#You all know who it is

[thepalaceofmelanie]

Martell Week, Day 7: Favorite Martell

Tag: @adriennegabriella @wingsoftheangels @morby @candycanes19 @tashastrange89

(A/N: Honestly, to certain people reading this, it shouldn’t surprise you. Not one bit and you know why! Grab yourself some passion fruit tea and enjoy! This is inspired by a modern day AU oneshot I’m still writing, and failed to get out before Martell week. We came full circle, started with an AU, ended with it. Not sure if it’s in the same universe, but it’s up to you all! Thank you again to @martellspear for hosting this awesome event.)

Day 7: Favorite Martell

Daenerys and Ellaria had left on their respective business trips, leaving me in charge of Oberyn. Some days I wonder how we make all of this work. Daenerys being assertive, Ellaria being sensual, Oberyn being the life of the party..and me, the introvert.

“Apologize my love, for being late! The weather is being horrible outside.” Oberyn’s voice rang out.

The power was out, I had candles lit in the living room. The wind was blowing hard; Oberyn’s outfit had rain marks on it; I got up from the couch and grabbed the pizza box. Oberyn went to his room to change; I placed the box down and two plates on the table and wait for him to come back.

“How are you today?” I asked.

The sound of his footstep coming downstairs echoed in the hallway. A rumble of thunder added to the mix, I could see Oberyn now make his way into the room. I handed him his plate and he sat next to me. I felt my head touch his shoulder.

“I’m fine, how about you?” He answered.

“It’s been quiet. I had the day off and you had work, the other two are away on business.” I replied.

I grabbed my phone and went to find something for us to watch. I don’t mind talking but we’re also eating. We settle on “The Good Place”, it’s been a while since we were able to watch it together. Just some days our schedules don’t match; you either live by the calendar or die by the calendar.

“When was the last time we were together like this?”

“Um...two weeks, maybe three?”

It’s been a while to the point, I couldn’t remember. Oberyn sighed, and I knew he was feeling a bit bad about it.

“Hey, it’s okay. It happens, I’m happy we’re spending time at all than none at all.”

“I know, I know. I’m just trying my best for you three. You three are worth my time, I promise. You three are important.”

I smiled at that, Oberyn...sure can be a bit of a playboy at times, but he’s a sweet and good man. I truly do care about him, I do my best to help him when he is hard on himself. Ever since a certain event happened, his heart has been broken. The three of us are doing our best to help when he needs it or asks for it.

Oberyn laughed at the episode and I could hear the storm was getting worse. Oberyn pulled me closer to him; I’m not scared of storms, but this was kinda romantic; just us and we’re safe inside, I hope.

“Thank you.” I hear him say.

“For what?” I asked.

“Taking care of me, usually isn’t it the guy’s job to take care of his lover?”

“No, we take care of each other. Like a wolf pack. Kinda like our little family. We have a dragon, a sand, a viper and a wolf. Oberyn, remember to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. It’s not fair if you tell me to make sure, if you’re not doing it.”

I did have a point on it. Me and him, we’re two sides of the same coin at times. When it comes to taking care of things, we put everything ahead of us. I feel his hand squeeze mine.

“You’re right.”

“Of course I am! I’m the INFJ of our group.”

The two of us busted out laughing. I feel Oberyn’s lips on mine for a quick second. Sometimes I don’t feel worthy of these three, but I’m happy they picked me and I’m happy I picked them.

As for Oberyn, I’m just glad he’s grown over the years.

“I have vacation next week, I was thinking if you can get a moment from the book tour, we could go do something together for the week. I mean Ellaria and Daenerys are going to be gone till late next week.” Oberyn sugested.

A vacation… That sounds great.

[azvhaalk]

glorious evolution

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Knowledge Revenge.

