#leverage gift exchange

[fourdollarwords]

Last day for @leveragegiftexchange! Getting in just under the buzzer for @greyghoulclub. They had 3 ships listed and I wanted to get one in for each. Even though this OT3 pic isn't exactly shippy. But as they liked the Sophie and Parker relationship I added that in too with them keeping in contact between season 5 of OG and Redemption. And apparently I have a thing for Eliot picking up Hardison. I will not apologize for this. XP

image alone under cut:

[leveragegiftexchange]

It’s gift exchange time!!

Sign-ups are open until the 15th of May and the gift giving will happen a month after everyone is matched up!

You will need Discord to participate!

|| FIND OUT MORE || SIGN-UP ||

[mx-perfectly-fine]

this was made for @hyperfixationsofaspiring in the @leveragegiftexchange!!!!

i’m pretty proud of it but warning for sadness but cute sadness!

[lemissingmask]

Gift for @mx-perfectly-fine

@leveragegiftexchange

Series of arts showing Eliot dealing with the consequences of a rough job (with specific 'job cameos' of the carnival and rundown jobs. Accompanying ficlets for each sketch are here

I hope you like! <3

-

Patching himself up on his own on the side of a road

[ID: Sketch of Eliot Spencer wearing a beanie hat and a sleeveless top and overalls, the top half of which are tied around his waist. He is leaning against the back of a pickup truck and sewing up a wound in his right arm. End ID]

Dealing with injuries alone, in Leverage HQ

[ID: Sketch of Parker, Hardison and Eliot from season 1 of Leverage, in the main conference room of their offices. Hardison and Parker are sitting at the table, looking at Eliot, who is walking in and bandaging his right hand. End ID]

Injuries get poked by Parker

[ID: Sketch of Parker, Hardison and Eliot from season 2 of Leverage. Hardison is walking in the background towards the lounge area of Nate’s apartment. Eliot is sitting on the couch and Parker is sitting behind it, leaning over to poke Eliot on his cheek, on the side of his face that is bruised right along it. Eliot is wincing and leaning away. End ID]

Parker forcible 'offers' an ice pack to help

[ID: Sketch of Parker, Hardison and Eliot from season 3 of Leverage. Hardison is in the foreground, leaning on the counter, and smiling as he looks over his shoulder at Parker and Eliot. Parker is shoving an ice pack against Eliot’s shoulder, forcing him back slightly. End ID]

Hardison confronts Eliot for not letting them help him

[ID: Sketch of Hardison and Eliot from season 4 of Leverage, as they are at the end of the carnival job, but Hardison has a coat and scarf on. He is standing behind Eliot, looking serious and frowning. Eliot is turned half away from him, his expression slightly sad and his face deeply shadowed by his hood. End ID]

Thinking back on the events in DC, Parker realises Eliot sought their help, and texts Sophie a photo of the boys in the hotel room after, with appropriate annotations

[ID: Three sketches of Parker, Hardison and Eliot from around the time of the rundown job. Top is the scene at the end where the three are walking away, Eliot with an arm around Hardison’s shoulders and Hardison with an arm around his waist to support him, while Parker is on Eliot’s other side, smiling at them. A bandage is wrapped around Eliot’s chest, over the bullet wound in his right shoulder and the colours are muted. The second one down is Parker in close up profile on her phone, smiling to herself as she uses it. Bottom one is white-framed image of Hardison and Eliot. Hardison is smiling and looking at Eliot, who is smiling and looking at a laptop in front of him. Over the image there are green annotations saying ‘hole through shoulder’ with arrows to the front and back of Eliot’s right shoulder, and arrows to both boys with a smiley face and the word ‘happy’ under them. End ID]

Best way to make Eliot take bed rest: lay on top of him

[ID: Sketch of Hardison, Parker, Harry and Eliot from Leverage Redemption. Harry is in the foreground, smiling and looking at the other three who are on/around a couch. Eliot is lying on the couch with a cushion under his head and a blanket over him, with a nasal cannula linked to a small oxygen tank and one arm draped on Hardison’s shoulder, the wrist of that arm in a plaster cast. Hardison is sitting on the floor in front of the couch, leaning his head on Eliot’s arm and smiling with one eye half open, looking at Harry. Parker is lying with her head on a cushion that is on Eliot, and her legs up on the back of the couch. She is partially turning towards Harry and smiling, and Eliot’s other hand is in her hair. End ID]

-

[qwanderer]

Variable (Vegetable)

Domestic Fluff, Cooking, Post-s5

This story is influenced in some ways by Redemption but contains no spoilers.

–

“I am gonna get you two to eat salad,” Eliot said, “eat salad and like it, if it kills me.”

“No!” Parker stood up and marched over to him, waving a finger in his face. “You are not allowed to die! I’ve been very clear about this.”

“Babe,” Hardison said, “I’m pretty sure that was hyperbole.” He raised his eyebrows at Eliot, who just stood there in front of the stove with his arms crossed. “It’d better be!” Hardison told him.

“I’m gonna make it work,” Eliot said, returning to stirring the contents of the pan in front of him. “Someday.”

“But you make all kinds of vegetables that we do like!” Parker told him. “It doesn’t have to be…” She wrinkled her nose. “Leaves, not cooked or anything, just sitting there. We’re allowed to have things we just don’t like.”

Eliot sighed. “You are allowed,” he told her. “I just… I can’t help thinking I could make it work.”

Hardison hummed thoughtfully. “Your food is all kinds of tasty,” he told Eliot. “Most of the time. Just, like, maybe don’t hold your breath about this.”

Rolling his eyes, Eliot said, “Okay, fine, I promise I won’t die of trying to reinvent the salad.”

