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aboveallarescuer · 4 years

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How Dany assesses the counsel she receives and makes her own choices (& Character analysis) - Liberation of the Unsullied

This will be a series of posts meant to show that Dany is open to receiving advice and criticism, but that she doesn’t act solely based on what other people tell her to do. On the opposite, GRRM makes great effort to write a Dany who most often merges different viewpoints and/or finds her own solutions to the problems she’s facing. I won’t include every single decision she ever made (e.g. her decisions at court are often made without counsel and her execution of the ritual to hatch the dragon eggs was already exhaustively and deftly analyzed by other people), but there will be plenty of instances in this series that will prove my point nonetheless. The metas will always have four items: in which chapters the events mentioned take place; what advice she receives and from whom; what were her actions; the verdict (whether she followed other people’s advice, ignored/rejected them or did both at the same time).

Since this meta got very long, I'm putting the verdict above so that people who don't want to read the entire meta can at least find its synthesized points right away.

Chapter (s):

ASOS Daenerys I, II, III

The advice Dany receives:

Jorah advises Dany to turn to Astapor and buy the Unsullied so that she doesn't have to rely entirely on Illyrio. He recommends that she pretends to not know Valyrian. He later says that spilling blood will be inevitable in Westeros and that the Unsullied are known for not raping nor pillaging, so she'll cause less damage if she buys them. According to him, trying to be idealistic and noble gets you killed.

Barristan advises Dany to leave Astapor and hire mercenaries in the Free Cities or even expect the support of the Westerosi lords. He's firmly against trading a dragon for an army and tries to publicly intervene.

Verdict:

a) Intelligence and skills

Knowledge of Astapor, Old Ghis, the Free Cities and Essos in general

Dany retains the information Jorah gave her about Old Ghis's history to the point of articulating it in her own words and applying it to the harpy of Astapor (which she differentiates from the one from Old Ghis) to grasp its symbolic meaning.

Dany pays attention to the slave soldiers and identifies on her own where each came from, displaying her knowledge of the Free Cities and Essos in general.

Dany compares the treatment of the Unsullied to the Dothraki's treatment of their slaves, for she already knows a lot about the Dothraki's culture and organization at this point.

Dany notices that there are many other slaves in the city and that they also have varied traits and origins.

Dany pays special attention to the social hierarchy among the masters indicated in their tokars' fringes after Groleo tells her about it, which shows that she can memorize and apply information well.

Dany correctly guesses that the masters won't resist her offer of one dragon because she is aware that Old Ghis was defeated by the Valyrian Freehold five times precisely for that disadvantage.

Growing social awareness

In ASOS Daenerys I, Dany is unaware of the number of casualties and the level of dehumanization that come with the maintenance of slavery. At this point, she thought they were servants just like any others. Also, she didn't have the power and influence to be able to help others (or to think about the ways she could do so). Witnessing the training of the Unsullied will change her mind, similar to how she thought she was okay with the war's collateral damage until she saw the Lhazareen women being assaulted and tried to stop it.

Dany doesn't let Jhogo crack the whip in Astapor to announce her presence because she knows that it is used to subjugate slaves.

After seeing the cruel and horrific treatment of the Unsullied firsthand, Dany can no longer look at all the other slaves in the city and think that what's happening is okay. She observes how pervasive slavery is in Astapor twice.

Like with the whip, Dany already pays attention to the tokar and how symbolically tied it is to the masters.

Dany's growing awareness of all these social issues and her empathy for the slaves' plea stem from the fact that she lived their experiences too: she was also forced to leave her homeland and was later sold as a sex slave.

Dany's refusal to eat dog indicates her refusal to be complicit in the masters' oppression of the Unsullied.

Dany refuses to talk to Jorah about the Unsullied as if their treatment was not dehumanizing, so she tells him to not call them men to not become desensitized to the issue.

Emotional inteligence: restraint and assertiveness as a leader

Dany pretends she doesn't understand the number of insults that Kraznys is throwing at her and later asserts her heritage and titles as a response.

Dany hides her vulnerability and focuses on her political goals while talking to Barristan. She empathizes with Barristan later and reinforces her authority when she tells him that he's free to counsel her ... when they are alone. He is frank by telling her that he thinks she made a mistake by trading a dragon for an army, but Dany still shows self-assurance.

Dany reminds Jorah to call her by her title rather than her name.

Dany restrains her fear once more when she enters the gates of Astapor.

Asking for and gathering knowledge

Dany asks Kraznys if the Unsullied has officers and what is their gear.

Dany notices that Astapor lacks guards and questions why the Dothraki still haven't sacked the city.

Dany confirms with Missandei the reliability of the information Kraznys shared with her and makes more questions about the Unsullied.

Dany creates hypothetical situations in her questions to Kraznys and Missandei to conceal the possibility that she might apply the answers to fight the masters.

Actions during the negotiation for the Unsullied and the exchange

Dany gives everyone (her bloodriders, Jorah and Barristan) in her circle something to do while she meets with Kraznys.

Dany uses a Qartheen gown to negotiate with the slavers.

Dany brings her advisors and her khalasar with her during the negotiation in order to look more impressive (and, consequently, to seem able to pay for all of the Unsullied).

Dany already expected that she would have to offer her ships and one dragon.

Dany takes the necessary steps (based on what she heard from Kraznys and Missandei) to guarantee that the Unsullied will fight on her side and her leap of faith pays off.

Dany throws the whip aside and her draconic force is linked to freedom.

b) Character motivations and past experiences

Why she chose to go to Astapor

Dany wanted to make sure she wouldn't have to rely on other people (whose help is never certain, as she learned very well in Qarth).

She didn't think hiring mercenaries in the Free Cities was a good idea because she'd already seen how that failed for Viserys.

She is unsure of whether the Westerosi will rise to her.

As it's been already said, she thought that the Unsullied were treated as ordinary servants.

Empathy

Witnessing the training of the Unsullied radically changes Dany's initial plans.

Her growing awareness of all these social issues and her empathy for the slaves' plea stem from the fact that she lived their experiences too: she was also forced to leave her homeland and later sold as a sex slave.

Dany empathizes with Barristan and reminds him that he's free to counsel her ... when they are alone.

Dany refuses to talk to Jorah about the Unsullied as if their treatment was not dehumanizing, so she tells him to not call them men to not become desensitized to the issue.

Dany frees Missandei right after the latter is given as a gift (though she'll find out later that Missandei doesn't have a better option).

Dany's past experiences inform her reflections on what grounds should she be ruling and her later rebellion against the masters.

The negotiation scene shows that Dany had many, many options that she could have chosen and did not simply because she wanted to free all of the Unsullied:

If she just wanted an army, she could have offered all the trading goods in the ships and get the 1000 Unsullied that Jorah advised her to get.

If she just wanted an army, she wouldn't have offered to pay double for the untrained boys.

If she just wanted an army, she could have given the trading goods and the ships and left with 2000 Unsullied.

If she just wanted an army, she wouldn't have thought that she must have them all" and that "[i]t was [her] only choice" to offer them a dragon.

Hints that Dany plans on rebelling in ASOS Daenerys II

Dany betrays her uneasiness about what is happening several times (multiple passages below).

Dany makes a hypothetical question to Kraznys, seemingly in an attempt to find a way to offer freedom to the Unsullied.

Dany asks how many Unsullied the master has to sell (because she wants to rescue them all), not how large an army she wants.

Dany thinks she will take more than a hundred, if any at all.

When Barristan urges her to leave the city, Dany thinks she can't do so. She later tells Jorah the same thing.

Dany's steps to make her plan work in ASOS Daenerys III (and hints that she has the details worked out)

Dany already expected that she would have to offer her ships and one dragon during the negotiation.

Dany makes it clear to Groleo that the Unsullied are more important than ships (because of themselves, not their value as an army).

Dany probably shared her ideas with her bloodriders and Jorah.

Dany was using a Qartheen gown (represents inequality, flattery and falsehood) in the negotiation. In the exchange itself, she uses Dothraki clothing (represents war, equality and honesty).

Dany knows that there will be several deaths as a result of what she is doing.

Dany takes the necessary steps (based on what she heard from Kraznys and Missandei) to guarantee that the Unsullied will fight on her side and her leap of faith pays off.

Dany throws the whip aside and her draconic force is linked to freedom.

c) How Dany assessed the advice she received

Jorah

Jorah advises Dany to turn to Astapor and buy the Unsullied so that she doesn't have to rely entirely on Illyrio.

Dany takes his advice, but not before being thoughtful and making many questions and expressing many concerns: how will she buy them? Is it okay to "betray" Illyrio? What about the dangers on the march? What if Captain Groleo doesn't obey? She's not passively and blindly accepting things.

He recommends that she pretends to not know Valyrian.

Dany follows it with seemingly no reservations.

He later says that spilling blood will be inevitable in Westeros and that the Unsullied are known for not raping nor pillaging, so she'll cause less damage if she buys them.

At first, she slaps him for normalizing the Unsullied's training and talking about them as if they were objects to be sold. Later, she still tries to differentiate the attack against targeted combatants from the systematic attack against almost all of the city's population, save for the nobles.

According to him, trying to be idealistic and noble gets you killed.

More on that below.

Barristan

Barristan advises Dany to leave Astapor and hire mercenaries in the Free Cities or even expect the support of the Westerosi lords.

She thinks to herself that she can't leave the city now that she saw what she saw. To Barristan, she replies that the former option didn't work for her brother and that she can't rely on uncertainties.

Barristan is firmly against trading a dragon for an army and tries to publicly intervene.

Dany empathizes with him, but still reminds him that he's only supposed to question her privately and that she means to prove a few things of her own.

Overall

Neither Jorah nor Barristan can take credit for primarily motivating Dany's decision to free the slaves, though they certainly helped her in different ways.

Jorah thought it was okay for her to buy the Unsullied and be complicit in a process that dehumanizes them to the point that people can't even tell them apart or consider them men. As Dany said, "if he were her true knight", he wouldn't think that there was nothing wrong with that to begin with. Dany, on the other hand, refuses to be desensitized by it because she is a true queen.

Barristan empathized with the slaves' plea and doesn't want to be involved in slave trade, which is fair, but he doesn't think that there's anything he or Dany can do about it.

Like with Viserys and Drogo, Dany is influenced by both of their recommendations and apply them in different ways while forging her own path: she will not help to maintain the oppression of the slaves like Barristan advised her, but she won't play by the rules (because they view human beings as objects to be sold and invalidate her moral values, so they shouldn't be acknowledged as such to begin with) like Jorah advised her: she will break the rules because of her moral duty (as she sees it) to free the slaves.

Dany's actions:

In ASOS Daenerys I, Jorah is trying to have Dany distrust Barristan, Groleo and Illyrio. As usual, because of Dany's critical thinking skills, she filters his advice - she admits that it's strange that Barristan is "too old to be a squire, and too well spoken to be serving that oaf of an eunuch", but, at the same time, she laughs when he suggests that Barristan and Belwas are conspiring with the assassin to win her trust. The discussion becomes a bit more heated when Dany realizes that he's infantilizing her, but then he proposes a plan: change course to Astapor and buy Unsullied. At this point, 14-year-old Dany has not yet seen their inhuman training nor did she come to empathize deeply and viscerally with them nor does she have the power that allows her to think about how to help others:

Dany was not certain she liked the sound of that at all. Everything she’d ever heard of the flesh marts in the great slave cities of Yunkai, Meereen, and Astapor was dire and frightening. “What is there for me in Slaver’s Bay?” (ASOS Daenerys I)

She also doesn't understand how slavery is a systemic issue that affects different people on different levels and is still, nonetheless, inherently wrong:

“...In Astapor you can buy Unsullied.”

“The slaves in the spiked bronze hats?” Dany had seen Unsullied guards in the Free Cities, posted at the gates of magisters, archons, and dynasts. “Why should I want Unsullied? They don’t even ride horses, and most of them are fat.” (ASOS Daenerys I)

But how can this person make this sort of comment and then become an abolitionist figure by the end of the book? I want to contextualize that right away to avoid any confusion. ADWD Daenerys III will give us two reasons as to why Dany changed her mind (aside from her empathy and proactivity, of course):

As she will explain to Xaro, his slaves "seemed well treated and content" (which also explains why she didn't react negatively to Illyrio's either) and she changed her opinion witnessing "how Unsullied are made and trained". At this point, she thinks that slaves are treated like normal servants.

Also, she thinks to herself that she was only a beggar queen when she visited Qarth, so there wasn't much she could do. At this point, in the beginning of ASOS, her situation is still similar to the one from ACOK: Dany still has no considerable resources of her own and is being carried around by someone else's ships. It makes sense, then, that she thinks firstly about how to help herself before she considers that she might be able to help others.

It must also be said that the seeds for Dany's character development were planted way back in AGOT, when she thought she was okay with going to war until she realized she couldn't let the Lhazareen women be collateral damage of her actions. Here, she will think she's okay with buying the Unsullied until she goes to Astapor and realizes that no one deserves to be systematically tortured and brainwashed and sold the way they were.

Anyway, back to ASOS Daenerys I. Dany's response to Jorah's suggestion that she should buy Unsullied stems from ignorance - she thinks that the Unsullied are all too fat to ride horses because these are the only ones she saw in Pentos and Myr. To convince her that they are worth buying, Jorah tells her the Tale of the Three Thousand of Qohor, which is basically about a khal who had his khalasar utterly defeated by the Unsullied (bought as an afterthought by the Qohorik). After realizing their effectiveness, Qohor would only employ the Unsullied as city guards. Using that story to convince Dany was a very clever move from Jorah, who must've inferred from Dany's successful cultural assimilation and love for Drogo that she respects the Dothraki's strength (she does, but she's critical as well).

Dany admits that there is wisdom in what he's counseling, but she also notes that her crown is her only possession of value. Jorah responds that the Astapori may offer her gifts the way the Qartheen did or she can sell the trade goods that Illyrio's men took on. Dany is still reluctant because she says she considers Illyrio a friend to House Targaryen (though that's not how she assessed him before), but Jorah argues that a true friend will help her to buy "the beginnings of an army". Dany becomes more excited, but still considers the dangers on the march, and Jorah argues that there would be dangers at sea as well. Finally, Dany wonders if Groleo might refuse to change course; for Jorah, that is all the more reason to ask him to do so, for she will find out where his (and Arstan's and Belwas') true loyalty lies.

It's only then that Dany decides that she will command Groleo to set course for Astapor. The author took pains to make sure that Dany wouldn't just passively sit and listen to Jorah's advice and follow it. He has her making questions and gathering knowledge and forming her own conclusions. Just because hers matched with his (only for now) doesn't mean that she is not being an active player as well.

In ASOS Daenerys II, Dany arrives in Astapor. As we can see in this passage, she is able to retain Jorah's knowledge about its history, articulate it in her own words and apply it well enough to correctly identify the harpy of Ghis and grasp its symbolic meaning just by looking at its statue:

The harpy of Ghis, Dany thought. Old Ghis had fallen five thousand years ago, if she remembered true; its legions shattered by the might of young Valyria, its brick walls pulled down, its streets and buildings turned to ash and cinder by dragonflame, its very fields sown with salt, sulfur, and skulls. The gods of Ghis were dead, and so too its people; these Astapori were mongrels, Ser Jorah said. Even the Ghiscari tongue was largely forgotten; the slave cities spoke the High Valyrian of their conquerors, or what they had made of it.

Yet the symbol of the Old Empire still endured here, though this bronze monster had a heavy chain dangling from her talons, an open manacle at either end. The harpy of Ghis had a thunderbolt in her claws. This is the harpy of Astapor. (ASOS Daenerys II)

In Missandei's very first appearance, we find out how the Naathi are commonly perceived. Such a description seems to signal the author's thematic intents (namely, that war, rather than the peace, is the righteous path in this particular case) right away, as @rainhadaenerys already pointed out in this amazing meta:

The girl spoke the Common Tongue well, for one who had never been to Westeros. No older than ten, she had the round flat face, dusky skin, and golden eyes of Naath. The Peaceful People, her folk were called. All agreed that they made the best slaves. (ASOS Daenerys II)

While she negotiates with Kraznys, Dany follows a smart idea from Ser Jorah:

It had been Ser Jorah’s suggestion that she speak only Dothraki and the Common Tongue while in Astapor. My bear is more clever than he looks. (ASOS Daenerys II)

Some minor points: we get a very emasculating description of Kraznys to make sure his "looks" are as pitiful as his moral values, something that I've already criticized here. And Astapor is described as if it were Hell itself, though that's an aspect that's been discussed elsewhere and I won't belabor here.

Then, Dany gets to hear about the Unsullied's training. I'll give you a brief summary of its numerous cruelties, for they will, as I already showed above, dictate Dany's actions for the rest of this book and ADWD:

They don't have names because they're changed every dawn so they can remember that "they are vermin" and "more dogs than sheep".

They are castrated in order to have discipline, obedience, loyalty and fear and to no longer feel sexual desire.

They're chosen at five years old for "size and speed and strength" to be trained "from dawn to dusk" until they master the shortsword, the shield and the three spears.

As boys, on the day that they are cut, they are given puppies whom they are forced to strangle, otherwise they are killed and fed to the surviving dogs.

Only one boy in three survives the training.

To win their spiked caps, they are forced to "go to the slave marts with a silver mark, find some wailing newborn, and kill it before its mother's eyes".

They are forced to stand "for a day and a night, with no food nor water". It is said that, even after 99 of the 100 Unsullied collapse, the last one will stand until his death.

They won't move or defend themselves even after you lash their faces with a whip or cut their nipples off. That's because they drink the "wine of courage" regularly to feel less and less pain and endure any kind of torture.

And that's not even counting the numerous times Kraznys felt that he was entitled to lash Missandei. It's clear that GRRM strives to make Dany's future cause be as righteous as he can.

While Arstan and Kraznys are arguing with each other, Dany pays attention to the slave soldiers and identifies on her own where each comes from. It's a moment that displays both her knowledge and the fact that she's lived in Essos for her entire life:

Ignoring them all, Dany walked slowly down the line of slave soldiers. The girls followed close behind with the silk awning, to keep her in the shade, but the thousand men before her enjoyed no such protection. More than half had the copper skins and almond eyes of Dothraki and Lhazerene, but she saw men of the Free Cities in the ranks as well, along with pale Qartheen, ebon-faced Summer Islanders, and others whose origins she could not guess. And some had skins of the same amber hue as Kraznys mo Nakloz, and the bristly red-black hair that marked the ancient folk of Ghis, who named themselves the harpy’s sons. They sell even their own kind. It should not have surprised her. The Dothraki did the same, when khalasar met khalasar in the sea of grass.

Some of the soldiers were tall and some were short. They ranged in age from fourteen to twenty, she judged. Their cheeks were smooth, and their eyes all the same, be they black or brown or blue or grey or amber. (ASOS Daenerys II)

Dany often connects the warriors she meets or hears about with the Dothraki, about whom she has mixed feelings but was influenced nonetheless. In this chapter, her critical views of the Dothraki are brought to the fore. Not only she recalls that they sold "their own kind", she also tells Arstan that she herself was sold, which is a huge deal for a few reasons that I'll point out later.

Throughout her interactions with Kraznys, Dany betrays her uneasiness about what's happening several times:

It was hard to pretend not to understand. Dany laid a hand on Kraznys’s arm before he could raise the whip again. “Tell the Good Master that I see how strong his Unsullied are, and how bravely they suffer pain.”

Then he jabbed the swordpoint in beneath a wide pink nipple and began to work it back and forth.

“What is he doing?” Dany demanded of the girl, as the blood ran down the man’s chest.

“Tell the cow to stop her bleating,” said Kraznys, without waiting for the translation.

“They feel no pain, you see.”

