#while also being uncomfortable and tense about his relationship to the north side

[satelliteinasupernova]

Riverdale season two, but instead of the southside kids being in a gang, they're all werewolves.

[beautifultypewriter]

Eddard Stark Fluff Alphabet

Requested: Yes / by my new favorite anon

Warnings: None

Full credit to whoever created this template (I still don’t actually know who that is). Gif credit to the owner. Also, I changed the prompt for letter Q from quaint to quickstep.

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

Your strength is something that Ned really admires. He knew it wasn’t easy for you to come up to Winterfell and change your entire lifestyle to fit the ways of the North, but you did it and you did it really well. Ned sees your strength in the way you carry yourself, so it’s definitely something he noticed immediately upon meeting you and it was definitely something that attracted to him to you. As the two of you spend more time with each other and build your lives together, Ned feels lucky to have someone as strong as you by his side.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

Ned is definitely a family man, so he would really look forward to having children with you, especially after the two of you spend more time together and start to fall in love. He would be really excited to have sons that he’d be able to teach all his skills to and to have daughters that he can dote on, in his own Ned way.

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

Cuddles are not a super common thing in your relationship, especially not in the beginning. As time goes on though, and the two of you become more comfortable with each other and you start to fall in love, Ned will pull you close to his chest when the two of you lay down for bed at night. His arms will stay wrapped around you, his hands resting on your stomach with your back pressed to his chest, and the two of you will stay like that all night. When you wake the next morning, you’ll feel his arms tighten and you’ll know that he’s up though he’s not entirely ready to let you go just yet.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

You and Ned don’t really go on dates. Both of you have a lot of responsibilities to attend to in order to keep Winterfell running smoothly and so you don’t have a lot of extra time to be doing frivolous activities. However, Ned will make time every so often for the two of you to spend some time together. He doesn’t want to neglect you and make you feel like you aren’t loved, so he’ll plan short rides for the two of you to go on without interference. Also, he makes sure to always break fast with you in the morning. He doesn’t care about what needs to be done in the day, the two of you share your morning meal together.

E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

Other half.

Now that you’re there, Ned isn’t sure he’d be able to get along without you. The two of you compliment each other so well and you fit so perfectly into the other’s life that he was sure the gods made you two to be together.

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

Ned had started to fall in love with you on the day that the two of you got married. You had been in Winterfell for a week, watching everyone plan and prepare for the wedding and the two of you hadn’t really had much time alone together, but you had started to get to know each other. Ned also took any chance he got to just observe you. He liked watching you interact with the people around you and he knew that the two of you could make this work. Then when you consented to a Northern style wedding (he was completely ready to have a ceremony of the Seven for you), he could feel a fluttering in his chest. He ignored it though, continuing on, not giving it any more thought. Then the day of the wedding came around and when you were standing next to him in the godswood, the light from the lanterns reflecting in your eyes, he was overcome with so many feelings for you. He may not have realized it then, but that was the moment where he started to fall for you.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

A very gentle man, despite his reputation and the things he has had to do. Ned always takes care to be gentle with you. He’d never want to hurt you or make you uncomfortable, so he always makes calculated movements when the two of you are together. He treats you with a kindness that he doesn’t often display to others.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

The two of you very rarely, if ever, hold hands. When you’re in public, Ned does the proper thing and loops his arm with yours when the two of you walk around. When the two of you are in private, he may take your hand and place a kiss on your knuckles, but he doesn’t hold your hand.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

When the two of you first met, you were stepping out of a carriage in the courtyard of Winterfell while Ned stood with his brothers on either side of him. It had started to snow and as you stepped towards him, your hand resting on your father’s arm, Ned swore that you were the most beautiful person he had ever seen. You walked with confidence and you held your head high. It was clear to him that you took your duty seriously and that the two of you were similar in this sense. He saw your strength and he was beyond impressed.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

An interesting question. He will say that he doesn’t get jealous and that he always keeps a level head in situations when you’re around other men, but that’s a lie. Or at least it’s mostly a lie… Ned’s not so much jealous than he is protective. He has no problem with you interacting with other men, but if said man is being too forward or inappropriate with you then Ned is not about to let that slide. He’ll step in to teach the man about respect and then he’ll take you somewhere private to assess if you’re alright.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

Ned’s kisses are strong and reassuring. He always makes a point of pulling you close before he kisses you, wanting to show you that he’ll always be a steady presence in your life.

He initiated the first kiss. It was the night of your wedding, when the two of you met in his room, as naked as the day you were born. Ned was staring at you, but he his eyes were on your face, watching you look around the room, making a point to not look at him. He could see the nervousness on your face, your body shaking slightly, probably also from nerves as there was a fire going and the room was fairly warm. So, the two of you stood about ten feet apart, you with your arms wrapped tightly around your chest, not saying a single word to the other. Then he started to take slow steps towards you. You saw him from the corner of your eye and your body stiffened as he stood in front of you, his hand moving to gently cup your cheek. Your eyes met, you let out the breath you had been holding, and he leaned down to press his lips to yours. You were tense for a minute, but Ned was patient and gentle and soon your arms were falling to your sides and you were kissing him back.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

You did. Ned was definitely feeling it before you said it, but he was keeping it to himself. He didn’t want to come on too strong if you weren’t feeling the same way he was, so he stayed quiet about his growing feelings for you. Then one night, the two of you were laying side by side in bed and Ned had thought that you had fallen asleep, but then you shifted, and he looked over at you. Through the darkness of the night, he could see your eyes staring at him. You whispered, “Ned?” And he hummed in response. There was a sigh and then an, “I love you,” spilling from your lips and he was sure that his heart was about to burst, but he kept his composure, instead just staring at you. A smile grew on his lips and he leaned forward, kissing you gently. When he pulled back again, he whispered, “I love you too.”

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

When Ned thinks over the life you two share, there are many fond memories that come to mind, but his absolute favorite is of the day when you brought your first child into the world. He had rushed to be by your side, but the maester had pushed him from the room, telling him that it would be a long time before you were ready to actually give birth and that he better attend to his duties for the day. Only Ned could barely concentrate, his mind was stuck on you. He checked on you every half hour until finally it was time for you to push. He had stayed in the hallway, pacing in front of your door for what felt like hours. Then he was called into the room and his limbs felt heavy as he stepped over to the bed where you lay with your son on your chest. You were exhausted and covered in sweat, but Ned thought you looked beautiful. He sat next to you and placed his hand on the baby’s head, smiling down at him. Then his attention turned to you and he was quick to press his lips against yours.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Uh, no. It’s not in his nature to spoil anyone really. That’s not to say that Ned doesn’t like to give gifts, he does, he just doesn’t ever overdo it. He likes to give you things that are practical and that you’ll use, like a new cloak. He provides for you and your family, but he never does anything over the top.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

Gray.

You remind Ned of home, of Winterfell, so whenever he sees that cool gray color, he thinks of you, of the life the two of you built together. Gray is timeless and sophisticated, just like you. Despite gray seeming a dreary color to others, it always fills Ned with happiness.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

No pet names for Ned. Terms of endearment do not easily fall off his tongue and he doesn’t want to force them and have them sound unnatural, so he just avoids them altogether. Plus, Ned just really likes to say your name. He may call you by a nickname, just a shortened version of your given name, on occasion, but that’s the only variation you’ll ever see with Ned.

Q = Quickstep (How do they feel about dancing?)

Ned is not a dancer. He doesn’t feel entirely comfortable on a dance floor, so he tries very hard not to ever find himself in that situation. If there’s a special occasion though, you can usually convince him to dance with you one time. You’re the only one with this power though and it only works for one dance. When this dance occurs, Ned’s holds you tightly as the two of you move around the floor, you guiding him most of the way.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

He never lets a rainy day get in the way of his plans for the day and neither do you. Some rain is not going to stop the running of Winterfell, so the two of you go about your days as usual, reviewing plans and food stores, writing letters, and tending to any issues that arise during the day. You will, however, use the rainy day as an excuse to be in bed earlier than usual and cuddle with your husband.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

The godswood is a place where Ned can always find peace. If he’s feeling down or conflicted about something, it’s a sure bet that he has retreated to the godswood to be alone with his thoughts. You always give him time and space to work things out for himself, but in the end, you find yourself standing in front of the spot where he’s sitting in front of the heart tree. He glances up at you and you feel as if you are intruding, but then he holds his hand out to you and you step closer to him and take his hand. He kisses your knuckles and the two of you walk back inside to talk. When you’re sad, Ned always makes sure to let you know that he’s there for you if you want to talk and he always places a gentle kiss on your forehead.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

Ned is a pretty quiet dude, but the two of you find that conversation comes easily to you. Ned really enjoys listening to you talk about your childhood in the South and you love to hear about how he grew up in the North. You two come from very different places, so you share your customs with the other, telling stories that you had grown up with. There’s never an end to possible conversations the two of you can have; there’s so much to share. Ned also feels like you’ve come into your role in Winterfell really well and he has no problem with confiding in you or asking for your advice. He trusts everything you say and always takes your advice into consideration.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

Your touch. Ned has a lot of responsibility and with all of that comes a lot of stress. After spending so many years together, it’s easy for you to tell when he’s stressed and needs a break. You’ll shoo everyone from the room and walk over to your husband, your hands landing on his shoulders. Immediately he melts into your touch, some of the tension leaving his body. Then you’ll rub his shoulders and place a kiss on the top of his head, whispering about how he needs to relax. He ‘ll mumble back to you, his words getting lost in a sigh as you continue your ministrations.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Ned absolutely does not show off… on purpose… but he’s very skilled in what he does, so you enjoy watching him and while it took him some time to figure it out, he eventually did realize that you enjoyed watching him train with his brothers. And if he was being honest, it made him feel good to know that you were impressed by him. He doesn’t go out of his way to try to be impressive, he continues on as he always does, that’s just how he is, but he’s proud of the fact that you’re impressed by him.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

Ned didn’t really propose. The marriage between the two of you was arranged by his brother and your father, so you were kind of just brought to Winterfell and presented to him. The two of you had a week before the actual ceremony to get to know each other and become comfortable with one another and Ned took full advantage of the time, being as courteous to you as was possible and showing you around what would now be your home.

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

My Romance – Ella Fitzgerald

You are so very special to Ned and he really fell for you despite the circumstances of your marriage. Over the years, he’s realized that all he needs is you. Your romance doesn’t need any extra frills, the two of you just need each other to be completely happy in your relationship.

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Ned comes from a very important family, so there really is no way he’s not getting married. He is very much aware of this and he’s made his peace with it. The marriage may be arranged, but Ned is 100% committed to making it work and making sure that you are happy in your new life with him.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

Dire wolves, anyone? In all seriousness though, Ned definitely gets you a horse as a way of transport and also as a gift. He wants to do nice things for you. Any other animal that you’re interested in, he’ll get for you. He knows that coming to Winterfell was a lot for you, so he wants you to be as happy and comfortable as possible, so he’s willing to have any kind of pet that you want.

[blackcherrykiss]

BLOOD BOUNDARIES - Enhypen OT7 Fanfic (ch.2)

CH.1 [previous chapter] CH.3 [next chapter]

genre: vampire au, romance, drama, mystery, thriller

note: written inspired by enhypen's storyline, given-taken lyrics & teasers. please keep in mind all members are apart of this fanfic and the main theme is mystery/drama! 

That night you got no sleep thinking about Lee Heeseung. Even though the encounter was a bit weird, you were restless and totally head over heels for the guy. It was as if he had cast a spell on you as you're tossing and turning at the scent of vanilla that filled his clothes, a fragrance that just didn't seem to leave your senses. With such unforgettable eye contact, you were finally starting to understand why girls were so attracted to him. But what really left you wondering late at night was how Jungwon had told you to stay away from him.

You shifted on your side, trying to blind the moonlight that seeped through your eyelids when you hear it.

A cry from the outside is scorching through the thick walls of your dorm. It never made sense as to how only you heard these cries at night, they were always blaring in your ears. Even when you'd ask your roommates the following morning, they would hear absolutely nothing but heavy gusts of night wind swaying past their window. Being the only to hear it paranoid you more, were you going mentally insane? Your room was the only one to be in the far north wing, closest to the direction of the woods. The screams evoked feelings of horrid pain.

What was going on deep beyond the boundary?

II

You catch Jungwon reading at an empty table as you scorch across the dining hall the following morning. You usually sat with your roommates for morning tea but that's only because you'd never run into Jungwon in the mornings. At least not these days.

"How's your condition today?" Jungwon glanced up at you as you pulled out the opposing seat from his.

"Well, this is fine," You lift your wrapped hand into clear view, "but my head still kind of hurts...? Then again, I couldn't sleep at all last night."  You admit while folding your arms into a pillow for yourself.

He remained silent.

"Do you usually eat breakfast alone? This is the first time I've spotted you around breakfast time."

"No, I just needed a quieter place this morning? My roommates are kind of loud..." He dozed off while reaching over to fiddle with your nicely bandaged up hand, losing total interest in his book, "I'm actually roommates with Heeseung..."  

"Heeseung?! REALLY?" Your excitement was plastered all over your face.

"Mhm." He scrunched his eyes closed in a big idea as to where the conversation was heading by the way you responded.

"Tell me more about him..." You were usually a bit more modest about who you were interested in but Jungwon wasn't someone you were afraid of knowing.

"I told you to stay away from him. He's no good."

"Why do you assume I'm gonna be all over him by asking you for some basic information about him? I'm just curious..."

"Are you not freaked out over what he did?"

"What? Lick my blood?" You laughed recalling the bizarre situation, "It was weird but also sort of attractive?" You shyly said, confused by your own words.

"Attractive? Your standards are literally a foot-deep into a garbage can."

"HEY! It's not that, he's just oozing with attractiveness... Everything he does looks cool... I don't expect you to understand anyways!"

Jungwon went to a loss of words, cupping his face into one of his palms in disappointment.

"But Jungwon, if you're roommates with Heeseung doesn't that mean you also know of..." You paused to recall the names of the other boys associated with Heeseung amongst the girls. ".... Sim Jaeyun? Park Sunghoon, Kim Sunoo? I know they're all friends and I think I have some classes with some of them-"

"How do you know them?!" He panicked, slamming his book face down,  visibly damaging its mint condition.

"What girls don't know them." You laughed awkwardly. Honestly, you were worried that you were coming off as a little too boy crazy.

"Don't get involved with them... God, just stay away from all of them."

"Stay away from them? Are they like playboys? Or maybe even Heartbreakers...?" You gasped and giggled at the high probability of the stereotype you created of pretty boys just wanting to break hearts.

"We're not heartbreakers." A voice came up behind you, cutting right through your conversation sharply. Your body began to shut down as you felt a dark presence come to approach your back. You turned your head carefully with a tense neck to see Park Sunghoon shuffle to the other end of the table. "What are you telling her about us? Jungwon." Sunghoon scoffed, taking a seat next to him.

The atmosphere grew unbearably uncomfortable for both you and Jungwon. Something became horribly fishy when you stared at Jungwon's facial expressions. He looked phased with fatal distress from Sunghoon.

It was sort of your fault that Jungwon had got caught in this situation and you felt like you would only add more flames to the fire by staying.

"I think I should go..." You steadily backed out and away from the table in two awkward motions.

Not even a step away from the table your face met the same familiar fragrance of vanilla, "But the fun just started?" Heeseung's voice was lower than usual, intoxicating to your ears,

"That's too bad... I was just saying hello to Jungwon." You backed away as much as possible to give yourself breathing space, seeing Jaeyun (Jake) over Heeseung's shoulder.

"Really? It didn't sound like you were just saying hello." Sunghoon pointed out.

You didn't know how much Sunghoon had heard but you knew damn well he heard too much. "I'll see you around Jungwon." You cut through the thick atmosphere created by the boys.

"Jungwon told her to stay away from us... Right Jungwon?" Sunghoon had a villainous smile painted all over his pale face. The vibe you were getting from the boys was a little more than just intimidating but you couldn't put your finger on what act these boys were putting up.

"Away from us? Wouldn't that mean she'd also need to stay away from you too?" Heeseung's pray had now changed as his full attention was now all on Jungwon. You took this opportunity to evacuate the scene.

III

You shiver as you head to your first class of the day, hungry yet sick to your stomach. You had missed the chance to eat that morning and instead used the time to ponder the situation. You were starting to feel the bad vibe from some of the boys now and it worried you tremendously about Jungwon. Something was off about their relationship.

You scurry into the girls change room, a little earlier than most people. You were shocked to see the locker room deserted.

"Y/n! You're so early today!"

"I'm just early because I skipped breakfast. It saves so much time I guess." You spoke your mind mindlessly.

"Not unless you wake up earlier and eat earlier." Kyungeun nagged.

"You come later than me on most days! Why are you so early?" You removed your uniform to change into your gym attire, the same old washed-out grey tracksuit.

"Honestly... I didn't really want people seeing something." She whispered.

"Hmm? See what?" You said while looking for your track pants through your cluttered bag.

"You promise you won't mention what you see?"

Kyungeun was quite popular compared to your other friends and she always mentioned to you how you were part of the only people she trusted. Although many people saw the loud and wild version of her, you always got to see the more serious and relaxed side of her.

"Kyungeun, I literally have no one to tell anything to. Who am I going to tell?" You reassured her in a light hearted manner while tying your hair back.

She shrugged her tracksuit jacket off on one side to expose flesh near the back of her neck and shoulder.

...

CH.1 [previous chapter] CH.3 [next chapter]

[fuzziemutt]

Do You Understand ?

Chapter 8/9 - Link to MasterList in reblog

Summary: One more apology to go...

tw: unhealthy thinking. This one is also much lighter than the previous.

Connor took a deep breath. His coin flicked back and forth, leg bouncing methodically, body thrumming with an added anxious energy he wasn’t expecting to feel. He was just going to talk to Hank, Hank would... understand. Sure the old man got upset when Connor did anything “stupid” (or died) but everything would be fine. 

He was in an automated taxi making its way to the Ambassador Bridge where, on a whim, he messaged Hank he would meet up with him in two hours. The meeting with the leaders was just yesterday and it spurred him to fix things with Hank while he still felt (brave) optimal enough to do so. Nines wasn’t with him this time; he thought of asking him to join, but Connor felt this was too personal and had to do it on his own. He really hoped he didn’t regret this.

Arguably, this really wasn’t a good time to do this. Connor warily glanced out the window for the 50th time, watching the way the snow piled ever higher with the clouds threatening to release more of the terrible substance. Usually he was able to keep his stress levels relatively low, low being closer to 50 than 20 if he was honest, ever since the snow started up again roughly a month ago. However, today’s weather with the meeting from yesterday, the looming anniversary of his second deployment, and now his self assigned meet up with Hank didn’t help how nervous he felt about this all. He should have asked to meet at Hank’s house, but he felt that was crossing an invisible boundary even if he still kept Hank’s house key on him at all times. 

But he had to do this now as he knew he would go back to hiding if he didn’t, so he just kept pushing the fridgid memories down.

