#twould be lovely

[xoxoemynn]

very distracted thinking about Stede braiding flowers through Ed's hair

[anneapocalypse]

The more I write about earlier parts of Ariane's story now that I have her lore more nailed down, the more I realize that her being from Mor Dhona makes parts of the story absolutely buckwild. Like you're engaging in diplomatic relations with a foreign power and they're like hey yeah. So you know the guardian deity of your childhood home who gave his life to save you and your family from Garlean invasion? We want you to go poke him and make sure he's really dead. And also kill him again if necessary. You're cool with that, right?

And so you do, and it turns out that yes, the god of your childhood home is only mostly dead, and so you fight him and he tells you that your heart is full of fear, and takes away the blessing of your other god while alluding to the fact that they have some kind of deal. Then he rides around on your shoulder and makes ominous comments at inappropriate times, like at the memorial service for the old friend and maybe-ex (you're not sure at the time) of one of your coworkers. (You're gonna marry that guy in like four years but that's not relevant.) Later you meet three of your dragon god's kids. None of them are having a good time. You kill one, but it turns out he's also only mostly dead.

And we're not even through Heavensward yet.

[redhead-batgal]

My roommate: So whose Jason Todd again?

Me: *visibly vibrating in excitement decked out in probably too much Red Hood merch* I am so glad you asked!!!

[maitaiwiththecorpses]

letters to him

Thank you all for voting so much, so without further ado, all five parts of letters to him!

letters to him (natalya)- April 9th, 2024

dear,

dearest,

my dearest,

but not anymore

because you see we can’t seem to stop fighting

it’s like we’re always at war.

it used to be cute back when we were

Love,

Loved,

Loving (?)

of each other

but perhaps it’s just me pushing

all that love down the gutter

i’m a prude and so crude and you can’t seem to make up your mind about me

i piss you off, and damn i’m so off and Miss. Rachiminoff in your shadow

treated like a little sister and despised by all of your misters

‘aggressive, much?’ You asked one noon and I knew in that moment all I was to you,

an exotic little girl who begged for your plastic spoon

the promise of life and death and “fly me to the moon”

and when my heart pumped blood enough to be fuel to our moon

you made me your Monna Vanna and wrote me as a fool

letters to him (sabrina)- April 9th, 2024

little poem little lie

what a beast, ‘Here She Lies’

three time’s the charm

that’s a damn lie

I tried once,

twice,

five thousand times

their screams and cries inside these walls

bounce around like his favorite tennis ball

“NO”

one more time

“NO”

just one more

“NO”

i’m on the floor wishing it would all just stop.

you threaten me after hearing my words

languages i never thought you’d learn

swears that we promised in the dead of the night would never spurn from your mouth to mine

on the ground, in the air, right in front of us to plead with sighs

you to took my image and ground me to the core

and now all that’s left is some numbskulled-whore

letters to him (olivia)- April 10th, 2024

Rageful women never get far

darling, maybe that was our destined start

Me, to rule with a crown full of tears and a head full of hope

You, to strike me down with all of my fears and the promise of a tantalizing grown man

someone to come home

but

Teenage girls never get far

and baby, that’s what’s been wrong from the start

You, expecting perfect

Me, thinking it too

i wish i could come home

but

After everything I said to you?

letters to him (taylor)- April 10th, 2024

Speak the words that nobody else does

I wonder how long these words were unsaid

Passive belonging and talk of my talent

You never believed it till I softly said,

“Come for me at the dusk and the dawn,

Where the daylight bends and the rivers are gone

How come women are weak when it’s time to move on?

Every regret has its own mournful song”

And to keep in the light from this shadowed world

I decided no regrets are spared on men with subpar clothes

Maybe a king would have mercy, or even a queen

But a goddess primordial no man has ever seen.

letters to him (lizzie)- April 10th, 2024

It takes time to put aside

Every painful boy

Till one comes up and says “that’s love” with a shrug and a mournful smile

He reminded me of nebulas

And galaxies

And stars that were tested with time

At this point most people think the list is over, but I've only just described his eyes

It’s like the sun found a boy and said,

“you will walk my earth,

and with that blessing,

may your very heart

be that of Hestia’s hearth”

And then they pulled him from fiction, and put him in the rain

Those eyes of galaxies and stars that could never know such pain.

