#good thing he brought yara i guess

[supermarine-silvally]

Could I pretty pretty please ask for 💗 for my beloved Portada, Hadley love? 💜

Here you go, my dear Dolly!! <3 tysm for the request; it got long af but I always underestimate how much I enjoy writing Ace Angst heheh

No direct spoilers, but written in such a way that anyone who Knows can read between the lines lol hope you enjoy!! <3

💗 slow kiss / gentle kiss / inevitable / soft

Ace hated Loguetown. 

It wasn’t the shops; those were objectively fine. Maybe a bit pricey at times, but there were enough of them around that he could easily take his business elsewhere if he felt he was getting a raw deal. Nor was it the pubs (well, save for one notable exception), nor the tourists, nor even the occasional increased presence of Marines. No, what he hated about Loguetown was that he couldn’t exactly tell anyone that he hated Loguetown. 

Because that would always lead to the follow-up question he really didn’t want to answer: Why?

And sure, he could lie, and blame it on pricey shops or low-quality pubs or loud, annoying tourists or having to outrun a determined Marine captain once in a while. But anyone who knew Ace knew that he didn’t have a problem with any of those things on any other island they ever visited. Which would lead him back to the infernal question of why. Why Loguetown? What could possibly be there that turned an otherwise cheerful, fun-loving guy into a broody, angry young man?

There were three people in the entirety of Whitebeard’s fleet who knew Ace’s secret. The first to find out was Deuce, his vice-captain from his Spade Pirates days and who now served on Whitebeard’s massive medical division. The masked man had learned of it back when the two had found themselves stranded on Sixis Island at the same time. Ace hadn’t admitted it so much as Deuce had sort of managed to guess it. His initial negative reaction had been what Ace always feared, but Deuce had fortunately come around shortly before luck would bestow them with the Mera Mera no Mi, and Ace had gained the powers he would become infamous for.

The second who knew was Whitebeard. What sort of ‘son’ would Ace be if he kept such a massive secret from the man he called Pops? Ace had feared the worst when the words left his lips, but Whitebeard had merely chuckled in response. “We are all children of the sea,” he had said, and Ace had felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders, if only for a moment.

And the third, of course, was Yara. His Yara; Yara who had shared her secret in turn, removing her eyepatch to reveal the most beautiful heterochromatic eyes he had ever seen-- and boy, did he want to punch anyone who had ever made her feel otherwise. He could have kissed her that night, underneath the stars, but it would take him much, much longer before he finally surrendered to a love he had no chance of ever winning against. As far as Ace was concerned, those were the three people who would ever get to know. Even his other closest friends would have to be kept in the dark. It was better that way. 

All of those things floated around Ace’s mind as he returned to the small ship Whitebeard had ordered him to take for his mission. It was a simple enough task; all he had to do was meet with a supplier who had promised the Whitebeard Pirates a new supply line running from the East Blue into the Grand Line. Fairly standard pirate stuff, especially for an Emperor’s crew. Usually it would be something that First Division would handle, but Marco was away dealing with a distress call from an allied fleet who had encountered an unknown illness and required the support of a skilled doctor. So Ace, as Second Division Commander, gladly stepped up to the plate. 

Until he heard that the site of his mission was fucking Loguetown. And by then, it was too late to back out. 

So he had gone to Loguetown with his men, and he had hated every second of it, determinedly keeping his eyes on anything but the town square and the ghastly tourist attraction located there. He had done his best to keep up with the jokes and the good humour that he was known for, but by the end of the day, he was exhausted and absolutely determined to go somewhere he wouldn’t be reminded of that man. The navigators, however, had decided against trying to tackle Reverse Mountain in the dark, meaning that he had to wait until daybreak before he could finally be out of there. It was such a pain. 

The port they were anchored in was fortunately far enough from the main town that Ace at least wasn’t confronted with too many reminders of the answer as to why he hated Loguetown so much. He could try his best to forget about it for a few hours, at least. 

Or that’s what he hoped, anyways.

Sighing, he leaned against the edge of the anchored ship, staring out at the open ocean, the tiny glints of stars reflecting off the water’s calm surface. Everyone he had met in town had been so pleasant. He thought of the old lady who had given him a discount on three bags of rice to take on their journey back to the Grand Line because he was just ‘such a nice young man.’ Would she still say the same thing if she knew about the blood that flowed through his veins? 

Do I deserve to be alive?

Ace had asked himself that question many times before. It was only fitting it would return to the forefront of his mind in this place, of all places. And it was all the fault of that man. 

“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” a familiar voice spoke.

Ace sighed again. “Am I really that obvious?”

“To me, you are.” Yara perched herself on the gunwale. She was wearing the new sundress that she had purchased for herself back in town, her long violet hair swept over her shoulder in a loose ponytail. “I should’ve insisted Pops find someone else for this mission. It wasn’t fair to send you.”

“Eh, I can cope.” He tried to shrug it off. “And besides, you look gorgeous in that dress, so it was worth it in the end.”

Yara frowned. She clearly wasn’t buying it. “Alright, now tell me how you really feel.”

“I said I’m--”

“Ace. Please. Don’t bullshit me.”

He let out a heavy sigh, his gaze resting on a buoy that bobbed a few metres away from their ship. “I hate it here. Everywhere I looked, it was like he was tormenting me from beyond the grave. Him and his damn legacy.” 

The look in Yara’s eyes was sympathetic as she reached out, smoothing a strand of raven hair behind his ear. She kept silent, allowing him to continue rambling.

“I know it’s bad to say, but I wish I could torch this whole place to the ground. Then maybe the world could move on.” Maybe I could finally find a shred of peace from it all. 

“You know the World Government would never let that happen, Loguetown or no Loguetown.” She laughed bitterly. “They certainly love their bogeymen.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “I know. It’s never gonna end. I’m just… cursed forever, doomed for the entire world to hate me because of him and his stupid treasure. Maybe there’s no way out, except…”

Yara gently tilted his head, bringing their eyes to meet. “Now you listen to me, Portgas D. Ace.” She cupped her hands around his face, thumbs brushing tenderly against his freckled cheeks. “You are not your father. None of his deeds are your deeds. None of his sins are your sins. Anyone who can’t see that is an idiot of the highest order, blinded by World Government propaganda or their own ignorant grudges.”

Ace blinked, feeling the conviction behind her words. Yara leaned closer to him, her breath ghosting against his face as she pressed her forehead to his. Ace’s arms wrapped protectively around her waist, his fingers tracing the zipper at the back of her dress.

“You are the most wonderful man in the world, and the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she whispered, her lips hovering only centimetres away from his. “Fuck your father. Fuck Loguetown. Fuck the world. You deserve to be alive, and you deserve to be loved.”

He swallowed, emotion gathering as a hot lump in his throat. “Yara…”

She pressed her lips to his with such adamant tenderness that it stole the air from his lungs. He kissed her back with the devotion of a prayer whispered in an empty cathedral, the softness between them melding together in slow, careful movements. Ace’s tension ebbed away, leaving him with the sensation of floating among a sea of stars, anchored to Earth only by the honeyed taste of Yara’s lips. 

“I love you,” she breathed as she pulled away ever so slightly, fingers stroking the side of his face. “Never forget that.” 

“You really don’t think he was a monster, huh?” he whispered.

She shook her head. “The biggest monsters in my life have all carried the World Government’s flag. I can’t see how a man who opposed that could be so evil.”

Ace stared at her for a moment before letting out a small laugh. “I can’t wait to introduce you to Luffy. I have a feeling the two of you are gonna get along great.”

Yara smiled as she slid down from the gunwale. “I’m very much looking forward to meeting your brother someday.”

“Just to warn you, he’s a handful.”

“So are you, my dearest fireboy.”

Pulling her close, Ace pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “…Thank you, Yara. I shouldn’t think too much about my old man; not when I have the perfect family right here. You, Luffy, Pops… You’re everything I could ever want.” Everything I never dreamed I could have.

“C’mon.” She offered him a hand, and he took it. “Let’s get some rest before we depart.”

Nodding in agreement, Ace allowed her to lead him towards the captain’s quarters. Soon, Loguetown would be behind him. And while he could never truly escape his bloodline, he could at least take solace in those who loved him despite it.

One Piece OC friends taglist: @auxiliarydetective @oneirataxia-girl @daughter-of-melpomene @box-of-bats @starcrossedjedis

[karlursoart77]

The best 3$ at good will I would of maybe got a 4th book of a guy my mom brought me to see and met at church that would dollar but I needed to leave something in there for the rent to clear my worker now is encouraging me to where a mask becuse now there are serval people out of the office due to covid but I bought poetry books and a book by pablo coelho I allmost to get a copy of the book that was there called the sun is also a star that featured pictures the move with yara shahidi there also a book I would maybe oringally got by a guy named Jefferson Bakre or something like that but I let them go for now becuse I shure I can find them on my wish list or somewhere esle my mental worker is getting on case about my spending becuse useually blow thpugh it after my needs are met and some people should learn to save some for thing and ect most it was compliant coming from me possibly not having money to get together around the holidays to go to the chinese buffet and or diner but yeah making question if is just trying to coming for the control of my money becuse they how I been operating the year or so yet some of the money was spent on me being indecent and ect and they still want to complain after they have to me they want to teach me and kind of nugde me in the derection I was told also I have two options today as far as therepy I can meet with female one that I have or go to another destination and ect where a male one but have a whole another team case manager doctor and ect and start completely over again with people dont and ect this maybe risking going back words becuse of bs getting to know someone over it's like want to stay with in the same bs or go some new and be up in the air but I wanted to ask my mom about that but a bit a stress ride back I did stop in insted at spiecal state gas pump so my worker could get gas but he did frusstight and make me concerned but maybe going with some things becuse trying find make reasons out of ridiculous of things I mean I am allways going to have to be with a mental health program but that's blessing and cruse guess depending my worker did say how ever that he feels I wasnt reckless and ect

[watchmegetobsessed]

TO LOVE AND BE LOVED - Part Two (Harry Styles)

a/n: you guys thank you so much for all the love you’ve showed part one!! 🥺 im so happy you like the story! i wanted to post part two a little later, in the weekend but i got so happy for all the reactions that i decided to move it earlier so here it is! i’ll try to update soon, the longest it will take is one week probably. im working on my thesis and have a lot of school work so please be patient with me! feedback is very much welcomed, as always, your reactions and comments mean so much to me!!

pairing: CEO!Dad!Harry X Reader

warning: mentions of death, cheating and divorce

word count: 10.4k

SERIES MASTERPOST masterlist

Pulling Izzy out of daycare dramatically lessened the amount of time she could spend with her friends, so the situation needs extra attention on her socializing. You’ve been trying to take her to the park as much as possible so she could meet with kids her age and Harry has been arranging a lot of playdates for her with her friends from daycare.

When you come back from meeting your brother for lunch on a Sunday, you are greeted with not two, but eight little feet running around the living room, many of Izzy’s toys have been brought downstairs and the coffee table is filled with fruits, snacks and drinks for the kids. You know the two little guests, it’s Yara and Zac, the three of them were like a little gang back when Izzy was attending daycare. Yara’s moms and Zac’s mom are sitting on the terrace, letting the kids roam around freely, Harry is in the kitchen preparing some sandwiches for the guests when you arrive back.

“Hi, do you need help with anything?” you ask, catching his attention.

“Oh, hi! No I’m fine, thank you. How was lunch with your brother?”

“Great,” you smile at him before leaving him to do whatever he has to do.

“Miss Y/N!” Yara greets you, waving in your way while munching on an apple slice.

“Hello Yara, Zac,” you smile at them before walking out to the terrace to greet the parents. “Hi! Ava, Saige, it’s nice to see you again. And Linda, hello!”

“Y/N, hi! Harry told us you might return soon, so good to see you!” Ava greets you as you join them at the table. They’ve been the nicest parents while you were working at the daycare, though you weren’t the only victim of the closed-minded cowards that got you fired. Ava and Saige have faced quite a lot of backlash for basically daring to be a same-sex couple out in the open. You’ve heard many complaints from other parents about how they don’t want them to pick up their daughter together. Apparently, it’s confusing for the kids to see two women to be the mothers of the same child. Ridiculous.

“I was out having lunch with my brother. How have you been?”

“Things are the same, you know,” Saige shrugs with a scowl. “But your firing has got us thinking about pulling Yara out as well.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah, it’s starting to get really ridiculous. I mean it’s one thing that we get weird looks, but firing you was kind of the last straw,” Ava nods.

“And how have you been here, Y/N? How is working for Harry?” Linda asks.

“Oh, it’s amazing, really. I love taking care of Izzy, she is so easy to handle and I love seeing her learn and grow. And Harry is a great boss, I got really lucky.”

“Lucky indeed!” Ava smirks, making them all laugh as you feel yourself blushing. “Even I sometimes dream about the man,” she adds, keeping her tone down.

“How do you keep your cool?” Linda sighs. “If I had to live with this man, I would go nuts.”

“Well, Izzy keeps me pretty busy, and he is my boss, so…”

“It’s not like HR would be up your ass if you got involved,” Saige shrugs, taking a sip from her iced tea.

You don’t get to react, the kids run out, taking over the playground, Harry arriving right behind them with a plate filled with sandwiches for the guests.

“Ladies, sorry for the wait,” he smiles, placing the food to the table as he joins your little circle.

“Oh Harry, thank you so much!” Ava sighs, grabbing one already. “We were just talking to Y/N about how big of an upgrade it is for her to work here.”

“Is it?” he asks, slightly surprised as he glances over at you.

“I mean, the paycheck is better and it’s clearly a better environment,” you chuckle shrugging.

“I just don’t know why Claire lets those assholes control the place. She is the boss there, she should stand up against them,” Linda scowls.

“She is just trying to avoid confrontation.”

“No, she is afraid they would stop paying the daycare the money, so she is an ass-kisser,” Saige scoffs, making you laugh.

“Well, at least I have Y/N now to take good care of Izzy,” Harry smiles, his eyes meeting yours and you swear your heart skips a beat when he says that he has you.

“Lucky bastard!” Ava throws her hands into the air, making everyone laugh.

Enjoying the company, you stay outside instead of locking yourself up in your room. It’s nice to see the moms occasionally pick on Harry, they surely like to joke about him being a hot single dad, but he usually just blushes and smiles at the compliments. Linda and Zac leave first, then Ava, Saige and Yara head home as well when it’s nearing five in the afternoon. Though Harry tells you to just leave the cleanup for him, you insist on helping.

“Now I feel bad you are working on your day off,” he huffs as you help him around in the kitchen.

“It’s not working,” you roll your eyes. “I live here too, of course I’m gonna help keeping it clean.”

“You know, if your brother ever wants to come over, feel free to invite him.”

“Might take your word, because he is very curious about the place,” you chuckle. Harry smiles as he starts washing the dishes.

“He is welcomed anytime.”

“Thank you.” Putting away the snacks that was left you start drying the dishes while he is washing them, working next to each other in silence. Unlike his usual attire, he is now wearing just a plain white t-shirt with light-washed jeans. “You’re quite the moms’ favorite,” you tease him, earning a soft chuckle from him.

“Saige and Ava like to pull my leg, but I know they mean well.”

“They are great people, I always liked them,” you smile glancing at him.

“I remember when I first met them at a parents’ meeting, they spotted how lost I was among all the moms and asked if I wanted to sit with them. Then Izzy became friends with Yara so we met quite a few times.”

“I find it a little funny we never met while I was working at the daycare. Izzy was in my group for almost a year and we just never ran into each other.”

Harry licks his lips before turning his gaze to you, finishing up the dishes and turning the water off.

“I saw you.” Your eyebrows shoot up. How did you not see him?

“Really?”

“Yeah, just a few times. Mostly it was Ruth who picked up Izzy these past few months. I had a huge project that ended just before you started here, so I didn’t have the chance to pick her up that much. But I saw you a few times. You were just always busy with the kids, I guess… you didn’t notice me,” he shrugs, holding his arms on his chest as he leans against the counter.

“It could get pretty intense sometimes even though it was just a daycare,” you chuckle, remembering to all the tantrums and fussy dramas that happened between the kids. Sometimes it felt more like a high school than a daycare, especially when friends were taken and lovestories happened through lunchtimes.

“Daddy! What are we having for dinner?” Izzy runs into the kitchen, tippy-tapping her hands on the counter that she can barely reach.

“Macaroni and cheese.”

“Yes! Maccy cheese!” Izzy cheers throwing her hands into the air. Harry smiles down at her, ruffling her hair and you can’t push down a smile at what she just called mac and cheese.

Harry starts prepping for dinner, he puts on some music that Izzy dances to and though you try to leave them be and enjoy their alone time, Izzy insists you stay and help as well.

“Izzy, let Y/N do what she wants, this is her day off,” Harry warns her, making her pout her lips at you. Not that you would have said no to her, but now you definitely can’t leave.

“It’s alright. I’m happy to help.”

Izzy sits on the counter in a safe distance from the stove, her duty is to watch the pasta cook while Harry takes care of the sauce and you set the table, knowing it won’t take long for the food to be ready.

“Daddy?” Izzy speaks up, tilting her head to the side.

“Yes, baby?”

“I love Maccy cheese. Does mom like it too?”

Harry’s eyes flicker over to you, as if he is embarrassed you caught a moment that shouldn’t have been revealed and you can tell he is still kind of torn how to handle the mentioning of his late wife. You keep a straight face, making yourself busy with cleaning off the counter top. You wouldn’t want to make him think he can’t talk about Maggie in your presence.

“Um, yeah. Mommy loves mac and cheese,” he nods, giving her knees a little squeeze before moving her off the counter to take care of the pasta.

Your eyes meet Harry’s gaze when you bring some water to the table and you can tell he is still thinking about the slip you just heard, but you give him a soft smile, trying your best to assure him nothing bad happened.

Izzy babbles through dinner about everything she did with Yara and Zac today, excited to see them as soon as possible and Harry promises her to arrange a meeting for them in the park sometime next week. You try to help with cleaning up, but Harry doesn’t let you, so pouring yourself a nice glass of wine you sit in the living room to watch some TV before going to bed. After dinner, Harry takes Izzy upstairs to give her a bath and once that’s done she is allowed to play some more in her room.

Harry joins you soon on the couch with a glass of wine as well, seemingly tired from all the socializing he did. Peeking at him while the evening news is playing on the screen, you notice that he is not even paying attention, deep in his thoughts he is pulling on his bottom lip like he always does whenever he is deep in focus. You have a guess what he is thinking about, but you want to give him the time and space to figure out if he is ready to share or not.

“I, uhh—I never really told you why it’s just Izzy and I,” he speaks up and you turn to him with patience, knowing the importance of him bringing it up. “My wife… Maggie, she… We got married about six years ago and then two years later we had Izzy. She was six months old when Maggie…”

He is struggling to find the words, or to just even think about it and you don’t want him to feel like he has to tell you about any of it.

“Harry, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to. I always feel bad that I don’t talk about her, makes it look like I’m trying to forget about her, but that’s not at all the case, it’s just… hard to think about how long it’s been and I still feel like it was just… last week.”

Harry sniffles and you’re not sure if it’s because he is getting emotional to the point where he is going to start crying or it’s nothing significant, but you feel the urge to assure him about your support. Reaching over you put your hand to his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. His eyes first fall to your hand and then to you, a sense of softness shining back from his green irises as he lets out a shaky breath.

“It was a car accident. She was driving home late night from her sister’s and a drunk driver ran the red light, crashed right into her car. They both were rushed into hospital, but Maggie’s lungs collapsed and she… they couldn’t help her. The guy had surgery and though he broke quite a few bones and had a serious concussion, he survived.”

You have to bite into your bottom lip, already feeling the tears welling in your eyes, but you quickly blink them away. You can only imagine what it’s like to be called and find out your wife was killed because of the dumb mistake of someone else. And to think that Izzy was still so small, Harry was left with a baby and the immense grief so suddenly, it must have been the toughest time he had to go through.

“I’m really sorry, Harry,” you quietly tell him, his eyes flickering up to meet yours and they are glistening from the tears. He just nods, blinking a few times before drinking up his wine.

Before anything else could be said, you hear Izzy running down the stairs, soon throwing herself to the couch, cuddling to Harry’s side.

“Hey baby, want to go to sleep already?” he asks, softly brushing through her hair with his fingers. Izzy nods, blinking sleepily. Harry scoops her into his arms standing up from the couch and he is reaching for his empty glass, but you take it before he could.

“I’ll wash it, don’t worry about it,” you smile at him.

“Thank you,” he breathes out, holding Izzy tight before the two of them disappear upstairs.

You don’t stay out too long yourself either, washing the glasses you let a single tear run down your cheek before quickly wiping it away and heading up to your room.

The past two years you’ve been taking gigs as a photographer more and more, going to weddings, birthday parties, baby showers or anniversaries to snap photos of others’ most precious moments. You are not a professional, nor do you treat yourself as one, but the more events you attended and the more work you put out, the more popular you started to get. Now you have about two bookings every month and you are able to ask for a quite impressive amount of money for a session that people are willing to pay for your pictures.

