The Person Responsible For The Credits Has Just Been Sacked

[netgirl_y2k]

As a part of the homework I get from my counsellor-therapist type person, I'm sitting here making a list of my finer qualities. So far I have that I'm funny, reasonably well-read, and kind to children, the elderly, and people who work in service jobs. I mean, I'm kind to other people too, but outside of those groups it's on more of a case by case basis.

Anyway, I'm bored of that now, and there's a meme going around.

Give me a character and I will tell you...

* How I feel about this character
* All the people I ship romantically with this character
* My non-romantic OTP for this character
* My unpopular opinion about this character
* One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.
* Something about them I consider true, even though it's only my head canon/fanon

Comments

[netgirl_y2k]

* How I feel about this character

I think she's endlessly fascinating. And while I totally get that people are turned off by the white saviour trope when it comes to her story - either because they don't see it as being subverted, or don't think it's being subverted enough - I'm fascinated by the fact that she's taken this basically noble idea, that as a queen she needs to protect her people, that protecting the weak is what kings and queens are for, and turned it into this massive, massive messiah complex.

I think that she's less of a queen and more of a conquerer with a conscience, and that's how she gets herself into the mess she's in in slaver's bay, because she can see that her presence is just causing more problems, but the idea of leaving and letting Meereen slide in chaos like Astapor, or worse letting slavery resume is basically abhorrent to her.

I think it's interesting that however much she came to love Drogo that being sold to him left such an impression on her, and that's why she identifies so much with the slaves she meets and why it's such a hot button issue for her. And I love how much she doesn't get that it's a false equivalency.

I appreciate that she knows she knows nothing about being a queen, and that she's trying to teach herself. It's fashionable in fandom at the moment to talk about what a terrible queen Dany would be, and I'm not sure that I want her on the Iron Throne myself, and I'm not sure canon is heading that way, I'm on Team Emerging Demorcracy anyway, but dammit if it's between Dany and Stannis or Young Griff, then All Hail Daenerys Targaryen, First of Her Name.

Um, yes, it seems mostly how I feel about her is defensive.

* All the people I ship romantically with this character

No one, really. Partly because her taste in men is just so awful. There was Drogo, and I'm convinced that was more Stockholm Syndrome than not, and then Daario (vomits). And as for her other potential suitors, Quentyn Martell (burnt to a crisp) Victarion Greyjoy (wife murderer) Euron Greyjoy (psychopath) Jorah Mormont (Lord Friendzone), they're hardly an inspiring bunch.

I know Dany/Jon is a big pairing in fandom, and while I definitely think they'll meet at the Wall (Ice Zombies meet dragons, etc.) I can't see it being a romance, not least because I doubt they'll both survive it.

There's also the thing in this universe where any married woman, no matter how powerful, is subservient to her husband, which is tricky when you're the mother of dragons and believe that you're the rightful queen.

* My non-romantic OTP for this character

I like Dany and Jorah, more so on the show where I want the guy who plays Jorah to come round my house of an evening and read me a bedtime story. But I also think that Jorah was less willing to indulge Dany, and more willing to say so when he thought she was making a mistake than Barristan Selmy is, and everyone else is too in awe of Dany. It's why I think Jorah's exile was so interesting, because he really gave her no choice, but he was also the one she most needed around.

* My unpopular opinion about this character

That I like her and wouldn't hate her ending up on the Iron Throne feels pretty unpopular at the moment. It's not even that I've never been a fan of an unpopular character before, it's basically my fandom MO, but it's the first time since I've had a tumblr, so it's the first time I've really seen this attitude of if you like this character then you're not just a bad fan, you're a bad person.

* One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

GO TO WESTEROS, ALREADY!

I do think that Dany's storyline was the one that suffered most from the books turning from a duology to however many it'll be now, and from GRRM deciding to do away with the five year time jump. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to not have any Dany chapters after aGoT, and just have her movements told through the rumours that are reaching the characters in Westeros.

* Something about them I consider true, even though it's only my head canon/fanon

That Targaryen coin, the one that determines whether a Targaryen will be great or mad? Dany's hasn't landed yet.