#i doubt i'll come back to this but i'll make another variation of it

[kaisollisto]

leaving this unfinished otherwise she'll never see the light of day.

[talaok]

Begging

Pairing: Javier Peña x sex worker!reader

summary: Javier is desperate to see you, and he's not above begging

Warnings: Smut | oral sex (f receiving), unprotected p in v sex, creampie, lots of fluffy smut even though it wasn't the initial idea, and Javi being a simp

You were already late, the last thing you needed was for the phone to ring.

"Hello?" annoyance was tracing your tone ever so clearly.

"Hi sweetheart"

You stopped what you were doing, the shoe in your hand momentarily forgotten.

"Javi I'm busy" you immediately blew him off.

"mh, how busy?" the sweet sound of him taking a drag from his cigarette traveling through the phone.

"Very busy" you cleared "I'm late to meet a client"

Silence on the other end.

Lately, you kept having a feeling he didn't like when you talked about your other clients.

"don't you usually arrive late on purpose?"

"I do, but just of five minutes, not half an hour"

"I'm sure he'll wait, doll," he said "I can't think of a man who wouldn't"

You rolled your eyes "I don't have time for this Javier, why did you call?"

"you know why baby" his voice was warm and sultry "I've had a long day"

The implications behind his words were clear as day for someone who'd heard every variation of - I need you- falling from his lips.

"It's 3 pm" you reminded him, glancing at your watch

"It is, and I've been thinking of that sweet mouth of yours since 6 a.m," he said, his voice lowering as he skimmed around the office to make sure no one heard.

"well you did nine, you can survive for another two"

" 'm not sure I can sweetheart" he breathed "I need to see you"

"now?" 

"now."

"I can't now Javi, I've got a client"

"blow him off"

"you know I can't do that"

"why not?"

"I have a reputation to maintain, and this one pays well"

"I can pay too" he suggested, his desperation cracking through "I can double the amount"

You laughed softly "I doubt you could afford that"

He winced "That much?"

"yes, that much"

He paused for a moment "Y'know we've got cash laying around here, I doubt anyone would notice a few stacks disappearing"

You feigned a gasp "Agent Peña, that's a very serious offense you're joking about, I doubt your boss would be happy to hear you talk like that"

"I doubt Messina would be happy to hear me talk about anything today" he sighed "And 'm not joking, sweetheart, I need you"

You could hear and feel the hunger in his voice

"I can't Javi" you spoke, ignoring the feeling in your chest 

"Please baby" he groaned " just five minutes"

You bit down a laugh "We both know what five minutes mean to you"

He almost smiled too now "You want me to beg sweetheart, is that it?" he asked " 'cause I'll do it"

you chuckled sweetly " I've heard you beg plenty of times before baby, it has gotten old" you joked

"Please princess" he prayed nonetheless "I promise I'll make it up to you," he said 

"I thought we'd already established you don't have the money"

"That's not what I meant" he murmured, his eyes trained on the agent walking past him, until he was sure he could speak again "I'll make you come as many times as that perfect body of yours can take"

A breath got caught in your throat 

"Javi..."

"I'll do anything baby, anything at all that you ask me I'll do it, just please let me see you," he sighed "I just need to feel you... and hear you, and have you all to myself for even just a second"

"I-"

"I miss you" he interrupted you "fuck I miss you so much" he clutched the phone in his hand " 'just need to see you, baby"

You let out a deep breath, begging your mind to switch up on what you knew it had already decided.

Your fingers slowly twisted around the phone's chord as you surrendered to your destiny, to your only weakness.

"this will never happen again, Javier, we clear?"

"yes 'mam"

"you have twenty minutes to get here or I'm calling my client back"

"I'm on my way baby"

__ __ __

The door hadn't even closed that his lips were on you.

His strong hands gripped your waist and felt all of what they could.

You struggled to not stumble backward, but his fingers gripping your hair so as not to leave any space between you, prevented you from it.

"A hi would have been nice" you smiled as he ducked to kiss your neck.

"hi sweetheart" he carelessly murmured against your skin, one of his hands finding your ass.

“god I missed you" he groaned, leaning away just an inch to properly look at you.

"you know, you could have called any of your other women..." you raised an eyebrow.

"what other women?" he said with a smugness only Javier F. Peña could ever get away with.

You couldn't help but laugh "What can I offer you, water, food, anything?"

" I'm not hungry for food sweetheart" his grip on you got tighter 

"Mh" you bit down a grin "and what exactly are you hungry for, agent?"

He chuckled, his nose gently brushing yours "How 'bout I show you?" he asked, giving your lips a quick peck and starting towards the couch, as it was the closest surface.

"na-ah" you stopped him "We're going to the bedroom this time, you can wait five more seconds" you scolded, ignoring his frustrated sigh and getting out of his hold to walk towards your room as he followed like a lost puppy.

"There," you said, closing the door after he entered "wasn't so hard now was it?"

He wasted no time getting all over you once more, his lips, his hands, every part of him was claiming you like a lost treasure.

"I have a surprise for you" you murmured, distracting him from his work on your neck.

"oh yeah, what's that?"

You didn't answer, just slowly, excruciatingly slowly, started slipping your black silk robe off.

Javi's mouth turned to sand the moment it fell at your feet.

You were wearing what he could only describe as every men's ticket to heaven, or hell perhaps.

It was a fire red lingerie set, with small panties and an almost see-through bra, but what really got Javier contemplating if perhaps god really existed, were the stockings adorning your legs, and especially that small bow on the hem of each of them.

"fuck" he breathed "You're too good to me" he murmured, hesitating to touch you, as if the moment he did, you would dissipate into thin air

"I know I am"

"Is this what you were wearing to see your client?" he asked, his hand finally finding your waist

You shook your head "No, I wore this just for you"

" you did?" he breathed, his eyes not knowing were on your body to focus.

"I know how you like red"

He let out a small laugh "I think it's just become my favorite color"

He was so overwhelmed with all the possible things he could and wanted to do to you at that moment that he found himself leaning in to just kiss you.

His tongue parted your lips and explored your whole mouth as his fingers traced the lace of your panties.

If this was heaven, then Javier was happy he died.

"Please get on the bed" he instructed with what resembled more of a beg.

You did as told, observing with amusement the lust in his pupils.

His eyes didn't leave you for even a second as he took his gun and badge out of his jeans and placed them on the nightstand and not even when he took, or better, threw his shirt off.

"you scared I might disappear?" you joked

"I'm scared I might wake up" he answered, finally stepping in front of you just to kneel before you.

His digits trailed the fabric on your leg until they reached the hem, and that's when his lips came to play.

he gently picked up your left leg and started leaving hot, desperate kisses starting from your ankle up until he reached your naked thigh.

By the time he'd done it to both your legs your body's temperature had risen a worrying amount.

His eyes found yours again and he could have come right there in his pants just by the sight of your reddened cheeks and caged lips.

"Open your legs for me, sweet girl"

You did as told without hesitation.

He slowly took your panties off, and let out an adoring sigh.

He grabbed both your legs and placed them on his shoulders, before bending down to kiss the inside of your thighs, sending goosebumps up your spine.

"god, the woman you are" he breathed, his eyes fixated on your core.

"Please Javi" you whimpered

And as always, the teasing was over the moment he heard that sweet voice of yours.

He dove in, taking your pussy into his mouth.

"oh god," you breathed, clutching his head to your body and falling back on the bed.

No high felt this good. If Javier had to choose a way to go, this would be it, his head between your thighs and you moaning beneath him.

His tongue spread your folds hungrily, tasting and licking up and down so that each inch of you had been worshipped, before starting to focus on your clit.

His tongue swirled around over your nub and your back arched off the bed, a high moan climbing up your throat.

"Fuck, baby" you cried, your eyes shut in bliss and your fingers gripping his locks.

The feeling of his mustache and the tip of his nose occasionally hitting your skin was only heightening your pleasure.

While one of his hands remained on your thigh, one traveled upwards until it could freely grope and feel your tits.

Your nipples were perked under the feeble fabric of your bra, and he groaned lowly as he gently toyed with one of them.

You could only let out a desperate moan.

His tongue kept lapping at you, focusing on your nub and occasionally exploring your heat or threatening your entrance until you were panting and squirming under him.

his hold on your leg tightened when he felt your stomach start to shake as your orgasm approached.

"Javi!" you could only cry, once his mouth finally sent you over the edge.

You gripped his hair for dear life as you breathed his name over and over.

He did not stop until you had fully come down your high, and even then, he hesitated before leaning away.

You locked eyes as you both caught your breath, a grin tugging at both your lips before he climbed on top of you and kissed you, your taste still lingering in his mouth.

His dick was fighting against his jeans for room to grow, and your hands roaming closer to where he needed you definitely didn't help.

he let out a low groan once you palmed the bulge in his pants, and you smiled softly.

"Fuck, sweetheart" he growled, kissing the skin beneath your ear 

"What?" you asked playfully

"I need to fuck you"

"need?" you raised an eyebrow, stifling a grin

"yeah, need" he nodded, unwillingly climbing off the bed to unfasten his belt and take off his jeans in record time.

In the meantime, you took off your bra, making the conscious decision of leaving your stockings on.

By the look of it, he was pleased with the idea.

His cock was hard and already leaking some precum, and even if you'd seen him desperate before, today he seemed even more.

You were gonna talk to him later, now you had a more pressing matter at hand.

"come here" you invited him, shuffling up the bed and spreading your legs.

He immediately obeyed, coming down on top of you to nestle between your thighs, and melting into your mouth.

He kissed you deep and through, like he dreamed of doing all day and all last night (even if he didn't tell you that), and you whimpered weakly into his mouth, as your arms came up behind his neck.

"God I missed you" he breathed

"you saw me the day before yesterday javi"

"yeah, and that's what?" he asked, leaving another quick kiss on your lips "More than 24 hours without kissing this perfect mouth of yours?" he said "I call that torture"

You chuckled lightly "Careful there, that's what addiction sounds like"

"Yeah, well maybe I am addicted"

You smiled again "now, I don't think your colleagues at the DEA would like the sound of that" you joked.

"then I'll quit," he said 

"You'll quit?" you teased

"Yeah" he kissed you "I'll quit and then we'll buy a farm in Texas and spend the rest of our lives like this"

You felt your heart speed up at that childish, unrealizable vision, and yet, you couldn't help but smile.

"I like the sound of that," you said, because it was the truth, because you did like all the impossible plans Javi'd made for your future over the course of all your meetings.

It started as a silly joke, but each time it grew to be something more, you could feel it in his tone, in the way he'd stroke your cheek as he told you about how many dogs you'd keep on the farm.

He was the one that started it, but after a while, you joined him. You contributed with your own hopes, your own dreams, and so, those hours spent together became much more than sex, you became much more than a prostitute and a DEA agent, you became dreamers, and for a few moments, that's all you stayed, as everything else disappeared.

"yeah? I do too, sweetheart" he breathed, kissing you once more before finally positioning himself at your entrance.

Your cries mixed with his groans as he slowly entered you.

One of his hands was on your cheek while the other one kept your legs on his waist so he could hit the angle he knew would make your eyes roll to the back of your head.

"fuck baby" he growled softly, starting his slow but oh-so-deep pace as you gripped his shoulders.

That's the thing about Javier, he was always sweet.. gentle. when you first met him you thought he was gonna be another overworked man looking for a way to relieve some stress, but he was everything but.

He cared, maybe a dangerous amount.

"oh my god" you moaned, wrapping your legs around his waist.

"I know baby, I know" he murmured, picking up his pace and sinking deeper inside of you.

He was mesmerized by your body underneath his, by your tits bouncing with his movements, by your lips between your teeth, by the way you shut your eyes once the feeling overwhelmed you.

He wanted to take a picture and keep it in his wallet, fuck, he wanted the sight to be tattooed inside his eyelids.

"god you're amazing" he whispered, dipping down to suck on your breasts as you moaned and whimpered.

"fuck, sweetheart" he breathed, coming back up to kiss your mouth.

Your moans filled the room, growing louder and louder until the creaks of the mattress couldn't be heard anymore.

"please" you begged in just a whisper "Please don't stop"

He pressed his forehead to yours, both of you near hyperventilating as he thrusted over and over again, lost in the feeling of you and everything you brought with you.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to baby" he groaned "You feel too good," he said.

"Oh my god!" you moaned, as pressure built in your belly and his cock stretched you so well "Right there Javi, right there" you whimpered "Please-" 

"come for me baby" he urges "Give me all you've got"

And just like that, you did, your back and neck arched from the bed as you let out what could only be described as an animalistic moan.

Javier forced himself not to blink so as not to miss a second of the artwork occurring beneath him.

He was so distracted by your beauty in fact, that he didn't remember to pull out, and it was only after you opened your eyes that he realized.

"oh shit" he whispered, worry taking over his face.

You smiled, still blissful "Don't worry" you reassured him, reaching your hand to stroke his cheek.

You moved some sweaty hair out of his face, and he did the same, a joyful smile finding its way on both your faces.

"You're incredible baby" he kissed you much more gently now

"you're not so bad yourself agent" you teased, giving him another quick peck before he halfheartedly pulled out and collapsed beside you.

His hand reached on the nightstand for his cigarettes, and he lighted one as his other arm wrapped around you to keep you close.

You rested your head on his chest as he took a drag before he offered it to you.

You accepted, inhaling and exhaling slowly before returning the cigarette.

You raised your head to look at him better 

"so what's going on?"

He hesitated before returning your look "Things are messed up right now" he answered vaguely

"aren't they always?"

"yeah" a cloud of smoke escaped his mouth again "but now ever more"

"mh" you hummed, contemplating "I'm sorry" you kissed his peck "I'm sure everything will be alright though, you're Javier Peña after all"

He chuckled drily at that " 'm not sure that's a good thing right now"

A small smirk tugged at your lips all of a sudden as a question came to you "If things are so messed up right now, you think it's a good idea to be here?"

"they can wait"

you snorted "Pablo Escobar can wait?"

"for you? " he said "The whole world can wait for you"

[adarkrainbow]

A Little Red Riding Hood variation: Little Golden Hood

I am currently reading "The Land of Lost Things", and something struck me - the name used for Little Red Riding Hood. Blanchette. A French name for sure, but a name composed of "white" (blanc) with the female diminutive "-ette". So, "small white one". Quite a strange name for a Little Red Riding Hood, but I just passed over it.

And even more recently, I saw people talk on Tumblr of an alternate Little Red Riding Hood story titled "Little Golden Hood". And what a surprise when I hear that... It is supposedly a French folktale!

Here is a rough English translation of the original French text, shared around the Internet:

There was a little girl that was called Little Golden-hood. She was pretty and nice as a star in its season. Her real name was Blanchette, but since she used to have on a wonderful little cloak with a hood that was gold-and-fire-coloured, she was called Little Golden-hood. Her Grandmother had given it to her. She was so old that she did not know her age.

One day the mother said to the child: "Let us see, my little Golden-hood, if you know now how to find your way to Grandmother's house by yourself. You shall take this good piece of cake to her for a Sunday treat tomorrow. Remember to ask her how she is, and come back at once, without stopping to chatter on the way with people you don't know. Do you quite understand?"

"I quite understand," replied Blanchette merrily. And off she went with the cake, pleased with her errand.

But Grandmother lived in another village, and there was a wood to cross before getting there. At a turn of the road under the trees, suddenly she heard an animal among the bushes.

"Who goes there?"

"Friend Wolf."

He had been prying on her since she left home that day, seeking a safe place to attack and eat her. But then some wood-cutters appeared near-by. So instead of falling on Blanchette he came frisking up to her like a good dog.

"It is you, nice Little Golden-hood," said he. So the little girl stopped to talk with the wolf, even though she did not know him in the least.

"You know me, then!" said she; "what is your name?"

