#We must pray she gets done justice

[ironunderstands]

Explaining why I think the notion that “Jade did nothing wrong and if you hate her then you are a misogynist” is incorrect 

Disclaimer: I don’t actually hate Jade, I find her compelling because she seems like the first true villain we might get in the game, and her kit looks really fun, so for that I can respect her. However, to say that she did nothing wrong, or that the people who dislike her are somehow in the wrong or are misogynists is very stupid, which is why I would like to clear up this misconception.

Let’s start with the “she did nothing wrong part” because that’s straight up not true. 

‼️This post will contain leaks of Jade’s eidolons and lc, it will also contain mentions of slavery and sexual violence so be careful‼️ 

I think the scene Jade fans go to point to when trying to argue that she does nothing wrong is the one that depicts her conversation with Aventurine. They state that she “saved him” and that the notions of her being a slave owner/having ties to slavery is incorrect.

However, at the very least the first part of this assumption is wrong, as in no way shape or form did she “save” Aventurine. 

1.Aventurine saved himself. 

He is the one who set up the scheme to get the IPC’s attention, he is the one who killed his master, and he is the one who fought for his freedom. Attributing his hard work to Jade’s “benevolence” erases that, and it pretends as if she’s the one who did all the work, when in reality Aventurine wouldn’t have even had a chance if he didn’t bet on himself.

2.What she offers Aventurine isn’t much better than what his life was before. 

In a sense, Jade just gave Aventurine golden chains, and if she was really interested in saving him, there wouldn’t be a trial, and she would just let him go. “But the scam” the IPC has an uncountable amount of money, they literally control the currency in the galaxy, and are working on taking over the whole universe, a scam ran by one person on one planet will not damage them for long. What Aventurine did really only matters because the IPC made it matter, and even if Jade doesn’t have complete control over all the goings on on the IPC, if she could make it so Aventurine could join them, there’s really no reason she couldn’t just let him free without any strings attached (which is what a normal person would do in this situation, because, well, empathy).

She knows how bad his situation was, as she remarked on how he killed his master, and the average person would struggle to find fault in his behavior at all, let alone have there even be a debate of whether she should let him live or not. 

Like, imagine yourself as Jade for a second, and you are sent to judge this kid (we don’t actually know how old Aven was in that scene, but I’d wager he was a late teenager/young adult) who just escaped slavery but also scammed the organization you are a part of, the organization that is what caused him to be enslaved in the first place (I’ll get into it*). At the very least, if you are like me, you would have a very hard time getting mad at this kid because well who wouldn’t do what he did in his circumstances. That’s why Jade still focusing on her self interests disgusts me and likely disgusts a lot of people who saw this scene, it’s not some equal transaction of sorts, she quite literally has his life on her hands and is toying with it to suit her own ends. 

Now, this situation is complicated, as Aventurine does actually want to join the IPC, but only because he believed that would be the best way he could try and save any remains of his people, the Avgin. We know this for two reasons a) the IPC took everything from him, and he has absolutely no reason why he would want to work for them if they can’t offer him anything b) the first thing Aventurine asks Jade when he becomes a Stoneheart is what happened to the rest of the Avgin, meaning that was likely his goal from the start, as even before becoming enslaved Aventurine had a ton of expectations of being the one to save the Avgin. 

However, from Jade’s perspective, likely

she doesn’t know any of this (unless she can read minds who knows), all she does know is that she holds a position of power over a very brave and intelligent person who owes a debt to the IPC for their crimes against it, and will die if she doesn’t save them. Therefore, she takes advantage of Aventurine’s inferior position, offering him a job not out of the kindness of her heart, but because she see’s his moneymaking potential and knows he can’t decline her offer, since his options are IPC or death. 

This is textbook exploitation, and it honestly disgusts me when people try and paint their relationship to be a mother/son one, when she so clearly views him as nothing more than a tool to achieve her own ends. As someone else puts it, Jade cares for Aventurine like one might care for a gun/weapon, ie she finds it useful and would like it to not get destroyed, but ultimately it’s just a tool that can be replaced. 

Aventurine’s banner name is called “Gilded Imprisonment” for a reason, and Jade offers him nothing more than shiny new chains. 

*sidenote: the IPC aren’t just the ones who broke their promise to help the Avgin, they are also likely the ones who enslaved Aventurine. This is because as Kakavasha, he referred to them as “the men in black/the men in black suits”, aka the IPC. Which is why when first enslaver says he bought him from “the men in black”, he’s also likely referring to the IPC, considering that the exact same phrase in used, in fact, he’s probably mocking the way Aventurine referred to them due to how specific it is. So yeah, I don’t know why people pretend Aventurine is over what the IPC did to him, or even like they saved him, bro probably wants to kill all of them and I fully support him in this endeavor.*

Speaking of treating him like a tool 

3. Dehumanizing Aventurine 

Her first words to him in this scene are pointing out his biggest insecurity.

“What pretty eyes. Tell me, do they shine in the dark?”

Out of context this might not be bad, but oh my god is it horrific in context. The Avgin’s eyes aren’t just a defining feature of theirs, but something they have been sexualized and abused for. Sparkle in her conversation with Aventurine implies that Sigonian’s use their attractive features (including their distinctive eyes) to get people to let down there guard and trick people, and in the same breath she also implies he did that to convince Sunday as well. Aventurine also hides his eyes with his tinted glasses because people automatically judge/discriminate against him for it, so Jade continuing that pattern is gross in my opinion.

Let’s also not forget that Aventurine is Romani coded, and a large proportion of both enslaved Roma in the past and free Roma have experienced sexual violence, as well as being treated as exotic and having other fetishized stereotypes attached to them. Calling his eyes pretty isn’t just some compliment, it’s also an extension of that, especially considering that it’s heavily implied that Aventurine did experience sexual violence when he was enslaved. 

This is what makes Jade IMMEDIATELY going to talking about his eyes creepy as hell to me, and something I dislike her for. 

However, I don’t think she meant it in a sexual manner, rather I think she was trying to get a reaction out of him, as well as demonstrate her position of power over him, which is just, ugh. Like I’m sorry to say this, but if Aventurine was a woman and Jade was a man, Jade would never be beating the p3do allegations for this comment. What do you mean the first words you say to someone involve taunting them for a feature they get sexualized and mistreated over, someone that is likely a minor or a very young adult,  someone that you hold a very clear position of power over. At the very nicest this is insensitive as hell for her to do, but considering she did not at all apologize to his very obviously negative reaction makes me think it was deliberate targeting. 

Also, the next part of that opening.

Yes, Jade is somewhat impressed by Aventurine, but objectively, this phrase doesn’t really come off that way, especially considering her tone in the scene. Seriously, rewatch it, it’s less of her being impressed, and more of her being surprised at him breaking the status quo, one which she doesn’t seem to view negatively. Also, keep in mind that in the CN (aka canon) version, the word is “slave” instead of servant, however I don’t know how the lines are delivered in CN, so she might sound kinder.

Regardless, having this neutral, almost detached perspective on slavery is very uncomfortable, at least to me. Because well, slavery is really bad (shocker), and you can’t really be neutral about these kinds of things. Commenting about how resisting his master would put Aventurine in danger in a clinical and detached manner gives the impression that Jade does not care about the existence of slavery in the slightest, and is perfectly happy with knowing it’s going on and doing nothing about it. Something which gets 10x worse considering the organization she works for is the one doing the slavery, which makes me wonder if she’s seen it before and been like “eh, it’s part of life” 😭

I’m aware dismantling an entire institution is difficult, but her sheer apathy rather than inaction is what I feel is wrong in this scene, as again, a normal person wouldn’t talk about slavery like this. They would probably phrase it like, “resisting your enslaver would put your life in danger, yet you did it anyways”, with none of that neutral tone in there, which kind to implies that Aventurine resisting the person who abuses him is in any way wrong or unusual for a person to do. Honestly I can understand a little bit why people don’t have problems with this line, as understand why people see it as just her doing her job as a judge. However, there’s something so disturbingly off with it that makes me really not like Jade for it, and hopefully I conveyed that well enough, if you have a better way of phrasing it please tell me.

Annnd this is why I say she doesn’t view him as a person. Jade literally tells Aventurine that his name, the remainder of his identity, the one part of his culture and his family and his life, quite literally the only thing he has left is destined to be buried and abandoned. She knows how much it means to him, and she wants him to cast it aside and pick a new identity, as the only thing Jade cares about is what value Aventurine can bring for the IPC. 

Also, she does refer to him as “child” there, so yeah, he likely is a minor or at the very least they have a very significant age gap! Yay! Taking advantage of people significantly younger than you! And if he is somehow close to her age, then well, she views him like a child in comparison to her, which is dehumanizing. There’s really no winning with this one huh 😭

She also refers to him in the same way his old enslaver did! 

Hound and dog are synonyms, so yeah, ew. Narratively, this is meant to be a parallel from Aventurine’s time enslaved to his time now, which demonstrates how nothing really changed, as Jade refers to him in the same way his old master/enslaver did.

4. However, that’s not all to be concerned about for Jade, at least in terms of morality, so let’s look at her eidolons.

Each one of her eidolons questions a good quality, let’s take E3 for an example.

“Honesty?” She questions why people, more specifically she would be sincere, and answers it with “Soon Mortgaged”. 

Now in this context, her honesty is likely seen as being convienent in order to get a deal off, if meant as a noun. As a verb it’s used in a similar manner, with Jade only behaving honestly because it’s part of her duty as a debt collector/contract maker.

Either way, this pattern for her eidolons, of her questioning a good quality then providing a selfish reason for why she exhibits it sets up a vicious implication. It makes it seem like any an all seemingly kind, benevolent behavior from Jade is really just a means to further her goals, making her seem untrustworthy and selfish, like well, a snake, which is a motif prevalent throughout her design. 

Her lightcone description also doesn’t make her seem much better.

Oh how lovely, giving a future to innocent children, I sure do hope this description doesn’t end badly!

“A philanthropist with a hidden agenda, a villain who mortgages souls… She was given various identities by the world, but only she understood the morality behind these actions.”

Jade what are you planning… 

This tells us two things:

1) She engages in philanthropist behavior for reasons we don’t know of yet which is concerning because philanthropy is centered around helping people, why do you have ulterior motives for helping people. What are you planning with those children, Jade?

2)”A villain who mortgages souls” oh! Sure, these two identities were apparently given to her by the world, but like, mortgaging souls??? I’ll get into her biblical (specifically satanic) references next, but like, you need one hell of a good reason to justify buying and selling PEOPLES SOULS. Whatever hidden agenda Jade might have must be like unfathomably good to justify this, because well, this means she owns (or at least helps other people own) people. PEOPLE. 

Jade fucking OWNS HUMAN BEINGS. Unless those people are like a dictator reincarnated or something there’s no good reason to justify owning the essence of someone’s being. It’s straight up evil and I’m glad the game calls her a villain for it. 

5. Satan is that you???

The snake, her contract thing as her skill and in her splash art, her job being “Jade of Credit”, her relationship to withered fruit, and the apple in her splash art, the man at her feet in her splash art, her MORTGAGING SOULS. Look, I’m not a Christian, but like, these are all pretty blatant references to satan who’s, idk, the embodiment of evil. Sure, you could say she’s more like Eve, but she’s not being tricked by the snake, no, in fact, the snake works for her.

Now I don’t literally think Jade is meant to be the devil or something, but she sure as hell seems like she’s meant to be narratively like an agent of Satan/ a demon, which is fascinating. Interestingly, this also paints her interaction with Aventurine as a deal with the devil, which just makes it seem even worse than it already is. 

Well, for now that’s all of Jade’s questionable behavior, and I feel confident enough in saying that at the very least she’s meant to be read as morally grey, so acting like she does no wrong is strange. However, it’s not a crime to like villains at all, and I feel like if Jade’s hardcore defenders just accepted that part of her character, everyone would be way happier, because people do have legitimate reasons to dislike her for the shit she has done, especially rroma people for how she treated Aventurine. 

Not everyone has to like your favorite character, and downplaying and lying about her lore and character because you can’t handle that is annoying as hell and does the character you are defending in the first place a disservice. Jade being a bad person is what makes her interesting, and honestly the idea that women can’t be bad people is misogynistic as well, which is a nice way to transition to the other part of this post:

For the love of god people don’t dislike Jade because of misogyny. Please shut up and stop throwing words around that you clearly don’t understand, as you only end up diminishing actual misogyny. 

I’ve already gone over the valid reasons why people dislike her, so let’s go over all the other stupid shit people bring up in trying to pretend like Jade hate is misogyny.

“But Boothill didn’t get complaints when he was randomly drip marketed, people complaining are only misogynistic Sunday fans!”

Jesus Christ.

Boothill has been leaked for several fucking months prior to his drip marketing, and people had been waiting diligently for when he would finally show up for a while, so obviously they were happy when he did.

He’s like, the most fanservice-y character (in a good way) ever. Boothill is a fucking long-haired cyborg space cowboy outlaw who physically cannot curse and has the cuntiest animations known to mankind, that’s like the most appealing combination of traits known to man. So appealing in fact, that people outside the fandom were making posts about him. Big shocker that the character designed to make everyone love him has everyone love him, act surprised 

Jade’s only scene so far had been her one with Aventurine in 2.1, which as I mentioned prior, has problems. This also doesn’t help that she’s just as slimy in his character stories and their interaction in 2.2, which compared to again, the character designed to be as appealing as possible, isn’t a good look. 

For the love of god Sunday fans have the right to complain. They have also been waiting MONTHS for him, so they would have been disappointed at any character that isn’t Sunday getting marketed, as that means they have to wait even more months for him. He’s highly anticipated, in comparison to Jade, whose had crumbs so far, so of course some people got upset (I didn’t see anything more than disappointment tbh)

People did complain about Boothill’s marketing! Like I know everyone clowned on them, but there were Firefly stans genuinely upset that he got marketed over her, and someone even started a “boycott Boothill’s banner” campaign 😭. It’s just the other reasons compounded why more people complained about Jade than they did about him.

I’m sure there’s some people out there who hate her because they hate women, but like, everyone? Really?

Genuinely, it is so tiring to see misogyny get thrown around like it doesn’t mean anything, and people complaining about misogyny where it doesn’t exist, and ignoring it where it does. Like I’m sorry SOME Jade stans, but yall cannot call this misogyny, then proceed to compare Jade to other female characters like Firefly, and call them flops and trash in comparison to her. THATS unnecessary hating on women for no reason, so don’t be a fucking hypocrite.

Also if a goddamn fictional character is the hill you die on for women’s rights issues, when there’s actual women being genocided right now, please reevaluate your priorities and support the women who actually need your help and assistance right now. Dogging on random Sunday fan #365 for being “misogynistic” because they said they wished he was marketed instead of Jade when there are women being murdered as we speak is dumb as hell. Like yes, these two problems can coexist, but for the love of god pixels are not as important as actual people, and if you really cared about women this would not be the one issue of misogyny you seem to talk about. 

Well, this post was kinda a mess, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter, and personally I’m very interested to see where they go with Jade in 2.3. Please keep making her evil and don’t try to hit us with the sad backstory Hoyo, I’m fine if it’s meant to complicate her, but please don’t try and redeem her. Hopefully they go with the Dottore route, but considering they are planning on selling her, they might throw everything interesting down the drain for her which is sad. Let women be evil! And I hope you have a good day :) 

[peachysunrize]

Corrupted by God ⥃ Prince Aemond Targaryen

Summary: after the battle of Rook’s Rest, Aemond comes back to King’s Landing as the heir to the throne with a newfound determination to make the Queen of the Seven kingdoms his queen as well.

Pairing: Prince Aemond Targaryen x Aegon’s wife/queen reader

Warnings: 18+ mdni! Smut, dark content!!!!!!!!! angst, post Rook’s Rest, post s2e4, p in v, porn with a very little plot, breeding, emotional manipulation/heavy manipulation, dark!Aemond, a bit dubcon, Aemond has a hugeeee god complex, mentions of Aegon’s injury, rough sex, reader is not a Targaryen (the pic was pretty so I used it lol), tell me if i’ve missed something. English isn’t my first language<3

Word count: 2.5k+

A/n: pleaseeeeee read the warnings! This was requested by my beloved @sylasthegrim ! I hope I did your idea justice and hope you like it<33 Reblogs & comments are most appreciated🩷

A god among men, that’s how Aemond feels when he closes his eye and lets Vhagar float in the air, flapping her wings once in a while to get to King’s Landing faster. He remembers the nights he prayed to the gods to give him strength, to change his destiny, and to give him a happy life, but today, with his she-dragon soaring through the clouds, he took his faith in his own hands and became a God himself.

A delicious ache in his muscles seeps through his bones, but it is nothing compared to the rush of euphoria he feels as he imagines himself on the throne with his uncle’s head beneath his foot and his queen by his side.

His queen, you, oh how he has done all of this for you. He has turned into a monster, soaked his hand in the blood of his kin while he thought of you, and how he deserves to have a queen befitting him and his reign.

He knows what he must tell the council and his mother, something that surely aligns with Cole’s words, but what he has to say to you has been worded out for so long that he cannot believe his plan has finally reached so far to this point to utter them to you.

He sighs as he feels his pants tighten — at the thought of you and the weight of the Conqueror's crown — and to his luck, the city comes into his view, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth while he guides Vhagar atop Visenya’s hill. He catches the sight of two Dragonkeepers and a horse ready for him, watching how they scurry away from the old she-dragon and wait for her to land.

Vhagar’s body shakes the ground as her feet keep her body secured, and Aemond rubs her scales softly before he climbs down the ropes of his saddle, jumping on the grass before he shushes the dragon again, mumbling a soft ‘Lykiri’ against her snouts.

He doesn’t spare a glance at the Dragonkeepers, he moves past them to the guard who hands him the reins of the horse, and Aemond swings his leg over the saddle before guiding the horse down the hill, bolting through the streets of the city.

The wind blows through his hair as he rides the horse to the Red Keep’s gates, lords and ladies move out of his way quickly, making room for their prince so he can lead his horse to the yard. The guards are fast on their feet to reach for the reins, stopping the animal so Aemond can step down.

He jumps down, patting the neck of the mare before he strides forward inside the castle, the court is already fussy with anticipation of what has befallen their king, but Aemond has one person in his mind that he wishes to seek out.

“Aemond!” The sound of his mother stops him on the stairs, and he looks up to see her running towards him with shock and disbelief on her face, “what’s happened?”

“We took the castle,” he says calmly, almost dismissively, “our king graced us with his presence on the battlefield. We won.”

He tries to move past Alicent with a shrug, but she grabs his arm tightly, forcing him to look her in the eyes before she asks what has been bothering her ever since Sunfyre took the sky earlier that day. But with the look Aemond gives her, she closes her mouth silently, nodding before she departs towards the main entrance of the castle, waiting for the hand to come back to the city.

Aemond scoffs and takes long steps toward the royal chambers on the upper floors, passing the servants who shield themselves from his gaze as he goes past them. 

He knows the path leading to the queen’s chambers like the back of his hand; through the stairs and Maegor’s tunnels — He has walked each way for many nights just to stay behind your doors and listen to your sweet voice talking to your daughter or handmaidens.

