#THIS is how you demonstrate storm’s power!

[mrsdulac]

“Ancient sands, heed my command and reclaim these relics of hatred!”

[kisenth]

From [ here ]

1. Which character panics in the classic ‘freak out’ (running in circles, screaming, etc)?

That would be Mona, lbr. That’s likely Gloria. She’s got the energy for it, and sometimes her brain just needs a little activity to get going properly.

2. Which character panics by staying perfectly still with a blank expression?

Byleth and Beleth - no contest. And out of the two, Beleth more than Byleth.

3. Which character sends for help?

Sonia sends for help! ... Most of my other characters ARE the help. Tifa is sensible enough to call for help when she needs it however, despite being able to handle quite a bit herself.

4. Which character tries to calm everyone down and organize tasks?

That would be the characters Raihan, Akira, Beleth, Aerith.

5. Which character is the one who tries to solve the problem impulsively?

Zack, Valencia, Gloria.

6. Which character is the one they call for help (or would, if they were able to)?

Kira, Byleth

7. Which character is the last one the others would think to put in charge, but actually handles the role pretty well when it comes down to it?

Aria, Akira

8. Which character leaves to get supplies, but gets lost or stuck somewhere? 8a. Which character goes out to find them?

... That’d be Gloria.

9. Which character has the most medical knowledge?

The merc twins, Byleth and Beleth - they’ve handled many things on the job. Fiona is always well equipped for handling small wounds as well! 

10. Which character is best at navigating or securing a shelter?

Raihan, Sonia, Zack

11. Which character is best at keeping up morale?

Zack, Aerith, Fiona, Raihan

12. What happens when any or all of these characters are taken out of the equation?

... Then whatever took them out of said equation has their friends to deal with. '-'

13. In general, what situation is each individual character best equipped to handle?

Raihan is best equipped to handle PR / crowdmanaging or weather related situations.

Sonia is who you want to go to when your tech is in need of an upgrade.

Kira is there to take care of whatever may come her way.

Gloria is great at legwork related things.

Aria can tell you anything about flowers or the likes, and deals with plants.

Zack takes care of enemies.

Aerith will take care of certain situations and wounds.

Tifa can take care of enemies just fine as well, but at the end of the day she’s the one who has a hot meal waiting for you.

Byleth solves things... VERY effectively.

Beleth takes care of the aftermath of said effective problem solving.

Akira tends to have a couple of bombs on hand so what could possibly go wrong when you got him backing you up? =D

Fiona is painfully well prepared for many things - and has a MASSIVE two handed sword for when those preparations don’t quite make the cut...

14. If there is a mystery involved, which character/s solve it?

Sonia, Gloria, Byleth

[haywirecompass]

whoever the fuck i saw saying "i can't stand english bitching because they're so complacent" and whoever else thinks we're not doing enough i'd like to invite you to DO SOME FUCKING RESEARCH.

a law was recently passed that deemed any kind of protesting as disruptive and able to be punished by the police, alongside giving the police more power.

we all watched the police storm the PEACEFUL VIGIL for sarah everard - a woman raped and murdered by a police officer.

PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY BEING ARRESTED FOR OUTWARDLY EXPRESSING ANY SORT OF DISPLEASURE WITH THE MONARCHY.

A WOMAN WAS ARRESTED FOR HOLDING UP A SIGN. JUST HOLDING IT.

PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED FOR BOOING.

everything in britain has been put to a standstill. hospital appointments have been cancelled. funerals have been cancelled. we can't do anything about it.

many of us will be unable to pay our energy bills this winter. we will freeze. we will starve.

it has been demonstrated to us time and time and time again that protests simply make people talk about how we were protesting and never why. and now the police has increased power to punish us for any public opinion that they don't like.

we have been under tory rule for 12 years. 12 years of the same people - hey americans, can you imagine that?

we are tired, no, we are exhausted. we are struggling. we are scared. and it has been made clear to us that our government does not care.

so fucking forgive us if we're putting our own survival over the opinions of americans (and other non-brits but americans are the worst) online who expect us to learn everything about their politics and their country and don't put in an ounce of effort to learn about ours.

[writingwithfolklore]

Character Agency

Your characters should have agency. That means they have the power to influence what’s happening around them. We talked a bit about agency last time, revolving around how many female characters get agency stripped away from them. But overall, agency is important for any character to make them active participants in their own stories and feel necessary to the plot.

              So here’s how you enable your characters agency:

1. They make active decisions

Okay this is the obvious one in theory, but still manages to sneak by in stories undetected. An active character with agency makes things happen through their decisions, instead of just their reactions. Take these two examples of a scene plan:

John is walking home when he is caught by a sudden storm. Looking to hide from the rain, he ducks under the cover of a bus shelter. Inside is Mya, and they strike up a conversation about their shared sucky situation.

Vs.

John is walking home when he is caught by a sudden storm. Luckily he brought an umbrella in his bag, and draws it out. Then, he sees Mya getting drenched by the rain ahead of him. He jogs to her, offering to share the umbrella. They strike up a conversation.

In the second example John isn’t just reacting but making a choice that’s changed something in the world. He may just happen to run into Mya, but it was his decision to run up to her, to offer her his umbrella. This action is a great indicator of his personality—he’s kind, trusting, and thoughtful even towards strangers.

That’s the most important part. A character who just reacts to everything doesn’t show off any personality, whereas action lets you demonstrate who your character is at their core (especially in difficult situations that call for difficult decisions).

2. Their actions have consequences

Similarly, the decisions your active character makes aren’t really decisions if they don’t impact any part of their world. For good or for bad, every decision your character makes should have a consequence. This could be shown through their relationships with others, their environment, or even their own mental, physical, or spiritual state.

If we’re going from the example above, John sharing his umbrella with Mya maybe starts their friendship, but her jealous, toxic boyfriend sees them through his window, making her and now his life difficult.

It’s a decision that has multiple consequences throughout his life—a new friendship, and also a new enemy. And Mya is also facing consequences—from her decision to walk with him, and his decision to offer her the umbrella.

Make sense? How do you ensure your character has agency?

[macabresymphonies]

(minor TMA spoilers and general TMAGP spoilers) Having so much time to think about incidents in TMAGP due to hiatus made me realize that all of them, to some degree, contain the theme of "sealing your own fate" or "consequences of greed/hubris".

You see, while I do not believe that TMA had a consistent theme every statement was based on, the overall messege seemed to be that horrors are inevitable. Once you've been marked you cannot escape, no amount of therapy or running can release you from it. I think Michael Crew is the best example of that:

"The thing that chased me, you see, it was an arcing branch of the Twisting Deceit, taken shape to follow me. (...) And I knew within that book was something that could not only release me from my pursuer, but chain my being to that rush of wind and vertigo forever." Michael Crew in "The Coming Storm"

You cannot escape it once you've been marked, only bind yourself to different one and this marking is, most often than not, nonconsensual. Jane Prentiss would run around and infect random people, Not!Them didn't need anybody to come to them before it was sealed and Peter Lukas also tended to just disappear random people just to feed. The fears were very predatorial and active and the victims were selected based on their own fears and anxieties. This is not to say there weren't victims who failed due to their own curiosity/hubris/greed, but I think it's telling that few of the most greedy/curious people in the series, Mikaele Salesa and Jurgen Leitner, stayed largely uncorrupted by the fears not cause they avoided interacting with them, but simply avoided getting marked by them.

Now we come to protocol and every incident so far has the main subject of that incident actively engage with the horror and have one or multiple points at which they could stop and leave, but they do not. Daria went to the tattoo shop on her own accord, Harriet wanted her husband back no matter what and even Dr Webber was described to be able to leave the garden whenever he wanted, but, due to hiding from authorities, chose to stay until it was too late for him. Every incident so far seems to have this theme of consent, characters detailing very clearly that consent was given to engage with the abnormality:

"Ah well that’s a tricky one. Sort of? In many ways he stabbed himself on me. By the time he saw the needles we were already very close. Close enough to smell his sweat and cheap aftershave. In fact, he barely had time to be afraid before we embraced. He’s terrified now of course…" Needles in "Introductions"

"The young man's interview was not exceptional as he had no experience in charity work, no driving license nor any demonstrable experience in retail. He claimed however, to know the Hilltop Centre better than anyone and as he was the only applicant in the role I elected to give him a try." Dianne Margolis in "Give and Take"

"I hesitated a moment but before I could consider her strangeness a particularly high tide of color swept down the corridor toward me. I panicked, and before I realized what I was doing I had darted inside the lift and slammed the close-door button." Terrance Stevens in "Running on Empty"

It does not matter some of these are under duress or deception, all of them contain some type of action "confirming" consent. Mind you I do not believe all the victims of of these horrors confirm consent in some way, like people who get killed by Bonzo probably didn't agree to it (though considering he's most likely a hitman, some degree of "you agreed to this by overstepping your boundaries" philosophy could be applied), but subjects of the incident very much pay for consequences of their own actions.

That brings us to OIRA itself, and how every character so far seems to actively dig themselves deeper by their own accord, Gwen wants position of power, Colin wants to figure out the system, Sam wants to know why he wasn't chosen and Alice is in it for the money (for her brother which still counts as consent). This is literally said directly to us in episode 1:

"If you hate working here so completely, you are perfectly within your rights to resign. No one is forcing you to stay here." Lena to Gwen in "First Shift"

All of this, all this horror is happening due to their own accord, curiosity, obligation, greed for knowledge or just for the money, it does not matter, the choice is there, but they delve deeper anyway. We will see how long it holds up, but I will be on the look out for this theme in the future.

[vigilskeep]

why the kirkwall chantry is dedicated to hessarian, and why that gives us more than just a cooler name for it with a sexy accusatory nickname for anders in there somewhere: an illustrated guide!

