#i also love him...... like he is a year older than cole and trying to adopt him lmao

[wintfleur]

₊˚ෆ ⋆.˚ 𖧧　.˚ ⋅ ᰋ ── MY FAMILY LINE !

aka rosa’s relationship with her brothers

━━━ ❛ i will be your brother and I’ll hold your hand

𖧧　.˚ ⋅ GENERAL INFO !

their group chat name: the REAL housewives of michigan 🍻

the groupchat is used almost every single day, they always try to check in on each other. rosa likes just sending random pictures and updates about her day 

the boys ask for a picture of ollie (cole and rosa’s kitty) almost everyday, wanting to see their niece.

they like to have at least one sibling trip a year and it's mostly rosa who is planning it

family game nights are their favorite thing ever, they are all so competitive with each other so sometimes it gets a little heated but its all lighthearted 

sibling sleepovers and camping trips is a must 

the boys are always arguing about whos jersey rosa should wear to their games

they have so many inside jokes 

the boys all created private twitter accounts just for her (and most of their friends did as well) 

𖧧　.˚ ⋅ QUINN HUGHES !

their contact names: 

quinn’s for rosa: quinny 🦕

rosa’s for quinn: rosie 🌷

when quinn found out that he was going to have a little sister he genuinely was so happy, he had been asking for a little sister. 

she gets the most sibling privilege between jack and luke, she's his favorite 

quinn helped teach her how to drive 

rosa gave quinn one of her stuffed animals to take with him to vancouver so he could hug it wherever he misses her

rosa texts him every day! 

quinn helped rosa find the perfect apartment for her 

quinn bought her a car and she cried for an hour straight 

he's honestly so proud of rosa and is always praising her and talking about her. 

they were always the siblings that fell asleep on road trips, using each other as pillows 

quinn buys his mom and rosa flowers every valentine's day 

quinn has a lot of rosa’s things in his apartment 

rosa would visit quinn all the time when she was filming for yellowjackets in vancouver, she stayed with him a lot when she wasn't with her cast mates 

rosa really looks up to quinn and she often goes to him for advice 

rosa cried at his draft 

it took rosa awhile to get used to quinn not living with her anymore

quinn is always the first one out of her brothers to read her scripts

𖧧　.˚ ⋅ JACK HUGHES !

their contact names: 

jack’s for rosa: d1 brat 🦖

rosa’s for jack: smarty pants 👧🏻

jack and rosa not only grew up as siblings but also as best friends 

jack is very protective of rosa, and he never treated her differently because she's a girl, he would often get upset at his friends in school that didn't want her to join them playing because she's a girl, he was always there to defend her and tell them that she's better than them anyway, so he'd rather play with her. 

jack was always chasing away the boys from her 

out of all the siblings they definitely get into the most arguments, they are so alike that they just clash sometimes. They are always quick to forgive each other, but it was always those two

they couldn't sit next to each other during car rides as kids because they always ended up fighting

jack always made her help him with his homework 

jack loves to tease rosa, but he really is so proud of her 

jack made rosa promise to him that she would never fall for one of his best friends 

rosa honestly hated when her ‘friends’ told her that they had a crush on jack, because most of them only wanted to be friends with her to get to jack 

jack loves just randomly showing up at her apartment for a visit 

jack is very dotting, and acts much older than her then he is (affectionately) 

these two are very mischievous together, they got in trouble the most (jack usually dragging her into it) 

they are often mistook as twins, always being told how similar they are 

jack always tries to get rosa to introduce him to her female castmates 

he hated when she was away to film as kids, he would not be like himself for a little while 

has gotten in a few fight in hockey because some players can’t keep rosa’s name out of their mouths

rosa had her first taste of alcohol with jack 

𖧧　.˚ ⋅ LUKE HUGHES !

their contact names: 

luke’s for rosa: stink 🧃

rosa’s for luke: ro 🩷

rosa is not much older than luke, but she always claims that he’s her little baby brother 

while jack and quinn always team up together, it's always rosa and luke as teammates 

luke would always complain about his friends always having a crush on her

rosa was always there to help him with his homework

rosa is the first person luke goes to when he's upset or needs someone to talk to

luke can do no wrong is rosa’s eyes, even if she witnesses him do something wrong, she will always be on his side 

luke would miss rosa the most whenever she went away for acting 

rosa’s nickname for luke is stink

they always sit next to each other during movies because they always share snacks and luke doesn't complain when rosa wants to cuddle. 

luke is very protective of his big sister, he's always there to defend her 

whenever luke would get scared he would always sneak into rosa’s room to stay with her, and she would always try to distract him from whatever was scaring him so he could peacefully fall asleep 

luke always get so flustered and proud when anyone comes up to him because they know hes rosa’s brother 

rosa loves spoiling him and praising him to no end (thats her baby)

they are also mistook as twins a lot 

luke picked up on a lot of rosa’s quirks & habits 

rosa is his favorite and vice versa 

luke called Rosa to come to New Jersey to help him decorate his and jack’s apartment because jacks decorating is ‘terrible and never deserves to see the light of day’ 

threatens to steal her kitten almost everyday

roro’s note. okay guys you were right — the reason why I love making hughes oc’s is because I love writing their dynamic with the boys 😭 please let me know which relationship you like the most!! I personally love rosa and luke the most 🫶🏻 this is an interactive AU so send in as many thoughts as you want!!

au m.list

˖ ་ taglist : @lesrflms @winterbarnesblog @toasttt11 @cixrosie @iceflwers

©️WINTFLEUR do not copy / use / steal my layout or ideas

[alastair-1205]

Time for my weekly insane about Geo thoughts. I cannot imagine how terrified he must still be of Cole leaving him. Like yea he did the whole lying about his powers thing already, but it goes deeper than that insecurity from being thrown into the land of lost things.

He must have spent years hearing about this other, amazing, powerful family that Cole once had and that he missed deeply, and of course Geo knows Cole loves him, but he's sure that if it came down to it that Cole wouldn't actually choose him. But he can take some selfish comfort knowing that this old family isn't in the picture anymore. He feels like an asshole, but he's felt worse so...

But then this family come back and brings those world ending levels of responsibility that Geo had only heard of with them. Cole is dragged away by that and Geo is far from thinking it's a good idea to insist he stays, but now Cole knows he's been lying about his powers, and now they can all leave the land of lost things so Cole doesn't have a moral obligation there either. And of course Cole loves Geo and their kids and the family they've made, but in the face of the end of the world, he can't stay, and in the face of the ninja coming back, he may not ever return.

But that doesn't happen. Sure some shit goes down and Bonzel may be missing (she's not dead. She can't be. Just missing in a place someone can find her one day.) But Geo isn't alone in that. Silver linings.

But then the other thing about Geo that I'm not normal about rn is how weird it must feel for him to interact with the rest of the ninja.

Like Cole obviously has this dynamic and relationship that's older than Spitz and Fritz and had been born from blood and trials and heartbreak and Geo and the Finders are just. There. On the outskirts of that but never being integrated the way people like Sora and Arin are (Geo cannot fucking escape feeling like an outsider within already established groups damn).

And like of course the ninja have been kind to him, but there's a disconnect there. Cole is the only connection between his two families and if he isn't there, that fact becomes pretty obvious pretty quick. They've truama bonded a bit, but in a group as traumatized as the ninja that doesn't mean as much as it maybe should lol.

I was honestly just thinking about that part in DR season 2 where Lloyd was injured and Geo was just there. Like it was almost funny and the fact that it was funny is kinda sad. Like he's trying to help, clearly he cares, and they aren't telling him to leave either, but he's put of place. Wanting to help but not being close enough to do so in a way that matters, but also not detached enough to just walk away. The weirdest sort of limbo. But he loves Cole and Cole loves him and he hasn't left yet so maybe they'll figure something out.

[nogoodsheepstealing-greatgrandma]

TG on Criston Cole: "He's not the step dad he's the Dad Who Stepped Up! 😍"

Criston Cole in F&B: Literally Humbert Humbert (or, at best, Woody Allen).

Afterward, he gave the seven-year-old Princess Rhaenyra the victor’s laurel and begged for her favor to wear in the joust.

“Ser Criston protects the princess from her enemies, but who protects the princess from Ser Criston?” *

*said at a point when Rhaenyra is the same age as Dolores Haze btw.

Among the changes to the character's ages in HOTD, it's ageing up Rhaenyra when she first meets Criston Cole that grosses me out the most. And to add insult to injury, they don't even get an older actor to play an older Criston Cole after the time jump - Emma D'arcy is actually older than Fabian Frankel.

And to those who say sympathetic jilted lover Criston Cole is more interesting... well we've heard that story before. With Jorah Mormont's depiction in GOT, for starters. And everywhere else in our culture, men like Criston Cole are afforded sympathy and fascination (it's honestly a relief that most audiences outside of tumblr thankfully hate Show Criston - pls leave the actor alone though), while their victims are depicted as seductive temptress 'nymphets'.

Look no further than JK Rowling's favourite 'tragic romance'.

(sure jk, trans women are the problem, but humbert humbert isn't?)

Book covers and film adaptations of Lolita love to age up and sexualise Dolores and completely miss the point, but Vladimir Nabokov named actress Catherine Demongeot as the most book-accurate casting. Who looks very disturbing up against the 1997 film's casting for Humbert Humbert:

She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock.

And wouldn't you know it, Daemon returns from the Stepstones when Rhaenyra (15) is around the same age that Dolores was, when Clare Quilty convinced her to run away with him.

And when Criston proposes to Rhaenyra ahead of her upcoming marriage to Laenor, she is again the same age as Dolores (17) when Humbert tries to get her to leave her husband for him.

Obviously Rhaenyra's story is by no means directly comparable to the horrific abuse suffered by Dolores Haze, and besides we don't know precisely what happened between Rhaenyra and Criston*. But Rhaenyra was also much much younger (7) when Criston came into a position to start grooming her, and at the end of the day she was still only a 12-year-old child when rumours of a sexual relationship began. The parallels are there, and CSA is a common issue throughout GRRM's work.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time GRRM has made a reference to Lolita in ASOIAF:

You see, she had absolutely nowhere else to go.

Littlefinger and Lord Petyr looked so very much alike. She would have fled them both, perhaps, but there was nowhere for her to go.

On Septon Eustace and Mushroom

*I do find it interesting to note that of the two accounts of Rhaenyra and Criston's 'split' (by two people who weren't in the room), it is Septon Eustace's account that puts Rhaenyra in a more favourable light. Mushroom tells the more pornographic account that casts Rhaenyra as the one trying to seduce Criston. Meanwhile Septon Eustace insists that Rhaenyra was the one to refuse Criston - including arguing that if his vows as a Kingsguard mean so little to him, then why should she trust he'd honour any marriage vows?

As I often argue, interpreting F&B is far more complicated than insisting one account always tells the truth, one account always tells propaganda etc. Neither account obviously views the relationship through the lens that Rhaenyra was only 7 when they met, neither of them care to raise concerns of grooming and CSA . This is still the same world after all that thought it was perfectly acceptable for a 12-year-old Laena to marry Viserys, or for a 12-year-old Sansa to marry Tyrion. This is the world that spread rumours of Rhaenyra's lost virginity when she had barely begun puberty.

Mushroom is clearly pro-Rhaenyra, and clearly fond of her (he wants us to know for instance how good it was to hear her laugh, his account expresses the most how broken she was after Luke's death) - but he's writing his account years after her death, and most likely after departing Aegon III's court for White Harbour. His priority, as a dwarf and entertainer, is to write was sells, and salacious tales sell. Just look at the pornographic tales the slavers spread of Daenerys, or how Shae depicts Sansa as a seducer withholding sex to convince her husband to commit regicide, or the play Arya performs in that bawdily depicts Tyrion raping Sansa for the masses. Mushroom at least wasn't the one to actually come up with the Brothel Queens story** - Archmaester Gyldayn credits Aegon II with making that story up - but any loyalty Mushroom had to a long-dead woman wasn't enough to stop him including a popular story. Mushroom's gotta eat.

**to those who still insist the story is true (despite Gyldayne attributing the rumour to Aegon II), do you honestly think if the Queen and Queen Mother had actually been gang-raped there wouldn't be multiple sources verifying it and expressing outrage?

Septon Eustace meanwhile is a misogynist who hated Rhaenyra and wished to justify his allegiance to the Greens. Which is why he'll make up ridiculous stories about Rhaenyra cutting herself on the throne while wearing armour, or Sunfyre eating her in 6 bites and leaving behind one leg for the Stranger, or how Rhaenyra got fat and ugly after giving birth to 5 children. Which is why he'll have Aegon II say "what sort of brother steals his sister's birthright?" - a statement that doesn't match with the rest of his documented words and actions:

Word of Rhaenyra’s coronation reached the Red Keep the next day, to the great displeasure of Aegon II. “My half-sister and my uncle are guilty of high treason,” the young king declared. “I want them attainted, I want them arrested, and I want them dead.”*** Cooler heads on the green council wished to parley. “The princess must be made to see that her cause is hopeless,” Grand Maester Orwyle said. “Brother should not war against sister. Send me to her, that we may talk and reach an amicable accord.” Aegon would not hear of it. Septon Eustace tells us that His Grace accused the Grand Maester of disloyalty and spoke of having him thrown into a black cell “with your black friends.”

***spoken in response to Rhaenyra publicly offering him a pardon

So Eustace has a tendency to demonise and whitewash - which is what makes it interesting when he passes on the opportunity. For example, why would he refute the rumours that Rhaenyra's children are bastards? Surely that claim would have supported his case against her? Why does he give quite a positive, even glowing, account of Jacaerys? Probably because he approved of and genuinely had no issue with Jacaerys, other than that he didn't believe the throne could pass through the female line anyway. True or not, he didn't need to claim Jace as a bastard, and Jace's actions didn't fit any cultural stereotypes. Because it seems there are certain lines Septon Eustace won't cross.

