#in characteristic jon fashion

[cat-with-a-keyboard]

i am going to strangle this man

[syndrossi]

had a sudden realization that in the twin girls AU, Jon and Rhaegar’s personalities would be very akin to:

Arya Stark (duh) and Margaery Tyrell

I went back and forth between Arya and Bryenne before deciding young!F!Jon would be very angry and dejected for being looked over just for being a girl and would rebel in a very Arya-like fashion before growing up and becoming more like Bryenne in a way where yes, she’s a girl now, but she can still fight and take down anyone in her path. (most of the time)

where as Rhaegar as Margaery Tyrell speaks to volumes of his manipulation tactics with a hint of Tywin Lannister considering he’s seen him at work up close and personal. though i wonder if there’s another add-in here?

If we're talking a cross between Margaery and Tywin, look no further than Olenna! I'm very curious what she was like as a young girl, since very few people are born cynics, especially with the privileged life of a noble. Though even Tywin seemed a bit stiff-necked and old-fashioned at times in his tactics; even his subtler maneuvers usually relied on an element of brute force or violence, and he seemed less concerned about earning enemies.

Rhaegar has an element of romanticism to him that doesn't seem as present in Margaery (and definitely not Tywin!). He delights in the beauty of nature, and is drawn to the mystery of eras long past. It's not naivety, per se, but a sense of wonder and curiosity that I'm struggling to connect to another character. Sansa was definitely a romantic, but not quite in the same sense; hers really did feel more like a young girl's style of romanticism and buying into the concept of knights and chivalry. Maybe Dany, a bit?

Jon would definitely have a ton of Arya vibes (I have had some people tell me that Jon's OOC and too much like Arya in Resonant, in fact). His distinguishing characteristics would be those that he developed as part of the Night's Watch and later as Lord Commander, I think. A situational ruthlessness "for the greater good," and a very strategic way of thinking about the bigger picture, and a tactical view of more immediate problems. So I could see Jon moping a bit, but also trying to problem-solve things. Okay, being limited by his gender sucks, how can he fix that not only for himself, but for others who have interests/ambitions beyond what society allows?

[captainmdhridoyhossain-blog]

[ad_1] The Apple Watch Sequence 7 wasn’t slightly what we idea it could be. It has a reasonably larger show, a couple of new colours, and reasonably quicker charging, however in a different way, it’s just like the Apple Watch Sequence 6, from the chip to the sensors. In order that approach the Sequence 8 would be the one to, er, watch, in 2022 Apple Watch 2022: The most recent rumors December 8: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac) each document that a number of new Apple Watch fashions will arrive in 2022, together with a brand new SE and a ‘rugged’ model of the Sequence 8. October 12: Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants reviews that the Apple Watch Sequence 8 may are available a 3rd better measurement. September 14: Apple releases the Apple Watch Series 7. Apple Watch Sequence 8: Design We haven’t heard any particular rumors in regards to the design of the Apple Watch Sequence 8, however we had heard a flurry of rumors a few new Sequence 7 design that didn’t come to cross. Jon Prosser of Entrance Web page Tech reported in Might 2021 that Apple is operating on a brand new Apple Watch design, one who has flat edges just like the iPhone 13 and iPad mini. Moreover, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the 2021 watch would characteristic an “advanced shape issue.” In the meantime, Bloomberg’s Gurman reported in August that “a little bit of a redesign, with flatter shows” is predicted, whilst 91mobiles published reported CAD renders of the impending Apple Watch Sequence 7 appearing a identical design to Prosser’s leak, with flat edges and a thinner body (9mm vs 10.7mm). It’s beginning to sound just like the Apple Watch Sequence 7 will glance other however no longer dramatically modified (like a sq. or round design). That’s numerous smoke for no fireplace, so our instinct tells us that the redesigned Apple Watch used to be both scrapped or not on time. With a large provide crunch affecting all of Apple’s merchandise, it is smart that Apple merely opted for a more practical design in 2021. The Apple Watch Sequence 7, proper, has a reasonably larger display screen than the Sequence 6. David Value/Macworld Apple Watch Sequence 8: Show The Apple Watch Sequence 7 is to be had in 41mm and 45mm sizes an build up of 1mm over the Apple Watch Sequence 6. That’s the primary measurement build up for the reason that Sequence 4, which offered 40mm and 44mm fashions. Alternatively, 2022 may convey some other display screen measurement shakeup. In mid 2021, Gurman reported that the Sequence 7 watch would game “up to date display screen era” whilst 91mobiles added Apple could also be the usage of “a brand new lamination method this is anticipated to convey the panel nearer to the entrance duvet.��� Whilst we did get thinner bezels and a tougher coating, the Apple Watch Sequence 7 seems to make use of the similar general show tech because the prior fashions. So we’ll be retaining an eye fixed out for a brand new display screen procedure within the 2022 flagship type. There may also be a brand new measurement along with the 41mm and 45mm fashions. Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants reported in October that folks must “no longer be shocked” if there are 3 fashions in 2022. That will possibly imply that Apple will introduce a bigger type that’s within the 48mm-50mm vary. Apple Watch Sequence 8: Well being and health options Whilst the Apple Watch Sequence 7 has equivalent well being options and sensors to the Sequence 6, the following type may convey massive developments. A document through The Telegraph in Might 2021 divulged that that Apple is a buyer of an organization that makes a speciality of next-gen well being sensors, fueling speculation that long term watches may have blood force, glucose, and alcohol degree tracking. Alternatively, Bloomberg reported that whilst Apple is operating on such capability, it will not be in a position “for a number of extra years.” Additionally in building is a temperature sensor.

 Whilst the characteristic used to be at first deliberate for the Sequence 7 watch, Bloomberg reported in June 2021 that Apple had driven the characteristic again till a minimum of 2022. Bloomberg reported that the Sequence 7 watch may have new swim-tracking options, however that still didn’t make it into the general product. Apple Watch Sequence 8: ‘Rugged’ type for excessive athletes Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported in December that Apple may liberate an Apple Watch with a “rugged casing,” which might attraction to customers who take part in excessive occasions and sports activities. This type of watch would possibly have an external that’s extra scratch- and impact-resistant to raised compete with Casio and Luminox rugged watches. A rugged watch used to be additionally rumored for 2021. The Apple Watch Sequence 8 may have the up to date design that the Apple Watch Sequence 7 used to be meant to have.Front Page Tech Apple Watch 2022: Processor and specifications The Apple Watch Sequence 7 tech specifications listing an S7 system-in-package, however a lot of reviews recommend that it’s new in title best. For all intents and functions the S7 chip is equal to the S6 chip. Alternatively, Apple used to be certainly running on a brand spanking new processor for the Apple Watch Sequence 7 that by no means noticed the sunshine of day. Again in June, a DigiTimes report claimed that Apple will use a brand new double-sided chip packaging procedure to additional shrink the dimensions of the S7 chip, which might permit room for extra battery or different parts, or to shrink the whole thickness of the watch. A follow-up document from the Economic Daily news out of China urged that Apple used to be liberating up area to make room for a bigger capability battery. That still didn’t occur. Whilst Apple doesn’t listing the capability for the Apple Watch battery within the tech specifications, all indications are that it has a identical sized battery round 300mAh. So a battery replace for the Sequence 8 is unquestionably at the desk, particularly since reviews had been swirling that a large leap forward used to be at the horizon. For instance, Twitter account @pinleaks, which is administered through Max Weinbach and leaked correct details about the AirTag forward of the “Spring Loaded” match, reported that the Apple Watch Sequence 7 “is certain to look its first actual battery lifestyles growth for the reason that authentic Apple Watch.” Bloomberg additionally reported that the Sequence 7 watch may convey up to date ultra-wideband capability that didn’t arrive. Apple first offered the ultra-wideband U1 chip with the Apple Watch Sequence 6 and because has expanded the tech’s usefulness with AirTag trackers and virtual keys in Pockets. It’s no longer transparent how Apple would improve the tech within the Apple Watch Sequence 7, however it is going to most likely imply a U2 chip. Apple Watch Sequence 8: Bands Rather then the Solo Loop bands, which aren’t appropriate with any type earlier than the Apple Watch Sequence 4, Apple has supported all earlier bands with every type of the Apple Watch, together with the Sequence 7, so there’s no reason why to suppose that the Sequence 8 will damage that pattern. The Sequence 7 watch delivered a brand new spherical of colours, however didn’t introduce any new band types. watchOS 8 will convey a number of new options to the Apple Watch Sequence 7.Apple Apple Watch SE: second technology After Apple left out the Apple Watch SE in 2021 with out such a lot as a worth lower, Mark Gurman reviews that it is going to get a refresh in 2022. We haven’t heard another main points, but when Apple follows the similar cadence, the 2022 Apple Watch SE can be nearer to an Apple Watch Sequence 6, with an always-on show and additional sensors (ECG and blood-oxygen). If Apple assists in keeping the similar $279 price ticket that may be an overly compelling wearable. Apple Watch Sequence 8 and SE: Value and liberate

Apple has predicatably launched a brand new Apple Watch in early fall since 2016 so it’s just about sure the Apple Watch Sequence 8 and SE will arrive in both September or October. We think the fee to stick the similar as neatly, with the Sequence 8 beginning at $399 and the SE beginning at $279. The rugged type will most likely price extra, however we want to be informed extra about it. Michael Simon has been masking Apple for the reason that iPod used to be the iWalk. His obsession with era is going again to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the pressure. He is nonetheless looking ahead to that to come back again in taste tbh. [ad_2] #Apple #Watch #Sequence

[alica-potter]

The Rise of Teeth Grills: A Fashion Statement Like No Other

Introduction

Teeth grills are decorative covers that can be placed over teeth, often made of gold or silver and studded with jewels. They are a fashion accessory that has become increasingly popular in recent years, with celebrities and influencers often seen sporting them. Their rise in popularity coincided with the growth of hip-hop culture and the trend of bling in fashion. This article will explore the history, types, design, materials, and pros and cons of teeth grills. It will also provide information on how to get a teeth grill and speculate on the future of this fashion trend.

The History of Teeth Grills

Teeth grills can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Mayans, who would inlay their teeth with precious stones. In modern times, they were popularized in the 1980s by rappers such as Flava Flav, who would wear gold-plated dental caps. 

Teeth grills became more popular in the 1990s and 2000s, with rappers like Nelly and Lil Jon wearing them in music videos and on stage. Today, celebrities like Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Kanye West have been seen sporting teeth grills. Hip-hop culture played a significant role in the popularization of teeth grills. Rappers often use jewelry and bling as a way to show off their wealth and status, and teeth grills were just another way to do so.

Exploring the Different Types of Teeth Grills

Teeth grills come in a variety of types, each with its unique characteristics and appeal. Understanding the different types can help you choose the right one that suits your style, budget, and needs. Here are some of the most common types of teeth grills:

Removable Grills: Removable grills are the most common type of teeth grills. They are designed to slip over your teeth and can be easily removed when not in use. Removable grills come in different shapes, sizes, and designs, making it easy to customize your look.

Permanent Grills: Permanent grills, as the name suggests, are permanent dental fixtures that require a dentist's assistance to install. These types of grills are usually made from expensive materials such as gold or diamonds and are designed to be a long-term investment.