(wait, wait, please remind me who hessarian even is, i hear you ask. hessarian was the tevinter archon who ordered andraste’s execution on the pyre. but struck with guilt at the last minute, he mercifully (i GUESS) killed andraste with a sword rather than let her suffer in the fire. he converted to andrastianism a decade later and took the rest of the imperium with him. he’s really popular in tevinter because, you know, he kind of improves their whole role in the story, and the chantry there likes to think he’s the most important disciple. you may recognise him from being one of the spirits in the urn of sacred ashes gauntlet, from the lore behind the blade of mercy gift for fenris, and the ‘blades of hessarian’ group on the storm coast in inquisition.)

okay, let’s first get the basics down: why do i think the kirkwall chantry is dedicated to hessarian? merrill, our glamorous tour guide to andrastian nonsense, is going to show us why

here’s merrill examing the architecture of the kirkwall chantry. and it’s covered in this guy!

how do we know this guy is hessarian? let’s compare it to some other, canonical andrastion depictions of the latecomer disciple. hessarian is typically depicted with some type of crown or headwear to demonstrate his status in tevinter, robes to denote him as a mage, a long beard probably also symbolic of tevinter culture at the time, and, of course, his blade of mercy. we can see all of these on the figure repeatedly shown in and outside the kirkwall chantry, as well as a certain similarity in the face to the other depictions.

here’s another variant of how the kirkwall chantry depicts the blade of mercy! these are Everywhere, including right over the doors.

and here’s more variants of the same figure inside. he’s carrying some kind of incense burner instead of a sword here, but it’s clearly the same face with the same crown and that classic hessarian beard. note his position of power flanking the enormous andraste figure.

so... why does that matter? isn’t it just a repeated asset?

no, it’s CRAZY actually. and here’s a couple reasons why!

(fascinated by genitivi’s word choice of glitzy mansions, btw.)

firstly, the kirkwall chantry’s dedication to hessarian’s figure is one of the biggest markers that it, along with the gallows and the darkspawn, is a legacy of tevinter. as i said, he’s the favourite there. kirkwall was once emerius under tevinter’s rule, and from the moment we see the weeping twins that welcome you into the city, we’re supposed to remember that the city of chains has not changed all that much. just as emerius’ prisons now incarcerate mages, its industry is now powered by refugees, and the worst parts of its lowtown hold elves probably just as they once did, its magisters’ estates continue to hold the most powerful voices in the city: in this case, that of the chantry and grand cleric elthina. the hessarian statues that demonstrate the chantry’s wealth and power are inarguably either tevinter made or at least made in their style, with such similarity to the statues of slaves that terrorise the gallows courtyard. hightown is no more free of that inheritance than the circle.

secondly, the focus on hessarian can’t be an accident in dragon age 2, a game obsessed with the mercy kill. “without an end, there can be no peace,” says flemeth. somebody has to kill wesley rather than watch him turn into a ghoul. anders has to kill karl. hawke possibly has to kill their other sibling if they catch the taint in the deep roads. varric can kill bartrand when he goes insane. killing the serial killer of elven children rather than letting his madness continue is one of the most universally approved decisions in the game. in her last words, leandra thanks you for ending the mage keeping her alive with twisted necromancy, even if, and especially because, it means the end of her suffering in death. merrill has to kill a possessed keeper marethari. many more can be killed for being “too dangerous” to live, like the blood mage idunna. orsino is slain by hawke after transforming into a monster he would never have wanted to be. there’s probably a dozen more examples i can think of. and of course, in one of the most game-defining decisions hawke has to make, there’s the option to kill anders after the destruction of the kirkwall chantry. merciful is not the word i would use for that, but it has certainly been framed that way. i suppose that’s the same as what i think of hessarian’s actions, isn’t it? (we’re focusing on the andrastian relevance here and not the godawful treatment of mentally ill people in this game, btw, although. yikes.)

“don’t compare yourself to andraste,” says sebastian to anders. he could try telling the game that. hawke gets cast into a lot of roles, but when anders believes they will kill him, he’s casting himself as the martyred andraste, dying to burn rebellion into the face of thedas, and hawke as his hessarian, quick with the merciful blade. i suppose it’s fitting that the kirkwall chantry should be consecrated in the image of its champion. and that the chantry covered in that image gets destroyed moments before hawke makes their choice, if they decide to make a different one. it’s also worth mentioning that meredith is a mimic of andraste, too, with her stolen crown, making anders and meredith obvious combatants for andraste’s legacy in the game. hawke doesn’t get much command of the narrative, but maybe they can at least dodge being anders’ hessarian, if they choose.

idk i think it’s really fucking cool and we should talk about it more, basically! there’s a lot of other angles to take. hessarian is such a fun lore figure to explore. for example, i didn’t even get into the prominence of an andrastian mage figure here, or that the blade of mercy is the symbol of the templar order and was invoked even earlier, in dao, as the “blade of mercy” by traumatised mages who desperately sought to be purified by the templars’ judgement.

also, i think ‘the chantry of hessarian’s mercy’ sounds good. maybe ‘the chantry of our lady’s spilled blood’? that could be sexy. whatever. i’m workshopping it

[bonefall]

How does Whitewater feel about her “cursed” kits being leader and medicine cat? Does she feel like Windclan is now cursed as well? Does she feel regret? Is she upset Owlclaw never rose to power like they did?

WindClan is cursed. She begins to feel that sort of slow-burn fear that ferments into furious bigotry-- and Owlclaw is the one who suffers for it.

When she brought the two bigger kittens out into the storm that night, she left Owlkit behind out of a sense of... some kind of warmth. She didn't want the helpless thing to die. As time passes, she starts to think maybe that's what she should have done when she had the chance.

Maybe that storm was meant to kill it.

We aren't our thoughts, we are our actions, but a thought indulged is future actions taken. She thinks about that every time she squirms in discomfort from looking at him. Guilt jabs her when she thinks about how his father is Mudclaw, how she hypocritically was going to invoke Queen’s Rights which she hates so much. Going into the nursery feels like walking into a jail cell. This wouldn't be happening if that storm had killed him.

Every time she has that reflexive, negative feeling towards her kitten, she lets that thought linger a little longer. That storm should have killed you.

She doesn't realize this, but this is an excuse. If the storm was supposed to kill this kitten, now this isn't HER terrible intrusive thought. SHE isn't believing something so cruel. It was maybe fate. It was perhaps StarClan trying to help her. These feelings are natural. Justified. The reason; That Storm Should Have Killed Him.

Oh. But no one else could possibly take Owlkit. She is his Mi, she would never (admit she has a problem) force him onto someone else. This is her (punishment) responsibility.

Of COURSE he developed behavioral issues. He's known as a big bully and a bit of a loner. Owlkit learned quickly that asking for help gets him hit, and Owlpaw quickly became very distant from his mother. Whitewater didn't "chase" him-- and that hurt too.

He's definitely closer to his mentor, thankfully. Blackstar knew Owlpaw was going to need someone capable of handling a difficult apprentice, who would do a good job of integrating him properly into the Clan by establishing connections to other warriors. So he got Oakfur.

And the ones in WindClan...

Kestrelflight was put into the Cleric's den early. Barkface died in a mine collapse in BB!TNP, so as soon as it was demonstrated he had a connection to StarClan he was shoved in, too young. To Whitewater, the realization churns in her belly, making her heart race with fury (and satisfaction, her biases confirmed) that Onestar is breaking the code to train a kit before its 6th moon.

Damned WindClan! They claim to be so pious but their priest is a child! Kestrelpaw will be their downfall. This must be their punishment.

Harespring is a clumsy warrior, terrible when he fights other cats. Too gentle. Too anxious that he will hurt others. Surely useless to WindClan. Whitewater doesn't live long enough to see Harestar, but if she watches the ceremony from StarClan, she revels in her smug bitterness.

From her position, she'd be able to see that his plan to defy Onestar and rescue Kin cats wasn't entirely his own. His mate Heathertail was the organizer, the one who brought all those cats together. This must be WindClan's punishment-- that he took the lives that were surely meant for a leader as competent as her.

[ellieluvr420]

Friends? Never. Pt.19 (Ellie Williams x reader)

MASTERLIST (and information about Palestine) Please read!

SYNOPSIS: You and Ellie had been bitter enemies for years now but before that you were best friends. You had always planned to be roommates one day but when that becomes a reality the situation isn't exactly how you both imagined it.

SMUT mdni 🤗

₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

It had been a week since you and Ellie had started your new jobs and the group that you were training was making progress, their aim was improving and their ability to fight was ten times better than it had been when they started. Even Amber had begun to improve and take your advice without challenging you at every step of the way. Clem was thriving at school, and you looked forward to hearing her ramblings of the day more than anything.  

The group was doing shooting practise and you watched quietly as Ellie walked around the group inspecting their stances and their handling of the gun. She had been short-tempered today and it puzzled you but you brushed it off anyway. She had made Harvey and Mike do drills when she caught them messing about instead of sparring but not before she bit both their heads off harshly enough that they had been silent up until now. The sight amused you but you were confused because she was never like this with them. Amber had asked her to help her get more power into her punches and you both saw straight through it, you had to give it to the girl, she was persistent. Even after it being revealed that you and Ellie were together and even after they had walked in on Ellie kissing your cheek eliciting whoops and cheers from them all, she was still hopelessly flirting with Ellie which often gave you both a laugh at home.  

“You’re not tensing your body enough and your movements are too slow. Keep your body rigid and speed up. I’ve already told you this.” She snapped at Amber. 

“But-” 

“Hey can you come here?” She had called over to you, you approaching slightly confused as was Amber until Ellie put her hands on your hips and spun you around to face away from her as she squeezed at the soft of them. “Throw a punch.” She whispered in your ear and the intimacy made your body tingly, this wasn’t like any of the usual demonstrations she had done with you, there was something different about it though you couldn’t quite put your finger on what it was that was making you feel strange. You threw a punch as she gripped onto your hips, her hands squeezing impossibly tighter, not to stop your hips from moving, she knew they wouldn’t but she savoured the feel of them in her hands anyway. “See how my hands didn’t move, you’re not tensing so you lose the power.” 

