#some child murderers just want to harm children

[sweetlittleroses]

Running Up that Hill

Pairing: Jacaerys Velaryon x Aegon II Targaryen, Helena Targaryen X Aegon II Targaryen

Summary: What if blood and cheese didn’t happen to Helena but Aegon? What if he was forced to pay the consequences for his families actions.

Warnings: Violence, a bit of angst, omegaverse

Author’s Note: So I saw the scene of blood and cheese and literally traumatized. Poor Helena and what a hypocrite Alicent is. Also Jacaerys and Aegon are aged up to make this LEGAL. On a side note, should I also start putting my work on Ao3?🍰

The night was like no other. Guards were posted on every end of the castle but besides their presence, the castle was silent. Aegon walked through the castle in his dirty clothes while stumbling due to the ale he drank at fleabottom. The weight of the crown and responsibilities drew him to drink and whore himself out more than usual. Anything to fill the void that was left in him.

He wanted to get to his chambers and sleep to escape the reality of his life. The reality that there was war outside and at any point, blood would further shed. However, something called him to go check on his children. It wasn’t out of the ordinary to see his children, but his reputation overtook the image of him being a decent father. Or mother.

As he neared his children’s chambers, he took notice of the absence of Ser Criston and any other guards. Thinking the guard was a bit late to his post, he came closer to the doors of his children’s chambers, but as he was going to push the doors open, he heard the quick whispers of men and the cries of his sister. His breath quickened as the crying of his children was heard.

Pushing the doors quickly, he sobered up at the sight that befell on him. Helaena was on the ground, mark on the cheek, cut on her neck, and tears in her eyes. His children were held by the neck as a knife was held to each of their small throats.

“No”, Aegon said as he froze at the sight of danger his family was in. Tears welled up in his eyes as he saw the state they were in.

“Look what we have here. The king in his mighty glory. Tell me your grace, are you in the mood for some fun?”, they taunted as they held the hair of his children tighter and the blades pressed harder to their throats.

“Please just let them go. I’ll do anything. Give you gold. Jewels. Anything! BUT JUST LET THEM GO!”, Aegon screamed and cried, as he tried to come close to his children.

“NOT a further step! Or your children get it!” They shouted as they backed up. He stoped his movements to prevent any further harm to the children.

“ Now your grace, it seems that you will have to make a choice. Which child will choose to lose their head?” One taunted.

“ please… please… let them go. You can take me. Just take me and spare them”, Aegon pleaded as he dropped to his knees.

“No! You will choose! You are given the mercy to choose ! The same cannot be said for the boy who died”, one shouted as he shaked one of his children.

Helena continued to cry as she mumbled “Blood and Cheese”. Aegon felt helpless. He was going to see one child of his get murdered, and it would be his fault.

“please”, he continued to beg and cry, “please”.

“A SON FOR A SON”, they taunted. Oh. Oh. Lucerys. Rhaenyra’s sweet boy. His children were going to pay the consequences for his brother’s actions.

“PLEASE”, he screamed. Once they said a son, his fear caused him too look at his son. Jaehaerys. One of the men saw where he looked and grinned. “ I see we have finally found a son to lose his head”, they taunted as they pushed his daughter to him.

Grabbing her and snuggling her closer to him, he tried to hide her away from the sight. He couldn’t help but look at the crying face of his son. No. please. Let the gods have mercy on us. Let them save his boy.

As soon as they were going to kill his son, a body ran against one of the attackers and pushed them, causing them to drop his son. As the other attacker was ready to fight back, the person fought him. The fight lasted for some time before their savior wielded their dagger and killed one assassin with a blow to their neck.

“Jaehaerys”, he cried out as his son got up and ran to his arms. Holding both his children to his chest, he covered them as best as he could. He could feel Helaena grabbing on to him from the back. He closed his eyes hoping that everything would go away. That they would be safe. That their screams alerted someone. He continued to hear fighting till silence was only heard.

However, when he felt the touch of someone, he hopelessly shouted, “please, don’t take them!”. He hyperventilated at the thought of the men grabbing his children again and killing them both, but the person held his cheek softly.

“It’s me Aegon”, the person whispered.

Opening up his eyes, he saw Jacaerys down at them. He was covered in blood. Looking to the side of him, he saw the bodies of the assassins on the floor. He finally started crying as Jace pulled him and his children close. He continued to cry in his neck. He could feel the tight hold that Jace had on him as a way to protect his children and him. He could feel the caress on his hair as tears slipped his eyes. The whispering of soothing words. They stayed in the embrace for some time before new decisions had to be made.

“We must go now”, Jace said to him as they pulled away from each other. Aegon couldn’t move. He contemplated of what might happen. Looking down at his children he could clearly see the disheveled state they were in. Hair was everywhere, tears ran their cheeks, sniffling could be heard as their little bodies shook. He then turned to look at Helena to see her in the same state.

“ We must go.”, she whispered.

Turning his attention back to Jace, he nodded. They quickly cloaked the children before making their way out the castle and into the pit. He continued to hold his children close to him while continuously looking behind him for any danger. As they finally arrived to the dragonpit, Aegon spotted Vermax, Jace’s mighty dragon had grown significantly . They hurried to their dragons with Helaena running towards Dreamfyre with the children’s hatchlings close to her. As Aegon held his children close he saw that his dragon would not be strong enough to carry him and his children.

The worried thoughts began to consume him until he felt Jace’s hand near his arm. Facing him, Jace whispered to him ,“Let me take one”. He shook his head at the thought of being seperated from his children. He was scared that something would happen to him.

“Please Aegon. Let me take one of them. You won’t all fit on Sunfyre”, Jace whispered as he looked at Aegon with a pleading look.

“Please Aegon”, he continued to plead. Jace was scared that the guards would be alerted at the missing presence of the Targaryen children. He was especially fearful of Aemond preventing them from escaping.

“Okay…Take Jaehaera. Make sure she is safe and I will take Jaehaerys.” Aegon whispered as small tears gathered in his eyes.

Quickly Jace helped Jaehaera mount his dragon and secured her enough. She was still shaking at the previous events. Quietly he whispered to her as he hugged her, “ Their my sweet girl. We’re safe now. Just hold on to me.” Jaehaera snuggled to the warmth of Jace. On the other side of the pit, Aegon was situated at the top of his dragon. His son close to his chest. He whispered to his son,“Hold on tight sweet boy. We can finally be free”.

Sending a reassuring nod to Jace and Helaena, Helaena was the first one to take off, then Jace followed and finally Aegon took off. Their dragons soared through the night of kings landing. Away for the keep, away from their poisonous family, and away from war.

They soared above the sea, Helaena being a guidance to their dragons. As they flew he couldn’t help but hold his son close, letting all his pain and tears free. Aegon continued to whisper apologies to his sleeping son. His sweet boy who would have been killled if it wasn’t for Jace. His child finally fell to a peaceful slumber after a bit of crying. Aegon could see Jace ahead with his little girl. Jace had a tight grip on her as he held onto the reign of his dragon.

Finally seeing Dragonstone, new worries set in his head. He had escaped one trap, just to fly to another. His sister was under the impression that he wanted to unsurp her throne, he who wanted her children dead, and he who started to call them bastards. Landing their dragons, Aegon hesitated to dismount his dragon,but as he looked to the side, he saw Jace waiting for him as he carried his sleeping girl. As he descended down his dragon, he took notice of the guards who approached.

They had their swords drawn, ready to defend the queen but the sight of Jace made them stand down.

“ Take me to the Queen, we have matters to discuss”, Jace said firmly as he kept Aegon and Helena close to him.

As they came closer to the palace, he could feel the various eyes of servants and guards. Once they reached the council room, he was met with the sight of many lords, Rhaenys, Lord Corlys and at the center Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra, looked at Aegon with hidden shock. Her unkept brother looked horrible. She took notice of her son holding one of the children and her brother holding the other. What alarmed her more was her son and siblings covered in blood and in tears.

“What has happened?”, she gasped to Jace as she took notice of their state.

“Your Grace, I wish to speak to you in private,” Jace asked as he stepped forward, covering Aegon and Helena.

“Jac-“ “ please mother”, Jace said to the queen as he cut her off of any further questioning.

Knowing the seriousness of the situation, Rhaenyra commanded every lord to leave, leaving only immediate family in the room. Jace’s betroth, Daemon and Baela were the only exception as they were absent. Once everyone was situated, Jace passed little Jaehaera to Helaena who held the girl tightly.

“Your Grace, there has been a crime” Jace said with a firm tone and a tense jaw.

“Jacaerys, what do you mean?” Rhaenyra questioned her child.

“An assasination attempt was made to the children of Aegon” Jace continued before finally asking,“Was it you mother?”

“Jace-“ “Was it you mother?” He asked harsher.

“Ja-“ “ Was it?” He shouted. He could no longer contain his anger.

Rhaenys intervened. “You will show respect to the Queen”, she said with a firm tone as she looked at Jace.

“Not when it involved the attempt murder of one of my children”, he said as he looked at his mother.

Gasps were let out from his family. Rhaenyra froze at the words that escaped her son’s lips.

“ What do you mean, your children, Jacerys?” Lord Corlys asked as he pressed further from Jace. He couldn’t believe what he heard.

“ I mean that Aegon’s children are my children. I am their sire.” He said.

Rhaenyra continued to look at Jace with shock.

“When? why? Jace?” She finally asked.

“It was after the dinner” he responded. “ I stumbled across him and we… talked”.

“Talked? You say.” She asked as she looked at her son and then at her brother who continued to look down as he held one of his children.

“Yes, your Grace. After the dinner we talked with each other in the gardens. Harsh words were said and suddenly things changed. His omega called out to me and my alpha to him”Jace continued as he defended their relationship.

With a pointed look, Rhaenyra set her eyes of Aegon.

“… and you brother? What is your side?” Rhaenyra asked as Aegon looked up at her with red rimmed eyes.

“ Your Grace …. My siblings and I were raised to fear you. We were put in our heads since we were children that you were going to kill. Especially me, as I was born as the first son and would pose a threat to you your position.”, Aegon spoke as tears dripped down.

Rhaenyra couldn’t believe what she heard, but Aegon continued. “ Mother and grandsire would scream at us or handle us roughly when we let our guards down around you or your family. So we learned to either ignore you or hate you…”

Rhaenyra was at disbelief as she heard the torture her siblings had to go through. Aemond was already lost to their abuse but she could still save Helena and Aegon. Looking at Aegon, she whispered, “ And Jace?” .

“ Jace..” he whispered with a fond smile “ I loved Jace since the beginning sister…. but like I said, we were taught to hate”, he said.

“But finally talking to him, and having him close again brought a sudden connection. Things then got out of control and it lead to this secret relationship. But I do not regret it one bit as it gave me my children”, he whispered lovingly to his child’s head.

The queen could see the fond look Aegon gave to his children and the fond look her son gave to her brother and their children. Coming to a decision she decided to give refuge to her siblings and the children. She wanted to let them rest and recover before discussing matters with Aegon and Helena.

~

Rhaenyra waited in her quarters are the arrival of her brother and sister. She was informed of how the maesters tended to the their wounds and how the children were afraid at not knowing where they were. But she also heard of how her son went to their quarters and comforted them. He was taking the role of father seriously.

The noise of the door opening made her look up. As her siblings walked in, she could see the clean state they were now in. She also noticed how her son trailed behind his omega. “Jace, I wish to speak to them”, Jace waited before she said, “alone”.

Hesitation could be seen in his movement before Aegon grabbed his hand and whispered, “It’s okay” and “ We will talk later”. As Jace retreated she could see Aegon looking back at him.

“ Pleae, sit” she said. As they sat she saw how tense they were but quiet. They sat near each other as a way to comfort one another.

She finally asked “ Tell me what happened”.

Aegon looked down before finally responding, “ I walked in on two men holding my children after they beat Helena down”,he said.

“They kept taunting me to choose one of my children to kill…. They said a son…for a son”, Aegon said with a crack in his voice as he recalled the image.

Rhaenyra stood frozen at the words. “ Was it you sister?” Aegon asked as tears left his cheeks.

“ No..No Aegon it wasn’t me”, Rhaneyra asked as she stuttered a bit. Yes, her son had died but she didn’t want innocent children to be killed. Instead she wanted Aemond to pay. She remembered after coming back after finding Luke’s clothes and Arrax’s wing, she made a wish. No. He wouldn’t.

Refusing to believe at first, Helaena confirmed her shock. Helaena mumbled, “ The hatchlings are safe from the rats” “ Rats sent by the red dragon”. Daemon.

Rhaenyra could see the sorrow in her siblings face. Quickly grabbing Aegon’s hand she reassured him.

“ No, Aegon it wasn’t me… But I know who it was”, she said. She wanted her siblings to know that she would not put them in harms way. She fully understood how poisoned they were.

“Please sister, please protect us. I will renounce my crown and I will declare you as the rightful queen. Just protect us…please”, he said as he held Rhaenyra’s hands with a tight grip.

Nodding her head, he looked both at his sister and brother with a reassuring look. Before they could fully relaxed he cut them off, “But our other brother can’t be saved… he is a kinslayer. One who has to pay for his crimes ”.

Aegon gulped at his brother’s destiny. Helaena reached for Aegon’s hand as she too thought of Aemond punishment. Gaining courage she whispered, “You won’t find him at kingslanding”.

“What do you mean Helaena?”, Rhaenyra asked curiously.

In turn she responded, “ The green sapphire loses itself at the false seahorse”. Confused Rhaenyra wanted to continue to ask, till the interruption of one of the maids interrupted them.

“I apologize for interrupting your Grace, but the children are asking for their mother”, she whispered as she bowed her head. Standing up to follow the maid and let her siblings go, she was cutoff at the maids apologies.

“The children of Prince Aegon are asking for him. Prince Jacaerys is already there but they want to see their mother”.

Aegon looked as his sister for permission to check on his children. With a quick nod from his sisters he quickly made way for his children. As he drew closer to their quarters, he could hear giggling. He was welcomed to the sights of Jace playing his children. His daughter leaned against his side while their sire ran his hands through the hair of their children. Jace had discovered a strand of brown hair hidden in the blonde hair of his children. A secret giveaway of the connection his children had to him.

Hearing footsteps coming close to them, Jace turned in time to see Aegon coming towards them. He wasn’t the only one to notice as his children turned and shouted “Mother”. They ran to their mother as they attacked him with hugs.

“Oh my sweet children”, Aegon cooed as he hugged his children back.

Jace loved the sight he saw. He could finally be reunited with his omega and form a connection with his children. They at first were scared of him since they had never truly interacted with him or seen him. He himself only caught glimpses of his children as the maids took care of them or when Helena held them, as she acted as their father or mother.

It broke him not being near his children. When he first caught a glimpse of them he couldn’t help but fall in love all over again. They were a spitting image of their mother and now that he had interacted with them, it seemed they had a mixed personality of him and Aegon. They were perfect.

As his children and Aegon got near him, he stood on his feet. Before he could say anything, Aegon walked to him and embraced him. He could finally smell the sweet scent of his omega and Aegon could smell his woodsy scent. They scented one another as a way they showed they belonged to one another. They would make up for the time they were seperated from each other.

Jace rested his forehead on Aegon’s as he caressed his waist. They were lost in their own world until their children got near. They both clung to Aegon’s body and tug on his top to get his attention.

Kneeling to his children’s height, they shyly asked, “father?”. He gave a small smile to his children as he slowly nodded. He caressed their cheeks as he let his own comforting smell fill the room. His children, turned to look at their father and turned to him. Jaehaera broke into a smile before running to her sire’s arms. Jace kneeled to pick her up and hug her. He spun her around and loved the sounds of her little giggles.

Jaehaerys was still close to Aegon, since he was a bit shy to show any emotion, but as Jace put Jaehaera down, he walked to his son cautiously before kneeling down. Waiting for a bit he looked at his son as his son looked at him. Jace was scared that his son would never acknowledge him as his father but a family member. However, little Jaehaerys broke into a shy smile before walking to his father and hugging him. Jace proudly returned the embrace.

Jace continued to bond and play with the children as Aegon did the same but stoped once in a while to admire the sight. Eventually the children fell asleep, so Aegon put Jaehaera to bed and Jace put Jaehaerys to bed. Silently Aegon and Jace sat on a small couch near the fire place. They sat in silence against one another till Aegon rested his head against Jace’s shoulders.

As they looked at the fireplace, Jace drew small circles on Aegon’s hand. The peaceful silence lasted for a long time and eventually they fell asleep with one another. Jace leaned his back against the side of the couch while Aegon was curled to his side. He was now at peace knowing his children and mate were close. He could proudly claim what was his. Both the children and their parents fell to the clutches of the night unaware of the arrival of a certain dragon.

~

Daemon walked through the halls with his cape down. He walked all smug at the idea that the greens would pay, but as he looked up, he saw how every lord and guard avoided his eyes. It was not out of the ordinary for people to fear him but it seemed they acted as he wasn’t there. As he neared the council room, his presence was announced. He expected Rhaenyra and the council to be discussing strategies but was surprised at the lack of lords and only Rhaenyra, lord Corlys and Rhaenys being present.

Lord Corlys and Rhaenys sat at the side, whispering to one another before looking at him. As he neared Rhaenyra, she stood up looking at him with a fierce look. When he reached her, he bowed his head to her before looking up. Ready to receive her affection.

In return, he felt a stinging pain to his cheek as his face turned to the left. Rhaenyra had slapped him.

Turning his head back to her, he was furious of what she had done. He was prepared to warn her before he noticed the glassy eyes of her face.

“What did you do?” She spoke fiercely to him. He smirked at the question.

“Just followed your command, my queen”, he said as he looked at her.

“ I said I wanted AEMOND fucking TARGARYEN”, she shouted him.

Her anger spiked his own anger. “I did what you asked. I sent people to complete the task”, he responded.

“ NO, you disobeyed me and disregarded my command. Instead you were ready to shed blood no matter who it was!” Rhaenyra continued. Daemon continued to become furious at each word she said. He was angry, that once again she defended her beloved greens.

“Why does it matter?! Every fucking green must die?”, he shouted.

