#But seriously he has achieved so much and has over all been such a positive influencer how could I not be proud to call myself a Fan

[atomicengineerdetective]

No one talk to me I just came back from a family vacation to find out my favorite youtuber ever is leaving the platform.

I am devastated.

(I am actually happy for him, he has given me so much happiness for like 8 years. He deserves to let the channel go an enjoy his life. It just hurts, but I'll get over it

I'm so thankful for MatPat and Steph. I Hope every future endeavour or project they take on is successful and that over all they have a happy and fulfilling life with Ollie.💚❤️💛💙)

[loveemagicpeace]

🪐Saturn in your life🪐

🦋One thing you should know about Saturn is that Saturn is the planet of restructures, authority, discipline, represent the older people,responsibilities, good and bad karma. And Saturn is protector. He will protect you from the accident & in general from the things that can go wrong. With saturn, we can put too much stress on ourselves and push ourselves over the edge and become exhausted from it. The planet is known for its reality and practicality. Also by a tendency to excessive strictness. His expectations may be too high. Powerful Saturn in the chart it can indicate that we want everything in ours control life to the extent that we consider ourselves to be unsuccessful if we fail to achieve the goals we set for ourselves set themselves. There are some things about Saturn again. 🦋

✨Saturn in 1st house-Saturn in the first house makes the individual very difficult, self-centered or serious. The individual takes himself and life very seriously. You are ambitious, persistent and stubborn. You secretly want to do things in your way. In your own way, you deal with resistance, arbitrariness, etc. In some cases, you want to control others. You are inclined to thinking, withdrawing from the world, thrift and caution. The individual plans, predicts, moves forward slowly and surely. You usually value ​​good reputation and honor very much. Things take a long time to come true. You are also prone to accidents due to negligence or divine intervention. They also showed disappointments, sorrows and heavy responsibilities. You can often feel lonely deep down.

☁️Saturn in 2nd house-Saturn in the second house makes the individual thrifty and conservative, but has an abundance of energy. You have a need to acquire wealth and property. Life progress is delayed or difficult. Saturn in the second house it produces circumstances that do not allow the individual to take full advantage of certain circumstances that may appear in his life. There are constant misdirections, delays that are extremely problematic, and lack of opportunities due to lack of money. At the same time, it can make you a person who works very carefully with money. People will never fool you. But it can create pressure to be able to have money because you can feel that without it you have no power or you are not enough. Saturn here can find enjoyment and live in the moment.

🦋Saturn in 3rd house-these people are very intelligent, smart, thoughtful. They have good concentration and great depth of thought. When they compare themselves to other peers, they feel that they are smarter because their thoughts are much more structured and focused on the chosen topic. A person with Saturn in the third house can be stubborn and dogmatic, if you realize that you are in danger through inappropriate information, you value ​​the knowledge that have been achieved on the basis of experience and practical observations, which you then structure in your memory. A person with Saturn in the third house is very careful when driving vehicles, so accidents and accidents are not very likely.

🫧Saturn in 4th house- The positions of Saturn in the fourth house can be connected with the domestic atmosphere, private matters, relations with parents and family dynamics as a whole. Saturn in the fourth house strongly cools all relationships in the home environment.Home and family may be completely satisfactory, clean and orderly from a formal point of view, but there is emotional emptiness, repulsion and coldness among family members. Maybe it's hard to find or get love. But it is not necessary (some people have a very good relationship with their mother and the mother can be very caring). Here there can be many connections with the father (it is possible that the father is always somewhere on the sidelines or you do not feel a connection with him). You can already feel more independent and less connected to your family at a young age.

⚡️Saturn in 5th house- The ambivalence of this position is manifested in the simultaneous overestimation and underestimation of one's own abilities and talents. A person with this position is not able to openly show his love, but can express it through material forms, for example through gifts. You long for recognition and praise everywhere, because you cannot find it in yourself, and you are so demanding of other people that in the end you can remain alone. These people can be too serious when it comes to having fun. It's hard for you to be childish. You may also be embarrassed to show off your talents or be seen. These people should find their inner child.

🪐Saturn in 6th house you will be happiest when you do work that is related to you and is not tiring. In fact, it is good for these people to do something that is easy and calm. A job that is too stressful can indicate serious health problems and can make you sick many times. The pressures at the workplace are sometimes so difficult that a person is no longer there able to perform his work correctly and with high quality, because he is deeply dissatisfied, hurt and frustrated. Daily habits and tasks (for example, hygiene, cleaning, house order, principles of behavior, etc.)are very precisely determined, as the individual demands absolute order and compliance with the established rules. This position indicates great persistence and patience, which is why a person often keeps a job or a workplace. A person's health is most strained when the individual is stressed day and night with the problems and disappointments he experiences in life, and he sleeps poorly, does not feel well, eats improperly and does not exercise enough.

❄️Saturn in 7th house- these people tend to find true love only later in life. They may have some relationships or one that can change their life. These people can be careful when choosing a person because sometimes they can go too fast into a relationship, which can end up being a big disappointment. You can also be afraid to go into a relationship or you are afraid of disappointment. Maybe you take it very seriously and don't like to get involved with people who aren't serious. Many times you like people who respect themselves and are more like Capricorns or have such traits. These people can also be focused more on people with whom they can be practical and can do something together. This position indicates a marriage with a person who is loyal, extremely hard-working and has a great sense of humor. The other partnerships are also loyal, hardworking on or responsible.

🌙Saturn in 8th house- These people are very connected to mysteries, transformation, things related to death. This position indicates financial problems of a marriage or business partner who is not as well off as the individual. Therefore, this was shown by the lack of benefits in business relations or marriage. Life can be limited by lack of resources. But at the same time, he can bring a person into his life who helps him and together they achieve great power and do business together. Saturn in the eighth house showed a slow death. Old books claim that Saturn in the eighth house, if it is in an unfavorable position and in a water sign, indicates the danger of drowning. They claim that if it is affected by Mars or Uranus, it can mean the danger of accidents that are fatal. Of course, these are just indicators. All I would say is that people with this position can be more optimistic because it will bring them a lot of satisfaction in life.

☔️Saturn in 9th house-you can find faith in something or the meaning of life. That way you will be able to make yourself happy. Too much pessimism can lead you to dissatisfaction and sadness. These people should be spiritual and believe in something. Finding a place that makes them happy is the only way they will be able to deal with saturn. Saturn in the ninth house often indicates the individual's separation from his homeland or the desire to move on to another country. If it is in a good position with the Sun, this is a good indicator of a personality devoted to religion.

💫Saturn in 10th house- It produces an individual with a personality that is highly focused, hard-working, disciplined, level-headed and diplomatic. An individual can have a one-sided view of life that is egocentric. Progress in life is assured, but slow. Saturn in the tenth house is difficult to identify without aspects and sign. In general, it indicates ambitions and the need for a position in society. They have to observe life well and make the right decisions. Sometimes you can push yourself too much when it comes to career business and reputation. You want it all and you can consider yourself as being unsuccessful if things are not going into the way you want it to be.

Saturn in 11th house- Saturn in this house usually means few friends or problems with them. It can also mean that the person has older, more serious friends. This position usually brings an ambitious person whose hopes and dreams are not they have solid foundations. This position indicates a person who wants to succeed in society. It can also indicate that you are too serious when it comes to friendship and that you can quickly resent and leave. You can be a person who is firm and knows what you want and has hard-set goals.

🛼Saturn in 12th house-Saturn in this house causes the person to be modest and timid. A person struggles and has many opponents. This position indicates that he works without recognition or works in solitude. Saturn in this house makes an individual who has hidden pains and disappointments. It is also an indicator of going to prison unjustly. However, it should be understood that prison can be in physical or psychological form. It can also mean being trapped in your own thoughts. But it also means that you can understand life much better than people. This placement leads to a disciplined approach to spirituality, mysticism, and the subconscious mind. Saturn here can also have a hard time letting go.

🎸For personal readings u can sign up here: https://snipfeed.co/bekylibra 🎸

-Rebekah🦋🩵🫧

[killakalx]

kal just imagine asking dick whether he’s sick of the begging + overstim combo in bed. the oral-giving ratio between you is skewed unfairly in his favour — he’s always too focused on pulling another orgasm out of you to pay much mind to your weak pawing at his dick. you love it, if as much isn’t made clear every time he fucks you into a state of bliss you could never hope to achieve with anything but the curve of his dick. sometimes you can’t help but worry that you’re being selfish, taking and taking and rarely getting the chance to give him something back. he hardly ever asks for anything but your pleasure— for you to cum ‘just one more time’ on his fingers, another messy, lazy make out session because he knows they make you weak in the knees, for you to flip onto your stomach so he can eat it the way god intended for him to when he blessed him with such a pretty girlfriend. he’d grab your jaw if you worked up the courage to ask him, squish your cheeks into a pout and guide you back against whatever flat-ish surface will suffice for what he has in mind. he’d know he’s being mean when he starts asking serious questions with his fingers stuffed into your panties, one eyebrow raised and a cruel smirk on his lips. “‘s that what’s been on your mind, baby? you worried?” you’d nod, and it would make him giddy. “you wanna make it up to me? make me feel good?” he’d look like the cat who’d gotten the cream — he had you creaming around his fingers, so he kind of was. “if you wanna make me feel good, all you gotta do is cum around my fingers like a good girl ‘n then we’ll see what else i can think up to have you ‘make it up to me’, yeah?” (this is my way of telling u that we will never ever be sick of the dick grayson overstim agenda)

ohhh my god oh my god. thank u.

one thing about grayson, he’s eating your pussy until you cry. the hardly satisfying friction against the mattress will suffice if it means he’s stuck between your legs and making you cream all over his face, trust. and the way god intended him to is right, he takes ts seriously. and dick will eat it from the back, for sure, but above all he really wants you sitting on his face. he’s making you cum twice already and you can’t tell me he doesn’t have the nerve to just flip you over with his body and guide you right back to his mouth, greedy hands all over your thighs and ass. yeah another two orgasms should do it before he so much as acknowledges the straining against his boxers.

nothing but the curve of his dick??? i’m dead. and i bet his favorite is the lazy make-outs with you straddling his lap, positioned right over his hard-on while you grind against his fingers and whine into his mouth. every time you reach for his cock he groans, but lord the noises he makes with you while you fuck yourself on his hand are nothing if not blissful. he’s guiding your hips, groping your tits, grabbing your face, anything to keep his free hand touching you while he’s knuckles deep in your pussy.

“‘s that what’s been on your mind, baby? you worried?” nonnie when i find u. he’s already pinching and rubbing your clit as you whine and nod, pushing you into the arm of the couch, a counter- the wall if he feels like showing off. let him make you cum, just a few more times, then he’s looking you in the eye as he licks his fingers clean of your slick. yeah he’s snickering at the bashfulness in your face as he makes you watch, just before he can finally stuff you with his cock and get you leaking all over his pelvis. you’re very convincing anon. very very persuasive.

[grandeoatmilklatte]

Sleeping On The Job 🐍 ( Tom Riddle x Female Reader)

Warnings: nsfw || p in v || f!ng3ring || light ch0k!ng || sp!t play || semi-public || post hogwarts so characters are of age || mdni || 1.4k words.

A/N: Some more Tom smut because I think I have a serious obsession with this man and it's becoming a problem. Dedicating this to my fellow Tom lover @marketfreshfics 😘

Also, apologies for the gap in my writing lately! I moved at the end of April, which consumed all of my free time but I'm back and I'm hoping this was worth the wait!

Tom’s emerald eyes rose from his book, the first time they had done so in a while, as he checked the time. It was only a quarter after two and the shop was quiet, the heavy rain outside contributing to the lull in traffic. Tom knew he still had plenty of time before his 4 o’clock client would arrive, so he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. As he sat there, savoring the peace and quiet of the shop, the words of his former peers and professors flooded his mind. 

“Tom has so much potential, how could he just waste it working at a shop?”. But it wasn’t just “a shop”. Working at Borgin and Burkes allowed Tom to learn more about dark magic than he ever could at Hogwarts. The shop provided him with everything he needed to help him achieve his ultimate goal. But for right now, with the rain pitter-pattering against the windows, the shop provided him a peaceful space to relax. 

His relaxation, however, was short lived, interrupted by the sound of the shop door opening. When Tom looked for the source of the interruption, he was pleasantly surprised at what met his gaze, or rather, who.

The most beautiful angel he had ever laid eyes on walked through the door. The two of them made eye contact as she slowly made her way towards the counter. Tom’s eyes wandered her body, his mind conjuring naughty images of how lovely she’d look laid out on the counter, naked, with her legs spread, her cunt dripping wet and eager for him. 

Tom snapped out of his daydream when she was right in front of him, their eyes locked on one another, as she gave him a flirty smile. He shot the woman a flirty smile of his own before speaking. 

“Hello gorgeous, was there something I could help you find?”

She let out a giggle as she leaned forward on the counter, giving Tom a clear view of the cleavage her blouse provided, a view Tom unabashedly indulged in. 

“Actually yes, I was trying to find the most attractive man in all of Knocturn Alley, but it seems like I’ve already found him!”

Tom rolled his eyes, but let out a soft chuckle in response. “It’s early, shouldn’t you be at work, sweetheart?”

“Shop’s been quiet today with the weather so I thought I’d leave for a quick lunch break. Figured I’d pop in to see you for a bit if you weren’t busy.”

“It’s been quiet here too so you’re welcome to stay. Just need you gone by 4. Have a client coming in.”

“Oh, that’s more than enough time.” Her tone was laced in desire as she leaned further over the counter. Tom followed suit, leaning over the counter as well until their lips met. After a moment he pulled away, coming around the counter to face her.

“More than enough time.” Tom repeated as he roughly brought his lips back to hers. He picked her up as he kissed her, sitting her on the counter and situating himself between her legs. His hands began to make quick work of her clothes, unbuttoning her blouse so that her breasts were in full view before his hands shot up her skirt, pulling her stockings and underwear down her legs. 

The action caused her to pull away. “Tom!? Here?! Seriously? You’re at work! What if your boss catches us?!”

Tom chuckled. There was no chance of them being caught. He had full reign of this place when he worked, his boss trusting him and never showing up unannounced. 

“He won’t. Trust me.” His voice was stern and commanding, and she nodded, her core aching far too much to deny him, or herself, of this. 