Aemond remembers the day you were wed to his brother, covered in a beautiful white and golden gown that brought out your curves to his eye. He was infatuated from the moment he laid his eye on you, and after such a long time, that infatuation has turned into something more primal and possessive, something that he thinks his brother does not deserve, that is befitting of Aemond and not the drunken fool who’s your husband.

Each step he takes adds more to the post-battle euphoria he’s experiencing — now that he’s the heir and the most powerful man, he deems himself fit to not just rule over the kingdom of ash and bone that is about to endure more battles, but to have his queen by his side. What better woman than the already beautiful creature that lies in an attached chamber to the king’s?

A ghost of a smirk forms on his face with each second that he walks within the hallways that lead to your chambers, his chin held high and his fingers itching with excitement in his leather gloves as he locks them behind his back.

Aemond licks his bottom lip, his blood rushing down to his core at the thought of the sight of you heavy with his child and the Conqueror’s crown atop your head. His queen, even the sound of it in his head seems right.

When he reaches your door, he pushes it without knocking, finding you already pacing with a wet handkerchief clutched in your hand.

Sweet sweet lady, the queen of his dreams, he basks in the way you carry yourself with worry for your husband. What a good wife he wishes to say, but no, a good wife to his idiot brother is not much better than a slur.

But to him? Oh, how much of a phenomenal bride-to-be you’d make for him, someone who is kind and deserving of his reign.

“My queen,” he says, standing straight when your head snaps in his direction, concern weaved into your features already. He takes in a deep breath as his eye runs over your form — a red long-sleeved gown with black dragons embroidered on it, your hair wild and free from your usual braids.

“Aemond!” You rest your hand against your heart as you take a few steps towards him, “What has befallen us? Aegon, he—“

“Shh,” he gently shushes you, his gloved hands coming to rest on your elbows, holding your body close to his, “we have won the battle. The castle has fallen and the false queen can no longer have a ground army.”

“That is great!” You utter, “But— what of our king? My husband? Aemond, is he alright?”

He smiles gently, a smile that does in fact reach his eye. There is a malicious look he has that it seems you fail to notice, because even his mother hesitated to let him go easily, but you? No, your soft and loving nature could never go past his mask.

“He is…”

“What? Please, Aemond is he—“ 

“No, no,” he replies quickly, one of his hands coming up to rest on your cheek, “he fought well, and he is alive,” he caresses your cheek as his eye meets yours, thinking how beautiful you look all worried about your husband, soon you’d be looking worried about him and not his brother.

“But…”

“But what? Is he hurt?” You grip his forearm tightly, looking up at him with tears stinging your eyes, “Tell me, please, Aemond, what’s happened to my husband?”

“He’s alive but on the brink of death. The traitor Rhaenys… your grace, such stories are not meant to be heard by a gentle soul like you—“

“I wish to know! What have they done to my husband?!” You demand him to tell you, and Aemond sighs deeply, but the buzz of excitement makes him even more determined.

Sweet lamb falling right into his trap.

“He took the skies quite suddenly, I had little time to meet him in the air. Meleys and her bitch of a rider had their claws in our king, and however fearsome he is, he could do naught.”

With each word that falls from his lips, more tears drop from your lashes, and he feels how numb you’re slowly getting in his arms.

“Sunfyre and Aegon… they survived Dragonfire, but—“

“Gods be good!” You gasp, a sob wrecking your body as he tries to shush you, a gloved finger reaching to wipe away your tears gently.

“I found him; burnt, broken but breathing,” he kisses your forehead, smirking against your skin, “he told me — had me promising him — to make haste and seek you out, to take care of your every wish.”

“Thank the gods!” You ask him, craning your neck to look into his eye, “What else did he say?”

He can’t answer you, not when you look at him with such a yearning, eyes full of tears and longing for condolences. He smooths his finger over your eyebrows, creasing your frown before he leans down and presses another kiss to your cheek.

“I could not say, he was weary, but…” his other hand comes to cup your face, “he told me to answer to your every whim, and that you should stay by my side until he has healed and help me rule.”

“But shouldn’t I take care of him?” You ask, eyes narrowing as he gently backs you up towards your bed, “Aemond, what are—“

“My queen, do you trust me?” He asks as he trails a path from your cheek to the column of your throat with his nose, “I will take care of you, all of your needs. That is what our king wanted, how cruel would we be if we do not obey his commands?”

“We would break his heart,” you whisper, inhaling sharply when he hovers his lips against yours, “we should do as he asks.”

“Hmm, yes, we should,” he closes the gap between the two of you, his lips moving along yours slowly for he feels how you quiver and meet his lips hesitantly.

He kisses you gently at first, hands moving down towards your waist to pull on the strings of your gown, long gloved fingers working on it until the red fabric loses its grip around your waist. Aemond pushes the gown off your shoulders, caressing your skin with the back of his hand before he lets your dress pool around your ankles.

His lips move against yours passionately, his tongue exploring your mouth for the first time, and he lets himself get lost in your taste — sweet with a tinge of lime, hinting that you’ve had lemon cake earlier.

He pushes you onto the bed after he helps you out of your shift, leaving you bare to his hungry gaze. He pulls his gloves off by his teeth, dropping each on the floor next to your discarded clothes, soon to be followed by his belt and dagger.

He can hear the rumbles of his men walking back to the city, but now all his attention is on you, and how he has to take what he has promised himself. 

Aemond doesn’t take his clothes off, he would if he were a lesser man, but now, he’s determined, ready to take the promised prize and faith the Gods have granted him — but no god is intelligent enough to set you as his prize. It’s always been him and his schemes.

He pushes his leather pants down enough to free his aching cock, swiping his finger across your wet slit, eliciting a moan out of both of you as he keeps rubbing your pearl firmly, basking in your whines of pleasure.

His free hand strokes himself to full hardness, thinking of your upcoming wedding night and how he’d take you in front of the council on the bedding from behind, chaining you to him like the religion that has chained his mother to the Seven.

You fist the bedsheets, back arching as soon as he covers your body with his and guides his cock to your soaked entrance. He watches how your lips part in a silent plea when he breaches your cunt, groaning as soon as your walls envelop his length.

“Oh, Aemond—“You reach for him desperately when he sheathes himself inside you completely, not letting you adjust to his size for more than a mere second before setting up his pace, bullying his cock deep inside you with each smooth stroke.

It’s empowering to see you all nude and luscious on your bed taking his cock like you were shaped just for him to do so — maybe you were made for him, molded into this perfect lady to be desired and cherished by him.

“Aren’t you the most beautiful queen the realm has ever seen?” He asks, his eye is hazy with lust as he fucks you harder, finding deep pleasure in how he’s fully clothed and you are bare as the day you were born. He takes pride in having you putty in his hands.

He cages you under him, his lips slotting against yours once more as he licks his way into your mouth while he slams his shaft inside your tight cunt with abandon.

“Gods, oh– I’m— ah!”

“You only have one god, my darling, and that is me,” he groans against your lips, his leather coat brushing against your heated skin while the tip of his cock nudges against your sweet spot that has you seeing stars, “Worship me at your altar, just as your husband wanted.”

You come with a cry of his name, sending him over the edge with your sweet moans of euphoria. He bruises himself to a halt, emptying his sack with ropes of his cum inside you, making sure to make the next king of the Seven Kingdoms with his queen.

The way your face scrunches in pleasure has him almost coming again, knowing it was him who gave you such a blinding peak that has you shaking in his arms.

The sounds of footsteps rushing past your door to the King’s chambers have the two of you scurrying and parting from each other. You are clumsy with how you put on your dress with Aemond’s warm seed dribbling down your thighs, but your husband’s home, your king.

Aemond tucks himself back into his pants, following you out of your chambers into his brother’s only to find the maesters and his mother already there, tending to his burns and wounds.

“Aegon, my love—“ he doesn’t listen to what you say as you try to make room for yourself among the men, wanting to reach for your husband.

“Someone has to rule in his stead,” Aemond exclaims as he leans on the headboard of the bed, looking down at his handiwork before he catches your eyes as you smile with teary eyes at him, nodding to Alicent in encouragement.

“The gods have blessed him with intelligence for he would make a fine ruler, and he shall take care of me, just as our king desired.”

[solesommerso]

Oooh I just saw your writing for CPD now too 🤩 could I pls request a Jay Halstead x Reader where they have to go undercover as a couple? They're dating secretly, but the secret comes out when they're just too convincing during their undercover work? 🥹

PS I ❤️ your writing! 🥰🥰

Secrets | Jay Halstead x Reader

a/n: ah I think I did this justice but I’ve never written for Jay on his own so idk

warnings: canon typical drug related mentions, guns, secret relationships, reader in a skirt (still kept g/n), swearing, slight nsfw (thigh grabbing/kissing)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ

~

You hiss at the microphone digging into your chest, shifting your shirt around for the umpteenth time to try and ease your discomfort from how badly Hailey had set your tech-wear up.

"I shoulda just done it myself." You groan towards Jay, watching how your partner shakes his head only to be cut short as he nods towards the door, the man you've been tracking walks in, a girl in tow with a tray of drinks in her hand.

"Would you two like anything to drink?" She asks, bending at the waist to pick up the past glasses left on the table in front of the couch you reside on, both of you shaking your head to the woman's question. The man that you're here to see, Liam Smart as you've come to learn, tsks his tongue at Jay.

"You don't want to buy your pretty friend a drink?" It almost has you rolling your eyes, you would if this undercover case wasn't so important.

"They're alright." Jay replies, sliding his hand onto your thigh, it brings heat to your cheeks in an instant, you pray nobody on the team can pick up on it through all the cameras.

"Okay then. Shall we get this thing going?" Liam quirks a brow, at least he wants to get this done and over with just as fast as you and Jay do.

"So what's your plan?" Smart leans his elbows onto his knees, smirking when Jay protectively pulls you in closer as the angle Smarts at gives him a clear view to try and stare up your skirt.

"We get three kilos now and three more in a weeks time." Liam throws out a laugh, adjusting his pants which makes your hand drift over to Jays hip, his guns there and while yours is tucked into the back of this skirt, Jays is closer.

"I don't know you. I can't trust you, but you expect three kilos right off the bat?" You both knew it was ambitious but hoped Liam would be dumb enough to agree.

“We have a lot of clients.” You say in your best fake sweet tone, Jays hand squeezes your thigh which means he must pick up on it.

“I see, and where are your clients?” Liam slumps back against the red leather couch you’re all sat on, it circles around a table in a way you can only describe as ‘cliché’, straight out of a bad crime movie.

“North side, they’ll pay top dollar.” Jay builds up on your story and Smart must be drunk enough to believe you two as he smile small.

~

Soon enough everything is going to plan and you’re slipping into a back room to retrieve the three kilos Jay requested. Liam has definitely gotten more than a few drinks in him as he’s getting more and more talkative, gushing over how north side moves product quickly and blah blah- you don’t care anymore.

While this is very much a work outing, Jays hand has been drifting around your thighs throughout the whole endeavor, not to mention how you’ve been leaning into him, your anxiety’s spiked about the team maybe figuring out you two aren’t so much lying about your relationship. Voight’s already gave up on the ‘don’t date your coworkers’ rule with Adam and Kim but you’re newer, and Jay has a history with Erin, no matter how long it’s been since she was even in Chicago. It could cause some issues.

“You guys aren’t very touchy for a couple.” Liam comments in his drunken state. It has you and Jay making split eye contact, his gaze filtering down your body then back up to your lips, and god what you would do to abandon this all and climb into the back of his truck.

“Go on, kiss them.” Smart might be drunk but you can’t complain about his words, Jays hand slips up the side of your jaw, pressing his lips heatedly against yours, instantly dropping his other hand to pull your waist in and let you wrap your arms around him.

It last longer than it should.

A fair bit longer, with a lot more tongue than you’re sure any of the team appreciate. But you get the drugs and the next meet set up, so job well done- kind of- the smirks across your fellow officers faces make you have some regrets. Aside from Voight who’s just shaking his head and beaconing Jay into his office, no doubt about to get a lecture about telling Voight things like this, and dating another coworker. Jay will be fine.

“So when did that start? Hm?” Kevin comes to tease you, you shove at his shoulder and shake your head.

“Shut it.” You huff, looking away from Adams fake kissing lips that has Kim throwing her hand onto his chest in protest.

“So it is official then?”

“Shut up!”

[orecana]

Danganronpa fruitless survival

Chapter 1: No friendship last forever

Trigger warnings

Character death

implied oral

Blood

Park sunghoon x male reader

Hello everyone! this is Orecana with chapter 1 for you guys. The trial itself is inspired by a lot of danganronpa fanfics that i read so i really hope you enjoy it. (don't ask why there is no fte. i feel like making someone die early to emphasize the fact that someone really wanted to get out of there). Thank you to everyone who like and read my fic.

Orecana: attention! it is now 7a.m it's time to wake up and enjoy your life while you can.

Sunghoon groans and opens his eyes. Sunghoon is not really a morning person but because of the rules, he will have to obey the inhuman person called orecana.

He gets up from his bed to go take a shower. after he was done, he opens his wardrobe to several copies of his outfit that he will wear from today onwards minus his pajamas.

he looks at it in slight confusion at how do these end up in his room but Orecana probably snuck them in while he was asleep.

He takes the outfit and puts it on. he was very surprised it fit him perfectly but then Orecana probably know everything about everyone.

He Takes his monopad before going out of his room. he goes to the cafeteria to get something to eat but he bumps into Scott on the way. He wanted to say hello but the look on scott's face was filled with terror.

Sunghoon: scott are you okay?

scott looks at sunghoon still having that face of terror, without replying he runs off into the dorms. Sunghoon felt concerned for him considering he was one of the lively ones.

He opens the door to the cafeteria to find y/n sitting there with a glum look on his face. sunghoon orders his food and sit down near y/n who woke up from whatever he was thinking about.

Sunghoon's POV

Sunghoon: do you know what happened to scott?

Y/n: ..... He....

Sunghoon: he what?

Y/n: he told me that someone is planning a murder....

My blood runs cold as a chill went down my spine. someone is planning to commit murder?

Y/n: scott told me he heard someone talking about their plans for a murder but then he look at his phone. he looked so scared that he told me to forget everything he said and ran off.

I felt like i couldn't breathe anymore after what i heard. the food i got in front of me doesn't even look appetizing anymore.

*crash*

me and y/n stood up from our seats when we heard the crash.

Y/n: what was that?

Sunghoon: i think It came from upstairs. let's go!

We both ran up the stairs and look around. We see yukari on our left face frozen with fear as she look at the music room. We rush towards her.

Y/n: Yukari-san what's..... (look in front of him) wrong? (low/scared)

i follow their gaze into the music room and what i saw will probably scar me for life.

There was a mess in the music room. everything was thrashed but that didn't stop us from witnessing the gruesome sight of the body of scott, the ultimate painter crushed beneath the piano. then a piece of debris falls off cutting scott head which then rolls towards us showing his look of pure horror with wide eyes and an opened mouth.

*announcement*

Orecana: a body has been discovered. please make your way into the music room and collect evidence for the class trial that's about to begin.

no matter how many times i blink, praying that this is all just a bad dream. but reality starts to settle in, scott was really dead seconds from after me and y/n had just met him.

we hear footsteps rushing towards the room, it's probably the others. i can feel their presence behind me. most of them look in disbelief that someone here actually killed.

y/n takes a very deep breath and looks at everyone.

Y/n: i know that everyone here probably thinks of this as a big joke that scott can't be dead..., but this is reality he really is dead and we must work together to bring his culprit to justice. you all heard the robot we need to collect evidence for the class trial.

Jackson: and how do i know that one of you is not planning to get us all killed? i read the rules last night, if we fail to pinpoint the culprit, we die.

Reina: that just make the fact that we have to investigate much more important. through the evidences we collected we will know who among us planned to kill scott.

Jackson was still looking at us with an angry look but he reluctantly stops and goes outside, probably to cool his head.

y/n: i know scott was close to you guys especially to jackson but we need to investigate now or else we might not have anymore evidence.

everyone seems unwilling for a bit but eventually we all get together and step into the crime scene in order to find out who is responsible for one of our friend's death.

*investigation start!*

Orecana pops up out of nowhere from the hallway just to tell us about the monofiles that he had installed into the monopads.

Mono files

Victim: Scott

Time of death: 7:20 A.M

Cause of death: crushed by the piano

The victim has no other bruises or injuries on his body except the the back which is from the impact of the fall and a missing head which is caused from the debris.

'it seems that scott doesn't really have any other wounds. his death is caused by the piano.'

Mono files added to truth bullets

'Let's look around the room'

Amiya goes up to scott's headless corpse and inspects it a little.

Sunghoon: what's wrong amiya?

Amiya: it's the position of his body. it looks like he tripped on something.

I looked at his body again. his hands were wide open in front of him and his head was face down before it was cut.

Sunghoon: you do have a point amiya, it could be useful later.

Body position added to truth bullets

'wait.... under the body'

Sunghoon: amiya, do you see something under the body?

amiya takes a closer look at the body and widens her eyes at something.

Amiya: there's a piece of torn rope under the body! It must have something to do with the murder.

Sunghoon: let's document this for the trial.

Torn rope under the body added to truth bullets

I continue looking around when he felt a tap on his shoulder. I look behind me to see y/n frowning.

Sunghoon: y/n what's wrong?

Y/n only points up at the ceiling and I follow. there was an array of mechanical equipment. I was confused at first but eventually understands. there was also scratches above the piano what's up with that.

scratches above piano added to truth bullets

'this is probably what the culprit used to lift the piano up, now if i can follow it to the end.'

I try to follow the mechanical equipment and found where it ended near the door of the music room but it was hidden behind a bunch of old drums.

'found it! looks like a part of the torn rope is here as well'

Torn rope on mechanism added to truth bullets

But this enough won't pinpoint the culprit though, i think we found just about everything in this room.

'this is seriously stressing me out, and it's only been the first day!'

"Sunghoon!"

i look behind me to see y/n holding my arm, he looks quite desperate.

y/n: the class trial is about to start but we don't have any evidence to know who the culprit was!

Sunghoon: we'll have to rely on the others to help us with their own individual investigations. i just hope yukari-san and the others found anything in scott's room.

we began walking to the elevator as we discuss our investigation.

Y/n: oh! by the way hyung, we should keep our discussion with scott a secret until necessary in the trial.

y/n does make sense. if we tell the others that we were the ones that saw scott last, they would be very suspicious of us. But-

Sunghoon: if it is relevant to any evidence that the others presented, we will reveal our chat with him and his.... outburst.

Last moments with scott added to secret truth bullets

Y/n keeps quiet but he had a gloomy look on his face.

Sunghoon: y/n, if anything is bothering you. please tell me.

Y/n: i know who murdered scott because he told me before he got crushed.

I stop in place as y/n looks directly at me from my right. did i heard that right? scott knows who murdered him!

Y/n: that's what he told me in the cafeteria today. but i won't tell you who did it. i want you to come to the conclusion yourself, that way you will be convinced on who the murderer is.

Scott's confession added to secret truth bullets

I only look back at y/n before smiling and ruffling his hair which earns a growl and a glare from the shorter male.

we were finally in front of the elevator with the others, waiting for it to arrive.

