#it bears repeating bc it is true it has to be

[official-lauchzwiebel]

Love Aziraphale's and Crowley's view of how they think humans (can) fall in love bc it's so unrealistic. Both quote media as their source (movie+books). They might subconsciously bring in their own experiences (crowley and shelter from the rain) or wishes (aziraphale and dancing), yet in real life these things seldomly make people fall for each other or realise their feelings.

Nina and Maggie get this - they see their relationship in a realistic light. They communicate (!). They draw their boundaries and state what they want or do not want at that moment.

Aziraphale and Crowley are stuck because they cannot communicate properly. They rely on signs and 'old dances', as others have mentioned already. They cannot make the switch to communicating successfully. After 6000 years of not telling the other in no uncertain terms how they feel, they are still so afraid to take that final leap. Maybe they don't even know how to do it.

So they stick with the fairytales. Sheltering and dancing. And - in the end when Crowley has lost nearly all hope he had for Aziraphale agreeing to his proposal (for it was a proposal of sorts) - he does the last thing they talked about when they spoke about their love-scheme. He kisses Aziraphale.

He's showing all of his cards, putting everything, every feeling of doubt and joy and longing and sadness and anger and love into it.

It is not reciprocated (or only for the teeniest moment).

A kiss cannot save a relationship that is doomed. It cannot make them overlook all the problems and decisions they're facing.

It is just this - one movie kiss. And it is not even good.

It doesn't work in the real world, and Crowley gets this now.

There's no hope left.

'Don't bother.'

(Also, the fact that this IS a fantasy series really adds another layer. Slay.)

[galedekarios]

gale & karlach

i think out of all the dynamics between the companions, i've come to enjoy gale and karlach the most over my time with the game. karlach especially bc she's the only one who genuinely seems to care about and for gale.

she repeatedly checks in on him after the orb reveal and doesn't turn it into a joke about slurping carrots, or sipping wine, or wanting him to be gone entirely from the group.

not only does she advocate for him to stay three times, depending on which dialogue path you pick:

gale's background story reveal & the reveal about the netherese orb

Karlach: Come on. We all have our secrets - and our risks. If Gale leaves, we might as well disband completely. - Karlach: Absolutely. We're all risky in our own ways. We stick together anyway. Right? - Karlach: If having dangerous, otherworldly objects stuck in your skin is wrong, then Gale and I both have to go. We're not really splitting up, are we?

but she's also the only one who repeatedly asks him throughout the game how he is doing, to make sure how he's faring, both in general and with his debilitating condition:

act 2 - shadow-cursed lands banter

Karlach: Doing all right, Gale? Gale: Oh, you know... Still alive and kicking, despite being surrounded on all sides by an endless manifestation of darkness and decay... devnote: Almost with a sigh. That's just how things are - Grim humour to it. Karlach: I feel it too. Here if you need a pick-me-up.

act 3 - after mystra stabilised the orb

Karlach: How's the orb treating you, Gale? Gale: Oh, quite well as a matter of fact. Since it was stabilised, it's been humming along nicely. Gale: I have noticed one adverse side-effect. I seem to be losing hair in some, er, unexpected places. Karlach: I can only imagine.

i think it really bears repeating/stressing that no other companion does this. not one checks in on gale like karlach does, after his affliction has become known to his companions - with the exception of the protag potentially.

karlach also arguably has the strongest reaction in response to mystra's demands in act 2, showing again her care for gale, as well as her protective side:

Karlach: Aw, was that Gale's granddad? Player: That was Elminster Aumar - the most famous wizard in the realms. Karlach: Huh. Doesn't ring a bell. But all right! Must've had something important to say to Gale, if he came all this way. Good news, I hope. Player: I don't think it was. It turns out Gale has an explosive bomb in his chest - and Mystra has asked him to use it to blow up the heart of the Absolute. Karlach: Whoa, now. He's got a... well, I guess that would explain a little, but... Mystra... I mean, this is a lot to take in. Karlach: What's he going to do? - Player - Option 1: I think he's going to follow through with it. Karlach: Fuck me. There's devotion, and then there's stupidity. If the god of magic can't handle this without sacrificing Gale, she's no god at all. - Player - Option 2: I don't think he'd do that to himself, even if Mystra commanded it. Karlach: Good. I'm one hundred percent sure there's another way to bring down this cult. No true god would ask such a thing from her faithful. That's for certain. Karlach: Poor Gale. He must be in bits after hearing that. I'll distract him. Tell him I haven't read a book since secondary school, watch his face melt off. - Player - Option 3: I'm not sure. I think he's of several minds. Karlach: Well, tell him to pick the right one. Better yet, I'll do it. Fucking wizards, man! They always need help picking the simple, obvious option. Karlach: If Mystra can't think of another way to stop the Absolute than sacrificing Gale, she's no god worth worshipping. I'll say that to Gale - in, you know, gentle terms. - Player - Option 4: You know that bomb in Gale's chest? Mystra has asked him to use it to explode the heart of the Absolute. Karlach: She what?! Is she mad?! - Player - Option 5: Don't worry about it. Karlach: Karlach doesn't worry, she acts. So if Gale needs me, now's the time to tell me.

i particularly like that last response bc it really echoes throughout her relationship with gale ("karlach doesn't worry, she acts. so if gale needs me, now's the time to tell me.").

their banters are often playful, but also genuine. both karlach and gale tease each other, they joke with each other, showing how comfortable they are with each other despite their many differences, but there are also moments of understanding and care between them, allowing them to emphasise with each other:

Karlach: Man, it's good to be home. First round on who? Gale: She who thirsts buys drinks the first. devnote: Like it's a well-known saying Karlach: You won't pin me down with a rhyme, wizard! devnote: Jockeying with Gale (prob supposed to be Joking with Gale) Gale: She who declines gets the worst of the wines.

Karlach: Just when I was getting used to the sky again... Gale: Fear not, Karlach. Sun, moon and stars will still be there waiting for us. devnote: Reassuring Karlach: Meanwhile, this place is pretty spectacular, isn't it? Gale: No book or painting could ever do its strange beauty justice. But perhaps our stories might, when we return to the surface. devnote: Agreeing with Karlach, enjoying the sense of wonder as you explore

Gale: I've always felt flames to be a rather perfect expression of love, Karlach. Gale: Passionate, primal, capable of bestowing the most life-affirming comfort, or inflicting the profoundest damage. devnote: Listing the qualities of fire, Romantic, indulging in the poetry of the image Karlach: That's... pretty nice. Never thought about it like that. But now I will.

Karlach: Wouldn't mind a dancing axe of my own. Gale: A simple movement charm wouldn't be too hard to apply to such an object. I could conjure one up for you if you like? Karlach: Yes! I like! Gale: Very wel then. Once the city is saved, Karlach's Kinetic Cleaver will be first on my list.

Karlach: So, Gale - got any book recommendations for me?devnote: With concern Gale: You can read?! devnote: Taking the piss - knows full well Karlach can read, and that she's always claimed not to enjoy it Karlach: Very funny. Yes - I can read. School put me off big boring tomes. Sometimes I wonder what I'm missing. devnote: Friendly rather than flirtatious Gale: Say no more - I'll find the perfect book for you. I might even lend it to you from my library in Waterdeep. devnote: Jumping on the opportunity to give a book recommendation (a favourite hobby) Karlach: Ooh! Something with magic, please. And no devils.

even at his most vulnerable moments, karlach is there to support him:

before the stormshore tabernacle audience with mystra

Karlach: You can do this, Gale. And I'll be right here when you're done.

she allows herself to be protective of him and get angry on his behalf not after when it comes to mystra, but also when he is potentially kidnapped by orin:

karlach's reaction to gale being kidnapped

Karlach: That bloody freak won't get away with this. That's my wizard she took. And we're going to get him back.

once again, it's a good callback to her previous line: "karlach doesn't worry, she acts. so if gale needs me, now's the time to tell me."

she's willing to be needed by him - and he does need her. whether that is as a friend, or (if you chose to play so during an origin pt) as a romantic partner. it's a lovely dynamic either way.

[mothiir]

yknow what??? fuck it. im not even gonna turn on anon. IM NOT EVEN GONNA DO IT!! because at this point you'd clock my ass a nautical mile off for who it is just bc im gonna ask for exactly what you caught me for on anon LAST TIME.

SO,,,, haha,,,, heyyyy mothiiiiir,,,, pllllleeeasse more nasty ass rabbit/emp headcanonnns OR writing or anything,, you always cook and im one starving ass loser.

thank you ily and your writing once again ok ok ok BYEEE

cw: angst, not what you intended but this got me thinking about the emperor and then uh. we got this. not set in the little rabbit verse, which will soon become obvious. playing loose with the canon timelines because i don’t know exactly how the burning of monarchia went down.

—

—

Monarchia burns — and three days later, Guilliman and his sons make planet fall.

—

It takes a great deal to surprise a Primarch, and yet here Guilliman is, blinking at the charred rubble of your former capital, struggling to find words.

“Say that again,” he says, at length. You sit up from your prostrated position, lifting your head just enough to address his shins rather than the ground.

