#Fragility of Peace

[samw3000]

Perpetuate

Does it Sting to knowYou cannot afford justiceWill never know what peace isHow fragile we are In the face of unfairnessTo you, equality does not applyNot even in theory do you qualifyI hope you are ready, because ...With your unmet needs, you will dieNo one cares for you; they never did, I'd betFor you, this is as good as it's going to getSince we know nothing of restorative justiceThe scales…

[stealingpotatoes]

You can’t convince me that the TL4J (which sounds like a droid designation) don’t have their wanted posters framed and hanging in the New Jedi Order. Both as slightly bragging and to show the young Jedi that peace is fragile and for a long time absent from the galaxy, but worth defending.

someone: the jedi order are weak pacifist peacekeepers the jedi:

[froody]

My now deceased distant cousin left a series of nasty 1 star yelp reviews on my dad’s business after he cheated on my mom and tried to fuck her over in the divorce. Not only did they air his dirty laundry but they also highlighted the other reviews that criticized his performance at his job. Did they stay up? No. Was it a moral thing to do? Maybe not. Was it funny? Oh my god yes. Made funnier by the fact she was related to my dad, not my mom. Imagine being publicly reamed out by your long lost cousin who was given up for adoption in the 60s and recently got back in touch with the family.

[cieffeitsme]

There's something about Crowley's calm quiet here that hit me.

Even if only for a while, sitting on that bench he allows himself to relax leaving worries aside. A moment like there have already been in the last few years that allows him to peek through keyhole to see what the precious and peaceful life has always wanted to spend together with his angel could really be like, without restriction.

Sometimes surprised himself by thinking how despite the millions of years passed, a thousand vicissitudes and an existence as occult and ethereal entities in the illimitable vastness of the universe have found each other and choose each other every time. Unlikely perhaps, but not impossible given that both are halves of the same soul and neither could ever truly exist without the other by their side. And Crowley knows it. This is all absolutely surprising. And as much as it annoys him, has long since stopped fighting against that feeling so great as to trascend time that he can almost no longer manage it.

Who knows what could have happened from there to eternity if Jim(briel) had never upset their lives, or rather if hadn't already been planned for armageddon to happen.

But at that moment there wasn't room for those thoughts. In that moment there was only room to savor those brief moments of happiness disguised as a challenge to see how far Aziraphale would go whit the meeting of the Whickber Street shopkeepers and street traders association.

Secretly hoping that won't have to pretend anymore at some point.

Gif credits: @stars-bean @twobabkas

[fatuismooches]

do..do you ever think the akademiya segment gets really sad seeing fragile! reader because in his mind, he’s still thinking of the reader that was always dragging him wherever they went (and even if he had the strength to just move them off, he always let them hold his hand wherever?). do you think some segments are hit with such overwhelming feelings of sadness when they miss reader too much while they work because they feel dottore’s yearning at the time at a constant?

BRO PLEASE... why. WHY!! But ouch, that is like, a really good thought. Also now that I think about it, the other segments may be a little jealous of the Akademiya one now, because he was the last version you saw before you fell asleep. So when you wake up, even though you're nervous around the clones at first, you tend to cling to that one, since at least he brings a sense of familiarity, and strangely enough, comfort. (Which leaves the other segments seething for a while. You can cling to them too!! Okay, I'm going off track.) I imagine that even though that segment despised the Akademiya, and thought it was a place full of swallow and stupid people, a part of him longs to go back to those days. Because those memories are painfully vivid in his mind, much more than the other segments.

And yes... and it honestly comes as a shock to them. Since they never feel sad, after all, their hearts are obviously rather cold, they're not going to feel sad for other people or themselves. But you? Oh, you change that, and they're not sure how to feel. This feeling, it is something that greatly bothers them. How are they supposed to focus when they feel such longing in their artificial bodies? Didn't you always say that love brings only good things? You said that love makes you stronger, so why do they feel like this, so powerless? So they don't understand, why are their bodies reacting this way? This is something that doesn't make sense, something not even the most extensive research or experiments could solve or cure. And the worse part is that they know that, and they can only watch you further deteriorate in front of them.

