#i'd support dany for sure but

[daecaerys]

daenerys being spread as either the heroic figure of a song, the mother of dragons, the one who brought the red comet ---- blowing life into stone, the breaker of chains, mother. or daenerys the tyrant who crucified those who spoke against her, the cruel, the destroyer of astapor and yunkai. the lies spread by her enemies, yet when you ask her if she's done it she closes her eyes and says, i had to. your character not knowing what to believe until they meet her. daenerys, the silver queen, the last dragon. your character doesn't know who she is and honestly, sometimes neither does she. she only knows her heart, she knows she is not her father or brother, she knows her own kindness. she knows she wants peace. and she'll try to show as much to your muse, she will try to show she deserves it while hoping she's right.

[lizzerswillpoststuffmethinks]

Spoiler: I didn't go to sleep. But I will shortly after this post

[wanderingaldecaldo]

Tagged by @heywoodvirgin, @luvwich, @rosapexa, @ghostoffuturespast, @peaches-n-screem, @ouroboros-hideout, @byberbunk2069, @theviridianbunny, @olath124, @ghostoffuturespast again... 😅I knew I'd been accumulating them but has it really been that long since I shared? Anyway, thanks chooms!

Under the VP/storytelling/???? header...

I'm really excited to share a sneak peek at the magazine spread since I've been talking about it for a while now. So far it's mostly layout and narrowing down the photo selection, just barely started any writing for the magazine itself, but it's generating new ideas for their story after the magazine is released. Finally, the angst I crave.

Rosalind Myers Wants You ...to register to vote. “This isn’t about who you vote for, but casting a vote in the first place,” Myers says. “Our democracy only flourishes if everyone participates.” Her face is earnest, and it’s clear that she came ready to talk about the issues, not just her skincare routine.

In modding news...

I've been working on modernizing my old recolors of the in-game cutoff vest/hoodie (yes, that hoodie). It's been one of my favorite pieces of clothing since my PS4 days, and was one of my earliest recolors.

Left: Gabriella, who you might know; and right: Vamika who only made an appearance or two before I lost her preset, recreated her, then failed to post more pics before I lost the HDD.

Not only is the vest getting an upgrade to ArchiveXL, I'm working on adding optional garment support; additional colors and patterns, and more refits; and, something I'm really proud of, an updated cropped mesh with matching fringe. I'll be adding the player versions as cropped options, too.

The aforementioned matching fringe. I attempted this way back with the original mod but didn't have the knowledge to make it work. Also: hands.

Related, this has made me finally update all my OCs for 2.0+. Gabriella was already updated but Vamika needed some help, and she also got some cool new electrifying eyes. Babygirl Travis and Antonio are also working just fine; you'll see them again soon, I'm sure.

Tagging with no pressure: tagging back anyone who tagged me esp if it's been a few weeks 😅 also @gloryride @fereldanwench @blackrevell @dani-the-goblin @streetkid-named-desire @wolv2077 @cybercaffie @fly-amanitaa @baublekute and you if you wanna share something! Tag me so I can see! Doesn't have to be Cyberpunk, can be whatever medium you like.

[horizon-verizon]

Many stans say that neither side won the war. What do you think? Did the blacks won? Did the greens won?

Aegon just comes out as losing out more than Rhaenyra either way you slice it, though we can't call what Rhaenyra and the blacks. His rival's descendant is going to likely if not completely destroy but greatly trouble and undo the precedent against higher female political power not just in Westeros but the entire world. So I'd say he loses.

I mean, he only also rules for a few months to Rhaenyra's few months...so...him being declared king over her was purely by the whims of sexist maester and regents. Rhaneyra was/is a Queen.

If we talk about each sides' goals (which is to both establish their candidates as the ruler AND to continue the dynasty/legacy through those people's lines/children/descendants), then it's obvious that the blacks and Rhaneyra won, but it was a pyrrhic victory:

is a victory that comes at a great cost, perhaps making the ordeal to win not worth it

Rhaenyra does have the entire Targ dynasty come from her & Daemon through Viserys II to our beloved and savior Daenerys Stormborn, Mother of Dragons, Slayer of Lies, the Silver Lady, the Breaker of Chains, the Silver Queen, the dragon's daughter, the dragonmother, the bride of fire, the Daughter of death, child of three, Mhysa, the prince that was promised, the queen across the waters, Azor Ahai returned.

However, she was murdered by her rival, Daemon died, her first three sons died, and she couldn't sit the throne as a ruler for long enough and uncontested enough for no one to even try to deny she was queen. The greens here lost utterly; their kids birthed no ruling Targ descendants. Jaehaera, Jaehaerys, and Maelor never had kids before they died and Jaehaera was the very last before she is also killed off. Aegon may have become king and stayed so for a few more weeks...but he contributes no direct "blood" to the current Targs and he's remembered as a bad king [below].

If we talk about the story's themes and what the deaths/how they happened happened, again Aegon doesn't even have a good reputation as "morally neutral" king. He's remembered as "grasping" & GRRM makes sure to compare Joffrey to him:

In comparison, the only person who has anything actually negative as opposed to neutral to say abt Rhaenyra has been Stannis. And he comes from the house that supported Aegon AND is trying to work towards his own succession goals over the Lannister-Baratheons (male primogeniture/denying Cersei's kids as bastards of her and Jaime).

Plus the Dance was the result of more than one succession crises that always included whether or not women should be considered unequivocal heirs even in the event of their being a younger brother. From the years of Targ assimilation into Andal-FM patriarchy/male primogeniture.