“ Not when it involves the attempted murder of one of Jacaery’s children”. Before Rhaenyra could say anything, Rhaenys intervened. Taking Daemon by shock, he turned to look at his cousin.

“What?” He whispered bewildered.

Rhaenyra continued, “ It seems your assassins were going to take the life of one of the children. INNOCENT children.”

“They are lying Rhaenyra”, Dameon tried to say .

“NO THEY ARE NOT FUCKING LYING! Those are Jace’s children and you tried to kill them. You are so blinded by this war that you decided to take actions in your own hands!”, she shouted.

“ That cun-“ “You will say no more.”, Rhaenyra cut him off. “It seems you can not follow a simple command and have decided that you do what you want to do”.

Daemons scoffed at her words before she let out the final blow. “ I can no longer trust you Daemon. So as of now you will stay here and are forbidden from other transgressions”.

He was disbelief, “ They are trying to trick you!”

“They aren’t! Those are Jace’s children! They might be spitting image of Aegon but their scents are a mix of both of them!” She shouted.

“Now, you will do as I say! You are to stay here! And as of now you are to be confined to different chambers till said otherwise.”

“ As you wish my queen!”, he bowed before furiously walking to exit the room.

“ And one more thing Daemon. You are not to go near Aegon, his children or Helaena. If you do, you will face severe punishments.”

Without responding or looking at Rhaenyra he left. Rhaenyra hopes Daemon takes it’s seriously because when an Alpha feels a threat towards their mate and pups, chaos is created. So Jace will do anything to protect his family and she will protect them.

As of now, she must protect those she cares and loves before this war continues.

[ink-asunder]

I feel like anyone saying "Afton didn't have a motive" in the fnaf movie are actually kind of stupid and somehow forgot how violent crime works

[fellthemarvelous]

It pisses me off to see the way some Star Wars fans are so dismissive of Reva, Third Sister.

She's complex. She's interesting. She's clever. She's intelligent. She's strategic. She's conflicted. She's traumatized. She's scared. She's angry. She's a survivor.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series literally opens with her and her friends watching one of her Jedi mentors get gunned down by clone troopers during Order 66.

She was a FUCKING CHILD!!! They were in the middle of a lesson when the clones walked in and started shooting everyone!! These were Anakin Skywalker's troopers and they were executing every single Jedi around them.

These children had NO idea what was going on. They were scared and they tried to run to safety.

We remember this scene from Revenge of the Sith and we all immediately knew what it meant.

These are the same bodies that Obi-Wan Kenobi found when he and Yoda returned to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant after having to kill so many of Anakin's clone troopers just to survive.

These are children that the Jedi Council wasn't there to save.

Palpatine snuffed out the light of the Jedi in one swift act of terrorism and then blamed the Jedi for their own genocide after taking over the entire galaxy.

And in times of war, the weakest among everyone always suffer the most.

This is what Reva, Jedi youngling, remembers most about the end of the Clone Wars.

Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Clone Wars and former padawan of the great Obi-Wan Kenobi, murdered all of her friends and injured her.

She had to play dead amongst the dead bodies of her friends, and that's how she survived. She witnessed Anakin Skywalker murder all the Jedi in the temple with no one there to stop him because the other Jedi Masters were being executed in a war they had never wanted to enter into in the first place.

She blames herself for not being able to save her friends because she wasn't strong enough to fight back. No youngling was ever going to be strong enough to stand against Anakin Skywalker. She wanted revenge against Anakin Skywalker, and she was just as desperate to get to Obi-Wan Kenobi as he was. She wanted to kill Anakin Skywalker just as badly as Darth Vader wanted to kill Obi-Wan.

She was alone in a galaxy that tortured and executed surviving Jedi. She spent ten years plotting her revenge against Anakin. She was angry at Obi-Wan for not being there to stop Anakin, and rightfully so.

The Republic fell. Reva and her friends were left unprotected. She was the only person she relied on because everyone else failed her. She was only a child when she lost everyone.

And it's clear she was conflicted by her role as an Inquisitor. She doesn't have the training the other Inquisitors do because she volunteered to be an Inquisitor while all the others were tortured and terrorized into falling to the dark side. She only wanted access to Anakin so she could get justice for what he did to her and her family.

Unlike Anakin, Reva couldn't find it in herself to harm a child. She was seeking revenge solely against Anakin Skywalker. Luke and Leia are the same age she was when she watched her friends and family die in front of her.

Yes, she was prepared to torture Leia, but she consistently hesitated, and when Tala walked in, Reva turned away. She stopped. Yeah she was mad, but she didn't have to go through with it. She'd already planted a tracker on Lola. She was already planning on allowing them to escape so she could locate their secret base. She just needed to bait Obi-Wan. Her plan worked perfectly, and she didn't even have to hurt this child who was annoying the shit out of her (not realizing she was dealing with Anakin Skywalker's offspring).

She went to Tatooine to kill Luke, but she couldn't. She hunted him down without bothering to kill Owen or Beru. She only cared about one thing. Getting justice for what happened to everyone she had been unable to save at the end of the war. She was only a child, and when she realized she was about to kill a defenseless child just to get revenge, she couldn't do it. She saw her face when she looked down at Luke and cried when she realized she couldn't do it.

She was so horrified by what she had been prepared to do and returned him to Owen and Beru alive. She fell to her knees and sobbed because she thought she failed her family in the end.

Obi-Wan was there for her this time. He reminded her that by showing mercy, she was giving her friends and family peace. She was not going to become the monster that Anakin Skywalker was.

Obi-Wan helped her and reminded her that she gets to decide who she wants to be from this point forward. She refused to become Anakin Skywalker, and a weight was finally starting to be lifted from her shoulders. A weight she had been carrying for ten long years.

She did what she thought she had to just to survive. She had only been a child with no guidance because everyone she loved died. She survived by joining the ranks of the enemy so she could plot her revenge. Obi-Wan showed her mercy at the moment she needed it most. He wasn't angry with her. He was compassionate. She survived Order 66 just like he did, but she had been defenseless when they were thrust into a galaxy that tortured and killed Force sensitive individuals and those who helped them. He had failed Reva during Order 66, and he wasn't going to fail her this time.

She is getting a second chance at finding her path in life despite the bad things she did. Everyone deserves a second chance. She was robbed of her childhood and had to grow up overnight. She had to learn how to survive. And that's exactly what she did. Just not in the way she expected.

[mckinlily]

Imagine a world where Bruce Wayne did not become Batman. Instead, he is just a Normal Dude. Or as normal as a billionaire deeply dedicated philanthropy in a city as insane as Gotham can be.

Because make no mistake: just because Bruce is not Batman does not mean Gotham is not Gotham.

There are a few new players though—on the Rogues side.

Timothy Drake is the teen business tycoon of Drake Industries. Absent of the inspiration of Batman and the socialization and warmth of Dick Grayson, he is ruthless and logical to a fault in pursuit of his goals and just as viciously chaotic as the disaster little brother Jason knows.

In other words, he’s Gotham’s youngest supervillian. The only good news is his chosen nemesis is Lex Luthor. Maybe. Timothy doesn’t care much about collateral damage. It’s not his goal to harm civilians, but he certainly doesn’t include their safety as a priority in his convoluted schemes to mess with Luthor.

Talon is an undead murderer who slaughtered a huge swath the Gotham’s 1% five years ago and, despite being spotted many times since, has never been apprehended. He appears when he wants and disappears just as readily, and Gotham just has to accept there’s a killer stalking their streets and there’s nothing they can do about it. Sometimes Talon has been known to rescue people, especially, but it’s never clear how or why exactly Talon chooses who is victim verses aggressor. And the end is always brutal and bloody for those Talon deems aggressor.

Damian is still Bruce’s biological son and raised by Talia in the League of Assassins. But when he was left in Gotham and met his father, this Bruce was so baffled and thrown by a child assassin that Damian immediately takes as rejection and runs away. (He doesn’t even stay long enough for Bruce to be sure it wasn’t a hallucination or very strange dream).

Damian is almost immediately found and adopted by Talon, so now Gotham has TWO bird-themed killers liable to jump down on you from nowhere and for any reason.

Oh, and god help you if you so much as make Talon’s baby Owlet sad. If you’re lucky, it will be the last thing you do.

Barbara is an ordinary librarian…who can be hired as a mercenary hacker for the right price. The public isn’t afraid of her because they don’t know she exists. More than one politician or public figure has been ruined because of the blackmail she unearthed on them. But what side exactly is the police commissioner’s daughter on? And how much of Gotham does she have under thumb?

(Is she a secret ally and accessory to Timothy Drake’s many plots?)

Steph, thank god, is actually NOT a villain, super or otherwise. She’s the one vigilante attempting to help Gotham. Spoiler has connections among some of the caped community like Supergirl or Wonder Girl. But without Bat training or the police cooperation forged years ago by Batman, she’s mostly just striving to survive while taking on Gotham’s many, many gang. Make no mistake, she’s impressive. But desperate. Spoiler comes with guns and explosions. So. Many. Explosions. Gotham has never heard of the “no kill” rule. And likely never will.

(Cass also lives in Gotham. But no one will ever see her or even know she’s there.)

Jason….well. Baby Jason never stole any Batmobile tires and never was adopted by a strange but kind billionaire. He was never killed at 15.

He died in the winter before he turned 13.

And then one day, Adult Canon Jason gets thrown into this dimension. And somehow Gothan is WORSE?! How is that even possible? Also his siblings are running around being super villains and killing people? Bruce! Control your children!!

But this Bruce does not have children (he’s still mostly convinced Damian was a prank or hallucination). He is horrified by the idea of children fighting crime. He has absolutely no idea how to handle exceptionally talented chaos machines with too much passion and no sense of self preservation. And he’s frankly a little disturbed by Jason himself and his guns and refusal to “work within the system” and Jason nopes out of there so freaking fast.

Jason also, slowly, has to become okay with the realization that his siblings are not insane because they were made Robin. They became Robin because they were already insane. There was no way to create a normal human being out of any of them.

(Jason does not want to look too closely at what that says about him.)

In the end, Jason teams up with Steph. He connects her with Dick/Talon, who is more than happy to have a new Owlet to train and preen, and Damian only slightly stabs her. They manage to persuade/threaten Tim into caring enough to help get Jason back to his dimension with misuse of Drake Industry research equipment. Damian very much does stab Tim. Tim retaliates by locking Damian in an industrial freezer. Dick thinks they’re bonding. Jason introduces them to Babs, but frankly he has no idea what he’s hoping to achieve from this. Probably nothing good because Dick, despite being an under-socialized undead assassin with some weird mannerisms and ways of speaking, still manages to pull a woman way out his league like Barbie. And Babs seems to have no problem with the “murder” part that description.

Jason never realized how much Bruce’s strict moral code and “the Mission” were key to the rest of them becoming remotely positive influences in society. Or how little Bruce has to do with his siblings getting into dangerous, violent situation. He doesn’t like anything about it.

They work out how send Jason back, and he returns to his dimension with the feeling he’s just left Alternate Gotham to a gang of supervillains.

…at least they’re together?

And Talon Dick won’t let any of his new Owlets die and will rain bloody vengeance on anyone who tries. So that’s good. For them at least.

(Jason feels absurdly like he should be apologizing to this universe’s Bruce. Or. Someone. He doesn’t. But he feels like he should.)

Back at in his dimension and at the Batcave, Jason pauses and just stares at Batman for a very, very long time. Finally, he takes a deep breath and solemnly nods just once before taking off into the Manor for Alfred’s cookies.

Bruce has no idea what the fuck just happened.

[nekropsii]

People in the Cronus v. Vriska debate will also completely ignore that Cronus. Really wants to kill people. He just says that. No obfuscation included.

He doesn’t even have any excuse for it. Vriska killing people makes sense because she grew up on Alternia and had to feed her Lusus. Cronus just wants to kill people because he wants to do murder-eugenics and is really fucking mad murder-eugenics isn’t legal and does in fact have social consequences. Cronus just wants to kill disabled people for being disabled and not get in trouble for it. He explicitly says he wishes culling “meant what it should have” on Beforus.

Vriska was born and raised on Alternia, and that’s not her fault. It is, in fact, an entirely new level of fucking deranged to want Alternian laws to be real. Growing up in a system where killing people deemed below you is okay is different from wishing you lived in a system where killing people deemed below you is okay, because growing up there inherently means that that is already normal to you, while wishing that was the case inherently means it is not normal to you, you just want more harm to befall specific out groups (the lower class, the disabled, etc.) and to hurt more people in more violent ways.

People also love to casually ignore that Cronus is a grown adult. Like, sure, he’s 19, and 19 years old is pretty young in the grand scheme of things, but he is still a grown ass man who knows better. Him knowing better and simply not caring is literally a major part of his character. He is a grown ass man who can make his own legal decisions and live on his own. He can pay taxes. He could buy a house. He could invest in the stock market. In some countries, he can legally drink. He can drive. He can drink and drive. He can go die in the military. He’s grown. He’s a grown ass man. Vriska is 13. That is a child. Like, a CHILD child. Vriska is a middle school child. This is the difference between a middle schooler and a college student. Think of how mentally developed you were at 13. You weren’t even done with puberty yet. You’re not even done growing at that age. Cronus can fucking vote. He can go to adult prison. If you spotted a kid Vriska’s age out roaming the street with no guardian in sight, you’d probably be worried.

A major part of Cronus’s character is that he is a terrible person by choice, willingly, knowingly, and does not care. He is making a decision. Him being shitty and awful is a conscious choice he is making. He knows he is hurting people, and he knows what he is doing is terrible, and he does not care. Cronus knows that trying to bang children 6 years his junior is bad. He doesn’t care. He knows he is abusing Mituna, he calls it abuse, and he knows abuse is bad. He doesn’t care. He knows sex crimes are bad. He doesn’t care. He’s too entitled to care about anyone but himself and his own gratification.

Vriska is a 13 year old anti-hero who literally gets groomed and is shown to only be Like That because she is extremely traumatized and her experience of living on Alternia has made it so her guard is up 24/7. She literally cannot put the metaphorical swords down. She thinks it’s the only thing keeping her alive.

Cronus does not have an excuse.

That is, like… The Point.

The point is that he sucks and is irredeemable. He doesn’t have a single quality that makes standing around him worthwhile. He’s a relentless, unapologetic abuser. He just doesn’t care. He’s the most entitled man to ever live. He sees people as punching bags and sex toys, and any time this notion is rejected or faces even the slightest pushback, he freaks the fuck out about it.

And the point with Vriska is that she is complicated, and a child. A really, really traumatized, really, really scared child.

I don’t know, I think there’s a party here that is objectively worse.

… And - hear me out! - I think… I think it’s the adult sex predator… And not the child.

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Dressing for revenge [K. B]

Kaz Brekker x fem!reader

word count: 7k

summary: when Kaz and his crows return from Ravka they run into trouble, and to solve it, he looks for a childhood friend who is too resentful and too in love with him

warnings: trauma, PTSD, spoilers for S&B season 2, no physical contact, here Kaz has no romantic feelings for Inej

A/N: I LOVE Kanej, but I wanted to write something with Kazzle Dazzle because I love him too, lol. I hope you like it!

taglist (who I thought might be interested): @rustyyyyspoonz

The rumor had already spread throughout the Barrel: “Kaz Brekker and his crows are back” How long had it been since they had embarked into the Fold? Just a couple of months? They had felt like years, if you were being honest.

If it was true that they were back, you felt sorry for the trouble they were going to run into. The change of ownership of their club, the strengthening of the other gangs, and mainly the fact that they were being tried for murder thanks to the fact that Pekka Rollins had awarded it to them... all these problems were going to fall on them like a bucket of water cold. It had already fallen on them, in fact, since the rumor was accompanied that they had escaped from the stadwatch once they were captured.

You didn't know how much of what everyone was saying was true and how much was false, trying to stay as calm as possible when the name Kaz came from someone's lips for fear that Pekka had some magical ability and could read your mind or sense the fear in your eyes every time you met him. Afraid of him and afraid of what he might do to you if he knew you knew the black-haired man.

Things had changed a lot since the last time you saw the boy and that was more than noticeable. Your story goes back long before he made his reputation when you were just a couple of neighbor kids playing on the farms. You two arrived in Ketterdam together, with nothing but hopes for a better future and Jordie as your protector (or an attempt at that, at least), after your father and Mr. Rietveld died in the same accident, reuniting with Kaz’s mother and later to be matched by your mother, who had died of sadness, if that was possible. Three helpless children thrown into the cruel world were what came of that and the rest is history.

Crime, robbery, gangs, and a life of hardship were what you had to adjust to as a child, but you doubted very much that a single person living in The Barrel would be in a different situation. You weren't fully involved in the disgraced jobs of the majority, but if there was one true thing, it was that when it came to obtaining information you were, to say the least, excellent. You and Kaz had to fend for yourselves, and you learned what you could from the streets. In this way he and you became a team, so to speak, for a few teenage years, and for that period of your lives having each other was the only thing in the world. Over time he became ruthless, rude, a great fighter and earned the nickname 'dirtyhands' thanks to his gambling skills, from which he obtained most of the things you had. You learned to move quickly, to go unnoticed, and to defend yourself from those who tried to harm you, always supporting the boy’s plans.

Less than a year was enough for his name to become known and he began to think big. Sometimes he would tell you about the plans he had: to run Fifth Harbor, to establish the crow club, to become the best of The Barrel. All of that sounded like crazy ideas at first, but looking back you realized that he had accomplished too much in that pit for your relatively young age.

You never knew what made you and Kaz go their separate ways, but somehow it had happened. It was gradual, maybe that's why it was hard for you to notice, but one day you woke up and realized the distance that existed between him, who previously was practically the only family you knew, and you. It didn't take much for him to decide to break the bond that had held you together from a very early age; he never gave reasons for this and you never asked him.

You lived under some protection from the leader of The Crows, of course, but very few people could link you to The Bastard of the Barrel. Sometimes you still provided him with information, but when he found someone else, the inquiries became less and less frequent until one day they turned into none. You managed to eat and have a roof over your head pretty well (and mostly honestly) and you tried to stay out of trouble for a long time.