"My name is friend Wolf. And where are you going, pretty one, with your little basket on your arm?"

"I am going to my Grandmother, to take her a good piece of cake for her Sunday treat tomorrow."

"And where does she live, your Grandmother?"

"She lives at the other side of the wood, in the first house in the village, near the windmill, you know."

"Ah! yes! I know now," said the Wolf. "Well, that's just where I'm going; I shall get there before you, no doubt, with your little bits of legs, and I'll tell her you're coming to see her; then she'll wait for you."

The Wolf cut across the wood, and in five minutes arrived at the Grandmother's house.

He knocked at the door: toc, toc.

No answer.

He knocked louder.

Nobody.

Then he stood up on end, put his two forepaws on the latch and the door opened. There was not a soul in the house, for the old woman had risen early to sell herbs in the town, and she had gone off in such haste that she had left her bed unmade, with her great nightcap on the pillow.

"Good!" said the wolf to himself, "I know what I'll do."

He shut the door, pulled on the Grandmother's nightcap down to his eyes, then he laid down in his full length in the bed after drawing the curtains.

In the meantime, Blanchette went quietly on her way, as little girls do, amusing herself here and there by picking Easter daisies, watching the little birds making their nests, and running after the butterflies which fluttered in the sunshine.

At last she arrived at the door. Knock, knock.

"Who is there?" said the wolf, softening his rough voice as best he could.

"It's me, Granny, your little Golden-hood. I'm bringing you a big piece of cake for your Sunday treat tomorrow."

"Press your finger on the latch, then push and the door opens."

"Why, you've got a cold, Granny," said she, coming in.

"Ahem! A little, a little . . ." replied the wolf, pretending to cough. "Shut the door well, my little lamb. Put your basket on the table, and then take off your frock and come and lie down by me and rest a little."

The good child undressed, but kept her little hood on her head. When she saw what a figure her Granny cut in bed, she was much surprised.

"Oh!" cried she, "how like you are to friend Wolf, Grandmother!"

"That's because of my night-cap, child," replies the wolf.

"Oh! What hairy arms you have got, Grandmother!"

"All the better to hug you, my child."

"Oh! What a big tongue you have got, Grandmother!"

"All the better for answering, child."

"Oh! What a mouthful of great white teeth you have, Grandmother!"

"That's for crunching little children with! "And the wolf opened his jaws wide to swallow Blanchette.

But she put down her head crying, "Mamma! Mamma!" and the wolf only caught her little hood.

The wolf drew back, crying and shaking his jaw as if he had swallowed red-hot coals. The little fire-coloured hood that had burnt his tongue right down his throat. The little hood, you see, was one of those magic caps that they used to have in former times, in stories.

So there was the wolf with his throat burnt, jumping off the bed and trying to find the door, howling and howling as if all the dogs in the country were at his heels.

Just at this moment the Grandmother arrived. She was returning from town with her long sack empty on her shoulder.

"Ah, brigand!" she cried, "wait a bit!" Quickly she opened her sack wide across the door, and the maddened wolf sprang in head downwards. For once it was he that had been caught.

The brave old dame shut her sack, and next she ran and emptied it in the well. The vagabond wolf, still howling, tumbled in and was drowned.

"Ah, scoundrel! You thought you would crunch my little grandchild! Well, tomorrow we will make her a muff of your skin, and you yourself shall be crunched, for we will give your carcass to the dogs."

Then Grandmother hastened to dress Blanchette, who was still trembling with fear in the bed.

"Well," she said to her, "without my little hood where would you be now, darling?" To restore heart to the child, she made her eat a good piece of her cake and drink a good draught of wine. After that she took her by the hand and led her back to her home.

And then, who scolded her when she knew all that had happened? It was the mother. But Blanchette said she would never more stop to listen to a wolf, so her mother forgave her.

Blanchette, the Little Golden-hood, kept her word. And in fine weather she may still be seen in the fields with her pretty little hood, the colour of the sun.

But to see her you must rise early.

I found back the original French text, "Le Petit Chaperon d'Or" or rather "La Véritable Histoire du Petit Chaperon d'Or" - there are segments which were cut from the story, such as an entire paragraph opening the tale by saying "You all heard of the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but today we know the REAL story and this is the one you will hear today". And the source for this story is a 1888 book by Charles Marelle, called "Affenschwanz et cetera: variantes orales de contes populaires français et étrangers" (Oral variations of French and foreign folktales).

Now who was Charles Marelle? He was a folklorist and poet of the 19th century who spoke and wrote in both French and German - he notably taught French literature in Berlin. He was born in 1827 and died after 1903 (we do not have his exact date of death). He published two works in German: Italienische Volkslieder (1887) ; and Die französischen Mährchen von Perrault : von G. Doré illustrirt, mit der deutschen Bearbeitung Moritz Hartmann's und einigen Stücken aus der Grimm'schen Sammlung verglichen. He also published two French works: On the pronunciation of the silent "e" ; and Folk-tales and Folk-songs of France. He also published a collection of "small fables, songs and poetry for children".

The work above, "Affenschwanz et cetera" was first published in German in 1888, then translated in French in 1894 : Variétés littéraires et caetera. He even received a prize from the Académie française for this book. As the name says, the purpose of the book was apparently to collect oral variations of famous fairytales - after all, the 19th century was the start of the great collect of oral and folkloric fairytales opposing the literary ones.

In the introduction of the book, Marelle explains this tale was told to him in 1880, by a lawyer named Lucas living in Crésantignes (Aube), who himself had heard the tale by a school teacher of Romilly.

The English text above is a very ROUGH translation, and I insist on that because I discovered that the English text cut off some parts of the French tale. For example, when the Grandmother is introduced there is a whole segment missing that goes as such: "Se had given her this hood ; it was supposed to bring her good fortune, because she claimed it was made out of a ray of sunlight. And, since the good old woman was rumored to be a bit of a witch, everybody also believed that the little cap was a bit bewitched. And it was indeed, as you will see." Another deleted segment is when the story explains that the hood was one of those "magical caps" of the "olden times" - the English text cuts off the mention that the caps the narrator refers to made their owners "invisible or invulnerable". Finally, there's some translation mistakes - the exchange "Who goes there? Friend Wolf" is not a dialogue in the original text, rather it is the narrator who goes "Oh, but who goes there? Why it's Mister Wolf!".

But outside of the bad translation, I want to talk about the story itself and of how... How weird it is. As in, when you know your Little Red Riding Hood, this variation is very, very weird.

For example, if you have been here for some times you might remember I posted about the "original" version of the Little Red Riding Hood tale, the reconstruction that has been made of the primitive, oral version of the tale before Perrault rewrote it entirely - I already evoked it here while talking about the Sandman comic, and then I went into more details about this reconstructed ancestor here. And this oral variation bears absolutely no mark of the original oral version of the story. No meat or wine awaiting the girl, no dark abrupt ending, no disturbing strip-tease by the chimney, no excuse to go to the natural toilets... This story clearly belongs to the post-Perrault world - for example you have this strong focus on the hood, which was an element brought forward by Perrault, and you have a variation of the "Tire la bobinette et la chevilette cherra" formula from Perrault's fairytale.

But even more than a post-Perrault fairytale, you also see contaminations by the German version of the story as the Grimms would illustrate it, because you have the protagonists surviving in the end, and topics such as the capture and drowning of the wolf. Remember, Charles Marelle was all about linking together French and German culture... The deleted paragraph about "Perrault's story is false, THIS is the real story" also shows a very clear intention of opposing and rejecting the literary creation of Perrault, reflecting this very typical approach of the 19th century folklorists - which lasted up until the second half of the 20th century - of considering any type of oral story collected, any type of "countryside variation" of a given fairytale, superior, above and "truer" than their literary counterparts. This mistake was notably what led generations of fairytale folklorists (at least in France) to consider that the literary versions of fairytales should not be taken into account in the evolution and formation of these stories, despite them being usually A) older than the oral versions collected and B) massively popular to the point of being part of everybody's popular culture.

But here is the big clue that shows this version is less "folkloric" and more "folklorist-invented". I won't call it artificial, but there is this BIG element that clearly makes this story stand out as a perfect example of 19th century-folklorists belief. The sun motif. The fact that Little Red Riding Hood now becomes a "Golden Hood", that the Hood made of sun-rays is of a fire color and burns the wolf, and the entire ending where the little girl can be spotted shining in the fields early in the morning... This story makes it so that Little Red Riding Hood becomes a solar story. And here's the problem... The idea that fairytales are all solar myths - Little Red Riding Hood especially - was mostly an invention of 19th century folklorists, perpetuated by 20th century folklorist and authors, and only recently debunked. It is true that some famous stories have a solar motif to them - Sleeping Beauty for example has a strong solar motif, that cannot be denied. But to consider, for example, Cinderella or Bluebeard as solar myths is definitively going too far... And while Little Red Riding Hood could be understood as a solar myth, it truly isn't. Because those that defend this idea A) use the brothers Grimm version of the tale where the little girl escapes the wolf's belly to illustrate "day returns after night", ignoring that this was a recent addition to the story after Perrault's time B) focus strongly on the red of the hood... When we know today that making the little riding hood "red" was an innovation of Perrault, and not originally present in the story.

Here you have all the markings, clues and imprints of someone who was trying to enforce the "solar myth theory" into the Little Red Riding Hood story, and clearly re-created a so-called "folkloric" version just to spurn Perrault's story. The simple obsession with the hood, explaining why it is here, giving it special powers, and focusing so intensely on its color, proves that this was a story created with the intention of opposing and rivaling Perrault's own story, since all the versions actually "folkloric" show a neglect of the hood or the color in favor of focusing on elements such as the cannibal meal, the paths of pin and needles, or the escape naked through the woods.

That being said, I personally do enjoy a lot this story. I find it fun and clever. I greatly enjoy the role reversal where it is the grandmother, not a woodsman, that saves the girl ; I enjoy the grandmother becoming a witch and the element of the magical golden hood. It is a very pleasant and fascinating variation of the story, very feminist before its time.

BUT context and analysis is greatly needed to understand that this is not some sort of "proof that Little Red Riding Hood was originally the golden grandaughter of a witch, and the embodiment of the sun". This story was clearly artificial or crafted after and in reaction to Perrault's story, with influence from German fairytales. It is no surprise that the sources for this variation were not people of the "low folk" but educated people of a higher class: the story wasn't told by a seamstress, a beggar, a farmer... But by a school teacher first, and it was then retold by a lawyer. So it is not so much a true "folktale" of France, as rather a scientific creation meant to become an oral folktale and be treated as such.

[lurkinglurkerwholurks]

20 Questions for Writers

I was tagged by @a-canceled-stamp

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Uhhhh... 99, I think. AO3 shows 100, but one is a translated work.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

Minus the translated work, 570,446

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Batman, primarily. I also have just a couple Marvel fics, because Endgame made me mad.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Emergency Contact

The Return

If the Sky Comes Falling Down (For You)

A Child of the Manor

Nature and Nurture

That is a wild list with a wild order, to me.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I used to respond to every comment, religiously. Less so now because it feels spammy to just paste variations on "Thanks!" But if there's a specific piece of a comment I think I can reply to, I try to. And I do read them all.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

lol. Um. Maybe The morning and what came after?

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think most of my fics end happily, so I throw this question back to those reading. What's my happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not as bad as a lot of people, but yeah. I also maintain my boundaries pretty aggressively, so it doesn't stay for long.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nah. I've only written one non-Gen fic, and all they do is kiss once.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Only once. They don't interest me.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Once. If it has happened again, I don't know about it.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah! Super cool. Here it is.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I would love to collab sometime :3

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

In fic? I don't really read for ships, if I'm honest. @audreycritter's Jimmy and Talia is the only exception I can think of.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

Ghost. Poor, poor Ghost.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Hmm. From my point of view, I'm good at:

Putting words in the right order. This sounds like a cop-out, but truly. The same words in a slightly different order can change the entire implication of a phrase. It can also wildly disrupt the rhythm of a sentence or paragraph. I think I'm at least cognizant of those two things and do my best to put the right words in the right order.

Realism. Or as realistic as fictional superheroes doing things can be? Maybe practical is a better word. Or sensible. I want my fics and the things people do in them to make sense.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Plots. I don't want to write a book, I want to write a fic. I'm here for the emotions and the dynamics.

Logistics. Because of how much I like realism, that means I have also have to deal in logistics, but I am horribly bad at picturing anything spatial. And there are so many DANG PEOPLE in this family that I've chosen to write. It's a struggle.

Keeping it brief. I like words. My sentences are so friggin complex.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't know what this question means.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

BatFam. :) My first fic on AO3 was my first fic.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

I have different favorites for different reasons. If I had to close my eyes and point, right now I'd say White Lighters/Afterglow.

I'll give a no-pressure tag to @frownyalfred @audreycritter @imbecamiel

[mod-kyoko]

Oh~ how about another prompt with Miu where she has actually has a boyfriend, which is a surprise to her entire class, and personality wise, he's the opposite of her. He's kind and polite and a bit shy. Everyone is like, why is he dating miu, and isn't the relationship a bit toxic with shuichi and kaede being the only two to really support the relationship. Though when asked why he's dating Miu, his answer is that he finds miu to be adorable and loves every part of her. And Miu overhears this and is super embarrassed but also touched.

miu iruma w/ total opposite boyfriend

info: male!reader, established relationship, slight nsfw mentions, miu does what miu does best, around 1,900 words

type: oneshot format, non-despair au

a/n: I have a feeling you like miu a lot, not that I blame you at all I wrote this in a oneshot format just to make it flow better

⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡

it was a normal day in homeroom, students of class 53 formed small groups and talked amongst each other softly. it was oddly peaceful this morning. shuichi looked around and hummed in thought.

"isn't it more quiet than usual...?" he asked to his circle of friends who were kaede, kaito and maki.

"now that you mentioned it... it does feel quiet, did something happen?" kaede pondered.

"that's a surprise considering kaito is here..." maki said in her usual sarcastic and deadpan tone, to which kaito grunted in response.

"hey! I can be quiet too!" he rubbed the back of his neck. "but you're right, something doesn't feel quite right... like we're missing something."

as if on cue, the door was kicked open and a certain blonde genius proudly made her entrance.

"....that's why." maki growled.

"good fuckin' mornin' you lonely sons of bitches!" miu laughed harshly with her hands on her hips, walking into homeroom and lounging herself over her desk.

"miu... you seem very high in spirits." kirumi commented, gently nudging miu's shoes off of the desk. miu smirked and leaned back on her chair, putting her arms behind her head.

"who could blame me? anyone would be happy to be a beautiful girl like me!"

"doooooubt it." kokichi butted in with a sing-song voice. "was there a discount on scented vibrators or something?" he stuck his tongue out with a wink. miu went red and sat up properly, clenching her fists.

"no you fuckin' dwarf! since you're so damn nosey i'll tell ya..." she gestured for the others to come in close as a proud smirk stretched upon her face. "I, miu fuckin' iruma, girl genius and incarnation of beauty itself... has a boyfriend!"

suddenly the room went very quiet and all of her classmates turned to her with variations of surprise.

then kokichi started laughing. "bahahaha! good joke, miu! i had no idea such a bitch-brain like yourself was capable of decent humour!"

miu clenched her jaw. "shut the fuck up, you little shit! it's not a damn joke!"

"oh... oh you're being serious? it's not a lie?" kokichi raised an eyebrow. "you have a boyfriend?"

"inventions don't count as boyfriends, miu..." maki cut herself in, for once actually working along side kokichi and sharing their disbelief. before miu could bite back, maki sighed and crossed her arms. "whatever... who would even want to date you?"

"tch! you're just fuckin' jealous i have charm and beauty!" miu pouted, scratching her temple with a slight blush on her face. "it's y/n... y'know, the guy in the class below us?"

if anyone wasn't shocked before, they certainly were now.