Which is why Rhaenyra dying from a gruesome femicide cannot rule her as an absolute "winner". Her coming into the throne and actually ruling for long would obviously have been itself a moment of precedent-making important for the political authority women can wield onto themselves instead of just on the behalf of men. Thus have Westeros on the track towards more political autonomy and protections for women, even with lower classed ones (Alysanne, Rhaenys the Conqueror). Rhaenyra herself probably wouldn't enact laws for the lower class like those two or Aegon V, but her being a woman ruler would allow for more altruistic female rulers to be able to come into power as well, instead of being shunted aside or abused alongside those women who are evil or just self-focused of different degrees & fluctuations.

And if we parallel Rhaenyra's struggle with the Amethyst Empress v her younger brother The Bloodstone Emperor (this legend of an unjust usurpation/disempowerment of a woman by her male relation ruled in the ASoIaF lore to have caused the first Long Night) AND group these with how Dany is the Azor Ahai/has had her own problems with her own brother Viserys/his abuse, I think that Rhaenyra is the 2nd "loss" to the Amethyst Empress' 1st "loss" that will lead to Dany's 3rd "win" (child of "three" can have multiple layers). And how the Dance is about sexism/about how women occupy their political landscapes beyond and in Westeros as being made subservient and objects to male violence while developing their own agency in resistance/victory to that context.

Male primogeniture also determined the rest of the successions that came up in the Targ lineage, so Rhaenyra "lost". That accompanied with more women, even non Targs, facing more emotional, sexual, and physical abuse from their male counterparts. Even relatives. At the same time, Aegon loses through Dany, who comes from Rhaenyra and is the embodiment of woman-taking-power he tried to completely vanquish for his own ends. So I take that as Rhaenyra "winning"...as long as GRRM doesn't make Daenerys lose something vital to this formula. Espe not her life or way to protect her way towards happiness or some sort of political authority. At the same time, Dany is a altruistic//revolutionary leader, Rhaenyra a more traditional-privileged//class-based one (which is part of why she falls, actually) so again, bound to lose in that way. But Aegon was BOTH gender and class based, SO AGAIN I'd say Rhaenyra takes the philosophical edge of "winning" through, again, a pyrrhic victory.

And then there is how Rhaenyra's own son prevents a woman from really being protected from her own husband's abuse...not once but twice--Naerys and Megette.

[khaleesiofalicante]

Dani , what are your thoughts about people blocking celebrities in support of palenstine

Celebrities wouldn't exist without their fans. They cannot function without social capital. Their popularity is proportionate to their success.

Maybe unfollowing them/blocking them might not achieve anything. But it at least conveys the meaning that they are being held accountable. That people are disgusted and disappointed.

It doesn't necessarily mean 'we are coming after you'. It could simply mean 'do better or we will walk away'.

But some might say "but dani celebrities are not entitled to make political statements'" See if it's the same in November during the elections. See if it's the same when you see them endorsing politicians and presidents who are arming countries to annihilate others.

Celebrities have power. They have a platform. Sure, you get to decide how you want to use your platform. But this is not a social issue. This is a fucking genocide. If these people can turn your face away during a genocide and mind their own fucking business and not use their power to call out the politicians in their country, then what even is the point of them? Where is, simply put, the fucking humanity?

I personally don't believe these heartless celebrities will actually change because of a social media ban, but I still support it because it shows the anger of the people.

If I had any social media other than tumblr, I'd ban every single one of these cunts. Hope this helps :)

[batsplat]

casey also talks about sepang 2015 what do you think of that

oh in that podcast? uh... lemme listen again...

yeah idk it's not really anything new I'd say? he's said basically all the same stuff in more interesting and extensive ways elsewhere. I think casey inevitably has a very 'well feuding is bad and helps nobody' point of view, has expressed that before in the past, does it here again, and he's also drawn a parallel between himself and marc on several occasions. which... well, of course there's similarities in terms of public discourse or whatever, but the parallel really falls apart whenever casey argues the feuds cost valentino. like, I do think it's sometimes important to just. keep in mind. it's interesting that casey draws this comparison in his mind but that doesn't necessarily means he's right about this. I'm not sure how you'd argue that starting a feud with casey cost valentino anything competitively? you can argue it didn't help him I guess, and then we can have a debate about the ins and outs of the 2008 season. we can also have an argument that in a hypothetical world where casey isn't ill in 2009, valentino doesn't break his leg and casey isn't on a piece of junk in 2010, and valentino isn't on a piece of junk in 2011-12, then actually maybe valentino sparking open animosity with casey COULD have cost him. but we don't know that! didn't happen! I wish we could have found out, but we never got the chance! as it stands, the tally on this is pretty straightforward: casey won the title when things were reasonably civil between them in 2007, and valentino took control of the following season at the exact moment he worsened the relationship between the pair of them in 2008. obviously, it's all more complicated than that and casey would of course argue laguna didn't negatively affect his subsequent performances... but it certainly didn't help them. like, at the very worst valentino escalating tensions in 2008 is a complete net neutral. after 2009, them being bitchy to each other every other tuesday was completely competitively irrelevant beyond maybe affecting how they approached occasionally fighting for a podium position. hey, maybe casey used that feud to fire himself up through sheer spite throughout the later stages of his career, but that doesn't actually support his anti-feud stance - it's basically the exact same thing as what valentino does. they're both quite similar in that regard! always so hungry to prove a point, to show how someone else is wrong. kinda half the point with this feuding business is to get yourself going, get yourself motivated, yeah. he straight up openly admits to using yamaha's repeat rejection of him as a way of giving himself motivation, and at the end of the day that's really not all that different?