Instant Grills: Instant grills are a temporary type of grill that can be easily purchased online or at retail stores. They come in different sizes and designs, and some even come with adhesive backings, making it easy to apply them to your teeth without the need for a dentist.

Diamond and Gold Grills: Diamond and Gold grills are the ultimate luxury when it comes to teeth grills. They are made from high-quality materials and require a professional jeweler's assistance to install them. Diamond and Gold grills are the most expensive type of teeth grill and are usually reserved for the rich and famous.

A Look at Materials and Design Options for Teeth Grills

Teeth grills come in a variety of designs and materials, making them versatile accessories that can suit any personal style. When choosing a teeth grill, it's essential to consider the materials and design options available to ensure you get the perfect fit for you.

Materials commonly used in teeth grills include gold, silver, platinum, and other metals. Gold is one of the most popular materials used in teeth grills because of its durability, beauty, and perceived status symbol. Silver is also a popular choice and is more affordable than gold. Platinum is another excellent option for teeth grills, known for its strength and resistance to tarnishing. In addition to metals, teeth grills can also be made from other materials such as diamonds, cubic zirconia, and other precious stones. Diamonds, in particular, are a popular choice for those seeking to make a statement with their teeth grills, as they add an element of luxury and elegance.

Design options for teeth grills include single-tooth grills, full-mouth grills, and open-face grills. Single-tooth grills are designed to cover just one tooth, usually the canine or incisor, and are ideal for those who want a subtle or minimalist look. Full-mouth grills, on the other hand, are designed to cover all or most of the teeth, making them a more dramatic accessory. Open-face grills feature a cut-out design that leaves some or all of the teeth exposed, adding a unique touch to the overall look.

When choosing the design and materials for your teeth grill, consider your personal style, budget, and occasion. Some teeth grill designs may be more suitable for special events or occasions, while others may be more suitable for everyday wear. It's essential to choose a design and material that you are comfortable wearing and that reflects your unique style and personality.

How to Get a Teeth Grill

Getting a teeth grill involves a series of steps that one must take to ensure one gets the best experience possible. Before getting a teeth grill, you must first visit a dentist for a dental examination to determine whether your teeth are suitable for a teeth grill. The dentist will examine your teeth for any underlying conditions that may affect your dental health and advise accordingly. After getting the all-clear, you can proceed to choose a teeth grill that suits your style.

The process of getting a teeth grill involves taking dental impressions of your teeth. The impressions are then used to create a mold that will form the basis for your teeth grill. You can choose your teeth grill design and material, and the grill will be created to your specifications. Once the grill is ready, you will need to have it fitted by a professional. The professional will ensure that the teeth grill fits snugly and comfortably over your teeth.

Caring for your teeth grill is important to ensure it lasts a long time. You should clean your teeth grill regularly using a toothbrush and toothpaste. Avoid using abrasive toothpaste as it may scratch the surface of the grill. You should also remove the grill before eating or drinking anything that may stain or damage the grill. Regular visits to the dentist for checkups and cleanings are also essential to maintain good dental health.

Navigating the Pros and Cons of Teeth Grills 

While teeth grills have become increasingly popular as a fashion statement, they do come with both benefits and drawbacks. Here are some of the pros and cons to consider before getting a teeth grill.

Benefits of Having a Teeth Grill

Personal Style: A teeth grill is a unique and eye-catching accessory that can enhance your style and help you stand out from the crowd.

Self-expression: Teeth grills offer an opportunity to express yourself creatively and make a statement about who you are.

Versatility: Teeth grills come in a wide range of designs and materials, making it easy to find a grill that suits your taste.

Temporary: Unlike tattoos or piercings, teeth grills can be removed at any time, making them a low-commitment fashion accessory.

Drawbacks of Having a Teeth Grill

Expense: Teeth grills can be expensive, especially if you opt for custom designs or higher-end materials.

Maintenance: Proper care is necessary to keep teeth grills in good condition, which can be time-consuming and costly.

Health Risks: Improperly fitting grills or materials that are not safe for oral use can lead to gum irritation, tooth decay, and other dental problems.

Permanence: While teeth grills can be removed, the process can be painful and may result in damage to the teeth.

Predicting the Future of This Fashion Trend

The popularity of teeth grills has continued to rise over the years, with many people embracing them as a fashion statement. However, the future of teeth grills as a fashion trend is uncertain. As with any trend, teeth grills may eventually fall out of fashion, or they may evolve into something entirely different. There is also the possibility of new materials and designs being developed that could revolutionize the teeth grill industry.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of teeth grills, it is clear that they have left a lasting impact on the fashion world. Teeth grills have become a symbol of self-expression and individuality, and their popularity shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Conclusion

In conclusion, teeth grills have risen in popularity as a fashion trend, with many people embracing them as a way to express themselves creatively. From their origins in hip-hop culture to their modern-day use by celebrities and influencers, teeth grills have become a part of popular culture. However, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of getting a teeth grill before making a decision. Seeking advice from a dental professional is also essential to ensure that teeth grills are a safe and suitable option for you.

In the end, the choice to get a teeth grill ultimately rests with the individual. Whether as a bold fashion statement or simply a way to express one's individuality, teeth grills are a unique accessory that will continue to capture the attention of fashion enthusiasts worldwide.

[go-to-the-mirror]

[Image ID: A screenshot of tags from cyan-silver reading: #okay i have. thought about this #cause this is a very interesting observation #and i think it might be because of the whole #jon is young age-wise #but old stress-wise and taste-wise #so that young but old or ‘not modern’ feel allows him to suit old-fashioned roles #and #by s5 we see that even though jon emanates multiple roles in the story (the academic/the skeptic/the detective/conspiracy theorist the hero #the horror entity etc) #so far the role he seems most comfortable in is ‘the romantic lead’ #this coupled with the fact that he is romantic in general and quite dramatic #makes the suitor role feel like the one that fits him and one he would enjoy #i also think the fact #that he speaks very softly during emotional/romantic moments matches the soft/gentle/pleasant vibe and the old-ness of the suitor role #he also wants to be respectable and appropriate in different situations at least in s1 #which we know points to inherent character qualities that were until then not changed by chaos and trauma #so in a scenario where all the craziness does not happen -- he would have that characteristic #and while jon can be quite rude we do see that he is polite and kind when trying to help people or showing that he empathizes with them #(like with several statement givers and georgie when he first moved in) #which forms a very important ‘good young lad’ characteristics that a suitor should have #there are probably more and better points but this is what i’ve got #tma #jonathan sims #(beloved) /End ID]

Or in short, because paragraphs are hard:

Jon comes across as an “old soul” but he’s young, which helps him suit old-fashioned roles

In season 5 we see he is most comfortable playing ‘the romantic lead’ role

He is quite romantic and dramatic

In emotional and romantic moments he speaks softly

He is polite and kind when he wants to be, like to statement givers (off the top of my head I can think of Naomi and Helen in particular) and Georgie

The paragraph is better.

jon is such a suitor. he's such a guy who patiently stands outside a row house in the chill night wearing his good jacket waiting for his prospective companion to finish getting ready so they may attend a showing at the local cinema. he's a respectable and earnest young lad who will finish a night of courting at 11pm exactly.

[vikingpoteto]

Jon Kent should have his mother’s purple eyes so he can convince people he has Alexandria’s Genesis

[weirwoodking]

WHY WAS MICHELLE CLAPTON SO AGAINST LETTING ARYA BE PRETTY? (trying to help you in reaching your daily anti got post quota)

okay the first thing I saw was the words “Arya” and “pretty” in the same sentence and I thought you were trying to start up that discourse with me and I got scared for a sec.

But honestly, the real question is why wouldn’t Michelle Clapton let anyone look good? That woman was apparently on a mission to be the sole person responsible for the decline of creative costume design in the period drama genre. She tended to just design one outfit for each character that would last them 2-3 seasons. It looked stale and boring, especially since GRRM puts so much description and meaning into the clothing in the books. Like when Tyrion thinks about how Sansa “wears sorrow on her long dagged sleeves”, or how the blinded Arya has to learn to tell the difference between her different colored socks by feeling which one has stitching along the top. The Night’s Watch are the only group who wears all black, and you have to keep it that way, or else it loses its meaning. Cersei likes wearing green because it brings out her eyes. All of the clothing in the books adds into the character. And it’s also just creative. GRRM gave Clapton so much to work with (each house literally has its own colors to wear, it shouldn’t be that hard!) and she just chose to ignore all of it. Again, this is just a general problem with the whole production, like how D&D said that following the books “wouldn’t earn them bonus points.” They had zero respect for the material they were adapting, believing themselves to be better at doing this story than THE ACTUAL AUTHOR.

Since you brought up Arya, I’ll just focus on the outfits that people tend to hate the most: the costuming of show!Dany, show!Sansa, and show!Arya during the last two seasons. Obviously, they were horrible, and they only got like 2-3 outfits each throughout that whole period (maybe there were more, but they were so unmemorable and indistinguishable from the others that it doesn’t even matter). But let’s just brainstorm on what to do instead.

Dany: simple. STOP WITH THE FUCKING MONOCHROMATIC DRESSES. They were so lazy throughout the whole show. It was just blue, then white, then black or white fur. Dull dull dull. Put Dany in some winterized Dothraki-inspired clothing, with riding leathers, a chainmail shirt, thick horsehair pants, a black and red cloak, and flat-soled boots. If you’re going to keep ignoring her short hair, at least stop with the Party City wig that keeps magically conjuring more volume of hair out of nowhere. Give her a long braid.

Arya: Put her in the fucking Stark colors. And let her wear more than one outfit. The one she had was fine as a single outfit (that one-shouldered cloak thing wasn’t too bad), but not every single episode. Like Dany, Arya would most likely choose to wear pants most of the time, but she probably wouldn’t mind throwing on a wool dress once in a while. Perhaps have her in the formal dress style of her House/the North when they all meet Dany. For her hair, I don’t know why they wanted to scrape all the hair back off of Maisie and Sophie’s foreheads like that. Was it in their contracts that as much of their faces had to be showing on screen at all times possible and the hair would block that? Anyway, it’s just horrible styling for a couple reasons. 1) one of Arya’s characteristics is that her hair is always messy, it shouldn’t be in a tight style, and 2) if you’re gonna do braids in dark hair, you need to make them stand out, or else they get lost and the audience can’t see them. There’s a line in the books that mentions how Alys Karstark has strips of leather in her hair, and I think that that’s a great thing to build off of. Braid strips of leather or fabric into the northern girls’ hair, or add bands of bronze or iron around the braids. For Arya, I would either have her hair be completely loose and wind blown, or with small braids in the front of her hair that have accessories in them so they can be seen:

Sansa: holy shit just put her in a grey and blue wool dress. Everytime I think about show!Sansa’s costumes I just think about how Michelle Clapton said she gave her those dumb circle-chain necklaces because that’s what she likes to wear in her own life. Lady... if Sansa was your fashion-self-insert... you have bad style. For Sansa, I would, obviously, dress her in her house colors, as well as blue. I’d have her in mostly wool and fur, very little leather or metal, and inspired more by Celtic and Slavic folk clothing. For her hair, again, why, oh why, did they scrape it off her face like that? It makes her look so severe, and older than she was. You also can’t even see the back of her hair where the action is, because she’s facing the camera most of the time! I would give her braids that would be seen, and would frame her face. Perhaps braided pigtails:

Or a crown braid:

Now, something that annoys me about the whole show in general, not just with Dany, Sansa, and Arya, is the lack of crowns. Where’s Robb’s crown! Where’s Dany’s crown! Where’s Stannis’s crown! For the Stark sisters, I think that they should have had circlets, because they’re princesses. Jon was the king... he was their brother... they were princesses. It also solves the empty-foreheads problem. I would give Arya a simple, light bronze circlet, akin to the one Val is described to wear. And I would give Sansa something a bit more intricate, and made or dark iron to contrast her hair. One of my favorite hair styles in all of film is Éowyn’s hair during the funeral in The Two Towers. I think something like that would’ve been great for Sansa.

