#it’s a lovely vegetable imo

[aroace-menace]

Aphobia is actually so wild though. I’m literally just chilling. Just going about my silly little life. And billions of people decide that my existence challenges their worldview and they’re not okay with that. That’s so funny. We have too much power.

[athousandsuns2010]

i love you raw vegetables

[morethansalad]

Papaya (Carica papaya)

[asgardian--angels]

it's kind of funny to me, albeit very interesting, that I'm a very picky eater and yet have also become a locavore and something of a 'foodie' per se, I really enjoy food (and cooking!), and going to unique and sometimes upscale restaurants serving ~local ingredients~ and I really value a quality dining experience and learning the character of new places through their food. yet I got a 29 on that picky eater test lol

[keeps-ache]

help i found the dot brush

[jessaerys]

sorry i don't mean to be pretentious It Is Known i love to rotate a blorbo as much as the next girlblogger but the thing is i grew up reading shit like arthur c. clarke and historical fantasy and latin american magical realism so to me the candy of characters was earned through the vegetables of plot (which i also really enjoyed. i remember crying a lot at the cosmic beauty of the end of 2001 space odyssey and till today my favorite writer is still julio cortázar) and then i read twilight when i was like 13 and i remember going "whoag this is all about the characters... is that allowed?!?!?" and i think that severely stunted what up until then had been an intellectually edifying reading habit. and imo that's why a lot of YA and booktok type stuff is looked down upon... there's a kind of genre novel where the plot is this pesky half assed thing that the writer has to drag their feet through to get to write about their OCs and you know it when you see it

[nadvs]

we need a second part of imperfect strangers where he actually comes and visits her for the weekends🤭 (random but i can so see them at chipotle being all cutesy)

aw tysm 💘 wrote a blurb and rly leaned into the goofy fluff but it’s NEEDED with zach imo!!

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

continuation of this fic

Zach acts like a four-hour drive to your college is nothing.

You know he’s tired every time he pulls up in front of your dorm. You can see it in the bags under his eyes and the yawns he tries to hide from you.

But matter how many times you tell him he doesn’t have to come visit you every weekend, he won’t hear it. He’s determined to show you how badly he wants to see you, refusing to take the risk of hurting you again.

When you mention to Zach that you’re craving Chipotle the night before his visit, he finds the closest one to your campus while still on the phone with you.

The second you get into his car the next day, he kisses you before you can even get a chance to put on your seatbelt.

“Missed you, too,” you laugh when he pulls back.

After he buys lunch, you sit in a booth by a window in the restaurant, feet bumping beneath the table. He always wants to find a way to touch you, no matter how minor.

“This is a masterpiece,” he says, holding out his bowl, ridiculously competitive as usual. “I don’t know what that is.”

You gasp as he points at your meal.

“What makes yours so perfect?” you ask. He loves how you always play along with him, that you’re as much of a goofball as he is.

“Look,” Zach says, his delivery deadpan but his motive silly like usual, “I got the protein - the steak, of course…”

“Of course,” you echo amusedly.

“And brown rice, great for lowering cholesterol,” he says.

“You take one nutrition course and suddenly you’re a genius,” you sigh, recalling how he told you about one of his elective classes on the phone a few nights ago.

“Babe, I’m being serious here,” Zach says, the smile curling on his lips telling you he’s not being serious at all.

“Continue.” You take a bite of your lunch.

“Corn, a vegetable,” he says, raising his eyebrows, “salsa, extra cheese-”

“I think you’re cheesy enough,” you interrupt, putting a palm up. Zach laughs and nudges your knee with his.

“You love it,” he says. You smile, confirming it.

“Is this who you are now that you’re a local celebrity?” you tease. “All ego?”

A few days ago, a photo of him playing soccer in a home game was posted on his college’s Instagram account, celebrating the team’s most recent win.

As you expected, the top comment was by a girl who wrote what’s his @ i’m asking for a friend (i’m the friend).