He re-positioned himself between her legs, dipping two fingers into her waiting heat. Loud moans fell from her lips as he thrust his fingers in and out of her, each thrust concluding with the feeling of metal teasing her entrance - Tom grandfather’s ring that he wore at all times. The cold feeling of the metal juxtaposed with the warmth from his fingers heightened the experience, coaxing her closer to an orgasm. The moment Tom felt her walls begin to tighten around his fingers, he promptly pulled them out, bringing them up and shoving them into her mouth instead. The taste of her juices mixed with the metallic taste of the ring meeting her tongue. Once she had sucked his fingers clean, he commanded her again.

“Lay back. Now.”

She did as she was told, sliding out of her hiked up skirt and unbuttoned shirt before shifting some papers on the counter to the side. She watched as Tom removed his belt and pants as she laid back, completely naked, spreading her legs wide for him. Tom took a quick second to savor the view - she appeared exactly how he had imagined her earlier when she first got here. 

He slid into her wet cunt with ease, his pace merciless as he pounded into her. The counter shook with his aggressive thrusts. Although Tom had assured her his boss wouldn’t catch them, she began to panic again in her mind. Were the windows even covered? She knew for a fact the door hadn’t locked behind her. Anyone could have walked in or walked by and seen them. This wasn’t their first venture into semi-public sex, but usually they were somewhere a bit more secluded than a normally busy shop on a normally busy street. But Tom didn’t seem concerned in the slightest. His mind fixated on one thing only. And as the tip of his cock continued to slam into her cervix, her orgasm fast approaching, the worries faded away. Spectators be damned. 

Tom, on the other hand, had a secret desire to be caught. Even back when they were in their final year at Hogwarts, he always hoped someone would happen upon them in the prefect bathroom, or in the empty classrooms they would frequent. He always loved the idea of someone walking in on the most beautiful girl in all of Hogwarts screaming his name. He wanted the world to know that she belonged to him. 

She felt Tom’s movements becoming sloppy, a tell tale sign that he was reaching his climax. Tom brought his hand to her stomach, trailing it up her body before roughly wrapping around her neck. The feeling of her airwaves being restricted as he continued to fuck her sent her over the edge, her cunt desperately clenching around him as she came. His grip tightened even further as she felt herself being lifted slightly by her neck, Tom meeting her gaze as he did so.

“Open your mouth!” he growled. She obeyed immediately. Tom spat directly into her mouth before releasing her neck, pushing her back onto the counter as she swallowed. Tom’s breathing began to pick up as his movements became even sloppier, letting out a final groan as he climaxed. Her body welcomed his release, her walls clenching around him again as he filled her. Once Tom had caught his breath, he pulled himself out of her and silently got himself dressed as she followed suit, hopping off the counter. 

“Well, that was quite the lunch break wasn’t it, sweetheart? You should visit me during your lunch breaks more often.” Tom’s voice dripped with satisfaction, a large grin plastered across his face. 

She struggled to meet his gaze, suddenly feeling a bit shy after having been taken so crudely at his job where anyone could have spotted them. Though she couldn’t deny the rush she had felt. The prospect of visiting him at work more often making her body ache for more. And truthfully, she was happy to take advantage of any opportunity to be used by him, no matter where or when it was. She knew this about herself, and he knew it as well.

She watched as Tom fixed his desk back up, the pair engaging in brief and vague conversation about what he was reading and what he was working on currently. The conversation was cut short when the front door chimed again. An older wizard walked in - Tom’s 4 o’clock client. Tom shot his lover a stern look that conveyed a silent request. 

“I should go. Will I be seeing you later?” 

Tom’s face softened, another flirty smile forming on his face. “You most certainly will, sweetheart. I’ll meet you at your work.” 

Her heart did a backflip as she made her way out of the shop, already anticipating their later meeting. As she disappeared into the rain outside, she gave Tom one last glance, his emerald eyes lighting up as his client placed what looked like a small chalice and a locket on the counter. 

[aureutr]

Glass Onion and COVID masks as character shorthand

I wanted to talk real quick about the scene where Benoit and our suspects first meet on the dock. The mask shorthand is not necessarily needed, we’ve been introduced to almost everyone already and can get a good idea of who’s an outright asshole and who might have more layers (ha). But I still appreciated it.

This is what I think about the scene in general, if you have a different interpretation I’d be interested to read it!

Benoit - Patterned cloth mask. This was not uncommon to see in late 2020 and beyond, but this is only May 2020. He (or his husband) likely sewed it himself. This is a conscientious, yet stylish, man who pays attention to what’s happening and adjusts his behavior accordingly.

Lionel - Black cloth mask. This mask does not provide adequate protection for others because he is wearing it over substantial facial hair. He’s a man of science who cares... but perhaps only so long as he does not have to make any personal sacrifices for it. In this case, it would be shaving his beard or finding a masking solution that forms a better seal. In other cases....? :)

Claire - Ill-fitting beige mask. Her nose is hanging out through half of the scene (also is that a tampon hanging out of it when she gets out of the car?). Similar to Lionel, she has values that she supposedly stands for. But she is either ignorant of the full picture or is willing to set those values aside when she thinks she needs to.

Birdie - Golden mesh “mask”. Birdie has already been shown as uncaring about COVID earlier in the film with her party (”it’s okay, they’re in my pod” my ass). Here she flaunts the fact that she is aware of what she should be doing, but is choosing not to. There is also an underlying thread of her general ignorance, as she foregoes anyone’s safety (even her own) for style and glamour.

Peg - Standard surgical mask, perfectly fitted, complete with twisted ear loops. She is meant to be bland and in the background, at least in-universe. Peg is imminently practical, and while she might like finer things (later in the movie she is visibly disappointed to be given a Solo cup when others receive personalized glasses), she is willing to forego them to achieve her goals. There is not much more that can be gleaned from her mask alone.

Duke and Whiskey - No masks at all. Duke is a far-right asshole with no regard for the safety of others, and little regard for his own. Whiskey does as he says, even though she later mentions that she doesn’t want her politics completely defined by his. She might not want that, but her actions speak louder. There is nothing subtle about Duke and little about Whiskey, they are as they appear.

Andi - No mask. But I’m willing to forgive this one in the name of movie magic, given that the shot is meant to be lingering and mysterious. At this point we don’t know anything about this character, but it seems unlikely that she’s in the same camp as Duke. Or, perhaps given that all of the other characters are masked (or not) in meaningful ways, her lack of mask is a subtle misdirection about Ms. Brand.

Under the cut find another quick note about the mysterious “puff gun”.This does contain spoilers for the end of the movie, so tread carefully

We learn at the end of the movie (though it’s not exactly subtle from the get-go) that Miles Bron is an utter moron. Explicitly, anything good he does is not his idea and many things he does on his own are idiot mistakes that others go with because of his power and influence (and money). Whatever this mysterious “you’re good” puff was, I seriously doubt it was a COVID cure of any sort.

My headcanon is that everyone who left “Pieceshite” Island alive dealt tested positive for COVID a few days later.

Also, I called her “Andi” and not “Helen” so as to not spoiler anyone. ;)

EDIT: Several people have pointed out that Lionel actually has a KN95 mask, not a regular cloth one. My bad! Thank you for correcting me. I still think my take otherwise works since his beard breaks the seal.

[capcavan]

🗣️ (also sorry this got long, turns out i have thoughts) so like riko is one of the weirdest fandom cases i've ever seen. i've been in fandoms where characters who commit actual war crimes and genocide are badass babes or uwu soft bois, and even spoiled mafia brats who commit terrible crimes against the heroes for daddy's attention that get love and redemption. it's so weird to see just how isolated from all that riko is to me.

i do think it's partly how aftg is written, and that's also partly because niel's pov is not at all forgiving of riko, while is entirely forgiving of people like andrew. but i also think it's because of how riko himself is written. he's one of these characters that's better on paper than he is in the book to me. because he's never presented as smart enough to fall into the magnificent bastard trope where everyone applauds how devious his plans are, but he's not outright hammy enough to just be a fun read, he doesn't even get the same stupidly dramatic flare as andrew. and while we're told he's powerful and doing dangerous stuff, he's presented on page, more often than not, as a petulant child that neil is just done with or a guy who likes to torture people who neil is also done with. neil is never actually scared of riko, or even particularly threatened by him, and i think that hurts him and makes his position in the narrative weaker. especially when nora is trying to play him as a villain and a threat in a mafia story rather than a good old fashioned rival in a sports drama. for example, his first impression on the kathy show should live up to the hype of this imposing charismatic villain who broke kevin's hand, but instead loses him temper, forgets all of his media training and lets a nobody like neil goad him into losing control of the interview, and then his payback, things like shoving neil around and seth's death, are basically brushed off because neil doesn't really care that much. it's not given the weight to be a seriously omg this guys a threat first impression. and this isn't uncommon, lots of media hamstrings their villains at the start by making sure we know the main character is too sassy for them and can humiliate them, without thinking about how weak that can make the villain seem. it feels sometimes like nora wanted riko to be this chess master villain or tragic child who's lashing out at the world, without committing to it fully to either, or was just not an experienced enough writer to have known how to write either of those things in the pov of someone who hates riko's guts, which is understandable, writing is hard and that sort of nuance takes practice, especially if you just go by the books and not the extra content, and i do wonder how differently nora would have portrayed riko if she rewrote the main trilogy now with presumably a lot more practice under her belt. in the end riko ends up in this weird grey area to me where i understand why he's not popular, given he has none of the usual obvious traits that fans like to latch onto when redeeming a villainous character, and even the ones that are there are glossed over pretty quickly because of neil's pov, and a lot of his more interesting pieces are on paper not actively presented in the book, and not everyone reads super deep, but i also don't understand the amount of hate. i have literally never seen a character in any other fandom i've been in have this much fandom wide hatred.

See I have nothing to add here because you single handedly dropped the best analysis of Riko's character in the series I had pleasure to read so far and summed up all my feelings about why and what of the fandom. If the goal was to write a character that is impactful yet easy to hate then that goal was achieved but for me it real takes away form the magnitude of feelings Riko could evoke in reader and questions he could provoke in narrative if he was given bit different presentation that woudl still align with the lore we already have.

[chatonarya]

The Faithful Gambler: A Post-Rides Enciodes Silverash Retrospective

Spoiler warning for Keen-Edge, Silver Blade, The Rides to Lake Silberneherze, Gnosis's oprec, and Degenbrecher's module.

I’d like to take a minute to talk about the character development of our favorite CEO and industrialist in the wake of The Rides to Lake Silberneherze. Although not the focal point of the story nor given as much attention as he was in Break The Ice, Enciodes Silverash still received a hefty amount of development in RS and the accompanying material that further expanded his character in ways that I very much enjoyed. Let’s dig in, shall we?

Beginning with some background: one of the most glaring criticisms (and character flaws) often leveled at him is the fact that he does not treat people as people but rather as chess pieces. While this is not an inaccurate statement, neither is it fully accurate, and the release of RS and Gnosis’s oprec have given us some additional background to this. We see by Gnosis’s oprec that rather than stemming from some innate emotional lack, Enciodes has in fact been brought up to think this way. As Enciodes discovers Gnosis’s quiz results are different from his, his tutor assures him that it’s nothing to get worked up over as Gnosis’s smarts will benefit him in the future when he is the leader of the clan.

This demonstrates clearly how he’s effectively been groomed for politics from a young age, trained to look at people and see how they might be useful to him first and everything else second. Ever since he was a child, his role as the future clan leader has been pressed upon him—but Enciodes has embraced this role, as he possesses a natural leader personality. This is explicitly stated in Gnosis’s oprec, with Gnosis commenting that Enciodes acts as if he was born to lead. In “Browntail,” the vignette in To Be Continued, Ratatos enviously guesses when Enciodes goes to Victoria that he’s simply chosen to abandon his post, that he’s had enough of his burdens and responsibilities, but in fact, the opposite is true: he not only understands that this is what is expected of him, but he wishes to excel in his role and achieve more.

It's also clear that he internalizes his position as “a Silverash” as an extension of this. Enciodes has inherited the legacy not just of his father, but of his grandfather, who began the Silverashes’ exploration of the outside world; Enciodes is the third generation to bring new things to Kjerag. As he says in BI, “We must take that step forward while we still have control. That's the Silverash tradition.” The Silverashes do not sit idly by: they always explore, look forward, and seek new routes.

We see this as well in how he impresses upon Enya that it is practically her duty to take the opportunity and become the Saintess, tit-for-tat deal it may have been behind the scenes, and how she knew he would answer her doubts by reminding her of what she was: “a Silverash,” and thus also possessing that duty to answer the responsibility to lead. Presumably, Ensia is somewhat exempt from this on account of her Oripathy and being the youngest (traditionally sent out to seek their fortune), but it can be taken that even her adventurer’s nature indeed stems from her Silverash blood, as well as her new position as ambassador to Laterano.

It is here that I must note that this is a very aristocratic attitude; noblesse oblige isn’t merely an idea, but seems to be the way of things in Kjerag by Enciodes’s own recitation of the ‘Kjeragandr’, Kjerag’s holy book, where he states, “the three clans formed a covenant with Kjeragandr to lead the people. The mantle of authority is merely an insignificant reward.” He takes this idea completely to heart, taking each of the responsibilities that come with his position as clan leader very seriously. He is prepared to shoulder the burden of all of Kjerag, and likely believes that it is in fact his duty to do so, both as the Silverash patriarch and the only person with such deep knowledge of the outside world.

This is perhaps Enciodes’s greatest flaw and the core of his arrogance: his belief that he and he alone must take on the entirety of Kjerag and lead it into the future, that he and he alone must protect Kjerag from the impending avalanche from outside, and he is the only one who can, forming a sort of savior complex. It is this that Enya rebukes him for in BI (telling him that nobody has the right to choose for all of Kjerag), this that forms the primary conflict between him and other clans. He states in BI-ST-4 that Kjerag is out of time, and if there is anyone who objects to the fact that they must move forward then he can only deprive them of their right to do so, and he’s not wrong, exactly—we know both from a meta perspective and now with additional knowledge that he’s completely correct and that the danger is on Kjerag’s doorstep. Even without his debt to Duke Caster, it’s obvious that had Kjerag remained as it was, sooner or later, it would have been either gobbled up or simply crushed by another more powerful nation. His actions, however forceful, were necessary at the time and understandable.