anyway, what else does casey say... oh yeah, that him and the other aliens were already kinda prepared for this and had learned vale's tricks. that valentino had only been able to get into the minds of the previous generation. welllllll *wiggles hand* sure, I mean, he did clearly have to change his approach... he couldn't just use the exact same playbook to get to them, either on-track or off-track. but that's why he did change up the playbook... again, whether you want to believe valentino won his final two titles 'in the head' rather than just through pure pace kinda depends on how you assess the evidence, but it is at the very least a debate. and, y'know, it's always worth remembering that valentino's most important mind games with casey didn't happen in a press conference... it was on the track. and the on-track stuff really is just embedded in how valentino approaches winning. speaking of aliens, this is what dani and jorge have said:

like, valentino's entire approach to his riding, even to the way he's setting his bike up, is deliberately about directly fucking with you... he's not actually always trying to be faster than you as much as he's trying to give himself the tools to make your life miserable, to pressure you into mistakes, etc etc... and again, especially with casey (if anything because he was so mentally sturdy), the off-track stuff was really just window dressing. (I know they bicker a lot after 2009 but it's just so fundamentally irrelevant to actual on-track competition.) so you can be aware of those tricks, but it also doesn't necessarily help you when someone's being nasty to you on-track in a way you just fully do not enjoy. which is what it was like for casey! for casey, a lot of this comes back to the truly unpleasant context of how he was perceived by the public, how he was treated as mentally weak or 'broken' or whatever partly because he had the misfortune of coming up against a bloke who had the reputation for breaking rivals. I think it's quite natural to end up with a bit of a hardliner 'actually I've never been mentally affected by a result in my life' stance - and of course casey is a lot tougher than a lot of people give him credit for. that being said. sometimes your rivals affect you, shit happens, it's part of the game. it's fundamentally a nice idea to think that valentino's tactics weren't just morally wrong but also ineffective, which is kind of the appeal of this narrative, right? you want to believe you're above that, you want to believe you were adequately prepared and wise to valentino's tactic. it's unsurprising and understandable that casey does tend to tell the story that way, but again it's *wiggles hand* also hard to describe it as completely factual

uh. what else. oh I'm thrilled casey does canonically know valentino and marc were friends, he has said he wasn't following motogp too much during that time period so you couldn't be sure of that. does this mean anything? does it tell you anything? well, no, but it's just a pleasing thought to me. I like that. oh also 'provoking particularly aggressive riders isn't a good idea' is kinda a funny take from casey? like, he of all people would hate the idea of being cowed by someone's reputation like that... casey's right that provoking fast riders can potentially be dangerous, but y'know I do think that's probably not news to anyone almost nine years later. um. that's all I've got I think

[agentrouka-blog]

I think this an interesting take i rarely see people bring up and its when dani leaves essos she’s essentially leaving it to ruin. Once the dragons are gone whats gonna stop the slavers from going back to use slavery again. Dani never created a stable system for the former slaves to remain free and the fact she’s using slavery to make her conquer of westeros possible

GRRM certainly showed us exactly that in Astapor. Slavery was reinstated almost immediately. Alongside the squalor and civil war and disease.

But that doesn't have to be the only story.

My suspicion is that when Dany fails to be the savior that the slaves of, say, Volantis long for, they will eventually take matters into their own hands.

"In Volantis, thousands of slaves and freedmen crowd the temple plaza every night to hear Benerro shriek of bleeding stars and a sword of fire that will cleanse the world. He has been preaching that Volantis will surely burn if the triarchs take up arms against the silver queen." (ADWD, Tyrion VI)

It is emphasized how the slaves outnumber the free five to one. And previously, GRRM phrased it a different way with regard to Craster.

"The wide world is full of people wanting help, Jon. Would that some could find the courage to help themselves. Craster sprawls in his loft even now, stinking of wine and lost to sense. On his board below lies a sharp new axe. Were it me, I'd name it "Answered Prayer' and make an end." Yes. Jon thought of Gilly. She and her sisters. They were nineteen, and Craster was one, but . . . (ACOK, Jon III)

Not that I support Mormont's victim blaming here. We know that Craster's daughters had reasons for staying trapped with him, and kinslaying is a major taboo beyond the Wall too.

But the inspiration taken from the story spun around Dany's actions in Slaver's Bay may well outweigh the reality of what happened, which would fit GRRM's theme on the power of storytelling beyond historical truth. And it may be we'll see a true revolution happen that is actually instigated at the bottom, not by an invader with their own selfish agenda.

[jaehyunsbreadbasket]

HSMTMTS Season 4, Ep 1 Thoughts

I've been turned off of the show for so long but this first episode was really something else. They're finally getting back on their feet, I can tell this season is gonna be GOLD.