“Afraid so,” he responds.

“I noticed you changed your profile picture on Instagram,” you say. It used to be his athletic headshot, but now his profile boasts an image of the two of you smiling outside of a café.

“Yeah,” he says plainly.

“Why?”

“What do you mean? Am I not cute in it?” he jokes.

“Zach,” you laugh. “Was it because girls were messaging you?”

His cheeks flush pink. He pulls out his phone and sets it in front of you.

“Yeah. I changed it so they know I have a girlfriend,” he says, gaze fluttering away. You know him so well. “And I didn’t message any of them back. You can check.”

“You’re so sweet,” you giggle. “I trust you, but I kind of want to look just out of curiosity to see what they’re saying.”

Sure enough, he has a few messages from pretty girls sitting in his inbox, some simple hi’s, others much more flirty.

“Can’t blame them,” you reply, sliding his phone back to his side of the table. “You’re hot.”

“Are you only in this for my looks?”

“I thought you knew that,” you say. “This is awkward now.”

Zach grins, bumping your knee again before sliding out of his side of the booth and settling beside you. You can smell his cologne, clean and gentle.

“Yeah, we’re the kind of couple that sits on the same side of the table, so what?” he mumbles, planting a kiss on your temple. You smirk, kneeling against his shoulder before sitting straight again.

“I’m sorry if that made you jealous, babe,” Zach says after a beat. At times, it’s hard to believe how sensitive he is. “I can ask them to take the photo down.”

“Oh,” you say with a laugh. He has a bit of a jealous streak stemming from insecurities, but you never felt it yourself, knowing how loyal he is. “I have a cute boyfriend. I can accept that it comes with a little competition sometimes.”

“There’s no competition,” he says resolutely, blue eyes hard on you. You squeeze his bicep and smile at him and he dips to kiss your fingers, right above the promise ring he gave you.

“You know that goes both ways, right?” you tell him softly. “You’ve ruined all other men for me, MacLaren.”

Your words send butterflies swirling in his stomach.

“Good thing we’ll be together forever then,” Zach says, a glint in his eyes.

“Good thing,” you agree.

(continuation blurb)

[niteshade925]

Apr 12-13, Xi'an, China: more food from Xi'an!

These are Shaanxi specialty dishes, shuipenyangrou/水盆羊肉 (the one closer to the camera; lit. "water bowl lamb") and yangroupaomo/羊肉泡馍 (farther from camera; lit. "lamb and soaked bread"). Of these, 水盆羊肉 is the one that Zhang Xiaojing had in The Longest Day in Chang'an, and it's frickin good. I love me some good lamb broth. If you love lamb, carbs, spicy food, and barbeque skewers, then Xi'an is the city you should visit

The bing/饼 (Chinese flat bread) in the basket is called a crescent bing (月牙饼), and it's basically shaped like a pocket. When eating the 水盆羊肉, you are supposed to stuff the crescent bing with the lamb pieces and some of the pickled vegetables (small dishes to the left and right, with a generous spoon of Shaanxi's specialty chili oil (called 油泼辣子), and then enjoy the broth.

The other dish, 羊肉泡馍, is more or less the same, but with broken pieces of mo/馍 (a type of Chinese bread) in the broth. This is somewhat similar to putting crackers in soup.

Breakfast in Xi'an, another roujiamo/肉夹馍 and a simple serving of cold rice noodles mixed with 油泼辣子 chili oil:

Lamb noodle soup (left) and biangbiang noodles (right), both with Shaanxi's signature "waistband noodles" (裤带面; these noodles are extra-extra wide, hence the name):

Finally, milk tea from a Xi'an local brand. Even at regular sugar levels, it tastes more like half-sugar milk teas in the US, which imo is a good thing because you can actually taste the tea here, it's not just sweet:

[sopuu]

What do you think of the new Minecraft update?