We also know that Enciodes did not do what he did without some reluctance and emotional distress. He makes it clear that he feels he is being forced into taking matters into his own hands, and in ideal circumstances, he would not do such a thing, much preferring to convince others of his point of view. We see by Gnosis’s oprec once again, as well as in Keen-Edge, Silver Blade, that Enciodes has a relatively normal emotional baseline: he complains about his father not smiling with his family and constantly engaged in battles of wit with the foreign merchants, and doesn't want to become like that in the future, or at least, if he does, then he wants to make sure he smiles and laughs to his heart’s content first. (This explains why he dresses up as a pirate to go to the beach, I suppose.) He's very tense and nervous throughout the entirety of the manga and dealing with Viscount Walden, despite the fact that he’s been prepared for such things since he was young. Even Enciodes feels (or felt) unease at the prospect of being sucked into the whirlpool of Victorian aristocratic conflict. This demonstrates as well how much Enciodes emotionally represses and restrains himself in order to pursue what he deems necessary; how much his great endeavor costs him on a mental level.

Yet despite the somewhat cold, lofty, and arrogant persona he had in Break The Ice that cloaked his passionate heart, we see a more human and emotional side to Enciodes in RS, expanding upon his characterization in BI—indeed, I would say in RS, he shows some remarkable character growth and his savior complex barely rears its head. And in conjunction, we also see what inspires such powerful and unwavering loyalty from his companions, not just his employees, most strongly demonstrated through his bonds with Degenbrecher and Gnosis, his closest friends. Through them, we also see a new and fascinating depth to Enciodes: that of personal faith.

Interestingly, despite his position, it’s heavily implied if not outright confirmed in both BI and RS that Enciodes is actually something of a non-believer in Kjerag. He pays lip service to Kjeragandr when it is necessary and demanded of him, but ironically, he places the most belief in himself and his own assets—that is, his people and his friends.

In stark contrast to his claims in his second oprec (something I will likely address separately later), Enciodes has an incredibly strong friendship with Degenbrecher. We’ve seen its roots in Keen-Edge, Silver Blade, where he wins her over with his daring but primarily with his trust. In the final few pages, Degenbrecher is startled, touched, and moved by the fact that Enciodes completely placed his life in her hands, refusing to dodge the blade Baron Stuart was swinging towards him because he fully believed that she would not allow him to come to harm, no matter what. He had utter faith in her protection, despite the fact that at that point Enciodes had only known Degenbrecher for three months. Upon leaving Kazimierz and being free of the Armorless Union, it would be completely within Degenbrecher’s power to simply dump him and go her merry way with no consequences to herself, rather than repaying her debt—but once again, from the very first, Enciodes placed his trust and faith in her that she would keep her word.

It’s one of the most remarkable things about their relationship, and indeed, Enciodes as a person: his ability to hold out his hand to someone and move and befriend them with his sincerity, and it’s even more remarkable that he’s actually done this twice. It also puts into perspective how his actions in BI were truly a last resort for him. Wherever possible, Enciodes actually prefers not to use force and would infinitely rather employ diplomacy.

With this solid foundation as their basis of their friendship, this friendship has continued for ten years as of RS, and we see further hints of it sprinkled throughout: from the casual way they speak to each other in oprec1 and BI, to the more open and intimate camaraderie we see between them in RS, especially RS-ST-2, where it’s clearly emphasized that they do not keep up pretenses with each other and show each other their true faces, something which is of particular note for Enciodes.

If I may digress for a moment: in BI, we only see him truly drop his guard and speak frankly during BI-6, when he is alone with Gnosis while the latter is imprisoned. In RS, by contrast, Enciodes is more open with others around him, as well: he listens closely to Weiss’s estimation of Viscount Harold and praises Weiss’s pessimistic streak as one of his virtues; he reassures Matterhorn’s doubts about a potential client he’s caring for; he bickers with Enya about their childhood escapades for the first time in ten years; he gets along much more smoothly with Ratatos in their collaboration; and on the whole, seems much less intent on “shouldering all of Kjerag” by his lonesome than before, though he remains the spearhead of Kjerag’s modernization efforts.

As I said in the introduction, for Enciodes to accomplish his goals, he must emotionally repress himself to a certain degree, and RS-ST-2 shows who Enciodes truly is when there is no gambit, no plot, no ongoing game—how he’s not incapable of honesty or joking around or teasing. We see the glimmer of the bold, outgoing boy he used to be and still is deep down, and how he can be quite caring (though I suppose it’s worth mentioning that the relationship he has with Gnosis is somewhat different from others). It is only before Gnosis and Degenbrecher that Enciodes lets down the facade he wears for the rest of the world; the two people he truly trusts and cares for the most.

Returning to the previous point, the moment which demonstrates Enciodes and Degenbrecher’s relationship most strongly is when Degenbrecher makes the decision to take on Harold’s army by her lonesome. This is one of my favorite moments in RS for what it shows of Enciodes’s character and his friendship with Degenbrecher both: as he watches Degenbrecher battle, he is increasingly agitated, and it is one of the exceedingly few times in the present day that we see him actually lose his cool and his stoic facade slip. Not even during the gambit in BI do we see him ill at ease for even a moment, yet it is here, during arguably the biggest and most personal gamble he has ever made, that we see the pain in his heart.

He also says this, which gorgeously lays out just the kind of person he is:

Enciodes: Even I might say [Degenbrecher has] changed some. Thus I've trusted her this once—I've gambled on her. Enciodes: Had I not, you might have watched that affable Viscount lose his life to a few 'panicked tourists'. Enciodes: We gamble for a best case scenario. Enya: ...... Enya: 'Gamble'. Enciodes: I have always considered the success or failure of anything to hinge on one's own grasp, and not entreaties to gods. Enciodes: Nothing goes unaccounted for. I put all the chips down. I see it through, win or lose. I've never complained about it.

These few lines beautifully encapsulate Enciodes down to the core. His appraising way of looking at the world not out of preference but out of necessity; his reliance not on luck or blessings but on skill and talent; his gambler’s heart steadfastly taking on the risk for the worthwhile reward, beginning to end, staking everything he has; and indeed, his arrogance, believing that so long as he has enough cards in his hand, enough chips to gamble with, enough assets and information at his disposal and every tiny detail taken into account, he can somehow arrange a victory solely through his own powers. (And in a way, this does have a basis, as it’s not a strategy that has failed him thus far.)

This gambler’s streak of Enciodes’s isn't something new, technically: Gnosis chews him out over his gambling in BI, as well, and his enjoyment of the thrill of the challenge and situation; and in RS-ST-2, we see Enya reprimanding him for his overly risky behavior and reminding him that unlike in his childhood, she won’t be able to bail him out if he loses everything. (I’m hard-pressed to imagine just what Enciodes was gambling on as a youngster to lose all his allowance and his younger sister have to bail him out, but nevertheless, the point stands.) We also see it in the manga via his plot with Viscount Walden, which Degenbrecher comments is fraught with risk and nearly costs Enciodes his life, as I said above—no matter the danger to himself, he goes through with this gamble, steady and resolute though his hands may tremble behind his back.

He does the same thing in this moment in RS, too: although he’s so nervous watching Degenbrecher that he bruises his own hands from clasping them so tightly (mirroring the way he did so in Keen-Edge, Silver Blade), and goes against his own status as a non-believer to ask Enya to pray for Degenbrecher, he still waits, still places all of his belief and faith in Degenbrecher, rejecting Gnosis’s suggestion of escalating the conflict (which Gnosis would have already long since done) in favor of truly gambling everything on her. He clenches his hands, refuses to avert his gaze from the scene before him, and sees it through, no matter how painful it is. And for Enciodes, to whom Degenbrecher is one of his closest and most trusted companions, it is painful. Should the worse come to worst, he has his contingency plans and more cards stuffed up his sleeves, but he puts all of his power behind the ideal scenario—and anything, really, always believing that there is a path to victory.

In RS-ST-3, following the battle, he has an extended conversation with Degenbrecher regarding the events of the past, not just of the story itself but of their entire relationship and bond. Enciodes speaks of his growing debt to her and tells her she can name her price, but Degenbrecher dismisses this statement, calling it an act and claiming that she stayed in Kjerag for reasons unrelated to him—in a roundabout way, absolving him of the very idea of his owing her a debt. Similarly to what I said above, nothing is stopping Degenbrecher from theoretically extorting Enciodes for whatever she wants, as she is his most potent asset and they both know it, or simply deciding she’s had enough of him and his nonsense and walking away. Yet instead, she makes this gesture of generosity in response to his.

After they are interrupted by the young campaign knights who are eager for Degenbrecher’s autograph, Enciodes rounds out the conversation by stating playfully that perhaps he’s no different from the Kazimierz she so loathed; perhaps he too uses her as a bargaining chip and a tool, and asks her if she finds this unacceptable. Degenbrecher’s stunning reply is to smile back and say that she’s gotten used to it. Degenbrecher loathes being controlled, with her third championship being solely to spite the KGCC even if it cost her life in the end, yet she doesn’t bat an eye at being moved about by Enciodes as his ‘queen’ on the chessboard. Why? Because Enciodes, contrary to his words, has never once used her nor treated her as a chess piece, which they both know, and that’s the reason behind Degenbrecher’s reply. She’s used to it—used to Enciodes asking her to do things for him, and if it’s Enciodes asking her to do something, she doesn’t mind. “Who do you think is the first person Enciodes always calls?” she comments to Gnosis before she goes to face Harold’s army. She’s so used to it that she makes a joke, chuckles, and smiles before she heads out; indeed, it’s Degenbrecher who first volunteers to hold Harold back, and then Enciodes asks her if she can do it.

And thus we come full circle: she doesn’t mind because Enciodes is her friend; he’s her friend because he trusts her and has faith in her; and because he believes in her she doesn’t mind. And because he’s her friend, there is no debt between them, and hasn’t been ever since they began their partnership ten years prior after Walden’s banquet. Fundamentally, it’s a completely different relationship from the one she had with the KGCC, and indeed, with anyone, and it’s through the mutual knowledge of the power of their bond that they can joke about it like this. “Maybe I’m just another unscrupulous businessman,” Enciodes jokes, completely aware of the fact that if he was, Degenbrecher would not be there in the first place.

And we know that Enciodes’s comments about treating Degenbrecher as a chip and a tool are patently false due to the rest of the story and some of the supplemental text. His terror at the prospect of her death; the way they converse casually after Harold’s banquet; Degenbrecher’s commentary about him in her voice lines; her feelings when she sees them coming to meet her after the battle; and the two anecdotes from her module story.

His overreaction to her forgetting his friendship medal ‘The Silverashes’ Sword & Shield’, and his second medal to her, ‘Ten Years,’ which demonstrates how Enciodes doesn’t take her for granted and, fully aware that only her own will binds her to him, he takes it upon himself to make sure she knows how important she is to him on this occasion and remind her that he hasn’t changed. He’s still the same person she chose to follow ten years prior, with the same dreams and ambitions and goals. And Degenbrecher grasps his implied meaning immediately, demonstrating the depth and mutual understanding of their relationship. At heart, he’s still the same person who placed his life willingly in her hands when they first met; and so as he hasn’t changed, he will continue placing his faith in her as well.

This faith also appears in his relationship with Gnosis. From the very beginning of their friendship, Enciodes has always believed the best of Gnosis. Even when Gnosis sells out Enciodes to kidnappers in a misbegotten attempt to escape Kjerag as a child, Enciodes immediately forgives him and omits Gnosis’s initial role in the whole plot from Olafur so as not to get him into trouble. Instead, he states that Gnosis is his friend—his first true friend, unlike any other, because they share similar thoughts and viewpoints, and because Enciodes sees Gnosis not as a future asset as his tutor told him, but as an equal. He also makes a truly staggering promise with Gnosis of and for the future, a mutual promise that he, again, trusts Gnosis will uphold.

Enciodes and Gnosis have been friends for twenty years, and throughout this time, we see more of the same: Enciodes refuses to believe Gnosis or his family have anything to do with the deaths of his parents; Enciodes forgives Gnosis for his standoffishness and curtness when they reunite in Victoria; Enciodes is perfectly fine with Gnosis’s radical nature during their plot with Viscount Walden, only bidding Gnosis to stay safe; Enciodes ignores majority opinion in making Gnosis his CTO. In fact, an argument can be made that Enciodes has more faith in Gnosis than Gnosis has in himself: even as Gnosis sees himself as a villain, the son of a sinner, an outcast with no home, Enciodes continues to believe the best of him. It’s Gnosis who pushes for the plan of playing the scapegoat while Enciodes wants to discard it, not because Enciodes doesn’t think they can’t pull it off but because he simply doesn’t want Gnosis to worsen his own standing. But even so, unhappy though he may be, Enciodes puts up little resistance, allowing Gnosis to execute this plan, whilst maintaining the faith that Gnosis would never actually become a traitor to him in full.

Enciodes states this most explicitly to Doctor in BI-ST-4:

Enciodes: But I understand him. As long as we share the same purpose, he will not betray me, nor do I need to exchange any information with him while executing a plan. Enciodes: I could sit back and let him employ all his resources in whatever way he deemed efficacious to stymieing the power of the Browntail clan. Destroying the railroad tracks was just a clever trick. Gnosis gained Ratatos's trust, and also blocked access to spies and Messengers from other countries.

Gnosis operates best when he is given free rein to arrange things as he pleases, and it is likely the heart of his comment in BI-2 that he needs “a partner [he] can work with” rather than pawns. It’s here that I must remind gently that in truth, per his RIIC talent, Gnosis was the “hidden mastermind” behind the majority of the events of BI. It was Gnosis who instigated the chain of events leading up to the Snowcap Incident, and Gnosis who took charge of their resources to pull off their coup, heedless of Enciodes’s explicit approval. Enciodes did, in fact, step back and permit Gnosis to take control, reacting to Gnosis’s moves and reading the meaning behind them with their usual silent rapport. Gnosis comments to Enciodes that he is neither Enciodes’s pawn nor underling, but rather, his partner-in-crime, and indeed, Enciodes does not treat him as anything else but a partner, emphasizing repeatedly that it is “[their] undertaking together.”