Before long, the taxi rolled to a stop, perfectly parked, uncaring of the android who needed another minute of breathing and rapid coin flicks till he climbed out. Hank wasn’t there yet, but Connor pushed down the spike of panic. The roads were still being cleared from the morning snow, it was fine, Hank also was human and couldn’t predict just how long it took to get everywhere. It was going to be fine. He needed to be careful with his stress levels today.

He made his way over to the bench he hasn’t seen in a long time. With that energy still thrumming, he went about pacing, almost jogging to get rid of the excess energy. He was all alone so he didn’t worry too much about being caught and just kept an eye out for that familiar Oldsmobile. The moment he caught its grey color getting closer, he made himself go and sit down on the bench staying as still as possible. He tried to not look too tense and instead inviting, he didn’t want to set Hank off about his internal struggles. This was about them, not about his past after all.

“Was kinda surprised to see your text,” a gruff voice said after the tell tale thunk of a car door closing. It sounded like Hank was trying to lighten the mood with the awkward laugh that followed, but the lack of response made the silence return. 

Hank came into Connor’s view not too long after that, awkward shuffling before he settled on the bench next to him. A bit of space between the two. Connor wasn’t sure where to start. Who should be apologizing here? He felt like he was supposed to be for some reason despite Hank having been the one who hurt him. This was confusing. Maybe he should have asked Nines to come with…

“So.. what’s up?” Hank offered up after a couple minutes. He was clearly uncomfortable if the way he kept glancing at Connor and his hands kept messing with his jacket said anything.

“I… I’m not sure how to go about this.”

“Go about what exactly?”

“This? I want… to fix our relationship.. I miss. I miss our conversations… and Sumo,” Connor ventured very unsure where to go. He added the last bit to lighten the mood, but it was also the truth. He hasn’t seen the dog since he moved out. 

Hank nodded and sat there thinking. He would be better at going about this Connor didn’t doubt.

“I won’t lie. I’m not the best at ‘emotional stuff’ like this, but I can see you’re strugglin’ so…” 

A chin scratch then throat clearing, “I know deviancy hasn’t been the easiest on you especially from what I could tell Cyberlife was like. I don’t know what happened that made you shut us all out for so long though. Would you mind telling me what the hell happened at that meeting before we go any further?” 

Oh. Oh yeah he never told Hank what happened did he? He knew Hank talked to Markus.. He didn’t think Markus would have left it vague. He honestly thought the leader would have laid out all the details for everyone to see. Interesting. He’s just stalling for time now.

“I wasn’t lying about how we were discussing what we would be doing with the androids that react negatively towards humans. I was suggesting that we make safe zones where humans would not be able to enter when North got upset,” Connor felt his hands clench together and nose wrinkle a bit, “She went on saying how I had no place in the conversation as I never supposedly have had bad relations with humans since I was so close to you. She said how I would never be able to.. Understand… their struggles.”

He let himself close his eyes and take a breath before continuing. There was no point in getting himself worked up again here.

“For the past several months, I’ve been treated time and time again like I have no say in anything. As if I never experienced emotions or the extent of cruelty humans can have. The constant use of that word it.. I felt something snap inside of me, and I let out my anger on them. I was too upset from months of frustration to stop myself. Afterwards, in a way I saw to protect myself from that horrible feeling, I shut everyone out.” 

He couldn’t stand to look at Hank anymore, taking up staring at the river instead. The river didn’t have eyes that could hold judgement. Distantly he was a bit surprised he managed to even say all of that so steadily.

“I see. Is that why you uhh.. Moved out of the house so quickly?” 

“Partially…” he caught a hand motioning ‘go on’ in the corner of his visuals. 

“You also did it. Using the word and discounting me. I mean. I wanted to be alone to process what happened and keep myself safe as mentioned, but I.. I didn’t want to do the same thing to you as well. So I left before I made anything worse.”

Connor closed his eyes ready for some sort of reprimand. He wasn’t sure why he expected to get punished when Hank had asked what happened, but he couldn’t help the dread that was sitting in his already anxious internal cavity. 

A muffled ‘fuck’ caught his attention and he opened his eyes again. Glancing over he saw that Hank was rubbing a hand on his face, looking at the ground with some sort of expression Connor couldn’t place. His eyes suddenly glanced up, looking into Connor.

“Look, kid. I’m sorry for what I’ve said,” mentally Connor ticked another mark of hearing the word sorry, “I know I still have my own issues to work through, but I should have watched what I said better. And before you go all ‘you couldn’t have predicted’ or whatever, it’s no excuse. I’m a grown ass man who should have seen how I was hurting you.” 

A sigh and another round of face rubbing. A nervous tick maybe? 

“I’m not going to pull you under the bus either by saying you should have told me you were feeling that way. Because I think we both know that whatever Cyberlife did fucked you up real good, and you never would have said shit as long as you could. So. I fucked up and I can’t guarantee I’ll do better, but I sure as hell will try.” 

Connor let those words settle a bit. He didn’t look as openly sorry as Nines but his eyes spoke more volume. Hank has been there since the revolution. He wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine obviously, he still had bad days and relapses, but he did try. He helped Connor whenever he asked what seemed like obvious questions about emotions and human interactions. He would get Connor’s mind off the past on bad days, awkwardly but still there. 

“I accept your apology. I’m not sure if I can say I can trust you the same amount as before, but I don’t want to push you away anymore.”

Hank’s shoulders slumped in relief a bit and a one sided smile joined it. It didn’t last long as he soon looked around, hesitant about something.

“Would… Would you want to move back in?” 

“No.. not now.. I’m not sure if I ever would like to move back with you, Hank. I miss the feeling of home your house brings me but I.. I’m still scared of getting hurt again. I also enjoy the privacy my apartment brings me.” 

Hank seemed to slump a bit from what he assumed was sad disappointment, but he nodded seriously. 

“I’ll still visit when I get the chance. I wasn’t lying when I said I miss Sumo,” Connor kind of blurted a bit quickly. He didn’t want his friend thinking he was only going to tolerate him at work.

A gruff laugh, “He misses you too, son” and a hand messing up Connor’s gelled hair (which he did not mope about in any sense). 

-

The lingering dread and fear from the snow lasted with him the whole time him and Hank spoke after that. But it wasn’t as overwhelming. Hank didn’t stay much longer, getting up complaining about how he was too old for this shit and needed to get home before his joints shattered which Connor helpfully informed at what temperature that could actually happen. 

Connor did accept the offer for a ride to his apartment. He turned down the offer to see Sumo. He wanted to see the big lump of fur, but he used up a lot of energy trying to keep his stress levels stable all day and wanted to rest by himself for a bit. Hank didn’t take too much offense to it it seems at least.

[branwendaughterofllyr]

Why do you ship Jonsa? I'm curious.

Oh, sit down and pour yourself a cup of tea, anon, because I have a lot to say on the subject. 

I’ve been a long time fan of both Jon and Sansa (all the Starks really) and the Wall plot was and still is my favorite. A big part of the appeal to me is that Jon and Sansa mirror each other a lot, and as pairing represent each character getting what they wished for in twisted way.

There’s been a lot said about Jon’s preference in women, and it’s more complicated then him dismissing traditionally feminine women. The line that gets quoted a lot is when he thinks about Val as “A warrior princess, he decided, not some willowy creature who sits up in a tower, brushing her hair and waiting for some knight to rescue her.” On the surface, he’s dismissing the classic trope of damsels in distress, but Jon is consciously deciding that Val os not that, implying that there’s something going on beneath the surface. Jon is deeply uncomfortable with more feminine women, especially those that play into the classic tropes. 

Keep in mind that Jon is constantly playing the position of the knight, and has a deep longing to emulate his father as the honorable Lord of Winterfell. I find his relationship with Gilly extremely telling, as she is a mother who needs help from and Sam. He actually resents her for asking help because they both know that realistically he cannot help her. Jon wants to be hero, but is placed in positions were he can’t be one. There’s a combination of Jon having dreams of being a hero like Aemon the Dragonknight or Ryam Redwyne, and his tense relationship with Catelyn Stark that contributes to his uncomfortableness with the traditional lady. Catelyn conforms to most of the standards expected of Westeros noblewomen, and was loving wife and mother. Much of Jon’s view towards women is going to be shaped by Catelyn, especially her positive relationship with her children in comparison to how coldly she treats Jon. Jon longs for the same acceptance as Robb, and he has his own dreams of becoming the LoW like his father, which he feels guilty about as it would mean something happening to his siblings. Jon’s vision of Wintefell with him as a lord implicitly includes a Lady wife. In ADWD, Val is apart of Stannis’ offer, and Jon considers it, particularly that he could have a son to hold and name after Robb. Ofc, he eventually refuses, and Val is stranger to him that he is attracted to but not in love with. 

Jon’s relationship with Ygritte is also complicated. It begins under duress, and is doomed from the start, but Jon genuinely comes to have feeling towards her. The things that attract him to her are not her more “wildling “ wildling traits. He is taken aback by her violence, especially as it reminds him how she and the other wildlings are threat to the North. Jon and Ygritte have fundamental differences of personality that do bother Jon. What he does like about her is things like her singing, and how she weeps at the end of a song. He likes her laughter and her eyes. He’s more attracted too the softer sides of Ygritte as compared to her more violent and harsh side. I also find this quote telling.

“In legend, Brandon the Builder had used giants to help raise Winterfell, but Jon did not want to confuse the issue. "Men can build a lot higher than this. In Oldtown there's a tower taller than the Wall." He could tell she did not believe him. If I could show her Winterfell . . . give her a flower from the glassgardens, feast her in the Great Hall, and show her the stone kings on their thrones. We could bathe in the hot pools, and love beneath the heart tree while the old gods watched over us.The dream was sweet . . .”

Ygritte does not seem like the kind of girl who cares much for things like flowers, and would likely laugh at this romantic gesture.  Jon also wonders if he could have taken Stannis’s offer if it was Ygritte instead of Val, Ygritte would likely not appreciate being the Lady of Winterfell. She definitely does not hold Jon’s dream of a family in Winterfell like the one he grew up in. GRRMartin has said that Ygritte was closer to Jon’s comfort level of feminity, which makes sense. The girl he was closest to was Arya, and tomboy, and the most influential female figure in his childhood, Catelyn was both feminine and the Lady of Winterfell, and antagonistic towards him. There’s a complicated amount of feelings here as Jon loves his father and in many wishes to be like him, how Ned and Cat had an extremely sweet and steady marriage, and how Cat’s treatment of Jon affects how he views women, especially those of noble birth, all coming around to how uncomfortable he is with ladies despite having an attraction to them.

So, Jons’s complicated relationship with women ties back to his own childhood and the views set by his society as he seems to prefer more soft for feminine traits, but it’s essentially impossible for him to have traditional relationship with a more feminine women due to the position he is in. Jon’s side of this pairing has a lot to do with how he dreams of restoring Winterfell and emulating Ned. 

Both Jon And Sansa start as naive characters who do believe in the songs and stories that have been told to him. Jon is shocked by how the NW actually is, as he expected it to made up of noble men like Benjen, and he is constantly having to make choices between things like duty and honor and family. For a boy who dreamed of being a hero like the Dragonknight or Ryam Redwyne, reality has disillusioned him. Sansa has a similar journey, as she fully has faith in the songs of Westeros, and desires her own romance with her own knight. Ofc, Sansa’s expectations are crushed, and the knights she does meet are cruel, or fools, and do not care for the helpless and the weak. 

her journey also point towards Winterfell. She also wants to rebuild it, as she does in snow in the Eyrie. She is stronger within in the walls of Winterfell, she thinks, and she constantly takes solace in remembering from looking north to Wf when Joffrey forces her to look at father’s head, to being reminding of the hot springs of WF and taking strength from that. Sansa does worship the Seven, but she also prays to the Old Gods, and is drawn to the godswoods in the places she ends up. She grew up heavily influenced by her own parent’s loving relationship, and wants something similar for herself. She despairs of it, but constantly retains the hope that her suitors will love her for more than her claim to WF. Ned promises that Sansa will marry someone brave, and gentle and strong, who will be like the heroes she used to dream of. The men she’s encountered have failed to fulfill this, using her, or being cruel, or too selfish to see her for who she is. 

Jon And Sansa fit together in their dreams of a rebuilt WF, and share similar arcs of disillusionment. I would venture to say though, that they will learn that there is good in their world by creating it themselves. Both Sansa and Jon struggle to remain true to their values, but continue to try and do the right thing even when it is the most difficult course of action. Do both of them make mistakes? Of course. Jon in particular has made some terrible decisions in ADWD, and he really needs someone to help protect his blindspots. He ended up sending the people he could trust away from him and not communicating with the men he had left. He needs someone who understands how to talk to people and be a diplomat, just as Sansa needs someone that she can trust not hurt her or use her for their own purposes. 

I will also say, that Jon and Sansa parallels many of the songs and stories of Westeros. For Sansa, the tale of Florian, a low born knight, and his beloved Jonquil, is heavily referenced. She thinks that Ser Dontos will fulfill that role for her, but he of course betrays her. The Hound also come up around this song, but he disdains it and when Sansa does sing to him, it is actually the Mother’s Hymn. She has no Florian, no knight to help her. Loras, who gave her a rose that she treasures, does not remember it at all and is not interested in Sansa. LF is ofc using her a replacement for her mother and generally does not have Sansa’s best intentions at heart. Jon’s story intertwines with the Story of Bael the Bard and the Rose of WF. It’s an interesting story as it could be read as hinting at Jon’s parentage, but it comes right before the chapter where Sansa gets her period, and Mance and Jon both acknowledge that Jon’s sisters could be considered the current roses of winterfell. Sansa has some heavy rose associations, and she is also extremely fond of the story of Aemon and Naerys, was a doomed romance between siblings. Jon himself played as Aemon when he was child, and Sansa’s love of the story is well known. The heavy parallels between a possible Jon And Sansa romance and the songs and stories they loved or have heard again and again, makes for some great narrative satisfaction.

I’ll also bring up the fact that the incest makes it potentially tragic and extremely angsty pairing. Neither Jon or Sansa are likely to consummate an incestous relationship and would spend a lot of time torturing themselves over it. Again, the granting of their childhood dreams in the perfect person to rebuild WF with but falling in love them despite it being forbidden is extremely tragic and would make for a great story. Jon is constantly called a Byronic hero, and it has to be noted that original Lord Byron wrote about doomed romances between siblings, and himself had a complicated romantic relationship with his half sister Augusta. Jonsa is the perfect mix of romantic and tragic, and that’s why I ship it. 

Ofc I would prefer a happy ending for Jonsa, and with the inclusion of R+L=J, it is possible, but I’m mainly here for the angst. Oh and there was some oddly romantic framing and chemistry on the show that still has me scratching my head. I’m not a huge fan of show Jon or show Sansa for reasons I won’t go in to here, but I definitely prefer book Jonsa above all else lol. 

[chicagocityofclans]

Deucalion Thornton→ Can Yaman → Warlock

→ Basic Information 

Age: 838

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual 

Birthday: March 12th 

Zodiac Sign: Pisces 

Religion: Buddhist

Mark: Cleirigh

Generation: Unknown

→ His Personality Deucalion was often overshadowed by his family and those who shared his mark. While he was overlooked, however, his personality still flourished in the shadows. He was a brave and charming toddler. Though he lost most of his charm, Duke continued to be dangerously and recklessly daring well into adulthood. His fears were minimal and the process of dying or death wasn’t on the list. While he can go with the flow and play follow the leader, Duke is a boss at heart and doesn’t mind barking out orders when necessary. With his dry humor and quick wit, past his hard exterior, he isn’t a bad person to get along with or on the side of your cause. 

Duke does like the finer things in life. Mostly because he’s able to afford it and only has one life to live; no matter how long that life maybe. He is picky about what goes on his body, into his kitchen, and on his table. This also applies to his Brewery. He is willing to fly to foreign countries to find the best ingredients at whatever cost and import them back to the States. Even though he enjoys the finer things, Duke does not enjoy being in the spotlight. His curiosity and ego is well hidden behind his introvert and nonchalant behavior. Like many loners, he is uncomfortable in large crowds. He barely tolerates the over crowded pack house and is often found chasing the local Animal Shifters out of his Brewery when he gets tired of seeing them.

→ His Personal Facts

Occupation: Co-Owner/Founder of ANONYMOUS; Previously International Sales Specialist at Shutter International Exports & Imports

Scars: Left cheek as a result of an attack from a wolf shifter when he attempted to ride said wolf like a horse at the age of six.

Tattoos: None

Two Likes: Haematology and Ales

Two Dislikes: Power-Hunger and Greek Mythology

Two Fears: Being Cursed and Unlabeled Bottles

Two Hobbies: Homebrewing and Backpacking

Three Positive Traits: Mysterious, Audacious, Modest 

Three Negative Traits: Loner, Blunt, Aloof

→ His Connections

Parent Names:

Alexander Thornton (Step-Father): Alexander raised him and his brother after their mother died. One day he never returned home and disappeared. Duke doesn’t know what happened to the old man and chooses to ignore it.

Daphne Thornton (Mother): She died when Duke was young. He doesn’t remember much about her. He’s asked for multiple Mnemokinetics to enhance his memories of her but they seem to be blocked. 

Sibling Names:

Aries Thornton (Older Twin Brother): They have a love/hate relationship. Duke used to jump on Aries' bed or throw tantrums without Aries giving a care or simply laughing at his little brother's amusing rants. And other days Duke stayed tensed in fear for his life because Aries was having a bad day. He knows Aries wouldn’t kill him but deep down Duke is terrified of what he could do.

Children Names:

None

Romantic Connections:

Peter Knox (Boyfriend): They were both hostile against each other when Peter stepped into Duke’s life. Duke knew deep down he was attracted to Peter but had no way to express himself while Peter was dating someone else. They became good friends and bonded over old homebrewing. They eventually opened Anonymous together and their romantic relationship bloomed within its walls. They have been together for 7 years and have a home near the main packhouse. 

Platonic Connections:

Isaac Baker (Wolf Leader): Isaac has given him a chance that could destroy his pack and his reputation. Duke is forever grateful. 

Geri Beckham (Good Friend): Geri was one of the first of the Chicago pack to welcome him in with wide arms. They just clicked.

Talia Cleirigh (Friend): Talia once mistook him for his brother, Aries, and they have been friends ever since. She was a big help to him when he was first cursed. 

Michael Shaw (Friend): Michael is intelligent and one of the only other wolves that Duke can hold a long conversation without it getting awkward.

Leah Phillips (Friendly): Leah reminds him of his cousin Kaylor. 

Ronan Cleirigh (Distant Cousin): Ronan has helped him through a lot. And continues to do so. Duke is grateful for him and his help.

Garrett Cleirigh (Distant Cousin): They had a lot of fun while Duke was still a warlock. Their fun has slowed down but they continue to support each other.

Hostile Connections:

Alan Thomas (Indifferent): Alan has hounded Duke since day one. Duke does everything in his power to ignore him.