[inkskinned]

you said you were stuck in a time loop, which was fine. i feel like late-stage capitalism has us all in a time loop, ammiright? you came barging in at 5:33. in the morning. i hadn't even processed the idea of coffee.

but you had this look of utter panic in your eyes. terror like the ocean. you grabbed my cheeks. im in a time loop.

i don't know why in movies the first reaction is to deny it. when someone is panicking like that, it's not appropriate to ask them to calm down. it didn't matter if i believed it, what mattered was that you believed it so much that it was consuming you.

so here we are. i pour you some of the dark roast. "you look like utter and entire hell," i say.

you push your fingers into your eyes. "you always say that."

i try to think of something funny to say that i wouldn't have said on previous time loops, but jokes don't land without the proper timing (lol). "remind me to think -"

"-yeah, of a joke that only works in the future. and before you say anything, i know you're pissed i just stole your punchline." you bolt the coffee, which is wild. it's very hot. you don't seem to notice.

i blow on mine to cool it down. i both am very pissed at you and also i can't see you in this amount of panic without wanting to help. but i'm also not really sure what we are, not since i saw you kiss her like that, no offense. it just was like, kind of rude when you knew i liked you.

and besides. i'm just like, barely a person. i write omegaverse fanfiction. i love the concept of a time loop, but what the fuck am i gonna do? send an alpha in there? i open my mouth.

you point at me. "you're about to ask why me. and then say some disparaging shit about yourself. i'm just a nerd who plays dnd or something. that self-own is slightly different each time." you sigh. "i know you think you can't really help me. i don't know who can help me. i only came to you because you fucking believe me." you check your watch, sigh, and throw your head back. you cover your eyes with one hand. "i've come here on 26 separate revolutions," you say. "you have believed me every time. and yeah, i have no idea how you fit into this but i just -" you sigh again. "i just like fucking talking to someone about it."

"do you need more cof-" i start, but you're already holding the empty cup out. i frown at it. "you're not getting any more until you promise not to bolt this one like an animal."

you laugh a little and sit up, pushing your hair out of your face. "okay, that's new dialogue. but to be fair to you, i'm not usually this rude. i'm still pretty new at all of this." you check your watch again. another sigh. i guess you're cruising for a personal best in the Sigh Olympics.

i almost tell you im not an NPC but i've played enough video games to know i'm very much an NPC. i pour you another cup. "so what happens in the loop?"

"really bad explosion." you mutter into the mug. you put your elbows on the table (rude) and bury your face in your arms like an angsty teenager. one hand floats up while you talk, because evidently you literally can't talk without your hands. "i have to save the day and there's this bomb and i have no bomb training and it keeps moving, you know."

"do i die?"

you peek up from your arms. "yeah. bigtime. you keep trying to run or stay or do anything and you always super die."

"oh."

"to be fair, like, everyone dies in it though.... so you're in good company."

i hate that you make me laugh. i hate that being around you always feels tingly and strange, this electric tension between us. something that is evidently (given how you stuck your tongue down a stranger's throat literally 3 days ago) (well. 3 for me) super one-sided. i take a sip of my coffee and close my eyes.

i die today, i guess. a little spark of panic starts at the top of my hands and starts whipping up my wrists.

"shit," you say. you look at your watch and jump to your feet. "i have to go. if i can come back, i will. i am still trying to figure out when is best to do everything, you know? the order of stuff. maybe morning isn't good for us."

i look up at you and think about how you keep kissing me in the back of my car and in alleyways and in the dark. and i can never fucking get a read on you. and i also think about how incredibly panicked you look. how broken. how long have you been doing this? "i don't want to die," i say.

you glance downwards. "well, you're not really dead, you'll come back in the loop."

"but i will have died." my hands are shaking. i am trying really hard to stay calm.

you push your hands through your hair again. "i really have to go. i will have this discussion with the next version of you, though. it is like, something i am thinking about."

