#i can see why Gilan would want him

[peithopathos]

Mildly hot takes on what the RA cast would be like in a relationship

Mostly ignoring cannon (and from an AroAce) also very slight NSFW warning

Pauline - Pauline will rarely be satisfied with a partner. She has this innate desire to be in a relationship with someone who she perceives as an equal but also someone she has nearly complete control over and/or is better than. If either of these things aren't true, which they cannot be, then she will have trouble being content. She will absolutely go through the extra effort with a partner, just to feel vindicated that they need her but if they need her too much then she will feel trapped and restless. (I absolutely believe that if Halt were to go through a major depressive episode, permanent/long-term illness (like cancer or severe injury), or any other situation that would require her to take care of Halt for any extended period and/or have him no longer be "equal" to her: then she would leave him by the end of the decade. )

Gilan - Lowkey, Gilan just isn't very mature. As a result, he has the tendency to pick partners who are more on his maturity level (so much younger) but doesn't understand why they aren't in the same place in life. As a result, Gilan is almost endlessly stuck in a loop of casual relationships that he tries to push into more serious long-term things-- but his partners are just not in the right place to be considering that, and frankly, he isn't emotionally or mentally mature enough to be considering it either. The real red flag is that he'll continue perusing people from that same age range, for the same reasons, long after it is appropriate and that weird power dynamic will only get worse and worse. Will - On paper, I think Will would be great in a relationship, he has all of the skills, willingness, and attitude to make a relationship work- but I also feel like Will is the type of person who would do things based on what he feels he "should be" doing at any given stage in his life. Don't get me wrong, he loves and appreciates his partner, but he also would probably jump into being in a long-term serious relationship based on what other people think is best/right/expected for him rather than what he was ready for at the time.

Seriously, I think in the long-term, Will would be seriously unhappy in just about any relationship he could have. Not because anything was wrong, but because he didn't follow what was best for him.

Jenny- I cannot imagine Jenny being anything less than completely suffocating to any partner she might have. She works far, far to much to do any significant amount of household tasks (which is fair) but also demands that everything in the house be done exactly how she wants it to or she will redo it in frustration. She doesn't see her partner as incompetent or anything, but she wants things done as she wants them done and won't accept anything else.

Halt - Dead bedroom. I simply cannot see Halt making any sexual or emotional advances at all. He might be willing to share emotional real estate/have sex, but I feel like the partner would have to continually prod him all the way through the entire relationship to actually take initiative. This can do a NUMBER on a partner's mental health and the long-term effects would probably cause the relationship to suffer. I can't really see him changing this either, even if his partner were to be open about the issue. It might get better for a bit, then teeter off again.

Cassandra - I can lowkey see Cassie cheating on her partner. One time, 'in the moment' cheating with no emotional backing, but cheating nonetheless. Especially if her partner is away frequently for long periods. Even if she isn't a cheater, I can imagine Cassie not being very considerate of her partner's feelings at all. It's nothing personal, it's just that she doesn't think of what they would want when making decisions.

Crowley - I can imagine Crowley would carry the worst college student habits into adulthood and wouldn't understand that his partner is having to pick up the slack. You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that Crowley changes his bedsheets, checks the shower drain, or cleans up his dishes immediately after he uses them. He wouldn't have great emotional intelligence either, not in the Halt way, but in the 'changes the subject every time an emotionally taxing subject comes up' so nothing ever gets addressed with him. In essence, I can see Crowley doing very well in a casual or long-distance relationship-- but a long-term relationship would be difficult because he doesn't have the emotional or household skills needed to equally contribute.

Maddie - Been in a "situationship" for 11 years.

[thatoneperson747]

Hi

So while procrastinating writing the fic I'm working on, I decided it was time for me to read the Royal Ranger. I only have book one, and I've had it for about a year now, but I never read even the first page. I've heard stuff throughout the fandom about it, but I've tried to stay away from royal ranger specific posts in order to not spoil the book for me.

If you also haven't read it yet and want to avoid spoilers, stop reading now. You've been warned.

Here's the things I knew before reading:

Will has a beard now. This is very controversial.

Alyss dies. She was burned to death. Also very controversial.

Horace and Cassie have a daughter named Maddie. Maddie becomes Will's apprentice.

And that's about it.

I decided that since the Royal Ranger was so hit or miss for the community, I'd document my thoughts on it (as a personal record, if you will) and see how my opinions change, if they change at all. Feel free to laugh at me if I make predictions and they end up being completely wrong lol

I've read the first seven chapters, and here are the main thoughts I have right now.

1. Is Will now just Halt? When he was first being described during the scene with Henry Wheeler, I dead ass thought Flanagan was talking about Halt. I mean, Will is grey already? Like, fully grey. He's described as having a "steel-grey beard." Not grey and brown, just grey. Halt???

2. Alyss' death fit her character well, but why did she have to die? Keep in mind, I was never the biggest fan of Alyss - I thought a character as interesting as a diplomat should have more personality than just "the main character's girlfriend" - but come on? We barely got to see them married. Idk man. I feel like her death would be better justified if they had actually like. been together longer? 10/10 for writing her death though, saving a poor child from death seems really in character for her, especially considering that's pretty much what Baron Arald did for the ward kids (he didn't die for it but still, he saved them from a childhood of neglect and almost certain death). I feel like it's a great wrap to her story, although I wish her story was longer.

3. Crowley was done dirty. What the actual f u c k Flanagan? The Corps Commander, the man, myth, and legend gets a paragraph to explain his death. It's such a lamely written death too? Crowley, a ranger, who was probably in peak health, just nopes out one night. At least he was smiling..? And maybe it's the fact that TEY is my favorite part of the series so far, but Crowley deserved way better than that shit. Also I'm surprised that I managed to not know about Crowley's death before this?? I actually cried reading it. He was such a precious little man in TEY, how could you do this Flanagan???

4. Maddie is a bit of a brat. Not even a bit, she kinda just is. To be fair, Cassie was that way sometimes as well, but Maddie just seems... I don't know, too much of a 'I-do-what-I-want-and-you-can't-stop-me' kinda person, but in a bad way??? Like that one kid in school who would never listen to authority figures and got everyone in trouble all the time? I hope she mellows out because she could be a great character, I think. It's said she takes after her mom, but I'd like to see her act like Horace too.

5. Gilan. Just Gilan. What?? I never liked his relationship with Jenny much, he seems quite a bit too old for her (at least 5 years, most likely quite a bit more since Halt had a few years between Gilan and Will), but he's so relentless in asking her to marry him? Huh??

And also, BOLD of Flanagan to assume Gilan would be hesitant about letting a girl into the corps. This man has traveled with Cassie. He's traveled with Lydia from Brotherband. He knows women are capable. I mentioned not liking his and Jenny's relationship, but like. he even respects her. She's a business woman, she owns her own restaurant. No one can possibly convince me that Gilan doesn't drink his respect-women juice DAILY. It feels out of character for him.

6. Poor Duncan. That's the end of the sentence.

7. Those guards are hysterical. Ah, yes, let's just casually not mention or try to stop the princess sneaking in and out of the castle even though this could end really really badly. Perfect logic.

And yeah that's all I got right now. I'm very excited to see how my opinions so far change! I'll document them here too in case anyone cares. Feel free to reblog with your own RR opinions and the like! I'd love to see what you guys think of my takes lol

[solarishashernoseinabook]

HELLO HUSBAND MY BELOVED!

Can I get a Haltine treat please?

Have yet another lil ficlet featuring autistic!halt!

And make sure you check out Angel's accompanying art piece!

~

Pauline hummed quietly to herself as she pinned her hair in place. She wore a blue dress today instead of her usual white, and she had added a simple pendant to the ensemble: a colourful riverstone carved and polished to a shine and set on a delicate chain. She wasn’t going anywhere fancy tonight, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to look nice. Gilan had requested help on a small matter in Merric, so Halt had sent Will along to deal with it. With the cabin empty, Halt had asked Pauline if she would like to join him for dinner. His letter had tried to make it seem like this was simply a matter of using up leftovers, but Pauline knew he was lonely. She and Halt had been spending a lot of time together over the past few months, which Pauline had found extremely pleasant. Halt was still quiet, but it was a comfortable silence; they had learned to anticipate each others’ needs; and, perhaps best of all, Halt had become more comfortable fidgeting around her. Pauline found herself relishing the time they spent together, and missing Halt keenly when they were apart.

When she was ready, Pauline swung her cloak over her shoulders and set off for Halt’s cabin. It was a pleasant evening, and she decided to walk instead of take a horse. Abelard whinnied when she got close, and she paused at the door of the stable to smile at him and scratch his nose.

