#like having being like he has beaten dick up twenty four seven

[kstarlitchaotics]

The fact that people take Bruce later on develops too much seriously yes I don't like it when writers will put in 'abusive' side of Bruce cause that is NOT his character people like to alter the characters but it also depends on the outcome of how the character are with certain events people have to realize that Bruce Wayne as a whole character loves his loved ones including all of his kids his fellow colleagues and friends

It's the fact of the matter I don't like it when people in the fanon will take all that of the one side of Bruce and make it his center fold when it comes to his loved ones especially around his kids of having fics hc or analysis to describe one Bruce Wayne thinking that is all he's good for just like when people say he beats up mentally ill people those people are usually villains that allowed themselves to become that way not because of Bruce people give the man some credit

[lubdubsworld]

Make it hurt ( Then Kiss it better) (Yoongi a/b/o)

Chapter 2

I spent the weekend locked up inside my room. Jieun had gone home to visit her parents , so I could just lay off the suppressants, lock the door and spray scent markers all over the place before vegetating in my bed . I worked on my Biology paper , finished seven Chemistry experiments and equations and also finished a paper that wasn’t due for another month. 

It worked, in a way. I didn’t think about Min Yoongi more than half a dozen times and I only snapped the pencil in my hand twice. 

That Stupidly handsome, infuriatingly hot , and unfairly  polite Alpha jerk. 

Why couldn’t he just be a monster so I could hate him in peace without feeling  guilty  over how I‘d  treated him? 

But by Sunday afternoon , my guilt had intensified into genuine remorse and I decided that it was only fair that I apologize to him and properly thank him for what he’d done. 

And yet it took me three hours to actually bring myself to get dressed, slipping on a nice huge hoodie ( it was Seokjin’s) , a long skirt and my favorite sneakers. i looked like a beggar , i knew but I was comfy. 

A few subtle enquiries told me that Yoongi and his friends were in the huge grounds near the basketball court, probably smoking and having fun the way they usually did. Most of them were Alphas , so I grabbed my bottle of suppressants and chucked in four pills just to be on the safer side , before trudging out of my dorm and into the night. 

But when I reached there, i found that half the school was gathered around them. i elbowed my way to the front.

“Get up.” Kim Namjoon, another Senior growled , eyes blazing with fury as he stared down at the boy on the floor. He looked like he was about to kill him, and the amount of fury on his handsome face made me balk.

I hesitated, burrowing deeper in my hoodie as I stood in the second row of spectators , watching the brutality unfold in front of us. It was oddly disturbing, how absolutely ravenous the crowd looked for the bloody entertainment. They were all high schoolers but there was something very ancient in their gaze. A sort of bloodlust? Or the need to see someone suffer. For what, really?

They studied in the best school in the country : reserved for the richest elite. All of them wore the best clothes, carried the most expensive phones and drove the most fashionable cars. One would think, their thrill-seeking minds wouldn’t resort to watching innocent boys getting beaten into a pulp.

But one would be wrong.

Anytime one of  the three hotshots  decided to pick on a poor unfortunate kid, the students gathered at once. They cheered on the violent beatings and hooted in delirious frenzy.

Next toNamjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok stood with arms folded, Hoseok looking angry and Yoongi, unreadable as always. 

I swallowed nervously as I watched the three boys, standing over their cowering classmate. And honestly, I wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t let my mouth and temper run away with me! 

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.

“She told you she wasn’t interested!! So you molest her?!!! Are you fucking kidding me? ”  Kim Namjoon hissed , staring down at the boy with his intent to kill written clearly on his perfect features.

I grimaced as the boy whimpered in genuine fear.

“No…Joon Hyung it’s a misunderstanding, i didn’t…”

Namjoon’s boot connected solidly with the boy’s jaw cutting off his words and leaving a splatter of blood against the pristine white floor . I stared, sickened, before letting out a noise of disgust.

I hadn’t meant for it to be loud. But it was.

Min Yoongi glanced up sharply , eyes landing on me at once. I stumbled back in surprise and quickly burrowed deeper into my hoodie.