I LOVE WHITE WOOD. SO MUCH.

no longer will i have to strip every geode i come across of calcite for a good textured white block!!!!! imagine the colour/texture combos that can go with the wood blocks!! AND the pale plants are wonderful i can’t wait to build with them- now if only they added a bit more variety to the pale vegetation, perhaps even…white pumpkins…..

mc seems to be exploring more of the horror side of things too and i’m all for it- the creaking’s design kinda reminds me of the earlier versions of the warden actually. imo the mob is a super cool addition, sick design, tho i am a bit worried it’ll turn out to be tedious to deal with like the phantoms,, only time will tell ig!

anyways i really like how the game is getting livelier and more atmospheric by the updates! ik there’s been a lot of talk about the development side of things but i’m also happy we’re getting all these updates for free for a one-time purchase game yanno ^^

[zoomzooml]

Dragons:TNR Jörmungandr redesign (rework?) concept

(Also I know that my design pushes beyond limits of TNR animation in more than one way but here I just had fun lol)

I feel like he is not intimidating enough in original. He is very small for an "Apex predator of all dragons" (and let's remember that TNR has Giants Realm so-). I expected him to slide way longer when he was escaping his prison. He also had a lot of troubles with catching dragons (it was honestly sad to watch) And yes, as far as I know snakes are expecionally challenging to rig and animate and TNR doesn't have movie-level budget, but c'mon. It's The Final Boss. (*I think that in concept art he actually is longer so perhaps they shortened him to make animation easier (and cheaper??) considering mad speed seasons were coming out)

Sidenote - that poor danger noodle had so little of any kind of build up. It's really sad. And the first time we see him live he: did shitty jumpscare (build up was actually decent imo, but sound effect and bad animation humbled it), had short, off-screen fight with Sky Torcher after which he didn't even kill him (though he did at least leave some nasty scars and broke Torchie's tooth), and then fucked away. For me it was very underhelming.

Low quality clip for those who didn't watch (I hope Tumblr won't take it down).

Coming back to the design. I really don't like his colors. He got wings but to compensate I decided that he's not a good flier. In my mind he is an ambush hunter. And I know that THE Jörmungandr, the spawn of Loki from the myths, did not have wings, and this is pretty consistent as far as I know, but it is not THE Jörmungandr, so yeah

He is in some way mix between King Cobra, Moray Eel and sea snakes (Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait mostly). I changed his hood to be more similar in construction to a king cobra. In short, it is a bit of loose skin and ribs with the ability to move. In my design, the tips of some of the ribs poke through the skin. Now I don't think TNR would be able to animate it (But i'm not very familiar with 3D animation, especially for shows) so in show he probably would just have hood always flared. His head and sail are inspired by mooray eel because they are dope and I love them. I feel that aspects of sea snakes have died in design - they have a paddle at the end of the tail, but this has already been included in the OG design, so I don't feel the need to talk about it. However, like Sea Krait, Jörmungandr is semi-aquatic. He is much slower on land than in the water, but the difference is not as great as with Sea Krait.

I increased his size - and if he wasn't inprisoned he probably would be about 15-25% longer by now. He's old enough to be a Titan Wing but he isn't normal size - he stopped growing a bit after outgrowing average dragon of his species (let's remember that Red Death is Titan Wing as well!).

*Jörmungandr is longer but Red Death is more massive. Avarage serpents are slightly shorter than Red Death as well.

To be honest, I'm not sure if I didn't overkill it with his size. On the one hand he is large, on the other hand he is mostly long and not that massive. Idk

In addition to the scars, I think Jörmungandr would also be covered with small amounts of moss and other vegetation that started growing on him when he wasn't really active (his cave is very wet/moisty). To survive he spent almost his entire life in a state of brumation, being more active when he sensed meal approaching his reach.

Now, in my mind The Jörmungandr is the name of this particular dragon, not the whole species (Midgard Serpents? IDK), and at the same time he is not a "real" Jörmungandr from the myths. Because words cannot describe how I hate that plot.

