#like I can’t remember where the pain pain started exactly but it ended like rq halfway vol 11

[nicomoon69]

just finished csm part 1 and I’m js sitting here thinking wtf did I just read

[fearthetallman]

Krang Pie Chapter 7

Warnings: cooking and feeding people krang, goat, family fights

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Chapter 7

Mikey was in the middle of dicing when he got a text message. He checked his phone, not expecting it to be anything important. But it was from Leo.

Can u come by my room rq? I gots something I need to ask u

His heart sped up. This was it. Leo was finally going to open up to him!

He started to run off before he remembered the krang he has chopped up. Right. He sent Leo a quick text saying he’d be right over and then finished dicing the rest of the meat. The tentacle ends, as usual, he can’t use so instead he just ate them straight from the cutting board. It hadn’t killed him yet.

Running out to the kitchen again, he grabbed a little plastic baggy and sealed them away. He considered writing something on it to deter people from eating it raw but decided that would tempt them more than deter. He put it at the back of the fridge, behind the milk, where he stashed most of his important snacks (speaking of which, there was a mold covered pie back there).

As soon as that was done, he practically skipped over to Leo’s room. Clearing his throat, he knocked on the wall beside Leo’s room. “Did someone page Dr. Feelings?”

“Oh! Good, you’re here.” Leo, wearing a basketball jersey, shorts and a backwards, white cap, pulls Mikey into the room.

Not…exactly what he was expecting, but Mikey could still deal with it. “So what is it you needed to ask me, Nardo?” Use a nickname, something to show how close you are. How much they could trust you.

“Okay, okay.” He stands further back so Mikey can see the full outfit. “So I’ve got this caz thing going with the shorts and the backwards cap. Right? And I was thinking the shades would be a nice touch.” He puts the shades on. “But then I was looking in the mirror, and I was like, bro. It’s too much! I look cringe.”

Mikey can’t hide the bewilderment and disbelief in his face but that didn’t slow down Leo in the slightest.

“But once I took them off, then I started convincing myself they weren’t that bad. So now I can’t decide! What do you think, Mikey?” He moved the sunglasses on and off his face. “Glasses or no glasses?”

He took a steadying breath. This was just how Leo was. Covering up his pain with jokes and messing around. He had always been bad at being serious about his own feelings.

“How about we play a little game, Leo?” Mikey asked, trying to appeal to his playful nature.

“Ehh, video games now? I have to figure my outfit out here!” Leo looked at him like he was the one messing around.

“No, a word association game. I say a word and you say the first thing that comes to mind.”

Leo started looking around his room, probably for a different accessory. “Okay, I guess.”

He had to start off slow. Not scare him off. He went with the first non-threatening word he could think of. “Beaches.”

“Hmm. Sun.”

“Hot.”

"Cold." He pulled out a belt, putting it up to his waist before discarding it.

"Space."

"Ship."

"UFOs."

"Aliens."

Now was his chance. Time to test the waters. "Krang." He watched his brother's reaction closely.

Leo didn’t even flinch. "Bubble gum."

Ugh. "Leo! Please take this seriously."

"What?" Leo opened the closet and started throwing things out, Mikey having to duck to avoid being hit by a flying beanie. "We're just playing a game, mi hermano."

Well, looked like Mikey trapped himself. He couldn't tell if Leo was being purposeful or was naturally this obtuse. Maybe honesty would be the best policy. “I’m just curious how you’re feeling after the whole krang alien invasion thing. I wouldn’t blame you if it made you upset.”

“The only thing I’m upset about right now is not being able to find my other pair of shades.” He kept ransacking his room.

Still deflecting. But Mikey wasn’t about to give up. “Leo, what you went through was traumatizing. For all of us, not just you. And I know you’ve found your own ways of coping…” Flashback to when he caught Leo and how terribly he handled the situation. “But I want you to know that I’m here to listen to whatever you want to talk about. Whether about how you feel, any thoughts you have or any experiences you had in the prison dimension.”

Leo has his back to Mikey and he paused, not turning around. “I decided. No sunglasses.”

It was almost like he hadn’t heard anything Mikey said. “Leo, I’m trying to—”

But Leo started pushing him out, talking in a fast stream of words. “Okay that’s enough chit chat for one day thanks for all the help see you later bye!”

And then he was kicked out. As much as he wanted to go in there again and wrangle it out of his brother, he knew that wouldn't work and that he had other things to focus on. Mainly Donnie and his picky taste buds. This had not been the first time Mikey had clashed with Donnie while testing out his cooking skills. Mikey considered food an art, always wanting to take the time to appreciate each subtlety in the flavor and savor how they all came together in one way, just in the very moment he was eating this food that would never appear again.

Donnie would take one bite and say it tasted gross.

But if Mikey had been able to get Donnie to eat zucchini (granted that was by hiding it in chocolate muffins), he could find something that Donnie would approve of!

He didn't have much time to make any plans, however, as they were soon called away on another mission. Always another villain to fight, always some criminal activity going down somewhere. He’d almost gotten bored of this, doing anything except focusing on the krang. But he shook his head as they walked into a fight with another mutant the oozesquitos must have left behind. Some weird goat guy that was trying to eat everything in his path.

Raph tried to reason with it. “Hey, come on, little guy. There’s no reason to try and eat that entire stop sign—oh, okay. And he swallowed it.”

“Creepy looking guy.” Leo interjected, observing the goat man. “I mean just look at his eyes, they’re sideways! Donnie, got something to capture this guy?”

Donnie chuckled like this was his big moment to shine. He began building a padlock cage with his mystic tech, the cage appearing around the villain. “Watch and observe, gentlemen, as the genius himself captures this poor, simple—hey! Stop eating that!”

The goat man began to chew away at his mystic prison, biting off the bars, much to Donnie’s dismay. “That is mystic technology way more advanced than you’ll ever know in your two-bit, cross-eyed pathetic furry life!”

“Okay, so mystics are a bust.” Leo sighed, running a hand down his face. “How do we capture someone who eats everything? Mikey, give me some ideas.”

It took Mikey a moment to realize that everyone was staring at him. He’d been so lost in watching the others that he’d almost forgotten he was there himself. “Oh, me?” He didn’t have any good ideas, really. “Why not just pull out his teeth?”