You’ve been putting off your gigs since you moved into the Styles mansion, wanting to focus on all the changes in your lives, but now that you’ve gotten quite used to your new life one month into it, you are getting back to your usual. This Saturday you’re doing a photoshoot of a soon-to-be-wedded pair who also booked you for their upcoming wedding in a few weeks. It’s kind of an engagement photoshoot since they couldn’t do one when they got engaged months ago, but they didn’t want to miss out on the chance to do one before they official tie the knot.

Harry and Izzy are planning to go to the zoo today, something she’s been begging to do for weeks now and Harry finally gave in, so all three of you are going to be quite busy today. The photoshoot takes place at this fancy, mid-century styled café the couple chose, so you decide to dress up yourself a little too. Putting on a maroon colored pencil skirt that hugs your hips and waist tight, you tuck into it a white silky blouse, making you appear like some kind of eyecandy assistant straight out of a Hollywood movie, especially with your low bun, which is less for the look but more for practicality, since you don’t like it when your hair gets caught in the straps of your camera.

Swinging your camera bag to one shoulder and your handbag to the other one, your camera hanging from your neck, you head downstairs, rushing a little because you’re short on time already. Izzy is sitting on one of the stools at the kitchen island while Harry is packing them some lunch and snacks for the day.

“Oh! Y/N, you look so pretty!” Izzy beams at you when you near the corner. She is dangling her legs playfully, her piggy tails curling adorably on each sides of her head. Harry’s head snaps up and his lips part upon spotting you.

“Thank you, Sunshine,” you smile at her, caressing her cheek, tickling her a little that makes her giggle.

“Where are you going?” she asks curiously.

“Izzy, don’t question her all the time, that’s not too nice,” Harry warns her, but you just shake your head.

“It’s alright. I have a photoshoot today. I have to take pictures of a couple that’s going to get married soon,” you explain to her and Harry’s ears perk up, eyeing the camera that’s hanging from your neck.

“I didn’t know you are a photographer,” Harry hums, closing the cooler.

“Well, I’m not a professional, but I’ve been doing photoshoots here and there.”

“That’s amazing!” he smiles warmly.

“Thanks. Well, I gotta go because I’m running a little late. Have fun at the zoo!” you smile, at them before walking out. You reach the front door but stop for a moment to read the text the bride has sent you letting you know they are running a little late as well. That’s when you hear the conversation between Harry and Izzy coming from the kitchen.

“She looked so pretty!” Izzy sighs. You expect Harry to just hum or ignore her words, but for your surprise, he answers her.

“Yeah, she really does.”

You blush like a teenage girl, feeling your heart fluttering in your chest as you smile, walking out of the house.

The father-daughter duo is still out when you get home later. You make yourself a tea and sit out to the terrace with your computer, starting to edit the photos right away so you can send then over to the couple as soon as possible. They turned out pretty good, you love the colorful vibe the café had and it went well with the pair’s outfits.

You get so into editing that you don’t even notice Harry and Izzy arriving home, just when the sliding door opens and Izzy runs up to you, holding a stuffed animal that appears to be an otter.

“Y/N, look what daddy got me!” she cheers holding up the toy.

“Oh my god, it’s really cute!” You pull her to sit on your lap as she hugs the toy, clearly happy to have a new addition to her already existing army. Harry walks out with a bottle of water and a glass. Joining the two of you at the table, he pours some water for Izzy and makes her drink it.

“We spent an entire hour watching the otters,” he chuckles, brushing Izzy’s hair out of her face as she chugs the water down.

“Can’t blame you, they are really cute,” you chuckle. Izzy puts the empty glass down and hops off your lap before announcing that she is gonna show her new toy around in the backyard before running away from you.

“Are those… the pictures from today?” Harry shyly asks, eyeing your laptop’s screen.

“Oh, yeah. Wanted to get a headstart on editing,” you nod turning it so he can have a better look. “Want to see what I got so far?”

“Of course!” he nods smiling.

You click through the photos you’ve already edited, there are about ten in total and you’re quite satisfied with how they turned out to be.

“Wow, they look… really good, Y/N.”

“Thank you,” you smile blushing a little.

“What events do you usually do?”

“Mostly weddings and engagement shoots, birthdays, these kinds of stuff.”

“It’s really amazing,” he nods smiling.

“I… Hope you won’t be mad but I’ve shot a few pictures of Izzy too these past weeks,” you admit, hoping he won’t get upset for you, doing it without his permission. “I didn’t use them anywhere, I wasn’t planning to, I just thought they were nice moments.”

“Oh, can I see them?”

“Of course!”

Opening up the folder you put her pictures into, you start clicking through the few photos you took of her. There’s one of her during her swimming lesson, laughing happily as she holds onto the edge of the pool, her wet locks sticking to her head. Then there’s one when the two of you were baking cupcakes and she got icing all over her face and tried to lick it off, her tongue sticking out on the picture. There are some of her just roaming around the backyard, exploring the bugs hiding in the grass, some of her napping with her favorite stuffed animals on the couch and then the last one was taken when she was jumping in her bed, you caught her up in the air, the widest smile on her face as she was laughing straight into the camera.

“Y/N, these are… wow. They are all so good, I love them!”

“Really?” Your smile grows wide, happy that he likes them.

“Yeah! Do you think… do you think you can send them to me?”

“Of course! I can get them printed for you, if you’d like. There’s a place where I go to get my photos printed, they make them look like they were taken on an analog, old school camera, I love that little extra touch on the pictures.”

“That would be fantastic,” he smiles, clearly in awe of your work.

You spend the rest of the afternoon editing while Harry and Izzy take over the kitchen as usual. When you’re on your way up to your room with your laptop after you decided to call it a day, you catch them in there, Izzy making Harry dance around with her while they are chopping the veggies. Harry is swaying his lips to the rhythm, humming to the song as Izzy is jumping and twirling around, singing from the top of her lungs. Despite the terrible loss of her mother, there’s no doubt Izzy is having the best possible childhood, getting all the love she deserves from her dad and you feel happy you are here to witness them grow together.

You did not see your parents’ divorce coming, probably because it’s been over six years since you’ve moved out and you only saw them every other week at best. You always tried to come around as often as possible, wanting to spend time with Trevor and of course, them as well, but you had to focus on building your own life. You had to worry about your work, your own living space and not much later you started dating Keith so you were pretty busy to say the least. You weren’t there when things started to go downhill, but Trevor was. He had to suffer through every fight and screaming match they had without any support and you’ve always felt guilty about it, but you couldn’t just move back home. However you’ve always tried to do everything you could to support him through these hard times. He knew he could call you anytime he had enough of the spiteful atmosphere at home and you were quick to come to his rescue.

You were mad at your parents, there’s no need to lie about it. But not because of getting a divorce, you knew better than to expect them to suffer in a marriage they weren’t happy in, but the way they handled has always been just… unacceptable. Especially because in the midst of their anger and hatred towards each other they started to forget that they still had a kid living home who had to listen to everything they threw at each other, things no son should ever hear about his parents, no matter if they were true or not.

Being a teenager in high school is stressful enough as it is, but having to deal with your parents’ nasty divorce is just something no teenager should have to go through. Trevor has been dealing with it for a while now and he is trying his best to just shut them out whenever they are going at it, but sometimes it’s not that easy. That’s when he seeks comfort at you.

It’s a Thursday evening when your parents decide to drive Trevor up the wall with their screaming and fighting again. You’re watching a movie with Izzy and Harry in the entertainment room, working on your laptop simultaneously, confirming some photoshoots for the upcoming weekends. Harry has let Izzy play with his hair while watching the movie, so now she is all over her daddy, decorating his hair with little hairclips and hair ties while the man is just sitting there without a complaint.

Your phone starts buzzing on the couch and Trevor’s photo is flashing on the screen. Putting the laptop aside, you grab your phone and walk out of the room not to disturb them with your call.

“Hey!” you greet him happily, but your stomach immediately drops when you hear him draw a shaky breath on the other end of the line. ��Trev? What’s wrong?”

“Can I please spend the night at yours?” he pleads weakly.

“What happened, are you alright?” you perk up right away.

“It’s just… dad came over this afternoon and they went at it again and now they are doing it over the phone, mom is like really out of her mind right now. I have a math test tomorrow and I don’t think I can sleep here like this. She is still screaming at him over the phone.”

“I’m leaving right now, pack a bag, alright?”

“Thanks,” he breathes out and ends the call. Rushing back into the entertainment room Harry turns to you while Izzy is still busy with his hair.

“Uh, I know it’s really sudden and all, but my brother just called, would it be fine if he spent the night over here?” Even though Harry himself told you it’s fine to have people over, you still feel like you need to ask for his permission, especially if your guest is planning to stay the night.

“Is he alright? Of course he can come over.” Sitting straight up he asks Izzy to sit down a little which she gladly does, turning her attention towards the movie.

“It’s just, um, our parents are having another scream match. They are… They are in the middle of getting a divorce and they are not handling it right,” you let out a bitter chuckle.

“Oh, I’m sorry about that. Do you need me to come with you? You seem very upset, you sure you can drive?”

“No, it’s alright, but thanks. I’m fine. I’ll be back soon with him and thank you so much for letting him stay,” you breathe out. He just nods with a sympathetic smile before you turn around and leave.

Through the drive over to the house where you grew up your anger just grows with each turn you take. You love your parents to death, they raised you in a quite unusual and hard situation, they had to grow up with you when they had you so young, but they always made sure to give you everything you needed. And you know they have the same kind of love towards Trevor, but their hatred for each other is blinding them and they probably don’t even realize how much it affects him, but you are not letting them ruin everything because they fell out of love. Trevor deserves the same kind of supportive and loving environment to grow up in just like the one you had and there’s nothing that could change that.

Pulling up to the driveway you take a deep breath as you march up to the front porch and use your keys to let yourself in. The shouting hits your ears right away, it’s coming from the kitchen, but Trevor is the first one you spot on the top of the stairs. His hood is on and he has a backpack in his hands as he comes down the stairs with a pained and tired face.

“Hey! Left the car open, go get in there, I’ll be out in a minute,” you softly tell him as you give him a quick hug.

“Thanks,” he mumbles before walking out.

Following your mother’s voice to the kitchen you find her with a half empty bottle of wine, cussing your father out through the phone.

“Go and fuck that bitch you went out to have dinner with last weekend! Yes I know about that!” she spats and you wince at her words.

“Mom!” you call out, but she doesn’t even register your voice.

“Fuck you, Fred! Fuck you!” she continues, so you raise your voice a little more.

“Mom!” This time she finally hears it and turning around she looks at you with wide eyes.

“Y/N! What are you doing here? You didn’t say you were coming,” she adds, her voice soft and weak this time, the anger long gone from it.

“I’m here to pick Trevor up. Put dad on speaker, I want to have a word with you two,” you tell her firmly and she gulps hard, nodding as she sets the phone to the counter, putting your dad on speaker.

“Y/N? What’s going on?” you hear him question from the other end of the line.

“I could ask the same thing!” you snap back, fed up with the way they have been acting. They might have lost a good chunk of their youth because they were busy taking care of you after having at just nineteen, but that doesn’t give them the right to act like literal cavemen in front of your brother.

“Trevor called me all upset, begging me to come and get him. What is wrong with you two? You have been at each other’s throats all the damn time, it is not healthy not just for Trevor but to either of you!”

“Y/N, sweetie, there’s just a lot going on—“ your mother tries to explain, but you cut her off.

“I don’t fucking care! Whatever is going on between the two of you, Trevor should be first! No matter what! He needs you both, he needs the support and love, but he is only getting the screaming and fighting. This is not right!”

“It’s a hard situation, you have to be patient with us, Y/N,” your father sighs over the phone and you can’t hold your ironic laughter back.

“Patient? I’ve been patient with you these past about five months since you’ve been literally tearing each other to pieces. Do yourselves and everyone else a favor and just get it over with. Dad, pick up all your stuff and don’t come here for mom’s sake. Mom, don’t snoop around dad’s life, because it’s not your business anymore. Stop being ignorant and maybe start to think about the kid you still have living near you.”

Your words might have been harsh, but it needed to be said. You can tell by your mother’s shocked expression and from the way your dad is dead silent in the call that your message finally hit them in the head and you hope they are willing to get their shit together so Trevor doesn’t lose his mind.

“Trevor is staying with me tonight, we’ll see when he wants to come back, but you better think about what I just told you,” you warn them before walking out and leaving them to think about their actions finally.

Trevor stays silent on the road back to Harry’s and you don’t try to force him to talk, it’s clear he has had enough for today. Arriving back home you park your car next to Harry’s Range Rover and the two of you walk inside in silence.

It’s past Izzy’s bedtime so you’re not surprised to find only Harry in the kitchen when you walk into the house. Harry seems cautious, almost worried as he spots you and Trevor in the hallway.

“Trevor, this is my boss, Harry. Harry, this is my brother, Trevor,” you introduce them to each other quickly. They shake hands with a manly nod.

“Thanks for letting me stay here tonight,” Trevor clears his throat, feeling a little out of place.

“No worries. Feel free to use any of the guest bedrooms,” Harry smiles softly.

“Oh, we’ll be fine sleeping in my room,” you assure him but Harry shakes his head at your words.

“We have plenty of space. Please, use them!”

“Thank you,” Trevor mumbles and you shoot Harry a thankful look before walking your brother upstairs.

You opt for the room next to yours, Help Trevor get comfortable, making sure he has everything he needs for the night.

“Did you get into a fight with mom and dad?” he asks, when you are sitting on the edge of his bed, about to leave him alone.

“I just told them to get their shit together,” you chuckle, giving his leg a squeeze under the covers. He cracks a smile at you, but it’s not as genuine as it should be. “I’ll drive you to school in the morning. My room is right next to this one, come over if you need anything, alright?”

“Thanks,” he mumbles, pulling the covers up to his chin.

“Good night, Trev,”you tell him switching the lights off and walking towards the door.

“Good night, Y/N,” he calls after you before you close the door, letting out a long breath.

As you make your way down to the kitchen you see that Harry is still there, his eyes snap up to you, filled with concern and worry.

“Everything alright?” he asks as you make yourself a tea.

“Yeah, he was just fed up with the constant screaming. I can’t blame him, my mother didn’t even realize I was there until I raised my voice at her.”

“I’m sorry about that. Must be hard dealing with high school and a nasty divorce.”

“It is,” you sigh. “But thank you for letting him stay, really.” “I meant it when I said it’s just as much your home as it is ours. He can come over anytime, don’t worry about that,” he shrugs.

“Thank you. I’ll drive him to school in the morning, but I’ll be back by the time you leave, is that alright?”

“Of course,” he smiles warmly. “You two look a lot alike.”

“We get that a lot,” you chuckle. “It’s the eyes and nose shape, I think. We got those from our mother.”

“People say I look like my sister too, but I don’t really see it, if I’m being honest,” he chuckles lightly.

“Yeah? Why?”

“No idea,” he shakes his head laughing. “I just don’t see it, but I couldn’t tell you really.”

Sipping on your tea you stay in the kitchen with Harry, the light conversation about his sister and eventually his mother eases the stress that has been gripping on your chest from the encounter you had with your parents earlier. You’re not sure if he tried to talk you through it because he saw how much you needed the distraction or if it’s just how he is, but either way, he really helped you to relax.

Cleaning after yourself the two of you head to bed, saying good night to each other before disappearing in your rooms.

“This place is like… really huge,” Trevor sighs in awe when the two of you are eating breakfast together the next morning.

“I told you, it’s a mansion,” you chuckle, digging into your oatmeal. “I’ll show you around next time you’re here.”

“T’was nice of Harry to let me stay,” he hums.

“Mhm, he is a cool boss,” you smile at him.

“And kinda handsome…” Glancing at Trevor you see the sly smirk on his lips and you give him a stern look.

“Stop right there, alright? No funny thoughts!”

“Funny thoughts?” he laughs leaning back in his seat. “I just made a statement that he is a nice looking man, that’s it. Do you not agree?”

“I’m not commenting on the topic,” you diplomatically answer.

“On what topic?” Harry appears from the stairs, making you both turn his way. “Good morning,” he smiles warmly.

“Morning!” Trevor nods his way before he turns back to you, still smirking. You narrow your eyes at him before answering Harry.

“The topic doesn’t matter. Morning, Harry!”

He pours himself some coffee that you brew earlier before joining the two of you at the dining table. He strikes up a conversation with Trevor, asking him about school and his future plans once he graduates and luckily, Trevor is on his best behavior despite the comment he made earlier, he is not trying to put you into an uncomfortable situation. He knows better, because if he upsets you now, he will not be returning to the mansion, that’s for sure.

“Alright, get your stuff, we are leaving in five,” you tell him when both of you are done eating. Nodding he disappears upstairs as you take care of the dishes quickly.

“Is he staying tonight as well?” Harry asks, following you into the kitchen.

“Oh, no. I’m sure mom wants to talk to him after last night, so it’s better if he goes home.”

“Hope things will get easier for him,” he smiles and you return it, thankful that he let him stay here when he really needed a place for himself.

“Thanks for everything, Harry” Trevor smiles at him when he arrives with his backpack.

“Of course, come back soon, but under more peaceful conditions,” he chuckles nodding in his way.

“I’ll be back soon!” you call out before walking out of the house with your brother.

“So how long have you been crushing on your boss?” Trevor asks in the car and your eyes widen as you try to keep the car straight in the lane.

“Excuse you?”

“Come on, Y/N. It’s kinda obvious, you swoon at everything the man says, haven’t seen you this soft since your high school graduation,” he chuckles, finding your reaction quite entertaining, but you’re not enjoying the situation that much.

“I do not have a crush on Harry,” you shake your head laughing, but you can’t ignore the knot in your stomach at your own words. Was this that big of a lie?

“That’s too bad because I think he has a thing for you too,” he shrugs, carelessly staring out the window, like it’s that casual to discuss you and your boss having possible feelings for each other.

“When did you become an expert on these stuff?” you huff, glancing at him shortly before turning back to face the road.

“I’m not an expert, but I’m not blind either. And I saw the way he looked at you.”

“What way?” you scoff.

“Like he is thankful you are walking this Earth.”

“Did you take this from a rom-com on Netflix?” you tease him, but he just shrugs. “Of course he is thankful, I’m helping him with his daughter. It’s not easy being a single parent and I’m helping him immensely. But there’s nothing else behind that.”

“Sure, good luck convincing yourself,” he sighs when you park the car down at his school. “Thanks for the ride and the night too. I’ll call you later.”

Leaning over the console he gives you a quick hug before hopping out of the car and walking towards the main building.

Arriving back home you find Izzy sitting on the couch with a bowl of cereal on her lap, watching her favorite morning cartoon, but no sign of Harry and for a moment you get scared you got back too late, but then you realize he wouldn’t leave Izzy home alone.

“Hey Sunshine, did you sleep well?” you ask, caressing her rosy cheek as you join her on the couch.

“Mhm, what are we doing today?” she asks, showing a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.

“You have French class today with Lyon and in the afternoon I thought we could learn about otters. You seemed to like them a lot at the zoo.”

“Yes! They are so cute!” she cheers happily just when you hear footsteps coming from the stairs. Turning around you spot Harry walking towards the living room, but your lips part immediately when you see that he is putting on another shirt, his naked chest on display since he hasn’t buttoned it fully. What you saw not long ago from your balcony is now so much closer, the swallows peeking out from under the shirt and you see the little cross pendant hanging between his pecs, something you’ve only seen if he pulled it out of his shirts which didn’t happen that often.

Harry stops in his tracks when he sees you on the couch with Izzy and a blush paints his cheeks.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t know you were back,” he breathes out, his fingers working fast on the buttons to get himself presentable again though you wish he would just get rid of the whole thing… “Izzy spilled some juice on me so I had to change quickly,” he explains, finishing with the buttons and he quickly fixes it so he looks just as spotless as always.

“You poured too much into my cup!” Izzy defends herself furrowing her eyebrows at her dad.

“Of course it was my fault, who else’s would have it been?” Harry huffs as he presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Y/N, I have something to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

“I know it’s pretty sudden and on a very short notice but could you maybe look after Izzy tonight? Niall called me and begged to meet up with him for a few drinks. I would call Ruth, but she is out of town this week.”

“Oh sure! No problem,” you smile at him.

“Are you sure you don’t have anything to do? Don’t feel pressured to say yes, I should have asked in advance, it’s just—“ “Harry, it’s fine. I’m okay looking after her tonight,” you assure him before he talks himself down from letting you do it. “Go have fun, you barely get out of the house without Izzy.” If you’re being honest the only place he goes to without his daughter is work and it’s a little saddening, he deserves some time out from his daddy duties.

“Thank you,” he smiles at you with gratitude. “I won’t be out too long, I promise.”

“No worries, have fun with Niall,” you wave in dismiss.

“Thanks. Have a great day. Be good, baby. I’ll see you in the afternoon.” Harry kisses Izzy’s forehead before grabbing his suit jacket, wallet, keys and phone and heads out to start his day.

“Alright, daddy is off to work and we also have a day ahead of us. Come on, let’s get started,” you smile at Izzy who nods in agreement.

Harry swears he didn’t come home earlier than his usual because he feels bad for asking you to cover the evening, but you know that’s a blatant lie. He is home by three and frees you for the rest of the afternoon, leaving you with about two extra hours. He informs you that he would be leaving around seven, so dinner time will still be his duty, but you’ll have to put Izzy to bed at her usual time, which works perfectly for you.