“Can you try that with me? I just feel like I won’t be able to tell a difference unless I know how its supposed to feel.” She smiled coyly as your eyebrows quirked in disbelief at the audacity of her. 

“Can you deal with her please?” Ellie sighed as she stormed off to go watch another pair, you don’t miss the dejected expression on Amber’s face causing you to roll your eyes as you take your place behind her.  

“Do you actually want help or were you just trying to get my girlfriend to touch you?” Her mouth falls open at your harsh tone and she shakes her head as Maisie watches in amusement. 

“N-no I actually want help.” 

“Good.” You gripped onto her hips as you watched Ellie who was a picture of frustration. “Throw a punch.” You held onto her as firmly as possible as she threw the punch and then let go. “Did that feel different?” 

“Yeah I think I understand now, thanks.” You nod and walk off back to your original position. 

After that as you watched Ellie snap at George while he was aiming his gun you realised you needed to figure out what was going on. 

“How many times do I have to tell you your feet are meant to be shoulder-width apart? Do you not know what that means? Do you not know what fucking shoulders are? I’m asking you a question so answer me.” She got in his face and you rushed over to intervene as you dragged her away from the group. 

“You need to chill the fuck out.” She huffs and rolls her eyes. “I’m gonna give them a talk about knives because its long overdue and you can just stand and be quiet okay? You’re gonna get bollocked by Maria so wind your neck in.” You call everyone over and have them sit down so you can talk about knives and explain the importance of them. “Right guys, you’ve practised with guns and you are getting better, still a ways to go but we’ve already seen a lot of improvement but it’s super important you don’t forget the usefulness of a knife. Knives are so underrated but they are so good because as long as you keep hold of it, you can use it over and over again but the main reason they are so good is because they are silent. If you are out on patrol and you encounter one infected and you decide to shoot it, the sound of that gunshot could attract a whole horde towards you. So, that being said, use your knife as your first resort and your gun as your last.” You walk over to where all the weapons are stored and brandish a five-inch knife. “This knife is only five-inches-” 

“Oh come on don’t say only, five is a respectable length.” Harvey calls out as all the group laugh. Ellie goes to step forward with a look that could kill but you hold her bicep hard enough that your knuckles go white as you keep her in place. 

“Thank you so much for sharing that information with us Harvey, that makes want I’m about to say even funnier because it’s not the size of the knife that matters, it’s how you use it.” They all whoop and cheer as you chuckle along while glancing at Ellie that didn’t even crack a smile as she sneered at them. “Once again, the neck is a vulnerable point. I want you all to find your pulse on your neck for me.” They all put two fingers on their neck to find their pulse and you do the same to Ellie noticing how her cheeks redden and she fidgets slightly. “Where you can feel your pulse, that is the carotid artery, you hit that and someone will bleed out in seconds. You need to get good at being able to aim your knives for the vulnerable parts of the body as a reflex. I’ll show you.” You take your knife and press it to Ellie’s neck where you know the artery is just from muscle memory, the knife isn’t pressing into her neck hard but she does gulp as her eyes flicker from the group to you and she bites her lip subtly, the blush never fading from her cheeks. “Ellie, put your fingers where your pulse is, please.” She does that and when her fingers are right below where your knife sat, you mentally pat yourself on the back. “You slash at that or actually stab someone there and you might’ve just saved your life, this does go for infected as well so keep that in mind. I want you to get in pairs and practise what me and Ellie just did, hold the knife up to the other person’s neck, not hard, seriously, and then let them find their pulse and see how close you are. First person to get it spot on doesn’t have to do drills at the end of today!” They all rush towards the knives and start practising. “Do not rush because someone will die, this is important, be adults about this.” You add before walking off with Ellie. “What the fuck is going on with you today? Are you ill? You’re all red and grumpy and it’s scaring me.” 

“Babe I need to fuck so bad.” 

“Oh my god.” Your tone is a mixture of disappointment and amusement. “That’s why you’ve had a stick up your ass all day? Because you’re horny? You are unbelievable.” You can’t help the giggle that erupts from you as she rolls her eyes and huffs at your amusement at her suffering. “Fine, we can fuck tonight but we have to be super quiet because of Clem.” 

“Oh my god babe you aren’t gonna know what hit you. I love you so much, thank you thank you thank you.” She steps towards you and reaches her hands out to your cheeks but you push them away gently with a smile as you flick your eyes towards the group that paid you no attention. She rolls her eyes before slyly grabbing your hand and pressing a sweet kiss to the back of it before looking over your shoulder and smiling at the lack of eyes on you both. It felt strange to sneak around but it excited you both more than you ever expected.  

You both watched as the group continued trying to find each other’s pulse’s until you heard a triumphant cheer from Amber as she jumped around. “I got it! I got it! I got her pulse!” 

“Congrats Amber, you now know how to kill someone quickly.” You deadpan. 

“Oh come on you were the one that made it a competition.” Ellie reasons with you as she smirks. “Amber! Lucky you. No drills for you today!” She smiles properly for the first time all day and everyone shares questioning looks at her sudden change in demeanour, you barely manage to hide your giggle as Amber continues jumping around and shoving it in everyone’s faces that she won. It all went quiet as Joel wondered in.  

“Hey kiddo!” He says to Ellie as he reaches you both. 

“Joel! They aren’t gonna fear me if you call me kiddo.” 

“They ain’t gonna fear you either way.” He chirps with a teasing grin.  

“I dunno Joel, they were shitting themselves today when she lost her shit at them.” 

“Yeah but I bet you scare the shit outta them all the time.” You nod your head in agreement as Ellie glares at you both. 

“Well that’s only because you got to deck Harvey on their first day.” She near-enough whines. 

“Shouldn’t have frozen and made me do all the talking then huh?” You smile sweetly as she huffs, you notice the group all quietly making their way over to the three of you, curious as to what you were all speaking about, nosy, you thought. 

“Guys if you wanna talk about a good shot, you gotta talk about this guy. He taught me everything I know.” Joel chuckles at Ellie’s words and bows his head to hide the blush that graced his cheeks slightly. 

“Is he your dad?” Harvey enquires causing Ellie to look like a deer in headlights as she glances from the group to Joel and back to the group. 

“Errr... y-yeah, yes he is.” She flashes a tight-lipped smile at Joel who mirrors her expression before clearing his throat and squeezing her shoulder.  

“Well I best get goin’, old and tired an’ all that. Best of luck to you all!” He smiles at them all and they all smile back, it’s sweet to you, their reaction to him. “Don’t work ‘em too hard eh.” He chortles before taking his leave as you turn to Ellie and grin at her, she notices your cheeky smile and scrunches her eyebrows in feigned confusion at you. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“Youuuu said Joel’s your dad.” You tease. 

“Oh whatever, he is kinda isn’t he?” 

“I’m glad you see it that way, I agree though.” You each smile and you see an idea flash over her mind before she grabs your wrist and checks your watch as she refuses to wear one herself. 

“Guys! We’re gonna call it a day early. Enjoy the rest of your day and we’ll see you back here-” 

“9AM SHARP!” They all finish her sentence causing her to chuckle as she nods them off, ignoring your confused look. 

“Come on! We’ve got an hour until Clem finishes school. Now we don’t have to be quiet.” 

“Oh you genius you! Don’t think Maria’s gonna be too happy about us calling off training early to fuck though.” 

“Well are you gonna tell her?” 

“Not likely.” You both giggle as you practically jog back to your cabin, both ecstatic at your last-minute plans, Ellie fighting the urge to skip like a giddy child. 

₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“Oh fuck I missed this so much.” 

“We’re literally just kissing Ellie.” 

“I know I love kissing you.” Ellie rushes out before she presses her lips onto yours again like she was trying to suck the air out of you. Her hand snakes down your stomach and traces the curve of your hip before roughly running her hand down the outside of your thigh and squeezing as she lifts it to wrap even tighter around her hip. She’s pressing herself down onto you like you’re both magnetic as her tongue savours the taste of your mouth like she would never know it again. You raise your legs higher up Ellie’s hips and pull her into you more causing her to groan at the friction of your cunts rubbing together, even through each of your underwear, she felt like there was lightning coursing through her. 

“Aw someone’s needy.” You pout at her as you tease her and she scowls as she roughly grinds her clothed pussy over yours eliciting a quiet whine from your lips, she smirks as you roll your eyes before she leans down to feather kisses down your neck as she grinds herself down onto you even harder, her pace picks up as her attack on your neck intensifies and just as she begins to suck on the skin below your ear you push her off. “Ellie! You cannot give me hickeys, we’re parents now we have to be responsible.” 

“I hate that you’re right.” 

“Thought you’d be used to it by now.” 

“Oh whatever.” You giggle as she grabs a handful of your boob and squeezes, her head coming to rest in the crook of your neck. You’re both panting and gasping as the friction between you both was heating up your cores and tensing every muscle in your body. You couldn’t help but giggle at the way you were both about to come from dry-humping but it had been awhile for you both, not for most people but you each had the sex-drive of a teenage boy so for you, it had basically been months. “Shit I’m gonna cum this is so embarrassing.” 

“Hey I’m right there with you.” You breathe out through choked moans and as if you had spoken it into existence you both came with a symphony of groans, accompanied by the steady tremble of both your legs. You expect Ellie to collapse on top of you but she doesn’t, instead flashing you a cheeky grin as she ripped your underwear down your legs before hopping off the bed and straight to her drawer that you knew she kept the strap in. The memory of the day she found it flashes through your mind causing you to chuckle. She eyed you over her shoulder suspiciously before fixing the harness around her hips and walking over to you. She stands at the bed with a smug expression on her face as the bright pink appendage hangs from her hips. 

“You know I’d find it way sexier if you weren’t wearing batman boxers right now Ellie.” 

“You said you liked my batman boxers.” She frowns as you throw your head back in fits of laughter. 

“I-I do, I’m sorry I was kidding, come on babe.” You pat the bed next to you as you try to console yourself. You couldn’t help but wonder, first, where the hell did she find them? Secondly, how did you not notice she was wearing those until now? 