If everyone hadn’t been staring at him before, they were now, with shocked and even a little horrified looks on their face. He felt a bit startled. He looked at their faces, trying to figure out what he did to make them look at him like he body slammed a toddler. “What?”

Raph, ever the soother, tried to break it to him in a softer way than any of the others would. “It’s nothing, big man. Just thought you would suggest something a little…less violent. Like talking to him or something.”

Donnie pulled out his chainsaw on his tech-bo. “No, Angelo is right! Violence isn’t the answer, it’s the solution!”

Okay, maybe he was going off the deep end if Donnie the Sadist was agreeing with him.

Leo quickly decided. “Alright. Raph, hold Donnie back. In a hug if you must!”

Donnie protested animatedly despite how Raph only held his arm in front of Donnie to stop him.

“Consider this payback for that draw four card you gave me last night.” Leo shouts back to him playfully. “Now, time to let the face man do his work.”

Leo swaggered over to the goatman but Mikey stopped. Draw four card? They hadn’t played card games in months. Leo called them ‘boring.’

“What does he mean about payback for that draw four card?” Mikey asked the two, almost thinking out loud.

Despite the tiff they were both in with Donnie about to bite Raph’s arm, they both froze. Not a good sign. Donnie started sweating and opened his mouth to say something. Raph quickly slapped his hand over his younger brother’s mouth. “You know how Leo is. Beat him at a game once and he never forgets it.” He chuckles awkwardly.

Donnie moved Raph’s hand for a moment. “I did not lose. I won that game fair and sq—” The hand went back over Donnie’s mouth.

The last time they played card games was months ago. They hadn’t played Uno in years because Donnie and Leo would always get in a fight if the other one won. Their dad got sick of the arguing and said Uno was banned. But he wouldn’t be surprised if one of them had kept the cards hidden away just in case. But Mikey hadn’t played with them since it was banned.

So maybe it was just a secret night activity for those who were up at that hour.

He felt cold, an aching in his chest. He’d never felt so disconnected from them, so distant. A part of him knew he should say something. That pretending he didn’t know was just going to hurt him worse. But now it didn’t feel like a small fissure. There was a canyon between his brothers and him. The three Mad Dogs and Michelangelo. Could he even compete?

But that same Lou Jitsu blood ran in him, just like his brothers. It only made him want to compete even harder. If they didn’t need him anymore, he would just have to make himself irreplaceable.

Leo came back from talking with the goatman, not looking defeated but not looking amused either. “Okay. Apparently, Mr. Goatman wants ramen, but he wants it from this really fancy, uptown place and he only has twelve dollars. He said if we can spot him a five, he’ll leave peacefully.”

Raph dropped Donnie on the ground. “Aw, you said we’d pay him to leave? Come on, Leo!”

“I’m sorry but he started talking about how fancy the ramen was and how good it tasted and now I can’t focus because I’m too hungry for ramen!” Leo protested, putting his hand over his stomach like he could the emptiness.

“My bank account is currently suffering from a depletion in funds due to a certain charity group I donated to. I shan’t be able to assist.” Donnie scoffed, dusting himself off.

Leo gave him a look. “Donnie. What figurine did you buy?”

Donnie placed a hand on his chest, acting indignant. “You dare assume that such a distinguished gentleman such as I would merely spend my hard-earned money on a simple figurine?”

“Donnie…”

He crossed his arms, muttering so low they almost couldn’t hear him. “Hatsune Miku Magicalmirai.”

Leo holds up a dollar bill he had. “Okay. If we each contribute, I’m sure we’ll have enough to make Goatman leave.”

Raph sighs but pulls out his wallet and hands over two quarters.

Mikey checks his person, finding three dollars and forty-five cents.

“Nice! Mikey coming in with the save.” Leo said, gathering up the money.

Mikey didn’t want to admit how much the praise boosted his self-esteem.

Now there was only five cents left and Donnie being the only one who hadn’t contributed. He crossed his arms, but Leo stared him down. “I know Magicalmirai is a preorder, Donnie.”

Donnie grumbled but dropped five pennies into Leo’s outstretched hand. They send the Goatman on his way. Mikey didn’t know if this could be counted as a win, but it felt like one. As they walk back to the sewer, however, Leo sighs.

“He really did make that ramen sound good, though.” He said in an almost forlorn way, like restaurant ramen was a long lost lover.

“Of course. Ramen is one of the greatest foods ever invented.” Donnie agreed.

Sometimes Mikey had to think really hard about these ideas and sometimes they just fell in his lap. “Then how about we make some ramen?”

Leo shook his head. “We’re not talking about some two-bit, water back maruchan ramen. We’re talking about a delicacy here. The way ramen was intended to be eaten. Handcrafted, with a fancy little egg in it.”

“Well, it may not be handmade but we can still make it fancy! Trust me, you will have your fancy little egg.” Mikey was getting excited, just thinking about it. But there was one more person he had to sell. “What do you think, Donnie?”

The softshell turtle considered his words a moment, the tension nearly killing Mikey. But he nodded his approval. This was his chance.

Mikey grabbed a pan, pulling out all the various ingredients he was going to need. Ramen packets, a few sauces, cheese and a few eggs. He started with the vegetables, dicing them up.

“You’re adding vegetables to ramen? Scoff. What is this, some vegan segment of a cooking show?” Donnie asked, taking offense that ramen isn’t being enjoyed to its most unhealthy glory.

“Watch and learn from the master, D.” Mikey took the chopped vegetables and set them aside. He pulled out a pan and added a little cooking oil. Once it heated up a little, he took out the ramen and placed it in the pan, adding a little bit of broth to really get the flavor going. He added one flavor packet and kept it moving until the ramen was cooked. He set it on low heat and started to boil water for the eggs.

The smell wafting over was already delicious but he was far from done. He threw in another seasoning pack, only using half of it this time and places in the vegetables, letting them cook. He threw in a few spices for good measure. Once the water boiled, he placed the eggs in, making sure to keep his eyes on everything so nothing burned.

“Wow, Mikey. This is starting to look pretty fancy!” Raph said, looking more than a little hungry.

