#my emotionally constipated warrior babies

[mooncheese3]

HOLY SHIT A FELLOW YUELIUJIU ENJOYER. thank you SO MUCH for indulging my yueliu request and making it even better. do you have any yueliujiu concepts running around your mind? i've seen your other svsss concepts and they're just - fuck - absolutely brilliant. i want to write them so bad.

LMAO HELP BTW OMG HI THAT GENUINELY MADE ME PUT MY HAND ON MY HEART BC FLATTERED IDK I CANT GRAMMAR BUT ANYWAY. YES PLS DO WRITE BEGGING ON MY HANDS AND KNEES (also i have no idea where ur 2nd ask after this one went its gone from my inbox and i have no idea how tumblr works so IM SORRY FKSNFKS)

THEIR DYNAMIC DRIVES ME CRAZY. THEYRE A TRIANGLE. THEYRE THE MOST STABLE SHAPE DESPITE BEING SO OPPOSITE. THEY BALANCE EACH OTHER OUT.

(warning this goes super super long😇)

yqy. hes the water to lqg's fire and sqq's wind (which stokes fire). hes the calming rain during the sunset after a burning afternoon. hes the still waters as compared to the extreme winds. BUT. LIKE AN OCEAN. THERES SO MUCH GOING ON UNDERNEATH THE UNMOVING SURFACE.

this is where liujiu come in. theyre the fearless divers who readily plunge. while others may point and talk about how idyllic a lake is, theyre the ones to swim to the middle and see how deep it runs. thing is, the two of them are Wired to actively seek out the truth. its one of the few things they have in common, fiery temper aside. that is Exactly what our dear qige needs. HE NEEDS MORE PEOPLE TO SEE PAST HIS AMICABLE, LIKABLE MASK

not that hes an unlikeable person at heart, thats subjective but like u get what i mean right. BASICALLY he goes out of his way to be liked by everyone, but in doing so shoves all the unlikable parts of himself away. hes a kettle WAITINGGG to explode one day, and it wont be pretty at all

ON THE OTHER HANDD sqq exaggerates all his unlikeable traits to push people away. unlike yqy, who actively tries to bring people closer to him (to a curated ver of him) in a kind of keep your friends close but your enemies closer type of thing, bc at the back of his mind ANYONE can become his enemy and hurt him–its the paranoia talking— sqq keeps everyone at a distance BECAUSE anyone can hurt him.

since lqg Hates people faking things–sqq would argue that exaggeration is NOT faking, actually, and yqy would also add that downplaying isnt either— hed just. do what he does best: fist fight his way into fixing things👍👍

JK BUT NOT RLLY HED ALSO BE THEIR (surprisingly) level-headed anchor when they go through problems as a couple. (i hc him as the type of guy to be the most calm when thrust into times of distress. good hunters and warriors need to be like that. itd be neat if that also carried over into how he dealt with emotional conflicts. like he may seem like the epitome of an emotionally constipated guy–which he is at times–but when it really matters he can be insightful. how he words things out needs to be improved tho, id imagine. but sqq appreciates action over words, and yqy understands lqg as a person, so theres that)

word vomit over yqy is a dog boy, lqg is a cat boy with dog boy tendencies, and sqq is a cat boy B)))

OH AND. AND AND AND. AU WHEREIN YLJ ARE LMY'S PRIMARY GUARDIANS. OH BOY. OHHHHHH BOYEIEYEIEY

PREFERABLY WHEN THEYRE STILL DISCIPLES. maybe baby lmy is present for one of their fights (as in not spar. As in oh shit this is serious business. As in oh shit theyre horrible at communication) and she cries. and so theyre like WOW were so bad at this

qijiu are going down the HORRIBLE mindset of "maybe i should just get away from all this before i make things infinitely worse, like i always do" but lqg strong arms them into sitting at a table and talking things out bc "we may be bad at this but we CAN get better, idiots"

(HOW UNCHARACTERISTIC YOU MAY SAY. BUT. WELL. lets just say lqg got strong armed into doing that by his shizun, who was strong armed into doing it by yqy and sqq's shizuns, who didnt want to do it themselves because reputation purposes and also bc thats troublesome but seeing their disciples pass in slightly subpar work bc of FEELINGS made them actually do something

not the best shizuns but. yea. u dont get disastrous human beings out of nowhere)

their biweekly emotional discussions from hell are the most awkward things the three have ever gone through, BUT! anything for their little meiemei turned semi-daughter

mingyan will forever be proud of them, once shes old enough to understand

AND! AND AND AND AND AND LATER THEY ADOPT LITTLE PALACE MASTER (ON ACCIDENT) AND NYY (NOT ON ACCIDENT)

hngf i just love little palace master too much not to include her, the little brat

okay this gushing is getting super long but thats what tumblrs for

help im jumping from topic to topic but OH WELL. WE WILL NOW BE TOUCHING UPON YLJ AND 3ZUN FROM MDZS PARALLELS

ACTUALLY NOT TOUCHING UPON JUST. SCREAMING ABOUT IT.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[jabthemoth]

for the bingo opinions on all the links (all 9)

Anon I'm blowing you kisses rn

Putting under readmore so as not to clog anyone's dash

In no particular order, here we go:

Sky

Four

I need to see the soft sleepy boy go God Killer mode, ok? I want him bags under the eyes, smile too wide, voice too sickly sweet, followed by an absolutely phenomenal display of why he is Hylia's chosen one. Added bonus of being the only ZeLink pair I can tolerate

Time

I love him. I don't know why. Full confession, I've never played either of his games, but that doesn't matter, he's my little guy. Also, I hc him as being like, 20-21.

