#>> affection no matter what she does?

[slimyenemy]

only curses are real booOoO

[lesbiansanemi]

Currently trying not to vomit over the fact that I essentially just lost almost a thousand dollars brb

[mla0]

Something about Shaun and Patrick that gets to me is that like, Shaun could learn a lot from an older sibling who is very unapologetically themselves and doesn't particularly care what the rest of the world thinks about it. She is someone who always needs a logical explanation, who doesn't step over any lines and is extremely complacent and conformist out of fear and being raised by shitty people (which probably only got worse after Michael was institutionalized, that pressure to not just be unlike him but also better in order to be even merely tolerated in her own home, etc.). Like you do not understand the depths at which I care so incredibly much about Shaun and Patrick's dynamic and what it could've been

[idolbound]

I think people likely do suspect Meredith might be a little 💅 you know?

Obviously some followers of the Chantry take up vows of chastity, though from what I've been reading, while templars aren't required to take said vows, they do require special permission to marry as they may be required to move to other Circles or to do the Chantry's bidding elsewhere. As it were, if a spouse can provide their own support (e.g., owning land, having a role in another organization like the City Guard [I think of Aveline and Wesley, as he was apparently a former templar]), then permission is granted. This process likely deters most templars from formally marrying, or even maintaining long-term relationships.

That said, it's evident that templars in Kirkwall frequent the Blooming Rose often enough that Meredith eventually orders a raid of the place to find out which of her knights have been paying for sex and 'ruining' the reputation of the Order and its Knight-Commander. Obviously this demonstrates that templars seek and pay for sex without commitment nor worry about an actual relationship.

But, I am also certain that templars do have relationships beyond the Order - and perhaps, also, within it, though this is obviously discouraged and likely to earn reprimand for engaging in activities that could be seen as distracting from their duties (and creating a conflict of interest / tension among the ranks).

Now, with that context in mind, let's get back to Meredith.

Of course, already in Act 1 people are terrified of Meredith, and those who serve her do not want to break rules or cross her. She too wouldn't have any interest in being involved with someone serving under her, though I'm sure there are speculations about her interests. After all, we know from World of Thedas vol 2 that, when she stormed the brothel, she came across a very naked, very erect Jethann and politely and quietly excused herself. I'm sure Jethann has talked about this incident and rumours have spread; either the Knight-Commander is indeed, just a paragon of her faith and upholding a strict vow of chastity, or she isn't interested in men. While not a common assertion, someone, somewhere has probably drunkenly theorized about it. Like all the other rumours about Meredith, I think this one would certainly be among them.

Additionally, and this is in the game itself, but if Hawke is male and 'flirtatiously' compliments Meredith, she shuts him down by saying "I do not wear this armour for how it looks" and all but rolls her eyes at him. If Hawke is female, she simply says nothing (again, likely that they forgot to record a line / chose not to), but sometimes actions speak louder than words!

Now, in my own personal headcanon, I believe that as a Knight-Templar, Meredith had to deal with her templar brothers finding her attractive and desiring her in that way, which in response, she had to assert over and over, her utter disinterest in them. Most of these boys and young men thought they were rejected because Meredith was so focused on her studies, but others really found it hard to believe she would reject them. Obviously, this started the rumour mill about Meredith, both among her own cohort and beyond; after all, she was already a contentious initiate, since she already had an 'in' to doing well in the Order ahead of her peers because she was Knight-Captain Kell's unofficial adoptive daughter. Her blatant rejections towards her fellow knights' advances only added to that, with speculations ranging from the fact she already had a secret lover outside of the Gallows, to the fact she simply preferred the company of the fairer sex.

While it was true that Meredith was intensely focused on her duties and becoming the best Templar she could be, she was well aware of her romantic interest and sexual attraction toward other women early on (likely around age 16-17). I think as a ward of the Chantry that Meredith likely developed some close, possibly homoerotic friendships with other girls who grew up alongside one another, but obviously as Meredith became a templar initiate and stayed in the barracks of the Gallows, some connections may have been lost over time.