She also took a discreet look in the compost barrel, just visible around the corner of the house, and smiled to herself. It held feathers from a freshly-plucked partridge and vegetable peels – Halt had cooked something fresh for her instead of using up leftovers. That was very like him, she reflected. Halt opened the door for her and Pauline drew herself away from Abelard to step onto the veranda. Halt took her hand and kissed it gently, and Pauline smiled warmly at him. ‘It’s lovely to see you again, Halt.’ ‘And you, Pauline. The food’s warm, I’m just waiting on coffee now.’ Pauline followed him to the small kitchen and took out some bowls, ladling stew into them. ‘Why don’t we eat on the veranda? It’s a lovely night, and this time of year I’m stuck inside all day.’ Halt nodded and put the dishes and coffee on a wooden platter, then went outside with her. ‘You’ve got a new crop of apprentices, right? How are they?’ ‘Oh, they’re quite fine, progressing nicely. All except for one young man – he doesn’t seem willing to use diplomacy when sneaking around would do instead.’ Pauline sighed softly. ‘I’m not sure he’s suited to Courier work.’ ‘You could send him over to the Ranger Corps,’ Halt said. Pauline smiled. ‘Oh? Volunteering to take on another apprentice, are you, Halt?’ ‘Oh gods no,’ Halt scoffed. ‘With how much of a pain in the neck Will’s been, I’m going to need a break.’ Pauline laughed. She knew, despite Halt’s gruff façade, that he would miss Will terribly. ‘Perhaps Gilan will be interested in taking an apprentice.’ ‘I could ask him for you,’ Halt offered. Pauline settled back in her chair, cradling her coffee mug in her hands. ‘Yes please, thank you.’ Halt set aside his empty bowl and topped up his coffee, then offered the kettle to her. Pauline shook her head. ‘If I have much more, I won’t be able to sleep.’ Halt put the kettle back down. He seemed to be gazing at her – no, she realised, at her pendant. She put her coffee down and unclasped it, handing it over. He accepted it and tilted it, catching the last rays of the day’s light and watching the faceted face sparkle. Pauline smiled, leaning her elbow against the arm of her chair and resting her chin on her fist. This was a side of himself Halt rarely showed, and the sight of his calm face and small smile warmed her heart. Before realising it, she spoke. ‘Why have we put it off for so long?’ ‘Hm?’ Halt looked up at her. ‘Us,’ Pauline said softly. ‘A relationship.’ After a moment, Halt shrugged. ‘Seemed like there was too much else we had to attend to.’ ‘It did,’ Pauline said, ‘but we don’t have to any longer.’ She reached across and took his weathered hand. ‘Halt, I’ve loved you for twenty years. These last few months have been perfect – and I don’t want them to end. I want to marry you.’ Pauline registered the look of momentary surprise before Halt quickly masked it. ‘You could do better than me.’ ‘No, I really don’t think I could,’ Pauline said. Halt smiled slowly. ‘Then I suppose I should say yes before you change your mind.’

[echoingbirdsofprey]

Lost In The Fire

1 - The Rescue

Pairing: Din Djarin x OFC Dayanara Vyse

Rating: Explicit (I don't use Star Wars swears y'all sorry) (MDNI!)

Warnings: swearing and mental whiplash courtesy of Daya

WC: 2.9k

A/N: Din Djarin accidently becomes the Mand'alor and accidently falls in love with a Princess.

Based on Season 2 canon, but does deviate quite a bit, and will go through Book of Boba and beyond, and it's gonna be a bumpy ride guys.

A Princess.

That was who was on this bounty puck. A fucking Princess.

"Why exactly is there a bounty out for her?" The Mandalorian, Din Djarin asked as he pulled the puck off the table and tucked it in a pocket.

"It's more of a search and rescue type thing. At least that's the story I was told. A rival clan apparently kidnapped her. And there's good news for you...she's Mandalorian, so if you find her you can find other Mandalorians, like you wanted." His friend and the head of the Nevarro Guild, Greef Karga, explained.

"Where was she last seen?" Din asked, standing ready to leave. 

"Tatooine. But who knows if she's still there and who she's with."

So Din was headed to Tatooine for two Mandalorians, which was much more than he hoped for. Hopefully one of them could help find a Jedi who could train the kid.

♡

The Mandalorian landed the Razor Crest in bay three-five. Peli Motto exited her communication booth, a small army of droids following suit. She was rather excited to see the Child, more so than Din. He briefly asked about if she had seen other Mandalorians and whether or not she could watch the little green bean for a few hours.

Din took it upon himself to investigate Mos Eisley without the Child for a bit before figuring out where Mos Pelgo was. Peli was glad to be able to watch the kid.

He stepped into a cantina, the smell of alcohol heavy for the morning hour. His helmet had air filtration but nothing for smell. The scent was sickly sweet.

He noticed a group in the back of the cantina, several of them in Mandalorian armor. These couldn't be the ones Gor Koresh was talking about because he said that one was in Mos Pelgo. These were different.

Perhaps passing through? Din thought as he settled in a seat on the opposite side of the room where there was no one. It was a dark corner where he was hoping to observe from. 

He noticed another one joining them and he tried to listen closely. The cantina wasn't loud by any stretch but they were talking too quietly for Din to hear from the other side of it.

"The Princess is back in the cell. She stabbed Gilan. He's dead." One of them explained and that was all Din needed to hear. 

That would be the rival clan, he thought, and began forming a plan of action. He would have to find out where they were keeping her. He would have to find a way in. And he would have to find a way to kill them.

♡

Din's plan didn't go so smoothly. 

He found out where they were keeping the Princess,  but then when he tried to infiltrate the base, they captured him. How, he didn't know. One second he was firing left and right, the next, he was pinned down, a knee on his back, by the biggest Mandalorian he'd ever seen. Bigger even than the one in his own covert.

Cuffed, exhausted, definitely bruised in several places despite his armor, he stood before the head of this Mandalorian covert.

"You're a bounty hunter and you were sent by the Princess' father, weren't you?" He asked, voice muffled heavily by his helmet. Din wasn't sure whether the other man's vocabulator wasn't working or his own hearing was off from a possible concussion. The man stood, stepping down off his makeshift throne, the gleam of his bright red and black painted armor apparent in the sunlight coming from the open ceiling. "You're Din Djarin. I've heard of you. Best bounty hunter in the parsec. But so easily captured. Why?" 

"Do I know you?." Din said flatly. The man tilted his helmet, walking down the last couple of steps before stopping in front of Din.

"My name is Baltas of Clan Volant. My father is the ruler of Krownest."

Din only tilted his helmet. He had never heard of this other clan. Baltas chuckled darkly, removing his helmet. The man had an angular face and blond hair that was short like a military cut. Din narrowed his gaze under his own helmet. 

"Do you know of Krownest? It is one of the many planets within the Mandalore sector that was never under Imperial control. We cleared out clan Wren and took over. It is a frigid place, only the most hardy of warriors can survive there." Baltas continued to circle him, his stride oozing arrogance.

Din sighed. He was growing tired of the showboating. He'd have to shut this guy up somehow. Din looked up at the other man. He had a cocky smirk on his face.

"You need credits right? To fix that broken-ass ship of yours. What is it, the Razor Crest ? It's in rough shape, huh?"

Din stiffened. How did they know of his ship? Did they know about the Child too? 

"Not a man of many words, huh? That's okay. So here's what I'd like from you. I want you to get something for me. There's something called the Darksaber. I want it. I will pay you whatever you want for it." Clearly this man was desperate for this Darksaber. But Din only had one thing on his mind.

“And the Princess?” He asked, and he felt the reverberation of the large Mandalorian whacking him in the back armor. Din turned slowly to look at him, thinking about pulling the vibroblade out of his boot for only a moment before Baltas spoke.

“No, no, Varik, it’s fine. A valid question. You see, I need the Princess, as well as the Darksaber, in order to rule Mandalore.”

“Mandalore was destroyed.”

“It was. But we will rebuild. As we always have. And the Princess is the first piece of the puzzle. Do you know why she's so important?" Baltas asked and when Din didn't move a muscle, he proceeded to explain as he walked a circle around Din. "The Vyse clan is, by blood, the next in succession to rule Mandalore, much like the Kryze clan was. The eldest son is not eligible as he is not a child of both the General and his wife. Only the two daughters, Dayanara and Sovira are actually of the royal bloodline. Therefore, whoever marries the 'Crown Princess' Dayanara, has a blood claim to the throne of Mandalore. Now if I were to come into possession of a certain Darksaber in addition to marrying the Princess, I would lay full claim to both the throne and the presiding bloodline." 

Din understood why the bounty was so high to bring her home alive. Now more than ever, he needed to come up with a plan to get her out of here. These were also not Mandalorians who were going to help him find the Child's people. 

"You're not Mandalorian." Din said, matter of factly and he stood. The large Mandalorian behind him grabbed for the cuffs that bound Din's hands but Din was quicker, kicking a leg back, right between the man's legs. Easiest way to take down a giant was to go for the most sensitive parts.

Baltas then sent his guards on Din, who deftly dodged each one, even with handcuffs on. He bashed one who was helmetless with his head, another went down from a shoulder shot, another from Din sweeping a well timed kick under their feet.