“If you think it looks good, imagine how good it’s going to taste!” He took the boiled eggs out and placed them in cold water so they’re a little bit softer. “Do think you guys could set the table?”

They took bowls in, chatting amongst themselves excitedly. Now that Mikey had a bit of privacy, he had a chance to add the secret ingredient that would really bring all of this together.

Garlic! Oh, and the diced up krang he had earlier.

He let it cook, the smell almost too good to resist and the krang meat felt so amazing knowing that he had gotten such an impressive creature and was eating it with instant ramen.

It finally finished cooking and he added a few more herbs and seasonings, topping it all off with some cheese. He carried it into their table and added some to everyone’s bowls, giving Leo the heftiest portion of them all.

“Whoa, this looks amazing, Mikey!” Raph said.

“One final touch.” Mikey disappeared for a few minutes before reappearing with four soft-boiled and already peeled eggs, placing them in the bowls.

Leo’s eyes sparkled. “The fancy little egg!”

When they all took their first bite, Mikey felt almost sick with nervousness and just a tiny bit guilty. But their joy that followed made everything worth it. They ate quickly, barely allowing it to cool down before they devoured it all.

Donnie sighs contentedly. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to go back to the normal way of ramen anymore. You ruined me, Mikey.”

“Yeah! My fancy little egg was even more beautiful than I could ever imagine.” He sniffles, hiding his face like he was actually crying. “I’m sorry, I need a moment to reminiscence.”

Raph looked over in Leo’s bowl and noticed that there was still food floating around, mainly meat. “Hey Leo. You missed some.”

Leo looked at Raph and then looked away. He pushed the bowl to his older brother. “Oh, hey, you’re right. Here you go. Saved them for you, big guy.”

Donnie viewed this skeptically. “Going soft on us, Leo? Usually, you would have challenged Raph to a wrestling match before letting him eat any of your…what was that you added, Mikey?”

Despite how carefree Donnie’s voice is, it still made Mikey jump a little, fear and guilt nearly choking him. “It’s…uh, pork! Bacon.”

“That’s funny.” Raph muttered in between chewing. “I thought I ate all the bacon.”

Mikey noticed that he had a few pieces of meat among the few stray noodles in his bowl. He hands it to Leo. “Here you go! You can have the rest of mine.”

“Oh, uh, you really don’t have to.” Leo held out his hands as though to block the bowl from entering his mouth.

“No, I insist.” He tried handing it to Leo but something in his brother’s face made him stop. Leo looked like he was going to be sick. “Are you feeling okay?”

Leo smiled but his eyes looked haunted. “’Course, I’m fine. Just really full from all that delicious ramen.”

He got up from the table, grabbing his bowl and stacked everyone else’s on top of his. “I’ll take this to the kitchen.”

Raph pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. “My little Leo. All grown up and putting the dishes away after dinner. How the time flies.”

Mikey goes to the kitchen to check on Leo. Something was off. Unfortunately, Raph and Donnie followed with him.

Leo had his back facing them and jumped a little when he heard them come in. He didn’t turn around, just holding the bowls as Raph and Donnie joked around. Mikey watched him, trying to figure out what to do.

“Here. I’ll wash the dishes.” Raph took the bowls from Leo’s hand. Leo was as still as a statue, barely reacting to things around him. “You…feeling alright, Leo? Maybe the lack of protein is going to your head.”

Mikey saw him shaking. It was a lighthearted joke. Raph trying to mess around like he used to. But that wasn’t what it was for Leo. Mikey tried to figure out if a hug would help or just make things worse.

Leo leaned over the sink, his arms trembling under their own weight. Is he about to throw up? “I…need to tell you guys something.”

The room is quiet. Mikey can only hear his heart thudding. Even Donnie is picking up on how serious Leo is being.

“I’m…” Leo swallowed like he’s nearly choking on the words. “I’m vegetarian now.”

The laughter was instantaneous. Leo didn’t look at them, just kept holding himself against the sink. Raph slapped his back.

“You really had us worried for a second there!” the snapping turtle said.

“At least you haven’t gone full on vegan!” Donnie agreed.

Mikey seemed to be the only one who understood it wasn’t a joke.

He crossed his arms, doing his best to keep his voice lighthearted enough to avoid snapping at his brothers. “Well, I think it’s good. If Leo decided to do this, for whatever reason, I think we should support him.”

Donnie rolled his eyes. “How many times has Leo gone through these diets before? The keto diet, the juice cleanse and now vegetarian. Just another fad for him to maintain his ‘perfect body’.” He used air quotes, showing just how seriously he took Leo’s confession.

“It’s not…” Leo’s voice broke like he was on the verge of tears before shaking his head. “Never mind.”

Raph’s forehead creased, finally realizing the gravity of the situation as he exchanged a glance with Mikey. The older brother took a step forward, placing his hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Hey. Listen, if something is going on, you know you can talk to—”

Leo forcefully moved away from Raph’s touch, surprising everyone. “I don’t want to talk about anything! Just leave me alone!”

Despite the tears in his eyes, Leo looked the most shocked of all, like somebody else must have snapped at Raph. He turned away without another word, running off into his room. Raph called out to him but it’s no use.

“What? Was it something I said?” Despite the joke in Donnie’s voice, Mikey can still hear the confusion and hesitation mixed in as well. Donnie didn’t fully understand why Leo got so upset.

Raph, however, does and his short fuse blows again. “Yes, of course it was. We screwed up, Donnie. You never should have said anything about his diet and this just being a fad.” He ran a hand down his face, growling in irritation.

“Well, I don’t see how that’s my fault!” Donnie’s anger fed off Raph’s. “How was I supposed to know it was going to upset him if he didn’t tell me?”

“Because not everyone is going to spell everything out for you, Donnie! Bad guys won’t always tell you their plans and sometimes your brother means ‘help me’ when he says he’s fine.” Raph slammed his fist on the counter. He was more mad at himself than anyone else, Mikey knew. Donnie was just the closest target for the eldest brother to shoot his frustration at.

“Don’t act like this is only my fault! You’re the one who manhandled him when he obviously didn’t want to be touched.” Donnie snapped. It was like watching a little ball of snow fall down a hill, going faster and faster until it was too big to stop.

