#I know what that oath of brotherhood really was

[stollssister]

no I don’t think you understand the intricacies of meeting a prince for a week and risking everything for him even after his death willing to kill every high lord in your way

[shadowandlightt]

Snow and Flame -2- |Cregan Stark X Velaryon!Reader|

Following the death of Luke, Jace and his sister return to Dragonstone. What she doesn't expect is to hear from Lord Stark so soon after her departure. His missive only serves to cause her to fall further for the young Lord, and Jace tells his twin sister not to miss out on this opportunity for happiness.

Part One

A/N: Thank you so so much for your support on my first part. I have admittedly not read the books, almost bought them tonight but didn't want to spend close to $100 on the box set. SO I'm really just going off of the show. I'm sure there are mistakes in this, as I am only human and highly dyslexic. But I appreciate the love and hope you enjoy this nonetheless.

The following days are torture for you. You wished for nothing more than to return to the North where you felt oddly safe, so far away from the conflict. Your stepfather, Daemon, made a grave error in judgment and sent assassins into the Red Keep to kill Aemond, only they didn’t find him, instead killing Aegon’s son, Jeahaerys. The smallfolk started to call your mother a kinslayer and cruel. Though you know she would never order such a thing. 

“Princess, a raven for you.” 

You hum and hold your hand out for the missive, spotting the Stark sigil. A smile spreads across your lips. You can’t help but look around to see if anyone is paying attention to you before you unfurl the scroll. 

Cregan’s handwriting fills your eyes, talks of how he already misses your presence and how sorry he is about your loss. He writes of the summer snow, slowly starting to thicken as winter draws closer. How despite the cold, you might even enjoy Winterfell in it’s natural season. 

The thought of him thinking of you in his home makes heat stir in your belly. You clutch the letter close to your chest, remembering how jealous you were when he and Jace swore oaths to one another and sealed them in blood. 

You thought it unfair that you were excluded. You could understand it now though, why you weren’t allowed. They swore an oath of brotherhood, and you didn’t think of Cregan as a brother. Not with the way desire built up within you during your stay at Winterfell. 

“What are you doing, sister?” Jace calls from your doorway. 

“Jacaerys,” You stand quickly, shoving the missive behind your back, “I didn’t hear you come in.” 

“Yes, I could tell,” He smirks at you, “What do you have?” 

“No-nothing,” You shake your head, tucking the paper into the sleeve of your dress. 

“Oh, it is something,” He laughs, reaching for your hand, “Come now, since when do we keep secrets?” 

“It’s just a message,” You roll your eyes, “From Lord Stark.” 

“From Cregan?” His eyebrows raise, “Pray tell, why does Cregan write to you and not me?”

“Jealous are we?” You question. 

“Hardly,” He snorts, “So, what does Lord Stark say?”

You take a deep breath and pull the paper from your dress, smoothing it out once more. You recite most of the missive to your brother, leaving out how Cregan writes that he longs for you to return. Longs to see you once more. It makes your heart ache because you long to see him too. 

“You’re falling for him,” Jace points out, noticing how your demeanor shifts. 

“Hardly, brother,” You shake your head, trying to cover it up, “I barely know him. Unlike you who swore oaths in blood upon your first meeting.” 

He lets out a deep laugh, “You were mad that I wouldn’t let you, so you have no room to speak, dear sister.” 

You roll your eyes, opening a box to put your missive in. The box has a lock and you keep the key on a chain around your neck. It’s where you hide all of your important things. You lock it away, a small smile playing on your lips. 

He thinks of you enough to write to you mere days after you left him. The knowledge is enough to ease the pain of losing Luke. Your chest still threatens to cave in, but the pain is more bearable, knowing Lord Stark thinks of you. 

Knowing Cregan thinks of you is enough to ease your aching heart. 

“So if he asked to take you to wife you would say no?” 

“I wouldn’t have a choice, that would be up to mother,” You remind him, “She wouldn’t likely turn down such an alliance.” 

“We already have the North,” He wiggles his eyebrows. 

“Yes, well, you might as well have married him yourself,” You snort.

He shakes his head, gripping the hilt of his sword. He was older than you, just by a few moments. It’d come as a shock to the Maesters to discover that there were two of you. No one was as shocked as your mother though. The kingdom celebrated the birth of both of you, no one quite as much as your Grandsire, King Viserys. He loved you so. So much that he was blind to the truth in front of him, that his wife, Queen Alicent could easily see. 

You spent your entire life trying to convince yourself that the rumors simply weren’t true. And that you were a trueborn Velaryron, but in your heart you knew. Just as Jace and Luke knew. 

“Are you going to write him back?” Jace questions. 

“Should I not?” 

“Cregan is a good man,” Is his only response. 

You nod, knowing he’s more than right, “I wouldn’t object,” You clarify, “If he wanted to take me to wife.” 

“You’ve never been one for the fighting,” Jace observes, “You’re much like Helena in that way., I suppose.” 

You nod, biting your lower lip, “I hate that we’re at war. I wish it to stop.” 

“You wish for mother to give up her claim?” He questions, misunderstanding you. 

“No, never that. Too many have already died,” Your eyes begin to water, “But…if only there was a way for her to reclaim the throne without all of the bloodshed. At this rate the path will be paved in blood.” 

“It already is,” Jace sighs, “But I understand how you feel. I don’t agree with it, but I understand it.” 

“I wouldn’t want to leave you,” You start, “But I would welcome the opportunity to leave all of this bloodshed behind.” 

“It’s only going to get worse,” He reminds you. 

“My point exactly.” 

He nods and then turns suddenly remembering why he was here, “A council meeting has been called. I was sent to get you.” 

“And you’re only now saying something?” You gasp, moving to your feet. 

He shrugs and usures you out of the door of your rooms. Everyone is already assembled around the painted table by the time you arrive. Your mother, however, is absent. You look around the chambers. The meeting starts without her, word spread that Ser Criston Cole’s forces have doubled, at the very least. 

You listen, saying quiet as they all say a dragon needs to go to war. There is no way around it. Cole will take Rook’s Rest without a second thought. Jace is in the middle of saying a dragon must be sent when your mother, the queen, finally joins the council. 

Jace instantly demands to know where she’s been and a volley ensues. You stay quiet, as you always do, letting your twin do the talking. But even you, in your grief, took note of your mother’s absence. It worried you to no end, not knowing where she had gone or why. But upon hearing she went to King’s Landing, you swore your heart stopped. 

But when she says she’ll be the one to fly to war, you stop breathing. And when Jace urges her to send him, you swear you might faint. The thought of either of them being in danger is enough to send you over the edge. You cannot stand it. Never have been able to stomach the thought. Jace was right, you’re much like your aunt Helena in that regard. 

You’re about to say something, anything to help the fight, when Rheanys speaks up, saying they must send her. Meyles is the largest dragon that you have, and as Rheanys says, no stranger to battle. 

The meeting seems to end then, having been decided who was going to war on your mother’s behalf, you withdraw quietly. So quietly you aren’t sure anyone noticed you even left. You consider it your power, to sneak from a room, or move about the castle unnoticed by most. You’ve always been the quieter one, compared to the temper that fuels Jace. He’s always run hotter than you, ready to act at a moment’s notice. Ready to fly off the handle and do something rash. You’re more cool and calculated, you suspect you’re more like your father in that way. Either one of them. 

You settle at the small table in your rooms and begin writing back to Lord Stark. You find yourself wishing more and more you could return to the North and be far away from this conflict. So you tell him just that. You tell him that you yearn for him as well, and that you were glad to hear from him so soon. You pour your heart into the letter, not sparing anything. You tell him that the war is really and truly beginning, and that there is no avoiding it now. You tell him that you’re scared of it. 

You’re honest with him, in a way that you didn’t expect. And that night, you fall asleep holding his letter. Wanting to feel close to the Northern man. 

News breaks the following morning that Rheanys and Meleys were lost at Rook’s Rest, and that Aegon, the pretender, was severely injured and is on death’s door. Aemond is named regent in his stead, which is more dangerous than having Alicent herself on the throne. Because Aemond knows no end. He will do anything to secure his place. Including as reports say, sacrifice his own brother. 

You feel it in the pit of your stomach, the dread. It fills you as you walk the halls of Dragonstone. The mood has shifted. If the war wasn’t real with the death of Luke, it’s real now. And you find yourself wishing you could just vanish from Westeros all together and avoid all of this. You do not have it in yourself to go to war. Do not have it in you to fight on dragonback as will be expected of you. 

“Where have you been?” Jace questions, brows knitted together. 

“In hiding,” You sigh, closing your book. 

“Obviously,” He rolls his eyes, “I’ve been trying to find you for hours.” 

“Well, you succeeded.” 

“Are you alright?” He asks you. 

“Must I be?” You question. 

“I know how hard this is for you,” He replies, “But we need you, sister. We cannot win this war without you.” 

“You need my dragon,” You clarify, “You can do this without me, but not without her.” 

“No, I need you,” He reassures you, “I cannot fight this without you. I need you by my side, I always have and I always will.” 

“You cannot put this on my shoulders Jace,” You shake your head, “I cannot bear it. The thought of anything happening to you, or to Mother, or our brothers…I cannot.” 

“Nothing will happen to me,” He promises, “I’m quick, and I’m lucky.” 

“And inexperienced, as mother pointed out,” You remind him, “Anyone can be killed. We are not gods, as the smallfolk believe.” 

He sighs and joins you on your seat. There is nothing he can do to put your worries to rest, because he knows there’s a chance he will be killed. There is a chance anytime he gets on his dragon and flies off. He wishes there was something he could do to ease your anxiety. Perhaps he would pay a visit to the Maesters for a draft to help you sleep better. He knows you won’t ask for it yourself. 

“Did you write to Cregan?” He finally asks, seeking to change the subject. 

He notes the way you almost smile, the way your eyes light up a little and your shoulders relax, “I did.” 

“Good,” He smiles, squeezing your shoulder, “I am glad.” 

“As am I,” You admit. 

“Perhaps he’ll petition for your hand,” He shrugs, “Then you’ll be able to get away from all of this afterall.” 

“I’d never wish to leave you, Jacaerys,” You tell him honestly, “You’re half of my soul.”

“And you’re half of mine,” He assures you, “But I would never wish for your unhappiness.” 