Reina: did everyone finish their investigation?

everyone nodded their heads as the sound of the elevator opens. they all step inside as it closes and goes further down to the trial room.

i look to my left to see yukari-san in a very gloomy mood. she was such a bright girl yesterday. scott's death must be very painful to the group.

i pull out my monopad and sneak a text to yukari.

sunghoon: 'don't worry, we'll find out who killed him together.'

yukari pulls out hers to read my message. it's hard to see it but she had a slight smile on her face.

yukari: 'i want to tell you something.'

I wonder 'what does she want to tell'

yukari: 'i thought it was imagination last night but i heard a very loud *thud* when i went to the cafeteria for water. maybe it had something to do with the crime?'

'It would definitely be useful for later, thanks for sharing it with me.'

Yukari's account added to truth bullets

i heard a ping from my monopad so i decided to check it and i saw a message from reina.

Reina: there was a paper on the ground that says the following

"scott, can we meet at the cafeteria at 12 p.m.

<jackson>"

Invitation letter added to truth bullets

Reina: there was also a broken voice recorder on the table. unless someone can fix it i doubt it'll be useful.

Broken voice recorder added to truth bullets

Reina: i also found something disturbing on scott's head. there was some kind of liquid that was in his mouth and it was not saliva.

Substance in scott's mouth added to truth bullets

Reina: that's all i could find with the others.

Sunghoon: thanks for sharing this with me reina.

the elevator comes to a halt as the door opens, revealing a grand room and several podiums in the middle surrounding each other.

There in all of its glory was orecana. they were wearing a blue sweater with gray shorts. they were sitting on a throne with its sickening smile while looking at us.

Orecana: come stand at your respective podiums everyone.

Everyone reluctantly go on to their podium and stands there. the mood is very gloomy as everyone look at each other, some with hatred, some with fear.

Orecana: i'll go over the rules once again just so everyone is clear. Everyone here must work together to uncover the culprit behind the case. if you find the culprit, they will be punished. however, if you don't. then everyone but the culprit will be punished and they'll be able to leave this academy "scott-free"! get it? (i feel so ashamed)

Nobody laughed yet nobody dared to utter a word. A cough echoed through out the room.

Reina: staying quiet won't do us any good. we need to solve who killed scott.

Yukari: you're right. even if you all don't care for scott, i assume you would at least do it for your life.

Keitaro: what should we start with though?

that's a good question, where do we start?

Dahyun: how about where everyone was?

Jackson: i doubt it will be any use to the murder, he was killed in the early morning which it's a time when everyone is just waking up.

Hiro: Some people could wake up early to prepare the murder though right? i mean i always go to the gym at 6.

Sayuri: i also wake up early to prepare food for everyone today. i know it sounds weird but the food in the cafeteria has no staff to handle them now.

Y/n: since there are actually people who wake up early, can anyone here who woke up before 7 raise their hands?

Alice, keita, yukari, Hiro, sayuri raise their hands.

Yuria: i understand keita and yukari because they're early birds but what about you alice?

Alice: a girl have to be pretty at all times you know~. i have to wake up early to get ready.

Rose: ok so it is possible that someone can wake up early to prepare for the murder.

Amiya: no... let's not make assumption, let's discuss the crime itself, trying to pin the culprit right now will only make us run in circles.

We're finally working with each other. let's listen to everyone share their views.

NONSTOP DEBATE

(italic words are consent words while Bold words are weak points)

Truth bullets : Monofiles, Body position

Takashi: i believe mostly everyone in this room was still asleep until we hear the loud Crash this morning.

Y/n: i was running up the stairs with sunghoon to follow the sound to find yukari stunned in front of the music room.

Yukari: I was in the archery room near it, practicing when i heard it. It still sends a chill down my spine.

Yuria: then everyone rush along when we heard the body announcement.

Alice: we saw scott's body under the piano then the debris fell on his head, finishing him off.

Monofile>Finishing him off

"No that's wrong!"

*break*

Sunghoon: that's wrong alice. the monofiles says that scott dies from the impact from the piano.

Alice: oh! i hadn't realized. well not that it mattered. scott died anyways.

Most of scott's friends side eyed alice because of that comment, especially jackson.

Jackson: something had to be used to lift that piano up right? i mean i'm probably the strongest person here but even i don't think i could lift that thing.

'He's right, there was something that was used to lift it.'

Select evidence

Torn rope under the body

"That's it!"

Sunghoon: there's torn rope under the body and there was also some kind of mechanism above us as well.

Dahyun: oh yeah!, you could use that to move things around in there. i guess it was used for murder instead tho.

Keita: but how would you operate it though? i don't remember finding a remote or some kind anywhere.

Yuria: wait you said that there's no remote? that's strange i swear there was a remote last night.

Hiro: so that means the killer must have took it with them.

Reina: it must still be on them, i have already searched everyone's room.

Takashi: how are you able to search everyone's room exactly?

Reina: Orecana unlocks everyone's room after a body is discovered, pretty useful if you ask me.

Sayuri: wait yukari said that she was near the room right? then that means she did it!

Yukari: wha-? what did i do?

Sayuri: you were the only one near the scene of the crime, you could have used the remote to lift the piano up and kill him right there.

Body position >and kill him right there

Sunghoon: sorry sayuri but yukari couldn't have done that.

Sayuri: and why is that?

Amiya: you're talking about the body position aren't you?

Rose: what position?

Amiya: His body was position in a way that look like he tripped on something.

Sayuri: so you guys think he tripped on the rope?

Sunghoon: yeah it looks like that's what happened-.

*i will not accept that!"

Sayuri: I'm sorry but there's no way yukari did not do it. she's the only one who could have and i'm gonna prove it!

Rebuttal showdown (slice your opponent's word and convince them!)

Basically scott was killed in the second floor right?

and yukari was the only one there!

Only yukari can kill him!

she could just set up everything that morning and kill him.

Yukari's account and scratches above piano>That morning and kill him.

"I'll cut through your words!"

Sunghoon: it cannot be yukari because the it was set up around nighttime. yukari told me she heard a loud thud when she went to the cafeteria. this is confirmed because there were scratch marks above the piano.

Sayuri: i suppose i cannot counter that.

Keitaro: But you said that it was set up during nighttime right? then wouldn't that mean nobody here is safe?

'yes and there's one person i want to question'

Sunghoon: Jackson, what did you and scott do last night?

Jackson:....

Jackson remains silent, not uttering a word. however it seems that y/n caught up to something.

Y/n: hmmm, a bit of embarrassment alongside a hint of lust. let me guess did you two got freaky last night?

everyone look shocked at jackson as the boy in question blushed so much.

Me and reina look at each other. though we didn't say anything we knew what the other thought.

"so that substance is....."

'wait!'

Sunghoon: did scott spend the night with you?

Jackson: yeah he did and he said something to me that i don't understand though.

'what did he say?'

Jackson: scott has some kind of future telling feeling. that's why he's the ultimate painter to begin with, but he told me that 'the person who i meet last will know my killer.'

i look at y/n who had a shocked face. i gently pat his head since he was near me and i can feel him relaxing a bit.

Yuria: is this really all the evidence we have?

Sunghoon: no there's still one more but it's useless unless Orecana fixes it.

Orecana: you want me to fix something? well just hand it over.

I hand over the voice recorder to Orecana who immediately brought tools to fix it.

Orecana: here! all done.

I bowed in respect out of habit and pressed play on the recorder.

"hey, it's scott. i'll keep it short since time is running out for me. i'm gonna die tomorrow. i really hope you guys don't get sad because of my decision because even if i don't die tomorrow. i will die later anyways. I'm really glad to have all those memories from yesterday. I love you guys and you too Jackson. thanks for being the best bf."

Everyone stand stills in the room, most of them let out quiet sobs while reina and jackson tries to look tough but y/n and i see through them. their pain is evident in their eyes.

Y/n: that isn't the only evidence we have left. i don't want to hide it anymore.

Secret truth bullets selected

Y/n: Me and sunghoon both met with scott last before his impending doom. sunghoon was probably not the person he thought he would meet last but he shared all info with me. This trap was set up by him. Why? so no one else would die except him. it was a sacrifice.

No one in the room objects to what y/n says because deep down they knew it was true.

Amiya: but why was the body like that?

'i think i know why....'

Sunghoon: Yukari, you know something don't you?

Yukari: hmph. i thought i wouldn't get caught but nothing escapes you huh?

Yukari keeps fiddling with her fingers as she take deep breaths.

Yukari: after i heard scott and jackson go into jackson's room, i went to the music room to check what's going on. to my horror i found out that one of my friends was trying to kill himself. i tried to find a way to stop it from happening but nothing works. so i decided to tie a rope under the piano so that i will alerted of his attempted suicide. but it seems he still died anyway.

Everyone was frozen at yukari's confession.

so scott really did killed himself.

Orecana: it seems everyone has come to an agreement! please vote for the culprit right now through a screen i will summon now on your podiums.

Suddenly a screen pops up on my podium and it shows all of us in it. it was sickening. still my finger pressed on scott's icon and press vote.

Orecana: Now! let's see if you're all correct!

A wheel appeared behind Orecana as it twirls back and forth between all our avatars. It stops on Scott's before a shining Correct appears on it.

Orecana: you all guess it correctly! Scott has commited suicide!

None of us says a word. the feel of dread was too much.

Orecana: i already call the elevator back down, you can all rest in your rooms now!

We slowly walk into the elevator and go into it. it starts moving as all of us just stand still. One of our friends just commited suicide to save us all. this feeling of survivor's guilt is looming over everyone right now.

The elevator door opens as we all head into our rooms, appetite lost.

i sink into my bed thinking about today's events.

'one of us is already dead and it's only the first day.'

Not wanting to think about it, i just grab my towel and take a shower. Once i was done, i change into my pajamas before sinking into my bed once more.

'i wish none of us will kill again'

those were my last thoughts before i drifted to sleep.

[fanfictilltheend]

Long Time No See (Negan Smith/You *OC of @ravenrose18 *)

Masterlist

A/N: Hi this is my first request ever so be kind lol. This is @ravenrose18 's OC and I hope I did them justice!

Warnings: cursing

Summary: Y/N is Negan's best friend from pre-apocalypse but they got separated at the start of it. When Negan gets let out of prison and goes back to The Sanctuary they find each other again.

It’s nearly sundown, but you finally made it to that place that you’d only heard whispers of: The Sanctuary. Or what was left of it. You’d traveled across the country on a string of rumors and terrifying myths until you had found where a man named Negan was supposed to rule. 

But it was abandoned now, red rust and decay covering the building. You were too late. You look at the decimated makeshift town that used to exist and wonder if that means Negan is dead and gone now too. You pray he’s not. 

You explore the factory floor, hoping for some clue to appear to lead a path back to your best friend, but everything you see is withering away or gone. You could sob with disappointment.

“FUCK!” A loud voice yells distantly, “You stupid motherfucking carcass piece of shit!”

Is that?

There’s no way.

Squelch.

It sounds like someone is killing a walker with a long, blunt instrument in the courtyard.

“Yeah, fuck you!” The voice yells. 

“Negan?” you try, rounding the corner to where the voice is coming from. 

“Who the fuck is there?” The voice asks.

And then you see him: there’s Negan. He’s older, yes, his hair is shorter, sure, and he’s not holding the famed baseball bat he’s supposed to carry, but instead a bloody lead pipe. He’s got on a grey shirt and a leather jacket and the most confused expression you’ve ever seen him carry. A dead walker lies at his feet. 

“Y/N?” he whispers, looking totally shocked. “Nah, this ain’t real. It can’t be. I have motherfucking lost it. Motherfucking hallucinations and all!”

“No, Negan, it’s real. It’s me,” you say, tears in your eyes. “I thought you were dead. Your house back home was burnt to the ground! But then I heard you were the leader here and I came, but–”

“Key word: was, princess. I’m a goddamn nobody now. Everything has gone to shit here. I was captured by a stronger group. I’m not even supposed to be out here right now. And then you just show up out of the blue. I really must be losing it!”

“What do I have to do to prove I’m real?” you shout. “Do I have to show you the goddamn tattoos we got together? Way back when?”

He smiles.

“Okay, maybe you are real. Can I hug you?” He asks.

“Of course,” you tell him and he closes the gap between you two and you melt into each other’s arms.

“What about Lucille?” you ask, thinking you know the answer.

“Cancer got her,” he says very sadly, pulling away. You almost feel sorry for bringing it up. 

“I’m so sorry, Negan. She was a great woman.”

“Goddamn right she was. Hey, you still got that necklace I gave you!” He smiles, reaching for the pendant.

“Duh, of course,” you tell him, holding up the rose-shaped piece. “It helped me keep going through all of this bullshit.”

Negan looks like that makes him happy.

“I knew you were still around and kicking,” he impresses. “I knew that despite everything you’ve been through, you’d still be around. What happened to your parents?”

You look down at the ground as the past begins to whirl around inside you.

“I killed them.”

“Good riddance.” Negan sneers. “Those abusive pieces of shit! I woulda done it myself if I had the chance.” 

You smile a little.

“Let’s get out of here,” you say. “This place isn’t what it once was, I can tell. The stories I heard about you, Negan. Some I hope are true and others I’m not sure I want to know.”

“I’ve done a lot of shit since this whole end-of-the-world business started,” Negan tells you gravely. “I regret a lot of it. I was fucked up by grief and my own ego. But I’m a better man now. That’s why I have to leave ya.”

“WHAT?” you boom.”We just found each other! What the hell do you think you’re talking about?”

“I’m on a mission, Y/N. I gotta kill some real bad people. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you in the process of it. I can show you a town where you’ll be safe called Alexandria, but then we have to part ways.”

“And you could die? On this mission?” 

He doesn’t answer right away.

“It’s possible,” he nods gravely.

“Then I’m not leaving you,” you say. 

“You, honey, are not going to be easy to persuade, I can tell,” Negan smirks. “But maybe if I do some better explaining, you’ll see why I have to do this shit alone. Still got that motorcycle I gave ya?” “Yeah, duh,” you nod, sure that nothing Negan can say will get you to leave him again. 

“Let’s set up camp somewhere much less depressing than here,” Negan proposes. “And you can tell me about all the badass things I’m sure you’ve done since the world turned to shit!”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

A/n: thanks for reading! Check out my other work below. LMK if you have a request or prompt for me!

Masterlist

[joprompts]

the great gatsby (2023 musical) starters. part two. *starters from the musical. slightly edited for rp purposes. adjust as necessary.

better hold tight or i might fly away.

do you know what i did when my baby was born? when i found out that she was a she? i prayed that my beautiful child would be the fool that i could never be.

if that's the plan, you can count me out.

only four hours left and there's too much to do. i don't know what to wear, what to say, how to stand when i'm standing inside the foyer!

can justice be done? what a joke!

soon, we'll share in what i've done.

when the party's over, can you find another party somewhere?

we live for today.

one way road, is that what this is? have i traveled down it from a very early age?

it's tea, it's only tea! no need for such commotion!

today is never over if the party never stops.

god sees everything, but is slow on his commands.

i wonder what [she'd/he'd/they'd] do, if i walked through.

what if i turn into her?

she should know that i mean business, but i also mean causal, with teeny tiny sandwiches!

i'm sure you're the second-best she's ever had!

with only a nickel to my name, i've but it all to get in the game.

even for you, that was a scandal for the ages.

it took no time to love her, just to be worthy of her.

this could turn for me and i can guarantee when all this is done i'll be forever in your debt.

i wouldn't trust myself.

i kissed her and knew i'd ever stray, but then the world got in the way.

can you see through the mist? look out this way. can you see the green light, just across the bay? sometimes, it's blinking, sometimes it's warning, blinking it's message to me until morning. it's a lighthouse.

none of this was made to last.

i will be a rich man's wife with a rich man's baby and be set for life.

will she see i've made my world in the image of her dreams? the closer that i get, the farther that she seems!

i've become the man her world demanded me to be.

they want me to come in while the killer roams free.

better listen to that man. people say he takes the world seriously.

can you believe we now have a child?

she never loved you and she never will.

i built the perfect place to stay locked away.

we pay off the cops.

there must be some justice! someone has to pay!

how's the view from up there?

i spoke those words to gain security. it was maybe a mistake and the only choice to make.

i think you two are birds of a feather. i must find ways to fling you together. lock you both up in a closet for tea, charter a boat, push you right out to sea!

i've always known what i was fighting for.

to have and to hold. til death do us part.

only we know what we're going through. if i save you, will you save me too?

i'm gonna walk into the ocean!

we had to give up all the parties and drinking.

the party's roaring on.

marriage is more than vows and devotion. it is a ferris wheel of emotion. lifting you up, right after you fall. marriage is not what you picture at all.

i'm not going anywhere.

but now, today i see an open door at last that could lead me to a future i gave up in the past.

she eats and sleep and it is utterly wild!

i'm paralyzed with happiness.

i built a home beyond my childhood dreams.

breathe, i can't breath! can't hold it together! i try to inhale and my head starts to swim.

when i saw him walking down the aisle, he actually looked cute.

i've come so far for her.

if we don't go now, we might never know what this could be! who we really are!

i'm smart enough to know i'd lose everything if i ever strayed.

and boy, was i a sucker.

we'll be living back in time, just as it was before. only now she will have everything and more.

i've always liked swinging at little white balls.

it's time for tea!

can we stop for a moment and just look around. look at us all and the joy we have found.

i can't run away.

at the end of the night, i'm going home with him.

can you see through the mist, across the bay?

i let him put a ring on me.

but don't you think that every newlywed believes their marriage will endure and that somehow will escape their fate? is that every wedding's curse?

everyone can stop tip-toeing.

money can't buy happiness, no sir, but it brings you closer.

am i chasing a dream?

[sonxofxgondor]

Anonymous asked: Since you are the Boromir Blog, I’d humbly like to offer you my Boromir headcanon.

So, we all know that Faramir is the forgotten child. Nothing is ever good enough and Denethor doesn’t bat an eye at him unless he has something to complain about. Boromir is the absolute favorite. I have concluded that this means that Boromir is most definitely saddled with sky high expectations for everything he does. Faramir can’t do anything right, Boromir isn’t allowed to do anything wrong.

And this entire situation is worse since Boromir grew up in a period of heavy societal unrest. His country is falling apart at the seams and he is the one supposed to keep it together. This expectation has been put upon him since he was little too, so he probably has an extreme fear of failure. With their mother passing away and Denethor rather ignoring Faramir’s existence, a lot of the bonding and comfort tasks were probably shoved onto Boromir too.

Boromir has to be perfect at everything he does; the perfect brother, the perfect son, the perfect noble, the perfect soldier, the perfect protector, the perfect everything. Boromir is this (/\) close to burning out, but if he were to do that, countless of people would die. This man is ten minutes and some bad news away from collapsing on a good day, but nobody other than Faramir gets to notice because he has to keep everything up. If he doesn’t live up to Father’s expectations, he also can’t keep his ire away from Faramir. If he doesn’t live up to expectation, his people will lose their lives.

TLDR: I hc that Boromir was raised to be the ‘perfect older sibling’ type on steroids + the looming threat of his country collapsing. I think not enough people account for the fact that Denethor wouldn’t be good for his other son either, it just goes in the opposite direction than Faramir. I am so sorry for the rant, I just need someone to yap to.

