#sheesh why does this ship have so many different tags

[madbard]

When season 1 of Good Omens came out, I remember there was a lot of discussion about the exact moment Aziraphale and Crowley fell for each other. The consensus I usually saw was that Crowley fell in love with Aziraphale when the angel revealed that he had given away his flaming sword, and Aziraphale fell in love (or, more aptly, realized he was in love) with Crowley during the Second World War, after Crowley saved his books from a bombing.

The second season challenges this, with rather interesting results.

In the first few minutes of this season, we are flung further back in time than ever before - just a few minutes before the Beginning. Here, we see the true first meeting between Crowley and Aziraphale, back when they were both angels. Crowley is blissful, gazing at the newly created galaxies with sheer wonder and adoration. Aziraphale’s expression betrays similar emotions - but his gaze is not directed at the galaxies. Instead, he glances nervously at his fellow angel, entranced by this bold, brilliant stranger.

When they meet again on Earth, it isn’t clear whether Aziraphale recognizes Crowley as the angel he met before the Beginning. Personally, I think he did - and that casts his actions in quite a different light.

Imagine being sent down to Earth with the expectation that you will be a paragon of virtue. God’s representative in Earth, a being of absolute goodness and purity. Flawless. Devoted. Divine.

You arrive on this young planet, before a young couple, and you must immediately show them immense cruelty, forcing them to leave the only home they have ever known and brave the surrounding wilderness. It is God’s plan, so of course it must be right… but in that moment, something feels so dreadfully wrong that you make a decision of your own. You give them your holy weapon. Afterwards, you stand on the garden wall, looking out over the wilderness, anxiously watching the first humans as they make their way East. You hear a voice. You turn. And that is when you see that gorgeous angel you fell for in the dazzling light of countless galaxies, only moments, perhaps, before he fell as well - though in a very different way. He doesn’t seem to recognize you - why would he? You only talked for a moment, and he was too distracted by the newborn sky to take much notice of anyone. But you recognize him. You remember how he made you feel. And this terrifies you.

I propose that Aziraphale did not, in fact, take thousands of years to fall in love with a demon. He spent thousands of years in love with an angel. And it didn’t matter how much he tried to deny it, how hard he fought. With each passing century he fell deeper and deeper in love with that being of light, that angel surrounded by the stars. With each passing century he became more and more convinced that, deep down, that angel was still there, scorched by hellfire but alive, nonetheless.

And then, he was given the chance to save that angel, the angel he fell in love with. He was given the chance to lead that angel back to heaven, to love him freely, to finally bring his suffering to an end. And when he saw that fallen angel again, he immediately shared that joyful news.

That is when Crowley looked back and, in a single moment, confirmed that Aziraphale was wrong. The angel Aziraphale had fallen in love was dead. He had been dead for six thousand years.

[sleepsonfutons]

20 questions for fic writers!

Ope it's double tag time >:D thanks @spockandthings & @bazzybelle for the tags~

This one's got length to it so get the scoop under the cut lol

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Shoot, how many do I have... let's see now... ooooh, that'd be 18!!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Eyyyy 104,261 since I started posting last year :3

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The Sandman and The Witcher, though mostly Sandman so far lol

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

hmmmm, those would be...

In Awe, I Stand -> 370 kudos

Dream of the Dark -> 226 kudos

My Comfort. Your Touch. -> 216 kudos

Every Inch of Me -> 161 kudos

Starlight, Star-Bright -> 139 kudos

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do my best to, yes indeed! That doesn't always means it happens though cuz life and energy and honestly attention-span...but I read every single comment I get and cherish them. They are bright spots in my day and I like to share the joy I've been gifted with the person who gave it when I'm able 💖

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Ohoho that's gotta be Don't Ask Me To Say Goodbye!! I have Plans for that AU, but as it currently stands it's angst-central with only heartbreak~

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my fics have happy endings I wanna say, but happiest has got to be a toss-up between Starlight, Star-Bright and My Comfort. Your Touch. They're both super soft, self-indulgent delights :3

8. Do you get hate on fics?

*knocks on wood* nah

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do [hellmo.gif] How do you feel about potatoes? (but also like relatively "normal" stuff: butt stuff, mouth stuff, touching stuff, eldritch stuff, basically a variety of different stuff >;3 LOL)

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Not so far, though I'd not be opposed to writing one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

*knocks on wood again* not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope, but open invite to anyone who might want to! Just give me a shout when you're done cuz I'd love to see~

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

HECK YE!!!! @phinofthestorm is outstanding and I literally can't say enough nice things about writing with her! The amount of time we've spent on the same brainwave with our collab fic As a Stranger I Know Myself has been mindblowing and fantastic!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Honestly, I'll never get over GrimmIchi (Bleach) I don't think lol. The nostalgia factor is unbeatable at this point.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Truss Me Up But Never Leave Me Hanging probably fits the bill best, much to my chagrin. It was meant to be a canon-verse Dreamling shibari fic, but *vague handwaving* I wound up getting in my head over whether I could write it to the level of accuracy/quality I feel it deserves

16. What are your writing strengths?

Setting the scene? aka "purple prose" and metaphors

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Concise, "non-flowery" writing in general and dialogue

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I mean if it makes sense, idk why not. Only caveat to that is if it's not a language you speak yourself, definitely get someone who does speak that language to proof it!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Witcher with the bday fic I wrote for my bestie: Where You Least Expect It

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Dang, twist my arm why don't'cha... Sheesh favorite fic I've written... I love 'em all honestly, but I reckon Along the Garden Path, We Meet. It's just a short little thing though Dream being a lil shit to Hob early on, before even their first centennial meeting in 1489, absolutely sends me every time.