You nod, knowing he wouldn’t. Jace might be hot headed, and quick to fly off, but he isn’t selfish. Never selfish. Not when it comes to you at least. He would always put you first, it was his job to protect you and keep you happy. Always had been, ever since you were little. 

He could survive without you, you were sure. But you needed to find out if you could survive without him. You knew, deep within your heart, that there would come a day when you would have to learn to live without him. You couldn’t imagine Jace as an old man, sitting upon the iron throne. You hated that you couldn’t, but it was the truth. 

“I would never wish for your unhappiness either,” You tell him, biting back tears. 

“Should he ask for your hand, don’t turn him down,” Jace urges you, “Be happy with him in the North. Be safe.”

“You’re telling me to leave?” You question. 

He only shrugs and gives you a soft smile, “I’m telling you to be happy, however you need to achieve it.” 

[moonstruckme]

I can’t believe I’ve never read this but Sirius getting a tattoo of your name and you and EVERYONE is like ! And James is probs jelly heheheh

Thanks for requesting!

Sirius Black x fem!reader ♡ 802 words

“Well, the font at least sort of covers the misspelling,” you say, peering at the skin just to the left of Sirius’ back dimple. 

Remus hums his agreement. “Yeah, I sort of messed up in the middle there, so I switched to cursive to make it less noticeable.” 

“What?” Sirius twists around to try and see. 

“Joking, joking.” You smile up at him as he makes a sound somewhere between relief and offense, holding him still by his hip and not at all minding the excuse to do so. “It looks good, Siri. I just wish you’d told me you were getting it, I would have surprised you with the same.” 

Your boyfriend’s pursed lips relax into a familiar grin. “Yeah, sweetness?” Remus groans, finding something else to look at away from the two of you. “You mean it?”

“Nope,” you say bluntly, using your grip to tug him back down beside you on the couch. “Sorry, Rem, you’re never getting near me with that needle.” 

Remus huffs a laugh. “No pressure here.” 

“But baby,” Sirius croons, though it’s really more of a whine, “it’d be so hot. You could get it in the same spot too, so we’d match.” 

“You two already match plenty,” James decrees, coming in the door sweaty and covered in dirt from training. “Outfits and nail colors are enough.”

“Envious green doesn’t suit you, Prongs,” Sirius replies. He leans his head back so he can give his friend a disdainful look over the top of the couch, hair flopping away from his eyes. “Y/n loves when we match, don’t you gorgeous?” 

It’s a struggle not to let your eyes flit down to your star print socks, twin to the ones covered by Sirius’ boots. You give your best impression of insouciance in your shrug. 

“She’s a hostage to your schemes.” James tosses his bag to the floor, perching on the coffee table lest Remus get after him for getting dirt on the couch again. “What are you trying to coerce her into now?”

“He wants her to get a tattoo of his name like he’s gotten of hers,” Remus answers, the tiny quirk of his eyebrow at James conveying his disapproval of this plan. 

James’ eyes widen behind his glasses. “You got a tattoo of her name?” 

“Yeah.” Sirius grins proudly, already turning and pulling down his waistband. “Wanna see?” 

“Does he always take his pants off when you’re all home together?” you ask Remus. “Is this something I should be worried about?” 

“He’ll take his pants off at any opportunity,” he replies. “You knew what you were getting into with him.” 

“I guess I did.” 

“Fucking what?” James’ gaze jumps from Sirius’ hip to his face, betrayal in his big brown eyes. “That’s my spot. You’ve given her my spot!” 

You feel your brows furrow. “Excuse me?” 

“We agreed,” James says, and though his outrage doesn’t seem meant for you, you’re a tad intimidated regardless, “that I would get to choose the tattoo that went on his lower back. Pads, you swore an oath of brotherhood!”

“I was fifteen,” Sirius protests, mouth agape, “and drunk! I hardly remember what I agreed to!”

“Moony was witness.” James gives Remus an expectant look, mouth a hard line. 

Remus sighs like he’d really rather not be a part of this, but he knows better than to argue. “You did say that,” he tells Sirius, then turns to James. “Though it was a long time ago, and I’d like to have it on record that I didn’t recall it when I agreed to do the tattoo.” 

“Ah ha!” James points at Sirius accusingly. Sirius slaps his finger away with a roll of his eyes. “You’ve conspired against me.” 

“Why,” you ask James, “did you want to choose a tattoo for his lower back specifically?” 

James scoffs as though this should be obvious. “Because that’s the claiming spot. As he clearly knows.” He crosses his arms, glaring indignantly at your boyfriend. 

You shrug. “Well, he has two hips. You could always have the other one.” 

Now it's Sirius’ brow which furrows. “I’m not sure I appreciate my skin being auctioned off like this.” 

“Nobody’s auctioning you off, honey,” you placate him, rubbing his shoulder. Predictably, he softens under your touch, leaning against your side. You give his bicep a little squeeze. “For it to be an auction, we’d have to be exchanging money. This is for free.” 

Remus chuckles, and Sirius elbows your side meanly, but he’s smiling. James ignores them both, uncrossing his arms to lean his elbows on his thighs and looking at you with interest. 

“I could get behind that,” he muses. “You’d be willing to share him like that, though?” 

You roll your eyes as you smile. “I knew what I was getting into with him.” 

[synchodai]

for those not familiar with jacegan and fan theories, could you elaborate on what you think happened when jace and cregan met, the pact they made, the whole issue of baela and sara snow, jace’s death, black aly, etc?

Well, I did write a series about this, but time to bring back the conspiracy board...

the pact of ice and fire

Cregan and Jacaerys took a liking to each other, for the boy prince reminded the Lord of Winterfell of his own younger brother, who had died ten years before. They drank together, hunted together, trained together, and swore an oath of brotherhood, sealed in blood [...] Cregan Stark and Jacaerys Velaryon reached an accord, and signed and sealed the agreement that Grand Maester Munkun calls “the Pact of Ice and Fire” in his True Telling. - F&B

Note that Munkun is basing "the pact of ice of fire" around what he knows from Orwyle's testimony and rumors, meaning that out of the three primary sources in the book (Orwyle, Mushroom, Eustace), none of them were there to actually witness what Jace did in the Vale and the North. That being said, Cregan seemed to ally with the blacks based on three things:

The oath sworn by his late father, Rickon Stark,

A promise of marriage between his heir and Jace's firstborn daughter,

And that he just really grew a liking to Jace.

The first one suffices for a lot of readers as reason for Cregan Stark to throw his lot in with the blacks. He named his firstborn after his father, so it's a logical conclusion that he wants to honor his vows.

The second one is a bit iffy since betrothals to daughters who don't exist from a guy who isn't even married yet sounds like a bad trade-off, but some have excused this by saying that Cregan Stark really wanted dragonriding blood in his lineage for some reason.

And the third one is what the shippers latch onto to, and which I believe may have weighed more in his decision-making process than #1 and #2. The reason for that being Cregan Stark himself deciding to lead an army of men whose goal was pretty much to die in battle. He had every reason not to take up command and march south:

Winter had arrived and those days were crucial for bringing in the last harvests. Cregan amassing his host and marching as he did arguably may have partially resulted in the famine in the North that we see in Aegon III's regency.

His only heir was three-years-old at the time, so if he dies in battle, the only Stark in Winterfell would be a toddler.

And it must needs be said again, the northern army was looking to die. Cregan seemed to be on the same suicidal warpath because his plan was to recklessly go scorched earth.

Others had started this war, Lord Cregan was heard to say, but he meant to finish it, to continue south and destroy all that remained of the greens who had placed Aegon II on the Iron Throne and fought to keep him there. He would reduce Storm’s End first, then cross the Reach to take Oldtown. Once the Hightower had fallen, he would take his wolves north along the shores of the Sunset Sea to visit Casterly Rock. [...] When Kermit Tully pointed out that Storm’s End, Oldtown, and Casterly Rock were as strong as Stark’s own Winterfell (if not stronger) and would not fall easily (if at all), and young Ben Blackwood echoed him and said, “Half your men will die, Lord Stark,” the grey-eyed Wolf of Winterfell replied, “They died the day we marched, boy.”

The non-shipping interpretation here is that Cregan Stark is a paranoid opportunist who wants to thin the herd, so to speak, and trusts no one because of his own childhood trauma of being betrayed by his uncle. But this can also be read as Cregan Stark as having a deathwish himself. But for what reason? He's twenty-three with a child and a whole realm to govern. Why is he so openly hostile to the blacks like Corlys who are supposedly his allies for "failing to protect the king"? You know, the same king that Cregan was ostensibly looking to kill himself?

Unless, the king he's thinking about isn't Aegon II. Maybe it was a black king instead of a green king that Corlys failed. Cregan's actions just make more sense if they're driven by vengeance than a need to "end the war" when the war is already ending and he's the one ramping it up.

Let's look at additional evidence that supports this reading.

the sara snow question

But we turn to Mushroom to find the tales other chronicles omit, nor does he fail us now. His account introduces a young maiden, or “wolf girl” as he dubs her, with the name of Sara Snow. So smitten was Prince Jacaerys with this creature, a bastard daughter of the late Lord Rickon Stark, that he lay with her of a night. On learning that his guest had claimed the maidenhead of his bastard sister, Lord Cregan became most wroth, and only softened when Sara Snow told him that the prince had taken her for his wife. They had spoken their vows in Winterfell’s own godswood before a heart tree, and only then had she given herself to him, wrapped in furs amidst the snows as the old gods looked on.

The book itself tells us to take Mushroom's account with a giant block of salt, so most people just tend to dismiss Sara Snow entirely. The readers who do like to think that she existed do so because they like that it complicates Jace's relationship with Baela and how she could possibly have allowed Jace to explore or confront his issues with his bastardy.

However, if she did exist, it raises some questions like:

Why is she a non-entity, being only mentioned twice in the book? While not the focus of F&B, we still get updates on Cregan and the North post-Dance but Sara Snow is never mentioned in any of them. She wasn't even mentioned attending Cregan's eventual wedding to Black Aly.

Why did Cregan never bring her up during his time in King's Landing? If Jace did marry his sister and she got pregnant with his child, that would explain his zeal to secure the throne for his nephew who has a claim to it, but Cregan just never mentions the marriage at all.

