#no read more get a wall of text and die like men

[acoraxia]

LIVE RHY REACTION TO INVESTITURE OF THE GODS

Disclaimer: this is an English translated version and I do not know how accurate it is so if some things are wrong or improperly translated please let me know. I will also be including screenshots of dialogue and scenes every now and then but please keep in mind I will probably not go into too much detail of these chapters and that I am just reacting to the scenes that happen in the book.

This is also VERY LONG because the book itself is very long. Do not read it if you don't want spoilers/want to sit through a lot of text.

I’ll be covering Chapters 1 - 10 in this post

Once again, do not read if it's a lot of text and mute the tag #live rhyactions

CHAPTER 1 (GODDESS NU WA AND KING ZHOU):

I can’t believe they made Li Shou king because he was strong. He threw a pillar and everyone told King Di Yi to make him king like ok cool ig

also in the other version I was reading, King Di Yi was called Da Yi.. wonder if that was a mistranslation or something

“King Zhou established his capital at Zhaoge, a metropolis on the Yellow River.” interesting, in the other version they call it Morning Song. huh! The more you know

“The king placed Queen Jiang in the Central Palace; Concubine Huang in the West Palace and Concubine Yang in the Fragant Palace. They were all virtuous and chaste in their behavior and mind and gentle in manner.” (…) im not gonna comment on how much that last line irks me for some reason but… ough

ANYWAYS HE RULED IN PEACE… YIPPEE

“and his peasants were especially blessed by favorable winds and rains” why did that make me laugh a little ok

the four dukes!!!! yippee!!

East Grand Duke Jiang Huanchu, South Grand Duke E Chongyu, West Grand Duke Ji Chang and North Grand Duke Chong Houhu

i hope none of them die

SEVEN YEARS OF PEACE!!! and then a report was sent to him oh no

ough a rebellion.. of 72 marquises in the North Sea District — surely Grand Tutor Wen Zhong can take care of it right?? surely he’ll take care of it.

Shang Rong asks King Zhou to honor and hold a ceremony at Nu Wa’s temple for her birthay (the 15th day of the third month) and King Zhou has the gall to ask, “What has Goddess Nu Wa done that a great king such as myself is obliged to to go her temple and worship her?”

What if i stab him. what then. 

thank you Shang Rong you will always be the smart one of the advisors

King Zhou then makes an announcement that he's going to go worship Nu Wa at her temple. amazing. thank you for that.

“It would have been better if he hadn’t gone at all, for it was this very pilgrimage that caused the fall of the Shang Dynasty, making it impossible for the people to live in peace.” i think it was because he disrespected Nu Wa actually

why did he need 3,000 cavalrymen and 800 royal guards if he is such a well known and respected king… hm… 

But they were under the command of General Huang Feihu, Prince for National Pacification and of Military Prowess. so maybe this guy’s important for later. hopefully. i do not want anyone to die yet

except King Zhou but anyways

PRAYERS!!! RESPECT FOR NU WA YES

why are you wandering King Zhou. King Zhou go back.

KING ZHOU.

KING ZHOU NOOO

the most beautiful passages describing Nu Wa and how beautiful she is and how she looks at him with joy and this mfer gets horny. ok.

Or, perhaps, it is about how men’s desires in the past were always the cause of their own downfall because he was warned that Nu Wa was a respected goddess and one he shouldn’t take lightly and, in the end, he ends up disrespecting her all on his own and that is what causes his downfall. 

“He desired to possess her and thought to himself in frustration, ‘Though I’m wealthy and powerful and have concubines and maideservants filling my palace, there’s none as beautiful and charming as this goddess.’” 

rip bozo you signed your own death warrant

AGAIN, I AM SURPRISED HE ACTUALLY DID WRITE ON THE WALL ABOUT HOW MUCH HE WANTED HER. I THOUGHT THE WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE WAS LYING TO ME BUT NO: 

Shang Rong: Nu Wa’s been a proper goddess and the guardian angel for Zhaoge, I only suggested that you worship her so that she would continue to bless the people with timely rains and favorable winds and ensure that they’ll continue to live in peace. But with this poem, you’ve not only shown your lack of sincerity ubut have insulted her as well. This isn’t the way a king should behave. I pray you wash this blasphemous poem off the wall, lest you be condemmed by the people for your immorality. King Zhou: shut up i’m king

NOT THE REST OF HIS MEN LOWKEY SIDE-EYEING HIM….

anyways they go to the Dragon Virtue Court they go where he meets up with his queen and concubines happily. hooray!

Nu Wa paying respect to the three emperors — Fu Xi, Shen Nong and Xuan Yuan — before returning to her temple on her birthday is so nice to me? I know Fu Xi is her brother in some iterations and it makes me happy idk :(

WAIT THE MFER WROTE THIS IN THE MAIN HALL?

IT SAYS SHE SEATED HERSELF IN THE MAIN HALL — NAHHH HE DESERVES WHAT’S COMING TO HIM WHAT THE HELL??

GET HIS ASS!!!

did not know King Zhou had two sons (Yin Jiao and Yin Hong)

anyways he still has 28 years to go before his downfall and Nu Wa realized “that she could do nothing about it at this moment, since that would go against the will of Heaven.”

surely this “against the will of Heaven” won’t be a reocurring theme in the book and it’s successor, Journey to the West, right? Right?

of course it will

NU WA SUMMONING DEMONS AND EVIL SPIRITS FROM THE DEMON SUMMONING PENNANT LET’S GOOOO

“All demons the world has arrived to receive her command” queen shit

IT’S THEM!!! IT’S THE THREE QUEENS OF THE SHANG DYNASTY LET’S FUCKING GO!!!

“May you live eternally, dear goddess!” they have more respect than King Zhou LMAO

“you mustn’t bring harm to the people” uh. anyways.

“since his visit to the Temple of Goddess Nu Wa, King Zhou had sunk into deep depression” shut the fuck go hold your wife

“He had no passion for his queen, his concubines, or the numerous maids in his palace. They now all appeared to him like lumps of clay.” Something poetic about Nu Wa making people out of clay and King Zhou now seeing them as clay—but also fuck this dude

King Zhou: im sad because im in love with nu wa and can’t marry her

what if i kill you

NOT THEM SUGGESTING HE ORDER 100 WOMEN FROM THE GRAND DUKES — BRO NOOOOOO

why is that the end of the chapter

[.....]

CHAPTER 2 (THE REBELLION OF SU HU):

King Zhou: bring me 100 virgins. they must be gentle, virtuous and above all beautiful

i cant with this man.

Shang Rong: you already have 1,000 women you can’t ask for more when your people are dying of drought and floods King Zhou: fine

HES SULKING LMAO

Su Hu… i like Su Hu he doesn’t want to give you any bribes smh

Shut up King Zhou i miss Su Hu

“we greatly appreciate the kind concern shown us by your majesty” i dont trust like that…

what if i killed them all

why are you mentioning Su Hu has a daug- STOP

ISN’T THAT SU DAJI’S FATHER HOLD ON

King Zhou: can i marry your daughter Su Hu: fuck you King Zhou: >:O

NOOO HE FUCKING ARRESTED SU HU WHAT THE HELL

he was right though this kingdom is dying because you’re being too horny King Zhou please listen to REASON

HE (SU HU) WROTE HIS POEM ABOUT KING ZHOU ON THE WALL HELLO?

idk if it’s intentional but it seems like he’s making fun of King Zhou for writing on Nu Wa’s temple wall LMAO i love that

we stan Su Hu

“Our goal is the utter decimantion of the city.”

I miss Su Daji

where’s my wife

Fei Zhong is like… the worst fucking instigator huh? He’s the one who keeps giving King Zhou ideas- i hate men

Ji Chang taking place for King Zhou so he won’t get caught in the cross fire… interesting that he hesitated on that? ig?

“How could possibly have offended the king? He’s known to all for his loyalty and good conduct, and for his many outstanding military successes. There must have been good reason for him to write the poem.” Ji Chang you’re one of the few smart people in this novel

tiredly reading this chapter because…. ough… ji chang,,,, rebel,,, ji chang,,, j i c ha ng,,

ANYWAYS BACK TO SU HU ARRIVING BACK AT JIZHOU

he has a son (Su Quanzhong)???? HE’S A DAD???

wait why am i suprised his daughter’s literally daji nvm

honestly this is great for learning how names work yppee

NOT THE 50,00 STRONG ARMY FROM CHONG HOUHU… OUGH

Su Hu immediately getting angry when he learns Chong Houhu is leading the armyncjks

“Chong’s an evil fellow” LMAO??? OK DAMN

not Su Hu apologizing for not being able to salute properly becuase of his armor

“King Zhou has of late become corrupt and immoral as a ruler” SAY IT LOUDER

LMAO NOOOOOO

NOT THE GUYS FIGHTING

STOP PLEASE NOT SU QUANZHONG

nvm they won HELL YEA

RUN AWAY CHONG HOUHU YOU COWARDS

SURPRISE ATTACK AT MIDNIGHT LETS GOOOOO

i forgot peopel took drums with them to war

not Chong Houhu drinking after Huang Yuanji reassured him it’ll be fine. fool. you’re at war. don’t drink before sleeping

“They rushed in like tigers and wolves, slaughtering and maiming on all sides.” ough i love this novel’s descriptions

SO MANY PEOPLE DYING 

“Chong Houhu dismount from your horse and die!” these men are violent

if this is how violent they are im terrified for su daji now LMAO

Su Quanzhong my beloved

NOT HIM KILLING SUN ZIYU WHAT THE HELL

not Chong Houhu fleeing and distracting his son and he ends up gettig killed by Su Quanzhong

THAT’S WHERE IT ENDS???

wow wtf

[.....]

CHAPTER 3 (DAJI ENTERS THE PALACE):

MY QUEEN’S ARRIVING LET’S GO

My queen did not, in fact, arrive

These men are going through it

also i thought Chong Houhu’s son died but no hes just wounded LMAO

MOST OF THIS CHAPTER IS MEN CRYING I CAN FEEL IT

Chong Houhu is finally smart for once in acknowledging he cannot win this

“A huge army is marching towards us at great speed.” PLEASE SAY IT’S SU HU COMING TO KICK EVERYONE’S ASS

oh. 

nvm

Chong Heihu, the Black Tiger, the Marquis of Caozhou

why does he have a brother-

Black Tiger: i heard you got your shit rocked

Su Hu: Black Tiger’s here? We’re screwed

Sun Quanzhong is so cool but also so so stupid

bro your dad is telling you this guy is trouble because he knows MAGIC bro

Bro don’t go off to fight your dad’s sworn brother bro no

NOT THEM CAPTURING SUN QUANZHONG

BRO

BRO WHAT THE HELL

HERE COMES BLACK TIGER WITH THE STEEL CHAIR

nvm the steel chair was Black Tiger winking and trying to give Sun Quanzhong a signal that he is, in fact, siding with his dad but Sun Quanzhong is too stubborn and fucking decides to fight Black Tiger

honestly bro what did you expect

GET FFUCKING CAPTURED BRO

DUMB OF ASS… STUBBORN BOY SOBS

also no Black Tiger isnt a tiger he’s a human thats just his name i hope i dont have to clarify that again oops

bro

bro???

SU HU WHAT THE HELL???

so… petition to beat up Su Hu??

NO

NO

NO

NO

OH MY GOD

BRO ALMOST KILLS HIS DAUGHTER- WHAT THE HELL??

Why does he blame her and not the man who is lusting after his, supposedly, young daughter? Why doesn’t he curse the man that was a tyrant and has been growing lustful with power? Why doesn’t he realized that she is not to blame for she does not even know what is happening? 

Ough.

Black Tiger: Brother, if only you would only consult with me, I could withdraw my troops. Why do you fear and refuse to see me? I don’t understand! There’s no ned to launch an attack. 

black tiger and su hu have an interesting relationship.

hm.

tfw even your men are wondering why you are suddenly acting so strange

bro Black Tiger did something to Su Hu huh….

GENERAL ZHENG… OUGH

hes going to fight black tiger oh boy

“Black Tiger was mounted on a fiery-eyed monster” what if i eat him

General Zheng Lun of Jizhou… inchresting

interesting.

NJKCDSNJCD FUCKER CAPTURED HIM SO QUICKLY WHAT???

also Black Tiger’s smoke magic >>>> LMK!Macaque’s shadow magic sorry lmao forgot to mention that

Su Hu: I cant believe Zheng Lun died Zheng Lun: i’ve captured the black tiger Su Hu: what the fuck-

“I’ve never forgotten that we’re sworn brothers. I’m ashamed to be a captive and greatly appreciate your courtesy.”

Black Tiger And Su Hu Have An Interesting Relationship (by which i mean it's strange seeing male friendship represented like this in such an old novel but it's a /pos kind of strange yknow)

uhm.

anyway.

SHUT THE FUCK UP SAN YISHENG PLEASE. STOP

WDYM KING ZHOU WROTE A POEM NOOOO

Poem basically says to let him marry Daji or else they’ll all die.

Su Hu Is Considering This.

“How could I dare to oppose his wishes!” bro you literally told him to act like a better king what’s happening right now-

what if i die

wdym the chapter ends there.

what

[.....]

CHAPTER 4 (THE FOX SPRITE MURDERS DAJI):

the title goes straight to the point huh-

“I won’t sacrifice my life on account of my adoration for my daughter” Su Hu what if you shut the fuck up

yo what the fuck

Black Tiger going off on Chong Chouhu what

wow.

anyway-

“As I cannot let the family perish on account of Daji, I’ve got no choice but to send her back to the palace and apologize to His Majesty.” Su Hu i want you to choke

aw madame yang crying over daj-

what the fuck

huh

huh

huh

WHAT

I MEAN I GET W H Y

BUT

HUH???

y’all she’s gonna die either way im sorry-

“The old couple spent the whole night in despair and sorrow.” and y’all didnt… like.. want to fight for her or…. ok

when’s erlang showing up so he can beat up everyone

OG DAJI DID NOT DESERVE THIS

LOOK AT HER SHE BREAKS DOWN INTO TEARS WHEN SHE HEARS ABOUT WHERE SHE’S GOING

OUGH MY POOR GIRL

Su Hu after hearing there might be a murderous spirit haunting the place they’re staying at: SURELY THIS WON’T AFFECT US IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE

He checked in on Daji to make sure she and her maidservants were sleeping before reading a book on war strategy…

sir make up your mind either cherish her and love her or send her off to be married to a man probably twice her age

HE STARTLES THE GOES TO CHECK IN ON HER

OUGH

EITHER BE A GOOD DAD OR DONT BE A GOOD DAD WTF

the fact he stays awake to keep her safe

wtf

oop

OOP

LMAO

SHES DEAD SORRY LMAO

so.. who’s gonna tell him..