“You’re so lucky I love you.” She goes to climb on top of you once again but you sit up with a shake of your head as you press her down on her back before straddling her hips and gazing at her shell-shocked face in amusement. You sunk down onto her like you were two puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly and as your hips met hers you shivered at the feel of the dick lightly brushing against your cervix. You lean down, pressing your hands into the bed by Ellie’s head as you peck her lips over and over again, the slow rolling of your hips making you both gasp. 

You sat back up again and as you sped up the grinding of your hips against hers, you lifted your top, holding the hem between your teeth and squeezed your tits, pushing them together, giving Ellie a show that had her practically drooling. You were whimpering softly as the strap was hitting all the right spots in you before you felt her hands on your hips, gripping them to stop your movements. Your mouth drops open, dropping your top back down with it, as you furrow your eyebrows and she chuckles at you before snapping her hips up into you harshly enough that you keel over so your ear is right by her lips. 

“Sorry babe, you know I get impatient.” She whispers before drilling into you at such an unforgiving pace that tears roll down your cheeks as you bite down onto her shoulder. You felt like you were no longer on the planet and you were just floating up to heaven as your legs began to shake, your release rushing at you so quick you could barely catch your breath. She cooed at you as you unlatched from her shoulder and let a pornographic moan escape your lips as your body convulses with your orgasm. She slows to a stop and rubs at your back as you stay laid on top of her desperately trying to return your breathing to normal, the moment so sweet and intimate you felt like you were melting into her. “Babe, we gotta go get Clem.” You whine just a little, despite the excitement at seeing her precious little face, you felt completely drained causing Ellie to chuckle as she helps you off of her, laying you down on the bed. “Don’t worry I got it, I’ll let you recover.” She teases smugly as she removes the harness and starts redressing herself. 

She presses a quick kiss to your lips before rushing off to go pick up Clem as you lay there completely dazed trying to will yourself back to full consciousness. 

₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You were sitting on the sofa, watching a film as you gulped down your third glass of water when a frantic knock sounded at the door causing you to rush over to it and fling the door open. 

“Oh fuck... Hi!” Dina is standing at the door, tears pouring down her cheeks despite her attempts to hurriedly wipe them away. “Sorry, er- is Ellie home?” 

“No she’s picking up Clem, come inside, what’s going on?” 

“No no it’s okay, I’m being stupid anyway, can you just tell Ellie I need to talk to her please?” 

“Dina come inside and sit down for a sec, Ellie won’t be long anyway.” She takes a deep, shaky breath before nodding and walking inside, refusing to meet your worried eyes. You usher her over to the sofa as she desperately tries to stop the sobs that weren’t slowing down even for a second. “What’s going on? Are you okay? Is Jesse okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah he’s fine, I’m fine, I- I just...” She chokes out another sob as her face falls into her hands, you rub her back until she calms enough to speak. “I- I think I’m pregnant.” 

“Oh.” She dryly chuckles and you realise that was not the best reaction. “This is gonna sound silly but how do you feel about it?” 

“It doesn’t sound silly, I’m being silly. I’m not even upset I don’t know why the fuck I’m crying.” 

“Well I’m sure it’s all very overwhelming, you’re allowed to have mixed feelings about it.” 

“Thank you, it’s not that I’m upset and I’m not worried about how Jesse will react, he’s basically born to be a dad but what if I’m not born to be a mom? I’m nineteen for fuck’s sake and we live in such a fucked-up world and I just- I’m scared to bring a baby into it you know? What if I fuck them up?” 

“Oh Dina, you’re joking right? You’ve been mothering everyone around you for as long as I’ve known you. That kid is gonna be so lucky to have you and Jesse as their parents and yeah the world is fucked-up, but Jackson isn’t, as far as I can see, that kid has won the fucking lottery.” You comfort her softly and for the first time she smiles brightly, beaming at you before pulling you into a tight hug. 

“Thank you, you’re an angel. Fuck okay, I- I feel like I can breathe again. I think I just needed someone to help me process this, sorry for lumping all this on you.” She gestures towards her and specifically her stomach and you can’t help but chuckle. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m really happy you told me. I’m so fucking happy for you D.” You both beam at each other before giggling like school girls. 

“How has it been with Clem anyway? You and Ellie are basically my experts on parenting which is a scary thought.” That makes you chuckle. 

“You’re telling me. D, they’re the fucking best. Clem is the sweetest kid I have ever met, I can be in the foulest mood and I see her face and all of a sudden it’s gone. The other day I was on my period and I felt like shit, like I was laying in Ellie’s bed crying because my cramps were so bad and she just waltzes in, climbs in the bed with me and tells me a shitty joke that she obviously got from Ellie and I could barely feel the cramps anymore because I was laughing so hard. Seeing Ellie with her too, I could watch them all day long, Clem is basically a carbon copy of Ellie and I swear it’s the best entertainment around. I fucking love having Clem and you are gonna love having that little one too.” 

“Oh that is so sweet, you have made me feel so much better...” She trails off before giggling. “What was the joke?” 

“What is the downside of eating a clock?” You pause as she thinks for a moment before shrugging her shoulders in defeat. “It’s time-consuming.” You both erupt into laughter as you clutch your stomach, tears sprouting in your eyes.  

“Oh my god that is awful but so Ellie.” 

“I know.” You both calm down and Dina smiles at you appreciatively before the door slams open, revealing an out-of-breath Clem bursting into the hallway.  

“Hey you so cheated!” Ellie’s voice booms through the house. 

“Nuh uh. You’re just slow!” Clem replies defensively before she spots you in the living room and comes bounding towards you, jumping onto you and wrapping her small arms around your neck. “Mommyyyy! I missed you. I beat Ellie in our race!” 

“Oh did you now? I am not surprised one bit and I missed you so much more baby, seriously I missed your cute little face since we dropped you off this morning.” She giggles before turning to Dina as she rests her head on your shoulder.  

“Hi Dina! Are you okay?” She enquires noticing the wet sheen of her cheeks and her puffy eyes. 

“Oh yeah I am all good sweetie. Your mommy here just told me one of your jokes and I laughed so hard I cried!” 

“Which one! Which one!?” 

“The clock one.” 

“That’s one of my favourites.” Clem yawns as she finishes her sentence. 

“Mine too.” Dina agrees as Ellie walks into the room, rosy cheeked with a confused look on her face as she makes eye contact with Dina. 

“Hey D, you okay?” 

“Oh yeah, yeah I’m fine.” 

“Er me and Clem will give you two a minute alone.” You beam before letting Clem clamber off you and leading her out of the room and towards the garden, kissing Ellie hello quickly as you pass her.  

You and Clem sit in the afternoon sun as she tells you all about her day down to every last detail and you were enthralled the entire time, you could listen to her ramble on for hours and hours, for a lifetime even, which is good because that’s how things seemed to be going, a quiet moment always interrupted by the welcome chatter of either Ellie or Clem, often both. 

After fifteen minutes Ellie walks outside coming to sit beside you as she kisses your cheek and whispers a small ‘hey’.  

“Is Dina gone?” 

“Yeah she’s uh- she's gonna go home and talk to Jesse.” 

“Probably best, wow right?” 

“Wow isn’t even the word, holy fuck.” You don’t even condemn her lude language in front of Clem anymore as it seems to only spur her on further. 

“I’m happy for them though, they’re gonna be amazing.” 

“Oh yeah for sure. She kept going on about how they’re so young and it made me realise we are all just kids doing our best for littler kids, you know?” 

“Oh I know. Isn’t it the best though?” 

“Wouldn’t change it for the world.” She beams at you and you rest your head on her shoulder as you watch Clem who was dancing around to music only she could hear, she was so perfect, you’d do anything to be the best for her. 

tags: @emiliabby @readbydayana @radioheadfan699 @lil-elliesgf @isitadinosaur @amberputh @maelovescashew @a-little-bit-of-everybody

[shadowdaddies]

In Your Dreams

Apollion x Reader x Thanatos smut

A/N: after reading HOFAS, I couldn't resist writing about the Princes of Hel, aka the ultimate shadow daddies

warnings: smut, mmf, oral f! receiving, oral m!receiving, p in v sex, shadow play, sensory deprivation, rough sex, electro-stimulation, blood, is this monster fucking? they're kind of incubus-esque

A weight at the end of your bed woke you, eyes fluttering open to see a familiar face studying you. Apollion’s black eyes flicked over your body, head tilting in an unsettlingly smooth motion that sent a shiver down your spine.

You dared an exasperated sigh, leveling your gaze with the prince’s. “Couldn’t let me sleep in peace for one night, could you? Are my dreams more interesting than whatever duties you have in Hel?” 

A ghost of a smile flashed across Apollion’s lips, his leathery wings flaring slightly behind him at your overt disrespect. “You are certainly of interest to me,” he retorted, stern expression giving nothing away. 

You opened your mouth to question what the prince meant by that, when another figure materialized at the foot of your bed. With a gasp, you tucked your knees to your chest as swirling darkness slowly transformed into another male, tall with black curly hair, his dark eyes matching Apollion’s as he watched you with a vague sense of interest.

Apollion showed neither surprise or bother at the male’s appearance, simply offering a nod of greeting before turning back to face you. Tugging your covers towards yourself, you made a feeble attempt at covering yourself from the stranger. “And who do you think you are, coming into my room, my dreams?” you demanded.

A flicker of amusement flashed in his eyes, your cheeks reddening in response as you felt his power ripple through the room, realization of how powerless you were in this situation hitting you like a shockwave.

He must have recognized your embarrassment, mouth ticking up slightly as he rumbled in a deep voice, “You may call me Thanatos. I am a Prince of Hel.” Lightning sparked down his toned arms as he spoke, stopping your heart as you tried to hide the fear from your face.

