#this is prime brother&sister dynamic for them

[softquietsteadylove]

Love your work. I am always excited to read your next masterpiece. What about a story where Thena and Ikaris get trapped in something (like an indestructible elevator made by Phastos) and while the two are (more than likely fighting) in there, Girl is trying to get Thena out.

Unbearable silence hovered between Thena and Ikaris as they stared each other down after yet another sparring match. It was a rough one today, both of them going at it a little harder than necessary. There hadn't been an attack in a few days, leading them to have some pent up energy.

Thena in particular was crackling with even more temper than usual.

"That's it," Ikaris panted, his chest heaving within his armour. The training arena was a wreck around them. Phastos would have their heads. "Done for the day."

"Fine," Thena acquiesced. It was the only indication that she was as spent as he was, although even she was breathing slightly heavier than normal.

Ikaris just nodded, dragging himself closer to the door. Thena matched him step for step. He clenched his teeth in his jaw, "do you mind?"

"This is the exit," she snarled right back at him. It wasn't her fault that their minds were woven from the same cloth. "Ever heard of ladies first?"

"Is there one present?" Ikaris snarked right back at her. He predicted a wild swing from Thena and floated up and out of its way. It collided with the controls for the door. "Oh-"

"Fuck," Thena sighed, watching the control for the door's automation spark and hiss at them from the damage. She looked up at Ikaris, "this is your fault."

"My-?!" Ikaris glared down at the Warrior Eternal, who was acting like she had pointed out something obvious (instead of accusing him baselessly!). "You insufferable-!"

Thena growled, keeping Ikaris away from her with one hand as she tried to pry the door open with her sheer strength with the other. But it was locked by hydraulics, and she couldn't get her fingers into the seam of the door and its frame anyway. She pounded on the reinforced metal of it. "Hello?!"

"That's your big idea?" Ikaris finally landed, still giving her the stink eye as he stood beside her. "Yelling for help?"

Thena stood back, holding up her hands to let him have at it, "by all means, oh-great Soldier Eternal."

He sneered at her. He made a few attempts at punching it in, the prying it open as she had. He charged his eyes. "Stand back."

She didn't.

Ikaris flinched as the Cosmic Energy of his lasers was neutralised and dispersed against the door. Phastos had reinforced everything in the training arena located in the bowels of the Domo. He had to, lest some collateral damage extend into an engine room or a vent system.

"Yes, that was so much better than my attempts."

Ikaris's nostrils flared and he could feel his veins pulsing in his head. How his sister in arms angered him. "Someone will come to find us."

Thena gave him an even look. Not even disbelieving or disdainful, just an honest look. "Will they?"

Well, perhaps she had a point. They were still getting used to each other as a team, and they in particular were known for being...a little much. Specifically when it came to sparring. And the rest of the family knew that they had been wound up without an attack to fight off.

Ikaris sighed, stepping back from the door, "maybe if we scream loud enough in our heads Druig will hear us."

Ikaris drifted away from the door out of agitation. Thena put her hands on her hips, staying rooted on the spot. The door was the enemy, and she was going to keep it in her sights, it seemed. "S'not goin' anywhere."

Thena remained, though, staring at the blank surface of it. Her fingers tapped on the plating sitting around her hips that held the swaying and swishing fabric between her legs.

"Thena?"

Ikaris' head whipped up, but Thena wasn't surprised at all. Had she been expecting him? "Gil--that you?"

"The door won't open."

Ikaris half expected Thena to point out how obvious - needless - that statement was.

But she stepped closer to the door as she spoke, "there was an...incident."

"Thena broke it," Ikaris corrected her earlier statement. She elbowed him in the side for it, but he took it for what it was. "Can you get the door open?"

"I can try."

Thena and Ikaris stood back slightly as they heard what must have been Gilgamesh starting to try and pull the door open by bending the frame away from it.

"If anyone can get us out, it's Gil."

Ikaris was surprised by the sheer and honest faith in Thena's voice as she said it. He was so used to Thena being prickly and unbearable. He could forget that she was, in fact, a real person and not a walking blade.

"Phastos probably could."

She didn't even snap at him for his disagreement with her. She was anxiously waiting for moment Gilgamesh could break through the barrier between them.

"I'm afraid I'm going to damage the wall structure," Gil called out from his side. "I'm going to try and kick the door in. Stand back, Thena!"

Ikaris rolled his eyes; he was in here too, he could remind them. Not that it mattered to those two. Very little mattered to them when they were together. It was baffling to him, and every time he asked Sersi she would just laugh it off.

Thena turned to the side as they prepared for the door to sail past them. Their ears popped as they felt the air compressing in reaction to Gil's energy charging. Not all Eternals had the benefit of such an ability. For many of them, their energy levels simply were what they were--they had limits. But Kingo and Gil - and even Druig - could build and build and build their own Cosmic Energy unto itself.

Ikaris watched as the door flew through the air like it was nothing at all. It had some of its machinery still attached to it as it blew past them and to the far side of the room.

"Thena!" the Strongest Eternal rushed into the room, immediately looking at his fighting partner, "you're okay!"

"Everything is fine," she offered him one of her rare smiles, walking right over to him. "Although someone will have to tell Phastos about the damages in here."

Ikaris was ready to declare that he would not be that someone.

But Gil put a hand on his chest, looking at Thena with warm eyes, "I'm the one who broke the door in. I'll tell him it's my fault."

Such a softie. Ikaris took to the air again, rolling his eyes at his sister and her...Gilgamesh. "You two have fun with that. I'm on watch."

The other two Fighters watched him go, floating needlessly a few inches off the ground and down the hall. Gil put a hand on Thena's back as they headed out themselves, "how did this happen?"

The Warrior Eternal shrugged, although her smile was a little sheepish, "I was aiming for Ikaris, but it seems I have become...predictable."

"Maybe he's just an easy target," Gil chuckled, earning a quiet laugh from her as well. "You feel better after getting it outta your system?"

His understanding of her never ceased to bring a certain peace over her. "I do."

"Good," he nodded with a grin, "because dinner's almost ready and you're going to test everything for me first."

[rise-my-angel]

Heart of the Great Wolf

1 - Wolves of the Lone Stag

Pairing: Jon Snow x F!Baratheon!Reader (slow burn), Robb Stark x F!Baratheon!Reader

Length: 16.1k

Warnings: Slow Burn, Strained parent-child issues, mentions of minor character death, secret relationship, arranged marriage, injured/sick child mention, smut, p in v, slight dom/sub dynamics, loss of virginity

Notes: Reader is firstborn daughter of Stannis Baratheon, based off the show but will include direct book elements, slight canon divergence. First Chapter is really long due to set up, subsequent future chapters won't be quite such a massive read. Chapter Two Here.

Travelling along the Kingsroad was far longer and more tedious with this company. Normally you would spend only so much time on here from White Harbour, most of the journey done on sea. Yet now, there were far too many people and it’s leader insisting on treating the journey as it’s own adventure. By the time you reached Winterfell it would be a month on horseback and no one to entertain your morose demeanour. Though perhaps you had to consider that it wasn’t just the company of the others that was less then ideal.

You had the supposed misfortune of being the daughter to the less favoured of the three Baratheon brothers. Robert, King Robert to those in public company, was a more complicated man. A mix of a man who successfully kept the peace for over twenty years but also was as unhappy on the throne and was unafraid to show it. He did however, have enjoyment in wine, hunting, and did hold a jovial laughter that kept people around him.

Your other uncle, was much more agreeable. Renly was the youngest of them and was charismatic and well liked. He was naive, not really a man suited for leadership but he did the best with what he knew to do. Closer to your age, you often found yourself spending time with him and it was right now that you were annoyed he chose to stay back in Kings Landing. A month with the King, his own family and the entire royal brigade and not one of them knew how to get a smile from you.

That was a trait from your father no doubt. Stannis Baratheon was the middle child, and he was easily the most disliked. He was cold, distant, unemotional and seldom allowed laughter at his table. He took his job seriously, more seriously then the King did his sometimes. In his prime, he was a proven battle commander and he never lost that. Robert was a warrior and he was happiest as such, but Stannis had never stopped being a commander and whether it made him liked or not, it taught you to be who you were now.

A Lady of the House Baratheon, firstborn daughter to Stannis and heir of Dragonstone was your current position and you were taught to uphold that name. Often found with a flat expression, close to a scowl as you walked the capitol you found nothing to enjoy there. Not that Dragonstone was where you’d find happiness either. The only place that had never been your home was the one you felt it in.

You had turned eight when your father had begun sending you out. Brought up, he ensured you had a Lord’s education as well as what all girls were taught. If you were to take up the mantle after him, he wanted you to learn from those that would teach you to be like him. That was when he sent you to Winterfell for the first time. Not a friend of Lord Eddard of House Stark, but your father did respect him the most. Two men both stern with upholding honour and justice, always doing what is right and what is honourable rather then what they wanted.

You spent seven months in Winterfell, and it was the first time your mother and father hadn’t been there for your name day. At the time, it made you sad but you had long since gotten over it. Over more then a decade had passed since your first stay in the north and many name days had been spent there with no word from your family. Well, at least your parents. The only family member you spoke too and more fondly with then Renly, was your baby sister. Shireen Baratheon was not just the light of your life but your fathers too. Some used to say that you were the only one who could make Stannis smile but you were nothing compared to how he smiled at that little baby.

You were fine with her being the favourite, she was your favourite family member as well.

Not long after baby Shireen had beaten a bout of horrific illness, your father had been summoned to Kings Landing. The King telling him that he was of no use to the realm shut away on Dragonstone, and he was to come to the capitol and sit on the small council as Master of Ships. He had taken you with him, and thus your new home was the wretched city full of backstabbers and manipulators.

Back and forth you went from Kings Landing to Winterfell, each stay growing longer and each stay you grew closer to the Starks then you did anyone in the Red Keep. Lord Stark was the perfect example of a good leader, warden of the North and inspired nothing but loyalty amongst the northerners and made you as welcome as anyone in his home. You followed him around most days, learning from him, watching how he handled diplomacy and made his lessons your own.

It was that how you got to know his ward, Theon Greyjoy. A rambunctious lad who listened diligently in formality and was crass and brash outside of that. You knew he would hate Kings Landing but often found yourself at your fathers side wishing the smart ass was next to you, nudging you with his elbow every time you were too closed off for your own good. It was easy to forget that he was technically the Starks prisoner, he fit into their family, the north as well as you did.

Not quite a leader as you were being taught to be, but you were confident once he had the chance to prove himself, you’d expect great things from him. You’d gotten a raven from him while on the road, and in his usual style he spent some time making fun of you for having to be “shacked up with the lamest of the three”.

Right. The reasons your company headed to Winterfell. The King had one, you were being forced into another though. The news shocking you as Stannis told you of your new duty the night before you left was double. That he was leaving for Dragonstone and you were to return to Kings Landing with Lord Stark and serve as acting Master of Ships in his absence.

He wasn’t just dumping his responsibilities onto you with no explanation of his distant behaviour and secrecy, your father had also dumped a marriage onto you and told you that you were to marry and come back. As if he didn’t just dictate your entire life to be like his. “You will marry the Stark boy, and with or without him you are to return in my place.”

Trying to reason with him, “You’re expecting me to have, what? A night maybe two with my new husband and then leave for however long you decide?”

Not even the slightest change of expression, but there was a twinge of regret in his eyes that was soon covered up. “I didn’t decide this alone. My brother, our king, has decided it with no room for question. I’m sorry, but you’re a Baratheon. You’re my daughter. And sometimes our duty requires us to marry not for love, but for the good of the realm.”

You had spoken to your betrothed since the announcement, but had yet to see him in person. A major reason as to why you wished Renly had come with you. Have someone to ease your nerves on the months ride, instead you were entirely on your own lost in what you were losing.

After all, you received a raven from not just Robb after the announcement. And it was that second one, and the finality of it’s contents that shattered the still remaining rosy dreams you once felt as if you had a lifetime to indulge in. Who your betrothed was, wasn’t the upset in any way. It was the unavoidable conclusion of the love in your heart that simply wasn’t allowed to be.

As the party approached Winterfell, your heart begun to race.

The crisp cool air on your face that once relaxed you, only stoned it further into a solid expressionless pose. Reminding yourself that you weren’t just here as yourself, you were to represent your father and you wouldn’t do so by falling apart. You rode into the walls right up near the very front alongside your craven of a cousin. He represented the luxurious royal side of the family, and you the steadfast duty and justice.

The House guard stood all around the courtyard as well as many people who simply worked close by or wanted to just see the King. Riding into the main area, you refused to look. The Starks all stood with their closest men behind them but you looked nowhere but above the heads of everyone with a straight back atop of your horse.

The carriage which carried the Queen and the other two of her royal children filed in and revealed the King following suit. Your eyes forcing to stay nowhere but him, and it struck part of you that his deep scowl seemed to just be a trait that was shared amongst much of this family. As your party stayed atop their horses, you watched everyone near kneel down as Robert was assisted off his horse.

Watching him make a straight line towards the Starks, he stood in front of the kneeling Lord Stark beckoning him with his hand to stand. Everyone around them rising in toe as you watched the two old friends look stoically at one another. The quiet in the courtyard as everyone waited.

King Robert, it seemed, left posing the stoic formality of the Baratheons to you. Looking down at his friend’s frame and casually commenting, “You got fat.”

Two magnets, designed by the gods to be brought together your eyes met without any thought. His grey ones widened with a playful glint and a raise of the sides of his mouth as if to say, “He got fat?” You, broke just as easily. Quirking your eyebrows up slightly, trying and failing to cover a smirk as you flickered your eyes in gesture to the King, agreeing with his silence as you both instantly looked away from the other. Knowing neither would smother such a begging grin if you kept glancing at each other.

Robert greeting each member of the family, making polite chat with the Stark parents you climbed off your horse. Your head angled enough to see your cousin, Joffery, staring at the direction you just had with a smirk you would describe in private as slimy.

You weren’t the only one with a betrothal in mind for your King, but it was the other Stark which would suffer. Somehow whatever genes made the Baratheons so respected, had skipped Joffery in every single capacity. He was more Lannister then he was his father, and not even with the decency to be like the one lion which you could speak to without agitation.

You couldn’t say Sansa was the one you got along with the most, but watching the way the prince looked at her, you pitied what she couldn’t possibly know she was in store for.

“Take me to your crypt, I want to pay my respects.”

Cersei Lannister, the Queen, barley made an effort to toss any level of genuinity in her voice. “We’ve been riding for a month, my love. Surely the dead can wait.”

Her term of endearment sounding as fake to your Uncle as it did you, he ignored her and summoned Lord Stark anyways. The Queen glaring as they walked away, and directed it towards the youngest Stark daughter, Arya as she without any care of properness, asks where the “Imp” was. The Imp being the Queens younger brother, Tyrion.

Were you to be honest, as you unpacked some of your things from your horse you could only think of one place he would go. And he certainly would not find such a place inside the castle walls. Seeing the Queens twin brother, Ser Jaime of the Kingsguard to “go and find the little beast.” Holding another smirk back, you heard footsteps approaching.

Not the ones you normally would expect, he wouldn’t come to you here. Not now, not in front of the royal family, all these people, and certainly not after learning you’ve come here to marry. Instead, the voice that spoke behind you was the only other person you’d care to see, calling your name.

Robb Stark, Lord Eddard Stark’s eldest true born son stood tall behind you. His northern accent deep and thick, and drenched in a soothing warmth that always felt comforting yet unfitting of the cold he lived around. Turning to face him, you could still see the trailing remnants of the Queen and her children in the distance.

Play your part, your fathers voice told you. With a slight nod of your head and a smile you clearly amused Robb with such a proper curtsy. “My lord.”

A raise of his eyebrows, he had less care of hiding such a smirk. “Is that how we are playing it, my lady?”

You had to bite your tongue to keep from smiling, but still failed somewhat. Robbs smirk growing more playfully smug as he watched you lose your static composure. “I don’t know what you mean, my Lord. I am here with the royal company, we are nothing if not with our courtesies at all times.”

Dropping the act, Robb rolled his eyes and stepped closer. “Well if you’re people have a problem with it, they will just have to get over it.” Pulling you into a hug, you felt part of your racing heart and screaming nerves settle a bit.

You’ve known Robb since that first visit when you were eight. No matter what you were both being shoved into, he wasn’t anything near a stranger. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you to his chest as your face was snuggle tugged into the deep browns of his cloaks fur. Soft as anything, they helped sooth your heart more and he seemed to hold you for as long as it did his as well. His voice low in your ear this time, “We’ll talk in private.”

Pulling away with a deep inhale, you nodded. Face falling back into a stoic composure. It sometimes took you a little bit to drop the harsh demeanour you lived with once you got to Winterfell, but with this company in toe you felt bad that the Starks weren’t going to really get you in any relaxed form. Nodding at Robb you fell quiet, but he was happy to take up the mantle with enough volume for those around to be satisfied with. “Let me help bring your things up, my lady.”

In the corner of your eye as Robb slung the heavier of your bags over his shoulder and you insisting on carrying at least the lighter one, you caught sight of his mother. Lady Catelyn Stark, originally born to House Tully, was something of a complicated relationship for you. You admired her in countless ways, and you saw her more as a mother then you did your own for many years growing up. But there was no mistaking the slight rift that was caused by the only other member of the family you were closer too then her eldest son.

That one though, was nowhere to be seen. You both knew full well that such a meeting was going to have to happen in private, and you hoped you would find time to sneak away from the feast tonight to get it. You two had to talk, you needed to talk to him before you marry or your resolve might crumble.

She watched you and Robb politely walk through the court towards the main doors. Describing their home as a castle felt odd after living in both Dragonstone and Kings Landing. The Starks castle in Winterfell was home in your heart, not a fancy collection of stonework designed to impress. Robb had written that the news came as surprise to all of them, that Lady Catelyn had tried to protest saying that the King shouldn’t just force this on you.

Her husband had to remind her, that they married of duty and look where they are now. You hoped that your companionship with Robb’s brother had not soured her opinion of you being capable of being a good wife. Robb didn’t have your heart the way he did, but he would be the one to keep it from now on and you hoped Lady Catelyn wouldn’t hold it against you.

Falling in love with Robb was not the impossible, in fact he could make that quite easy.

Making small talk of the trip here as you and Robb passed a numerous amount of servers and maids scurrying about the halls, you were thankful for how well you knew him. That the tensity in his stature would only relax the second the door would shut and you both would drop this growing painful act.

Your room was in a corridor away from the main family, closer to where Theon stayed. Many times the main four of you would stay in either his or your room to drink, laugh and get into trouble all without the keen ears of the Stark parents. Your room in Winterfell was a place that you could stop being the daughter and first born heir of Lord Stannis Baratheon, and just be you.

The room had been freshly cleaned, new sheets draped on the bed frame as well as a cozy fur begging you to plop down onto it with a sigh and a nap to boot. Robb dropped your bag down by the window, holding his hand to take the one in your hands to join it. Turning to you, he watched as you let out a shaking sigh.

Your face dropping, finally free to shine in a tinge of shame and exhaustion as you sat down on the edge of the bed, your palms flat on your thighs. Opening your mouth to speak, he cut you off with a sharp edge. “Don’t apologize.” Your brows narrowed in question, but Robb paced over to lean against the wall across from you. His arms crossed casually in front of his chest as he looked into your eyes. “You were about to say sorry for all of this, and I don’t want to hear it.”

Head dropping, you bit your tongue more and nodded. Hands clasping together in a fidget before returning to rest flat on your thighs. His eyes shined blue, and out of the sunlight his hair looked far closer to a Stark brown then it did a Tully Red, if your heart didn’t weigh a thousand pounds you might have spent more time admiring him. “I just,” Sighing again you looked away, unable to cope with the unblinking seriousness in his eyes. “I only found out before you did. I don’t want you thinking I asked for this, or am trying to force you into this.”

Robbs sigh wasn’t defeated, but annoyed. You hadn’t the courage to look again yet. Your name slipping from his tongue with a seriousness. “No one here thinks that.” Glancing up at him, you felt your resolve slip even more. “No one.”

Not that Robb would have any reason to suspect it, but you were desperately hoping that one person in particular didn’t think that out of everyone. Robb took a few steps forward, hoping to beckon you to look up at him, but instead chose to sit down next to you. Enough space between you to not be intrusive. Your voice was small, quiet like a whisper and you knew this was not the words of a proud lady, but just a girl. “He hadn’t even brought up marriage in years. Not since..”

You faded off, both of you know what you were going to say but luckily Robb knew that reliving it would not make you feel any better. He leaned closer to you without breaking your personal space. “Your father has talked to you about marriage more then he has me, at least. In some ways you’re more prepared for this then I am.”

Laughing out, you didn’t turn to see the soft smile on his lips at the sound. “Oh I doubt that. You haven’t had the pleasure of meeting my parents. Between them, and being around the King and Queen’s marriage? It it weren’t for yours I’d assume every married couple is bitter and unloving to the point of near contempt.”

A breathy laugh leaving him, you were thankful once more that at least your husband to be was someone whom you didn’t have to hold you thoughts around. Robb leaned back on the bed, his palms outstretched to rest against the furs and look at you partially from the back and side. “We could get separate beds if it makes you feel better.”

Your eyes narrowed playfully at the mocking in his tone. Quick to turn around with the intention of snarking back he took you by surprise. Lurching forward to wrap his hands around your waist and drag you back with him, both of you laying now back against the bed as he respectfully moved his hands from you. His eyes shined with laughter however, and it loosened yours enough to laugh out loud.

Playful words sat at the tip of your tongue, but what came out was far from it. “It feels like he’s planning something,” turning to look at Robb’s profile against the light coming from the window. “My father. He and Lord Arryn have been doing something in secret, and he kept me away from it on purpose. Both of them seemed to be worried about something, and then...”