“Good,” said Parker, and leaned her chin on Eliot’s shoulder to peer at what was apparently cream sauce he was making. “You know I’ll try anything you make,” she said, “even if I don’t end up liking it, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “I do.” He turned to peck her on the cheek. “But, like, the harder something is to break into, the more fun the two of you have trying, right?” he asked. “It’s not always about what you get once you’re in.”

“That’s true,” Parker said.

“Yeah,” Hardison agreed. “Sometimes hacking is just about the puzzle. It’s about knowin’ you can.”

“Yeah,” Eliot agreed. “So. This is a puzzle.”

“Oh,” said Parker, her eyes widening in understanding. “You’re trying to steal our souls. With salad. Because that’s the hardest way you can think of to do it.”

Hardison snorted and hid his face behind his hand. 

“Somethin’ like that,” Eliot agreed mildly. 

“As long as you make dessert,” she told him, “I will forgive you anything you make me eat first.”

He chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. 

–

Eliot was always growing something new in the backyard, but this year he had a lot of new things happening. He spent every spare minute out there, weeding or watering or whatever. 

And it was extra pretty. There were always flowers somewhere, because as Eliot had explained, flowers made seeds for the next year, and also a lot of vegetables were actually fruit, and to get fruit, first you needed flowers. But this year, there seemed to be more of them. 

The thing that was most interesting was how, when he went out to work on the garden, he had that attitude that meant he was Up To Something. 

That wasn't bad, or even all that unusual, because when were any of them not up to something? But it did make the other two extremely curious. 

So they spent some time out on the back porch, trying to see what he was up to. But as far as they could tell, he was just… gardening. Like usual. 

But it was nice, actually, being out in the fresh air, all three of them, just doing their own things quietly together, Eliot weeding, Hardison on his laptop, Parker checking her rigs, all surrounded by the bright beauty that was Eliot's garden. 

And maybe that was the point. 

–

The bowls Eliot set in front of them were a riot of color. Yellow, orange, deep purple, purple-red, and only a touch, here and there, of green. 

“Ooh! You got us flowers!” Parker exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Eliot agreed, with a mischievous smile.

Hardison frowned down at his. “Okay, but why are they, like, in a bowl? In front of us? Instead of, like, in a vase in the middle of the table where flowers belong?”

“Because they’re not a bouquet,” Eliot told him. “They’re a salad.”

“I’m fine,” Eliot said, sitting down with his own bowl. “I am not dying. Okay?” He looked at the two of them. “Trust me.”

Hardison gaped, and made noises, and pointed at his bowl, and eventually managed to say, “That is not a salad!” He peered at Eliot. “That is a bowl of goddamn flowers! How hard did you hit your head on that last job?”

Parker picked up her fork and poked at the beheaded flowers in her dish. “Ooh, some of these are even cooked!” she said. “I’m going to try them first.”

“Those ones are squash flowers,” Eliot explained. “Cooked ‘em with the dressing and used that as the base, so it wouldn’t ruin the look of the flowers on top.”

“Are you for real with this?” Hardison asked. “Like, for real, for real?”

“Yeah,” Eliot said, glaring at him. “Just try it, okay? I grew these special for this.”

Parker bit into the squash flower. It was sweet, cooked with honey and butter and a little tang like apple juice and a bit of spice and something a little bit like vanilla, but not quite. 

“It looks like flowers and it tastes kind of like pumpkin pie and it’s a salad,” she said in consternation.

“Try it with some of the fresh ones,” Eliot urged her. 

With determination, Parker speared some of the other flowers on her fork with the rest of the squash flower, and she put them in her mouth. And she chewed on them.

“Oh, that’s good,” she said in surprise. 

Hardison gave a put-upon sigh. “If this is some kind of trick,” he said, “I am not gonna be happy.” He stuffed some flowers into his mouth, too. 

As he chewed, his eyes widened, and he slowed down, actually savoring, instead of just trying to get the food down. He hummed in approval, nodding. 

“What are these ones?” Parker asked, pointing at the orange, poofy, kind of spicy flowers. 

“Marigolds,” Eliot answered. “They do double duty because they help control bugs, and a lot of animals that like to eat stuff from my garden don’t like the smell of ‘em.”

“Why not?” Parker asked, sniffing one. “They’re really good, actually.” She tried eating it by itself. Not as good as with the sweet cooked squash flowers, but not actually bad. 

Eliot shrugged. “Not sure,” he said. “It just works.”

“This is witchcraft,” Hardison said, pointing at Eliot. “Flowers ain’t supposed to be tasty. They’re just flowers. But then you do this.” He narrowed his eyes at Eliot. “It’s dark magic, is what it is.”

“It ain’t magic,” Eliot said, shaking his head. “Just, some vegetables are fruits, some are flowers. It’s easier to get edible flowers fresh from the garden, so you don’t see a lot of ‘em in stores.”

“I can’t believe I just ate a goddamn marigold,” Hardison said, but he took another bite all the same. “What’s this one?” he asked, pointing to a big, flat, orange-yellow flower. 

“That’s nasturtium,” Eliot told him. “And then there’s pansies and red clover.” He pointed those out in his own bowl. 

“Huh,” said Hardison, nibbling on one of the clover flowers. “Okay, okay, I get it. Bunnies have a point about these, huh?”

Eliot visibly held back laughter. 

“You solved your puzzle,” Parker told him. 

Eliot grinned. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”

“I did not think it was possible,” Hardison said. “But I also think this is cheating.”

“Oh yeah?” Eliot asked, still smiling. “What rule did I break?”

“I dunno!” Hardison said. “I don’t know the rules of cooking!”

“Well I do,” Eliot said, standing up to go and loom over Hardison, joke-threatening. “So I’m allowed to break ‘em.”

“Is that so?” Hardison said, looking up at him. 

“Mm-hmm,” said Eliot, leaning down towards him. 

