#like examples of close friendship are so important!! truly!! let them be comfortable and tender with each other!!

[renfriscreyden]

the thing about samfrodo is that on the one hand it's such an important example of intimate male friendship that's loving and tender but on the other hand: those hobbits are kind of gay

[variantia]

❤️(Ayatsuri) 💙(Dmitri) 💛(Mother) 💚(Vesper)💜 (Any muse that you think needs more love)

Peer into my muse’s memories  //  accepting !

BELLUM.  I chose Webber for the last one !  under the cut bc is long and also D’s and Vesper’s have some triggers ! !

❤️- A happy memory that makes them smile

   Soft hums leave the puppet master’s lips as she finishes the final strokes of paint on her doll.  The marionette is small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, with details like one would expect from an expert artist.  She’s beautiful, with stark white porcelain for skin, pin-straight black hair that shines like a gemstone, and an intricate silvery outfit with dark trim.

   A simple melody plays from a music box in the background, a soundtrack to Ayatsuri’s delicate work.  Dark polished nails sweep gingerly through the doll’s hair ; her eyes roaming over every inch of her handiwork.          ❝  Oh, Tsukiko,  ❞   she coos.

   This is the first puppet she’s ever made completely on her own from scratch.  She fired and molded the porcelain, painstakingly laid every strand of hair, and spent countless hours sewing the dress.  They’re all things she’s practiced before, but now holding something that is entirely her own creation, with her time and taste and essence poured into it, is something unlike anything else.

          ❝  You’re perfect.  I can’t wait to make you a little friend.  ❞

-

💙- A sad memory that makes them cry

          ❝  Mother, please.  Let go.  ❞

   D has never been so relieved and regretful to say anything in his entire life.  Now Mina Harker has slipped away into a quiet death, and he will have to navigate the world without his mother.

   He sees the spark fade from her eyes, but she passes with a smile on her face.  Her twisted fingers are around his just as tightly as they have ever been ; when they go limp, he knows she is gone.  His mother was a light unto the world, and the world never appreciated her.  Everyone cast her away because of him.  Because of her son.  Because of what he is.  She suffered so much, especially now as her body was failing her, as she clung to her life only for her child.

   It wasn’t fair.  None of it.  And because he’s never gotten too close to anyone else, D has no frame of reference for this.  What is he supposed to do now that she’s gone ?  Why does he feel so empty ?  Why was she smiling ?  Why did she always let people say ugly things to her, and why did she forgive everyone, and why has she always treated him like he is the most important thing that exists ?

   Not for the first time in his life, but for the first time since he has learned to control his emotions, D breaks down in tears.  Crouched by his mother’s bed, with her lying lifeless under the sheets, so close and so far away, he feels more like a terrified little boy than he ever did in his youth.

   He doesn’t know how long he stays like this, lost in his own head as tears refuse to stop.  He thinks about every beautiful memory he has of Mina.  Every time she held him close or kissed his forehead or erased someone else’s awful words with a gentle lullaby.  Despitethe fact that that he was the greatest source of her own pain, she treated him like a precious thing.

   After a long while of thinking, he reaches a conclusion.

   Even though the world never appreciated her unrelenting kindness, he did.

   From this moment on, he will do his best to be someone who deserves it.

   If it’s the last thing he does with his pitiful life, he will make his mother proud.

   But for now, a wound has been ripped open in his heart, leaving it raw and angry and full of despair.  Before he makes his mother proud, he must heal.

   He’s sure it will take a long time.

   He’s not sure he will ever truly heal.

-

💛- A memory that makes them feel angry

   The fact that Greed left the group is only half of the reason that Mother feels fury burning inside her chest.

   The bigger reason is Envy’s reaction.

   Envy, the one of her children she’s always felt like she never had to worry about, Envy who claims they hold no real affection for their brothers and sister, is currently on a pseudo rampage contained mostly to their own room.  When she arrived back, it was them who toldher that Greed was gone ; in a screaming voice that sounded like it was going to tear their throat in two.  Now, they’re throwing things and breaking the few possessions they have and punching walls.