The cuffs were just like his own, so he knew there was a mechanism that if it broke, the cuffs would release. He jammed the underside of them on the corner of a wall, freeing himself. He shook his arms out, then turned to face Baltas.

These idiots never took his pistol from his belt and timing was everything. He drew the pistol, pulled the trigger, and one well-aimed shot later, Baltas was on the ground writhing from a non-lethal foot wound, and Din had the card key to the cells. Now, he just had to find the Princess.

Unfortunately, the bounty puck hologram had her in full Mandalorian armor so he didn't know what she looked like. He assumed there weren't any other prisoners, as he clambered down the stairwell quickly.

There was in fact, only one cell, in the center of the large store room, and in that cell, was one Mandalorian Princess, no armor in sight. She wore a simple blue dress with long sleeves, leggings underneath the skirt, a heavy white cape, which was not very white, that wrapped all the way around her, as well as dark brown boots that had some decent wear to them. She popped to her feet as soon as she saw Din come out of the shadowy corridor.

"Did my father send you?" She asked, her voice sounding strained, slightly raspy, probably from fatigue and lack of hydration. Her hair was a mess, pieces falling from what was once a neatly arranged braid that ran down over her right shoulder and stopped about mid bicep. She grabbed for the bars, steadying herself as she awaited a response. She felt light headed now that she was standing.

Din could only nod as he stepped closer to slide the card key through the lock. It clicked open and she was free.

He held his hand out and she took it, grasping tightly as she nearly stumbled and fell out of the cell. Din caught her and she glanced up at him. She had soul-piercing golden eyes, which seemed to simmer like a freshly ignited fire as she stared wearily into his visor.

"I'm here to save you, Princess."

♡

Before they escaped the dusty basement, Daya made a point to grab the only pieces of her armor that she'd had at the time of her capture. Her vambraces, helmet, and jetpack. To her misfortune, it was all disabled. She would have to spend some time rewiring the pieces, especially her helmet, because the HUD was so static that she couldn't see a thing when she put it on.

Once they were back to the hanger where Din's ship was docked, she placed her broken armor down on a crate and took a moment to gather her thoughts. No sooner had she taken a deep breath had Din come to check on her.

"Princess? Are you okay?" Din asked softly, his gloved hands meeting her forearms. She flinched slightly, but relaxed at his light touch, her brain telling her body that this man was here to help her.

"I have a name ." She said firmly, her golden eyes meeting his visor. When Din didn't respond, she introduced herself anyway. "You can call me Daya. Please don't call me Princess." 

She realized how close she and the bounty hunter were then, their lower bodies pressed against each other.  His hands were wrapped around her arms in an almost comforting grip. 

"Sorry... Daya ." His voice was quiet as he stumbled over the words.

"It's fine." She nearly whispered, not realizing she had leaned closer until he pulled away slightly to look down at her more intently,  or so she thought. 

"Are you okay?" He asked again, tone even softer than before. His fingers traveled up to her biceps, giving a gentle squeeze with one hand. She nodded, a slight smirk forming on her lips. 

"I don't know your name." Daya said and the bounty hunter tilted his helmet slightly. 

"Most people just call me Mando."

"I'm not most people ."

He didn't say anything, just stared. He nearly laughed at her quip but stopped himself. Why was she so insistent?

"Fine. How can I repay you in addition to whatever my father has offered?"

"Just the credits are fine. "

"Nonsense. I'll figure something out." She didn't want to pull away from him anymore so he waited for him to. But he didn't move a muscle. The helmet tilted, and he shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He then turned his head to the side, letting a heavy sigh fill the silent space in the Crest . 

"You should rest. I have to go find someone, then I'll be back to bring you home." He pulled away from Daya, but she stopped him with one hand on his vambrace.

"Please let me come with you. Don't leave me alone." She begged, and Din saw exhaustion give way to fear in her golden eyes. He pulled away from her again, but she was on his heels.

"You're tired. You'll slow me down." He reasoned, reloading grav charges and thermal detonators to his belt. 

"I won't. I promise." She lowered her voice, and her brows turned up, somehow even more pleading than before. Her hand met his wrist, causing a shiver to roll through him. His glove was turned up just enough for her skin to make the most feather light contact with his.

He stood for a moment, really thinking it over. Like, really, really , thinking it over. He was a professional bounty hunter and this woman, this fucking Princess, whom he was supposed to bring home to her family, had him thinking, so hard that he thought steam might be coming out of the top of the helmet from how much his brain was working.

But this was Tatooine. He probably shouldn't leave her by herself in the event that those idiots that call themselves Mandalorians tried to take her again. And he could use a hand with the kid.

"Fine. But your only job is to keep the kid safe. Don't speak to anyone. Don't slow me down. Don't tell anyone who you are." He finally said, and then opened his weapons cabinet. "Pick something."

Daya carefully examined each weapon. There were rifles, smaller blasters and a set of pistols that looked like they'd seen some shit. She picked those, and Din tilted his helmet to look down at her selection.

"You know what those are?" He asked and Daya nodded.

"They're...well smaller than I've seen...but they're A-180 blaster pistols. And I'm going to have to tie your holster..." she said, glancing down and fiddling with the belt before she saw gloved hands come into view, taking the belt from her.

"Let me help." He said softly, pulling the belt tight across her back, which with his strength, he ended up unbalancing her, making her step toward him, as it was the only place she could go. With a quick glance at her, he asked, "Too tight?" 

She felt her cheeks go red hot. Her eyes met the visor and she became quite flustered, tripping over her response. "No...it's...that's good. It's...fi...fine."

Din tied the belt so it wouldn't fall off her hips. He stepped back and studied her for a moment as she placed the blasters in the holsters. She aimed to place her helmet on her head but he stopped her.

"Has anyone ever seen your face?" He asked and she thought it an odd question but answered nonetheless.

"Other than my family, and the few men of the clan who kidnapped me, no."

"Wrap your cloak around you. Keep those blasters hidden. And don't bring the jetpack." He said and she understood what he was trying to accomplish. The more she didn't look like herself, the less likely it was someone would recognize her and possibly tip off the rival clan. 

"What about my vambraces?" She asked, getting ready to snap them on if he said so. He nodded a yes and handed her the other one.

"Put this over your face." He handed her a thin neck gaiter, which she pulled over her head, fixed it around her neck and then pulled it back up to cover her nose and mouth. The only discernible features were her golden eyes and her dark brown braided hair, which was still somewhat of a mess. She didn't have a chance to comb through it and make it very presentable but she wasn't sure it necessarily needed to be anyway.

Once they were set, Peli gives them the one speeder bike that was left from last time he was here. Din climbs on, places the kid in a side compartment, and helps Daya on the back. She realizes there's nowhere to put her hands or hold on.

"Uh...is there something for me to hold onto?" She asks and Din turns the helmet in her direction.

"Yeah. Me." He said, placing his hands on the handlebars. Daya placed her hands on his shoulders and he sighs and says quietly, his voice raspy without even trying, "Around my waist, Daya."

She nearly chokes on the breath she takes as she wraps her arms around him, surprised at how easily he could switch from fierce bounty hunter, to soft and caring gentleman. She held tight as the bike roared to life, and they sped off toward Mos Pelgo. 

Daya had pulled the neck gaiter up even more, trying to shield her eyes from the dust and suns. No sooner had they left, she was already dozing off. Din felt her grip slacken slightly, so he reached down and put a hand over hers, making sure she didn't let go. Her head rested against his jetpack, which he assumed was not comfortable but if she was taking a few moments to rest, he wasn't going to disturb her. He knew she hadn't slept. He could tell they hadn't treated her well. As far as he knew they hadn't hurt her physically, aside from not giving her enough water, but mentally, she was burnt out. 

She awoke when she felt the speeder slow and stop. She was pretty drowsy as Din helped her off the speeder. There was a small fire with figures around it that she couldn't quite make out. 

Din made a motion for her to wait, pointing to the kid right after. Daya picked up the little green goblin from the side compartment and she heard Din making some sort of grunting and barking noises through the helmet. Her brows furrowed and as she stepped closer to the fire she realized the figures were Tuskens.

[ratkingssillyboy]

So I’ve been wanting to read the rest of the royal ranger series and figured I’d reread the main series first as it’s been around six years since I first found them, after reading the first book I’m just so glad that it holds up to how fantastic it was the first time and I have ALOT to say.

-The way that Will and Horace grow so much in just the first book, I mean we have Will whose main defence is running and finding a hiding spot but is still witty and a fast thinker to a brave resourceful determined young man. The training my boy is put through is ROUGH but he doesn’t even think of trying to get out of it or wishing he wasn’t a rangers apprentice, we get to see as he matures and simply grows into himself just…the steadiness he has in him by the end of the book, he has a long way to go but we get a glimpse at the man he’ll become.

