#She deserves to be drawn better like the queen she is

[no-name-blu]

GOLDEN FLOWER AU BELONGS TO @cleo-arty

Now that her character design is revealed I can post the fanart I made of THIS PRETTY LADY HERE

This is old though and my art skills wasn't arting that day

I'll draw a better art of her one day :D

[notmoreflippingelves]

Why is it that my rare pair tendencies are not limited strictly to my hyperfixations of the moment but in like 99% of media that I consume? It's not fair. I just get a tiny little urge for like a day to read a fic or see an art for a specific pairing before returning to my main interest. Only to find that particular pairing that my stewpid brain had convinced itself "must be huge in this fandom because how could it NOT BE?" barely exists--if it even exists at all and I have clowned on myself yet again.

[comfortless]

so. please consider: König is a prince (yeah we aren’t going full king this route, maybe he has an older brother or some complications having the throne to himself but either way he has some power just not all of it lol) and reader is part of a performing troupe that usually acts out plays outside of the castle. he goes out to watch them and becomes so desperate for her that he gets /her/ to perform as /him/ when the plays are about his heroic deeds or whatever.

i have had this idea stuck in my head for days and i just know you can bring it to life 🩵

the evil little König in my head took over. no one look at me. 🥩🏰

prince!König x fem reader.

content/warnings: 18+. minors do not interact. dubcon. mentions of adultery (not committed by reader or König), corruption kink (virgin!König), cunnilingus, light roleplay, scent & praise kink, smut (piv), reader is kind of evil here (König still manages to be worse), allusions to abduction.

“You are certainly lovelier than my wife, the Queen!”

He had his sword drawn, not high enough to elicit panic, but just enough to know that yes, there was a very present threat. This could be a bloodbath in an instant. Speak another word — he won’t refrain. He feels his teeth grit, grating, ash in the mouth and in the air.

The actors are unaware where they are stood on stage, and the mass of bodies surrounding barely take note of their Prince. A phantom. Loathed thing that he has always been. More hated than even their lecherous, stupid king. There’s only one thing he’s good for and it’s never been politics; there’s no need to garner up public appeal when your stage is a foreign field littered with blood and corpses.

Another insult to his poor mother and the city could be one too.

From a small wooden booth acting as a prop depiction of a brothel, steps a woman. Barefoot, bare flesh, the only thing she wears is a breast band and a loincloth of finely stitched lace. She isn’t a whore, not in truth, but she looks the part of the women his men rush to the second they’ve returned home. Ale and sex in abundance, and he’s never had the focus for the latter after a round of the former.

He watches as she sways, draws her hand to her forehead and bats her lashes while her other trails up her thigh to the hem of the piece concealing her womanhood. She stops with a laugh, turns to the crowd with sparkling eyes and says, “You lot should not cheer! The Queen surely deserves better than a womanizing fool!”

König’s never been one for plays, how tactlessly they slander the royal family and make jest of current affairs. This troupe, though… he thinks it’s done in taste. Or maybe it’s just her.

Even as the aging performer with his weathered face and messy gray beard acting the part of his father rushes to the pretty thing on stage and paws at her waist, König can not tear his eyes away.

The scene reaches its end when the brothel is burned, enacting something horrible the king had done several springs ago. Bereaved, the woman returns to the stage and bares her breasts, monologuing so sweetly as she feigns tears for her fallen sisters.

König swears to be nothing like his father but he still finds his trousers fitting more tightly at the sight, not foul enough to touch himself here, if ever at all. His heart aches with each fragile word spilled from those plush lips, and his cock demands further engagement with each gentle sway of her body and heave of her round tits.

His sword slots back into place at his hip when the scene comes to an end: the crowd a storm of laughter, the fire of the torches illuminating the street flickering, the actors dissipate behind the wooden stage, and all at once the play is over.

Tactless and impulsive, he thinks to thank her for not furthering the set-up for a joke, looks the part of a proper fool when he makes his way backstage where she’s sat wiping away carmine from her cheeks. The actress’ eyes go wide and hazy when she catches sight of him towering over her, the cloth and mirror slipping from her hands to rest on the table.

Of course, she takes it as a warning, asks him if he would prefer they only act out the current affairs— the recent siege of the southern kingdom, maybe? Or a story about the harvest festival? The gods or beasts? Anything she can sputter out to the man she easily recognizes as being the Prince.

König only finds himself further endeared when she dips her head as if ashamed and moves to conceal the bare skin of her stomach as though it would be insulting to see her in such a state of undress.

He excitedly tells her about the siege, of how he slaughtered those treasonous men and so valiantly brought their women and children to the capital to live much more honest lives, boasting while she looks on in acute, wonderous horror. That’s what he chooses, even pulls his hood from his face and drops it into her lap when he tells her she has to play his part.

The actress explains to him, docile and sweet, that she’s never played a male role and certainly lacks the stature to accurately represent him of all people. To which, he laughs, bids her a farewell with a flick of his wrist and wanders back out into the cobblestone and muck to finish up his patrol of the city.

A fortnight later, she returns to the stage in hastily put on armors, his veil hanging proudly about her head, a wooden sword clasped tightly in her hands. The crowd watching laughs at her expense as she tries in earnest to perfect the way she imagined his sword must have danced during that siege. The male actors fall with each tap of the weapon’s tip, and her voice takes on a forced, deeper tone when she speaks her praises to the kingdom she’s pilfered glory for.

König only sees fire, not in the flames of torches but lain out before him, a heat that courses from the picture of this beautiful little doe on stage straight down to simmer in his chest, his stomach. She’s so cute, pretending and doing her best just to appease him that he finds himself backstage again once the play concludes.

It’s just to talk, to congratulate her on a wonderful performance. He even presents a hefty sack of gold coins to her when she returns his veil, and she marvels at the donation, takes each piece and turns it in her fingers for a time before setting the little bag on the table.

Her brow scrunches for a moment before she settles on offering her hand out to him, fingertips ghosting over his upper thigh, loitering on the armor shell protecting him and drifting further up until he takes her hand and interlocks their fingers. Surely then, the actress comes to realize that her prince is as pure as the sisters in their temples.

She breathes out a laugh and shakes her head.

“I mean to pleasure you, my Prince,” she says, less meek now and more insisting. Her hand draws back to remove the prop armor from her body, eyes never leaving his own.

Though he considers the woman’s offer heavily, pulse stampeding and heart aching, he does eventually will himself to voice a weak refusal.

Never does he keep himself holed away from her for long, even after; König returns for each play whilst his men go about patrolling the city for prowlers and thieves. He watches each performance and continuously seeks her out backstage after. They talk each time, with him offering his suggestions and her clamoring for excuses as to why, no, she isn’t fit to play his role for another fight or some drab court meeting.

Finally, the same song and dance proves too much.

This night, there is no play and König still finds himself in the room cluttered with set pieces and props. The other actors have gone about seeking their own affairs for the evening; bedsides to coax comfort from or mugs of ale and bowls of bone to drown themselves in whilst gambling away the coins the hungering crowd has thrown their way.

She sits with him, perched up on her little table wearing nothing at all. Her skin is lit aglow by candlelight, the incense burning bathing all in the welcoming, warm comfort of lavender and rosemary. There’s ash in his chest again when he finds himself at her side, already aching with a want that should not exist, one that he would deny in full with bared teeth and blurry vision.

Only, she doesn’t prompt him with questions when her palms splay flat at the chest of his tunic, just grins like a wolf given a fat leg of mutton when she feels him begin to tense. She assures him that she’s only teaching him to act after demanding that he kneel, catches his jaw atop her hand and guides his face between her thighs where he then pants and groans at the foreign, enticing scent.

It awakens something in him, something bathed out and buried in blood, the very same that courses through his veins like a violent river now. A feral look and an iron grip on her hips that would leave bruises is all she gets. All until she hisses out the words, “I am your princess and you will do as I ask.”

The first lick is hesitant, clumsy, his stubble grazed over her most sensitive parts as he slips his tongue across the smoothness of her slit. He doesn’t have an idea of what he’s doing, only enacting the vile things he’s heard men about the castle speak of, how to properly take a woman apart and push her to not only want, but to need.

Mostly, she’s unimpressed.

When he gathers her taste on his tongue, he becomes a man possessed, ripped away from duty and sovereignty and brought down to the lowness of mere swine. He groans into her cunt, laps and suckles at anything his tongue and lips can touch, savors the sight, dewy and swollen when he presses a kiss to the bud that finally does get her to purr.

“Sweet boy..,” she coos to him when her hands find his hair, petting him so gently as he continues to lap at her clit. “You’re taking such good care of your princess, yes?”