Ricky and Gina are giving me EVERYTHING. I stopped supporting Rina a while ago but ykw, in 40 minutes I was back. I mean they WROTE A SONG TOGETHER! When they showed me those flashbacks the my inner Rina fan deep inside came out of its box and floated free, I LOVE THEM

Also the way that Gina is turning into Ricky like her interaction with Mack was soooo Ricky, they're so AWKWARD 😭

On the topic of Mack, him and Gina were GIVING! Like their chemistry is so good and I love Matt Sato so put him in every scene please make them argue more I beg 🙏🏽

Kourtney is East High's IT girl and she WILL be famous

Her & Carlos' Sharpy & Ryan arc is so important to me

Also I'm like 100% sure the Dani and Kourtney storyline is gonna go south but for now imma love it and think they're cute and fun together

And Dani and Mack's relationship looks very very fake lmao

I need to figure out wth is going on with my boy EJ though cause those teaser photos had him looking ROUGH. Like is he okay? He lost literally everything 😕

Also I like Ashlyn and Maddox together but they are both 100% emotionally cheating on their partners rn and this is like not how I wanted it to go

Also Ricky and his dad are so funny together and I'd love to see more scenes of them (and none with him and Ms. Jenn please and thank you 🙏🏽)

ALSO I NEED SEBLOS BACK TOGETHER ASAP

And why the hell does Dani need to know about Ricky? 🤨

All in all, this season already feels so different but also like we're getting back to the show's roots, it's an electric combination. I think they finally found their balance, it's a shame it's the end of the show. There's so much craziness going on already, I'm very curious as to how they're gonna wrap all this up in only 8 episodes cause everything is feeling so much bigger than before

[jcbbby]

dani, i'd like to make a request. As someone who also struggles with ED, can you make a gic where reader has an ED and is went through a recovery? I mean, some years ago i was really underweight, i went through a recovery but my anorexia is still in there. and sometimes is hard to look at the mirror and see how my body changed, is hard to see that i kinda have a tummy now, see that my panties squish a little bit on my waist, see how my thighs look bigger... also my ed gave me stomach problems, i feel so much pain sometimes and it is hard to eat. reading fanfics where my favs comfort me about my body is my favourite thing to do when im feeling bad about myself. can you write one where said scenario happens with reader? (jamie x reader)

oh, bby :( I feel for you, I relate so much. I think anyone who has struggled with an eating disorder knows that it never really does totally go away. you just sort of get better at not acting on those intrusive thoughts. but I do want to make sure you know how PROUD I am of you, because nothing is more badass than waking up every day and still choosing recovery, regardless of what that voice in your head is saying. I love you, I'm rooting for you, and keep kicking ass you beautiful being!! <3

I know this is a little short, but I hope this fic brings you comfort when you need it. <3

Warnings: vague description of an ED and talk of body dysmorphia.

-

It was a gorgeous evening as you and Jamie were out to dinner on the Italian Amalfi Coast; a much needed vacation for the both of you. Your food arrived and Jamie immediately dug into his meal. You, however, stared for a moment at the plate of pasta in front of you as you held your fork, thinking about the couple pieces of bread already in your stomach. Jamie looked up from his food, giving you a small, encouraging smile, but letting you decide to take your first bite on your own time, not wanting to put any stress on a typical dinner that should be just that: dinner. You returned his smile, slowly twisting some linguine around your fork and bringing it to your mouth.

You had had a complicated relationship with food, exercise, and your body for a while before you started dating Jamie. They began shortly after you started college, the constant stress and change of environment had you neglecting taking care of yourself. These habits never went away once you graduated, and you carried them with you even when you met Jamie. This could have easily been shrugged off and flown under the radar to most but being thrust into the public eye exacerbated it all. There was an insane added pressure now to always look good, and more daily stress that came with traveling, planning things around filming and travel, and your own career.

When Jamie started to notice how the light in your eyes started to fade, he begged you to seek help. He told you how much he loved you and how much you deserve to feel the love he has for you, for yourself. And he was right; you knew you deserved more than what you had been giving yourself. He was with you through everything after that; your therapy appointments, doctor appointments, your treatment program, your entire recovery. Always supporting you, listening to your feelings, never making you feel like a burden, and doing whatever he could to keep you moving forward.

“Oh my god, this is so good.” You closed your eyes as you chewed.

“Damn right it is.” He smiled, trying not to show just how overwhelmed with pride he was watching you enjoy yourself eating again, allowing yourself one of life’s most simple of pleasures.

Later that evening, as you returned to your hotel room, your mental high from conquering the carb-filled dinner began to fade. You felt so bloated and your stomach loudly gurgled as it struggled to digest your food, a side effect of the years of denying it enough, often making it hard to truly feel as though you were really doing the right thing. That ugly little voice in the back of your head always loved to tell you it was a mistake to have enjoyed yourself like that.

You got back to the room and flopped yourself on to the bed, curling up into a ball. You let out a quiet groan as your stomach grumbled loudly.

“Are you okay, love?” Jamie asked, getting on to the bed with you, placing a hand on your back.

“My tummy hurts.” You whined. “I shouldn’t have eaten that…” You mumbled into the comforter.

Jamie tutted. “Oh, darling… But it was delicious right?” He sat next to you.

“Yeah…it really was. But I’m so bloated now.”

“Oh yeah? Check me out.” Jamie chuckled, standing up.

You peaked an eye open at him to see he had pulled his shirt up to his chest, pushing out his also bloated belly, cradling it like a pregnant woman. You giggled as you sat up a little bit, frowning quickly again as the adjustment hurt your stomach.

“Why don’t we get you out of that dress and into something comfier, hm?” Jamie lowered his shirt.