As an adult and new Knight-Templar, I believe Meredith - young, tall, and handsome - did have numerous illicit affairs with Chantry Sisters over the years, including when she became Knight-Captain, but stopping when she became Knight-Commander. As I've discussed, Meredith is hypersexual and this affects her relationships, but during this time, because of her duties, she is never able to form a long-term romantic relationship, preferring short-lived and secretive sexual relations, hidden by the cover of nightfall and the shadows in the darkest corners of the Chantry. While she has always been hypervigilant about, well, just about everything (due to her PTSD), there have always been wandering eyes and listening ears that notice such things.

In the timeline of Kirkwall, as mentioned above, I don't think such a rumour would become known by Meredith as most people are frightened of her and wouldn't dare mention it, but I do think the templars who have known her since the beginning, and those who have perhaps seen or heard a little too much, might know about where her preferences lie. In Thedas, for the most part, it would seem that having same-sex attraction is not seen as inherently bad or evil, though according to Brother Gentivi, in some places it is considered a quirk of character or sometimes scandal if done indiscreetly , or it can be accepted provided a noble still contribute to procreation and reproducing heirs for bloodlines.

In this case, given Meredith's position as Knight-Commander, and the other actions (or inaction) she takes regarding the templar-mage conflict and ruling the city, people knowing her sexuality is truly just another piece of gossip shared over ale in Lowtown, though one that may invoke further judgement by some.

[torchwood-99]

Theoden's Favourite

Going off the books, I'd say Theoden's kids are ranked accordingly;

Eomer

Merry

-

-

-

Eowyn

-

-

-

-

-

Theodred (kid dies and he says nothing about it)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Idis, the daughter cut from the first draft.

[deepseawave]

obsessed w the tags on ur last reblog

Omgg, thank you haha, it was a quality post so I just had to appreciate it in full force 😂❤️

Can‘t believe someone would actually enjoy my yapping :,D

[tanicus-caesareth]

guarana drama, damage control

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[juliareed]

There is a lighthouse In the middle of the deep And I'm still stranded on the shoreline there And nobody hears me scream

[fullparttime-writer]

Goodbye, Mother (For Now)

Another summer has passed, and as Helios makes his slow descent, the time has come for mother and daughter to say goodbye. They have been doing this for thousands of years, and yet it has never gotten easier for either of them.

“You will be okay, Mother?” the Queen of the Underworld asks as she looks at her fellow goddess. Demeter looks at her with a side smile, reaching out a hand to brush a cheek.

“Yes, my daughter, I shall be okay.” Even as she says her words, the air around them has gained a noticeable chill, reminiscent of the cold loneliness a mother feels without her child. “I know you shall return safely next year. For now, you must fulfil your duty in the Underworld.”

Persephone smiles. “Of course I shall return, Mother. Nothing could ever stop that, and if Hades ever tried, you know damn well I can overpower him.” This gets a laugh out of Demeter as the ground starts to shake beneath them, the earth itself forming into the shape of a man.

“I heard my name?” The older-looking God grins as he approaches Persephone, who turns to face him. His smile turns more gentle as he brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you ready, my love? You’ve said your goodbye?”

The Queen nods. “Yes, Lord Hades. I am ready to take my seat by your side once more.”

Hades nods respectfully to Demeter, who returns the gesture as she watches the couple sink back into the Earth which she herself fertilises. The leaves on the trees around her begin to die.

It would never get easier for any of them. Demeter mourning the loss of her daughter for six months with no choice but to watch as she returns with her husband, the decaying plants and biting winds reflecting her mood; Hades losing his wife for six months, forced to rule without her by his side to comfort him and keep him warm; and Persephone, Persephone, Persephone. A woman torn between two worlds, duty to her mother and duty to her husband. And what, she thinks, of her duty to herself?