Fei Zhong: Su Hu is here to offer his daughter King Zhou: Why??? Fei Zhong: …b…because you asked for it-

mfer is so offended and for what

Shang RONG MY BELOVED

THE ONLY MAN WITH FUCKING COMMON SENSE LETS GO

and then Fei Zhong ruins it by saying if Daji is beautiful enough then they can forgive Su Hu and if she’s ugly then they can kill her and his father ok wow wtf

SU DAJI MY BELOVED <333

the fact they say she wears red… and i hc’d she wore pink/violets on her way to the kingdom.. and when the spirit kills her and possesses her she’s fully red clothed…. ough..

Can he like… not…. can he not….

I MEAN

i know why she’s so ethereal to him

because hulijing are said to be bewitching to people and they fall in love with them easily

but also fucking come on dude what the hell

sorry this whole thing is jsust… you have to read it to understand how ANGRY i am at this motherfucker right now

“passionate blissful night” daji im so sorry dude ough

NOT HIM FUCKING NEGLECTING ALL HIS DUTIES IMMEDIATELY

BRO I THOUGHT IT TOOK… LIKE 13 MORE CHAPTERS

MFER IS JUST…. GONE

WOW

WHAT A WAY TO END THE FUCKING CHAPTER

OUGH

[.....]

CHAPTER 5 (A VAIN ATTEMPT BY MASTER OF THE CLOUDS):

Master of the Clouds: she’s going to bring calamities

GOD FORBID WOMEN DO ANYTHING DAMN

also like???

she hasnt murdered anyone

Nu Wa sent her

why are people triyng to exorcise her already wtf-

TNE FUCKING MONTHS?

KING ZHOU HAS BEEN DRINKING AND FUCKING FOR TEN MONTHS???? HASNT APPEARED IN TEN MONTHS??? BROTHER WHAT

everyone: we’re worried King Zhou: anyways

HES SO FUCKINGNCJKDSNJK

im so tired of this dude

JUST DO YOUR FUCKING WORK??

where’s his wife bro

where are his sons

what the hell

Master of the Clouds explains taoism

ngl it’s pretty cool

i wont post the whole thing but it’s genuinely cool

he made a poem about the spirit lmao

PINE SWORD… SOUNDS SO COOL TBH

i want a pine sword

HE MADE ANOTHER POEM SAYIG HOW NICE HIS LIFE IS AS A TAOIST MASTER

THAT’S…

i like this dude

funky

Master of the Clouds: this pine sword will kill the spirit in 3 days King Zhou: Cool! Daji:

MOTHERFUCKER BELIEVES HER

OH MY GOD

GASLIGHT. GATEKEEP. GIRLBOSS.

motherfucker you CANNOT BE THIS DUMB OH MY GODNJDKSNJCKDS

bro 

BRO

i cant believe it fucking ends there DAMN LMAO

[.....]

CHAPTER 6 (THE BURNING PILLAR TORTURE):

i wonder what this chapter’s about oh boy

she recovered and carried on with her merry-making… i love her actually

“(…) Jiang Ziya will enjoy worldly glory and filfth, and fifth, gods are to be created.” ayo?? first even Jiang Ziya mention 

iirc Jiang Ziya was Erlang’s mentor? I could be wrong but yknow yippeeee

so basically, to recap: Master of the Clouds sends a poem to Grand Tutor Du Yuanxian and he immediately writes a report to King Zhou. Shang Rong receives the report and tries to present it to the king at his personal palace

oh boy

Du Yuanxian: hey so the spirit in your home is growing really powerful to the point where the spectral light she emits can be seen in the ninth realm King Zhou: HE ALMOST KILLED DAJI >:(

sorry guys he is…

he sure is something. this man. yea

He asks Daji if she knows anything about this and she just

oh my god.

SHANG TRYING TO REASON WITH HIM OUGH…

Du Yuanxian waiting eargly for news of what King Zhou said,,,,,, only to be told hes a criminal and will be executed bro what

Mei Bo: dw bro i’ll talk to the king and tell him this is all a misunderstanding

i bet hes gonna get killed too lmao

HE CHASTIED SHANG RONG FOR TELLING HIM HE’S LETTING INNOCENT MEN GET SLAUGHTERED BRO PLEASE

KING ZHOU IS SO ANGRY MEI BO ENTERED THE PALACE LMAO

Shang Rong gets a pass because hes so polite (and he’s a veteran and served for three Shang Dynasty emperors)

MEI BO FUCKING CALLING KING ZHOU OUT…

“Du Yuanxian’s a loyal minister. If you put him to death on account of your concubine, you’ll be cursed for butchering your father’s old minister, and denounced as the destroyer of the nation, for your act tantamount to wrecking a house by removing its pillars and beams. I exhort you to let Du Yuanxian live, for it you do, people will honor you as saintly ruler.” i like mei bo

KING ZHOU IS NOW KILLING MEI BO AS WELL

MEI BO WENT OFF LMAO

“You listen daily to the fawning courtiers and spend your nights in dissipation with Daji. The kingdom will suffer disaster soon, and I fear that I won’t have the face to contront our deceased kings in the nether world.” GO OFF MEI BO…. OUGH

….go off girl

go off

like

i - go off honeslty

KING ZHOU LOVES THIS IDEA

SHANG RONG RETIRES BECAUSE HE CANNOT HANDLE THIS ANYMORE

HE WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ANYMORE

GO OFF SIR GO

LVIE YOUR LIFE

GOODBYE SHANG RONG… YOU WILL BE MISSED GREATLY SOBS

“King Zhou continued to indulge with Daji day and night, ignoring all state affairs.” daji if you kill him now i wont tell anyone promise

iMMA GET YOU OUT OF THERE GIRL

aside from that, some princes arrived and they were all horrified by Mei Bo's execution after witnessing it and declared they have to do something to stop King Zhou

King Zhou is too infatuated with Daji to notice this ofc-

i feel so bad for King Zhou’s wife

ough… next chapter

[.....]

CHAPTER 7 (FEI ZHONG PLOTS TO DEPOSE THE QUEEN):

…uh oh-

“When the guards announced her (Queen Jiang) arrival, King Zhou glanced at Daji with half-closed eyes. ‘Lady Su! Would you please meet Her Majesty for me?’” bro you have little to no decency…

mfer you’re not even going to go greet your own wife??????

what the fuck man

also i do like that they explain Daji is a “mere concubine” so she doesn’t get to sit down. very interesting

NVM KING ZHOU IS IN FACT THERE TO GREET HIS WIFE BUT I FULLY BELIEVED HE WAS GOING TO STAY BACK AT THEIR ROOM DRINKING WHILE DAJI HAD TO ENTERTAIN HER OKAY

i love daji she’s just singing and dancing and enjoying herself i bet

fuck off King Zhou i don’t need you complimenting her

Queen Jiang: this isn’t good King Zhou: why can’t you enjoy yourself Queen Jiang: BECAUSE OF YOU

GO OFF QUEEN JIANG????

HOLY SHIT

i sure do hope nothing bad happens to Queen Jiang today

King Zhou is fucking drunk!!!!

amazing!!! /s

we love a manipulative queen holy shit

SHE’S SO GOOD AT IT TOO???

HOW MANY TIMES HAS THIS MFER FALLEN FOR EHR CRYING

IT’S INSANE

i’m pretty sure any other man would’ve told her to stop crying or something

damn

abusing the fact he’s so in love with her huh

Queen Jiang: You’ve seduced and incited him to all manner of evil. You’re the instigator and must repent at once. If you continue to wreck havoc upon this dynasty, I will deal with you according to the law! You may leave now. Daji: Daji: so i’m planning to murder her-

no really she tells Gun Juan she must seek her revenge i love her nckjs

Gun Juan is so cool?

“I’m a mere maidservant” girlie you are so smart actually

it’s a solid plan too? i didn’t expect it ngl i thought they were going to curse Queen Jiang but nope! just regular plan which is very nice

bro this isnt a debate come on man

let’s go murder the queen

come on fei zhong-

HELL YEA FEI ZHONG HAS A PLAN

Everyone: go back to work King Zhou: bah Daji: go back to work King Zhou: ofc anything for you daji <33333

i fucking hate this man

this man tried to assassinate the king and failed

you disgrace me you should’ve killed him bro

wait nvm it was all part of the plan???

what the fuck omg

King Zhou: WHY WOULD MY WIFE CONSPIRE AGAINST ME

because you’ve ignored her for almost a year, mayhaps?

“Who has so shamelessly condemned this innocent woman?” Queen Jiang im so sorry but im a daji stan through and through, off with her head

daji about to pull an ultimate powermove i can feel it-

daji i dont trust like that

ma’am?

i dont have the words to describe this so uh placing this down here HAHA

King Zhou is a yes man for Daji and i cant even blame him right now

he still sucks

QUEEN JIANG CRYING

CONCUBINE HUANG CRYING

EVERYONE’S CRYING WHILE DAJI’S PROBABLY SITTING THERE SMILING WAITING FOR QUEEN JIANG TO GET TORTURED

god forbid women do anything smh

so they took one of Queen Jiang’s eyes

y’all will have to read this book yourselves lmao i am not sharing this scene

but it was good

anyways Daji wants to keep torturing her and King Zhou has an inkling of doubt on her for once

i doubt it will last tho

IT DID NOT FUCKING LAST LONG

OH MY GOD????

he has no spine

THEY FUCKING BURNED OFF HER HANDS????

MY FUCKING GOD

AND THE CHAPTER ENDS WITH DAJI SUGGESTING THEY BRING IN JIANG HUAN OKAY ALRIGHT GOOD IG

[.....]

CHAPTER 8 (PRINCES TAKE FLIGHT):

General Chao Tian and Chao Lei bring Jiang Huan to the west palace. yippe

Rip Queen jiang she only has one eye now

Queen Jiang: SAY YOU LIED Jiang Huan: but you ordered me to assassinate the King Queen Jiang: BITCH

HELP

Yin Jiao and Yin Hong playing chess…. free from guilt… not knowing whats about to happen lmao

Yin Jiao is fourteen and Yin Hong is.. two years his junior? So fourteen and twelve i think

no wonder theyre not paying attention

me too guys

YIN JIAO LET OUT A ROAR??? OK IG THEYRE RUNNING TO THE WEST PALACE TO SEE THEIR MOM

theyre crying now awesome

“I’ll cut off Daji’s head in revenge for my mother!” Yin Jiao buddy you’re like fourteen and you just kill your uncle- buddy n- oh boy

oh no nvm Yin Hong is sixteen then since they said Yin Jiao is too young to understa- yeah ok my bad

THE KING THINKS THEY WERE GOING TO KILL HIM LMAO NOOO

HE’S ORDERING THEM TO MURDER HIS SONS

QUEEN JIANG’S FUCKING DEAD?

WOW

OKAY NVM

RUNAWAY TEENAGERS LETS GOO

i would feel bad but i dont want to get attached i dont think children live long in these types of novels

HELLO?

CONCUBINE YANG FUCKING DID WHAT?

King Zhou: i wonder why she did that

BROTHER SHE WAS TERRIFIED YOU’D TORTURE HER

MFER JUST DOES NOT CARE HUH

still tries to kill his sons- im cdnsjkcndks

ERLANG PSPSPSPSPSPPSPS PLEASE I NEED SOMEONE TO COME BEAT THIS MAN UP

help is this why the war starts… because daji wanted queen jiang dead? damn

REBELLION REBELLION REBELLION

why does Huang Feihu have a rainbow ox

what

anyways

Fang Bi and Fang Xiang are taking the princes somewhere safe

BOTH THE PRINCES AND MARSHAL HUANG ON THEIR KNEES KNOWING THIS IS AWFUL AND WRONG BUT DAMN

NOT YIN JIAO SACRIFICNG HIMSELF SO HIS LITTLE BROTHER WILL LIVE AND RAISE AN ARMY AND SEEK REVENGE ON THEIR DAD

OUGH

ough,,,

E CHONGYU?

OH MARSHAL HUANG HAS AN IDEA

YES

YES THEY WILL ALL LIVE

SECRET BETWEEN ALL OF THEM HAHAHAHA

i already forgot who e chongyu was- wasnt he like….. hold on

no i forgot but it’s ok

Marshal Huang giving the boys his jade pendant with gold so they’ll be ok bc they have no money :( aw

Marshal Huang: yeah so i couldnt catch them idk where they went King Zhou: DAMN… it’s ok you can go now

UH OH DAJI HAS AN IDEA

Daji ily queen you go girl

ANYWAYS HUANG FEIHU ONLY SELECTINGT HE OLD AND WEAK SOLDIERS TO GO FIND THE PRINCES LMAO

why are you.. letting two little boys go off on their own 

what is wrong with you people

THANK GOD YIN HONG GOT SOME FOOD FROM SOME NICE FOLK DANG

anyways onwards he goes to find E Chongyu

he collapsed at a temple… uh… yippee

SHANG RONG????

SHANG RONG!!!!!!

LETS FUCKING GOOOOO

Yin Pobai and Lei Kai are now in pursuit of the brothers,,, oh boy

chapter ends there aaaaaaa

[.....]

CHAPTER 9 (THE PRIME MINISTER'S DEATH):

ayo what the FUCK

yknow i wasnt going to comment but immediately the generals find the Temple of Emperor Xuanyuan where Yin Hong is sleeping and they find him LMAO

Yin Pobai arrives at Fengyun to talk to Shang Rong uh oh

GET HIS ASS SHANG RONG

also conspiring with shang rong would be the best thing imo

NOT THE BROTHERS REUNITING AND BASICALLY GOING “FUCK! NOW WE CAN’T AVENGE OUR MOM”

uh oh Huang Feihu’s mad-

OH LORD HES REALLY MAD OH NO

no one wants to execute the princes 

im assuming a riot’s going to happen?