Sol Alfaro (Dislike): Duke has met people like Sol before and knows the game that Sol is trying to play. 

Kudzai Rinker (Nuisance): Kudzai has always been a thorn in his side. If it wasn’t for her seat on the Council, Duke would have been normal again by now.

Pets:

None

→ History Duke has never really been alone. Since the moment his parents decided to have him, he’s been with his twin brother Aries. Duke's mother, who was a neuromancer, was there and aided when he bumped his head as a toddler. He first learned to hunt for food with his step-father, a disintegrator, there besides him. When he was learning to have better control of his powers, the Cleirigh family was there to help him. The only time he was really alone was when ventured out to test his master powers on a pack of wolves in Canada. He took control of them for days and that’s where the Alberta province Council caught him. It was against their council rules for those with therinology to use their master powers against mythical creatures. They had an animator within their council who quickly deactivated his powers. He was unable to leave or contact his family. Duke was sentenced to 300 years cursed as a wolf and his powers were to remain deactivated until then. 

It took months for Duke to make it back home in wolf form and he was nearly poached multiple times. When he reached home he was greeted by Ronan and Roman. The spirits around him made it clear who he was but not why he was the way he was. It was Kaylor who understood him and translated exactly what happened. His family was on a warpath but apparently the local wolf pack had already wiped out the council. They were at a loss but Duke remembered most of their names, the most predominant one being a Wilhelm. While they attacked most of the Wilhelms in Canada, South and North America, Duke remained in wolf form. As half of his family fought, the other half tried to break his curse. It was nearly a year later when Roman and Judson created a spell to change him back into his human form. Sadly, the curse was still active. When he found he couldn’t use his magic, Duke burst into his wolf form again. He only changed back this time when he calmed down. 

That’s how the cycle continued. Until one day, Ronan, Roman, Kaylor, Aries and Judson were sure they figured out a way to change him back into a warlock. Ronan and Roman had specially taken on Archives, Oracles and Animators as mentees or workers at Shutter to help their progress. However, there must have been a miscalculation on someone's part because instead of turning Duke back from a cursed wolf shifter to a warlock, they made it so every supernatural in Chicago was stuck as stuck in whatever form they were shifted in and made it impossible for every witches and warlocks to use their powers for two weeks. Everyone was furious and the cat was out of the bag after 193 years of secrecy. For the most part everyone feared him. It irritated the living Hell out of him but there was nothing he could do without endangering himself and his family. Isaac Baker, wolf alpha, spoke out on the third day of every Chicago leader meeting about the incident. Isaac offered him a spot within his pack, to help with his wolf and in return Ronan would side with them on any votes or other serious matters. Duke had never embraced being in wolf form; he never ate in wolf form, never urinated in wolf form or in general did anything besides stalk around or run. Isaac began to train him and Duke’s world slowly changed around him. 

In mid-2012 a nuisance by the name of Peter Knox walked into Duke’s life. Isaac kept Duke away from the wolves within his clan before, but had decided it was time to introduce him after they came up with an explanation. Peter was a hot bundle of frustration and emotional tension. Duke was attracted to him the moment he laid eyes on him but the cocky son of a bitch smirked. Duke’s attraction led to his anger. He was hot on Peter’s tail, constantly informing him how displeased he was that the other man was second and how he wasn’t what they needed. It didn’t help that Peter started sleeping around someone younger and of a different species. He wasn’t on Peter’s top list too, he later found out because Peter’s show of dominance never worked on Duke. Duke had no clue what it was that Peter was doing and stared at him as if he was an idiot. One random day they started talking about shitty beers and reminisced about old fashioned brewing and they clicked. Their friendship grew as Duke turned a section of the pack kitchen into a brew station and they bonded over a rare mixture that Duke remembered from his travels in Ireland. It was Peter that suggested he open a bar and Duke put his plans in motion, offering Peter to invest and possibly co-own with him. By this time, Peter had called it off with the younger species but it was only after the break up that they shared their first kiss while putting away glasses right before the grand opening of Anonymous. 

→ The Present His family has found his cure a decade too late. Duke remembers being unwilling to leave the house and too angry to face the world when his magic was taken from him. He has long come to terms with what he did and repented his sins. His sentencing was clear; 300 years as a wolf for his crimes. With their disastrous last failed attempt to change him back and his blooming relationship with Peter, Duke is unsure if he wants to be a warlock again since his relationship with Peter would have to end. He is unsure what another failed attempt could hold for their family or if it would force the truth out about him to the supernatural world. That is something Duke isn’t willing to gamble with anytime soon. 

Anonymous has been doing well but Duke is having trouble keeping it a supernaturals only bar. He has humans and supernaturals working the morning shifts but only supernaturals working the night and weekend shifts. Duke is thinking of placing a ward around the establishment that deters humans from entering but is also crunching numbers that aren’t adding up from their loss. Peter and Duke have been promoting their business on Ryan Cleirigh's podcast and speaking in general about the community. Ryan however has been trying to push the topic towards their relationship and the unspoken LGBTQ community within the supernatural world.

[timelordthirteen]

In All Things 7/?

Mr. Gold/BelleFrench, Explicit (eventually)

Summary: A Rumbelle arranged marriage AU.

Chapter Summary: Belle goes for a walk and contemplates her situation, while Gold is called away on kingdom business, and finds out what the rumor mill is saying about his new fie.

Notes: And now we're finally getting to the bits I've been desperate to write. I promise the story will start moving forward a little faster after this. But only a little. ;) For the 31 Days prompt: family.

[AO3]

Previous: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Belle walked the grounds of Thornhill until her feet were sore and threatening to blister.

She spent this morning making a few small changes to her rooms. The furniture in her library had been rearranged, with the writing desk moving to the north wall where the light was better in the early hours. She preferred to write her letters in the morning, and wanted the sofa closer to the south windows where the afternoon light would be perfect for reading. The trunks and cases that had been delivered with Astrid were all unpacked, though many of her books were not in proper order yet. They sat in stacks organized by subject on the floor of the library for now, but she was certain she would have them sorted and on the shelves soon.

After that she’d been at a loss as what to do with herself. The weather was a bit warmer, the sun uninhibited by any cloud cover. It had been three days since Astrid arrived, and she seemed to be settling in quite well, while Belle still felt like she was watching everyone else gone on about their lives while she stood on the outside. She had hoped that having her friend with her would make her feel more at home, yet it seemed to have had the opposite effect. Astrid attended her first thing in the morning, and then again in the evening when she took her bath and prepared for bed, but during the day it wasn’t the same as it had been in Avonlea.

She wandered down the lane through the gates that marked the entrance to Thornhill’s grounds, and followed it to the curve of the hilltop where it started to wind down into the little valley. From there she could see the surrounding land, dotted with small farms, and divided in half by a curving river. She hadn’t been able to see the landscape on their way here, and she smiled at the rather picturesque view before heading back to the estate and the gardens that were becoming more well known to her.

Her dinner with Gold and Bae had been fine overall, but the light ease that had come so easily that first day was lost to them now. He had tried to make conversation, but she couldn’t get the harsh sound of his voice out of her head, replaying the way he yelled at Jefferson and wondering what he might say if he ever became cross with her. Instead they focused on Bae which made everything a little lighter and more comfortable. She’d excused herself as soon as the meal was over, and took supper in her room the following night with Astrid.

Gold had had left for King George’s palace on a matter of urgent business early this morning, and expected to be gone for a few days. It disappointed her that she felt relief at his departure, but when he;d told her, mere minutes before he climbed into the carriage, it was the only thing she felt.

Belle sighed and sat down on the bench by the fountain and rested her head in her hands for a moment. The cool air was a blessing, but soon there would be snow and chilling winds, and they would be forced inside. The thought was suddenly terrifying, and she blew out a slow breath as her stomach turned. Perhaps when Gold returned, she could find a way to speak with him and clear the air. She couldn’t imagine a whole winter cooped up in a house, even one as large as Thornhill, when she was so uncertain about everything.

But talking to Gold was an even more terrifying prospect.

Do the brave thing, and bravery will follow.

Her mother’s words echoed in her head once more, just as they had on her wedding day a week ago. She looked down at her lap and the ring on her finger. It felt foreign and strange, and she pulled at it until it came off, running her fingertips around the smooth circle.

Gold didn’t seem to want a wife in the way that most men did, and she was grateful for that small favor, but she also wondered if perhaps that was working against them. It was too easy for them to be apart and avoid each other, to skirt any real interaction with meaningless conversation about the weather or his son. Yet there was a part of her that longed for something deeper, for real companionship and someone that could share her life.

Since her mother had passed, there was a lack of emotional and physical intimacy in her life. Her father had never been the most affectionate person, and while she and Astrid exchanged the occasional hug, there would always be a barrier between them due to their different stations and status. For a long time, since she first discovered her condition, she didn’t believe she could have the kind of relationship that she read about in her favorite books, the kind with passion and love that transcended and transformed everything around it.

Gold had seemed so kind and gentle, and she’d hoped as she’d never dared to that her marriage could be a good thing beyond financial reasons. Baeden was a sweet boy as well, and a foolish part of her had hoped that the far off dream she’d had of having a family of her own, of having that closeness with another person wasn’t as improbable as it once seemed. Family was one of those foundational things in life that she had always had, her parents, her friends, an aunt on her mother’s side, and a smattering of cousins until she was about ten. After that they dwindled, some marrying and moving away, others succumbing to the inevitability of sickness and age.

All she had now was her father.

If Gold could open up to her, if they could talk and understand each other as it seemed they might just a short time ago, then she thought maybe they could have something together. A real friendship if nothing else, though there had been a moment or two where the notion of something more wasn’t entirely repulsive to her. He was older, but not so much so that she looked more like his daughter than his wife, and he wasn’t unattractive, physically. Indeed, she rather like his face, especially when he smiled, and he looked very fine in his coats and breeches.

She sighed again, feeling like she could probably use a good cry, but refusing to let herself be so overwhelmed, and made herself stand up. Her feet would need a good soak tonight, and she’d probably end up with a blister on her heel, but being alone and thinking through the jumble of thoughts in her head had helped some. She resolved that when Gold returned, they would talk, but there was still the fear that however that came out would set the tone for the rest of their relationship, and indeed the rest of her life.

Gold hated being at the palace.

He hated the ostentatious decor, the tedium of formality and ceremony, and most of all he hated that it took him away from home. But such business couldn’t be helped, not when he was essentially the reason George had secured the throne from his brother with the support of the majority of the nobility. He understood his role in keeping the peace and keeping the kingdom running smoothly, but he despised it all the same.

“Don’t look so happy to be here, Gold.”

Gold looked up from his meal and frowned. “I’m sorry if summoning me to the palace urgently when I’ve barely been at home at all in the last week, all because Regina is making a power play against her mother.”

George laughed and dabbed a napkin at his chin before sitting back in his chair. “You think a cat fight among the Mills women is not cause for concern?”

Gold set his fork down and took a sip of wine. “Certainly it is, especially since Regina seems to want to do anything she can to separate herself from Cora, but ultimately this can only be a good thing. You know as well as I do that Cora always had designs on the throne.”

“And you don’t think Regina does?”

He shrugged. “I think Regina wants to be out from under her mother’s thumb. And I suspect that if we were to help that along, it would go a long way towards securing her allegiance for at least the near future.”

“Cora should have married her off and settled down ages ago,” groused the King. Then he snatched up his goblet and drained the wine down his throat with an obnoxious slurping sound.

Gold rolled his eyes and stuck the last bite of ham in his mouth. “Regina doesn’t strike me as the type to let anyone marry her off without her full participation and agreement.”

George chuckled and pushed back from the table. “Unlike your new wife, eh?”

At the mention of Belle, Gold stiffened. Things were odd between them, and he didn’t like leaving Thornhill for so long when he didn’t know where they stood with each other. He wanted to be able to trust her, and let her manage things while he was away, but she seemed distant and uncomfortable. He was glad that she was getting along with Jefferson and Bae, but he wanted there to be some foundation to their relationship as well, as friends perhaps or at the very least partners in a mutual endeavor to care for Bae and his future. The latter wasn’t entirely out of the question, but the former felt like crossing a chasm without a bridge.

He was certain that was entirely down to his having forced her into a marriage.

“My wife,” Gold started, turning his wine goblet around and around by the stem, “was in a precarious situation and I offered her a way out. I didn’t force anyone’s hand into anything.”

“Well, from what I hear, you won’t have to.”

Gold paused and looked up at King George, his jaw tensing. “Excuse me?”

George stood up and motioned for Gold to follow him, which made Gold bristle in annoyance. He also hated being ordered around and being made to feel inferior, which of course the King did at every turn.

“Come now, Gold, you know the situation Maurice has been in,” George said, exiting the dining room and walking the corridor back to his study. “He’s terrible with money, and he’s been mismanaging his lands since Lady Collette died. His only option was marrying off his daughter to the highest bidder.”

Gold’s hand clenched into a fist, both from anger at the way George was speaking of Belle, and at the ache building in his leg. He refused to use a cane in front of the King, and after being in a carriage for several hours, the last thing he wanted was to walk the excessively long halls of the palace.

“I was hardly that,” Gold snapped.

George waved a hand as they entered the study. “No, Gaston was, but you were the obvious runner up after that fell through.”

Gold started to frown as he took a seat across from George. He didn’t know the full story behind what had happened with Belle and Sir Gaston, but he gathered that the end of their engagement was not something Belle mourned in any way.

“What are you saying, your Majesty?”

George reclined, his robes spilling over the ornate, gilded arms of the chair. “It’s obvious isn’t it? Everyone was talking about it at court, if you bothered to show up for more than council meetings you’d know the whole sordid story.”

The King’s mouth curved into a toothy sneer, and Gold dug his short nails into his palm as he fought to keep his composure. “Sordid?”

“She was desperate,” George laughed. “Maurice was about to lose everything, Gaston had shown an interest, and she used it to her advantage.”

Gold couldn’t begin to imagine Belle manipulating anyone, much less a knight of the realm, and he wondered how these stories had circulated so widely. Whatever had happened, Gaston must have been angry enough to try to ruin her through rumors and supposition.

“I somehow doubt that,” he said.

“It’s true from what I hear. She tried to get her hands on Sir Gaston’s fortune before they were even married.” George leaned forward, smirking as he spoke as though he was telling a great secret. “She threw herself at him during the spring ball right here in this palace. But of course Gaston found out that he wasn’t the only one, and that she was willing to go to rather extreme lengths to secure a husband.”

Gold swallowed hard. He could read between the lines of court gossip to know what the King was saying, and he couldn’t scarcely believe it. Belle throwing herself at any man seemed absurd. She was too proper for that, too gentle and sweet, though he couldn’t fault her for not wanting anything to do with him. The implication that she had sought other men and tried to manipulate them all in the same of money was patently insane.

“One should not cast such aspersions,” he said, fixing George with a hard stare. His voice was low and even, conveying the seriousness of every word with its tone. “Particularly, when one has also gone to rather extreme lengths to secure their position.”

George sat back at that, and eyed Gold as the unspoken threat hung between them. Gold knew the darkest secrets of the royal house, and had even helped make some of them come into being. Deals and alliances forged in dark corners had been his specialty at one time, and even though he liked to think he’d moved on from such seedy, distasteful things, he wasn’t above using the knowledge when required. If the true parentage of King George’s twin sons ever came out, the kingdom would unravel, and the King knew that it was only by the grace of Gold’s silence that he wielded the power he did.

“I would just be careful if I were you, Gold,” the King said finally. “You don’t really know Lady Belle or Lord Maurice.”

Gold stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back and scraping it over the stone floor. “I know that she’s better that these rumors are making her out to be, and that I’m tired and retiring for the evening.”

Then he gave George a sharp, half bow and a harsh glare. “Your Majesty.”

[jeserai]

bits and pieces (4/7)

catradora week 2019 day 4 - silver/gold

“There are also many comparisons to heavenly bodies—She-Ra, the sun, C’yra both the moon and the stars—showing again that while they were related, they were also enemies. The moon and stars swallow the sun each night, and the sun rises again each morning. Anyway. Another thing that every myth I have read has in common is that C’yra was the only being—divine or mortal—that could mortally wound She-Ra. But other times, C’yra is referred to as She-Ra’s second sword. Their relationship was volatile, built on blood and war, but when their morals—She-Ra’s need for justice and C’yra’s need for retribution—collided, it was said that the earth and even the sky would tremble at their combined wrath.”

This late at night—and on a Friday night, at that—the library is blessedly empty, and Adora deposits her things on the desk before making herself comfortable. Thesis work isn’t due until the end of the year, but she’s seen time and time again how much procrastination had hurt the seniors in the years before her. Besides, she’s actually excited and interested in her topic: a comprehensive study of ancient Etherian gods and how they helped shape modern culture. After going over various research with her professor and his husband, they’d decided that focusing on only a few of the gods would be a much easier task, given the extensive lore and research.

So for now, Adora is researching the most well-known and celebrated Etherian god, She-Ra. She’d been able to peruse her professor’s extensive collection of Etherian artifacts, and at his insistence, even borrow whatever she wanted for her research. (“Anything for a fellow palaeophile—and please, call me George.” her professor had said, beaming.)

All Adora had taken was a small mountain of paintings and texts—both translated and left in their original language—she wishes now that she hadn’t been so shy about it, but the first draft of the thesis won’t be due for about a month, so she has more than enough time.

For now—

Adora begins to look through the pictures she’d taken, trying to get a feel for the god she is now studying; fishes her phone out of her pocket and starts a new voice memo to record her findings. “I’ve just started my research on the Etherian goddess She-Ra for my thesis, a comprehensive study of ancient Etherian gods and how they helped shape modern culture. That title may change later, but for now—She-Ra. From what I already know, she was kind of the leader of all the other gods. Here it says…” Adora skims the glyphs and continues, “she is the defender of order, uniter of all lands, king of the gods. Often times, she is seen with her weapon of choice, the Sword of Protection.”

Adora pauses the voice memo to read through a paperclipped bundle of text; interspersed are sticky notes with scrawled notes and corrections by Lance and George. When she’s finished, she unpauses it to say, “So far, She-Ra is the only god to have a sort of mortal enemy that was also a god: C’yra. Both are Etherian war goddesses, avenger of wrongdoings, night huntress, mistress of slaughter. It seems that while She-Ra fought for balance and good, C’yra fought for whatever side pleased her. She was invoked by the ancient rulers before battles, and demanded a sacrifice upon victory.” Squinting at the glyphs on the well-worn scroll in front of her, Adora reads, “She-Ra never demanded any kind of living sacrifice, only prayers.”

There are paintings of the two goddesses on tablets and scrolls covering her desk; She-Ra holding up a sword, a shining beacon of hope and divine retribution, C’yra, feline-headed, snarling, daggers in both hands. Even from just the images, Adora can feel C’yra’s bloodlust and rage, She-Ra’s cool partiality to justice.