His mind blanks entirely, driven forward with a renewed, feverish vigor as he dismantles her wholly with a drooling mouth and an unrelenting stare. Rationality should have pulled him away before it ever got to this point; she’s a peasant, and he can’t run amok fathering bastards and condemning himself to Hell for a simple woman. But that’s all beaten back by her taste, the way she writhes in his hold, keeps whispering her praises and lacing those soft fingers through his hair… no amount of devils or men could pry him from her cunt.

Only she does when her voice comes in a pant and her grip tightens to pull him back. The table, his face, all sticky and wet with what must have been her very essence, drawn out by a man lacking experience but so unknowingly eager.

“Take off your clothes,” comes her next demand, one he obliges with a great hesitance.

The tunic is pulled away with shaking hands, the tie of his trousers next. He mutters a curse below his breath when his cock springs free, so erect and angry it looks painful. The tip drools just as much as that fluttering heaven between her legs, pearly beads of preejaculate leaking down to stain the fabric and further condemn him to this impromptu fate.

He jerks when she wraps her hand around him there, whines when she leans forward to kiss its head.

“I can’t…” His voice sounds weak to his own ears, pathetic and miserable as he makes a mock attempt at prying her away with a gentle press to her shoulder. “My princess… we should not.”

He’s almost certain she’s a devil herself sent to exact some punishment upon him when her lips curl up into a grin and she lies back with her knees drawn to her chest. She speaks such words to him then that he would not dare to ever repeat, songs only the unknown could sing. An angel, perhaps, when she slips a finger into herself to demonstrate to him just what should be done… there, with panting breaths and whispers of heaven.

And finally, when his cock throbs and kicks at the sight, all resolve is entirely lost. He positions himself over her where she guides the tip of his manhood to her slit, praises his size when his hips give an involuntary twitch and he slightly dips into her, sampling her warmth and the resistance from something so thick pressing into her.

His world crumbles at the sensation, cobblestone replaced by the raging heat of brimstone and an obscene lust that clouds his mind and leads him to spear her open to his hilt.

He finds holiness in their union, bites back a roar when her walls tremble around him. She only laughs when his teeth find her shoulder, only sings more hymns into his ear as he fucks into her cunt at a reckless, brutal pace. The words don’t register, far-away and distant amidst the roaring tide of sensation. She’s so tight, so wet and yearning, quivering beneath him and clawing down his back.

“We shouldn’t, hm?,” she whispers in his ear, teeth grazing the lobe. His strokes become even sloppier, each thrust stuttered and heady when the sound of her voice pulls through the haze of bliss. “My sweet boy is so good at this, though…”

His voice is nearly a wail when he loses himself fully then. He holds the back of her thighs, fucks himself through an orgasm that leaves his head spinning and his body shaking as though he’s come down with some wretched fever. And perhaps he is ill, because he can’t bring himself to think of anything more than the divine rapture of stuffing his seed into the warmth of her pussy, can’t bring himself to pull his cock out of her even when he begins to soften.

His face is buried against her neck, professing his endless love as he breathes her in and ruts into her over and over until his cock is once again stiffened and drooling inside of the very cunt he would die to keep.

Surely, when her troupe begins to pack to drift further out into the kingdom for their performances to be seen… he could accuse them of slander, have the old man playing the part of the lecherous king executed, the others thrown into rat-infested cells, and the little princess tethered to his bed to warm his heart and his cock.

He will kiss away her tears, tell her that all could be forgiven if she would only let him make an honest woman of her.

[blacknedsoul-blog]

Montresor (and Willtresor) are the Bad Ending of White Raven III: now it is personal

Well, after realizing that I have like (check the list) two unfinished "sagas" of essays, I remembered that I had this 80% done and I told myself that maybe it was an excellent time to get on with this shit to keep kicking the archetypes and gothic tragedy essay under the rug

When I thought about this ("hey, if Montresor has so many similarities to Lenore and Annabel, where does that leave Will?"), my first thought was that the parallel would be this:

We have a charming blondie charlatan who arrives just in time to offer their "friendship" (wink, wink) to a poor individual who couldn't be hungrier for affection and validation. A deal sealed with a handshake, otherwise.

Here the parallel between Will and Lenore is drawn in that they are both rather reactive people: they don't take the initiative to do things, they react to things that happen around them. For example, Will wasn't the one who came up with the idea of putting Duke behind the wall, just as Lenore didn't come up with this whole fake rivalry scheme.

But neither of them refuse to participate, either because they think they can get away with it, or because they don't stop to think about the consequences of the things they get into. And, in general, they tend to panic when things don't go their way and immediately back off (even when that's not possible).

But this is where the parallel ends, because their personalities and approaches are completely different: Will tends to curl up in a ball and look for excuses not to get hurt, while Lenore is an extremely blunt weapon capable of taking whatever is thrown at her.

So you can imagine the look on my face when, after thinking it over, I realized that the person Will has the most in common with is not Lenore.

It's Annabel.

Because if we had a nickel for every time we saw a character in Nevermore…

Be willing to tolerate physical harm to protect an object of affection whose game has backfired.

Idealizing that object of affection to obsessive levels.

Taking harmful attitudes out of a desire to be accommodating because they think that's what that person expects of them.

And putting up with it even though it is tearing them apart inside...

We would have two nickels. It's not much, but it's interesting that it happened twice.

With that, I could up the ante and point out something else that Annabel and Will have in common: they're both invisible people. Will is someone no one gives a second glance to, while Annabel is seen more as an object or an idea than an individual (a pretty accessory in life, an unbeatable queen in death). They don't really matter to anyone.

Except for one person. One person for whom they are willing to give absolutely everything. Their lives, their physical integrity, their identity.

This creates an enormous fear of being abandoned by that person, when they have given them such an important part of their self-construction, who are they without them?

Then there is the particular way in which they both understand relationships. Annabel has openly stated that she sees social relationships as commercial exchanges. It is not known whether Will has a similar view, but in practice he behaves much like Annabel in this respect: they see themselves as important to the extent that they can be useful to their particular person. Tools to be used, rather than individuals deserving some form of appreciation, care, or even affection for simply being them.

Under that premise, it's to be expected that Montresor or Lenore will discard them the moment something more useful or better comes along, because that's what you do with tools. If some of them end up in the trash, it's because Annabel or Will have failed to remain useful, and they need to make amends for their mistakes in order to be considered worthy of a second look.

Which makes it tremendously ironic that Lenore says this to Will…

When in the midst of a panic attack, this is one of the first concerns Annabel has to express.

At this point, the difference between the two situations jumps out: Lenore cares about Annabel. Where Montresor is more than happy to use Will's complexes to keep him chained to him, Lenore is far from being comfortable with all that crap. Again, what draws the lines in the end is that there are people who have their hearts in the right place and there are people who don't.

But I think there's one thing that's a little darker: please watch Montresor's face when he realizes that the person he's choking is Will.

And watch his complete lack of reaction when Lenore pulls it out of his face.

I think the fucked up thing about the situation is that Montresor seems to care about Will. At least enough to feel a certain amount of remorse. But in a world where there are winners and losers (a perspective he shares with Annabel), where it doesn't pay to care about the losers if you're a winner, Montresor doesn't have the resources to treat Will any better. Even if he wanted to, he's too deep into toxic patterns of behavior to show him any degree of kindness, because the only way this man is able to relate is through abuse, control, and manipulation.

This is extremely fucked up when you consider that this is the fuzzy line that separates Lenore and Montresor in the roles they have within the relationship with Annabel and Will.

At the end of the day, the Willtresor is a dark reflection of the White Raven, because that's the consequence of instrumentalizing the relationship in this way: you have one party who benefits from what the other is willing to do for them -and no matter how much they care, it still relegates them to the role of tools- and another person desperately picking up crumbs of validation because they don't think they deserve any better.

[yujinnieswifeu]

Can you write red velvet x fem reader?

a/n: Hii i’m so so truly sorry for the long wait anon, please forgive me!! 😭 since i don’t really know much abt red velvet, i just wrote some drabbles of Irene and Seulgi, i hope its fine and you enjoy it!! Thanks for the request ;)

Warnings: none, just super fluffy hehe

How Irene and Seulgi reacts during confessions

Irene

We all know Irene is ice queen and im not going to change my mind 🤓 so when you hear the words that spilled past her lips when she confesses that she liked you for awhile now, you were not only taken back, but also glad she had come up to you first since if it was the other way around, you probably would not have said anything because of her icy demeanour and just go home crying in your pillows.