“How can that be?” she demanded through the scribe.

“The wine of courage,” was the answer he gave her.

“No names?” Dany frowned at the little scribe. “Can that be what the Good Master said? They have no names?”

Her most visceral reaction comes when she finds out that infants are slain as part of the Unsullied's training, partly because that's too personal for her:

Dany’s mouth surely twisted at that. Did he see, or is he blind as well as cruel? She turned away quickly, trying to keep her face a mask until she heard the translation. Only then did she allow herself to say, “Whose infants do they slay?”

“To win his spiked cap, an Unsullied must go to the slave marts with a silver mark, find some wailing newborn, and kill it before its mother’s eyes. In this way, we make certain that there is no weakness left in them.”

She was feeling faint. The heat, she tried to tell herself. “You take a babe from its mother’s arms, kill it as she watches, and pay for her pain with a silver coin?”

Then we get an indication that she's already thinking of a plan to free the Unsullied at this very moment:

“The Good Master has said that these eunuchs cannot be tempted with coin or flesh,” Dany told the girl, “but if some enemy of mine should offer them freedom for betraying me ...”

“They would kill him out of hand and bring her his head, tell her that,” the slaver answered. “Other slaves may steal and hoard up silver in hopes of buying freedom, but an Unsullied would not take it if the little mare offered it as a gift. They have no life outside their duty. They are soldiers, and that is all.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

I also find it interesting that Dany doesn't ask how large an army she wants (though she admits she needs soldiers), but rather how many Unsullied he has to sell:

“It is soldiers I need,” Dany admitted.

“Tell her it is well she came to Astapor, then. Ask her how large an army she wishes to buy.”

“How many Unsullied do you have to sell?”

“Eight thousand fully trained and available at present.[”] (ASOS Daenerys II)

Which already hints at her desire to rescue them all (not her interest to buy an army), even she must go to extreme lengths to do so.

In any case, after she makes the question above, Dany asks if the Unsullied have officers and what is their gear. Then, Dany solicits Barristan's advice, who, obviously, says she shouldn't buy them. Dany tells him to elaborate on his answer because she wants Kraznys to hear his outrage:

“Why?” she asked. “Speak freely.” Dany thought she knew what he would say, but she wanted the slave girl to hear, so Kraznys mo Nakloz might hear later. (ASOS Daenerys II)

The squire explains that slavery is illegal in Westeros and that she will lose her public support and honor if she arrives with a slave army. Dany emphasizes that she must have an army to conquer Westeros, but Barristan believes that she'll have the support of half of the Westerosi because of Rhaegar (while mincing his words when he praises Aerys). Dany is not so sure, however:

“Those same high lords who abandoned my father to the Kingslayer and bent the knee to Robert the Usurper?”

“Even those who bent their knees may yearn in their hearts for the return of the dragons.”

“May,” said Dany. That was such a slippery word, may. In any language. (ASOS Daenerys II)

Another passage hints at her future actions for suggesting that she will either save the Unsullied or leave them behind if she can't be of help, for she won't take part in the slave trade:

Dany knew she would take more than a hundred, if she took any at all. (ASOS Daenerys II)

And she reminds Kraznys of her heritage and titles, which is more than warranted considering the numerous insults that he threw at her (while she had to feign ignorance, no less). He's not impressed and even accuses Dany of running to her man, which sounds like the author throwing shade at his sexist readers, especially since, despite other people's help, Dany will ultimately forge her own path.

Jhogo intends to crack his whip in the air to announce the Mother of Dragons's presence, but Dany, after witnessing how Kraznys uses the whip to subjugate others, tells him not to use it. This moment shows how, like with the tokar in ADWD, Dany understands the symbolic meaning of the whip (which is also why it's so significant that she uses it to punish Kraznys later):

But when he uncoiled the great silverhandled whip that Dany had given him, and made to crack it in the air, she leaned out and told him nay. “Not in this place, blood of my blood,” she said, in his own tongue. “These bricks have heard too much of the sound of whips.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

Astapor was once part of the Old Empire of Ghis and we see in this chapter that so much of its culture is informed by their pride of their former glory. However, nowadays, the description of the city shows that it's no longer a flourishing place (it is Hell, as I said above). Dany showcases her knowledge of the other cities she visited by associating Astapor with them:

An old city, this, she reflected, but not so populous as it was in its glory, nor near so crowded as Qarth or Pentos or Lys. (ASOS Daenerys II)

She pays attention to the fact that the Unsullied are not the only slaves in Astapor; they are everywhere in the city:

Her litter came to a sudden halt at the cross street, to allow a coffle of slaves to shuffle across her path, urged along by the crack of an overseer’s lash. These were no Unsullied, Dany noted, but a more common sort of men, with pale brown skins and black hair. There were women among them, but no children. All were naked. Two Astapori rode behind them on white asses, a man in a red silk tokar and a veiled woman in sheer blue linen decorated with flakes of lapis lazuli. In her red-black hair she wore an ivory comb. The man laughed as he whispered to her, paying no more mind to Dany than to his slaves, nor the overseer with his twisted five-thonged lash, a squat broad Dothraki who had the harpy and chains tattooed proudly across his muscular chest. (ASOS Daenerys II)

As we see above, Dany notices the slaves' varied traits and origins as they pass by fastened together and how slavery is so normalized that she is not the only one that the masters don't pay attention to, they don't pay any attention to their slaves either. Dany also picks up on the fact that the man is wearing a tokar (like Kraznys was), and I'm sure this will later inform her discomfort using it and her eventual (and righteous) rejection of it in ADWD.

Arstan murmurs an old rhyme and feels sympathy for the slaves and how the entire city is built upon their blood and suffering. However, he never advises Dany to do anything about it: he urges her to leave the city "before [her] heart turns to brick". Dany thinks something that also foreshadows her eventual rebellion:

“...Sail this very night, on the evening tide.”

Would that I could, thought Dany. (ASOS Daenerys II)

But she doesn't allow herself to share her anxieties and vulnerabilities with him because she's his liege, so she focuses on her political goals instead:

“When I leave Astapor it must be with an army, Ser Jorah says.”

Arstan counter-argues that Jorah was a slaver himself and that she could find an army in the Free Cities. That's not how it went for her (and Viserys), though. Even in Qarth, where people were awed by her dragons, it was still not reason enough to get their support:

“My brother visited Pentos, Myr, Braavos, near all the Free Cities. The magisters and archons fed him wine and promises, but his soul was starved to death. A man cannot sup from the beggar’s bowl all his life and stay a man. I had my taste in Qarth, that was enough. I will not come to Pentos bowl in hand.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

(On ADWD Daenerys III, she will also remember that Viserys tried to negotiate with the Golden Company and that they mocked him, which might or might not be foreshadowing for TWOW, in which she's likely to confront Aegon and the Golden Company.)

Arstan says that it's better to be a beggar than a slaver, which leads to the most powerful moment of the chapter and also one of my favorites of the entire series:

“There speaks one who has been neither.” Dany’s nostrils flared. “Do you know what it is like to be sold, squire? I do. My brother sold me to Khal Drogo for the promise of a golden crown. Well, Drogo crowned him in gold, though not as he had wished, and I ... my sun-and-stars made a queen of me, but if he had been a different man, it might have been much otherwise. Do you think I have forgotten how it felt to be afraid?” (ASOS Daenerys II)

I've seen people trying to argue that Barristan was the one who convinced Dany to rebel against the slavers, and this passage, to which @irrationalityi pointed in her wonderful meta, shows exactly that that's not the case: that was Dany's choice and only Dany's.

Barristan, despite feeling empathy for the slaves, never asked for Dany to do anything to help them. Instead, as I showed above, he had only focused on the political ramifications of being a slaveowner.

Barristan had lived his whole life in Westeros up until recently, Dany has lived her whole life in Essos. Barristan has a problem with slavery not only because it is wrong, but because it's not the Westerosi way (Dany is not entirely immune from that, but there's much more to it), similar to how Ned is judgemental of Varys partly because he doesn't follow the Northern way. Meanwhile, as I showed above, Dany pays attention to the slaves and is able to make guesses as to where they came from because her history was that of a refugee who was forced to run away from her homeland as well. Of course her empathy runs deep and of course her desire to do something about the injustice she's perceiving runs deep. No one needs to remind her of her own history.

As @irrationalityi aptly puts, "dany is saying that while ser barristan may have an abstract knowledge that slavery is wrong, and a culturally ingrained distaste for it, she has lived it. she’s not angry at him because he is implying she is doing something morally wrong; she is angry because he is acting as if she doesn’t already know that. she is telling ser barristan that she is not the person the op believes she would be were it not for ser barristan; she is considering purchasing the unsullied because she believes she must to achieve her political aims, but she understands well what slavery is and the consequences of the decision she is trying to make–that for her to own a slave army would be a stain, not on her honor, but on her conscience and her moral character".

Also, if Dany once thought that marrying the Lhazareen women to the Dothraki was a good option, now she's able to acknowledge the injustice of being sold and feeling afraid in general. She no longer thinks that giving the slaves to a better master is a viable alternative, she'll free them altogether.

Which brings me to the way Dany talks about Drogo here. It's very interesting, and I want to make speculations tied to her characterization so far.

In Dany's very first chapter, we find out two things: Dany knows a) that her brother is ineffective and short-sighted and b) that she is a slave in all but name. Even so, she couldn't say these things out loud. In fact, her feelings about Viserys in her thoughts did not match those in her spoken words and actions. Later, something similar would happen with Drogo: she would no longer acknowledge that she was his slave, but rather see him as "the shield that kept her safe". In both cases, Dany avoids to look back and see the full picture and be consistent about her beliefs and opinions because it would hurt too much to challenge her two main sources of emotional support.

However, this eventually changes with Viserys. In AGOT Daenerys III, Jorah admits to Dany how he feels about Viserys - to him, he's "the shadow of a snake". With his support (not that I think Jorah himself wanted to guide her, far from that), Dany says it out loud for the first time in her life that she doesn't think Viserys will ever take back the Seven Kingdoms, not even if he had the military strength to do so. However, because she loves him, she still tries to rationalize his actions and see the better in him in the next chapter. Her goodwill ends after he threatens to kill her son, and she's much more aware of who he was in ACOK and ASOS.

As for Drogo... In ACOK Daenerys III, Jorah, in a vicious attempt to isolate Dany from other men, reminds her that Illyrio sold her to Khal Drogo, which was something hard for her to confront and acknowledge because she was still grieving for him.

In ASOS Daenerys II, however, Dany is able to articulate to Barristan that yes, she was sold and she did feel afraid and she won't let anyone talk about it as if she didn't know these things. I wonder if Jorah (unwittingly) helped her to put things in perspective here as well like he did with Viserys.

Anyway, Barristan is quick to apologize for what he said and Dany forgives him:

“Only lies offend me, never honest counsel.” Dany patted Arstan’s spotted hand to reassure him. (ASOS Daenerys II)

Because Dany admires his "good face" and "great strength", she seeks his counsel, which is why she'd asked him to accompany her to meet Kraznys and see the Unsullied:

The old man had not wanted to sail to Astapor; nor did he favor buying this slave army. A queen should hear all sides before reaching a decision. That was why Dany had brought him with her to the Plaza of Pride, not to keep her safe. Her bloodriders would do that well enough. Ser Jorah Mormont she had left aboard Balerion to guard her people and her dragons. Much against her inclination, she had locked the dragons belowdecks. It was too dangerous to let them fly freely over the city; the world was all too full of men who would gladly kill them for no better reason than to name themselves dragonslayer. (ASOS Daenerys II)

As we see in this passage above, Dany naturally acts like a leader by thinking of which purposes each person might better serve her and organizing them accordingly. She also leaves her children belowdecks, which was most likely the best choice. As she will learn in ADWD, there really are men who take it on themselves to be dragonslayers or, as she'll put it, "heroes".

Dany returns to the ship and Strong Belwas offers her dog meat, which she refuses because "all she could think of was the Unsullied and their stupid puppies". As @thatprettymuslimgirl's post and my addition show, dogs are associated with slavery in ASOS and will later be connected to Hizdahr, the nobles in general and the false peace in ADWD. I'm not really sure if GRRM was thinking about all of this (though he did write big chunks of ADWD Daenerys IX shortly after he finished ASOS), but it's subtext that makes it clear, along with everything else I've already analyzed above, that Dany is rejecting the slavers' way of thinking right away. She might try to make peace with them later, but only because she was tired of war and carnage; her anti-slavery stance was always clear and consistent.

When Jorah finds her, he asks how many Unsullied the Astapori have for sale and Dany responds irritated:

“None.” Was it Mormont she was angry with, or this city with its sullen heat, its stinks and sweats and crumbling bricks? “They sell eunuchs, not men. Eunuchs made of brick, like the rest of Astapor. Shall I buy eight thousand brick eunuchs with dead eyes that never move, who kill suckling babes for the sake of a spiked hat and strangle their own dogs? They don’t even have names. So don’t call them men, ser.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

Here, Dany recognizes that no human being should ever have to undergo the sort of systematic abuse and torture that the Unsullied were forced to experience in order to become as subservient as they are. Dany recognizes how dehumanizing and unacceptable that sort of treatment was for making them "like one man" meant for sale (or "not men" at all) - that's why she tells Jorah to not call them men: she asks that he doesn't erase their suffering and talk as if the way they were treated was, in any way, acceptable.

Jorah doesn't understand any of this, though. While his advice for Dany to go to Astapor ultimately paid off because of Dany's actions, we should remind ourselves that he did her no favor. I've already shown in another post how he still has no problem with slavery even after being exiled, and you can see that in the next passage below: he can't understand why would Dany be angry at him for advising her to go to Astapor to buy them nor why would she be appalled by how they are treated, so he tries to normalize the situation by focusing on how effective as a force they can be ("the Unsullied are chosen as boys, and trained..."). That's enough for Dany, who rightfully slaps him in the face:

“Khaleesi,” he said, taken aback by her fury, “the Unsullied are chosen as boys, and trained—”

“I have heard all I care to of their training.” Dany could feel tears welling in her eyes, sudden and unwanted. Her hand flashed up and cracked Ser Jorah hard across the face. It was either that, or cry.

Mormont touched the cheek she’d slapped. “If I have displeased my queen—”

“You have. You’ve displeased me greatly, ser. If you were my true knight, you would never have brought me to this vile sty.” If you were my true knight, you would never have kissed me, or looked at my breasts the way you did, or ... (ASOS Daenerys II)

She makes it clear here: if he were her true knight, he wouldn't have brought her to Astapor. (And that he forced a kiss on her and looked at her breasts without her consent makes her anger even more pronounced, rightfully so.) Thankfully, Dany is a true queen, but not because of him.

(Also, Barristan explicitly called Jorah a slaver in this chapter, and I wonder if that also heightened her rage in the exchange above, for she's realizing that he does, indeed, talk like a slaver.)

Jorah says that he'll ask Groleo to send them somewhere else (which does not get to the root of the problem), but Dany stops him. Now that she saw what she saw, she can't remain passive about it, she feels it in her guts that she needs to do something:

“As Your Grace commands. I shall tell Captain Groleo to make ready to sail on the evening tide, for some sty less vile.”

“No,” said Dany. Groleo watched them from the forecastle, and his crew was watching too. Whitebeard, her bloodriders, Jhiqui, every one had stopped what they were doing at the sound of the slap. “I want to sail now, not on the tide, I want to sail far and fast and never look back. But I can’t, can I? There are eight thousand brick eunuchs for sale, and I must find some way to buy them.” And with that she left him, and went below. (ASOS Daenerys II)

In this moment, we see that Dany wishes she could do what Barristan told her to do: go west and pretend she didn't see what she saw (hence why it's so ludicrous to argue that he convinced her to free the slaves). But she "must find some way to buy them" now, not just the amount of soldiers she needs, but all the "eight thousand brick eunuchs for sale". As I said it before, she is already thinking about how she might free them.

Dany refuses to become desensitized by slavery, which she instinctively notices is pervasive throughout the entire city:

She stood by the rail and looked out over Astapor. From here it looks almost beautiful, she thought. The stars were coming out above, and the silk lanterns below, just as Kraznys’s translator had promised. The brick pyramids were all glimmery with light. But it is dark below, in the streets and plazas and fighting pits. And it is darkest of all in the barracks, where some little boy is feeding scraps to the puppy they gave him when they took away his manhood. (ASOS Daenerys II)

Interestingly, even here, Dany already seems opposed to the fighting pits.

Jorah shows up and tries to relativize the morality of the situation: if she will spill blood in Westeros, why not here in Slaver's Bay? Dany responds:

“The blood of my enemies I will shed gladly. The blood of innocents is another matter. Eight thousand Unsullied they would offer me. Eight thousand dead babes. Eight thousand strangled dogs.” (ASOS Daenerys II)

While there is something to be said about the parallels between the slavers and the feudal lords and about the collateral damage that Dany will inevitably inflict on the smallfolk when she fights for her birthright (for she seems ignorant of it in this moment), overall, she is correct: you can't compare the attack against targeted combatants with the systematic attack against almost all of the city's population, save for the nobles.

Jorah remembers the human impact of the Sack of King's Landing and points out that the Unsullied will cause less damage than a normal army would, so they'd be useful if she wants to defeat "the Usurper's dogs" and spare lives at the same time.

Then Dany will question why the city, which lacks protection, has not been invaded by khalasars yet:

Dany gazed off at the soft colored lights and let the cool salt breeze caress her. “You speak of sacking cities. Answer me this, ser—why have the Dothraki never sacked this city?” She pointed. “Look at the walls. You can see where they’ve begun to crumble. There, and there. Do you see any guards on those towers? I don’t. Are they hiding, ser? I saw these sons of the harpy today, all their proud highborn warriors. They dressed in linen skirts, and the fiercest thing about them was their hair. Even a modest khalasar could crack this Astapor like a nut and spill out the rotted meat inside. So tell me, why is that ugly harpy not sitting beside the godsway in Vaes Dothrak among the other stolen gods?” (ASOS Daenerys II)

I've showed some signs above that Dany is already thinking of how to free the slaves and, if she wants to do so, she needs to gather information about the city's defenses. She makes questions that get to the point of the matter, as Jorah responds that a) anyone who would want to attack Astapor would have to face the Unsullied, who are renowned ever since what happened at the gates of Qohor, b) Meereen, Yunkai, Lhazar and the eastern hinterlands have no reason to attack the city and c) the Dothraki provide slaves to the Astapori slavers. If the latter give gifts to the Dothraki in turn, the horselords will find it more convenient to ride on rather than fight. What other function their captives would have if there aren't slavers to sell them to, after all? Dany wishes her situation in Westeros could be resolved as easily as that of the Astapori and the Dothraki (by offering gifts and not fighting).

Dany recalls her brother Rhaegar, her main source of inspiration:

“Prince Rhaegar led free men into battle, not slaves. Whitebeard said he dubbed his squires himself, and made many other knights as well.”

“There was no higher honor than to receive your knighthood from the Prince of Dragonstone.”

“Tell me, then—when he touched a man on the shoulder with his sword, what did he say? ‘Go forth and kill the weak’? Or ‘Go forth and defend them’? At the Trident, those brave men Viserys spoke of who died beneath our dragon banners—did they give their lives because they believed in Rhaegar’s cause, or because they had been bought and paid for?” (ASOS Daenerys II)

Of course, Dany never knew who Rhaegar really was, so these statements are about her leadership style and her moral system rather than his.

Once again, Jorah maintains his position: trying to be idealistic gets you killed. Playing dirty makes you win. It's not so different from Cersei's "when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die".

Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably, Rhaegar died. (ASOS Daenerys II)

Jorah didn't really know who Rhaegar was, so I don't think this sentence is necessarily reliable. The spirit of his advice is simple, however: Jorah is trying to normalize the training of the Unsullied and the existence of slavery in general as necessary evils if Dany is to win the game of thrones.

On the other hand, these words were also useful in another sense: sometimes you can't play by the rules if you intend to succeed, especially not if these rules and conventions and institutions treat other people as interchangeable objects to be sold and invalidate your sense of morality. Barristan's advice was also helpful, not in the sense that she should leave the city, but rather that she should not be a part of the slave trade. And so, like with Viserys and Drogo, she will find a solution that was informed by both of these men's advice while also being her own: by refusing to view the slaves as objects to be traded, Dany considered the deal illegitimate and sparked an abolitionist campaign that would influence an entire continent. In other words, Dany did not play by the rules (like Jorah advised), but not by compromising her moral principles, but because of her moral principles (like Barristan advised).

I got ahead of myself her, but I felt that this was the most appropriate place to try to grasp to which extent these men influenced Dany and to which extent she acted on her own.

Now let's go to ASOS Daenerys III. At this point, Dany has already devised her plan to free the Unsullied. She tells the Good Masters that she intends to buy all of them. To appease them, she shows more skin:

She had chosen a Qartheen gown today. The deep violet silk brought out the purple of her eyes. The cut of it bared her left breast. While the Good Masters of Astapor conferred among themselves in low voices, Dany sipped tart persimmon wine from a tall silver flute. She could not quite make out all that they were saying, but she could hear the greed. (ASOS Daenerys III)

Also, in order to show that she is not just a beggar queen and is actually capable to buy all of the Unsullied, Dany brings her khalasar and advisors with her:

Each of the eight brokers was attended by two or three body slaves ... though one Grazdan, the eldest, had six. So as not to seem a beggar, Dany had brought her own attendants; Irri and Jhiqui in their sandsilk trousers and painted vests, old Whitebeard and mighty Belwas, her bloodriders. Ser Jorah stood behind her sweltering in his green surcoat with the black bear of Mormont embroidered upon it. (ASOS Daenerys III)

Groleo told Dany that the fringe on the tokar indicates the social hierarchy amongst the masters, so she pays special attention to each master's fringe's tokar:

In this cool green room atop the pyramid, two of the slavers wore tokars fringed in silver, five had gold fringes, and one, the oldest Grazdan, displayed a fringe of fat white pearls that clacked together softly when he shifted in his seat or moved an arm. (ASOS Daenerys III)

GRRM is trying hard to show that Dany is doing what she is doing for selfless reasons. They tell her that she might get all of the 8600 Unsullied if she has enough gold, but not the 2000 that haven't been properly trained, because they don't want to risk losing their credibility in case the latter fails in the field. But Dany insists:

“Tell the Good Masters that I will want even the little ones who still have their puppies. Tell them that I will pay as much for the boy they cut yesterday as for an Unsullied in a spiked helm.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

If Dany was really doing what she was doing just for the sake of an army, she wouldn't have made that offer. Still, they say no.

Dany frowned in annoyance. “Very well. Tell them I will pay double, so long as I get them all.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

She says she'll pay double to get all of them. One of the slavers remind her that she isn't Queen of Westeros yet, so she should be certain if she has enough gold and trading goods to pay for them all. Dany replies that they should know that better than her, for they've inspected her ships. The Good Master says she would normally have enough resources to pay for 1000 of them, but only 500 if she'll pay double. One of them says she could give them her crown and get 100 of them, but she says no for personal reasons:

“My crown is not for sale.” When Viserys sold their mother’s crown, the last joy had gone from him, leaving only rage. (ASOS Daenerys III)

If you'll recall, she does the same thing back in ACOK Daenerys III. What she does differently here, on the other hand, is to put one of her children in jeopardy. Back in that same chapter, Dany describes the dragons as "all the difference" for her to eventually become more than a beggar queen, so the weight of the risk she's about to take is heavy.

Besides her crown, Dany won't sell neither her people nor her people's goods and horses, but she can offer Illyrio's three ships to the slavers. Now, they say she can buy 2000 Unsullied.

Have in mind that this was Jorah's advice back in ASOS Daenerys I:

“That is what you will find in Astapor, Your Grace. Put ashore there, and continue on to Pentos overland. It will take longer, yes ... but when you break bread with Magister Illyrio, you will have a thousand swords behind you, not just four.” (ASOS Daenerys I)

Now look at the scene from ASOS Daenerys III that we're in:

The fat Grazdan turned to the others. They conferred in low voices once again. “Two of the thousands,” the one with the spiked beard said when he turned back. “It is too much, but the Good Masters are being generous and your need is being great.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

If all Dany wanted was to get an army, she could have stopped right here. She already had twice the number of Unsullied Jorah originally advised her to buy. In fact, she could've stopped earlier when she offered "every bead of amber and jar of saffron", because they were worth 1000 Unsullied, but she chose to pay double if this meant that the masters would change their mind and give her all of the slaves, both Unsullied and untrained boys.

But she doesn't want an army, she wants to free every single Unsullied. This is why the next moment is so meaningful:

Two thousand would never serve for what she meant to do. I must have them all. Dany knew what she must do now, though the taste of it was so bitter that even the persimmon wine could not cleanse it from her month. She had considered long and hard and found no other way. It is my only choice. “Give me all,” she said, “and you may have a dragon.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

That Dany "had considered long and hard and found no other way" reveals two things:

It reveals that Dany already expected that her resources and ships wouldn't be enough for the slavers to close the deal and give her all of the slaves, so she was prepared to offer one dragon, hard as it would be to risk a child.

It reveals that Dany is willing to go to any length to free the slaves. She "found no other way"? Of course she had! Again, she could have left the city and hired mercenaries in the Free Cities as Barristan advised her, she could have bought 1000 Unsullied as Jorah advised her, she could have bought the 2000 Unsullied. But Dany feels that it is her moral duty to free all of these men. That's why "[t]wo thousand would never serve for what she meant to do"; that's why she "must have them all"; that's why Dany thinks that "[i]t is my only choice", just like Brienne thinks "[n]o chance, and no choice".

Barristan tries to intervene and to persuade Dany to take another course of action (and there are still people crediting him for Dany's choices, sigh), but she is determined and asks for Jorah to remove him. She waits for their answer, but she already knows what it will be:

She knew the answer, though; she could see it in the glitter of their eyes and the smiles they tried so hard to hide. Astapor had thousands of eunuchs, and even more slave boys waiting to be cut, but there were only three living dragons in all the great wide world. And the Ghiscari lust for dragons. How could they not? Five times had Old Ghis contended with Valyria when the world was young, and five times gone down to bleak defeat. For the Freehold had dragons, and the Empire had none. (ASOS Daenerys III)

For all that Dany is criticized for her lack of Westerosi historical knowledge, we see in moments like this that she is able to retain whatever facts she learns from other people (we don't know if Jorah, Barristan, Viserys or Groleo told her) and apply them to better contextualize and grasp the problems she encounters. In this case, I also imagine that the Qartheen's reactions to her dragons factored into her conjecture.

And so, as Dany expected, the deal is made - all of the Unsullied and the untrained boys for her in exchange for all her goods (save for her crown and clothes), the three ships and Drogon, the largest dragon, for them. Missandei is given as a gift to Dany.

Dany empathizes with Barristan, even if he still disrespected her authority in public:

Arstan Whitebeard held his tongue as well, when Dany swept by him on the terrace. He followed her down the steps in silence, but she could hear his hardwood staff tap tapping on the red bricks as they went. She did not blame him for his fury. It was a wretched thing she did. The Mother of Dragons has sold her strongest child. Even the thought made her ill. (ASOS Daenerys III)

Like she did in the previous chapter, Dany makes it clear to Barristan that she wants his advice, but she reminds him of her position as well:

“Whitebeard,” she said, “I want your counsel, and you should never fear to speak your mind with me ... when we are alone. But never question me in front of strangers. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Your Grace,” he said unhappily. 

“I am not a child,” she told him. “I am a queen.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

Barristan is frank and says that even queens can make mistakes, for a dragon is worth more than any army, as Aegon proved in the Field of Fire. Dany shows self-assurance by responding:

“I know what Aegon proved. I mean to prove a few things of my own.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

Then, Dany talks to Missandei one-on-one for the first time. Missandei is surprised to find that Dany is actually fluent in High Valyrian. Dany frees Missandei and explains that she will serve as a handmaid, cross another continent and face wars with her if she chooses to stay, which she does because she doesn't have better options. Unfortunately, that's something Dany still hasn't learned, but the next chapter will have her start to understand that very lesson.

Then they start talking about the Unsullied. Dany knows that Kraznys may have lied to impress her, so she makes a few questions to confirm the reliability of the information he gave her:

“Are these Unsullied truly fearless?”

“...Is it true they feel no pain?”

“And they are obedient?”

Missandei confirms everything Kraznys had previously told Dany - they really are fearless, they really feel no pain, they really are obedient.

Dany makes new questions from now on. First, what will she do with them once her war is over? Missandei suggests keeping them as watchmen, reselling them or even asking them to kill themselves. Second:

“If I did resell them, how would I know they could not be used against me?” Dany asked pointedly. “Would they do that? Fight against me, even do me harm?”

“If their master commanded. They do not question, Your Grace. All the questions have been culled from them. They obey.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

In the previous chapter, as I showed (waaay) above, Dany had asked Kraznys what would happen if an enemy (herself) offered the Unsullied freedom for betraying their master. Kraznys replied that the enemy (herself) would be killed for it.

Now, in the moment from ASOS Dany III above, Dany words the question differently: if the Unsullied were sold from one person (masters) to another (Dany), would they fight against their former owner? Missandei answers that they would and echoes Kraznys's words by emphasizing that they do not question, they obey.

It's also worth pointing out that Dany never reveals to be asking these questions for her own sake. In fact, she creates hypothetical situations to conceal the possibility that she might apply that knowledge against the masters. So, by gathering these two pieces of information, Dany now knows what she needs to do in order to begin a successful rebellion: she needs to wait for the transaction to be made and to be acknowledged as their new owner. Only then it'll be possible for her to rebel and offer the Unsullied freedom.

Later, Groleo has another argument with Dany, who is vehement about getting the Unsullied (for the noble reasons I've already discussed above):

“Magister Illyrio is not here,” she finally had to tell him, “and if he was, he could not sway me either. I need the Unsullied more than I need these ships, and I will hear no more about it.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

Dany calls her bloodriders and Jorah to her cabin.

Afterward she called her bloodriders to her cabin, with Ser Jorah. They were the only ones she truly trusted.

She meant to sleep afterward, to be well rested for the morrow, but an hour of restless tossing in the stuffy confines of the cabin soon convinced her that was hopeless. Outside her door she found Aggo fitting a new string to his bow by the light of a swinging oil lamp. Rakharo sat crosslegged on the deck beside him, sharpening his arakh with a whetstone. (ASOS Daenerys III)

Considering that the author emphasizes that "they were the only ones she truly trusted", shows Aggo and Rakharo preparing their weapons for the next day (and they will begin to attack the masters before the Unsullied do) and has Jorah telling Dany that the next day will be a difficult one, I assume she shared her plan with them to make sure it would work out.

Then, she goes up in deck, Jorah finds her and they have a powerful exchange in which Dany reflects on why she calls herself queen in the first place:

“Khaleesi. You ought to be asleep. Tomorrow will be hot and hard, I promise you. You’ll need your strength.” 

“Do you remember Eroeh?” she asked him.

“The Lhazareen girl?”

“They were raping her, but I stopped them and took her under my protection. Only when my sun-and-stars was dead Mago took her back, used her again, and killed her. Aggo said it was her fate.”

“I remember,” Ser Jorah said.

“I was alone for a long time, Jorah. All alone but for my brother. I was such a small scared thing. Viserys should have protected me, but instead he hurt me and scared me worse. He shouldn’t have done that. He wasn’t just my brother, he was my king. Why do the gods make kings and queens, if not to protect the ones who can’t protect themselves?”

“Some kings make themselves. Robert did.” 

“He was no true king,” Dany said scornfully. “He did no justice. Justice ... that’s what kings are for.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

These lines have already been analyzed in so many ways and quoted by so many people that I feel that I don't have anything new to add. I will quote @khaleesirin and myself to touch upon two particular aspects, however:

Dany’s storyline stands in contrast with the whole narrative surrounding the existence of The Others because when it comes to her, the realization we should be having is not that we need to gather / forge light (the heroes) to ready for a the fight against the real, ultimate darkness that’s about to come; Dany, as a hero and a revolutionary, came into view because in Arendtian terms, we have been, and are already in dark times. [...] There’s a reason why Dany’s character is so closely read as a revolutionary figure whose consciousness to fight for change, to end slavery, happens not because of her predetermined role, but because of the experiences she accumulated. (x)

Among her “contemporaries,” she’s the only one who actively sought for a universal sense of social justice, she’s the only one who actively appealed for the humanity of the repressed. (x)

The main takeaway is this: in terms of learning how to lead, Daenerys’ journey is not simply about how to be a ruler but on what grounds she should be ruling. (x)

What happened to Eroeh is not only something that fuels Dany’s anger and need for vengeance. It also fuels her desire to be just and fight for equality. This shows that negative feelings and sense of fairness can feed off each other (and let me be clear that the latter is a much stronger force on Daenerys). Dany had no agency once; she knows how that felt like. Now she, another rape victim to whom the narrative actually cares about giving a voice, will strive to give other people their agency because she can’t stand watching these injustices passively if she can do something about them. After what happened to me, this became so much more meaningful. She makes me feel like I can recover and succeed and be proactive too. (x)

Dany as a proactive hero is inspiring to me for the reasons expressed above:

She chose to fight for a cause that she had no any moral obligation to fight for nor any social ties to the group being oppressed (she transcended feudal loyalties before anyone else did) nor did she think she had a predetermined role to play. She did it all simply because her deep empathy and her own experiences as someone who's been oppressed before led to her development of a universal sense of social justice ("Why do the gods make kings and queens, if not to protect the ones who can't protect themselves?")

Also, as any marginalized group can tell you in real life, we're always met with human opposition like her cause was (unlike the Others' threat, which necessarily involves everyone, but no social movement ever managed to do that). We're angry and traumatized and scared. Dany had all of these feelings too, but she sublimated them into an abolitionist campaign. She is both relatable and a power fantasy. The scene above encapsulates all the key reasons why Dany's character, leadership and overall development matter so much to so many readers.

It's also worth noting that the chapter links Dany's anti-slavery crusade with the War for the Dawn, even if Dany is unaware of that.

Morning finally arrives. Like she did many times before, Dany restrains her emotions here in order to be respected, to be able to act as a political leader and to carry out her plan effectively:

If I look back I am lost, Dany told herself the next morning as she entered Astapor through the harbor gates. She dared not remind herself how small and insignificant her following truly was, or she would lose all courage. (ASOS Daenerys III)

In Qarth, Dany wore their gowns as a way to appease them, but then ultimately chose her Dothraki vests in the docks as her way to rebel against them and leave the city. In this chapter, she does the same: the Qartheen gown was used to flatter the slavers, but her "horsehair pants and painted leather vests" are her preferred option, signaling her choice of war and "honesty" and equality:

Today she rode her silver, clad in horsehair pants and painted leather vest, a bronze medallion belt about her waist and two more crossed between her breasts. Irri and Jhiqui had braided her hair and hung it with a tiny silver bell whose chime sang of the Undying of Qarth, burned in their Palace of Dust. (ASOS Daenerys III)

I don't think it's a coincidence that, in ADWD, Dany wears a tokar (which bears similar functions to those of the Qartheen gown; both are associated with adulation and falsehood and are villainized partly for being feminine-coded) while trying to find common ground with the slavers and then meets with the Dothraki at the end of the book when she decides to reject the peace. Both ACOK and ASOS already had Dany using Dothraki clothing for the purpose of revolting against socially established practices. It's also fitting because Dany's experiences with the Dothraki inform both her sense of equality and her leadership style.

To hammer home the parallels between Dany's choices of outfits in ACOK and ASOS, GRRM mentions the "Undying of Qarth" and also compares the Astapori with the Qartheen:

They are not so different from Qartheen after all, she thought. They want a glimpse of dragons to tell their children of, and their children’s children. It made her wonder how many of them would ever have children. (ASOS Daenerys III)

This passage also highlights a few things: by now, Dany knows that people are awed by her dragons and will try to look at them or even possess them if they can. It also foreshadows that her actions, righteous as they might be, will inevitably result in violence, for she doesn't know which of them will come out alive to have children.

Unlike the day before, now Dany is bringing her entire retinue. She organizes them in a conscious attempt to make them look more imposing than they really are:

She put the oldest and weakest on the inside of the column, with the nursing women and those with child, and the little girls, and the boys too young to braid their hair. The rest—her warriors, such as they were—rode outside and moved their dismal herd along, the hundred-odd gaunt horses that had survived both red waste and black salt sea. (ASOS Daenerys III)

Karmically speaking, Dany's rebellion begins in the most appropriate spot. The Plaza of Punishment, which was where slaves once suffered for trying to fight for their dignity, is now where a successful anti-slavery rebellion against the masters takes place:

The Plaza of Pride with its great bronze harpy was too small to hold all the Unsullied she had bought. Instead they had been assembled in the Plaza of Punishment, fronting on Astapor’s main gate, so they might be marched directly from the city once Daenerys had taken them in hand. There were no bronze statues here; only a wooden platform where rebellious slaves were racked, and flayed, and hanged. “The Good Masters place them so they will be the first thing a new slave sees upon entering the city,” Missandei told her as they came to the plaza.

At first glimpse, Dany thought their skin was striped like the zorses of the Jogos Nhai. Then she rode her silver nearer and saw the raw red flesh beneath the crawling black stripes. Flies. Flies and maggots. The rebellious slaves had been peeled like a man might peel an apple, in a long curling strip. One man had an arm black with flies from fingers to elbow, and red and white beneath. Dany reined in beneath him. “What did this one do?”

“He raised a hand against his owner.” (ASOS Daenerys III)

All the trade goods are brought forward to be exchanged for the Unsullied and Kraznys makes another nasty advice on how best to use them. Finally, Dany hands the end of Drogon's chain to Kraznys, who gives her the whip in turn. With the knowledge she extracted from Missandei and Kraznys, Dany is aware that she needs to be acknowledged as the Unsullied's owner if she wants them to fight for her. She makes questions to guarantee that the deal is done and makes it plain to the Unsullied that they are now hers:

“Is it done, then? Do they belong to me?”

“It is done,” he agreed, giving the chain a sharp pull to bring Drogon down from the litter. (ASOS Daenerys III)

She stood in her stirrups and raised the harpy’s fingers above her head for all the Unsullied to see. “IT IS DONE!” she cried at the top of her lungs. “YOU ARE MINE!” She gave the mare her heels and galloped along the first rank, holding the fingers high. “YOU ARE THE DRAGON’S NOW! YOU’RE BOUGHT AND PAID FOR! IT IS DONE! IT IS DONE!” (ASOS Daenerys III)

She prepared the ground very well. Now she is ready to atack. The slavers are unable to control Drogon, and Dany explains why:

“He will not come,” Kraznys said.

“There is a reason. A dragon is no slave.” And Dany swept the lash down as hard as she could across the slaver’s face. Kraznys screamed and staggered back, the blood running red down his cheeks into his perfumed beard. The harpy’s fingers had torn his features half to pieces with one slash, but she did not pause to contemplate the ruin. “Drogon,” she sang out loudly, sweetly, all her fear forgotten. “Dracarys.”