“So far, out of all the Etherian gods that I have studied, C’yra and She-Ra are definitely the most interesting—in most of the myths and paintings of them, they are pictured as mortal enemies, but I have also read that they were comrades, both on the battlefield and off. My professor wrote that some myths say that they used to fight for good together until some major breaking point forced them apart—he only had half of the tablet with the story, so he doesn’t know what—and his husband writes that they were always enemies, and only fought together when their morals aligned. But…there was—here it is,” Adora reaches for another wellworn scroll and reads, “in summary, a legend that when one of C’yra’s eyes was gouged out, She-Ra plucked the brightest star from the sky to replace it. There are also many comparisons to heavenly bodies—She-Ra, the sun, C’yra both the moon and the stars—showing again that while they were related, they were also enemies. The moon and stars swallow the sun each night, and the sun rises again each morning. Anyway. Another thing that every myth I have read has in common is that C’yra was the only being—divine or mortal—that could mortally wound She-Ra. But other times, C’yra is referred to as She-Ra’s second sword. Their relationship was volatile, built on blood and war, but when their morals—She-Ra’s need for justice and C’yra’s need for retribution—collided, it was said that the earth and even the sky would tremble at their combined wrath.” There comes then the quiet tap-tap-tap of nails on the door, so Adora pauses the voice memo again and glances back at the door as it opens.

“Figured you’d be in here,” Catra says. She sounds fond, amused as she sweeps aside a pile of papers to sit herself on the desk. She looks at all the work spread out and makes a disgruntled face before rolling her eyes. “I hope you know what a huge nerd you are, Adora.”

“Shut up,” Adora mumbles, but it’s automatic, and there is no malice in her words. “I didn’t want to wait to start my thesis, and besides, I actually really like what I’m studying.”

“Is that so? What is all this junk, anyway?” Catra picks up the closest paper to her—a copied image of C’yra; from here, Adora can’t tell which one.

“Well, that’s C’yra, one of the Etherian war goddesses. I think you’d actually like her.”

“What do you mean, actually?” Catra sounds offended, but Adora just rolls her eyes and scoots her chair closer so she sits between Catra’s spread legs.

“You’re always telling me how boring class is.”

“Yeah, the class is boring. I would’ve dropped it if not for a certain pretty blonde girl though.”

Adora flushes pink and ducks her head to hide her flustered smile; then leans her head on Catra’s thigh as her girlfriend reads to herself. “Avenger of wrongdoings, night huntress, master of slaughter? I like her.”

“Mistress,” Adora corrects automatically, and then, “I figured you would. I’m telling you, they’re both so interesting!”

“C’yra and…” the sound of more papers rustling, and Catra’s thigh tenses under Adora’s cheek as she shifts. “She-Ra?”

“Yeah, another Etherian war goddess.”

“Yeah, I like C’yra better. Anyway—I’d ask if you ate, but I know you haven’t.” As if on cue, Adora’s stomach grumbles, and when she looks up to give Catra a sheepish little grin, she just rolls her eyes and tugs on Adora’s ponytail. “We’ll stop by somewhere on the way home. I could go for a milkshake—you’re buying.”

“Can I finish this first? Please? Their stories—”

“Will be here for you to decipher tomorrow, nerd,” Catra interrupts. “Even if this C’yra sounds pretty cool. The Bright Star, huh?”

Adora pushes herself to sit up, rests her elbows on Catra’s thighs and ignores the way she hisses (“your elbows are fucking bony, Adora,” Catra always says) and nods. “You’re really getting better, I’m proud of you!”

“Yeah, well,” Catra shrugs. “Nerdy dead languages aren’t my thing.” But Adora can tell that she’s pleased at the compliment by the way the corners of her lips twitch up into a self-satisfied grin.

“Then how about I’ll keep researching and you can listen to me talk?”

Catra huffs out a sigh and shakes her head, amused. “You’re not gonna give this up, huh? Fine, ten minutes and we leave, it’s late.”

“Thank you!” before Catra can change her mind, Adora leans up to kiss her cheek and then grabs one of Lance’s books that he’d bookmarked for her. She stands so Catra can sit in her chair, and when Catra is comfortable, Adora sits as well, relaxing automatically as Catra’s arm wrap around her middle. It should be uncomfortable in the tiny chair, and it is, a little, but the little bit of intimacy makes it more than worth it.

After unpausing the voice memo again, Adora clears her throat and says, “I’m reading Myths of Ancient Etheria, the first section that is bookmarked. In summary, it says that the first time She-Ra and C’yra fought together was to rid Etheria of a scourge on the land. She-Ra, of course, felt it was her duty to restore the balance between good and evil, and the scourge—the Horde—fell out of C’yra’s grace when they destroyed one of her temples and a village that worshipped her. Even the sun and moon paused to watch the battle at its fiercest—Etheria’s first eclipse.”

From behind her, Catra makes a tiny, appreciative noise, and Adora bites back a grin. She knew Catra would enjoy this too. “This was also where C’yra became known as She-Ra’s second sword. The battle was so important to Etherian history because none of the gods worked together, ever. So having She-Ra and C’yra, mortal enemies, fight together on the battlefield, for humans, at that? C’yra was also known to be hot headed, stubborn and prideful, so her coming to She-Ra at all would have been considered something hugely important. I—”

“Second sword,” Catra nudges her, impatient and just a little bit petulant, “what about the second sword thing?”

“Right, right. As I said earlier, She-Ra always carried her Sword of Protection—its jewel in the center was said to shine brighter than even the North Star—and C’yra primarily used smaller hunting knives or daggers. This again perpetuates their sun, moon and stars theme: She-Ra’s sword bright and big, C’yra’s knives smaller and more inconspicuous. But as for being She-Ra’s second sword, this was because of the way they fought together; like they were on the same wavelength. She-Ra was bigger and mainly used brute force—no one else, not even the other gods, could lift her Sword—but C’yra was smaller, and like her title of night huntress, faster, more cunning. Nothing could ever hurt She-Ra, but even if things could, no one could get the chance, because when they fought together, C’yra took any enemy that even tried to sneak passed She-Ra’s line of sight. Her second sword.”

“Oh—another thing to note. The ancient Etherians believe that gold was indestructible, blessed by the gods. This belief was spread because of She-Ra: gold for immortality, blessings, and the sun. C’yra, despite being a god, has no sign of gold anywhere but for her eye, the one given to her by She-Ra. This again perpetuates the idea of gold being a sign of healing and indestructibility. Silver was instead associated with C’yra, for its symbolism of destruction, repentance, and neutrality. Even today, silver can be seen as a symbol for deceptiveness and cold; calling back to C’yra’s neutrality in her morals. Statues of She-Ra and C’yra are done in gold and silver perspectively; their temples were full of riches to show the people’s respect.”

This time, when Catra nudges her, Adora glances up at the clock. 2:46 am. She disentangles herself from Catra’s grip and stops the voice memo for good this time before settling back into Catra’s warmth; suddenly, without the buzz of new knowledge and research, she’s exhausted. “I didn’t realize how late it was.”

“You do tend to do that,” Catra sounds beyond fond, but she lets go of Adora to gently push her up after a moment of quiet. “Now can we go? I’m exhausted.”

“Fine, fine,” Adora huffs. She packs her things as quickly as possible—Catra doesn’t help, just sighs every few seconds as if that will somehow make things go more quickly along—and when she’s done, (“god, finally,” Catra says petulantly,) she reaches out for Catra to hold her hand. “Thank you for coming to get me, and staying with me even though it’s so late…”

“You would’ve done the same for me,” Catra shrugs. “And I guess it wasn’t too boring, besides. You picked a good topic, Adora. You’ll do well on your thesis too, I know it.”

Adora is grateful for the darkness now surrounding them; her cheeks are flushed pink and she knows Catra would tease her endlessly for it. “Thank you, really.”

“I didn’t do anything, dumbass,” even without seeing her face, Adora can practically see Catra rolling her eyes, “you don’t have to thank me.”

(And that gives Adora the oddest sense of déjà vu—she dismisses it, because yeah, of course she’s heard Catra say that before, she says it all the time.) “Then how about I buy you dinner?”

Catra snorts out a laugh and squeezes Adora’s hand, trapping her against the closed car door before leaning in to kiss her quick. “Why, Adora, are you flirting with me?”

“Is it working?”

Adora feels Catra smile wide against her lips before she kisses her again, again. When she pulls back, she looks soft, fond. “Buy me dinner and maybe you’ll find out.”

1 - 2 - 3 - x - 5 - 6 - 7

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

Daenerys - the “Mad Queen”?

I understand why some are frustrated with the pedalling of Daenerys as the “Mad Queen” in The Last of the Starks (8x04). Personally, I saw signs of this arc developing a long time ago (as did many others), but this episode seemed to hammer it more intensely than ever before despite it probably being the most emotionally vulnerable we’ve seen her in a long time. 

I don’t have a problem with Daenerys’ arc taking a dark turn, I think it’s fitting and interesting for her character, but I do have an issue with the way in which the narrative is framing her “madness” (I don’t approve of the word “mad” to refer to Dany, because I think it’s derogatory and unfair, hence the quotation marks). So let’s boil this down to the main points shall we: 

Daenerys is not the “Mad Queen” for wanting to be queen of the Seven Kingdoms

Daenerys is not the “Mad Queen” for smiling in 8x01 when her dragons flew overhead the northerners 

Daenerys is not the “Mad Queen” for being concerned about Jon’s claim to the Iron Throne 

Daenerys is not the “Mad Queen” for being pissed off at Sansa’s behaviour towards her 

Daenerys is not the “Mad Queen” for wanting revenge on Cersei for breaking her promise to march her armies north to fight in the Great War and murdering Rhaegal and Missandei 

Daenerys is not the “Mad Queen” period 

She’s a young woman who displays human emotions - loneliness, doubt, insecurity, anger, hurt, annoyance, arrogance, love, grief, vengeance, ambition - and is inherently flawed. She makes mistakes and at times her judgement is clouded by her tunnel vision, but she is not a bad person and certainly not “mad”. However, she does have certain qualities that are problematic and that suggest she may not be completely fit to be queen. 

Note: This is a critical analysis of Daenerys that seeks to uncover the complexities of her character. It defends her, but there are also parts that criticise her. Therefore, hardcore Dany stans may not like to read. Just thought I’d give that heads up. 

We heard a lot of characters in the 8x04 - Tyrion, Varys, Arya and Sansa - question Daenerys’ ability to be queen (and not for the first time) and their doubts are valid. On numerous occasions this season we’ve seen Dany act in ways that lean more towards tyranny than fairness and impulsiveness than logic. She exercises kindness to those around her until they question her or say something she dislikes, and suddenly her whole demeanour changes. We’ve seen this in scenes she’s shared with Sansa, Jon and Tyrion. Her decision to legitimise Gendry was unexpected and although on the surface was a kindness to him, it was rash decision that made everybody uncomfortable and anxious. Increasingly, she seems unable to hear criticisms or acknowledge the advice of others. Her relationship with Tyrion has been tense for a while now because of his “mistakes” (forgive me if my memory is just foggy, but I genuinely can’t recall any advice Tyrion has given her that’s had disastrous consequences). She also flat out dismissed Varys when he looked her in the eye and told her he believed she was making a mistake by going to Kings Landing. When Sansa rightfully pointed out that their men needed time to recuperate following the Battle of Winterfell, Daenerys was visibly annoyed. The problem with this is that not only does it show her rejecting perfectly reasonable and sound advice, but it also suggests that she has little consideration for the well-being of her own armies or consideration for the bigger picture. Little details like this are often subtle, but all contribute to the idea that Daenerys may not be an ideal queen for the Seven Kingdoms. Furthermore, although the northerners have been defined as stubborn and hardened loyalists to House Stark, her inability to develop any kind of positive relationship with anyone in Winterfell (even Sansa and Arya, who are Jon’s sisters) is alarming. A queen doesn’t have to be liked or loved by all, that’s an impossibility, but an ability to forge alliances and connections, even with those that may not like you, is crucial. Dany said it herself in her conversation with Jon, “ I saw the way they looked at you. I know that look. So many people have looked at me that way, but never here. Never on this side of the sea.” Isn’t it alarming to Daenerys that she wants to rule a land where the people reject her and are so cold towards her? 

What has become clear to me so far in season 8 is that Dany has become so fixated on her goal of sitting on the Iron Throne that she’s lost sight of everything else. She gracefully agreed to put her quest for the Iron Throne on hold to fight alongside the north in the battle against the dead at great personal cost, but the way she’s framing her involvement in the war doesn’t make sense. She admitted that she agreed to fight because she loves Jon and has referred to it as being “his war”. This is problematic because unlike her battle against Cersei for the Throne which is 100% led by personal gain and desire, the war against the dead was much bigger than that. It was to save humanity, to quite literally save the world. The two wars are hardly comparable. As a queen, Daenerys should be willing to lay down her life to protect the realm, irregardless of love and should not be viewing her participation in the Great War as part of an alliance whereby the north now owes her a favour. If she hadn’t of fought in that war, it would’ve been lost and as Jon said in 7x03 her being queen of the Seven Kingdoms wouldn’t have mattered because she would have been ruling over a graveyard. 

We also see her fixation on the Throne in her relationship with Jon. Despite claiming that she travelled north because she loves Jon, the second she found out he was a Targaryen that love seemed to pale in comparison to her desire for the Iron Throne. So far the interactions we’ve seen between Jon and Dany about his parentage are about Dany’s the threat Jon’s claim to the Throne poses to her. She’s shown no compassion or empathy towards Jon, given no consideration how such a huge revelation has completely turned Jon’s world upside down. All she wants is for him to keep his mouth shut so that she can be queen and continue her romantic relationship with him as before. What was most striking to me in the scene between them in 8x04 was the way Dany quite literally begged Jon to stay quiet. It’s rare that we get to see Dany plead like that and it really hit home how desperate she is to sit on the Throne. What she said about Jon telling others the truth about his parentage destroying them may be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that this was her threatening him; the man she supposedly loves. Now, I don’t begrudge Daenerys for this. It’s understandable that after working so long towards that one goal that she’d be hurt and afraid about the consequences that Jon’s claim could bring. But what it does show is that in some ways her ambition has grown out of control and she’s become fixated on that one goal at the detriment of everything else, including her relationship with Jon. And this fixation, this obsession with the Throne is what I see as being the root of Daenerys’ dark arc, along with her power and dragons, which I’ll discuss more in-depth later.

Psychologically speaking it makes sense that Dany would become so overbearingly consumed by her desire for the Throne, particularly now after everything she’s lost. I can’t blame her for being so determined and ruthless to be queen. She’s put so much blood, sweat and tears into the fight and if she doesn’t achieve what she’s worked so long and so hard to achieve it will mean that all she’s dedicated and lost will have been in vein. As I said above, I do believe Daenerys’ fixation on the Throne is the core of her dark arc, but I still don’t think that she’s becoming the “Mad Queen” or that she’s becoming an antagonist. It frustrates me that most of the posts I read about Dany fall onto one or two sides - either they exaggerate her goodness or exaggerate her badness. Even with the dark arc D&D seem to be pursuing with her, Daenerys is not and never has been morally white or black, she’s grey. And yes, show!Dany may be significantly watered down in comparison to her book counterpart, but there is still complexity to her if you choose to see it. Even in 8x04, despite the narrative clearly pushing her to a darker place, in many ways it’s the most human we’ve ever seen her. People choose to focus on the scenes that pedal Dark!Dany and disregard the rest, but even when D&D are clearly pushing Dark!Dany to the forefront, she is still incredibly human. Throughout the 8x04 we saw her grieve for Jorah, in the Great Hall she experienced loneliness and isolation as she looked around at the smiling faces of strangers and the man she loved and realised she was an outsider, in her scene with Jon she showed vulnerability and fear as she begged him to fix everything, when Rhaegal was killed she showed rage and restraint and when Missandei was executed, her emotional response is what anybody else would feel in that scenario. Like I said, Daenerys’ emotional responses are not the problem and I hate that the narrative is insinuating that those reactions somehow make her the “Mad Queen”. The final shot of Daenerys showed her fury and hunger for vengeance after witnessing her best friend being beheaded. That does not make her the “Mad Queen”, and I know for many when they refer to her as being that they may not literally mean it and are just using it because it’s what her father was called, but I still don’t approve of it, because I think it undermines Dany’s complexity. Generally, I think there needs to be more acknowledgement of the complexities of Dany’s character and the breadth of emotions we’ve seen from her so far in season 8.

Just as it’s unfair to label Dany the “Mad Queen” and it’s also unfair to label her a tyrant based on some of her actions. Joffrey was a tyrant and we all know that Dany is not Joffrey. Dany will never be the kind of person that takes pleasure in psychologically manipulating or brutalising others like Joffrey did. She enjoys power, but she’s not so consumed by that power that she’s unable to show understanding and empathy to others. From my perspective, the concern that Varys and Tyrion have when it comes to Daenerys is not that she’ll become her father, but that she’s too powerful or that she will become too powerful if she sits on the Iron Throne. I’ve seen some claim that painting Daenerys as the “Mad Queen” is sexist because it implies women cannot wield power without it corrupting them. Part of me agrees with this, but I’d also argue that it’s less to do with sexism and more to do with the general theme of power and what having too much power can do to an individual. It’s a common theme in literature, film and television (Macbeth and Walter White in Breaking Bad are two examples that come immediately to mind). It’s a common and over-used trope, but it’s supported by psychological research - power does change people - and it can be applied to Daenerys. Here’s a excerpt from an article I read about the impact power can have on people: “Power reduces awareness of constraints and causes people act more quickly. Powerful people also tend to think more abstractly, favoring the bigger picture over smaller consequences. Powerful people are less likely to remember the constraints to a goal” (x). Dany has been demonstrating these traits for a prolonged period of time and they’ve become more prominent in season 7 and 8. Her decision to go to Kings Landing was rash and more time needed to be taken to develop a proper battle plan and for the men and women fighting to regain their strength. She’s so fixated on the big picture - sitting on the Iron Throne - that she’s neglecting the smaller details. She’s not considering what happens after she sits on the Throne and a particular conversation she had with Tyrion in 7x06 highlighted this: 

Tyrion: You say you can't have children, but there are other ways of choosing a successor. The Night's Watch has one method. The Ironborn, for all their many flaws, have another. 

Daenerys: We will discuss the succession after I wear the crown. 

Tyrion: Your Grace, I saw hundreds of arrows fly towards you when you fought on the Blackwater Rush, and I saw hundreds of arrows miss. But any one of them could have found your heart and ended your... 

Daenerys: You've been thinking about my death quite a bit, haven't you? Is this one of the items you discussed with your brother in King's Landing? 

Tyrion: I'm trying to serve you by planning for the long term. 

Daenerys: Perhaps if you planned for the short term, we wouldn't have lost Dorne and Highgarden. We will discuss the succession after I wear the crown.