Horace has an even greater arc, we see him as a simple minded bully (which he absolutely is in those early chapters) but then we see that he’s a natural swordsman who has his own insecurities. We then watch as he’s confronted with the trio of bullies and still unsure of the traditions and usual ways of battle school we see as he soldiers through taking their shit and STILL managing to keep up to a degree, the way that it still affects his school work and social life was perfectly depicted like on harvest day where he lashed out at those he cares about was brilliant but also him not keeping up with school work which when the issue is taken care of becomes much easier for him. But through it all we get to see as he matures, now he isn’t that bully we saw at the start he is a talented loyal friend who is willing to try and take down a boar to keep someone he’s been awful to safe and then witnessing Will do the same for him, making a promise that he soon fulfils regardless of his own injuries

Just watching Will and Horace, these two boys going from school yard enemies to the mature young men who would absolutely die for the other by the end of the book was fantastic, there was no force behind it like it felt so natural and easy once they were able to actually see the other and how far they both had come since the choosing, and it isn’t perfect there’s still tension but they’re friends

- speaking of the boar attack, when Will shoved his face into halts chest and cried? I sobbed as well, absolute puddle of a mess because of course Will would cling to halt after such a terrifying ordeal, and halt just?? Comforting him??? Like the heart attack this man must of had watching his son apprentice facing down a massive boar with a bow and two knives, that hug absolutely healed something in halt John told me so himself.

- I remember originally reading the books at age 12-14 and not comprehending why Will asking so many questions annoyed halt but now at the age of 20? I get it, I finally understand this poor tired middle aged man. Though the absolute dead pan wit this Halt gives Will with each interaction made me wheeze.

- Can I just say, Will meeting Tug? Like he has no idea that he's just met one of his most loyal dedicated companions, just them meeting and growing such a strong bond so quickly I mean the way Will was TERRIFIED when Tug came to his defence during the boat attack and Will could only think of the injuries Tug could get, Tug would not have been Wills horse for long at that point maybe a few months at most and already Will is so attached.

- Gilan, it's wild to think about the fact I'm now around his age? Like he's actually so young????? I just love his dynamic with halt, the respect he shows him while also being the little shit he is is perfect, and the big brotherly way he is around will I just know he's so proud and impressed by this little 15 year old, he absolutely has asked himself if he was ever that silly as halts apprentice (the answer is yes)

-Old bob is a national treasure, I know that man has hit halt on the upside of his head at least once, feel it in my bones

- JUST WILL CHOOSING HALT OVER HIS LIFELONG DREAM I know Halt was holdin tears l just know it, like everyone knew just how much Will wanted to be a knight and yet when offered HE DECLINED because he loves his dad

Thank you for coming to my ted talk

[forgedroyalseal]

My Reputation’s Never Been Worse

A/N: Above is the link to the playlist for this series which I really recommend listening to while you read this chapter

Chapter 18:

The sun had long since set when Will found himself staring at the door in front of him. It was rather unremarkable as doors went. It lacked any of the intricate carvings that the doors to the king’s chambers or the great hall were embellished with. Even the pattern of the wood grain was faint and plain. So why was Will stuck staring at it as if it was a masterpiece? He signed and turned to lean his back against the wall besides the offending door. He let his eyelids drop with a sigh. It shouldn’t be this hard. He should be able to turn the knob and enter the room and have some much needed rest. Just down the hall, Miles and Nyah were in guest suites of their own. Will smiled as he remembered their eagerness to tell him about every little detail of the rooms. The comforts, that to any nobleman would seem like a basic right, were the most decedent luxuries either of them had ever experienced.

Will had done his best to look impressed by their child-like descriptions of the wide mattresses, heavy decorative quilts, and feather filled pillows, but he couldn’t help but feel somewhat betrayed. He had firmly resisted sleeping within the palace walls, so long as one discounted the rest he had taken in the dungeon. But that was less a voluntary nap and more his mind and body collapsing from exhaustion and stress. After dinner, Will had expected that the three of them would go back to the camp site from the previous nights. He hadn’t even considered the fact that while he was in Eisel they had been offered, and had accepted, rooms of their own in the palace’s guest wing. Of course, it made perfect sense. Will had left them under the care of George, and the idea that George would ever let anyone sleep outside rather than in a warm bed was preposterous. Besides, Miles and Nyah had no reason to distance themselves from the luxuries that were overflowing from the castle and it’s staff. It made total sense. But then, why did it still hurt him?

“You know, it’s pretty cold out. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have frost in the morning.”

The corner of Will’s lips tilted up and he rolled his head over to watch Cassandra sidle up besides him. “I can handle a little cold. Even the worst of our winters are nothing compared to Skandia.”

She ignored him and continued. “Looks like rain too. Yeah I bet it will storm all night.”

“I’m not made of sugar. I won’t melt.”

Cassandra narrows her eyes at him. “Between the dark and the rain, the guards might mistake you for a bandit and shoot on sight.”

“I may not be as skilled as Gilan, but I’m still pretty good at not being noticed when I don’t want to be.”

Cassandra huffed in irritation and glared at Will. “Just sleep inside Will!” She half shouted half whined. “If you sleep outside tonight you’ll wake up cold and wet and miserable and you’ll be a bear all day tomorrow.”

“Cass,” Will said gently, but she kept going.

“And I know Horace told you about the wedding. What are you planning on doing until then, sleeping outside all winter? You’re just doing this for the sake of proving a point and the only thing you are proving is that you are as stubborn as a mule and won’t listen to reason.”

Will paused this time to see if she had anything else, but when she just folded her arms and slumped into the wall he said, “Cass, I am really happy for you and Horace. And I know things are, better, than they were when I first came back. I’m better. But I can’t just pretend like nothing happened. Like I wasn’t stabbed in the back by the people within this very castle.”

“And so you think they are going to come after you again? Drag you out of bed and into the cells?”

“I don’t know. Maybe?”

“Seriously Will? How can you not see that every person here regrets what happened? That my father is still sick over it? That Crowley barely sleeps anymore? Even Horace will wake in the middle of the night, a shaking apology abandoned on his lips. And don’t even get me started on Halt.”

A thick silence passed between them, then Cassandra let her head fall onto Will’s shoulder. “Go to bed Will. Please.” She whispered. He knew what she really wanted to say was stay here Will. And he was grateful that she didn’t.

“OK. I’ll see you in the morning.” He lightly kissed her cheek as his pushed away from the wall. He placed a hand on the brass doorknob and she stood still, not leaving for her own room until she saw Will step into him.

He bowed his head to her. “Goodnight Evanlyn. Sleep well.”

_______________________

Will woke to a soft knock at his door. He wasn’t sure what surprised him more, the fact that he had managed to sleep the whole night in the room without being attacked or the that he hadn’t risen with the sun as he usually did.

“A moment.” He called, voice rough and gravelly with sleep. Will rubbed his hands over his face and hair in an attempt to wake himself more throughly. He slipped out from under the warm covers and grasped out at the dressing robe that had been left for him. It was a rich green with little golden threads woven throughout. It was beautiful without being garish and Will knew that Cassandra had picked it out intentionally for him. Which meant she had been convinced he’d be spending the night in this room and not outside. He wouldn’t be surprised to see the wardrobe filled with similar clothing in his size.

Will made his way to the door, stretching as his did so. He assumed it was Horace or Alyss on the other side summoning him for breakfast. Or perhaps Nyah ready to tease him about his sudden change of sleeping arrangements. He was wrong though. Because on the other side of the door stood Halt, a bundle of wildflowers clasped gently in one hand and steaming mug in the other.

“It’s not coffee.” Halt said before Will could say anything. “It’s tea. Good tea, according to Pauline. Not that I’m convinced such a thing exists.”

“And the flowers?”

“For all of the riches and wonders of the palace, I find it lack a certain… homey touch.” And even though it had been so long ago, Will knew exactly why the flowers looked so familiar. It was a near perfect replica of the flowers Halt had left in his room on his first day as an apprentice.

“Picked them yourself?”

“Well, anyone else would have messed it up I’m sure. I’ve got quite an eye for florals.” Halt said seriously, eyes lit with mirth.

“Why are you really here Halt? Because I doubt it’s just to deliver questionable tea and criticize the castle’s lack of style.”

Halt ignores his question and responds with one of his own. “May I come in?”

Will steps to the side, allowing space for Halt to enter the room. He sets the tea down onto a small table besides the reading chair and places the flowers on the bedside table. Will closes the door but doesn’t sit and neither does Halt. The two men stand several feet apart, both unsure how to proceed.

“I just wanted-“

“What do you-“

Their words collide between them, sentences breaking and falling into the space between them. Will gestured for Halt to continue.

“I wanted to see you. That’s all.”

Will extends his arms out and turns in a small circle. “You’ve seen me then.”

Halt raises an eyebrow at him and Will has a disorienting flash of deja vu. He remembers every time that eyebrow rose at him for being a smart ass like he was now.

“Alright, perhaps I did have one more intention for coming. Pauline told me what she asked of you. And I just wanted to let you know that this is the one and only time you don’t have to listen to her. I don’t want you to force yourself into forgiving me just because she asked you too. You have every right to be angry with me.”