Twilight

DILF

Legend

I have a soft spot for him since Twilight Princess was my first Zelda game, and while I do love his story arc, I feel like it sorta comes at the expense of other members of the chain.

Wind

I get the appeal of him, and he would absolutely be my number 1. blorbo in other circumstances. As it stands he's like... My forth fav?

Hyrule

He doesn't get enough appreciation from the fans, and I know this because I'm one of them. Sorry Wind, it's not you, it's me. You deserve more love than what you get 😔

Warriors

Everyone who thinks Hyrule is an uwu little bean is wrong. He's just as feral as Wild, but with the added threat of being constantly hunted, makes for a Very dangerous individual. And Hylia help whoever backs him into a corner.

*Vibrating with enough force to power a small city* I Am So Normal about this man, if I'm ever able to properly articulate myself about him god help you all because I will write Novels about him. I want to see his facade of vanity and confidence and stoney military mask get taken away and expose the broken man underneath. He has suffered so much and Warriors deserves to have his traumas acknowledged as much as any of the others, because you cannot tell me he isn't Severely messed up from the war and everything it involved. *cough* Cia and the Temple of Souls *cough*

Tired of seeing him as the butt of the joke or stand-in villain in fics too. Let one of the other boys lose a bet or be the emotionally constipated one for once, idk.

Wild

On one hand, I feel like Wild gets too much screen time, but on the other hand I also really like how his character is handled. He seems the most... Normal human person of them all, (aside from the whole "being over 100" and capable (and willing!!!) to eat rocks and crap). Wild isn't some innocent little baby, nor is he an irredeemable asshole, he's just a regular guy. Bad at handling emotional conflict maybe, but we've all been there. The important thing is he's trying.

[dreadwulf]

#3 One Flesh, One Heart, One Soul

Brienne has become exceedingly annoyed with him. 

It is a little like when they had first met, this antagonism. Except she had despised Jaime then, and he could not arouse any anger in her however he tried. She had remained calmly disdainful that entire journey despite his continued efforts to irritate her. 

Now she is vexed. Jaime has succeeded in breaking her composure, nearly without trying, and all he had to do was inform a tavern filled with people that they were married, and convince them to toast his bride and buy them drinks. Drinks that their companions were very appreciative of, mind you. Even Brienne had finished a flagon, her face turned a now-familiar scarlet. She was at first clearly torn between shouting at him and punching him in the face, and settled on glaring daggers and leaving the room without a word to anyone, and now she has ridden ahead to their next destination without him. 

Jaime is not nearly so satisfied with this accomplishment as he might have expected. It is a little unnerving actually. Brienne avoiding his gaze and not speaking to him was more troubling than he wanted to admit, but he has never seen her openly angry and it is inexplicably worse. He wasn’t completely sure that was possible. 

Even their companions have noticed. The Hound has been clearly amused by the entire situation, and Ser Hyle has been smugly enjoying the deterioration of their relations. Young Podrick had ridden beside Jaime most of the afternoon, and questioned him anxiously.

“Why do you antagonize my lady so, my lord?” Podrick has been unfailingly polite to him thus far, in a way that suggests he is intimidated by him, or more likely by his House. But just now he is worried and protective of his lady knight, as loyal as any squire. 

“I don’t know what you mean, Podrick.” He gives the boy only a sidelong glance. 

“It upsets her. Ser Lady Brienne. I’ve never seen her like this before.” Pod sits up a little straighter on his little horse and affects a hardened expression. “You should be nicer to her.”

Jaime snorts. The lad is about as threatening as a newborn puppy. “I’m very nice to her. Am I not praising her to everyone we meet?”

Pod screws up his face in frustration. “She doesn’t understand. You’re hurting her.”

He shrugs off these comments; surely the boy has it the wrong way around. He spurs his horse and rides ahead all the way to Ironoaks, and the rough terrain of the rising road successfully occupies his thoughts. 

The high road to the Vale is closed by the snows, but they have managed to hug the coast around Wickenden rather than travel through the Mountains of the Moon. It takes weeks longer, and still they have had to fight their way through rising snow. Hopefully their destination is close. Much of the Eyrie court has moved to the Gates of the Moon, and Brienne’s party has heard news of a tourney there to select new members for the Brotherhood of Winged Knights. It is in this direction they ride despite the worsening weather. From there they can cross to the rest of the Vale, if needed.

The village surrounding Ironoaks Castle is quiet and still. Jaime rides through much of it, looking for some central place where he might find Brienne. If she has not decided to ride somewhere else entirely to escape him. But no, she would not leave her squire, and Podrick Payne is hot on his heels even now.

He finds her at a posting in the village square with news of the tourney. She stands enfolded in her heavy travel cloak, her loose blonde hair blowing in the snow, and he dismounts to join her.

Jaime thinks little enough of the Vale Knights - they are confident in their superiority but were no match for his sword when he had two hands. But the conflagration of nobles and knights will surely be an ideal location to learn news of the region, and a safe place to hide from Crown forces. If the Stark girl is indeed in the Vale, she would surely be there. 

“I might have competed in this once,” he says by way of greeting as he comes to stand beside her. “Perhaps you might consider it, becoming a winged knight. There are not so many Starks left to serve.”

Brienne does not turn to him. She fairly growls at him, arms crossed beneath her cloak. “I thought you wanted to find your honor? If you are not so distracted by ridiculing me.”

A strange falling sensation fills his stomach. “Oh, so you’re speaking to me now? How nice.”

“Will you stop telling people I am your bride?”

“Why? It’s true.”