Daji said to execute the princes today and King Zhou agreed

yep riot i can feel it

JIANG ZIYA MENTION

I CANT BELIEVE SHANG RONG TOLD DAJI “KYS” IN HIS REPORT TO KING ZHOU 

WOW

YEA NO WONDER YEAH UHM

shang rong you will always be famous 

THATS WHERE IT ENDS? SHANG RONG DIES AND HIS BRAINS AND BLOOD DRIP DOWN THE COLLAR OF HIS ROBE….?

DAMN

MY GOD

OKAY...

[.....]

CHAPTER 10 (THE DISCOVERY OF THUNDERBOLT):

Zhao Qi angirly stepping out of the ranks to snap at King Zhou? uh oh

WHAT AN INSANE WAY TO START THIS CHAPTER MY GOD

WELL IG HES DEAD… HUH….

UHM…. DAMN….

“‘Have you any better means to deal with these stubborn jackasses?’ he asked Daji.”

uhm how about stop killing these men

also i can’t even entirely blame Daji for this she’s genuinely just carrying out orders from Nu Wa to ensure King Zhou is the downfall of the Shang Dynasty? She’s doing her job and it’s going ridiculously good and although a war’s coming… King Zhou is at fault for not listening to everyone that tells him he is being a bad king

YIPPEE SHES OFFICIALLY QUEEN DAJI NOW LETS GO

so hes going to behead the four dukes…. ok

WHY IS SAN YISHENG IN CHAGRE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS NOOOO

Bo Yikao is a funky name i wonder what it means

Ji Chang’s son going in his place to King Zhou’s court… hmhm

THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN JI CHANG HAS NINETY-NINE SONS????????WHAT

“the star of a great warrior has come to existence” ji chang why do you speak in riddles

WHY ARE YOU ABANDONING A BABY SOBS

MASTER OF CLOUDS

his name will be thunderbolt…

so

like

like his name’s just lightning?

hm

ok well master of clouds have acquired a baby

oh boy the dukes are drinking

well E Chongyu’s drunk at least

HES INSULTING CHONG HOUHU NOOO

Ji Chang stopped Chong Houhu from slapping E Chongyu… damn

so close

JI CHANG SAID TO DECAPITATE EVERYONE SINCE NO ONES SPEAKING UP LMAO

YAO FU???

i have a character named Fu Yao that was wild

anyways

YAO FU TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT DAJI AND KING ZHOU AND HOW QUEEN JIANG DIED

oh shit Jiang Huanchu’s her dad right

uh oh

HE FAINTED

Jiang Huanchu: MY DAUGHTER IS DEAD… MY DEAR DAUGHTER…. HOW HORRIBLY YOU MUST HAVE SUFFERED!

i like this guy

hes just sad over his daughrer dying ough :(

aaaaand King Zhou is killing everyone ok

THATS IT… HE JUST.. GETS ANGRY AT JI CHANG FOR SPEAKING UP AND THE NSAYS HE’LL KILL ALL FOUR DUKES

wild

can’t wait to read chapters 11 - 20

[sandinthemachine]

OBSESSED WITH THE PROMPT LIST OMG.

can i pls get a #6 and #13 under fluff with a little #10 under smut for ghost 👀👀

Ok I'm actually really proud of this one. Hope you enjoy, anon!

Words: 2584

Warnings: Angst, fluff, mild smut (thigh riding)

-

It had been a hell of a month. What was supposed to be a week-long reconnaissance assignment had turned into a wild goose chase of body doubles and, if you were being honest, actual bodies. On top of it all, now that you were back you couldn’t sleep to save your life. Too busy thinking about nothing. And about everything. 

About the night in the safehouse after everything went to shit. The way Ghost’s hand had brushed over your back as he nudged you aside to take the first watch. You ought to rest. You look like hell.

About the way his voice had changed, pitched slightly higher, when you had dragged yourself back the next day with a broken radio and some nasty scrapes. Good to see you alive, love.

Love. He’d called you love. He’d never said that before.

He was English. They call half the girls they meet love. 

It didn’t mean anything.

It might just mean everything.

It was too much. Too much and not enough, and you were sick of it.

So here you were, sipping beer on the beat-up common room couch and texting an old friend. Well, you weren’t sure if ‘friend’ was the right word. You just knew ‘boyfriend’ wasn’t. It was a casual fling you’d started up the last time you were stationed here. He had been between jobs at the time, looking for some stress relief, and you had told him you were there on a business trip. It had been…nice. He was easy to talk to, blissfully ignorant of your real job, and happy to keep things no-strings-attached. 

After two miserably sleepless nights back, you had figured why not and messaged him again, fully expecting him to block you.

He’d responded immediately. Happy to hear from you, he’d said. Let me take you out sometime? Still casual, you thought. Just a little…less than before.

You let out a breath through your teeth, fingers hovering over the keyboard and the text you’d left on read all day. “Eh, what the hell,” you mutter to yourself.

What are you up to tonight?

Finishing up work. I can pick you up in an hour and a half?

No need. Tell me a place, I’ll meet you there.

You hope he still has the same bed, the magnificent king-sized mattress you could drown in. That would put you right to sleep. Well, that and an orgasm or two.

You smile at yourself. It doesn’t reach your eyes.

-

Ghost would never tell you directly, but he had been looking for you. You’d all but disappeared when everyone came back from the mission, sticking to your own barrack and making food in the microwave. He could hear the beeping through the wall, and knew you weren’t eating enough.

He had barely slept since the team had got back. Too busy remembering.

Remembering the way your eyes had stared back at him when he’d tackled you to the ground out of a sniper’s way. They’d been almost soft. Too soft for the brick-and-metal battlefield, shrapnel sharp and made to kill. Too soft for him, born to perfectly fit that battlefield. Born to die there, too.

Remembering the way your fingers had tightened around his wrist when he helped you up. Like he was a glass ornament, handled with gentle reverence. More than he had deserved. So much more.

You probably would have done the same with any of the men.

It didn't mean anything.

It meant everything.

The mission had failed on his watch. He was responsible for dealing with the fallout, even if it was just emotional. He was responsible for everyone on the mission. He’d do this for any of them.

So he kept telling himself.

By the time he found you, you were already heading out, rushing past him with a hasty nod. He catches a whiff of your perfume and forgets himself for a second, pausing to inhale.

The door is halfway closed behind you when he finally calls your name, and you freeze, eyes fixed on him.

“Where are you going?”

You shrug. “Out?”

His eyes scan your figure, the nice jeans you’d picked out, the silk shirt. You’d even done your hair. You looked…

You clear your throat, breaking him from his reverie. You’re giving him a confused look. “You okay, Ghost?”

He inhales again, wiggling his shoulders and squaring them again. He should ask where you’re going, he thinks, make sure you’re safe. No, that’s stupid, you can take care of yourself.

He wonders if your hair is as soft as it looks.

You look even more confused now, eyebrows coming together, and you finally let go of the door, stepping back inside towards him. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he grunts back without thinking, and you jump back.

“Oh, alright, well, then I gotta-”

“Wait,” he blurts, cutting you off. “You mind if…mind if I join you, love?”

You inhale sharply, clamping your mouth shut over your tongue. “Oh, I actually, uh, I’m…sorry, I’m meeting someone.”

He leans back as if you’d struck him, and you can see his shoulders tense even under his clothing.

You want to reach for him suddenly, but it feels wrong, so your fingers clench around themselves instead. “Simon, I-”

“Don’t.”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t go on a date.”

Your words catch in your throat, lodging themselves tightly as your heart twists. He’s not serious. He doesn’t really mean it like that. “Why?” you choke out.

He takes a step towards you, leaning over you, dark eyes appraising all of you. “You know why.”

You shake your head at him, taking your own step forward, leaning up to his face. “Say it,” you whisper.

His eyes widen, and the fabric of his balaclava flexes as he opens his mouth.

And freezes. What if he says too much and scares you away? What if he says too little and you don’t understand? What does he even say? What if-

He looks away, fixing his eyes on the wall and trying to think.

Your heart drops at the movement.

With a sigh, you turn and walk out the door, closing it softly behind you. He makes no move to follow you.

-

The restaurant is a lot nicer than you expected. As is your date. He’d done his hair up, picked out his best button down and dress pants. All for you, he says, as he tells you his craziest work stories. Stuff like file cabinets getting knocked over and birds flying in through a window. You remember the time Soap got hit by a stray bullet flying through a window. Trying to shake the thought, you give your date a smile. It never reaches your eyes. He never notices.

When the food comes you find yourself eyeing the small portion, perfectly plated with a sauce drizzled artfully across it.

It reminds you of the time you’d gotten sick after a 12-mile ruck in the pouring rain. Ghost had raided the kitchen to make you soup, serving it to you with a bent spoon and a gruff apology. All we have, he’d mumbled.

The soup had been way too salty, the bowl way too big for you. You’d finished it all.

You curl your fingers around the fancy silverware, inlaid with intricate metal swirls. The delicate piece feels wrong in your calloused hands, reflecting the fingernails you’d finished scrubbing mud out of only an hour earlier.

The food is perfectly salted. You want to cry.

“Hey, you alright?” You look up to find your date leaning over the table, eyes wide and concerned. “Do you want to talk?”

All you can manage is a small shake of your head. “Sorry, I…I need to go.”

Your chair scrapes raucously against the fancy floor as you get up, and everyone turns to look at you, their perfectly manicured fingers clutching wine glasses. Gentle unmasked faces looking at you with concern. Fancy dress shirts and cocktail dresses crinkling as they turn to get a better view.

You storm out, your boots too loud, your steps too heavy, your shoulders set too stiffly, the muscles of your back flexing awkwardly against the soft fabric of a shirt tailored for someone much more…soft than you. Someone like them.

You hadn’t finished your food, hadn’t even thought to bring a jacket, and as the blast of cold outside air hits you a choked sound escapes your throat.

You won’t cry. Not like this. Not here. So you grind your teeth together, folding your arms tightly against your torso and marching forward. The walk is far less than 12 miles, and it’s not even raining. You’ll be fine.

-

You can’t feel your toes by the time you get back, shutting the door silently behind you and creeping into the kitchen for something, anything warm. You flip the light on, shaking and distracted.

He’s there. Of course he’s there. His head whips towards you as you stand there with your finger hovering over the light switch, your name falling from his lips unbidden.

He rises slowly, prowling towards you like a wolf, only to pause as he notices the spasms wracking your body. His hands reach out to take hold of your shoulders. “Fuck’s sake, love, you’re freezing.”

His hands feel like a furnace against you, and you sigh at the contact, closing your eyes and forgetting the world for a second, forgetting all about the past few hours. Even at arm’s length you feel the heat radiate from his body, and your eyes open again, flicking over his chest and up to meet his own.

He huffs, eyes scanning the room before opening his arms. “Come here, then.”

You practically leap into him, clutching his shoulders tightly and burying your face into his shirt. He bends a little, and you squeak a protest before feeling his arms wrap around your thighs and hike you up so you can wrap your legs around him as he carries you to your room, settling you down on your lumpy cot. Wordlessly he goes to your closet, pulling out all your extra blankets and wrapping them tightly around you before settling in behind you, pulling you against his chest. “You know,” he grumbles. “If you wanted my attention, you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”

You scoff, shoving your shoulder into him. “What do you mean extremes?”

He sways at your push, tilting his head and giving you a look. “I mean storming out and freezing your ass off.”

“I did not-”

“You did,” he cuts you off, leveling a glare at you, but a second later his shoulders sink in a little and his eyes wander. “How was your…” he trails off, eyes meeting yours again.

You shrug. “Left early.”

“Why?”

You lean into him, inhaling the musky smell clinging to his clothes. Cologne and gunpowder and woodsmoke. “You know why.”

His grip on you tightens, but he keeps his eyes on you. Your body shifts as he heaves a great breath, releasing it through his nose. It tickles your eyelashes, and you bite your lip.

His gaze shifts down, focusing on the reddened skin where you work your lip between your teeth. When he speaks, it is barely above a breath. “You never let me finish earlier.”

You lean in closer, and he feels your breaths tickling the edge of his balaclava.

He tears his gaze up, raising a hand to cup your cheek as he looks into your widening eyes. “Don’t go on any more dates. Not unless,” he clears his throat, swallows, “unless I can come with you.”

Your teeth release your lip, the flesh popping outwards. “Simon Reilly,” you croon, and his breath hitches. “Are you asking me on a date?”

His chest heaves another large breath. “I am.”

“I could kiss you right now.”

His eyes fall to your lips again. “Then do it.” At your shocked expression he forces a huff of laughter, reaching up to shove his mask just high enough to reveal soft lips.

You pause at that, your fingers tracing up along his neck, thinking of your own chapped lips, beginning to worry.

But then he leans forward to meet you, and you stop thinking entirely.

He’s gentler than you thought he’d be, lips slowly moving against yours, one hand cradling the back of your head, the other snaking around your waist as he shifts you both, settling on the edge of the bed with you straddling one of his legs.

His mouth stays open just slightly when he pulls away, half-lidded eyes meeting your own, eyes so dark you can scarcely tell where the pupil ends and the iris begins. Or perhaps it’s all pupil. You’re sure yours are.

You lean into him, pulling him back in. His fingers run up your spine, causing your whole body to shiver, a vibration you feel straight in your core. He shifts, pulling you in closer, and his thigh flexes, rubbing against you, and you whimper.

He pulls back again, eyes glinting, and you smirk. The blankets have long since fallen off you, the cold creeping back into your bones. “You know,” you whisper. “I can think of some faster ways to warm me up.”

He chuckles. “I bet you could.”

You brace yourself on his shoulders, rubbing yourself against his thigh and shifting to guide his hand down.

He only tsks at you. “Not yet.” You make a frustrated sound, tightening your fingers around his wrist, but he only leans back, pulling his hands away to prop himself up on them. “Gotta warm up first, love,” he hums at you, grinning.

“Simon,” you plead.

“No whining,” he orders, voice taking on a gravelly undertone as his grin morphs into a smirk. “It’s my thigh or nothing, I’m not helping you get off.”

You huff, but bring your hands back to his shoulders, looking down as you slowly start to grind into him, gradually picking up your pace, your breathing beginning to hitch. He shifts, and you look up at him, his eyes watching you as he leans up again. A hand rests on your hips, another tangling in your hair. It’s even softer than it looks, he thinks, and before he knows it he’s breaking his own word, bouncing his leg into you, savoring your moans as he feels your fingers tighten around the muscles in his shoulders, shaking as you get yourself more worked up. You’re nearly frantic now, and he pulls your hips, grinding you into him harder, and finally you break with a cry, feeling a wave of heat wash over you as vibrations run up your core and your legs quiver.