He waited patiently till monster turned friend,

And when found by a hunter, he predicted their crooked end.

I know when I get too dark I should avoid his gaze

But for him, I’d waste every birthday wish, loose eyelash, and every single star

And if he doesn’t want my stars and wishes, like the ones in his eyes,

I’ll pack up my letters

And kiss him goodbye

[suffer-for-supper]

I do love my sister but whenever some blind person problems happen, she always ridicules me about it. Like yeah, I get that it's kinda ridiculous that I can't see something right in front of my face but I can see something to the side of me. Yes, that is my reality, day to day.

"Pff you really are blind" yeah no shit I know

Similarly, with the auditory processing disorder, when she says something nearly inaudible in a restaurant (radio playing, babble from other patrons, beeping from the electronics, air conditioner whirring, kitchen sounds, etc) and I can't hear her directions clearly, she acts as if she said each word with perfect clarity and gets belligerent about my "inability to hear like a normal person" and I can only say, "I'm aware. This is the nature of my disability. I appreciate your patience." And then she'll get upset about my outburst, saying "it was a joke" in an exasperated tone, as if I'm intentionally killing the mood. And yeah, being unable to comprehend language in a situation with lots of other audio stimuli, that isn't super fun. That isn't exactly what I'd call, "a good mood." But when she says, "you know what? Nevermind!" I can only seethe. "Nevermind" is not an option for me. I cannot accommodate you for my inability to hear. There's simply nothing more I can do than pause to comprehend or ask politely for you to repeat. "Nevermind"? How about I steal your legs. How about that.

[nixii-sabre]

NO I have NOT played STRAY because SOMEONE says I should play RAIN WORLD.

Yeah you should do that too

[warriorfujoshi]

im seriously so obsessed with brassius and hassel’s “transgenders who met when they were in their teens/early 20s, sought solace in each other while going through the toughest times of their lives, then made it into adulthood, which eternally bonded their souls” energy

[ikeasharksss]

i was not too excited for the barbie movie but THEN i discovered that sharon rooney, a fat actress, is going to be the lawyer barbie???????? oh my gosh??????? this movie better do her justice otherwise there will be wailing & gnashing of teeth :(

[cardtorius]

Because people suck? Lol

[bubbiethesaur]

Sun Ref - wip

After telling myself I would do it months ago, I’m finally sitting down and doing a Sun reference sheet. I’m really loving the process and I’m hoping to color everything once I’m all done (twould have been smart for me to color the base model first, but ah well, it’s all a learning process)

I’ll post again once the refs are all done :D

[deadmegumi]

“The lovers,” Shagwell sighed loudly, “and what a lovely sight they are. ’Twould be cruel to separate the good knight and his lady.” Then he laughed that high shrill laugh of his, and said, “Ah, but which one is the knight and which one is the lady?”

Why did he . Wrte this

[thewitchoftheweed]

Who Betrayed Who? A Cult of the Lamb analysis/theory.

The Bishops and TOWW give the Lamb conflicting accounts of the events leading up to the schism. So what actually happened? Who betrayed who? And why? I have a theory.

Let’s start with what they each say regarding the schism and the decision to imprison TOWW.

According to Shamura:

“Our brother, The One Who Waits. Back then he was known by the name Narinder. But as millennia wore on, he grew discontent with his role. He began to question. He was gluttonous in his ambition. And in my imprudence I loved him. For it, I lost my mind. For it, he lost his freedom. Can you fathom such betrayal, Lamb? Of your own turned against you? Would you like to find out?”

“The blame hangs heavy 'round my neck. I introduced him to ideas of change; for my domain is knowledge, and it is ever evolving. An organic state of being for myself, but for him... most unnatural. Death cannot flow backward. It was I who had him chained.”