“S-so..i just want to know if you like me too?” Her hands were kept busy, a nervous habit of hers and you held them abruptly, which makes her breath hitch slightly, her face getting slightly red at the contact.

“I liked you for a while now too” you had nodded your head, squeezing her hands which were probably sweaty but you did not care one bit. “You..do?” She looks up at you, since you were slightly taller than her, and your lips curves up to your eyes, your eyes were sparkling which she was always drawn to. It just made her fell for you even more and she could feel her heart beating against her chest.

“Can i..kiss you?” She inches closer, backing you up against the wall of your enclosed room, her demeanour changing but you kinda liked it? “Y-yeah..” Irene closes the gap between you two, kissing you softly at first, your hands were squeezing hers slightly and she rubs your palm, deepening the kiss.

She pulls away, her eyes a darker shade of brown. “You taste so good y/n…”

Seulgi

Seulgi is so puppy coded?? You can’t tell me otherwise. Just imagine her always being so cheerful wherever she goes, it was something that you always liked about her, her bubbly personality. But beyond that, she was always so sweet as well, whenever you were sad over a break up with one of your exes, she was there for you. Telling you that they don’t deserve you, telling you that it was their loss and that you deserve someone better.

Soon, you found yourself drawn to her, how she always cared for you and at your side no matter what happens, making you fall in love with her even more. And not to mention how pretty she looks, how could you not?

It was as if luck was on your side, and as cliche as it sounds, you tripped and fell on her accidentally, her back hitting the hard floor as your face were inches away from hers. It was like those k-dramas, and in that moment, you felt it, the electricity between you two. Your eyes searched hers, and she simply gulped, before reminding you that you were still on top of her.

After that incident, she has been ignoring you. It was coming to a week now and you were starting to lose patience. Every time you would go up to her to try to spark a conversation, she would just find someone else to talk to, dragging them away instead, leaving you frustrated.

When you saw her again, she was about to run off with someone and that was when you erupted. “Kang Seulgi!” She had stopped in her tracks, everyone around her started to quickly walk away from you two, realising the situation and you stomped up to her.

“I’ve had it up to here with you, explain why you are avoiding me!” You said rather loudly, your teeth were clenched slightly in frustration as your hands were curled into a fist. “Wha..what are you talking a-about?” She was acting dumb which frustrated you even more, rolling your eyes as you let out a frustrated sigh, you pulled at her wrist, yanking her to an empty classroom before closing the door behind you two.

“Explain yourself Kang, ever since that incident you have been avoiding me.” You whined in annoyance, and she could feel her cheeks turning hot just at the thought of the incident. How could she not? She had this huge HUGE crush on you for the longest time now and that happened, it just made her scared, she did not want to lose you.

“I….i..i’m sorry.” She sighed, her hands were sweaty as she placed them at her side like a kid would, which made you sigh, holding one of her hands in yours as you gave it a comforting squeeze. “Please Seulgi…tell me why? Did you know? I…i was so happy when that happened, to be that close to you..i know it sounds wrong and all but i think..i think i like you? I’m not sure yet but you make me fee—”

Soft lips on yours, Seulgi kisses you with hunger, her hands now at the sides of your cheeks as she cups them, you groan into the kiss, your hands tangled in her hair as you pull her impossibly closer to you, making out messily.

Soon, you two pull away, breathing heavily and she giggles, breaking the silent. “Wha..whats so funny?” Seulgi shakes her head, smiling which makes you smile too. The Seulgi you knew was back. “I..i like you y/n..for the longest time, i’m sorry for ignoring you, i was just scared of losing you as a friend so i thought that if i ignored you, we would at least still be f-friends.” Her voice cracked a little at the end, and it made your heart break.

You cup her cheeks this time, wiping the tears forming at her eyes away with your thumb before pecking her soft lips again. “I like you Seulgi, i want to be more than friends if that is what you want to.” She smiles contagiously, nodding her head and you smiled back, before pulling her in for another kiss.

[sailorshadzter]

Can you write a fic where Cat survived the Red Wedding and has to accept that Sansa has to marry Jon to keep the Stark line and the North united? She knows Jon is now the heir but the prospect of marriage still haunts her because of what happened to Robb. And now, Cat wouldn't want to wish what happened to Robb to Jon Snow regardless of his heritage.

HIIII ANON

once again, this has been sitting in my inbox for a long time!!!

hopefully you see this!!!

send me prompts

When the gates open, a wagon rolls in, pulled by a white mare that has seen better days. 

She happens to be standing in the courtyard, talking with a few of the lords when the call comes, so her attention shifts away, blue eyes watching as the wagon comes all the way through. They aren’t expecting anyone, not that it matters, so she excuses herself, wandering away from the center yard and closer to the horse drawn wagon that has now come to a stop.

As the single passenger rises from the bench, her heart skips a beat, her stomach turning over like the wild waves of the sea. Somehow, her heart is telling her all she needs to know about this hooded stranger. 

Coming closer now, she waves away the guards barking questions- who are you, why have you come, and the like, because she doesn’t need to hear the answer the woman will give. As she comes around to the back, the figure is stepping down off the back, her feet crunching in the freshly fallen snow. For a moment, it is as if time is suspended, as if there is not a single other person in the world but the two of them- her lips curve around the syllables of the word she hasn’t used in years… “Mother…”

Catelyn Stark smiles, drawing back the hood of her cloak to reveal a somewhat scarred face, one older than she recalls, but it was her mother all the same. “Sansa,” she breathes, tears overflowing as she forces a smile. “My daughter…” A girl grown into a woman, a sight she thought she might never get to see… But here she was, standing just in front of her. It takes but a moment more for the young woman to fling herself at her, to fall into her arms as if she were that child she’d lost so many years before. “I’m here, Sansa, I’m here,” she whispers, running her hand through the red hair that has grown so long it falls to her waist, twisted back in braids like her own. Catelyn holds her tightly, wishing away her tears and murmuring the softest of words, until only the sound of footsteps draws her away.

When she looks up, over her daughter’s head, it is to look into the eyes of the man she knows has saved Winterfell, has saved Sansa. The boy she once detested, the boy she once neglected, now stands there now, grown into a man, staring at her with wide, gray eyes. Eyes that remind her of Ned, of Arya, eyes that bring pain to her already aching heart. But, she returns to her daughter, the last piece of her, and knows that this was where life was meant to bring her. 

[ x x x ]

“King in the North?”

Catelyn questions without hesitation, looking from one face to the other, once again feeling that ache in her heart. Once, Robb had been called such a thing. The truth was, she imagined to hear Queen in the North upon her arrival, but it was true, Robb had indeed named Jon as his heir, and it seemed as if the North agreed. Truth was, after hearing about all that had happened since the days of Robb, she supposes Jon deserves the title. 

Besides… 

“Have you met with Samwell Tarly?” She asks next, thinking of the man she met some weeks ago, traveling from King’s Landing to Winterfell, saying how once he was comrades with Jon Snow, no, friends even. “Is he not here?” 

Jon shakes his head, surprised to hear his old friend’s name spoken by his step mother. “I have not heard from Sam since before…” He trails off , shaking his head. Since before his death, he means. “Have you met with him, Lady Stark?” Lady Stark… She’s not been referred to by that name in so long now, it feels somewhat foreign. In truth, she’s heard Sansa called by that title all day, her inheritance certain. And now that she looks, there is a closeness between the two of them that she never saw before- perhaps it was one she prevented, in truth. 

“I have,” she admits, wondering if it was her place to tell him what Samwell Tarly had told her. She has but a split second to decide, for they are both staring back at her, Sansa with her wide-eyed gaze, Jon with his somber one. Perhaps this was the will of the gods, whichever ones were still listening…

So she speaks and she doesn’t stop until the story is fully told. 

[ x x x ]

It is the fourth morning of Catelyn’s return and she finds herself in Sansa’s rooms, brushing out her long red hair as she once did so long ago. 

Much has changed in the days since her arrival, the truth of Jon’s birth being an outright shock for all of Winterfell. But, the lords have taken it in stride and it would not be long before they would openly claim him as the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms. 

In due time, of course. 

Catelyn has been thinking this moment over, again and again, trying to decide the best of the situation. The North deserved to be free, independent, just as Robb had intended…. But they still needed to back Jon, in order to win the war that was to come. Targaryen’s were not well loved here in the North, but lucky for Jon, he’d amassed love and respect from the Northerners that could not be stolen away simply because of his father’s blood. He was a Stark, many lords would say, shaking their heads. He was as much of a Targaryen as any one of them. 

“Mother?”