You’ve barely recovered when his hands yank you flush against him and he twists, pinning you to the mattress with a growl.

“My turn.”

-

You wake the next morning to the mattress shifting as Simon settles down on the edge. You hadn’t even noticed him get up.

“I made you tea,” he grunts, turning to present you a chipped and faded old mug. “Only mug I have,” he grumbles, but you’re already sitting up and taking it from him.

“It’s perfect,” you hum, taking a sip. It’s just a little too sweet, and the chipped mug is a little too big, but the beat-up texture feels perfect in your rough hands. It’s all perfect. You give him a grin so big your eyes scrunch up at the corners.

Fucking hell, he thinks. How did I wait so long?

[ecoamerica]

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The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[barbiegirldream]

where's my Song of Achilles anon at ! I read the book. liked some stuff didn't like other stuff. it was fanficition of a two thousand year old poem from a three thousand or more year old story. stuff gets silly. Odysseus was still my favorite he's always my guy. Anyway rest of my thoughts under the cut

I think I liked the perspective of Patroclus a really normal guy next to the warrior of the ages. One pov of a boy unsure of his place in the world surrounded by men older and claiming to be wiser and his godly boytoy.

this personally made me cackle. Patroclus is that oh my god get him some brown contacts please meme.

The myths were actually pretty good. I like how vague they were about Patroclus's mother there are like six different women in history claimed to be her it's really Patroclus's paternal ancestors that matter.

I think it's genuinely a major issue with the plot that Patroclus knew of the prophecy and still acted in accordance to Homeric Legend. I just think he should have found out right before but too late when they're in Troy already perhaps in an angry scorn from Thetis about he'll lose too.

Like you I also thought it was stupid as fuck how Patroclus was a totally useless twink. Didn't even know about legendary Myrmidons the fighting force named after his great grandfather mind you. The mythic ant stuff is literally his own family history.

Achilles being so nervous about the war only to fall into it so easily. Like a god finding their domain he was born for it. I really enjoyed the nitty gritty of war planning too. Him getting Achilles dressed the lips being the only part of him still soft. That was awesome why is that no quoted more. Achilles climbing onto Patroclus covered in blood like god that scene is going to be in my head on a loop. There is so much to it. Patroclus knowing him by scent and touch alone but what creature has come to wake him? Achilles so proud of what he's done seeing the revulsion in his lover who was so sure nothing Achilles could do would revolt him.

There could have for sure been so much more to a much more sensitive Patroclus being unable to love Achilles anymore and that's why Achilles stops fighting until Patroclus realizes he can't hold back his demigod lover from greatness. Taking the book in a radical direction but alas.

Brisies was very well done I appreciated her character a lot. I think it was a very good choice to expand on her mythos and remove a lot of the violence. People often read myths and go oh so he raped her when that's either not stated in the text/not needed to include other than their fetishes driving them.

ALSO so fucking annoying Patroclus doesn't die because he's no good at fighting he dies because Hector is Better. Hector is the sole reason the Acheans struggled. He was the Trojan Achilles idk how that point got turned into well Patroclus could barely hold a spear tee hee. Spending the whole book being like Patroclus can't fight ooh one of Achilles's generals is useless. To then be like jk as in accordance with the Iliad he's really good and killed a bunch of people is actually bad writing sorry. I did giggle at Apollo just fucking with him knocking him off the wall all pretty like just twirling his perfect hair.

Turning Troilus the son of Apollo who Achilles chased down tried to rape and then beheaded in the temple of Apollo leaving his mutilated body for his father to die and therefore the reason Apollo kills him into a random death cause the boy was an idiot. Like Troilus literally the Greek representation of losing a young son to unjust murder. Well okay then...

Thetis raising Achilles's son here is so perfect because that boy is rancid. He saw Agememnon and said I could do worse watch I'll go kill Hector's baby just for fun. And they really delivered on what a piece of fucking shit he was.

Thetis giving in, in the end was really good. Liked it

Overall I think the book was really good. I approached it from the knowledge this is taking thousands of years of myths and giving it to the perspective of a side character and I think it delivered.

[istumpysk]

hello! i’ve been reading some of your reread stuff and i noticed a bunch of references/you pointing missandei sneaking up on dany and connecting that to arya but i’m having a hard time connecting the dots. would you be willing to explain it (like a 5 year old lol) or is it a theory you’ve only just started piecing together? thank you!! i’d never noticed how many times missandei sneaks up on people until you pointed it out and it’s got me intrigued bc i’ve been obsessing over what her role will be since the show Did All That lol

Why yes, I absolutely can!

Daenerys has a habit of being snuck up on.

Sometimes it's Quaithe -

She is standing over me. "Who's there?" Dany peered into the darkness. She thought she could see a shadow, the faintest outline of a shape. [...] "A dream." Dany shook her head. "I dreamed a dream, no more. - Daenerys III, ASOS

Sometimes it's Quaithe again -

A soft rustle made her open them again. She sat up with a soft splash. "Missandei?" she called. "Irri? Jhiqui?"

"They sleep," came the answer.

A woman stood under the persimmon tree, clad in a hooded robe that brushed the grass. Beneath the hood, her face seemed hard and shiny. She is wearing a mask, Dany knew, a wooden mask finished in dark red lacquer. "Quaithe? Am I dreaming?" She pinched her ear and winced at the pain. "I dreamt of you on Balerion, when first we came to Astapor."

"You did not dream. Then or now."

"What are you doing here? How did you get past my guards?"

"I came another way. Your guards never saw me."

[...]

Dany glanced back toward the persimmon tree. There was no woman there. No hooded robe, no lacquer mask, no Quaithe.

A shadow. A memory. No one. - Daenerys II, ADWD

Sometimes it's Missandei -

"My queen?" said a soft voice in the darkness.

Dany flinched. "Who is there?"

"Only Missandei." The Naathi scribe moved closer to the bed. "This one heard you crying." - Daenerys VIII, ADWD

Sometimes it's Missandei surprising the queen's personal guard, Barristan Selmy -

"No," murmured a soft voice behind him. "She would not do that, ser. She would not go home without us."

Ser Barristan turned. "Missandei. Child. How long have you been standing there?" - The Queensguard, ADWD

Sometimes Missandei's even doing it in old drafts that were later rewritten (thank you to @powderpowderblue for sharing) -

"My queen?" said a soft voice in the darkness.

Dany flinched, imagining pale skin, blue lips, a twisted blade. "Who is there?"

"Only Missandei."

And sometimes you even get mirrored text, and fun mad queen parallels -

His merriment still echoed in her ears when she felt a light touch on her shoulder, and woke suddenly. For half a heartbeat the hand seemed part of the nightmare, and Cersei cried out, but it was only Senelle. The maid's face was white and frightened.

We are not alone, the queen realized. Shadows loomed around her bed, tall shapes with chain mail glimmering beneath their cloaks. Armed men had no business here. Where are my guards? 

[...]

A dream, that's all it was, a dream.  [...] She imagined Tyrion creeping between the walls like some monstrous rat. - Cersei I, AFFC

So, what's going on here? Clearly something.

Well, it's foreshadowing how Daenerys will die.

I won't get into every parallel, chapter transition, or piece of evidence, but here's a quick rundown.

Someone (a rat!) will surprise Daenerys, and like Maegor the Cruel, she will be attacked and killed in the throne room immediately after she takes King's Landing -

All day the lords made plans, and late into the night. It was the hour of the wolf when at last Maegor allowed them to take their leave. The king remained behind, brooding on the Iron Throne as they departed. Lord Towers and Lord Rosby were the last to see His Grace.

Hours later, as dawn was breaking, the last of Maegor's queens came seeking after him. Queen Elinor found him still upon the Iron Throne, pale and dead, his robes soaked through with blood. His arms had been slashed open from wrist to elbow on jagged barbs, and another blade had gone through his neck to emerge beneath his chin.

Man to this day believe it was the Iron Throne itself that killed him.

[...] It might also have been a person or persons unknown, entering and leaving the throne room through some hidden passage. The Red Keep has its secrets, known only to the dead. - Fire & Blood

It's something that's hinted at in a very prophetic Daenerys chapter, among other places -

Dany could hear sounds within the walls, a faint scurrying and scrabbling that made her think of rats. Drogon heard them too. His head moved as he followed the sounds, and when they stopped he gave an angry scream. - Daenerys IV, ACOK

Funny enough, the hidden passages of the Red Keep tend to be a source of paranoia amongst notable Targaryens -

But when he closed his eyes, it was Aerys Targaryen he saw, pacing alone in his throne room, picking at his scabbed and bleeding hands. The fool was always cutting himself on the blades and barbs of the Iron Throne. Jaime had slipped in through the king's door, clad in his golden armor, sword in hand. [...] When Aerys saw the blood on his blade, he demanded to know if it was Lord Tywin's. "I want him dead, the traitor. I want his head, you'll bring me his head, or you'll burn with all the rest. All the traitors. Rossart says they are inside the walls! He's gone to make them a warm welcome. Whose blood? Whose?" - Jaime II, ASOS

x

Varys wrung his hands. "Oh, my lord, nothing would please me more, but . . . King Maegor wanted no rats in his own walls, if you take my meaning. He did require a means of secret egress, should he ever be trapped by his enemies, but that door does not connect with any other passages. - Tyrion II, ASOS

Of course I also have to mention it was harbor rats within the Red Keep that killed little princess Daenerys -

The princess was six, and years past being weaned, but a wet nurse was summoned, for there were some who believed that mother's milk could cure Shivers. Maesters came and went, septons and septas prayed, the king commanded that a hundred new ratcatchers be hired at once, and offered a silver stag for every dead rat, grey or black. - Fire & Blood

So is 11-year-old orphan Missandei, who speaks many languages and keeps collecting dead brothers the rat in the wall who will creep up on Daenerys?

No, it's not sweet little Missandei. Missandei is a stand-in for another character in the story -

Lord Renly stifled his laughter. "My brother is too kind. I can find the door myself." He bowed to Joffrey. "Perchance later you'll tell me how a nine-year-old girl the size of a wet rat managed to disarm you with a broom handle and throw your sword in the river." - Eddard III, AGOT

x

The old fat septa moved forward. "Boy, how did you come here? You have no business in this part of the castle."

"You can't keep this sort out," one of the red cloaks said. "Like trying to keep out rats." - Arya III, AGOT

x

The older scowled. "Who's this father of yours, boy, the city ratcatcher?" - Arya III, AGOT

x

"You be keepin' your filthy hands off. The gold cloaks know how to deal with thieving little gutter rats, that they do." - Arya V, AGOT

x

When he laughed he brayed like the donkeys they were riding. "Where's a gutter rat like Lumpyhead get him a sword?" - Arya I, ACOK

x

The Bull scowled at her. "Why should she want you? You're nothing but a little gutter rat!" - Arya II, ACOK

x

He probably won't even know me. She looked more like a drowned rat than a lord's cupbearer these days. A drowned boy rat. - Arya X, ASOS

Tall order, am I right? Good thing Arya spent half of AGOT in the underground tunnels of the Red Keep training for this very moment!

Quiet as a shadow, she told herself. She wondered where she was. When they had first come to King's Landing, she used to have bad dreams about getting lost in the castle. Father said the Red Keep was smaller than Winterfell, but in her dreams it had been immense, an endless stone maze with walls that seemed to shift and change behind her. - Arya III, AGOT

x

This time the monsters did not frighten her. They seemed almost old friends. Arya held the candle over her head. With each step she took, the shadows moved against the walls, as if they were turning to watch her pass. "Dragons," she whispered. She slid Needle out from under her cloak. The slender blade seemed very small and the dragons very big, yet somehow Arya felt better with steel in her hand.

The long windowless hall beyond the door was as black as she remembered. She held Needle in her left hand, her sword hand, the candle in her right fist. Hot wax ran down across her knuckles. The entrance to the well had been to the left, so Arya went right. Part of her wanted to run, but she was afraid of snuffing out her candle. She heard the faint squeaking of rats and glimpsed a pair of tiny glowing eyes on the edge of the light, but rats did not scare her. - Arya IV, AGOT

I hope this helps, anon! There's so much more, but it's too many words to share here. :)

[makeadealwithdean]

'tis the damn season - part 5

‘tis the damn season (a college/hometown au) - Part 5

Pairing: Dean Winchester x fem!reader

Tags (cw updated by ch.): soooo much fluff, THEY FINALLY GO ON THEIR DATE, taylor swift vibes, dean hating his job (subtly though), dean’s so soft, no beta- we die like men

Series Summary: It’s Christmas break, and Y/N is headed home for the holidays. But with her hometown, comes thoughts of her high school boyfriend, Dean, and what they might’ve had if she’d taken the other road. When she runs into Dean, she can’t help but wonder if they can rekindle the spark between them.

Word Count: 2.5k

Divider: @firefly-graphics​​

a/n: it's me, hi, i'm the problem, it's me. cause i haven't updated this fic in forever, but i really want to continue this story, and lucky for me, the fall weather, halloween, just the season feelings in general, brought me inspiration to continue. i think that inspiration will stick around through the holidays. so if you're still reading/if you remember this story, thank you, thank you, i love you ❤️

Main Masterlist // Playlist // Dean Masterlist

AO3 // Part 4

Y/N breezed through the door, hurrying in from the cold. She smiled when she saw Dean sitting at their old table and started to make her way over to him. The heels of her boots clicked on the wooden floor as she walked, and her trench coat swished around her knees. She looked just as beautiful as Dean had imagined, probably even more so. 

He stood to greet her, reaching to take her bag from her shoulder, his hand brushing the back of her elbow as she allowed him to take the straps of the tote. “Hey, Y/N,” Dean spoke softly — gently. Almost as if he was worried he’d scare her off. “Thanks for comin’ to see me. M’real glad you did.”

He looked at her with the most sincerity, green eyes timid, but hopeful. A soft smile played along the corners of his lips, and Y/N could feel her self-resolve melting. Her determination not to let him smash every wall she’d worked so hard to put up after their relationship had ended the first time was already fading, and she hadn’t even sat down with him yet. 