Also, last note, but I think it would be neat to show the characters doing their hair. Sansa walks into Arya’s room and we see Arya finishing up one of her braids. Arya walks into Sansa’s room, and Sansa is letting out her hair for the day. Show women interacting with their hair more, don’t make it feel like it’s just LEGO hair that they pop on every morning.

[snothing]

Mar’i’s going on a date Drabble

I wrote this a while ago, and never really finished it. I decided oh what the hell and posted it. Sorry for any spelling mistakes! 

Also, love triangles, jealousy, and protective (immature) twin brother galore! 

“I can’t go on the mission tonight.”

Seven pairs of eyes peered at the seventeen-year-old Prince of Tamaran. Jake was out of his Nightwing uniform, donning instead a comfortable pair of blue jeans and a loose-fitting t-shirt. He looked out of place amongst his fellow Titans, who were all donning their superhero uniforms.

“Are you joking, Grayson?” Damian growled, getting up from the monitors. The Boy Wonder stalked right up to Jake, the opaque lens of his mask glared at the younger boy. “We’ve been staking out the warehouse for an entire week! You can’t just bail now.”

“Yeah, Jake. There’s literally a shipment coming in tonight,” Lian spoke up, arms crossed. She tried her best to rein in her disappointment, but the displeasure was evident in her features.

“Sorry, guys,” Jake responded sheepishly. “Sometimes things just pop up, but hey, tomorrow, I’ll be back in duty and ready to unleash some Tamaranean hell.”

“Like that’ll do us any good,” Jai West snorted. “You’re like one of our heavy hitters.”

Irey was inclined to agree with her brother. “Yeah, Jake. We could really use you in the air with Jon. Are you sure you can’t come tonight?”

Jake shook his head apologetically. “Positive. Look, I’m really sorry, guys. I know I really dropped the ball on this, but it’s really out of my hands.”

“Tell me, Grayson,” Damian narrowed his eyes. He resisted the urge to look up. Even though they were only two years apart, Jake held two inches over him, a source of contention for the ex-assassin. “What’s more important than stopping an illegal shipment of kryptonite firearms?”

Jake glared and stood his ground. “It’s personal.”

“Oh come on, Jake,” Jon elbowed him. “You can’t just quit on a mission like that and not tell us.”

“Yeah, tell us, Jake!” Colin Wilkes sang from the couch. “And we were supposed to get nachos after, remember? How can you say no to nachos with your bro?”

In a blink, Jai was behind him, looping an arm around his neck. A friendly smile played on his mouth. “Whatcha got that’s so important, Jakey baby? Got a hot date or something, hmm?”

Lian frowned as she eyed Jake sharply. “Well?”

“Oooh, look at his face! Jake’s gonna see his girlfriend tonight!” Jai teased, oblivious to the darkening cloud on Lian’s face. “He’s gonna get some of that-” he made crude thrusting gestures.

“Ew, Jai, stop it!” Irey scolded, hands on her hips. She smiled kindly at Jake. “Jake’s a gentlemen. He’d never be so vulgar.”

“You should hear him when we game,” Cerdian grumbled. “Boy’s got a foul mouth.”

“It’s okay, bud,” Collin patted his shoulder understandingly. “I’d chose a lady over nachos any day.”

“Tt. Figures, Grayson,” remarked Damian, haughty. “You can at least try to take this job seriously. If you weren’t so busy thinking with your-“

“I’m not going on a date!” Jake blurted out. “Mar’i is!”

Oh shit. He was not supposed to say that.

The shadows on Lian’s face disappeared. She let out a sigh of relief but slyly cast a glance at the gobsmacked Robin and SuperBoy. They looked as if Jake had slapped them in the face.

“What?” Jon asked, failing to keep the crack in his voice at bay. Beautiful, studious Mar’iand’r Grayson— his secret crush of THREE years— was going on a date— with someone— who was not him? “Mar’i? Date?”

Damian tried to tame the storm on his face, knowing damn well that Harper and Wilkes were analyzing his every move. Still, even he could not help asking dumbly, “Mar’i as in your sister?”

“What other Mar’i would it be,” Lian chided before grinning micheviously. She knew she was treading in dangerous territory, but the chaotic side of her couldn’t resist. “She’s going on a date? That’s great! It’s about damn time someone asked that girl out!”

Lian swore she could feel someone’s heat vision on her, but whose, she was not quite sure. Damian would no doubt make her pay in training later.

“No, not great, Lian!” Jake retorted, cross. “The pokar’s name is,” he paused to gag dramatically, “Brendon.”

“Oh, I remember her talking about Brendon!” Collin said thoughtfully. “They’re both in the Astrophysics club at your school, right? She said he was a senior?”

“Ooh! Mar’i’s dating a senior!” Irey exclaimed happily. “How exciting!”

Jake, Damian, and Jon all shot the speedster a glare. “Yes, Brendon. He asked her out yesterday. Said he wants to take her to get milkshakes and,” Jake stopped to shudder, “tour the observatory.”

“Oh, that’s kind of romantic, right? They’re both into space stuff— well, she’s from another planet! I think it’s sweet,” Irey tried to appease him.

“It’s tacky,” Damian snorted, arms crossed. “Who takes a girl to get a cold beverage and see stars? Overplayed and overrated.”

“Not to mention racist! Yeah, take the alien girl to an observatory! She has other interests, too, you know! Like gardening, old movies, and birdwatching!” Jon snipped. The team was shocked to see him react this way; he was characteristically optimistic, rarely ever showing aggression outside the battlefield, and now, he looked ready to explode.

“Don’t you think you three are being too harsh?” Lian asked, eyebrow raised. “It probably took a lot of courage for this guy to ask Mar’i out.”

“Uh, no, Lian, I don’t,” Jake answered, indignant. Lian promptly rolled her eyes.

Damian turned to him. “Does Grayson know about this?”

“Uh, yeah, Damian, I’d think Mar’i’d know if she were going on a date.”

“Not Mar’i, idiot. Your father!” Damian snapped. Dick was very protective of his children, especially his darling Mar’i. 

“Use our first names, dummy! If you hadn’t notice, my mom, my sister, me, and my dad all share the same last name!” Jake shot back. “And of course, he does! He’s not happy about it either, but Mom-- the traitor-- made him agree to it!”

“So what are you going to do, Jake?” Lian inquired. She eyed him suspiciously. “You better not be thinking about ruining her date.”

“Do I look like I have a death wish? She’d kill me if I did that!”

“Then what? Last time I checked, Mar’i was the same age as you, and —get this— totally capable of making her own damn decisions!”

“I disagree with Harper, ruin the date.”

“Damian!”

“I’m not going to ruin the date. I am simply going to ensure this Brendon behaves in an honorable fashion,” Jake interjected. 

Lian frowned. “So you’re gonna spy on them?”

“Yeah, essentially,” Jake conceded. “But I’d like to say reconnaissance. This ‘Brendon’ is perhaps a form of ooze monster in disguise. If that’s the case, her dear brother Jake is here to save the day! And hopefully, she’ll see that dating is gross and never do it again.”

“You’re absolutely ridiculous, you know that?” Lian sighed, exasperated. She always knew there would come a day when Mar’i would go on a date and Jake would freak out, but honestly, she expected it would either be Damian or Jon. She could not even imagine the fallout from that.

Jon cut in, placing a hand on Jake’s shoulder. Normally, he’d never condone something this immature, but today, he would make an exception. “I don’t think so Jake. You gotta do what you gotta do.”

A grin blossomed on Jake’s face. Feeling validated, he turned to the archer, a smug grin on his face. “Thank you, Jon! See, Lian, at least someone understands me! I’m just doing my brotherly duties. 

Lian rolled her eyes. 

[fridayfirefly]

Lost and Found [Part Eleven]

Masterlist | Ao3

Despite the fact that he didn't get to bed until 2 AM that morning, Damian still woke up at 6 AM with the sunrise. Sleep deprivation was the last worry on his mind when his Soulmate - beautiful, breathtaking Marinette - was sleeping just one hall down from him.

He met Alfred in the kitchen, already preparing for the meals of the day. The waffle batter was already mixed, coffee was already brewing, and butter was already softening on the counter. "Do you need any help preparing breakfast?"

Alfred shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I pride myself in my ability to keep this kitchen under control, no matter how many visitors we have. Besides, I'm sure you would rather spend your morning getting ready for your day with your Soulmate than in the kitchen with me."

Damian nodded. "I'll see you at breakfast, then."

"I look forward to meeting Miss Dupain-Cheng."

Damian left the kitchen and made his way to the gardens, thinking about the night before.

They had gotten back to the Manor at 1:30 AM, too late for the Parisian guests to meet the Wayne family. Damian walked Marinette to her room to let her get some rest, wishing all the while that they could stay up together until the sunrise. Rationally, he knew that Marinette needed her sleep, especially with the drastic time change, but his emotions refused to let her go so soon. However, logic won out in the end, and he kissed her cheek and wished her goodnight. As Damian walked Chloé to her room, taking over for Jason while his brother packed his bags back in his Gotham apartment, Damian asked Chloé for a favor. There was a certain plan he wanted to put into action, that he needed some assistance with. Chloé agreed to help him out and their plan was set: in the morning, Chloé would bring Marinette to her room so that the two girls could get ready together, while Damian brought to Marinette's room a vase of fresh-cut flowers and a handwritten letter asking to take her on a date.

Chloé called his plan "sickeningly romantic", but said it with the sort of wistful smile that made Damian send a text to Jason advising his brother to bring flowers for his own Soulmate. Maybe it was sickeningly romantic, Damian thought over the concept, but he knew that it wasn't a bad thing. Emotions had been difficult for him at first, growing up the way he did, but he now knew better than to try and hide that part of himself from Marinette.