He hesitated before dragging his eyes up and down my body, lips curling softly and  I could feel nausea build up at the back of my throat. Why did it have to behim of all the damn people in the entirety of South Korea! Why did it have to be Min fucking Yoongi ?

He looked fit and smug , ash blonde hair falling into his eyes over the fabric of his head band, all angular features and sinful lips. He narrowed his eyes and smirked. And then he was sublty scenting the air and I felt completely creeped out and it stuck me that he likely could smell me. 

How? How could he when no one else could?!! 

Fuck, I was in so much trouble.

 Get out of here. Now is not the time to make apologies. 

I didn’t need to watch more. Pushing my hands further into my pockets, I slowly walked to the water fountain on the way to the dormitories. At times like this, I wished i had a family to run away to. I was a ward of the state, which meant that vacations or working days, weekends or weeknights, rain or shine, I’d be locked here in school. I didn’t mind. The place was sprawling and you could spend days just walking around , without meeting a single soul.

There was an unwritten rule in our chool : don’t ask Don’t tell. Don’t ask who’s sleeping with who . Don’t tell if you hook up with a guy. There were enough crammed places , hidden from view where the girls and guys could do … stuff. The management didn’t really mind : they got their fat paycheck courtesy of these spoiled brats and their trust funds. Why ruin a good thing, huh?

But the problem was, these guys thought every female with two legs and a working vagina was fair game. At first i was flattered that they wanted me. That every guy i met took a double take when he saw my face. 

But then i realized that most of them didn’t stop with the looking. They wanted to touch.  And so , it became a hassle that i couldn’t get rid of no matter what i did.

As I kept walking, I became aware of how dark it was. it was a little past seven now, and the lamps leading to my dorm were always shrouded by the trees. It had rained earlier and the sound of crickets, the stench of rotting vegetation and the dampness in the air made me want to hide.

 Yoongi standing there, looking at me and being able to sense my presence. 

I snorted at the thought of them. Every single one of them were nothing more than a group of glorified sadists. Rich, handsome with more cash than conscience. I didn’t like the fact that i’d registered on yet another bastard’s radar. Sighing, I clenched my fists.

“Wait.”

I froze, my entire body going stiff at the unwelcome voice. it was Kris Wu. Another burly Alpha Senior with more looks than brains. He smelled like rotten fish and i wanted to puke. 

. Oh, God.

“What do you want?” I said without turning around, glancing quickly at the nearest building. at least twenty five yards away. Should i make a run for it?

“You .”

I shut my eyes in disgust. And then jumped when cold fingers circled my wrist, yanking me back till I hit a chest that was built like a wall.

“Let me go, you jerk.” I shoved him, hard.

Kris Wu looked less than apologetic as he grinned at me. Apparently while the others had been busy beating up a that guy, this one had come looking for fresh prey to feed on. He made my skin crawl. He pulled me closer and lightly swept my hair back before gripping my chin between his fingers.

“Not so fast. I asked you to come to my dorm last night. Defying orders now are we?” He glanced down at my lips and I pulled away. 

So he’d been the one to send that message. i got dozens of them. Come to my bed baby… Oppa’ll repay you well and good..

Disgusting creeps…

I clenched my fists and shoved him off. He gripped my wrists easily pinning me in place. Why the fuck were Alphas so tall and strong!! 

“Orders? I’m not your fucking whore. Go find some other slut to get your dick wet, you filthy bastard… ” I snarled, yanking my hand back again .

At least trying to . He did not let go.

“Aren’t you? Rumor has it that you prefer girls… is that it , babe? ” He sneered. I grinned.

“Are you telling me you’ve got a pussy instead of balls?” I shot back and his jaw tightened, eyes narrowing briefly.

“What a smart mouth… I’d love to see it wrapped around my cock. Maybe that will remove all the doubts you have about what’s between my legs.”

“I’ll tell you what should  be between your legs. Your fucking tail that’s what…” I shoved him again, this time putting more weight into it and he stumbled, just enough to let go of my wrists.