Why would he still be friends and so loyal to someone who deflowered his sister under his roof? Doesn't seem like a very bro thing for Jace to do.

So we split the difference between Sara Snow existing and not existing by assuming that the person Jace slept with was actually Cregan Stark.

delaying the marriage to baela

Though Baela also announced her intent to marry Jace at once, no wedding was ever held. Munkun says the prince did not wish to wed until the war was over, whilst Mushroom claims Jacaerys was already married to Sara Snow, the mysterious bastard girl from Winterfell.

This is the second and last time Sara Snow is mentioned. Admittedly, there are plenty of practical reasons Jace and Baela's wedding was postponed — foremost being that consummating their union meant getting Baela pregnant and losing an active dragonrider.

However, we add this to the conspiracy board because GRRM didn't have to include this detail. No one reading the book would have questioned why Jace and Baela never wed, but he called attention to it anyway, so it must mean something beyond being distracted by the ongoing war. Even more interesting is how this passage specifies that Baela wanted to get married at once, heavily implying that it was specifically Jace who delayed it.

It's also interesting that what comes after this is...

the gay abandon

Their father, Prince Daemon, had made many friends in the Free City of Pentos during his visits there, so Jacaerys reached across the narrow sea to the prince of that city, who agreed to foster the two boys until Rhaenyra had secured the Iron Throne. In the waning days of 129 AC, the young princes boarded the cog Gay Abandon—Aegon with Stormcloud, Viserys clutching his egg—to set sail for Essos.

I grant you that this my farthest and most tinfoil take, but mentioning delaying Jace and Baela's wedding and following it up with Jace arranging for a ship called the Gay Abandon? Wow, to be abandoned by a gay, huh?

baela targaryen

“Not even the tears of a dragon could melt the frozen heart of Cregan Stark, men said rightly,” Mushroom tells us, “but when Lady Baela brandished a sword and declared that she would cut off the hand of any man who sought to harm the men who had saved her, the Wolf of Winterfell smiled for all to see, and allowed that if her ladyship was so fond of these dogs, he would permit her to keep them.”

This is Cregan and Baela's one interaction in the book — her threatening him and him being impressed enough to back off. Prior to this interaction, other men and women have pleaded with and threatened him, but Baela is one of two people who actually get him to spare someone from getting sentenced and executed. This could just mean that Baela is a badass, which she is, but combine that with the other person who does this feat and we may see a bit of a pattern.

black aly

“A lean tall creature was this wench,” says the dwarf, “thin as a whip and flat-chested as a boy, but long of leg and strong of arm, with a mane of thick black curls that tumbled down past her waist when loosed.” [...] Though Black Aly was no man’s queen of love and beauty, her fearlessness, stubborn strength, and bawdy tongue struck a chord for the Lord of Winterfell, who soon began to seek out her company in hall and yard. “She smells of woodsmoke, not of flowers,” Stark told Lord Cerwyn, said to be his closest friend.

This is the woman Cregan eventually marries and ends his scorched earth campaign. Now, Baela's connection to Jace is obvious — she's his cousin/step-sibling/betrothed. But I argue that Black Aly may remind Cregan of Jace even more strongly than Baela did. Here are their similarities:

They are of the same age. Black Aly is 16. Jace was 15 when he arrived at Winterfell and would jave been 16-17 by the time Cregan arrived in King's Landing.

She looks like a boy.

She has thick, black curls and dark eyes.

She is the eldest sibling who is acting as de facto head of their House.

She loves riding and smells of smoke. You know...maybe like a dragonrider.

Cregan's desire to enact "justice" seems to be quenched once he secures a marriage with her — which makes little sense if his initial motivations were to get dragonriding blood into his line, to "clean up the mess" of the war, or to kill off his men and grab the spoils of war. However, if the driving force behind all of this had been grief over a love lost too soon, then it suddenly makes sense that he calms down when someone else makes him experience love anew, yes?

Anyways, Cregan is a himbo bi-icon and Brokeback Winterfell happened — it just makes sense.

(Art by Yanh Hyung on X)

[swimming-karyss]

I've never really noticed that, but Sabo and Dragon's relationship with the theme of parent-child- (or more like blood-) connection are the two sides of the same coin!

Because both Sabo's parents and Dragon seem to believe that the bond between a parent and their child is unbreakable, but while Dragon's belief stems from love, for Sabo's parents it's a twisted desire to control. As we see Dragon love Luffy and continue to look out for him despite not contacting him for most of his life, and Sabo's parents trying to get him back despite thinking he's been dead for 5 years he's got a thing for it huh, and even after 12 years we see Stelly refer to Sabo as 'big brother', which most likely reflects their parents' position that hadn't changed.

But you'd say that holding onto relationships for an extended period of time is just a family thing, since Sabo too reached out to Luffy after 12 years of absence. But the thing is, the big part of their brotherhood oath is that it's meant to last despite time and circumstances.

(and look at these "..." what is going on in that noggin' of his...)

And I think it's really interesting that Sabo was unsure of his bond with Luffy, while having strong emotional connection, but no blood ties, and Dragon is sure of his bond with Luffy, while having blood ties, but no emotional connection!

And I wonder, what are Sabo's thoughts on that. I mean, he's most likely just fine with it, he does ramble to Dragon about Luffy after all… but I wonder if he ever felt even the slightest uneasiness, when he's inevitably reminded of his parents' views on the ties to children… …

ohhhh and Dragon keeps in touch with Garp… despite being on the opposite sides… can't even say that he cut ties to his parents because he didn't. And here's Sabo who'd rather pretend that he never had parents to begin with…

but lmao, my view on such things may be slightly twisted, so what do I know...

[fsfghgee]

Hot take: it's alright that Bi-Han hates or dislikes Smoke. He doesn't owe Smoke brotherhood or camaraderie or even friendship.

Especially as Smoke became a fave child of their father over his blood son. Bi-Han owes Smoke nothing.

Though I am one of those people who was saddened by the lack of positive interaction between Bi-Han and Tomas, I agree that Bi-Han doesn't owe him anything. In fact, I think it is quite unfair when they even use the negative interactions between Bi-Han and Tomas to justify their hate for Bi-Han or as proof that Bi-Han in MK1 is evil.

When I didn't quite understand Bi-Han's characterization in MK1, his attitude towards Tomas shocked me a little. However, it does not take much time to analyze Bi-Han in MK1 for a better understanding of his motivations. Especially when it comes to the way he treats Tomas.

Of course Tomas is not to blame for, but I agree that Bi-Han must have harbored resentment against Tomas for his father negligence, as his father treated the foreign boy better than he ever treated him (his own son) to compensate for the boy's loss (since, as we know, he only adopted Tomas out of pity). I really don't think Bi-Han's father was a saint or a perfect being like Kuai Liang and Tomas paint him to be. He was most likely a man full of flaws that Tomas and Kuai refuse to see because they see him as a hero to be idolized. You know, it's common among most people that when a loved one dies, they forget about that person's flaws in life, because they only want to hold on to the good memories with them. But unlike Kuai and Tomas' endless mourning, there is a resentment that borders on hatred in Bi-Han for his father. And I wonder what the source of this resentment is…

Does he really hate his father just because he wasn't ambitious?

Does Bi-Han really hate his father just because he adopted a foreigner and forced him to live with someone who wasn't born Lin Kuei?

Bi-Han hates his father because he adopted a foreigner, treated the boy better than he ever had treated him, forced him to treat the foreigner boy (a complete stranger) as if he were his blood brother — even though he knew about the value that Bi-Han places on blood ties and Lin Kuei lineage — even punishing him if he caught him doing otherwise, put the life of Bi-Han's mother and any other Lin Kuei at risk by training to be an assassin, a boy whose family was brutally murdered by Lin Kuei warriors (as he could easily have had vengeful intentions if he had not developed stockholm), was a leader who did not prioritize the Lin Kuei and whose decisions in favor of Earthrealm, in favor of serving Liu Kang, led to the death of his cherished mother?

That said, I don't think Bi-Han hated Tomas before he broke his oath and left the clan with Kuai. I think he was indifferent towards him (like, he was nothing but a subordinate to him). There is no attachment for Tomas and no hatred when they interact. There is only disdain, which is made explicit when he offers only submission to Tomas as an alternative to them not being enemies for life:

While to Kuai Liang, his blood brother, he offers a leadership position at his side:

[finnlongman]

Keep thinking about that one KJ Charles interview where she's talking about the challenges of being a historical romance novelist when you sort of believe the whole aristocracy should've been executed, and the delicate balancing act of writing historically accurate and interesting characters who don't have awful politics and values. And, crucially, she challenged the typical rich love interest idea by asking, "But where does the money come from?"

Once you think about it, you can't stop thinking about it. Every historical romance I read now, I can tell whether the author has thought about it. Sometimes they've thought about it but tried not to deal with it and hoped we wouldn't notice that the rich aristocrat probably owns a plantation. Sometimes they've actually dealt with it. And sometimes they have not considered it and It Shows.

But I also don't want historical novels where characters have modern sensibilities! I want them to feel historical... I just also want the "desirable" characters to not be, you know, involved in the slave trade or whatever, because that seriously undermines everything the book is doing to make them seem attractive. (One does not generally read this flavour of historical romance for morally grey antiheroes, and even if you did, that would be a fairly tasteless way of developing such a character, imo.)

I really enjoyed a detail in one of Cat Sebastian's books where the love interest is a Quaker, and he refuses dessert because he's boycotting sugar. It's a way of signalling to us that this character has particular values, but one that's rooted in the historical context and doesn't feel like a modern character wearing period clothing. His Quakerism also influences a few other details – his use of first names rather than titles, for example – but it's not a major plot point and he's no intense political campaigner. It's just one facet of his character, and one that made me like him more.

This sort of thing becomes a problem, too, with medieval settings and retellings and anything where you start having to deal with kings. A king of some tiny little pseudohistorical country whose major concerns revolve around not getting invaded and ensuring his people survive the winter is a very different prospect from a king intent on conquering his neighbours and expanding his glorious kingdom, of course. Still a king, though. What do you do with that, if you're someone who doesn't approve of kings?

