#like i 100% understand not knowing all the dog breeds; there's a LOT!! but he's an editor and our primary client is a dog trainer???

[scare-ard--sleigh]

bad news; slept like Absolute Shit last night

good news; took a nap & feel great

even better news; marketing article extension GRANTEDDDDDDDDD 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

[mrsparrasblog]

POLY 141 x pregnant Reader

reaction if they are the biological father. if they are not the Dad

Postpartum Depression

Ever thought about what it would be like to be pregnant with this gigantic pile of handsome men? Because I've thought about it, and I can go into heavy detail—I will go into heavy detail!

Price: This man has a heavy breeding kink, and no one can convince me otherwise. He was so happy when he found out you were pregnant that he immediately got into heavy Dad mode. "What do you mean?" he asked after you told him he doesn't need to baby-proof the house when you're only in the second month. He attends baby preparation courses with you and overall turns into a super daddy.

Johnny: The second one with a heavy breeding kink is 100% sure he is the father. "It's the MacTavish genes," he says confidently. "We're going to have at least three bairns by the end of the five-year mark." He wouldn't admit it, but he called his mother crying while he told her the news. The MacTavish Family was special, so they all came with big stroller gifts and the urge to overwhelm you with their love. They don't care who the baby's biological father is; in their hearts, you're a MacTavish, exactly like your sweet little bairn.

Kyle: He is really excited. He already loves the baby and is also 100% sure it's his because you two have the most sex out of all of them. He always fights with Johnny about who the father probably is. Kyle is the one who thinks the most about you. He knows how you struggle with the pregnancy and how it isn't easy for you with all the overwhelming baby daddies around you, so he takes his time to care about you. He compliments you more than ever, and if you have a weird craving, he's already ordered it before you even said a word. He is constantly trying to find a baby-safe option of your favorite food. He doesn't drink coffee anymore so you don't mourn alone. Check-up? He is the first to be there, and when the baby was born and everyone looked at it, he went to you. Not because he loves the baby less—it's his world—but because he was so afraid the whole pregnancy of losing his soulmate, the only thing worth fighting for, the only thing that kept him alive.

Ghost: He never wanted kids—at least he thought he didn't—but it made sense with you. He knew you would be the best mother in the world. So why was he so afraid? He thought about how he could hurt the baby all the time with his pure strength or how he would scare the baby or hurt you. For a blissful second, he thought maybe it would be better if he left so you'd be safe from all the shadows of his past. But he was better than his family. He bought lots of parenting books, went to his psychologist regularly, and attended dad meetings, not daddy meetings—a terrible mistake he made. He even bought you a guard dog for the possibility that you and the baby are alone. To his surprise, but not to yours, he was the most gentle and understanding dad there ever was.

Dont ask me why my brain came up with this weird stuff again but Im already thinking about how they react when they found out who the biological father is lol

[lunarnekomancer]

Corgi Pebble Paw-paganda

If you know me, you'd know that I've spread this to many helpless players who were just unfortunate enough to be in a game of Dandy's World with me when I was feeling exceptionally yappy. Without further delay, here are some reasons:

Herding has many parallels to DW kiting, especially when you take into account Pebble's active ability, as barking and running around their targets are common methods used by sheepdogs to keep the herd in line. What I mean is that kiters are basically shepherds, except the sheep in question are more murderous and (hopefully) don't get foot rot.

Pebble is shown to be very vocal and intelligent, being able to understand complex conversation (this is shown in most, if not all of his elevator voicelines), these being some of the most prominent traits in sheepdogs.

If we take into account Twisted Pebble, then a lot of the traits he exhibits resemble that of untrained corgis (their high prey drive will be uncontrolled, they will become much more territorial as opposed to a well-trained & socialized corgi's relative friendliness). This point is also partially influenced by the fact that my country is currently trying to train a corgi to become a K9 mostly for detection (the corgi has a bit of an advantage for searching small spaces for certain items). He's called Fuzai and the photos of him patrolling are incredibly funny please go see them it will make your entire day i BEG YOU PLEASE

Last but not least, they're both fucking short. This one is self explanatory.

'But Morgen there's literally two types of corgis' yeah I've also considered that. In the end, I have decided that Pebble is specifically a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and not a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

One of Pebble's most prominent characteristics is his massive, wagging tail. Although both types of corgis can have bushy, waggy tails, Cardigan Welsh Corgis excel a bit more in the tail department due to Pembroke Welsh Corgis either a, are often born with shorter tails, b, get their tails docked either as tradition or to conform to the breed standard.

This one is more grasping-at-straws than it is clear logic, but Pebble is, after all, still a pebble. (Or multiple pebbles, depending on whether his eyes, legs and tail count as independent pebbles.) He's grey. While I don't completely reject the possibilities of grey Pembrokes, more often than not, they...aren't grey. If anything, they resemble freshly baked bread loaves more than a geode of any kind. On the other hand...

Look at this sweet, sweet pup and his beautiful coat. The colouring is more akin to a rock, with its multitude of greys and the slightest hint of tawny from erosion and the sand on the ground. That's what a 'Pebble' should look like.

Oh, and one piece of very important news:

I got Pebble a day or two ago! Which now means that I now officially own all mains in the game. 'But Morgen weren't you bitching about how you hated doing Toodles mastery' As it turns out, Extraction Toodles isn't so bad. I can manage + work pretty well with veemote + magnifying glass and let lower stealth toons do all the dirty work aka get chased/j (I've also 100% all Twisteds' research but that's not the point okay the point is that I have a dog that I can use to bark at people in the lobby with)

[vergess]

homesteading question for Writing Reasons (and because every time i google or look on youtube for this stuff the algorithms start reccing me alt right tradwife bullshit) would livestock guardian dogs work with silkie chickens? mostly for aerial predators? because apparently silkies are uh. very easy targets for hawks and stuff. ideally the character i am writing wants to free range and the area does actually have hawks and buzzards so i was thinking LGDs but idk if LGDs are good with chickens or what breed to go with (any breed tbh doesnt matter where they originate as long as they can do the job because the character can get animals from anywhere) ALSO they'd have to be good with kids which i don't THINK is a problem? but idk if livestock guardian dogs actually work well with chickens and if its better to just not free range silkies at all lmao i know its Just Fiction but i want there to be actual Stakes for the homestead farm and an idyllic backyard chicken scenario is not enough Tension

In a homesteading environment, you're more likely to be relying on roosters to handle your chicken safety than on dogs; dogs are more commonly used for much larger flocks.

That said, this is a great opportunity to hype up The Best Fucking Dog, the great pyrnees. If the environment allows for them (eg it's not a desert), there polar bear looking mega-pups are THE go to for chickens.

Unlike a lot of shepherding breeds that only have instinctive bonding habits with cattle, sheep, etc, the Pyrenees understands the chickens "belong to him" without much need for specific training. He's a huge and imposing animal that will 100% Fucketh Up Some Shit if he senses a threat, and absolutely will win in a fight. But his nature is restful and gentle, and he won't think your chickens are toys to be flung all over the yard, unlike hunting breeds. Indeed, many Pyrenees are so gentle and relaxed in between "going on their rounds" that chickens will come nest on the dog.

The big issue with a Pyrenees is they will try to become the pack leader. You must establish early and often that you are the boss and that the Pyr is your right hand: trusted to make his own decisions, but ultimately expected to be obedient.

This can be tricky in today's world, where the major obedience training and work options for him are learning tricks in exchange for treats. Neither of those will appeal to most Great Pyrenees. But in the context of a fantasy homestead, this is basically as ideal a behavioural profile as you can imagine, because all a Pyrenees really, truly wants in life is:

Stuff to protect with all his big old heart

Walking around space

Praise for walking around protecting his stuff

Maybe a nice view point where he can lay and watch his stuff in between walking around

Which makes them basically perfect for acting as guardians to everything from children to chickens.

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

oc deep dive questions!

Tyyy for the tag @kaleido-scope-lady <3 i loved learning more about Ophelia<3 Gonna go for Muro/Celia bc im predictable. questions at the bottom for ppl to copy if they want to do this!

What common/uncommon fear do they have?

Teachers. school was rough for them and there's a reason beyond needing to work full time that he fully dropped out at 16- it was only Paula that stopped him from droping out before that

Do they have any pet peeves?

Picky eaters. im one myself but he will ask if you have anything you cant eat and then will cook and if you dont like the food and dont finish your plate he will judge you [In his opinion food is food and good food is great but bad food is at least something so be grateful]

ALSO people who comment on peoples accents. He speaks very strong Neapolitan so most italian speakers cant easily understand him, he tries to tone it down but if you are rude about his accent and he is understandable he gets very pissed off. Tesoro who is a polyglot and loves learning languages and accents is the main point of interaction with people from outside the city for this reason

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

Tape recorder, record player and a [field] hockey stick. He doesnt play hockey anymore but he loved it and keeps some of his old sticks around [unfortunately the ones that he used as a weapon had to be destroyed lest they be used as evidence]

What do they notice first in a person?

Their comfort level, are they confident and at ease in the environment? are they nervous and on edge? Pretty good for judging how the conversation is gonna go, and if it will turn violent- and how to avoid it.

On a scale from 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance?

It certainly gets higher over the course of his life, to about a 7 maybe? its not chronic pain haver levels of pain tolerance, but he can grin and bear through a lot. Most regular wound being he fails to entirely stop a bullet before it hits him, so he has a lot of bullet grazes that he powers thru till whoevers shooting at him is dead.

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Freeze. as an adult he freezes more, he used to fight but freezing up is safer these days and causes less regret.

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

He may not come from a big family, but he seems to have collected one around him- It starting as just his Mama and her, then Cecio, but by the time Celia was 11 Conficcare was spending more time at their flat than at home, and after his mothers death and them joining Passione, Tesoro moved into the flat and then Rametta started spending more and more time there.

He loves them all and in his dream world they are all as close, just without the negative things that drew and kept them together. Part of the reason Rametta placed into the role of father figure was because he tries very hard to be

What animal represents them best?

Dog. One of those big working dogs that's fiercely defensive and loyal. if he was a dog he would be a rescue- previously abused and mistreated and so dubbed violent but gets a new life protecting some puppies- he acts like a kicked dog enough already. i dont know a breed of dog that is tiny as puppies but grows massive but that's 100% him.

What is a smell they dislike?

Gunshot residue. He has a distaste for guns that's very hypocritical but given how many times hes seen someone go from alive to very much not in the space of a few seconds it makes sense- Baccios death being a very notable example.

Have they broken any bones?

Yep! at 16/17 in an upcoming fic she badly breaks an arm, and shes probably broken quite a few more.

How would a stranger likely describe them?

Intimidating. In a kinder light, ruggedly statuesque. The bright reds and golds of his outfits might bring to mind a poisonous animal.

Are they a night owl, or morning bird?

Both! Hes used to long hours and late nights, and loves his midday siestas. If it wasnt for Conficcares nursing shift hours he would be the person always awake first and asleep last, he likes to wait up for anyone out late and have breakfast ready in the morning before people wake up.

What’s a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

Not sure on hate, hes far from a picky eater, but he loves chorizo and salami. Butter fried chorizo with mushrooms and cheese on bread is the default breakfast and he will often snack of a stick of salami through the day

Do they have any hobbies?

Music! he loves listening to music, and he also loved being a mechanic, he takes very good care of his vehicles and really enjoys maintaining them - and racing them.

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprise?

Badly. one the initial surprise is over he finds it sweet but you better hope Human Algebra didnt deem it a threat- so no jumping out at him

Do they like to wear jewelery?

Jewelry can cause issues in fights, so he tends to avoid it. He wears his mothers rosary on his wrist tucked into his sleeve and has a few rings that he occasionally wears but other than that he keeps it to a minimum. He would love to pierce his ears and have earrings but hes half torn someone else's ear of in a fight with their earring to many times to be comfortable with having one himself.

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

Messy is an understatement- at least for teen Celia, but Marco taught her to write in block capitals, so while the spelling and grammar may not be great and the letters may be mirrored, its somewhat legible- it just takes effort so for anything long he gets someone else to write it or uses a voice recorder.

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Worry. Grief & anger to but that underlies it. He worries a lot- very much a mother hen who needs to know where eveyone is and that they are safe. he worries about how much people eat- food insecurity is a bitch- and worried about if he has made the right decisions.

Do they have a favourite fabric?

Given his main outfit is a denim jacket and trousers, probably that. Linen is nice and cool which is great in napoli!

What kind of accent do they have?

Strong. 'Canonically' he has a very thick Neapolitan accent to his Italian- if not just speaking it, probably even heavier than usual Spanish influences on his accent and slang- talking of slang he has almost definitely picked up a bit of Sinhala and Ukrainian- the languages of two largest immigrant populations in Napoli- as well as possibly bits of Chinese- as he grew up in an immigrant dominated area of the city.

[based of 2023 demographic information so probably very different from the 1980s but i haven't been able to easily find previous data- i will deep dive at some point but basically he will have picked up some words and slang from the dominant immigrant groups]

[EDIT: earliest data i can find with demographic info is from 2004 and its still Sri Lanka then Ukraine, but after that its Poland]

In my head however- he speaks halfway between Cockney and MLE [Multicultural London English] as of around the mid 80s in Hackney when MLE was growing to replace Cockney as the majority spoken dialect.

EDIT: Paula is Egyptian and so she would have an egyptian arabic accent, though due to xenophobia she will have worked hard to minimize it. Muro has other stronger influences on his accent but there are little bits here and there that will show up in his accent

-

What common/uncommon fear do they have?

Do they have any pet peeves?

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

What do they notice first in a person?

On a scale from 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance?

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

What animal represents them best?

What is a smell they dislike?

Have they broken any bones?

How would a stranger likely describe them?

Are they a night owl, or morning bird?

What’s a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

Do they have any hobbies?

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprise?

Do they like to wear jewelery?

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Do they have a favourite fabric?

What kind of accent do they have?

[tuhbanbuv]

EWJ AU and Headcanons:

Guess people wanna hear my AU bullshit lol /j

I have a fuck ton I had to dump in a notepad and try to organize it.

Jim:

Jim can get drunk off of ice cream and fro-yo because the sugar fucks up with his system so much.

Jim curls up in the neck of her supersuit when she's too tired to reach her bed or overstimulated.

Jim is bigender him/her lesbian, Psycrow is bi, Professor is gay, Peter is gay as well.