"y/n... y/n l/n? are you sure?" even kirumi couldn't hide the fact that such a person like miu could bag a person like... him.

"even though he's a degenerate male... i never thought he was your type, miu!"

"kehehehe... like the tales of a forbidden love between an angel and a demon..."

"nya-ha-ha! you must be truly blessed by atua, miu!"

"there's no way you didn't cast a high seduction spell on him..."

"yeesh... poor guy... he probably couldn't even say no..."

all these influxes of doubts and jokes, it made miu curl into herself on her chair, eyes darting around at the mocking faces. why the hell did they not believe her?! and why was she starting to doubt herself too...?

in the sea of everyone else, kaede's words cut through them all.

"come on guys, that's enough!" she puffed up her chest. "i think it's really nice that miu found a special someone! who are we to judge?" she gently nudges shuichi who snaps out of his thoughts, clearing his throat and nodding.

"y-yeah...I think it's great you've found someone, miu."

miu felt a little better about it although she didn't show that she appreciated the two's support, she just stands up with a grin on her face. "i'll prove to you that me and him are made for each other, like antony and cleopatra!" she whips around to kaede and shuichi. "you can both be my witnesses! let's meet at the diner after school!"

"oh I've got to see this.. I'm coming too." kokichi said with a devious smirk. maki chuckled under her breath as well.

"I don't normally do this... but i'll come too just to see you fail."

"tch... get ready to be proved fuckin' wrong..." miu had to keep her word now, should be easy enough right?

after school, kaede, shuichi, kokichi and maki all went together to the nearby diner that miu specifically told them to go to. the diner wasn't that busy at all, with the occasional tired worker coming in for a cup of coffee.

the group had been waiting 20 minutes and miu still hadn't arrived with her supposed 'boyfriend'.

kokichi groaned out loud, reeling back as he tugged on his own hair. "aaargh... can we just order now? i'm hungry!" he whined.

"no, kokichi! we need to wait for miu and y/n!" kaede scolded him for his lack of patience which only made him groan louder.

"should it be taking this long, though? I hope everything is alright..." shuichi hummed, looking out of the window for any sign of the blonde.

"maybe she was just bluffing about this boyfriend..." maki sighed. "what a waste of my time... I'm leaving." she began to stand up yet a familiar voice caused her to sit down.

"hey dumbasses!" there was miu, with her arm linked around a timid-looking young man who followed behind her like a lost puppy. this would be... you.

"feast your lucky eyes on this cutie!" miu pointed her thumb towards you and you immediately felt embarrassed, rubbing your hands together, managing to throw a gentle wave.

"H-hi... it's nice to meet some of miu's friends..." you tried to speak confidently yet your voice cracked on the first word.

"we're not friends." maki spoke up quickly, leaning her cheek into her hand as she huffed. she was hoping that she could leave quickly but now she actually had to stay.

"maki!" kaede sighed softly, turning to you and giving a friendly smile. "it's good to meet you too, y/n! i've seen you around school but we haven't officially met. I'm kaede, and this is shuichi, maki and kokichi!" kaede gestured to who the names belonged to, shuichi gives a smile of his own, maki just gives a lazy attempt of a wave whilst kokichi was... staring with a straight-face.

"tsk... why the fuck you suddenly so quiet for, cock-itchy?! cat got your dick or something?" miu suddenly got defensive, tugging your arm closer to her. kokichi kept the straight face for a moment... then suddenly smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"kokichi oma! charmed, i'm sure!" he extended his hand out to you, you were about to shake it until miu suddenly grabbed your wrist.

"don't grab it! he's got some shock toy for sure!" miu spat with venom, you quickly put your hand back to your side. kokichi sighed.

"buzz-kill!" he giggled like a little imp.

soon enough you were sitting down with miu's friends, ordering your food and just making idle chatter although you were quiet. it was true then... miu did have a boyfriend and quite the unlikely person too. admittedly, shuichi was starting to worry about you. he supported the relationship, of course but... would it really be okay? miu was loud, pushy and... overbearing, you didn't come off the type to enjoy that at least, that's what shuichi was starting to gather.

after eating, miu yawned her heart out and stretched. "welp, this golden girl is going to have a golden shit in the bathroom, don't fuckin' leave without me!"

"too much info..." maki grimaced.

"be right back, cute stuff." miu ruffled your hair as she stood up, you smiled and nodded your head with a gentle blush.

"o-okay, babe..." you watched your girlfriend make her way to the bathroom, once she was out of your sight you looked down at the table sort of in silence. you weren't exactly the type to initiate conversation.

"okay so... biiiiiiiiig question..." kokichi put his hands behind his head and leaned back against the booth. "how much did miu pay you for this?" this question caught you off guard and you looked at kokichi dumbfounded. kaede sighed, facepalming in complete disappointment.

"w... what...?"

"come ooooon... there's no way a guy like you wants a seething whore like her, right? there's gotta be a catch!"

you frowned, scratching your cheek and shaking your head. "no... I want to be with her..."

kokichi looked confused. "uh... what was that now?"

"yeah... are you serious?" maki leaned in closer against the table to look at your face as if she was searching for something. "you do realise how she is, right? she's a thorn in the backside... and loud, and cocky..." maki grumbled.

"I know..." you shifted around in your seat nervously, looking off to the side and a smile melted on your face. "but... I actually like that about her a lot... she's really confident and... she's really cute when she gets all excited about her inventions... I love listening to her talk, actually..."

"awww...." kaede smiled warmly at your words whilst clutching her chest.

you giggled. "miu is actually really sweet when you get to know her... I think she's perfect for me, actually... she's confident when I'm not... I think people judge her too much... but under the surface she's just a warm, caring person... I love her a lot and she's really beautiful, and smart..." you chuckled, shaking your head. "sorry, i'm probably gushing so much... but.. it's the truth of how I feel..."

the table was silent; kaede was still tearful at the beautiful display of love you possessed for someone like miu, shuichi was smiling a little bit and now he understood it... you two were actually perfect for eachother. maki seemed in thought but... she seemed less likely to make fun of it now. kokichi stared at you again, only to sigh a few moments after.

"well, he isn't lying... but jeez... boooooooooooring!"

"look who's fuckin' talking!" miu came back from the bathroom, glaring daggers down at kokichi. you immediately tense up with a bright red blush on your face.

"m.. miu..? did you hear that...?"

miu sits down next to you, raising an eyebrow with a confused expression. "huh? hear what? all I heard was dickhead over there being an annoyance!" she growled directly at kokichi, who stuck his tongue out. you sighed in relief, you couldn't handle the embarrassment if she knew what you were saying about her... maybe another day you can say it to her face...

miu heard everything. she heard the voices when she had left the bathroom but hid around the corner to listen. did you really mean all those things you said about her...? you thought she was beautiful and smart? of course she was! she was miu iruma! but... when it came from you... it just felt all the more special. she had to take several minutes to calm her blush before walking back, she just couldn't believe how cute you were...

she looked over to you chatting away to shuichi and she smiled softly. her hand gently took yours underneath the table, squeezing it and running her thumb over your knuckles. it was satisfying to see the tint of red on your cheeks yet you squeezed her hand back.

she was so happy that she met you, all the more happy that she could call you her boyfriend.

⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡

-Mod Kirumi

[alltimefail-sims]

Part 1 Ft. The (in-progress) Living Bonehilda...

Buckle up because this series will have a varying amount of long-winded explanations and timeline word-vomit... but I'm having fun, and I love lore, so I wanted to share my own. Basically, I've been working on fixing the plot holes and lore inconsistencies of some of my favorite sims in The Sims franchise, and I wanted to start with the lovely and vivacious Bonehilda. Fair disclaimer: I don't think that all the lore in the Sims is inconsistent. Some of the lore is likely ongoing or, in my opinion, intentionally vague. However, plot holes and ambiguity drive me crazy, so for my personal saves I had to eliminate speculation and create a timeline that felt clean, consistent, and interesting to me. So, with that being said... let's deep dive!

read more below the cut ↓

Let's start by talking about her life and death. After initial research, it became clear to me that Bonehilda would have lived around the same time as the flirty spirit Claude René Duplantier Guidry (an implied lover/admirer) and the angry, wrathful spirit Temperance (who is highly implied to be her sister), so she most likely would have been a living young adult somewhere between 1910-1920, and died somewhere in the mid to late 1930s as an adult. Why do I believe she died in adulthood, you ask? I think she likely died in adulthood because the one consistent detail across all three iterations of the game she appears in is that she is an adult skeleton, therefore it's only logical to conclude that she died in her adulthood and unfortunately never made it to elderhood.

I've seen some people argue that she is not actually dead, that she never died and did reach elderhood but just evaded death, but I disagree with this because (1) she is not an "elder" skeleton and (2) my eschatological-philosophy-inclined brain interprets eternal-life as either a divine gift or punishment. This is backed up by the fact that, normally, sims do not come back as skeletons but as spirits and living sims who do have eternal life maintain a sim form but are either occults (vampires) or have taken some elixir of life that just maintains their youthful appearance. Ergo, Bonehilda is closer to the Grim Reaper in nature and distinctly different than a previously living sim - she's a seemingly death-defying being that can be summoned from some unknown ether. Could this be the work of a curse? A sacrifice? A ritual she was involved in...willingly or unwillingly? There's no definite answer, but I do have a personal interpretation that I'll save for another day as it involves some other sims we'll take a deep dive into.

All that being said, I wanted to keep her human form consistent with this established timeline because...well...I'm kind of nuts I guess lmao. But I do like the challenge of working with "eras" in my saves because it makes the passage of time feel more realistic and deepens the interpersonal "legacy" roots that I like to create in the game.

Now let's look at her name, which I very much doubt was literally Bonehilda. I think the sims team chose her name to be a play-on-words. For example, I see a sim like Marcus "Flex" being a good example of this. I interpret "Flex" to be more of an acquired nickname due to his fitness prowess, not his actual last name (perhaps it is even a variation of a real last name like Fleck or Fletcher). That being said, after wayyyy too much thought I came to the conclusion that her first name was likely "Brunhilda," a name referencing a Germanic heroic legend, protector, and queen consort; a name that means "armed for battle" (just like our Bonehilda who protects living sims from malicious spirits). I like to think that our Brunhilda commonly just went by Hilda for short during her lifetime. The bone part, in my lore, became a moniker she was known by because, well, she's a skeleton (duh). But more than that, the likely explanation is that stories and legends about her created an unintentional game of telephone - meaning that as time went on and people told tales about her, her name morphed from the real Brun-hilda to Bone-hilda. I mean, it actually makes sense because they're so similar! Plus, I could see her embracing the nickname for its whimsy, as it's clear she has a kind heart and a good sense of humor. For simplicity though, I will continue to refer to her as Bonehilda.

Lastly, I'm going to touch on her personal appearance. We know that when she takes a "human" form (like when she showers if you add her to your household) she has an average body type, green eyes, and red hair, so I kept all those things consistent. Now, personally, when I think of Bonehilda I think of the words "lively," "spirited," and "trendsetter," so right off the bat I chose to make her hair short. Keeping up with desire to be historically-accurate, I imagine she was very into the rising women's suffrage movement of the 1900s and wasn't scared to turn some heads. Plus, I loved how bouncy and beautiful the hair looked and thought the shorter hair fit her face shape better. (It's an added bonus that I've never seen a human makeover of Bonehilda with short hair, so I thought it was a unique choice.)

In my personal lore, the Goth family was the last family she worked for before she died, and they definitely would have paid and treated her well; I've always assumed the Goths to be exceedingly progressive and far ahead of the times. (Side tangent: the Goths are consistently compared to the Landgraabs for good reason, and I've always seen this as old money versus new money, wealthy but with humanitarianism and philanthropy at the core versus wealthy with the intention of hoarding wealth at the cost of or with little regard of others and so on.) Truthfully, I could see the Goths of the early 1900s seeing Bonehilda (and any other staff that worked for them) as more like a part of the family than "paid help." That being the case, they would be generous and ethical, and Bonehilda would therefore have more freedom and means than your typical working-class single woman of the time, so she would be able to keep up with fashion trends/buy nice clothes/keep up with unique haircuts, etc.

As for her makeup - I am actually super happy with how it looks, so that likely won't change. Her blush is intense, but that's pretty accurate for the time period she lived in. I went with a paler, more natural lip than the movie-starlet red that was coming into style because I wanted her to have a demure, youthful look. I also went with a thin brow, but I do think it could be more "filled in" to suit the dramatic eyebrow look which was rising in popularity at this time. Lastly, the beautiful dress she's currently in is not staying as it reads too 1930s to me. My goal is to find an older looking maid's outfit to put her in that suits a 1915s-1920s look better.

I know this may come off like a lot of unnecessary thought and information for a seemingly silly, throwaway sim. However, I would argue that Bonehilda has appeared in 3/4 of the sims games... so as a long-running character she deserves attention and a consistent lore. As we continue this deep-dive series, she'll be connected to more of my personal favorite sims... so I'm really excited to share more with you guys!

I hope you all enjoyed Part 1! I don't know how many more parts there will be, but if you read all of this, know that I appreciate you and I'm so glad you're here!

Until next time... happy lore exploring, curious cats!

[thatonecrookedsmile]

It's been a little over a month since I read FTB and I wanted to do (and say, I think) a few things related to it. So here, take this. FTB stuff I was wanting to share.

Including some drawings/my designs for some characters (the ones above), some separate sketches, and giving some long thoughts on the book. (This post is looong so I'm going to put everything under the curtain. Enjoy!)

Starting: Rose, Evan and Archie. They are the ones that, I admit, are what I wanted to draw/design most while/after I read the book. Now, at least, if I want to make something involving one of these three one day, I have designs ready to go! Hooray! Evan is the only one of the three that I actually had to design from scratch. With Rose I had made a sketch 1 year ago conceptualizing the idea for her design, and it was only recently that I came back to this idea to finally solidify it. And I had already done Archie's design last year while I was doing my designs for the human cast of BATDR, so I was already prepared without even knowing it.

Also,Ink!Archie!! The poor guy got screwed pretty badly. First two designs in the first image are based on the events in the book. The one on the left is him seen mostly in the book (alive) and the one on the right is when he is in the Ink Realm, post-death. The design in the second image was supposed to be a stylization/variation of his Cycle design. I tried drawing him with a visible mouth/teeth similar to what I did with Sammy in a recent drawing and in some sketches that I didn't post here. I'm not sure about the beard tho. I think I exaggerated it. Next time, remember to draw less beard in this design. (And maybe, for the design that is more "close to canon", don't draw the ends of the hair and beard in the Cycle design)

Any other character in the book, either I don't have a design and I don't plan on making a design for them now, or I do but it will take a while to show them. (I promise I'll show Dot one day)

I also have some additional sketches. So if you want to take a look at that too, here it is:

Ollie Sorenson. This wasn't quite the way I had imagined him when I was reading the book but 1. the hair I tried to draw for him before didn't work out well, so I went another route and 2. Ollie isn't particularly a character in this book that I'm going to I think a lot in comparison to the others (he's still cool, tho) and I doubt I'll make another design for him, so let's go with this one. Not a bad design,so,eh.

Rose. Sketch on the left was made last year. I'm almost certain it was done after the book synopsis was revealed by Kress. The sketch on the right was made last month when I was reading the book. I took the idea from the sketch on the left and tried to solidify her design better.

Evan. Some other sketches made when I read the book. I had just completed his design and wanted to test it a little more to, you know, see if I can actually draw him. Verdict? I think I can.

And now uhhhhhh what I thought of the book! I previously considered doing a separate text post with these thoughts only but I don't do text-only posts in general and if I were to make a separate post it would take a while and it would come out more than 1 month/probably 2 months since I read the book and it would be kinda awkward. And I'm already writing this post, so why not put it all here now, right?