A little before seven Harry disappears to take a quick shower and get changed before heading out, while you sit out in the living room with Izzy, reading her from a book she chose after dinner.

When Harry returns, he is dressed more casually than he usually does for work, wearing a pair of beige slacks and a black shirt tucked into it, the first three buttons left undone, showing just a hint of his tattooed chest for the viewers.

“Okay, I just called a car, it’ll be here any minute. Please call me if anything happens, I could come home anytime.”

“Harry, I take care of her all day, I’m sure we’ll be fine for one evening as well,” you chuckle, trying to ease his nervousness about leaving his daughter home at a time he is not used to.

“Right,” he lets out a soft chuckle. “Thank you again. And Izzy, be good. Y/N will put you to bed tonight, but I’ll be here in the morning, okay?”

“Okay!” she sings, completely fine with the new arrangement.

“Alright, see you soon, good night!” he calls out on his way out of the house.

Sitting at the rooftop bar, Harry and Niall take up a small table for two near the railing so they have a nice view of the city below them. The waitress brings their order, tequila on the rocks for Harry and a good pint for Niall, and the latter man can’t ignore the fact how pretty she is in her tight white shirt and short black skirt, smiling coyly at the men as she asks if they want anything else.

“We’re good for now, Darling. Thank yeh,” Niall smirks and even winks at the woman, who is seemingly enjoying the attention from him, but deep down she would be happier if it was Harry who was trying to flirt with him. However he is busy on his phone, typing out an email even at this ungodly hour, which pisses his friend off.

“Would you stop being a workaholic prick and maybe glance at the woman that wants to fuck the shit out of you?” Niall snaps at him, grabbing his attention, but he just rolls his eyes.

“That would require my interest as well, which is not there.”

“That’s fucking sad. Really, mate. How long are you going to act like a crybaby? I’m getting tired of your long face. I get it, shit happened, but you eventually have to move on.”

Harry tries to ignore his words, eyes glued to the screen of his phone hoping his friend would just drop it, but that’s not what Niall is like. So instead of leaving him to be, he grabs his phone, snaps it right out of his hands and then shoves it into his pocket.

“Hey! What the fuck?!” he growls at his friend who just gives him a hard look.

“Harry, I’m worried about you. You do nothing, just work and be with Izzy.”

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t spend time with my daughter?” he asks twisting his words.

“You know that’s not what I mean. Spend as much time with her as possible, but don’t forget to take care of yourself.”

“I’m taking care of myself. I sleep and eat well and I workout regularly. I don’t see what else I might need.” “Fuck. You need to fuck,” he points out, making Harry roll his eyes again.

“You know, sometimes I question why we are even friends…” Harry grumbles under his breath as he takes a sip from his drink, feeling like he definitely needs the alcohol if Niall is gonna pick on him all night.

“Because I’m the one who pushes you out of your pit of sorrow, m’friend. And right now I feel like I need to step in, because you are turning into a bitter old man.”

“I’m not bitter,” Harry narrows his eyes at him.

“And neither are you old, so why are you acting like you are?”

“Look, I know that you are a fan of the bachelor life, going to parties, sleeping around with any woman you can get, but that’s just not for me, it never was, not even a long time ago.”

“I’m not trying to get you to act like a frat boy, Har. I know you are too soft for that, but I think it might be time for you to, I don’t know, open up a bit.”

“Open up?”

“Yeah! Go out, meet new people, preferably women,” he adds with a knowing look. “It’s been more than three years, Harry. You can’t stay at home and mope around forever.”

“I really don’t think we should be having this conversation right now.”

“If not now, then when? I tried to talk to you about it many times, but you always just dodged it, so I gave you more time to adjust to the situation, but I think we are over that,” Niall sighs, leaning onto the table. “We both know time flies by. Soon Izzy will go to school, she’ll have her own little life and before you could even blink twice, she is gonna be a teenager, barely talking to you, only caring about some boyband, her friends and shows. The time will come when you’ll have to step back a little and I don’t want you to stay alone.”

“First of all, Izzy is 4 and she won’t be allowed to even think about being independent until she is twenty,” Harry starts off as Niall rolls his eyes at him.

“Yeah, sure. You’ll have an amazing time when she becomes a teenager.”

“Don’t even talk about her being a teenager.”

“It’s going to happen!” Niall snaps and Harry narrows his eyes at him. “Okay, let’s just calm down.” He takes a deep breath even though he is the only one getting mad right now. Harry might feel uncomfortable, but he is not one to lose his temper that easily. Niall on the other hand is known to be a little too passionate at times.

“Alright. Please know that I’m just trying to be a good friend. What happened is tragic and I can’t even imagine what you went through, though I was here all along so I have a slight guess. I’m happy that you are doing vehemently better now, it’s amazing, but I know that you’ll be miserable if you stay single forever.”

“I’m not gonna start dating, Niall. It’s just… too soon. I can’t get into a relationship now.” Harry shakes his head, gulping from his drink again, the alcohol burns down his throat as he grimaces shortly.

“I get it that you don’t want a relationship, but dating might not be that bad. I’m pretty sure there are some hot single moms you know who would love to go out with you for dinner or some shit.”

“I’m not interested in any of them,” he shrugs.

“Then what about Y/N?” Harry’s eyes snap up at his friend, flexing his jaw out of instinct.

“What about her?”

“She is pretty, nice and funny, completely your type. Why don’t you try it with her?”

“She works for me,” Harry replies right away.

“No one fucking cares,” Niall scoffs. “And because you didn’t say that you don’t like her, I assume you are into her.”

Harry lets out a heavy sighs shaking his head. You’ve not been the only one who’s been noticing the other. Ever since he has caught you watching him while doing his morning yoga, he couldn’t shake the thought of you and he took a special notice about a lot of things about you. Like the way you scrunch your nose every time you smile when Izzy says a word wrong, or the way you like to put up your hair into a ponytail when you’re playing with her in the backyard and there’s always a tiny strand that hangs lose at the back of your neck because it’s too short to reach up to the ponytail, but his favorite thing is how your voice is a little hoarse in the morning when you come down for the first time from upstairs. The thought that he is always the first person you talk to in the morning just brings this pleasant feeling into the pit of his stomach, something he hasn’t felt in a long time.

He can’t deny that he finds you beautiful either, how could he not? You’re just a wonderful person inside and out and he is thankful his daughter is in such good hands when he is away at work. But he hasn’t dared to think further than this, his mind just doesn’t let him, however Niall’s words are now poking at the sleeping giant.

“Stop assuming things,” Harry mumbles, looking away from his friend, feeling like he is being grilled.

“Stop denying things,” Niall retorts, earning a huff from Harry. “Okay, don’t ask her out just yet, but try to get closer to her. Become friends, try to open up and get to know her a little more!”

“I don’t want to get closer to her!” he replies, but he can easily point out how big of a lie that is, even though he is trying his best to make himself believe that it’s not.

“So you don’t have a crush on her?” Niall raises his eyebrows at him.

“Where are we, in middle school? I’m 31, I don’t have crushes,” Harry scoffs.

“Okay so then you don’t mind it if I ask her out?”

“You are not asking her out, Niall,” he sternly replies, reaching for his drink once again, that’s nearing its end very closely. He needs to order another one if Niall decides to be an asshole all night.

“Why not? He seemed to like me when we met, I think we both would have a nice evening, might even take her home—“

“Shut up, Niall. You are not going out with her!”

“Really? What’s stopping me?” he smirks, knowing well what he is doing and where this is heading. Harry opens his mouth, but then no words come out, because he realizes what he wanted to say should not be said out loud.

Because I like her, a tiny voice tells him in his mind. Niall’s smirk grows even bigger, because even though Harry didn’t answer, his face tells it all, confirming what he has been trying to force out of him all evening.

“Yeah, just as I thought,” he laughs, taking a few gulps from his beer. “I’m not telling you to fuck her brains out immediately, but it might be nice if you just got to know her a bit more. And if things seem to take, like… a turn, if you know what I mean, don’t chicken out, just go with it.”

“You know, Niall, you should worry about your own love life the way you worry about mine.”

“There’s nothing to worry about!” He beams, clearly without a worry. “I’m too good of a catch to be tied down, so I’m enjoying life to the fullest right now.”

“Aren’t you tired of waking up next to a different woman every morning?” Harry sighs, feeling exhausted just to think about the way his friend lives.

“Don’t judge for something you never tried. I like it, it fulfills all my needs, why should I change?”

“Because you worry about me ending up alone when it’s most likely gonna be you.” Harry gives him a look, but it doesn’t seem to affect him. He shrugs it off easily.

“Difference is that I like being alone, but you don’t. You are wired to have a partner in the long run while I’m perfectly fine with my adventures. So do me a favor, and be less of a little hermit. You’ll thank me later.”

Niall’s words stick to Harry’s head more than he would have liked it. The two friends stay at the bar until about midnight and while Harry leaves to go straight home, Niall heads to another direction with the pretty waitress on his arm, who served their drinks relentlessly all night.

Arriving back home Harry tips the driver generously before heading inside, seeing that you’re still up, the lights in the living room and the TV illuminating the area. Walking further inside he spots you cozied up on the couch, a thick blanket thrown over yourself as you watch some kind of detective documentary, chewing on your bottom lip in focus. He can’t help the smile that tugs on his lips at the sight of you, taking just a split second to savor the moment and wrap it up in his mind.

“Hey, why are you still up?” he questions walking inside. Your eyes tear away from the screen, blinking up at him as you smile slightly, pushing yourself up into a sitting position. Rounding the couch Harry joins you, sitting down as he runs a hand through his hair.

“Got caught up a little,” you chuckle, nodding your head towards the TV. “Did you have a good time?”

“As much as it’s possible to have a good time with Niall around,” he chuckles, making you smile.

“He is not that bad, is he?”

“He can be a little asshole sometimes,” he admits. “But it was fine, we had a nice… talk.”

“I’m glad,” you smile sheepishly, before turning back to the TV.

Harry’s eyes snap to the screen as well, but he is not following the case at all, his mind is busy thinking about everything Niall has told him.

It really has been three long and torturous years without his beloved wife and just as Niall said, the beginning of this time was almost lethal. He never thought there would be a day when he would wake up and not feel like curling up into a ball and just cry all day. Those times are now gone, because with a lot of help from his friends, family and even a therapist, he was able to find his purpose in life again: his daughter.

Harry knows that his friend is right, he can’t live his life on his own, that’s just not how he is built, but it’s not as easy as it seems. Especially with the haunting thoughts he has been harboring, kept away from everyone in his life, because he has always been too afraid to say them out loud. That would make them become even realer than they already feel to him.

Sitting on the couch next to Harry you glance at him for a second and can almost see the gears turning in his head.

“Everything alright?” you softly ask. His green eyes flicker over to you, as if he is debating whether he should talk or not.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” you nod.

“But it’s kind of personal.”

“Okay, then ask and I’ll decide if I want to answer or not,” you chuckle softly, pushing yourself up a little so you can focus on him better.

“After things ended with your… ex, when you found out that he was cheating on you… How long did it take you to get back out to the field, if you know what I mean.”

His question surprises you, it really is a personal matter and you’re not sure why he felt the need to ask you about it especially now, but you have a guess why it’s relatable for him. You lost someone you loved and though the situation is a very different nature, somehow it’s still similar in a way.

“Well, I told you earlier that it was the kind of situation where I blamed myself for what he did,” you start off and Harry nods, patiently and curiously listening to what you are saying. “I was convinced that he cheated because I wasn’t enough, because I didn’t give him everything he wanted and that it was all my fault. It took me weeks to see clearly and realize that even if I wasn’t giving him everything, it wouldn’t have given him the right to cheat on me. Sometimes it’s really hard to lift the blame off yourself, especially when you were the one putting it there.”

Harry’s lips part at your words and because he is not speaking, you’re not sure if it’s the good or bad kind. You really wish you could just read his honest thoughts, but it seems like he is keeping them to himself so you continue.

“I think it took me a good, like… four months to actually move on. I went on a date for the first time about six months after Keith and I broke up. I’m not saying I’m over the fact that I was cheated on, but it’s not stopping me anymore to live my life. I had to accept that just because of what happened, I still deserve happiness and to be loved.”

Love is a beautiful thing, but it’s very powerful and you learned it the hard way. To love and be loved is essential, love makes life so much better and more special, but it can also scar you terribly and leave you dried out and in pain. You have to learn to accept the love you get and remember it whenever you are not getting enough. It’s a rollercoaster, but the highs make the whole ride worth it.

Harry stays silent as you turn your attention back at the TV, seeing that he is busy chewing on your words. Whatever his reason was to ask you, he is clearly processing the answer he got, making his own conclusions and you wouldn’t want to bother him while he does that.

The documentary soon ends and you realize how late it really is. Saturday is your day off, but you don’t want to sleep through the whole thing, you have a few errands to run. So switching the TV off you fold the blanket and drop it into the basket next to the couch. Harry snaps out of his thoughts when you stand up from the couch, realizing that you’ve shut the TV off already.

“I’m going to bed, you should too,” you smile at him softly as he nods, standing up as well.

You’re already on the stairs when Harry calls out after you. Turning around you keep one foot on the next step, glancing over at him, still standing by the couch.

“I’m… I’m really sorry he couldn’t appreciate you.”

You smile at him warmly, because it says so much about him as a person. Apologizing for something he had absolutely no control over, something someone else did, someone he doesn’t even know. Yet he still felt the need to say sorry.

“It’s alright. I’ll find the person who’ll give me the love I deserve,” you tell him before turning back around and walking away.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

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[musestomyears]

Yara Santiago.

001. SHORT INTRO

⛱️  t o u r i s t

⛱️ guess who i just saw at THE BEACH? YARA SANTIAGO! don’t they look good for 47 years old? they arrived 2 WEEKS ago and are planning to stay 12 MONTHS. they ARE an ACTOR. so far they LIKE the people of elmerton. 

002. STATISTICS

Full Name: Yara Ife Santiago

Age: 47

Birthdate: May 19th 1975

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Gender: non-binary (gender-fluid)

Pronouns: she/her + they/them

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Romantic Orientation: Panromantic

Marital Status: single

Ethnicity: African-American + Puerto Rican

Nationality: American

Religious Identity: Buddhism

Positive Traits: grounded, dependable, hard-working

Negative Traits: uncompromising, possessive, hedonistic

003. BIOGRAPHY

Yara is the last of three children born to Zola and Yariel Santiago of Cayey, Puerto Rico. Yariel had always been a rebel while growing up, and much to the chagrin of his parents. As long as he lived life to the fullest, Yariel was on cloud 9. This unfortunately meant going against what they expected of him. Just when Yariel thought he couldn’t do anymore damage to the family’s seemingly impervious reputation, he met and fell in love with Zola Harris. Their relationship was like something out of a romance novel-- too good to be true.

The Harris’s were a family of humble standings in the community, much beneath the ones that the Santiago’s had set for their golden boy, Yariel. His parents could not see beyond class, and rarely let people get close, therefore they didn’t hesitate to meddle in their son’s relationship. Things went sour after that, resulting in a failure of said plans. The lovebirds conquered the obstacles put in their path; rising above the naysayers, Yariel and Zola left Puerto Rico behind to set up roots in California. They tied the knot soon after the move, and got started on building a family.

Nayelis was born first, then two years later the couple welcomed their only son, Alejandro. After a year or so, their final addition, Yara, joined the lot. The trio were raised well and had a childhood that left them wanting nothing. Their parents encouraged, nurtured and ingrained in them good values that would carry them throughout life. As the youngest, Yara lived up to the baby of the family trope and gave the most trouble out of the Harris-Santiago offspring. The family would always compare Yara to her father because they are so much alike. They shared a love for the performing arts that rivalled any other members in their household. Whenever they had a chance, the father and daughter duo would fly their theatre loving flags high by making trips to Broadway productions, breaking out into iconic covers of their favourite songs, and also getting together to gush over the latest Musical or prepare for Yara’s next big role. Overtime, she found her niche at school within the drama club, she also had private writing and acting lessons added into the mix as she got older.

Throughout her performing life her family has been her greatest supporters, and probably her biggest fans. It’s a great thing that Yara had a good head on her shoulders, because her fame really took her by surprise. She was only 15 years old when one of her roles brought many accolades and a fan base too. The sitcom was a hit, and her character won over the hearts of everyone that tuned in week after week. From then, her career really flourished as she took the 90’s by storm. Her face was everywhere, and the name Yara Santiago became a household staple. 

Alas, fame is fickle, and her career eventually started to ebb. Yara is not as popular as she once was, she barely gets offered regular or recurring roles anymore. In recent years, the only noteworthy roles she’s acquired have been in shows like Devious Maids, Jane the Virgin, and How to Get Away with Murder for example. The limited offers coming her way has made Yara reassess what she wants to do next. A few months ago she decided to take a step back and went house hunting. A coastal town in Florida caught her eye, and a beautiful beachfront property beckoned. After the renovations were complete, she couldn’t wait to leave California for some much needed rest and relaxation. Before she left the big city, a check-up with her doctor gave the actor an unexpected parting gift; she’s pregnant. It’s been two weeks since she and her bodyguard, confidant, and close friend settled into life at Elmerton. Yara doesn't know why they opted to follow her all the way out here, but she is grateful nonetheless. Now if only she could work up the courage to tell them the truth behind her somewhat hasty departure from the limelight. While Yara’s not showing yet, after a visit to a local doctor, she’s met two other people in similar situations. The trio have unknowingly formed the ‘expectant mothers of a certain age’ club, and only time will tell what their future holds, but for now, they’re just happy to have people in their corner while they navigate their risky pregnancies.

004. EXTRAS

Subplots:

the celebrity in town - MUSE AD

the ‘expectant mothers of a certain age’ club - MUSE AA

Career claim: her filmography and awards are a mixture of Rita Moreno, Roselyn Sánchez and Amirah Vann.

[dascarecrow]

Thought I would put down my guesses for who the five metahumans will be that Diggle will mentor in Justice U. Or rather potential guesses. I’m just putting up a pool of characters who I think have a chance to appear. 

- Painkiller (Fully believe he will appear. Especially after Warner declined ordering his show to series.) 

-Yara Flor (Same deal as Painkiller above. Plus it would give us some Wonder Woman mythos in the Arrowverse, which has already been teasing the heck out of Wondy) 

-Jackson Hyde (a way to bring in some Aquaman mythos. I would like to root for Tempest but DC seems to be pushing Jackson much more lately. Definitely a gotta have.) 

-Mary Hamilton (on the fence with this one because she just graduated medical school but she did get those Poison Ivy powers and may still have some of them by the time the show starts) 

-Jennifer Pierce (just the right age for the setting and it would help tie the Black Lightning material in a bit closer to the rest of the Arrowverse) 

-Firestorm (It would not be Ronnie brought back somehow or Jax getting his powers back. If it did happen I would go with Jason Rusch getting the powers) 

-Dreamer (Again the age thing might not work but she was defined by the struggle to understand her powers in Supergirl so this may be a good time for her to seek out more help) 

-Mia Queen (Really on the fence about this one. I know it’s supposed to be metahumans but that might just be a way of saying heroes in general. Her show got turned down by Warner and her story from the end of Arrow hasn’t been forgotten. If they are adhering to powered heroes only then I can see her being a separate presence from them.) 

-Allegra Garcia (she’s just the right age, her powers are still largely unexplored and it’s looking doubtful that The Flash will make it past season nine. She could get moved over to this show as a way to continue her own journey.) 

[a-libra-writes]

How the GoT Characters React to You Saving Their Lives

this was requested like eons ago i sure hope that anon is still around LOL, forgive me

In this preference, you'll be saving: Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Sansa Stark, Jon Snow, Benjen Stark, Jory Cassel, Dolorous Edd, Mance Rayder, Tormund Giantsbane, Theon Greyjoy, Yara Greyjoy, Daenerys Targaryen, Jorah Mormont, Missandei, Grey Worm, Tywin Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Jaime Lannister, Sandor Clegane, Bronn, Petyr Baelish, Stannis Baratheon, Davos Seaworth, Margaery Tyrell, Brynden Tully, Edmure Tully, Brienne of Tarth, Ramsay Snow, Roose Bolton, Oberyn Martell, Beric Dondarrion, Gendry

NED STARK

In the thick of Robert’s Rebellion, Ned and his men had been taken by surprise by a group of soldiers that they had no choice but to fight. They managed to win, but staggered their way to your family’s keep, injured and not even fully sure of your family’s loyalties. Given that your father was slain in battle already, you were the Lady of the keep, and you took them in without question. He knew the great risk you were taking, even as you pretended not to know them. He thought about your kindness and bravery long after they left your keep, and he knew he had to repay the debt somehow. 

"Had the Targaryens won, Lady Y/N and her family would be put to the sword and their lands taken. I could never forget the risk she took for me." 

ROBB STARK

In his youth he’d often avoided Maester Luwin when he was hurt, preferring to brush it off and insist he was fine, but Robb knew this was a serious wound he couldn’t just walk away from. You found him on the battlefield and quickly noticed the infection. Back at his tent, you helped fix the wound properly. When Robb woke up some days later, he had only vague memories of a lovely person watching over him. He tried to get answers, but it seems you had left the camp already. Theon teased the way he was “mooning”, but Robb owed you his life. He just had to meet you properly.

