Comment fic meme #2
After the first round of got_exchange we had a surprisingly successful comment fic meme going for a while (here's a list of all the fics that were written last time), so I thought it might be fun to do this again. (Like last time, it's posted on the mod account journal because I don't want to enable anonymous comments on the exchange community.)
I changed the ( Read more... )
I changed the ( Read more... )
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"My brother has taken up with a low-born smuggler," Robert says, half-outrage, half-bombast. "He has knighted him, for services to the Rebellion, and now he wishes to bring him to court because, as Master of Ships, my brother feels the counsel of a smuggler will be invaluable. Well it might be, until the man steals away with half the treasury silver. Though, at least that will teach him not to be so partial to common thieves with designs on his purse next time he meets one who will serve him." There is a little piece of malice underneath every piece of mockery and every word he speaks as though in jest but Robert is drunk and doesn't see the harm in it or that the men who laugh are only doing it to humour their new king.
Years later, when Robert sees Renly being a little too confidential with his squire, he scoffs to Ser Barristan that he had always thought Stannis was the queer one, in that same tone of unkindness mixed with jest. Ser Barristan does not smile.
Ser Barristan thinks little enough about Ser Davos and his relationship with Lord Stannis. It is his job, of course, to know who comes and goes in the Red Keep and he sees Ser Davos Seaworth make his progress to and from Lord Stannis' chambers. It does not bother him, he has seen other things more alarming than the hours Lord Stannis keeps with his smuggler friend and it is not his job to question or to accuse. He simply stands guard where it is needful and he sees what he sees.
Salladhor Saan sees what he sees, too: he sees the change in Davos when he becomes Stannis Baratheon's man. Though he will still smile and laugh as he used to, he will not run cargoes as he used to and there is a solemnity now, a new look in his eye. When he comes to Salla, it is with a new purpose: to ask him to aid Stannis Baratheon in his war. Salla jokes with Davos about how strange it seems that one man could make such a change in a prince among smugglers and Davos smiles at the joke. But there are other jokes which Salla likes less in the way his colleagues speak of Davos Seaworth now as Stannis Baratheon's dog, as a lacky, as a fool. For his own part, he cannot tell how misguided his old friend might be but he refuses to mock him until he knows Stannis Baratheon better.
Marya never meets Lord Stannis Baratheon, though she knows him. She knows him as their patron and their saviour. She knows him as the man her husband trusts his life and his livelihood, and as the man he names their sixth son after. She knows Stannis Baratheon for a man of honour and a man of his word. Some expect her to resent him, the man who takes her husband from her for such long stretches of time but she could never hate a man who is the cause of so many of her husband's smiles.
Selyse has never had cause to smile at her husband, nor has she given him any cause to smile. Theirs is a barren marriage, barren of care and of issue but for their daughter, Shireen, and Stannis cares little enough for her. Most of the time it seems that all Stannis Baratheon cares for are his principles, his small squabbles and doing his "duty". It is almost worse when she notices the way he changes around Ser Davos Seaworth. There is an ease in him then, just the smallest amount, and he speaks to Ser Davos Seaworth with more respect than he shows to any other man. She might resent it, if she cared enough for her husband to care where his affections lay.
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Robert being malicious and thinking it's funny is just heartbreaking, because that's so him. Barristan who knows better than to think about it, and I love this somewhat ambiguous "he sees what he sees" and I'm like, "oh really, and what EXACTLY do you see?" ;)
I love the bit about Salladhor Saan because, as I said before, I love your idea of Davos having been a much cockier, also more cheerful man before he started serving Stannis, and of course someone like Salladhor would notice the change. And the other smugglers making fun of Davos now ... :(
Maryaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. <3 Just beautiful. But it's the Selyse paragraph that's just brilliant. She might resent it, if she cared enough for her husband to care where his affections lay. Just, this. It's such a perfect sentence and it shows how absolutely cold these two are with each other, to the point where she can't even bring herself to be jealous.
And drunk Renly being a jerk - thanks for the Robert parallel. ^^ And hi, Rolland's bro. ;)
This is amazing and you are amazing. :D
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Robert and Renly are the worst. I wish they could just see Davos and go "finally Stannis has found someone who understands him, now we don't have to feel bad for not really getting along with him" but, of course, they never would, so they just publicly bitch about Stannis just like they do in canon. Gah.