I didn’t think twice and ran quickly. But damn his long legs he was quick enough to wrap a hand around my ankle of all things, and i realized he’d straight up dived for me across the gravel path. I lost my footing and crashed down on the hard path, barely saving my face by throwing my palms out in front of me.

As it was the rough cement and gravel tore into my skin easily, ripping my palm and leaving burning bloody streaks of torn flesh. i swore, kicking out angrily while he crawled on top of me, straddling my body and pressing his erection into my stomach.

“I’m going to fuck you, one of these days but I want you to be willing. Why not save us both the trouble and just give in?” He sneered. I pushed my knee up and managed to get him off me.

“Get the fuck out of my face, you bastard…” I said furiously, moving to push past him. i stalk away in disgust. Jesus, i should have just bloody stayed in my room tonight!

I was almost at the entrance to the dorm , when the world exploded around me in sharp searing pain , my back hitting the wall next to the entrance with a smash that made my bones jar. I blinked in confused pain, trying to comprehend just happened.

. He had me pushed against the wall, one knee jammed between my thighs, his fingers buried in the hair at my nape, yanking my head back till i was staring right up at him. I’d never realized how tall he was before.

“You little whore…you think you can talk to me like that ??!! ” He screams into my face and I actually died a little on the inside. It’s never happened to me before, someone screaming into my face, and my mind struggled to comprehend what’s happening and how to make it stop. I struggled to get away from the wall that I’m caged into but he pushes in closer and there’s literally nowhere to move. He’s pressing into me so hard that it hurts.

“You’re out of your fucking mind if you think you can get away with this..” I gasp out and he yanks harder on my hair. A second later he was dragging me into the bushes, past the small clump of trees and into a small clearing, my hair still held in his thick fingers, the grip so strong that I’m already crying.

“It makes me sick that you keep rejecting me.  You little bitch , you act all high and mighty, like you own the world, like you’re so much better than us, like I’m not good enough for you…..You should be grateful that a guy like me even looks at you….” He spat out venomously and suddenly it makes sense.

“You’re a fucking coward! Only cowards use their strength against a woman you little- ” I stop when he pulls me back and rams me down into the ground.

“Fucking slut, you think you’re invincible….?? Bitches like you are only fit for one thing…. ” His breath was nauseating, mingled with alcohol and he kissed me sloppily, saliva dribbling down my chin as he all but slobbered over me.

And then he was doing something unbelievable, yanking his tie off from around his neck. It took me all of three seconds to comprehend what he’s doing but its too late.

i fumbled wildly for the  phone in my pocket but he grabbed it at once, throwing it hard into the bushes.

He pulled me up and flipped me around, grabbing both my wrists behind my back and tying my wrists together with his tie. I laughed in hysterical disbelief.

“You’ve been watching too many movies, Kris. Are you even thinking right now? If this gets out…”

“If this gets out, they’ll just say you’re trying to get attention. That Kris oppa would never do something like this. ” He said softly and I actually choked because it’s frighteningly true.

For the first time, genuine fear began to slip in.

“This is a fucking crime, you idiot! ” I said desperately. “ You could fucking go to prison for this!” 

Holy shit, was he that much of an idiot?!!

 I suddenly felt completely uncertain.

 I didn’t know what I would do if he raped me.

 What the hell did women do in these situations? Put up a fight? How..

“Because it’s what you’re good for…” He hissed into my neck, pushing me into the damp cement floor again. “ You should’ve come into my bed when i asked you to.”

I could feel myself go boneless in disbelief. There’s no reasoning with a man whose ego is threatened. I stayed still, heart pounding and then he flipped me around again, staring into my face.

“Tell me you want me, baby girl..” He said softly. Anger and disgust crawled up my spine and i felt physically sick.

I spat in his face.

He slapped me so hard my ears rang. I was stunned and disoriented, burning pain threatening to overwhelm me.

“That’s it you little bitch..Now you’re in for it…” He rasped out .

what happens next was sort of a blur.

He tried hard, really hard to get my legs apart but I didn’t give in, thrashing wildly and finally he grabbed my chin and pulled me close.  His grip on my cheekbones was so hard i knew there were going to be bruises . I expected him to punch me or something but then he was grabbing my hair and yanking me to my knees.