“There is no penance great enough for the crime we have committed against the Emperor and the Imperium,” you say, your voice soft, but ringing clear. “There is no punishment that we do not deserve for such blatant defiance of the Imperial Truth. I can state that we were misled — which is true — and that we were ignorant, but that is no excuse. All I can say is that when I discovered that my Lord Husband was acting in defiance of the Emperor’s wishes, I acted as swiftly as I could to remedy it.”

It makes even less sense the second time around. The once-glorious city is wreathed in flames; the sun blotted out by a miasma of smoke. The same story is repeated across the entire planet. A revolution almost overnight — temples torn down, idols cast into the sea, believers put to the sword. The few Word Bearers that remained had died at their posts; they had slaughtered thousands of their kinsman, but died all the same. Bears torn down by hounds.

“You did this,” he says. You shake your head minutely. Your hair — once a glorious braid almost to your waist, always ornamented with some fancy that Lorgar had gifted you — has been chopped into an unkempt bob around your shoulders. Guilliman vaguely remembers a tale amongst Lorgar’s adopted people: of a queen who had lost a great battle, and shorn her locks in penance.

“No my lord. I did nothing. My people acted against the rot in our ranks. They carved it out.”

“Millions have died.”

“It is no great loss that those who would espouse the evils of theology perish,” you say, your voice as flat and featureless as a windless sea. “All I ask is that those that remain…”

For a moment, emotion returns to your voice, colouring it.

“All I ask is that some of them be spared. Please.”

You lift your face for the first time since his arrival. Your lips are lined with blood, shadows hung beneath eyes sunk deep into their sockets. In the space of three days, you seem to have aged decades — from a fresh-faced woman in the bloom of youth, to a crone who has seen the ending of all that she loves.

—

The seas do not boil. The sky does not burn. Another battle is brought to a shuddering, decisive end as the Ultramarines join on the side of your rebels — no, you cannot think of them as such. They are not rebels; they are vindicated. They are fighting for the truth, for what is right and good. They are crusaders.

You — you are not a crusader. You are not sure what to call yourself. Lorgar called you a goddess; a title that always disquieted you, but you accepted it, for his eyes shone so when he looked at you, and he made love to you as though you were the only thing that mattered. Now, you have lost count of the number of men and women who have died for referring to you as such.

You are not a widow either. Your husband lives, though you do not know where he is. Once, Lorgar pressed his hand to your chest and felt the thrum of your heart against his palm and said that no matter where you went there was a golden cord that bound your heart to his; that no void nor fire could split asunder what was joined in love.

You dream that you wind a golden chain around your hands, pull it taut, and bite until your teeth chip, until your tongue bleeds, until it frays into dust on your lips.

—

When you meet the Emperor, you press your forehead to the cinder-warm flagstones that used to be a marketplace, and you wait for death. You know, in a distant dreamy sort of way, that you should be afraid, but you are not. You accepted your death what seems like a lifetime ago — in reality, it is less than four days since you gave the order to start burning the temples.

The irony of it all. People answered your call to arms, to not-so-holy war, because you are Lorgar’s bride, because you are the woman once called goddess. And what did you do with the power that he gave you? You ordered that his greatest works be destroyed.

But what else could you have done?

Colchis is your home. And in his arrogance — in his endless childish arrogance — Lorgar would have let it burn to ash rather than do as he had been bid. Did he truly believe his father a god? If so, why would he not obey his commandments as soon as they were given?

Thinking this way hurts you — not only because it stirs anger like a wounded animal in your breast, but because it throws into stark relief how Lorgar’s mind contained chasms and corners you never saw. How even though you gave yourself to him as completely as a woman can, he always kept parts of himself hidden from you — but you will not waste time delving into that labyrinth. His beliefs are inconsequential. Only the facts matter. Lorgar worshipped his father as a god. Lorgar was told to stop. Lorgar did not.

You visited the day of judgement upon Colchis before the Emperor got the chance, betting everything on a single desperate gesture. You do not regret it, though you will dream of the dying wails of your people until the end of your days. If you had not acted, all would have died. Now, maybe — just maybe — some may live.

“The girl acted in the best interests of her people,” the Emperor says, and it is only then that you realise precisely what was happening: he was rifling around in your head, subtly enough that you could not see the intrusion; mistaking his exploration for an ill-timed moment of navel-gazing. All at once, pain rushes into your knees and thighs, knife-like cramps. How long have you been kneeling there?

Then, inexplicably, a wash of frustration: girl, he calls you. Girl. You are staring down your third decade of life — nothing for one such as him, of course, but really.

Girl. You carved out your still-warm heart and laid it on a flaming altar and he refers to you as girl.

“Stand,” he says, and you obey, fighting the hysterical urge to snort with laughter — you’re exhausted, swooning, and starting to feel the after-effects of the universe’s most powerful psyker reading your thoughts. Blood drips down your chin. “I am satisfied with the efforts of your loyal Imperial citizens against the primitive cultists.”

“Thank you my lord,” you say, keeping your gaze fixed on the ground — thus missing entirely the swift, puzzled look Guilliman gives you, for ‘I am satisfied’ is more praise than the Emperor normally gives anyone.

(And perhaps it is just a trick of the light, or the wild shadows cast by the afterglow of battle, but Guilliman swears that just for a moment his father smiles.)

“Heracles,” says the Emperor, addressing one of the gigantic golden sentinels standing to attention beside him. “You will escort her aboard the Bucephalus. We will speak further when I have dealt with my son.”

The golden sentinel inclines her head, and you try your best to stay upright, your legs shaky as a newborn colt. You do not think of what the Emperor will do to Lorgar; you cannot.

“It goes without saying,” says the Emperor, almost as an afterthought. “But your marriage to him is annulled.”

Eight years. Your life; your heart; that golden cord. What love has joined together, none may tear asunder - except that is not true, was never true.

“Yes my lord,” you say.

[horizon-verizon]

Not people jumping to blame DAEMON'S influence for Jace calling bastards "mongrels." When has Daemon EVER been bastardphobic? His attitudes towards Jace's parentage include some possible jealousy while he and Laena were both being good natured about it, seeming kind of proud of Rhaenyra when she admitted it, seeming pretty enthusiastic about wedding his daughters to "bastards", and literally killing a man for insulting Rhaenyra and her boys. I just simply don't get where this "Daemon is a blood supremacist" (more than any other noble is) comes from when he gives no fuck aside from jealousy about Rhaenyra "sullying" their Valyrian blood with Strong blood and putting her bastards on their precious dragons. Alicent is the most likely source of Jace's internalized insecurities (because that's what that was) so why do people keep pretending otherwise? Am I missing something?

I think that it's an opportunity to slam Targs, use the less-than-great reputation Daemon has amongst some fans--which includes his supposed "special" pride, and finally to incorporate Jacaerys into that to "prove" Targ-evil and unique amorality. That is pretty much all, aside from how Condal & co have written their version of a Jace to be less secure in himself and have less...I guess "family" as its truest phenomenon. Again, Daemon lived w/Rhaenyra her her co on Dragonstone for abt 1o or a little more with both Baela & Rhaena. Before that, it had been Harwin with occasional & then more frequent visits from Laenor. He more or less grew up away from the court Alicent presided even as he experienced some of the stigma of being even suspected as a bastard, esp from Alicent's supporters, here & there. But more so from his uncles: Aegon, Aemond, perhaps Daeron, too who'd follow his older brothers.

I also think it's bc Daemon has a lot of pride in his house that they are bound to think are white supremacists/colonizers and has disliked Rhea Royce from the beginning while being more amenable to Laena and Rhaenyra, who are both much more Valyrian-by-lineage than Rhea, who has none. Nobles are engrossed in making sure their marriages afford them the best possible access to resources and the prestige associated to whatever house so that they may have issue who can brings usch things into the "home" house or out to the house(s) chosen and favored. It's a way to organize wealth and power. Targs on Valyria and the rest of Valyria saw strength in their dragons, the pinnacle of such power matter of fact. So--as they too, maybe, didn't have that much knowledge about genetics work outside of the magic that in Planetos is more unpredictable than other magical systems--they decided that to preserve their power/dragon bonds, they must do as many other aristocracies did--marry closely and keep that line towards power amongst themselves. I said all of this before, but it bears repeating. Daemon & the Westerosi ruling Targs , however, has never gone out of their way to create a racist system except maybe Daeron I with Dorne if he had ever succeeded in conquering it (in which case, the Dornish are not nonwhite in GRRM's lore, so that racial system would not really mirror out own very well and be its own thing entirely).

Daemon has never even displayed true blood purity the way Alicent was closer to in 1x06 when she commented on how she called them "plain-featured" and groused abt how she couldn't understand how they could have hatched their dragons...while 3 of her kids had to wait till they were much older to bond with one. Daemon never called anyone anything that espoused he thought them as lesser in the exact degree or way that Lord Celtigar does in I think 2x06? 7? (I recently ___ epi 7 and watched w/ a few friends) when he protested against Alyn getting a dragon and even called it "theft". And we see in how he interacts with Alys how he was never actually blood purist with her...an actual unrelated bastard. Daemon just cares about whether you can be trusted to not supplant family, and the Targtowers are too mired in Seven/Faith influence to be "trustworthy".