They held each other's gaze for a moment, challenge quickly turning to pure fondness, and then Hardison reached up to pull Eliot down for a kiss. 

“You're magic,” Hardison murmured, “don't you dare deny it.”

Eliot sighed, but he was smiling. 

“Did you still make dessert?” Parker asked him.

“'Course I did,” he answered, turning his soft smile on Parker. “First salad, then lasagna, then dessert.”

“Ooh, lasagna too,” she said. “You're the best.”

“Now go eat,” Hardison told him with a gentle shove back in the direction of his own seat. “Magician, feed thyself, or whatever.”

So Eliot went, laughing. 

Eliot was softest and happiest when he got to cook, when he got to feed people, but he still had that drive in him, the way they all did, to be tricky and solve puzzles and face challenges. 

To win something.

Parker didn't think she'd ever seen him smile this much. Not when he wasn't on the grift, at least. This was home, with them. This was real. 

So she ate her yummy salad, full of flowers, and then she asked, “What's the next puzzle?”

Eliot shrugged. “Dunno. Guess I'll think of something.” He winked at her. 

Yeah, he should definitely be allowed to steal their souls as many different ways as he wanted.

[angelwiththeblue-box]

my leverage gift exchange fic!!!

word count: 435

pairings: hardison/eliot/parker, leverage team as a family

no archive warnings apply

taglist under cut

@leveragegiftexchange @blueskiesandstarrynights @katbratsupernaturalwhore @genuine-possum @someguyiguess @depressedtransguy @thedragonemperess @thedrowningpoetofdionysus (lemme know if you want to be added or removed)

[asphyxiatedredherring]

This is my gift for @fourdollarwords in the Leverage Gift Exchange! ( @leveragegiftexchange )

I decided to make a playlist of songs I felt fit the show in general, the thiefsome, and as well as each character!

It is quite a weird mix of music

I tried to keep it short, and some characters were easier to come up with more songs than others, but everyone got at least one.

Under the cut, I'll list each song and why I chose it. (It's sorted in categories as well as the order they appear on the spotify playlist, which I recommend listening to it in).

I hope you like it!

Nate:

Another Shot of Whiskey by The Gits - it's about drowning your problems in alcohol, I think we can all see the connection.

Behind Blue Eyes by The Who - the villain theme for the rock opera that never happened. The villain doesn't want to be the villain though, he was forced into that role and no one can see the grief that caused. It really lines up with Nate's story line.

Renegade by Styx - This is a song about a criminal who has been caught and is about to be executed. This song makes me think of The Maltese Falcon Job.

Well Respected Man by The Kinks - I think this represents the life Nate wanted for himself, Maggie, and their son where they are all happy and healthy but in reality Nate knows this is not how his life went and he is not this well respected man.

Breaking the Law by Judas Priest - the song seems to be about a man who was fired from his job so he started breaking the law. I'll let you draw those connections.

Alcohol by The Dropkick Murphys- he's an alcoholic from Boston what more can I say?

Sophie:

Who Do You Want to Be? by Oingo Boingo - its the art of the grift. Sophie makes herself into different people, deciding who she wants to be each day, everything is an act, a character maybe even losing herself along the way

What's Behind the Mask by The Cramps - as a grifter Sophie is always wearing a mask, Sophie isn't even her name. Her family wants to know what's behind her mask, let her know that she is safe to be herself.

Hardison:

Maneater by Hall & Oats - we know Hardison loves Hall & Oats. Best if listened to while Parker autism bites him.

Shout by Tears for Fears - I headcanon that Hardison loves synthpop and this song is a perfect example of that

Rebels With a Cause by The Dropkick Murphys - This song reminds me of the line where Nate calls Hardison "a 24 year old genius with a smartphone and problem with authority." He may have been ignored as a kid, but he's making a difference now. "Don't be angry with the kids Be angry with the greed."

Parker:

Runaway Train by Soul Asylum - I feel like this song really represents Parker's childhood

Never Go Hungry by Hole - I think Parker would have started with stealing food and this is like her internal monolog rationalizing it because stealing became a key part of her personality

Been Caught Stealing by Jane's Addition - Stealing, simple as that. She's a thief. If she wants something she simply takes it. I think it's just a fun catchy song she'd like.

Eliot:

The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel - Despite their wishes, Eliot left his family and became a fighter just like the protagonist of the song. No matter how hard he tries to escape, the fighter remains. I could write an entire essay about how the story of this song and Eliot's story line up.

Guilt Within Your Head by The Gits - Eliot has so much guilt built up in his head over his past, being unable to forgive himself he created his own hell but he can escape it through forgiveness and redemption.

Bullet With Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins - I feel like this song fits Eliot because like the song says Eliot still feels like he can not be saved and is trapped in a cage, despite how angry he is.

Rooster by Alice in Chains - Even though it's a song about the Vietnam War I feel like it can still represent Eliot's life, joining the military and his career as a hitter in which people are constantly coming to kill him, yet he won't die.

Harry:

Ironic by Alanis Morissette - I think Harry would love Alanis Morissette. Hands down. No further notes.

Breanna:

Just a Girl by No Doubt - People frequently underestimate Breanna and I think this feminist anthem conveys her anger with that.

Seasore by The Regrettes - "You're talkin to me like a child Hey I've got news, I'm not a little girl" So much of Breanna's character is wanting to prove herself, that she is capable and not just someone's kid sister and I think this song conveys the anger that comes with being underestimated and judged for your age or gender.

Youth Gone Wild by Skid Row - Breanna isn't interested in conforming to society's idea of what she should be. She has been called a problem child, but she doesn't care because she will stand tall and be herself.

The Thiefsome:

Love in an Elevator by Aerosmith - Hardison would think it's funny but Parker would latch on to it. I'll be citing the first episode for this one.