“Helfire,” he murmured, softer this time. At your look of confusion, the handsome male amended, “it is not lighting. It is Helfire,” he explained, holding up one hand to demonstrate the bright power. Apollion’s darkness swirled around him where he sat, creating a maelstrom of power, a dark storm that both stole the air from your lungs and charged the energy in the room.

As they drew in their powers, the air in the room settling, you had the frightening realization. Your wild gaze turned to Thanatos, the male fully smirking at you this time as he merely nodded in confirmation of your suspicions. “I didn’t say ‘lightning’,” you breathed. “Can you read my thoughts?”

Thanatos took two steps closer to you, his large form towering over where you sat on the bed. “Yes,” he drawled, gaze flicking to Apollion’s before he continued. “I have heard every dirty, sinful thought you’ve had about my brother.” He showed no mercy, no pity towards your mortified expression. “And every thought about myself since I arrived, for that matter. Not that I had to. We can smell your desire, it’s quite sweet. No wonder that my brother finds his way here so often.”

You looked to Apollion, your heart pounding as you suddenly became aware of your flush, the slick between your legs, your heavy breasts. His expression hadn’t changed, black eyes still watching you with that predatory stillness. Nervously biting your lip, you subtly rolled your hips against the mattress in an attempt at relief, your arousal building much more quickly now in the presence of both of them.

“But you... you are not an incubus?” you questioned, anxiously watching as Apollion’s wings twitched behind him.

Thanatos scoffed at your side. “No, we do not require your pleasure for our survival.”

“But all creatures of Hel - lesser, or most powerful - acquire... a strength, of sorts, from that pleasure,” Apollion murmured, his nostrils flared, chest heaving. It was the most expressive you had ever seen him, clearly overcome with his hunger. His desire, for you.

“Is that why you continue to show up in my dreams? You are drawn to my... pleasure?” you managed to ask. 

Apollion’s gaze raked down your form, as though he could sense how you were fighting not to reach out and touch him. “As I said before, I find you interesting. The potential of bringing you pleasure is one aspect of that.”

You turned to see Thanatos, who had somehow moved even closer to your side, less than an arm’s length away. He smiled down at you, pointed teeth bared in an expression that should have been frightening. “My interest in you is purely carnal. I’ve scented you on my brother, your arousal clinging to him even in Hel. It is tempting.” He clicked his tongue, sizing you up like a meal set before him.

Shaking off the thrill that sent down your spine, you looked between the two princes. “So, what do you want from me, then?”

Apollion’s eyes flickered, his dark aura growing as he leaned closer to you. “Permission. We need permission to touch you,” he breathed, his warm, rich voice like a balm to your fried nerves. Biting back a whimper at their desperate gazes, you nodded.

“You may touch me, please,” you agreed, sitting up and letting the covers drop. Neither prince spared a glance at the nightgown that clung to your body, Apollion instead reaching out a gentlemanly hand - an invitation for you to accept. 

The moment you set your hand in his, his darkness consumed the room, your surroundings disappearing as you were sucked into a dark void. You could see nothing, only feeling your lack of clothing, hearing the soft breathing of the two demons at your front and back.

Apollion’s hand released your own, sliding up your arm to rest above your heart. A dizzying sort of pleasure muddled your thoughts, bones feeling weak as Apollion groaned in front of you, the grip of his hand on your chest growing stronger.

“Good girl,” Thanatos whispered, and you felt his naked body press against yours from behind, his hands supporting your waist. Your hair was swept to the side, Thanatos raking his sharp teeth over your neck, small droplets of blood quickly lapped up with a groan. 

Apollion’s hand moved from your heart, joining his other as they toyed with your nipples, his mouth alternating sucking and licking on each sensitive bud. With a lewd moan, your legs gave out from the pleasure, but instead of falling to the ground, you found yourself lifted in the air. 

You were weightless, floating in this dark void with no eyesight, the brushing of the princes’ bodies against yours the only sign that you were levitating, suspended in the air as Apollion switched placed with Thanatos. Thanatos’s hands slid up your calves, spreading your legs as he moved in between them, the feeling of his warm breath on your inner thighs.

The princes moved in tandem, Apollion’s teeth moving to the same spot on your neck where Thanatos had marked you moments prior, as Thanatos dove into your slick cunt. A moan left your lips, back arching and eyes rolled back as Thanatos’s warm tongue flicked over your clit, sharp teeth nibbling softly as he sucked on the swollen bud. 

Warmth trickled down your neck where Apollion held your head, licking and sucking down to your shoulder. His hands twined around your chest, pinching and rolling your nipples between nimble fingers as Thanatos continued his assault on your pussy.

A finger rubbed gently along your folds, slipping into your aching cunt with ease. Obscene wet sounds echoed through the dark space, heat rising to your cheeks as Thanatos slipped in another finger, cooing to you, “don’t be embarrassed, little one.” He curled his fingers against your sensitive walls, your breaths shuddering as you mewled at his expert touch. “Good girl, let us hear those delicious sounds.”

Apollion chuckled from wherever he was behind you, and you could feel his eyes on your body as you clenched around Thanatos’s fingers. “She’s close,” he murmured, and Thanatos hummed as though he had been waiting for that signal.

You screamed at the sudden shock of pleasure that traveled from Thanatos’s tongue, straight to your clit as he sent you spiraling over the edge into your orgasm. Stars danced in your vision, the only source of light as you moaned, babbling incoherently as the prince worked you through your high.

“That is Helfire,” Thanatos murmured, smugness lacing his tone as you struggled to catch your breath. You heard the demons shifting again, and a small yelp escaped you as you were flipped over onto your hands and knees, completely disoriented in this suspended state of darkness.

Apollion’s familiar hands slid up the backs of your thighs, thumbs spreading your ass open before sliding a finger up your dripping slick. The prince groaned behind you, the sound of him sucking on your juices causing you to clench around nothing. 

A gentle but firm hand cupped your cheek, tilting your face forward. “Open up,” Thanatos spoke in a low rumble, and you obeyed without question, tongue out as you awaited, eager to please. Precum dripped onto your tongue as the head of his cock pressed into your lips, the demon groaning in pleasure as you sucked the tip, flicking your tongue along his slit. 

You leaned forward, hands searching for purchase on Thanatos’s hips as you aimed to take him deeper into your mouth. His cock pushed past your lips, hitting the back of your throat just as you felt Apollion’s hand spreading you further, rubbing his erection against your folds. 

Your moan turned to a gag around Thanatos’s thick length, tears pricking at your eyes as the demon prince’s hands guided your jaw to take him even further. “Relax,” he commanded, tapping your throat. Willing yourself to relax, the prince hummed his approval as he slid fully in your throat, your nose pressed against his lower abdomen. “Stay still. Let us do the work,” he murmured, withdrawing his hips slowly.

He thrust back into your mouth at the same time Apollion pushed into your hips, both princes seated fully inside of you. You practically melted, thankful for whatever dark forces held you up as the two of them began thrusting together inside of you, your wanton moans muffled by Thanatos’s cock down your throat. 

Silky tendrils like wisps of air circled soothing motions over your body, the cool breeze undulating over your peaked nipples, your swollen clit. You were sent over the edge again, overstimulation wracking through you as the demons continued to use you for their pleasure. 

Thanatos twitched in your mouth, tilting your chin up as he said, “swallow it” - your only warning before he spilled down your throat. You swallowed eagerly, tongue flicking out as you collected his remaining seed. The scene must have sent Apollion over the edge, his hips stuttering before he came behind you with a roar.

Your muscles were limp, hardly more than a rag doll as strong arms picked you up bridal style. You were vaguely aware of being back in your bedroom, Apollion pulling the covers over you as Thanatos watched with mild interest.

The demon princes stepped back, darkness beginning to envelop the both of them. “You’re leaving?” you managed to mumble, eyes straining to focus on the pair. 

