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#and stereotypical happily ever after
ella-ashmore · 2 years
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if i see one more person say noel is talia im going to start blowing things up with my mind ^-^ why would you want that. why would you desire a world where noel is manipulating mischa to such a horrible extent. why would you want the love he has shown for this woman to have been misplaced. yes he loves noel but he also loves talia as a separate entity. why would you want his entire relationship with his fiancee to be a lie. noel doesnt even speak ukrainian
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The saddest thing is the witcher could have portrayed healthy found familial relationship in a non-traditional way, but they went and forced yennefer into the role of mother, geralt into the role of father, completely did away with jaskier, and didn't even bother to consider that every single witcher in Kaer Morhen could be considered ciris father, but no, there's a husband and a wife and a child and that's all there is to it
#witcher#the witcher netflix#geralt of rivia#jaskier#yennefer of vengerberg#also yennefer is historically NOT a good maternal figure for ciri#it was so ooc for geralt to just completely forgive her at th end of s2#like i have never had a child but i do have nieces and nephews and they are very dear to me#and if anyone pulled that sort of shit with them i would hunt them and waterboard them not cuddle them on a battlement jesus christ#also the fact that like the witchers are relegated to uncle positions is so fucking dumb#a girl can and should have 20 dads if she wants#bc like kaer morhen is basically a commune right#so they good have given us some good non stereotypical family vibes maybe some polyam#but they ruined it#they gave us two people who could barely stand each other forom the time they met and a lady who traumatised this guys daughter#and they were like nah its fine theyre gonna live happily ever after#WHERES THE FUCKING BARD#IS HE LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER#also fuck socially acceptable family dynamics and fuck netflix and fuck whoevers writing these godawful scripts (fuck henry cavill?)#and fuck the last episode for that unsatisfactory scene where they just cuddle up on a fucking roof like yen didnt give ciri trust issues#for decades to come#if i was geralt i would have slit her throat then and there#nothing comes before children#i was gonna be done here but its so narratively unsatisfactory like they havent seen each other in a year(s?) and his loyalty is with her#instead of his own daughter???#the man who prizes morality and justice over everything else?? is fine with dragging a literal child into her need for power??#what. the fuck.#okay im done#it could have been good but netflix fucked it the way they do everything so#fuck you netflix
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griseldabanks · 2 years
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That awkward moment when you're blithely working on your rewrite of a fairy tale that involves an adult pursuing children to eat them alive and it hits you that this is probably a metaphor for pedophilia:
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Am I the asshole for calling my boyfriend out after a party after he very Frenchly insulted our cooking?
I (25M) am dating J (27M), and we live together. For the most part he's wonderful, super sweet, and perhaps the most French man living today. He's a walking stereotype, right down to the sexiness. He's Parisian (we live in the states) and has a huge obsession with wine and cheese, and I'll be honest, he can be pretty snobby. He was raised by some well to do old money family that disowned him when they found out he was gay and it shows. He has a few antiquated ideas of what America is like, especially when it comes to food. Anything that has roots he doesn't recognize gets criticized. It's a classism problem, we recognize that, and he is trying to work on it. He slips up sometimes.
We went to a housewarming party two nights ago. It was a potluck deal and I brought a beef chili I had been working on for like two days, it was my pride and joy, and J didn't even have anything bad to say to me about it.
Anyway, an hour or so into the party we went to get food. He had a few glasses of wine, so he wasn't quite thinking straight. It turns out somebody brought homemade Frito pie (and pretty fancy frito pie too, with jalapeños and sour cream and pico de gallo, it was amazing and delicious and I am still dreaming about it), I'm southwestern and it was a staple for me growing up so I tripped over myself trying to get at it. He noticed how eager I was and scoffed at me. I asked what was so funny, and he said it was baffling that I'd go for that first since it was "comically American, down to the fried chips riddled in it." I rolled my eyes and ignored him.
Turns out the friend who made it was standing a few feet away and overheard him. She told us that she worked super hard on making the chili and cooking the pie, and if he didn't like it, he didn't have to have any. I was so fucking mortified I felt like dying. I apologized on his behalf and we stayed for a bit longer, but I was so embarrassed and angry that we left about an hour after that. I couldn't make myself have a good time. As a bit of an apology I left our friend a container of the chili I made and said if she wanted to make a pie out of it I'd be honored, and she happily accepted.
This is where I may be TA. As soon as we got in the car I blew up at him. I told him that he disrespected my culture, my cooking, my taste, and worst of all, embarrassed me in front of a friend and insulted something that brought her joy. I said "if you see Americans as so lazy, stupid, fat, and disgusting, then why are you even living here? Why the fuck do you even wanna be with me? Am I just the only good one to you?" I was laying into him for about 5 minutes. It was the worst fight we'd ever been in, not that we get in many.
He got really quiet after that and just muttered out an "I'm sorry." We were silent the ride home and we went straight to bed when we got there. I even heard him sniffling when we were trying to fall asleep, which was heartbreaking and started to make me feel like I'd fucked up, too. He's been distant for the last few days and I feel like I need to apologize.
Do I? Was I TA? I just got so upset that I couldn't take it anymore. I really love him and I just keep worrying that any second he's gonna say he wants to break up, and I never want that to happen. Any advice is appreciated.
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theastrical · 6 months
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Genshin men as cats!
What if genshin men turned into cats, what will they be like?
kaeya, diluc, childe, zhongli (x reader)
Fluff fluff (kinda comfort/hurt)
Kaeya: he turned into a cat after accidentally drinking albedo’s “tea” which turns out to be a potion. When he turned into a cat, he didn’t panic, rather, he was happy. He thought that becoming a cat doesn’t sound so bad after all..you’re a big cat lover so if he become a cat, your love for him will double right? not to mention that he’s exactly like your favorite breed, grey british short hair. So he immediately ran back home and meowed in front of the door, his meows is so loud you can barely ignore it. So when you opened the door, your heartbeat stopped. A fluffy cat…with pretty meows….and and…FLUFFY PAWS??? You take him inside and feed him with tuna, you kissed his head thousand of times, rubbing his tummy while he just purrs. Kaeya is already drowning from your love! But suddenly he turned into the normal kaeya again..*sigh*, you were disappointed that the cat is gone….. If you were to pick who to abandon, it seems obvious that kaeya is your choice, the cat? You keep it. Ever since then, kaeya has been trying to turn into a cat, sometimes his failure lead him to an unbearable fever or…a success. You ended up showering him with tons of kisses, pats, and belly rubs that he enjoyed like no one..he’s such a clingy kitty cat. Even when you bite his cheeks, he would meow happily.
diluc: he. is. horrified. He suddenly becomes a cat after eating a snack from sumeru that he was given to as a way for him to know “nature”, well at his defense, he didn’t know it means he would be turned into a cat!!!…It’s ironic that he becomes a cat in the first place. He has a cat allergy…why does he become a cat?! He can be a dog…why a cat?! He was pissed. He doesn’t want his fur to be everywhere…he’s an orange persian cat, a sassy persian cat with huge furs. He hates his catself and decided to hide himself under the table. “Diluc..?” You came inside his room and he immediately meowed..that’s a yes respond from him, you thought?…but how come diluc is a cat?!! You searched for the cat and immediately grab diluc’s tail when you found him. Hugging him. “Why are you hiding…you’ve become so cute after becoming a cat— w-wait?! HUH?! WHY ARE YOU A CAT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!” You were confused as well and immediately laughed. Diluc was pissed and bite you for that! “Ouch!! Bad boy!”, and you realise. It’s not good that diluc has a huge fur like this…oh no…you have to deep cleanse his room just incase his allergy came back after he turned into a human (presumably). So he kept on purring for himself and snuggles himself behind the cover of the bed, you clean his room like a clean freak and afterwards have some snuggles with him using a “no-fur” jacket. He turned into a human 3 days later and…you seem to love his cat version more since he’s much more of a lovable fluff…
childe: he was turned into a cat after one of his fatui peers experimented on him, it’s safe to assume that he’s okay..it’s just…he has turned into a feline form of himself, a cat... he’s a tabby orange cat, the types of cat that are stereotypically unhinged. He was fine with it, he thought it’s a good idea to have an off schedule while he���s a cat. Well childe is unhinged so being an orange cat is exactly what he designed to be, so it’s fair…and when he gotten home, he didn’t bother to knock, just like a feline, he jumped through the window of your bedroom and goes to the bed while his paws knead the covers, theoretically, making a bread using his paws. When your footsteps march towards the bedroom, he didn’t bother to hide, he just kneads the cover until he’s exhausted and sleep. “AAAAAAAAAAA WHY IS THERE A CAT?”, you screamed ajd he was awakened. He meowed cohesively and sit down like a polite gentleman. He realise you might not understand his meows, he’s a cat now so…he goes to his picture and points out at the picture using his paws, understanding the cat body language you screamed again…”YOU’RE AJAX???”, this time confused…but also…”you look even cuter like this let m—“, with your very own cuteness aggression urge you jump to the bed and hug him. Kissing his cheeks while he meows. He’s being abused by your love and he’s kind of dizzy from it. He meows everytime and his soft paw try to resist because he wants to sleep but…being kissed by you this much makes him…weak. He stole food from other people to eat, it’s fun, he even stole some fish from some old men and brought it back for you to cook, it’s the opportunity to be a criminal while he’s in this cute form…and..he can sneakily make people fell in love with his cute face as he stole their steaks (his favorite indeed). He turned into a human again…months later. Being an orange cat is his life duty…
Zhongli: he’s bored. He already knows how it feels to be a dragon..a woman..and a man. Zhongli has been keeping an eye towards the stray cats near liyue, how come they’re so chonky and so..cute? So many people love them. Even you love them. so without further ado, with his no purpose in daily life for current recent..he becomes a cat. A black cat. A normal black cat with a shiny golden bell on his neck. Everytime he walks and has a stroll, his golden bell rings, people would take an immediate look at him, and pets him. His meow is deep, raspy too, yet the purrings are gentle, it makes the locals fell in love with him. This time he strolls near your favorite place, wanmin restaurant, you love to go there and has been addicted to their crab roe tofu ever since you guys are dating. So he jump to the chair beside you and sleeps…he’s enjoying your presence, even without pets from you. He’s happy just to hear your love for the food there or your presence all focused to that solemn food. you burped and it made his ears twitch. He just wants to follow you around and be with you. Suddenly you recognise the cat beside you and immediately carry it to your lap. “such a lovely black cat…i’ve never meet you before..”..you pat his head and carress his back. Oh my, he loves the back caressing…it feels like he’s being massaged on his old back…he kept on purring. He’s quiet and it makes you love this cat even more. When you carry it again, it just seems not to care and it makes you incredibly attached to him. At the same time he become a cat, you kept on searching for zhongli, still not getting the hint that he’s now a cat because zhongli barely give you a hint!! oh by the way, he turned into his human form only for 3 business days per week, because he wants to be pampered by you and follow you around while you gave him attention and space.
ps: albedo, ayato, alhaitham, and kaveh version of this headcannon coming soon! (I guess if this post reach around 150 likes, i’ll make another one hihi~)
taglist: @dailypenpen , @daydreaming-paradies , @voidlesslove (to be added in the taglist, you may send your @ thru my ask box~ thank you!)