“It’s misleading.” She glares at the missive nailed to the wall as if it has attacked her personally. “I never agreed to be anyone’s wife. Must you make this more unpleasant?” 

“It’s not unpleasant for me,” he says cheerfully.

“Of course it isn’t.” Brienne lifts her chin and looks at him, and this time it is he who cannot quite meet her eye.  “You can amuse yourself as you like, you are not the one who will be considered spoiled afterwards. Your reputation will be pristine when the marriage is undone, but not mine. Even though I spoke no vow, and was not even awake for the ceremony.”

He feels a pang of guilt at that. “It was not my idea either, Brienne. It was a convenience. I know that it was not real, and you did not agree to it.” 

“For gods sake let’s keep it quiet then,” she hisses at him. “For the survival of my good name keep your japes to yourself.”

“For your good name, I’ll refrain from sullying it with mine,” he agrees with considerably less cheer. 

“Why did you allow it in the first place? I thought you were forbidden to marry, as a Kingsguard…?” Brienne is staring at him most earnestly, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“As it happens, King Tommen has declared me dead and replaced me in the Guard. He did not wait overlong to do it, either. So as dead men have no vows…” he shrugs, with a great deal more indifference than he is feeling. 

He hadn’t known that detail at the time, of course. It had most likely happened while they were on the Quiet Isle, and he had learned of it from rumors on the road. But she does not need to know that. Nor does she need to know how hurt he had been, to find himself so easily discarded.

“But what was the purpose? The Quiet Isle would have tended to me just the same. Why -- ?”

How to explain? She doesn’t remember it. She doesn’t remember him holding her belly together as they rode for the Isle. She doesn’t remember screaming in pain in the bed they put her in. How she had thrashed and writhed in it, when they let him look in. They would not let them go to her side, not even young Podrick, who clearly loved her like a mother. Not even him, when he had carried her in pleading for their help, and was still covered in her blood.

How can he explain to her that he tried to tell them no? That he had refused to wed an unconscious woman without her permission? That was when they had shown him, when he had seen her in that bed and wanted to carry her away immediately from that awful room. It stank of sickness, of infection, and she did not belong there. But of course it was coming from her, the sickness was in her and radiating off her in waves. Her skin was grey and damp with sweat and those wounds open to the air were black and dripping with pus. Her face gaped open at her cheek and he could see a flash of muscle tissue through the swelling, the cheek she had always kept covered before. These were old wounds, weeks’ worth of wounds, one on top of another, and worst of all the one to her belly that should have carved out her guts. They had stitched it shut, that one, but it showed no inclination to stay closed. She was shivering, moving in small, restless jerks. 

“Can you give her nothing for the pain?” he had demanded of them, but they said the amount they would have to give to touch these wounds, she was unlikely to wake from it. They said it and the monk and his fellow looked at Jaime expectantly, as though they have asked him a question. It takes him too long to realize what the question is. 

“If you’re asking,” he said testily, “whether I agree to a mercy killing, I do not. Brienne will live. You will save her life.”

They had looked at one another, grimacing. The monks had explained, one after another, that they could not save her. That her wounds were quite grievous, and quite infected, and the lady was mortally ill. They would be only delaying the inevitable. They thought, after a certain point when they had tired of arguing with him, that it would be selfish to continue.

“When I lost this” -- he had shouted at them, holding up what was left of his right arm -- “and I was burning with infection, wearing my own rotting hand on a chain around my neck and in such unimaginable pain I was pleading to gods I don’t even believe in to put an end to me, Brienne told me to live. She said I must live, and so I did. I would ask no less of her. I don’t care that she is a maid, she is no weaker than I am and has endured far more than most men. She will survive this if we let her. You will give her the chance to, and so help me I will make certain of it. I will burn this monastery down if you don’t.”

But she had writhed. The monks held her arms down firmly against the bed, to keep her from hurting herself or flinging herself off of it. Her entire body seized with pain, silently, an agony too harsh even to allow a cry to escape her lips. It bent her back so that she arched off the bed and her hands formed claws at her sides. 

When she relaxed into unconsciousness again, Jaime noticed his lungs screaming at him and remembered to breathe in. He took a harsh gulp of air and held it painfully, his vision blurred.

“Do you see?” The Elder Brother had said then. “Do you understand?”

He had nodded wordlessly. He believed them, that she was dying. Dying by inches and measured breaths, the Stranger’s hand on her shoulder. He never told anyone that, not then and not later, that he had given in. Out loud he had insisted she would live, that they must try. But in that moment, looking at her in the bed, he knew that she was dying and there was nothing he could do to save her. That was why he had agreed to marry her. He could do nothing for her terrible pain but he would not allow her to die alone and scared. He could at least do that.

But she did not die. She did not die, and now she stands before him and she is confused and he does not know what to tell her. She doesn’t remember and there are no words to describe it. It had been agony, that helpless moment looking at her in the bed, and he would have done anything in his power to help her, and so he married her. There is no way to explain that.

Jaime steps closer to Brienne. He has to look decidedly upwards to find her eyes, and has never gotten used to it. His eyeline falls more naturally to her strong jaw, her neck, which he had been so entranced by in the Inn. Her neck, with the fading burn beneath her chin where they had hung her. 

He could kiss her. She is unreasonably tall but he could bury his hand in her hair and turn her face down to his. Her mouth is not pretty but her lips are thick and pillowy and would be sweet to taste. He could do it.

“What about this?” he asks instead, suddenly. Jaime brushes his knuckles against it, the mark around her neck where the rope had been. “Why would you let the Brotherhood do this to you?”

Something strange flickers across her face. “I could hardly protest. There were too many.”

He insists. “You could have simply done as they wanted.”