When your knees are weak and the floor’s a sharp jagged cement hell, digging into your already hurt and torn skin, and your hands are restrained, you honestly can’t get yourself to stand up.

Not when there’s a six foot guy gripping your hair and your chin, forcing your mouth open. He let go of my hair to unbuckle his belt and yank it out of the loops.

“Get off her.” A familiar voice said suddenly and Kris groaned, pushing off me roughly. I stumbled  back and tried to put as much space between him and I as possible, my palms burning.

I glanced up to find Namjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok slowly making their way over, jackets off and over their shoulders , pristine white shirts unbuttoned.

Kris and his crew were usually at loggerheads with these guys and obviously realizing that he was outnumbered, he quickly slinked away into the darkness before the boys reached the pale circle of light on the gravel path. It was almost fully dark now. I stayed kneeling, trying to catch my breath as they came closer.

“What is this?” Namjoon said boredly, eyes barely glancing at me before looking at his friends.

“She’s a junior, I think. Her name’s …. something. I don’t know.” Hoseok said with a little laugh and Yoongi just stood still staring down at me a mildly exasperated look on his face. 

“Who did you go and pick a fight with now? ” He said softly and I swallowed.

“Go to hell…. ” I said softly already wishing for death.

 If Kris was a devil , this guy looked like Lucifer himself. I didn’t want to run. That wouldn’t really end well.

“I’ve heard about her. Pretty face , potty mouth. Looks like dream and acts like a she-devil….. She’s nothing but trouble. ” Hoseok snapped and I took a deep breath.

 i was screwed.

Yoongi chuckled deeply.

“You’re being unfair, Hoseok-ah…i think she has her moments … but mostly i find her pretty … entertaining.” 

Staying perfectly still, i watched him come closer , finally stepping into the bright circle cast by the streetlamp. 

He looked  strapping and breathtakingly beautiful. 

Terrifyingly dangerous as he stared at me, his eyes fixed on my face. Something shifted in his gaze as he glaced down at my hand which i hadn’t even realized had begun shaking.

 He kept coming and i willed myself not to move. I didn’t want to act like he scared me. Which he didn’t . 

. He gently picked my hand up, his touch feather light, before turning my hand over, palm up. He stared at the bloody scratches and lightly traced one particularly deep cut. I shivered as he tugged on the tie around my wrists , loosening the knot and letting me out of the bounds.

My wrists ached as I held them up in front of me, my shoulder stinging from being pushed back for too long.

“Water.” He said calmly. I blinked.

“Excuse me?” I croaked. But then Hoseok pulled out a small water bottle from his backpack and handed it to him. 

Yoongi kept his gaze on my face as he uncapped the bottle before swiftly pouring the water on my palms and rubbing away the blood and gravel, making my hand sting agonizingly. I bit my lips to swallow the pain.

“Are you hurt? Did he touch you ? ” He said casually, continuing to wash my palm very gently… 

I shook my head.

“No, sunbae.”

He smiled.

“i’m going to tear his limbs off anyway.  ” He said casually, dropping my hand and holding his hand up for the next one.

The words terrified me more than anything else. 

I stepped back curling my hands into fists and shaking my head quickly. i stumbled up on shaky legs and moved back, still trembling from the nerves. He smirked and handed me the waterbottle instead.

“Get yourself cleaned up, Min Jung ssi….” He turned around and walked away. Namjoon gave me a curious glance, while  Hoseok stared at the waterbottle rather distastefully. i quickly rushed over and handed it to him and he shook his head.

“Keep it. Yoongi hyung will throw a fit if i take that thing back ” He said sulkily before moving away.

I stared after them for a while, not at all sure what had happened or why.