I ran into this problem with a book I was working on a few years back, and it's one of the reasons I shelved it. I was trying to write a book about community and friendship. I was also trying to write an Arthurian retelling. And while a brotherhood of knights is a great starting point for a story about community and friendship, in order to have knights, you need to have a king for them to pledge fealty to. Problematic. My Arthur figure did not believe in hierarchy, but the story demanded that he perpetuated one anyway, because it was baked into the building blocks of story I was using to build mine. Eventually I realised I could not write that story as an Arthurian retelling without stripping it of everything recognisably Arthurian, and set it aside to be remade into something else.

I still think about this, though. I think about my Bisclavret retelling, which by necessity has a king in it. Bisclavret is a story about feudal loyalty, about oaths, about hierarchies. Take that away and you no longer have Bisclavret; it is a story that cannot exist without a king for the knight-wolf to be loyal to. Does that mean that as a story it always inherently supports a monarchist ideal, though? Or is its portrayal of kingship (a relationship that is, crucially, reciprocal) sufficiently detached from colonialist systems of monarchy to be distinct from those?

What systems and ideals form the assumptions a story is rested on? What happens once you start to question them? Can you still tell the same stories once you ask where the money comes from, or why the king is owed loyalty? Or does there come a point where you realise there are ideas woven into the very fabric of those narratives that you can't see past?

I don't have answers. I'm just thinking aloud. Thinking about having written a book with a king who isn't the bad guy, and what that means when I approve of neither kings nor hierarchies in general. Thinking about writing the past with the eyes of the present. Thinking about the unexamined assumptions in so many historical novels I've read, and how it feels as a reader not to be able to stop examining them.

(I have also read a number of contemporary romance novels where, after working my way through half an author's backlist, I've been forced to acknowledge that despite everything, the author does in fact think rich people are inherently attractive. Not sure what the solution to that one is, but it's certainly a different, if related, problem.)

[smilesatdawnmain]

Would u ever write an in depth retelling of the past shadowpeach relationship from taken or is it pike coming later i live the little bits weve been wondering if theres more love that miscommunication drama need sun wukong thinking macaque abandoned him under the mountain and the other way around

I actually will be posting a One Shot about that. A whole Taken Prologue!

It won’t be too long before I post that. I hope sometimes even this month or next

——-i’ll even give a little sneak peak!———-

Mihou couldn't help but feel like the odd one out, the only one who wasn't completely sold on the plan.

He thought back to Nezha, the Lotus Prince. As one of many loyal to the Jade Emperor, Macaque had no doubt he would be waiting for them up there.

A tear between sides that Wukong would have to push through. Just like...

Macaque lowered his head as he tied the strap around his waist to keep his outfit in place.

Gongzhu...

Is sworn sister, and dearest friend. He had no word of her lately, both agreeing to a radio silence for a time. They did not want this blasted rebellion to taint their own relationship.

Macaque held back a solemn sigh. She was up there too, waiting. She didn't hold any bitterness when last they met, only a quiet resolve.

Just like Macaque, she would not just give up what she was loyal too. While yes, she wasn't exactly loyal to the Jade Emperor and more to her duty, it still would not deter her from standing between Macaque and the mission of the brotherhood.

She would fight him if he marched upon the Jade Palace.

He didn’t want to fight here. If he came infront of her, he knew he would freeze up. He would hesitate. And she would be furious he had held no resolve to this oath he walked-

“Always just trailing behind that little king-!”

He shook his head at the reminder of their argument but a year prior.

Wukong and Nezha seemed so confident that their upcoming battle wouldn't change anything between them. They would fight for their side and whatever happened wouldn't change what they were to each other.

But what about him and Gongzhu?

Could he truly look at her the same if she lifted her weapon at him? Lifted it towards Wukong?

He didn't know.

He had so much to lose right now, and it felt so insignificant with the cheering idiots behind him! Folding his arms, he looked over his shoulders to watch the brotherhood.

Peng was showing off his latest armor with a smug smirk, gaining approving claps from the others. All dancing and rejoicing around their meal. So casual and friendy and- unconcerned on what was about to happen.

It made Macaque wonder if they were the insane ones, or he was for not just joining in. Perhaps he really was just too stuck in his head and this would go smoother than he thought.

After all, Wukong had always managed to come back home with a grin on his face. He was always fine...

Everything worked out for Wukong, one way or another. So what was the harm in following behind the King as he always did?

[daeneryseastar]

hotd episode three thoughts:

episode was titled ‘the burning mill’ for the battle of the burning mill and we only get to see the aftermath. no black aly, no bloody ben, just pain and suffering.

“i can’t fault him for upkeeping his oath.” is such a lame excuse, since he tried to kill her last episode, they could’ve just had her say she wants to honor erryk and his sacrifice by allowing him to have peace with the brother he still loved despite everything.

i went from ‘i still kind of care about you even though i’m not a big fan of the changes’ in regard to rhaenys to full on dislike. good job condal!! “maybe you can talk peace with alicent (she has proven time and time again her demon spawn will not listen to her) 😜 luke taking aemond’s eye started the war (a 7 year old defending his brother 6 years ago caused the war, sure jan) 🤪 im gonna imply you being practical about the war’s inevitably will cause me to stop supporting you 😋 just in a silly goofy mood 😛😛”

i liked mysaria and rhaenyra’s conversation, and appreciate the setting up for addam claiming seasmoke.

gwayne fucking hightower had more speaking lines than jace. glad to see he pissed his pants when confronted with moondancer however.

baela>>> arguably best part of the episode. dany’s theme playing over her and moondancer’s entrance is reaffirming my fancast <3

corlys whining about joffrey only being six and knowing nothing of the sea is honestly hilarious since that’s how most heirs start off as? also not surprised he doesn’t consider rhaena good enough to be his heir when he’s proven time and time again he’ll only support women in power if it benefits him. can’t wait to watch greencels bend over backwards and claim this is rhaenyra’s fault once again !

actually the way rhaena was treated this episode is just major ick vibes. the writers have this obsession with making every non-dragon rider targ a liability to their family? which makes no sense at all, but they couldn’t even include one line of rhaenyra saying she was sending rhaena to the vale for her safety to? i’m glad she told her upfront she was entrusting the future of their house to her (an omen for morning? i’m not holding my breath) but still.

you mean to tell me aemond’s biggest adversary in life wasn’t his toddler nephews??? but instead his big brother??? who has no redeeming qualities and proves he’s willing to hurt him to feed his own ego??? shocked, i tell you. absolutely shocked. ‘true brotherhood’ defenders are going to lose their shit when aemond attempts to kill aegon next episode (apparently twice? for once i’ll be on his side i guess).

the showrunners brought dyana back just to have her serve the man who raped her and be sexually assaulted again, what a feminist take!

had to see a dude get sucked down in the same scene. now i need luke to take my eye(s) out too.

i did NOT need to see aemond’s dingaling what the fuck

baelon’s… bastard… son? the same baelon who was head over heels in love with alyssa? the same baelon who never took another wife nor even looked at another woman after her death? the same baelon who’s sister couldn’t even convince him to take her to wife? vaegon having a bastard would be more believable.

helaena apparently doesn’t give a shit about jaehaerys! more absolute bangers from the writing department. instead of going mad over this loss and deliberately throwing herself out her window she’s going to see a really pretty butterfly that she must have and accidentally tumble over the balcony.

rhaenys praising jaehaerys is so fucked, he’s the reason you’re not queen right now, and he laid the groundwork for the greens to have any claim at all EAT MY ASS

why is alys american.

daemon’s harrenhal arc seems very interesting -so far- it was great to milly’s rhaenyra again (also am i the only one that thought she was holding a baby, jace or a hypothetical ‘what if daemon married her to begin with’ and not sewing up jae’s head) also “you will die in this place” is peak foreshadowing honestly.

alicent continues to pull the ‘i didn’t think the leopards would eat MY face!!!’ “i have perhaps been unkind but never dishonest” copium much??? you deliberately made rhaenyra and her kids life’s a living hell bc she managed to find happiness in her situation and you couldn’t stand that.

that sept scene was dumb as shit but at least rhaenyra has exhausted every single option possible for no war and her antis can shove it and be reminded that she’s the only monarch that gave a shit about the destruction about to happen. ‘team neutral’ team fucking idiot more like.

episode is rated 2/10 for baela, rhaena, jace/joff/aegon/viserys crumbs, and house blackwood mention.

[marymary-diva17]

New life with her

captain rex x reader

The secret marriage between you and rex had always stayed a secret between you and him, with a select few that had witness the wedding and approved of the relationship. As everyone knew if these relationships was found out it will be bad new for the both of you, but mostly rex as he had most of his life serving the republic and doing his duty as well. Soon enough the secret marriage will not stay secret anymore, as it will become well know to the republic and jedi. Soon the exposure of your marriage will soon affect your life and rex life in the end.

Bail " due to your relationship with clone trooper rex the senate has decided it will be for the best, if you step down from you position and leave the senate"

y/n " ......'

montha " we can't have this happening in the senate y/n we are sorry but your action have concerns for everyone, and the separatist could use this against us and it can hurt many people"

y/n " so I'm losing everything because I chose to be with a man I love and I'm not giving up on him"

bail " you are losing everything for the betterment of everyone else I'm sorry y/n but it will be good for you to leave now"

y/n " padme"

padme " I'm sorry y/n but it for the best we have to think about the well-being of the republic and the people you serve, you have done enough damage and broke your oath"

y/n " I made Oath to serve the republic and I did that there was noting against falling in love"

padme " it for the best we cant have the separatist or anyone else seeing we are breaking our rules"

y/n " what about rex"

senator" we was stripped of his rank and status of trooper he is just avenge man now ... he could of been more and so could you but looked what happened you both are useless and betrayed us"

y/n " bail, montha, and padme we are friends I'm friends with all of you are you really going to look at me like this"

bail " we are sorry y/n and we wish for the best for you" you didn't say anything else as you were soon escorted put by droids, you had seen the troopers look at with you disgust.

padme " y/n"

y/n " padme"

padme " I'm sorry but I had to do what was right for our people and the republic, we have to sacrifice what we love and care for so everyone else can be better"

y/n " so will you be saying the same thing if everyone found out you and my brother"

padme " I'm spry y/n there a place for you on nabob where you can live with rex, and I will come to see you along with anakin"

y/n " really padme you are going to stand here and save yourself and act like you are secret married to a jedi"

padme " I and anakin relationship has to stay a secret I'm sorry y/n but maybe one day everything will be fine" you dandy say anything else and you walked away from the senate building, it will be a long time until you are back here. It will be the last time any of your old friends will see and hear form you.