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trippinsorrows · 5 months
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with me + part one
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authors note: well, i got some type of writers block working on two other RR wip's so opened a new google doc and ended up with this. prob gonna be 3 parts, maybe 4. there's an almost five year time jump after this one, can you guess why? also, joe's wife is an oc, not galina.
first time posting my roman writings on here and trying not to freak out tbh
warnings: angst, infidelity, language, suggestive content
song inspo: with me by destiny's child
word count: 4,000
You know that assignment everyone at some point in their education where they research what they want to be when they grow up and share it with the whole class for a grade? Yeah, that big mammoth of a question that somehow you’re supposed to have confidently answered before even reaching double digits.
That was always super easy for you.
From as far back as you can remember, you wanted to be a teacher. It took until you were in middle school, almost high school for you to settle on an elementary school teacher, college for a specific grade. But, the teaching profession always called to you.
You chalk it up to your grandmother, undoubtedly one of your favorite people in this entire world. She was also an elementary school teacher who taught until she was expectedly called home when you were 14. Some part of you wonders if you’ve never even allowed yourself to entertain any other professions because of her loss. She was your best friend, and following in her footsteps was wanted but also felt somewhat necessary. Like you had to in order to honor her and her legacy.
A couple years into your career, you still think about that, how you’ve known from such a young age what you wanted to do with your life. Well, one part. 
In other areas, maybe the most important areas, you were lost as all of the outdoors. Mostly in one area, if you’re being honest, and truthfully, it’s not even what you want in as much as it is how you get there. The path is relatively simple: find a man, fall in love, get married, have babies, live happily ever after.
It’s such a stereotypical trajectory, but one you’ve also envisioned for yourself since your late teens. You’d gotten partying all out of your system during the early college years, somewhat in high school as well. Now in your mid 20s, soon to be late 20s, all you want to do is prepare to eventually settle down. Sooner rather than later.
And the issue isn’t even having no prospects. You have a prospect, he’s just unavailable. 
Because he’s already fucking married.
But can you even call him a prospect when that implies there’s some chance? Because there’s zero chance. You know this. You know this very well, too well. So why you still allow him into your bed and inside of you is beyond you. Yes, the sex is out of this world, but you desire more than that. Maybe not at first, but almost three years deep into this arrangement, most definitely.
You still think back to your first meeting.
Your best friend won a contest that not only granted her two front row tickets to a Smackdown show but backstage passes as well. You met so many wrestlers that night, some you grew up watching on TV as the little tomboy that you were as a kid. But, it was one wrestler in particular: tall, muscular, hair more beautiful and silky than any silk press your beautician mother could ever style, that changed your life. Whether for better or worse remains to be seen. 
He was attractive, extremely, possibly one of the most beautiful men you’d ever met. But, the attraction was short-lived when you spotted the wedding band on his left hand. You’d be lying if you tried to say that was when the attraction sizzled out. It diminished, but it was still there. Still, you didn’t think much of it, that was until you received a call from a number on your phone that you didn't recognize. 
Why you even accepted the call is still a mystery. You never answered random calls, yet that one was an exception, an exception that resulted in you having an unexpected phone conversation with Roman fucking Reigns. He explained that he got your number from your friend who’d exchanged contact information with a wrestler she met that night as well. They were messing around too, that much you knew. And good for her. He, unlike Roman, was not married and therefore free to fuck around.
The conversation lasted much longer than it needed to, especially given the flirtatious nature it quickly took on. It was wrong, you knew this well, very well. He took vows, but you were also aware of those vows. And heat no point pressured you into anything, you could have cut it off. Flirtatious he was, but forceful he was not.
The conversations increased in frequency and length over a matter of weeks that turned into months, and before you knew it, your day started and ended with either a text or phone call from the wrestler. 
A small part of you knew that it would eventually escalate into more, a man like him seemed like he needed more. But, you stupidly tried to tell yourself that when that time came, you would remain strong and draw the line in the sand with just communication. Even if it was just as wrong as anything else.
It was a silly thought. 
Your resolve was weak.
You absolutely did not need to accept his invitation to fly you out to one of his shows, and you damn sure didn’t need to allow him to take you back to his hotel where your legs ended up wrapped around his waist as he pounded into you—among other things—until the early hours of the morning.
The days after that were rough. You felt absolutely disgusted with yourself. It was one thing to flirt with a married man, but it was an entirely different thing to fuck a married man. He wasn’t yours. He belonged to someone else. He had a life with some other woman. You had no right to insert yourself into that union, so you decided to sever contact with him, deleting his number from your phone and shoving the experience in the ‘biggest regret of your life’ box with no intention of reopening it.
Unfortunately for you, Roman, Joe, as he asked you to call him, was a persistent bastard.
You ignored his texts, so he called. You ignored his calls, so he texted. You ignored both, and this motherfucker showed up at your goddamn door. There were multiple times you could have and should have ended things, that being another perfect opportunity. If you told him to leave that night, not allowed him into your apartment, he would have listened. He was stubborn and resolute but also respectful. If you told him to leave, really told him, he would have done so.
But, you didn’t. You allowed him into your place and similar to the last time you were in his presence, ended up spread out on your bed with him balls deep inside you until you couldn’t feel your lower half. 
Now, fast forward three years later, not much has changed. You two don’t communicate quite as much in the day, and his visits are more spread out given the company’s current efforts at pushing him as the new face of the company. But, that doesn’t stop his visits to come see you and flights he puts you on to come see him, both of which always end with him leaving your legs jelly and throat raw.
All the while his wife sits at home unaware of her husband’s consistent residence between your legs.
The thought alone makes you sick, revolted at yourself, at how you’ve allowed yourself to reach this point in life. Closer to 30 than 20 and going on 3 years of being a mistress to a married man, a man who can never give you the future you want yet refuse to let go. 
Not that you’d ever allow yourself to really acknowledge why. 
That’s….that’s just too much.
________
Pillow talk was just something that naturally happened between the two of you. It made sense given that your relationship started out with just talking. He seemed interested in knowing more about you, about your likes and dislikes. He shared his as well. You weren’t beyond admitting that Joe was insanely easy to talk to, the flow of conversation always natural, never forced. There never seemed to be a dry spot between you two. 
And whether it was an innate ability to pick up on the emotions of others or just his, you could always tell when something was bothering him, could see when he came to you with a burden he didn’t want to discuss.
Not that that stopped you from asking. If he declined to talk about it, you respected it, didn’t push. But, more often than not, he would end up sharing things with you, mostly concerns regarding his career.
It seemed he visioned one thing for himself, while Vince McMahon saw another. He felt frustrated at times, especially when the fanbase started pushing back more. He never admitted as such, but you could see it hurt his feelings. How could it not? Kayfabe or not, Joe was still a real person with real feelings, regardless of the role he played.
And at some point, his visits to see you stopped always involving sex. That happened majority of the time, but there were occasions when he just seemed like he needed someone to be around, a distraction, someone to talk to. 
Someone like you.
“Come on.” You jumped up off the couch and offered your hand that he looked at with disinterest. “Don’t make me drag your big ass. It’ll probably break my back.” He lifts his brow, and you roll your eyes. “Joe, come onnnn.”
“Where are we going?” He finally asks, all the while sighing heavily and standing up. Though unnecessary at this point, he still takes your hand. You try not to think too much of the gentle squeeze he gives.
“To my kitchen.” 
Glancing over, he gestures with his thumb. “The place that’s like 3 feet away.”
You suck your teeth and shove against him. “Don’t be an ass. We’re gonna bake cookies.”
“Bake?”
“That’s what I said.” Though clearly skeptical, he follows you into the kitchen and watches as you start gathering supplies. “I spent a lot of summers with my grandma, and whenever either of us were having a bad day, she’d take us into the kitchen and we’d bake chocolate chip cookies. She’d always say there’s nothing a good chocolate morsel can’t cure.” 
Reflecting on those memories, so fond and cherished, brings a despondent smile to your face.
His eyes fall on you, sensing the sudden sadness. “You miss her.”
“Every day….” Shaking your head, you make a conscious effort to not make this about you and your grief. “Now, we need music.” You settle on some random “cookout” playlist that aids in setting the playful mood. To your surprise, yet not surprise, Joe keeps up without struggle. He's a fast learner, easily following along to your detailed instructions and explanations. Things get messy at times, as one does when baking, but it only causes the two of you to share laughter. Especially when you ‘accidentally’ get flour on each other. For you, it was an accident. His was definitely intentional. 
Still, between the laughter, light conversation, and New Edition serving as backdrop, it’s a sweet moment. 
“And now we wait,” you announce, plopping down on the sofa. “Wrestler by day, baker by night. Who’d a thunk it?”