It also stems from people not truly understanding what blood purity is & its elements or what it looks like when practiced and in the open, active. You hear people make the mistake of assuming the Targs are all blood purists bc they dislike how "keeping the blood pure" thru sibling marriage for dragonriding sounds to them like the Valyrians were ready for phrenology and eugenics and all that...If this were true, however, every single society (or at least most)--and that includes many non-white societies like the Egyptians, some Polynesians, East Asians, etc. as that particular kind of "blood purists". I list of these out bc you will find such "keeping blood pure" practices in nonwhite ancient societies as well. Often. Class=/= race, though it definitely laid the frames for race as we know it; racial systems have inherited ideas of racial difference from class assumptions of difference b/t aristocratic classes and the have-nots. To put it oversimply.

Still, they are not the same. Or we wouldn't have "white" people of real life AND Westeros also hate or abuse the other in their systems. If the Westerosi ruling Targs were that sort of "blood purists", they would have never allowed themselves to marry outside of their own family for fear of "dirtying" their "blood", or lineage. And they, more than the Starks, have had quite a diverse set of outer marriages through their entire dynasty.

I think Daemon just has a lot more expressed pride and arrogance that puts people off and leads them to make wrong, well-meaning conclusions. Oh, & of course HotD hasn't helped, with how they reduced his character at every turn possible.

[miokki]

# CHOCOLATES

✰ synopsis: valentine’s day with your secret high school sweetheart

✰ character(s): scaramouche x gn!reader, tartaglia

✰ content warnings: nothing

✰ note: happy late valantine’s day! (i forgot to post it yesterday) also if it seems a little rushed it is bc it is. school!au btw.

if there was anything scaramouche hated more than sweet things, it was the day that seem to be filled with them. valentine’s day always repeats itself for the boy, at least since he started high school that is.

this year appeared to be no different, he could already see the first waiting for him at his locker with a box of chocolates. in past years, scaramouche would’ve tried to refuse gifts but after weighing up his options, he’s found that it’s easier to just accept people's gifts rather than outright refuse. the tactic has been working well as he now has fewer problems and the people appear to be okay after the initial rejection.

even after three valentine's days of countless confessions and an overload of flower petals he still has no clue what to do with all the chocolates. he’s figured out what to do with all the teddy bears and he just keeps flowers at home. yet there’s nothing that comes to mind when he needs to get rid of the leftover chocolate his mother won’t even eat. and as much as he hates chocolate or any kind of sweets for that matter, he hates to see food go to waste.

as of right now, scaramouche is eating by himself while working on something in his homeroom. it’s one of the only places he can find escapism at this moment in time due to his popularity amongst the girls. scara doesn’t get it. he doesn’t get why most of the girls at the high fawn over him, he isn’t anything out of the norm. but what do they know? all they see is some boy that always trails behind that group at school. coincidentally, childe doesn’t get it either, he is just as aloof as any other of the loners at this school. the only difference is that he's conventionally attractive.

“how many do you have so far?” childe asks as he barges into the room

scara lifts his gaze to see the redhead gleaming at him from across the room while walking up to his desk.

“23 girls and one boy,” the boy answered as he looked childe up and down.

“a boy too? damn, i'm jealous, i've only managed four and not a single boy in sight,” the tall one whined as he leaned himself against the desk beside scaramouche’s.

“i can see why there hasn't. you act more interested in mr zhongli than any of your classwork.”

“don't start getting cocky with me. i am the sole reason you can eat in peace.”

scaramouche chuckles, “so what did you end up doing?”

childe watches as scara takes another bite into his sandwich before relaxing back into his chair. he hasn’t been in this good of a mood since his mother came back from her trip with her girlfriend. even before, scara has never been this friendly towards him, not that he minds it of course. he's enjoying the conversation they're sharing. childe just wishes that he could see this side of him more often.

“ah. i didn't do much, i just told your fangirls that you were hanging around the fountain on the south side of the school. i have no idea why you'd hang there but they believed it.”

scara sighs, “i told you before, they're not my fangirls,” the dark-blue-haired boy glared.

“but it's true!” the tall boy exclaimed.

“they squeal when you walk past and when i told them you were near the fountain they fucking ran. i swear if you started selling posters of your face they'd sell them out in an instant. it’s like you’re whole of one direction to them. i wouldn't blame (name) if they ever got jealous.”

despite the last sentence being mumbled, scaramouche heard just enough to freeze. he’s sure he didn’t slip up, well not in any area he is aware of. perhaps you told childe, but you rarely even talk to scara himself during the school day so that isn't an option.

“what? you look like you've seen a ghost. you aren't that hard to figure out scara. your eyes drag when they're close by, you never give anyone that time of day,” the redhead explains.

“anyway,” childe sighs as he gets up from the desk, “hey you wouldn't mind if I take a few boxes from your stash, i wanna give something to tonia, teucer and anthon.”

“all yours.”

“thanks, buddy,” the orange-headed boy smiled as he ruffled scaramouche’s hair.

scaramouche waved him off as he exited the room, which left him in this lone classroom. the boy sighed as he started to settle back down into what he was originally doing. picking back up his pen to start writing until he was interrupted once again.

knock, knock.

looking over for the second time to see you poking your head through the doorway. “childe told me you here by the way.” you beam as you let yourself in. it makes his heart flutter; your smile. it’s sweet, the genuine kind, as opposed to chocolate which needs sugar to mask its bitterness. to him you’re like dark chocolate. the kind that isn’t overly sweet. and though still bitter, that's the part he enjoys most.

“do you want some?” scara offered as he waved the assorted box of chocolates in front of you. “i got them on the way here,” the boy clarified just in case. “sure,” you shortly responded before snatching the box from his grasp. “so you told childe?” you asked as you started to tear the plastic wrapping around the box. “i didn't tell him anything,” he begins as you inspect the packaging of the chocolate. turning over the box you notice the price sticker is still on.

“wait, 10,000 mora?” the boy pauses his explanation to look at you, “kuni, your fangirls are treating you so well. you should go thank them,” you teased as you placed one of them in your mouth. “mmh, I will say, they’re are worth at least half of all that mora, the texture is lovely.”

the upturned corners of scara’s lips are now apparent as he watches you devour most of the chocolate. he’s glad you enjoyed them otherwise he wouldn’t know who else to turn to. in all honesty, scaramouche feels strange, this year valentines aren’t like all those years before. he still is bombarded with tens and tens of gifts however he has someone to go to after school rather than home alone this year. and though he is at peace, he still has one more thing on his mind.

“do my uh— fan.. girls bother you?” the boy blurts out.

you almost spit out your chocolates yet you end up choking on them instead. after calming down you decide to speak, “is that what's been on your mind the entire time? don't tell me. did childe say something that made you think that?”

“n-no.”

quickly, you get up from your seat to wrap your arms around your boyfriend's slim figure, “aw my poor baby, there's no need to worry.” you pout, your body hanging over his shoulders.

“i wasn't worried,” scara denies.

“aww, my prince was worried. there's no nothing to be ashamed of, i'll have you know i have my own set of fangirls, so if you were to be worried i’d hope it would be that instead.” scara only shakes his head in shame before taking the last chocolate from the box. notably faster than you did. “I thought you said you didn't like sweet things.” you questioned, raising him a brow as you waited for a response.

“i don't but this one's dark chocolate.”

do not copy of repost any of my works

@ miokki 2023

[gremlin-girly]

Flufftober Day 7

@flufftober

Prompt: Hoodie Weather

Pairing: Jake Jensen x gn!reader

Warnings/tags: FLUFF, established relationship, petnames (baby, my love), suggestive/innuendo (only bc it's Jake)

Summary: You get caught in the rain on your way home and can't wait to put your favourite gigantic, fluffy hoodie on. Fortunately for you, it's already pre-heated. Unfortunately, for your boyfriend that means he he has to share. Word Count: 725

I hope you enjoy! Likes, comments, reblogs are always appreciated 💜

Prev | Next | Masterlist

A/N: I'm specifically referring to Oodies (if you haven't seen one, I'd recommend googling it) and this may or may not have been inspired by my partner... who was less than thrilled about me sticking icy hands on him ☺️ - Love, Grem x

Big, fluffy, soft, cosy, cuddly and warm.

All great adjectives to describe your favourite pink, brushed cotton fleece, over-sized hoodie. You’d thought about it when you’d gotten into work on a strangely chilly morning and you’d thought, nay daydreamed, about it when you’d gotten soaked to the bone on your way home from work.

The only four words on repeat in your brain were hot shower and hoodie.

You sped up the stairs to your apartment, throwing open the door with the intention of giving your boyfriend Jake a quick kiss before make your little dream come true, when you are met with utter, heart-shattering betrayal.

On the sofa lay your boyfriend, who up until five seconds ago you loved with all of your heart, cuddled into a cushion playing a video game. In. Your. Hoodie.

You take a deep breath and stalk over to him quietly.

“Jake.”

“Oh, hey baby I-“ he pauses the game to look over at you and looks a little sheepish when he sees that your frowning at him.

“You're wet,” he chuckles, giving you a cheeky grin and you smile slyly.

“And cold.” You point out, walking around the sofa to stand before him in frustrated, cold glory. “But you look like you're positively toasty.”