You nodded, getting up to let Jamie help take off your form fitting dress, twisting yourself and sucking in as much as you could to hide your distended belly. He grabbed one of his shirts that he wore yesterday, that lay draped over the chair in the corner and handed it to you. You slid it over your head, letting it fall to just above your mid-thigh. You smiled to yourself as it smelled like him. You climbed under the covers of the bed, wincing as your stomach gurgled loudly again.

“Here, take these.” Jamie held out a few Tums to you. “Do you want me to go make you some tea, too?” He asked as you took the tablets from him, popping them in your mouth.

You nodded with a slight smile, which he returned as he made his way toward the kitchenette across the room to put the kettle on. After he had prepared two mugs of tea, he came over to hand you yours. He went around to the other side of the bed, setting his mug down on the nightstand. He climbed into the bed with you, snuggling up close. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on your tummy through the blankets.

“That should help.” He smiled.

You cuddled together as you sipped your tea, him caressing your back, settling in for the night as your stomach finally began to settle as well.

-the next day-

Jamie and you were going to head down to the beach this sunny, breezy morning. You sipped some coffee as you stood in your bikini in front of the large window that overlooked the water not too far in the distance. Jamie was prepping a bag of snacks and drinks to take down to the beach with you.

“Hey, baby, look at me.” You heard him say behind you.

You turned to see him holding up his phone, about to take a picture of you with the stunning backdrop of seaside Italy outside the window. You immediately frowned, subconsciously moving your arms to cover your exposed body.

“Oh, no…babe, please don’t.”

He lowered his phone, tilting his head. “Why not? You look so beautiful right now.”

You turned to the mirror that was on the wall to the right of you, pinching at your hips and thigh. You shrugged. “I guess I just…feel puffy. I wish I brought a bathing suit that covered more…” You sighed.

“My love…” Jamie walked up to you, wrapping his arms around you from behind. “I think you look so incredible right now.” He placed a kiss just below your ear.

You looked at him in the mirror, and then down at your reflection. “My bikini bottoms are cutting into my hips and my ass cheeks. I feel like it’s too tight.” You frowned, bringing your hands to your stomach. “And I still feel a little bloated.”

Jamie turned you around, now looking at you face to face, taking your hands in his. “Hey, remember what we talked about. It’s okay to feel that way. But you know it’s just that mean little voice trying to trick you. Right? And what did we decide to tell that voice whenever it got too loud?”

“…to shut the fuck up, you miserable ass bitch, because it’s just jealous of how awesome and beautiful I really I am.” You rolled your eyes while giggling.

“That’s right!” He pulled you into a hug, kissing your cheek over and over as you continued giggling. “And I, for one…” He pulled back from you, now dropping to his knees in front of you. “Love your beautiful, amazing tummy…” He placed several kisses to your stomach. “Your beautiful, amazing hips…” He kissed each hip. “Your beautiful, amazing thighs…” He kissed over your thighs.

You smiled down at him as he peppered your body in admiration and acceptance, in total, unconditional love. He stood up to then meet your lips. You pulled away from his mouth, bringing your arms around him in a hug.

“I love you, baby. Thank you.” You smiled against his chest.

“I love you, darling. All of you.” He pulled you tighter.

[greenerteacups]

Out of curiosity, could you expand on why you think aegon is obviously a blackfire? Nw if you don't want to! (Am mostly just curious lol I've read the books, but a long time ago, so a lot of the details I'd expect to forshadow something like that have left my mind.)

Oh no problem. I'm not saying anything new, but the core of it is this:

Illyrio's actions don't really make sense unless Aegon is a Blackfyre through the female line, and specifically the grandson of Illyrio's dead Blackfyre wife, Serra. (There are some things in the text that suggest Serra is a Blackfyre, including some descriptions of her hair, which I won't go over here but are easy to find if you're interested.)

Daenerys's vision of the "mummer's dragon" which is a fake dragon raised on stilts seems apt for Aegon, who is a "dragon" being raised by a (former) mummer, Varys/Illyrio.

In the same vision, Daenerys is called the "slayer of lies." The probable lie here being that Aegon is a Targaryen.

There's a reference at some point to Aegon's standard being "dragon colors, red and black" — NOT red on black. The Blackfyre crest is an inversion of the colors of the Targaryen crest, red-dragon-on-black-field. Even if he's flying the Targaryen sigil for real, the ambiguity here is a context clue that we're supposed to be thinking about the colors and the similarity between them.

Aegon has the support of the Golden Company, which is a sellsword company started by one of the original Blackfyres and known for always keeping their contracts. That said, they break a contract to support Aegon, which suggests that either JonCon has sold them a bridge, or they know something about Aegon's heritage that isn't common knowledge.

There's also more circumspect evidence that points to Aegon not being Rhaegar's son, even if he isn't a Blackfyre:

On face, the likelihood that someone smuggled Aegon out of the Red Keep during the sack of King's Landing and replaced him with a random blond baby that they acquired through (??) means (but for some reason didn't bother about his sister?) is enough to make anyone skeptical;

Why they did not then take the children to Dragonstone, where Viserys and Daenerys were being kept — suppose the siege is coming and you think Dragonstone is going to fall soon, okay whatever, but then why not attempt to reunite Aegon with his uncle/aunt so they can join their claims and/or generated united support a Targ restoration? Yeah, you have to keep Aegon hidden because of Robert, I guess, but it seems like Dany and Viserys were holding court at the Sea-Lord's palace for a long time, in a fairly visible way. Certainly Varys and/or Illyrio would have known about it.

Why does Illyrio care about restoring Rhaegar's son to the throne?

