. The sword or the noose, she says. Choose, she says. Choose."  (AFFC, Brienne VIII)

Brienne fights for the living. There is one vow she needs to break: to become a kingslayer for vengeance. 

There is every chance I am wrong, but this is my optimal scenario. 

[redteabaron]

bran stark - shield that guards the realms of men (king of the gods, bringer of summer)

I ended up posting some things separately without editing them because, well, I’m bad at planning things and didn’t think I’d actually sit down and type all this out or work out in a somewhat coherent manner. These are just theories that I’ve had regarding the books and where they may end up and I’ve just jotted them down. I see, as the fandom sees, a lot of inspiration in asoiaf in Norse and Greek mythology, so it’s kind of fun to hold it up to the light and pick out what picture is on the other side. 

In a previous meta, I said I believe that Bran’s ending will be with him as a king, but I don’t believe it will necessarily be to the same throne we saw in the show. 

I think one way to interpret Bran’s journey might be one of an ascension to godhood - he’s going to be the deciding factor in this eternal conflict between R’hllor and the Great Other. Yet while I think magic is definitely going to be balanced, I don’t think it’s going to go away or die - but fire dragons and the Others are definitely what are causing this cosmic unbalance so they can’t just stay. I don’t believe we’re seeing magic itself being the cause, but manmade magic created for the purpose of destruction (and whatever the Children of the Forest did to create the Others since I doubt the showrunners of GOT were able to come up with that on their own) is what this imbalance is really about (coming full circle to grrm comparing the dragons to nukes and writing a series that shows us that war is hell and there are no good wars). 

The Great Other (probably the original Child of the Forest who came up with the Others, maybe still rules over them) and R’hllor are likely similar; a mortal, or someone who once walked the earth and became a god - maybe the Great Other/the COTF who became the Great Other is a god for the Others/their progenitor. Perhaps R’hllor is the polar opposite - maybe the original creator of fire breathing dragons.  Yet if both are ended, done away with - is that balance? Is eliminating fire (R’hllor) and ice (The Great Other) completely balanced? I’m personally not so sure; balance doesn’t just mean doing away with something imbalanced wholesale. It means compromise. (Bringing an end to the Others and fire dragons, their “nukes” sounds like it could be a way to find that balance though)

Anyway. They represent antithetical beings apparently warring over the world. R’hllor is presented as the god of light, fire, and life - all things associated with passion. The Great Other is ice, death, dispassion. Either way the gods present a great imbalance if one ‘rules’ over the realms of men. Bran, imo, could be being set up as the one who not only ushers in spring, or brings balance to the world, but must continue to do so in a way that doesn’t necessarily allow him to intervene in mortal affairs. (It could also account for the way Bran ended in the show, being a king yet removed from the process; I’ll explain down lower)

Bran is going to be a king - king of the gods, maybe, but certainly the king of summer, and the protector of the realm (of mankind). 

Parallels to Baldr: that rambling mess of a meta I mentioned previously takes this apart more, but the gist is: Baldr is a beloved god of the court, representing spring and renewal. His death brings about the cataclysmic downfall of the gods and the war (Bran’s ‘death’, similarly topples Westeros, is a beloved child, indirectly ushers in the beginning of the end of the current status quo). Yet he returns and brings with him life, renewal, change. 

To: Apollo

Apollo is the Greek god of light, truth and prophecy, healing, and knowledge. He, like Baldr, is seen as a beautiful god and the opposite of evil; actually seen as a protector from shadow and evil things. He is mostly recognized as an oracle god. 

Bran has some pretty obvious traits in common with Apollo. He’s going to be the one to figure out the truth behind the Others, the Great Other, R’hllor, Azor Ahai, the Wall, Bloodraven, etc - all these mystical, magical pieces of the world. If he is the Keeper of History, then this is likely part of his journey to (godhood) being a king. He has to be the one to remember on behalf of mankind because the Great Other and R’hllor do not care about balance; Bran will have to be the one who does. His character arc is about healing (of himself, realizing he is whole no matter what had happened to him and coming to terms with himself which will in turn set him free) and finding out the truth of magic, gods, and balance, history of mankind.  