Jake doesn’t realise what’s about to happen until it’s too late. You shove your icy hands up the oversized hoodie, pressing them firmly against his warm skin making him squeal with shock. Using his surprise to you advantage, you burrow into the hoodie – following your hands, wrapping your body to his in a tight bear hug ; sapping the warmth from his body onto yours.

Silence fills your apartment as Jake remembers how to breathe again, shivering slightly now that there’s no heat left in him. After a few more moments, you sigh, feeling cosy; surrounded by your boyfriend’s scent in your Big, fluffy, soft, cosy, cuddly hoodie.

Jake sticks his head through the neck hole, glasses askew, to grin at you.

“Was that really necessary?” he says, pretending to be offended.

“It’s the tax for stealing my hoodie.” You quip, smiling up at him. “I knew you liked cuddling me in it –but I didn’t think you’d want one.”

Jake’s cheeks tinge a little pink. “I like cuddling you in it and I’ll admit, the idea of having one is growing one me.” He pauses, looking sheepish again. “But this one smells like you.”

Your smile gets wider and you chuckle. “I guess if I have to share it with you for now.... I can do that. Especially if we can share it like this.”

You settle against him relaxing fully and being the great boyfriend he is, Jake wraps his arms around you and places a sweet kiss to the tip of your damp hair. You sigh contentedly and snuggle closer in response.

“Baby, you can’t get any closer if you tried.” Jake chuckles. “Besides, don’t you want a nice hot drink and a shower?”

Your narrow your eyes at him suspiciously, only to be met with those big, blue puppy eyes he does so well.

“Sounds like you’re trying to get rid of me to keep the hoodie to yourself...” You watch Jake’s expression falter as he tries to keep the sweet innocent look plaster in place. Your lips twitch desperately too, trying to sound serious. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because I’m your boyfriend you loves you,” Jake says matter of factly, smiling at you. “And I totally have your best interests at heart.”

“Uh huh?”

“Yuh huh.”

There’s a mini-standoff as you stare at eachother but you unfortunately break first. With a short snort of laughter, you begin to crawl out under the hoodie. Once free, you point your finger at him teasingly.

“I’ll be back when I’m warmer.” You faux-threaten, heading to the shower for the warm, warm water.

Jake sighs theatrically, getting to his feet. “Your cocoa will be waiting for you upon your return too, my love.”

You feel positively giddy, flashing Jake a grin before you disappear into the bathroom; leaving Jake to smile to himself as he makes you your favourite cocoa. He makes a mental note to tell you how cute you are again when you finish showering, and for probably the umpteenth time, how much he loves you coming home to him.

[eldenrat]

Demigod Constitutional Monarchy, a potentially interesting and complex AU I’m writing like a crack fic bc I like being silly w stuff I may never write.

Marika: the forerunner of the revolution that booted out the old Crucible dynasts and promulgated a constitution. Has grown thoroughly disillusioned w the result of her order: the languor, stagnation, and boredom that has created continuous urban unrest and repression while Radagon’s usurpation and reforms bear little fruit.

Radagon: at some point he’s replaced Godfrey and Marika as top dog. Much more sympathetic to the “golden order” part of “liberty and the golden order”. Not hostile to reform but his hostility towards expanding the franchise hinders progress on what he wants.

Maliketh: Sentenced to monastic order and generally unengaged (death root addiction + too many haters in the capital)

Morgott: Luv me erdtree, luv the second estate, luv me absolute monarchy, simple as.

Mohg: exiled for trying to start a revolutionary cult-cell. Written works still find their way to the press despite Morgott and Radagon’s repeated efforts to clamp down on them. His own organization splits about 9 times (his own fault).

Godwyn: “oh no, I’m not brave enough for politics”. Himbo-pilled in theory, but somehow the most capable diplomat in the entire country. Literally just Talleyrand.

Ranni: a true revolutionary bourgeois occultist. Plots an assassination, starts a second revolution, has her own policy program already planned, perfectly willing to use middle-class unrest and veiled threats to get parliament to do what she wants (insanely progressive social legislation and a borderline-fanatical commitment to free trade, the latter usually at the expense of the peasantry).

Rykard: almost guaranteed to be the architect of an anti-erdtree reign of terror. Wants efficient government that doesn’t have the church and god breathing down its neck, too bad his idea on how to do this is via mass executions and extrajudicial torture.

Radahn: military man? highly educated? sympathetic to the plight of his more constitution-minded siblings but disgusted by the excesses of the reign of terror? You bet your ass he will be disbanding parliament with a whiff of grapeshot and proclaiming himself emperor at some point. A true Bonapartist. Actually ends up consolidating revolutionary gains in the legal and social spheres but gets the country into too many wars and eventually his other siblings end up deposing him.

Malenia: not a politician, yet very active in court and parliament in the sense that she challenges anyone who talks shit about Miquella to a duel. It is on sight, you will receive no warning, she will throw the glove in your face and demand you defend yourself. She has personally killed 376 opponents thus far.

Miquella: most popular president of the new republic (thanks ranni) for his land redistribution and commitment to expanding the nascent welfare state. So insanely popular he’s reelected seven times despite the fact that his government’s cabinet can’t go a single day without a corruption scandal. Is also besties w Ranni and Mohg despite them all having extremely opposing ideologies.

[uhgood-girl]

i haven't had a chance to fully form this thought yet so bear with me while i explore my own brain but my immediate response to this is i think two things can be true at the same time.

this is me playing devil's advocate with both you and myself, tbh. if you do not enjoy borderline pedantic over thinking, i recommend you turn back now.

i watched the entirety of standing next to you with my jaw on the floor. beyond seeing jk in what i would consider to be the epitome of his element, the arrival of all that experience and hard work and raw talent finely honed, culminating in the absolute pop perfection that is both that song and performance... well, i've made a joke on here before about my brains inability at this stage to not insert jikook into things. i could maybe help it if i wanted to (i can stop at anytime, says the alcoholic 🥴) but i don't want to because i'm having fun and i've made friends with the brain worms. they're my brain worms, who are you take them from me.

i have also mentioned jikook being it's own form of pattern recognition drug for mine, obviously, and probably other's more neuro-spicy tendencies. once you have seen and unlocked the code, it's really hard to turn the goggles off.

so let's talk about patterns. what is a pattern? a pattern is lmao no, i'm kidding, i don't think i need to define this for you but i guess when i say pattern here i'm referring to what a lot of people often call coincidences. (have i lost you already bc of this word? i know people throw it around often here, but again, bear with me) coincidences can become patterns if they repeat enough. how many coincidences does it take to form a pattern? three, i believe, is the universally accepted number but that feels so small when i type it out, much less think about it, tbh. but i suppose in the discourse of coincidences, something that reoccurs without apparent connection, (traveling strangers who keep ending up in the same cities together, you and your friend always texting each other at the exact same time, two people in a band who keep mysteriously referencing things that connect them in a particular sort of light) bc of the unlikelieness of their serendipitous nature, it makes more sense. and because i want to discuss this in a more tangible form and i believe humans to be meddling by nature, i think coincidences become patterns, beyond the number three, when intent enters the equation.

was that a very long way to say that despite the fact that jk didn't write any of the lyrics himself and is quoted in the article above as telling people to not take things too literally that i'm still going to intuit some autobiographical meaning from them? well, yes. i guess so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

because ✨context✨(glass closet and comp het in particular). a context that i fully admit i am abscribing to the situation myself but if you're reading this i assume you're already in this boat with me, it's your context too, at least tangentially (GUILTY, your honor) by association. the entirety of any jikook argument has to exist in this space and to have gotten here at all required taking some liberties, a certain reading between the lines that is a tightrope of wanting to respect what someone says outloud and at face value while being aware few things are ever black and white (minus the infamous couple in question bah bum tiss 🥁).

if it feels different to you bc it's something he explicity expressed, that's totally fair. i've been back and forth about it a few times myself and maybe i'll feel differently tomorrow. but rn, this is where i'm at and this is all just spitballing at the end of the day, no?

in an attempt to not be accused of only picking and choosing the lyrics that suit my (gay) agenda, it feels worth pointing out that the lines i find applicable to jikook are not literal. as in while i fully believe jk could probably do anything he set his big, beautiful heart out to do, leaving someone's body golden like the sun and moon is unlikely. ( the jikook relevance is in it's choice, why that particular metaphor) and despite being more in the realm of possibility, i don't really believe he's fucking seven days a week either. his agreeance to the use of female pronouns in some songs and even the women in his music videos are a. the comp het standard for this worldwide pop boy takeover (inarguably) and b. don't automatically negate any potential underlying queerness of the artist himself. so when he sings she (is there even anything in the lyrics beyond the pronoun itself that could only refer to a cis woman? hell, does "she" only have to refer to a cis woman in this day and age? jimin is v in touch with his anima these days, don't kink shame :P) I'm taking that as an artistic liberty the same way I'm taking something like it's deeper than the rain. and the latter rain line only stands out to me because, again, broader context.

