#This is NOT a ship edit those men are BROTHERS | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

melliejellybellybean · 6 months

Text

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Echo/Fem!Reader

Word Count: 5.3k, this was not supposed to happen

Warnings: none that I can think of?

When Echo is invited to your Life Day celebration, he's elated. That is, until he learns about gift-giving aspect of Life Day. But it's okay, he's a trained soldier with six men who will always have his back. Together, surely they can figure out the perfect gift to give you. Right?

So, I decided to participate in another @cloneficgiftexchange, Life Day edition, and this time, I was lucky enough to be able to write a fic for @ghostofskywalker herself. I was very excited to write this one, and the prompt "tell me I'm crazy" - "you're crazy" coupled with "agonizing over whether or not the gift character a got character b was something they'd like" seemed like they'd be so much fun to write.

ghostofskywalker, I love your fics literally so much, so I'm very excited and nervous to give this one to you! I hope you love it, happy holidays!!!

Echo liked his routine. He liked knowing exactly what he was going to do, when he was going to do it, and in what order it was going to be done. For example, once the transport touches down on Coruscant, Fives is going to throw his arm around Echo and shout something about “hitting every single club on Coruscant,” which really only meant 79s. Echo will laugh, shove his brother’s arm off his shoulder, and tell him that it didn’t matter how many clubs he went to, no one would want to dance with any one with a face as ugly as Fives’. They’ll go back and forth, with a few more brothers piping in every here and there, but once those doors open, Echo’s gone. His legs take him, almost as if they have a mind of their own, straight to a little shop on a level slightly lower than planetside. Without even really thinking about it, his legs take him straight to you.

Echo will walk into the shop, a little bell announcing his presence from above the door, and be hit with the smell of freshly baked pastries, cakes, and cookies. Although glass display cases attempt to draw his attention with colorful examples of the sugar-filled desserts the shop offers, Echo will glue his eyes to the person behind the counter. When you look up, your lips will break out into a blinding grin and his will have no choice but to follow. And for the first time since being shipped off the battlefield, Echo will feel peace.

Which is why it was twice as jarring for Echo when not only were you not at your post by the register, but there were green plants, candles, streamers, and hanging lights covering almost every surface with a cinnamon spice scent dancing in the air.

“Echo!” A voice to his right called, and as he turned, he finally saw you. On a ladder. Hanging another one of those circular lights. You quickly finished mounting the decoration and then scrambled off the ladder, faster than Echo thought safe, before throwing yourself at him in an embrace.

That was new.

Echo felt his face heat up as he lightly returned the hug, but he wasn’t able to fully pull his thoughts away from the drastic change in interior decor. “What happened in here?”

You stepped back and smirked, “Well, it’s great to see you too, Echo.”

“It’s everywhere.” He murmured. “Did you get pranked?”

“No!” You laughed. “It’s Life Day!”

Your voice held a lightness that made Echo’s gaze snap back to you, like a magnet. He noticed the joy that shone in your eyes and almost radiated from you. Stars, you were beautiful.

“Life Day?” Echo questioned, “Does Coruscant have an extra day in its standard week?”

Your eyes widened, “You don’t know what Life Day is? It’s my favorite holiday!”

Echo shook his head, “We don’t exactly celebrate a lot of holidays on Kamino. I think any sense of joy would make the long necks roll over and die.”

“Life Day is a Wookie tradition, although by now most of the galaxy has adopted it, it’s a huge celebration of family, joy, and harmony.” Echo listened to your explanation and heard the compassion in your voice. Compassion, not pity. Never pity. You never pitied his loss of childhood and normal life experience. It was one of the things on the, admittedly very long, list of things he loved about you. “Most people spend it with the people they love. They’ll make food, spend time together, give gifts, and some cultures even have little mythological figures to go along with it. There’s this one planet who believes that a fat man breaks into their house every Life Day to–”

“There you are, vod!” The little bell on the door rang out followed very closely by Fives’ irritating, grating voice, “I was starting to think you deserted, almost called the General to get a manhunt going.”

Echo turned, opening his mouth to respond, but Fives caught sight of you and his face lit up. His eyes bounced back and forth mischievously between you and Echo, “Oh… so this is where you disappear to whenever we’re on Coruscant.”

“Fives…” Echo warned, but it was useless.

“I never thought I’d see the day when a woman tolerated my brother’s company.” Fives pushed Echo aside, smoothly catching your hand and placing a kiss on it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss, the name’s Fives. I’m sure you’ve heard all about me.”

Echo knocked Fives’ hand out of yours and glared at him. Fives just raised his arms in surrender. “What? I’m the light of your life, what else would you have to talk about?”

Before Echo could hit him, you laughed, “Oh, I have heard about you, Fives. It’s nice to meet the man who loves my snickerdoodles so much. That actually reminds me.”

You ran into the back of the bakery, returning with a paper bag that seemed stuffed to the brim. “I added some extra pastries that I think you’d enjoy, Echo. And tell Hardcase that I ran out of poppy seeds, so he’ll just have to settle for lemon muffins.”

Fives’ jaw dropped. “This is where you get these from? Vod, you’d better keep her!”

“She’s not a massiff, stop talking about her like she is!” Echo snapped, but Fives turned to you and started gushing.

“Never in my life have I eaten anything as good as the things you make. Your hands must be blessed by whatever it is that’s out there in the galaxy. If this one ever gives you any trouble, you let me know, or any of our brothers in the 501st, and we’ll knock some sense into him.”

“Time to go!” Echo interjected, grabbing Fives’ by the shoulder and shoving him towards the door. “So many baked goods to hand out, so many clubs for you to hit, remember Fives?” Fives continued blabbering and Echo continued talking over him, but you were laughing too hard to understand anything either of them were saying anymore.

“Echo,” you called out, right before he was about to step out of the door, “you can totally say no, if you want, but would you want to spend Life Day with me?”

Echo wasn’t sure if the sudden silence that fell was real or just his imagination, but it felt as if time had stopped. He glanced back at you, and seeing you standing there, surrounded by your silly and over-the-top decorations, he knew there was no place he’d rather be. “I’d really like that.” He nodded.

Then he stepped away from the door and let it close. He sighed, disappointed that his time with you had been cut so short, then turned and came face to face with his brother, who was wiggling his eyebrows at him.

This time Echo really did hit him.

…

“So…” Fives spoke around his mouthful of snickerdoodle, breaking the collective silence in the 501st barracks as everyone ate their pastries, “the baker?”

Echo sighed. It was his fault really for assuming that Fives could mind his business and drop it. “What about her?”

“She’s cute.” Fives shrugged.

“You met her?” Jesse blurted from his bunk across the room. If everyone wasn’t listening then, they sure were now.

“Yeah, I followed Echo after we landed and caught him with her. Someone’s,” Fives gave Echo a pointed look, “been hiding her from us. Can’t imagine why.”

“Maybe it’s because I value her sanity.” Echo mumbled into his fudge.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Fives nudged his brother. “Look, if you want alone time with your girlfriend, just say that.”

“Girlfriend?!” Hardcase yelled, accusingly looking at Echo.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Echo defended, before any more of his brothers got any ideas.

“But you want her to be.” Fives countered.

“Well, ye–no!” The truth had slipped out of his mouth before he could stop, and now that it was out, there was no turning back. Gasps erupted throughout the room. Jesse had to sit down, Tup dropped his piece of pie, even Dogma looked over with interest.

Fives cheered triumphantly. “What’s stopping you then? Go get her!”

“She’s not into me.” Echo slumped in defeat. “She’s brilliant and talented and beautiful. And she deserves so much more than a guy who’s not sure if he’ll make it back every day.”

A thicker silence fell over the room. Every man in it knew about their reality. They were bred, born, and raised to fight in a war that was not theirs, for a galaxy that was not theirs, for people who were not theirs. Many clones turned to sunny, loud personalities to hide the pain and loss they felt after every battle. There was this unspoken rule that each clone had to live out his life to the absolute fullest while he could, because he didn’t know when it might end. Now that Echo had verbalized it, the entire barracks was reminded of the injustice of their own existence.

“Vod,” Fives broke the silence again, this time with a seriousness in his eyes that looked foreign on his face, “we don’t get many chances to connect with someone like you have. Most guys would desert if it meant getting your opportunity. You can’t let her get away. At least let us know if any of us have a chance with her, if you don’t want it.”

His joke released the tension in the room, each brother chimed in with their own eagerness to date Echo’s baker.

“Even if I wanted to, she’s not into me.” Echo repeated. Groans erupted from all over the room, Jesse even threw a pillow at his brother. “What? I’m telling the truth!”

Fives’ voice rose above the noise, “Echo, di’kut, that is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said. She’s so into you, it kind of hurt to be in the same room as you both.”

Echo rolled his eyes, but Fives kept going. “Look, tell me I’m crazy, but–”

“You’re crazy.”

“She gives you free food, every time you go to meet her–”

“She’s a generous person.”

“She had her eyes glued on you the whole time–”

“Well, maybe you were scaring her.

“She invited you to spend Life Day with her–”

“She what?!” Kix was the one who interrupted this time. “You’re going right?”

“Well, of course, I told her I would. Why would I accept if I wasn’t going to go?” Echo sputtered. “Should I not have? Is that a bad idea? Should I tell her I’m not coming?”

“No!” The entire room shouted.

“You have to.” Kix got up and started pacing. “This is perfect, confessing on holidays is so much more romantic than confessing on your random Zhellday. Just give her something for Life Day, declare your love, and bam! Mission accomplished!”

“That’s ridiculous.” Echo groaned, “Even if I wanted to, I don’t know the first thing about telling a girl you’re in love with her.”

“Well, you’re lucky that you have six brothers right here that will do all the work for you!” Jesse gestured to the occupants of the room, all of whom had their own versions of their scheming faces on.

Echo glanced at Fives, hoping that he would say something to put an end to this madness for once, but when Fives looked back at him, Echo could see the mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

“Vod, we’re going to get you your cyare.”

…

It was Echo’s own fault. He really should’ve done something, anything this morning instead of blindly following his brothers across the Coruscant shopping district. Anything would be better than standing, in front of this very judgemental old man, in a jewelry shop meant for anyone but him.

“I’m sure this piece is out of your budget, young man.” The shopkeeper barely glanced at the necklace Echo was asking about. “Perhaps you’d be better looking elsewhere?”

“Aw, come on, how much is it?” Fives argued, “It can’t be that bad.”

Echo had not been aware that jewelry was even sold at a price as high as the one that came out of the old man’s mouth, much less jewelry that was sold at a shop on one of the lower, dingier levels of Coruscant.

“That place is a scam.” Fives quipped, the moment the old man had shut the door in their faces. “Let’s try somewhere else.”

Echo glanced around. “I get the feeling that we’ll run into similar problems everywhere. The GAR doesn’t exactly pay well, where would we even find jewelry that any of us could afford?”

“Nonsense. The way to a woman’s heart is through expensive things.” Fives was already looking for a new place to try. “Especially shiny, expensive things. Necklaces, rings, bracelets, girls go crazy for that stuff.”