Jim's full legal name is Jim/Kim Clayton, and she switches between he/him and she/her pronouns. Just don't call him an "it".

Jim is dyslexic, autistic and has a TBI.

Jim got her name from a grave she discovered in New Junk City. She didn't know anything about gender and stuff at the time, so she just assumed the masculine persona that people gave her due to her voice and suit. This would end up biting her in the ass years later.

Insectika courting rituals are much different than human courting rituals. WHN didn't know Jim was interested in her until he accidentally proposed to her in an Insectika tradition. After a bit of back and forth they began properly dating afterwards.

Princess WHN:

Snott is actually WHN's pet, he only sticks around Jim because of the snacks he forgets he puts into his suit's backpack and Snott is very much a glutton.

Princess WHN is also autistic, but she wouldn't know until Saturn was diagnosed as autistic.

WHN is part human part Insectikette, her true heritage and birth being the catalyst for her sister taking up the throne and mother's murder because the royal family was basically advocates for eugenics. It did not end well for all parties involved, big shocker there.

WHN LOVES human food, especially pizza. She'll be completely distracted if someone offers her food. Want to make her happy, give her food.

WHN thinks that a lot of Creepypastas are real, even the bad ones. She has spent at least a couple nights searching to bring down Jeff The Killer and Slenderman only to be dragged back home by Peter.

WHN often enters in strongman contests, and has several first place trophies from them.

Peter/Amos:

Peter's parents were used in animal experimentation an attempt to make the strongest fighting dog known to man. When the ring was broken up and arrested, the dogs were sent to a farm where Peter would be born as the run of the litter, only to be adopted by a young Addie.

Peter was adopted by Addie and her family when he was a normal puppy. As he was a runt rejected by his bio mom and adopted as a newborn, Peter was 100% convinced Addie was his real mom. Even if he knows he's adopted, he still calls her his mom.

Peter is a Jack Russel-Beagle mix, though he's technically now a hellhound.

Peter does most of the housework, at least the ones involving chemicals and flammable equipment because Jim is very accident-prone.

Peter is around 20-30 during the main canon. He aged up in dog years as a normal dog only for his biological age to slow down when he became Amos' vessel akin to that of a human. He'll probably live for 100-200 years though.

Peter is very small for his breed and was often mocked for it. Now, he uses it to his advantage because seeing WHN or Psycrow pause in shock as he gets drinks at a bar is hilarious to him.

Amos is Peter's demon and later lover. Originally Satan's right-hand man…until a certain cat came along and ruined it for him.

Peter has six puppies, named Paimo, Rono, Molo, Bapho, Corso, and of course, Solo. They all have some sort of demonic power thanks to Peter's demon and their other parent, Amos. If you understand the naming scheme for them you get a free cookie.

Amos can take up a form almost like Venom when he's going parrot-mode on Brock, just chilling in Peter's shadow. Except Peter's shadow now has eyes and a mouth and scares the shit out of everyone he comes across while doing errands.

Peter is Amos' longest-lasting vessel, as most of the others died from being murdered in witch hunts or took their own lives. He only made himself known to Peter after he temporarily died after a mission gone wrong because he was so impressed with Peter that he had to see him in the flesh.

Peter has severe anxiety, and honestly, who can blame him? Though he usually medicates it with those dog CBD treats and weed whenever he can. Addie Newman:

Addie is part Corvidian part human, with her biological mother unknown and potentially dead. Addie has a suspicion that Psycrow is her biological father, however.

Addie is currently dating Grayson, president of the Earthworm Jim Fanclub. As you can imagine, the meet the parents dinner went as well as you'd expect.

Addie has a large mixed family, biological and adopted, including her adoptive fathers, David and Mike, and her adoptive baby sister, Penelope.

Addie had anger issues in her childhood, once overthrew the leader of a gang in less than ten minutes, got expelled from several schools before the age of ten, amongst other things. Her parents went to adopt her a puppy in hopes it would help her, leading to her picking the runt of the litter, Peter. Peter would help Addie immensely...until he was separated from her when he fell through a portal to Heck.

Addie kept and wore Peter's collar on her person until she would eventually try to summon Evil to retrieve Peter herself, fully knowing and accepting that she would have to sacrifice her own life according to Evil. Jim would save her and Peter and became her friend.

Addie is still a delinquent but is more geared towards vigilante justice rather than purposeful crime. She wouldn't outright say it, but Peter and Jim saved her life.

Psycrow would discover a baby Addie abandoned while he was doing drug trades. He would take Addie in for the first three years of her life until ultimately deciding to give her up to an earth couple so she wouldn't be killed due to his criminal career. The two would later reunite and Psycrow would be accepted in the Newman family after he permanently put his criminal days behind him.

Saturn, Solo and Bessie:

Saturn is selectively mute, and Solo often speaks for her when they do missions

Saturn hardly speaks even as an adult, usually only hissing or screeches. She of course knows how and can speak quite well, but just prefers not to.

Saturn was born with just her arms as a lot of baby Insectoids/Insectikettes have a "larval stage", and much like Saturn did, grow their legs later on, usually as a toddler.

Saturn can curl up like a cat, and usually does this to fit in human chairs/seats/etc.

Saturn lets Solo and the other pups ride on her back. Seeing as she's literally a giant centipede and can fit all 6 of the pups on her back at once

Saturn considers Bessie her sister/half-sister due to their parents being clones. Bessie hates her guts, so the feeling is not mutual :(

WHN stressed and worried over not being a good mother to Saturn. She was ultimately worried over nothing, as Saturn is technically the only member of the royal family that had loving parents.

Solo was completely convinced that Saturn was a dog much like her and the other puppies until Peter had to try to explain otherwise. For five straight hours.

After a mission gone wrong, Evil Jim was sucked into a wormhole and presumed dead. Jim tried to take in Bully Bessie and it worked for a while until she ran away as a preteen and assumed Evil Jim's role. She works endlessly to find her dear papa and will not hesitate to find any way to save him, even if it means backstabbing her "sister". And she'd gladly do so.

Bessie is part jaguar, part piranha, part scorpion and radioactive cow, as Evil Jim wanted to make her with every advantage known to man.

Bessie ironically enjoys using butcher knives and cleavers as her weapons of choice, considering Evil Jim's guns as "too quick". Creepy.

Evil Jim didn't know what sex/gender Bessie was at birth and still doesn't, so he just let Bessie choose her clothes even as a baby.

Solo, despite being the smallest of her siblings, is pretty much the litter's leader. Mess with her family and you'll beg for death. She makes her fathers proud though Peter is a bit worried.

Solo can see and speak with the dead.

[papakhan]

🧅🍉🥭 for sun and fleabag? and I cant find pepper emoji on my gboard so hot pepper for sun (although I feel like i know the answer 😭)

hehehehe THANK YOU SO MUCH sorry this is so late but here we go link to the meme

🧅 [ONION] What is surefire to make your OC cry? Who knows of this information?

Sun

Sun doesn't cry super often, though he was considered a bit of a crybaby as a child (I think longtime allies of the Khans still think of him as the little boy crying in Papa's lap that one time their leaders all went to dinner). He still is the type of guy to get a bit watery if he stubs his toe or something, I think he mostly cries either out of stress or out of pain. He cried for days when he and Manny broke up and when he lost his finger, both of which I think are pretty understandable. I think Papa is probably the one most aware of this because THATS HIS BABY

Fleabag

I imagine Fleabag cries over a lot, the type who'd 100% cry watching children's movies about animals or whatever. They cry when a dog dies they cry when puppies are born, they cry when this one dog finally picks up a trick they've been trying to teach for a long time. I haven't ironed out Fleabag's relationships yet so I'm not sure who knows this about them <3

🍉 [WATERMELON] What will your OC take to the grave?

Sun

HMMM I think there's a lot of things he'd never admit to anyone. I think he gets quite jealous when Papa is fatherly towards other people but keeps it to himself because he thinks its childish. He's also convinced that he somehow singlehandedly caused the Khan vs House war in Vegas in 2274 because him getting his finger shot off being an idiot made Papa so angry he declared war on House (which isn't true because there was a lot of political stuff going on and building up to the war and Sun getting shot was a small part in a much larger choice on Papa and the advisors part) so I think that's the major one he'd take to his grave LMAO

Also physically taking to his grave he's def gonna get buried with his machete

Fleabag

So background on Fleabag that I'm not sure if I've shared but Fleabag's dad was a New Khan who was politically opposed to Papa Khan and his new leadership. Their dad wasn't such a nice person and while he did teach Fleabag how to breed and train dogs, he also taught them a lot of nasty opinions on Papa and the "agenda" he was bringing into the Khans, which Fleabag did internalise for a while. Obvs they worked through this and aren't at all like their dad anymore but I think they're still feeling shameful about the way they acted as a naive teenager under the thumb of their father. Fleabag also didn't come out as trans until after their dad died out of fear but I think they also feel guilty about that.

🥭 [MANGO] What colours best represent them and why? Does this differ from their favourites?

Sun

Orange for sure. Orange is just a very deserty colour to me and Sun is pretty adapted to working out there but I think it's also a colour of warmth and connection AND fire and passion. But I think Sun's favourite colour is red ever since his dad Min told him that its a lucky colour

Fleabag

I think green for Fleabag, their hat is green and they wear cameo clothing. I associate green with nature and Fleabag wanders around in the wilderness more than most and also obvs good with animals like all their dogs. If you asked Fleabag their favourite colour it'd probably the gold yellow of a coyote's eyes.

BONUS SUN ONE

🌶️ [HOT PEPPER] Who would your OC declare their sworn enemy if they could meet them?

It's Boone.

[aquarianlights]

Did you ever do the DNA test on Echo?

No, as I don't have enough for an Embark. 😭 I have been DYING to do it. So badly. Moreso now than I ever have been... Since all these health problems arose and his 10th birthday is on the 17th, it makes me scared I will never get the $ to get an embark before he dies & I don't think it's possible to test after death. All I would have is his ashes, paw print stamp and some fur anyways. Kinda hoping to get a canine tooth of his or maybe both, but idk if I'm gonna genuinely do that yet. All I know FOR SURE is want some tail fur, feet fur and ear fur, a paw print stamp and his ashes. I'd LIKE a canine tooth & a nose print stamp, but it's okay if that doesn't happen.

I want to send the embark in without a picture and without telling them any breeds so there's no chance for bias at all.

Embark is the most accurate out of everything out there, but like with every other DNA kit it only goes back 3 generations. So if he does BY SOME MIRACLE come back 100% pomeranian, I'd be SHOCKED coz that means the mix was further back than three gens and probably WAY further back considering the phenotypes of his littermates and the dam and sire.

I am betting there is Mittelspitz mixed in, but that would be so odd unless his line is an import. Coz it is EXTREMELY difficult to get a Mittelspitz in the US. There are only a couple breeders in the whole country and the Mittelspitz community in America is VERY tight knit. Mittelspitz usually come to America via imports as they are not typically seen in the US naturally or by breeding. The breeding that is happening is only preservation breeding because the community is that small. There's no bybs in Mittelspitz that I know of in America and I have heard breeders outside the US are very selective of what Americans they will sell their dogs to. So it'd be SUPER odd for him to have Mittelspitz mixed in but it's the only thing that makes sense to me. He is the size. His coat texture, colouring and markings are more Mittelspitz than pom. His conformation is much more Mittelspitz. But his temperament and biddability is Pomeranian to a t.

I only know so much about Mittelspitz coz I want to get into them SO badly coz after having Echo, who is 20 lbs at a healthy pet weight, I just don't want to get a pom-sized dog. They're so tiny. And I LOVE that. At least, I DID. But after experiencing a spitz that is 20 lbs, give or take, I have found my perfect size. And finding out what he is mixed with could help me figure out what purebred to look into next. I normally wouldn't stray out of spitzes unless it was a papillion, but if he is mixed with something non-spitz, that would make me pause and look at that breed for a few years to see what they're like to see if I should add them to the list.

Most of all, I am just sad that he is turning 10 and I haven't been able to do it yet. :/ Ik a lot of furmoms always say stuff like, "I don't care what he is! I love him so it doesn't matter! He is loved so that's what is best!" as if they are personally offended, implying that people who DNA test their supposed purebreds don't love them, but I just don't understand that POV coz it's quite the opposite for me.

Knowing what breeds he is will help me with understanding him better regarding his body language and verbal signals, it will help me with his training and will help me develop a deeper bond with him.

Just because my dog is byb/not well bred and I want to find out what is in him doesn't change how I feel about him or how much I love him. It never would. If it did, it would only make me love him more as I would be able to understand him on a much deeper level. So I just don't understand why furmoms get *so* offended when DNA tests get brought up.

Anyways uh...

I know that was a yes or no question. Sorry... if you have me as a friend on fb or knew me in my early tumblr days, then you know how verbose and tangent-orientdd I am lol. 🤦🏼 Someone could say "hi" and I'd write 5 paragraphs lmao.

Ik you didn't come here to hear me ramble on about my dogs phenotype and his pedigree and so on and so forth so uh...

TL;DR: No. 😅

[theorist-influencer-untitled]

5.12.23 Friday

12:42 am

Done,showering... Massage on my face to avoid wrinkles... Whew! I FEEL BITTER-STRANGE!

8:32 am

Uncle Jun went to the forest 30 minutes ago...

Well, I still have the windblow trap and I feel bitterish just credit a sachet of coffee on Clarissa'z CarinderiaZ and waiting for alms... Coz Uncle DD can't handle assisting me on my coffee... Chipay assistance but thank you but still chipay... They had have deal on something with my Aunt Teresa... 16 years having this windblow trap, my family suffers so much and most specially me...

Family are mixed people with fake and I don't know who are real people in this family...

I still wanna leave the hometown and hoping for a prince-charming but I'm losing hope, if only I can get people that I saw on youtube or tik-toks... Well... Only God knows...

Hoping and praying to meet new friends most specially men that are sane and mature that will tell me hey! Do you need a lift baby? I can be a friend... Coz a stable friend will be willing to be your lifter in times of defeat... But this is a special friendship... We all know it is hard to find...

Loving someone and loving a friend and being with a special friend are things that is difficult to explain even finding a partner or finding a circle that can truly understand that magical bond of love between friends and partner and between you and them...

It is hard these days coz I'm on my 40's and I have a windblow trap angels...

Still, watching "Buying Beverly Hills" ( Kyle's life of Desparate Housewives ) that a lot of women dream and wish to have if it's your lucky fate... Lucky Fate! Yeah...Lucky in love...