According to Heket:

"It was not so long ago that we cast out the Red Crown. A mere thousand or so years. The heresy it preached could not be tolerated. Such noxious ideals... it could not be allowed. For this most damning of sins, the retribution must be slow and painful...And with greed and ambition unchecked, it drew Godly blood."

According to Kallamar:

“Please know, it was not my idea to cast out the Red Crown! The other Bishops, my siblings, the blame lies with them.”

And finally, according to The One Who Waits:

“You see me here in chains, reduced to nothing. But it has not always been thus. I was bound to this wretched place by the Bishops of the Old Faith. They betrayed me and left me to rot. Each of the four chains that bind me are guarded by one of the Bishops.”

All of them are vague about what exactly went down. The only other hint we have comes from the monument by the gates: “Here godly blood was spilled. Here Death no longer wished to wait.”

So: what actually happened?

Haro has some answers. He gives us some insight to TOWW prior to the split:

"He was unalike the rest of his kin. While others dealt with flux; chaos, famine, pestilence, war. Things in which their constancy must transpose. And yet he was the inevitable; the obstinate and irresistible. The one who waits. Truly peculiar, 'twould then seem, has appetency to invite the novel and the new, break ancient vow and primordial bond alike. Traditions stagnate and appetites augment, nonetheless. Doubt tears faith asunder."

Along with:

"Bonds of familial duty, turned instead to chains. Most voracious of appetites, curbed and contained. Most infectious of ideas cut off and cauterised before given chance to rot and spread. Cruel, verily. Alas, what other recourse was given? How does one kill Death? ... Alas. One cannot."

Haro is, as far as we know, an impartial observer to what happened. (I think based on his dialogue and seemingly intimate knowledge of the conflict, he witnessed it— but that’s a whole different post.) So his account is the closest thing we have to a neutral perspective.

From Haro we learn two key things, both of which are confirmed by Shamura and Heket’s dialogue:

1. Narinder was dissatisfied with his role amongst the Bishops. He was naturally curious and ambitious, while his domain was the only “static” one among them. In essence— he was bored, restless, and potentially feeling undervalued.

2. He was imprisoned to prevent a heresy from spreading. Which heresy? The monument and Shamura’s comments make it clear: “Here Death no longer wished to wait.” “Death cannot flow backward.” Resurrection was the unforgivable heresy.

Narinder realized that each of his siblings, whether they recognized it or not, had dual domains. Kallamar’s followers prayed for protection from pestilence, Heket’s prayed for protection from famine. They could presumably give health/fertile fields as well as inflict the opposite on heretics. Leshy's chaos could have become order, but as a "young" god, he hadn't yet reached that point. Shamura has two separate domains entirely, wisdom and war.

Narinder just had death. Static, never-changing, and irritating for someone who enjoyed the “novel and new.” I think the fact he’s a cat reinforces this. There’s even a colloquialism about it: “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.”

After serving his role, he became restless. Shamura then encouraged him to experiment with his domain, by their own admission. Perhaps they didn’t actually think Narinder would succeed, or perhaps they felt bad he was stuck in a static domain when it didn’t suit his personality. The result was catastrophic in the eyes of the Bishops: Narinder gained power over both life and death.

Why was this such a damnable heresy that it destroyed their family? A few reasons: the ✨Prophecy✨ Shamura (presumably) received, the implications of resurrection in the world of CotL, and what I think might be pre-existing divides within their family. This is where we start to delve into personal headcanons and theories, so hang in there for a second:

Narinder is the most powerful of his siblings. Full stop.

He is the hardest boss fight by far, even though he’s been chained for a millennia. You could argue that he’s empowered by the Lamb’s/cult’s devotion, but there’s a key flaw there: he imprisons the cult during the final battle, and blatantly turns against the Lamb. All devotion from the cult vanishes in that moment because the followers are very clearly pulling for the one fighting to save them: the Lamb.

