ReptileRae

o7 On it! Time for more of Maekar's own Wicker Man

King Daeron: He is overjoyed about the fact a plan of his had amazing consequences for his family. He had been anxious about whether or not an elm Heart Tree would have a dryad and the fact it does and Dunk is not only powerful but caring really cemented it. He enjoys the protector that is his new son in law!

Queen Myriah: He first reaction upon seeing Dunk was going "Oh! My son let's his lover walk around naked... good for him" before realizing the man is in fact a tree. There aren't really any godswoods in Dorne and generally thought the dryads were an old gods myth of some sorts. Deeply concerned at first, fully encouraging when she actually interacts with Dunk.

Baelor: His first instinct was to try and fight the lumbering (hah get it) beast who was standing over his brother until he realized Maekar was yelling at it. In general he does like Dunk and finds him honorable but no real closeness or opinion is formed beyond appreciation. Were Dunk of The Keep or Dragonstone godswood Baelor would definitely have some romantic feelings but Dunk is squarely Summerhall and thus Maekar's and his descendants dryad.

Aerys: Literally no opinion. Does not give a single care regarding Maekar and his tree husband.

Rhaegal: He likes Dunk and treats him well! Appreciates that Dunk watches his children and also makes sure he doesn't wander to far in his moments of extreme mental fog. He is just happy everyone else is happy, including his kids.

Brynden: Oddly enough, I think he would be afraid of Dunk. Brynden has visions of trees growing out of his body and has decided to stay far away from Dunk. Does not want to become plant food, does not help Dunk doesn't like him that much.

By definition you can't accidentally queerbait. Queerbaiting is specifically using a same sex pair from the show to market the show to queer audiences with no intention of ever following through on a romantic relationship.

There is officially licensed Destiel merch signed off on by Kripke. Teen Wolf had a commercial with the actors for Derek and Stiles draped over each other talking about being "on a ship." Both shows actively used scenes between them as marketing while actively mocking fans for wanting them together. Sherlock has multiple characters refer to Johnlock as a couple, including characters we're supposed to believe are never wrong about human behavior and pushed those scenes in marketing. Then they acted insulted when fans saw them as a couple.

That's queerbaiting.

Done on accident it would just be queer subtext. Done because they had no other choice due to censorship is queer coding.

The specific meaning of the word is really starting to get lost and it's a pretty important one to keep accurate. It describes a very specific phenomenon that was done repeatedly and maliciously for decades and is meant to examine that specifically.

I don't actually but always willing to mentally explore things!!!! I do particularly like the idea of Dryad Dunk in general and the godswoods found in royal castles. I think it's be interesting if instead of the heart tree at Summerhall being a weirwood tree, it is an Elm tree just as the heart tree in The Red Keep is an Oak. Summerhall was a very recent make, having only been built a year before Daemon Blackfyre's birth. I am gonna poke this idea with a stick and see if it kindles.

Dyrad Dunk!!!!!!

Godwoods are a requirement of any good castle as it is well known that in times of dire straights the woods will protect any children that lie in it. Heart Trees, the protectors of the woods, hiding children within their branches to and leaves until the danger has passed or until they are cut down. A hard thing to do but not impossible as like most wooden things they are weak to fire but still hard as when threatened the trees will practically come to life and form a body known as a dryad, one that will rage to protect whatever lays inside its branches. It's why godwoods are never burnt down nor are you allowed to kill within it's border. THis is why when Daeron the Good, a prince at the time, was thinking about making another home for the Targaryens, one to spend holidays and possibly create a branch family, he chose to make sure Summerhall had it's own godswood. One that just so happened to have a tall Elm with a calm face as its Heart Tree. Perfect for children.

Years pass and eventually Summerhall is gifted to the now King Daeron's youngest son Maekar, who had already started a family of his own. Children roam the godswood and with every child born it seems like the trees smile grows wider and Maekar finds his children playing in the branches of the tree, cradling each child like its their own. Sweet if not slightly creepy when the branches would refuse to hand back a sleeping child or catch one a child when they fall. Regardless other than being more active and bigger than most Heart Trees, there is nothing too different about the Elm and Dyanna and Maekar are happy to have a being to protect the kids. At least this dryad gives proof of life, even if they've never seen them. Until they do.