[sushisama]

Longing for Clarity Chapter Seven

Pairing. Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku (main, pre-established), eventual one-sided DekuBowl, other pairings hinted at Part. Seven/Twenty-One Rating. Story has overall NSFW tones and mentions, but the sex scenes will be left as side stories. Synopsis.  Slice of life AU.  Check chapter one notes for details.  Katsuki is in his senior year, and though he’s dealing his own questionable mental condition, he can’t help the excitement of the upcoming graduation.  But his boyfriend, Izuku, has been acting strange, being almost a little too intimate.  They come to find out that Izuku is going through the fermin, a predicament certain Quirk holders go through.  Now Katsuki is being forced into considering relinquishing the secrecy of their relationship, if only to keep all he wandering eyes from Izuku. Notes.  Katsuki isn’t handle things well. Second Note.  Heads up for this chapter, one of my personal headcanon for a character is in here.  You don’t have to agree, just something I like and canon to this story.

Also!  For those of you interested, there is early access to chapters and access to NSFW side stories available to patrons on my Patreon.  Chapter eight will be up shortly!  Please consider supporting me!  Thank you!  <3  

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Index

"Dude, Bakugou, you're going to break it."

Katsuki gave the punching bag another hard hit, completely ignoring Kirishima.

He had been in the gymnasium for at least two hours, doing various work-out routines and exercises.  At some point, Kaminari and Kirishima showed up and joined him.  They were eager at first, but as Katsuki was getting more intense in his regime, they were having trouble keeping up.  He had beaten them in a sprint and casual sparring, and now he was pummelling a punching bag -- which they had done janken for who would hold it for him – in the offshoot weight room.

It was still the middle of the morning, and he hadn't been to sleep yet.  Most of the night before was spent with Izuku, tending to his needs and just spending time with him in general.  There had been a discussion after their love-making, and Katsuki had been unable to rest since.  Even after Izuku had fallen asleep, cuddled into his side, he was left staring at the ceiling, thoughts swirling in his head.

Eventually he had snuck away, much like every other night, but this time it wasn't to go to sleep back in his own room.  He hadn't even entertained the idea of trying to sleep, instead just going ahead and doing the laundry he needed to do.

He was avoiding people.  He wanted to be alone, to stew in his own thoughts and daydreams.  He knew he shouldn't have, he should be okay with others, but he was sure he wouldn't be the greatest of company at the time.

He had to wonder how easy it may be to trigger a mania.

Katsuki hadn't spoken much to his friends.  They had offered their company and suggested different things to do, but he just went with it without complaint.  It wasn't bad, though: it was actually effective in getting his mind off things.  Even the banter between them gave him something to focus on other than his own mind.

But, inevitably, his distraction had to end.

Kaminari was looking somewhere behind Katsuki when he called, "Oh, hey, Tokoyami."

Katsuki could hear the chain wail with his next punch. Maybe he would break it.

Katsuki didn't pause in his assault on the punching bag as his friends addressed their fellow student in casual greetings and chatter. The bag gave way a little when Kirishima moved away from it, but he just switched to a few kicks in response.

"I needed to talk to Bakugou, actually," he heard Tokoyami say.

This got him to look back at him.  His eyes were on him, his expression even and almost muted.  He looked between Kaminari and Kirishima, who just shrugged it off.

"Talk away," Kirishima said, gesturing a little.

"Well, ah, preferably just the two of us."

The two gave a baffled expression between them both. Kaminari, looking at Tokoyami's stern face and his furrowed brow, was clearly uncomfortable by the tension. "Um--?"

"It's fine," Katsuki said.  "Give us a moment."

Kirishima gave him a look, brow raised, but just shrugged. "Whatever, man."  He nudged Kaminari, who was still confused, but went with his pushes.  "Just text me or find me if you want to hang out later."

Katsuki nodded.  He didn't mention that he didn't have his phone, but it wasn't really that important. He had left it in Izuku's room when he left in the middle of the night, but he hadn't gone back for it yet.  If he needed to, he'd just track him down if he still hadn't gotten it back.

They waved at the two of them before jogging off across the weight room toward the locker rooms.

Katsuki only barely gave an acknowledgement to Tokoyami before focusing on the dangling sack of sand.  He gave it a punch as he asked, "What do you want?"

Tokoyami didn't answer right away.  He didn't know if he was gathering his thoughts or just didn't know what to say, and he didn't care.  He could feel his eyes on him, though, something that agitated him more than it should.