Woooo we made it to the end! Now to torment tag to join the fun with 0-whole pressure @seiya-starsniper @phinofthestorm @mentallyinvernation @certifiedbisexualdisaster @blueberrymffn @gabessquishytum @delta-pavonis @aquabluejay

[krabmeat]

𝟷𝟶𝟶 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜? 𝚝𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢? 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔? 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛?

HELL YEAH FELLAS YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT!! FIRST MAJOR MILESTONE BAYBEEEE LETS GOOOOOO!!

guys, i really dont think you see how insanely mental this is. like what?!?! i joined here cause a friend of mine was gushing about a writer here and eventually convinced me to get tumblr. they called me their "noob reading friend /affectionate" and now look at me!! not even a year in and ive gained a crowd? thats so damn cool to think about!! to think that this many people are willing to put aside time in their day to read some fics made by me, im floored man!! all in all though, i have no one to thank but my wonderful mutuals and followers who have helped floor and construct the fantastic beginnings of this blog. which is why im here to bring you all this event that i sincerely hope you guys enjoy!

🦑KRABS KAN MAKE WRITING EVENTS WOW!!🦑

ALRIGHT FELLAS, IM DOING A WRITING EVENT!! HERES THE RULES AND PROMPTS NOW BOSSMEN!

~rules~

only 2 people per prompt

despite me not writing romantic fics yet, all participants are absolutely welcome to!

no smut/nsfw, im not that kind of blog and i do plan on reading entries so please dont submit anything related!!

any and all fics glorifying and supporting bigoted or misogynistic ideals will not be tolerated or respected. this is non-negotioable but if the fic has any of this that results in the putting down of or generally recognizing these ideals as negative then that is completely fine!

you are to use the quote prompts in your fic (im gonna be loose on this though so dw!! :DD)

you can use as many different prompts as youd like!!

please keep submissions in mcyt territory as thats who i write for most. but this doesnt confine to just mcyts in the dsmp! go wild dudes, hermitcraft, third life, pop off!!

keep all fics for minors platonic and platonic ONLY

generally know and respect the boundaries for ccs

when asking for a prompt, please put who you will be writing for!!

TAG ME IN YOUR FICS!! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH PLEASE ID ADORE IT IF YOU TAGGED ME SO I CAN READ YOUR WONDERFUL WORK!!

you can use and interpret the prompts any way you want! doesnt matter if its in the angst section, you see fluff potential? go for it, vice versa!!

~prompts~

~fluff~

"I swear, if you make us late one more time I'll tape a clock to your wrist." "Isnt that a watch-?" "Shut it!"

"Look! I think it likes me!" (@ohworm-writes with cc!beeduo)

"Man, how did I catch such a good person?"

"Yknow, your parents really did something great when they made you."

"WELL HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN?!" "THERE ARE WARNING LABELS RIGHT THERE!"

"Take a picture, itll last longer~" "Okay!" "Wait you actually did that-?"

"That does NOT fit you." "Yeah it does! Just gotta roll it up a bit!"

"You aren't 'built different', you're just stupid." (@ohworm-writes with cc!tommy @jschllatt with cc!sapnap

"If it ever happens again, tell me. You know i adore you."

"Well..they dont even deserve you anyways! Just look at you- gorgeous!!"

~angst~

"KEEP F*CKING WALKING, THEN! CANT EVEN FACE YOUR OWN DAMN PARTNER! (or friend! :])"

"No, youre amazing!" "Then why arent i treated like it?"

"Do it again, see if i care."

"Guys..? GUYS! THEY ARENT MOVING!"

"Put the damn drink down and talk to me!"

"Its about time you get whats due, you know."

"So not only do you think im stupid, but you also think im still naive?"

"Just take me seriously for once in your damn life!"

"You'd better start running in the next 5 seconds."

"What do you take me for, a joke?!" "Wasnt that obvious?"

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

now that thats done, heres the ask game part of the event!!! send me the corresponding emoji in my ask box and ill respond!

👽~ ill tell you a weird or memorable occurance that has happened on tumblr between friends and moots!

😳~ ill kin assign you and try to guess who you kin! (friends and moots only)

🍒~ ill rate your blog aesthetic on a scale of 1-10

🥀~ ill give you a bunch of emojis that remind me of you! (friends and moots only)

😎~ ill tell you obscure things i think are very neat!