Damian already picked out which flowers to cut days in advance, fragrant purple wisteria and delicate white roses, which he got from the garden before the morning dew had burned off of them. He placed them in the glass vase, arranging and re-arranging them the whole way up to Marinette's room. He knocked on the door, and when there was no reply, he nudged it open. A flash of red by the window caught his eyes, but by the time his eyes focused on the spot, nothing was there. Shrugging it off as a trick of the light, Damian placed the vase of flowers on her bedside table and set down the note beside it. The note, which despite its simplicity had taken several drafts to perfect, read: Dear Marinette, I hope you slept well last night. Breakfast will be served at 8:00 AM. With your permission, I would like to spend today showing you around the city. Once the wedding approaches, I'm certain that we will both be busier, so I would like to get as much time with you now as possible. Sincerely, your Soulmate, Damian

With his plan completed, Damian left the room to go get ready for his first day with Marinette. He quickly sent a text to Chloé, giving her the all-clear to let Marinette return to her room.

Damian had just gotten out of the shower when he saw a note sitting on his bathroom counter. In what was unmistakably Marinette's handwriting, Dear Damian, I would love to go on a date with you today. Sincerely, your Soulmate, Marinette.

Damian breathed out a sigh of relief as the lingering doubt that Marinette might have changed her mind in the last six hours faded away. It is a silly fear, one that Damian wasn't used to indulging in. However, Marinette seemed to bring out all the little human characteristics that the League of Shadows had trained out of him when he was young. A younger Damian would have hated Marinette for it, but in the present day, in the privacy of his room, Damian smiled and let the feeling of relief wash over him.

——————————————————————

Marinette, Chloé, and Nino were all at the dining room table with Jon when Damian entered the room. Marinette brightened up as soon as she saw him. "Damian!" If Damian thought that Marinette looked beautiful last night (which he did) with tangled hair and tired eyes from a seven-hour plane ride, she looked downright breathtaking that morning, in a pretty pale pink dress, with her hair done up in a bun, tendrils curling around her face.

"Good morning, Marinette. I hope you slept well."

"I slept great." A look of annoyance took over Marinette's face. "Even though someone woke me up early on someone else's orders." Marinette's expression shifted from indignation to a bright smile. "I did appreciate the flowers, though, so thank you for those."

"You're very welcome." Damian was pleased that she liked them. He was a little troubled by how intently he was watching her facial expression. "Concerning our date tonight-"

Damian was cut off by the sound of voices coming down the hallway. Richard walked in beside Babs in her wheelchair, the couple having a lively debate about what to do for their respective bachelor and bachelorette parties. "We have to hire one. How often in your life do you get the opportunity to hire a stripper?" argued Babs.

"Alright," conceded Richard, "We get one stripper, and we have him split time between both parties. Now onto decorations - I'm thinking we each pick the decorations for each other's parties, and then it's like a surprise when we get there. And I'm not only saying this because I found the best bachelorette decorations on eBay and I already placed a bid."

Chloé broke the silence that followed in the dining room, as a muffled laugh escaped the hand she had pressed over her mouth. "I'm sorry, but aren't you Waynes billionaires? Can't you afford to hire two strippers?"

"Not billionaires," Tim chimed in as he walked into the room with Connor. "Every time Bruce comes close to being a billionaire, he increases the wages of all Wayne Enterprise employees except for himself and donates a ton of money to charity."

"I suppose we could hire two strippers, but then what if one of them is better than the other. That wouldn't be fair," mused Barbara.

"We could have them switch halfway through, that way we each get the same experience," Richard added.

"How about, instead of arguing the logistics of strippers, you greet the Soulmates who just arrived last night?" asked Jon, with a tone of voice that very clearly demonstrated how absurd he felt their conversation was. Damian had spent too much time with Richard and Babs over the past few weeks of wedding planning - nothing that came out of their mouths phased him anymore.

"Oh, hello Soulmates of my brothers and Soulmate of my brother's Soulmate's brother. I'm Dick."

"Babs," said Babs with a wave.

"Tim."

"Conner."

Richard started pointing to each of the Parisians. "You must be Marinette, Damian's Soulmate. You're Nino, Jon's Soulmate. And you are..?"

"Chloé, my platonic Soulmate," said Jason as he walked into the room.

"I can introduce myself," snapped Chloé, glowering at Jason, who looked a bit sheepish as he sat down in the chair next to her.

Jason picked up his fork and waved it between Chloé and Marinette. "So you two know each other."

Marinette nodded. "We've all known each other since we were kids. Chloé, Nino, and I have been in the same class since maternelle - which you call kindergarten in America. We've been best friends for years now."

"Now that's a coincidence. Both sets of three Soulmates knew each other before they met up with their other halves." Richard nodded, looking the three Parisians up and down.

"Coincidence is putting it mildly. Statistically, it's incredibly improbable. I didn't run the numbers, but I'm sure if I did, it would be in the range of one in a trillion," Tim piped up.

"Good luck, I suppose," said Marinette with a shrug.

"Luck, coincidence, statistical improbability - call it whatever you want to call it. It's still mind-boggling that out of 7 billion people, you three - best friends who go to the same school - end up with Soulmates who are all family."

The conversation turned to other topics as the table waited for Bruce to arrive before they started breakfast. Richard got Marinette talking about her aspiring career as a designer, and it instantly brought Marinette out of her shell. Her passion and enthusiasm were contagious; Damian couldn't help but smile softly to himself as he watched her explain to Richard and Babs the inspiration behind her latest collection of dresses named The City of Lights, which incorporated elements of Parisian fashion throughout the ages, with a focus on finding innovative ways to incorporate light into the dresses. As Marinette was explaining in depth the pros and cons between tea candles and real candles (according to Marinette, an open flame near your hand-crafted creation is a very big con, but she felt so strongly against tea candle that she would rather her dress catch on fire than ruin the integrity of her design), Bruce walked in, wearing a bathrobe with the words World's Best Dad on the back, plaid flannel pajama pants, and fuzzy slippers. Overall, he looked nothing like the intimidating Batman and everything like a regular Dad on a Saturday morning. Damian had to admit, it was a good strategy for putting their new houseguests at ease, especially Marinette and Chloé, who were meeting their Soulmates' father for the very first time.

"Good morning everyone," said Bruce. He grabbed his coffee mug off the counter, filled it to the brim, chugged it all in one go, then refilled it and took it to the table. "What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes," Alfred replied as he walked in with a platter stacked full of them. "Please don't spill any syrup on the tablecloth, it's a pain to get out. And before you ask, yes, I am talking to you, Richard."

"One time," Richard grumbled. "You spill an entire bottle of syrup on the tablecloth one time, and suddenly that's all anyone remembers."

Marinette laughed. "I take it I'm not the clumsiest person at the table, then."

"I'm not clumsy. I'm just sporadically situationally unaware," Richard defended.

"Clumsy," teased Babs, flicking Richard's nose and stealing the last bite of pancake off his plate. They were so effortlessly domestic, affectionate with each other all the time in a way Damian was beginning to envy. Damian kept his expression still as he sat in internal shock at the realization that he was jealous of what Richard and Babs had together. Damian was a naturally private person; he had assumed he would despise public displays of affection. However, with Marinette, he could see the appeal. Marinette had flipped his whole worldview on its head. Now he wanted romantic outings and for everyone to know that she was his. It was a strange and foreign feeling, but deep down it felt right.

——————————————————————

As breakfast winded down, Damian offered to show Marinette around the house. The first place he took her was to the gardens. Damian knew that Marinette didn't like surprises all that much, so he planned on explaining to her exactly what they would be doing for their date.

"The gardens are so pretty!" exclaimed Marinette. "Is this where the wedding will be held?"

"Yes. The ceremony will be at the gazebo in the center of the rose garden."

"I'm sure it will be lovely," said Marinette with a soft smile on her face.

"For our date today, I was hoping I could show you around some of my favorite spots in the city. If you would rather stay at the Manor, I understand but-"

Marinette cut him off. "I would love that. I might need to change my shoes though." She gestured to the three-inch heels on her feet."

"I would advise bringing along a pair of good walking shoes. I would hate for you to get hurt."

"It would be a shame to break my ankle on our very first date," agreed Marinette. "I'll just go grab a change of shoes and my purse, and then we can go."

Damian smiled at her. "I'll wait for you here."

Damian watched Marinette leave, thinking of all his favorite things he could finally show her, and all of her smiles he could finally see.

Taglist: @fanboy7794 @mikantsume @hetalia-lover-is-here @howtoshuckatlife @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @redscarlet95 @derpingrainbow @friedchickening @melicmusicmagic @beautym3 @kunstner1 @shizukiryuu @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @crazylittlemunchkin @black-streak @darkshadowguardian @mystery-5-5 @trubel43 @fandomfan315 @vincentvangoose @royalchaoticfangirl @mooshoon @drama-queen-supreme @kae690 @unabashedlyswimmingtimemachine @zoerayne2426 @littleredrobinhoodlum @lunar-wolf-warrior @dani-ari @sam-spectra @be-happy-every-day-please @xxmadamjinxx @interobanginyourmom @northernbluetongue @eliza-bich @romanoff-queen @scribblinggraveyard @dur55 @jeminiikrystal @sassakitty @miss-mysterys-blog @aegyobutpsycho2 @pirats-pizzacanninibles @chaosace @pepelachanel @sturchling @amayakans @athenalovesredsblog @boxercity1

[first-of-her-nxme]

I’ve been reading your Jaqen is Aegon posts (and I’ve been enjoying them a lot!), and I stumbled upon one where you mentioned Aegon sound like Aragorn. I don’t know how deep you’ve delved into LOTR/Middle Earth in general, but as a longtime Tolkien nerd I feel I should point you to the story of Aegnor and Andreth just in case. Aegnor was an elven prince living in exile, whose name means Fell Fire or Sharp Flame, and who was felled in a battle called the Battle of Sudden Flame. Andreth was a mortal woman, a wise-woman, whose name means Long-suffering. Fanarts of her always reminded me of Lyanna. Might be reaching, but you might find something. This last part is definitely reaching, but Andreth’s father was named Boromir (not the one in LOTR, Boromir from LOTR might’ve been named after him), so. Make of that what you will. Thank you for the breakdowns of the theories :)

Great insight! Thank you! It fits Aegon and Arya too to a degree.

There is foreshadowing of Aegon dying in the sea so I can imagine Arya fulfilling the role of Andreth, outliving her one true love. 

There is also foreshadowing of them getting married and having kids together but if Aegon dies prematurely, like Rhaegar, he won’t see his children. In this scenario their summer would only be a dream of dying Aegon, the imagined afterlife under the sea. Perhaps their story will be turned into a legend and they will sing songs about their love in Westeros and Essos. 

Side note: a song about them has already been written by Rhaegar but I will write another post to explain it. 

When you read the prologue to A Feast for Crows carefully, you will notice that Aegon meets the acolytes of the Citadel in the same fashion Aragorn met the hobbits. Aragorn had been waiting in the shadows of the tavern, watching Frodo and his fellowship. Aegon has been watching Pate and the acolytes though we are not aware of it until the end of the chapter. 

The prologue is written in Pate’s POV. Alleras is celebrating with Pate and their friends. Pate is anxious to meet the Alchemist who has promised him a golden dragon but the man is not coming, Pate thinks the Alchemist made a joke of him. By the end of the chapter, when Pate is heading to the Citadel, the Alchemist/Aegon emerges from the shadows. He’s dressed like Aragorn, in a worn traveler’s cloak with his face half-hidden under the hood.

