#harald my beloved

[ofteasandherbs]

Moments away from disaster as @yakowo ‘s cats spiked the drink and a monster comes and attacks them.

Harald the bear belongs to @criticalrolo ! And Aster and Viädán belong to me!

[thenameswinter99]

Remember, I love you.

For the ask...

Jefferson, Daeron and Harald

😘

This is me while reading your ask

Kick them out of bed:

I know I am a masochist for wanting this piece of beef out of my bed, but between him and Jefferson I would choose Harald for the same Cregan's reasons I listed here (excluding the "fuck the prince" part).

2. Let them stay to cuddle:

Don't get charmed by his smile. He's MAD.

Still, he has a tragic past behind him, and for the ones who at least watched a season of OUAT know what I mean. Jefferson only deserves a warm bed, a hot cup of tea, to be cuddled between his beloved and daughter. Just this.

3. Introduce them to friends & family:

Sadly, we don't have Daeron's actor yet, so I'll put my faceclaim for him.

The nickname says everything. Daeron the Daring. The most gentle, courteous and clever of all the Targtower boys. And as his uncle Gwayne said, "he's adept with his lute as he is with his sword, and a feature in the fancies of many a young lady".

So, Gwayne perfectly describes a young man (with a disfunctional family on his shoulders) who is chivalrous enough to be accepted by your friends and parents in a heartbeat.

Rank three fictional characters ask game

[treevore]

need to ride his face like a bike seat if i am fully honest

[hel-phoenyx]

2) Dancing

The first thing you taught me was to dance.

It was not usual. Even girls, in the country you bore, had to learn how to fight. Leif and Ivar had an axe in the hand before they even learnt how to read. But for me, you wanted something else. You wanted me, your youngest daughter, to choose.

You wanted me to have what you never could achieve.

So you let me have my way and my way was dancing. I didn't even learn how to read before my feet touched the ground in grace and precision.

You told me that if I could carry on like that soon I could take on my own learning. I could learn how to read on my own terms, and since Leif and Ivar preferred the axe, it would be ma that would wield the Bane of Life, our family's most precious heirloom.

I didn't have the time to learn.

I remember the blood. I remember him holding out your lifeless body, your blonde curls tainted in red. I remember the tears when I saw the mangled bodies of my older brothers, destroyed by the hate of the people.

I remember my hands holding something cold, something metallic. An earring and a sword.

They wanted to kill me, but she refused. Your most trusted councelor, Brynhild von Zanaderstrassen, the Coast's only vampire, rumored grandaughter of the Ocean himself.

She gave me a chance at life and put me under her care. I was her daughter, at least for a while, while I wanted to. And I stopped wanted to because there was him. I don't remember ever have been approached by other children, they were all afraid of the princes and the princess, but he held my hand with a smile and he told me it was okay to cry.

I never learned how to read, and I stopped dancing. I never stopped living.

You wanted me to live.

I grew up alone, without my brothers, my father, my mother. But he eased the loneliness at least for a second. A second that looked like an eternity.

So when he took my hand, my feet started to move, to move again, and my heart started beating only for him. One step, two steps, and I was dancing.

He didn't mock me, he didn't try to court me under the traditions of the Kraken Coast, he just took my hand and followed my dancing. One step at a time he brought back the sun in my heart.

I fell in love without even noticing and he married me without even caring.

On the day of our wedding we danced until the end of night.

He's born, wailing in my arms, my son, my precious baby. The sun kisses his face and my daughter, my sweet girl, is poking the scales on his face with unhidden curiosity. Harald is not here, he is talking with the midwives. Giving birth was complicated, I almost lost my ability to bear children, yet here I am, with the most precious gifts life gave me.

I know they are in danger, both of them. Such small children, such threats to the crown, especially know that the heiress is rumored to be crazy. I know he won't kill them, but what about her ?

My hands brush his infant fuzz, already so vibrant, shining like the sun. His scales shine even harder and I know, from the time I took to let him be born to the seastorm raging outside, that he inherited both Brynhild's and your gifts.

He is my opportunity for revenge.

But not today, not now. Now I just lift him in my arms, towards the sun, and let him dance under the sunlight.

I'm dying.

I'm sorry, my children. I was so focused on hardening you that I softened myself.

Please, don't take my death too much by heart. I will finally dance with my family again.

The day may come when you join us, but I hope, Kriss, that in the meantime you will continue dancing with your beloved.

and I hope for you, my dear Tyrfing, that one day you get to dance under the sun with the person most precious to you, like I did once I held you in my arms.