Raph stepped up to Donnie threateningly. “Manhandling? Maybe I should you what real manhandling is.”

“Guys!” Mikey’s voice was a contrast, calm yet pleading and grabbing the attention of both of his brothers. “None of this is going to help Leo. We all made mistakes that we shouldn’t have but no one person holds the blame. Leo needs us now more than ever! You can fight and argue all you want but only after we make sure that Leo is okay.”

Both brothers hang their heads like scolded puppies, nodding their agreement. Mikey had done this a thousand times before. Seen both sides of the argument and had to explain to the other party. Intervened in a fight so it didn’t blow out of control. Calmed people down because he was the empathetic, levelheaded mediator. He was so good at it, he didn’t even have to mean it.

But this had been the first time he had wanted to let the fighting continue.

[next]

[elliemarchetti]

What if scenarios for red queen: What if Shade lived? What if Elara had survived? What if Maven had a kid with Iris? What if Cal had said no in king's cage? What if Montfort was involved with the scarlet guard before the events of red queen? What if Mare accepted Montfort's offer in glass sword? What if Mare wasn't captured by Maven? What if Maven survived? What if Tiberias Vl died before the events of red queen? What if Mare didn't fall into the arena? What if indeed.

Once I wrote a story called What If (you can find it in my old masterlist but I suggest not to read it  or do it lightly because my writing style and my english improved a lot since when I wrote it and I don’t really remember if it made sense) but unfortunately it doesn’t answer any of your questions as I have been  struck at chapter 4 for years so I will address your questions in a sort of bullet list that I couldn't wait to use (even if it doesn't seem to I love when things are well ordered).

What if Shade lived

Shade was a valuable asset for the Scarlet Guard, maybe the most valuable they had, and as it happened to George Martin with Robb Stark (as he said in an interview, he had to kill him off otherwise he would’ve conquered the Seven Kingdoms without all the drama that whoever read ASOIAF or watched GOT knows very well) Victoria Aveyard had to do the same, otherwise things would’ve been “too simple” for the good guys. His death shocked Mare and the readers very much, but I consider it extremely wasted as: 

we already knew how Mare mourned and missed him since she believed he was dead in RQ

although he remained her favorite their relationship had still changed, showing how even if two people love each other and are incredibly similar they can grow and take different paths even if in the same family

she was already scarred by other things and at the end of the series she would’ve been way more even without his death

Farley lost again someone she loved and we already know that her reaction to pain is anger.

To balance these points, and still leave the same psychological outcome in the characters, I think it would’ve made more sense if:

one of Mare's older brothers had died, leaving her wondering how things would’ve changed if she had prevented them from fighting as they’re Reds in a war full of people with abilities and leaving the Barrow’s still incomplete but with a different loss to manage 

the Colonel had died, leaving Farley to wonder if she couldn’t have fixed things before his premature departure and what would’ve changed with Clara’s birth (not to mention the fact that I like to imagine that after Clara they would’ve had another girl called Madeline and, after several years and long debates in Diana’s mind, a boy called Willis)

Either way, by analyzing more pratically what would’ve changed if Shade hadn't died, the first thing that comes to my mind is that Mare’s captivity in KC would’ve been way shorter, partly because of Shade's ability, partly because he and Cal would’ve come up with a plan in less than ten minutes and acting on their own, with Farley and Kilorn’s help, they would’ve rescued her. In general, KC and WS’s events would’ve taken much less time, to the point that I think they could’ve been a single book.

What if Elara had survived and what if Maven had a kid with Iris

There are two different options to this question: Elara survives and returns to the role she had in GS or she’s captured by the Scalet Guard. With Elara to force her son's hand, and, let's face it, reign in his place, as she has always been a puppeteer, her whispers the threads she used to move her puppets, Maven’s reign would’ve been much more dangerous. First of all, I don't think she would’ve ever allowed her son to publicly offend the Samos, with the possibility that they would turn against them, but she would’ve created another complex scheme to kill Evangeline by putting the blame on the Scarlet Guard or on Cal's allies, for then team up with the Cygnets anyway, although I think the alliance would’ve been far less shaky with her to manage it and Iris would’ve been the condescending queen necessary to allow Maven to have the heir who would’ve made his position on the throne safer. Knowing her thirst for power she would still have sinned of arrogance and once Cenra died she would’ve attacked Tiora, obviously always in a subtle way and by putting the blame on someone else, so that Maven's son would become heir to Norta and the Lakelands, creating a single, large state. Without Elara's whispers if Maven and Iris had had a child it would have been through an act that bordered on rape, and once things had gone as they went in WS I'm not sure Iris would’ve brought the baby with her in the Lakelands therefore he would’ve ended up exiled, as it happened in the past with children in uncomfortable positions, in Prairie. On the other hand, if Elara had survived but had been captured by the Scarlet Guard, she would’ve died anyway as I don't think that, although those closest to the Mare would’ve proposed it, an exchange would’ve ever been made between them, Command too conscious of her political power and of the danger that the woman's ability entailed.

What if Cal had said no in KC

Assuming you are talking about rejecting the crown, surely there would’ve been less romantic drama in WS, at least until Maven's death, but things would’ve been politically much more difficult since, if Cal had abdicated before his brother's death, Maven would’ve been the actual heir and it wouldn’t have helped anyone, so he should’ve accepted the crown anyway to convince the Silvers to join the cause and at the same time make Maven illegitimate while only a limited circle should’ve known that his effective intent was to abdicate once the kingdom was reunited, perhaps with a lot of signed documents as I can't imagine the Scarlet Guard base the outcome of the war on another Silver prince’s word after Maven’s betrayal. But if he had actually refused they would’ve had to fight not Maven’s kingdom but monarchy in general, therefore losing the support of many Silver, although I am convinced that they would still have been able to win, although probably with many more dead, thanks to the help from Montfort and a couple of allies convinced that Cal's decision was wise, probably the Lower Houses and common Silvers who would’ve benefited from the abolition of the monarchy and racial laws

What if Montfort was involved with the SG before RQ’s events

It would make complete sense because the SG’s purpose is to obtain a government like Montfort’s. Obviously, even in this case, things would’ve been much faster and much safer and the saga would’ve been much shorter, not to mention the fact that newbloods are not new there and therefore the SG could’ve started talking about Reds with abilities much earlier, which would’ve given Norta’s Red population much more courage.