Sansa’s voice draws her out of her own thoughts and she smiles at her over her shoulder, their eyes meeting in the reflection of the looking glass. “I got lost in my own thoughts,” she apologizes as she places the last pin into place. For a single moment, she cannot help but to imagine her as she once was in this place; a hostage, a victim. Sansa hasn’t come out with all of the details of her two unlucky marriages, though she swears Tyrion never touched her, Catelyn knows Ramsay Bolton did the most unspeakable things to her. And these thoughts lead back to Robb, who married out of young, stupid love, that unwavering feeling many don’t get to feel in a world like theirs. Robb had died for love, Sansa nearly died from the violence of a loveless marriage. In the end, her children had found suffering in marriage, whether it be true love or political gain… There was no happy ending, not for Robb and not for Sansa.

But then there comes a knock on her door and when it opens, Jon is there, the sight of him bringing a smile to her face she’s never seen before. She watches as Sansa lights up from within, as she rises up from the chair she occupies to sweep across the room to stand before him. He spares her but one single nod before his eyes are all for Sansa, eyes that she swears she’s seen before… Eyes that she swore Ned once looked upon her with. 

Sansa offers a quick curtsy- sloppy, though she had it perfected at three- and with her arm slipped through his, she allows him to steer her from the room.

 Left alone in silence, Catelyn sinks back in the chair, laughter bubbling on her lips. 

[ x x x ]

Several weeks later, their betrothal is announced. 

Catelyn watches as the loyal Northern lords raise their glasses to the marriage, chanting their pleasure before they drink to it. At the head table, Sansa is blushing, but not in the innocent sort of way, while Jon pours her a second goblet of wine. They would be the finest of couples and the most powerful of monarchs- already Dorne had written of their support and she supposes the rest of the world would not be far behind. They had far more power than Robb ever had, which she supposes should bring her comfort, should hold her heart steady. 

The boy she once wished would die, she now wishes a lifetime of happiness, of health, of love. 

The boy she once wished never existed, she raises her own glass to toast, hoping for happiness, wishing for a lifetime of love.

[teenagesatellitess]

Met you at a party

Social media au

Summary: You’re a YouTuber and your bestfriend is zendaya. She ends up dragging you to the Oscar’s where she introduces you to Timothèe and you two instantly are drawn to eachother and in the coming months you go on dates. Fans are quick to notice.

Authors note: this isn’t my first Social media story but it is the only one I’m proud of. There’s gonna be more to this story and perhaps more social medias with other celebrities?

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Liked by… tmmyfan69, y/naestheticss, and 36,565 more

YouTuberupdates: After posting a pic of her dress, YouTuber uryoutubename, showed up at the Oscar’s alongside best friend zendaya. Zendaya was later seen introducing her to her friends and costars including Timothèe Chalamet, who seemed to be quite friendly with her.

View Comments:

tmmyfan69: Not my mans

timmystatistics: It’s not your man. Stop being delusional.

Fudgecakes: nah frrr😭😭💔💔

User99: He’s friendly with everyone though

Liked by… y/nnn22, zendaya, and 5,345,432 more

tchalamet: A day away from the hustle and bustle

View comments:

tchimmy: Y/N liked omg??!!!!

y/naesthetics: my queen likes so I must like

Zendaya: That view is so pretty

Y/nnn23: like you boo?

User: gdfgsxtf this is so cute

User: Why is she commenting? She’s only met him once🙄

User: are they not allowed to become friends?

User22: weird way to say you’re jealous?

Liked by… tchalamet, jakewebber9, zendaya and 1,543,012 more

Y/nnn22: It was so tempting to jump in but it was cold so I didn’t.

View comments

tmmyfan69: this can’t be…. Were they together?

User2: It would be weird if they were. They only met a few days ago.

user65: why do any of you care? Like honestly. If they were together how does that effect you in the long run?

Zendaya: I’m glad you didn’t. I wouldn’t want my bestfriend getting sick.

tchalamet: She would have if I hadn’t of told her no.

Zendaya: sounds like y/n

Liked by tchalamet

Jakewebber9: i can’t believe you’re betraying me. Left on the sidelines. No friends.

johnnieguilbert:?????

Jakewebber9: our child is growing up. Let me be dramatic

User23: I forgot she was friends with these guys…

y/nnn22: @user23 same…

Jakewebber: Hey!! That is so rude!

y/nnn22: I’m kidding. I love youuu!!

Liked by timmystatistics, y/naesthetics and 2,798,456 more

Y/nupdates: New couple alert? Just last month y/n and timothèe were introduced to eachother at the Oscars and since then, have been seen out in public together. Not only that but have been seen posting pictures with what seems to be the same place or activity over the span of said month. But still no confirmation from the two themselves.

View comments:

User022: I really hope this is fake.

tchimmy: I’m gonna be sick. My man (I’m so happy if this is real)

User8: he deserves all the happiness

timmystatistics: yes he does😭❤️

tmmyfan69: pls no😭 he can do so much better

y/nismommy: and whose that? Because it isn’t you.

User55: momma y poppa? Momma y poppa.

User30: plsss this is so funny😭😭

[that-random-outsider]

OKAY HEAR ME OUT CREEP IS SO RED CODED

Chloe to Red is like everything good in the world combined. She loves her so much it hurts because how could she ever be worthy or someone as good as her? She sentenced Chloe’s mom to death, she watched her own mother stage a coup and Chloe still looks at her as if she's worth all the love in the world and it hurts because Chloe deserves so much better than a VK who has no place in this new world they created together.

Chloe belongs here. She's everything Auradon had pretended to be. She's kind and smart, and stands up for everything she believes in no matter what. Red adores Chloe but she wishes that she could be like that. That she could be one of those kind and open Auradon kids that could deserve someone like Chloe. But she'll always be that weird girl from Wonderland

Red doesn’t belong there. Everything that happened to her, her entire life was erased from existence. She was never "the daughter of the Queen of Hearts" she's the daughter of queen Bridget a woman who loves her rose so fiercely and with everything in her heart. the bruises, the threats, None of it happened. Red wasn't even Red anymore. Her entire life was wiped from existence and she seems to be the only that survived. She didn’t belong there, she didn’t belong anywhere. Not even Wonderland was recognizable anymore, it was all gone.

All Red has ever wanted was control of her own destiny. A chance to live freely from her mom's expectations. She just wants to be normal, she wants to be good. She sometimes doesn't even feel like her body is her own. I could honestly see her developing different habits to remind herself that it is. Anything to make her feel like she has some semblance of autonomy some sliver of a line that could be drawn between the real Red, and the one her mom forced her to become

Chloe is the thing in Red’s heart. The one person that can recognize her for her. The one person that got to know Red beyond the walls Red had put up for protection. She's scared that one day Chloe will realize what Red is already so sure of that Red will never be good enough for her.

Red never feels like she fits anywhere, she's not a VK anymore, but she's not the princess of hearts everyone seems to remember, and she doesn't think she ever could be. But if she could be maybe then she could be the person Chloe deserves. Someone more like Bridget was when she was younger, someone who could be good

Red would do anything for Chloe. She'd do anything to make her smile. All she wants is to see Chloe happy even if she’s not the one that could do that for her. Because if someone as special as Chloe can look at her and smile, what more could she ask for.

[galraluver]

Gonna be honest with u, I have a big kink for people with mommy issues because they're treating me like a fucking goddess (and i think you know who i am at this point, and this question is a little bit awkward now tbh, but i HAVE to ask this:)

Kolivan/Sendak/and two other galra (or not-galra) of your choice with mommy issues X dom[if possible!] momfriend reader?

And can you add their reactions if the reader calls them a "good boy/girl"?

Thx!

Yk i love your writing <3

I'm not really the best at this kind of thing and I'm probably getting this wrong, but I'll give it a try anyway.