And he tells Pate that he was there, in the inn, all this time, watching Pate and his fellowship, just like Aragorn was watching the hobbits. Aragorn joined Frodo and the fellowship - Aegon kills Pate and takes his place in the fellowship.

George Martin has also written the riddle of Sphinx which is the riddle of Aegon - the equivalent of the Riddle of Strider. And of course, both of them have many names and hide their identity. Both are long lost heirs. Their girlfriends’s names sound alike, Arwen and Arya. LOTR is about the return of the king and so is ASOIAF. Only LOTR is meant to be uplifting and ASOIAF...it doesn’t seem so.

So, that’s why I compared Aegon to Aragorn.

The prologue ends with the imagery of a dead city. Pate is walking through a ghost-like Oldtown, lit by the rays of the dawning sun. Finally, Pate gets his dragon and wants to share the good news with Rosey. Then, he dies. This is a preview of what will happen in King’s Landing: Aegon will get the throne but he will be the king of the dead city, burnt by dragonfire.

What happens next is foreshadowed in the prologue to A Clash of Kings. Shireen and Patchface are foils for Arya and Aegon - a sad little girl and her fool. Her sad fool - the man who has given up everything for the girl. In this chapter Patchface talks/sings about what happens under the sea as if he was singing about Aegon’s future - death in the sea. The prince who never gets to live a happy life with his beloved. Like you said - quite like Aegnor.

Though we are also informed that Patchface is a sort of undead which is a very interesting option :) In the prologue, GRRM also mentions four roles Renly loved to play: a dragon, a wizard, the rain god, a king. Each of those are only roles for Renly but they are Aegon’s true identity: a dragon prince, a faceless wizard, a king by birth. The rain god implies Aegon’s affiliation with the Drowned God. 

Both, Jon and Aegon, are supposed to be sort of semi-gods.

Jon has characteristics of Lammas the Corn King also called the lightbringer. The Corn King sacrifices himself and dies for the land and, along with the land, is reborn in spring.

The Drowned God or the Rain God was inspired by Freyr, the god of rain and sunshine, of fertility, prosperity and peace. 

If Jon is going to be reborn, perhaps Aegon will survive the drowning. What is dead may never die but rises again harder and stronger.

So far we got three prologues about the North and the Others ( AGOT, ASOS, ADWD ) and two prologues about the Iron Throne ( ACOK, AFFC ). The two latter showed Aegon’s journey in the reversed order: the conquest ( AFFC ) and the aftermath ( ACOK ). The prologue to TWOW should be about the Iron Throne too because the last one was about the North.It will probably offer the clues of what happens after the journey across the sunset sea. 

I apologize for the long reply, I hope I didn’t bore you to death:) And thank you so much for food for thought. I’m so curious if “Boromir’s” prophecy for Arya will come true.

Cheers!

[miramimar]

would you mind elaborate on mcu mj?

it all boils down to the mcu hating women and not understanding anything about spider-man

like. okay. i dont necessarily hate mcu mj, i just idk? there’s so much potential there and it’s not being used and it just pisses me off. and actually this is not really a problem ONLY seen in the mcu, it was actually seen first in the raimi trilogy but at least raimi's MJ tried.

there’s this notion nowadays that in order for a female character to be well-written and well developed, she needs to this nerdy and introverted girl and well…Mary Jane is not that lol she's an extrovert, she likes to party, she's flirty and she has an amazing charisma. I’m not saying that mcu MJ doesn’t have anything in common with the MJ we see in the comics, she does! but all of the things that MJ did in the comics that were considered “feminine” or “girly” or whatever else, were stripped from her because they weren’t “feminist enough”. There’s this interview Jon Watts did where he says that the only characteristic female characters in comics used to have was the colour of their hair which is just…not true lol? like i dont know about you, but i was able to know the difference between MJ, Gwen and Felicia without a problem, all of them have different personalities, different goals AND all of them have a different relationship with Peter and Spider-man. The only people who aren’t able to tell them apart are people who lack reading comprehension lmao

and then people call MCU MJ an upgrade from Raimi's MJ which I’m not really going to debate because both of them are…well, bad. BUT Raimi's MJ at least had a life without Peter lol, like she actually had goals and yeah…mcu MJ…does she have goals? i dont know! they dont show it to me! she wanted to get into MIT (which she does, good for her!) and uhhh…i think she was in some club or something? she’s a good student, yup! like. there’s a lot of ways to develop her character and they just don’t do it? im really hoping they do it in the college trilogy, there’s time to fix this!

like…honestly MJ is one of my favorite characters of all time, and i really hate the way she’s been portrayed in media for a long time. She was a very well developed character in the comics, yes! even though she was a party girl or whatever, she has always been a complex character and even her goal of being an actress has complexity. I really don’t understand why did they completely changed MJ’s original personality to make her seem more “developed" when she already was! like!

and i’m not saying mcu mj is a bad character, but she just…isnt mary jane (and it also pisses me off they didnt name her mary jane, theyre all a bunch of pussies!)

and also, this is mostly me being obsessed with fashion, but one thing I don’t get is why??? do they dress mcu mj…like that? like…why? you have Zendaya playing her, you have ZENDAYA playing one of the most iconic characters in comics, and you have her dressing like THAT? and what’s funny is that Zendaya’s style is not that different from MJ (at least from what I’ve seen) so I just don’t get it??? of course, im not saying that every female character should have nice outfits but MJ does lmao? like the material is there! read the comics?????

anyways, this is just me being angry that mcu MJ is not as funny and charismatic as 616 MJ (but she could be, if the mcu just tried harder)

anyways sorry for the rant

[outoftheframework]

an introduction to the fanon batfamily

Are you new to the DC Batfamily fandom? Or perhaps do you need a refresher on our favorite vigilante disasters? Well, look no further! Here is your holy grail list of the traits/characteristics/cliches we as a fandom have collectively decided to embrace instead of the actual source material. 

Just a quick disclaimer (because people get very passionate about how these characters are portrayed) this is a collection of my headcanons popular on the internet. These are (mostly) in no way canon-correct. 

Let’s start out with the man himself:

BRUCE WAYNE

Has too many kids

Has a problem with adopting small dark-haired children with tragic backstories. It’s literally a compulsion. He cannot stop himself. 

Classic Dad

Doesn’t understand “teen lingo”

Will forget your name

Cannot function by himself (as Bruce)

Can make two dishes correctly: cereal and grilled cheese

Will fall asleep in business meetings

Wears either a three-piece designer suit or no shirt and sweatpants

Many headcanon him as gay.

Valid

My personal option is that he’s a disaster bi

DICK GRAYSON

The cutest child ever created

Robin!Dick is just an endless spout of puns and adorableness

Never grew out of sliding down railings/swinging on chandeliers

Fashion icon but not really

Never lives down Discowing

70s/80s/90s/Early 2000s mashup in every outfit

Simply better with finger stripes

Damian’s real dad

Stop erasing his Romani heritage

BARBARA GORDON

Simply the smartest

Computer science queen

Strong, independent woman who doesn’t need a man but at the same time puts up with Dick

Barbara says fuck the joker

Holds one of the two collective braincells

Could and should run the entire GCPD

JASON TODD

One day we all decided that Jay likes Shakespeare more than his family

Literature icon

Destined to be chained to Roy Harper forever

Better with the white hair streak

“fuck y’all; did you die??”

Actual zombie

Needs a dog

Of Latinx descent

fucking crowbars, man

CASSANDRA CAIN

Stop excluding her from fanart??

Sign language and disability icon

The best fighter of the bunch

Fashion icon but like actually

A sweetheart that needs to be protected at all costs

Bruce’s favorite child

Of Asian descent

DUKE THOMAS

Literal ray of sunshine

Also needs to be in more fan content

!!!!!!

Owner of the other collective brain cell

Common. Sense.

Confused but excited

“Um, why is there a turkey in the bat- you know what? Never mind.”

Invented the color yellow

TIM DRAKE

Out of every headcanon, Tim’s being a coffee/caffeine addict is somehow almost universally accepted 

Alfred worries about this kid 24/7

Cursed to always be 17

The detective Robin who is always 20 steps ahead

The N52 Red Robin series is a treasure and the injustice done to it is unacceptable

Needs long hair

Fancast is definitively Ryan Potter

Skateboards

“Drake” superhero name is stupid and we should say it

STEPHANIE BROWN

Purple icon

Bring back waffle-obsessed Steph

If she’s not dating Tim she better be dating Cass

Her Robin career was too short 

Steph said Gay Rights

Somehow at the manor 24/7 when she doesn’t live there

Sometimes the bane of Bruce’s existence

Sassy queen

DAMIAN WAYNE

“TT” every other sentence in fanfiction

(I am guilty of this)

Better when Jon’s his best friend

Stop erasing his Arabic background

“Demon Spawn”

Okay but literally when did this start? I see this in every fanfic.

Always carrying a katana (?)

Dick’s actual son

Somehow I feel like this is controversial but I’m not sure why. Not saying these are all “correct,” they’re just common in the fandom :) hope this helps! feel free to add more tropes/cliches. Thanks for reading!!

COMMISSIONS ARE OPEN!!! MSG ME FOR DETAILS :)

[be-not-afeared]

Jaime Lannister and John Silver: of arcs and endings

Or, herein follows a possibly niche comparison between the character arcs of Jaime Lannister (Game of Thrones, HBO, 2011-2019) and John Silver (Black Sails, Starz, 2014-2017), in which I will argue that Jaime’s character arc fails not because of Jaime’s actions, but because of the way his story is framed to the viewer throughout the series, using Silver as a springboard to explore the requisites for a tragic yet satisfying ending.

(Yes, this is 5K words long. No, I am not sorry. Spoilers for Jaime’s and Silver’s storylines in their respective shows, and while I’ve tried to stay vague about the Bigger Picture, read at your own risk.)

Okay, so. I was, and still am, to an extent, a huge Game of Thrones fan. I’ve pored over the books, been to conventions, and spent a good couple of years while I was at uni discussing fan theories on message boards into the early hours of the morning. Jaime Lannister has been one of my favourite fictional characters for over a decade. Yet I certainly wasn’t alone in watching in horror as years of hopeful build up was thrown away in the span of one and a half episodes during the final season of the show. There are *many* things that hurt about season 8 of Game of Thrones. But the swift 180 we see in Jaime, from aiding the Starks in the Battle of Winterfell and finally choosing Brienne, to abandoning her to return to Cersei 20 minutes later, was, for me, one of the deepest cuts.

When I started watching Black Sails this August, I was immediately compelled by Silver – unsurprisingly, as someone who has exactly one favourite character type: Traumatised and Morally Grey Anti-Villain. Watching Silver’s character develop over the four seasons of Black Sails was an absolute joy, and his ending in the finale, though *incredibly difficult*, was nuanced and in character and satisfying. (Am going to try and keep as vague as possible on details here, because Black Sails is an incredible show that more people should watch and I don’t want to completely spoil the ending).  Silver and Jaime are two characters with a lot of similarities and their characters arcs appear to run in direct parallel with each other: both selfish and arrogant men who become more empathetic and invested in others as the series progresses, in large part prompted by the loss of a limb. However, the gulf in reception of their overall arcs can be pinpointed to one huge disparity between the way both storylines were framed to the audience, and that is difference between redemption and tragedy.