“I don’t know…” Echo trailed off as he thought about you. You were kind, funny, loving, and selfless. He didn’t take you as the type to get carried away with shine and credits.

“Echo might be right.” Jesse piped in, “There’s only so much we can do in the expensive-jewelry department. But that doesn’t mean we’re completely down for the count. We’ll think of something else.”

Fives slumped his shoulders, but didn’t say anything in his defense. All six of the men began looking around, wondering which one would give the next idea.

“What about…” Tup shyly started, “flowers? Girls like flowers, right?”

“Yeah!” Hardcase nodded, “That way Echo can still buy something for his baker and not have to spend too much money.”

“What’s her favorite flower?” Kix asked, pulling the attention in the conversation back to Echo.

Echo felt his face warm. How was it that in all the hours he spent in your company, all the attention he gave to every detail about you, he didn’t know what your favorite flower was? His brothers looked at him with expectant faces. Would they make fun of him if he told them that he didn’t know? Fives would have asked a girl immediately what her favorite flower was.

“I’ll know it when I see it.” Maybe Echo didn’t lie. Maybe you had a vase that held a certain type of flower all the time in your shop and Echo had never fully noticed it. Maybe you mentioned it in passing a few times. Maybe Echo would see a flower that he would be dying to put behind your ear.

As it turned out, Echo underestimated how many flowers there were in the world. And some of them looked so similar, he couldn’t even begin to guess which one you’d be partial to. This whole gift-giving thing was a lot harder than he thought.

“What about this one?” Jesse emerged from behind a wall of flora, holding a giant, yellow flower.

Echo winced. “I think that one’s too obnoxious.”

“I found one!” Kix shouted from across the flower shop. Looking up, Echo could just see a black-gloved hand holding a dainty, purple flower above the shelves.

That one was better, but it still didn’t speak to Echo in any way that reminded him of you. “I’m not so sure.”

Fives groaned and tossed the bouquet he was about to offer Echo over his shoulder. “You’re impossible. She’s got to like something from here. Where’s Tup? This was all his idea.”

“He’s flirting with the cashier.” Dogma pointed towards the entrance. To his credit, Tup didn’t burst into a noticeable blush, but his shoulders tightened in a subtle motion that told his brothers that Tup heard them call him out. Nonetheless, the flower shop cashier was giggling at whatever he had said.

“At least someone here is striking gold.” Hardcase grumbled. “Now if only Echo could take a page out of Tup’s book. Tup’s book of all people!”

Echo knew his brother’s frustration wasn’t entirely on him. They would die before they admitted it, but none of them really knew anything about women, and this experience was showcasing that for all of them. His brothers huddled together, brainstorming the next plan while Echo ran his eyes over the shelves once again.

It felt like the millionth time he looked at this wall of flowers, but this time, one flower stuck out to him. It was elegant, but simple. Echo knew the petals would bring out your eyes in the best way.

“That one.” Echo pointed to it. His brothers stopped bickering almost immediately.

Fives hopped into motion first, “Perfect! Let’s go.” He marched Echo, who now held the bouquet in his hands, straight to the cashier. “Move over, Tup, you can flirt later.”

This time a blush did erupt on Tup’s face. He turned away to hide it, but the cashier just laughed lightly before turning to Echo and Fives, a more professional mask slipping over her features. “I take it you’re Echo?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Echo nodded, “Just this one please.”

The cashier nodded and began to ring up the bouquet. “I couldn’t help but overhear some of your situation, and Tup filled in a little bit. I just wanted to let you know that these flowers are commonly allergenic. Most people are pretty mildly allergic, but it’s not uncommon for a person to have a pretty severe allergy to them.”

Echo froze. “I can’t give that to her then! What if I put her in the hospital?!”

“Hospitals are not romantic.” Hardcase agreed, wisely.

“I’ll try something else.” Echo sighed, “Thank you for all your help.”

The cashier sympathetically nodded at him, and began to open her mouth to offer more help, but Echo was already being ushered out the doors of the shop by his brothers.

“It’s alright. Shake it off.” Fives assured, “The guys and I have already talked, and we’ve got a plan that’s a sure winner this time.”

…

“I can’t do this.” Echo threw up his hands.

Dogma glanced up from his own project. “Sure you can. There’s nothing that screams ‘Life Day’ more than a pair of mittens, and nothing says ‘I’ll be here to protect and provide for you’ more than the honorable discipline of knitting. Ow-”

Throwing the ball of yarn at Dogma probably wouldn’t help him learn to knit, but it did make Echo feel sort of better.

The plan that his brothers cooked up after the flower shop had not worked. And neither had the next. Or this one, apparently.

In Hardcase’s defense, Echo hadn’t even attempted to put together a 60-piece marching band to parade down the bakery’s street for Life Day. But he had attempted to learn to play the guitar because, according to Jesse, every woman dreams of the day a man plays a guitar and sings for them as they awkwardly avoid eye contact and shuffle in their seats for lack of better things to do. While he was sure the love songs he had tried to learn were beautiful, Echo found out that he didn’t have the musical ability to portray them in any flattering manner.

He was getting so desperate for a good plan, he’d even asked Rex one day, “Captain, if you were a beautiful baker, who was completely out of my league, what would you want for Life Day?”

“For you to leave me alone, probably.” Was the only response he got.

It had been weeks since he last met with her, weeks since she invited him to spend Life Day with her and started this whole mess. He knew that he couldn’t look her in the eyes until he had the perfect Life Day gift for her, but now that was Life Day Eve, Echo was getting hopeless.

Dogma glared at his brother. “You’re going to make me roll that ball back up, aren’t you?.”

“Yup.” Echo met his glare.

“Okay! New plan!” Kix jumped in. The entire room groaned in protest. “Shut it, all of you. I’ve listened to all of your awful ideas, I apologize to the woman you fool with them by the way, but I’ve got something you all don’t: a working brain.” More yarn balls got tossed in Kix’s direction along with insults that drowned out Dogma’s protests.

“Echo,” Kix ignored them, “this girl seems like she’s really special. And really special girls aren’t going to be swayed by things. She’s probably already into you and just needs to know that you’re in love with her. All you need to do is tell her, and the best way to do that is with love letters. They’re simple, heartfelt, and genuine. Three things that women love.” The men in the room had quieted over Kix’s speech, and all seemed to be absentmindedly nodding as they thought this new plan over.

“You’re right.” Echo stood up. “This is ridiculous. I just need to get it off my chest and tell her how I feel. A love letter is the perfect way to gift that.” Cheers erupted from the room this time.

I’m proud of him. Fives thought as Echo sat down and began writing. This was really important to him, but he could probably give her a rock off the ground and she’d kiss him.

Good for him. Jesse thought as Echo threw away his first draft of his love letter. He’s really thinking about what he’s going to say. He’s making sure it comes out just right.

He’s dedicated, I’ll give him that. Dogma thought as he laid down to go to sleep, Echo still writing. It’s not his fault that he can’t understand the value of knitting, but I guess this is the next best thing.

That must be some letter. Tup thought when he rolled over a few hours later, Echo’s pile of discarded letters getting taller and taller. I hope she likes it.

What time even is it? Hardcase thought when he woke up in the very early hours of the morning, Has he been writing this whole time?

I’ve created a monster. Kix realized when he got up the next morning, seeing no trace of Echo, but a huge pile of crumpled up pieces of flimsi next to the desk that he had sat at all night long. Maker help that Baker.

…

“Happy Life Day, Echo!” You greeted the clone standing outside your door. He returned your grin with a smaller one. You noticed that he looked slightly disheveled and he seemed to be breathing a bit heavier than normal. Instead of pointing it out, you decided to politely ask, “How has your morning been?”

“Awful.” Echo blurted before hastily correcting himself, “-ly great. I’ve had an awfully great morning. How about you?”

“I guess my morning has been awfully great too.” You awkwardly shuffled aside, “Would you like to come in or…?”

“Oh!” Echo quickly walked past you, and you noticed as he did so that he was carrying a large sack with him. It was made of dark green cloth and looked suspiciously like something you had seen other clones use to carry their gear. You found it odd, but decided not to mention it. Maybe clones had a regulation that stated they couldn’t go anywhere without their gear, and if him being able to wear the very flattering civilian clothes that he currently had on meant he had to carry around a giant sack everywhere, who were you to complain about it?

“Thank you so much for coming. I know I kind of sprung the invitation on you.” You gestured to your table, which you had set for two people with a candle in the middle. You blushed as you realized that you just presented him with a candle light breakfast, but continued on. “I made a sort of late breakfast for us, and then I have a full day of Life Day activities planned for us. I really wanted to make sure you have the full experience for your first Life Day.”

Echo prided himself in being a very observant and aware man, but he had not heard a word you had said after looking at the table. “It’s only us today?”

Your smile faltered, “Yeah, I had planned the day for just the two of us, is that okay?”

“Yes!” Echo coughed to clear the eagerness out of his tone. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

Echo had never been to your apartment, and so when he first got the comm asking him to meet you there, he got even more nervous than he already was. But his nerves were calmed as he looked around the room during breakfast. Your unique fingerprints were everywhere. Just like the bakery, every inch of this house was decked out in Life Day decorations. Little replicas of a decorated Tree of Life were scattered over various shelves and counters, garlands were hung with Life Day orbs, candles and other decorations covering everything. You even had a larger Tree of Life replica set up in your living room, also decorated to the nines. The entire house screamed the passion and love that you put into all things you care about, and the knot in Echo’s stomach loosened more and more with every minute he spent with you.

Breakfast was amazing. You were a great baker, Echo already knew that, but you were excited to show him that you were an almost better cook. While the day had started off on a bit of a stumbling foot, conversation began to flow easily between the two of you as more time passed. It was nice to see Echo relaxed and smiling. You don’t really know when it started, but these days, your life seemed to revolve around the little moments you were able to spend with Echo. He was sweet and gentle with you, but you knew that he was also brave and courageous. You adored every aspect of him. You hoped that one day, you’d be able to openly show the depths of that adoration. The rest of the day seemed to fly by. The two of you decorated cookies, built orgabread houses, played games, and before you know it, you were snuggled up on the couch, large mugs of wroshyr louse syrup cocoa in hand, watching the third Life Day holofilm of the night. At some point between the start of the second holofilm and now, Echo had managed to sneak his arm across your shoulders, allowing you to bury yourself into his side. His warmth seeped to you, and you were well on your way to falling asleep when he mumbled, “Cyar’ika?”

“Hm?” You didn’t know what the word meant, but you somehow knew he was referring to you. Lifting your head up, you met his gaze. How long had he been staring?

“When you first invited me over, I had no idea what Life Day was, but I did some research, and my brothers yelled at me, and now I think I have a pretty good idea of what it means. You’re really special to me, and my brothers told me that you give special people gifts on Life Day. So I spent the past few weeks, losing my mind, trying to find the perfect gift to give you.” A blush started to creep up his face, but he didn’t let that deter him, “I tried many things, and each one didn’t work, so I tried something else.” He carefully untangled himself from you and left the room. Before you were able to fully wonder where he went, he returned with the sack. “I couldn’t decide on one thing to get you. Each place I went to had something that reminded me of something that I like about you, but I like so much more than one thing about you and choosing which one to show you was impossible.”