Where Bloodraven, I believe, is playing the part of Loki masquerading in the disguise of an Odin-like figure (or at the very least sharing some of Odin’s traits and past), Bran is being developed not just as Baldr, a beloved god who represents renewal and resurrection, or Apollo, the god of prophecy and knowledge as well as the protector of mortals, but also of Heimdallr. 

Heimdallr is, as with Baldr and Apollo, a well liked god. He’s the Norse god of clairvoyance, having keen eyesight and hearing, and is considered a guardian of the realms and is associated with boundaries. He’s the owner of Gjallarhorn, a magical horn, which can be heard all across the Nine Realms. When Heimdallr blows this horn in warning, Ragnarok begins. In asoiaf, there’s a horn once owned by a King-Beyond-The-Wall, Horn of Joramun, that the free folk believe has the ability to bring down the Wall. 

“The Horn of Joramun? No. Call it the Horn of Darkness. If the Wall falls, night falls as well, the long night that never ends. It must not happen, will not happen!” - Melisandre, Jon III ADWD

But with Jon Snow being built up as the one who sounds the alarm about the Others/the Long Night to everyone south, it could be that Jon Snow will act, in a way, as Bran’s Gjallarhorn. It would also tie into the twist that Jon’s battleground won’t be found in the north, but in the south (and so may his endgame) - he won’t technically be the shield that guards the realm of men (Bran will be); but he will act as the horn that wakes the sleepers (re: he will indirectly be Bran’s mouthpiece in spreading the warning about winter and the Long Night in the south). 

Bran’s journey has always included boundaries - not the boundaries that Sansa, Arya, and Jon must navigate; his transcends that. He’s not stripped of his humanity, but I think he will be stripped of his mortality (in a sense). His boundaries are tied directly into the otherworldly, whereas all the Starks may have a magical ability they are tied directly to their direwolves. Bran’s abilities aren’t; they include Summer, but he himself is in another category from the other Starks.

While Bran’s journey to becoming king (of the gods and protector of mankind, and the bringer of summer) makes him tied to Baldr, I think he does have an enormous part to play in what’s to come - it just won’t be regulated to mortal affairs. Bran’s powers of prophecy, greenseeing, and eventual knowledge under the tutelage of BR are slowly building him as a mythical figure, the origin of how a god may come to be, even if they aren’t literally a god. There’s a possibility he isn’t going to be given a mortal crown, because in the scope of what he is capable of, surpassing even BR, that seems like an anticlimactic ending that throws away all of what he can do. He might literally be the king, protector of the realm (of all of mankind, king of the gods). 

The show’s ending showing him as the king of the 6 kingdoms, in an elective monarchy (which is just such an awful idea) with that godawful small council should’ve at least shown him as a well-loved king, or an anticipated one, but he’s shown to be dispassionate about mortal affairs. It could be, that with these really general brushstrokes and bullet points given by grrm to the show, that Bran is indeed meant to be king (but because the showrunners thought Bran was boring and hated magic were only left with one choice to make him king of) but not the one who presides over mortals directly. Kingship has to be more than just about who has a good story, who is charismatic, who won a throne, etc (we are shown that time and time again) it has to include not desiring power for power’s sake, compromise, realizing the value of the lives you may preside over, etc. Bran is the only one who could/would be able to navigate a compromise between the “warring” factions of the Great Other and R’hllor, of magic’s place in the world, and the COTF. Maybe his show ending is less literal and more in spirit; he is the king (of the gods), he is the deciding factor of fire and ice (he must compromise and preside over the Great Other, R’hllor), he doesn’t (cannot) care about the 6/5 kingdoms (because he can’t intervene in mortal affairs as the Great Other and R’hllor have/will try to and he has to protect mankind from those that have become more/transcended). 

Most importantly, he won’t be Bran the Broken are you fucking kidding me

Bran wanted to be a knight, a protector like in his songs and stories, but gave up on it because of his disability. He will be a protector and he will have songs and stories (maybe as the king of the gods, bringer of Summer, protector of mankind).