Until one day he flew away from Ketterdam without warning and order in the Barrel was disturbed in every possible way. With his team gone, it didn't take long for Pekka to seize control and anyone who didn't work for him was inevitably against him. It was only a matter of time before he found out the talent you had tried to hide and forced you to carry his lion shield... figuratively speaking.

If he ever knew that you used to work with Kaz he never mentioned it or maybe your relationship with him had been severed so long that no one remembered it anymore. Now you were just a little girl, as he used to call you, slippery enough that she seemed so harmless that, in his eyes, that became a benefit. You were never one to look rude, unfortunately for you, and that allowed men like him to feel entitled to take advantage of you. You thanked the saints that Rollins didn't find you attractive or who knows what other services he would have requested from you. It was always better to provide him with the information he needed than for him to force you to be his lover.

You weren't a part of the meetings that the Dime Lions had and you weren't considered a member either, which kept you calm every night. You were just another piece in the enormous chess game that Pekka moved at his convenience, the same game that was threatened by the mere existence of Kaz Brekker and much more so now that he had returned.

In the middle of the night it was logical to ask yourself, what kind of strange plans would he have in mind now?

One, two, and three knocks surprised you at the rickety wooden door and made you jump out of your chair, where you were already asleep. An old lamp was on the even older table and it illuminated the little space that your provisional home had so you took it to approach to open the door. It was raining outside (quite unusual for that time of year) and by the time it was you figured it was one of Rollins' idiots coming to do a job for you. What would he want now? Harbor information? Talk to a policeman? He was supposed to control everything, sometimes you kept wondering why he asked for your help.

When you opened the door, the air slipped in and almost extinguished the flame of the fire, but the temperature of the night wasn’t what left you freezing, but the presence that was in front of you. With his hat, a completely black outfit, and his cane in hand, but above all soaked from head to toe, there was him; Kaz. You almost feared you were imagining it, but you knew it was him by the clear, penetrating eyes that were watching you, even though you admitted that he had changed so much that in other circumstances you would have had trouble recognizing him.

“Did I arrive at a bad time?” he asked. No warm greetings, no smiles, no explanations. Just a cold, serious question, just the way he was.

“Someone followed you? If this place is horrible by itself, I don't want blood staining the floor” you replied with the same tone. You wanted to tell him that you had missed him, ask him if he was okay, and give him a huge hug, but those actions should be reserved for your nocturnal fantasies, because as soon as you took a step forward he would be able to hit you with his cane. Or at least that's what the Kaz you knew would do, but you doubted very much that the passing of the years would have softened his heart.

"Nobody followed me" was all he said and you stepped aside at the door so he could go inside. Even with his words, you felt the need to look out on both sides of the street in search of someone, but with the level of rain, you doubted very much that someone would want to stay and spy because he would probably die of pneumonia.

When you closed the door and turned around he didn't say anything, he just stood in front of you while the water drained from his coat. During that moment of silence, you allowed yourself to admire it under the warm light of the candle; his eyes definitely hadn't changed one bit, but now there was a tinge of contempt more noticeable than before. His features had hardened and he was thinner, barely resembling the boy you remembered, perhaps as a reminder of just that... that he was now a man.

“So the rumors are true…” you started to say “You are back”

"I think that's more than obvious," he exclaimed. For a second you forgot that it was he who had knocked on your door and you felt uncomfortable as if you were an intruder who had to get out of there.

There was silence again and you two just looked at each other. Kaz had made his own mental list of changes he noticed in you and was reflecting on when was the last time he had looked at you in such detail. You were wearing light clothes, because before he arrived you were about to go to sleep, and your face, although as childish as always, looked more tired than before. You had also cut your hair, which was messy around your shoulders and a bit darker in tone.

“And may I know to what I owe your visit? I guess you don't want to have tea” you said to break the silence. The dryness of your words in a certain way was to protect yourself because you never knew how much a sharp tongue like his could hurt you.

"I'm in a job and I need people"

Of course it was going to be due to a job, and of course that was why he had sought you out after so many years. A part of you, tremendously stupid, to tell you the truth, was hoping that during the time your friend was away from Ketterdam some divine clarity would have illuminated him so that he would realize that he had to look for you to repair your relationship and offer at least apologies. But you would have to pay him every kruge in the country for him to do something like that.

"I'm glad you considered me, but I'm sorry I have to decline."

"Why?" he asked immediately, his raspy voice showing annoyance at the refusal.

“Because it happens that you can’t work for opposing sides. At least not at the same time” you replied. Maybe it was due to fatigue, but you swore you saw a slight look of surprise on the man's face when you answered that. Most likely, he had assumed that you would be one of the few people who wouldn’t be on Pekka’s side and therefore a safe option.

“Do you work for Pekka?” he muttered. You knew him well enough to know that he was hurt, you could see it in his posture, in his voice, and especially in his look “After all he did to us?”

"And what did you want him to do?" you said, trying to ignore the fact that he had spoken in the plural. Us “You practically handed us over to him. My options were that or receive a bullet in the forehead."

"I didn’t hand you over to anyone"

"You abandoned us and left us in his hands, it's the same thing" you replied, shrugging. There was so much resentment and pain from never-closed wounds floating in the air that it was hard for him and you to think clearly. “Your vacation in Ravka may have been nice, but things only just went to hell here. So don't you dare judge me by the choices I made” you exclaimed defensively.

You didn't imagine that your first conversation with him after so long would be like this, but unfortunately, things never turned out the way you expected. After all, they were a crook and a spy talking in the dead of night.

"You could get information from him more easily," Kaz concluded, shrugging the same way you did. "And so we sink him from the inside."

"And risk him finding out and killing me?"

“You know that would never happen,” he said firmly “The thing about killing you. I wouldn't allow him” his eyes stared at you almost offended by the lack of trust you had towards him. There was silence for the third time and this time your gaze moved away to focus on anything but him.

"Plus you have this girl you took out of The Menagerie, don't you?" you said in your defense. The one you replaced me with, you wanted to add, but held back "So I don't know what you might need me for" 

"With so many problems going on, I thought it would be better to have as many alliances as possible," he explained to you. You continued without looking at him, with your head still full of worries and sorrows, and when he didn’t receive an answer, he spoke again "You know that it is your best option"

"I don't know that, but I do know that I would have liked you to at least ask how I am before asking me to join the team you never wanted me in and from which you separated me as soon as you had the chance" you exhaled, in an attempt to lighten the weight on your chest. 

It was no secret that you had always felt betrayed by Kaz’s treatment of you, even though he treated dozens of others the same way, because you somehow thought that your backstory was enough to deserve at least the sympathy or some consideration on the part of the crow. And of course you wanted to run from Pekka's clutches and plunge him into the deepest muck, but the resentment for what you considered your friend’s abandonment was stronger. You didn't even know if it was correct to call him ‘friend’.

"You would be a good ace up my sleeve" was all he replied, in an attempt to convince you. Kaz begged absolutely no one, but if there was one thing he had decided before coming to find you, it was that he wouldn't leave until you agreed to help him. Although the nature of your current job made things a bit difficult for him, "Pekka never knew you worked for me, did he?"

"With you" you corrected him "I didn't work for you but with you. We got to The Barrel at the same time”

"Y/N" he murmured. Your name sounded strange coming from his lips after so long without hearing it and that caught you off guard “I'm trying to help you so you don't end up hurt or dead. If you work for… with me, I can tell you where not to be. Otherwise I could find you in the rubble of some confrontation or with a knife from Inej or a bullet from Jesper through your chest”

"Always so thoughtful," you replied with a smirk, but as much as it pained you to admit it, he had a point. You knew what he was capable of and what Pekka was capable of… which side was more convenient to be on? "How much are you going to pay me?" you asked and Kaz smiled, but it wasn't a sign of happiness but mockery “You've always said that's what's really important, haven't you?”

He took something out of his coat and tossed it on the table. They were bills. 

"An advance, when I recover the crow club, I will pay you the rest"

“So my pay depends on whether we win or not. That doesn't sound so convenient to me,” you muttered, clicking your tongue, as you fought the urge to say yes just to be near him. It was cold outside, the rain was making a lot of noise and you just wanted to sleep at once, but you knew that you could have been arguing with him all night and neither of you would back down. Kaz was stubborn, one way or another he would get what he wanted. "This isn't just about the club, is it?" you said, with your voice noticeably lower and you would even say with a touch of softness. You and Kaz never talked about what had happened, but each of you was dealing with the weight of the trauma in your own way. He didn't say anything and this time you saw something in him that was different from his usual behavior, knowing that it was those ghosts from the past tormenting him.

"If someone should make him pay, it's us"

Us, again. 

"I'll think about it" was what you answered, after reflecting on what would be the appropriate response. The speechless moment gave you something else to think about, and you knew that a huge flaw of yours was how easily you let your heart take over. Because even with all the other feelings on top, you still worried about him "Now that the crow club isn't yours..." you started to say, afraid of what he might say "do you have a place to stay?"

You would have offered to sleep there if he said no, but instead he said he’d manage. That didn't completely reassure you, but you decided not to insist.

“First thing tomorrow, send a reply to this address,” he asked you, holding out a piece of paper that had a few drops on it “Don't go there personally or you'll screw everything up, just send me a note. A yes or a no will suffice”

“What if someone tracks down the note?” you asked, which was a totally valid concern.

Kaz was silent while he thought of an alternative, and then spoke again.

“Just write crows of a feather, murder together. I'll understand” he murmured and you nodded. You knew the poem he was quoting from, had read it many times from the worn-out book he had gotten for you. Kaz didn't wait for anything else and took long steps to the door, which he opened as soon as he could. "Good night, Y/N."

And then he left.

That night you thought a lot about the solution you would give him in the morning, thinking about the pros and cons of each possible answer, until you decided that it was best to say yes. You needed to do it if you wanted to live peacefully (as much as the place allowed) but the main reason was to support him. If he had been about any stupid dispute you would have said no, but you knew this was something else. Kaz missed Jordie every day of his life and his way of honoring him was by planning revenge against the one who led him to that fate, so it was kind of an obligation for you to help him with that too.

You wrote the note on a piece of paper and carefully folded it to put it in an envelope. You signed the outside with his name, written in the best handwriting you had, and although you were hesitant to do so, at the end you wrote a little ‘from a friend’ in the hope of making it clear to him, and perhaps even encouraging him that, if he was willing, you could recover a little of what you had lost. And you weren’t referring to physical things, but to what existed between you.

All your life you had lived with almost opposite feelings when it came to Kaz. Somehow you were upset with him for only seeing you as an instrument that he could dispose of for his interests, but this was linked to the feeling of affection that you wanted him to experience for you and that apparently didn’t exist. It was difficult to decipher anything he was thinking, not just about you, since he had taken it upon himself to build such a convincing facade that it made it complicated to see beyond. Added to that was his aversion to touch of any kind, which, while quite understandable and justified, still made you feel sad. More than once you tried, in vain, to be able to touch him in some way, even if it was something tiny, but he always pushed you away. He pushed you away physically and eventually emotionally, and yet with all this background you wanted to help him.

You knew you couldn't expect a reply to your note, but you were confident that he had received it, and your suspicions were confirmed when another letter came back a couple of days later. It contained a day, a time, and a place, which you assumed was a meeting with him.

You were very careful when you headed there, because you thought that the fewer people saw you together, the better, or else Pekka might suspect something. You covered yourself with a long black cloak for this task and when you arrived you noticed that it wasn't Kaz who was there, but a couple of boys.

"Who are you?"

"And you?" you asked, with the same defensive tone. The place seemed to be an experiment workshop and looking at it in more detail you noticed that there was a bed, so it could even be some kind of apartment. The two men, one brown-skinned and the other pale as snow, wore simple brown suits and were looking at you warily.

“She is Y/N,” said a voice behind you. By the sound of the cane accompanied by the footsteps you knew it was Kaz, “she will work with us”

"Oh," said the dark-haired boy, looking happier with the answer, as he walked in your direction "Welcome, in that case" he muttered flirtatiously, as he held out his hand for you to greet him "Jesper Fahey, at your service”

"I am Wylan" intervened the other, from his place, timidly and quickly.

"You arrived" Kaz spoke again. You turned and a couple of women appeared, you guessed that the shorter one with Suli features was the famous wraith of Kaz. And she was beautiful, you couldn't help but notice.

There was a brief conversation with the six of you there and then Kaz asked you to walk him up to the roof of the place. Once there you instinctively stood next to the only one you knew and he just looked at you out of the corner of his eye while he adopted the typical position of him leaning on the cane.

“Brick by brick” whispered the man’s raspy voice and you were about to ask what you were supposed to do there when an explosion went off in the distance so impressively that you stepped back a bit. It didn't take you more than a few seconds to locate the space and realize the place it was.

"The crow club" you said in a low voice, only for the black-haired man to hear you, while you watched him in profile. But he didn't look at you, just exchanged words with the others and talked about how Pekka's apparent reign was coming to an end.

You'd always known that Kaz Brekker was a little unhinged, and that night you proved it for sure, but you weren't even the least bit afraid. Rather, it was some strange hope that this madness would allow you to go far. Even freedom, perhaps.

After that clear declaration of war, things got considerably complicated, especially when you were summoned before Pekka and he asked you to investigate someone in particular and it turned out to be none other than the man you were now secretly working with. You assumed it was something logical, but even so you feared that Rollins had noticed the slight tremor in your hands when he asked you to complete the task.

You summoned Kaz to Black Veil Cemetery, late at night, and there you confessed to him everything that had happened. He of course found something good in this and devised a way to use it to your advantage, which put you at ease. It still amazed you a little at how nervous you became around him as if you knew nothing of what you were doing, but when you regained your composure you thought it was an excellent plan.

Meetings with Kaz were regular, but always in secret and alone, and they worked to exchange information that you considered useful for him with what he would allow Pekka to know.

You didn't know the full plans and you weren't part of them in any way, or you would be found out, but you knew about almost everything that was going on. The attacks, the fights, the traps, the injuries... you had to look at everything from the outside without being able to intervene. It was frustrating for you, more than anything in the world, and you had to admit that you had taken a liking to crows, even if you had seen them only a couple of times, so you also looked after their safety.

One day you received a note and went to a meeting with all the members of his group present, to finally hear the full version of what Kaz intended to do to finish off your boss. It was a brilliant idea, but you were a little worried about your position in all of this.

“You mean I'm going to be there watching everything Pekka and his thugs do?”

"It will be the best" he answered you. His face still had a bruise on his cheek, a memory from the last fight he had, and he looked exhausted "Jesper and Nina will be there, plus you'll be in disguise" he added and you nodded at that.

When the moment came you thought it would be an easy task, but when Kaz started to get brutally beaten you had to muster all your willpower not to throw yourself into trying to face Pekka, even with your zero skill. He sounded so convincing when he said about Alby that even you believed it, feeling suddenly awed by the cynical smile on Kaz's blood-smeared face. And he also mentioned you in the story, although not directly, saying that it was all about revenge for having abandoned you two when you were children.

You were able to breathe again until Pekka and his entire gang left the place in search of a son who wasn't really buried and you four were left alone. Under other circumstances you would have run to Kaz, cupped his face in your hands, sobbed, and told him it was over. But instead, you just stood in front of him and watched him; his eyes were wild with fury and a thirst for revenge that had already been quenched, but you sensed a hint of calm when he became aware of your presence.

"Breathe," you said in a whisper. Jesper and Nina were dismayed by the closeness with which you spoke to him, as they knew little of your history together “You're fine. We all are,” you assured him. That situation took you back to multiple panic attacks in the past where, given the impossibility of physical contact, all you could do for him was talk to calm him down. It always worked and Kaz had forgotten how soft your voice was and the way you brought him back to the real world. You decided to risk trying to do something else to comfort him and cautiously stretched out your hand towards him, instantly seeing his eyes widen in terror. But your hand ended up landing, more like a touch than a squeeze, on the man's bicep, which was covered by his coat; it wasn't intrusive, or abrupt, and Kaz was surprised that he didn't feel anything negative about it. He looked at your hand and then he looked at you with that usual serious expression, but he didn't push you away and allowed you to stay that way for just a few seconds, after which you decided to move your limb back.

You didn’t receive a verbal response at any time, but you did see him exhale shakily (so softly that you barely noticed) and nod his head while still looking at you, as if he were letting go of a huge weight that was stuck in his chest and at the same time assure you that it felt like a victory. Victory for beating Pekka, victory because he wasn't engulfed by an attack when you touched him, and victory because somehow you were there. You were with him, again.

“Now can we go back to normal?” Jesper asked, to break the silence, and you felt like laughing. Have they ever had a normal life? you asked yourself, but you didn't say.

"Yes" was all Kaz said and taking one last look at you he began to walk in the direction of the exit.

Both of them were curious about the type of relationship you had with Kaz but neither thought it wise to ask at the time, although Nina was getting an idea of things thanks to your racing heartbeat and his that it was impossible not to hear a moment ago. You stayed there just long enough to have a drink with Jesper and then you left the Emerald Palace. You didn't want to go back home, but going with one of them didn't seem like an option either, and once you were on the street you felt worried about remembering the state the black-haired man had left. You trusted that by that time he would be calmer and as if they thought for themselves your legs began to walk to look for him.

It was cold again and you feared you would meet someone dangerous on the road, but you only saw a couple of drunks and a girl looking for clients. Until you were in front of the door, you wondered if it was a good idea to go in, thinking that you would probably be crossing a line that Kaz was not going to allow you to, and wondering if you were going to put up with his refusal, which was a pretty good chance.

With trembling hands you opened the door, which luckily was unlocked, and as if some unknown instinct were guiding you, you found Kaz's room; it was the only one from which light came out through the crack in the door and something told you that he was there. You knocked twice, fearing you had knocked so low that he hadn't heard, and even considered walking back the way you came, but didn't have time to as the door opened a few seconds later. He had already taken off his coat and vest, probably because they were stained with blood, and his black shirt was open at the top buttons, with the suspenders that held up his pants hanging on his thighs. But what caught your attention the most were his pale, gloveless hands.

"What do you need?" he asked you directly. His face looked worse now that the bruises had swollen and the blood was dry. He'd probably have them for a couple of days, and he was definitely going to have a scar over his eyebrow.