He chuckles. “I never knew you could cook.”
At that, you nearly choke on the water bottle you’d grabbed off the coffee table. “Me? Cook? No. Not at all. There’s a reason every thanksgiving, my family only asks me to bring the drinks. My mom is the cook. Grandma was the baker. I can make cookies and a few select items. That’s it.”
You can still hear your grandma’s voice in the back of your head, chiding you for never allowing your mom to teach you how to cook. It just never garnered your interest, even when they swore up and down you’d never find a husband without knowing how.
Maybe they were right.
He joins you in the living room, settling on the other end of the sofa. “Maybe I could teach you then.”
His words—and offer—suprise you. “You can cook?”
“Don’t look so surprised.” He rolls his blue eyes. Some days you love the contacts, others you hate them. Today is a love day. They make his beauty even more exquisite. “Because of the big age difference between me and my siblings, it was just me and my mom a lot of times. They were either out and about or had either moved out. She’d ask me to help her out in the kitchen, and I picked up on a couple things.”
“You’re a fast learner.” That much is very obvious, in several areas of his life. “Was it ever hard? Like, not really having them around?”
He seems to think about her question before answering. “Yes and no. The twins moved to Florida when I was like three, and we became close instantly. It was like suddenly having two new brothers. Obviously, they didn’t live with us, so they weren’t always around, and those times were hard, I guess. But the older we got, the more we did together.”
The Usos. Also wrestlers trying to make names for themselves. He really does hail from a legendary dynasty. “I get that. It was just me and my mom, and she worked a lot to support us, so that’s why I spent so much time with my grandma. And I loved it, but sometimes it got lonely not really having siblings.” You look over at him, studying this massive specimen of a man who seems so unsure of himself right now, unsure of his future. He’d hinted at such during their prep, but you bookmarked the comment to revisit. “It’s all gonna work out, you know.”
His gaze is on you, partially disinterested, mostly in disagreement. Joe knows what you're referring to. He chuckles, darkly, “you sound sure.”
“I am,” you counter calmly. Moving to sit on your knees, you continue, “no matter what it takes, you make them respect you. You can do it, and when you finally find your footing, you’ll be one of the best to ever do it. Mark my words.” 
You’ve never been one to build up false hopes in anyone, far too familiar with the sting of disappointment. So every word leaving your mouth drips with sincerity. Joe is so much more than a “pretty face” or someone who got lucky by being born into a wrestling dynasty with a golden spoon in his mouth. He’s worked his ass off, you see how he works his ass off, so the last thing you’d want to witness is him become his own worst enemy by getting too into his head.
“You’ll see. They boo now, but pretty soon they’ll be cheering.” Moving to your knees, you lift your arms in a theatrical display. “Roman, Roman, Roman.” You yelp when his strong arms pull you into his lap, legs spread on either side of his thick thighs. “Would you let me hype you up? Like, damn.”
His smile, so beautiful and genuine, warms your soul. His spirits are lifted, and that’s all that matters. Joe’s hands are on your hips, palms massaging you through your shorts. You move your arms around his neck, resting on his strong shoulders “Thank you.”
It’s at this moment, you foolishly allow yourself to wonder. Wonder what it would be like for this to be the norm, for him to always return to your place when he has time off or in between shows. Wonder what it would be like to consistently be this safe space for him, to be in his corner and not just in the shadows, but in the light. To be supporting him ringside. To be his.
And for a second, you pretend. You pretend that you are his, and he’s yours. That this is your man, and you’re his girl. Just the two of you. Nobody else.
But the comedown from that is devastating, like a boulder sitting on your chest, a butcher knife to your heart. Because he isn’t yours. He never was, and he never will be. 
Mood sullen, you lower your arms to separate yourself. “I should…” You clear your throat, climbing off of him. The air is suddenly too stuffy, the room too small. You need space. “I should go check on the cookies.” 
Joe’s not stupid, far from it. You know that he has to pick up on your 180 in mood, yet he doesn’t pursue you, doesn’t ask questions, and you’re thankful for that. You need to not be around him right now, not so close, not so connected, not so in love.
You need to let him go. ________
“I can’t do this anymore.” 
Joe’s in the midst of sliding his shirt over his head, sitting on the edge of the bed when your voice, low and quiet, stops him mid movement. “What?”
“I said.” You blow out a big breath, unsure why your chest suddenly feels so heavy. “I can’t do this anymore.”
At that, he angles his body so that he can look at you, assess your face. He’s a big eye contact person. “What are you talking about?”
Irritation piques. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Joe.” Gesturing between the two of you, you kick the blankets off and quickly reach for your t-shirt that got discarded last night. Being naked in front of him suddenly feels uncomfortable. “This. It’s done.”
He pauses for a second and then shakes his head, resuming his dressing. “Okay.”
His tone is dismissive, like he doesn’t believe you. Like he thinks you’re playing around. Of course he would be in one of those moods, where he’s more irritable, less receptive and fucking stubborn. “I’m serious.”
“I’m not doing this shit with you right now.” Joe gets up and continues dressing himself, prompting you to climb out of bed and move in front of him. 
He can’t avoid his way out of this. You won’t allow it. It’s time to finally rip the bandaid off. 
You’ve sat on this for the last two weeks, since he last left your apartment and you realized you’d stupidly allowed yourself to fall for this man. Fall for a man who walks around with a wedding ring on his left hand, who’s always had that wedding ring from the moment you met him. You’re not upset with him, not as much as you’re upset with yourself.
You grew up the product of an affair, felt the stinging pain of being rejected by a parent whose selfishness resulted in the creation of life, a life he wanted no part of. Seen how your mom literally begged your piece of shit father to be in your life, to play some role. Heard how he cruelly rejected her, rejected you, calling you your mother’s bastard. A mistake.
It devastated you so deeply that you still can’t really talk about it without getting emotional. 
And yet, you idiotically found yourself playing the same role you used to judge your mother for: the other woman. 
It’s a role you stepped in, and one you must now step out of.
“There’s nothing to do.” You run your hands over your face and shake your head. Choosing to have this conversation at almost 4 o’clock in the morning probably wasn’t the best move, but you also know that if you give yourself more time, you’ll find a reason not to do it. And you need to do this. “You have a wife, Joe. A whole ass woman who loves you and would probably let you fuck her just as much as you like to fuck me. Go be with her, and if not her, find someone else, cause I won’t be that for you. Not anymore.” 
You’re not exactly sure what part of what you just said registered with him, but it’s obvious something did by the change of tone he takes. “Where is this coming from?”
“It’s coming from where it should have come a long time ago,” you answer, crossing your arms over your body. “This was never right, and I refuse to partake in it anymore. I won’t be your whore anymore.”
You didn’t expect hurt to flash in his beautiful eyes nor for him to move closer to you, that hurt intensifying when you back away. He can’t touch you. You can’t allow that, because all it takes is only touch, one longing gaze, and you’ll be putty in his hands. This has to end. “Is that really what you think you are to me?”
“I don’t know what I am to you, Joe,” you answer, honestly. It’s something you’ve battled back and forth with for nearly three years. Just what is it about you that keeps him coming back, keeps him in your bedroom, inside of you. At face value, it’s the sexual compatibility between you. Below the surface level though, there’s maybe more. You’ve never allowed yourself to venture there, and you’re certainly not about to right now. You know how you feel about him, but you refuse to really ask yourself how he feels about you. “And truthfully, it doesn’t matter, cause it doesn’t change anything.”
“So, that’s just it?” His voice is wounded, handsome face painted into a mixture of scowl and a frown. “Almost three years, and you want to throw it all away, for what?”
“For what…..Joe, you are married. You have a whole wife at home. Whatever issues you have that cause you to step out, work that shit out. Learn how to be with her. Cause I’m not doing it any more. I—I can’t.” Emotion imbues your voice toward the end, and you hate that shit. You don’t want him to see, to know, how much this has been eating you up as of lately. “I’m gonna be 30 in a few years. I want to be married. I want to have a family. I deserve that, and I’ll never have it as long as I’m messing with you, so I’ve gotta let you go.” You swallow the deep lump in the back of your throat. “And you’ve gotta let me go.” 
This time, this time you can see the part that wounds him, that digs into his chest. You’ve gotta let me go. 
Joe is fast, fast enough to move directly in front of you, large hands holding your face. He says your name, desperate almost. “Tell me what to do, tell me what you want, and I’ll do it. Just….” He stops, and you close your eyes, refusing to see if it’s his own emotions coming up. You can barely handle your own cascade of feelings right now and refuse to take on his. “I can’t lose you.”
What you want…..
What you want is for him to never leave. What you want is for him to stay with you, to be with you. What you want is for him to have never met Jadah, never married her, never committed his life to her. 
What you want is for him to be yours and only yours, but what you want….is also what you can never have. 
“I—I want you to leave, Joe.” The words burn your lips, scorch your throat, ache your soul. “And this time….don’t come back.”
You can’t bring yourself to open your eyes, to see the result of your heartbreaking, even if honest request. It’s because you know seeing him hurt will only cause your resolve to crumble, and you can’t have that. You have to be strong, have to be the woman your mother couldn't.
So, you remain there, remain silent as he steps away from you, his touch vanishing. There’s such an emptiness in his wake.
It’s only when you hear the front door of your apartment shut that you finally feel it, the caving of your stomach, the heavy lump move from the back of your throat, the release of the loud sob you didn’t realize you’d been keeping at bay. 
It’s when you finally allow yourself to feel all of the emotions of a woman who just told the only man she’s ever loved to leave. 
If only you knew his departure was just the beginning of the rest of your life.