The corner of Apollion’s mouth ticked up, Thanatos’s eyes shimmering with amusement. “Don’t worry, little one. We’ll be back soon.”

~~~

You awoke the next morning, breath catching in your lungs as you recalled last night’s dream - but it felt too real to be a dream. Kicking off your covers, you tumbled out of bed, still clad in your nightgown. You shook your head, taking a large sip of water from the glass next to your bed as you tried to erase the disappointment that it was in your head.

Sighing, you padded into the bathroom, turning on the water for your shower when you felt a soreness on your neck. Hissing at the dull pain, you turned to the bathroom mirror, recognizing the pain as from the same spot where Thanatos and Apollion had bitten you in your dream. But in that spot, etched into your skin like a healing scar, was an eight-pointed star.

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[queenvhagar]

"Catelyn knew how stubborn her son could be. 'A bastard cannot inherit.'

'Not unless he's legitimized by a royal decree,' said Robb. 'There is more precedent for that than for releasing a Sworn Brother from his oath.'

'Precedent,' she said bitterly. 'Yes, Aegon the Fourth legitimized all his bastards on his deathbed. And how much pain, grief, war and murder grew from that? I know you trust Jon. But can you trust his sons? Or their sons? The Blackfyre pretenders troubled the Targaryens for five generations, until Barristan the Bold slew the last of them in the Stepstones. If you make Jon legitimate, there is no way to turn him bastard again. Should he wed and breed, any sons you may have by Jeyne will never be safe.'

'Jon would never harm a son of mine.'

'No more than Theon Greyjoy would harm Bran or Rickon?'

Grey Wind leapt up atop King Tristifer's crypt, his teeth bared. Robb's own face was cold. 'That is as cruel as it is unfair. Jon is no Theon.'

'So you pray'" (Catelyn and Robb Stark, discussing the possibility of legitimizing Jon Snow, p. 629, A Storm of Swords).

This moment demonstrates a few things about the world of ASOIAF. First, despite Catelyn knowing Jon his whole life, she still expects the worst from him, largely due to the fact that he is a bastard. In this world, bastards are set apart from the rest. They are viewed as less than other trueborn people. Second, bastards can be legitimized by royal decree, and this is the only way a bastard can ever inherit. Third, a claimant to a seat of power, especially one with an insecure or atypical claim, may have to remove other claimants to secure their power, so if Jon or his children ever wanted the throne of Winterfell over Robb's line, they would have to take action to make sure none of Robb's blood could sit the throne.

So how does this inform us about the context of the Dance of the Dragons? First, it demonstrates the views that people have about the Strong boys and their mother. The very idea of Rhaenyra birthing bastards and trying to put them into lines of succession would have a negative effect on her politically. People would take issue with her and her sons having power. Second, the Strong boys could have been legitimized by royal decree, but they never were. They are still illegitimate in the eyes of the law and the people. Despite having a huge amount of political power and the backing of the king, their legitimization was never considered. Third, if Rhaenyra wanted to pursue her claim despite its rocky ground (due to her marrying Daemon, having three obvious bastards, killing Velaryons, being a woman, etc) she would have to get rid of all other claimants to secure her power, especially those with potentially stronger claims, meaning the king's sons and their sons would not have been safe. Rhaenyra and Daemon had already been willing to kill to secure their power in the past, and previously Rhaenyra asked for Aemond to be tortured to protect herself and her sons, so it is clear that someone on Team Black would take action to secure their own power.

[artbyblastweave]

So one thing that irks me about discussions of the NCR is the idea that "they're flawed because they're trying to be America again. And Being Too Much America is what caused the War" without differentiating between the vast buildup of Nuclear Weapons and Geopolitical tensions, versus, like, being a republic and having a large-scale central state.

What's your thoughts?

I think the NCR circa New Vegas is textually intended to be repeating the USA's downward spiral. They're in the process of recreating the core dynamics of pre-war America- overconsumption of resources driving imperialist expansion, capture of the government by moneyed interests, and a prolonged conflict with a peer power that's suffering under similar expand-or-die pressures- but they're constrained from a one-to-one recreation mainly by the fact that they're working with a post-apocalyptic resource base, with the scraps left over from the last people who went down this path. Peanuts compared to the Sino-American war, but likely as close to that situation as the post-war-world is logistically capable of producing.

You see bits of this from the NCR perspective all throughout the game. There Stands the Grass is propelled by projections of incipient famine in the NCR due to rapid population growth, and you see the beginnings of this in Flags of Our Foul-Ups- O'Hanaran was sent to the Army by his family to lessen their food burden. Chief Hanlon's very first line is about how the NCR is overtaxing most sources of freshwater within the core territory, and he recounts how tiny groups of settlers backed by NCR logistics were able to take and hold a well in Baja against scores of locals; IIRC there's a cut event at Camp Golf itself where you'd see NCR rangers doing the same thing to Mojave locals encroaching on their water supply. The White Wash demonstrates that the NCR's sharecropping setup in outer Vegas operates at the expense of the locals, who can only get the water they need to support their own crops via subterfuge. If you assume that Heck Gunderson's underhanded Brahmin-farming empire in Beyond the Beef is supposed to parallel the real-world problems with the sustainability of beef farming, you start to get a sense of where all of that water is going and what structural problems (Heck Gunderson) might be in the way of allocating those resources more sustainably. There are likely more examples of this storm on the horizon that I'm forgetting.

As a result of all this, there's a level on which I think introducing the Tunnelers in Lonesome Road as a dangling White-Walker style Looming Apocalyptic Reset Option hanging over the west coast was gratuitous, not because it's Avallone grinding his axe with the idea of society rebuilding, but because it's simply redundant with the political situation already depicted in the base game- If you want the NCR to have collapsed by a future installment, just establish that they weren't able to put the brakes on in time and devolved into a completely dysfunctional oligarchy that collapsed under its own weight!

(Now, as a final note, one thing preventing me from fully committing to this take is that we honestly don't have a fantastic sense of what day-to-day life looks like for the average citizen in the NCR heartland, which I feel is kind of important. Because if the textual situation is supposed to be that the resource crisis is due to misallocation due to interests capturing the government, I like that a lot better than if the situation is genuinely intended to be that there are Just Too Many Goddarn People, because that's like. Lazy and Malthusian and leads to the usual ugly conclusions pretty quickly. More and more it's looking like the upcoming Fallout TV show is leaning into the recent decline of the NCR as a plot point, so, uh, fingers crossed they stick the landing when it comes to fleshing that out?)

[hrizantemy]

Amren warned, “Don’t you say one more fucking word, Nesta Archeron.”

Amren to Nesta chapter 46

Feyre breathed, “Madja just said the labor would be risky. But the Bone Carver ... The son he showed me didn’t have wings.”

Feyre speaking about her son chapter 46

“I don’t know,” Nesta said. “But I do know that your mate ordered everyone not to inform you of the truth.”

Nesta speaking to Feyre chapter 46

Rhys said in that voice that was like hell embodied, “Nesta saw fit to inform Feyre of the risk to her and the babe.”

Rhysand speaking to Cassian chapter 47

Rhys held his stare, and it was all Cassian could do to weather it as his brother, his High Lord said, “Get Nesta out of this city. Right now.” Rhys’s power rumbled in the room like a rising storm. “Before I fucking kill her.”

Rhysand speaking to Cassian chapter 47

“Well, we’re furious with Nesta.”

“She had the courage to tell me the truth.”

“She told you the truth to hurt you.”

“Perhaps. But she was the only one who said anything.”

Cassian sighed through his nose. “She ...” He thought it over. I think she saw the parallels between your situations and, in her own way, decided to avenge both of you.”

“That’s my feeling, too. Rhys disagrees.”

“I wish you’d found out a different way.”

“Well, I didn’t. But we’ll face it together. All of us.”

“How can you be so calm about this?”

“The alternative is fear and panic. I will not let my son feel those things. I will fight for him, for us, until I no longer can.”

Cassian’s throat tightened. “We’ll fight for you, too.”

“I know. Feyre paused again. Rhys had no right to chase you from the city, or to threaten Nesta. He has realized that, and apologized. I want you to come back home. Both of you. Where did you even head off to?”

“The wilderness.”

Cassian looked over a shoulder, to where Nesta had been asleep for the past few hours, curled into a tight ball against the wall of rock.

“I think we’ll stay out here for a few days. We’re going to hike.”

“Nesta has never been on a hike in her life. I guarantee she will hate it.”

“Then tell Rhys this is her punishment. Because Rhys, despite apologizing for his threats, would still be furious. Tell him that Nesta and I are going to hike, and she’s going to hate it, but she comes home when I decide she’s ready to come home.”

Feyre was quiet for a long minute. “He says that he knows he’s supposed to say that’s unnecessary, but to tell you he’s secretly delighted.”

“Good. I am secretly glad to hear that.”

Feyre laughed, and the sound was proof that she might have been hurt, startled by the news, but she was indeed adapting to it. Would not let it make her cower and cry. He didn’t know why he’d expected any less of her.

Cassian and Feyre speaking in chapter 47

These are quotes from “A Court of Silver Flames”

These quotes from the text illustrate several reasons why it is not okay to hide a pregnancy and then threaten and punish someone who reveals the truth.

Feyre, as the pregnant individual, has a right to know about any risks or complications associated with her pregnancy. By withholding this information from her, Feyre's mate, Rhys, and others involved denied her the opportunity to make informed decisions about her own health and the health of her baby.

Concealing important information about pregnancy risks from Feyre constitutes a betrayal of trust by those who knew but chose not to inform her. Pregnancy is a significant and potentially dangerous experience, and Feyre deserved to be supported and informed by her loved ones rather than kept in the dark.

Threatening Nesta for revealing the truth further compounds the wrongdoing. Threats of violence, especially from someone in a position of power like Rhys, are completely unacceptable and demonstrate a lack of respect for Nesta's agency and well-being.

By hiding the truth and then threatening Nesta, Rhys and others involved exerted control over the situation and attempted to manipulate Feyre's perception of reality. This manipulation undermines Feyre's autonomy and agency and demonstrates a disregard for her well-being and right to make informed decisions about her own body and pregnancy.

Hiding a pregnancy, threatening those who reveal the truth, and manipulating the pregnant individual's perception of reality are all forms of abuse and violation of trust. Pregnant individuals deserve to be treated with respect, honesty, and support, and any actions to the contrary are unacceptable.

This highlights several problematic aspects of the situation, particularly regarding the treatment of Nesta and the handling of the pregnancy revelation.

It's concerning that Nesta is being blamed and punished for her actions in revealing the truth about Feyre's pregnancy. While Nesta's motivations may have been complex, punishing her for speaking up undermines her agency and perpetuates a cycle of conflict and resentment within the family.