But everyone has the right to dream as long as your heart is real... This is my view in life... I dream high but I could settle less but aiming and working and still a happy life.... But it is it depends I still have some shallow happiness that I wanna achieve...

I wanna buy starbucks everyday... I still want a self-fulfillment... I don't know will be 42 in a lil while... I'm a college graduate but I'm a real shrink... I feel hurt, scared and low self-esteem...

11:25 am

I still wanna leave the hometown... Trapping is not fair...

Hope to find you... But I want my starbucks everyday....

11:37 am

Chicken Tomatoes...

3:11 pm

Just got back from the outside world, just bought our rice and dog food for our babies here... Just got the providence for these coming from Uncle DD with a special deal on my Aunt Teresa... He is managing the fundings like a laundry thingy... Life is yeah super tight and I'm still self-pitying...

Well, life is tight here but surviving and some pending bills that leave it to God, God will make a way if he knew that your heart is pure...

5:13 pm

Here we go again this plastics Uncle Jun... Another reaction about the food and if there is 100 pesoses extra....Uncle DD? Will give extra???

Uncle Jun whew I wish him dead soon... He is reacting if Neko got an extra meal, I said huh? There is a dog food, "Top Breed"... He commented not that one, the other one! Huh? I said that is the "Top Breed Adult"....He is still crazy.

I want them dead even the Georgia'Z gang...

But in fairness Neko needs an extra meal or some kind of wet food for his dog food coz they are already adult.

But this is the budget gave to me by Uncle DD, I can't afford to buy wet food for now, for them Neko and my baby John...

I feel irritated coz it is shocking to me Uncle Jun's comment about the dog food "Top Breed Adult" that one is not the one...Huh! We used "Top Breed Adult" for 2 years now...

Not my ideal life to spend my aging days with him or any of my uncle's...

I wanna leave the hometown angels... Please God,hear me...

Uncle Jun is motivated coz of me here, probably like I don't have any extra art in life now that we can be equal...My psychological analyzation on Uncle Jun.

Whew! I feel stress angels... I went out to buy rice and dog food and hearing those comment from Uncle Jun... Then, I went home I need to clean the living room coz I can't hire a housemate now... I'm tired of thinking of money and job away from here... I need to clean the living room and I have to check the food availability for our dinner... I need to clean the kitchen, everyday is tiring for me... I have no job, I have low self-esteem, I'm a college graduate but I'm a shrink for 16 years... What will happen to me???

Uncle Jun is mainly in-charge to take care of Neko, feed and clean her...Our dog here... Clean her kennel outside. I know it is as well tiring...

But of course, respect me as individual facing struggle that I'm a shrink but I'm a college graduate...

I have to feed 2 dogs, my baby John and our aspin Lalah... Everyday they are like us,human beings....They eat twice lunch and dinner, as well as our Aspin Lalah ( but Kuya Gary's dog, originally )... Wash their plates and always2x fresh food.

I disinfect the day John came into my life here... Coz if I wasn't disinfecting our floors here, parvo could possibly exist during pandemic days and days that we could open our ac here... Parvo can easily replicate and possibly be existed in cold places and dirty floors...

I can't sleep without keeping the sponges coz there are some minnie mouse here and we need to buy mouse trap....So, for them not to bite the sponges I have to keep it at night,when everyone is sleeping already...But everyone here must do their diy (do it yourself ) washing of your own plates and everything that someone used...I need to clear the kitchen at night... In a way... But we need a lot of mouse trap and cleaning materials..

7:10 pm

Plus, John needs to brush his teeth after dinner...Once a day at night...

Hoping in the future I can have a housemate assistant again... I need to work away from here... Shrinking and dying and self-pitying...

8:38 pm

Done,eating and the 2 dogs as well here... The story of our Aspin,I'm gonna do a recap from the past months Uncle Jun didn't feed Lalah, I mean he stopped feeding Lalah and I asked him why he is not feeding Lalah? He answered me that I want her to die... Huh?! I was shocked! Shocked! I was thinking this Uncle Jun is a bad soul. I remember my Aunt Teresa just told me that to feed Lalah a fresh food and never give her food that is not clean coz she is not a pig... I was kinda laughing coz I sometimes fed Lalah a mixed food of left-over ( that was before coz I didn't know ), then after Aunt Teresa told me that coz Lalah is not a pig, I started giving her fresh food for 9 months now...

Then, I started to segregate left-over on an organize way since the day my Aunt Teresa told me to feed Lalah a fresh food or if it is left-over, organize it like on human food. I put the left-over on a plastic case ( I think,it is microwavable plastics case ) if it's bones then bones, if it is having broth of a particular then I put it on a 1 case plastics box, then left-over rice but still fresh on an another plastics box again then I put it inside the refrigerator for tomorrow... When, tomorrow comes I will get those and somehow heat it over the gas stove but not too much, just to kill the coldness of the food.

8:57 pm

Sometimes,at night like now 8:57 pm,Uncle Jun is hanging out with Neko coz based on dog psychology human should bond with their dogs or give them quality time to avoid having a rebellious character on the dog owner or on the family members... Most specially these days Neko had her pregnancy and 1 puppy died after birth. We had 6 puppies all in all ( supposed to be... ) But only 5 survived then after awhile, 1 survived and the rest died due to parvo. A total heart-breaking experience here, just recently...

Neko is still crying if she's alone or if nobody will check her or if nobody will give her a pat... Neko is on her heartaches due to what happened... Supposed to be 3 or 4 puppies will be going out for sale and 1 or 2 puppies we will keep supposed to be for Mother Neko not to be lonely... It is like on human beings, parent's that have many children wanted to keep 1 or 2 children with them until they grow-old... Mostly the eldest is on that position... ( But case by case... )

9:58 pm

I still have the windblow trap... I feel bitter...I hate Betsilogz with Georgia'z gang...

I wanna meet new men's friends.... I can't find a new partner to lift me up... I feel fat and ugly...

I hate insensitive man... I don't like immature or men who can't accept me... I don't like judgemental... Men who can only view the negative things that are happening to me now..

[stancy4lifer]

Steve Harrington NSFW Alphabet !

A = Aftercare (what they're like after sex)

Steve is extremely gentle after sex, he’s all for that aftercare. He tends to start showers immediately, if he has the energy. If he doesn’t, then he will settle for a good cuddle. He just wants to hear your heart beat and smother you with kisses afterwards, that’s all. Then fall asleep of course.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner's)

His, is definitely his hair. It’s his best asset! For you, probably your breasts/chest. We all know Steve is a boob guy. He’s also quite proud of his fingers, especially for how loud they can make you moan.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically i'm a gross person)

This bastard LOVES creampies. Consensually of course. If that’s a no, then in your mouth or on your ass is good enough for him. When it comes to you finishing, all he wants to do is swallow.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He low key wants to make a sex tape. Or not just one, multiple. He wants to watch them with you while fucking you— to him it sounds perfect. At the same time, he’d love to fuck you on the counter in his Scoops Ahoy uniform while the mall is closed.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they're doing?)

Oh Steve is very experienced. He knows what he’s doing with you and he isn’t afraid to show that.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Any! But, he loves being on top of you. He also likes scissors where he spreads your legs in a V so he can feel you deeper.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Oh he’s a very fun boy! Well, unless the mood is made to be serious. If it’s light, dainty sex then he can be more of a humorous lad, but if the circumstances lie in a rather serious tone then no laughing will be shown. But, he’s also very understanding. If little accidents happen, he laughs them off.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He is very well groomed! He takes a lot of pride in his hair, and not just what’s on his head. Carpet 100% matches the drapes. He is tempted to just grow everything out, but he thinks that takes away from his, well, cock.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He is a very intimate. He can be rough, but every touch matters to him. Every caress, whimper, graze, cup, grope and tug matters to him and he will treat each one in a heavenly manner.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Steve isn’t shy to admit that he jacks off normally. His sex drive is usually very high and to calm himself down he touches himself while thinking of you. And he promises, it’s only you.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

This man has such a breeding kink. The thought of filling you up sets him on fire. The man probably has a daddy kink, but I wouldn’t really put a mommy kink behind him.. Although not typically a kink, he prefers to be the dominant one. Maybe sometimes he likes being submissive, but that’s rare with him. He likes have full control over you, knowing you fold at every movement he does. But he’s a soft dominant, not harsh or that rough— unless you want him to be. But with that there is a praise kink, a rather clear praise kink. And hell, with the breeding kink there’s definitely a lactation kink or at least curiosity running through his mind.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Steve is a sucker for the good old fashioned bed . He likes watching you grip sheets, clench the sheets. But he also likes how easy it is to cuddle you after. However, the shower, his car and the back room of Scoops Ahoy are all places where he would gladly make a mess of you.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

You moaning. There is no better sound to him than your moans. The way that he’s able to do that— can boost his ego and keep him going. For turn ons? Anything at this point. He’s a horn dog, clearly, but dirty talk in public places can really rev him up— and don’t forget about those sundresses!

N = No (something they wouldn't do, turn offs)

R@pe play. It’s a no for him. He could never do it. Bondage would also be hard for him to a certain extent, and although he likes trying anything and maybe degrading is a thing he ends up liking, all in all he would feel guilty afterwards. If you were into bdsm you’d have to throughly discuss everything with him and soothe his mind.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Steve loves both! Your mouth around his cock is enough to get him going, but there’s nothing he loves more than eating you out. He’ll do it anytime anywhere. The car? Yep. His mom’s bathroom? Yep. The mall? If you want. His skill is other worldly and he always makes sure you feel good. It’s always his top priority.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

He can be both when he needs to. If it’s thought out, planned and meant to be romantic he’s incredibly sensual and slow. He wants you to savor every thrust as much as he savors every whimper.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Steve likes quickies! Steve is a total horndog so truthfully he will take anything he can get. However, if he is able to spend at least 20 minutes with you, there will never be a quickie. For him quickies are just a backup.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

For sure! He’s a risk taker, open to experimentation of any kind! he has his limits but he’s all for communication, which he will for sure do!! Besides, when you two try something new he’s always excited to see if it is truly arousing and can be added to your normal repertoire.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

This bad boy can last a while. They don’t call him King Steve for nothing! He’s not afraid to show off his stamina, which might make you want to test out your flexibility beforehand.. y’know.. to prevent injuries.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He wants to try toys on you, definitely. But he’s rather confused on how they word, which ones to buy etc. So, he’d bring it up to you in conversation, trying to figure out what vibrator or dildo to get. He wouldn’t bring it up for quite some time, so he could surprise you with it for a night. He feels like toys help add to the “Steve Harrington Experience” and he’s very welcoming of them. Besides, his ego isn’t fragile, he knows silicone doesn’t make you feel the way he makes you feel.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

This man is such a tease! He loves teasing, he adores listening to you beg for him. But, he doesn’t mind when you tease him! He genuinely thinks it’s cute how you try to rile him up, he appreciates it. Somewhat.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Wooooweee! This man is LOUD! He does not care who is listening but this fellow feels a need to groan and say whatever he wants. He calls you his good girl, darling, baby, any pet name in existence! He makes you say you’re his and what not, but if he needs to be quiet he is able to adapt. Though for him nothing is better than a lot of volume.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

This dude has a total lactation kink. It’s not so submissive, but it’s more dominant. But he also likes how sexy you are *pregnant*, and he just is so so curious. Plus he saw it in a porno, wanted to try it. He would bring it up to you very bluntly or very suavely. There is no in between.

X = X-ray (let's see what's going on under those clothes)

He’s definitely bigger than average, and he likes to show it. He wears jeans a size smaller to show his, package. And when he’s hard? Good luck deepthroating that.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

He’s got a very high sex drive. Sex at night, sex during the day, sex during showers or sex during monster hunting. It’s all sex sex or cuddle cuddle cuddle. He finds himself becoming hard way too much throughout the day just because he’s thinking of you.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He always waits for you to fall asleep first. Steve very much wants to be a protector, so he makes sure you’re safe in his arms after everything. Sometimes he does fall asleep first, but not often.

[bts-hyperfixation]

Most to least: trying hybrid kink with a partner? 👀

Didn't know a whole lot about hybrids as a kink, had to do some research in form of the lovely woman that Betas for me. I won't tag her in case she doesn't want to be, I've never asked...

Anyway I have only really run into Hybrids as a fic concept, a whole world of real hybrids rather than extreme roleplay which is what I think you are referring to here, although please correct me if I'm wrong, I'll be happy to do this again with more information. (This might end up veering a little into pet play)

Most

Namjoon - His entire sexual persona screams owner to me. He would probably be a little apprehensive at the idea of what is essentially 24/7 kink life but get really into it after a couple of sessions. He would adore coming home to his pretty puppy hybrid waiting for him by the door with their patent leather collar that he bought for them. He would probably carry out some kind of extensive research into the chosen breed to make sure they had authentic "heats". Even when in public his partner wears a subtle reminder, whether that is a choker, or a tail plug

Jungkook - I think Jungkook would find comfort in being a hybrid himself, having an owner to care for him. He might even be the one to suggest it over his partner. It's a way to take the weight of the world away from him as he is petted and cared for. Watch closely and you can see a dog tag ever present on his body.

Yoongi - Could easily see him playing around with someone that wanted to be a cat hybrid, enjoying coaxing the skittish behaviour out of them, working through the aloof behaviour he was presented with in the beginning and earning his partner's affection

Jimin - Would 100% enjoy being a hybrid, but wouldn't be able to fully commit to the kink. He likes being his own person too much at times and enjoys a switch dynamic. Hybrid play doesn't lend itself to a 50/50 lifestyle.

Seokjin - Could play the part of a hybrid very well, he is an actor after all, but he doesn't really get the appeal of it as a whole. Enjoys nurturing and being nurtured. He will play along on occasion but it isn't his thing.

Taehyung - Doesn't enjoy roleplay, wouldn't understand why his partner didn't just want to be themselves. Open to a lot of other kinks but never roleplay

Hoseok - Just thinks there are so many more interesting things you could be roleplaying as: enemy spies, pirate and damsel, maid and the boss (He is the maid).

Least

Come be thirsty in my asks! Or ask me questions about previous fics, Or leave me a most least or reactions.

Or answer this form on next year’s fic requests you may have

[heresathreebee]

The One Where She Got A Dog

Yelena Belova X Reader

Summary: how Yelena became a dog mom Masterlist Part 2

Tags: E | 1.8k words | scary movie, winter, secret pasts, sapphic

AN: Black Widow movie really got me in my feelings about those characters, Yelena in particular. I havent watched The Thing in almost a year please look the other way if movie events are out of order.