Gnosis’s module also makes clear that Gnosis (in his mind) is most loyal to his own choices and not Enciodes specifically. If, at any moment, their differing perspectives diverge too much (in other words, if Enciodes loses sight of their mutual dream and goal) and they fail to reach an agreement, then Gnosis will likely cut ties with him. However, they never reach this point emotionally because Enciodes is always figuratively (and literally) holding out his hand towards Gnosis, reminding Gnosis of his own sincerity and their friendship, of their shared dream, of their promise, always with complete calmness and faith that Gnosis will stay beside him—and with faith in Gnosis as well. Faith in Gnosis’s abilities and judgment, but also faith that Gnosis will always choose him, because he is, in turn, choosing Gnosis. Beneath this trust, their friendship remains unbreakable.

And so we see that both Gnosis and Degenbrecher, two strong-willed characters who refuse to allow others to control them, willingly choose to remain by Enciodes’s side and do as he asks. Because he has faith in them. Not only does he treat them both as his genuine and dear friends, which they are, but rather than leashing his two most potent assets and holding their debt over their heads, he allows them freedom to do as they please with the complete assurance that they will never leave him.

Certainly, this is in part because they all share the same goal—Kjerag—and this is what unites them, but I must state that it is actually Enciodes who infected Gnosis and Degenbrecher with his dream of the ideal Kjerag. He shared his thoughts about what Kjerag could be to Gnosis and promised he’d make Kjerag a true home for Gnosis; Gnosis replied that in that case, Kjerag had to be big enough for Enciodes, too, and they would do it together. Enciodes opened Kjerag’s borders to the world and helped the Kjerag people become more tolerant of outsiders; Degenbrecher found herself charmed by the Kjerag people and culture after she sampled it, and was thus loved and accepted by them and found Kjerag to be a place that makes sense to her.

Were it not for Enciodes and his actions, neither Gnosis nor Degenbrecher would make Kjerag their home. Gnosis has yearned for the outside world ever since he was a child and finds Kjerag backwards and stifling, yet he is there to build it up; Degenbrecher continually complains that Kjerag is boring and there are no opponents or challenges there for her, yet she is there happily doing farmwork and copying scripture.

Enciodes’s faith in the ideal Kjerag is so strong that not only does he make it reality by staking everything he has upon it, but he spreads this dream to others as well, either directly through speaking of it as he did with Gnosis or by simply making it manifest as he did with Degenbrecher (and, one may argue, with Harold and Trilby Asher, too). This is even explicitly stated in the description for his newest skin, Never-Melting Ice: “He believed that Kjerag would eventually amaze all the world that would view it,” as well as in RS-ST-3: “There will come a day when people from the outside will know more than just Karlan Trade, see more than just the snow, mountains and valleys. They'll remember the name 'Kjerag'.”

Degenbrecher tells him in RS-ST-3 that now, not only Victoria but also Kazimierz and Columbia have their sights on Kjerag, and that means there will only be more trouble for them in the future, and more people will hate him for bringing chaos to the country. But Enciodes quite happily and contentedly replies, “I don’t care. Let them,” because the ideal Kjerag he's built up can handle anything, the same way the Kjerag he built up achieved its independence. And even if he has to stake everything he has on it in a life-or-death gamble all over again, he'll see that gamble through to the end—not just because he's never lost, but because he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t believe in it down to his very core.

[arabellasleopardcoat]

MAD (Aemond Targaryen x Reader)

Chapter summary: Temptation is everywhere in the Red Keep

Warnings: Mature language. Westerosi sexism.

A/N: I was going to write the letters, but I promised myself I wasn’t going to go over 5k

Part 1

4

Aemond watches in amusement as you crawl around the gardens in the Red Keep. You are wearing a pale yellow sundress, covered by a pretty apron. It resembles a servant’s outfit, instead of a proper gown for a lady of your station. Despite it, you look well. The apron has lace much too delicate for a servant girl, and he guesses you must have sewn it yourself. Helaena sports a soft cotton variation, clearly stemming from her issue with lace.

Both of you are covered in grass stains. The pretty aprons serve their function well, preventing the ruin of your dresses. There is a certain attractiveness in the joy of your expression, he muses, in a detached fashion. Never had he seen a lady so happy about getting her hands dirty.

His careful plan to court you indicates Aemond has to come out and offer both of you refreshments. Yet, he finds himself hesitant about breaking the moment. No matter how unladylike your behavior is, he has never seen you more carefree.

So far, he is finding you much of a tough crowd for a farm girl. It was meant to be easy, but you are so guarded all the time, it takes more effort than Aemond thought would be needed. It’s not like he was expecting you to fall at his feet the first week in, but he had hoped to be able to talk to you alone at least once. Instead, you are either plastered at Helaena’s side or slipping away before he can get more than a word in. And tense. So damn tense, one would think Aemond bites.

It’s getting a bit ridiculous. You are infuriating, for a young maiden. Your only redeeming quality is your treatment of Helaena. You seem to have hit it off with her, and remain loyal and steadfast. Listening to her rambles with infinite patience, accommodating her needs and enabling her bug hunts.

Any other noble lady would have run for the hills already. But you seem to take your made-up position as companion seriously, doing research on his sister’s interests and allowing her to place all sorts of bugs on your hands. If any, Aemond supposes that is a good quality in a wife. It shows you have a strong stomach and a certain amount of bravery.

The Seven knew if he was the one getting crawled all over by Helaena’s pests, he would need to soak in a bath for a week. Just on cue, she gives a small yelp of surprise before grinning madly. Helaena is holding something in her hand, probably a caterpillar or something that has equally disgusting crawling habits. She looks deliriously happy.

Deciding to grant you the kindness of not having to touch it, Aemond comes out of the corner he is hiding in, carrying a small tray.

“Ladies.” Aemond tries to sound cheerful. By the tension in your shoulders, he doesn’t quite reach the mark. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too hot for all this?”

Helaena stops, giving him a wide smile. It has been far too long since Aemond has seen her this happy. Probably before the birth of the twins. One good thing you have achieved. His chest aches. Must be the heat.

“Brother!”

“My Prince.” You sound much less excited about it, going from your hands and knees to a respectable sitting position. Which, a shame. The more Aemond looked at you in that position, the more… agreeable he found himself to the prospect of bedding you.

“I brought you some juice.” Aemond says, awkwardly. In truth, no matter how hard he tries, this is not as easy as he had expected. He is not used to the flowery language of courtiers, never been one for it himself. The only time he has entertained preparing delicate compliments has been for disguising clever barbs at his nephews.

“Thank you.” Helaena puts down whatever bug she is holding, and daintily wipes her hands on her apron, before grabbing a cup. “Do you want to see what we found today? We have a caterpillar from a…”

Aemond tunes Helaena out. While he likes his sister more than he likes most people, everyone in the Red Keep must be going mad with all the talk about insects. It’s unavoidable. Even he has picked up a few facts on the things. Aemond is pretty sure you have driven his mother to insanity already, having to deal not with one, but two girls obsessed with crawling things.

And by the Seven, you are dedicated to your obsession. Somehow, you have procured a small shed outside for Helaena and her bugs. Aemond wonders idly if you asked for it, or just took it. Both are great feats, considering you are either very bold, or you managed to hold Viserys’s attention for more than five minutes.

You get up from the grass, eyeing him in distrust. Measuring, calculating. It’s a look that reminds him far too much of the older Beesbury. The man was bold, a trait that you seemed to share, but he trusted no one.

Aemond stares back at you. Your eyes are the one feature that he doesn’t really like. They are disquieting. Uncomfortable to look at for too long. They seem to know too much for such a young woman.

Other than that, you are rather pretty. The sort of beauty that seems to be heightened by the time spent outdoors. Much to his surprise, really. Your features glow from exertion, pieces of hair slipping out of the elegant updo you have it in. There is a softness in the curve of your neck, and a grace in the way you carry yourself. Unlike Helaena’s, your hands are stronger. A farm girl’s hands. The sun has you slightly tanned, yet, despite it, you manage to look healthy and not common.

You will make a fine wife, Aemond decides. Once he trains you out of the habit of crawling around in gardens on all fours. Best leave that for the bedroom.

“…. Brother! Brother!”

He is shaken out of his contemplation by Helaena’s nagging voice. Siblings. So annoying.

“What?” And she should be thankful, really. If it were Aegon, he would have smacked him with the tray.

“Lady Beesbury has been trying to fight you for her cup for the past couple of minutes.” She states, simply, and Aemond looks away from your delightful face, now marred with a frown, towards your hands. One of them is trying to reach the cup that’s just out of your reach.

“Oh. My apologies.”

As he hands you the cup, and you raise it to your lips, still frowning, he wonders if you are opposed to his advances or just too blind to notice them. Or perhaps, he is not so good at this courting business as he thought he would be.

Your tongue licks a stray droplet of the drink, almost absentmindedly. Lust is not a feeling he is unfamiliar with, but unlike other men, Aemond has always thought himself disconnected from it. Detached, as if he was more mind than body and heart. Yet, the sight of your small, pink tongue, makes his breeches feel uncomfortable.

It’s an unfamiliar feeling. Unlike some other members of his house, never has he considered himself to be particularly hot-blooded, nor has he behaved in such a manner. On that, he had taken pride. He was good. Better. Pious.

Aemond used to feel a sense of superiority about it. Look at Rhaenyra, he thought, and her inability to be faithful to one man. Look at Daemon, lusting over women half his age. Look at Aegon, chasing skirts everywhere. They were unable to control themselves and often made terrible mistakes. But not Aemond, no.

Until you came along. And now he is panicking and floundering around because you are smiling. Why are you smiling? Have you noticed a hint of lust under his impeccable mask and find it amusing?

His heart beats so fast, it feels as if it actually might come out of his chest and take flight. He doesn’t want you to think he is no more than a lustful dog, trying to hump your leg. He wants you to respect him, admire him.

“It has honey on it.” You finally put an end to his plight, your sweet voice sounding pleased. Your tone is a siren’s song, calling to him. It’s lure so great, Aemond thinks he might have been rendered unable of rational thought.

“It does.” Aemond answers, dumbly. He is more pleased than he should be, over you noticing that detail.

By the Seven, what is wrong with him? He is not Aegon, losing his head over a pretty maid. He is meant to be smarter, stronger than that. His grandsire would be disappointed in him.

“My favorite.” You say to him. As if he doesn’t know. As if he hasn’t made it his task to know everything there is to know about you. “Tastes just like the one at home.”

Aemond, all tongue-tied from the way your face looks like when delighted, just nods.

Fuck. He should ask Cole for advice. He had heard he was quite the ladies' man back in the day. Even his mother had had a crush on him, or so the rumors said.

5

It has been a few weeks. You have settled into a comfortable routine by now. Avoiding the Princes, sticking by Helaena’s side. Garden time in the mornings, afternoons with the twins, supper with the family. Rinse and repeat.

With how careful you usually are, it’s hard for you to be ambushed. Yet, you are. As you turn down a corner, a book on apiculture you intend to show Helaena in your hands, you come face to face with Prince Aemond.

You are not dumb. You know what he is trying to do, but you never thought him to be so bold as to ambush you in a corridor. Everyone knew he had no interest in women, nor in tourneys or socializing. So his sudden shift towards chivalry and courtly love had made quite a few heads turn.

Your grandfather had warned you about him as soon as he started approaching you. Prince Aemond was, for some reason, trying to initiate a courtship with you. Usually so cold and dutiful, you couldn’t think of a reason for him to be pursuing you. Much less, why Otto Hightower himself would encourage his attentions. Too often you were made to sit next to him at dinner, or found yourself alone in a room with him. There was no reason for it. Except, of course, revenge.

“You can’t underestimate him, little bee.” Your grandfather had said. “If there is one of those children that’s ruthless enough to execute Otto Hightower’s plots, it’s that one.”

At first, you didn’t heed his advice. You had slowly started to be lulled into a false sense of safety, after days of nothing happening. Prince Aemond was not good at flirting, so you hadn’t noticed anything odd at first. Maybe, attempts at friendship.

Then, you felt slightly flattered. He was showering you with attention, which was something you didn’t frequently get, here. After all, you were a companion for Helaena. Your days revolved around making her happy, talking about what interested her, doing what she liked. While she was nice, she seemed to struggle with social interactions and so, she never asked about you.

But then, Aemond started to show his hand more and more. Your grandfather’s words had rung a bell then, and you started avoiding him. The better you got to know the layout of the Red Keep, the easier it was. Perhaps, for that, your guard lowered. Or perhaps, his clueless attempts at courting you had distracted you.

One thing to say about Prince Aemond? He had the same skill as a courtier as he did at embroidery, which is to say, none. Most of the time, it felt as if he was mocking you instead of courting you, although when he managed to get it right, it was quite sweet.

He is not as cold and calculating as you would have thought. A bit blunt, but otherwise pleasant to be around.

This time, though, his skill at planning is showing. Just as you left Helaena’s rooms, Prince Aegon appeared. In your haste to avoid him, you ducked into a side corridor, where Prince Aemond was conveniently waiting. There is literally nowhere for you to run to. This corridor leads to the Queen’s chambers, which you would not dare enter uninvited.

The Prince has you cornered. And you can tell, by the look in his eyes, that he is enjoying it.

“Are you alright, Lady Beesbury?” Aemond leans against the wall, sporting a smug smile. “You look quite agitated.”

“Oh, I am wonderful.” Your tone is so flat, you worry he will call you out on it. “Just wonderful.”

“Admiring the architecture?” Aemond asks, and you frown in confusion. The Prince then points to a new decoration in the shape of a Seven Pointed Star. “Mother put this here just last week. I can’t think of a reason for you to wander this corridor. Unless, you know… You were hiding.”

You snort a little, definitely unladylike, before schooling your face back into a polite mask. You don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing his antics amuse you, but he clearly notices. He gives you a tight-lipped smile, proud of himself.

“Perhaps I was.” It comes out slightly flirtier than you expected. More coy. Good Gods, what is going on with you? First you find him sweet, then you laugh at his humor, now you flirt? No. It can’t be. You clear your throat, but the damage is done. Aemond closes the distance between the two of you.

“Don’t try to run, little bee.” He warns, and you roll your eyes. If this is his attempt at seduction, he is even worse than you expected. It sounds as if you are about to get murdered instead of romanced. “Nor hide.”

“You are not allowed to call me that.” You complain because while you might tolerate it coming from your family, it doesn’t mean you like it. Aemond, as always, ignores you.

“I wanted to give you something.”

Suddenly, you do not feel as comfortable anymore. Dread makes your hands start to sweat, and you clench and unclench your fists. Is he about to try something to ruin your reputation? You are in great danger, you realize. You are an unwed woman, alone with a man who’s not part of her family nor her betrothed. This is bad. Really bad.

“Yes, my Prince?” You answer, very curtly, keeping your distance. Still, it’s a bit unnecessary. By the posture he is sporting, hands at his back, Aemond looks more likely to start marching than try and besmirch your honor.

But one never knows with Targaryesn, does one? It was just a thing of looking at the eldests. Like dogs in heat. Besides, you have been outmaneuvered. Again. The brilliance in this is, Aemond doesn’t need to do anything. Not even touch you. Just say he did. These are the facts. Prince Aegon saw you walk towards a secluded hallway. Aemond and you are alone. Everyone knows you have been flirting for a while now. Anyone can do the math.

Here comes the blackmailing attempt, you guess. You can already hear it, words ringing in your ears so clearly you swear he is the one saying them. You either convince your grandfather to vote this way, or act that way, or I say you bedded me.

Your instinct turns out to be wrong. Instead of starting an evil monologue and threats, Aemond presses a small lump in your hand. It’s something wrapped in silk cloth, and small. Despite it, you receive it as if it were a burning coal.

Unable not to, you peek at it. Inside the cloth rests a small hairpiece in the form of a bee. It’s set in silver and decorated with black and yellow stones. You are no expert in jewelry, but you can tell it’s expensive. There is no way your family could afford something like it.

Never before has someone gifted you anything as nice as this is. It’s not like you are destitute, but your grandfather is the Master of Coin because he is loyal and honest. Not because of his ability to amass wealth. He is smart, and knows how to make the most of little, but as far as accumulating wealth goes, you will be better off with a Lannister.

The temptation to keep it is strong. You love shiny things as much as any other girl, and this was clearly made for you. Besides, giving it back would be wasteful. With such an obvious allusion to your house, it’s not like it can be gifted to any other girl.

It would look pretty on your hair. And it would help you blend in. You knew you wore simpler styles than most of the ladies here. This would show that you were not only a farm girl, but as much of a Lady as any other woman.

It would also mean flaunting or even acknowledging Aemond has a claim on you. Despite the temptation, you can’t keep it. You are too level-headed for it. While it might be nice to show everyone you were as noble as any of them, you know it’s a bad idea. It’s nothing but your vanity speaking.

You ignore the little voice in your head that tells you that it’s charming that Aemond tries so much. Nothing but vanity.

Instead of doing anything, you do as always, playing clueless. Best that he thinks you are dumb instead of deliberately trying to offend him.

“You are one of the most thoughtful brothers I have met.”

“Hm?” Aemond blinks, as if he is unsure what you are talking about. You have to conceal your smile, biting the inside of your cheek to keep your face from twitching.

“Your devotion to your sister is admirable. I will make sure to get it to her.” You smile, and turn back on your heel, pocketing the hairpiece.

The last thing you hear is Prince Aegon’s mocking voice, who apparently had eavesdropped the last of the conversation.

“Not very charming, are you?”

“Shut up.” Aemond sounds embarrassed. It makes you laugh a little, both in disbelief at having gotten away with it and delight at his plight. But as soon as you enter your chambers and the door is locked after you, the reality of the situation sinks in.

You were in real danger today. Prince Aemond could have hurt you. He could have damaged your reputation. And worse of all, you would have let him. You need to get away from this place. Fast.

6

“Her father is sick.” Aemond complains, as he sits in his grandsire’s chambers. “Oddly convenient timing.”

“Oh?” His grandsire barely lifts his eyes from the parchments he is looking at. He makes some notes with his quill. Despite the great catastrophe this is of their plans, Otto doesn't look too concerned.

“I was just starting to make some progress!” Aemond rubs his temples. “I don’t understand women. She looked like she was going to accept the hairpiece, I know it.”

In truth, he cannot understand you for the life of him. You had even been flirting back a little, for the Seven’s sake. You were clearly distrustful of him, yet as the weeks went on, you started to become much more playful. Perhaps, even more than just friendly.

You responded well to his advances. Guarded, at first, but the jewelry clearly had gotten to you. Aemond had wanted to press, then. Gift you another piece, something that made his intentions even more clear. He had abstained only because of your quick retreat.

This was a game of patience, Aemond tried to remind himself. Not strategy, but patience. Moving too soon might spook you.

“Perhaps it’s a good sign.” His grandsire sets down his quill, looking at him. Aemond scowls more.

“Is it? Now she is halfway across the country, being chatted up by farm boys and the Seven know what else.”

His grandfather rolled his eyes.

“Aemond. Please, I beg you. Do not subject me to even more idiocy than I already have to withstand. Think.”

“I am thinking.” Aemond complains, before risking a glance at his interlocutor. When Otto Hightower spoke, others listened. And by the look on his face, Aemond was doing a poor job of it.

“You are falling for the girl.” He doesn’t need to elaborate any further. The sentence is as damming as if he had spoken more than a thousand words.

Aemond wants to give an angry rebuttal, but forces himself to keep quiet. Out of everyone in the Red Keep, it’s Otto’s judgement whom he trusts the most. His grandsire has always had a good eye for reading people, and knows him since he was a child. If anyone would know, it would be him.

“You have to admit she has been an excellent companion for Helaena.” He says instead, keeping his tone neutral. Which, you are. You have fulfilled that part of their plan to near perfection. It’s not like he is saying anything but the truth, or even praising you. That’s enough to endear you to both Aemond and his grandsire.

“Very dutiful.” Otto agrees, looking thoughtful. “If a bit… Well. Farm girl like.”

“So?” Because if any, to Aemond that’s a plus, not a hindrance. Women at court weren’t exactly what he would choose for a wife. Too used to niceties and intrigues, your lack of refinement was refreshing. Not in your words because Aemond could tell you were holding back your real thoughts and opinions, but in your reactions. The face that you made when angered was very amusing.

“This is still the woman you are trying to manipulate to do our bidding.” His grandsire shifts towards the fire, casually. Like he would rather not see how his words are about to upset him. Aemond fights the urge to laugh because as if. He knew exactly what he was getting into. This was not the time for moral concerns.

“Is it so bad if I like her?” He truly doesn’t see the issue. Aemond will marry you, after all. Liking you is a good thing.

“As long as it doesn’t cloud your judgement.” Ah. Of course. Aemond walks around the desk, to be able to look at his grandsire in the eyes. Sometimes, it’s hard for him to do so. Having only one eye means having to compensate for the blind spots, and it ends up making things awkward. It’s not often Aemond puts himself through it.

“It would never cloud my judgement.” He tries to look as earnest and sincere as he can. Despite it, Aemond it’s not sure if he believes himself. Too frequently has he found himself distracted with thoughts of your eyes or your smile. Too frequently has he thought about what it would feel like to kiss you and hold you close.

“You are panicking. Over a woman.”

Aemond keeps quiet. There is not much else to say, after all. He can’t exactly claim objectivity, but at least liking you makes him more likely to succeed. Or that’s what he hopes for. Having the right motivation and all.

His grandsire sighs. He gets up, green cloak billowing. Just as Aemond and his mother, he is not very prone to affection. That’s why the hand on his shoulder comes out as a surprise.

“Back in my day…” Otto starts, and Aemond cannot help but roll his eyes. “We didn’t have the luxury of seeing our ladies every day.”

Despite the urge to tease him about sounding like such an old man, Aemond is not going to pass up his opportunity to get advice. He is desperate enough to leave his pride aside. All his plans counted on you being here, after all.

“What did you do, then?”

“I wrote her letters. And sonnets.” The idea of someone as serious as him writing sonnets, of all things, is a laughable one. But perhaps it holds some merit. Commonplaces were commonplaces for a reason, he had realized with the jewelry. If ladies liked letters, Aemond was not opposed to writing you a few.

A shame he was not going to get the chance to see your eyes gleaming with happiness. All the efforts in obtaining the damn bee that Helaena now wore had been worth it for the look on your face. You were rather cute when being greedy, after all.

“Sonnets? You?” Because his grandsire must be teasing. Surely. He can’t even picture him in love. Ew.

“The most artful.” Otto smiles slightly. Aemond cannot help but laugh, feeling a little better. “In your case, I would try letters. You would probably scar her for life with your attempts at poetry.”

So that night, Aemond sits down on his desk, scowling. His penmanship is not what it used to be, before the loss of his eye. Writing is a challenging endeavor, having to keep the letters in a straight horizontal line and legible enough for the person receiving the letter to understand its meaning.

“My dear Lady Beesbury.” Aemond shakes his head and scratches the greeting. “No, too presumptuous.”

“Lady Beesbury? No, too formal. But her first name is too familiar.” He scratches another greeting, quickly realizing he would have to rewrite the letter before sending it.

It takes about four separate rolls of parchment, and by the end of it, Aemond’s hands are stained with ink. He finally settles on a small note.

Dear Lady Beesbury,

I am writing to you to inquire about your father’s health. As you are a very appreciated family friend, I feel it is my duty to ask about your welfare and see if there is anything we can do for you. If you think it necessary, know every Maester at the Red Keep is available to depart to Honeyholt on your call.

Wishing you well,

Prince Aemond.

Perhaps, not his most graceful attempt, but he sends it by raven regardless. He spends the week oddly on edge, waiting for your reply. It’s a simple note, too, graced with your thanks, but that doesn’t really say anything.

He finds himself looking for excuses to keep talking to you. Asking your opinion on a name day present for Helaena. Your opinion on a book. Your thoughts on honey from the Vale as in opposed to Honeyholt.

Today, I read an old treaty about medicinal uses of plants. I remembered that the topic interests you, and so, have enclosed my notes, in the hope that you soon will be reunited with us and able to read it for yourself.

The fact that you answer at all surprises him. So guarded as you were in court, he would have never thought you capable of sharing snippets of your life with him. But perhaps boredom or loneliness is getting to you. It must be quite the change, going from running around the Red Keep with Helaena, the twins and him, to your lonely home and tending to a sick relative.

He likes you, Aemond realizes. You are quite witty, and the conversation flows easily now that he actually has time to think about his answers. No longer he finds himself paralyzed by his task. It’s much easier to talk to you, now that you aren’t in front of him.

It means he starts to get bolder, too. More open. Praising your beauty, your manners, your mind. Not only does your physique appeal to him, but now that he is actually getting to know you, Aemond is starting to enjoy your humor and conversation.

The days have been very sunny lately, yet it has only contributed to my loneliness. I fear you might have ruined me, for I cannot step out in the sun without searching for your beauty.

You get skillful at evading the topic. You do not respond to the compliments, rather evade them entirely. But slowly, hints of your real feelings start to peek through. The attention he bestows on you must be flattering because small words of fondness start to appear.

…. It’s not a lack of recognition on my part about the Maester’s arguments in favor of the historical ramifications of the fall of Valyria, but rather that I find myself inclined to agree with my Prince on the topic…

And there is, of course, the first time you admit your enjoyment of his company and attentions. A memorable occasion if there was one, both for making him feel like less of a suitor that couldn’t take a hint and wanted.

“Aemond, are you blushing?” Aegon teases as they wait for their meal. His mother has insisted that they should have at least one, as a family. It does not seem to be working. Most of the time, his grandsire is busy and Helaena, while physically present, has her head in the clouds. Yet, probably because Aemond was some sort of despicable vermin in a past life, everyone seems to be present today.

Aegon snatches the letter out of his hand before he can react.

“As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. But I have never hoped to find myself in such a state of grief.” Aegon reads, in a mockingly high tone. He squints at the letter, either trying to decipher your terrible handwriting or to get the letter to stop swimming. He is past the amount of annoyance a sober Aegon causes, which means he is drunk. “I had not realized how much I had grown used to and liked your presence. Just as it happens to you, I find myself turning and searching for you among a sea of faces.”

“Give that back!” Aemond lunges for the letter. Aegon scrambles off the bench with surprisingly agility, crumpling the letter slightly. Aemond mourns the loss of its pristine state. He has been saving each one of your notes in perfect state.

“Poor girl. Clearly deprived, if she finds the way you feed Vhagar so fetching.” And it doesn’t even make sense, but it angers him anyway. Aemond lunges for Aegon, trying to snatch the letter out of his grasp.

“Why can’t we have a nice meal without you two arguing?” His mother asks, and takes the letter from Aegon, handing it back to him. “You shouldn’t be playing with her feelings. She sounds as if she cares about you.”

This time, Aemond’s blush is not from delight.

[land-of-evergreens-and-dye]

Ok so I know I reblogged @morganbritton132 post about steve not being an only child but the youngest of like a really big family and I added my 2 bits to that post, but now I need to get this out of my brain now or it will explode. The ages are how old they are by season 4 I hope I did the math right and it makes sense. Im also hopped up on 2 midols so hopfully this makes sense.

Steve who has 7 older siblings this including 2 sets of twins. His father started his first family young after getting his high school sweetheart pregnant and was forced to marry her at 17. Thankfully his side of the family was already loaded, so his Richard's father just had him work for him and provided a cushy life that provided nannies to raise his children so he didn't have to.

He has Rebecca (38) the oldest a stay at home mom with 3 kids and a divorce from her deadbeat, useless husband.

Oliver and Penny (36) the first set of twins. Oliver has 1 kid and works as a principal and is happily married. Penny never married but lives with her "roomate" of like 15 years she's a photographer who's opened many art galleries.

Peter (35) he's a lawyer and the most like their father. Stern and doesn’t believe in handouts that a man has to work for what he gets, despite being handed everything on a silver platter his whole life. Also never been married but enjoys his secretaries a little too much.

Harold or Harry (30) as he likes to be referred to is a firefighter. He keeps to himself and honestly gets overshadowed by his other siblings' achievements. He is the most like Steve personality wise and had always liked Steve as a kid, but shunned him just so he wouldn’t get the same treatment from his full siblings.