He opened the sack and pulled out a necklace. It wasn’t anything big or flashy, but the chain was decorated with little pearls, “This isn’t the original necklace I looked at, the GAR doesn’t pay enough for that one,” Echo joked, “but it represents my point a little better, I think. When I looked at this, I saw all the little kindnesses that you do. Not just for me, but my brothers, other customers at your bakery, sometimes even just strangers off the street. I see a world that is mean and cruel everyday, but when I’m with you, I’m reminded of all the beauty and good that’s in it too.” A lump had formed in your throat, so the only thing that you could do was reach out and take the necklace.

When you looked back up at him, he was holding out a single, purple flower, slightly crumpled from being held in a sack all day long. “I searched a flower shop for hours to find this. I don’t know what it’s called or where it’s from, but when I saw it, I knew exactly where it belonged.” He reached out and gently brushed your cheek as he settled the flower behind your ear. “Right there.”

“Echo,” You smiled, starting to see where this was going, “thank you, I–”

“I’m not finished.” Echo reached into the sack and started pulling out item after item. “I bought you mittens, sorry they’re not homemade, a music box, I didn’t have time to put together a 60 piece band, I even brought Jesse’s guitar!” Your eyes widened as he pulled the instrument out of the sack, along with pages and pages of flimsi with music written on it. “I wanted to find the perfect way to tell you how much you meant to me, but all I did was drive myself crazy and waste so much time. Because none of these things can possibly show how much I look forward to every moment that I spend with you, and every smile of yours that I get to see, and how much I love everything about you. I love you.”

A beat of silence fell over the both of you as you both processed the weight of Echo’s words. “I have a Life Day gift for you too. But you have to close your eyes before I give it to you.” Echo’s shock displayed on his face for a moment, but he nodded and dutifully closed his eyes.

You took a deep breath. Echo’s leap of courage inspired you to take your own. You slowly leaned closer and closer into Echo, allowing yourself all the time you wanted to observe his features. His strong brow, sharp jawline, and full lips. You were most focused on those lips right now. Echo stiffened when you placed a hand on his shoulder for balance and when he began to feel your breath ghost over his lips. “I love you too.” You whispered, and then closed the gap.

Echo still had one gift that he hadn’t given you, but something told him he wouldn’t need that letter anymore.

…

Echo loved his routine. He knew exactly what he was going to do, when he was going to do it, and what order it was going to be done. Once this transport touches down on Coruscant, Fives is going to throw his arm around Echo and shout something about “making sure that the pretty baker sets aside the good stuff for me.” Echo is going to laugh, shove his brother’s arm off his shoulder, and tell him that it didn’t matter what he brought back with him, anything from that bakery is “the good stuff.” They’ll go back and forth, with a few more brothers piping in here and there, but once those doors open, Echo’s gone. His legs take him straight to a little shop on a level slightly lower than planetside, straight to you, but now, he’s thinking about it a whole lot.

Echo will walk into the shop, a little bell announcing his presence from above the door, and be hit with his favorite smell in the world, but now, a pair of eyes is already looking back at him. The baker will leave her post behind the counter, as fast as she can, and throw herself into his arms. And for the first time since he left you, Echo will feel like he’s home.

#LDE23 #echo x reader #echo x fem!reader #star wars #the clone wars #i honestly don't knpw how to feel about this one

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hesbuckcompton-baby · 9 months

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BAND OF BROTHERS TERROR AU. TELL ME. NOWWWW

OK!!!! I'm not going to put everything in here because I don't want this post to end up HUGE (EDIT: this post ended up massive anyway), so I'll talk about the main components and some stuff I like, and if people want me to go more in-depth and discuss other side characters I will.

Tagging people who commented on the original post in case y'all want to read @latibvles @fearlessjones

Herbert Sobel is the original captain of HMS Erebus - he is the Sir John Franklin figure, he's incompetent, and whilst many of his higher-ups know he is ultimately not suited to such an expedition, they let him lead anyway because they like him, and they hope he will finally get some glory amongst all his failure. However, perhaps his key flaw is his keen dislike for the captain of the HMS Terror, Richard Winters.

Ok, I KNOWWWW people are gonna think that Nixon would be a better fit for this role, because he arguably resembles Crozier much more, but WAIT. For those of you who haven't read the book, it is said that the HMS Erebus has absolutely NO alcohol in its stores because Franklin does not drink. If this is the case here too, and Lewis Nixon is stuck as Sobel's commander, this will send him insane over time. Nixon and Winters are very competent leaders, so for this AU to work I need to break them, and what better way than to weaken Nix from months of withdrawal at sea with Captain Fucking Sobel? Combine this with Winters refusal to indulge him with his own alcohol stores, and now there's a wedge driven between the two before they're even stranded.

But even so, Winters needs something that will impede his own leadership, and for him, I think that's his sense of responsibility for his men. Winters is always striving to find a solution that will cause the least amount of damage to his men - he wants them safe, and he doesn't care if they have to turn this ship around and head home to do it. But he can't. By the time they get stuck in the ice, there is no possible solution he can come up with that won't result in his men's suffering or even loss of life, and this leaves him jaded, wearing him down as the situation becomes even more dire and he has to watch more and more of his men killed by the cold, sickness, and the Tuunbaq. This will get to him, and it will impede his ability to think rationally.

Right, now for the Lieutenants. On HMS Terror, you have First Lieutenant Harry Welsh, Second Lieutenant Buck Compton, and Third Lieutenant Henry Jones. Whilst Welsh and Compton are very competent, much like their captain, Jones has risen through the ranks due to little more than wealth and connections. Whilst he could not purchase his commission, his family manage to pull the right strings, and now he's here with very little experience and absolutely NO respect from the men, already making way for the system of leadership to be undermined before things ever get serious.

On the HMS Erebus, Captain Sobel (And eventually Captain Nixon, once Sobel is killed) have First and Second Lieutenants Ronald Speirs and Carwood Lipton. These two are excellent in a crisis, and when the crew becomes despaired as Sobel's incompetency and Nixon's declining health as a result of his withdrawal, they are given the heavy burden of trying to raise morale and keep the men's trust as the situation grows ever more dire.

Chief Surgeon of the HMS Terror Eugene Roe has gotten a lotttt more than he bargained for with this expedition. Yes, he takes his job seriously, and yes, he came here to help people, but more than anything he just wanted to be a part of something real, to see the Passage with his own eyes and know he had helped to make a difference. But now his surgery is crammed with victims of the Tuunbaq and men displaying very unusual symptoms that he doesn't quite understand. He's losing sleep and he's losing hope, and he doesn't know quite how to cope with the knowledge that he isn't as good as he thought, and he truly cannot save these men.

Captain's Steward David Webster believes he's made for more than this. He's educated, no small feat when half the men on the Terror can scarcely even read, and he feels his skills are wasted running around after Captain Winters. But he comes from a high-ranking Naval family, and if he ever wants to make something of himself there's little option but to work his way through it unless he wants to be stuck doing this forever. As time passes, he begins to grow bitter at his position, which is why when Caulker Roy Cobb begins disparaging Winters' leadership, his words begin to make sense to Webster.

I've planned roles for all of the notable characters in BoB but I do not want to write a fucking novel on this post, so please let me know if you want to see more!

#bob terror au #band of brothers #the terror #the terror amc #dick winters #herbert sobel #lewis nixon #harry welsh #buck compton

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summerwritesfics · 9 months

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🩷More Than Nice

Pairing: Harumi Hasashi(Harumi Shirai)/Kuai Liang Length: 796 Words Rating: General Warnings: Fluff, Feelings Realisation, Bisexual awakening (although kinda in reverse of how this usually happens), Sexuality just be like that sometimes, My crack ship is canon now holy shit

Mortal Kombat Oneshots Masterlist

Notes: AYO, pour one out for me; the one fucker who shipped Harumi/Kuai before it became canon and now has to constantly endure the hatred people have for both this ship and Harumi. 👍🏻 But yeah, this is a short fluff piece I wrote when the preview for Invasions mode was revealed. So again, I’ve had this written and edited for a while, just needed to post it. I always kinda liked the concept of Kuai Liang having a reverse bisexual awakening, where he thought for a long time he was gay, and then bam, Harumi comes along. Sexuality do be like that sometimes, it’s not a rigid as people seem to think. I think it’s interesting to delve into. Anyway, enjoy! The Harumi pegging Kuai porn will come at a later date ;P

“You don’t look at any other women the way you look at me.”

Kuai Liang looked up from his bowl of miso soup with an extremely cute frown on his face. Harumi knew he’d probably disagree with that description. It was true though. He was very cute. Handsome. Very polite and respectful. A little bit shy and unsure of himself. Some might have said awkward, but that was more the lack of regular socialisation outside of his clan and brothers.

“What do you mean?” He mumbled, keeping his voice low like he did not want anyone to overhear their conversation. She could understand that. Kuai Liang definitely was not used to being around civilians, and especially not used to conversations that weren’t matters of the utmost importance.

It was rare she managed to persuade him to leave the training grounds at all during his visits. He was here to train, as per his father’s request, and that was what he intended to do for the most part.

But occasionally, every now and then, she managed to win him over.

“You look at me the same way you look at the men you train with,” she elaborated, and Kuai cocked his head ever so slightly.

“With respect and admiration?” He questioned, his voice ever so slightly braindead like he was trying a little too hard to act oblivious.

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

It was hard to miss the way Kuai looked at the men he trained with. Well, to her it was, it seemed the men in question hadn’t seen. She couldn’t explain it other than if she were required to give a visual representation of “puppy love”, then Kuai Liang would be it. And initially, he only ever wore that expression around those men.

That was until she realised he was doing the exact same thing with her.

Kuai glanced around, shifting in place, like he couldn’t get comfortable. Finally he looked her directly in the eye, and said “I don’t really know what to tell you.”

He deliberately took a sip of his soup, clearly stalling for time while he could come up with something to say. It was a quirk she’d noticed early on. When he didn’t have a reply straight away, he’d find a reason he couldn’t answer. If that was sipping his soup, taking a drink, or even shovelling about 10 Gyoza into his mouth at the same time.

She still occasionally laughed to herself when she thought about how pudgy his cheeks had become.

“I have always known I was… different,” he finally began after swallowing. “While my peers would discuss the attractiveness of women, there was something…” He bared his teeth slightly like he was trying to think of another word than the one he’d already used. “It was like, they would point out an attractive woman to me, and I could acknowledge that they looked nice, but it was never anything more than that.” He chuckled slightly, although not a happy chuckle, one with a melancholy timbre that broke Harumi’s heart a little. “For the longest time, I simply believed myself to be broken.”

“Oh, Kuai Liang.” It was inconceivable, the idea that he could think there was something wrong with him for something so normal.