Pretty Russian girls are not usually your type, but fuck if you weren't absolutely obsessed with this one. You laughed when she told you she was from Ohio.  She laughed when you said you were too. 

Aquavit and your grandma's biscuit recipe brought her into your cabin on the edge of the world where she admitted to you she had never seen John Carpenter's The Thing before. You turned it on just as the snow storm set in and wrapped up in your thickest blankets with her. You're trying not to get your hopes too high but she's not shy about asking you to scoot closer. 

"Skäl," you cheer just as the ominous opening credits end and they find the mysterious ship in the frozen wasteland of antarctica. 

"Have you ever been?," Yelena asked. 

You grimace at the strong taste of aquavit. It's like vodka but with caraway for 'flavor'. You look at her from the side and poor yourself a second shot. "Been…?" 

"There." She points at the screen. 

"I have actually," you admit in a way you hope is flat and uninteresting, "have you?" 

Yelena shook her head. It's possible she might think you're being sarcastic (you cross your fingers under the blanket and hope she does). She's smiling at you, thinking something (but still watching the screen with interest). 

She drops the subject until you have to pause the movie to pee. You unwrap yourself from the cocoon of blankets and as you stand she asks you another question. 

"What were you doing there? in Antarctica, I mean." 

You sigh and pretend to brush something off of your pants. "Science trip with my parents. Shitty vacation for me I'd rather be in the Bahamas." 

You resist the urge to look at her. After taking care of business, you come back just in time to put the biscuits in the oven. You hear Yelena lean into the kitchen archway as the floors creak immensely here. 

"No timer?," she asked. 

"No timer," you confirm. "I use the timer of my heart." 

Yelena scoffs. "Please don't burn them, I'm curious about these… what are they– pastries?" 

"Something like that." 

The two of you went back to the movie just as the gang on screen is trying to decipher who is human and who is not. You feel like something between you has changed and sadly not for the better. 

But she can't know. 

"I hate this part," you say, making absolutely no move to avert your gaze. 

Yelena is startled when the doctor's arms become trapped in the bear trap belly mouth of the "man" on the table. She quickly covers her eyes and giggles manically, slapping your chest for the vague and unhelpful warning. You realize she's not as close to you as before…

There's 20 minutes left of this movie and you haven't seen a single thing on screen. Yelena stopped asking you questions when you stopped being coherent with your answers. All you can think about is telling her. 

But you can't tell her. She would never understand. You barely understand and it's about you. 

"I lied." Your heart beats in your throat as you see her face you but you can't look at her directly for fear of losing your nerve. "About the science expedition? That's not why I was in Antarctica…" 

Yelena seems to wait for you to continue but… 

"Eh, no offense but, " you gesture with your hand, "I don't really know you like that." 

Yelena gave your reply a single nod. "I suppose that's fair." 

You can't help but fidget in your seat. "Idliketo" 

"What was that?" 

You cleared your throat. "I said… I said I'd like to. Know you like that, I mean…" 

Yelena gives you a smile. "I would like to know you like that, too." 

The movie ends, the biscuits are not burnt but buttery soft and golden brown, and the blizzard outside has subsided some. It's still going but at least it's not buffering the doors and windows like before. 

"How can you watch that film in a place like this?" Yelena cannot get enough of those biscuits, stuffing them in her mouth 2 at a time. "Does it make you paranoid?" 

"Yes it does," you say, putting your coat on, "I think that's what makes it so much scarier–  looking outside and being scared every person you come across ain't who they say they are. Sometimes its not a bad thing though... I think it is rather… poetic, too." 

Yelena's eyebrows furrow. "Where are you going?" 

You put on your boots and hope the duct tape stays on the hole you covered earlier. "Dogs are out in the shed. It's heated and they have food, but not for days and I'd rather have 'em in the house where I can take care of them." 

As you finished your sentence you reached for the door,  but stopped when you noticed Yelena getting dressed too. She gives you a nod as soon as her hood comes up, and you give this brave thing an appreciative once over. 

The snow that nearly all melted before is up to your knees now. Fresh, white, and fluffy. It muffles sound like the world's sidelong turning. The odd snowflake wafts lazily from the sky, but for the most part it's died down. You teach back and take Yelena's gloved hand to keep from staying too far apart. 

"You know I always wanted a dog," she said. She could have said it in a whisper from 100 yards away and you still would have heard her–  that is how eerily quiet it is. 

Yelena squeezes your hand and you squeeze back. She's probably remembering the movie. You try to distract her by saying, "Oh yeah? You can have one of mine then." 

Yelena laughs, then stops. "You serious?" 

"As a heart attack." You finally reach the door to the shed and unlatch the door. A chorus of barks begin and you charge forward to nudge them back to give Yelena space to come in as well. "I do some breeding up here–  just a side job. They're usually working dogs but they can be pets too." 

Buck licks your face from chin to forehead and you push him back. "Down, boy! Show some respect!" 

Yelena has two of the mongrels circling her, sniffing all her clothes and demanding to be pet. "That's Burt, Barney, and Bella. Buck's my stud, but these heathens are going to a farm. They've got sheep to watch." 

Yelena chuckles as her hands get covered in slobber. "I love them." 

They're almost grown, three quarters the height of their father. Buck didn't even look in Yelena's direction because he knows you give him treats. You take your scarf off as the heat of the shed threatens to smother you and search your pockets for jerky.  

"She's in there with the new puppies." You point to a darkened closet. "Don't get too close now, she's still a little protective." 

Yelena creeps closer. You see her look at you from the corner of her eye. Probably terrified by the morphing dog scene from the movie. You give her an encouraging smile and tell her where to find the light. It's a pull cord and it bathes the room in a warm golden yellow light. 

Yelena's heavy, controlled breathing turns into a coo. Mama dog is laying on her side watching the newcomer closely. There's a pup asleep in the nest of her legs, another chewing on the hay that litters the ground, and the last one is biting their mother's ear. Yelena looks back at you with an adorable pout on her lip. 

"So cute…" 

You chuckle and put your arm around her. Buck knows to steer clear of mama dog and slinks off. You make your guest walk closer with you to show mama she's got your confidence. 

"Yelena, this is Beyonce." Mama dog's ears perk at the sound of her name. "Beyonce, this is Yelena. Be nice." 

You reach down and scoop up the hay eating puppy at your feet. "This one's always hungry." 

You put the pup in her arms and scoop up the biter. "This one likes to play. All the time. Got more energy than the blue Energizer bunny actually." 

The pup in question is literally trying to wriggle out of your hands in its eagerness to climb you and eat your hair. 

"And that one sleeps a lot?" Yelena nodded her head at the last pup. 

"Pretty much." You put the writhing excited puppy down before it hurts itself and look up into the rafters. "And then there's the climber…" 

You both turn your heads when you hear a tiny bark. A cute little face stares down at you from the rafters and there's a feather stuck to its nose. You shake your head knowing this pup got it from ripping up pillows in another part of the dog house. 

"Better go get her," you said, not moving an inch to do so.  

Yelena sees your challenge and rises to it. As if trained to do exactly so, she assesses the wooden interior for foot and hand holds. You can see the wheels turning in her head as she calculates what will and won't support her weight. In the sweep of a single moment, she rises from the door and swings herself into the rafters using a build up a momentum to propel her fast in an upperward direction. She completes the climb and balances with ease, reaching out to collect the happy wagging miscreant from her mountain top, tucks her in her jacket and climbs a different way down. 

You stare at her. "Were you raised by trapeze artists?" 

Yelena laughs. "I thought everybody was." 

The pup is safe and happy and eager to explore its new friend. Yelena lets her lick, sniff, and scratch at her skin, her clothes, her hair. The pup catches Yelena with a tiny lick right on the tip of her nose and Yelena looks back at you with adoring eyes. 

You smile. "Got a name for her already don't you?" 

"Yes," Yelena whines, "no, are you sure about this? I should probably tell you I've never had a dog before…" 

"I can tell your good people," you reply. "And smart as a whip. You'll adapt, just call me if you ever need anything." 

~

Three weeks later you get a phone call from an unknown number. It's Yelena giving you an address and making you swear never to tell anybody about it. You don't have any friends so it's an easy secret to keep. 

You drive a few miles south and stumble upon a stationary trailer in the middle of nowhere, nothing but clearings and trees and sky. Actually very similar to your own home. 

The door opens and Yelena greets you with a beer and the pup under her arm, already almost a foot bigger than she was before. 

"Her name is Fanny." You both laugh yourselves hoarse and pile into the trailer to puppy proof the place. 

[superhero--imagines]

Etsy Store Here l Ko-Fi l Commission Info I Instagram

Part 1 Here!

A/N: Just some extra headcanon since this basically lives in my head rent free.

* Don’t get it twisted, Nanami loves you a lot, but there’s a really big reason he picked you to be his spouse-

* “I don’t want children, now and not in the future,” He tells you

* You’re both sitting at a cafe, you were looking out the store window to the busy street when he says it

* Nanami is sweating, things have been going pretty good so far, but there’s no point in continuing on like this if you want children

* It’s not that Nanami doesn’t want kids, or that he doesn’t like kids

* It’s just if he has one of his own, there’s no way he’ll be able to die without any regrets

* He might even become a curse just to see his child again

* So he can’t have kids

* But the least he could have done is said it more tactically!

* Still, it’s better to get it out of the way now, before either of you get too attached

* He really should have said it when you first met, but he liked you, he was thrilled when you agreed to the courting period

* So he wanted to do this a bit more tactfully than last time

* Not that it was all that much better tbh

* You tilt your head to the side, that really did come out of nowhere

* Well, marriage has always meant kids right?

* Especially an arranged marriage like this, the whole point is for your elders to secure that you’ll have a family of your own

* You’re not quite sure how you feel about children, but you know that you’re not ready for them right now

* All you know that you want is a family

* But who’s to say a family means a husband and a child?

* The world is changing, there’s so many different kinds of family’s now-

* Who’s to say a family can’t just be you and your husband

* “I think that’s alright” you finally respond

* And Nanami smiles so brightly that you feel your heart race just by looking at him

* “Again,” You say

* “Huh?”

* “Smile like that again”

* “I can’t do it on command” he replies laughing

* He does smile like that again for you though, and only for you

* I know everyone says Nanami is a cat person, and don’t get me wrong he totally is-

* He can appreciate another independent creature

* But I 100% believe Nanami gets a puppy that’s a big dog breed

* I’m talking Great Dane/Mastiff/Saint Bernard/Rhodesian Lab

* A BIG dog that will protect you in case...in case he can’t one day

* “Raising a dog is a lot of work, good thing we don’t plan on having kids” you laugh, watching the puppy finally fall asleep after raising hell for 12 hours

* “Yeah” he’ll say with a small smile

* Nanami’s always thinking about the future, he’s always trying to tie up any loose strings so he won’t die with any regrets

* Everything is paid off in advance

* Your house or apartment lease, your car, even your credit cards-

* That way you won’t have to worry if he’s not around

* “Nanami-San, are you planning on going somewhere that I can’t follow soon?” You ask

* Ever since the engagement party he’s been really stern about having you understand all the household finances, how to pay bills, all the bank accounts he has

* He even made you a planner for the next year with what day what bills are due and how/when you need to pay them

* You’re asking if maybe he’s terminally Ill, that would make sense considering the way he’s acting

* Nanami still hasn’t told you about the Jujutsu world or anything like that

* He doesn’t want to burden you with it just yet

* “The future is uncertain, it’s best to be prepared”

* “I can see that” you respond, before asking him what day you need to make the insurance payment

* I think when Nanami finally does tell you he’s going to go back to being a jujutsu sorcerer, it’ll be in kind of the same manner as when he said he didn’t want kids

* “I’m thinking of quitting my job”

* You’re at his house, you were just admiring Nanami’s book collection - he said he was making you dinner tonight for you “courting outing”- when he says that, out of nowhere

* He’s been swallowing still working at his current position for the last few months-

* He wants the two of you to have some semblance of normalcy, at least for now

* But he doesn’t want you to go into this marriage under false pretenses

* “It might be a little rough, but I’m pretty sure I could cover us for a while-“ you wonder if this is why he was having you know all the budgets

* Normally under these circumstances it would be fair to assume he’s using you to cover his expenses so he can pursue some dumb venture or something-

* But you know Nanami, he’s a kind and considerate person, so you know it’s not like that

* You wonder if someone at work is giving him trouble, or if maybe something happened -

* “It’s not like that, I have another job lined up”

* “But why the sudden change?” You’re still a little uneasy, he seems well settled in his current job after all, probably in line for a promotion

* “I guess I’m disillusioned by the industry”

* Nanami tells you his story - the same one he told the bakery girl- and you hug him from behind when he comes near to the end

* “It’s okay Kento-Kun, you don’t have to feel alone anymore, I’m here”

* And for the first time in a while, even though he’s an adult, Nanami cries like a little boy

* He probably doesn’t tell you he’s a jujutsu sorcerer until your wedding night

* “I have something important to tell you-“

* Omg he’s into some weird kinky stuff isn’t he? Like beyond kinky, like borderline-

* “I’m a sorcerer”

* .

* ..

* ...

* Huh?

* You laugh about it later with him

* “Why did you tell me right then, you couldn’t have waited until the next morning at least?” You laugh and Nanami gets that familiar pink tint across his cheekbones

* “I wanted to be honest with you, we’re married now, I didn’t want to keep any secrets”

* You smile, honestly what a kind man- how did you ever get so lucky?

* “Besides it’s not like I killed the mood or anything you seemed to enjoy yourself when-“

* “Okay I get it!” You flush red covering his mouth with your hand

* He just loves you a lot

* And he’s so glad you’re his now

[whale-minmin]

ATEEZ reaction when their s/o has a service dog? (Smaller breed) chihuahua, Yorkie, etc.)

ATEEZ reaction to S/O having a service dog

Genre : fluff

Hongjoong :

· He'll find the little buddy so cute

· But he know that it’s better not to pet service dogs, no matter how much you want to and how cute they are

· “Good pup~ Thank you for protecting my Y/N” 

· He’ll be very grateful to it for protecting you and keeping you safe

Seonghwa :

· “Service dog?”