So, Narinder was powerful. The most powerful. Perhaps he became the God of Death because he was instrumental in killing other gods prior to their ascension. He had a clear interest in necromancy and the world beyond, if we can assume the necromantic weapons are his. (Which they are strongly implied to be by their item descriptions.) So when they ascended, he had a fascination with death and was probably very, very good at killing— so Death initially made sense as his domain. However, Narinder was curious and creative and restless. He eventually got bored and likely began to resent his family. The most powerful of the Bishops, not capable of doing anything but waiting.

Then there was the family dynamic. Kallamar was afraid of Narinder. Heket seems antagonistic towards him. Leshy didn’t seem to have much of a relationship with him. So it’s entirely possible that resentment could have eventually led to a betrayal on Narinder’s part. But one thing held him back: Shamura.

I think Narinder was beginning to drift from his family, but turned to his eldest sibling because he still had great love for them. Shamura encouraged him to experiment, which was ultimately successful— one can presume he was intensely proud of discovering resurrection. He saw it as his crowning achievement and his way of finally leveling the scales between the five of them.

His siblings saw it differently. In the world of CotL, willing and unwilling sacrifices directly feed a god's power. Resurrection, perhaps in their minds, cheapened or weakened this power. Or, if we go with the theory that Narinder was the objective strongest, resurrection made him so powerful it scared them. If he can essentially grant eternal life to his followers, what’s to stop him from usurping our worship entirely? What's to stop a god of life and death from doing away with the others?

I think the prophecy was Shamura’s attempt to calm Heket, Kallamar, and Leshy’s fears regarding the discovery. Perhaps they had a way of divining the future— and received the aforementioned ✨Prophecy✨.

In turn, it convinced Shamura that the only way to preserve the majority of their family would be to get rid of Narinder. Haro’s dialogue strongly implies they discussed outright killing him, but realized given his domain it would be impossible. Imprisoning him was the only alternative, the only way to keep word of resurrection from spreading.

So. Who pulled the trigger first? Did Narinder actually plan to usurp his siblings, and the Bishops stopped him before he could? Or did Shamura completely blindside their brother?

I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I believe a betrayal was inevitable. Had the Bishops forbid resurrection and then left Narinder to his own devices, his resentment and pride probably would have eventually won out. Most of the affection they had for each other as mortals was beginning to wane, in part because they already seemed to look at him as a threat. If you treat someone like a loaded weapon, eventually they’ll decide to become one.

But I think at the true moment of the betrayal, it was Shamura.

They admit to being the one who made the final call, and also the one who encouraged him to experiment resurrection to begin with. Narinder was the closest to them in personality, and they seem to be the closest out of the five. (Some have even pointed out that TOWW chose not to watch Shamura fall to the Lamb— his dialogue as a follower implies he doesn’t know what their last moments were like, though he happily watched the others fall through the Crown.)

The most damning piece of evidence in my mind of Shamura being the true betrayer is the nature of their injury: Narinder split his favorite sibling’s skull.

The only one who outright says they loved him deeply. Because Narinder loved them, too, and in the moment of betrayal the worst of his pain and rage was directed at them. The one sibling he never thought would be capable of doing that to him. The one sibling who encouraged him to take this path, then brutally punished him for it.

As Shamura says, the two of them paid the heaviest price. The blame hangs heavy around their neck, because Shamura — the eldest and wisest of their family — set them all on the path of complete destruction.

Narinder, to me, is an excellent Lucifer allegory. Some will look at his very clear pride and say he deserved it— others will point out his true crime was challenging the existing status quo and trusting the person he loved most to listen.

[steddieas-shegoes]

omg hi-- can you do 89 for the writing prompts thingy? it made me almost laugh out loud at work & i think twould be very funny so !!<3

(also you are doing so good & i am loving what you're writing !!!!)

HI! This one is hilarious and I am so amused by the versions I've already read: 89. "YOU SENT ME PICTURES OF YOU NAKED WHILE I WAS IN A WORK MEETING!"