Anonymous Messages!

AH! OKAY! Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to message me, Nonnie! I know it might seem silly to say, but truly, it means the world to me that you feel comfortable to do so. Never apologize for sending something to me - I LOVE hearing your thoughts and opinions on things, whether it be of my own work or just the wonderfulness that is our beloved Steward-Prince. My inbox is ALWAYS open; I value your time and friendship beyond what words could express. I also want to say thank you for the lovely compliment! I only hope and pray that I do Boromir justice! Our dashing boy deserves nothing but the best - and I do hope that my writing continues to provide that for him and you.

Secondly, that headcanon SHOULD be solid canon, and no, I won't hear otherwise. More so seen in the movies than in the books, it's clear that Boromir feels to be under constant stress and pressure. Not solely from his position as steward-prince or as captain, but as brother and son, like you mentioned. Look, Denethor was obviously devastated after the death of his dear wife. He went mad with grief. He lost part of himself when she was gone; he'd never come to love again. HOWEVER. That doesn't make what he's done to his children alright or appropriate. Bouncing off of what you've said, I find that Boromir had to be more than just a brother-figure to Faramir. Both father and mother when he was only a boy, a protector and provider. Not that he would've minded much, though, for it's very obvious that he adores little brother and loves him more than, well, literally anything. I mean, heck, JRR makes a point about this in his OFFICIAL works.

But back to your point, 100% yes! It isn't that Boromir can't mess up, he isn't allowed to. No mistakes may be made. No time for accidents or imperfections - its the demands of both his father and his kingdom. Boromir, as you beautifully wrote, must be PERFECT in all ways. Naturally, I find him to be a people pleaser, too. He hates to see others upset. He'd do whatever he had to in order to make things better - even at the cost of his own happiness. Personally, I believe, Denethor trained him for such a role. Almost too good, Boromir, now as an adult, is unable to overcome this intense sense of perfectionism. It's why the ONE RING was able to manipulate him and drive him to near MURDER. Boromir fears to be imperfect, worries so greatly about letting others down. Sauron understood this and used this against our dearest man! Really, had it not been because of the Ring's influence, I do think that, eventually, we would have seen Boromir completely snap. Not violently, of course, but just be so overpowered by exhaustion and defeat. There's only so much a man can bear before he crumbles.

In all honesty, Boromir is someone who needs soft attention and kind words. He's carried an entire kingdom upon his shoulders, never been allowed to rest and actually take time to himself. Sure, Denethor favors him over Faramir, but have we ever seen Denethor actually be gentle to his eldest son? Least, when the years of boyhood were replaced by man? Congratulating your child over a victory against Orcish invaders is awesome and all, but sometimes, your child would like to be told that they are loved, also. I would NEVER say that Faramir deserved his treatment, but, consider Boromir for a moment. He's only seen as a soldier in his father's eyes, a physical pawn, someone who looks great and does well at his job. Do I think Denethor loves Boromir? Yes, I do. Do I think that he has said as much to him face-to-face, especially in recent? No, I don't. Much like we saw in the ROTK movie, Denethor loves Faramir but didn't say so, not even at the END. By the powers of his depression or the palantir regardless, Denethor doesn't see either of his sons as his babies, his little boys, the treasures born of his beloved wife.

Boromir and Faramir are means to an end for Denethor, though those ends fork onto two very different paths. Faramir is the son who can do all but right; Boromir can do all but wrong.

And no matter how you look at it, it's beyond heartbreaking!

[lenaswritingandstuff]

Losing Game [Antoine Griezmann x fem!OC] (Chap. V)

Requested: No​

Pairing: Antoine Griezmann x OC!Gabrielle Darian; more to be added.

Warnings: English is not my first language!

Wordcount: 3.5K+

A/N: LMAO I got confused with latin numbers while editing the last chapter and I put 9 instead of 4, SORRY!! Therefore this is the fifht chapter. Thank you for still reading! GIF IS NOT MINE. Enjoy!

Previous chapter

When I wake up, Louisa is already up, sitting in the kitchen with her eyes focused on a lesson. We both have finals today, and to say we’re stressed wouldn’t do it justice. She raises her head towards me and smiles to me, and then puts her attention back on her paper. I’m not really hungry but I force myself to eat something with my coffee, so I don’t pass out during the final. Louisa goes to the bathroom to get dressed up, and she comes back when I’m done eating and reading today’s news. She walks to the entrance to leave but I call her back.

“Lou’, wait!”

I gesture her to come back in the living room.

“You’re gonna nail it, okay? You’re the smartest girl I know, and you will succeed. I have the utmost faith in you. Okay?”

She hugs me tight and I think for a second that she’s gonna start crying.

“Thanks, honey. You’re gonna nail it too, I’m sure.”

We separate, and she leaves. I quickly get ready, and then leave too. The finals take place in a college for obvious reasons, but since I never went to it – and knowing me – it’s very possible for me to get lost. I leave early to arrive early. We never know.  After thirty-five minutes, I get in a parking lot and I see a building with a lot of windows. I check the time, and see that I’m thirty minutes early, and also see that I’ve got a message from my maternal grandmother, Marguerite.

“Hello sweetie, I hope you’re well. I wish you good luck for your finals, I’m sure you will do well. Love you.”

Her message really touches me. My grandma and I have always been close, and I would always go on vacation to her place in Nice, in the South, during summer break when my mother wanted to basically get rid of me. Not a word from my parents nor my brother, but I expected it. My mother must think I’ll fail – that’s if she even knows my finals are today – and my father would be able to tell which course I took. As for Noah, I can’t recall the last time he said a nice thing to me. My level of stress raises up, if it’s possible, and I take the time I have left to study one last time. I send a last message of encouragement to Louisa, answers my grandma, and then it’s time to go. I enter the college’s courtyard and follow the signs that indicate where I’m supposed to go. People around me seem rather calm – how? – even though I see some worried faces. The subjects are given I pray the God of Studies that it doesn’t go too bad for me. After making a draft, I write my essay, and I’m surprised to see that I have finished fifteen minutes early. I put my work on the wooden desk like the others and leave the room, which leads outside. It feels good to have some fresh air. I search for my phone in my bag when I feel a small paper touch my fingers. I take it out and observe the number and the letter – a simple “A.” – written on it for a while, and then I do something I never thought I’d do.

“Hi, it’s Gabrielle, I hope you’re good – and that you still remember me. We could decide on a day to see each other if you’d like?”

I send the message, praying not to look like an idiot. I stay here thinking about a potential answer when I notice some students walking to another room. I check the time and see that it’s already time to go. I’ve never been good in Linguistic class – heaven knows I tried to study it hard to get better – and I have to stop myself from laughing when I see the questions of the finals. I do my best to focus but having the face of a certain football player on my mind instead of my classes doesn’t not freaking help. I let out a sigh, and when I raise my head up to drink some water, seeing the other student write long answers makes me want to scream. After an hour, I finally give up and give back my final. I quickly walk to the door, and I barely have a foot out of the room that my phone is already in my hand. I hesitate to look at it to see if he has answered and look at the black screen for a moment. Oh, screw it. I turn it on and see I’ve got two messages. The first one is from my mother, who orders me to come work this week-end. The second is from the contact I saved right before the final.

“It would be my pleasure, just tell me which me days suits you :) ."

“IP.S: I don’t know how I could forget about you.”

I jump around and let out a small scream of joy without realizing it and I look around to make sure nobody saw me. That’s the kind of behavior my mother hates. I get a message from Louisa telling me she’s waiting for me in front the college’s main entrance, and I walk to her. I see her from afar.

“Oh my God, Gaby, it was hell!” she exclaims. “I don’t even know how that teacher could think of that kind of questions, he really is a- What is that smile for? No, wait, don’t tell me,” she says before I can answer, “We’ll find a place to eat, you’ll tell me there.

“Alright.”

We easily find a little place to eat, we order and Louisa leans towards me with a curious look in her eyes.

“So, what caused that idiotic smile on your face?” she asks.

Without a word, I take out my phone and put it in front of her. She looks at it, frowning, and then looks back at me, shocked.

“No way!”

“I know.”

“You finally decided to move that ass,” she says with a satisfied smile. “How come?”

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “I found his number in my bag, and send him a message without thinking.”

“You were right to do so. What are you waiting for? Answer him!”

I answer Antoine that I’m free on Thursday night – since I don’t have any final on Friday, a true miracle – if it works for him too. The waiter gives us our orders when I get a message from Antoine. Hell, do this boy ever work? He says that Thursday is “perfect” and that he can’t wait. I show it to Louisa, who does a little dance of joy and excitement.

“He’s so into you,” she says. “And if you tell me he’s just being polite, I swear I’ll stab you right here right now.”

We laugh and then Louisa suddenly gives me a serious look.

“You’ve got a date.

“I’ve got a date.” I repeat, looking at nothing in particular.

I’ve got a date.

*-*

“How did it go?” Louisa asks the moment I get home from work.

I take off my shoes and my jacket.

“Not too bad,” I say, joining her in the living-room.

It’s a lie. My last final of the year did not exactly go as planned, mostly because my brain was actually thinking about a certain tricker with blue eyes – and the date night ahead of us – instead of thinking about the paper in front of me. As for Louisa, she has had her last final the day before, and was now spending her free time making me try different outfits for my future date, but I didn’t like any of them so far – and neither did Louisa. I should feel relieved that my finals are over, but the stress of the exams switched into stress about my date. One could wonder if I’ll be one day in peace.

I sit on the sofa besides Louisa and we talk while watching something a bit idiotic on TV. She tells me she already has started to search for a job this summer – maybe even longer than that, because even if her parents pay most of her expenses, she’d like to be independent – just like I do. I promise her to talk about it to my mother tomorrow, maybe the company is looking for interns. She thanks me, and then proposes we go on vacation, either in the South of France – where my grandmother lives – or even in another country.

“It seems like a good idea to me,” she says. “But we’ll have to look the date of the Word Cup Final, if the Bleus go so far into the competition,” she ads in a teasing tone.

“You mean if-”

“If you and Griezmann start a great love story, yes,” she laughs.

I roll my eyes and decide to back to the vacation topic. Louisa doesn’t know that Antoine and I have been talking via messages basically every day since I send him that message and have been calling each other several times. And what she also doesn’t know is that after only a few days, I feel like I’ve known Antoine since, like, years.

“I’m gonna have to ask my mother,” I say. “But we know how she is.”

My mother rules almost everything that happen inside the company, including the employees’ vacation – and even the things that she doesn’t decide must be approved by her before putting in place. When we see the list of the things that depends on her, you could wonder how could my father and my brother be possibly useful.

“Since you work there, you’ve taken vacation once. You deserve to get some rest.”

“Well, let’s hope my mother agrees with you. I already ask her for some days off for the exams, I doubt she’ll accept to give me a vacation.”

The moment where I think it’s a lost cause, I get a message from Antoine asking me how did my final go.

*-*

When I leave to work the day after, Louisa is still sleeping. I’m afraid I’ll arrive late because of traffic – which would take away the already slim chances I have for my mother to give me some vacation – but it would seem that miracles happen, because I manage to arrive in time. I pass the front door and walk to the reception secretary.

“Good morning, Miss Gabrielle, she says. “It’s good to see you here.”

“Happy to be here,” I answer. “Is my mother here?”

“Yes,”

“Do you mind calling her to ask her if I can meet her in her office?” I ask. “I need to talk to her.”

It’s better to use the “official way” and arrive with a head down than to just go for it.

“Of course. Is it urgent?”

“No,” I say, “but I’d like for this to be settled quickly.”

“Your mother has an appointment right now but as soon as it’s over I’ll call her and I’ll let you know what she said.”

“Thanks a lot.”

I’m heading for the fourth floor, thinking that my mother will probably refuse to see me and tell me to ask for what I want via her assistant. I say “hi” to my coworkers, who ask how the finals went, and when I come near my desk I see a little note telling me I’m in charge of organizing the next gala, and that I got an email will the information I might need. Oh, kill me. But weirdly, the note is not from my mother or even my father, but from my brother. I let out a sigh and decide to start working on it immediately. The sooner it’s done the better. I quickly answer a text from Antoine and sit behind my desk. Like last time, I decide from an appropriate – and cheap, obviously – place for the gala – and then pick a caterer. I start to write the invites for guests I haven’t picked yet – and by “I” I mean “my mother” – when I receive a call from the reception secretary, who tells me I can go see my mother anytime I like. Well, that’s a first. I thank her and use the elevator to go on the last floor of the building. Walking near my brother’s office, I hear giggles behind the door, which opens at the moment I walk pass it. My brother appears, a blonde girl – another one – following him closely. They are both wearing a jacket and she has her purse. Apparently they’re planning on going for a walk.

“Oh, hey there,” my brother says, giving me a big smile.

Is he high or something?

He walks in my direction and his new girlfriend smiles at me too.

“What’s up?” my brother asks. “That’s my little sister,” he adds to the blonde.

“Oh, nice to meet you.”

“You too,” I say politely.

“What brings you on this floor?” he asks me. “It’s rare to see here.”

“I have to ask our mother for something,” I say, a bit in a defensive spirit.

“I’ll wait for you outside, Noah,” the young woman tells him. “It was nice to meet you.”

Another girl who won’t know that my brother will have a new girl in his bed in three days.

“Do our parents know you’re brining girls here?” I ask once the girl got in the elevator.

I include our father in my question, as he already scolded Noah for having one of his dates come here when he was supposed to be working. It was one of the rare times where I saw my father disagree with my mother with it came to Noah. My brother put his hand on his neck, feeling a bit awkward.

“Hum, nah, not really. But since you’re in charge of the next gala, I don’t think my presence here is necessary. You did a good job last time, there’s no reason why it should be different this time.”

I think that’s the first compliment I’ve heard from him in at least five years. I’m so taken back that I don’t know what to say.

“Well, I shouldn’t make Lea wait. See ya, sis.”

He gives me a shy smile and heads for the elevator. What do I do now? Watching him leave, I wonder if he expects me not to tell our parents about his little evasion – if we consider they would scold him if they knew. A bit confused, I walk to my mother’s office, where her assistant let my mother know I’m here.

“You can come in.”

I push the door and I’m surprised to see that my mother isn’t alone. Sat behind her desk, she’s turned towards my father, standing on her left, his hands on the desk.

“Hello, Gabrielle,” my father tells me with a small smile. “You look great.”

I nod, and my mother barely looks at me.

“What is it now?” she asks, finally looking at me.

“I’d like to talk about my vacation,” I say, trying to ignore the self-confidence leaving my body.

My mother remains silent and raise an eyebrow to tell me to continue.

“Well, I’d like for us to determine when I can have them.”

“No problem,” my father says. “How many weeks?”

I’ll admit I didn’t think of that one. Louisa and I talked about destinations, not how much time we would spend away.

“I don’t know,” I admit, a bit embarrassed. “A week or two, I guess.”

My father turns to my mother.

“After the next gala, we won’t held one until the end of July or even the beginning of August. You can have three weeks, or a month if you want.” he adds for me.

“I was planning on holding one in the middle of July, actually”, my mother retorts.

“You can still do it,” my father answers softly, not at all impressed. “But the little one deserves a vacation.”

That what my father always called me, for as long as I can remember. The little one.

“And you owe a vacation to me,” I add to my mother. “It’s the law.”

My mother gives me a cold look before sighing.

“Fine. The gala is next week, you can go on vacation after.”

“Alright.”

It gives Louisa and I some time to decide where we’re gonna go, even though I know she’ll hold a little campaign for us to go to Russia if – if – it somehow works between me and Antoine.

“Anything else?” my mother asks, already eager for me to leave.

“Are we looking for interns or something like that? Louisa would like to have a job this summer. After our vacation, I guess.”

This time, my mom doesn’t seem to protest.

“I’ll contact her.”

“Thanks. Well, hum, bye.”

“I’m gonna go too, I have work to do.” my father says. “See you tonight, Anita.”

He opens the door for me and we both leave my mother’s office.

“So, how is college going?” my father asks, almost as awkward as usual.

“My finals are done.”

“There is no reason why you shouldn’t succeed.”

Then why did you ignore me my whole life? He heads for his office, on the other side of the corridor, and I go for the elevator. He waves at me and the elevator’s door close.

Once my day is done, I come home to announce to Louisa that not only my mother will hire her but that we’re going on vacation. These good news make her smile after the apparently chaotic moment she spent with her parents. We sit on the sofa and she tells me what happened.

“I thought my parents were gonna make an effort,” she says, and I can tell she’s very sad and disappointed. “That’s why I accepted to have lunch at their house when they said Tatiana would be there too.”

Louisa’s family – her parents in particular – are very conservative and very religious. It had never been a problem – they’ve been nice to me and they are generally generous – until the day Tatiana came out as gay. She was nineteen, Louisa was seventeen. They threw Tatiana out and Louisa never forgave them. And their parents, who had never showed any favoritism toward any of their daughter immediately started to spoil Louisa and started to want to be much closer to her. They even were way warmer than usual towards me, as if they wanted me – and Louisa agrees on this – to take Tatiana’s place. I’ve always felt sad for her, no one deserves to be treated this way by their family. We took her in until she was ready to live alone, but I know it was hard for her too. Thankfully she’s better now.

“At the beginning it was rather good,” Louisa says. “Even though my parents would always give her mean remarks and I was given a hundred compliments per minute. But at one point Tatiana said she hadn’t come alone, and I saw in my parents’ eyes that they hoped it was a man. But when Lyse arrived, my parents got angry as usual and almost insulted Tatiana.”

My heart breaks for Tatiana. She probably had hope that her parents were finally accepting her as they should, only to get rejected again.

“I got mad and the three of us left. I even think I broke a glass when leaving, whatever. Lyse is so cool, and my sister deserves to be happy.”

“Of course,” I say in a voice I hope is comforting. “She must know that she’s not the one that needs to change. And if your parents don’t want to change, well, too bad for them. Sometimes you have to detach yourself from family. Neither you nor her need them. If your parents can realize they have badass daughters, screw them.”

She smiles at me, and I propose to have Tatiana and her girlfriend come diner soon.

*-*

We invite Tatiana and Lyse on Wednesday night, and it goes so well that I almost forget about the stress of my date the day after. I don’t sleep well that night – like every time I stress – and have such awful nightmares that I screamed in my sleep and Louisa had to wake me up. I only work the morning and I thank heaven for that, as it will allow me to take a nap and get some sleep back in order not to look like a zombie for my date with Antoine. Heck, it’s the first time I care that much about my looks. The morning goes fast, too fast, and I think several times that I’m more stressful about that date that I’m excited. And even though I love Louisa, her teasing does not help. Antoine sends me a message so we can decide on the place and the time, and he immediately accept the hour I propose – homeboy isn’t difficult – adding he can’t wait to see me. To say I’m not looking forward to it as well would be a lie, but to say I’m more stressful about this date with Antoine Griezmann than I’ve ever been in my entire life, that’s the real truth.