· He’ll ask a lot about it, what does it do, what to do and what not to do with it

· Really impressed that a dog can be so extremely smart

· He’ll think it’s really cute but know it’s serious and he should respect it as a working dog

Yunho :

· He’ll want to play with it so much but he knows that he can’t and respects it

· “Aww, it’s so small and fluffy. Thank you for helping my Y/N~” 

· He’ll make puppy eyes at the dog whenever it looks at him

· He admires it so much for being so strong and smart althought it’s small and cute

Yeosang :

· Although it may be small and adorable, he’ll take it very seriously

· He knows not to distract him in any way, give treats or pet

· It may be often dangerous so he doesn’t want to risk anything, you’re too precious to him

· “Mhm, it’s really cute”

San :

· He’ll feel a little bad that he can’t rub his belly or give him kisses 

· But he knows it’s all for your safety 

· “You’re so cute, pup~ Keep Y/N safe for me, okay? Good~”

· He’ll research more about service dogs so he can’t disturb it in any way, making it dangerous for you

· He would never forgive himself if that would have happened

Mingi :

· “What do you mean i can’t give him belly rubs?!”

· He’ll be so sad and pouty, just looking at the dog from afar

· He understands it’s for your safety but it’s still making him upset as he’s a total dog lover and it’s so small and cute

· He’ll cheer himself up with the thought that by keeping a distance he doesn’t disturb it so it keeps you safe

Wooyoung :

· With his loud and excited self it’d be very hard for him too keep his hands off the dog

· But he knows it’s all for your safety, so he tries his best

· “Ugh, but it’s so cute~”

· He’ll swoon over him from a distance not to distract it

Jongho :

· He’ll be quite sad he can’t play with the little guy but it’s okay as long as you’re safe

· “Good job, buddy~ You’re so smart”

· He’ll make sure that when you’re walking it with him, no one disturbs it or pets it

· He needs to make sure you’re 100% safe

≈≈≈≈≈ a/n ≈≈≈≈≈

Thank you for requesting! I hope you like it ♡

≈≈≈≈≈

None of the gifs are mine!

[catgrass-official]

introduction post (kinda)

originally, i wanted to post this alongside another drawing but i’ve come to realize that time is a construct and anatomy hates me just as much as i hate it (i’ll hopefully get it done this weekend, though!)

so, hey!! i’m mini, the artist behind this thing - i go by they/them pronouns and you might already know me due to the semi-professional bullshittery that occurs on my main blog, @theynanigans and since i have too many silly headcanons + ideas for doodles, i’ve decided to center my attention on a larger project for once and put my horrible little creations out there for the world to see!

this whole thing started because a very dear friend of mine, also known as reese the gay, caused my spiritual awakening by showing me the glorious work of art that is catboy therion... and now i’m on a mission to make it canon. /hj

the basics

- for now it’s mostly catboy therion and dogboy alfyn, as you probably could’ve guessed?? - but before you ask, it’s not only them. the other travelers also get goofy little animal features but i won’t reveal the details yet because i am a chaos gremlin and love keeping everyone in suspense :^) - this is probably also going to be the gayest octopath AU you’ll find out there and i have no regrets whatsoever - the name of this blog was chosen because: 1. therion and alfyn are the poster children of this project since i can’t stop drawing them (though primrose, h’aanit and ophilia were close contenders) 2. it’s a play on alfyn’s last name... and a cat pun  3. cat grass is actually good for dogs, too! 4. according to some sources i found, it can also be made into a juice/smoothie that can be ingested by humans + contains a bunch of vitamins and other nutrients?? 5. no matter if the above is true or not, alfyn planting some for therion is wholesome as heck and therefore canon in this AU

what you need to know (for now)

alfyn: - the ultimate friend. the most precious pal. the goodest boy. - he’s literally a golden retriever already - all i did was add the ears + tail to reflect his personality - he’s baby.

therion: - cat. - i actually had to do some research for him because i began to realize that my knowledge about cats was rather limited compared to my understanding of canines (even though i’m technically not even a dog person?? somehow i just happened to gravitate towards them a bit more until now) - and from what i could gather online, the only cat breed that can have green eyes and white fur at the same time is the turkish angora... which i 100% approve of. - seriously, look at their tails - he’s the fluffiest man in town (and he hates it)

the others: - like i said, i’m not gonna spoil anything yet - haha jk... unless? - okay. you get a tiny sneak peek: ...tressa is a squirrelgirl :^)

the rest is temporarily a secret (and there’s a lot to uncover)... so stay tuned! and prepare to watch me suffer as my planning + time management skills continue to deteriorate

have a nice day!!

[aboveallarescuer]

Daenerys Targaryen in A Storm of Swords vs Game of Thrones - Episode 3.10: Mhysa (& 5 things to understand why Dany's character and storyline matter)

In this series of posts, I intend to analyze precisely how the show writers downplayed or erased several key aspects of Daenerys Targaryen’s characterization, even when they had the books to help them write her as the compelling, intelligent, compassionate, frugal, open-minded and self-critical character that GRRM created.

I want to make it clear that these posts are not primarily meant to offer a better alternative to what the show writers gave us. I understand that they had many constraints (e.g. other storylines to handle, a limited amount of time to write the scripts, budget, actors who may have asked for a certain number of lines, etc) working against them. However, considering how disrespectful the show’s ending was to Daenerys Targaryen and how the book material that they left out makes it even more ludicrous to think that she will also become a villain in A Song of Ice and Fire, I believe that these reviews are more than warranted. They are meant to dissect everything about Dany’s characterization that was lost in translation, with a lot of book evidence to corroborate my statements.

Since these reviews will dissect scene by scene, I recommend taking a look at this post because I will use its sequence to order Dany’s scenes.

This post is relevant in case you want to know which chapters were adapted in which GoT episodes (however, I didn’t make the list myself, all the information comes from the GoT Wiki, so I can’t guarantee that it’s 100% reliable).

In general, I will call the Dany from the books “Dany” and the Dany from the TV series “show!Dany”.

Because I'm about to review one of the most controversial scenes in show!Dany's journey, I think it's important to take a holistic look into her character and storyline first. So, before I start talking about what happens in the episode itself, I am going to address five key things that need to be understood in order to fully appreciate Dany's character and storyline in the books:

Dany's abolitionist crusade's humanitarian importance.

Dany's character motivations.

Dany's background and identity.

Dany's storyline's historical inspirations.

A holistic view of ASOIAF in order to avoid double standards against Dany.

Ultimately, the show writers didn't understand any of these points, which informs their mistakes in their adaptation of Dany's storyline in this episode and beyond.

1) Dany's abolitionist crusade's humanitarian importance

Time and again in the books (particularly in ASOS and ADWD), GRRM reinforces that slavery is wrong by displaying what became normalized during the thousands of years it persisted. Examples include:

Astapori slavers thinking that it's okay to say that the Unsullied aren't men and to take measures to dehumanize them.

Astapori slavers thinking that it's okay to force five-year-old children to train every day from dawn to dusk, to the point of only one in three surviving such harsh conditions.

Astapori slavers thinking that it's okay to force the Unsullied to stand for a day with no food or water to prove their discipline and strength.

Astapori slavers thinking that it's okay to change the Unsullied's names every day so that they lose their sense of individuality.

Astapori slavers thinking that it's okay to force the Unsullied to go to the slave marts to kill a baby before its mother's eyes to prove that they are not weak.

Astapori slavers thinking that it's okay to make the Unsullied drink the wine of courage to feel less pain and endure any torture, such as having their nipples cut off.

Astapori slavers thinking that it's okay to give the Unsullied puppies only to kill them a year later (and, if they don't, they are fed to the surviving dogs).

Astapori slavers thinking that it's okay to casually whip people when they mildly annoy them.

Astapori slavers thinking that it's okay to send a girl of nine to kill bulls and to send three small boys (one rolled in honey, the other in blood and the other in rotting fish) to confront a bear in the fighting pits.

Yunkish slavers thinking that it's okay to leave the Astapori starving, which led them to eat cats, rats and leather.

Yunkish slavers thinking that it's okay to hunt down the Astapori and burn the entire city.

Yunkish slavers thinking that it's okay to open a slave market.

Yunkish slavers thinking that it's okay to whip people until there is only "blood and raw meat" in their backs.

Yunkish slavers thinking that it's okay to command two dwarves to breed.

Yunkish slavers thinking that it's okay to force a teenage girl to be naked publicly so that they can sell her at a better price.

Yunkish slavers thinking that it's okay to actively spread the bloody flux through Meereen by throwing infected corpses.

Meereenese slavers thinking that it's okay to burn the fields and crucify one hundred and sixty-three children to intimidate Dany.

Meereenese slavers thinking that it's okay to target and murder freedmen to intimidate Dany.

Meereenese slavers thinking that it's okay to pay freedmen low wages and then complain a) about how there are too many beggars, thieves and whores in the city or b) about how the rights and customs of the craftsmen's guilds should be respected.

Meereenese slavers thinking that it's okay to reopen the fighting pits and abuse the freedmen for the nobility's entertainment.

Meereenese slavers thinking that it's okay to send two dwarfs to "fight" against a lion.

Meereenese nobles thinking that it's okay to scourge and rip out the tongues of people who disagree with or know something that it's convenient for them.

And this list only covers human rights abuses that take place in Slaver's Bay (which was the center of slave trade until Dany's arrival). Unfortunately, slavery is so widespread that it helped to build almost the entire continent's economy. The Dothraki and the corsairs of the Basilisk Isles enslave and sell people from different lands to Slaver's Bay. In Volantis, it's estimated that four of every five men are slaves. People from multiple places of Essos are sold into slavery, from Slaver's Bay itself to Qarth to the Dothraki Sea to Lhazar to the Free Cities.

In such an oppressive and devastating scenario, Dany's abolitionist campaign is essential to guarantee that people are no longer desensitized to and systematically allowed to dehumanize others. In-universe, that's why the vast majority of the former slaves love her and why later we get an entire storyline showing what the slavers would do if Dany chose not to be as forceful as she was in ASOS. Doylistically speaking, that's why her actions against the slavers are linked to her upcoming part in the War for the Dawn and to her messianic role as Azor Ahai (as this edit and its quotes excellently illustrate): Dany's war is one that should also involve all of humanity.

Are the show writers aware of this?

Nope.

They may have succeeded in depicting the amount of brutality and suffering that comes with the training of the Unsullied, but, in light of the show's ending, I think that was accomplished mostly because they were interested in shock value rather than in making the audience recognize that show!Dany's crusade was altruistic at its core. This was clear in their interviews: instead of focusing on how vital Dany's actions were to promoting human warfare, Benioff focused on her so-called ruthlessness and ambition when he talked about why she sought an army in Astapor and Weiss focused on her capacity for cruelty when he talked about her attack against the Astapori masters. I've already addressed in which ways these statements about Dany are inaccurate (and detrimental to the understanding of her storyline) in my reviews of episodes 3.3 and 3.4, so I won't belabor the point; instead, I'm only bringing them up here to emphasize that D&D were never (fully) aware of the humanitarian importance of Dany's crusade. That's why they didn't add the moment where Dany says she remembers what it was like to be sold and feel afraid. That's why they didn't show the Unsullied choosing not to side with the slavers when Dany gave them another option. That's why they didn't include the Astapori freedmen who chose to follow Dany in their adaptation. That's why they didn't remember that Dany's main problem prior to the battle of Yunkai was to find a way to take the city and spare freedmen's lives at the same time. That's why, on season four, they will only bother to depict political decisions that paint show!Dany in a negative light (and leave out all of her successful ones). That's why, on season five, they will make her storyline's lesson be about the need to conform to the Meereenese (i.e. slavers') traditions rather than about the need to carry on with her revolution like in the books. That's why, by the end of the show, they will say that Dany burning of King's Landing and its citizens was "a natural outcome of that [...] willingness to go forth and conquer all your enemies" and how "her brand of revolution" stems from her "not seeing the cost". That's why they think there isn't any negative implication in arguing that burning slavers is a slippery slope to burning innocent people: they completely missed the point of her storyline and turned it into slavery apologism. Dany conquered these cities because there was no other way to free the slaves (as ADWD reinforces). Dany conquered these cities precisely because she saw the cost, even in the show (but then, they are such bad writers that they often misunderstand the implications of what they depicted).

And what I said above doesn't even take into account that they completely ignored (and I suspect probably never realized in the first place) the connection between her crusade in Slaver's Bay and her messianic destiny. It's no secret that they've always downplayed the magical elements of the books in the show as a whole. When it comes to Dany, that removal was particularly detrimental because the magic was used by GRRM to emphasize that Dany's actions were righteous. 

2) Dany's character motivations

Here, I want to explain why Dany a) fought against the Ghiscari slavers and b) will fight for the Iron Throne in Westeros. This will only cover what's necessary to make my point clear; for more on Dany's intentions, see here and here and here and here and here.

a) Why Dany fought against the Ghiscari slavers

I've argued before that Dany is an accident revolutionary for a couple of reasons. She went to Slaver's Bay because she wanted an army (something that her detractors often use to harshly criticize her), yes, but what was primarily driving Dany was not self-interest/ambition (and it wouldn't matter if it were in the grand scheme of things, considering what other Westerosi feudal lords have done in the name of power), but rather her previous experiences with poverty, which understandably enhanced her desire to have agency. Additionally (and perhaps most importantly), she didn't know how the slaves were being mistreated; if she did, she most likely wouldn't have chosen to turn to Astapor in the first place. But that's partly why her storyline resonates with so many readers: as she gathers more information about the world and its problems, her moral and political values change along the way too. In this case, after finally witnessing the Unsullied's training and being confronted with the dilemma of buying them or leaving them, Dany chose another option: freeing the Unsullied and fighting against the masters instead.

Afterwards, Dany stayed in Slaver's Bay solely because she wants to abolish slavery. If her intentions weren't selfless, she wouldn't have questioned on what grounds should a monarch rule. If her intentions weren't selfless, she would have taken the Yunkish masters' wealth for herself rather than just demanded that the slaves were compensated for their unpaid labor. If her intentions weren't selfless, she wouldn't have been so hard on herself for her mistakes on Astapor. If her intentions weren't selfless, she wouldn't have given the nobility and the freedmen equal voice at court (and her desire for equality was pointed out by GRRM himself). If her intentions weren't selfless, she wouldn't be so insistent on reforming Meereen (which is an expensive endeavor). If her intentions weren't selfless, she wouldn't have provided medical aid to the Astapori refugees. If her intentions weren't selfless, she wouldn't have given food to the poor. If her intentions weren't selfless, she wouldn't have sacrificed her own personal happiness and bodily autonomy. And so on. Again, I'm not trying to be thorough here, I'm just offering key examples that prove that Dany's campaign is driven by genuine compassion.

b) Why Dany will fight for the Iron Throne

I've said before that Dany doesn't want power for its own sake, but rather because it's a mean to the ends that she actually desires: home and duty. These two essential goals aptly inform why she wants to take back the Seven Kingdoms.