 "She left the safety of the camp to find me and then watched over me. No ordinary girl would do that. I owe her so much more than thanks."  

SANSA STARK

You both were warned by your fathers to stay inside the safety of the Red Keep, but you were too adventurous for your own good.  You talked Sansa into coming with you to explore the markets. Sansa couldn’t refuse you, even if she’d rather stay inside. Everything was fine until you noticed a man following the both of you. When he finally cornered the two of you, you pushed Sansa aside and told her to run. When she found you again, she shook you for being so reckless. 

“What happened, what did you do? I was so worried - let’s go back, Y/N, I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you. And you’re a mess! Were you hurt? I’ll look after you myself.”

JON SNOW

You thanked every god that you decided to be thorough that night and do one last sentry round across Castle Black. You heard sounds of a struggle and came running to Jon’s rescue as a dead ranger was upon him. You grabbed it and distracted it enough for Jon to burn the cursed thing. Neither of you could explain what happened, but Jon was quick to grab your arm and breathlessly thank you for coming when you did. You realized he normally wasn’t so forthright, and after that, you two developed a friendship. 

“Y/N, I should thank you properly for… that. Whatever it was. You were there just in time.” 

BENJEN STARK

It happened during a rangering, when you two were trying to do a routine patrol. Wildlings descending upon you wasn’t anything new, but the blizzard that kicked up wasn’t helping. You lost your horse in the fight, so you guided Benjen’s while he sat behind you, patched up with a makeshift bandage job you had to do in a hurry. It was a frightening night, but you were able to make it back to the Wall. Benjen knew you didn’t want the attention, but he couldn’t help himself relaying the story to his brother and Jon when he visited Winterfell. It was only Ned who knew you were a woman disguising for years as a member of the Night’s Watch.

“I told the Lord Commander what she did, of course, but she’s adamant about keeping it secret. That doesn’t sit well with me, brother. I have to thank her somehow.”

JORY CASSEL

While most ladies were told to stay in their wheelhouses when travelling, your parents knew you liked riding too much, so you often rode beside the guards and chatted with them. Jory always liked your company when he escorted your family to Winterfell. Your escort was attacked by bold kidnappers, and you would’ve stayed out of the way, but you noticed Jory was thrown from his horse. You hastily rode to his attacker and cut the man off his horse, saving Jory from a trampling. Once the kidnappers were fended off, he thanked you right away and wasted no time in telling the others at Winterfell, much to your embarrassment. 

“I think you did a great thing, my lady. Most men wouldn’t do the same for me. I suppose I owe you my life, but I wouldn’t want to wish for anymore danger.”

EDD TOLLETT

Cynical as he was, you knew Edd would throw down his life to protect you. The two of you hoped for an uneventful rangering, but the Bear was taking everyone so far from the Wall, that seemed unlikely. When the Others attacked, it was all chaos, and you were cutting through them to protect your Brothers. You didn’t actually find out you saved Edd from nearly getting his head lopped off until he told you afterward. With all the thick fur coats and the harsh wind the Others kicked up, it was hard to see just who you were swinging at.

“You really didn’t notice me struggling with that ugly one? I should count myself lucky your eyes aren’t as bad as Sam’s, love. Wait, you weren’t hurt, right? Let me see that wrist.” 

MANCE RAYDER

Back in his ranger days, Mance knew of your disguise and found it amusing to say the least. He always admired your skill and you two were a formidable team when you traveled beyond the Wall. During one of your rangerings, a group of Wildlings descended upon you, and Mance was severely injured from it. You managed to patch what you could and get him back on his horse, guiding both horses back to the Wall. When he left the Night’s Watch, he kept the bright piece of cloth you used to wrap his wound. Mance always kept it on his person, almost like a good luck charm. “This? It’s from a ranger who dragged me half-dead back to the Wall. An old friend who I miss very much. I wonder what sh… what he’s doing now.” 

TORMUND GIANTSBANE

You and Tormund made a great team, so you were often on the same missions together. You saved each other’s skin more than a dozen times each, but Tormund was no less excited and grateful each time. The most recent one was when he was grappling with another man on the ground, and you came at them with an axe. Some may have considered that too close, but Tormund was just impressed how accurate you were with the swing. He proudly lifted you up and yelled at the rest of your comrades of what you just did - even if they already saw it - and wanted to tell the camp, too.

“Mance! Come here. Come listen to what my woman did this time. Right between the eyes, cleanest cut I ever saw. Any other man woulda missed, or hacked my nose off. Shoulda brought the head to show ya - ah, why can’t I do that next time, Y/N?”

THEON GREYJOY

Theon grumbled for nearly half an hour that he had it, you didn’t need to get between him and the boar. For one, a girl shouldn’t be handling a boar spear - how did you learn to use it so effectively, anyway? - and secondly, he was just about to shoot an arrow through it. You finally slapped Theon’s back and told him you’d gladly let the next boar get him, because it was only a matter of time before this happened again. Robb was amused by the back and forth, but he tried to be serious. “Theon, one tusk is all it takes for your guts to turn inside out. Y/N saved your life.”

“I know! I heard you the first time. Fine, Y/N, I guess it was… good timing. It won’t happen again, though.”

YARA GREYJOY

It happened during the capture of Deepwood Motte, as you fought alongside Yara and her men. While she was grappling with the weapon of the man in front of her, you saw a Northern soldier pull back his bow. You tackled him to the ground, his arrow went flying way off to the side and you struggled in the dirt with him until you finally cut his throat. As you pulled yourself to your feet, you saw Yara give you an appreciative nod. That night, as she and her men settled into the keep, she gave you a large mug of ale paired with a slap to your back. 

"Good work looking out, Y/N. At least someone on this crew uses their head, of course it’d be the other woman. Next fight I’ll have you by my side.”

DAENERYS TARGARYEN

She anticipated her guards to put their lives before her own. She’d seen Jorah and Grey Worm have all manners of close calls, and while it gave her a moment of fear, she knew it was their duty. That’s why you shouldn’t have been doing the same thing. You threw yourself in the middle of the riot, shoving away a man with a sword and kicking away another. Finally an Unsullied handed you a spear and you shoved off several more before grabbing Daenerys and running to safety. Once you two were safe, she pushed you off.

“What were you thinking, Y/N?! You threw yourself right into that crowd - I don’t care if that sword was close to me, you will not endanger yourself on my behalf!” 

JORAH MORMONT

Jorah always knew he could rely on you to have his back in a battle, you were more than capable, but he hadn’t expected something like this. Drogo was dead, and his riders were turning against each other. He had to face off three at once, and ended up knocked to his knees by the third one. You rushed forward, killed the rider, pulled Jorah up and shared just a few moments of rest before the fight continued. Dawn finally broke and you two were tending each other’s wounds while Dany took stock of what was left of her khalasar. Jorah wanted you in his arms as soon as possible. 

“You shouldn’t have had to fight this battle, my love. The trouble with Drogo, then the witch… I’m just glad you’re safe. It seems I have even more to be grateful for, hm? You’re sure you aren’t hurt anywhere else?”

MISSANDEI

Even if you were rarely in the public eye, and Missandei was not well recognized among the citizens of Meereen, you two still took precautions when going out and enjoying the markets. Your cloaks didn’t protect you from being noticed by a certain assassin, and once you two passed an empty alley, he jumped Missandei first. You were on him at once, throwing him off her with a fury and kicking his weapon away. You used your own to kill him. Missandei was shaken up, and you were quick to comfort her and make sure she was alright before adjusting her cloak and going home. Once you two were in the safety of your room, she wanted to give you several appreciative hugs and kisses.

“You know I am not new to violence, but … It was just so sudden. I was more afraid for your life… Let’s take a guard or two next time, please? Just to be safe. I don’t want you endangering yourself on my behalf.”

GREY WORM

You two finally had leads on the Sons of the Harpy, and like always, you worked as a team. You found a few of their operatives, and chased them through the streets. Once you had them cornered, they fought fiercely, and the last one was dangerously close to landing a dangerous blow on Grey Worm. You got between them, taking the brunt of the damage yourself, and while you collapsed Grey Worm mercilessly ended the man. He carried you back to the Great Pyramid with a speed he didn’t know he had, and waited anxiously while you were treated. 

“You took the blow that was mine. You shouldn’t … my life is not worth what your’s is, Y/N. Next time, let it happen to me.”

TYWIN LANNISTER

Having one’s wife involved in the battle plans was not typical, but no one wants going to speak against you to Lord Tywin’s face. You were always present at war councils, and you stayed behind during the battles, listening to reports coming in from scouts. There was concerning news about a large number of Stark troops that were going to provide reinforcements and a surprise attack. You made a decision, using every bit of your influence and your husband’s name to send out troops of your own to deal with them. Several nerve-wracking hours later, you learned the battle was being lost, and the men you sent helped turn it into a proper victory. As the men returned, you were startled by the wound your husband sustained, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. Once you two were alone in his grand war tent, Tywin surprised you by pulling you close to him and kissing your brow.

“My clever little wife. Did anyone try to stop you from sending that battalion? Hm? I’ll hang the next one that speaks out of turn.”

TYRION LANNISTER 

You thought his damned sister would have given up after the Battle of Blackwater, but she always seemed ready to ruin the life you and Tyrion made. Luckily, Tyrion had taught you some of her tricks and told you all the men loyal to her. When you began to notice guards changing their patrols and new servants, you did some investigating and found a clumsy assassination plot she cooked up. You dealt with it using your own resources, but you had to tell Tyrion. There may have been something else to her plan. You told him that evening, calmly explaining what you found out and what you did, and you were shocked by how he took your hand and looked so vulnerable. 

“You are the sweetest woman the gods could have made. I love you, Y/N … but be careful. Tell me sooner next time. Things aren’t always as they seem with Cersei. I’d tell you I’ll do the rest from here, but I have a feeling that won’t satisfy you.” 

JAIME LANNISTER

As much as he changed when he came back from being held prisoner in the North, there were still times when Jaime had that damned Lannister pride. He didn’t like being told to be careful. While you two were travelling to the Riverlands, you were attacked by men still loyal to the North, and you helped Jaime and your guards finish them off. He rounded on you, angry that you put yourself in danger, and you argued back that he needed the help. You even saved him from a blow that came far too close. You two fumed apart for a while, and it wasn’t until several days later that he visited you in the evening. He wrapped his arms around you, careful with his gold hand, and leaned on you.

“Next time just let me take the blow. I mean it. I don’t want anything happening to you because of me, Y/N. I couldn’t live with myself.” 

SANDOR CLEGANE

You didn’t usually go this far from the village, but some of your sheep had wandered off and this war meant you couldn’t afford to lose a single one. You were shocked to come across a giant of a man who was battered within an inch of his life. At your insistence, the men of the village helped get him to your house, where you looked after him for several days. Everyone said you were wasting your time, that he was some criminal on the run or he’d surely die anyway. He ended up being disoriented as all hell when he woke up, and he didn’t talk for some time. It was like helping a wild animal. It took several evenings before he finally spoke to you.

“.... You shoulda just left me, girl. Let me die out on those rocks. Would’ve done the world a favor. Did watchin’ sheep get boring, so ya thought to bring in a mangy fuckin’ dog?”

BRONN

The stubbornness of men was astounding, but especially Bronn’s. You and him were coming home from a wild evening at an inn, and while you usually stayed in their best rooms, he had a sudden whim to take you in your room at the Red Keep and nothing was going to stop him. The only thing that kept this stupid plan going is the fact you were just as drunk and agreed to it. Some thief that had no idea who you both were tried to stop you, and Bronn didn’t bother to draw his sword, laughing the man off. You were the one who noticed the dagger gleaming off the moon, and you swiftly knocked the man over with a bottle before he could attempt the attack. That helped sober you up, but Bronn insisted there was no danger.

“What, ‘course I brought my sword. No sense in wasting it on street rats like that. I had it under control, sweet, ya know I did. Still a good hit. Don’t think I’ve seen ya swing like that, remind me to stay on ya good side.” 

PETYR BAELISH 

While you and Petyr had your little flirtations and secrets - him often underestimating your cleverness and being pleasantly surprised each time - he didn’t expect much from it. He rarely trusted, after all. It’s what led to him being so stunned when he found out you foiled an assassination on attempt on him. It was months ago, and you said nothing, and he had known nothing. Petyr not knowing something for that long was a rare thing, indeed, and it only made him more intrigued. He found himself thinking of you more, and began “chancing” upon you more often in the Red Keep, trying to get your attention. 

“Lady Y/N, what a coincidence to see you here, but good timing. Do you recall our conversation some months ago, at the gala for the King’s name day? There’s no need to be so modest about it. I think a lady of your talents is a rare and precious thing, don’t you think?” 

STANNIS BARATHEON

You knew your husband was going to face opposition from the Lannisters, but you figured it would be on the battlefield, not through an assassination. You followed the rumors and sent your own men to deal with it. It was troublesome, but you eventually linked the assassin to the Lannisters. You didn’t want to trouble Stannis with such a thing, especially since you’d handled it so quietly. It wasn’t even a week before he barged in your parlor. You weren’t sure what was more startling, his uncharacteristically loud entrance, or how he wrapped you in his arms and pulled you close. 

“You should have told me, Y/N, you shouldn’t have done it on your own. If something went wrong, and something happened … They could have easily made you their target, instead. What if it was a trap? Tell me next time …”

DAVOS SEAWORTH

You were very fond of the old knight, so it was a non-issue to help him distribute Stannis’ letters of Joffrey’s illegitimacy. You and your guards helped him through some of the safer land routes, but it wasn’t long before the Lannisters caught wind of what you were doing. One of the Lannister soldiers slipped through your guard, and you shocked Davos when you rode in front of him and parried the man away with your sword, like you had been taught. He was impressed and grateful, and while he told you as much, he still gave some caution about throwing yourself in front of danger like that.

“It’s a good thing ya did, Lady Y/N, I’ll be telling King Stannis about it when I get back … Of course I’m serious. Doesn’t sit right with me for a lady like yourself risking her life.”

MARGAERY TYRELL

After Renly had been killed, there was absolute chaos in his camp. You noticed Margaery through the darkness and hastily pulled her away before two soldiers on warhorses could trample her. They didn’t even seem to care that they nearly killed two ladies. You helped guide her back to her brother and their soldiers, pulling her into the Tyrell wheelhouse yourself. Once she calmed herself from the madness of the night, Margaery couldn’t believe someone would go out of their way to help her like that. You didn’t even come with her, or tell her your family name, so it’s not as though you were expecting a reward. Once she took her place in King’s Landing, she insisted to her grandmother that they find out who you were. She was trying not to let her excitement show when she learned you were in King’s Landing for your own business, and she could finally meet you.

“There’s my knight in silks. What? I think it’s a perfectly appropriate name. There were plenty of so-called men who were content to leave me to die or be captured. I think it’s only right you should get a reward, but before that, we should talk. I have so much I’ve wanted to tell you.”

BRYNDEN TULLY

You were sure that you were in shock, or dreaming, but the soaking wet, exhausted and injured man that turned up on your keep’s gates was right here in front of you. You realized who he was by the armor, and sent your men away while you tended to his wounds through the whole night. It had to be secret that he was here, and that was especially true once morning came and you heard about the “wedding” at the Twins. Just when you entered his room to bring him food and more medicine, he was already getting up and trying to leave. You tried to convince him to stay, that he wasn’t fit for travel, but he was surprisingly firm in spite of his terrible state.

“I owe you more than my life, Lady Y/N, but I can’t stay here. I need to get back to Riverrun, I have to. You’ll be in serious danger, too, if they found out you helped. The less I say and the faster I’m gone, the better.”

EDMURE TULLY

He really thought he was finished on this battlefield, that he’d be lucky to be captured. It seemed he just didn’t have the numbers to take on this number of Lannister soldiers, even if he had strong, capable men on his side. Then reinforcements arrived, seemingly out of nowhere. He wasn’t about to question his good fortune at that moment, but after the battle he pointedly asked the new arrivals who sent them. Back at the camp, he found you, a Lady who convinced her family to support the North and sent troops as fast as she could. Edmure couldn’t help but admire your courage, and insisted you come with him to Riverrun to speak with Robb.

“There’s no need to be modest. You saved us today, Lady Y/N, we would’ve been overrun without the reinforcements. You’ll be my guest, I insist.”

BRIENNE OF TARTH

Brienne had saved your skin more times than you could count, and she always said it was her duty (and because she loved you so much). That was fine and dandy, but you still felt that you owed her in some way. You didn’t want to be the helpless Lady that she was always pulling out of trouble. You got your opportunity sooner than you wanted. A gang of kidnappers took you both off guard in the street, and the last man had gotten a lucky strike. You picked up a rock and struck him hard, and it distracted him enough for Brienne to deliver a finishing blow. He’d seriously hurt her, but her anger and concern took precedence. 

“Y/N! What in the seven hells possessed you to pick up a rock - don’t argue, I know it looks bad, but I had it! You should have run! I told you, I had it. … … Yes, fine, it hurts like hell, but that doesn’t mean you can put yourself in danger.”

RAMSAY SNOW

You couldn’t count how many times you told Ramsay that, no, you didn’t want to see how many poor souls he had captured and what he was going to do to them. But sometimes it paid off to humor him for a few minutes, especially if it meant he’d leave you be later on. You hadn’t noticed one of the prisoners had gotten free until he jumped on Ramsay and was fighting with him on the ground. You panicked and picked up one of the candlesticks, hitting the man several times until Ramsay got the upper hand and threw him off. He took the candlestick from you and knocked the man senseless, then tossed it aside, quickly taking your shaking hands into his own bloody ones.

“Y/N, my sweet Y/N, that was very good. You did so well! I knew you loved me. Would you have killed him for me? Hm? I would have liked to see that. He isn’t finished yet, you know.”

ROOSE BOLTON

Not every Lord rode with their men into battle, let alone a Lady, but this was the North and it was in the midst of a war. You were sent by King Robb to bolster Lord Bolton’s numbers, and you got there just in time, in the midst of an ambush. After assisting his men in fending off the Lannister soldiers, you and Lord Bolton were able to dismount and talk properly. He gave you a cordial thanks, speaking to you as if this was the court and not a bloody battlefield, but you didn’t miss the distinct way his cold eyes were glinting in the sun. Even if he didn’t say it, you were sure he was impressed. 

“Impeccable timing, Lady Y/N. You’ve done my men and I a great service. Once the camp is established we’ll have a chance to speak properly. It’s a shame it took a war for us to meet.” 

OBERYN MARTELL

As dear as Oberyn was to you, you had to admit his temper could be so boyish. There were some men that just made him reach for his dagger, and it was usually the men not knowing how to act properly around his lover. He’d started a huge fight in the brothel as a result, and a much bigger man tackled him to the ground and knocked his dagger from his hand. You hastily grabbed a bottle and knocked it over the man’s head, then kicked him off while he was dazed. Oberyn jumped to his feet, picked you up and hastily got you away from the danger. He didn’t care that he left such a fine dagger behind. 

“I knew my sweet Y/N wasn’t such a lamb after all. That was a good swing, my love, a shame about the wine, it was … What? That rat deserved it.” 

BERIC DONDARRION

You joined a few Brotherhood scouts and their unusual leader on what was supposed to be scouting and retrieving supplies, but a wrong turn ended up with you all stumbling upon Lannister soldiers. You were shocked at a few reckless moves Beric made, and finally you just had to put yourself between him and a soldier in spite of the weight and power the man had on you. You cut him open well enough, but you were quick to turn on Beric and scold him for being so careless. He did apologize, but you were still fuming at the campfire that evening.

“I’m sorry, Y/N, I’ll say it as many times as you want. You shouldn’t have put yourself in danger like that, especially for a man like me … let me show you why.” 

GENDRY 

He used to see you as a meddling girl that followed him around too much. That changed when someone’s near-mad horse was frightened and it went tearing through the small cobbled streets. You two surely would’ve been trampled by it, young as you were, and you reacted quickly. You shoved Gendry hard out of the way and cowered down as the horse ran around you. Once he was back up, Gendry shook and scolded you, in disbelief that anyone would bother caring about him like that. Right then he made a promise to protect you, and for years afterward he was always a reliable, protective presence in your life.

“Y/N, remember when I said I’d protect you years ago? ‘Course I still mean it, you just never get into trouble - that’s a good thing! Don’t do somethin’ stupid just ‘cause to see if I’ll come runnin’. You know I will.”

[layce2015]

The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 12: Seattle, Day 3

Chapter 11

(A/N: So I want to make some announcements on this story. In this story, Mel is NOT pregnant and Lev and Yara DON'T exist. Even though I did like Yara and Lev, the reason they won't be seen or mentioned in this story is that they were basically used as part of Abby's redemption arc in the game. Since Joel is not dead and Abby is dead set on killing him and (y/n), they won't be in here. So I hope you guys understand.)

*2 Years Earlier*

"Joel! Joel, honey, wake up!" I said, frantically, as I shake him awake. It was the middle of the night and we were on one of our patrols out with Ellie. I woke up just a few moments ago when I noticed that Shimmer and Ellie were gone. This worried me and I got up and saw a note from Ellie.