And finally the youngest and final set of twins Olivia and Cecelia (27) identical twins who look exactly like their mother. Olivia is a professional ballerina she travels a lot for work going from theater to theater never staying in one place for long. Cecelia on the other hand is a pediatric doctor who takes her work very seriously and is one of the harder siblings to get ahold of.

Richard ends up knocking up his 20 something yearold secretary when he was in his early 50's and decides to leave his wife and kids for her. Despite how successful his 7 previous kids are, they still do not meet his high standards and thought he could do better somehow. He makes the same mistakes, though, since his new wife is paranoid that he'll cheat on her when she's not with him. Poor steve is left with nannies until he's able to properly dial 911 all by himself.

No one in Hawkins has ever met steves older siblings since Richard's first wife won the house in the divorce so he moved his new family to his old grandparents house that was willed to him after their passing. And so poor Steve grew up alone in that big empty house despised by his older siblings he never gets to see. Their mother won full custody over them the only time he got to see them was from the ages 1-7 when their dad would actually hold christmas parties at his house to show off his children and claim their accomplishments as being due to his influence. During these parties his siblings would stay for a week or 2, and Steve was never included with their activities, as he was deemed both the reason their dad left and an annoying youngest brother.

Once Steve turned 7 and the yougest of his older siblings were now 13 they no longer wanted to be around him or their father so they just stopped coming and Steve was the sole bearer of their father's high expectations. While his older siblings had each other to rely on or to share the load. Steve was all alone and was crumbling under the pressure fast.

He befriends the wrong friends and falls into the popular crowd trying to please his father, who was never around. His new friends and ability to play sports pleases the old man for a little while, but his subpar grades really canceled out any sort of positive attention he thought he could possibly receive.

Then season 1 happens, and Steve discovers just how alone he is in the world. No one can get ahold of his parents who are out of the country again and not 1 of his 7 siblings even called him back when he left a meassage telling him that he was scared and alone and concussed. He understood the ones with kids probably couldn't do much they had to take care of their own families, but the other 5 were close enough to at least call him back. He made sure to keep tabs on them in case he ever needed to contact them. They were all close enough to at least care for his well-being, and they just plain didn’t.

Season 2 happens, and Steve's new and more real family starts to take shape. Steve had bever been an older brother, so the thrill of becoming an older brother like role model to these children he had semi adopted was quite the rush. Not to mention that Joyce Byers was a force to reccon with when she set her mind on making sure the lone teen in the group was well taken care of she made sure he was well taken care of. He finally had a family after wishing for something close to unconditional love his whole childhood, and he was finally getting that. He had family dinners with the Byers and Hendersons. He spent christams at different party members' houses throughout the day it was the best christmas he had ever had. He was loved and happy. Hopper wasn't 100% a father figure, but he was there more often than his own father, so he was already leagues better than his bio dad.

Unfortunately season 3 happens and Steve is met with the unfortunate pattern his life keeps taking. Where any good thing that happens to him, wether that be secret hangouts with Harry when they were kids or dinners with Hopper and El, must come to a usually lonley and painful end. Hopper is dead and Steve blaims himself, he loses the Byers +El, and he is once again ignored by his bio family while suffering a high grade concussion and side affects from the drugs still left in his system. Not 1 person from his family could come to the phone or call back. He doesn't even know why he bothers he's positive that he could die and no one would care or find out until his parents returned moths after the fact and found the house empty and covered in dust. And even then it would take a week of being mad about the state of the house before someone paid their condolences to his parents that they'd find out what happened to the youngest Harrington. Steve's convinced that they wouldn't even be sad for long. Why would they be sad about someone they hardly knew, he was just a background character in their lives if that. Not a thought spared to poor homewrecker Steve, probably served him right. But Steve does get a platonic soulmate in the form of one Robin Buckley who fits in perfectly with his found family and helps soothe the loss Steve feels in the Byers/Hoppers absences.

Season 4 happens, but they defeat Vecna. The plan works Eddie makes it. I'll bet a couple of pounds lighter and a few skin graftes later. But Eddie lives and is promptly handcuffed to the bed still being charged with the death of Chrissy and now Jason. And Steve can barely stand, but he will not sit around and let Eddie get pinned for this whole mess, not on his watch. He calls and calls and calls Peter until a full 2 days pass he finally picks up.

13 years and he finally picks up Steve is pleading and crying and bargaining, trying to get Peter to take Eddie's case. He promises never to contact him again if he would just help him this one time. That Steve will pay double no tripple what he charges for his services if it means he will help him. Peter hems and haws but finally agrees. And tells Steve that he only needs to pay the regular price. Steve finally sags into the hospital bed in the same room as Eddie, who is thankfully asleep in the bed next to him. He can finally relax knowing his family will be safe and happy, Peter has never lost a case yet.

The issue Steve was not prepared for was that apparently Harry had had enough of his family treating their youngest brother like nothing and after the most recent call from Hawkins general decided to go and collect his brothers and sisters to all go make sure their little brother was alive and fine. They had been talking about reconnecting with the youngest for a while now, but never really did anything about it, life got in the way and the yearly phone calls regarding their brother never seemed important enough in the grand scheme of things going on in their lives.

Well Harry had had enough and when he went to collect his siblings and finally got to Peter, Harry was absolutely furious to find out that after getting ahold of one of his family members. Family members who were supposed to love and care for him, their youngest sibling. All Pete did was charge the boy his usual going rates for his services. Didn't even ask if Steve was ok, he just agreed to the job nothing more, nothing less. Harry almost murded his brother right there with his 5 other siblings as witnesses. He wanted to cry for his baby brother, who he cut ties with so he didnt suffer the same fate, had no family to speak of and was alone in a hospital, again.

It took 3 days for Harry to force all of his siblings to Hawkins and into a cramped hospital room with 2 beds and a truck load of visitors for the the two occupants in it. Steve looked so confused when more than just Peter walked through the door. And at first the party thought they were more angry mob coming to finish Eddie off, but found they didn't recognize any of the faces. Except they did look familiar, but they couldn't put their fingers on why they looked familiar. Meanwhile, Steve's confusion just turns into a feeling of nothing. He's numb and not from the pain meds. No, he's numb because in his mind the only reason his siblings are here is because they think he has money. Peter must have told him about how desperate Steve was for his services and how much he was willing to pay. It's the only explanation he could come up with.

After like 10 minutes of silence as Steve's bio family stare at their little brother beaten to hell and bandged like a mummy from being demobat food, it's Erica who finally inform these stranges that they got the wrong room and to please leave. That seems to shock Steve's family into action as they all start talking over each other in response to Erica as well as critiquing the state Steve is in, the room is in, and the town is in. This starts a migraine in Steve's head almost immediately, and Robin clocks it almost just as quick. She demands quiet and gets it before asking the intruders who they are what they want.

Peter finally steps forward and introduces himself as both a Harrington and a lawyer who will be representing one Eddie Munson in his upcoming trial. All of the party's eyes land on Steve who just looks tired. But finally Steve introduces his siblings and with each new introduction he can see the hatred growing in his found familes eyes. Steve's embarrassed that they have to find out what a huge piece of nothing he is. He knew it was gonna happen at some point. After introductions are made none of the Harrington's are able to get a word out before Steve's found family decend onto his bio siblings for being the most absent and biggest piles of shit they have ever met. They defend Steve like it is their jobs and that steves siblings should be ashamed of themselves.

It's safe to say that the upcoming moths of healing, Eddies trial, and subsequent win are all very awkward and full of hate towards each other. Steve's bio family are convinced they did nothing wrong while the found family held tight to the belief that the bio family did everything wrong. And Steve has just accepted that from now on he will bear witness to Rebecca having full-blown arguments with Erica like that's a normal Tuesday for him.

This does result in a happy ending though with Steve gaining not just found family but also his bio family. It's a lot of work on both sides but in the end its totally worth it. Steve finally has the big happy family hes always wanted.

I personally think this would end in steddie and the whole family minus his parents would be at their wedding. And that Steve's bio siblings would have to also win over Wayne's approval. But that is totally up to you. Thank you for reading my midol fueled rant.

[moodymisty]

Hello! Hope you are well! May I request some headcannons of how would the horsemen would show support for any achievements of a female y/n? Thank you! (Had to do some presentation on a business case, I worked on to the big bosses and I'm just happy to have got it over with but love your writing and four takes wholesome)

Author's Note: Hey, congrats! Presentations are a nightmare I am not a good person for rehearsed speaking so glad it went well. Here's some cute HCs, I kept the achievements vague so anyone can have their little supportive Horsemen. I hope this is close enough to what you had in mind :3

Relationships: Death/Gn!Reader, War/Gn!Reader, Strife/Gn!Reader, Fury/Gn!Reader (I just so happened to write them in a way that they turned out with no pronouns)

Warnings: None

✦ Death ✦

Death is definitely the most quiet and least outgoing of them all

But you know him, and that even the smallest thing is huge coming from him. Death isn't exactly used to or is good at giving praise. That wasn't something the Nephilim, in particular the first born were good at.

But Death knows you're happy, and it's an emotion that's somewhat infectious. No matter how much he might try to stop it.

He's so awkward, and at one point you think it's because he's uncomfortable but it's more so that he wants to make sure he does it right. The last thing he wants to do is spoil your joy, he gets to see that sort of thing so rarely.

You get a pat on the end after everything, because he secretly thinks it's funny when you get mad about him ruffling your hair.

✦ War ✦

War doesn't do things half baked. So even if he may not fully understand or have the same love for whatever you're proud of, he's just as proud.

Even if he doesn't quite look it. He's always got that stoic face, but he's happy, deep down.

Anyone who doesn't agree gets their ass beat. Like War will throw hands if someone tries to talk down your accomplishment. Even his siblings; If one of them makes a joke War will threaten to make a Strife-shaped hole in the wall.

It's funny (and cute) to feel him stiffen up when you suddenly hug him in your excitement, as he's still often surprised by that sort of thing.

He'll put his good hand on your back and tell you he's proud and even if the words taste odd on his tongue, they don't taste bad either.

✦ Fury ✦

Besides Strife, Fury is by far the most overt of the four of them.

Massive 'of course you did well I know you would, you were silly for doubting yourself' energy. She has complete faith in your competency even if you don't.

You aren't just anyone afterall; You're her favorite human, and nothing as silly as whatever you were worried about completing is going to stop you. Especially with her at your side.

Will roll her eyes if you ever had any doubt you would do poorly.

She'll quit it if you glare up at her, and even though she doesn't know why in the realms you'd ever doubt yourself, she assumes it's a human thing.

Will absolutely give you a hug when prompted. She claims it's too touchy-feely but she won't let go for a suspiciously long amount of time when you do eventually try to get away.

✦ Strife ✦

Ultimate cheerleader. Seriously.

Strife yearns to give you all the support that he wishes he got through all of his dark times, so sometimes you end up drowning in his positive affirmations. Even if he has zero clue what your accomplishment was, he's hyped.

He just has a lot of love in him for you that he has trouble showing you, and this is a way he can.

Also you've always been there for him, even when he's being a self-proclaimed 'irritable piece of a shit', so he's eager to return the favor. It's the least he can do.

If you let him bribe you while you were working on whatever you've now completed, expect that reward. Strife has a tendency to barter with increasingly grandiose and also often lewd promises, so I hope you have the day cleared.

All and all, Strife tries. And even if he's abit scatterbrained, you still love him.

[bucketfullofstrawberries]

Hi! Came here to tell you I didn't know the meaning of a comfort character until Edgar. Nowadays when I'm feeling down, all I have to do is make a drawing of him and it inmediately brightens my mood.

You have made a character who is genuinely impactful in other people's lives, who feels like a person in his own right. Who is and always will be loved by many, who doesn't feel like he's just fiction.

He is wonderful, and everyone who has made art of him knows that. And we all are grateful that you made him.

❤️

EXCUUUSEEE MEEEEEE UOU CANNOT SAYY ALL OF THAT AND KEEP YOURSELF ANONYMOUS

EXCU-HU-HUUSEEE MEEEE,,,, OUUHH.... OUHOOOA......... I'M CRYING ALL OVER YOU IM WEEPING AND I'M CRYING AND IM TURNING YOU INTO A SOPPING WET THING BEAST WITH MY TEARS, FUCK YOU!!!!!!

No, SERIOUSLY though- THIS IS SO FUCKING SWEET AND HEARTFELT WHAT THE HELLL!!??? WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!! IT TOOK ME A GOOD FEW HOURS TO ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND WRITE SOMETHING FOR THIS WHOLE THING BECAUSE I JUST 💥IM NEARLY FUCKING SPEECHLESS HERE, GOOD FUCKING MORNING,

Edgar being a comfort character to you is SUCH a MASSIVE fucking compliment, even if I don't have a bloody CLUE who you are I am CRYING ALL OVER YOU SO MUCH!!!! BECAUSE!!! THAT'S KIND OF WHAT MY AIM WAS, IN A WAY???

I really don't know HOW I pipelined from a basic white Geography Teacher looking beta FUCK to this.. whimsical, Jolly Holiday, Mary Poppins-esq British man and yet STILL kept him as a Narrator, but I DID!! BUT OVER TIME, instead of keeping him as a sopping wet white cat crying in a corner, I slowly started building up a little story for him and thought to myself "..Huh. It'd be cool if he was quite different from the majority of the Narraverse... maybe I could make him fun and full of whimsy!! It might make people happy!". Because I like to make things different most of the time, it's something I've managed to be quite well known for! AS WELL AS THAT, It's an absolute joy to draw and write him as a character for myself BUT -- seeing people genuinely enjoy him as a person is something I LOVE to see because I LIKE making people happy.. and having him become a COMFORT CHARACTER, of all things, is such an honor and a privilege.. it wasn't anticipated from me at the start at ALL, But I'm SO happy you see him that way!!

And I FULLY SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE AND CONDONE Edgar being used as a source of ANY COMFORT, ANY WHICH WAY POSSIBLE!!! If he's a source of feel good energy for you, then go NUTS!! DO WHAT YOU LIKE WITH HIM, I'M NOONE TO JUDGE!! This doesn't just go out to you, either, this goes out to EVERYONE and ANYONE!!