Why does Varys care about restoring Rhaegar's son to the throne?

Anyway, I'm sure there's evidence I'm missing, and there are people who have laid out the theory better than I have. But this is the core of it, essentially.

[raulfernandez]

Pedrenzo + things you didn’t say at all

Thank you so much for this, it somehow got way longer and sadder than I had wanted it to be, I hope it's not too messy and you enjoy :]

The room was quiet. Jorge sat alone at the kitchen table, staring towards the stove where every other day he would have found Dani preparing dinner for them. But Dani wasn't here anymore. He had left. And Jorge knew he had every right to, but it felt wrong. He should have stopped him, said anything to make the other reconsider. But he didn't. And Dani was gone.

All because Jorge couldn't bring himself to admit to his mistakes. He had fucked up and he knew it. He should have been with Dani when he needed him, should have been by his side. But instead he was so obsessed with the idea of racing again that he had neglected his boyfriend.

His boyfriend who was struggling with his decision if he should keep going or not. Keep being Ktm's test rider and do some wildcards every now and then when he wanted to. Dani loved the team and he loved the people, they were great to work with and from time to time it was nice to get back into the flashy paddock with all its shimmer and shine and know that the people hadn't forgotten him, there were still so many supporting him in every step he took. They would still love him even if he completely decided to stop, he knew that.

But it wasn't those fans he needed, no matter how much he loved them and was thankful for everything they did for him, it was his boyfriend he needed. Now more than anything. He had a decision to make and it wasn't an easy one. He knew that in the end he'd have to make his decision on his own but he needed reassurance and love and support. But Jorge didn't have time for him anymore.

So when they had sat in the livingroom one evening, Dani watching TV while Jorge was watching something on his phone, Dani had decided to bring it up, voice shaky and not able to look the other in the eyes. "Jorge? I have something to ask you..." He wasn't happy with the mumbled "Hmmh what is it?" he got as an answer but it would have to do. He knew Jorge was listening. Or atleast he hoped he was.

"I need your advice on something. You know how Ktm offered me another contract for next year?" his voice determined now, he was gonna try to get his boyfriend to actually pay attention to him for once. But that bit of confidence was instantly blown away when Jorge didn't take his eyes off his phone and just gave him a nod and a disinterested "that's great" before focusing his attention back on his phone. "I'm not sure if I want to continue. I love riding Motorbikes, it's always been my life as long as I can think, but every race again I feel how much harder it gets for me and my body. I'm not who I used to be, that's why I stopped in the first place. And I'd really love to have some more time for us again so I don't really know what to do..." his voice got quieter with every passing second until he just stopped talking and waited for Jorge to notice. And waited. And waited. And waited. But nothing, the younger was just nodding his head every few seconds.

That was enough for Dani. He got up from his place on the sofa and left the livingroom towards their shared bedroom, getting a suitcase and throwing some of his clothes in it before going to the bathroom to pick up his toiletries. When he came out of the bathroom again he was face to face with a confused Jorge. "What are you doing? Are we going on holiday?" Dani gave him a dissapointed look and scoffed at the stupidity of it all. "No we're not and I don't care what you do but I'm leaving. It's over." The look on Jorge's face would forever be burned into Dani's brain but he had made the decision and he had to be strong and stand up for himself.

Watching the color drain from his lover's face hurt. He knew it would hurt before he even said the words out loud. "I can't do this anymore Jorge, all you care about is racing, we said we never wanted it to be that way again, but it is. I'm not your first priority anymore, you didn't even pay attention to me right there when I told you about my worries. So this is it. It's over. I can't do this anymore..." His eyes focused on his feet because he knew that if he looked Jorge into the eyes right now he would change his mind. But it wasn't worth it.

And that was it. Dani was gone. He had left him. Even hours later Jorge couldn't stop himself from pacing around the house, trying to come up with any way to fix this. There was so much left to say. He wanted to tell Dani how much he loved him and how much he needed him. How he loved waking up with the older in his arms, which he now realised had become a rarity. He really had lost focus of Dani. And he felt sorry for it. More sorry than he ever had in his life. He needed to tell him how sorry he was for everything, for not having noticed sooner and not having done anything about it. So he ran around the house trying to find his phone. The stupid thing that connected him to his team and had all his data and had ruined everything for him, for them. But also the only way he had left to contact Dani. He didn't know where the younger had gone so all he could do was hoping he'd answer the phone.

But he didn't. It didn't even go trough. Dani had blocked his number, it was over once and for all. So many things left unsaid, so much hurt and so much regret. If only he had noticed earlier...

[esther-dot]

I love how A/rya fans like to talk about Sansa being a symbol of White Feminism and Upholding the Patriarchy and that "all of Sansa's fans are white women whereas WOC are draw to characters like D/any and A/rya" lol (I'm a WOC from the Middle East btw and Sansa is my favorite and the one I relate to the most) when A/rya had the nerve and audacity to name her direwolf Nymeria and then proceed have low key racist thoughts about Ned Dayne (the blondest, lightest Dornishman in the books btw lol) and the Dornish in general. Her fans are SO lucky GRRM/D&D are/were obsessed with "willful" i.e. annoying Not Like Other Girl female characters and gave her plot armor the likes of which we've never seen before in the series LMAO.

I've seen that claim, and I'm sorry that it's been leveled at you. Of course I think they are totally misunderstanding Sansa and what her fans love about her, but at this point if they refuse to acknowledge we're working with two totally different interpretations of the characters and themes, I doubt they ever will.