So Septon Eustace has some commitment to telling the truth (some truths anyway). Which is why his own account of Aegon II often contradicts itself, as shown above.

So back to his account of Rhaenyra and Criston. Why not cast Rhaenyra a wanton seductress, trying to tempt Criston Cole away from his Kingsguard vows? Why depict Criston, a fellow Green, as an oathbreaker? Why tell us that Rhaenyra did the right thing, turning Criston down and even expressing disgust that he would abandon his vows? Because for all Septon Eustace dislikes Rhaenyra, casting her as a wanton seductress would be crossing a line. He doesn't need it to be against female succession - her great sin is being a woman who doesn't gracefully abdicate in favour of her brother, and that's enough.

And because his account is probably closer to what happened. While he wasn't in the room, no more than Mushroom was, he was in a position to hear about it from Criston. As a fellow Green, and above all as a Septon. Someone who Criston might confess to. And it is Septon Eustace's account that tells us Criston Cole was the one to slit Lord Beesbury's throat. While he may try (sometimes anyway) to sanitise Aegon II, he makes no such effort with Criston Cole. If you wanted to legitimise your support for the Greens but were unable deny their crimes, it makes sense to allow someone to be the villain.

And supposing Criston did confess, he probably would have displayed the same delusional self-pity and self-justification as Humbert Humbert. And Septon Eustace, just like everyone else in Westeros, certainly wouldn't have considered Rhaenyra a possible victim of grooming and CSA.

Just look at Catherine Howard as a historical example. When she was 13 she was molested by her music tutor, Henry Mannox:

“At the flattering and fair persuasions of Mannox, being but a young girl, I suffered him at sundry times to handle and touch the secret parts of my body, which neither became me with honesty to permit nor him to require.”

This 'affair' was used as evidence against her in her trial for adultery and subsequent execution.

The Princess and her White Knight

Again, we don't know what precisely happened between Rhaenyra and Criston. We don't know if their relationship is comparable to Catherine Howard and Henry Mannox, or if it escalated anywhere close to the horrors of Dolores Haze and Humbert Humbert. Or if anything actually happened at all, or maybe at least not till Rhaenyra was older. Maybe their relationship is more comparable to Soon-Yi Previn and Woody Allen, who had been her stepfather since she was 10.

We have snatches of the truth from Eustace and Mushroom, we have what we can determine of their access to the truth and their motives for telling their accounts the way they do. We have Rhaenyra's young age, Criston's constant access to her, the timing of the rumours, her later relationships with older men, the violent hatred Criston has towards her after she rejects him. We have the fact that CSA is a common reoccurrence in GRRM's work - Daenerys and Jorah, Sansa and Littlefinger, Jeyne and Ramsay, Tyrion and Tywin, Aeron and Euron. We have the salacious stories that are already spreading of victims like Daenerys and Sansa, and we can speculate how future maesters and septons and fools might write about them, the way they write about Rhaenyra.

Whatever happened, my understanding is that Rhaenyra was a child in a court that her stepmother was actively making a hostile environment for her. Who had to deal with the beginnings of puberty in this environment, where adults were already speculating on her sexuality, on top of all the other scrutiny she would face as heir. Yes she had a father who doted on her, but when it came to Alicent he always refused to take sides, he always tried to placate and please and keep the peace. Yes he was steadfast in his decision to keep Rhaenyra his heir, but he did nothing to reprimand Alicent, he allowed this hostile environment to flourish, leaving his barely pubescent daughter to deal with it on her own. Alicent even publicly quips about Rhaenyra's relationship with Criston Cole, and she gets away with it.

Daemon does not return from the Stepstones till after the 5th anniversary tournament Viserys throws for Alicent, when Rhaenyra is 14/15. Before then, Rhaenyra's main confidant, probably her only confident on the subject of Alicent, was her sworn shield and constant shadow Criston Cole. Whatever happened between them, she was young and emotionally vulnerable. And lonely. Yes she had a party of supporters at court - but what is that to a child? She needed a parent to confide in, and when it came to Alicent her own father could not be that parent.

We know Rhaenyra was a precocious child, 'bright and bold' and proud. But we also know that beneath that she was anxious - she was known to compulsively fidget with the rings on her fingers out of anxiety. What kid in her situation wouldn't be anxious? Just when did this compulsive habit begin? Rhaenyra may not have been in anywhere near as vulnerable a situation as Dany, but she was still a vulnerable kid. And so Criston would have been important to her.

He wants me, she realized. He loves me as he loved her, not as a knight loves his queen but as a man loves a woman. She tried to imagine herself in Ser Jorah’s arms, kissing him, pleasuring him, letting him enter her. It was no good. 

It was a long kiss, though how long Dany could not have said. When it ended, Ser Jorah let go of her, and she took a quick step backward. “You … you should not have …”

My great bear, Dany thought. I am his queen, but I will always be his cub as well, and he will always guard me. It made her feel safe, but sad as well. She wished she could love him better than she did.

My bear, my fierce strong bear, what will I do without him?

My bear, she thought, my old sweet bear, who loved me and betrayed me. She had missed him so. She wanted to see his ugly face, to wrap her arms around him and press herself against his chest.

We don't know how much or in what way Criston took advantage of Rhaenyra's dependence on him, or how 'receptive' Rhaenyra might have been (friendly reminder that no matter how 'receptive' she might have been, it's still CSA). Again, it may be that nothing physically happened at all until Rhaenyra was 17 (after 10 years of grooming of course). Whatever happened, we can certainly imagine that Rhaenyra was devastated to lose him, and to Alicent of all people. He had been her confidant and her champion, he had been at her side since she was 7 years old, not long before losing her mother (who was the same age as Criston btw).

My understanding of Criston meanwhile is that he genuinely adored her for those 10 years as her sworn shield. That he was passionately protective of her, fiercely devoted to her, and possessive. Much like Jorah with Dany. Maybe, like Jorah, he tried to kiss her. Maybe much worse happened, and he deluded himself as many abusers do that theirs was a misunderstood romance. Maybe he never touched her at all, but fantasised about it. Maybe he convinced himself that he was a man of honour, maybe he spent those years waiting till Rhaenyra was older, by her side the entire time (cough, grooming).

Whatever happened, he was enraged that 10 years of grooming were ultimately unrewarded. He probably, deludedly, cast her just as cruel and selfish and ungrateful as Humbert Humbert did Dolores Haze.

Despite our tiffs, despite her nastiness, despite all the fuss and faces she made, and the vulgarity, and the danger, and the horrible hopelessness of it all, I still dwelled deep in my elected paradise - a paradise whose skies were the color of hell-flames - but still a paradise.

There is nothing more atrociously cruel than an adored child.

But I was weak, I was not wise, my schoolgirl nymphet had me in thrall. With the human element dwindling, the passion, the tenderness, and the torture only increased; and of this she took advantage.

Don't you love living in a world where multiple think pieces debate whether or not Rhaenyra abused Criston Cole? (Also a world where a book like Lo's Diary gets published...)

If there is any truth to Septon Eustace's account that Criston wanted to elope with her to Essos, then I can imagine that he wanted to possess Rhaenyra entirely for himself (however romantic he may have believed his motives). The 'black fury' that descends on him during the wedding tourney certainly tells us he is violently jealous to see Rhaenyra begin a relationship with Harwin. He probably stewed in fury while Rhaenyra's attention was on Daemon (maybe hypocritically casting him as the villain the way Humbert Humbert does Clare Quilty), celebrated when Daemon was banished, and grew desperately possessive at the thought of losing his exclusive access to her again. Much like Jorah:

“You have been a better friend to me than any I have known, a better brother than Viserys ever was. You are the first of my Queensguard, the commander of my army, my most valued counselor, my good right hand. I honor and respect and cherish you—but I do not desire you, Jorah Mormont, and I am weary of your trying to push every other man in the world away from me, so I must needs rely on you and you alone. It will not serve, and it will not make me love you any better.”

I can't believe I'm giving Jorah Mormont credit here, but at least he doesn't respond to rejection with violent hatred of Dany. Or at least, he hasn't yet.

Now Rhaenyra's relationship with Daemon is another matter, and will require another essay. In sum, there is a broad spectrum between 'pedophile' and 'healthy relationship', and when I say Daemon's relationship with Rhaenyra is healthier than her relationship with Criston I have to admit the bar is very low indeed. Though I do take into consideration GRRM's description of Daemon as a grey character, 'equal parts light and dark'. Anyone is at liberty to declare death of the author and interpret Daemon as they see fit, but authorial intent (however fallible you may consider it) is not irrelevant. That authorial intent is the foundation upon which the characters, relationships, events, themes etc is built.

Ultimately, Daemon was not in Rhaenyra's life between the ages of 8 and 15 - he was in a relationship with an adult Mysaria, and then he was off to the Stepstones until Viserys and Alicent's 5th anniversary tourney. This isn't to endorse whatever may have happened in the 6 months Daemon was in King's Landing before his banishment - however you interpret his actions and motives. But simply to say that when it comes to grooming and abusing pre-pubescent to early-pubescent girls (oh this has been a disturbing essay to write) - Criston wins the "Creepy Even By Child Brideros Standards" Award.

So... is Criston the Step-Dad Who Stepped Up? Sure, if your Step-Dad is Humbert Humbert or Woody Allen.

[marvelita85]

- tell me my prince... what is it in your trouble head.... maybe if you let it out it will easy your heart

- she is gone...

- who's gone?

- my half sister... princess Visenya... I

- you loved her...

- it was an accident but she didnt believe me, she said I took revenge for my eye...she was always good with us, always try to united the family but she saw me as the monster I am now...

- you are not a monster my prince... you still can talk with the princess

- there is no turning back now.... I asked my father to marry her when I turn seven and ten but he brushed it off, he looked at me and turn away, then I went to my mother but she didn't want Visenya to be with me.... she thought, Vis could manipulated me and sided with Rhaenyra

- is she not older than you are?

- by 7 years yes....

- and yet she is not married?

- she never wanted it, she always traveled with her dragon, she's even been living in Essos for a time

- she sounds like a free spirit warrior instead of a princess

- she is a wonderfull fighter, she defeted Cole in a few fights, he didnt like her much after that

Aemond didnt realise but he had tears running freelly through his cheeks and nose

- i ruined everything...

- maybe... there is still a chance to talked to her and ask her forgivness...

- im afraid is unforgiving for her - Visenya told him that, he had to live with the consequences now because if it really was an accident if he really didnt have the intention to kill Luke that meant he coudnt control his dragon and that was something he couldnt live with that shame but also meant to live with Visenya as his enemy as she said the next time he sees her was going to be on top of her dragon fighting against him

His heart shrink to realise what could have been for them and now they were enemies, he just hoped in his blackness heart he wasnt the one finding her in the sky

[dearstvckyx]

i was wondering how did luna and nico meet? and how did lunas friend and family react to them dating? like i feel like quinn, ellen, jim, cole and ethan would be okay with them but everyone else would be upset

so i only did Luna’s family. Sorry for how long they are 😭 Enjoy!!

So in my ‘Meet Luna Hughes’ i mentioned that Luna has had a crush on Nico since he was drafted to the NHL. Being in a hockey based family, the Hughes family have watched every NHL drafts, rooting for their friends. When the 2017 Draft was happening Luna was sitting with her family. The first time the camera showed Nico, Luna fell in love. Quinn was the first and only one to notice, he also never said anything for years (which is important.) When Luna and Nico started dating Luna was 19 and Nico Was 23. They kept secret but with Quinn being Luna’s best friend, he was the first person she told and made him pinky swear to NOT tell anyone, especially Jack and Luke.

In order of who she told/who found out:

Quinn’s Reaction: He’s a little shocked but not surprised. He’d let Luna know that he knew about her long time crush on Nico (not knowing that he was also exposing Luna for that.) He would be the biggest supporter of their relationship. Oh and also since he is Luna’s older older o̲l̲d̲e̲r̲ brother, he gave Nico the big brother talk.

Ellen’s Reaction: Oh she was so happy for Luna and Nico. Literally welcomed Nico into the family with open arms. Always inviting him over to spend time with Her, Luna and Jim (eventually the whole family when Jack and Luke found out)

Jim’s Reaction: Went major over protective dad mode. With Luna being the youngest and only daughter, Jim values their relationship so much that he swore to protect her the day she was born. He gave the over protective dad talk, making sure Nico knew that if he breaks Luna’s heart he will kill him.

Luke’s Reaction: (after Luna and Nico have been dating a while) Oh poor Lukey, he accidentally caught Luna and Nico holding each other and talking in a slightly dark corridor. He was shoked, mad, confused and worried. He literally walked away, didn’t tell Luna nor Nico he was there (didn’t tell Jack…. yet.) The Devils went on to play and unfortunately they lost. When back in the locker room Nico, Jack and Luke were the last three in there, Nico was talking to Jack when Luke had had enough. He walked up to Nico (his Captain mind you) and said to him “Maybe if you weren’t so enamored with my twin, we would’ve won.” Jack instantly looked at Nico who was as red as a tomato. Oh and when he found out that Quinn knew before him he was livid, literally pulling the “I'm your twin” to Luna.

Jack’s Reaction: Jack was trying to process what Luke had just said. His captain Nico Hischier, than man he has know for 4 years, is dating his baby sister. Jack looked at Nico and then stormed out of the locker room and started looking for Luna. When he found her, she was talking to Alexander, Curtis and Timo, Jack didn’t care tho. He walked up to Luna and asked if Luke was telling the truth, obviously Luna was confused and Jack blurted out “are you dating my captain or not?” Luna was embarrassed with everyone looking at her so she dragged Jack into a nearby room and told him the truth. Jack was obviously upset and left Luna by herself and, being the stubborn guy that he is, ignored both Luna and Nico for three months (Unlike Luke who ignored them for 4 weeks.) After a stern talking to by Ellen and Jim, and even Quinn, he eventually became Lucos (he literally came up with the name) biggest fan and supporter.