later on

y/n " rex" you found rex wearing normal clothes not longer with his armor, he looked upset.

rex " hey my love" you soon hugged rex he had given everything now to republic and now he was stripped of everything even his brotherhood as well.

y/n " I'm so sorry my husband I all my fault"

rex " no it not your fault my love what has happen can't be undone"

y/n " padme didnt fight for me none of my friends did after all these years it ... meaning nothing" rex soon got up from his seat and soon hugged you as the two of you stood there.

rex " don't cry everything will be fine"

y/n " where do you go from here we both lost everything"

rex " we can start a new life on planet far from here just the two of us, and see where they take us"

y/n " I will love that" you and rex soon left the clone base as you saw his armor was backed up in duffle bag he was given, his former or fellow brothers either looked at him or turn their backs to him. You held rex hand tight as the both of you handed toward your apartment to spend one last night there, as you two will be leaving.

y/n " so where this planet you know of rex"

rex " it good planet and is neutral in the war so we will be safe, and it less liking the republic will come and the separatist as well ... there a home and I can find some work I was told about from a friend I was talking with it will be hard but maybe it will be best for us"

y/n " I will love that rex anywhere with you will be good" rex soon smiled towards you and soon brought you into an embraced, soon the two of you talked more about your new lives. After getting all the Information you need for you and rex, to started new life without anyone asking questions and having some of your stuff send to this new home.

anakin " hello you two"

y/n " anakin"

anakin " sister I'm sorry for what happened and I'm sorry to rex" rex didnt say anything as he looked at his former commander with heartbroken look on his face.

y/n " anakin I'm your sister so hwy did you fight for me and rex"

anakin " I'm sorry but if anyone found out me and padme I wilmlose her and she will lose everything she loves"

y/n " so what are you going to do now the republic might mark me a traitor in now time, rex has been stripped of everything that he fought for"

anakin " I'm really sorry but where you go I will make sure you both, are safe and taken care off"

padme " oh ani" you soon turned around from your brother you just wanted someone to fight for you and rex, but it seems like your brother wouldn't do that at all.

rex " jedi knight skywlaker I think it best if you leave here for now"

anakin " rex come on we ...."

rex " please leave my wife be sir it has been a long day for her" anakin soon nodded his head and started walking away from the duo.

anakin " I hope one day everything will be fine and you can understand what happened here today sister" you didn't say anything as anakin soon left you soon started crying, as rex brought you into a embrace as you cried on his shoulder.

the next day

????? " y/n rex" you and rex were about to leave when you two spotted ashoka coming running toward you both she soon stopped, when she reached you two.

y/n " ashoka"

ashoka " I came to say goodbye you two have changed my life and helped me learn, I'm sorry for what happened to you both it wrong"

y/n " thank you ashoka"

ashoka " rex I'm so sorry if I ...."

rex " It okay kid I will be fine I just need you to be safe out there, and give a good fight as well"

ashoka " yes rex I will make sure I will look after anakin for you y/n and the troopers for you rex" you and rex soon hugged ashoka one last time, before you both got on the ship leaving the republic home world. Only ashoka and friends that were on your guys side and helping will know where you and rex had gone. Rex heart had broken when he was stripped of everything he knew and had been raised to be, until he knew you wil become his new world and life. It will be the two of you now making a new life in this galaxy.

[br1ghtestlight]

"hello burger lady!! tiny people. BOB."

THE SLOW HEAD TURN WHILE FISCHOEDER IS STARING AT THEM LMAOO he's such a freak. what is he doing

aww linda put a smiley face on the check thats so cute. "nooo i enjoyed it :)"

A BROTHERHOOD?? BLOOD OATH? love how louise hears this and immediately stands up she's like hello. hello im interested. PLEASE let me into your blood oath club mr fischoder

babalon like the ancient uhh. thing.

ooooh :0

(also my dad used to call my mom babalon among MANY other creative insults when they were married and this immediately brought that memory back to me. but he said it like babble-on like she was babbling. sorry idk why i wanted to share that)

"and the other members already picked all of the best chefs in town soo im asking you" i literally dont believe fischoeder lmao he definitely just wanted bob to come along as his personal chef and couldn't come up w/ a better excuse like. come on

"a billion dollars" "nope." "a million dollars" "no...." "a billion dollars :D" "she just said that"

i know bob is holding onto fischoeder's back bcuz he cant see but also its like. kinda intimate?? like?

also love bob's new jacket. these are the kinda things you only notice when you've watched WAAYY too many bob's burgers episodes but its a nice jacket :) the blue color suits him. and it has a hood

personally i would be a little more concerned that mr fischoeder only has one eye and it is NOT looking in the direction of the dangerous sharp cliff theyre walking beside. i know he's driven bob in his boat before but he's SOO BLIND WHY ARE YOU WILLINGLY GETTING IN A BOAT WITH HIM <- saying this as someone who doesn't really have vision in one eye or depth perception. i wouldnt give in a boat with myself driving either

"it was actually kinda fun to come up with!! i-i hope you like it :)" bob is so sweet im gonna cry. he's so excited about cooking SOMEONE LET HIM RANT ABOUT HIS SPECIAL INTEREST RIGHT NOW. he's in autism heaven

NOT THE TIKTOK MENTION 😭😭

recognize some of these guys from the gingerbread house episode which was another horrible experience for bob lmao

"can i keep hiiim? 🥺" what is his PROBLEM

WAS HE WORKING THE OMLETTE STATION AT YOUR LAST SEX PARTY??? <- brand new sentence

also this 100% confirms to me that fischoeder has had sex with every old ass man on this camping trip bcuz NO WAY he's getting rich old woman pussy im sorry. i do think he's bisexual but his sex parties are male-exclusive. he fucked those old men

not looking forward to whatever is going to happen to bob in this episode.

I ALWAYS FORGET FISCHOEDER IS LIKE A HARDCORE DRUG ADDICT remember that time he did mushrooms in s13 That would explain some things. that weren't already explained by the alcoholism

bob is surprisingly chill considering the circumstances and the fact that he's getting less than a thousand dollars of restaurant equipment out of this. i know he trusts fischoeder (for some reason i dont entirely understand) but being blindfolded and taken to a secret island with a bunch of rich old men and having NO CELL SIGNAL and everybody is drugged as hell.... he doesn't even know where he is..... GIRL RUN‼️‼️

also there's only one bed in fischoeder's tent which means there's either a seperate camping section for the chefs (unlikely) he expects bob to sleep outside in the storm (very likely) or bob and fischoeder are going to have to share a bed 👀👀 i know its probably not going to be addressed but i need somebody to write And There Was Only One Bed bob x fischoeder fanfic about this episode immediately. like that needs to happen

bob realizing that the chances of him dying on this camping trip are quickly reaching eighty or ninety percent ooh he's COOKED

"Don't wear brown and black. Never look into someone's eyes..." "Bring your own fork. And briefcase." "Of course. Everyone knows that." "And leave one of your shoes as a gift." "But you have to hide it..." gene and louise are SOO silly i love them so much. they play off each other so well its like a constant improv class

this subplot is Trying To Teach Tina Social Skills meanwhile gene and louise don't have them either they just dont give a fuck about learning them. well louise knows them she just disregards them. gene doesn't know ANYTHING

HAHAHA BOB REALIZING THEYRE LEAVING HIM THERE TO DIE. ITS NEVER BEEN MORE OVER love him not even acknowledging their crazy fire drug-induced dancing he's so used to this bullshit. bob should get a week off after this MINIMUM but we all know he loves cooking too much for that

NOT MR FISCHOEDERS GAY ASS HIP SHAKE?????????

mfw im the only sober person at a crazy drug party full of rich people on an island during a deadly storm and its only Tuesday. 😐

UH OH IS THE CORRECT RESPONSE. BOB REALIZES HES SO FUCKED

aww its kinda cute he's making sure that fischoeder is taken care of too and packing up all their things. dad instincts

at a certain point u kinda have to call him calvin dude. like you're WELL past "mr fischoeder" territory in this situation <- is also calling him mr fischoeder in this review

"shh he's hunting us" is probably NOT what bob wanted to hear

there's something about this that is sooo.....

in defense of bob he has almost died or been killed with fischoeder SEVERAL times before this episode including in the movie. its like a male bonding thing for them at this point

"and i invented a new way to tie a tie" I KNEW I WASNT CRAZY FOR THINKING THAT LOUISES TIE WAS TIED WRONG IN THAT SCREENSHOT i love that i picked up on that and felt the need to point it out. having never worn a tie before in my life (not to my knowledge at least)

this is literally what it feels like when ur autistic and trying to understand neurotypical social conventions. tina is trying SO HARD she's such a sweet girl :( its okay baby girl i understand i get it

THE BITEY GUY HAS A NAME BOB

am i allowed to say that bob with wet hair is kinda 👀👀🔥

why'd he kiss him like that ??

he's suuuch a sweetie in his oversized jacket <3

"No, no. Plants don't like sweet drinks!" "Just hard liquor?"