"I wanted to see you" you replied, instantly regretting not having considered your sincere words better "I mean... to see how you were" you tried to correct. You thought he would slam the door in your face, but instead he scooted to the side to let you in, then closed the door behind you with a soft click.

Again you felt alien to the place for a moment, thanks to the fact that he looked at you from head to toe as if your presence bothered him. You had to mentally remind yourself that he saw most of them that way.

“Your pay will be ready soon”

"That doesn't matter," you said softly. Several things had changed since the first conversation you had with him, because now that you knew why Kaz had done everything he had done and the traumatic memories returned to both of you, the money had taken a backseat.

You didn't say anything for a moment and you looked for a place where you could sit later. Kaz’s room, once painted green but now just damp walls, had a small bed by the window, a desk littered with papers and a lamp facing another window, with a simple bookcase placed on the top of the side wall; a nightstand, a place to wash your hands with a mirror above it, a circular table in the middle of the free space, and a single armchair that at least looked comfortable. It wasn't the prettiest place, but at least it was cozy.

"Your girl, did she leave?"

“Inej is not my girl. Or from anyone, she is free now” he answered you. He still wasn't looking at you and you noticed that he was having a hard time staying on his feet.

"I'm glad to hear it. She deserves it” you murmured sincerely. You thought that she would be important to Kaz, like all his partners, and you decided to venture out to see if he revealed something else to you. "She's very smart."

"She is"

"And she's pretty too" you added and without moving his head he looked out at yours. You felt as if he was reading your intentions through your eyes, a quality he had always had.

"I think so," he said without much interest.

"Are you very hurt?" you asked, changing the subject, as you took a step towards him. By inertia he took the same step, in the opposite direction, and that made you stop abruptly.

"Nothing to worry about" he exclaimed and though he thought, you couldn't have known, of course, get close to you, you decided to take that step back before he did anything else. 

"Can I ask you something?"

"Mhm"

"What did I do to make you walk away?" you exclaimed, finally expressing a question that had been eating away at your chest and tormenting you for many nights in a row. And since there was silence, you spoke again: “Not like right now, but a long time ago. It's just… I never understood it. Before we were friends and for me… you were even like a family. I loved your brother too and I know losing him never affected us the same, but I was glad you were there for me after that. Then we got older and things got more difficult, but I still had you and that calmed me down. And then… we just drifted apart,” you muttered, shrugging, as you avoided his gaze. Kaz still didn't answer anything and you felt the obligation to fill the silence “Sometimes I remember the things we went through when we were young. The good ones, of course. Like that time we stole a cake to celebrate your birthday and it was probably the best sweet I've ever eaten” you commented, smiling at the memory "And when I made you laugh with my bad jokes, no matter how angry or sad you were... I haven't seen you smile for a long time and I don't know if you celebrate your birthday anymore” you reflected wistfully, almost as if you were talking to yourself. And well, in the face of Kaz's inexpressiveness, that's practically what you were doing.

He hadn't said anything yet and you concluded that all your effort was useless. It had been a mistake to go looking for him, as well as trying to get even the slightest proof that he had ever missed you and you wished you had never opened your mouth. You sighed to contain the urge to cry and without saying anything else you turned towards the exit, intending to leave and return only for your money, but Kaz's voice echoed. 

"Do you remember what I told Pekka?"

You stopped.

“You told him many things, you will have to be more specific”

"About not loving anything" he replied. Your hand trembled on the doorknob at the mere thought of what he was implying and I was able to hear your racing heart pounding in your chest. You heard footsteps and, still without moving, you heard him speak again "That's why I drifted apart”

You never, even in your wildest dreams, imagined that he would say something like that to you and perhaps you were just deluding yourself with the implication of the words, but it was enough to make you freeze in place.

"I still don't understand how that relates to me” you expressed in a low voice. Kaz took a few more steps towards you until you could see his shadow mingling with yours and you felt it was time to turn. He was watching you from above, seriously.

"I didn't want…" he trailed off. You would almost say he was nervous “I didn't want you to be…”

"A weak spot," you said without thinking, followed by a sigh that sounded almost amused "That's your problem, Kaz," you continued, your gaze far across the room, "You think love is a person's greatest weakness, when it's not like that"

"It is not?"

"No" you exclaimed with determination "I believe that... many times love is what keeps us alive. Struggling"

You were speaking for yourself when you said this. What was your motivation every day? In the past, the love for Kaz. Now, it was love for yourself and the hope that one day someone could love you with the intensity with which you loved others.

“I had already lost Jordie. I didn't want to lose you too,” he finally said and that's when your eyes locked with his. You never thought he would verbally express something like that.

“And did you prefer that I lose you?" you whispered in pain. You wanted him to be aware of things, because it seemed like it had never crossed his mind to stop thinking about your well-being and start thinking about your feelings. “You don't just lose someone when they die, Kaz. You can also lose those who are fully alive”

He didn't say anything, because he clearly didn't know what to answer to that, and while he reflected on your words, you caught a glimpse of a certain vulnerability in his blue eyes that you had rarely seen. I couldn't say that you knew the man in front of you better than anyone, but you had a considerable advantage thanks to the years you had lived with him.

“Okay, just… listen” you started to say, knowing he most likely wouldn't give you an answer “I know it's hard to live as we do— as all of us at The Barrel live, but the risks I decide or don't take. They are my decision, not yours. These years you have sought to keep me out of danger and I appreciate it, but you have to learn to trust me”

"I do. I trust you"

"Then show me," you replied. You couldn't help noticing that, even with his stained face, Kaz was still the most handsome man you'd ever seen “Friends do not avoid each other, nor do they move away and despite that, during all these years I have trusted you as from the first moment we were left alone”

You didn't know if you were saying the right thing, but at least you were saying something.

"And if it's too late?"

It was too late? Kaz wondered. He wondered if it was too late to open up to someone, to try to get over his trauma, to let go and finally love you the way he wanted to.

But all this remained as a thought, phrases that couldn’t leave his throat.

“It's not for me,” you assured him. “But my patience won't last forever. I think you should know that”

You couldn't even imagine how many emotions Kaz was trying to process at that moment, but even he himself didn't understand what a mess you'd made of him with that conversation. From his perception, he had admitted that he loved you, but from his eyes, you didn't seem affected by it. And you, contrary to what he thought, felt like you were going to faint.

You were about to leave, for the second time, but he spoke:

“Stay,” he said, sounding more desperate than he would have liked. “I don't know what to say, but… just stay here. I don't want us to be alone tonight”

Us. That fucking habit of Kaz's to speak in the plural and make you a nervous wreck.

You looked at the bed and found that it was too small for both of you, to which we had to add his refusal to be close to others. Proof of this was the unconscious movement of sticking your hands as close as possible to his body during the entire time you were talking.

"Use the bed, obviously you need it more than me" you muttered and went directly to the armchair. Fortunately your first impression wasn’t wrong, it was very comfortable.

The room was so small that the apparent distance between the pieces of furniture didn't mean much, so when he sat on the bed you could see him perfectly.

The memory of one of the times when both of you were in similar situations came to your mind. That night you had been woken by frightened screams from the next room, in that abandoned house where you and Kaz found shelter, forcing you out of bed to investigate.

It was hard to comfort a person without physically touching them, especially when he had nightmares, and over the months you'd had to get used to it. The boy hated waking you up, it made him feel guilty and stupid, but you always kept him company. You never spoke, never asked questions, you just stayed there so he knew he wasn't alone.

Maybe something like that was what Kaz needed tonight. 

"Rest" you exclaimed. His head turned to look at you and you detected a different and special glow in his eyes; as if it were a mixture of fear, softness, and gentleness. You appreciated that look for a few more seconds, which you feared you would never see again in your life, and then you reached out your hand to turn off the light on the desk.

Silence reigned in the darkness.

You settled in the chair, trying to figure out what would be the best sleeping position, and at the same time you heard Kaz slide between the sheets on the bed. After a while, your eyelids felt heavy, a consequence of the fatigue that the hustle and bustle of the day had left you, and when you were about to fall asleep, a voice pulled you out of your reverie.

"Thank you. For everything”

The phrase was a whisper, a delicate caress in your ear, but you understood it clearly. And you decided to think that when Kaz said 'for everything' he meant literally everything you had selflessly done for him during his life; like he just realized you were important. But it's not that he had just noticed it, but that he had just accepted it.

You wanted to stretch out the moment as long as you could because, even if you weren't looking at him, you knew he was awake thanks to the sound of his breathing, but at some point sleep overcame you and you fell fast asleep.

Kaz had nightmares that night, like always, but the difference was that when he woke up in shock in the morning, you were in the same room. So seeing you there, keeping him company, was reason enough to calm him down.

And like every time this had happened, he felt like the luckiest man in the world.

[kurogxrix]

Sully!family with your children HEADCANONS (1)

⇀ When The Time Comes AU!

-

Jake and Neytiri:

They would both be oh so happy to see their first grandchild for the first time.

Jake would feel himself getting a little old at the news of your bearing, but he would be happy nevertheless.

He can feel his forehead creases triple in amount each him he’s on babysitting duty. He’s had too many children to care for and it’s taking a toll on our poor man.

Neytiri’s the best grandma bye.

She will feed that baby until it gets a chubby lil stomach.

Jake wanted to murder mo’rata, your mate after hearing that you were pregnant.

Like he accepts that the both of you are adults and adults just can’t keep their hands off of each other but nuh uh not with his daughter.

Neytiri understands what it’s like to be a tired mom, so now that nearly all of her children have left her tent to their own, she offers to take care of your baby once in a while.

Jake carves new toys for them because their hand-down ones are lowkey crusty.

He WILL tell your children about the great Toruk Makto.

it feeds his pride as a parent to see your children so engrossed in his stories.

Your children loves Neytiri’s cooking, probably more than yours.

Lo’ak

Eywa, please fear leaving your child with him for even one day.

Your child probably thinks he’s the most fun out of all of their aunts and uncles.

Brings your kid out on adventures.

Probs tells your child to never listen to their father because he didn’t and look at how amazingly he turned out.

Most probably will get in deep shit with your mate afterwards😭

Your children love him so much it’s insane.

Doesn’t teach your kids to be reckless like him tho, that shit nearly killed him too many times.

Ngl he’ll probably have beef with children that your children have beef with. 

Like full on arguing in public and all.

Winds up your children so much like they’re fucking dogs with pent up energy💀.

When he brings them back at the end of the day, one of hanging halfway on his shoulder and the other has their body dangling off his arms.

You’re happy though because sleepy children=calm evening.

Would call you and Mo’rata rabbits if you have many children.

If you all move to Awa’atlu together, your kids are the ones to tease him and tsireya. She loves your children bye.

Your kids are probably lo’aks wingmen or wingwomen.

they all practiced this cool ass walk-in intro thing to do when tsireya walks in the room.

He tries to play the cool guy act by swinging your children each at the same time on his shoulders just to impress her.

It fails though because he underestimated how fast they grew and how heavy they are now.

They all fall face first in the sand but it’s ok because it entertained tsireya.

mission accomplished.

Kiri

She loves taking your child in the forest with her.

Don’t think she’s interested in having children of her own for now, but she’ll spoil and love the hell outta yours.

Shows your children her Pandora jesus powers and they’re lowkey so entranced.

She probably charms wild animals that won’t harm your children into playing with them. Like a yerik.

Now that Tuk is too big to appreciate spending time with her sister (angsty teenager era who?), she loves spending it with your children like she used to with Tuk.

Doesnt mean that they replaced her little sister’s place in her heart, never.

She teaches your kids about nature and that they need to respect it.

She always reassures them that it’s ok to have 5 fingers and a pair of eyebrows <3

Neteyam

Best uncle (in yours and mo’rata’s opinion)

Most reliable babysitter that’s always up to the job.

He’ll probably be mated too at this point, so him and his mate always have some entertainment in watching your children while you and your mate escape on a date.

He’ll be happy if you don’t have a whole football team of babies for him to babysit.

He had to take care of his 3 siblings (plus you even tho you were older) growing up, and he still has nightmares about it.

Your youngest child is a troublemaker like lo’ak, and it gives poor Neteyam ptsd.

Teaches your eldest how to wield a bow just so they can be a badass older sibling like him.

mo’rata would be so mad when he heard that Neteyam was the one that had taught his child how to shoot an arrow. That’s his job as a hunter and a father and he might as well go and murder your little brother.

Tuk

She’s not a kid anymore but she’s probably still young.

You refuse to give her any babysitting duties because you want her to live her youth without having to take care of little ones like you had to with your siblings.

She never grew up with little siblings given that she was the youngest. So she adores your children.

Will give them her old toys. Toys that have been carved for you at first, then passed down to neteyam, kiri, Lo’ak and then herself.

Tuk is sorta traumatized after everything that went on with quaritch so she relives the years that she’s closed off as a kid with her nieces and nephews.

Takes your children on her Ikran only for you to scold her when she comes back. She’s still your baby sister after all so you’re allowed

Mo’at

probs dead atp i’m not even gon’ lie to y’all.

-

[abbyfmc]

Yandere Emperor! x Opera Artist! Reader Headcanons:

Warning: This section is a continuation of the previous one, so you have to read the other one to understand this one.

Topics to talk about: Mention of kidnapping, abuse, murder, obsessive and yandere behavior, manipulation, and anything involving yandere behavior. Also, as I said before, I am NOT describing any Asian emperor in particular, so I have created my own; Not to mention that I have used the Chinese imperial harem system as a base, as well as the forbidden city itself. I will name (Y/n)'s children, so I warn you that I am not describing any prince or princess in particular.

Enjoy it!

1. Yan Li knew that because of having such fast promotions the concubines were mostly jealous of you, so to prevent any attacks, he kept an eye on every corner you went to.

2. He also watched over the princes and princesses he had with you, who were the following:

-The third prince, Li Chen (your first child). -The sixth prince, Li Song (your second child). -The eighth prince, Yong Li (your third child). -The ninth prince, Li Yon'er (your fourth child). -The tenth princess, Yan'rong (your fifth child). -The fifteenth princess, Hua Li (your sixth child).

3. Your children also suffered from palace intrigues, so you had to protect each one of them tooth and nail. Yan Li saw this and decided to severely punish any concubine or consort who dares to harm you or your children.

4. To protect (and harass) you, Yan Li selected a specific group of servants for your palace, among them is the one who became your "right hand", a servant in charge of cleaning, named Yuhou.

5. Zhou, meanwhile, was devastated to learn that you were kidnapped by Yan Li in a golden cage, so he tried to enter the palace and enlist in the imperial army, which he succeeded after a few years. If he can't rescue you, he would at least watch over you from the shadows.

6. One day, when you were in the middle of your third pregnancy, you were walking with your maids when they saw each other. One of your maids, Lili (yes, your old friend), noticed this. He was shocked to see you not only dressed as one of Yan Li's consorts (at that time you were still a consort), but he felt her heart break at the sight of you pregnant. You felt like running towards each other, but you loved your children too much to challenge Yan Li like this.

7. --He… forced you?-- Zhou asked after remaining silent in surprise. You could only nod at that moment.

8. --Yes, isn't it obvious?-- You answered and left, being very devastated just like him, not knowing that Yan Li himself was watching them, angry and jealous.

9. Yan Li made sure you would never see your loved one again, taking him out of the forbidden city on super difficult military missions, basically sending him to die multiple times on purpose.

10. You suspected that Yan Li would find out sooner or later, so you purposely avoided meeting or talking about Zhou, no matter how sad it made you. You didn't even mention it to your children.

11. The few times Zhou was in the forbidden city, Yan Li tried to set traps for you to see how far you would go or whether you would be unfaithful to him, and the best thing you did in hoste traps was… stay in your palace and quietly go on with your life. , which Yan Li did not expect.

12. Yan Li has never hurt you physically, rather he threatened or manipulated you, followed by controlling how long you could sing and dance (like when you did before) or not, which discouraged you a lot. He only allowed you to do it for him.

13. I forgot to say that Lili entered the Mese Palace after you were kidnapped, but Yan Li wanted to make sure that she didn't help you escape, so he sent her first to work in the laundry house, the embroidery department, the flower department and gardening and finally in the workhouse where Lili had some acquaintances, both good and bad, and endured a lot of work and humiliation.

14. Each time Yan Li locked you more and more to himself, with the excuse that it was to take care of you, but he only wanted to control you.

15. Yan Li even had every gift that came to you or your children checked. He also appreciated any gift you gave him.

16. You watched your eldest children grow up, marry, and leave your palace for their own princely mansions, one after one. Li Chen was the first of all of them.

17. After you gave birth to Hua Li, you were unable to have children again, but Yan Li didn't care about this and still forced you to stay with him every night he could, now threatening to harm Zhou if you didn't comply with his whims. and you gave yourself to him.

18. Yan Li forced you to spend time with him, and not only at night but also visiting you in your palace, taking walks with him (sometimes with the Empress Dowager as extra company) and even accompanying him on trips and festivals.

19. Speaking of the Empress Dowager, she quite likes you and Yan Li is glad that you get along with her since… well, she's his mother. She is the only person who forgives you for spending a lot of time with her aside from your children and harem problems; He likes that you get along with the highest ranking woman in the empire.

20. Yan Li really likes your son, Li Chen, so much so that he secretly made him his heir to the throne; so neither you nor Li Chen himself knows.

21. In the event that any of your children or one of his consorts helped you escape, Yan Li would banish them from the forbidden city and condemn you to house arrest.

22. During festivals, he would control even who can talk and who can't talk to you. Among the people who can't even get close to you would be your beloved Zhou.

23. A drunk minister once insulted you, and as a result, Yan Li burned his tongue.

24. Yan Li is the one who had all your crowns made to your liking, demonstrating the deep love (or rather, obsession) he had for you.

25. Sometimes during the nights you were forced to give him back massages after a stressful day, and on other nights he would do this with you.

26. The servants even had to be careful not to bump into you, because depending on Yan Li's mood… he may simply punish them, or kill them.

27. As time went by, you became a grandmother thanks to your prince's children, but you couldn't always see your grandchildren since Yan Li liked to keep you prisoner in the forbidden city.

28. Every time Yan Li goes to bathe in his own private hot spring lake, he forces you to bathe with him, even if you don't want to. Likewise, if he knows that you are bathing alone in said waters, he will bathe with you even if you don't want to and he will make you be close to him.