“I was that hand”

But first! Let’s start with the more obvious stuff.

When we meet Jaime Lannister and John Silver in the pilots of their respective shows, they are both introduced as arrogant and self-serving – yet charming – men, who place the needs of themselves (and Cersei, in Jaime’s case) above all else. Silver kills and impersonates the cook on the merchant ship Flint’s crew captures, and has no qualms about lying his way onto the crew whilst simultaneously planning to sell the Urca schedule to the highest bidder. For Silver, his own survival comes before any sense of moral code. We are told stories about Jaime before we properly meet him  – that he killed the previous king, Aerys Targaryen, that he has no honour – but nothing that we see first-hand contradicts this; at the end of the pilot he attempts to kill a child to cover up his and Cersei’s incestuous relationship. Silver is certainly supposed to be more likeable than Jaime, but both men, despite their lack of morals, are presented as charming, clever, and good with a one-liner. As we move through the early seasons of both shows, they are consistent in these traits, although Jaime is presented as an outright antagonist whereas Silver from the outset is a morally grey unknown entity, keeping viewers on our toes wondering if he’ll turn against Flint, against Billy, against Eleanor. Things change, for both men, however, with the direct lead up and fallout of the loss of a limb: Jaime’s hand and Silver’s leg.

The introduction of Brienne of Tarth as Jaime’s foil kickstarts his path towards becoming the honourable man he once dreamed of being. During their roadtrip across Westeros, she challenges him and is able to get under his skin in a way we haven’t yet seen before. This comes to a head when the duo are captured, and Jaime intervenes during her attempted rape, lying about her ransom worth and saving her from an awful fate. The result? The immediate amputation of Jaime’s sword hand, representative of Jaime’s identity (“I was that hand”). Jaime is punished for the first selfless act we see him commit on the show with the loss of the source of his power and self-worth.

Silver, in a similar fashion, finds himself in a position to save the crew he has spent two seasons disparaging. When he is offered the opportunity to betray his crew for an escape route, he refuses (the reasons for this refusal never outright stated, although I imagine Flint’s “where else will you wake up in the morning and matter” and Billy’s “that’s our brother you’ve got there” both factor heavily). Again, the result of this refusal is the brutal torture and eventual amputation of Silver’s leg – a man who in his own words is “not a joiner”, prone to taking what he needs and leaving, to reinventing himself, to always having an escape route. As actor Luke Arnold says: “He's a guy who's always had one leg out the door, and then they cut it off.”

What is interesting here is not only that we have two characters who are *punished* for moving beyond their selfishness, but that that punishment is specifically catered towards their defining characteristics. Jaime is left unable to fight, unable to defend himself, unable to uphold his reputation. Silver is left unable to run, unable to leave his past behind him, unable to remain without attachments. Both are left vulnerable.  The loss of Jaime’s hand forces him to reinvent himself in a world ruled by swords; as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, father to Tommen, and an honourable man working to uphold his oath, through Brienne, to Catelyn Stark. The loss of Silver’s leg, however, leaves him *unable* to reinvent himself; forcing him to rely on his crew and paving the way for the growth of his relationship with Flint and Madi. In losing their limbs both Jaime and Silver are set on paths towards gaining empathy, and are able to become invested in those around them.

 “Defined by their histories, distorted to fit their narratives”

Game of Thrones and Black Sails both engage heavily with ideas of myth-making and storytelling. Stories are woven into the mythology of Westeros; a world with thousands of years of history revealed to us slowly over the seasons to suit the narrative and the teller. We are told the story of Rhaegar Targaryen’s kidnap and rape of Lyanna Stark in the pilot, and at first this serves to provide a tragic landscape for Robert’s unhealthy relationship with his wife and his crown. It is only as the show develops and we hear more about Rhaegar and Lyanna that we realise there is more to this story; in season 5 Littlefinger recounts the events of the Tourney of Harrenhal to foreshadow the reveal of Jon’s parentage later that season, that Rhaegar and Lyanna had a happy and consensual relationship and that it is Robert who could be viewed as the villain of this sequence. We are taught through watching the show to never assume that any given story is true. Black Sails similarly plays with the idea of the power of the storyteller, combining historical pirates with fictional pirates and an origin story for Treasure Island, and going to great lengths to show that history is in the hands of the victor. Most of the primary sources of pirate history are from the perspective of civilised England, and in the process of watching the show we come to realise the bias inherent in these histories; much like in Game of Thrones, they are stories, and should not be assumed to be either true or accurate. As Jack says in the finale: “a story is true, a story is untrue […] The stories we want to believe, those are the ones that survive”.

Jaime Lannister and John Silver are both characters defined by stories that are forced upon them without choice: the Kingslayer and Long John Silver. We meet Jaime as the Kingslayer; our opinion of him is immediately formed by the story of him stabbing in the back the King he had sworn to protect, and cemented by the fact that our protagonist, Ned Stark, a man we like and trust, is the one telling this story. The Kingslayer’s presence is so strong in the first two seasons of the show that Jaime becomes nameless, reduced to this one defining act. It is only after the loss of his hand, and through his developing bond with Brienne, that he is finally able to tell his own story and we realise our entire perception of Jaime’s character has been based on an incorrect interpretation of events: that in killing Aerys Targaryen Jaime was saving the population of Kings Landing from destruction via wildfire. It is only after the truth of this story has been revealed to us that Jaime is able to begin moving past the Kingslayer and forging a new identity.

We see this in reverse in Black Sails, for the story of Long John Silver is not introduced until the season 3 finale, but like Jaime, this story is not told by Silver. Billy creates the myth of Long John, commits the acts attributed to him, and uses him as a figurehead for the pirate rebellion all without Silver’s knowledge or consent. Season 4 sees Silver wrestle with this identity of King of the Pirates, surrounded by people who want to use ‘Long John Silver’ for their own benefit: Billy, Israel Hands, even Flint. As the power and influence of Long John Silver the story grows, John Silver the man is disregarded, and his value reduced to how he can further everyone else’s individual causes. Though he does embrace this title (for a time, at least) to further “Flint and Madi’s war”, a cause he doesn’t truly believe in beyond his investment in Flint and Madi as people, we come to realise that the ‘character’ of Long John Silver that we know from Treasure Island is only that: a character, a story, a collective created for a larger cause that Silver himself eventually betrays.

I have seen some criticism of this scene, but for me one of the few redeeming moments of the Game of Thrones finale was Brienne writing Jaime’s story in the Book of White. Despite Jaime’s less than satisfactory conclusion, with this act he is finally able to move past the Kingslayer; Brienne has rewritten his narrative, and he will be remembered as a Knight who “died protecting his Queen”. Silver is offered no such release. By contrast, the story of Long John Silver is all that will be remembered; the worst fear for a man who cannot bear for his own story to be known. Indeed, we learn that “those who stood to benefit most from [Long John Silver] were the most eager to leave it all behind”. While Jaime is able to escape the story of the Kingslayer, the story of Long John Silver is what will endure, “all that is left of [him] is the monster in the story they tell their children”. Hello Treasure Island.

 “Reviled by so many for my finest act"

We can see here that Jaime and Silver’s narratives deal with similar themes, but often in contrasting ways. Just as with storytelling, Jaime and Silver’s backstories are key parts of their storylines in their respective shows, but operate with very different functions. (It is only as I am writing this that I’m realising how similar the themes of Game of Thrones and Black Sails actually are? If only Game of Thrones had the follow through of Black Sails... We were all rooting for you, etc etc).

Jaime’s backstory, and the truth of the act that earned him the title ‘Kingslayer’, is revealed to us mid-way through season 3. This comes at a very key moment for his character: Jaime has just lost his hand and is at his most vulnerable, and Brienne’s stubborn and persistent honour is clearly starting to affect him. “I trust you,” he says to her in the bathroom scene in 3x05, and we can assume that this is the first time he has said this to someone who isn’t a Lannister in quite some time, possibly ever. Essentially, the reveal of Jaime’s backstory comes at a moment where we are already beginning to soften towards him and are therefore open to hearing an alternative interpretation of events. While Jaime needs to be able to tell his story to begin to move past the identity of the Kingslayer, if this reveal had come too soon it wouldn’t have had the same dramatic effect, as viewers wouldn’t have been open to seeing him in a different light. All we saw of Jaime in the first two seasons was the “man without honour” that everyone believes him to be; by mid-season three we are already beginning to realise that there is perhaps more to him that meets the eye, so the reveal of his backstory has the most impact.

(This is exactly what Black Sails does with Flint’s backstory, and I firmly believe that if we had been told his story in season one as was originally the plan it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as effective. We needed to know more about Flint, and to see his uneasy partnership with Silver begin to develop as we delved into the backstory piece by piece, so that by 2x05 our hearts were ready to be broken. Buuut that’s a different essay.)

Black Sails loves a backstory. As we move through the show we slowly learn why and how our favourite characters came to be in Nassau , and universally these reveals add to our understanding of that character and their motivations: for Flint, for Billy, for Max, for Jack. We enter season four with Silver as the only character we don’t know anything about prior to the pilot. Surely then, we were about to get a ‘Jaime Lannister bathroom scene’ equivalent, a moment that will add depth and understanding to Silver’s character? Were any of the stories he has told about his past true? Who is Solomon Little? … Instead, what we get is one of my favourite sequences of the entire show, in which, after Flint realises that he knows nothing of Silver’s past, Silver reveals that Flint, and by proxy the viewer, knows “of [him] all [he] can bear to be known”. Silver is the ultimate storyteller, master of manipulating and deceiving others through the power of a narrative, yet he cannot bear to be the story himself. We never learn Silver’s backstory, and all he reveals of his past is that it speaks to “events of the kind no one can divine any meaning from, other than the world is a place of unending horrors”; he has chosen to repress his past, has rendered it unspeakable, and both Flint and the viewer are only left to wonder at what these “horrors” could be.

Although this lack of backstory adds nothing to our view of who Silver *was*, it is key to understanding who Silver *is*, and *why* Silver makes some of his more controversial choices further down the line. Silver’s need to repress his past is as key to his character as Flint’s need to define himself by his own backstory. We understand from this that Silver has experienced a level of trauma which is unspeakable, quite a feat for a show with plenty of other horrific backstories and especially pertinent given that Silver is one of our most gifted orators. Silver’s inability to process his past explains a lot of his actions in the early seasons; his coping mechanism has been to move through life without forming attachments, convincing himself that he doesn’t need (and shouldn’t need) other people. It is safe to assume that Madi and Flint are the first people he has let himself be truly vulnerable with, which paints his actions throughout season four in a different light; loving people is new for Silver, and he doesn’t know how to do it in a healthy or selfless way. The placement of this scene is as important to Black Sails as Jamie’s bathroom scene is to Game of Thrones; we needed to have already seen Long John Silver’s significance to the war spiral beyond Silver’s control, to have seen him become compromised by his love for Madi and the beginnings of the collapse of his partnership with Flint, for this scene to pack the punch that it aims for and to beautifully set up the culmination of his arc in the finale. How devastating, for a man who cannot bear for himself to be known, to be the one figure whose story will outlive them all.