Rhys's initial reaction of threatening Nesta and then later apologizing does not absolve him of responsibility for his actions. Threats and coercion have no place in healthy relationships, and using them to control or intimidate others is unacceptable behavior.

Instead of offering support and understanding to Nesta, Feyre and Cassian are complicit in her punishment by agreeing to keep her away from the city and forcing her to hike as a form of punishment. This lack of empathy and support only serves to further isolate and alienate Nesta.

Effective communication and conflict resolution are essential for maintaining healthy relationships. Rather than resorting to punishment and coercion, Feyre, Rhys, and the others involved should have engaged in open dialogue to address the situation, express their feelings, and work towards understanding and reconciliation.

Overall, the treatment of Nesta in this excerpt highlights the need for empathy, understanding, and constructive communication within relationships. Punishing Nesta and Feyre for their actions only perpetuates resentment and division within the family.

[acourtofinkandpapyrus]

Confessions (Eris X Reader) *

Warnings: Angst, and my first fic with smut. So yeah, a little plot but mostly SMUT. Oral, female receiving, actual sex, and maybe a sweet talking kink.

Eris and the emissary both have hidden feelings, but Eris has never been good at expressing emotions, especially jealousy...

I walk down the hall, trying not to listen to the intensely infuriating male tailing me, bragging loudly about how back in the throne room how he had managed to convince his father to join forces with the Summer Court.  My court.

“I’m just saying-”  He drawled, staring at me as he kept pace with my increasingly fast footsteps.  “Wasn’t it supposed to be your job to convince them?  Maybe if I sucked up to Tarquin as much as you do, I could be emissary too-”

I turned towards him, diplomacy be damned- and pinned him against the wall, letting him see the raging power in my eyes.  “I don’t know what your problem is today lordling, but I will not tolerate your ridicule.”

He grinned, fire swirling in his eyes as he looked at my arms, caging him against the wall.  “How bold of you emissary, and here I thought you were here to please me.”

I snarled, dropping my arms and storming off.

Not looking back to see if he followed me, I went into my room, slamming the door behind me.

I hissed as I ran my hands through my ornately styled hair, ruining hours of hard work.

For the most part, I had grown to like the male.  There was more to him than people thought.  I had seen with my own eyes that when he had an option between good and bad, he chose to do good.

Sometimes we would flirt a bit too, but never had he spoken to me like that.  Not like the way he did with everyone else.

I stormed over to my bed, grabbing one of the fluffy pillows and shoving it to my face, screaming into it.

I hated it.  I hated this.  Because for the last week, I had been working up the courage to tell him…

Fuck, I still couldn’t even imagine saying it to him, especially right now.

You know how the worst thing they could say is no?  Well, Eris is a walking demonstration that isn’t the case.

I had seen him completely destroy people if he found them, or what they did distasteful.

Maybe I thought he was a good male, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be cruel if the mood struck him.

I looked in the long mirror that towered over me.  I looked like an absolute mess.

I tore out the circlet I was wearing, along with all the other pretty jewels.

Staring into the mirror, I stared into my own eyes, speaking softly to myself.

“I love you.  That’s all you have to say.  Three stupid little words.”

Leaning my head against the mirror, I felt pathetic.

I was way too sober for this.

A few drinks later in the privacy of my room, not only was I still not ready, I felt even more pathetic.

Being a little tipsy, I decided to take a walk, hoping to calm my nerves and clear my head.

It wasn’t long before I was walking through the hallways, barely cleaned up enough to be presentable, but no one was out at this hour anyway.

I saw the hall that led to the library, and I paused.

The smell of books and the stories they held always cheered me up.  I was sure a good book and a comfy chair could help my hurting heart.

I entered the library only to see the red headed male that smelled of cider, crisp autumn air, and fire that consumed my nights and days.

He looked up, noticing me right as I was turning to leave.

“Y/N, please…”

I paused, my breath caught in my throat as I waited for him to continue.

“I’m sorry.”  His voice cracked as he spoke, and I turned around to see his red hair hanging in his eyes as he looked up at me, lips slightly parted and his eyes wide with a mixture of guilt and loneliness.

“Why did you even say all of that in the first place?”  I asked, letting the door close as I walked further in, standing next to him.

He looked up at me and swallowed thickly.  “I was jealous.”

My breath caught as I stared into the depths of his beautiful red eyes.  “Of who?  Tarquin?”

His hands fisted and he looked away.  “Of Tarquin, of all the males who look at you, of all the males you flirt with.  I’m jealous of all of it.”

He laughed, the sound devoid of joy.  “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?  Not only do I not tell you how I feel, but I make you suffer for it.”

I don’t even think he realizes what he's confessing.

Moving so I was right in front of him, I took his face in my hands, forcing him to look me in the eyes.  “You are not pathetic, you are not bad,”  I pushed some of the hair out from in front of his eyes, “You have had a hard life, a life where your family taught you to be cruel.  I see the scars you hide that your father inflicts.  I know that inside you have the potential to be great.”

His eyes are tearing up, looking up at me as if I was some sort of deity, blessing him.

“I know this, because I love you Eris.  I’ve loved you for so very long, and I know that you have a good heart.”

It takes him a moment to realize what I had said, the meaning.

Before he can respond, I lower my lips to his, kissing him softly before pulling back.

He blinked, his whole demeanor changing in milliseconds as he shot up, his hands interlacing in my hair as he pressed his lips to mine, his tongue exploring as I let out a slight whimper.

Drawing back, his breath came out in pants, and I could tell he was barely holding himself back.

Lust clouded my mind, and I barely heard what he said.  “What?”  I murmured, wishing his lips were back on mine again.

“Did you mean it?  Do you love me?”  He asks, and I’m suddenly stone cold sober at the vulnerability in his eyes.

I once again bring my hands up to cup his face, stroking his jawline gently.  “I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you.  I was just so sure you’d see my flaws and turn me away.  I was a coward.”  I say the last part, looking away so I don’t have to see the look on his face as he realizes what a huge mistake he’s made.

He gently guides my face so I’m once again looking him in the eyes, and he looks down at me with such love and wonder that I almost crumple right then and there.

“I would never turn away from you my darling.  Never you.”  He leaned down, placing his mouth on my neck, speaking in between kisses, “You are an angel.”  I struggled not to let out a moan as the scent of his arousal hit me, his hands massaging my hips gently.  “Ever since I first saw you, that first snarky remark, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

He drew back, looking down at me lovingly.  “You are too good for me, but now that I know that you like me back, I will fight like hell to make sure I can keep seeing that sassy little smirk you love to send my way.”

“I love you.”  I said, throwing my arms around his shoulders.  “And I never want to be apart from you again.”

He growled, and I squeezed my thighs together, trying to keep my wits about me as I started to drown in this male.

Hoisting me up, he turned us, placing me on the large comfy chair he had just been lounging in.

“Do you want this?”  He asked, his thumbs gently grazing my hardened nipples as his voice dropped an octave, staring at my already abused lips.

I nodded, and he stopped breathing for a moment, pinching one of my nipples while whispering into my ear,  “Use your words.”

“Please Eris-”  I begged, whimpering as I tried to pull him closer.

He grinned, his eyes predatory as he dropped to his knees.  “Don’t worry angel, I’m going to take good care of you.”

Slowly, he felt every inch of my thighs, going to reach for my panties and hissing when he found me already bare.

“Oh naughty girl.  Were you hoping this would happen?”  He asked, chuckling as he pushed my dress up, placing my legs over his shoulders.

I opened my mouth to respond, but I only moaned as he dove in, his tongue flicking my clit and licking alternately.

I lost all sense of time as I was oh so slowly brought closer to the edge, that coil in my stomach tightening as I realized I wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.

“Eris, I’m so close-” I said through whimpers, moaning as he once again flicked my clit.

I could feel him grin into my most private parts as he pushed two fingers into my slickness, curling his fingers and making my hips buck involuntarily.  “Eris, please!” I whined, rolling my hips in an attempt get him to start moving again, and he laughed darkly.

“I’ve been waiting to taste you forever angel.  When you come on my tongue, I want to be the only thing you’re thinking about.”  He said, his voice so seductive I almost came right there.

“You’re the only thing on my mind all the time,”  I said, letting out little noises of pleasure as he pumped his fingers, once, twice.

He grinned.  “That’s my girl.”

He dove back in, tongue and fingers working in tandem, pushing me over the edge of bliss, calling out his name as my body shook from the pleasure he drew from me.

He kept going, drawing out my pleasure as long as possible.

I was a puddle as he drew his fingers out, sucking my juices off of them before leaning down to kiss me again.

I could feel his hardness pressing through his pants, and I pushed into it with the palm of my hand, eliciting a hiss from him.

“My naughty angel.  Do you want my dick inside you?”  He asked breathlessly, nuzzling my neck before dragging his teeth over the sensitive skin, and he groaned in time with my moan.

“I need you Eris.  I need you in me now.”  I pleaded, working at the buttons of his pants.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead, suddenly gentle.  “Let me.”

Undoing the rest of the buttons, his member sprung free and my mouth watered from how big he was.

He picked me up, spinning us around so he was sitting and I was held aloft above him.

I waited for him to push in, but as I looked at his face, I realized he was giving me complete control.

Smiling softly, I lowered myself slowly, both of us moaning as I made it all the way down.

He helped me move up and down slowly as he spoke.  “I’ve never felt like this for someone before.  You scare the hell out of me because I’m falling, and I knew that if you told me you felt the same way, you would completely own me.”

I gasped as he started to rub my clit, unable to form words eloquently, I said, my voice guttural, “You’re mine.”

Our pace sped up and he growled, playing with my clit more roughly as his other hand went to my breast, massaging it as he took the nipple of my other breast into his mouth, making me moan in an obscene way.

He let go with his mouth, my brain frying as I once again reached the edge of bliss.

“And you’re mine.” he growled, thrusting hard and hitting that spot, and I let out a scream of ecstasy as he reached it with me, and he pushed his lips to mine, silencing me as we rode out the rest of our orgasms.

When we were done, he gently pulled me off, and I moaned.

“I love you, Angel.”  He said, nuzzling my neck and pulling me into a hug.

I sighed in joy, my heart fluttering out of my chest.  “And I love you Lordling.”

[jessysapphireblue]

Goddess on board Luffy x Oc

Nicknames included are Lu and Je, which you can replace with your name, since nothing else is mentioned. A born female magician and being damn powerful

Sighning, you leaned back on your cloud pillow you created to rest your muscels and mind from the past few days being coped up in your room, trying to figure out how to make Devil Fruit users swim, due to the constant whining of your boyfriend, also captain.

Closing your eyes, you breathed out, enjoying the quiet time, until you felt something in the water, making you groan. "Nami! 15 Marine ships comming in our direction with speed. 1 Mile away", you shouted to your orange-haired navigator, as hell broke loose.