😊💕✨️💖

_________________________________________

~ Kolivan ~

~ Kolivan had a mother when he was very young, but one day she disappeared and he never saw her again

~ Because of that, he grew up with mommy issues

~ Kolivan grew up without the gentle love of a mother, and even though he had a great relationship with his father he always felt that something was missing in his life

~ Until he met you, that is

~ You almost immediately know what's going on in this man's life as soon as you meet him and you take on the motherly role he never had growing up

~ Within a few months of his friendship with you Kolivan slowly becomes less cold and stoic

~ He will do anything for you just to hear you praise him

~ Loves being called a good boy, because it heals his soul

_____

~ Sendak ~

~ Sendak had both of his parents around during his childhood, but his mother was always dismissive towards him

~ She always preferred his sisters over him

~ And because of it, he ended up with mommy issues

~ Sendak secretly has self image issues and he's never sure how to treat women; he feels betrayed by his mother no matter how old he gets

~ Of course, that changes after he meets you

~ You treat him far better than his mother ever did and you're just so motherly,

~ After Sendak pours his heart out to you, you work on being the mother he deserves

~ With time, Sendak feels more complete and he's not as aggressive; he also treats you like a queen

~ Each time you tell Sendak he's a good boy, he shows his appreciation for you by giving you a hug while purring deeply

_____

~ Narti ~

~ Narti never really knew her parents because they abandoned her at an orphanage shortly after she was born

~ As you can imagine it caused some issues for her, especially mommy issues

~ She's secretly very anxious all the time until she meets you

~ You have a motherly aura and she's immediately drawn to you

~ For Narti, it feels as though she found a missing part of her life

~ She tries her best to be the best official unofficial daughter you could have ever asked for

~ And if you ever call her a good girl? Narti feels as though her life is truly complete

_____

~ Lotor ~

~ Lotor never really knew who his mother was when he was a child and it created some issues; mommy issues, mainly

~ He refuses to believe that Haggar is his mother even though she is, for him it's just easier to deny that fact

~ However, when Lotor gets to know you better he realizes how mother-like you can be sometimes

~ He treats you like a Goddess and he would never, ever do anything you wouldn't approve of

~ You think he's sweet and look out for him as much as you can

~ Whenever you call Lotor a good boy he finally feels truly loved

[esther-dot]

why do u think grrm smiled and said "doesn't it?" when a fan asked if lady’s death meant that sansa had ceased to be a stark?

I couldn't find an official source for this quote, it popped up on Reddit in a few places, but it looks like this is the source for it:

We've had these debates before about whether Sansa's actions truly resulted in her losing her wolf and father. And whether losing Lady symbolized her ceasing to be a true Stark. In fact, we've had this debate in front of GRRM twice. The first time was in St Louis in 2001 while at dinner. GRRM let us debate, smiling and nodding here and there. He also told us why he created Sansa in the first place, because there is always someone in a family that the others don't get along with. He was a bit coy in answering our questions but in the end he did indicate that Sansa did have responsibility for Lady's and Ned's deaths. I reported this to the board and I recall it being dismissed by some. I distinctly recall someone saying, "Well what I think he really meant to say was..." The second time we had this discussion was in Indy in 2007. There was a boarder there that didn't believe that Sansa's losing Lady symbolized her not being a Stark anymore. The person said so in front of GRRM and GRRM smiled and said, "Doesn't it?" (link)

When they say he smiled, was Martin merely smiling to be nice in a social situation? Was he laughing at them for missing the point? Was he happy that one person understood what he had written? I don't think this description really tells me enough to know what to make of Martin's intent. Presenting a question to someone is about forcing them to think, not necessarily a Statement of your own beliefs, it also can be used to deflect/provide a non-answer, and that seems to be the case here. That post doesn't tell me much at all, tbh, certainly not enough to make me question what did or did not happen in the books.

Is your attention being drawn to some culpability on Sansa's part in these passages?

They were all staring at him, but it was Sansa's look that cut. "She is of the north. She deserves better than a butcher." He left the room with his eyes burning and his daughter's wails echoing in his ears, and found the direwolf pup where they chained her. Ned sat beside her for a while. "Lady," he said, tasting the name. He had never paid much attention to the names the children had picked, but looking at her now, he knew that Sansa had chosen well. She was the smallest of the litter, the prettiest, the most gentle and trusting. She looked at him with bright golden eyes, and he ruffled her thick grey fur. Shortly, Jory brought him Ice. (AGOT, Eddard III)

So he listened, and she told it all, from the fire in the library tower to Varys and the guardsmen and Littlefinger. And when she was done, Eddard Stark sat dazed beside the table, the dagger in his hand. Bran's wolf had saved the boy's life, he thought dully. What was it that Jon had said when they found the pups in the snow? Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord. And he had killed Sansa's, and for what? Was it guilt he was feeling? Or fear? If the gods had sent these wolves, what folly had he done? (AGOT, Eddard IV)

If Martin wanted to write the blame on Sansa, he could have. Instead, he emphasizes Sansa and Lady's innocence, their trusting nature, how they were betrayed:

Sansa begs for Lady as she begs for herself, but it is futile. These words: “She was the smallest of the litter, the prettiest, the most gentle and trusting” (AGOT, Eddard III) may just as easily have been written about Sansa. Lady calmly looks up at Ned never expecting that he would kill her, and Sansa believed Joffrey’s promise to spare Ned. Both Lady and Sansa’s trust was used against them: “Once she had loved Prince Joffrey with all her heart, and admired and trusted his mother, the queen. They had repaid that love and trust with her father's head. Sansa would never make that mistake again.” (ACOK, Sansa I) Ned looked into Lady’s eyes and killed her, Joffrey looked into Sansa’s eyes and took Ned’s head. Is the point that Lady was stupid for trusting Ned, or that Ned was wrong to take an innocent life, to participate in an unjust act? That Robert was wrong for commanding it? Is the point that Sansa is stupid? Or that Joffrey and Cersei wronged her? (link)

So, I don't know what to say about what that conversation with Martin, I don't know what preceded his response or followed it. I only know what he wrote in the books, and imo, it isn't what the poster believes it to be. Instead of Martin saying Sansa is less of Stark, I think he has taken pains to associate Sansa and the North, not merely through her longing to return home, her love of the cold and snow, her scene of rebuilding Winterfell, the prophecy of her returning North and exacting justice for all of LF's crimes against her family, but also through what her she endures:

People who say that need to contrast the thrill of reading this:  "The King in the North!" "The King in the North!" "THE KING IN THE NORTH!" (AGOT, Catelyn XI) with this "The gown had long sleeves to hide the bruises on her arms. Those were Joffrey's gifts as well. When they told him that Robb had been proclaimed King in the North, his rage had been a fearsome thing, and he had sent Ser Boros to beat her." (ACOK, Sansa I) The author wrote the birth of the independent North in bruises on her skin. Martin tied Sansa to the North's fate but instead of giving her the glory, he made her pay for it. While Robb and the North fight on a battlefield, it is Sansa’s body men seek to claim in order to secure the North. (link)

I think Sansa will have great importance to House Stark and the North in the future, her freedom will align with theirs, and I'm not sure why Cersei being evil and Robert being a weak, unjust king, is Sansa's fault. And, it will always fascinate me that so many fans have read this passage:

"Surely you did not think I'd forgotten about your sweet innocent, my lord? The queen most certainly has not." "No," Ned pleaded, his voice cracking. "Varys, gods have mercy, do as you like with me, but leave my daughter out of your schemes. Sansa's no more than a child." "Rhaenys was a child too. Prince Rhaegar's daughter. A precious little thing, younger than your girls. She had a small black kitten she called Balerion, did you know? I always wondered what happened to him. Rhaenys liked to pretend he was the true Balerion, the Black Dread of old, but I imagine the Lannisters taught her the difference between a kitten and a dragon quick enough, the day they broke down her door." Varys gave a long weary sigh, the sigh of a man who carried all the sadness of the world in a sack upon his shoulders. "The High Septon once told me that as we sin, so do we suffer. If that's true, Lord Eddard, tell me … why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when you high lords play your game of thrones? Ponder it, if you would, while you wait upon the queen. And spare a thought for this as well: The next visitor who calls on you could bring you bread and cheese and the milk of the poppy for your pain … or he could bring you Sansa's head. (AGOT, Eddard XV)

only to walk away from AGOT thinking that the author wants us to blame Sansa for the things she has suffered.

[toon-tales]

Hiya! Have another chapter of the 'Branch has a child' au, because I love this au so much!

Anyway, this takes place after Branch confessed to Poppy in Twt

Your comments and thoughts are always appreciated and welcomed! Enjoy!

Branch knew he was better off keeping his love hidden. He had a child counting on him, for crying out loud.

Besides, he had always known his dark and gloomy exterior would never be enough for someone as vibrant and colorful as the queen of pop herself. But the case now was different. He had gotten his colors back, his relationship with Poppy was significantly better, and maybe he valued their friendship too much to jeopardize it by revealing his feelings for her.

But every time he saw her smile, heard her laugh, or watched her dance, his love for her only grew stronger. Poppy was the embodiment of joy that Branch secretly yearned to embrace. She, with her infectious enthusiasm and relentless optimism, was like a beacon of light in Branch's often shadowed world. He couldn't help but feel drawn to her, like a moth to a flame, even though he had believed he was destined to linger in the background, unnoticed and unloved.

He loved her, so much.