Rated M | tags: mention of nude pictures, language, allusions to sex, this is borderline a crack ficlet because it's funny and absurd, modern au, rockstar eddie, corroded coffin guys

📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱

Steve hadn't moved from bed all morning, couldn't even try at this point.

He was a little sore from Eddie's homecoming last night, but that was to be expected when he'd been gone for a month.

But he could accomplish a lot in bed, even if Eddie had to go to some stupid meeting this morning with the band.

The photographic evidence of all the things he could accomplish were sent and Steve was just waiting for the hilarious emoji response that was sure to come.

But minutes went by and he got nothing.

Eddie had definitely seen the pictures, the little 'Read 10:06am' popup under the set of four images showing he'd seen them immediately.

By 10:15, Steve was sitting up in bed, biting his nails, a nervous habit he'd picked up during his senior year of college and hadn't been able to kick.

His phone started buzzing, Eddie's contact photo filling the screen.

"Eds?"

""YOU SENT ME PICTURES OF YOU NAKED WHILE I WAS IN A WORK MEETING!"

"No, I sent you four pictures of me naked while you were in a work meeting," Steve replied, smirking to himself.

"And you didn't think that maybe that wasn't the best idea? That maybe someone sitting next to me, or two someones sitting next to me, might see these pictures? That thought didn't occur to you?" Eddie sounded mad.

Which was something Steve wasn't used to.

No matter what, Eddie was never mad at him. He'd never raised his voice, never ignored him on purpose, never done anything to show anger.

Except now.

Steve bit his lip, pulling the covers over himself and curling into a ball.

Eddie sighed.

Steve could picture him running a hand over his face, tugging on his hair, closing his eyes, all the things he did when he was stressed.

"You look beautiful, Stevie, okay? I'm just, I'm stressed and the meeting was really important and our producer saw them. He's such a creep, and then Jeff accidentally saw them when he heard my phone vibrate, and he won't even look at me now, and it's just not good timing."

Steve nodded to himself. He probably should have thought about that, but honestly, he was so high on having Eddie back, he didn't consider much of anything beyond showing off how his morning was going.

"I'm sorry, Eds."

Steve wasn't crying, it was clear that Eddie wasn't actually mad at him, but his voice still came out a bit broken, a bit sad.

"Sweetheart, I promise I'm not mad about it. I'm gonna be home soon and I'll show you just how much I loved the pictures, okay?"

"Okay." Steve smiled to himself. "Maybe we could take some new ones together?"

"What, and send them to Jeff? He might leave the band," Eddie joked.

Joking was good, it was their baseline. Steve could handle joking.

"As if he hasn't been sneaking looks at my ass for years."

"Hey!" Jeff's voice yelled in the background. "It happened, like, twice!"

Steve giggled.

"It's okay, bud, it's very distracting," Eddie said to Jeff. "Let me just grab some coffee with the guys and then I'll be home to take care of you."

Steve let out a moan, tried to hide it in his pillow.

Eddie wasn't mad, but Steve heard the tone of his voice, knew exactly how he'd be taken care of when Eddie got home.

"I was gonna get dressed and go to the store," Steve lied.

"You won't. You'll stay right there." A door closed as Eddie spoke and Steve knew he'd just found a room to talk to him privately. "You won't put any clothes on, and you'll stay in bed with your fingers keeping you ready for me just like in that third picture you sent me."

Steve was gonna scream.

"But I was gonna run errands..."

"You aren't going anywhere until I've made up for the last month. We'll have food delivered. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good." The door opened. "Do you want me to bring you any coffee?"

Steve snorted. "Nope, I think you'll keep me awake just fine."

"Why do you even have him on speaker right now?" Gareth's voice said, faked annoyance in his tone.

"Because I have my hands full!"

"We know!" everyone yelled.

"Not like that!" Eddie yelled back. Then, "Okay, a little like that."

"See you soon, baby," Steve smiled into the phone. "Sorry about the pictures."

"You can say you're sorry when I get home," Eddie replied. "Love you."

"Love you too."