Here we see Tyrion bringing up a perfectly valid issue of her succession. Daenerys is the only living Targaryen (or so they believe she is at this point), she’s unmarried and she’s unable to conceive children naturally. Despite being young Daenerys could die or be killed at any point, particularly since she’s about to go to war, and without planning for who comes after her, her rule will mean little to nothing. She has spoken about creating a new world, but that means nothing if you don’t have the right person to continue her legacy. Yet because she’s so fixated on sitting on the Throne, she refuses to acknowledge that it’s an issue that impacts the future of her kingdom. 

Whether you like Daenerys or not, there’s no denying that the power she has developed over the seasons has changed her perspective on things and led her down a slightly darker path. This is only natural when we consider that at the beginning of the series she came from a position powerlessness. She was controlled and abused by Viserys, sold to Drogo against her will and slowly but surely her influence and power increased as she embraced her position as Khaleesi and birthed her dragons. It makes sense that she would embrace her new found power and seek more, but as the seasons progressed we’ve seen that Daenerys doesn’t just have power, she actively revels in having power. Being a leader and having so much power has led her to become more assertive and domineering. These are good qualities for queen since it’s important to be decisive, but at times those qualities have led to her behaving questionably. I know many defend Daenerys’ burning of the Tarly’s, and I think it would be hypocritical to claim Daenerys was wrong for doing it considering other characters have executed people. However, there’s no denying that that scene was purposefully written to show the subtle ways in which power had begun to corrupt her.  Instead of listening to the reasonable advice of her Hand, she chose to burn two men alive because she could and later justified it by claiming it’s what all monarchs do in times of war and that it was necessary. The problem with this is that Daenerys has explicitly stated she doesn’t want to be like those monarchs, she wants to be better. Whether she was justified in her actions or not, that execution, the way it was framed and the context of it, was done in a way that was supposed to make us doubt her judgement. It wasn’t just her removing those that refused to kneel to her, it was a deliberate exercise of power. There were other options that Tyrion pointed out - imprisonment or sending them to the Wall - and even if she ultimately decided to execute them, she didn’t have to burn them. It was a brutal and inhumane method of execution that she chose because she wanted to assert her power. The look of satisfaction on her face when the rest of the soldiers got to their knees out of fear, only feeds into the idea that her motivations went beyond the practicalities of war. Another quote from the article above explains this succinctly: “People with power not only take what they want because they can do so unpunished, but also because they intuitively feel they are entitled to do so.” Daenerys had her reasons for executing the Tarly’s, but she also did it because she felt that was her right as a queen and because ultimately, she knew there would be no repercussions. Even when she faced Sam in 8x01, she still didn’t really have to face the consequences of what she’d done. Her position of authority as a queen meant that Sam couldn’t question her or show his anger, he had to submit and conceal his grief. 

In addition to power, the other key aspect of Daenerys’ dark arc is her dragons and what they symbolise. A particular conversation between Tyrion and Varys in 8x04 summarised this perfectly: 

Varys: I've served tyrants most of my life. They all talk about destiny. 

Tyrion: She's a girl who walked into a fire with three stones and walked out with three dragons. How could she not believe in destiny?

Varys: Perhaps that's the problem. Her life has convinced her that she was sent here to save us all.

In season 1, for all intents and purposes, Daenerys was an ordinary young girl that was forced into awful situations and tried to make the best of them in any way she could. When Drogo died and the dragons were born at the end of season 1, her character arc entered a new phase. She was no longer simply a girl, she was the Mother of Dragons and that made her special and powerful. There’s been continuous emphasis on how special Daenerys is because she brought dragons back into the world and birthed a miracle. Three particular quotes from season 7 summarise this: 

I spent my life in foreign lands. So many men have tried to kill me, I don't remember all their names. I have been sold like a broodmare. I've been chained and betrayed, raped and defiled. Do you know what kept me standing through all those years in exile? Faith. Not in any gods, not in myths and legends. In myself. In Daenerys Targaryen. The world hadn't seen a dragon in centuries until my children were born. The Dothraki hadn't crossed the sea, any sea. They did for me. I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms, and I will.

I never thought that dragons would exist again. No one did. The people who follow you know that you made something impossible happen. Maybe that helps them believe that you can make other impossible things happen. Build a world that's different from the shit one they've always known.

A dragon is not a slave. They were terrifying. Extraordinary. They filled people with wonder and awe, and we locked them in here. They wasted away. They grew small. And we grew small as well. We weren't extraordinary without them. We were just like everyone else.

Like Varys said, Daenerys (and many others) believes she’s special because of her dragons. She said it herself, they make her extraordinary. The problem with this is that Daenerys is not special and the fact that she believes she is has not only given her a superiority complex but also distorted her perception of reality. And this isn’t an attack on Dany, because the point is that it’s not just that Dany isn’t special, it’s that nobody is special. People can be special in the eyes of others. For example, a parent looks at their child and believes they’re special or a person looks at their partner and believes they’re special. But that special-ness is rooted in what that person means to the person who regards them as special. In the wider world and the big picture, no one is special. We’re all the same. Some people have more power than others, like Daenerys; some have greater achievements than others, like Daenerys; some cause spectacular things to happen which some may regard as miracles, like Daenerys, but the fact remains the same she is not special. The fact that she believes herself that she’s special is very concerning, because that leads her to the belief that she’s different and that she can do stuff others can’t. Being special implies being an exception and allows someone to justify their immoral or illegal actions through the fact that they’re special. When you combine Daenerys’ belief that she’s special with the influence and power she has, it becomes even more problematic because she has the agency and licence to do pretty much whatever she likes and she can justify it because she’s special and because she’s a queen.

What’s most interesting about this is that 8x03 deliberately stripped Dany of her dragons and put her in a vulnerable position. She fell off Drogon and found herself in the middle of the battlefield alone and yet she showed great courage, picked up a sword and fought for her life alongside Jorah. Rhaegal also died in 8x04, which further stripped her of a large source of what she regards her power and special-ness. This demonstrates the complexity of Dany’s character. Narratively she’s constructed as a character that’s powerful and special, yet there are moments when that’s taken away and we see her show resilience and strength that comes from within her rather than from her external power e.g. her dragons and armies. Whilst I’m on this subject, I should say that I thought that Dany’s actions in 8x03 completely undermined the idea of “dark!Dany”, which is probably why 8x04 seemed like such a slap in the face to Dany stans. In 8x03 she was a warrior that showed bravery, courage and strength. It’s probably one of the first times that I felt like Dany wasn’t framed as being above everybody else. She was in that battle just as much as every other soldier and despite having Drogon, she wasn’t invincible as we saw from her fall from Drogon and she wasn’t immune from loss, as we saw with Jorah’s death. As someone that has been back and fourth about Dany’s character over the seasons, particularly given the way the D&D started implementing “dark!Dany” in season 7, this episode made me see again that she’s a deserving and capable queen. 

The point of this whole post is to show how unfair it is to blackwash Dany and claim she’s wholly bad, because she has proved more than once that she’s capable of kindness, compassion, empathy and love. But on the other hand, it’s unfair to whitewash her and claim she’s wholly good because she has characteristics that are problematic. As I said at the very start of this, she’s not a bad person, but she is flawed. Therefore, it makes sense that she would take a path that we may consider “dark”. She’s endured so much throughout the seasons and it’s changed her, in positive and negative ways. Just like every other character on the show, the place she’s going to end is going to be very far from where she began. It would be naive to assume that she was going to remain the exact same person she always was or that her “special-ness” and power wouldn’t have repercussions. Her traumas and losses have hardened her; her dragons have made her believe she’s special and has a destiny that has detached her from reality; her victories and achievements have instilled her with a superiority complex and her position as a queen has made her self-assured in her decisions. She has absolute faith in herself and the betrayals she’s experienced mean that the only person she trusts completely is herself. Dany has tried to play fair multiple times - she’s put her quest for the Iron Throne on hold to fight the Great War, she’s given Cersei numerous chances to surrender, and each time it’s only resulted in more losses for her. It’s not hard to understand why her experiences would take her down the path she is currently treading. When someone has as much power as Dany has and has only had negative consequences for not acting on that power, why wouldn’t she then use it to get what she wants? Dany’s experiences of trying to be diplomatic and work in collaboration with others have rarely been successful. So far she’s lost Viserion, Rhaegal, Jorah, Missandei, Jon and there’s now a very real threat to her claim to the Throne, the one thing she’s been working towards for 8 seasons. All that she’s lost has only impassioned her to want the Throne more than ever before. Like Weiss said in Inside the Episode for 8x04: 

“Emotionally, she’s alone in the world and she can’t really trust anybody. Unlike then, she’s extremely powerful and unlike then she’s filled with a rage that’s aimed at one person specifically [Cersei].” 

She’s also realised after 8x04 that ruthlessness is the only way to get what she wants, particularly when facing off against Cersei. It’s clear that Cersei will never relent and that she doesn’t care about what destruction she has to cause to remain queen. The only way to meet such hatred and ruthlessness is to meet it with equal hatred and ruthlessness. It’s not about the “Mad Queen” or even “Dark!Dany”, it’s about Daenerys, the woman, who has suffered devastating losses and injustices using the power she has to fight back and take what she believes is rightfully hers with Fire and Blood. That does not make her a “Mad Queen”, that makes her human.

[wolfqueen-is-here]

“Especially Now”, Jon x Sansa fanfiction

Eh, so I went to the dentist a few days ago to have my wisdom tooth pulled. Despite being on a shitload of anaesthetics/painkillers, I needed a distraction from all the pain, hence - this. (And also I may have found out where the name “wisdom tooth” comes from. Since the extraction I’ve been feeling considerably dumber than usual, I believe that tooth may have contained a huge chunk of my usual eloquence, now irrevocably gone.)

If you prefer reading on ao3, here’s a link.

Title: “Especially Now”

Relationship: Jon/Sansa

Wordcount: 1742

Tags: love confessions (sort of), godswood, post-parentage reveal, mild hurt/comfort, POV Sansa, Post-season 7, before battle

ESPECIALLY NOW

It’s been three days since they learned the truth, and Jon doesn’t seem to be getting better. The Others are closer every day, Bran says, but Jon is either staring at the walls during meetings or he’s disappearing for hours, maybe longer. Even Daenerys Targaryen grows suspicious.

„Lady Sansa, forgive me,” she interrupts her once, smiling kindly. Littlefinger was right, she is the most stunning woman Sansa has ever laid eyes on. The worry suits her, too. Her face becomes softer, almost girly, a shadow of who they all were before the world forced them to grow up. „There are some final arrangements that we need to consult with your brother, but he is nowhere to be found. Would you please ask him to visit Lord Tyrion’s chambers as soon as you see him?”

It’s not even an order, it’s a plea. The Dragon Queen is concerned—and so is Sansa.

She gives Daenerys a brief nod and gets back to her solar to put on her coat. There is only one place where he would seek solace other than the crypts—and he’s definitely not in the crypts, Arya’s already checked.

It’s not possible to sneak up on somebody in the godswood, the snow crunching under Sansa’s feet announces her presence long before she reaches a hunched, miserable creature sitting on one of the roots. He knows that he’s no longer alone, she takes it from the way his shoulders tense up under a leather jerkin.

“If you want to freeze yourself to death, could you please do it after the Night King is defeated?” Sansa asks, and it’s supposed to sound playful but comes out almost mean. She bites her lip, comes a few steps closer, and then covers him with another fur, the one she’s been carrying through Winterfell’s courtyards, raising curious glances.

She lingers a while longer with her hand on Jon’s shoulder. “I’m with you,” she wants to say, but somehow the reassurance refuses to form. They’ve been telling him the same thing for days, why would he decide to listen to her now? He needs to be alone, she knows that, but unfortunately, it’s the last thing they should let him do. They are his family and nothing will change it.

Jon doesn’t move for another two or three minutes, and Sansa begins to consider releasing his shoulder and retreating to the safety of her solar when suddenly he raises his hand and places it over Sansa’s. She’s got her gloves on, but even through thick leather she can feel the icy touch. She glances down and realises that his hand went almost blue from the cold.

“Jon!” she yells at him—or maybe just whispers, it’s all very quiet around here, she wouldn’t want to disturb the gods—and crunches down in front of Jon to force him to look at her. “You need to snap out of this,” she says, a tinge of rebuke in her voice. “We need you. Not in some fight against the dead that we may as well lose even with you leading our armies. We need you as our family. Arya and Bran need you. I need you.”

Jon finally looks at her—and there’s so much pain in his eyes, it almost physically hurts Sansa to see him like that. She takes both of his hands in hers—partly to make him listen to what she has to say more carefully, the touch always seems to work magic between them, and partly to warm them up—and tugs them under her furs, close to her heart.

“I’m sorry that it happened, Jon. I truly am. No one should have to find out such things after years of carefully building their identity around some scraps that turned out to be lies. You might think that I have no idea of what I speak, but I too was always proven to be wrong about everything I wanted to be. It’s offensive to compare these two, I know, but please take it from the deepest, most honest part of my soul: you might not be our brother, but you will always be our family. There’s only four of us left, you and I, and Arya, and Bran. We are the pack. We are a family. We are the Starks.”

“I’m not a Stark,” he says grimly with a hoarse voice. Sansa is certain he’s been crying for the better part of the last few days. She’d do anything to make him understand.

“You are,” she insists. “Don’t be ridiculous. As far as I’m concerned this only proves you are more of a Stark than you’ve been thus far.” Jon doesn’t look away for a second, as if searching for something in her eyes that would make him believe her words. He seems so lost, she just wants to lock him in a tight embrace and never let go. “I know my mother was never kind to you. Your identity was a hurtful lie she died believing, and it breaks my heart to imagine how different our lives might have been in different circumstances. I hope you forgive her, and I hope she forgives Father for what he put her through. But Father… He loved you with all his heart. If you think even for a minute that Ned Stark wasn’t your true parent—” Jon squeezes her hand tight as if he’s clinging to this declaration. “I don’t care whose blood you share. Father risked everything he held dear to give you a good life, to protect you from King Robert’s wrath, from all the enemies who might have come for your head, had they learned the truth. He raised you as his own, and I’m sure he died regretting that the truth was dying with him. You are a Stark on your father’s side, and now you’re a Stark on your mother’s side, too. In fact, you’re more of a Stark than any of us. Arya, Bran, and I are all half-Stark and half-Tully,” she smiles.

And Jon looks at her for a moment with bright eyes—Sansa thinks there might be tears forming in them but it’s something else entirely, something thrilling, challenging even. And then he smiles back. It’s weak and lasts only a mere second, but it’s undeniably there. Jon pulls her closer and buries his face in her furs.

“You don’t have to be kind to me,” he murmurs.

Sansa rolls her eyes.

“Of course I don’t have to be kind to you, you dummy. I choose to be kind to you because I love you,” she says angrily, and to make her point stronger places a soft kiss to the top of his head, not unlike the one he once gifted to her.

They stay like that for a while, hugging tightly, their arms tangled together, Jon breathing into Sansa’s neck and Sansa stroking the top of his head with her nose, until it dawns on them how strange they must look from the outside.

Well, it certainly dawns on Sansa, because when she suddenly pulls back, Jon seems to have been taken by surprise.

“I’m sorry,” he says with a mortified expression, “was I making you uncomfortable?”

“Uncomfortable?” She blinks at him. “Of course not. Why would you make me uncomfortable?”

There’s a long, silent moment when Jon studies her face carefully as if it is the first time he ever sees her. Then he lets go of her hands and hides his own under his cloak.

“If I asked you a question… Would you answer truthfully?”

It should probably offend her that he would think otherwise, but she decides not to comment on that. He’s way too vulnerable to deal with her wounded pride just yet.

Instead, Sansa simply nods.

It seems to be as good an encouragement as any, because Jon makes this stupid face which he uses when he’s being stubborn: like when he insisted on going to a fight with just a bunch of men, or when he declared that he would be riding south to convince Daenerys Targaryen to fight for them. Only this time it’s about something much more personal, she can feel it.

Jon lowers his eyes almost as if he can’t look at Sansa while he asks.

“About what you said earlier.”

Sansa expects him to continue, but that’s all she seems to be getting.

“I said many things, Jon,” she sighs.

“You said you loved me.” Ah, that. “Why?”

His voice is shaking, he sounds almost too afraid to be hopeful. It breaks her heart.

“What do you mean why? I said it because it is how I feel. You are the most important person in the entire world to me.”

Although Sansa has never wondered about it before, she knows in her heart that it’s true. She loves Arya and Bran more than she loves herself, but Jon is the first person she ever loved for who he was and what they shared together, not someone whom she was conditioned to love no matter what. Maybe it was lady Catelyn’s doing. Maybe it was for the better.

Jon still refuses to look her in the eye.

“Even now?” he asks quietly. “Even after it’s been revealed that I’m not your brother?”

“Especially now,” she answers without really giving it much thought. Seeing that he finally raises his head and stares at her, she gives him an encouraging smile and stands up. Turning to get back to the castle, she hears him whisper:

“Sansa.”

Something about the tone of his voice stops her in her tracks. She doesn’t turn back to him, hit by freezing wind from the North. For a short moment Sansa fears that they’re nearing the end at last, that Winterfell might be under attack, but then she hears Jon’s pleading words:

“Especially now?” There’s a thunder coming from afar. Or maybe it’s just the beating of Sansa’s heart? “Why especially?”

And at this moment, witnessed by the old gods, Sansa finally realises.

She loves Jon, yes.

But she’s also in love with Jon.

A terrifying awakening, and one that is followed by the sound of horns from the gates. “They’re here,” Sansa thinks, and Jon looks at her for the last time before he grabs her hand and they run together towards the castle. “Please,” she prays to the gods, “please let us live, so that I may tell him one day.”

[seboostianillustrations-ina-blog]

OC as Companion meme

I was tagged by the wonderful - @witchdoodle, Thank you so much for the tag, dear~ <3

I tag - @keeperscompanionsdai @smolpocketmonstercoffee @marquis1305 @dickeybbqpit @hoehoehoelt @pathcrier @red-wardens @fun-sized-owl  @space-vashoth @elvenbeard @fleshwerks @kurosmind @rennybu @luinquesse @gugle1980 @sassylavellen and anyone who wants to do this. 

 Inquisitor’s Name: Balder Adaar.

Race / Class / Specialization:  Qunari | Warrior (Two handed) | Reaver.

Gender Identity: Male.

Varric’s Nickname for them: Smiley/Beefy.

Short bio:  

A former Karasaad who escaped the Qun after spending his whole childhood growing up under their strict rule. Despite his upbringing, Balder is a optimistic and kind man who doesn’t hesitate to show his soft and warm side, as well as his weakness and trust to his companions. But don’t think that he’s not capable in a fight, Balder may seem nice and kind, but he was trained, through many harsh years, to fight and take hits after hits until he drops. Balder was a secret weapon to the Qun army, which is why they had planned to promote him to a Kathaban; Leader of the Qunari naval forces; the admiral.

(More below cut)

What would their companion card look like?

Initial Card: Balder standing in side profile (Left side), waist up, carrying a two handed axe in his right  hand and a skull spilling crimson red, almost black, liquid down, in his left hand. The shadow of a dragon stalks behind him in side view. 

