#j. bolton

[wyrmfedgrave]

It's all a matter of time.

Then, we'll see who's who...

End?

[strawlessandbraless]

I simply cannot stop, you can bet on it

Troy never stopped so neither will I

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Flash Gordon - art by John Bolton (1980)

[greenerteacups]

oooh please someday tell us what you think of GOT

oh, no, it's my fatal weakness! it's [checks notes] literally just the bare modicum of temptation! okay you got me.

SO. in order to tell what's wrong with game of thrones you kind of have to have read the books, because the books are the reason the show goes off the rails. i actually blame the showrunners relatively little in proportion to GRRM for how bad the show was (which I'm not gonna rehash here because if you're interested in GOT in any capacity you've already seen that horse flogged to death). people debate when GOT "got bad" in terms of writing, but regardless of when you think it dropped off, everyone agrees the quality declined sharply in season 8, and to a certain extent, season 7. these are the seasons that are more or less entirely spun from whole cloth, because season 7 marks the beginning of what will, if we ever see it, be the Winds of Winter storyline. it's the first part that isn't based on a book by George R.R. Martin. it's said that he gave the showrunners plot outlines, but we don't know how detailed they were, or how much the writers diverged from the blueprint — and honestly, considering the cumulative changes made to the story by that point, some stark divergence would have been required. (there's a reason for this. i'll get there in a sec.)

so far, i'm not saying anything all that original. a lot of people recognized how bad the show got as soon as they ran out of Book to adapt. (I think it's kind of weird that they agreed to make a show about an unfinished series in the first place — did GRRM figure that this was his one shot at a really good HBO adaptation, and forego misgivings about his ability to write two full books in however many years it took to adapt? did he think they would wait for him? did he not care that the series would eventually spoil his magnum opus, which he's spent the last three decades of his life writing? perplexing.) but the more interesting question is why the show got bad once it ran out of Book, because in my mind, that's not a given. a lot of great shows depart from the books they were based on. fanfiction does exactly that, all the time! if you have good writers who understand the characters they're working with, departure means a different story, not a worse one. now, the natural reply would be to say that the writers of GOT just aren't good, or at least aren't good at the things that make for great television, and that's why they needed the books as a structure, but I don't think that's true or fair, either. books and television are very different things. the pacing of a book is totally different from the pacing of a television show, and even an episodic book like ASOIAF is going to need a lot of work before it's remotely watchable as a series. bad writers cannot make great series of television, regardless of how good their source material is. sure, they didn't invent the characters of tyrion lannister and daenerys targaryen, but they sure as hell understood story structure well enough to write a damn compelling season of TV about them!

so but then: what gives? i actually do think it's a problem with the books! the show starts out as very faithful to the early books (namely, A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings) to the point that most plotlines are copied beat-for-beat. the story is constructed a little differently, and it's definitely condensed, but the meat is still there. and not surprisingly, the early books in ASOIAF are very tightly written. for how long they are, you wouldn't expect it, but on every page of those books, the plot is racing. you can practically watch george trying to beat the fucking clock. and he does! useful context here is that he originally thought GOT was going to be a trilogy, and so the scope of most threads in the first book or two would have been much smaller. it also helps that the first three books are in some respects self-contained stories. the first book is a mystery, the second and third are espionage and war dramas — and they're kept tight in order to serve those respective plots.

the trouble begins with A Feast for Crows, and arguably A Storm of Swords, because GRRM starts multiplying plotlines and treating the series as a story, rather than each individual book. he also massively underestimated the number of pages it would take him to get through certain plot beats — an assumption whose foundation is unclear, because from a reader's standpoint, there is a fucke tonne of shit in Feast and Dance that's spurious. I'm not talking about Brienne's Riverlands storyline (which I adore thematically but speaking honestly should have been its own novella, not a part of Feast proper). I'm talking about whole chapters where Tyrion is sitting on his ass in the river, just talking to people. (will I eat crow about this if these pay off in hugely satisfying ways in Winds or Dream? oh, totally. my brothers, i will gorge myself on sweet sweet corvid. i will wear a dunce cap in the square, and gleefully, if these turn out to not have been wastes of time. the fact that i am writing this means i am willing to stake a non-negligible amount of pride on the prediction that that will not happen). I'm talking about scenes where the characters stare at each other and talk idly about things that have already happened while the author describes things we already have seen in excruciating detail. i'm talking about threads that, while forgivable in a different novel, are unforgivable in this one, because you are neglecting your main characters and their story. and don't tell me you think that a day-by-day account tyrion's river cruise is necessary to telling his story, because in the count of monte cristo, the main guy disappears for nine years and comes hurtling back into the story as a vengeful aristocrat! and while time jumps like that don't work for everything, they certainly do work if what you're talking about isn't a major story thread!