What I Like About You by The Romantics - I may be stretching this one but the parts of this song can be applied to aspects of the ot3 and them expressing their love for eachother. "Keep on whispering in my ear" fits Hardison talking to Eliot and Parker through the coms, "you really know how to dance" represents Parker's acrobatics and thief skills, and "you keep me warm at night" Eliot is a grounding presence for them at night and they love eachother.

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls - they are all broken in their own way and it doesn't matter what the world thinks, just that they have eachother.

The Crew in General:

Head Like a Hole by Nine Inch Nails - the people with power have the money and they aren't using it properly. But Leverage won't bow down despite what the mark wants. I just think this song encapsulates the anger they have with each mark and their desire to give the mark what they deserve.

And Justice for All by Metallica - I debated putting this song under Hardison but I think it could fit the whole crew. It's about how money has corrupted the justice system. The truth is gone but the crew is working to bring it to light and reinstall justice (in their own way).

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant - there is no rest for the wicked and no shortness of evil in the world which makes Leverage necessary. "The rich and powerful take what we want. We steal it back for you."

We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister - I think this song does well to represent how Leverage is fighting the system and the people that abuse it.

Take Back The Power by The Interrupters - I could also write an essay about this song and its correlation with Leverage but to boil it down, Leverage is working to fight the corruption of the world and fix what they can. They are taking back the power.

Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog - this is practically the Leverage theme song. "I don't mind stealin bread from the mouths of decadence But I can't feel on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled" It's a song about stealing from the rich, class divides, and how the rich get richer but the narrator refused to join them and would rather starve than be like the rich and feed on the poor.

The Men Who Rule The World by Garbage - a song about corruption, money, and violators, the very thing Leverage aims to destroy.

[benwvatt]

a stitch in time saves nine

@leveragegiftexchange

here’s my Leverage OT3 fanfic as a gift for @katbratsupernaturalwhore!

a stitch in time saves nine (1.8K words, rated G, trigger warning for food)

She’s been sewing for an hour, having left the bed cold. Hardison likes sleeping in.

Parker’s bedside table (which is more of a bedside desk, since those Ikea nightstands can’t even begin to hold all her knickknacks) is covered in needlepoint and bananas pierced through with needle and surgical thread. Eliot rolls his eyes and wants to bake them. Parker refuses, of course. Banana number 14 has the perfect example of the horizontal mattress suture, and she’s still trying to replicate it, and how on earth is she supposed to do that if banana number 14 becomes banana-bread-loaf number 5?

“Hi,” Hardison whispers. “Whatcha up to now?”

He’s been jetlagged since he flew home from Brazil, and he was in Algeria before that. At one point he nearly sleepwalked out the door and into incoming traffic.

“Sewing up human flesh,” Parker says, next to him in bed. She’s been doing that a lot lately, because who knew it was so fun to stab needles through cloth over and over again? She turns the circular needlepoint and shows him a red inkspill. If she squints just right, it looks like the wig got torn off of a Raggedy Ann. “Well, fake flesh. For now.”

“Babe,” he yawns and covers his mouth, “what a gory mess.” He’s grinning, though, because he’d never cut her down. Not without a sly remark or a pop culture reference, at least. “I love it.”

Parker doesn’t fully understand that the ugly part of the needlepoint’s supposed to go in the back, and the front’s meant to be beautiful. Everything she makes is appropriately ruined. Tufts and threads and frayed wires of thread sprout out the front like jagged ivy clambering up a wall.

“It’s like one of those, uh, Ethel Rosenberg tests.”

“Rorschach?”

“Yeah, like a squashed blackberry between sofa cushions. My therapist used to call ‘em clues to the soul. Ugh.”

read more on AO3!

[tossawayleveragegiftexchange]

Banner for my giftee

[foxprints]

🎶 When the bells all ring and the horns all blow

And the couples we know are fondly kissing

Will I be with you or I will be among the missing.

Maybe it just too early in the game

Ah but I thought I'd ask you just the same

What are you doing New Year's

New Year's Eve.

...

Maybe I'm crazy to suppose

I'd ever be the one you chose

Out of a thousand invitations

You received.

Ah but in case I stand a little chance

Here comes the jackpot question in advance

What are you doing New Year's

New Year's Eve. 🎶

'What are you doing new year's eve?' by Norah Jones

My gift for @cassiesinsanity for the 2022 @leverage-secret-santa-exchange ! So glad to see that others enjoy the soft dynamic between these two as much as I do! Hope your holidays were merry and bright!!

[redemptionevents]

Sign-ups are open!

Contact me at redemptionevents if you have any questions or concerns.

[fourdollarwords]

Stepping up as a pitch hitter for @leveragegiftexchange, this is for @cleverfilingcabinet, who has an absolutely lovely wish list that I loved reading! On it was pre-OG Leverage Sophie and Tara. I couldn't get the song Best Friend out of my head and this was born. Still learning how to do animations.

[leveragegiftexchange]

How does the gift exchange work?

This is a Secret Santa style gift exchange for the leverage fandom! So it’s all about anonymously creating a gift for someone in the fandom, and at the end, recieving one yourself!

The exchange is hosted on discord. Once you’ve signed-up, you’ll get a DM with an invite to the server where you can hang out with all the other participants!

There are almost no restrictions on gifts you can make! Just make sure it's SFW and do not make physical items that have to be shipped. If you still want to make physical items and photograph them, feel free to!

Possible gifts include:

fanfiction

fanart

gif sets

edits

playlists

and anything else you might imagine!

The timeline is as follows:

Sign-ups will be open until 15.05. (so until then feel free to promote this exchange as much as you want so there will be a lot of participants!)

A couple of days after sign-ups close you will receive a DM with your giftee and the wishes they made, so the gift-making period finally starts!

