benblvckwood - Tumblr blog

[benblvckwood]

lucius' words came with his trademark bluntness, but ben knew his brother well enough to read between the lines, and when he looked close enough, he found praise within them, a small sign that lucius agreed with his decision - at least, in this regard. ben's role in life had shifted more than once. from a boy to a soldier, from a soldier to a ruling lord, with little time to figure out who he was without it all in between. it had been the latter transition that had been the biggest adjustment, or perhaps he did not remember well enough the changes he had lived through before he was old enough to shave hairs from his chin.

and so, in his uncertainty in the title he must now bear, he turned to those he trusted ; he turned to his brother.

"that's what i said," he let out a snort, though it was one of relief to know he was not the only one thinking that. willow's protests had done just enough to have him doubting his choise, but lucius reinforced that it had been the right move to make. "she argued it, obviously. my sons were born on that bed," he pitched his voice up, a mockery of their lady stepmother. "it doesn't matter, though. at the end of the day, the choice is mine."

Lucius only gave a curt nod in response. Others questioned whether the Blackbard lord was innocent or not, but the bastard of Raventree Hall didn't. Reputations existed for a reason, he knew too well. And he despised that his sister was dancing with someone who carried the sort of infamy Conall Blackbar did. “She's so naive sometimes,” he murmured. He rarely spoke of his sister in such a way, praising her cleverness and her virtues more often than not. But gods, did her good heart lead her to naive choices sometimes.

Both brothers continued to watch Maggie like a hawk as she danced with the Bandallon lord. Lucius knew he could take the man, if necessary, pry his hands away from Margaret and tackle him, beat him to a pulp if he dared do one wrong move on this day. With Ben at his side, he was even more certain that they could keep their sister safe. Red Rivers and Bloody Ben against a nobody lord whose only renown came from killing a helpless wife.

His brother's next words caught him somewhat off guard, though he found such a piece of news was very welcome. “That's been overdue. Father has been dead a long time,” the bastard stated plainly. The Wylde widow had stopped being a lord's wife many, many moons ago. “How did she take it?” he asked, figuring that the woman had likely not taken the news well.

[benblvckwood]

the reaction was almost involuntary from ben. the dart soared through the air, hitting the board rather than the wall surrounding it, and he let out another loud, obnoxious woop, as though he was celebrating a victory of his own. then, as though he had realised what he had done, he folded his arms, leaning against the table and trying to act casual.

"there you go," he said, his tone more mockery than encouragement. "i mean, it's only a four, and you need to hit a double to start, and you didn't, but at least you hit the board." he shrugged.

he gestured to the darts she still held in her hands. "go on then. throw another one." it was a bit like teaching a fish to ride a bicycle. she'd never be a world champion, but at least he could help her not embarrass herself next time she got the urge to throw a sharp object at a target.

"Right," she said, putting on an overly sweet smile. "Then go stand right there, if it's such a safe place." His jokes made her skin crawl with annoyance and agitation. Sometimes, Gaia was convinced Ben Blackwood lived to annoy the shit out of her.

He did go to the board, but only to yank out all the darts that'd been thrown.

And then -

Instead of teasing her further, Ben gave her advice. Actual, maybe even useful, advice. A bit hesitantly, still trying to see if he would just lapse right back into making fun of her, she eventually did what he told her to do. She adjusted her stance, angling her shoulders more to the left. Her feet moved right with her, soles slipping over the ground to adjust as well. Then, she threw the dart.

It hit one of the larger white spots, right next to the number 4.

[benblvckwood]

 Andrea Gibson, You Better Be Lightning

[benblvckwood]

closed starter for @devotionturns location: also litha festival there's a running theme here lmfao

"you're leaving?"

ben stared at cyrene, dumbfounded. he had never really considered that one day, his cousin might return to the north, and it was plain from the expression on his face that he could not understand the idea at all. since he had returned from war, cyrene had become part of his life, married to the freys whilst he was away. he would be lying if he said he was happy to see her go.

"but why?" he questioned, cocking his head. "why now?" he wasn't entirely stupid, and had long since picked up that her marriage was perhaps not the model of a union, but it was still a choice he was having trouble comprehending.

"and your children?"

[benblvckwood]

confusion crossed ben's face, his lack of understanding etched into his features. what did she mean, she did not need his coin? if it wasn't for money, what on earth had she come here to read fortunes for? just the joy of it? he didn't get it, and he could not make that any more obvious, even as she walked away.