29. He makes sure that every birthday of yours is fantastic.

30. Every time he got sick, he asked you to take care of him. Conversely, every time you got sick he took care of you and by doing so I mean not only getting you the best medicines, but also watching over everything that your maids or the imperial doctor do.

31. The Empress Dowager became ill over the years due to old age, and when she died, you were very sad since she was somehow the closest thing to a mother to you. Your princesses also mourned her a lot, not to mention Yan Li himself. Due to the close relationship Yan Li had with his mother, he was devastated and declared three years of mourning; It was the only time you felt truly sorry for him.

32. Yan Li has given the order that if something happens in the palace or during a trip, they must save you and your children first, since he does not want to see you hurt, injured or in the worst case scenario… dead. That is a nightmare and a terror that has haunted him day after day since he met you, which is why he believes that he is protecting you but in reality he manipulates you, locks you up and isolates you from the world.

33. He admired how you managed the imperial harem and all the internal servant departments with an iron fist, even if he didn't tell you directly.

34. The only excuse Yan Li accepts for you not wanting to sleep with him is if you or one of your children is sick.

35. The only visits Yan Li allowed to you were from your eldest children, either alone or with their wives and children. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but Yan Li noticed the pressure your parents were putting on you, so he sent his guards to "talk nice" to them, and from then on they stopped bothering you.

36. Yan Li saw you meeting Zhou secretly, which made him angry, so that night he threatened you that if you didn't say goodbye, he would kill him in a cruel and painful way. The next day she made you say goodbye to your loved one and then took him out of the forbidden city so that one of his guards would cut his neck, killing him quickly and throwing him into a mass grave. Needless to say, you really hated Yan Li again after that.

37. As the years went by, Yan Li became sicker and sicker, mostly from stress, which you took advantage of to start getting revenge on him, poisoning him.

38. His health deteriorated more and more, until on his final day, when he was dying, you dismissed all his servants from his main hall and then confessed to him. Yan Li was very angry and felt very betrayed, but he could do nothing but listen until he died at the hands of the person he loved so much.

39. During Yan Li's funeral, you pretended to cry, not knowing that your real happy days began from that moment. Yan Li's trusted eunuch read the emperor's will, which stated that Li Chen would be the new emperor, and you would be the empress dowager. Long story short, your son ascended the throne, reshaped your living conditions, and the other consorts became "widow consorts." You no longer had to worry about anything, you would just live in peace from now on, taking care of your daughters until they grow up.

40. However, Yan Li was waiting for you in the other world. He has told you years before he died that even if he passes away first, he will be waiting for you in the next life where he will find you and make you his again.

-Fin. So, what do you think about this part two?

[holylulusworld]

Indecent Proposal (12)

Summary: Your boyfriend wants to be part of their empire. You are the pawn he’s willing to sacrifice.

Pairing: Mobster!Stucky x fem!Reader

Warnings: sexy mobsters, fluff, established Stucky, angst, mentions of smut

Indecent Proposal (11)

Indecent Proposal masterlist

Back from your little getaway with Steve and Bucky, you had to face reality. 

It was just your luck that the cops stumbled over your ex’s body.

A few hours later they knocked at your door, asking you to come to the precinct and give them a statement.

That’s how you ended up in an interrogation room with some cop on a mission. Of course, he knows about Scott’s not-so-legal business.

“Miss Y/L/N, when have you last seen your boyfriend Scott Lang.”

“Mr. Lang isn’t my boyfriend any longer,” you act like you don’t know about his death. “We parted ways a few weeks ago. After a party.”

“Why?” The detective asks. He’s thumbing through a folder in his hands, looking at you now and then.

“Why what?”

“Why are you not together any longer?” He cocks his head to watch you cross your arms over your chest.

You sigh deeply. It’s not the detective’s business why you broke up with Scott. You try your best to keep a straight face and get out of here as fast as possible. 

“Scott is like a big child, you know.” Holding the detective’s gaze, you try not to make a mistake and end up in jail, or get Steve and Bucky arrested. “I dreamed of marriage, children, and settling down.” You shrug. “He has his head in the clouds. We parted ways because we wanted different things. He’s a nice guy, but not the one for me.”

“He was a nice guy,” the detective finally says. You already know Scott is dead, but act like you heard about it for the first time.

“What?”

“He’s dead. Your boyfriend got murdered and we try to find out what happened in his life over the last weeks.” He closes the folder and looks you straight in the eyes. 

“He got killed,” you fake a sob. “No…no. This is impossible. Scott is a good guy. Why would anyone hurt him? I don’t understand.” You think about something sad to shed a few tears. “You must be mistaken. Scott can’t be dead.”

“Miss Y/L/N, where have you been over the last two weeks?” The detective asks. He looks at you, searching for any trace of lies when you answer his question.

“I was on vacation with two friends. They asked if I wanted to join them on their trip,” you sniffle and wipe your eyes. “After the breakup, I needed some time to think about a few things.”

“Steve Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes are friends of yours?” He leans back in his chair. The detective didn’t expect you to be honest. “Since when?”

“We met at a party and kinda hit it off. You know, sometimes you just click with a person and know, you are going to become friends,” you casually say. 

“I assume it was the party you mentioned before.”

“Yes,” you know he knows everything about the party and your connection to Steve and Bucky. There is no point in lying to him. “Scott introduced me to the couple, and we talked for hours.”

“You only talked?” He presses on, eyes dropping to the folder on the table. You know he’s got no proof that you and your men are more than friends.

“I don’t understand your question,” batting your eyelashes you try to pretend you are the meek and shy woman your colleagues described. You know the detective sniffed around your neighborhood and workplace.

“I want to know if you fucked them before or after you killed Scott Lang,” he jumps up from his chair, knocking it over. The detective slams his hands onto the table, making you flinch.

“What? Are you out of your mind?” You gasp loudly and place one hand on your heart. “Detective, Scott, and I broke up. But I would never harm him. Neither would Mr. Rogers, or Mr. Barnes harm him. Why would we do such a thing?”

“Brock,” another detective enters the interrogation room. She places her hand on her partner’s shoulder and whispers something you cannot hear in his ear.

“You sure?” He cocks a brow. “I thought…we got them this time.”

“The results do not lie, Brock. We arrested the killer,” she says while glancing at you. The redhead dips her head to look you up and down. “Detective Romanoff,” she holds out her hand. “We are done here, Miss Y/L/N.”

“Wait…I’m not done. I still got questions,” Brock grunts as his partner guides you toward the door. “Natasha, you can’t be serious. We both know it was them killing Lang.”

“We know shit,” Natasha replies. “Just stop, Brock. We will get them another time.”

You silently walk next to Natasha, wondering what just happened. She guides you out of the building, and toward a black SUV waiting for you.

“Tell Bucky we are even now,” she whispers so no one can hear. “I cannot protect them forever. They need to be more careful and stop disposing of bodies in my town.”

You gape at her. Speechless and a little shell-shocked. “Doll, get in,” Bucky opens the door to the limousine. “Come on. We don’t want to draw more attention toward you.”

“Okay,” you get inside the car, swallowing thickly. “Bucky, what’s going on?”

“Well, shit doll,” Steve shrugs as the driver starts the engine. “Bucky disposed of your ex at the wrong place, and someone found his body.”

“I already got that but…” you hide your face in the palms of your hands. “That woman said you are even now.”

“Nah, she still owes us,” Bucky waves your concern off. “That asshole Brock tries to arrest us for years.” The brunette grins. “He’s like a dog chasing his tail.”

“That’s not funny!” You sniffle. “He accused me of murdering Scott. Or rather that we conspired to kill my ex. I was so scared of saying something wrong.”

“Doll, you did so well for us. Come here,” Steve pats his thigh, and you immediately crawl into his lap to hide your face in his shoulder. “We are sorry for not being there sooner. It was too risky. We didn’t want Brock to dig deeper.”

“What will we do now?” You sniffle. “What if he finds proof that Bucky killed Scott?”

“They won’t find shit,” Bucky grunts. “We made sure of it. One of our competitors will take the blame.” The brunette runs his hand over your hair. “Please don’t worry. That bastard killed more than one innocent bystander.”

“Are you sure?” You fist Steve’s jacket. “I don’t want to lose one of you. Please tell me everything is going to be alright.”

“Y/N, I swear no one is going to part us,” Bucky whispers while you cling to his husband. “I fixed the mess I made. I always do.”

"We are sorry about Brock, and the interrogation. Bucky and I never wanted you to know about this side of our business."

"They were at my workplace, Steve. Everyone believes I'm a criminal, a murderer even."

"We will fix this too," Steve softly says. "For now, let's drive home and forget about this shitty day."

"Tomorrow is a better day," Bucky whispers. "Promised."

Part 12.2

[blackpilljesus]

As more women decide to not have children or reproduce, a popular talking point is that maIes will rape and kill us all for refusing them. For starters, this says it all about how everyone is fully aware of maIe evil & female oppression. If it was a tiny minority of maIes that are abusive as many pretend, then this wouldn't be the kneejerk response. The idea that maIes will protect us or not hurt us if we comply is a trap. They will hurt women & girls no matter what we do. This is said to shift the blame of their actions from them to women.

One crucial thing to understand is that maIes already mass rape and kill women & girls even when women partner + reproduce with them. Subconsciously we know this given the measures we take to navigate this world. Most times women are killed it's by maIes they know, in many cases it occurs when women want to leave or have left but it also occurs when women are in relationships because if maIes cant find a reason to hurt women they'll create one. They'll accuse women of cheating, bc food wasnt cooked properly, bc she got pregnant, etc. Speaking of which, murder is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women & its typically done by their partner. MaIes rape women just after they've given birth. It can take months to years for womens bodies to heal but doctors say "6 weeks" as its unexpected that maIes will "wait" longer than that. So obeying doesnt stop maIe violence, it's just an excuse to justify their terrorism. There is no reforming the system nor is there getting by peacefully so long as we do what maIes want because their intention is destruction no matter what. MaIes lied & claimed women will be protected but it's slavery. MaIes dont protect women and neither does the system so dont buy their threat.

There are several cases where maIes have raped & killed women despite having a partner and children. Wayne couzens had a wife & kids yet still raped & killed Sarah Everard, lewis haines killed Lily Sullivan despite having a wife and child. The toybox killer, and ted bundy had partners yet they still raped & killed other women. Many maIes who rape prostituted women have wives & kids at home. This takes me to my next point: terrorists are never content. It doesnt matter how much you give bc all they want to do is take. They want to constantly reaffirm their beliefs, security, and entitlement to the world so they'll keep causing havoc no matter how much you obey. There's a reason why developed nations do not pay ransoms nor do they negotiate with terrorists in many cases because when you give into these peoples demands they do not go away. It may keep them at bay for a bit but they will only return with bigger demands and will be willing to cause more harm and damage. The same thing applies to maIes & their terrorism. Giving in wont stop their violence or change them. At first short term they're kept at bay (if theres other women they abuse in their vicinity) but long term it wont work. Women have loved, served, fucked, provided labour, reproduced with, and birthed maIes for millenias. Women have given everything to maIes and what did they get in return? More violence, more demands, more destruction we're all familiar with this. No amount of submission has changed maIes for the better.

What's actually dangerous is women trusting + living around maIes, we're expected to just rely on how they wont hurt women but believe me maIes gain a power trip from the strength differences between the sexes. Even if they dont actively hurt women, the threat lingering in the air alone is a power they enjoy. So dont be paralysed with fear or think our refusal to interact with maIes is a cause for their violence. I wont deny that it's scary but this isn't just about us. It's about the future, the world our offspring are coming to. Assuming maIes get everything they want, it'll never be enough they'll keep plundering for more so at some point we need to put our foot down regardless of the cost.

I want to conclude this by recommending reading this post. The key point is

Opting out is for the select few who want to do nothing with heterosexual nonsense even if the price of doing so is death because partaking in their drivel is death, physical and spiritual, and if they really did care about distancing themselves from it all that much they would know that death is the least you will be willing to put up with.

I've noticed that most women who bring up the possibility of maIe retaliation are still seeking relationships with maIes in their lives so this seems more like another excuse in the end. The concern for maIe retaliation is real, especially among newer separatists, 4B, wgtow etc but the seasoned ones realise it doesnt matter and if deəth is what it takes to not be associated with maIes and their systems then so be it. Hell even the average woman would take another option or death if they were pre-faced with a situation where they have to be around maIes but there's no other woman to occupy them. You might wonder what the point is as the outlook is bleak; which is what the final part of this series of posts regarding the popularity of single childfree women is about - legacy & steering life with purpose.

Part 1

Part 2

This post is part 3.

[thehollowwriter]

I think we should talk more about the mysgony when it comes to parents in media, and how fathers are favoured and praised for the most the most basic shit while mothers are demonised for making mistakes or being bad. This is gonna be a long one, buckle up.

I hate Mrs Rosehearts as much as the next guy, but it's unfair that Mr Rosehearts is not given similar criticism for allowing his wife to treat Riddle the way he does. I hardly see people bring him up apart from mentioning that Riddle's parents probably have an unhappy marriage, and some people say something along the lines of "poor Mr Rosehearts, struggling with a wife like that".

Of course, we don't know enough about his character to gauge how Mrs Rosehearts treats him, bit it's clear he just passively stands to the side when it comes to whatever Mrs Rosehearts wants to do with Riddle. That itself is very harmful and it's own form of abuse, imo.

The same applies to Alador Blight from the Owl House. He's praised for being a wonderful dad that finally came through and stood up to his "horrible wretched bitch of a wife" (who, if she was a guy, would probably have more people analysing her and trying to find ways to sympathise with her just saying)..

And while, yes, he did stand up to her and that's a good thing, the general consensus is he was a brilliant dad from the start that was held back by his wife's wicked ways. But... that's not true? His first appearance is him telling Amity to stop being friends with Willow. He ignores his children constantly, and, like Mr Rosehearts, stands passively to the side when Odaliah treats her children like her property.

He's a neglectful parent at best and just as concerned with image and status at Odaliah at worst. But... that stuff is just forgotten. Most people just say "we thought he was bad but it turns out he was manipulated by his wife". He is HIS OWN PERSON. You cannot just blame everything on his "evil manipulative wife" (which is also smt that sometimes happens irl when both parents are abusive). He is still fully capable of making his own decisions.

And again, it's unfortunate, but if Odaliah were to be given his treatment or if Alador were a woman, the general response would be "That's sad but not an excuse! I can't believe she was forgiven!"

The worst I can think of atm, is Silco and Vi from Arcane. Now ofc they're not married. But the circumstances are similar.

Silco is praised to the high heavens for being one of the best dads in animation (#1 goes to Doofenshmirtz ofc, which I agree with) and the reasons for this are because he... shows his care, puts Jinx first, and loves her. Wow. Fucking groundbreaking am I right. The bar is soooo high/s

The thing is, Jinx is a child soldier. She works for Silco, protects his shipments of Shimmer, takes out the enemies that need taken out, etc. He found her as a young child, and when we cut to the present, she's murdering people without so much as flinching, even delighting in it, and suffering badly from trauma and hallucinations.

Obviously, Jinx was not given the care she needed, and was instead trained to assist Silco.

Am I denying Silco loves her? Of course not! He clearly does. But that's just not good enough. He's a loving dad, but not a good one. He's not the father that neither Jinx nor Powder needed.

Meanwhile, we have Vi. Vi loves Powder, protects her, cares for her, tries to keep her out of harm, stands up for her, and so on. She cares so deeply for Powder, and you can see it. The moment she got out of prison, her first goal was to find Powder.

However, because she hit Powder once, and shouted at her, she's apparently an abusive monster who never cared about Powder. Reminder, she hit Powder because her entire family was killed in front of her and then she learned Powder was the reason that happened. She was like... 14? And she immediately left to calm down. She did not abandon Powder, she left to take a breather because she realised she was too angry. And when she came back, she was drugged and arrested.

Silco is a grown adult who purposefully flooded the streets of the Undercity with a highly addictive drug, turned Powder into a soldier, and is generally a terrible person, even if he is a three dimensional amd well written antagonist.

Vi started the story as a teenager suffering poverty and discrimination just like Silco, had to deal with her own parents death, then her adoptive family was killed in front of her, and then she was forcefully taken from her sister. And yet, people are convinced Vi is a terrible and abusive sister who never loved Powder?

The only example worse than this, methinks, is Stella and Stolas from Helluva Boss.

Stella is a shitty mother who ignores her daughter, which the the audience is shown via a scene were Octavia is having a nightmare and she tells Stolas to deal with it. She frequently screams and swears at Stolas and throws things at him, with no regard for her daughter's presence or feelings.

This is pretty terrible, right? Of course! Everyone knows Stella is a horrible mother.

Stolas on the other hand, is praised for being such an loving and caring father, who tries his best. He even has a song with Octavia!

Well, he also: openly talks about having sex with Blitz and how much he likes it while she was right there, told her people want her money and her body, generally doesn't pay much attention to her either bc he's wallowing about Blitz not loving him back, and doesn't give her feelings much regard.

And yet, the misogyny extends beyond just Stella because people generally agree that Octavia is ungrateful and doesn't appreciate Stolas enough. They get mad at her for disliking the fact that Stolas is cheating on her mother with an imp who's been nothing but rude to her and ruining their family further, and even mock her for feeling unloved. Hell even Brandon, one of the creators, has allegedly recently called her a "cockblocking slut" which, frankly, is a disgusting thing to say about a 17 year old girl.

Idk man I'm just tired.

[haphazardlyannotated]

Sometimes I think about an AU where Harrow's birth didn't require 200 child murders.

Gideon and Harrow probably wouldn't have grown up in each other's pockets the way they did in canon, with 200 other kids around. Still, having only about a hundred kids in their approximate age range (I'm assuming continued births with a similar frequency here) would mean that they'd know each other at least in passing.

Harrow without the crushing guilt of 200 lives on her shoulders would not attempt to open the Locked Tomb, and even if she wanted to, she would be much less likely to happen to have Gideon's blood conveniently on her hands in her attempt, plus Gideon would probably not be following her around to catch her in the act. Though somebody else might, to be fair.