I love you both.

And I'd much rather die in love than live in hatred.

[otwdfanfic]

Oh and also 7 so you can indulge in talking about your ocs (the beloved beans)!! <333

I ended up busy all day yesterday so I decided to add some little drawings to spice up my reply <3 I'm gonna resist yapping about Baldur and Cato for this one, and I'm gonna save our sweet Bjorn and Eret for later yaps. Instead I decided to focus on some other dragon hunter OCs!

People who have read OTWD might remember Sikka for her antler hood or nadder spear, but under the hood she's got incredible tattoos called tunniit. Tunniit are part of the Inuit tattooing tradition that Eret’s tattoos were inspired by. In real life they’re typically seen on women, and these days a lot of women are getting them again to keep their traditions alive, so I decided that based on Eret’s I would give each northern tribe their own kakiniit that identify their tribal affiliation and family. Since our httyd northern tribes live in the Arctic between Greenland and Russia, I figure the tradition probably spread from Greenland! The forehead portion is similar triangle shape for everyone in Sikka’s tribe and represent antlers (there might be variations in exact design based on the family). The chin portion represents one's individual role or honors a family member. Sikka's represents a herder tracking the hoofprints of a reindeer, and her mother had the same. She belongs to the Reindeer Tribe of Reindeer Valley, near Griselda's Fortress and was only 16 when she joined Cato's crew (she's ~21 in OTWD). Griselda refused to hire her at first bc her mother had ended up in a terrible, fatal conflict with one of Griselda's top men that caused controversy between her tribe and the hunting operation, but Cato insisted on giving her a chance. He's extremely proud of her skill and loyalty, and she loves him like a brother, so betraying him in OTWD was not an easy decision. The moment he realizes Sikka's abandoned him is when he decides our heroes have really got to pay, bc he hasn't just lost a payday or even his second chance with Gustav but also his horned shadow. I'm SO excited to see her again in Into the Polar Night, she's going to have a very important role and I think it'll surprise everyone. Hopefully it won't be too long before I post a playlist for her <3

The other two OCs here will only appear in Gustav's short which is tentatively titled How To Hunt Your Dragon LOL

Ragnall is the quartermaster of the Goregutter, the first hunting ship that Gustav and Cato work on, and he's essentially Gustav's boss despite not being much older than him. He manages the ship and deck for the captain Harald Bloodaxe, who handles the business side like choosing where to port and hunt. Ragnall does hunt dragons but he doesn't manage the dragon hold where they're kept, that's up to a slavic man named Wyrmhart (Cato's boss). His mother was the witch Skuld, and he grew up working whaling boats in Thunderhead Bay, and some of the men grumble that he practices witchcraft. He's strict but generally fair, and likes Gustav just because he's a high quality sailor relative to a lot of the hunters. On the other hand, he despises the mainland vikings who are converting to christianity and their christian Saxon neighbors, so he's particularly prejudiced against Cato, who barely even speaks fluent norse at this point (if he'd bother to ask, he'd learn that Cato isn't a christian, but you know how prejudices are). Ragnall is pretty important to the overall OTWD series for a few different reasons actually, so I can't wait to write his story. I think everyone will find it shocking and fun hehe >:)

Siraj is the 19 year old son of an extremely wealthy trade lord from Marrakesh who pays to bring a lot of Griselda's cargo through the Mediterranean. He's apprenticing under Harald and Ragnall to learn the ropes (literally) of sailing and managing a trade business because his father wants him to have practical knowledge before taking over the business, since he's been raised in a very privileged and comfortable life. He went to university in Marrakesh, so he speaks multiple languages and really boggles Gustav's mind with his knowledge haha. He's really sociable and is Gustav's first friend on the Goregutter, they have a fun gang of friends. The only thing he's not involved with is the actual dragon hunting, since that has nothing to do with running a trade empire. He does go home after his time on the Goregutter so he isn't involved in the plot of ITPN or TOTG, but I imagine that he keeps traveling all over the Silk Road and making friends everywhere before taking over his dad's business.

Whew that was some MAJOR yapping but I'm so glad for the chance to talk about some of my dragon hunters. A lot of the hunters are just background people to me, like the background Berserkers, and I don't really consider them OCs, but these three definitely are <33 my actual reaction to this ask:

[queenofcarrion]

I watched season 2 episode 1 finally and my thoughts on harald x freydis season 1 are:

My all time fave eternal beloveds are (tlk) Stiorra and Sigtryggr but they don’t get much opportunity to share humor and they’re story is 😭. The way Harald x Freydis are so honest, playful and different to every other romance is appealing to me.