“Then he died.” Lord Jon Arryn, Hand of the King and a long time friend of both the King Robert and Lord Stark had passed from a fever that took him in one night.

You nodded. Glancing up to the ceiling as your hands rested along your stomach. “He was fine one day, and then he just...not even a day later was when my father called me to his office. Told me everything, about coming here, about your father, then just..ended the conversation with this.” Your eyes narrowed as you recalled the sternness of his rasp.

“You’re to marry the Stark boy then return here in my place. I won’t have any more questions on the matter.”

Robb was lost in thoughts of his own, tone light yet distant when he spoke up. “He wants my father to be Hand of the King. He hasn’t even been in Kings Landing since the war.”

You understood why. Not just the horrors inflicted on Lord Starks father and brother, but it was a den of vipers all wanting you to play a game that a man like him would want no part in. None of the Starks belonged there, too good for a disgusting place the capitol was. Sighing yourself, you shrugged. “He’ll hate being there as much as my father does, as much as I do. At least I’m the Kings niece I’m supposed to belong there.”

Robb turned onto his side and you followed suit. Your dress hardly made for proper warmth like his attire was, but the Queen insisted that you dress properly to impress your to be husband. As if the man in question hadn’t seen you covered in dirt, mud, bruises and knocked you into the dirt countless times over the years. You didn’t feel like yourself anywhere but here, and yet with the royals all here you still didn’t feel like yourself.

Just a plaything meant to look pretty and play the part. For once, you felt like a normal highborn lady you supposed. Born and bred to be a wife that's born to breed. You were looking at Robb, and yet you reminded yourself with a lurch of your heart to push back the other face in your mind.

Later you told yourself.

Robb’s voice was low, soft, and with an affection that at the very least, wasn’t unusual for him. “You haven’t belonged there in a long time.”

Your tone dropped quieter then his. “Where do I belong then?”

To his credit, it wasn’t with himself that he said. “Here. You belong here.”

By nightfall you still hadn’t seen him. You’d seen many of the others. Arya being the first, practically running past Robb into your room and leaping into a hug with zero sense of formality. You knelt down somewhat to meet her with a loud laugh. With a zillion questions about if you’re staying, did you know, does this make you her sister, you were blissfully reminded of the only other girl who held your heart like that.

Shireen wasn’t a trouble maker like Arya had a tendency to be, but they had a similar spirit. She felt as much like your sister as the one back on Dragonstone was by birth. Sansa had to call her away, annoyed as ever and with a fluster as she addressed you. The paintings of a crush all over her face from the blonde haired fowl faced cousin, and you wished it was any other boy Sansa was to be promised too.

Well, as Robin Arryn briefly popped into your mind you laughed to yourself. Maybe not any of other boy. Starling the handmaiden attending to your dress as you shook your head in apology. You could dress yourself easily for a normal night in the North, but alas the Queen insisted that you impress your husband to be. As if he wasn’t someone you had known for over a decade as one of your very closest friends.

You did however, stop them fervently as they reached for your hair. The Queen could dress and paint you up like a doll and you wouldn’t really fuss at the treatment, but you would rather cross the wall and throw yourself into a frozen lake before you’d let any of those southern up-dos go anywhere near your hair. If judging by the look you got from the Queen during the feast, she wasn’t pleased in any way, but then again she rarely was ever pleased by anything.

Sat next to Robb during the feast, you were thankful that he and the other guys at the table treated you like they always did. To a degree, it was a bit off putting by your much more distant attitude but judging by the glances you made to the Queen they gathered enough that you were more on guard. The hall was filled to the brim with people, ale, music and laughter.

Off in the distance you could see King Robert laughing with a group of men, and his hands happily exploring a woman who was most certainly not his wife. Most didn’t care, and the ones who did never would say anything. He was King he could do what he wanted. Lady Catelyn much to your sympathy was stuck up at the main table sat next to the Queen herself and struggling to find any conversation that didn’t make the woman utterly miserable.

“Out of all the Northerns, you get stuck with this one?” Theons voice rang out, a lightness in his eyes and ale in his veins. You leaned your elbow on the table and pointed at him with a playful raise of your eyebrows.

“At least this one’s pretty, Greyjoy.”

Laughter from all around the table, and even finally sneaking one from yourself. Theon would sometimes flirt with you, but never in a serious manner. It almost was a game. He would start with a flirtatious comment and it quickly spun into who could jokingly insult the other more after you deny him with a snarky remark first. “Aye, but you’d get some nice experience with me.”

Robb tossing a ripped piece of bread at him with a half hearted protest of his own experience, but you leaned back in your seat bringing your mug to your lips. “What experience is that, exactly? Paying women to pretend to moan for you isn’t exactly what I had in mind for my wedding night.”

Pushing it back down, if you joked about it you didn’t have to think about the reality. With no experience of your own, you weren’t immune to the whispers of girls and women of their nights with pain and blood. At least you would get one single thing right come time for that part of the wedding. You almost didn’t though, and the longer you kept trying to not think about it, the more you felt yourself looking for someone you knew wasn’t there.

You had to talk to him, but the first day in Winterfell was just far too busy for it thus far.

Opportunity luckily, arrived in the form of Arya being unable to behave. You and Robb had been joking and laughing about something when the sight of food flinging from another side of the room caught your eyes. The food in question splatting directly onto Sansa’s face as she yelled out indigently.

The quickness of Arya smiling and going back to pretend as if she didn’t do anything got a laugh out of you, but also drew the attention of Lady Catelyn. Gesturing to Robb over, his face fell more serious as he brushed a hand over your lower back as he stood up. Grabbing Arya around the sides and hoisting her up. “Time for bed.”

Glancing around the room, Lady Catelyns eyes elsewhere, as was the Queens. Lord Stark talking to who you recognized as his brother Benjen and now Robb gone you took the opportunity you really shouldn’t have. Standing up, you made your way slowly to the entrance, downing the last of the ale before slinking out unseen.

Or rather, unseen by all but the watchful eyes of a golden Lion.

Alone for once, you allowed yourself to be annoyed. The chill of the air hit you with a sting as you were entirely undressed for the cold of the night. Not even graced with a seat at a lower table, no he was put out here as if his existence was so offensive to anyone but her. His birth wasn’t his fault, and as much as you admired and liked her?

It never failed to chip away at something angering in you, how Lady Catelyn treated Jon Snow.

You heard his voice before you saw him, but it the second voice that took you by surprise. “Did I offend you? Sorry. You are the bastard, though.”

Lord Tyrion Lannister in your sights slowly walked up to Jon, who was faced away from you. There was a bluntness in his words but also a sympathy in his eyes. Leaning back against a stone wall, you watched in quiet.

“Lord Eddard Stark is my father.”

And yet, just as so many liked to remind him, Lord Tyrions words were those that many have said in response. “And Lady Stark is not your mother. Making you, a bastard.”

Watching him with narrowed eyes, you held back any defence in your blood. Likely he was the only Lannister which you didn’t entirely distrust towards him. Jon Snow had more then enough people ensuring him he would never be like his brothers and sisters.

Your arms crossed over your chest, and breathe visible in the cold you listened to the man tell him wear what he is like armour. Jon, however, did not seem to be in such a mood. His voice was low, a thick northern accent that came out more like an entrancing rasp then Robb’s warm soothing one. It also, was lined with that of a temper you knew the older Jon got, the more he struggled with. “What the hell do you know about being a bastard?”

Fingertips itching to reach out, but you stayed put. Listening to Lord Tyrion’s final comments before departing to whatever plans he had for the night. “All dwarves are bastards in their fathers eyes.”

Jon wasn’t heartless, nor stupid. Somewhere inside him, you knew he sympathized with the Lannister but being shut out of a feast in the cold, on top of what you knew was looming? Jon had little room left to care about simmering that temper.

Lord Tyrion caught your eye as he passed, a tilt of his head and question in his eye you simply looked flat and unblinking. He wouldn’t say anything, but that didn’t mean he didn’t store his curiosity about your sudden watchful appearance for later.

Slowly approaching, you called out only once the sound of doors closing behind you left the courtyard in silence from the muffled party behind you. “Think he’s dead yet?”

Spinning to face you at the sound of your voice, you hated how unable you were to quell your heart looking at him. Walking towards him, you saw Jon put the sword away entirely before circling around to meet you halfway. It took less then second for both of you to glance around, watch for the no eyes any could see before he closed the rest of the gap.

Scooping you up into his arms, almost spinning you in place as you both held the other tightly. “I missed you.” Your voice muffled in this luscious dark curls, he put you down gently on your feet. His hands on your upper arms still before glancing up. Changing his mind, he turned. Pulling you along with him with a hand on your lower back.

Jon was the only man who could silently drag you away into a dark corner in the dead of night and you wouldn’t question him in any way, shape or form. Neither of you said anything, but out of everyone Jon was the one person who you didn’t need it with. Both of you were always on the air of more quiet, and it was never more appreciated then alone with the other, never worried about having to fill the air with talking to be comfortable.

Once you had reached far enough away, Jon led you into a small building, mostly empty save for some storage and one lit lantern. Door closed, he turned to face you once more with silence. His eyes begging to say too much, but neither of you could handle it in that second. Once more you found the others arms. This time, the desperation was felt both ways.

Both of you letting your eyes shut, and your hands rest freely and yet far to intimate to be platonic as you stood together. It was minutes before he pulled back. One hand resting on your waist and the other back on your upper arm. He watched as your hands wrung together, afraid to touch him. You hated how gently he always said your name, forcing you to look up and meet his eyes.

One of you had to say something, and you ripped the bandage off first. “You’re really joining them?”

His nod was confident, and it broke your heart that much more. “The St-”

Shaking your head you felt your eyes sting, you hated feeling this way. “Don’t give me that.” Your fingers twitched wanting to reach out, and he caught the movement. “Don’t tell me what you think everyone else wants to hear.”

Was his response a diversion from the truth, or an answer you didn’t know for sure. “You’re marrying Robb.” Like no other, Jon could tell right away that you bit your tongue in anxiety. The hand on your arm moving up to gently trace over the side of your jaw until he felt you relax under the touch. “I’m not mad at you. Neither of you really had a say in it.”

Ever so slowly, you hesitantly left your hands drift forward until the very tips of your fingers rested against his stomach. Much like earlier with Robb, were you not wracked with too much in your head, you might have paused to enjoy the feeling of how sturdy and firm his muscles had grown. Instead you let your head hang, knowing he wanted you to look at him. “And you feel like The Night’s Watch is the only place you belong?”

Were you anyone else, Jon would have pulled away in frustration. But his time with you was limited, and his hands always ached to touch you when you were near. “It is now.” Head rising up to look at him, your brows narrowed. “You’ll marry him, go back to Kings Landing with my father and sisters, and leave me what? Here with the brother who gets the one thing that used to be mine, and his mother who hates me?”

Something rushed up, and an anger almost yelled out instead of reason. “Jon, I’m not trying to leave you behind.”

He sighed, jaw clenching as his hand on your waist held you a slight tighter. “No. You’re doing your duty, and I’m doing mine.”

For a while you both just stood there, looking at the other. In your heart, you felt stolen from, but your mind reasoned for the best. Just as the silence between you was too much, Jon slowly leaned in.

Your back pressed against the wall and he having moved to crowd you against it, his head dipping down enough as you exhaled shakily. The nerves in you, always managing to make him smirk. But just as you felt the others breath on your faces, a door in the distance opened. Music and laughter and the sounds of a group making drunken rackets paused Jons movement.

If it were any normal day, you’d just say not here.

But you and Jon knew better, in a few days, he would stand in the godswood and watch you marry his brother. And soon after that he would join a group that cut your love off from him for life. You couldn’t kiss now, and not ever again.

It didn’t stop either of you from seeing the other after the night was over. But with the royal company here, with you and Robb spending more time together, you only had time to see each other in the secrets of the dark. What made that much harder though, was how little suddenly anyone looked forward to a wedding.

Bran had climbed the walls and towers thousands of times with a firm grip. And yet, while climbing the one tower which no one use in decades, Bran somehow fell so far to the ground, no one yet knew if he would wake up.

And amongst all that, the Queen insisted, “We still have a wedding to put on.”

The entire family was on edge. Maester Luwin has monitored him closely, and Lady Catelyn even closer having not left his side. You didn’t blame her one bit. It was before anyone else was really awake when you went to go see her.

Slowly peeking in, asking if it was alright you come in for a moment and you were thrown back over ten years ago. Looking at your own mother, Selyse, and how broken and lost she was as Maester Cressen warned her to prepare herself for Shireen to be sent away for good.

Walking by her side, you sat gently on the bed beside Bran. It was cruel. Only a boy of ten, and with the softest, most adorable little face you’d ever seen and yet he lay in bed broken in too many ways. If he woke, he’d never walk again. You thought to yourself, maybe if you were to be a proper northern, you should start praying to the Old Gods. Because it certainly seemed like praying to the Seven had done nothing. It left your baby sister disfigured for life, and so far they seem to have left Bran a cripple should they even allow him to wake.

Laying on the other side was his yet unnamed Direwolf. Hardly more then puppies when you first arrived, you had been shocked to see how they had grown. Sitting asleep by his masters side though, you hoped he would bring little Bran any comfort.

Lady Catelyn was silent beside you, working away on something you hadn’t quite understood. You didn’t ask, you weren’t a mother and you didn’t want her to have to explain her grief to you. Your hand gently ran over Brans wrist, your thumb feeling his pulse weak but still beating if you pressed firm enough. “My sister had greyscale as a baby.”

You felt her look up at you, but your eyes were trained on the adorable boy soon to be your brother. “My father bought her a doll from a merchant, and next thing we knew it was spreading fast over the side of her face. She was just a baby she didn’t even understand what was happening to her, but we all did.”

You felt your eyes sting, but forced them back with a harsh swallow. “I’ve never heard my mother cry like that. She lost four boys in the womb, and yet that was the most I’ve ever seen her cry. And my father?” You stumbled. Voice coming out harsh, and cracked slightly from the pressure to appear steady. “People used to say the only thing that he would ever smile for is me, but they don’t understand. They didn’t see the desperation in his eyes, how far and hard he searched to bring people to Dragonstone just for a chance to save her life. And none of them saw the tears in his eyes when he was finally allowed to hold her again.”

Reaching up with your other hand you ran your hand over the side of Brans face, brushing some hair to the side. “I’m sorry. Me and Robb both tried telling them to put it off, but the Queen insisted that a wedding might do everyone some good.” She tried saying your name, but you interrupted her. “It’s okay if you don’t come. If I were a mother, I don’t think I’d leave him either.”

Looking back at her, there were tears in her eyes and a soft smile that broke your heart. Your relationship with her was always complicated, but in this moment, all you saw was what no one had given to your mother when it was Shireen.

Leaning over to her, you hugged her tightly. The pain in her heart evident in how both weak yet tightly she hugged back. Pressing a kiss to her forehead you spoke quietly, “I’m sorry.”

Passing by the busy servants and suspiciously watchful Queen you paid no mind to the preparations that were to be for you tomorrow. At first it had felt like you and Robb were to be wed for some unknown plot of your fathers, but now it felt like a distraction.

Don’t look at the broken boy in bed, look at the happy couple. For their own pain, you had to hand it to the three of them. Lord Stark, Robb, and Jon truly what Starks were made of. Strong willed, and keeping calm acting as a pillar for the much younger and more worried siblings. Arya clearly a big influence on her direwolf Nymeria, as the wolf was agitated and struggled to sit still the past days. On multiple occasions, you found the wolf almost trying to rile up her own siblings to varying success.

Her and little Rickons direwolf Shaggydog had the most energy. As if getting out their tension by chasing and play fighting. Sansa’s Lady was truly an apt name. Stuck by her side and was poise and put together, only getting in the way to provide any comfort to the redhead in what Sansa thought were moments no one was looking.

Grey Wind was as strong headed as Robb. Their mother gone, he had taken up the mantle of leader of the pack and seemed to be a calming presence for the others. Much like how Robb’s confidence in ensuring his siblings Bran would be alright, provided such comfort to them. The more time you spend with Robb during the day, the more used to Grey Wind you got.

He grew larger then the others, a gorgeous mix of greys and browns in his colour and the more comfortable with a new closeness which Robb grew with you over the past few days, the easier it was for Grey Wind to come to your side when not with his own master. Lord Stark had joked that they seemed to sense you were about to become a wolf yourself.

It was the final direwolf however that you enjoyed the most. Pure white with striking red eyes, Ghost was smaller then the rest but quick and silent. He made very little noise if ever, but was always aware of his surroundings. Keeping out of the way without sacrificing his watchful canine eyes from their view, and listened to his master better then any of them.

Jon and Ghost it seemed, were one in the same. From the same family, but not truly one of the pack as the others were. While the others followed their master like an animal companion, Ghost and Jon were almost like friends instead. Certainly he took Jons feelings around people seriously, considering that as you sat out in the godswood while the moon set itself up in the night sky, you were suddenly almost thrown off balance.

Looking down, the small white direwolf had leaped into your lap. Leaning up to give your cheek a lick before settling in. You scratched at his back, “I don’t know what you’re asking for, but I’m getting up in about ten seconds.”

“Maybe he just likes how soft you are.” Looking up, you utterly failed to fight back both the fluster in your eyes and the embarrassed smile that you tried to hide, turning away from him.

Jon’s curls looked more wild and free again, growing out quickly from the clean cut given before your arrival. The wilder look suited him better. His cloak around his shoulders had a bright closer to white fur around him that you knew first hand was warm and comforting. Coming to sit next to you, he reached over and ran his fingers over Ghosts ear, making him shake his head with a barley audible huff at being disturbed. You both laughed gently, were it not a wolf in your lap, a commoner would mistaken you both for that of a couple with their newborn.

You were to be married tomorrow, and in two days you and Jon would part ways for what could be life for all you knew. Two days, but tonight was your last. Tomorrow you would be Lady Stark, wife of Lord Robb Stark, and there was no room in that duty for another or fairness in your heart.

Leaning against his shoulder, you knew in the eyes of the old gods there was no judgment as you rested your head there. His arm coming to pull you into his side as he looked down to you, your own trained on Ghost.

More then once you and Jon had almost kissed, it would be too easy. To fall into it again. You didn’t fall into it the first time, it was just a bond that always existed. The last time you had ever kissed, was when you came close to giving him something else.

The opportunity was right there, and no one would have been there to stop you, but neither of you were people who could so easily push past the honour you were raised with. Deep down in his mind, Jon knew you could never just marry someone like him, not for who you were. He just didn’t expect to come to the finality of it all, only months after almost having you.

Not that he told it to you, but there was a smugness in Jon that said that at least if he had one thing over Robb, or two, was that he was your first kiss. Knew what your lips tasted like, and knew what a cruelly addicted sight your bare body looked like. Though, not if he asked you, you’d say that wasn’t a perk.

Reminding Jon that he was muscle and you weren’t. Only receiving a dark, undoubtedly lustful look as he muttered that your softness is exactly what he dreams about before kissing you, having pushed you back into the furs of his own bed.

A far off moment, sitting together now, cuddled with his cloak around you against the Weirwood tree for the last time. “We never had a chance did we?” Pulling back, Jon tried looking at you with a slight question in his narrowed brows, but you just continued to run your fingers gently over the slumbering Ghost. “I mean, being with you is easy. It’s always been easy, but being together?”

Resting his chin on the top of your head, he breathed in deeply. “No. No we never had a chance.”

The truth didn’t make it hurt any less. But you weren’t children anymore. You would marry Robb, return to Kings Landing and serve on the small council at the Hand of the Kings Side, in place of your own lord father and Jon would become a man of the Night’s Watch.

In what world did those two things have a chance at crossing over?

Turning your head, you rested further into his neck and his warmth was unyieldingly comforting. “You know right? Even if I don’t say it?”

Jon had enough, moving to pull your face up to look at him by your chin. “I know. And you do too.”

Your heart skipping a beat you smiled partially, “You know it’d be a whole lot easier not to kiss you if you weren’t so handsome.”

Smirking, Jon pulled you closer. Your back more pressed against his chest as he wrapped the edges of his cloak around your front, hiding the blissfully unaware Ghost from the cold air. “Oh I’m handsome, am I?”

Rolling your eyes, you relaxed in his touch. “I’m not blind, Snow. It’s an unfair thing about you Stark men, you, Robb and your father, all way too handsome for your own good.” You had always done that. Included Jon when referring to the Starks without question. It was something that only his youngest siblings would still do, and that's just because they weren’t yet mature enough to truly understand why he was treated different.

You were though. You knew why, but you and him were always the closest even before the messy feelings of early teenage hood started to take place, and since then you were only more steady in that belief. He was a Snow, but his blood a Stark. And no matter what he called himself, he would always have the blood and integrity of his father. “Should I be worried? Marrying my brother, and running off to Kings Landing with my apparently handsome father?”

Pinching your sides, you tried elbowing him but Jon was far stronger and held you still with a laugh, your voice high and defensive. “I didn’t mean- sorry next time I’ll call your family ugly, alright?” With a pause, it slipped out before you could stop it. “Jealousy another Stark trait I should be worried about?”

You could feel the smirk still plastered across Jons face in his voice at your ear, “When the girl looks like you, any man with half a brain would be jealous of letting you go.”

It was far later then you should’ve been awake, but peeling yourselves apart for the last time was too difficult. It was quiet for a while, nothing but the quiet hums of the woods to pass the silence. His voice rasped in your ear, a small shiver down your spine at its closeness. “Where’d we meet?” He chuckled at your blatant confused face. “If we had a chance, in another life where’d we meet?”