🌺~ ill tell you a random interesting fact i know!

🦑~ if you send me a description of yourself, personality etc then ill write you a short ship fic with a mcyt!! specify if you want it to be platonic or romantic and if you want it to be c! or cc!(this is to work on my romantic writing!! friends and moots only)

💃~ ill tell you songs that remind me of you! (friends and moots only)

📕~ ill tell you something small or obscure i secretly think about you! (friends and moots only)

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

now...onto the final part- HONOURABLE MENTIONS!!!

@myceliummenace ~ these guys got me into tumblr, some of my closest friends and theyve been supporting me since day one. i couldnt be happier to breathe the same air as these guys, they all deserve a crown and if you disagree i will chomp your hand

@niceimafan ~ an absolute saint!! i came across inks former writing blog and fell in love with both them and their wonderful work /p!!!! theyve helped me through some hellish times and are all around so damn open and accepting

@jschllatt ~ istfg this lady is just-- SOOOO BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT??? nat is incredibly talented and has encouraged me throughout my time here and i couldnt be happier with how weve grown as friends!! and i know, despite how wholesome and soft nat seems to be i promise you she knows how to keep a bit going like no other. an amazing moot, stay funky :]

@im-an-ungodly-mess ~ okay look,, i know i havent interacted with these guys for a lot buttt...CAN YOU REALLY BLAME ME??!!? LIKE CMON THEYRE ALL JUST SO COOL!!! the moment i met them i knew our chaotic energies would merge and boy did they merge alright. also theyre just insanely nice and super willing to endulge with me in my random interest which is always a sexy trait to have. 10 out of 10, these guys are neato

@ohworm-writes ~ ahhh wormmm, delightful all around and just a sweetheart....BUT THEYVE GOT SHENANIGANS- as well as being extremely skilled as well like, dayummm!!! i live for our bond over fandoms outside of the mcyt fandom and i feel blessed to have you be a moot! much love, dear!

@marcooze ~ bro....whyd you have to do me like that dude? being so gosh damn kind and accepting like that like sheesh all the stuff you reblog is gold!!! it can be the most cracked out post or the most serious and informational one. idgaf that youre a reblog blog, you mean the world to me and i shall place a supple kiss on your hand as bros do <3

@ramzawrites ~ THE FIRST WRITERS BLOG IVE EVER FOLLOWED!!! ramza dear, if no one has ever told you how iconic you are then PLEASE LET ME BE THE FIRST!!! everything you do leaves me in awe and despite your talent, you still have miles and miles of kindness and generosity? you are one in a million, ramza. you deserve everything and please know how much you mean to me. thank you for supporting me so much for so long, and i hope your days are filled with really cool rocks :]]

[fortunatelylori]

JONSA: The infamous “undermine me” scene

About a week ago @jonsa101 posted a meta regarding the “undermine me” scene in season 7 (episode 1).

She discusses this particular exchange between Jon and Sansa:

Jon: You are my sister but I am king now.

Sansa: Will you start wearing a crown? (Sansa Snark is in the house, guys!)

Jon: When you question my decisions in front of the other lords and ladies, you undermine me.

 In the meta she identifies the “undermine me” line as a romantic trope that she’s seen play out in many different contexts. If you guys haven’t read the meta yet, please go and read it. @jonsa101 always has some very interesting interpretations and theories regarding the show and I really enjoy her meta work. 

 I was already planning on discussing this scene in detail as part of my upcoming series on all the Jonsa scenes but since she tagged me in the meta, I thought I’d discuss it now.

I have to say that after reading her post, I had a look at lists of romantic tropes as well as my favorite research source – youtube – in order to try and find similar examples of the “undermine me” line. I’m afraid I came out empty on this one.

 However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that whether or not you identify this particular line as a trope, the whole exchange between them ticks a lot of romantic tropes off the list as I’ll show below.

 This is one of the things that always bothers me about people calling Jonsa shippers delusional. Even if Jonsa never becomes canon, it’s very much a fact that the writers are playing with romantic expectations in all of their scenes. You can’t swing a stick in the direction of these two without one trope or another hitting you smack in the face. So at the very least, Jonsa shippers are responding to these visual and storytelling devices. Hardly a delusion.

 For the interests of this meta I will focus strictly on the tropes used in this particular scene, which considering that it’s only 3 minutes long, I was shocked to find out is more than 1. For reference, I’m working off the list of romantic tropes found here as well as use the explanation they give for each of them. When you have the time, check it out. It’s like an Easter Egg Hunt for Jonsas.

 Like an Old Married Couple: These two people are very close and tend to bicker with each other.

 This is where I would actually place the “undermine me” line. In fact this is where I would put this entire exchange:

Jon: You are my sister but I am king now.

Sansa: Will you start wearing a crown?

Jon: When you question my decisions in front of the other lords and ladies, you undermine me.

Sansa: I can’t question your decisions anymore?

Jon: Of course you can but …

Sansa: Joffery never let anyone question his authority. Do you think he was a good king?