“It was a while before I realised that what they were seeing in women, I was seeing in men.” He pursed his lips slightly, glancing down at his bowl. “I believe I am what they refer to as a cut sleeve.” Harumi was vaguely familiar with the term he was referring to, at least enough to understand what he was saying. He was a homosexual. “At least, that is what I had believed until…”

“Until me?” Harumi finished. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, if she was honest.

“Yes, and I know what your next question is going to be,” Kuai said firmly, making sure she couldn’t sneak it in quickly. “You are going to ask me why, and I am not going to be able to answer you, because I don’t know.” Somehow, it seemed like that was the easiest part of everything for him to admit. “I do not know why I feel so differently about you, but I do. You are the first and only woman who I’ve found more than nice.”

“Oh,” Harumi chriped, unable to stop herself from smiling. “Well, I’m very glad to hear that.”

Really, regardless of what Kuai’s sexuality was, it didn’t matter to her. His feelings for her were genuine, she could tell from the way he spoke. She knew she felt the same about him too. Those were really the only two things that mattered.

And somehow, “more than nice” was the greatest compliment she had ever received.

#mortal kombat #kuai liang #sub zero #scorpion #harumi hasashi #harumi shirai #kuairumi #🩷mortal kombat oneshots

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selfproclaimedunicorn · 4 months

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Secrets In The Dark

Sooooo, I wrote another drabble set in Aldreda’s backstory. It's not not a sequel to the last one, but there's probably a couple months between them. Also it's from her shitty cousin's POV, so content warning for being in the brain of the guy actively deciding he wants to groom a 13-year-old. Fully understand that not being something everyone will want to read, I just needed to expunge my soul of the idea I had. Anyway, felt slimy after completing this & again while editing so I'm gonna plan nice things now

Aldreda Tag | AO3 Series | Other Flashback Drabble

Stars blinked above in the great expanse of black as water gently sloshed against the sides of the longship, making it rock and softly creak as it sat still in the waters of The Sunset Sea. Westley groaned as he sat up. His arm was numb from having laid his head on it for so long, and The Sharp’s eighth son had rolled over enough to be on the edge of the blankets he’d wrapped around himself to keep out the cold and the wet and offer some cushion between himself and the hard planks of the ship. If it weren’t for the cold glint of a blade in the dark, and the shadow of Beorn Merlyn’s form huddled near the port side of the hull, he would have pushed the ship boy further away from him. He didn’t want to risk shoving him into one of the other men and waking up more people before he could talk to him.

Westley stretched, working limberness back into his shoulders and arms before pushing himself up and stepping over the sleeping man at arms that lay between him and the huddled form near the hull. Beorn's posture stiffened, and he watched Westley with hard, dark blue eyes. He didn’t move, the knife in his hand pausing in its work against whatever silly little trinket he’d been whittling to pass the time. A good bit of shavings crunched under Westley’s boot when he stepped in front of Beorn; he’d been at this a while it would seem. He crouched down before his man, arms rested on his knees and a manic grin on his face.

“Hope you’re not planning a mutiny with that.” He tried to keep his tone light as he inclined his head towards the knife, hoping his words would be taken as a jest. Beorn had been a good friend to him, loyal and true and willing to listen to his orders in spite of being a few years older than him. Westley had been just as true to Orwen, and he’d loved his older cousin like a brother…but that did not mean his loyalties to his cunt uncle’s now-dead son outweighed those to his own father, The True Farwynd. Such caveats to loyalty existed in everyone, even the fourth son of The Merlyn sent off to serve ‘one of those crazy Farwynds out in their lighthouse.’

“Not planning anything…unless you do something.” Beorn’s gaze faltered, unable to hold Westley’s unblinking eye contact, and he mumbled the second part.

“Do something?” his grin relaxed, and true humor played at the edges of his voice this time, “Where’s that coming from?”

Beorn’s eyes darted towards the sleeping figure curled up between him and the hull, and he followed the other man's gaze. Aldreda. Westley looked back from his cousin, fair and vulnerable, to his man. He said nothing, his smile fading to blank neutrality.

Beorn shifted under his near-black gaze, anxiety dripping from him like water off the oars. His hushed whispers came out as a desperate plea, “I know we've never cared, but she is too much risk, Westley!”

He didn't say anything, continuing to just stare at Beorn. The other man swallowed, and he rubbed his thumb over one of the rough edges of the half-formed carving in his hand. “I know The Farwynd said to do what you wish, but that was more for her than you. It had to have been, and you know that.”

“Beorn.” Westley’s low voice was cold and stern, a warning to shut his stupid blabbering mouth. He did not heed it.

“Westley, you cannot touch her. If you take her maidenhead, The Farwynd will have you stripped naked and thrown into the walrus rookery slathered in clam juice at best, and during their rut at worst. Naga's Bones, Orwen even–”

Before Beorn could continue, he grabbed his jaw, holding so tightly that he winced. Westley’s brother-in-arms didn’t need to be brought into this. A dead man had no business in his affairs, especially if his words were still being honored. The honoring was not how he meant it in life, but it was still happening.

“And your plan for if I touch Aldreda is what, exactly? To cut off the fingers I put in her and present them to The Farwynd? To take off my cock and throw it in the ocean? To betray House Farwynd and kill your captain?”

Beorn did not respond, probably because he could not. Still, Westley searched his face as he held fast to his blocky jaw, fingers pressing hard into the bone. It was uncomfortable for him as well, but there was a malicious sort of pleasure in the discomfort on his man’s face while he tried to impart his thoughts without words.

“You only care because Aldreda is special…which is why you have nothing to worry about.” An easy smile spread across Westley’s face as Beorn’s thick brows furrowed with confusion. He let go of him, and patted his cheek as the other man tried to work some amount of comfort back into his jaw.

“Aldreda is special,” he reiterated, careful to continue keeping his voice low, “which is why no one will have her. There will be a proper time, of course, but that is for me. When she is six and ten I will make sure that in these three years she has learned that she’s mine. Your only job, Beorn, is to ensure that Aldreda hears and knows nothing of anyone else. I have needs, you understand, and they are none of her business. Her only business is taking what I give her, when I give it to her; training, raiding experience, love as Orwen’s sister, and one day as my woman. Promise me you’ll do this.”

There was still that same confused sort of concern on his face when he started to respond, “Westley–”

He frowned, quietly furious, and moved his hand from Beorn’s cheek, to his neck. Westley hauled him up onto his feet by the scruff, and the knife and hunk of wood clattered to the floor of the longship as they were dropped in the process of being dragged to the hull. He bent Beorn over the edge, the other man’s face barely above the black brine.

Westley loomed over him as he spoke again, his words coming out through gritted teeth. “If you do not swear to make sure all she knows is that I waited for her–”

“Westley?!”

The rustling of waking bodies and Aldreda’s worried cry saw Westley leaning forward, dunking Beorn’s head into the sea, and grabbing his upper arm to get a better hold on him. With a grunt of put on effort, he pulled him back up and away from the hull. Beorn coughed and sputtered over the water that had gotten in his mouth and up his nose as all that salt soaking his hair and the collar of his tunic dripped down and softly pattered onto the floor of the longship.

“There you go,” he put on a show of straightening his tunic and caring for his waterlogged man, “you have to be more careful!” Beorn's eyes met Westley’s for a moment, angry and disbelieving, before ultimately a look of resignation crossed his face.

“I will…I promise.” When he spoke, the words were horse and brought about another coughing fit.

“What happened? Beorn, are you alright?”

“He tripped.” The lie fell easily from Westley’s lips as Beorn coughed into his fist, and Aldreda and Vickon and other men looked on with concern.

“I am fine,” Beorn rasped, “I got pulled out before anything too bad.”

“Vickon, get something for him to dry off.”

“Aye, Westley!” The Sharp’s son scrambled to gather something at least mostly dry for Beorn as the men all mocked or checked on him, stretching and then easing back into the spots where they’d been sleeping. After a moment, Beorn went to Vickon’s side to dry off, leaving only Aldreda and Westley by he hull

“Beorn is usually so sure-footed.”

“Everyone has their moments, and it is a good thing I was up to see his. Best to not be down a man, we will need everyone once we hit the coast. House Reyne’s land is rich with plunder.”

“So that is where we’re going?” There was a sparkle of excitement in her black eyes, and a wild grin pulled at the corners of her mouth. Naga’s Bones, Westley wanted her now; wanted to see how that grinning mouth would feel around his cock. It wasn't the right time though, he wanted her to want it as much as he did.

“It is,” Westley returned her grin and tucked some of her hair behind her ear, “I thought you deserved something big for your first raid.” Her cheek felt warm when his fingers brushed it, and something soft entered her smile.

“Get back to sleep, Aldreda. We'll talk about the plans tomorrow.”

“Right…good night, Westley.”

A smug sort of satisfaction filled Westley’s chest as Aldreda did as he bid her. It wasn't much, not yet, but the willingness was there; his work could be done in three years.

#my writing #fic: a fair and handsome seal lord #ocs #oc: aldreda farwynd #westley farwynd i am in your walls #i mean i love when a villain is truly A Villain & is evil & knowngly do shitty things #but also this man needs to be jailed #the way this man is so self aware & so fucking delusional at the same time #asoiaf oc #afahsl drabbles

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maidenvault · 3 months

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not WIP Wednesay lol

I don't know if anyone else is interested in Crosshair/Howzer after those last episode but uhhh I'm writing it. Here's a preview of them hiding out in an old wrecked ship while on a mission together. (Edit: this fic is finished and posted)

“I bet Omega doesn’t like that she’ll be separated from most of you for the start of this mission.” He made a noise of confirmation under his breath. Howzer didn’t know the half of it. “She’ll never let us go without her, so that’s the deal. She’ll be with Hunter waiting until the first team has made it to Tantiss.” Howzer gave him a mild smile, now starting to remove parts of his armor. “She’ll be fine with her brothers there. You all trained her well.” That got a dismissive little huff of laughter out of him. “I had nothing to do with it.” He paused, hiding with effort the darker place his thoughts went from there. “I’m only here with you now because she doesn’t listen to anything I say.” When he looked directly up at Howzer again, he saw he was stripped down to just his body glove and now beginning to peel the top off over his head. “What are you doing?” Howzer couldn’t seem to hold back one of those broad smiles of his that made his skin crinkle at the corners of his eyes. “I remember Cody said the sonic shower works,” he answered, now bare-chested and freeing himself from the sleeves. Crosshair arched an eyebrow at him. For kriff sake, he’d never seen anyone so nerf-karking happy about using a shoddy old shower. “Well, no offense,” Howzer said in answer to his look, “but it’ll make it a more charming atmosphere on the voyage back, don’t you think?” For a strange few seconds Crosshair was struck silent, so disoriented by this vaguely ribbing comment from Howzer of all people, by the way it was accompanied by Howzer’s eyes briefly going up and down his…person. But this wasn’t the first time he had found Howzer to seem a bit pampered in his sensibilities compared to other clones. Serving as Cham Syndulla’s security and remaining comfortably stationed on one planet for so long, getting sunlight every day and a consistent sleep schedule, had appeared when Crosshair first met him to give him a certain healthy radiance. He'd since heard from one of the defectors of his squad that on special occasions Howzer and some of his men had even been invited to join the Syndullas at their dinner table, treated almost like part of the kriffing family, and the clones on duty those nights would get cakes sent to them to enjoy at their posts. Crosshair supposed if he’d been used to all that not long ago instead of spending much of his life in space, he wouldn’t like sharing close quarters with others for many hours either. “Nice,” he drawled sarcastically once he had recovered from his surprise. “You’d have gotten a much better wash if I let you slip into that ravine, and then you wouldn’t have to smell me anymore.”