Usopp and Chopper screaming for their lives, while Luffy was ready to kick some ass with Zoro and Sanji, which only made you groan. "Rough days, I presume", Robin stood next to you, looking at you. "I finally took a break and now this...why?", you whined and stood up, dismissing your cloud, in which Robin chuckled. "Nami! They´re comming from 2 o´clock, and cannonball is fired at 3...2...1", you said and indeed a cannonball came fireing, making you held your hand out as it stopped midair, before it fell into the water. "How the-wha-", Franky asked confused, looking at you. Standing on the railing, you heard the marine shouting about attacks, making you groan.

You began to concentrate your magic into your finger, as a tiny ball formed, hovering over your index finger. Pointing to the ships, the ball released.

"This tiny ball can´t do much-", began Zoro before a gigantic explosion interrupted him, making all turn to it to see the marine ships gone, soldiers in the water. The whole crew went silent.

And with a simple snip of your fingers, water rose by the sunny, releasing food and treasure onto the deck of the Sunny. "Good, peace and quiet now", you said and jumped onto the grass before going back onto your cloud.

"That was-" "AMAZING!!!!", Luffy sceamed and beamed, shining and joined you. "How did you do that!?" "Concentrate my magic to one point before releasing it. Quick and painless", you simply said as Nami, Chopper and Usopp came. "WE ARE UNWORTHY!", they said before bending down to you, making you blink. "...you just pretend to be weak?!", Zoro came to you. "I never pretend anything. My magic is 90% deadly, so-" "Oh, my beloved Goddess! I am just unworthy in your presence, pls forgive me", Sanji swooned over you before going on a knee in front of you.

"Sanji, pls. Neither of you is unworthy or weak. Magic is just different" "I didn´t knew you could be this strong!", Chopper looked at you with sparkles. "...that was actually nothing compared what I can do"

"Yohohoho...my eyes would defently pop out just imagining it, ah, I nave no eyes anymore. YOHOHOHOHO!!!", Brook laughed. "How strong are you?", asked Jinbei.

All looked at you. "When I say a One woman Army it´s enough. Believe me. I don´t want to go deeper", you admitted. "SUGE!", Lu was now in your face, beaming like a child because how cool he found you. "S you can kill", pressed Zoro and you nooded. "Very easily...with Lu, I could demonstrate it" "YES! YES!", your boyfriend was so eager for you to show off. Holding your hand out, you released a short breath.

"I can´t move", said Luffy before you moved your hand down, making Nami and Usopp, Chopper included, scream. "WHAT THE!" "Our captain is now a pancake", chuckled Robin and you lowered your hand, making your boyfriend sping up. "Now imagine this with real bones", you said.

"YOU COULD EASILY-", Zoro shouted, a vein pulsing on his head. "Yeah. But no" "Bro, she just stole your spot", patted Franky Zoro´s shoulder, who just growled. "Show.Me.More!!!", demanded your boyfriend. "Tomorrow? Please. I just finished up the thing you wanted" "The...thing?", Luffy tilted his head. "Yeah. I can now make Devil Fruit users swim"

"OH HELL NO! WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?! I`M OUT!", Zoro stormed away, clearly pissed. "Should we actually call you Goddess now?", admitted Robin. "Hm? Je a God?", asked Luffy Robin. "Yes. I mean, kind, gentle, sweet, always there to listen, strong, and you feel protected by her", she admitted with a soft smile.

"MY GODDESS~~~I will follow you to the end of the earth!", Sanji proclaimed and took your hand to give it a kiss but was pushed directly away by your boyfriends´ foot to the face, while he pulled you close.

"Stay away from Je! She´s mine! You have no right to kiss her hand, Sanji"

Loud bickering broke out, which made you laugh loudly. You always thought, that once they found out how strong you are, they would want you to leave the crew, in fear of endangering everyone else but never thought that you were being worshipped.

[rhaenin-time]

No, House Targaryen is not inherently "doomed" by the very same flaws (and themes) that doomed the civilization that they left.

No, they're not fated to succumb to the Doom that they survived specifically because of the foresight that set them apart from everyone else who perished. Not only would it be terrible, simplistic writing, it would also endorse a terrible, simplistic worldview.

People choosing to make House Targaryen a representation of and thematic successor to not just the civilization that they differentiated themselves from, but the power structure that they chose to leave, literally divested from, and actively worked to prevent from rising again in another form... really rubs me the wrong way.

Why isn't this projection and generalization done for any of the families that come from the cultures that are not coded as other? Why is it only the family that's been separated from their cultural context? Why do the other families each get to be unique, complex manifestations not just of different aspects of their cultures, but of their own specific histories?

Why is the foreign degenerate family both a representation of everything wrong with the culture they come from, and a scapegoat for everything wrong with the system they assimilated into? How is it they represent everything bad about what they left behind, and also everything bad about the land they came to? Even though all those flaws are not only shared by the system as a whole, but are flaws that predate their arrival, that they were punished for resisting, and that they are demonstrated to be incompatible with. Why is it always both?

It just rings so familiar to the way so many people view the other in real life. Because the Targaryens are overtly, and intentionally written as the other. It's the reason so many people identify with them, and it's the very same reason that other people vilify them. They're not just the in-universe other to the 'default' culture established in the text, but they're also given characteristics that we, the reader and audience, can recognize as other and even sometimes anathema to Western Christian culture.

Perhaps the old tales were true, and Dragonstone was built with the stones of hell

A Storm of Swords, Chapter 25, Davos III

I want you to ask yourself: Why is the idea of "fire and brimstone" evil?

To paraphrase the annoying people that love to cite Ramsay when they feel like it: If you look at a morally complex family surrounded by other morally complex families in a morally complex world in a story that's famed for seeking to challenge your underlying assumptions, and think that their association with fire and brimstone is meant to signify their singular satanic evilness, rather than say... challenge that very Eurocentric assumption, you haven't been paying attention.

This vilification mindset where the Targaryens are the singular evil of Westeros is so common to people who seem to want to consume ASoIaF without engaging with the criticisms of the Eurocentric worldview of history at the heart of it. And they end up using the convenient “others” to project all the wrongs of that world onto so they don't need to examine it any deeper.

This is the part where I so often get crucified!

This is the take that so often gets me crucified for "trivializing real world bigotry" in an attempt to "moralize interpretations of fiction" by an onslaught of people with troubling ideologies who then ironically steer the onslaught to moralizing their interpretations of fiction in a way that seeks to either mask or justify their troubling ideologies.

The worldbuilding of ASoIaF is an almost unparalleled projection of the Eurocentric worldview. That's what makes the world feel so rich. That's why GRRM and even the readers and audience are able to craft so many details that feel intuitive. But that also means that how you choose to interpret that world is often driven by underlying biases and ideologies that relate to that worldview — especially if you're not willing to challenge them the way George RR Martin does and encourages you to do.

It means that certain potential biases and ideologies people might balk at outwardly expressing in the real world are recontextualized in a way that feels more comfortable to indulge in.

There are countless examples from countless parts of the narrative. Honestly, you could fill books on the matter. But the one I'll point to right now is how the vilification I pointed out earlier is so emblematic of how the Eurocentric worldview often seeks to project their own flaws onto the other or choose scapegoats for systemic issues.

It comes from the same place with how someone pointed out that the baffling bastardphobia that would have medieval peasants giving the side eye is so often people jumping at the chance to “cosplay” as bigots who base their arguments in misogyny and bio-essentialism. Because it's an acceptable channel to indulge in that mindset in a way that they'd often otherwise question, or at least hold back from expressing out of caution.

And there I go again. "Moralizing fandom" for pointing out that fandom is so often used as a 'safe space' to build communities that share and spread troubling ideologies that you're not allowed to criticize because those ideologies have been 'appropriately' decontextualized from their real-world parallels, even though those parallels are still very much there.

But the problem is that it's impossible to simply 'channel' bigotry and leave it in an 'acceptable' space, because bigotry doesn't work like that. It's not a static object you can carry around in your pocket to play with when you think it's safe to do so. It's a blight. A living poison that feeds and grows and spreads. And if you give it a 'safe space' and continue to feed it with 'acceptable' fuel, it will always find its way out.

[lucysarah-c]

Levi isn't romantic.

Levi isn't romantic, he simply is not. If we are forced to set an analogy, being romantic is like decoration. Levi thinks that decoration itself is pointless and lacks value, it may even be unpractical. Levi prefers to keep it simple and concise, cleaning is easier when there are not many things in the way and dust simply seems to have an adoration for unnecessary displays of objects in a room.

No, Levi isn't romantic. His love is not decorative, it's not up on display for others to admire its beauty, elegance, or extravagance. It doesn't exist for other humans to admire the lengths and power that humans held to demonstrate feelings, creativity, or passion. No, it's not the Sistine Chapel for strangers to come and go while wondering to themselves how a man can hold so much expression in his hands. It's not David by Michelangelo who some may say that it was a gift to humanity. Others may agree that such a display of capability could only be a physical representation of narcissism and its necessity to say "look at me, look at what I am capable of"

No, Levi isn't romantic. If you date him expecting pet names and endless declarations of adoration toward you, your past, or even your immortal soul... then don't. Don't expect kisses in crowded rooms to take not only your breath away, but those around whose hearts skip a beat admiring so much passion. Don't expect huge preparations for anniversaries and a gigantic bouquet of flowers at your work space.

No, because Levi's love isn't an endless novel that makes you grab a dictionary to understand half of its content.

No, because Levi's love isn't decorative. Levi's love is a quote between friends that stuck with you and makes you keep going when you feel like giving up. Levi's love isn't held in a museum sheltered so it may prevail, it's the overwhelming encompassing tranquility of a forest. It has been here even before humans existed to admire it and will probably overpass us without needing our protection. Levi's love is an old stone guarding house for refugees of a storm, rusty but homely. Levi's love isn't a complicated lecture so snobs can be spooned fed with deepness. Levi's love is a warm cup against your palms during a cold winter day after you're crawling home from work. It's pure, it's simple, it's there day at night, it's up for your reach at a cupboard where he left everything clean and prepare so it's the first thing you do when you arrive home. It's steady as a drum, it's strong as a stormy sea, it's essential and unwavering as Marmol pillar. It's not up on display because making public something so pure feels illicit and sordid.

In summary; no, you won't have a romantic partner if you decide to date Levi. There'll be non of the points I pointed out before, but do you truly need them? Why make a huge deal about San-valentines day, when you're loved every day?

Levi isn't romantic, he simply is not. It even goes against his nature to even try but his love for you isn't up for discussion.