(Warning: My thoughts on the book ended up being MUCH LONGER THAN I EXPECTED TO WRITE. You don't need to read them if you want, they are just more additional and optional things. But if you are going to read them, be warned)

(Spoilers: I may have strayed a little off topic when I started talking about Archie. Don't mention how long his paragraph is, tho)

But yeah, Fade To Black. That was something else, I tell you (and I mean that in a positive way). Probably reading this book after all the fuss that happened about the books a while ago wasn't the best idea possible. But even with…all that in mind, I still wanted to read this for a long time, and I'm glad I went ahead with it. I had a lot of fun with the book! And thinking about it a little over a month after finishing it, I think I can say that this book is up there as, like, one of my favorites of the Bendy books that have been released to date. Before this, I would have considered DCTL my favorite of the books, so I'm somewhere between saying that both of these two are my favorite books in this series and that I like them equally, or that FTB has now become my favorite book of the series, surpassing DCTL. (Maybe I'll have a better idea of ​​this later this year when I reread these books once again)

I really liked the story told, its concept had already interested me since its synopsis was revealed last year - the setting in the 50's, the TV show, the whole 3D glasses thing - so it's no surprise that I was very interested in what this book had to tell. And since I already brought that up: I liked the new concepts it brings to the table,specifically,of course,the glasses and the TV. An idea that,I admit,at first is something I thought was a bit different (and dare i say unusual?) from what I usually see in the Bendy universe (although, it's not something so out of the ordinary from what we've seen before in the series) but I have to say that it's something that I thought was cool even so. 3D glasses that end up transporting your mind into the televised cartoons (and,by all accounts,the ink realm). The jokes I saw that Joey created virtual reality in this book weren't so far-fetched after all lol. But still, it's a concept that I admit to having been interested in, and that it might be cool to play around with in fanon stuff. I also considered this could open doors for other, more "wild" ideas to be explored in the books (as long as they still make sense for a >Bendy< book, of course). I also liked the whole segment taking place in the ink realm at the end of the book, and I hope that this can open up possibilities for future novel stories to take place there, either partially (as in this one) or in full (I accept an entire novel taking place in the cycle,ngl). The additional lore for the ink realm is a nice treat and adds more to what we have in the games. I admit that, at the same time, I feel a little thoughtful about a certain part of this additional lore that - assuming the way I understand it is right - leaves me wondering if this "extended origin" of the cycle coupled with what we already know of its lore would make sense in the games, and how these ideias would be acknowledged in future entries. But at the same time, I may be overthinking this, and the stars may still be aligned, and I've gotten the information wrong. Despite everything, I liked what was told about the ink realm in this book, I appreciate this "extended origin" at the end of the day.

I really liked the cast, both the new ones and the old faces. Rose is great, I really liked her as the protagonist. She's already one of my favorite book characters, I hope we hear from her again in the future. Also, it's good to have a protagonist in these books who survives in the end. Okay, sure, she didn't come out of it 100% unharmed, considering what the ending implies, but still. Again. It's good to have a protagonist in these books who came out of this alive at the end. Evan is also very good. Even though I want to slap him on the back of the head, I also hope to hear from him again, especially considering the way he "exited the story" (is that how you say it?). I talked about the possibility of a future novel taking place in the ink realm, I think that would give a good chance of bringing him back, now as an ink creature. I don't have much to say about Ollie, but I also thought he was cool. The scenes between him and Rose are very nice and the scenes related to the "Bendy Visions" caused by the glasses is another concept that I found very interesting (Tense moments, but cool ones nonetheless) Very happy to see Dot again. I like her character, and I always wanted to see what happened to her after the events of DCTL (TLO had already implied that she was still alive, but I wanted to know more, you know). Her participation in this book is very good, and a chapter that I have to highlight is the one where she meets Rose and they talk in the cafe. Their conversation alone is very good, but the specific part that got me was Dot talking about Buddy, what happened to her after the first book, and Buddy's family. That part was like. A slap in the heart, I'm not going to lie. This chapter made me sad, 10/10. Favorite chapter of the book.

Archie Carter was a big surprise (not really, I already knew he would be here before reading the book), and he is another of my favorite aspects of the book. It's good to see one of the characters from BATDR's human cast ending up being used more in a story. Archie in the game, like other characters we saw in the audio logs in DR, is a "One and done" situation where we only hear from him once and that's it, combined with the fact that he is ultimately just another background character who exists mostly to fill the world and give information that is not necessarily integral to the main things that occur in the game and is more to tell about different things, people and events that were also occurring inside the studio and in the outside world ( those of the lost city and Gent Workshop, essentially) pre-game events. (I really don't know how to explain this properly, but I would say that the "thing" of the information given by the new human cast (with the exception of the Archs) is the same thing as the characters who are giving such information: filling the world. I hope you get the gist of what I'm saying) And while I wouldn't say the information on these tapes is really irrelevant (in Archie's case, he provides some of the most interesting), and in my case, I don't mind the addition of the newbies, I don't blame other people for not being interested, don't get attached to or even dislike these new characters who don't do much in the grand scheme of things in DR and in comparison to the BATIM cast (or at least, the majority of the IM cast). So seeing at least 1 of these newcomers being used more deeply in a story and having their characters expanded is good! And I liked what was done with Archie here. You know the guy who worked at Gent as a test subject and who saw bad things happening at the company? Guess what! Same company screwed up his life and now he's a half-human-half-ink creature guy infected with evil ink and his current situation is not good at all! He's going through horrors unfortunately (especially in the cycle), but I really like what Adrienne did with Archie in this book. Again, he is one of the highlights of this book, and I hope that something similar ends up happening with other DR characters in future stories (manifesting the novel that uses Bill Danton and/or Grace Conway in some capacity 🙌) Plus, I also think it's cool that of all the DR characters to be used, it was the one voiced by SuperHorrorBro who ended up being chosen for this book (I like SHB, what can I say)

Joey (like in the other books) is a standout (and considering what we specifically see of him in this book, he's especially a standout here). More of Allison, even though in the end it's just a small one-scene cameo. Finally, I'm being fed the bread crumbs I craved. And I think now I have another version of Henry to talk about. My collection is growing strong, now I have 3 versions of my favorite old man! Among the new ones, and especially the secondary and tertiary ones, Papa D and Gladys are nice, even though they don't have much time in the story. Oh, and Wilson showed up too. He doesn't do much either, he's just there to be creepy. But I will acknowledge him.

I also enjoyed seeing some of the ideias showcased first in BATDR here (which makes sense, this book came out well after the game finally released). I always found it interesting to see more of Gent in the spotlight, and reading and knowing a little more about the things they were doing after JDS closed is nice. (And I think it's good to see more reaffirmation of what BATDR had already implied. That Gent also had eyes on the Ink Machine even when the studio was still open, and when the studio collapsed, they still continued the ink experiments in their own facilities. Again, this was already something that had been shown in DR, but it's good to see more reaffirmation here) The appearance of the Siverlane Express was something that I really appreciated, even if it was something very short. I ealready talk about Archie in one giant paragraph, and again, Wilson is here too.

There isn't really anything I "disliked" about this book, but at most, I only have a few nitpicks. The Ink Demon appears in the story, but compared to DCTL and TLO, I feel FTB is definitely the book where he appears the least. I mean, yeah, the story isn't about him in the end, but it's still something I managed to notice. I also feel that, in my opinion, this is the least "scary" of the 3. Not that it doesn't have "scary" elements but still, compared to moments in the other books like Buddy in the infirmary, or the TLO trio in the old factory, I don't know if this book would be the most "scary" of the trilogy. However,FTB still has several suspenseful scenes (the Bendy visions, some scenes with Ollie, Archie's pre-introduction, Wilson in the library), which I also like anyway. And I'll admit. While this idea isn't that far out there - and in the context of the story, it makes sense - I kind of raised an eyebrow a little at the whole "using your mind/imagination to get out of the ink realm" thing. It is not bad! And again, with what we saw in the book, this idea actually fits with what we had seen so far in the story. But I can't lie that when we got to this moment I was like "oh, this is something that happened, I guess", you know? But even so, I didn't dislike the idea.

(I once saw someone describe this part of the book as "they canonized no-clipping in Bendy" and you know what? I think that's funny. I think we need to start referring to this idea in the book as that instead of "using the imagination" /hj)

But even so, even with these small "nitpicks", I still had a lot of fun with this book. I really enjoyed reading it, and not only is it now one of my favorite Bendy books so far, I dare say it's one of my favorite things about the franchise in general. Like, if I had to make a top 3 of my favorite things from the Bendy series so far, I'd say it's this book and the first two mainline games. I guess this is to show how much I enjoyed the book!

And with that, my journey with the Bendy books ends. At least, with the books I managed to have access so far. I have no plans to pursue the updated version of the Employee Handbook so far, but from what I've heard and seen so far, I'm not missing anything too important. And the DCTL graphic novel….exists. It's definitely a graphic novel that exists. Dare I say that it is definitely one of the graphic novels of all time, alright. But what have I read so far? It was what I would say, a good journey. I've been interested in the Bendy books for a long time, and it's been a while since I read them, and I'm glad I did, despite recent events. Of course, they have their flaws and problems too, I have things about them that I myself identify as bumps in the road (and that applies to the novel trilogy too btw) But even with them in mind and acknowledging them, I still think that they are worth something. And I hope people still continue to recognize them and give them a chance. Even with its flaws, and with their whole canocity thing that happened a while ago, I still believe that people should check out the books eventually. Give it a chance, you know? If they did, and liked what they read, great! But if they don't like it, that's okay too! In the end, at least they, on both sides, gave it a chance. And that's what I at least want to see. I don't like the idea of ​​discarding these things and pretending they don't exist just because the devs said they aren't canon to the games (because, in my view, just because the books aren't canon doesn't make them without value or that you can't have fun with them after all)

WOW, this is getting long, I think I got carried away. I think that's all I had to say. To conclude everything, here is my list of the Bendy books that I like the most and the ones I like least:

Fade To Black (I've already talked a lot about this book)

Dreams Come To Life (hand in hand with FTB being in first place. It has its flaws, some that may have already been mentioned before, but I still found myself liking it in the end. For a first novel, it worked out fine)

Crack-Up Comics (Really liked the comics. It's good to see more things related to the cartoon characters, and I like some of the characters introduced. Pretty fun stuff)

The Lost Ones (it's not a very "Bendy" focused book compared to the others, and I don't blame those who didn't like this one because of the lack of many Bendy elements, but I confess that I still liked it as much as the other 2, and I loved the protagonists of this one. Even so, of the trilogy, it is the weakest book)

The Illusion of Living (In itself, it's an interesting read. It's really cool to see more of Joey from a deeper angle, and see more of his past. But I confess that it's not my favorite read, and I still prefer the main novels. Not bad, tho)

JDS Employee Handbook (2019) (For the first Bendy book overall, it's not bad, and I like the lore tidbits it has. But compared to the rest, it's actually the weakest)

The TL;DR is: Fade To Black is fun and my favorite, I liked its story and characters. I liked the books. Check them out if you want. If you liked them, cool. If you didn't like them, that's cool too. Read in general.

And if you've read this far: Thank you! And at the same time, I'm sorry! Have a good day/afternoon/night everyone. Peace.

[golbrocklovely]

since this anon kinda gets into some bridgerton spoilers, i'm gonna put it behind a keep reading so in case you haven't seen it yet, nothing is spoiled for yall :)

i'm gonna make a whole post on my feelings for part one bc omg i have so many, but i'll go into some detail about how i feel now.

BOOK SPOILERS ARE IN HERE (so if you don't want to know anything at all about this season/book, turn back now)

i was interested to see how things played out with eloise and pen strictly bc in the books, since LW has been doing it for so long, eloise isn't all that upset at finding out about pen being her.

but in the show, i was curious to see how they would make el and cressida work. and i think it sort of works. but my whole thing is, i can't stand c. like i get why she acts the way she does, but compare her to pen who is basically in the same situation.

pen also comes from a family that is mean to her and doesn't treat her well. she is also in competition with the ladies of the ton (and not only them but her own sisters at one point) to find a man, and yet she isn't mean. she doesn't pick on others to make herself feel bigger. her and c are basically one in the same, but the difference is that pen is internal with her negativity while c boasts herself as something more while simultaneously not feeling like she measures up.

this obviously brings into the question LW, but i think in a way pen isn't really saying anything the ton isn't already thinking. she's just making it widely known. in a way, she's the gossiper for all ppl - the rich and poor. so while yes, she can be mean in the LW columns, she's really only saying what everyone was saying to her and around her. and even then, she's also bringing herself down by reporting on herself and her family, which puts her in even more negative withstanding.

i kinda wish they would have kept c mean just for the sake of being mean, not have the audience try and pity her in a way. i think it would have been more entertaining if she was just rude bc she was never taught to be nice, rather than it being a desperate ploy to get a man before everyone else while being deeply insecure. idk. in my own personal experience, while you have bullies that are bullied themselves, which is why they act the way they do, some ppl are just destined to be dicks lol

and pen will definitely reveal herself as LW to colin, and probably her family and the bridgerton family. but i don't see it being shared with the rest of the ton only bc that kinda defeats the purpose of the show. in the books, there is the whole carriage scene, but then she continues being LW even tho colin thought they both agreed to her stopping it then and there. but regardless of that (since that won't work in the show), i think she'll reveal it right before they get married, and some form of drama will occur.

also.. and don't take my word for this since it hasn't been confirmed or anything, but i heard there's gonna be another carriage scene so……… maybe we'll get that from the books after all lol

(plus the mirror scene... plus an apparent montage of them fucking so............... i'm sat and ready)

as for what's gonna happen in part two, i have seen some spoilers so i won't say them since i highly doubt you want to be spoiled, but from the little preview they did show (plus some bts i've seen that has been going around twitter from some news network that went on the set to film them do part 2) i think like the books c is gonna confess to being LW and that's what makes pen pass out. and then she's gonna try to counter c with her own LW column calling her out, and then she'll get caught by colin. i think a variation of that is gonna play out.

i'm just hoping that by the end her and eloise are friends again. bc their scenes in this first half… i literally cried twice. especially at the "would you like to come up" part. it just hits a bit close to home in a way for me.

i just can't wait for what's gonna happen. like i need this second half NOW.

[blood-orange-juice]

Hey! I stumbled across your account by accident and I’m curious on what your general take is on Childe (since each language’s VA brings something new to the table). I agree with the (c)PTSD take and often wonder if he might also have ASPD (I say this as someone with antisocial tendencies myself). Anyway, I hope things are going well!

-📀 anon (I’ll probably come back later lol)

Hey. :)

I hope you like walls of text because this turned into a wall of text.

He's a variation of the "came back wrong" horror trope, so a huge part of his behaviour is just some kind of taint/possession/curse (now confirmed in Fontaine's storyline) which you can't really diagnose.

There was a thread started by another psych professional where we still tried!

Personally, I think he doesn't quite fit the antisocial personality disorder profile. - has an aversion to lying and is horrible at it (you know, that thing ASPD brain makes so much easier to do) - shows zero interest in social status or having power over others. People with ASPD usually play social games on par with an average person, although one could argue that they only do it as a source of fun and safety and he has other sources of fun and safety. - is very loyal and, for all his self-centeredness, seems to give others a lot more than he gets in return (although can be argued that he just has too much resources on his hands and really doesn't do that much) - is far too trusting (but also in an unusual way, so it can be interpreted as carelessness) - has that weird "I'll give others the things I never got myself" thing going on (I think ASPD to-go compensatory mechanism would be something else) - shows zero social aggression, it's either 0% ("too polite for his own good" mode) or 1000% (jumps straight to physical violence). I think people with ASPD are generally better with more nuanced agression towards people. But also maybe it's a form of damage control. Or maybe he just never had to learn how to express aggression in socially acceptable form (he's usually the scariest person in the room anyway). - in his character stories it's stated that he used to be a very timid and anxious kid, and it's usually not the case with ASPD kids.

