#//To SHOW them of her own loyalty and fondness without having to SAY it; bc she'll inevitably choke up saying it

[oceanxveiined]

When she is willing to let someone touch her just enough to pet her head, chances are she WILL end up holding their hand in place the instant they try to pull it back.

[fandom-puff]

Exhaustion

Pairing: Jon Snow x reader

Requested by: anon

Summary: you’ve been up for well over a day, helping Queen Sansa with returning winterfell to its former glory. Jon, back from the Wall now that Greyworm has ventured to Naath grows increasingly concerned for your health as you wear yourself to the bone

AN: so yeah this is totally a season 8 fix it bc we all got incredibly screwed over :) can you tell I’m not too fond of Danaerys after about... season 1? Anyways I love writing for game of thrones lol! Gif creds, as always, to the owner <3 ALSO: YNN= your nickname

Warnings: sleep exhaustion, season 8 spoilers

“There is damage to the wall, my queen, the entrance to the castle as well. The stables were burnt by dragon fire, the armoury... well, most of it is gone. The statues of the direwolves are also destroyed, more so than when the Bolton’s were here,”

Sansa nodded slowly, her hands grasping the ornate wood carvings of the arms of her throne. She looked sideways to you, her closest friend and most loyal advisor, a lady from a lesser house in the north. You turned to the fellow Northman in front of you and surveyed him for a moment.

“For now, we have little need of an armoury. For any horses who survived the dragon fire, we will source wood to build a temporary stable so they may sleep out of the cold,” you said.

“Lord Bronson, please see that the horses are kept sheltered and that any builders hired are paid adequately for their time,” the queen addressed her newly appointed master of coin. “As for the damage to the wall of the castle, we need stone and men to rebuild it. Scope around for volunteers in the keep, they too will be paid for their extra work,” the man nodded and bowed to his queen. “As for the statues... have the Smithy melt down any damaged weapons and use the steel to remodel the Direwolves,” the master of coin scribbled down the funds and nodded.

“That is all, my queen,” the man said.

“And what of the Northmen? Those nearer the wall will have been hit hard by winter and the night king. The harvests were poor, the livestock is weak. We have an excess in our own kitchens. I want hearty food and good ingredients delivered to the villagers to ensure they survive until a more permanent solution is found,”

“Your highness, perhaps we should send a raven to your brother in the south? Out of loyalty to you and his ally, the North, arrangements can be made between the Crownlands and their ports and the fertile grounds of the Reach? Just because the North is now independent does not mean we ought to sever trade links entirely,” you said slowly, your hands clasped in your lap.

Sansa was quiet for a moment. You could see the internal struggle between wanting to do everything herself without help from the south, and wanting to keep the people fed and strong. She turned to you slowly. “Have a message sent to Bran,” she said firmly, nodding slowly to show she trusted you. “Surely there are resources we can trade with Kings Landing. Have another sent to Highgarden, I believe the Reach was relatively unscathed by the Mad Queen,” you bit back a smirk at that nickname. “They have always been fond of our embroidery,” you nodded. “Thank you for your report,” Sansa turned again to the man in front of her. “We will set to work as soon as possible. You are dismissed. Go and see to your wife, my Lord, I believe she is reaching the end of her pregnancy,” she smiled kindly, and with a low bow, the man left the hall.

With no one in the room but herself, you and the master of coin, Sansa sagged into her throne.

“You’re doing wonderfully, your highness,” you said gently, smiling softly at her. “Winterfell is almost restored and I have never seen a ruler show such compassion and sensibility to her subjects. The King of the South will help us- he probably knows already. And if need be, I will tell my brother that I’m staying at winterfell a while longer, should you need me. I trust him not to run my House’s keep to the ground while I’m gone,”

Sansa smiled at you with appreciation, and she soon gave you leave while she went to visit her Maester. As you were reaching the door, she called out. “YN! I’ve had word from Castle Black. Jon is returning to Winterfell. He should be here tonight,” you tried to hide your excited smile, and couldve sworn you saw a sly smirk tugging at Sansa’s lips as you bowed slightly and hurried off to your chamber.