#captain howzer #crosshair #tbb omega #the bad batch #clone troopers #star wars #my fic

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stretchyyonko · 7 months

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I just started one piece last month and I'm currently STILL ON ENNIES LOBBY...since I'm busy on school works and etc.

And here I am reacting to one piece Men I have been spoiled nor encountered in spoilers and mostly Tiktok and twitter. ( Part 01 )

1st up OF COURSE IT'S LUFFY

- THIS BISH RIGHT HERE REALLY MADE ME WATCH ONE PIECE AND SIMP FOR HIM LIKE HOW BOA AND BARTOLOMEO DO IT😭 like bro how can you not...(except the pre-timeskip 'cause I don't the FBI banging up at my door)

- Plus the way he never kills his enemies and him being dense asf funny to me, not to mention him having ADHD IS WAY TO FUCKING ACCURATE...

- AND HE'S TOO FUCKING INNOCENT ASF SKRKGKSNSNAAAAAAAA I just wanna keep him in my pocket and watch him smile at me like how he do 24/7

- Would 100% marry him (don't worry I'll fix him to go bath everyday even if I got to fight him using gear 5 nor fighting his simps and ships)

- I also love how he don't kill his enemies and just downgrade them like how what he did to bellamy.

2nd the cook and the swordsman

- Man...this two..well...I would not wamt to meddle into their banters like an old married couple...

- STRONG ASF

- To be honest I kinda like the pre time skip sanji but he grew up more fine after 2 years, plus I understand why he got unbearable during fishman island arc since he got isolate to an island full of homosexual people and even got into one LMAO but he slayed those heels and dress tho...

- As same as his captain THIS FUCKING SWORDSMAN ONLY BATHES ONCE A WEEK...SKRKGODJAJRJFJ I CAN'T WITH THE TWO OF THEM 😭. Also don't get me wrong..but I kinda find zoro more cool than simp cause I don't know what's wrong to my brain that I can't find him attractive...yet the way he handles women as equal to him is good to me...I find him funny and cool asf yet I find his captain attractive asf HOW 😭?!

- And the fact that I knew then as a ship first and their fanarts are just insanely good too 😭.

3rd Ace and Sabo

- To be honest the ever 1st one piece episode I had watch on TV when I was on 5th grade was the Amazon Lily episode where Boa simped for luffy and I got intrigued watching it because I kinda thought luffy would accept boa's confession LMAO, and by 6th grade I again catched a glimpse of Ace's death on marineford arc and I was confused at first why he got killed not until today wjen I saw some spoilers (By the way Those episode that I watch is a tagalog dub from a TV Channel in our country) So that's why back in the years that I still haven't watch one piece all I knew was Ace's Death and Boa having a crush on luffy.

- It's funny I learnt sabo from my friend who reads One piece manga where she was ranting to me about sabo and there I got curious and ask her what happened, and there she explained to me that Luffy has another brother which I got surprised cause all I know back then was Ace and there she was crying how handsome sabo was and was also crying because of luffy meeting sabo again. Back then I always thought that these three is brothers by blood and not by alcohol 😭.

- To be honest Ace's visuals back then was hella majestic but funny at the same time but after the re-animation he got babygirly-fied LIKE BRO HIS ANIMATION ON THAT SCENE IN WANO HIS TIDDIES GOT BIG ASF HELL IT BIGGER THAN MINE.

- Sabo on the other hand well I saw him in the movie Film Gold and Stampede First and also I took a little research about The Revolutionary army BUT WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE WAS KOALA...SHE'S SO CUTE AND GORG MAN...HELL I WOULD FIGH–ehem anyways back to sabo, yeah he's intelligence and strength got me shook cause how can he divide those fingers like that sjrkgks I wanna learn their karate too 😭.

4th Law and Kid

- Well knowing the social media the wano episodes are all over my tiktok fyo page and these two caught my eye since they are always beside luffy in wano.

- Except for Law I knew him on that edit of kamiya hiroshi's voice characters and yes I quickly went to the comment section to know his name.

- I got exposed to knowing him when my friend who stopped watching one piece told me that he often got shipped with luffy and boi after I typed the "LawLu DJ" there I got bombarded with some of their popular comic strips and fanarts that is sometimes questionable and sometimes sweet and fluffy and sweet and some others are traumatizing LMAO SPECIALLY THAT ONE WHERE HE USED HIS DEVIL FRUIT TO CUT HIM AND F HIM 😭. Plus the fact he kinda resemble my boyfriend that's why I found his visual quite appealing...EVEN THE HUMOR AND BRAIN IS ACCURATE LIKE ITS SCARY ASF 😭.

- To kid I kinda find him resemble to bakugo LMAO I DON'T EVEN WATCH MHA YET yet I find him cute and quite funny too.

- Not to mention the manga chapter 1063 and 1079 💀 got me thinking dark humor about then LMAO HELP.

End of Part 1 💗

#one piece #trafalgar law #luffy #roronoa zoro #sanji #eustass kid #portgas d ace #sabo

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jovenshires · 7 months

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I feel like the real problem with the shourtney isn't the weirdo (affectionate) tumblr side but stuff like tiktok. Bc with almost every other ship it is only weirdo tumblr kind of people that treat it as ficition but with shourtney there are so many normies that are doing truther shit.

Tiktok is so so so so bad. There is a tiktok with half million views analyzing courtney and shayne selfies and account of their family to "prove" that they are a couple.

They scare me.

I am not part of either group but if you a weirdo tumblr shourtney shipper just know that when people complain about shourtney "shippers" they are talking about the second group of people mostly.

(sorry for so many people using your inbox to do ship "discourse" haha, I am doing too but feel free to ignore and delete this if you don't want to talk about it anymore)

okay so to start off - totally agree with you that it's not really tumblr that's the problem. i will say i don't go into the sh/ourtney tag (bc. not my monkeys not my circus) but at least as far as the mutuals i have that do ship sh/ourtney, they're super chill about it! as we do, they treat the dynamic as purely fiction, they don't ya know. harass anyone.

i (and i say this thankfully) am not REALLY on smoshtok. i get the occasional smosh men or angela thirst edits and that is About it. but i will say this: you all know i am totally against tinhatting in all senses of the word. i try to stay as far away from those sides of every social media platform. so i'm with you, that shit is nasty.

but even after all that - i saw that tiktok. multiple friends sent me that tiktok. i didn't like it or anything or engage with it on purpose but i saw it. and then i found out later that they were both tagged in it, as was the official smosh account. my brother in christ i truly wish i'd never seen it. i think its one thing to look at a picture and be like 'omg they're so cute here' but another thing to compile it as evidence and throw it back in their faces. at that point, it feels like forcibly outing an aspect of their life that they clearly either do not want to or cannot discuss. they are still people with a right to privacy. rpf is just that - fiction. this is something different and i hope they one day have the clarity to see that.

tbh i really appreciate your input; you worded it much better than i did!! this is what i was talking about when i said that this epidemic isn't a huge thing here on tumblr, and i think a lot of that is in part bc the cast isn't here for us to interact with. the official smosh blog has been dead for years and as far as i know (?) none of the cast uses tumblr anymore. i was thinking more of the instagram, tiktok, and some twitter fans. (twitter is a mixed bag though and i won't get into that here. ever.) 9 times out of 10 i am Not talking about tumblr fans when i critique shipping at large. (that is to say not always. we can always work on ourselves and grow as a community. i, myself, am always learning and growing.)

anyway! i wanted to publish this ask, because i think it's very succinct and touches on a subject that i think was very valuable to this discussion (re: tinhatting). this ask is totally fine and did not cross a line in any way and i genuinely appreciate the thought you put into sending it!! that being said - this is probably the last ask i will publish on the subject. though i adore you all and i want you to feel free to speak your piece, frankly, i would also like to maintain my peace knnfnfk i do think that these discussions are important and worthwhile but that being said. i am just one lil guy.

#discourse #shourt crit #rpf #shipping #tinhatting #fandom crit #shipping crit #ask #asks #anon #anonymous #with all the love in the world. tomorrow is my birthday. im already emotional enough and the whole thing is in some ways making it worse so #for my mental health im just gonna be deleting any more asks ab this bc i think we've talked it to death kdnknknf #long post

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ambidextrousarcher · 11 months

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“நீயும் மேல் தட்டுக்கு வரலாம். நாக்கை நீட்டி நீர் அருந்தி தாகத்தைப் போக்கிக் கொள்ளலாம். நாங்கள் சொல்கிறபடி கேட்பதாயிருந்தால்..."

“என்ன சொல்லுகிறீர்கள்?"

“அந்த அராபியப் பிசாசுகளைச் சமுத்திர ராஜனுக்குப் பலி கொடுக்க வேண்டுமென்று சொல்லுகிறோம்."

“ஏன்?"

“அவர்கள் கலிங்க நாட்டுக்கு இந்தக் கப்பலைக் கொண்டு போக வேண்டும் என்கிறார்கள். நாங்கள் கோடிக்கரையிலாவது நாகப்பட்டினத்திலாவது இறங்க வேண்டும் என்கிறோம்..."

“அவர்கள் ஆறு பேர், அதோடு பெரும் முரடர்களாயிருக்கிறார்களே?"

“அவர்களில் மூன்று பேர் தூங்குகிறார்கள்; மற்ற மூன்று பேர் உறங்கி வழிகிறார்கள். நாம் மூன்று பேரும் தூங்குகிற மூன்று பேரையும் வேலை தீர்த்துவிட்டால், அப்புறம் மூன்று பேருக்கு மூன்று பேர் சமாளிக்கலாமே?" வந்தியத்தேவன் சும்மாயிருந்தான்.

“என்ன, தம்பி சொல்கிறாய்? எங்கள் யோசனைக்குச் சம்மதித்தால் உன் கட்டை அவிழ்த்து விடுகிறோம்."

இளவரசரின் முகம் வந்தியத்தேவன் மனக் கண் முன்னால் வந்து நின்றது. ஆம்; அவர் இதை ஒப்புக்கொள்ள மாட்டார். தூங்குகிறவர்களைக் கொல்லுவதற்கு ஒரு நாளும் உடன்படமாட்டார்.

Excerpt From

Ponniyin Selvan Anaithu Pagangal (Tamil Edition)

Kalki

This material may be protected by copyright.

Context: Vandiyathevan is visited by Ravidasan while captive on the ship that burns later. This is part of their conversation, which is after Vandiyathevan tells Ravidasan he envies them because they can sate their thirst in the rain that has started at this point of time in the story.