Nina’s Reaction: Being Nico’s older sister she was a little overprotective but when Nico introduced Luna to the Hischier Family (unlike the Hughes family they all found out at the same time) Nina’s overprotectiveness of Nico switched to Luna. With both Luna and Nina being the only daughter of their respective families, they became the best of friends. Nina pulled Nico aside after a dinner and gave him her big sister talk saying “If you break her heart, cheat on her, abuse her or do anything to her i will end you.” Luna overheard this and tried so hard not to laugh at this, because she had just met Nina and she already loves Luna. Nico was nervous after that talk, so anytime Nico and Luna fought he would be the first to apologize (with Luna following after.) Nina is the first person Nico goes to for help for a gift or a birthday party or an anniversary thing. Nina’s also is the first person Luna goes to for anything (SORT OF SPOILER: even when Luna was freaking out about missing her period, Nina was there to help her with taking the test and calming Luna’s anxiety when it was positive)

[nrilliree]

reading character tropes and I can just tell Alicent dickriders and tg wrote this bc lmao:

"As strange as it may be, it is nice to see Ser Criston and Alicent consummating their feelings. While it is mostly sexual and they maintain a professional demeanour when in public, it is important to remember that both have been scarred by previous sexual experiences with House Targaryen. With Alicent, she was a repressed and unhappy young girl used as a breeding mare for the much older King Viserys (despite how pleasant their marriage was overall) and for Criston, he was little more than a brief consort to Rhaenyra who was forced to break his oaths and eventually saw he would always be second place to Daemon. But here, the sex between them is both passionate and equally giving. There is no fear, no judgement, no uncertainty, and no sense of inequality; just two people acting on their passion for each other and being genuinely happy and willing to be doing so."

So, when a princess has sex with a WILLING guard (who was only hesitant bc of his vows but ultimately had a choice as Rhaenyra moved away from blocking the door, giving Cole a choice in staying and going) it's bad and Rhaenyra is a whore but when a dowager queen (who is THE most powerful woman in the entire kingdom) does the same thing, it's "courtly love" and "Equally giving" keep in mind the three times we see Alicent and Cole sleep with each other, it's always Alicent who moves forward with it while Cole looks unimpressed WHILE he actually laughed/giggled during the same thing with Rhaenyra - if anything, if it got out, Cole probably would have been just exiled or stripped of his titles but for Rhaenyra or even Alicent, they would be deemed whores and disowned and probably made to do the walk of shame.

Rhaenyra didn't hold him down or block the door, she gave him a choice and he CHOOSE to break his vows and then keep breaking them with Alicent.

Ridiculous.

Definitely nothing surprises me in TG stans' reasoning since the posts about Aegon not raping Dyana because a servant is a thing so that doesn't count, and that there's no evidence he raped her because she could have asked him to stop pulling her hair… So yeah, well. A terrifyingly large portion of this group makes weird excuses about rape, going too far. It's one thing to like a character who is a disgusting criminal like every rapist, and another to say things that are supposed to justify him. At the same time, trying hard to portray other characters as aggressors, which is definitely what Rhaenyra gets when it comes to the Criston situation.

Criston was Rhaenyra's defender for like… what, two or three years? It was long enough for him to get to know her, and considering his affection and devotion (to the point where she dared to reject him) - he saw nothing in her that would justify his fears that if he rejected her sexual offer he would be punished. The truth is that in a situation where Criston refused sex with Rhaenyra and left, telling someone about it, she might have more trouble than he did - just look at what Otto did, sending spies after her against the crown and looking for any means of getting her, how he used the situation with Daemon just to strip her of her status in favor of Aegon.

I also find it funny how much they defend him and Alicent. Criston screwed up his job. Not only did he break his White Cloak vows, but he also screwed up his job as Lord Commander in the name of sex. He had not set guard for the "queen" who was Helaena, and had himself been assigned to guard the door of Alicent, who was no longer a queen. Not only had he placed his lover above the "queen," but he had abandoned his own guard and not guarded the door, preferring to storm Alicent's back door.

[luke-hughes43]

i can fix him (no really i can) | trevor zegras x reader

this is based on the taylor swift song 'i can fix him (no really i can)' for the era's tour fic challenge masterlist put on by the lovely @comphy-and-cozy and @wyattjohnston !

explicitly and loosely based on the lyrics of 'they shake their heads saying, "God help her", when I tell them he's my man, but your good Lord doesn't need to lift a finger, I can fix him, no, really I can, and only I can' as well as the very last lyric of 'woad maybe i can't'

it is sad and angsty at the end and i'm sorry.

enjoy!

~

y'n's pov

growing up in toronto, hockey is everything. and having an older brother and friends who played the sport teach you the ins and outs of the hockey worlds.

even the not so glamorous part of their off ice behaviors and dating habits. well 'lack there of' dating habits.

that led me to my rule of 'no dating hockey players' that i stuck with for 24 years. until one fateful january night at a bar in nashville led me to spending most of the season in southern california cheering for the anahiem ducks.

somehow, i ended up meeting none other than trevor zegras. and exchanged numbers with him.

i had explained my 'no dating hockey players' rule to him and he ignored it. and wouldn't leave until he got my number. so i gave it to him. against my better judgement.

after 5 months of him persistently texting me and asking me on a date, i finally caved. deciding that if he's willing to spend 5 months chasing after me then maybe he's different than most hockey players. my brother and everyone warned me about him when they found out. saying, "zegras is known for having multiple girls in all 32 cities. just be careful."

i choose to ignore them because he's never given me a reason not to. towards the end of the off season, he asked me to go to michigan with him so that i could meet his friends. meeting his friends, a month into actually dating felt really fast. he had only met one of my friends up until then and that's because she came over and woke us up after he accidentally spent the night.

i agree to going to michigan with him to meet his friends because he was so happy and excited about it and i wasn't going to deny him of that joy. he's too cute to be sad over something like that.

however, being in michigan was weird.

it felt like his friends were walking on eggshells around me. afraid of saying the wrong thing to me. especially after finding out my brother plays in the league.

late one night as i'm heading up to bed i hear two of trevor's friends, jack and cole, talking about us. well more specifically me.

"god help y/n. dating trevor is not an easy feat and i hope she knows what's she's getting into." i hear from cole. and then i hear jack respond, "yea. like i love z don't get me wrong but he's a handful. there's a reason that he hasn't had a serious girl since high school. he's enjoying the pro life."

"like you?" cole comments to jack. jack just laughs him off and says, "he seems to really like her so maybe she's the one to really get him to grow up."

"one can only hope hughesy. i like her too, so hopefully she is the one to fix him." cole says.

i just go up to bed at that and crawl into bed. where trevor is already sleeping. he must've felt me get into bed because he's immediately pulling me close to him and cuddling into me, moving his head to my chest. i smile and thread my fingers through his dirty blonde hair.

i think to myself, "i can fix you trev, i really i can."

i let myself drift off into a much needed sleep and leave that conversation in the back of my head. for months actually.

flash forward to know. i have spent most of the season in SoCal with trevor because he asked me to. and i've grown a lot closer to his friends, considering them my friends now.

trevor just recently got hurt and is on crutches and is struggling. i'm doing my best to help him but he's not very receptive right now so i'm also trying to give him space. i get a text from jack and cole the day after it happens in a group chat that the 3 of us have.

jack hows trev?

cole he whining?

no not yet.

jack surprising.

cole you doing ok? i know he's a lot.

i'm doing good. and he's fine, not whining just needy lol😝

jack that's our trev

cole be nice to him pls y/n. he really likes you.

i will cole. promise. i can fix him, really i can

both boys like my message and i get back to caring for my extremely needy boyfriend.

fast forward to the break for 4 Nations and trev and i had plans to go on a trip together. just us, for the first time. but 3 days before we were set to leave, he says, "hey baby, i have to head back to new york for some family thing but i'm gonna meet you in *insert random place for their vacation* i'm sorry."

"it's ok trev. family's important i get it. i'll see you there." i say with a smile and kiss him softly.

it kinda sucks not flying there with him but i'll live. i get 5 uninterrupted days with my boyfriend for the first time since we started dating so i've decided not to be picky about it.

the day of my flight, i get to the airport and arrive at our hotel and check in. i knew trevor would be getting in after me since he's coming on a different so i decided to take a nap until he got here.

however, when i woke up, he still wasn't here. i check my phone and there's no messages from him whatsoever. and i go to check his location and it's off. which could be from him flying. i check his flight info to see if it was delayed and it wasn't, it had landed two hours ago. so where is my boyfriend?

i go to text him when i see a text from jack and cole.

jack i'm so sorry y/n

cole he's an asshole. and doesn't deserve.

what's going on? where's trevor?

jack you haven't seen?

obviously not jack if i'm asking where he is

cole y/n, he's in new york city. he was spotted leaving a club last night with some girl on his arm.

what are you guys talking about?

jack *insert article* jack read it. we're so sorry.

what the hell is this?

cole trevor being a fucking idiot.

jack i already called him and bitched him out.

i thought i could fix him. i had heard the rumors but i tried not to believe him because he never gave me a reason to. what am i supposed to do now? i'm literally in *insert vacation plan* and he was supposed to be here too. now what do i do?

cole i'm on the next flight there. don't leave. i'm not gonna let trevor ruin your trip by being an asshole. just because he's our friend, doesn't mean we're gonna stop being your friend over his stupidity.

you don't have to do that cole. i'll be ok

cole too late. already on the way to the airport.

jack if i wasn't at 4 nations, i'd be coming too. jack we thought you could fix him too y/n jack i guess no one can.

i close my phone and wipe the tears that we're streaming down my face. my brother had texted after seeing the article and i don't have the heart to look at it.

looks i can't fix trevor zegras. i guess no one can.

[nycbaby21]

my first post so pls be kind I’m still new to writing. Sorry it’s so long. :)

Cole Caufield imagine

Summer is my favorite time of the year. No more waking up at the crack of dawn headed to class after class, no more annoying roommates who never clean up after themselves, and most importantly no more time away from your friends.

I was twelve years old when I first met the Hughes brothers for the first time. I spent the summer with my grandparents and the family moved in next door. Immediately clicking with the middle son who was the closest to your age and making a life long friend.

Jack was my best friend my platonic soulmate, Quinn was the older brother I never had, and Luke was the annoying little brother who also always had a shoulder for me to cry on. Jim and Ellen quickly became like second parents to me, claiming that I was the daughter they always wanted but never got. Ever since that summer everyone had bets on when Jack and I would realize “our feelings” and finally get together. I love Jack with my whole entire being but never in the way our families wanted.

This summer was already off to a great start, I pulled up to the lake house and didn’t even have time to park before the guys came running down. I barely made it out of my seatbelt before Trevor and Jack were pushing each other trying to get the “first hug of the summer.” It started years ago when Alex got to my car first and bragged the whole summer about being the favorite because he got my first hug. As Jack and Trevor pushed each other out of the way, Cole rounded the car and slipped into the passenger seat leaning over and giving me a hug. My heart fluttered and my cheeks blushed hugging him.

I always thought Cole was attractive and a great guy but I never thought it was of it as more than a schoolgirl crush. I mean being friends with all of them I’d have crushes on some of them before but they quickly faded. My feelings for Cole never did, if anything they kept getting stronger and stronger. Last summer was when I actually realized how bad I had it for him. It was the last night at the lake house and everyone tried to stay awake as long as they could. All of us outside by the bonfire just being with each other before life took us all our separate ways for the year.

Slowly everyone started turning in and only Cole and I were left outside. The fire had started dying down and the cool breeze was more apparent now. I cuddled deeper into my chair and pulled my blanket higher trying to stay warm not wanting to go inside enjoying the time alone with Cole. He obviously noticed, because he always notices the small things about everyone, and rounded the fire pit and sat down next to me. He smiled down at me and wrapped an arm around me pulling me close. I was thankful I could blame the flush on my cheeks on the flames. We stayed that way for hours just leaning into each other and talking about the summer.

I hug everyone else when I can finally make it out of my car. The guys let me settle in the room I had claimed since the first time Quinn and Jack showed me the place. The room was untouched exactly how I left it last summer. Smiling I get everything situated and the picture frame on the small dresser catches my eye. It was from my high school graduation when all the guys surprised me by showing up.” It won’t be long before we get to take another picture like that,” a voice breaks me from my trance softly placing the picture down. My eyes are met with the soft smile on Quinn’s face while he leans against the doorframe.” It’s so weird that I only have one more year left and I’m all done with school.”

I make my way to the bed and sit down patting the spot next to me before laying back and looking at the ceiling. Quinn chuckles and joins me just like he had many times before. He was the easiest person to be around, we could sit in complete silence and be totally okay with it. His presence was calming to me, like a security blanket of some sorts.” We were thinking about heading to the course and playing a round of golf. You wanna come or stay here and rest,” he asks turning his head to the side looking at me. It was sweet that Quinn always included me in whatever the boys did, even when I didn’t like the activity the invitation was still there.” Yeah sounds like fun. Just let me get changed and we can go,” I say looking over at him.

“She said yes guys! She said yes! Go get dressed before she changes her mind,” we hear shouting from the hallway. Seconds later we see five guys rushing around throwing outfits together. Quinn and I bust out laughing and he jumps up turning and pulling me up with him. Shaking my head laughing I look through my clothes and grab a light blue shirt and paired it with my white golfing skirt. Quickly changing and brushing my hair, I head down stairs into the kitchen grabbing a bottle of water. When I turn around Trevor is standing so close our faces are almost touching. I jump slightly because he scared me and my reaction makes him double over in laughter.” Ha ha yeah really funny Z,” I say sliding past him opening the water and drinking some. He turns and I can’t help but smile at him because of how squinty eyed he gets when he laughs really hard.