"(Y/n), what's wrong?" He asked me once he starts to wake up. "It's Ellie." I said and Joel sits up, quickly. "What happened?" He asked and I hand him the note I found. He reads it then his eyes widen and he looks up at me.

"She's gone." I said and we exchange a worried look before we got up, got dressed, mount our horse and head off after Ellie.

As the dark night sky started to turn a pink hue, we made our way back to that old familiar hospital and see Ellie sitting down on a crate. She looks up and sees us coming before she stands up as we get closer to her. "Ellie!" Joel and I call out and our horse stops then we dismount the horse and walk over to her.

"Come here." Joel whispers as he goes to hug her and I stand next to them and placed a hand on her shoulder. "The hell were you thinking? Running off in the middle of the night like that?" I asked her, worriedly, while I noticed she has this blank, disinterested look on her face. 

"You talk to us. You don't just leave us a damn note--" Joel said to her, his voice full of worry as well, when Ellie shoves him off of her then she slaps my hand off of her shoulder. She let's out a shaky breath then she looks up at us.

"Tell me...what happened here." She said, firmly, to us. Joel and I exchange looks before we look back at her, my heart pounding in my throat as I knew that this would happen. "If you two lie to me one more time...I'm gone. Both of you will never see me again. But if you guys tell me the truth...I'll go back to Jackson. No matter what it is." She said.

I look back over to the hospital and all the haunting memories of that night came flooding back into my mind. I look over at Joel as he looks at the building then he looks down at the ground. "Just say it." Ellie whispers to us and I bite my lips at this while I could tell by Joel's face that he was fighting the urge to say the truth.

"Guys..." Ellie pleads to us and I take a deep breath as I continue to stare at Joel. "Making a vaccine...would've killed you." I replied and Joel's face relaxed a bit as he turns to look at me and a tear runs down my face then we look over at Ellie, who looked shocked and disbelief. "So we stopped them." Joel finished and then the hurt and sadness hit Ellie as she looks down.

Then she sits down and starts to sob. "Oh my God!" She cries then she bends forward and starts to cry, her left hand over her face then she lowers it and places it over her heart as she continues to cry. Joel and I go to reach out to her, trying to comfort her, but she stands up and yells. "Don't you fucking touch me!"

She looks at us angrily while I tried to give the best I'm sorry look to her. "I'll go back. But we're done." She said, angrily, then she bends down, grabs her backpack and stomps away from us.

At that moment, I began to sob then I full on cried as I place my hands over my face, the tears running down my face. I felt Joel's hands on my shoulders as he turns me to face him and I bury my face into his chest while he holds me close.

"I...told...you. I...fuckin'...told you." I whispered, in between tears, to him as he holds me tighter and I hear him sniffling and his breathing shaking. "I know..." he whispers back, his voice full of tears, as we stay like this for a few moments just as we hear a horse start to gallop away.

Present Day

*3rd Person POV*

Joel groans as he wakes up in the same spot he always does since he was captured. Tied up to this damn chair. "Aiden and Ethan." A voice said and Joel jerks his head over to see Owen was sitting near him.

"Who's Aiden and Ethan?" He asked and Joel glares at him, confused. "You mumble in your sleep. Awhile ago you muttered those names. I mean, they must be important to you." Owen said. "That's none of your concern." Joel growls and Owen chuckles a bit. "Oh, they must be really important if you're being this tight lipped about it. Who are they, hmm? Friends? Cousins?" Owen asked.

"Why do you care?" Joel asked him, with a growl. "Just curious." Owen said  Joel scoffs and turns his head away from him. "Okay, fine. You don't have to tell me. I'm just here trying to make friendly conversations." Owen said and Joel rolls his eyes and scoffs at this again.

"But I would like to know...who's Sarah?" Owen asked and anger flared in Joel's chest as he slowly turns his head to Owen, if looks could kill...Owen would be dead a thousand times right now. "Oh I must've hit a nerve with that one." Owen said, curiously, when there was a knock at the door.

Owen gets up and heads to the door, opens it to reveal Mel standing there. "Hey, Mel." Owen said her. "Can I talk to you?" Mel asked him just as Joel let's out a loud cough. Owen looks over at him then back at Mel. "Sure. What's up?" He asked her. "I need to talk to you, privately." She said and Owen sighs then he walks out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Joel watches and listens as their voices and footsteps fade away before he looks down and raises his foot, revealing a knife. When Owen got up to the door and talked to Mel, the knife fell off the tray of food Owen had brought earlier. Once the knife hit the floor, Joel quickly fake coughed to disguise the noise as he used his foot to hide the blade.

Once Owen and Mel were far enough away, Joel manages to get the knife up to his hand and begins to cut the rope, freeing himself.

*(y/n)'s POV*

I wake up from sleeping on the floor of the backstage room and started to grab my backpack and head back towards the lobby. I'd hope to find Ellie alone and maybe talk to her about last night; but once I got to the doors that lead to the lobby, I found Jesse and Ellie sitting in a chair while Dina was curled up in a couch.

I look over at her and see that she looked pale and she was sweating. I frown over at her then at the other two before Jesse gestures for me to follow him. The three of us head up the stairs and we walk up to the top balcony, Jesse leans against the barrister before he speaks. 

"She had a rough night. Barely could get her to keep water down." Jesse said and I look over at them and could see that Ellie was barely looking at me. "Should've woken me up." I said to them as Ellie rubs the back of her neck while Jesse looks out towards the theater.

"Is she pregnant?" He asked us and Ellie and I look over at him, shocked that he figured it out. Course he is a smart guy, he would've figured it out. "Yeah." We said. "We've got to take her back. She needs real care and she's not gonna get it while she's here." Jesse said and I nod.

"I know. And that's why I think you two should go and take her back to Jackson. I'll get Tommy and Joel." I said and Ellie finally looks up at me. "What? No, I'm not leaving you here alone!" She said, quickly. "And if she stays here, Dina will stay too." Jesse said and I stare at them and smile a bit at them.

"Screw it. Let's go get them." Jesse said then he turns to me, goes into his pocket and pulls out the map. "This aquarium that girl told you guys about. Tommy hasn't found Abby or Joel yet. We'll post up there 'til he does." Jesse said as he hands me the map.

I take it and look it over before I look up at them. "And you two are good with leaving Dina by herself?" I asked them. "Her orders." Ellie said. "Okay." I muttered. "I'll tell her we're heading out." Jesse said and Ellie started to leave but I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ellie, can I talk to you?" I asked her. She looks at me then at Jesse before I look over at him and said. "It won't be long..." he nods and he walks down the stairs. Ellie folds her arms across her chest, still not looking at me. "(Y/n), we have to..." she started to say but I interrupt her.

"You don't have to say anything, just listen..." I said and she slowly looks back at me. "I just want to say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that...what I did to Nora last night scared you..." I said. "You didn't scare me." Ellie said, trying to act tough, and I raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh come on, Ellie. Ever since last night, you've barely looked at me. It's almost like you're...scared or afraid of what I'll do next." I said and she sighs before she looks down.

"I know you and Joel have said you've done some fucked up shit...but...I guess...just seeing it in person...was different than being told about it. I was just in shock." She replied and I frown a bit. "I did warn you." I said, softly. "I know, you did. I just...I thought I could handle it..." she said.

I frown at her again then placed my hands on her shoulders. "I've done even worse things to people. Things I'm not proud of. But that was under the guide of survival. Now I'm doing it for my family. For Joel, for Tommy, for Aiden and Ethan...and...for you." I said and Ellie's eyes widen in shock. "You guys are all the family I've got and have."

Tears start to fill Ellie's eyes then she goes and hugs me. I let out a small sob and hug her back then kissed the top of her head. We pull back from the embrace and I give her a smile as she stares into my eyes. "Okay...enough of this mushy shit...let's go get Joel and Tommy." I said and she nods and I walk over to the stairs and walk down them.

After waking Dina up and having her get the door for us, Jesse, Ellie and I head out into the rainy streets of Seattle. "Okay, the map showed the aquarium along the shore. Should be down this way." Jesse said and we make our way through the downtown area of the city.

"Did that girl ever tell you why they're doing this? Why they want you and Joel so badly?" Jesse asked and I could see Ellie giving me a worried look, I couldn't tell Jesse the real truth...at least not now. Hell, I'm still in disbelief on the truth as well.

"Yeah... they were part of the Fireflies. And Joel and I had some fallen out with them years ago." I replied. "What kind've fallen out?" Jesse asked.

"Joel and I were smugglers and we had some disagreements about some cargo. A fight broke out and some of their people died. And now they're wanting payback." I replied. "Damn. Seems a bit...I don't know...a lot of work for something pretty small." Jesse said. "Yeah, well, when you want revenge it can make you do some crazy stuff." I said and Jesse and Ellie nod.

"All I care about is to get to Tommy and Joel and bring them and Dina home." I said. "But that means leaving some of these assholes alive, including Abby." Ellie said. "Most of her friends are dead anyway. And as long as she or any of her living friends don't get in my way, then yes...we'll leave them alive. But if they do or try to come back to Jackson, we'll be ready." I said and they nod.

After making through some more collapsed buildings and large ponds and fighting through some WLF, we make it on top of a truck and I could see a ferris wheel off into the distance. "Hey, that aquarium. It's right next to that ferris wheel." Ellie said as she pulls put the map and shows it to me. "Good. Hopefully, Tommy has the same info." I said and we jumped down and started to swim through the collapsed area of the city.

We came up to an old bookstore and I started to look around when I hear Jesse and Ellie talking. "You know, I would've come with you guys. If you told me." He said. "I-I didn't think you'd want to or thought that it be a good idea." Ellie said as I look through some shelves. "I look up to Joel and (y/n). I would've come." Jesse said and I smiled at this.

Then I found some children's books that seemed to be intact. I wipe of the dust and look them over to see that they were, indeed, in great condition. "Yes." I muttered and I take off my backpack and put these books in my bag. 

"Whatcha got there?" Ellie asked me. "Some books for Aiden and Ethan." I said as I put my backpack back on. "Oh, cool." Ellie said then she looks around and smiles. "Here some more." She said as she pulls out more books out of the shelves.

She goes to hand them to me but I stopped her. "Why don't you say that those are from you. They would love it." I said to her. "Really?" She asked, shocked. "Of course." I said and she smirks a bit as she puts the books in her bag. "You know, they missed you." I said and she nods. "I missed them too." She said and we share a smile before we head out.

"Done with the shopping?" Jesse asked us. "Yep. Maybe you should look for some books for...y'know..." I said and Jesse shrugs. "Or I can borrow your books." He said and Ellie and I laugh. "Yeah, okay." I said and we head out.

"You think Abby picked the aquarium because it's so damn hard to get to?" Jesse asked us as we climb though some buildings. "Probably." Ellie said as we walk through this hole and walk along this walkway and look out towards the downtown area, where there was a highway off to the side and where the roads should be was replaced with a river. But the Ferris Wheel did look a bit closer now.

"Jesus. How the hell are we crossing this?" Jesse asked as I looked around. "We could us that road." Ellie said as she points out the highway. "It's pretty fuckin' far." I said then Jesse looks down. "Or we use that." He said and we look down to see one of the soldiers using a boat.

"Yeah. That's better." I said. "Okay, this way." Jesse said and we go through another building, climb down the floors until we reach the bottom area to see it was flooded.

We swim through it then ended up at looked like the main area of a mall, but it was crawling with WLF soldiers walking around. "Sniper spotted in 12. I repeat, sniper sighted at the marina. Likely a trespasser. Any nearby units report. Over." We hear a woman's voice say over the radio.

The three of us exchange a look as one of the soldiers ordered some of his man to head to the marina. Sniper. That's got to be Tommy. I thought as we swim over to a rope and we start to climb up.

We get to the top floor and I could see a soldier trying to start up a boat. Then I walk over to Jesse and Ellie as they stand next to a large hole of the building on the side. "Okay, here's the plan. You two head to the marina and help Tommy, I'll go to the aquarium." I said. "Are you crazy?" Ellie asked me. "Maybe." I said, shrugging.

"You can't go by yourself." Jesse said to me. "I can and I will. Plus, if Abby is there..." I started to say but Ellie shakes her head. "I'm not letting you go alone. I'm not turning my back on you and Joel again." She said and I give her a look. "I'm sticking with you. No matter what." Ellie said, her eyes full of tears. I stare at her for a moment then looked over at Jesse.

"You think you can handle getting Tommy on your own?" I asked him. "Yeah, I can do that. I've handled a bunch of WLF before, what's a few more gonna do." He said and I smiled. "Okay...good luck." I said and Jesse looks between us. "I really hope you guys make it." He said and he walks one way and Ellie and I walk another way.

@fangirl-inthe-us @critical-musings @sleepylunarwolf

[uselessgaywhovian]

Today on D&D: We broke the seal

first party death, what up!

so we’re trying to get this alliance with some lizardfolk, right?

we’re doin’ some errands and things, we killed a massive gator that was causing them problems, we brought back the massive gator carcass which was apparently good food, our fighter faced off against the lizard queen’s champion and beat him, everything’s going well, we’re making friends and influencing people.

Then we go to the hatchling room, and meet a female lizardfolk whose baby’s not doin’ great. I do well on the medicine check and know that there’s a medicinal flower that will help, and that grows in marshes. The lizardfolk tell us that those do grow around these ruins, but they can’t go there because there’s a terrible monster.

and we’re like “Okay, sure, fine, we just killed a giant gator yesterday, terrible monsters are our jam.” So we go on this fetch quest.

Guess what the terrible monster was.

it was a young black dragon with a drake.

So we’re like “oh fuck, we need to grab these flowers and fuckin’ run” but the fucking dragon gets a multi-attack on our npc ally/translator who we won’t be able to finish this quest easily without and almost fuckin’ kills him. I rush in to heal him so he doesn’t fuckin’ die on us, and then both of us get hit with the dragon’s acid breath, we fail our saves, it knocks us out in one hit.

i failed a death save and all i could think about was that i was gonna fuckin’ die and nobody ever knew i was a pirate the whole time.

but our sorcerer healed us, so we weren’t dying anymore, but then fired off an attack at the dragon. so once it got its breath attack back, it hit him with it. and he failed his save, and took the full damage. which insta-killed him.

we did manage to kill the dragon and the drake, but we’re level 4 and don’t have revivify, so the best i could do was slap him with a gentle repose and hope one of the lizardfolk shamans can help when we get back next session

shit got BUCKWILD.

anyway, can’t wait to see how this shakes out in the RP next week, ‘cause our monk got pretty dramatic about his near-death experience when he got knocked out one time, and now the character that he actually has some backstory connection to for realsies died so i’m sure he’ll be turnin’ on the broodiness.

i’ll need to feel out how Yara’s doin’ now, since she’s now had a new friend die. one of her biggest fears is having friends die, since she’s still not sure if any of her old crew were still in that slave galley when Umberlee wrecked the ship to free Yara. But also like... part out of not knowing for sure if she killed them, part out of not being able to talk about her past with anyone, she hasn’t really grieved for her friends. So she really doesn’t know how to grieve now. Like, as soon as the fight was over she slapped that gentle repose on him and immediately looted the dragon’s treasure and started harvesting parts from its body for trade because paying someone to revive the dead is gonna be fuckin’ expensive. it’ll be interesting to see if Yara’s natural businesslike response to this ends up rubbing anyone in the party wrong.

oh, also on the way to the ruins where all this happened, we saw out on the ocean a naval battle. the ship that won headed toward Saltmarsh of Seaton, i forget which, but that’ll be a fun thing to deal with when we’re done here.

[residentevil2remake]

i see you postin stuff about tlou 2, but what are your actual thoughts on the game? i don't remember seeing you expressing anything negative or good (and if you did i'm sorry) but i would love to read your opinion!

well... i think the reason why i haven’t really spoke about how i feel about this game is because i was thinking about it A LOT. Like, at first, I was pretty upset with it, but then I sat and reconsidered a lot of things actually. 

I think, my biggest problem, is that I’m in a middle of this  Do I think that the game is bad and it deserves 1/10? No, I don’t (I also think a lot of people don’t know what a 1/10 game is). Do I think this is a brilliant, not flawed 10/10 piece? No, I do find some parts briliant, but not flawed and a perfect game at all. 

I also think people getting so mad about TLOU2 are so stupid, like, as if characters are them and characters should always do right thing and do everything correctly. Game is about characters, not us. 

It’s hard to describe my feelings without spoilers, so here’s warning for this if you’re reading it. I’d fairly say that I enjoyed about 60-65% of the game and If I’d calculate that to standart scores it’d be probably 7/10 or almost 8/10 (if it wasn’t for some parts). Scores are just... meh, cause people always look only at that ignoring a whole point (and as if these numbers on all these critique sites mean jackshit from both players and journalist), in a case tlou2 it’s like even worse than normally. 

Right now to my biggest complaint - pacing. And, again, this might be a controversal opinion, but I don’t mind that Joel got killed (I love him, for real, despite having issue with Troy Baker and his roles lately but that still was fine to me), even in a way he died. However, I think what really sucks is a context, like as a player you just set to hate on the Abby (considering some of latest Sony TLOU2 podcasts - that’s a whole point), but like, as a story, again, in my opinion it just doesn’t works, especially when you developing your story and you know you gonna play as a character who did it, like, of course some people went bonkers and I can’t even blame them. Just like showing Abby’s friends (and a dog) after we killed them as Ellie doesn’t works. What’s the point literally? Like I personally don’t see any point investing in these characters when I know that they are dead already. Not to mention Abby’s affair with Owen didn’t made me care either, especially caring about it in a form of a flashback - just nah. Also, after Joel’s death you get to just walk around and... solve puzzles with gates...? That I can also find as a dropping point, but at least game picks up it pacing a little bit better lately.  Now what also I’m not a fan when games just wastes your time or just undoes any emotional investment you had. First things first - I like Abby actually and her relationship with Lev is like basically what kept me going playing her sections. And I wish I could say the same thing for Yara, but I can’t. Like Yara is fine to me, she could’ve been a great character, but the game just goes to it’s way making you care about getting her a cure and stuff and spending aaaaall that time getting it and taking a quite a big porting of Abby’s gameplay only to guess what? Kill her off AND making her killing the leader of WLF. Like what do you achive by that than just wasting story time and game time?? It’s just such a cop out. Just like having invest in Jesse and then just killing him off in the next scene... That is really bad imo, cause it really brought nothing. 

I also think everything should’ve been told chronologically, that would be so much better imo and made Joel’s death actually matter in the story, because you would’ve seen that forgivness progress. But at the same time, I do get why would they place it like that, cause ending wouldn’t work really. AT LEAST, I’ve rearagned them or something, made the game start much earlier and make a different tutorial and not what we got with character jumping. Like.... it’s hard to say caust it’s both. It’s both good and bad with for a story depending on how you look at it. Anyway, not that I have much problems with a story, but I think with some improvments, it would’ve been a masterpiece for me. I still actually very much loved game in the end, I think in some ways it is one of a kind and it’s probably a game that you either will love a lot or hate a lot. It actually made me reconsider some of my likings in gaming and media in general, no joke. Ellie’s story for sure. Also, it’s not the biggest thing I hated but some of the violence is just too graphic for me, for a videogame at least, like the first game didn’t made me feel this disturbed cause often it implied violence - not seeing Joel that kneecap knife scene and focusing on faces, Ellie just hitting low side of the screen and then game not showing David’s body and other stuff - unlike with TLOU2 when there’s only a few scenes like that and game is pretty much really mature and explicit. Is this a bad thing or not - decide for yourself.

As for a things I loved, I’d actually can say a lot of stuff what I enjoyed and found satisfying enough. And if i’d wanted I’d write paragraphs about that, but a lot of people are said/wrote much better things with which I agree so if you ever want to know - I’d link you that. And some of the parallels to first game are actually made with care. 

But making an easier a list:

Ellie and Dina writing feels natural and feels really grounded. It feels in a lot of places real and considering it’s a wlw relationship in AAA game I couldn’t be more happier. And I don’t have anything to add, yeah, some complaints can be made but Idc.

Gameplay is solid and I think unlike the first game there I played mostly for a story, I enjoyed it a lot. Loved the exploring, loved the shooting sections, stealh feels very natural, excellent animation helped it all flow. I would say that lower difficulties do make you feel like a Rambo a little bit, so higher difficulties are a bit more about “survival” but to each their own and I’m glad we have so many settings/options. P.S. some of the sections did suck and were a bit boring, especially since Abby’s are more linear in contrast to somewhat free to Ellie’s

Anything related to graphic and visual presentation is out of question. It’s really good (wish a film grain could be turned off for cutscenes, i think you can’t?)

Soundtrack is fantastic (it kind of silent in a lot of places, but give it a listen if you have chance it’s really really fucking good) and ambient sound of enviroment is great and helps overall 

I couldn’t be more fucking thankful for making both Ellie and Abby (and all women cast) so realistic. Like people call that type of desing of a characters boring and I just don’t care really (same thing happened with Jill recenetly), I could be more happy seeing people being so mad about how Ellie looks, and SPECIALLY how Abby looks. For a frist time seeing a game with real buff woman, with no snatched waist and just. As a person with not welcome bodytope in games at all, it just made me happy, it for real did. 