Late one night shortly after Rhae's birth and Dyanna's death there is screaming in the godswood and the guards and Maekar immediately rush to battle to see a massive figure, standing at almost 7ft and make of bark holding an assassin in one hand and toddler Egg in the other. Other attempted kidnappers all wrapped in thorny branches, some seeming to have saplings growing out of them. Maekar has no words until the Dryad turns to him, dropping the assassin before carefully giving Maekar Egg, and in the most common born accent immediately apologizing for the mess. Maekar had never met a Dryad in person but he can't say he expected it to have an almost Flea Bottom accent... nor introduce himself as "Dunk" of all things. The guards take the (living) assassins and kidnappers, the others being absorbed into the soild with only their metal remaining.

Maekar, lost on what to do, asks if Dunk needs any repayment but the dryad shakes his head and tells him that he has held the children for years and are his to protect just as much as Maekars.... but Dunk would like to know if it's okay to wander around the woods and play with the kids in dryad form as being a tree can be kind of boring. Seeing no harm, Maekar agrees and quickly Dunk becomes an integral part of his childrens lives, more so than he already was as simply a tree. When Maekar is overwhelmed and the Septa's are no help, the Prince is always ensured that at least Dunk is there to handle the brunt.... even if the tree gains a particular dislike of Aerion or allows the children to sleep in his branches instead of their beds.... at least Daeron dreams are better for awhile after a nap on.. in? Dunk.

A few years pass and it is going well, Maekar and his children used to the tree parent and the inhabitents of SUmmerhall used to the Dryad helper and protector, though the more Dunk seems to be loved the greater the forest around Summerhall becomes. But as it never interferes with the road and is cut down with ease when lumber is needed it's no issue and in fact only a boon... Though the first problem arises when the rest of the Royal Family comes to visit and see Maekar arguing with a 7ft tree man about letting Rhae eat too many sweets.

(And does someone want to climb that tree?)

It's an adjustment as none of the family has ever seen a dryad. Most people when attacking castles will never go for the godswood because of the fear of dryads so they are never seen to the point of being almost superstition. Seeing one alive and looking a bit ashamed when being lectured by Maekar is definitely a sight.

At first they are intimidated because Dunk is massive and they are aware the damage he can do but it is quickly changed when they see him with the kids and helping out the staff. It is completely erradicated when they see Dunk being teased by two kitchen workers about his "wood" and "if he flowers like a maid" and they see the fruit trees in the vicinity bloom as the dryads equivalent of a blush. It is sweet. They are happy Maekar has another set of protective hands and that Dunk seems to go out of his way, now expanding his domain from the godswood to the entire forest surrounding Summerhall the more affection he gets. It essentially turns Summerhall into one of the most protected places in the realm as Dunk's tree grows bigger.

"So! I met an alien."

Oh he's hearing voices. He went mad. Okay. "We are trying to communicate". whatever.

Still going through the recordings, science, science, astrophage, science, I named it Rocky okay, science... he cope by inventing a friend I guess, he still look lucid enough for the mission so, we are still good, aren't we...

And then the alien actually shows up on screen "Hi, I'm Rocky, Rocky from Erid, I am not Rocky from movie no no no"

bc in no way can be read that she was always gonna send grace on the hail mary, or that she suspected or knew she was going to have to send him.

when she sings, it is absolutely to him, but it's to reassure him that she knows she's going away but that she's coming back. she's telling him to hang in there, that it's going to be hard but that she believes in him and that she will come back when the time is right and they'll meet again somewhere far away from here.

that's the captain of the ship telling her first mate "youre gonna have to run things when im gone but its okay bc i believe in you and youre gonna do fine. I'll be back soon."

she KNOWS she's a scapegoat. she's been planning for her arrest and eventual escape the whole time on the backburner.

and then the disaster happens and she has to send her second in command, her friend, to his death or they all die.

and suddenly there is no more "we'll meet again someday" bc she's never gonna see him again. even if everything goes to plan and she escapes and the beetles arrive with a solution-- she loses grace forever.

Eridians' perception of the world relies on something that is completely absent in space — sound. They haven't been looking at the stars their entire existence the way we have. Their concept of aliens might only be as old as their discovery of astrophage. They made a bad ship, because it was their first one ever! Rocky himself says they rushed it, and that multiple (vital) things broke. Their mission was just as much of a Hail Mary pass as ours was — they had no idea what they were doing, if they could even travel in space safely. And, as it turns out, they couldn't.

Humans are the ones who have been doing it over multiple lifetimes. Mary is state of the art. We've been space farers longer than most humans have been alive. We can actually see through space. We are more likely to survive exposure to the void. We can encase our lighter, more flexible, more mobile bodies in a material that lets us walk outside of our ship, and, to a degree, we can get our bearings out there in a way Eridians just can't.