Brienne shakes her head. “It would not have been right. You did not do the things they accused you of, and I would not execute an innocent man.”

Jaime should have been prepared for that answer but he isn’t. For some reason it hits him square in the chest, like a blow. 

“Of course,” he says, a little breathlessly. He lets his hand drop back to his side. “You would only do right.”

Of course. Of course that is why. Brienne is good, she is truly good and honorable and she would have done it for anyone. Brienne would do the right thing, and that is that. She is a true knight and he is a damned fool.

He pretends to read the bulletin of the tourney with great interest.

“It was a whim,” he says in answer to her earlier question, and shrugs. “The nuptuals. They said it would be undone, and it took no time at all. Only a few words and it was over.”

 “A whim.” She sniffs, and nods harshly. 

“They were quite set on having you married, their order. For a lot of unmarried monks they are quite obsessed with it.”

“I see,” she whispers.

***

When he makes the arrangements at the Inn this time, he arranges for the two rooms, but does not mention a wife. He says very little at all, and sets himself in the tavern well apart from the rest of their little party. 

Podrick Payne looks between the both of them, Brienne and Jaime, and stays with Brienne. 

The Hound, oddly enough, sits next to Jaime, though he offers little in the way of conversation. He makes a pleasant enough drinking companion, in that he signals regularly to the barmaid to replenish their supply, and does not ask any questions. 

Ser Hyle sits beside Brienne as she sullenly eats her supper, speaking to her eagerly, probably about their ridiculous situation. He had wanted to be the one to marry her, of course. He had offered it, on the Isle. But Hyle Hunt is a schemer from a minor house and he would wed Brienne for her inheritance and leave her on her deathbed, Jaime thinks. He would not have cared for her the way he had. 

I know that it was not real, he had told Brienne.

I truly believe that the ceremony was real and it was sacred, Elder Brother had said. 

There was not, in fact, much ceremony at all. He had simply sat beside her on her sickbed. The both of them in the same clothes they had worn before Lady Stoneheart, torn and bloodstained and filthy. They had bound Jaime’s left hand to her right and Elder brother said the words. One flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever. Her hand was cold and limp in his but he threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed, hoping somehow she felt it as a comfort. If she was not silently screaming in objection to this farce of a wedding. 

He said the words; she could not say them back. I am hers and she is mine. From this day until the end of my days.

They had left him alone with her, with dreamwine and milk of the poppy to ease her passing, and he poured her a finger of the dreamwine, and when much of it dripped out of her mouth he poured her another, but no more. She did not move about so much after that. Then he had crawled into the bed beside her and slipped an arm around her, just above the stitches at her belly, and held onto her as best he could with his handless arm and her wounded from head to toe. 

She at least would not die alone, nor lie in an unmarked grave in a strange place. She would not go unremembered. He would make sure of that.

I don’t doubt you would have chosen better, but I will be a good husband to you in what way I can. I will take you to my home at Casterly Rock and make a place for you and a place for me. One day when I die they will lay our bones there together.   

But she did not die. She had survived through long nights and days of pain and fever, had survived the monks and their bandages and resetting of bones and scouring of infection, and slowly her wounds had closed and her fever broke and consciousness returned at last, against all odds and expectations.

She had survived and by the Seven, he had been so relieved. Every day since he has been relieved. For the first time perhaps ever his most fervent prayers have been answered. He has lost his mother and his father, become estranged from his brother, separated from the children he had fathered, lost his right hand and his vocation, found that the great love of his life had been an illusion and a lie, but when he had claimed Brienne for his own she had survived. 

So if she doesn’t want him for a husband, he surely cannot begrudge her that. He had not prayed for that, had he? He only asked her to live. 

He stays in the tavern longer than all the others. Brienne and Podrick and Ser Hyle finish their supper quickly and disappear. The Hound paces him admirably but eventually excuses himself to his bed, with a strangely sympathetic touch on the shoulder. 

He must look miserable indeed to earn pity from Sandor Clegane.

It takes a considerable amount of ale to do him any damage, watered-down as it is, but Jamie makes the effort. By the time he wanders upstairs he is weaving in his steps and sure that Brienne will be long asleep, and he is considerably surprised to find her sitting up, fully dressed and waiting for him. 

She sits on the foot of the bed, her hands twisting in her lap, and she looks tentative and uncertain. Jaime likes that least of all, this new timidity. It is Brienne being Good again. She treats him as a suitor she is letting down gently, and he thinks that if he is going to be rejected, he might at least have made a real overture first. He has not earned this. This is unfair.

“We must put an end to this marriage,” Brienne says slowly, meeting his eye at last. “I do not like what it has put between us.”

The words stick in his throat awkwardly, though he has thought them often enough. “If we returned to King’s Landing, the Faith could annul it at my request. But I did not think you would want to abandon our search for that.”

“I don’t see much choice.” She wipes the heel of her hand across her face, quickly.

Finally he snaps at her. "Is it so awful, being wed to me? How humiliating for you, married to the most dishonorable man in Westeros. You must be suffering intolerably.” 

Her mouth twists. “If you were not the loudest man in Westeros, it would not be so bad. If you did not insist on embarrassing me--” 

"I didn’t realize I was to be a shameful secret for you to keep. If it embarrasses you, I will not speak of it  But tell me, if you are so distressed, why didn’t you ask your Elder Brother to dissolve this farce?"

"I did," she replies sullenly.

Oh, he thinks. And then: Oh. Of course she did.

"I suppose he told you the same thing he told me then." His face is grown hot again, as if held to a fire, and he spits out the words as though they burn. "That it would be dissolved if left unconsummated at year's end. So there is your freedom if you can stand the wait."