he didn't write any of the song lyrics but he was there for every step of the production and still approved what actually made it on to the album. he didn't write there for you, the song in gcf tokyo either but i dare you to go find a jikook argument about that video that doesn't list that song and its lyrics as evidence. he didn't write them but it's definitely something he cares about and is very aware of. i doubt anything was chosen without some degree of thought. which brings us full circle back to coincidences vs patterns and intent.

do i think the lyrics a lot of us collectively recognized as jikook coded, even if you respectfully don't want to read that far into it, were a coincidence this late in the game? ain't no way lmao. our jikook roads are paved with these sort of "coincidences." you think they weren't apart of the appeal? helped boost it right to main track status? maybe if it had just been the lyrics, without any of the imagery in the video (i would love to know how much creative direction he had here too, i hope we find out) to back it up, but between that not straight red line of fate, the black swan like wings, the dancing in front of the sun painting, the two households, both alike in dignity, in fair verona where we lay our scene aka the forbidden love vibes, etc. - it's too much for this sad little hyper-fixated romantic queer, personally lol.

so, i think two things can be true at the same time! i'm sure a lot of the songs and their implications have no autobiographical meaning to them beyond a universally relatable conversation and narrative about love, i do believe him. i think based on all the responses and feedback his first releases got, making a statement such as the one in the article was a good? pr move if nothing else too and definitely in line with what we have come to expect around an industry that bts is both sort of moving away from but still restricted by at this stage. if you've read any of my other ramblings so far on this site, you'll know i operate from a place of the more smoke screen around all this (this being a potential romantic relationship between jikook) the better, bc at the end of the day i want all of bts more than anything safe, happy, and free to pursue whatever creative fancy they can dream. them building a level of plausible deniability into this sort of stuff protects them. i will remain a broken record on that point.

but bc of the larger context of jikook as a whole and my belief that jk is both clever and also a romantic at heart, i'm going to take these crumbs and go. 🚗💨 i'm not in any sort of who can be the more superior, rational delulu competition, we're all in our own little clown cars no matter your chosen dressings until proven otherwise. that's the nature of this whole shebang, bby. 🤠👉👉

def feel free to come respectfully argue with me though, i'm never here to convince anyone but i enjoy these conversations and i love other people's perspective. are you ignoring the standing next to you jikook bait?

[bestworstcase]

some thoughts—messy ones—abt this beat:

this moment gets brought up with… honestly surprising regularity when people want to make a point about cinder being -redeemable- because she is, obviously, freaked out here. and like i don’t disagree that this scene and this specific beat in particular is doing really critical work to set up cinder’s villain->hero arc (not redemptive) but i do think “see! she’s repulsed by his wanton brutality!” is an odd and kind of reductive way to parse what’s happening here bc

that

is

a

grimm

thats a grimm. cinder reveled in the mass hysteria and violence she authored at the fall of beacon, personally reduced ozpin to a charred smear on the floor, and murdered a seventeen year old child in cold blood and gloated about it later. her first and only coping mechanism for Feels Bad is Killing People. it sparks joy. but she can’t stomach the sight of her coworker mauling a grimm.

ok? context is important. zoom out—

this is how salem’s training her—trying to train her—to mastery of the grimm arm. just throwing grimm at her until she reflexively falls back on her human arm, and then drops.

enough. i thought you were the girl who wanted power. stop holding back. if you want to master your new power, you must—

enter tyrian. and then for the whole dialogue between him and salem cinder gets framed like this:

folds hands.

the point of this scene is that cinder did lie to salem; she is not The Girl Who Wanted Power. what did she tell rhodes after she killed the madame? “i won’t have to run now.” she wants a home. she wants to be safe. she wants freedom. she believes—because the world has never given her a reason to believe otherwise—that becoming powerful is the only way she can ever get what she wants. but she does not, per se, want power.

and salem does not understand this because cinder has hitherto been very careful to keep her true motivation hidden, primarily because the last time she showed vulnerability her quasi-parental mentor immediately drew on her and shattered her ability to trust into a billion itty bitty pieces. cinder is, throughout this scene, very careful not to let salem see any of the stricken or pleading looks that the audience gets to see.

stop holding back.

tyrian interrupts when he does because salem can’t see through the mask cinder has presented to her (and is frustrated because she therefore can’t understand why cinder is being so timid with the phenomenal power she used to, it bears repeating, literally wipe the floor with ozpin)—and because what cinder takes from all of this is that salem wants her to be more brutal, like tyrian. there’s a reason cinder starts practicing on illusory rubys after this and why she’s frustrated and confused by salem’s judicious tactics in V5.

see? the beginning is the end and the end is the beginning; the scene is mirrored and tyrian is the looking glass. this:

is the guilt later renewed as horror:

there’s layers to cinder having this empathetic response to grimm when grimm are subjected to violence. obviously part of it is that cinder herself is grimm, at least in part, and that identification is conspicuously made present in the scene—

—but it goes beyond that. “you turned yourself into a monster just for power”/“look who’s talking.” think about how tenderly cinder says “shh, this is your home now” to the wyvern in V3. grimm are not the monsters in cinder’s story; they never have been. the abuse she suffered from her own kind was so horrific and unrelenting that it engendered a sense of kinship with the grimm. before she got that arm she was stitching grimm markings into the sleeves of her dress.

but insofar as this beat and this scene is integral to cinder’s nascent villain->hero arc the load-bearing pillar here is the contradiction between cinder’s notional aspiration (power) and her true motivation (freedom safeguarded by power), and the way her identification with and empathy for the grimm are tied up in that and the manner in which she tries to give salem what she thinks salem wants from her (i.e. be more like tyrian). which all comes back around with this ->

notably in 8.6 salem not only recants her harsh treatment of cinder since cinder returned but also reverses the things she says to cinder in 4.11. “i thought you were the girl who wanted power […] then stop holding back” -> “you’ve fought your whole life unwaveringly for what you want, and here i am holding you back instead of lifting you up.”

basically the rivalry between cinder and tyrian pulls a lot of symbolic weight because what tyrian represents vis-a-vis the salem-cinder dynamic is their shared misunderstanding of each other; salem accepts the ruthless power-hunger at face value and cinder reads into salem’s frustration a desire for cinder to be more brutal and both of them are incorrect. the framing of the disciplinary/apology scene in 8.6 communicates the shifting paradigm in part by adjusting his prominence in the composition of key shots before and after the pivot. and then salem sends him away to babysit the c-lister in vacuo.

point being the narrative development toward cinder’s villain->hero arc is also the narrative development toward salem’s villain->hero arc because they are structurally interdependent and constructed as a set; they’re meant to happen together and because of each other. that’s the trajectory. also cinder is keeping the arm and salem is not getting ungrimmed thank you goodnight

[aleksa-sims]

Simself Story

CW: addiction, pregnancy, cheating, divorce

I told him... 😢🤦‍♀️

As the sun slowly rose after we talked all night about what Daniel has experienced the last 4 months, it was my turn, to tell him what I did, while he was gone...

What I can say? 😞... He was devastated. It wasn’t really my pregnancy or the fact that I get a baby by someone else, what has made him so upset, but rather the... circumstances that led to it and how it all came about. All our probs were caused by that damn attack/assault on us, 8 months ago. This thing has traumatized us. We both had difficulty processing it.

My parents told him I was dating Nico. The day he came back, he talked to them. He asked questions. And now, D. wanted to know from me, why I even met Nico? Did I call him? Or he me? How did we get there? Well, the stranger I met online... 🤦‍♀️

Daniel: He did it all on purpose! He pretended to be a stranger playing Sims with you. I mean how sick is that?... Did you know it was him? Did you lie to me? Be honest!

Me: No, I swear I didn't know!!! You know the whole story, I showed you everything he texted me. And he didn’t plan on breaking us up. He never meant to see me, he knew I loved you and we were married. He even helped me make up with you. It wasn’t until weeks after you left, that Nico started giving me more and more clues about his true identity. Listen D., he tried to distract me. I was always sad. I was looking for you everywhere with Alex. I was devastated! And I also relapsed, really bad, I fucked up sm. 🤦‍♀️😞

Daniel: You want to divorce me. Everything breaks dwon.... This is worse than the shit my crazy mother did to me. You and me... that wasn’t planned to end this way! It should never end!

Me: I'm so sorry. I don’t want it to end either. That’s why I married you, I love you, but-...... how’s this gonna work?

Daniel: You love him, not me! Otherwise, you’d just stay here. But you decided to divorce me and start a new life with him. So go! Go to him!..... What the fuck are you waiting for?

Me: No, I’m not leaving. I can’t leave you alone now. I’ll stay with you, as long as you need me.

Daniel: Damn, stay away from me!!.... Leave me alone, or I might say something I don’t want.

I couldn’t leave him alone. So I just stood aside somewhere in a corner, looking down, while Daniel left the living room. I touched my belly.  I apologized to my Baby for the hatred I felt for myself at that moment. I was disgusted with myself. I resented myself for constantly repeating the same, damn mistakes. I never wanted to hurt Daniel!! He deserved me to stay with him and live our fucking lives the way it used to be. I have to find a solution!

Half an hour later, I went over to Daniel to look after him. And.....huh? Is Daniel cuddling his old teddy bear??? 🤨😄

Me: Daniel?..You ok?... You... need a huggie? 😳😬

Daniel: Nah, I just don't wanna see you. And why's that old dust catcher here? He also smells like you.