 Ahem … guys, I reeeally don’t think you’re fighting over what you think you’re fighting over. Also can you air your dirty married laundry in private? You’re making everyone uncomfortable!

 Now, Like an Old Married Couple is usually served with a generous helping of the Belligerent Sexual Tension and/or Unresolved Sexual Tension tropes on the side. Which would explain the seemingly random insert of Joffery in this whole conversation (there’s more to it than that but more on that later). I mean doesn’t every girl compare her brother to her ex-boyfriend? Isn’t that a thing that people do all the time?

 The thing that is very interesting here is the way these two are operating. There’s nothing really sibling-like about this interaction. This is two partners having a fight.

 But this is where it gets interesting. Because this exchange is followed by another trope:

 Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: No matter how much they fight, they really do care about each other very much.

Jon: You think I’m Joffery?

Sansa: You’re as far from Joffery as anyone I’ve ever met.

Jon: Thank you!

 Throughout my series on the Jon/D*ny romance (X) (X) (X) (X) (X), I kept talking about how Jon and Dany never seem to reach a consensus or resolve anything in any of their fights. Every Jonsa scene comes in direct contrast to that. It isn’t the absence of fighting that makes a couple work, it’s them being able to resolve and move on from a fight that does. And this is where this trope comes in. No matter how hard Jon and Sansa have a go at each other, you are never left in any doubt that they care about one another.

 But there’s more …

 Dismissing a Compliment: A character doesn't believe something nice their Love Interest tells them.

Sansa: You’re good at this, you know.

Jon: At what?

Sansa: At ruling.

Jon: No …

Sansa: You are. (beat) You are.

 Why don’t you say it again, Sans? I don’t think he heard you the last two times …

 Sansa: They respect you. They really do …

 Ok, ok. Sheesh! Are we also going to talk about how cute his hair looks today and how dreamy his eyes are?

 This is followed by the hyper-analyzed “but” lines:

 Sansa: … but you have to … Why are you laughing?

Jon: What did father used to say? Everything before the word but is horseshit.

 This may or may not have plot implications later on but for the purposes of what we’re analyzing here, the point I’m trying to make is that Jon is dismissing every nice thing Sansa has said about him and focuses only on the word “but”. Because he’s Jon Snow … You can’t pin a compliment on this guy to save your life.

Also …

 Laugh of Love: The tendency to laugh when in the presence of your Love Interest.

 (no idea who made this. sorry but thank you!)

As well as pretty much every other scene he has with her. Either Sansa is a proficient stand-up comedian or Jon is just really, really happy whenever he’s around her, even when he’s angry at her. Totally platonic, guys! Nothing to see here!

 Caught the Heart on His Sleeve: Ship Tease moment where one partner grabs the other partner's arm/sleeve.

(gif credit to @baelerion)

Complete with Jon looking down to see Sansa touching him either because his senses are overloaded or because he can’t feel anything through the thick sleeve of the jacket Sansa most likely made for him. Also notice that this is described as a ship tease. We’re teased all right …

 Sigh of Love: Sighing dreamily when in the presence of or thinking about your Love Interest.

And because Jon can’t let Sansa steal the spotlight on this one:

(gif credit to @baelerion​)

This is not a competition but if it were, Jon would win. Sorry, Sans! His is longer and deeper. Still love you though!

 And lastly ….

 Like Parent, Like Spouse: A character's Love Interest is similar to one of their parents, be it in looks or personality.

 In every god damn episode they have together and also here:

In conclusion, for those at home not keeping count, that’s 7 tropes used in a 3 minute scene. Is it any small wonder this might seem familiar to people? Either way you want to slice it, you have seen these visual and narrative cues in other stories. Tropes don’t become tropes because no one ever used them.

 Now I did title this meta “the infamous undermine me scene” for a reason. That’s because this scene, as almost all Jonsa scenes, has three layers that are all thrown at the audience simultaneously. Two of these layers are good, one of these layers is BAD. Let’s see if you guess which is which:

 What the characters are fighting about

 This is where the whole text vs. subtext analysis comes in. Ideally, any scene in any story you ever read or watch, should have both a surface level as well as subtext. Now and again you will get scenes, out of necessity, that are simply what they say on the tin but writers are actively dissuaded from doing this on the whole. It would be very boring and frankly poor storytelling if subtext was non-existent and people simply talked at each other, complete with an accurate, objective narrative on what they’re saying and why they’re saying it. To put it simply, it wouldn’t be a satisfying journey for the audience.

 So what is the surface level? Well, this is a direct follow-up to the preceding scene where Jon pardons Alice and Ned and Sansa argues against it. The argument got pretty heated between the two of them so now we’re given a scene where we can see the resolution of said argument.

 What you should keep in mind at this stage is how that argument ended:

Sansa: They died fighting for Ramsay. Give the castles to the families of the men who died fighting for you.

Jon: […] I will not punish a son for his father’s sins and I will not take a family home away from a family it has belonged to for centuries. That is my decision and my decision is final.