Any of these traits *could* be seen in a person with ASPD and can be explained but all of them in a 20yo guy with pretty horrible life experiences and no access to therapy? I doubt that.

I also think he's a character study on "how can good people end up doing horrible things" and having ASPD would ruin the whole point of his character.

Also it would actually be much easier for everyone inluding himself if he has more ASPD traits. At least half of the terrible shit he does stems from misplaced loyalty, not lack of morals. He might have negative traits of ASPD but not the perks.

My personal headcanon is that he has a dissociative personality type (not a full-blown DID, but a similar way of dealing with trauma by locking away/suppressing parts of himself and shifting between them in different situations), his background fits very well, and the way he deals with relationships, trust and aggression also fits (and it's very easy to write someone like this when writing PTSD, it just happens naturally). His particular brand of chipperness fits too.

But also if you *want* to headcanon him as an ASPD, it's a very good choice too! Low empathy, seeks excitement, doesn't care what others think of him, doesn't adhere to social contract, is fairly cruel, bases his loyalty and ideals on pretty surprising things that have nothing to do with human connection. (it's also questionable whether he seeks human connection in general, can be interpreted both ways)

[hannahbanana29]

Enha - When they're jealous Pt3

Part three here :) I've also done jungwon and Heeseung if you want to see those versions, and here's Jay <3 I was excited for this one lmao, so let's get into it 🤗 requests open

Also, this is suggestive, so... At your own risk

PARK JONGSEONG

Jay

When I think of Jay 🤔

A culinary man

Jungwon once said that Jay has a lot of pride when he cooks, and it's very cute 🤗

Your friend... damn I need another variation of the name Brad 🙄

Brad, Bradley, Bradlina...

Brandon

Brandon is close enough

Your friend ✨Brandon✨ is also a culinary man

SORRY JAY IT'S NOT A PERSONALITY TRAIT

✨Brandon✨ called you to taste his new curry, one he had made from his own altered recipe 🍲

"Y/N, I've made a new curry for my restaurant, and I want your opinion pls"

You don't even have to TELL Jay this is your plan for the day

He hears the frigging call 🤙😬

He raises an eyebrow at you, bc who is this BOY who owns a RESTAURANT making CURRIES for his SIGNIFICANT OTHER TO TASTE??

Jay has had a thing for you for a long time

Bottling up his painfully obvious crush on you caused it to build up over time

And as soon as you were HIS, he wasn't willing to let you go 😊

Therefore...

You only eat HIS curry... And his only 👿

Noticing his face, you speak back to ✨Brandon✨ with a worried tone

"Uhm... ✨Brandon✨, are you sure it should be me? You know what I'm like, I would eat anything -"

"Oh I'm sure, Y/N. I value your opinion. Even when it's something like curry." He reassures you on the other line, not aware that Jay was listening

"Can you come soon? I'm real excited for your feedback 😄"

Jay twitches his nose, his hand gripping his phone way too hard. He'd been staring at the same Insta post for too long

You clear your throat, wondering what to say in order to make ✨Brandon✨ sound less... Needy?

Best bet was to end it quickly

"Uh, okay, sure. See you soon, I'll set off for your place in ten"

"Make that sixty" Jay said quietly, ready to get possessive 🤭

"Uh, bye!" you said, switching your phone off

Immediately, not giving you time to SIGH, Jay fires at you

"Who is ✨Brandon✨?" He asks

"A friend of mine"

"Right. And why does he need you of all people to taste his precious curry?" Jay deadpans

You sort of lean back into the couch, not sure what to say without making him any more annoyed

As said, Jay DOES have a lot of pride when it comes to food

But he has even more pride in his partner

That's you 🤠 so lucky 😭

"Well?" he pushes

"Oh my gosh, Jay, it's just a friend who wants me to try his curry. If ✨Brandon✨ was a girl, I'd doubt you react like this" you fold your arms

Jay frowns, shaking his head in his defense. You refused to 'awh' at how cute he was

"I'm just saying that he doesn't need you to do it. Or does he not have friends?"

It continues like this. Salty 🧂 remarks

You become pretty agitated, and soon enough you're both stood up and protesting against the other person

Until

"God, Jay, just let me eat the freaking curry! It won't kill me." 🙄🙄

If you want to eat so bad, there's something in my room I could give you"

And you're like...

Sure, if it's on the menu 👀

Argument over

And rather than setting off in ten or sixty minutes... Well, you were a lil later than that

SO THAT'S JAY FOR YA. All fictitious, not real, bla bla BLA

Part 4 will come soon, and it will be none other than our Aussie Jake

Bye bye <3

[trial-by-yuri]

OK so Silver is from 200 years in the future, and whenever he shows up in a Sonic game, it's almost always because some apocalypse has ruined his future and he's gone to the past to fix it. In his debut game we see how he was sent back in time, but for every game after that it's been ambiguous. In one of the stories in the IDW (Which are canon to the games), Silver actually states that he was sent back, instead of traveling back himself. We still don't know how though, even the author of that story doesn't, Sega just told her to make him say he was sent back. But anyways, Silver's personality has varied over the years, because he's had 3 main variations. These are his personality in his debut game, his personality in Sonic Rivals 1 and 2, and his personality in the IDW comics (and also Team Sonic Racing, because that was his most recent game appearance). IDW Silver is the most relevant so I'll explain him first. He's very open with his emotions, so he's sweet and excitable, and also loves spending time around his friends. Sometime he's awkward and doubts himself, because he cares a lot about his friends, but isn't super great at social stuff due to growing up completely alone in a ruined future. He's very determined when it comes to fixing his future, but when he's in the past, he takes time to enjoy all of the wonderful stuff present in it, like nature and all of his friends. He has the power of psychokinesis, so he can grab stuff with his mind and throw it, crush it, etc. He can also fly with it, so he's one of the more powerful characters in the main cast. He's best friends with Blaze, and is also close with Espio as well. That's all for IDW Silver, I'm going to send another ask with 06 and Rivals Silver because I think I'm about to hit the character limit

Oh he sounds so cool!!!!!

[littleeyesofpallas]

I was wondering if there was anything funky about the term "Kamikake," either the kanji or the English translations. And there kind of is, but also kind of isn't?? For one, both "God Sworn" and "Divine Vow" are sort of a weird degree removed from what I feel would be an accurate translation, but they do still rub up against the right idea... so they aren't exactly wrong either? But they feel like they lack context to be read correctly in English.

The immediate word/term referenced here is kamikakete[神掛けて] which most English translations seem to take as "swear by god" but very specifically it is an adverb, not a verb. Alternatively, "absolutely" shows up in a few sources, and less frequently "utterly," "dead," and "perfectly." So the practical use seems to be to describe something as being done with great certainty or without fail. Kubo however, uses just the kanji [神掛] in quotes and as a noun.

So right off the bat, the English use of it based on the adjectival "God Sworn" is wrong, because that seems to put the emphasis on the act of swearing (swearing how? to god.) rather than the idea that a different act was what was sworn. (you did what? how did you do it? in a godsworn fashion.)

To put it another way: The word is used more in the sense of something like, "I swear to god, I'm telling the truth!" where the phrase is kind of more clunky in English, rather than being a singular article in Japanese, but what it's describing is the act of "telling." In this kind of way a synonymous phrase might be something like "In all honesty, I'm telling the truth!" or "Without a doubt, I'm telling the truth!" the phrases don't actually involve or evoke an act of "swearing" or "vowing" the way it might otherwise imply in English, it's an emphasis of on the assurance of the action it's linked to. With all the certainty that "God assures..." or perhaps which "God has been assured..."

Sorry, got kind of carried away... Point being: That term I just described is the thing that Kubo turned from an adverb into a noun, and not the very similar sounding adjective in English. So, obviously this means we need to break down the colloquial phrase to the root words if we expect any kind of clarity...

The individual kanji read as [神]: "god(s)"/"[the] divine," and is of course pretty commonly used, so it's not like there's a lot of room for variations there... but [掛] can read a few ways...

The most readily available interpretation is "credit (as in finance)" or "money owed." Another is "-rest"/"-rack"/"-hanger" and although these might seem wildly disparate it does make a certain linguistic sense, especially in this particular case; A thing upon which someone's money "rests" is effectively a financial credit, or a debt depending on context. That upon which "god rests", or "god's credit(account)", or "a god debt" all describe Ukitake's circumstances with a little more clarity than "god sworn" or "god vow." (Also, a bit of a tangent, but it does evoke something like "god is resting on you" in a sense, which kinda relates to a point I'll get to later...)

So, it is effectively, "[The Thing] Sworn to God" or "Indebted to God" or with a little liberty, "What God is Assuredly Owed." And certainly calling it something just "Divine Vow" doesn't really imply all that. (or did it make sense to everyone else and I just did a lot of talking to point out the obvious?)

And what is the god Mimihagi "owed?" What was "sworn" to it? Ukitake's body and longevity, which was granted to him and his parents, effectively on loan, and which Mimihagi then collects on. Ukitake's parents basically sold their child to a creepy hand deity, because so long as that deity had use for him one day, it would keep him alive until then. And Ukitake understood that he owed his life to Mimihagi, so when he invoked the Kamikake himself, he was effectively choosing to repay his debt: Choosing to make good on his (parents') "vow."

And interestingly it's actually very much like what YHWACH's powers and the Sternritter Schrift were described as; Where YHWACH was born without any powers, or even basic bodily senses of his own, but could grant health and powers to others. Then they develop and cultivate further power by their own effort and merits, only to eventually die and give their accumulated power, talent, and experience back to YWHACH, making him stronger. And in the case of the Sternritter specifically, they also swore themselves to him via their blood oath, like what we saw Uryuu do. (Which btw links back to the christian references in the Vollstandig's use of the kanji for Eucharist/Holy-Communion)

Both Mimihagi and YHWACH have this ability to effectively loan their power and more importantly to collect on that loan with interest. (And if Kubo hadn't retconned Chad and Orihime's powers as having come from their proximity to the hogyoku, instead of Ichigo, we might have even been able to say Ichigo had such an effect as well...)

So, what's interesting about Szayel (and really, Kubo) bringing it up in the new chapter is that it's not just a random fancy epithet he's throwing at Ukitake, he's evoking that debt as a part of Ukitake. It makes it sound like Ukitake's being in Hell is somehow part of his debt. It's part of what he owes Mimihagi or the Soul King or perhaps a more nebulous god/the gods. So it may very well be that Ukitake is uniquely the new big scary skelly-door knife-hand guy because of that, and not because of a more general process of being a powerful shinigami in Hell. It's possible that other captains like Yamamoto and Unohana are in a role closer to Szayel's as prisoners, than they are to Ukitake's position or relative power as some kind of enforcer of Hell's boundaries.

[interact-if]

Day 5 of A/PI Heritage Month featured authors interview! The lovely Parker, everyone!

Parkerlyn, author of The Nameless

A/PI Heritage Month Featured Author

Legend goes when the world was formed, the mortal races, mortalis, were created with the gift of magic. But as time passed their hubris grew, and the sheevra were created to curb their pride.

When it comes to these chaotic and malevolent beings, the lands are full of cautionary tales. Though some would tell you that the stories are just that. To them, names have no power. There are no mysterious deals to fear, and the figure who seduces you into an alley at midnight is certainly no malicious spirit.

Which luckily for you means easy prey.

Author's Ko-fi | Discord

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE INTERVIEW!)

Q1: First of all, introduce us to your project! What is it about?

The Nameless is a mishmash of fey stories and a... teetering on apocalyptic setting? The world itself is almost completely covered by desert save for four regions and cities that have maintained life around them. The origins of that desert, the Arids, are said to have been from wars thousands of years ago where there was too much magic siphoned from the world, and the cost was desolation.

The reader enters the story as a sheevra (the fey-based race) who's been taught that all this was the mortal race’s doing in their desire for power. And that the sheevra were created to take that energy back from them via deals and names to slowly restore the world's more verdant state.

If you asked the mortalis though, they'd sing a different tune. To them, the sheevra are the remnants of the entity mainly responsible for the state of the Arids, and they're the reason why the world is stuck like it is.

Where does the truth actually fall? Well…

The game itself kicks off when one of the four sheevra clans in the world goes missing, and you're sent to investigate what happened. Though whether or not you really want to find out remains to be seen.

Q2: If it’s not too spoilery, what are you most excited about your project?

I'm definitely buzzing over some of the reveals behind the Arids and other features of the world, and how things are tied together. The puzzle will start getting filled in towards the end of Book 1 and will culminate in the final major choice of the entire story, and I'm really excited to see how people handle it.

I'm also looking forward to exploring more of the backstories of the romances and various characters, and also for more descriptions of magic-tech and how that's integrated into each of the cities (had a BLAST with this in upcoming content). Just in general, excited to continue bringing the world to life!

Q3: What inspired the current project you’re working on?

The Nameless was initially sparked by a D&D NPC, Oisein's predecessor who was far more bitter and not quite the sarcastic chaos gremlin they are today.

Specifically from Kobold Press' Courts of the Shadow Fey, this NPC was supposed to be just a one sentence rumor. But (of course) my players decided to pursue that route more in depth. Said character that I made up on the spot then ended up being a regular that I eventually made into a PC for another campaign. And...things sort of spiraled and transformed from there as I created their backstory and fell in love with the characters who would then become the four romances of the game.

There's also a theme I've been wanting to write about for a long time which might lend itself to spoilers, that I was finally able to find a home for in the world of The Nameless. So it's a dash of old and new ideas!

Q4: Do you pull from your own identity for inspiration? How has that been reflected in your work?

There's some indulgent, more obvious ones like the city of Han, which is directly named after the Han River in Korea and is, well, the City of Rivers. There's also small references to Korean folklore within the sheevra that will probably continue to show up, and you better believe Korean inspired food and clothing will make an appearance haha.

But below the surface level, I think a lot of the mannerisms and backstories of the characters may unconsciously be affected by my identity. Until someone asked me about modern ethnicities for the love interests, I didn't realize how much I had tied my mixed culture into these characters. But I'm happy to have that little piece intertwined in their personalities, their values, and their attitudes, as a small nod to my own Korean-American background.

This will probably become more evident in the settings too. There's a lot of mixed inspirations and sources in the architecture, environment, and culture of each city that I'm looking forward to expanding on.

So yeah, it's kind of funny to see that manifest in my writing, but hopefully it helps to build up an interesting and unique environment for readers to immerse themselves in!

Q5: What’s been your experience so far? With writing, with the if community...

For writing in general, this is by far the largest project I've ever taken on, and there was and is a learning curve when adjusting for interactive fiction. But I've enjoyed the freedom and variation I've been able to build into this story with this medium, and think it continues to take shape in ways I never initially planned but love to see!

For the IF community, it's definitely been positive! I kind of just chucked this story out there not expecting much from it and figured it would be hard for anyone else to get into. Honestly I thought that maybe just a few people would see it, but that it would mostly be self indulgent.

But the support from other writers and readers and the questions I've received has just been amazing, and I’m glad I dived deeper into the IF community. Especially when the self-doubt inevitably creeps in and you have those moments of "oof this is terrible". The positive words and encouragement mean so much, and I don't think I'll ever be able to express how much it helps. I'm also really happy to have found an overall inclusive community, and hope I can extend that space into this game!

Also the stories and games out there? Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectac-

Q6: Do you have any future projects in the works?

None at the moment, my focus is mainly on writing The Nameless and continuing to develop features for the Twine version!

Q7: Finally, what piece of advice would you give to fellow authors?