I don't know how exactly he got his name but I think it was not because of how big he is, but because of his intelligence and mischievous soul. Again, idk.

Jörmungandr is a tragic dragon. In my version he was not trapped by Hiccup (in my version Hiccup never come back to Hidden World, because c'mon. I don't really like THW but if TNR is continity to that franchise they should follow established canon and not wreck last movie and make it completely insignificant. It loses all it's value if Hiccup, his family and perhaps other vikings, just come back and maybe even lived in the Hidden World anyway! If we have to have human marks and structures, etc. in the Hidden World, I would do it more in the style of “Haddock's Cycle” than “Hiccup and Tom.” Essentially, the creator of these changes is perhaps one of Hiccup's descendants, Tom's ancestors - the "soul of the dragon" that Hiccup and before him his mother had, summoning them to the world of dragons to see "Is it finally time? ”, but it never is, not yet anyway. Idk, I'm trying lol)

I have two concepts: There was once a main entrance to his part of the Dark Realm accompanianed by the waterfalls of magma, but now there's only basalt wall. This would make the closure possible for natural reasons and give Tom an opportunity to show off his geoligical knowledge some more.

Or he was caged in human-build prison, but not by Hiccup. I did that little sketch of how his page in Dragon Book could look in this scenario. Clearly different artstyle than Hiccup's to show that he was not the one to write about this individual (tho in show there's already different styles so--) But at the second thought it can be just illustration for species as whole, so anyway

In both cases, there are ways to enter his personal prison but he is too large to use them. They are still usefull as this is the only way prey will come to his reach. Not many dragons can escape his jaws.

He has spent most of his life in a rather hostile environment to which he was not adapted, which has left scars on his body and psyche. When he's not hunting, he sleeps. Hunger has halted his growth.

Jörmungandr is a damaged, dangerous dragon, the victim of fate and unknown past.

The psychological damage has made him hyper-aggressive, even by the standards of an already aggressive species. I don't think he could ever satiate his hunger either - if he could he would hunt and eat until he consumed everything in range or died of overeating.

For this dragon, it seems too late for a happy ending, unfortunately.

Now about the Midgard Serpents (placeholdern name, I have no idea how to name them) as a whole. Apex Predator may be a bit much, given the existence of dragons like Red Death, Purple Death or Bewilderbeast. However, Midgard Serpents remain one of the dragons that feed almost exclusively on other dragons (and sometimes even other members of their own species - they're cannibalistic), and they're damn good at it. When they feel best in the water, they can follow their prey in the sky or on land. They grow quite large and still are able to take down prey more massive than themselves (mostly thanks to venom and poisonous gas).

I think they are the main predators of 'Deaths and Bewilderbeasts (and other equally large dragons) in the earlier stages of life.

[thedreadvampy]

our country is plagued with invasive rabbit populations you could just give me the rabbit cheap 🥲 it's not like pheasant or grouse or venison where they're cultivated populations for rich people to shoot, when I was at school you'd literally regularly see teenage boys crossing the playing field with a shotgun and a brace of rabbits over their shoulder. they're everywhere and we should eat them before they get myxy (a bioweapon initially cultivated bc there are Too Many Rabbits) and become inedible.

Torn on the rabbit stew thing bc on the one hand it was pretty easy to make and it tastes great but on the otherwise I checked my receipt and the rabbit cost £15. guess I forgot we live in a city and not out in the moors where game costs next to nothing bc people want rid, rabbit in my hometown is like half the price of any other meat.

on the other hand I reckon there's 6 portions of food here so that's still expensive but not insane, it's like uhhhh £2.50 of meat per bowl. but there's also almost a full bottle of red wine, a third of a pack of bacon, a bag of carrots a pack of mushrooms and a bag of tatties in there so idk it's probably like a £5 a bowl meal.

very very very good though. just not exactly budget cooking. living in the country as a kid really warped my perception of game.