now put aside whether or not all these meandering, unconcluded threads are enjoyable to read (as, in fairness, they often are!). think about them as if you're a tv showrunner. these bad boys are your worst nightmare. because while you know the author put them in for a reason, you haven't read the conclusion to the arc, so you don't know what that reason is. and even if the author tells you in broad strokes how things are going to end for any particular character (and this is a big "if," because GRRM's whole style is that he lets plots "develop as he goes," so I'm not actually convinced that he does have endings written out for most major characters), that still doesn't help you get them from point A (meandering storyline) to point B (actual conclusion). oh, and by the way, you have under a year to write this full season of television, while GRRM has been thinking about how to end the books for at least 10. all of this means you have to basically call an audible on whether or not certain arcs are going to pay off, and, if they are, whether they make for good television, and hence are worth writing. and you have to do that for every. single. unfinished. story. in the books.

here's an example: in the books, Quentin Martell goes on a quest to marry Daenerys and gain a dragon. many chapters are spent detailing this quest. spoiler alert: he fails, and he gets charbroiled by dragons. GRRM includes this plot to set up the actions of House Martell in Winds, but the problem is that we don't know what House Martell does in Winds, because (see above) the book DNE. So, although we can reliably bet that the showrunners understand (1) Daenerys is coming to Westeros with her 3 fantasy nukes, and (2) at some point they're gonna have to deal with the invasion of frozombies from Canada, that DOESN'T mean they necessarily know exactly what's going to happen to Dorne, or House Martell. i mean, fuck! we don't even know if Martin knows what's going to happen to Dorne or House Martell, because he's said he's the kind of writer who doesn't set shit out beforehand! so for every "Cersei defaults on millions of dragons in loans from the notorious Bank of Nobody Fucks With Us, assumes this will have no repercussions for her reign or Westerosi politics in general" plotline — which might as well have a big glaring THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT stamp on top of the chapter heading — you have Arianne Martell trying to do a coup/parent trap switcheroo with Myrcella, or Euron the Goffick Antichrist, or Faegon Targaryen and JonCon preparing a Blackfyre restoration, or anything else that might pan out — but might not! And while that uncertainty about what's important to the "overall story" might be a realistic way of depicting human beings in a world ruled by chance and not Destiny, it makes for much better reading than viewing, because Game of Thrones as a fantasy television series was based on the first three books, which are much more traditional "there is a plot and main characters and you can generally tell who they are" kind of book. I see Feast and Dance as a kind of soft reboot for the series in this respect, because they recenter the story around a much larger cast and cast a much broader net in terms of which characters "deserve" narrative attention.

but if you're making a season of television, you can't do that, because you've already set up the basic premise and pacing of your story, and you can't suddenly pivot into a long-form tone poem about the horrors of war. so you have to cut something. but what are you gonna cut? bear in mind that you can't just Forget About Dorne, or the Iron Islands, or the Vale, or the North, or pretty much any region of the story, because it's all interconnected, but to fit in everything from the books would require pacing of the sort that no reasonable audience would ever tolerate. and bear in mind that the later books sprout a lot more of these baby-plots that could go somewhere, but also might end up being secondary or tertiary to the "main story," which, at the end of the day, is about dragons and ice zombies and the rot at the heart of the feudal power system glorified in classical fantasy. that's the story that you as the showrunner absolutely must give them an end to, and that's the story that should be your priority 1.

so you do a hack and slash job, and you mortar over whatever you cut out with storylines that you cook up yourself, but you can't go too far afield, because you still need all the characters more or less in place for the final showdown. so you pinch here and push credulity there, and you do your best to put the characters in more or less the same place they would have been if you kept the original, but on a shorter timeframe. and is it as good as the first seasons? of course not! because the material that you have is not suited to TV like the first seasons are. and not only that, but you are now working with source material that is actively fighting your attempt to constrain a linear and well-paced narrative on it. the text that you're working with changed structure when you weren't looking, and now you have to find some way to shanghai this new sprawling behemoth of a Thing into a television show. oh, and by the way, don't think that the (living) author of the source material will be any help with this, because even though he's got years of experience working in television writing, he doesn't actually know how all of these threads will tie together, which is possibly the reason that the next book has taken over 8 years (now 13 and counting) to write. oh and also, your showrunners are sick of this (in fairness, very difficult) job and they want to go write for star wars instead, so they've refused the extra time the studio offered them for pre-production and pushed through a bunch of first-draft scripts, creating a crunch culture of the type that spawns entirely avoidable mistakes, like, say, some poor set designer leaving a starbucks cup in frame.

anyway, that's what I think went wrong with game of thrones.