And he wasn't even aware of himself confessing at Volcano rock city that fateful day until she had said "I love you too, Branch."

And now, he was facing the consequences of this moment of weakness.

His eyes wandered, his gaze landing on his daughter, that little bundle of joy who had brightened his life in more ways than he could have ever imagined. She was innocent and pure, still so new to the world he had prevented her from for so long, and in need of his care and attention.

He watched her gracefully play with youngsters from different types of trolls, exploring her surroundings with wide-eyed wonder, and couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility and protectiveness towards her. Rosiepuff was so full of curiosity and energy, always eager to learn and discover new things. She kind of reminded him of a younger version of Poppy, with her vibrant personality and infectious laughter, and he smiled at the thought, feeling Poppy's grip tighten around his hands, her gaze on him, and it made his stomach churn. He wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Poppy..." he started, his voice low, "I... I can't... I-I shouldn't have said that..."

And at those words, the queen felt her world shatter. "What...?"

"I have a daughter..." Branch murmured. "And she's been locked up for so, so long..."

"She can explore all she wants!" Poppy exclaimed, her voice laced with hope. "We'll be by her side! We won't leave her alone, ever!"

Branch shook his head. His hands slowly retreated from his lover's, despite his heart protesting. It hurt. But he'll just hurt both of them if he said yes. "It's just that... she needs her father, you know?" his voice was soft as he continued, "and I haven't been what she deserves." He paused, smiling just a fraction. "But I'm here now, and she needs this new me. And you won't..."

"Won't what, Branch?" Poppy persisted. "You know I love Rosiepuff like a daughter."

"I know, I know..."

"Then what?"

"It won't be fair to either of you, okay?"

Poppy looked at him, really looked at him. "What do you... mean?"

The older sighed. "Poppy, I love you, alright? But if we got together, then I can't promise to always be present."

Poppy nodded. "I understand-"

"You don't," Branch interrupted. "You just... don't..."

"Then help me understand!"

"Look, Poppy, I love you. Really, really love you," Branch uttered, "but we just can't be..." And with that, he turned away, heading outside to get his daughter and go home.

But unknownst to the pair, their conversation wasn't as personal as they thought.

---------------

Rosiepuff's brows furrowed, her coloring coming to a halt as the earlier interaction between her father with Poppy rang in her head.

He sounded so sad, you could hear it in his voice as he was talking to Poppy. He would sound so melancholic when talking about her now, too, even after days. And in all honesty, it was confusing the little girl. She has always watched him closely, noticing the way his eyes would light up despite the sadness when he spoke of Poppy, the way his voice would soften with affection. It was clear to Rosiepuff that her father loved the queen, but there was something that she couldn't quite comprehend.

Why was he so... sad? Almost like before?

She didn't want him to turn back to his old self. Don't get her wrong, Rosiepuff loved her father dearly; he took her in and took care of her, and he always made her feel special. Maybe because she was the only person he would hug when the hug time bracelets went off. But either way, she loved and respected him. Though a part of her, a really big part of her, as much as she hated to say it, didn't want the old Branch.

She loved the new one. The one who would sing her to sleep, who would let her play outside (even if he's keeping an eye on her from afar), the one who smiled and talked and laughed.

She wasn't ready to lose that version. Not now, not ever.

She stood up, making her way to the living room. If her father had taught her that talking about her feelings made her feel better, so that's what she was going to do to him.

"Daddy?"

Branch's head snapped up, the book in his hand momentarily forgotten at his daughter's look. "Yes, sweetie?"

"We need to talk."

Branch blinked at her tone, setting the book aside. "Okay..."

Rosiepuff took a deep breath. "You're sad."

"What?" Branch chuckled. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

Rosiepuff crossed her arms over her chest, her pastel-yellow cheeks gaining a hint of pink. She wasn't used to playing the playfully-strict daughter. "Why aren't you honest?"

"And who said I'm not being honest?" Branch asked, smiling despite himself.

"You look sad..." Rosiepuff muttered. "I don't want you sad..."

"Sweetheart, I'm not sad," the older assured her, "I'm just... thinking."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Old people stuff."

Rosiepuff eyed him. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Like 'girlfriend' stuff?" she asked, desperate for any information her father might give, and genuinely concerned. "What does it even mean?"

"Oh, um, a girlfriend is..." Branch hesitated, unsure how to explain such topic to a seven-year old. He pondered for a good minute, before saying, "When a boy loves a girl so much, and she loves him too, they become boyfriend and girlfriend." Simple, perfect, at least for now.

"So kind of, like, a special relationship between a boy and a girl?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you can say that."

Rosiepuff hummed in thought. "So if you love aunt Poppy so much, why did you say no to her when she asked you to be her boyfriend?"

Branch's eyes widened. "What? Rosiepuff, were you eavesdropping on us?"

The girl looked away. "No..." she murmured, but her father's gaze on her was too intense. "Alright, maybe I did hear bits of the conversation. But you guys were loud!"

"Loud, huh?" Branch propped, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes, you two were so loud."

Branch's hand flew to his face. "Sweetheart, I understand you're curious, but eavesdropping is wrong. Don't do it again."

"Okay..." Rosiepuff's smile returned. "Now tell me why!"

"Rosie, there are some things that you shouldn't intervene in, okay?" End of discussion.

But Rosiepuff went on, "You can talk to me, Daddy! I thought our relationship was built on trust!"

The cyan troll shook his head. "Trust, yes. But you're still too young for this kind of conversation."

Rosiepuff's heart sank as her father dismissed her attempt to get him to open up. But who was she to give up? "But Daddy, I can handle it!"

Branch shook his head, his expression a mix of sadness and reluctance. "Rosie, there are some things that you shouldn't have to worry about. Dad's got it under control, okay? Just trust me on this."

But Rosiepuff wouldn't be deterred. "But trust goes both ways, Daddy. You've always told me that we can talk about anything."

Branch sighed, his gaze softening as he looked at his determined daughter. "I appreciate your concern, Rosie. And I do trust you, more than you know. But this is something that I need to figure out on my own. It's complicated."

Rosiepuff glanced up at Branch with a thoughtful expression, her young mind trying to make sense of the situation. She bit her lip hesitantly before tentatively speaking up.

"Daddy, I know it's complicated, but... I just want you to be happy. And if aunt Poppy makes you happy, then I'm okay with that," she said in a small voice, her words laced with sincerity.

Branch's eyes widened in surprise at her words, a mix of emotions swirling within him. "You... you really mean that?" he asked, his voice soft and vulnerable.

Rosiepuff nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yes, Daddy." Before her face fell again. "But... you'll still hang out with me, right?"

Branch's smile took a softer turn. "Oh, sweetheart," he murmured, "nothing and no one could ever take me away from you, you know that."

Rosiepuff hummed in response. Maybe she should have thought about this more.

"Come here." Branch opened his arms, and slowly, ever so slowly, his daughter buried herself in his lap. His grin widened. "You know you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, right?"

"I know..."

"Then you should know that no one ever is going to replace you."

She looked up at him. "Really?"

"Really." Branch confirmed. "And if you're not good with me getting into a relationship yet, then It's okay-"

"No!" Rosiepuff suddenly exclaimed. "I'm good, promise! But... if you dated aunt Poppy, does that make her my mommy?"

Branch smiled. Poppy was not exaggerating when she said Rosiepuff was like a daughter to her. He could see how eager she was to the idea. "It does, sweetie-"

"So she'll live with us?!" Rosiepuff asked eagerly, her eyes wide.

Her father chuckled "Not yet. But eventually, yes."

"We'll be officially a family?!"

"Mhm."

And that was enough to send the girl jumping up and down, squealing with delight.

And Branch, for the first time in months, felt a weight lift off his shoulders. At least for now.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Hey after seeing this, I just read ur posts that basically nailed some things s6 and im curious

What were your thoughts on s6 ? Especially how Viren’s arc was handled and maybe how it connects with the narrative and love of strength?

“Just think how Runaan would have reacted if someone had come to break him out of his cell--or how he will react if someone frees him from the coin. Big moment.” From this post— what does this mean and what did you expect?

On that note the Runaan /moonshadow sequence felt off to me and a little disconnected and the reasons didn’t make sense to me tbh, but tbf I wasn’t looking into it that much? So im curious what your thoughts were on that too

How do you think Aaravos fits into it all? I’m thinking back to “those who fail tests of love deserve to be motivated by fear” the way I take it, that’s 1. his whole vendetta agains the Cosmic Order after Leola was killed. also 2. him saying if you can’t be swayed by the narrative of love you have to use the narrative of strength. (personally, I’m split because while he does do things like destroy katolis castle, racist queen, and fight the cosmic order, he’s also spurring on Claudia‘s hate of dragons and steps in right when she was about to choose a different path away from dark magic.🤔) So overall, how do you now think Aaravos fits into the narrative of love? And possible redemption?