Dean pulled out her chair for her — Ever the gentleman — and hung her bag gently on the back of it. She gave him a small, but not unkind, smile, “Me too. It’ll be good to catch up with you.”

“Yeah,” Dean leaned back on his heels once she’d sat down and settled into the familiar wooden chair. He was still smiling softly, like he was trying not to but simply couldn’t help himself. He let his hands drop onto his thighs gently, “Can I buy your coffee? Haven’t ordered yet or anything, just figured I’d get both together.” 

“Oh,” Y/N let out a slightly nervous giggle. “That’s sweet, but Dean, you don’t have to do that.”

“Please, let me?” Dean tilted his head a bit, and Y/N was reminded instantly of a begging puppy. “I really want to.”

She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. This wasn’t a date. She hesitated, but the look on his face told her he genuinely did want to do this for her. She guessed Dean could sense her debating with herself because he added softly, rocking back and forth slightly, nervously, “Just as friends.”

Well, as long as he understood that, what harm could it do? She gave him a real smile this time, because yeah, it was sweet of him, “Sure, I’d love that. Thank you.” 

“Hot vanilla latte?” he suggested, grinning, eyebrows raised as if he was tempting her. 

Y/N laughed, “Can’t believe you remember my coffee order, but yes, that sounds awesome.”

“Thought so,” Dean smirked proudly, obviously pleased that she’d noticed his attention to detail. “Be right back.” 

Y/N watched his familiar gait as he approached the counter, before pulling her phone out and shooting off a text to Charlie.

Y/N: At the coffee shop with Dean, and I’ve only been here two minutes, and I can already feel myself missing how we used to be. Tell me I’m crazy.

The three dots appeared as Charlie immediately started typing back. Y/N looked up towards the counter where Dean was talking to the barista. Her phone buzzed in her hand.

Charlie: HA i was right!!! i knew you’d start falling for him again 

Y/N: Whoa, whoa, whoa, nobody’s FALLING for anyone. I’m just feeling nostalgic because he remembered my coffee order. And he’s being really sweet, but I am NOT looking for a relationship rn. Especially not getting back with my ex. So tell me I’m insane.

Charlie: girl i’m not gonna say that, i know you’re not looking for something atm, but the best things come along when you aren’t seeking them out. just go with it! let yourself give him a chance, maybe he’ll surprise you ;)

Y/N: Ugh, you’re no help. That is not what I needed to hear. Gotta go, he’s coming back.

Charlie: just speaking the truth. you’re telling me everything after!

Y/N: Yeah, yeah.

Dean sat down across from her and set her latte down gently in front of her, his own in his other hand. Y/N immediately curled her hands around the outside of the cup, wanting to warm her still-chilled fingers, “Thanks, Dean.” She rewarded him with a genuine smile, and he returned it, “S’nothin’. Least I could do.”

“Well, still, thank you,” Y/N cleared her throat. “So, tell me about work! How’s everything going with that?”

“Ah,” Dean hesitated like he was choosing his words carefully. “Well, I’m still with my dad’s company, which… y’know, it is what it is.” He finished all in a rush, shrugging like he was trying to convince himself that it didn’t bother him, didn’t matter.

Y/N didn’t want to pry. After all, Dean seemed pretty hesitant to talk about it, and his future, his job, his dad — those were the things that had caused a rift between them the first time around. Maybe he felt like this was treading dangerously close to addressing their history, their past problems. He hadn’t wanted to talk about it then, so no way would he wanna talk about it now, Y/N thought.

And yet, she wanted him to be happy — and she needed to know if he was, for her own peace of mind. They were there, meeting, talking. At Dean’s request, might she add, and he knew damn well how she was when it came to the people she cared for’s well-being. So maybe she was prying just a bit, but — “And how is it?” she asked him simply, not wanting to lead his answer one way or the other. 

“Um, well, you know my dad,” Dean circled his own hands around his cup, resting his elbows on the tabletop. His eyes held just the tiniest bit of tiredness. If Y/N hadn’t known him so well, she probably never would’ve noticed. “He’s not the easiest guy to get along with, all the time, and the job itself,” he shrugged again, “it’s not bad, but it’s…not — well, it’s work, y’know?” 

Dean tried to laugh it off, make a joke, but Y/N could read him like a giant, neon billboard on a dark night. She knew exactly where that sentence had been going — it’s not bad, but it’s not what I want. 

He was trying to pass it off like it was purely the fact that it was a job— that he had to work at all— that was making him unhappy. That wasn’t it at all, and they both knew it. Dean loved to work, needed it even. Working, provided it was something he loved, made him happy. But she knew she shouldn’t say anything. She shouldn’t insert herself into Dean and his father’s business, not again.

So, she just nodded, smiled softly, “Mhmm, I know what you mean. How’s the Impala then?” She’d seen the black, angular vehicle parked out front, and she just knew her taking an interest in the car would bring back the ease in Dean’s smile.

She was right, of course. Dean smiled proudly, “My baby’s runnin’ just as smooth as ever. Just gave her a quick tune-up myself. Ironed out any possible kinks, and now she’s purring like a house-cat.”

Y/N chuckled. Dean’s love for that car rivaled most anything she’d ever seen, and honestly, she found it pretty cute. Sure, maybe it was a bit odd, but the passion, or intensity even— the fact that he cared so much was something she found attractive. Or had found attractive, she reminded herself. Not anymore— she’d let the past be the past. She had to, for her own sake. “She looks just as pretty as I remember. You’ve taken good care of her,” she said, still giggling slightly.

“Of course I have, sweetheart! Only the best for her, and I do all the work on her myself. Don’t trust any garages or anythin’ like that.”

“I’m impressed,” Y/N raised her eyes in appreciation, “but honestly, Dean, I expected nothing less.”

He laughed, and Y/N once again had to yank her mind away from thoughts about how pretty he was when he smiled. Any tension present had melted away though, and she was grateful for that. “But what about you then?” Dean started, gesturing towards her and then back towards himself. “Tell me about school, hit me. I wanna hear it all!” 

So she told him everything— from her first semester struggles with difficult classes, being away from home for the first time, to the friends she’d found, a couple she’d lost even, and he listened to it all. Nodding along with her as she talked animatedly. Asking questions in all the right places. She’d nearly forgotten how good of a listener he could be. And it felt good to talk about it all to someone with an outside perspective. Going to her university really was what she wanted. Pursuing a higher level of education and a degree had always been her dream, and she was happy to be chasing that, but it definitely wasn’t easy all the time. And Dean sympathized with her, encouraged her, just as he always had. 

Dean. He really was the most selfless person she’d ever met. Since she’d met him, she must’ve seen him give up his own wishes to fulfill those of others dozens of times. Some of those were small instances — working more to earn a little extra to help his brother go on that field trip with his class, canceling his own plans to help his father with a project at work. Even things for her while they’d been dating — like that time he’d bailed on guy’s night so he could take her to see that movie she’d been so excited about on opening night. Other things he’d sacrificed hadn’t been so small. Like his decision to work with his father’s company instead of pursuing the career he’d wanted. 

Y/N wondered what that even was, his dream career. He’d never said. Even when she’d asked him what it was he really wanted to do with his life, he’d never say. Always insisted that going into business with his dad was what he wanted, that he liked the job. It had always been very obvious to her that that simply wasn’t the case, but no amount of begging or pleading or pushing him to take his own path was going to change his mind. He was much too stubborn for that.

Y/N, however, had an inkling of what Dean might want to choose for his career, given the chance. She’d seen the way he was with the Impala. She’d have to be blind not to, of course — he called the car “Baby” and took care of it with a similar level of tenderness as he’d taken care of her while they were together. He was always working on her when he had a few spare minutes, fixing and tuning up until she looked and sounded brand new.

She didn’t want to overstep her boundaries, or make the same mistake that’d caused so many problems for them senior year, but she was already telling him so much about her school that it seemed like a natural segue. The university was beautiful. It had a campus she loved and a college town that had just about everything. Including a trade school with a great mechanic certification program. She knew about its stellar reputation through a classmate and friend she’d met her first year who’d gone through the program and now worked at the garage in town.

Maybe she shouldn’t mention it at all, she hadn’t seen Dean in years. Probably dropping hints about his choice of careers wouldn’t be much appreciated, but God, the more she watched him sit there and listen to her talk, the more she wanted happiness for him. Surely just the mention of the program couldn’t hurt. 

She couldn’t help herself.

“Y’know, actually, speaking of my friend, he wound up going to the trade school that’s also right next to the university. See, he wanted to be a mechanic really badly, and funnily enough, they have a really awesome mechanic certification program. So he went through that, and loved it! Now, he works at the garage in town, helps me out a lot when my car needs something done. Kinda reminded me of you that way.” 

She tilted her head smiling at him, praying he wouldn’t take anything she’d said the wrong way. But she must’ve been worried for nothing, because Dean just raised his eyebrows and nodded. The expression on his face read as if she’d just told him something he found mildly interesting.

“Well, now, that’s really good that you’ve found someone to help you out with that kinda stuff while you’re up at school. Sounds like you’ve made good friends and that you’re really loving it. I’m glad. Always knew you’d do great.”

Dean’s words caused a rush of affection to spring to her heart. “Yeah. Yeah, my friends are the best, and I mean, like I’ve been saying, it’s tough sometimes. It’s college. But the good parts are really awesome.”

“I’m glad, Y/N,” Dean smiled warmly. “But you do know” he raised his eyebrows at her playfully “that if you ever have any car troubles at home — hell, if you have any troubles at home, period, you can always come to me, ‘n I’ll do whatever I can to help you out.” He waggled his finger at her like he was jokingly scolding her. “Don’t ever think that just cause we aren’t…y’know, that you can’t come to me for stuff. I mean, look at us, gettin’ coffee as friends— I can still fix your car as a friend.”

He said it all jokingly, but she could see the sincerity there, and it softened her heart just a little. So what if they maybe still had feelings for each other? Would that really be so bad? She couldn’t deny that sitting here with him caused old feelings to come rushing back. She tried to stamp them down, but that smile of his, those eyes looking at her so sweetly — how could she chase away the best memories of her time with him?

Her thoughts bled through in a suddenly shy smile, and she took an interest in design on the coffee cup still in her hand. She stared down at the cup as she answered him, but the warmth in her voice probably betrayed her anyway, “Thank you, Dean. I appreciate that.”

“Anytime, sweetheart,” he murmured softly, sipping his drink carefully, like he too was remembering their greatest hits together.

Suddenly, Dean sat forward on his elbows, smiling like he’d just thought of a great idea, “Hey, do you wanna go look at Christmas lights with me?” The grin on his face was so earnest and childlike that Y/N couldn’t help but match it. Not to mention she was a sucker for Christmas lights. How could she turn him down?

a/n: thank you so much for reading! please leave me a comment or reblog cause feedback is golden!!

Tagging:

Forevers: @evergreencowboy @deanwanddamons @katelyn--renee @lassie-bird @jensengirl83 @superfanficnatural @wayward-dreamer @that-one-gay-girl @writercole @flamencodiva

SPN: @meeshw777 @sexyvixen7 @beth-gallagher22 @deanwinchesterwifesblog @blueeyedchaos @maliburenee @deanssliceofcherrypie @jordyn-laufeyson

Dean Winchester: @akshi8278 @lyarr24 @spnfangirl1314 @deandreamernp @happyt0exist @panicking-outside-the-disco @saahmi @fanfic-n-tabulous @lessons-of-red

‘tis the damn season: @stoneyggirl2

[rhapsodyinviridescentgold]

Ooh, I want to know more about the ofermod essay!

Oh!!! Welcome!!! Yes, yes let me tell you about the Ofermod essay!!! Sorry it took me so long to respond! I didn't even realize I had a message until I clicked the tab open by accident. Also I loved your post so much, I want to print it out and eat it or paste it on my wall or both. So in case you haven't read it/for those reading THIS post who haven't read it: the Ofermod essay is typically included in "The Tolkien Reader", which is a bunch of stories and essays and commentaries that JRRT wrote, some of which accompany the legendarium, some of which don't. The Ofermod essay is an expansion on JRRT's short play "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth (be-york-noth), Berohthelm's Son" which in turn was inspired by a fragment of Old English poetry commonly called "The Battle of Maldon" and depicts a battle between the people who would become the English and what were essentially Vikings. "The Battle of Maldon" is about an Old English king/earl/noble of some sort, Beorhtnoth, in the perfect position to have the Vikings forced into a bottle neck where it would be very easy to kill them. The Vikings, not liking the idea of being killed, sent a message to Beorhthnoth being like "hey dude, just killing us in a bottleneck is not Heroic. how about you let us get super close and then we can brawl like Real Men, From The Legends of Old" and despite everyone around him saying that was a bad idea, Beorhthnoth is like "oh hell yeah, I love the old hero stories! Let's totally do that!" And long story short the Vikings obliterate the English and it's all Beohthnoth's fault.

The play that Tolkien wrote features two servants who are sent to the bloodied and death-ruled battlefield to find the body of the king and bring it back to the Ely Cathedral for burial. The play is seven pages long, but the general gist is that one is super hyped to be here for the opportunity to even be in the wings of such a grand and heroic battle and the other is...fucking exhausted, because he knows war is nothing but misery and pain and death and that there's nothing heroic about a king who's pride and desire to match up with the legends of old only results in more misery and more pain and more death. Then comes the Ofermod essay! In Old English, the original line describing Beorhtnoth's folly appears "ða se eorl ongan for his ofermode alyfan landes to fela laƿere ðeode" which is translated to "then the earl in his overmastering pride actually yielded ground to the enemy, as he should not have done". As you can see from the English translation, the incredulousness of "actually" and the condemnation of the words "as he should not have done" indicate quite clearly that, even in the era of the writing of the text, Beorhthnoth displayed a completely atrocious amount of overzealous pride and that resulted in the death of everyone in his household, all of his soldiers, and likely a good number of his common people too.