Bottom line is, Harrow's parents are probably still alive. While I'm not sure about the psychological consequences of this, one change that does seem likely is that they might arrange a betrothal for Harrow. We already know from GtN that the only reason Harrow didn't end up engaged to Ortus is that they didn't want to mix up the Reverend Family's and their cavalier's bloodline. So this AU's Harrow is probably engaged to a man (or trans woman), since the Ninth doesn't seem to have the resources for whichever technological advancement on artificial insemnation gave Camilla two dads.

So considering that, in this AU Harrow might be the one with eighty-seven escape attempts.

As for Gideon, even with more potential friends around, chances are good she still wants to join the Cohort. She would probably not experience the same level of alienation and downright hatred as in canon, since Harrow's parents have no reason to freak out about her, but the general culture of the Ninth just isn't a good fit for her. Since Harrow wouldn't be as desperate to keep Gideon specifically on the Ninth, I expect she could just make her intentions to pay off her indentured servitude in the Cohort known, and that would be considered a perfectly fine choice for her career. I expect she'd still train under Aiglamene, but as part of a regular program for Ninth House children with stabby ambitions this time.

Which would be how she and Harrow end up stuck together this time.

When the summon for he house heirs arrives, everyone takes a look at Ortus and goes "...yeah, that won't do." So Aiglamene suggests replacing him with her star pupil, Gideon Nav, who was about to go join the Cohort, but could probably be persuaded to step in as Harrow's cavalier if you offered her a little improvement on the terms of her indentured servitude.

As expected, Gideon receives the offer and goes "Sure, I can swing around a toothpick while Harrow takes her employment test, sounds like a good gig to me. And besides, 'Cavalier Primary' would look good on my resumée for the Cohort."

When they reach Canaan House, Harrow still hopes to restore the Ninth House to its former glory, but more importantly, she is desperate to escape her arranged marriage, especially since her eighteenth birthday is alarmingly close and Ortus just stopped being her cavalier.

Gideon meanwhile enjoys sword fighting, actual flavour in her food, and looking at hot women.

Harrow: Are you taking this seriously?

Gideon: Of course I am! I get five years off my contract for this! I'm just saying, what's the harm in having some fun while we're here?

Harrow: If I fail to become a Lyctor, I will have to marry Ortus.

Gideon: *shudders* Fair enough.

Overall, the setting is more of a romantic comedy with the projected ending of the Reverend Daughter scandalously eloping with her cavalier- until the first murders, that is.

Due to Griddlehark not having seventeen years worth of reasons to go for the worst faith interpretation of each other's actions, and Harrow being at least a little less paranoid, they're able to work together with less conflict. However, Harrow doesn't have convenient puppet parents at home to help her realise that the Seventh cavalier is a beguiling corpse, so the net result could easily be the same. The biggest potential difference I can think of is that Harrow wouldn't try to send Gideon away with Jeannemary and Isaac. Since I like the Fourth House babies, I'm going to declare two murders less here.

Overall though, I don't see any clear options here that don't end with Gideon dead on a fence again.

The big difference would be her perception of HtN.

In this AU, Gideon's relationship with Harrow isn't tainted with obsessive hate-love masked as indifference on Harrow's side. This AU's Gideon sees her relationship with Harrow as a spicy forbidden romance, and therefore ironically interprets Harrow's lobotomy much more accurately than canon Gideon, who has been joined at the hip to her Harrow for as long as she can remember, and I'd love to see how that would change her character in HtN and NtN.

Canon Gideon gives us the beautiful, heartbreaking "I gave you my whole life and you didn't even want it" combined with "She can be in hell for all I care, I just need to know where" for the two hit kill.

This Gideon on the other hand knows that Harrow would have married her given the chance and 'only' has to think about how Harrow might have died to save her.

Which raises the question of where Harrow's soul ends up in a world where she never entered the Locked Tomb. My personal theory is that, with no link to Alecto's body, Harrow is pulled back into her own body after Gideon's soul leaves it. Then we get Harrow stuck on New Rho with Pyrrha, Camilla and Palamedes, and Gideon with Jod and Ianthe, both of them desperately trying to find each other.

When Harrow sees the broadcast, she immediately marches to the Compound, blasts open the door and demands to see her girlfriend.

A few days later, the Ninth House receives another letter from the First, informing them that their Reverend Daughter is not a Lyctor anymore, but will wed the Emperor's daughter as soon as he can stay sober through the ceremony.

The End.

[sunfyresrider]

OBSESSION

Synopsis: You were sent to the Vale when the war started and once it ended you were stuck. A proposal was quickly made between you and Lord Arryn as payment for your stay. The new king wouldn't allow this... By any means necessary you would be his.

pairing: Aegon II Targaryen x Reader warnings: Dark!Aegon ish, obsessive tendencies, murder, smut, all that fun stuff! word count: 8k note: I'm so sorry it took me so long to finish but your request is here @slayhousehightower <3 Also many many thanks to @annikin-im-panicin for helping me write this dialogue. She is an insanely talented writer, and you should check out her fics!

In the year 131 AC King Aegon II Targaryen successfully burnt his half-sister, the pretender queen, alive in the courtyard of Dragonstone. The war was won but not without great costs to house Targaryen. All of the dragons were dead, except Silverwing who disappeared into Maiden pool, Sheep stealer who flew off with Nettles on his back, and Princess Rhaena’s newly hatched pink dragon. Not only were mostly all the dragons gone but their riders as well. 

Only one child remained of Rhaenyra Targaryen, the little prince Aegon. Baela and Rhaena remained but Corlys had been executed along with Larys Strong for an attempt on the king’s life. Aegon himself remained, half of the man he once was. He was burnt, broken but luckily his legs and cock still worked. 

King Aegon had sacrificed his entire family for the throne. Both his brothers had died for him, his wife took her own life after her two young sons died. His little princess Jaehaera and mother were all that remained. You were another thing he did not sacrifice, he shipped you off to the Vale to be away from the war. 

His kingdom did much better than expected after some tragedy. The young king matured into an almost decent one with the help of his council. Smallfolk and lords alike were quickly rebuilding and repopulating their small kingdoms. In honor of this, a grand ball was to be held. to help him find a match for little Aegon, to find if Jaehaera fancied anyone other than her dolls, and to perhaps see you once again. 

He did try to summon you back home almost immediately, but it wasn’t safe enough yet for his little bird. You were tucked away safely in the mountains far away from harm's way… Aegon wanted his children to go with you, but the gods had other plans. 

Your relationship wasn’t anything out of the ordinary to outsiders. You were the child of King Viserys’s sister, who tragically died trying to birth your brother. After her death, you were adopted into his home. Mainly out of guilt he forced her to marry and move far away from her family. He blamed himself as he did with Aemma. 

You were raised alongside Aegon and though to onlookers you never seemed close, he thought otherwise. Perhaps, it was a bit obsessive how he felt, a little wrong to anyone on the outside. He had a wife and yet he only ever yearned for you. Aegon craved you like he did wine, an addiction that he couldn’t be satisfied without. 

He never did get you. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to, it was because you were too dear for him to sully. Instead, he sullied whores who resembled you. It worked until his wife died and he needed another heir. You were unmarried, only because the war started right as you turned of age to be wed and bedded.

You were finally, in the eyes of the kingdom, ready to be his. He had waited for this moment since you were teens. Aegon watched you carefully growing up, kept his distance as best he could. The restraint it took him not to succumb to his desires and ravish you was impossibly difficult. 

Every time you approached him his mind raced with wondrous fantasies. Your sweet voice carried like a song, which is why he called you little bird. Your long hair flowed perfectly to your waist and smelled divine. Not sweet like vanilla, sweet like a bouquet of flowers. Sometimes he would purposely stand close behind just so he could be surrounded by your scent. 

Your face was truly a sight to behold, so beautiful yet so unaware of it. You were almost of perfect northern beauty, except for the pale blue eyes of your mother that bore into the soul of everyone who caught your gaze. Aegon never quite got the chance to truly see your body, without a doubt you were shorter than him and so very small. He feared if he touched you, you might break into pieces.  

The feel of your delicate hands touching him was seared into his mind forever. You rarely touched but one day he had the opportunity to escort you to dinner and the feel of your soft hands on his arm nearly made him crazy. 

You didn’t have the traditional Targaryen looks, you resembled more of your father’s family. He loved that about you, the way you were opposite to him in everything. Where he was wanton and wicked you were kind and pure. Not too pure, occasionally he would peek in through the cracks of your doors and see you attempting to ease the ache between your legs. You obviously didn’t understand it because you never succeeded, he vowed to help you with that one day. 

Your chest was not as small and delicate as the rest of you, though it was not huge like the whores on the street. Occasionally, when the weather got hot and you wore lighter clothing, he could see your breast barely peek out of the top of your corset.

 Another thing to drive him mad, if he could see it so could any other vile man. You didn’t realize how perfect you were, you didn’t realize you caught the gaze of every person with a cock. He could kill them now though, so it didn’t matter as much but back then. Oh, he would be practically fuming inside his chambers. The mere thought of another man hearing your laugh, smelling your scent, seeing your gaze, feeling your touch, or worst of all fucking you made him want to burn the entire kingdom down. 

This was all in the past though, now that he was king no man would come near you or so he thought. 

-

Your time in the Vale was comforting even though there was a literal war happening around you. Of course, you cried for the dead and the destruction that was caused to the realm, but it had been a few years. Things had started to look up for the kingdom with the new king. 

That was something you wished to brag about but didn’t. Your friend was king, and he wasn’t as terrible a ruler as everyone thought! It was nice to hear that Aegon, the once wastrel, had grown into a good man. You desperately missed your family that you would never see again… You may not ever see Aegon again and though you weren’t close you considered him a friend. In your mind, the war wasn’t truly worth it and choosing sides is why everything fell apart so quickly. 

It wasn’t time to dwell on the past. There were better things happening in your life that took your full attention. The Vale had almost fully become your home and everyone around you was so nice. Especially the heir, Ser Joffrey Arryn who recently succeeded Jeyne after her death. It didn’t come as a surprise you were betrothed shortly after his accession. 

He had spent the most amount of time with you and fawned over you like no other. At first, you thought you would hate the prospect of marriage and your husband, but you came to enjoy him.  He wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, no defining traits to make him special but he was kind and gentle. Joffrey was also a good warrior so you would always be protected.

Today wasn’t any different from most days. You were in your own world as you strolled around the Eyrie. It got quite chilly up in the mountains, but it didn’t bother you as much. To be honest, it reminded you of your old home when you were a child, and your mother was still alive. 

Before you could dwell on the past for too long a hand touched your shoulder catching your attention. “Lord Joffrey,” you breathed out in shock. He grinned, “apologies for startling princess. I have word from King’s landing I thought you’d like to hear.” Your smile grew bright at the idea Aegon had summoned you home. “Yes please, if it wouldn’t bother you.” He chuckled slightly, “no need to be so polite we’re betrothed now.” 

Ah yes, it slipped your mind for a moment. “Of course, my apologies.” Joffrey took your hand in his, “The King sends a royal invitation to the Maiden’s Day ball. The young prince Aegon, the king and princess Jaehaera are all looking for potential suitors.” It wasn’t a direct summon nor was it really a summon at all. Maybe you weren’t friends as it seemed, they did leave you in the Vale for three years. “Will we be attending?” 

“Only if you wish it, princess.” The title of princess didn’t suit you very well. You were merely a daughter of a dead king’s sister. “Don’t call me that, you know my name.” He patted your hand, “Ok y/n, do you wish to attend?” You hadn’t been back to King’s Landing in such a long time. Not only that but all those you once called family or friends were gone. Except Aegon but you doubted he really remembered you at all. Being back might bring forth some unwanted memories… unwanted feelings. 

“Do you think there will be lemon cakes?” Joffrey laughed at your simple yet undeniably love for cakes. There weren’t any lemon cakes in the Vale, so the chance to taste them again was the driving factor in returning. “Absolutely, those are most ladies' favorites.” You nodded, mostly to yourself, “We should attend then!” 

-

“Do we know who all will be attending?” The king spoke to his new small council. It was made up of both blacks and greens, though he never quite was able to fully trust the ones who pledged against him in the war he allowed them to live. A merciful act to make him look better than he actually was. “Many great houses will be attending… Baratheon, Bolton, Redwyne, Royce, and even the daughters of Pentos, Lys, Myr….” He completely zoned out as the names were being listed and none of them sounded like the Vale. “What of the Eyrie? Will they be presenting any maidens?” 

The council members glanced at each other and thought to themselves. “I believe the new Lord Arryn will be coming with his betrothed, but we hadn’t heard word otherwise.” So, you weren’t coming after all, he would just have to send you a personal invitation then. Never in his life had he met a woman so hard to get a hold of. “Your cousin, your Grace.” His attention peaked again, “what of her?” The master of coin raised a brow at him, “If you meant to ask about your cousin. Y/N is Lord Arryn’s betrothed so she will be attending.” 

He felt his stomach clench, his nerves run through with an all-consuming dread. No dread wasn’t enough, it was more than that. He felt numb, his body tingling with the feeling. Not rage, no envy, no fury. Just this feeling of overwhelming helplessness. The sounds around him were all muffled, all he could hear was ringing. The sounds of wedding bells, the most disgusting sound he ever heard.

The wicked king, that’s what the whispers said about him and oh he could show them how wicked he truly was. “Who allowed this to happen?!” The room went dead silent as the members stared in disbelief. “Uh…your grace, it was a decision made by the lady Jeyne during the war. We had no part in it.” That fucking cunt. “As king, I should be the one making the decision on who my kin wed.” 

That wasn’t necessarily true at all. In fact, it would be considered a payment for letting her stay there for so long. It simply wouldn’t fucking do. “I believe that is something we should discuss with the lord himself, your grace.” 

“That we shall.” 

-

The Maiden’s Day ball was truly an event for all ages it seemed. Thousands piled into the streets and keep of King’s Landing. All of whom were vying for the love of the king or young prince. Many women may not even be here by choice, their greedy fathers simply wished to use them as a pawn for power. 

It was too crowded, far too crowded for your liking. The dress you wore wasn’t even that heavy and yet it felt like it was on fire. You were one of the lucky ones who arrived a week early, after a personal invitation from the king who demanded you visit prior to the affair. 

Your nerves were completely shot to say the least. You never did enjoy large crowds or grandiose affairs. It was a struggle when your carriage pulled into the courtyard and instantly was swarmed by a welcome party of guards, a very “warm” welcome indeed. They opened the carriage door in a hurry and rushed you out. One grabbed you by the arm and the other snatched up Lord Arryn. There was a bit of resistance, but it failed as the guard said it was simply to protect you both from the large crowds. 

It felt like whiplash how quickly you were pulled out and into the keep and thrown into a room. Not literally thrown but the rush made it feel as such. “What the hell was that?” Joffrey asked while trying to calm himself down. “Mayhaps the king did it so we wouldn’t be suffocated by the people.” You took a deep breath and sat down on the settee. It was much calmer inside than it was out. “I hadn’t realized this many people would be here already. I can’t imagine how crowded it’ll be the day of.” 

“The king and prince are looking for wives, it makes sense so many would come.” A sting in your gut caught your attention. Not this, not after all these years, you thought to yourself. There was a time as a young girl you fancied Aegon but that was long ago when he was merely an unmarried prince. He was now a widowed king with far too many suitors, all of which were less plain featured than you. 

You had Joffrey and he was good. That was all you truly needed, not a childhood crush that never was confessed. “Are you alright, love? You look sickly.” You fell back on the bed and let out an exasperated sigh, “it’s too hot in the south.” 

-

Aegon raced to your chambers after the announcement of your arrival. Although it didn’t need to be announced because he was watching intently from his window. Whilst on his way to your chambers he was interrupted at every corner. Another thing he hated about being king, there was no such thing as peace. 

One thing he had chosen to do today was to bring Jaehaera along with him. Aegon loved his little princess dearly and there was no way you couldn’t. You hadn’t seen each other since she was six and now, she is nearly nine. If you wouldn’t spend time with him, he knew you would surely spend time with her. Was this a manipulative thing to do? Mayhaps. But would it get him closer to wedding you? Absolutely. Besides, Jaehaera needed a motherly figure desperately after the loss of her own. 

“Do you remember her, little love?” he quizzed the girl before knocking on your door. She didn’t speak much anymore, only to himself and his mother. A quick nod confirmed she did in fact remember you. Aegon was drunk most of her early childhood, but he had faint memories of you playing dolls with her to give Helaena a break after Maelor was born. Maelor, a hole reappeared in his chest at the thought. 

Both of his sons were gone in the most horrific ways imaginable. His innocent sons who were barely old enough to talk properly. He should have been there; he should have been a better father. The bile in his gut began to rise to his throat and his eyes burned with tears threatening to fall. 

“Are you going to knock?” The little voice snapped him back into the present. He cleared his throat and knocked. You sat up in bed and groaned. “What is it now?” Joffrey stopped unpacking his things and walked to the door, “we’ll see.” 

The door opened and Aegon’s smile fell flat. The single sparkle in his eye died out. “Your grace, how may I help you?” Gods, he was the most plain-featured man he had ever laid eyes upon. Even his voice was dull in sound, nothing like the way you spoke. He wanted, no needed to kill him as soon as possible. 

“Aegon?” You sprang out of bed and pushed the door wider to reveal yourself. He looked so different from how you remembered. His hair was slicked back, and the edge of face was scarred from burns, he was still handsome, just not in the same way. 

“Hi,” a voice from below caught your attention. “Princess Jaehaera?! My look how you’ve grown!” You purposefully ignored the stare down happening between your soon to be husband and Aegon. Out of sight, out of mind, you reminded yourself. 

Aegon took a deep breath and broke first. “Y/N, how good it is to see you again.” He let go of Jaehaera’s hand and immediately went to embrace you. You stuttered for a moment before allowing him to pull you close. Your hair still smelled of sweet flowers and your skin remained as smooth as silk. “I’ve missed you; it has been too long.” His eyes bore into your betrothed and a small curve formed in his lips. You hear that cunt? She had missed me, he thought. 