Don't let yourself get down by comparisons. It's easy to slip into, and I'm definitely guilty of it too! But no one's going to tell your story like you can and the way you want it, so it's up to you to share that with the world!

[cappymightwrite]

Jon Snow, Manfred & The Byronic Hero: Part 2

Previous Posts: PART 1

Hopefully Part 1 served as a good introduction on the topic and characteristics of the Byronic Hero, as well as how Jon Snow in particular is likely an iteration of this figure. But now we come to the real meat of this meta series — a closer look at Byron's dramatic poem Manfred (1816–1817), and more importantly, its titular character in comparison to Jon Snow. I was originally going to do an analysis and comparison of two key episodes in Manfred and A Storm of Swords, Jon VI, but have since decided to give that its own post... that's right kids, there will be a part 3!

(Detail from Lord Byron, Thomas Phillips, 1813)

So... why Manfred? Why not Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, or The Corsair, or Don Juan, or any other work by Lord Byron? Well, I'll tell you why, my sweet summer children. It's because of THIS:

Manfred/Manfryds and Byrons in ASOIAF, by order of first appearance and publication:

Ser Manfred Swann (ASOS, Jaime VIII)

Ser Manfred Dondarrion (The Hedge Knight)

Manfred Lothston (The Sworn Sword)

Manfryd o' the Black Hood (AFFC, Brienne I)

Manfryd Yew (AFFC, Jaime V)

Ser Byron the Beautiful (AFFC, Alayne II, TWOW, Alayne I)

Ser Byron Swann (ADWD, Tyrion III)

Manfryd Merlyn of Kite (ADWD, Victarion I)

Manfryd Mooton, Lord of Maidenpool (The Princess and the Queen, TWOIAF)

Manfred Hightower, Lord of the Hightower (TWOIAF)

Manfred Hightower, Lord of the Hightower (Fire and Blood)

Like... what the hell, George?

I find this very interesting, very interesting indeed! *cough* intentional, very intentional *cough* And I have to thank @agentrouka-blog for reminding me of the existence of these Manfreds/Manfryds, and thus pointing me in this particular direction. This evidence is, for me, my smoking gun, it's why I feel justified in exploring this specific work. In my opinion, it really strongly confirms that GRRM is aware of Manfred, he is aware of its author — as a literary name, it is pretty much exclusively connected to Byron, it's like Hamlet to Shakespeare, or Heathcliff to Emily Brontë. In fact, GRRM likes it enough to use this name several times in fact, its frequency of use aided by a slight variation on its spelling.

So, as we can see, there are a striking number of Manfred/Manfryds (9!!) featured in the ASOIAF universe, whereas Byron (2) is used a bit more sparingly — perhaps because the latter, if more liberally used, would become far more recognisable as an overt literary reference? Interestingly, though, we can see a direct link between the two names as both bear the surname Swann: Ser Manfred Swann and Ser Byron Swann (note the exact spelling of Manfred here, as opposed to Manfryd). Ser Byron was alive during the Dance of Dragons and died trying to kill the dragon Syrax, whereas Ser Manfred was alive during Aegon V's reign and had a young Ser Barristan as his squire. So, in terms of ancestry, Byron came before Manfred, which makes sense since Lord Byron created the character of Manfred; he is his authorial/literary progenitor, if you will.

But why Swann, though? Is there any significance to that surname? Well, I did a little bit of digging and turned up something very interesting, at least in my opinion. In Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem Lines written among the Euganean Hills (1818), in its sixth stanza, the poet addresses the city of Venice... the “tempest-cleaving Swan” in the eighth line is clearly meant to be his friend and contemporary, Lord Byron, that city’s most famous expatriate:

That a tempest-cleaving Swan Of the songs of Albion, Driven from his ancestral streams By the might of evil dreams, Found a nest in thee;

(st. 6, l. 8-12)

Ah ha! But let's not forget that the Swanns are also a house from the stormlands — stormlander Swanns vs. "tempest-cleaving Swan." It seems a nice little homage, doesn't it? You could also argue that the battling swans of House Swann's sigil are a possible reference to Byron's fondness for boxing (he apparently received "pugilistic tuition" at a club in Bond Street, London). But to make the references to Byron too overt would ruin the subtly, so it isn't necessary, in my opinion, for the Swanns to be completely steeped in Byronisms.

All in all, it would be very neat of GRRM if the reasoning behind Byron and Manfred Swann is because of this reference to Lord Byron by Shelley. How these names and the characters that bear them might further reference Byron and Manfred is a possible discussion for another day! It's all just very interesting, very noteworthy, and highlights how careful GRRM is at choosing the names of his characters, even very minor, seemingly insignificant ones.

(Illustration of Villa Diodati from Finden's Illustrations of the Life and Works of Lord Byron, Edward Finden, 1833)

Now onto the actual poem, and the ways in which Jon Snow could being referencing/paralleling Manfred. First things first, a bit of biographical context. Take my hand, and let's travel back in time, way back when, to 1816, the year in which Lord Byron left England forever, his reputation in tatters due to the collapse of his marriage and the rumours of an affair with his half-sister, Augusta Leigh (plus he was hugely in debt). No doubt, most of us are familiar with the story, but in 1816 Byron travelled to Switzerland, to a villa on Lake Geneva, where he met the Shelleys and suggested that they all pass the time by writing ghost stories.

The most famous story produced by them was, of course, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) — which may have served as the partial inspiration behind Qyburn and Robert Strong! Byron himself did begin a story but soon gave it up (yesss, we love an unproductive king); it was completed, however, by his personal physician, John William Polidori, and eventually published, under Byron's name, as The Vampyre (1819). But Byron didn't completely abandon the ghost story project, as later that summer, after a visit by the Gothic novelist M. G. Lewis, he wrote his "supernatural" tragedy, Manfred (1817).*

*I've seen it dated as 1816-17, but the crucial thing to rememeber, in terms of Byron's own biography, is that unlike The Bride of Abydos, he wrote it after his departure from England... this theme of exile will come up later.

Manfred is what is called a "closet drama", so is structured much like a play, with acts and scenes, though it wouldn't have actually been intended to be performed on stage. Indeed, Lord Byron first described Manfred to his publisher as "a kind of poem in dialogue... but of a very wild—metaphysical—and inexplicable kind": "Almost all the persons—but two or three—are Spirits... the hero [is] a kind of magician who is tormented by a species of remorse—the cause of which is left half unexplained—he wanders about invoking these spirits—which appear to him—& are of no use—he at last goes to the very abode of the Evil principle in propria persona [i.e. in person]—to evocate a ghost—which appears—& gives him an ambiguous & disagreeable answer..."*

*As in Part 1, more academic references will be listed in a bibliography at the end of this post.

To sum up the narrative for you, Manfred is a nobleman living in the Bernese Alps, "tormented by a species of remorse", which is never fully explained, but is clearly connected to the death of his beloved Astarte. Through his mastery of poetic language and spell-casting, he is able to summon seven "spirits", from whom he seeks the gift of forgetfulness, but this plea cannot be granted — he cannot escape from his past. He is also prevented from escaping his mysterious guilt by taking his own life, but in the end, Manfred does die, thus defying religious temptations of redemption from sin. He therefore stands outside of societal expectations, a Romantic rebel who succeeds in challenging all of the authoritative powers he faces, ultimately choosing death over submission to the powerful spirits.

According to Lara Assaad, the character of Manfred is the "Byronic hero par excellence", as he shares its typical characteristics found in Byron's other work (as discussed in Part 1), "yet pushed to the extreme." As noted above, there is a defiance to Manfred's character, which is arguable also found in Jon. Certainly though, in all of Byron's works, the Byronic Hero appears as "a negative Romantic protagonist" to a certain extent, a being who is "filled with guilt, despair, and cosmic and social alienation," observes James B. Twitchell. I'll come back to those characteristics presently.

As noted by Assaad, "Byron scholars seem to agree on this definition of the Byronic Hero, however they focus mainly, if not exclusively, on the dynamics of guilt and remorse." Indeed, it is only in more recent years that the incest motif, as well as the influence of Byron's own biography, have been more widely discussed. But perhaps the most compelling aspect of the Byronic Hero is his complex psychology. Although trauma theory only really started to flourish during the 1990s, thus providing deeper insight into the symptoms that follow a traumatic experience, it nevertheless seems, at least to Assaad, that "Byron was familiar with it well before it was first discussed by professionals and diagnosed." As we know, GRRM began writing his series, A Song of Ice and Fire, during the 1990s, and character trauma and its effects feature heavily in his work, most notably in the case of Theon Greyjoy, but also in the memory editing of Sansa Stark in terms of the infamous "Unkiss".*

*The editing, or supressing, of memories is not exclusive to Sansa, however. E.g @agentrouka-blog has theorised a possible memory edit with regards to Tyrion and his first wife Tysha.

But if we return back to that original quote, in which GRRM makes the comparison between Jon and the Byronic Hero, his following statement is also very interesting:

The character I’m probably most like in real life is Samwell Tarly. Good old Sam. And the character I’d want to be? Well who wouldn’t want to be Jon Snow — the brooding, Byronic, romantic hero whom all the girls love. Theon [Greyjoy] is the one I’d fear becoming. Theon wants to be Jon Snow, but he can’t do it. He keeps making the wrong decisions. He keeps giving into his own selfish, worst impulses. [source]

As noted by @princess-in-a-tower, there is a close correspondence between Jon and Theon, with each acting as the other's foil in many respects. In fact, Theon does sort of tick off a few of the Byronic qualities I discussed last time, most notably standing apart from society, that "society" being the Starks in Winterfell, due to him essentially being a hostage. Later on, we see him develop a sense of deep misery as well due to his horrific treatment at the hands of Ramsey Snow. Like Theon, his narrative foil, Jon is also a character deeply informed by trauma (being raised a bastard), but the way they ultimately process and express that specific displacement trauma differs profoundly — Theon expresses it outwardly through his sacking of Winterfell, whereas Jon turns his trauma notably inwards.*

*Obviously, I'm not a medical professional — I'm more looking at this from a literary angle, but the articles I've read for this post do include reference to real medical definitions etc.

Previously, I observed how being "deeply jaded" and having "misery in his heart" were key characteristics of the Byronic Hero, as well as Jon Snow — this trauma theory is a continuation of that. Indeed, to bring it back to Manfred, Assaad goes as far as stating that the poem's titular hero "suffers from what is now widely recognised as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)." I am purposely holding off on discussing what the origin of that trauma is, in relation to Manfred specifically, because, well... it needs a bit of forewarning before I get into it fully. Instead, let's look at the emotions it exacerabates or gives rise to, as detailed by Twitchell, and how they might be evident in Jon and his feelings regarding his bastard status.

(Jonny Lee Miller as Byron in the two part BBC series Byron, 2003)

Guilt

Does Jon suffer guilt due to him being a bastard and secretly wanting to "steal" his siblings' birthright? I'd say a strong yes:

When Jon had been Bran's age, he had dreamed of doing great deeds, as boys always did. The details of his feats changed with every dreaming, but quite often he imagined saving his father's life. Afterward Lord Eddard would declare that Jon had proved himself a true Stark, and place Ice in his hand. Even then he had known it was only a child's folly; no bastard could ever hope to wield a father's sword. Even the memory shamed him. What kind of man stole his own brother's birthright? I have no right to this, he thought, no more than to Ice. – AGOT, Jon VIII He wanted it, Jon knew then. He wanted it as much as he had ever wanted anything. I have always wanted it, he thought, guiltily. May the gods forgive me. – ASOS, Jon XII

But I think Jon's sense of guilt also extends to the high expectations he sets for himself, his "moral superiority" in the face of his bastard status, as discussed in Part 1. He feels guilt pulling him in two different directions, in regards to Ygritte: guilt for loving her, for breaking his vows, and potentially risking a bastard, but also guilt for leaving her, for abandoning her, and potentially leaving her unprotected:

His guilt came back afterward, but weaker than before. If this is so wrong, he wondered, why did the gods make it feel so good? – ASOS, Jon III Ygritte was much in his thoughts as well. He remembered the smell of her hair, the warmth of her body... and the look on her face as she slit the old man's throat. You were wrong to love her, a voice whispered. You were wrong to leave her, a different voice insisted. He wondered if his father had been torn the same way, when he'd left Jon's mother to return to Lady Catelyn. He was pledged to Lady Stark, and I am pledged to the Night's Watch. – ASOS, Jon VI "I broke my vows with her. I never meant to, but..." It was wrong. Wrong to love her, wrong to leave her..."I wasn't strong enough. The Halfhand commanded me, ride with them, watch, I must not balk, I..." His head felt as if it were packed with wet wool. – ASOS, Jon VI

This guilt surrounding leaving the women/girls he cares about unprotected also extends to Arya. Yet it was his need to prove himself as something more than just a bastard, by joining the Watch, which initially prevents him from acting, and which also makes him feel guilt for being a hyprocrite:

Jon felt as stiff as a man of sixty years. Dark dreams, he thought, and guilt. His thoughts kept returning to Arya. There is no way I can help her. I put all kin aside when I said my words. If one of my men told me his sister was in peril, I would tell him that was no concern of his. Once a man had said the words his blood was black. Black as a bastard's heart. – ADWD, Jon VI

I think there is a lack of reconciliation between Jon and his bastard status, between what being a bastard implies in their society: lustful, deceitful, treacherous, more "worldly" etc. Deep down, subconsciously, Jon really rebels against it. You can see that rebellion more clearly in his memories as a younger child, less inhibited:

Every morning they had trained together, since they were big enough to walk; Snow and Stark, spinning and slashing about the wards of Winterfell, shouting and laughing, sometimes crying when there was no one else to see. They were not little boys when they fought, but knights and mighty heroes. "I'm Prince Aemon the Dragonknight," Jon would call out, and Robb would shout back, "Well, I'm Florian the Fool." Or Robb would say, "I'm the Young Dragon," and Jon would reply, "I'm Ser Ryam Redwyne." That morning he called it first. "I'm Lord of Winterfell!" he cried, as he had a hundred times before. Only this time, this time, Robb had answered, "You can't be Lord of Winterfell, you're bastard-born. My lady mother says you can't ever be the Lord of Winterfell." I thought I had forgotten that. Jon could taste blood in his mouth, from the blow he'd taken. – ASOS, Jon XII

But Jon knows this truth about himself, he knows that he has "always wanted it", and that causes him so much guilt because he can't allow himself to be selfish in that regard, because to do so would confirm for him his worst fears... that he truly is a bastard in nature as well as birth — treacherous, covetous, dishonourable.

Despair

As he grows up, learning to curb his emotional outbursts from AGOT, Jon appears more and more stoic upon the surface. But beneath that, buried in his subconscious in the form of dreams, you have this undyling feeling of despair, this trauma connected to his bastard status, his partially unknown heritage:

Not my mother, Jon thought stubbornly. He knew nothing of his mother; Eddard Stark would not talk of her. Yet he dreamed of her at times, so often that he could almost see her face. In his dreams, she was beautiful, and highborn, and her eyes were kind. – AGOT, Jon III

These recurring dreams, sometimes explicitly involving his unknown mother, sometimes not, represent a clear gap, a gaping blank in Jon's personal history and his perception of his identity:

"Sometimes I dream about it," he said. "I'm walking down this long empty hall. My voice echoes all around, but no one answers, so I walk faster, opening doors, shouting names. I don't even know who I'm looking for. Most nights it's my father, but sometimes it's Robb instead, or my little sister Arya, or my uncle." [...]

"Do you ever find anyone in your dream?" Sam asked.