NEXT CHAPTER

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Masterlist

[sorcerese]

“   as long as we’re living and breathing, there’s more we can do.  we just have to be strong enough.   ”

  ੈ‧₊ 。━━━━━ ✧⁺∗ ❛⠀ 、    the  expanse  prompts. 

              the air was rather suffocating, for delthea, that is...         she didn't like dealing with big shots, not for any particular reason. she just didn't know how to talk to them for royals she was always told to act carefully; one wrong word and it’s either a maid for life or threatened at the gallows or whatever the villagers told her. she only really met the princess-queen once and it was in a battlefield which needless to say its not the best situation, but the girl has never spoken to her all that much aside from a general introduction. although she didn't know much about celica. her talent in magicks was interesting to sum it up but, what in the world is she trying to get at?  was delthea's effort not enough? didn't she already throw her life on the line for this peace they have now? didn't they survive and raised the flag of victory? what more does she have left to endure? how much more did life want to take from them? it was exhausting. she thought. no human can live this annoyingly on edge. when there is rest, one must rest... but celica seemed to not know how to pull the reins her life.  it's heartbreaking to watch, the mage's head began to ache as if she didn't want part of this anymore.     “  you say that but there's a limit to everything,   ”   she locks eyes with her fellow mage before leaning against her knuckles and lazily flipping through the plethora of scripts against parchment; like a idle distraction from her more unfiltered thoughts. 

   “  we can't just keep stubbornly hit our heads against the gates of the garrison's for one small victory, that's like asking for a quick grave and i'm not stupid enough to keep run myself ragged for things out of my reach.  ”      the youth smiles at her rather somberly and flips the page of the anthology. praying mentally that she got some kind of message across but the second that the words 'strong enough'  fell off her lips. delthea bit her lip; knuckles turning bone white as her palms turned red. ' what a stubborn queen our land has '  she thought as she flips another page with more strength than the last. 

     “  i am... no...  WE  are far too young for the things we did. yeah, of course!  there is merit, justice, and.... honor.... and destiny or whatever other bullplop our beloved corrupted gods laid on our laps and called it our fate.  ”   her voice grew a bit quieter; laced with pity and anger; as her hands grip around the books spine as it tightens enough to shut it closed rather violently, delthea turns away from the royal. she's thought about it, many times. to discard the use of magic, to discard memories, trauma, pain. but, if she did all that she'd lose more than she's already have.   “  tsk... honestly, do you even hear yourself, you also shouldn't have to keep pushing this stupidly hard. it's so stupid ...  being 'strong enough'  never helps anyone  OR  anything. we've lost more things than gained. ok sure, we saved people in the long run, but... think about it... my village, alm's village.... every village, fields, soldiers, royals, priest, people... and i'm just a KID, my lady.  i just wanted to cherish my moments with my family, play around, have crushes on cute guys, have a fun time but i can't anymore. so here we are, lady celica.  ”    

the prodigy raises from her seat, pushing the book away from her. she begins walking towards the door. her steps come to a halt as her hand lightly brushes against the handle. she lets it go and turns back for a moment.      “  so please, don't encourage me to do more when i've done ENOUGH.... enough for my age, celica, so have you. we're done with our troubles, let it rest... just like mila's teaching. you were in the clergy right? 'let all those on this soil, return to the earth mother.' or so it goes, so let it die ━━ your majesty.  ”  

[deaconwords]

Unchecked Evil

Unchecked, evil spreads. Our Gospel story today is a clear example. The young woman, Herodias, begins as a pawn in her mother’s evil intentions. But she quickly becomes infected with mom’s evil and displays her own version when she supplements her mother’s demand with one of her own. It is Herodias who demands John’s head be delivered, “on a platter.” This macabre detail is her own embellishment of an already disgusting display of unchecked evil.

This story should give us pause. It should enlighten us to the power of persuasion that we convey in whatever our children witness us doing. It should also alarm us of the top-down spread of evil that is possible without proper checks to power.

Have you ever heard a young child use a word not characteristic of a young person’s vocabulary? I bet you have. And upon hearing the word have you asked yourself, “I wonder where she picked up that word?” And, you probably already knew where it came from, whom it implicated in its spread to this child.

Yesterday, a 20-year-old boy got it into his head to climb onto a roof and shoot at the former president of the United States? Where did he get such an idea?

At our Bishop’s Committee meeting on Monday we had occasion to bring up the Safeguarding Rules our diocese has in place. We struggled a bit with their implications. There is a temptation to change or disregard them. But we have them for a reason. And their most fundamental gift to us is what the Buddhists refer to as a “bell of mindfulness.” They are a bell and they ring, they get our attention. Considering them shocks us back into reality, the reality that evil exists and will grow in our world if we don’t intentionally keep it in check.

The need for proper checks and balances was on full display earlier this month when the US Supreme Court considered its case Trump vs. the United States.

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court found that presidents have absolute immunity for exercising their core constitutional powers and are entitled to a presumption of immunity for other official acts.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in response to the ruling, warned that a president is now immune from criminal prosecution if he orders the Navy’s SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival, or if he organizes a coup to hold on to political power, or if he takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon. In each instance, as a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling, he is now immune from prosecution.

In her dissent Sotomayor wrote, “Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done, the relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.”

“With fear for our democracy, I dissent,” she concluded.

Unchecked, evil spreads.

We now have two men running to become the next president of the United States, one has been convicted of 34 felony counts, the other appears to be losing his grip on reality.

And whichever one wins, he will have unchecked immunity for any and all official acts he commits.

What are we to do? We, the followers of Jesus?

The answer rests in the very same Gospel passage that speaks of Herod and his horrid abuse of power. Consider the very last verse from our lesson.

It reads, “When his disciples heard about it, they came and took [John’s] body, and laid it in a tomb.”

It would be easy to skip past this simple detail in the story, so emotionally distraught we might be over the disgusting scene just presented. But stay mindful, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Stay open to God’s instruction and insight, to God’s safeguards.

Can you imagine the courage it must have taken for John’s disciples to come for John’s body? In asking for it from Herod and Herod’s people they expressed a loyalty to John, a loyalty to truth and justice. They stood for something far greater than worldly lust, fame, fortune, and manipulation. They envisioned a higher ground, believed in it, and were intentional about God’s Kingdom, God’s reign.

Alexei Navalny was found dead in his Siberian prison cell on February 16 of this year. An activist who had opposed Vladimir Putin his whole life died amid secrecy and coverup. His mother had to fight against authorities just to give him a proper funeral. And at his funeral, thousands of his followers showed up. NPR reported the event as follows:

Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Friday, despite being kept out of the church where only his parents and a handful of others could gather around the open casket, holding candles and flowers during a religious service.

His coffin was quickly closed and people were not allowed to walk past and pay their respects.

But outside the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows in the Maryino district of Moscow, people chanted "We won't forget you," "Forgive us," and "We are not afraid."

The whole world resists the inbreaking of God’s reign. It puts to death all those who even speak of it. Yet, God’s reign is our ultimate goal, our ultimate hope. We, if we are to call ourselves Christian, followers of Christ, must fight unchecked evil, must demand truth, must demand accountability, must intentionally maintain appropriate safeguards. In so doing we participate with God in God’s eventual and certain overthrow of the established worldly order.

Unchecked, evil spreads. Amen.

—Offered at St. George’s Episcopal Church on 7-14-2024

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Persistent Prayer ,Little Cloud ?

Memory verse

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+Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

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Verse of the day

========================

+ 1 Kings 18:44 Finally, the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

=========================

** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN AFFIRMATION **

I AM FAITHFUL

I AM LOVING

I AM SMART

I AM A PRAYER WARRIOR

********************************

Thoughts

=======================

How persistent are you with prayer? How many times do you come to God and say the same prayer? We can say the same prayer repeatedly; we can change our wording and mean the same thing! But do we have faith that God will move? Do we have faith that if we keep looking & asking, he will give to us? We talked the other week about praying in God's will, but even if we pray God's will, it must still be at His time and not ours, right ??

In this story, Elijah went up to Mount Carmel and prayed, and he bowed his head low to the ground; the position of his heart was in the right place; even his body had kneeled before God because he knew he needed God to answer his prayers! He knew that God was the only one that could make it rain; he could say the words, but he knew he needed the movement of God. We must understand that we can get anyone to pray for us, and we can tell all our friends, but it is still all up to God.

Verse 42 “So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.”

It tells us all over the Bible to pray all the time don’t quit praying, but what do we do when we are tired after not seeing any results? What do we do after begging and crying out and he doesn’t move? Maybe we have to look at where our faith is. Are we looking hard enough, or are we praying daily? Are we living a righteous life? What are we doing? What have we done to make this come forth for us ????

Verse 43 “Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”Seven times Elijah told him to go and look.”

Six times his servant went, six times he looked, but he didn’t stop, he didn’t complain at all doing this, but some of us we start to complain and fuss and grumble because things aren’t going our way, and we start to lose our grip because nothing is coming through? Elijah was a faithful servant of God; he was a mighty man who did what God wanted of him. He knew that God would prevail and that it didn’t matter how long it took God was going to bless him.

Do we continue to talk to God? Or do we sit quietly, dazed and confused? Do we give God our hearts and ask him to hear our cry, or do we get out of the mood after asking so much, and we get SO discouraged and aggravated? In Luke 18 it tells us of a story of a woman that went to this judge, and the judge wasn’t a righteous judge; he was just a judge that didn’t fear God, be it was a widow that came to him all the time, and at first the judge ignored her, he didn’t care what she said, he wanted her to leave him alone! But she didn’t; one day, he was fed up with her bothering him, so he answered her and gave her what she wanted.

Luke 18:5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

God hears us; he sees us; in order to get what we want and what we need, we must change how we view our request; we must ask ourselves are we asking in his will? Or are we doing and living a righteous life? Why do we want this prayer request? We must ask why won’t he answer this. Will he get glory in this? Is this acceptable to him??

“Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

See, it says here to commit your ways to God and TRUST in him, and it says it will come to pass; we have to stand firm and believe that God's time is the right time and that he will take care of us just like he does the grass and the birds and the sea creatures, and everything in this world that he will take care of us! 
 ** Today, be PERSISTENT, be FAITHFUL AND WATCHFUL, and make sure you're praying in his will and not your own; sixth times his servant went and saw nothing, BUT on his seventh time he sees it, it wasn’t big it was small, but it was something it was a cloud indicating rain! Do you want a blessing to rain down on you, or are you sitting quietly? They say a closed mouth doesn’t get fed, and it’s been seen and heard that a prayerless person wouldn’t get any prayers answered, have faith in God and look for his blessings, not just the big ones but the small ones too !! ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

========================

Prayer

========================

Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing our cry, thank you for forgiving us of our sins; lord, we ask right now that you give us the desires of our heart but let it be your will, not ours; lord, help our heart and mind to be in the right place to receive a blessing from you. Lord, help us to be persistent and not lose hope! We give you everything; we ask you to help us stay focused on you and help us to stand firm on your promises. Lord, grow our faith in you !! We want to believe, but when we don’t hear from you, we lose faith, help us to wait on you and not rely on other people and things. Father, we decree and declare an outpour of a blessing over our life; we decree and declare healing in this season in Jesus' Mighty Name Amen

========================

Reference

========================

+ Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name

+Romans 8:26, NLT And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

+ 1 Chronicles 16:11, ESV Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!

========================

Further reading

=========================

Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30

Luke 9:51-10:12

Psalm 74:1-23

Proverbs 12:11

=========================

[jdgo51]

DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR MARCH 4, 2023

God Waits Patiently

By Jim Weems (Mississippi, USA)

READ 1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7

"The Lord is waiting to be merciful to you, and will rise up to show you compassion. The Lord is a God of justice; happy are all who wait for him."

ISAIAH 30:18 (CEB)

"My two-year-old Australian Shepherd loves to play fetch. Over and over again she brings me the ball, or the bone, or even the sock to throw for her. If I am busy, she patiently waits to get my attention. As soon as I put a book down, or a commercial comes on TV, or I close the grill lid, she pops back up, dropping a toy at my feet for me to throw. She never grows tired of it.

This morning I am enjoying coffee in my study and trying to read my Bible as she yet again brings me the ball to throw down the hall. I tell her to leave me alone, then return to my reading, which, ironically, is about God’s patience — for which I am eternally grateful. It occurs to me that though we may continually bring all our problems and worries to God, God never, ever grows weary of us.

Even when we don’t make the time, God is always present, lovingly waiting for our attention. God is great indeed!" God is patient with us , even when we choose to stray away from His guidance. When we share a problem over and over He does not tire of it. A mighty, loving and patient God.

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Dear God, thank you for being patient with us, even when we are impatient with you. We pray as your Son taught us, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matt. 6:9-13, KJV)." Amen.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

New International Version

"4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Love is key in all things. God's love is endless and we must work to develop such a love for all others. Our world would be so much better if we did do this. Always be blessed in the love of your God. Joe

[juletheghoul]

Burning Hour (Part 3)

This series has completely taken over my life and I am so happy you are all enjoying it so much - thank you for all of the lovely messages and comments - I treasure them deeply.

So - you shouldn't be surprised that this particular moment on the red carpet absolutely inspired a scene in this story and I regret nothing. Hope you all enjoy this fantasy that's keeping me going lol.

Din Djarin x F!Reader (Virgin reader)

Pairing: Din x F!Reader

Word Count: 4.9k

Warnings: (18+ NO MINORS) Angst, pining, slow-burn, implied arranged marriage, language, age-gap (about 10-11 years, legal, reader is of age) Yearning, jealousy, fingering/touching / slight dirty talk (slightly possessive)

Let me know if I missed anything!

reblogs are appreciated

Masterlist Series Masterlist Part 4

—

You floated through the morning.

Your dreams were full of kisses, of declarations of love and beskar glinting under the sun and it was hard to concentrate on anything.

You smiled to yourself as you broke your fast with warm bread and butter, feeling his eyes on you from his place behind your father.

“Your highness-” Your father’s advisor came through the door holding the usual paperwork, things for him to look over, letters to read. “-A letter has come for the Princess.” He turned to you then with a smile. He was an old man, grandfatherly and sweet. He handed it to you and you noticed from the corner of your eye Din’s helmet turn towards you.

It was a small letter and you noticed how beautiful the script was as you opened it.

Dearest Princess,

I would be honoured if you were to join me here at my home for dinner. My messenger awaits your response and if you agree, I will send my personal household guard to accompany you. I also imagine your knight will be in attendance, I welcome him and whoever else you choose to bring at my table. Ruby as well of course.

Hoping you’ll say yes.

Ever yours,

Poe. D.

“It’s from Poe, he asks that I join him this evening for dinner.” You were frowning at the letter, conflicted because you wanted to stay home, wanted to meet Din in the garden again. A tiny part of you however, the tiniest part wanted to say yes - wanted to see how Poe would behave. Part of you wanted him to do something unforgivable to wipe the smiles off your parents faces.

“Oh but you must go!” Your father’s voice boomed through the room and you imagined that you could almost hear Din’s jaw clenching.

“Yes my darling, you must go. What does the letter say?” Your mother held her hand out and you handed it to her. She smiled as she read it. “Din, you must accompany her.” She was smiling big, excited at the prospect of a match having been made. No one bothered to ask if you wanted to go.

“Yes of course, let his messenger know that the Princess will be in attendance. She will go, Din- I leave her safety in your hands. Take you who must.” It had been decided for you, and you had to accept it. You felt Mila’s hand grasp yours under the table in understanding.

-

“Which gown would you like to wear your highness?” She asked sadly as you put on your undergarments and you sighed.

Whichever one makes everyone leave me alone.

“Whichever you think would look best sweetling, I have no preference.” You said the words and they were honest. Yes - Poe was charming and sweet, handsome and in another life you would have been faint with excitement at his interest in you but you were in love with Din. He was the one you wanted to share a meal with. He was the one you wanted to kiss in the open - to have holding your hand as you sat together in front of the hearth. He was the one you wanted in your bed.

“How about this one?” She held out a lovely powder blue gown. You would have said no, something more plain but you had to be seen to be making an effort.

“Yes, that will do nicely.” You smiled but it didn’t reach your eyes. She didn’t comment on it.

“I will tie a blue ribbon around Ruby’s neck to match, and I think you have some sapphires as well.” She brought over a tray of jewelry for you to peruse while she laced up your gown.

Your mind drifted to an interesting place. You imagined you were preparing for dinner with Din and imagined your knight picking out jewels for you to wear.

Would he prefer diamonds? Would he like me better in opals or emeralds?

You had a feeling he wouldn’t mind either way, but it was lovely to pretend even for a moment. She placed a dark blue cloak about your shoulders and stood back.

“You look beautiful Princess, the blue looks lovely against your skin.” She held up a silvered looking glass and you saw the reflection of a happy woman, although why she was happy - no one could know.

“Thank you sweetling, let's get this night over with shall we?” You smiled at her as you both made your way outside.

---

Din, along with five of his best knights, waited for her to set out for Damerons home. Damerons own household guard waited as well, having been sent to accompany her and he surveyed them. They seemed competent enough, he gave them their space nonetheless.

It was getting more and more difficult to put the future out of his mind - he knew that the Princess would marry at some point, it was her duty as Queen. She might even marry Poe - he knew that objectively they were a good match but his mind simply couldn’t stay objective. Not when it came to her.

This whole thing was moving faster than he hoped and he didn’t know what he could do about it.

You have to face facts Djarin, you’ll never marry her. You are a knight, she is a Princess, there is no place for you. Maybe you should just let her go.

It was in him to do so, to ignore his feelings for her; to find Gisela and ask her to marry him - have a couple of little ones and pray for things to work out. The harsh words to get her to hate him on the tip of his tongue but they evaporated like dew on a sunny day when he saw her come out to meet him.

She was a gem- a bright, glittering thing that he wanted so desperately to hold onto.

“I am ready Sir, shall we?” She smiled shyly and he nodded.

“Of course Princess, allow me.” He guided her into the wheelhouse, dreading and cherishing every single second.

--

The ride was uneventful, the road was quiet thankfully with nothing to see but long swathes of trees and greenery in the gloaming of the evening.

Ruby was napping softly in your lap but woke quickly when you arrived, her little tail wagging happily at the prospect of exploring.

“Yes my little darling - we are here.” She was in Mila’s arms when you pet her, the two of you waiting for the wheelhouse to come to a stop.

Din opened the door for you, he was helping you climb down when you heard Poe’s voice sounding out.

“Princess, I am so pleased you agreed to come-” He was striding over, his squire on his heels. “-I am happy to see you all. Please - be welcome.” He was smiling big at everyone as his guards retreated, no doubt returning to their posts. He crouched quickly to pet Ruby before approaching you.

“Hello Poe, I thank you for your invitation.” You smiled as you took in your surroundings. His home was a beautiful sprawling estate. He must have been wealthier than you thought. “You must give me a tour of the grounds - I would love to see the gardens.” You smiled at him as he offered you his arm.

“Of course Princess, I will show you whatever you wish after our meal - unless you’d like to go now?” He paused for a moment.

“After dinner would be just fine.” You answered as he guided all of you inside.

--

You weren’t sure what to expect about his home when the letter had come in earlier but it was a pleasant surprise. There were fresh cut flowers everywhere, painstakingly detailed tapestries hung up on the walls as you made your way to the large dining room. Lush carpets and plush chairs, truly a man who enjoyed his comforts.