In the essay, Tolkien expands a bit on the myth of the heroic poem and the "northern heroic spirit" and touches on how it influences perceptions of people, and how they become willing to buy into the myth because they want to believe in it. In the case of Beorhthnoth, it's because of "a character, we may surmise, not only formed by nature, but moulded also by 'aristocratic tradition', enshrined in tales and verse of poets". This idea that you must give more than what you are able to give and die upon the idea of heroism because it's part of the messaging you've internalized. Basically, being heroic is so romanticized, that logic flies out the window. Tolkien also states: "Yet this element of pride, in the form of the desire for honor and glory, in life and after death, tends to grow, to become a chief motive, driving man beyond the bleak heroic necessity to excess." Then Tolkien totally rips into him with such phrases like: "he was responsible for all the men under him, not to throw away their lives except (my emphasis) with one object, the defense of the realm" and "It was wholly unfitting that he should treat a desperate battle with this sol real object as a sporting match" and "Why did Beorhthnoth do this? Owing to a defect of character, no doubt" Which is....so incredibly harsh. Totally true! I agree 100%! But my god JRRT the "Owing to a defect of character, no doubt" absolutely kills me. Anyways, I belive it's clear how heartily Tolkien disapproves of this irresponsible "excess" as he calls it.

So if you'll allow me to throw my hat into the ring on LOTR analysis, I also want to support your side in agreeing that the idea of "self appointed hero" vs "doing what you can" is an important detail to bring up! I think in Middle Earth, which is so haunted by the past, but specifically haunted by songs of the past and old heroic endeavors of those of Túrin Turambar, Lúthien and Beren, Tuor, Eärendil, etc., then it only follows that the races of that world are constantly inundated with what has come before, of when times were greater and acts of heroism grander and this likely shapes the heroic aspirations many of the incredibly compelling characters in Middle Earth. The myth of heroics builds on itself, becomes more powerful as the stories grow and are handed down (which, I believe, may be influenced by the Power of the Word in Arda, but we don't have time for that right now) and ends up affecting the tragic heroes all across the timeline. If we use Boromir as an example, most of us already know and accept that there was lots of pressure on him to be of service to Gondor and to help his city, but I believe this was compounded by the influence of the heroes who came before. He was constantly being pushed and prodded by Denethor to be stronger, greater, more. Gondor itself is also defined by What It Was and the Good Old Days, which definitely doesn't help. And I believe it's basically impossible for a young man to not internalize some of those messages. And now, on the quest, he's in the company with elves and dwarves, doing things that you hear of in legends like fighting Balrogs. He's literally with Aragorn! A prophesied king! Is it any wonder he felt the weight of legend like a noose around his throat? Is it any wonder why he wouldn't have tried to do what songs had told him to do, and make a place for himself in the annals of heroic legend? Which is, of course, an ambition and a weakness the Ring leveraged.

I hope that isn't too much speculation at the end there. I just think this concept of Ofermod that Tolkien explores ties in really well with your extremely well verbalized analysis! In addition, I think the Ofermod essay can also allow some insight into character motivations and how they're influenced by the culture surrounding them, and also in investigating the importance of song and history in the context of it's influence over Arda, and how the reverberations can shape even distant events. But that's an essay for another time, haha. This got super long but I just got so excited!!

[ecoamerica]

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[rainhalydia]

Hello huni,

Please talk me through you Johanna Westerling Lannister head canons. Also do you want her to appear in HoTD?

♥️♥️♥️s

Hi, darling! Thanks for the ask!

First of all, I have to give credit to @cafeleningrad for making me interested in Johanna for the first time. That was pre-HotD, when Fire & Blood was released. I had not read most of the book, but I had read about her, and the more I thought about her, the more she became this super detailed character! I'm almost at the point of claiming her as my OC, tbh, that's how fleshed out she is in my mind.

First of all, I think she's extremely proud. She's from a time before the name Westerling had fallen into poverty and married a merchant in, and not that long before her time, a Westerling was selected as queen by a Targaryen king, never mind that he was, hmm, not all there, mentally. Her lineage is very proud at that point! She's a from a noble, rich house! Married into to the most powerful house of the west, to the lord! I think she's very aware of how high in the class scale she is, but in a way that she feels entitled to her power, not aware that it's a privilege. She sees it as her right.

I think tied to that, she's very good at her job of running the house, and has consciously expanded that power by kinda... I guess usurping is not the right word, but her husband is not very smart or hardworking, I think it's super easy for her to convince him to let her be the brains behind the operation. Like, oh, dear, why don't you go hunting, you seem to stressed, I can deal with the vassals and the staff and the smallfolk, go visit your mistress or the brothel, you deserve to treat yourself. In practice, she's the lord. And I think he's dependent enough on her, or comfortable enough with the situation, that she's not too miffed about having to play more traditional roles when in court or something. She's not exactly pleased, but he's dumb enough that she finds him cute. He's her pet.

I also think that she enjoys sex a lot! I think it's pretty self-evident that she was aimming for a male heir to secure her own position should her husband die - which he does, so kudos to her preparedness - but to me someone who's so proud and has her husband so under her control would not be satisfied by a lackluster sex life. Especially because, when we meet her in the text, she's not that young? She's not old by any means, but she's well out of the blushing bride phase. And though he has an official mistress, her husband has more kids with her than with the woman he keeps strictely for lust/love. Something was going right for those two in the bedroom.

I tend to think that she was more annoyed than worried during the Dance, especially with the Greyjoy invasion. She was perfectly safe behind her walls, her kids were safe, she lost her husband but he didn't do much anyway, and her brother-in-law is too far away to cause her any trouble. The raids, btw, were a good excuse for why she couldn't send more men or offer more to the war campaign, and that's pretty good for her when committing too hard to one side gets you killed. Officially they were team green, but not in a way that truly would step on Rhaenyra's toes. At the same time, I think she was very pissed about the Greyjoys destroying her lands and kidnapping her smallfolk. Not in a sympathetic way, though I think she was disgusted by the rapes, but because those were her people, that should serve her and her family. They're not for other lords to take. And for me, that's why her revenge is so brutal when it comes.

I'd LOVE for her to appear in HotD! I'm rooting for it, in fact! As much as the Targaryen are messy, they're not my favorite mess. If they fleshed her out and made her interact with Dalton, I'd forgive them anything, even their poor lighting. And tbh, I don't think that's out of the realm of the possible, given how they transformed the relationship between the other characters, especially Rhaenycent.

[theviridianbunny]

🍓 👉👈

SPINIACH SPIN SPIN SPIN MY ANNGEL MY ANGEL HELLO!!!!!!!! *cracks knuckles* yOU KNOW WHERE IM GOING WITH THIS (i eman u dont but uuuh STILL)

YOUR ART IS TO DIE FOR IT IS TO DIE FOR - I WAKE UP EVERY DAY AND GAZE LOVINGLY UPON THE COMMISSION YOU DREW FOR ME OF JACKIE N VIRIDIAN LIKE UGH I- you are so bloody talented my friend! your art brings me endless joy! like ugh i get so many good feels when i see it !

have some memes i made when the comm came thu because this was the ONLY MOOD OFF THE NIGHT

thank you for listening to me yell about jackie and viridian... and all my other blorbos -- thank you for being a lovely friend and epic human - it means THE WORLD TO ME AND YOU JUST- YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME AS WELL AAAAAAAAAAAAAA <3 - thank you for always taking the time to listen to me when im worried or just in general like- chatting aa a a a a a <3 ;w;

you are an angel- a dear wonderful friend- and im beyond glad this hellsite bought us together all those years ago- heres to many more years yelling about fictional men and making such wonderful art- also making memes and doing improv ted talks about the books we read or uhhh oc brain rot or the fictional men we wish to hold hands with

you are lovely and amazing and and so cool and you bring me a lot of joy a lot a lot of joy and ---you have a good taste in blorbos A VERY GOOD TASTE *points at ur men* THERE THEY ARE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

i love you spin <3 sorry this is a wall of text my brain is moving too fast for my hands aaaaaaa

@ mutuals send me a 🍓 and ill compliment u!

[joseethemoney]

Fairy tail Princess AU, Gajeevy smut, no title

A few details before you read this. I was trying to work around specific kinks, such as size difference (I don't think it's quite in Anasteemaphilia territories) and impregnation. Therefore, the use of words like "petite girl" doesn't refer to age.

If you feel like it's still not clear enough in my text, let me know and I will correct this asap. English isn't my first language so I'll have to crack a book or two to have better vocabulary, but it is something important to me, so please allow me to grow from any mistakes.

The moon was full that night, making it clear when Levy walked to the east side of her father’s court, where the Dungeon was. It was longing a mountain, and some of the cells were even carved within it. She was going to one of them in fact, as she did for the past two days. She knew her father would rather let the prisoner be forgotten and die in there, but Levy had been curious. That man did ask for her hand instead of any other rewards, when he had returned from war.

Either he was cocky, or he had a death wish. Everyone knew Levy’s father not only rejected every wedding proposal he received for his daughter, but some poor souls even got famously executed for it. As for the one she was meeting that night, the former general, he was to be chained in the deepest cell they had. Something about him being as strong as a dragon, or having slain one, made her father afraid of him. Surely, the chains that restrained him should be more than enough to keep the general from attempting anything, so why isolate him and cut all rations all prisoners are usually given?

« Why are you here again, pipsqueak. » a harsh, low voice echoed. She couldn’t see much farther beyond the bars of the cell, but Levy had come to recognize the deep tone of the prisoner. Good thing Jet and Droy were on duty tonight. She could count on them to keep this meeting quiet.

« I’m still impressed by that trick of yours. Maybe one day, you’ll tell me the secret. » The blue haired girl responded.

Levy lifted an arm, presenting a bag.

« ‘told you I would come back with food. Now, to find a way to get it to you…»

Looking around, the small woman tried to find the keys for that cell. It didn’t take long before she had them and was unlocking the door.

« The King’s only daughter, entering of her own accord my humble jail. Your father would be furious at the thought of it. ‘Might even get me killed » the men let out, laughing.

« And yet, here you are, smiling at the idea of dying. I’ll never understand you me…n.»

Now inside the cell, Levy could finally see the prisoner. Fully naked, his hands were locked to the wall on both side of him. He had been badly beaten, his left eye barely open due to the swollen skin around them, and he seemed about to collapse any minute now. Due to the harsh way the prisoner was chained, his arms would most likely dislocate or break unless he stands up. Scars were all over the man’s body, his face was devoid of any facial hair which surprised the women. Piercings were longing his brow bone instead of actual eyebrows, and there was at least three other set of piercings on his nose. Black, unruly hair were framing most of his torso by how long they were.

Most noticeably though was the sheer size of the men. Levy wasn’t even half his size and one of his hands could probably squish her head right then and there. The restrains mounted on the wall had to be made just for him, clearly, as another set of rusty chains hung on the side.

« What was your name again, sir? My father has kept me from participating to most court affairs unfortunately, and I the idea of sending another fool to an early grave without at least knowing their name doesn’t sit right with me. » Grabbing some bread and a small bottle of wine from her bag, the princess presented the food as if it was the most natural thing to do.

«Gajeel. » The restrained man took a bite of bread, preferring gaining some energy back, knowing it would be considered high treason to talk to the princess that way. He swallowed what he could and waited for the women to open the whine so he could wash down the dry food.

That fool of a king would rather see his whole kingdom burn than share his riches. Gajeel had been promised his most prized possession, so he demanded it. The fact that it happened to be the Princess was fair, in his opinion. He didn’t think he’d end up in this ridiculous joke of a jail cell, butt naked. But hey, now he was getting fed by the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on.

« Now, Gajeel, I have something to ask of you. I guess you could say a favour. »

Oh, the pipsqueak was trying to bargain with him, not even knowing who he was? A grin showed his teeth, and a low guttural laugh echoed again in the dark chamber.

« Careful of what you ask for, Princess. You might just get what you wanted. »

Levy’s cheek flushed red for a moment but coughing politely with a fist in front of her lips, she focused back on her proposition.

« The kingdom won’t survive under the reign of my father- the King. His mind is twisted, corrupted by greed. I can’t recognize him, and I’m scared that my options are very limited. I need help in the court, and I know you, as former war general, have the military under your claws. If I could convince you to help my cause- »

A deep laugh cut her short in her sentence.

« I will, dear princess, but I have some conditions. I’m not one to leave riches when they’re right in front of me. »

« Name it. »

Motioning his chains, Gajeel said 

« First, my freedom. We will need to leave this place before the next round of guard comes and sees us here. »

Levy looked at the prisoner’s hands, seemingly thinking of unlocking the restraints. In all honesty, the small women had a hard time keeping her focus in front of the naked giant. His whole body was toned by years of war, and the sight his manhood was leaving her mouth dry.

« Where are you intending to go, after I release you. Truthfully, I don’t know if I can trust you yet, and without a sound plan I’m not risking my chances to liberate my people. »

« Such noble interests, my princess, but you’ll soon know that in this world, the naive are eaten alive. Maybe it is time for you to start thinking about your own damn self. » the man paused.

« All that matters, is the power you can get under your control. » he let out, a hint of cockiness in his voice.

Unfortunately for Levy, most of the court’s guard where employed by her father and sworn to him. Though the villagers were much more on the princess’ side, they could barely make their child survive another hard winter, less hold a revolution. She knew her only reasonable hope was to get the military under her belt, and this was going through Gajeel’s hand.

Facing the prisoner, Levy looked him in the eyes. She had an idea of what would motivate a men like him, and with that in mind, she tried to use the best of her charms.

« What about an heir, then. You assure your descendants to live as royalty, and for as long as you honor my wish of taking care of my people, I will lend you my political position. Isn’t it what every ruler ultimately wishes for? »

Gajeel had to give her credit, the small fry had some major balls.

« Let aside the fact that I don’t think you can take me- » The man looked down coyly to his now growing erection «-there is one big flaw in your plan. »

« What is it? »

« This prison isn’t really keeping me here. »

And with one, strong yank of the arm, the hastily installed screw gave away, allowing the giant the use of one arm, grabbing Levy by the neck.

Panic took over the Princess, realizing how dire her situation now was. With both her hands trying to loosen the grip of her captor, she felt herself being dragged closer to the prisoner.

With no shame, the man inhaled deeply the scent of the small woman’s hair. He traced his tongue leisurely around her earlobe, and when he heard a moan instead of a whimper, he whispered to her.

« Well, what are you waiting for, princess. I have an heir to breed. »

[matrose]

what is ddf?

hi anon so happy u asked this because it allows me to type a wall of text about a topic i love to talk about!!!!! ❣️ ddf is short for "die drei fragezeichen" which is the german version of the american kids book series "the three investigators", written by robert arthur! it follows three young detectives that are 13 at the beginning of the series and later get aged up to 17/18 so they can drive cars. the publishing history is hilarious so im gonna recount the whole thing to you

- only ten books were written by robert arthur himself, before he passed away in 1969

-the series was then continued by additional four authors who wrote an additional 37 books, at this point the characters were still 13, but a rivaling book series that also featured a group of kids aged their characters up, so of course the same had to happen to the investigators.