Loyalty:  Balder (in side view - Left side) kneeling before a armoured Inquisitor’s standing form, his right arm fisted over his heart, his left hand holding onto the Inquisitor’s hand. Balder’s head is bend forward in respect, showing his devotion to the Inquisitor. 

Romanced:  Balder (side view - left side) kissing the palm of the Inquisitor’s bare hand, the anchor glowing giving off a low green shine, a crimson red scarf wrapped around the Inquisitor’s hand. Balder’s eyes are looking up, most likely at the Inquisitor, his orange hued eyes glowing. 

Recruitment mission:  

The Inquisitor will get a strange handwritten letter, when in Val Royeaux. It’s located on the location where they hang people, a mark is shown on the map once you’ve passed it and the cutscene with the Chantry and the Templars are over. Cassandra will comment that it’s strange, that it may be a trap, while Varric critiques the handwriting, saying it’s poorly written. A new location is added to the map. Once they’ve traveled to the location, they’ll enter a small rundown Tavern. It’s bustling with a few drunk patreons and a big tall person, a Qunari, is  seated in a corner. The Inquisitor asks around, but none of the patreons seems to be the person who sent the letter. A drunken man rushes up to the Inquisitor, yelling about how they killed the Divine and caused the big rift in the sky, when the man is about to grab the Inquisitor, a tall frame steps in between them. The man gulps and becomes nervous, he stammers and apolagizes, before turning around and almost tripping himself on the way out the Tavern. The big frame turns and the Inquisitor realizes it’s the Qunari they saw earlier. The Qunari gives them a wide grin, before taking a step back, he bows and apolagizes for the drama, before offering the Inquisitor and his companions a seat. As the Qunari starts to ramble about anything and everything, leaving the Inquisitor and their companions totally baffled at the Qunari’s friendliness and openness, he orders them a drink. Once the drinks arrive, he tells them why he asked for them, admitting he wants to join and serve in the Inquisition. Before the Inquisitor can answer, Balder stops them by sighing heavily and admitting his former rank and life under the Qun, he tells them that he understands if they don’t want a former Qun warrior under their banner. Once he’s finished, he smiles at the Inquisitor again, leaving them with the option to recruit him or decline his offer. 

Where they would be in Skyhold / Haven: In Haven; Balder is on the edge of the forest, by Cullen’s soldiers, he’s facing the sparring Soldiers. 

In Skyhold; Balder can be found standing outside the Tavern, his back leaning against the wall, sometimes he’ll stand away from the wall, going back and forth between the place The Iron Bull stands in the beginning and the front of the Tavern. 

Personal quests:

Quest 1: 

A small boss quest. Once he has got a little more approval toward the Inquisitor, Balder will tell the Inquisitor he he got a letter, concerning a temporary location that can only be open when he mentions it and until the quest is completed. Once in the location, they’ll get to a location where Dragonlings appear, a small battle ensues. Once won, a cutscene will appear of the Inquisitor and their companions, Balder included, they enter a small destroyed village. Balder walks in front, not saying a word, before he turns to the Inquisitor, asking for them to return to Skyhold. When asked about the village, Balder will mention a few parts of his deceased lover, he tells them that his deceased lover grew up in the destroyed village and that he got word of the area being infested with Darkspawn. Balder will tell the Inquisitor to drop the subject and the conversation will end. 

Quest 2: 

When trying to talk to Balder, a cutscene will start, with Leliana running up to the Inquisitor, a letter in her hand, just as the Inquisitor is about to enter the courtyard. She’ll inform the Inquisitor, if asked to, and will tell them that they’ve recieved a letter from the Qun. The Qun is requesting a trade; That the Inquisitor hand them Balder, their former Karasaad, for gaatlok and weapons. The Inquisitor has the option to tell Balder or lie to him, lying will result in disapproval, telling Balder about it will grant them approval. The Inquisitor can choose to do the quest or ignore it, though ignoring it will result in Balder being taken after Corypheus’s defeat. 

If the Inquisitor do choose to do the quest, they’ll find a new location on the map, at the edge of Orlais, north and closer to Tevinter’s borders. A cutscene will ensue once they enter the location, where a general, and a few soldiers, of the Qun army approaches the Inquisitor and his companions, Balder will be visibly tense and uncomfortable, he’ll look nervously at the Inquisitor and back at the General and his men. The General tells the Inquisitor of Balder’s past in the Qun, he tells him about his devotion and loyalty, his immense power and respect amongst the ranks, his rough personality and his treason, by escaping the Qun and killing some of his former friends. The Inquisitor has a few dialogue options, some giving slight approval and slight disapproval from their companions. Any dialogue agreeing and siding with the Qun will give disapproval from Balder and any dialogue that talks down on the Qun also gives disapproval, though it does give approval from Solas. 

At the end of the conversation, the general gives the Inquisitor the ending option; Turn Balder to the Qun and get gatlok and Qun weapons or reject their offer. If accepting the offer, Balder will give great disapproval, and he’ll willingly go over to the General’s side, a few soldiers will roughly grab Balder and take him away, Balder turns his head, his eyes looking emotionless and somehow a little solemn. The General will hand them their weapons and gaatlok, he’ll thank them for the trade and tell the Inquisitor to have a safe journey home. - This option will give the Inquisitor a letter in the Trespasser DLC, saying that Balder was executed or killed during battle, depending on specific dialogue with the Inquisitor.

If rejecting the trade; A battle will ensue, the Inquisitor and their companions have to kill the general and his men. Once complete and back in Skyhold, Balder will ask the Inquisitor for a drink in the Tavern, they’ll have no other option, but o accept. Balder and the Inquisitor will sit down and Balder will order a few drinks on him, he’ll boast about the Inquisitor’s greatness and bravery, before he turns more serious, a grateful smile on his mouth as he looks at the Inquisitor. Balder will thank them and promise them he’ll put their life down for them, he jokes about a few things, before admitting his full belief in the Inquisitor’s success and that he’ll follow them until the end, even after they defeat Corypheus. Balder tells them that his always there if they need him, they just need to send a letter or a messenger to send the word. 

Quest 3:   ROMANCE ONLY! 

Once firted with enough, Balder will be seen entering the Inquisitor’s private quaters as they read reports. He’ll tell them how they keep appearing in his thoughts even when they’re not around, he’ll admit how amazing they are, how brave they are, how good looking they are and how he couldn’t help his heart beating faster every time they entered the room. 

After Balder talks about how he feels for them, he’ll hesitate, before he pulls out a small wrapped gift out of his pant pockets, the big Qunari looks rather bashful as he tells the Inquisitor he specially made it for them. When they open the gift, they’ll see a hammer formed necklace made out of dragon bone. Balder will then admit his feelings for them, telling them how he never thought he’d fall in love again. He’ll tell them that the choice is up to them if they want to persue a relationship with him. 

If declined; Balder will tell them that he respects their choice and will tell them to keep the necklace, the necklace will add + 3 to all stats, he’ll tell them that they’ll stay as friends (close friends if very high approval), before he leaves the room. 

If accepted; Balder will seem almost speechless, before he gently pulls the Inquisitor into a deep kiss, his arms wrapped securely around them as he pushes them back toward the bed, he’ll stop once they’ve stumbled into the bed, giving the Inquisitor to take it slow or dwelve into a passionate night, he’ll respect both options, tho the passionate night will give a additional dialogue, where he mentions how memorable it was to him, and additional companion banter. 

How to get their approval/disapproval:

Break down of his Approval Ratings for Major Missions:

Fate of the Mages Conscript: Slight approval.  Ally: Approval. 

Fate of the Templars Disband: No approval/Disapproval added.  Ally: Slight approval.

Inquisitor’s Lead: A Dwarf/Elf/Qunari Stands for us all:  No approval/Disapproval added. Example as a Mage: Slight Approval. For Faith: Slight Approval. For Order: No approval/Disapproval added. For What’s Right:  Approval. To Stop Corypheus: Approval. For Personal Power: Disapproval. For Vengeance: D|isapproval.

Fate of the Wardens Exile: Disapproval. Ally: Approval.

Ruler of Orlais Gaspard: Disapproval.  Briala: Slight approval. Celene: slight approval. Reunite: Approval. Spare Everyone: Approval. Arrest Florianne: Approval. Save Celene: Slight Approval. Kill Celene: Great disapproval.

Abelas Alliance Ally: Approval.  Reject: Disapproval.

Drink from the Well: Non-Lavellan Inquisitor Drinks: Slight disapproval.  Lavellan Inquisitor Drinks: Slight approval.  Morrigan Drinks: Slight approval. 

Are they romanceable? 

If flirted with enough and high enough approval, yes. 

Can you have sex with them? 

If Inquisitor is offering, yes.

Are they open to polyamoury?

If all partners are involved in one relationship, yes. 

If they can be romanced and are not, will they begin a relationship / relationships with other character(s)? If so, who?

If romanced; The option to add another love interest in their relationship is open, though he’ll be unsure about Solas, if he’s picked. 

If not romanced; Balder will enter a relationship with Cassandra (if she’s not romanced.) If Cassandra is romanced by the Inquisitor, he’ll enter a polyamorous relationship with The Iron Bull and Dorian. 

Extra Banter will be added, depending on the Inquisitor’s romances. 

who are they friendly with?

Balder is very friendly with everyone, but that doesn’t mean he gets along with one certain companion; Solas, the two butt heads often, mostly because Solas judges him for his past in the Qun. The Inquisitor has the option to tell the two to make up and they’ll start to lessen the disputes, eventually settling into a tiny mutuality over knowledge for magic and the fade. 

Who do they dislike?

No one other than Corypheus.

Side Missions: None.

Opinions on mages / templars / how the world is going to shit? 

Balder can see reason as to why the two sides have their own opinions etc, and he can relate to both, but Balder sides more to the mages, due to his close friendships with several Dalish Keepers from different clans. All in all, Balder just wants to help save the world and help settling it down. 

Something guaranteed to make them leave the party:

If turned to the Qun in The Iron Bull’s companion quest and Balder’s companion quest. 

Special Events:

Imprisoned at Redcliffe: How is your Inquisitor holding up in Redcliffe, being slowly infected with red lyrium over the course of a year?

Balder seem very pained after a whole year of endless torture and painful experiments. When you enter the room his cell is in, you’ll hear loud banging on the wall and low growls echoing in the room, the walls shake under the loud hammering in the walls. When you engage him into a talk, Balder will stop banging his head against the wall, deep cracks can be seen where Balder has repeatedly smashed his forehead into every wall. The big Qunari turns his head, before he turns his whole body. He’ll joke about seeing things and seem frustrated and pained as he craddles his head in his arms. Deep scars run up and down the sides of his head, a few red lyrium crystals growing on his shoulders and down the left side of his back. The Inquisitor has the option to seem worried, which he’ll reply with sarcasm and spite, totally unlike his usual kind and warm nature, or they can tell him they’re not dead, which he’ll reply with disbelief, mumbling to himself before telling them he’ll help them, and die in the process. 

At the Winter Palace: Does your Inquisitor enjoy the party, any special events with them at the Palace?

Balder will seem strangely relaxed and at home. He’ll comment on how the Orlesians amuse him with their attempts at talking down at him, some flirting with him and failing and some even having attempted to poisen his drink. Balder will admit he’d rather be fighting or working, rather than standing around trying to seem big and strong to the Orlesians. 

If romanced and asked to dance; Balder will seem a little surprised, but gladly accept the offer, he’ll tell them how excited he is to dance with someone as lovely as them. 

If Cassandra (not romanced) is in the Winter Palace; Balder will subtly hint that he’s going to ask her for a dance. He’ll gush over how cute she is when she blushes and chuckle. 

If The Iron Bull/Dorian or both are in the Winter Palace; Balder will say he’ll ask them for a dance, if both are in the team, Balder will admit he’d love to dance with them both, at the same time, hinting at something more intimate and passionate than dancing.

In the Fade: Your Inquisitor’s reaction upon entering the Fade? Archdemon’s taunt, and Inquisitor’s response? Epitaph on their grave?

Balder will seem confused as to how they ended up there and how they’re still alive, but he seems oddly indifferent about being in the Fade, adding a few small facts about demons as they go deeper and deeper into the fade. 

The nightmare will taunt him in Qunlat, most of it is about his former life, Balder will growl ferally and reply in Qunlat, ending the taunt with a very sarcastic retort to it’s taunt.

Trespasser: What is your Inquisitor up to two years after Corypheus’ defeat? Any special events with them over the events of Trespasser?

Balder is still loyally fighting under the Inquisitor’s side, not leaving their side, though he does disappear for a week or two unnoticed, when he returns, he’s missing one of his horns and he’s got a long deep scar on the side of his head, from the base of his horn down to his neck. 

First talking to Balder will open a small cutscene where the Inquisitor and Balder talk casually about tactics or about other things, options are left up to you. 

If romanced, you have the option to propose or tell him about the possibilities of marriage, Balder will seem shocked, before he smiles broadly and pulls them into a hug, he’ll tell them that he’d love to spend the rest of his life with the love of his live. He’ll then pull them into a deep passionate kiss. 

If not romanced with Cassandra (Not divine) or Balder; Balder will propose to Cassandra in the location she stands, she’ll be shocked, then jump into his arms. Balder and Cassandra will happily hug until they see the Inquisitor smiling at them. Balder will chuckle as Cassandra turns flustered and he invites the Inquisitor to their wedding. 

If Cassandra is Divine and in a relationship with Balder; A scene where Balder is on top of one of the banconies, leaning agains the reiling, looking out at the landscape. The Inquisitor will join him and he’ll tell them how he and Cassandra decided to end their relationship, because of her new title and devotion. The Inquisitor can be supportive or unsupportive of their choices, though none of them will affect any approval. 

If Balder is with The Iron Bull and Dorian; Balder can be seen walking up to the two and kissing them both, he’ll say something to them, before he notices the Inquisitor and leaves his partners. Balder will tell the Inquisitor how happy he is with The Iron Bull and Dorian and how they plan to move in with Dorian and support him when he becomes a magister. 

Other Major Events: Any other major events that happen with them over the course of the main game?

If high enough approval, Balder will tell the Inquisitor more about his past and his deceased lover. 

Balder will eventually admit he’s affected by High Dragons, if flirted will in this Dialogue, Balder will seem more daring, telling them bluntly what will happen if they try to seduce him after a High Dragon battle. 

[beautifultypewriter]

Stark Girl ~ Podrick Payne ~ Part Four

Requested: No

Warnings: Language

Word Count: 1,699

Pairing: Podrick Payne x fem!stark!reader

Summary: Podrick has a very important question for the reader, but he must speak to the King in the North first.

A/N: You know what I realized about this series? Each part can be read on its own without confusion. Also I’m not going to lie, this is my favorite part of Stark Girl. I got a little emotional when I was writing it. I just love Podrick so much. Also I want to apologize for the last like 3 fics being centered on marriage. I guess I’m just in a mood. Send me some requests! 

Things in Winterfell had been running smoothly since Jon Snow had been named King in the North by the other northern lords. He was still easing into the role with help from both of his sisters. When you weren’t busy helping your brother, you were with Podrick. Most of the time you two were out in the open, walking through Winterfell together or dining in the main hall, so you had to keep a proper distance and expectations of what the relationship between a squire and lady should be. It didn’t stop you from smiling at him though. Your eyes would light up when you looked at him and his heart beat wildly as every secret you ever shared passed silently between you with a smile. He wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world, but he knew he wanted more. He also knew that it was very unlikely that he would ever be allowed to have more. Because while his love for you grew every day, he was sure that the people around you wouldn’t look at your potential relationship as favorable. He knew what he was and what his place in the world was. His place was not beside someone like Y/N Stark. You were essentially a princess now and princesses don’t marry squires. Still, all he had ever done was love and protect you and shouldn’t that be enough? It was the never-ending battle that waged itself in Pod’s head every night. He knew that you didn’t belong together, but he hoped that he could convince everyone else otherwise.  

 So he found himself pacing in front of the wooden doors leading to the solar where Jon Snow sat, likely devising battle plans or designing new defenses for the north. Podrick knew that he needed to discuss his intent to marry you with your family first and since your father and older brother were gone, he figured that your bastard brother would be the next one to go to. Also, knowing that if there was anyone in this world that knew about rising above their station, it was Jon Snow, did bring Podrick some comfort. He stopped pacing and turned to the door. Taking a deep breath, he reached up and knocked twice on the solid oak, waiting patiently for a voice to call out and tell him to enter. As soon as he heard it, he pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Jon Snow was stood in front of the desk, looking over various scrolls and other papers, but he turned upon Podrick’s entry. He wasn’t alone as Podrick had hoped he would be. Ser Davos Seaworth was standing on the other side of the desk and he looked up at Podrick when the door closed. He tried not to let the extra person deter him as he cleared his throat, “Your grace, I don’t mean to interrupt your work, but I wondered if I’d be able to speak with you.” He bowed his head and he heard the king sigh.

 When he looked up, Jon was nodding at him, though he looked uncomfortable with the formalities, “You’re Lady Brienne’s squire, Podrick, right?”

 Podrick nodded, “Yes, your grace, I helped her on her quest to find and protect your sisters.”

 Jon was halfway turned back to the desk, “I thank you for protecting them. Y/N and Sansa have great respect and trust for you and your lady. What is it that you wanted to discuss?” Podrick could feel the nerves settling in his stomach.

 He clasped his hands behind his back, “It actually concerns Y/N.”

 Jon had dropped the scroll onto the desk, and he took two quick strides forward, “Is she alright?”

 Podrick nodded frantically, “Yes, she’s fine.” Jon visibly relaxed, but Podrick was still on edge, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The king only shook his head and motioned for the squire to continue. Pod took a steadying breath and looked around the room. Both men were staring at him, Jon with a curious expression and Ser Davos with a knowing one. It was like he knew exactly what was going on in Pod’s mind and it only served to make him more nervous. He looked away from the Onion Knight and back to the King in the North, “I love your sister very much.” Jon looked surprised, but Pod kept talking, “I know I’m not a lord or a knight and I’m not worthy of her affection, but she has given it to me. It has been the greatest privilege of my life to love Y/N and be loved by her and now…now I want to be her husband.” Podrick couldn’t stop himself and as no one else was going to halt his rambling, he kept going, “I don’t come from a great house and I know I may not deserve to call Y/N Stark my wife, but I can promise that no harm would ever come to her and she would never feel alone or unloved.” As his speech winded down, the room fell into silence. Jon was staring at him with furrowed brows and Ser Davos was smiling to himself, evidently, he found Podrick pouring his heart out to be amusing. Podrick however was no where near amused and the longer the silence stretched on, the redder the tips of his ears became. Finally, Jon seemed to gain control of his mind as his expression relaxed and he took a breath.

 Clicking his jaw, the King in the North stared at Podrick, “You said my sister loves you?”

 Podrick nodded and despite his throat feeling quite dry, he managed a response, “Yes, your grace, I did say that.”