From then on you can post WIPs, for critique and feedback. Just make sure you don't reveal too much, so the finished gift remains a surprise!

You can also now ask your giftee anonymous questions.

The gift-making period will last 1 month so you have plenty of time to finish your gift.

I will set the exact date for the gifting period once all matches are sent out, but once the gifting period has started everyone has 2 weeks to post their lovely gifts!

If you want to be notified one day before sign-ups close, just DM me and I'll add you to the list!

And if you have any other questions, the asks are open!

|| SIGN-UPS ||

[dulcewrites]

Fool Me Once (pt 2)

Pairing: Aemond targaryen x reader (wc: 3.6k)

Summary: Despite learning about Aemond cheating on you, life has never been sweeter. Who knew being so bad could be so good.

Warnings: manipulation, mentions/allusions to pregnancy issues, mentions of self harm

A/N: first, I just have to say thank you for the response to part 1. I truly had no idea it would get the reception it would. Thank you to everyone who followed me as well. I hope I can continue to produce stuff y’all like. I’m hoping to write more hotd stuff, Aemond and non Aemond related. I plan on taking a small hiatus but will be back around thanksgiving weekend. I will be writing on/off during that time but just away for a trip/the holiday. If you have any hotd requests my inbox is always open. I would try to get them out either before my hiatus next week (11/16) or after it ends (11/26). I’m pretty open to writing any character, though I will warn you I’m way more fascinated by the greens so they just come easier to me. Anyway please reblog, like, and follow if you read anything you enjoy 🫶🏽🫶🏽. And some housekeeping: in this Aegon is not r*pist who enjoys watching children fight (the hotd are truly…. not right for the cartoonishly evil way they wrote Aegon). He’s just petty and neglected. Also the timing of this is different from the books bc Aemond meets Alys pre dance.

Fmo masterlist

Blog Masterlist

A bastard Strong. The irony is not lost on you. Your straight-laced husband fucking someone who is the complete opposite you. Older, no kids, no title, and no duty to uphold. At this point, it doesn’t hurt anymore. Instead, it makes your blood boil in the most delicious way. Aemond’s betrayal made you realize how you’ve been going through the motions; endlessly sleepwalking, hoping one day Aemond would come around. It woke you up to how much he’s taken advantage of you. He sees your kindness, and aversion to standing out as a weakness. Something he can manipulate and twist like one of his daggers.

The both of you must have forgetten where you came from. A rich, well respected house. The only daughter of smart, albeit conniving, family that knows how to get what they want. Your family didn’t have dragons or absurd ideas of exceptionalism to help you gain power. You’ve learned that inflated egos and prideful indulges can cloud Targaryen judgment. A trait you hope skips your children.

Shame on you for thinking Aemond would be different. Shame on him for the carefully curated facade.

All you do after Larys Strong comes to you the first time is think. You can’t remember the last time you’ve had this many options in front of you. Your mother’s words about patience run through your head. Keeping your wits is key. Play your hand too quickly, and you lose all leverage. You have Daella and the babe in your belly to think about. You stood pat in the beginning; Lord Strong simply relaying messages to you. You make sure Alys gets the letter Aemond wrote, and the ones after that. Lord Larys makes sure you get the details of each letter exchanged.

When the days grew lonely, and your body aches because of the babe in your stomach, you think about the letters. The declarations of love and recounts of lust filled meetups simmer in your head, but it’s the mentions of you that makes the anger sizzle and crackle. It makes the guilt you feel wash away.

You question if the rumor is true. That his Alys is a witch. Does her magic allow her to see the way Helaena can? Fuzzy premonitions and dreams that only make sense after they happen; a gift and a curse. A part of you wishes it to be true. You hope while your stomach stirs with untold truths, hers stirs with regret. Maybe the pain that runs through you leaves an unfamiliar taste in her mouth. That she can’t quite put her finger on it, but she feels you.

You wonder if when Aemond prays, he asks the Father to protect him… to protect her. The same way when you pray, you ask the Warrior to help you find the courage to destroy him.

It started with a bruise. A bruise that you don’t even remember how you got. Maybe one of those things you just wake up with. But it’s there, on the inside part of your left arm. It’s starting to fade but an otherwise noticeable bruise that stands out when you wear something with shorter sleeves.

The idea doesn’t come to you till you see the curiosity in Alicent’s eyes when you absentmindedly rub the bruise while asking if she’s seen Aemond. It’s only you two in the walkway; an unusually quiet day at the Red Keep. Her eyes go from it to the far away look in your eyes. It makes her tilt her head in thought.

“No dear, I haven’t,” her eyes go back to the scratch. “Are you doing alright? I know for some, the second babe can be even harder than the first.”

You look down at your arm, and something just clicks.

“I’m fine,” you start, then you make your voice tremble a bit. “I will be fine. I think I’m just tired.”

You give her a strained smile, and she returns one that tells you she doesn’t believe you. You can feel her big brown eyes burning into your back when you walk past her towards your chambers. There could be two thoughts in her head: you did this yourself or someone else did it to you. Either way, her son’s sweet pregnant lady wife is not doing well, and her son is nowhere to be found. Queen Alicent is one of the smartest, if not the smartest, person you know. She sees the change in her son; the change in the dynamic between Aemond and you.

It hits you. It would be too easy to physically harm Aemond. Though the idea of taking the blade that hangs from his hips and putting it to his throat has crossed your mind more times than you’re proud of. It would be too easy to get Larys to kill Alys. You don’t want to give Aemond the satisfaction of having his whore’s blood on your hands.

Where’s the fun in killing when your rage could be channeled into something more… methodical.

Under all that false bravado is the little boy who got picked on for not having a dragon. To break the man means bringing out that little boy. A truly broken man can’t love anyone. Isolation, and self hatred. What a gorgeous combination for your dear husband.