"wait!" he called after her as she departed. "what do you mean by that?" but it was too late. smirk on her face, she had already departed, swallowed up by the crowd.

Do you promise?

Gaia let out a small huff of air, a sound stuck somewhere between incredulity and irritation. He did not know her, she was well aware of that. If he did, perhaps he would have never approached her. If he had known her, perhaps he would also have been aware of the whispers that surrounded every step she took wherever she went. Whispers that spoke of her strangeness, of bad luck and bad omens.

Or, perhaps, that would have drawn him in even more. With the death wish he seemed to sport, Gaia would not have been surprised.

She caught the coin he flipped at her and tucked it into a pocket in the folds of her dress before he could think to take it back. "Many thanks, my lord," she spoke, sidestepping him until the stood side by side, instead of in front of one another. "But I have no need of killing you with a sword. And neither do I have need of your coin." She shot him a smirk, before stepping onto the path that would lead her away from the Lord.

[benblvckwood]

"what's wrong with here?" ben's eyebrows furrowed together, not quite getting what margaret was hinting at. they'd fought the west during the dance, but the dance was over. despite his lingering feelings of resentment towards them, he didn't quite understand the nuances of the circumstances in the here and now, nor why it would be wise to tread a little more carefully whilst on lannister lands.

"obviously it would. never seen you miss a shot," there was a burst of pride in his words, despite the hint of teasing in the way he nudged her with his own elbow. he'd never been much good with a bow. the sword was his weapon, but his siblings were different. either way, it pleased and reassured him to have a sister who was more than capable of looking after herself.

his head turned in the direction of the lady in question, and his head cocked for a moment, contemplating maggie's choice. she was indeed pretty, with her golden curls atop her head, but still, ben's nose wrinkled, and he shook his head in refusal. "no," he said. "her sister's married to jaehaerys. wouldn't do that to baelon." the prince of dragonstone was amongst ben's closest friends, and if there was anything benjicot understood, it was loyalty.

"hmm," maggie's head tilted to the side as she recalled the man's position, she supposed benjicot was right, though he seemed to notice even the smallest details she did not catch. she was rather jealous of that little talent of his. while maggie was quite the archer herself, she did not seemed to have the eye that her younger brother did when it came to these things.

a bashful smile crept over her lips as she shook her head. "if we were anywhere else." she insisted, as the west made her uncomfortable enough as it was without placing herself at the center of an audience by competing. "of course i would not have." she added, in mock defense as she lifted her chin proudly. "my elbow would've been in perfect position." maggie added in jest.

"you would bleed me dry." the lady admitted, hazel hues gazing around to see if she could spot anyone who may be willing to engage in a bet, but then ben challenged her to find a potential lady in which he could request a favor from and she took the challenge with glee, entirely apparently over her features.

she did not point to make it obvious, but head nodded towards a woman with golden hair, she believed her to be the youngest lefford. "what about her? she is very pretty, though she is from the west, she comes from a good house."

[benblvckwood]

"in that case, i'm glad it was a hit." an easy grin spread across ben's face, though he truly could not recall anything else about the dress other than it being purple, and the fact she looked good wearing it. "what are you wearing to that hollywood party later? we should take a picture on the red carpet. for old times' sake." he wasn't sure if he'd post it, especially not when he was already the topic of internet gossip, but it would be nice to have.

"i suppose so. i mostly just show up where they tell me to," he shrugged one of his shoulders. he liked the money and the lifestyle, he liked playing little games that had people speculating, but beyond that, ben did not think being famous had much changed him. he was still the same ben he had always been. it was different with zia, though. she played the game much better than he did, and that was something he could almost admire about her. "since i've been doing this superhero thing, it's been another level, though. i didn't think the script was all that special, but clearly something is hitting different."

"it's her ex-boyfriend," ben sulked, the irony that he was currently speaking with his ex-girlfriend, as far as the public was concerned, seemingly lost on him. "she's sat there in a bikini talking to her ex-boyfriend." and emira knew he was there, knew he would see it, and knew just how much he fucking hated ronan bracken to begin with. for a brief moment, he considered causing a scene, tackling ronan into the pool, asking emira what the fuck she thought she was doing, but miraculously, he managed to hold in his temper. fists clenched, he turned back to zia.