When Steve ended the call, he was sent a steady stream of texts:

Jeff: i swear i don't look at your ass. it's a nice one tho

Gareth: literally i don't wanna look at eddie anymore please make him come home now

Gareth: seriously please he doesn't need coffee he's already annoying

Grant: that's a good angle

Eds: be home soon 😉

An image came through a few seconds later, one that was clearly taken while he was talking to Steve, probably when he hid in a room.

It was just a dark shot of Eddie's crotch, pants unbuttoned and unzipped, showing absolutely nothing.

Steve shook his head and replied: you're not very good at this. love you though.

He would just have to show Eddie how to get a good angle for his next attempt at sending something suggestive.

[fuckyeahtransformersfanfic]

ARRANGED MARRIAGE FICS

These are some of my favorite fics dealing with arranged marriages. Usually to help end the war.

💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠

To such a deep delight ’twould win me by Sroloc_Elbisivni (@sroloc--elbisivni)

With an army on their doorstep, Mirage is being offered up as a blushing bride to a mysterious sorcerer warlord his city is already planning to double-cross. He decides to take his chances with his new conjunx.

Hound would just like to get every single one of the people and creatures he’s currently responsible for out of this trap alive before working out what exactly his feelings about marriage are, but between treaty negotiations, pretending to be besotted, and slowly growing a hologram until it’s the size of an army, that might be easier said than done.

In his clearest vocalizer setting, tone flat with the complete absence of doubt, Mirage announced “I was sent here as a distraction. The Crystal City Council is planning to betray and destroy you.”

Hound/Mirage, Minor SkyStar | AU, Cartoon G1 | T | Completed | 20k+ | 2/2

Settlement by Heliopauseentertainments (@heliopauseentertainments)

In which, as part of a peace treaty, Prowl and Starscream are caught in a very, very unwanted arranged marriage.

Prowl/Starscream, Past MegaStar | IDW 1 | G | Completed | 13k+ | 11/11

We'll Rise Up Ourselves by choomchoom

When Wheeljack and Starscream are chosen as representatives from their respective factions to enter into an arranged marriage to end the war, everyone expects it to implode almost immediately. Nearly everyone is pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t.

StarJack | IDW 1 | G | Completed | 15k+ | 1/1

Meister Ain't My Designation by GoblinCatKC (@kc-anathema)

Long before the war, Prowl is intent on tracking down and arresting Meister, a joyriding thief causing mayhem in Praxis. Unfortunately Prowl must also deal with the distraction of an arranged marriage to a mech he's never met, Jazz of the tower Chamber Harmonic.

Jazz/Prowl | G1 | T | Completed | 50k+ | 31/31

All's Well That Ends Well by Baird Crevan

The war is coming to an end but Starscream is being an aft about it. He threatens to start the war up again, so Megatron arranges to have him conjunxed to an Autobot to undermine his power. Of course, falling (back) in love with the Autobot would be ridiculous. Right? SkyStar, implied MegaOp, ends happily I promise.

SkyStar | G1 | E | Completed | 20k+ | 15/15

Bright Still by Spoon888 (@doomspoon888)

In order to strengthen political bonds during the turmoiling war, a reluctant Megatron is promised the 'fairest' seeker Vos has to offer.

He should have suspected earlier why the Vosians were so eager to marry off their own crown prince.

MegaStar | Soup | E | Completed | 85k+ | 27/27

[spaciebabie]

Next let's get @skeletoninthemelonland

yeah i agree yall should totally go after @skeletoninthemelonland i heard that @skeletoninthemelonland loves springtrap so much @skeletoninthemelonland even has a whole series coming out surrounding that bastard thats how much @skeletoninthemelonland loves him gee oh golly gosh twould be a shame if @skeletoninthemelonland received some springtrap fluff in his tumblr inbox

[ilynpilled]

due to the recent discussion about the ancestral connection between these two I wanted to say something about their thematic overlaps. Brienne and Dany, among other female characters, and how their stories is in vague conversation with each other is something I really love because I do think there are a lot of parallels ingrained into their narratives. I adore how they are thrust into, or in a lot of ways choose to embody, “traditionally masculine” roles. In the meta sense too, like their narratives are about filling the role reserved for male fantasy protagonists. Brienne is the Protector and the Knight. Dany is the Conqueror and the Savior. They are a deconstruction and reconstruction of these tropes. They also have a lot of differences too, which just elevates the whole thing in my eyes because it really hones in on what it is to be gender nonconforming and how fluid that whole idea is.