I gather my hair into a ponytail at the base of my neck when the rest of the guys finally make their way to us. My eyes drift over to Cole as I take in his appearance. The tight golf shirt and pants weren’t helping me at all. I thought I was quick enough checking him out no one noticed, until I saw the look Jack was giving me. I was totally busted and silently prayed he would keep his big mouth shut. Shaking my head at him as a warning he just smiles really big and heads towards the door. Throwing an arm around my shoulder he leads us outside and to the dark suv in the driveway. It was an unspoken rule that whoever got to the car first got shotgun, a stupid rule which always ended up with someone mad or hurt from racing outside. Quinn was driving with Luke in the passenger and Cole, Trevor, and Alex sharing the middle row. I was pulled into the back with Jack and settled in. Normally I never golfed, I just went and sat in the golf cart the whole time sipping on whatever drink I had at the time.

This past year I had been practicing and finally felt confident enough to join in. I hadn’t told anyone yet hoping to surprise them because the only time I ever played ended so badly.” So you and Coley eh,” Jack ask leaning down whispering in my ear. My eyes go wide and I slap him shushing him. The loud smack of my hand hitting his chest alerted the middle row and three heads turned around starring at us. Blush creeps it’s way onto my face and Jack can’t help but laugh.” Jack quit being annoying and bothering her,” Quinn says looking at him through the rear view mirror. He fakes shock,” how do you know it was me? Y/n could have been the one bothering me.” The sentence makes everyone laugh.” Because she’s y/n and you’re Jack,” Alex laughs turning back around.” Also she couldn’t be annoying if she tried. Annoying is your default setting,” Cole smiles looking over at me. I send him back a small smile as he turns to face forward. I immediately regret looking over at Jack who has a smirk on his face. Today wasn’t going to be a good day, I could feel it.

After getting everything in order we all made it to the first hole and set up the order. After Luke swung the guys all started heading to the carts for the next hole.” Actually could I maybe play this time,” I ask all of the sudden scared about if I could really play like I had practiced. They all send me shocked and amused looks and nod. Trevor walks over and present a club to me like it was made of gold or something. Laughing everyone settles down as I make my way to start my turn. I take a deep breath and shake out my shoulder nervously.” Hey Coley why don’t you help her with the stance,” Jack suggest sipping on his drink. I all of the sudden had the urge to run the devils player over with the golf cart he was sitting on.” You don’t have to. I’m fine really. I should be able to figure it out,” I rush out while he makes his way over to me.” It’s no problem. Really I don’t mind helping you out,” he stands behind me and wraps his arms around holding the club with me.

I try and hold my breath scared he could hear my heart beating. As Cole helps me adjust my stance I can’t help but imagine if this is how it would be if he took me on golf dates. His body pressed against mine, soft voice giving me instructions in my ear, and our friends chirping us saying get a room.” So you got it,” he asks stepping back and leaning against the cart closest to him. I clear my throat and nod with a smile. The swing wasn’t one for the record books but it was double as far as any other time I had done it. I slowly turn and see all the guys looking at me bewildered. I laugh and shrug my shoulders,” I guess Caufield is just a really good teacher.” As I pass him I squeeze his shoulder and place the club back into its place in the bag.

After what felt like years we finally finished the game. I lost like badly but it was an improvement from before. Making our way back to the house we all loaded up back into our original seats. Fatigue set in from the game and the Sun so I leaned my head onto Jack’s shoulder closing my eyes. As I drifted to sleep I didn’t hear the conversation happening just one row ahead of me.

“Cole seriously grow a pair,” Trevor exclaimed loudly. He was quickly hushed and the trio looked back to see me sleeping soundly on our shared friend. Jack had leaned his head down to rest on mine and closed his eyes too.” Shut up Trev. Drop it okay,” Cole said sadly turning around not wanting to see Jack all cuddled up with the girl he had fallen for last summer. Alex looked at his friends face and leaned over,” they are just friends Cole.” He knew that obviously but that didn’t stop the small part of his brain from thinking how natural it was for the two of you. Everyone always made comments about her ending up with his best friends but never him. Last summer he tried to share his feelings only to see the girl of his dreams asleep cuddled into his chest by the fire pit.

The rest of the afternoon was relaxed. Everyone set out doing their own thing and I couldn’t help but look for Cole to see what he was doing. I couldn’t find him anywhere. I check the kitchen only to find it empty. Sighing I turn towards the window above the sink and watch Trevor chase Alex and Jack with a water gun.” He’s out by the dock,” Quinn’s voice startles me for the second time today.” I have no idea what you are talking about,” I say trying to pass him and he stops me. Looking up into his eyes I can tell he sees right through me. Quinn could always tell what I was feeling, sometimes even before I had it figured out.” Cole. He’s out by the dock. Just in case you wanted to know,” his eyes sparkled. He knew why I was looking for Cole but he didn’t say it. I shook my head and sat down on the counter and sighed.” It doesn’t matter Q. He doesn’t see me that way. I heard him and Trevor talking about a girl in the way home today.”

It was true I hadn’t been asleep the whole time and I heard parts of the conversation about the girl Cole had liked for sometime now and how he wanted to make a move.” You don’t know that,” he says walking towards me stopping right in front of me. “ Yes I do okay. I’m not the kind of girl guys like him date. I’m just the kind he’s friends with,” I sigh looking into his eyes. He leaned forward and placed his hand on my knee squeezing it gently.” He’s be an idiot not to see you like that. And trust me Cole Caufield is no idiot.” His words swirl in my brain as he walks out of the kitchen leaving me sitting their with my thoughts. Taking a deep breath I make my way down to the dock. Walking down I see the boy swinging his legs over the edge of the dock from where he sits.

“This spot taken,” I ask trying to keep my confidence as time went on. Quinn would never lie to me and hurt my feelings on purpose, so I was really hoping he was right about this.” All yours,” his smile didn’t meet his eyes like it normally did. I sat down close enough that our shoulders brush. We sat their in silence for a minute while I tried to calm my breathing.” So I heard you and Trevor on the way back today,” I finally say looking straight forward at the water not making eye contact. I can feel him stiffen and looked over at me. His eyes scan my face for any sign that I may share his feelings.” You did,” he asks with a low voice. Finally looking at him I nod my head.” Just so you know any girl who doesn’t want to date you is an idiot Cole,” I say looking from his eyes to his lips so quickly he wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t starring at me so closely.” I don’t think you’re an idiot y/n,” he whispers so low I barely hear him. He breaks eye contact and stares ahead.

I freeze and look at him. Did I hear him right? Was Quinn actually telling the truth? How long had I been holding my breath? My lungs started to burn so I took a deep breath and cupped his face with my hands making him look at me. His blue eyes widened and scanned every inch of my face.” I don’t think I’m an idiot either,” I whisper afraid if I talk too loud I’ll scare him away.” You don’t,” he ask slowly turning his body towards mine and leaning in. I shake my head no and look between his eyes and lips again. When he doesn’t pull away and puts one of his hands on my waist and the other on my thigh I can’t take it anymore and close the distance between us. I always figured when I finally got to kiss him fireworks would fly and butterflies would jumble all around in my stomach. I was so wrong. Sitting there on that dock kissing him felt comfortable, felt normal, felt like home. Cole Caufield felt like home.

[milk-crater]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY @blizzardsuplex! I hope you had a great day and that the sushi was good! I was too excited to post this, and I can't wait anymore haha. Here's a Roddam fic where the ages are reversed, so a 21-year-old Roddy meets a 27-year-old Adam in ROH. I know when we talked about the idea before we agreed that maybe their friendship would be more of a slowburn in this world, but that didn't exactly pan out--I just like my happy endings :D. I'd also love it if you could help me out with a title so I could post it to AO3 :P Warning for fatphobia.

Roddy’s childhood had engendered him with various gifts. One of them was the ability to be physically present, shoulders square, body language confident, doing whatever it was he needed to do in that space all while his heart and mind were shuttered behind the lead walls of his muscle and bone. This kind of functional detachment had severed him well growing up, especially during those moments when all four members of the household were home and a crackling tension hung in the air. Roddy had learned that to attempt to retreat, to try and make himself small, that would just make him a target. Better to purposefully take up space but in an opaque way, playing with Lego while mom and dad argued.

He used that same air when in the locker room, smiling affably at people who greeted him but never too much too be presumptuous, never too faint to be called unfriendly. He chatted and laughed but that was just audio camouflage. He was still green, still the youngest guy in the company, and he knew that any misstep meant getting some so-called “locker room leader” up in his grill and ready to beat his ass.

Roddy’s stealth work seemed to be paying off. Even most of the ROH hard asses said he was a good worker and “a polite boy.”

But he knew better to relax. So when he heard Chuck Taylor talking shit about him, he didn’t flinch. Didn’t react. But he did listen.

“I’m not saying you’re the chubbiest guy in ROH. That honor goes to Roderick Strong.”

Roderick didn’t react as he pulled kinesiology tape off his own back. He couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the man Chuck was talking to.

Adam Cole. Adam Cole, in Roddy’s eyes, was ROH, the type of cool badass wrestler Roddy aspired to be. The man was only six years older than him, 27 to Roddy’s 21, but he seemed eons older, blue eyes reflecting out a flintiness that was a byproduct of succeeding in the wrestling industry. His had long, brown hair and a thin goatee that just highlighted the fine features of his pretty face.

Adam took Chuck’s comment with a mirthless chuckle, a small sound that hit Roddy like a bullet. He shouldn’t feel so hurt; Cole had barely talked to him aside from welcoming him to the company. But he’d waited so long for further acknowledgement from the man, it seemed like a cruel twist of fate for it to be this.

“But with Roddy, that’s all baby fat,” Chuck said. “It’ll melt off him if he keeps going hard in the gym and in the ring. But you? You’re getting close to thirty, pal. At our age it’s not so easy to lose those pounds once you pick them up.”

It went against every one of his survival instincts, but Roddy couldn’t help but look at Adam again, eyes staying longer this time. It was true that Adam had gained a couple pounds in the last month, and not in the bulking up sense of putting on muscle. He had a bit of a tummy, some love handles, extra flesh that could not be contained by his skimpy wrestling trunks.

Roddy considered his own body. Adam’s fat seemed to pool in ‘problem’ areas: hips, tummy. Roddy just felt big and bloated all over, a layer of flab that covered him like a stifling set of clothes. He figured he wore it well, but now, thanks to Chuck’s comment, he knew that wasn’t the case. Everyone looked at him and saw and fleshy, fat, child. 

“I get it,” Chuck continued, arm on the locker, smile wide and at odds with his sympathetic tone.  “Everyone feels the need to down a pallet of cupcakes after getting dumped. But stuffing your face isn’t going to win back Kevin.”

There was a shift in the room at the comment, and it occurred to Roddy that everyone else had been doing exactly what he was doing, pretending to be busy while listening closely. A month ago, Adam Cole and Kevin Owens had been ROH tag team champs. The two men had met early in their careers and called each other their wrestling soulmate. They formed a tag team called “Beauty and the Beast,” the gimmick being it featured a hot pretty guy and a brawling brute, two opposites. But that was just a feint: the truth was they were the same guy. The same ruthless bastard just in two different shapes. 

And yeah, Roddy had heard they were an item outside of the ring as well. They were pretty blatant about it: when they won the titles, Kevin had carried Adam bridal style out of the ring.

And then they’d lost the titles. And Kevin had won the “who’s a bigger bastard” contest between them by taking a steel chair to Adam’s back.

“But if you want to be ROH world champion, you can’t do it looking like that,” Chuck chided.

Adam had taken this all with a stoicism Roddy admired in an almost academic way, taking mental notes on his posture and expression. Adam nodded as he finished getting dressed. He threw his head back and gathered his hair into a bun.

“Fat or not, Chuck, you’d still hop on my dick if I so much as whistled,” Adam said casually.

Chuck scoffed, looking around the room, trying to make eye contact with someone, anyone, so he could gesture in a Can you believe this guy? way. But no one met his eyes.

Chuck’s smile dropped.

“Ha. You wish, Cole,” Chuck said, but it was weak, a too late kick out. The invisible ref of the locker room had already counted one-two-three, marking this match as a win for Cole. Adam smiled at Chuck, then grabbed his bag and left the locker room, not even glancing Roddy’s way.

For a moment Roddy worried Chuck would switch his focus over to him, but Chuck seemed cowed even with Adam gone. Roddy focused on getting dressed and putting his gear away, saying goodbye to the guys he’d wrestled with that night before leaving the locker room.

Adam Cole was waiting for him outside the building.

“Hey, Roderick,” he said, pushing himself off the brick wall of the armory. “Got a moment?”

Roddy made himself stop and smile. “Sure, Mr. Cole. What can I do for you?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “First off, don’t call me ‘mister.’ I’m not that much older than you.”

Roddy nodded, fidgeting with the strap of his gym bag as he waited for Adam to get to the point.

“Don’t let what Chuck said in there get to you--”

“It didn’t,” Roddy replied, too quick, too cheerful. Adam raised one perfect eyebrow.

“You sure?” Adam said. “Look, Chuck likes to run his mouth. The fact is, he’s really insecure about his own weight, so he’s just loving the fact that I’ve packed on a few pounds lately. That’s the only reason he made a dig at you. It wasn’t personal. You were just caught in the crossfire.”

Roddy let out a huff. “Yeah, well, that doesn’t exactly make me feel any better.”

Adam smiled softly. “I thought it didn’t get to you?”

Roddy shifted his weight from foot to foot, not sure what to say after being caught in a lie.

Adam laughed, an affectionate laugh as if Roddy was his simple but sweet younger brother.

“You’re a nice kid,” Adam said, looking at Roddy with fondness that he suspected was for someone else. Then the smile widened and Adam’s blue eyes sparkled, and it felt like he was actually looking at him. “And you can go in the ring! I watched your match tonight. You were fantastic. Really crisp. The cutter was perfectly executed.”