"dad is missing a WILD night" *hard cut to bob tied up and being used as a human sacrifice for cannibalism*

WHAT WAS RHAT. WHY DID CALVIN LOOK AT HIM LIKE THAT. YES IM USING HIS LEGAL FIRST NAME BCUZ WTF WAS THAT GAY ASS GUILTY LOOK?? HES NEVER BEEN GUILTY BEFORE he care so much about bob im gonna throw up. what the hell

HE LIIIKES HIM 😭 HE FELT GUILTY BCUZ HE LOVES AND CARES ABOUT BOB THIS IS SO FUCKED UP 😭😭💕

he probably also feels guilty that this is like the sixth time he's gotten bob into a near death situation. like at a certain point it starts to feel personal yknow

*howling* "god. i hate when he does that"

straight up on the verge of a meltdown. i dont even blame him tbh

bob isnt WRONG but also we are talking about a crazy drugged up cannibal who thinks he's a wild animal so maybe we could leave saving him until tomorrow morning? like idk i feel like he wouldnt exactly fit on their dingy. and even if he did what if he bites

"and you do have to come for ice cream!! it wont be any fun without you" okay thats kinda cute. this episode definitely kept up to pace with the insane homoerotic relationship between bob and fischoeder and im happy about that. almost gave us the tiniest hint into what fischoeder really feels/thinks about bob which. yeah

VERY UNHINGED EPISODE BUT REALLY FUN AND CUTE?? everything between bob and fischoeder was so. soo. yknow. and the subplot was funny and cute too :) very sweet little episode i always love when they go off on adventures like w/ teddy in sea me now. and of course their (many many) near death experiences together thats truly what its all about baby!!! really enjoyed this episode it was exactly the right amount of unhinged and funny

[unohanabbygirl]

Hi!! I’m not sure if you are still writing the nights watch Luke fic or if it will even be jaceluke, but I have tidbits that I’d like to share that you are welcome to use. You previously answered my ask about this au so felt the desire to share more. First: I am HERE for Arrax losing his tiny bit of color as a reaction to living up north. This dragon is going to be a chameleon up there. I also am someone who is really interested in the magic of the wall and the reactions dragons have to it. It makes me wonder if they are reacting to the different flavor of magic that built the wall OR are the dragons actually sensing the others and that’s what causing their negative reaction. If it’s the former, I think the magic of the wall would act as a sort of vaccine for Arrax’s own magic. Sort of like exposing him to the virus gives him stronger protection against it…and in this case the growth of Arrax’s magic causes him to grow at the same rate that Dany’s dragons do. I’m talking Arrax being the size of Syrax when Luke is 8, Seasmoke by 10, and Meleys’ size by the time the Driftmark trial occurs. Jokes on ALL of the greens. Up there in the north, with that magic burning itself into his brain, it’s a grow or die situation. Also? The best part of this au with Arrax magically growing? Luke has to learn to ride him without a saddle. There’s no dragon pit and no dragon masters were sent because Arrax was such a tiny thing and they all believed he would perish in the cold. They also all believed Luke would send word when Arrax was big enough to ride to request a saddle (he didn’t want the greens knowing about Arrax). Luke also begins to wear wildling clothing in order to camouflage himself against archers. Him wearing Karsi’s outfit makes me squeal. The brothers hate seeing him in these clothes but they can’t deny the safety it brings him.

Okay more tidbits you are free to use: I love the idea that the commander assigns Luke to grow up at Eastwatch by the Sea because that’s the easiest way for Corlys to visit him. This leads to him interacting with the wildling fisher folk of that area. More politically minded: I have this idea that when Viserys punished Luke this way, Daemon can’t help but be his chaotic self and interject. He states that Luke will not be made to swear the oath’s of the brotherhood until Rhaenyra’s unchallenged ascension to the throne; he will be a ward of the watch till then. This is something Viserys immediately agrees to because Luke is still a child and he is dumb enough not to read into the ‘unchallenged’ bit of that contract. Otto only agrees because he severely underestimates the way Luke will charm the night’s watch making them all but immune to Otto’s machinations. (They send Otto fake reports and act their asses off when it comes to being loyal to the greens). Basically this contract Daemon creates provides an excuse for Luke not to be bound by oaths and the second the greens make their move he is no longer obligated to be a brother. This is also a loophole that Corlys uses to the fullest, stating that since Luke is not to be sworn in then he can still remain heir until that point. Daemon and Corlys all but insure that Luke’s future and position in life is not stolen from him because they both know the greens will rebel, freeing him from Viserys decree. And it means that if Aemond says Luke is still in debt because he left the watch, well…Aemond’s family stole away that payment themselves. Luke would have done his duty and repaid the debt but the greens broke faith first. Luke is no longer beholden to him.

Finally: because I can’t help myself and I am utterly obsessed with the way you talk about Daeron…let’s include this little guy. Can you imagine that while the greens are keeping Viserys death a secret from the blacks, Otto instructs Daeron to fly north and escort (capture and take hostage) Luke? He must force Luke to swear his oaths with the maw of Tessarion behind him. No doubt the commander of the watch will heed a command from the hand of the king and everyone knows the child’s dragon probably froze to death because it hasn’t spotted so taking Luke will be met with no resistance. Cue Daeron landing and seeing a snowy hill move, only for giant white wings to burst out, stretching to block the sun against a stark blue sky. OR…hear me out…Tessarion throws Daeron from his saddle the more Daeron tries to force her closer to the wall. He passes out and is found none other than our pearl of eastwatch who brings him back to the castle to treat his injuries (conveniently finding the letter and learning of Viserys death and Aegon’s crowning). While I am firmly of the mind this would be a great au for jaceluke, I do love Daeron softly falling in love with a sad boy and his feral giant dragon. Feel free to use/adopt ANY of this is you so wish. You’re writing is lovely and I’m so excited if you decide to continue with this au

Nights watch Luke and the eventual Jaceluke that’ll bloom within is still in progress albeit coming along very…very slowly, lol. Let me tell you something anon, your interest with the magic of the wall is a dream come true for me since I too have been fascinated with the outright mysterious nature of it. What really solidified this fascination for me was Silverwing straight up refusing to cross that boarder the wall built to the other side. It really makes you wonder exactly why dragons refuse to cross it and what emotions did Alysanne feel coming from Silverwing that disturbed her. Did she sense danger and go “nope, not doing that. Sorry babes” or did the walls magic make crossing over physically impossible??? This fic is basically giving me a chance to take that mystery, throw in my own theories and run with it since I have several theories and let me tell you babe, you’re basically a mind reader seeing as I’ve already made some outlines predicting Arrax’s enhanced growth! It only makes sense since out there in the cold its basically do or die for a baby like him. Arrax has no choice but to adapt not only in more natural ways like his color leaving so he’ll be able to blend in with his new environment, but in more supernatural ways such as going from a babe that can’t yet be ridden to challenging Syrax in size in less than three years even though such a thing is practically unheard of even for creatures that can live for hundreds of years. That mysterious magic from the other side tearing its way through this small thing like a sickness leaves Arrax to start exhibiting symptoms akin to a human fever almost immediately. It leaves the brother’s downright confused for a multitude of reasons. These men know little of dragons but what they do know is they aren’t known to get sick unless death is on the horizon… at least not like humans do.

Baby Arrax hobbling his way into the cloudy snow in the middle their third night there and disappearing for weeks leaving little Luke an outright mess. Crying, shaking, and basically mourning his dragon as even as young as he is, Luke knows the cold would likely kill his bonded. At this point the watchmen have already decided to protect him and do what they can to calm the little prince down (who in the hell would even damn a boy barely weaned off his wetnurse to such a fate *stares daggers into Viserys*) However, when the sound of heavy wings rings thick through the air weeks later and the sight of a slightly larger and much less orange dragon comes into view Luke nearly passes out.

And omg, I never thought of Luke learning to ride without a saddle?! Originally I planned for Rhaenyra to have a few commissioned in the weeks before Luke’s final departure all sized appropriately for when the time comes, but I like your idea so much better. It ties in with the almost beastly, boaderline raised alongside the wolves atmosphere i’m trying to create. Riding without a saddle is like eating with your bare hands to people like the Targs. For them it’s seen as inappropriate— unsophisticated and all around dangerous. I can just imagine fifteen year old Luke riding into Dragonstone on Arrax’s bare back and leaving everyone except Corlys and Daemon absolutely stunned. (Also picture mommy Nyra nearly having a heart attack at the sight) He’s older, growing into his height, slowly growing this thick unkempt beard, and dressed like a damn wildling of all things, all the while holding onto his dragon’s bare horns like they’re proper reins without a care in the world?? Oh this is gold.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love these ideas. Especially the tidbit about Luke growing up at the Eastwatch-by-the-sea! Not only is it great for Corlys frequent visits which have been allowed due to Luke still being his heir, but because it feels the most like home after being torn away from it. Daemon would absolutely be quick on his feet and five steps ahead of Otto by insisting Luke remain a ward until he’s of age so they can make sure his spot is still solidified and Vaemon’s ass can’t immediately go for the throne. Alicent is upset by this but it’s not even about the politics for her until Otto tells her the implications of what Luke’s position as heir remaining secure means for them, it’s about Luke still keeping his privileges despite having harmed her son.

Daeron visiting on the greens orders to scope the surroundings as they ready to crown Aegon only for him to get thrown off Tessarion’s back like a crash test dummy due to the wall setting him off is just *chefs kiss* This would actually be a perfect parallel to what would’ve been Luke’s death as Aemond loses control of Vhagar

Think of it; whereas Aemond is much too cocky to honor the emotions his bonded feels which are separate from his own, he ignores them and overpowers that with his own need to send Luke cowering which results in disaster. However, as soon as Tessarion begins sending waves of unease through their bond Daeron immediately begins to question his route. Coming so close to successfully turning them around in worry only for that unease to morph into outright fear before he can even think and boom…all of a sudden he’s falling and lands right in the middle of Castle black, broken bones and everything.

Now here I am imagining Luke who’s just been informed of the death of the man who sent him to the wall in the first place. Already making plans to gather his brothers as he’s throughly read through Daeron’s messages all the while peering over the bed his injured uncle is stuck in.

Oh anon, please accept my virtual smooches 🥰

[xiyao-feels]

Man I just.... I really really do not like NHS. I remember when I was trying to evaluate FJ's characterization of him, flipping through his scenes. I don't think we ever see him express any moral sentiments. One of his earliest moments is being all gee, wouldn't demonic cultivation be cool! And I feel like this is actually kind of a red flag, here! (And inconsistent with his FJ characterization but I mean, lol, obviously.) Like, I think CQL really does soften him up, in ways that aren't always obvious because they're less contradicting what we see and more adding to it. But when you really just look at what we see of him in the novel...

And I mean—I don't actually begrudge him revenge? Like, yeah, JGY killed his brother, obviously he's going to go for revenge. That checks out. I do think JGY was in the right, but I also get why that doesn't matter. But—you know, in the present day, Chifeng-zun's reputation is doing just fine. The brotherhood oath is on one of JGY's murals on the path to Carp Tower, for heaven's sake. The Qinghe Nie aren't in as great condition, but that's because NHS is whatever combination of incompetent and lazy and faking incompetence and laziness, and JGY provides NHS with a huge amount of support!