I think you’d enjoy the critiques of how Martin has handled Arya in this blogger’s anti tag (link). I like Arya, but it’s hard to deny there is a lot of favoritism there. I personally relate to Sansa much more as well. I can enjoy a willfull character, but it doesn’t ring true for a lot of us because many of us didn’t have the option to just refuse to behave. Too much depended on us to flout the rules. I see a lot of that reality in Sansa.

As for Dany, I have sympathy for her because she’s endured awful things, but we do have to step back and think about what the author is saying with her story, and not blindly think we're meant to support or agree with her at every turn.

"How kind of my old friend to help with the digging. And how very unlike him. Is it possible he was given no choice in the matter? No, surely not. You have no slaves in Meereen."         

Dany flushed. "Your friend is being paid with food and shelter. I cannot give him back his wealth. Meereen needs beans more than it needs rare spices, and beans require water." (Daenerys III, ADWD)

I mean, I think it’s reasonable for someone to read the above and think, “oh, maybe the author is pointing something out to us here.” I also think the racism in Dany's storyline (which is widely commented on and criticized -- that isn't something only Sansa fans point out) is a huge problem for many people. We can argue if we're meant to blame the character or the author (or both), but I'd think it's totally obvious why some people would just not enjoy reading her story at all because of it!

[devilishmango]

Heyyyy devi!! How are you?? How's school life treating you? I think u mentioned school either that or my age is catching up to me. 👀

I loved the last update of story of sin. Ugh Dani is so frustrating and I want to kiss em 😒 why do I like frustrating ROs??? No one knows. I'm toxic maybe.

I love how will is just so easy to be like nope okay we need to leave, sure we are out! He's so supportive and adorable!

I hope you are taking care of yourself and I'm looking forward to reading kenneski's update when you upload! ♥️

As always you know I'm obsessed here sooo... 😅😇

Heeey!! I'm doing well. School's stressing me out, but that was expected. It's been about 7 years since I've been in college, so I have to get used to the school environment again. 😅

Frustrating ROs are always so much fun... I also love them. One of my favorite characters is M from the wayhaven chronicles. love them so much, but they are so frustrating in the beginning lol!!

And Will is definitely the most easy going out of the all the ROs... And all I can say about that is that maybe there's a reason... 👀

I don't care if you're obsessed [I wouldn't call it obsessed, I'd say like... super invested LOL 😂], I literally look forward to your commenting and messages every time I post something, sooo... you keep me going, thank you!! 😊

[makerkenzie]

A Song of Dead Lions and Distant Dragons

I haven't written here lately, but I still have Deep Thoughts(™) and people still interact with my earlier posts, so a thing just occurred to me:

If it totally makes sense for the Martells to support a Targ restoration because Aerys and Rhaegar died in the war while Viserys and Daenerys had nothing to do with throwing the princess to the lions...

...never mind that there's a considerable difference between "I don't blame you for your dad's and big brother's actions" and "I want to put you on the throne"...

(It's totally possible for one noble family to just, not have any interest in another noble family.)

Anyway, if the Martells aren't getting into the matter of how crappily the Targs treated their family because those Targs are now dead, then that means there's no need for vengeance against the Lannisters now? Like, the Martell-Sands should agree with Ellaria when she says Tywin's dead, Gregor Clegane's dead, Amory Lorch is dead, Robert Baratheon is dead? Right? Tywin and his goons have died, his children were not involved in the Sack of King's Landing, and his grandchildren were not yet born, so, there's nothing to be gained from carrying on the blood feud with the Lannisters, right?

I'm fairly sure Robert's brothers were nowhere near the Red Keep when Elia and her children were killed, as Stannis was holding Storm's End and Renly was a small child. So, by now, vengeance is a moot point. Everyone who was involved in, or gained power from, the brutalities against the Martells' family members is gone. And it wouldn't be fair to wage war against their families, because dead is dead?

And to get more into the regime's casualties, Cersei orchestrated Robert's hunting accident. Tywin was killed by his own son after trying to execute that son in response to the death of his grandson, who fell victim to the Tyrells conspiring with Littlefinger. Robert's brothers have each waged their own bid for the throne, and Stannis is still active and still trying to oust the Lannisters. (Why don't the Martells join up with Stannis? It's not his fault his brother was grateful for the three bodies wrapped in red cloaks.) Now Cersei is sending assassins after her brother, and soon enough, the court will start whispering to each other about Cersei's other brother apparently having gone AWOL.

Oh, and also, Uncle Kevan was just murdered by Varys, so there goes someone who may have been involved in the Sack---yeah, he was probably involved in the Sack, and was a close and valuable lieutenant to his brother, so the Martells could have legitimately had a target on him, and now he's dead. Furthermore, Varys killed Kevan specifically because he was doing too good a job at holding the regime together, so...seems to me the Baratheon-Lannister regime is destroying itself.

If I were someone who bore a grudge against the Lannisters, at this point I'd just stay out of the way.

BUT REALLY. The flaws in the Dornish plot are more serious than dissociating Viserys and Daenerys from their dad's and big brother's offenses. (https://makerkenzie.tumblr.com/post/630655645636591616/a-song-of-family-matters-or-not) In order to dissociate Viserys and Dany from Aerys and Rhaegar's mistreatment of the Martells, first they would need to acknowledge Aerys and Rhaegar's mistreatment of the Martells. There's no sign of them having done that, especially with Rhaegar.