"do you want to go for a swim?"

they had managed to be together long enough for her to accompany him to a few premieres. when he mentioned a helicopter, she felt like she had seen him in at least three movies with helicopter scenes. two things were always certain with ben's movies. they were full of action, and he would somehow end up shirtless in at least two scenes. “you do? that's funny.” zia knew he was one of her more popular 'ex-boyfriends' among her fans, so she was hardly surprised that there were fans still talking about them. “well, it's a great dress. one of my favourites actually. i wore it for vogue, and i practically begged them to let me keep it.”

zialla raised an eyebrow before shaking her head with a smile. “perhaps you have somehow been spared the mind games of celebrity.” she did find it cute that he had not fully realised the scope of power he had on fans. it also meant he had not abused it, which was always something she admired. it was so easy to use the knowledge to manipulate admirers, she respected that he had not. well, except for their pr relationship, but that had been harmless. she had grown to enjoy ben's company while escorting him to events, so it was not like she had suffered the months they had been together. she had not had to fake having fun with him even if she had faked being in love with him.

she felt his mood shift as she followed his gaze to emira. she saw that she was talking to ronan, and she could practically feel the heat rise in ben. she fought to roll her eyes. men could be exhausting. zia had absent-mindedly turned her napkin into a fan while talking, and she hit him on the side of the head with it. of course, it was not enough to actually hurt him, but it was enough to capture his attention. “be careful, bello, you don't want to catch a case of 'stupid man syndrome'.” while she could admit that jealousy could be a turn on when being the one men claimed possession of, it was less appealing to witness. “they're just talking, that's hardly a crime.”

[benblvckwood]

ben snorted. "you'd have more chance of hitting me if stood to the left of the board," he pointed out. "in fact, in front of the board might be the safest place for me to stand of all." he was being glib, the grin on his face one that could only be described as shit-eating.

he had spotted her issue. where ben could be completely clueless in some regards, he was oddly intuitive, insightful even, in others. he crossed the room, yanking the darts from the board and handing them to her.

"you're not throwing straight," he pointed out. "turn your shoulders to the left a little and give it another go."

Her eyes drilled into the side of his face, darkening with each dart that was thrown and hit the board. When his head turned and he looked her right in the eyes as he threw the last one, Gaia's arms crossed in front of her chest.

She wasn't particularly angry that someone was better at throwing something than she was. That wasn't hard. No, Gaia was merely angry that it was Ben Blackwood of all people. His sounds of victory grated on her ears, clapping from his friends, and her eyes fluttered shut for a moment before opening again, gaze sharpening.

"Ah," she breathed out. "Right. You know what? I think I've figured it out. Would you mind standing in front of the board? That'll make it much easier."

[benblvckwood]

Alex Fitzalan in 2.02 of The Wilds

[benblvckwood]

"we did, didn't we?" ben smiled fondly at the memory. despite the fact it had been nothing more than a contracted arrangement, he still enjoyed zia's company for the time they had spent together, and very much enjoyed the attention that came with being seen with her.

"i still get sent edits of that one at that premiere where you wore that purple dress. you remember the one? god, what was it called," he snapped his fingers, the name escaping him. his filmography was not the most diverse, and they all sort of bled together in his mind. "the one where i got to jump out of a helicopter."

it might have been no mystery to zia, but until now, ben had been quite clueless. as much as he liked the attention that came with his line of work, he did not really think of himself as desired. it would take an enormous amount of ego to think of oneself that way, and as cocky and arrogant as ben was, even he fell short of it. but he supposed that was the nature of the industry the two of them were in - they were supposed to be desired, regardless of if he saw it or not. "huh," he cocked his head, thoughtfulness crossing his face. it was not an expression he made often. "i never thought of it that way."

he opened his mouth to retort, to assure zialla this was just a game they played sometimes, but, still looking at emira, he had spotted something he really didn't like. he had always hated ronan bracken, and though he knew his history with emira, he didn't really dwell on it. until he saw emira call out to him, and him turn to look at her. they were speaking, but ben could not hear it over the sounds of the party. he could feel his temper spiking.

"you know what? i'm not worried about the rumours at all." his jaw clenched.

zia looked in the direction that he was pointing. emira was undoubtedly a pretty girl. she smirked at ben's words, happy she had sold the lie so convincingly. she wanted to break into the career of acting soon, so this only boosted her confidence that maybe she could do well.