 Jon nodded, “Well if that is true and she wishes to take you as her husband then I see no reason why you shouldn’t be wed.” Podrick stood still, his back stiff and his arms tense at his sides. Had he heard what he thought he did? He stared back at Jon who had allowed a small smile to form on his lips. Podrick stayed where he was, his mouth opening and closing with no indication that words would find him anytime soon. Ser Davos chuckled quietly, but it was enough to break the squire from his reverie.

 He looked all around before his eyes landed on Jon again, “Thank you. I…I um,” he spun slightly in his spot, not knowing what he should do now.

 Jon’s smile got wider, “You should go speak to Y/N now.”

 Podrick grinned at the mention of your name, “Yes,” he looked at Jon again, “Yes, thank you.” Then he was out the door and bounding down the empty corridor in search of his future bride. Podrick knew that you would be with your sister, checking on Winterfell’s needs, so he made his way out to the courtyard, hoping you were out speaking with the people. He stumbled every so often, his pace too quick for his mind; his mind that was still reeling from his talk with Jon. As Podrick made it to the courtyard, it didn’t take him long to spot the two Stark sisters, standing side by side. His grin widened as he saw you laugh at some joke you had made to cheer your sister up. He moved quickly towards you, weaving between the crowd of people that were working. As he drew nearer to you, you turned, and your eyes softened as they landed on him. He stopped right in front of you, his smile still intact.

 You nodded to him, “Hello Podrick.” He wanted this to be romantic, he really did, but seeing you there and knowing what he did, his brain short circuited and he leaned down and kissed you. He kissed you as your sister stared on in amused shock and some of the others around you stared in confusion and surprise. You pulled back quickly with wide eyes, your hand on his chest, “Podrick, what are you doing?” You looked around at the faces of everyone who had just seen this large slip-up.

 Podrick only shook his head, “My apologies, my lady, but I’ve just been to speak with your brother.”

 You looked at him confused, “My brother?”

 He nodded, still grinning, “Yes, will you walk with me?” He held his arm out and you looked back to your younger sister. Sansa smiled and nodded to you, so you turned back and took Podrick’s arm. He led you away from the prying eyes of everyone in the courtyard and towards the glass garden. You walked together in silence, not wanting to be overheard by the people you were passing, but as soon as you two were alone within the glass walls of the garden, Podrick was kissing you again. You kissed him back quickly before pulling away.

 “What’s gotten into you?”

 Podrick grinned as he took both of your gloved hands in his own, “I’ve been to speak with your brother.”

 You giggled, “Yes, you said that already.” Podrick’s ears turned red and you giggled again, “What did you two speak about?”

 “About you.”

 You were taken aback, “Me?”

 Podrick nodded as he pulled you closer to himself, “Yes, about how much I love you.” His ears were burning brightly now, and you could feel your own blush forming on your cheeks. Podrick was becoming more nervous as he thought about what he was about to do. You could see the uncertainty seeping into his eyes, so you smiled gently and squeezed his hands. Podrick smiled down at you, “My lady, Y/N, will you do me the greatest honor and be my wife?” Your smile dropped and your eyes flew open. Podrick fidgeted as you replayed his words in your mind, making sure you had heard him correctly. Then you were smiling again, and your lips were on his. Podrick kissed you back with the same amount of passion and intensity before you were pulling away again.

  Brushing your nose against Podrick’s, you smiled at him, “Yes, of course.” He stared into your eyes as he released your hands and wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you into another loving kiss.

[jugaddict]

Riverdale Marriage Types

Okay, so since I am your basic sociology major, I couldn’t help but try to classify our beloved Riverdale characters into sociological theorems. 

As a fandom we can all seem to agree that 99% of the Riverdale parents suck (Except Fred Andrews, our resident adult hero) or at the very least, have very lackluster parenting skills. This is interesting in it’s own sense because not one of the main characters other than Archie (who had a simple Troy Bolton complex arc with his dad) don’t have a strained relationship with their parents. 

What is even MORE interesting is the obvious strains in each set of parents marriages. 

In order to try and and understand the behaviour of Riverdale’s parents, I’m going to attempt to identify which marriage type the couples fall into based on Cuber and Harroff’s 1965 models. My analysis for this little project is heavily based on season 1 and the first two episodes of season 2. 

The first thing to understand that marriages are categorized into two types. Utilitarian and Intrinsic. The majority of marriages in the world are utilitarian. If you live in North America, this might come as a surprise because of the huge cultural and societal emphasis to marry your true love. Marriage is romanticized in television and depicted mostly as intrinsic. 

None of Riverdale’s marriages are intrinsic according to my analysis. 

Ok so let’s get this started. 

Alice and Hal Cooper - Devitalized Marriage

Hal and Alice were actually the easiest one for me to classify. 

A devitalized marriage is when a couple is typically married for several years but has lost it’s spice and meaning. Both partners were once deeply in love but it has fizzled. Time together is spent more often on “duty time” which puts their focuses on children, property, and reputation. Despite the bleak satisfaction, the marriage remains stable.

This screamed the Coopers to me. Alice and Hal were high school sweethearts, as Betty said in season 1. I honestly do believe that they were in love, despite bumps along the way (Alice giving up her first born for adoption, etc.) We see how they bicker and fight, however Alice’s top priorities are indeed her success at The Register, Betty’s success and the Cooper reputation as a whole. Although the means to maintain the reputation are questionable: They sent Polly away after discovering she is pregnant and made a town announcement in front of a church to inform the town about Polly’s pregnancy when she returned; Hal went as far as to break into Sheriff Keller’s office to conceal information that would damage the family’s image.

I’d also like to stress the utilitarianism functions this marriage has, economically. Established in 1x10, Alice grew up on the South Side. Marrying Hal allowed her to shed her south high skin (so to speak) to gain higher social status. 

Penelope and Clifford Blossom - Passive Congenial Marriage 

While Clifford is no longer alive, we can piece together the kind of relationship he had with Penelope based on their conversations and behaviour to each other and their children in season 1. 

I placed their marriage as Passive-Congenial. This type of marriage emphasizes qualities other than emotional closeness, and never expected marriage to encompass emotional intensity. Rather, partners engage in casual companionship. The union is centered around the sensibility of marriage as well as a huge focus behind financial stability. 

From what we can tell, Penelope is unemployed. This suggests her dependency of Clifford rests in her desire of affluence rather than love. (This can be debated though, as it was established that Penelope was wealthy even in high school. Hermione tells Cheryl “You’re mother also couldn’t tell the difference between having money and having class” Whichever way you’d like to see it, her wealth only vastly multiplied with her marriage to a Blossom). We never saw Clifford or Penelope share any mutual care for each other. They sat next to each other, ate together, and spewed the word “Blossom” more than anything else. Clearly financial stability (read luxury) was at the crux of the Blossom’s priorities. To the extent their children would be abused (and killed) if they stood in their way of abundant success. An argument can even be made that Penelope was chosen as a suitable wife for Clifford because of her hair colour, in which the very image of the Blossoms could be maintained through the lineage of their children. This reinforces the “sensibility” notion of their marriage. Furthermore, Penelope showed far more raw emotion at her mansion/estate being engulfed in flames than from her own husband’s funeral. “Why are you crying, you hated him” She says to Cheryl, while she herself had dry eyes. 

Hermione and Hiram Lodge - Conflict Habituated

I wasn’t quite sure how to classify Hiram and Hermione just because we were only just introduced to Hiram as a character, and might have been given unreliable narration about Hiram’s intentions throughout the first season. Their relationship is tricky because although Hermione maintains her unwavering loyalty to her husband despite his crimes, she seems to flip from having power in her relationship (making it appear like an egalitarian marriage in which both partners are well aware of what they are doing) to being frustratingly manipulated and under the control of her husband. We will see as the seasons progress. 

As it stands right now, I put them in a tentative Conflict- Habituated marriage. This is when the marriage has considerable tension, unresolved conflict, both spouses acknowledge incompatibility or tension as normal and do not attempt to solve or expect to resolve differences. The relationship as a whole is still very stable. 

Clearly Hermione was uncomfortable with being stripped from some of her wealth and her husband being jailed, “Baby, we are guilty”  she snaps at Veronica and breaks down and sobs when things look sour. But she doesn’t let it drag her down. She tries to make her own business decisions, working at Pops Diner and doing business with Fred despite knowing her husband would disapprove. However, the moment her husband is back in town, she defends him, lies for him and behaves incredibly submissive. Is it pretend? Is it real? We don’t know. What we can boil it down to is that there is some conflict, this relationship is not all sunshine and roses (will Hermione ignore it as she has been so far or fight against it?) and ultimately the extent of this will soon unfold as we see them interact more together on screen. 

Mary and Fred Andrews - (Dissolved) Vital Marriage

Ok so I cheated a little because I said none of the marriages in Riverdale were intrinsic. But Mary and Fred are separated and planning a divorce so for the sake of simplicity I’ll consider them as no longer married. So. When they were together I believe they were in a vital marriage. 

A vital marriage is when two partners define being together as being intensely enjoyable and important. Conflicts are likely to center around real issues and there is a focus on individual autonomy. The minority of marriages in the world are vital and they are in fact very hard to maintain, especially in North American culture where the value of marriage in juxtaposed with individual happiness, in which if a partner is not feeling happy, rather than trying to solve conflicts in the marriage, they leave the marriage. 

I believe this is what happens with Mary and Fred. This doesn’t mean that they don’t both still care for each other or even dislike each other. Clearly Mary has made a life for herself out of Riverdale, perhaps restless from being tied down to such a small town (lmao I don’t blame her I wouldn’t want to be Riverdale’s resident lawyer right now). She makes an appearance twice, reevaluating her choices about leaving her son behind when she realizes Archie may not be be safe alone with his father, showing concern for the family she left and even taking phsyical care for Fred after he is injured. 

So basically, even though somehow even though they have to worst “marriage” in the sense of marriage as an institution, they still have arguably the best, healthiest interpersonal relationship out of all the parents on the show. Way to go Andrews!

Sierra and Myles McCoy - Conflict- Habituated

Once again, my guess for this one is as good as yours. I placed this marriage as a conflict-habituated union. Similarly to Hermione and Hiram, Myles is largely absent throughout season 1 which makes it difficult to analyze the relationship. The difference between Myles and Hiram however lies in Myles’s behavior towards his family when he did show up. It is clear from the get-go that Sierra and Myles have relatively different world views.  Sierra tells Josie in 1x06 that she’d hate for Josie to let her father down because if she did “He will somehow blame me” Myles disagrees with Josie pursuing music despite being a professional jazz player himself, whereas his wife is supportive. When together, their conversations were brief, but tense, and Myles ended up walking out on his daughter’s performance mid-act, as well as his wife, who he was attending the event with, and didn’t want him to go. This mutual tension is what flagged me as identifying the marriage as conflict-habituated because we see no attempt between Mr and Mrs to resolve any issues they have. They seem to just live on separately, together. 

Gladys and FP - Who knows???

I can’t classify these two because the only thing we know about them is that Gladys left FP and Jughead behind to live with her parents in Toledo (and also is refusing to visit her suffering son… not a fan). There’s also this mention about hospital bills. Not sure who was in the hospital. Jellybean? Gladys? Not clear. I’ll be honest I can’t even find any proof that these two were married. (Does FP wear a ring??) What we do know is that before FP was arrested he told Jughead he’d make an effort to win his mother and sister back, which might lean towards looking at another devitalized marriage? Not sure. I won’t put a label on it. 

That’s the end! Hoped you liked this! Feel free to comment or send me an ask on this is you have any insight. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did putting it together! :)  

[mairiangel]

A Test of Patience

Summary: Lord Baelish’s words are starting to grate on his nerves though Jon tried to remain unaffected, something broke when those words left the man’s mouth and the next thing he knew, he was choking him. Based on the Game of Thrones Season 7 Official Trailer.

Relationship: Jon Snow & Sansa Stark

AO3 Link: x

Notes: This is what I though is happening based on the spoilers and jonsa tumblr fans’ ideas...? There is also a link for the AO3 one if you liked that format. This is a oneshot.

He was taking a short brisk walk towards the crypts to gather some courage to face the power thrust onto him. His footsteps were barely audible as he tried not to disturb anyone who might have the mind to visit the place though he doubted anyone would lounge around here still it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.

 And then he felt something watching him, Jon tensed, and after a second, he craned his neck to see who it was but was surprised to see nothing of sorts, the corridors were completely empty except him, he shifted on his feet and returned his gaze back in front of him. First time visiting the crypts after a long time and someone is trying to haunt him, he hoped it was just his imagination.

 Jon continued his walk, idly observing the path before him as his thoughts wondered around his current dilemma. He doesn’t really know if he had what it takes to be the designated king that they wanted him to be, he knew it was not his rightful place and instead it should belong to his sister yet she didn’t do anything to prevent the declaration of the lords.

 He let out a barely audible sigh, one hand reaching to his side of the head as he contemplated whether or not this really is the best course of action—he felt like this authority doesn’t really belong to him, he was just the bastard son of the Lord Stark of Winterfell, nothing of significance and nothing to inherit.

 But yet, he was suddenly being given the title of King—not just any king but the King in the North—somehow, that made it more complicated and frightening, their expectation of him to guide them would all be drenched when they learned that he doesn’t exactly know how to rule like a king, this should have been Robb, not him.

 But Robb is dead, and only his siblings are left to rule Winterfell.

 “I see you’re having quite a problem,” Jon tensed, one hand falling to his scabbard as he spun around to face the threat only to step back as his gaze took in the sight of the man he was tempted to avoid at all costs.

 Standing there, in black, was Littlefinger.

 He fought back the urge to walk away and instead let go of the handle of his sword as Jon straightened and gave a sharp nod. “Lord Baelish, what can I do for you?” Just staring at the man’s eyes is enough for him to become repulsed, this is the man that Sansa had warned him about not to trust at all costs.

 Jon can see why, even without anything suggesting that the lord was a threat—there was this aura around him that spoke of confidence that made someone like him uncomfortable just being in the same vicinity as him. And then he remembered another reason why he doesn’t like this man, he is the one that sold Sansa to the Boltons.

 It was suddenly harder for him to stay still, he clenched his fists to prevent him from doing anything untoward against the man, Sansa wanted this man around—he doesn’t know why but she seemed to be scheming something as of late, he was not aware if it has something to do with the welfare of the Winterfell or this man.

 “Shall we say,” Littlefinger drawled out, his gaze penetrating him as he regarded the man in front of him. “A proposition.” At those words, Jon immediately became on guard, trying to see if something is amiss as he returned the man’s gaze with one of his gazes that would guarantee to make someone uneasy though it seems the Lord was unaffected by it, just staring at him in concealed amusement.

 He doesn’t trust this man one bit, something just screamed deceit within him and Jon knows enough to trust his instinct when it comes to things like this however he knew better than to deny the man the chance to speak his thoughts, so Jon let it be, raising an eyebrow as he said. “What kind of proposition?”

 “When all hope had been lost, the Knights of the Vale had come to your rescue and greatly increased the odds of winning the battle against the Boltons,” Littlefinger paused, observing the man in front of him with a keen eye. Jon bit back a sigh of annoyance, if the man would just spit it out and get out of his way before something untoward happens then everything would be a normal day though it seemed that the man in front of him had this sudden goal of lingering as long as possible.

 Jon nodded as he processed his words, he bit out. “I am grateful for your help, Lord Baelish.” Maybe if you hadn’t sold Sansa to the Boltons then I would have been more grateful for your help. He mentally shook his head at that though as he raised a brow and asked. “Though what does this have to do with your proposition?”

 If there is anything he can do to shove the Lord out of the way and packing then we would give him anything just to see him back in the Vale where he was supposed to be and not loitering around Winterfell where he can always be seen looming around Sansa.

 That was another thing he had been burying deep within his mind, Littlefinger is always around Sansa—talking with her, walking with her and who knows what, it had been eating at him but he doesn’t let it show and although he wanted to ask Sansa why she is letting the man near her, something seemed to be stopping him and he doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or a dreadful thing.

 “All I asked for return is Lady Sansa’s hand.”

 Jon blinked, a look of confusion on his face as he tried to analyze those words and after a moment, his confusion turned to distrust and wariness as he narrowed his eyes and regarded the man in front of him. “No.” Suddenly, as if things are coming to place—he now realized all the things that Littlefinger has been doing around here, the way he looked at Sansa and the fact that he still hadn’t returned back to the Vale.

 Littlefinger gave him that deceptively polite smile though his eyes tell a different story. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

 Jon bit his lips to keep from scoffing, this man is downright insane. Who would give Sansa away to someone that had made her life more miserable than it already is. “No.” His eyes still narrowed as he repeated those words, he would die first before he would give his sister to Littlefinger.

 “I’m afraid you don’t seem to understand the situation, milord.” Littlefinger said, the word ‘milord’ rolling off his tongue with a hint of mockery that Jon was sure is intended. “With House Stark marrying the Lord Protector of the Eyrie and the Vale, it would increase your army by tenfold, after all, the Knights of the Vale are more well-off than most of the other armies in Westeros, they hadn’t participated in war for years while the other houses had their armies took great damage from the War of the Five Kings.”

 Jon didn’t budge, his hands clenching on either side of his body as he stared at the man. So, this is why he is still here in Winterfell? This was his plan all along? He couldn’t believe that this man arriving is the reason they even survived the battle against the Boltons, fate really is cruel.

 “It isn’t my decision to force Sansa to remarry once more after what you set her into.” He wouldn’t let Littlefinger have his way, he promised to protect Sansa and she may not believe that he could protect her—he would still show to her that she doesn’t need to worry about those kinds of men anymore because he would do anything to prevent her from succumbing to that fate Littlefinger had thrown her into.

 Even with all those dismissals, Littlefinger still had the nerve to look at him straight in the eye as he continued to convince him. “You don’t seem to notice, milord, but I would take care of Lady Sansa unlike her previous husband.” He said those words as if he would believe them.

 Jon fought the urge to assault him as he tried to calm down, this man is just begging to be punched in the face. Take care of her? How can he take care of her when he himself is the one that sold her to the abusive husband and if the rumors were true about Littlefinger—that no information escape his notice—then that must had mean that the behavior of the Bolton Bastard hadn’t escaped his notice.

 Just thinking about that is making his blood boil, he tried to take a deep breath and closed his eyes—he is fighting the urge to break the bones of this man, he reminded himself that it would be fruitless to antagonize the man as it would only result to Sansa becoming disappointed at his attitude but he really wanted to hurt him.

 “The difference between Lord Bolton and I is simple, milord.” Littlefinger started, his gaze penetrating towards the man in front of him as Jon opened his eyes to stare him down, daring him to say anything. Baelish let the corners of his mouth curved upwards as he regarded the man before him and then he said those words.

 “I love Sansa.”

 And then the next thing Littlefinger knew is those hands choking him, a look of surprise overtaking his features as he stared down at the man glaring up at him with the eyes of someone with vengeance. It was silent for a moment, their gazes meeting with each other—one of disbelief, the other, of furious. And then the boy’s eyes darkened as he responded to his words.