Me: I found him at your house the last time we were there. Your sister said it was yours once. And the other day when I was home, I found him in my closet. I gave him a little makeover. I cleand him and put some of my perfume on him. And yea, he's cute I wanted to keep him.

Daniel: I hate that teddy bear. He disappointed me when I was 7, just like you now. 😒

Me: Um... that's just a toy, Daniel. How can a teddy bear disappoint you? 🤨

Daniel: I got him when I was five. My crazy mother kept locking me in the closet as you know. He was my bud, who was allowed to accompany me. And whenever I was alone in our damn house, I was less afraid, bcs he was there too. But on my 7th birthday I found out who gave me that teddy bear. It was one of those damn witches my mother met at her fucking clut-parties. That woman also told me my teddy bear was not a boy as I thought, it was a girl! She showed me the label. And well, at 7 I could read. The label said, "Susi the bear." I was totally disappointed. He wasn’t my friend anymor, just a fucking traitor! A damn witch, Susi, like one of my mothers odd followers. 😠

Me: Sorry. I didn’t know, I’m gonna put him away. 😞

Daniel: Take it with you! Maybe your soccer player's gonna be happy about it. Kind of like a trophy for him. He’s an athlete, he should like that. 🤷‍♂️

Me: I’ll save your old teddy bear for my Baby. I thought one day, we could give it to our own baby, but if I had only guessed, I would be pregnant by someone else.... I-...agh, Daniel. I'm so sorry. I wish it was.................... otherwise. 😢I could stay with you, but what should I say to Nico? I can’t hurt him, and I don’t want to hurt you either. Really not! But I’ll find a solution. I won’t let you down.

Daniel: I don’t want....your solution. I want my girl to myself. I'm not gonna share you with him. I ain't like Philip, damn it! So just go!

I went out to our roof. I wanted to take Daniel’s laundry off the cloth-line. I wanted to help him and be there for him. But Daniel was annoyed.

Daniel: Hey! Don't you hear?... What are you still doing here?

Me: I wanna be there for you. I’m just helping you.

Daniel: I don’t need you as a cleaning lady or maid! I need my... wife!

Me: I’m not going! This is my home too!

Daniel: Fine! I’ll give you an hour. If you’re still there, I’ll lock the door. Then, you really have to stay here,.... overnight! I won’t unlock the door until tomorrow.🤨

Me: I have a key, you smart guy. 😒

Daniel: Not anymore, know-it-all. 🤨 Besides, I’m stronger than you.

Me: You’re gonna handcuff me?

Daniel: The clock's ticking. One hour! Decide!

Previous/Next

[edelgarfield]

i also saw people saying that the mn have "more bearing" in this campaign bc they are pro-god. girl... orym's freaking mom has more bearing in this story than mn does.

I understand this perspective to some extent, but I think it's short sighted. MN is ALSO pretty vehemently anti-authority, and part of the Cobalt Soul's whole deal is exposing corruption. I feel like MN would have watched Ludinus's PowerPoint (well. they probably wouldn't have gotten that far bc I think Beau would be throwing punches) and immediately start shouting at the sky. Especially if MN learned all the shit BH has about the origin of the world & the Primordials. I feel like Beau & Caleb have seen enough propaganda to recognize it. Like I'm obviously biased, but I think MN would have taken Downfall MUCH harder than BH, which is the point.

But yeah, MN is "pro-god" but like. That doesn't give them more stake in the story than anyone else on Exandria? I would have like to have someone in BH who was more pro-god, like Braius, but tbh a lot of people complained about the ongoing god debate when it was happening bc BH "wasn't invested" and they kept "having the same conversation." But imo, and this isn't meant as character hate, the reason they kept repeating the same conversation over and over again was bc of Orym's complete refusal to budge from his position that anti-god = pro-Ludinus. Ever since Orym's commune with the Wildmother, which imo, I think shook some of his faith, he's been MUCH more receptive to the idea that Exandria can exist without gods. Like he's still holding the same position as before, but he's at least listening & letting the others talk. And ever since, any debate about the gods has been sooooo much more productive & interesting.

but BH not having much stake in the narrative

1) that's literally Orym & Imogen's whole story. What.

2) they have stake in the primordials unlike anyone else (except perhaps Keyleth) which are the indigenous metaphor to the gods' imperialist one. Like. there's a whole narrative there about loss of indigenous culture & identity & the long-term consequences of colonialization with Ashton and Dorian. Like Ashton became who they are bc of people's wish to reconnect with the natural forces that were destroyed & erased by the deities, & how that can make ppl vulnerable to exploitation. i think Ashton's father's true goals are ambiguous, like whether he truly believed in reconnecting with Primordials or whether he just wanted power of any kind. and then like. it's not 1-to-1 but as a child, Ashton was separated from a community that was united by a desire to reconnect with their stolen culture, and instead taken in & raised by a society that placed no value in that history, and was fed the same lie that everyone else in the world was abt the Primordials. there's a very real-world parallel there to indigenous children being stolen, or even legally adopted with good intentions, and having that part of their identity erased.

then Dorian imo is coming from the other direction, of someone who was raised in an insular indigenous community, struggling with the weight of his parents' expectations & feeling torn between two worlds, unsure of his own identity and where he fits. and like, not to mention IIRC Robbie has admitted to feeling some disconnect with his own heritage bc his native parent left when he was young. (this was from an interview back when FE3H came out and I cannot find it again for the life of me) so like, while i don't want to be parasocial & make assumptions abt Robbie's feelings, I think it's likely a lot of Dorian's struggles take inspiration from Robbie's own upbringing.

And for the record, Orym ALSO has shades of this too, being an Ashari which is very indigenous-coded, though I don't think it's as salient to his narrative as Ashton & Dorian. I think there's def an angle where you can see Orym's rigid defense of the status quo as him trying to assimilate into a world that doesn't fully accept who he is, but I personally don't think that's the angle Liam was going for.

like CR3 very much has a LOT of themes relating to indigenous cultures & colonization & people's struggles to find their place in a world that doesn't understand or value a core part of their identity & tbh a lot of people seem to totally ignore that and focus on the divine aspect of it all like "BH doesn't have a stake in the god conflict" wtf are you talking about, they have a huge stake in it bc three of their members have ties to the CULTURE THE GODS ERASED ARE YOU KIDDING ME. and like. the characterization of Ashton by the fandom as basically an angry child who's just acting out bc he hates authority and feels jaded bc his own life was hard, like lmao. completely ignoring everything i just said abt how the gods systematically erased & lied abt Ashton's cultural roots. like yes he's angry, he has every reason to be angry at the gods, and his belief that they shouldn't hold that kind of power bc NO ONE should hold that kind of power is born from their experience as a person who understands that there CAN BE a form of governing that doesn't rely on that kind of power dynamic, that just because this kind of society, where there HAS to be someone at the top is what we're familiar with, it's not the only one and just because change is scary & unfamiliar doesn't mean we should write it off. but nah, Ashton is irrationally angry just like the big bad primordials who lived here before, if they didn't want to be murdered they should've been nicer to the poor little gods when they showed up here and started hoarding the world's elemental energy for themselves and completely perverted Exandria's natural cycle of life & death.

(more on this point actually, the idea that someone HAS to be at the top like. so much of the pro-gods arguments just take that as a given like. "power vacuum" "someone would take their place" etc etc. like first of all "making a better world would be hard so we shouldn't try" lmao okay. second. like. do you live on planet earth. where we don't in fact have magical supreme rulers that colonized the planet & send psychic messages to the people in government telling them what to do. Like I feel like so much of this argument is trying to treat the gods like gods IRL without recognizing that the gods in Exandria have and display much more Actual, Physical Power that IRL gods. Like whatever your spiritual beliefs are, the gods & powers we worship here on earth aren't granting the Pope the ability to shoot laser beams out of his hands okay. like that's the difference. the religious aspect is part of it, bc imo it takes a lot of inspiration from American politics & imperialism in general often has a lot of religious motivation, but the pantheon is very much also a ruling council. like they aren't overt & they don't care abt general day to day politics, but they are very much in the pockets of a lot of Exandria's government & ruling powers influencing things behind the scenes, and as seen Right Now On Screen, if mortals do something they don't like, they WILL come together & shut it down.

anyway, my point is that for all of our faults here on earth, WE don't have a council of beings that supercede ALL OF HUMANITY so idk why people are so attached to the idea that Exandria would fucking fall apart if the gods weren't there. Like no, someone does not in fact have to fill that position. People can be left to govern themselves and They Will Survive I Promise.)