[lichenaday]

hi!! I was doing some research for a lil project a while back, and I stumbled across the funniest article of all time imo. You probably know about it given lichens and all that, but if you haven't I think it would be a shame to be missing out on it.

I'm not sure if Tumblr blocks links on anon so it's A Short History of Lichenology by Charles C. Plitt! Favorite quotes include:

Even Linnaeus dubbed them the "rustici pauperrimi" of vegetation, which has been quite properly translated, the "poor trash" of vegetation.

It goes without saying, that most of these ideas were not founded upon direct observations, but were merely opinions.

It invests them as a spider her prey, with a fine meshed web, which gradually is converted into an impregnable integument, but, whilst the spider sucks out her prey and throws it aside when dead, the Fungus stimulates the Algae, found in its net, to more lively activity, in fact, causes them to grow larger and causes thereby a luxuriant growth and the thrifty appearance of the whole colony.

- @hotmushroompics

Oh my gosh I love old descriptions of lichens. First off, Linnaeus, RUDE. I can't believe that guy. Second, so much lichenology still rests in the realm of opinion since lichen observation is difficult. Why do they do everything so slowly??? Third, not a good enough reason to use the word "stimulate," but ok, whatever. I will have to make a post on historical lichenology one of these days. It's so fascinating and dramatic, and includes a long-standing feud between Beatrix Potter (yes THAT Beatrix Potter) and the Linnean Society (sexist asshats).

[breezybeej]

The Verity by Colleen Hoover Post

I want to put some of my highlights and notes here so I can reference them without needing the images on my phone. Warning: this book sucks and you will see some really stupid and weird shit in here.

This is the description of blood splashing on Lowen (the main character) after she witnessed a man get run over. I've seen some car accidents. I don't think it's very common at all for someone's head to pop like a water balloon in these circumstances.

What is cryptic here? He (Jeremy, the romance option) has seen worse than a man getting run over. I think it's pretty straight forward, babe.

This is from Verity (jeremy's wife, a comatose woman). Most of her stuff should be taken with a grain of salt for plot reasons but some of these are so ridiculous on their face that you can't really save them

Unlikely.

Licking someone's thumb like a postage stamp is just so FUCKing SExy

I cared, I heard, and I minded. Please don't talk about getting fingered at steak 'n shake

Meeting Jeremy makes you want to jump off a cliff????? Well, to be fair, me too, girl

Why is this how you describe it, Lowen. You are reading her autobiography but you are thinking about her underwear.

Okay, I love this one because there's a lot happening. 1. He walks backwards A LOT in the first half of this book and I don't know why. 2. He was on his way to the kitchen to heat up leftovers but they were already done when they arrived? 3. He pulls out a plate of pizza. So in one very short paragraph we have pizza said three times. I think this book wasn't carefully edited.

So what does that mean. If someone has a plate of peas and they do this, I imagine them poking and prodding and scooping but pizza? Is he like... picking it up and putting it down? Sliding it around the plate?

It's just SO weird to go with your wife to her first pregnancy appointment for the baby you squirted into her, isn't it.

So this is again Verity writing from opposite land but like. They very much do have sex constantly so does she feel this way or not.

This one really bugs me just because she flubbed the parallel structure on "with a broken wrist" and "covered in blood" like the reason we have mechanics for parallel structure is that the sentences feel clunky without it.

I lost count, I didn't highlight every one, but I think this is in the book at least 10 times. Colleen does NOT trust you to remember this.

Lowen, why is this a dammit. Why is that messed up. What.

Just like Layla in the other book, Layla, Lowen is a girl who knows how to eat and she's quirky for eating tacos

So why didn't she just list the vegetables. It would be faster. "He grabbed cilantro and onions." or "He grabbed onions and peppers." Like... Colleen, you live in texas and you write about tacos in your books more than once.

People hate me for suggesting Lowen is bi but..... i mean.... she was diggin through Verity's drawers too, you remember.

Why did anyone let her say epic burn in a book. Why does she use epic again moments later.

Ope, I got this one though.