"but i don't get a next version," i say. i don't really have the language for this, because i haven't had 26 tries with you. i only have my memories: you, a week ago. drunk and telling me you loved me in my ear. you, kissing her anyway. you, months ago, throwing up on my birthday, whispering to me i ruin everything i touch, always, over and over. please don't ask. i can't ever fucking have that be you.

i run my finger along the rim of the mug. "i don't want to die in this one."

you seem baffled by this. "i get that but - time will reset, you'll be fine, you won't even remember we talked about this."

"but i know now." i stand up too. "i have to live the rest of this day knowing i could die. knowing i probably am going to."

"you could always die, to be fair."

i feel my hands get out of control. "earlier, you said i always say a different insult about myself. what if you're just going through different parallel universes and those are all just different - but real - versions of myself? what if you're not in a time loop, you're in a fucking universe loop?"

"if it helps, i've wondered this too. also, you're hot in all of them. if that helps."

i point at you. "no flirting. i'm trying to figure out if i die today."

"who's flirting?" you catch my wild hands and give me that long, perfect smile. like we're in this together. "i won't let ya die." you check your watch and sigh again. "well. maybe not this time."

i grit my teeth. you are so not making quips at me while i try to explain the existential dread i'm having. "does the time loop reset if i fucking kill you?"

"honestly i don't know how long it continues after i die, because i just wake up. it could be that the loop goes until the explosion for everyone, and we're all in the loop, or it could be that when i die, the loop restarts. when i die i wake up, is all."

i pull away from you and stalk into the kitchen and start doing all 3 of my dishes. "okay, first, you know i was joking. and secondly, this is exactly my point. you don't know if this is just a parallel universe. maybe in the ones where you died, the explosion happened and nobody reset and it's just you travelling." i have to stop and push the heel of my palm into my eyeball. "... how often have you died?"

i look at you. you look at me. you give me this very sad, halfway smile and a little what can ya do shrug. something in that action seems so old and weary that i want to burst into tears.

"i have to go," you say. "really. for real. there's this family of five i save from getting into a car crash. and i know it's like oh but we're all gonna die in the explosion anyway, what's the point. and..." you shrug again. "it matters to me, is all. at least i saved them for now. at least i saved anything."

you pad over to me and wrap me in a tight hug. you always seem so tall against me. i feel your cheek rest against the top of my head for a moment. for a second, it's just us, and the space is warm, and my heart is a little broken hare.

you leave me there, and i stand in my stupid badly lit kitchen with my stupid mugs. i think about you. i start texting my mom that she needs to get out of the city, but it feels pointless.

i don't know what to do. tomorrow is the same day for you. but i have to prepare to die in my today.

[lazylittledragon]

can't believe we're all adults being forced into the club penguin level of censorship in 2024

[zytes]

this manatee looks like it’s in a skyrim loading screen

[frownyalfred]

actually the idea that Dick, the eldest, the only one who ever wore the cowl long term, the only one who raised a Robin on his own, is also the only one who can successfully, perfectly replicate that barked ROBIN! in Bruce's voice? the only one who can pull that exact tone from the depths of his soul, to the point where his voice is identical, so identical that old Robins like Jason are obeying before their minds even realize their bodies are moving? that Dick is the only one, has always been the only one, who can channel Bruce's voice? can channel Batman himself? I am going feral

[doyouknowthisdragartist]

"what's the appeal of drag kings" because women are my favorite guy next question

[hinamie]

mentor

[hoedameron]

I cannot escape that man

[artkaninchenbau]

Crocodile finds a strange stray cat an 11-year old Nico Robin (AU where they met 13 years earlier. Robin's been on the run from the World Government for 3 years. Crocodile's 27 and has not set up base in Alabasta yet)

It seems like I have become possessed. By some sort of demon.

Bonus:

[ozumii-fucking-wizard]

Oh, my foolish wizard...lean your weight on me.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Penelope's final gambit, you will always be famous, no matter the subtext.

[keferon]

Don’t mind me I just like to see him go bananas about cartoonish Autobot rules

Maaan…..if Prowl was in tfp he would spontaneously combust at least once a day