Brienne’s role exploration is so clearly delineated, but it is still about duality:

“It was the gods who neglected to give you a cock, not me."

"Lady Brienne?" She looked so uncomfortable that Jaime sensed a weakness. "Or would Ser Brienne be more to your taste?"

"Give me the sword, Kingslayer." "Oh, I will."

bound them face-to-face. “The lovers," Shagwell sighed loudly, "and what a lovely sight they are. "Twould be cruel to separate the good knight and his lady." Then he laughed that high shrill laugh of his, and said, "Ah, but which one is the knight and which one is the lady?"

but the faint light revealed only Brienne of Tarth, her hands bound in heavy chains. "I swore to keep you safe," the wench said stubbornly. "I swore an oath." Naked, she raised her hands to Jaime. "Ser. Please. If you would be so good." The steel links parted like silk. "A sword,"

In this light she could almost be a beauty, he thought. In this light she could almost be a knight. Brienne's sword took flame as well, burning silvery blue. The darkness retreated a little more.

"Ser Galladon was a champion of such valor that the Maiden herself lost her heart to him. She gave him an enchanted sword as a token of her love. The Just Maid, it was called.

"I will ask after her. What is this woman to you?" “My protector."

It is still about this idea that you are not really restricted by gendered tropes. (This duality is also present in the Bear and the Maiden fair, and the BaTB reconstruction. The point is that they are both simultaneously.) She has a complicated web of motivations: love, trust (a lot on gender constructs here too), and her own altruism. You can be the romantic heroine, as well as the knight: the protector. Same with Dany. She can be conqueror, savior, and mother. The whole point is the taking apart these dichotomies and constructs.

Dany echoing Rhaegar: “I will require sword and armor. It seems I must be a warrior.'"

And saw her brother Rhaegar, mounted on a stallion as black as his armor. Fire glimmered red through the narrow eye slit of his helm. “The last dragon,” Ser Jorah’s voice whispered faintly. “The last, the last.” Dany lifted his polished black visor. The face within was her own.

Dany takes up Viserys’s role, she takes up Rhaegar’s role, she takes up Drogo’s role. But she is still the mother of dragons. I think what George wants to emphasize with a lot of these characters is that gender and the constructs around it are very complex and you are not gonna neatly fit into the strict boxes that society forces you into. When that happens, characters often end up in ruin. People are not meant to fit into these rigid boxes. Anyways, Dany’s story is filled to the brim with this duality as well: it is present in the sun and moon symbolism (lol also Brienne’s sigil), as well as the AA prophecy subversion. The flaming swords are forged with the burning of her husband etc, again the genders become switched. But it is not about one or the other. I think really it is like: Dany must become the conqueror, the warrior, the executioner even, the butcher, because she is a mother & savior. Because she is also a protector, nurturer, and planter. For her children. Also, how “the children” represent the self for her. Like they are/were her. But she has power now. A sword/dragons. It is such a large weight on her shoulders. What does her inaction mean? What is her obligation with that kind of power? She must get blood on her hands to save her children, and to in some form save herself. What does “better to be the butcher than the meat” really mean? I read Brienne the same way. She is not a knight for glory and empty chivalry. She has some vindictive tendencies rooted in her trauma, but at the end it hurts. She is a knight to protect. It is rooted in the fact that she is a lover. They are both so selfless, they are both so strong. But their fight is also ultimately a fight for themselves too.

And to finish my little mwuah love note about my two favorite female characters in the series, this is such a cute little romantic parallel, even though they are filling opposite roles in it: