#Couple counseling for parenting issues

[reachlovenheal]

Best Couple Healing Therapy In Pune

Couple Healing

Relationships can be incredibly rewarding, but they can also be difficult at times. Couples can experience a range of challenges, including communication issues, trust problems, and conflicts over values or priorities. When these issues become too much to handle on their own, couples may seek out couple healing therapy as a way to work through their problems and strengthen their bond.

Couple healing therapy is a type of counseling that focuses on improving the relationship between two partners. It is often used to help couples who are experiencing difficulties in their relationship, such as communication problems, intimacy issues, or trust issues. This type of therapy can be beneficial for couples who are struggling with a variety of issues, including infidelity, financial stress, parenting issues, and other challenges.

The goal of couple healing therapy is to help couples identify the root causes of their problems and develop strategies for resolving them. Therapists who specialize in this type of therapy will often work with couples to identify patterns of behavior that may be contributing to their problems. They may also help couples learn new communication skills, improve their ability to express their feelings and needs, and work through any unresolved issues from the past.

One of the key benefits of couple healing therapy is that it provides a safe and supportive space for couples to work through their issues. This can be particularly important for couples who are struggling to communicate effectively or who feel like they are stuck in a cycle of negative behavior patterns. With the help of a skilled therapist, couples can learn new ways to communicate and connect with one another, which can help to improve their overall relationship satisfaction.

Another benefit of couple healing therapy is that it can help to prevent future problems from arising. By working through their issues in therapy, couples can learn new ways to communicate and relate to one another that can help to prevent conflicts from occurring in the future. This can help to create a more stable and fulfilling relationship over the long term.

There are many different types of couple healing therapy available, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and solution-focused therapy. Each of these approaches has its own strengths and weaknesses, and couples may need to try a few different types of therapy before finding the one that works best for them.

Overall, couple healing therapy can be an effective way for couples to work through their problems and build a stronger, more satisfying relationship. By learning new communication skills, resolving conflicts, and developing a deeper understanding of one another, couples can create a more fulfilling and supportive partnership that can stand the test of time.

ReachLovenHeal Pvt Ltd ( Reiki Healing, Reiki Courses, Black Magic Reversal ), Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Lovenheal Reiki healing Center in Pune is one of the best places for Reiki healing in India. The center offers Reiki training, healing sessions, and workshops. It has a team of experienced Reiki masters who have helped many people heal from various ailments. The center also offers distance healing for people who cannot visit in person.

Lovenheal Reiki healing Center in Pune is experienced Reiki practitioners who provide healing sessions to clients. Lovenheal also offers Reiki training for those who want to learn this technique.

The team of Reiki masters at the center is dedicated to helping clients achieve physical, emotional, and spiritual balance.

[reflect-within]

How Does Professional Counselling For Relationship Issues Help?

Everybody decides to marry with a vision of "happily ever after" and move into someone else's life with a lifetime commitment. Well, to continue a healthy married life and make it worth it with the partner, a couple has to put in long-term efforts. In this journey, ups and downs are quite normal, and sometimes, it feels like a roller coaster for many couples. Afterward, many couples seek professional Counselling for Relationship Issues.   Agreements, disagreements, compatibility issues, different points of view, adjustments, and much more are part of a relationship between the two married partners. But, if these things are turning into toxic issues and worsening the relationship, Counselling must be the immediate approach. In today's post, we will discuss how professional Relationship Counselling Mumbai can help couples fix relationship issues.   For Professional Support and Counselling details, you can contact us at 08928467288

What is Counselling for Relationship Issues?

In simple words, relationship Counselling is a psychotherapy that helps couples diagnose and figure out their relationship issues. Counsellors, during their sessions with couples, give assignments and tasks to help them. Additionally, Relationship Counselling Online Therapists or counselors implement some effective strategies that help couples know each other better and understand the actual issues and their root causes.   Overall, couples facing problems with their bond must go for professional Counselling for relationship issues, as these sessions only focus on helping the two soulmates fix the problems and develop a healthy relationship full of love and respect for each other. Continue reading and learn the notable benefits of the Counselling sessions.

Notable Benefits of Relationship Counselling Online

In this section, we will discuss how Relationship Counselling Online can help couples improve their connection. Have a look at the following notable benefits for better insights:

Helps in Handling Conflicts & Arguments: Conflicts and arguments, if not handled with care, calm behavior, and realizing what you are saying, can worsen the relationship problems. Also, finding the right words and moments to fix relationship conflicts can be challenging. So, what to do next? Here comes the role of relationship Counselling online that helps the two partners strengthen their way of resolving conflicts and arguments.   The therapist or counselor guides couples to fix their personal issues by implementing some techniques during the sessions. These techniques help the two listen to each other actively, calmly understand each other's point-of-view, and work together to identify the problems.

Open up your Feelings & Thoughts in a Safe Space: Conflicts get intense and serious if partners do not disclose what they are feeling about each other, their disturbing thoughts, and their problems with each other. The inner feelings gradually become a burden, and one may feel depressed. What do you think then? Of course, such situations are enough to destroy a couple relationship. Fortunately, Counselling can help avoid such scary outcomes. The Relationship Counselling Mumbai session acts as a safe space where couples can freely open up their feelings about each other and speak about their issues without hesitation. Additionally, the counselor acts as a third or neutral party who listens to you without any judgments or biased opinions and as your friend. Once the partners freely speak about the actual problems, half of the relationship issues get solved only as their mind feels relaxed, their heart gets light, and the counselor provides relevant solutions.

Promotes Self-Esteem and Appreciation: It's a popular but true fact that when you love yourself, others love you more. But, while dealing with a complicated or problematic relationship, it's quite innate to lose self-esteem, confidence, and understanding of self. Often, people start hating, blaming, or losing themselves for whatever wrong is happening in their relationships. Eventually, it promotes negativity and serious conflicts, affecting a bond adversely. If you're also going through such phases and searching for Relationship Counselling near me, it's a good decision. It's because only a professional relationship therapist or counselor can help you regain your lost self-love, esteem, appreciation, confidence, and understanding of yourself. The couple relationship therapist will help you get a positive outlook towards life that further encourages you to value the bonds. Overall, your positive attitude and self-esteem increase the chances of lasting and successful relationships.

Builds Strong Communication: If a couple has a communication gap, lack of exchanging thoughts, and hesitation in sharing what they feel for or problems they have with each other, from there, only relationship issues get started. A mutual discussion on anything, transparency by sharing what you feel, and, of course, a healthy conversation is the root of any bond. It helps in understanding each other better and building a strong mechanism to cope up with problems. And if one starts lacking communication with their partner, the Counselling sessions can effectively help. With a relationship Counselling Mumbai therapist or counselor, couples are allowed to speak from their heart and mind and express what they feel while the counselor promotes Effective Communication in Relationships.

Good Mental and Physical Well-Being: A happy soul is always a source of good physical and mental health. And when one is mentally plus physically healthy and active, of course, they are more likely to focus on their relationship. But daily conflicts, relationship issues, hurtful arguments, and stress can hamper your mental peace and further affect your physical well-being as well. That's what a therapist or marriage counselor strives to solve. While attending marriage or relationship Counselling near me sessions, couples get offered professional facilitations that help them understand each other better. With this, couples get a better situation and confidence to root out particular issues, personal and in the other.

Promotes Trust for Each Other: Jealousy and trust issues in a relationship are quite common and one of the most notable causes of conflicts between the two partners. Often, couples approach professional Counselling sessions as they feel that they have lost the trust on their partners in the relationship. These issues can be rooted in a lack of honesty, loyalty, infidelity, financial struggles, or a multitude of other factors. A couple therapy is a good option to go for and express that the trust between the two souls is getting faded. The therapists help such couples explore how it was lost or broken and how to work on "let go" or forgiveness. Additionally, the counselors help fix the trust issues in a relationship by helping couples create a space for quick healing. Getting back trust can be challenging, but it's not impossible. With the right Counselling and strategies, one can really fix the trust problems.

Improves your Personal Growth: A perhaps amazing but very common result of couple relationship therapy is often based on one individual, one's personal growth, and promoting self-awareness. Such Counselling or therapy sessions mainly strive to recognize a deeper understanding of one's own requirements from life. Also, it focuses on the needs of the partner. The therapist or counselor helps couples explore these areas and know more about themselves. Personal growth and self-awareness also help couples individually put efforts into their relationship to make it succeed and last long.

Wrapping Up..!

Relationship commitment and a healthy marriage are not as easy to manage as they may seem. A lot of hurdles, ups, and downs can disturb the balance of the two partners on their relationship journey. But, with the support of professional marriage Counselling sessions, one can manage to save their relationship or marriage. If you're also searching for marriage Counselling near me, just connect with Reflect Within. Professional Counselling is always effective in managing relationship conflicts and issues. So, get in contact with us.

[papa-poutine]

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[earl-grey-teacake]

hey! first of all, the idea of baby!au is fantastic. I love all your points. you already wrote about galex "stressed out of their minds new age parents" and that was fascinating to read! would you mind to elaborate the same about carlando? pretty please 🥺🙏🏻

Awww! Thank you!!!

Of course I can write a Carlando one!

Carlos and Lando didn't mean to adopt Oscar. It just sort of happened. One minute they are in Australia and the next thing they are taking a 1 month baby home. Thankfully Carlos know how to take care of a baby and make a bottle and change a diaper because Lando was incredibly lost.

Lando is very sensitive to Oscar's emotions and baby's are very emotionally volatile. While Oscar is much calmer than other babies, it can go from 0 to 100 really quick. Lando's vibe is "Oh my god, what am I doing? I don't know what I'm doing. Wait, I do know what I am doing. Nevermind, I was very wrong."

Carlos is a bit more capable due to experience but the downside is Oscar prefers Lando more and it makes taking care of him incredibly difficult. Carlos brings a "I want to help you. Just let me help you" energy that quickly becomes "I know you communicate mostly through crying but can you try a different method." Carlos wants to zone out sometimes but he can't.

Oscar wrecks terror on their marriage and social life. The only thing that is really intact is their job. Oscar's pickiness pushes an unequal distribution of labor in certain areas which strains the marriage. Oscar also doesn't have the energy to be around a lot of people for long periods of time, and his parents keep an active social life.

They had to go to couples counseling a month into the adoption which helped them find equal ground when it came to balancing childcare and their marriage. It also helped that Oscar met Logan and now was fairly content as long as he got to play with Logan.

Lando also started bringing Oscar onto his streams which garnered him a ton of new subscribers. Oscar was fairly content being held and staring at the lights and moving pictures and people found him to be adorable.

Oscar slowly enjoys Carlos's company without Lando in the picture but Carlos is the more responsible party. Feeding, doctor appointments, making sure Oscar has a hat every time he goes outside to protect him from the sun.

The one activity they do enjoy together is golf. They get a couple hours on the course and Oscar gets to sit in his carrier and nap in the golf cart.

Babies are expensive and Oscar is no exception. The issue is that the biggest expense is the wi-fi. Oscar has a designated time to see Logan, whether it be in-person or through Face Time. If George and Alex are free, a play date is an easy thing to organize. However, a face time call is usually the result. The issue lies in Oscar falling asleep with the phone in his hand but will wake up and cry if the phone is removed.

Oscar, like Logan, is a clingy baby. Even though he doesn't say it, he still clings to Carlos's shirt when he has to leave for the race. While he doesn't cry most of the time, he does get upset and hides his face. He also does the same thing with Lando. Carlos is sad but he laughs it off and tells Oscar he'll be back. Lando, however, will carry Oscar as much as he can and is very reluctant to hand him over to the caretaker. While he doesn't cry, Oscar's sad little face and his outstretched hands makes the departure very difficult.

I hope you like it! It's not as cheery as the one I did for Galex but I wanted to show the difference in dynamic and parenting style.

Thank you for sending the ask and feel free to send me more!!!! :)

[romanreignseater]

Your Assistant?

Roman Reigns x Reader

Rating: 18+

Warnings: Smut, smut, and MORE SMUT!! A consensual affair. And a couple of other devilish thingz.

“Being the assistant to a devilishly handsome man never work out well in the movies. Especially, for the wife. But, what happens when the wife wants you to get a little more closer to your boss?”

A/N: Got this little idea from a thread I saw on Twitter. It’s definitely gonna be interesting… 🫣. *By the way, I didn’t feel comfortable using Roman’s actual wife in this story, so his wife’s name is Jewel in this fic.

GIF: @jeysuso

You’ve been Roman Reigns personal assistant ever since he became the Tribal Chief. While, Paul is his special counsel on screen. Roman needed someone to help in his everyday life. To help him oversee his appearances, social media, and meetings. To help pick up his dry cleaning. To help watch the kids. To help take care of the dogs. And to help his wife figure out why they’re having sex issues?!

Typically, the young and hot assistant never gets along with her boss’s wife. As the wives always see the assistant as nothing but a slut, wanting the position to only fondle with an older and sexy man. But, while you did find Roman very attractive, as anyone would. You would never get in between someone’s love, as you wouldn’t want others to do that onto you.

Roman and Jewel have been together since college, and she’s been with him through the good, the bad, and the ugly. They were young parents having to raise a child with barely any money, Roman’s discovery of his leukemia, and the league not wanting him.

They have been through the toughest of times, and by what Jewel was telling you at this moment. It’s the toughest time in their relationship…

“Roman and I have been having some issues. And I needed someone of experience to talk to.” Jewel said.

“Well, I did have a boyfriend in 9th grade, so I got a little relationship experience.” I said laughing.

Jewel wasn’t laughing. “Anyways Y/N, the problems that we are having is seeping into our marriage.” “What kind of problems is hurting your marriage Jewel?!” You said concerned.

“our sex life…” Jewel whispered. “Excuse me, I couldn’t hear you.” “OUR SEX LIFE!!” Jewel yelled with watery eyes. “Ohhhh… I’m sorry—but isn’t this a little personal to be telling me?! Maybe you should talk to one of your girlfriends or something?” I said nervously.

“Trust me, you’re my last resort.” Jewel said coldly. Ouch… that kind of hurt. “One of my girlfriends had the same problem and said I needed to talk to someone a little younger…Someone a little more experienced, someone who may have a higher sex drive.” Jewel expressed.

Higher sex drive?! The last time I slept with someone… Actually, I’ve only slept with one person in my ENTIRE life. My ex-boyfriend from high school, took my virginity, then moved away to Saskatchewan.

Wherever that is?!

That’s besides the point, why would she just assume I have a higher sex drive?… You know, people are in their 70s still getting down.

“So… what’s exactly your problem?!�� You said curiously. “It’s just…. I haven’t been getting wet for the past three months. So… we’re using copious amounts of lube. Roman isn’t engaged or as fast-paced and excited as he used to be.”

I was gagged.

She hasn’t been getting wet and her husband is ROMAN. REIGNS. But, bad bitches have bad days too, so I won’t hold it against her. Every woman is different.

“I’ve been trying my hardest to spice things up. Like, I’ve been wearing brand new lingerie, bringing in candles, essential oils, and I EVEN BOUGHT A VIBRATOR!”

She was really airing out all her business right now…

“Sorry.” She said apologizing for her yelling. “No problem, I understand now, you want to get Roman more engaged. So how about you try a couple new positions other than missionary?!” I said as I mentally smacked myself.

“Sweetheart… if you really like this job. DON’T PUSH IT.. Okay!!” Jewel said as she grabbed my wrist. “My apologies. You could try some new positions or ask him what he wants maybe?!” You said with utter fear in your heart. “I’ve tried and I’ve tried, but he just says ‘J, you don’t need to change anything you’re perfect. I just haven’t been in the mood.’ Like really bitch?!” She said with a look on her face.

“We have FIVE KIDS FOR FUCKS SAKE!! He damn sure was in the mood to make those kids.” You moved your eyes around the room as Jewel wiped away some of her tears. “I guess, you could find a sex expert to demonstrate or show you how to get your man engaged again?!” You said hoping the conversation would just end.

Jewel then gasped and looked you dead in your eyes with a smirk.

“No, no, no, no. I won’t do something like that”. I said crossing my legs and turning away. Jewel pulled me back to face her and said “You listen to me here Missy. This is your ONLY, and I mean ONLY time you’ll EVER do this.”

Please don’t say it, please don’t say it…

“But, I need you to have sex with Ro and ‘demonstrate’ how to get him engaged again.” Jewel said with a serious look on her face.

She said it. Like you can’t just watch porn.

“Jewel, I can’t do that to you or Roman. That’s just weird. My boss’s wife letting me have sex with him.” You said cringing. “You don’t even have his consent and I’m pretty sure this wasn’t in your vows.”

“Girl pleaseeee!! I just want my Ro back…” Jewel said with tears falling from her eyes.

Why me?!

“fine, I’ll do it…” You said lowly. “Pardon, I couldn’t hear you.”

“I SAID I’LL DO IT!!” You yelled to her. “What are you going to do Y/N?!” Roman said as he came from downstairs. “Hey baby.” Jewel said rising from the couch. “How was your zoom interview?!”

“It was nothing different, but I want to know what Ms. Assistant is gonna do so bad that she has to yell in your face.”

My face turned red as I looked to Jewel with pleading eyes, so that we WON’T have to have this discussion right now.

She grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes to say, “You know baby… We haven’t been having the greatest time in bed and Y/N is the solution to our problem.”

Roman was discombobulated. “Why would you air out our business like that Jewel?!” Roman whispered sternly under his breath. “Well nothing I’ve tried hasn’t worked and I know this is the right thing to do.” Jewel looked at me then back to Roman as he said, “How is Y/N the solution to our ‘problem’?!”

“She’s gonna show me how to get you engaged again… By having sex with you.”

Roman’s jaw dropped to the floor.

“I’M NOT GONNA CHEAT ON YOU JEWEL, THAT’S CRAZY!!” Roman yelled. He then looked you in your eyes and began walking up to you with his finger pointed. Jewel stopped him in his tracks and said, “This is not her idea, it’s mine.” Roman let out a deep breath to say, “Why?! Just why?!”

“I need an in person demonstration of how to get you going again.”

Shit… could never be me.

“This is what you want?!”

I know he’s not about to do this…

“Yes Roman, this is what we need.” Jewel said pleading. “fine… I’ll do it.” He whispered under his breath. “We couldn’t hear you.” Jewel and I said in unison. “I’LL DO IT!!” “Perfect!!” Jewel said hugging and kissing him “We could just do it right here, since the kids are at school.” Roman said staring at me.

They both then stared at me waiting for an answer.

“Ohhh, ummm… yeah, I guess.” You said in complete jitters. Jewel sat on the opposite couch and stared at you, gesturing for you to start. You stood up to face Roman and you couldn’t even look him in the eyes. He took your chin into his hand and made you look at him and he said, “Don’t worry, remember we’re doing this for Jewel.” You looked back towards Jewel and she lightly smiled at you.

Ok let’s do this.

You grabbed Roman’s face and started to make out with him. Your tongues fighting one another and hands groping each others bodies. You let your lips disconnect and you looked to Jewel to say, “Ummm, the first step to start the engaging… is showing him a little bit of your dominant side. Fight with his tongue a bit and pull his hair some too.” I feel like such a teacher right now. You and Roman’s tongues glided so perfectly together. And Roman grunted as he took your ass into his hands to massage it.

You pulled your tank top off, and Roman’s eyes instantly moved to your lace bra hugging your large, and supple breasts. “Now, you just have to let him tease you… I guess.” You said as Roman began to grab at your breasts. You moaned and he said, “Can I take this off?!”

“Yes… daddy?” Roman looked at you unsurely, then bit his lip, so you knew he liked it. “Then, you have to call him daddy, he likes that.” You said to Jewel. Roman took your bra off then took his two fingers to your jaw to turn your head. “Stop looking at her for right now.” He said to you. “Okay daddy.” Roman then lowered his head to suck at your perky nipples.

“Let him suck on your tits. They’re big for a reason.” Roman then took off all of his clothes and your clothes. You began stroking his cock to get him going. You told Jewel that in the future she had to tease his balls and the head of his dick. Roman quickly bended you over the arm of the couch, and lifted your right leg up.

“If you just get into it and let things run smoothly, it will all work o-uttt.” You gasped as Roman swiftly entered his massive length into you.

Jewel stood up and Roman lifted his hand towards her to stop her and then said, “You on birth control Y/N?”

“Yes, I am.” You said shivering due to the sheer amount of fullness you felt at that moment.

“It’s cool J, this is what you wanted.” Jewel sat back down and watched. Roman began to pound into your swollen cunt so sweetly. “Oh my god daddy, k-k-k-eeppp going ple—ASE!” You started to push back onto his dick and Roman said, “Keep going like that mama, push back on this dick.”

“You see Jewel, you wann-aaaa… give him the same energy he’s giving you. That’s how you get more engagement.” You said and as you looked to Jewel, she didn’t see to be as engaged as she said she would be. But, your concern for Jewel quickly left your mind as fast as it came to it, because Roman set out to absolutely obliterate your pussy.

His fast burst of pounding sent you to another planet. Your pussy began gushing out all over Roman’s thighs. “AAAAAAAAAHHH!! HOLY SHIT!!” You yelled as the rough pounding continued.

Roman stopped and you gathered yourself. When an idea came into your head.

“Jewel, can you please sit on the couch next to Ro please?!” Roman couldn’t even look at Jewel in her eyes, as they both looked at you confused.

“Do you guys need help or not?!” You said waiting for them to sit on couch. Jewel reluctantly sat on the couch and Roman sat beside her. You went to your knees in front of Roman and stroked his shaft in both of your hands.

“Jewel, when was the last time you gave him head?!” You said questioning her.

Jewel let out a sigh and said, “It’s been about seven months. I just felt like I wasn’t doing it right… I-I don’t know?!” “Well, I’m gonna teach you now.”

You were definitely having way too much fun with this.

Roman bit his plump bottom lip to hold in his moans as you hallowed your cheeks, and sucked on the head of his cock.

“You see how he can barely contain himself with the way I’m sucking it. You like that don’t you daddy?!”

“Fuccc-kkk, baby I love that damn mouth.” Roman said as he held your hair in his huge hands to create a makeshift ponytail. You looked Jewel dead in her eyes as you sweetly sucked on her husband’s cock. You took Roman’s length out of your mouth to stand up and turn around.

“Now… Jewel.” You first said as you spit onto your fingers to smear it all over your already drooling sex. “You gotta save a horse, and ride a cowboy.” Jewel then watched as you lowered yourself onto Roman’s cock and moaned with him in unison as you impaled yourself onto him. You stood in between his spread legs, put your hands on your knees, and began twerking on his dick basically. Jewel spoke up to say to Roman as he watched your fat, plush ass jiggle, “So, you like this shit?!” She asked.

Roman let out a breath and said, “It’s whatever… I gue—sssss”. He cleared his throat soon after. “You don’t like it daddy?!” You said as you looked back to him, he looked at you with worrying eyes. You smirked and started your own assault. You rapidly bounced on him, and set off Roman’s can of moans. “FF—UCKKKK!! Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop mama.”

You continued to bounce and roll onto his cock, when you realized sometimes teachers like their students to participate more. Roman grunted as you released yourself from his dick. “Jewel, I think you should participate a little more.” Roman and Jewel looked at you, then at each other, then at you again.

“What do you want me to do?!” Jewel said hesitantly. You told Roman to lay on his side with his right leg propped up and asked Jewel to scoot a little closer. You then lied on your side with your back facing Roman. He spread your legs open and put the back of your right knee in his hands. “Jewel… Put it in.” You said. Jewel looked at Roman, and he gestured to put it in.

“Oooooo, that’s it right there.” You moaned. Roman soon then pounded into your heat passionately. “That pussy is so wet baby.” The Tribal Chief grunted. “Wet just for you daddy.”

“Play with his balls Jewel, that’ll get him REAL riled up”. You said smiling. “Alright.” She said. Roman’s moans and grunts became louder, he started to fuck me at a God like speed. “Oooo-o-o-o—hh my GOD!!!”. I came right then and there. “Fuck baby, oh my god. That was amazing, but I want more.” Roman said. “That’s perfect cause I got one more trick up my sleeve.”

Jewel was now sitting on the couch with her legs spread and your back atop her thighs. Roman was standing up ready to enter you in between your spread legs. “Jewel, can you make sure you hold her ankles still?! I need to get in there real good.” Jewel held your ankles tights and made sure your knees were bent.

Now, let the fucking continue once again.

Roman quickly slipped into your dripping cunt and you said, “Jewel, make sure your pussy is squeezing that dick in TIGHT. You wouldn’t want to let go.” Roman hard thrusts made your waterbed-like tits bounce and he couldn’t get his eyes off of them. “Pull on those perky nipples Y/N.” He boasted. “Of course daddy.” You said smiling at him. As you played with your nipples, Roman looked up to his wife and he said, “Baby, I love you and I hope you know that I don’t want this to drive a wedge in between us.”

“Ro… I love you and while it will be in the back of my mind, it’s us against the wor-.” Sorry to interrupt, but you had something to say.

“FUCK, I’M CUMMING, give it to me HARDER!!” “You want it harder?!” You nodded. “Yeah, REAL HARD!!” You exclaimed. The sounds of his thighs slapping against yours, the sound of his balls slapping your tight little hole, and the sounds of your pussy gushing out all your wetness. You then came SUPER hard. You were spasming due to the aftershocks and Roman then came in you.

“Wow, all that cum in your pussy daddy.” You said with a smirk. “Yeah… that’s my pussy mama.” You shivered as he smacked your pussy red.

You and Roman gathered yourselves and put your clothes back on. “Well, I hope I was help in some way, and would you look at that it’s 3 p.m. I gotta pick up the kids.” You said shyly. “Y/N, I really appreciated what you did, but don’t come by my man unless I send for you… Got it?!” Jewel replied sternly.

“Yes ma’am”.

“Now, get back to work.” You left the house and pulled out of the driveway. “Sooo… I’m guessing you had fun big boy?!” Jewel said patting on Roman’s chest. “I mean… she was alright.” Roman said scratching his beard. “You agreed with her when she said it was ‘your pussy’.”

“Baby, it was just the heat of the moment, I didn’t mean it. I know you’re hot and bothered for watching that, lemme do some of that on you before Y/N comes back with the kids.” Roman said smirking, leaning into his wife’s ear.

“Fine. BUT, just remember she’s just your assistant.” Jewel said with her pinky finger out.

“Just my assistant.” And they pinky promised.

THE END.

Hope y’all liked this one, I put a lot into this 😭😭. Tell me in the comments what you’ll like to see 💕.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Post jttw stone egg

Wukong snd Macaque would most definitely get into a fight over this tho. Like, this would be the SECOND time Macaque had knowingly abandoned Wukong whilst he was pregnant, and while this time he hadn't actually intended to stay away and was actually doing this to help protect him, the repeat performance completely and utterly shattered the trust he had to work so hard to gain back after the first time. Especially since Wukong had to deal with the fact one of his worst fears came to fruition and one two of his children had to be without at least one of their parents for their birth

referencing.

Oh yeah, S3 Shadowpeach are not on sharing-the-bed terms once Macaque finally reunites with them. And after the shadow monkey recieves a confusing-ass encounter with both Nezha (whom Mac was trying to steal the map from) and the Demon Bull Family yelling at Macaque + learning that his family got dragged into the mess he was trying to keep them from anyway.

Wukong is shouting at Macaque about how they've been married for 1300+ years and how couldn't he just tell him the true reason he left. And Macaque is just shrunken into his scarf from shame, explaining that after nearly losing Wukong with MK's birth, he became deathly afraid of losing him or their cubs. And if that meant lying to make sure that he stayed away from the Lady Bone demon, he would do so.

And ofc Wukong is dealing with his own unresolved trauma about what happened to Ao Lie at the Samadhi Fire ritual - Wukong had participated in the ritual despite knowing that he was pregnant at the time, and believed thats what ruined everything between their familes.

A lot of impromptu couples counselling is done over the course of the S3 trip for the pair to come to terms with their issues/fall madly back in loved with one another.

I can imagine a "Forget About Love"-type set up by the Noodle Shop gang to trick the immortal pair to remember why they get so worried/angry for their mate. Pigsy sings.

Also there like a bunch of baby and toddler monkeys just wanting to see their Mama and Baba stop being mad and kiss again already.

MK has to cover his eyes once he realises that his parents are back on smootching terms.

Wukong & Macaque: (*obnoxiously in-love married couple noises away from the camp*) MK: (*covering his eyes and ears*) Mei: "Awwww! Whats the issue monkey man? I thought you wanted them back to normal!" MK: "I do. But I also can tell when they're about to get gross." Tang, peeking beyond the campsite: "What do you mean by- Oh my." (*blushes and takes off his glasses*) MK, covering head with sleeping bag: "YEAH. Why do you think I have so many baby siblings!?" >~<

[amysgiantbees]

Dead Boy Spoilers

Things I'd like to see in Dead Boy Detectives Season 2

Tragic Mick and Monty form an Animals with Complicated Feelings About Being Human at Some Point support group. Maybe the Cat King is there too.

Monty takes on Tragic Mick's "curse" and get's to be human again and Mick get's to be a walrus or at least get's to not be human anymore and is a crow. Monty could even take over his store!

Monty and the Cat King dealing with loneliness together. The Cat King has all the loneliness of being an immortal that Edwin's making him unpack (in particular he hangs out with cats all day like fuck they have even shorter life spans than people god he must have lost a lot of loved ones) and Monty deals with loosing his owner/master/mother/weird aunt figure who's probably been his whole world for better and worse up until he got turned human.

Whoever Monty is hanging out with I want to see him far too earnestly doing their star charts.

Boys and Crystal solving just fun random MOTW cases

The Night Nurse and Jenny tearing their hair out trying to keep the teens in check.

Night Nurse in particular having an aneurism every time the boys refuse to fill out a form, brake a rule, or run off without her.

Although alternatively Edwin getting VERY into the forms and learning how Hell and the afterlife works, and instead pestering her about it.

Jenny focusing more on Crystal - and Niko when she comes back.

Jenny learning she can care a bit more. The Night Nurse learning to relax and care a little less.

Jenny getting a good date. Loving her ship with Death but also I like the idea of them meeting a Cat Queen and her little comment about everyone in town being spinsters with cats comes round to instead be this ancient being who is a cat.

Crystal researching her ancestors and finding out more about them.

Crystal dealing with the demon in her brain hopefully before he does something irreparable to her tree.

Maybe they end up interrogating David about the "something worse" Edwin was sold to.

Crystal learning about her powers!

Crystal trying to repair some of her old friendships. Make amends to a couple of people.

Niko reforming the dandelion sprites and learning to lead/work with them. Helping them all find a way to feed without murdering people.

Nico dealing with needing attention to eat and live despite her coping mechanism when she's sad or scared specifically being avoiding people and hiding from others.

Niko figuring out her dandelion god powers. Doing god like things like blessing people who love, care for, and harvest dandelions. Granting wishes when dandelions are blown!

Niko marriage counseling Kingham & Litty (the dandelion sprites).

Either Crystal and Charles giving being together another shot now that David has been "dealt" with for the time being or Charles figuring out that maybe he's attracted to Edwin too. Or both!

I love that since Edwin is "living" through the modern day he can explore his sexuality finally. In a similar vein a lot of people also see him as autistic, and autism awareness has certainly come a long way from the Edwardian period and now could be a good time for his character to explore this too. Charles in turn could help him by talking about their shared neurodivergent experience as I firmly believe he has ADHD.

Charles opening up more about his parents.

Learning Edwin's family backstory

Cat King having Desire as a sort of absentee parental figure so literally the whole gang can have parental issues. Night Nurse I assume does not have parents so get's to be the mentally stable one in this regard and (try to) help everyone through it.

Niko checking in on her mum. Seeing how she's coping.

Edwin and Crystal bonding over doing magic and getting closer as friends. He maybe even initiates a hug!

Edwin getting to initiate a kiss with someone

Scooby Do episode! (I vote Charles is Daphney, Edwin is Velma, Niko is Shaggy and Cyrstal is Fred, maybe the Cat King or Monty is Scoob).

Despair shows up again.

Maybe now that the boys don't need to run from death they reverse it and actively try to seek her out and talk to her.

Crystal seeing her little ghost friend Emma from the first episode again.

Edwin reading Niko's yaoi. It could even be really funny and bittersweet where when they still think she's dead he's reading it and getting emotional and saying to himself "she really did love love" or "I wish I could read this with her" or something emotional like that and then he flicks to the next page and it's something explicit and he suddenly shuts the book and is like "Enough of that for now" XD

Either Edwin and the Cat King get together. Or become friends. Or Thomas makes friends or something with some other kind of immortal so he's not so lonely. I'm leaning towards them being friends because he would have no issues being the friend that explains what hand jobs and molly is to Edwin. Also since he presents himself in a very ambiguously gendered way I feel like he could get him to talk about why he likes disguising himself as a woman so much. Whether than be introducing him to concepts like gender queerness or drag. It's just honestly both Charles and Edwin are pretty repressed and I think now that the Cat King has started to grow he could continue to really push them in a less intense, healthier way.

Monty and Edwin staying friends. Monty and Charles actually getting to properly vibe.

Jenny figuring out now that the shop is dead if butchering is truly what she wants. Since she did it because she inherited the shop she can really explore her wants without any feeling of obligation to her dad. I love that she's a butcher but I just think it'd be interesting to explore her passion for it without so much baggage.

[warmsol]

hi bestie 😚 can we get an lil update on Kai plsssss, like what my man been up to 💕

omg hiiii i’m so happy to see you pop in i hope you’ve been well ;-; as requested here’s your favorite guy’s update ✨

uhhh i got a lil long winded here, so i stopped myself before i went too overboard!

he’s now working at an elementary school as a part time music teacher! he’s even writing and producing their school musical! crazy, right? over the last year, kai realized there’s so much more he can do with his love of music. (band life has flopped, basically) after becoming a father, he began to notice how much he actually enjoys being around children, and teaching them something he loves has brought a lot of happiness in his life. (is this the same guy who said he never wanted to be a dad and literally rejected it at all costs?) anyway, the other half of the time he still takes on solo gigs in bars, and runs his soundcloud, lmao.

speaking of kai and fatherhood! he’s fallen in love with being arielle’s dad. he can’t imagine life without her. he’s a complete and total softie for his daughter. whatever she wants or needs, he will give. that being said though, he doesn’t want anymore children, mostly because he’s convinced that arielle is the most perfect human to exist so how could he duplicate that twice? 

marriage troubles??? while kai and ashton are very much in love, there have been a few rifts in their relationship. (it can’t be all rainbows and butterflies, sadly. especially if kai is involved.. oh did i say that out loud?) as we know, kai has made amazing progress with his self discovery journey but that doesn’t mean he’s all good all the time. kai has a tendency to get bored, he craves change and chaos. without it he almost feels.. empty? he often self sabotages, and while he’s suppressed those feelings recently, it’s coming to a point. which has led kai and ashton to couple’s counseling. kai has been a little…. flirtatious and carless to say the least. kai and boundaries? yeah that’s something he likes to test. constantly! in his darkest moments, he often questions if he’s capable of long term commitment. and it scares him, because he loves ashton and doesn’t want to ruin it. :/ but don’t worry, they’re dedicated to figuring it out. ashton won’t give up on his boy so easily.. as he's said many times.

kai and elia! they are good friends. they text and facetime now and then, even send each other snapshots of their life. kai has a bit of an attachment to elia, he can’t seem to fully let her go. he wants her in his life in whatever form he can get. (and elia feels the same) they communicate and understand each other as friends much better than they ever did as lovers. buuut there is tension when makoa is brought up, for obvious reasons. he wants her to be happy, but still isn’t convinced it’ll be with him. like, we know he's makoa's number 1 hater through and through. that hasn't changed.

kai and jasmin are closer than ever. jasmin is probably kai’s best friend. there was a time he was cruel to his sister (and the entire world around him) but as they’ve aged they have realized they’re all each other has since they don’t speak to their parents. sadly since jasmin still lives in sulani, they don’t see each other as much as they like but that leads me to my next point!

kai and ashton want to get a summer home in sulani. 🤭 y’know, get away from the city, enjoy the beach.. be near jasmin! oh, and it just so happens his dear friend lives there.. and he wants to see her more often too. (makoa just popped a blood vessel) but anyway, that opens up sooo many possibilities for reconciling, right? beach days with the fam, arielle and elia's twins growing up together.. how could makoa and kai still hate each other after all that future bonding time? (jk they'll find a way)

all in all, kai is doing his best. he's still got some deep rooted issues to work through, and maybe some of it will never go away....... but he IS happy. most the time, anyway.

[disregardcanon]

semi-realistic thoughts about where the yellowjackets and co might be in 2021 if the plane HAD crashed but they got rescued before laura lee died because misty never found the black box

tai- in exactly the same place, but with better coping mechanisms and a stable and realistic relationship with simone. sammy still has some issues because tai represses stuff and is still a politician who’s keeping secrets about the wilderness, but tai actually does let him get the therapy he needs. she’s still close to shauna and akilah, and she wishes that she could be close with van, but things are weird there. she always knew van wanted different things out of life than she did, but it was a lot harder to break things off after they lived through a plane crash and a few months in the wilderness together.

van- jack of all trades, master of none. she’s been a summer camp counselor all over the country, done bit parts in lots of movies, was on jeopardy once, managed a spirit halloween, got involved in cutco knives before she realized it was an mlm, worked at an amusement park, taught english to kids in different countries (never with the US military though because that sucks), worked at a ski resort. she’s had a lot of girlfriends that never really stuck, but she’s glad for all of them. she still talks to quite a few of the yellowjackets, but it’s... hard. when she talks to tai. taissa the accomplished lawyer and now state senator thinks that she should settle down, and that’s a little hard to hear from the high school girlfriend who dropped van when she went off to college.

coach ben- after his experience in the wilderness with the girls and losing his leg, there is absolutely NO way he’s going back to teaching. he tries to make things right with paul and after some work, he ends up moving in with paul in the city. paul’s a writer already, so ben gives it a try and does some comedy columns and sports columns.

nat- had a couple of years right after high school where she was drifting and on just about every drug in the book until she accidentally runs into ben and paul at a party and ben’s like oh my god NATALIE!??! and makes her sleep on their couch for a while. eventually she ends up making weird art and coaching a kids’ soccer team. she has some short term romantic relationships with both men and women but none of them ever really stick.

misty and crystal- coach very gently told her when they were in the hospital that he was gay and not interested. and she was like “oh you figured it out because i was so wonderful and you weren’t attracted to me, so you knew you couldn’t like girls?” and he sighed and went. yes misty. that’s how. and she put a hand on his shoulder and said “how brave. how inspiring” and then misty started telling this story to any teammate who would listen. crystal was the only one who didn’t roll her eyes and she was like “omg, a gay teacher? like in the children’s hour????” and then they become best friends going into the next year of school. misty doesn’t HAVE a secret that’s big enough to break them up so they just. stay together.

misty stays on as the equipment manager but mainly just to cheer on her bestie and they join theater together. they don’t do very well but they LOVE it, and they decide to go to the same college to be roommates. crystal becomes a quirky high school theater teacher and misty still becomes a concerning RN who dates and intimidates weird little guys, but they live together and are like, what, gay? *pft* no, we’re besties! and they are, but god are they weird about it

laura lee and lottie- lottie’s parents made her go to the same ivy that her dad went to, and she really hates it, even though she does her best and gets her degree. (i’m thinking some kind of counseling/leadership) laura lee goes to a bible college that skews too conservative for her and she hates it too, so much that she decides to drop out until she can figure out where she DOES want to go. a lot of soulsearching and mishaps later, and lottie is taking on a youth minister position at a nondenominational hippie dippie queer loving church and inviting laura lee to check it out, and laura lee falls in LOVE WITH IT and then goes straight into the seminary she can find that best lines up with her own values. they become a power couple and get married in 2004 as soon as it’s legal. they end up with a congregation that isn’t very large but is dedicated and does a lot of good in their area.

travis and javi- coach martinez still died, so things are hard, but not nearly as hard as in canon. they work through his death as best as they can with their mom, and travis stays at home the next year to go to community college before leaving home. javi makes him join a dungeons and dragons campaign and it actually helps him a lot with the Big Feelings Time. travis goes into something that his dad thought was nerdy and not masculine enough but that he likes and is good at, and javi becomes an artist. he and shauna collaborate sometimes on projects <3. also travis and jackie become weird friends at community college

mari- she’s an mlm girlie but one that is Proud! Of! It! she’s got a big enough downline that she actually supports herself this way, even though it.... still sucks and is soulsucking. but it lets her be a little bitchy, do tasks, and be kind of in charge and kind of not in charge and mari DOES like that.

melissa and gen- let them play soccer together in college because they were on the fabled yellowjackets team that never got to go to nationals as well as the one that WON! let melissa get butcher. let gen have a sexuality crisis as she gets jealous about girls falling all over her best friend. let them be soccer lesbians who eventually move to denver and buy a subaru

akilah- they find out that shauna’s pregnant before they’re rescued and right before laura lee’s able to make her incredible journey. akilah the girl scout finds herself worrying about what might have happened if they had to deliver a baby out there, even though they DIDN’T. then she does a lot of research into the subject on top of studying for her SAT and finds out about maternal mortality rates in the united states, especially among black women like her and her sister. she decides to become an OBGYN to try to fight the problem, and despite the hardships, she makes it happen. she also gets to upset her sister with terrible pregnancy fun facts, which is what siblings are for

jackie- has a blowout fight with shauna about the jeff thing after they get back, straining her relationships with every member of the team. she still tries at college, but she rushes and doesn’t get a bid for a single sorority (she’s going through a crisis where she’s realized she’s a lesbian and doesn’t know what to do with that and also. is very depressed and angry), her potluck roommate doesn’t like her, and her classes are so hard now without shauna to help. she doesn’t know how to ask for help and things spiral for the two semesters it takes for her to get kicked out of college. she’s home the summer afterward, with her parents desperately trying to get her to figure out a different college or go out with jeff again (we understand what he did, but you aren’t exactly... rolling in prospects right now) and she’s just going crazy in her room.

shauna and jackie- shauna gets an abortion and does go to brown! she’s really upset with where things ended with jackie, but she’s still close to tai and some of the other girls and she’s exploring her bisexuality at college, so she’s doing okay javi sends her drawings sometimes, and that’s nice. when she comes home over her first summer and sees jackie absolutely rotting... she feels awful enough to try to mend the bridge. it doesn’t totally work, but by the end of the season they’re on speaking terms again, and over the next few holiday breaks they become tentative friends again, then good friends, then homoerotic girls who are dancing around each other.

jackie tries out the community college thing and tries hanging out with jeff again, who’s working at his parents’ furniture store. her parents are convinced they’re dating and jeff kind of is too and jackie... tries to see if she can fix herself. she forces herself to let it be dating and then they have sex and it feels wrong and weird and bad... but she does it. and jeff’s magical sperm does its thing.

timeline-wise the pregnancy becomes clear about 3 months before shauna’s graduation from brown/jackie’s graduation from the community college. (she and travis are weird friends there. no i’m not elaborating but it happened) and her parents are freaking out and trying to get her and jeff to get married right now immediately to save face, and jackie just. cries. and calls shauna. and cries some more. and they have a heart to heart and confess some feelings and decide that they’ll try dating and kinda. raise the baby together. (it’s callie yay!)

jackie isn’t going to be able to move in with shauna until after she finishes this semester and gets a bigger place, and her parents are livid that she refused jeff’s offer and is still keeping the baby! (they don’t even know she’s a lesbian yet) so she has to move in temporarily with the martinezes javi shows her lots of art pieces and is like “would shauna like this?” and the answer is always yes.

eventually, shauna becomes an editor for the local paper and a fiction writer. jackie stays home with bby callie for a bit and then cycles between different odd jobs for a while as she tries to find a good fit. she eventually ends up as middle management at a small company where she does a whole lot of team-building exercises that everyone pretends to hate until she pulls out the prizes

[aphrodite1288]

Idk if you still perceived them as a toxic relationship, I'm the one who thinks that the most healthy thing in a relationship is communication so I really doubt ksoo get enlisted bc he wants to and not telling anyone about it, I mean exo is a thing, his relationship with jongin is other, maybe he didn't tell the other members but Ji is something else in his life plus his dad just died almost a year ago. I kinda understand your point and your theory about ji's depression cus his disease is a fact told by him, but speculate everything is all about ksoo fault its fck toxic. Depression is not something you experienced from one day to another and can be caused by so many accumulated reasons that took years and years to understand and ksoo must know that tho do u think he's that cruel and go to the army without a reason knowing Ji could be really sad about it? Kai must know that before anyone else so he could have time for processing and plans to do tgt but is normal still be fck sad after ksoo left and having therapy is a completely smart thing to do, that doesn't mean they had a huge fight

First of all, all what I said is not my perception, not my opinion, it's what I've been told from everyone: from K-EXOL, to our sources to the insiders who know SM staff or worked in SM and from Exo themselves told about this issue. And guess what? They know better than you. They're closer to him than you would ever be.

Sorry if it can't fit your narratives and feed up your fantasies.

Kadi just like any other couple aren't perfect they have their ups and downs and they certainly have their own flaws. Calling a relationship toxic just by one argument is wrong of you. This is not wonderland I think you should go seek medical help if you think like this.

You're the one calling them Toxic for not having a communication not me!

Ask your parents, I don't think they've never fought in a relationship of 2 decades at least.

I don't know if I'm allowed to share this info, but fuck it, I hate when dumb people who think they know their faves start calling us liars.

Kadi in 2022 in March exactly, they were on a massive fight and had a break again and they even went to Couple Counseling and the old Fans of this Tumblr from the Instagram group know this already. I've seen kadi's name on their Couple Counselor's Chart with their names and IDs, it was a bad thing from that Counselling company as they sold the Info to Sasaengs easily, K-ExoL, when they saw Ji and Ksoo going there frequently alone separately were curious why were they attending couple counseling sessions? Do they have issues with each other or with someone else they know ? And hence they followed them dug into the subject and discovered this and unfortunately the info was leaked. Remember when Ksoo went to Hawaii alone? Well it was during that period of time they were on a break.

Couples fight dear. It's normal ! And most of the couple fights occur because of LACK OF COMMUNICATION.

So yeah ! Expecting a couple in a relationship of 14 years won't have any miscommunication or a fight is so dumb of you. We don't live in Wonderland ! This is life! Have you ever been in a relationship have you watched BLs and Couples movies haven't you seen couples hurting each other and crying and breaking up despite being in love??

, t

So same for Kadi, they can hurt each other, misunderstand each other, Do things to each other, TAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT DISCUSSING IT WITH E/O! Take decisions in a moment of anger ! It's normal it happens and this is what Ksoo did and unfortunately it's true and it was a no-going-back issue becos that's with the government it's military application. He himself regretted it later because he missed many good Movie offers and opportunities at that time, even his managers and SM's production team told him he messed up he acted in a moment of anger at that time, and going on hiatus due to military in the Epitome of his career is a very bad move and he was told that by Veterans and his friends in the industry and he admitted it to movie producers and Management teams in SM, and.it was a famous discussed subject. No idol wants to go on military hiatus when they're on the epitome of their career, but instead until they settle things down first then they go. Because Many idols and actors get a little forgotten and may lose their popularity after military due to the hiatus and some DON'T! which is why you see Baekhyun and all idols always anxious telling their fans "Please don't forget us! Promise you'll be here when I'm back! It won't take a longtime! I'll be back before you know it!" " think of me all the time when I'm absent" and Baekhyun was smart enough and was the very first idol to have filmed Content for his fans to be outed every month it was so smart fans didn't even get to forget him.

So moral of the story: Kadi aren't perfect. And you should know Honey that YOU DON'T KNOW KSOO !! The idea you have on him is not 100% what he really is like! Y'all tend to glorify and shape idols in a perfect mold and put them on a pedestal as Sacred people who don't sin or Do wrong. Honey 😂 your Ksoo Oops isn't a Saint! He makes mistakes!! Remember you're just a fan! You don't know him personally to keep saying he can't do such things and that it's not his character 🤣 blah blah blah who are you? His mother?

Listen I'm just really tired of explaining everything to dumb people here. I don't care anymore, I say the info I have which I didn't create myself, I just report what I've been told and confirmed with Evidence, believe what you want if you don't wanna believe, leave it and leave.

Don't come up here and force your opinion on me, because we're not here discussing opinions, I'm giving you an info most of the time "A FACT" means something that actually happened and was proven to me, so I'm not here discussing it with you wether it happened or not and what you think about it, I don't care what you think , the thing happened years ago and that's on Period. I'm not gonna go back in time to discuss with you how it should have happened.

[tophsazulas]

How I’d have written JK’s endgame in T7S & T9S universe

Jackie and Fez would have an *amicable* breakup while Kelso and Brooke continue to stay good co-parents for their three kids.

Jackie and Kelso would end up meeting one day and start talking. It’s show in their conversations how much they both matured over the years. They’d talk about their past issues and apologize to one another (mostly Kelso to Jackie tho lol).

From there on, they’d be friends who would confide in one another about anything whether their kids or their work. Feelings would start to resurface between the two of them. Kelso would confess but Jackie would be hesitant because she would be worried about getting hurt again.

In the end, they’d go to couples counseling and slowly work their way back to another. And the eventual getting married (just ONE).

(@burkelso is starting to make me see them in a slightly more positive light and I was inspired by @thestupidhelmet to write this.)

[soulnottainted]

New Hire

Kelsey Anderson, childhood friend to Vanessa, goes in an unemployment office for some counseling. She doesn't expect to reunite with an old friend and soon become a part of his operation. (non-romantic)

I haven't written a drabble in like two years, but I'm finally not burnt out to write one so HERE! Safe to rb!

"Kelsey Anderson?" the intercom came on, the voice of a woman speaking from the reception desk, reading off the name for the first and last time.

Miss Anderson stood up, trying to hide her nerves and disheveled emotions internally. She wore her most business-attire fitting outfit in her wardrobe, a white blouse paired with a thin maroon cardigan. In the outfit, she looked older than she really was, the young age of her early twenties.

Carefully her small hands removed the headphones off her one ear; she only had half on in preparation to her name being called. David Bowie's Reality became faint and muffled before her fingers found the power button on her portable CD player, the vocals "Never look over reality's shoulder" finishing before it silenced with a click.

At the reception desk, the lady who had said her name politely but clearly uninterested and disassociating, stated to go to the door to the right, and that her counselor was Mr. Steve Raglan.

A pit formed in her stomach. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for a counselor for help, it was that Kelsey felt utterly useless. She did everything she was supposed to, being an almost grade A student throughout her entire school career, even in college, and yet when it came to finding a job in her field, it all hit dead ends. It didn't help also that any jobs were customer service in places Kelsey had no passion of being in. Having sensory and traumatic issues, it was a difficult task to even enjoy her work, becoming a soulless zombie.

And when she told her parents she were to quit, after having a new job every year for the past four years, this was how she ended up in the unemployment office, feeling like an absolute failure.

"Thank you," Kelsey replied quietly, heart thudding in her chest as she made her way towards the door that would send her back to the counselors' offices. Whilst walking, she placed her CD player and headphones in her star shaped crossbody purse that displayed many pins of various interests. Her parents wanted her to bring a normal purse, but despite wanting to be professional, she wanted to be herself too. Then, after going down the hall, she took a right at the very end, the nameplate she was looking for next to the appropriate door.

Standing there for a moment, the young woman's breath became ragged, her anxieties and pressure on her shoulders getting the better of her, besides the thoughts in her head thinking about how this career counselor would judge her. She'd have to talk about herself and talk about how she truly wanted to work but there were many inside and outside factors that kept her from being successful. That morning, Kelsey even tried to rehearse certain scenarios for certain questions, just in case she'd have a mind blank.

The appointment was now. She had to knock on the door, open it, and the appointment would start. A part of her wanted nothing more than to turn and walk out of there, but she had to keep going. Courage, dear heart...

She knocked unsure but firmly on the door a couple times before a male voice answered with just enough chipper attitude that Kelsey thought it was fake, "Come in!"

Fingers grasped the cold metal door handle before pressing down, unlocking and opening the door to the room. Just taking a step into the room like she was in an episode of the Twilight Zone, going into the mouth of the void, never to be seen again. Sure this could've been blown out of proportion, but Kelsey's anxiety disorder unfortunately did this for most scenarios, denying taking any medication for it, for fear of retaliation if anyone found out she did, they'd tell her the anxiety disorder was non-existent.

"Good afternoon," the voice said warmly, Kelsey again second guessing if his warmth was true or not, that he put on the same show for 20 other clients he had that day, "Come in, come in, don't be shy, I don't bite."

He sounded familiar, but the name she couldn't place, swearing that she heard that voice as a kid. She wouldn't know, not unless she got a good look Mr. Raglan. But then she did. It didn't take perhaps five seconds for Kelsey to stop in her tracks, standing in the counselor's office like a stone statue with a confused, neutral look on its face.

"Wait....I don't mean to pry and this is gonna sound so stupid if I get this wrong," she started slowly, "But...Mr. Afton, is that you?"

This Mr. Afton she hadn't seen in more than ten years at this point. After there were five missing children tied to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, the place where Kelsey spent most of her time as a child was shut down. Funnily enough, Kelsey was always playing with Mr. Afton's daughter Vanessa, alongside those five missing kids. Over her friendship with Vanessa, Kelsey honestly spent more time with the Afton family than her own, always at the pizzeria, or over at their house for sleepovers. But after the pizzeria shut down, there was an eerie radio silence and cut off communication from both William and his daughter.

As a child, Kelsey never understood. Not much was released to the public either, shrouding the Aftons in mystery. Same thing for Henry Emily and his family, but not as much as the Aftons. Every day Kelsey could walk by the shut down business and the lights would still be on in the evenings despite not being open for almost 20 years. All she could wonder was whether her best childhood friend was okay or not. But seeing Mr. Afton here, William in the flesh, in the strangest place to reunite with him was....something to say the least.

Mr. Raglan's eyes widened at the mention of this other name. The young woman never thought twice of why he changed his name, at least not yet anyway, and he intended to keep it that way. The man paused himself, looking at the girl for a few moments before settling his eyes back down to read her name on her resume. No, it couldn't be! What in the hell kind of coincidence was this?

Settling the file down on his desk with a soft landing after some airtime, the man grinned, genuinely, "Kelsey? Wow, h-hey kiddo, long time no see!"

At the confirmation, the girl's heart thudded but with different reasoning now, excited to see her friend's father for the first time in so long. Her uneasiness turned into a smile right back at him, the grip she had holding the strap to her bag loosened, "Yeah, yeah that's me. How are you, Mr. A-"

"Please, call me Steve," he interrupted abruptly, "William is my middle name." That was a lie, but Kelsey never looked into it.

"Steve," Kelsey corrected as she made her way towards the guest seat across from the desk, "How've you been? How's Vanessa? I thought you two moved or something, never heard from you again."

"Ah," Steve stood up, coming out from around his desk before giving Kelsey a couple pats on the shoulder before giving a slight side hug, "Yeah, it was a whole fiasco when the pizzeria shut down. So much so we did have to move. Still stayed in town, but it was very abrupt. I'm sorry 'Nessa couldn't contact you, it was a rough time for both of us. But she's doing well, I'm proud of her, my little bunny's an officer of the law now."

"What? No shit, that's awesome!" Kelsey grinned at hearing her friend was doing so well, then quickly back-tracked on her swear, "Oop--Sorry."

A slight warm chuckle escaped the six foot tall man, keeping his large hand on her shoulder, "It's alright. Besides we're practically family, aren't we?" A pause. "Well, enough about me, how have you been? Come on, kiddo, sit, let's see what I can do for you. You're in good hands." As he made his round back towards his own seat, he offered her coffee, which Kelsey politely declined as she sat down.

"Well...you can guess how things are going because I'm here," Kelsey noted with a nervous chuckle, going into the worst part of any therapy or counseling, alongside the worst part of job interviews.

"Well besides that," Mr. Afton rolled his eyes with a smile, taking amusement with her comment, opening her file again to peruse the resume, then commented, "You got many awards listed from high school academics, a couple of college scholarships, you graduated with an associates degree a few years ago in art and design. But...I don't see any creative jobs on here, though. Why is that? You clearly have the skills and the credentials you need."

"Yeah well that's where things go down the drain for me," her hands fidgeted in her lap. She wanted to look at Steve, but she didn't have the heart to, "I've applied to numerous jobs based off my major. Nobody wanted me, so I had to take whatever jobs I could get. Whatever I got though, I'd be instantly burned out. I'm just not...built that way."

Honestly her thoughts were just waiting for Steve to talk just as her parents did of her, ready to send her spirit plummeting to the ground, saying that her words were just excuses.

But instead he replied with a slight nod, leaning forward on his elbows, his glasses having a slight glare from the light above. "I see where you're coming from. I mean, when you were small, you always had to have earplugs in or else you'd have a sensory overload. You never really played like a normal kid either. Sure you'd draw with Vanessa and play dolls, but your focus was mostly being on your own. Being around kids being kids for the most part was too much for you, so you'd just stick to standing near the animatronics on stage or if Golden Bonnie was around."

The man smiled when he mentioned Golden Bonnie, as if thinking about an old friend. When Kelsey was little, she would stay beside the character mascot, really thinking of him as a friend. Golden Bonnie in return would make sure she trusted him, almost like a guardian. Sure he'd play around with the other children that wanted his attention, but his eyes always kept watch on the quietest child of all. The little one never figured out that Golden Bonnie was Vanessa's father, the man who would come out after Golden Bonnie would say goodbye in the evening, and then offer the two girls to go out for ice cream after closing.

Kelsey was still trying to figure out what exactly Golden Bonnie was, even to this day. This was the only child left that associated Golden Bonnie with something good, and William intended to keep it that way. She'd never know what horrible things William had done in that suit.

"You loved Golden Bonnie," he continued, "You loved all the animatronics over there. And they loved you, kiddo, and I'm sure they still do."

At the sentimental statement, the girl smiled softly, a tinge of sadness to it, although it was a bit strange to suggest the animatronics were real now, "I did. Bonnie was my favorite. All of them felt like my friends. Sure, they were robots but as a kid, my brain couldn't tell the difference. I still dunno if Golden Bonnie was a bot or a human or what, but...That bunny made me feel safe."

Typically William's pride came when he got the rush he got when he killed back in the 80s, or the pride he felt when he hired that new security guard without a hitch who was...currently indisposed. Right, he needed another one...Soon. But this pride now came from knowing that he did something that positively affected someone instead of the opposite. Whatever little left he had of his humanity, Kelsey had found it.

"I'm glad," he smiled fondly down at her shorter form, "Well I was going to keep this a secret, but from how many years I've known you and how much you've loved the place, I think I'm gonna tell you now." Mr Raglan, Mr Afton's hands clasped firmly on his desk with a grin, looking like he wasn't a 50 something year old and more like a kid in a candy store, the anticipation killing him.

"I have a job for you. And I think you're gonna like what I'm offering."

The girl sitting across from him raised an eyebrow. Really? He had a job offer? This early? He was confident in it too? Kelsey had to know.

"Yeah? What....What is it?"

The counselor had a glint in his eye, looking for a brief second like the madman he was. Sure Kels trusted him and didn't think her life was in any danger, but he looked crazed, as if something was being set in motion. His palms lay flat on the desk before his slim form stood, grinning down at the child he used to babysit, all grown up. It was time for her to return. She'd never know what really goes on, and she'd be just as happy. The animatronics would love to see her.

"Freddy's is re-opening...and I'd like you to be a part of that, Kelsey."

The girl's eyes went wide, flabbergasted by what he just said, "Are...Are you serious?"

His grin grew even wider as Kelsey questioned him. He knew she'd be interested.

"And I'd like you," he continued calmly despite his disposition, "To be assistant manager. You'd be helping run the place in all aspects, making sure all employees and customers are having a good time during operational hours. You'd be at the heart of the operation. And if someone gives you bullshit, could be anybody? I'll take care of it. You're a real special kid, Kels. You got talent, you're smart, you know how to connect with your inner child."

"Mr. Afton," she has started to say, shaking her head in disbelief of what she was hearing, but he just kept on going.

"Wages can be justified, you'll get 40 hours solid a week, you'll have to work some Saturdays because of how busy it is, but I'm sure I can find someone to cover for you every once in a while if you need to be somewhere. Also..."

One of his large hands picked up a pen and started to tap it on the table along with each word, "I need an artist's touch to get the place lively again. I'd like to get a big mural done near the entrance into the restaurant, something to welcome the new and returning customers with, something that really stirs the imagination. You think you can do that, kiddo?"

Speechless. Utterly speechless. She couldn't have imagined a better place to work. She already had felt right at home there, granted she hadn't set foot there in years, but the thought of introducing her animatronic friends to a new generation of children to take into their hearts? Kelsey was sold.

"I..." Kelsey laughed, "I don't know what to say!"

His plan was working. In turn for being his top employee, no harm would come to her. He was partial to her, just like his own daughter, although Vanessa had a few close calls...

He returned her laugh with an upbeat chuckle, opening up his arms wide, as if he was Willy Wonka, done presenting his latest and greatest candy to the world, "You don't have to say anything! I see that you're interested just by your expression. It tugs at your heart strings. I knew you'd love it. The place will be cleaned up in the meantime, but come next Monday, you and I can start brainstorming ideas for that mural, and I can reintroduce you to the building, get a sense of where everything is. It won't officially open for about a month, but I need you to know that if you accept the position, you are guaranteed it."

Kelsey couldn't believe that her favorite place in the world, filled with childhood memories, would be re-opening. Things would need to be updated for modern times but...the majority of it, including the animatronic show, would be the same one. Her heart became full.

"I-Im honored," both her dimples showed as she stood, a smaller hand reaching out to shake William...Steve's larger one, "I'll take it."

"Wonderful, Kels!" he shook it firmly before patting her hand when she let go, "I knew you'd be the right choice. Now-- You'll have to fill out paperwork and all the boring forms, but after that? You're good to set sail, my dear."

Excitedly, Mr. Raglan pulled out the necessary forms from a folder in his filing cabinet, then handed them to Kelsey, as well as the pen he had held onto. After telling her to ask him any questions at all about certain parts of the form, William Afton was awkwardly silent as Kelsey filled out the information on the papers. It made her want to start a conversation just to fill in the white noise. It was too quiet.

"So next Monday is orientation?" she asked, almost done with the stack after several minutes.

With a sharp nod, the lanky man drank a sip of his coffee before answering, putting it down afterwards next to his mug of pens, "Yes, Monday morning. I'll be expecting you by nine."

"Nine," Kelsey repeated to confirm it in her mind, "Got it. And uhh what about attire? Black pants, business shoes?"

"Oh come now, Kelsey," he gently scolded her, "Wear whatever you'd like. Its orientation. Besides, you'll be getting your own uniform when you start; I'm not worried. It'll be just you and I for the day."

The anxieties and concerns Kelsey had were diminished in just a few sentences. This was too good to be true, but she finally would be happy, she hoped. Finishing up signing the many documents, she stood up again, handing them to her family friend, her new boss.

"I can't wait to start, Mr. Afton," she beamed like a ray of light up to him, "Really, this'll be an amazing opportunity for me."

"Likewise, Miss Anderson," Steve pulled back into his professionalism a tad, placing the documents in a safe place before clapping his hands together, beaming down at her like a proud parent, "I can't wait to see what you can do for the old place, breathe some new life into it. I'm sure you'll do amazing things here with your potential."

If Vanessa was here, she'd stop Kelsey immediately, telling her that this was dangerous...but Vanessa wasn't there. Nobody could stop William Afton now. His restaurant was going to open again, he would continue his spree of killing, and his staff wouldn't know the wiser. Everything was falling into place. Kelsey would carry the illusion of happiness in the place while the truth would be hidden from her and the guest view.

"Well, that's all I need from you," he dropped his arms to his sides, "Everything is all set. You got any questions for me, squirt?"

"Oh I'll be sure to think of some over the week!"

"Absolutely, absolutely. Uhhh if you wanna give me a call with any questions, you can. Here, my card. Has my number and extension. I'm here throughout the evening, mostly night shifts."

"At a counseling office?"

"Yeah," he breathed through his teeth before continuing, "I stay after hours to catch up on the next day. So don't feel shy to call, I'm always here."

The card she took and slipped into her purse without a second thought, "Perfect, I will."

As the meeting came to a close, Mr. Raglan grinned down at his new employee. He had watched her blossom as a child and now he was going to see her succeed alongside him in his line of work. The thought made him shake his head, "Good, good...Now you rest up, because next week we are going to hit the ground running, alright?"

"I will."

"C'mere kiddo," William came around for a full hug this time, his long arms wrapping around Kelsey's small round body, squeezing reassuringly, "You're gonna do great. And it's so good to see you too. You've grown up way too fast, you have to stop doing that, okay? I don't need more reminders that I'm an old man."

She ended up laughing softly at that, "Okay, I won't. Tell Vanessa I said hi?"

He paused for a moment, abruptly, before replying, as if he was coming out of a trance, "Oh yeah, yeah, sure I will! Will do." He then looked down at his watch before patting her shoulder, letting her go finally, "Jesus--Sorry Kels, I might have to gently kick you out, my next appointment should be here any minute."

"Oh no, that's okay, totally get it," she quickly nodded, "I'll see you Monday? Nine?"

"Yep! You got it," Steve winked, "I'll see you around, kiddo. Thanks for coming in."

And with that, Kelsey gave him a partial wave before exiting the room.

William stood there, smiling to himself, not just because he just hired his daughter's childhood friend, but also because of the next candidate he had lined up right after her. He pulled out the file and read the name over and over again.

Kelsey passed a young disheveled man in a hoodie grudgingly make his way to the office she just came out of. She didn't get a good look at him, more focused on her own success of the meeting, grinning ear to ear as she exited the building. Clearly the guy didn't want to be there, he glanced up at Kelsey for a moment before going back to his route of looking at the floor. She popped her headphones back on to resume the voice of David Bowie, a triumphant end to what was supposed to be a nerve wracking assessment.

The door opened to Mr. Raglan's office. The meeting started, the tone shockingly being a complete opposite of what Kelsey went through. The counselor swiveled in his chair with the young man's file in his hands, looking over the pages. He had looked over them many times before this, unknowingly to the soulless client sitting across from him. Steve hummed a few times in fake thought, acting at his finest. Then his voice got very low, almost in a growl in fake distaste, looking up at his next victim. He was having way too much fun.

"What is your deal, Mike?"

[lostloveletters]

Bruised Fruit Chapter 8 (Michael Corleone x OC)

Summary: The sound of no longer distant wedding bells loom in the air as the reality of Gloria's new life with Michael closes in on her.

Note: Pre-Cana is a retreat or series of courses that couples getting married in the Catholic Church attend (it varies by parish or diocese). It’s basically pre-marriage counseling from a Catholic perspective. Also, the novel doesn’t specify which battle Michael was wounded in, just that Life magazine ran the article on him at some point in 1944 and he was discharged in early 1945 after Vito bribed a military doctor to say Michael was too badly wounded for him to return to combat. With this in mind, I’m going with Peleliu, which would make the most sense considering the vague canon timeline and its high wounded and casualty rates.

Warnings: Descriptions of pregnancy symptoms, mainly morning sickness.

Chapter 7 | AO3 Link | Masterlist

Do not interact if you're under 18, terf or radfem, or post thinspo/ED content. I will block you.

The moka pot on the stovetop hissed at Gloria while she was looking at the showtimes for Rio Bravo listed in that morning’s issue of Newsday. Grabbing a pen, she circled a few evening showings to present to Michael. If they got out of Pre-Cana early enough, they could catch a screening of it on the way to pick up the kids from her parents’ house.

Her elbow knocked against the espresso glasses she’d set out on the counter as she moved the moka pot off of the flame and onto a free burner. One of them nearly rolled onto the floor, but she managed to catch it just in time.

The espresso glasses were a brand new crystal set she’d bought at Lord & Taylor not long after they’d moved into the Long Beach house, making the drive upshore to Manhasset with Sandra. They were technically shot glasses, but the shop assistant in the housewares department enthusiastically assured her the glasses could withstand hotter temperatures. So far, they’d held up to the three or four small pots of espresso being made in the Corleone household each day. 

Michael always drank some in the morning and then in the afternoons, usually an hour or two after lunch. Al took his with sambuca, as did Connie. Sandra drank hers black and piping hot, and Tom sometimes drank his cortado, though he didn’t drink espresso after 11am, claiming the caffeine would keep him up all night otherwise. Ciro drank his with lemon, and Dominic, Al’s protegee and another newer face around the house, would drink his straight, unless Al was around, and he’d add sambuca, too. Anthony had even started drinking espresso, acquiring a taste for it at her parents’ house and shocking her and Michael one morning when he asked for some. 

Making espresso for everyone was one of the few ways Gloria was actually helpful in the kitchen, otherwise leaving the cooking to one of the Corleones or their maid, Margaret. The older woman had patiently taught Gloria how to cook Michael’s preferred breakfast of poached eggs and toast so she could make it when Margaret was off on the weekends.

Al Neri had let himself in, quietly, as he normally did, though his near silent arrival didn’t startle Gloria anymore.

“Morning, Al. Michael hasn’t come down yet. Espresso’s fresh, though. Help yourself.”

Al nodded. “Thanks, Gloria.”

“Have you eaten? I’m gonna make eggs when Michael comes down, and I think we have some leftovers from last night in the fridge.”

She’d already had a plate of cold ziti for breakfast herself. 

Gloria couldn’t concentrate on cooking for long enough to get any good at it, finding each step of the process mind-numbingly boring and would get distracted if she felt like something was taking too long to chop or boil or whatever she was supposed to do with the ingredients. One of the benefits of working with the casino’s restaurant in Vegas was getting free meals from the kitchen, usually extra food or untouched meals the picky patrons had sent back. Except to make coffee or heat up leftovers from work, she rarely ventured into her kitchen when living on her own.

Espresso took only a few minutes to brew, though, and she could multitask while keeping an eye on the pot. 

He shook his head. “I got a sandwich from that deli by my place on the way here.”

Al had bought a house in Lynbrook with the move, only a twenty minute drive from them, less if traffic wasn’t too bad. His place turned out to be about ten minutes from her parents’ house in Rosedale, which made Michael feel better about letting the kids spend the night there sometimes. Gloria liked Long Beach, though, especially since summer was rapidly approaching and some of the seasonal places were starting to open up.

“Do you go to the movies?” she asked, eyes flicking back to the showtimes in the paper on the counter.

“Not in a long time,” he said.

“I was thinking of asking Michael to take me.”

“Ask me to take you where?” Michael asked, walking into the kitchen and giving Gloria a kiss on the cheek. “Morning, Al.”

“To the movies. We should go see Rio Bravo.”

“Isn’t that a Western? You don’t like Westerns.”

“I like Ricky Nelson,” she said. “We haven’t been to the movies since we saw Cat on a Hot Tin Roof last year.”

He conceded more easily than she expected. “Alright, darling. How about after Pre-Cana? We can get dinner and then go to the movies since your parents are watching the kids today.”

“Great! Oh, let me get your breakfast ready. Are you sure you’re not hungry, Al?” she asked.

He shook his head, opting for his espresso.

Michael poured himself some, and Gloria got to work on making his breakfast. The toast was easy enough, but she always felt like she could do a little better on the poached eggs. Though if Michael thought so, he never said anything to her. 

Gloria wasn’t sure what to expect from Pre-Cana. Michael hadn’t taken it with Kay since they didn’t have a Catholic wedding, and the concept was brand new when Jackie and Vivian had gotten married. The church secretary at St. Catherine’s said it wasn’t exactly a requirement, but strongly encouraged, which meant that if they wanted to keep their late August wedding date, they better go.

As soon as she scooped the poached eggs from the boiling water, the scent hit her nose in an unfamiliar, nauseating way, and she clumsily dropped the egg on top of the slice of toast, gagging as she did so.

Michael and Al shared a perplexed look as Gloria ran past them into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. 

She could hardly look at the contents of the toilet, promptly flushing it. A knock at the door startled her, though she should have expected Michael to check on her when she made such a scene.

“Gloria? Are you alright?”

“Yeah I—just give me a minute.” She clumsily grabbed a bottle of mouthwash beneath the sink, filling her mouth with the burning mint taste and spitting it out into the sink. She washed her hands, accidentally splashing the mirror with water when Michael abruptly opened the bathroom door.

“What made you sick?” he asked, concern evident in his features as he took in the burst blood vessels in her face, leaving the skin splotchy and her usual eyebags even darker.

“Maybe someone left the milk out too long,” she said, avoiding his gaze as she dried her hands. “I put it in my coffee earlier, and it smelled a little weird.”

Michael was silent, staring at her for a moment before seemingly accepting her explanation. “Should I call the parish and ask them to reschedule our Pre-Cana?”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna sit outside. Get some air.” Because the mere thought of being in the room as those fucking eggs nearly made her gag again. 

She knew Michael was watching her from the window as she made her way to one of the patio chairs next to the vegetable garden. It had been his late father’s hobby in his retirement. Everyone who lived there since had kept it up in one way or another, all friends of the family, Michael had told her. As the house had never gone to strangers, they tended to the garden in Vito’s honor. Tom’s wife Theresa usually busied herself with it. Gloria helped once in a while, though she could tell Theresa didn’t care much for her and only made polite conversation whenever she was around. Perhaps Gloria’s presence served as a reminder of her husband’s infidelity with her own sister-in-law, unless Theresa really didn’t know, and disliked Gloria on the principle of her having been Michael’s mistress. Regardless, Gloria certainly wasn’t one to snitch on such a situation, and she had no qualms about keeping whatever secrets she needed to from whichever Corleone she needed to.

Gloria kept secrets from Michael even after he told her about Apollonia. Hers was about his other ex-wife, the one who he probably wished were dead. Instead, Kay was back in New England, just outside of Hartford, to be exact. Gloria had gotten the address from Connie, who’d been keeping in touch with her former sister-in-law. Using her parents’ house as the return address, Gloria had sent Kay the colorful crafts Anthony and Mary had made in school for Mother’s Day earlier that month.

Trying to hide an almost certain pregnancy from him was becoming a near impossible task. She looked at the tomatoes growing in their vines, green in the late spring and soon to be ripe and red in the coming weeks. Michael would be glad she was pregnant, she had no doubt about that. It was exactly what he wanted, and just what she dreaded.

She brought her fingers to her temples in an attempt to massage out the dull headache that emerged. The screen door opened, and she didn’t bother to see who’d come outside. Michael stood next to her, his shadow shielding her from the sunlight that exacerbated her headache. 

He handed her a glass of water. “Your head must be killing you.”

Gloria downed the water, cool droplets spilling from the corners of her mouth but paying it to mind. She set the glass down, wiping her face with the back of her hand, acutely aware of the way Michael was staring at her, deep in thought as he took in the state of her again.

“Thanks,” she said.

“I called the parish anyway, the secretary said there’s one we can go to next weekend. Think you’re up for a movie?” he asked. 

She smiled. “I think I can manage that.”

“I checked the paper, we can go to the screening at two, get an early dinner, and then go to your parents’.”

“Alright, I’m gonna take a nap, then. Wake me by one if I’m not up?”

He nodded, taking her hand and kissing the top of it. “Get some rest, darling.”

The first thing Gloria did when she got to the master suite was brush her teeth, avoiding her reflection. How long would it be before she began losing teeth? She knew plenty of women who’d experienced that or hair loss or brittle bones, all a result of the baby leeching nutrients from its host. 

When she got into bed, she buried her face in her pillow and screamed. So much had changed already, and the moment Michael caught wind she was pregnant, her life as she knew it would be his. There was no more hiding it, though, no possible way when there were eyes on her at all times. Every one of her soon-to-be in-laws were undyingly loyal to him in addition to the men he had at his disposal. Hell, he probably already knew.

Michael couldn’t have woken her up to go to the movies soon enough. Not that she figured she’s gotten any sleep anyway, too caught up in her thoughts to actually rest. But she needed to get out of the house and go somewhere. Maybe it’d be easier to tell him if they were in public, and she had to keep her composure.

In the theater, she focused on the movie, tried to enjoy herself despite Ricky Nelson not singing nearly as much as she’d hoped and her not caring much for Westerns to begin with. Michael had taken the time to go with her, though, and was trying to salvage the day so it wasn’t totally lost. His devotion, his attention was overwhelming at times, especially when so much of it belonged to her. 

“I still don’t like Westerns, but I like that song Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson did,” she said as they walked out of the movie theater.

Michael nodded. “Dean Martin’s always good.”

“Did you get a chance to see him when he did that show with Jerry Lewis at the casino? What was it, four years ago now? It was a riot.”

“I did. Kay and I went.”

Right. Gloria hadn’t been scheduled to work the three days Michael and Kay were there. She didn’t see him for nearly a month after that and figured their affair of nearly a year was over, surprised it had even gone on that long. No hard feelings, no love lost, fun while it lasted. Then he returned to Las Vegas on business, something Fredo had avoided telling her in what he perceived as an attempt to spare her feelings. She was friendly when she and Michael crossed paths in the casino’s lounge. Less than an hour after she was off the clock, they were up in that hotel room again.

Thinking about Las Vegas felt like watching a movie itself, as though it were someone else’s life entirely. She still longed for it from her invisible cage of domesticity and privately mourned for it as if it were the greatest love of her life. Maybe it was.  

“Anywhere specific you wanna eat?” Michael asked. 

Gloria cleared her throat. “Maybe we could try that restaurant up the street, the one with the seashell on the sign? I’ve never been, but Janine was saying it’s good.”

“Who’s Janine?”

“Michael, she lives two houses down from us.”

“The Avon lady?”

Among their neighbors, Gloria liked Janine the most. She didn’t mind Gloria hanging out at her house a few days a week and was pretty good company. Her house wasn’t pristinely tidy, and she’d sometimes get tipsy on sherry by 3pm and end up ordering Chinese takeout or making TV dinners for her family. Or maybe it had something to do with Gloria buying something every time a new Avon catalog came out. 

Gloria laughed. “Yeah, her. Mary’s going to her daughter Diana’s birthday party next month. She and my mom already picked out a gift.”

“Alright, let’s try it.”

“She said they have good Salisbury steak.”

“Salisbury steak? You must be feeling better from this morning.”

“I’m starving, actually.”

The few handfuls of popcorn she had in the theater certainly wasn’t enough to make up for two missed meals. Her stomach rumbled as they neared the restaurant, the smell of its kitchen mixed with the nearby sea breeze oddly enough to smell delicious in the moment. It wasn’t crowded for four in the afternoon on a Saturday. They were seated in a booth by a window that had a decent view of the beach.

“I’ll have a club soda, and she’ll have a rum and coke,” Michael said to the waiter.

Gloria shook her head. “Just a Coke for me, actually.”

Michael’s eyes shot over to his fiance, Gloria avoiding his gaze and playing with the corner of the tablecloth. The waiter took the hint to leave the couple alone, mumbling about giving them more time to look over the menu.

By the time Gloria let out a shaky breath, she knew he’d put two and two together, probably had since that morning. It wasn’t any easier for her to say it. “I think I’m pregnant.”

“Are you sure? Have you seen a doctor?” he asked.

“My period’s a few weeks late.”

“You’re scared,” he observed softly.

“I’ve never done this before,” she half-joked.

He reached over the table, taking one of her hands firmly in his. “You and our son will want for nothing. The best doctors are a phone call away.” When he noticed this didn’t seem to assuage her nerves, he added, “I’ll be with you through all of it.”

“I know you will.”

“Then you have no reason to worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“You’ve known for a while, haven’t you?”

“I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Monday morning I want you to make an appointment to be sure.”

“I sure feel like I can eat for two,” Gloria said.

Michael smiled. “Then go ahead and order for two.”

The waiter returned with their drinks, seeming to wait until the intense discussion was over. He gave them another few minutes to look at the menu, and suddenly, Gloria wanted to order everything. Even asking Michael what he was getting, a grilled pork chop with green beans, didn’t help narrow down her options.

Gloria’s Salisbury steak came with two sides, and she chose mashed potatoes and creamed spinach after some internal debate. Before the waiter could walk back to the kitchen, she ordered a plate of grilled scallops, too. One of the things she had missed about living in New York when she was in Vegas was the fresh seafood.

“What do you think of Ciro looking after you?” Michael asked as he cut into his grilled pork chop. “Just whenever you leave the house, to be safe.”

“I like Ciro,” she said. “He’s nice. Kept a close eye on us during the bachelorette party.”

“Good. I trust him,” he said. “How are the scallops?”

She nodded her approval, sliding the plate toward him while chewing a chunk of steak she’d shoved in her mouth. As far as she was concerned, Salisbury steak and hamburger steak were the same thing, but for some reason, it felt like the greatest meal she’d ever eaten. Some of it was relief from not trying to hide her pregnancy from Michael anymore, even though she dreaded the thought of what the following eight months would involve. 

She glanced over at Michael. For all the rotten luck or poor decision-making in the world, he chose the one Sicilian girl without a maternal bone in her body. Then again, he always saw something in her no one else seemed to, and it even left her at a loss sometimes. For his sake, she hoped the baby was a boy, but personally had no preference and was already thinking of how often she could pass child-rearing responsibilities onto her mother. At least buying stuff for the kid and redecorating one of the spare bedrooms into a nursery would be fun. 

“I should get decaf, shouldn’t I?” Gloria mused aloud when they finished their meals, ready to order coffee.

Michael nodded. “Wouldn’t hurt.”

“That stuff’s awful.”

“It’s only a few months.”

“God, and I won’t even be able to drink at the wedding,” she lamented.

“Don’t worry, most of our guests will drink more than enough for the both of us.”

“How crazy is it gonna be?”

“I’d be surprised if there were less than two hundred people there.”

“Jesus,” Gloria whispered. “Is that including family?”

“Yours and mine, and then some acquaintances and business associates as well. I figured since we’re having the reception at the house, it wouldn’t hurt to invite the neighbors.”

“Really?”

“Like you said when we first moved in, they’ll notice if we’re antisocial. Just remember to keep them at arms’ length.”

The drive from the restaurant to her parents’ house felt oddly long for a weekend, but it gave her a chance to actually think about the wedding for the first time in a while. Connie and Sandra had taken on most of the wedding planning duties of their own volition, with Gloria in charge of picking out her dress, the cake, and a band to play at the reception. The latter was a task she took seriously, wanting to find a group that could play music to her tastes and also to that of the plethora of old school Sicilians who’d expect to hear a tarantella or two at some point during the celebration.

Gloria was relieved to see Vivian’s car in her parents’ driveway when Michael pulled up. Having Jackie and Vivian around always lowered the tension between her parents and Michael. Vivian liked him well enough, even though they’d butt heads at times. Jackie and Michael carried on friendly conversations on their own. Gloria wasn’t sure what she’d have done if Jackie disliked her fiance the way their father did.

“Hey Mike,” Jackie said, shaking Michael’s hand when they walked inside.

Michael smiled. “Good to see you, Jackie.”

“Hi Michael,” Jack said. “The kids are upstairs painting with Julia.”

“I’ll go see what they’re up to,” Michael said. “The kids love that craft room.”

Jack smiled. “Good, we’re glad to have them over any time.”

Michael disappeared upstairs, and Gloria followed her family into the living room, declining Vivian’s offer for coffee. Might as well try to be responsible, though if she’d known the shot of espresso she drank earlier that morning would be her last for the better part of a year, she would have savored it more. Or at least tried harder not to throw it up.

“How was Pre-Cana?” Jack asked.

“I got sick this morning, so we’re gonna go next weekend.”

“Again?” Julia asked as she made her way downstairs.

“It was some spoiled milk. I’m fine. We’re going next weekend, wedding’s still on, nothing to be concerned about,” Gloria said.

“We just got the invitation in the mail. You can mark us as a definite yes,” Vivian said. “How many people are going to be there?”

“The guest list was a little over two hundred fifty people long, last I heard.”

“Two hundred fifty,” Julia repeated. “Jack, did you hear that? I don’t think we had more than thirty at ours, both our families combined.”

“That’s because theirs isn’t gonna be all family,” Jack said. “Your fiance’s business associates, I’m sure.”

“Dad, c’mon,” Vivian scolded, trying to keep the heat off Gloria.

“Oh, Gloria, that’s shameful if he uses your wedding day as a front for all of that,” Julia objected.

Jack scoffed. “What else is it for? A cover for all of those people slinking about for their debts and favors. Just watch, you’ll be surprised at who shows up for his generosity .”

“You two are ridiculous,” Gloria said. “That’s not what it’s going to be like at all.”

She actually didn’t know what the hell the wedding was going to be like, and it wouldn’t surprise her if Michael’s work did keep him away for some of the reception. Because there were things pertinent to running an olive oil importing company that required him to step away from family events for hours at a time. Even if he spent the day glued to her side, she was sure her parents would find something to pick apart.

Frustrated, she headed outside and couldn’t light a cigarette fast enough. Jackie followed her, though he kept his distance, standing closer to the back door than she was. 

“Hey,” Jackie said. “Everything alright?”

“Just mom and dad being jerks about Michael and the wedding.”

“They’ll come around. He’s not a bad guy.”

“You really like him?”

“I don’t know what he does for a living, and I don’t really care. All I know is, this guy got transferred to my company after he got wounded on Peleliu. That article came out just before Christmas in ‘44. We got the magazines with these shitty rock-hard cookies that had nuts in them. But he said Michael was a good captain, saved his life. Some guys said it was a real shame he got discharged before Okinawa. They really admired him.”

Gloria took a long drag from her cigarette, letting out a shaky exhale. In nearly fifteen years, that was the most Jackie had said to her about his time overseas. All she knew was that he was with the First Marines and didn’t write many letters home, but when he did, it seemed like he was always on a different island and had less and less to say. After he returned to New York, he’d answer her questions with one-word responses or pretend he didn’t hear her at all. 

She learned not to take his avoidance of the topic personally, though it took a while. The only person who knew the most about what Jackie experienced, besides the men he fought with–few of whom he kept in touch with over the years–was Vivian. In that case, Gloria didn’t pry, not wanting to pressure her sister-in-law to betray her brother’s confidence.

“Why is this the first time you’re telling me about it?”

“It wasn’t exactly a fucking vacation, Gloria.”

“I know that. Michael’s told me enough about it to have a clue. That’s why I talked to him in the first place five years ago, and that’s how I ended up back here. Because I wanted to understand what happened to you, but you shut me out.”

“What was I supposed to say to you back then? You were a thirteen-year-old kid!”

“I don’t know! Just…something. I missed you so much, Jackie, and it was like you left and never came back.”

“I didn’t. That’s what you have to understand, Gloria. Alright? Michael–he got fucking shot and came out of it better than most guys I know. Whatever the hell he does, he’s good at it. It’s like he can put his emotions in a box and leave them there. That’s why he’s good for you.”

“Compartmentalize.”

“What?”

“The emotions in a box thing. He compartmentalizes.”

“There you go.”

Gloria stubbed out her cigarette on her heel. “I’m glad you like him. I don’t think mom and dad ever will, though.”

“All that mob stuff’s true, huh?”

“He doesn’t tell me a lot, but probably.”

“I bet the cops are gonna be all over the wedding.”

“Oh, I can just see dad telling them all the details now.”

Jackie snickered. “It’ll be fine.”

“With two hundred fifty people there? Fat chance.”

[theforgottenmcrmy]

Legacy (Ser Harwin Strong x Reader)

᯽ Please note that this is an overall Part 17 to the series Growing Strong. The masterlist, and part 1, can be found HERE.᯽

Pairing: Ser Harwin Strong x Tyrell! Female Reader

Warnings: GOT typical sexism, canon divergence, mentions of past character depth, 1 subtle but still there reference to non-consensual sex, Larys strong is a bad man and a creepy one at that, and parent issues for everyone around.

Summary: If the would-be usurper and her allies wanted to take to dragonback, so too would he. They were not the only ones who commanded great beasts of the sky.

A/N: Hello everyone😊 I’m back with a different kind of chapter. I’d consider this to be Growing Strong’s version of the “Green Council” episode from the show. I understand this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s completely alright. I promise we will go back to Dragonstone with Harwin and Ms. Tyrell next chapter.🖤

I wanted to write this for a couple of reasons. I already had few Alicent, Larys, and Otto scenes planned, and once I realized what else could be done with it, I decided it would be best to just go ahead and dedicate one whole chapter to the Greens. This expands on a few characters that have been briefly featured previously (if there is any confusion as to who is who, I highly recommend checking out the family tree I made for this fic, which can be found on the masterlist). This chapter also makes references to a oneshot I plan to write, and the ending scene serves almost as a prologue of sorts for the Aemond story I’d like to take a crack at next.

If you decide to give this a read, I really appreciate it. If not, that’s perfectly OK, we will return to our regularly programming next. I hope you guys have a fantastic weekend🖤

“I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive the grave wrong I have done you, My Queen.”

The silence in the chambers of Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower was almost as deafening as the space between her ears as she grappled to make sense of what she had just been told.

She blinked and stared at the wrinkled and fraying scroll of parchment in her hand blankly. In the periphery stood the Master of Whisperers, Lord Larys Strong, whom the letter had been addressed to. His head was bowed, and the entirety of his weight shifted to be precariously placed on the integrity of his cane and he silently awaited her response.

But the longer she refused to acknowledge his words, the more he shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“The Lord Hand charged me with the task. I can only pray that you may understand why, from his perspective, I was in no viable position to refuse his command.”

Alicent’s eyes flickered up to meet the top of Larys’s greasy head. She scoffed, “It is my father who is to blame, then? The Hand was the sole orchestrator of this plot? You played no role in devising it yourself, none whatsoever?”

It would not have been the first time her father would have acted without informing her, nor was it likely to be the last. But Alicent needed to be certain, and she would leave no stone unturned. 

The fate of the realm rested upon the edge of a knife, and when that knife fell, she needed to know who her true allies were. It was not political allies she sought, but another kind. She sought individuals who could and would put her interests, and more importantly, the interests of her children and grandchildren, above their own ambitions or personal gain.

As she had harrowingly discovered only a few days past, the Lord Hand was not one of those individuals. Her father claimed to have a vested interest in the good of the family. And yet, he had not hesitated to attempt to dig his claws into her son, his own grandson, and counsel him to order the killing of his own kin. Her father also claimed that between the two of them, their hearts were one. And yet, he had had no problem forcing her off on another man old enough to be her sire, like she was a mere broodmare, and not a genuinely valued extension of himself.

She, Aegon, and the rest of the few she held most dear- they were all mere pieces that her father moved about the board, in a game of his own design. There was no ally to be found in the Lord Hand. There never had been.

Nor had Alicent ever considered Larys to be a true ally. The relationship between them had been purely transactional. Perhaps Larys was motivated to continue to stoke the flames of their arrangement by something deeper than his own potential political, or personal, gain. But if that was true, it was unrequited. Very much so.

In a moment of uncharacteristic boldness, Larys’s eyes shot up from the floor to meet her severe stare with equal resolve.

“No, My Queen,” he denied ardently. “Never. I would not dare to breathe without your knowledge, let alone conspire against you… We are both privvy to the fact that the only person whom I truly serve is you, and you alone.”

It was becoming exceedingly difficult for Alicent to determine what to make of Larys’s outlandish claims. There was a dodgy, almost manic look in his eyes as he recalled the tale of her father giving the order to find and detain Lady Tyrell and her escort. But every word Larys spoke as he nearly trembled before her was heavy, weighed down with great remorse.

With all this in mind, most anyone would be reluctant to believe that Larys was relaying anything but the truth… or, at least, the truth as he knew it.

“You would do well to refrain from mentioning that in the presence of anyone else,” she chastised him, but only half-heartedly. “Especially the likes of the King.”

Her attention snapped back to the letter in her grasp. The skin around her fingernails was raw and bloodied, contrasting sharply with the faded yellow of the parchment. The past few days had been difficult at best, and it seemed that old girlhood habits, such as mindlessly tearing away at her own hands, had never truly left her. It had lingered, much like the shadow that King Viserys’s passing had casted over the realm.

“Tell me the truth of this, Larys,” Alicent beseeched him, her voice deceptively calm and even. “Does my father know of your involvement in the Harrenhal fire?”

At the mere mention of his greatest treachery, Larys visibly tensed. He shook his head stiffly. “No, My Queen.”

The indisputable conviction in Larys’s terse tone compelled Alicent to believe that perhaps those were the most honest words he had spoken to her thus far.

Alicent swallowed thickly as she contemplated her next course of action. “That is just as well. Even if Lord Harwin has discovered the truth, it would still be wise for us to take precaution so as to prevent any others from doing the same… Should my father ever learn of it, your allegiance to me will no longer be sufficient enough to protect you.”

Larys looked at her with wide, wild eyes. “You still intend to offer me your protection, Your Grace?”

Queen Alicent sighed deeply as she let the letter slip through her fingers and flutter to the desk below. “Perhaps… But you must understand that you have put me in an extremely precarious position, Lord Larys.”

In many ways, her tone, which was riddled with audible disappointment, was not dissimilar to how she had been forced to frequently address her eldest son. But that was to be no more. Now, she had to practically beg him to hear her, and even then, he did not have to heed her advice or grant her any request…. Even if such a small concession might successfully kill the impending civil war in its infancy. Such was the privilege of a king.

But Alicent’s years of piety and worship to the Seven had not failed her. In her hour of need, the gods had answered; Grand Maester Orwyle had spoken, and taken up her stance. All of those opposed to Aegon’s ascent, namely, Princess Rhaenya, would be sent terms. True terms, with conditions that could not possibly be contrived as an insult. With the Grand Maester’s support, two voices had been enough to temporarily dissuade the King from agreeing with the Lord Hand’s counsel to approach the situation alternatively.

Even so, Queen Alicent was more than well aware that her ability to act upon the King’s generous allowance was decreasing rapidly with every passing hour.

“The King wished for Lord Harwin and Lady Y/N to be captured at once and put to the sword for their treason,” Queen Alicent informed Lord Larys plainly.

As she spoke, she locked eyes with him, gauging his reaction. Would he be pleased with the news? Larys had conspired to have his elder brother killed before. If another took that blood on their hands in his stead, would Larys be satisfied that the deed had still been done? … Or would he feel slighted that Harwin’s demise was not of his own doing?

But Lord Larys did not look delighted, nor angry. He merely appeared to be genuinely surprised. “Have they already declared for Princess Rhaenyra?”

“We have yet to receive word of that. But we’ve always known where their true allegiance lay, My Lord. If no action is taken, it will only be a matter of time before such a declaration is made official. Regardless, there is another crime His Grace believes they have committed. It is the King’s contention that the Princes Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are… natural born, and that it is your brother, not Ser Laenor Velaryron, that is their true sire. Given the public knowledge of her affinity for Princess Rhaenyra, the King is also of the mind that the Lady Y/N must have been aware of any and all liaisons between the Princess and Lord Harwin which are suspected to have occurred.”

The surprise had vanished from Lord Larys’s face. The neutral expression that replaced it left her with more questions than answers. Alicent had never directly asked Larys whether he believed Princess Rhaenyra’s eldest sons to also be his nephews, but as Larys had never outright decried the insinuation from anyone else who mentioned it, she believed he suspected as much.

“Not but an hour ago, I was successful in persuading the King to refrain from acting in haste.” Praise the Mother. “The King has allowed for terms to be offered to Lord Harwin and Lady Y/N, along with all the others who may make themselves out to be traitors, in the hope that we might reach an agreeable conclusion without the spilling of blood. But, Larys- your actions, at the behest of the Lord Hand, have critically endangered this attempt for peace.”

Alicent rose from her seat with an exhausted huff. As she leaned forward, she placed her palms downright upon the table, bearing her weight against them. Her hung head low as she forced herself to swallow down the anger that threatened to arise within her. She knew such a wrath was unbecoming, but at that moment, she allowed herself to feel it anyway.

Once she had taken a moment to recompose herself, Alicent lifted her head, and looked at Larys imploringly. “Lord Harwin and Lady Y/N now know of your treason, both committed and conspired. What happens if either of them suspect that I played a role in this plot that you and the Hand devised? Do you think them likely to agree to any terms then?”

The desperation in Larys’s voice tempted Alicent to envision him on his knees before her, begging for her forgiveness. Had he not needed the cane, he very might well have been.

“Forgive me, My Queen,” Larys pleaded once more. “But mayhaps not all hope is lost. My brother is a notoriously passionate man, and this encourages short-sightedness. I believe his wrath will be reserved entirely for myself.”

“Perhaps Lord Harwin’s anger will blind him to everyone else but you, Larys. But I do not believe Y/N will act similarly. She is not daft; she is likely to look deeper, to question whether you truly acted alone.” If Larys disagreed with her assertion, he did not voice it. “To reconcile this, you must take part in the solution to the problem you and my father have created, My Lord.”

Larys bowed his head. “Tell me how I can be of assistance, My Queen, and it shall be done.”

“Are you still amicable with Lord Redwyne of the Arbor?”

“Yes, My Queen.”

“Very well. He may hold no love or favor for his cousin and liege lady, but nor does that guarantee that the King will have his support. I wish to make him an offer that he will be unable to refuse.”

Having the Lannister fleet at the King’s disposal was all but guaranteed. Ser Tyland Lannister, Master of Ships, was in the Red Keep at that very moment, and had been in the Lord Hand’s pocket for more years than Alicent cared to know. His twin brother, Lord Jason, would undoubtedly pledge the Lannister forces, including its fleet, to King Aegon.

But the Redwyne fleet was the largest fleet in all the Seven Kingdoms. Should Rhaneyra reject the terms Alicent planned to propose, having its ships under the King’s control would further ensure a swift victory against any opposition. The Velaryon fleet was the strongest of the realm, and the most experienced in battle- but Lord Corlys had fewer ships at his command. And how could sheer numbers not prevail?

Alicent lowered herself into her seat once more. After setting Lord Harwin’s letter aside, she opened a drawer and withdrew a clean piece of parchment. Larys watched in silence as Alicent dipped her nearby quill in the ink pot and began to write several lines.

For a few moments, all that could be heard in the Dowager Queen’s chambers was the rustling of the fire, and scribbling against the parchment.

When she was finished, Alicent placed down the quill and took a few moments to read over her proposal. She could only hope it would be sufficient. While she did not perceive Lord Redwyne to be foolish enough to support Princess Rhaenyra’s cause, as it stood, he did not have anything to entice him to support King Aegon, either. Despite being so near Oldtown, the Arbor was an island by itself. With the aforementioned fleet at the ready to defend it, if Lord Redwyne wished to refrain from choosing a side in the struggle for succession, he certainly could, and would.

Alicent looked back up at Larys, who had been watching her rather intently.

“Write to Lord Redwyne,” she commanded him. “Tell him that King Viserys has passed, and that Aegon has been crowned as his successor. In exchange for his active support of the new King, including the use of his fleet, His Grace will see to it that all I have listed here comes to pass.”

Larys looked at her inquisitively as he hobbled over. Once he was before her desk, he took the parchment from her outstretched hand. Alicent watched with bated breath as his eyes scanned the details of what she proposed.

“These are very generous terms,” Larys acknowledged dryly, as though it was more of an observation than a compliment. “I believe Lord Redwyne will be find little reason to reject your offer.”

“Ensure that he does not,” Alicent ordered stiffly. “The terms offered to Lord Harwin and Lady Y/N will rely heavily on Lord Redwyne accepting his own. There can be no more mistakes, Larys.”

Larys audibly swallowed meekly. “And there shall not be, My Queen. I will go and write to Lord Redwyne at once.”

As he turned to leave, Alicent stopped him.

“And Larys?”

“Yes, My Queen?”

“If you desire to remain under my protection, you must ensure that I have your complete loyalty from here on out. Should the Lord Hand bid you to do anything else, you must tell me at once. My father has many motives, but most all of them are rooted in his own advancement. He cares for no one but himself, and trusting him or becoming indebted to him in any way would be a grave mistake. Disregard this warning, if you shall, but understand that with every hour, I lose the King’s ear, while the Lord Hand gains it. Should our King ever find just cause to dispose of you, I will be unable to dissuade him.”

Whether Larys would actually heed her warning was unclear. But she had washed her hands of it.

Once the Master of Whisperers was gone, Alicent withdrew several more pieces of parchment from the desk drawer. Quite possibly hours of writing laid between her and retiring for the evening. But she would not rest. Alicent would write word after word, letter after letter, scroll after scroll until her fingers bled from more than her own mistreatment of them.

Anything to save them all from having to stare into the razor sharp teeth of an angry dragon ever again.

The ravens would fly before dawn, carrying the proposals with them. The small council would meet shortly thereafter to discuss what action to take in the meantime. And after, the Lord Hand would set sail for Dragonstone, to deliver the terms to Princess Rhaenyra in person.

Alicent knew what had to be done, but the knowledge did nothing to lessen the pain of it, nor the guilt that shrouded her mind. Just as her father had once sacrificed her happiness for his own betterment, she too, was forced to do the same to one of her own children.

Ever the dutiful son, Aemond would publicly accept what Alicent planned to propose to the small council on the morrow. Privately, she would not fault him for feeling betrayed, the trust having been broken between them. She could only hope that he would come to understand that it was for the good of the realm. For the good of the family.

But if Aemond could not understand her intentions, that was just as well. Alicent would live with the self-loathing his scorn would cause her, if need be.

Better for him to be cross with her and alive, than amicable and dead.

The stone halls and floors of Casterly Rock trembled with the commotion.

Lord Loreon Lannister, eldest son and heir of Lord Jason, had grown quite accustomed to being gently stirred from slumber by the gentle lull of the waves crashing beneath the Rock. Despite his inebriated state the evening before, Loreon had enough sense to crack open the window in his bed chambers for that very purpose.

What he had not anticipated was for that window to allow the pounding footsteps of several dozen men to filter through it instead.

What is that ruckus?! 

He forced himself to rise, and though he wished for little else than to do so at a slow and steady pace to placate his hangover, his curiosity and keen sense of self-preservation won out. Was Casterly Rock under attack? … Unlikely, he decided after a brief moment. It was nigh impregnable.

Loreon made his way over to the window, and after cracking it open further, peered out of it.

A few dozen men, a great deal of them armored, were gathering in the open courtyard below. A few had unsheathed their swords for sharpening. The metal shone in the rising sun’s rays, and the effect was nearly blinding. But the number of men before him was not equivalent to what one could consider an army. At least, not one likely to have been capable of breaching Casterly Rock’s defenses without having met resistance. And the men before him looked to be more at home than he currently felt.

Loreon threw on the nearest clothes he could find- a great portion of them being the same garments he had torn off and thrown about amidst his drunken stupor the night before- and exited his chambers at once.

Even the corridors were more alive than usual. Voices Loreon did not recognize bounced off the stone, accompanied shortly thereafter by many unfamiliar faces as he made his way down the halls. When Loreon threw open the doors to the dining hall, he found his father in the very spot where he had expected him to be.

Lord Jason Lannister sat at the head of the long table, breaking his fast, and otherwise behaving very much as if nothing was amiss. He spared Loreon a somewhat startled glance as he approached.

“Ah, you’ve risen early,” his father mused before taking a sip of wine. His tone was light and jesting, but there was a distinctly disapproving look in his eyes.

“‘Tis not as though I had much of a choice in the matter.”

“With the amount of wine you consumed during and after dinner last night, I thought I might have had to send the Maester to your chambers to reassure me that you still breathed. Certainly a little noise was not of any particular disturbance to your rest?”

Loreon was tempted to scowl, but bit his tongue instead. “That wine was a name day gift from Lord Garrett, and mine to do with as I saw fit.”

“And so you have,” Jason conceded as he placed his goblet back on the table. “Regardless, it is good that you’re here now. I received a raven from your uncle this morning. He says that King Viserys is dead.”

Loreon blinked. “Dead?”

“Dead,” his father confirmed. “And Aegon has been crowned as his successor.”

… Aegon? Not Rhaenyra? “But grandsire swore an oath to-”

“Your grandsire, as you very well know, is no longer with us. It is I who is the Lord of Casterly Rock now. And you are my heir. We are to support King Aegon should this nuisance with Princess Rhaenyra result in war.”

Loreon rubbed his forehead tiredly. War? The only thing he wished for at that moment was to climb back into bed and sleep until his head no longer ached. Talk of war was only giving the resilient pounding that much more of an edge.

He surmised, “Does this have anything to do with the amassing soldiers in the courtyard?”

“It has everything to do with it. I’ve started to call in some of the local troops, and they will remain here in Casterly Rock until Princess Rhaenyra yields to our King, and we know, without a doubt, that they will not be needed. In the meantime, we must assume that the Princess will continue to press her irrelevant claim on the Iron Throne, and that King Aegon will be forced to subdue her in order to keep the peace. Once your mother and your wife have returned from their trip to Lannisport, I will give the order to mobilize the fleet, and ride out to rally the additional support from our bannermen. The allegiance of the Riverlands is uncertain. Should Lord Grover Tully, or any other number of them, declare for Princess Rhaenyra, it would be prudent to have an army between us and them.”

Loreon’s mind was still terribly groggy, but every word his father spoke did wonders to jolt him from the stupor. “If the situation is as you say, should we not make haste for King’s Landing at once? There are several Lannisters of import there. If they are in danger, we ought to retrieve them, bring them back behind the potential enemy lines.”

If any part of the Riverlands declared for Princess Rhaenyra, the family in King’s Landing would be cut off from the Westerlands. The Reach was already likely to be plunged into a civil war, torn amongst allegiances to two of its most powerful houses. Even if a Lannister army was to make it through both the Riverlands and the Reach unscathed, securing safe passage through the Stormlands could present another issue. Where would the allegiance of the belligerent and still grieving Lord Borros fall if the House Targaryen went to war against itself?

Jason scoffed, an unfortunately familiar gesture which insulted Loreon no less than it had when he had been a boy.

“You insult me, Son. Tyland is my brother. And do not forget that Joanna and Celesse are my granddaughters. Do you truly think I would let any harm befall them?”

Before Loreon could offer a response, his father continued.

“Until that wife of yours produces a son, Joanna is your heir. She is under King Aegon’s protection now. What greater protection is there than that of a King?”

Loreon’s wife had borne him four children over the years of their marriage- all of them daughters. His wife was with child again, but Loreon had long since abandoned praying to the gods for a son. After all these years, why would they grant him their favor now? They had snubbed him, and happily so, throughout his life thus far. Of all the disappointments Loreon knew he had burdened his father with, his failure to sire a son had to be the most egregious among them.

His eldest daughter, Joanna, was recently sent to King’s Landing alongside her cousin to serve as a lady in waiting for the now Queen Helaena. But it was entirely possible that she was the future of House Lannister, and the next Lady of Casterly Rock. Loreon had no choice but to believe his father’s words. Jason, despite Joanna’s rather unfortunate condition of having been born a girl, had always seemed to have more tolerance for her than he had ever had with Loreon. If the dragons danced, Jason would not allow the girl to ever be in any true danger.

But could the same be said for the rest of them?

“Besides,” his father grumbled as he took another sip of wine, “I don’t think your cumbersome sister would ever forgive me if I allowed something to happen to Celesse.”

That was also a fair assessment. Cerelle’s protectiveness over her daughter rivaled the likes of how their own mother, Lady Johanna Westerling, had been with Loreon when he was in his youth. And Johanna was a fearsome woman, indeed. Their father always believed it was he who gave the orders in their marriage… but the older Loreon grew, the more visible the strings with which Johanna controlled Jason had become.

“What will happen if Princess Rhaenyra desires to plunge the realm into war?” Loreon posed.

Jason shrugged, visibly unbothered still. “We shall be at the ready, and wait to receive our command… However, if the Riverlands prove as much of an issue as your uncle suggests them to be, I imagine King Aegon would begin by having us march there.”

The Riverlands. Not even a decade ago, a certain knight had inherited his father's title, land, and ostensibly haunted keep there, following what was rumored to have been a long night filled with nothing but flames, smoke, and screams. It was a certain knight with whom Loreon had history. A certain knight who, given his rumored closeness to the Princess Rhaenyra and her eldest sons, was very likely to pledge his support to her cause.

A knight whom, if given the chance, Loreon desired to settle a score with. Though he’d been a mere knight at the time, a now piddly lord of the Riverlands ought not to mock, insult, and accost the heir of the great House Lannister without consequence. The gods had already given Derron Tyrell his due for the actions he took against him. Loreon sought to deliver the same due to Harwin Strong personally.

And a Lannister always pays his debts. “If King Aegon orders us to ride out to the Riverlands, I wish to accompany you. Allow me the privilege of leading the troops by your side.”

His father halted his meal at once, and looked up at him with suspicion. After a moment of silence, he questioned, “Truly?”

“Yes. What could be more inspiring to our men than seeing the Lords of Lannisters, both of them, in the flesh, riding beside them into battle?”

In an unprecedented moment, his father appraised him with a look that Loreon had seldom received from him. A look of pride.

“Very well, Son,” Jason praised. “If our King commands it, we shall both ride out to heed his call. And gods save anyone who dares to oppose the Lions of House Lannister.”

“Yes,” Loreon agreed darkly, his mind flashing with memories of his youth that he usually did not care to recall. But they were made far sweeter by a sense of promise in the air, the promise of revenge.

“Gods save them all.”

Lord Larys Strong had already groveled for his life to Dowager Queen Alicent that evening. After writing a letter to Lord Garrett Redwyne of the Arbor at her behest and in the hopes of regaining her favor, his patience for much of anything else was all but nonexistent.

He certainly did not have the patience to come across the likes of Lord Otto Hightower on his way to retire for the evening. Much less the patience to properly converse with him.

But that is what he deserved, he supposed, for being bold enough to pass by the small council chambers. When the door opened and the gray haired snake of a man stepped out and into the corridor, Larys had to grip the pommel of his cane tightly to avoid knocking himself over in the startle.

“Lord Larys, might I have a word?”

As if he had any grounds to refuse. “Of course, My Lord Hand.”

Larys took his time entering the small council chambers, knowing the other man to be more polite than to outwardly criticize him for it. Once he was inside, the Lord Hand closed the door tightly behind them.

“Should I be seated?”

“If you wish, but this shall not take long.”

That was good and well. Larys refused to sit. Instead, he placed both hands atop of his cane, and mustered up every bit of strength he possessed to draw himself up. He might have been a cripple, and may have been viewed as inferior by most other men because of it. But, despite what Larys allowed the man before him to believe, he would never truly be subservient to Otto Hightower.

“You have confided what you have done to the Queen, I presume?”

“As you asked, My Lord Hand.”

Larys had not needed to report his men’s failure to capture, or otherwise dispose of, his Good Sister. The failure had been evident enough when his men had yet to return to the Red Keep after a few days. It was further solidified when the news of the Lady of House Tyrell’s tragic passing, as a result of brigands whilst traveling to Duskendale, had yet to spread.

There was no telling where his brother, his wife, and their children were now. But anyone with even a small sense of wits about them could have surmised they had reached, or were encroaching upon, Dragonstone. It was the only place that guaranteed their safety for many, many leagues.

“And what did you tell her?” 

Larys recalled the tale he had mentally prepared thrice over with the utmost ease. It was a tale most necessary, if he wished to keep his one and only loyalty to the Queen, whilst also appeasing the ruthless Lord Hand.

“I told her that I, and I alone, was the one who coordinated the attack on Lady Y/N and her traveling escort. I told the Queen that I acted in haste in my efforts to remove a key ally from the Princess’s cause.”

If Lord Otto did not believe Larys’s words, he gave no physical indication of it. However, Larys knew, from personally having borne witness, that the Lord Hand was as conniving as Queen Alicent had proclaimed him to be. If Larys was to spin his tale, he knew he would have to commit it to memory. The facts of the story needed to remain unchanging and absolute, as if they’d been read off parchment. 

… In fact, that wasn’t that bad of an idea at all. When one’s job was to manage whispers, including the ones they crafted themselves, maintaining some sort of log to track all the intelligence would be helpful. If only something like that could be guaranteed to not fall into the wrong hands.

The Lord Hand hummed in response to Larys’s recount. “I see… And what did Her Grace have to say?”

This, Larys felt comfortable revealing the truth of. After all, it was nothing the Lord Hand would not have been able to deduce himself. “The Queen appears willing to forgive my transgression, but in exchange, she has demanded no less than my complete loyalty ever again… In addition to this, I was also required to assist in offering a potential ally proper motivation to support our King.”

“Ah yes, these terms of peace,” Lord Otto acknowledged with disdain. “Our King was strongly against them, you know. But the Dowager Queen was insistent upon it.”

“And what compelled the King to consent to her request?”

“The Grand Maester supported the Queen’s proposal, despite the fact that it almost earned him his own holding in the black cells. When I saw just how determined my daughter was that Princess Rhaenyra be offered the chance to surrender, I yielded my own arguments against it, and King Aegon acquiesced.”

Larys was rarely one taken by genuine surprise, but the Lord Hand had taken him so. “Do you believe Princess Rhaenyra and her allies will yield and accept the terms Queen Alicent intends to propose on behalf of the King?”

“Gods, no,” Lord Otto denied with contempt. “But there is a reason behind my counseling, Lord Larys. I can assure you of that.”

Larys said nothing. The Lord Hand was a cold, calculating man. He really ought to have known better than to be so forthcoming with his words, let alone the details of his schemes. But, as Larys had recently discovered, the Lord Hand was emboldened by the fact that his grandson now sat on the Iron Throne. And, as Queen Alicent asserted, the Lord Hand was proving to gain the confidence of their new King with remarkable speed and efficiency.

Despite the threat looming to the east on Dragonstone, it was easy to imagine Lord Otto might feel as though he was beyond reproach. Larys had the hunch that if he bit his tongue, the other man would sing like a bird. Why should he not? The only one to bear witness to his singing was Larys.

The poor, crippled, meek, and unwaveringly faithful servant, Master of Whisperers Larys.

And sing, Lord Otto Hightower did.

“I am rather disappointed that your men failed to do what they were tasked with,” he confided after a pause. “Having Lady Y/N out of the hands of Princess Rhaenyra was most desired.”

“They were but mortal men, My Lord Hand. Not even a horse with speed gifted by the gods themselves would have been like to catch up to my Good Sister and her escort by the time they departed. It is possible Lady Tyrell was already nearing Duskendale the very same day my men set out from King’s Landing.”

Another lie, but a necessary one. Queen Alicent was correct about one thing- no one else, the Lord Hand most importantly among them, must ever know about his involvement with the fire at Harrenhal. If he did, only the Seven Hells knew what he might have forced Larys to do to keep his silence.

And furthermore, the details did not matter to Lord Otto. Not truly. Whether Larys’s men had been unable to reach Lady Y/N and her escort before they reached Duskendale, or whether they had, but had been slain by Harwin, was of little consequence to him. Larys’s men had failed to do what the Lord Hand had asked, and Larys, as the face of the plot, would be the one to pay the price.

At least it would not be the same price that his men had paid at the hands of his enraged brother.

“It is true that I did not wish our Queen to learn of our…. arrangement, for dealing with the problem that Lady Tyrell presents. But, in light of our circumstances, it was best for my daughter to be informed of it, as you have done, by my request. You see, Lord Larys, your failure may serve our purposes yet.”

Larys’s interest piqued. “How might that be, My Lord Hand?”

“The Queen could offer many lands and titles, all the gold in the royal coffers, and even her own head on a spike to your brother and Lady Y/N. None of it would be enough to sway either of them to abandon Princess Rhaenyra. Particularly not now, since they are likely to have reached Dragonstone, and are under the Princess’s protection.”

“And how would my brother and Good Sister rejecting the terms our Queen offers them in the pursuit of peace serve our purposes?”

“When my daughter is unable to convince them, they will reinforce their support of Princess Rhaenyra’s cause. With the support of House Tyrell, House Strong, and the other dozen or so houses who have already declared for her, as well as the many who still remain undecided and therefore are in contention, Princess Rhaenyra may decide to take her chances.”

“You still do not anticipate her to accept the Queen’s offer for peace?”

Lord Otto gave him a look that suggested it was folly to even have made the suggestion. “When Alicent is unable to convince Princess Rhaenyra to accept the terms, perhaps my daughter will finally be able to abandon this silly notion of reconciliation she desperately seeks. Perhaps then she will finally be willing to start viewing Princess Rhaenyra as she truly is- the enemy.”

The Lord Hand was mad in his own way, Larys decided then. But at least his arguments were more sound than the deranged motivations behind them.

“How can the Crown be viewed with any sort of integrity if we continually pity our enemies and offer them mercy?” Larys inquired redundantly, feigning understanding and support of the Lord Hand’s stance with a well-practiced ease. “Who would ever fear a king unable to strike down traitors and justly serve them the punishments appropriate for their sins?”

The smile that played on Lord Otto’s lips was subtle, but sinister. “An excellent question, Lord Larys… With a mind such as yours, we might all live to see the end of this madness yet.”

Perhaps, Larys conceded. But if he was to live through the self-destruction of House Targaryen, he knew he would have to find a way to outlive his brother first.

May the gods have mercy on you, for I will not.

Those had been Harwin’s words. Chilling, concise, and to the point. Larys felt confident in his ability to outsmart and otherwise out maneuver his brother, but in a physical altercation, there was no use in even entertaining the thought of securing anything more than an unfavorable outcome for himself.

But Larys brought this all upon himself, and he must not fail now.

He would support his one true queen, and in any way that he could. Only she was the one to whom his true allegiance lay, and it was only she who would be able to save both his body and soul.  

He would strive to appease King Aegon and the Lord Hand, if only to lure them into believing his declared allegiance. Only appeasing them would be able to delay his inevitable encounter with a headsmen, of King Aegon’s choosing or otherwise.

And, if Larys succeeded in all of this, maybe, just maybe, he could avoid the unsavory thought of finding himself within Harwin’s clutches.

The sun had long since set, but Lord Garrett Redwyne knew sleep would not come to him for some time yet.

The letter from King’s Landing, which he had received by raven that very morning, laid in his hand’s light hold. His free hand rubbed absentmindedly at the side of his face as he silently weighed his options.

His internal deliberation was interrupted as his mother, the Lady Elayne Redwyne, born Tyrell, entered into his otherwise unoccupied study.

The Lady Elayne was a woman of strong wit, though she had a reputation of being outspoken on the occasion. She had lived through the passing of her husband and eldest son, and was still fit to tell the grievous tale. One would have thought that physical decline would have begun to betray her spirit by now, but the typical ailments of an aging body had yet to lay its claim to her. Instead, she appeared just as spritely as Garrett had always known her to be in his youth.

His mother was still dressed in her gown from the day, but that alone was not unusual; she had always kept odd hours. A curse of an active mind, she had often claimed. Garrett knew that her most recent method to spend the nights where sleep evaded her was to read by candlelight. When he spotted the book in his mother’s hand, and caught the glance she shot over at one of his study’s many bookshelves, his suspicions about her doings that evening were confirmed.

His mother lowered the book to her side, and tilted her head up at him. “The hour is late, my son. You should retire- your wife will worry after you soon, if she has not begun to already.”

Garrett doubted that very much. But he did not bother to correct his mother’s false assumption. “Fear not, for she herself retired some time ago.”

“What is that?” Elayne inquired suddenly, eyeing the letter in his hand with mild interest.

Garrett folded the parchment at once, though took care to appear as not having done so with any particular haste. “‘Tis news from the capital.”

His mother raised her brows curiously. “Good news, or poor?”

That would depend on whom you ask. “King Viserys is dead.”

There was a brief moment of stillness.

“Gods be good,” Elayne exclaimed under her breath, shattering it to pieces. “What else does the letter say? Is there any word of our new Queen?”

Garrett hesitated. “They have crowned King Viserys’s successor... But it was not Princess Rhaenyra.”

His mother visibly paled as the realization dawned upon her. Then, she gritted her teeth. “That is most disturbing to hear. What is to be done about it?”

“King Aegon has proposed terms of peace to his half-sister, as well as to many of the lords and ladies who have already declared to support her claim to the Iron Throne.”

“And if Princess Rhaenyra rejects his offer?”

Garrett needed not to answer; his mother was an intelligent woman, and swiftly reached the conclusion on her own.

“You must ready the fleet at once,” his mother urged. “Dragonstone is no short journey, but the sooner it can be set about, the sooner the fleet shall arrive.”

Garrett gave her a hard look. “You misunderstand me, Mother.”

Elayne narrowed her eyes at him, suspicion settling into the features of her lined face. “Do I?”

Garrett let the letter from Lord Larys fall freely down to his desk. He wrung his hands together as he chose his next words carefully. He wanted to take some care, so as not to outwardly offend his mother. But also knew that it was important that she heeded him. That she obeyed his will.

“King Aegon is willing to grant our house several generous allowances, but only if he has the support of the Redwyne fleet. His offer is one far too generous to refuse, Mother. Should Princess Rhaenyra attempt to press her claim by way of war, House Redwyne will be in support of the one, true king, Aegon.”

The silence that followed was uncomfortably heavy. Never before had Garrett felt so ill at ease, so unnerved in the presence of his own mother. But there was little else to describe how he felt when she judged him with those icy eyes of hers.

“Your father swore an oath before King Viserys himself,” she reminded him, barely speaking above a whisper. “An oath to uphold Princess Rhaenyra as his named heir.”

“I myself made no such oath.”

“And yet, if you do this, I will consider you to be an oathbreaker all the same.”

“How dare you speak to me thus?” Garrett seethed as he recoiled. “I am the Lord of the Arbor. You live here, rather comfortably, mind you, under my protection and by my generosity alone.”

“I am the former Lady of House Redwyne, and I live here because I was wed to your predecessor,” she corrected him coolly. “You may be my son, and you may be the lord of this house now. But make no mistake- none of this exempts you from my counsel. I fear as though you are about to make a grave mistake, and I will not refrain from advising you of such simply to spare your fragile pride.”

“What would you have me do?” Garrett demanded of her, feeling at a loss. “Spurn the King’s offer? Pledge our support to Princess Rhaenyra instead?”

Elayne did not answer him. Instead, she countered, “Need I remind you of the oath you swore to your cousin when you became the ‘Lord of the Arbor’? Y/N is your liege lady. As one of her bannermen sworn to her, you owe her your support. Though we both know where her allegiance will lay, that is simply beyond House Redwyne’s control. If she wishes to support Princess Rhaenyra, that is her right, as our liege. Tell me, my son, what has been offered to you that would have you so willingly betray an oath sworn to a king and your own kin?”

“What Y/N wishes, or where her allegiance lies, may not be of anyone’s concern much longer.”

His mother gaped at him. “What in the Seven Hells is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Garrett dismissed hastily, having realized his mistake as soon as the words slipped from his lips. “Your regard for the Lady of Highgarden is sullied, ruined with your favor. You have always held a soft spot for her, Mother. Do not deny this.”

“Of course I have. She is the daughter of my brother, gods rest his soul. And with her own mother, claimed by the Stranger at such a young age? … How could I not have treated her kindly, Garrett? As our kin, did she not deserve my tutelage?”

It was always more than that, and they both knew it. Elayne had always held a candle for Y/N, a candle that had yet to be snuffed out, it seemed, despite how many years had passed since they saw one another last. Even in their youth, it was nearly impossible for Garrett to miss that Elayne had treated Y/N as though she was one of her own. The daughter she never had.

He was a man grown now. But it was baffling, and a tad hurtful, that his mother would continue to choose her loyalty to her over her loyalty to own, legitimate, son of her own blood.

“None of this squabbling matters,” Garrett decried then, not wishing to ponder on those disturbing thoughts any further. “On behalf of House Redwyne, I have decided to accept King Aegon’s offer.”

“What have they offered you?” his mother demanded once more. Letting out a single, frustrated huff of a laugh, she guessed, “Highgarden?”

Amongst other things.

“The details do not matter,” Garrett dismissed. “As Princess Rhaenyra has yet to make any offers of her own, I will accept King Aegon’s proposal. Should war come, the Redwyne fleet will be at his command.”

The look of betrayal on his mother’s face was almost enough to cause a pained twinge through his heart. Almost.

“You are ambitious, my son. I will grant you that,” Elayne conceded, though it sounded as though she was wounded in doing so. “I only hope it will not cost you your head. Or that of your daughter.”

His eldest child Celesse had been recently sent to King’s Landing, alongside her cousin, the Lady Joanna Lannister, to serve as a lady to Princess Helaena. It was a proposal his Good Father, Lord Jason, had made, citing that it would yield bountiful marriage prospects for each of the girls. It had been hard to dismiss his claim- all sorts of lords, noblemen, and knights frequented the capital every year. And his daughter’s great uncle, Ser Tyland, served on the small council as Master of Ships. There had been little doubt that Celesse would be safe, despite being so far from home.

And still, his wife, Lady Cerelle, had greatly protested her father’s proposition. As much as he hated to admit it, Garrett wished he had taken his wife’s concerns more seriously at the time. Though their riders were yet to be determined, it seemed as though it would not be long before dragons flew over King’s Landing.

And if anything happened to their daughter, Garrett knew he would not need to worry about Princess Rhaenyra taking his head for treason. He had no doubt that Cerelle would be the one to draw the sword.

“Forgive me, I do not wish to quarrel with you any further.”

Elayne turned to leave, book still in hand. But then she paused, her hand on the door, and turned to look back over her shoulder. Her last words spoken to him that night would haunt Garrett as much as the letter he had received from Lord Larys would.

“I only desire for you, my last child, to outlive me, for I do not know if I can survive burying another. However, as your senseless greed seems to be calling you to an early grave, I fear as though my hopes are in vain… And already, I mourn you.”

For a long moment, neither of them spoke as her ominous words settled between them.

“Goodnight, my son.”

“... Goodnight, Mother.”

Only once the door to his study was closed did Garrett dare to allow his defensive exterior to break. He rested his weary head in his even wearier hands, and sighed deeply.

Perhaps he would have entertained the idea of rejecting the Hightowers’s offer, and would support Princess Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne instead. As his mother noted, his father had sworn the oath not only on behalf of himself, but on behalf of House Redwyne in its entirety. And perhaps he could have allowed old wounds between he and his cousin, Lady Y/N Tyrell, to remain in the past, where they truly belonged. He had never even thought of pressing his claim to Highgarden before his cousin, Lord Derron, had passed without an heir. It had never occurred to him once, until a maniacal voice had whispered the idea in his ear. And by then, he had no other choice.

But such was the situation Garrett found himself in now- with no other choice.

Lord Larys Strong was not who he appeared to be. When Garrett had first met him, years ago during the wedding festivities of Lady Y/N and Larys’s elder brother, Harwin, Garrett had genuinely enjoyed the second Strong son’s presence. Larys was a sharp man, and seemed pleasant enough. He made for decent conversation. Larys’s father, Lord Lyonel, had been the Hand of the King, and one would be foolish to overlook a potential connection such as that. There were many reasons why Garrett had felt inclined to maintain his blossoming friendship with Larys, even after the wedding festivities for his cousin had come and gone.

He had once lived something of a nomadic lifestyle. As the essential diplomatic messenger for House Redwyne, Garrett had grown accustomed to spending most of the year traveling about the kingdoms. There was always Arbor wine to be sold, other nobles to schmooze… and games of chance to be had.

It did not take long at all for Garrett to incur some debt. Some of those he was indebted to were happy enough to be placated with a decent bottle of wine from the Arbor. For others, money, or his blood, were the only sufficient payment. Stealing from the Redwyne coffers to repay the debts was not an option, lest he have alerted his father to his less than proper ways he chose to spend his free time. But neither was simply failing to repay the debts- Garrett much preferred his blood inside his body, and not out.

Larys had discovered Garrett’s vice early on. Garrett had not even intended to mention it, but alcohol had always tended to loosen his lips, and during one particularly rowdy night of drinking, it had slipped. But Larys did not judge him for it. In fact, the second son of the Hand of the King had offered him a generous sum to repay the debts he had incurred during his short stay in King’s Landing. In hindsight, Garrett knew he ought to have questioned Larys’s motives. But at the time, he was simply relieved to have been spared more than a few unpleasant beatings.

“A sign of faith in our friendship,” Larys had told him with a grin as he handed over the coinpurse. “Perhaps a day shall come when you can repay the favor.”

That day had come when his cousin, Lord Derron Tyrell, died. In the midst of his surviving cousin's grief for her elder brother, Larys had persuaded Garrett to pursue his claim to Highgarden. Ever the fool, Garrett had taken his persuasions to heart.

“Your cousin will have more than enough to manage as the Lady of Harrenhal. The gods know my brother will need all the help he can get. And, despite your name, you share just as much blood of House Tyrell as she. Do you not deserve a title, a castle, a legacy of your own?”

Though Garrett had failed to sway King Viserys to grant him the inheritance of House Tyrell, eventually he was awarded a title, a castle, a legacy of his own. But it had come at the cost of his elder brother, Jeran.

Now, Larys Strong was the Master of Whisperers. He knew at least something about most everything that transpired within the Seven Kingdoms. Garrett had not even needed to inform him of how his gambling had remained a problem over the years. Larys had discovered it on his own.

And Larys had implemented this discovery in the letter he’d penned, enclosed with all the other generous terms King Aegon wished to offer House Redwyne.

“The coffers of House Tyrell run deep,” a foreboding, and most suggestive, line from Larys’s letter read.

Garrett knew it to be true. Now that he was lord, he had been slowly bleeding the Redwyne coffers dry for years. He had kept everyone- his wife, and even his mother- in the dark as he struggled to repay his many incurred debts. But a fresh supply, by way of accessing the gold from House Tyrell, would allow him to repay it all. And he was not getting any younger. The sooner he could repay the debt, the sooner he could be done with the vicious vice once and for all.

After this, never again would Garrett partake in another game of chance. Even if he wished to, there would be no need.

War was the biggest gamble of them all.

King Aegon Targaryen, second of his name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, thought he knew of desire.

First, it had been a desire to drown himself in his cups. A small consolation of having been born a Targaryen in Westeros meant that the finest of wines and the heartiest of ales in all of the realm, and even some from beyond, were always within reach. Once he had developed a taste for such extravagances, no other liquid nourishment would ever suffice.

Second, it had been a desire for flesh. Or, company, rather. There was little else that compared to spending time in the arms of a woman who desired him as much as he desired her- even if she had been compensated for her time. His chosen companions need not always be so blatantly willing, either… But they made far less of a fuss when they were. He believed all his chosen companions ought to accept the opportunity that was given to them with grace, and without protest. Besides, what sane woman would not be most honored at having been chosen to lay with a prince?

… Looking back on it, perhaps it had been the desire for women first, and then the alcohol. Perhaps they had both set in at the same time. Regardless, it mattered little. The fact remained the same. Both had the damndest ways of captivating Aegon’s time, and giving him enjoyable pursuits that offered a most-welcomed distraction from the mundane joke that his life had become.

But there was also a third desire. A desire that may have resided deep within him for far longer than the others had, but one Aegon had only come to truly know and understand within the past few years.

The desire to be accepted.

How many times had he done everything his mother had asked of him, only to be consistently rewarded with her forlorn scorn? How many years did he walk in the figurative shadows of the Red Keep, for no matter what he did, nothing was enough to garner the praise of the King, his own father? How often had he been forced to suffer the utterly exhausted remarks of his grandsire, or the disapproving looks from his brother Aemond? How many times would he be expected to be silent whilst his sister-wife Helaena made even more of a mockery of him than others deemed he had made himself?

Far, far too many.

But when his mother had confided to him his father’s dying wish, he had felt it. When Aegon had ascended the steps in the Dragonpit, surrounded by the silent awe of the masses, when his grandsire had finally acknowledged him with a semblance of respect, when his mother had given him a look of pride, he had felt it. When Ser Criston Cole placed the crown of the Conqueror upon his head, and when he had raised the Conqueror’s sword to rouse the crowd into an eruption of joyful cheers, he had felt it.

Now that Aegon had had a taste of what it felt like, he knew acceptance to be the most intoxicatingly dangerous desire of them all.

In the end, his father, the common folk of King’s Landing, and leagues of the nobility from across the realm had accepted him as their one, true king, King Viserys’s sole successor. His grandsire had accepted him as one of his own kin, one who might bring honor upon the family. His brother, if he had not yet, would come to accept him as his liege in due time. His mother had, finally, come to accept him as her son.

And his half-sister Rhaenyra would have to scorch his flesh and bones to ashes before he would be made to feel less than ever again.

When the small council had informed Aegon that the Princess had yet to publicly declare her obeisance, it was apparent to all that she intended to press her claim. And the longer Aegon dwelled on the thought of that, the more the darkness with him grew.

His half-sister Rhaenyra and his uncle Daemon were guilty of high treason. They, along with every single one of the lords, ladies, knights, and common folk who supported her deserved to be attained, arrested, and killed. Dragons, particularly that Meleys of Princess Rhaenys’s, be damned. If the would-be usurper and her allies wanted to take to dragonback, so too would he. They were not the only ones who commanded great beasts of the sky.

Aegon argued as much to his small council. Even if their allies were to denounce Rhaenyra’s claim, repent, and bend the knee to him, how could any of them truly be trusted? How could Rhaenyra and her Strong boys be allowed to live, when their mere existence would always pose a threat to his rule?

But his mother and the spineless Grand Maester Orwyle convinced him to stay his hand.

“Rhaenyra will come to understand that her cause is for nought, and she will yield. But she is prideful. She must be given a chance to concede with dignity,” his mother had insisted vehemently. “Strike her down before you grant her that chance, and her allies will never accept you as their king.”

Then, Grand Maester Orwyle had piped up, “Brother should not wage war against sister. Send her the offer that our Dowager Queen has proposed, Your Grace, so that we may reach an amicable accord.”

Something about the Grand Maester’s voice infuriated Aegon. He was no boy, and certainly not one who ought to be chided on what was right and what was wrong. He was the king. The only thing that saved him from ordering Grand Maester Orwyle from being tossed into his own black cell was the protests of his mother, and the reluctant acceptance of the inevitable from the Lord Hand.

“If war is to ensue, Your Grace, let Princess Rhaenyra and her supporters be the first to draw blood,” his grandsire had suggested. “I will sail to Dragonstone, and present the terms to Princess Rhaenyra myself. Let her decide how to act- let her deal the first blow. You should not feel the pressure to act before your aggressor, for you have done no wrong. Let the Princess damn herself in the eyes of all who have vowed to support her illegitimate cause.”

Aegon rather enjoyed the thought of that. The thought of his half-sister ruining her own image before her plight as an aspiring ruler even began was a jest that even his Uncle Daemon might have been able to find humor in.

Aegon had never felt particularly close with his grandsire. But since his ascent, there had been a new understanding between Aegon and the Lord Hand. His grandsire had reserved the kind treatments and wisest counsel for the most prudent of times, for when it mattered the most. The Lord Hand had every motivation to keep Aegon on the throne, and Aegon, young and inexperienced, had every reason to heed the advice of a man who had served the two kings who had come before him.

The ravens carrying the terms penned by his mother, with his approval, had flown before the sun had risen. The small council had met again, but most courses of action were decidedly moot until responses were received. That evening, as the sun had begun to set, the galleon his grandsire sailed on departed from Blackwater Bay, making way for Dragonstone.

All there was to be done was wait.

…

A knock to the door of his chambers roused Aegon from his musings. Though, in time, his belongings would be relocated to the king’s bedchamber, for now, he was confined to his old apartments. The relocation could not occur soon enough- Maelor’s crying throughout the night had grown rather bothersome as of late. A squealing babe did little to soothe a pounding head, and all attempts at seduction of female companions were immediately spoiled by an audible reminder of what the gods might bless them with after, should said companions fail to indulge in a cup of moon tea.

Ser Criston Cole, who his mother had ordered to remain by his side until Aegon was able to choose his own shield from amongst the Kingsguard himself, answered the door.

It was Aemond.

He was dressed in his usual leathers, with the addition of a traveling cloak. As the younger prince walked into the room, he regarded Ser Criston with a one-eyed wary look.

“Might I have a word alone with His Grace?”

Ser Criston Cole stood to attention. “My Prince, it is the Queen’s command that His Grace is not to be unattended. Even in the presence of family.”

Aegon nearly scoffed into his goblet. But that would have been a pure waste of fine Arbor Gold. Instead, he placed it down on the table where he was seated, and waved a dismissive hand at the knight of the Kingsguard. “Leave us, Cole.”

Ser Criston turned to him with an affronted look. “Your Grace, I must protest. Your mother-”

“The Dowager Queen is no longer the lady of this keep,” Aegon interjected. There was an edge to his voice that he had seldom used in his life prior. But now that he had been crowned, he had discovered an authoritative tone was the fastest and surest way for others to come to heel. “I am your king. And I command you to wait outside.”

The white cloak looked insulted, but all present knew that he had no legitimate reason to protest. He bowed to Aegon respectfully, albeit with a small amount of reluctance still, and with one last begrudging look and nod to Aemond, Ser Criston Cole exited the room.

Aemond watched with a smirk as the door closed tightly behind him, and only then did he speak. “There have been two men vying after our mother’s favor for years. Neither of them were the king.”

That was one of Aemond’s more insufferable qualities. He had always been the more studious of the two of them, and had never shied away from showing it. He was fond of speaking in riddles, as if his supposed intellect gave him some false sense of superiority.

Aemond could have his wits. Aegon had the crown.

Aemond crossed the room in a few slow strides. “Perhaps, now that you are king, you might be willing to do something about it?”

This time, Aegon allowed himself to scoff. “That would require me to have knowledge of what you speak of.”

Aegon had not been so deep in his cups over the years that he had failed to notice the lingering looks Ser Criston Cole had given his mother. He had seen the casted glances that lasted far too long, primarily when his mother’s sworn shield believed no one else to be watching.

But who was this second man his brother referred to?

“We shall speak more of it when I return,” Aemond promised. “I only wanted to see you before I set off.”

Aegon eyed his brother’s traveling cloak. “I wish you a safe flight then, Brother. I hear the weather in the Stormlands is not to be taken lightly.”

Not that either of them would have known of that personally. Their mother had opted to keep them within the safety of the Red Keep more often than she probably ought to have in their youth. The journey to Driftmark to attend the funeral of Lady Laena Velaryon had been one of the few trips outside of the capital city that Aegon could recall.

“Although,” Aegon added then with a small chuckle, “I cannot imagine a few trifling storms capable of impeding the mighty Vhagar.”

When the mention of his brother’s pride and joy failed to bring a small smile to his face, as it almost always did, Aegon’s own grin fell.

“Why do you look so downtrodden? Does the intrigue surrounding Lord Borros not excite you?”

“Regrettably, a man gone to madness is not a rare spectacle these days, it would seem.”

Rumor had it that Lord Borros Baratheon had become completely consumed by grief following the death of his father, Lord Boremund, and his only son and heir, Ser Royce, in a hunting accident the year before. Now, the Lord of Storm’s End was left with no one else but a handful of unmarried daughters from his late wife, each of whom were whispered to be as tempestuous as their sire.

That morning, Aegon’s small council had deemed Storm’s End to be a great danger to his cause. Lord Boremund had always staunchly supported Princess Rhaenys and her children’s claim to the Iron Throne. Though Lord Boremund was gone now, it was still uncertain as to whether Lord Borros would uphold his father’s oath to kneel to Princess Rhaenyra and accept her as King Viserys’s heir. There was the hope that offering to take one of his daughters off of his hands might encourage Lord Borros to support Aegon instead. And if Lord Borros backed the King, the lesser storm lords would surely follow.

Aemond, who was of age and unbetrothed, was declared to be the most appealing suitor for this task. Daeron, despite being across the realm in Oldtown, was still young, and a place down in the line of succession. Aegon was all but certain that his mother was already conspiring to betroth his oldest son, Jaehaerys, to his daughter Jaehaera. Aegon’s youngest son, Maelor, might make an appealing suitor in due time… But he was just a babe, and by the time he was of age to wed, Lord Borros’s daughters would be closer to barren than not.

It was fortunate that Aemond had been born who he was, Aegon realized with great humor. Had he been born a princess, Aemond might have been married off to Lord Borros himself.

“If the tales of the Lord of Storm’s End lunacy do not concern you, then why do you look so remorseful?” Aegon prodded. “From where I stand, you have nothing but cause to celebrate, Brother. In a few days time, you will be betrothed. You will soon be wed- and to a wife of your choosing, no less.”

There had been no choice with Helaena. His mother had made the decision for them. If given the chance, neither Aegon or Helaena would have chosen as their mother had, that much was for certain. Aegon did not bother to plead his case before his father, and did not beg him to consider alternative matches. Though the King’s word was law, he had spoken nothing against it.

“Yes,” Aemond conceded, but joylessly. “Rest assured, Your Grace. I will do my duty, and deliver Lord Borros’s allegiance to you. You shall have the Stormlands, and I shall have a wife.”

Aegon groaned loudly. “Gods, brother. You could at least pretend to be appreciative. Most young lords would kill for the chance to be wed to a daughter of a Great House.”

“I am a prince, not just some ‘young lord’.”

“And I am the King,” Aegon asserted, the firm edge in his voice making an appearance once more. “You will do as you are commanded, for the good of the realm. For the good of the family.”

Their mother had been the strongest supporter of the match; she had proposed the very idea herself. Perhaps Aemond’s miffness in response to his circumstances derived from that. He had always been their mother’s favorite; perhaps he felt betrayed at just how swift she was to arrange a marriage for him, and without any consideration as to what he may have wanted.

His younger brother met his stern look with just as much fervor. “I don’t recall you ever giving a damn as to what was for the good of the realm, or the family, before.”

Aegon laughed joylessly, and shrugged once, for he could concede that Aemond’s statement was a fair one. Only a few days ago, he had attempted to flee Westeros, to shirk his duty as his father’s newly proclaimed heir. Aemond, who had always taken duty and the well-being of the family more to heart than he, had found him… Though it was apparent that Aemond did it begrudgingly. There was a moment, a brief moment where he had thought Aemond might accept his pleas, let him escape to Essos or elsewhere, and take up the crown himself.

“There will never be a better time to start than this moment, no?”

“I will do as I am commanded,” Aemond echoed stubbornly, sounding far more mindless than Aegon knew him to be. “But there was no order for me to feign happiness where it does not yet exist.”

“I could command that, too.”

“You could. But only the gods know if such an ambitious venture would yield any fruitful results.”

Aegon stared at his brother for several moments in silence. He suspected Aemond was not genuinely challenging him, but merely testing him. Perhaps Aemond wished to see how much he could get away with, before Aegon was forced to pull in the reins.

When he spotted the familiar teasing twinkle in his brother’s eye, as well as a small smirk that threatened his lips, Aegon’s suspicions were confirmed.

Aemond excused himself shortly after that. Later that night, Aegon watched from his balcony as Vhagar ascended into the night sky. As the dragon passed over the Red Keep, her wide wingspan successfully blocked the moon for several moments.

His brother would find happiness, Aegon decided. Whether it would be in the arms of a Baratheon woman, flying into battle on the back of a beast from the Conquest, or from some other venture, Aemond would find it.

Aegon would find a way to quench his newfound thirst for acceptance. Perhaps the title of “king” would allow him all sorts of new ways to placate his other thirsts as well.

And Rhaenyra would find a way to submit to his will, and bend the knee. Or else she, her uncle-husband, her Strong boys, her Targaryen babes, and all her other allies would find themselves without their heads.

A/N: Thank you for reading! 🖤 I really appreciate you deciding to give this unconventional chapter a shot. I would love to hear any feedback you’d like to offer. We’ll be going back to Dragonstone next, where we should be staying until this is completed.

I hope you all have a great rest of the day and weekend.🖤

[meraki-yao]

This is gonna be really personal, and really venty and probably really selfish, and I’m most likely gonna delete it in the morning, but I feel like this is the only place I can talk about it, so I’m just gonna shout this into the void. If you’re not in a good space either, please stop reading and keep scrolling.

I’m not in a good place in my life right now. Truth be told my mental health has been shit since I was 7, but this is the worst I’ve ever been. Long story short, I was pressured into a college major that I didn’t want by family, and I thought I could pull through the four years of school, but it’s the first semester of the second year and I can’t handle it. I do not suit this major, nor do I find any purpose or joy in trying to deal with it. I hate it, I struggle with, yet it consumes all the time in my life. It’s been like this since the start of college, and it’s just getting worse. It doesn’t help that adults around me keep telling me how good this major is as a career and how I need to start looking for internships. It’s gotten to the point where I’m mentally and physically unhealthy, and I skipped school for the entirety of October without anyone but my sister knowing because classes gave me panic attacks. My parents aren’t people I can talk to about this because 1, they invalidate mental health issues as my fault for not trying hard enough because engineering and science came easy to them 2, they’re the ones who put me in this position in the first place. My sister listens but I help her more than she knows how to help me, and my friends are all busy with their own stuff.

I am seeking professional help on my own, I have bimonthly counselling which helps, and I recently started taking prescribed antidepressants. But for me to find a psychiatrist for a diagnosis on my life long issues and more meds, or for me to start looking into switching a major (which is a fucking arduous process where I am, fuck), I need to wait till I’m done with my exams which will be the last two weeks of December

So for the following month, I’m stuck, and fucked.

RWRB saved me in a way. I accidentally stumbled upon the trailer when it came out and suddenly I had a source of joy, a reason to keep going and keep looking forward to the next day. RWRB made me the happiest I’ve been since January of 2022. I can’t explain why, maybe it’s how I relate to Henry, maybe it’s how firstprince’s relationship is so beautiful, maybe it’s how it’s a rom com, I don’t know. But I have a couple of movies/shows that make a huge impact on my life, and RWRB is one of them. Waking up to something new, waking up happy with something to look forward to felt so good after so long of wanting time to just pass by me. I’ve haven’t watched a movie on repeat since I was 6 and repeating the original Lion King. I started this account because I had so many thoughts about the movie and I wanted to share them.

And I know it’s not the healthiest to hook all of my sanity onto a fandom/movie. But I’m not in a space where I can deal with my actual problems directly right now. And I do have other things in my real life that make me feel a bit better, but RWRB really has been the most effective/impactful one right now.

This is also the first time since Infinity War in 2019 were I followed a movie’s promo and release rather than discover it when all is said and done. And it happened to coincide with the strikes. Which again I’m supportive of and proud of the agreements they achieved, but the timing of everything just makes me so upset.

I thought that Prime would keep it going for a bit, especially after the strike resolved. And right now I’m not saying they’re definitively not doing anything. We don’t know that.

But I thought they would release a new deleted scene on 18th since that’s the date the last two deleted scenes were released, and it was the 100th day since release. When that didn’t happen, I thought they would release it on Thanksgiving. I lost sleep over waiting for it. But that didn’t happen either.

I got an anon ask who kindly but objectively explained the situation on the business side. And after reading and answering those asks…

I felt really fucking bad.

I kinda just lied down, panting and trembling.

It kinda felt like drug addiction withdrawal. Which is a morbid thing to compare it to, because if it weren’t for my myriad of problems this would just be a hyperfixation, but withdrawal is genuinely the only way I can explain my reaction (but to clarify I never actually did drugs)

And the following days I just had this ache and weight in my chest.

I think the reason my reaction is visceral is because RWRB is really my only, singular source of unbridled happiness right now. It’s literally the only thing I’m trying to hold on and stay afloat for, the reason I wake up in the morning. I thought Prime would keep going for a while with a relatively fixed monthly schedule of something new, but that broke off.

And that’s not to say that the fandom isn’t included in my RWRB happiness. I still fucking love the fanart and fanfics I come across.

But the jump from August and September to now, and my worsening issues because of school, it just hits harder.

I’m kind of at a lost right now. I’m getting worse in my own life with exams that I’ll definitely straight up fail (and I used to be a star student: I’ve needed academic validation my whole life) on the horizon, and I feel like I’m losing the only thing I held on to for the past couple of months.

I’m fucked and I don’t know what to do.  

[havinganormalone]

I've been following this case since they were arrested back in August. What is so frustrating and heart breaking is how long people had been blowing the whistle, and how thoroughly the system had failed. Or worse- how the Mormon church enabled and funded this abuse. I have a lot of thoughts about abusive systems that I'll detail under the cut. It's a very rambling path on this high-control clusterfuck.

Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, the two perpetrators who have each pled guilty to 6 charges of felony child abuse, were brought together by the Mormon church, they were enabled by systemic issues in the way the Mormon church operates and their regressive views on sexuality, and this abuse could have been prevented if the Mormon church had more oversight and was held accountable for the way they operated.

People had been calling out Ruby Franke for years for her strict -abusive- parenting style. I mean, when you post about letting your neurodivergent child go without food, about forcing your son to sleep on a beanbag in the living room for months, about dragging your feet taking a child to the ER so you can clean your house, to a youtube channel with 2 million subscribers, you aren’t exactly being low key. But despite the many, many times people called CPS, she was allowed to continue to escalate her abuse. In fact, it sort of had the backfire effect, with CPS being called so often that they started to tune it out. They had thousands of people blowing the whistle, but an overworked CPS system has to filter stuff out.

Her accomplice Jodi Hildebrandt had been the Mormon church's top referred therapist for years, despite the fact that her license was temporarily suspended in 2012 for her unethical treatment of Adam Paul Steed (more on this later). Despite the fact that Jodi's niece (nonbinary, they/them) Jessi Hildebrandt had reported to the police how Jodi had abused and tortured them as a minor, doing things like forcing them to sleep outside in the snow, forbidding Jessi from talking to others, and accusing Jessi of crimes so frequently that Jessi has said it took years of therapy to believe they were not inherently evil. (You can see echoes of this abuse in the way Ruby's daughter refused medical treatment for her injuries for hours, stating to authorities that they were her fault and she deserved them.)

While the Mormon church did remove her from the official referral list after the 2012 incident, she was still the #1 recommended therapist by individual clergy in the Salt Lake Valley along the Wasatch front. For those who are unaware of Mormon bureaucracy, each individual parish is headed by a bishop, who would meet and counsel with members. If a couple came to him with concerns about the husband viewing pornography, the bishop can recommend the couple to marriage counseling. He chooses the therapist, with no oversight. The church has a referral list of counselors they trust (the same one Jodi was on and then removed) but basically it is up to the individual bishop to choose, and if he (always a he, women are not allowed to be bishops) saw Jodi's name on the list in the past and didn't keep updated, or heard about her from other bishops, he's going to keep recommending her. And then when the young couple can't afford it (Jodi was allegedly charging upwards of $2k a month), the bishop can choose to pay for it from church funds. This was how Jodi was unofficially on church payroll. She never worked for the church, but by getting client referrals from bishops, she was able to charge thousands of dollars and funnel money from the Mormon church coffers.

If you want proof of just how much money Jodi was raking in, feel free to check out the $5.3 million home she was torturing children in. She's selling it to cover legal fees. For a while there, you could take a virtual tour of the home that included the bunker room where she had Ruby Franke's 12 year-old son duct-taped and rubbed a mixture of honey and cayenne pepper into his wounds. You might be able to find archives of people doing the 3D tour on TikTok.

There are also several rumors online that Jodi helped the church develop their Addiction Recovery Program (ARP). I have yet to find solid evidence of this, and have some doubts about those claims, simply because this predatory practice has been around so long that even if Jodi had put together the specific model the Mormon church uses, she is far from the one who developed it. Regardless, both the methods Jodi uses in her ConneXions classroom, Jodi's old company LifeStar, and the LDS (Mormon) Church's Addiction Recovery Program are all alike in the way they pathologize human sexuality.

The basic rundown is that ANY interest in porn or masturbation is treated on the same level as injecting heroin on a daily basis. You are encouraged to treat yourself like an addict, regardless of the frequency of these behaviors. Even men who masturbate once a month are referred to the program. Actual therapists conclude pretty strongly that treating these normal human behaviors like addictions does not help. It increases the amount of shame you feel when doing them, and that shame can have negative impacts on your self-esteem and behavior, not the porn usage itself. It's a viscous self-fulfilling prophecy: porn only negatively impacts you if you feel bad for viewing it.

However, Jodi Hildebrandt made a career off of diagnosing and then treating people for pornography addiction. That cycle is what eventually led Ruby Franke to her. Ruby and her husband were initially referred to Jodi for therapy, and while the exact reasons have not been made public, the fact that Ruby forced her husband to move out a short while later paints a pretty clear picture. This is the exact cycle of control Jodi had done in the past: convince the wife that their husband is a dangerous sexual predator for normal sexuality, make the husband feel guilty, use that guilt to place an ultimatum on the husband so that the wife can force him to go no-contact while still footing the bill, and then milk the couple for exorbitant therapy for as long as this strained relationship can last.

It was this modus operandi that she used against Adam Paul Steed, a victim of childhood sexual abuse while in the Boy Scouts of America. If you don't know who Adam Paul Steed is, the short story is that his bravery in coming forward and refusing to be silenced about his sexual abuse in Scouts resulted in Idaho changing the statute of limitations on underage assault (previously capped at 5 years, which meant the period would expire before many victims had even processed their childhood abuse and had words to define it). This had a ripple effect of allowing thousands of victims of sexual assault in Boy Scouts to come forward about their abuse. So yeah, he's a hero who does not suffer abuse in silence.

Flash forward years later to when Adam Paul Steed was married, and he and his wife were referred to Jodi Hildebrandt for therapy after it was discovered that Adam occasionally watched porn. Adam was forced into the same cycle of being told he is a dangerous predator, he is an addict, he isn't safe. Can you imagine what it's like for a victim of childhood sexual abuse to be told those things? And then as part of his therapy, Adam was essentially blackmailed into attending a support group that contained both men like himself, who occasionally masturbated, along with men who had committed incest and rape. In the eyes of the Mormon church and Jodi Hildebrandt, those sins are all interchangeable.

Being told he was on the same level as the man who had molested him as a child was Adam's breaking point, and that was when Adam put his foot down and refused to endure anymore. As a result, his wife divorced him, and Jodi broke client confidentiality to tell both Adam's bishop and the Honor Code Office of BYU (the Mormon college that Adam was attending at the time) that he was "the most dangerous person [Jodi] had ever met." This resulted in BYU kicking Adam out. He lost all progress on his college degree (BYU is notorious for stonewalling people kicked out when they try to transfer credits, often taking months to years to provide transcripts and making every effort possible to block students trying to transfer to other schools), along with his wife, infant daughter, and his reputation. This was the point at which Adam made a formal complaint about Jodi's breach of ethics in violating client confidentiality, which is what led to her 2012 suspension of her license.

But this did not stop the Mormon church from recommending Jodi. To them, Adam had gotten what he deserved for not being willing to overcome his "addiction." (If you really want to go down the conspiracy rabbit hole, there are also theories that this was intentional retribution for what Adam had done to the Boy Scouts, since for a long time they were the Mormon church's pet program. However, these are just theories that would probably be impossible to substantiate, so I won't go in depth on them here.)

Adam Paul Steed's story is an amazing one of resilience and integrity, and he continues to speak out against Jodi Hildebrandt. If people had listened to him a decade ago, a lot of this horror could have been avoided. He did an amazing 5 hour interview on the Mormon Stories Podcast that brought me to tears several times. Unfortunately, his ex-wife threatened a defamation lawsuit (even though she isn't NAMED in the interview), so that interview has been taken down. It's a darn shame there are no mirrors anywhere.

Anyways, circling back to the point. Ruby Franke is not a victim. A recent evidence dump includes her journal, where she gleefully describes the inhuman torture she put her children through. You can find a ton of breakdowns on Youtube, although I personally recommend Jordan and McKay's video, as they have been covering 8 Passengers (Ruby Franke's Youtube Channel) for years, and were some of those early whistle blowers. Ruby has claimed that everything was Jodi's idea. Quite possibly it was. That doesn't change the fact that Ruby was an eager participant.

These two women were sociopaths who were allowed to operate unchecked. Or worse, were allowed to operate when the checks we have in place failed. They had a propensity towards abuse and exerting control over others that manifested long before it got to the point of forcing her daughter to repeatedly jump into a cactus to "discipline" her. My hope from this case is that it forces us to ask two things:

-How can we better enforce the safety checks we already have in place that failed in this case?

-How can we establish new safety checks to prevent this kind of behavior from ever happening?

While I don't claim to have all the answers, I think a good place to start would be by installing restrictions on exploitative "family channels" on social media. Clearly we need to be more skeptical of the kinds of person that would use their children to earn a buck. Allowing people to earn money from exploiting their children like this offers them the means to shield themselves from consequence. Ruby's money and influence was a huge buffer that allowed her to get away with this for so long. By restricting the income a family channel can make, we would go a long ways towards limiting the power a would-be sociopathic parent can earn. Youtube could demonetize any videos that contain an uncensored minor's face. Brands could not offer sponsorships to child-centric channels. Local government could be allowed to act on publicly available information, ie Child Protect Services could establish a child is in danger based on the exploitation in videos.

Another good place to start would be better restrictions and oversight on how a religious institution operates with for-profit companies. I obviously have very strong FEELINGS about the Mormon church's stance on... essentially everything. However, even allowing the church to continue their toxic attitudes towards sex (a freedom of thought that should be extended to all people), the damage that mindset could do would be limited if churches were not allowed to make mental health referrals with no oversight. This sort of relationship has long allowed things like conversion therapy camps, troubled teen centers, and other dubious for-profit enterprises to flourish. Maybe religious institutions could still financially support their members that were seeking help and needed assistance, but they would have less say on who the member went to. A non-partisan list of curated therapists or resources that members were allowed to choose from, rather than clergy only allowing them to seek help from people who will echo un-scientific and destructive viewpoints, would eliminate the Jodi Hildebrandt pipeline we saw in this case.

Sorry this was long and rambling, this was not 1/10th of my thoughts about this case and the systemic problems with the Mormon church, so it probably is hard to follow. I just needed to vent it somewhere.