Thankfully Verity has two breasts.

That's how I felt reading this book. You DO get a feeling that Colleen partially wrote this to call out her haters.

Don't say that

Here's another line that gets repeated like 6 times. I don't even know why. It doesn't play into the plot or the themes really.

God isn't that insane. Who does that. Also this is Verity Opposite land so... does she wear lingerie often?

Babe. What.

Someone pointed out that license picture are usually the worst pictures of you possible. That makes this so much funnier imo

When you say "He groans" as a single clause, it makes it sound like he's disappointed. "Ugh, babe you forgot your bra AGAIN?"

[artemisia-black]

Sirius Black in PoA, through the Lens of Foucault

As part of the discord’s 25 years of PoA mini-fest, I wrote this meta to explore how Sirius’s journey in the narrative of PoA is emblematic of Foucault’s ideas about the interplay between control and defiance within societal structures.

1.0 Surveillance and Control

In his 1975 book “Discipline and Punish," Foucault discusses how modern societies exert control through surveillance and imo Azkaban epitomises this notion. 

The Dementors, who guard Azkaban, are agents of surveillance and control, embodying the state’s power to watch and dominate. 

The psychological torment inflicted by Dementors aligns with Foucault's theory that modern punishment focuses on mental rather than physical suffering, aiming to break the prisoner’s spirit. 

Foucault states, “The soul is the effect and instrument of a political anatomy; the soul is the prison of the body”, highlighting how modern penal systems aim to control the mind and spirit more than the physical body.

2.0 Azkaban as an Isolated Prison

Azkaban’s location on an isolated island removed from the British mainland (so out of sight, out of mind) exemplifies Foucault’s description of a new “physics of power.” Foucault explains that across Europe, the public spectacle of punishment has been replaced by the prison system. This shift reflects a more insidious form of power that is less visible but equally, if not more, effective

For example, we think that it’s wild to attend a public beheading whereas only 200 years ago it would be a day out. Also, to refer to another hyperfixation of mine- Anne Boleyn. She publicly praised Henry the 8th during her execution speech to prevent repercussions to her remaining loved ones and to be this exemplifies how public executions were a visual representation of the monarchs power.

The isolation of Azkaban serves multiple functions in this new physics of power. Physically removed from society, prisoners are cut off from the outside world, which deepens their sense of hopelessness and abandonment. This geographic isolation symbolizes the Ministry’s total control over the prisoners, who are not only confined by physical barriers but also by the immense psychological impact of their seclusion.

3.0 The Panopticon and Escape

Foucault’s concept of the Panopticon, a structure that allows for constant observation, can be metaphorically applied to Azkaban. The constant presence of Dementors ensures that prisoners are perpetually aware of their surveillance, creating a state of internalised control. 

Within this context, Padfoot provides Sirius with a  means to subvert this surveillance, highlighting Foucault’s idea that where there is power, there is also the potential for resistance. 

Sirius’s escape from Azkaban is a significant act of defiance against the oppressive system. It challenges the perceived infallibility of the prison and the Ministry’s control. His ability to transform into a dog allows him to evade the Dementors, symbolising the possibility of resistance and the reclaiming of agency.

4.0 The Dementor's Kiss and "The Soul is the Prison of the Body"

Foucault's statement, “The soul is the effect and instrument of a political anatomy; the soul is the prison of the body,” is particularly relevant when considering the Dementor’s Kiss. 

The Dementor’s Kiss, which sucks out a person’s soul, leaving them in a permanent vegetative state, is the ultimate form of punishment and control. This act effectively removes the individual’s essence, their capacity for thought, emotion, and agency, leaving behind an empty shell. The soul, according to Foucault, is shaped and controlled by societal institutions and norms, and the Dementor's Kiss represents the extreme end of this control.

For Sirius, the threat of the Dementor’s Kiss symbolizes the ultimate control over his being, a punishment that would erase his identity and resistance entirely. The Kiss is not just a physical act but a complete annihilation of the individual’s spirit, aligning with Foucault's concept that the soul (consciousness and identity) is where true control is exerted.