Will thought about it. Thought about how when Pauline had asked him to forgive Halt, he had been so sure that he would, eventually. But why was he so determined to put it off. What was the point? “I’m so tired of being mad at everyone I love. I’ve been dragging this hate around with me for five years, and it is exhausting. But I just can’t seem to let it go.” Will kept his eyes trained down. He focused on the swirling greens and blues of the soft rug below his feet, and not the man, the father, standing in front of him. “I want to forgive you. All of you. But I don’t know how to move on. I could barely bring myself to sleep in this room last night. How am I supposed to come back and go about my life again? How do I know when it’s time to stop running? Because right now, I feel like if I stay, I’ll be tore apart. Caught between two sides of myself. But if I go, then I’ll be letting everyone down. And I’ll just keep running away from the people I love until the day I die.” Will’s voice cracked and he sniffed, desperately trying to push away the tears he felt forming in the corners of his eyes.

Halt stepped closer and cupped Will’s face in his hands, gently tilting his chin up so their eyes met. “Will, you are my son. All that matters to me, all that has mattered to me since the day I found you, is your happiness. Losing you was the hardest thing I have ever had to endure, and I’ll never be able to forgive myself for robbing you of your peace and joy over the past few years. All I want is for you to be safe and happy. And if you need to walk away from me, from us, to find that somewhere else in the world, then that is what you should do. Losing you again will break me, but watching you suffer even more so if you stay? That will destroy me. You need to prioritize yourself Will. Not me, or Horace, or Alyss. You. That’s all we want from you.”

“I- I don’t know what to do.” Will admitted in a small voice, finally letting go of any semblance of confidence. “I don’t know how to stay, but I don’t want to go.”

“We can make it work Will. If you want to stay, then you should stay.”

Will shook his head. “It’s not that simple.”

“It can be. We can figure anything out. You just need to choose what you want. We’ll support you either way, but you have to decide what you want. What you are willing to work for.”

“I never wanted to leave.” A tear rolled down Will cheek. He raised his eyes to Halt’s, the warmth and love he found in them drowning his fear and pain.

“I want to stay.” Will spoke with a surety he had thought he had long since lost.

Halt smiled. “All right then. You’ll stay.” He pulled Will into his chest with a tight hug and pressed a kiss into his hair. “Welcome home son. Welcome home.”

The End

A/N: I truly cannot express my gratitude to everyone who has read this story, everyone who has commented, everyone who has left kudos. This series has been my longest running project and has prepared me for starting my own original novel next month during NaNoWriMo. I’ve alway wanted to write a complete novel, but if it wasn’t for this fic then I would never have had the faith in myself to believe it was an achievable goal.

Please know how much your support and encouragement has kept me going even when I felt stuck. I genuinely appreciate all of you.

Thank you.

(P.S we all know I have trouble letting things go. I’ve already started the epilogue 😉)

[theoakleafpancake]

The Apprentice

Halt stayed behind as the other Rangers left the tent. Crowley’s non-subtle stare made it clear that he alone would remain to suffer the endless line of questions.

“Yes, Crowley?” He leaned his chair back and crossed his arms. “Go on ahead. I know you want to ask.”

“What was that you said about not wanting any more apprentices?” His friend simply raised an eyebrow. “If I can recall correctly, you made it very clear that you wanted no part in training one when you first joined. A couple years later, and the Royal Army’s Cavalry Commander is your apprentice. And now this one?”

“Are you telling me no?” 

“I’m asking what changed your mind.” Crowley sat down again, sitting backwards on the chair. “You didn’t seem so keen when I asked you if you could train Jordan.”

“Jordan wasn’t up to my standards,” he replied. It was true. Others would have accepted the boy—others did accept the boy—but not Halt. Certainly, Jordan could make a fearsome Ranger with the right dedication, but to Halt, the boy hadn’t been ready for him. And Crowley knew it, too. 

“He’s Daniel’s boy, isn’t he?”

Halt looked at him. The Commandant waited, and he nodded. “Yes.”

“Well, I suppose that’s one way to look after him.” Crowley straightened. “A little warning would have been nice, at least. You left me with barely any information in that note.”

“I told you I’d found an apprentice. Was that not enough?”

“Obviously not” Crowley scoffed. “You know, paperwork does take a little bit more insight than ‘I’m bringing someone along for the Gathering.’”

Halt shrugged, hiding a smirk. “Oh. Sorry.”

“Hibernians,” the older Ranger muttered.

“It’s not my fault that you Araluens can’t understand basic communication.” Crowley rolled his eyes. “Besides, neither one of us had expected this turn of events. You’ll meet him after the war is over.”

“Right.” A moment of silence passed between the two. “How did you find him? I thought you left him at Arald’s ward?”

“I did,” Halt replied. “But I’d still been keeping an eye out for him. I saw potential, so I took the chance.”

“And how did he react?”

At this, Halt could feel his lips twitching. “He seemed pretty scared. But I do suppose my dragging him to the Baron’s office didn’t make much of a first impression.”

“Excuse me?”

He shrugged. “I gave him a little test beforehand.” Crowley stared at him. “Arald agreed to it. I wanted to know just how far he would go to find out what note I had given him.”

“And I take it he passed?”

He nodded, keeping a straight face. “Oh, I daresay so. He made it past all the guards without notice. Ended up climbing the tower to reach the window.”

“Climbing the—?” Crowley groaned. “Why do I have the feeling that he’s going to be just as bad as you?”

Halt snorted. “And yet I can still shoot better than you on a running horse.”

“You don’t see me going around and committing fraud.”

“It’s not fraud.”

“Forgery?”

“Special documentation.”

“Tampering with the mail?”

“It always ended up where it was meant to.”

Crowley stood and shook his head. “Halt, what am I going to do with you?” He stopped for a moment, and his expression turned solemn.

Halt rose, too, walking over to lay one hand on his friend’s shoulder. “There’ll be plenty of me left once we’re done with this. Then you can send me on more harebrained missions.”

“Hackham Heath was one thing. Three men faced one Kalkara, and only one returned alive. Barely.”

“Three knights.”

“And you’ve just gotten yourself another apprentice.”

“Like I said. Once this is all over, you can meet him.” Halt met Crowley’s eyes. “Nothing is going to happen to me. Or Gilan. Or Will.”

Especially not Will, he added silently.

[concernedbrownbread]

For the character ask game, 1, 11, and 23 for Jaswant? 👀

Thanks for the ask!!! I'll be honest I went back to reread the manga again cause I suddenly missed it :(

1.First impression of them: I'll be honest, I didn't think much of him at first cause I thought he'd just be another way to show Arslan's merciful character. I was kinda super duper into Rajendra the entire arc cause he's such a lil shit I love him. I think I started REALLY loving in the Gilan Arc. First impressions wise, I really liked his relationship with Mahendra.

11. What’s the first thing you think about when thinking about the character? THIS SCENE:

ID: a panel from the Arslan Senki manga of Jaswant. He is smiling and saying "What a relief! That means she wasn't living under weight of all that tragedy after all!"ID: a panel from the Arslan Senki manga of Jaswant. He is smiling and saying "What a relief! That means she wasn't living under weight of all that tragedy after all!" END ID

Like, I also love every moment where he's mad at morally questionable people (him and Gieve argue so much in my head), but this scene just exemplifies his character so well. He's a very straight-laced person and I feel like we rarely see him smile, but he gets joy by bringing it to others??!! He's such a selflessly kind-hearted person. Look at him!!! Such a cutie!!

(Also, whenever I think of him I think of Salima because I freaking LOVE her and want more of her.)

23. Future headcanon: okay so I haven't read the novel so I don't know what becomes of him. I like the idea that after Arslan becomes king, he stays as his retainer but returns to Shindura often to visit his home and his sister. I like to imagine that his existance is why Pars and Shindura have such a great alliance well after the treaty's time limit is over. Like, Jaswant would be sad if he had to choose between his country and his friends -> Salima adores Jaswant and doesn't want him to be sad -> Rajendra respects the hell out of Salima (read: he's scared shitless) -> peace! I know that's now how it works but I CAN DREAM!

Thank you again for the ask! Have a wonderful day <33

[the-invested-ranger]

Ranger Gathering 2023

Day 2: Mystery

This Prompt Fic uses an OC I made a long time ago, before I knew about Royal Ranger. If you don’t like reading OC content then this ain’t for you.

The OC in question is named Leanna Harris, Lea for short. Yes she is a female ranger, I made her when I was a teenager and before I discovered DnD to sate my representation needs. If you want a description of Lea or any additional information about her it will be below the cut after the prompt.

“I cannot believe that Gilan dropped this on me.” Lea sat down across from Will, a sheaf of empty paper in her hands. 

“Can you really not?” Will laid out a folder between them. “This seems exactly like something he would do.”

“He knows how bad I am at coming up with scenarios.” Lea picked up the folder and Will smiled at her. Gilan had been tasked with creating a variety of scenarios for the first year apprentices to work through. Combat, tactical, puzzle solving and the bane of her existence, a mission with a lot of unknown factors that the apprentices need to unravel to solve a mystery. Gilan, himself, had had a few months' notice to create these activities for the first years. His excuse was that he had gotten wrapped up with his own case, and had forgotten. So he had done the most reasonable thing and tasked his former apprentice with it while he was overseeing some of the fifth year's final evaluations. 