Dany's sole aim that can be considered selfish (i.e. that only focuses on her own benefits) is her desire to find a home, be it somewhere to belong to or someone to rely on. Even then, though, that's more than understandable considering a) that she is an exile who never got to stay on one place or trust her caregiver, b) that everyone in the continent where she was born believes in birthright and c) that every feudal lord is willing to wage war to retain their influence and wealth (more on that in item 5).

Dany's duty, on the other hand, refers not only to her (self-imposed) duty to the helpless (already laid out above), but to her ancestors too. So, even if her upcoming war in Westeros won't be primarily motivated to help the underprivileged (though she still has them in mind), it is still largely self-sacrificing as well (and far from being enough to describe her as power hungry like her detractors do).

Are the show writers aware of this?

Nope.

When it comes to her fight against the Ghiscari masters, Weiss did say that Dany "is driven by a kind of a deep empathy, a much deeper empathy than probably anybody else in the show" back in season four. On the other hand, that statement is rendered moot by the fact that D&D dismiss her actions in Slaver's Bay as a "willingness to go forth and conquer all your enemies" and as a "brand of revolution" that stems from her "not seeing the cost" by the end of the show. In other words, they a) made her anti-slavery crusade about her so-called ambition, b) downplayed her selfless goals and its humanitarian importance (failure in item 1) and c) turned her storyline into slavery apologism.

When it comes to her fight for the Iron Throne, there's never any interview where they focus on her desire for home and belonging or on her duty towards her ancestors, which also explains why these motivations were rarely shown onscreen. That they villainize her for pursuing the Seven Kingdoms displays their failure to understand item 5 (below).

3) Dany's background and identity

Dany isn't a typical queen. She is the only one who lived in poverty, began the story as a sex slave and then turned into a revolutionary thanks to her own choices. She is the only female character whose power isn't derived from her male relatives; in fact, she is specifically set apart for overcoming hardships that they didn't. She is the only queen whose political power is intertwined with her magical destiny (which is partly realized thanks to her actions). She is the only she-king/queen regnant/independent female ruler of the story. She is the only female ruler a) who received an arc that we got to see unfold through her perspective and b) who was depicted as politically savvy, despite having been thrown in the hardest political scenario of the series.

In relation to the Dothraki, Dany is not just a white woman among people of color. She was a child bride forcefully married to and raped by a Dothraki khal. She, like Irri and Jhiqui, was part of a family that was displaced, which led to their enslavement. She assimilated to Dothraki culture and was able to discern the good (the bond between bloodriders and a lifestyle that allows for a stronger sense of equality) and the bad (rape and human trafficking being normalized in their culture). She was the first example of female leadership to her bloodriders and khalasar and the one who set a precedent that men and women can be equals. She genuinely cares about her khalasar's well-being. She is poised to unite all the khalasars in the future. It's important to discern her character from GRRM's and D&D's writing (more on that in item 4).

In relation to the Ghiscari slavers (and not to the Westerosi nobles), Dany is viewed as a foreign monarch.

In relation to the freedmen, however, there's more to it. Like them, Dany is a former slave who was forcefully exiled from her homeland and now belongs nowhere. Unlike the slavers (who are united by Ghiscari heritage), the actual oppressed group come from many places and have different ethnicities and traveled extensively. Similarly, Dany was born in Westeros, grew up in the Free Cities, spent a significant time in the Dothraki sea and ruled in Slaver's Bay. Dany may be considered a foreigner by the slavers, but not by the freedmen, because they are all displaced people. Their connection (which the author emphasizes in both AGOT and ASOS) further shows that slavery in ASOIAF is not based on race and ethnicity (more on that in item 4).

The reasons above also explain why it is meaningful that Dany is AA/TPTWP/TSWMTW: many men (Aerys, Rhaegar, Aegon, Viserys, Drogo, Rhaego) had to die so she could become who she was meant to be, which further emphasizes that, as much as certain people want to pretend otherwise, Dany being the chosen one is not what the readership tends to expect.

I would argue that it's very important to have a basic understanding of various forms of oppression and acknowledge the multiple social groups that Dany belongs to in order to recognize her character's and storyline's significance. By being aware of them, one can understand, for example,

a) why Dany is not "too obvious" a glorified savior for her story not to have a twist by the end (That tends to happen because these detractors only see her as a white noblewoman, but, considering her identity as a whole, she is exactly someone who the readership wouldn't think of as the hero) or

b) why the story would be offensive on many levels if it ended with Dany going mad and/or becoming a villain (Why would GRRM do that to the one character who was exiled and enslaved and who, thanks to her own intelligence and compassion, got to fight against systemic oppression because she herself knows "how it felt to be afraid"?) or

c) why the theory that Dany burns King's Landing is offensive regardless of whether she does it accidentally or not (Why would GRRM have his sole queen regnant, i.e. the only woman whose power isn't derived from a man and who gets to make decisions concerning warfare like men usually do, be overly defined by violence in a way that his kings don't have to be? Why would he use her anti-slavery crusade as a device to make her care less about collateral damage and then be responsible for atrocities of such magnitude? It may still happen, but it definitely warrants criticism if it does)

Are the show writers aware of this?

Nope.

On the one hand, Weiss did previously acknowledge that Dany's past experiences inform her current attitude ("She's always been very negatively predisposed towards slavery because she knows what it feels like to be property, I mean, she was a very fancy slave for all intents and purposes, she was somebody who was sold to another man, taken against her will and I think that her feelings about slavery have started to really inform her reasons for wanting the Iron Throne").

On the other hand, if they really understood the significance of her background, they wouldn't have made the northmen hate her for being a foreigner and portrayed her being in the wrong. If they really understood the significance of her background, they wouldn't have thought that show!Arya killing the Night King (which wasn't supposed to have happened) or show!Sansa becoming queen (which made no sense since that would motivate other regions to demand independence from the crown as well) would be interchangeable with show!Dany's downfall and prevent them from receiving criticism regarding the misogyny in their writing.

4) Dany's storyline's historical inspirations

In the words of the author himself,

The Targaryens have heavily interbred, like the Ptolemys of Egypt. As any horse or dog breeder can tell you, interbreeding accentuates both flaws and virtues, and pushes a lineage toward the extremes. (x)

~

The Dothraki are partially based on the Huns and the Mongols, some extent the steppe tribes like the Alvars and Magyars. I put in a few elements of the Amerindian plains tribes and those peoples, and then I threw in some purely fantasy elements. It’s fantasy.

Are they barbaric? Yeah, but the Mongols were, too. Genghis Khan — I just saw an interesting movie about Ghengis Khan, recently. I’ve read books about Genghis Khan, and he’s one of history’s more fascinating, charismatic characters. The Mongols became very sophisticated at certain points, but they were certainly not sophisticated when they started out, and even at the height of their sophistication they were fond of doing things like giant piles of heads. “Surrender your city to me, or we will come in and kill all the men, rape all the women and make a giant pile of heads.” They did that a few times, and other cities said, “Surrender is good. We’ll surrender. We’ll pay the taxes. No pile of heads, please.” (x)

~

And meanwhile, you've got Daenerys visiting more Eurasian and Middle Eastern cultures.

And that has generated its controversy too. I answer that one to in my blog. I know some of the people who are coming at this from a political or racial angle just seem to completely disregard the logistics of the thing here. I talk about what's in the books. The books are what I write. What I’m responsible for.

Slavery in the ancient world, and slavery in the medieval world, was not race-based. You could lose a war if you were a Spartan, and if you lost a war you could end up a slave in Athens, or vice versa. You could get in debt, and wind up a slave. And that’s what I tried to depict, in my books, that kind of slavery. (x)

These interviews show that Dany's storyline's historical parallels are mainly ancient civilizations (which explains her parallels with Cleopatra or the Ghiscari pyramids' closeness to Egyptian pyramids or how the duels in the fighting pits resemble the Roman gladiatorial games or the similarities between the Unsullied's training with Sparta's training of young boys or why tokars are togas), which, in turn, prove that GRRM is not attempting to write a critique of white saviorism. Indeed, that he reduces the Dothraki and the Mongols to being "barbaric" and refuses to give any individuality to his Dothraki characters confirm that he's the racist one here. Even the parallels that he draws between Dany's storyline and the American Civil War and Reconstruction are non-racialized in nature.

Also, even if GRRM and D&D weren't racists, the racist imagery in Dany's storyline (especially show!Dany's) doesn't make Dany herself a white savior; as @yendany​ explained before, white saviorism is about:

a) glorifying whiteness/western culture or an individual white person at the expense of people of color. Neither version of Dany fulfill this requirement because Dany was raised in Essos and doesn't force Ghiscari people into adhering to Westerosi or Valyrian culture and slavery, again, isn't race-based (which is why the Dothraki are portrayed as oppressors). The show ending only reinforces the latter point (more on that later).

and/or

b) a white person providing help to people of color in order to serve their own interests. Neither version of Dany fulfill this requirement because their compassion and humanitarianism are genuine (and necessary), as shown in items 1 and 2 above.

Are the show writers aware of this?

For the most part, nope.

On the one hand, they were involved in the show's production, so they had to be aware of the obvious parallels between Dany's storyline and the Ancient Mediterranean world (though not enough to hire extras of multiple races and ethnicities or to let show!Dany wear togas). Also, Benioff once stated that "there always seemed to be this sense of manifest destiny with Dany", which implies that they were aware of the white savior criticism surrounding her character and storyline (though probably not enough to question its validity based on her characterization).

On the other hand, they never cared about making any improvements from the racism in the books, and the ending is clear proof of that. Before season eight, I'd seen many people argue that the Unsullied and the Dothraki were used as show!Dany's props to emphasize her "goodness". Instead, it's the other way around: they were never meant to be "good" on their own, in fact, they were only portrayed as "good" because of show!Dany; by the end, when show!Dany was villainized, they were as well. Indeed, people of color like show!Missandei and show!Grey Worm suddenly became more aggressive while the white men in show!Dany's team (show!Jon, show!Tyrion and show!Varys) were portrayed as the rational/pacifist ones, reinforcing that there was never any attempt to provide race-related social commentary in the show (or in the books, for that matter). If there had been an attempt (poor and offensive as it would still be), the Unsullied and the Dothraki would have been depicted as the Mad Queen's victims (which only the Westerosi smallfolk and the Lannister armies (i.e. white people) got to be) rather than the Mad Queen's evil army.

5) A holistic view of ASOIAF in order to avoid double standards against Dany

I could mention more double standards than the four below, but my intention here is not to be comprehensive, but rather to provide some of the key examples of double standards used to criticize Dany's eventual campaign in Westeros and to accuse her of white saviorism.

Yes, Dany wants to wage a war to take back her homeland, but so did Robb when Winterfell was taken. (Unfortunately, Stannis may do the dirty work for the Starks in TWOW.)

Yes, Dany wants to take the Seven Kingdoms and the Starks "only" want Winterfell, but what matters is not the size of the area they are claiming, but rather the fact that the system that they are all working under (i.e. pseudofeudal monarchy) rewards birthright, exploits the labor of the peasants, encourages wars for petty reasons and perpetuates social inequality.

Yes, Dany will eventually be willing to use dragonfire to accomplish her goals, but fire was used by several parties against their enemies. The Ghiscari slavers used it. Stannis Baratheon used it. Tyrion Lannister used it. Jon Snow used it. The brotherhood without banners used it. If they had dragons, you can bet that they would have used them (and probably would have been less reluctant about it than Dany).

Yes, Dany's storyline has racist elements, but so does the Starks' origin story and Tyrion's storyline and the Martells' creation. In fact, if we're talking about racism, it can't be overlooked that Dany is the only white main character who interacts with, cares about and fights for people of color, while the other white characters remain isolated in Westeros and ignorant of their struggles. It can't be overlooked that GRRM wishes he had made Dany (and none of the other main characters) a Black woman. That people of color aren't given more prominence in the narrative is GRRM's fault (see item 4), not Dany's.

When all's said and done, Dany is not doing anything that could be considered morally wrong that other people didn't do, but she is taking large-scale actions solely due to her compassion that no one else is. That's because GRRM chose to set her apart from the other claimants by placing her in a storyline where she gets to advocate for the oppressed and have larger concerns than her claim or how her family was wronged. Does that make her look "too good"? Well, you just have to look at Jon to see that that's not true; both are flawed and imperfect, but still compassionate, intelligent and, ultimately, not as morally grey as most of the other characters of the series.

Are the show writers aware of this?

Nope.

I would say that the root of the problem in the show writers' depiction of show!Dany stems from the fact that they don't look at the events from the perspective of the lowborn.

If they would look at her actions in Slaver's Bay from the point of view of a freedman, they would understand why they were righteous (failure to comprehend item 1); instead, they talk about how her cruelty "grows" because she hurt people who hadn't done anything to her personally (which shows how easily they empathize with the slavers) and focus on how she is becoming a threat.

If they would look at her actions in Westeros from the point of view of a peasant, they would understand that a) every single lord exploits their labor, b) that Dany is not doing anything that the the lords wouldn't do (which is why the kingdoms constantly warred with their neighbors before Aegon's Conquest) and c) that the lords never waged war specifically to protect the oppressed like Dany did (see items 1 and 2), which is why Northern independence (or Robert's Rebellion) is not morally superior to Dany's campaign for the Iron Throne.

Because they couldn't understand any of this, they portrayed show!Dany's war effort as worse than the other characters' and ended up villainizing her for her ambition and use of violence when they never did so with the other characters, which creates offensive double standards and highlights the misogyny (i.e. controlling and punishing women who challenge male dominance) in their writing.

Now I'm going to go to the scene itself in order to demonstrate how it particularly exemplifies the show writers' failure to understand these five key things about Dany's character and storyline.

Scene 13

BARRISTAN: They will come, Your Grace. When they’re ready.

DAENERYS: Perhaps they didn’t want to be conquered.

JORAH: You didn’t conquer them. You liberated them.