“You have a lovely home Poe.” You smiled as he led you to your seat.

“I thank you Princess -“ He turned to Din and the other Mandalorians waiting by the table. “-Please, sit with us. I meant what I said, you are all welcome at my table.” He gestured to them to sit.

“I do not wish to intrude, we would be happy to eat with the rest of your household guard.” Din replied, his voice was clipped however.

“Nonsense. I insist, I dare say the Princess would be more comfortable if you were to join us.” He said it with an easy smile and Din hesitated slightly before agreeing. They all sat, lining their helmets up before them.

Din barely spoke.

He had never been one for long speeches - you were unsure whether it was because of the helmet, or just his nature. The other Mandalorians were friendlier and Poe took it all in stride. You could see that he took nothing personal and treated them just as he treated you.

Aside from Din’s cool demeanor and Poe’s etiquette, the dinner went well. The food was wonderful and you didn’t fail to notice some of your favourites on the menu.

“I took the liberty of finding out what you like to eat.” He said it quietly, not wanting to draw attention and you favoured him with a smile. It was hard not to like him, he was very thoughtful.

Once the meal was done, he fulfilled his promise and escorted you outside. It was much more open than the gardens back home - everything illuminated by torches and lanterns. There were flowers and neatly pruned shrubbery surrounding the large building. You noticed a stable on one side, as well a modest greenhouse on the other.

“It’s nothing compared to what you’re used to but I enjoy it. The kennels are just behind the stables and there are flowers and different fruit trees just to the right there - that’s where they get the most sun. I’m afraid the night doesn’t do it justice, it’s much lovelier during the day.” He was walking you through the grounds, your arm tucked under his as your party followed.

“It’s lovely, truly.” You were sincere and you couldn’t help but look up, the sky awash in stars. “I would imagine you must spend a lot of time out here.” You let him guide the way.

“Not as often as I'd like to, but I try. Perhaps when we marry I’ll make more of an effort.” He said it with a wink and you scoffed loudly but without malice.

“Oh is that so? Well then I suppose I’ll have to change some things around since in your mind I’ll live here hm?” Your tone was playful but sarcastic and you were acutely aware of Din following the two of you.

“Oh yes Princess, I am quite sure. My home is yours and you may do with it what you will. I live only to make you happy.” He was just as playful and as annoyed as you were that he was so confident in your union, it was also aggravatingly refreshing to be able to speak to someone so honestly - better yet for them to respond in kind.

You ignored it, Poe was charming, that’s all.

Much to your annoyance, the night was enjoyable. Poe was an excellent host and it was later than you had originally planned when you set off for home. The woods were pitch black in some spots, it made you anxious to ride in the wheelhouse while the world outside seemed like it didn’t exist. The soft light of the moon doing nothing to pierce through the darkness of the road at times.

Reaching the palace had been a relief and you said as much when you stepped out.

“You should have told me Princess, I would have ridden in it with you - if it would have helped.” He spoke as he guided you inside. You had wanted to, but the temptation of having him so close would have been too much - and as much as Mila knew about your feelings towards him - you didn’t want her to see you kissing him.

You patted his arm in silent thanks and he said nothing else.

When you reached your room you hesitated at the door, wanting him to pull you away somewhere but he didn’t - instead he waited until Mila got in. He took his helmet off and you smiled at the state of his hair. Your fingers itched to ruffle through it.

“Princess, if it’s not too late, I would ask you to join me for a midnight ride.” He waited for your answer and your smile widened.

“Of course! Would you permit me to change quickly?” You didn’t want to ride in such a stuffy gown - as beautiful as it was.

“I will wait however long it takes.” He motioned for you to go and you did - urging Mila to help you once you reached your bedchamber.

“The soft linen dress I think - with the long shift and the heavy cloak. I want to be comfortable and warm.” You changed as fast as humanly possible - all but ripping the jewelry off and within a few minutes you were rushing out the door. The two of you making your way towards the stables as silently as possible.

You watched him work deftly, his skilled hands saddling his horse with ease. One horse, not two.

“Are we to ride together?” You looked at him confused.

“Is this a problem for you Princess? I thought it might be quicker to get us to safety should something happen if we were on the same horse. I could saddle you your own if you prefer - we just wouldn’t travel too far.” He hesitated momentarily and your heart leapt at the thought that he would be holding you so closely.

“I trust your judgment Sir, one horse it is.” You kept your voice neutral and he nodded, finishing his work quickly. Once he was done - he helped you up and pulled himself up behind you. The cool beskar pressed up against your back as his arms reached around you to grab the reins.

Your dress pooled up around your thighs slightly, but your legs were covered by your big cloak but it was exciting nonetheless. You felt exposed, with his proximity it excited you way more than it should have. It felt forbidden, taboo and thrilling to have it feel like he was holding you. You couldn’t stop yourself from leaning back into his body slightly but he didn’t complain.

The ride through the forest was quiet except for the sound of the night birds, the crickets and the creatures that prowled at this time. The sound of the horses' steps, the sound of its breathing mixing with yours as well as Din’s. He rode through trees, through the little paths only he seemed to know and after a while you were beside a lake. The soft sound of the water kissing the shore added to the nightsong and you were happy that he had brought you here. He had been silent the whole ride, but you felt him take his helmet off behind you and secure it somehow to the saddle.

“You should know that you looked exceptionally lovely today Princess, blue is your colour.” His breath tickled your neck and you shivered. You turned slightly to look back but you couldn’t fully face him, the angle awkward but he kissed you just under your ear to let you know it was okay.

“I thank you Sir, I hoped you would like it.” You leaned back into his arms to tuck your head under his chin.

“You wore that for me? I thought you wore it for Dameron.” His hands came up to hold onto your arms as he pressed little kisses to your neck.

“I always dress for you.” You left it at that, hoping he would understand that despite everything- he was the one you wanted.

“Can I confess something?” His hand came up to slowly undo the cloak tied at your throat.

“Yes, anything.” You answered almost breathlessly, watching his hands open up the cloak to expose your shoulders, the skin of your thighs poking out where the dress had bunched up even more.

“You might think me wicked but, I thought about what it would be like to kiss you.” His hand trailed down as he spoke, rubbing at your thighs over your dress and you watched them in the low light of the moon, mesmerized.

“You’ve kissed me before Sir, you could kiss me now.” You turned a little more but he stopped you.

“I wasn’t thinking about kissing your mouth lovely girl, I was thinking about kissing you somewhere else.” His hands slowly gathered the fabric of your dress, bunching it in his fist - lifting it inch by inch to bare your legs to him. “May I show you where I want to kiss you?” He stopped but you clung onto his arms around you.

“Yes - please show me.” You felt is other hand join the fray and soon he had exposed your lower half to the cool night air. Your undergarments were damp you knew it - the arousal pooling low in your belly at the thought that he might touch you where you most wanted him to. He didn’t disappoint.

His hand trailed up your inner thigh lightly, slowly, up until he skillfully slid it into your undergarments. He groaned deep in his chest when he touched your bare sex.

“Right here. I long to kiss you, taste you here.” His touch was feather light on the lips of your womanhood, slipping along the seam of you. You whimpered, no one had ever touched you here and you felt the slick dripping out of you as you let him explore. “Would you let me Princess? Would you let me bury my tongue right here?” He dipped his fingers low, parting you slightly to dip his fingers just at the entrance - collecting your arousal onto his fingers before slipping them out and bringing them to his mouth behind you. You moaned at the sound of him sucking you off of them and you nodded frantically.

“Yes Din, I would let you - I’m yours.” You moaned the words and his other hand held you in place.

“And I am yours.” He responded before bringing his hand back to where you craved it, this time he spread the lips of your cunt open wide, honing his middle finger on the pearl of your sex. He rubbed tight, slow circles around it and you moaned - trying desperately to open your legs wider. He chuckled darkly behind you.

“Does that feel good Princess?” He turned your face with his other hand, twisting his upper body enough to capture your mouth in a messy kiss, not quite aligned but it sent a shiver of arousal through you and you felt yourself climbing higher and higher- his finger relentless as he sped up a little.

“Yes - Gods yes - it feels so good Din, I thought about you too.” You moaned the words into his mouth. “I think about you touching me like this, when I do it to myself.” He groaned at your confession, his tongue thick in your mouth when he kissed you again.

His finger dipped low to collect more wetness and the glide of it was just right, just slippery enough to send you over the edge and you almost screamed. Your body seizing up with pleasure as your sex clenched around nothing. He cooed into your ear as you rode it out.

“You are intoxicating my lovely one.” He kissed your neck, as he lowered your skirts.

You watched him, blissed out and boneless as he licked his fingers before grabbing the reins again and slowly making his way back to the palace.

-

Mila was snoring softly when you slipped into the room and you were careful not to wake her and as tired as you were from travel it took you a long time to fall asleep. Your heart full of love for Din and a hunger you couldn’t satiate filled your belly. It was a craving for his body, for his kisses, for physical love a woman shared with her husband. You fell asleep hoping - though secretly knowing- that he craved you the same way.

—-

As happy as you were when you awoke the next morning, it was quickly dampened - your father informed you that Poe was to arrive at the Palace as his honoured guest. That he was to stay for a time as a gesture of good will.

You saw right through it.

Your parents had decided that Poe was the suitor they wanted for you and they weren’t being at all subtle.

They informed you with big smiles on their faces, no doubt in hopes of pushing you towards him. It was exhausting - this constant reminder that you would never be truly free to live the life you wanted with Din.

When Poe arrived, he was happy - taking this as a sign that he was winning you over.

“Greetings Princess, I cannot tell you how happy I am to be able to spend more time with you.” He was all smiles and you had no choice but to smile back.

“It will be interesting for sure.” With the way you felt about Din, the intense desire to be around him was at the forefront of your mind. As well as the way Din behaved around Poe, it would definitely be interesting to say the least.

—

Your father invited Poe to dine at your private table, and he engaged him in conversation almost the whole night. They spoke of the future, of how Poe would help rule if he were indeed to marry you. Your mother smiled silently, happy to let the conversation center around the two of you.

Din stood still behind your fathers chair and you wanted nothing more than to pull him to sit with you. To talk to him, kiss him and feed him from your own plate.

“I would want to help people to be quite honest, extend a hand to those that aren’t as fortunate as us. There are people out there starving and that doesn’t sit right with me.” He was honest, to a fault like he said but you admired that.

“That’s very noble of you my boy.” The king nodded.

“It’s very honourable isn’t it my darling?” Your mother smiled at you and you smiled back, nodding around a bite of your food.

“I’m sure the Princess and I could do much and more to help the people who need it the most, if she would let me that is.” He had a shy, genuine smile for you, tentatively reaching over and taking your hand in his. You couldn’t very well snatch it back but you felt Din’s eyes burning into the interaction.

This could get messy.

“Princess, I would humbly ask that you accompany me for a walk through the grounds - chaperoned by your knight of course.” He asked as the remnants of the meal were taken away.

“Oh I’m sure she’d love to join you wouldn’t you sweetling?” Your mother cooed, and you smiled and nodded.

“Yes of course.” You let him guide you, Din following closely behind.

—

“I hope I’m not intruding - I know that the King and Queen are very keen for this to work between us.” He held your hand as you walked arm in arm and you couldn’t help but sigh softly.

“Yes they are aren’t they.” Your tone came out a little more exasperated than you’d hoped but he was well aware that you were not to be swayed by him so easily, you knew he should expect some hesitancy from you.

“I understand that you aren’t impressed and that I am most likely not your first choice. For all I know you might already have your eye on someone else.” He laughed and you couldn’t help but look over your shoulder at Din. “Regardless of that Princess, I know this must be difficult for you but I beg of you to give me a chance to show you that there is potential here. I believe that in time you might come to love me.” He pulled your hand up to his mouth and kissed your fingers.

“You are selling yourself quite hard Poe, I appreciate that you understand that my feelings for you aren’t where you want them to be.” You looked up at him apologetically, expecting him to have a sad look on his face but he surprised you; he was smiling - content to listen to you speak.

“I know, it’s not in you right now but I believe you will see me in a different light. I have faith.” He left the conversation there.

——

It was hard to find time to meet with Din, Poe seemed to be everywhere and his determination seemingly had no bounds.

Your mother found you as you dressed for the day - she had a note from Poe. He was asking you to accompany him into town to hand out some supplies. You couldn’t refuse him, not when your mother had delivered it herself.

“Will Din accompany us?” You asked it offhand, your voice neutral - your face a mask of nonchalance.

“No your father is going on a hunt and Din will be protecting him, there will be other guards with you.” She said it with a shake of her hand as she searched your wardrobe for an appropriate dress. “This will do nicely.” She picked out an off the shoulder, deep berry coloured dress that was not at all practical for a day out in the city.

It would have to do.

-

He had taken you to an orphanage in the heart of the city. There were kids running around of all ages and the older ones ran towards Poe when you entered - recognizing him. He had a big smile on his face as they hugged him around the middle, all decorum forgotten.

“Poe did you bring us anything?” A boy of about twelve years was eager, looking around you to the entourage of guards waiting behind you.

“Of course, brought all of you some good stuff like I always do.” He ruffled the boys hair before he held his hand out to you, you smiled and stepped forward. “I have someone very special here with me today, this is the Princess. Come on over and say hello.” He called them over to you and you saw some of the little girls eyes light up. They flocked to you, asking you if you were indeed the Princess. Asked you if you had a crown, and most importantly why you were there. They were precious.

“She’s here to help just like I am.” Poe answered for you.

A little girl of about six pulled on your dress and you lowered yourself slightly to be at her level.

“Princess, I like your dress, you’re so pretty.” She was smiling at you, her hair was a tangle but her eyes were bright.

“Thank you sweetling, you are much prettier I must say.” You moved the hair out of her eyes and she smiled wide, her little hand clutching at a makeshift cloth doll.

You helped Poe hand out toys and new clothes and there was food for them to eat. You spent the day playing with them and learning about their lives. The women who ran the orphanage knew him and you saw that all of the talk of helping the less fortunate was real, he had already been doing much more than you had ever even imagined.

It was hard to deny the little spark of something that he held within you.

He was handsome, he was kind and smart- funny and generous and with the way his eyes found yours throughout the day; he felt something for you. His eyes were piercing, dark and mysterious and for the first time, he gave you butterflies.

One of the little ones was showing you his space within the building, his bed and his tiny toy horse. He was waxing poetic about how one day he would be a knight. You were smiling at him when Poe stood next to you, his gaze heavy and it sent a flush crawling up your neck to light up your ears.

The fabric at his neck was crumpled and you couldn’t help but reach up to fix it, your arm extended over to him and his gaze focused on it, reached up to hold it to his neck. He placed a delicate kiss to your bicep and pulled you closer. The act was small, but so intimate it did something to you. Melted a tiny piece of you that up until now was frozen to him and he saw it on your face. Felt it in the way you let him hold you close, your arm still around his neck, his hand moving down to hold onto your waist.

The little boy was in front of you now, asking Poe if he would ever give him a real horse and he laughed, not unkindly.

“One day my boy, one day I will give you a horse - only if you promise to behave and be on your best behaviour. Can you do that?” The little boy nodded sagely promising he would. You didn’t pull your arm away, and you couldn’t pinpoint why.

—-

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[jackoshadows]

 “You,” Ned said, kissing her lightly on the brow, “will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons will be Knights and princes and lords and, yes, perhaps even a High Septon.” - Eddard, A Game of Thrones

My featherbed is deep and soft, and there I’ll lay you down, I’ll dress you all in yellow silk, and on your head a crown - Arya, A Storm of Swords

“Aegon has been shaped for rule since before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. Tommen has been taught that kingship is his right. Aegon knows that kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them.” - Kevan, A Dance with Dragons

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

So this is an essay of sorts on my speculation/theory that Arya is going to end up as a leader of the North by the end of the series. I will split this into several parts:

Arya and leadership

Arya and Northern leadership

Arya and Nymeria

Skillsets

Importance of being a Warg/Skinchanger

Succession

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

Arya Stark and leadership

“Know the men who follow you,” she heard him tell Robb once, “and let them know you. Don’t ask your men to die for a stranger.“  - Arya, AGoT

Arya has always been a leader rather than a follower. Just like Jon at the wall, she initially chafes at having to follow orders instead of doing what she thinks is the right thing to do. Despite Gendry and Hot Pie being older than her, she’s the one giving the orders and making the plans. She manipulates or forces characters into doing what she wants – getting Gendry to leave Harrenhal and forcing Jaqen to help her free the Northmen.

Arya took the lead, kicking her stolen horse to a brisk heedless trot until the trees close in around her. Hot Pie and Gendry followed as best they could. From time to time Arya glanced over her shoulder, to make sure the two boys had not fallen too far behind, and to see if they were being pursued - Arya, ASoS

Like most of our protagonists, Arya is ambitious and interested in being an active participant at the top. She wanted to become a King’s councilor and build castles. That entire little speech that Varys gives about the ideal candidate for ruling fits Arya to a T.

Arya has gone hungry, scrubbed and cleaned, cooked and kept house, sewed and mended clothes, bound up wounds, been hunted, been scared for her life – and done all this with limited protection. Just survived on her wits. Arya can wield a sword, is fluent in several languages and has studied with a Septa.

We also see war torn Westeros and the suffering of the smallfolk through Arya’s eyes in ACoK and ASoS. It doesn’t matter if it’s Stark or Lannister, the smallfolk suffer the same – Septon Meribald’s ‘Broken Men’ speech in AFfC embodies what Arya observes. After Arya frees the Northmen using weasel soup and Vargo Hoat betrays the Lannisters, there are reprisal killings, torture and rape enacted by Stark bannermen and the sellswords. The smith, Maester and the head maid are executed for merely serving Tywin – something on which they had no choice. Gendry points this out to Arya and she feels guilty for her part in all this.

“I hate this lot worse. Ser Amory was fighting for his lord, but the Mummers are sellswords and turncloaks. Half of them can’t even speak the Common Tongue. Septon Utt likes little boys, Qyburn does black magic, and your friend Biter eats people.”

The worst thing was, she couldn’t even say he was wrong. The Brave Companions did most of the foraging for Harrenhal, and Roose Bolton had given them the task of rooting out Lannisters. Vargo Hoat had divided them into four bands, to visit as many villages as possible. He led the largest group himself, and gave the others to his most trusted captains. She had heard Rorge laughing over Lord Vargo’s way of finding traitors. All he did was return to places he had visited before under Lord Tywin’s banner and seize those who had helped him. – Arya, ACoK

"It’s not a village, it’s only black stones and old bones. “Did the Lannisters kill the people who lived here?” Arya asked as she helped Anguy dry the horses.

“No.” He pointed. “Look at how thick the moss grows on the stones. No one’s moved them for a long time. And there’s a tree growing out of the wall there, see? This place was put to the torch a long time ago.”

“Who did it, then?” asked Gendry.

“Hoster Tully.” Notch was a stooped thin grey-haired man, born in these parts. “This was Lord Goodbrook’s village. When Riverrun declared for Robert, Goodbrook stayed loyal to the king, so Lord Tully came down on him with fire and sword. After the Trident, Goodbrook’s son made his peace with Robert and Lord Hoster, but that didn’t help the dead none.”