“Well,” Will picked up a pencil and grabbed one of the sheets of paper Lea has set down, “Then it’s a good thing I don’t have any more evaluations to do today.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you.“ Lea sighed with relief, grabbing her own pencil. “I can never come up with anything challenging enough.” Will was tapping his pencil on his leg as looked over some of the papers he had spread out between them.

“At least he didn’t leave us with nothing. He started with a few of these.” He reached down and picked up one of the papers. “This seems like a good one to start working off of.”

“Please tell me it’s not a mystery prompt.” Lea closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

“It’s a mystery prompt,” Will confirmed, making her groan. “Oh it’s not that bad. He wrote down the solution, so all we need to do is work out how to get there.” Lea leaned forward and Will held the paper between them so she could read it.

“The only mystery I want to work out is how I ended up in this situation.” Lea read the paper out load, “The tavern keeper was harboring the smugglers, despite imploring the Ranger’s to help catch them.”  She drew her lips to a line. “So the issue is initially apprehending the smugglers, and if they can manage that, see if they can pick on the fact that the tavern keeper was in on it.”

“Dropping hints should be easy enough.” Will was already scrawling on his paper, “Some bad tips from the tavern keeper, an obvious red herring, what we really need to figure out is what the tavern keeper is benefiting from harboring them.”

“Well that’s easy,” Lea had pulled a palm sized stone from her pocket. She turned the polished blue river rock over in her hand as she spoke, “The goods they're smuggling in make him a profit. But why would he be the one asking for help catching them?” Will thought about that for a moment.

“Maybe they shorted him on what he was owed?” Will had stopped writing, and was tapping his pencil against his chin.

“Then why not give them up outright? Why lead them in circles?”

“To keep the blame off of himself.” Will pointed the pencil at her, “If he gave the smugglers up outright it would raise the questions of how he knew what he knew.” Lea nodded, putting the pieces together in her head.

“And not having the most reliable information explains why he would need help catching these smugglers. It gives the impression that the tavern keeper is just misinformed, not intentionally concealing information to keep himself unaccountable.” Lea pointed to punctuate the statement and Will started writing again. “That could work! It’s not too subversive of a narrative, but it’s just challenging enough to make sure they retain all the information they're given.”

“Just enough context clues to keep them wondering what they aren’t seeing.” Will agreed, “Definitely a good challenge for these first years. Plenty of benchmarks to assess their problem solving skills.”

“I definitely owe you one.” Lea took the finished worksheet from Will and looked it over. Will waved her comment aside.

“I love making these things. It feels like our own little assessment.” He commented and Lea laughed a bit.

“I guess it kind of does,” She noted, placing the paper aside, “I never really thought about it like that. I usually consider grading the assessments that way. Like a test of its own.” 

“Though I think a true test of our skill is unraveling the mystery of what exactly Gilan was so busy with, that he couldn’t do this.” Will nodded, and grabbed another prompt sheet.

“If we can figure that out, we would be eligible for our gold oak leaves.”

Leanna Harris

Average height by Ranger standards/ Brown hair usually tied up in a bun or some kind of tail/ Blue eyes

Leanna is around the same age as Will and Horace. Originally from Meric Fief, her first mentor died of a sudden illness in the first year of her apprenticeship. Having no mentor, she was bounced between Gilan and Halt. She and Will got along well and were a good team so usually she would stay in Redmont with Will and Halt. Though when Gilan went on missions, she went with him to get experience. She was on just such a mission with Gilan when Will was kidnapped by Scandians and went with Halt and Horace to rescue him. When she graduated and became a full Ranger she was stationed in her home Fief, Meric.

During her apprenticeship she became especially close with a fellow apprentice, Ansalon Prier. He was apprenticed to his father, a ranger of one of the southern fiefs. Will and Gilan have an active betting pool over who will confess first (Crowley and Halt do as well, but it's a secret). Lea insists that a relationship with another Ranger is unprofessional and Ansalon denies any feelings all together.

Lea has all the skills any typical Ranger has. She trained with Will to perfect a jongleur persona and is a wonderful dancer. She also has a knack for estimating times and has a better than average internal clock.

[that-one-enby-ranger]

Halt's Playlist Part 2

I'm Something Else by SomethingElseyt - I honestly don't know why this song reminds me of Halt. It just kind of does.

Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver - This reminds me him and his family back in Hibernia, just because of the feel of the song. I hope I'm not the only one with this.

Arlandria by Foo Fighters - This song reminds me of both Halt and Morgarath. I don't really know why. But there is a line in the song that goes: 'YoU aNd WhAt ArMy!' That reminds me of when Morgarath was taunting Halt and pissing him off in The Burning Bridge

The Pretender by Foo Fighters - I guess this is just another song that I just have that feel that it relates to Halt. Also think modern day him would kind of like it.

It's My Life by Bon Jovi - Yes. Yes! YES! This is a very good song for him. Basically any song that is talking about being strong, and courage, and standing up for yourself and all that shit. And getting revenge. All those things remind me of him.

Too Much Love Will Kill You by Queen - Alright so, I feel like Halt's been through a lot of shit. And a lot of it happened when he was still pretty young. I mean, he had to go through his parents fighting, him fighting with ferris, him probably fighting with his parents, Ferris trying to kill him, leaving Hibernia and his family including Caitlyn, and then loosing Pritchard. And he was only around twenty and younger when all that happened. Then he probably had to go through a lot more. This is probably why he would push people away. My head canon is he is scared to get too close to be people because he doesn't want to loose them again. Hence, "Too Much Love Will Kill You.' (Geez I ended up rambling on about that one. I just love that fucking song. And Queen. There will be more Queen songs.)

Livin' On The Edge by Aerosmith - Again, this is one of those badass songs. And he is badass. Living on the edge, as in, he is constantly getting himself into trouble and danger. He is living on the edge. The edge of the entire kingdoms patience. Also side note: I feel like Horace would like Aerosmith.

God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You by KISS I head canon that since Halt likes rock music in modern AU, and he would've grown up in a rich, high class family, obviously, so he probably would of learned to play some instruments, like gutair. It's stupid I know.

Stay Gold by Stevie Wonder - This is because of another one of my modern day AU headcanons. Halt likes reading, and one of his favorite books is The Outsiders by SE Hinton (this definietly isn't just because thats one of my favorite novels.) Him and Crowley bot like it and would talk to each other all the time about the book and movie and characters at the gatherings, leaving Will and Gilan out of the conversation. Crowley even starts calling Halt after one of the characters that he reminds him of. Dallas Tucker Winston. Stay Gold is the song made for the movie soundtrack.

Getting Surreal by The Fratellis - This has the same reason for Dogtown which is also by The Fratellis, and that is just the sound and vibe of the song. I don't know, I just feel like he'd like it.

So a lot of these don't have that good of an explanation, and that might of been because I was watching Edward Scissorhands while writing most of this, so I wasn't focusing properly and it took a long time. The other reason why they don't have good explanations is simply because I don't have an explanation other than the fucking sound.

Hopefully some people agree with me on at least some of these songs. If you don't know them, and want to see what I mean when I say they remind me of Halt in some way or another, I'd reccomend litsening. Especially The Fratellis. They're a good band and they don't have enough love. They are very underated and under appreciated. Just keep in mind that basically all of these songs are rock songs.

If you do end up litsening to them, and you do end up liking them, can you let me know somehow? I just like knowing that people lke the same songs as I do.

Anyways, that's part two, next week I'll post part three.

[areomante]

Thinking about Selethen...

Also how old is he suposed to be cause this what i imagine him looking like

(In the books he has a beard but fuck that)

[rangertessadarling]

Reasons why I personally don't like Will's beard:

He's still 15 in my mind, and 15-year-olds don't have beards

He's everyone's little brother, and those don't have beards either

Who did they use on all those undercover missions after Will forcefully murdered his "innocent baby-face"? Liam?? too bad, he's dead anyway (justice for Liam, honestly, he deserved more screen time 😭)

I can handle Will having a few grey hairs on his head (because the man's in his 40's, and he probably feels like he's 72) but him having "fully grey" hair and a "fully grey" beard is just too much. I can't tolerate that

I. Miss. The. Innocent. Will. Era. He was the main character, and his whole demeanor showcased that. Like there was no mistaking what his role was in the series. Ok, now I UNDERSTAND that TRR is a new series and Maddie is the new main character, but that doesn't mean I can't miss the old days. The old days when Will didn't have a beard

He was so precious. So innocent you just wanted to wrap him in a hug and give him a therapy plant. Bearded-Will doesn't deserve a therapy plant. He can cry in his beard.