At the very least, it's a testament to how much their creator loves you. Because although they may just be segments, he is still human. And being human comes with emotions, much to Dottore's regret.

[knightofleo]

[always-a-joyful-note]

There has got to be an analysis waiting for that moment starting at 2:05 in the Mr.AFFECTiON MV but I don't currently have the words to do it. Just....something about Nagi rushing happily towards the light, Mitsuki breaking out of his chains, Tamaki fighting his way to/against it, Sogo breaking his fragile glass image/reflection that trapped him inside, Yamato having to go through the fire, Iori walking through a cold and icy path, and Riku staring at his own reflection....does that resonate with anyone?

[kingofattolia]

Also it's almost inevitably going to be the funniest thing ever when they find Thrawn. Like I have no clue what's going to happen but it's GOING to be funny. Is it going to be Big Forehead Megalomaniac Thrawn from Rebels? Another "somehow: there's a huge enemy fleet gathering just outside the known galaxy" situation? I'm assuming he just happened to be taken to the secret Nightsister location because it's along the Intergalactic Purrgil Migration Zone, so has he been there this WHOLE time? If so WHAT is my mans doing? They act like he's still some huge danger and threat but WHY? For all they know he's living in a cave eating berries, or became the new culture's revered art shaman.

Genuinely what makes them think he will care to bring open war to the galaxy at all? Canonically all Thrawn cares and all he has EVER cared about is safeguarding the Chiss Ascendancy. That's why he was working with the Empire in the first place, and with that goal in mind, it makes sense to strengthen the New Republic not throw the galaxy again into chaos. I cannot overemphasize that buffering the Ascendancy with another strong power is genuinely the ONLY reason Thrawn has had for doing anything outside of the Ascendancy at all ever. (DOES FILONI KNOW THIS? HE MUST, RIGHT? HE'S AT LEAST READ THE THRAWN WOOKIEEPEDIA ARTICLE?) The chance of this being megawatts of dumb is SO HIGH but I still can't wait. It's going to be so funny.

[dirtytransmasc]

im gonna build on this but,

spider, before even befriending ao'nung, being so tiny and fleshy and fragile, putting the other boys big brother mode into overdrive.

like he can barely stand the kid, but he can't help but like.... linger next to him.... sling an arm over his shoulder.... muscle memory from tsireya makes him just instinctually pick him up and away from danger.

and he's embarrassed, cause he 'hates' this human, he's one of the demons, why should he protect him. but also, like, he's embarrassed by his own internal monologue: look at him, he's just tiny, so tiny, have to take care of him. just a baby, a little baby, so fragile, so defenseless. he's not that bad, he's kinda sweet, sweet baby.

he hates it so fucking much, cause he keeps doing the stupidest, bug brother shit he can, and spider keeps looking at him strange, cause it's like the second they're around each other all common sense flies out the window like a trapped banshee, and ao'nung wants to die.

[willgaham]

adhd is so fucking stupid you develop a routine and if you're lucky your symptoms reduce to an amount that barely makes you notice them, until one tiny thing interrupts your carefully curated routine and suddenly it's all chaos all the fucking time again

[shirozen]

Restoration in progress

[ilynpilled]

Why does Jaime not fit as Tywin's heir, or it's not in his nature -- as you say. Very interesting stuff.

Jaime is a very romantic character. Tywin can be delusional too (not that this is synonymous with romantic), to absurd levels, trying to achieve an idealized legacy, but he is not an idealist in the way that Jaime is at all. They also have very distinct values and ways of looking and reacting to the world. Remember when he told Jaime this:

"You cannot eat love, nor buy a horse with it, nor warm your halls on a cold night," she heard him tell Jaime once, when her brother had been no older than Tommen.