Jon shook his head. "No one. The castle is always empty." He had never told anyone of the dream, and he did not understand why he was telling Sam now, yet somehow it felt good to talk of it. "Even the ravens are gone from the rookery, and the stables are full of bones. That always scares me. I start to run then, throwing open doors, climbing the tower three steps at a time, screaming for someone, for anyone. And then I find myself in front of the door to the crypts. It's black inside, and I can see the steps spiraling down. Somehow I know I have to go down there, but I don't want to. I'm afraid of what might be waiting for me. The old Kings of Winter are down there, sitting on their thrones with stone wolves at their feet and iron swords across their laps, but it's not them I'm afraid of. I scream that I'm not a Stark, that this isn't my place, but it's no good, I have to go anyway, so I start down, feeling the walls as I descend, with no torch to light the way. It gets darker and darker, until I want to scream." He stopped, frowning, embarrassed. "That's when I always wake." His skin cold and clammy, shivering in the darkness of his cell. Ghost would leap up beside him, his warmth as comforting as daybreak. He would go back to sleep with his face pressed into the direwolf's shaggy white fur. – AGOT, Jon IV

"That always scares me", he says quite tellingly. From this key passage, in particular, we can see that Jon feels a deep rooted despair at essentially being unclaimed, unwanted... being without a solid (Stark) identity around which to draw strength and mould himself. He's afraid of being a lone wolf, because as we all know, "the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives," (AGOT, Arya II).

This dream points him in the direction of the crypts — "somehow I know I have to go down there, but I don't want to" — which actually does have the answers he seeks because that is where Lyanna Stark is buried. Yet Jon is "afraid of what might be waiting for [him]", and wants to "scream" with dispair because of the darkness. So, this need for a confirmed identity is a double edged sword, which will no doubt be further complicated when his true parentage is revealed.

Elsewhere, Jon's dreams continue to have this despairing quality to them, often involving Winterfell, the Starks, and especially Ned, which is very interesting on a psychological level:

The grey walls of Winterfell might still haunt his dreams, but Castle Black was his life now, and his brothers were Sam and Grenn and Halder and Pyp and the other cast-outs who wore the black of the Night's Watch. – AGOT, Jon IV

Last night he had dreamt the Winterfell dream again. He was wandering the empty castle, searching for his father, descending into the crypts. Only this time the dream had gone further than before. In the dark he'd heard the scrape of stone on stone. When he turned he saw that the vaults were opening, one after the other. As the dead kings came stumbling from their cold black graves, Jon had woken in pitch-dark, his heart hammering. Even when Ghost leapt up on the bed to nuzzle at his face, he could not shake his deep sense of terror. He dared not go back to sleep. Instead he had climbed the Wall and walked, restless, until he saw the light of the dawn off to the east. It was only a dream. I am a brother of the Night's Watch now, not a frightened boy. – AGOT, Jon VII

But it is never "only a dream", is it?

And when at last he did sleep, he dreamt, and that was even worse. In the dream, the corpse he fought had blue eyes, black hands, and his father's face, but he dared not tell Mormont that. – AGOT, Jon VIII

Even Jon's conscious daydreams in AGOT revolve around his dispairing search for a solid identity:

When Jon had been Bran's age, he had dreamed of doing great deeds, as boys always did. The details of his feats changed with every dreaming, but quite often he imagined saving his father's life. Afterward Lord Eddard would declare that Jon had proved himself a true Stark, and place Ice in his hand. Even then he had known it was only a child's folly; no bastard could ever hope to wield a father's sword. Even the memory shamed him. What kind of man stole his own brother's birthright? I have no right to this, he thought, no more than to Ice. – AGOT, Jon VIII

A lot of these early dreams occur in A Game of Thrones, probably in response to his removal from Winterfell... his self exile. But later on in the series Jon continues to have dreams that tie him to the Starks and to Winterfell, ominous and sometimes despairing too. There's honestly too many instances to list, but if you want to understand the root of Jon's existential despair... it's in his dreams.

Cosmic Alienation

Cosmic alienation, now that's an interesting one in regards to Jon, since he definitely hasn't reached this state... yet. Life and his belief in the divine (the old gods) still hold meaning for him, but then he gets murdered by his black brothers. In the show, the writers hint at some cosmic alienation through Jon stating that he saw "nothing" whilst dead, but then they take it no further and generally do a piss poor job of post-res Jon. This characteristic of Manfred coming to the fore in Jon depends on what happens in The Winds of Winter, but I don't think it is at all that far fetched to assume that Jon will return to his body with a darker, altered perception of things.

Social Alienation

In Part 1, I discussed how Jon, like Byron's heroes, could be read as a "a rebel who stands apart from society and societal expectations." On a more psychological level, we can see how this Otherness, stemming from his bastard status, deeply affects Jon and his perception of himself and the world:

Benjen Stark gave Jon a long look. "Don't you usually eat at table with your brothers?"

"Most times," Jon answered in a flat voice. "But tonight Lady Stark thought it might give insult to the royal family to seat a bastard among them." – AGOT, Jon I

In his very first chapter, we see him quite literally alienated from the rest of his siblings, made to sit apart from them, an apparent necessity he seems fairly resigned to. Also in Part 1, I gave examples of instances in which Jon is mockingly called "Lord Snow," as well as a "rebel", "turncloak", "half-wildling", all of which serve to alienate him from the rest of the brothers of the Night's Watch.

Stannis gave a curt nod. "Your father was a man of honor. He was no friend to me, but I saw his worth. Your brother was a rebel and a traitor who meant to steal half my kingdom, but no man can question his courage. What of you?" – ASOS, Jon XI

The above interaction may seem on the surface to be about one thing — whether or not Jon will be of help to Stannis, offer him loyalty etc. — but tagged onto the end we have quite a poignant question: "what of you?" What are you, essentially. Who are you? The truth of his parentage may, in part, solve these questions... but it may also serve to alienate Jon from his perception of himself further. Ultimately, who exactly he is — what he believes in, who and what he fights for, etc. — will be solely his decision to make going forward.

So, the Byronic Hero, certainly in Manfred's case, but also in later iterations, is arguably traumatised by his own past. But regardless as to whether his trauma is related to a mysterious past, a secret sin, an unnamed crime, or incest, aka "secret knowledge", what is clear in Assaad's interpretation, is that the Byronic Hero is "living with the traumatic consequences of his own past and so suffers from PTSD." But why is Manfred traumatised, what is the specific cause of this trauma, or how might it reveal something deeper about Jon's own trauma? Now, here we come to the unavoidable... I'm going to start talking about Byronic incest and the pre-canon crush/kiss theory, and how it potentially parallels certain aspects of Manfred.

I should preface this by stating that I don't think Jon is suppressing trauma because he committed intentional incest with Sansa, but I do think (or at least somewhat theorise that) Byronic incest does come into play regarding his intense feelings of guilt and existential despair.

But still, stop reading now if are opposed to discussions of the pre-canon crush/kiss theory and the literary incest motif as a whole!

(Detail from The Funeral of Shelley, Louis Édouard Fournier, 1889)

Hey there to the depraved! If you aren't already familiar with the theory, here are some previous discussions/metas on the subject:

Full Blown Meta:

A Hidden and Forbidden Love by @princess-in-a-tower

Ask Answers (Long):

Jonsa as a more positive mirror to Jaime and Cersei? by @princess-in-a-tower, with additional comment by @jonsameta

Discussing the theory by @jonsameta

Evidence for pre-canon Jonsa? by @agentrouka-blog

Kissing in the godswood? by @agentrouka-blog

Why don't we read about Jon's reaction to Sansa and Tyrion? by @agentrouka-blog

More on Jon's supposed non-reaction by @agentrouka-blog, with additional comment made by @sherlokiness

A Jonsa "Unkiss"? by @fedonciadale

A hidden memory? by @fedonciadale

Sansa's misremembering by @fedonciadale

Descriptive parallels between A Song for Lya and Jonsa by @butterflies-dragons

Ask Answers (Short) & Briefer Mentions:

Jealous Jon by @princess-in-a-tower

Your new boyfriend looks like a girl by @butterflies-dragons

Like in Part 1, I've tried to cite as much as I could find, but as always, if anyone feels like I've missed someone important or that they should be included in the above list, please just drop me a line!

Now, it's a controversial theory, and not everyone's cup of tea — I think that's worth acknowledging! I myself am not wholly married to it, I'd be fine if it wasn't the case, but that being said, I can't in good faith ignore it when considering Lord Byron and the Byronic Hero. The incest is, unfortunately, very hard to ignore, both in his work and in his personal life. It's pretty hard to ignore in Manfred, for that matter, which is why I've held off talking about it... until now!

All aboard the Manfred incest train *choo choo* !!

First stop, Act II, scene one. Oh, wait, an annoucement from your conductor... apologies everyone, I purposely neglected to mention quite a key detail. Remember "Astarte! [Manfred's] beloved!", (II, iv, 136)? Yeah... it's heavily implied that Astarte is in fact Manfred's half-sister. *shoots finger guns* Classic Byron! *facepalms*

Oh, and that's not all! Let's consider the context surrounding the writing of this work for a moment, shall we? Unlike The Bride of Abydos (1813),* Manfred was written notably after the fallout of his incestuous affair with his half-sister, Augusta Leigh, composed whilst in a self-imposed exile. *spits out drink* Woah, woah there cowboy... what in tarnation?! EXILE?!

*As referenced in Part 1, @rose-of-red-lake has written an excellent meta on the influence of Lord Byron's work (and personal life) on Jonsa, paying special attention to the half-siblings turned cousins in The Bride of Abydos.

Although, as noted by rose-of-red-lake, The Bride of Abydos bears strong parallels to the potential romance of Jon and Sansa, as well as Byron’s own angst regarding his relationship with Augusta Leigh, the context surrounding Manfred seems... dare I say it, even more autobiographical. Because like Byron himself, Manfred wanders around the Bernese Alps, solitary and guilt ridden, in a state of exile heavily evocative of Byron's own — as I mentioned earlier, the beginnings of Manfred occured whilst Byron was staying at a villa on Lake Geneva, in Switzerland... the Bernese Alps are located in western Switzerland. In light of this, I think it's very understandable that some critics consider Manfred to be autobiographical, or even confessional. The unnamed but forbidden nature of Manfred's relationship to Astarte is believed to represent Byron's relationship with his half-sister Augusta. But what has that got to do with Jon?

Look, I don't know how else to put this:

Byron self-exiles in 1816, first to Switzerland, to Lake Geneva, where it is unseasonably cold and stormy — his departure from England is due to the collaspe of his marriage to Annabella Milbanke, unquestionably as a result of the rumours surrounding his incestuous affair with his half-sister.

Displaced nobleman Manfred wanders the Bernese Alps, in a kind of moral exile, where "the wind / Was faint and gusty, and the mountain snows / Began to glitter with the climbing moon" (III, iii, 46-48), traversing "on snows, where never human foot / Of common mortal trod" (II, iii, 4-5), surrounded by a "glassy ocean of the mountain ice" (II, iii, 7). He feels extreme, but unexplained guilt surrounding the death of his "beloved" Astarte, who is heavily implied to also be his half-sister.

In A Game of Thrones, Jon Snow chooses to join the Night's Watch, with the reminder that "once you have taken the black, there is no turning back" (AGOT, Jon VI). By taking the black, Jon arguably exiles himself from the rest of the Starks, from Winterfell, to a place that "looked like nothing more than a handful of toy blocks scattered on the snow, beneath the vast wall of ice" (AGOT, Jon III). But we aren't given any indication that he does this due to incestuous feelings regarding a "radiant" half-sister, akin to Byron/Manfred, are we? And it's not like we have several Manfreds/Manfryds AND Byrons namedropped within the text, is it? Oh wait... we do. *grabs GRRM in a chokehold*

What the hell, George?!

(Lord Byron on His Deathbed, Joseph Denis Odevaere, c. 1826)

But lets get back on track here and take a closer look at that section of Manfred I mentioned at the beginning — Act II, scene one, aka the part where all the incest and supressed trauma really JUMPS out.

So, early in Act II, in the chamois hunter's abode (a chamois is a type of goat?), according Assaad's analysis, Manfred is "hyper-aroused by a cup of wine." The wine is offered in an attempt to calm Manfred; however, to the chamois hunter's great dismay, it instead agitates him and makes him utter words which are "strange" (II, i, 35). Rather than wine, Manfred sees "blood on the brim" (II, i, 25). His sudden agitation and erratic behaviour confound the chamois hunter, who observes that Manfred is losing his mind: "thy senses wander from thee" (II, i, 27). Assaad's analysis of this scene, which she believes "is the most revelatory in the entire play" discloses "a bitter truth: Manfred's traumatic past informs his present life."

We might compare this with Jon, in particular, how his dreams reveal certain bitter truths to do with his past, now subconsciously informing his present. I've already looked a bit at his crypt dream from AGOT, Jon IV, but we see a sort of recurrence of this dream again in ASOS, Jon VIII. The imagery of being in a crypt, somewhere underground, buried, in the dark, a place of ghosts and spirits, is extremely evocative. Indeed, to go back to Byron's own description of Manfred, the setting of a crypt is extremely suggestive of certain bitter truths "left half unexplained", of secrets buried... and we know that's true because the secret of Jon's parentage is hidden down there, in the form of Lyanna Stark.

He dreamt he was back in Winterfell, limping past the stone kings on their thrones. Their grey granite eyes turned to follow him as he passed, and their grey granite fingers tightened on the hilts of the rusted swords upon their laps. You are no Stark, he could hear them mutter, in heavy granite voices. There is no place for you here. Go away. He walked deeper into the darkness. "Father?" he called. "Bran? Rickon?" No one answered. A chill wind was blowing on his neck. "Uncle?" he called. "Uncle Benjen? Father? Please, Father, help me." Up above he heard drums. They are feasting in the Great Hall, but I am not welcome there. I am no Stark, and this is not my place. His crutch slipped and he fell to his knees. The crypts were growing darker. A light has gone out somewhere. "Ygritte?" he whispered. "Forgive me. Please." But it was only a direwolf, grey and ghastly, spotted with blood, his golden eyes shining sadly through the dark... – ASOS, Jon VIII

I don't think it's outlandish to state that, unquestionably, Jon's bastard identity is a source of ongoing pain for him. I talked about the theme of despair in Jon's characterisation and it is very evident in the above, and it stems from this "bitter truth" of not being a trueborn Stark, of not being "welcome", or having a true place. The emotions/mindset this trauma, concerning his birth and identity, evokes in Jon is arguably what brings him, on first glance, so closely in line with the Byronic Hero:

Their grey granite eyes turned to follow him as he passed / The crypts were growing darker = A mysterious past / secret sin(s)

You are no Stark / I am no Stark = Deeply jaded

There is no place for you here / I am not welcome there / This is not my place = standing apart from society and societal expectations / social alienation

He dreamt he was back in Winterfell / He walked deeper into the darkness = Moody / misery in his heart

He fell to his knees / Forgive me = Guilt

He walked deeper into the darkness / Please, Father, help me / He fell to his knees = Despair

These aren't all the Byronic characteristics I've addressed in relation to Jon, but it is a substantial percentage of them, all encapsulated, in one way or another, within this singular dream passage. As far as what is fairly explicit in the text, being a bastard is Jon's "bitter truth", it is the "traumatic past inform[ing] his present life." But what is Manfred's "bitter truth", what past trauma is informing his present? And can it reveal a bit more about another layer to Jon's trauma? Because there is a key distinction — Manfred's trauma, his PTSD, stems from a specific event, notably triggered by the (imagined) "blood on the brim" of his wine, whereas for Jon, we have no singular event, we have no momentus experience, we just have this "truth."

As mentioned previously, Assaad has recognised the character of Manfred as displaying symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In Assaad's article, she remarks that "an experience is denoted as traumatic if it completely overwhelms the individual, rendering him or her helpless," and this is quite evident in the interaction between Manfred and the chamois hunter. Sharon Stanley, an educator and clinical psychotherapist, writes that "the word trauma has been used to describe a variety of aversive, overwhelming experiences with long-term, destructive effects on individuals and communities."