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🌻 charlie walker boyfriend headcanons 🌻
charlie walker x reader
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. my sweet, sweet baby charlie - this man is so obsessed with you
. like it's low-key creepy but in such a sweet way you'd never even know
. i like to imagine you probably met in his film club, but he'd probably seen you in the hallways at school and he was just smitten after that. or even if you sat behind him in history class or smth and he tried his hardest to not look at you
. will be the most loyal boyfriend you could ever imagine, this man would die (and kill) for you in a heartbeat
. okay so, either you had to ask him out OR a bunch of mutual friends grouped together to get yous together because they were just sick of your pining
. honestly, robbie's ears are talked off about you, poor guy can't catch a break
. speaking of robbie, he definitely teases charlie about his little crush and will subtly drop hints in front of you just to embarrass him
. but robbie is also definitely 1000% your biggest fan, this man would literally make a movie just about how awkward your get together was, he adores you and thinks you're perfect for his best friend
. charlie stutters a lot when talking to you, he just struggles to believe he actually pulled you, the girl of his dreams. and he BLUSHES too, omg this man is a walking mess for you
. movie dates ofc are a given, if you're not a fan of horror movies, charlie will still happily sit and watch whatever you want. i personally think that charlie would draw the line at rom-coms tho, but that's just my personal opinion. like he will, but he'll criticise it all the way to the credits
. charlie is 100% a night owl. you'll probably be waking up as charlie is getting ready to go to sleep. not that he likes watching you sleep or anything 😳
. BOARD GAMES - play some cluedo with this pathetic little man, he lives for board game nights. play some music in the background, a bottle of cheap rum or smth between the two of you and that's charlie's dream night fr
. absolutely loves holding your hand in public. I don't think that's charlie's that big on pda but he's a sucker for hand holding and nose kisses
. is the king of remembering little details about you. remember that necklace that you got when you were six but lost somehow? no? charlie definitely does and would probably get you a new one
. his favourite thing is your eyes. it's his absolute favourite colour. he'd get a bracelet specifically with a stone that is the same colour so he can look at it when he misses you
. loves listening to music with you and making you your own playlist. he's the stereotypical romantic of where he loves sharing earphones with you so you can listen together 🥹
. okay I hate to admit it, but charlie is probably a terrible cook. BUT he tries his hardest to cook your favourite foods for you just to see you smile
. the most giggly, awkward boyfriend you've ever had and ever will have. he loves your smile, he's always trying to make you laugh
. I have a theory that charlie's laugh is very contagious. this man would giggle once and have the whole class in a fit of giggles because his laugh is just so adorable
. wear. his. shirts. this man LIVES to see you in his clothes
. would probably eventually end up giving you the ones he doesn't wear anymore
."they look better on you anyway" 😖 an absolute sweetheart
. soft, gentle kisses are the usual. he's so gentle with you like he's scared you'll break ALTHOUGH when he kisses you, he will grip at your waist really tight
. will not, under any circumstances, have you involved with the ghostface killings. charlie can be quite frightening when he's angry so he makes sure jill knows her place
. would probably lie to you about his involvement, as much as he hates lying to you, he couldn't stand the thought of you hating him and leaving
. no seriously, charlie would have a full on mental break down if you were to ever leave him or break up with him
. speaking of breaking up with him, lol, yeah no... not happening. it's the last thing he'd let you do
. the relationship is low-key a bit toxic but in a 'you can't leave, you're the only person I have' kinda way? y'know?
. sex would be hella awkward at first, charlie would have absolutely no clue on what to do, poor boy :(
. he just wants to make you feel good. speaking of which, PRAISE. praise this man, he thrives of knowing how good he makes you feel
. loves you on top, and when you tug at his hair when you're close to finishing
. is the most whiny mess during sex. he's so LOUD. he moans, groans, whines and whimpers so much and he's not embarrassed by it either
. makes sure you cum first every single time. charlie will not stop until you do, even if it take until morning
. king of aftercare. he'll clean you up, cuddle with you, talk with you, make you a cup of tea and a snack, All OF IT
. don't be fooled though, he loves some aftercare himself. playing with his hair as you lie on him, completely blissed out. cuddle him, tell him how good he was, and boy MELTS
. overall the dream boyfriend and i'm desperate for a charlie in my life (rory culkin a chance, please?!)
. 100/10 would recommend
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mythicmanuscripts · 1 month
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Totally ok if this is not up your alley- but would you ever be open to exploring a beta!reader with her omega boys? I think there can be many ways this dynamic could be explored.
But my heart loves the concept of beta's are kinda viewed as spinsters even within highborn families.
so the Reader is enjoying their life at court while the princes are being prepared to see all the alpha's that would like to try for their hand in marriage. And they cannot stand any of their suitors. And instead opt to spend time with the newest beta brought to the court. No one ever suspects stronger feelings for the omegas to bloom but when they do it surprises everyone that they would settle with a beta over a 'stronger' alpha
Oooo brilliant question anon!! I love betas, so I'd happy write more on this!! (for future reference: I'll happily write beta!reader with omega or alpha characters as well as Alpha!reader, the only thing I won't write is omega!reader). Anyway, I'm gonna write a little bit about this concept with some different characters and we can take it from there.
As always, because it's a/b/o I'll hide it under a cut
AEMOND:
So I think this idea actually works best with Aemond, because he tries to not seem very omega like? All these alphas were trying to court him, but they were all trying to treat him like he's some useless vulnerable omega who can't look after himself. He hates every second with those alphas, hates how they make him feel. People keep on telling him how once he finds his alpha he will want to nest with them and look after him and do all those typical omega things but obviously this doesn't happen.
With you being a beta, aemond is immediately more at ease with you and enjoys talking to you more. You always listen to him, and maybe you also train with him? He loves how you are him seriously and how you roll your eyes when he complains about all the alphas that are trying to his hand.
Aemond doesn't even realise his feelings for you at first. One day he just finds himself wanting your scent in his nest, and then soon he finds that he doesn't like to talk to alphas without you. He only clocks what's happening when he hisses at one of the omega servants who try to dish your dinner for you. The poor servants drops the spoon when and runs away, and aemond has no regrets whatsoever because how dare they try to do that?? It's HIS job to feed you, no one else.
He's two seconds away from a mating before he even realises he's in love and he needs you and only you.
AEGON:
Everyone is shocked when they realise that Aegon has fallen for a beta. Out of everyone, they never imagined it would aegon that would want a beta. He's just... so very omega? From the moment he was born he had always been very much a stereotypical omega. He's emotional and sweet and he purrs and hisses and loves being pampered.
Alphas come from all over the kingdom with lavish gifts and aegon bats his eyes and thanks everyone. And sure those alphas are fine, but you're the only one who really knows how to look after him?
Hes not just a needy omega (though make no mistake he is absolutely a needy omega), he's also a little skittish? You're the only one who has mastered just how much guidance Aegon needs without controlling him. He really just melts in your presence aNnd becomes very protective of you.
JACE:
Now as we all know, Jace is easily flustered and he's ver particular about touches and fabric. Most stimuli can feel too much, no matter what they are.
For omega!Jace, I think that he's also like that with scents? He has to find a single alpha scent that he actually wants around him. At best he finds them a little off-putting and most he feels like he can't breath from how strong they are. In fact sometimes even the scents of fellow omegas can bring about that reaction?
Once they move to dragon stone, Rhaenyra sets aside one room as the designated nesting room for everyone, because of course she does she looks after her children very well. Everyone knows not to question if Jace doesn't come into the nesting room for a few days, because every often even those happy pack scents are too much.
But then he meets you, and you smile at him and shake his head and from the moment he gets your scent he's obsessed. It's much milder than alphas or omegas, and in fact many alphas can barely even smell you have any scent. Jace though? He's obsessed, he cannot get enough of it.
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damnfandomproblems · 9 days
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Fandom Problem #5787:
I hate how fandom treats queer fem characters, and here's the most common problems/my biggest complaints;
The only queer woman that are allowed are lesbians or bi woman who might as well be lesbians because they're only allowed to date woman. Forget pan or undefined queer woman with an attraction to multiple sexes/genders, they can only date other woman or else they're not actually queer because penis cooties or something
Queer woman aren't allowed dark and/or toxic romances and stories like queer men and cishets are, because high hell forbid a queer woman isn't uwu soft bean because then she's "bad representation", "pushing bad stereotypes", and will somehow make eveyone think every queer woman is a toxic abuser
Queer woman aren't allowed to be unapologetically evil, because once again they have to be uwu soft beans, they're just allowed to be sad now. If they're just straight up evil, then once again, "bad representation", "bad stereotypes", bla bla bla
Queer woman aren't allowed to have unrealistic smut/erotica like queer men and cishets are. Apparently no queer woman ever has unrealistic fantasies and all smut/erotica HAS to be wlw sex-ed in disguise because what if a poor virgin queer woman reads that, takes it as the sex-ed gospel and thus doesn't do any other research, and has to have an awkward expexperience when they lose their virginity because they tried to recreate a smut fic?
Traditional feminine queer woman have to be tops and masculine queer woman have to be bottoms otherwise it's just het sex in disguise
Short queer woman also have to be tops and tall queer woman have to be bottoms or else it's once again just het sex in disguise
Queer woman can't have/want bio kids, let alone want experience pregnancy via artificial insemination or more natural methods. Adopted kids only, no, you can't even have a mix of adopted and bio because pregnancy is only for those cishet, man obsessed, baby machines
For some reason, queer woman are only allowed to have sons, or however many boys and one girl. They can never just have a single girl child, multiple girl children, or just a majority of female children.
Queer woman aren't allowed to decide that they just want to love themselves/not date because that's just an excuse to not write a queer romance (unless they're aroace, because high hell forbids anyone, not just queers, with romantic and/or sexual attraction choose to not define themselves by it)
Every woman is secretly queer, portraying your experience of pinning over a straight woman isn't allowed. Only happily ever after queer storys are allowed
I could keep going but I'll stop here.
TL;DR: I just want more diverse queer fem stories and listed out common restrictions fandom tends to enforce of queer fem content
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gay-dorito-dust · 1 year
Note
I heard you are looking for Barbie prompts👀👀
1. Ken learning to kiss (he's never done it before lol)
2. FtM reader struggling, Ken helps him realize he's just as much of a man as anyone else
3. Ken asking for advice on winning over Barbie, only to fall for reader
4. Ken revealing his struggle with toxic masculinity and his shame
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God so many amazing prompts, I wish I could write them all but I don’t wanna bore anyone with how long of a fic that would be. So if anyone wants me to do the other prompts (1, 2, or 4) plz let me know.