If this is going to work you need to up the ante.

So, you write. If Aemond and Alys can document their love, you can document your pain. You sent your lady in waiting out to get a blank book from one of the maesters. The color dyed cow skin feels smooth under your hands. There needs to be a slow build. Each day you grow closer and closer to shattering. Whoever reads it needs to know Aemond brought you to this place. He is the villain in the story of the poor, innocent wife that did nothing but carry his children and try to love him.

It will read like a diary, but to you it is a creation. A mixture of truth and imagination. A manifestation of pent up feelings. Purging and revenge all rolled up into one. You make sure to mention how terrified you are for your safety, and for you children’s safety. How an angry or disenchanted Aemond is nothing to toy with, especially if he has a bastard witch on his side. How maybe life would be better for Aemond if you just weren’t around.

But this fading bruise isn’t enough. Neither is just having a diary that will be discovered in due time. A deep cut, a dark bruise, half hazardously placed hand prints.. now that could work.

There’s something cathartic about the pain you feel when the dagger slices through your skin. The blood is so red and warm. It smears so smoothly on the page. Blood on your dress, cloth pressed to the wound, and wandering the halls is how Ser Criston finds you. You notice the worried, confused look in his eyes when you stutter out an ‘I don’t know’ when he asks what happened.

As the maester tends to your wound, you notice how Alicent and Criston stand in the corner of Alicent’s quarters. They occasionally glance at you while they whisper to each other. You recognize the familiar crinkle she gets in her forehead when she’s upset. All her children do it too.

“Sweetling, we both think it might be a good idea to give you your own knight of the kingsguard,” she sits next you. “Just to help you and… keep an eye on you during this vulnerable time.”

You blink. Not one mention of her son. But it’s clear to see how Ser Criston is with his queen. Submissive, and utterly devoted. Having someone like that is an asset. So, you smile weakly and nod. The more people who see you in this way, the better.

Ser Quinton Throne was quiet in the beginning. As if he was scared to be in your space. A far cry from the rambunctious knight his brother, Rickard, is. Moving past the initial shyness, he is attentive and even indulges Daella’s fascination with him. Despite you telling her not to, she would always run up to him, tugging on his white cloak to get his attention. She likes having someone around just as much as you.

The distance between Aemond and you had started to carry over into his relationship with Daella. Kids are more intuitive than adults give them credit for. Your throat felt tight when you daughter finally asks where father goes. You lie; it comes easy to you, easier than you thought it would. It makes you think if this is how easy it is for Aemond to lie to you. Or for everyone to not gloss over the clear problems in your life.

You would lying if you said it wasn’t nice having a man around, even if it was his job. It was Aemond’s job to do right by you, and he couldn’t do that. A man carrying out his orders with a warm smile was welcomed. The comfort of having someone who sweared his allegiances to you, and only you, and intended on keeping them.

You look from your embroidery loop to see Daella and Ser Quinton sword fighting with wooden swords. It’s an uncharacteristically sunny day. Perfect to get much needed fresh air, and apparently going to battle.

“She’s gotten quite good.”

Like a storm rolling in to ruin a sunny day, your husband’s tone is ever cold and distant. You hate the uncomfortable energy that radiates when he sits next to you.

“Yes, she has,” you stare at the Lysene lilac flower starting to come to life on your loop. “He’s good with her as well.”

You know he won’t like you saying that. He hates Quinton being around, and he especially hates how Daella taken a liking to him. Aemond scoffs and mumbles something under his breath you can’t make out.

“It’s just lovely having real protector around,” you continue to push your luck. “Someone so attentive and… strong.“

You look at with his a sickening sweet smile. He opens his mouth to say something, a complaint or rude comment since those seem to be the only reasons he talks to you, but he is interrupted by Daella yelling out for him.

“We’ll talk about this later,” he mutters to you, getting up.

“Oh you’ll actually be here long enough for that?”

The words slip out your mouth and it makes him turn to glare at you. It reminds you of the gossip you heard about him when you first arrived at court. How cold the king’s second son can be. It should’ve been a warning to you.

Quinton takes it as his cue to leave them be; you know he can sense how much Aemond doesn’t appreciate his presence. You watch as Daella clings to her father. As selfish as it sounds, you patiently wait for the day she too realizes he can’t be depended on.

“My mother used to make me embroider,” your knight’s voice breaks you out of looking on. “Something about being dangerous with a needle is just as great as being dangerous with a sword.”

You take a good look at him. If Aemond is the moon - ethereal, mysterious, and always changing, then Quinton is the sun. Bright, forward facing, and shines brighter with time. His choppy black hair, beard, and warm standing in contrast to your husband’s Targaryen features.

“Sounds like a smart woman,” you smile as he sits next to you.

His eyes linger on your embroidery work before traveling to you right arm. The blade wound was just starting to scab and scar over. His first day on duty was marked by seeing your husband give a long lecture on safety and ‘using your brain’ after Aemond saw your wound. The blade cut wasn’t under pure circumstances, but the look of resentment on your face was real. He saw that. He’s never asked what really happened to your arm.

“How are you my lady,” he whispers. You told him he can address you by your name, but he still insist on the formal names especially around others. “Is the babe giving you trouble.”

Ser Quinton, Helaena, and Alicent are the only people that seem to care about your well being, on top of the babe’s. Aemond concern went making sure the babe was fine to just not asking all together. It’s better that way, you think. You don’t think you’d be able to take fake concern about your little ‘mistake’.

“My bladder is being pushed on, I’m finding clumps of my hair on my pillow, and Maester Oliver told me this baby will weigh more than Daella did,” you reply lightly. “But other than that I’m doing fine.”