Both of these scenes have stayed with me long past my first watch, and feel vital to understanding Jaime and Silver as characters. For Jaime, his backstory informs all his actions moving forward, his desire to transcend the Kingslayer, to become an “Oathkeeper”, or even “Golden-hand the Just”. For Silver, his lack of backstory informs all his actions up to this point in the narrative and prepares us for the choices to come. Just as Jaime is defined by his past, Silver is defined by his *lack* of past.

 “This is not what I wanted”

So, we’ve tracked Jaime and Silver’s characters throughout the show, but how do they both end? The answer, of course, is… tragically. Jaime is offered a glimpse at what could be a peaceful life, in Winterfell with Brienne, before turning it down to return to Cersei’s side only to meet his end while the duo try to escape the collapsing walls of Kings Landing. Silver betrays Flint and Madi in a horrific fashion, ensuring that they both survive though knowing that in doing so he was destroying his relationship with Flint and that there was a chance Madi would never forgive him his actions. (Or, this is my chosen interpretation of the ending, in any case, although the point still works if you prefer one of the other readings). Just thinking about Silver’s ending in Black Sails makes me want to cry. Thinking about Jaime’s ending in Game of Thrones makes to want to cry too, although for a very different reason. Neither are the ending we would hope for these characters in an optimistic and ideal world. But Silver’s decision to betray Flint and Madi feels narratively satisfying in a way that Jaime’s decision to betray Brienne and return to Cersei never could. Why is that?

Jaime Lannister’s character progression from season 3 onwards was set up as a redemption arc. We thought we were watching a jaded and selfish man become an honourable man. The show, admittedly, takes its sweet time with this journey in comparison to the book equivalent, and inserts some *interesting* deviations which I won’t dwell on here (looking at you 4x03 and the entirety of season 5). But, ultimately, the journey that Jaime finds himself on from the moment he loses his hand seems to be heading for a triumphant ending. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t expecting him to survive the series. But I was expecting him to go out in a blaze of glory – fighting side by side with Brienne, perhaps, or protecting Bran, or one of the other characters he had wronged in the past. There was also always the chance that he would end up fulfilling the much subscribed to book theory of the valonqar, although this admittedly looked less likely as that particular line of the prophecy was cut from the show. When Jaime finally leaves Cersei at the end of season 7 it is such a triumphant moment – after years of struggling with these warring parts of himself, his toxic love for Cersei and his growing moral conscience, a decision had been made and a tie cut. We enter season 8 assuming that there is no going back. We don’t get a hint of any conflicting feelings from Jaime about this decision in the first half of season 8; we are focused on preparation for the Battle of Winterfell, and revelling in the joy of having Jaime and Brienne in the same place for longer than a single episode for the first time since season 4. We get the knighting scene (which, let’s be honest, is where the season peaks). We get the battle. We get the sex scene between Jaime and Brienne (which I… don’t love, for many reasons up to and including the weird virgin shaming jokes from Tyrion in the previous scene and their level of intoxication, but still gives no hint that Jaime is battling an inner war). And then later in that same episode, despite Brienne pleading with him to stay, we get Jaime’s snap decision to return to Kings Landing to attempt to save Cersei: “You think I’m a good man? […] She’s hateful, and so am I”.

The issue here isn’t the decision itself, or Jaime’s choice of words. We know that Jaime isn’t a good man. We know that he’s done awful things for Cersei’s love. And, if we think about it, it makes sense that he wouldn’t be able to leave behind a lifelong co-dependent and unhealthy relationship without looking back, and that he would be driven to return to Cersei’s side when the reality of her impending death hit. The issue is that none of this decision making is presented in the show itself; there was no build up, no foreshadowing. Instead of showing us why this decision was made, the show presents this scene as a shock twist, leaving the viewer with whiplash wondering how Jaime’s story could have taken such an unexpected turn so quickly. The redemption arc that we all thought we were watching was not a redemption arc at all, and don’t think I was alone in finding this revelation deeply unsatisfying.

Let’s leave Jaime for a moment and turn to John Silver. Even for viewers who entered Black Sails without knowing they were watching a prequel to Treasure Island (such as myself!), we can assume that most people have heard of the fictional pirate Long John Silver: the ‘villain’ of Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure who embodies what it means to be a “gentleman of fortune”.  When we meet clean-shaved, smarmy, two-legged Silver in the pilot most viewers will at least have an idea of the trajectory his arc will take – and that it won’t end with him and Flint skipping off into the sunset hand in hand. We know, because of history, that the pirate rebellion is doomed to fail, that slavery does not end in the West Indies, that Nassau does indeed fall back under English rule, and that piracy is eventually stamped out of New Providence. And we know, because of Treasure Island, that John Silver will end up hunting for Captain Flint’s treasure, while Billy Bones dies from a stroke at the very idea of a visit from Long John and Flint drinks himself to death in Savannah. In essence, we know that we are watching a tragedy.

The genre of tragedy dates back to Ancient Greece, and describes a narrative that presents an examination of human suffering while evoking a sense of catharsis. Aristotle defines tragedy as “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude … through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation [release] of these emotions.” In other words, in order for a tragedy to achieve this state of emotional release, we as the viewer need to both anticipate (or, fear) the resolution and feel sympathy (or, pity) towards the tragic hero. Black Sails does this masterfully. The pathway towards the destruction of Silver and Flint’s partnership has its grounds as early as season 2, before it has even really started to develop, where Silver talks of his fears of being “used and discarded” by Flint. In the finale of season 3 it is made explicit during their conversation before the battle, with Silver interrogating what he sees as the pattern of Flint’s loved ones dying “not just during [their] relationship, but because of it”. Silver finds himself “unnerved by the thought that when this pattern applies itself to [Flint] and [Silver], that [he] will be the end of [Flint]”. As they lock eyes across the water later on in this episode, the setup of their opposition, complicated by the genuine care between them, is complete, and we enter season 4 dreading the crumbling of their relationship. Season 4 dangles this dramatic irony over us; every time Flint mentions the indestructible force of their partnership, the things they can achieve when there is “no daylight” between them; every time Silver mentions that Flint has his “genuine trust and friendship”; every time they both speak of their partnership in the same terms as the love that Silver holds for Madi, “I’m committed to Flint, I’m committed to Madi” / “he is my friend, too”, we dread the moment where this will all change. We may not know how it will play out, but we know it is coming. The “fear” is very much present. As, indeed, is the “pity”. We understand why Silver makes the decision he does, even if we don’t agree with it. The show has taken lengths to track the development of Silver’s ability to care and make himself vulnerable to others; we believe in his love for Madi, and understand why he believes that he is doing the right thing. Silver’s tragic flaw is that in gaining empathy his selfishness moves to encompass those he cares about; he will do dark things to protect them without consideration of their own choices or agency.  The finale of Black Sails is difficult, beautiful, and yes, tragic, but we end Silver’s story understanding and perhaps even empathising with the decisions he made, believing him when he says that “this is not what [he] wanted”.

 Tragedy vs redemption

John Silver’s story is a tragedy. And I believe that Jaime Lannister’s story is also a tragedy; a deeply flawed man who tries to escape the inevitability of an abusive and unhealthy relationship, only to eventually fall back into this cycle and become consumed by it. The problem is that this wasn’t the story we thought we were watching. The ending of Jamie’s character arc has none of the fear, none of the pity, none of the catharsis of Silver’s, because there was no signposting towards this end. If Jaime’s arc had been treated as a tragedy from the outset then perhaps it would have felt emotionally satisfying rather than rushed and unexpected.

Admittedly, as Jaime is not as central to Game of Thrones as Silver is to Black Sails, the show could not spend as much time detailing his inner world as Black Sails does to the latter. However, if the show had framed Jaime’s story with a sense of tragedy rather than triumph, then his decision to return to Cersei in season 8 would have had the same inevitability as Silver’s betrayal. In season 1 of Game of Thrones, as in the first instalment of A Song of Ice and Fire, Cersei tells Ned Stark that she and Jaime “are more than brother and sister. We shared a womb, came into this world together. We belong together”. However, the show doesn’t include Jaime and Cersei’s later, darker ruminations, that “we will die together as we were born together” (Jaime, ASOS), and “we will leave this world together, as we once came into it” (Cersei, AFFC). Jaime and Cersei’s doomed fate in the books is entangled in a way it never is in the show, and doubly so when you factor in the possibility of Jaime actively causing Cersei’s end due to the valonqar prophecy. In addition to this, if we had seen Jaime leave Cersei earlier in the narrative and then grapple with this decision, showing him struggling to be the man Brienne believes him to be and overcome his past actions, then his failure wouldn’t have seemed so out of the blue. With very little effort or changes on the part of the show, Jaime’s *entire* arc could have been framed in a way that would have made his death a tragically fitting end to his and Cersei’s story.

Jaime and Silver both end their respective narratives in very similar places to when they were introduced, or at least they do on the surface: Jaime unable to leave Cersei even in death, Silver alone and eventually chasing treasure (yes, Madi is still in the picture, but I don’t think we are meant to infer that their future relationship will be a trusting one). However, for Silver, this similarity is only surface deep, for we followed his growth and development and understand the tragedy of his choices. Although Jaime goes through a very similar pattern of growth, the framing of his arc as redemptive means that the unexpected nosedive into tragedy in season 8 doesn’t have the weight or impact that it intends, and we are left without understanding *why* he makes his choices. Jaime’s arc is a failed tragedy that doesn’t fulfil the cathartic requirements of the genre, but with a bit of reframing it could have been as emotionally resonant as Silver’s.

Long story short: watch Black Sails.

[megashadowdragon]

Fuel for Cersei's Paranoia in The Winds of Winter

Cersei's Concerns After her Trial

After Cersei's trial is complete, assuming it doesn't end with her execution, she will be trying to catch up on everything that went down in Westeros while she was out of commission. When TWOW opens, she'll have a plethora of sources of information at her disposal to feed her paranoia and to lead her to make more of her trademark foolish, impulsive decisions.

There are a number of issues Cersei will be interested in gathering information about, but in this post I’ll be focusing on Jaime’s disappearance.

Cersei lifted her chin, her green eyes shining in the candlelight. “Jaime? Have you had word?”

“None. Cersei, you may need to prepare yourself for - ”

“If he were dead, I would know it. We came into this world together, uncle. He would not go without me.”

ADWD Epilogue

Red Ronnet Connington

We last heard about Red Ronnet in Kevan's epilogue. He was confined to his chambers within the Red Keep until his loyalty to Tommen could be ascertained. Cersei has a number of reasons to be interested in speaking with Ronnet. He’s related to Jon Connington, and since Cersei will have to do some maneuvering to get back on the small council, she might see him as her best bet to gather information about Aegon VI’s invasion. Cersei would also know that out of everyone currently in Kingslanding, Red Ronnet had the most recent contact with Jaime before he vanished.

Unfortunately for Cersei, Ronnet Connington will have no information to give her on his father’s cousin and (f)Aegon. However, he might have some interesting things to say about Jaime. When we were last inside her head, Cersei was unwilling to believe that Jaime would truly have abandoned her to the Faith and followed Brienne.