And I'm sure Edgar HIMSELF will be MORE than delighted to provide some sunshine to your rainy days and moonlight to your cloudy night skies! I MEAN IT!! I REALLY DO!!

It brings me IMMENSE joy that I'm able to make characters that impact peoples lives in such a positive way.. because I KNOW how that feeling feels because so many characters other PEOPLE have made makes ME feel the same way.. and if EDGAR can achieve THAT with a wider audience then that's something I'll always be proud of.. and that's something that encourages me to keep pumping out content because it's something I LOVE to do and I'm more than happy to make sure people know that they're loved and they SHOULD feel loved, not just by me, but by Edgar himself. He's been carefully made over a YEAR in order to be a pleasant and good character and I'm SO happy I can convey that well enough for people to recognize him as good, because he's MEANT to be good,

But having someone say this to me UP FRONT, IN MY FACE, WALTZING IN THROUGH MY DOOR LIKE IT'S NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS IF I'LL CHOKE AND CRY ABOUT IT, I'm literally SO grateful, ETERNALLY grateful that I'm able to provide a character to be.. well, a sort of place of Sanctuary. Making peoples faces light up, getting excited about him.. it's nothing that makes me feel egotistical or big headded, it's just. Lovely to know that I'm making people happy with what I do. That's what I've wanted to do for a majority of my life, make smiles and bring cheer. I guess Edgar's -- kind of the EMBODIMENT of that.

He won't always be a Narrator... I've made my mind up about that. But he'll always live on with that significant mark he made in the community he was founded upon. THIS community, this lovely community that isn't always picture perfect but there's just SO many extraordinary and sweet people in it that I'll always be fond of it, of this. Of everyone!! Of The Stanley Parable, Narraverse and Paraverse & All of the Above and below!

TLDR: I wanted to make a Character that people could find joy within. And I'm proud to say that I did. And I'm so so SO grateful to those who keep the magic alive and love and support not me, but the journey Edgar's had and how far it's taken him.

I love you guys so so so sosososososo SOOOOO much it's insane From who you are, to what you do and what you make..even just the little things you are SO loved..

And Edgar loves you guys ALL the MORE!! <3

..AND YES I DID START CRYING WHILE WRITING THIS, SHUT UP, I'M EMOTIONAL, FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU

[the-last-thread-of-my-sanity]

Honestly, I love the Levi/Hange/Erwin dynamic when it comes to shipping, because all of it works and feels satisfying for the characters no matter what your preference is.

I can honestly believe or be convinced of almost any dynamic involving the three of them, including a throuple situation.

But my personal headcanon is this- I think that Levi had feelings for Erwin that were definitely stronger than Erwin’s for him. Levi showed love and also strength through devotion to Erwin but Erwin only had room in his life to be devoted to his cause and his goal of finding out the truth. Any person- even those he cared most about- could be sacrificed for that goal. We see this in his characterization as “the devil”. I think he felt sorrow for this choice at times but never once considered going back on it.

I honestly think the closest Levi and Erwin ever were was before the series starts/occurs offscreen. And by the time we are introduced to these characters we are actually beginning to see the slow deterioration of what could have been their relationship. We see them working seamlessly together to acquire Eren for the Scouts, but even as soon as the 57th Expedition we see some cracks in the facade.

Levi trusts Erwin inherently, and will follow his orders, but he starts to silently and subtly disagree with the massive loss of life that Erwin is content with to achieve his goal. This all culminates in Levi’s infamous unspoken “more important than me” right before they leave for Shiganshina. Erwin is devoted to his cause and his dream of seeing the basement regardless of the casualties- and Levi has been devoted to Erwin and so therefore must bear the weight of those casualties with him even though along the way they weren’t his calls to make.

And then on the other hand, you have Levi and Hange- who mutually care for one another and have phenomenal chemistry. They both share the burden of carrying out Erwin’s wishes- but I think in Hange, Levi can see someone who is just as intelligent and determined but not quite as ruthless or closed off. Hange is constantly grappling with guilt and shame and feelings of inadequacy- emotions that Levi doesn’t permit himself to feel or in the very least, to feel openly. So by caring for them, Levi gets some of that catharsis. Surely by having sympathy for Hange’s plight, he can also then give himself permission to feel his own doubts and frustrations. Their relationship feels very equal- which is why it is ultimately more appealing to me.

Later, even when Hange is the commander, it still feels like they are on equal footing. Levi is just as devoted to them, but not in a way that forces him into a secondary role or to compromise the part of him that cares deeply for others.

I think (and yes this explanation is very Levi-centric, sorry) that Levi resists a lot of attraction to Hange or doesn’t take it as seriously while Erwin is alive- but just as we see things begin to chill between him and Erwin, we also see more trust and interactions between him and Hange.

Levi choosing Armin to revive over Erwin was a personal as well as tactical decision for him. Of course, there’s so much discussion about how it was actually a way to respect him and show mercy, et cetera. And I agree with that. But many things can be true at the same time, and I think laying Erwin to rest was also Levi choosing, if even subconsciously, that he would no longer choose his unbroken devotion to Erwin over the chance to spare lost lives (in this case, it happens to be Armin). He still reveres Erwin immensely- but following him for so many years had obviously left wounds and scars.

And I am not saying any of this to discredit Erwin or villainize him. I think Erwin is a very human character, and he put himself into a position to make choices that he knew no one else would be able to make. He chose to turn himself into a monster and be as ruthless as his enemy. He was incorruptible in this aspect, but it also meant that anyone close to him would always be secondary and he couldn’t risk becoming too attached. There a million examples of ways he cares for Levi (and Hange)- he just makes it explicit that he would never care for them MORE than the cause.

They know this and follow him anyway. But that bond between those second in command to him, creates this beautiful relationship built on shared understanding, and that’s what makes Levihan so compelling to me.

[wellofdean]

This is old news, but I just read it for the first time and really loved it:

Rewatching Supernatural has been an interesting experience. I first watched most of it (from the start of season 2 on) in real time as it aired, and I have to admit that I did not take it very seriously. I gave it no thought whatsoever between episodes, and thought of it as an hour of indulgence in something dumb and pretty: two handsome brothers and their angel who fought monsters and melodrama every week. I never missed an episode and did love it, but I didn't truly engage with it.

It seems, however, that Supernatural worked on me in some kind of subterranean, unconscious way, because when it ended, I found I couldn't let it go. Part of that was the terrible narrative malpractice of its ending, but when I really thought about it, I realised that I also just missed Dean. He had been a weekly visitor for more than a decade, and I just didn't want my time with him to be over. I started watching Supernatural again, and the experience has been really interesting. A lot of things about my perception of it have shifted, and one of the main shifts has been in my apprehension of the serious artistic intelligence, nigh-on unbelievable range, and sheer excellence of Jensen Ackles' performance of Dean.

I keep thinking about what an incredible undertaking Dean is -- a 15-year-long development of one character! About how different the actor who played Dean in episode one is from the actor who played Dean in episode 325. How age, experience, and depth are reflected in both the character and the performance. It is just impossible to watch it and not see that there is an incredible evolution there, and at the same time, a kind of devastating psychological and emotional continuity.

Supernatural is a show that requires you to suspend disbelief and agree to go along with it. It can be silly and schlocky, and it's emotional strokes are often broad ones. It started airing in a time when our society was very different from the way it is now on issues surrounding social justice and inclusion. It isn't 'prestige TV' and it puts on no airs of being anything beyond what it is, but when the whole story is in your mind and you revisit it, and you aren't engaged with taking in plot and anticipating (or desiring) outcomes, you start noticing its subtlety, its themes, motifs and story parallels, the liminal spaces of its setting, the subtler play of emotion in moments without dialogue, and it starts to feel much deeper, more epic and just straight up BETTER than you ever thought it was.

All of that is mirrored in Jensen's performance. He grew into Dean and grew into an artist who could play Dean. He's not afraid of a little schtick, he's very capable of being obvious, but he's even better at the subtleties that allow Dean's inner life to rise up in his face without words. I love how this article positions Jensen's performance as being like that of so many classic film stars, the idea that he used his own essence -- the full range of his psychology, emotions and physicality with skill and intention to achieve what he did with Dean. His long commitment to and investment in the character, and the way he fully embodies Dean because Dean is a character that he built from pieces of himself.

Anyway. I have a lot of respect for his work. I love Dean and think he is magnificent. I hope Jensen Ackles knows how good he is, and is suitably proud of himself, and I am very grateful to hear that by all accounts, Dean is not over for him, because Dean is not over for me.

Sheila O'Malley wrote a few really nice pieces about Jensen's performance as Dean and one about Soldier Boy, and I recommend them. Very much enjoyed.

[sharffffff]

Anarnyrel Emeratu

Wow this lady is ✨old✨

How old, exactly? Well, not the "this is the oldest mortal character in TES" old, but not that far behind either. Being born into one of the first generations of Falmer living under Dwemer rule, in 1e487, Anarnyrel would be just over 3000 years during the Planemeld.

You might be wondering, however, that she doesn't look like a Falmer at all, and fair, she doesn't - her grandfather was a Dwemer and (in my headcanons) snow-white skin tone of Falmer is extremely recessive (as in, multiple different skin tone genes rely on being recessive to achieve that tone), so getting back to being snow-white after initial hybridization takes a lot of generations. Anarnyrel is still significantly paler than your average Dwemer, who have almost bronze skin tones, and much more desaturated as well.

Now, what is there to know about her? Let me get into my "it's time to actually write seriously" mood and get started.

Although a lot of Dwemer in recorded texts had thought themselves superior to other races, especially their downtrodden brethren Falmer, it was far from the case in reality, even though "kind souls" of Dwemer society were less likely to be in positions of power and have any written texts about them survive through both their disappearance and thousands of years since then. But they existed, in quite the significant numbers, and Anarnyrel's grandfather, Nathranas, was one of them. He has always been interested in cultures of other races, and has spent a lot of time among Falmer in particular, after the Night of Tears but long before the fall of Snow Prince and complete collapse of the Falmer kingdom. He has travelled a lot, but always kept coming back to Skyrim, especially with things getting more and more heated.

But in particular, he kept coming back to Vantari, a Falmer who he has grown attached to, who always made snide remarks about his kind of work, and to whom he always fired back to. They had this sort of friendly rivalry that was on the verge of growing to something else, but Nathranas never took the first step in the fear of being too imposing, and knowing that Vantari had more things to worry about. After all, she was in charge of an entire Falmeri town, and with the war in Skyrim getting worse and worse, she surely had more important things than love. So, Nathranas held off from the confessions and just offered her and her people whatever help he could, while in the background working on securing them the place to live in case Falmer were driven off the surface after all.

The rumors he heard about the plans of other Dwemeri houses weren't too promising, and he didn't hold enough political power to get anything done about it. Who would listen to the last remaining member of a house that's been down on its luck for the last five centuries, after all? Only someone who already held views similar to his, and it wasn't the powerful majority. Yes, he had convinced some other minor nobles to also prepare the safe space for the Falmer in case the inevitable happens, but he was afraid that it wouldn't last. The plans of larger clans and houses... they were horrifying. And what's worse, they were likely to succeed.

And then it happened. Snow Prince fell in one of the battles against the Nedes, and the last hope for Falmer to stay on the surface was gone. They were hunted like animals, driven off the surface of the world, driven right into the trap of larger clans. Some settlements were able to evade the deal with those clans and instead find safe haven with some of Nathranas' allies, and Vantari and her town was welcome in the old fortress of Narthranas' house, which he had been restoring in case this did happen. They were welcome in, no strings attached, with the exception of having to help growing the food for the town, as he alone could not feed nearly a hundred people all by himself. Yes, there were some constructs to help with gathering the crops, but he didn't have time to fully repair them as of yet - it was one of the first things on his list, however. And, to be fair, this deal was significantly better than some other refugees have gotten, which Narthranas was utterly disgusted by. He was hoping that the rumors weren't true, but, sadly, they were, and as much as he hoped he could've helped every single Falmer, it just wasn't possible.

Over time, however, the old fortress has started seeing new life, both with many constructs being repaired to help with growing crops, looking after kwama and other things around the underground citadel, and with Falmer who have retreated here seeing that unlike many other Dwemer, Nathranas wasn't going to stab them in the back. They were still wary, of course, but this deal was better than some others they could've gotten. In the meantime, Narthranas started teaching some of the younger Falmer how to repair the constructs and how to build new ones, how the magotech worked, how to charge the soul gems to power both the constructs and some of the automated systems in the fortress itself, and many other things that were usually forbidden to relay to the outsiders. But then again, Narthranas has already "betrayed the Dwemer" from what he heard said about him, so why not betray them some more?

To return to the topic at hand, Anarnyrel - for her to come to exist, something must happen. And, surprising nobody, it did - it was Vantari who approached Narthranas, however, as he was too afraid to even think about it with all the news about how other Dwemer treated their Falmer brethren. She told him how she loved to see him squirm, unable to admit his feelings, but thought that he has stewed in his guilt for far too long. He wasn't responsible for the actions of his people, and it didn't mean he wasn't deserving of love. How Narthranas didn't just die on the spot is still unknown, but the relief he felt from being accepted by the woman he had loved for the past 264 years was immense. It would be more than another century before they would get a daughter of their own, with two generations of Falmer having grown up in the fortress without ever seeing the light of day.

Well, this wasn't entirely correct, as the exit to the surface wasn't locked, and some experienced hunters would go out now and again to bring back fresh meat, and with some youngsters sneaking out despite the looming threat of Nedes still hunting down the last remnants of Falmer, but sunlight was still a rare encounter for most of the younger generations. The artificial sunlight was good enough for the cave crops and to not go completely insane from constant darkness, and Dwemer have lived like this for thousands of years, but for normally surface-dwelling Falmer it was difficult to get used to.

Autarielle - that was the name that Vantari has given their daughter, "Beaty of the Clouds", to remind of what was lost. When she was just born, she was surprisingly pale, looking almost like full-blood Falmer, but as she aged, her skin tone grew darker, ending up being almost darker than that of Narthranas. To the unknowing eye, she looked almost more Dwemeri than her own father! Autarielle was loved among the entire city, with people living there hoping that she was the blessing from the gods, a sign that things would be okay, that the city was safe from the rest of the world. And for the time, it was true. The fortress was thriving, more hunting parties were going onto the surface, still with immense care not to lead the Nedes to the entrance of the caverns, and more and more Falmeri children, Autarielle included, were being taught the crafts of both Dwemer and Falmer, in case they ever needed to take care of the citadel after Narthranas was gone.