Overall, what I’d say, I enjoyed tlou2, I think it’s unforgetable expierence despite even some negative stuff I said. It’s one of a kind as well in my opinion, it is memorable to say the least. 

I personally think no matter what, you should give this game a chance and take some stuff with a grain of salt, but I’m not afraid to admit that I love this game, It’s just not for everybody and that’s fine.

But I think we at such place when you either hate or love a product, but I’m not that type of the person, so here’s this.

[throne-of-games]

Thoughts on 8x01

Once again this episode starts off with Dany shooting Jon glances, yet not having them returned. Tragic

The Northerners reactions to Dany riding up were gold. She looked so put off at not having people immediately bowing to her and I’m living for it

Missandei’s reaction as well was interesting. Wow they hate us

Dany’s self righteous smirk at people cowering from the dragons. Lovely, what a benevolent queen!

Jon hopping off his horse quick af without even thinking to offer Dany a hand because he’s so happy to be home and see his family. Lmao Aegon, who?

Sansa not having it with the empty flattery is my sexuality

Yeah, the Night King’s got a dragon now, good goin’ guys!

Dany standing off to the side looking super out of place during the meeting while Sansa and Jon sit side by side

Little Lord Umber’s introduction made me laugh

Sansa literally running this council meeting. Of course. She’s the only sensible one left in this gd series.

I’m not sure what you are. MORE PLS

I chose the North. Foreshadowing, perhaps?

Tyrion, sit your ass down. You’re not wanted in the North anymore than your queen is. Also the fact that he truly believes Cersei’s army is coming? I can’t believe the show has dumbed his character down to this extent. Smh. 

Dany’s face while Sansa’s bringing up extremely valid points. Sorry lady, while you’re out joyriding on your dragons, someone has to be an adult and think about the people.

Loving that the “apology” to Tyrion was more of a flippant oh, yeah sorry about that than something more heartfelt like the leaks were making it out to be. 

I CACKLED when I saw that Bran was still out in the courtyard. Like someone wheel his ass inside, it’s cold out here! Poor kid

I don’t think Jon meant that “Sansa thinks she’s smarter than everyone” line as a jab against her. To me it came off as an offhand joke and as other’s have already pointed out, I think it was more of a reflection of what Jon believes Sansa thinks of him than anything else.

Also the fact that he even had to ask Arya if she ever had to use Needle shows how he doesn’t realize that they’ve all changed so much and even after the last two seasons I think this is a major reason why he seems to forget how capable and smart Sansa really is. Jamie and Sansa aren’t the only slow learners, it seems

But with that being said, STARK SISTERS STICKING UP FOR EACH OTHER 2K19!!

I’m her family too. Poor insecure bb Jon. I think this line gives insight to a lot of his insecurities and why he and Sansa butt heads often. 

Don’t forget that. Serving those ‘Jon is a Stark and will always we a Stark’ vibes hard af!!

Cersei’s response to hearing the wall fell...honestly? Mood.

You want a whore, buy one. You want a queen...earn her. CERSEI!!

Tbh I almost feel bad for Cersei, it’s really her against the world at this point and her scenes in King’s Landing feel so lonely

Theon saving Yara!! Theon going North!!

I love that it’s Dany and Jon’s advisors talking marriage but not them. What a beautiful love story!

NOTHING LASTS while literally looking at Jon and Dany. Can’t get more obvious than that lmao

WAS THAT A THREAT I HEARD?! DANY, BITCH, I WILL RIP YOUR STALE STRAW MAN LOOKIN WEAVE OFF

I get why people are pissed at Jon in that scene but it’s not like he can really throw down right then and there, he truly believes the dragons are the only way to win but y’ know I guess you could just chalk it up to bad writing

Dragons don’t like the North, hm? Well they don’t like you either, so there’s that. But seriously I’m kinda liking that bit. Dragons don’t do well in the North, they don’t belong there...Dany’s a dragon...do you see where I’m going with this?

The dragon riding scene wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. It’s definitely setting up the fact that Rhaegal is bonded to Jon now and it’s all happening before the parentage reveal gets out. Interesting.

I’ve already posted about this but DANY IS THE ONE THAT SAID THAT SHITTY 1000 YEARS LINE, NOT JON!! Lmao

Dany initiating the kiss, while sneaking in a reminder of her status over him. Classy

All I could think about during the kiss was how awkward it must have been for Kit and Emilia. Poor bb’s

Jon eyeing Drogon during the kiss!! I’M LIVING. It came off so gd menacing like Drogon doesn’t trust him or there’s definitely some animosity there

Arya and Gendry banter, cute!!

Jon and Sansa arguing? HERE FOR IT. I really liked the way Jon said “I brought home two armies and two dragons.” To me, it came off very much like he was saying I’ve done all of this, what more can I do to earn your approval. He needs to be validated by her so bad and it’s so precious. Also “she’s not her father.” Ten minutes later finds out she burnt a son and father together just like her father. That’s some goooood foreshadowing right there, mhm!

I wanted to cry for Sam. I felt so bad for him. And Dany was so cold throughout the whole thing, like she couldn’t spare an ounce of sympathy but let’s be honest, no surprise there. Also, all the antis who said sam’s not gonna care!! can suck my big toe

Anyone else get the feeling that Jorah might be torn here? He owe’s Sam, feels grateful towards him but now that Dany and Sam are at odds, Jorah’s gonna be caught in the middle of this. Super interested to see how that plays out

BRAN IS STILL IN THIS FUCKING COURTYARD?!

Jon being shocked at what Dany did because of course she didn’t tell him, they’ve had a total of like maybe seven conversations throughout the course of the entire show

That whole crypt scene was just odd to me. I felt like Jon was trying to rationalize to himself rather than to Sam why Dany wasn’t that bad and why he didn’t make a huge mistake in bringing her to the North because he honestly, truly believes the dragons are their last chance at survival. Doesn’t seem like someone trying to convince himself that his gf is a good person it seems like someone trying to convince himself that he didn’t acquire another threat in his quest to defeat the original threat. Poor guy just can’t catch a break.

Anyone else think that “Daenerys is our queen, that’s treason,” line sounded a little halfhearted or was it just me?

“You gave up your crown to save your people, would she do the same?” NO SHE WOULDN’T, WE LITERALLY SAW THIS HAPPEN IN SEASON 7!! THIS EXACT FUCKING SCENARIO!! 

Love how Jon doesn’t answer that with a resounding of course she would because he fucking knows she wouldn’t since he y’know LIVED IT 

JAMIE HAS ARRIVED!!

The Night King is extra af making wall murals out of body parts, can’t you just send a raven or something? Sweet baby jesus 

Did anyone else feel like this episode was just kind of blah? Like it feels like they’re just trying to get the show over at this point, the parentage reveal was way lackluster and everything was just kinda eh. Maybe it’s because of the leaks, I don’t know but I sure hope the rest of the season will turn out better.

[renlyisright]

Season 7 Episode 7 - Hey, We Won at Scheming, Who Would Have Guessed

Welp, I finished the master’s thesis before I finished the show. I can’t exactly say that I have grown up with these characters because most of them have stopped growing up for death-related reasons. Well, there’s the Stark kids who are still alive, and their careers are all on up-swing.

In this final episode of the season, we visit the ruins of the dragon pit, and they make me wonder just how large it must have been when the dragons were still super large.

The truce meeting is about to start, but Daenerys has brought her army to stand near King’s Landing, just in case. Both the Unsullied and the Dothraki. Euron’s massive fleet is protecting the Blackwater, against Daenerys’ fleet of… five ships.

The negotiators are allowed entrance, and are brought to the third hill of King’s Landing, and the one tourist attraction we haven’t seen yet, the Dragon Pit. Which is a big place, but sadly a ruin. Being a large pile of already-cut stone right in the city with no current use never helps any historical building, those stones can be put to a much better use.

As this meeting includes almost everyone of any importance, and also some sidekicks, there’s more reunions. Tyrion says that he missed Bronn. Bronn seems to have his business in order, bringing Cersei’s enemies to her and thinking of retiring with his reward if the negotiation ends with heads on spikes. But if Daenerys wins in the end...

Everyone arrives to the arena, and the Hound begins the game by threatening the Mountain. There’s clearly a duel being set up between these two death-cheaters, but as at any time either of them can be killed by, well, anything, I’m not holding my breath for a super smackdown between them.

Daenerys arrives fashionably late, and brings her two dragons to the dragon pit, and… how big exactly this place must have been in the beginning? Drogon’s wings almost cover the middle of the arena by themselves.

As Daenerys, Jon and Tyrion predicted, their enemies just laugh about the matter before seeing the evidence. After that, they present a bit of theater, as Cersei later reveals. Euron proclaims that he’s moving his fleet to the Iron Islands, away from the Dead, and Cersei gives a practised speech of accepting the truce.

So did they have intel of the evidence, or did Cersei make plans for the low-odds-event that the thing she has ridiculed every time it has come up is actually true. If so, that’s remarkably good planning, from her.

The showing of the evidence was quite a show, Jon used the one wight they had in great detail for everyone to see. Qyburn was especially interested… well, he has practised getting one almost dead man up and running, so searching this body for any clues for advancing the scientific understanding of life and death must intrigue him… Let’s hope he doesn’t create a new White Walker in the middle of the Red Keep.

Cersei asks Jon to promise to go back to the North and stay there. Jon can’t promise that, so the negotiation ends, just like that. Tyrion and Daenerys say that Jon should have just lied and not been so Neddy. But just because others do something universally agreed to be bad, it doesn’t mean you should too. Anyway, Cersei walks out and Tyrion goes to speak to him alone, as he matters the least if he gets killed.

But he doesn’t, even after coaxing Cersei to kill him for what he did. Cersei is too shocked to give the word, and it could also be that she simply can’t give people what they ask from her, it’s completely unnatural to her. She blames Tyrion for killing Tywin, which opened them for their enemies and brought about the dead of the rest of the kids. The legacy of Tywin Lannister… you know, if the only thing keeping everyone from attacking your family is their fear of you, that does not a good legacy make. The legacy of Ned Stark was the North supporting first Robb and then Jon out of respect to him, the legacy of Tywin Lannister was everyone piling up on the Lannisters once he was out of the way.

The result of Cersei and Tyrion’s discussion is that Cersei proclaims to join them in the fight against the Dead, while expecting nothing good to come to herself for that decision. Yes, what did we speak about lying just now?

Speaking of Ned Stark’s legacy, Jon and Theon talk about it. Theon betrayed his memory, but, as Jon says, he was more of a father to Theon than Balon ever was. And so they can use that bond to reconcile, and Jon can encourage Theon to take charge and take the lead of Yara’s men.

Symbolism, Theon is starting to change his weaknesses into strengths. This is symbolised by allowing the Ironborn he is fighting to kick him to the nuts, to no effect. Yes, this is symbolism speaking.

The man says to Theon “Stay down, or I’ll kill you”. When Theon has the upper hand, he bashes his head in with a rock for that mercy. I would say that the Ironborn have a specifically violent way to solve disputes, but… nope. Not specifically, not at all. But Theon gets to be the leader of the pride, and gets to go against the Ramsay-placeholder enemy to confront his trauma. Someone should invent better therapy methods.

In Winterfell, the winter continues to fall from the sky. Littlefinger tries to chaos things up, but his time’s up. There’s no room for him anymore in this new magical and thriller-pace world.

I read A Dance With Dragons last winter, and while I liked most of it, like the writing style, the characters, seeing more of non-royals, and the new locales, the ending was a disappointment. Or rather, that there wasn’t an ending. There’s more books to go (and I hope to get to read them), but this one just… stopped when the page count went over 1000. It had the same problem as the fourth one, people spent a lot of time going from one place to another, so that when they arrived the book was almost over (or in Victarion’s case, it was over), and the end result was just a list of cliffhangers. Like, imagine ending A Clash of Kings just before Blackwater, or last season before the Battle of the Bastards. It felt like the arc of the book was incomplete, and I wasn’t given a reason to care about the new side plots, like which of them will actually matter and which just padded the book until it had to end early?

The funny thing of course is that this show has now the opposite problem of jumping from one set piece to another without build-up or showing of the journey. And when you can’t keep up with this new world, you lose the game of thrones.

Littlefinger schemes a wedge between Sansa and Arya. He doesn’t want a trained assassin in the same castle as he is, now that he has supported Sansa to ladyship and is perhaps looking for a way to make her a queen as well… that was his weakness, stick to just getting power and you’d have much easier job, but no, you have to include getting a specific woman into your plans and that’s when you make mistakes. But it doesn’t matter anymore what he schemes, as magic has entered Winterfell.

Bran can cheat. He can see the past, and apparently can see exactly where and when he wants. So he traced Littlefinger’s steps, and found out all his betrayals. Many of them Sansa already knew, so the rest mustn’t have come as a shock. So the Starks, who value honesty and honor, now can see if they are betrayed or lied to. Once Jon gets to Winterfell, Bran can tell him what Cersei said after they left. Political intrigue, a corner block and most of the wall of the show, has suddenly become useless. The Littlefingers of the world can’t scheme anymore against the Starks. They have Won At Scheming.

The dagger, the dagger, is revealed to be originally Petyr’s. As I said earlier, the only way the revelation could matter anymore would be if it was someone’s who is still living, or someone’s whom we’d never think to order Bran’s assassination. And here we are, it was the Chaos Man. I’m not sure if the dates add up, how did he know of Bran’s fall so that he could hire the assassin, when he was in King’s Landing at the time? Maybe he wasn’t? And why use his own expensive dagger and lie that it was Tyrion’s, when a simple Lannister knife would have worked much better?

In the book the answer was different. Tyrion figured out that it was Joffrey, who stole his father’s dagger and gave it to the assassin. He never confirmed it with anyone, and anyway Joffrey died moments later. I can fully well believe it from Joffrey. But it’s been so long since Joffrey died that at this point one more evil deed to his name wouldn’t mean much. So the culprit is now Littlefinger, and wow, listing all his schemes like that tells how without him the status quo would likely be just where it was in the beginning. He has a lot of blood on his hands. Daenerys and the Dead would still be wild cards, though.

And so the king of the ash heap, Petyr Baelish, dies in the dark main hall of Winterfell, in the middle of the mess he’s spent years to create, without achieving his goals, without any allies and with absolutely nobody going to miss him.

As I have said, for being such a dark and gritty show, the villains don’t get any better ends than those who try to do better, and their legacies are usually worse.

Speaking of both the villains and those who try to do better, Cersei informs Jaime that nope, we are not going anywhere, she used the neat trick called lying. Euron went to get mercenaries with elephants (ooh!) from Essos.

This is enough for Jaime, who storms away, after telling Cersei to have the Mountain kill him for it if she so desires. In the end, she doesn’t, even after threatening him with that. But after listening to her lie and cheat for years, Jaime just says “I don’t believe you” and leaves. See, consequences.

Poor Cersei, losing everyone’s trust and being entirely alone at the end of the episode. Only her massive armies to keep her on the throne. Which is a funny thing, now that I think about it. She has managed to antagonize everybody, but because she has killed everyone in King’s Landing who has criticized her, she gets to still rule, because there is no one else in the city to take the crown from her. She’s taking advantage of the fact that no new important characters are going to be introduced at this point. Euron was the last one, in the season 6 of 8, and even he feels like he exists only as a mid boss so Daenerys’ invasion isn’t too easy, to be killed once fleets don’t matter anymore.

Of course Cersei takes advantage of the fact that her enemies are scary. New Targaryen invasion, with the Dothraki and Unsullied. Nothing like the good old rulers we have here in Westeros, who may blow up the most holy building on the continent to escape a trial and kill the servants of the main religion, but are at least… from the same continent?

It’s still weird that the Seven is the main religion, when it has been the most useless one in actual action. Did they ever do anything? When the Old Gods were driven from the South, were the Seven doing anything to support their believers? Well, did the Old Gods? Does the Drowned God? Well, if Euron’s fleet’s speed is a boon from the Drowned God, that would explain a lot.

The winter comes to King’s Landing as well. Snow will be next season’s color. Along with darkness, but if the scenery gets any darker I won’t see anything on screen.

A song of fire: Sam arrives at Winterfell, safe and sound. He must have found out about his father and brother on the way, but it’s not mentioned. He meets with Bran, and by giving him a hint of where to look, Bran sees the wedding of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. So they were legally married, and their child, Jon, is not a bastard, but the legal heir to the Throne, Aegon Targaryen. Boom. And there’s him and Daenerys being all Targaryeny.

Bigger thing than the heir business, is that Rhaegar is no longer sullied by the rape, which is the main thing he is remembered for. “He was a noble and great knight from the stories, a great prince, and a rapist whose horribleness brought about the rebellion.” But was that lie better than the truth? Or did someone, last generation’s Littlefinger, spin the story for the worst so a proper war could get started?

Anyway, has Daenerys fought all her battles so that she can give the throne to the rightful heir, who is not her, the Breaker of Chains?

A song of ice: Sansa and Arya talk, and remember their father’s words of working together: The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Legacy.

In the Eastwatch-by-the-sea, bad things happen. A dragon is a nuke option, and the Night King uses it gladly. Its power seems to be enough to destroy the Wall and remove the spells as well. And so the dead march to the lands beyond the Wall, bringing a new night with them.

After all the hype of the Wall, it couldn’t even put up a fight when the dead finally arrived. Beric Dondarrion and Tormund try to run to safety, and I can’t see if they succeed. But I’d presume that there would be a clearer shot if they died. And, well, we are talking of Beric Dondarrion here. He could always play dead.

But guess who from the Night Watch survived the apocalyptic event of the onslaught of the dead and the destruction of the Wall? And did it just by not being where the attack happened? My favourite watchman, Dolorous Edd. How does he do it?

By the way, Night Watch, Long Night, Night King, connecting these took too long for me.

[julibf]

WHY THE END OF GAME OF THRONES IS NOT WORKING FOR ME....

I told in some of my past metas, that I wrote after the show was done, why the ending was so unsatisfying and I am going to try to explain why here in some point. Its not because it was sad and heartbreaking, or some of our theories never really turned out to be true.

I am afraid to say, Its George RRM who is letting me down, not Benioff and Weiss. So lets start with the points that are making my head spin.

BRAN THE BROKEN KING

If accept Bran Stark as the final King of this story, I have to pretend I didnt read the past books A CLASH IF KINGS and a FEAST FOR CROWS, where we had very good contenders fighting for the Throne (Rob Stark, Renly Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Joffrey Baratheon, etc) Yes, some of those men were not so good from a moral point of view, but they brought strength, militar support, militar and political alliances, legitimate claims to the Throne...

I could go on and on and on. There is absolutely no reason for why would Yara Greyjoy would bend the knee to Brandon Stark and accept him as her leader and ruler; or the Prince of Dorne, or the Lords from the Westerlands. This choice is absolutely absurd and if you read the books you would know that picking a boy king, with no claim to the Throne or no powerful armies makes any sense at all. Whe we add the fact Bran had hardly any experience ruling or leading people during the 7 years of this story, this pic gets even more and more bizarre.Not to mention, I really dislike the idea that humans are incapable to control their own emotions, and because of that we must pick a God like creature with no emotions.

 I understand George wanted a surprising ending and he wanted to go against the expectations, but this choice is an utopia. I cant get behind this choice. I am sorry.

TYRION HAND OF THE KING

Again, do I have to pretend I didnt read the books and actually know that being a Kingslayer is a very terrible sin to carry on Westeros??? Tyrion is not a beloved figure in this story, even before he killed his own father, Tywin Lannister.

Tyrion decision to kill his father, not only started the downfall of House Lannister, it also made the entire region of the Westerlands political weaker and more vulnerable to future attacks.He must be a very despised figure in the entire realm. Yet, he will be the second person in charge of Westeros??

At this point I am at loss of words. I have no idea what George is planning with this.

JON KILLING DAENERYS AS A LOVER IS A TERRIBLE IDEA.

Awful, terrible, horrible idea. Any way you slice, this was a terrible idea to end such amazing novel. Its corny, outdated and down right dangerous, considering we live in a world where females are at risk of being murdered by their male partners all the time.

This is such underwhelming decision, in a sea of underwhelming decisions that I am starting to think George was simply trying to make us all hate this ending.

We could have the realm raising in Rebelion against the Queen of Ashes; we could have second Dance of Dragons; We could have Arya using her underused superpowers as a Faceless men to kill Daenerys. No, we will have Jon Snow, still making excuses for Daenerys terrible behavior, begging her to start acting better???? telling her she will always be his queen while putting a dagger into her heart!!!

Again, this ending is coming from George himself. I cant really blame the D’s for this mess.

JON SNOW AND DAENERYS TARGARYEN ROMANCE WAS ANOTHER TERRIBLE IDEA.

Awful, terrible, horrible idea. Any way you slice, this was a terrible idea to end such amazing novel. If you dont believe Political Jon theory, then Jon Snow is just a completely fool, who fell in love with a tyrant, closed his eyes to all her terrible behavior and in the end was forced to kill the love of his life to save humanity. He is a idiot. and it breaks my heart that this is how Jon Snow will be remembered by audiences.  Some people keep on telling me. “Oh, by, I dont think this is how George will write him, I think its going to be much better” But I have to say, I dont think it will.