This pregnancy had knocked you on your ass. You’re sure the stress and thoughts that consume you don’t help. You know how it feels to come into a fracture family; it makes you feel awful for the babe in your stomach. Your parents tried hard, frankly too hard, to pretend things were good between them. Trying to prove their union was more than a duty for their houses. Till this day, you don’t know what’s worse: knowing they didn’t share that love or the years you watched them fake everything. They had ambitions, and to carry them out there needed to be an appearance of an united front. You took your father’s lead, knowing he always tried to have your best interest. The relationship you have with your mother often ebbing and flowing, especially since your marriage.

When you ravened your mother about your pregnancy troubles, she tells you that this is your responsibility to your husband. Harsh and utterly true. You don’t know if your father ever had indiscretions like Aemond, but you know she’d never plot the way you do. Her calculating nature showing up in different ways. Instead of going after him, she chose to focus on elevating you.

Her and Queen Alicent remind you of each other. Devoted to a fault. A victim who had no other choice but to fall in line.You pray for the both of them. Pray that they find peace with the sacrifices they’ve made. Pray that you never get that far. A shell of yourself. Duty, responsibility, cleaning up others’ messes - what a dull way to live.

“Once he’s out, I’m sure it will all be worth it,” says Ser Quinton, voice not wavering.

He’s trying to be kind, mentioning the working theory in the castle that you’re having a boy. You try to smile at the thought. It’s hard to believe that. Plan or not, you still have to know the truth about the father of your children. There is hole left in your heart about that. Him disrespecting you is one thing, but his words pertaining to your unborn child is another. A sudden spurt of anger rushes over you thinking about everything. It makes you stand abruptly.

“I’m feeling tired,” you watch as Daella pretend to stab her father with her sword. Her giggles ringing out when he reaches to pick her up. The dichotomy of Aemond Targaryen will always fascinate you as much as it terrifies you. How he manages to smile in her face, and lie to yours is quite a sight to watch. “I’ll send Margret out to get Daella.”

Waiting for the perfect moment is not going to work. There no time like the present.

The stiff upper lip of this family is something you noticed the moment you stepped into their presence. It’s seeped into the way they gatekeep a dying Viserys. Alicent is cold and collected in the most beautiful way. A sharp glittering icicle. A pretty rose littered with thorns to keep you admiring from a distance. Even Helaena, who you consider a friend, keeps certain things close to the chest. It’s better to keep the full truth away from her.

But there’s Aegon.

Pitiful, and lonely Prince Aegon. A drunk with a bad attitude. But he’s also the most painfully self-aware person you know. There will be times that you and him exchange looks, as you are in on the joke. That everything is a farce. One day someone will just come up and say it’s all been a bad dream. You think it’s the reason why he frustrates Aemond so much. The teasing on top of him never taking the Targaryen name seriously. Aegon spends his days trying to drink and fuck his way out of thinking about his life. Stuck in a royal cuckold. The first born son of a king with nothing to show for it.

He’s messy, nosy, and so openly brash. He’s your missing chess piece. The perfect pawn.

You leave the diary around places in the castle you know he will be. It’s not until you conveniently leave it in the play room where all Daella, Jaehaera, and Jaehaerys all frequent that you know he’s taken the bait. His lilac eyes seem to follow you whenever you two are in the same room. It takes days for him to confront you; book in hand and wry look on his face.

“Is it true? Everything you wrote?”

You stroke your belly while looking at him, a small smile on your face.

“Does it matter that if it is,” you tilt your head, and his eyes glitter with something you’re not used to seeing.

He mirrors your head tilt with a full blown smile on his face this time. It’s like a bright light after weeks of darkness. A person who also sees through the bullshit that enraptures once you call yourself a Targaryen.

“I greatly underestimated you my good sister,” he whispers. You know he’s thinking about his own words. ‘Pretty but horribly dull’.

“That’s fine,” you motion to the seat next to you. “You can make it up to me.”

Queen Alicent stands facing the fire. Aegon, Helaena, and Ser Quinton off to the side. All of them standing across from where you sit. Aegon gives you a knowing look while Quinton’s eyes are filled with pity and anger. Pity for his princess, anger towards his prince. Helaena looks like she wants to say something.

“I… do not know what to say,” her voice is strained with pain. You know this hurts for her. The image of the perfect son being destroyed. The pedestal she put him on crumbling before him.

You’ve gotten better at crying after Aegon told you tears will be necessary to sell it. It’s an automatic response now. The perfectly timed emotion that breaks like flood gates when Alicent holds out the diary. You say you’re embarrassed. That you never meant for anyone to read it, especially not anyone in the family. Aegon gets to be the concerned good brother. He rubbed your back, while his mother called for Helaena. She needed to know who else knew about this.

“I can say what everyone is thinking,” Aegon pipes up. “He’s a fucking cunt.”

“Aegon.”

His mother turns to glare at him, but it doesn’t deter him.

“Walking around with that self righteousness just to fuck a Strong,” he scoffs. “Calling his child a mistake?”

The words makes Alicent sigh, and squeeze her eyes shut. Helaena continues to play with her fingers with a quizzical look in her eye. If Aegon of all people can judge, the actions must be bad.

“This all my fault,” you decide to take it up a notch. Your breath catches. “I must’ve done something to deserve this.”

“Oh my sweet girl,” Alicent walks over and sits next to you, pulling you into her chest. “None of this is your fault.

“I just don’t know what I did to deserve this,” you continue. That part is true; what the seven hells did you do to deserve this marriage? “This, and the baby, and missing my family. I’m just so unhappy here.”

Alicent strokes your hair. You can feel her heart thumping in her chest. You can tell she’s upset and scared. Scared for what your unhappiness means. You’re a risk now.

“Maybe… my father can come and visit. He hasn’t been here since Daella was born.”