[zmorak]

Charles Rowland would idolise Troy Bolton, I'm sorry but I'm right

[ilynpilled]

The thing about the hand loss and how people attach things behind it like “it was as a result of Jaime’s arrogance towards Hoat” or “he lost it because he saved Brienne from rape,” is that neither is true to what actually happens in the text. Those actions still hold meaning, sure, but the chop itself is also independent to it all (the maiming is symbolically karmic in a lot of ways as it is tied to his greatest sins, but that is not what i am talking about). The capture itself is different, but the right hand and his fate was doomed the moment he landed in Hoat’s hands for reasons out of his control. What is so good about it is that the hand chop is not really about Jaime as a human being (which makes it causing one of the biggest existential crises in the series all the more interesting), and more about Jaime as a token. Ironically, his status and relationship to his father is what ends up dehumanizing him entirely. There are so many things going on outside of Jaime. He is an integral political piece, every side is scrambling for him for different reasons, and he is fully treated as such in the Riverlands.

Hoat had his own motivation, that is much bigger than Jaime, due to his previous betrayal of Tywin, which turned into a death sentence following the results of Blackwater. As Roose implies throughout the dinner conversation, Jaime’s hand chop was, above all else, the result of Tywin and the ruthless foundation of much of his authority (the Reynes and Tarbecks are brought up again). And what I like about it, other than the emphasis on the players constantly making moves solely for their own benefit in war while everyone else suffers the consequences, is that it does address and criticize the Lannister method a whole lot. The hand chop almost feels less karmic for Jaime himself than it does for Tywin. It is another reason that I find the perspective that these books were heralding this kind of sociopathic ruthlessness as competent and uber effective while completely condemning the relatively more “moral” Starks so funny. Like without even getting into where we are headed in the aftermath of the WoT5K, the holes within the “Tywin method” are already being explored. And the results are creeping towards Tywin himself, invading his family, because it is his very heir that suffers directly from it. The more we move along in the story the more the distance lessens between him and his putrid actions to cement his authority and power. “I’ve lost a hand, a father, a son, a sister, and a lover, and soon enough I will lose a brother. And yet they keep telling me House Lannister won this war.” is a Tywin/House Lannister thesis when it comes to the events of ASoS. For a start, he is the one who brought in the Bloody Mummers. The cruelty he unleashes on the smallfolk ends up coming back to him directly through his heir being the one experiencing it full force. There is the layer of loyalty vs utilizing sellswords, which is one way the conflicting sides in the war foil each other, and it is a root cause of the betrayal to begin with. If you use these men, you can end up suffering the consequences yourself, loyalty can only be bought if you remain the highest bidder. Relying on greed is fragile. Then, the part that Jaime is repeatedly faced with throughout his narrative: fear ≠ trust.

Hoat is smart enough to realize by now that his betrayal will not be pardoned by Tywin. Jaime’s offer means nothing in terms of his safety. He is aware of his low status and the meaning of his action to Tywin. That is what truly dooms Jaime and his hand. Hoat needed that token, and he needed to secure a path for himself (without losing his token along the way to Roose) to the Karstarks. He made sure that he brought Roose down with him, and put him in a difficult situation. Sure, Jaime’s skill itself is a huge threat and liability, but that is not the primary motivator. It is his sole ticket to safety from Tywin’s ruthlessness.

Then the goat gets outsmarted by Roose, and Jaime catches on to that part, so Hoat does take the L ultimately I fear, but these layers remain and it adds a lot. I also like how in ASoS, Jaime’s status is constantly fluctuating between dooming him and saving him. It often depends on how clever he is being in the moment.

[catofoldstones]

once jon snow (my beloved) wakes up, is dangerous and terrifying and wolfish, and takes back winterfell, it is over for you bitches

[crosseyedcricketart]

MET Gala 2024, "The Garden of Time".

[error-intheraine]

TROOOOOOY, what u doin wearing Tommyinnit’s shirt, /j

[kingoftheu]

Check out Chapter 2 of Griefs and Glories. It has Jon Snow! And Robb Stark! And Greatjon Umber! And Roose Bolton! All the Leeches Love Roose Bolton!

[xtruss]

Trump and Biden Are Both Wrong For The White House: World’s Deadliest War Monger and Criminal John Bolton

— January 30, 2024 | Newsweek

World’s Deadliest War Monger and Criminal John Bolton

Former U.S. National Security Adviser, World’s Deadliest War Monger and Criminal John Bolton doesn't believe either front-runner for the 2024 presidential election is the "correct answer" for America.