“it's because we looked so good together in pictures.”

she took a sip of her cocktail, wondering if he really did not see why his fans did not want to believe his relationship as real. “it is no great mystery. you are more desired now, bello, they cannot dream of being with you if they accept you are in a real relationship with someone else. they refuse to let you shatter their illusions.” zialla had made her career by selling these illusions to men and women alike. sure, she had the voice, but there were millions of people around the world who could sing well. not all of them became famous. they needed something more. to men, she sold them the illusion that since she was happy to date around, they could be next. maybe they could even end up as the one. to women, she could write songs about her relationships and make them feel understood when their hearts were broken by the very same men.

she had never minded the game she played. it was fun to do more than just sing, but at the end of the day, she wanted to be known for her songs, not her dating history. but zia was sure the most read section of her wikipedia page was 'personal life', with people scrolling down to her relationship history.

“unfollowing her on insta is bold. i hope you are ready for the rumours of the two of you breaking up.”

[benblvckwood]

ben couldn't help it - observing gaia trying and failing to so much as hit the dartboard was funny, and he was unable to keep the obnoxious laugh from escaping his lips. he knew her only a little, but it was enough to know that, frankly, they got on each others last nerve.

"i am, actually." as if to prove his point, he picked up three darts, taking a moment to adjust his stance before throwing the first. it didn't hit the bullseye, but landed comfortable in the triple 16 section. he adjusted his aim, a little further up, a little to the left - too much, the dart just missing the outer bullseye and finding home in the 13. both respectable numbers.

it was then that ben got cocky. rather than watching where he was throwing the dart, he looked at gaia before letting it fly, aiming without so much as glancing at the board. embarrassing if he missed the board. but somehow, he didn't. when his head turned, the third dart had managed to hit the board, scoring an extra nine. not the best, but still better than what she had done. ben let out a loud whoop.

"see? easy stuff."

who: @benblvckwood when: modern week / fair

Gaia had awful aim.

There was no sugarcoating it, truly. It was a bit embarrassing, however, in front of a bunch of other graduates of her school. To throw a dart and miss horrendously? It fucking sucked. And she was even more aware of the very fact when she heard a scoff behind her after another dart had just barely stuck to the edge of the board.

She turned, narrowing her eyes at the offender. "Jesus," she huffed, "I'm sorry I'm not doing it the right way. I'm sure you would be awesome at it."

[benblvckwood]

ben tilted his head, staring intently after the bidder. emira was right. he was casual - too casual. that was very suspicious, in ben's opinion. that alone was enough to have him worried. it wasn't that he couldn't go out and buy a football jersey of his own, should the mood strike him, but he wanted that one, and more than that, he didn't want to lose. besides, there was a certain high to it. it was almost like gambling, in a weird sort of way. he didn't like to lose bets, and was finding that he liked losing auctions far less than that.

"you're right," he grabbed another auction card and a pen, scribbling down his name and his contact details again in his barely-legible scrawl. when it came to the amount that he wanted to bid, however, he paused. "wait, how much did i write down last time?" he asked her, a temporary frown of concern flitting over his face. "never mind. i'll just put down fifteen. surely nobody is going to bid more than that." it was way more than the shirt was worth, but it was for a good cause after all.

he stood up, popping the card in the box before returning to emira, taking the seat beside her and placing his arm around the back of her chair. "have you not seen anything you like yet?" he asked. "there's got to be something here you've got your eye on. here." he pushed the pile of cards towards her, and offered her the pen.

.

most of the winter dance had been spent by the silent auction tables with ben, but emira didn’t mind. she loved how animated he got about events like this, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of winning something special. his competitive side coming out. tonight, that "something special" was a football jersey he was clearly obsessed with. she couldn’t name the player or the team if her life depended on it, but she pretended to be just as invested, nodding along and feigning excitement.

“hmmm,” she murmured thoughtfully, her gaze drifting to a man who had just placed a bid. she watched him as he walked away, his movements a little too casual, like he was deliberately avoiding looking their way. “oh yeah, he just dropped some serious money on that.” she said, her voice tinged with amusement. “look at how calm he’s trying to be.”

she had no actual idea if the man had increased his bid; she was straight up lying. but ben looked like he needed a little encouragement, and she didn’t want him to feel disappointed if he lost out. this jersey clearly mattered to him.

“you should bid a little higher,” she suggested with a mischievous smile, glancing back at ben. “then we can see how he reacts.” she was here to support him, even if it meant playing a little game of auction cat-and-mouse.