“You mean it? You actually watched my match?” Roddy said. He hated how nasally his voice got when he was sincere.

“Yeah, of course. I like to keep an eye on my competition. And I keep a real close eye if they’re cute.”

Roddy knew the cute bit was an empty line, just a balm to make Roddy feel better after Chuck’s locker room teasing, but he wasn’t able to withstand the first barrage from Cole’s charm offensive: Adam Cole thinks I’m competition!

“That’s right. Because I’m going after the championship belt too.” He sounded sure of himself, like he was cutting a promo instead of having a friendly chat with a colleague. Roddy was mentally kicking himself for being such a nerd, but Adam just smiled, seemingly pleased by Roddy’s response.

“Glad to hear it.” He gave Roddy a jaunty little salute and started to walk away.

Roddy felt his heart drop. He knew in his bones he couldn’t let it end here. Adam would pat himself on the back for being nice to the newbie and then never think about him again. And that was one of the worst things Roddy could ever imagine.

He wouldn’t let that happen. Even if it meant making himself known, even if it meant stepping up and calling attention to himself.

“Adam!” he called out. “You don’t need Kevin Owens.”

 Adam stopped, the tension in his shoulders the only other indication he’d heard him.

“But if you ever do need someone…maybe I could be that guy.” Roddy didn’t even know what he was saying, what he was pitching.

But Adam seemed to. The older man glanced over his shoulder, a thoughtful smile on his face. He gave Roddy a once over, serious assessment behind his gaze.

“Well, I am down a tag partner, so…I’ll keep you in mind.”

Roddy grinned. In that moment, that’s all he had ever wanted.

“Great, great,” he said, trying to stifle his smile. Adam chuckled and shook his head. Maybe he thought Roddy was a young idiot, but at least now Adam seemed to think of him as a useful idiot. And maybe if they hung out and trained together, who knows?

Adam himself suddenly seemed shy, an out of character look on his face.

“Hey, do you want to come over and do some tape study?” He asked. Roddy straightened up.

“Right now?” he asked incredulously.

Adam waved him off. “Right, stupid idea. You probably already have plans—”

“No, no, I want to do it,” Roddy said. “Let’s go.”

Adam smiled and gave what Roddy thought might be a sigh of relief. “Then let’s hit the road before those other bozos clear out of the locker room.”

Roddy bounded over, a new lightness to his step.

[gwenllian-in-the-abbey]

How different book!Aegon is to his show version ? I keep seeing this take that they're so different but i couldn't see it in your fics i feel like they are the same even though i didn't read the book, maybe you write mix of both?

Hi anon, good question! Here's the thing. F&B has no internality for any of the characters whatsoever. That means we don't know what they're thinking, what they're feeling, or even their true motivations, not from their own POV. We know their actions and some of their words, but even these are secondhand. The only of our F&B sources who would have had much to do with Aegon personally would have been Eustace and Orwyle, and they have their own agendas. When we get told that Aegon "raged and drank" after B&C, for example, we don't know what was going through his head, we just know he was upset. F&B sadly doesn't give us any excerpts from letters or journals to tell us where his mind is at, so there really is no one fixed "book!Aegon" as far as his personality goes. Just as with any historical figure (and all the characters in F&B really) we don't really get a full picture of the person as an individual, so we have to create our own, just like Ryan Condal did, just like Tom Glynn-Carney did. That's just the nature of Fire and Blood.

There are a few concrete differences between show!Aegon and book!Aegon. He's slightly younger in the show, with a smaller age difference between himself and his nephews and a larger age difference between himself and Rhaenyra. In the book he was not friends with Jace or Luke because he was a good 7 years older than Jace, so he's more distant from his nephews. He was a hedonist in the book, a glutton and an alcoholic who got handsy with the maids and had affairs, but he was not textually a rapist. The child fighting pit story also came from Mushroom, who is not a reliable source. He supposedly had a "sullen look about the eyes and a pouty mouth," and was "quick to anger and slow to forgive" (almost the exact same words which were used about Rhaenyra, interestingly enough); he was handsome, was said to resemble Viserys in his youth, but he did not "look like a warrior." I think physically, Tom Gynn-Carney quite fits the description, although book!Aegon was maybe a bit chubbier? But even though he might not have been a swordsman, he was an excellent dragonrider and has a strong bond with Sunfyre. Although he was considered lazy before the war, he did care for his family; he did not try to run away, but he did at first resist being crowned until Criston Cole convinced him that his family would be killed if Rhaenyra and her bastard sons were allowed to take the throne. That's Viserys arranged his marriage to Helaena in the book, not Alicent, and like in the show, they were both very young when it happened, but we don't really know how they felt about it. We do know that his relationship with Helaena was probably not terrible because they did share a room before Blood and Cheese happened, and the aftermath of Blood & Cheese makes it pretty clear he feels something for them. Certainly he pays attention to their wellbeing because it's stated that after Blood and Cheese he had to take Maelor from Helaena and give him to Alicent to raise (Helaena wasn't taking proper care of him due to her depression). This is specifically attributed to Aegon, not Alicent or Otto or anyone else. In the show we haven't seen his relationship with his children yet, but he does look very upset in scenes following B&C.

The thing is, there's a LOT we don't know about book!Aegon, especially pre-war Aegon, and a lot of what people consider "changes" are headcanons, especially when it comes to Aegon's personality. There is definitely a contingent of fans that sees Aegon as some sort of gigachad dudebro and takes offense at the show's portrayal of him as a bit of a wet cat basketcase who wants love and validations. I too have seen the posts about how we were "robbed" of book!Aegon, but this is not a show!Rhaenyra vs. book!Rhaenyra type thing in which they gave her a whole new backstory, we just don't really know much at all about pre-war Aegon. Maybe he was an ultra confident sugar daddy type, instead of a bit of a fuckup. People are certainly free to headcanon however they like. But there's so-far nothing in the book that seriously contradicts the personality the writers and TGC have given show!Aegon either, because book!Aegon steps up and acts with courage and resilience only after experiencing horrific, life-changing events. We won't know how that affects show!Aegon's personality until season 2 and beyond air.

As for show!Aegon, I think a lot of how he's been characterized on the show does make sense based on what we know of him from the book. How would it feel to be the only eldest trueborn son of the king in history to be passed over as heir? Not good! In fact, it would probably result in some pretty low self worth. Mommy issues? Daddy issues? He doesn't feel good enough for either of them, and actively loathes Viserys. Self destructive behaviors? Checks out, that's straight from the book anyway. The book tells us he's lazy and we indeed see him lying around, sleeping in, not attending training. Didn't want to marry his sister? Makes sense given Alicent probably has a stronger influence on him than Viserys does. But again, so far we've only gotten 2 episodes of adult show!Aegon and a bit from the previews. For better or for worse, his show character has a lot of room to develop still. I am very interested to see what the show does with him post Rook's Rest because that's when Aegon really starts to become interesting in the book.

But is there some stuff that's inconsistent? Sure, and some of it is quite important. For instance, although it might have been a pure fight or flight response, Aegon running away in episode 9 gave many viewers the impression he didn't care about his family, including his kids. I don't know if the showrunners really intended this or not, but they're the reason he agrees to be crowned in the book so that's clearly a change. The child fighting pits were also a bizarre choice for one of the few major players in the Dance for canonically does not kill any children, and even spares Aegon III. Making Aegon a rapist gave many viewers the impression that all of his sexual encounters must be nonconsensual and so we get takes about how Aegon sexually assaults Helaena, when that's just not at all suggested by what's in the book. I think you can justify the choices the the showrunners made here, but they do lead to some contradictions between show and book.

The thing with writing book canon is that you can do for yourself what the showrunners of HotD did, and fill in the gaps in canon with what makes sense to you based on book events. So I'd say that rather than being a mix of book and show canon, the way I write Aegon ( together with @aifsaath in OFCIR) is a mix of book!Aegon along with what can reasonably derived from book's content. Some of that certainly matches up with how the show has so far decided to portray Aegon, but there are some differences too!

[tragedy-peanut-gallery]

Sharing more ocs again it’s my enrichment hours 🤭

Lore for them under the cut! Tw for mentions of self harm and incest (which is kinda there in asoiaf but still). If you can’t handle these topics that’s more than alright! I just recommend you don’t read for the sake of your mental health. Love y’all <3

Allyria Ladybright: I don’t have much on her tbh, but she’s one of my favs already <3 basically her story is that she witnessed Baelor’s whole hostage return/Aemon rescue at around seven years old, and that rocked her shit so hard she became a religious fanatic and was convinced from that whole event that King’s Landing was some incredible holy land. She’s a lesbian and acknowledges it but still thinks it’s a sin so hurts herself as a form a repentance whenever she has a gay thought. She’s part of Myriah’s royal retinue and was super excited to finally see King’s Landing only to get really sad when she realizes it’s kind of a shithole and the royal family are incestuous freaks. These are mostly scattered thoughts but she’s been banned from the Great Sept for confessing her absolutely graphic gay sex thoughts so kinda just prays in private, she idolizes all the seven worshipping Targs but immediatelyyyy starts crying if she ever gets put in Aegon’s presence, so she moved to Daeron and Myriah’s social circle until they thought it best she just… go back home. So anyway she goes back home and builds a little sept in her family seat and becomes a pseudo-septa before walking out into the desert and never coming back, yippee <3

Rowan Tully: Probably the one I have the least amount of info on, honestly her whole thing is that she’s the middle child of four daughters and was my other oc Naera’s former friend/kinda lover? She’s really jealous and hated it when Naera would flirt with any other girl even though she spent years simping for the sexy st. Sebastian-esque painting of Criston Cole she saw exactly once. She gets married to a Mallister guy but they don’t like each other so she just stays locked away in Riverrun making really nice clothes for her extended family. Has probably pushed for her older sister to support the Blackfyres out of spite, didn’t succeed in that though since the Tullys did end up pledging to the Targs. Honestly idk how she dies, maybe I’ll be nice and say she got to he geriatric and died of natural causes but I’ll take any suggestions lmao

Laenys Blackfyre: Ok I’ll be honest she’s my real favourite lol. She’s the oldest child of Aegor Rivers and Calla Blackfyre, and took her mom’s last name in order to push the Blackfyre agenda. Girlie’s charismatic as all hell and has absolutely won support from important figures in the free cities, but definitely has a more cruel side that she likes to hide behind closed doors. A little weird about relationships because she fully believes in the whole incest practice but is also a lesbian so she’s only psychosexually obsessed with her younger sister and is incredibly controlling over everything she does. Kinda believes herself to be the family’s real heir because she’s super committed to the cause and is the reason why they still have some support and when one of her brothers tried to argue that she had him “taken care of”. Anywayyy tho all her connections kinda fall apart once she gets assassinated in front of all her political allies, people think Bloodraven might’ve done it but nobody can prove it so the Blackfyres kinda just…. Brush Laenys’ whole legacy off to the side and keep trying to fight their wars. Rip queen.

[treviso-nights]

what we leave behind - a solavellan dai + veilguard oneshot

word count: 1k rating: T/M+ summary: lavellan's world first unravels when solas reveals the truth about her vallaslin. it's been ten years, and still, the weight of crushed weight is not enough to keep her from running to him when the skies tear open again. bare-faced and broken, she pursues the one person she can't stop loving, even as he destroys her. (angsty as hell, with a side of cosmic heartbreak. there is no happy ending here.) (oneshot.)

read on AO3

When Lavellan gets her vallaslin, she doesn’t make a sound. The blood writing isn’t pleasant necessarily. It still hurts. But there is a euphoria in it, in the carving of a legacy into her skin. Lavellan can feel the roots of it all—the ancient magic, the community, the oneness of one People so many years ago. From behind the Keeper’s shoulder, her best friend, only one month older, grins in encouragement. Her mother, standing a few more feet away, brushes a tear away with her forefinger. The Dalish are not the bones of a beast long since slain. No—they are here, and alive, and persisting. They are here. We are still here .

· ─ ·𖥸· ─ · 

The first time he takes her hand, Lavellan knows that the world is a bigger and more wonderful place than ever dreamed of before. She knows Solas feels it too—he is the color in every breath and the sunlight whispering behind each dawn. Even when she dreams, Lavellan can swear his very voice permeates the Fade, altering it in an indescribable but permanent way… as if she herself, and her skin, are also altered.

“You change… everything,” he tells her. And she wants to agree, but the words are not enough. There is only the way he tastes and feels pressed up against her, leaving little space for any melodic cadence. Their bodies are a magic of their own, twining around and around, serpents with their mouths wide open. Eating. Devouring.

When he brings her to Crestwood, the Veil’s magic bubbles along her skin, and she can feel the mana rise up within her, meeting it. His hand on her cheek thins the veil in her too—the part of her where self begins and ends. She’s already known for some time now: Solas is her match in every single way. There is no world without him in it.

“I’ve been trying to determine some way to show you what you mean to me,” he murmurs, gray and violet eyes beseeching. Lavellan is content to wait. To bask in the heat of his gaze.

“You have become important to me. More important than I could have imagined.”

Yes. Yes. The truth of it all hangs in the air between them, as light as ribbon. Lavellan smiles, a soft wildflower opening across her features. She is still content to wait.

“Your face. The vallaslin. They are slave markings, or at the least, they were in the time of ancient Arlathan.”

Solas does not hear how the veil sunders within her. 

It is a reckoning. The faces of Lavellan’s clan flash through her mind. Her best friend. Her mother. Her Keeper, piercing the flesh of her face, wine-colored ink burrowing down deep and swirling. Their heritage. Their legacy—all of it a shredded banner thrashing in the wind. She can feel it begin to die, their thick roots shrieking against the wrongness of it all, scratching against her skin.

Lavellan wants it off. She wants the wrongness off of her so Solas doesn’t see it and turn away. She can’t be a slave to him. She has to be more.