I think Harald falls fast for Freydis, and for the Greenlanders as his mates, because their lack of reverence for him, and their honesty appeals to him. I know he tells Canute it’s Leif’s courage that draws him to him but I think it’s more than that.

Harald wears his heart on his sleeve so I think he loves that honesty of Freydis calling bullshit on his I’m a prince “… great grandson of Harold Finehair” etc bullshit.

She is a Greenlander and an outsider, so even the low key formalities of Norway are not her style. She knows a rich entitled kid when she sees one, but to Harald’s credit he just falls harder for her the more she mocks him (is that healthy? I don’t know, lol)

Extra: I love Freydis. She just shows up, bangs a prince, joins Haakon’s warriors, cuts off her enemy’s head, saves her dude, no fucks given.

Freydis is fucking badass. I think having her show up and save Harald at the end of season 1 was so cool and reminded me of Lagertha and I loved that. Thank you tv world for giving us strong female warrior leads.

“You’re no longer a hunter, you’re a warrior.”

Yeah, and…?

Love it.

But then Harald tells the Greenlanders’ story and makes her cry and I’m like 🥹🥰😍 yay for love. I love watching her fall for him.

Anyway, those are my thoughts for anyone who is interested xo

Ps. I did not expect to like this spin off at all. I thought my Vikings days were over, but man has this sucked me in.

Pps. I am also still grieving hard for Stiorra x Sigtryggr. Srsly man. I need to stop with the falling in love with these fake dudes.

[mangaka-neko-chan]

Because brainworms remain strong, I was given a vision of this younger version of my Psyker Harald with his beloved, my Zealot Moggy. Sadly not canon since they don't meet until the events of Darktide but it's cute to look at~

[errruvande]

OR VIKINGS OR BOTH

Vikings baby yeaaaaah

My fave female character: obviously without any doubt Lagertha. I mean, she's literally the least questionable character in the show (if we forget the raping Harald scene we've spent hours talking about with @bilbotargaryen)

My fave male character: Aethelstan. I just love him. He's so confused and lost 24/7. My baby just needed rest

My favorite season: ahhh the second one. Bloody Aethelstan, who fight with Vikings, slutty Ecbert my beloved, blood eagling jarl Borj and killing Horik, cause they're pieces of shit, Aethelstan battling his faith driven battles... I can go on and on)

My fave episode: "whenever you go I will follow" my beloved the most important Athelnar episode ever. Too bad I don't remember the number lmao

My fave cast member: oh gods, a lot of them were so gooood. I think my fave is Gustaf Skarsgård, cause he played wicked Floki so damn flawless it's unbelievable!

My fave ship: Athelnar 100% and Ecbert/Lagertha!! They rocks

The character I'd die defending: Eathelwolf. He did nothing wrong. He was so damn robbed of EVERYTHING. Even the damn son wasn't his... And he died pathetically 😭

A character I just can't sympathize with: Ivar. Little me was practically in love with Ivar, but the older I get, the less I like him.

A character I grew to love: Harald. Not that I didn't like him from the beginning, but damn do I LOVE HIM NOW? Yes

My anti otp: Ivar and Heahmund. It just feels as if they tried to play around heathen/christian again, but it's just so off for me. And Heahmund, I hate him.

Again, thank you for the ask love ✨💕

[queenfinehair]

Ask game: Vikings :)

Oooh thank you for sending this!

Ahem:

The first character I first fell in love with: It has to be Athelstan. He was soft and sweet and completely stole my heart the more I saw him develop.

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Jarl Borg lol idk, he can carry my skull around in tormented love and agony any day 🤷‍♀️

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: idk that EVERYONE loves her... but it has to be Margrethe, sorry

The character I love that everyone else hates: Hmmm... Gosh idk about this one. Do people hate Harald?? If so, him lol

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Probably Lagertha. Nothing against ya babe, but I've moved on ✌️

The character I would totally smooch: My beloved Halfdan, definitely

The character I’d want to be like: It's gotta be my woman Judith 😎

The character I’d slap: Ivar lmfao

A pairing that I love: Halfdan and Bjorn really surprised me with their friendship and I loved it

A pairing that I despise: lol Margrethe and anyone 😭😭😭

[fieldofdaisiies]

Oh lord, jumping from TLOU right to my beloved Harald Sigurdsson🥺

I realised only the other day that the new season is out and I already apologise that I will be feral over this man for the next couple of days/weeks….