After you got married, your parents left court to tend to your house. They felt their work was done. That the marriage was as far as their political ambitions can go. They visit from time to time to see their granddaughter but normally you’re the one who has to make the trip.

“Of course,” you can see the wheels turning in her head. “I’m sure the Hand would love to pick his brain on some things. Your father has always been so kind and helpful”

Queen Alicent is as predictable as she is smart. Your dad thought your marriage would help him get a seat in the small council. When no offer came, his ego was bruised. If your marriage couldn’t, maybe a desperate Alicent can. The idea of sending a raven about the news makes you have to bite back a smile. An ally in an castle full of strangers.

“I’ll speak to Aemond about this,” she nods to herself. “You don’t need to be worrying about this in your condition.”

The disappointment is clear in smooth voice. Before you can reply with a thank you, Helaena finally piped up.

“A baby’s green eyes spurs brighter skies.”

She mutters it before looks at you curious. You look down at your swollen belly, feeling confused. Neither Aemond or you have green eyes. You try to push the sinking feeling out of your stomach. Even Aegon, who normally ignores Helaena’s cryptic language, has perked up a little.

You take a look at Ser Quinton… his eyes as green as spring grass.

Ok this is my first one doing a tag list, so I’m sorry for those I’ve missed. It only let me do 50??? Idk it’s it’s different on desktop or I’m doing something wrong. Hopefully I can find a more conducive way for this. I also only tagged people who specifically asked: @afro-hispwriter @crispmarshmallow @unabashedlyswimmingtimemachine @its-sam-allgood @lol-im-done @grey-water-colors @sassysaxsolo @justsumstufff @lilithskywalker @dc-marvel-girl96 @bekky06 @claudie-080102 @cloudroomblog @shelbythequeen @crazylokonugget @solacestyles @instantpeachpeace @katyadenauer @nsainmoonchild @deeeeexx @iwanttohitmyself @rosa-berberifolia @noisyinfluencerstrawberry @princessmiaelicia @bregarc @castellomargot @thesadvampire @chaosmagiq @icarusignite @happinessinthebeing @flavorofsalt @wishfulwithwine @slut-for-eddie-munson @rosaryos @mistalli @inana-mm @winxschester @papery-maniac @nolongereviliwantlove @fultimefangirl @missusnora @skinmittensgoblin @duckworthbean @b00kdiary @chiyausu @alexandra-001 @tachibubu @juneisreading @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 @verycollectivecreator

[dr3amofagame]

thinking about c!dream earlier on in the server just makes me sad man. like, c!dream has never been a perfect character. he's always been flawed, always been a bit of an asshole, always had control issues. but also he knew that. he tried to work on that. he and tommy were friends, despite being flawed people with their own issues that would bump into conflicts because of the ways that they differed. c!dream tried, god, he tried; he wasn't even on the server, when the drug van happened, and walked into a place with someone who was practically a stranger to him building a wall and calling for war and having turned half the people dream knew against him, apparently, for no reason that he could've known at the time, and he had looked straight at tommy and tubbo and asked if that was what they really wanted when wilbur told them that there was no such thing as dual citizenship. he tells tommy when he has to sell a disc for spirit's leather even though tommy had surrendered the discs to him at the end of the revolution because he knows it'll matter to him. he and tommy truce, multiple times, and c!dream gets tangled into conflicts that literally don't involve him repeatedly and gets targeted Because He's Dream repeatedly and he plays along with that trivia contest and he gives gifts to fundy and tommy after terrorizing them a little for fun and he plays along with the dreamon thing and he keeps getting pulled into fights that weren't his but tries to make them a little more fair when they get him involved. he fucks around with tommy and they have fun, they're friends, and when he and wilbur look like they're in danger dream is one of the first to find them and lend them real, practical, valuable aid. he calls himself "Big D" in that book and he tells the man that wrote him as a tyrant that he doesn't want to be a villain in the story anymore. he asks tommy if he's okay, and watches that kid's back when he walks alone and unarmed into manberg, and fights with him at the battle of the lake and all of that is thrown back in his face as being a lie. half the intial community structures that exist were built by him; the community house, the nether portal and hub, the prime path. during a time where every other piece of leverage got burned or killed (rip the casualties of the pet war), dream was kind of known for being one that could be fairly traded with, that would minimize permanent damage. the kills in the final control room were originally to strip lmanburg of their gear, which he had kept in a chest so it could be returned to them after the war.

like no c!dream isn't perfect at the beginning of the server. yes he's kind of a jerk sometimes, kind of an asshole sometimes, kind of neurotic most of the time. but god dammit like c!dream does try to mitigate the worst of his control issues, when they flare up early on; the initial disc war ends with tommy getting his discs back as well as a stack of diamonds, in exchange for a netherite chestplate. he's a flawed character and he's still someone pretty friendly on the whole to most of the server, he's also kind of just known for being a little weird. he gives gifts randomly. he fixed creeper holes, and houses, and went along with bits. like whatever im a c!drolo c!dream woobifier and i admit it lol but for as much evil as he ends up doing, pretty damn consistently early on, he's . friendly? kind? funny? helpful? their neighbor. their friend. c!dream isn't just some stranger that flew off the handle; he's someone they knew and lived with who had his actions taken in bad faith because the goddamn story said so and kept fucking trying anyway until he believed the lie too. like he was just a guy!! a guy they knew and lived with!!! like my god

[qwanderer]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Leverage Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer Characters: Eliot Spencer (Leverage), Parker (Leverage), Alec Hardison Additional Tags: Domestic Fluff, Cooking, post-s5, Gardens & Gardening Summary:

“I am gonna get you two to eat salad,” Eliot said, “eat salad and like it, if it kills me.”

“No!” Parker stood up and marched over to him, waving a finger in his face. “You are not allowed to die! I’ve been very clear about this.”