"I think we're going to have two candidates, at least it looks that way at this point, neither one of whom is fit to be president," Bolton said while speaking with CNN's Kaitlan Collins Tuesday night, referring to former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

Bolton appeared on CNN's The Source to discuss his new memoir foreword released earlier this week, in which he said that Trump, his former boss, was "unfit to be president." When asked by Collins if he believes that the U.S. would be "safer" with Biden for a second term, however, Bolton also offered a critical view of the current president.

"When you're left between two choices, neither of which is satisfactory, there is no correct answer," Bolton said.

President Joe Biden, left, is pictured on Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina, while former President Donald Trump, right, is shown on January 17, 2024, in New York City. Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said during a CNN interview on Tuesday that neither Biden nor Trump are the right choice for president. Sean Rayford, Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

The Context

Bolton's comments come as the Biden administration is facing immense pressure following a deadly attack on a U.S. base in Jordan over the weekend that killed three American service members and injured several others. The president said Tuesday that the White House has decided how it plans to react to the assault, which Biden blamed on an Iranian-backed militant group, although details remain unclear.

Trump is building momentum ahead of the November election, raising anxiety about how his second presidency could impact an already volatile global field. Between Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the growing tensions between the U.S. and its adversaries, national security will no doubt be a top priority for the next president.

What We Know

Bolton told Collins on Tuesday that the country was "fortunate" that the U.S. did not face any major international crisis, besides the COVID-19 pandemic, during Trump's first term in office, adding that he does not believe the former president is "capable of making decisions grounded in national security."

"His attention span is short, he doesn't know much about world history or world affairs, he actually doesn't think they matter very much," Bolton said of Trump.

"He doesn't have the ability to stay consistent for long periods of time, except on one thing, which is how he looks in the press and in public attention," Bolton continued. "And that is very worrying when you're in a crisis. You need a president who ... can keep his eyes on the prize and worry about our national security, not his own image."

Trump has described Bolton as a "moron" that he "used well" during his first term in office.

Views

Bolton also offered some strong criticism of Biden's administration while speaking with CNN on Tuesday. The former national security adviser described the president's actions as "extraordinarily weak" and said that Biden has put America "more in danger" during his time in office.

"It's not American strength that's provocative, it's American weakness that's provocative," Bolton continued. "That's what we're showing in the Middle East, what we're showing Ukraine, what I worry we're showing in Taiwan."

"Trump, on the other hand, is feckless and close to irrational," Bolton added Tuesday. "So I would like a do-over, if we could get it, of the nomination process in both parties. I'm very worried."

Newsweek reached out to Biden and Trump's campaigns via email for comment late Tuesday night.

Several Republicans have criticized Biden's policies toward the country's adversaries like China and Iran, claiming they are much too passive to deter future aggression.

What's Next?

While it's unclear how Biden plans to respond to the attack in Jordan, many have called for the president to strike inside Iranian territory. The White House has said, however, that Washington is not looking to spark a "wider conflict" in the Middle East.

Bolton said on Tuesday that he believes the U.S. has been in a "wider war" since the Hamas attack of Israel on October 7, 2023, which prompted Israel's devastating military response in the Gaza Strip. The former security adviser also blamed the Iranian government for being behind the Hamas attack and the recent attacks on U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East. Tehran has publicly supported several resistance groups in the region but denies that its government is behind any attacks on the U.S. and its allies.

"What we need to say to Iran is your total scope of conduct is unacceptable," Bolton said. "It is absolutely crossing a red line to kill Americans. And what we should do, but I fear we won't, is cross an Iranian red line and strike targets inside Iran."

[singeratlarge]

Chris Andrews SONG OF THE WEEK “The Longest Time” https://timchrisandrews.bandcamp.com/track/the-longest-time ...Sometimes love presents holy moments. Even when one has to go separate ways, one can feel angels present. This micro-musical by Chris Andrews is pop balladry at its best. On a cosmic jukebox this song would play next to Michael Bolton, Cliff Richard, Leo Sayer, and Robbie Williams.

If this is your introduction to Chris, he’s a British singer-songwriter and recording artist whose songs have been covered by Roger Daltrey, David Essex, and Davy Jones (Monkees). Under the name Tim Andrews he was a champion of late 60s psychedelic pop and (later), as Kris Ryder, he released New Wave synthpop sides in the 80s. Chris was also part of the seminal freakbeat band Fleur de Lys. Meanwhile, enjoy his current material: https://timchrisandrews.bandcamp.com/track/the-longest-time

#britpop #chrisandrews #holy #angels #time #singersongwriter #recordingarist #britishrock #rogerdaltrey #davidessex #davyjones #monkees #ballad #softrock #robbiewilliams #cliffrichard #leosayer #michaelbolton

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Because yay more polls :D

These are the songs I've chosen from each Showdown polls for this round of a hundred songs, that didn't get as much love as their tougher competition.