Instead, they're telling themselves the Targaryens are totally on their side and super-appreciative of their support. (https://makerkenzie.tumblr.com/post/628935997835608064/a-song-of-mischief-and-shit-stirring-she-likes) Oberyn's goal was to promote a narrative in which the Targaryens loved the Martells and the Lannisters hated them. (https://makerkenzie.tumblr.com/post/627988209708744704/mine-will-be-a-song-of-mischief-and-shit-stirring) I doubt anything would have convinced Oberyn to accept the version where King Aerys and Lord Tywin hated each other, and King Aerys put the Martells in the middle of that feud.(https://makerkenzie.tumblr.com/post/628013144945688576/who-really-needed-to-be-punished-though)

And at this point, the Targs don't even need to be as negligent as Rhaegar or as perverse as Aerys. They're simply not interested, and that imbalance has already put Quentyn through a disgusting, agonizing death.

It's a "he's just not that into you" situation from both sides. The Lannisters didn't hate the Martells and the Targs didn't love them. The Targs still don't love them. I sympathize with the Martells, and it is so frustrating to see them keep on digging themselves further into that hole. The Targs barely see them at all.

[khaleesiofalicante]

dani,you seem to know a lot about culture and stuff so i'd like to ask you this. it seems to be the consensus between leftists that its is racists and xenophobic to say that the resources of a country belong first and foremost to the people of that country and that all foreigners should get the resources after the people born in the country had their fill but it also seem to be consensus among leftists that you can just take someone's culture and wear,such as cultural clothing,objects or even words. how to concile thosw two ideas that are seemingly in conflict with each other?

First things first, 'leftist' is a term that actually includes a very broad category of people. So, not all leftists have the same views. The same way any homogeneous group doesn't. For example, some feminists advocate for sex work while others don't. Leftists are also like that. So, while some leftists might subscribe to the above views (one or both) others might not. Just putting this out there.

Now about the first thing. Again, it's not accurate to say all leftists agree with this. But yes in general, leftists tend to prioritize social and economic justice, equity, and human rights for all people, regardless of their nationality.

But, to be precise, what you described as a 'foreigner', is actually referring to the welfare and dignity of immigrants, refugees, and non-citizens, especially in contexts where these groups face significant challenges.

While the majority of the leftists agree that it's wrong to say (don't know about racism) that the resources of a country matter first to it's citizens, I would say that where leftists differ is in their proposed solutions to this issue.

Some leftists might oppose policies that prioritize citizens over non-citizens in a way that is perceived as exclusionary or discriminatory (I think this is what you might be thinking of). Others may advocate for a more nuanced approach that considers the needs of both citizens and non-citizens while ensuring fair distribution of resources. This would include things like universal basic care, social safety nets, and pathway citizenships (so many solutions and what we decide to support depends on our politics/morals as well as the resources available to us).

The essence is, that there are SO MANY ways to support and care for the immigrants and refugees in one's country without discriminating or leaving behind its own citizens. This requires systems that work and that's what liberals (or most of them) must and should advocate for.

About this, the second thing - "but it also seem to be consensus among leftists that you can just take someone's culture and wear, such as cultural clothing, objects or even words."

I don't agree with this and I'm not sure what it means actually. Are you saying liberals support cultural appropriation? Because it's not true from where I see it. But these things can vary depending on the country you're from and your own identity etc. So, I'll leave this alone since I'd rather not comment on something I don't fully understand.

Hope this helps in some way :)

[supernovadragoncat]

The ASOIAF salt ask while I'm at it 👀 08, 10, 17, 23!

8. Have you received anon hate? What about?

Oh yes. Many times.

I've received separate anon hate about: my Sandor headcanon being too sexy; my Sansa headcanon not aligning with someone else's; my Sandor characterization in "Gods and Monsters" being "gross" and I should kill myself because of it; someone hated "Thunderstruck" and felt the need to tell me. I'm sure there's more but those are the ones I remember. Talk about SALTY!

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

Clegane Bowl. This was so clearly D&D fan-service for fellow fandom bros, the same bros who loved Tyrion and thought Sansa was a bratty twat who got what she deserved via Ramsay. "Game of Thrones" butchered Sandor's character so bad by that point, I'd already written him and, let's be real, the entire show off as a lost cause. If GRRM ever delivers TWOW and ADOS, I'm confident he will not wreck a Sandor Clegane redemption arc for Clegane Bowl of all things.

17. Instead of XYZ happening, I would have made ABC happen…

Instead of resident himbo Ned Stark confronting Cersei about her children's paternity ala Maury Povich, I would have had him just shut the hell up about it and go back to Winterfell. Then when Dany showed up with her dragons, he could've had his moment supporting the rightful heir to the throne who'd surely oust that little shit Joffrey. Then, he'd solidify his alliance to Dany by helping her deal with the White Walkers. After that, everyone calls it a day with his family safe and alive at Winterfell and Sandor Clegane his new son-in-law.

But no...his honorable ass just had to say something.

23. Unpopular character you love?

Catelyn. In some corners of fandom, it's like people refuse to accept her as a multi-dimensional, flawed character. She's forever known as the frigid bitch who shunned emo heartthrob Jon Snow (don't even get me started on him...).

She's a loving wife, doting mother, and fiercely loyal to the North. She can be both that and a woman who unfairly misdirected her hurt and anger to a child who could not help his circumstances. Both of those things can exist in the same character.

This was fun! Thank you for letting me join in on the saltiness ❤️