[thebookworm0001]

I don’t need a new au where Ellana and Bull start doing a platonic kink thing that slowly turns into actual feelings as their bond develops but damn now I’m thinking about it

[mars-ipan]

overcoming anxiety (through practicing the things that scare you) is so interesting. i used to be horrified of taking up space or alerting other people of my presence. now i'm compelled to tell strangers i like their outfits or hair or earrings- on bad days i tell maybe a quarter of them. do i still overthink it? absolutely. but i call attention to myself to tell someone else my opinion. and with the way they tend to smile and tell me "thank you!" i'm pretty sure it's taken to heart.

i used to be horrified of making phone calls as well. this is one i'm still getting over- i just Don't Like Doing It. i used to have a phone call routine that i still joke about- realize i need to call someone, cry, avoid it for a few days, suck it up, write a script, memorize the script, cry again, final script read, make the call with the script in front of me. and i would be Exhausted by the end of it. i don't cry when i need to call people anymore. i'm even needing scripts less and less- i've found out that people actually won't kill me if i talk a little too fast or stumble on my words. i doubt i'll ever like making phone calls- i especially hate robots (i'm afraid they'll mishear me and direct me wrong or a person will suddenly show up and i won't be prepared)- but i can make them now.

i get overwhelmed really easy. just a thing that happens to me. my brain is really really good at taking one task and breaking it up into thousands of little tasks and it feels like i'm drowning. if i try to make it fewer larger tasks then it starts to feel insurmountable. i was completely lost on how to deal with this (other than avoid until you get that panic attack and can do work in the post-catharsis calm until 6:00 AM) until one night when my dad (who i often meet late at night due to overlapping mental illness symptoms) asked me how to eat an elephant. i looked at him, confused, and he said "one bite at a time." that was way more effective than any other analogy i've seen has been. "light at the end of a tunnel"- i don't feel like i'm moving forward, i feel like i'm scaling a wall. "steps on a trail"- i can see my destination, but it feels impossible to move forward. but eating an elephant? that sums it up perfectly. this huge task which seems impossible at a glance. but it must be done. so you eat the elephant, a bite at a time. every time i'm overwhelmed i repeat that phrase to myself. it hasn't made any major changes yet, but it keeps me calm enough to start before i hit the panic attack, which i'll take.

i was such a perfectionist growing up- i actually thought it was a good thing (school always taught me to strive for perfection). but it made me scared to try new things- if i wasn't immediately good at them, then it clearly wasn't for me. i'm still not great at starting new hobbies, but i try a lot of new things within the hobbies i already have. i test out different ways of making art, i try new puzzle games i don't understand, etc. and the feeling of steady improvement reminds me that i don't need to be good right away. some of the most satisfying moments don't come from immediately being good- they come from achieving that skill over time. i'd like to try to learn to sew soon.

idk it's interesting. i rewire my own brain's fear response by doing the Horrifying Thing enough times for me to understand that no i will not die. and while i'm doing it it feels like nothing is changing. i get so stressed every time- it can actually take a lot out of me (turns out fight-or-flight burns a lot of energy). but i look back at then vs. now and i realize how far i've come, and i can't help but think "huh. neat"

[killmonk]

guy who's been 18 for 6 months but is so afraid of psychiatry he WILL be staying with the conduct disorder diagnosis and will NOT NEVER be pursuing an updated diagnosis. Not Never 🙅🙅

[interdimensionalrealitymachine]

mom gets a new chronic illness diagnosis that she more than likely won't do anything about bc she already lives a stagnant life waiting for armageddon

i get a new thing to learn about in order to take better care of her, a spiral of grief, a reminder that i'll never be able to move out

[angeltism]

man i WISH having a fp was just "haha i really like you :)" like so many ppl seem to think of it

[springcatalyst]

question of the decade Is Julian. a misogynist

[dearlittlefandom-stalker]

Oh nooooooo I'm being oppressed by other people's beliefs that don't affect me at all ohh noooo.....

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co