   Her other children have wisely decided to find reasons to suddenly be far, far away so that they can just leave Envy to their tantrum.  In the meantime, Mother has slipped away into the streets, disguised, to unleash her rage in a less violent manner.

   She doesn’t know where Greed has gone.  Her best guess would be that he’s gone somewhere with a lot of humans, maybe with a lot of wealth – because he’s predictable.  Because he’s always been fascinated by those two things in particular.

   Even as her eyes scan the crowd, she knows she won’t be going anywhere.  Looking for him would just be a waste of time.  It wouldn’t matter if she found him or not.  He won’t allow himself to be dragged back, and she can’t bring herself to incapacitate one of her children in order to force his return.  She’s perhaps cruel, but she’s not that cruel.

   Wherever he is, though, he should make no mistake.  His mother is furious with him to the point that her hands are shaking in anger.  Her eyes are sharp as she moves through the throng, and it’s a surprise that the streets don’t start to smoke wherever her feet touch.

   Greed will find himself in her arms once again, whether he likes it or not.  Whether he realizes yet that he will.  He can’t stay away ; they’re his family.

   That said, she thinks that the next time they meet, she will have to punish him before she permits herself to embrace him.  How dare he hurt his siblings like this.

-

💚- A memory that makes them feel guilty

   When Vesper wakes up, he’s lying on clouds so soft he knows he must be in heaven.

   For a few minutes as he tries to gain his bearings, he can’t remember anything.  Even the exact chunk of time that would explain why he was unconscious in the first place is missing.

   There’s noise and speech all around him, and as soon as he’s able to focus, he knows what this is.  It’s one of the judgment rooms that belong to the other angels.  There are screens forming every wall that are replaying his failure nonstop.

   The memories that flood his mind are those of an attempt to guide a woman toward happiness.  Someone who had just had a fight with her girlfriend, who was still angry.  Vesper can remember gently pressing his essence against this young lady, trying to influence her toward the best path.  If she could just talk to her girlfriend, now that a few days had passed, things might be better.  They might be able to make up and get back together.  They would be happy.

          ❝  Go, go,  ❞   he whispers on the screens, an encouraging smile on his tender features.  He remembers being so hopeful.  So careful.  And now this is coming from so many angles, he can’t stand it.          ❝  You can do it.  Just talk to her.  It’ll be okay.  ❞

   How could he have predicted that which the screens suddenly cut to ?  – The image of this woman lying on the sidewalk with a bullet in her head, fresh blood staining the stone, dead eyes staring through these screens at him.

   Another angel, full-blooded and pure, stares at him from outside the room, and when he lifts his head to look at her, tears streaking down his face, her eyes look at him coldly.

          ❝  You are a menace, Vesper.  LOOK WHAT YOU DID.  ❞

   And he cries harder, because she is right.

-

💜- A memory about one of their loved ones, happy or sad

   Even as young as Webber and Wendy are, they can still be useful to the rest of the survivors’ group.  Often, they are.

   Today is a day for relaxing, however.  Although they could go forage or build some things, the adults are taking a break for the day, so the children decide to follow their example.

   Wendy is lying on the grass with her long hair splayed out behind her, arms crossed over her chest in a manner that would suggest she were a corpse in a coffin, and Abigail’s flower is resting comfortably on her stomach.  There’s a subtle chill in the air which indicates that while Abigail isn’t right here next to them, she’s not far away.  Webber sits next to his friend, quietly crafting something that there’s no real need for.

          ❝  What are you doing, Webber ?  ❞   Wendy eventually speaks up in that eerie, whispery voice of hers that makes adults nervous.          ❝  You’re making this rustling noise.  Is that actually you, or has                  some great, terrible beast finally come to ravage our camp-                  ground ?  ❞

   A gravelly buzz of a giggle leaves him, and he taps her shoulder.          ❝  No, of course not, silly !  I’m making something for you.  Sit up ;                  it’s all done !  ❞

   Once Wendy has taken her time in doing so, opening her eyes to blink at him, he reaches over and slides his creation onto her wrist.          ❝  There we go !  It’s a friendship bracelet.  Isn’t it lovely ?   ❞

          ❝  Oh.  ❞   That’s all she says for a moment, staring down at the bracelet.  It’s not very fancy, just made out of woven grass with some flowers for decoration, but it’s something he made specifically for her.  At last, she leans over and wraps her arms around him.  She doesn’teven seem to mind the feeling of the bristly spider fur.          ❝  Thank you, Webber.  I’ll never take it off.  ❞

   For the first time in a long time, he feels warm without being near the fire.