“You can also come above deck and stick your tongue out to sate your thirst. If you would do as we say…”

“What do you with to say?”

“We say that those Arab beasts should be sacrificed to the King of the Seas.”

“Why?”

“They wish to sail this ship to the Kalinga country. We wish to disembark at either Kodikkarai or Nagapattinam…”

“There are six of them. And thy seem to be quite barbaric?”

“Three of them are sleeping. The rest are just waking from sleep. If the three of us finish the three who are sleeping, then we will be able to handle them three against three (won’t we)?”

Vandiyathevan stayed as he was.

“What do you say, brother? If you agree to our plan we will untie you.”

The Prince’s face stood out at the forefront in Vandiyathevan’s mind’s eye. Yes, he would not agree o this. He would never agree to partake in the killing of sleeping men.

For the last few snippets, we had Arulmozhi thinking about Vandiyathevan, here’s a bit of Vandiyathevan thinking about Arulmozhi instead!

Tagging @whippersnappersbookworm @mizutaama @celestesinsight @thereader-radhika @thelekhikawrites @themorguepoet @willkatfanfromasia @humapkehaikaun and @deadloverscity ., the usual list!

Please comment/DM/send an ask if you want to be added to or removed from this tag list.

#ponnniyin selvan #book 2 #snippet #ravidasan #vandiyathevan #arulmozhi varman

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wordsandrobots · 1 year

Text

IBO:Urdr Hunt part 17 has been fansubbed over on Youtube by @trafalgarlog (who you’ll note is now on Tumblr).

Oh, I misspoke on my post about the Soup Party side-story -- I believe we’re due one more side-story from the game, featuring McGillis and Almiria. Though given events in this episode, there is an outside chance that’ll actually be in the Urdr Hunt.

Speaking of those events, it’s only a flipping beach episode. Sort of. IN SPACE! Sadly we are not treated to Montag [swimsuit edition] but he does stick his oar in properly this time, as Katya’s past definitively catches up to her, the Afam gang do some pool-side market research, and serious questions are raised about how exactly the Seven Star family lineages work.

Hajiroboshi (Part 1, Part 2)

Departure (Part 1, Part 2)

598 (Part 1, Part 2)

Corridor of Betrayal (Part 1, Part 2)

Holder of the Ring (Part 1, Part 2)

Unexpected Encounter (Part 1, Part 2)

Venus’ Worth (Part 1, Part 2)

Brothers’ Ship (Part 1, Part 2)

Horn and Flower's Shadow (Part 1, Part 2)

As we are wont to do, we open on the bridge of the Erda II where the crew are remarking on the lack of instruction regarding the next stage of the Hunt. The ring has been dormant for a month and a half, leaving everyone at a loss for how to proceed. While Korunaru believes she would have been told if everything had been called off, they are talking about someone who can casually hand out a hundred million meria as a deposit. Dexter and Sinister point out this is chump-change next to the hundred billion prize. Perhaps it has just been written off?

On the plus side, the free time enables what is presumably a great opportunity to spend some of Wistario’s deposit: visiting a near-Earth resort colony to look into what it has to offer with a view to replicating that on Radonitsa in the future.

Or at least this is what Katya and Korunaru claim they’re doing as they have a whale of a time testing out the colony’s water-park. Range chides them on treating this as playtime when there is serious work to be done -- while seated on an inflatable, sipping a cold drink through a straw, and wearing his swimming trunks.

And yes: Range is absolutely ripped and yes, his swimming trunks match his poncho. What a guy.

Wistario is fine with everyone having a good time: they’re here to study the facilities after all. And Range is in fact fully committed to doing so, having checked out the A-plus service from the staff and established there’s a cinema and casino in easy reach, not to mention the large-scale docking port to accommodate passenger liners.

I do wonder - only partly because I love the manga - if this is meant to be one of the Avalanche colonies from IBO:Gekko. Avalanche 5 at least is indicated to be a resort and the position close to the Moon would make it an easy destination from Earth. That would also place this in Arianrhod Fleet territory, which might have a bearing on later events.

Anyway, no way is Venus able to copy a place like this given its current circumstances. Katya is amused by how much Range is throwing himself into this -- he’s even been getting details on the permit system that Gjallarhorn uses to control travel to Venus (since it’s used as a penal colony), in the hopes of finding a way to bargain for greater access. It’s kind of endearing, honestly. Range is, as ever, jumping both feet first into the challenge before him.

But enough fun: Demner has spotted some suspicious characters watching the party. It appears intrigue is afoot!

Seeing as they need to know what’s up -- it could be another Urdr Hunt rivalry in the offing -- Wistario, Korunaru and a reluctant Katya draw the spies into the open at the back of the pool buildings.

To everyone’s surprise -- through perhaps not the audience and definitely not the girl herself -- the two men are here for Katya. But with Range causing a distraction, Demner is able to sneak up behind the men and overpower them (have I mentioned that the old chap is a scarily dab hand at beating people up? It bears repeating).

Unfortunately, it turns out these two were carrying genuine Gjallarhorn IDs -- and a fully-uniformed officer arrives to raise the alarm.

Everybody Scooby-Doos it out of the water park, running into the requisite nearby alleyway. But just as Range is thinking they might be in the clear, an impressively large blonde-haired gentleman judo-throws him clean across the alley. This is Captain Londo Bron and he is here for Lady Katya.

That’s right -- Lady Katya, who a tearful Londo remarks is the spitting image of Lady Carta when she was young.

Katya, of course, point-blank refuses to leave with him. Unfortunately, with Londo’s men blocking the way back, things are looking sadly inevitable. Demner offers to handle Londo while the others escape, but Wistario won’t leave him behind.

Which is when a familiar voice speaks from a nearby hatch: down here!

The gang scramble through the open door, finding themselves in an emergency escape tunnel designed for evacuations in the event the colony is damaged. Shutters close after them, allowing them to evade Londo and the other soldiers. But who is it that came to their aid in such dire straits?

I mean, no prizes for this one. ‘Humble businessman’ Montag steps from the shadows with his best insufferable smirk, congratulating himself on the success of his spur-of-the-moment decision to help.

Range is surprised anybody would go against Gjallarhorn like this, only for McGillis to smoothly move the subject to the fact that Londo’s next move will probably be to blockade the ports. So maybe they’d all better be running along, hmm?

Katya and McGillis exchange a last look as the group hurries away from him, and he notes that she really does look like Carta . . .

(I remain delighted by the fact that Mackie’s masked stranger act continues flies purely by virtue of him never giving anyone time or space to call him out on it.)

Remarkably, the Erda II is able to safely undock and leave. Wistario speculates that Londo’s unit might fall under a separate jurisdiction and therefore not have been able to halt a departing ship. However, they’re not in the clear yet, as a Gjallarhorn Halfbeak cruiser sends out a stop signal and is promptly dwarfed by the gigantic Skipjack-class battleship emerging from behind the colony. (Err . . . small note here, I’m not actually sure what the correct equivalent for Gjallarhorn’s ships would be in modern naval terminology. I tend to default to ‘cruiser’ to describe the Halfbeaks and the Skipjacks as ‘command ships’ though I think ‘battleship’ would be correct? These things are all part-aircraft carrier anyway, so there might not be a direct analog.)

I’m pretty certain the Halfbeak is in ‘default’ colours rather than those used by the Outer Earth Orbit Regulatory Joint Fleet (oh lord, I can type that from memory now) under Carta Issue’s command, but the Skipjack has the Issue Family crest proudly displayed on the side, so there’s no question of who it is has come after Katya (she herself calls them out by name). Incidentally, this is I think the first time an animated IBO thing has really conveyed just how bloody massive the Skipjack is. It’s twice as long as a Halfbeak and about thrice as tall, so it’s little wonder Wistario and the others are struck dumb at the sight of it.

With more mobile suits than Dexter can count approaching, Katya takes imminent capture as well as you might expect and flees to the mobile suit bay with a half-formed idea of taking Hajiroboshi.

Wistario intercepts her as she’s flailing in the zero gravity and she tells him she’d rather die than be captured. He says that must mean they’re some fairly horrible people. So she’d better leave this to him. And Range, who he orders into battle: they’re going to break through Gjallarhorn’s line so the ship can escape.

Katya looks up to find Demner and Korunaru there as well, readying themselves for a fight. In the middle of everything, it’s good to have friends.

We get the stock-footage of Hajiroboshi and Asmoday launching, which is cut in a bit inelegantly since we go from Wistario and Ranger entering the ‘suit bay to them entering it again in their flight gear. Could have been finessed, I feel. But anyway, it’s fight time!

The two Gundams manage to make a dent in the force of Grazes sent after them (which are tan-coloured, something previously only seen with the Dáinsleif archer variants in Season 2; not sure if that’s significant) and thus create the required opening for the Erda II. Regrettably, that’s when Captain Londo joins the fight.

His Graze Ritter (commander’s variant) instantly obliterates Wistario’s rifle with a Giant Fuck-Off Axe. He is, it turns out, a crack pilot and not a bad tactician either, as he is able to hold the pair’s attention long enough for his troops to encircle them.

Aboard the Erda II, Demner and Katya can only watch helplessly, since turning back to assist would undo everything they’re trying to achieve. Luckily, a certain red mobile suit zips past in the opposite direction, announcing that it’s there to help . . .

Londo is suitably thrown by seeing the Grimgerde bearing down on him, swords drawn, and McGillis joins the fray, confidently taking charge and ordering Wistario and Range to regroup then divide Londo’s forces. With the masked man’s help, they’re able to disable everyone except the captain himself. McGillis tells the others to go on without him -- he’ll see them soon -- and engages the Ritter directly.

It’s a fierce duel but McGillis is quickly able to get the upper hand, disarming his opponent, headbutting him, and then dropping a quick bit of psychological warfare on him before peacing out: is Londo aware of Okina Uroka’s ambitions?

(Incidentally, I think this is the first time we’ve seen the Grimgerde’s visor open to expose the monocular eye inside - this feature wasn’t ever shown in IBO proper but McGillis does it here for . . . some reason. Possibly just to show-off.)

As he leaves the battlefield, Mackie reflects that Londo’s loyalty will be of use to him. He’s also intrigued to see a couple of extra Gundams knocking around (because he is a nerrrrd).

Aboard the Skipjack, the sensor operator reports the loss of the Erda II’s signal to an elderly gent with familiar eyebrows: Lord Uroka. He is not pleased with Londo’s blundering, who does not make excuses for failing to ‘protect’ Katya. But Katya herself refused to come with him . . .

Uroka is unphased. She’s too young to appreciate her position. Londo remarks that she nonetheless seems smart, to which Uroka responds by saying that while Carta was special, Katya might come close, if she learns from the right people. This will be his final duty as Issue Family patriarch.

To this end, he sends Londo out with a Halfbeak and a platoon of mobile suits. But he doesn’t seem all that impressed with the good captain, remarking in his absence that he’s more loyal dog than loyal subject.