[benblvckwood]

closed starter for @emiravmallister location : winter's dance

ben's neck craned, and he observed the man approach the auction box and drop in his bid. he'd been distracted, keeping an eye on who approached it, having already dropped in three bids of his own, all larger than the one he had dropped in before. it was a lot of effort to go to for a signed football jersey, but ben clearly wanted it quite badly, and his competitive side had kicked in.

"what do you think?" he asked emira. "has he outbid me?" he observed the other's outfit as he walked away, trying to deduce if it cost more than his, as if that was an indicator on what kind of bid he had made. "you think i should go higher? i should go higher, right?" he turned to her, waiting for her opinion.

[benblvckwood]

closed starter for @lightxshadow location: the beach party

"her, over there," ben pointed out emira mallister to zialla, his current girlfriend to his ex who wasn't really his ex. their little pr-driven fling had been beneficial to both of them, and when the contract expired, they had parted ways with promises to keep in touch. that was easier said than done. his life was busy, and so was hers.

"it's funny," he began. "when i was with you, nobody thought it was a pr thing, but with emira, it seems like we're always being accused of it. it's got to the point where we just laugh about it. i unfollowed her on instagram before we got here, just to see how long it would take for anybody to notice."

[benblvckwood]

benjicot blackwood - a modern au

quick links

style

home decor

career

vibes

school years

benjicot was a terrible student, his grades amongst the lowest at the academy.

he was saved from failing completely due to his exceptional performance in sports. he did well in several disciplines, including football and baseball, but found he most enjoyed being a member of the wrestling team.

later in his school career, it was noticed that ben suffered with dyslexia.

adult life

ben began his movie career as a stunt double, before transitioning into acting.

he has been the lead in several big-budget action movies, including a superhero franchise, where he met his current girlfriend, emira mallister.

whilst he's not a natural or talented actor, and often critiqued for "playing himself", ben has nevertheless had a successful career so far. he's certainly not winning any oscars, but he is one of hollywood's highest paid men.

[benblvckwood]

alex   fitzalan   via   instagram   .

[benblvckwood]

"what?" a brief look of confusion crossed ben's face, before it hit him what hugo had taken from his words. a misunderstanding. ben shook his head, letting out a laugh. "my apologies, lord vance. i think i chose my words poorly." his sister was better at this than he. benjicot was good with his sword, but had little talents outside the domain of battle. "i did not mean blackwood soldiers. just," he raised a hand, making with it a vague gesture. "soldiers. be they small folk or landed. let the young lads experience the camaraderie of a camp - as you say, the pavilion spaces would suffice. take a couple of seasoned commanders any house you trust has to spare to keep them in line, and let their presence keep the bandits off the road."

what he did not say was that he was having a hard enough time managing his own lands. he had no interest in making a play for harrenhal, cursed as the lands were. whatever went on there was not his business, nor did he care to make it such. only a fool would seek to make their home in those melted towers. as for his initial suggestion, though, it was one he was far more eager to jump into, feet first. "this protection of the roads," he began. "what does that look like? it would be best to clear up expectations now, i think, as to how you would like my men to proceed." was he speaking strictly of patrols, or would they be allowed to stop and search suspicious carriages? did they have the right to detain, or was it kill on sight?

Hugo didn't have the ability to say yes or no but he would explain why it could be an issue before he presented the suggestion to the Queen and then he would also tell her why it could be a bad idea. The Lord of Wayfarer smiled easily, the young lord wasn't one who relied on charm but friendliness. He relied on people understanding his nature as one that came without threat. Hugo was only a threat when forced to draw his blade and even then, he did not know how he would match up with the boy who went to war and survived. Alas, this was not a fight for House Vance held no ill-will with their fellow Rivermen.

"That's a wonderful suggestion, my lord. It does present an issue, by allowing your men to stay in Harrenhal it sends a message that Harrenhal belongs to House Blackwood." And it did not. This would come up again, he imagined, and if he went to the hand the hand would say no in a way only Rivermen could. And Hugo was not in the mood for such...long conversations about blood feuds.

"Though, I will happily speak with the Queen and the Castellan, only to let the Castellan know what the Queen willed of course. Who was the Castellan after the...incident with Ser Simon. Rather unsettling and unfortunate incident that it was. "Though, I am sure there will be no problem with you taking up space where one would have seen pavilions in the time of tourneys. Outside castle itself. It's sure to deter brigands and the like. At least until I can hold court with the queen herself."