"I can endure your japes if there will be an end to them." She hunches over strangely, her shoulders up nearly to her ears. 'i know that you would never touch me."

"Certainly not. I am a gentleman."

She looks up, suddenly fierce. "Sleep you in the other room then, so that there is no mistake. Our companions must support our claim that we do not share a bed."

"Fine," he says before he has quite thought about it, and storms out into hall, slamming the door behind him.

He stands frozen in the hall staring at the wall in front of him, until he hears footsteps behind him. Cautious footsteps. 

He listens closely to them, imagining their maker, how carefully she steps so that he will not hear. She will open the door at any moment, to be sure he is gone, and he should move quickly into the other room they have rented but he is frozen in place. For some reason or other, he wants her to see him there.

But she does not open the door. Instead he hears the lock clicking into place behind him, sealing him out.

Click.

At this he immediately breezes into the adjoining room, startling awake their companions with some story of being locked out of his room after visiting extensively with the bar patrons.

"I knew you'd fuck it up," Ser Hyle says derisively from his pallet on the floor, and Podrick evinces a small giggle, and Jaime curses them all to the darkest of the seven hells and claims a chair for his bed.

He sleeps fitfully against his fist, and he does not think of his wife asleep alone in the next room behind a locked door and it does not hurt at all, it doesn't, it doesn't.

[miniherodesktales]

Defense for Odin: 1

Okay, so I’m not arguing that MCU Odin is a saint - forget that, some criticism is well deserved - but I do think he’s like Loki - a little bit misunderstood with an unfairly negative reputation. As Loki himself says, “No one is ever truly bad or truly bad” and this applies to Odin too.

What I really want to talk about is Odin’s act of adopting Loki. Some people say it was kidnapping but I argue that it wasn’t.

I think it’s a possibility that Laufey left Loki in that location to be found by Odin.

For over a decade fans have pointed out that the place where baby Loki was left was a little unusual. He was found just outside a temple or inside it? If the intention was to let him die by exposure, why not go down the traditional route of abandoning him in the wilderness? Or why not leave him inside the temple?

If Laufey wanted him dead why not just kill him and be done with it?

My first suggestion is a slightly meta one. Mythology - especially Greek mythology - is full of stories of evil kings who receive prophesies that a male relative will grow up to kill them, so they attempt to subvert the prophesy by ordering servants to kill the child. It always go wrong and the child is always found and rescued so they do grow up and kill the king. 

How do we know that Laufey didn’t receive such a prophesy about Loki? His servants failed to kill the child, lied about it, and, boy, wasn’t Laufey surprised when he saw his son many years later, alive and well and ready to murder him.

Anyway, I prefer the second suggestion which is more grounded in history. 

During Ancient and Medieval times it was a formalized, standard practice that a conquered territory would offer up children - usually sons - to the victors to be taken away as hostages.

The modern impression of hostage is one filled with violence and fear, but back then the hostages were usually treated well. They were taken home and raised in the new culture, sometimes as the companion to the ruling children. 

Once they came of age they would be sent home, able to speak the victor’s language and brought up in their culture - they would function as a bridge between the conquered and the conquered. 

Which is exactly what Odin said of Loki: “I thought we could unite our kingdoms...through you...”

We will never know if Laufy abandoned Loki there to kill him or to offer him to Odin as standard practice for the times. 

However, Odin did not follow the protocol and his affection for Loki ultimately did more harm than good, but it was still out of love:

Firstly, he adopted Loki instead of just giving him to a prominent Asgardian family or using him as a playmate for Thor. There was no reason to take Loki as his own son - and in fact probably took some effort, lies, and magic to convince the people that Loki was a true Odinson....not to mention getting Frigga onboard: “Hello, dear, how are you? By the way, I decided to adopt a boy, you don’t mind do you?”

He fell in love with baby Loki at first sight, no doubt, and wasn’t going to let anyone else have him.

Secondly, he never gave Loki  back. As mentioned, when Loki came of age he should have been sent back to Jotunheim, but Odin kept him safe on Asgard. I suspect he kept finding excuses to push the plans back. “Oh, we need Loki here, let’s wait another year...the weather’s not good for travelling...”

Thirdly, he lied so that Loki wouldn’t feel different or afraid for his life. 

I’ve heard that many adoptive parents make this mistake and it never ends well, but it’s usually done with good intentions. In Loki’s case it may have been vital. If the Jotuns were really portrayed as monsters then how safe would have little Loki felt if he had known. It would have been awful to allow child Loki to grow up in fear and an unfair burden to expect him to keep the secret of his own identity. 

And if Odin had told the truth to Loki and his people then there was no guarantee that his adopted son would have been safe. Sadly, he was bullied anyway, but it seems certain that it would have been way worse if Odin had kept his Jotun form and the people only saw him as a hostage.

It’s a tough situation and Odin and Frigga had to make a choice. The choice they choose proves that Odin saw Loki as family rather than just a fostered hostage, even if it  sadly traumatized Loki later in life.

The final point I want to make is something that I think gets missed an awful lot. During the vault scene in Thor 1 Loki asks of Odin, “What am I?”

Without hesitation Odin replies, “You’re my son.”

That’s how Odin sees Loki and has always sees him. There’s a slight crack in his voice because he knows that Loki is in pain and he caused that pain. There’s no escaping it. His own heart his breaking.

Later on the bridge Odin is on the verge of tears. He whispers “No, Loki” not to remonstrate his distressed son but meaning that “you didn’t have to do any of this”.