What song did you personally like the best? Did a song make an impact right away or did it require the full version? Did the artist reveal change your opinion of the song itself for better or for worse? Tell me in a reblog!

(note: this is not a popularity contest or to vote for a favourite artist out of loyalty 💖 it's still about the song.)

209 here 212 here 221 here 234 here 243 here 257 here 263 here 276 here 282 here 298 here

[boltonplaything]

Ramsay Bolton NSFW Alphabet

A-Aftercare: Ramsay Bolton is not an affectionate man. If he has no regard for you he will just use you until he's satisfied then either leave you in the state that you end up in or kick you out of the room. If he cares for you even a little he will allow you to stay and cuddle.

B- Body part: Ramsay loves every bit of his lovers Body, if he had to pick a favorite though it would probably be your ass. He's the type to spank you and the type to take you from behind. His favorite part of himself would probably be his hands. They're so skilled in all things, flaying, archery, and fingering.

C- Cum: He would love to make an absolute mess of you. Your face, your chest, your back, anywhere. He'd paint you all over or fuck your throat and force you to swallow it all. He would cum inside of you, not caring if he made more bastards. If you two were married however, he would be insatiable, wanting to make you pregnant ASAP.

D- Dirty Secret: This is Ramsay we're talking about the man has no secrets, he will do anything and everything to you and would not be shy about it. The only thing I could see that he wouldn't admit is that he's into praise. Ramsay would want to be told he's doing a good job.

E- Experience: He knows everything there is to know, you name it he's tried it on someone willing or otherwise.

F- Favorite Position: Doggy or Cowgirl. Doggy if he's using you or you're in trouble and Cowgirl if he really cares about you. I also can see him really being into the mating press.

G-Goofy: He's serious the entire time. Deadly serious. If you chuckle or try to crack a joke he's not having fun anymore

H- Hair: He's well groomed, every once in a while he gets too busy and it grows a bit but never much past stubble.

I- Intimacy: During sex? Not a chance, maybe some loving eye contact if you two are a couple but other than that he fucks, he's not here to be mushy and make love.

J- Jack off: If he's horny and you aren't at his immediate disposal then absolutely yes he will, and then once he comes home he'll bend you over and scold you for not being there for him to immediately fuck.

K- kink: the man is outrageously kinky, his favorite kinks though are definitely knife play, primal play, CNC, and maybe even some pet play

L- Location: Anytime, anyplace, if you are there and he wants it he will take it

M- Motivation: Ramsay is always ready to go, after a long day of torturing someone in the dungeon he'll be ready to let out all of that adrenaline, after a hunt he's ready, the second he sees you period...he is ready

N- No: There's nothing this man wouldn't try at least once.

O- Oral: He could and would eat pussy like a man who has been starved, you would have to just lay there in a pool of your own fluids and pray that he gets lockjaw. He also loves when you suck him off, gripping your hair in his hand and forcing you down on his cock with throaty growls.

P- Pace: fast and hard, if you try to ask him to go gentle he may try (if he cares enough) but his primal desire to ravage you will kick in and he will break you in half once more

Q- Quickie: He perfers to have all night with you with all available tools but if he wants you and doesn't have the time to be thorough then yes, he'll bend you over or push you against the nearest surface and fill you with his cum.

R-Risk: He lives for it. If you two get caught...oh well.

S- Stamina: He can go all night, even if he fucks you till his cock will not physically get hard anymore he still has his fingers, and his mouth to work with. He will never only go one round if he has you at his whim.

T- Toys: anything he can implement as a toy, he is on it. Though, he perfers to only use knives and ropes.

U- unfair: Ramsay can either be a very kind man and give you more orgasms than you can handle or edge you for hours until it hurts to even move, he will have you stammering out pleas for your release. He also likes to purposely contradict himself just to give himself the excuse to punish you. He'll tell you he wants you to do something and then when you do it he'll come up with some stipulation he hadn't disclosed and punish you for not following the rules. He likes to be unfair.

V- Vocal: He wants you to scream and cry. He wants everyone to know how good he's giving it to you. As far as he goes, he's a growler. He growls and pants, every once in a while you'll get a moan from him. He'll whisper dirty things in your ear, vile things, and just keep going. Growling after every sentence.

W- Wildcard: He's really into dog terms, breeding terms especially. He wants you to call him master and he wants to call you his little whelping toy. You're his "stubborn bitch" his "Stupid mutt" he loves it, this is what gets him going the most.

X-ray: For how cocky he is you would think it's massive right? No, he's about seven inches but thick. He's an advocate for "size doesn't matter, it's what you do with it" and boy does he know what to do with it.