Prompt 3: Ken asks for advice on how to win over Barbie, only to fall for reader in the process.
You cringed as another one of Ken’s failed attempts of impressing stereotypical Barbie. You had to applaud your friends’ tenacity because had it been you, you would’ve just given up in the moments where Ken had done nothing but persist in his pursuit of the beautiful blonde. You honestly didn’t a clue in whether or not it’ll do Ken any good in telling him that he would be better off in giving up, or it’ll just further persuade him into trying even harder in his efforts in a desperate form of hope that one day she’ll see him. Like actually see him.
Whatever the outcome, you knew that not matter what was being said by anyone, Ken was one to never know in when it’s okay to quit. His supposed advancements weren’t advancing anything in regards to his and Barrie’s relationship; they were still on square one in your humble opinion, as it was quite blatantly obvious that Ken needed Barbie like she was the oxygen he breaths but Barbie didn’t need Ken, she could very well breath happily without him.
Quickly seeing how you and Ken were the only ones left upon the peachy pink beach, you sighed as you made your way next to your blonde friend -who was very much in the literal sense lying face down within the sand- before sitting yourself down next to him with your knees propped up so that your arms may rest atop of them, followed softly after by your head feasting atop of your arms as you stared out beyond the horizon.
‘Well, that certainly went off without a hitch, didn’t it blondie.’ You said rhetorically whilst Ken groaned as he removed himself from the sand before practically slumping himself against your side.
‘First of all, my names Ken, not blondie, and secondly what is it that I’m doing wrong?’ Ken said, ‘I’d thought that she would totally be girlfriend/boyfriend with me by now but it seems that no matter how many times I’ve tried to make her see the man behind the tan, the more she doesn’t want me…what do I have to change about me to get her to admit that she likes me?’ He adds solemnly before looking over at you with a look of sheer desperation and hopelessness. ‘Tell me what it is that I have to change about myself in order to make Barbie see me.’ He asked of you, making you look his way as he grabbed your hands in his, almost like he was pleading to you to hear him. ‘Tell me what to change and I’ll do it, tell me what will make her see me as more Ken the boyfriend then Ken the friend.’
You stayed silent for awhile as you made the conscious choice to stare into his beautiful cerulean blue eyes that looked almost midnight blue with how they perfectly mimicked the starry sky above, or how they perfectly encapsulated the deepest depths of the very ocean he often -though not that often as he liked to claim- surfed. It was without saying that the Ken before you, your best friend Ken, was probably the most beautiful Ken you’ve ever come across, and while it’s not uncommon for friends to hype up the others beauty; there was obviously lines in the sand in regards to how far one can speak so highly of another’s appearance without it having somewhat romantic implications.
Upon realising how long you had been inside your own head, whilst externally just staring at him like a weirdo, you began to talk. ‘Here’s one thing you can stop doing and that’s going to extreme lengths to impress her.’ You told him, watching as his face slightly drop before feeling a panic consume you into continuing soliciting your advice, ‘I’m not saying you should cut it out all together but maybe tone it down a little, nobody here wants you to end up badly hurt yourself one day. Besides I think it’d be best if you just let her see the so called ‘man behind the tan.’ You added on as you pulled one hand of yours away from Ken’s hold in order to press it against his chest; more specifically where his heart lies. ‘Show Barbie the Ken that I know and love, the Ken who isn’t above helping others, the Ken who loves horses despite never having ridden one, the Ken who loves the beach, the Ken who loves his friends and will go above and beyond for them.’
You paused before trailing your hand upward so that it was now resting behind his neck, your thumb running across his skin in soothing patterns as you smiled at him, causing Ken to take a sharp inhale of breath. ‘You don’t have to change Ken, I don’t want my best friend to change for someone who won’t realise how lucky she is to have you in her life Ken.’ You utter softly before adding, ‘because I am and I prefer you the way you are right now, but I’m not the one your perusing and therefore I have no say in who you change for, just hope that you never do.’ You hauled yourself onto your feet before making your way off of the beach and back to your home, leaving Ken to stare after you in wonder and in awe.
‘Have I? Have I been going after the wrong person?’ Ken asked himself as thoughts of Barbie quickly became thoughts of you instead and the feeling that usually blossoms within him for Barbie, seemed to have only blossomed more then ever in regards of when it came to you. Naturally Ken was conflicted about the sudden change, wasn’t he suppose to be with Barbie? Then why did the notion of being your boyfriend felt more natural, more likeable then being Barbie’s boyfriend? He couldn’t understand how after perusing Barbie for as long as he has, his heart and mind have seemingly made peace with the fact that she wasn’t even at all interested in him, just as they were immediate in their change of trajectory and instead decided to set their sights on you after this particular night on the beach, and engaging within a conversation that relied on him to being open and honest about his feelings.
Ken just couldn’t understand why he felt so breathless when you smiled at him not too long ago, it felt as though you knocked the wind clear out of his lungs and he was still struggling on getting it back the more his mind stayed stuck on that particular moment. Ken was afraid to admit that he had fallen for someone new, but a small part of him was telling him that he had fallen for you way before the events that lead up to tonight’s conversation, telling him that it was no longer Barbie he was trying to impress but you.
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paimonial-rage · 7 months
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otome isekai snippets - geo boys
synopsis: in which your favorite characters get dropped into a random stereotypical isekai plot of the author's choosing characters: albedo, gorou, itto, zhongli notes: title, synopsis, then snippet
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Albedo - Protecting the Hero With Love
The hero’s journey was met with betrayal from every end, the first of which from his adoptive guardian, Duke Kreideprinz, who experimented on him endlessly as a child in an attempt to use his unique mana to defy the gods. Reborn as the hero’s sibling, there was no way you would be letting your brother go down such a harsh path! First obstacle? You would stop the duke from ever taking notice of your brother! Wait, what do you mean marriage!?
“Goodnight!” You exclaimed as you slammed your bedroom door shut.
You ignored the heat that flooded your cheeks as you fled to the comforting embrace of your bed. Your hands shook as you took your fluffiest pillow, buried your face into it…
And screamed.
Something was wrong. Something was very very wrong. Why in the world was he doing things like… that!? Dining with you every evening, placing his hand upon your waist in public, walking to your room at night and taking your hand to kiss while he looks up at you with those piercing blue–
You screamed into your pillow again. 
What in the world was going on!? He wasn’t supposed to be like this! By saving his sister from her terrible fate, you planned to prevent him from even taking interest in your brother’s mana. He was supposed to thank you with a sum of money and then send you on your way. His offer of a marriage contract as a form of protection for you and your brother came as a surprise, but when he simply stated it would be a benefit to him as well, you agreed. Since it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, he certainly had no reason to take interest in you.
So why in the world was he–
You slammed your fist into the pillow.
You knew the duke! Not only did you know him from the book, but you even heard rumors of him before you even met him in this world! He was supposed to be a loner! He was dismissive of most of his peers! He preferred the company of beakers and potions to actual people! The only person he truly cared about was his sister! So what in the world was that!? Just as his lips brushed against your fingers, he gazed up at you with those seafoam eyes and–
“So you don’t mind if I pursue you seriously then?”
You flopped forward onto your pillow and buried your face into it. Your heart couldn’t take this. Especially not when he looked at you like that. 
--
gorou, itto, and zhongli under the cut!
Gorou - I’m Not the Villainess Anymore!
It was the classic tale told many times past of a beautiful, yet pitiful woman that was saved by a handsome man. Together they overcame jealous villainesses, corrupt politicians, and jealous older siblings to live happily ever after. But that was not your story. You, as the jealous ultimate villainess, were exiled to a lonely monastery at the edge of the kingdom. But you know what? It was about time! Finally, you can live your life unfettered by the chains of the novel! But if that was the case, why does the head knight keep bothering you!? Your job as the villainess is done! It’s about time he left you alone!
You bit your lip as you scrubbed that light spot in the corridor for the fiftieth time. Who would have thought that after months of getting General Gorou to leave, the moment your wish came true you wanted nothing more than to keep him here with you. You knew his strengths and accomplishments. You knew he wouldn’t be taken down easily. But the thought that he’d be going up against the Shogunate…
You gritted your teeth and pressed your scrubber even harder into the spot. 
Who cared? Regardless of what happened, Sangonomiya Kingdom had nothing to do with you. Your job there was done. And once General Gorou left, you’d finally be free. You’d finally be able to live your life the way you wanted to. You would be able to leave the monastery behind, jump on a ship to a land far away, and restart your life there. And–
You froze when you heard the sound of hooves accompanied with a familiar voice. 
“Woah there! Jeez, I know you’re happy to go running again, but this won’t be for fun, boy.”
General Gorou? Was he leaving already?
Your heart caught in your throat as you tossed everything to the side and dashed toward the front doors. Throwing them open, you froze upon seeing the general securing the last of his luggage to his trusted steed. And when his eyes fell upon you, he froze in return. Was he at a loss of what to say just like you? But by the steely expression that soon overtook his face, it seemed he found his words first.
“I’ll return safely to you, I promise.”
You wanted to laugh in response. He’ll return safely? How could he promise such a thing so easily? The Shogun’s army was mighty and the Sangonomiya Kingdom was so small. Sure, he was a mighty warrior. Sure, he proved himself in battle many times over, but that didn’t mean–
He took your hands and squeezed them tightly.
“I’ll come back to you safely. I promise. So…” He then cupped your cheek and smiled that adorable smile of his. “Don’t worry too much, okay? Make sure to eat your vegetables. And don’t get into fights with the priest. Oh! And the children adore you, so I’ll check to see you set a good example for them when I return.”
Disbelief exploded from your chest in the form of a bark of laughter. 