And then, Narthranas got his first threat. His city was doing too well, and the important people have taken notice. The letter didn't look like a threat to an untrained eye, but the phrasing made it all far too clear. They were "interested in the progress of [his] little project, and recommended to not let it grow too big to handle". This was bad. The city has grown significantly, with four generations of Falmer having grown up here already, almost doubling the population, and this letter has just become a confirmation that they kept their eyes on him. This almost drew Narthranas to the panic, and then something happened that made it all even worse.

With things going well up to this point, even slightly less experienced hunters were allowed to join the hunts on the surface, and so, with all this traffic up and down, it became easier for some mischievous younger Falmer to sneak up to the surface to watch the animals, and sky, and trees, and clouds. Autarielle might have had it a bit more difficult than others, as her sneaking out would be much more noticeable, with her looking nowhere near like other Falmer, but it didn't stop her. She and her partner, Seravin, became great at sneaking out to spend time alone together, as it has become quite difficult to find empty spaces back in the citadel, and they weren't ready to make their relationship public just yet. Seravin felt that they might be a little too "unimportant" for Autarielle's parents to allow her to be with them, with her being the daughter of the leader of the city and the one who gave them this safe haven, and with Seravin just being a child of a hunter and a kwama miner. Autarielle always called them silly for that fear, but never forced them to become public. They would do it when they were ready.

Sadly, that "ready" moment wasn't going to come. During one of their escapades, with both of them sitting in the branches of a great oak and just having some fun, they were ambushed. Nords were some masterful marksmen, and Seravin was dead mere seconds after the arrow hit them straight in the heart. After noticing Autarielle, however, Nords ran, screaming at each other that they should never have attacked the Dwarves and that they would be cursed forever now. Autarielle didn't even have a second to process what happened and had entirely shut off. She was trying desperately to heal Seravin, refusing to believe they were dead, and dragged them back to the fortress on sheet willpower alone, and then lost consciousness. When she regained it, she shut off from everyone around her, including her parents, who quickly realized what was going on between the two. Autarielle couldn't believe it was happening. What she didn't know at the time, either, was that she was carrying Seravin's child.

Narthranas had to put out several centurions near the entrance to the citadel to ward off any potential Nords who may have wanted to follow the bloody trail, to show that this city was still occupied by Dwemer they oh so much feared, and them he broke down himself. He has almost lost his daughter to those Nedic savages, and she has lost the life of her life and the other parent of her child. And he didn't even know she had been seeing someone! He was heartbroken by the thought of her not trusting neither him nor Vantari with this information, but was aware that she had her own troubles to deal with right now. Meanwhile, he ordered to increase security around the elevator and decrease amount of hunts, to make sure no more people are lost. He would've felt responsible for each loss had he not done it.

The day Anarnyrel was born was not a happy one, either. As the world welcomed in one life, it had taken another one instead. Autarielle had died in the child birth, and Narthranas had promised himself to teach Anarnyrel everything he could to make sure she can survive for as long as possible. He raised her as his daughter, spending almost all his time with her, teaching her everything from how to grow crops to how to do complex engineering, including that of limbs and organs. He taught her how to wield both magic and tech to prolong her life, and a variety of other skills that could come useful. He even hired tutors from various cultures to give her better education in magical and other fields, and dedicated the rest of his life to her, especially after Vantari was claimed by her old age. He couldn't allow himself to let Anarnyrel suffer the same fate, he had to protect her no matter what. He couldn't let the last of his loved ones to die. What he inadvertently taught Anarnyrel, however, was that love was dangerous and could drive you to insanity both when gained and when lost.

And then, one day, when Anarnyrel had barely turned 96, Narthranas had sent her away, telling her that it was too dangerous here now, that he would try to evacuate as much of the city as he could, but they were unhappy and they were coming here. After this, she never heard from him again, and in her retreat in Summerset she had news reach her that a "dangerous traitor to Dwemeri society has been eliminated, with all his experiments destroyed". The name of this dangerous traitor? Narthranas Khazdarth. Her grandfather. And the experiments were, most likely, the Falmer who weren't turned into blind slaves, like those of the other clans. He was saving her when he was sending her off to Summerset, and she had to use everything he taught her to make him proud.

1e700 has left Anarnyrel untouched, most likely thanks to her mostly Falmeri blood, and she has seen way too many historic events since. As time passed, some of her body had deteriorated and was replaced by far more reliable mechanical parts, while the rest was sustained on a variety of magical means. She had grown in power over the years as well, but had spent most of her life in her own tower, which she built with a mix of Dwemeri and Falmeri architecture, studying different metaphysical concepts. She was most interested in some myths and legends of different cultures and how true or false they were. Numerous experiments, as well as field trips to measure magicka levels in the places of legends were successful, much more were proven false, but she never published her results - her grandfather had spread the knowledge among the masses and it was one of the causes of his death, and Anarnyrel wasn't going to be so reckless.

But if she ever was to die, she had a failsafe to publish all of her research in as wide of a print as possible, releasing potentially devastating revelations. Good thing it was that she wasn't planning on dying any time soon, and still had much more research to be done.

[queenvhagar]

So I saw a video on TikTok about the night Rhaenyra and Criston ‘get together’ about how in canon, there was no consent for both sides but in canon, there was consent.

And the comments are making me feel quite conflicted because they’re saying that a child cannot rape an adult: Rhaenyra was an intoxicated child whose title was not taken seriously and didn’t have that type of power that the king had to dismiss him and therefore couldn’t give consent while Criston was a sober grown man twice her size, a trained knight fully armored sworn to celibacy that could’ve left but didn’t and even liked it in the end, and who even asked her to marry him after. Also that the creators said they both wanted each other and that it was a consensual seduction.

I’m mainly feeling conflicted because yes, a child can’t consent to sexual activity with an adult. But isn’t the concept of that distinct from the ability of a teenager to commit sexual assault? I’m confused about this because I haven’t seen the scene and they’re saying he didn’t leave when he could’ve and that he liked it in the end.

And were the consequences of him sleeping with Rhaenyra way heavier than the potential consequences he might of faced if he denied her?

Your thoughts?

In the show, Rhaenyra was of age when this happened, so she wasn't a child. She was young, but she was probably about 18 at this time with the time skips up to that point. An adult by our standards and certainly in-universe. Young, yes. But not a child. Criston on the other hand was likely in his early to mid 20s.

While her position as heir was not taken very seriously, her status as the daughter of the king was. Not only the king's daughter but the king's favorite child. The sway she holds with her father is immense, and her word would be taken more seriously than that of a simple knight. Add in the fact that Criston is not from an important family and he's Dornish, and it's clear who people would believe if there was a situation of her word vs his.

She had been drinking with Daemon, yes, but she was also sober enough to navigate through King's Landing, which she had never visited before, all the way to the Red Keep while alone in the middle of the night after Daemon left her. So she clearly has a decent level of mental capacity at this point if she can walk through a new city at night as a young woman all the way home and not have any problem at all.

The writers say it was consensual, but I question whether it really was considering the fact that Rhaenyra is the person responsible for hiring Criston Cole to Kingsguard and she holds direct authority over him. Despite him trying to go against her words and wishes, he ultimately does not have much of an option to say no without some major risks, as is the case with going against the wishes of the royal family you're sworn to obey.

Maybe a similar (imperfect) minor analogue to the event would be this: you're a person of color from a low-income family in a small town who, upon graduating from business school having worked your way through, just got the job offer of a lifetime and hired to a hugely successful, high-profile company in the big city thanks to the CEO's daughter, a senior manager in the company and part of an ultra wealthy, ultra powerful white family. She directly hired you for the position as she was the one who interviewed you. Despite the fact she is a few years younger than you, she has a lot of influence in the company thanks to her family and specifically her father, who gave her the job she has. Your job represents everything that you've struggled for and worked to achieve in your life. In your day to day tasks, you're working directly under the supervision of this woman, and she clearly has the authority in what decisions are made and what you do. You maintain a professional and respectful relationship for years, and sometimes she talks with you about her unhappiness with and frustrations about the work, feeling stifled by the burden of the family business she will one day take over (and assume all its wealth and power). Then, one evening, after she's had a couple of drinks, she calls you into her office. When you get there, she starts coming on to you. You politely decline and try to leave. She keeps taking it further, not letting you leave, and she starts to undress you despite you continuing to say no. Now, you have one option in which you forcibly leave the situation and risk that she is offended and tells her father a version of the story that will massively affect your career and possibly get you fired or worse. There's no guarantee that she wouldn't. She has the power to ruin your life, despite everything you've done for her and the company and all you've done to get to this point in your career. Or, you can let it happen and pick up the pieces afterward to try and smooth over the situation while still making sure you have security with your job.

Back to the show, Criston had similar choices when faced with Rhaenyra's advances: force his way out and risk trouble with his position or worse should Rhaenyra take offense at his disobedience and/or tell her father a different version of the event. Or he go along with her wishes, despite the risk it poses to his life if it is ever discovered what happened (which is an agonizing and slow death) and try to figure it out once it's over. He chooses what he thinks is the safest option at that moment, which is a choice he shouldn't have had to make in the first place.

I also want to add the context of why Rhaenyra wouldn't take no for an answer and why she decided to get with Criston. She just came from Daemon's lesson in the brothel in which he wanted to teach her about what he thinks is the true nature of the dragon: the blood of the dragon can take what it wants, who it wants, whenever it wants because they are inherently better than everyone else. That's what Daemon proceeds to do by kissing Rhaenyra in the brothel (and he's surprised when it's what she wants to, despite his years of obviously grooming her to be close to him, because his plan was to shock her and ruin her reputation enough to be able to marry her). When she's left by Daemon, she decides that her sworn knight is who she wants and she decides she wants him now, so that's what she makes happen, regardless of Criston saying no and trying to leave and regardless of the vows she knows that he's sworn as part of his position.

Criston looks uncomfortable and conflicted the next morning. On the boat, he tries to rationalize the whole event: he'd been by her side as her protector for years, and she wouldn't put his life in danger and wouldn't insist he break his vows without good reason, so she must actually care about him and that's why she wouldn't take no for an answer. Plus, she's done nothing but tell him how unhappy she is with her situation of being heir and not being taken seriously and desiring freedom. So, Criston talks to her about running away together. I think while it's possible he found some enjoyment while in the moment with her, that wasn't the main reason he proposed that she leave with him. Rather, he needed to try to make sense of what happened and attempt to right the wrong. But in this conversation it becomes clear to him that she views him as a plaything, as a body to have fun with and nothing else. That she just wanted him on a whim and doesn't really care how that impacts him or what happens to him now beyond him being available to her to use again. This kind of breaks his whole worldview a bit concerning knighthood and royalty and honor and loyalty and leads him to spiral until he is saved by Alicent, who is able to help him renew his sense of lost identity and purpose by allowing him to buy back into the mythologization of knighthood by swearing anew to protect a perceived virtuous, selfless queen who won't take his commitments and vows lightly.

In the book, the events are more ambiguous. Some say Rhaenyra tried to seduce Criston Cole and he turned her down. Some say Criston Cole tried to get with Rhaenyra and she turned him down. Either way, we know that Criston Cole was upset about whatever happened, and he went from being her "staunchest defender to bitterest foe." Alicent then made him her sworn shield. In the book, there is also a larger age gap between the two. Rhaenyra is 16, the age in Westeros when people are considered to be adults and the age she officially takes possession of Dragonstone. Criston is 31. In the books, he is not mentioned as being Dornish, just the son of a steward at Blackhaven, seat of House Dondarrion, under House Baratheon. There is still the imbalance of their relative power and influence in society, and she still holds authority over him, but the age gap being wider does muddy the waters a bit depending on the scenario that actually played out.

[gayofthefae]

I went through and counted the times people say "I love you" in season 4, since it's been given so much weight.

"Chrissy, I love you, babe" - Jason. Not meant to be taken seriously.

"That's why I love her/him" - Jonathan and Nancy, to third parties freely and without ulterior motive.

"Love, your shitty little sister, Max" - Max, genuine: a grieving message to her abuser.

"I loved you. I loved all of you." - Brenner, about his abuse victims

"You're my brother. And I love you." - Jonathan, telling Will it's okay if he's gay.

Of course, Mike's eight (yes, eight, I checked).

"I love you, man" "I love you too" Eddie to Dustin as he dies, with Dustin returning it.

They seem inconsistent but I actually find that they're not. They serve one main purpose: making the words lose meaning. He says them in episode 9 of 9, which would be for climactic purposes, but in this case simply makes him the 7th person to say them this season.

Jason and J@ncy say them before weight has been added and I'll acknowledge that but all still fall into two main categories that serve that same purpose.

Jason, Max, Brenner: watering down what the words represent for a relationship.

J@ncy, Jonathan: upstaging* Mike (*taking away focus or one-upping)

J@ncy uses them before they've been given as much weight, but they also use them first of the more authentic usages, so in combination they come out with ease and it's early enough that they still mean more to us.

Jonathan uses them to Will in a speech about, as Mike later says to El, "I love you for exactly who you are". But he uses them in a more important context that we are made to care about more as an audience in the same place as Mike will like half an hour later. Both speeches are supposed to be perceived as a culmination of an arc, but they put Jonathan's first as if to say "Here's something really good to compare to".

And finally, in Mike's. One could argue that he romantically repeats it over and over to prove that he can now because he feels free, but at the end of the day, all it achieves is that by the last time he says it, it's been said 13 times before and our ears are numb to it.

Then, even after that, though improvised, they approved it, it makes his speech bookended with deeper hitting versions of "I love you". We now have a positive romantic and familial leading up to it and a platonic after the fact and three usages in relationships including an antagonist, two of which abusive: said by one victim and one abuser, to make it even. They want you to know that those words have the capacity to not mean anything and when they do, they'll tell you -because it will be done better.

tldr: Mike is the 7th person to say "I love you" in season 4, despite it being his arc, and the 4th to say it about a positively represented relationship. It is no way "saved" for him so that it feels bigger. All other times it's used serve to either water down the meaning of the word or contrast his usage by being more authentic and just...better.