DAENERYS: People learn to love their chains.

In the books, there's never any suspense about whether the newly freedmen will come out or not:

On the morning of the third day, the city gates swung open and a line of slaves began to emerge. Dany mounted her silver to greet them. As they passed, little Missandei told them that they owed their freedom to Daenerys Stormborn, the Unburnt, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and Mother of Dragons.

“Mhysa!” a brown-skinned man shouted out at her. He had a child on his shoulder, a little girl, and she screamed the same word in her thin voice. “Mhysa! Mhysa!” (ASOS Daenerys IV)

As we can see in the quote above, not only there's no suspense, Dany is mounted on her silver and doesn't have to make a speech to make sure that the former slaves can trust her and hail her as mhysa. Indeed, that's my biggest issue with the speech: it's built on the show writers' assumption that show!Dany needs to "[wait] to see if she is a conqueror or a liberator" in the eyes of the former slaves.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are people who dismiss Dany as a violent conqueror in the books. The Meereenese slavers (i.e., the ones who think they have the right to sell people and exploit their free labor and who suffered a major blow when Dany challenged their way of life, which doesn't exactly make them a reliable viewpoint in a storyline with something meaningful to say) do so:

“...When my people look at you, they see a conqueror from across the seas, come to murder us and make slaves of our children. A king could change that. A highborn king of pure Ghiscari blood could reconcile the city to your rule. Elsewise, I fear, your reign must end as it began, in blood and fire.” (ADWD Daenerys IV)

The Yunkish slavers (i.e., the ones who think they have the right to sell people and exploit their free labor and who suffered a major blow when Dany challenged their way of life, which doesn't exactly make them a reliable viewpoint in a storyline with something meaningful to say) do so:

“If even half the stories coming back from Slaver’s Bay are true, this child is a monster. They say that she is blood-thirsty, that those who speak against her are impaled on spikes to die lingering deaths. They say she is a sorceress who feeds her dragons on the flesh of newborn babes, an oathbreaker who mocks the gods, breaks truces, threatens envoys, and turns on those who have served her loyally. They say her lust cannot be sated, that she mates with men, women, eunuchs, even dogs and children, and woe betide the lover who fails to satisfy her. She gives her body to men to take their souls in thrall.” (ADWD Tyrion VI)

Dany herself (who, we shouldn't forget, has a tendency to be self-deprecating) also does so. It's the reason why she thinks it's her duty to stay and rule Meereen:

“Aegon the Conqueror brought fire and blood to Westeros, but afterward he gave them peace, prosperity, and justice. But all I have brought to Slaver’s Bay is death and ruin. I have been more khal than queen, smashing and plundering, then moving on.” (ASOS Daenerys VI)

However, the Yunkish envoy's vicious reaction (in both canons) to Dany's request that the Yunkish nobles free their slaves shows that Dany couldn't have freed the slaves (and become a liberator) if she hadn't taken the city (and become a conqueror). She is both conqueror and liberator and these titles don't contradict each other, they inform each other (just like mhysa and mother of dragons). That's something that the former slaves are aware of, because the vast majority of them do want freedom and are grateful that Dany intervened - we see it in Astapor, where the Unsullied chose not to obey their former masters while they were attacked because Dany gave them a choice to fight for their freedom, which they took (and the show didn't depict); we see it in Yunkai, where the former slaves embraced and hailed Dany as their mother right after they met her (and she didn't have to make a speech to prove that they should be freed because they themselves wanted to be freed); we see it in Meereen, where "the fighting slaves [...] led the uprising that won the city for her" and "cheering slaves lifted bloodstained hands to her as she went by"; we see it on Tyrion's POV, where many slaves doubt that Dany would make peace with the slavers and want her to smash the Yunkai'i. To portray them as gullible and dependent on show!Dany's speech in order to embrace freedom (when, again, that was never a question for them in the books) means:

Overlooking their motivations in the books.

Giving them less agency in comparison to the books.

Downplaying the level of human destruction that the slavers perpetrated (and which led the slaves to want to rebel), which shows their failure to understand item 1.

Equating show!Dany to the slavers as a foreign monarch in the former slaves' eyes when, in the books, she became a cult figure right from the first moment that they saw her. This also shows their failure to understand item 3; as I said above, she is not just a ruler, she is also a former slave who was banished from her homeland and doesn't belong anywhere. That makes it all the more meaningful that she, thanks to her own actions and principles, ended up becoming  a revolutionary. Failing to understand this is why the show writers felt that she had to make a speech so that she could "compensate" for her actions as a conqueror (which were righteous to begin with).

Now, one might argue that I'm being too nitpicky here, but I didn't make it a secret in the introduction to these books vs show reviews that they are being written with the hindsight knowledge that the show writers will attempt to vilify show!Dany. One way that they will do so is to turn the freedmen against her in the later seasons, which is something that never happens in the books (which is why I'm wary of how her speech here already indicates that her connection to the freedmen is being downplayed). As I just said above and will reiterate: the show writers never really grasped the humanitarian importance of her crusade (item 1) or why she's seeking the Iron Throne in the first place (item 2). The show writers never really understood that the former slaves weren't united by culture or race or nationality and that they still had a connection with Dany as exiles sold into slavery (item 3). This is why they thought it was okay to make her the final villain of their series.

*

JORAH: You didn’t conquer them. You liberated them.

DAENERYS: People learn to love their chains.

First, show!Jorah being the one shown explaining to show!Dany that she is a liberator is really annoying since she is the former sex slave who chose to become an abolitionist and he is a slaver himself who is an apologist even in show canon.

Second, there are different ways to interpret show!Dany's line above. @daenerys-targaryen​ interpreted it as show!Dany referring to herself and how she fell in love with Drogo while she was his slave. @queenaryastark​ interpreted it as a way to express Tyrion's thoughts about how it's easy to grow accustomed to being a slave in ADWD. These are all valid readings that can coexist with my own: that the show writers only added this line in order to make show!Dany's storyline "more complex" (in their eyes). We see show!Dany having to "[wait] to see if she is a conqueror or a liberator", after all, which is a question about her "internal struggle" (which, again, makes no sense to overfocus on since Dany wouldn't be a liberator if she weren't also a conqueror) that the show chooses to hammer home in comparison to the books (where it's made clear that most of the former slaves know that they want to be freed). This added question a) undermines how significant it is that Dany is an active hero who chose to fight for the slaves when she didn't have to in a time and place where no one else cared about their plea and there was no conception of universal human rights (failure to understand items 2 and 5), b) downplays the message that the use of violence can be morally righteous (because it creates a false dichotomy between conqueror and liberator, like the fandom does with mhysa and mother of dragons; unfortunately, both showrunners miss the point - Weiss thinks that show!Dany's empathy and cruelty grow in Astapor and Benioff focuses on how she's becoming a threat; failure to understand items 1 and 2) and c) equates show!Dany to the slavers as another foreign monarch in the slaves' perspective (failure to understand item 3), which, in turn, portrays slavery as if it was merely a typical cultural practice rather than a crime against humanity like how it's portrayed in the books (failure to understand item 1). Things are definitely going to get worse in the next seasons (e.g. "mhysa is a master", the addition of a prostitute who hates show!Dany because she's "ruining" Meereenese "traditions", etc), but the cracks were already apparent in season three, which is arguably show!Dany's best season.

*

MISSANDEI: This is Daenerys Targaryen, the Stormborn, the Unburnt, the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, the Mother of Dragons. It is to her you owe your freedom.

DAENERYS: No. You do not owe me your freedom. I cannot give it to you. Your freedom is not mine to give. It belongs to you and you alone. If you want it back, you must take it for yourselves. Each and every one of you.

This scene plays out differently in the books:

On the morning of the third day, the city gates swung open and a line of slaves began to emerge. Dany mounted her silver to greet them. As they passed, little Missandei told them that they owed their freedom to Daenerys Stormborn, the Unburnt, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and Mother of Dragons.

“Mhysa!” a brown-skinned man shouted out at her. He had a child on his shoulder, a little girl, and she screamed the same word in her thin voice. “Mhysa! Mhysa!” (ASOS Daenerys IV)

As we can see, a) Dany is not shown correcting Missandei on what freedom entails like it happens in the show and b) Dany never has to give the former slaves a speech in the first place.

I'm of two minds about this speech. On the one hand, show!Dany's speech does highlight her humanitarian intentions in this endeavor: instead of seeing the freedmen as things to be sold like the slavers did, she views them as people who are able to make their own judgments and choices.

On the other hand, a number of issues were caused by the show writers' inability to be faithful to the books. The intentions behind this speech are distasteful since it seems like (the show writers think that) she needs to persuade the former slaves to follow her, which takes away their agency in comparison to the books (where, as I've repeated numerous times by now, they wanted to be freed; failure to understand item 1) and holds show!Dany to a higher standard than the other characters of the series (who, either in Westeros or Slaver's Bay, all believe in and live under an absolute monarchy, with the only difference being that their dominance over the lowborn became normalized over time in a way that show!Dany's didn't, which causes her to be judged by today's moral standards by the show writers; this failure to understand item 5 will only get worse over time, as we all know), which is particularly aggravating because it undercuts the fact that show!Dany is the only one who cares about and fights for the former slaves (failure to understand items 2, 3 and 5).

*

DAENERYS: No. You do not owe me your freedom. I cannot give it to you. Your freedom is not mine to give. It belongs to you and you alone. If you want it back, you must take it for yourselves. Each and every one of you.

Another thing that makes me bitter about this speech is that, despite portraying show!Dany positively, it will be used (alongside all of her other speeches), in retrospect, as evidence that she was always set up to burn thousands of innocents in King's Landing:

BENIOFF: What's interesting about it is that she's been making similar kinds of speeches for a long time and we've always been rooting for her and this is kind of a natural outcome of that philosophy and that willingness to go forth and conquer all your enemies and it's just not quite as fun anymore. (x)

Much has been said about how the show fell right into slavery apologism by supposing that burning slavers is a slippery slope to burning noncombatants (failure to understand items 1 and 2) and about how offensive it was that it villainized the one queen who had a particular place in the narrative due to being an exile, a former sex slave, a revolutionary and the only independent female ruler who wasn't depicted as evil (failure to understand item 3). I would also add that the vast majority of the evidence about show!Dany's "villainy" (which betrays a failure to understand item 5) was either exaggerated or invented. For example, aside from the speech that she gave to her khalasar in the first season, all of show!Dany's speeches were added by the show writers, including this one. In fact, it's ironic that, throughout the course of AFFC/ADWD, Dany was the only one of the three main political leaders who was not shown by GRRM giving speeches to the unprivileged:

Jon waited until the last echoes had faded, then spurred his palfrey forward where everyone could see him. “We’re feeding you as best we can, as much as we can spare. Apples, onions, neeps, carrots … there’s a long winter ahead for all of us, and our stores are not inexhaustible.”

“You crows eat good enough.” Halleck shoved forward.

For now. “We hold the Wall. The Wall protects the realm … and you now. You know the foe we face. You know what’s coming down on us. Some of you have faced them before. Wights and white walkers, dead things with blue eyes and black hands. I’ve seen them too, fought them, sent one to hell. They kill, then they send your dead against you. The giants were not able to stand against them, nor you Thenns, the ice-river clans, the Hornfoots, the free folk … and as the days grow shorter and the nights colder, they are growing stronger. You left your homes and came south in your hundreds and your thousands … why, but to escape them? To be safe. Well, it’s the Wall that keeps you safe. It’s us that keeps you safe, the black crows you despise.”

“Safe and starved,” said a squat woman with a windburned face, a spearwife by the look of her.

“You want more food?” asked Jon. “The food’s for fighters. Help us hold the Wall, and you’ll eat as well as any crow.” Or as poorly, when the food runs short. (ADWD Jon V)

~

“What is the meaning of this?” Cersei demanded of the crowd. “Do you mean to bury Blessed Baelor in a mountain of carrion?”

A one-legged man stepped forward, leaning on a wooden crutch. “Your Grace, these are the bones of holy men and women, murdered for their faith. Septons, septas, brothers brown and dun and green, sisters white and blue and grey. Some were hanged, some disemboweled. Septs have been despoiled, maidens and mothers raped by godless men and demon worshipers. Even silent sisters have been molested. The Mother Above cries out in her anguish. We have brought their bones here from all over the realm, to bear witness to the agony of the Holy Faith.”

Cersei could feel the weight of eyes upon her. “The king shall know of these atrocities,” she answered solemnly. “Tommen will share your outrage. This is the work of Stannis and his red witch, and the savage northmen who worship trees and wolves.” She raised her voice. “Good people, your dead shall be avenged!”

A few cheered, but only a few. “We ask no vengeance for our dead,” said the one-legged man, “only protection for the living. For the septs and holy places.” (AFFC Cersei VI)

In fact, the Dany of the books is never shown giving a speech after AGOT. This is not to say, of course, that making speeches on its own makes show!Dany "darker" (indeed, the show writers were often unaware of what they were writing) than Dany, I'm only pointing out that they never existed in the books.

*

DAENERYS: No. You do not owe me your freedom. I cannot give it to you. Your freedom is not mine to give. It belongs to you and you alone. If you want it back, you must take it for yourselves. Each and every one of you.

Mhysa!

DAENERYS: What does it mean?

MISSANDEI: It is old Ghiscari, Khaleesi. It means “mother.”

First, unlike in the show (where the freedmen only shout "mhysa!"), the freedmen of the books call Dany "mother" in lots of different languages:

“Mhysa!” they called. “Mhysa! MHYSA!” They were all smiling at her, reaching for her, kneeling before her. “Maela,” some called her, while others cried “Aelalla” or “Qathei” or “Tato,” but whatever the tongue it all meant the same thing. Mother. They are calling me Mother. (ASOS Daenerys IV)

It's only fitting that the freedmen of the books come from different places and have different races and ethnicities (which the scene above reinforces); not only that connects them to their mhysa (in that they are all people exiled from their homelands and forced into slavery), it is a culmination of Dany's tendency to culturally assimilate, which was already noticeable with the Dothraki. Unfortunately, this doesn't come across in the show because they hired local extras from Morocco (failure to understand/depict items 3 and 4).