- the characters, now around 17 years old get lots of cool updates, like knowledge of hand to hand combat, drivers licenses, and a ton of new authors. this new series was called crimebusters and only ran from 1989 to 1990, but managed to produce 13 books, written by seven different people, six of them being new additions to roster. with this, the american career of the three investigators ends.

-germany meanwhile, picked up the books around 1979 and they get very popular (after a rough start and a cover redesign)! so germany does what germany loves to do and makes audiodramas out of them, writing scripts, hiring voice-actors, and recording them onto cassettes of course. the voice-actors are of course actual 13 year olds! (for now.) and wow does everybody go crazy for these casettes!!! people cant get enough of them!

-when the american production of ddf books ceases, the german population is very sad: soon they will run out of ddf scripts! but not to worry. after some legal disagreements, more books finally get written! in german now of course! and by FOURTEEN different authors! the first german ddf book gets released to the public in 1993.

-the three voice-actors at this point have become a household staple. almost everyone knows their voices. the kids that grew up listening to them are now having kids on their own who are of course also listening to them. (this mostly applys to western germany for obvious reasons). so in the early 2000s the voice-actors start doing livetours of their readings

-these livetours are a huge hit: sometime between then and now, they broke the world-record for biggest audience at a live audiodrama, somewhere in berlin. for some reason two of the voice-actors (one of them married. with kids) put in a segment that involves them singing romantic karaoke and then kissing on the stage, always met with thunderous applause. this little joke of theirs keeps going and their two characters become incredibly gay, which everyone refuses to acknowledge because "its a joke" (????).

-theyve had an enormous impact on german popculture to the point where theres been ddf toasters, ddf tents, ddf shoelaces, ddf anythings. ddf pizza. i myself own a ddf mug a ddf towel and a ddf pin, because i of course also grew up listening to the audiodramas, on cassettes that i got from my parents who listened to those same cassettes when they were kids. the books are still going (currently at volume um, around 230 i believe?) and the audiodramas are also steadily coming out. theyve got these german men that are all balding and over 50 voice some peppy 17 year old californians! lifes so funny

-i realize that by telling you this timeline ive told you very very little about the actual plot, but the plot isnt that important anyways... its three guys theyre detectives thats mostly it. the adventures are basically insane (one time one of them got shot into space? another time some crime boss who was genuinely kin with moriarty and was convinced their leader their 17 year old leader was his sherlock kidnapped them to have some sherlock v moriarty showdown with him. theyre in a permanent stand-off with the CIA because theyve got some info on them that they could easily leak to the press and thats the only reason they arent in federal prison: the CIA is scared to act lest they leak their info. anyways lots of normal things!)

-also i just want to reiterate that there have been 25 seperate people writing these books and that theres now 230 books out there and theyre still releasing more and that these voice-actors have been their characters for 40 years...thats just crazy to me

[jamsque]

On Being the Hands you want a Bigot to Catch

I wrote this a few years ago, didn’t publish it, and forgot about it. I rediscovered it recently and decided that actually I quite like it, and that it is relevant to the current Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the original topic.

I am not particularly fond of the American national pastime of worshipping dead presidents, nor am I a Christian, but I do think Lincoln could turn a hell of a phrase. Last summer I visited Washington DC for the first time and read the words of his second inaugural address, which are carved onto the wall inside his monument, opposite the text of his much more famous Gettysburg Address. One passage in particular caught my eye: “Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said ‘the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’” A century and a half later, those words still seem very relevant. It feels as though the war Lincoln spoke of is still ongoing. The USA’s stubborn refusal to engage with the concept of reparations or acknowledge that the ‘debt of two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil’ stands unpaid has left the nation locked in conflict, trying instead to repay with the sword every drop of blood drawn with the lash. Every shot fired by an irrationally terrified white police officer at an unarmed person of colour is another salvo in the war that white America refuses to accept is even ongoing. This weekend a terrifying new front in the conflict opened up in Charlottesville. White people, following the example of generations of tradition, emboldened by the divisive rhetoric of a bigoted regime, fought back with murderous violence against the very idea that the USA should be a home for people who don’t look like them. By characterising this conflict as a war I am not seeking (as some have already done) to draw a false equivalence between the two sides, in fact quite the opposite. I think that refusing to recognize the nature of this conflict is what enables the hypocrisy with which so many view it: failing to see any shared context between police shootings, the rise of alt-right discourse, and violent fascist groups, but tutting disapprovingly at the image of young black man punching Richard Spencer in the face. I am a staunch pacifist, and more than a bit of a hippy. I will almost certainly never punch a Nazi in the face, and I am genuinely sad that the idea of changing the world through peace and love has died so thoroughly. I recognize, though, that it died because it failed, and that pacifism is a privilege afforded to those who live in peace. Being a pacifist does not mean telling someone who is being beaten up to stop fighting back, nor does it mean equating the struggle of the oppressed with the violence of their oppressors. As a straight cis white dude, no-one is marching on the streets calling for the extermination of my race. I do not have to worry that any interaction I have with law enforcement, no matter how benign, could well lead to my death. Wherever I go and whatever I do people give me the benefit of the doubt and are willing to trust me implicitly before I even open my mouth. Of course it is easy to be conflict-averse, to be a pacifist, from such a position! I feel no guilt about this but I do not for a moment think that it makes me morally superior to someone who “aggressively, physically refuses [to give] fascists a space to talk.” I’m not upset if I go to a poetry slam and people on stage say that men are awful, I am not angry at a trans person who gets a tattoo that says ‘Die Cis Scum’, and I am not disappointed that someone chose to punch a man for saying that people of colour should be exterminated. I don’t make it my business to tell women how to be feminists, even though I don’t necessarily agree with everything every woman has ever said on the topic of gender, and by that same token I am not interested in lecturing victims of injustice and oppression which I am never likely to experience about how they ought to resist it. The bitter truth of these times is that if you turn the other cheek and lie down before your oppressor they will step on your neck and tell your family that you deserved to die. I am a pacifist: I deplore violence, I think that every casualty on every side of every conflict is a tragedy, but when conflict arises I do not leap to reprimand all involved from the smug safety of the moral high ground. Even if one were to take the ludicrous hypothetical step of ignoring the ideologies at play here, it is completely clear in this instance that one side started this conflict, perpetuates it, shows continuing willingness to escalate it into violence, and denies that there is a conflict at all whenever the other side fights back. The very idea of trying to equate murders motivated by white supremacy with punching an alt-right idealogue in the face is laughable. ““Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.” I hope for the end of this war, as I do for all wars, because as long as it continues there will continue to be casualties on both sides. I do not think it contradictory to hold this position while at the same time firmly believing that one side is just and right.

[runawaymarbles]

7, 15, and 18 for the ask meme?

Weird Writing Ask Meme

7. What is your deepest joy about writing?

It's hard to narrow it down, but one of my favorite parts-- that's a genuine pure favorite and never makes me want to bang my head against a wall-- is when I find unexpected ways to bring things I'm interested in together. When I realize that a weirdly niche rabbit hole I went down a few years ago could suddenly be plot relevant, or some analogy lines up to something else I'm doing. (Getting to bring Caravaggio's Artichoke Toss into a GO fic or when I was binging Myths and Legends's Arthuria episodes and realizing it worked perfectly with an x-men fic I was struggling with, etc.)

15. Do you write in the margins of your books? Dog-ear your pages? Read in the bath? Why or why not? Do you judge people who do these things? Can we still be friends?

It depends on the book. I don't dog-ear pages, and I don't write in hardbacks, but I've been known to underline paperbacks. I will read hardbacks in the bath if they're not too long. If I saw someone writing in an old book or a fist edition or something I might have a moment of "aaaahhh!" but I don't hold mass market books as inherently precious

18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage.

“Our traditional design ties together the partners’ initials with the blue line of Life and the deer of Death... For where Life goes, Death always follows; and where Death goes, Life continues. Theirs is the most profound of bonds, and one we try to emulate with each marriage.”

(From The Mixtape, Or: Six Things You Learn in Thursday School)

I spent a lot of time revising the bits of "scripture" in this fic, because I was trying to walk the line between what I could imagine someone treating as sacred text-- looking for meanings, lessons, comfort, etc-- and what would be funny for the reader who knows the actual plot of Supernatural. (Especially for those reading it during the pandemic: I still think that the Council of Nicea equivalent being the "Teleconference of Lawrence" is funny. That's also why settlements are called "pods" in this fic.)

Originally, this passage was explaining how Castiel was the Angel of Death-- the joke being that he doesn't cause people to die, but that he is in the more literal sense Dean's angel. But I figured he'd need a job or purpose to be of ritual significance. And since one of his main functions in the canonical narrative was to angel ex machina Sam and Dean out of trouble and/or back to life and be a celestial badaid, the Life/healing connection seemed natural-- but I also didn't want to make it seem like he and Death were at odds, each racing to see who got to someone first. So instead they're following each other around (as they did in canon) in the ciiiiiiircle of life. Of course, something that's overlooked by the characters who came up with the wedding rituals is that if they're constantly following each other they are never actually connecting (as they didn't in canon.) .....I'm now realizing that I could have worked in a joke about Schroedinger's box: the only place Life and Death can successfully stop and rest. Alas. I tried to keep the Angel of Death as one of Life's alternate names but between the conflation of Dean/Death/Hell/Heaven/Purgatory and Cas/Life and merging John-Chuck and Sam-Jack another name was going to make me lose track of what's going on, much less the poor suckers reading this.

Anyway it's all very Deep and Symbolic except that they think Dean's impala is a literal deer, they've forgotten what neckties are, and they used the phrase "profound bond" in conversation. Also the irony that Dean and Cas's frankly deranged, unstable, and occasionally toxic friendship rife with communication issues has been warped in the historical record as something that should be emulated in a stable marriage.

This whole fic was really an exercise in what jokes I could imagine a specific priest I know saying with gravitas and full sincerity.

[ir0n-angel]

I posted 17,622 times in 2022

That's 2,641 more posts than 2021!

104 posts created (1%)

17,518 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@madangel19

@crackinglamb

@steamcaptain

@lilbittymonster

@taygertot

I tagged 10,640 of my posts in 2022

Only 40% of my posts had no tags

#minerals - 1,851 posts

#hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha - 1,066 posts

#i'm hungry - 873 posts

#awesome art - 685 posts

#gaming dice - 496 posts

#sound on - 406 posts

#this - 249 posts

#but also - 241 posts

#cute art - 237 posts

#for reference - 179 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#can you imagine what the world would be like if our governments weren't run by people with fortunes tied to harmful environmental practices?

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Please use punctuation.

Please use punctuation, especially if you’re making a long post. I don’t care if it’s the wrong one. It can be all commas all the time. Or periods. Or be radical and use a semicolon. It’s hard enough to read walls of text. It’s impossible to read them when there’s nothing to break up the sentences.

This message brought to you by one of the millions of users with dyslexia.

18 notes - Posted October 2, 2022

#4

@fiadhaisteach 

A present for you.

21 notes - Posted November 23, 2022

#3

*skin crawls* *hits the block button*

Okay, because there seems to be a little bit of miscommunication here, please take note of the following:

I’m a bi/pan-romantic demisexual, ADHD sufferer, and I have a tenuous acquaintanceship with gender at best. I’m an atheist omnivore that believes black lives matter, trans men are men, trans women are women, nonbinaries are awesome, children are real people and not property, love is love, vaccines save lives, climate crisis is a real problem, platonic love is just as important as romantic love, abortion should be safe and legal and none of your damn business, social media is bad for your health, no one should own assault weapons, and diet culture and capitalism and cult of celebrity should die in a fire.

We got that? Good. I’m not interested in having a debate with y’all over this. I don’t care to hear your point of view and I don’t dance with devil’s advocates. I’m here for rocks, recipes, and the occasional awful pun. If it ain’t enough for you to sit quietly and enjoy the pretty pictures, get blocked. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Good riddance.

29 notes - Posted July 20, 2022

#2

If you have the spoons (& willingness), I am curious & would love it if you could tell me why so many pretty minerals look like red lyrium.

Manganese! Also traces of iron, magnesium and/or calcium. But mostly manganese! Manganese gives you red!

I assume we're talking about this bad boy right here:

Rhodochrosite.

Also known as manganese carbonate (MnCO3), it occurs as a hydrothermal vein mineral along with other manganese minerals in low temperature ore deposits such as silver. In its purest form, it creates beautiful crystals like the one pictured above. However, calcium (and sometimes magnesium and zinc) frequently replaces the manganese in the structure, leading to shades of pink, the most common color encountered:

See the full post

31 notes - Posted February 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

💙Back again for the third year in a row, with new prompts!💙

FLUFF-uary is a creation celebration designed to display all your sweetness and light for the whole month of February. There will be a prompt for each day and you can do as many as you like, in any combination or order.

Feel free to write, draw, edit photos/videos...whatever you're inspired to create. Have fun, it's not a contest. You can join in for the whole month, do one or two, or even come up with your own. Do it at your own pace, even after February is over. There's no word or size limits or restrictions other than to keep it sweet (no whump, please – we're all about the comfort zone here).

When uploading your fluffs, please tag properly with the prompt, the tag fluffuary2022, and any other applicable tags (like genre, characters, any content warnings if you decide to go NSFW etc.) Any questions can be directed @ir0n-angel​ and @crackinglamb.   As always, we hope everyone has a good time.

(reader-friendly plain text under the cut)

1. Holding Hands

2. Long Conversations

3. Trust

4. Being Silly

5. Moral Support

6. Shopping Together

7. Love Letters

8. Taking a nap together

9. Caretaking

10. Cooking Together

11. Compliments

12. First 'I love you'

13. Night Out

14. Mutual Pining

15. Love Bites

16. Flower Crowns/Putting Flowers In Their Hair

17. 'This Made Me Think of You'

18. Domestic Intimacy

19. Spooning

20. Acts of Devotion

21. Trying Something New

22. Bearhugs

23. Reminiscing

24. Wearing/Stealing Each Other's Clothes

25. Adopting a plant/pet

See the full post

358 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[helenarasmussen87]

Some All Might stans are really obnoxious. “Endeavor will never be Toshi!” No shit, that’s the point of his character arc. I think they’re sour over Endeavor (and his family) taking priority and getting better writing than the OFA/AFO plot in Acts 2 and 3. I can’t fault the bitterness but as a fan of both it can get annoying how much they revel whenever Endeavor is “not Toshi”.