 Check-mate, as they say. Jon won that argument. He is the king and he made his decision. Case closed. On a purely surface level, that argument was finalized. We didn’t really need the “undermine me” scene unless we attempt to infer things that are no presented to us directly.

 Which brings us to …

 What the characters are really fighting about

Jon: You are my sister but I am king now.

Sansa: Will you start wearing a crown?

Jon: When you question my decisions in front of the other lords and ladies, you undermine me.

 The question here is why does Jon feel undermined? I think the answer is not because he doesn’t want Sansa questioning his decisions, as she seems to believe. Nor is it because he suspects some sort of nefarious ulterior motive (we’ll leave that for that pesky 3rd layer we’ll talk about shortly).

 We all know Jon values dialogue and collaboration. What we also know is that whatever Sansa says affects him very deeply. You can deduce this from their scenes but, for confirmation, we also have Kit saying that Sansa “twists” Jon. So we can assume that their argument hurts him in some way and even though he put his foot down during the meeting, he still feels the need to clarify the issue with her which is why they’re having the conversation.

 Now people have pointed out that, as one of his vassals, Sansa has every right to question him publicly. The problem is that’s not how Jon sees her. He very distinctly separates Sansa from the rest of his court. And since we already had the “we need to trust each other” scene at the end of season 6, I think it’s safe to assume that he sees the two of them as a unit that is supposed to be on the same page so the fact that Sansa speaks out against him in public, instead of privately, feels like a betrayal.

 There’s also his character and history to consider. Jon has never been the kind of person to take criticism very well, mostly because he’s felt unworthy and rejected all his life. And now he’s gone from the Bastard of Winterfell to King in the North in the span of a few months. That would leave just about anyone feeling uncertain of how much people truly trust their judgement.

 However, if there’s one thing you learn sooner or later, is that there are two sides to every story. That’s why it’s never a good idea to side with one party whenever couples fight.

 Because if we look at things from Sansa’s perspective, you can see how she might feel dismissed. The fact of the matter is Jon isn’t the world’s greatest communicator and failed to talk his decision over with Sansa before announcing it to the Council, which in turn makes Sansa feel sidelined, hence her aggressive snark and Joffrey digs. And we get an explanation of that here:

Sansa: He [Ned] was trying to protect us. He never wanted us to see how dirty the world really is but father couldn’t protect me and neither can you. So stop trying.

 Sansa is operating under a false assumption as well. Jon looks at their argument and feels undermined. Sansa looks at Jon avoiding her counsel and thinks that he does it because he sees her as his little sister that is in need of protection.

 Now Jon, bless his heart, does try to put Sansa in the little sister box at times but he fails at it miserably, partly because Sansa doesn’t let him and partly because what he needs from her is very far removed from what sisters usually provide.

 So there they are … two “siblings” stuck on a balcony having a lovers quarrel. Just another day at Winterfell.

 Which brings us to what I like to call …

 The “D&D screwing with us” layer

 Why do I say that the writers are screwing with us in this scene? Well, because of this:

Sansa: Joffery never let anyone question his authority. Do you think he was a good king?

 There is absolutely no reasonable explanation for why they felt the need to bring Joffery, one of the worst people this show has ever inflicted on us, in this conversation. Firstly, because there is no parallel to be drawn between Jon and Joffery in this situation. For one, if Joffrey was the king here, Alice and Ned’s heads would be decorating the walls. They would certainly not have been brought back into the fold which is what Jon has done for them. Secondly, since Jon is very much talking his head off to Sansa at the moment, it’s pretty obvious that he isn’t above explaining his reactions.

 What she says is, honestly, incredibly insulting which is why she backtracks out of it as quickly as the writers would allow:

Jon: Do you think I’m Joffrey?

Sansa: You’re as far from Joffrey as anyone I’ve ever met. (all the while looking extremely guilty)

 If the mention is here in order to clue us in on the fact that Sansa views Jon as something other than her brother, by comparing him to the only person she’s ever had romantic feelings for, there’s again no need for that. Seven romantic tropes in one 3-minute scene is more than enough to get that point across.

 So why do the writers have her say this? I would argue that this mention is in here in order to advance the “darkSansa” agenda, particularly since this is a scene where Jon says he feels undermined by her twice.

It doesn’t matter that Sansa backtracks on the Joffrey fiasco, it doesn’t matter that she tells him she doesn’t want to undermine him, while desperately sighing with loving eyes that she wants him to listen to her.  The “darkSansa” idea sticks.

 And that’s because the audience support is very much skewed  in  Jon’s favor. Being on tumblr, sometimes you forget that the Jonsa fam is very much the minority and that exclusive Sansa fans are the unicorns of this fandom (#love4unicorns). The vast majority of this audience will not look at Jon as an unreliable narrator, as every character in this show is, but as the ultimate authority on how this scene should be viewed.

 If he says he feels undermined, then it must be because he’s being undermined, which by extension means that Sansa will betray him. And her mentioning Joffery only helps to further antagonize the audience against her.