“Are we not still us?”

You enjoyed hearing him so light and casual, it felt like I’d been months long amount of days since you’d seen such casualness. “No, well I mean I’m still me and you’re still you. But we’re not highborns, no titles or duties. Just two people somewhere in the kingdom, where’d we meet?”

Eyes squinting in thought, you considered something that was the opposite of the horrible paranoia of Kings Landing, and far from the darkness of Dragonstone. “I hear Highgarden is beautiful in the summer.”

Jon nodded against your head, “Alright. So you’re a bar maid in Highgarden, and I-”

Laughing loudly you tried pulling away, “Excuse me, why am I a barmaid? Isn’t this a fantasy?”

With such a tone of seriousness you felt light at how easily it came to him, as if it was something he’s thought of before. “Yes, and if you’re a bar maid it means I have an excuse to pull this pretty little bar maid in Highgarden down onto my lap as she passes by.”

“That’s aggressive of you.”

“Maybe this particular bar maid makes me aggressive.”

Back and forth you went, what is job was, how you’d fall in love, if you stayed in Highgarden or travelled the realm elsewhere. How many kids you’d have to which you certainly had protests as to how easily Jon kept raising the number each time he mentioned it. By the time you had planned out a new life, it was late enough that you needed to go back.

You needed some sleep, and Jon wasn’t the only brother who you wanted to talk to before this was all over.

Ghost lept out of your lap and shook his fur out on the ground as you both watched him with a fond smile. Looking back at him, you held onto his wrists and he your waist. This time, neither moved in or even tempted the idea of a kiss.

Raising a hand to cup the side of your cheek, he ran a thumb over the soft skin. “Don’t look for me in the ceremony.” Before you had a chance to spiral, he leaned down to meet your eyes more level. “I’ll be there, but don’t look for me. You’re going to be Robb’s now, and I want you to be okay with accepting that.”

Nodding, he made you promise out loud. “I promise.”

He nodded once. “You’ll be each others tomorrow, and I’ll be at the wall. I want you two to be there for each other, no matter what. Besides, it’ll be easy.” You tilted your head. “Robb’s easy to fall in love with, and I think it’s impossible not to fall at least a little in love with you.”

The hug you shared wasn’t the last before you departed, but it was the last one just for you.

He sent you off first, not wanting you to linger with him on your mind. Jon needed you to be okay with being Robb’s, and he himself, needed to just get through these next few days. He had an entire life at the wall to grieve about you.

The handmaiden was quite mad at how you ignored her. Something about the Seven, not seeing the bride but you went towards Robbs anyways. You were to be married at the Weirwood under the eyes of the old gods, it didn’t matter what the Seven wanted anymore.

Not quite dressed up, Theon looked you up and down as he opened the door. “Didn’t think you were that much of a bore.” You pushed him out the way with a roll of your eyes, he laughed as he closed the door behind him. You were glad that the northerners weren’t so dramatic.

With his mother tucked away with Bran, he escaped what would’ve been her insistence of shaving and another trim. His facial hair growing thick and his curls much more Tully Red in the daylight. “I want to ask you a favour.”

Nodding once, he said anything. Taking a step to you as you sighed out shakily, hands ringing together, he said your name as he came into your space. Looking up at him, you sighed out again. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Taken back, his eyes narrowed in curiosity. “That’s not a favour.”

Somewhat flustered, you pulled away. Sitting down on his bed, unable suddenly to send away the thoughts of the very next time you’ll be in this room. “I- I don’t want you thinking I don’t want this, or you, but we didn’t plan this, or talk about it before it happened, and now we’re here and,”

Robb knelt down to your level, not yet touching you in your panic, but speaking slow and in a low, comforting tone until the edge fell from your lips. His steady energy slightly bringing you down a little bit as you tried again. “My parents are miserable together.” Your hands started to wring together in front of you, “They barley tolerate each other, I’ve never seen any love between them. And same with my Uncle. He and the Queen basically hate each other I’m shocked they could stand each other long enough to have three kids together.”

His brows narrowed as you put it all together. “Everyone I know whose married for duty, married because they had to...I think your parents are the only ones I know who ended up happy, who actually love each other.”

Robb leaned in slightly, “Are you worried you’ll never love-”

Shaking your head you felt the anxiety in your chest boil up like never before. “Robb, look at me. I’m Stannis Baratheons child, daughter of the supposed most miserable man in Westeros in the most loveless marriage, are you sure you’re okay with marrying me?”

There it was. The first true hint of insecurity that you’ve allowed yourself to be honest with since you had been told of this arrangement. Two out of three Baratheon Lords were in miserable marriages, and when you looked at Robb, you hated the idea that you were forcing him into just another of that cycle.

The girl in you wanted to cry at losing one love, and the woman in you hated yourself for possibly dragging another into something he’d come to hate. You’ve known Robb for as long as you’ve known Jon, and you watched him grow into the man he is now. Both of you could do great things together according to Lord Stark, but what if you were too much like your father to ever inspire love?

Robb stood up, sitting down next to you as he turned his body close. Your name falling easily from his lips. “You’re not your father. No- look at me. You are not him, you’re not any of them. I’ve known you since you were eight. You’re stubborn, and strong willed and always willing to do what duty asks but that isn’t all of you. I’ve also seen you laugh, get into trouble with me more times then I can count, you care about my little sisters and my brothers like their yours too. My father already sees you like your his own, and despite everything, I know my mother does too.”

Running a hand over your hair, he watched tension in your shoulders deflate ever so slightly. “I’m not worried about marrying you, because I know what I’m getting myself into. And no one can tell me to be happy about it, but I am anyways.”

Gently you raised your hand, enough to slightly lay over the arm Robb had flat on the bed, your thumb finding this pulse, unlike little Brans, his was steady and strong. “You shouldn’t be. You get told your marrying me, and then the day after I get dragged back to Kings Landing with half your family for who knows how long.”

Your heart raced, as Robb twisted his arm, holding your wrist the same way you were his. An easy, charming, boyish smile on his lips. “And we’ll have the rest of our lives to make up for it.”

Deep in your mind, you wished Robb would make this harder. You wished he wasn’t so easy to be charmed by, but you knew him too well to trick yourself into thinking he wasn’t being genuine or honest. “So about that favour...”

Narrowing his eyes, there was a flush in your cheeks that you hated was making him smirk. “What about it?”

You sheepishly tried pulling away, but he yanked you closed by is hold on your wrist. Looking down anywhere but his face you felt like a little girl again, only that time you didn’t have to be the one to ask for it, Jon kissed you before you knew what was happening.

Robb though? Oh Robb knew exactly what you were trying to ask, but was almost sadistically enjoying the process of making you say it out loud to him. You flushed more at what other implications this potential side of him would bring. “I, okay I’m not some innocent flower.”

He raised his eyebrows and you smiled indigently, “I mean, I’m still- I haven’t- shut up.” Robb was flat out laughing at that point but let you fail at getting this out with composure. “I know you’ve been with women before, physically..”

“Does that bother you?”

Shaking your head no, it was no lie. You may have to get used to the idea of being married to him, but again, you weren’t blind. You had eyes, you knew exactly what women saw in Robb Stark. “What I’m trying to say, I’ve kissed someone before but not you.”

Much more serious, Robb clearly did know what you were asking, but watched with his gorgeous comforting blue eyes intensely as you whispered. “I don’t want our first kiss to be in front of all of them.” His family, the royals, all those you didn’t know, the old gods, and even Jon. A first kiss in front of him felt too personal, to intimate.

Moving close, you felt his breathe on your skin. “Do you want me to kiss you? Here?”

The room slipped away though, Robb’s voice was so warm and so was he. The hand on your wrist moved to rest at your waist while the other hand slid to the back of your neck, holding you firmly. His lips would brush against yours if either spoke, but he waited for a single nod before kissing you.

His kiss was different. Soft, but coaxing. Like he knew what was holding you back, and just let you fall into it on your own. It was simple and gentle at first, but as soon as you let out a tiny sigh, something in Robb slipped for a moment. Kissing you again, harder this time. His hands tighter and his kiss a little deeper.

Leaning into his front, your hand found the back of his neck and into his curls, and your other against his chest as if they always knew what to do. It wasn’t until you let out what might just have been a small moan, Robb close to pulling you into his lap did he pull away. Pressing a kiss to your forehead and running his hand once more over your hair.

“Can you live with that? For the rest of your life?”

Robb smiled softly at the very new venerability in you. Pressing one more kiss to your cheek, he knew you didn’t mean only having a kiss. But was he happy with such a kiss was your question. “Wait until tonight, I’ll tell what about you I’ve been fantasizing about living with.”

The grin on Robbs face as he pulled away wasn’t the charming boyish one earlier. No, this one was far more that of who he was really, a wolf. A wolf who looked you up and down and made you realize that Robb Stark just might not be as dashing and honourable as he’s led you to believe.

A thought that should’ve made you nervous, but as you walked back to your room, ready to let the girls doll you up and argue about not touching your hair, you started to think that maybe that wolfish grin, actually excited you.

Just when you thought you were going to die of a heart attack, your to be lord father gave you a reason to have a whole new panic. The ceremony was more fancy then any of you involved wanted, not the Starks nor you, but your own father insisted on marrying you off with the royals in toe.

He wasn’t here. Your mother neither. Both of them, Lady Catelyn and Selyse were either sickly or caring for the sick and weren’t here, but Ned Stark was. He was here, and your own father wasn’t. Stannis was not a consistently comforting father, but part of you felt hurt that he wasn’t here to see his oldest daughter, his own heir, marry for the first time.

Instead, the man who had seen you raised half your life here, the one who would be your father by marriage once this was done was the one who approached you. Looking out into the distant woods as you clearly struggled to hold your nerves back. “I didn’t think this was the thing that’d worry you so much.”

Spinning around, Lord Stark reached out to steady you with a chuckle. “I’m sorry, I just...this is a lot..was it this nerve wracking when you married Catelyn?”

Not pushing you towards the woods, he stood beside you an arm around your shoulder as he rubbed your upper arm gently. “Terrifying. I’d rather face a thousand armed men then get married in front of all those people. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted someone as delightful as the Queen at mine either.” You huffed a single laugh out and swallowed the rest. “And I know I certainly wouldn’t want the person I love watch me marry someone else.”

Blood in your veins froze, your heart stopped and nothing but nausea flowed up your lungs. “I-”

He wasn’t even angry, or disappointed. He chuckled with a fondness. “I’ve seen you spend half your life here, sweet girl. Watched you grow up alongside my own sons, and I’ve watched Jon be in love with you since the first day you ever arrived.” If you cried, you’d mess up the annoying amount of makeup they insisted on, but you felt a sob in your chest. “You made him happy, and he made you happy. For a time, a long time I thought that was enough. But I also know for a fact that Jon never saw marrying you as an option. He always was painfully aware of who you were.”

You felt the stinging, and you stood still in his hold. Forcing deep breaths to push away the panic.

“There’s a good number of things I regret about how I raised him. It doesn’t feel good knowing that he’s always felt inferior to Robb and now the woman he loves is marrying him too. If I could do it again, would I even be better. Force Roberts hand harder, be more honest with Cat, let him just be a Stark and there’d be nothing in his way for you. But I didn’t do that, nor do I know if I ever should’ve.”

Looking down, your arms crossed over your chest. “I don’t want you to assume I’m just thinking of Jon while I’m with Robb, it’s not that. I’ve known Robb for just as long, and we’ve always been just as close, save for, you know.” His hand was soothing like a true fathers comfort running up and down what he could reach of your arm.

“Here’s whats going to happen. I’m going to walk you out there to my son, you’ll kneel together before the Weirwood and pray and when you rise you’ll be a Stark. Part of you will always be a Baratheon, but you’ll also be our family now. And no matter what, wolves always protect those in their pack. I’m not going to assume the worst of you, because I know you better then that. You and Robb will be good for each other, and just because losing Jon hurts doesn’t mean I don’t think you’re not willing to love Robb.”

Looking up at him you frustratingly wipe at the tears, and he pulled you into a hug. One that you hadn’t felt in a very long time. It had been too long since you felt the hug, the love of a real father. Muttering into your hair, you could feel the same smirk that you could always sense on both brothers. “Besides, I can tell you for certain, having one night with your spouse before being dragged halfway across the country will do wonders for your heart.”

You laughed a lot at that one. Pulling away he looked you over, gently wiping away the rest of the tears on your cheeks. “Come on, sweet girl. You have a wolf waiting for you.”

If you were being honest, it was a blur. There were so many people, and most of them you’d never want present at your wedding in any lifetime. The golden hair of the Lannisters mocked you, the bored and judgmental sneer of your cousin annoyed you, and the silent watching of an Uncle who you barley knew anymore, but you were thankful that this wasn’t in a sept.

The crowd silent, no words spoken by anyone except you and Robb. He looked tall and fierce, curls shining more red in the peeking sun through the leaves, eyes bright and blue like the sea as he looked at nothing and no one but you. The fur around his shoulders making him look large like the wolf he was said to be, and soon it too would be yours.

Whatever small words you exchanged, you heard none of it but the blood in your veins. Thankful when Robb took your hand and knelt down with you, facing away from the crowd. The Seven was what you were raised to pray too, but you were a wolf now. And the wolves answered to the Old Gods.

A fate you were perhaps always meant to have, feeling much more heard in your silence of the Weirwood then you ever did in a sept. Eyes open, looking up the carved face at the same time, the crowd was silent, Robb grabbing both your hands to stand as he kept your eyes.

Draping the very fur he wore over your shoulders, he gently pulled you in with two fingers under your chin. This kiss was far softer and fairer then the one you shared in private, but this was also all your anxiety could handle. And Robb knew it.

Were it a more jovial occasion, it was tradition for a northern groom to carry the bride to the feast but Lord Stark had the sense to give you two a moment alone and King Robert was more then happy to direct the crowd to where the wine and food sat.

Your heart racing, Robb gently held your waist with his forehead pressed to yours. Eyes both shut as your hands rested on his chest. You left tomorrow, so all you had was now and tonight.

It’s what he demanded of you, and what he wanted, but it didn’t change the fact that it hurt Jon Snow a great deal to watch you marry his brother, and not once did he ever see the transfixing beauty in your eyes.

You didn’t look at him once, and Jon couldn’t get to the wall fast enough.

Truth be told, the first big laugh you had was at the sheer idea of your father here. Meals with him, there was no laughter or rambunctious behaviour. Just silence, diplomacy, and the mind numbing dings and clogs of Patchface. No joy in a meal under Stannis’s watch, except for the fool himself. Patchface there who was only lucky enough to be in a job, because gods help her, for whatever reason the fool made Shireen laugh.

You couldn’t imagine your father here. The drinking, the laughter, the never ending line of food, talk, and fun. Truth be told, you and Robb spent little time there. You glanced nervously at him more then once, and in your bubble of privacy he would rest a hand on your thigh firmly and a whisper in your ear to at least eat something.

Arya tried many times to come and talk to you, but Sansa yelled at her each time. Telling her to leave the two of you alone, the three of you girls would be in Kings Landing together anyways.

King Robert, on now one too many drinks made an innocuous comment about beds, or sex, or something vaguely incoherent and you and Robb looked to the other. You wide eyed and nervous, but there was something in his that settled it. Leaning to your ear, his voice felt like a rumble. “Normally I’m for tradition, but I’ll be damned if I let this lot see any of you like that.”

One of the men in the crowd had seen you like that, but with the way Robb looked at you, for once, Jon hadn’t crossed your mind. Too much nerves, too much wine, and a fat load of worry about being in a mans bed proper for the first time.

By the time the crowd noticed, Ned just chuckled at Roberts comments about the bride and groom slipping away before a gods honest tradition. “I told Cat I wasn’t going to let their be a bedding ceremony because I didn’t want to hurt someone on our wedding night.” Shrugging one shoulder, he grinned almost proud. “Glad to know my son’s the same.”

The worries of what was to come, ended up being broken slightly by the fact that as soon as Robb opened his door, Grey wind was sat in the middle of the bed. Large body splayed out like it was already bed time. Rising his head up at the sound of the door, you ended up bursting into laughter at Robb having to tell him twice to go.

Shutting it behind the growing direwolf, Robb shook his head something snarky on his tongue that died as he looked to you. Draped in his furs, furs that made you look far smaller and the gentle almost innocent look as you stepped around his room. You’d been in here countless times, slept in here countless times, but never like this.

Trying desperately to hold back your nerves, you looked out the open window focusing on steadying your heart. But the warmth of Robb enveloped your back as he reached over you, closing the windows and sealing you both alone. The crackling of a fire almost enough to hide the shaky breathe as Robb gently ran his hands down your arms.

Resting both on your waist, Robb wrapped one around your stomach, pulling you into his chest. He didn’t let you ruminate on the worry, dipping his head to level his mouth with your ear. “If you don’t want this, I need you to tell me.” Freezing in his arms, he spoke almost quieter but it raged so close to your ear. “We don’t have to do anything, but you need to be honest with me about it.”

You felt light on your feet. You’ve never heard this tone from Robb before, never so intimate in your ear and the deep rumblings of his voice felt as if something strong inside was being held back. The act itself scared you, it always had. But another part of you wondered if you should be fearful of the young wolf behind you, or if that fear excited you.

The arm around your stomach rose up, tilting your head to turn slightly to the side, enough that part of him was within your sight as he murmured your name. “I know you’ve never done this before, is it just that, that scares you or is it me?”

Shaking your head fervently, you startled him. “No, no it’s not you. It’s just- I should know what to expect by now but,” Taking a deep breathe you shut your eyes. “The girls in Kings Landing all talk about men and their first time like it’s painful, violent.”

Robb chuckled deeply, vibrating through his chest into your back and down between your legs. It was a dark laugh, and you felt overwhelmed at how little you really considered what he might be like. “It’s only painful if the man is a worthless, brute who thinks getting off is better then getting their lady off.”

Was your chest heaving with you hard you felt yourself breathing, your eyebrows raised and lips slightly parted you felt more waves between your legs and having it all be because of Robb was more then enough to leave you speechless. Reading your body like a book, Robb leaned down more, brushing his lips against your neck. Grinning at the sigh you unknowingly let out.

Turning slightly more you could see him a bit better. “Will it hurt?”

Smiling like a predator, he pulled you closer to him. “Only if you want it to.” Laughing at your breathless expression, asking why some women would want it to hurt. He moved a hand to your hip and pressed his lips closer to your jaw. “Don’t worry. If you want it, we’ll get there. Tonight’s not about that though.”

Suddenly pulling away he yanked his cloak enough that it slipped from your shoulders and pooled onto the ground. Turning you in his arms, Robb gripped the sides of your dress tightly in his fists before pulling it up and off you. The fact that you let him do that, not telling him how little you had on underneath might have been a dangerous idea.

Usually such a dress was worn with layers underneath, and yet, all that remained on you was that which covered your most lower regions. Your softness, plush skin, and tits all on display. Holding your hips, Robb closed his eyes breathing deep for a moment. “For a girl whose never done this before, this is awfully naughty of you.”

Indeed was the charming boy no longer here, but a man, a wolf looking at his mate like prey.

Swallowing the pounding in your heart, you reached up to Robb, slowly pulling layers up and off of him for yourself. His hands were much more confident then yours were currently, but he stood still watching and letting you undress him at your own pace.

Staring was impolite, and yet Robb didn’t mind as you looked at his chest now totally free. Just as your fingers reached for his pants he snatched your hands. Raising them in the air as you gasped in surprise.

“This is about you. Lay down for me.”

Watching you with dark eyes, you couldn’t ignore how intensely he looked you up and down as you lay back on the top of his bed. Your palms bracing you up before being tossed back down as Robb suddenly climbed up the bed and over top of you. A hand on each side of your head as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to your lips. “Do you trust me?”

Without even considering it, you answered the raw truth. “Always.”

One hand reached up, grabbing your jaw roughly as he pulled your lips back to his. This time he kissed you nothing like before. His kiss was rough, demanding and deep. Guiding your every move and commanding that you obey. He tugged your hip with his other hand up to press into his own and as you gasped, he slipped his tongue into your mouth.

Lightheaded, you surrendered to his touch. As if all will of your own bled out onto the bed leaving nothing but Robb to command you as he pleases, and yet the idea didn’t scare you the way it was described by others. Your hands reached up and grasped his waist, a small sound leaving your mouth into his.

Switching between tasting you with his tongue and biting at your lips it, Robb let go of your jaw and ran it behind your head and grasped your hair tightly. Pressing his body down firmly, his hips naturally rutted into yours. He smirked as you gasped.

The rougher he kissed you, the more your hands moved on their own. Reaching behind his neck and wrapping around it to sink into his hair he ground his hips into you harder. A gentle moan leaving you, Robb left your lips, running the same ferocity down your neck. His lips and teeth no doubt leaving marks that a proper lady should be ashamed of.

He didn’t quite stop, kissing down your neck more until he reached your breasts. Grinning at how hard you were breathing, he stopped that right in it’s tracks as his hands cupped your chest. A needy cry left your lips, turning to a longer moan as Robb ran this thumbs over your nipples. Just as one hand grasped one, did he lower his mouth to bite at the other.

Pleasure shooting through you, your back arched into his body and limbs felt like they seized from the pleasure. His teeth switching between a gentle nibble and a harsher bite just to pull a gasp from you, he played you like an instrument. Getting every sound from your pretty lips that made his cock that much harder.

Pulling away, he hovered over you looking down at the almost in awe expression. You weren’t used to such a side to this man, and he seemed to reveal in your innocence over it. Leaning back more, you followed the sight of his dark eyes, parted lips and down his chest to where he hands slowly pulled at his pants.