Alrighty, there's a lot to this ask so let's take it in bits!

Thoughts on S6 with regard to how Viren's arc was handled and how it connects to the Narratives of Love and Strength:

I feel Viren has gotten a good ending at this point. Though it wasn't always clear to us at the time, Viren spent a lot of his previous seasons under the influence of various forces, whether dark magic corruption, dark magic timey wimey nightmares, or Aaravos' manipulation/puppetry.

This season, he finally got to make his own choices free and clear, with full regard for who he had been and what he had done - and who he has hurt. And he chose well. Viren is indeed a good man, once again.

And with his final choices, he chooses to acknowledge the pain he caused his son and the break in their relationship. He chooses not to seek glory in confessing, and finds a way to quietly accept the damage he has done. In a way, it lands with me like he is finally acknowledging that Soren is not only a good person who deserves to make his own choices in life, but a better person than Viren despite Viren's influence. Which is huge for Viren, with his struggles with praise and attention and self worth.

In arc 1 and in flashbacks, Viren was a man who took advantage when others sacrificed, and chose to sacrifice others instead of himself, so he survived tragedies while others perished. Kpp'Ar, Annika, Neha, Sarai, Lain, Tiadrin, Harrow, Runaan, Kasef. There's a downward slope with that list of names, from more coincidental to more deliberate. Viren didn't value himself, and so he didn't value others. But once he stepped away from dark magic, he chose to value others even at the cost of his own life. It felt like a neatly drawn full circle from where he had begun.

Viren and sacrifice have always gone hand in hand. But at the end, he knew his own worth and his own power, and so he sought no glory for his deeds. He just acted, from the heart, and he saved hundreds if not thousands of lives.

I like to think that it's the exact number of lives he endangered with all his scheming, but we'll never know for sure.

As for the Narratives, I love love love that Viren returned to surrender himself to the Narrative of Strength (the castle), and his last act was to save people from it while it was falling down around him. He got to see it crumble, and he didn't try to save it. He let it die, and every cruel thing it had encompassed fell with it. Viren's last act was an act of Love. He switched Narratives! He got out! He chose Good, for himself, even when no one would forgive or welcome him for it, even when no one would ever trust him again. Even when he suffered the injustice of being locked up without due process, just like he did to Runaan.

He chose Good and Love in the end, even at great and even fatal cost to himself, because that's who he wanted to be.

On Runaan reacting to being freed

I'm so happy to see my boy, oh my god I missed his face so much. I'll try to keep on topic, and hopefully you can't actually hear me squeeing back here. Ahem.

So in the post you linked, I talked about Runaan being trapped in the Narrative of Strength (the castle, but later also the coin). He cannot free himself, and no one else inside the Narrative of Strength will lift a hand to free him either, because he has shown himself to be weak by getting captured. Tldr, the Narrative of Strength says he deserves what he gets.

The only way out is for someone else to free him, but they'll have to come from a different Narrative. They have to come from Love, where they care about things like helping and freedom, even for enemy combatants. And that's where Rayla and Callum did come from. Rayla loves Runaan as a father, and Callum respects that enough to help her free him despite Runaan's earlier murderous actions.

It is not what Runaan expects to happen. His job takes him into the Narrative of Strength, where it's literally kill or be killed. He expected to perish eventually, and at Viren's hands specifically. When it got even worse than that, whyever would he dare hope for release? According to the rules he was playing by, he didn't deserve to live, and therefore he deserved all the suffering he got. Which, horribly, is exactly what we got to see him struggling with when Rayla found him again. He expected no mercy from Viren, and so he gave himself none either.

But Rayla did find him. And she talked to him long enough that he heard her, and believed her, that she loved him and wanted to end his pain by rescuing him. It took a while! He was pretty stuck in his own head there, and his suffering had long since begin to twist his soul. But she did untwist it, at least enough to get him to accept help.

And did you notice his first words! "I'm alive." He could barely believe it. It'll probably take a while to truly sink in for him. He was trying to be hard in the dungeon and prepare for death because it was the only fate he could conceive of. But he had a husband and a daughter. He didn't want to die! He just thought his fate was set.

Luckily, Rayla and the Narrative of Love had other options for him, and he accepted them.

With Viren and Runaan - my favorite characters to parallel - they both had other choices all along. But those choices were really hard to see, and even harder than reach for. Viren was used to wresting control from circumstances, and Runaan was used to being the weapon those circumstances pointed at other people.

Thoughts on the Runaan/Moonshadow sequence

My take on this sequence is that it all took place in a space that's sort of like dark magic nightmares. But only sort of - time only moves one way in the hellcoins, even if it feels like it isn't moving at all.

Those souls were trapped between life and death. Rayla had been to the world beyond life and death once before, in TTM, and reality was very malleable down in that magic water portal. I think the experience of surviving it once before helped her adapt and keep up better with Runaan, who had been existing in his own little hellbubble for over two years by then.

Runaan jumped from place to place because those were all places that tormented him. He had guilt and regrets about the Silvergrove, so Rayla found him there. He flashed to the castle battlements too, because he had guilt and regrets about fighting Rayla there - and he could remember how to talk by then, so he said those out loud.

But he couldn't follow when Rayla fled toward the pull of the other coins and found her parents. This hurts so much! Laindrin were happy together, but Runaan couldn't enter that space with them. He couldn't engage with their shared imprisonment. His guilt and regret about them centered around condemning and ghosting them, so part of his punishment inside the coin probably involved that he literally couldn't see his best friends, and couldn't benefit from their shared joy.

He was truly, truly alone in there.

Meanwhile, Laindrin were in a world of their own too, and the vibes changed around Rayla when she approached them. Each of the coined people were giving off a radius of their specific flavor of reality, and to get close to them was to engage with that reality. Rayla had no choice but to endure Runaan's suffering, and her parents' blissful dancing, if she wanted to reach them.

My headcanon is that Laindrin probably had other places they visited, and so did Runaan, as they flipped through their memories and got caught up in them. But where Laindrin had each other to see and hold onto, and remember who they were, Runaan had no one due to his own choices, so he began to struggle and erode under his guilts.

How does Aaravos fit into the Narrative of Love?

I think he started there! It looks to me that he did the Startouch vacation thing of living among mortals for a time, and tried having a family as a way to understand love better. And he was doing good with it! He seemed to be making that cool magic book as a... gift for humans maybe? But it seems he never got to hand it over because of what happened to Leola.

I have really enjoyed seeing the ways this godlike elf is actually just like everyone else. He feels, he cries, he gets angry, he wants to share, he wants revenge for those he loves. He has things in common with most every major character in the show. And I think that's what could save him, if he chooses to be saved.

He came down from the heavens to learn about empathy. And he got interrupted. He still has more to learn, and if he can calm tf down for one hot second, maybe he'll learn more empathy from the people around him. It would do him good as a person, but just like Viren, he has caused a lot of hurt with his schemes, and that's not something even he can handwave away completely.

But we've seen Viren make a personal choice to give instead of take, even after a lifetime bad decisions. There is hope for Aaravos too.

After all, the Key of Aaravos was kept in the Banther Lodge when Rayla found it. And the Banther Lodge represents the Narrative of Love.

[sansacherie]

your post about alicent being called a hypocrite for mistrusting rhaenyra's lies (which she initially did trust until it backfired on her) reminds me of how people call alicent inconsiderate for saying aegon was a quick birth after rhaenyra's mother died in childbirth--and not a word about rhaenyra openly expressing disdain for alicent's situation with the line about being imprisoned in a castle making heirs. both statements were made thoughtlessly after the battle lines were forcibly drawn, but only one is viewed as bad.

oh yeah i remember how those people got so upset at alicent for that!

like yes as you said, was it thoughtlessly said? 100%, but it clearly wasn't coming from a place of malice. the same thing can be applied to rhaenyra's comments. like if i really wanted to, i could argue that alicent still looks better in comparison because she was genuinely trying to comfort rhaenyra but i won't.

i also don't believe alicent deserved the backlash for saying aegon's birth "came quickly and without fuss" because of what happened to aemma (thanks to viserys) like i seriously doubt alicent was trying to insult aemma. but then again some of these are the same people who think alicent was attacking rhaenyra when she told her breasts were leaking *shrug*

plus i don't like oppression olympics (who does) but i would also like to point out that rhaenyra isn't the only one without a mother. alicent doesn't have hers either. she didn't get to have her during her first pregnancy (a very scary time for alicent, considering what had befallen the last time a queen was pregnant) and having her could have been a major source of comfort for alicent.