The black dragon spread his wings and roared. (ASOS Daenerys III)

Chaos ensues, the other two dragons are unchained, the Good Masters can only shove one another aside in panic and the Astapori demon-horned warriors are swiftly defeated by Dany's khalasar. Old Grazdan, the Good Master with the highest level of authority, tries in vain to order the Unsullied to attack Dany. The Mother of Dragons's leap of faith pays off and the Unsullied side with her instead:

The Unsullied did not so much as look down to watch him die. Rank on rank on rank, they stood.

And did not move. The gods have heard my prayer.

“Unsullied!” Dany galloped before them, her silver-gold braid flying behind her, her bell chiming with every stride. “Slay the Good Masters, slay the soldiers, slay every man who wears a tokar or holds a whip, but harm no child under twelve, and strike the chains off every slave you see.” She raised the harpy’s fingers in the air ... and then she flung the scourge aside. “Freedom!” she sang out. “Dracarys! Dracarys!”

“Dracarys!” they shouted back, the sweetest word she’d ever heard. “Dracarys! Dracarys!” And all around them slavers ran and sobbed and begged and died, and the dusty air was filled with spears and fire. (ASOS Daenerys III)

And the chapter ends triumphally. Dany is finally confident enough to throw the whip aside as the narrative links her draconic force to freedom.

#daenerys targaryen #asoiaf meta #dany and her choices #valyrianscrolls #a storm of swords

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becausetherearestars · 5 years

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A Glamour?

Chapter Seven of Lord Thanatos here

“To make matters worse,” Hadrian said, startling the occupants of the Dark Lord’s office from their silent thoughts. “My magic started manifesting at a really young age. Sirius told me I was showing signs of accidental magic before my first birthday. I never would have left the muggles alive if left in those circumstances normally, so Dumbledore had to make sure that I didn’t kill them. He bound 70% of my core, effectively stumping my ability to both keep myself alive and retaliate against my relatives. It was for the Greater Good of course,” Hadrian sneered.

“WHAT?” Hadrian was slightly surprised the enraged shout that rang through the room came from the Malfoy Lord. Lucius’ perfect pureblood demeanour was completely cast aside as he stood, silver eyes shining with righteous fury. Hadrian felt for sure Severus would be the first to start yelling, but the dark Potions Master was just staring at Hadrian, frozen in shock.

“70% of your core! 70%! You should be dead! How on earth are you alive right now? When did you unbind it? You have unbound it, right?” Lucius’ face was pink with the effort Hadrian assumed it took to stop from pacing as his rapid fire questions were thrown at the young Vampire.

“I honestly have no idea Lucius.” Hadrian said slowly, meeting the eyes of the Malfoy Lord. “I had managed to break through some of the binding on my own, so by the time I got to the Goblins this morning only 35% of my core was blocked. I have no idea why I was able to survive, let alone go through all the things I did a school without the full capacity of my magic available. The Goblins said my core must have been just large enough to sustain myself, but if I turned 17 without unbinding it, I probably would have died trying to come into my inheritance.”

“THIS MORNING!” Severus shot out of his chair, finally breaking out of his dazed state and rushing to kneel in front of Hadrian. He pulled out his wand and frantically cast diagnostic spells at the young man sitting in front of him. Oblivious to the amused glint in the Dark Lord’s eyes and the fond exasperation that shon out of Hadrian’s.

“Severus, the Goblins did that already,” he said quietly and looked deep into the eyes of the frantic Potions Master. “I’m perfectly fine now, clean bill of heath with the Goblin seal of approval.”

Severus stood, a pink tinge to his cheeks as he realised what he had done. “Um, well, yes,” he said, “you know I will be checking up on that.” He backed up until he reached the couch and sat down again, refusing to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. Hadrian took pity on the man and moved the conversation in another direction.

“I’m sure you all noticed I am a Vampire,” Hadrian said to the room. Barty was listening closely again, not having heard anything about his Lord’s creature inheritance yet. “I’m more than just your average Vampire though, I’m what they call a Living Vampire.”

Lucius and Barty looked impressed.

Severus looked overwhelmed and like he was completely unable to comprehend any more new information today.

Draco’s reaction was the most entertaining to Hadrian, and he tried to avoid letting the smug look on his face become too obvious. Lust was crashing out of his young mate in waves. Tom noticed too, of course, but Hadrian studiously ignored the Dark Lord’s snickering.

“When I got the potions and blocks purged from my system, my magic forced me into an early inheritance. I will live until Magic says I will live no more and I have a donor and a mate, who’s blood I will need to survive and who’s lives will be extended to match mine. When I find them and they accept me, that is.” Hadrian flashed a fanged smile at the room. “I have elemental magic and natural Occlumency abilities and I’m just generally stronger and faster than your average wizard.”

“Is that why you don’t look like the scrawny, emaciated little shit I’ve spent the last year teaching?” Severus asked, studying Hadrian with narrowed eyes.

“Ah, yes. That was partly due to the early inheritance, but also because I’m a full blooded metamorphmagus and I took off my glamour.”

“Your glamour?” Severus asked his face mirroring the inquisitive ones of both Malfoys sitting beside him.

A laugh from Barty caused all occupants of the office to look at him. “You guys are going to love this,” he said, giving Hadrian a look of complete adoration before turning back to the clueless in the room. “My Lord has been deceiving you all for such a long time, he truly is brilliant.”

A light blush coloured Hadrian’s cheeks and Tom looked at him with clear amusement on his face. Before this was all over, Tom would make sure Hadrian was able to own up to his brilliance without the need to feel embarrassed and flattered. He was brilliant, of course he was. He was Tom’s horcrux. His equal.

“When did all this start?” Draco asked Hadrian. A little unsure about whether he should be insulted about being deceived or not. He guessed not because, now that he thought about it, Hadrian really had no reason to trust him. The fact that he was telling him now should be enough for the young Malfoy. And, truthfully, it was.

“If I’m completely honest with you all, it started when I got my Hogwarts letter,” Hadrian said thoughtfully. “I had spent my whole life being told I was a freak who’s drunken parents died in a car crash and then suddenly I’m thrust into a world where I’m famous for vanquishing the Dark Lord Voldemort and my parents were war heroes who died tragically protecting me.

Taking a long swig from his glass, Hadrian leaned back in his seat, crossed one leg over the other and continued. “I got that first letter and immediately knew my despicable Aunt and Uncle had known all along exactly who and what I was. I’ll be the first to tell you that whole family is lacking in the required number of brain cells for proper rational thought, so I figured they had to have some outside help with their lies.”

Severus snorted. He knew Petunia Dursley nee Evans and he had to agree, there was no abundance of brain cells in her horse-like head. In fact, he would have attributed the lack of intelligence Potter seemed to display to her influence, had the old coot ever seen fit to inform him where he placed the boy all those years ago.

“So,” Hadrian continued, “when Hagrid picked me up and started spouting nonsense about all the fantastical bullshit the great Albus Dumbledore has ever done, I knew it was something to do with him and I haven’t trusted him since.”

“The sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, it said I would be ‘great’ there, but after all the anti-slytherin propaganda I received from Hagrid and Weasley, and Draco’s astoundingly shit first attempt at making friends,” Hadrian teased, winking at the blushing Malfoy heir, “I figured I wasn’t going to do myself any favours being in the house of snakes and managed to convince the hat to put me anywhere else. It chose Gryffindor.”

“You’ve been a hidden snake all along?” Draco asked, wondering just how Slytherin the young man in front of him really was. Hadrian kept getting better and better in Draco’s eyes and he was astoundingly perturbed at the thought Hadrian had a mate somewhere out there, waiting for him to share his life with them.

“Yes, they’ve, that’s Dumbles, the Weasleys, Granger and the Order, have been trying to dictate my life with absolutely no success since I was eleven. They’ve given me everything I could possibly need to make their lives a living hell and win the war for the Dark without Voldie-pants here having to lift a finger.”

“Tom and I have been working together since my first year and he’s been sending me nutrient and healing potions since he found out about my life at the Dursleys at the end of second year. I’ve been glamouring the progress it’s made on my body and just taking it off made me look different enough. Thanks for that, by the way Severus.”

“That’s what they were for?” Severus asked, having been making an abundance of those potions for his Lord for years even when the Dark Lord had no visible reason for them.

“Yes, Severus. You have been unwittingly helping Hadrian here for years,” Tom said snickering at the look of shock on Severus’ face.

“That’s probably why the vow hasn’t acted up,” Severus muttered to himself.

“And what vow is that exactly, Severus,” Tom said, his voice dripping with barely concealed threat.

“I - Ah,” Severus started, his face paling once more. Hadrian began to think they should wrap this up for the night fairly shortly, for nothing if not Severus’ blood pressure. “I made a vow to both Lily Potter and Dumbledore to protect Harry Potter with my magic and life.” Severus was worried about his Lord’s reaction, not for making the vow, but for not disclosing this information sooner.

“I see,” Tom said. “We shall be talking about this at a later date Severus. It is a good thing Hadrian is to be protected with your life no matter what side your on now, isn’t it?”

Severus’ quiet “yes, my Lord” caused Hadrian to break out of his temporarily dazed state. “So many things make more sense now!” he said to the room. Ignoring the questioning looks from Barty especially, Hadrian sat back to think for a moment. “You’ll all find out when the rest of my wolves get here and we talk to Rita.”

“Your wolves?” Lucius asked, moments before Draco attempted to ask the same question.

“Ah, yes, my inner circle.” Hadrian said with a smirk. “You’ll meet them all tomorrow morning.”

Taking the opportunity to retire, Hadrian stood up. Barty stood with him, surprising everyone but the Tom with his action. “Barty and I better go write those letters Tom, I’ll see you all for breakfast in the morning,” Hadrian said, making eye contact with Draco as he added, “sleep well.”

The Vampire Lord left the office followed by an obedient Barty, leaving behind a blushing young Malfoy and three amused wizards.

#fanfiction #harry potter #draco malfoy #harry x draco #lord voldemort #severus snape #lucius malfoy #lord thanatos

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butsomeofusarelookingatthestars · 7 years

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Could u please do an imagine where ur Luke's wife and he meets his old best friend (female) and it's been ages since they've seen each other but she doesn't like u and tries saying some mean things about u to him and gets super protective because u feel really sad??

My Girl

Fandom: Criminal MindsPairing: Luke Alvez x ReaderPrompt: Request

Description: As far as Luke is concerned you’ll always be his priority.

You laughed softly as Luke rushed past you, desperate to rescue his lasagne from the oven before it became overcooked. He had always been fussy about his cooking – a utter perfectionist in the kitchen.

Given the important guest that would be arriving any moment now, you could understand his determination to get every aspect of the night faultless.

His childhood best friend was visiting the city and he had been overjoyed, not only at the prospect of reuniting with them but to also introduce you to her. Lisa had been unable to attend your wedding and the two of them hadn’t seen each other since just before Luke had joined the FBI.

You were openly excited to meet Lisa. Luke had told you a lot of wonderful things about her. She seemed the perfect fit for him – outgoing, intelligent with a good sense of humour.

In all honesty, it was nice to finally meet one of Luke’s old friends who was a female. He had already introduced you to a lot of his pals from the rangers. Despite how much you got along with them all, there was only so much of drunken reunions you could take.

Besides Luke seemed so happy when he had announced she was visiting. It lifted your heart to see your husband’s bright smile – naturally, you were intrigued to meet the woman behind it.

A loud knock on the door prompted Luke to pull you over to the door, pressing a playful kiss on your lips to reassure your nerves. His lips curved upwards into a small smirk as he opened the door.

Before either of you could open your mouth in greeting, Lisa flew through the door. You stood to the side as she threw her arms around Luke’s neck, almost jumping into his arms as she pulled him close. You naively smiled at the scene pleased to see the two friends reunited.

Luke managed to escape her hold, smiling as he placed a hand on your back and guided you over to Lisa.

“Y/N this is Lisa.” You smiled at her as you kindly outstretched your hand, you figured that she may not feel comfortable with an embrace. “Lisa this is my wife Y/N.”

She accepted your hand, a small grimace on her face as Luke mentioned the word wife. But you shook it off, you were probably just imaging things. Perhaps she had a long journey and was just exhausted.

“It’s great to finally meet you. Luke’s told me all about you.” You warmly complimented her, flashing her a soft smile. Despite the sincerity in your voice, her brow furrowed slightly as if she were unpleased by your kind words.

A small smirk played on her lips as she glanced up at Luke curiously, raising her eyebrows at him. “I hope he hasn’t.”

Even though you would have usually laughed at similar comments, there was something about the almost vengeful tone and her intimidating composure that made you shift uncomfortably. Then when she reached up to stroke Luke’s arm, batting her eyelashes at him, you knew instantly that she didn’t particularly like you.

But she was Luke’s friend and she was a guest in your home. So, you were determined to try your best to make her welcome. If she was an important person to Luke, you would put up with a little unfriendliness. After all, sometimes people just didn’t get along and you perfectly comfortable and secure enough in your relationship to handle another woman flirting with Luke.

The one thing you were confident in was that he loved you and would always treat you with respect.

Luke seemed a little dazed by her attention, his eyes drifting to you for apparent guidance. You just smiled encouragingly, the last thing you wanted was to come between him and a loved one. He seemed to shake off his slight bewilderment, plastering a bright smile onto his face as he ushered Lisa inside your apartment.

“I’ve made us lasagne.” He told her proudly, grinning in anticipation of her reaction. It had always been her favourite dish when they were younger and he had specifically chosen it with her in mind.

“Oh, you did?” She asked, her eyes darting to you. It felt as if she were flashing you a hostile glare. Surely, she wasn’t? You were probably just being paranoid. However, her next words undoubtedly cemented her dislike for you.

“I would have thought your wife would have made dinner.” There was a smile on her face, but you could tell there was no warmth behind it.

You shifted uncomfortably, folding your arms across your chest protectively. It was hard not to get openly offended by her rudeness now. That particular comment had stung a lot considering you found it derogatory and sexist.

Luke looked completely perplexed by her behaviour. Things were starting to get awkward quickly. So, he just cleared his throat.

“I don’t know why you would think that Lisa.” He replied, a bewildered smile on his face. “You know how much I love to cook.”

You felt extremely grateful for his attempt to lighten the tension that was filling the room.

“I guess.” She shrugged casually, rolling her eyes at his words. You struggled to bit your tongue, forcing yourself to remember the bright smile on Luke’s face when he had found out his best friend was visiting. He was worth putting up with Lisa.

He murmured that he had to check on the kitchen, assuring you both that he would be back momentarily. You reluctantly turned around to face Lisa, forcing a smile onto your face.

“So, do you work at bureau with Luke?” She asked quietly. You felt extremely exposed under her inquisitive eyes, it felt as if she were judging you.

“Oh no.” You told her, injecting a cheerfulness into your voice that didn’t match how you were currently feeling. “I’m a teacher.”

She seemed to look disgruntled with the revelation.

“Oh, that’s strange. But I guess I should’ve guessed.”

You tried to conceal the look of dejection on your face. There was something about her tone that assured you that her problem was entirely personally when it came to you. You just didn’t know what you had done to earn her ire.

“I mean, you don’t strike me as the bold type.” She told you, her glare hardening as she looked you up and down.

You stared at her in disbelief. There was no doubt in your mind now that she severely disliked you. She had made that much clear. But she continued to spew hurtful words – seemingly wanting to air her issues with you despite the fact you had only just met.

“I wouldn’t have imagined Luke with…” She paused for a moment, a slight smirk playing on her lips as she took in your appearance. “-someone like you.”

It was perhaps the rudest thing anyone had ever said to you in your life. You didn’t even know how to respond to the insult. Her apparent hatred for you had rendered you speechless.

In your heated moment you had forgotten all about Luke.

“You don’t come into our home and speak to my wife like that.”

You had rarely heard him sound so angry. In fact, the only time you could imagine him speaking to someone forcefully was as an FBI agent interrogating an unsub. Apparently, Lisa’s nasty verbal assault on you had inspired his protective instincts to kick in.

She opened her mouth to protest, muttering about how he had misunderstood her. But Luke interrupted her by raising a firm hand in her direction, his other one wrapping around your waist tightly as he pulled you close to his side.

“No Lisa.” He glanced at her sadly, the rage quietening in his eyes as he took in her fuming form. “You’re not the person I remember.”

She didn’t respond, only glaring at the two of you stood side by side. The fury in her eyes only seemed to grow as Luke murmured soothing reassurances in your ear. It seemed to enrage her enough for her to angrily hiss that they had “clearly grown apart”, before flouncing out – slamming the door behind her.

Roxy came trotting out from the bedroom to investigate the disturbance. She had been encouraged by Luke to remain in the room because of Lisa’s dog phobia. You laughed softly as the adorable dog came up to nuzzle your hand affectionately.

“It looks like a much pleasanter guest will be joining us for dinner.” You commented, grinning as Luke chuckled warmly.

You placed a hand at the back of his neck as you captured his lips in a gentle kiss. “Thank you. I know that can’t have been easy for you to do.”

To your surprise he grinned cheekily in response to your words, wrapping his arms around your waist tightly as he closed the space between your two bodies.

“What are you talking about? I always stand up for my girl.”

#criminal minds #luke alvez #criminal minds imagine #luke alvez x reader #luke alvez imagine #requests

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go-imagine-it · 7 years

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The Bad Guy - Sherlock x Reader

My first addition to the new blog!

Prompt 81: “Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy”

Word Count: 1660

Warnings: None

You hadn’t worked for Scotland Yard for long, but you felt like you were already getting the hang of it. As the new Head of Forensic Investigations, you’d also had the pleasure of meeting a few of the staff.

First off was Greg Lestrade, the Detective Inspector and therefore your boss. He seemed like a good guy; he had his head screwed on, even if it didn’t seem that way occasionally when he got frustrated and started kicking random objects across the floor. However, he had treated you with respect and welcomed you as though already a friend, which you appreciated greatly after moving to a completely new area and not knowing anyone else.

Next was Philip Anderson. You hadn’t quite figured him out yet. Along with his mousy features, he seemed intelligent and, when doing his job, worked well and got the results he needed. But he couldn’t stop himself from making snide comments about coworkers and was constantly trying to flirt with you, unaware of your near-disgust towards his approaches. He clearly had an issue with boundaries. Also, you were almost one hundred percent certain that he was cheating on his wife with the Detective Sergeant Donovan. The glances and hushed conversations between them did not go unnoticed.

Sergeant Sally Donovan was, again, quite a character. Although friendly to you, she carried the air of a person who felt as though they were better than those she had to be around, instantly making her someone you couldn’t see yourself being friends with. Of course, she didn't want you to see that side of her, so tried to hide it behind fake smiles and dull conversation.

Everyone else at Scotland Yard who you’d been able to meet in the first few weeks were friendly and tried to make you feel comfortable, so you were somewhat disappointed when you realised you’d have to spend so much time with Anderson and Donovan. At least you had Greg to keep you sane.

There was one person, however, that you definitely didn’t want to meet. He was a man that no-one seemed to stop talking about even though it sounded like they all hated him. On your very first day, Anderson had told you about him; how rude, manipulative and unwanted he was at Scotland Yard, but how Greg refused to listen when he was told that he shouldn’t be allowed to continue helping with investigations.

When Donovan had overheard the conversation, she began listing off endless things about him that she despised and that you should be careful of: previous drug addiction (but she was sure he was still using), a complete disregard for others, insolence, arrogance. The list went on, and by the end of it, you were sure that you never wanted to cross paths with him.

This is why you stopped in your tracks when a murder investigation came to a halt and Greg told you that he had called in someone in from the outside. You knew what that meant. He was coming. Up until now your forensic knowledge and skill had been enough to solve every case given to you, but this time something was off and you just couldn’t put your finger on what it was.