What if Mare accepted Montfort's offer in GS

In hindsight, it would’ve made sense as they would’ve attacked Corros prison much better prepared, not to mention the fact that Mare is a wonderful trainer, so she would’ve had the best team ever. Also the electricon squad really has too little space in the saga while I would’ve liked to see them bond further.

What if Mare wasn't captured by Maven

Again there are several options: if Maven had captured the others but Mare had managed to escape she would still have tried to negotiate for that exchange, once she realized she had no other way to save them, while if he killed all of them the entire outcome of the war would’ve been different since Cal would’ve died leaving Maven as the rightful king, not to mention the profound psychological damage Mare would’ve faced after she left most of her friends, family and her boyfriend to die. The last option is that they weren’t intercepted at all and managed to get to the Choke, but the possible outcomes are too many to be analyzed and the various results would’ve incredibly modified the subsequent books in completely different ways. Honestly, if I can dream and not force Mare to endure captivity, I would’ve liked if she and others had managed to escape but someone, including a person she cared about but not Cal, since this would’ve made things more difficult, had been captured. Maven would try to organize some kind of exchange and Mare would accept but all the others would prevent her, showing her that she wasn’t selfish to save herself and reminding her that she isn’t only a weapon but also a powerful political pawn. Obviously Maven, keeping his word, would’ve killed the hostages and this would’ve hurt Mare but certainly less than being imprisoned at his mercy.

What if Maven survived

I think that @elane-in-the-shadows has written something about it and I recommend you take a look at her blog because I think it's exactly how things should’ve gone but if I'm wrong about the author and someone knows what fanfiction I'm talking about (where Maven escapes before Mare could find him) feel free to let me know and I’ll add the link here because it’s a masterpiece

What if Tiberias Vl died before RQ

If he died of natural causes just before RQ Cal would’ve been king and would’ve listened to what Julian claimed Elara did, and he would probably have read his mother's diary before, consequently exlingin her or killing her if he considered it the only possible option to please everyone without certainly considering that Maven could’ve acted against him as, and it’s stated repeated several times, Cal is definitely blind about his brother therefore the saga would’ve been mainly about Maven who wants revenge and consequently the throne for which his mother had fought so much and performed such horrible acts. I can already imagine Maven saying he can marry Evangeline in Cal’s place so that he can stay with Mare when he’s just plotting with Volo Samos for the Kingdom of the Rift to split from the rest of Norta and then launches a consequent attack to conquer it entirely, promising peace between their kingdoms and a legitimate throne for House Samos. If Tiberias VI died instead shortly after Maven’s birth Elara would’ve tried to control Cal as she did with Maven but according to the bloodline the regent would’ve been Julian, therefore it wouldn’t have ended well for her anyway, which is why I consider that the plan devised in RQ tremendously brilliant since it contemplates years of waiting but strikes at the right time, so much so that many High House believed the story woven by her and supported her son, at least as long as she was there to control him and make him seem less insane.

What if Mare didn't fall into the arena

If we want a similar story she could’ve shown her ability when she and Cal first met and they could’ve tried to analyze and understand it with Julian without Mare having to be Mareena and meet Maven, which, in the long run, could’ve only benefit her and at the same time she and Cal could still have fallen in love while she still had the opportunity to help the Scarlet Guard, while if the question you ask me is "what would have happened if Mare had become a maid anyway and had never shown her powers, or at least not immediately" I think she and Cal would’ve had a clandestine relationship and she would’ve used it to learn as many things as possible to report to the Scarlet Guard until a life or death situation would’ve triggered her ability, making historical events not very different from those of the saga but erasing Maven's interest in her if not as a weapon to weaken his brother.

[foxofthedesert]

RQ OUaT FF | OGA: Ch. 13

Chapter 13 – The Burning Room (Ao3 Link)

"I won't give up until I'm dead or you're awake. I swear it on my love for you..."

Red awakens with a hoarse gasp.

As awareness returns, she dimly notices that she is completely engulfed in flames so high that they lick at the charred ceiling above. Everything is burning, including her lower extremities, yet she remains miraculously unharmed. No blisters form upon her pristine skin, her eyes remain free of debris, and her lungs function perfectly in spite of the searing smoke flooding them with each breath. It's so odd and horrifying and fascinating that she stares blankly at the flickering orange and yellow lights painting the ceiling until sensation abruptly returns.

A scream tears loose from her throat as she tries to move, desperate for liberation from the searing torment engulfing the lower half of her body. Only her limbs are unresponsive as if she's been paralyzed from the neck down. A prisoner in her own body, she is trapped in a terrifying hell she can't even begin to describe. Even the pain of being mauled by two packs of rabid wolves cannot compare to the unrelenting agony of being burned alive.

Is this how Regina's victims felt? The disturbing thought only sends her spiraling further into the grips of a panic that has seized her muscles and clogged her pores and dulled her ability to soundly reason.

Meanwhile the roaring inferno drowns out nearly all sound save the words she'd heard that jolted her from slumber. They echo around the chamber until the garbled voice starts to become more and more distinct. Recognition dawns, and with it renewed a surge of hysteria.

"Regina! Regina!"

A burst of white hot flames lick up her legs as she shouts for her wife who is begging her to hold on, to not give up, to keep fighting. No matter how hard she tries, Red can't quite remember what she's supposed to be fighting against. All she can feel is a blistering torment she imagines might resemble how it would feel to be tossed headlong into a swelling volcano about to empty its molten rage upon some poor, unsuspecting village. It is so intense that her heart is hammering against her ribs with a force that could crush a stone and she can hear the hot blood rushing through her veins.

Screaming in spite of the fiery ash saturating her throat and lungs, she makes a second, more concerted effort to move. Still nothing happens. Again and again she struggles to force her limbs to obey until she's openly weeping and begging for their compliance. They stubbornly refuse every increasingly desperate command. Hopelessness settles into her chest, taking up residence alongside the unending pain consuming her from the waist down.