I simply like the RA books better than TRR books, and I'm blaming that on his beard.

it makes him seem older than he is. like I said before, he's in his 40s; he's not that old. but every time Flanagan uses the phrase "the grey-bearded ranger," I second guess myself on whether it's Halt or Will now

I understand that Flanagan was trying to get Will to mirror Halt in the first book, and I love that prompt, but personally, no. I disagree. Will and Halt's personalities are VERY different. Halt was always the grumpy old man, and Will was always the one to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And yes, grief can do weird shit to your brain, but it wouldn't alter his whole personality like that ... and once again, I'm blaming the beard.

Will wrote "greybeard Halt" He wouldn't ever risk himself being subjected to something similar

I'm pretty sure he only grew it because he was too tired to shave, which, you know, is understandable. However, that means he didn't have a beard during his marriage, which most likely means Alyss didn't want him to grow one in the first place. Sooo therefore, the beard is disrespectful to his dead wife 💅

Horace doesn't have a beard. Gilan doesn't have a beard. Why doesn't Will stick with the memo?

I remember Will being described once as having dimples?? Like sir, why would you cover such a rare blessing?

And finally, no one likes it. Like, bro, just shave. It's what the people want.

[redrose-arrow]

Hi I know that this may be stupid but can you write some headcanons about Halt and Pauline ? I really don’t see much about them and I think they’re really cute. I know that you’re probably really busy right now but if you find some time maybe you could do something like that?

dear dear anon-

please don't apologise for requesting Halt and Pauline headcanons. they're amazing and underrated and thinking they're cute is not stupid.

non-verbal communication??? they have invented it

Pauline always >>makes<< Halt speak in entire sentences when the two of them are together. unless she can tell he's upset - then she doesn't comment on his grammatically incorrect and very short sentences.

after Duncan's coronation, he couldn't afford visiting Araluen's allies, it being a post-war time and all that. so Pauline toured in his stead. upon arrival in Clonmel, during the welcoming dinner, she heard the story of the Crown-Prince dying a little under two years ago. she immediately knew.

Halt told Pauline roughly five years after being stationed in Redmont. Caitlyn's death was the reason why.

Halt actually proposed to Pauline shortly after Gilan graduated, but Pauline could tell that he wasn't ready yet. she said no, and honestly, Halt was thankful. he wasn't ready yet, but thought it had been what she wanted.

Halt actually had Will take one or two lessons with Pauline, because although he'll never admit it, he knows he's not the best teacher for anything related to diplomacy.

when Will was growing up, Halt and Pauline would occassionally spend their coffee breaks watching the wards play.

they're not particularly affectionate in public. nor when they're with friends, to be honest.

from the start, Arald took a habit in sending the two of them away for particularly complex matters. Halt's practicality and directness, together with Pauline's wit and diplomatic knives, was a great combination to get painful matters sorted out. and if it just so happened to bring the two of them closer together, well, then that would just be an added bonus, would it not?

early in their (platonic) relationship, before Halt had learned to communicate properly and before Pauline had gotten to know Halt's way of communications, they would occassionally get in pretty big fights.

they resolve their fights mostly by having dinner quietly, and letting conversation slowly spark up again, then talk about what went wrong.

despite his complaints before the wedding, during the wedding Halt realised how many people were there that did care about him. suddenly, a big group of people didn't seem so bad anymore.

Pauline offered to go with the Special Task Force to Clonmel. she didn't think Halt would agree to it (he didn't), but she just wanted to let him know she knew how difficult it was for him (Halt knew).

Pauline, like Will, knows about the clippers, but, like Will, doesn't burst the bubble of lies.

they have dinner once every two weeks at Jenny's restaurant, sometimes with Will and Alyss.

wherever his job takes him, Halt will always return with a notebook for Pauline. he took up the habit after she debriefed him from a mission early on after the first war against Morgarath and mentioned how she somehow never had enough paper for her notes.

whenever he has a meeting with Halt and Pauline, Arald always feels a little left out. he just doesn't quite know what they're communicating about (because he knows how well they can communicate non-verbally).

no one knows (and no one shall know, if it's up to Halt), but Halt has done Pauline's hair for formal occassions once or twice.

[innerchorus]

Arslan Senki Chapter 106

(Oops, still intending to do a little review of 105 at some point, but for now here’s a few thoughts on the new chapter!)

Kishward, the most stressed man in Peshawar.

I do feel a bit sorry for him, but this panel is so amusing to me (especially after noticing Kubard, Isfan and Tus overlooking this scene). Kubard gets away with doing so little, it’s funny. Or perhaps it’s quite astute of Andragoras to leave him be for now, with the knowledge that when it comes time to do battle, he’ll prove his worth as a Marzban.

Hm, Arakawa really looked at that scene where Tahamenay materalises out of nowhere and said ‘nope, that just doesn’t make sense’ and chose to integrate a way for her to have been informed that Kishward had found Vahriz’s secret letter to Bahman. 👍 

Love the little detail of Bahman’s family seal holding the letter closed

And also how conflicted Kishward is about what to do with it! Honestly, it’s probably better for him that he didn’t read it...

I can see why this chapter is called ‘The Curse of the Royal Line.’ We get some more of Andragoras vagueing about the dark history of the Parsian royal family, and Kishward ruminating about whether the royal line is cursed, and if so, whether Arslan might be immune to the curse since he lacks royal blood. That’s... something. Especially because we then get a tantalising scene featuring someone sweeping up the charred remnants of the letter and finding a readable fragment that says ‘Hilmes’... So Vahriz had something to tell Bahman about Hilmes, too.

...okay, exactly WHAT did Vahriz write about Hilmes in his letter? I don’t think Bahman knew that Hilmes was alive until he was confronted by him, because he seemed so shocked in that moment. If Vahriz wasn’t writing to inform him that Hilmes was alive, he must have told Bahman the same thing that Andragoras told Sam in Chapter 56...

As for HOW Vahriz came to know about Arslan’s parentage and that secret about Hilmes, I have a theory — Andragoras told him. I don’t think there’s much chance for Vahriz to have found out any other way, when so few living people are aware of the truth. In this case, neither Vahriz nor Bahman would have known that Hilmes survived the fire, since Andragoras didn’t know either. This is also how Andragoras knows about the contents of the letter even without reading it — he was the source of the information, and it wouldn’t take much to guess that Vahriz had decided to share the burden of this knowledge with an old friend.

(Really curious about WHY Andragoras loves to drop these cryptic hints or shocking reveals about the royal family. Okay, the answer is almost certainly ‘for plot reasons’ but I do find it interesting that he wants to make it known that there’s some sort of dark history of treachery and bloodshed going back a long way... but it doesn’t feel like he’s trying to lay the blame fully on Gotarzes, either. I don’t necessarily think Andragoras feels any guilt or remorse for any of his own actions, but he also never tries to portray himself as innocent or separate from these events — because he doesn’t see himself that way. He’s a part of that dark history, and he knows it and accepts it.)

Most of the rest of the chapter is The Frustrated Struggles of Guiscard, who gives so few shits about what Hilmes was up to in the mountains that he cuts poor old Olaberria off when he’s trying to tell him what happened. Olaberria lacks the cultural context to know why that tomb robbing incident was of such significance, and Guiscard literally just wants Hilmes dead now, lol.

The little glimpse of Bodin was unexpected. I don’t know what’s going on here (I thought Bodin just stayed in Maryam in the novels?) but it’s totally in character for him to mistake snaky whispers for the voice of Yaldabaoth. So I’m curious to see how that plays out.

Anyway I’m pretty excited that Arslan’s army is finally departing from Gilan!

[rangerelizabeth]

A compilation of my personal favorite father/son Halt and Will moments:

I feel like the shining characteristic of the Ranger’s Apprentice series is the found family dynamic. That’s definitely what made me love it right from the start, specifically Will and Halt’s dynamics. So here’s a fun little compilation. Feel free to add on with any I might’ve forgotten!

I made this mostly from memory without the books in front of me, so I apologize if there are inaccuracies.

Contains spoilers for books 1-12!

Book 1: Halt hugs Will after the boar hunt. I mean Halt barely knows this kid at this point and literally just stopped calling him “boy” yet he immediately jumps down from his horse to comfort him when he almost dies?? I feel like this is the first sign we see of Halt softening.

Book 1: I personally love the ending bit of this book and how it’s so simple yet so adorable. The whole book Will is complaining that Halt never smiles and then finally when Will decides to continue his apprenticeship, Halt smiles. Gahhh.

Book 2: At the very beginning, Halt comforts Will after missing his shots. He immediately puts his arm around him, reassures him, and then knows exactly how to distract him to make him feel better.

Book 2: Halt’s promise to find Will. He literally says wherever they take you, whatever I have to do to find you, I’ll do it. So don’t give up. And goddamn, does he ever do that (see next paragraph).

Book 3: Halt gets banished and loses his Oakleaf so he can go find Will. Need I say more? No, but I’m going to anyways. Being a ranger was everything to Halt, and the fact that he would give that up to find Will shows just how much he cares for him.