And it is worth noting that the only time, we see Sirius be concerned for his own safety is when the Dementors are about to administer the kiss. 

As they reached the lakeshore, they saw why — Sirius had turned back into a man. He was crouched on all fours, his hands over his head.

“Nooo,” he moaned. “Noooo ... please. Poa

5.0 Vigilante Justice and the Elimination of Peter Pettigrew

Having said this, Sirius’s desire to kill Peter, introduces a complex dimension to his relationship with justice and punishment. 

In seeking vengeance against Pettigrew, Sirius steps into the role of a vigilante, challenging the legitimacy and effectiveness of the established legal and penal institutions. This act of taking justice into his own hands can be seen as an extension of his resistance against the oppressive structures that have wronged him. It reflects Foucault’s idea that power is not only exercised by institutions but also contested by individuals who operate outside or against these institutions. 

Indeed, throughout his story, Sirius’s character is deeply intertwined with themes of power and resistance. 

He is born at the apex of wizarding society, in a position of inherent privilege. However, his rejection of his family's pure-blood supremacist ideology signifies his initial act of rebellion against established power structures. By joining the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius actively opposes Voldemort’s regime, which seeks to perpetuate these same oppressive ideologies.

Despite his imprisonment in what is essentially purgatory, Sirius maintains a strong sense of identity and resistance. 

The Ministry’s failure to properly investigate the charges against him and their readiness to condemn him without a fair trial reflect Foucault’s critique of the justice system’s role in perpetuating power imbalances. Sirius’s escape and continued fight against these injustices represent his resistance to being defined and controlled by these oppressive systems.

[daenerysstormreborn]

Dany and the three treasons

I’ve long held this little pet theory that the three treasons are things Daenerys herself does. I’m a bit split on whether or not they’re ways she betrays others or ways she betrays herself, but I lean more towards the latter—the treasons are major turning points where Daenerys betrays her own values.

One for blood

Generally, it is accepted that Mirri represents the treason for blood. And I think this is true, but not the way it is usually discussed. We cannot know Mirri’s true intentions for certain but we have every reason to believe that, had her instructions been followed, Drogo would have been fine. In the books, it’s hard to make the case that Mirri “misled” Dany about life paying for life. In the show, after Mirri says, “Only life pays for life,” she immediately says, “bring me his horse.” In this case, it definitely seems misleading. But that isn’t how it goes in the book. On some level, Dany even knows that Mirri’s magic was disrupted because Jorah dragged her into the tent. She didn’t want this. She protested. And in retrospect she even acknowledges what Jorah did. But she is a young teenager with Stockholm syndrome feeling so much grief, fueled by post-partum hormones and trauma. She needs someone to blame. She needs to maintain the delusion that Drogo was someone who loved her. If Drogo is acknowledged as an abuser, Mirri freed Dany from him. But Daenerys can’t acknowledge that. Mirri, a woman she wanted to save and swore to protect, had to take the fall. In an act of revenge, Daenerys betrays her pledge and her values when she burns Mirri. She explicitly believes slaves should not be punished for rising against their masters, which (IF putting Drogo in a vegetative state was her goal) is what Mirri did, but she is punished for it. This is the treason for blood.

One for gold

It’s not clear in the story what the treason for gold is meant to be. It is often accepted that it is Jorah, but Dany herself doesn’t feel confident about this. I believe that the treason for gold is her decision to benefit monetarily from slavery. She isn’t comfortable with free people selling themselves into slavery, but she is convinced to allow it and to profit from it because she needs the money. Dany has to compromise many times while in Meereen in ways that defy her principles, but most of these are compromises in the name of peace, which she also values. Choosing to profit from slave trades is about money and not peace and is arguably the ruling decision that goes against her values the most. This is the treason for gold.