Her. The queen remembered the Maid of Tarth, a huge, ugly, shambling thing who dressed in man's mail. Jaime would never abandon me for such a creature. My raven never reached him, elsewise he would have come.

ADWD Cersei I

Connington may start to put a few cracks in this conviction. Especially if he shares how his last interaction with Jaime went.

"The bear was less hairy than that freak, I'll—"

Jaime's golden hand cracked him across the mouth so hard the other knight went stumbling down the steps. His lantern fell and smashed, and the oil spread out, burning. "You are speaking of a highborn lady, ser. Call her by her name. Call her Brienne."

AFFC Jaime III

It’s also interesting that Connington is familiar with one of Brienne’s mocking nicknames.

Connington edged away from the spreading flames on his hands and knees. "Brienne. If it please my lord." He spat a glob of blood at Jaime's foot. "Brienne the Beauty."

AFFC Jaime III

Regardless of whether you believe Brienne is the YMB or not, or whether Cersei would be willing to believe it, hearing someone refer to the younger woman Jaime disappeared with as “Brienne the Beauty” might be a bit jarring for Cersei.

Randyll Tarly

Randyll has returned to Kingslanding from Maidenpool with his army at Mace Tyrell's request. He stands high in Mace's councils, so there's a good chance he'll encounter Cersei while she still has to work around the Tyrells.

Randyll ran into Brienne of Tarth in AFFC. She told him she was looking for Sansa Stark and produced a warrant signed by Tommen stating she was about the King's business. Randyll also knows Brienne was carrying Oathkeeper, and could easily give a recognizable description. It's not every day you see a Valyrian steel sword with a ruby-encrusted lion pommel and red-and-black ripples worked into the blade. There’s only one other like it, Widow’s Wail, the sword that was given to Joffrey.

Should Cersei talk to Randyll, she might draw a connection between Jaime's disappearance and Sansa Stark. After all, the woman Jaime disappeared with was on the lookout for the girl, in possession of items that only Jaime could have given to her. If she finds out about the writ from Tommen, it might make her angrier than it made Lady Stoneheart, and she might start to reconsider training Tommen to sign everything put before him.

Another interesting thing to note about Randyll is that he has a low opinion of Brienne.

As for you, my lady, it is said that your father is a good man. If so, I pity him. Some men are blessed with sons, some with daughters. No man deserves to be cursed with such as you. Live or die, Lady Brienne, do not return to Maidenpool whilst I rule here."

Brienne V

No doubt Brienne, a woman who takes on a more traditionally masculine role, reminds him of Sam, whom he felt was too feminine to be a proper son. Any conversation Randyll has about Brienne will undoubtedly convey this disdain, and he’d likely be willing to share the worst of what people believe of her.

Qyburn

Cersei trusted Qyburn above all her other counselors in AFFC. Considering he was the only one who stayed loyal to her during her imprisonment with the Faith, she’ll likely double down on her reliance on him in TWOW. Qyburn is Cersei’s Master of Whisperers, so he’s likely to pass on any rumors about Jaime that spread in the wake of his disappearance. And although they’ve never had much conversation about it, Cersei knows Qyburn spent time with Jaime and Brienne at Harrenhal.

We know tales of Jaime and Brienne’s earlier travels through the Riverlands have started to spread and become embellished.

"I wished to see where the bear danced with the maiden not-so-fair." His beard shone in the light as if it were afire. Jaime could smell wine on his breath. "Is it true the wench fought naked?"

"Naked? No." He wondered how that wrinkle had been added to the story.

AFFC Jaime III

The same game of telephone could affect tales of whatever befalls Jaime and Brienne after Pennytree. The nobles are essentially the celebrities of the common folk. The fact that a highborn maid vanished with the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard will likely get some tongues wagging. And, there has been lewd speculation about Jaime and Brienne in the Riverlands before.

In the corner by the window Lem and Harwin sat talking to red-haired Tansy in low voices.

". . . spent the night in Jaime's cell," she heard the woman say. "Her and this other wench, the one who slew Renly. All three o' them together, and come the morn Lady Catelyn cut him loose for love." She gave a throaty chuckle.

ASOS Arya V

Hearing tales of her brother and another woman, not only from Qyburn, but also gossiped about around Court, would doubtless drive Cersei up a wall. And Qyburn could confirm that at least some of the rumors are true. While the events of Jaime’s “roadtrip” with Brienne haven’t interested Cersei in the past, there is reason that they might do so now. Qyburn was a witness to almost everything that went on at Harrenhal, from the bath to the bearpit. I don’t imagine hearing Qyburn confirm that Jaime was willing to jump in front of a bear to save Brienne would reassure Cersei that “Jaime would never abandon her for such a creature.”

So, what will this lead Cersei to do . . .

Considering her “Tyrion is in the walls” level of paranoia, I'm curious to see what kind of conspiracy theories she'll cook up.

First and foremost, hearing all of this, she’ll stop trusting Jaime. Cersei will likely turn vengeful, and seek to cause him or Brienne harm if they resurface and she can reach them. Depending on her state of mind, she may start to believe Jaime is the Valonqar, or Brienne is the YMB. And if Cersei tries to harm Brienne, Jaime could very well valonqar her.

While they’re out of her reach though, there are still some actions Cersei might take.

Cersei established a precedent that Kingsguard can be removed from service when she dismissed Barristan on the grounds of old age. In a rage, she might have Jaime removed from his position for being a traitor or abandoning his post. In classic Cersei fashion, this may prove to be a mistake in the long-term. The Tyrells may push to stuff the Kingsguard with more of their own men, and perhaps promote Loras to the role of Lord Commander (giving them another small council seat).

Other ramifications of removing Jaime from the Kingsguard are more in line with the hypothetical that Brienne is the YMB. Jaime would no longer be bound to the Kingsguard’s oaths. He could marry, and press a claim for his lordship. If he were to marry Brienne, and she were to become the Lady of Casterly Rock, Brienne would be taking Cersei’s last refuge of power, taking what she holds dear.

One last musing - The potential for Randyll to drag Sansa’s name into the mix is interesting. Cersei still hates Sansa, but recently her ire has been focused on Margaery Tyrell. Should Cersei regain power in KL for some length of time, and learn that Sansa is somehow connected to Jaime’s disappearance, she may dedicate more resources to hunt Sansa down.

TLDR; GRRM has surrounded Cersei with characters that can shed some light on Jaime’s disappearance, and the information they give her could lead to some of her characteristic short-sighted moves.

source : www . reddit  . com/r/asoiaf/comments/jl67fv/spoilers_extended_fuel_for_cerseis_paranoia_in/

[slashingdisneypasta]

Yo!! Hello my friend!! I loved your Al Capone Headcannons ask, can you do more of him? He's so underappreciated! What about a fluff or angst headcannon of him and the reader/SO?

How about fluff and angst! ^^ 

He is underappreciated, I know, and it hurts. LOOK AT HIM. If the deleted scenes were included and more well known, I bet he’d be way more popular ^^ 

~~~

Fluff:

·         When he was alive, he liked to drive you around in his car/s. He would even let you drive. Even better if you sat in lap while driving. (Hey! It was the 20’s-30’s. You go out into the country, and you can do whatever you like. Road rules? What?).

·         The! Old! Fashioned! Nicknames! I know, you use them now too, but they just come out better from a man who’s legit black and white and from the time. Doll, dollface, baby doll, baby girl.

·         Pssst, listing those nicknames made me think he would really like to be called ‘Daddy’. And he kind is one, so enjoy if you’re into that.

·         So much affection that Ivan is off to the side just deeply sighing the whole movie and Napoleon is constantly asking if you two can please get it together and be professional, mon dieu!!

·         *Hands you his gun* “Hold this for me doll, I gotta kick that ass over there real quick.”

·         He would be very happy to live in a tent if it was with you. Can you imagine all the snuggling and *Cough cough* other things that would go on then? He’d love that. Very intimate.

·         Last time I wrote headcanons for Al I mentioned that he likes to get you in trouble by making you laugh. I want to emphasise HOW OFTEN THIS HAPPENS. Like 5 times every time Kahmenrah is having long drawn out speech time.  

Angst:

·         Well, there’s the obvious and heartbreaking idea that… he wakes up in the museum 62 years after he died, plus half his men, but you aren’t among them.  

·         As a gangster (Disclaimer: I’m not going to try and tell you that the romanticised version of a 1920’s bootlegger is the true reality of what they were, because it’s not. But, as we are looking at the goofy ass, slightly insane, 2009 Jon Bernthal character, we can take some creative licence) his family, and definitely his partner is so important to him. Nothing and no one hurt’s them. He treats them like royalty, they are the most important thing to him.

·         And waking up, 62 years after he died just to find that his other 3 quarters didn’t, will tear him apart. If you were in the picture and this happened, Al would not have been the silly jokester that nicknames Napoleon Bonaparte ‘French Toast’ and makes a ‘guh’ sound when he tries to shoot from his plastic gun. No, no, no. We would have met a much more stone-faced character.

·         There’s also the notion that you’re relationship with him was on the outs and falling apart when he died because he was in prison, and you weren’t. So, he woke up, and thought he’s free! He can be with you, you’ll be happy again! But of course, his happiness goes to waste -worse than to waste. He’s kicked in the groin by hope, - because you aren’t there anyway.

·         If that was what happened of course his greed and enjoyment of killing would still pull through and stay bright as some of his biggest characteristics, and he would still help Kahmenrah because of that.

·         But he would be secretly so relieved and happy when the tablet is taken away again. Because in his head, he’s dying again. He’ll be where you are.

·         Also, cruel side note, Kahmenrah would totally take advantage of the obviously hurt gangster and add that if Al helped him defeat Larry of Daily Devices and bring back his army of the dead and take over the world and all that, he could bring you back to Al, too.

[squigglysquidd]

Meteor and Stardust!

Shepard Ask Meme

Meteor - Does your Shepard have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?

Jane Shepard - Jane curses ... a LOT. She grew up on the streets and is in the Marine sort of section of the Alliance, so yeah, I can see where she gets it.

Jai Shepard - Jai has severe PTSD. She left the Alliance because of it and has a therapy dog, Jimmu, there to help her get through it when it gets particularly bad.

Jana Shepard - I’d say that Jana had a bad habit of keeping things to herself, but she’s slowly starting to warm up to the others. Still, though, she has to remind herself that keeping it all in isn’t healthy. Having a sort of mirror self in Jon who can empathize with exactly what she’s going through helps tremendously.

Stardust - What kind of clothes do they usually wear off-duty? (sporty, elegant or specific clothes like sweatpants, jeans etc)

Jane Shepard - Jane loves 50s style attire, usually inspired by pinup designs and fashion. 

Jai Shepard - Jai doesn’t get much alone time with how busy things are at the clinic, but when she’s alone, she enjoys just relaxing in pjs.

Jana Shepard - Given the AU setting, Jana usually wears more relaxed clothing when on the Normandy. She doesn’t worry too much about what she looks like on the ship and tends to wear loose shirts typically worn under tunics or a doublet.

Thanks for the asks!