She is nearly on the verge of passing out when she feels the ghost of a kiss against her lips, so achingly familiar, so tender and loving, that it cannot be mistaken. Regina. And just like that her limbs are loosed from whatever was holding them captive. At last free to move, she wastes no time scrambling away from the ring of fire hemming in her in. Miraculously, once she's made it to safety, the flames licking up her legs evaporate into harmless puffs of cloudy white mist. The pain recedes and she can breathe again without a raging inferno invading her lungs.

Slowly, her senses realign and with their return comes clarity. They had been so askew from the bone piercing agony that she's not quite sure how she managed to scurry the ten feet she covered before collapsing breathless onto her back. Relief so palpable she can almost taste it washes over her as the scorching agony coating her legs subsides to a sharp discomfort and then eventually dulls into a muted ache. Her chest heaves to draw in air, huge gulping mouthfuls that have her soon coughing roughly as her body tries to expel the red hot debris congesting her airway. Before long, she's curled up on her side hacking uncontrollably.

Once the fit ends and some measure of awareness returns, she shuffles onto her left hip into a half-seated, half-reclined position. Left arm propping her torso up, she surveys her surroundings. The ring of fire circling her is hedged in by an even larger flaming wall that divides what seems to be a spacious room. Vaulted cathedral ceilings cap the space, of artistry that she imagines would be unparalleled were it not obscured by roiling clouds of smoke and thick layers of soot. Currently, she's occupying the center of one side with around another ten feet of space all around between her and the three walls she has access to. Well, would have access to if there wasn't an impassable inferno barricading her from reaching them. Strange as it is, she finds herself longing to have something to lean against now that she knows she can't have it.

Regina also remains frustratingly out of reach. As the pain subsided, so too did her wife's voice, which has faded to the point Red can no longer make out what is being said. It's as if the more conscious she is in this place, the further away Regina gets. Panic gnaws at her throat as several questions flood her brain all at once.

Where is this place? What, exactly, is this place? For that matter, when is this place? And most importantly, how the hell did I get here?

No answers are kind enough to present themselves, not that Red expected anything different. She's always had to do things the hard way, and now she's landed herself in a pickle yet again. Sort of like that time some years back she'd taken on that humongous, unruly grizzly that was getting a little too presumptuous around the local village.

The residents call the place Longmeer after its gruff founder. It's a cozy little place she likes to frequent on her occasional roving excursions during Wolf's Time. It reminds her of her youth spent in Perrault and helps to keep her grounded in her roots. Most of the townsfolk know her by name now, and for more than how she successfully lobbied Regina for some infrastructure upgrades to be made in her hometown. Before relocating further west, Granny was the last of countless generations stretching at least five hundred years to be born there. Naturally, the granddaughter she'd raised all by herself who became their new Queen is somewhat of a celebrity.

Red likes the attention, honestly, if only because she knows these people, especially the most poor among them, are working an angle she can actually appreciate. The nobles back at court all want to curry favor with her to get on Regina's good side, but the residents of Longmeer fawn over her because they see her as a symbol of hope. She is living breathing representation that upward mobility in a society designed to maintain the status quo is actually possible. In her they see a chance, however faint, that they won't have to remain confined to their assigned social strata or mired in poverty for the rest of their lives.

Since marrying Regina, Red has tried her best to fight for the plight of her folk at every opportunity. She likes to think she's made a difference, however marginal, though at first she was convinced she was beating her head against an unforgiving wall. Regina was sympathetic to her cause although by and large the nobles were not. Resources, Regina explained as patiently and kindly as she could, are finite and often scarce, which is why those who keep the wheels of industry and power greased get the lion's share. That is the harsh reality of how kingdoms operate to stay afloat in a world where unremitting chaos is always one natural disaster or famine or disease or war away. The peasantry props up the merchant class which fuels the nobility that supports the monarchy. The monarchy, in turn, exists for the expressed purpose to secure the stability of a realm both internally and externally against forces that would seek to tear it apart. That truth was a bitter pill for Red to swallow that went down with a large heap of bile. She still struggles at times reconciling herself to the fact that her greater duty as a monarch is often directly at odds with or has to come at the expense of the hard working, salt of the earth peoples from whence she emerged.

The villagers in Longmeer do not seem to begrudge her this frustrating conflict of interest. They often take time out of their busy days when she visits just to tell her that her efforts are not as futile as they seem. She is actually doing some good for them. In the five years since she was crowned, taxes have been cut by a third and the percentage of their products allocated to the crown has been slashed in half. Municipal services have been improved across the board and many of the rough and tumble roads in the region – if they could be called that, most of them are hardly more than poorly carved footpaths – have been significantly upgraded.

Progress is being made. It's just not enough for her. Were it possible, she would give those people the riches of the whole world. To that end, she occasionally laments to them over the slogging forward momentum, and that she wishes she could do so much more than her annoyingly persistent lobbying that achieves relatively small gains. There are, of course, those malcontents who see her as a derelict disappointment who is squandering a golden opportunity to bust up the traditions that keep peasants poor and nobles rich. But most never hold those perceived failures against her. On the contrary, they seem truly grateful that even a fraction of their burdens have been alleviated. That gratitude, more than anything, is why Red keeps going back. She needs a reminder every now and again that there are people out there for whom a little means a lot.

The nobles at the palace are in every way the opposite. They engorge themselves on every available consumable resource from clothing to precious metals to food while everyone else lives hand to mouth. It sickens her to the point she attends functions out of spite for the sole purpose of teaching them a lesson she is well aware won't take. When the Queen only partakes of measly portions, many of the nobles will follow suit merely to save face, not wanting to show up their monarch in front of their peers. So that's what she does. And as satisfying as it is to watch the overly privileged, overly rotund pricks nibble on broccoli and asparagus, it's difficult to deny herself when she eats like a horse on a good day. At least in Longmeer she doesn't have to feel bad about her healthy appetite since she pays for her enormous meals with gold from her own pocket. And at least Regina doesn't try to shame or chastise her over such infantile behavior.

To her credit, over the course of their marriage Regina has shown increasing receptiveness to the plight of the commoners.