It is such a deeply funny line to me. It is at the core of how Tywin seems to operate as an individual. And he is telling this to the character named J’aime. The character whose actions are always driven by some aspect of love: be it love that is destructive and prejudiced, or love that is beautiful and altruistic. Like one of his defining character thesis statements is: “The things I do for love.” The point is that Jaime was always a character with a romantic view of things, especially at the start. His feigned cynicism and nihilism cannot even hide this aspect of his character once we finally get into his disillusioned and blackpilled head. Even when you read the prose in his chapters his descriptions are laced with romantic language. Tywin is so caught up with the image of Jaime, the ideal masculine archetype, that he completely ignores the major issues present with Jaime’s nature and how incompatible it is with Tywin’s outlook on life. Jaime is absolutely not a good candidate to be his “cold ruthless and pragmatic with perfect authority” heir. This is why Jaime ends up giving it all away for the KG, and ruins all his plans. He does this for love. He also cares relatively little about being the head of his family and his main motivations are everything that does not fit with so much of Tywin’s outlook. Jaime is concerned more with abstract concepts like honor, chivalry, and love etc than power and politicking. It is also very apparent how distinct they are based on Jaime’s relationship to his siblings and the guilt he feels over Rhaegar’s children and how he reacts to the brutality and cruelty done to Hoat for example. He also keeps running from Tywin’s legacy. First, he gives it all up because he loves Cersei. Then, when he comes back handless, Tywin celebrates like fucking finally, and then Jaime is like nah I’ll stay KG actually, and gets disowned #epic style. Then, he frees his brother because of guilt and because he cared about him unlike Tywin. This is also an action that leads to Tywin’s death. All of his children keep dooming him because he tried to mold them into something that they are not. He wanted Cersei, a passionate, ambitious, and fiery individual to be a submissive tradwife political pawn. He wanted Tyrion to be hidden with no influence or real power, repressing the immense potential that Tyrion has. This is why they are all destined to destroy him and what he has built in some form. (also, I think this idea is also ever present in how Tywin tries to change the twin swords into pure crimson, and how they physically reject it: link, it speaks to Tywin’s failure to mold his legacy into what he wants it to be, as well as the inability to cover up the darkness (ripples of blood and night) with pretty crimson, but I think it also showcases how he fails to mold all his tools, be it Joff, Jaime, Tyrion, Cers) Even when Jaime seeks to emulate his father because he believes his strength is needed to offer protection to his family, he fails at it. There are numerous anti parallels all throughout AFfC and especially his ADwD chapter.

[missmouse43]

Updates you say? 😳

[moongothic]

God I wish I could remember what Oda once said about mothers in One Piece... I can't remember if it was about Luffy's mother in particular or moms in general, but he essentially joked about how you'd have to be A Really Horrible Mother to allow your child to go off and become a pirate (dangerous business no loving mother would allow)

And just... My vague memory of that comment is living in my head right now, because truly, if Crocodile somehow is Luffy's mom, truly nothing would make him a worse mom than

Literally trying to murder his child and beating him to near death multiple times the first time they actually meet

Going so far to stop being a mom that he became a dad instead

[xflashbastardx]

Crowley - open starter - for Aziraphale

Crowley had really hoped this moment wouldn't come. He had expected it, of course, after they'd swapped back on the bench. When Aziraphale had beamed at him and recounted how he had made Michael miracle him a towel. But it hadn't come then; they had laughed and Crowley had been able to segue easily into inviting the angel to lunch. And then lunch came and went without the subject being brought up again. Same with the rest of the afternoon. By the time the were relaxing in the bookshop as the sun went down, Crowley had begun to think it wouldn't come up at all. That he'd never have to tell him.

So, of course, that was when Aziraphale had asked. He'd turned those crystal blue eyes on him and asked what his trial had been like.

And suddenly, that warm and comfortable, almost glowing feeling Crowley had had all day vanished. For a moment, he considered lying; it would spare the angel's feelings, surely. But no, he needed to know. He deserved to know the truth. So he turned towards him, in that same softly solemn way he had when he'd asked about his bookshop (before Adam had restored it).