I'm honestly starting to get fed up with the "hot takes" I see from a lot of the fandom lately. And how they love basically making the Todorokis and even Hawks the punching bag for all of Hoshikori's writing decisions. So despite this being news to me, I can't say I'm surprised that this is making the rounds now.

I also have to wonder whether these so called fans are reading the same story as the rest of the people. I mean *Toshi* himself addressed that exact topic during the provisional license and Overhaul arc. Did we all mass hallucinate the scene where Toshi and Enji are talking about what it takes to be a number one and how to go about it?!?! How Toshi gives Endeavor the advice to take his time and figure out what works for him?

And how Endeavor takes the advice to heart and changes his approach to be as collaborative as possible instead of being the pillar that All Might was? That was the whole point of him fighting alongside Hawks, involving the other heroes and facing the war together? Or is it like Goncharov? You can't have both. It either happened or didn't.

Also, it is only natural that Toshi would step back. His arc is more or less done and it was a well written arc, in my opinion. It was what made me love and break my heart for the character. Just like how Endeavor's arcs have made me a die-hard fan of his.

They are two different men, making the mistakes that they did because they thought they were making the right choices, good or bad. But at the end of the day, they did what they did because they cared that much to contribute to the betterment of society. They are the same coin, just different sides.

To use a football analogy: It's like Messi and Ronaldo. Or in hockey: Crosby and McDavid. They both have skills, but apply it in different areas. Neither will be mistaken for the other and all parties know that.

And you can be a fan of both sides and be critical, but the way that these people are acting it makes me wonder if they really are fans like they claim.

Kind of odd that the so called faction of fans fails to see that.

Sorry for the wall of text, but yes, I agree that this is getting quite frankly ridiculous and out of hand. This is starting to make me rethink and re-examine what I liked about the story in the first place and to better curate my experience in the fandom, cause damn bro.

[0-kuki-0]

This is a little work in progress written by yours truly using my oc (Nolu) and my platonic die or die trying Chicken’s oc (Syx).

For context, Syx is dating both Xiao and Aether because why have one pretty boyfriend when you could have two? Please don’t mind the ooc ness for any of the characters.

Also- can someone please tell me how to add the little read more on mobile? These posts tend to be long and well.. no poor soul wants to scroll past a wall of text. Apologies for poor formatting.

————————————————————

"Hey babe!" The blonde cheered as he rushed forward and drew him into a hug, the other easily reciprocating.

He turned back to the crowd, and Syx relaxed a tad when he felt the familiar presence of Nolu appear behind him.

"This is my boyfriend, Syx! And that behind him," he stated, glancing back at a bloodied Nolu, sighing at the sight, "is a menace of society."

Nolu squawked in disbelief glaring at the blonde. "Hey braid buddy that's not very cash money of you! This blood isn't even mine?!"

Aether just slumped forward, taking a dramatic gasp before spinning around and pointing at her. Syx just sighed at their shenanigans.

"You stupid adventurer bard- that's the point!" He declared and the women placed her hands over her heart before whispering a minor 'fatal' under her breath.

"That's why your shoes raggedy Blondie!"

"That's why your god dead homophobe!"

"WE ARE BOTH GAY??"

"FUCK YOU"

Syx slinked past his boyfriend, starting up a conversation with the shocked crowd as the braided argued, their statements getting more and more outrageous.

"Greetings," he bowed his head slightly as he spoke, holding out a gloved hand.

The older (?) gentlemen, tall with long brown hair, wore a faint smile as he reciprocated the action.

The boy beside him however, jumped in front and knocked his hand out of the way, posing dramatically.

"It's nice to meet you! I'm Venti, Venti the bard!" Sparkles practically floated around the man as he spoke, a hand outstretched to Syx.

Meanwhile, he just sighed, practically collapsed in on himself.

"Another gremlin? Really? I thought Nolu would be the only one I would have to deal with in this lifetime." He pouted, suffering eternally.

The bards both let out offended gasps, Nolu jumping over travelers shoulder as she skidded to a stop before him.

"What's that supposed to mean buddy ol' pal? I'm your sibling! You're supposed to be nice to meee..." she whined, tugging on his sleeve.

"You've eaten demons for fun I think you'll be fine." He deadpans, the brunette gasping as their head back, placing an arm over her eyes as they oh so dramatically collapsed.

"Betrayed! Woah is me, a humble bard left behind by my only kin, to starve and suffer alone."

They fake sobbed from where they hung tightly on his leg.

Aether sighed before hooking his arms under her own and dragging them off of Syx. They let go easily- much to Aether frustration as they both tumbled backwards.

With a loud crash and oomph sounding as Nolu checked up on Aether- Syx began introducing himself to the 4 men.

"Greetings- as Aether has stated I am Syx. The woman over their is Nolu, my kin, please do not mind her."

The man from earlier pushed aside the bard, introducing himself as Zhongli from the Wangsheng funeral parlor.

The other two, following the brunette, did the same. Albedo and 'child'.

"That's a weird ass name- did your parents not love you or something?" He asked the ginger.

Chaos erupted as the ginger lunged at him, Syx cackling as the two fought.

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

From hastily apologizing to Aether after causing chaos to pinning their brother and some random ginger child down, Nolu thinks today could have gone a lot worse.

"You! What were you thinking- antagonizing some leprechaun like that?! If Adriyan hears a word of this she will have our heads!"

"Leprechaun-?!" The ginger let out and offended gasp- a fatal mistake, dragging an irate former priestess's attention to him.

"And you! Gingerbread boy! What were you thinking?! Attacking the traveler's boyfriend and MY brother? What are you?! A child?!"

After saying that she suddenly paused, glancing down at the fallen ginger.

"..your not actually a child are you? How old are you kiddo?"

..”Nolu I swear to god if you adopt a GROWN ASS MAN-“

[recycledbeercans]

Good god I can’t do this. I gotta break my personal rule to not make txt posts on the internet because I GOTTA say something or I’m going to burst.

I cannot, cannot, for the life of me understand Freela as a ship.

I think most ppl are more willing to give it a pass or just shrug and say it’s cute because no one dislikes Fry or Leela as characters, and hell, I don’t even dislike Leela (she’s awesome, I love her, 11/10) but I cannot wrap my head around WHY this ship is canon when it’s written so fucking badly. I’m not even against het ships bc I have plenty I absolutely love, but this one just hits a nerve in me and it grates me even more every time I rewatch Futurama. The older I get, I’ve gone from initially finding it cute to just, loathing it.

Hhrgh ok before people point pitchforks at me, lemme try to explain… my thoughts are kinda all over the place but my biggest gripe with Freela is that it is so ONE-SIDED and FORCED. Leela NEVER shows interest in Fry unless her other options (literally anyone else) don’t work out. She views Fry as childish, immature, and bosses him around much to Fry’s dislike. Most of the time (if not exclusively) whenever she shows any appreciation for Fry, it’s over what he does for her, but she never shows interest in doing anything back for him. You never see her make any grand gestures of love or affection towards Fry.

And ok, yeah, when Fry is saving her life by giving her his oxygen, or jumping in front of a killer bee to try to protect her, it’s easy to go “aww” and want them to end up together. But, at least for me, I realized most of that was directed at how I found it sweet that Fry cares about Leela, not that the two of them are a good couple. Fry loves Leela enough to give his life for her and try to protect her, (but he also feels similarly about Bender, in godfellas really the only reason he even eventually gave up in looking for Bender was because Leela convinced him it was time to move on), but it’s, genuinely something that makes me sad because when does Leela ever return that energy? She doesn’t. Fry pines over her for YEARS in the show timeline and she just constantly turns him down and rejects him, and shows blatant disinterest, until she almost seems worn down because none of her other options are working out.

And maybe you want them to end up together, because you want Fry to be happy, but it sticks out so sorely that Fry isn’t the kind of person Leela wants. Without even getting into how uncomfortable the writing is with Fry constantly pestering and pushing himself onto her and whining that she won’t date him when she explicitly tells him no over and over (the way Futurama treats consent wigs me out but that’s a whole different topic), whenever Leela does show interest in Fry, it’s NEVER because Fry is someone she would pursue or even sees potential in.

This is constantly reinforced throughout the show, such as in the episode where the parasites allow Fry to express his feelings for Leela in a romantic way, the climax/takeaway is that Leela is won over by Fry’s romantic gestures that fit what she wants, but has no interest in him as a person or his gestures when it comes from himself, and even feels grossed out by him at the end.

In The Devil’s hands are idle playthings, ok, yeah, Leela let’s Fry finish his song at the end, and you can say it’s sweet that she listens, but if anything it just feels sad because Fry is trying to express his love for her, and because it’s not ~good~, she’s not even watching with the intent to date him or return the feelings, she just lets him pour his heart out to her I guess, just because, to be nice? is it pity?

Everything about it makes me sad at how empty it all feels! You see a character like Fry be so affectionate and loving, and Leela on the other hand is clearly more independent and goal oriented so she’s not really the kind of person Fry would really get to have his energy matched with.

Not to mention in The Sting, throughout Leela’s whole fever dream after being poisoned, she never expresses missing or wanting to be with Fry because she loves him, she just constantly states that she feels responsible and guilty for his death, but her subconscious has Bender state that Fry is the one person he always excluded from “kill all humans”.

Even in Bender’s Big Score, Leela isn’t interested in Lars (older Fry) because he is like Fry. Lars is a completely different personality, much more mellowed out, completely lacking in basically every characteristic that makes Fry, well, Fry (can you even consider Lars to be Fry when he doesn’t even express anything towards his first friend he made in the future, Bender? lol). I think the point the writers were trying to get at is that Fry still had some growing or maturing to do, but honestly, it’s presented in the worst way possible. Fry is, what?, in his late 20s/early 30s in the show timeline by this point, is he really supposed to wait until he’s like 40 so he’s finally “good enough” for Leela? Is he supposed to become a completely different person so she’ll finally see him as dating material? Like, everything about this is basically just saying that Fry can have Leela, but only if he stops being Fry. Meanwhile, in this same movie, Bender cries for a thousand years because he was forced to kill Fry, and immediately runs and jumps into his arms as soon as he sees Fry is ok. Then to make it even worse, after Leela realizes Lars WAS Fry, she still didn’t decide to try a relationship with Fry, making it apparent she does not see Fry as Lars. They may as well just be different people. Plus, Lars was just, being romantic and suave and wooing her, and once again there wasn’t really anything she was doing to pursue him...

The whole series focuses on Fry having to change himself to be what Leela wants in a romantic partner, never Leela actually liking Fry for being himself. She can’t stand most of his habits, and it throws me even more for a loop that the focus is on Fry having to figure out the right way to win her over, as if if you perform a certain amount of steps properly, you can get someone to like you. It’s just, bad.

Like why is their relationship written SO BAD?! It’s so so so bad.

You can’t tell me that Fry and Leela are supposed to end up together when their romantic chemistry is in the negative, Fry has to both push himself onto Leela, make constant one-sided grand gestures to win her over, give his life for her multiple times, and change his entire personality to be appealing to her over YEARS, and she has to fail with everyone else to finally consider him.

MEANWHILE, Bender, fucking Bender, is so happy to be Fry’s roommate, considers Fry the most important person in his life, is always hugging him, throwing himself at Fry, shows open affection, cries over him, becomes sober when Fry doesn’t give him attention. Even Bender’s negative traits, like his possessiveness, jealousy, are directed at Fry in such an intense manner, that regardless of whether or not it’s healthy, it’s just, precious? sweet? The lengths he’ll go to for Fry’s attention and approval. The entire ending of Beast with a billion backs is Bender being unable to handle not being with Fry and so getting him back, and Yivo feeling cheated on because Fry sent a letter to Bender, meanwhile Leela wanted nothing to do with Fry and even said she needed space from him. Bender loves Fry just the way he is. Fry doesn’t have to change himself to be with Bender, they already live together, they have the same interests (I don’t even think Fry and Leela share interests), they love to goof off and laugh together, Fry is just, himself around Bender. He’s happy around Bender. All these things that make me throw up my hands and ask why Fry and Leela weren’t written this way if they were supposed to get together.

In the episode where Fry is a mutant, Leela wouldn’t even touch him, while Bender just threw himself into Fry’s arms.

And like, here’s the thing, Leela and Fry as characters don’t even have a bad dynamic on paper. Like, I get it! The tough girlboss type character and her dorky idiot bf IS a cute dynamic, but the writers just, wrote them so badly? Like, even if you try to argue it’s to follow the trope of “will-they-won’t-they”, you could easily do that without Leela showing negative interest in Fry? Without Fry having to force himself on her? It could have just been that she DOES want to date him but has hang ups about relationships, or that Fry is too scared to confess to her, if they could have just have, a natural progression of growing closer without all the forced shit inbetween of Fry begging her to date him and Leela saying no and showing her blatant disinterest a million times.

I know some people like to poly ship Fry, Leela, and Bender also but even as someone who is 100% on board w/ poly ships, I can’t see that here either because neither Bender or Fry really are what, Leela wants.

But don’t get me wrong, Fry, Bender and Leela have a great dynamic, those three interacting is WHY I watch the show, but Leela very much exudes mom-friend energy, like she has to chaperone these two dorks and so it’s not really about her getting her needs met...

So uh yeah, i think there’s more I want to say, I could pick out so many specific examples but I’ll stop this here because it’s getting long, maybe i’ll write an essay. But,,

Freela sucks.

Actually the ship just pisses me off I’m not even going to give it the “well they are cute” treatment. I want to see Fry have his clingy, affectionate energy matched because it just makes me sad to think about the fact that he wouldn’t get that from Leela, but Bender would absolutely baby and smother him in affection and return his energy 110%, as he should. Bender loves Fry exactly as the idiot manchild he is.

Those two should have ended up together, or at the very least Freela shouldn’t have been canon. But whatever, I know ppl will say it’s a product of its time, but good god it still pisses me off how mediocre the writing is.

I’m FUCKING FERAL I’M FOAMING AT THE MOUTH OVER THIS.