Swallowing hard, he tilted your head up his a hand firmly at your jaw. “Keep your eyes on me.” Not letting you look down as he stripped himself bare. “Good girl, keep them on me and only me.” Slowly moving down the bed he pulled your hips to, grabbing your underwear and pulling them down.

The coolness of outside did nothing to take away how warm and wet you were between your legs, and Robb forced you to stay on his face. Making you look at his eyes, greedily pushing your knees apart and expression turning dark as he stared at you. A slightly whimper leaving you, he leaned back over you, one hand running over your thigh, first on the outside, then inside, and slowly upwards.

Just as he reached you, Robb bit at your bottom lip. Using the chance to slip his tongue inside you just as he ran his hand over you. Cupping you entirely and already he smirked into the kiss at how soaked you were. Lips brushing yours as he pulled back enough to speak, his fingers gently running back and forth across your soaked slit. “Good girls don’t get this wet, do they?”

Shaking your head no, all you could do was hear his voice. Eye slipping closed as your legs shook and a coil within you twisted at such an easy touch. Robb continued. “No, good girls are sweet and innocent. This doesn’t feel very innocent to me.” Two fingers now soaked danced up and ran across your clit.

Jumping at the shock of pleasure, you grasped him by the shoulders with a whine. “It’s all for you-”

Stammering the words out as Robb now rubbed tight circles against your clit. Your muscles tensing and his own hips refusing to let you close them you had to just take it. His other fingers still soaking up whatever you drenched him with. “I know it is. You ready for me to open you up? Make you cum before you take me?”

You’d say yes to pretty much anything Robb asked of you right now. Nodding, you leaned up to kiss him, making him smile into your lips as he slipped two soaked fingers deep inside to his knuckles. You gasped so loudly, were the windows not closed no doubt the outside world would’ve heard you. Sinking them deep in one go, you writhed in his touch.

Robb slowly slid them out and back, the wetness between you making the sound obscene, but it was the only music Robb could stand to hear. He never picked up the pace, but he did, right as you tensed in his touch? Stopped rubbing at your clit, and slit a third finger down to sink inside you with the others.

You cried his name and he kissed down your neck as he slowly pumped them inside of you. Clenching around his fingers he bit your skin harder trying to force his cock to shut up. Screaming at him like a howling wolf to just take you already.

Pulling back from your lips he looked you in the eye, feeling you clench around him as your sounds grew higher. Something burned hot inside of you as the other twisted and turned so tightly. One free hand, Robb ran over your lips, and something sweet inside you, pressed a gentle kiss to his fingers as he did so.

In return? He ran his thumb roughly over your clit as pumped his fingers slow and deep into you as you came around them. You moaned his name, but muffled it as Robb gently sunk two fingers into your mouth at the same time. One hand grasped his wrist, and yet even as you came something inside you obeyed like you were a submitting prey.

Robb almost snarled at how well you sucked on his fingers, and how he wished you two had more time then tonight. He couldn’t stop the thought of how beautiful you would look on your knees before him, obediently sucking on his cock with his hand guiding you up and down his length tight in your hair.

Pulling out of you Robb pulled your body up to press against his bare one and kissed you full of tongue and a greedy desperation. A desperation you yearned for back. It was a strained rasp of your own in his ear that had him shudder. “Please, Robb. Please fuck me.”

It didn’t even occur to you to try and be sweet or innocent about it. You could feel his cock pressing against you between your still shaking legs and you felt lightheaded at how thick it felt against you. Kissing your ear, he murmured much more gentle, “Are you sure?” As you nodded he bit your earlobe and hissed into it. “Out loud.”

Nodding again, your hands wrapped around his neck as you kissed him. “I’m sure, I want you.”

Kneeling up on the bed, Robb ran his hand gently down the side of your body. His dark eyes soft for just a little while longer, as you felt something in your chest at him. Pulling your hips more up into his lap you think you understood why he kept his eyes on you.

His chest led down to coarse, rough hair surrounding a long, thick cock that you wondered if it would even fully fit in your hand. Your chest heaved as you stared, and he slipped into a deeper tone. “It’s not polite to stare.”

Slipping a hand behind your head, Robb kept you looking down, watching as he ran the tip of his cock over your entrance, up brushing against your clit and back down. Barley sliding in each time until you begged his name once more. This time Robb watched your eyes, as he kept your head looking down to watch him slide his cock inside you.

He was thick, and the stretch itself stung in a way that made you gasp but not a pain that you had feared from it. No, the deeper he sunk the more you soaked his cock. Only halfway in, Robb tugged your hair to look up at him before he in a much more punishing thrust, bottomed out.

His face snarled at how tight, how warm and soaking wet you cunt was and he pulled you right back into an equally as rough kiss. He didn’t go fast, but part of him reasoned to go more gentle, and yet?

Your cries, your begs of his name as each slow, rough fuck had your arching your back into his body all the more. Each pound of his cock inside of you slapped loudly in a way that had him grip your hips so tight, you could already feel the bruises.

Sweat built up on both your bodies and you ran your hand through his own increasingly damp curls, scratching his scalp with your nails that had him fuck into you harder each time. For all his talk, little thoughts came to his mind as Robb fucked you.

Like something of an animal took over and all he could think of was how much he wanted to fuck you more, harder, faster, fill you until his cum spilled out of you and then fill you more. You cried out, nails scratching down his back without even realizing you were doing so, but muffling each sound as you bit into the meat of his shoulder. Robb, fucked you harder and struggled to stay slow.

You clenched tightly, enough that he had to pound into your cunt roughly just to sink as deep as he could inside and pulling away enough he could see tears at the side of your eyes but you rather then begging for mercy, begged for more as you kissed him.

His hands held your knees, pushing as wide as possible as Robb lost composure. Fucking you faster and just as one hand moved to rub at your clit you came around him. Robb leaving your other knee to press his hand against your mouth at how little you could contain your cries.

Fucking into you once, twice, five more times he pushed inside as deep as he could sink and filled you with him. His cum warm and thick, it felt like there was so much more of it then a normal man would have but you let Robb pull you into another kiss, this one rough and sloppy as he filled you with his cum as his tongue did your mouth.

Never leaving, his hands eventually turned soothing, his kiss softer and his voice not commanding but assuring. Telling you how good you did, how perfect you were. Holding you in his arms and him yours, it was just the two of you in that moment and nothing more.

It was only when you started to laugh, did Robb laugh. Yanking you into his chest as he flopped onto his back with you on top of him. Kissing you gently as he ran a hand over your hair. “Aye, a man could get used to this.”

He should’ve let you rest, but he took you once more that night. This time, far less able to hold back how fast and greedy he wanted to be about fucking you. The only downside, was how exhausted the night made you.

Slipping into a deep sleep, that only meant morning would come quicker. And too quick it did.

That morning, you both stayed in bed as long as you could. Robbs back against the wall and you against his chest, far less worried about the lack of clothes either of you still had. “You were born for this, Robb. It’s not in you to fail.”

Kissing the side of your head, things were feeling a bit easier, a bit more normal between you even in such an intimate manner. “Everyone says that right up until they fail.”

Rolling your eyes, you turned. Leaving his grasp to gently face him, your body in his lap. Hands on his chest, your eyes often trailed over him. He didn’t question your gaze, you had to get used to him as much as he was getting used to you. It was still new, no matter how much a decade and a half of friendship had formed the foundation.

No joke was in your face though. “I’m serious, Robb. Even if you don’t believe in yourself?” Shrugging one shoulder you smiled softly, “I’m your wife now, so I’ll just do all the believing for you.”

Squeezing your hip, he rolled his own eyes. “And let you do all the work? We’re a team, remember?”

Saying goodbye to Robb however, was easier then what waited for you outside.

Packing up your hose, you heard the two of them in the distance. “My mother?”

“She was very kind.” You tensed slightly, hoping no one noticed but you very much doubted kind was the genuine word Jon should be using. He didn’t deserve her ire, not now, not ever.

“Next time I see you, you’ll be all in black.”

“It was always my colour.”

Your eyes closed, trying to tune their goodbye out. You had no right to invade their privacy.

Part of you hoped he would ignore you. You wouldn’t have to handle this and you could ignore it, but Jon knew you way better then that. You’d hate yourself if you left it at this. Reaching over you, Jon pulled part of your things up and secured it without even saying a word. Looking up, he was closer then you thought.

Looking at each other, the responsible thing would be to nod, shake hands, say a cordial goodbye. But Jon stood with his bright eyes, a grey so deep they looked black at times and you wanted to cry. You felt pathetic for being hardly able to hold back such a display of emotions, but the love that Jon had looked at you with for so many years was as strong as it always was.

You had no doubt that you looked just the same.

Jon pulled you into a hug, one too tight and too emotional for the company around and yet neither of you cared. Neither of you knew if this would be the last time, and both of you resented the world for forcing that as a possibility. His hand held you to him from the back of your head as you sunk your face partway into his neck and the other into the fur around him. “I miss you.”

“I miss you.”

Already, even in the others arms, the grieving already begun. Pulling back, you held at his shoulders and he shamelessly cupped the side of your cheeks. “Think I could get to the wall before they catch me, if I kiss you now?”

You burst into a laugh, one bordering too close on a cry. But you tilted your head. “Now or never, Snow.”

The kiss was pressed to your cheek, slow and unrushed before hugging you once more. For too many years you and Jon ignored the inevitability of having to separate like this, and it sat deep and uncomfortable in your stomach to do so. Like leaving the other behind would be a mistake in the long run, but you couldn’t understand why your soul screamed at you to not make it. You knelt down, kissing Ghost on the forehead as he licked at your cheek, whispering to him. “Protect him, no matter what you hear me? Next time I see him, you better make sure he’s as healthy as you are now.”

Seeing the other Starks approaching, you two looked at the other one last time so close you could feel the other. You took off with the company as they all headed out to the Kingsroad, giving enough space for Lord Stark to speak to his son alone before they too parted ways.

You couldn’t hear what they talked about, but you knew Jon Snow better then anyone to guess. As his father turned to leave, you and Jon looked from the distance at the other once more. You said nothing and neither did he. His life was up north now, and yours is both by Lord Stark’s side and your future with your husband. A future you wanted, and one Jon didn’t want to get in the way of. But as you both rode off in opposite directions, that sinking feeling in your gut just screamed louder, the further away you both got.

Neither of you having any idea, what horrors would bring you two back to one another.

[simping-on-the-daily]

though we don't share the same blood you're my brother and i love you (mayhaps a bit too much)

Summary: Your family has just moved to Witwicky, and you're trying to cope with it as smoothly and healthily are you can. An outburst from your little brother at the dinner table sends his sister after him, and the next thing you know, you've got two new siblings. They're a little off, though. And no, it's not because they're part Cybertronian.

Warnings: General yandere themes, possible OOC characters, unhealthy sibling dynamics, not beta read we die like Brawl

Notes: Twitch, Thrash and the reader are adopted siblings and purely platonic. Do not be weird about this or I will piss on your toes and shove them up your nose. Title is from Brother by Kodaline, reader is in their teens and the oldest who does not want to be here and is trying to get used to everything

You had zero interest in living in Witwicky, much less a farm. Saying goodbye to all your friends and the big city stung, much less the unfamiliar environment that you were now. You loved mum and dad, you really did, but did they expect you to tend to cows? Sure, mum wanted to be a park ranger and you wanted the best for her, but you still felt a little grumpy at the strange and sudden change.

You tried to deal with it, though. The Internet here wasn't the best, but you got some online guides about how to cope with moving and tried to replicate them to the best of your ability. You still responded to your friend's group chats and tried to not complain about it. You didn't want to accidentally hurt your family's feelings by being overly grumpy, and Mo especially was prone to a wide and wild range of emotions.

It was just one dinner. One normal dinner turning into Robby venting about his issues and running away from the table, Mo after him. The two were close, so you didn't chase after them, and besides; your dad had cooked tonight. You were not abandoning such good food made by yours truly.

So, after dinner, you went to bed, blissfully unaware that your younger siblings were creating a brand new species from lake water and ancient alien artifacts.

The next few days were fucking hectic, to say the least. Mum was now a GHOST agent, working alongside Optimus Prime and the Autobots (the inner child in you really wanted one of their autographs, but you knew it probably wasn't the right time), Robby and Mo got new alien tattoos which you realized were permanent, and you were in the car, chasing after the aliens that Robby and Mo had gotten attached to. Because they created them.

.....Fuck, could you go back to Philly now?

Now you had some Cybertronian human hybrids (Terrans, that apparently some mad scientist had called them) living in your farm with your younger siblings insisting that they were now your new siblings and for you to please be nice to them because they knew you could be a little blunt. You just wanted to burrow your head down in the dirt like an emu and let sweet death take you.

As for Thrash and Twitch, they had no reservations to calling you family. Just because you didn't have a cybersleeve like Robby and Mo that doesn't mean they weren't your sibling, and wanted to treat you accordingly.

To your credit, you weren't rude to them, and though you knew it would take a while to get used to their presence, you treated them with dignity and basic respect as you did to Robby and Mo. But it was obvious to everyone that you weren't fully on board with them just yet, always hesitant when talking to them. The move, the threat that GHOST would invade the place and get you in trouble, and the close contact to the Cybertronian's (god, fucking Bumblebee lived with you now) would take you a little while to get adjusted to.

But for Twitch and Thrash, that was a bit harder to understand. With Robby and Mo, the cybersleeves allowed them to feel what they felt and get to the root of the problem. But you didn't have a cybersleeve, and though they could get that you weren't on board yet, they thought that it they just got close to you, you'd be comfy around them and you could fully embrace them as your siblings!

And so, they got.....clingy. Twitch offered to help you with the chores, not taking no for an answer, and even went against her competitive nature to let you keep the stars. She even tried to let you ride her alt mode like Robby enjoyed, but you were heavier then him and a rocky landing got you a broken ankle, a hit head and some bitter feelings for the time being. Twitch didn't understand the time being part, and cried to her parents about hurting you, despite their assurances that you would be fine and that they knew any bitter feelings from you would pass. She tried numerously to sneak out and see you at the hospital, but some reprimanding and reminders about GHOST stopped her, but instead made her sulk all the way to the barn.

Thrash was desperate to act like a 'cool bro' to you, but he often tried the same things he did with Mo, temporarily and frequently forgetting that you didn't have the same interests as her. He tried to project of someone trustworthy and realible, constantly by your side and attempting to impress you by showing off fancy tricks, alt mode based or otherwise. But when he and accidentally bought Swindle to the house, bad blood increased, especially when them sneaking out to assist him resulted in Mo sneaking out and breaking the law. Nine was no time to develop a criminal record!

Everything was happening so fast for you. There were no time to sit and breathe because everyday something was happening and you just wanted to be safe. Fuck, you wanted to go home. You wanted to meet your friends again, you wanted your family to be safe, you just wanted everything to be normal, and God damn it you mean it in the nicest way possible but Twitch and Thrash were anything but normal. You had made new friends but you could never invite them over because of the aliens living in your house, you were terrified for your mum's safety every day, and spending time with your dad, who was always so assuring, didn't quell the anxiety

They didn't get it. Mo and Robby were completely fine with them despite getting in trouble all the time, but you were still hesitant over them despite it having been a few weeks. Shouldn't you have been used to them by now? Everyone else was, except you. Were they doing something wrong? They just wanted to feel accepted by you; they didn't want to make you feel scared around them. They would just have to try harder!

Without the cybersleeve, they made a list of all of your hobbies, likes and body language, doing everything to figure out what they would need to do to make you enjoy their company. You like flowers? Twitch stole mum's flowerbed and handed it to you. Thrash would beg Dot and Alex to set up your favourite holiday decorations and celebrate early. And yes, they watched you sleep. The way you clutched your pillow, the way your chest heaved with every breath, even the incoherent sleepwalking, Twitch and Thrash kept it in a special file all about you in the processor if they needed the info later (thank Bumblebee for telling them about that)! They asked Bumblebee to contact your favourite Autobot, provided that they weren't going to rat them out, and begged the Cybertronian to write their autograph on your behalf

Everyday when you came home from school, they asked you all the questions. With Robby and Mo they unconsciously knew all the big details, but with you they wanted all the gossip. If you were getting bullied or harassed during school, they'd try to take your mind off of it by distracting you with all the things you like, which they know about due to the files. Occasionally they'd try and teach your bullies a lesson, but a few sharp reminders from Dot about no sneaking out forced them to rely on mum and dad to handle any personal issues at school. They'd help you with homework, taking in every note from your hatred of algebra to the way you stuck out your tongue while working, all in the hopes that you'd learn to love their company.

Don't worry, they're not going to do anything too drastic, as they still have a decent set of morals and the rest of the Malto's to rein them in. Still, their relationship with you is different from the one with Robby and Mo. All they want is to be a big happy family with everyone, and they're willing to do anything to achieve that with you. Even if they roped in the three new Terrans into feeling the same way about you and engaging in the same activites and adding their own notes to the general, you were family! You wouldn't hurt your family, right???

[gildeddlily]

we stan adam (paul bby what are you doing)[about to make this a series]

again with this. about to die because of them (chuuya looks so young in every Stormbringer art I'm crying)

(1. We Stan The Flags)

2. We stan Adam (Paul bby what are you doing)

he comes out of nowhere and pull out this (they were about to kill him and he was like "oh wow you're kinda mean I expected a better welcome")

ADAM STOP the first time I read stormbringer I fell in love with him right here. like the first thing he said I already was head over heels for this beautiful robot (people who don't like Adam scares me. he's so precious. the perfect assistant, fighter and comic relief)

chuuya's so hilarious- he's about to become one of the strongest character of the bsd universe and an european guy he doesn't know crash his mafia birthday party and ignores the attacks of some of the strongest people he knows, and then said guy proceeds to say that he's here to protect chuuya and kneels before him? (I'm already hearing chuuya's voice actor. it's a dream but let me indulge myself)

(me talking to my sister cause I'm a dumbass) yes I already said that, the flags' bond and interactions are so familiar it's making me cry. Albatross is the classic dumb cousin or little brother that deep down is smarter than you but incapable of doing basic things, and Lippmann the successful third-grade-cousin everybody hates cause he gave them inferiority complex (Iceman neutral chaotic forever)

Chuuya's the king of emotional constipation, and they love seeing him express his feelings (they've welcome him in their group and dynamic, and truly cherish him and wish the best for him. they're so honest it hurts) (everybody ab this thing hurts) (I just know that at least once they gang up against him and started showering him with compliments and he almost cried and they were flabbergasted)

HELLO WHAT IS THIS Doc is literally so me guys (yk the voice) wish I was Chuuya rn (not really considering what's about to happen) (but still)

yeah cause Chuuya near him is like a cat hissing at a horse. I can understand Adam for holding him like and Amazon pack, not for saying to a teenage boy's face that he was short but for the rest ofc (he has his programs and he knows what to do but not really and it's so cute) (Chuuya after a year still wishing for his so wished growth spurt is sad) (but I just know that he doesn't care about it, at least not really. he could still smash someone's face with his pinky finger)

Yes Adam it was (I wish for our society to be ruled by robots too) (imagine Adam being your prime minister. maybe someone explains to him social clues) (Chuuya's so confused) (random robot guy tells him jokes and that some overpowered guy wants to kill him)

...Paul fuck is this the way to tell someone you're their "brother" ? A little of decency please (Chuuya's about to suffer so much I can't continue) (I will) Adam's scream was a little terrifying the first time I read it, the "That man is Paul Verlaine!" shout made me shiver and still does. Still love them

The sad thing about this first interaction, is that Verlaine is honestly sad "like the sea at night", and honestly wants Chuuya to believe him, he truly thinks of themselves as anything but humans. He doesn't do it out of malice (one of the reason he's still alive down those fucking dungeons I know it) and it all makes hating on him hard. If you're able to hate characters like verlaine I envy you

It is a call for help, and his personal way of saying "Hey, I've never felt understood by anyone cause I'm not human and I don't feel as one, wanna come with me and be two non-humans together?", but it came out a little bit more like "Let's be non-humans together, but anyone who ever tried to tell u you were human should die, so everyone you love rn. Hope you don't hate me, kiss kiss"

here is why I didn't want to read it. he is ready to listen to Verlaine. Chuuya doesn't think of himself as truly human, so he wants to listen to him, but his first thought is about the Flags, and sometimes I wonder what would have happened if the french guy didn't kill his friends. got to thin ab it now

yes, darling, there's a difference between love and control. I'm sorry no one ever explained it to you, you boyfriend didn't have the possibility to. and like always Asagiri's able to portrait questions like this in his stories, cause it's a difference not everyone understand. or that not everyone cares about. Verlaine probably didn't really care, desperate how he was about having someone to understand him

this makes me hate every panel where Chuuya uses Corruption (hate on Mori, don't hate on Dazai he was the only one to ever give him a choice. well, it was at least a choice from Dazai's point of view. he was like "do what you want, I don't really care if the Mafia fall! just follow your heart<3" but ofc Chuuya would have never let dazai and the Mafia fall. as if. it's still sweet. now cry with me)

He should leave himself suffer and feel. he's not going to. he should. able to dream or not, he will have from hallucinations when drunk or high or whatever situation he's in and see their mauled bodies. he will always remember the room he spent beautiful moments with his family in as covered with the blood of said family.

this is basically self harm bby, stop it. he wants someone to confirm the truth, and is so horrible to himself to ask this to an android (what's thaaaaaaaat) who is unable to say something like "It wasn't your fault, he was to one to kill them. he's more powerful than you, you and your friends couldn't have done anything. he wanted you to give up on your life for someone you met from not even ten minutes. he had already killed them", the truth. he can only analyze the situation without any emotions.

little thing from the first scene at the bar, albatross making period jokes to his bro (he's about to die in his "bro" arms. he's about to gift him his bike as his last words. but he made a period joke)

(first chapter done and I'm done with myself) (and this light novel) (it's everything but light)

[kraviolis]

I can’t wait to see Lilith discover that Luz came to live with her criminal sister.