 Does that mean the Ds want us to hate Sansa for no particular reason? Not really. What they really, really want is to, yet again, beat the “Starkbowl” horse until it expires from exhaustion. And they’re willing to compromise emotional development and cut off the audience from essential POVs to achieve that.

 In season 6, when they first teased Starkbowl, they did it for emotional turmoil. They gave us that beautiful, heart breaking reunion scene only to immediately have Sansa start to be seemingly duplicitous. Because wouldn’t it be just so tragic that after Jon found new purpose in life through Sansa and she finally found safety and comfort with someone that actually cared for her, she would turn everything on its head and betray him?

 In season 7, they wanted to resurrect it because of the Littlefinger twist ending. This little “Joffrey” titbit and the “undermining” conversation helped plant the seeds for it so when Arya (another fan favorite) began accusing her of plotting against Jon, the audience would have this early scene to fall back on, despite the fact that Sansa continuously supports Jon’s policy while he’s away and constantly talks about him, to the point where she almost sounds like Sam talking about Gilly.

 What I’m trying to get at with this example is that the writers are not operating in good faith when telling this story. They will constantly throw things in to tease plot points that never come to pass. I don’t like this narrative choice at all, because it requires being cut off from certain characters POVs (Jon and Sansa are champions of this in season 7) which in turn puts distance between the audience and them, when the core of good storytelling to me is seeing characters wrestle with decisions and emotions not off-screen, but right before our eyes.

However, at the very least, what all of this should tell you, is that you should never simply relay on what the ‘explicit’ meaning of a scene is because there’s far more lurking beneath the surface. 

[whiskas-pandastar]

Their Time in Crocus

Fairy Tail week 2018

Prompt Day 2: Crocus

Summary: What went down on the day when Team Natsu arrived in Crocus on the day before the Grand Magic Games and Natsu and Lucy went to explore Crocus.

Genre: Friendship/Romance

Rating:K

A/n: this is set one day before the Grand Magic Games.

"Hey Lucy...how long are you gonna sit here and read?" Happy asked dejectedly, sitting on top of the bookshelf where Lucy was reading.

Lucy frowned at him, "I don't know, maybe a few more minutes,"

"You said that half an hour ago." Happy rolled his eyes.

"Well, I just started reading!" Lucy shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh come on, let's go already!" Natsu whined. Lucy squeaked when she found Natsu lying on the floor just next to her feet.

"Natsu what are you doing?!" Lucy stepped away.

Natsu proceeded to ignore her, "This is festival time!" he exclaimed. "There's a whole new world out there!"

"Don't forget we're here to play the Grand Magic Games! We are representing our guild and so we can't cause any ruckus. We shouldn't overexert ourselves!" Lucy laid down her case. "I'm also feeling a little sore because of the second origin release." she stretched her arms a little.

Happy giggled, "Old lady... "

"Watch it, stupid kitty!" Lucy grumbled. "Why are you guys even here, I didn't ask you to come with me anyway," she said more to herself.

"Lucy, let's go!" Natsu and Happy started whining loudly, attracting looks from other people in the store.

Lucy hid her face behind the book, "Knock it off, both of you! People are looking!"

Despite her warning, the two of them continued their antics. Lucy quickly put the book away and grabbed Natsu's arm and Happy's tail and swiftly dragged them out. She didn't want to face the humiliation of being kicked out the store with them, which had already been done countless times before.

"Sheesh, you guys!" Lucy pouted angrily.

"Mission success!" Natsu and Happy gave each other a high-five. "Aye sir!" Happy chirped.

"Well? Where do you want to go?" she raised a brow, still not pleased with what went down at the bookstore.

Natsu grinned widely, "Thought you'd never ask!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her along with him.

"Wait a second- Natsu!" Lucy huffed, trying to catch up with Natsu's speed.

They ran into the shopping district, which was the most lively place in Crocus today.

Lucy was amazed to see the wave of people, children, youngsters,  couples and elderly people too. It felt like the whole of Fiore had gathered up to see the Grand Magic Games.

That only added to the weight in her heart, the nervousness that bubbled in her stomach at the thought of a tournament they had no idea about. 7 years had gone by, and they had to make up for the lost time. She had to uphold the guild's pride. They were all counting on her. She had to make them proud. This was her only way of paying them back for all they had done.

She knew she wasn't as strong as Natsu, Gray or Erza. She was aware of her limitations. But giving up wasn't an option. She had to fight for herself, and her friends. She wanted to make everyone proud of her. She had to do her best, no matter what.

Lucy was driven away from her thoughts as Natsu shoved an ice-cream in her hands. "Ice-cream. Eat it. " he said simply. It was her favorite flavor, butterscotch with fresh strawberries and kiwis. Lucy smiled, "Thanks."

As Natsu silently watched her lick down the ice-cream, Lucy asked, "Wanna try it, Natsu?"

Natsu turned his head with a grunt, "You know I can't do ice-cream,"

Lucy smiled, "Come on, one bite, here, II'll go get another spoon," Before she could go, Natsu swooped the spoon from her hand, "No need for that," and put the ice-cream in his mouth.