And the fact that Bradley James is in the new season as well…omg *internally screaming*

[caspianxth]

I was tagged by @myladyofmercy to do 10 gifs of my favorite tv shows and my 10 favorite movies, so this is the tv part!!

tv:

titans (that's donna troy, loml)

2. shadow and bone!!! (below is kaz brekker)

3. 911 (below is evan 'buck' buckley and christopher diaz)

4. the artful dodger (het ship of all time!!!! lady belle fox and jack dawkins)

5. vikings valhalla (leif eriksson and harald sigurdsson)

6. the last kingdom (uhtred, finan, and sihtric my beloveds osferth isn't in the gif but he is included in the beloveds)

7. young royals (simon and prince wilhelm)

8. smallville (justin hartley oliver queen supremacy!!!!! we'll literally Never have a green arrow as good as him and yes, I watched arrow! but he was saur much better!!!!!!!!!)

9. young justice (wally west I will never forgive them for what they did to u)

10. the punisher (billy russo)

I will tag anyone who wants to do it most of the jops don't really use tumblr but if u see this and ur interested feel free to do it!!!!

[ofteasandherbs]

A Bear a Viper and a Crane happen across each other…

HARALD HAS FRIENDS DONT WORRY

Harald belongs to @criticalrolo ! And Aster and Viädán are mine!

[watertribe-enya]

ygo5dsmonth2023 Day 2 - Monster in the Middle

Today's prompt was favorite monsters, I for my part still have a weak spot for the Sun Dragon and Moon Dragon

I still use them for my ingame decks, when I'm playing my Inca/Zombie Deck. It got easier to bring them out with Ascator, Dawn Walker and Supay, Dusk Walker.

Speaking of zombies, Dragonecro my beloved with it's evolution is also in my deck

Draco Equiste was also really cool, and I wish it had been used more than once.

I especially loved it's effect to negate and return effect damage, really useful with all the random burn cards the anime likes to use. Could have been especially fun against Harald, who wanted to blow up Yusei with like 12000 damage.

Anyway, since I don't play the game in real life, here are the decks I mostly use in the 5D's videogames

Stardust Accelerator: Ritual Deck with Shinato and Relinquished as the Boss monsters, and/or a random burn deck

Reverse of Arcadia: Inca/Zombie Deck

Over the Nexus: Junk/Warrior deck

Duel Transer/Master of the cards: X-Saber deck

Legacy of the Duelist: Aroma/Black Rose Dragon deck; Inca/Zombie deck, Melodious deck (it does wonders against decks heavily focused on special summoning, such as Revolvers)

@ygo5dsmonth-week

[bouncehousedemons]

Fall Into Me

My entry for day six of @vikingsevents Valentine's week prompts. Day six is hand holding.

Pairing: Gunnhild x Ingrid Warnings: Angst, mentions of sexual assault Word count: ~400

It is the evening before the Rus are due to attempt to invade Kattegat again. Tensions are high and Gunnhild's heart is heavy. Björn will not last much longer, his wounds are too great. She knows his death will cause dispute over who is to be the next ruler of Kattegat. Yet another matter of dispute which she will be expected to deal with.

She sighs, attempting to ignore the dread that gnaws at her stomach, alongside the exhaustion that has settled itself into her bones.

The last thing she needs to see as she enters Björn's bedchamber is Ingrid sat by his bedside weeping.

Mustering the last of her patience, Gunnhild sits beside her. Gently she pushes a strand of Ingrid's blonde hair from her face before wiping away her tears with her thumbs.

Gunnhild speaks softly, not wanting to cause further upset. "Now is not the time for tears, that will not help Björn."

Ingrid shakes her head, looking up at Gunnhild with watery eyes. "That is not why I'm crying." She whispers.

"Then what is it?" Gunnhild regards her with concern.

Ingrid's gaze drops to where her hands are clasped together in her lap. She does not say anything for a moment, but when she does her voice is barely a murmur.

"Harald raped me."

Gunnhild feels as though she has been dealt a blow. Her mouth drops open, unable to comprehend the awfulness of what Ingrid has just revealed.

She has never been unkind to Ingrid, though she knows she has mentally built a wall between the two of them - a means of coping with the soul wrenching jealousy she feels at having to share her beloved husband with this woman in order not to lose him.