She probably would have a stroke.

oh god i really have to figure out luz & lilith's relationship in this au.

like i WANT her to be cool aunt lilith still and have that fun dynamic. but that would require them to not have any history together which just. isn't feasible, considering that the chain of command went "belos > kikimora > lilith > golden guard > coven heads"

so luz would obviously be familiar (but maybe not friendly) with kikimora, and while she didn't meet all of the coven heads she was still known to/friendly with a few of em. and then obviously hunter knew her the best.

so luz HAD to have known lilith on some level. when she was little and had even less freedom around the castle, hunter would tell her about all the coven leaders. i know for a fact that like 10 year old hunter was AWED by lilith and probably would tell luz all these stories about her time in the emperor's coven and how powerful she was.

so luz would know lilith that way, but there's also no way they hadn't met before. BUT THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM ARISES: i dont know how lilith would feel about luz.

see, cus, lilith obviously hated hunter. because despite him being lower in the chain of command, he still had more authority and power over her because he was the "genius teen prodigy" which she absolutely resented (this is definitely partly because eda was seen as a prodigy by their parents but thats for another time)

but would lilith dislike luz for the same reasons??? luz isn't technically in the coven, but she has the authority to order people around. hunter & belos are sorta the only people who she cant command. she's given special privileges just for being the princess when she isn't even from this realm. she was just given one of the highest titles in the whole isles and she uses her power to... order scouts to retrieve the newest azura books for her.

but luz isn't snarky and smug like hunter is. she can be a handful, sure, but i just. even in lilith's Prime Bitch Phase, i can't see her disliking luz but its also so hard for me to imagine Head Of The Emperor's Coven Lilith Clawthorne regarding luz with anything but neutrality at best.

maybe lilith does the whole power-worshiping thing??? like she did with king??? but luz doesnt have any inherent power, not like king does. so she'd be respectful of luz's rank, at the very least.

but maybe it's LUZ who dislikes lilith after they meet, but only because lilith is an asshole to her brother most of the time and it sort of sours luz's view of her. but would luz being prickly to lilith be enough for lilith to not like her back???

god lilith is SUCH a complex and fascinating character. i have no idea what to do with her

[vivacissimx]

o resident viserra scholar 🙇‍♀️what kind of relationship do you think saera and viserra had? do you think either of them thought of each other with affection or envied each other after saera's exxxplosive exit? feel free to not answer if you don't want to!

RESIDENT VISERRA SCHOLAR *explodes*

I like this question, I've thought a lot about this specific dynamic because it's impossible not to when considering Viserra. Saera is the favorite of her father, thought of affectionately by her brothers, and the bane of her mother & sisters. Viserra's relationships inside of her family pale in comparison so you start to see through that contrast that attention from Jaehaerys & Alysanne has become a very limited resource at this point. Saera ('fierce and stubborn') has as much as she has because she demands it, something Viserra (equally willful but 'she never screamed and she certainly never cried') does not. The first thing that jumps out at me is competition between the siblings.

I enjoy that personally, because if Aemon & Baelon's relationship is described as competitive but deeply loving, rich off the plentiful familial love they grew up on — Vaegon & Daella's lacking love yet their individual 'happiness' nonetheless secured by their attentive parents — it makes sense to show the dark underbelly of that family structure through siblings like Saera & Viserra. What happens when the river runs dry? The survivors scrap over the leftovers.

Each of them had plenty of non-familial attention, particularly sexual attention from men and boys starting from their youth. Both of them were willful, a bit arrogant, sly, and rebellious, and both of them had a certain disdain for the men who desired them. It makes sense considering the ridiculousness of the fact that even at 2 and 6, the prime concern regarding them was their possible marriage (to Vaegon). Born & raised to be brides.

Did they have any common ground due to that?

Honestly, I don't really see it - Saera being four years older and having a superiority complex doesn't endear me to thinking she would be the type to care much about Viserra. Spending time around each other, sure — having some inside jokes & sibling scuffles, that seems realistic.

Post-Saera's flight... look, Saera was put under guard in the Red Keep. Publicly disowned. Her lovers humiliated. Then afterwards, packed off to Oldtown where she faced beatings and deprivations that someone of her nature never experienced before. Saera lost all faith in her parents and was forced to exchange sex for money to create a life away from everything she'd ever known. (Oh but Jaehaerys would have ended her punishment eventu—according to who? And why would Saera believe that after a year and a half? I know we're meant to think her spoiled and impatient but she was a scared teenage girl who didn't trust her parents to care for her, parents who ruled over the entire continent. Have sympathy for this, or don't, but she has the right to a perspective.)

Did Viserra envy her that? No. There was a pretty clear message in Saera's punishment for Viserra: this could happen to you.

While I'm tempted to think Viserra probably heard of Saera's fate and thought 'well that won't happen to me because I'm smarter/know better' that doesn't change the fact that, when betrothed, Viserra tried to get out of it by seducing Baelon. A son who Jae & Aly loved, a man known for being a loving partner, and a husband who could protect her from anyone. Such a specific choice!

Did Saera think of Viserra? This I can guess even less but my hunch is that she was just like nah fuck 'em about all members of her family, didn't necessarily blame them all but would've had a 'they should have helped me' chip on her shoulder (fair). The most I can imagine is her hearing of Viserra's death and thinking her parents deserved that, perhaps even feeling vindicated in her choice to escape Westeros by any means.

[universitypenguin]

How Princess Met the Lawyer

Summary: The story of Princess and Lloyd’s unfortunate first meeting.

Word Count: 4,558

Warnings: Mention of criminal activity, including kidnapping and assault. Foul language.

Author’s Note: This is just a quick peak into Lloyd and Princess’ history. I lifted it from an exploratory draft I did of the story in July.

Masterlist

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

Senior year of undergrad you landed a prime internship at the exclusive law firm Bishop & Howard. In January, shortly after your twenty-first birthday, you started in the paralegal department. The work consisted mostly of odd jobs, like filing and transcription, but you were thrilled to be inside of an actual law firm. You loved dressing for work, doing your hair and make up, and looking the part of a professional adult for the first time. The thrill of winning the approval of your internship supervisors was another huge confidence boost.

Interning was your reward for the craziness of the past three years. You’d worked two jobs, babysat your three little brothers, and your sister’s two kids, plus earned near perfect grades at college. Within three years you finished a four year degree. It had been exhausting. Through it all, you’d planned and saved for the final months, when your capstone project required a semester long internship. With an eye towards the future, you’d planned and saved until you had enough to leave one of your part time jobs. You quit the pet store and now only waitressed on the weekends. Since it was your last semester, you took the easiest electives, and focused on learning everything you could at Bishop & Howard. You struggled to adjust to having “free time” when every moment of your life had always been packed with tasks.

Being the oldest of five kids meant you’d become responsible at a young age. Since you were able to manage domestic chores, you’d been running the household while your parents worked long hours. Free time had never been part of your lifestyle. To fill the downtime, you worked as many hours as Bishop & Howard would allow. The understaffed paralegals adored you for the extra effort.

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

There was an interesting dynamic between the attorneys and the paralegals. The paralegal department ruled the roost. An intricate power structure was in place that dictated whose requests were filled when, and by whom. A couple of the best researchers took select assignments. Others did document preparation and some interviewed clients, along with covering most of the communication between attorneys and clients on high level cases. The staff divided the tasks to suit their preferences and none of the attorneys dared question the system.

None of the attorneys… except Lloyd Hansen. He was on the bottom of the pecking order in the paralegal’s system, and he’d gone to war over it.

You’d seen the striking figure of Lloyd Hansen a couple times from a distance. Other than that, you only had a name. But he was regarded as if he were among the ranks of Voldemort, Morgoth, and the White Witch Jadis. You found it hilarious that a group of loafer wearing, cardigan clad women had the run of this powerful law firm. Even the partners, Clayton Bishop and Wilson Howard, gave them a wide berth. This Lloyd Hansen character didn’t know what he’d gotten himself into.

For three weeks, you enjoyed the petty drama from a distance. Savannah, a research paralegal, returned from Lloyd’s office cursing a blue streak and refusing to work with him. Then the services of Anette, the other research specialist, were requested. She flatly refused.

An hour later, Mr. Bishop himself came down from his corner office to make an appeal on Lloyd’s behalf. He’d sat down in the bullpen, shut the door, and had a long, difficult conversation with the group, trying to smooth their ruffled feathers.

You were fascinated by this event.

Clayton Bishop was widely regarded as one of the top lawyers on the east coast. He’d represented an NHL player accused of murder. Before that he’d proved the innocence of a man wrongfully imprisoned for twelve years on a rape charge. In his younger years, he’d made a name for himself as a prosecutor in Fairfax county. At present, he served as an adjunct professor at both Princeton and Georgetown Universities.

Despite the dazzling resume, he’d patiently negotiated with seven cranky women who were pissed off at his investigative lead. You’d spent an hour in the same room with a man who’d recently been on a short list to serve as the Attorney General of the United States. How you’d managed not to make a fool of yourself was a mystery. Bishop had sat a mere eight feet away from you for an hour, patiently listening to a laundry list of complaints about Lloyd. It wasn’t what you expected of a man who rubbed elbows with Presidents and Ambassadors every Friday night.

In the end Jen, the senior paralegal, agreed to try working with Lloyd one more time. Bishop thanked her and gifted the whole team a catered lunch for being so reasonable. You’d nearly fallen out of your chair, because they’d been anything but reasonable.

What was going on in this law firm? Why did Lloyd Hansen get such preferential treatment from Bishop, when by all other reports, he was an asshole? You’d found Mr. Bishop to be patient and kind, but was he taking it too far? Or were the paralegals incredibly stubborn? In a fit of curiosity you ran a Google search of Lloyd Hansen’s name.

Lloyd Hansen was an ex-con. The top hits on your search were all related to his trial in France.

The first article read: American Lawyer Arrested on Kidnapping Charges in Paris. The Wall Street Journal reported: European Political Scandal Results in Conviction of American Ex-Spy. A later story by the same publication announced: Hansen Sentenced to Nine Years for Crimes.

You read through the top stories and found out Lloyd was a former NSA agent. He’d been fired from the agency under questionable circumstances, though it was hinted that the dismissal had been in relation to the unlawful torture of detainees. No one appeared to know much about that chapter of his life. What they’d proven in court was that he’d done a lot of dirty work for corporations all over Europe. You didn’t have the knowledge of international politics to understand the whole story, but it was clear he’d been involved in something really twisted.

Key events in the scandal included the assassination of the President of Nigeria’s brother, allegedly by a rogue CIA agent. Investigative reporters said a mining contract had been used as leverage by the Nigerians to get Lloyd to hunt down the CIA agent. He’d kidnapped an entire family of four and their grandfather to force the assassin out of hiding. Then, shit hit the fan. The rogue CIA agent, Courtland Gentry, was presumed dead. Lloyd had been charged with first degree kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, extortion, conspiracy to commit murder, witness intimidation, and fraud.

Lloyd had been sentenced to nine years, with credit for time served. He’d gotten off easy, considering the charges and mountain of evidence against him. It wasn’t luck that had spared Lloyd, but the work of one of his former professors at Princeton.

Clayton Bishop had been Lloyd’s legal representation.

Later updates revealed that Lloyd had only served four years of his sentence. It tracked with the timeline you knew, since he’d started at the firm six months before you. Then, the man had proceeded to alienate every paralegal on staff in a matter of weeks. You shook your head in dismay, wondering how someone so intelligent could be so stupid. You considered both his actions in Europe and starting a war with the cardigan mafia that ruled B&H to be evidence of extremely poor judgment. With your curiosity now satisfied, you closed the browser window and put the matter out of your mind.

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

Lloyd was the head of investigations at Howard & Bishop. He was undoubtedly qualified for the position, and his reputation brought in several new clients. Because you did the filing, you’d seen the invoices yourself.

A major hospital had asked for help gathering the evidence necessary to fire their CEO. The city council of Springfield, North Carolina had requested an investigation of their police department after a report of officer misconduct. State legislators in Maryland asked for an inquiry into a prison warden accused of accepting millions in bribes. An insurance company had him audit the hiring practices of their New York conglomerate. Lloyd worked through the cases with amazing speed and delivered every time. Begrudgingly, you began to respect him, as the invoice paper trail proved that even if he was an asshole, he was an efficient asshole.

The war with the paralegals entered a stalemate for several weeks after Bishop’s intervention. Jen completed a few assignments and didn’t mention Lloyd again. You watched her writing up notes on interview videos and doing extensive research on the investigation’s subjects. You kept an eye on her tasks and considered if you could do that kind of work.

A recent analysis of your student loan situation told you that your dream of going to law school was beyond your means. In a few months, you’d have a freshly minted Criminal Justice degree and be hunting for a job. Preferably an interesting job that paid well. Maybe you could work here. Because after watching Jen, it was clear Lloyd needed three paralegals dedicated just to his department.

Because you looked over all the invoices, you knew that Lloyd was the only employee in the department of legal investigations. Everyone else worked on contract. His staff consisted of two private investigators, Zach Hightower and Landon McAnanny. They both were on retainer with the firm, per Lloyd’s request. His final staff member was Jake Jensen, an IT specialist who’d been a Green Beret and later spent time with an unknown intelligence agency. His records have been extremely difficult to come by, and were so redacted they barely made sense.

You’d looked into Zach and Landon as well, but they were ghosts. It was highly suspicious that there was nothing online about them. Given Lloyd’s history, and what you’d found out about Jake, you figured they all had the same background. Bishop had filled his independent investigatory staff with a bunch of spies. You cackled when you figured it out, enchanted by the old man’s craftiness. It was beyond clever. He’d recruited the only group of people who definitely wouldn’t cower from powerful D.C. elites.

Suddenly, Lloyd’s war with the paralegals made sense. You had a little more context now that you’d read his briefs on the past few cases. Viewing those reports through the lens of the facts you’d gathered on him and his associates, you realized something important. Lloyd wasn’t scared of anyone. Even the people who deserved a healthy sense of caution didn’t phase him.

You had read his first report at the firm, cover to cover. He dissected the arrogant hospital CEO like a pathologist doing an autopsy. His report had every gorey detail of the man’s sexual harassment charges, the unethical influence he’d used to get his friends special treatment, and finally, the embezzlement no one had noticed during his fifteen year tenure. He’d been even more vicious with the Springfield Police Department. The state had charged five officers and two detectives with a list of crimes after reviewing his findings. Their quick response was probably influenced by the leaked copy of his report, which had mysteriously appeared at a local newspaper. Within days, the national media picked up the story of their abusive practices.

Your research made it clear that Lloyd Hansen was a very dangerous man. The paralegals still hated his guts, and you’d noticed the other attorneys kept their distance as well. Despite your uneasiness about Lloyd’s violent history, reading his reports made you want to meet him.

That would never happen at this rate. Jen’s acquiescence had settled the war. Lloyd’s name only appeared in your invoice files these days. It was better that way. Lloyd Hansen was a very dangerous man and you were far too curious about him. You should be glad your paths at Bishop & Howard would never cross.

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

A week later, Jen quit. It happened right after a meeting with Lloyd. She stormed into the bullpen in tears and gathered her purse and jacket. With a hard slam of her desk drawer, she announced:

“That son of a bitch can jump off a fucking cliff and break every bone in his body! I’m not a fucking video editor! I’m not an interrogator, or a psychologist! He’s fucking delusional! I won’t work here another minute while he does, too!!”

In horror, you watched as the lead paralegal stalked out of the building, leaving a metaphorical trail of fire in her wake. As the remaining team members were processing the event, someone’s computer chimed. It was Savannah’s. There was an email from Jen, with her two week notice attached. The message asked if someone could print the notice and deliver it to Bishop’s secretary.

“On a warpath” didn’t even begin to describe the reaction of the remaining paralegals.

Jen was a great boss. She was calm, encouraging, and honestly, just a pleasant person to be around. You understood why they wanted Lloyd’s head. At twelve thirty on the dot, they gathered into a pack, and made their way across the street for lunch. You watched them go with equal parts horror and fascination. They might look like PTA moms with their cardigans and sensible shoes, but this was the group who made the office run. You’d witnessed their incredible productivity and endless attention to detail. They managed to do everything, all while trading office gossip at ninety words a minute in a secret group chat no one else knew about.

A seditious plot against Lloyd Hansen was brewing. You expected he’d find his tires slashed this evening and be drinking Miralax tomorrow in his morning coffee. Imagining what the furious women had in store for him was almost scary. The fallout from Jen’s decision was going to be epic.

You were sorting the afternoon mail into the team’s individual in-boxes, when someone you’d been certain you’d never meet walked in.

Lloyd Hansen was really tall. His eyes were a vibrant shade of crystal blue. You’d only seen him as depicted in the overexposed court photographs taken at his trial three years ago. The low quality images hadn’t done his bone structure justice. Regardless of the outdated style he chose to wear his facial hair in, he was gorgeous.

He was also an ex-spy. An ex-spy who’d spent four years in a maximum security prison for violent crimes. And you were alone with him. Totally alone, since the rest of the lawyers who worked on this floor had passed your office on their way to lunch. Anxiety made your stomach clench as Lloyd stepped into the room.

He scanned the empty bullpen, then looked at you.

“Where is everyone?”

“They left.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“You ran them all off.”

Lloyd checked his watch. “Yeah right. They’re at lunch. Where’s my revised report?”

“There is no revised report. Jen quit.”

“What the fuck? Can nobody take criticism anymore? I needed that file done yesterday!”

“Then do it yourself. You’re number one on their list, Hansen and they’re royally pissed.”

He was intelligent enough to show a flicker of concern before his expression turned resolute.

“I need more in-depth research than what they’re giving me, and I was completely clear about what I wanted. If she can’t follow instructions, then we need someone better than Jen.”

“Cool. Tell it to the angry mob coming for you.”

Lloyd sighed. “I suppose that’s due around one-thirty?”

“Yep.”

He ran a hand over his face, suddenly looking exhausted. Lloyd turned to leave. As he stalked away, you caught his muttered insult.

“All these bitches do is gossip and drink tea anyways.”

His words were quiet, but you heard them clearly. Your skin went hot. Before you knew what you were doing, you were out of your chair and on your feet, chasing after Lloyd. You followed him into the hall.

“What did you say?!”

Lloyd glanced over his shoulder.

“You heard me, Princess.”

“You’re demanding a kind of work from them that isn’t even in their job descriptions. They’ve done it anyway, and you thanked them by being a condescending jerk. Now you think you can insult them? You’re a misogynistic prick! You’re insane! I hope you’re ready to do every part of your job on your own, since you’ve totally alienated all of your help. Congratulations. I’ve never seen anyone shoot themselves in the foot so effectively.”

His eyes narrowed and he turned to face you in the empty hallway.

“So ‘bitches’ is misogynistic these days? If I’d used the term ‘dickheads’ would that be better? Since one applies almost exclusively to men, and the other to women?”

You planted your hands on your hips.

“Bitches has an intrinsically insulting connotation.”

“Female dogs are not a less flattering comparison than referencing male genitalia. You’re making misogyny out of a nonpartisan insult. Try again, Princess.”

“Being disrespectful isn’t going to earn you any favors.”

“I’m returning disrespect for the disrespect they’ve shown me. Their job is to help attorneys with research. I have the right to give them assignments. Me being a jerk has everything to do with their lackadaisical standards and nothing with their gender. So you can take your charge of ‘misogynistic prick,’ and shove it. I’m an equal opportunity asshole.”

“You’re impossible to please!”

Lloyd sneered. “Or there’s no one here intelligent enough to complete my fucking research. Including you. Which one are you, anyways?”

You stated your name in a clipped tone.

He cocked his head. “You’re new. Finish that file and bring it to me by nine-thirty tomorrow.”

“How did you go from insulting me to asking me for help in less than five seconds?”

“You have a spine. I like that. None of the others have gone toe to toe with me. So, I want you to do the report. We’ll see if the little spit fire can deliver.”

“No! You made your bed and you can lie in it!”

Lloyd grinned. You were surprised by the effect it had on his features. Even with the porn mustache he was the most handsome man you’d ever seen in real life. If he didn’t sneer at them so much, he could have had the paralegals drooling after him, rather than plotting his murder.

“Listen. I haven’t had any of the other paralegals do anything except cry when I gave them feedback. Heck, most of the time I wasn’t even trying to get under their skin.”

He was a natural jerk, not a deliberate one. You filed that information way to evaluate later.

Hansen stepped closer, a gleam in his eye.

“I’ll make you a deal. If you finish that report by tomorrow morning, I’ll personally speak with Jen about her decision to quit. And if you do the report in the manner I’ve told your coworkers to, a million times, in writing, in person, and over the phone…”

He paused, considering what he was willing to trade for the request. Lloyd’s grin turned wicked.

“If you do that report right, I’ll grovel at Jen’s feet like a gold digging gigolo trying to win back his sugar mama.”

Your jaw dropped and for a long moment, you simply stared at him. Then you nodded.

“You’ll grovel until she either agrees to come back, or demands that you leave her alone.”

“Deal.”

“Fine. I’ll give it a shot.”

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

The following morning Lloyd was shocked by the report you delivered.

Not only had you followed his exacting instructions, you’d written an executive summary and inserted it at the front of the folder. In the file, you’d indexed your findings like a contract. For the emailed report, you hyperlinked the relevant resources throughout the document. His face was impassive as he read through the research. When he looked up, it was your turn to be shocked. Genuine appreciation and respect were etched on his face.