"I spoke to Midoriya earlier," he finally said.

"Better have been in a lighted room," Katsuki quipped.

Tokoyami made a hesitant noise at the statement. "He did speak to you then?"

Katsuki stilled the bag with a tight grip before he looked back at him again.  "What about it?"

"Well, I..."  He trailed off.  Tokoyami had his hands crossed over his chest.  He stood out in the room, wearing a hoodie and jeans where the only other few people in the weight room had on gym clothes.  

The emptiness wasn't that unexpected: it was the rest day before they moved to their next destination on the tour.  They would be in Kyoto within twenty-four hours, but most of the students were trying to get a jump on rescheduling their sleep cycle for the late-night week ahead.

"What?" Katsuki urged him -- almost dared him -- to finish.

"I just thought I should talk to you," he said. "But foremost, I thought I should apologise.  I really didn't mean anything by it."

Katsuki narrowed his brow.  "Other than to get your dick wet?"

"That wasn't..."  Tokoyami sighed.  He closed his eyes, pinching the area just above his beak.  "If I had known about you two, I wouldn't have tried to impose anything on him.  It was a simple misunderstanding."

Katsuki just barely noticed his fingers were digging into the bag.

"From where I am, the only misunderstanding was that he was single," Katsuki said.  "You were still trying."

"You're misunderstanding my intentions," Tokoyami corrected.

Katsuki gave him a sceptical look.

"I was hoping to just clear the air here," he went on. "I already explained it to Midoriya, and that's really all I needed to do."

"And yet, here you are."

"You need to understand something: if it wasn't me, it would have been someone else."

Katsuki had to make a conscious effort to remove his hands from the bag.  There were ten, small burn holes left behind.

They did not go unnoticed by Tokoyami.

Katsuki growled lowly.  "Don't you think I know that?  I know how people fucking look at him."

Tokoyami stammered a little with his next comment, thrown some by the reaction.  "That's... that's true, but not exactly what I was talking about."

"Then what?"

"Do you know what the fermin is like?"

"Of course I don't."

"Well, we do," he replied.

"You speak for the rest of the class?"

"In this context, yes."

"And?"

"And we all... helped each other, when we all went through ours."

"So you've slept with all the other fermin in class?"

Tokoyami clicked his tongue, clearly unhappy with the tone of voice Katsuki had taken at the accusation.  "Listen, that's how fermin are raised," he defended. "It's not really discussed outside of us, and that leaves us with how to handle it."

Katsuki paused, keeping himself from any biting remark. He thought of how Izuku was, desperate for attention at some of the worst of times if not all the time.  Not to mention the day before, where the pain he was feeling came across.  Izuku had made it clear that wasn't even the first time it had been like that; just that it was the worst instance so far.

And who knew how long it would go on.

He had to reflect on what he knew about the fermin just from his boyfriend.  If he took Izuku seriously at every word, it seemed absolutely awful.

"Fine, yeah, I can understand that, I guess."  He nudged at the bag, just to have something to fidget with.  "...so you were just going to 'help' Deku?"

Tokoyami nodded.  "And I'm not the only who would've extended the offer."  He pulled a little at the string on his hoodie. "I just had a situation where it came up, and he just, well..."

"His scent was heavy yesterday," Katsuki said simply.

"Yes.  That."

He turned fully toward the bird-headed student, his brow still furrowed.  "And you just thought, well, in a dark room, might as well go for it?"

If he thought he could blush through his feathers, Katsuki was sure his cheeks were heated by the look in his eyes.  "My... my shadow kind of talked me into it."

"Because you needed more convincing."

Tokoyami's eyes hardened a little.  "You're clearly close to him; you know what the smell is like. Even as non-fermin, it's so strong, I doubt you aren't affected by it."

Katsuki huffed, but he couldn't deny the truth in the statement.

"You have to understand, Bakugou, it's worse for us."

He had to bite his tongue with his disbelief.  There was still a part of him that thought it could not be nearly as bad as they made it out to be, but he wasn't about to say anything against it.