“Don’t scold me right before you march to your death! Don’t worry about me! Just…” You turned away as tears filled your eyes. “Just come back alive.”
--
Itto - My Seventh Round of Life
You lived six lives before this one, each ending in failure. Murder, sickness, betrayal—the list goes on. You did everything right. You fulfilled all the duties of each life, and still each time ended in your early demise. So when you woke up for the seventh time, you decided you had enough. You’ll give life one last chance. This time you’ll make your own decisions! Although… getting caught by a gang of bandits certainly was not one of them!!!
“You can’t just… do this!!! They’re not going to allow it!” You exclaimed as you tried to pull the big burly oni back. 
You had no clue what in the world made him think it was okay to simply set up a stage in the middle of such an illustrious city, but here was this big dope doing so! Didn’t he know what could happen? What if permits were needed? What if everybody was arrested for the fifth time this month!? But much to your dismay, Itto erupted in a big belly laughter at your despair.
“C’mon, First! Why are you getting your obi all tied in a knot? It’s not a big deal. We've done this maaaany times and it always turned out fine. Just trust me! It’s gonna be a riot!”
You wanted to scream. Of course, he wouldn’t see anything wrong with this. Didn’t this guy have any sense of self-preservation? But when you turned to Shinobu for assistance, there she was supervising the setup of the stage. Was literally everyone in this accursed gang insane?
Upon noticing your distressed expression, Itto let out a sigh. Soon you were wincing as a huge hand ruffled your carefully styled hair. 
“Don’t worry, I get it! You’re standing here brought to tears over worrying about your great boss. It’ll be fine!” But when your expression didn’t change, his turned stern. “Look, if you spend all your time racking your brain over hows-its and whats-its, you’ll get all old and pruney before you know it. You only live once. Might as well make it worth it, right?”
You wanted to laugh. If only he knew this was your seventh life. You got killed for less. But… unlike your previous lives, it wasn’t as if the Arataki Gang was involved in anything illegal. Their antics only incurred, not the threat of bows and spears, but the rolling of eyes. You left your old life away too. They didn’t want you anymore. So… perhaps… Perhaps it couldn’t be that bad?
Your shoulders dropped.
“Fine.”
So when he jumped in front of the crowd with fireflies strapped to his horns and the rest of the gang jumping and dancing around him, the audience hooted and hollered with glee. With the music twanging high in the air and the children of the city rushing around you, somewhere along the line you found yourself laughing along too. It felt odd. Weird. Like there was a lightness in your chest you never felt before. 
Was this what it felt like to live?
--
Zhongli - I Didn’t Mean to Sleep With the Celestial Emperor
Every century, the celestial emperor came down to the Kingdom of Liyue to grace his people with the divine knowledge needed to flourish until his return. After enjoying the week-long festival in the harbor to your heart’s content, you were excited for the main event. But as the celestial emperor descended from the heavens, what filled your chest was not awe, but confusion. Wasn’t he the guy you slept with last night?
“It has been said that while the Harbor represents the will of Liyue, Qingce Village represents its heart. It is a joy to see that it has remained just as I remembered.” 
“O-Oh, is that so?” You asked as the corner of your smile twitched slightly.
You didn’t know how it came to this, bringing the celestial emperor around Liyue, that is. When you first saw his face, you nervously assumed you were mistaken. You clearly saw him descend from the heavens, after all. The man you spent a passionate evening with the night before certainly could not be him. But when he locked eyes with you from the parapet, dread filled your stomach. 
You tried. You really did. The moment the procession was over, you upped and headed straight to the inn to pack your belongings to leave and leave to anywhere out of Liyue Harbor. But that would’ve been too easy. No, the moment you rushed downstairs and paid your bill, you turned to run straight into a young adeptus and was therefore whisked over to the man himself. 
Though it would have been weird, you would have been fine if he simply wished to thank you for the evening, but things were never that simple, were they? No, when you were brought before him, he said that you promised to show him the delights of Liyue. You said he could take it as a verbal contract between you both and he wished to cash in on it.
Now, let it be said that you didn’t mean it. After having had a few drinks last night, you were in the mood to flirt and really, could you be held accountable for what came out of your mouth? You didn’t think he’d hold you to it! But at the same time, how could you refuse!? Only a fool would invalidate a contract made with the very being of contracts! 
So here you were bringing the celestial emperor around as if he were some random normal traveler from a foreign land trying to hide from the common folk the divinity that oozed off of him in waves. It certainly did not help that he was handsome to boot and could steal hearts with a simple smile. And when he directed all that at you…?
“To be able to share this view with you…” His amber eyes glowed with warmth. “Your presence makes this trip even more of a delight.”
You couldn’t think straight.
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respectthepetty · 19 hours
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The Loyal Pin - Episode 8
¡Sorpresa, cabronas! Blue Beauty Anin is back in the palace, and she is already causing issues for her color-coded brothers!
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And for her Pink Person Pin!
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So as much as I appreciate Anin being so focused on her studies, because she wanted to graduate early, I'm glad Pin called her out for not communicating and thinking this surprise would make her forget that she was basically ignored FOR MONTHS!
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But thankfully Anin knows how to make it up to her (in bed) (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!)
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And now they can be color-coded girls in love and live happily ever after! Yes? YES!
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Well, that's until Anin's color-coded brothers tell her she needs to start thinking about getting married . . . to a man.
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But because this a GL, like queer magic, all the girls start showing up to Anin's yard for her milkshake like her sister-in-law with her sister, who just happens to be the girl who tried to assault Anin in her bed.
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But nobody cares because Anin's color-coded brother and aunt (WHO IS WEARING PURPLE!) are planning a formal welcome back party for Anin which will literally bring all the girls to her yard for her milkshake (and other treats).
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Anin is less than thrilled believing this is a ploy to get her to meet marriage prospects, but her brother promises that isn't what is happening.
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All color-coded royals do is lie.
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But our boy Pranot is going to make this party spectacular even if he has to hot glue and duct tape everything together by himself, and this is not me stereotyping the gays, but . . . . . . he has to be gay because only a gay man or a pageant mom could turn it out like this with such short notice.
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So Pranot creates a party fit for color-coded royals overnight.
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And the aunt, who is in her color (finally!) has the food covered.
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But she can't stay, because she has a guest, in her house, waiting for her. *whispers* lesbian shenanigans are afoot
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And to nobody's surprise, marriage prospects are at this party and lined up IN RED to greet our Blue Beauty. I know Pranot sent them a detailed document outlining the dress code, so if they were paying any attention, they would've known to wear BLUE to impress the princess and not RED to impress her siblings. Who do they want to marry?! Apparently not our lesbian!
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Then Aon shows up looking like her and her sister thought this was a costume party and they are an orange and a cherry, which means the only time we have seen Aon is pink is when she was trying to slide into Anin's bed, and now she is on my list!
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Sidenote: Is the brother's fiancée May from My Marvellous Dream is You and The Sign?! How did I miss that?! Obviously the outfit is doing it's job because it made me notice her in a room full of other beautiful women, so I'll quit hating on these fruity outfits now.
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Actually, I won't because it's clear to me the two oranges from the orange tree belong together, so if Kuea really doesn't care about marrying a lesbian since he wants to Pin so badly, why not just marry another lesbian named Aon? Makes color-coded sense to me!
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But then there is the issue of my babygirl Ueangfah who also showed up to Anin's yard party for her milkshake.
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But I think I have someone for her too! It's not a color-coded match, but it could be a lavender marriage!
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The queers have been doing it for centuries. Just getting married and throwing amazing garden parties. Fun times!
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But Anin, in her pretty blue dress had too much fun being possessive of Pin because she was getting a little unwanted attention from a man when ALL OF THESE WOMEN WERE BASICALLY HAND-FEEDING ANIN FOOD AND THEIR BODIES ALL NIGHT! (I'm a little peeved at Anin, pero whatevs). So Pin, in her lovely purple and pink dress, has to drag her girlfriend home which is luckily across the lawn.
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And because Anin is westernized now, she is white girl wasted, meaning she wants to make out with her girl anywhere and everywhere because eff decorum!
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So Pin has to tie her up with a blue piece of fabric. (Where did this come from?!)
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But it isn't for safety reasons. No! It's for ~kinky~ reasons.
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And in the midst of some delightful girl-on-girl action, we get the rudest flashback to Anin's older brother checking on Anin since he was worried about her drinking, yet stumbling upon her exchanging colors and tongues with Pin, you know, like the French do.
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So the episode ends with him finally realizing the big secret that everyone has been keeping from him including the servants -
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He was the only straight person at that party tonight.
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femmefatalevibe · 1 year
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Femme Fatale Booklist: Decentering Men, Feminist Dating, & Childfree Living
Books On Decentering Men/Feminist Perspectives On Dating (for the times you're in need, you know):
A Single Revolution by Shani Silver (most important rec, IMO!)
Patriarchy Stress Disorder: The Invisible Inner Barrier to Women's Happiness and Fulfillment by Valerie Rein, Ph.D
What a Time to Be Alone: The Slumflower's Guide to Why You Are Already Enough by Chidera Eggerue 
How To Get Over A Boy by Chidera Eggerue 
All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation by Rebecca Traister
Enjoy Your Solo By Mary Delia Allen
How to Be Single and Happy by Jennifer Taitz
Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After by Bella DePaulo, Ph.D
On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen 
We Are Not Born Submissive: How Patriarchy Shapes Women's Lives by Manon Garcia 
The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls by Mona Eltahawy 
Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny by Kate Manne
Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling  Men by Lundy Bancroft 
Men Who Hate Women: From Incels to Pickup Artists: The Truth about Extreme Misogyny and How it Affects Us All by Laura Bates
Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward by Gemma Hartley  
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by Bell Hooks
All About Love: New Visions by Bell Hooks
Books On Childfree Living:
Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood by Ruby Warrington
Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence by Amy Blackstone
Confessions of a Childfree Woman: A Life Spent Swimming Against the Mainstream by Marcia Drut-Davis 
Regretting Motherhood: A Study by Orna Donath
No One Tells You This: A Memoir by Glynnis MacNicol 
25 Over 10: A Childfree Longitudinal Study by Laura Caroll
The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World  by Laura Caroll
The Baby Trap by Ellen Peck
Policing the Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood by Michele Goodwin 
Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother by Peggy O'Donnell Heffington 
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gainaxvel3o · 8 months
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It's weird to think of Utena as a deconstruction of magical girls. Not just because it's reductive- though it is, there's so much more that's interesting about the show- but I just don't think that's what Utena is specifically going for.