“Cast your spell,” she says, the words trembling like fragile glass between her lips. “Take the vallaslin away.”

When the magic blooms against her face, aching and cold, the vallaslin vanishes, leaving a strange, raw smoothness behind. Lavellan doesn’t recognize her own reflection in the waters of the Fade. The woman gaping back at Solas is a shadow untethered.

Solas’s hands are warm and kind, but Lavellan feels hollowed. Like someone has reached deep inside and scooped her right out. 

But isn’t that what she wanted? To be less than what she was?

· ─ ·𖥸· ─ · 

Cole’s voice is the soft tinkling of the wind behind them.

“She is bare-faced. Embarrassed. She doesn’t know. She thinks it’s because of her.”

The veil within her tears even further. Lavellan just needs to stop, just needs to stop , just needs to…

She pretends not to see Solas walk beside her, spine bowed like a drawn and ancient longbow. She pretends not to see how the weight of it tears at him, too. 

It is easy. He can not meet her gaze—not since Crestwood. Not since the words that had unraveled everything.

· ─ ·𖥸· ─ · 

Varric tells Lavellan to stay away, to “let the kid handle it”, to hunker down because she’s done enough. She’s done enough.

She’s done enough.

But then a thunderclap strikes the phantom-limb she does not have. And she knows. The absence of him is in every breath she takes and she runs, dammit . She runs and she Fade-walks, racing, as the sky breaks open once more, a ragged, emerald mouth roaring above the Arlathan Forest. 

Lavellan feels her eyes pulse in time with the magic—feels the emerald-ring around her pupils sizzle with the latent, magical mark of him. A seared kiss in her amethyst gaze—the emerald just never went away. One more impression of the remnant she’s loved for ten years now, the lonely ghost grieving at the edges of her dreams.

Lavellan keeps running, smooth-faced, agonizingly empty as the heavens cry out… and she knows that her world is about to die. She knows that she is not going to make it to him in time.

Once, she would've prayed. She would have fallen to her knees and begged the Creators to spare the lives of the innocent, of her friends, of her own life—but now, a resounding silence is the only answer she knows she will get. The only god left that she can pray to is the Maker, the angry, fickle god of her People’s oppressors. 

And against all odds, she does. Lavellan stumbles, stops, lowers herself in the forest, the buzzing grass sparking into her knees with its ambient magic. 

By Andraste's grace, Lavellan begins to weep into the ground. 

To voice the prayer itself would be to admit defeat—to betray the magic and the heritage the Dalish has fought so hard to keep alive. 

And yet, in the vast emptiness Solas has left behind, there is no one listening to the sound of the veil finally shattering within her. She is alone. Mark-less. The cries of her ancestors echoing across all ages.

So Lavellan weeps. And she prays. 

She prays to the strange god and his empty, blighted throne.

[targcrazies]

Moonless, Dark Night. Pt. 1

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x OC!Strong (half Targaryen) Words: 3.2k+ Warnings: Violence and Graphic Descriptions, Emotional Distress, Mature (ish) themes, Mentions of Self-Harm and Su*cide, Adult Language, Incest.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

NOTE: I have written parts of this story before. However, I faced difficulty with linear storytelling. So, I'm trying something different. It will be shorter than I had originally planned, but better, perhaps. Hope you enjoy this. Let me know of any criticism you may or may not have, and I will surely appreciate knowing if you enjoy it. My Master's degree starts in less than a month, so I'd love to be done with this before that, lmao.

Have fun reading and thanks if you are!!

"Drip, drop, drip, drop.

Sansa listened carefully to ensure that no one had been following her. Her limbs trembled beneath her cape, her fingers frantic in the gloves. She knew well that her hair posed no threat, for it was not the silver of her husband’s. Yet, she had picked up the habit from her cousins, who shielded their silver manes whenever they desired concealment. In her eighteen years, she had never felt more like a Targaryen than she did then.

Drip, drip, drop, drip, drip, drop.

Part of her was relieved that only the droplets of water made the noises. She knew that Aemond kept her under relative scrutiny, especially since she refused him intimacy following the death of Lucerys Velaryon. “If you won’t let me near you, one of my white knights shall be here at all times.” However, he had forgotten her skills with crushed herbs and sedatives. Criston Cole had fallen gently to the ground beneath him. He was curled into a peaceful slumber, his chest heaved against the white that shielded him.

Verasys, her dragon, was kind. He was not impulsive, hot-blooded, or rash. He fed on what was given to him and only blew fire only on command. The beautiful dragon, with scales as violet as Sansa's eyes, breathed heavily in sleep when Sansa found him. Her lip trembled as she took out the keys to his steel chains. When she was done unlocking the beast, quite large for his age of only fifty-nine, she cooed him awake. He put his beak-like mouth under her chin, nuzzling gently.

“Verasys, my dear, you have to leave me behind,” she muttered in High Valyrian, tears making their way down her face like sweat. The dragon roared gently, but she shushed him. “If you stay back, they will make us commit the most heinous of crimes. They will make us kill our kin, our blood.” The dragon breathed out in anger through his nose, turning his face away, refusing to look at her. She walked to the other side, holding his face to hers. “You were born from the same clutch of eggs Syrax had sprouted from. Do you really want to fight your own sister, my dear?”

The dragon groaned in exasperation as Sansa began to weep. She used to rarely weep. “They killed my nephew,” she cried, uttering the word in relation to Lucerys- for what could have been well recognized- for the first time since the boy was born. She and Rhaenyra had made insinuations; her older half-brother, Harwin, would beam in glee whenever she played with Jace, looked after Luke, and tried to lull Joffrey to sleep.

She remembered the one time Jace addressed the abominable rumors of their bastardy to his mother, “I am a Targaryen through and through, like Sansa. Sansa also has black hair; no one calls her a bastard!” Rhaenyra laughed as she realized the concept of illegitimacy was lost on her young sons. She had explained eloquently that the black hair of the brothers was due to their grandmother, Rhaenys, whose mother was a Baratheon. “Sansa,” she gently pulled the girl closer to her, gripping her shoulders, “Has the black hair of the Strongs. She, just like the three of you, did not inherit the silver hair of the Targaryens from her mother.” Sansa’s heart leaped with joy. Many refused to acknowledge her mother’s Targaryen status due to her being a mere accident, something Prince Baelon regretted until his passing. Her grandmother, Viserra Targaryen, had intoxicated the Prince and done her deed when prancing around naked in his bedchamber did not work. Soon enough, she gave birth to their bastard, a pale-haired little girl she affectionately named Visenya as she passed. Visenya grew up in court, her older half-brothers being her only company.

When little Visenya turned seventeen, Widower Lyonel Strong joined the Red Keep with his sons. The man was fifteen years her senior, yet she was besotted by him. On her eighteenth birthday, she threw herself at her brother, the King’s feet, begging him to allow their union. Lord Strong, despite much hesitation, acquiesced, and the two were wed in a homely ceremony. Sansa was born after a stillborn, in 110 AD, a day after the birth of her husband, Aemond. It is said that Lady Strong had held onto her belly with one hand and supported the then Queen with the other as her Grace screamed and cried during her third labor. The moment the little boy’s cries were heard and he was laid onto his mother’s bosom, Lady Strong’s water gave way, and Sansa was born after a long, strenuous labor herself.

Lyonel was overjoyed, to say the least. His dear wife had named the child Sansa, a true name taken from the First Men. The King’s joy, however, was only second to his Hand’s. He held both the children in his arms. “They have the same eyes; it is uncanny,” he mused. “Aemond and Sansa. Must we betroth them, Lyonel?”

“If you insist, your Grace.” If it were some other time, Lyonel would have argued the futility of the said betrothal, how it built no new connections and produced no allies. However, at that moment, he was overcome with joy.

“They will make me kill my dearest Jace and my loveliest Joff, too, if we do not part. One day, perhaps, you will find your way to me again. Only when this has been dealt with. Until then, Verasys, you must be away. Fly, my boy, fly away.”

Verasys was not only her dragon; he also belonged to her mother. Her mother had passed shortly after the burning of Harrenhal, her frail health unable to bear the loss of her stepson, who was a dear friend, and her husband. Verasys was also one of the few belongings of her mother that had found their way to her.

She walked backward from the dragon. “Leave, my boy, fly away. This is your chance. Aegon has lost Riverlands entirely. What will follow next is the dance of the dragons. I want no part in it, and neither do you.”

The dragon looked at Sansa, his eyes glossing over her form. She shushed him again as he walked toward her, his mouth against her cheek. Verasys wiped away her tears, backed away from her, and gently flapped his wings. He was so gentle, so quiet, so sweet. Sansa knew that there would never be a dragon so calm, so very docile. Verasys isn’t one for war anyway, she told herself as she broke the chains with the dragonbone dagger that she received as a present on her wedding day from Aemond, despite knowing that Verasys could be resourceful upon need, could decimate anyone who could pose a threat to him or his Sansa. His protectiveness of even Aemond drew short, fluttered fires from Vhagar. It was Sansa who was not built for war.

-

THE NEXT MORNING was torturous. Aemond’s voice blasted through the entire Red Keep, his anger having scared away even the faultless birds. She stayed rooted in her chair, refusing to respond to his outburst. She refused to dignify his anger, she had done it enough before and had tired of it then.

“WHERE IS VERASYS? WHERE IS MY WIFE’S DRAGON? WHAT KIND OF TREACHERY IS THIS?” He refused to believe that the dragon left on his own accord, convinced that someone wilfully let him escape. “Why ask me? I am heartbroken by Verasys’s absence. How am I to know where he’s gone without me?” She spoke whenever inquired about the dragon’s absence. The Dowager Queen’s eyes shone like steel as she stared Sansa down. “Sansa, my sweet child, you mustn’t do anything that may put us at grave risk.”

“Your Grace, I do not know what you mean. Rather, I believe that what happened was for the best. Verasys wasn’t one for war. He’d have forfeited the moment Syrax would have flown near him. It is for the best, your Grace, that he left on his own accord.”

Aemond waited for his mother to depart before locking the gate of the chamber from the inside. “I do not know where your loyalties lie, my dear.”

“You accuse me of treason, my dear husband. That is unseemly and harsh of you.” Sansa trained her eyes on his, refusing to yield for fear of showing some weakness.

“I shan’t use that word, for what I assume to be treason is what you might consider loyalty.” He said, “I know of your regular consumption, Sansa. Or, I knew, I suppose.”

She knew what he meant, “I have never made a point for it to be discreet, dear husband. I am not giving birth to a child until this war has been dealt with.”

“War,” he spat, “This isn’t war; this is a defense against treason.” He sat down, facing her, knowing that another debate would ensue.

Her lips lifted in what he often called a “bitter smile.” Her anger and her sardonicism reflected in her gaze at once. “What’s defense and what’s treason here varies on perspective.”

“Aegon is the first-born son of my Father, your own uncle; he is the rightful heir.”

“The boy Uncle never once even mentioned as his heir? I won’t argue with you on who the rightful heir is. I just want you to remember that no “faction” is truly in the right here. None.” She hated herself for the partial lie she told, but she had to stay safe. Rhaenyra was her rightful Queen; she will always be. Her nephews, acknowledged by Laenor Velaryon, are her trueborn sons and her rightful successors. Her heart broke at the memory of Lucerys, at the thought of his beautiful face eaten in half.

“Why must you speak like a…” he lowered his voice and leaned closer to her face, “…a traitor?”

“You accuse me of treason again, my husband.”

“I only note the precarious implication of your rebuttals. This is no game, Sansa; this is-”

“Oh, yes, this is war. What do I, a woman, know of war? What an irony, given it is a woman you all are fighting against!”

Aemond sat back, his lips sealed tight. “I never said that dirty thing; you know it was Cole who said so.”

“And you associate yourself so closely with him, disregarding the harmful notions he poses.” She posited, “Being a freethinker, as you claim to be–”

“Oh dear wife, I believe we both can agree that you and I do not see eye to eye on something this grave. Yet, we choose to stay together, love each other. He is only a servant, as his duty is to serve.” His hand on the table had closed in a tight fist, “Let’s not argue the futility of unmatched opinions when you and I have plenty.” He mentioned 'love' in hopes of seeing her eyes soften, in hopes of irking something in her heart that once held his gaze in utmost adoration. The warmth had gone, the love was nowhere. When he looked into her eyes, he only felt cold, so unloved that it scared him.

“We do not.” Sansa was gritting her teeth by then, “You had once told me that were you to become King, you would want your eldest child to inherit the throne, be it a girl or a boy. That is a belief that could threaten Aegon and his lackeys against your support toward the throne, against me. We were never as shortsighted as our family here.”

“Sansa, my dear, do you not realize that Rhaenyra is not one of us?”

“She was never meant to be the enemy,” Sansa spoke quietly, almost under her breath, her hand covering her mouth coyly, “This is pure conspiracy succeeding over conciliation.”

There was a time, Aemond thought, when debates would lead them to bed and they’d make love. Things had changed. Lucerys’s death had left her incapacitated to feel any love toward him, even though he had emphatically repeated– like a prayer– that he never meant to kill him.

Every time he recalled having, tearfully and apologetically, informed her of the accident at the Rook's Nest; his body broke down to his knees.

“It matters little what you intended. What does matter here is what you have caused. Husband, you have waged war against Rhaenyra, against Uncle Daemon. May the Seven protect us all.” She spoke through venomous, angry tears, spitting all over him, “Uncle will never forgive this.” She had shaken her head with untenable vigour, walking away from him in pure dread, “And why should he? Would YOU have forgiven this? We deserve to burn. Poor Luke, oh poor, poor Luke. My dear ne- my Luke!”

When Aemond stepped closer to her, despite her backing away, wringing his hands, “I did not kill any of his children; they’re untouched, unharmed.” Her laughter echoed as a shriek, “You know him so little, it is dangerous to not know the man you have waged war against. You foolish, foolish man.”