“This is the first time I’ve gotten back anything longer than five pages. You actually did what I asked.”

You shrugged, feeling suddenly shy.

“I hate to admit it, but your instructions were easy to follow. I’m not even a paralegal and I understood them.”

“Yeah. Bishop told me you’re an intern. You could have clued me in on that yesterday.”

“If I had, would you have rescinded your offer to plead with Jen?”

Lloyd smirked. “No. I just wouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.”

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

The same day you delivered the report, Lloyd stole you from the paralegals. They were outraged at first, since all your extra work had eased their workload quite a bit. But after Lloyd apologized to Jen (and paid for a group spa package for seven at The Mandarin) they accepted your loss as a fair trade. For the next two months, you’d worked exclusively for Lloyd.

The last week of your internship Bishop hired you full time. Without even negotiating, you were given a higher starting salary than you’d ever dreamed of asking for. It was significantly higher than the figures you’d heard from the others in your graduating class as they’d collected job offers. You couldn’t help but feel smug, because so many of them had poked fun at your age over the years.

Two years and seven months later, you were still doing research for Lloyd.

According to company structure, he was your coworker, but you’d always recognized him as a rank above you because of his degree. You might have your own office nowadays, but you still thought of yourself more like a paralegal than a legal researcher. He was possessive of your skills, and treated you as his personal researcher, despite the fact that you’d been hired to assist his entire department. You weren’t about to complain, especially since he’d negotiated your last two raises.

The unique arrangement suited everyone’s needs. You were quickly nicknamed ‘the Lloyd whisperer’ by the paralegals, who couldn’t believe the difference in Lloyd. His razor sharp tongue and perpetual snarl at everyone else didn’t disappear overnight, but he was patient with you while you learned the job. When you had your feet underneath you, he let you accompany him on local cases. By the three month mark, he even let you sit in on some of his interviews.

He did soften a bit, as your work allowed his stress level to taper down. By your first anniversary with the firm, he was openly pleasant towards Jen. It took longer for him to come around to Savannah, but he eventually stopped glowering in her direction when she stopped by your desk. For your part, you slowly learned what made Lloyd Hansen tick. He was no avenging angel of injustice, but he loathed pretentiousness and didn’t suffer fools. You found you appreciated both of those qualities.

Thanks to you easing his work load, Bishop was able to lend Lloyd to the criminal defense attorneys for high profile cases. He assisted with trial preparations and through this exercise, you made a fascinating and terrifying discovery. Given the facts of any particular legal case, Lloyd could argue both sides and win from either position. You knew it was his job, but he had an uncanny knack for turning the concept of justice into whatever suited his needs. It was amazing how effortlessly he could twist facts and peel apart even the soundest of logic.

The only defense attorney at the firm who could keep up with Lloyd was Andy Barber. He was unfailingly assigned to the most important criminal cases, so it worked out rather well. Both men recognized the other’s talent, even though they disliked each other personally. You loved sitting in on their trial prep. It was like having ring side seats to an MMA fight.

Andy and Lloyd didn’t pull punches when debating. You could understand why Andy got so fired up during mock trials with Lloyd. He was a vicious stand in for the prosecutor. It was obvious to anyone that Andy was a great attorney, but even he struggled to keep up with Lloyd’s mental agility. You were amazed at how Lloyd could swap sides with Andy in the middle of a debate and use the same facts he’d taken apart to build a new defense on the spot. Without a second of hesitation, he could stitch up each hole he’d torn in the case, as if he’d been rehearsing the arguments for months. To his credit, Andy won about half the time, but it was always a bare knuckle brawl. He’d confided in you once that working through a case with Lloyd never failed to cure his courtroom jitters. After their no-holds barred mock trials, arguing against even the most zealous prosecutor was a cakewalk.

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

Lloyd wasn’t as much of a jerk as everyone thought he was. You’d come to understand this over the course of your friendship with him.

Did he have rough edges? Yes. Were his people skills desperately lacking? Also, yes.

But his issue wasn’t a lack of emotion. He had feelings. It was in expressing them that he was handicapped. After a while, you realized Lloyd was totally alone in the world. He was isolated in a way you’d never seen anyone else be, and part of it was his own doing.

The kidnapping conviction hung over his reputation like a pirate flag, an immediate warning of danger to anyone who bothered to Google him. People treated him differently because of it. You were bothered by this, but Lloyd was unconcerned with people’s reactions. Only when he was confronted by the harshest of critics did you see flickers of remorse. During a particularly heated trial prep, Andy had turned on Lloyd in a rage. The lawyer had ripped him up one side and down the other with his previous conviction.

You’d seen the exact moment where Lloyd shut down. He turned inwards with a barely visible flicker of his eyelids. One moment he was mentally present and the next, he vanished. The autopilot switch had been turned on as he buried himself deep in his head, where no one else could reach. Andy had cooled down and apologized for losing his temper. Lloyd accepted. The mock trial had continued, but Andy knew he’d gone too far. He’d presented a shoddy argument to forfeit the last round.

For the rest of the night, whenever your eyes met, Lloyd would break eye contact, lowering his eyes too quickly when you looked at him. He’d taught you enough about reading people that you could see the shame he was fighting. Andy’s comments had brought everything to the surface.

A week passed, and Lloyd still wasn’t himself.

You wanted to comfort him. If you thought he would accept it, you’d have hugged him. But Lloyd’s dark mood made you second guess yourself. Only time would ease his pain. Though you wanted to nurture whatever parts of his heart had been damaged back to life, you knew your limits. Lloyd Hansen’s heart was a puzzle of shattered pieces. He was full of jagged edges and dangerous barbs. The complexity of the trauma that must have shaped him was far beyond your ability to repair.

In the end, you let go of the urge to try and fix Lloyd and focused on being his friend.

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

Masterlist

[scary-lasagna]

For my request I would like a part two to the slender daughters fic like,,, you left us hanging and their family dynamic is so sweet🥺

things are getting a little spicy. don't worry part III will be out super soon

Pt I:

SlenderDaughters [Part II]

"Oh, that Toby was surely something else!" Splendor couldn't help but laugh, a few fingers hiding his smile.

"Toby was a spitfire, but Jeff tried punching me the first day he arrived, remember?"

Maeve squeezed through the small gap of the door that Sol had just began to open, both bothering to wait until it started to creek before interrupting her family's conversation.

Bittersweet memories plagued with grief floating in the talk amongst the brothers, and a couple framed pictures were even plucked from their spots on the shelves. Some of them were more recent enough to have active moving bodies in them, some so old that their eyes had that weird red glow to them.

Maeve handed her father the Bluiena Box, a small yet feisty multi-dimensional portal box.

Azalea had taken a comfy spot on the ground between the feet of her father and older sister after Maeve and Sol left for the box, and annoyed them both by untying their shoes and then tying them together until Isa got a scolding for kicking her.

"Now, I know some of you know what this is, but I would like for those of you who don't know to take a guess." Maeve sat down in one of the empty chairs that were hazardly set in a circle formation so everyone would be facing one another. Slender opened the ivory box, and revealed a smaller puzzle-like cube from inside it with a handkerchief.

Sol took a seat beside her, closing the circle between Maeve and Offender. Despite being nearly an adult, she looked like a small child compared to everyone else.

"It's the box from Hellraiser."

"I can't believe you know what that is, flower." Offender chimed.

"You made me watch it when I was 4, I should be traumatized enough to know about it."

"Well I wasn't expecting you to remember it," Offender chuckled more to himself than the group. Splendor stood, and walked to the door, "I'm saying goodbye to mom, she has to leave early for an appointment."

"Oh, let me say bye too! She might have candy!" Azalea chimed, standing up so quickly she nearly trips over her own feet. Splendor was kind enough to hold the door open for her as she ran ahead of him.

"Father, I have to ask, why are bringing out this box? Now, of all times?" Maeve asked, in the lightest tone that she could muster without the underlying feeling of spite bubbling up through her lovely voice.

"A nostalgic visit of the past is no harm done, my dearest." Her father soothes, with a gentle hand on her shoulder. This didn't satisfy Maeve, but still, she resulted in sitting down in a designated spot.

"This is is called The Bluiena box, it serves as an interdimensional link between words, minds, and ideas alike." Slender took a long stride to the center of the circle, presenting it to the group above his handkerschief.

"A memory box, then?" Sol spoke up, her blue eyes and neat eyebrows seems so out of place amongst the eldritch creatures, but alas, she's never felt more comfortable in a group of people like her family.

"Similar. Although, these memories have the prime ability of coming to life-"

"This is wrong." Maeve spoke up. "We should allow the dead to stay dead, memories or not." Her voice shook, and despite her father being mostly kind to her throughout her life, she still feared disappointing him. Her hands were the next in line to tremble.

"Maeve," He started with a soft tone, signaling more so a twinge of hurt rather than disappointment, "They have been long since gone. All that's left of them are in this little box." He toyed with the crisp edges, much like a child caressing it's favorite toy.

"I'm with your daughter, I don't think it's healthy sounding to let the memories roam free. It's destroyed you enough already." Offender adjusted his form, leaning his elbows on his knees passively as he looked up at his older brother, who casted down an arrogant gaze toward him.

"And you?" He turned to Trender for the middle ground, already knowing if Splendor were here he would just agree with whatever anyone said, so his vote didn't matter either.

Trender stayed quite for a moment, and rolled his shoulders with a nervous tic, "I just think that it's better to leave the past behind." He nodded with assurance more to himself than his brother. Isa gazes at her father, and then exchanged glances with Offender and Solly, with Maeve not even bothering to look up from her shaky knees.

"I see how it is then." Slender's jaw tensed as he peered around, finally landing his gaze on Maeve, who he blamed for this small uprising. "Even my own blood will refuse to support my happiness, including my very own daughter."

"Hey! That's not very nice to say, she's only looking out for you." Sol of course takes after her father in foolishly defending others when now wasn't the time to talk.

"By driving me deeper into madness, yes?" Slender whispered, leaning back to peer at Sol over his shoulder. "I suggest you watch you words before you speak, for you know nothing of this, Solana."

Her jaw dropped slightly, and Slender didn't even bother to watch it fall before placing the encased box on one of many bookshelves lining the Study walls.

The door cracked and popped as it open, and the tense atmosphere practically slapped both entrants in the face.

"Sooo...did we miss anything important?"

"Only my daughter hating me." Slender growled under his breath.

"Alright, kids, get out." Offender announced, that professional fatherly voice kicking in heavily. Maeve was the first to leave, plowing past Azalea and into the empty hallway. She was well past breach for the first time but damn did her tendrils burn with a fire beyond anger.

"I can't believe he said that to you,. Maeve!! It's completely unfair, are you alright?" Isa spoke up, waddling to catch up to her oldest cousin in those ugly shoes that clopped when she walked.

Maeve stopped pounding the floor with her quick pace, and stood still, tendrils suddenly laxing and curling back into her spinal cavities. She wasn't even aware they were out and about, and didn't even want to think about how much she looked like her father.

"I don't care anymore! I hate him, too!" Maeve suddenly snapped, and turned around to face her cousins, but more importantly Splendor, who seemed the most hurt by the words.

Maeve turned her back to them, feeling too cowardly to announce anything else to the world.

"Maeve, sweet honey, he doesn't mean all of that." Splendor soothed, and approached her with ease, much less like the girls standing offish beside him. She held onto her father anger like a hot stone in her palm. Hurting herself before she hurts others.

"What does he mean by it then? Because all I'm seeing is a-"

"All you're seeing is a hurt man. He knew these previous creature incredibly long before you were even born. They were his first children, his first proxies, his first chance at a real family outside of his mother and brothers." Splendor placed a clawed hand gently on her shoulder, the Hawaiian shirt he wore only added to the stupidity of his words.

"And all I see is a coward who too afraid of his daughter growing up and leaving him, that he wants his old toys back! Because God knows, they love him more than I ever will, simply because I don't want to follow in his footsteps. Simply because I will never, ever, want to be like him, nor will I even come close to acting on it!" Maeve was shouting now, and there was no doubt the brothers in the study could hear her loosing his cool that she's held onto for so long. The picture perfect frame of a daughter that grew up in her fathers shadow, weighted by such expectations that she abused herself so he wouldn't have do it for her. Another weight she has taken off his shoulders, adding onto the years of school and training that she has done to appease him. And for what?

"I'm not a cowardly Operator like he is, I won't ever be one, I won't be a leader, and if he wants it that badly then I won't be his damn trophy-prize daughter either!"

Silence dropped in a thick cloud over the manor. The only sound that flickered kept repeating in a shuffle of an A/C rhythm, struggling to kick on.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Maeve, I really am." Splendor almost seemed he was about to cry. But then again, this being cries at everything. Weddings, kittens, puppies, Sol finding more rocks to keep, the list goes on. This was nothing new, and Maeve couldn't find any sympathy left for his hurt feelings.

Splendor, however, wasn't crying from the release of weight the girl has been carrying for so many years. The sadness brought on was only cause by the reflection of her father he saw in her rage.

[sublimecatgalaxy]

Hey, if requests are open, can we pretty please get some Jonathan and Will with a sister/sibling (middle sibling) who is kinda a good balance for both of them? I just would like to see your take on a dynamic like this! Thank you!

I like this concept a lot :) This will be the only thing I write tonight since I'm recovering from surgery.

For days, I could sense the overwhelming weight and sadness taking over my younger brother, his eyes sunken in and a permanent frown etched on his face. I know that he won't come clean that it's about Will, that his whole speech about how El probably feels like an outsider with no one to understand her was just a way for him to communicate how he feels without actually saying it.

But unlike Jonathan, Will doesn't need to actually say anything to me, I just know.

He's never really fit in with anyone, even the group and all of their games over the years. With the Mind-Flayer and the Upsidedown invading Hawkins, making my youngest brother its prime target, it only made him and our family stick out more. He has never been able to go out without people looking at him or itching to ask him questions.

That's why the move to California was possibly the best decision that my mom ever made from us, aside from leaving all of our friends and the rest of our 'group'. It gave all of a chance to start new, gave Will and El a new place to really make a name for themselves outside of our conservative town, but it also let Jonathan and I make new friends and try new things.

"So, do you like it?" Jonathan asks, leaning against his headboard as I let the smoke billow out from between my lips, watching it seep into the air and blow out the window in a moments notice. I cough a bit with a small smile, giving him a stern nod. "Good, Argyle got it from his guy last week and then totally forgot to give it to me." He snorts, taking a hit off the bong with a doped out smile and hazy eyes.

"So," I pause, flopping back down onto the bed as I watch the fan spin back and forth, "you gotta stop giving Will dating advice." I huff, giving him a pointed look as he scoffs, holding his hands up in feigned offense.

"My dating advice is great!" He shakes his head, brows firmly pulled together in an attempt to make himself believe his words but he can't be any further from the truth. It's an unspoken rule in this household to not come outright and talk about Will's struggles with sexuality and who he likes. It's already confusing for him to think about let alone talk about so we've steered pretty clear of talking about it when he's upset.

But lately Jonathan keeps trying to play match-maker and get him out in the world which, if he could have a successful relationship, I'd appreciate the thought. But given his weird relationship with Nancy, I don't trust a word of advice that comes out of his mouth.

I say that with all the love and respect in the world.

"You guys play for different teams! It doesn't help when you're giving him tips on how to woo people and you use the words 'boobs' every other sentence." My head tilts with a deadpanned smile, giving him somewhat of a condescending look that he calls 'the Joyce'.

"That's fair- alright." He sighs, his eyes fluttering shut as he pulls the bong up to his lips once more, lighting it and taking a deep breath before going to argue once more. "But-"

"Mike's ignoring my calls." His rebuttal is cut short by Will storming into Jonathan's room, red in the face and angry tears lining his lashline. Immediately, I sit up, sobering up quickly as I'm filled with unadulterated rage.

"Is he answering El-" I start but he cuts me off with a scoff.

"Of course he is." He huffs, his hands hitting his sides after he throws them up in the air, his hair falling in his eyes as he looks down at the ground and I can practically hear his heart pound out of anxiety from ten feet away.

"Then he's a dick- ignore him bubs, come take part in the illegal with us!" I laugh, trying to turn the tension to laughter but he just shakes his head, ignoring my comment all together.

"I just don't understand how he could just be my best friend for all of those years and then get a girlfriend and drop only me and not any of the rest of them." His voice quivers, eyes looking to me for support but I just frown deeply, my shoulders deflating in disappointment that he has to deal with this at such a young age.

"If he cares enough to talk to El and not you, when you're the same distance away, then maybe it's not worth it. Mike's always been kind of an airhead dude- I always liked Dustin more." Jonathan laughs, pointing a finger at our younger brother as he finally cracks a half smile, stepping towards the bed as I pat the spot beside me.

"C'mere." I whisper, wrapping my arm around Will as he slides down onto the bed, turning into a bundle of mush the minute I side hug him. "I know that it upsets you that he doesn't care- or it seems like he doesn't care- but remember that you're way more in touch with your feelings than he is." I look down at him, brushing his bangs from his face as he nods, not completely believing me but he stays quiet and lets me continue. "You're not a dumb boy like he is. So maybe just drop him for a bit, spend more time with us and less time worrying about what he's doing and who he's talking to." I offer and he nods, his eyes a bit more brighter than they were before and I can hear the words 'hard to get' playing over and over in his mind. Make him work for it, Will.

"Sounds like you're giving dating advice." Jonathan snorts, pulling the marijuana away from his lips as his eyes widen in accidental embarrassment. "Shit, sorry man, that wasn't a joke or anything-"

"Boy advice is boy advice whether it's a friend or not a friend." I cut him off, quieting his high rant as quickly as it can come out before looking to our brother, rubbing his back gently. "You gotta be a good friend before you can be a good boyfriend or girlfriend so this all applies, got it?" I ask, my eyes flickering back and forth between his as he smiles sadly, giving me a simple nod.

"Got it."

"Now lay here and get the second hand smoke, we'll take care of you." I laugh, forcing him to lay down as his eyes flutter shut, his back hitting the mattress moments later as he takes a deep breath.

"I don't trust you guys." He whispers, looking at me specifically and I gasp, looking to Jonathan for support but he just snorts and sends our brother a wink.

"You shouldn't."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Taglist: @bubblebuttwade @rafelover2405 @leslienjazzy @sorceresss @grxnde-dwt @alex–awesome–22 @bunnietoof @niyamar1e @serialghost @plantlungs @geniusohn @akaliltimmytim @lilaalouuxx @xshariex @elliotsbeigeguitar @elle4404 @lelieja @srhxpci @joselyn001 @taysirene @spinkspanther @thedivineuphoria @peter-maximoffs @tsukishimawhore @poohkie90 @szlaco @distantsighs @nstyles4299 @wolflover384 @givemefoodandlovesstuff @vane2828 @yeswhatever33 @amirrahfranson @vvaalleennttiinna @f-mu @yaspillz @jeyramarie @skylievin@abbybarnes17 @jointherebellion215 @visiondaddy @steezysimfinds @its-ya-gay-boi-luigi

@crunchytoenailsyum@glizzymcguirex @beth123lg @melovesmut @rafecameronswhore @ariianelle @write-from-the-heart @vampviolets@haylee-e@popehaywardssecretgf @honee-chai-tea @lokiandbuckywife @smoke-and-fire @officiallyunofficialperson@heyaitsklaudia@rosepetalsparks @bluetreecloud20 @scenesofobx @double-shot-of-tequila @1dluver13xx @colbysbrocks @iamasimpingh0e @smoke-and-fire386 @loveshineslikethesky @id-3-kbro @diorsitgirl @errorfound101-allideasburnedout @neverwillknowme18 @ellyskey @taylors-folk @loversjoy @myaloveee @thyris-is @lagataprrr @aaaaslaaaan @minjix @luvrosee @storytellingwitht

[prongsmydeer]

Ayesha Liveblogs She-Ra S5 

“You’re not She-ra anymore, remember?” Unlike Bow, Adora is not adjusted to fighting without her powers LOL

You know, it didn’t really occur to me to question it until now but why do only five of the princesses have runestones? Spinerella and Netossa are princesses but they don’t get to be part of the balance of planet LOL

Scorpia, Entrapta and Micah in the intro ahhhhhh! I love this for all of them

“What is this?” Akorradora trying to access the Avatar state again:

Shockingly tactful for Entrapta to suggest they’ll figure out where Glimmer is soon. You know what that is!! Growth!!!

“You saved me, and you’re gonna save my little girl.” Micah said: Have you heard of father figures. I am available

Ffhkjhg @ Adora defiantly charging every enemy she sees, magicless

“It seems [Hordak] had very little love towards you at the end.” Hordak said: I looked into my brother’s memories just so I could figure out how to hurt your feelings, Catra 

How nice of Horde Clone #1 to warn Team ScorDorBow that their camp was being attacked LOL if Micah hadn’t sent a signal they still could’ve gone back

[Shadow Weaver saves Micah from a bot] [Micah grunts, perhaps in both thanks and resentment] “You’re welcome.” The funky little aunty trauma emerging from Micah and Shadow Weaver. Call me compelled

Horde Prime offering his flagship speciality, Genoc!de Jello: 

How does Glimmer get this whole view of the camp being attacked but somehow DOESN’T see Micah. Feels intentional 

“Ah, here she is, your beacon of hope. Adora.” Horde Prime is smarter than I gave him credit for in identifying Adora as the leader

Though, he saw all of Hordak’s memories. So. Eh on credit

“These princesses are so predictable with their feelings.” “As were you. Elevated heart rate, dilated pupils. Adora means something to you.” I was half-kidding about Horde Prime trying to figure out how to hurt Catra’s feelings but it was true

“Cast aside this false hero and deliver her to me.” Okay Lorde Hordemort

I know I’m like. Technically Millennial/Gen Z cusp. But as a self-identifying Millennial, the way this show was DEEPLY written by a Millennial. The media influences are clear 

I googled it and he was born in ‘91. HA

LMAO @ BOW TOSSING EVERYONE OUT OF ADORA’S TENT INCLUDING THE KING. PRIME MEDICAL ADVOCATE:

I think Frosta should get to punch Horde Prime, as a treat

UNBELIEVABLE THAT ENTRAPTA STILL CARES MORE ABOUT TECH THAN FINDING GLIMMER HAHAHA. DIDN’T YOU JUST SAY LIKE TWO EPS AGO YOUR MAIN COMPLAINT WAS BEING ABANDONED. ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK LMAO

Whatever, much like Mermista, I’ll take it if she’s not pro-Horde

Also: Djjfkjfkhfkj funny that Scorpia is now the mediator

Also also: Scorpia’s really good at impressions! 