Second, as @rainhadaenerys​ pointed out to me in a conversation, show!Dany makes a speech (which, again, was added by the show writers) in Valyrian in this scene and all the freedmen understand it, which can make sense since most modern Ghiscari continued to speak in the language of their conquerors and the former slaves all probably stayed in Yunkai long enough to learn the language. On the other hand, this will later be contradicted in episode 4.6 when show!Dany will need show!Missandei in order to communicate with a goatherd. In the books, she interacts directly with all of the freedmen, to give some examples:

In the afternoon a sculptor came, proposing to replace the head of the great bronze harpy in the Plaza of Purification with one cast in Dany’s image. She denied him with as much courtesy as she could muster. A pike of unprecedented size had been caught in the Skahazadhan, and the fisherman wished to give it to the queen. She admired the fish extravagantly, rewarded the fisherman with a purse of silver, and sent the pike to her kitchens. A coppersmith had fashioned her a suit of burnished rings to wear to war. She accepted it with fulsome thanks; it was lovely to behold, and all that burnished copper would flash prettily in the sun, though if actual battle threatened, she would sooner be clad in steel. (ADWD Daenerys I)

So, while here she and her people are at least connected by the fact that they understand what she is saying, even this will be undermined later (and they don't have the budget as an excuse for this one; failure to understand items 3 and 4).

Third, as I noted in episode 3.5, why the heck do they have show!Missandei call show!Dany "khaleesi"? It makes no sense since she's not familiar with Dothraki culture and never knew Dany when she was Khal Drogo's wife.

*

DAENERYS: It’s all right. These people won’t hurt me.

~

DAENERYS: Fly. Let me pass.

There are differences in the execution of Dany's meeting with the freedmen of Yunkai from books to show. She mounted her silver to meet them and the crowdsurfing never happens:

On the morning of the third day, the city gates swung open and a line of slaves began to emerge. Dany mounted her silver to greet them. [...]

The chant grew, spread, swelled. It swelled so loud that it frightened her horse, and the mare backed and shook her head and lashed her silver-grey tail. It swelled until it seemed to shake the yellow walls of Yunkai. More slaves were streaming from the gates every moment, and as they came they took up the call. They were running toward her now, pushing, stumbling, wanting to touch her hand, to stroke her horse’s mane, to kiss her feet. [...]

She laughed, put her heels into her horse, and rode to them, the bells in her hair ringing sweet victory. She trotted, then cantered, then broke into a gallop, her braid streaming behind. (ASOS Daenerys IV)

What we also miss onscreen is that, onpage, Dany sees the freedmen as her found family and realizes that the moment fulfills a prophecy that she saw in the House of the Undying. I'm going to talk more about this moment later in the section where I comment on D&D's Inside the Episode, though.

*

Now, we get to this moment, which was (and still is) heavily criticized due to its racism.

An in-depth discussion of the racism in Dany's storyline and in ASOIAF in general goes beyond the scope of this meta; I recommend that you read @yendany's metas instead. It must be acknowledged, of course, that this is a racist scene for employing Moroccan extras as former slaves in order to prop up a British woman and being completely insensitive to Africa's colonial history. However, that's the show's production's fault, which continued to be tone-deaf about race-related issues and diversity in general through the years.

That being said, my main purpose here is to address in which ways the TV series diverged from Dany's character in the books and, consequently, undermined show!Dany. So, instead of talking specifically about the racism in Dany's character and storyline (about which people have already discussed a lot elsewhere), I want to focus, instead, on the ways that the discussion centered around the racism in Dany's character and storyline tends to be uninterested in analyzing the merits of Dany's character and storyline. This reinforces that these detractors' problems most often relate to a) either GRRM and the show's writers and producers rather than to Dany's character herself or b) their own biases:

Dany's abolitionist crusade's humanitarian importance: Do they remember in which ways the slaves were being mistreated, exploited and dehumanized before Dany's interventions?

Dany's character motivations: Do they know that Dany conquered cities just so that she could end slavery rather than because she wanted to exploit Slaver's Bay in any way? Are they aware of the many sacrifices that Dany made in order to free the slaves and rule in Meereen? Do they know that Dany doesn't want the Iron Throne for its own sake, but rather that she wants it so that she can find a home and fulfill her duty towards her ancestors?

Dany's background and identity: Do they take into account that Dany is not just a white woman, but also a former sex slave and a refugee who was forced to culturally assimilate in order to survive and who now belongs nowhere just like the people that she's freed?

Dany's storyline's historical inspirations: Do they know that the slavery that GRRM wrote is primarily inspired by the ancient world and, therefore, is not race-based? Do they know that GRRM himself is tone-deaf about race-related issues and that this is apparent in all of his story?

A holistic view of ASOIAF in order to avoid double standards against Dany: Do they take prevailing cultural norms and other characters' actions into account when they judge Dany's ambition and use of violence negatively? Do they also take into account how Dany's selfless deeds compare to most of the other characters'? Do they also acknowledge and criticize the racism in other characters' storylines?

The vast majority of Dany's detractors (which include D&D) don't take these questions (which do not exhaustively cover all of the misconceptions surrounding her character by any means) into account and/or don't know the text well enough to answer them properly, which means that they are prone to grossly distorting her motivations and/or her storyline's thematic messages in order to address racial issues that should not be used to judge Dany's character because the author himself is unaware of them and does not intend for them to come across. As a result, people lose track of Dany's actual characterization and her storyline's intended social commentary and forget that she is a part of several marginalized groups herself, leading to pretty nonsensical takes in the fandom, such as "Rhaenys should have been Dany".

So, because a) the issue of racism in Dany's storyline was already well-covered elsewhere and b) fandom climate has proven that many people who talk about this issue tend to do so in bad faith, I consciously decided to focus on these five things that should also be remembered in this discussion (and that have more to do with the purpose of this meta anyway).

My comments on the Inside the Episode 3.10

Benioff: We see her get an army in episode four, and here in the finale you see her get her people, really, because she's got, she has her Dothraki followers that don't number very many, and she's got the people she's freed from the other cities, but now she is, it's not just - it's something even more, something almost even more religious about it than just a queen, I mean, she's the mother of these people.

Weiss: And it creates a whole new dynamic between her and the people that she's fighting for that she's gonna have to deal with in the future.

Benioff: The way they treat her, the way they lift her up and she is...  something that has its... A revelation from a prophecy and that glorious destiny is coming true.

Weiss: Here it seemed like it was really important to let us know just how many people were counting on her to see the full extent of, mostly, the full extent of her army and the tens of thousands of people who flooded out of these gates to pay tribute to her. And then, keeping the dragons in play because they're always such an important part of her identity, we just want to tie all of that together in one great shot.

There's a lot of wrong here, so let's unpack this statement by statement.

We see her get an army in episode four, and here in the finale you see her get her people, really,

As I already noted in episodes 3.4 and 3.5 and will repeat: the show writers seem to have forgotten that thousands of refugees from Astapor chose to follow her to Yunkai, so she had already "[gotten] her people":

Yet even so, tens of thousands preferred to follow her to Yunkai, rather than remain behind in Astapor. 

[...]  Dany could not bring herself to abandon them as Ser Jorah and her bloodriders urged. I told them they were free. I cannot tell them now they are not free to join me. (ASOS Daenerys IV)

Indeed, her main struggle during the battle of Yunkai was to find a way to take the city and free its slaves and prevent too many of her freedmen from becoming casualties:

Dany considered. The slaver host seemed small compared to her own numbers, but the sellswords were ahorse. She’d ridden too long with Dothraki not to have a healthy respect for what mounted warriors could do to foot. The Unsullied could withstand their charge, but my freedmen will be slaughtered. (ASOS Daenerys IV)

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she's got, she has her Dothraki followers that don't number very many,

Dany still considers her Dothraki followers a khalasar in the books and finds their support invaluable despite its small number and what the show writers had her think in the S3 premiere (i.e. that she doesn't have a true khalasar):

Her khalasar was tiny, some thirty-odd mounted warriors, and most of them braidless boys and bentback old men. Yet they were all the horse she had, and she dared not go without them. The Unsullied might be the finest infantry in all the world, as Ser Jorah claimed, but she needed scouts and outriders as well. (ASOS Daenerys IV)

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she is, it's not just - it's something even more, something almost even more religious about it than just a queen, I mean, she's the mother of these people.

And it creates a whole new dynamic between her and the people that she's fighting for that she's gonna have to deal with in the future.

Dany was already acting as mhysa way before she was considered one, which we saw from the way she cared about the Lhazareen women to her bloodriders to the slaves in Astapor:

“You heard my words,” she said. “Stop them.” She spoke to her khas in the harsh accents of Dothraki. “Jhogo, Quaro, you will aid Ser Jorah. I want no rape.” (AGOT Daenerys VII)

~

“Sheath your steel, blood of my blood,” said Dany, “this man comes to serve me. Belwas, you will accord all respect to my people, or you will leave my service sooner than you’d wish, and with more scars than when you came.” (ACOK Daenerys V)

~

“...Why do the gods make kings and queens, if not to protect the ones who can’t protect themselves?”

“Some kings make themselves. Robert did.”

“He was no true king,” Dany said scornfully. “He did no justice. Justice ... that’s what kings are for.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

One might argue that this event strengthens the sense of responsibility that she already had for these people, but it's not true that there was a radical change in their dynamic after this moment... In the books, it was simply a culmination of what Dany was already doing the whole time.

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The way they treat her, the way they lift her up and she is...  something that has its... A revelation from a prophecy and that glorious destiny is coming true.

The way that Benioff puts it makes it seem like show!Dany expected the devotion of these people (in a way that seems related to what they assume to be her self-interest and entitlement), which irks me in hindsight knowing that a) they will use this assumption to tear her apart in the last season (after all, one reason why they had show!Dany fall was that she found no love in the North)  and b) it's not accurate for her book counterpart.

Is it true that she notices that one prophecy was realized in this moment in the books? Yes.

Ten thousand slaves lifted bloodstained hands as she raced by on her silver, riding like the wind. “Mother!” they cried. “Mother, mother!” They were reaching for her, touching her, tugging at her cloak, the hem of her skirt, her foot, her leg, her breast. They wanted her, needed her, the fire, the life, and Dany gasped and opened her arms to give herself to them ... (ACOK Daenerys IV)

 ~

Ser Jorah urged her to go, but Dany remembered a dream she had dreamed in the House of the Undying. (ASOS Daenerys IV)

When it comes to Dany's motivations, though, one must take into account that a) Dany herself is not aware that she has a great destiny (nor does she want to have one) and b) the prophecies are most often intertwined with her desire to find a home, a family, companionship, belonging. This scene is no exception; before it happened, Dany had reflected on how her House would end with her due to her infertility:

She felt very lonely all of a sudden. Mirri Maz Duur had promised that she would never bear a living child. House Targaryen will end with me. That made her sad. “You must be my children,” she told the dragons, “my three fierce children. Arstan says dragons live longer than men, so you will go on after I am dead.” (ASOS Daenerys IV)

Fittingly, then, the chapter ends on a more positive note: her found family is now not only composed of dragons, but of thousands of people who she is delighted to meet:

“What are they shouting?”

“It is Ghiscari, the old pure tongue. It means ‘Mother.’”

Dany felt a lightness in her chest. I will never bear a living child, she remembered. Her hand trembled as she raised it. Perhaps she smiled. She must have, because the man grinned and shouted again, and others took up the cry. [...]

Ser Jorah urged her to go, but Dany remembered a dream she had dreamed in the House of the Undying. “They will not hurt me,” she told him. “They are my children, Jorah.” She laughed, put her heels into her horse, and rode to them, the bells in her hair ringing sweet victory. She trotted, then cantered, then broke into a gallop, her braid streaming behind. The freed slaves parted before her. “Mother,” they called from a hundred throats, a thousand, ten thousand. “Mother,” they sang, their fingers brushing her legs as she flew by. “Mother, Mother, Mother!” (ASOS Daenerys IV)

As I said before, this scene is interesting because it associates Dany's role as a queen to her role as a mother. This connection arguably not only relates to gender issues, but also to how Dany's empathy runs so deep that she goes as far as to consider all of the ones who can't protect themselves her children: because she knows what it is like to be in their position, she will be the one who, instead of focusing on heritage and feudal ties and lands, empowers them and keeps them safe as best as she can.

Unfortunately, the show writers never understood any of this because of a) their lack of knowledge of the source material and, in particular, Dany's character, and b) their misogynistic assumption that a powerful and revolutionary woman must be, deep down, vain, selfish, unhinged and reliant on the men around her (even while they're unable to depict her as one).

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And then, keeping the dragons in play because they're always such an important part of her identity, we just want to tie all of that together in one great shot.

While it's not untrue that the dragons are an important part of Dany's identity, I can't help but look askance at this statement. D&D thought that it was important to portray show!Dany as helpless without her dragons in season two, after all:

Benioff: Dany is so defined by her dragons, they're so much a part at this point, they define her so much that when they're taken from her, it's almost like she reverts to the pre-dragon Daenerys, you know, everyone is a bit defined by who they were when they were an adolescent, you know, no matter how old you get, no matter how powerful you get, and Daenerys was a scared, timid, abused adolescent and I think when her dragons are taken for her, all those feelings, all those memories and emotions are triggered and come back and all the confidence that she's won over the last several months, it's as if that just evaporates and she's back to being a really frightened little girl. (x)

In the books, Dany doesn't need to be humbled by having her dragons taken from her. Her lesson is the opposite one: she learns that, despite having dragons (which are never taken from her), they are not going to be of help if she wants to gain people's loyalty. Instead, she is going to have to earn people's loyalty, which is why GRRM has Dany's perspective front and center in the books - she is the one who deeply empathizes with the slaves based on her past experiences, she is the one who chooses to start an anti-slavery campaign, she is the one who concocts the battle plans to conquer the cities, she is the one who decides to stay and rule Meereen and so on. The dragons served as the bait to deceive the Astapori masters, but her plan went way beyond the dragons, as well as the ones she made in Yunkai and Meereen.

On HBO, they think that show!Dany is "so defined by her dragons" and that "they're such an important part of her identity" to the point of portraying her as incompetent without them, which they will do again in seasons four and five with their poor adaptation of her ADWD arc (where the dragons were shown as a hindrance and Dany still held things together really well considering the huge problems that she was dealing with). And then, in the end, as we know, they will turn the draconic imagery that once meant freedom in the books (and arguably in this scene as well) into another sign of her villainy in a wing shot that, iconic as it has become, is as subtle as adding devil horns in her head.

Show!Dany's clothes

Does anyone know why is show!Dany using this accessory with her dress? I assume it's a chest pad, but I'm not sure. If anyone has any ideas, please share them with me.