He tried to hold her, fall to her feet, cry his apologies if that could calm her. She refused to even touch him, almost throwing herself out the window to evade him. He had a feeling, an instinctual irk, that she would deal with the news worse than anybody at the Red Keep. The Dowager Queen and the Hand chastised him for having murdered kin; Aegon had little to say but how conflicts such as these- almost always and without fail- produced corpses, and Helaena had blamed Aemond for procuring the most ominous out of thin air. Sansa, however, was ardently, hopelessly, fiercely grieving.

She, unlike her husband, remembered their days during childhood as happier times. Joffrey was too little and Helaena was always consumed in her own interests. The five of them used to play, practice sword-fighting, and have lessons together. After Rhaenyra left for Dragonstone, Sansa visited them on dragonback, every once in a while. She attended tourneys and had been beside Rhaenyra in all her birthings, except for the one where she had lost her little girl, her little Visenya. Sansa had grieved the death of a child not even half alive, crying and praying for the wellbeing of the soul in silence. Luke was so real; he was fourteen, a boy with his own likes and dislikes, his own quirks.

Before he knew it, she had begun to yell out the window, “Verasys, Verasys, come to me, Verasys. Take me away from this warmongering, foolish beast!” Aemond could have ripped his heart open, and it would have hurt less.

“Sansa, my love, what are you doing-” he could hear the dragon flapping his wings hard against the air; the dragon had broken the chains off himself to fly to Sansa, to respond to her cries.

“If you step any closer, I will JUMP from here, I will.” The Dowager Queen and the Hand were banging on their gate, pleading Aemond and Sansa to let them in. “I want to see none of you. I want to apologize to Rhaenyra, if my DEATH shall appease her, I will let her have it. Don’t you dare come closer, for I WILL JUMP!” Aemond did not dare stop her when she mounted the dragon and took off, barely secured in her place. The thought of her jumping to her death at his touch made his skin crawl, he found himself within he could hurt himself so bad that she'd love him again.

She returned two days later, having calmed down significantly. She handed them a treaty Rhaenyra had sent with her. They had the following demands:

Aemond the Kinslayer shall be excommunicated to Essos. Whether his wife, Lady Sansa Strong, decides to stay at the Red Keep or leave with him is up to her.

Ser Otto Hightower, Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower, Prince Aegon, and Princess Helaena, alongside Lord Jaehaerys, Lord Maelor, and Lady Jaehaera, shall depart for Oldtown within a fortnight.

The Red Keep, the Crown of Iron and Rubies of Aegon the Conqueror, and Blackfyre should all be returned to the rightful Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm.

Refusing any of these claims, the scroll dictated, would lead to war. Aegon laughed, instructing that the scroll be thrown in the hearth.

The Dowager Queen had turned red upon reading the clauses, the Hand looked betrayed. “Have they reduced you to a raven?” Aegon asked, staring at his sisters-in-law, his cousin, in sheer disbelief.

“I did what I could for a mother who has lost her son. This is the least I could do. I have not agreed to these clauses, I only brought the scroll here.”

“Were you aware of the content of the scroll?” The Hand enquired, his voice and face both frightfully calm and cold.

“No, I was not. I was merely requested to hand this scroll to the Hand of the King.” Her eyes were transfixed straight ahead, staring nowhere, yet focused.

“How did you spend the last two days on Dragonstone?” Aemond was sitting on one of the steps to the Iron Throne, closer to the ground. Aegon now sat on the throne, Sansa grimaced at the thought of it alone. Aemond, on the other hand, had worried himself to death, having been advised against flying to Dragonstone himself, especially after word arrived right away that she was alright and needed time to sort out the demise of Lucerys Velaryon. That his arrival at Dragonstone will be equivalent to his waging direct warfare. Thus, when he finally spoke, his question sounded more like concern than an interrogation, so unlike the rest.

“We grieved, your Grace.” Her lilac eyes stared dead into his, her face contorting, ever so slightly, in disgust. Anyone who doesn’t know her well would not even notice. He was not one of them, unfortunately. He could have wept; he almost did. He felt like he had lost her forever. However much love, respect, and admiration she once had for him was gone.

It had been a week since, and she had somehow regained normalcy. While she was still cold, biting, uninviting; she was calmer, considerate even. She allowed no intimacy– something he hadn’t let his mother and grandsire know– because if it weren’t for the origin of her birth and her status as his wife, she’d have long been beheaded as a traitor. Her dragon having left did little to acquit her to his family. It was odd that she barely attempted to clear herself of any suspicion. It was almost as if she took the special treatment for granted. He’d have to remind himself every time he felt angry at her indifference that she was only half a Strong. Her grandparents were children of Jaehaerys and Alysanne, and she was just as much a Targaryen as he was, if only not for her hair. The futility of such comparison was jarring, for she looked like a Targaryen through and through. She and Rhaenys Targaryen were similar in that sense; both fiery dragonriders with hair as dark as a cloudy, moonless night and eyes startlingly lilac.

He snapped himself out of his derailed trail of thoughts to find his wife by the window, watering the plant that she had brought back with her from Dragonstone. “Will you never admit, out loud, that I accidentally killed your nephew?”

She did not pause, did not look back, “You will not entrap me in your web of deceits, husband.” She could have scratched his other eye out, to avenge her nephew, but she chose not to. Oftentimes, those days, she’d have the urge to tell him that he was a petty, shallow half-man for never having gotten over the loss of an eye. People get through so much worse. But, she stopped herself. Every single time.

[horizon-verizon]

Emma is right, Daemon groomed his niece. It’s a known tactic of predators to show their marks pornography before assaulting them (dragging the young Rhaenyra through the brothel first)…I’m sure he never thought she would go and seduce Criston Cole, lmao!

But, in seriousness, it is still in effect now; how else would a Queen’s “consort” keep his head, much less his hand, after choking his Queen?

*EDIT 11/4/24*

GRRM already does make it a point to show that 13 yr old Dany getting impregnated, 15 year old Viserrra engaged to a man who could be her father and dying trying to live her last moments as a girl, AND Daemon messing w/Rhaenyra then getting the boot are all obviously bad things about this system--thus a critique of said political environments, but it's still does not mean Larra Rogare, Viserys I, Daemon, and a few others were necessarily bonafide "pedos" like Robert Baratheon, Craster, Walder Frey, or Aegon II bc...

it takes more than the presence of a marriage between 15 yr old and a 23 yr old or a mere relationship of such to rule one of them as an actual hand-rubbing "groomer" (although this particular label on Daemon fits more back in 111...he definitely was using her against Viserys) or a "pedo", bc of how marriages are an arranged affair AND these teens aren't as considered "adults" in ASOIAF--It's not a part of their conscious OR they were forced/socially pressured to marry

The boundaries are looser; again GRRM does criticize that, but he doesn't try to break away from the consequences of that by only writing characters who are closer in age fall in love or become closer or get into sexual relationships.

Example: He still has Dany have the much older and adult Daario as a lover so she can pursue her first self-determined relationship at her 15/16 years of age...which canonically she uses to heal even as she has her doubts about Daario's feelings for her. Perhaps he could have gotten her with one of her khalasar instead, like Jhoqo, but Dany is also still very much a teenager still and Daario was exciting and persistent when she wanted to feel desired. Daario is fine prostrating himself but not totally being her soldier like Jhoqo. Eventually, their relationship will not pan bc Daario's interest in her is still wrapped up more in her being a queen and she herself has the higher goal of freeing slaves, getting back her throne, later the Others, etc.--this doesn't mean that Daario wasn't a critical person in a particular point in her life or that she didn't love him. And all this is consequential to the sort of world she lives in and her particular circumstances.

*END OF EDIT*

Yes I can see where some people are coming from. A groomer do/would/could do that.

Grooming involves these:

physically or emotionally separate a victim from those protecting them and often seek out positions in which they have contact with minors

gaining the trust of a potential victim through gifts, attention, sharing “secrets” and other means to make them feel that they have a caring relationship and to train them to keep the relationship secret

will often start to touch a victim in ways that appear harmless, such as hugging, wrestling and tickling, and later escalate to increasingly more sexual contact, such as massages or showering together. Abusers may also show the victim pornography or discuss sexual topics with them, to introduce the idea of sexual contact

behaviors are not only used to gain a victim’s trust but often are used to create a trustworthy image and relationship with their family and community. Child and teen sexual abusers are often charming, kind, and helpful — exactly the type of behavior we value in friends and acquaintances

And show!Daemon does show her sexually exhibitive "content". He does turn the outing into a sexual "session" after she expressed frustrations with marriage to slowly coax her into engaging in sexual activity until he stops.

Here is the thing:

*EDIT 11/4/24* as grooming implies a primary objective to prey and I don't think that's that Daemon is trying to do so much as show her sex can be fun AND force Viserys to marry them *END OF EDIT*

Again, I do not take the choking scene at face value nor a lot of shit the show writers wrote not just for these two but Baela, Rhaena, Rhaenys, Criston, Alicent, even Viserys. Not enough for me to not be suspicious and questioning the entire story they present.

Still, too much of HotD feels "unreal", even worse to me and unworthy of really taking its characters at face value-- because:

this post

many of their own plot holes/logical inconsistencies that blow up the changes they made; some that could have been made sensical if they had written more for some characters or had more than 10 episode, had less time jump, did flashbacks, AND/OR had more hours in each episode--yes some of these are production problems or executive issues....doesn't mean that the story we're presented stops being inferior AND that some of the writers' choices weren't independently from their own brains...without an exec breathing down their necks (Condal/Hess/Sapochink's)

Baela and Rhaena are separated in the show and Corlys take the first one as a ward (doesn't happen nor would either Rhaenyra or Daemon allow that to happen without a fight, so we need to know how exactly this happened, bc Rhaenys still hates them for them supposedly killing Laenor AND the show makes as if Rhaena hasn't seen Rhaenys in a very long while or leaves the impression Rhaenyra is keeping her from Rhaenys when Rhaenys could very well get on Meleys and see Rhaena all she wants and Rhaena's boat trip to Driftmark is slower but still a relatively short distance...so why?

Daemon cruelty ignores or neglects Rhaena, and no amount of "he was disappointed" or "he was worried she'd experiences or of second son syndrome and he didn't know how to deal with that or help her out" for not having a dragon as a hatchling/in the cradle makes thia make sense when he, as the show states, is actually knowledgeable Abt dragons, Targs history, and bonds and shit, he'd know that MOST Targs bond with their dragons into their preteen, late teens and a few even into adulthood, like Viserys, himself, Aegon I, Aegon the Uncrowned, Maegor I, Laena....so how is this not an unnecessary and nonsensical attempt to asperge Daemon as a bad (more than he already was), really hypocritical dad who is not his suggested, daughter-affirming self as in the book?! And I pull this from how both Rhaena and Baela both became two of the most self possessed, confident, politically active women of their generation following a generation where Target women also enjoyed authority or prestige they previously did not without being conquerors?

Daemon was very loving and caring towards Laena in the canon. Unlike the show, he wrote a whole assed letter to Viserys asking him to accept him and Laena, dispense the exile order against him, so that Laena's twins (Baela and Rhaena) can grow in Driftmark. This is only after. A few months after the twins are in mind you. Meanwhile in the show, the girls are grown children of maybe 6-8, and Laena practically begs him to do the same and he ignores her and she tries to excuse his behavior to Rhaena!

While show!Rhaenyra is defiant even in that choking scene when she brings up how Viserys just never trusted Daemon with the prophecy, she is also made to be much more despondent and less...argumentative(?), more melancholic than what both GRRM's description of her to Amok AND the foreword of Dangerous Women anthology housing "The Princess and the Queen" shows. PLUS, how she very comfortably ignores, defies, gives up Daemon in the book as unlike an abuse victim does more than once.

Rhaenys is the total opposite of her self and they switched her and Daemon's attitudes or impressions of such in the show--Rhaenys wanted to immediately ambush KL with their dragons, Daemon is the one to practice caution.....AND BOTH OF THEM never denied that there would be some sort of battle or armed confrontation!

the choice to make the episode 1 tourney much more deadly than it actually needed to be

Aegon and Aemond, of all people, being allowed a more sympathetic writing and characterization when Daemon is written much worse than his suggested book self....they don't gaf or know much about real DV and how it develops,esp since physical DV doesn't just happen without the emotional and psychological steps of [and these don't all have to happen at the same time]: A) changes expectations or guidelines, thus keeping you guessing how to please them B) insists on spending all or the majority of your time together, cutting you off from friends and family, making fun of your interests in other activities C) constantly accuses you of sexual interactions with anyone in your life (friends, teachers, bosses, counselors, etc.). Accuses you of flirting; monitors how you look and what you wear D) pushes for instant closeness and does not allow relationship to grow at a pace that is comfortable to you [like, Partner praises you constantly and puts you on a pedestal. They want to live together immediately. Partner wants to care for your children and disciplines them early in a relationship (instead of honoring your role as their parent).] E) Partner expects others (and you) to live by their standards, yet he/she doesn’t live by them. F) always focuses on their own wants and needs. They ignore your wishes. G) easily angered, has rapid mood swings, unpredictable behavior; anger is out of proportion to the incident H) stereotypical beliefs about gender roles; insults past partners with sexist language along with ideas of them being "bad" women I) doesn’t accept responsibility for their actions

having Cole and Rhaenyra have sex so they could make her seem to be as close to predatory to Aegon, Cole more of a victim or completely helpless under her being a princess and he a Kingsuard (he isn't, not even in the show)

Laenor's male lover is not killed in a more believable setting of a tourney (in a publicly told, freak incident--this does not normalize constant death at medieval tourneys!) but Cole beats him out of clearly no cover of a tourney and licensed competition of arms, but at a wedding feast where Joffrey had guests rights....and Cole somehow escapes execution?! And we have a gay man treated worse than he was in canon, both Laenor AND Joffrey.