Y- Yearning: All day everyday, he's always thinking of how and when and where he's going to fuck you that day.

Z- ZZZ: If you guys go for a long time then he may fall asleep but if it's one of those nights where he makes you cum a few times and is finished he'll stay up unable to sleep. He's lowkey an insomniac.

[ramsayxme]

Chapter One / Chapter Two / Chapter Three / Chapter Four / Chapter Five / AO3 Link

TW - description of dead bodies, physical violence, oral sex, manipulation, ramsay bolton.

Chapter Six: Consequences

You were certain that Ramsay was starting to trust you. You were no longer confined to one room. Ramsay allowed you to wander the Dreadfort, inside and outside, as long as you stayed within the walls. He began providing you with warmer clothes since you were able to spend time outside. This morning, you were walking along the stables. Your long cloak dragging along the dirty snow, frozen patches of mud sticking up from the earth. You enjoyed the fresh air and taste of false freedom. You were starting to feel somewhat comfortable in the chaos.

You hadn't seen Reek since the torture. A small part of you felt nauseous when you thought about that night, but you shoved it down. Maybe Ramsay was right, he deserved these things. Who were you to decide? You didn't know his past. Perhaps you were just helping Ramsay bring justice. Something had changed that night, though. The way Ramsay looked at you had shifted, almost as if he felt a stronger connection with you... or perhaps you were making it up. You struggled to attempt to define how Ramsay felt about you, and struggled even more with how you felt about him.

You spent the entire afternoon in the stables. Animals calmed you. You knew Ramsay's favorite horses were gone, so you assumed he was on a hunt or traveling. You could spend hours brushing the horses and whispering your deepest thoughts to them, knowing they would never judge you. The day was drowned out by their whinnies and the distant barks from the kennels. When the sun started to set, you began to head back towards your chambers.

You turned the corner past the stables and saw Reek, pulling down a flayed man who had been posted up for a few days. The leftovers of his body had froze and Reek was yanking on him in a desperate attempt to separate the frozen muscles from the wood. You wanted to speak with Reek. You had a lot of questions and you knew he couldn't lie. Your curiosity got the best of you as you walked up behind him. "Reek..." you whispered. He jumped at his name, immediately cowering and tilting his head to the side. "M'Lady." He muttered, his eyes staring at the ground.

"Where's Ramsay gone to?" You quietly asked. "On a hunt, M'Lady. They left b-before sunrise." He stammered, his eyes refusing to blink as they were glued to the snowy ground at your feet. You wanted to speak to Reek alone. You knew this was dangerous if Ramsay found out, but you were dying to pry at the broken man. "Follow me, then." You started to walk towards the large stone archways. Reek drug his feet as he kept up with you. You brought Reek to your bed chambers, and sat by the fire, allowing him to defrost.

"Reek, I want to ask you some questions, okay?" You said, noticing you were dumbing your voice as if you were speaking to a small child, just like Ramsay did when he spoke to Reek. He nodded his head quickly, his eyes fixated on the fire and small whimpers escaping his throat. "I'm not going to hurt you..." You reminded him. Of course, it would be hard for him to believe you, but you wanted to try to reassure him. "Who are you?" You asked in a hushed voice. His cracked lips parted as he stuttered. "I...I'm Reek. I'm Reek."

You shook your head. "No, no... who were you...before Reek?" Your question seemed to sting as he winced away from your words. "No. J-just Reek." You sighed, realizing that he was much more broken than you thought. You rested your hands on your thighs as you sat on your knees. Reek shifted around, unable to get comfortable. "Do you want a blanket?" You asked him, reaching for one of the woven blankets nearby. He squirmed. "If it pleases M'Lady to give me one."

You handed him a blanket and he quickly wrapped it around his quivering body. You stared at him for a moment before asking your next question. "Reek, Ramsay calls himself Lord Bolton, but we had dinner with Roose Bolton, the Lord of the Dreadfort. Why does Ramsay call himself Lord?" Reek cried under his breath. "R-Ramsay has asked me to call him Lord B-Bolton. He calls himself Lord Bolton because it pleases him...He is my Master. Ramsay will be Lord someday." Reek finally looked at you, his eyes seemed to open into his interior slightly. "You need to be careful around him." He whispered.

You scooted closer to him, realizing you were making progress. "I know, I know, he's hurt me too but he's also been very kind to me..." You were interrupted by Reek. "It's a trick, please!" He began crying, tears falling down his cracked and bruised skin. "Who were you before Reek?" You asked again, hoping to infiltrate his vulnerable state. "No! Just Reek! Always...forever." His eyes filled with tears as he looked at you. "Okay, okay...I won't ask that question anymore." You sighed, studying the broken creature.