I do believe Jon was playing Dany in the beginning of their romance and was manipulating her in order to use her dragons and armies to save the North, but I also believe that once he finds out she is his family too, he became a little torned between his Targ and Stark family. He is a family man in the end of the day and he must feel some sort of guilty for his actions towards D@ny.

I think that George will keep Political Jon hidden between the lines, just like the show did. He may write much better and be more obvious, but I dont think it will ever be revealed explicit to the audience. And this is what kills his character. If he doesnt reveal to the audience that Jon was playing Daenerys, than it seems Jon Snow never really learned anything from his past 10 years and it sucks!!

No matter how you slice it, if George will keep Jon’s actions hidden and make the audience believe he is madly in love with this entitled monster and will keep on defending her until the very end and this is the character assassination of Jon Snow.

If, he is madly in love with Dany and has to be told several times that he must kill her to save the world from her tyranny, he is an IDIOT who never learned a damn thing in his life. If he DOESNT love Dany, but out of duty still is loyal to her, and has to be told several times to kill her in order to save the world, he is an IDIOT who never fucking learns anything. I dont get what George is doing here. He is destroying the character he spend so much time bulding as a hero, but that's exactly what he wants to do it. Maybe there are NO HEROS. (what a shit message).

I wished Jon and Dany had been just allies and later became enemies. This would be a much better ending for both characters.

CHARACTERS ARCS THAT SEEMS POINTLESS BY THE END OF THE STORY....

Jaime can not put Cersei behind him and comes back to die with her in the end;

Jon Snow can never, ever, ever learn with his mistakes and is still struggling after so much pain and misery in his life, over duty and honour.

Jon Snow years and years learning to be a leader and ruler is absolutely pointless and he is sent back to the Wall, where he started???

Sansa, who dreamed about love and family all 5 novels, ends this story completely alone;

Arya, who desperate wanted to go back home since season 1, leaves once again, this time for good??? leaving her younger brother alone in the South (where Stark men dont do well), her sister alone in Winterfell and Jon all alone at the Wall. WHAT THE FUCK?????

Daenerys can never overcome her family tragedy of Fire and Blood, and becomes the monster her father was;

In fact, it seems that its impossible for humans to evolve and become better people than their parents, a God like creature must rule us all, otherwise we are lost. (I can not repeated enough times, what terrible message this ending is, and its no even true!!!!, we live in a world of no magic, and we were able to produce rules who brought us peace, progress and humanity.)

THE COMPLETE LACK OF JOY, LOVE AND HOPE....

What really got me by surprise in the end, it was how sterile and hopeless this entire story felt. George once said that he writes so much violence, deaths and rapes in his novels because it is part of real medieval life and would be a lie to avoid those themes in his books, but you know whats also real part of medieval life?? Marriages? Marriage alliances, happy normal ones, who produce children, heirs, LIFE, FUTURE!!!

Oh we had weddings on ASOIAF, but most of them ended in slaughter, death, rape, misery. I dont think we had one happy birth inthis entire story? Gilly had a child from her father rapist and Edmure was able to produce a child too, but his bride Roselin was actualy in tears when they had sex (because she was aware of the Red Wedding plans) 

What a miserable tale this was. Our heros never really get to experience real joy. They never get to fullfill their childhood dreams. But they do get to be raped and abused, so, maybe thats ALL IT REALLY happened in the medieal times. Oh wait, its not tue, The War of the Roses ended with the marriage of Henry Tutor and Elizabeth of York. They had a very happy marriage and produced several children. 

In our story, we dont get to have laughter, joy, happiness or hope for a future. We do get several pages of Theon being tortured and dismembered in the books; or Sansa being physically and mentally abused; or Jon being consumed by loneliness and grief. But I guess, thats all it happened in the medieval times, so..........

Funny thing is, you see, before the story started, marriages and children were a common occurence in Westeros. Ned and Cat had several children; Cersei and Robbert had 3; Lysa was able to produce a child too; The Tyrells keep on making babies, even God damn Lyanna Stark, who only spent a few months married to Rheagar, was able to had a child. What miracle, its almost like those events were normal facts in those days.

In our story, no House can produce children, even bastards!!! Jon, Theon and Tyrion had quite lots of sex during this story, yet no children was ever produced. Maybe all men in Westeros became sterile, once ASOIAF started it. 

AS YOU SEE....

By the end of the day, I am disappointed in George, not really the TV show, which is even more sadder. I think he wrote a very beautiful story, but his ending is taking away all my joy for those characters and this novel. I know he wanted avoid the expected and subvert the expectations, but he is shooting his own story in their foot. And its braking my heart.

What terrible way to end such fascinating tale...

“[Bran] will be a good ruler bc he’s inhuman - which is a very depressing message. GoT was always about the struggle between human good & human evil w/in each person. Bran being king suggests that the solution to human evil isn’t human good, it’s being not human.”  

ALT SHIFT X described in great words, how I felt about this ending, and you could sense his disappointment in the final message of this story too. It's was an extremely nihlistic ending. Westeros hasn't changed in facts it's worse politically. 

A SONG OF ICE ANF FIRE VS LORD OF THE RINGS....

Now, lets compare this to LORD OF THE RINGS ending, who also got a bittersweet ending. Remember, George RRM is always comparing those stories and believes he is having a conversation to Tolkien. 

Honest to God, in comparison LOTR looks like a Disney movie. It has a beautiful coronation ceremony, humanity came together to save the world from evil, and THEY TRIUMPHED!!!! There is JOY, LOVE, HOPE. Aragorn is King of the Reunited Kingdom, the people love and admire him (can we say the same about King Bran?) . 

He marries his childhood love, Arwen and produce an heir. This brings hope and a sense of future for the reader. This story is uplifting, its inspiring, its quite frankly, a good story. 

Its impossible not feel good about this story and the ending is one of the reasons this story has touched so many people, from all over the world and has remained a classic. Because, the tale of humanity coming together to defeat the evil is a theme that its always occurring in our life times. This is something that Tolkien experienced personally, having to fight in the WWII.

The nazis were defeated because several countries, put aside their differences and fought for the good of humanity and yes, it is possible. And after WWII we actually managed to achieve a lot of humans rights for several people who were considered less in the early century. 

In GOT there was no joy or celebration, no weddings to form new alliances; to make peace; no births to bring new heirs, to bring a hope for the future. In fact, most wedding in the show were always associated with death and pain. Death and pain, yes, there was a lot of death and pain in ASOAIF. Thats all it has to offer the reader and viewer? Death, pain and misery??

I understand that George wanted to do the different and not give what the reader really wanted. But I have to be honest to you, in my opinion, this was a unfulfilling, uninspiring, unpleasant story. I said a few times, i have no desire to re read those long books. This story brought me no joy. And I understand that, stories are not obliged to bring us joy, but, they are supposed to make sense. And, I just dont think the ending made a lot of sense for those who read the books. Hey, maybe that was our mistake. Hee

What sad story :/

[jonsafan-blog]

Somewhere the Dead Can’t Go

You want to know why the actors say nobody has guessed the complete plot of season 8?

Because everyone underestimates the Greyjoys.

When Theon and Yara part, she says something almost every single one of us missed:

Yara: “Daenerys will need somewhere to retreat if they can’t hold the North. Somewhere the dead can’t go.”

While I think it is possible Theon informed her of that fact, this scene appears to happen relatively soon after her rescue due to the nature of their conversation.

The idea that the dead can’t cross water is a point brought up in the dragon pit meeting by Euron himself, pretending that he is abandoning Cersei and going home. He advises Daenerys to do the same.

Most of what he said was planned, but I believe everything connected to the wight was his own personal insight, and he shared it with Yara during their talks on the ship.

Why did he talk to Yara? He’s gathering information. He’s using her to find a way to get closer to Daenerys.

Because Euron’s stated goal from the kingsmoot has never changed. He wants to seduce the dragon queen so that together she and the Ironborn can take over Westeros and the world.

Daenerys hates the Westerosi nobility as much as the Ironborn do - it is the one thing they have in common, and I think the one thing that will unite them. That she has the ability to conquer Westeros with dragons and a familiarity with Essos, the land the Ironborn reave, is no doubt a motivating factor.

My point is that Euron is going to betray Cersei and he has always intended to betray Cersei - he just needs to make sure nobody realizes that until he makes his move.

And what is his move?

Right now he has thrown all his support to Cersei, which is not going to make him a favorable match to Daenerys. However, we are reminded again and again that he is not trusted by the Lannisters even though he has given Cersei everything... because he is being set up to betray her.

Even Yara isn’t sure why he is fighting for Cersei, believing that he has chosen the losing side. Euron doesn’t appear miffed by this, and even stated he would sail his fleet somewhere else.

Because that’s what he is going to do.

However, what he has done in the past helps us understand his position going forward:

He eliminated most of Daenerys’s allies. While he left the Iron Islands undefended, Yara isn’t about to go and fight him because she doesn’t have the manpower to do so.

Although Euron is represented as a reckless and arrogant man, he has also been shown as a capable one: he overthrew his brother, built a massive fleet, destroyed two large armies, and brought another army to fight for his ally. He is, in essence, the dream ally. He simply delivers.

Daenerys has suffered major setbacks upon arriving in Westeros. She had only managed to secure unreliable allies until Jon Snow, and doesn’t appear to have many friends in Westeros who will serve her loyally.

My theory for the last half of the season is that Daenerys and Euron will team up together. Why?

Because Daenerys will lose her only Westerosi ally: the North.

She needs to make a proposal with a man from Westeros, and Euron is the first person to recognize the necessity of their match even before she meets Jon. His entire mission is to seduce her, and why he had setbacks, I don’t think that has deterred him. He just simply modified his approach: show his strength, weaken her options, and pounce.

It makes no sense why he hasn’t demanded more from Cersei, and I think that’s because he doesn’t actually expect much from her. She’s merely a stepping stone to another queen.

Everything about his interactions with people is about fishing for information and weaknesses to use later for his own benefit.

Now the importance of what he is doing is critical. Theon and Yara did not kill him early into the season, which means he has a higher purpose than the Greyjoy conflict itself.

When the Golden Company heads towards Westeros, Euron is going to betray them for Daenerys, and use that as a way into her good graces. By doing this, Euron eradicates 2/3 of Cersei’s forces and makes Daenerys’s bid for the Throne much easier.

However, becoming her ally is about more than uniting together against Cersei, it’s about uniting against the North.

As a general fandom and as Jonsa fans, we have a lot of theories about Theon’s future with the Starks, but I think the real point is that there will be two Greyjoy forces in the Dance of Dragons at the end of the show.

Theon is going North to fight for the Starks... not Daenerys.

Something is going to happen in episode 2 or 3 that will forever change the dynamic of the Stark-Targaryen alliance. Most of us believe the Sansa kidnapping plot will be it, and while I am all for it I have proposed an alternative possibility: the Theon rescue plot.

Point being, Daenerys and Sansa are not getting along, and that is very bad for Daenerys. She needs Sansa to be her ally to secure her alliance to the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale. In episode one, we see Sansa talking to Yohn Royce for a reason - because she’s not just the key to the North, but the key to the Vale.

The Sansa kidnapping plot proposes that Cersei is going to kidnap Sansa from Winterfell in order to get her revenge and/or coerce Jon to act against Daenerys.

We also know from episode one that Cersei plans to kill both her brothers even after securing a deal with Tyrion and she has separate plans for Daenerys. Nobody is sure what this is yet.

But I digress:

How the Sansa kidnapping plot unfolds, according to popular theory, is that the Golden Company is being sent to attack Winterfell and kidnap Sansa.

That’s a good theory. I love this theory. I think there is a 50% chance it’s true.

I used to think it was a 75-100% chance it was true.

The reason why that has fallen away is because of the other strange parts of the leaks and the revelations of the first episode. It was rumored that Sansa Stark was killed in the leaks at Winterfell, but this makes no sense given the exhausting number of costume changes she is set to have, and other leaks and character comments that suggest a much longer lifespan in the season.

Later leaks with Jon in King’s Landing ended up really cementing the kidnapping plot in jonsa fandom, but again, I think the show may be going somewhere else.

Theon will do anything for Sansa. He’s shown that before. He loves Yara and would die for her, but Theon and Sansa have a deep, abiding connection both in their torture under Ramsay and as their time in Winterfell.

Theon is like Jon: he is both a Stark and a Greyjoy. He can’t abandon the Starks when they need him now. He hurt them before, and has never stopped regretting it.

But Theon’s storyline isn’t just to save the Starks, he also needs to be responsible for their rise - specifically, Jon’s rise to power as King on the Iron Throne.

He can’t take a backseat to that mission, and he needs a consequential part to that story.

My primary idea with the Theon Rescue Plot is that Daenerys decides to quietly assassinate Sansa to secure her alliance with the North. She does this by having a Dothraki attempt to kill her during the siege of Winterfell.

I think it is entirely possible the Golden Company never arrives in Winterfell before it is lost.

Rather, a Dothraki attacks Sansa and she is rescued by Theon while Arya leads the Dothraki away. Perhaps the reason we see Arya running in the trailer isn’t because she’s running from the undead or from the Golden Company - but because she’s realized they have been betrayed by their ally, Daenerys Targaryen.

Sansa and Theon sneak out of Winterfell like they had done before and head towards the only ally they can trust: Yara. Theon knows Yara is an ally of Daenerys, but Daenerys never tried to save Yara, and I think that is important because it means Yara can be turned against her.

When Theon and Sansa arrive on Pyke, it will be after Yara has taken it back and secured a safe place for Sansa and Theon to recoup - somewhere the dead can’t go.

Meanwhile, in Winterfell, it has been destroyed in the battle and the survivors prepare to leave for Dragonstone. Arya survived the attack and kills Alys Karstark because of how similar she is to Sansa or finds her dead body. Arya is good at preparing dead bodies, and this training as a faceless man will help prepare her to make a false body to secure enough time to make her move.

Arya’s training - none of it - was useless. It was all to help her to act against Daenerys as a spy.

Arya lurks. Arya prepares. Arya strikes.

As Theon and Sansa go to Pyke, Arya is preparing to make her counter attack against Daenerys. But this isn’t easy, since Winterfell ultimately falls and they need to retreat to Dragonstone.

Arya needs to peel away at Jon’s anxieties about treason and taking the throne, and I don’t think she is going to tell Jon that Daenerys tried to kill Sansa right away. Instead, Arya is going to play on Daenerys’s unsuitability as Queen - Daenerys questions even continuing the fight against the dead.

I think she is going to sow discord between the two for an episode until Jon loses faith, and that is when Sansa reveals herself:

In Pyke, Sansa, Theon, and Yara will move out to gather allies for Jon’s claim. Jon doesn’t have the stomach to commit treason against Daenerys, but Sansa does. She will do whatever is necessary to raise an army large enough to contend against Daenerys and fight against the dead.

And when she has secured the Riverlands and the Vale, the attempt against her life will be revealed. Jon will be shocked.

That is when Jon will steal a dragon and the Northerners will defect against Daenerys to join Sansa’s army - backed by Theon Greyjoy.

In the absence of Jon’s support, Daenerys will be severely weakened and need another ally, and another consort, to make up for the loss. She will have no other choice but to accept Euron’s terms.

In episode 5, I think Jon and Sansa will be reunited, and this reunion will have a different tone to it than the past.

Some have pointed out that the events of their reunion in episode one mirrors their situation before the Battle of the Bastards: one is keeping a secret from the other that will turn the tide of the war but isn’t sure that move should even be employed.

But what Sansa failed to consider before the Battle of the Bastards is that she and Jon have so many enemies now... but they are not enemies to each other because they are Starks...

And Jon, while a Targaryen by birth, is like Theon, he’s a Stark, and their enemy includes the person who took their home and independence: Daenerys Targaryen.

A big battle separates their first tent scene from their reunion and a tender moment which was strange... considering it was so romantic in both cases yet they are supposed to be siblings.

I think that will be mirrored again, but when they are reunited it will be under entirely different conditions. Sansa has a large army and Jon has a dragon. Just like Daenerys needs a consort with an army, so will Jon.

Their tenderness for each other will not go unrealized, and I think Jon and Sansa will understand they have feelings for each other.

And I think it will be only natural that they will unite in marriage, because they fought and won Winterfell together, and they will fight and win Westeros together against Cersei, Daenerys, and the Night King himself.

I have a few theories about how the ending will go under this theory:

First, Cersei:

What if it’s not Jon who arrives in King’s Landing first, but Sansa? She takes an active role against the threats to her family and lands in King’s Landing when Cersei is at her weakest following the loss of Euron. But instead of killing Cersei, they make an alliance which strips Cersei of her power - the younger and more beautiful queen has arrived.

When Jon joins them, the Starks and Cersei prepare to fight against Daenerys. But Tyrion tyrion’s his way into King’s Landing to kill Cersei because he has to after angering Daenerys.

Because irony is a cruel bitch, Sansa ends up presiding over Cersei’s murder trial and judges Tyrion guilty. He is executed.

Then Daenerys:

Daenerys attacks King’s Landing, and she and Jon fight in the skies as their armies fight below, while the Greyjoys fight at sea. In a decisive blow, Jon manages to get the upperhand, but that opens King’s Landing to an attack on a different front.

The Night King attacks and manages to turn Daenerys and Drogon.

King’s Landing is burned to the ground and the Starks retreat.

Finally, the Night King

The Starks arrive in the Reach or Dorne and prepare their final defense against the Night King and his Ice Queen.

They defeat the army of the dead, and Jon is hailed as King and Sansa Queen.

All because Theon went back and helped save Sansa.

At least, I think it’s a possible series of events that ties a lot of the loose ends together.

[ldelreyna]

CHAPTER III

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“I've tried to leave it all behind me But I woke up and there they were, beside me And I don't believe it, but I guess it's true Some feelings, they can travel too Oh, there it is again, sitting on my chest Makes it hard to catch my breath I scramble for the light of change You're always on my mind...”

Florence and The Machine, Wish That You Were Here

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Winterfell was prettier, it seemed. Perhaps the darkness brought by a war and all the conflicts involved impoverished that place, or even the winter as rigorous as the last one was made things dirtier and more obscure than never. Or maybe Jon just missed the place he still calls home.

Sansa had given him his old chambers, the one which had once belonged to Robb. And he liked that bedroom, somehow it brought him closer to his best friend and confidant, his brother Robb. As he passed through the quarters of the castle, walking towards his bedroom next to Sansa, everyone greeted him with a wave and a smile, calling him Your Grace, My King, even though inside some whispered traitor – not because he killed Daenerys but because he bend the knee to her. Maybe think it was right to say that now the whole North loved Jon even more than when he was officially the King in the North. Daenerys, even with all the efforts she made to help destroy the White Walkers, she couldn’t have the love of the Northerners. There was a lot of resentment  in the past with the Targaryen, and many, because of their ignorance, associated the arrival of the dead with the dead queen. So, Jon was even more beloved since he thrust a sword into her heart.

When Jon used to think about his past, his present, and his future, everything was a mess of feelings within him. Ned, the man he was still proud to call his father, was dead. Robb was dead. Theon was dead. Arya was far away in lands he had not known that had ever existed before. Bran was in the South, being a King. Rickon dead. Only one person – in all of this madness, someone whom he never imagined he would associate with happiness - would make this home once again for him, would bring him some peace.

Walking and leading him to a place he was no need of guidance, she was the ruler she was born to be. Sansa always was someone different, even with that mask of silly and naive girl she used to have, Jon knew. He smiled with those thoughts, everything in his life it seemed to have only one end: Sansa. Jon held her hand making she stop walking to look at him a little shocked at his unexpected act.

"I am very happy to be here too." She signed with his words.

Peace was good too. And peace with Jon was even better.

She wrapped her arm with his and rest her head at his shoulder and start walking again. “I made a few changes, I hope you liked.” She said once they were at his chambers. Jon now had a new bed - a softer one -, the room was a little bit bigger and the windows had now a new shape, bigger too.

"There's a meeting with the Council tomorrow. They asked for your presence." Sansa announced after he was acquainted with his place. He grimaced in confusion after her words. Jon was no longer King, he was no longer their leader... why they wanted him?

Sansa seemed to know something, she always knew everything. "Don't hide me things, Sansa. Not again."

"I don't know how tell you this, Jon. I can't. I am too embarrassed to say something. Just… be there."

"Can I know at least what this is about?"

Sansa tried but the words was too heavy. She was hoping Bran could open his mind a bit, she needed him to.

"Bran is arriving at any time. We're having dinner together. You, me and him." And with this, Sansa left. Leaving Jon in his usual form: more confused than never.

…

"You know the whispers, right?" Sam was there too, he came with Bran.

Jon missed his friend a lot, who was taking care of his brother very well. Both were in front of the fireplace at the Great Hall, seated at some old wood chairs, sharing stories of their time apart.

"What whispers?" Jon asked him.

"Sansa is facing terrible problems here.” Sam paused for a moment. “The Lords of the North need assurance, Jon. Now they have a Stark ruling both South and North but what about the future?"

Jon put his hand at his right knee so he could face Sam better. A grimace flaunted itself in his face for seconds.

"What you mean? Are you saying they want my Sansa to get married?" Jon was considerably disturbed by this possibly information.

Sansa couldn't marry, she was so haunted by the demons of her past.

"I know your sister faced a lot but-"

"No but. No but, Sam. My sister was raped by a monster. Do you really think she can handle a stranger in her bed?"