Jon was coming back! You had been furious when the unsullied had him banished to the wall for killing the Mad Dragon Queen. From the moment you saw Danaerys, you did not trust her in the slightest, having heard the stories from across the Narrow Sea. In your eyes she was a glorified tyrant, as mad as her father and as deceptive as Queen Cersei. You knew she was almost nothing without her dragons, which caused more harm than good. Breaker of chains, she had called herself, when in reality she forged chains of her own- bend the knee or die was not a free choice, it was a threat, and had Danaerys Targaryen taken the throne as she was adamant she deserved it, you would’ve been slaughtered for your loyalty to the North, to the Old Gods, to your family, your friends, and not to a glamorous tyrant who would surely burn Westeros to the ground just as her father had planned.

Once returned to the north, you and Sansa had spoken of Jon a few times, and Sansa always got a mischievous glint in her eyes when you did. She must have planned his return, as he had no real need to stay beyond the wall after the Unsullied left for Naath. Smiling to yourself, you set to preparing yourself for dinner, asking a few passing maids to help you draw a bath. Unlike most nobles, you helped the maids, rather than watch them, and spoke kindly as you heated the water for your bath. Once there was enough water, you thanked them and allowed them to leave as you bathed, washing your hair and scrubbing your skin. Once towelled dry, you rubbed sweet smelling oils into your skin, before slipping into your smallclothes and a simple, yet beautiful, dark green gown, discretely embroidered with your house’s sigil at the trim of the neckline and up from the wrists of your long sleeves. Lacing the dress up at the side, you sat in front of your mirror and set about sorting out your hair, towelling it dry and braiding it around your head. Finally, you fastened a simple silver chain around your neck, your sigil hanging over your heart.

Smiling to yourself, you stood, leaving your chamber and walking to the Great Hall where dinner was normally held. When you slipped through the door, however, the room was empty, only a few candles lit. Frowning, you turned, hearing the sound of two sets of footsteps as Sansa and Jon rounded the corner. Sansa trailed off from what she had been saying and smirked slightly as she pushed Jon towards you.

“Er... Lady YLN,” he spoke in his thick, northern burr. You repressed a shiver and have him a bright smile.

“Jon! Just YN, remember?” You said, slowly walking towards him. Gladly, he accepted your embrace, and you buried your face into the thick furs at his shoulder, not caring about the flecks of snow. You pulled away and beamed at eachother, before Sansa cleared her throat.

“I thought we’d take dinner in my chambers,” she said. “The three of us reunited,” you both nodded and followed your queen. “Jon, I’ve had a room prepared for you, there should be a fire to warm you and new clothes there too,”

“But, your majesty, I... I took the black. I’m in exile,” he said lowly, frowning.

Sansa merely smiled and carried on walking. “No. You were in exile, therefore unable to take an oath of any sort. That, however, was when the unsullied insisted on ‘justice’. The unsullied are settled in Naath, and furthermore, you are a Northman. The north is an independent kingdom. Therefore, you are released from your exile,”

You shook your head fondly at your friend as you entered her chambers, were a maid was laying out the table. She turned when she heard the door and sunk into a low curtsey. “Thank you Amya,” Sansa said. “This looks wonderful,”

“Yes m’lady,” the young girl said, smiling proudly as she was dismissed.

Once fed and watered, the three of you retired to Sansa’s personal chamber, drinking wine and sharing anecdotes. Already smiling serenely from the wine at dinner, having more was making you feel a little floaty. You stifled a yawn as you fiddled with your necklace as you listened to Jon. “YN... you look exhausted,” he said softly, tipping your chin up to face him properly. The flickering light of the hearth highlighted the growing bags under your eyes and how glazed over your eyes were.

“‘M alright,” you mumbled, resting your head on his shoulder. “Can stay up a bit longer. Finish your story,” you insisted, but your eyes were already fluttering shut.

Sansa pursed her lips. “YN... after last night’s small council meeting, did you even go to sleep?” She asked gently. “And today... we’ve had about 15 lords and 12 smallfolk coming in for audiences, all of which you attended...”

You smiled slightly. “Was in the library last night, Sansa...” you mumbled. “Needed to look up the logistics and the finances,”

“Oh, YNN, we have a Maester and master of coin to do that,” she said gently, reaching over to place her hand over yours. “What about when the maester called for a break?”

“I went to start on the letters to my brother and the King in the South,” you mumbled. “And Highgarden...” you let Sansa hold your hand and give it a firm squeeze, still nuzzling you’re face into Jon’s furs as the last two days finally caught up with you. “Nodded off at my desk, though, so I’ll have to start the letter to King Bran again,”

Sansa frowned. “YNN, you’re working too hard. I appreciate it immensely, but I cannot expect you to help me if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Tonight you will rest, and when morning comes you may rest some more. You are allowed to care for yourself, alright? You must. Because without you by my side, I question everything I do. I need you by my side. The north needs you in excellent condition. And so does Jon,” you nodded slowly in understanding, but her soothing words and gentle tone were lulling you to sleep. “I want to make you my hand, YN. But first, you need to sleep,” you nodded again and let out a mumbled ‘yes, my queen’ as you finally turned your head fully into Jon’s furs and let exhaustion take you.

What felt like an eternity later, you were jostled awake. You let out a small noise of complaint and nuzzled you’re face further into the soft thick furs in front of you, your fingertips brushing a lock of curled hair...

“Jon?” You whispered, barely audible.

“Shhh, I’m here. Gotta get you to bed, YN. no arguing, now. Queen’s orders,” you nodded, and mumbled ‘alright’ as he carried you to your chamber. He found your bed already turned down, and gently lowered you into it, letting you wriggle out of your dress. He averted his eyes as you tugged the covers over yourself, despite it being dark. You settled into the pillows, already drifting deeper into your slumber, when you heard the door creak open.

“Jon?” You murmured, reaching an arm out for him.

“Yeah?”

“Stay?”

Your eyes were shut and you were practically asleep, but you heard the door shut and lock and the sound of heavy leathers and cloaks hit the ground. Best of all, you soon felt the safe warmth of Jon pressed against your side.

Tag List: @diksy1112 @zodiyack @soleil-dor @sleepylunarwolf

[mego42]

1x07 Discussion Questions

My b! My b! I usually try to do these when the episode is fresh but instead I went to sleep, I am at peace with my priorities, tbh. As always, many thanks to @pynkhues​ for her time and energy putting these together and shout out to @foxmagpie​ for the assist. 

1. What was your favourite scene of the episode? Tell us why!

Lot of contenders, tbh. I really love the scene with Mary Pat when she puts together the (extremely transparent) bullshit that is the whole secret shopper scheme (I mean come on y’all, did you even try????), I love Ruby and Stan’s date (high five to Stan for coming through with my parks & rec reference, it’s nice to know there is one (1) man I can count on). The Annie and Greg bit is REALLY SWEET LEAVE ME ALONE. The god tier brio content, specifically The Grab Heard Round The World My Living Room and the Give Me A Name bit. Some classic Rio nonsense (do you think if we asked him to point to an egg he’d point to an apple?) Tyler and his “reeeeeeally fill out the surveys?” was, obvs, the best moment on the entire show. Anyway, one of those for sure.

2. Was there any scene that missed the mark for you? And if so, how?

The Boomer setting up Annie stuff always falls flat to me and idk exactly why? Like, individual pieces of it are great, Mae does EXCELLENT work post police station and when getting arrested in the first place but ultimately I find it fairly forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

3. Let’s talk about the secret shopper scheme! What do you think were the strengths of it? The flaws? Do you think it had longterm potential? Or was it always going to crash and burn?

I said this during the rewatch but I straight up blocked out the fact that all of the shoppers are hitting the same store on the same day (waving around upwards of $5k in cash???? no less???????) because my brain cannot comprehend how three women we’re supposed to believe are reasonably intelligent didn’t realize this was the stupidest, most transparently obvious, most short-sighted scheme in the entire world. 

I struggled with the sustainability of it a bit when I thought they were spreading their efforts around (they roped in A Lot of people, there are only so many Costcos in the Detroit metro area and waving around that much cash and then returning it all, again for cash, is uh, already p memorable) but I could deal with it when I thought they were spreading it around. Short-sighted, immediate solutions are a cornerstone of Beth’s brand, after all, but all of them at the same store at the same day???? Too much. I cannot. 

4. The girls spent their money in very different ways! Ruby on romancing Stan, Annie on clothes for her son, and Beth on jewellery for herself. What do you think this tells us about them and their arcs? Particularly coming off the back of Ruby’s conflict with Stan, Ben’s issues at school with clothes, and Beth leaving Rio her pearls?

Love these connects. The show’s got a pretty clearly defined and consistent visual/character motifs (this may or may not be the word I’m looking for, shut up) when it comes to depicting the girls priorities and motivations. You also see it reflected and reinforced with their repeated coping mechanisms throughout the show. Whenever bad stuff happens, Ruby goes home to Stan, Annie crawls into bed with Ben and we usually close with Beth either alone (ouch david) or connecting with Rio in some way (exhibit a: the aforementioned pearls). 

In all of the instances it comes back to the heart of their priorities:

Stan is Ruby’s number one, (which isn’t to say her kids aren’t a part of that, I think Stan is both himself in this sense while also representing her whole Hill family unit—TV is all about visual shorthand kids—but also it serves to illustrate that Ruby has something Beth and Annie do not: a true partner). 

Ben is at the root of everything Annie does, she makes choices based on not only his. well-being, but how he sees her and he has the most influence over how she sees herself and what actions she takes as a result of that.

Beth, on the other hand, is at a contrasting point. She’s done the devoted partner and mother thing (lowkey implied by the little bits and pieces we get of her and Annie’s childhoods to some degree more or less for her entire life) and is now putting herself first, her needs, her wants. Which isn’t to say she doesn’t give a fuck about her family, she waits until she’s got a fat stack of cash and they’re taken care of before splurging on a thing, but as a symbol I think the necklace pretty clearly illuminates that for whatever Beth tells herself, she’s building an empire for herself, bc she wants it, needing it is secondary.

5. Eddie’s arrest is arguably what sets us on a collision course with the finale! Do you think Eddie was loyal to Rio until the end? How much do you think he told Turner? And what sort of loyalty do you think Rio inspires in his boys? And why doesn’t it translate with the girls?

OF COURSE EDDIE WAS LOYAL TO THE END HE HAS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED HE HAS SOME KIND OF CODE OF HONOR HOW DARE YOU SLANDER MY BOY LIKE THAT.

Tbh idk how to answer the loyalty question without more information from canon because the gang and how they operate, how they all came together, etc is pretty well shrouded in not-central-narrative-focus, though I think it’s been implied somewhat heavily that what’s going on with the girls is not standard operating procedure.

My personal headcanon for Eddie is tied up in my personal backstory for Rio and Mick that I started for my (lmao first) Mick POV fic. I gave Rio and Mick a friends since we were kids backstory and decided Eddie was a kid in their neighborhood, slightly younger then them, and always looked up to them/followed them around/thought they were cool. He ultimately got involved in crime because they did and they looked out for him and brought him up with them (which, you know, makes how it all turns out that much more tragic). Obvs, this is all just me and my tendency to imprint on random side characters and give them backstories. Let me live.

6. This episode introduces us to Mary Pat, who’s probably one of this show’s most complicated antagonists! What do you think of her generally? And could you have predicted her arc with Boomer and Turner?

I love her and I’m done lying to myself about it.

LISTEN, first off, Allison Tolman is great. Her line delivery is fantastic, she has a knack for subtly adding SO MUCH to every scene she’s in and uses her face and inflection and pauses exquisitely. Top notch comedic timing. Truly a gem.

Second, on a character level, the lady is in a bad spot and the girls basically gift-wrapped the circumstances and handed them to her like here is a present!!!!!!!!!!!! What was a struggling girl to do besides accept what was offered to her??????!!!!!!???

7. This episode features a very pivotal scene in terms of the Beth, Ruby and Annie dynamic. What starts as tension between Annie and Beth quickly pivots when Ruby criticises Beth and Annie leaps to her sister’s defence. What do you think this tells us about the dynamic between the girls as pairs and as a trio?

I am so!!!! curious!!!!!!! about the backstory that exists in the writers’ heads for Ruby and Annie (all three of them, really, but the bff and little sister having an independent friendship is of particular interest to me bc it isn’t something you, or I guess I, run into a lot) and how much of it was defined at this point vs how much it’s evolved/fluctuated as the show goes on. This fight pretty clearly illuminated that when it really comes down to it, it’s Beth and Annie vs Ruby which a) breaks my heart and b) isn’t totally a dynamic I think the show ultimately stuck with? Or maybe intentionally fluctuates? Idk this is a half-baked thought. Ask again later. 

8. Greg is the one who kisses Annie! Who do you think left who in that relationship, and/or what were the biggest issues in that relationship?

I feel like there’s pretty much no way Annie wasn’t the one that called things off with Greg. Not just because of how it plays out this time but because he’s got a kind of persistent yet also go with the flow attitude that makes me think he would absorb a lot in the name of making it work whereas Annie seems to have a pretty established history of cutting her losses and bailing when she hits her limit. Based on how fond they are of each other and how much affection they clearly still hold, I tend to assume they just grew apart as they grew up which makes it almost more complicated and tragic because it leaves all of the good stuff and just mixes it with the knowledge that it wasn’t enough. 

9. What did you think of Ruby’s sauce story? And what do you think it meant as a turning point for her arc?

I HATE THIS STORY SO MUCH USED BAND AIDS ARE GROSS ENOUGH ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT MIXING IN FOOD SERVICE AND MONTHS, MONTHS, OF MARINATION. I REFUSE TO TALK ABOUT IT. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE.

10. Knowing that Beth, Ruby and Annie’s system of paying Mary Pat off doesn’t work, do you think there was a way they could’ve handled her on their own that would’ve worked? Or do you think Rio’s intimidation (and potential murder) tactic was the only way out?

Idk maybe I’m just cynical, but I take trust no bitch to heart, they pretty well screwed themselves into a corner by being idiots. 

[moondriftingold]

some kh3 Hot Takes, saïx/isa edition!

i will admit that i don’t hate the subject x thing as much as i did yesterday, but i still like... hate it. it’s just, like. unnecessary to isa and lea’s journey and their story, in my opinion? i won’t be completely casting it out of my canon, because the idea that isa and lea came across something so disturbing and horrid (in this case, a live, human prisoner) that it would motivate them to continue their search into the castle beyond just curiosity is something i’ve had in mind for a very long time and has been part of my portrayal for years, and this can fit that category. but, this mysterious girl being the motivation for isa and lea to become apprentices? for it to be the sole/largest factor in isa becoming saïx? for saïx/isa to have apparently been so obsessed and concerned for this “friend” that he only mention her now, at the end of this journey, and in his dying speech of all things? absolutely fucking not. as per my canon, that isn’t a thing. he absolutely still cares for this girl and wished to help her, and i can buy them becoming guards to give them time at the castle without suspicion to try and free her, but at the end of the day, x was not saïx’s sole fucking motivation for everything he did.

i am really, really fond of isa’s ending. i was spoiled for it basically the second week of the game’s release (thnx guys), but i didn’t know the entire circumstances over how he was saved. and i am. just. God. Fuck Me Up Fam i am So Happy. roxas and xion finally seeing saïx be vulnerable kicked my entire ass dude!!! all they’ve seen of him so far is this horrible beast of a man that doesn’t reflect isa at all, so it was really nice for them to get to see him in a weaker, quiet moment where he was more... who he was meant to be. i was also spoiled for the end clocktower scene a week or so ago, which really fucking sucked, but watching it play out was such an experience. i think i screamed? i think i screamed. i really truly adore that isa has been accepted into the sea salt trio because that’s some shit i’ve been dreaming about for ages, but it did feel rushed. as much as i want isa to be an important and positive figure in their lives from here on out, it’s also highly unrealistic for them to just accept him back into their lives the way he is, after all that saïx had done to them. it’s true that saïx ≠ isa, but isa also isn’t exempt from the consequences that saïx’s actions leave him with. i do think that for them to get to the level that was shown, deep connections need to be made. they really need to talk about what happened between them and move past it in a healthy manner, or unsettled, toxic feelings will still remain buried underneath. my isa will likely still be wary around roxas and xion, feeling a guilt and frustration around them that he hates and feels terrible for, and also hates that he even feels terrible for. from his perspective, whatever he did, he did to survive, and he shouldn’t have to apologize for taking actions that he had virtually no choice in taking if he wanted to simply live --- but the fact of the matter is that he did have a choice in many of the things he did to roxas and xion. and that, he knows he must atone for.

i really love the big implication that saïx was the one who formulated a plan with vexen to use the replica bodies against the organization??!??! I LOVE IT DUDE IVE BEEN LIVING FOR AN ANTI-ORG SAÏX REVOLT FOR FOREVER?? it isn’t the most ic thing he could’ve done, and also isn’t confirmed canonly (ive seen some people predicting ansem sod as well? which is equally as dope imo), but i do adore the idea of saïx silently sticking it to the org. me vc are ya winning son

isa playing frisbee with lea and ven in the epilogue made me cry. like. he looked so happy. he was so carefree. he was finally having fun and around people that aren’t fucking terrible, and he’s the closest thing to being at peace for the first time in over a decade. i love him so much. i lov ehim. os mcu h. oh mh.y . god. tTATTOO THAT SCENE ON MY FACE

i h8 the fanon implication that isa now lives in twilight town with the sea salt trio bc ive always wanted him to go home to radiant garden and make peace with his time there, but him also choosing to make a sacrifice in his life to show his loyalty and love for lea is something that i absolutely do not hate, so. his whereabouts post-kh3 r up in the air ig? i want him to have a sweet little cottage in radiant garden but moving to twilight town and living in a lofty studio apartment to be closer to lea/xion/roxas is also sweet even though he probably wouldn’t enjoy it much there. i. sigh

on another note like... i really think isa wants to see more of the worlds? he didn’t really travel around much as saïx, as he was most often needed at the castle to attend to briefings and missions and meetings, and whenever he left the castle on his own, he knew he was being watched (important vessel! recusant’s sigil! yikes!), so he couldn’t really enjoy it. as much as he needs to settle somewhere and anchor himself to a place he can finally call home, he wants to have adventures of his own, too.

i am... disappointed in the lack of overall backstory to him, though. ya i understand he’s not main cast and that there was a LOT going on in this game, but we still don’t know what the early years of the org were like? how baby akusai formed their plan? no further details on how active saïx was in the org and how determined he was to get moving on things (lea saying “i couldn’t keep up with you!” in their first clocktower scene)? nothing on when saïx was chosen as a vessel, when his eyes first turned gold? when he got that giant X-SCAR ON HIS FACE? NOTHING?? THANKS NOMURA AT LEAST I CAN WRITE MY OWN CANON

if yall want me to talk about isalea im gonna have to make a whole ass separate post for them bc this post is already so long and i am already full of tears please have mercy i will cry specifically about them later at an unknown date. but i can, for now, absolutely, say they are boyfriends. bye

[zefyre]

Hey there, big fan of your work! I was just looking through your de tag and saw a bit about Kagome going to the Chamber of Secrets and it made me think... what if she befriended the basilisk? I remember seeing this recount once upon a time about squib!Harry and in that it involved him befriending the basilisk. I mean Kagome's befriended people/creatures who tried to kill her before, so why not a big snake who she can actually talk to?

Oh scratch the squib!Harry, that was a different story. The one where Harry befriended a basilisk was the one where he grew up in Hogwarts because Petunia didn’t take him in.

Aaaa, thank you friend!! ^^

But j e s u s, can you imagine if she has a fucking basilisk on her side during the final battle?? It could swallow up a line of death eaters, or even werewolves in one fricking gulp. Maybe take down a giant without much of a sweat.

But the basilisk – it’s loyal to Salazar, and isn’t Voldemort his descendant?? I think that was how he was able to gain control of the snake, bc it was loyal to Salazar’s line and could only be controlled by his true heir. So would Kagome actually be able to reason with it? To befriend it??