Like, maybe I lack the context for how magical girls were like when Utena came out, but when I think of the stereotypical magical girl, I think of girls getting magic powers & frilly dresses, coming together through the power of friendship and fighting the forces of darkness. Utena's story doesn't really have a lot to do with that, it's story is framed in more male-coded fantasies, fairy tale imagery like princes and knightly duels, fighters using swords to "win" the Rose Bride. etc. It deliberately uses these in order to comment on how limiting gender roles can be for men and women. In particular, a lot of Anthy's resentment comes from having to play the role of the Rose Bride, but being rejected as a witch for how weird, creepy or off-putting she is.
I get the sense that if Utena is deconstructing anything, it's the idea that women can rise through a male dominated field like princehood without becoming the boot. Utena's desire to become a prince gets attacked by mysoginistic men, but it's framed as childish due to not realizing the true nature of her desire. To be a prince, as represented through Akio, is to subjugate maidens to his will. They go off, get married and live happily ever after inside of an illusionary castle, a symbol of the patriarchal world in which princes rule, while women could only be princesses or witches under this system. Utena isn't really "revolutionary" for wanting to be a prince in spite of sexist men hounding her (hell, Juri, a woman, is one of those princes), but just another participant in the cycle. Utena only really wins when she forsakes the sword to reach out to Anthy in the finale, seeing her for the whole picture rather than the idealized Rose Bride she unintentionally forced her into.
In essense, I think the show is about the follies of being a girlboss. Utena wasn't breaking the mysoginistic system so much as becoming an unwitting participant of it up until the end.
...
Hm, maybe Akio is meant to be a deconstruction of Tuxedo Mask? A seemingly mysterious cool dude, there's an age gap, helps out the heroine, but unlike the actual Mamoru, Akio is (rightfully) portrayed as having sinister intentions for his actions. I guess that's the director's apathy toward Mamoru at work there (though the anime version of him is way older than in the manga).
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exitpursuedbyavulcan · 5 months
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The Silver Dragon (4)
The Book
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Though Arianwyn wants nothing more than to devour the book Aemond gifted her, she finds herself tear her mind from Aegon’s taunting words. But as she recalls a difficult conversation with her cousin and lady’s maid from the night before, she decides that perhaps she does not want to be married – ever.
Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x OC (Daemon and Rhea's daughter)
Warnings: none
Author's Note: An Alicent POV? It's more likely than you think...
Series Masterlist - Previous Chapter - Next Chapter
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Arianwyn sat at one of the great oaken tables in the library of the Red Keep, elbows on either side of the great tome before her as she pressed her balled fists into her still-flushed cheeks. She had been waiting for the answers contained in this book for as long as she could remember, but now that they lay before her, all she could think about was Aegon’s words.
“As soon as your father acknowledges you’re alive…”
What did it matter that he acknowledge her? Had she not been taken in by the King and Queen themselves? Lived in their castle, raised alongside their own children? Was she not the Lady of Runestone, head of an ancient and noble house in her own right? Why should her fate be determined by a man she had never met?
Daemon Targaryen was across the Narrow Sea, living happily with his young wife and two daughters. According to the latest ravens, a third child would join them soon.
Did Lady Laena know about her stepdaughter—or Baela and Rhaena about their sister? Did they care? Did they yearn to know her as she did for them?
Likely not, she told herself. Daemon had remarried before Arianwyn had seen her first full moon. He had not written to inquire about her health nor that of her mother. He had said nothing before fleeing across the sea. Ten years had passed, and he had never once written to his firstborn daughter.
He did not want her as part of his family.
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“Aria?” Aemond’s soft voice echoed through the cavernous library. He had been wholly silent as they raced through the stone corridors of the Red Keep, passing by her chambers to retrieve the book before coming to the library.
Now, he sat next to her at their usual table, a stack of parchment in front of him. They had been here many times before – at this same table, delighting in each other’s companionship and curiosity, but their hours here had grown quieter in recent years. They were no longer the rambunctious children they once were. Aemond would readily admit much of the fault in that lay with him.
He was not as happy as he once was.
But he was still happy here, in their place. It was perhaps the only place he could still depend on to find comfort and respite. Here, he was never alone. Even if Aria was elsewhere, he could still find her in the books. The winding rows of shelves held happy memories of their childhood, when they first delved into the paper forest in search of knowledge.
Here, they had uncovered the great tales of their ancestors and felt the great legacy that sat upon their shoulders. Only now, Aemond realized the true, overwhelming weight of that legacy.
Just after his tenth nameday, Aegon had caught Aemond reading one of the more romanticized books of Valyrian history in the library. He snatched it and began reading aloud. “And so the fair Princess Elaenyra was granted mercy by her uncle, the noble King Synar, for he knew she was not to blame for her father’s treason. They were soon married, and Elaenyra became Queen. In the end, Prince Vaerion succeeded at placing his blood on the throne, but at the cost of his very life.”
Aegon laughed, holding the book aloft so Aemond could not take it back. “Is this history, or is it one of your fairytales?”
“It’s history!” Aemond whined, jumping to try and reach the book to no avail. “You would know that if you actually cared about our family’s past. Now give it back!”
“But it’s so stereotypical for real history,” Aegon finally let Aemond have the book again, but the mischievous smile remained on his lips. “The king rescues the fair princess, and the second son is killed for his hubris. Actually…” He made a show of looking over his brother from head to toe. “I suppose that’s quite realistic.”
Something about the way he said it made Aemond panic. He went into a deep obsession, trying to prove Aegon wrong. He read through the histories furiously for every mention of second sons. Not just Valyrian history but that of the Andals, First Men, and every other civilization.
In every book he read, the second son never got a happy ending. Most died young, having been sent to battle in the place of their more valuable elder brother. Some survived, living to see their sibling take the throne. Of these survivors, many became valuable advisors and received the great honor of being mentioned, however briefly, alongside their King’s noble deeds. Others earned more notoriety by attempting to build their own legacy. Whether they tried to usurp the throne or establish their own lands, those men died bloody. From what he could glean from the stories, the best he could hope for was to fade into the annals of history.
Aemond had never told Aria of this revelation. He knew she would not understand.
She still saw the glory and romance of these stories. And why shouldn’t she? As the only daughter and heir of an ancient Westerosi house and a dragonriding descendant of Old Valyria, there was no doubt that her story would be a legend told for ages to come.
Until fate decided otherwise, Aemond would cherish being a small part of that legend.
Aria dropped her hands from her face, draping them over the book he had given her only that morning. “What?”
Her steely eyes were more distant than Aemond had ever seen them. No girl should look that way on her nameday, especially not her. “Are we going to read the book?” He asked, tapping his quill on his parchment for emphasis.
She looked down at the faded title pressed into the linen. Then, to Aemond’s delight, she finally smiled.
“You never told me how you found this,” she said, carefully prying open the ancient tome.
Aemond grinned eagerly. This was a story he had waited a long time to tell.
“I wrote to my Uncle at Oldtown,” he began. “Not Hobert – Devran, the Maester. He is an archivist in the library at the Citadel. Maesters there have been studying the Runes since the Andals first came to Westeros. I told him how important being able to understand them was to you, as the future Lady of Runestone.”
Aria looked away, focusing instead on the inscription on the book’s first page. It did not stop Aemond from spotting the way her cheeks flushed.
He continued, “Devran spoke to the other archivists and the Conclave to find out if they had any information there that we did not and if he could get permission to send it here. But they had nothing to send.
“When King Jaehaerys made peace with the Faith, he ordered copies made of everything in the Citadel. Knowledge is powerful, and he did not want the Maesters to be the only ones able to wield it. But the libraries of the Citadel were not exhaustive. A few libraries of the older houses, especially in the North, had books the Maesters considered unholy, so they weren’t copied. An initiate from north of Winterfell told Devran about the library at the Wall. It is small and ill-cared for but has been untouched for hundreds of years. So he wrote to the Maester there – I forget his name – and found this.”
He reached across the table and touched the page, indicating the title. Deciphering the Runes of the First Men. The author’s name had long since faded. “I don’t know how accurate it is. Devran made sure I knew it was only a theory, but it’s still more than you ever had before. I had my mother write to the Maester at the Wall to get it sent here. It took two months; I was almost worried it wouldn’t arrive in time.”
Hearing his tale, Aria’s smile had returned in full force. That was why he had spent so long trying to find this perfect gift. There was no sight quite like that smile. It illuminated her whole face, sending a delicate sparkle into her silver eyes.
He loved that smile.
“I don’t know how to thank you, Aemond,” she whispered, unable to tear her eyes from the book. “No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” he replied, “just read.”
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Hours later, both children lay underneath their table, their chairs long abandoned. Instead, Aemond lay on his belly, chin resting on his crossed arms as he tried yet again to comprehend the page in front of him through increasingly blurred eyes. Arianwyn lay perpendicular to him, using the flat of his back as a pillow while she sorted through the dozens of pages of parchment Aemond had filled while she read aloud.
Again, they were silent. But it was not the angry silence from earlier that day nor the melancholy silence that often followed Aemond. It was a happy silence—comfortable and inviting, like the silence that fills the air of a fire-warmed family hall on a snowy day.
Aemond groaned and let his head topple onto the book before him. “Aria?”
“Yes?”
“Why did Aegon make you so angry? Earlier, at the party. What he said was no worse than usual.”