"Angel, you... you didn't get a trial."

[harwin-breakbones-strong]

A Strong Love & A Fragile Peace

AU but still in HOTD medieval universe - A Harwin Strong x Fem!Descendant of the Targaryens Reader - All gifs are mine. 

Synopsis: The reign of the Targaryens, your ancestors, brought chaos to the Seven Kingdoms. Your father, King Alessys, is counting on his heir, your sister Alaessa as well as you his second daughter to restore peace as it was centuries ago. Your marriage to Harwin somewhat calmed the tension between the Crown and the people. It was the first marriage where one of the parties was not of royal blood but both parties were marrying of their own free will. A true marriage, one for love. One you father didn't hesitate to use to negotiate with the representatives of the people. 

But as of right now, you couldn't care less about politics or family drama. You and Harwin welcomed a little girl a few days ago and those moments as new parents were precious. 

PSA: Nothing but melting marshmallow fluff, hope you guys enjoy😊

Word count is around 2,3k.

+ stories masterlist here +

~~~~~

As an aunt, you had a little bit mocked your older sister of her constant need to know of her children's well-being. Now, as a new mother yourself, you understood, and wished you had been more empathic regarding your sister's new role as a mother. You found those new feelings of constant worry, fierce protectiveness and infinite love overwhelming. 

Waking up from your much needed nap, you got up from the bed, mind still foggy with sleep and wincing from the pain you still experienced from childbirth   – and will for the weeks to come according to the midwives – You walked over to the crib you had insisted be situated on your side of the bed, in front of the filigree iron screen on separating the bedroom from the living space. Panic seized your heart as your eyes fell upon an empty crib. You put the baby down a couple of hours ago and folded the blanket partially over her to keep her warm. The cloth was never put above the babe's waist to assure it wouldn't suffocate her. Once she would start moving around in a few months, the blanket would be removed completely to avoid any accident. Both newborn and blanket were at the present, gone. About to yell for the maids and guards to come in quickly, you started to march for the wooden doors, only to breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of your baby in your husband’s arms. Leaning against the frame of the filigree screen forming the entry to the bedroom, you allowed yourself a moment to calm your racing heart. His presence somewhat took you by surprise.

Being a new father and the King's son in-law didn't release the Lord Commander of the Gold Cloaks of his duty. Which explained why he was currently standing in your shared chambers in his full City Watch regalia complete with the golden cloak strapped on the shoulder. The strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms barking orders at newly assigned soldiers, making them shake in their boots at the eventuality of facing the wrath of the man called Breakbones was undeniably very arousing – You both stopped counting the times  it led to the irresistible thrill of almost being caught whether it was by a member of your family, a maid or a guard. – Nevertheless, Ser Harwin Strong was not to be messed with and Gods help those who had and those who will have the unfortunate experience of the fact firsthand. 

Four days ago now, after three days of barely getting any sleep – at this point in your pregnancy, finding a position to get comfortable was a thing of the past – and very long labors that took most of your strength, you finally held a healthy baby girl to your chest. The first girl amongst your father’s grandchildren as your sister blessed the Crown with three boys. The announcement that the Seven Kingdoms had a new little princess – formally named Laenyra – was met with joy. Family members called her by a nickname, Lyra.

A new princess who seemed very content to be napping in her father's arms for the moment, wrapped in her soft blanket of dark blue and gold pattern. The blue represented House Strong while the gold indicated her belonging to your family, House Raeswell, the last descendants of the Targaryen bloodline. The blanket had been gifted to you by your father King Alessys during your pregnancy. All born into the family possessed their own, with the colors of both houses they belonged in. Your nephews from your sister Alaessa had theirs in grey with a golden pattern, with a different pattern for each. Grey for House Stark since Alaessa’s husband was the King in The North’s third son. Their marriage had been a political one much to Alaessa's regret. Although with time, both your sister and brother-in-law came to care for one another.  

So lost in your thoughts, your husband's voice startled you. 

"With all the visitors you both had earlier, I needed to know everything was alright." he explained, noticing your distress. 

Harwin took to fatherhood like a Targaryen to dragon riding. Naturally and unconditionally. 

"I thought one of the nursemaids took her despite my affirming my choice to do as my mother did. She fed her children herself and I'll do the same with mine." 

"It should be no one's concern but your own.", Harwin lamented with a scold. 

"They judge me like they judged my mother. She was doing what she thought was best and that's also my point of view. I'm bonding with my daughter while giving her what she needs to grow strong." 

Your husband smirked at your obvious pun with his surname. You wiggled your eyebrows in response. 

"You do know you don't have to justify yourself for holding her? You are her father. The only place I'm sure she's safe when she's not in my arms is in yours. I admit I'm amazed she slept through being swaddled in the blanket.", you confessed, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. 

"The lack of acknowledgment of my presence is a bit rude.", he pretended to be hurt. 

His eyes dropped back to Lyra as he spoke to her. 

"I break my oath as Commander of the City Watch to see you and you just continue to sleep."

Receiving no response from the newborn who kept on sleeping undisturbed, he threw you a look. 

"I'm disrespected by my own daughter.", he complained, falsely offended, before a huge smile appeared across his face.

You rolled your eyes, amused. He was too much, really. Lyra was her father's little angel, there was no doubt about that. 

"You might want to adjust your interpretation of disrespect or you'll have a shock in a few years when you find out she's been sneaking out of the Red Keep right under your nose." 

Harwin frowned. 

"Not on my watch." 

You snickered.

"My father believed Alaessa and I would never disobey. It took 10 years before I was caught.", you shrugged, proving your point. 

Harwin couldn't fathom the idea of his daughter doing something that could jeopardize her safety behind his back. 

"You didn't grow up behind those walls, love, that's why the concept of doing something forbidden is foreign to you. All the things people get to experience but you don't…", you clued him in, remembering the good times you had in the City without no one knowing."It's the call of the wild. You want to see what life is really like outside the castle."

"I witness the joys and horrors of the City every day. I want to raise her with the promise that she can trust me with anything, trust my word when I tell her it is no place for a Princess. I want her to know every choice I'll make that she'll disagree with, will be taken in her interest as my priority is to my family, to protect her.", he firmly pledged, stopping his movement. 

You didn't intend for the conversation to turn this serious. It would be years before Lyra would be old enough to test the boundaries the two of you would have put in place. She had just been born, there would be plenty of time to worry about her future. For now, you wanted nothing but joyful and light moments. 

"He protects the city and rocks your children to sleep, Ser Breakbones, baby whisperer." you teased him with a soft smile to try to lighten the mood back to how it was when you woke up. 

It worked as you saw him slightly shake his head in amusement with a bright smile. He went back to his gentle swaying after Lyra whined as she dreamed.

Reassured of your child's safety, you stepped further into the living space and stopped at the table to pour yourself a glass of water, then took a sip as you faced father and daughter, happy to simply be with your family.

“So, what's the verdict? Is our daughter more Strong or more Raeswell?” 

The two of you refused to bulge on your decision not to let everyone meet your daughter on her first day of life. Only a few had been allowed to see the newborn a few hours after her birth ; The King, your sister Alaessa and her husband along with the Lord Hand who also was Harwin's father, Lyonel Strong and Harwin's siblings, his brother Larys and his sisters Jenny and Alyce. The little Princess has been presented to the Council on her third day as protocol required. Today was for extended family. In three days time, she would be presented to the Lords in the Throne Room and to the Kingdom on the White Balcony to follow the tradition of your family. 

“They are split on who she takes after the most but they all agree she does have my eyes.“

"Light blue like the crystal water of the sea in the sunlight." Harwin whispered to his sleeping daughter, tenderly caressing her small cheek with his index finger. Focusing his attention back on you, his expression turned grave. 