An intense blush spread across her face, "Natsu! That was my spoon!" she squealed helplessly.

Natsu with a gulp of the icy thing found steam blowing from his ears. "I can't take it after all!!!" He yelled rubbing his face animatedly.

"Good grief!' Happy laughed. Lucy couldn't hold in her laughter too long at the misery of the Fire dragon slayer. Lucy had already forgotten what she was feeling glum about. She decided to put all the bad thoughts away and enjoy her time in this new city.

"Hey, I heard that Fairy Tail is participating in the Grand Magic Games this year-" Their ears perked up at the mention of their guild name. Two men were sitting on the bench and drinking alcohol in broad daylight.

His partner, a skinny guy with a shrunk face, laughed, "Fairy Tail? The guild that's always losing?! They should call themselves Fairy Losers by now!" he laughed harder at his joke.

"I heard that their core members have returned. It seems that they were quite the thing 7 years ago." the stout guy informed.

"Hah, that was 7 years ago. Trash like that should remain in their history books." he said menacingly and snickered.

Natsu, who was growling with rage had balled his fists in anger. He was about to storm to them when Lucy's better judgement stopped him.

She put a hand over his chest, "Wait-Natsu. Let me deal with this." Lucy  strode over in confidence.

"Hey you!" she pointed at the guy. "You're from the guild Titan's Nose aren't you? The same guild whose master shipped banned magic goods and was caught by Fairy Tail? The same guild that begged for mercy to Fairy Tail and promised to turn good if they didn't report it to the council?" Lucy smirked at their speechless faces, "Looks like you need to revise your history books."

She was about to turn away when she  added, "Oh, and as for the Grand Magic Games, we're gonna kick your butt! Don't you dare underestimate Fairy Tail, you hear me?!" she walked away, taking her ice-cream from the stunned Natsu and Happy.

"You guys coming?" Lucy asked.

"Yes ma'am!" Natsu and Happy replied mechanically.

There were so many shops to explore here. There were antiques, bags, jewelry, home decor, books, magazines, spices, groceries, clothes, all in one place. Artsy restaurants and quaint cafés were sprinkled in between. Lucy had to admit that this place had a greater variety than the market in Magnolia.

"Huge sale! Great discount at Eve Boutique only for today! Hurry!" A salesgirl shouted out loud.

Lucy hummed, "Maybe I should go and check out some clothes."

Natsu and Happy grumbled, "Oh come on! We just got out of the bookstore and now you want to go clothes shopping?"

"50% off on all apparel, bags and shoes!" the salesgirl continued her drag.

Lucy's eyes sparkled as she quivered with excitement, "Sale on shoes?! Let's go!" She linked her arm with Natsu and dragged him in with her. "Hey-!" Natsu squirmed but it was too late.

They entered the bright shop that had loud, upbeat music playing on the lacrimas. It was an attractive shop that had cute clothes for girls with a neat display.

Lucy squealed, "I love it all!" all starry-eyed she picked up a pair of white boots and black pencil heels. She moved around animatedly trying on hair accessories and holding up a shirt in the mirror.

She held a black embroidered top, "Hey Natsu, how does this look?"

Natsu picked his nose in a typical disinterested fashion, "Huh, looks great." He said without looking at it.

"Lucy, look, it's double cat ears!" Happy tried on a hairband that had cat ears on it.

Lucy pouted, "Ugh, okay you know what, I'll quickly buy these boots. You both go wait outside the shop."

"Great," Natsu waved his hands in resignation.

"Aye." Happy murmured and they found their way out.

Lucy sighed, "Okay, let's see which one's my size,"

Less than a moment later, Natsu tapped Lucy's shoulder, "Natsu?"

"Lucy, try this!" Natsu excitedly held up a red pleated mini skirt.

Happy held up a white off-shoulder top. "And this too!"

"Eh?" Lucy was surprised. "What the heck you guys?"

"Come on, just try it on!" They pushed the clothes in her hands. "Wait a second, these aren't my size!" Lucy said with a quick look from the tag.

Natsu took another look and agreed, "Right, excuse me!" He called out to a nearby salesgirl, "Do you have a size smaller than this?"

The girl came over, smiling ear to ear, "Yes sir. Could you tell me the exact size you want?"

Lucy started to speak when Natsu answered immediately, "Small size, waist 59cm and Hip 88cm."

"Understood, I'll go get it immediately," the girl said and rushed away.

"What the- How does Natsu know my measurements?!" Lucy blushed red.

"With all the time Natsu spends with you, it's obvious Lucy!" Happy said simply as if that was common sense.

"What does that even mean?!" Lucy turned even more red, if that were possible.

The girl came over and handed the skirt to Natsu, "There, now go try it on!" he said pushing it into her hands and pushing her towards the trial room.

"Okay, okay I got it!" She pouted. She pulled the curtain and started changing. It was strange that Natsu was suddenly taking interest in her clothes. Although, Lucy had to admit, she felt a little happy that he chose something for her.

"Are you done yet?" she heard Natsu's impatient voice from outside.