One for love

This is the most interesting one to me because there are a lot of ways I think it could play out. This is going to be less speculation that is directly rooted in textual evidence and more “this is how I would write the story and it also doesn’t, imo, contradict the text.” I’ve said before that my ideal ending for Daenerys is to escape the narrative and reject prophecy, reject being the chosen one. I do not want her on the IT because it would make her miserable. She doesn’t even want it for herself. She is chasing the throne because she was told it is her duty. She sees it as a responsibility on her shoulders, a duty she must bear, a legacy to uphold. She does not enjoy ruling. She gets a rush from liberating, but what Dany wants is home and love. But she clearly values this legacy and wishes to honor it. I think it would work beautifully in the narrative for the final treason to involve giving up the quest for the IT. I’m not sure what Dany’s role in defeating the others will be since the dragons won’t go north of the wall, but if I were to write the story, I would bring Dany to Westeros and have her help in defeating the Others and in the process, learn what the people of Westeros really want. I would have her grow to love the realm and its people and see that she has two options: claiming the IT by conquest, OR finding a sense of home and love. And I think she would choose the latter. Give up the conquest. This would be an extraordinarily hard choice to make because she not only feels it is her duty, but she has been through so much to get to Westeros. She has suffered and fought and grieved and triumphed. To give up the conquest would be a betrayal of everything she’d done so far, all the hard choices she’s made, all the suffering she has seen. But she cannot look back at that. She can, instead, choose to escape the narrative to find a path for herself where she can feel at home. This is the treason for love.

[thegoatsongs]

The Crew and Bulgarian cuisine in Varna

First off, Jonathan. I think he would want to try Shkembe (Bulgarian tripe soup), and love it. Tripe soup isn't common in England, but we know he is open to new experiences and that he is daring. Plus, he used to be poor and it's likely he's been having similar cuts of meat, which was most affordable in England. Tripe soup has variations in Southeastern Europe and the Middle East, but the Bulgarian version adds paprika in particular and, in fact, claims the more paprika, the better. (imo it's up to your spice taste)

Is he trying any in Varna? I say yes. Because tripe soup places are traditionally open all night and morning because they're commonly visited around dawn by graveyard-shift working-class people, sailors, and people who drank the night away. Because it settles the stomach.

After Mina's dawn report, he sometimes goes there to eat, after another night of being up with Mina. He's not been very hungry, but he tries to eat... He needs his strength. He of course asks for extra paprika. He needs to feel somewhat alive.

I see Mina liking fish, and Varna is a sea town. I base this on her surname and her strong affinity with the seashore, mostly. She would really like deep-fried sprats (tsatsa), herring-like fish with lemon and fries. Sort of reminds her of home with its fish and chips. She would like the various Black Sea fishes like shad and goby, and mussels. She avoids going out when she's awake, but Jonathan knows her tastes and brings her seafood.

She tries to eat like a normal human, for him. It gets less and less easier.

Van Helsing may have tried a few Balkan dishes before but I think that he would like local Lozomi Sarmi. Rice/veggie/herb-stuffed grape leaves are a staple starter in the Balkans. I see him in general preferring vegetarian dishes but he'll have some of the ground meat stuffed ones. Dipped in Bulgarian yogurt.

Quincey is a meat lover to me and I can see him loving Meshana Skara, aka assorted meat dish, that includes meatballs, the famous kebapche, steak, and pita. Arthur isn't a lover of the local cuisine but he will try it if his friends are having it. It's what he usually does in their travels. But he eats plenty of Bulgarian yogurt, Kiselo Mlyako. It's sour, and he prefers it that way, than adding honey.

Jack likes trying new things and assessing them, he'll try almost anything once. It's autumn and getting chillier at the seaport, so he opts for warmer food like Gyuvech, a vegetable casserole with beef and potatoes in red sauce.

His insomnia sometimes brings him to overnight restaurants. Sometimes, after dawn, he sees Jonathan there. They sit and eat and smoke together, mostly in silence.