I'm pretty sure Barristan sees just what all of us Stannis/Davos shippers see, he just sees it all a little more dispassionately. (;
I am so intrigued by Davos' smuggling past. I hope someday we'll get more of it in canon because he must have been different. Also, I've just been rereading Davos' 2nd ASOS chapter and his friendship with Salla is so unexpectedly genuine (Salla is so concerned and knows about Davos' family history and all sorts). There must be a pretty good basis for that which isn't just business. (I'd guess reckless, riotous partying funded by their amazing feats of smuggling daring, to be honest.)
Their relationships with their wives are so effing different. I think it would take a lot for Selyse to even notice that Stannis and Davos have more than a business relationship, she cares so little.
I'm so glad you like it. :D It's always worth writing when I get your amazing feedback.
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Ugh, yes. They'd both make jokes about poor Stannis. I can see Renly liking Davos because Davos is the guy who saved them from starving to death, and Renly would probably go on about how Stannis is the worst for chopping off Davos' fingers and Davos deserves SO much better than Stannis etc. etc. But I can see both Robert and Renly making dirty, tasteless jokes about them.
True. Yay, partying Davos. ;) I love young, cocky Davos jumping Stannis.
I suppose Selyse would notice because it's so unusual for Stannis to like anybody (and the way I see them pre-GoT, they were half attached at the hip). But she still just doesn't -care-.
I just have so many things to say when I read epic Stannis fics. :D And I will pay you back with more Stannis fic. I had an idea for the porn prompt, I'll just have to see if it works out.
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Yeah, I would be curious to get kid!Renly's take on Davos - because I'm sure he would have liked him, especially as Davos is really good with kids. And I agree about Renly not agreeing with Stannis' shortening of Davos' fingers - Edric Storm says so, too! Haha. But, yeah, I'm not sure Renly would speak in Davos' favour in company.
It must have happened! It must have. Oh god. I am having so many Davos feelings today. dlkhjofl;
Yeah, that's true. Selyse really doesn't care at all.
We can just create a magical perpetual wheel of Stannis fic by writing for each other! :D
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bb!Renly probably thought that Davos was a PIRATE and therefore automatically awesome. And I can definitely see little Renly getting all mad at Stannis for punishing the cool pirate who saved their lives. But as he grows older ... I think part of him is still fond of Davos, but not enough to make up for how much he dislikes Stannis. And there's no easier way to make fun of Stannis than by implying that Mr Duty and Honour is banging his smuggler (who also happens to be the only person who likes Stannis).
Davos feelings are awesome. ^^ Oh, if young Davos jumped Stannis right after the siege, that would have made him Stannis' first time. Now I have all the feelings about awkward, embarrassed 19-year-old Stannis.
"Magical perpetual wheel of Stannis fic"? That sounds like the best thing ever. :D
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Kid!Renly is so adorable. He would so be like that. He'd remain fond of Davos but he'd not really be able to understand why Davos was so close to Stannis. Also, Renly wouldn't want to admit to his admiration for Davos, I think.
My Davos feelings are KILLING ME. Oh god, stop it with the Davos jumping young!Stannis. Should not want as much as I do. I swear I have written more than one version of it already. sa;fhg'sa
It is a beautiful thought. Reckon we can manage it? ;D
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I think kid!Renly's admiration for Davos wouldn't survive all that long because he couldn't help but think less of a man who adores Stannis so much. Like, Renly is mad Stannis chopped off his fingers, and he couldn't keep respecting someone who, gasp, disagrees with him. He'd think Davos is just weird to befriend Stannis after that.
HOW CAN YOU WRITE THAT AND NOT SHOW ALL OF IT TO MEEEEEE? ;) Because I love the idea of Davos jumping young!Stannis and Stannis letting him and it would be beautiful and passionate and awkward and beautiful and I need that in my life, you cruel, cruel person.
We will. I've spent this entire weekend writing Stannis/Sansa and it just doesn't end. I'm at 3000 words and they only kissed once. -.- I think I need a break and write Stannis/Jon porn.
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Probably. Oh Renly, why couldn't you be a better brother to Stannis? ;___;
BECAUSE ALL I HAVE ARE ABOUT 5 FRAGMENTARY BITS AND PIECES FROM THE LAST EXCHANGE AND IDEK WHAT THEY AAAARE. But, yes, I will try to make it happen properly some time. God, those two. Ugh.
Stannis is just the worst because he doesn't do anything. He's just too effing decent. I've spent the weekend writing bits and pieces between doing essay reading and feeling bad because I should be doing more essay reading. Gah.
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Because Renly is a spoiled little brat. *sigh* These two break my heart.
I TAKE ALL THE BITS AND PIECES IF YOU ARE WILLING TO SHARE THEM I DON'T EVEN CARE HOW RANDOM THEY ARE I JUST WAAAAANNNNNNNNT. I had no idea how much until you first mentioned that idea to me, and now I'm all like, "THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOOOOOOOOW".