[more under the cut bc this got loooong]

It wouldn’t be easy, if the snake is compelled to listen to Salazar’s true heir. Maybe Kagome ventures into the chamber with Kirara at her side, and tries to talk to it but it turns out it’s no good. It won’t listen to her, instead tries to attack her, and it’s only because of Kirara that she escapes. Maybe that’s how it goes for a long while. Until the summer comes and Kagome has to leave it alone for a couple of months.

When she is back, the snake does not immediately attack her, but is definitely still hostile. Demands why she has returned after all this time, why she persists. *This one will not allow another to control it. This one will only listen to master’s true heir.*

And of course Kagome immediately goes, *I don’t want to control you. I want to… befriend you. I’d like to be your friend*

And the basilisk, it smells no lies. However, it does detect the faint smell of another snake – of Siki, who had visited Kagome before she had left for Hogwarts. And maybe that and Kagome’s sincerity is enough for it to listen, if only for a small time. Though it is still quick to hiss and snap at her.

But over time, Kagome grows on the basilisk. Why not? This is the only company it has had in decades and Tom Riddle doesn’t seem the type to take the time and chat with the snake and consider it as another intelligent being. Oh, he respects it’s power, but first and foremost sees the basilisk as a tool not an equal, not anything close. Maybe even Salazar did not consider the basilisk as such either, or perhaps considered it only a pet – for he left it locked away in the chamber to be used by his heir to clear the school of muggle-borns (if the legend is to be believed. maybe the basilisk devoted its life to salazar and agreed to stay for him. maybe it was protection if muggles ever discovered and took over bc he was paranoid that by taking in muggle-born children, it raised the risk of the magical world being revealed to the world. who knows)

Either way, the basilisk is a little bitter about it. If Salazar treated it kindly, maybe it had been waiting so long for his true heir to release it so they could meet, only to meet this little shit that wanted it to murder human snakelets (salazar had talked about muggles one day ransacking the castle and destroying everything he and the founders had built, these are just human snakelets wanting to learn magic, not doing any harm. it only petrified kids until myrtle after all – maybe bc voldemort said to get rid of muggle-borns at first so it was like, well he didn’t specifically say kill. and took to indirectly looking into the children until mrytle discovered voldemort speaking to it in the bathroom and he ordered it to kill her.) 

So yeah, the basilisk grows to become fond of Kagome and her visits, eventually arriving without Kirara, which to the basilisk is a show of trust. (one that the basilisk questions the wisdom of the first time it happens, to which kagome answers – you don’t bring protection to talk to a friend. The basilisk is kind of touched, but still tells kagome it doesn’t mind bc it’s also fond of the furry beast. maybe because kirara brought some food down to it as a treat lol – the basilisk lives of the magic provided from the castle, but appreciates food all the same, misses it too.) 

And sometimes Kagome comes down to the chamber to escape, because this place isn’t on the map so the boys can’t find her. No one but Kirara can find her. The basilisk of course smells the scent of tears and is furious – who dares make it’s favorite snakelet cry? Demands to know who so it can eat them. Kagome laughs and says it isn’t necessary, probably thinks it’s only joking and finding it weirdly comforting – until realizing it’s not and oh, the basilisk is a her and now her motherly instincts have been agitated. 

Anyway holy shit this is getting so long /cries – but the years pass and Kagome takes to visiting the basilisk (who needs a name of course, and man, imagine how long since the basilisk has heard her name? has been asked that?) at least once a week, even allowing her to roam the forest freely, as she won’t attack snakelets of her own will. 

Until the final battle happens and, because Kagome had left the door to the chamber and therefore to the pipes open, the basilisk comes out to fight those that dare attack the snakelets of the castle and the real test of loyalty comes when Voldemort finds her. Here is the true heir of the man she vowed her loyalty to, and maybe once upon a time she would follow his orders without question, maybe his words compel something in her, but she either smells or hears the snakelet that has been a constant companion to her over the years, that has treated her not below like some animal or tool, but an equal as an intelligent being, that has been a friend when for so long she had has none, and it destroys whatever compulsion or loyalty that is tied to him.