You were at the crime scene having just taken off your blue examination suit when Greg came up to you and gave you the news. He was your boss and you weren’t about to argue, you needed all the help you could get, but you couldn’t deny the uneasy feeling that settled in your stomach caused by everything you had been told about the man.

It was around 15 minutes later when a taxi pulled pulled up outside the house where the body was found, and you watched from the open front door a tall, curly-haired man emerge. You had decided to show no fear; you were a professional, and you could act like one even if you were feeling apprehensive. It was your job. You could do this.

As he drew nearer, you noticed the high cheekbones and slight scowl that he was wearing on his face. His pale skin was void of any imperfections and the long black coat wrapped around him was carried by the wind around his legs. This was not the man you were expecting. Nevertheless, as he reached you you stuck out your hand for him to shake. Before you could even get a word out to introduce yourself, he cut you off.

“I know who you are.”

He spoke without stopping his stride, ignoring your outstretched hand and giving you a quick look up and down to read you as he passed, leaving you in stunned silence. You had also been told how he could know everything about someone from a glance, and so now you felt bare in front of him as he walked away swiftly to the crime scene. Realising you still had your hand out, you mentally shook yourself and followed him inside.

As you entered the room again, being careful not to touch anything as you had taken off your sterile clothing, you caught the look of complete disgust shared between Anderson and Donovan as they caught sight of the newest addition to the investigative team. Donovan turned to Greg.

“I didn't know you were inviting the freak today.” The words were laced with poison. “Give it a rest, Donovan” Greg replied. “I’m sick of this, outsiders aren’t supposed to know about Scotland Yard cases, let alone a freak like him.” You couldn’t believe your ears as Anderson snickered and Greg just rolled his eyes and ignored her, obviously used to this, turning around to watch the recipient of cruel words as he examined the body. The man in question was now wearing white gloves and using a small magnifier to look more closely at the scalp of the victim, moving the hair aside to get a better look.

You waited for him lash out back at Donovan, but he just ignored her and got on with what he came here to do. After only a couple of minutes, he stood up straight and looked to Greg, about to give him his conclusion when he was interrupted.

“So have you killed anyone yet freak or are you just waiting for a special occasion?” Donovan spat her words at him as though she wanted them to physically hurt him, and you noticed that Anderson was barely concealing his laughter. You couldn’t believe the way he was being spoken to; surely he couldn’t be so bad that he deserved this kind of verbal abuse? But again, you stayed silent.

“Donovan, why don’t you worry about the earring you left behind at Anderson’s house last night instead of wasting your limited intellect attempting to insult me. It must have fallen off while you were, what’s the right excuse this time, doing the washing up? A vital meeting perhaps? Or maybe Anderson didn’t even bother to give his wife an excuse this time. Greg, I really do think you should reconsider the kind of ignoramuses you allow at Scotland Yard. As for the case, it was the brother, I’ll email you the details.”

That was when he turned to you, making you stand a little straighter as he studied your face. He took a few steps closer until he was stood right in front of you, before starting to speak more quietly in his baritone voice.

“And you.” He paused for a few seconds.

“Maybe you shouldn’t listen to everything Donovan and Anderson tell you.” Looking towards them and then back at you once more, he left. The silence in the room was palpable, and before you knew what you were doing, you followed him outside.

“Wait!” You called, before he could hail a taxi. He stopped trying to wave one down, but still stood facing away from you. Stopping beside him, you could only think of one thing to say.

“Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy.” You looked up at his face, a face of unmoving stone.

“Maybe I am.” He sounded almost dejected by this point, the confident bravado he’d had inside the house gone, hidden behind something else.

This wasn’t the man that was described to you; this man was clearly astoundingly intelligent, could read people as if all their secrets were laid out in front of him and had a wickedly fast wit. It became no wonder to you why he was disliked so much by certain members of the team, but you began to realise that most of the animosity stemmed from jealousy. You had judged him before meeting him, and felt instantly guilty.

“Even if you’re not right about it being the brother…” you saw him roll his eyes and shake his head at you a little, making you stop in your tracks to do the same at him, amused. “…you are right about one thing.”

“And what might that be?” He asked you, a fleck of sarcasm lacing his voice.

“I think I need to stop listening to Donovan and Anderson.” You couldn’t help breaking out into a smile, and when you looked up at him again, he was doing the same, expelling air from his nose, a slight laugh on his lips.

As he stuck out his arm for a passing taxi, it began to slow to a stop. But before he got in, he turned to face you properly, raising his hand for you to finally shake.

“It was a pleasure to meet you Y/N.’

“You too, Mr Holmes.”

“Please, call me Sherlock.” You couldn’t help the small smile on your face, and neither could he.

He held your gaze for a few more moments, that slight frown once again appearing on his face, before shaking himself out of whatever he had been caught in. Nodding and releasing your hand, he climbed into the taxi, and was gone.

#sherlock #sherlock imagine #sherlock prompt #sherlock x reader #sherlock x reader imagine #fic #go-imagine-it

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kuriquinn · 7 years

Text

An Inch of Gold [11/?]

General Disclaimer

This chapter has been beta-read by: Sakura’s Unicorn

Sasuke hasn’t gone far.

He isn’t sure whether it’s because some logical part of his brain knows it would be a bad idea, or because the feeling in his legs is disappearing. He doesn’t really care, either; there’s too much that he’s trying to wrap his brain around, not least of which being that, apparently, his future child hates him. He can’t deal with that reality just yet, though, because one notion has pushed to the forefront of his mind and is blaring at him in fiery characters.

It isn’t Sakura.

The person he will one day kill to gain the Mangekyō Sharingan which will allow him to defeat his brother and ensure he can safely restore his clan. The person whose only crime will be that he cares for them most in the world.

Not. Sakura.

She will live.

The relief is palpable. Bewilderingly so, actually.

He’s never been completely indifferent to the girl. She’s simply been relegated to a place in his mind where he puts everything he intends to deal with after he kills Itachi. Whatever he might feel toward her now is irrelevant, or so he insists. It’s the same thing he tells himself whenever anyone starts to get close, even if he sometimes forgets.

And it’s just further proof that keeping himself distant from Sakura is the best. Perhaps that’s why she lives.

Based on what he’s experiencing now—a weight lifted from his shoulders and a warmth in his chest—he hasn’t kept as much distance as he thought. His squad, especially Sakura, have come to mean more to him than he will ever admit out loud.

True, she’s damned annoying.

He can’t even remember her before she was trying to conceal her crush on him. And then when she wasn’t. If she just didn’t make a huge deal about it, he might willingly spend time with her. Strictly speaking, she’s the only one on the team whose intelligence is on the same level as his. It wouldn’t be so bad, spending time with a person who could actually discuss topics that go beyond the realm of ramen or erotic fiction.

There’s also the small matter of her being slightly terrifying (he will never, ever, admit this). Sakura’s temper is on a hair-trigger, and Sasuke’s very glad that Naruto is the one she beats on, because he’s seen the bruises. If the moron didn’t have the lucky ability to heal quickly, he’d be in the hospital every other week. Sasuke has enough mental and emotional scarring in his life, he’s fine without adding physical abuse to the pile.

But beyond those minor quirks, Sakura is likeable.

She’s the only truly innocent person he knows. Unlike the rest of Team 7, she has no dark past or horrifying secret. She has never known loss, has never truly hated anyone in her life. No matter the situation, she exudes an aura of approachability that Sasuke could never achieve even with years of practice. Her temper aside, Sakura’s gentleness and kindness are something that make him and Naruto want to protect her from being taken advantage of.

Which is why it makes sense that both he and Naruto, who hides his crush even worse than Sakura does, are both drawn to her, in their own ways.

Except, as it turns out, one day, it will just be Sasuke. One day, that kind, bright girl is going to be his. She will, inexplicably, wait for him to finish his hunt for Itachi, agree to marry him, and then help him restore his—

Sasuke goes rigid. A rush of warmth floods his cheeks and the back of his neck as the implications of this knowledge hit him.

They have a daughter. Possibly other children.

There’s only one way for that to happen, which means he and Sakura, one day, will…

Sasuke can’t help the convulsive swallow of realisation. It’s years before he really needs to worry about that sort of thing, but perhaps he should speak to Kakashi about…practical concerns.

No, scratch that. Kakashi would probably hand him that stupid book of his.

Who the hell is he supposed to talk to about this?

It’s a good thing Sasuke doesn’t make a habit of acknowledging Sakura more often, because he will have a hard time looking her in the eye from now on. Embarrassment aside, he can’t help but feel…hopeful. For the first time in his life—since he can remember, anyhow—a part of him is looking forward to the future.

Only for a second, though because there is a very real, very inescapable truth looming up behind his recent discovery. That he won’t have to kill the girl he (possibly, probably, but will never admit to!) has feelings for. That there’s still someone out there. Someone whom he will kill to destroy Itachi.

Which raises a whole other issue because who else is there?

He isn’t friends with, or even close to, any of the other kids from their Academy year. As for the adults, he doesn’t really interact with them.

Perhaps he meets someone new in the future?

Except…that makes no sense. He doesn’t crave friendships the way he knows his teammates do. He would never go out of his way to become close to someone. Unless…

Unless he does? Does his future self seek out someone to be close to just for the sake of murdering them one day?

It’s what Itachi would do.

All the warm feelings Sasuke had moments ago are gone now, replaced with a sinking sensation. It’s the same nausea he experienced when he believed it was his destiny to murder Sakura.

If it’s true, and he becomes as cold and calculating as his brother, why would Naruto ever respect him the way Sarada says he does? Why would Kakashi—apparently, the future Hokage—permit someone like that to stay in Konoha? After all, those who betray the people who are precious to them are scum.

And why would Sakura wait for him?

It’s enough that she’s apparently willing to forgive him the fact he will kill his own brother. What does it say about her that she would forgive him for manipulating another person into a close relationship just so that he can kill them? Either she has a secret sociopathic side to her (he dismisses this at once), possesses an impossible—even insane—capacity for forgiveness, or he doesn’t tell her.

Which would explain some of the things Sarada has said. The girl—and it’s still next to impossible to see her as his daughter—has mentioned knowing nothing about his past. The Sasuke of the future apparently hasn’t even explained the Uchiha Massacre to her. What’s to say he also chooses not to tell Sakura what he did—will do—to kill his brother?

The notion is at odds with what Sasuke imagines marriage is supposed to be like. He only had a few short years with his parents, but their partnership was seamless. He knows that there were no secrets between his mother and his father, that they respected each other. In many ways, they provided as strong a team to one another as any active three-man squad. His mother attended every clan meeting with Sasuke’s father, mediated disputes between neighbours on his behalf, and helped him with paperwork. When she wasn’t caring for Itachi and himself, of course.

She once told him of conversations she had with his father about topics neither of them ever mentioned in his presence, so obviously, they communicated somehow.

Except Sasuke remembers nothing spoken.

There were times he witnessed what looked like entire conversations between the two. Given the fact neither of them ever said a word, he’s not sure they were actual conversations, but it seemed like it…

Is his marriage to Sakura going to be one based on secrets? If so, Sarada’s declaration that he’s a disappointment rings far truer than he’s comfortable with.

But he’s getting ahead of himself. Sasuke wills himself to ignore the convoluted mess of thought and emotion trying to take up residence in his brain. Right now, all that matters is the mission—find an exit, find Sarada’s teammates, and stop this whatever that’s mucking around with time. Then he can safely forget all the complicated stuff and leave it to his future self.

He experiences only a modicum of guilt at that idea; in his view, his future self already has a hell of a lot more than he has. Let him deal with unpleasant truths and conversations. Right now, Sasuke prefers to deal with problems that he can either reason out or punch—not necessarily in that order.

The world filters back into his perception, no longer blocked by messy or complicated notions. He attempts to concentrate on anything but those thoughts—such as the subtle way heat radiates upward from the ground; the whistle of air through the many tunnels which is occasionally interrupted by a scraping, echoing rhythm; or just the smell of the earth. Anything but the—

Anything but the girl that he will marry one day.

“You can’t say that!” he hears Sakura hiss at Sarada.

“Why not?” Sarada challenges. “It’s not like you’re going to say it, even though you obviously want to.”

Sakura scowls at this.

It’s true, she’s torn between defending Sasuke’s character and running after him to make sure he’s all right. While her inner-self grumbles that Sarada didn’t go far enough, she can’t help worrying that the girl’s harsh words might have cut deep.

She knows how Sasuke takes things related to his family to heart. Naruto does as well, and when she glances at him, she sees the conflict in his features as well. Sasuke just insulted him, which isn’t new, but this may be the first time someone outside of Team 7—a technical stranger at that—stood up for him.

Moral grey area or not, however, she doesn’t like how Sarada behaved and something tells her it’s her duty to point that out.

“You are a hypocrite,” she tells the girl plainly. “Saying things like that to Sasuke, yet you haven’t known him for more than a few hours!” Sarada opens her mouth to protest, but Sakura keeps going. “He might be your father one day, but right now, he’s some kid you don’t even know. Would you go up to a stranger and say things like that? Your mother—whoever she is—would be ashamed of you!”

Sarada’s anger fades instantly. In fact, the speed with which she looks contrite and chastised almost makes Sakura take a step back.

“Fine,” she says after a deep breath. “I’ll…talk to him.” She makes a move to follow Sasuke, but adds over her shoulder, a little sulk in her voice, “But I’m not apologising. Because I was right.”

She hurries on ahead, leaving Sakura even more mystified than she was when Sasuke didn’t snap back at Sarada.

Naruto rubs a hand through his hair, expression bemused. “I’d better make sure they don’t kill each other.” He blinks once, mentally going over that statement in his head, and then sniggers. “Wow, I never thought I’d ever say that.”

“You and me both,” Sakura agrees and lets him go. There’s no use in her checking on Sasuke if his future child and his best friend are there to do it. More and more, she’s realising just how superfluous she is, and it’s not a pleasant feeling.

Not the only unpleasant feeling, she decides, becoming aware that she is being watched. Indeed, her sensei is considering her from his position on Bull’s back.

Once again, Kakashi finds himself in the role of having to console a distraught teenaged girl. He would’ve thought he was done with this sort of thing years ago, but it keeps cropping up. It might not a comrade’s death he’s dealing with, but it’s still a young girl who believes her heart is broken.

While it’s tempting to tell Sakura about Sarada, he knows better. Especially with the way today is going. Sakura cares so deeply, with her entire heart; if she knew, she’d just overexcite herself, or do something foolhardy.

He’s still trying to evaluate whether that’s something he has to worry about from Sasuke.

“You’ll be all right,” he tells her instead. “You’re more than the person you care about, you know.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Sakura tells him with a tiny, untrue smile.

“Do what?”

“Try to cheer me up. Naruto did that already.”

“He’s worried about you. I am, too.”

Sakura sighs. “Everyone is so worried about me. It’s nice and all, but I’ll get over it. It’s not like I’m surprised. I mean, we’re thirteen. And I’m not from a prestigious bloodline, like Sasuke and Sarada. Or Naruto now, considering the whole ‘Fourth Hokage’ thing. The odds were never good. I knew that. I’ve been calculating probabilities since I knew how.”

“Sakura—”

“You shouldn’t be talking,” she goes on. “You should be concentrating on healing and getting us out of here. Which, you know, I kind of want to do today at some point.”

“Talking isn’t going to make me pass out,” Kakashi points out wryly.

“Yeah, okay. Well…I can be better at keeping my feelings in check. I don’t need your pity.”

“I’m not pitying you.”

“Then you should be checking up on Sasuke,” she replies, a hint of iron in her voice. She doesn’t want to discuss this. Which Kakashi understands—they’re in a cave where things tend to echo. While Sasuke might be preoccupied with his (more bizarre than usual) family drama, he will (hopefully) put that aside for the mission. Sakura doesn’t want to take the chance of him listening in, worried that he will judge her for her feelings.

“He’s probably dealing with information overload right now,” she continues, insightful as usual. “I bet he doesn’t even know what to do with it. Besides, I know you don’t like me as much as you like the boys, so consider this your free pass, okay?”

Logically, Kakashi should take this as an out. The ninja life is not easy on those who have deep feelings. At the same time, he’s struck painfully by the idea that Sakura believes he doesn’t like her. Or that he doesn’t value her as he does the boys.

“You’re wrong,” he tells her. “You might not be as strong as they are now, but you can always get stronger. You have a lot of potential and a lot of determination to succeed. Or at least I thought so up until this moment.” He raises an eyebrow at her. “Beyond that, you’re a lot less emotionally damaged than your teammates. Don’t know if you’ve noticed that.”

“Maybe a bit,” she admits with a tiny laugh.

��Good. Then you should also notice that you’re not the one dragging them down. They have their own hang-ups and problems which do that job for them. If they had half your maturity, the whole team would be a lot more effective.”

Sakura blushes.

“That’s not to say you don’t get uncontrollably emotional about certain things,” Kakashi continues, “but that’s something you’ll grow out of. Don’t worry about it. You might wear your feelings openly now, and certain others might not appear to have any, but that will all change. Boys mature, too, and they’ll eventually catch up to where you are.”

His eye rests on Naruto’s retreating back.

“Although…perhaps not. The point is, I don’t ‘like’ the boys any more than I like you,” Kakashi concludes. “You are all my adorable students.”

“Okay,” she whispers quietly. “But…I will be all right. I promise.”

“Yes, you will,” Kakashi’s eye crinkles in a smile.

There’s a bit of a pause.

“So…are we supposed to hug now?” Sakura asks.

“I don’t really do hugs.”

“Good. Because that would be kind of weird.”

ナルト

Sarada catches up to Sasuke with ease, falling into step beside him.

She scowls, as much at the situation as at him, while he broods and avoids her gaze whenever she turns to glare at him. Both expect the other to speak first, even though she knows from experience that’s futile. This is not the brooding silence she’s used to, but it’s a brooding silence, nonetheless. There’s no point in pushing him to talk if he doesn’t want to.

Naruto apparently never got that memo, even at this age, because he bounds between them.

“So, can you two read each other’s minds or something? ‘Cause this sure doesn’t look like talking to me. It looks like you’re trying to silence each other to death. Which would be kind of cool, but also really bad—believe it! We’re on a mission! Jeez, Sasuke! It’s like I need to tell you everything. You’re always holding me back.”

Sasuke’s eyes shoot daggers at Naruto, but the blond boy seems entirely unfazed. Sarada imagines that his clenched fist is beginning to spark blue, but before she can say anything, Naruto pulls away from them both. He inclines his head upward and sniffs.

“Hey! I smell water now, too!” He pulls ahead of them, beaming. “I’m going to check it out—but I’m not going too far, so you two better play nice! Don’t make Uncle Naruto separate you!” He chuckles and bounds onward.

They stare at his back, and Sarada thinks he’s way more amused by this whole ‘time travel’ thing than he should be. Uncle Naruto, indeed… And practically baiting her father like that?

“He has a death wish,” she says in surprise and almost resignation. Her childhood fantasies are being crushed all around today.

“Hm.”

Sarada jumps at the unexpected acknowledgement.

Sasuke is back to looking straight ahead, but there’s a little less tension in his gait. As irritating as Naruto’s interruption was, apparently, it broke through some of his gloom. The mutual silence is less menacing, but still awkward. Behind them, Sakura and Kakashi are talking in low voices. Sarada does her best not to listen, but it’s hard considering how sound carries. She wishes Naruto hadn’t left because he could probably have made this whole thing a lot less awkward and—

“You’re just as annoying as she is.”

Sasuke’s words are pitched low, so as not to carry, but Sarada hears them fine. She side-eyes him in disbelief because he did decide to speak first, after all.

She smirks, the gesture amused but bordering on bitter. “Too bad for you—I know for a fact that’s a compliment when you say it.”

“Hn.”

There’s another lengthy silence. She decides to give in this time. “I’m still not apologising.”