If Odin has one fatal flaw its that he’s no good at expressing his feelings and dealing with difficult emotions. This is not surprising as he is an ancient warrior king where you have to be tough to survive.

Being emotionally constipated may help you conquer planets but it’s fatal when your youngest son is having a mental breakdown.

And yet by his death scene in Ragnarok Odin is able to praise Loki for his magical abilities, laugh at himself, and say “I love you, my sons”. It’s not much but it was a peace offering.

Okay, I feel that I should end by saying, I’m not interested in arguing people out of disliking/hating Odin. I just wanted to share my opinion. I like Odin because he reminds me of Loki. As Hela said to Loki, “You sound like him.” If you dislike Odin that’s fine too. 

[ssjkallion]

Remember that Time I said I would Show You that mock trope page I made?

Here it is. 

IT’S ALL FOR FUN! And I do include references to actual RP’s, so you might find yourself in here lol!

Might as well post it here too for mobile purposes.

Kallion: 

A Saiyan time patroller from Planet Vegeta.

Action Survivor: Just barely survived Planet Vegeta’s destruction due to being marooned on another planet.

Survivors Guilt: Big time, though she tends to play it off, if not outright denying that she has it. Kallion has…issues about the circumstances of her survival.

Innocent Blue Eyes: Compared to the more common dark eyes of other Saiyans, emphasizing her gentle nature.

Fish Out Of Temporal Water: Was born several years before Planet Vegeta’s destruction, but is now living in Conton City nearly a century later. Though she’s happy now, her early days at the time patrol made for a difficult adjustment.

Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Gentle girl to Giblet’s Brooding Boy.

Involuntary Shapeshifting: As any Saiyan who still has their tail, one look at the full moon will have her turning into a Great Ape in no time.

My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Downplayed, and largely averted. Kallion points out that while she was always far more gentle than what was typically expected of Saiyans, and she lacked that ruthless killer instinct, she is still a battle-crazed idiot. On the other hand, she theorizes that her experiences weren’t all that unique to begin with. I.e: Gine and Tarble.

All Girls Want Bad Boys: Between Giblet and, yes, technically Trunks as well, Kallion seems to have a type. The real kicker is that she doesn’t escape this platonically either– Bardock is a hell of a father figure to have. She even lampshades this herself; “How come I only ever get attached to emotionally constipated men?”

Scars are Forever: A prominent one on her left cheek. It’s unknown exactly what the circumstances were, but she assumed she got it while a Great Ape. Countless others are scattered all over her body as well.

Intergenerational Friendship: With Bardock, her mentor. He also happened to be her father’s best friend.

Proud Warrior Race Guy: Saiyan!

Sole Survivor: Of her crew, who left her behind and returned to planet Vegeta on Frieza’s orders. Needless to say, she was lucky to be abandoned.

Tyke Bomb: Typical of most Saiyan children.

Golden Super Power Mode: Super Saiyan, naturally

Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: It’s in the job description.

Dating Catwoman: Her and Giblet.

Action Mom: In the future, having kids doesn’t slow her down at all.

Mama Bear: Becomes fiercely protective of her baby boy Keel, a trait which only continues to grow in the future.

All-Loving Hero: Willing to give most people and creatures alike the benefit of the doubt….save for Frieza, Mira, Cell, Towa…obvious villains aside. Also loves animals.

Bad Powers, Good People: Being a Saiyan, she has a natural unlimited potential for battle and power. Along with the added layer of being able to turn into a vicious giant ape. Yet, she’s kind and mellow.

She’s Got Legs: Muscular and flexible.

Nice Girl: In spite of being a full blooded Saiyan of the PTO age, she’s kind hearted and easy going. Kallion, in general, has a difficult time hurting people unless pushed. Granted, she can be surprisingly short tempered.

The Apprentice: To Chronoa, as well as Bardock, and eventually Shallot.

Archenemy: Considers hers to be Towa, Frieza, and Suuja.

Badass Adorable: 5ft of Saiyan rage.

Bare Your Midriff: Typically in her casual attire.

Berserk Button: Good hearted as she may be, Kallion is still a short tempered Saiyan. What gets her is usually picking at her insecurities, insulting Chronoa or Trunks, making even the slightest threat toward her children, or dragging innocent people into conflicts.  

Big Eater: Saiyan!

Blood Knight: Again, Saiyan!

Came Back Strong: As with every Saiyan, coming back from the brink of death brings with it a hefty power-up known as a zenkai boost.

11th-Hour Ranger: Her job as an elite time patroller.

Glass Cannon

Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Being all of 5ft, she’s this standing next to most of the men she knows. Special mention goes to Arugla, Taeta, Scaro, Giblet, Bardock, Trunks…

Lightning Bruiser: Speed is her greatest advantage due to her size.

Platonic Life-Partners: With Arugla, Taeta, Scaro, and debatably Trunks.

UST: With Trunks. There’s an obvious attraction, and she trusts him more than anyone.

Slap Slap Kiss: However, her and Giblet….

Opposites Attract: Her and Giblet again.

Slasher Smile: Often right before a fight.

Tranquil Fury: The first time she went Super Saiyan.

Token Good Teammate: Didn’t end well…kind of.

Took a Level in Badass: Gained a significant amount of confidence during her time in Conton City.

Wild Child: From age 6 to 12, after being marooned on a swampy planet by her old crew. When it became obvious that no one else was left to come get her, she fended for herself.

Blue is Heroic: Blue eyes, blue clothing, blue armor…

Defends Against Their Own Kind: Technically, whenever she’s fighting against a rogue saiyan in history.

Determinator: Can get to wonderfully self destructive levels.

Pregnant Badass: Hell, she’s confused as to why she’s apparently supposed to stop fighting after finding out she’s pregnant with Keel.