Back on the Erda II, the subject of conversation is most assuredly: what the fuck? While nobody blames Katya for the actions of others, she has run out of room to squirm around the question of what she’s running away from. The Issue Family is currently without a heir, owing to a slight Mikazuki-induced curtailment of the bloodline. Carta Issue was going to replace the head of the family due to his being on his sickbed -- but if that sick patriarch happened to have another, illegitimate child . . . well.

Yes, Katya confirms dourly: she is the final Issue heir.

Which if nothing else raises a massive question-mark over who exactly Lord Uroka is. Up to now, all the heads of the Gjallarhorn noble houses have borne the name of their Family. Does this mean Uroka is only an Issue by marriage? But if so, how does that square with keeping the bloodline going? If Katya has a claim, it’s surely got to be via the Issue Family line. Or are the rules flexible in that regard? We’ve had no hint previously that Carta’s dad was anything less than the outright head of her house prior to his illness. His illness was severe enough to have required her to be placed under Iznario Fareed’s guardianship, sure, but you’d think a more complicated family situation would have come up before now. Or is that situation *why* Fareed could get his hooks into the matter?

Actually, while I assume this is a blind-alley for speculation to follow, we’ve no confirmation as yet that this *is* Carta’s father. Uroka looks old and sickly but he’s up and about. Could it be that this is in fact another relative who has stepped into the void left by both father and daughter?

Well, hopefully we’ll find out next time. I’m not wholly convinced how beneficial it will be to Urdr Hunt as a story to have McGillis’ political maneuvering thrown into the mix. But I am certainly intrigued by what’s going to happen here. While the obvious conclusion is that Uroka intends to use Katya to perpetuate the Issue Family, Mackie’s parting line to Londo suggests something more is going on. And we do know for certain that whatever Uroka is planning, the Issues are a spent force by the time of Season 2. We have a foregone conclusion without a clear picture on what the middle part is yet.

As for Londo Bron himself . . . well, he’s obviously a survivor of Carta’s, um, what is the masculine equivalent of an Amazon Brigade? Whatever, he’s a blonde hunk fanatically loyal to House Issue and honestly, I like where this is going. Carta’s Mackie-clone squad beautifully walks the line between joke and heartbreaking detail, so exploring what became of a remainder of them after the fact is an intriguing line to follow. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he ends up pitted against his boss before this is done.

Katya’s opinions on all this have been clear from the start: she does not want anything to do with the Issues, with her affections being squarely for her mother. This ramps that up, with her being willing to effectively leap into space rather than be dragged into her father’s schemes. Obviously we get the note of everyone rallying round to protect her, which is fine if rote. I really hope wherever this goes, she’s able to settle it on her own terms and isn’t reduced to a damsel in distress . . .

#GUNDAM #Gundam Iron-blooded Orphans #gundam ibo #g tekketsu #Tekketsu no Orphans #Iron-Blooded Orphans: Urdr Hunt #Urdr Hunt #game #app #fansub #reference #notes

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youranemicvampire · 2 years

Text

Thoughts on First Kill (2022) with spoilers

I’m having a First kill brain rot so i’m just gonna let this all out. Just my personal opinions :)

Well, the theme song is cute, but tbh i really don’t like the intro itself. I know it is supposed to be campy, but they could do better. I don’t know if it’s possible to change it next season, but i hope they do. And i don’t think the budget was the problem on that aspect.

Speaking of budget, it’s not their fault and as a non-scifi gal, it’s not a big deal to me. But again, i hope the cgi will get better next season especially the fighting choreography.

The poor quality flashbacks was maybe my another complaint coz you don’t have to have a big budget to give it a decent editing.

WOMEN. all of them.

I like how the men on here were either their brothers, dads and a gay best friend so there’s no room for shipping any man with Calliette. They’re lesbians, but we know these straight stans.

Variety was soooo wrong for calling this a tired take because it actually broke a lot stereotypes. An openly gay jock? Awkward vampire? Dark-skinned black woman lead who is being pinned on? Matriarchal family? Not to mention a lesbian show without those bury your gays trope and whatnots?

I usually like slow-burns, but they have soooo much chemistry that this worked. I smile like crazy even in those awkward interaction and eye contacts.

Tired of interracial sapphic couples that always include a white woman, but Jules is special. Sarah Catherine gave her justice and i can’t see anyone being casted for that role. As someone with anxiety, she nailed everything especially the posture and mannerisms. And it wasn’t over the top. +Jules is soooo cute and charming.

Cal reminds me of those intimidating girls in high school that is impossible not to have a crush on. I understand SC’s reaction on the chemistry read coz Imani has this intimidating stare that is sooo hot, strong and mysterious. If you can’t see Cal being down bad, look at her eyes. It’s very expressive.

I hate those takes that said we’re only hyping it for representation coz i genuinely enjoyed it. I’m a lesbian, but i think i’ve only consumed like 10-15 sapphic media and liked maybe 5-8 of them. That’s how picky i am.

The kissing and make-out scenes? Oh god. I’m serious when i say this is the best or one of the bests i’ve seen (straights included). It is so passionate and authentic. Idk where that “male gaze” came from. The person who said that was dumb i’m sorry.

The dialogue is another thing that needs improvement. The intent is there, just write it more natural

They really casted a rando for Noah Harrington lmao

If u hate Cal, i’ll just assume you’re a racist because she literally did nothing wrong. She’s down bad for Juliette. Her character is just different and her reaction to what went down is valid and natural, come on.

I want to point that the S*x dream at the start was so important? Because being a lesbian teenager who is sexually attracted to another woman is NORMAL! and it doesn’t make them a dirty predator.

The evil vampire twins are so exciting!

I hope the Burns will learn that not all vampires are monsters because of Theo.

Not exclusive to First kill, but excess blood from the Hospital should just be given to vampires idk. Or u know, period blood if they’re not picky. In that way, Humans and vampires can live together in harmony.

I love that Juliette’s parents were also forbidden lovers. idk it’s refreshing.

Idk if i want a musical episode, but i want Juliette to serenade cal. Then Imani on the soundtrack.

Yes to Elinor being bisexual. Make them all queer tbh!

That’s it for now. Just want to say to those who are hating, that no one is forcing you to watch, but to be an edgy hag that had to shit on the show in public (not on constructive way)? Sapphics are working so hard for this to be renewed and the diverse cast and crew put their hearts on it because it meant a lot to us, then you’re just gonna ruin it because you want to show how different you are? Come on.

#First kill #Calliette #sapphic #lesbian #wlw #gl #Juliette Fairmont #Calliope burns #Sarah Catherine Hook #Imani Lewis #pride month #gay

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fromtheboundlesssea · 6 months

Note

WB: not really a ask but just something that popped in my head. Idk if you've seen those TikTok edits that mashup Midnight Rain x Daylight but I just imagined one of those with Celia and Cregan for Midnight Rain as established in your video for them but with Daylight for her and whoever she ends up with if it's not Cregan. Just cause Orys and Aegon will have a better understanding of her feelings during the war considering it's both of their families on either side of the war. There is no escape for them, no declaration of neutrality.

Cregan might love her but he was not born in the conflict she was, like Aegon was. He doesn't have to consider fighting his siblings the way Orys does(yes there's the conflict with his uncle trying to usurp him but that's not something that can destroy the entire realm).

Idk if this makes sense. My line of thinking was influenced by those edits in terms of "ships". I know the story is so much bigger than this but it's an integral part of the plot.

The story is definitely much bigger than shipping. However, you are correct. Cregan is so far removed from the situation and is bound by the oaths made by his father that would require him to be separate from the fight for the sake of Celia, but she doesn’t want to be kept from the fight, nor can she.

It’s all very heartbreaking. And for all the jealousy some of the other young ladies feel about Celia being pursued (part of the reason she is so easily able to be “auctioned off” to different men is because she has no dragon and can’t give a dragon to another house) she is the one who is more directly involved in sides being formed because she can be used by the Blues, the Greens, and the Blacks as a pawn to make sure she is in a position that would require her to protect her children from “enemies” even if that means going against her brother.

She could so easily be put in the position of Elia or even outline Sansa or Lizzie from the White Princess. She has to choose her children and has no dragon to truly give her any sort of protection. Naturally dragons do not equal freedom from abuse. But even so.

#keep the asks coming #wildfire and blood

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horizon-verizon · 1 year

Note

What do you think of this interpretation of the Rosby and Stokeworth inherinerences in Fire and Blood?:

https://www.tumblr.com/bbygirl-aemond/713884545316978688/non-book-reader-here-whats-this-about-rosby-and

*EDITED POST* (4/5/24)

("Rhaenyra Triumphant")

Account of the greens taking Rosby and Stokeworth and the two lords swearing fealty to them "under duress" (as OP says):

With a hundred knights and five hundred men-at-arms of the royal household, augmented by three times as many hardened sellswords, Ser Criston marched on Rosby and Stokeworth, whose lords had only recently repented of their allegiance to the queen, commanding them to prove their loyalty by adding their power to his own. Thus augmented, Cole’s host advanced upon the walled harbor town of Duskendale, where they took the defenders by surprise. The town was sacked, the ships in the harbor set afire, Lord Darklyn beheaded. His household knights and garrison were given the choice between swearing their swords to King Aegon or sharing their lord’s fate. Most chose the former. ("The Red Dragon and the Gold")

The OP's words:

i don't think rhaenyra was politically pressured into one answer or another. these two decisions wouldn't have really set a precedent for any of her other leal lords, because they specifically involved lords who had committed treason in front of tons of witnesses. the precedent would have only granted rhaenyra the power to choose a lord's heir after he'd been executed for treason and wouldn't have applied to any of her then allies, so making a woman heir shouldn't have made any of her lords feel threatened.

Yeah, well, it shouldn't have... and yet:

Lords Rosby and Stokeworth, blacks who had gone green to avoid the dungeons, attempted to turn black again, but the queen declared that faithless friends were worse than foes and ordered their “lying tongues” be removed before their executions. Their deaths left her with a nettlesome problem of succession, however. As it happened, each of the “faithless friends” left a daughter; Rosby’s was a maid of twelve, Stokeworth’s a girl of six. Prince Daemon proposed that the former be wed to Hard Hugh the blacksmith’s son (who had taken to calling himself Hugh Hammer), the latter to Ulf the Sot (now simply Ulf White), keeping their lands black whilst suitably rewarding the seeds for their valor in battle. But the Queen’s Hand argued against this, for both girls had younger brothers. Rhaenyra’s own claim to the Iron Throne was a special case, the Sea Snake insisted; her father had named her as his heir. Lords Rosby and Stokeworth had done no such thing. Disinheriting their sons in favor of their daughters would overturn centuries of law and precedent, and call into question the rights of scores of other lords throughout Westeros whose own claims might be seen as inferior to those of elder sisters. It was fear of losing the support of such lords, Munkun asserts in True Telling, that led the queen to decide in favor of Lord Corlys rather than Prince Daemon. The lands, castles, and coin of Houses Rosby and Stokeworth were awarded to the sons of the two executed lords, whilst Hugh Hammer and Ulf White were knighted and granted small holdings on the isle of Driftmark. ("Rhaenyra Triumphant")

Even with those fathers being traitors, after their executions, the houses themselves would not be considered "treacherous houses" unless the new lords/ladies also betrayed Rhaenyra.