"It's the curse of being married to one," she'll say whenever someone points it out, often Red herself. "And I'm happy to bear it."

Anyway, to get back on topic, Red was a right mess after driving that ravenous grizzly away from Longmeer. Her snout was dripping blood from a well-placed swipe of a fat paw sporting claws the size of human fingers, her hind leg was missing a hunk of meat at the hip, and her neck sported several puncture wounds the size of massive canines. Honestly, if her wolf form hadn't been growing since she fell in love with Regina, she probably would've been killed in the encounter. As it was, she passed out before she could reach the safety of the village, where she could then return to two legs for emergency triage. The villagers also knew what she was and would have been more than glad to nurse her back to an ambulatory state so she could get back home before Regina lost her shit.

Unfortunately, she didn't make it that far. When she woke up, hurting all over and groggy like she'd downed an entire keg of ale, she was still in the woods and had been missing for an entire day. Thankfully, her crazy fast healing kept her from exsanguinating on the cold forest floor dozens of miles away from home. As it was, she limped into town and hitched a ride with a friend she'd made, a rascal with a heart of gold named Flynn Rider.

Gods, Regina was unhappy about that incident. For so, so long. She ranted and raved until that bulging vein in her forehead looked like it was about to burst. Since this wasn't the first time something like this happened, she sequestered Red to the castle for three interminable weeks. The only reason Red didn't fight the dictate was because she felt she'd earned the extreme punishment. Regina is a strong woman, the strongest Red has ever known, but she couldn't hide how terrified she'd been. For three days after Red limped home, she refused herself the release of sleep in favor of making sure Red kept breathing through the night. And for at least a week more she refused to let Red out of her sight longer than five minutes.

But this current predicament? This is far, far worse. Not only does Red have no earthly idea where she is, but she knows instinctively that she is trapped someplace that is unnatural and from which she likely will never be rescued by conventional means. Magic has her clamped within it's greedy iron vice, and it will never let her go of its own volition. She can feel the corrosive power in her bones and smell the tempestuous energies in the sulfuric air.

Sulfuric air. Something about that particular phrase has the back of her mind tingling with familiarity, as if she's encountered the scent before. And then it hits her. The witch. The garrison's destruction. Robin's death. Regina's palpable anxiety over the month that followed. Her own fear over the threats that had been so spectacularly leveled against her wife. Who will protect Regina without her there?

Suddenly the gravity of the situation slams into her like a runaway carriage. She has to get out of here. Right now! She has to! It's a matter of life and death. Not for her but for Regina, and that makes the situation all the more dire and her panic all the more acute.

Heedless of the danger, Red springs toward the circle of flame, only to reel back when it flares upward twice as hot as before. So hot that she can feel her eyebrows singe as she approaches. Her skin starts burning before she can get close enough to touch it.

With a cry of pain, she flails back, falling hard on her ass. She lays there, motionless, unable to move, as if all of her energy has suddenly been drained out of her in one fell swoop. She laughs bitterly as a lonely tear carves a winding path down her soot-matted cheek. A crazy woman is trying to kill her wife, slaughter their people and destroy their kingdom, and she's stuck here in hell with no discernible avenue to freedom. Regina is going to die and there's nothing she can do about it. The realization sucks what little strength remains in her right out.

Fear begins crawling up the length of her body in the absence of her vitality. It slowly clambers up an inch at a time until settling menacingly over her chest. She can almost see it, as if the magic of this place gives her vision into the nether where invisible monsters reside. Monsters with dripping fangs and beady eyes and talons that can pierce flesh without leaving a mark. Dread, it's faithful companion, follows behind, equally as gruesome, and Hopelessness the most terrible manifestation of them all joins the fray not long after. Beasts of no name they are that exist solely to torment their victims, and Red is their latest quarry.

Helpless to fight again their vicious, unremitting assault, she surrenders to despair. She cries and cries and cries, drawing little consolation that there is no one to hear the miserable sounds that wrench free from her lips with every breath. Her sole companion is the seemingly infinite inferno imprisoning her. The harsh licking of the flames provide a sinister accent to her suffering, as if they are feeding upon the anguish pouring out of her in great heaving torrential waves.

How long she remains mired in a dejection that clings to her like a second skin, she can't begin to fathom. Time in this place has no meaning that she can ascertain. There are no windows through which to judge the position of the sun, nor is there a nifty mechanical time piece handy like Geppetto makes for her to consult. The magic here has all of her senses out of whack, so that even her normally reliable internal clock has been rendered useless.

What she does know is that her throat, already ravaged by the smoke she's inhaled, is a track of burning raw flesh. Her eyes are so dry that it hurts to blink. Lips parched and cracked are lanced by jolts of pain with every minute movement. The incessant crackling of the flame wall irritates her sensitive ears and exacerbates the dull, pervasive ache that has taken up residence inside her head. Her hair is greasy and unkempt and disgusting, and she feels in general as if she hasn't bathed in months.

And then for the first time she recognizes a knot curling deep in her stomach, which is craving water and food that does not exist here, nor does she imagine there to be any available outside this hellish place. Unquenchable thirst and insatiable hunger only deepens her misery. With no relief in sight, she dreads the coming hours. At least she might not be crying again any time in the near future – a macabre fringe benefit to her state of dehydration if there ever was one.

Idly, she wonders if there is any outside of which to speak. One thing is certain, with magic at play, anything is possible. It's just as likely that the chamber is located in the middle of one of the lush rainforests she's read about in Regina's books as it is that it's suspended in some sort of phantom dimension between the physical and spiritual. The latter possibility is one she could never have imagined to be real had she not personally witnessed Regina hide things in such an invisible pocket. Only small items could be stored with that particular spell, as the energy requirements to form more than a tiny breach into the plane between life and death are more than any single magician can muster. If that is where this place is, whoever constructed it had to have been either powerful beyond imagining or part of a much larger group of magic users. A coven, or two or three, of witches perhaps. Whatever the case, she isn't keen on meeting the person or persons responsible. Werewolf or not, she'd be mincemeat in the face of such a formidable foe.