3) just like the general theme of feeling like your life is something outside of your control & being controlled by things that were decided before you were born. Like basically all of BH has gotten to where they are bc of something they had no part in. Imogen & Fearne are Ruidusborn, FCG was literally artificially created, Laudna was killed because she LOOKED like someone else, Dorian was born into royalty which is why he's traveling in the first place, Braius had his life ruined bc Jester pulled a prank, Chetney got bit by a werewolf. There were shades of that with MN, but with BH it's very much like. It COULD have been anyone else in their place. The things that happened to them aren't about THEM, it's about being fate's plaything and in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time, which reflects the presence of the gods on Exandria. It's all random. You can pray to them your whole life & never hear a word, or one day you can be bleeding out in a gutter & the Dawnfather steps in to save you. Not because you're especially devout or special or unique, but because the Dawnfather looked down at Exandria & you just happened to be in his line of sight. it's being burdened with the weight of the world bc of choices other ppl made. you HAVE to consume this primordial shard bc it was made for you. you HAVE to attack your friends bc it's what you were built to do. you HAVE to keep living bc delilah won't let you die. you HAVE to go fight ludinus and absorb predathos bc no one else can, bc you were born at the "right" time. you cant run away, you can't live a normal life, whatever hopes & dreams you had before don't matter bc the world is ending & you're the only one who can stop it. you didn't choose this, you didn't earn it, you aren't especially heroic or brave or smart or wise, in fact there's people much braver & smarter & wiser than you that are better suited for this job, but that doesn't matter bc this choice was made for you long ago.

god this post got super long but my point is like. this constant denial of BH's role in the narrative & the stakes they have is like. idk if the pro-gods crowd just doesn't see the colonial themes when looking at the story or if they're just determined to deny them (which is wild considering it's been commented on by the cast??????) but like. the reason ppl think BH doesn't have a stake is bc they're refusing to engage with that aspect of the narrative. Ashton & Dorian's narratives, & BH's narrative as a whole, have a lot of indigenous themes and idk if people just don't see that bc they don't recognize it or they don't want to admit that bc admitting that means recognizing the gods as colonizers and that makes it obvious that the gods aren't the Good Guys & makes them harder to sympathize with. but either way it's like. idk I think it definitely says Something that everyone focuses on the fact that BH doesn't have someone who's super devout & ignores their connection to the natural world which opposes the gods. & just like. the general themes of their story.

VM would not fit in this narrative bc it's too morally complex for them. Not to say they couldn't handle it but like, VM's story was a very straightforward fantasy narrative, unlikely heroes, gods good, undead bad. I think if you asked Grog to watch Ludinus's Powerpoint his brain would bleed out of his ears.

MN wouldn't fit in this narrative either because they're too internally motivated, individualistic, & anti-authority. MN was placed right in the middle of their story's central political conflict at the very beginning, they were there at the first outbreak of war between the Empire and the Dynasty and they literally ran from it. Matt dangled the main plot in front of their noses and they literally went to go spend two months at sea instead. They didn't engage with the ongoing political conflict until Matt brought it to them by attacking Veth's home. (And then they proceeded to get involved through the most buckwild, subversive method possible by following the path of a burrowing worm back to the Dynasty but anyway). Until the very end with Lucien, MN pretty much shirked or avoided any responsibility that was handed to them. They orchestrated peace between their nations and said "okay we'll be in the city but we don't want to be there and don't say our names."

If Eshteross had approached them the way he approached BH, MN would have told him to pound sand and idk. Probably gotten lost in the desert. Love MN to bits but that was their whole thing. If they had been placed in this story the way BH were, they would not be the Mighty Nein as we know them. They're only involved NOW because of Beau & Caleb's ongoing work with Ludinus. Obv they got pulled in for meta reasons, but narratively, if it wasn't Beau & Caleb asking the rest of their party to help, MN would not have responded to their summons. Jester heard "the gods are leaving" and said "omg this is GREAT for me." THE WORLD IS ENDING AND VETH NEARLY KILLED BEAU IN A DICK-MEASURING CONTEST. The Mighty Nein do not do things because they have to or because someone asked them to.

It's Bell's Hells because they're fate's favorite chew toy and it was already decided for them long ago.

[the-cryptographer]

i am trying to regain my asoiaf thoughts.

I forgot how much of a creeper Jorah Mormont is (something the show utterly didn't capture imho). Him being weird and paternalistically horny for Dany has been building up for a while. But him kissing her happened quicker than I remember. But I think the real thing that is striking me about him this time is the fact that he was a slaver. Like... there are a lot of ways I think Ned was an ineffectually idealistic ruler, but if there's anything to say he was 100% correct about it was holding Jorah responsible for trying to sell poachers he had captured into slavery, and it's something Jorah is incredibly self righteous about! He genuinely feels Ned wronged him and that his position shouldn't have been compromised for trying to sell off the criminals he'd written off as scum! It's interesting to see the connection that Dany and Barristan make between that and his plan for Dany to buy an army of slaves.

And, ah, yeah, the slavery plot... I'm not actually sure how I feel about it so far. It does feel a bit saviour complex and more than a little defining slavery by human rights violations rather than a labour system. But I did really enjoy Dany talking about how she herself was sold as property to Drogo and that's part of the sympathy she feels for them now. And tbh I'm also really glad Dany is actually doing something this book. I feel like last book she mostly just sat around not having a real plot beyond reminding us she was still alive and kicking across the narrow sea.

Forgot we started getting Sam's pov this book and not next one. Not actually sure how I feel about any of the Wall plot either? It seems to be getting increasingly bloated split between two characters this book, but I am enjoying Mance and Tormund and Ygritte, and how the lore of what's beyond the wall is getting expanded. But I think the ideology of the Wildlings being sort of more palatable by modern standards than the ideology of the Night's Watch creates a sort of dissonance reading this section of the book.

I also remember being into Jon/Ygritte in the show and when I read this before, and part of me sees why and the other part of me ;w; idk, it feels weird bc Jon is such a loser and a putz and Ygritte is so cute and confident and forward with her affections. and with every fibre of my being I feel she deserves better than this idiot who will inevitably betray her, but it's also just so clear that she likes him terribly and wouldn't choose anyone else - and that's also the larger part of her charm. So idk we'll see how it goes.

Over in King's Landing, it took me a moment to put together, but realised that Petyr told the Lannisters about the Tyrells trying to match Sansa to Willas because he heard it from Dontos and it was getting in the way of his plans to spirit her away to the Eyrie :')

Am enjoying the Tyrells. idk, I remember a lot of old drama about how they're entirely self serving and Marg is manipulating Sansa and this is toxic and not wholesome yuri. And that's all true, but also who cares. Tyrells are all flambouyant and self-serving and amusing af, and negging each other like crazy while also still being so invested in one another. Nothing not to love.

Also noticing that pretty much every character has gotten a moment to interact with the song The Bear and the Maiden Fair. Repeating motif! Ngl making me really hyped for when it's going to come up in Jamie's chapters.

I think another big part of this reread has been me reevaluating what the Arya storyline is and what it's about. I remember first time I was reading it being just so annoyed with the Arya fandom the show created when book Arya was quite rightly being more overtly in conflict with becoming a ball of violence with no other fixed identity. But rereading her sections I really see they're about how the subjugation of this or that Lord of Westros is pretty much all the same to the common people. And I do think that's a perspective this narrative sorely needed.

Think the last thing I have to share for now is... Davos. I'm actually not sure how to feel about his whole sudden religious fervor for the Seven and his vengeance schtick with Melisandre, but I did really enjoy the whole section with him being suicidal on that rock. Idk, it felt very visceral and familiar to me.

[horizon-verizon]

You misunderstand me. I'm not saying it has no bearing on the story because it's from Yi Ti, I'm saying that since the Blood Betrayal hasn't yet been confirmed as the official reason why the Long Night began, HotD wouldn't be interested in referencing it. Also I doubt Condal and Hess read TWOIAF.

Anon speaks of this post.

Not sure why you think I misunderstood. I addressed your point about how "we can't know" that this legend explains or thematically explains the connection of misogyny to how we lose the dragons.

A)

Rhaenyra -- Amethyst Empress --- woman who lost her throne and life to an evil younger brother through force

Aegon II -- Bloodstone Emperor --- both usurp their elder, chosen sister

Daenerys/Amethyst Empress/Rhaenyra --- women of authority and power

Viserys (III)/Aegon II/Bloodstone Emperor --- brothers who have endangered, abused, or killed their sister and meant to displce them from their own rights, innate or sociopolitical, for their own power advancement.

As for Condal and Hess, they can't do pattern recognition, now? Condal especially said he was a "fan" of this series and world. He didn't read TWoIaF and he claims to be a AsoIaF "fan"?

It is similar here, with the Bloodstone Emporer/Amethyst Empress and that particular legend's explanation for the Long Night. This legend doesn't have to be totally real, and I mean that it doesn't have to be true that there was a 1000 year old emperor as the Yi Ti are told to believe abt some of the known Emperors. These are metaphorical in the first place.

All the legend is clueing us in on is that this betrayal, whatever it was, was one between relatives, a man undoing a woman's place, and thus speaking to how it threw off the balance of the world's magic. That women are a critical part of that balance. That's the central idea being conveyed, the purpose of this legend--everything points to Dany vs the Others (yes the others of the Big Five are still relevant, but they have no chance without her).

We don't need to know the actual details of who these particular people were and what they weren't when they loved or died, just that something like this usurpation definitely happened and there was a notable affect on magic in the realm those emperors ruled over, as Yi Tish people are also very active in magic wielding...most of Essos is, unlike Westeros.

I'm going to repeat myself in this post, but: this is not a real history book where we'll likely not know much of anything...GRRM provides more answers in his fictional history than real history books do.