 “You dare tell me that after everything she had endured because of your decision?!” Jon glared, his hands tightening around the neck of this vile man. How dare he declared those words as if he hadn’t done anything wrong to her? Didn’t make her life as miserable as possible? How can he say that he loves her when he only saw her as a pawn for his to move?

 “You love her yet you make her suffer? You don’t know the scars she had received! The nightmare engraved on her dreams because of your affection, tell me, how can you say you love her when you further ruined her already shattered life?!” Jon watched the man squirm, trying to escape his hold but he was having nothing of it, tightening his hold as tight as possible.

 Littlefinger tried to respond, gasping for air as he vehemently observed. “Jon?” The sudden voice made him falter, he turned around and saw Sansa walking down their path with an unreadable look on her face as she analyzed the scene before her and then promptly shook her head.

 “Don’t let it get to your head.” She said, her gaze remained towards him. With a reluctant huff, Jon released him and watched Littlefinger took a huge gulp of breath as he pressed a hand on his neck.

 Jon pressed his lips to a thin line and focused his attention towards her though she had her gaze narrowed towards Littlefinger before she turned around and caught his gaze. “You need to rest, let us take a walk outside to calm your head.” She said as she started walking without a second glance towards the Lord Baelish.

 He stared at her before he returned his gaze towards the man and gave him one final look of warning.

 If it weren’t for Sansa, he wouldn’t have stopped.

Notes: I cannot wait for Season 7 like seriously, my body is ready.

[occasionalfics]

Vuelie, part v

Summary: Anna and Kristoff return from their honeymoon, so they get to meet Sir Andrew! Also, an oudated law supposes that Elsa needs to be married to rule a country, Princess Diaries 2-style.

Note: This part just became unreasonably long. I knew where I wanted it to go and what I wanted to happen, but getting there was the hard part. Also apparently Tumblr messed up the formatting and at some point the posts stopped being indented.

~~~

Elsa quietly counted down the days until Anna and Kristoff’s return. When the day finally came, she waited at the docks on the fjord in a dress she hoped would remind Anna of Arendelle summers, though she wasn’t sure why she felt the need to express that to her sister. For once in her life, her silvery blonde hair was mostly down, cascading around her shoulders, clearly passing her elbows but just barely missing her wrists. There were little braids that tied together in the middle of her head, though, mostly to hold her bangs back so that she could see the sun glinting on the water.

           When their ship sailed into view, Elsa felt her heart pound and her stomach drop, usually things she attributed to bad feelings. But this wasn’t bad – this was absolutely splendid. She had the biggest smile on her face that she could imagine, and suddenly she realized she wasn’t alone on the docks. The fjord was lined with Arendelle’s citizens, all waiting to welcoming their Prince and Princess home.

           However, it was no surprise who happened to make his way to the front of the crowd, to stand right beside Elsa. Andrew Da- or simply Andrew, rather, was looking more and more the picturesque Arendelle citizen he seemed to think he was every day. He wore the hand-made clothes and learned traditional dances and phrases, and he seemed to fit right into the life of the kingdom. He’d managed to get under Elsa’s good graces since their last meeting, mostly by showing her how he controlled his magic. And gradually she was learning to control hers, while simultaneously beginning to actually trust an outsider.

           But being at the docks was not about Andrew or how he made himself comfortable in Arendelle. Elsa didn’t necessarily need to remind herself of that – she simply looked out at the fjord and smiled as her sister’s ship drew nearer. She didn’t even see Andrew lean over to her slightly.

           “You look absolutely stunning, Your Majesty,” he said. Elsa didn’t look at him as she responded, and her smile hardly faltered.

           “I told you to call me Elsa.”

           “You told me to call you Elsa within the confines of your palace, between the two of us. Now we’re in public at a very open event – it’s proper for me to address you as anyone else would.”

           Elsa had to hold herself back from saying that he wasn’t just anyone else, even if she felt it with all she had. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what relationship she’d formed with Andrew, but she knew that he was quickly becoming a close friend of hers. Elsa herself could hardly believe it, considering she had sworn against trusting men from other countries so fast after what had happened with Hans (then again, it wasn’t Elsa that had trusted Hans at all; it’d been Anna that had accepted his proposal after having only known the Prince for a matter of hours).

Still, after having called him back to the palace every day since their first private meeting, she had to admit that he was nothing like what she remembered of Hans. If Andrew was greedy and power hungry as the Prince was, he was much more patient about it. Where Hans had nearly killed Elsa with her hand-made (or rather magic-made) chandelier on the North Mountain, Andrew barely raised a hand while around her, only doing so to show how he did his own magic without losing control of it.

Almost all thoughts of Andrew left her mind the second the ship pulled up to the docks. When it was steadied, a large wooden plank was placed on the side, and in seconds Anna was running (and tripping) down. Elsa, losing all composure in one swift move, ran towards her sister. She held her skirts in her hands as she moved onto the wooden dock, then dropped them and threw her arms around Anna.

“I missed you so much,” Elsa said, holding Anna as tightly as she could. The younger sister coughed just a bit, letting Elsa know that she couldn’t really breathe.

“We missed you too,” Anna offered back. She leaned backwards just a bit and each of them took the other in.

Anna looked tanned and vibrant. She smelled of salt and chocolate, and new freckles had formed across her nose and cheeks. Her brownish-red hair was tied into one loose braid that hung over one of her shoulders, and little flyaway hairs blew slightly in the breeze. But it wasn’t Anna’s differences that Anna was focusing on.

“Your hair is down,” she said. She reached out and ran her fingers through a chunk of Elsa’s blonde hair, her face one of disbelief. “You look good, Elsa.” A playful smirk played itself upon Anna’s face. Elsa, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and smiled.

Kristoff came up behind Anna then and wrapped his arms around her middle openly. He also looked tanned, his hair a few shades lighter than Elsa remembered, and extremely happy.

“Good to see you, Elsa,” he said with a polite nod.

“You two have no idea how happy I am to see you,” she replied. They all agreed to head back to the palace for some tea before Elsa’s meeting with the court later that afternoon. The minute they were off of the wooden dock, Anna and Kristoff were surrounded by the townsfolk. Anna hugged many of the women and shook hands with many of the men; Kristoff smiled and held Anna’s hand the entire way to the palace – and without having been noticed, Andrew Davies had followed them.

“Your Majesty,” he called rather loudly to be heard over the excited citizens. Elsa turned around as he caught up with her, but Kristoff and Anna continued through the gate. “There’s something we really need to discuss.”

“I’m sorry, Andrew, but it’ll have to wait,” she responded. Elsa turned to head through the gate, but Andrew grabbed hold of her wrist and held tightly until she turned to face him again.

“This is urgent.” He stared at her intensely, his eyes bearing down on hers in a way that made her feel small in a very uncomfortable manner. Elsa clutched her arm to her side and nodded slightly.

“Come have tea with us first,” she said. Andrew didn’t smile, but he did follow her through the gates.

They met Anna and Kristoff in the drawing room. The newlyweds were sitting as close to one another as they could without becoming one body on the couch. They hardly noticed Andrew’s presence, at least until Elsa instructed him to take a seat facing the couch. She brought a second chair closer with the wave of her hand.

It was then that Anna looked from Andrew to the chair that had moved seemingly on its own to Elsa and back. It hadn’t occurred to Elsa that Anna didn’t know Andrew, and it certainly hadn’t crossed her mind that Anna didn’t know what Andrew knew of Elsa’s magic. While it was no longer a secret that tortured Elsa and strained her relationships with other human beings, it also wasn’t something she openly used around absolutely everyone.

“Anna, Kristoff,” Elsa said. “This is Sir Andrew Davies, a….royal guard of King George III, ruler of Great Britain and Ireland.” She took her seat, folding her dress beneath her neatly.

Anna stood up immediately and leaned across the small table that sat between the chairs and the couch. She held out a hand to Andrew, which he shook gracefully.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Andrew,” she said nearly apprehensively whilst not so subtly glancing at Elsa questioningly.

“Please, Andrew will suffice, Your Highness,” he replied with a small bow. Kristoff had gotten up as well, and he curtly shook Andrew’s hand without a word between them. It was clear that the air between the four of them was tense, but that Andrew was the most uncomfortable. Whatever it was that he wanted to tell Elsa was going to have to wait. Her sister and brother-in-law were newly back in Arendelle, and spending time with them was on the top of her list of priorities.

“You were at the wedding, weren’t you?” Anna asked. Immediately, Andrew perked up. He forced a smile and nodded.

“Indeed, I was. King George sends his regards and best wishes to you, by the way. He sent me in his place, as he felt leaving London was not in in the country’s best interest. I hope you don’t take offense,” he said with all the honor of a guard of a king. Else was beginning to believe that King George was a lucky king to have Andrew in his ranks, and she was starting to doubt the sanity of any king that would let such a guard off duty for so long.

“No offense,” Anna and Kristoff said in unison, as if it were an inside joke. They shared a little chuckle together and a soft kiss before Elsa cleared her throat.

They both looked at her, still chuckling under their breath.

“How was the honeymoon?” she asked. At that moment, Dagny entered the room with a large silver tray. There was a beautiful ceramic teapot in the center of the tray and three cups surrounding it. Dagny placed the tray on the table and looked up, and then she realized that she was short one cup. She hurried out of the room.

“It was wonderful,” Anna said in a dreamy voice. “We visited France – Paris is absolutely beautiful this time of year – and spent a day and a half with Belle while the Prince – I never did catch his name – was in the capital on official monarch business, I suppose. Her maid, Mrs. Potts, has the most adorable son, Chip! We read tons of stories with him and ohmygosh Elsa you would love Mrs. Pott’s special tea. I don’t know what she puts in it, but it’s absolutely to die for!”

Elsa smiled at Anna’s enthusiasm. Kristoff sat back and listened contently; it was Andrew that was the only one not enjoying the story. It was clear to Elsa that he was trying to sit still, trying to listen, but his mind was on other subjects in other rooms with just Elsa as his listener. Still, he was going to have to wait. Elsa was not going to compromise on spending time with Anna.

“Then we visited Spain – and let me tell you, the Spanish know how to throw a party. And dance. And teach those who are not so adept at dancing how to dance. Right Kristoff?” Anna asked. She turned and wiggled her eyebrows at her husband, who turned his face as it began to redden. “We learned how to Salsa and Tango – and let me tell you, the food is absolutely wonderful.”

It was somewhat typical of Anna to describe food before anything else. Elsa had come, since getting to know her sister, to realize that Anna was somewhat of a food connoisseur. Frankly, it was entertaining.

Dagny finally came back with a fourth cup. She bowed and left the room once again, and before Anna had continued, Elsa began filling a cup for herself.

“We swung by Carona and met our aunt for the first time,” Anna continued. Elsa stopped pouring sugar into her tea for a moment and contemplated that bit of information. “She’s awfully sorry that she and her husband couldn’t make it to the wedding, but I assured her that Rapunzel and Eugene were the best trade we could’ve asked for.”

“But you met our mother’s sister.”

“Well, yes, that’s what I just said.”

Honestly, Elsa was rather irritated at the thought. Anna had met Rapunzel’s mother, her own mother’s sister, a woman that she didn’t know she had any real connection to until recently. She was their last tie to their mother, and Elsa hadn’t been there to meet her.

Elsa reminded herself that Anna had only met the Queen of Carona on her honeymoon, and that they both knew Rapunzel fairly well. She would have to take this story with a grain of salt, at least for now.

“We’ll have to invite them all to Arendelle soon,” Elsa replied finally, taking a sip of her tea. A silence fell between them. Anna bit her lip and folded her hands together, looking like the young girl that had done something wrong that Elsa remembered from so long ago. It made Elsa feel rather guilty, so she put her cup and saucer on the table and relaxed back in her chair.

“So…” Anna started. “What’s been going on around here?”

Elsa tried to subtly take a glance at Andrew, but since he was beside her, it was hard. She didn’t believe for a second that she was successful but she noticed that Andrew was looking at her as well. Anna looked between them again and a playful smirk spread across her face – the same smirk as when she had seen Elsa’s hair earlier.

“Nothing too exciting, I assure you,” Elsa said quickly.

“Somehow I don’t believe that,” Kristoff mumbled under his breath. Elsa stared at him, and Anna smacked his chest lightly with the back of her hand.

“Ignore him,” Anna said directly to Andrew. “He’s been a bit…preoccupied since we left.” Elsa wasn’t sure she even wanted to know what that meant.

The rest of the conversation was awkward, needless to say. Kristoff filled little holes with jokes that only Anna seemed to understand. Elsa tried to keep a smile on her face, just to be a good host and sister, but it was hard. She was jealous, and she wasn’t hiding it very well, especially not with the way she let little snowflakes fall from her fingers into her tea. Andrew grew more bored, more tense with every minute that passed, though he stayed quite composed. It must’ve been in his nature, Elsa concluded, because he did it in a way that didn’t distract Anna and Kristoff from one another.

“Well, we should go visit my family before the sun sets,” Kristoff finally said. Anna stood and nodded.

“They’re probably going to try and marry us in that hole again,” she responded. Kristoff stood as well and shrugged.

“Yeah, but at least now you won’t stop the ceremony,” he teased. He chuckled and Anna shrugged, then looked at her sister.

“We’ll be back late, probably. Don’t wait up for us!”

And then they were gone. Elsa glanced at the grandfather clock that sat in the back corner of the room and realized that, while she had made Andrew wait with her, she didn’t actually have time to talk to him. She had to meet with the Court.

She stood and followed in Anna and Kristoff’s steps in silence. Quickly, Andrew pushed himself out of his chair and skipped to keep up with Elsa.

“Elsa, I received an urgent letter from King George-“

“He’s finally given you official leave?” she asked as they exited the room and headed down a long, seemingly daunting corridor.

“Not exactly,” he said. “Elsa, I really need to speak to you about this-“

“I have a meeting, Andrew. You knew that. Whatever you need to say either needs to be said now or it has to wait.”

“King George isn’t exactly happy that I’m staying,” he began. Elsa looked at him, but she refused to stop moving. It has hard for her, now, to tell him to leave, especially since she thought they’d been making a bit of progress in her control. “And, believe it or not, he’s not too keen on the idea of a woman leading a kingdom when she’s had a splotchy history with its citizens-“

“King George sounds like a typical man, if you ask me,” she said rather ironically.

“This is no laughing matter, Elsa,” Andrew insisted. Even at the urgency in his voice, Elsa continued walking. “He doesn’t think you’re fit to be Queen.”

“Judging on his history with his American colonies, I don’t necessarily think he’s fit to be a ruler of what looks to soon be a free country. We’re even.”

“He has an army.”

“So do I. And I have you,” she said. They had come to the end of the corridor, where a set of large oak double doors stood closed. Without another word, Elsa grabbed the knob of one of the doors and left Andrew behind her as she entered the courtroom.

“Not like his – and not officially,” he said quietly, watching as she sighed at him before she closed the doors. As much as it burdened her to think so, he had run out of time. Official Queenly duties needed to be adhered to, and unfortunately, Andrew Davies was not one of them.

She turned from the doors and headed into the middle of the large room. The court sat on benches around a podium that sat in the center of the room. Each court member had on his or her dress robes, as well as a large, curled white wig. They watched as Elsa moved gracefully to the podium, her head held high and her lips in a straight line.

“Your Majesty,” the members said in unison. Elsa curtsied to them, then straightened and held her hands tightly in front of her.

“Our first order of business today is that of your current status,” said one member, sitting two seats to Elsa’s left.

“Status? Of what, may I ask?” Elsa replied.

“Your, er, marital status, Your Majesty,” he answered.

“It is tradition that, within the first three years of her rule, if a Queen is born into her position, she is to find a husband and marry, or else the throne would be given to a chosen successor,” said the man directly in front of Elsa.

Her face began to heat up, even just the slightest. Her mouth dropped, and she looked at each court member individually until she had seen them all, and then came back to the middle man.

“I have never heard of this law! It’s absurd!”

“It was instated by your great great grandfather, Your Majesty. The court has agreed, since the law was put in place, that it should be upheld.”

“And why is that?” she asked.

“Because,” the middle man said. “A woman is not fit to rule a kingdom on her own.”

Elsa could feel her blood as it began to simmer. Ice began growing beneath her feet, and little flurries blew out of the spaces between her fingers and palms. She should have skipped this meeting – she should have stayed in the study with Andrew and heard him out. She wished he’d told her more about King George and his plan, because then she would not be focused on how imbalanced her own government seemed to be.

“And three years makes her a worse ruler, rather than better, more experienced?” she asked, trying to sound as calm as possible.

A few of the members gasped as her ice spread across the floor. She, however, ignored it. She let it spread. In retrospect, that may have not been the best idea. In fact, it may have been the very evidence the court needed to enforce the law at hand.

“Three years was simply placed in clause to give the Queen time to find a husband. The law was written under the pretense that any Queen would have the same responsibilities and duties as a King, at least until they were married.”

“Wait, what?” she asked, her hands now fully spread over the podium. Ice began to cover it; stalactite-like formations grew from the wooden edges. “I will lose my rightful title, one that I was born into, to a man that may not even be of Arendelle decent?”

It sounded absolutely outrageous. A man fourth from the middle stood and shook his head, his flabby skin shaking as he did so.

“No, my Queen. What my colleague meant was that, in the case that the Queen should fall ill, she would need a King Regent to step in. If you are not married, your sister would surely take your place – but say you had no sister. The law assumes that the rightful ruler is an only child, inaccurately so, I must admit.”

Elsa was sufficiently confused. She was being forced to find a husband within the next two years, as stated by a law that should have allowed her three, but that she had never heard of until that meeting, a year into her rule already, all because some relative of hers was paranoid that a woman ruler was more perceptible to illness than a man?

“This law is written entirely based upon speculation,” she said finally, watching as her ice crawled along the floor.

“We are aware of that,” the same man said.

“However,” the middle man cut in, “I am afraid that we, unanimously, must insist that we uphold the law and see you married within the next two years. Otherwise, you will have to give the throne to your sister, Princess Anna, and her husband.”

While a year ago that would have sounded perfect to Elsa so that she could have hid in her North Mountain Palace, it now sounded like a whole nightmare that she would be placing on Anna’s shoulders. It didn’t seem fair to either of them – Elsa because she was being forced into matrimony; Anna because, if Elsa refused, she would have to rule the kingdom with a good-for-nothing sister tagging along on all of her excursions. She wanted nothing more than to freeze all of the members of the court, walk out of the room, and pretend that she had heard nothing of that they had said.

Instead, the middle man continued.

“We have already arranged for a ball to be held in a week’s time. Weddings, as you have seen with your sister’s, are timely events that need meticulous planning and-“

“I will be planning my own wedding. If that is the only thing that I can get out of this law, then I will take it. I agree to host and attend the ball, but I choose the groom and I plan my wedding.”

There was no arguing with that. The members of the court agreed that no clauses within the law stated that her demands could not be met. Even so, Elsa still stormed from the courtroom, footprints of ice following her throughout the palace.