A silence fell."  - Arya, ASoS

"Wolves, she thought again. Like me. Was this her pack? How could they be Robb’s men? She wanted to hit them. She wanted to hurt them. She wanted to cry.” - Arya, ASoS

The smallfolk in the Riverlands are caught between the Starks, Tullys and Lannisters with no good choices. And on the ground level, Arya sees this, understands this and acknowledges this. Her actions benefited house Stark and no one else. She understands the cost of war.

Arya is also very keen on justice. In that she not only thinks that characters deserve justice, but she wants to actively participate and deliver justice. She considers the execution of Dareon from the NW as a just one.

Dareon had been a deserter from the Night's Watch; he had deserved to die. - Arya, AFfC

“Guilty!” Arya shouted with the rest. “Guilty, guilty, kill him, guilty!” …

Arya could only think of Mycah and all the stupid prayers she’d prayed for the Hound to die. If there were gods, why didn’t Lord Beric win? She knew the Hound was guilty… - Arya, ASoS

Her father beat her so often and so brutally that she was never truly free of pain or fear until she came to us.”

“Did you kill him?”

“She asked the gift for herself, not for her father.”

You should have killed him.“ - Arya, ADWD

Arya drew back from him. "He killed the slave?" That did not sound right. "He should have killed the masters!" – Arya, aDwD

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

Arya and Northern leadership

I would sooner my men die fighting for the Ned’s little girl than alone and hungry in the snow, weeping tears that freeze upon their cheeks. - Hugo Wull

The North has famously never had a female leader in House Stark. So is it possible for valiant Ned’s precious little girl to become the first Lady Stark to lead the North?

In terms of personality, Arya resembles some of the other female leaders/members of Northern houses. She is bold and forward like Lyanna Mormont and Wylla Manderly. She has trained with the sword and learned how to use a bow and arrow. She proactively engineers her own escape like Alys Karstark. Characters like Ygritte and Alys remind Jon Snow of Arya.

Arya venerates Ned Stark. She follows his advice as much as Robb, Bran and Jon do. Even more so. She executes a NW brother for desertion. And that is important for the Starks.

I should kill them myself. Whenever her father had condemned a man to death, he did the deed himself with Ice, his greatsword. - Arya, ACoK

The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. - Bran, AGoT

“The Starks do not use headsmen. Ned always said that the man who passes the sentence should swing the blade, though he never took any joy in the duty.” - Catelyn, ACoK

“Rickard Karstark, Lord of Karhold.” Robb lifted the heavy axe with both hands. “Here in sight of gods and men, I judge you guilty of murder and high treason. In mine own name I condemn you. With mine own hand I take your life. Would you speak a final word?” - Catelyn, ASoS

The pale morning sunlight ran up and down his blade as Jon clasped the hilt of the bastard sword with both hands and raised it high. “If you have any last words, now is the time to speak them,” he said, expecting one last curse. - Jon, ADwD

Arya is one of the Starkiest Starks of the whole lot. She is also the only Stark to actually have the Stark look. She is stubborn and determined to do things the Stark way. She often uses her father’s advice to guide her way.

Her father used to say that a lord needed to eat with his men, if he hoped to keep them. “Know the men who follow you,” she heard him tell Robb once, “and let them know you. Don’t ask your men to die for a stranger.“ - Arya, aGoT

Arya had loved nothing better than to sit at her father’s table and listen to them talk. She had loved listening to the men on the benches too; to freeriders tough as leather, courtly knights and bold young squires, grizzled old men-at-arms.- Arya, AGoT

Whenever her father had condemned a man to death, he did the deed himself with Ice, his greatsword. “If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him go look him in the face and hear his last words,” she’d heard him tell Robb and Jon once. - Arya, ACoK

Now there are theories that it is future Bran who was communicating with Arya through the weirwood at Harrenhal, but she does gain strength from her father’s words when she prays to the Old Gods.

Gooseprickles rose on Arya’s skin, and for an instant she felt dizzy. Then, so faintly, it seemed as if she heard her father’s voice. “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives,” he said. “But there is no pack,” she whispered to the weirwood. Bran and Rickon were dead, the Lannisters had Sansa, Jon had gone to the Wall. “I’m not even me now, I’m Nan.” “You are Arya of Winterfell, daughter of the north. You told me you could be strong. You have the wolf blood in you.” - Arya, ACoK

And while Arya is travelling incognito, GRRM keeps her connected to the North, house Stark and the Northern plot. She starts her journey from KL with a NW brother Yoren. She’s disguised as a boy like Danny Flint, Manderly requests a song about brave Danny Flint at Ramsay’s wedding with ‘Arya’. In the Riverlands, Arya’s plot intersects with her father’s bannermen, she participates in the capture of Harrenhal for house Stark and is there for Roose Bolton’s war council. She meets both Roose Bolton and Aenys Frey – our antagonists in Winterfell facing off against Stannis in ADwD. She meets Robett Glover – who is currently in White Harbor - when she lets him out of the dungeons. She gets Jaqen to help her father’s men.

“Vargo Hoat’s come back with prisoners. I saw their badges. There’s a Glover, from Deepwood Motte, he’s my father’s man. The rest too, mostly.” All of a sudden, Arya knew why her feet had brought her here. “You have to help me get them out.” – Arya, ACoK

Arya looked. She knew all of her father’s men. The three in the grey cloaks were strangers. Arya, AGoT

Twin towers. Sunburst. Bloody man. Battle-axe. The battle-axe is for Cerwyn, and the white sun on black is Karstark. They’re northmen. My father’s men, and Robb’s. - Arya, ACoK

Harwin?” Arya whispered. It was! Under the beard and the tangled hair was the face of Hullen’s son, who used to lead her pony around the yard, ride at quintain with Jon and Robb, and drink too much on feast days. He was thinner, harder somehow, and at Winterfell he had never worn a beard, but it was him—her father’s man. Arya, ASoS

“I bet there are Winterfell men too.” Her father’s men, the Young Wolf’s men, the direwolves of Stark. - Arya, ASoS

Arya is also involved in betrothals/marriage – first to Elmar Frey and then married off to Ramsay Bolton to hold the North. As a side note, her connection to all these bastards is indeed interesting - Elmar Frey, Ramsay Bolton, Gendry and Jon Snow. Is GRRM trying to say something here?

We now have the Northerners and Freys that Arya sees in Harrenhal transposed to Winterfell and ‘her father’s men’ rising up for Arya Stark.

Now, we can speculate and assume that these Northerners would have done the same for the other Starks, but that’s not the point here. In the books, GRRM has written this story to revolve around Arya. The mountain clans are marching for ARYA. The Northern houses are fighting alongside Stannis for ARYA. When lady Barbrey Dustin points out the anger of the Northmen at the treatment of ‘Valiant Ned's precious little girl’ she is talking about ARYA.

GRRM has Stannis wanting to rescue Arya for Jon. He has Mance trying to rescue Arya for Jon. He has Jon breaking his vows and dying trying to rescue Arya. A large part of what drives this plot forward is that it’s Arya, and her special relationship with Jon Snow influences a lot of what is happening south of the wall. The story only happens this way with Arya in the North. And that’s why it’s Arya’s story and not that of any other Stark. Superimposing this or that Stark in place of Arya to make a case for why they would be leader of the North makes no sense. GRRM writing in the marriage of Arya Stark to hold the North makes the case for why Arya is important to the North.

So, Arya has actively helped free Northmen in the Riverlands, engaged with important Northerners and Freys at Harrenhal and drives the plot to take down the Boltons in the North. With her leadership skills, her ability to wield a weapon and fight, looking like Ned, following in Ned’s footsteps and advice, her fierce personality, her loyalty to bannermen, her desire for justice and to help the weak and powerless, her huge direwolf - she would be like the Kings in the North of yore.  I think the Northerners will be fine with Arya Stark being the Stark in charge.

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

Arya and Nymeria

“What if the wolves come?” “Yield,” Arya suggested - Arya, ACoK

The direwolves are an important part of the books, and an important aspect of the Starks.They are as much a part of the Starks as Dany’s dragons are a part of her. They cannot be ignored as unimportant pets who will end up serving no purpose.

“He is part of you, Robb. To fear him is to fear you.”  - Catelyn, ASoS

Ghost did not count. Ghost was closer than a friend. Ghost was part of him - Jon, ADWD

“Part of you is Summer, and part of Summer is you. You know that, Bran.” - Bran, ACoK

“Wolves and women wed for life,” Haggon often said. “You take one, that’s a marriage. The wolf is part of you from that day on, and you’re part of him. Both of you will change.” - Varamyr, ADWD

You have five trueborn children,” Jon said. “Three sons, two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord…The direwolf graces the banners of House Stark,” Jon pointed out. -  Bran, AGoT

“Roose Bolton has Lord Eddard’s daughter. To thwart him White Harbor must have Ned’s son … and the direwolf. The wolf will prove the boy is who we say he is, should the Dreadfort attempt to deny him.“ - Davos, ADWD

GRRM has mentioned several times that they are important.

The Lannisters are always likening themselves to lions, for example, and their motto “Hear me roar” speaks of a certain way of looking at life. But I think for the Starks it goes a little bit beyond that, especially in this generation, with these direwolves. It’s more than just a handy metaphor with them - GRRM, interview

"Wolves have been part of European folklore, of which America's descended, going back thousands of years. In Rome, Romulus and Remus -- there's always been this relationship between wolves and men." That relationship is seen time and again in Martin's series, and it's one that will Martin says will continue as the last two books are eventually released. Arya's wolf, Nymeria, in particular, will play an important role. "You know, I don't like to give things away." says Martin, a grin spreading across his face. "But you don't hang a giant wolf pack on the wall unless you intend to use it." - GRRM interview

The direwolves are important especially for Arya whose theme is ‘The lone wolf dies but the pack survives’ and there are constant mentions of the pack in her POV chapters. Nymeria is an alpha, a leader of her pack like Arya is a leader of hers.

“She says there’s this great pack, hundreds of them, mankillers. The one that leads them is a she-wolf, a bitch from the seventh hell.” - Arya, ACoK

Throughout ACoK and ASoS, Arya mentions the wolves in the Riverlands. They appear to be just ahead of her or behind her. In her chapters there are mentions of wolves eating people, of Roose going wolf hunting. It’s almost like the wolves are traveling with her. They even help her escape – the wolf howl giving the signal – from harrenhal. And it’s possible the pack was picking off Roose Bolton’s riders chasing Arya because they were following right behind.

She could hear the sound of her own breath, and the wolves as well, a great pack of them now. They are closer than the one I heard in the godswood, she thought. They are calling to me. - Arya, ACoK

Once, from the crest of a ridge, she spied dark shapes crossing a stream in the valley behind them, and for half a heartbeat she feared that Roose Bolton’s riders were on them, but when she looked again she realized they were only a pack of wolves. She cupped her hands around her mouth and howled down at them, “Ahooooooooo, ahooooooooo.” When the largest of the wolves lifted its head and howled back, the sound made Arya shiver.   - Arya ASoS

Nymeria keeps amassing this huge wolf pack and Arya being a strong warg can sense this

She was no little girl in the dream; she was a wolf, huge and powerful, and when she emerged from beneath the trees in front of them and bared her teeth in a low rumbling growl, she could smell the rank stench of fear from horse and man alike. - Arya, ASoS

She dreamed of wolves most every night. A great pack of wolves, with her at the head. She was bigger than any of them, stronger, swifter, faster. And her brothers and sisters were with her, many and more of them, fierce and terrible and hers. - Arya, ASoS

In her wolf dreams she was swift and strong, running down her prey with her pack at her heels. - Cat of the Canals, AFfC

The wolf dreams also helps Arya connect to Bran, Jon and Rickon. We see Ghost able to sense the other direwolves and Bran trying to communicate with Jon.

Nymeria is a grey wolf and the stark sigil is a grey wolf on a white background.

 “The rain had washed the guard’s blood off her fingers, she wore a sword across her back, wolves were prowling through the dark like lean grey shadows, and Arya Stark was unafraid.” - Arya, ACoK

“Arya had her father’s eyes, the grey eyes of the Starks.” - Reek, ADwD

What’s in a name? I have already mentioned in another post, the symbolism of the names for the direwolves and them being an indication of the future for the Starks. Arya’s direwolf is named Nymeria – a Rhoynish warrior queen who led her people to safety. Something that Arya may well do in the future when the North is under attack from the Others.

More importantly, Nymeria in Dorne changed the customs and rules of house Martell to follow those of Rhoynar and allowed for female rulers. Nymeria herself was the first female leader and was followed by her daughter. Nymeria changed the norm for Dorne and we could see the same happening with Arya Stark in the North.

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

Skills and Education

Look with your eyes, Syrio had said, listen with your ears.- Arya, ACoK

Education at Winterfell:

Arya was mainly taught by Septa Mordane and received the same education as Sansa. She would have been taught history and about the Faith by the Septa, she can read and write, and is good with sums. She’s better than Sansa at managing a household. She can ride a horse like a Northman and is an excellent swimmer. She knows some high Valyrian. Besides the Septa, Arya also hangs around Ned Stark when he is teaching the boys. Many of his words of wisdom that she remembers is from when he is teaching the boys. She mingles with her father’s men, the cooks, the stable boys etc.

Kings Landing:

Water Dancing style of swordfighting from Syrio Forel.

Harrenhal:

Being incognito allows Arya to move around like a mouse or the ghost of Harrenhal and observe and learn things. She is privy to Roose Bolton’s war council and listens to them discuss the Northern campaign against the Lannisters. We get the first inkling of the Red Wedding in these chapters between Roose and the Freys.

Arya observes the different people, analyzes their movements and figures out how to approach them.

The night she was caught, the Lannister men had been nameless strangers with faces as alike as their nasal helms, but she’d come to know them all. You had to know who was lazy and who was cruel, who was smart and who was stupid. You had to learn that even though the one they called Shitmouth had the foulest tongue she’d ever heard, he’d give you an extra piece of bread if you asked, while jolly old Chiswyck and soft-spoken Raff would just give you the back of their hand. - Arya, ACoK

And as lords and ladies never notice the little grey mice under their feet, Arya heard all sorts of secrets just by keeping her ears open as she went about her duties. Pretty Pia from the buttery was a slut who was working her way through every knight in the castle. The wife of the gaoler was with child, but the real father was either Ser Alyn Stackspear or a singer Lord Lefford made mock of ghosts at table, but always kept a candle burning by his bed. Ser Dunaver’s squire Jodge could not hold his water when he slept. The cooks despised Ser Harys Swyft and spit in all his food. Once she even overheard Maester Tothmure’s serving girl confiding to her brother about some message that said Joffrey was a bastard and not the rightful king at all. “Lord Tywin told him to burn the letter and never speak such filth again,” the girl whispered. - Arya, ACoK

She aids in the escape of the near hundred Northmen imprisoned in the dungeons and even Roose is impressed enough to make her his cupbearer. And the next time, she conceives of, plans and executes their entire escape all by herself. She plans for the logistics – weapons, transportation, people, travel route, what to wear.  She makes sure she is warmly dressed, takes the map from Roose’s chamber, uses her position of cupbearer to manipulate several men,  manipulates Gendry into escaping with her, takes down the guard and leads them away. It’s an endeavor that showcases her intelligence, cunning, determination, ability to strategize and lead.

Arya also shows a lot of restraint and keeps her secrets. She doesn’t trust the Glovers or any of the Northmen in Harrenhal - and considering the Red Wedding, it’s a good decision.

Their captors permitted no chatter. A broken lip taught Arya to hold her tongue. Others never learned at all. - Arya, ACoK

Arya watched them die and did nothing. What good did it do you to be brave? One of the women picked for questioning had tried to be brave, but she had died screaming like all the rest. There were no brave people on that march, only scared and hungry ones. - Arya, ACoK

On the road Arya had felt like a sheep, but Harrenhal turned her into a mouse. She was grey as a mouse in her scratchy wool shift, and like a mouse she kept to the crannies and crevices and dark holes of the castle, scurrying out of the way of the mighty.- Arya, ACoK

Braavos:

Arya’s education here is not limited to killing for the Faceless Men. She is also educated in poisons and languages. She improves on her high Valyrian and is now fluent in Braavosi and other Essosi languages. She learns acting/mummery. Not showing emotions on one’s face, detecting emotions in another person.

“A man does not need to be a wizard to know truth from falsehood, not if he has eyes. You need only learn to read a face. Look at the eyes. The mouth. The muscles here, at the corners of the jaw, and here, where the neck joins the shoulders.” He touched her lightly with two fingers. “Some liars blink. Some stare. Some look away. Some lick their lips. Many cover their mouths just before they tell a lie, as if to hide their deceit. Other signs may be more subtle, but they are always there. A false smile and a true one may look alike, but they are as different as dusk from dawn. Can you tell dusk from dawn?”

Arya nodded, though she was not certain that she could. “Then you can learn to see a lie… and once you do, no secret will be safe from you.”  - Arya, AFFC

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

People skills

“I will remember, Your Grace," said Sansa, though she had always heard that love was a surer route to the people's loyalty than fear. If I am ever a queen, I'll make them love me.” - Sansa, ACoK

Arya’s ability to make friends wherever she goes highlights her people skills. And Arya is able to communicate and connect with people from all walks of life.

Sansa knew all about the sorts of people Arya liked to talk to: squires and grooms and serving girls, old men and naked children, rough-spoken freeriders of uncertain birth. Arya would make friends with anybody. - Sansa, AGoT

She had loved listening to the men on the benches too; to freeriders tough as leather, courtly knights and bold young squires, grizzled old men-at-arms. She used to throw snowballs at them and help them steal pies from the kitchen. Their wives gave her scones and she invented names for their babies and played monsters-and-maidens and hide-the-treasure and come-into-my-castle with their children., Arya, AGoT

Her father used to say that a lord needed to eat with his men, if he hoped to keep them. “Know the men who follow you,” she heard him tell Robb once, “and let them know you. Don’t ask your men to die for a stranger.“ - Arya, AGoT

Cat had made friends along the wharves; porters and mummers, ropemakers and sailmenders, taverners, Brewers and bakers and beggars and whores - Cat of the Canals, AFfC

Her girls were nice as well; Blushing Bethany and the Sailor’s Wife, one-eyed Yna who could tell your fortune from a drop of blood, pretty little Lanna, even Assadora, the Ibbenese woman with the mustache. They might not be beautiful, but they were kind to her - Cat of the Canals, AFfC

She’s also loyal to her pack. She doesn’t betray Jon even to her father. She helps free her father’s men. Despite Gendry talking of leaving Lommy or Weasel behind, she refuses. And despite the odds, she tries to help Gendry.