Ugh, don't even get me started on essay reading. What essay reading? I should be in the writing stage already, not in the "procrastinating instead of researching" state.
Stannis is awful. With Davos and Jon, he's just too repressed. With Sansa ... he just can't go like "let's do our duty and get this over with" like he probably did with Selyse. He's all, SHE'S TINY AND 14 YEARS OLD I CAN'T JUST JUMP HER SHE'S TERRIFIED OF ME. And Sansa is all, "okay, Jon said Stannis is a good man but OMFG I'M SCARED!" So they kissed. Once. In 3000 words. -.-
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He so is. Oh Renly, I wish you appreciated your brother more. )):
I AM SO AMUSED BY THE LEVEL OF CAPSLOCK ENTHUSIASM THIS HAS PROVOKED. I'll take a look through all my Stannis/Davos files tomorrow and see what I've got. ;D
Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. ;ldjf;hg'
Stannis really just needs to loosen up (except that I wouldn't love him then). It would make it so much easier for him to get laid. Although, yeah, things with Sansa are always going to be a bit of a minefield at first.
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Stannis is bringing out the capslock monster in me. There was a time when I wasn't even tempted by capslock. ;) Looking forward to whatever you choose to share. ^^
Stannis loosening up, lol. ;) With Sansa, the problem is that he wants to be kind to her because she's a little girl the age of his own daughter and he wishes he could put her at ease, so he tries, except that he looks terrifying and has no idea how to comfort someone. So there's lots of really awkward silences and staring at each other like "so we're supposed to have sex now, huh?"
Stannis/Davos is at least never awkward. ;)
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You make me want to spend all my time writing. (I wish I could!) As it stands though, I really ought to sleep soon.
Laughable, isn't it? But, yes, I think the way I'd ideally want to write Stannis/Sansa would probably be kind of protracted and slow - with her realising one day that she understands why Stannis is the way he is and admiring him for it. Stannis probably wouldn't even notice that anything had changed until Davos mentioned the way Sansa looks at him these days. Then, yeah, they'd go and make beautiful sons (not that they probably wouldn't have had awkward, dutiful sex before then).
True! But it might be if they actually acted on their insane amount of UST.
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I wish you could, too. ;D Right, sleep. I'll have such a hard time going back to a normal sleep schedule when classes start again for me.
I feel like I have to write their first time dutiful sex because it's just kind of important for how their relationship develops afterwards. If stannis had made a complete mess of that night, I doubt she would ever get over that. I do think they'd actually enjoy themselves at some point during their wedding night - because Stannis IS a man who gets to sleep with a beautiful girl, and because he's a quick learner and somewhere in his attempts to pet and caress her he must have found some things she actually likes. I mean, it's sex, not rocket science. ;) But before and after the actual sex it would just be so awkward.
I agree with you, other than that their relationship would change slowly. She'd try to understand him because he is kind to her (let's face it, the bed is probably where they spend most time together at first because Stannis is too busy ruling to talk to his queen). Stannis wouldn't notice until Davos tells him how she smiles at him, yes. And Sansa herself probably wouldn't notice that she's starting to love him until she's forced to realise it. Like, I don't know, she runs into Loras and doesn't end up swooning and staring because she just doesn't care about him anymore and is happy with Stannis.
Stannis and Davos would just go into denial mode afterwards.
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I liked how all of the different POVs were linked; one of the key phrases that ended one POV would begin the next POV. As well, I think it's neat how the overall feelings of the POVs of Stannis/Davos go from dislike-neutral-neutral-like-neutral-dislike, framing the story in a way.
Years later, when Robert sees Renly being a little too confidential with his squire, he scoffs to Ser Barristan that he had always thought Stannis was the queer one, in that same tone of unkindness mixed with jest.
HA! Robert would think that, and given how everyone seems to know how much Selsye and Stannis despise each other, I'm surprised that there aren't rumors like this floating around.
Some expect her to resent him, the man who takes her husband from her for such long stretches of time but she could never hate a man who is the cause of so many of her husband's smiles.
Aww, this is always how I imagine Marya, as an inherently kind and unselfish woman. What makes Davos happy is good enough for her, and she's content to raise her sons in safety.
I particularly like Robert and Renly's POVs, for they further add to the immensely complicated and messed up relationships of the Baratheon brothers. How did they all become so different? All of them are always so eager to critize each other while turning a blind eye to their own faults, which I think you emphasize here.
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