Bran arrived at the end of the afternoon with his crew earlier that day. The Six Kingdoms was left with the capable hands of Lord Tyrion while King Bran was celebrating his sister's birthday and her two years of a successful reign. Lots of lords was about to arrive, from Essos to Meereen, from the Vale to Dorne. It was also a good time to narrow some political ties as well.

"I know you worried about her. I know you need her to be safe. That's why I am telling, my friend, think carefully about your pardon. It's the only way you can really protect her."

Sam wasn't lying, unfortunately he was right. And maybe that was the reason he was wanted at the meeting, Sansa need him to intervene for her.

"I am afraid this may bring her too many problems." Jon admitted. Everything was really about her.

"The Grey Worm is dead. We received a raven from Essos six moons ago and Yara Greyjoy is no longer an issue for us."

…

Jon left to his chambers with those things hunting his mind. Stay or not stay? With whom Sansa was marrying with? Did she want this? What exactly she wants from him?

She took his clothes off, only his pants were on. The warm water left at the end of his bed by one of the maids was used to clean his face and shoulders. He took a deep breath and walked to the large open window of his bedroom. The dawn was quiet, and he could barely see the woods that surrounded the castle. Some animals were making their nocturnal sounds, down below he could see Ghost coming back from his night hunt. The wolf looked up, as if he knew his owner was watching him, and Jon just nodded to the right. Ghost knew what that sign means, and Jon knew that in a few minutes the white wolf would be lying on the door of Sansa's chambers, protecting her.

Strange noises started, coming from not so far. At first, Jon thought some maid was having a good night with a lover, then the noise become more painful and louder. It was not about a lover. He followed that sound with his ears, it came from the right. He walked down the hallway until he reached Sansa's room. His body was cold, his instincts were attentive.

"Shit, I left my sword in my chambers." He cursed out loud.

But one maid appeared out of nowhere and whispered:

"It's normal, Your Grace. The nightmares hunt her every day. The Queen cry every night like this. It's a curse."

Jon didn't know what to do with that information, but Ghost was faster and just scratched the door with his paw calling for Sansa. The door opened with that and Jon entered with his wolf.

Ghost climbed the bed, Sansa was crying harshly, her hands holding the thick blanket so tightly that her hands was red like her hair. Jon hold her hands with his while Ghost lied down at the curve of her body.

"Sansa..." Jon called for her and kissed her forehead slowly.

He should be here. He should be here protecting her from these demons.

"Jon... Jon..." She murmured his name as a prayer as soon as she woke and saw him at her side, her tears flooding her whole face. "He was here again. He tied me to the bed and scratched my whole body with a dagger... the blood..."

"Who Sansa?" He asked, trying to understand her.

"A faceless man. He called me his wife, but I don't want him, Jon."

Jon swallowed hard the saliva trapped in his throat, an anger took him, even he has avenged the man who caused so much damage to his Sansa. He decided to stay there until she slept and laid on the top of her blanket, hugging her from behind.

"No man will ever touch you. I promise."

And he stayed there until she fell asleep again, caressing her soft skin and holding her tightly near his body. Jon went back to his chambers but left Ghost there, Sansa's most loyal guard. He should find a new partner for his sister, a new Lady. Maybe Ghost could do that, the white wolf used to understand Jon's wishes very well.

In the morning, Jon decided to take a walk through the castle quarters. Sansa mentioned that a few farms was with no master and people there was still in need of guidance. He talked with a few villagers, offering them a few benefits and promising help with tasks at the beginning.

It was a lot for Sansa to deal by herself.

After midday, Jon was going back home when an odd wind shook his cloak in a strong way, taking his attention off the road, and his horse whinnied announcing something strange was surrounding them.

A big shadow passed over Jon and he looked at sky seeing the last one he was expectation to see that day: Drogon. The giant dragon set his paws on the ground in front of Jon, pushing some smaller trees around him and roaring furiously at the man who killed his own mother. Jon decided to get off his horse, which galloped and whinnied alone out of fear, he walked closer to the dragon, feeling the fury still very much alive inside of the beast. Jon was very much trying to fight with his own fear and seeing him as Daenerys used to see, not a beast, but her son.

Drogon made a noise and showed his teeth announcing that if Jon gets closer, he would attack him.

"I am really sorry."

His words were ignored and Drogon simply left something beneath him and flew up quickly, pushing the plants around him violently with that movement and roaring in a strange way of saying goodbye. Jon got closer from where Drogon was so he could see what the dragon was giving him. He took a deep breath, something odd rising inside him when he first understood what it was.

He took the dragon egg with his hands, warm to his touch.

"Why he's giving me this?"

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NOTES:

1. I am sorry again for spelling mistakes. I try my best but I am not such a pro in English. It’s not even in my main language. If anyone would like to help me with that I would be very thankful.

2. I am very happy with all the reach me and littlegirlinvisible is having after the first two chapters. It may not be much for some but for me it’s a lot.

3. Reblog, like and comment if you’re enjoying.

4. You’re all free to give me prompts and ideas. I am also open to request for another works.

Follow the tag # swan song jonsa fanfic to see the posts and the gifsets whenever you want..

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I sincerely hope that everyone is enjoying it.

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CHAPTER INDEX:

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

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[fortunatelylori]

This episode is more convoluted than the crypts of Winterfell

Disclaimer: Proceed with caution! There is snark ahead! I repeat: There is snark ahead! It had to be done, people. If I had to sit down and actually take this episode seriously, I would have lost my freaking mind!

So it happened. The first episode of season 8 aired. The leaks were true and I am now officially dead inside. Let’s get started. 

General Impressions

Trying to review this episode is an extremely challenging exercise. There is no cohesiveness to it, no narrative strand to tie it all together. In an ideal world, an episode should be linked by a common theme. It should have a structure that pushes you towards the end from the very first scene onward. 

Here the writers have completely given up on even pretending they care about structure and plot progression. They’re essentially jumping from scene to scene like a freaking gymnast on crack. 

Surprised that Euron managed to travel to Essos and back and Cersei still hasn’t grown her hair? Seems dubious to you that the Wall gang not only survived the Wall falling but managed to get to Last Hearth through zombie infested territory? How about Ned Umber traveling all the way to Winterfell and back to Last Hearth just in time to die a pointlessly shocking and gratuitous death? 

Well, I’m here to tell you to knock it off! GOT does not give a shit. This show has its priorities straight. And those priorities are: 

Pretty pictures of people being dismembered, burned alive or generally dying painful deaths. 

Porn ... we got to get that porn quota up, you guys! Just you ladies, of course! Who the hell wants to see naked men on this show?!?! Not the Ds certainly. That would be yikey. 

For the sake of my own sanity, I’m going to try and bring some order to the chaos by splitting the episode into 3 main story lines. I’m extremely generous here because 2 of those story lines are barely there at all, and the other one is not linked together by anything other than location: 

Story A 

Winterfell is turned into a Big Brother type house where everyone that ever hated each other is now forced to coexist. If I were to pick a main character in this story line it would probably be Jon. 

The problem is Jon is confused and confusing so watching him work his way through this meandering plot is painfully strange and frustrating. And that’s because his POV continues to be, at least, partly hidden, meaning that I never get any idea of what the hell he’s doing or what is actually driving him in this episode. 

Generally this would allow for some sort of character reveal at the end of the episode when all these loose ends would be brought together and we’d finally know what Jon is up to but these are the Ds. They’re going to milk the ambiguity for all its worth and in true Ds fashion run it into the ground from sheer exhaustion. 

If I were to summarize Jon’s story line in this episode it’s: Jon arrives at Winterfell and proceeds to be flabbergasted that the people he knew would be upset that he bent the knee, are actually upset that he bent the knee. He rides a dragon and gets down to some PDA in the middle of nowhere because he needs to amuse the royal bush. He reunites with his long lost family members and spends most of the episode sulking because Sansa is giving him the cold shoulder. 

I feel like I’ll be saying this a lot but this is not a story line. This is a character aimlessly drifting from scene to scene whose reactions don’t make much sense. 

Then there’s the parentage reveal: 

This goes just about as bad as you’d expect. The dialogue is slightly sophomoric with John Bradley being forced to deliver this line straight: 

Your mother was Lyanna Stark. And your father, your real father, was Rhaegar Targareyen. You’ve never been a bastard. You’re Aegon Targareyen, true heir to the Iron Throne. 

This little bit of exposition here just sounds off and strange, despite Bradley’s best efforts to soldier through it. Not to mention that the writers are ripping themselves off by having Sam parrot basically the same thing Bran said in season 7. 

But the real problem with this scene is ... and I’m very sorry to say it ... Kit Harrington. He just doesn’t deliver. He doesn’t find the right tone and reactions to the monumental reveal and the whole scene falls flat on its stupid, exposition face. 

It’s made even worse that this scene is following the Tarlys burning reveal in which John Bradley does, without a doubt, the best bit of acting in the whole episode. 

The Tarlys reveal is a strange and off kilter scene as well but Bradley sells you on Sam’s grief and horror so you’re instantly in his corner, which in turn helps ground the entire piece. 

Harington doesn’t manage to do that so the scene ends up not amounting to much of anything other than setting up the future plot point of Jon and D*ny as rivals to the Iron Throne. We’ve known the truth of Jon’s parentage since season 6. What’s interesting to us in this scene is how Jon reacts to the news and we want to be given the opportunity to commiserate with him. Alas, we never get the chance. 

Story B 

The King’s Landing plot. This is not really a plot. More like an amalgamation of scenes that are sporadically thrown at you in haphazard fashion, with the only goal of setting up plot points for future episodes.

 In quick succession we get Euron and Cersei having sex (off screen). Lena gets about 10 seconds to act some sort of emotion once the business is concluded and we’re off to the next plot point. 

Theon and Yara reunite and separate within the span of 5 minutes and Bronn is off to kill the Lannister brothers - one man sent into hostile territory, in the freezing winter, with a crossbow. What could go wrong here? ... WHO CARES?!?! PORRRRRN!

The funniest thing about this plot is that the White Walkers are treated as an after thought at best. 

Cersei is more upset she didn’t get her elephants. How much do you want to bet that the Ds blew their CGI elephant budget on the dragons? Speaking of which, should we start putting up flyers for Ghost? Lassie has been MIA for a while now, guys. I don’t think she’s coming back this time. 

Bronn is trying to get it on with the 3 prostitutes in what is easily one of the least sexy scenes I’ve ever seen in my life. The 3 ladies of the night, however, seem determined to kill his buzz with talks of dragons disfiguring people. I guess everyone in Westeros is a fan of D*ny’s children, right? You know what they say: no press is bad press and all that. 

Story C

The Wall gang meet up at Last Hearth and, in true redneck style, get down to some barbecue! 

Again this isn’t a story line. It’s just two scenes hobbled together for the purposes of: 

Exposition: we know that they’re going to ride to Winterfell and arrive in the next episode so we’ll have all of our main characters in place for the big battle in episode three. 

Gratuitous child murder: 

Complete with a strange parallel to this: 

I take no credit for this connection. It was pointed out to me by @and-holly-goes-lightly​. At this point they’re just hitting us over the head with the clues that once the Night King is dead, D*ny is the next, big bad. 

And putting the fear of God into the audience when they realize they’ll have at least 1 episode of night scenes: 

Do you see anything? Yeah ... hope you enjoy darkness for a full hour because that’s exactly what you’re going to get. 

Favorite scenes

The opening sequence: 

The writers swore up and down that the first episode of season 8 would be filled with callbacks to the pilot. The only one that lands, in my opinion, and makes a good counterpoint is this scene. Visually, it looks amazing. We have a little Bran stand in to act as the POV and we have Arya watching her beloved brother finally arrive home. 

It’s poignant and unsettling at the same time. When I watched it the first time, I wasn’t really sure why it felt so unsettling to me. I knew that D*ny wasn’t going to receive a warm welcome in Winterfell and I knew she’d be angry about it so that wasn’t the reason for my misgivings. 

Later on I realized, the most unsettling thing to me in this scene is Jon. He left Winterfell as the character that I most relate to and came back as a distant, off putting figure. Jon, who has never been elevated above those around him, is now marching into Winterfell in the midst of a foreign army and he’s so dead eyed and distant, that he doesn’t even notice his sister in the crowd: 

Who are they now? What are they to each other? There’s something deeply sad and mournful about these shots and seeing these two people that were so close at the end of a very long journey of being torn apart. And Maisie Williams does a fantastic job of conveying all of these emotions.

To me this scene was better than Jon and Arya’s reunion. The reunion is pretty by the numbers, with the two of them comparing swords and not truly ever communicating. It was heartwarming but it didn’t have the emotional punch this scene did. 

The Tarlys burning reveal: 

I’ve already talked about this scene in the Winterfell plot section but, while I felt the scene was awkward and choppy, John Bradley completely sold me on Sam’s tragedy and I can’t help but love the scene because of it. 

There is something else that caught my eye, though: 

From this scene, it seems pretty obvious to me that Jorah knew about the Tarlys’ execution. Which makes it all the more interesting that Jon, on the other hand, doesn’t know. I guess he’s not the only one keeping secrets. 

The Gendrya reunion: 

Initially, I really disliked this scene because it feels stilted and it doesn’t flow properly. I still think it’s poorly constructed. However when watching the behind the scenes video, Maisie gave me some much needed context. Her saying that Arya was in love with Gendry and would have followed him to the ends of the Earth finally made the Gendrya relationship click for me. 

While I’ve always liked the idea of them together, I never really understood how we were going to get there. But this is, actually, about a girl reuniting with her childhood crush and him being able to see her as a young woman, instead of a little girl. 

It also plays in really nicely with Arya’s standoffish-ness in the scene, since Gendry abandoning her to go off with the Red Woman gets a romantic connotation as well as explains Gendry’s awkwardness around her. She’s not a little girl anymore and, dare I say it? He likes her. 

It’s all very cute. 

And these lines? 

Gendry:  It’s Valyrian steel. I always knew you were just another rich girl. 

Arya: You don’t know any other rich girls. 

Legitimately adorable banter. 

The scene is also setting up something with the weapon Arya is commissioning. It looks like a spear or an arrow of some kind. It reminds me a bit of that flash back Bran has in the books of one of the Starks making an arrow from a weirwood branch. It’s been theorized that those arrows were meant to kill Aegon’s dragons. I wonder if they’ll tackle that plot point with Arya?

The opening credits: 

Yeah ... I’m really scraping the bottom of the barrel on this ... 

I assume everyone noticed that the title sequence has been changed. What I found really intriguing is that they focus a lot on the underground tunnels of both Winterfell and King’s Landing. 

The Winterfell sequence doesn’t feel like such a novelty since they’ve been pushing the crypts pretty hard in their promotion so far. The crypts represent the parentage reveal as well as possible danger for whoever hides down there once the dead attack the castle. 

But King’d Landing is intriguing because the thing that I most associate with the tunnels underneath the Red Keep is wild fire. I guess we should get ready to see King’s Landing go up in flames. 

Episode MVPs: 

Lord “I think you’ll find you’re wrong” Varys

Varys would have been on this list for this alone: 

Tyrion: You should consider yourself lucky. At least your balls won’t freeze off. 

Varys: You take great offence at dwarf jokes but love making eunuch jokes. Why is that? 

Thank you, Varys! Thank you! I’ve been saying that Tyrion is a mean spirited hypocrite since season 1. Glad I’m not the only one that noticed. 

But then, Varys goes on to shoot down the idea of a Jon/D*ny marriage alliance with this: 

Varys: Nothing lasts. 

Lolz ... you, my friend, are a STAR! Keep doing what you’re doing!

Sansa “No time for your bullshit” Stark

If looks could kill ... Sansa was so on point this episode that I relished every second of it. Not only did she look stunningly beautiful but she decided to give some much needed reality checks to everyone she came into contact with. 

Apparently everyone that arrives in Winterfell is delusional because Sansa’s actions of merely pointing out the obvious, like: 

Armies and dragons eat a lot. How are we going to feed them? 

or 

You really took your sister at her word?  Am I supposed to keep thinking you’re smart, Tyrion?

Is met with shock, horror and confusion. Everyone and their mother is wondering what Sansa is doing and what she’s up to. Jon is sulking because Sansa is not jumping at the bit to see him. D*ny is upset Sansa doesn’t like her. Tyrion is shocked that Sansa doesn’t think he’s as brilliant as he thinks he is. 

Meanwhile, Sansa is just standing there, not breaking a sweat while everyone around her is twisting themselves into pretezles trying to figure her out. Now that’s a Boss Bitch right there! (yeah, yeah, too much Good Girls. I know). 

Bran “King of the Clap back” Stark

Talking of Boss Bitches, here comes Bran to ruin D*ny’s day. He ain’t having whatever lame attempt at human emotion D*ny is trying to convey and decides to spread some reality checks of his own: 

Bran: The Night King has your dragon. He’s one of them now. The Wall has fallen. The dead march South. 

Also: 

Your hair looks stupid. That coat is lame and I don’t like you very much. 

(this was the subtext, right?)

But Boss Bran doesn’t stop there. He decides to out creep even himself by waiting in the freezing cold of night in order to spook Jaime Lannister upon arrival in Winterfell, like a ghost in a gothic novel: 

Since I apparently have a lot more to say, I’m going to make a little series out of this. In the next two installments I will tackle the J0nereys and Jonsa relationships. Stay tuned!

* none of the gifs or pictures are mine. Thank you to the content creators!

[juliakaze]

Love is death. Period

This was the message from the GoT s8. Do not fall in love. What did Sansa say men do foolish things for love. They are easy to manipulate. This is the tragedy of both Dany and Jon, the protagonists of this saga. Their biggest weakness they wanted to be loved.

Dany told him “ That bastard boy from the north and that little girl, let us rule together, let us break the wheel together” and in response to that he stabbed her in the heart with a knife. It was this need to be loved and to belong that got her killed. ( I literally felt like someone has stabbed me in the heart because to have been so close and all of it taken away so brutally)

Why did Jon do it? Tyrion told him Duty is the death of Love (I suppose in a reverse Rhaegar). Now let us take a look at this so-called Duty he claims Jon has to guards the realms of men. Make no mistake the real issue here is not the realm it is that men like Tyrion don't want so much power in the hands of women and his other motivations are 1. revenge for the death of his siblings (yeah the realm maybe but like Jamie it's really his siblings), 2. Save his own neck. When the realm angle doesn't work he tries Jon’s love for his family his sisters primarily Sansa because she will never bow. Sansa and Arya told him not to trust her and they repeatedly warned Jon that Dany will come for him next and they were worried for him. Arya tells Jon “I know a killer when I see one” now who isn’t a killer in GoT. Even Sam warned Jon about her. All of them had underlying motivations revenge (sam and Tyrion) and worry for their family (his sisters). For Jon’s it is actually worse because he kills his family, one person in the world who loved him the most and sacrificed the most for him. They (writers) truly turned him into this character I can’t even compute. 

 Jon thought he could have both his family and Dany and that was his folly, in the end, he sacrificed Dany for this and this is where it leads him, Arya his favorite sister leaves the North never to return doing what she loves best-having adventures. Sansa gets to be the Queen of the North which she had wanted n independent North and Bran gets to be king and he gets to live if you call that living, to rot at the wall and to live with the fact that he is simply not fashioned for love (the irony when that is all he ever wanted) Keep awake at night with the fact he is responsible for the death of both the women he loved and one of them he killed himself. That’s why I think this is such a punishment for Jon and a sadistic part of me is like he deserves it and brought it upon himself while the other part who loved that motherless orphan bastard cries for him. Dany offered him the world, a dragon, a family, saved him time and again and followed him to death at the cost of her ambition and children and he chooses to kill her, she is dead but he will have to rot in the wall the rest of his life knowing how he betrayed her. 

When Sam comes up with the book titled “ The Song of Ice and Fire”. The irony because they fucked both Ice and Fire thoroughly. History is written by the victors so guess what they will write about Dany as if Lannisters were the protectors of the realm. I honestly couldn’t reconcile with the fact that Brienne was so nice to all that to Jaime’s page after how she was treated but then that’s Brienne.

The council was a joke, the only input Brienne gave was about brothels and honestly, nobody has to do anything Bronn will be enough for them to self destruct. Also, Yara and the Prince of Dorne ( he looks totally looks like Oscar Isaac btw) looks one sec away from rebelling. I hope they fuck and unite and rebel.

Lastly the absolute irony of the series, they wanted to establish Dany as the mad queen but it has completely backfired people who were casual fans even all sympathize with her because she was so completely betrayed even by the writers. So years away when people remember the most memorable characters they will remember her as the dragon queen while most of others will fade into obscurity. She may be mad queen in westeros but everywhere else.....

I think Emilia was a powerhouse enough said. Also Drogon, I can’t tell how many tears I shed in that first half towards the end I was numb and could care less by that point, only think I was looking forward to was Jon and ghost’s reunion.

I also think Kit worked best with what he had with the script he really made that scene believable. I think he was really good too. But just seeing how completely they have assassinated his character and turned him into a kinslayer, a person who murders his own lover by tricking her. Make no mistake if he was manipulated and he was then he chose to be and I mourn his character’s downfall. I hope book!Jon fares better because s8 was not the Jon I had fallen in love with.