“Do you want to come to the gardens with us?” Jaehaera stared into your soul, you didn’t remember her eyes being so intense. “If the king wouldn’t mind,” you smiled. Aegon pulled back and offered his arm to you, “please we have much to catch up on.” His eyes rarely left the dull man behind you. “Please return safely, my love.” Lord Arryn stared daggers back at the king. 

The minds of men continued to be confusing and impossible to comprehend. 

-

The gardens were not as beautiful as you remembered. An unseen darkness loomed over what you used to consider your sanctuary. The side effects of war and death, you presumed. Jaehaera did not seem to notice as she ran in front of you both. A darkness loomed over them too, but it seemed over time they had grown accustomed to the feeling. 

One thing in particular that had changed was the little girl's adoration for you. In the past she clung to her brother or Helaena and paid you no mind unless you were alone. Now she was trying to get your attention as she pointed to various flowers and insects that caught her eye. She was her mother’s daughter in every way. 

You weren’t paying much attention to Aegon as you were too nervous to make eye contact. Every time turned to glance at him, he was already looking which sent a subtle flush to your cheeks. You told yourself it wasn’t because he was more handsome with his scars and instead because he was now king. Anyone would be nervous around someone with the highest status in the realm…

It didn’t help that his arm intertwined with yours burned into your skin. You hadn’t felt that since you danced with him when you were much younger. He had this special ability to make every girl feel flustered. You weren’t special, just another one fallen prey to his charm. Aegon wasn’t that charming once you got to know him though so the fact you still were melting under his gaze made little sense. 

You had a lovely husband to be waiting for you. These thoughts were simply because of his new status and the years spent apart. Yes, that was the only reason you felt a shiver down your spine when he touched your lower back to move you along faster. 

Gods, you were even more beautiful in the light of day. Aegon hadn’t realized how much you would grow in such a short time apart. You were still much shorter than he was, but you had really come into yourself. Though you retained your innocent youthful look perfectly. Your lips were plumper than he remembered as well as other things. It felt like he was staring at a meal ready to be devoured. 

His daughter enjoyed your presence more than he anticipated. A familiar woman’s face drew out the child she once was. This plan was working far better than he imagined it would. “She's quite taken with you. Imagine one of our own clinging to your skirts as she does. How beautiful they would be, like their mother.”

“I hadn’t given that much thought,” you smiled. Your own children clinging to your skirts. There was a time where you used to cling to your mothers before your brother ripped her open. The birthing bed was the cause of death for many women in the realm. It never excited you thinking about having your own. In fact, you would have preferred marrying someone who already had heirs. You wouldn’t mind being a second wife and stepmother as long as it meant you didn’t have to risk your life making your own. 

“Does having Lord Arryn’s children not suit your fancy?” His question caught you off guard and brought the heat to your cheeks. "Oh…um … I haven’t really thought about that either.” You laughed nervously, unsure of what else to say.

He squeezed your hand tighter. "You’re not married yet," he reminded you softly, knowing the answer was obvious. You didn’t want to have his children but were lying to yourself. You still could not lie to save your own life. “If you don’t want to marry him you only need to give me the word,” he said nonchalantly.

"There aren’t many other options… and lord Arryn is kind enough.” You tried to sound confident, but inside you wanted to scream. He just gave you an escape, but you knew it too good to be true. If you didn’t marry this nice man, you would be shipped off to a crueler one. “He’s dull and plain featured,” Aegon snorted.

“I’m plain featured too,” you lightly slapped his arm. "Not like that, he’s a plain piece of bread. You’re one of the fancy kinds with different fruits atop it." You chuckled to yourself, he just compared you to bread, “You’re so full of it!” You giggled.

His laughter joined with yours as his eyes sparkled. "Maybe I prefer plain girls," he admitted. For a moment your heart seemed to pause in its place and all the blood pumping through your veins stopped with it. A subtle flush rose into your cheeks as your stomach swarmed with butterflies. He couldn’t mean you, you were delusional to even think that for a second.  “I’m sure there will be plenty to choose from on maiden’s day.” 

“They aren’t the same as the woman I desire.” You glanced up at him as he smiled. Maybe you weren’t as delusional as you thought.

-

He had to handle Lord Arryn as quickly as possible. Aegon thought of several ways to dispose of this nuisance that invaded what little personal joy he had left. He could feed him to Sunfyre but that would become too public of a spectacle. Mayhaps he could push him onto the spikes under Maegor’s Holdfast and claim it was an ‘accident’… It would be too obvious. 

He went to visit Joffrey himself, leaving you with Jaehaera. Aegon brought a simple bottle of wine to congratulate him on his success. The light from the window shone brightly against the cobbled floor, it was such a grand day Aegon couldn’t hide his own smile. 

When Joffrey opened the doors and saw the king standing outside he nearly stumbled back. It was a surprise to say the least since you had not returned, “Your Grace, how may I help you?”  Aegon smiled brightly and took a step inside, “May I sit?” Lord Arryn nodded and let the king inside his chambers, the fool. 

Aegon sat across from him and pulled out the bottle he had so delicately made for him. “I’ve brought a gift! To celebrate your upcoming wedding.” Aegon held the bottle aloft in front of him, waiting for a response. “You’re too kind, your grace.” 

“Please, drop the formalities. We’re going to be family soon.” Joffrey smiled and accepted the bottle of wine. He poured himself a cup and downed it in one go, the fool. He looked over the rim and asked, "Are you going to drink, your grace? I’ve heard you enjoy your reds.” Aegon smiled, “No, mayhaps if you asked me a few years ago I would have.” 

"I appreciate your gift and your kindness towards my betrothed. She was very happy to be home,” he coughed. “This is where she belongs. Of course, she would be happier here.” Joffrey brows furrowed before he coughed once more. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Aegon grinned, “I only mean that she belongs here with me. Not in some shit castle in the north.” Lord Arryn’s coughs grew louder before he took another sip of the wine to ease his throat. “Do you really think insulting my kingdom and threatening to steal my wife will get you anywhere? All it will bring is war to your doorstep.” 

Aegon hummed to himself, “I’m ready for another.” Joffrey stood up out of his chair and coughed into his sleeve. “You won’t win, you know that? Are you really going to die for some cunt.” The crazed look Aegon wore when he burnt Rhaenyra came back. His eyes widened, pupils dilated, and a smirk that resembled the devil himself graced his face. “Someone is.” 

A small stream of blood fell from Joffrey’s nose, he lifted his hand to touch it and his eyes blew up in fear. Aegon stood and his ears quickly filled with the sound of Lord Arryn coughing on his own bile. Joffrey fell on the ground, gasping for air that wouldn’t come. Aegon strode over to go hover above him and watch. It gave him a sick satisfaction that nothing else could.  

Joffrey raised his hand to try and grasp at Aegon, he failed. His coughs turned into wheezes as life slowly drained from his eyes. “It was good to meet you, Lord Arryn. I do hope the seven hells treat you well.” 

-

Aegon shouldn’t have been so cheerful when a shriek loud enough the deaf could hear echoed throughout the keep. The guards were the first to find you and quickly pulled you away from the scene. He rushed to go and ‘comfort’ you and find out what had exactly happened. 

You were gagging nearly to the point of throwing up when he came back. Your sobs were louder than the king’s guards scurrying about to hide the incident. It wasn’t a cry of grief; he had seen that too many times to know otherwise. It was disgust and horror at the corpse which he would admit looked ghastly. 

It wasn’t his intention to traumatize you. It didn’t matter now because you were right where he wanted you. A grief-stricken woman in need of comfort. “What happened! Your king demands an answer!” You briefly stopped crying and glanced over. Your feet moved before you could form another thought. You rushed into his arms and laid your head on his chest.

It was a welcome surprise to say the least. Aegon wrapped his arms around you and placed a hand on your hair, gently combing it with his fingers. “Y-your grace, we found him dead just moments ago.” A king’s guard nervously bowed in front of him. “You swore to protect my blood and yet my cousin's husband lay dead! How useless are you?” Another king’s guard came out, “Your Grace, we’ve begun investing but I believe a maester is needed… it looks like poison.” 

“Deal with this… quickly!” Aegon’s shouts turned into soft coos as he walked away with you. It was hard to hide the smirk creeping onto his face. He blissfully ignored the stares he was getting in the corridors and led you right into his room. He wasn’t going to take advantage of… just comfort you. 

“Little bird, it’ll be alright. I’m here now.” You glanced up and spoke through sniffles, “I-I’ve never se-seen a dead man before.” He rubbed the tears off your face gently with his thumb. “Shh, you’re okay.” Your eyes fell to the ground unable to look at him. Letting him see you sob was too embarrassing. “Oh Aegon… it was so awful.” 

He pulled you back in and petted your hair some more. Aegon rested his chin atop your head and let your panic fade. He was so gentle, so loving, it was unexpected. “Do you know what helped me, little bird?” You pulled back again and wiped the remaining tears from your face. A small chuckle escaped your lips, “wine?” 

“I was going to say company but wine too.” His lips curled into a rare genuine smile. “My apologies, your grace.” Aegon looked pained at the use of his formal title. You were his friend, his future queen, there wasn’t any need to act as if he was your superior. “Stop that, please. It’s Aegon, just Aegon.” 

“Ok, Aegon. What do you propose I do to feel better.” He hummed to himself before walking off into the direction of the other side of the room. You stood there awkwardly, occasionally glancing over to him wondering what he was doing.  He came back with two goblets of what you assumed to be wine… “Tonight, little bird, we drink!”

It took only an hour for Aegon to learn you absolutely could not handle your liquor. One moment you were crying and the next you were sprawled out on his bed laughing hysterically over a spilt glass of wine. It was the freest spirited you had ever acted. 

He climbed onto the bed next to you and rested his head on his hand. In your drunken stupor you leaned over and gazed up at him with your big eyes. He loved your eyes, though cold most of the time when you were alone, they sparkled like diamonds. “You know, me five years ago would not believe myself if I said I was in bed with a king.” 

Aegon raised a brow, “In bed? What unholy things are you talking about?” You giggled, “stop teasing! Five years ago, I would not have imagined my childhood crush sitting on the iron throne.” His eyes widened, “Crush? On me?” You seemed to stop listening and your gaze shifted to the ceiling. “I don’t want to marry a lord…” He opened his mouth to speak but you cut him off. “But now my fiancé is dead, so I’ll have to marry some nobody.” 

Aegon started speaking quickly so you couldn’t interrupt. “No, no no, you won’t be doing that. What do you say about having a crush?” Your eyes began to feel heavy, and his voice began lulling you to sleep. You sighed, “I would have married you, Aegon. If I was able to back, then.” 

“We can marry now!” His heart felt as though it sprang from his chest. Aegon rose up from his place and leaned over so he was directly above you. “Hey, hey, y/n, did you mean that?” He gently grabbed your shoulders and shook you. “Little bird? How did you-”

He let out a sigh as he stared at your sleeping form. Your breathing sounded like angels singing in his ears. Your sleeping form looked like the maiden herself sprawled out on his bed. Gods, he felt pathetic thinking about how in love he was with you. He leaned in close and whisper, “tomorrow is a big day little bird... Sweet dreams, syz rina.” Aegon placed a single quick, too soft to feel, kiss on your lips. 

-

You awoke late this morrow, it felt like your chambers were on fire and the light shone too brightly. Last night was a hellish event, a dead fiancé on your chambers floor and little explanation. You remember vividly going to Aegon’s room, drinking with him, sharing small talk, then everyone turned fuzzy and now you’re back in your chambers. 

It was worrisome to say the least. You weren’t afraid he had hurt you, there was no signs of that. But what could you have said? How did you end up back in your room? And why in the seven hells did your head hurt so badly?

Three knocks sounded the servants coming in to get you ready. Why are they…? Oh! It was the day of the ball. You tried to roll out of bed and quickly realized this was not going to be an easy day. 

Aegon had sent too many servants to help you get dressed and bathe. Too many choices of dresses and all were far too fancy for a lady with no family or house. You should be wearing black to mourn Lord Arryn, but it seemed the king had other plans. 

He had remembered your favorite colors after all this time. The dress was a beautiful pale pink and blue, made of a fine silk you hadn’t seen before. The corset was lined with golden embroidery and the skirt had at least ten layers. The shoulders were puffed out and the sleeves were lined with white lace. You looked like royalty instead of the cousin of one. 

The maids left quickly after they painfully fixed your hair and attempted to make your face look appealing. You stood in the mirror chanting to yourself words of encouragement. It didn’t make sense why you were so nervous for this, but you were. When you built up enough courage to leave your chambers and push your way into the throne room you were immediately stopped. Gods be good, the last thing you needed was any type of socializing. 

“Lady Y/N, my deepest condolences for your late fiancé.” The voice that rang in your ear was none other than Floris Baratheon. You turned and forced a polite smile, “News travels fast around here, I appreciate your sympathies.” She gave you no time to continue before she looped her arm into yours. “Will you walk with me? I fear I’ve lost all my sisters in the noise.” 

“Of course.” She smiled brightly and began guiding you through the crowd. “I would have thought you would be wearing black.” You would have been if it wasn’t for him. “It was only a betrothal. I don’t recall you wearing black after Prince Aemond’s death.” Her false smile faltered slightly, “You're right. How foolish of me to forget…” 

“One failed potential marriage will not be the end of us, Floris.” You patted her hand and avoided looking at her directly. “You’re absolutely right, women like us should stick together…  In fact, if all goes well, we may be cousins soon.” She was trying to get close with you so she could be the next queen. You froze in place, your body overflowing with anger. For what, you weren’t quite sure, but her words triggered something within you.

Floris’ posture was ramrod straight as you narrowed her eyes at her, “Oh my sweet, you have no idea what he will do to you,” you began, circling her and gripping her arm - too tight to be friendly. “Do you remember what happened to his sister?” You asked, voice sickly sweet; Floris nodded meekly. “He captured her at Dragonstone and had her dragged to the courtyard. Aegon burned her alive and forced her own son to watch. Then he let Sunfyre devour her, leaving only a leg. His own flesh and blood brutally murdered.” You asked pointedly, letting go of the painful grip on Floris’ arm as you brushed past her down the hall.

 Before Floris could turn to scamper away, you turned back to her to deliver the final blow, “You ever refer to me as cousin again I’ll burn you alive.” You watched her scurry off with a foul taste in your mouth. The day you were used as a way to get close to the king was the day the dead rose from the grave. 

-

The throne room was packed to the brim with maidens from across the seven kingdoms. It was beyond suffocatingly hot, nothing at all like a real ball. A few had already fainted, and one poor soul died from an unknown cause. You stood off to the side simply observing what was going on. 

Your mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of your late-fiance’s apparent suicide. The stench of his corpse and the position in which he laid branded your mind and left no room for any other thoughts to come to fruition. Except for thoughts of the king. 

There was an uneasy feeling in your gut, you couldn’t explain what it was, but it felt like the color green. Not green like illness, green like envy. You weren’t sure why you felt this. Unwin Peake tapped his cane on the floor three times announcing the king’s present. The whispers that filled the room quickly dissipated. Trumpets sounded as the crowd cleared and Aegon walked to the throne. Followed by two little bushes of silver hair, obviously the children. 

“For the good of his people, His Grace must take another wife, though no woman will ever replace our beloved Helaena in his heart. Many have been put forward for this honor, the fairest flowers of the realm. Whichever girl King Aegon weds shall be the Alysanne to his Jaehaerys, the Jonquil to his Florian. She will sleep by his side, birth his children, share his labors, soothe his brow when he is sick, grow old with him. Let the maidens from every corner of the Seven Kingdoms present themselves before the king, so His Grace may choose the one best suited to share his life and love.” 

The announcement echoed throughout the hall and the musicians began playing. A thousand men and their daughters were packed into the throne room presenting themselves one by one. 

The first group were the daughters from the sister cities, Myr, Pentos, and Tyrosh. The girls looked to be what you assumed Aegon’s type was though he looked completely unamused. The next were the Baratheon girls, unsurprisingly Floris did not show her face. 

“You look unamused, lady Y/N.” The voice from behind made you roll your eyes. You truly did not want to be bothered any longer. “This is more of a cattle show than a ball, Mushroom.” He moved up so he was standing right next to you. Mushroom, the court jester and dwarf were a notorious gossip spreader and pain in the ass. “I’d have to agree. Although each lady looks quite beautiful… It would be hard to picture anything more beautiful, unless perhaps all of them had arrived naked.” 

You rolled your eyes and let out a sigh. “Already women have been scandalized, injured, fainted, and one just died. It doesn’t seem worth all the bother.” He peered up at you with a knowing look and let out a soft chuckle. “Of course, it would seem that way to you. You’ve already won the king’s favor.” 

You scoffed, “you are truly a jester.” The sounds of hushed whispers surrounded you. A new princess was being displayed and apparently, she was truly the definition of beauty. You tried to peak over the crowd to see who it was but failed. “Mushroom! Who is that?” When there was no response, you looked down at your feet and noticed he was gone… damned fool. 

You pushed your way through the crowd but as you got to the front the people erupted once more. “Aegon has found his little queen!” The words made your lip quiver and your heart sink deep within your chest. You sank back into the crowd and felt the urge to vomit. “That’s Daenaera Velaryon, she just turned six years of age.” The voice beside you whispered to their father and your illness stopped.

She’s six! Aegon was marrying a child! There was no way in the seven hells that could be true. With a newfound anger you shoved the people in front of you out of your way. Their celebrations slowly came to a halt. Until Floris the cunt, pushed you from behind so hard you stumbled into the clearing and in front of the throne. 

Embarrassment heated up your cheeks as you peered around at the people staring. You quickly jumped to your feet and went to scurry off in shame, “Wait!” The king’s voice rang like a siren in your ears. You slowly turned and bowed, trying to hide the redness on your face. 

“My nephew has chosen his bride and I will choose mine!” He stood from the throne and walked down to the bottom step. The crowd went silent in anticipation, he stared directly at you with a mischievous smile plastered on his face. Wait? His nephew chose a bride. “I, King Aegon, second of his name, present to the court the lady y/n, my bride and your future queen!” 

Aegon had plotted claiming you in front of the masses so no one else would dare try to win you over. Nor would they keep pestering him to marry one of the hags presented before him. His smile was bright, and his eyes sparkled with genuine joy for the first time in ages. 