And JGY doted on NHS. If NHS had wanted to kill him, he could have. But that wasn't enough: he wanted to destroy as much as he could everything JGY had ever loved. It's horrible.

[jackoshadows]

"You," Ned said, kissing her lightly on the brow, "will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons will be knights and princes and lords and, yes, perhaps even a High Septon."-  Eddard, AGoT

He rose and dressed in darkness, as Mormont's raven muttered across the room. "Corn," the bird said, and, "King," and, "Snow, Jon Snow, Jon Snow." That was queer. The bird had never said his full name before, as best Jon could recall. - Jon, ADwD

Contrary to general fandom assumptions about Arya Stark, marriage and marriage proposals show up several times with respect to Arya Stark of Winterfell. The betrothal and marriage of Arya Stark in the story (for Arya herself or for her proxies) highlights and emphasizes on Arya Stark as a Key to the North and Winterfell and her bond with Jon Snow.

The first time a marriage is seriously considered for Arya Stark is when Catelyn betroths Arya to Elmar Frey, the 22nd son of Walder Frey, in return for the use of a bridge. Elmar being a 22nd son meant that there is no land or title in it for Arya Stark and Robb would have to settle his sister and her husband in the North.

More importantly though, for Needleheart purposes, what’s interesting is that Elmar Frey is rumored to be Black Walder’s son and hence a bastard.

So Arya is betrothed to a bastard, has a friendship and the beginnings of a possible romance with another bastard Gendry. Arya rejects her betrothal to Elmar (‘I hope your princess dies’) and thinks that Gendry is no longer part of her pack because he wants to stay with the Brotherhood. Given GRRM’s love for the rule of three, there’s one bastard waiting at the Wall for her who just ended up dying for her and thinks her home is wherever he is.

Weddings are a big part of the Northern plot in ADwD and Arya Stark is involved in every single one of them! Thinking about it, she really is the Key to the North in every sense of the word considering how much she is essential to the plot and character arcs of several of our main characters in the North.

The first wedding that occurs is that of Jeyne Poole masquerading as Arya Stark and Ramsay Bolton, in order to give legitimacy to Ramsay being Lord of Winterfell and Roose holding the North as Warden of the North. This sets off a cascade of events in the North, with some houses and the mountain clans allying and marching with Stannis Baratheon in order to save Ned’s precious little girl Arya Stark and overthrow house Bolton once and for all.

Word is send to the Wall of the impending wedding and sets off another cascade of events with Jon Snow, conflicted between keeping to his oaths and wanting to save Arya. In the process, Jon refers to Arya as his heart a couple of times and his arc here embodies GRRM’s oft mentioned ‘The Human heart in conflict with itself as the only story worth telling’.  Melisandre convinces him to send the King Beyond the Wall to rescue Arya, which leads to the infamous Pink Letter and Jon’s decision to attack Winterfell and the current Warden of the North, in effect destroying the neutrality of the Night’s Watch.

The second wedding is that of ‘ a girl in grey’ fleeing a marriage - Melisandre assures Jon it’s Arya fleeing Ramsay Bolton and heading to the Wall.

“The heart is all that matters. Do not despair, Lord Snow. Despair is a weapon of the enemy, whose name may not be spoken. Your sister is not lost to you.” “I have no sister.” The words were knives. What do you know of my heart, priestess? What do you know of my sister? Melisandre seemed amused. “What is her name, this little sister that you do not have?” “Arya.” His voice was hoarse. “My half-sister, truly …” “… for you are bastard born. I had not forgotten. I have seen your sister in my fires, fleeing from this marriage they have made for her. Coming here, to you. A girl in grey on a dying horse, I have seen it plain as day. It has not happened yet, but it will.” - Jon, ADwD

It turns out that the fleeing girl in grey is not Arya after all and that Melisandre has mistaken Alys Karstark for Arya Stark because they are similar in looks (Alys has the long face and brown hair, with blue-grey eyes. The Karstarks descended from a branch of House Stark). Jon quickly turns marriage broker and arranges a wedding for Alys with dancing and food - a bright and hopeful event in comparison to Jeyne/fake Arya’s wedding to Ramsay Bolton. Jon compares Alys’ smile and bravery to that of Arya’s, refers to his heart again and calls her a ‘Winter’s Lady’.

And finally, Stannis Baratheon sends word to Jon at the wall, and informs him that he intends to marry off Arya Stark to one of his Lords or a Northern Lord presumably after winning over Winterfell and killing Ramsay Bolton.

We are five thousand strong as I write, our numbers swelling every day. And word has come to us that Roose Bolton moves toward Winterfell with all his power, there to wed his bastard to your half sister. He must not be allowed to restore the castle to its former strength. We march against him. Arnolf Karstark and Mors Umber will join us. I will save your sister if I can, and find a better match for her than Ramsay Snow. You and your brothers must hold the Wall until I can return. - Jon, ADwD

Worried about Arya being used as a marriage pawn, Jon ironically wants to send her to Braavos, free of political entanglements.

Nor was he about to turn her over to Stannis or Melisandre. The king would only want to marry her to one of his own men, Horpe or Massey or Godry Giantslayer, and the gods alone knew what use the red woman might want to make of her. - Jon, aDwD

[Something to note here is that Jon has no qualms in brokering a marriage for Alys Karstark for political gain and yet does not want the same for Arya. And yes, Arya is much younger than Alys and still Catelyn was betrothing Arya to Elmar Frey way back in AGoT, when Arya is 9. Jon wants none of that for an even older Arya]

Something else to consider is that all of Arya’s betrothals and weddings - fake or otherwise - has her in the North. Her marriage to Elmar Frey would have seen her settled in the North on land given by Ned/Robb Stark. Stannis wants to reward his Lords with land/castles/titles in the North by marriage to Arya Stark. Fake Arya Stark marries the Lord of Winterfell to give legitimacy to the Bolton rule over the North. And the ‘girl in grey’ who Jon assumed to be Arya ends up marrying a Thenn from beyond the Wall and creating a new house at Karhold in the North.

So, betrothals and weddings surrounding Arya Stark greatly influence the plot in the North and drives Jon Snow’s story at the Wall. And while all this is happening Arya herself has no idea of any of this! She is unaware of her betrothal to Elmar, unaware of Ramsay’s marriage to ‘Arya’, unaware of Jon trying to save a ‘girl in grey’, unaware of Stannis wanting to marry her to one of his lords. Arya really has no idea how important she is to the North and how at this point a version of Arya Stark has married or come close to marriage.

And as always, with the rule of three, maybe the third wedding will be that of the real, grown up Arya Stark and this time the real Arya Stark will have agency and get to choose her partner, someone she loves, has always loved and wants to marry, a future full of hope and rebirth. A Dream of Spring.

[corgiteatime]

This is my canon Tav: Ruse Tav Road. A very tired paladin with a drinking problem, an ironic inability to commit in relationships, and a love for connecting with people in general. She's god's most autistic soldier. Which god? She has no idea and she is going to make that everyone's problem!

Name: Ruse Tav Road

Age: Older than she looks

Race: Human

Class: Oath of Devotion Paladin

Home: Baldur's Gate, born and bred. None too fond of her hometown

Background: Soldier

Sexuality: Bisexual, polyamorous

Organization: The Beloved Brotherhood

Personality-wise:

Ruse was born a quiet and isolated person who desperately wanted to connect to other people. Her order trained her to be the gallant knight, giving her rules to make any situation go the way she needs. Still she struggles because she loves her fellow man deeply yet struggles when others get close and still feels her fellow soldiers and adventurer's deaths. Years of fighting have left her broken and bitter. And still at the start of BG3, she's still compelled to do what is just and right, even if her heart is breaking.

Now for some tidbits in no particular order:

While I have a screenshot of her with the lute, her instrument of choice is the concertina

She goes by her middle name of Tav because someone in her youth pointed out that "Ruse Road" is a dumb name and she agreed.

Few people in her adult life know her first name. Most people know her as "Tav" or "Ms Road" or "Captain Road". She doesn't even reveal her name to anyone but her romantic interest in BG3 and only once they reach the city.

When working whatever job that paid a few coins as a teenager, Ruse was plucked out of the working class and drawn into the Beloved Brotherhood to be a warrior because she physical prowess and unfaltering sense of justice

She's one of those 5th edition paladins that is bound by oath, NOT by any particular god

Once upon a time, long ago, she was married a well connected high-elf sorcerer who romanticized the idea of a long lived elf loving a short lived human

... But their marriage soured and turned abusive, leading to the permanent branching scar across her face

She became an Oathbreaker for awhile when she let her husband die in battle, but later regained her oath

She says that best part of her marriage was a wedding gift sent by her order: A mail box. A small magical wooden box that can expand to fit an infinite number of letters. It preserves anything that is ink or paper so long as they have been sent through some kind of postal system, leading her to have an extensive collection of letters and notes from her social network

At some point, she realized she hadn't aged. She had a few gray hairs and lines in her face but her human peers long went silver and were often grandparents. And she did not know why.

She is an actual alcoholic. She drinks to not feel the world and those amounts are something that would kill a human being.

She is quite beloved by her fellow soldiers and adventurers, since her order trained her to be well liked by foot soldier/on the ground types. She keeps in contact with them via mail and keeps track of their families and current situations. She's probably invited to 50 weddings a year and she has a form letter to politely turn them down and send a gift.

Fun fact: She is obsessed with architecture despite having no formal training in it. She just really enjoys seeing how different people using different buildings and how that shapes how structures look across whatever cultures she encounters. She has tons of notebooks that are nothing but drawings of buildings.

I'll post more about her history and timeline. I just wanted to share a little bit about her for now!

[maree-go-round]

Under the Heng Gate - Chapter 23

Chapter 23 : This is the first time she has seen him show such patience outside of military matters.

Cao Yulin went inside briefly and soon came back out, noticing the peculiar expressions on both of them. Fu Ting was staring at Qichi, who, in turn, was diligently adjusting the ties on her cloak, avoiding his gaze.

Cao Yulin decided not to inquire further. She walked over and said, “Sister-in-law, why don't you sit in my room for a while? It's warmer inside.”

Qichi stood up and glanced at Fu Ting. He shifted slightly to make way for her and said, “Go ahead.”