   It’s nice to have friends even if none of them know what exactly tomorrow will bring.

[buckysbeauty-capsbooty]

2X05 of Frontier was great but 2X06 could to be FORMIDABLE. but answer to this. I´ve seen so many post about it, that what I thought was bizarre is now number one on my list of curiosities. Declan Harp is really in love with Grace Emberly?

Ooh, I don’t know if I am the authority on this. I could be completely wrong, but I have a pretty decided opinion regarding this. If this is a day late, just know I put a lot of thought into this because I never want to give anyone a half-assed answer if they take the courage to ask my opinion. This might be long but I answered your question to the best of my ability and I hope it is to your satisfaction. Much love.Grace Emberly is in love with Declan. This is obvious, this we all know. It shows through her devotion, loyalty and the lengths she is willing to go through to defend, protect and aid him. She would do anything for him. From the earliest episodes, her attachment to him is clear. He has an affect on her that softens her despite her attempts to hide it.

“I respect a man whose actions are decisive.” (01x02, Little Brother War)This she once said to Chesterfield. We can all agree that this is a trait that Declan has in spades.Declan, on the other hand, is not in love with her. Not quite. Not yet.

However, I think it’s very complex. His relationship with Grace stands out from his relationship with everyone else. It is not the kindred spirit he finds in Michael nor the familial, brother-like love he feels for Sokanon.

He places his trust in her like no one else. He entrusts matters of business and vengeance to Sokanon or Michael. In matters of the heart, he turns to her. When he’s weak, he can lean on her. He is completely himself with no fronts, no brave faces. He is who he is and feels what he feels because Grace is not his family or his subordinate.

She is his friend.

Where everyone else views him as either family, compatriot, leader, rogue or savage, Grace looks at him as a man; a man who is strong and brilliant and broken.

I would not dare say that Declan is unaware of this. He is an intelligent man. His survival living as a fugitive on the edge of the law depends on his wits and vigilance. Harp is also extraordinarily good at reading people.

For example: When Michael Smyth comes face to face with Declan Harp, he immediately knows he is lying (despite Michael’s believable fibs).

It is my opinion that he is very aware of Grace’s feelings towards him but he can’t return them. Not while he is still obsessed with vengeance for the murder of his wife and children. It is clear that he loved his wife with all his heart. Although, he has accepted that she is gone and never coming back, his heart is still gripped by rage and anguish. To him, vengeance is all that has kept him alive, his sole purpose of existing without his family. A man blinded by vengeance sees little else but retribution. The wound is still too fresh for him.

That being said, Declan changes when he’s with Grace. His voice softens, he is quiet and thoughtful. He watches her closely, gauging her reactions. In a way, he knows Grace’s feelings for him offer an advantage. She will never refuse his help, never betray him. He can rely on her to help him reach his goals. She is useful to him. Where we see Grace’s selflessness and sacrifice again and again, Declan rather blindly trudges this way and that, unaware of the pain he might inflict.

That isn’t to say that I think he completely disregards her feelings with a cold indifference but he does carefully avoid them.

So, he speaks softly to her, careful not to cause her any pain. Similar to the whole “friend-zone” spiel where one wishes to keep the friendship in tact despite a rejection. Although here, it is on a much greater scale and it is never spoken aloud.He places his trust in her, cares for her and loves her to a degree of carefully monitored platonic relations. I feel like he wants to say he loves her like a sister, the same way he loves Sokanon, but I think even he would feel that was oversimplifying.

He knows he cannot return her affections although, I think a part of him really wants to.

From the first season up and until now, despite having limited screen time together, there has been a shift. I would argue that recent events have gotten the ball rolling and there could be a future where their relationship becomes a greater and ever-changing focus in the show.

It should be obvious, but I would say that the moment to really look out for the first step in this aforementioned change is in 01x06 (The Gallows) where Declan, after having been rescued from Benton by Micael and Sokanon, finds his way back to Grace.