All this is important to the theme of F&B: greedy men sideline, abuse, uproot women they are blood connected to for power (just as the Bloodstone emperor did), the women suffer for it/lose their political authority therefore their ability to as actively direct the direction of the House, and eventually the entire house and Westeros loses dragons to use against the Others and the world's magical & biological ecosystem is totally thrown off kilter until Dany literally sets it right again by bring the dragons back. The dragonglass candles at Oldtown, they light up again when she does this. The last of AGoT:

As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, her black hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.

So again, why do you need "more" "confirmation" when there is so much evidence, when that's not how fiction works (that you need things totally spelled out for you to be true), etc?

Honestly, this seems a literacy and latent sexism issue that causes this cognitive dissonance in fans that makes them deny these types of connections as canon, real, whatever. Bc you have people caliming Jon is Azor Ahai up the wazzo simply because he's the son of a Targ and a Stark (fire and ice), male, the "sword" of the prophecy they take as literal, etc. etc. But "song" means "war" and Jon has done nothing/nothing has happened around him to predicate a connection the Azor Ahai prophecy in-text. Yet so many people ride for this stupid idea, this stupid unsupported idea!

This idea that has never been "confirmed" and never will be bc there is and has never been evidence to how Jon Snow, a Westerosi Stark through and through, relates to an Essosi prophecy when Dany--who grew up in Essos and was born in Westeros thus is a connector of the two continents; is actively dealing with dragons and having dragons dreams; in Essos where the Azor Ahai prophecy originates; comes from a dragonriding lienage ("fire"); the enemy of "fire" has always been "cold" and Jon is more Stark than Targ, so "cold" must be the ecological and magical threat that is the Others that even GoT has had us anticipate since its very 1st episode as THE enemy before that atrocious last season!!!; when we know "prince" is a gender neutral term form High Valyrian (Prince that was Promised)--has all the evidence of being Azor Ahai.

And why does it matter they they haven't read it when they could have asked GRRM or just read F&B to properly understand the point of the Dance?

Condal can't clock that this legend is narratively important just as much that the CotF/"those who sing the song of the earth's connection to Dany and Westeros' future? Just bc a thing is in Essos, doesn't mean it will not affect Westeros just as real life Ancient Asian societies have been able to make physical trade as well as intellectual "trade" or influence on stuff in the West. He can't clock Rhaena the BB and Elissa's connection to Daenerys? Condal read how Dany is connected to Braavos and how Dreamfyre's eggs went there and didn't put 2 and 2 together?

This is why you don't bring non-fantasy readers to write a fantasy show. who then, bc of said ignorance, want to somehow "make the story better" or different...the same story they don't even understand. Also why you don't bring a marketing guy to write any adaptive as intricate and rich as ASoIaF and to not understand the depth or the patterns of magical phenomenon that good faith fantasy readers have habitually done since their childhood (most readers anyway have read fantasy since childhood and religiously so to understand its conventions) when that's not what they look out for in the first place.

B)

The fact that Dany's eggs are Dreamfyre's also haven't been "confirmed" by GRRM or revealed in The Winds of Winter or A Dream of Spring. That doesn't make this any less true.

1- from his website

What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why did it become so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What is the origin of Daenerys’s three dragon eggs? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel

2- It's pretty much fact with how these are THREE eggs that petrified when they are away from Dragonstone; IIllyrio Mopatis had them to give to Dany and she eventually awakens them; F&B takes the time to painstakingly show Rhaena the BB's conversation w/Jaehaerys abt the consequences of THREE dragon eggs going missing. What other reason was there for F&B--a text that aims to contextualize Daenerys by telling the stories of her ancestors before the loss of the dragons and a little after--to do so hard abt 3 dragon eggs stolen during Rhaena's time, from her dragon's clutch, under her watch?! A text that traces the existence of dragons and their maintenance/use by the Targs? Then there is the fact that Elissa Farman--the egg thief--sold the eggs to the Sealord of Braavos, another thing necessary to Dany's arc. None of this is an accident or a red herring, esp since there is literally nothing as damning as evidence or suggestion for the argument of Syrax being the mother...at all. Nothing in the text.

Not everything in ASoIaF is a great and complex mystery; sometimes GRRM gives you clues to a simple "mystery" to deduce the truth of, esp when we already have much evidence of Danyxher dragons being necessary and critical for the coming Long Night against the "ice/cold" others. That she/her dragons are the "fire" in the Song of Ice and Fire, a coming magical war for the world. This is the type of chain of clues that are retrospective and not anticipatory. We already have the result (Dany and the eggs); you were tasked to recognized the line of causation pretty quickly. This is still a fiction series with correct answers.

All this is evidenced just in the main series, TWoIaF acts as a support piece...Condal is a fan, but he can make deductions? Sure.

[lemonhemlock]

The comment about Lucaemond stans writing dead dove is so true lmao. They should read some fleshfeel and see what real good dead dove looks like sometime

absolutely, fleshfeel has a sensational mastery of language 🙏 monarch of the DDDNE genre

tho it is possible for lucemonds to have churned out some decent DD since i last checked, not completely discounting that possibility.

i am a little peeved bc i remember this time last year stumbling upon a breathtaking body horror lucemond fic written by an anonymous user, but, when i went back to look, it had sadly been deleted. such a pity, it was really visceral with beautiful, melodious stream of consciousness. no idea which "team" the creator was on but it was a stunning piece of writing nonetheless. i must have mentioned it before, but it bears repeating!! a great work lost to the flames

[khyrrn-v2]

EDITED VERSION AS NEW INFO HAS BEEN ADDED BY ONE OF THE OPS

Is Tumblr actually safe for its trans userbase?

I’ve been seeing a lot of post going around about how tumblr’s ceo and staff shadow ban trans users. This may not be the case here, but lets take a look.

I was scrolling through my dash when I see a post. Specifically, this post:

By @sirfrogsworth. I was like “cool lemme just reblog” but then I noticed something. The reblog button was disabled. I didn’t think too much of it, because maybe OP disabled reblogs bc they kept getting notifs or something. Which didn’t make sense to me bc you can disable notifs on specific posts but I was like “whatever”

I went on and I saw another post. This one here:

By @cartoonrival. I look down at the reblog button and, once again, it’s disabled. This is strange because it’s too different posts on a specific subject. I then looked at their reblog counts seen

Here:

And Here:

Which is fucking crazy to me. I know I’m rehashing old shit, but I rarely stick around posts long enough to see this side of tumblr.

There’s one common denominator between these two posts, and I don’t necessarily like the picture it paints for Tumblr’s staff. Twice is a coincidence, but I’m betting a ton of other people have the third time that equals a pattern.

One OP has said that they received messages (and reblogs) from TERFS saying things that honestly dont bear the worth of repeating. How has this sort of harassment gotten to the point that a user would have to disable reblogs.

What does it say about our community online that so many of us have hate mailed others? I know that we can’t police what people fuckin say online. That’s not our job. But it’s not theirs either.

Of course this aint a call to action- a “scower the comments and find those dirtbags!” No, but it is a question.

Why do so many of us- because as a community, no matter how divided we are, we are always an US- feel the need to insult others? To what end will we go to get our point across? At what point will we consider to stop beating the dead horse?

Idk, im not too coherent rn but i figure we could all stand to be a bit fuckin nicer. That sounds corny as shit, but I honestly do believe it to be true. I think a lot of people do.

And if the mods could maybe take down overly aggressive replies and reblogs, I think that’d be a wonderful start.

[beesmygod]

tell me your favorite thing about adam

lighthearted thing: how he sleeps. he's the funniest fucker, even in his sleep. first of all he sleeps like a fucking log, in any position, on a couch or a bed, through any disturbance. if he wakes up, it's for like 2 seconds to scan the room for bears (or whatever, idk what hes looking for) or make eye contact with me and then he goes back to sleep literally instantly. like there are 0 seconds between his eyes closing and the next snore.

if he sees me, he will talk to me. he's not awake when this happens and he has no memory of it. it's my own private dadaist comedy show. last time (this week? he rarely does this, tho. its like a once a year thing), he looked me straight in the eye and then pet the cat while saying "she's dovah". i said "uh huh" bc i knew he wasnt awake but didnt want to leave him hanging (crowd work). he repeated himself and then said she was nothing, called her a "hampter" (i completely forgot this part but its the only part he remembers), and then started snoring.

heavy thing: last year, moving into the house and thus adding a layer of permanence to our relationship sent my alphabet soup of brain problems into a frenzied state. i felt horribly guilty for ruminating on "what if"-alternate universes that i knew had no chance coming true where my new home would transform into the one i grew up in for no reason other than "would that be fucked up or what". my heart raced from terror when the door opened and he came home, or he walked down the hallway toward me. there was no reason for this other than the human body flipping switches it wasnt supposed to at times it didnt need to because it was running an outdated protocol.

after another round of therapy + meds adjustments and also not dying daily, im mostly back. but this kind of behavior was frequent for me. i set long dates for moving in, buying a house, getting engaged, because i was sc-sc-scared!!! but i was scared that i would lose the gift he's given me that i took me so long to accept: freedom to pursue happiness without guilt or fear of punishment.