Exhausted from her fit of self-indulgent sorrow, Red curls up into a fetal position on the floor, squeezes her eyes shut, and begs for unconsciousness to claim her. Sadly, it refuses to oblige. Yet another torturous aspect to her confinement, it seems, is an inability to sleep. Will she be forced to stay awake forever here with no reprieve from the suffering? If so, her initial assessment of her unenviable predicament seems woefully optimistic. Still, stubborn as she is, she continues to try, if for no other reason than she has nothing better to do. Passing the time within the familiar confines of her own mind seems a viable alternative at the moment to staring blankly into the dancing flames.

Hours pass. Maybe. Maybe it's minutes. She cannot be certain here. All she knows is that she has run through a dozen scenarios involving Regina unsuccessfully confronting the warped witch who has it in for her, each of them more grotesquely detailed than the last. If she does ever make it out of here, will Regina still be alive to greet her?

Abject terror grips her heart. Unbeknownst to her, that paralyzing fear for Regina's safety will join the unending conflagration that surrounds her as a second, ever-faithful companion. In a place from which there is no escape, it seems to her a fate worse than death.

[letsberealletsberaw-blog]

11 Tips For Getting Over A Difficult Breakup

Set yourself up on the road to recovery with these 11 tips from Mend app founder Elle Huerta.

The holidays tend to bring our romantic relationships into focus, placing us square in the middle of both cuffing season and breakup season. So, if you find yourself newly single, know that there are plenty of people in the trenches of heartbreak right along with you. Here are 11 tips to try if you're tired of your friends telling you, "It just takes time."

Keep The Comparison Game In Check

We won't say "avoid the comparison game," because it's inevitable, but keep it in check (especially on Instagram!)

If you're comparing how you're doing with how it appears your ex is doing or how you think you should be doing, it means you're spending too much energy and time comparing. Stop yourself in your tracks with this mantra: "Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Acknowledge Any Feelings Of Withdrawal

Going through a breakup feels a lot like withdrawal because you're no longer getting all of those happy feel-good hormones (endorphins! oxytocin!) from your partner. Remember that rush of falling in love? Heartbreak induces the opposite feeling, so be patient with yourself and acknowledge that it’s normal and human to feel like absolute shit. And just know that it won't last forever.

Keep Your Thumbs In Check  

A breakup may happen IRL or on your phone, but breakups echo in Instagram, text message threads and inboxes. If you can't completely detox from tech for a bit, at least monitor how it's making you feel. If you are sent into a tailspin every time you see your ex’s text thread or when your ex's photos appear on Instagram's "explore" function, it's time to take a digital detox.

Start by monitoring your phone usage with an app like Moment. Back photos and texts up, and then clear them from your phone. A digital detox does wonders for a broken heart.

Let Your Friends Know How They Can Help You

Even though you may feel like being alone after a breakup, it's important to be around friends or family, even if you just Netflix together. The challenge is that sometimes friends are at a loss for what to do when someone is hurting, and that can end up unintentionally looking like apathy.

It helps if you tell your friends exactly how they can help. For example: "Will you go with me to that party next week so I don’t have to go alone?" or "Could you come over for dinner this week because I don't feel like going out?"

Make Self-Care Your #1 Priority

Research shows that romantic rejection causes real, detectable pain (it lights up the same pain center in the brain that lights up when you break a bone), so take extra care of your body. Get enough sleep, eat whole foods, use a dry brush daily, and do something active every day—even if it's just walking around the block—to trigger the release of endorphins. Breathwork and meditation are also two free tools that are proven to help with pain, and you can tap into them anywhere.

Keep A Journal

Whether it's IRL, on your phone’s notepad, or in a self-care app like Mend, set aside time every day to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and goals for the week. Keeping a journal helps you keep track of your thought patterns and also helps you process your experience and craft a narrative around it so that you can mend. Bonus: Write down three things you’re grateful for every day for a mindset boost.

Cultivate A Growth Mindset

Remind yourself that a breakup doesn’t mean you’re fatally flawed. You’re not doomed to be alone forever because this one relationship ended. Research by psychology professor Carol Dweck shows that when you have a growth mindset (a.k.a. you believe you have the capacity to grow and learn from experiences) vs. a fixed mindset (a.k.a. you believe you are unlovable or fatally flawed because of the breakup), you bounce back faster after heartbreak. So keep tabs on how you talk to yourself about the breakup and flip the script if you're feeling fixed.

Treat Yourself Like You Would Treat A Friend

We tend to be understanding, rational, and empathetic when our friends come to us after their breakups, but where are we when we need ourselves most? One thing that can help you put your breakup in perspective is thinking about the advice you'd give your best friend. This helps you to practice more self compassion, and it can also increase your self-esteem. Your best friend thinks you're worthy of love and strong enough to get through anything, so why don't you?

Give Yourself Breaks From The Pain

It can be tempting to wallow and ruminate over every detail 24/7, and your brain may try to do that, but it’s important to give yourself mental breaks. Distraction is okay (and healthy) if it’s not your number one coping strategy.

Go see a movie, go to coffee with a friend, or call a loved one so that you can get some momentary relief, especially in the early days when the pain is overwhelming and you're more prone to obsessive thinking.

Recognize What You’re Learning

Every time you choose to love, you get to know your heart a little better. And every time you go through a breakup, your heart becomes a little stronger. You also learn more about who you are and what you want, and that time of self-reflection is irreplaceable. Take this time to ask yourself the tough questions: Who am I? What do I want? What brings me happiness?

Let yourself sit still long enough to hear the answers.

Know That It’s OK To Miss Someone

Missing someone is OK, so don't scold yourself if you're still having those feelings. Missing is a sign that the person meant something to you. As Anne Lamott so beautifully says, “You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.”

Ultimately, every heartbreak has a silver lining, and your job is to tune in to yourself and figure out what yours is. You have complete freedom now to get clear on who you are and what you want from life. Harness your emotions and let them propel you forward into the next chapter.

Elle Huerta is the founder of Mend, the essential self-care app for getting over heartbreak.

Words: Elle Huerta Photo: Stocksy Reposted via: https://www.girlboss.com/girlboss/2017/12/15/11-tips-for-getting-over-a-breakup?rq=breakup