Reek perked up suddenly. "He's coming back." He stated blankly as he stood up, shaking. You didn't hear anything. "M'Lady, he will hurt you if he knows we were talking!" His voice shaking with concern. "Hide!" You hiss, Reek shaking his head back and forth. "That'll be worse." His eyes sink back to the floor and he quickly rips the blankets off the chair and bed, collecting them in a heap in his arms, acting like he was gathering your linens for washing. Just then, you heard Ramsay. His voice echoed through the hallway outside your door, and his voice only grew louder as he approached.

He was laughing with another man until he reached your door. You heard him bid the man a good night as he swung open your door, grinning as he stepped inside. He was clean shaven, his hair messy from riding through the woods. His nose and cheeks were kissed red from the chill in the air. He wore his hunting gear, his bow still in his hand. He grinned at you, but his eyes quickly shifted to Reek standing near you. The smile across Ramsay's face died instantly when he saw Reek. Ramsay took slow steps into the room before pulling his face into a false grin once again.

"Reek?" Ramsay started, his voice dumbed down. "What are you doing in here?" Reek shifted his feet. "G-gathering the linens, M'Lord. I... forgot to do them earlier. I'm sorry." He scurried towards the door, but Ramsay stood in the way. "My love. Is this true?" He looked at you, eyebrows raised. You swallowed hard, praying to the Gods that Ramsay would believe you. "Yes! Reek forgot to get my linens earlier, so he came by a few minutes ago. He was just leaving."

Ramsay looked back at Reek. "Well, we can't have him get away with forgetting his job, can we?" He looked back at you. "If he really failed, he needs punished! He can't get away with it that easily, dear." Ramsay walked over towards you and draped his arm across your shoulders, leaning in to your cheek. "We need to punish him for this!" He hissed. "Reek, drop those linens and come over here." Ramsay squeezed you tight under his arm. Reek obeyed.

He hobbled over and stood in front of you and Ramsay. Ramsay nudged you. "Go on, love. Hit him." You felt your stomach churn but you knew you had to do it. Without hesitation, you pulled your arm back and slapped Reek across the face, hard. "Blacken his eye so he will not forget tomorrow." Ramsay demanded, breathing heavy as he watched you torture his plaything. You pulled back once again and punched Reek directly on the cheekbone under his eye. You knew it would leave a large bruise. "Good girl!" Ramsay chuckled, kissing your cheek.

Ramsay stepped forward and punched Reek himself in the same eye. "There!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "Now you will not forget." Reek sniffled and cried as he picked up the linens and scurried out of the room like a pest under a bright light. Ramsay turned to you, wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you close to him. He grinned as his eyes lazily scanned your face. He kissed your lips softly and whispered, "Now, I have something I want to show you." He took your hand and led you out the door and down the hall. He brought you to the dog kennels.

The dogs barked loudly in their dark kennels, each bark producing a huff of breath in the cold air. The walkway was illuminated by torches flickering against the walls. He pressed you up against the wall and kissed your neck, his hands hungrily pulling at your snug clothing. He wasn't used to you having so many layers on, and he grumbled realizing he couldn't paw at your bare skin yet.

He tugged your cloak, pulling you into an empty kennel, and shutting the door behind him. The dogs were still howling and barking until Ramsay's voice boomed loudly. "Hush! Sit!" Every single hound obeyed him instantly which sent a shiver up your spine. Even the wild animals didn't dare disobey their master. Ramsay kissed you deeply as he tugged at his own trousers. He was already aroused when he pulled the waistline down to his knees. "I missed you today. I'm quite exhausted, make me feel better." He put his hands on your shoulders and gently added pressure, coaxing you to your knees.

You gave in, sliding down to your knees in front of Ramsay. You felt your stomach flutter when his cock touched your lips. You were eager to please him. You began gently kissing the tip of his erection, swirling your tongue between your lips on him. He exhaled strongly as he pet your hair. You began slowly allowing the head of his cock to bob in and out of your mouth, his groaning told you everything you needed to know. Ramsay reached his hands up to his own head and ran his fingers through his hair before opening his eyes and gazing down at you.

"Can I tell you a secret?" He groaned, his cock still in your mouth. You pulled away from his member, a small pop as it left your mouth. "Yes, always." You continued to stroke him while you waited for the secret. Ramsay brought his hands down and stroked your hair before gripping it tightly. His teeth grit together and he bent at his waist, leaning down to your forehead. His voice spilled out smoothly, "I know you lied to me. I don't know why Reek was in your chambers, but I do know that you lied to me."