To say that Rhaenyra making these girls ladies is to ignore how Rhaenyra herself becoming queen of Westeros would not have any sort or level of impact on Westerosi customs of succession. Her choice to make a girl the heir/next lady after her father would have created a stronger basis for other girls and women to inherit their fathers' (eventually maybe mothers') positions because it gives more strength to a girl/woman's claim in other houses regardless of what their fathers did or didn't do. The result would still be a girl/woman growing to be the lady of her house and she would have to take on the privileges, constraints, responsibilities, duties, and final decisions for the rest of her life. no matter the identity of the father, the house itself would live on if Rhaenyra doesn't decide to just eliminate the entire two houses... which she didn't do. Why? Because she is the first female monarch, the rules are already bent a little and she is in that "supreme" place. She can bend the rules more toward her own needs or just support those who themselves present changes that could help her and them. (She doesn't which is disappointing but also idk, I can't blast her after her losses.)

As the monarch, Rhaenyra already has some influence/power over how other houses and lords will and can safely transfer power. Rhaenyra making Corlys' "grandsons"--Alyn and Addam of Hull--his heirs by officially legitimizing them so they could also inherit the name "Velaryon" is her continuing the succession-tradition & performing an already-customary royal privilege of determining succession rights for other lords. This is already a monarch's privilege and right, but it was critical for the Velaryons, and having a girl come before other men around her itself presents the chance for other girls/women to press for the higher seats, be more considered for those seats, and receive less resistance once they get them or have less trouble having support in case of resistance. Every action Rhaenyra takes when it concerns succession absolutely can become precedent or is already customary. The lords around her are looking at how she acts to adapt their own actions to hers, that's part of the game of feudalism in Westeros.

If anything, if those girls had become the ladies and acted in good faith w/Rhaenyra, it would likely have given more credence to both Rhaenyra's image of mercifulness and wisdom and the girls' loyalty to their queen/superior/monarch. Traits of an ideal leader, for both--making feudal patriarchy work for you, or a chance to emphasize that. Aside from that, if Rhaenyra had granted these houses to these girls she could have inspired a more practical loyalty to her that reduced the risk of what happened when she was forced to flee KL--one of these girls turning her away.

Corlys Velaryon--Rhaenyra's principal supporter, her Hand, the guy who's supplying the fleet she's using, the guy who's financing the entire war besides her own Dragonstone funds allocated for the war, and whose later imprisonment caused many of his followers and soldiers to desert her--strongly argued against her giving those girls the castles. He argues such despite their father being traitors (about the refusal to continue lines of succession through girls regardless of past parents' actions) and there being a true and real precedent for girls to inherit when there is absolutely no direct male relative available. Corlys felt threatened--not directly so, but with the concept of universal female leadership. He saw in Rhaenyra the exception, Rhaenyra needed him, and for her to be overall successful--or anyone from a position like her where they are trying to rise through a society that otherwise wouldn't allow her to--there come times where compromises must happen or you can't see anyway out of said situation where you think you must.

And thinking in Rhaenyra or someone in her shoes thinks how he wouldn't be the only one thinking so; if he, someone on her council and in proximity to her, thinks it is it that much of a stretch to contemplate what others would/could/do? Rhaenyra and others would know that some of her own supporters would have felt similarly and this was a moment where she/the blacks would have felt they needed to prevent as many conflicts or defections as possible.

So honestly, no, the ideas that 1) Rhaenyra wasn't under real pressure or 2) that at least some of the supporting lords wouldn't concerned/threatened with a traitor's daughter inheriting despite their dads being traitors is false. The problem decidedly came from a gender thing.

BTW, Rosby's daughter was 12 and Stokeworth's was 16.

To deny so is to deny the evidence of misogyny being the defining feature of the Dance and a deciding motivation behind Rhaenyra's act of appeasing male lords for her own immediate needs/the progress of her self-doubt and paranoia and the decline of her relationships and bonds of trust as if these things weren't a major factor and didn't lead to her writing her execution letter to Nettles/distrusting Daemon.

OP says this:

it's deliberate that the dismissal of the daughter's claim is mentioned in the same sentence where she denies rhaenyra entry. the poetic justice of that is not a coincidence. whether you think this is grrm narratively punishing rhaenyra for not being feminist enough, or whether you think she's being unfairly punished for being constrained by the patriarchy- it's up to you. i'm personally undecided. but regardless of her intent, her decision is very intentionally implicated in her demise."

I agree that there was poetic symmetry--a kind of "justice"--for Rhaenyra disinheriting the girl ending with the same girl denying her sanctuary after Rhaenyra loses her own inheritance--after being put in danger of smallfolk riots and losing her son and dragons. Another son and heir who will not receive her seat or possessions, as those girls did not until she herself lost. If nothing else for the situational irony, but definitely how it also reflects how the Targs have also sacrificed some of its own members for power, namely its female members. Beginning from Aenys I. House Targaryen hurting itself under the constant need to survive as a strong house while anticipating attacks from outside.

Her going after Nettles was not only her removing a "love" rival but also her trying to legitimize her own and her kids' claims (in her view). There was enough clear-headedness there, why not the Rosby/Stokeworth? Yes, there was pressure on top of her grief probably messing with her sense of safety versus what and how to get there, but it is a fact that she chose the path of least resistance to throw off the pressure when she didn't need to. (Why was Nettles "more" emotionally troubling more than the two traitors' girls? Already explained this in the Twitter thread I linked.)

Again, at the same time, I can see how misogyny and constant patriarchal disparagement of her in her personal history and her own experiences (not created) fueled her self-preserving mindset into a place where more things pushed her into that paranoia and near-Cersei-need to gain any level of control as soon as possible. There to motivate Rhaenyra as with Cersei Lannister killing Robert's bastard kids and the abuse even against her own and Alicent not caring for the raped girls of Tumbleton/pushing for Aegon to be king for her own power. blankwhiteshield explains in this way:

You can have an irredeemable and evil character that the patriarchy still suppresses and affects the psychology of immensely, rendering her a bigger monster. The commentary on the destructive capacity of static social constructs is not lost as a result. A character can turn into the devil of the story due to a world that ceaselessly strips her of her humanity, as well as as a result of the choices she actively makes.

I think Rhaenyra turned tyrant because she reached the limit sooner than we'd like after her not being able to work through her grief and several betrayals and deaths of loved ones occurring in pretty quick succession. Simultaneously, she:

had, performed, & used misogynoir against Nettles

removed inheritances from other noble girls to ensure other lords surrounding KL's support based on Corlys' advice rather than her own husband who gave better advice

and went after one of the biggest bulwarks of her fight against the greens which her own son organized for such (the dragonseeds) through blood purity to get rid of perceived threats...the same bp which threatened her son and gave justification to the contraction of female sexual a general autonomy

She didn't have her avenues to her goal straight AND the Targ-anal paradigm provided her with the ready blueprint of blood purity, misogynoir.

So OP is right to point that out, that there was poetic "justice" if not plain symmetry. We can't move away from the fact that her actions had consequences against her and inevitably led to not having enough time and room to recuperate to go against Aegon again. Ironic since Dragonstone--the place where she will end up after not having that room-and-board denied to her--was her past base away from Alicent to learn how to rule and to grow her lost family.

Both her fault and not: not hers in the beginning, but hers later--psychologically affected by both grief from direct attacks and classist entitlement.

Check out this post by la-pheacienne, who explains how the narrative identifies Rhaenyra as the wronged party and then the person, affected by those wrongs, then brought her own ends by recalling Greek Tragedy narrative structure.

C) Just for Future Note

OP says this: "when she asks the stokeworths for refuge, the male castellan (ruling in the young boy's stead) tells her she can only stay for one night, and then turns her out onto the streets."

This is the account of Rhaenyra being barred from Rosby's castle after fleeing KL:

The accused turncloak Addam Velaryon, born Addam of Hull, had saved King’s Landing from the queen’s foes…at the cost of his own life. Yet the queen knew nothing of his valor. Rhaenyra’s flight from King’s Landing had been beset with difficulty. At Rosby, she found the castle gates barred at her approach, by the command of the young woman whose claim she had passed over in favor of a younger brother. Young Lord Stokeworth’s castellan granted her hospitality, but only for a night. “They will come for you,” he warned the queen, “and I do not have the power to resist them.” Half of her gold cloaks deserted on the road, and one night her camp was attacked by broken men. Though her knights beat off the attackers, Ser Balon Byrch was felled by an arrow, and Ser Lyonel Bentley, a young knight of the Queensguard, suffered a blow to the head that cracked his helm. He perished raving the following day. The queen pressed on toward Duskendale.

House Darklyn had been amongst Rhaenyra’s strongest supporters, but the cost of that loyalty had been high. Lord Gunthor had lost his life in the queen’s service, as had his uncle Steffon. Duskendale itself had been sacked by Ser Criston Cole. Small wonder then that Lord Gunthor’s widow was less than overjoyed when Her Grace appeared at her gates. Only the intercession of Ser Harrold Darke persuaded Lady Meredyth to allow the queen within her walls at all (the Darkes were distant kin to the Darklyns, and Ser Harrold had once served as a squire to the late Ser Steffon), and only upon the condition that she would not remain for long.

("Rhaenyra Overthrown")

Conclusions

The Rosby and Stokeworth decisions were mistakes made under intense pressure; those also made for her immediate needs for a man funding most of her war and supplying most of her fleet to continue to want to support her. And I'm interested in how OP continues to not provide textual evidence to go over.

*EDIT* (8/21/23):

THIS is a great post by @mononijikayu about medieval queens, female rulers, the history of how women in leadership positions were made and seen as threats to the very structure of social “order”, and contextualizing Rhaenyra thru Empress Matilda. I didn’t even know about Matilda’s husband being comparable to Rhaneyra’s Daemon! PLZ READ!!!!

Excerpt:

just as much, along with these fictitious portrayals, more lies are depicted. these women are considered vixens that cause havoc to men by shifting them into desires and danger. through the written word, we see how women are cast in roles of villains in men’s lives. it is because by their conclusive thoughts, women are the only creatures that are able to turn ‘good honorable men’ into despicable creatures who do shameful, deplorable acts for the sake of women’s pleasures. […] it is within this narrative that ancient chroniclers declare that women were in fact the doom of men. if they were not able to control the dangers posed by the wiles of women, then the foundations of the mighty society they had built would be up in flames. [...] as i mentioned, these factors of community are written down and preserved. and with that, the example of the ancients were the foundations by which medieval society built itself. the same concepts continued to cause the same issue within society and that was the exclusion of women from participating in the bigger picture of community and state, much so with governing states in their own right—without judgment or disapproval.

#asoiaf asks to me #rosby and stokeworth #rhaenyra targaryen #fire and blood characters #rhaenyra's characterization #rhaenyra and feminism #asoiaf #fire and blood

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