It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that they had Gendry. Even if he was stubborn and stupid, she had to get him out. She wondered if they knew that the queen wanted him. - Arya, ACoK

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

Importance of being a Warg/Skinchanger

She was the night wolf, no scraps of skin could frighten her. - Arya, ADwD

Since this is a fantasy series, magic is a big part of the story with a magical existential apocalyptic threat on the horizon. The North is the first bastion facing this threat. Jon and Dany both have magical pets and prophetic dreams. Bran is the 3ER. They are leaders or will become leaders by the end. Arya is a strong warg/skinchanger. Apart from Jon and Bran, she’s the only other Stark to use these abilities so far. As GRRM as indicated, having a direwolf is going to be useful in battle – we are going to be seeing direwolves involved in the battle for Winterfell for example. Arya is able to warg Nymeria from all the way over in Braavos. She skinchanges cats and sees through their eyes, when she is blind. She is deft with a sword, knife and decent with a bow and arrow (she could be better now using her FM senses). She would be an effective fighter to have against the Others and her warging skills could prove useful in battle.

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

Succession

I’m not a lady, Arya wanted to tell her, I’m a wolf. - Arya, ASoS

And finally we come to succession. This is the hardest part and entirely speculation and we need the next book to get an inkling of where GRRM is heading towards. I am also basing all of this on Hibberd more or less confirming that King Bran on the Iron Throne is GRRM’s ending.

So of the true born Starks, Arya is pretty much last in line. With the inclusion of Robb’s will, we have 5 Starks left. Bran is the rightful heir to the North. Taking him out of the running, leaves Jon, Rickon, Sansa and Arya. Assuming Jon ends up North of the wall – in his dreams the Old Kings in the North in the crypts reject him, maybe foreshadowing that he doesn’t belong in Winterfell - that leaves Rickon, Sansa and Arya.

As for Sansa, again there is a plot significant reason for why GRRM has put an obstacle in her path, allowing for Arya to jump the queue. Sansa is currently married to Tyrion Lannister, a marriage that cannot be easily annulled (With an enemy regime in KL) or ignored like the show did. Robb Stark has most likely disinherited/removed her from the line of succession and named a legitimized Jon Stark his heir and Lord of Winterfell. If he has the support of the Northern houses who want an experienced, older Stark to lead them, Jon Stark could well be the next KITN over Rickon Stark. I don’t think a 7 year old Rickon would object to Jon in charge. So that makes it Jon Stark, Rickon Stark and Arya Stark.

Does Rickon have to die for Arya to become Wardeness of the North? It’s possible Rickon dies, but it’s also possible he doesn’t.  It could be that Rickon does not want to lead the North – by the end of the book, he would be 8 or 9. Of course there’s the argument of a regent doing the job for Rickon until he’s ready. Or, he could just give way to his sister because he wants to. Something similar to Aemon refusing the throne and it passing to his younger brother Aegon.

Or we could have the traditional situation where Rickon becomes lord of Winterfell as next in line, while it’s Arya who is involved in running the day to day affairs. However, that would very much be status quo - with Rickon at WF and Bran down south in KL, it would be men ending up in positions of power everywhere once again, except maybe Dorne. If this happens, then Arya would be a leader of the North, but the Stark line would continue with the male line.  

It’s possible Jon Stark as King could change things for the North. Jon treats the spearwives the same as the brothers of the NW, he respects Val’s abilities, he trusts in Alys Karstark. If Rickon refuses the mantle, it could very well be that Jon Stark relinquishes his position to his favorite person ever, Arya Stark, to be the next Wardeness of the North.  Thus paving the way for Arya Stark to be the first female leader of the North like her hero Nymeria in Dorne.

It would be fitting for the character who introduced Jon Snow to equal rights for women.

“The Lannisters are proud,” Jon observed. “You’d think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. He makes his mother’s House equal in honor to the king’s.”

“The woman is important too!” Arya protested. - Arya, AGoT

Could King Jon reverse Sansa’s disinheritance after her marriage is annulled when KL is in friendly hands? Sure. But we don’t know how the Sansa/LF/Vale group will react to Jon as KITN and whether they will mount a challenge in Sansa’s name. And if Jon has to choose between Sansa and Arya as to whom he wants in charge of Winterfell, we know who it is he will think is more capable and will always choose.

I do think Winterfell succession will not be as clearcut as many Stark fans are hoping. Too many factions supporting the different Starks. GRRM loves to write about dysfunctional families and the Starks are not anything special in that regard. TWoW will tell us of whether there will be any kind of Stark civil war.

Is Arya too young for all this? I predict that by the time we get to the end of the books, about 5 years would have gone by. At 14, Arya would still need a regent – one of the many lords of the houses in the North. But I think considering her experiences, skillsets, a huge direwolf, Ned Stark’s wisdom and strong connections to the North, she will be an able leader. As GRRM said,

“[Arya is] older than some of the 40-year-olds in the book.” - GRRM

Either way, whether she gets Winterfell or not, Arya will end up as a leader in the North. Either she rules for Rickon and takes care of the day to day responsibilities or she does so in her own right as Lady of Winterfell/Wardeness of the North. She’s not going anywhere or sailing off on a boat. The show’s ending makes absolutely no sense for a character yearning for home in 5 books after going on the nightmare ‘adventure’ from hell. She will be in the North, in Winterfell, being a leader and continuing Ned Stark’s legacy.  She will counsel her brothers and build and her people will love her just like they loved her father.

So in conclusion, I think there is enough story, character build up, characterization and set up for Arya to go North and take over as a leader of house Stark to face the threat of the Others along with Bran, Jon, Dany and Tyrion.

[the-lonelybarricade]

Can we get a snippet of the Elucien stuff you've been working on? I'm really curious how you'd write them! ❤️

Since my content is sparse rn the answer to wanting snippets is always going to be yes, although I really hope I do Elucien justice! There are so many lovely authors who write for them.

I wasn't sure to give you something sweet or spicy or humorous, so I decided to give you a little exchange that I feel summarized their relationship dynamic in the story. Hope you enjoy love <3

“You know, in a mortal courtship, saying something like that would be enough to brand you as a rake.”

Lucien looked intrigued. “And you’ve done a decent job at pretending you’re scandalized by it, yet you haven’t asked me to stop.”

“Yes, I have,” she protested.

He smirked. “You’ve found roundabout ways of insulting me, like just now. But that’s not the same thing as asking me to stop.”

Elain scoffed. “I’ve never once insulted you.”

“Yes, you have,” he insisted. “In that underhanded way you’ve perfected so that you can still stand on a moral high ground. You forget I’m a courtier, Elain, and I’m well versed in the act of verbal sparring. You ladies are practically groomed for it. You can’t say anything forthright so you bury it under posed language. I see right through you, little dove.”

“Please don’t call me that,” she said. “And I apologize for any offense I’ve caused.”

“No you don’t,” he said with a barking laugh. “Look at you. You’re thrilled by it. Most people don’t see past the well placed smiles to think too carefully about your words. You’re finally on a level playing field and you love it.”

He was right. Elain was surprised by it, because she’d never been called out before. But the last thing she would ever do was admit it, so instead she batted her eyelashes exactly the way he was accusing her of doing. “I wasn’t aware there were any politics at play, Lucien. Pray tell what game I might be playing? Or do you think I’m just posturing for posturing’s sake?”

“Who said you need politics to make a game worth playing?” he challenged. “You said it yourself, in a mortal courtship my behaviour would be appalling. But I wasn’t aware this was a courtship, unless you view it otherwise, lady?”

Elain felt her face heat at the implication.

“My,” he crooned. “That blush is very telling. You must work on your expressions, Elain. You give far too much away. And if we were playing a game, I dare say I might have just won this match.” He led his horse closer, so that his leg brushed against her own, and he could lean forward so that his mouth was at her ear. “Do I win anything?”

[vrishchikawrites]

Could I have a prompt? 🥺🥺 So WWX is taking bath in the Cold Pond to heal from the wounds by the discipline paddle (which I assume he was punished being clothed in his Black robe or in his Gusu Lan disciple robes or Head disciple Jiangs robes whichever fits). Before going to CR, wwx is whipped by mdm yu and LWJ notices wwx’s raw red scars and many scars across his back kinda overlapping and not yet being healed because maybe MDM yu sealed his core or something. LWJ, or with LXC saw WWX’s many crisscrossing scars and realize they’re still raw and kinda risking for infection because when mdm yu unseals his spiritual energy before going to CR, WWX never thought of healing it. Cue LWJ and LXC gets horrified and ask WWX why he had many scars on his back (or other parts of his body can also be included!) no pressure 💕 I love your writing! ❤️❤️

Anyway, it is set during the period in which WWX studies at CR. Lån Qiren, who is obviously not eyeing Wei Wuxian just in case the boy creates some trouble ends up realizing that he is too non chalant about  not eating (because the food there is for rabbits) and WWX is like "Oh, yeah. Nah its fine, I've been worse".

This one has trigger warnings for child abuse, negligence, and issues related to eating habits. Keep that in mind before proceeding. Nothing graphic, but I wanted to warn nonetheless.

I've merged two prompts here.

Please remember that prompts are closed. Also, remember I do not write self-deprication. All prompts that require WWX to have low self-esteem are not going to be written, apologies but the subject is very uncomfortable for me and I don't believe it is canon accurate anyways.

On to the prompt fill.

"That Wei child is entirely too careless." 

Lan Qiren closes his eyes and prays for patience. That boy has been a menace ever since he stepped into Cloud Recesses. Brilliant but wily and mischievous with absolutely no regard for rules. 

"What has he done?" He asks gruffly, reading over the reports from the kitchen staff. Cloud Recesses always monitors the food intake of their guests to make sure everyone is well-fed and no one is consuming more than their due. It wouldn't do for young cultivators to fall ill in their care, after all. 

The primary healer, a matron of some age, had brought the reports instead of the kitchen manager, which was quite unusual, "He forgets meals. Goes without food for days. Survives on small bits of fruit."

Xichen, who has been working on his own reports, raises his head and looks concerned. 

Lan Qiren crosses his arms, feeling a growing sense of ire, "He dislikes our meals." He's not the first one to skip meals because he considers them 'bland' and 'boring'. It's likely the child has been sneaking down to Caiyi town to have more extravagant meals. 

"I checked with our ward team. When he goes days without eating, he doesn't make any trips to Caiyi town either."

Lan Qiren pauses and studies her. Lan Mingyun nods curtly, "When I first noticed this behavior, I immediately put him on my list." Her list of children with food-related issues, he assumes, "His eating habits are very erratic, erratic enough that I wish to assign one of our senior disciples to keep an eye on him."

"You're that worried?" Lan Xichen asks in surprise while Lan Qiren frowns. It isn't unusual to do so but he wonders if it is really necessary.

"As far as I know, the child lived on the streets for quite a few years," She says and Lan Qiren narrows his eyes, inwardly reprimanding himself. He had forgotten about that aspect of Wei Wuxian's history, "The link between early childhood trauma and behavioural problems are well known to us."

Lan Xichen frowns, "I'll ask Wangji to keep an eye on him."

He glances at his nephew sharply, "Why Wangji?" He demands because surely someone else would be better.

"From what I understand, Wei-gongzi will not welcome an assigned senior. He seems to be someone who brushes injuries or illnesses off. He likes Wangji and will be more willing to accept his company."

While the argument is reasonable, Lan Qiren is loath to involve his precious nephew in this. He's already so bothered by the boy. 

But.

He thinks of Wei Wuxian with his sharp eyes and lingering smile and nods. 

---

Wangji listens to Xichen patiently even as his fingers curl into fists under his sleeves. 

He doesn't like Wei Wuxian. The boy is too disruptive, too bold, too distracting-

Too beautiful.

He doesn't like him, but that doesn't mean he's content to ignore his well-being. When Xichen asks him to keep an eye on Wei Ying's eating habits and general behavior, Wangji agrees. 

It will be taxing for him, but he agrees.  

What he doesn't anticipate is… everything that follows. When he starts consciously looking for them, the signs are alarming. Wei Ying doesn't just skip meals whenever he gets too distracted, he picks at the food even when he is eating. While Wangji is comforted to know the boy frequently seeks something richly flavored at Caiyi Town, he doesn't do it often enough to compensate.

There are also some concerning behaviors in the Jiang contingent. Upon closer inspection, it is clear that while Wei Ying does break the rules, the other Jiang Sect disciples are often complicit. Including Jiang Wanyin. 

They not only let their da-shixiong take the blame for all of their actions, but also encourage it. Wei Ying seems disconcertingly accustomed to it. He makes a scene while being punished but seems alright within an hour. 

Jiang Wanyin encourages mischief and reprimands him in turns. 

Wangji doesn't understand this.

"Xiongzhang, I am concerned," Xichen looks up from his tea, his attention immediately on Wangji, unwavering and comforting, "Wei Ying," He takes a moment to form his thoughts, "I am uncertain. I believe he is in an unsafe environment."

Xichen sets his tea aside, "How so?"

"I happened upon a conversation," He grimaces because it is eavesdropping even if his intentions are noble, "Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang requested and encouraged him to get alcohol into Cloud Recesses. When he complained about the punishment, Jiang Wanyin said 'at least, it wasn't Zidian'."

His brother sucks in a sharp breath, "Zidian? Madam Yu? Spiritual weapon? A high-grade weapon typically used against enemies?"

Wangji dips his head. 

"I'll ask uncle to stop assigning corporal punishments." Lan Xichen says, "They won't have the desired effect in any case and we don't want to damage him permanently. Tomorrow, ask him to practice Cultivation in the Cold Pond as punishment."

Wangji nods, "I'll assign Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang proper punishment as well."

"Wait until we have a better grasp on the situation." Xichen says solemnly, "If we act too quickly, things will escalate and may cause more harm to Wei-gongzi."

Wangji is reluctant because his sense of justice is not satisfied. He remembers how the Jiang disciples encouraged Wei Ying to accept punishment on their behalf. And then to know Jiang Wanyin was also complicit…

"We must approach this cautiously, Wangji."

He nods.

---

Red, irritated, scarred.

Wangji swallows as he sees the state of Wei Ying's back as the Jiang disciple steps into the Cold Pond. There are so many whip scars on his back, so many that have barely begun to heal, that he feels nauseous. 

"Wei Ying," He struggles to keep his tone neutral, "Your back." He cannot imagine the agony that Wei Ying would've suffered when he took more punishment on it the other day. 

Wei Ying glances at him and grins, "Aiya, Lan Zhan, is that concern I see on your pretty face?" He asks, spinning around eagerly, "Concern for little old me?"

His back is out of sight and the way Wei Wuxian is leaning towards him is meant to distract and fluster.

Wangji… suddenly understands. Wei Ying is naturally playful and mischievous, but he uses his personality for disguise and manipulation as well. Not maliciously, but in a way that harms him.

"Wei Ying," Wangji refuses to be moved. There is a significant shift in his mind. He no longer feels annoyed by the person before him. If anything, he feels furious. 

He feels protective.

"Wei Ying, your back."

The Jiang disciple shrugs, "Punishment, you know how it is." 

"For what?" He demands, catching Wei Ying's elbow and turning him around. The willingness to touch him stuns Wei Ying momentarily, enough for Wangji to get a good look at the brutal devastation written on Wei Ying's back. 

Wei Ying clears his throat and shrugs, "It's more of a preemptive punishment? Madam Yu knew I would cause trouble here, of course." He chuckles.

"Preemptive punishment?" He asks softly, the very notion troubling him. 

Wei Ying shrugs again but doesn't attempt to explain when it is clear Wangji isn't willing to indulge him.

"Wei Ying,"

"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying starts to move towards the shore, "Don't worry about things that don't concern you. Your head will forever be burdened if you do."

Wangji feels something in him recoil at such a blunt dismissal. 

"Doesn't concern me? How can it not concern me?" He wants to ask but is unable to. 

Wei Ying has made him very uncomfortable with his forward personality and near constant teasing, but Wangji has seen the genuine offer of friendship underneath it all. 

He has always spurned it. 

As Wei Ying climbs onto the shore, his wounds red against his naturally pale skin, Wangji makes a decision, "Would you not feel concerned if it were me?" He asks but he already knows the answer.

He already knows this man enough.

"Of course," Wei Ying says and shrugs on his robes, hiding a wince but unable to help his body's reaction to pain, "But you and I are different." He glances over his shoulder at Wangji, "I consider you my friend," He says, "But you don't consider me yours."

His breath stills at the acceptance in Wei Ying's tone.

"And that's alright." The Jiang disciple waves and walks away, "Don't worry too much, Lan Zhan. This one isn't weak. The wounds will heal within a few days."

---

"The facts are these - Wei-gongzi is punished preemptively with Zidian, often enough that there are deep scars on his back," Lan Xichen explains, "I assume it is his Golden Core keeping him from sustaining permanent damage."

Lan Qiren is still bristling at the very thought of preemptive punishment. What a ridiculous notion! Of course, the child doesn't care about rules and upsetting people! He has already been punished enough to excuse everything but outright treason.  

How is such a method effective? How does it correct a child's misbehavior? 

"The Jiang Sect disciples are accustomed to their da-shixiong being punished in their stead. They actively encourage it. Jiang Wanyin has asked Wei-gongzi to sneak in alcohol. And he refused to come forward when Wei-gongzi was punished." Xichen takes a deep breath, "I believe any lingering issues he may have because of his early days as a street orphan-"

"Are ignored," Lan Qiren concludes grimly, "It is no wonder the child has such strong cultivation. He is facing strife constantly."

"Is there a way to rescue him?" Wangji asks after being grimly silent for the entire meeting, "Get him away from the Jiang Sect?"

Lan Qiren eyes him, "Wangji, the situation is complicated. He's still the Jiang Head Disciple and sects don't just part with their high ranking disciples."

Xichen smiles sympathetically, "We'll find a way to pressure Jiang-zongzhu into taking action. He'll lose face if the other Sects know how his lady is treating their Head Disciple." He shakes his head at Wangji's expression, "Let us think about it. Meanwhile, you just need to be there for your friend, Wangji."

Lan Qiren arches a brow, "Friend? Wangji, I thought you disliked the boy."

Wangji purses his lips, a stubborn light entering his eyes, "Wei Ying is my friend." He insists, resolve lining his every word. 

He looks at Xichen, who just looked amused, "According to Wei-gongzi, he considers Wangji a friend and will be very concerned if Wangji was in a similar situation," He huffs, "But Wangji doesn't consider Wei-gongzi his friend, so there's no need for Wangji to worry."

Lan Qiren closes his eyes and rubs his forehead in an uncharacteristic display of frustration, "That boy is a singular menace."

---

Wangji pursues friendship with all the dedication in his being. He learns to cook savory dishes and gives them to Wei Ying every day. Wei Ying, unable and utterly unwilling to deny, eats it all. 

He glares the Jiang disciples into submission whenever they attempt to draw Wei Ying into mischief. The Jiang Head Disciple is fully exempt from corporal punishment. Instead, he spends hours in the library either copying rules, rewriting classics, or transcribing Buddhist texts. 

All of these activities prove to be much more effective punishments.

Meanwhile, Lan Qiren attends a Discussion Conference and has word with Jiang Fengmian. 

The response is a gentle order from the Jiang-zongzhu for Wei Ying. He asks his disciple to remain in Cloud Recesses for Musical Cultivation training. He also mentions it is time for Jiang Wanyin to take up Head Disciple responsibilities and learn true leadership. 

Wei Ying eyes the smiling Lan Xichen and impassive Lan Qiren sharply but doesn't say anything.

In two years time, the distance between Wei Ying and the Jiang Sect grows. The distance between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan ceases to exist. 

Just like that, Wei Wuxian's destiny changes.