You froze, your hand stopped rubbing him. You could only peer up at him as he stood back up. He didn't say anything else, but he smiled a wicked grin and used your hair as reins. He yanked your hair, forcing your face against his cock. "I didn't tell you to stop." You instantly put your mouth back around him as he pulled your hair, forcing his cock down your throat. He fucked your face mercilessly. You gagged, sputtered, and spat as he used your face for his pleasure. He growled as he watched you suck him.

He reached one of his hands down to cup his testicles, gently massaging them while he shoved himself down your throat. His thighs were shaking and his needy hips pressed forward. You couldn't attempt to guess how many minutes it lasted before he started harshly moaning, filling your mouth with his cum. You swallowed as he caught his breath, leaving his member inside. He groaned as he slowly pulled his now soft cock out of your mouth. He tucked himself back into his trousers, tying them at his waist as if nothing had happened.

"Follow me." He beckoned you to stand. You carefully took his hand as he guided you out of the gated area and down the midsection of the kennels. "This one is my biggest and best girl!" He whispered into your ear, pointing to a huge hound sitting in the shadows of the biggest kennel. You nodded, watching the dog snarl. Ramsay smiled as he led you through the exit, silently walking to his chambers together. You didn't know if you should say anything about the lying.

Once in his bed chambers, you both crawled into his bed for the night. He apparently wanted your company since he didn't drop you off at your own chambers. You lay in silence as Ramsay shifted, making himself comfortable underneath the woven blankets. He groaned as he pulled you close to him. You were both on your sides and he rested his chin in the crook of your neck. He started drawing small circles on your arm with his fingers.

"You know, my love..." He began. "I told everyone we will be having our wedding tomorrow. I truly want you to be my bride." He whispered, sprinkling kisses on your shoulder as he spoke. "Ramsay, about earlier-" You wanted to bring it up, it was eating at you. Before you could say more, Ramsay shushed you, his hand gripping your jaw. “I know you lied. You don't have a good reason to lie to me, I am going to be your husband. That would be a shame, to lie to your future husband more than once. I am showing you mercy."

You nodded against his grip. He kissed your neck as he rolled onto his back. You heard him exhale a gentle smile. "Do you remember the big dog I showed you, the largest girl?" You whispered a response into the night, "Yes, I remember." Ramsay took a deep breath as he settled, his hand resting on your hip as he pulled you to your back, lying next to him. He turned his head, his curls falling on the pillow. You couldn't see much of his face in the dim light, but you could see the widened whites of his eyes. "She is the one who will rip you if you ever decide to lie to me again." Your blood ran cold as you lay still, listening to your lover gently fall asleep.

Chapter Seven

[bekaterrier]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! This week definitely had me feeling some feels...

@hinaypod Episode 45 - Paghahanda (Preparation) Part 1: More Mari and Sauvard bonding time! The music box is interesting, I can only imagine one of those tunes playing creepily in the background of a scene... More vague clues from J, the man cannot just outright say something. Also starting to see some of the consequences of Murphy's decision after dealing with Bolton.

@desertskiespodcast Chapter 17 - The Accident: I said it earlier this week and I'll say it again, phew, that was an episode. I was so frustrated like Nonny and Mac, wondering why Tendy wasn't doing more about this terrible traveller. Tendy's breakdown at the end was so raw and heartbreaking (serious kudos to Jared for the acting on this one). I'm glad Nonny and Mac are there and hopefully they can start helping him out of this hole.

@storiesfromylelmore Episode 202 - Chess: Rion, sweetheart, let someone hug you! I felt this episode to my core; the trying to please everyone all the time, taking on too much, and then Rion also had to deal with that awful secretary's bigotry? I'm glad there was an adult who was able to recognize at least some of what was going on and hopefully make things easier (even of Rion didn't want them to). I can't wait to see how well Keryth's charmed rings work!

Case Study IREC-A59 Episode 3 - So Here's The THING: I really like the little clues we've been getting to give us an image of what humans look like compared to the alien crew (ex: "sit down so you're not towering over it"). Like Ineke, I am also very curious about the initial report about humans and what the reported first contact was.

@midnightburgr - Welcome to the Horizon Part 5 - Trinkett's Trip: Can you feel the vibes? I definitely feel the vibes because Tina and Cat are killing it as Deidre and Verge! I love that Frank is teaching Verge how to be part of the community. But also, Frank? Are...are you gonna be okay? Clementine, what did you do?!

The Department of Variance of @somewhereohio Season 2: I have to stop trying to predict where this story will go because I am never anywhere NEAR what actually happens - and I love that! The world is so rich and complex, the characters are so compelling, and I cannot wait to hear Jasmine and Scarlett kick some ass in season 3.