Socially Awkward Hero: Spending your formative years as a feral child will do that to a girl.

Idiot Hero: Socially awkward, romantically oblivious, no sense of self preservation? Yeah.

Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: So, your crew abandons you to die. Then THEY end up dying, you live and get stronger, and end of recruited by an elite time force where you get to work with the greatest heroes in history. Thanks, old crew!

Recruited From The Gutter: Found as a wild 12 year old girl living on a backwater planet with little intelligent life besides herself.

Undying Loyalty/I Owe You My Life: To Chronoa, Trunks, and the Time Patrol. Kallion is incredibly grateful for the second chance they gave her.

Wacky Parent, Serious Child: The wacky parent to the much more serious minded Keel.

Because You Were Nice To Me: What sparks Giblet’s attraction to her, along with the fact that she was never afraid of him. This trope is also the initial reason for her crush on Trunks.

Villainous Crush: Again, Giblet.

First Kiss: Giblet again!

Friend to All Children: Even before having her own, she had a soft spot for children and got along with them well.

Child From the Future: Keel, her equivalent of the Toki Toki City/XV1 Hero. Not that she initially knows.

Back-To-Back Badass: With Arugla, Taeta, and Trunks typically.

Desperately Craves Affection: Downplayed, but still there.

The Power of Friendship: Comes with the territory

Remember That You Trust Me

All Of The Other Reindeer

Motor Mouth: Usually when she’s nervous or meeting someone new.

Lady of War: It’s in the blood, after all.

Four-Temperament Ensemble: Sanguine

Beware the Nice Ones

Like A Daughter To Me: Bardock refers to her like this almost word for word.

Freudian Trio: The Id

Innocent Fanservice Girl: Has no qualms with people seeing her naked, and doesn’t understand why others would be offended by her being nude in her own home or bathroom.

Attack! Attack! Attack!

Wide-Eyed Idealist: To a point.

Too Hungry To Be Polite

Stupid Good: Hooooooo boy.

The Pollyanna

Paralyzing Fear of Sexuality: Due to growing up alone, her knowledge of sex and things related to it is slim to none. As a result, actually experiencing those feelings causes her to momentarily freeze and panic. She gets better.

Oblivious to Love: Related to the above. Romantic gestures tend to fly over her head unless it’s spelled out.

Insecure Love Interest: Which directly feeds into the above two examples.

Battle Aura: Yellow or purple.

Strong Family Resemblance: Her mother’s spitting image. In teen Keel’s timeline, she has a daughter of her own who looks just like her as well.  

Stepford Smiler: Type 1: “The character seems to be happy, cheerful, is always smiling, and seems to live a perfect life - but inside they are melancholic, if not outright depressed.”

Sink-or-Swim Mentor: Bardock, who has no problem beating her into the dirt during their very first training session.

Verbal Tic: Has a habit of ending sentences with “yeah?” and “ya know?”, as well as starting with common sentence fillers like “well,” or “uh”. Ya know?

Obfuscating Stupidity: Kallion is a weird case. While she’s uneducated and misses innuendo, she can be very intuitive. There’s also her habit of dodging uncomfortable questions by acting like she doesn’t understand. To quote Mariko; “Sometimes I wonder if you play dumb, or…”

Did you think I can’t feel?: Rips into Giblet with this almost word for word after he still accuses her of using and manipulating him for the Time Patrol.  

Dead Guy Junior: Not her, but her son is named for the only member of her crew who was kind to her– and died as a result.

Book Dumb: She is very much uneducated, due to her circumstances. Learning to read was never a priority until she was 12.

Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Android 22's blue, but the blue to Mariko's red.

(To be added on continually whenever I think of another or as I see fit! FOR FUN!)

[ladykoyotedraws]

The Unit - By Ranking Positions

  Have not actual ranks in the military due to the covertness of their operations and do not exist on any military record book, however, they do have pull within the military equivalent to a certain rank.

Top Row - Left To Right

"SARGE" - Demon -  Very much the fearless leader with a heart of gold under a very rough and harsh exterior.  He's a grump, an asshole and emotionally constipated with severe PTSD that he hides with amazing skill to the point as long as he doesn't seek therapy no one knows the truth outside of those in the unit and his mate Calico.  Married to Trent Odell Connelly, since neither of them exists it's not considered an issue among the officials, they are still effective and truly The Unit itself does not conform to military regulation due to the fact each of the members is of supernatural origin.  Known for giving his men nicknames, with the exception of Trent.

Trent Odell Connelly - Vampire - The old man of the unit but her certainly does not always act it.  Often participating in pranks with James despite some of them resulting in the backfiring on the vampire himself.  Only member left from the formation of the unit during the American Revolution. Married To Sarge. Second in command with an expert knowledge that spans over 15 centuries of life including weapons training, strategy, diplomacy and much more.  Loyal as they come but holds a warrior soul with a strict devotion to family and his brother’s in arms and belief in honor.

Joseph “DOG BREATH” Rico Hernandez - Lycan - Heavy Artillery Specials and Insane Combat Drive.  He’s the madman behind the wheel and you really don’t want him to mess up when he’s driving. “Just stop talking he will kill us all, Rough Ryder.”  Actually, a very strong believer in non-violence but also not willing to stand by and watch others fight for their country or defend the lives of others without stepping in.  Loyal to the core and willing to die for his brothers without hesitation.