You stood there with your mouth agape, and body frozen in place. What? Who? Bride? Queen? The music began to roar, and the mob burst into celebration once more. You felt the hands of people patting your back and heard the sounds of them wishing you well. What? Who? Bride? Queen? 

You were not one to use profanities often but what the fuck just happened?

-

Aegon watched you scurry off before he could approach you. Each time he tried to leave he was pulled back by another lord or his own mother. You didn’t seem to upset, mayhaps a little shocked. The sounds around him were muffled as he waited for the opportunity to chase after you. Hours, it took hours before he could finally seek sanctuary in your arms.

He didn’t bother knocking, Aegon barged in without thinking. His excitement completely clouded any manners he was raised with. You weren’t there, he paused where he stood and glanced around. Your dress was discarded on the floor and the bed was a mess. His mind went to the worst-case scenario. 

Your bathing chambers, he slammed the door open, and you dropped to the floor. “Seven hells! Aegon what the fuck!” You quickly pulled your robe over your body to save whatever modesty you had left. His heart stopped racing and he let out a deep breath. You weren’t fucking someone; you were just bathing… Naked. 

“You left so quickly; I worried you got sick.” He strode over to you and offered you, his hand. You pushed it away and stood up, “I’m so- Aegon- what were you thinking?! Announcing our marriage and failing to inform me?!” His smile faltered, “I thought you wanted to marry me.” 

Oh gods, there were those sad puppy eyes he used to get his way. “No! I mean yes, but no! Aeg-” He grabbed your arm, yanking you close and pressing his lips roughly onto yours. He surprised you again, this time you weren’t the one to pull back first. “Do you love me?” You spoke breathlessly, “I-” He squeezed your arms tighter, his voice laced with desperation. “Y/N, don’t you love me?”

The feeling of his breath on your neck sent chills down your spine. A warm feeling bubbled in your gut as he stared at you, lips parted slightly. You were going to be husband and wife soon…

It was you who jumped and pressed your mouth into his. You kissed him fiercely, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. He didn’t return the affection at first, surprised by your sudden interest. However, when you tried to back away, he pulled you back in. You moaned into his mouth as his tongue slipped into yours. It was a different sensation but not unwelcome. 

His hands moved from your waist to cup your ass. You shuddered in his hold as he ground himself against your thigh. You broke the kiss first, panting heavily. You gazed up to see him gazing up at you hungrily. Aegon acted quicker than you could think. He picked you up off the ground, eliciting a yelp from you and immediately moved you to the bed. 

He placed you down on the bed as gently as he could, pressing his lips against yours so you couldn’t protest. Your legs wrapped around his waist; all of his fantasies were being fulfilled. His lips slid down to your jaw, gently kissing it before he moved to your neck. He nipped on your neck, and you squirmed under him.

A wetness formed in between your legs as he sucked on your skin. It was a new ache that caused you to whimper under him, pressing yourself against him harder to relieve the tension. He let his fingers run up the curves of your body until he reached the sleeves of your down. Gently, he slipped one off your shoulder and placed soft kisses on your bare skin. 

Shivers shot up your spine as he slowly pulled it off. The wait was agonizing, the throbbing between your legs getting worse by every movement he made. When he finally freed your breast from the fabric you sighed softly, closing your eyes for a moment. Your nipples hardened at the feeling of the cool air on your heated skin. 

He slid his lips down your chest until he reached your breast. He circled each nipple with his tongue, flicking them lightly before sucking them into his mouth. You gasped and arched your back, soft whimpers filling his ear. Aegon’s hand traveled down your robe and to your core. 

You gasped as he touched you, the need burning inside you, growing more intense by the second. He began teasing your folds with his finger, swirling it around your entrance until he hit something sensitive. A small moan escaped his lips, and he pressed his finger against your clit. You buckled and he laughed against your breast, biting on your nipple. 

With every touch his cock grew harder and longer, pushing into your leg as if begging for attention.  He was a caring man so he would handle that later. Aegon lifted his head from your breast and kissed you one final time, biting your lip. 

He pushed himself off the bed and yanked you to the edge. A small gasp escaped your lips as he spread your legs and wrapped them around his shoulder. Aegon sucked on your inner thighs, surely leaving marks. He then slid his tongue upwards; his mouth reached your bud and pressed a quick kiss to it. You whimpered, begging for him to touch you more. 

He slid one finger inside you and rubbed circles around your sweet spot. You cried out, arching your hips towards him. “You’re so wet… so you do love me.” He whispered into your center. Finally, he pressed his lips against you and began lapping his tongue around your clit. 

Your entire body felt like it was on fire, every nerve in your body tingling. He pressed another finger inside and moved his tongue around your bud faster, adding pressure to your entrance. You dug your nails into his shoulder, unable to stop your cries from escaping.

Your insides began to clench around his fingers and an unknown sensation began taking over your senses. His movements slowed, “Do you love me?” You whimpered at the loss of his tongue trying to pull him back. “Do you, y/n?” He pushed his fingers into you harshly, “Yes! I love you!” 

You could feel him smile as he began sucking on your bud. The pleasure quickly became too much, and a moan escaped you. Your back arched and your toes curled as waves of pleasure washed over you, consuming you in its wake. 

He pulled out his finger but didn’t stop suckling at your sensitive bud until your legs were twitching around him. Aegon pulled himself away from you and crawled onto the bed. His cock was aching, already it started to leak out precut, surely staining his pants. As he gently pressed his lips against yours, he began unbuttoning his trousers. Quickly freeing his cock from the tightness. 

Aegon grabbed you once again and pulled you close, pressing his hardening length against your center. You looked up at him with wide eyes, watching as he moved closer until the tip of his cock brushed against your opening. “I’ll be gentle, little bird. I promise.” You whimpered as he pushed against you again, this time slipping in just the tip.

“Seven hells…” He moaned against your lips. He slid into you slowly, his cock stretching out your insides until he filled you completely. Your grip on him tightened and you bit into his shoulder. He let out a soft moan as he slowly began thrusting inside you. 

His pace was slow at first, allowing your body to adjust to his size. But it was quickly growing more intense by the second. His large hands gripped your waist tightly and Aegon’s face was twisted with ecstasy. He buried himself within you and began pounding inside you.

"You're so tight... such a good girl for me.” He picked up the pace, slamming into you and making sure you felt every inch of his cock. Your breath quickened and you began moaning loudly. Anyone within a mile of you could hear the lewd sounds coming from your bedroom. A symphony of your moans, his groans and the sound of your wet skin slapping against each other. 

Your arms pulled him closer, you kissed him, and he responded in kind, pushing himself deep inside you and grinding against your clit. The feeling from before was coming but much more intense. Your mind got lost in a haze of pleasure each time his cock hit your clit it sent waves through you, leaving you breathless.

Your cunt began clenching around him, a growl escaped his lips as he continued his movements. Every stroke left you trembling on the edge of your orgasm, ready to release all your new built-up tension. His thrusts became sloppy, and his groans turned into high pitched moans. 

Your climax hit you in waves causing you to cry out. The sensation overwhelmed your mind, leaving you dizzy and weak. You couldn't even speak right as your walls spasmed around his cock, gripping him tightly.  Aegon’s final thrust was hard, a warm feeling enveloped your insides. He spilt his seed as deep as he could into your womb. 

He laid down next to you pulling you closer to him. Aegon brushed the hair out of your face and kissed you softly. He pulled back and grinned, “wife...” You smiled back weakly, “husband…” He stared at you adoringly, a light chuckle escaping his throat.

“What are we going to do about the bedding ceremony?”

[coochiequeens]

When I say "Stop transing minors" I don't just mean medically transitioning, I also mean stop exposing kids to overly sexualized situations.

By Shay Woulahan April 24, 2024

A 14-year-old girl who identifies as a “drag king” and is being transitioned to a “boy” has reportedly been performing sexually suggestive shows at LGBT clubs and bars across Vancouver, Canada. The minor, who is disabled and autistic, goes by “he/him/they/it” pronouns and is taking testosterone under the permission of her mother.

The child, who was born female but identifies as a “boy,” uses the stage name “Nova Tropica” and has performed in at least three LGBT bars in Vancouver, all of which are adult venues that serve alcohol. Among the clubs Nova has danced at are The Fountainhead Pub, Steamworks brewpub, and The Junction.

According to Gays Against Groomers, during her performance at The Foundationhead Pub, a gay bar located on Davie Street, the child danced with only tape covering the front of her breasts.

The child as seen in an uncensored video posted to Instagram.

Nova maintains a YouTube channel where she often uploads footage of her performances.

In August of 2023, she shared a video of her dancing on stage in a bar to the song “Bubblegum B*tch” and is seen collecting dollar bills from audience members. In another video, Nova is seen dancing alone to the Britney Spears’ controversial song “If U Seek Amy,” which is intended to sound out the letters “F-U-C-K me.”

In some of the videos posted to her YouTube account, she is seen dancing to an adult crowd wearing only a cut-out bathing suit, an outfit she has also posed in for photos shared to her social media while wearing clear, stiletto “pleasers,” a form of platform high-heel most frequently associated with stripping, pole dancing, and the sex trade.

As well as posting footage of her performances to YouTube, Nova also maintains an Instagram page where she posts clips of herself dancing on stage while exclusively adult crowds cheer her on. In many of the videos, Nova is wearing revealing clothing and, during one performance, she even spreads her legs for the audience.

On her Instagram, which was made private shortly after her activities were first exposed by Gays Against Groomers, Nova also frequently posted about her mental health struggles, though continuously insisted her “neurodivergence” was unrelated to her desire to transition.

“The only way they could even correlate is through the way I view my gender,” Nova said in the caption of one post where she described herself as a “demon boy” and said she’s “everything Lucifer wants her to be.”

In another post, in which she wears a cut-out swimsuit she has performed in, Nova said she “loves” how testosterone is starting to affect her muscle definition.

Nova’s transition has been supported by her mother Chrysta. On her own Instagram page, Chrysta posted about how she had been struggling to access hormones for her daughter since she was just 11 years old.

In the post, Chrysta acknowledges that Nova is experiencing poor mental health, but attributes her condition to “being born in the wrong body.” She also condemns the Canadian political parties attempting to pass legislation which would protect children from medical transitioning.

“I will not allow any government to MURDER my child,” Chrysta said in one post. “Forcing a child to live in a body that is not authentic to their person is MURDER.”

The post was made in reference to the People’s Party of Canada, which developed a 7-point plan to protect women and children from the harmful effects of gender ideology, such as banning men from women’s spaces and sports and banning genital mutilation surgeries and cross-sex hormones for minors.

Not only has Chrysta facilitated Nova’s transition, but she also confesses to monitoring her social media, meaning she is aware of the inappropriate videos and photos being posted online of her minor daughter.

In one post, she addressed rumors that an adult Drag King had behaved inappropriately in messages with her young daughter, claiming the concerns were “false accusations.”

But her notice was not the only suggestion that Nova has been in contact with adult drag performers.

On Instagram, Nova spoke about attending a youth summer “drag camp” hosted by “Rose Butch” and “DeeDee LaCraze.”

DeeDee LaCraze also operates a YouTube channel called “Drag4Kids” where he has made multiple videos in full drag singing nursery rhymes. LaCraze hosts his youth drag camp along side Rose Butch, a trans identified female who calls herself a “non-binary drag thing.”

The summer camp, held in July 2023, was made available for children as young as 7.

There has been an uptick in the number of children performing drag, often in bars and clubs, in recent years. Last April, a video went viral showing a young “drag queen” dancing at a party sponsored by a gay hookup app.

Arguably one of the most well-known “drag kids” is Desmond Napoles, who goes by the name “Desmond is Amazing.” Desmond rose to fame at only 11 years old in 2017 after being featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Soon after, the child appeared in YouTube and Facebook streams alongside adult men, and was even filmed joking about snorting ketamine.

With the increase in “drag kids” has come further scrutiny of the sexual predators involved in the drag scene. In 2022, a “drag kid” mentor and a former elementary school teaching assistant faced child pornography charges following an investigation into exploitative material shared on the internet.

[romanticizingmurder]

How comics treat Jason killing is so frustrating to me because it's always all or nothing. Either Jason just runs around killing anyone who you could label a criminal or Jason has to learn the error of his ways and give up killing.

But the Jason I like best in terms of killing is by far Lost Days Jason.

In Lost Days, Talia fears that Jason may have come back from the pit wrong. He wants to kill Bruce, and he wants to do it cruelly. She decides to see if more time will help, and sends him around the world training. And when he kills, because he discovered his teacher was a child trafficker? Talia is relieved.

In Lost Days, Jason's first murder is presented as a sign he still has empathy. His first act of killing is done to protect children. Jason's desire to kill may have started as revenge for his death but his choice to kill is because he saw children being victimized.

Jason goes on to kill other teachers and the pattern is clear. Harm to children, tainted drugs - these are what Jason kills for. Not some concept of "criminals bad". For concrete and specific crimes against vulnerable people.

Notably, we do see a teacher Jason doesn't kill!

I think this is interesting for two reasons: Jason acknowledged that this teacher isn't a good person - a merc! And yet! He isn't going to kill him. This guy is just a driver.

Lost Days shows that Jason doesn't kill indiscriminately. He doesn't kill someone just for being a dirt bag, for engaging in crime in general. Jason has a clear and easily discerned internal code of ethics for killing. He can stop himself without trouble. He doesn't kill on impulse. His kills are internally consistent and largely sympathetic choices to an outside observer. I think that's important.

I think Lost Days connecting Jason's choice to kill to Jason still having empathy, to Jason, above all, always caring about victims and children - I think that's what killing always should be for Jason.

[hadesoftheladies]

"you are killing a baby"

i am killing a fetus, not an infant. an egg is not a chicken. potential is not actuality.

"you are murdering an innocent."

it doesn't matter who is innocent. a hungry lion may be innocent in wanting to eat me only because it is hungry and may not have the cognitive capacities to exercise something like restraint or conscience. that does not mean i should not defend myself from harm. it is still self-defense. all animals are expected to protect themselves first and foremost. you are just so used to the idea that women (especially mothers) are supposed to sacrifice their lives for their children in order to be good people--like they aren't human beings with self-preservation instincts.

harm equals anything that threatens the life or health of a person and pregnancy does both.

"your body was meant/designed to do this"

miscarriages are as natural as pregnancies. why do you think the placenta exists? pregnancy sickness? the female body can grow a person, yet also has resistance mechanisms for a pregnancy.

also, just because i have genes that make me a good runner doesn't mean i have to become a marathoner. like think for a second.

"what will the father think?"

women don't owe men or society themselves. i know that's very hard for you to grasp but there's no time like the present to start. there is no ethical way to make a woman a commodity or government assigned asset for reproduction or sex.

"the baby is conscious"

so is the lion in the hypothetical. also, that's debatable. also, what are your thoughts on veganism? since you care so much about the suffering of conscious beings (that is beings with selves)

"but animals aren't humans. they don't deserve the same rights as humans because of their lower cognitive capacities"

great. now apply this ethic to babies and mentally disabled people and then try to explain to me why that has to be different without mentioning how you feel or your religion. :)

"a baby has more potential than an animal."

okay, and why does that potential automatically mean better or more valuable? higher cognitive capacities haven't stopped wars and mass murders have they? (and i would argue that bringing a child into a violent world increases their chance of becoming unhealthy or complicit persons, so you can almost know what the character of your child will be like for certain based on where you're raising them).

"a baby has a soul"

there are two kinds of dualisms within christianity: thomistic and cartesian. cartesian dualism has gone out of fashion even amongst christian theologians and philosophers.

Substance dualism, or Cartesian dualism, most famously defended by René Descartes, argues that there are two kinds of foundation: mental and physical. Descartes states that the mental can exist outside of the body, and the body cannot think.

'Thomistic substance dualism' (TSD) centers around two beliefs: 1) the rational soul is an immaterial substance, and 2) this immaterial substance is the human person.

aside from the fact that both of these philosophies are rife with problems, I think thomistic dualism is the stronger of the two. the rational soul is, in a way, a word for the self.

regardless, both of these describe a self as a soul. so i'm just going to define a self.

The psychology of self is the study of either the cognitive and affective representation of one's identity or the subject of experience. The earliest formulation of the self in modern psychology forms the distinction between two elements I and me. The self as I, is the subjective knower. While, the self as Me, is the subject that is known.

a self is a centralized consciousness with their own memories, introspection and reflections. we know through neuroscience, psychology, behavioural science and sociology that a person or self is formed via experiences (where memories and impressions are gathered, how people learn), language and socialization (economy, history, family, culture) and possibly some genetic expressions (although i think this is more about capacity than actualization).

this is why things like dementia or alzheimer's are so scary and difficult. when a person loses memories, they lose aspects of themselves. when a person changes their environment, they also become different people (even while maintaining some similarities with their past selves).

this is mirrored in popular media, characters that lose their memories lose versions of themselves. this is also why, when you look at stories that feature a multiverse, the same character becomes a different person in different lives. in short, you are not born a person. you become one, and although your self remains singular and centralized (even with age), that self still changes. both the self and the people around the self create the self.

this is also why socially isolated individuals devolve and become mindless or sick (and even have reduced lifespan). certain higher human capacities like "conscience" or "empathy" can be socialized out of a human being, as well. i'd even go so far as to say that children begin conceptualizing themselves as individuals only when they begin to sense the presence of other human beings. they cannot conceptualize their own identity without the presence of other people. they probably don't know they are a self until they recognize other people and then realize they themselves are also people, and people are individuals.

legally a person is:

. . . an entity that the law recognises as having its own distinct personality. This usually means one that is able to act in its own right, and capable of possessing legal rights and liabilities, including individuals (or "natural persons") and corporate organisations.

my point is, how can a fetus with virtually no experiences (which born animals have), no language or skill (learned) to introspect or reflect (or abstract), possibly have a self? when they are not exposed to the outside world? certainly they have the capacity to develop a self, but as established earlier on, potential is not actuality. so legally and psychologically, a fetus is very likely not a person.

but we do not need this to be true to justify abortion regardless, because an innocent person is still causing harm, whether directly or indirectly. so the woman/girl has every right to resist.