So, if trauma is related to an experience, or experiences, is it still accurate to say that Jon experiences trauma, connected to being a bastard? Because there is seemingly no singular or defining root experience, or event that it stems from, it just is… it is a compellation of several moments, revealed to the reader through Jon’s memories and/or dreams. What is being "left half unexplained” here?

Assaad makes reference to the American Psychiatric Association's definition of PTSD, in which it observes that for an individual to be diagnosed with PTSD, they have to suffer from one or more intrustion symptoms, one or more avoidance symptoms, two or more negative alterations, and two or more hyperarousal symptoms. The dreams Jon has certainly suggest something, but it seems like a stretch to say that, like Manfred, he is suffering from PTSD, right? We and Jon are very much aware that he is "no Stark", at least not in the sense that he is Ned's trueborn son, this isn’t something Jon is actively suppressing. By comparison, it is incontrovertible that Manfred committed something in the past, which he deeply wishes to forget and disassociate from:

Man. I say ’tis blood—my blood! the pure warm stream Which ran in the veins of my fathers, and in ours When we were in our youth, and had one heart, And loved each other as we should not love, And this was shed: but still it rises up, Colouring the clouds, that shut me out from heaven, Where thou art not—and I shall never be. C. Hun. Man of strange words, and some half—maddening sin

(II, i, 28-35)

However, we cannot be sure what this traumatic point of origin is, though we know that it is related to something he has done to his beloved Astarte, which subsequently led to her death. Many critics have suggested that his sin is that of incest, and as I noted earlier, that Manfred as a whole is more than just a bit autobiographical and/or confessional in nature. Manfred's incestuous sin therefore re-enacts Byron's incest with his half-sister Augusta. But regardless of the true cause, Manfred is traumatised by his past and cannot overcome it. Is there something in Jon’s past, that may have subconsciously, or consciously, influenced his departure to the Wall — his self exile — which he cannot overcome, and which is closely tied to the issue of and pain he feels due to being a bastard, not just the illegitimacy, but also the negative characteristics it assigns? Is there an event, or experience, we can pinpoint as the origin of Jon’s trauma and potential PTSD?

To circle back to Jonsa, there is some, not unfounded, debate amongst us concerning the validity of the pre-canon crush/kiss theory. I've always found it an interesting theory, but until now, I haven't really given it too much thought. In light of the Byron connection, however, as well as the textual analysis I have for Part 3, I think this scenario, as detailed by agentrouka-blog, seems more and more likely. And I don't say that lightly, I really don't. It is a somewhat uncomfortable speculation to make, even if the interaction was more innocent rather than explicit (this is the side I firmly fall down on), however, it’s ambiguity does potentially parallel Byron’s Manfred and Astarte. This post would be even longer if I included my side-by-side text comparisons, so you may have to trust me for the moment that there are some very striking similarities between Act II, scene I of Manfred, and Jon's milk of the poppy induced dream in ASOS, Jon VI, as well as the actual buildup to that vision.

But, that sounds frankly terrible doesn't it? And it doesn't bode well for his future relationship with Sansa, does it? And what does it mean if Jon is suffering from PTSD due to an incestuous encounter with Sansa? What does that mean for Sansa, Sansa who is doggedly abused and mistreated by men within the present narrative? This is awful, why would GRRM root their romance in something traumatic? Oh I hear you, and these are questions I needed to ask myself whilst compiling this. But you see... now bear with me here... it isn't the actual encounter itself that was traumatic, for either Jon or Sansa, and that is reflected in both their POVs, because, though they think about each other sparingly (explicitly at least), it is never done so negatively. No, the potential PTSD Jon suffers from this experience isn't connected to Sansa, to whatever occured between them. Rather, I believe, it's connected to either the fear, or the reality, that Ned, his assumed father, saw and/or caught him (either Sansa had left at this point, or didn't fully grasp the issue), and this fear, this guilt, this sense of despair, is made evident in this passage:

When the dreams took him, he found himself back home once more, splashing in the hot pools beneath a huge white weirwood that had his father’s face. Ygritte was with him, laughing at him, shedding her skins till she was naked as her name day, trying to kiss him, but he couldn’t, not with his father watching. He was the blood of Winterfell, a man of the Night’s Watch. I will not father a bastard, he told her. I will not. I will not. “You know nothing, Jon Snow,” she whispered, her skin dissolving in the hot water, the flesh beneath sloughing off her bones until only skull and skeleton remained, and the pool bubbled thick and red. – ASOS, Jon VI

That's the traumatic experience, I believe, not the kiss — yep, I strongly suspect there was a kiss. Moreover, Jon's recurring assertion, throughout the series, that he "will not father a bastard" is tied to this in some way, it’s tied to Ned, it’s tied to some sense of guilt and shame. It’s not tied to Sansa. But we'll look at this passage, what it means, what it parallels, and what directly precedes it, in comparison to Manfred, a lot more closely next time.

I'll leave you with a slight teaser though — the parallel that made me really sit up and take notice:

C. Hun. Well, sir, pardon me the question, And be of better cheer. Come, taste my wine; 'Tis of an ancient vintage; many a day 'T has thaw’d my veins among our glaciers, now Let it do thus for thine. Come, pledge me fairly. Man. Away, away! there’s blood upon the brim! Will it then never—never sink in the earth?

(II, i, 21-26)

Note this imagery!!!

Maester Aemon poured it full. "Drink this."

Jon had bitten his lip in his struggles. He could taste blood mingled with the thick, chalky potion. It was all he could do not to retch it back up. – ASOS, Jon VI

In both instances, a drink is offered, with "blood upon the brim", and "blood mingled". In Manfred's case, this is an explicit trigger for him, whereas for Jon? Well, it bit more hidden, a bit more buried, but this moment is, to my mind, the catalyst, because its imagery strongly evokes the colours of the weirwood tree — "blood" red and "chalky" white — you know, the "huge white weirwood" he later on envisions.

*spits out drink*

Maybe the magnitude of this parallel isn't completely evident as of yet, but it will be... or at least I hope it will be, so stay tuned for Part 3!

(Starting to run out of Byron pics so... I dunno, here's Rupert Everret, from The Scandalous Adventures of Lord Byron, 2009)

In Conclusion

To summarise, why is the Manfred connection so monumental to me? Why do I find the pre-canon kiss theory, specifically the scenario detailed by agentrouka-blog, now very hard to dismiss? Because:

The nine (!) Manfreds/Manfryds included within the text, as well as the two Byrons, one of which, the first mentioned in fact, first appears in Sansa's POV. But crucicially the direct link made by GRRM between Byron Swann and Manfred Swann.

The strength of the similarities that can be observed between Jon and the Byronic Hero, but also notably to Byron's Manfred, the "Byronic hero par excellence", according to Assaad. Especially the recurring emotions of guilt and despair, the latter exemplified perhaps most clearly in Jon's dreams.

The prominent theme of self-exile to escape something, something that perhaps cannot be openly stated, present in Manfred, Byron's own life, and Jon's narrative.

Those pesky half-sisters: Augusta, Astarte, and Sansa.

The PTSD symptoms clearly present in Manfred, but left "half unexplained", and seemingly not explained at all in Jon's POV — I'll dig more into this in Part 3.

The "blood upon the brim", and "blood mingled" — more on that in Part 3, I hope you guys like in depth imagery analysis!

Obviously, this is all still just speculation on my part, and it's speculation in connection to a theory that is understandably controversial. I'd be happy to dismiss it... if it weren't for the above. So, I suppose I'm in two minds about it. On the one hand, however you look at it, it's more trauma in an already traumatic series... which is *sighs* not what you want for the characters you care strongly about. But on the other hand, that literary connection to Manfred (and by extension to actual Lord Byron), the way it's lining up, plus that comparison GRRM himself made between Jon and the Byronic Hero... that's all very compelling and interesting to me as a reader, as a former English literature student. So, I don't want it to be true because... incest hell. But then, I also want it to be true because then it makes me feel smart for guessing correctly.

But anyway, we're going to be descending into incest hell in Part 3, so... we'll just have to grapple with that when we come to it. I hope, if you stuck with it till the incesty end, that you enjoyed this post!

Stay tuned ;)

Bibliography of Academic Sources:

American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edn (Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, 2013); online edition at www.dsm5.org

Assaad, Lara, "'My slumbers—if I slumber—are not sleep': The Byronic Hero’s Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder", The Byron Journal 47, no. 2 (2019): 153–163.

Byron, George Gordon Noel, Byron’s Letters and Journals. Ed. Leslie A. Marchand. 12 vols. London: Murray, 1973–82.

Holland, Tom, "Undead Byron", in Byromania: Portraits of the Artist in Nineteenth- and Twentieth- Century Culture, ed. by Frances Wilson (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2000).

MacDonald, D. L. "Narcissism and Demonality in Byron’s 'Manfred'", Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal 25, no. 2 (1992): 25–38.

Stanley, Sharon, Relational and Body-Centered Practices for Healing Trauma: Lifting the Burdens of the Past (London: Routledge, 2016)

Twitchell, James B., The Living Dead: A Study of the Vampire in Romantic Literature (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1981).

[terrm9]

Here you go, Terezka💚 Because 13 is my lucky # 🍀 “i’m not worthy of anybody’s love.” “that’s not true, you’re worthy of mine.” followed by the lover breaking eye-contact… + a love confession (if you feel like doing it and in any form you like😉) I was aiming for e & c because I miss Chiara damn much!🥺 but I really leave it up to you...if you feel it better for l & t, just do it. I'll take whatever your brilliant mind comes up with🥰 Please&thank you🌻

thank you so much, darling! <3 fluffy domestic E & C (and maybe a bit of Matilda?) ahead!

Senza un perché / Amo soltanto te

(Without a reason / I only love you)

It has been one of those beautiful, calm evenings. The air finally warm enough for the couple the enjoy their dinner on a balcony, the rush and stress of work left behind for a while. Topics of their conversation light, jokes said and laughs shared and Chiara couldn't stop smiling with how happy, how content, she was. They were.

At least until the moment Ethan asked the question that has changed the air around them, between them; the question that has led to the conversation that lacks jokes and laughs, that is rather filled with vulnerability and doubts.

"Do you think I can do that?"

A quiet question, asked between the sips of his whiskey. Almost casual, if only it wasn't accompanied by a deep frown.

"Do what?" Chiara asks back, confusion visible on her face.

"Being a father."

A wholehearted laugh that follows eases the tension in his shoulders a little bit, Chiara's faith in him almost too overwhelming at times - and surely misplaced, he knows. Had always known. And now there are two people he loves that he could let down.

"Bold of you to put it as if you already weren't one," she grins, only swallowing a remark about the worst fucking heatburn of her life ("caused by your daughter!") because she sees how strained his own chuckle is.

They have been through the variations of this conversation several times. Chiara has always told Ethan the same - that the fact that he worries about being a good parent already makes him one. Today is no different.

"It's just-" Ethan begins and immediately stops himself, taking another sip of his drink, his eyes following the horizon, the purple and orange of a summer sunset. "With Louise and all that... It has always been so easy to believe that I am not worthy of anybody's love," he shrugs, still avoiding Chiara's gaze.

"What is she hates me?" he whispers after a long while, the back of his neck flushed - and it makes Chiara's heart break to see that he not only fears such a ridiculous thing, he is also embarassed to share his worries.

"That's not true," Chiara mutters, taking his hand into her own, tugging on it until he finally meets her eyes. "You are worthy of mine," she smiles and pulls his hand closer so that it rests on her swollen belly, in which Matilda makes sure she is being noticed. "And you are worthy of hers."

Ethan blinks once, twice, three times but it does little to help - he cannot hold Chiara's gaze, so open and full of the love she is talking about. He tears his eyes away and looks down at their interwined hands, wondering if his daughter's eyes will be just as green, as open and as loving as Chiara's - he hopes so.

"I love you so much," he murmurs before looking up again and smiling at Chiara. "And you. I will always take care of you both, you know?"

"I know," Chiara nods, reaching out to caress his jaw gently, knowing that no more words need to be shared. "And you could start now by making me a popcorn? My mom says it helps with the heatburn."

Ethan laughs and shakes his head, but is already standing up, getting back inside to make the damn popcorn.

"Some people say that if a woman suffers from heatburn, the baby will have terribly huge amount of hair!" Chiara calls after him, fully expecting him to reprimand her for believing in such tales.

"Well, I know how to braid hair, so I think we are good," Ethan chuckles back.

***

The title is inspired by (yes you guess it right) Bocelli's song Amo soltanto te

Heatburn is the biggest bitch of pregnancy

I am not sure what this is, I wrote it in 20 minutes in between of studying to distract myself a bit so sorry if it's thrash

It's definitely not a micro story like I promised it would be ooops sorry

Ethan knows how to braid hair because Chiara cannot sleep with her hair loose and one time she broke her wrist and couldn't braid her hair herself so Ethan had to learn

I am fully aware of Ethan maybe being too soft and OOC in this but man, nothing is as OOC as canon version of Ethan in book 3 and I am not even paid for writing him so I will post it anyway

Tags in reblog <3

[archesa]

Love 12 & Domestic 9 for Anwen/Trahearne?

Thanks for the ask! I can't have enough of Anwen/Trahearne fluff!! 🥰🥰🥰

Love - 12 : What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

Anwen has fully embraced the sylvari term of endearment "dearheart", which she finds fittingly sweet and poetic for Trahearne. She might also let a few "honey" slip (mainly to make that incorrect quote canon ^^ but also as a loving allusion to his eyes, and a little confidence boost regarding *very minor spoilers* the change of colour of his glow post-Mordremoth).

As for Trahearne, "dearheart" applies, out of cultural habit, if that makes sense, but he also uses the variation "dear one", and "my friend" is quite naturally replaced with "my love".

They also occasionally resort to their old titles, Commander and Marshal, if they happen to be in anyone's presence other than that of close friends. They're not secretive about their relationship, persay, but come what may, it might be of use to remind some of their status and what they've already accomplished and would be able to do, should shadow rise again. (not spoiler alert at all, it will! their retirement from public affairs doesn't last as long as they'd wish!)

Domestic - 9 : Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Trick question ^^ The answer is both!

Depending on what they have to do in the morning, and the urgency of aforementioned tasks, it really could be either, luring the other to bed for cuddles/a few extra hours of sleep ^^

Bonus point for Trahearne who as a huge advantage when it comes to dragging Anwen back to bed. Nope, not even mentioning the fact that he’s now twice as tall as her, which is an advantage. Not mentioning that either, you naughties! 😏

Nah I mean that :

(All due credit to @novakricff for this beauty! I don’t know how to insert images from another blog to an answer to an ask T_T)

How could you refuse anything to this man?

Well Anwen can’t for sure! (and that’s not a reason she can exactly give to her sparring partner for her more than frequent tardiness to training sessions! )

As for staying in bed in general, but not necessarily sleeping (still not that 😏😉 ), it’s Trahearne! No doubt!

In the weeks and months following the campaign of Maguuma and his rescue from the Heart of Thorns, he comes to appreciate the luxury of a quiet, lazy day.

Even with appropriate care and healing it takes some time for his legs to recover from his forced fusion to Mordremoth and prolonged stay in that pod, so a lot of these days are spent reading, writing or studying in bed, far away from the agitation of the outside world lest there were yet another end of the world crisis.

Leaning on Trahearne's shoulder, reading poetry, marking thesis for scholars who'd hope to make Orr their chosen subject of study or raging together against a blattant translation mistake in the analysis of some ancient artifact, while buried in the safety of a sturdy pillow fort seems to have a wonderful effect of Anwen's "can't sit still or I'll explode" dicease ^^