This alone is probably the most important point I could make in this argument.

Declan finds his way back to the Ale, back to Grace. Despite all the danger, despite the trauma, despite being half dead, he needs to talk to Grace. Needs to see her. Needs her help, needs to pour out all the heartache in his tortured soul because he knows that Grace with accept it. There is no obligation to be strong, no need to put on a tough front. She sees through him and all his gruffness (because God knows, she is just the same).

It’s a cry for help, he goes to her because he needs comfort. He needs to feel comfort and warmth and a type of unconditional love waiting for him in her arms. He needs her love and tenderness. He wants it.

I think the people that we turn to first in our greatest time of need is telling. Of anyone he could have talked to, he risked his life to go see Grace because he chose her.

And as she tends to his wounds and he is overcome with emotion for all that he has lost, there is a moment while he holds him and comforts him, a certain look passes in his life. As I interpret it, it’s the moment he realizes “Yes, I could love her”.

In a moment where we as an audience are closest to seeing what lies in Grace Emberly’s heart, is the moment she begs Declan to stay. Grace knows that if he leaves, it is almost certain that he will die. She can’t bare to lose him.

“You promised me you’d change your plan. I’ve waited so long for you. You cannot leave me now. Not like this.”He looks at her calmly, resolutely but his eyes apologize for so much more than his actions and all he is about to do.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs sadly, “I have to do this.” With that, he leaves. His heart is steadied and his focus on retribution is restored. Crestfallen, Grace watches him go. Looking after the man she loves while purposefully strides towards what seems to be his impending doom.

“In another life, I could love her”–it is my firmest belief that this is the unspoken truth that lies Declan Harp’s heart and mind.

I think that Harp has accepted that one way or another, he will die on his quest for vengeance. Whether he is victorious, whether he fails or dies trying, he doesn’t believe that there is anything more for him in this life. With his family gone and purpose fulfilled, he might be content to die.

Like most men, Declan can be a stubborn fool.

However, I don’t think hope is completely lost. He clearly cares for Grace, loves Grace in a tragic and faltering sort of way. Much like Edmond Dantes in the classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo, he is too blinded by vengeance to see that there is hope for a new life with the woman who loves him dearly. He doesn’t always realize that he is acting selfishly, doesn’t always care.

However, when Declan learns that Grace married Chesterfield for him, he kind of loses his shit just a little bit. His reaction is immediate. He is angry–at her or himself, is the real question. He knows Grace. He knows that there is nothing more that she values more than her independence. That is, except for him. If her love for him wasn’t apparent enough before, it is now.He can’t truly ask her why she did it. He knows the reason. And what can he do? He knows he can’t return her affections and he knows she is suffering for it. The knowledge alone, gnaws at him.

In summary, I believe that Jason Momoa said it best: “He’s basically a deadman–he doesn’t care about himself at all.”Although he is still very much consumed by vengeance, his character is evolving episode by episode. With only 11 (soon to be 12) episodes so far, we have learned a lot about Declan. At the very beginning of season 2, when Declan is saved by an Inuit man and his child, we see a change however small.

A longing for peace that is unspoken. A reprieve from bloodshed and anger. The man also tells his young daughter a cautionary tale of vengeance and it’s destruction. The only way to free one’s self from the death grip of grudges and vendettas is to let go and forgive. If left burning, like a wildfire, it will consume all in its path and leave nothing but destruction in its wake.If he ever manages to let go, I think he will very easily find that Grace can offer him the peace his tortured soul desires.I wouldn’t get my hopes up to high just yet. 

Although I have a feeling we’ll see something groundbreaking in regards to Declan and Grace next week in the season finale so fingers crossed! 

After all, if he gave up so quick, where would the fun in that be? Let’s just pray that he can somehow manage to achieve retribution through vengeance without completely destroying himself or paying the ultimate price.

So, is Declan Harp in love with Grace Emberly?Presently, Declan is still too consumed by bloodlust and rage to ever fully commit to loving Grace, let alone to ever find peace. If he ever managed to let the past go, there might be a chance for him. It’s a tragic story, but not one without hope.Thank you for the ask, anon.