“Little sister, why do you rebel against my commands?” Horde Prime calling Catra his little sister gives me the heebie jeebies. You are nothing like Daddy Hordak!!!! Not that Hordak was a good guy, but like. Hey. He had something to offer as a family dynamic

Ohhhhhhhhh poor Glimmer: 

HAHA @ PERFUMA PUTTING ENTRAPTA ON A CHILD LEASH

“You don’t care about Glimmer or any of us. You only care about tech.” Are we FINALLY going to have Entrapta show some remorse. I hope so. AGAIN. I get that she’s probably representing a specific like. Cognitive situation. But NEURODIVERGENT PEOPLE CAN CARE ABOUT THEIR FRIENDS!!!!!

“I thought maybe, if I could use tech to help you, you’d like me.” This line is a hard sell. Why then, do they have to talk Entrapta into doing anything for/with her friends by offering tech? Literally done so in this same episode? Just lean into the fact that she didn’t realize how much she’d hurt them rather than rejecting responsibility and suddenly deploying a tragic underlying motivation! 

I do genuinely like Entrapta!!! She is endearing in her way. I just think that they make her so neutral towards most people (save for Hordak, with whom she shares both technology and a seemingly familial-esque bond), and then inconsistently suggest she is people-motivated. Be accountable to your actions, babygirl!

“Glimmer needs us.” FINALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY

“Focus, Entrapta! Glimmer needs you,” said Entrapta, to herself. Loving Entrapta’s Empathy Era. Good for her!!

Ahhhhh Adora needing to let go of She-Ra to move on. <3333

“Yeah, it turns out I’m an awesome leader, so we’re gonna be fine.” Also loving Mermista’s Rebellion General Era!!!!!!!

“You want She-Ra? Come and get her!” MICAH, KING OF COSPLAY

“See you soon, babygirl.” I SWEAR IF I DO NOT GET A MICAH, GLIMMER AND ANGELLA REUNION, I WILL BE SO SAD

“You remember me, don’t you? Here’s a clue. You don’t like me. Hordak.” RETURN OF DADDY HORDAK AND THE FUCKED-UP FAMILY REUNION:

Bow’s mediation skills and level-headedness are unmatched. If Adora is the Heart of the Rebellion, then Bow is the Head

The powerful healing energy of teenage girls sitting on the floor:

“Your Adora causes you nothing but suffering.” Actually, I think Catra causes most of her own suffering, Horde Prime. This is just the manifestation of her Repressed Furry Space Lesbian Feelings

Platinum Hordak has such sad little eyes as he goes to the memory bath

Poor Bow is clinging onto his hinges for dear life trapped on a ship with the two princesses with the worst impulse control (aside from Bestie Glimmer LOL) kjhgkjhgjh

“You will be exalted, raised up above the other creatures of your wretched home world.” Is this Horde Prime’s way of saying Catra’s gonna be in his museum of war horrors

“I’ll never say sorry to anybody, ever,” said Catra, at age 7, and then she stuck to it for the next ten years of her life

“I want to do that one good thing in my life. Like you said.” YEAHHHHH CATRA AND GLIMMER

(Cannot help but feel this will immediately bite Catra in the ass though)

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH CATRA SAVING GLIMMER (AND INDIRECTLY, ADORA) AT THE COST OF HER OWN SAFETY. I LOVE U CATGIRL

“There’s no one left in the entire universe who cares about me.” [Immediate cut to Adora] WRONG

“Adora, I’m sorry, for everything.” I FORGIVE YOU IMMEDIATELY CATRA, THAT WAS ALL I NEEDED TO HEAR

Me last season: Catra/Adora is gonna be hard sell given how hurtful Catra has been for every single episode of this show

Me this season, after seeing Catra be nice twice: IT’S FINE

I keep thinking how unrealistic it seems that no one is being killed but at least with Catra it makes sense that Horde Prime would keep her, as she is the Adora Bait 

Adora is taking being used as a weapon WAY better than I expected jkghkjghg. I mean good for you but you’re allowed to be a little mad at Glimmer! 

“Like, one time, Kyle told me he had a crush on Rogel—” the Lizard Boy who speaks no words??? Kyle please. Also Kyle/Rogelio forever ❤️

“This is all my fault. Horde Prime only found us because—” “Because YOU activated the Heart of Etheria.” Bow is mad enough for the both of them, actually:

”That was forever ago. A lot’s changed since then.” Bow said: Now I have broader shoulders, you have a different hair, and you’re a war criminal, Glimmer. Times have changed

I looked it up on the UN website to see which War Crimes Glimmer has committed, and I count at least two:

“Intentionally launching an attack in the knowledge that such attack will cause incidental loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects or widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment which would be clearly excessive in relation to the concrete and direct overall military advantage anticipated.” (Using the Heart of Etheria)

“Subjecting persons who are in the power of another party to the conflict to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind [...] and which cause death to or seriously endanger the health of such person or persons.” (Turning the princesses into the weapon)

Starla with her boomerangs and magic owl and immediate sharing has already won me over

Do the robot arms imply that Tallstar is a double or quadruple amputee? Wild as hell

“I’m not leaving anyone behind!” YEAHHHH ADORAAAAAAAAA

“Ready to do something that probably won’t work?” “Always.” Oh, how I’ve missed the Best Friend Squad

“We’re going to fight Prime, and take back our home.” Love this for the Star Siblings as well ❤️

“You get to be mad, for as long as you need to be. But I’m not going anywhere.” Glimmer is speaking MY love language

Swift Wind making magic radio calls to Adora every night is v sweet

How have none of the Horde clones alerted Horde Prime about the intruders in their server room lmao

Are we sure this isn’t Hordak? The crying seems kind of on-brand:

Hahahaha, Wrong Hordak is a delight. The implication that all of the Horde clones are incredibly emotionally vulnerable sad boys if left to their own devices kjhgjhgkjgh. Hordak never stood a chance of being well-adjusted lmao

“I brought her to the light. Isn’t that right, little sister?” Hate every part of this for Catra. However. This animation fucking rules:

“But you have already hurt me. Prime has set me free of that pain.” Quit blaming Adora for your repressed gay middle school crush, Catra. If it were about abandonment issues, please see the past five seasons when Adora has repeatedly extended her hand to you

I also like Catra’s new haircut. The hair changes in this show are good

“We both know I don’t matter.” “You matter to me!” 💞

BABYGIRL BACK IN ACTION. NOW I BELIEVE SHE’S 8 FEET TALL:

I really hope the Helpful Hordak that they brought with them IS actual Hordak. I want to see him and Entrapta reunited

Update from thirty seconds later: It was not him, but he knows she is looking for him. Daddy Hordak will get his favourite daughter reunion soon enough

Helpful Himbo Hordak is my new favourite character. If anything happens to him I will [redact] everyone on this ship and then myself:

IGFHKJFHKFJH SCREAM THEY ADDED HELPFUL HORDAK TO THE INTRO. I’M LOSING IT HIM HOLDING THE WRENCH AND SMILING 

“What do you care? I know you all hate me.” “I never hated you!” I am glad Catra is literally the first ex-Horde soldier to actually be dealing with some lingering guilt and complex dynamics emerging of her actions

Also. also. For the final time. Someone desperately needs to fix the captions of this show and stop dropping important words. The captions here drop the words ‘I know,’ which are important, because it signifies 1) Catra’s pre-empted conclusion (i.e. I don’t need to talk to anyone, I know how they feel about me) and 2) That this feeling of being hated is entirely rooted in herself (I feel that I am hated). I get that it probably has been outsourced and done as quickly as possible. But it is deeply inaccessible to people who rely on captions to understand what’s being said 

All of this caption mess is really a piss-poor-how-dare-you-say-we-piss-on-the-poor moment

Also. Kind of unrelated but something I’ve been thinking about since I looked up the Millennial who wrote this show. Why do the credits use a name he doesn’t go by anymore? The show is recent enough to reasonably be updating it. Like Umbrella Academy also had someone involved in the change their name, and they changed the credits on every prior episode to say Elliot. Did the creator for She-Ra choose to leave it? On Wikipedia it describes his production credits for this show as ‘credited by deadname’ which like, to me, suggests it’s not something he actively chose. For a show which tries to weave representation and inclusion into its fabric, its Netflix presentation is bizarrely thoughtless when it comes to real people!

We interrupt all the meta concerns to say: Hee hee, leetle kees on the volleyball court

“Did you think she was going to just instantly become a different person?” LMAO @ ‘a different person’ being Glimmer and Adora’s code for ‘Catra trying not to be mean for more than 30 seconds at time’

There’s something very poetic and funny about Micah desperately wanting Frosta to accept him as a friend, like Frosta wanted from Glimmer

[Ominously] “Why don’t you stay for supper?” I KNEW something would wrong with Elberon ever since the Flutterina thing. Something has been brewing in the water here

“Horde ships coming right for us,” from Entrapta also sounds kind of like, “hardships coming right for us,” which is also true

I really feel like Adora should’ve yanked the chip out of Catra when she was still in She-Ra mode. Is it like. Connected to her brain stem?

[Groaning] “My daughter’s gonna hate me.” Micah is the love of my life

“It’s like they’ve been replaced by totally different people.” Hmmmmm

Elberon has gone full Spooky Mode. I love the constant Haunting Lighting:

Entrapta clearly remembers every time she’s been wronged (being left in the Fright Zone, Catra taking her work and sending her to Beast Island). But somehow NEVER retains anything she’s done to wrong others (hacking the Black Garnet, creating the portal which took Glimmer’s mother). What kinda selective memory jkghkjghgjh. [Entrapta as Aslan meme voice] I forgor 

Wow. Catra admitting she wants Adora to stay is a real breakthrough!

“Just stay with me while I do it okay.” It’s a day of breakthroughs for Catra. I’m very proud of her!

You know. Aside from Adora being a literal alien. They’ve already established that she’s impervious to the cold, so why not, to her free-floating in space? 

Bold of her to jump out without checking though!

“Chip appears to be fused with the subject’s nervous system [...]” I guess Horde Prime did put it in her brain stem!

Catra said: I do apologies AND thank-yous now. I’m a new catwoman!

Glimmer and Bow immediately moving aside so Catra can sit between them. I love the Best Friend Squad!

Not Spinerella being chipped!!!! Don’t harm our happy background emotional support couple

“Onward to a secret underwater party adventure.” Screaming over the fact that Scorpia, Perfuma, Mermista and Sea Hawk have decided the way they’re going to deal with the citizens of Etheria being turned into robot spies is by having a fancy dress party:

I love that Perfuma is an excellent actress, good for her

LMAO @ MERMISTA AND SEA HAWK HAVING TO BEAT UP HALF OF THE PEOPLE THEY SEE. Feels like perhaps the easiest version of this plan would be leaving Sea Hawk at home 

“I just wanted to know what [setting someone’s boat on fire] felt like.” [Gasps] “You are everything I’ve ever wanted.” Mermista x Sea Hawk 5ever

The ratio of musical numbers really does increase as the shows goes on. Also losing it at Scorpia literally singing her deception to a room full of people: 

“Strangest thing but I think we’ve met before.” DHJKDHDJHD has Prince Peekablue been replaced by Double Trouble

Update from 30 seconds later: Yes

Good for Netossa for noticing right away but for someone who has full access to his victims’ brains Horde Prime is sure not good at acting in-character for them. He should take a lesson from Double Trouble 

I should’ve figured that Mermista would be the one to get chipped at the incredibly convenient and inconvenient location of underwater but NOOOOOOOOOOO MERMISTA

They are messing with ALL of the emotional support background couples this ep

This party is not really going well for Team Princess at all: 

THEY GOT PAPA GLIMMER TOO??? OH MICAH 😭😭😭

“That’s your cue, Hot Stuff. Let’s go.” Hahahah is Double Trouble calling Sea Hawk Hot Stuff because he likes to set boats on fire or just because they think he’s cute kjghkjghgkjhg

Kind of bizarre that Scorpia, despite being under water, has seen no impact of water conducting an electrical current. SHOULDN’T THAT BE A MAJOR ADVTANGE? 

SCORPIAAAAA. I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A NICE LITTLE REPRIEVE NOT HALF OF THEIR FRIENDS BEING LOST TO THE HORDE. THE FANCY DRESS OUTFITS BETRAYED ME:

Very haunting when they end episodes with just silence ahhhhhhh

Ohhhhh the chipped friends going into the antagonist slot in the intro 😧

“Your plan is to ram through an armada of ships?” “No... Maybe!” Rare voice of reason moment for Catra LOL

Dhdkjhdjjdh Helpful Hordak immediately spilling Horde Prime’s vulnerabilities at the slightest prompting. Me oversharing about my health problems when people ask how I am 

Someone please clarify how they had a spacesuit with cat ear slots so readily available to them in the middle of hiding from a nearly omnipresent enemy. Was Adora just keeping this on board always in the hopes Catra would get her act together hahahaha: 

LHFKJHFJHFKJH Bow and Glimmer looking between Adora and Catra perplexed whenever they make Lesbian Eye Contact 

Lesbian Eye Contact Count 1: Adora giggling at Catra as she tries to take off her unexplained custom-made helmet 

“So, wait. The plan is to barge ahead into the structurally unsound building to find some mystery person that we know nothing about, in the hopes that they somehow know how to defeat Horde Prime?” Catra is experiencing culture shock from the Rebellion planning strategies

It really takes Shadow Weaver like seconds to figure out how to get under everyone’s skin: 

You know, surely there’s some kind of risk in plugging Helpful Hordak into this new building. You don’t really know what his reset button is

Lesbian Eye Contact Count 2: Adora staring as Catra makes a new door in their mysterious abandoned building:

“Seems Wrong Hordak has begun to question the meaning of life. [Sobbing] “Who am I if not an exaulted brother of Horde prime?” Helpful Hordak bursting into tears the moment he has to deal with anything that he’s not used to. Relatable content

Catra was right to hesitate to take her helmet off, I think. Just because they can breathe doesn’t mean those glowing spores are safe

“I think the feeling I had about this place is a bad feeling,” said Glimmer, as they were chased out of a hallway by numerous spikes trying to impale them 

[Deadpanned and emotionless] “Go through the door on your left.” That Entrapta message doesn’t at ALL sound suspicious

Update from 1 minute later: It was not Entrapta speaking 

“I thought it was bad but it’s not. It’s magic.” Ohhhhhhhh love that Glimmer’s understanding of magic has grown with time!!! Her being the first to understand the illusions they’re seeing: 

Is the illusion creature a cat or did it just choose to be a cat for Catra?

“I’m sorry I got angry. It’s something I’m working on.” [Endeared] “Oooh. You are?” Me and Adora being impressed and endeared whenever Catra shows the bare minimum of growth hahahaha

I can’t believe the payoff for Catra’s five season fursona is that she can speak alien cat hahahaha

“They dug into the ground. Built machines.” “The First Ones. That’s what they were doing. They were mining this planet’s magic, just like on Etheria.” Everything eventually circles back to space colonization

God I love the addition of Melog, Space Cat to Team Princess

“Brothers, Horde Prime lied to us. He is a false ruler. We must rise up against him and free the universe from his unjust reign.” We love the self-radicalization of Helpful Hordak. He said we will seize the means of production and overthrow the bourgeoisie (his rude brother)

“Etheria isn’t a weapon. It’s a living creature.” Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Shadow Weaver said I see your Space Cat Friend and Raise You Planet Friend

“We can destroy the restraints the First Ones built, set the magic of Etheria free and use it against him.” Didn’t work too well when you tried that on Daddy Hordak, did it, Shadow Weaver? Shadow Weaver said: Never forgive, always forget

“What is this tingling sensation?” “That’s warmth, buddy.” That’s Rough Buddy vs. That’s Warmth Buddy stand-off in the streets

I was wondering if Melog was going to be added to the intro in this ep and while Melog wasn’t, I did notice how the Catra and Adora fight has changed to more of a friendly and playful ahhhh I love when intros match the emotional stories of the protagonists

What good is the Hive Mind if it can’t see She-ra right in front of them LMAO

“Oh... expressing facial emotion is a privilege reserved only for Prime,” said Helpful Hordak, like doesn’t burst into tears every time he’s stressed

Obsessed with Helpful Hordak mimicking any expression he sees ❤️: 

[Horrified gasp] “Princesses? Where?” [slams door] wild that the princess propaganda that Catra and Adora were raised on as Horde children has eventually circled back to being true 

Hahahahah Glimmer and Bow are incapable of not trying to recruit people to the Rebellion for even 30 seconds in a shop

I like that Melog is now Catra’s means of using magic. If you're not born into royalty, adopt a giant cat with whom you develop a symbiotic magic relationship and it’s basically the same

“My fight is over. Lord Prime has given me peace.” [popular Netflix show voice] There’s no war in the City of Light

HAHAHAHAHA @ CATRA BEING OFFENDED AT ADORA HESITATING TO FIGHT HER CHIPPED HOMIES, WHICH IS NOT AT ALL THE SAME AS FIGHTING A FRENEMY WHO WAS A BELIGERENT BELIEVER IN TYRANNY UNTIL 4 EPISODES AGO

Adora: How are we supposed to fight our own friends?

Catra, scoffing, like she didn’t instigate 98% of their fights: It never stopped you before

I think Spinerella’s use of the word beloved (a term Netossa has said they don’t use) is Horde Prime being purposely cruel ☹️

“I must access the memories stored in this version.” Can’t believe we’ve graduated from Daddy Hordak to Grandpa Hordak 

Speaking of Daddy Hordak, I have been waiting all season for him to find Entrapta and join the Rebellion. It feels like a matter of time 

Side note though: I do think he will sacrifice himself for the Rebellion and Entrapta. He’s done a lot of damage so I can only imagine that’s how his story will end with four-and-a-half episodes remaining

“So the only person I’m fighting here is... my own wife?” WIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HER WIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

“We were gone. We weren’t here to help our friends.” Bow you literally were helping your friends!! You can’t be every at once, sweet boy

“We won’t abandon Erelandia,” said Glimmer, before teleporting away

Perfuming crying because she hates managing people. Same girl:

“But can we circle back to your not-at-all-weird-and-very-detailed theories on our weaknesses?” Netossa said: I have a had a lot of time and trauma while you were gone

“Glimmer: Crippling self-doubt mixed with overwhelming hubris.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s like, really personal compared to fire.”

1) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

2) True

3) Same

“Your negative vibes aren’t appreciated here, Catra.” Perfuma directly calling Catra out for being a vibe killer

“They can’t defend themselves. They’re dads.” This is such a wonderful line, I feel like they just breeze past it jkdhkdjhdj

“’What did the First Ones say when they burned dinner? It was ruined.’” Bow’s parents leaving him a note about their secret hiding place with a doodle of themselves, drawn hearts and a joke inside is peak parenting. Lance and George deserve an award for this kind of communication:

“This one’s mine.” Perfuma wants to stay above fighting her friends but Netossa truly has no such qualms about fighting her wife. She said: Are you kidding me, my wife will kill us, we gotta kick her ass

“Mara wasn’t alone. She was working with a group of rebels going against their First One’s leaders.” OOHHHHHH ARE WE FINALLY GOING TO RESOLVE MARA’S PLOTLINE? I LOVE

My money is on Arxia being the Fright Zone or Bright Moon

“Friendship isn’t a weakness. It’s my greatest strength. And Scorpia’s too.” Is this cliché? Yes. Do I adore Perfuma being too nice to hurt her friends anyway? Also yes!!!