Now that wall comes tumbling down. The need to comfort Ingrid is stronger than any desire to keep her at arm's length. Gunnhild reaches out her hand to grip Ingrid's, a gesture of comfort.

"That is a terrible thing to happen. I am sorry. You should not be alone tonight."

Ingrid offers Gunnhild a look of gratitude. A small smile forms on her lips as Gunnhild leads her away towards her own bedchamber and she looks down to notice their hands are still joined together.

And as Ingrid lays down in Gunnhild's bed, she is grateful when Gunnhild leans over and takes her hand once more, interlocking their fingers.

[vera-dauriac]

Tagged by @shehungthemoon. Thanks so much!

Tag folks you want to know better.

Three Ships

Looking at the last three things I’ve watched The Empress, Vikings: Valhalla, and Barbarians, let me say I love the first two, because there are SO MANY ship options and I can ship bunches of people with multiple characters, and I just love that. Barbarians might be the same but, I’m only two eps in. Anyhow, if I had to pick one ship from each…

The Empress: Franz Joseph x Maximilian (Look, if they don't want me to ship brothers, they need to start filming their scenes very differently.)

Vikings: Valhalla: Harald x Leif (Although, seriously show, you need to give me more Canute x Emma next season, or I will riot.)

Barbarians: Arminius x Thusnelda x Folkwin (God but I love a good OT3. I hope the show feeds this.)

First Ever Ship

I’m sure I shipped from an early age, because, hell, I grew up in the era of daytime soap operas and VCRs, and let me tell you, there was something magical about that. (Joey and Dorian, my beloveds!) But the first ship I called a ship was Laura x Lee on BSG.

Last Song

Listening to the Callas Norma I posted earlier. This is the exact track playing atm:

Last Movie

I think Everest as part of my cold weather disaster New Years marathon.

Currently Reading

A History of the Island by Eugene Vodolazkin, translated by Lisa C. Hayden

Currently Watching

Barbarians. Just started last night, and it is excellent.

Currently Consuming

I just finished a paczki and coffee, because sometimes I’m an 8 year-old and I spoil my dinner and I don’t fucking care.

Currently Craving

Nothing after my snack. 😊  

I feel like I did this recently and tagged all the folks I normally tag and I don't want to get annoying with tag games. So if you want to do this, 100% say I tagged you and do it, because I promise, I tagged you in my heart. 💗

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Sea’s Edge by Garth Pettersen

The Atheling Chronicles #4

The saga of Harald Harefoot son of King Cnute continues with diplomacy, battle, and beheadings all part of the story. Great addition to the series that made me thankful I did not live in the early eleventh century.

What I liked:

* Harald: loving husband, obedient and loving son, hates to leave his holding and his wife for diplomatic work, does his duty though he might question the rightness of some things he is required to do

* Selia: a loving wife and good woman, recently miscarried, postpartum depression, good friend, empathetic, strong, and wise

* Gwyn: Friend of Harald’s, strong fighter, loving husband, father, fun loving, talkative

* Gudrun: wife to Gwyn, mother of Meleri, and friend of Selia’s

* Trygve: a wandering minstrel and storyteller, saves a child’s life, accused of stealing, a good friend

* The dual storylines with Selia at home and Harald traveling

* The commitment Harald and Selia have for one another

* That the “enemy” was actually more likeable than the allies King Cnute was creating

* The plot, pacing, setting, era, and writing

* Being glad I did not live in this time period

* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about how cutthroat politics were and no doubt still are

* Knowing that good men sometimes die, and lesser men thrive

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

BLURB

1030 C.E.: Harald, the second son of King Cnute—ruler of Engla-lond, Danmark, and Norvegr—with his wife Selia, attempt to live as landholders in Mercia, away from the constraint and intrigues of his father's court. However, on a rare visit, Cnute tells Harald he's being sent to the Kingdom of Dublin to meet with their Norse-Irish allies. Harald’s mission is to coordinate an invasion of the northern Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd to replace King Rhydderch who is growing too powerful on England’s borders. Harald is reluctant to be involved in his father-king's affairs of state, and not just because his beloved wife, Selia, is unwell. Harald cannot refuse to go and assures Selia he will not have to take part in the fighting. Once on his journey, Harold is not drawn to his Norse-Irish allies but comes to respect the foe he must kill. Will Harald carry out his father-king’s commands to unseat a strong and just rule, or will he tread a more righteous road, which will destroy the life he and Selia have built together?