“Neither am I.”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

More silence. And then—

“Are you going to tell her?”

Sarada startles at the question. There’s not enough inflexion in it to discern how he wants her to respond, even if she could decide on what to say.

“I want to,” she finally admits. “But it’s not a good idea. She’s very…different now.”

“Hm.”

At this, he abruptly pulls ahead of her and Sarada gets the odd sense that she said the wrong thing. He makes it several paces in front before turning around, looking at her directly for the first time.

“There’s nothing worse than being lied to,” he tells her. “Believing one thing about a person, and then finding out, at the worst possible moment, that it’s nothing but fabrication?” He leaves the question hanging for a second, then resumes walking. “I’m going to make sure that idiot doesn’t get lost.”

Sarada gapes at her his back. It almost sounds like…like he wants her to tell Sakura? Not necessarily because he cares for her (although Sarada is beginning to suspect that he isn’t as indifferent as he pretends). It’s seems…he doesn’t want her to be kept in the dark.

It’s a sentiment Sarada understands only too well. She knows what it’s like to have people keep secrets. She remembers the overwhelming, crushing pain that consumed her when she believed her parents had lied to her. When she concocted a scenario where Sakura wasn’t her mother. And even when the truth came out, she still experienced a sinking, hollow despair because Mama hadn’t told her the real reason for her father’s constant absence.

But who lied to Sasuke?

Sarada doesn’t think it’s anyone on his squad—they don’t appear to have secrets from each other. Except for Naruto being a jinchūriki, of course, but that’s not so much a personal secret as something that affects the fate of Konoha.

In any event, she’s going to have to consider the merits of telling Sakura. Or at least, find out from Kakashi if she can get away with it. By now, two of the four people she was trying to avoid telling, know the truth. It can’t make that much more of a difference, right? Sarada decides to wait until they’re less likely to have the world cave-in on them. If they manage to find another space where it’s relatively safe, she’ll bring it up then.

It feels like an eternity before they finally get out of the winding darkness.

The cavern that Sasuke spoke of before is audible before they see it; the low, rumbling rush of water grows louder until their tunnel opens into a vaulted, natural cavern. Stretching out immediately in front of them is a large, flat space that fronts a subterranean river. The water is black in the darkness, swift eddies visible just beneath the surface. There’s no sign of where it originates from, but on the opposite side of the grotto, the current picks up. At one point, the water may have spilled over into a natural fall, but there’s evidence of human interference. The water on this side of the riverbank seems to be some kind of reservoir, and it meets at what appears to be a makeshift dam. Aged, but functional, equipment is set up along the construction with one mechanism attached to a kind of floodgate. On the other side, where she supposes the waterfall once was, there’s nothing but darkness leading to unfathomable depths.

Naruto is standing there, craning his neck over the abyss. “How far down do you think it goes?”

“How bad do you want to know the answer?” Sasuke replies. The question sounds sinister despite the mild tone.

Sarada sharpens her gaze, noting that the steep slope and natural spillway are lined with algae. There would be nowhere for anyone to hold on to if they fell down that way, chakra grip or not. She shudders.

“That must be how this place is powered,” Sakura observes quietly beside Sarada. She jumps, having not heard her mother appear behind her.

She follows Sakura’s gaze to the makeshift dam and realises she’s right. The only reason for such a thing to be built down here would be to generate power. “Looks like.”

“There’s another tunnel, that way,” Kakashi says, passing them both. He is walking now but hasn’t sent Bull away. The large dog lopes at his side, nose twitching toward the opening Kakashi pointed out. “Is that where you smell people?”

The dog makes a low whuff of agreement and heads in that direction, Kakashi following.

“Looks like we’ll get you back to your team, finally,” Sakura says tentatively.

“Yeah.”

Silence.

Sarada wonders if it’s her destiny to be completely awkward around both her parents in this time.

“How’s your arm?” Sakura asks.

Sarada examines the badly mangled appendage, wincing at the sight. It’s bleeding in a few places where a stitch or two may’ve popped, and it’s covered in dirt from their impromptu escape.

“I think my dad—er, Sasuke was right. I’m probably going to need it cut off.”

Sakura snorts. “Don’t be so melodramatic. The medicine we gave you is keeping the infection down. We just need to clean it up and put it back in a sling. Come on. We can do that now.”

Sarada blinks in surprise as Sakura steers her toward the side of the river. And the award for Spontaneous Personality Change might not be going to Papa after all…

“You’re not going to shove me in the river, are you?” she asks, only half-joking.

“Only if you mouth off again,” Sakura replies sweetly.

They can’t really afford to take more rests than necessary, but if Sarada doesn’t see to her injuries, she won’t be of any use to Team 7. Or her own team, when they find them. That’s probably why Kakashi allows them to fall behind.

Sasuke scopes out the cavern while Naruto takes off his jacket and rummages through his pockets. After a few minutes of labour, he finds what he was looking for—a candy bar—and happily begins to munch on it. Meanwhile, Sakura sets to work on Sarada’s wounds.

“Shouldn’t Kakashi be doing this?” Sarada points out.

“I have the same basic medical training as you do,” Sakura retorts in a clipped tone. “Besides, I watched what he was doing before. It’s really not that difficult.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to insult you. I just…” She trails off, earning a puzzling look.

Sakura sighs. “No, don’t apologise. Today hasn’t exactly been…easy.”

Which is really putting it lightly.

“I won’t lie,” Sakura continues as she works, gently rinsing dirt and blood from the injury. Sarada grits her teeth, but endures the pain. “Finding out that Sasuke’s your father wasn’t what any of us expected when we woke up this morning.” She bites her lip, sheepish. “But it’s also not an excuse.”

Sarada is confused. “Excuse for what?”

“I haven’t been as nice to you as I might’ve been if…” She goes quiet, and Sarada suspects she wants to make sure Sasuke’s not listening in. Sarada’s eyes dart across the cavern at him, where he’s—pretending to be, she suspects—utterly absorbed in examining the dam.

Sakura finally continues, “It’s not your fault that he…that I…” She scowls, more at her herself than at Sarada, and forges ahead with resolve. “I bet your mother’s amazing. She’d have to be.”

“My mother’s the strongest kunoichi in Konoha—maybe the world. She could be Hokage, if she wanted to,” Sarada says loyally, unable to ignore a sense of smugness at the way Sasuke jerks slightly in surprise. She was right. He is pretending not to listen. “There were actually a few times when she was suggested as a successor if something happened to Na—to the current Hokage. Actually, it’s sort of the story for both my parents.” She sighs, a little unenthusiastic now. “I don’t think my father would ever… Well, he said he doesn’t like the idea of his face on a mountain.”

Sakura chuckles at that, and though it sounds a little forced, it’s a welcome sound.

“That doesn’t surprise me.” There’s a beat of silence. It seems almost as if the conversation is over, but then she speaks again. “Your mother…she isn’t Ino, is she?”

Sarada whips her head up in surprise. “What? I can’t tell you that.” Even if she really, really wants to. Kakashi’s too far away for her to ask him, and she just wants to make sure it’s allowed before—

“My knowing that won’t make the world implode,” Sakura cajoles.

“Yeah, but—”

“Just tell me!”

“But Kakashi-sensei—”

“Isn’t even listening. He’s reading that stupid book of his.”

“What? Again?!”

Sarada cranes around to see—and, it’s true. He’s surreptitiously stuffing the orange book back into his pocket, the jerk.

“Exactly! So, you can tell me, and it’ll be just between the two of us.”

“And Naruto,” the blond boy pipes up, appearing beside them as if by summoning. Unlike Sasuke, he doesn’t even bother to pretend he wasn’t eavesdropping the whole time.

“And Naruto,” Sakura amends, shooting him an annoyed glare. “Who, according to you, is your uncle, so, you should listen to him.”

“That’s… Is that even logic?” Sarada wonders, confused.

“No, but nothing about today has been logical. Now tell me!”

Everyone waits with baiting breath.

Sarada exhales. “No, it’s not her.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Sakura whispers and then barks out a laugh. “Hah! That’s the best news I’ve had all day!”

“I guess that competition you two have isn’t a new thing, is it?”

“It’s not a competition—it’s an epic rivalry,” Sakura sniffs, but then let’s out a single hard laugh. “I guess there’s no real point to it anymore, though. The whole reason for it was… Anyway,” she says, clearing her throat, then considering Sarada. “I hope he doesn’t get mad at me, but we’re going to have to sacrifice some of Sasuke’s shirt. I’m all out of bandages, and you need a new sling.”

“I figure, in the big scheme of things, he’s probably not concerned about his shirt right now,” Sarada points out.

Sakura nods, thoughtful. With a kunai, she carefully cuts and tears a long strip of blue fabric away from the bottom of the shirt. Sarada notes she’s careful not to rip the uchiwa symbol though, which is an oddly touching gesture.

“There’s something that’s been bugging me,” Naruto says, watching Sakura fashion a sling for Sarada. “Before, when you were telling us those embarrassing stories to make us trust you—you didn’t say anything about Sakura.”

“Well…I…” She’s not sure how to deal with this question. The reason she didn’t say anything about Sakura was because Mama tells her a lot about herself—more personal and embarrassing things than what she knows about the others. She doesn’t think her mother would appreciate her revealing some of those secrets.

“That’s just not fair,” Naruto continues.

“Shut up, Naruto,” Sakura orders, a tight smile on her face.

“No, seriously! We need to hear something embarrassing about her, too!”

“It’s not like I’ve hidden anything from you. We go on missions in close quarters all the time, so you guys already know all the really personal stuff.”

“Yeah, but Sarada wouldn’t.”

“Well, maybe she doesn’t spend much time with me,” Sakura suggests lightly; the effect is ruined by the pained note in her voice. “I mean, she’d have to with Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei and you. You guys are her father, her father’s teacher, and her father’s best friend.”

“Tch.” Sasuke’s no longer pretending not to listen in.

“She has to be close to you guys, but that doesn’t mean she is with me. I’m just…” She trails off, as if can’t find the right words to explain exactly what she is. That expression makes Sarada’s stomach clench because she suspects what her mother is imagining about herself right now.

Naruto appears to be on the same train of thought.

“You’re not,” he tells her. “Whatever you’re thinking, you’re not. Sarada knows you. Right, Sarada?”

Two sides of Sarada are at war. The practical one who understands Kakashi’s wish to limit information exchange, is fighting with the emotional one. The one who finds it imperative that her mother lose that pained expression on her face right now.

They’re going to forget anyhow, right?

“Not necessarily,” Sakura says quietly. “I might not have ever met her.”

“What? Why would you say that?!” Naruto demands.

“Because I could be—”

“You pad your bra!” Sarada blurts out desperately.

“What?!” Naruto and Sakura chorus, in various states of dismay.

“You didn’t get proper breasts until you were fourteen, and they were still small, so you—”

“Stop it!” Sakura shouts, frantic. “Stop talking right now!”

“Aw, man,” Naruto complains. “So, you’re gonna be flat-chested for another two—”

“Shut up, Naruto!” Sakura howls, drawing back and smacks him in the head. Even without the strength she will one day have, the force is impressive. He ends up staggering backward toward the tunnel they came from, past a suspiciously red-faced Sasuke.

“Why would you say something like that?” Sakura howls at Sarada.

“I’m sorry! It was the first thing I could come up with”

It’s the first topic that comes to mind because it’s the last thing she and her mother discussed before she left on this mission.

“Why would I even tell you that?!”

“Because we know each other really well,” Sarada says, mentally trying to sort out what she can and cannot reveal. The result is a sudden outpouring of nervous babble. “You’re my best friend! Well, adult friend. Well, okay, so, I never really got along with the other kids my age, because…I’m an Uchiha, and…other reasons. And Chōchō’s kind of…flaky, even if she’s my best friend. I love her and all, but she’s kind of a diva, which is…annoying. But, in the future, you and me, we get along. Whenever I had problems at school, you were the one who helped me deal with them and everything. And you always listen to everything I have to say and try to comfort me when I’m sad. And when I was little, you’d take me to the park and…and…”

She’s trying desperately to come up with information, or at least information that she’s allowed to share. At which point, she shoots a desperate look at Kakashi, asking his permission. There’s a twitch beneath his mask, like he’s trying to hold fast. Sarada’s heart leaps at this, because she recognises that twitch. It’s the same one she used to see when she cajoled an extra bedtime story out of him when he babysat. Or when she convinced him to take her to get dango before bringing her home for supper.

“Hey, that’s kinda cool,” Naruto is saying, massaging the blossoming bruise from his teammate’s assault. “Sounds like I was right before! I bet you become a teacher, Sakura. Kind of like Iruka-sensei. That wouldn’t be so bad—”

Snkt!

Naruto’s words are cut off by a sudden yelp of surprise and pain. Everyone watches in horror as four short, curved claws punch through his left shoulder. The sound of tearing flesh fills the air as the sharp blades dig deeper. There’s barely time for anyone to react as he’s thrown clear across the room, blood spraying.

In the space behind where he stood, a figure looms. Bones poke through his skin and tattered clothing, gashes seep across his face and body. The parts of him that aren’t sticky with blood and dirt are slowly covered by a growing curse mark. Gaunt, haunted eyes, like a wild animal glare out at them, hungry and malevolent.

Apparently, one of the experiments survived the cave-in.

つづく

Comments and constructive criticism are much appreciated, and very motivating! For more information about supporting my original, non-fandom related works, you’re welcome to check out my ko-fi tipjar, or my patreon page KuriWorlds.

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#an inch of gold #naruto fanfiction #naruto fanfic #ssfanfic #ssfic #sssfamily #longfic #sarada uchiha #sasuke uchiha #sakura haruno #kakashi hatake #naruto uzumaki #time travel #action/adventure #humour #drama #angst #big damn action scene

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hoodiesncookies-blog · 7 years

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So, since I don’t plan on doing anything significant with this blog anymore... might as well just share the headcanons I’ve had but have never had the chance to play out in story because of my procrastination and indecisiveness.

Best place to start that I’m sure everyone is fairly interested in is, of course, Hoodie’s genocide battle. So, here we go. Be warned, it’s a lot.

Will be approaching it from the perspective of it being a game.

‘Cause y’know, Undertale is a game.

The Buildup

The initial walk down the Last Corridor would go exactly as you expect it would; Frisk just goes forwards before being brought to a stop in the center of the hall, camera pans to show Chara standing in their way.

Now, I haven’t decided on what Chara’s exact dialogue would be, but I do know that she wouldn’t be as good at staying apathetic and “not mad, just disappointed” as Sans is. She’d be sad. angry, and confused; and that would show on her face and in her dialogue. She’d want to know why this happened.

After she’d try asking why, and the only response is Frisk taking a step forwards... that’s when Chara’d force herself to be calm. Still very much pissed in an apparent way, but calm. And then, she’d make her threat.

Which, of course, Frisk isn’t gonna heed.

*Battle Encounter Sound Effect*

Intro

Again, exact dialogue isn’t something I have right now, all I know is that it wouldn’t just be a copy-paste of “it’s a beautiful day outside”. Headcanon whatever you want, send me your ideas, I’m welcome to it.

Now with that out of the way... nearing the end of the dialogue, Chara would lean her head down so that her hood is partially concealing her face; pausing with a “...” before looking back up.

Her final line being whatever replacement for “burning in hell” you want, the text coming out slowly... all while at the same time, her sprite’s face would gradually turn disfigured, goopy, and dare I say, demonic. Think of Flowey’s face going creepy at the end of a neutral route, that’s the right idea.

All silent, aside from the Undertale’s text sounds.

... and then, not waiting for the player to click ahead, a jumpscare will flash across the screen with accompanying demonic laughter, loud sudden music, and a flashing background. Think something between what happens at the end of genocide (here, jumpscare warning), and a traditional scare from any number of horror game’s; FNAF being a prime example. Hard to put into words.

The scare only lasts for, at most, two seconds; it’s just transparent enough that most people would be able to see that. while it was happening, the initial attack had already started. Literally as the the scare is flashing on your screen, Chara has already pulled out her knife and taken a swing at your soul.

And if it hits because you were busy being spooked, that’s half of your HP gone already. And after the jumpscare fades away? You’ve still got the rest of her attacks to deal with. A fire pattern is very quickly gonna appear on the bullet board, accompanied by ten knives circling around the board and launching towards your soul, one by one while the fire magic restricts your movements.

It ends with three quick & successive real knife slashes, without jumpscares.

It’s not an exactly complicated string, and Chara makes a point of saying that it is in no way her “strongest attack”. It relies on shock to work.

And considering we’re all human, it’ll probably work on all of us.

Into the Fryer

Opening up at the battle screen, there’s nothing much to explain.

My personal theme for Chara’s battle, regardless of my outdated broken autplay, is Zenith. And, just like with Megalovania, it only starts playing when you get to this point. Otherwise, the menus are all the same.

Now, going into player actions...

CHECKing Chara we’ll yield this description.

*CHARA, 10 ATK 5 DEF.

*The strongest enemy. Humans aren’t effected by your LOVE.

*Still, no one is invincible. Knock em’ dead, darling.

FIGHTing Chara will of course, yield nothing but a MISS (and invisible battle progression). But, in a way that is different than Sans’s battle.

When the attack is made, Chara’s sprite will temporarily disappear; and in it’s place, a bullet board opposite to yours will appear with another, paler red soul already inside of it. The soul will move to dodge your attack, resulting in the MISS, and afterwards Chara’s sprite will reappear.

And taunt your inability to hit her, as quote, “I’ve fought Froggits harder than you.” The point of all that being that it’s a LOT easier to dodge a child swinging around a chainsaw than it is to dodge bullet patterns.

And, with that, it’s time to enter into the actual fight.

Unique Mechanics

Chara would have a lot of uniqueness as far as how her battle would go in comparison to every other battle we see in Undertale. She needs unique rules, because her actual attacks aren’t exceptionally strong or intense.

The main things she has on her side are battle length, RNG, and defying the player’s expectations. To break down constants in her fight:

LV doesn’t mean shit- AKA, your stats are all back down to default. This is to supplement for the fact Chara’s magic doesn’t hit as hard as say, Sans’s; your HP is back down to twenty for this entire fight.

Randomized Attack Order- Meaning, while her different attacks have mostly set patterns, the order those attacks come in over the course of the fight is randomized from the beginning. All that’s guaranteed is that you’ll see each of her attacks at least once... beyond that, there’s no way to know what you’re gonna get.

Random Additions- Before, during, or after any of her attacks, Chara has the possibility of adding something else atop of them. A breakdown of possible editions will be somewhere below this section.

She Remembers- While this would probably push what is possible by Undertale’s standards, this is just me writing so let’s go with it. Chara will remember what attacks you, the player, are good at dodging, and what attack you’re not good at dodging, and will make additions based on that information. If she might deliberately change her attack order next go-around so you have to do the one you’ve died the most on first, or she might add stuff to an attack pattern she knows you don’t have trouble with. She will do anything to make this harder for you.

*This will likely not happen until you’ve died at least like, five times. If you beat her before then, you won’t have to deal with it. Good hecking luck doing that, though.

Now, onto those randomized additions I mentioned!

Jumpscares- Yeah, that jumpscare that happened in the beginning? She throw that into any attack pattern, at any time she likes. It doesn’t do anything on it’s own, but is meant to disorient and distract you while her attacks continue. And, if the player has a heart attack because of it... well, I guess that means Chara won right?

*Sometimes she’ll jumpscare you after her attacks end, just out of spite.

Attack Additions- Yes, she can add straight up more attacks into her set patterns. These can be any of her attacks; as long as it doesn’t disrupt the way the pattern is set, of course. No overlapping knife circles or fire patterns or real knife slashes.