Second Row - Left To Right

James “MADMAN” Jacobson - Fire Elemental - There is something seriously wrong in his fucking head.  Known for blowing himself up on purpose just to see the effects of a new explosive James has some issues but they don't’ just extend to himself.  Anger him and he will gladly roast every fucker who pissed him off and dance in the flames while he listens to the melody of their screams and laughs the entire time.  (Yes he’s the crazy dude who laughs psychotically when angry.) A diagnosed Pyromaniac (Discovered after a mishap involving Trent getting blown to shit by what was honestly a mistake but it required some investigation due to the severity)  He is truly a sweet man though who loves to laugh and will pull pranks on anyone including himself to see people smile. Explosives are his niche and he won’t let you forget that.

Shane  “LAZY ASS” Jericho Tein - Earth Elemental - The alias says it all.  He’s lazy as fuck. Albeit he can be motivated if you know the buttons to push.  He comes across as disinterested in the world and everything going on but it’s in effect a wall he structures for himself during childhood.  His lazy nature likely is linked to his species and like the Earth when he does reach a certain point all hell breaks loose and then he settles down like nothing happened.  Sarge is very much the man who coined how to motivate him after he chose the Marine Corps over Juvenile Detention for hot-wiring a car so he could get away from a street gang he owed money to in Hell’s Kitchen, New York and it certainly ended up with plenty of times that the demon was nearly knocked unconscious by flying boulders but hey it worked.  Mated to Bruce Hammond. He’s a heavy hitter when he needs to be but he’s quite skilled as a marksman, often taking the high ground and picking off targets rather than hitting the enemy up close and personal. A fairly skilled sniper in the end.

Bruce “ROUGH RIDER” Tyler Hammond - Animal Shifter - Capable of taking the form of any animal he meets in person after the first introduction is great but it comes with a consequence.  A libido that does not quit. And perhaps this would cause problems given the fact he is mated to someone and has no intent on slowing down but Shane seems to be understanding of the fact he needs a female and as long as he’s the only man in the shifter’s life he’s happy to live knowing the women he’s with are nothing to the shifter in the end.  Though this has resulted in several oopsie babies and there are likely plenty more. Despite this Bruce is an animal lover who grew up on a Ranch and their Corpsman. He may be all play when he’s not got a patient but he sure as hell has no issue setting to the task of saving lives if that’s what he needs to do. He’s a born healer and will even try and get Sarge to make Joey stop so he can take care of that injured dog over there.

The Many Faces Of Connor Brian Connelly

You all know about the giant teddy bear with a sniper rifle who now stands as Master Gunner for The Flying Dutchman.  Well, people don’t exactly know the full story or the extent of who Connor truly is. Outside of the sweet man most know are two other sides and one of them is not so nice.

From Left To Right

ConCon - That sweet giant with a heart of gold.  This is likely what most people know. He tends to be a bit more reserved but when he trusts someone who can be very loud and friendly.  But everyone knows ConCon is just a giant teddy bear who wants a hug. He loves sweets, family and just being a goofy man.

Gunnery Sergeant Connelly - The side most of the military knows and is happy to speak of.  A sniper with amazing skill and record book holder for longest distance for a confirmed kill shot (5 Miles out) without a scope.  (Comes in handy to be the son of a vampire and human woman.) There is an actual story behind this image itself. During a mission in 2006 in Iraq, his unit’s convoy was hit by an IED.  Every member was killed aside from Connor. If it wasn’t enough to see the mangled bodies of his brothers in arms the breaking point for the dhampir was the body of a young child fused the Humvee after being used to stop the convoy.  Three days after the lost contact the search team out find a bloodied Connor, exhausted but having taken care of the bodies of his brothers in arms as best he could so they could be returned to their family, making a makeshift memories for the child and the bodies of 20 hostiles who had attempted to overtake the village they were en route to during after the convoy was destroyed.  He was severely injured in the blast but had managed to fight through the pain, massive shrapnel damage to his body that he had yet to remove and was sitting there as though he was enjoying the pain he was in without a doubt. The image itself is based on the funeral held for his fellow Marines and the guilt he still feels for surviving.

The Hound - The myth of The Hound is spread widely through the Marines.  And despite being common scuttlebutt no one believes the stories. Claimed as simple scuttlebutt and urban myth/. Three months after the IED that killed his brothers in arms the rumors began.  A man who was sent in to take out those who no one else could. To take care of problems that the Military could not afford to lose lives on. And in truth, The Hound and Gunnery Sergeant Connelly are on in the same man.  But they exist in different worlds. The Hound is a myth, a rumor. The Gunnery Sergeant Connelly? After the incident, the Lance Corporal jumped ranks suddenly. It was assumed due to heroism in the line of duty and going above and beyond the call and that is exactly what The Hound’s handlers want everyone to believe.  For the two to exist separately. To let the hero and legend remain tangible while the horrible myth of a one-man force capable of killing anyone and anything in his path and coined with his code name as a reminder that once he has the scent he will hunt you down and take you out. A vast difference from the disciplined soul of the Gunnery Sergeant or the gentle giant everyone stateside knows. Disclaimer: I know there will be some errors for all you military personnel, I do try to do my research but this is a work of fiction so be aware of this.  I am always researching and learning however and if I catch errors I do make attempts to edit them.  I do know a lot of their designs are not acceptable to military dresscode but this is fiction and I did have them adapt during any time they are deployed.

[dreadwulf]

Chapters: 4/5 Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth Characters: Jaime Lannister, Brienne of Tarth Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Post - A Dance With Dragons, everyone writes a Married on the Quiet Isle fic sooner or later and this is mine, Fluff and Angst, Marriage, book canon, tv show what tv show, Jaime and Brienne my emotionally constipated warrior babies

I haven’t been crossposting every chapter, but I’m up to Chapter 4 on AO3 now.