“Because Spinny, you’re my weakness.” AHHHHHHHHH NETOSSA:

Perfuma reassuring Catra that it’s okay to keep your heart open is why I think she should date everyone she interacts with. She just has the vibe of everyone she knows living in her heart

Well, colour me incorrect! Arxia is on Mystacor, I kinda forgot about Castaspella and Shadow Weaver LOL

Netossa and Spinerella being reunited in the intro with a kiss 🥺💘 I’m love them

“Would a ‘please’ kill you?” Fjlfjfjhfjkh that ‘a’ really sounded like an ‘I’ and was really thinking Castaspella was escalating hahahah

“Micah was an exceptional sorcerer even then. It’s a shame it didn’t run in the family.” Shadow Weaver is determined to antagonize everyone who has joined her on the Arxia Rebellion Field Trip

“This isn’t about tech. It’s about our chipped friends. If I can get this to work, I can save them.” THAT’S RIGHT BABYGIRL, ENTRAPTA’S EMPATHY ERA HERE TO STAY

Lesbian Eye Contact 3: Adora loving that Catra is trying to rescue her and Catra being embarrassed about it

RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR TERRIBLE FOSTER MOM LMAO

“I see you and Catra are close again. Do you really think that’s wise?” Yaddah Yaddah Generational Trauma: Emotional Distance Edition 

Also this is horseshit, every time Adora has transformed this season has been in the interest of protecting a loved one

Speaking of generational trauma, DADDY HORDAK IS BACK BAYBEE:

This is certainly a rough way for Glimmer to reunite with her father 

“Adora, it doesn’t always have to be you!” Ohhhhhhh Catra

Vhjkvhjvhkjvh I know it’s like. To prevent them from wreaking magical havoc. But wild for Adora cave-in Micah and two other sorcerers in a hidden magical prison without food or water 

“[Sacrificing yourself for Etheria] is what you’ll always choose. I don’t have to stay and watch it happen.” Someone was listening to Shadow Weaver’s emotional distance lecture a little too hard

“Adora doesn’t want me! Not like I want her.” It took her 51 episodes but Catra is finally admitting that her feelings for Adora are not entirely platonic LOL

Having non-verbal communication and comfort from an animal friend was really an element we’ve been missing until Melog. A talking horse just doesn’t hit the same feelings: 

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GO REBELLION:

We are back to the realm of the Romantically-Charged Friendship Simulation. I wonder what Bow and Glimmer will see in here, if anything

You’re telling me instead of needing a bunch of princesses, all Horde Prime needs to do to activate the Heart of the Etheria is to invest in an auger drill? LMAO

"I never could’ve done any of this without you. Thank you for being the best friends anyone could ask for.” ADORAAAAAA ☹️☹️

Catra going back to warn Adora only to stumble on to Shadow Weaver getting drunk in the middle of a war while Adora takes all the world’s burdens. Incredible. Truly representing the average parenting energy of this show

FINALLY they’re acknowledging that water conducts electricity. Just as the planet is about to explode

I can only imagine Entrapta being captured will trigger Daddy Hordak to turn. [Rafiki voice] IT IS TIME

“Take care of her, Horde Scum.” “That’s the plan, Sparkles.” I LOVE CATRA BEING IN THE BEST FRIEND SQUAD 😭❤️😭❤️😭❤️😭❤️

“Bow. I love you. I love you. I love you.” “I love you too.” Kind of figured Bow and Glimmer were headed in that direction. Every single friendship in this show is romantically charged hahahaha

More like the Best-Friends-To-Lovers Squad, am I right? 

“You’re worth more than what you can give to other people.” MARA 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

“Doesn’t it remind you of the first time we met? You also tried to kill me then. 😌❤️” Sea Hawk for Most Boyfriend in the History of Etheria

Everyone’s suddenly being really forthright about their romantic feelings. That’s TWO I love you exchanges from the Team Princess and self-admission from Catra. They said if we’re gonna die we might as well speak our feelings

“Hello Babygirl.” Micah for Most Haunting Use of Babygirl Award:

“How strange. I must have fought her. I must’ve known her face. But I have no memory of it.” Last minute theory of Light Hope/Mara/Horde Prime love triangle. I don’t really think it’d happen, but it would HILARIOUS to me if it were true 

CATRAAAAAAAAAAAA (also Shadow Weaver). Ex-Horde reunion LOL

“My mother raised me to be brave. My friends taught me to be kind. And I’m stubborn. I get that from you. I will never stop fighting. And I won’t lose another parent.” GLIMMER 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Side note: Until this point I have kind of been assuming Angella would be freed from her dimensional trap during the finale, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen 

I love that Bow and Entrapta’s knowledge together is what takes down the chips!!!! TECH BOY AND TECH GAL FORCES UNITE

“It’s time to take back our world. It’s time to fight.” BABY BOY BOW INSPIRING ALL OF ETHERIA TO FIGHT BACK

WHAT DO YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS SHADOW WEAVER CAN LEARN SOMETHING:

“It’s too late for me. But you, this is only the beginning for you. I am so proud of you, Catra.” Shadow Weaver said: The cycle ends with me, actually

“Whatever happens, I am staying with you.” Catra said: ‘Til death do us part, Adora

“I made a life of my own. I made... a friend. I am Hordak, and I defy your will.” I knew Daddy Hordak was incapable of killing his favourite child: 

Hordak didn’t really think through the whole Hive Mind thing when he threw his brother/parental figure/supreme overlord into a bottomless pit

Adora’s dreams for the future are so sweet ahhhhhhhhhhhhh:

(On a less serious note: What wild hair choices for everyone LMAO)

“Don’t you get it? I love you. I always have. So please, just this once, stay.” They got there eventually! GOOD FOR THEM 

Not to be dramatic but lesbian love is literally going to save the whole universe. I repeat: GOOD FOR THEM ❤️❤️❤️

I’m not sure if I fully understand why the hell the First Ones did all of this planet weaponization if all it took to defeat Horde Prime was She-Ra finding a lover she could find strength in. They really took the path of Most Resistance 

“I remember you.” I cannot believe that She-Ra just exorcised the Horde Prime out of Hordak as if he were a particularly vindictive ghost and not his clone brother/paternal figure/supreme overlord controlling via Hive Mind:

“Hordak! I’m so glad you’re back.” AWWW ENTRAPTA AND DADDY HORDAK REUNION 

(Does no one care that Hordak has been terrorizing society for over a decade prior to this, and is probably responsible for killing a bunch of their parents? No? I really thought he was going to die, LMAO)

Edit after posting: Befuddled by what the creator had to say about this relationship, DO BETTER AT DEPICTING AGE AND DYNAMIC LMAO 

“Hello! I’m your dad.” GLIMMER AND PAPA MICAH REUNION 😭❤️

Scorpia said, to Catra: My kekkei genkai is forgiveness

“So are we all just like, okay with this?” asked Mermista, glancing at Hordak suspciously, verbalizing what I believe they should all be thinking jgjhkgh

The Fall of Salineas could not be THAT long ago omg 

“Look at us. From capturing you to us now being buddies. This is so dope.” Hahahaa, the off-screen dialogue in this scene is def improv

“What a sweet and optimistic ending of everyone having a peaceful friendship, familial and romantic reunions and the protagonists deciding to plan a fun little road trip to bring magic back to the universe, which could not possibly backfire on them given the amount of space colonization that has happened in order to harness magic as a weapon thus far. As with Hordak, we will pretend we do not see it 😌❤️:

[kingcunny]

how do you think things would've turned out if daemon was female? i feel like it would end in some sort of murder suicide with viserys

you think girl daemon would KILL viserys? im intrigued. tell me more.

my personal thoughts are. i cant come up with a good girl daemon name so im just gonna keep calling her daemon.

if you thought alysannes ‘(alyssa) is meant for baelon’ was bad, wait until you hear about female!daemon and viserys! third generation of targaryen brother/sister marriage! daemon fully believing she was ‘made’ for viserys.

i think female daemon would be overall happier, but chafe extremely hard under the patriarchy and jaehaerys and alysannes expectations of her. daemon would make a good woman but a bad princess yknow? (daemon shows up to court one day wearing pants. 3 dead 16 injured) she would be alyssas little mini me.

UNLIKE alyssa though daemon isnt as, duty driven? to have heirs. side effect of her and viserys codependency. everytime viserys gets her pregnant and starts getting all excited about a baby, daemon feels threatened and self aborts like a rabbit. she doesnt want to have to share her brother with anyone, even it its their literal child. so i dont actually see them having any living children

she and viserys would still be just as toxic codependent of each other, side effect of growing up in the incest house and watching all their family members die, but their dynamic would be slightly different. i think a lot of the daemon x viserys prime is built on the fact they cant be together. but when they Can… daemon doesnt have to be endlessly chasing viserys because she Has him already. theyre literally married. and so i think viserys has less control over daemon/daemon has more control over him. so when daemon inevitably asks viserys to run away with her (after she gets grounded for the 10th time for sneaking out of the castle to get in fistfights in the streets) he says yes, or says no and when she says ‘fine ill just go without you. pussy.’ hes like ‘… well ur my sisterwife i Cant let you go Alone…. :/‘

however long they spend ‘on the run’ is probably the happiest times of their lives. free from their family and duty and expectations. their entire world just each other. but i still think they die young in some horrible firey explosion. with caraxes. OR last anyone ever seen or heard of them they were heading to the smoking ruins of valyria.

but its okay cause theyre happy together and they die together and get to go to hell together. and their *love story* gets memorialized forever in song

[worldismyne]

Morai, goddess of demise and the end of all things.

A big control freak with a bigger ego. Was in charge of collecting the souls/lifeforce of the deceased and transforming it into new thread for the goddess of birth to use to make new things.

Was a big fan of trying to tell Shinigami-sama how to do his job. He would also get into fights with her about wanting to execute people for the sake of balancing the world order. Bossy older sister v younger brother dynamic.

Humans got the time they got and she could not give a shit what they chose to do with it. All souls were equal in her eyes and that was something they never would agree on.

Shinigmai-sama...

Morai...

She disliked interfering with human affairs, but after fragmenting into a mortal form she had no choice. (It was either accept getting eaten by Asura or hide her power with a mortal, so here we are)

Her first iteration Tyche was able to maintain balance and distance from humanity by hiding as a monarch in the witches realm. Hermit-coded work from home kind of gal if you will. With the Star Clan serving her from afar. She chose Cassandra as her successor because of her options, she'd survive the longest during Shinigami-sama's power grab.

Cassandra spent most of her life in obscurity. The fic I'm writing glosses over the hundreds of years she spent moping over visions of chaos/death that her fellow witches wouldn't believe and picks up when she finally made a decision to do something about them herself. As far as fragmented old ones go, she was the worst, second only to Asura. A prime example of what happens when something powerful plays favorites and looses. The Star Clan might have been spared if she didn't break a boat load of rules during her time with them.

Her duties have been taken over by Eibon and LD's magical tools by the time SE starts.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

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

[blackjackkent]

🍫 🍹 🍇 for odd oc asks!

(Odd OC Asks)

You didn't specify an OC so I will go with Hector bc he's on my mind tonight. XD

🍫: Where does your OC go to think?

Hector is an EXPERT thinker. Hector has been trained from a young age to have his thinking muscles primed and ready to go at all times, honed to a sharp point, and he will think (and sometimes OVERthink) in any and all scenarios.

That said, he does value his meditation time. I think most nights in camp he takes an hour or so and kind of wanders to the edge of things - not far enough away to be out of shouting distance, but far enough away that he can't hear random conversations - and meditates, prays, etc. Especially when they're camping out under the open sky and the moon is out.

Sometimes Karlach comes with him just to share a quiet moment together but she's not so good at sitting still and thinking quietly. XD But he loves that she tries.

🍹: Does your OC have any funny anecdotes told about them?

Oh, no doubt. XD He's very fish out of water especially in the early part of the game. I think Karlach, with her outlander background, definitely holds onto random moments of him being Bad at Camping and teases him (affectionately) about them later even after he's much more comfortable with the whole business.

The whole crew also MERCILESSLY teases him about the fact that everyone and their mother flirts with him and he always misses it completely. XD

🍇: What sort of friend are they? Where are they in the group dynamic?

Hector (like many of my OCs tbh) is an extremely loyal friend once he's comfortable with someone. In the overall group dynamic of the tadpole crew (and company), his role kind of shifted a little depending on who he was talking to.

With Lae'zel, Shadowheart, and (to a lesser degree) Astarion, he ended up being something of a mentor figure, supporting them through their crises and being there to talk without making decisions for them. With Gale and Wyll and Minsc, he ended up being more of an older brother - sharing academic pursuits with the former and combat comradeship with the latter two. With Karlach, obviously, he is dopey in love and would do anything for her. And with Jaheira he was super comfortable and snarky almost right from the beginning, almost more of a younger brother/older sister vibe.

Interestingly, he never really connected with Halsin at all; I think when he realized in the epilogue how lonely Halsin had been, he wished they'd spent more time together.

Overall though, the throughline in all his relationships was that he was a strong pillar for others to grow alongside and to talk to when needed, and super loyal and wanting to help and learn from them. The in-game adventures are the first time he's really had this deep a bond with people - despite living with them all his life, his relationships at the monastery were much more surface-level overall, with the Selunite emphasis on self-reliance - and he really takes that seriously.

[posebean]

Sometimes I remember that Ken legit told Aizou that he had been wanting to tell Arisa that they’re siblings since he wants to marry her and I go into tears <3333

I THINK ABOUT TOO I THINK ABOUT THAT SO MUCHHH

one (1) good thing to come out of herot*ru

also technically arisa already knows!!! (thank u hanipre. ily. u will be missed) its silly and they clowned on ken when they were interacting in that one story but weeps i need more arisa aizou interaction sobs like its all aizou watching ken change and how arisa is like one of the girls he doesn't mind because he can see how much his brother has grown

sorry anon im going to drag samishigariya into here (would they be samishigariya quartet? shibasaki family?? idk but they make me so :))) ) ill put it under read more but youve just unlocked my deep samishigariya quartet feelings again

samishigariya is both brothers lore, going over how they were close, grew apart, and then see how one person changed the other

honeyworks is seriouslly sleeping on prime content that i would devour whole and especially now that hanipre is shutting down there's even less of a chance for them to interact and have more core character development </3

but i REALLY love the potential in dynamics between all four of them ( Ken, Aizou, Arisa, Yujiro((+kuro and YUJIRO KITTY. YUJIRO KITTY BECOME REAL))

i guess this is why i really love the roleswap me and lisi concocted, and u can kinda see it as a recurring topic in my fics haha but i just think they'll all get along really well

like here are the canon relationships established by haniwa:

Aizou and Ken: two brothers that used to be close, fell apart because of their family falling apart, have been slowly piecing their bond back bit by bit

Ken and Arisa: two people that never thought they would fall in love!! ken being the type of person arisa hated!!!!! arisa being very different from the usual girls ken messed around with; tthey're different, but end up loving each other so much! it's a little messy, but they're working through it at their own pace. its nothing like ken's previous relatioships, but it makes him so happy aizou and yujiro: two idols that absolutely HATED each other at the start, forced to work together! but they realized that they really weren't that different, and had the same dream! and they care SO much about each other!!! though they're bad at showing it , haha . taking it from aizou himself, yujiro taught him what love was :')

aizou and arisa: these are mostly hanipre / one scene from the novels but!! aizou approves of arisa :) and they even laugh together and tease ken!!!! theyre literally already sibligns he's already accepted his sister in law sobsssfjsf

yujiro and arisa/ken: also hanipre exclusive, yujiro sees arisa and ken and thinks that that's the type of relationship that he would want..

but what if!!!!!! what if haniwa pushed the samishigariya quartet more!!!!!!!!!!! think of what we can have!!!!!!!!!

think of arisa!!! resident narumi sena superfan!! ken brings her home and aizou is there with yujiro writing a song or smt and instead of fangirling over them being idols or treating them differently she just treats them like normal students!!!! i think about big sis arisa soooo much like normally aiyuu are really against girls and think they're shallow because literally everyone and their mom is always praising them at school because theyre bigshot idols and then there is arisa, treating them like shibasaki aizou and someya yujiro, and not as aizou and yujiro from lipxlip. (like she literally calls aizou shibasaki-kun's little brother aizou or something close to that, and we KNOW that she's a narumi sena superfan so she most definitely knows who aizou actually is but she still chooses to call him based on his relation to her shibasaki :)). she also doesn't use her knowing them at all doesnt flaunt it or use them to get to sena

like ahh i like to imagine that aiyuu look up to her like a big sister figure (even though shes shorter lmfao) she's very kind and also manages to control the mess that is shibasaki ken i think they'll admire her for that and omg imagine them working together and asking sena for a favor for arisa like they go out of their way to make their big sister figure happy breaks down crying ueeueeuhsnje

ok now this is just me rambling haha but also imagine ken and yujiro.... they make fun of aizou toggether and ken tells yujiro what aizou was like as a child and they laugh evilly

and and and ad na yujiro and arisa mostly being quiet but in comfort? sometimes they see their shibasaki's being idiots and in unison exasperatedly sigh. i think their dynamic would be amazing. cat-like people 4ever.

sorry that this is so long but i love the shibasakis so much and you're so right anon ken's absolutely fallen and him wanting to ask aizou so he can let arisa know is so so important to me like its essentially asking aizou to let arisa into their family...... and aizou accepting her wholeheartedly sobsssbfhjknfsdl

so yea honeyworks realyl should make that samishigariya another story. i will die for it. arisa and yujiro arent siblings? u are wrong. not by blood but by bond. they are to me. siblingsisms so true.

[meltedmercury]

My nickname in the UC discord was ‘aster but diagnosed’ and now that Amelia has acknowledged it I want to talk about why.

Minor spoilers for Unprepared Casters Arc 4.

Aster (no last name) has ADHD, and it is a major part of why he ended up leaving home.

Adhd is often seen as “haha this person talks too much and can’t sit still in class”, both in society in general and fandom spaces. People don’t talk about executive dysfunction- being unable to start or complete a task, even if it’s not a difficult one- or emotional dysregulation (compounded by frequent negative feedback from adults and peers) or pretty much anything other than impulse control issues.

Aster does lack impulse control, but he also has other signs and symptoms of ADHD that I won’t get into because I haven’t relistened to the arc yet.

These struggles are a prime excuse for the way Aster and Quinn’s parents treat them. I believe it’s called the golden child / scapegoat dynamic. Aster’s mistakes, mess-ups, and symptoms are treated as irredeemable character flaws. He is constantly unfavorably compared to his twin sister Quinn, who herself is harmed by 1) witnessing her brother, who she loves, being mistreated and 2) knowing (consciously or subconsciously) that her parents’ love is conditional upon her being well-behaved and accomplished. In other circumstances, Quinn and Aster could have ended up resenting each other for the family dynamic. The fault lies with their parents, who have failed to recognize and support their children as individuals with unique needs.

Aster is traumatized from being emotionally neglected in this way, but he is also traumatized by the experience of having an unnamed, invisible disability. He, too, has internalized the idea that he is the problem, that he will always be judged as a failure and deserves said judgement for not functioning as well as people like Quinn. His anger issues are an obvious result of this. Aster has ‘leaned in’ to his reputation as a troublemaker as an attempt to take control of the narrative, an overcorrection for likely years of trying and failing to live up to his parents standards. Feeling hopeless to improve, he gives in to his impulsivity, feeling like he has little to lose now. Is this healthy or productive? No. But he lacks literally any support system other than Quinn and some of their friends. They’re all just teens. No adults seem to care about Aster’s well-being, only about his rule breaking.

Even in a world where ADHD was a known thing and Aster had been diagnosed, it’s a lifelong disability. You don’t grow out of it and there is no cure. Aster’s parents would likely still treat him unsympathetically. “We pay for your medication, we got you a special education plan, we’re doing everything we can to help you.” “We just need you to put in the effort that everyone else is putting in.” It’s pretty much impossible to get non-disabled people to understand what it’s like having a disability. Shitty parents are going to be shitty parents, no matter the reason or pattern.

I don’t really have a conclusion to this, other than Haley did a fantastic job with this character and I wish I was a blue tiefling who could throw knives.

[rottmntrulesall]

How does Venus handle both the 24 hr Kraang invasion in the good timeline and the apocalypse in the bad timeline? What’s her reaction to her orange brother becoming the world’s most powerful mystic warrior? Also, how do Splinter’s siblings react to learning that Leo nearly sacrificed himself?

In the good timeline: Now a toddler, she takes an immediate liking to Casey, (calls him CeCe) who's overjoyed to see her as a sweet innocent child. She's with April and Splinter when they face off with the female Kraang. But while her brothers lost their mystic abilities, Venus still has hers, since she wasn't there when the Kraang took them away...and she and Donnie have been practicing with them.

The female Kraang has Venus in one of her tentacles. Seeing the alien attacking her sister and daddy so viciously, makes Venus cry...then get MAD. You know how bad a toddler's temper tantrum can be. Using her intangibility to get out of the Kraang's grasp, grow bigger than her to pop her in her mouth chew her up like a wad of gum and spit her out, smash her up with her harden armored fist, split up into numerous clones to dogpile on the pink blob; Venus basically nearly kills the She Kraang until Splinter calms her down with a lullaby. Venus sleeps until she sees Leo go into the Portal with the main Kraang. She bawls her eyes out, thinking her blue big brother is gone forever. When Leo is brought back, she's happy and squealing his name.

In the bad timeline: Throughout the apocalypse, Venus has mastered her countless powers and is truly a force to be reckon with. She's taken down so many Kraang, but using her powers so much for too long drains her energy fast. She gets killed before Casey is sent back in time, Venus was trying to protect April and the other fighters.

As to Mikey being a powerful mystic warrior, she's thrilled and the two were a dynamic duo. Venus had fond memories of Mikey using his skills to make her laugh back when their little.

The Hamato Fam's Reaction: After the Kraang are gone for good now, the Hamato clan drop by for a visit. They get the rundown of what happened while they were. They were pretty horrified finding out that their family went through such an ordeal- WITHOUT THEM THERE TO HELP!

Once Leo told them about what he tried to do, well...

Saki yelled at him for being so foolish, but was impressed with his resolve and strength. Still said he was an idiot for nearly getting trapped in the Dark Realm with the Main Prime.

Nori scolded Leo as well, though more in a motherly way, like "You could've been seriously hurt, please don't worry us again." Hugs him out of relief and nearly snaps him in half.

Kenji checks Leo over and over too make sure he's still in one piece. Asks if he needs anything or if he would like to talk about it. Tells him not to do sacrifices like that again, especially when he's still so young and has his life ahead of him.

(Saki, Nori, and Kenji are parents themselves, so it makes sense they would freak out the most after Splinter)

Hiroki and Hikari both sobbed hard and nearly suffocated Leo in a group hug and asked if he needed any comfort snacks.

Mei didn't really react much aside from taking Leo's head and pressing her forehead against his.

~Leo is glad that he and his brothers have such loving relatives~

[ecoamerica]

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