Counters- Sometimes, when YOU do your attack, when it misses you’ll be immediately thrown into the middle of an attack pattern with no warning.

*And yes, all these additions CAN be made on top of each other, and become more and more common as the battle goes on.

I can’t really go over actual attack patterns and stuff because... I’m just not smart enough to come up with them okay. I’m not a game designer.

Out-of-Battle Shenanigans

Thanks to Chara remembering everything after LOADs, she’s gonna be very proactive about challenging the player’s expectations outside of just randomizing her attacks. While these changes will only show through her attacks and insults at first, the player will encounter others the farther they manage to get in her fight.

A couple of examples of the kind of stuff you’d see, just to give you an idea of what she’ll pull, both occur after the player gets to the midway point of the fight; AKA, the spare offer that, of course, is completely fake.

No hard feelings right- If the player chose to SPARE Chara, and got rekt because of it, the next time they enter the battle Chara will start things off by offering them the chance to spare her again... and doing it again will lead to the same result. Choosing to FIGHT her will, of course, lead to a MISS and her throwing you right into her initial attack.

*Each time you accept the SPARE, her sarcasm and patronizing “Mercy is good” act will grow more and more obvious to the point it will be pretty much mocking the player’s intelligence. If you continue, Chara will just stop saying anything out of boredom.

I’m impatient- The first time the player gets to the midway point, if they chose to attack, and ended up dying afterwards; after they LOAD and respawn, the second they start to move Chara’s sprite will run down the hall and force them into a fight, completely skipping the dialogue and going straight into a jumpscare & the initial attack.

*If you survive this, and didn’t have an episode because of the shock, Chara will follow the attack by saying “What? You thought I was just gonna wait for you to make your way over?”.

Again, this is just SOME of the shit Chara would pull, I’m just not creative.

Second Half

Upon denying Chara’s mock spare attempt and FIGHTing instead, you might initially think you managed to score a grazing hit. Chara’ would be grasping her arm, red dripping from it and her looking like she’s in pain... but, her health bar wouldn’t show up. Why?

Because, as she will reveal... that red stuff was ketchup.Specifically, ketchup packets; y’know, the ones she uses for the handshake prank when Frisk first meets her? Yeah. As she’ll say, “It’s never too late for pranks.”

And with that, she will toss the ketchup packets at you; or, from the menu’s perspective, your whole UI. Several parts of your menu will be splattered with red; most worryingly, parts of your bullet board.

Because your soul blend in with it when you’re fighting, so in portions of the bullet board you won’t be able to see your soul. For the rest of the fight.

From an in-character perspective, what Hoodie did was toss ketchup in Frisk’s eyes. She just used ketchup offensively. Step up, Snas.

But, beyond that, the new changes include new, more intense attack patterns; which, again, are randomized in order and additions. After three attack patterns that follow what she’s been using, however, new attacks will be added into the mix. Specifically... imitations of her family’s attacks.

These being:

Hand Sweep- Mimicking Toriel’s attack where her hands would float across the edges of the bullet board creating tracking fire patterns, Chara’s attack will be similar except, instead of a boss monster paw, it will be a mitten-covered hand will sweep across casting fire magic.

Eye Flashes- One of the few times you’ll see Chara’s sprite change in battle, during this attack she’ll lean her head down so her hood is casting a shadow over her face; underneath he hood, her eyes will flash red in a specific order, showing where red knives are gonna come flying. This is an imitation of Asgore’s Orange & Blue attack, but because Chara doesn’t know how to cast orange or blue magic, she’s just going with what she knows; red.

Galacta Blazing- The most accurate of Chara’s imitations is of her brother’s special attack; sadly, she can’t make her stars quite as colorful. They all come out red and hit for the same damage as her magic knives do, but act in the same way Rei’s stars do.

These attacks have their own patterns, but are also implemented into the random additions as soon as you get to this point.

*You feel like the act is coming to a close.

The Finale

By this point in the fight, it will have become apparent that Chara is no longer being as much of a little shit taking pleasure in wrecking your shit.

Because, she’s getting tired and she’s getting scared.

So, reaching the homestretch, you enter into what Chara reveals is her actual strongest attack. And, it should be noted, she doesn’t seem entirely confident.

Still, it’s a hecking insane attack; and the only one of hers I’d say matches up to Sans’s level of intense what-the-heck bullshit.

Problem is, I’m too lazy to create an entire attack pattern.I can promise she’d make use of literally everything she had used up until then, like you’d only expect her to. But, eventually you’re gonna get through it.

The final portion of this attack pattern would be Chara spamming jumpscares and wildly slashing the bullet board with her real knife the entire time, trying to dice your soul like a tomato. She’ll give everything she’s got.

Eventually though, the jumpscares will grow... slower, quieter, less intense. As will her knife slashes. Up until the point they stop altogether.

Chara would inevitably slip to her feet out of physical & magical exhaustion, having used up all of her magical reserves and completely worn her body out. She’s only a kid, and a sickly kid at that. This is to be expected.

... because of her knife slashes, the bullet board will fall apart, and you’ll be able to freely move your soul over to the FIGHT button. And when you attack, her bullet board will appear and her soul won’t even try to dodge it.

But, her HP will only drop down to 1. Her chest will have big slash across it like San’s does, but because she’s human she’s able to just barely stay alive.

She’s about to try and stumble back to her feet, when a second, automatic hit goes through... finish her off. Thanks, Mettaton.

Post “Victory”

After the battle ends, Chara’s body won’t disappear; she’s not a monster after all, she doesn’t turn into dust. Thankfully, in the lighting of the last corridor, the player won’t be able to see much besides a black lump on the floor with something pooling on the ground around it.

Examining the corpse will be met the lovely message of *You got the Real Knife. The description is as follows:

*”Real Knife” - Weapon ATK 20

*Finders keepers, losers weepers.

Walking by the corpse will cause Frisk step in the pool of blood forming around Chara’s body, and as such leave footprints. That’s nice.

I’m not gonna go over what happens if you LOAD your save after killing her, because my ability to type has degraded tenfold since I started writing this. All I’m gonna tell you is that it’s sad and you’d be a horrible person for doing it.

#I'm just a kid...? // Headcanons //#Can I trouble you a little bit longer? // OOC //#gif #blood mention #knife mention #Think you're above the consequences? // Genocide //

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austerre-moved · 8 years

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@condomglitter --

Such an ugly choice for a desk, standing out like a sore thumb among the other darker colored pieces of wooden furniture - likely cheaply made, too, from what he could tell just from sitting so close to it.

-- ah, but perhaps he should not be dedicating his attention to insulting Takeshi’s lack of interior decorating skills. He’d bite back the comment, just this once, knowing the slick haired man would not be emerging from this alive; not if his EX boss had anything to say about it, and as per usual, he had PLENTY to verbalize on the matter. At that point, his failure to be fashionable enough to buy a matching set of furniture would matter no longer.

“How long?” A serious inquiry, though one the older man seemed to derive amusement from. The way the corner of his lip slanted upwards, and that visible gleam of mirth in his dark eyes radiated - he knew he currently possessed the upper hand, and that the longer he kept the slightly trembling CEO in his sights, unable to make a single move to save his brother, the closer he came to achieving what he had planned for much too long.

“I’m sorry, you’ll have to elaborate. How long what, sir?”

He’s agitating him, PROVOKING him, and seeing how far his patience will traverse. Rousing a reaction out of one so short tempered was the equivalent to being given permission to dispose of the one thing being held above his head - the two things, in this case. He hit him, and it was over, leaving the brunette with no choice but to curl his lengthy fingers around the arm of the chair and squeeze them until his palms began to sting. A DESPERATE attempt to contain his boiling rage.

“Cut the shit, Takeshi. You KNOW what I’m asking you. HOW LONG... have you been PLANNING this?” “I’m guessing your assistant failed in securing that information, hmm?”

Perhaps he would have succeeded in shocking him had the elder Kaiba brother not already unraveled this so-called ‘mystery.’ Takeshi had had a soft spot for Natalie, chasing after her like a lovesick schoolboy, no doubt because of her looks and addicting personality. Of course, she’d possessed enough self worth not to tolerate his neglectful behavior and blatant disregard for her happiness. Had he the slightest idea of how to properly care for a woman, mayhap he’d have succeeded in winning her affections in return, but alas, he’d failed ( and, shockingly, his ex boss had managed to slink his way into her heart ). She was good looking, VERY, but also intelligent - there was no way Takeshi would have figured out she had gotten back into contact with him for the sole purpose of acquiring information in regards to his impending betrayal had he not had someone on the side to help him.

-- and, of course, it had been Geoffrey. It made sense, given the butler was involved in every facet of their lives, from their early morning routines to their casual days in, spent curled up atop the couch with a plate of food and a gaming controller in hand. Mokuba was practically an open book to the salt and pepper haired man, and Geoffrey knew just about as much about the company and the private Kaiba affairs as they did. Perhaps Takeshi had offered him a substantial amount of money, or, the butler turned traitor simply never held an ounce of care for the ones he looked after for so many years.

He could find another butler, easily, but... this was going to devastate Mokuba.

“My assistant has nothing to do wi--”

The vibration against his thigh came first, cutting his next statement short, eyes only briefly tearing their gaze away from the suited man to dart downwards towards the concealed device within his pocket. He dared not look away for long, knowing this embodiment of sleaziness was capable of worsening the flames that were slowly engulfing him with the mere snap of a finger, but made sure to retrieve the cell phone with haste.

-- Natalie.

“Ah, Ms. Arrington. How is she, by the way?”

Refusing to grace that with an answer, he pressed a finger against the screen, accepting the call, and held the phone against his ear - “Ms. Arrington, you should know better than to call me while I’m in the middle of a meeting. What could you POSSIBLY want?” A glance Takeshi’s way, first at the widening, shit-eating grin upon his face, then upwards towards the curious gaze that stayed locked upon his form. He wasn’t taking any chances - COULDN’T-- but hopefully, the redhead knew him well enough to realize he never answered a call in the middle of his meetings unless he absolutely HAD to ( and such was only in the case of a call from Mokuba ). Something was off - she HAD to have known, RIGHT?

“It’s rude to chat on the phone while talking business, Mr. Kaiba.”

Funny, how he dared speak about being rude, given the shitstorm he’d conjured up. His fingers are tapping impatiently against the desk - time is ticking - damn it...

#condomglitter #[ -sets this down for you- u vu -SPARKLES-#there is so much going on with this ship lmfao ]#otp;; drawn to the fire that doesn't hurt me ( NATALIE ARRINGTON AND SETO KAIBA )#verse; 'cuz you're not me ( DEFAULT )#;;pleasure doing business with you ( ROLEPLAYS )

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bountyofbeads · 6 years

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https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/01/14/politics/trump-russia-weekend/index.html?__twitter_impression=true

The shutdown may be Trump's attempt to distract attention from the Russia investigation. Trump often uses distractions to redirect attention from stuff he doesn't like.

Trump's Putin problem seizes the spotlight in a time of turmoil

Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN | Updated 7:00 AM EST, Mon January 14, 2019 | Posted January 14, 2019 |

(CNN) A weekend of bombshells deepened the most intractable mystery of Donald Trump's presidency -- one that could eventually dictate his fate -- over his deference to Vladimir Putin and behavior that often favors Russia's goals.

Stunning revelations included a disclosure that the FBI opened a probe amid fears that Trump was covertly working for Moscow and detailed his "extraordinary" efforts to hide the content of his private talks with Putin.

The reports -- from The New York Times, CNN and The Washington Post -- took intrigue about Trump and Russia to a surreal new level, even after two years of shocking developments borne out of Moscow's election meddling in 2016.

The developments continued into Monday morning when CNN reported that transcripts from closed-door congressional interviews with two FBI officials detail that the agency debated whether Trump was "following directions" of Russia.

In an interview with Fox News on Saturday evening, Trump denied he was trying to conceal details of his dealings with Putin.

"I'm not keeping anything under wraps. I couldn't care less. I mean, it's so ridiculous. These people make it up," Trump said.

But the deeply reported accounts beg the question why Trump, given the knowledge that he and his campaign are being investigated for links to Russia, so often acts in a manner that sharpens suspicion about his ties to Moscow.

There is also growing concern in Washington about the consequences of a situation where the Kremlin knows exactly what went on in Putin's meetings with Trump around the world, but his own top foreign policy aides do not.

The situation is bound to raise new questions about Trump's past business relationship with Russia and whether the Kremlin has information that is being used to compromise the President and may explain what often appears to be efforts to obstruct the investigation into his conduct.

If, as the White House says, Trump has no compromised relationship with Russia, why does he go out of his way to hide his interactions with Putin? Does he perhaps not trust his own team not to leak details of their meetings?

The latest reports are already exacerbating a febrile atmosphere in Washington, which is polarized over a government shutdown triggered by a dispute over Trump's border wall that is now entering its fourth week.

The possibility that House Democrats could eventually seek to impeach the President has been a reverberating presence in the capital for months, and the latest reports about Trump and Russia will hardly calm the mood.

The Putin mystery

The White House bitterly attacks the media over its coverage of Trump and Putin, most recently in a pair of statements by spokeswoman Sarah Sanders over the weekend.

But neither the President nor his aides have ever offered an adequate explanation of why so much that the President says or does -- from his praise to Putin, his denigration of US intelligence agencies over their assessments of Russian election meddling and his hostility to US allies -- often favors the Kremlin.

While there is so far no proof that Trump is under Russia's influence, such a scenario -- though stunning, given that he is the President of the United States -- would help explain why his policies so often seem to favor Moscow.

This includes his hostility to NATO, his sudden announcement of a US withdrawal from Syria that the Kremlin supports, his recent comment that the Soviet Union was justified in invading Afghanistan in 1979 and his willingness to accept Russia's version of the election meddling allegations.

Trump's warmth towards authoritarian leaders, disdain for international organizations, support for Britain's exit from the European Union and coolness towards liberal, international democracy also help further Putin's goal of discrediting the political institutions and credibility of the West.

Even the chaos and political polarization Trump has fomented in America fits Putin's desire to see the world's top democratic powers discredited and in turmoil, and may be a lasting payoff of Russia's activity in 2016.

Some observers have seen such activity in itself as a form of collusion with Russia -- a hostile power -- in plain sight, even while Trump's team is under investigation for alleged campaign transgressions.

Trump under siege

The new developments follow weeks of damaging revelations and filings surrounding special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, which has revealed repeated links between Trump associates and Russia at a time when the Kremlin was running a 2016 intelligence operation to put Trump in office and a pattern of lying about those contacts.

The President has responded to the weekend's staggering reports by going on the attack, again denying there was any "collusion" between his campaign and Russia in 2016 and reacting to the report that the FBI investigated why the President was seeming to act in ways that benefited Russia after he fired the bureau's director James Comey by alleging it is a symptom of corruption with the nation's preeminent law enforcement agency.

When asked on Fox News Saturday about the Times report, Trump said, "It's the most insulting thing I've ever been asked" and claimed that he had probably been tougher on Russia than any other previous president.

It's true that the Trump administration has taken some steps that fit into an authentically hardline policy towards Moscow. This includes sanctions against Russia for election meddling and approving the sale of lethal arms to Ukraine, a step the Obama administration did not take.

But Trump's own felicity toward Putin -- on show at the Helsinki summit last year -- often seems to undermine his own administration's policy.

In the coming days, Democrats will try to block a move by the administration to ease sanctions against Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch who is close to the Russian leader and is an associate of jailed former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Senior Democrats on Sunday painted the latest developments involving Trump and Russia as a grave turn in the investigation. They're readying a sweeping oversight effort into what happened in 2016, and Trump's personal and business relationships with Moscow.

"I think we're seeing these independent actions, even independent of Mueller, which is the lead-up and some of the rationale about why this investigation started and why so many Americans, like myself, have been concerned for so long," said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

Warner also raised the case of Konstantin Kilimnik, a business associate of Manafort who is regarded as a Russian intelligence asset. A botched legal filing last week by Manafort's lawyers revealed that the former campaign chairman had passed proprietary campaign data to Kilimnik.

Trump's legal team has played down the issue. But the big unanswered question is whether the President was aware of Manafort's behavior or whether he was acting alone.

There have been several other revelations that undermine the idea that there was no collusion between Trump associates in Russia. They include the conversations between former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russia's ambassador to Washington during the presidential transition. The willingness of the President's son to meet a Russian lawyer in the hope of getting "dirt" on Hillary Clinton's campaign also fanned suspicion.

Republicans shrug off latest bombshells

Republicans, publicly at least, tried to downplay the latest developments.

"There is an incredible divide between Washington and the rest of the country when it comes to Bob Mueller and the Russia investigation," Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"The mainstream media, Washington, is obsessed with it. And when you get outside the Beltway, I don't find anybody concerned with this at all."

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson was not concerned at the implications of the Post report, which said Trump confiscated his interpreter's notes taken in his meetings with Putin and banned them from talking about what went on with other administration officials.

"This is not a traditional President. He has unorthodox means. But he is President of the United States. It's pretty much up to him in terms of who he wants to read into his conversations with world leaders. That's just the basic fact," Johnson said.

And South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham strongly pushed back on the report that the FBI opened an investigation into why Trump was working in ways that seemed to benefit Russia.

"I find it astonishing and to me, it tells me a lot about the people running the FBI. ... I don't trust them as far as I throw them," Graham said on "Fox News Sunday."

The solidarity of the GOP senators was a sign, that for now at least, the new intrigue has not shaken Trump's hold on the Republican base over Russia -- a foundation tended daily by conservative media pundits who rarely let up their attacks on Mueller.

But, that is not a guarantee that the political ground will not shift when Mueller delivers his final report.

#donald trump #u.s. news #politics #trump administration #republican politics #legal issues #president donald trump #trump scandals #republican party #russia investigation #politics and government #white house #borderwall #must reads #robert mueller #trumpshutdown

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leothelionsaysgrrrr · 8 years

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Diversion [Equilibrium, Chapter 4]

Forgot to post this for a few weeks D:

In which Emma has to leave Lux behind for a week, sasses Solas about tea, argues with the Inquisitor, and finds out that the noble she’s been assigned to tail is plotting something other than his family’s alliance with the Inquisition.

AO3 Link

Chapter 1 | AO3

“I’m fairly certain I could fit in here,” Lux mused aloud as he held Emma’s pack up to his body. It was more than obvious that he would not. “You could just smuggle me back with you. You’re more than capable of carrying the extra weight.”

Emma offered a warm smile and shook her head as she took it from him and slid the straps onto her shoulders, her fingers curled around the reason for his odd suggestion; a note that arrived by messenger bird at Caer Bronach keep just that morning, addressed to ‘Inquisition Agent Harper’. As far as Sister Leliana’s code names were concerned, it could have been worse, but the note’s contents, and the reason Lux was suggesting such ridiculous things in the first place, couldn’t:

Harper,

Return immediately for new assignment. Inquisitor’s orders. Piper to follow soon.

Nightingale

This was likely the third in a series of extremely menial tasks designed to not only insult Emma’s skill and intelligence, but to make perfectly clear the fact that Lavellan still did not trust her. She might have been fine with it had it just been her, but the Inquisitor's petty games were squandering Lux’s potential, and sorely trying her patience. He had already had Leliana send her and Lux (or, rather, ‘Inquisition Agent Piper’, as he was now known) traipsing across the Hinterlands to recover a peculiarly-colored ram for some deranged fool in Redcliffe who claimed it gave him advice, and also to find what was somehow worthy of being called a ‘prize druffalo’ for a farmer whose own lack of anything resembling sense probably led to its escape in the first place. It had taken longer to get the damned thing to go back to its pasture than it had to find it.