[ladykiller-yt]

ONLY TO HURT YOU 5

After the fall from Heaven, Crowley quickly settled into Hell, he immediately understood how things worked. The recurring words were: TEMPTATIONS, CONDEMNED SOULS, UNHAPPINESS and DAMNATION.

He had made his way and stood out among all the other demons, in his own way but he had done it. It was so natural for him to tempt humans, a soft voice near his ear and a snap of his fingers and that was it! Every month many souls entered the files of Hell and even Lord Beelzebub was satisfied with this magnificent work.

Beelzebub: "We are all very pleased with you, demon Crowley. You know, we prefer you as a demon than as an angel."

Crowley: "Mmh thanks."

Beelzebub: "We would like you to pair up..."

Crowley: "No offense Lord Beelzebub, I work alone."

Crowley rarely partnered or teamed up with other demons, he was solitary and so he wanted to stay. He had already met the angel long before, in the Garden of Eden, they had exchanged a few words that day and from there they had not seen each other for a long time. When Crowley had no missions, he often liked to roam Earth in tree glades and smell the wood and flowers. On one of those days, while he was lying on a lawn, his nose was overwhelmed by a strange smell. So he decided to follow that trail up to a kind of farmhouse that seemed abandoned. When he got closer he heard strange noises coming from inside. He looked out of a half-open window to get a better look. What he saw was a naked man lying on a bed while a woman, also naked, stood over him as he continued to move his hips rapidly. Crowley turned away from the window slightly embarrassed, it's true that every demon had their own methods of tempting humans but he would never go that far for a soul. The girl had probably noticed him since the demons could perceive and recognize each other even when they changed the shape of their appearance.

A few minutes later Crowley heard the door of the house creak and saw that woman come out, this time she was dressed, long black boots, tight pants, a red shirt with a black corset cinched at the waist and long rich hair with purple streaks. She is very charming for being a demon.

Crowley: "What kind of demon are you?"

A:"Hello to you too, Crowley."

Crowley: "Well, I'm pleased to note that you know my name but I don't know yours. What should I call you?"

Angie: "Angie, nice. Lord Beelzebub told me about you. The solitary Crowley, excellent tempter and with the highest number of souls sent to hell."

Crowley: "Angie, Angie...wait, but you're the succubus of Hell, the orgy queen on Earth and the biggest cannabis smoker in history."

Angie: "That's right, that's me. You forgot 'hardworking slut'."

Crowley: "Ahah, I would never say that."

Angie: "I am a little bit. What brings you to these parts?"

Crowley: "A very strong smell coming from this place."

Angie: “You were drawn to these then.”

Angie pulled four joints out of her jacket pocket. She handed one to Crowley who sniffed it very intently.

Crowley: "Oh wow, yes, they're definitely making this smell."

Angie: "Do you like it?"

Crowley: "I don't know, I have mixed feelings about it."

Angie: "Do you want to try one with me?"

Crowley: "Mh, okay."

A few hours later they were both lying on some straw laughing and joking like old friends who had known each other for years, even if they had only known each other for a few hours.

Crowley: "Oh wow... this stuff is so strong."

Angie: "And it's the best...ahahaha."

Crowley: "But ahahah...sorry ahahahah...how can you afford all this Cannabis?"

Angie: "Do you remember the guy you saw me fucking before?"

Crowley: "Of course yes."

Angie: "Well... he and I have some sort of agreement... he supplies me with cannabis and I give him the charity of fucking him..."

Crowley: "Charity?! Come on, Angie...ahaha"

Angie: "Ahahaha...What?"

Crowley: "You may be a demon, but even demons have their dignity and you're wasted on someone like him. You deserve better, that's all."

Angie: "But he will soon be a new soul for Hell...and then you know it better than me...demons don't fall in love, we are damned and no one could feel love for us, Crowley."

Crowley: "Yeah, maybe you're right."

Those words remained in Crowley's head for many years, and they were also the reason why when Crowley started spending a lot more time with Aziraphale he didn't want to admit to himself that he was falling in love with him but obviously he couldn't declare it, there was too much in game. Then what everyone knows happened, an angel and a demon had managed to stop the end of the world, they had moved away from Hell and Paradise, they had lived for a few years in a serene and peaceful way, always remaining close to each other, Gabriel showed up naked in the angel's library and finally Aziraphale's stupid decision to return to Heaven and the Big Kiss. Then, obviously, another catastrophe was avoided by a pure miracle, Aziraphale had returned to Earth, he had looked for Crowley to ask him for help, the demon had categorically refused to help him and to make him go away, Crowley had had to use heavy means, including a bit of infernal flames, in which the angel limited himself only to defending himself and then left. Crowley then felt guilty for having attacked his only friend and sought him out in turn, he did not apologize but simply stayed close to him. So with a bit of luck and good friends they managed to make peace between Heaven and Hell, signing a kind of pact between the two factions, signing it as: 'THE GREAT INEFFABLE PACT'. Now everything was quiet, more or less. Crowley couldn't forgive Aziraphale, that abandonment had hurt him more than anything... more than his own fall. Now he needed someone and Angie was the only one who could, somehow, give him some comfort and take the place of the angel.

[brightbeautifulthings]

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

"But just like every fight, every loss, every night spent lying awake in the dark, every half-baked escape plan, none of it ever leaves. She's made of every bad thing that has happened to her, just like she's made of every good thing."

Year Read: 2024

Rating: 4/5

About: Devin's foster parents have just had her abducted for fifty days of nature therapy where, along with several other troubled teens, a nature guide, and a counselor, she'll learn to survive in the wilderness and, hopefully, overcome her personal demons. When the campers wake one morning to find both counselors missing, they realize they'll have to work together to have any hope of getting back to civilization. But something is watching from the woods, and it doesn't want them to leave… I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books. Trigger warnings: character death, family/twin death, dead body, cancer, rape/pedophilia, abusive households, severe injury, burns, blood, violence, drugs/dealing, addiction.

Thoughts: I've read other books with a similar premise that didn't go well, so it was only on faith that Gould could do better with this story and my love for The Dead and the Dark that had me picking this up. I'm so glad I did. It's easily one of my favorite novels of the year so far, and Gould remains the uncontested queen of lesbians in YA horror. It's full of wonderfully drawn characters and scenery, and some of the creepiest paranormal elements in recent memory.

I think the first fascinating twist on the nature therapy plot is that half these kids barely qualify as "troubled." Though their issues vary from drug abuse or dealing to fighting, one can't help feeling their parents are the ones who would benefit most from fifty days in the woods to talk about their feelings. I felt for all of them by the end of the book, and I like the way Gould is able to make them sympathetic and three-dimensional. (Which is obviously the end goal, because nobody deserves to suffer this sort of program, teenager or otherwise.) I like how far both Devin and Sheridan in particular come by the end of the book despite their initial hatred for each other. It is, after all, very hard to hate someone when we understand them.

It's the horror elements that really knocked this book out of the park for me though. Gould has a knack for the creative and the uncanny, and there are many spooky, wtf-type scenes while we try to figure out what exactly is stalking the group. I won't go into details to avoid spoilers (and, really, it's better to go into it blank), but they're some of the spookiest, most original "monsters" I've seen. If they have a counterpart, I've never seen it, and the lore seems to be entirely of Gould's own creation. I loved it. I'll be looking for a copy for my bookshelf.

[fumikomiyasaki]

Wedding Batch number two coming in even if it took a bit longer cause of lack of motivation.

Melanie x Lennox @twsted-princess

Lennox for sure would have a beach wedding, he cut his hair cause it had trouble with his suit. He gave them both tons of shell accesoires he collected before the wedding and in all he is glad to embrace his sea princess on this merry day.

Sayoko x Sylva @sakuramidnight15

With Sylvas money they could get any wedding location Sayo desires... the dress was more goth inspired cause I think it would look wonderfull on her and they are kinda the Sun and moon couple with Sylva being a bundle of positive while Sayo is more insecure and drawn back so... I added the accesoires

Victoria x Yasuno @rosietrace

She deserved better lets be honest but at least Yasuno is honest if he says he will be loyal to the end to her... and do anything for her... she let herself get convinced to put on one Skull themed accesories to match but that was the most she would do. She still looks like a queen though.

Kordo x Paula @sparrow-20

Paula wanted to still be all dolled up in pink but she knew her giant husband wouldn't last long keeping the suit intact... she still loves how he looks right now and is just happy to share this day together.