Book 3: Halt cries over losing Will when listening to sad music being played in a tavern. “Will was worth at least a few tears from a grizzled old wreck like himself, he thought, and made no move to wipe them away.” Like okay, just break my heart a little more why don’t you?

Book 4: Their reunion. Honestly, I’d expected this scene to be a little more in depth as far as an emotional reunion and catching up with one another, but it still had those elements and was very cute. I love that Will just runs at Halt and later, sitting around the fire with Horace, Halt, and Cassandra, thinks about how he finally feels safe again.

Book 5: Halt is very obviously worried about Alyss and Will in Macindaw after they lose contact through messenger pigeons. Horace (I think?) realizes that Halt’s more worried than usual about the mission because it’s his son Will who is in danger.

Book 6: When Halt intentionally says “Good night, son” to Will. My heart MELTED the first time I read this. The fact that Halt knew calling Will that would cheer him up at least a little bit really gets me.

Book 7: WILL IS HALT’S BEST MAN AT HIS WEDDING.

Book 7: This isn’t primarily an interaction between Will and Halt, but I love the scene where Will tells Gilan that he’s scared to be on his own without Halt after graduation. And then they go back to the group and Halt knows exactly what they’ve been talking about.

Book 7: After Will loses Tug, Will cries into Halt’s shoulder. Later, Halt doesn’t want to let Will go on his own to find Tug because he wants to protect him as long as he can. I personally loved the exchange between Gilan and Halt that was something like:

“Would you trust him with your life?”

“Of course I would.”

“Then trust him with his own.”

Halt’s like damn, of course I’d trust him with my life but also I just want to protect my son while I still can.

Book 7: Literally everyone has been captured and yet Halt’s like “Well, I know Will’s still out there somewhere so we’re good.” He had so much faith that Will would save them (and of course, he did.)

Book 8: I can’t think of specific moments in this book at the moment, but anytime that Will still sought Halt’s approval or that Halt still referred to Will as his apprentice really warmed my heart. I also loved when Horace and Will would team up to pull Halt’s leg all the time.

Book 9: Halt thinking about who he would rather have to watch his back on a mission instead of Will. The answer is no one.

Book 9: I mean... Will goes full son mode when Halt gets hurt. This is the first time we see Will somewhat hysterical because he’s so scared to lose Halt. I think at this point, Will would’ve done literally anything he needed to save Halt.

Book 9: Again, not primarily a Will and Halt interaction, but Will talking to Lady Pauline about how he almost broke his promise to her and let Halt die, and she’s like “You did great. And by the way, you’re my son now too.”

Book 10: Hmm, I can’t think of anything specific from this one. Although, the constant roasting of one another between Will and Halt is pretty entertaining.

Book 11: Halt tells Will about the actual events his parents’ deaths, and Will is basically like, “Okay, but I got you as a dad now so obviously I’m not mad?”

Book 11: Halt getting emotional at Will’s wedding and saying “and about time too!” This has huge Dad energy.

Book 12: I’m gonna pretend this one doesn’t exist... my least favorite Will and Halt interaction is when Halt gets angry with Will for not prioritizing the Ranger Corps after Alyss death. This scene really hurts my heart every time I read it. I can’t remember if there are other good ones from this book.

[swordanddreamcatcher]

This is literally just me saying how I feel via Edvin, this week has been awful time 3000. I suggest listening to Evermore by Taylor Swift, it kinda fits.

Featuring quotes I like.

This is... pretty much just angst. Might do a part two from Nessa pov, or Lotte, or Rollond, or a Heron.

EXTANT

"Tonight I am sad

Tonight I am lonely

The demons are screaming

And I need you to hold me."

Edvin's been...

Well, he's been.

The word extant is an adjective, meaning "still in existence, surving". He is extant - from the Herons, from his friends, from his family-

He looks at Jesper and Stefan laughing across the campfire and thinks that he is not just extant from them, but from himself, too.

(Maybe someday someone will hunt down his words and just-

breathe. Really breathe.)

(A lot of them are missing. Floating, scattered, all around what and where is his.)

Born to fight; ready to die-

but sometimes it feels like maybe he never will and he wants to rage and cry and laugh but even though he shows emotion naturally he's just... not. He's numb and empty and he wants to hate it but he can't feel the hate and he can barely feel the want.

(Where does that leave him?)

Sometimes he thinks a part of him aches fiercely for that piece of him that is missing, for the piece that is lost forever, and the piece of him that his cousin Nessa holds, the cousin he writes to and the one he is not extant from.

Who saves the hero? He whispers into the night, his breath ghosting over her from where she stands. Who is there to save the girl-

after she saves the world?

(There was no way to save either if them when they each return to Skanadia. He wonders if she hates the darkness in his eyes as much as he hates it in hers.)

Why should either of us have to apologise for who we became? She writes in her letters to him. Nobody's ever apologised for making us this way. They took and took from us until we no longer existed. That's murder.

Let the punishment fit the crime.

She drags him along to her family, her new family (and she'd rolled her eyes when he'd protested that he wouldn't fit and answered that none if them did and look at them now) and he thought that maybe Lotte soothed that jagged crack inside him. That maybe- maybe it could turn out good.

They leave for Hibernia and he's a little more sure and a lot more lost.

And perhaps one day the mornings without them will not feel like ashes in his mouth-

and he wonders I'd he would feel the same without the Herons and spends three days with Rollond and the Wolves to forget.

(He tries to ignore hiw much he smiled.)

But Lotte and the crew and his cousin return but they are missing one and this is the first time he sees his last family member he trusts cry.

I think hell is empty, she tells him through the tears, and all the devils are her. We aren't- we aren't born this way but our wings are clipped and everyone is so surprised when we don't know how to fly.

He leaves for Araluen.

He is extant there, too.

(Gilan draws him aside;

The world should have protected you, but you have been asked to protect. What an honour-

what an injustice.

He wonders how he notices and the Herons don't.

He decides that Gilan would like Nessa.)

If he loves, is that a fact or a weapon?

Wolfbird is not docked when they return. It enters port weeks later and he thinks if the last time he saw her

(Sobbing,

Silent,

Streaks of moonlight with sea salt in her hair,

Is she drowing? Do you care? Do you even notice she's there?)

Something happened in the Middle Kingdom. They leave too soon but the Heron follows and he is going home. The Herons may be his people but he is extant. Wolfbird is home; the Foxes are family; the sky is blue.

There is a girl named Scar Altore and she reads to them a passage-

You carry the heavens in your eyes

Like one of those old tragedies

And I'd call you Atlas

But he wasn't given a choice

To hold the stars

You were-

And whispers the last bit to them.

Yet you still break your back by holding the sky in your palms. Even though you learn to stand alone, brave and strong and stout, and learn to live in the dark, and even love the doubt.

Lotte places her hand above his heart, and he is breathing but he cannot feel it, echoing something he recognised. And then kisses him on the cheek and leaves to sleep.

(In sisters,

we seek strength;

In brothers,

we breed bravery;

In family,

we find faith;

In each other-

we endure everything.)

It is the battle and he runs for her, and then his cousin loses an organ and leaves-

but if there is one thing he understands, it is loss, it is being empty, it is being unable to stand even your own thoughts.

Besides, she promises to return, and she has yet to break a promise to him.

He trusts her.

There are thousands of things he can tell you about each Heron but he wonders, as he patches up his crew, if they can say the same about him. Wonders, if they even smile when they see him- just because he is him, and they are glad.

The hollowness inside reflects his doubt.

Nessa went to Gallica and now she is back and she lights up when she sees him and Edvin-

Edvin wants to cry.

(Loved. He is loved.)

He met Lotte's- sibling? He doesn't know the whole story but there are smiles through the tears and that is enough. He is happy. As happy as an empty person can be, that is.

They went, Cobalt murmurs, from people I knew to people I didn't. And what hurts the most is when people go from people you know to people you don't.

By now his leater bound notebook is tearing at the seams and maybe-

Maybe he is extant.

(But he is not alone. Is not forgotten.)

There is an emptiness, a numbness, a hollowness- (he knows he is useful but it is not enough)

-inside he and he doesn't know what to do. But there are many dead, injured, missing limbs or organs pr memories. It could be so much worse

That doesn't make it okay, doesn't magically make things better.

He is in control even if there is nothing to control.

(Because he is required to forgive no one.)

But he knows his cousineill never abandon him, because she never has before. He knows his crew will never betray him, not matter how far he drifts from them. He knows Lotte will smile when she sees him, because she always has before.

(Between hello

And goodbye

There was love.

So much love.)

There are tears in his eyes as they ready the ship because this could be the last time-

We have said hello before, the sky and the sea and the air and the stars and the earth reminds him, so it stands to reason we will say hello again, too.

Edvin is-

not okay. Not really. Ane he wants to say he doesn't need to be but-

(if you've ever said you missed me don't say you've never lied)

-he's always been a bad liar.

Even to those he's extant from.

(Because nobody notices.)

He watches them go, and promises the day that even if it is when they are dead, he will see them again.

He finds no reason to break that promise.