The two weeks they had been at Caer Bronach, assisting with readying the keep and the surrounding area for use by their fellow agents, was Leliana’s doing, out of sympathy, more than likely. Now Lavellan had the gall to order her to return to Skyhold alone? She and Lux had not spent a full day away from each other since they met, and his facetiousness poorly masked how dreadfully uneasy he was about it. She knew he was more than capable on his own, and reassured him of that at every opportunity since breaking the news. Truthfully, it was a futile attempt to reassure herself, and she worried greatly for him.

“Charter still needs you here. She assured me it wouldn’t be longer than a couple of days. You’ll be back at Skyhold in a week, at most.” Lux pouted overdramatically for a moment, then crossed his arms and leaned in the stone doorway in front of her with his usual smirk.

“Yes, and you’ll have gone mad from missing me by then,” he countered, obviously projecting. It was closer to correct than he realized, but she wouldn't let him know that. She couldn't. Charter was a good agent and pleasant enough to work with, and she would need him focused. So, Emma would be a good example, keep a straight face, and do as she was ordered regardless of her growing desire to throw the Inquisitor off of a mountain.

“I will miss you, a great deal, but we’re agents of the Inquisition now, and we must do our duty. You are doing excellent work here, Pollux, and I won’t have you leave it unfinished.”

He set his face into a roguish grin. “Yes, Mother.” She smiled at him despite herself, and pushed out the door. Lux walked with her until they reached the door that led to one of the cave tunnels that would take her away from the keep unnoticed, and his grin faded as he held on to her arm as she started through it. Sensing his reluctance to release it, she obliged him with a strong hug.

“If you see him, maybe you should try talking to him,” Lux suggested as she moved again to open the door.

Emma sighed and shook her head. “I doubt that will-”

“Just try, Emmi. He’s a bit surly - all right, he’s a lot surly, but he’s not unreasonable.” His eyes pleaded with her more sincerely than his words did, and she silently cursed Lavellan for doing this to him, for making her leave him behind.

“I think you overestimate my skill with people.”

“I think you underestimate it. You can be quite persuasive when you choose to.” He was the persuasive one, she thought begrudgingly. Speaking to Lavellan sounded entirely unpleasant, but she resolved to at least make a half-hearted attempt, if only to appease this silly boy who, despite her best efforts, had her firmly wrapped around his little finger. Emma gave him a kind smile, and then stood on her toes to plant a soft kiss on his cheek before they exchanged salutes.

“Be safe, and I'll see you at Skyhold soon.”

Neither Emma nor Lux were aware of the actual dates of their birth, and so they had adopted arbitrary days on which to celebrate their birthdays together, usually with nothing more than an extra hug, a few drinks, and some sort of trinket for a gift. Emma had always considered the day the man she knew as her father, a Fereldan-born Orlesian noble who settled in Starkhaven after being disowned by his family, found her as an infant tucked away in an inn in Tantervale, to be her birthday. It was in the height of autumn, when the trees were ablaze with color that matched Emma’s hair and the air was pleasantly cool. Lux chose the day she saved his life for his; he always said that while he may have been alive before then, that was the day his life truly began. She arrived at Skyhold on that day, her stoic expression concealing the massive emptiness she felt in her friend’s absence. Or, rather her absence from him.

Spring was beginning to encroach on the Frostbacks, slowly pulling back the white blankets of snow on the mountaintops. The trees at Skyhold were budding, as well, but Emma ignored it all equally. She ignored the greeting from the gate guards, the soldiers training in the courtyard, the horde of nobles in the great hall. Her fingers moved longingly over the small pendant that hung around her neck, a beautiful thing carved of sylvanwood into the shape of a bird in flight. The first gift she had received from Lux. A sparrow, like you, he'd said, that ridiculous grin spread across his face, so pleased with himself for giving it to her. Damn it. She missed him, and the more she thought about it, the more she hardened her face to keep the growing melancholy at bay.

As she entered the great hall, she was relieved to see that Varric was not at his usual spot at the stone table by the door to the rotunda. She was in no mood for his inevitable questions on Lux's whereabouts and did not wish to be rude, since he and Lux had become somewhat friendly themselves, discussing writing over drinks at the tavern and always making silly bets with each other. It wasn't surprising; Lux was friendly and personable, and very charming in his way. He had the makings of an excellent spy, despite Lavellan's refusal to use him to his full capability.

She used her own capability as a spy to overhear, much to her delight, that the Inquisitor was not presently at Skyhold; he'd gone off to the Western Approach for something having to do with Grey Wardens, and the Champion of Kirkwall. Varric was probably with him, then. With any luck, her new assignment would take her away from here and back to Lux before Lavellan’s return.

“Good morning, Helisma,” Emma said quietly as she passed the Tranquil lead researcher in the library. Mostly, she avoided conversation with anyone at Skyhold, but she liked Helisma. She was always direct, and made no attempts to patronize or engage in pointless, unnecessary small talk. Their conversations were short and to the point, just the way Emma preferred.

“Good morning, Agent Harper. Lady Nightingale said you were returning from Crestwood today. She is waiting for you.” Emma flashed a grateful smile and nodded, and continued on her way.

Just then, Leliana emerged from the alcove to the rookery stairs. “Harper, there you are.” Emma greeted the spymaster with a salute, then followed her back up the stone steps.

“I apologize for pulling you away from Crestwood early.” Away from Lux, she meant. Emma only nodded; Leliana had taken the time to apologize, at least, and grousing further would win her no favors.

As they entered the rookery, Emma was greeted by a dark-haired, dark-skinned Antivan woman dressed in fine raiments and carrying a writing board and pen as if they were extensions of each of her hands.

“I believe you've met Josephine Montilyet, the Inquisition’s ambassador.” Emma replied with only a terse nod. Lady Montilyet was kind and pleasant enough, but she was in no mood for pleasantries, not with Lux half a country away, and adjusted her tone to make that perfectly clear. She wanted her assignment, nothing more. Perhaps getting to work would settle her mind.

“What is it that’s so urgent?”

Leliana took a seat, and leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs as Lady Montilyet handed Emma a neatly stacked bunch of papers.

“Are you familiar with Osmar Berisford?” the spymaster asked.

She was: her father had done business with the Berisford family, minor nobles out of Hercinia. Osmar was the third of five sons, and the one the others preferred to pretend did not exist. He'd not been disowned outright, but his unpleasant demeanor and behavior led many to think such a thing wasn't far off. She had been fortunate enough not to have met him herself.

Lady Montilyet continued. “He is a member of a noble house from Hercinia that has offered its ai-”

“I’m aware of who he is,” Emma interrupted curtly. The ambassador shot her a perplexed look.

“You know him personally?”

Emma shook her head. “By reputation.”

“Then you know he isn’t exactly well-known for being generous, or honest,” said Leliana. “He has insisted on meeting with the Inquisitor personally to discuss giving us his family’s support, and I believe that is not all he means to do.”

“So refuse the meeting.” She took a deep breath to stave off how irritated she was becoming. This was not worth leaving Lux behind.

Lady Montilyet furrowed her brow. “On what grounds? The family’s reputation is fine, it is only his that is suspect.”

“That is why we need you,” clarified Leliana. “Find out what you can from Skyhold before he arrives, and keep an eye on him once he is here. Piper will be following him here once he passes Crestwood, and he will have more information for you when he arrives. Report anything suspicious immediately.”

Lady Montilyet scribbled something on her papers. “He arrives in two days’ time and meets with Inquisitor Lavellan in a week.” Lux was already on his way here, then. Good. He was probably ecstatic at the opportunity, and she was glad for it.

Lady Montilyet took her leave, and Emma was left alone with the spymaster, and a lingering suspicion that something was off about this assignment.

“The Inquisitor requested that I do this?” she asked once they were alone. Leliana stood, keeping her arms crossed and adopting a sympathetic smile.

“The Inquisitor requested that someone do it. You dutifully completed your...assignments in the Hinterlands, and I've received excellent reports on the work you and Piper have done in Crestwood. I trust that you will not fail us, even if he does not.”

Emma nodded gratefully, then saluted and made her way to the kitchens with the stack of papers tucked under her arm. Her head was beginning to throb, and tea would be necessary if she were to focus on her work. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead into her palm. In doing so, she didn't see the bald-headed elven mage exit the kitchens in front of her, and ran smack into him, causing him to spill most of his own mug of tea.

Perfect.

He let out an exasperated grunt and cursed in the elven tongue, then glared down his nose at her. Emma only offered a quick, insincere, “Ir abelas.”

The elf - she hadn't bothered learning his name, but she was sure Lux knew - seemed surprised at her apology. “It's all right. I despise tea, as it were.” He seemed to be genuinely trying to be pleasant, but she had no interest in returning the sentiment.

“Your water is too hot,” she replied after a cursory glance at his mug’s contents. Her lips remained set in a straight line as she stared up at him. “It’s burnt the leaves. You might like it better if you made it correctly.” He furrowed his brow at her, and she ducked around him and through the door before he could inhale a retort.

She filled a mug with water, and retrieved a sachet of leaves Lux had prepared for her before she left Crestwood. She held it in her hands for a few moments before letting it fall into the water, then made her way out and to her quarters to attempt to put her almost maddening irritation at Lux's absence out of her mind.

Lavellan returned the next day.

Emma had not left her quarters much, and thus missed the fanfare surrounding his arrival. When she arrived in the rookery the day Lux was due back to deliver a preliminary report on the loathsome Hercinian, who was also due that day, she was rather unpleasantly surprised to find the Inquisitor standing by the window near Leliana’s desk, hands clasped behind his back, his long hair loose and swept over his right shoulder. His outfit of choice while not in the field was a fine doublet of white samite, fitted olive-colored breeches and fine leather boots, a stately ensemble that made it apparent that, while he was indeed very tall and strong for an elf, he retained the lithe, willowy frame characteristic of his kind.

Without his armor, he stood with a much straighter, more regal posture, and much lighter on his feet. He seemed to almost float on top of the stone floor as he shifted his weight, but kept his back to her. Emma often overheard the opinion, from men and women alike, that the Inquisitor was extremely handsome, and she may have even agreed were he not such an insufferable boor. He'd probably not noticed her, and she was not very keen to speak to him at the moment, so she turned and started back towards the stairs. She would meet Leliana later.

“Agent.”

Damn it all.

Emma stopped, and turned back towards him. He'd turned, and was now facing her. The two of them traded stone-faced glares, and neither spoke for an uncomfortable few moments.

“Inquisitor.”

Lavellan was unfazed, and Emma found herself locked with him in a battle of resolve, one that she was undoubtedly better equipped to win. At least, under normal conditions, she would have been. It would take a bit more for her to maintain her calm, stoic demeanor now, but maintain it she would. If there were ever someone to whom she could never show any sort of weakness, it was Lavellan.

“Leliana tells me you are the one she has watching that cretin Berisford.”

Emma nodded. It was surprisingly civil, for him.

“Let's hope he really is just coming here to talk, then. I'd hate for all that stood between me and anyone who wished me harm to be you.”

Ah. Of course. She steeled herself, preparing to respond in kind. She could play his little game.

“Are you incapable of defending yourself in such conditions, Inquisitor? I was under the impression your prowess in battle was at least adequate.” Lavellan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he took a few steps toward her. An attempt to be intimidating, she supposed. It hadn’t worked before, and she certainly wasn't intimidated now.

“My prowess in battle is irrelevant against a surprise attack, agent, as I'm sure you are aware. Especially one originating from those at my side.”

“You assume I deem such a thing worth the effort.”

Lavellan meandered slowly around her, still standing tall with light and rhythmic footsteps, the way the tales the city elves told of the Dalish said they walked. He glanced downward momentarily, and the look on his face when his gaze returned to her, the sort of look worn by a brilliant strategist who had just completed meticulously planning his next attack, told her that the next thing to come out of his mouth would be particularly obnoxious.

“You seem to be missing your shadow.”

Sometimes she despised being right. She had expected him to play that card, but it affected her more than she wanted it to. He knew precisely where Lux was, and why, and he was toying with her. She allowed herself a small betrayal of the fact that he was annoying her, and shifted her weight and crossed her arms, but her speech did not falter. Lavellan needed to see her self-confidence, and her confidence in her friend.

“He is serving well in spite of you.”

One corner of his mouth turned slightly upward in a smug half-smirk. Although she showed it only minimally, he was gaining ground, and he knew it. Perhaps he was better at this than she’d thought. “You've been assigned to tasks for which you've been deemed fit.”

She didn't know exactly what it was about him that let Lavellan get to her so; his accusation of blood magic, while supremely insulting, had a rational explanation, and Emma was not one to hold a grudge when rational explanations for one’s actions were involved. He was deliberately antagonizing her, yes, but so had a great many others whose behavior she’d met without so much as a sigh. Yet, with this elf, she found her eyes narrowing and her brow furrowing against her volition. She countered it before it came to a head, fortunately, and replied again in a dispassionate, but just critical enough manner.

“Do not insult my intelligence, Inquisitor. You claimed you cannot spurn our aid, yet you refuse to use it? Distrust me all you wish, but you will regret wasting the asset my partner and I provide to your Inquisition on your petty games.”

His vallaslin tightened around his features as he leaned downward to reply, his face mere inches from hers. He almost whispered, like a low growl. “You are a liability, agent, not an asset. The boy is an unfortunate casualty of that fact. ” Emma was confused, and quickly becoming incensed at his flippant dismissal of Lux’s usefulness. The boy? What gall. What was the point of allowing them to join the Inquisition in the first place, then? He should have just told them to turn back the day they met on that mountain.

She was a poor substitute for Lux in the area of wit and cunning with words, but the thought of him rejuvenated her will to avoid allowing Lavellan to break her, and she responded with a smug half-smirk of her own.

“I suppose, then, you should continue to hope you are correct. I would hate for you to become a casualty of the boundless liability surrounding my presence here, as well.”

Lavellan raised an eyebrow. “Is that a threat?”

“It is the truth. For the time being, you are, sadly, necessary.”

He seemed to relax, momentarily, his expression giving a hint of what appeared to be approval. He stood straight again, and glanced over at Leliana’s desk.

“Tell Leliana that I would like a word, if you would,” he said, somewhat politely, strangely enough. Emma replied with her signature nod as he strode away towards the door behind them. “Until later, agent.”

He would likely request she be reassigned, probably to the Hissing Wastes or somewhere else miserable. It didn’t matter. Almost the second the door shut, Leliana ascended the stairs, and Emma saluted and slightly bowed her head in greeting, delivering Lavellan’s message almost immediately.

“The Inquisitor would like a word, Nightingale.”

“I’m assuming he was here when you arrived?” Emma nodded. “I apologize. It won’t kill him to wait a bit longer. Have you found something?”

Emma relinquished the report, and Leliana skimmed over it quickly.

“He appears to be attempting to redeem himself. Sensible investments, legitimate business deals on his family's behalf. Perhaps his parents are finally holding his feet to the fire.” She glanced at Emma for confirmation, which Emma did not give. Leliana picked up on her reservation.

“You don’t look convinced, Harper.”

“I am not.” Emma pointed to the dates of the apparently repentant young lord’s business deals, and the spymaster squinted incredulously as she noticed the pattern to which Emma referred.

“Most of these were made immediately preceding or since the attack on Haven. I agree, that is somewhat suspicious. Have you received word from my contact in Hercinia?”

“Yes. Nothing solid, but your Antivan friend suggests we search his belongings when he arrives. He may have other records he keeps closer to him.” Leliana nodded her approval as she continued looking over the report.

“My ‘Antivan friend’, is it?” she asked casually after a few moments. Emma nodded.

“Antivan writing mimics Antivan speech: flamboyant and melodramatic. It’s difficult to miss.”

The spymaster was impressed, and rewarded her with a proud smile. “Well done, indeed.”

“Piper may have more when he arrives,” Emma added, hoping that Leliana’s reply would have some news of his arrival.

“Piper has been delayed.”

Shit. Exactly the news she hadn’t wanted, and she looked away briefly to mask her increased anxiety.

“Berisford took an alternate route we were not expecting, and Piper needed extra time to intercept him. They should both arrive in two more days.”

“I see,” she managed to say amidst heaving a sigh of relief. This was good; this meant he was alive, and Leliana had likely received word from him.

“He sent a message for you, as well. I meant to find you to give it to you, but it seems you were also trying to find me.” Leliana handed her a small rolled-up piece of paper, and Emma nodded her thanks. She took her leave and returned to her quarters, sinking into the desk chair before reading the message.

Dearest Emmi,

Small delay, but I am well. No need to worry, although I know you will anyway. Find some good wine for my birthday, and I’ll see you soon, silly girl.

Yours,

Lux

Lux’s handwriting scrawling across the paper was immensely comforting, and she settled into a wide, contented smile. He was just fine on his own, as she knew he would be. Hopefully, he did as well.

Osmar Berisford reached Skyhold two days later, as expected, but Lux did not.

Emma reluctantly took to her duty of watching the Inquisition’s guest, who was a stark contrast to what she’d heard of him prior: he’d been described as a fat, slovenly bastard, but he could hardly be considered thus. His hair and clothes were well kept, and he was certainly in much better shape. He seemed to be making every attempt to be on his best behavior, as well. Although she remained suspicious, Emma followed him around Skyhold dutifully, observing as much of the stronghold as she could to be sure Lux arrived.

Another day passed, however, and still no sign of Lux, nor any word. Berisford spent much of the next morning grumbling about missing something, although he was unclear on what it was. The other agents who had searched Berisford’s guest room came up empty-handed, so whatever he was so irked over losing was likely lost on the road. Emma was growing restless herself at Lux’s continued absence. Something clearly wasn’t right.

The time came for him to meet with the Inquisitor, which took place in the office area of sorts Lavellan kept in his private quarters, rather than in the ambassador’s office due to an incident involving another Marcher noble, from Wycome, Emma overheard, who had arrived early and demanded Lady Montilyet’s attention at once. How she tolerated it, and how money could make people behave so childishly, was beyond Emma. Her father was not nobility in Starkhaven, but he was wealthy enough, and always warm, fair, and kind. These people, however, were ridiculous.

Emma had strongly advised against using the Inquisitor’s personal office, but Lavellan’s distrust of her persisted and he decided to go ahead with it. She kept her distance, remaining at the bottom of the stairs leading to the main area of the Inquisitor’s apartment, where she could hear well enough, but did not have to remain stealthed. After a while, she found she actually sympathized with Lavellan, who sounded just as uninterested in the inane conversation as she was. Just as she was becoming irreparably bored and ready to dismiss this assignment as another attempt of the Inquisitor's to waste her time, she felt an urgent hand on her shoulder pulling her out into the previous room.

It was Lux, out of breath, disheveled and road-weary, but alive and unharmed. Emma couldn’t resist wrapping him up in a quick, tight hug; she couldn’t have been more relieved to see him. He was distraught, however, and instead of waiting for her to ask where he’d been, he thrust a folded note at her and tried catching his breath. Emma helped him to lean against the wall, her arm around him as she read his message. The note was a shipping agreement between Berisford and a shipping company she had never heard of, but she was more than familiar with the note’s final instruction, originally written in code and deciphered into Lux's hand. Her eyes widened in shock with the realization:

Eliminate Lavellan with extreme prejudice. Vitae benefaria, friend.

Berisford was working with the Venatori.

And he was alone with the Inquisitor that very moment.

Lux, still catching his breath, caught Emma’s arm as she started back up the stairs, and he handed her a small flask.

“Just in case,” he said, with a breathless chuckle.

Emma smiled at him and clutched the flask tightly in her hand as she raced into the Inquisitor’s quarters without bothering to enter stealth, chest pounding and sprinting up the stairs two at a time, and arrived at the top just in time to see Lavellan’s eyes go even wider than hers as Berisford shoved him backwards off of the balcony.

#my writing #equilibrium

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