Cao Yulin extended her hand to support her as they moved through the small door behind the counter. Inside were two rooms—one served as the kitchen, the other as living quarters. The simplicity of the place was evident, as the two spaces were connected.

Cao Yulin had tidied up a bit before inviting Qichi in. Qichi sat on the small bed, taking in the enclosed room, finding it convenient for conversation. She asked, “Did you also swear an oath of brotherhood with Xiaoyi and the others?”

Cao Yulin remained standing and replied, “No, but I do call the Grand Protector ‘Third Brother’ like Luo Xiaoyi does.”

Her expression remained unchanged as she spoke, leading Qichi to believe she wasn’t one to joke around much. Reflecting quietly, Qichi understood that Cao Yulin must be closer to Luo Xiaoyi.

She then asked, “Why do you live here alone?”

Cao Yulin answered, “I was injured in the past and couldn’t serve in the military anymore, so I came here.”

She watched Qichi’s reaction carefully, aware that she was a princess from the royal family. Worried that Qichi might disdain such a humble place, Cao Yulin was relieved to see her simply listening without any sign of contempt. She added, “If there’s anything else you’d like to know, please ask.”

Qichi said, “Nothing in particular, I just wanted to hear about you since we’ve just met.”

Cao Yulin was silent for a moment before speaking, “There isn’t much to tell about me.”

Although she had left the military, she continued to serve Fu Ting. This small tavern was not just a place of business where people were allowed to come and go freely, but also a point of contact for gathering information from all directions.

When Fu Ting last visited, he mentioned that several Turkic spies had escaped and that the northern front should be watched closely. Cao Yulin had gathered some information and waited on the road for a few days, finally meeting Fu Ting today to report.

The Turkic side had shown no significant movements, but Fu Ting was vigilant because the northern territories had started to recover. Recently, a large number of refugees had been settled. Besides those in the military, many had been resettled among the general population. With spring approaching and fields ready for plowing, it was a crucial time for revitalizing the people's livelihood. It was essential to prevent any potential conflict from disrupting this progress.

Qichi, after listening, understood the situation. Everything was for the revival of the northern territories. Lost in thought, she looked up to find Cao Yulin staring at her without blinking.

She touched her face self-consciously, still warm from fever. “What is it?”

Cao Yulin’s eyes finally blinked. “I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you, Sister-in-law.”

Qichi couldn't help but laugh, not expecting such a comment and almost thinking her illness had worsened. With Cao Yulin’s heroic demeanor, the compliment felt like it came from a man.

Seeing Qichi's disbelief, Cao Yulin nodded earnestly. “Really, I never thought anyone could match Third Brother. But now that I’ve seen you, I understand.”

Qichi's smile deepened. “That’s the first time I’ve heard something like that.”

Since marrying Fu Ting, she had mostly heard that he wasn’t worthy of her due to his humble origins. This kind of compliment was indeed a first.

Cao Yulin, feeling she had said enough, turned to leave. “Rest well, Sister-in-law. I’ll be outside.”

“Wait,” Qichi called after her, looking around the room. “Is your wine business not doing well?”

She thought Cao Yulin’s life seemed a bit too austere.

Cao Yulin didn’t deny it. “Yes, but selling wine is all I know how to do. It’s just enough to get by.”

Qichi thought that people with military backgrounds often lacked commercial savvy. It was fortunate that they had met. She said, “If you trust me, I can give you some advice that might help your business do better.”

Cao Yulin looked at her with skepticism.

Qichi took out a small money pouch from her sleeve and handed it over.

“Sister-in-law, I can’t take your money,” Cao Yulin pushed it back. “Third Brother always gives me some when he visits.”

Qichi said, “This is just some pocket money to help you get started, but it’s not a gift. I need your help in return.”

After a moment of hesitation, Cao Yulin accepted it. The pouch felt light as a feather, and she thought it must indeed be just some pocket money. But when she opened it, she was stunned.

Several notes of flying cash lay inside.

To her, this was just pocket money?

　　　　　　　　　　　　※

Fu Ting stepped outside to glance at the sun before returning to find Cao Yulin emerging from within.

“Rest assured, Third Brother. Sister-in-law has gone to sleep,” she reassured him.

He nodded, looking at the small door, and asked, “What did you talk about for so long?”

Cao Yulin hesitated before saying, “She just asked me about some past events.” She didn’t mention the money, as Qichi had instructed her to keep it confidential since it was for a good cause.

Fu Ting sat down on the horizontal wooden bench where Qichi had previously rested, unsheathing his waist sword and playing with it, pressing the scabbard open with his thumb and then snapping it back.

Cao Yulin watched him, thinking he was merely passing the time while waiting for his sister-in-law to rest. Despite following Fu Ting as long as Luo Xiaoyi, this is the first time she has seen him show such patience outside of military matters.

Soon, Xinlu came to report that the medicine was ready. Fu Ting stood up, re-sheathing his sword at his waist, and entered through the small door behind the counter.

Qichi had taken a light nap. The small room only allowed light through the door, causing her to sleep poorly and wake up quickly. She felt someone enter and looked up to see a man’s silhouette holding a bowl of medicine.

Fu Ting approached and handed the bowl to her. “Drink it.”

The strong smell of the medicine immediately reached Qichi, making her frown. Noticing this, he remembered that she disliked bitterness.

He pushed the bowl closer to her lips. “You must drink it, even if it’s bitter.”

Qichi leaned back, her gaze as sharp as a blade, recalling the times he had force-fed her medicine. She reached for the bowl, saying, “I’ll do it myself, so you won’t have to be forceful again.”

Fu Ting almost laughed, but seeing her frail state, he worried she couldn’t hold the bowl steady and didn’t let go. “Just drink it like this.”

Qichi looked at him again, then reached out, touching his hand that held the bowl. His fingers remained firm and unmoving. Silently muttering him as stubborn as a rock, she held his hand and the bowl together, lowered her head, and drank the medicine slowly.

Fu Ting watched her finish the last sip, feeling warmth where her hand had touched his. He glanced at her face and said, “Rest a bit longer.”

He turned to leave, but Qichi suddenly stood up.

“I’ve rested enough,” she said, swaying slightly and leaning against him.

This wasn’t intentional. She hadn’t expected to feel dizzy after sitting so long. For a moment, she leaned into him, her shoulder pressed against his chest. Her head resting gently. “I’m sick,” she whispered, making it natural to lean on him.

Fu Ting's face was above her, and she couldn't see it either. She only felt that his chin was resting against the corner of her forehead, he must have been looking down at her. 

There was a sudden tightness on her waist, it was the man's hand that buckled her in place. Qichi was stunned, but then he buckled her even tighter. Fu Ting’s arm was wrapped around her with his palm pressed tightly behind her waist, almost touching her upper arse. She wasn’t expecting this and was momentarily stunned.

Holding her close, Fu Ting lowered his voice. “Do you want to get sicker?”

His voice was so close to her ear, it made Qichi’s heart race. She lifted her face, trying to see him in the dim light but couldn’t make out his features. She wanted to ask how this could make her sicker.

Footsteps approached from outside, and soon, Li Yan’s soft voice came from the doorway. “Aunt, are you feeling better? May I come in?”

Qichi heard the voice and tried to push Fu Ting away. He didn’t let go. She pushed again.

“Aunt?” Li Yan, thinking she might be asleep, lowered his voice further.

“What’s the matter?”

Fu Ting finally released her, not wanting to worsen her condition.

Hearing Fu Ting’s voice, Li Yan spoke louder. “Uncle Xiaoyi sent me to ask how Aunt is doing and when we can leave.”

Fu Ting looked at Qichi. “Are you going to rest more or not?”

Qichi smoothed her clothes, shook her head slightly. She glanced at him and pursed her lips, then walked out.

Fu Ting watched, feeling as if he had bullied her somehow. Outside, Li Yan was waiting by the door. Cao Yulin sat behind  the counter. He didn’t know her, so he had nothing to say and stood by the door.

Qichi adjusted her cloak and sat on the bench. Cao Yulin stood up and observed Qichi’s face, noticing her flush had lessened but seemed deeper. “Sister-in-law, if you’re still unwell, you should rest here a bit longer. Third Brother has been waiting anyway.”

Qichi turned her head, just in time to see Fu Ting stride out from behind the small door, his gaze briefly meeting hers before turning to Cao Yulin. “No more resting.”

With that, he headed out the door. Those outside, having received their orders, busied themselves with preparations.

Qichi looked at Li Yan at the door, surprised that Luo Xiaoyi had sent him. Normally, Luo Xiaoyi handled things himself.

As they prepared to leave, Li Yan came over to support her, but she waved him off and stood up herself, momentarily swaying and recalling what Fu Ting had done in the room.

She smoothed her cloak where his hand had been and steadied herself before walking. Cao Yulin came to see her off, stopping at the door. Following close behind, she whispered, “I remember everything you told me, Sister-in-law. I’ll find you when I get the chance.”

Qichi nodded and left. Fu Ting stood by his horse, watching her approach. Their eyes met, and he mounted his horse as she looked on.

She noticed Luo Xiaoyi in the distance, waiting on his horse. She turned to Li Yan and asked softly, “What’s going on with him?”

Li Yan, following her gaze, looked at Luo Xiaoyi. “Aunt, are you asking about Uncle Xiaoyi?”

He hesitated, then leaned closer to Qichi and whispered. While she had been sleeping, Li Yan overheard some of the guards gossiping. They said Luo Xiaoyi had once pursued the woman in black inside relentlessly. But after being given a cold shoulder, he never approached her again.

Li Yan, not one to gossip, didn’t fully understand why being given a cold shoulder led to such a change. He simply repeated what he had heard to his aunt.

Qichi, surprised, remembered Cao Yulin mentioning that she called Fu Ting ‘Third Brother’ like Luo Xiaoyi did. She hadn’t expected the talkative Luo Xiaoyi to have such a story. Glancing back at the tavern, she boarded the carriage slowly.

Fu Ting rode over, staying close to the carriage. He had heard her and Li Yan whispering and glanced at the window and then at Luo Xiaoyi in the distance.

The carriage started moving. Luo Xiaoyi rode up, joking as usual, “Third Brother, Sister-in-law seems much better after some rest, right?”

Fu Ting glanced at him and muttered, “Coward.”

Luo Xiaoyi shut his mouth and turned his horse aside.