While people already do feel for him and understand his feelings, in the time jump of episode 6 Laenor looks less "sympathically selfish" (bc he is being selfish and he is trying to take advantage of his male privilege to go where he pleases) than if they had really developed that part of the reason why he wants to leave Rhaenyra behind is that he can't stay in the same space as his lovers killer, or have this open up a question of how much it figures into Laenor's own measure of his masculinity. How much does the allure of being a warrior/knight in a far off land have in measure to do with his helplessness or "failure" in Joffrey's death and how he approaches fatherhood?

AGAIN, show!Daemon IS an DV abuser, and that is my problem!!!! Because it isn't true of canon!!!--not for his sake necessarily but for Rhaenyra, his daughters, and their sons' sake and narrative roles in ASoIaF/pre-Daenerys. And it is a part of the writing Rhaenyra to be much less willing to defend herself for the sake of her father's, Aegon's, legacy // co opt Daenerys' narrative characterization (there is a good reason why bkRhaenyra is Daenerys' opposite). This storyline punishes Rhaenyra for marrying Daemon, when it was actually one of her better decisions AND she had a lot of power and authority over Daemon [@rhaenin-time HERE].

Also, check out these two posts: HERE and HERE

All of which is meant to fit into the show's "women are peace keepers of their inherently violent men" theme. Their anti-militaristic, anti-self focused women agenda. Their implication that you should not root for a woman if she uses war to defend herself or to gain polt all advantage and prestige either similar to or in defense of men doing the same. All to diminish how self assured BK!Rhaenyra was not just in her non-warrior, "high-femme" accepting but still wanting power self. The way they use Aegons prophecy is not just to give their Rhaenyra a sense of responsibility to her definition of leadership--which is a Daenerys thing, btw. Comparatively, BK!Rhaenyra might have been self focused, but at least she always stood up for herself, seems to always address others' confrontation head on, expressed her disdain (even in feast before Viserys dies), when others took or denigrated her for her gender. There was a way to show this without her completely demoralized, without her kids being in danger, without Daemon's presence.

There are more but these are my biggest reasons, but not my only one and I forgot something I noticed abt Laenor.....might add it later. So as I showed how the writing for this show is disingenuous and untrustworthy....

The "effect" that I more care about is now that this is the story that most audiences around the world will understand of the Dance and Rhaenyra.

Which tbh, GRRM already fumbled by making Rhaenyra too distant from her own war when he could have gone many routes that force the F&B writers to have to record stuff she hypothetically could have done during the war bc there'd be so many witnesses to her doing such. Of course this is her story; GRRM set the ground for it by not doing as an anon says:

GRRM in part wrote Rhaenyra as a litmus test for the readers’s misogyny but in my opinion it falls flat because he gets caught up in doing that and forgets to give Rhaenyra some dignity or respect as an individual character. And it’s honestly the same issue he has in the main series. Pathologizing motherhood in particular, esp. in relation to women who are also in politics while being mothers. Fathers are never “too mad with grief” to rule competently or make good decisions; only mothers are.

[berrymoos]

MY BABY MY BAAABYYYY .... YOURE MY BAAABY SAAAAAY IT TO MEEEEEE .... im on s13 of ninjago & he has not left my mind since s1 oughshdjshdj he's so baby

𓂃 ．．🍪🐻🧡🏵🧃

🎂 — regressor cole headcanons!

the rock of the group deserves to have some small time sometimes. what more can i say? rocks can crack too, specially ninja rocks (。-`ω-)ｰ

stress regressor, 100%. he rushes to be the responsible one of the team whenever something goes wrong, worries himself sick over mistakes, pushes himself to make up for them no matter what bc if he doesn't something could go wrong again and someone could get hurt and then his friends won't like him anymore– and all that weight on his shoulders is rough

all of the ninja r his caregivers to some capacity. every single one. all of them r strong too – kinda comes w being elemental masters / ninja n all – so they can carry him whenever they want <33 cole loves it too, they're so cozy (o^∀^o)

i don't think wu or misako know directly, but if cole ever told / regressed around them, they wouldn't be v surprised – like they know smth is up, but they won't confront him bc that's his business

lots of ppl hc cole having a kindergarten to middle / teen regressor headspace & that's SO big-brained, i eat it up every time – BUT baby cole my sweet sweet boy. infant ages to like 2yrs old. give him a rattle; he likes rattles kenwkdek

the eepiest baby ever, partially bc of how young his headspace is, partially bc he's the master of earth – it takes up a lot of his energy when he's big, but since he's so used to it, it doesn't rlly register how wiped he actually is until he's sitting down, his brain is whirling to a stop ... & then it's like “mmnn woa m eepy..” hes also very prone to regressing when he's tired; doesn't happen all the time, but it's become more often than not

(jay has, in fact, taken a picture of a sleeping cole on the couch, meme-ified it w the “why he so eepy” caption , & sent it to the gc. they went loco /pos)

on that note, he can fall asleep p much anywhere: on the couch, on the floor, over a bowl of cereal, literally anywhere. his favorite places (aside from his bed) r his friends' laps <3 he's being held? out like a light

that earth master strength Does Not magically go away when cole is small, meaning his tantrums could cost them a wall & possibly new flooring. not that he has tantrums often bc he's v chill & low-energy!

(... it happened once & jay refused to babysit for a good week. for unrelated reasons ofc /j)

OOUHEJSH loves bears sooooo much it's almost silly. he's got a black bear onesie w ears on the hood, a tiny tail on the butt, & a dark brown teddy bear to match - his fave. "we bare bears" & "little bear" are his go-to shows. he can devour a box of teddy grahams in two sittings. glamrock freddy his absolute beloved. bears bears BEARS bears bears!!!!

kai called himself a papa bear once & cole went nuts jahdkajdkw “’apa bear ’apa bear!!!! ʕ￫ᴥ￩ ʔ” — “yup, that's me, don't wear it out! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧”

ok guys wait here me out: bearcub regressor cole. makin grororgroo noises to communicate. cute little snuffles n nose wrinkles when he smells smth good. loooong naps in a blanket fort. honey added to his bottle. bearcub regressor cole

the teddy's name is muffin btw. he & mr. cuddlywump are best friends & they always have playdates together 🫶

speaking of — jay is older than cole by a few years (maybe 4-7?), so he's consistently playing the older playmate / big brother role for cole. YES he will absolutely drag the baby into mischief, but if anyone dares to try separating them he IS throwing a fit about it. also he's the only one who can turn a laid-back baby cole into a zoomin 2y/o. watch out for them.../silly

back to the rattle thing for a sec – jay has a toy drumset & nya has a toy guitar, so the three of them put on a music show for the rest of the team! they're always asked for encores & they always deliver! their band name is The Mudshockers & kai is their biggest fan👍🏾

he likes dancing but since he's unsteady on his feet the younger he is, sometimes he'll just sway his body o, bop his head, or shake his rattle to whatever beat there is – even if said beat is just in his head. other times he'll get nya or zane to dance with him when he's able to stand!

omigosh wait ,,,, zane picking cole up & bouncing him to the beat ,,,, im gonna MELT they're so cute 🥹

cole adores fuzzy / fluffy material. his element requires him to summon rocks from the ground, & rocks are hard - he deserves some soft things in his life ( =^×^= )/ᰔᩚ if any of the ninja have something visibly fluffy in his presence, they'll very quickly have a small in their lap, nuzzling them & humming contentedly. muffin & his bear onesie r his favorites because of that!

ALSO remember the casual outfit he wore in "child's play" (the ep where the ninja got turned into kids)? he managed to find the adult-sized sweatshirt of that shirt & it's now a staple regression outfit ... whenever he's not in his onesie

he's still got a MASSIVE sweet tooth, bc who would cole be w/o it? (/j) ,, the only difference is that, instead of it manifesting in “oooo chocolate cake & cookies & ice cream!!!” it manifests as “mmm baba w sugar n hunny.....” – not to say cole doesn't have his moments where he craves a cakepop over warm chocolate milk. zane usually is in charge of preparing his bottle bc he always gets it juuuust right

THE NINJA HAVE A BABY BAG IN CASE HE DROPS ON LONGER MISSIONS AAAAA ,,, cole's a lil embarrassed @ first & fervently insists that he won't be regressing on the mission, but it proves to be incredibly useful when he gets hungry in the middle of like, nowhere & there's a section completely dedicated to snacks & drinks

(... & when cole actually regresses bc of stress / sleepiness & they have the majority of his stuff on-hand)

jay can never escape being called a dingus no matter what. baby cole catches him doing something stupid? “ ‘ingus...”. a joke too corny for his taste? “ ’inguuus.” jay complains abt this unfair treatment, how he's being bullied by a baby & he is slandering him ... but no one comes to his aid. zane'll scoop up cole & say “hm, are you sure that was an unprovoked statement on his part?” while kai will just spout nonsense like “wooooow jay ... a power outage in ninjago city and bordering countries?” by your hands?” w/ lloyd n nya just shaking their heads. jay's like “GAAAAAAAASP, NOBODY is on my side??? coco is being a BULLY & you guys are just ALLOWING it???? i see how it is.......”. cole's laughing hysterically throughout all of this 🫶

honestly jay's the funniest person to cole when he's small. he could be being Himself & cole's losing his mind over it. nobody can compete against his hilarity no matter how hard they try. best way to tell when cole's dropping is if he's laughing way harder at one of jay's stupid jokes /silly

mmmhmdhsjshsi ,,, jay coming up w the nickname "coco" & callin him that as a joke while he's big, but cole just gets super fuzzy-brained bc ,,,,,,,, coco ........ ohohohohoh ,,,,,,, & jay is like “oh! mkay then!” now he uses it all the time when he's regressed hdksjdk

ON THAT NOTE, nya came up w "pebble", & just like "coco", it spread to the rest of the team like butter on a warm stack of pancakes. nowadays they very rarely use "cole" when he's small – why should they, when they have "pebble" & "coco" under their belts!

... kai calls him "coco pebble(s)" sometimes 🫢

spoiled to the max. he breaks the handle to his paci? don't worry, zane just ordered 6 more. he loses a stuffie? jay's giving 3 of his to him. he's hungry? nya's got several different flavors of milk in one arm & baggies filled with teddy grahams in the other. absolutely spoiled rotten

he doesn't have any of those fancy deco pacis bc hes v prone to dropping them in his sleep & doesn't wanna mess them up, so he gets the printed designed ones or the plain-colored ones & slaps some stickers on them :] he rlly likes his black-stickered paci but he's not picky!

lloyd loves joking abt how he's no longer the youngest on the team whenever cole drops. he'll walk into the room & say “guys, i'm not the youngest anymore!” without warning while cole's in his arms, half asleep w a paci

sometimes he feels like he shouldn't be regressing bc of his status as "the rock of the group" & gets hit with an influx of negative thoughts. like – he's their anchor, their strength, the glue that holds everyone together when things go south ... so what is he doing regressing of all things? if they don't have a rock, the team won't make it! all of that negativity :( hes prone to pushing down his regression & busies himself w other things until he just ... breaks. wooo :((

after day of the departed (read: cole gets his physical body back), he literally launches himself into his friends & snuggles them like there's no tomorrow in sight. for a good two weeks he's the clingiest baby boy to ever exist: holding everyone's hands, leaning against the nearest person, cuddling, sleepy cuddling – the most common occurrence bc sleepy cole is sleepy. GOODNESS hes so clingy!! if he's in the right (or ig wrong) mood he gets fussy if his human pillow moves away from him kdnfoendk. nobody minds at all; they got their baby boy back & that's all that matters <3

self-indulgent pkmn au hc: cole's midnight lycanroc may look scary (...and kind of is hssjskdje), but it's soooo sweet & gentle with him omg. it has special mittens it puts on its paws to keep from accidentally hurting him w its claws & 100% will help zane make a bottle or lloyd prepare a snack. the fur on its neck is mad fluffy - there have been many, many times someone's walked in on cole with his face stuffed in lycanroc's fur, fast asleep on its back while roc's layin there with him, tail slowly awag <3

[sophsicle]

I feel (fear?) that you are the only person I can come to with this question. I have recently become enamored with hockey. I followed KYD and also read quite a few books you recommended (Thrown Off the Ice, my beloved ❤️), and so I got hooked. I’m watching random games and loving it and learning so much. However…the problem is…I need a team. I have no connection to hockey whatsoever, and there isn’t even a team in my state (I’m sorry to tell you I’m *cough* north american all lowercase *cough*). I want a team to root for, but I don’t want to pick something ~obvious~ because I don’t want to feel so bandwagony, but also I want a fun team with players I can both root for and swoon over (I’m only human). Ugh, I’m just lost. Help. If you were starting from scratch with no loyalties, who would choose?!?

hmmmmm interesting

I feel like I might go for the Canucks? like, wholesome captain Quinn Hughes who loves his brothers, constantly looks confused or afraid (which is very relatable 2 me personally) and is also a stellar hockey player, plus they're like sort of the underdog that's rising up out of the ashes of years of hardship doing way better than anyone thought, and while i don't think they'll win it this year, I feel like they have the potential to be stanley cup contenders in the future so cheering for them will not break your soul,

I'll throw the habs (the montreal canadians) in there because i love them so i gotta, no one believes in them right now but they're also not doing as bad as people thought they would, and you have Cole Caulfield who is tiny and smiley and jumps on his teammates and his best friend Nick Suzuki who is two years older than him and yet acts like his dad (i can fully see nick putting a leash on cole just so he doesn't get lost when they go out), they are kind of in a rebuild but the dream is that over the next few years they will just be getting better and better, there's potential is what i'm trying to say!

im partial to the Avs too (colorado Avalanche) because Nate MacKinnon is just a lil boy who is trying so so hard always and is full of self doubt and anxiety (which, again, very relatable 2 me), and also Cale Makar who is like a mathlete who can fuck you up

these are the teams currently coming to mind!