“I ran into Laenor on my way here. He told me what happened with your mother's sister."

The whole castle probably heard by now at the speed at which news traveled. It had been a very unpleasant moment. 

"I set the facts straight and I gave orders not to let her around Lyra from now on. End of story.", you said with a snarl. 

You put down the glass with more force than you should have. 

"It's not unheard of for members of royal blood to look down on people they deem inferior to them.", Harwin reminded you. 

Voicing such a thought would be a death sentence around anyone else but as a couple, you both tended to agree on most subjects. Even uncomfortable ones. 

"You did more for this kingdom in the past years than they ever did in their entire life!" You roared, getting more upset by the second. "I will not stay silent while they tarnish my husband's name simply for his blood status and dispute the legitimacy of my daughter's royal title! She is granddaughter to King Alessys, daughter of a Princess of the Seven Kingdoms, a descendant of House Targaryen. Anyone doubting her claim to her title should die by dragonfire on the spot."

You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself down. Yelling would not resolve anything, it would only wake and upset the baby like it did this afternoon. You walked the distance to your husband and reached inside the blanket to caress the back of your daughter's tiny hand with your thumb. Her fingers naturally curled around yours.  

"She's not even a week old and my father is already placing all his hopes on her to strengthen the peace between the Crown and the people. I don't want her to grow up with that burden on her shoulders.", you revealed in a soft voice. 

"She's no political pawn for them to use." Harwin growled as he carefully tightened his hold on the baby. 

"Shielding her from their game is going to require strength, I'm afraid. Strength I don't possess at the moment." 

Harwin let his forehead gently rest against yours. The gesture made you close your eyes and breathe them in. You would recognize your husband's scent anywhere, there was something so primal about it you couldn't describe. Today, the scent of the City clung to his skin whereas the baby had that sweet newborn smell you loved so much. 

"My love, if you find yourself stumbling, lacking strength, take some of mine and make it your own. For my strength, my arms, my heart and my soul are yours. From this day until far beyond the last of my days.", he whispered to you in High Valyrian. 

You let out a small surprised tearful chuckle. 

"You remember…" 

"How could I forget the day I finally became yours?"

On your wedding day, when came the time to say the vows, he surprised you by speaking his in High Valyrian. A language he didn't know. A language only a few still had the ability to read and speak to this day. A knowledge only transmitted to people of Targaryen blood. Harwin went to your sister Alaessa and asked her to teach him his vows in the language as a surprise to you. Valyrian was part of your family's history, it was part of your history, and it would be part of your children's history. Long before that, he learned a few words through the commands you gave your dragon. It proved useful once you were married as he was the only person of non-Targaryen blood who could approach Skyfire. 

"I never entertained the thought of a princess sharing those emotions I tried to silence. So, when you admitted your feelings, I finally could let myself contemplate spending my life at your side." 

Harwin tenderly bumped and nudged your nose with his. 

"Although, you did insult me a few times before we got to that point.", he recalled with a soft laugh. 

"That was before I stopped seeing you as my sworn protector and more as a friend. My father chose you to be my shadow after someone snitched on me, I wasn't going to make things easier for you." 

"The biggest pain in your royal backside you said I was if I remember correctly." 

"That honor of yours was pretty frustrating at times. Surprisingly, it's also what made me fall in love with you…"

You pulled your forehead away from his so you could look into his eyes before leaning back towards him to brush your lips against his in a loving kiss. Harwin's lips moved beneath your own. He didn't let you pull away until you were breathless. 

"I love you…", you murmured as he looked at you with so much adoration and devotion. 

The corner of his mouth turned up in a small content smile and this time, he was the one to initiate the kiss, Lyra still sleeping in his arms and unaware of her parents' tender embrace.

~~~~~

PS: Thanks again @keirgreeneyes​ for your help ❤️