Arianwyn tensed and sat up. She did not face him but crossed her legs and folded her arms around her. The words, when spoken, had evoked burning hot anger. Now, their memory only caused her heart to race with panic. “Because I am afraid to be married.”
“What?” Aemond shot up so swiftly that he hit his head against the bottom of the table with a loud ‘thunk.’ He stared at her as if she just said she wanted to marry her dragon. “But you haveto get married someday. It’s your duty. Why should you be afraid?”
Arianwyn scoffed, “And it may be your duty to go to war one day! Are you not afraid of that?”
“Of course I am,” Aemond insisted, “but that’s war, not marriage!”
“Marriage can be just as dangerous,” she whispered, too soft for him to hear. For the second time that day, her mind drifted back to what happened the previous night.
After dinner, Ser Gerold had insisted Arianwyn retire to her rooms early. He claimed she needed rest to prepare for the party the next day. But when the door closed behind them, he dismissed all her servants but one. Brynna Taler, who had formerly been a lady’s maid to her mother, Rhea, and was now Arianwyn’s, was allowed to remain.
Arianwyn knew immediately that something was wrong. Gerold was always so happy around her, loud and nearly boisterous. But as he sat in front of her now, elbows on his knees, he seemed nervous and visibly struggled to find words.
Brynna, at last, stepped forward. “Tomorrow shall be an important day, Aria. We wish to speak with you before the party to prepare you.”
Arianwyn looked between her cousin and her maid. “What is there to prepare for? It is a party.”
“It is not just any party,” Gerold said, speaking at last. “It is the party celebrating your tenth nameday. The Queen and I have discussed it, and we agree that tomorrow is the right time for you to start... meeting the young men of the realm.”
“But I have already met them,” Arianwyn said, puzzled by her cousin’s words and grim tone. “Most of them, at least. They have been to court before.”
Gerold laughed once, an uncomfortable sound. “Yes, I know. But it is time you start to… get to know them better. To consider them not just as visitors to court, but as potential companions.”
“I don’t understand,” Arianwyn said, beginning to mirror her cousin’s nerves. “I already have friends.” She looked toward Brynna, “And companions.”
The maid smiled. “Oh, my dear child. Allow me to explain.” She knelt on the floor in front of her. “Ser Gerold and I have both feared this day, but we have put it off for too long.”
She cupped the girl’s face in her hands, savoring her innocence. “Tomorrow, the Queen shall introduce you – or reintroduce you – to many of the noble boys your age. For when the sun rises, you shall no longer be a girl but a woman coming into her own.”
Arianwyn shied away from Brynna. “I am not a woman until I am twenty, and I take charge of Runestone.”
“That is when you shall come into your title,” Gerold said. The age had been decided when she was first put in the king’s care. She had never learned its reasons. “But you will be a woman before then. And though I am loathe to admit it, a woman needs a husband. You need a husband.”
At last understanding, Arianwyn nodded. “So, I must meet him tomorrow.”
“No!” Both adults shouted at once.
Gerold cleared his throat. “Tomorrow is only the beginning. We let the nobility know of your eligibility and allow you to meet their sons. No decisions need to be made tomorrow, nor the next day, or even in the next few years. I personally do not want to see you wed until you are six and ten. But we do need to begin somewhere, so it shall be tomorrow.”
Arianwyn nodded. She had expected a husband to come more naturally. He would save her from tripping on a dance floor or bring her wine at a ball. She had even imagined, on occasion, of saving a dashing young knight with Emrys, and together they would fly off to Runestone. She had never expected to meet him by appointment.
But she was the Lady of Runestone. To marry and bear children was her duty. Her romance may not be like the stories she had read for so long.
“I understand. I will do my best to present myself well tomorrow.” She stood from the couch and began to make her way to her private chambers.
“Wait.”
Arianwyn turned back, unsure what else there was to say. But a grim look from both her companions chilled her blood. Tentatively, she stepped back to the couch and sat down. Such a gloom fell over the room that she dared not speak.
“It is time you learned how your mother died.”
Tears sprung to Arianwyn’s eyes at the memory of the gruesome tale. She had come to realize that Daemon did not care for her, but she had never imagined the depths of his cruelty. She was so consumed by her thoughts of grief that she did not realize when Aemond crawled along the carpeted floor to sit beside her until he put his arm around her.
Noticing her wet eyes, he lowered his voice. “Why are you afraid to marry, Aria?”
She could not tell him. Gerold had told her so. They could not predict what Daemon would do if the tale got out. Besides, there was no law against a man raping his wife, and the King had never truly punished his brother before.
“I am afraid,” Arianwyn started, “because I do not want to leave. King’s Landing is my home, and all my friends are here. I don’t want to go back to Runestone with only a stranger for company.”
She supposed it was not a lie. The Red Keep had been her home since she was two months old. Except for Gerold, all her family and those she cared about were here: the king, queen Alicent, Helaena, and Aemond.
“Then I shall come with you,” Aemond declared, sitting as tall as he could under the table. “I shall travel to Runestone with you and your husband and make sure he is kind and treats you with honor.”
Arianwyn smiled. He had no idea how reassuring those words were, even if what he proposed was impossible. “And what will you do if he does not? If he is cruel to me?”
A fire blazed in his violet eyes, the fire of so many Targaryen kings and conquerors that came before him. “If he does anything to harm you or even make you sad, I shall cut off his head and feed it to Emrys!” he declared, entirely serious.
A brief moment of devoted silence passed between them. But in a heartbeat, both children collapsed into laughter, their studies and troubles forgotten.
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Queen Alicent Hightower observed the children from between two distant shelves. She had witnessed the confrontation earlier at the party but had been too deep in conversation with some lord from the Reach to intervene. Not that her interventions had any impact on how her children behaved. Not anymore.
“Were there any tempting offers?” her father’s voice rumbled behind her. He had been sneaking up on her like this for years – she did not flinch anymore. He had only been back at court a few days – ostensibly for Arianwyn’s nameday – and already he was grating on her nerves.
Alicent sighed, hand instinctually flying to grasp the amulet around her neck. “A few. None I plan to pursue.”
“Hmm,” her father placed his hand around her shoulders to lead her away from the sharp ears of the children. “I think I best to seal her betrothal while her father remains in Pentos. We don’t want to lose that advantage.”
The Queen brushed off her father’s arm. Rage took root in her heart at the mention of Daemon, the horrific tale Gerold had relayed to her just hours ago still ringing in her ears. “Arianwyn is not a political advantage to be leveraged.” Her voice was as fierce as she would allow in the quiet of the library. “She is my niece, dear to me, and a great friend to my children – two of them at least.”
Otto blinked, raising his chin to look down his nose at her. She hated that look. He only used it when he considered her behavior foolish and immature.
She steeled herself to continue, “She is a young girl who has lost her mother and been abandoned by her father. I do not doubt that if he ever returns, Daemon will see her as a pawn for his own aims. Until she comes of age, there is little I can do to protect her from him – or any other man who seeks to manipulate her. So, I will do whatever I can for her while I still can.”
Not waiting for a response, the Queen swept out of the library.
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Taglist: @heartb8k2 @queenofshinigamis @leptitlu @xxxkat3xxx @malfoycassimalfoy @lokiofasgard12
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chaifootsteps · 4 months
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frustrating thing about that bad Octavia take is the episode didn't frame it as her being 'spoiled' or needing Stolas' attention right that second - she goes up to talk to him and is pretty hesitant and mumbly when she tries to get his attention. (The episode does come down way too much on Stolas' side but they frame it like Via should cut him slack for letting her down, not that she was unreasonable to be hurt in the first place)
She doesn't stomp her foot and she doesn't even raise her voice. She waits until back in her room where Stolas can't even see before she does anything resembling a tantrum.
And she's upset because when she tried to talk to Stolas, he didn't even remember it was the day of the meteor shower and brushed her off totally. Then he says him arguing with Stella is going to take all day, blowing off their planned day together totally.
She delivers her lines with the hurt that someone has when they thought something in their life was a guarantee and that the other person would remember because it's important to them, too, but Stolas thought being petty to Stella was so important that he literally didn't even remember the meteor shower until the very end of the episode, when Via told him about it. He didn't remember on his own, which suggests he didn't think it that important. But instead of the episode have him saying he'd gotten carried away with his feud with Stella, Via just says 'you're here now' as if that and watching a discount meteor shower with the fireworks is good enough
It's pretty hard to claim she's had her every need attended to when it's hard to tell if Stolas and Stella ever pretended to be happily married in front of her, Stella throws 'still not divorced' parties in Via's home and Stolas only ditched this emotionally scarring charade to neglect Via in favor of the imp booty call he's been harassing nonstop.
It's a consistent pattern with Stolas even after the show started babying him that his ability to empathise with other people and understand their feelings sucks. Via living in a palace does not mean she's had everything she ever wanted if her emotional needs to, y'know, not to live in the middle of a sham marriage or to not have to watch her father be a sex pest towards the imp he cheated with are not being met. And Stolas stans should know that because it's the exact same argument they make about him all the time - that he still lived an emotionally impoverished life despite being rich and powerful.
despite the show so far avoiding making Via spoiled (she's way more of a moody emo teen stereotype, like Loona but better fleshed out) I can't help but feel like the remaining fanbase are just going to get more and more vitriolic towards her, same way some of them are actively rooting for Stolas to engage in DV against Blitzo (I mean that 'girlypop should wait 5 mins' is pretty passive aggressive)
Bingo. Nailed it.
So far, Octavia is the only character to go against Stolas that's still permitted by the show to retain a scrap of acknowledgement of being in the right. Striker's dirty and gross and poor and a "supremacist," Stella's a stupid bitch who deserves her brother's abuse, Blitzo is "leading Stolas on" and deserves to suffer for hurting Stolas's feelings by calling out his abuse. But Via's still allowed the bare minimum...she's expected to "cut him some slack," but it's never called into question -- at least not yet -- that he wronged her.
But that's not enough for this fandom. Via upset Stolas and even worse, she's a female character, so she's a spoiled, entitled brat who sucks.
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