"Geez, wait a minute, will you?" Lucy answered back while pulling the shirt over her head. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. The dress showed off her legs and her collar bones. She was used to showing her skin but this outfit had a different vibe.

"I'm pulling the curtain!" Natsu announced and immediately pulled over. Lucy turned and smiled, feeling a little abashed. Natsu stared at her intensely head to toe, making her feel self conscious. "Well?" Lucy asked, waiting for his reaction. He looked like he was in deep thought.

The salesgirl from earlier smiled, "That looks great on you ma'am! That is one of our bestsellers here," She looked at Natsu, "Your boyfriend has an excellent taste!"

Lucy jumped at the comment, her heart thumping furiously against her chest, "N-no no, we're not-"

"Take that off!" Natsu pulled at her shirt.

"Excuse me!?" Lucy backed away, crossing her arms over her chest. The salesgirl put her hands over her mouth, looking far too excited and invested.

"Try this on instead," He held up pastel purple backless crop top with cute unattached half sleeves and a black corset.

Lucy was amazed at Natsu's particular choices. Who knew the dragon slayer had a good fashion sense? Maybe she should ask him for fashion tips.

Natsu finally nodded, giving a thumbs up, "Looks good!"

Lucy couldn't help but feel shy once again at his open feelings. This side of Natsu was new to her. But she did enjoy it.

"They liiikeeeeach other !" Happy rolled his tongue.

"Shut up, stray cat!" Lucy yelled , feeling embarrassed.

As Lucy finalised her purchase, she noticed a few magazines on a rack near the counter. She realized that she had a copy of the latest issue in her house and all the clothes that featured in it were sold here. And then it struck her. Natsu was reading her magazines when he spent time in her house. Whether intentionally or idly, he was keeping the trends in mind.

Lucy couldn't help but smile. Natsu was such a sweet boy sometimes. Having him around always lifted her spirits. She could be herself and have fun. Even though Happy and Natsu troubled her and teased her from time to time, she knew they always had her best at heart and truly cared for her.

She couldn't imagine her life without them, even their usual barging in her house.

Lucy smiled all the way out, feeling elated after their little outing. They decided to grab a snack at the stalls and see a few more places around the town. Crocus being the flower capital, they donned flower crowns and garlands that were given to all the tourists.

They watched various street performances; magic shows, musicians playing music and dancers. The upbeat music had gathered a mob of dancing people and Lucy dragged Natsu along to join her. She smiled and laughed with Natsu and Happy, having a great time.

"Ah that was so much fun!" Lucy exhaled, the excitement still lingering in her bones. The dancing crowd was chattering as they dispersed in big groups.

"Lucy got too excited!" Happy giggled, flying in the air.

"All that movement made me more hungry!" Natsu complained, folding his hands over his head.

The density of moving people had increased as the performances ended and it became dark. Lucy had to keep pushing people to follow Natsu and Happy.

Happy sighed with exasperation, "Hungry already? You just ate two bags of popcorn!"

Lucy was finding it more and more difficult to keep pace with them. The mob of people seemed to sweep her away.

"Eh? So what? That wasn't enough!" Natsu remarked.

She was already losing sight of Natsu and Happy, their voices getting lost in the numerous sounds surrounding them. Her heart started thumping, the feeling of claustrophobia eating away at her mind.

Crushed by the onslaught of people, her dry throat couldn't get a voice out. It felt like she was drowning in the sea of people, getting swallowed by the earth.

Fear gripped her mind, "I don't want to be alone...Dont leave me, Natsu-!" She stretched her hand out helplessly, trying to reach him.

A warm hand grabbed her outstretched hand, "Lucy?" Natsu's voice sounded gentle and soft against the noisy town, close to her.

"Lucy where did you go? We got worried that you got lost!" Happy cried.

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked, scrutinizing her face.

Lucy gulped and nodded slightly, "Yes I'm fine." she managed to croak out. She wasn't sure what had suddenly gotten over her. The irrational fear and anxiety was something she had never experienced before.

Natsu seemed to notice her discomfort immediately. He clasped her hand firmly and pulled her close, "I'm here. Lets go." he said reassuredly.

And that was all Lucy needed to hear. He pulled her along with him, never leaving her hand even once. They walked through the maze of people until they were free from the constant rocking and pushing.

"I'm fine now, I promise." it was only when she said that was when Natsu finally let her hand go.

"Thank you, Natsu, Happy." She pulled them into a hug, effectively surprising them. Natsu and Happy exchanged worried looks. They knew Lucy was sensitive and quite frankly, they didn't always know how to react when she was like that.

When she pulled away, Natsu rubbed his neck and looked everywhere else, but at Lucy. "Uh, so should we return?"

"Okay," Lucy nodded. "But only after a dinner treat with me!" she winked.

Natsu and Happy rejoiced, glad that Lucy was back to normal and Lucy successfully threw off the awkward air between them.

After all, a good meal was what pleased these dorks the most.

A/n- after that dinner they meet the twin dragons and return to their dorm at 12. Hope you enjoyed this short story! :)