"I really am sorry about what happened," Tokoyami repeated his earlier sentiment.  "I just..."

Katsuki growled, glaring at him.  "Don't say you couldn't help yourself," he spat. "Because that's bullshit."

Tokoyami held up a hand, as if to ward off the heat of his stare. "I think you're misunderstanding still," he said.  "It's not that simple.  Scent for us is ten times what it is for non-fermin, and worse in proximity."

He went on, "I've only ever been around someone once even close to what Midoriya gives off."

"And?"

"And it makes it hard not to think about it."

"So, what you're saying," Katsuki started through gritted teeth, "is everyone who comes within wafting range is thinking about fucking him?"

"Ah, Bakugou, the bag—"

Katsuki followed his eyes to his hand, back on the punching bag. It was smoking under his palm, and he had to pull it out before it could sink in.  He watched with a blank stare as some of the sand spilled out.  He brought his hand within sight of his eyes, blinking at it, quiet as he observed the flecks of canvas on his skin.

He didn't look at Tokoyami as he said, "I knew people were looking at him.  I just didn't think... Can't it be controlled?"

"Unfortunately, no.  It just can't be helped.  The fermin... it's just strong."

"It must suck for you all," he said, his tone flat.

"I can't say it's any easier for you," Tokoyami retorted.

Katsuki scoffed.

"You know, we're actually told growing up to avoid too close of relationships during this time of our lives," he said. "That it muddles things, and it's just better to wait for the fermin to pass before trying anything serious."

"Your parents advocate having sex at your age?"

"Why not?  Fermin don't start any true reproductive cycles until after it's passed."

That caught his attention.  "Are you serious?"

Tokoyami nodded.

"...why the hell don't they teach us this stuff?"

He sighed.  He tucked both of his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie.  "I don't know.  There's always been an excuse from non-fermin that it isn't 'appropriate.'  But I really wish they did.  It would make life easier for us."

"Yeah, would've really helped Deku, too."

Tokoyami hummed his agreement.

There was a pause where the two didn't look at each, Tokoyami at his feet and Katsuki at the hole he had burned in the punching bag.  He should take responsibility for it, he thought. But he would just leave it for now. If someone asked, he'd be honest, but no real reason to bring it up himself.

"May I make a suggestion?"

Katsuki only gave him a pointed look.

"You shouldn't hide your relationship."

Katsuki clicked his tongue.  It wasn't something he wanted to hear or even discuss with anyone but Izuku. He knew it would help things, but he still had misgivings about people knowing their personal lives.  It was a topic of contention for him and his boyfriend, but he still didn't feel the need to cave.

It was no one's business.  They were the ones he needed to keep it in their pants.

"I'll talk to Deku about that."

"He was more than amiable to the idea."

Katsuki didn't acknowledge the response.  Tokoyami didn't press the issue.

"I'll also tell the others that he's, ah—"

"Off limits," said Katsuki definitively.

"I was going to say not interested, in respect to your privacy."

"Yeah, fine, whatever."

They were quiet again.  Katsuki toed at the sand that had collected on the floor.  "Are we done here?"

He felt drained.  He didn't know if it was the lack of sleep or the conversation itself, but he suddenly just wanted to lie down.

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Good."  He turned and stepped toward the locker room, ready for a quick shower.

"Bakugou," Tokoyami called, not having moving from his spot.

"What?" he asked, looking back at him.

"If it means anything," he said, "it was all on me.  Midoriya never... he turned me away immediately."

"Of course he did," Katsuki said quickly. "He wouldn't."

"He may, though."

Katsuki could smell the smoke coming from his palms.

Tokoyami flinched, but still continued, "What I mean is, the fermin is a beast of its own.  He may not mean it, but something's are out of our control."  His expression was sincere.  "You have to consider the possibility of what might happen.  No matter how faithful he is, there is always a chance..."

"Deku's not that kind of person."

"Maybe so, but it wouldn't be the first story I've heard of 'not that kind of person' getting bested by their fermin."

Katsuki thought of Hagakure's story of Ojiro.

"He won't."

"I hope not."

Katsuki turned for a brief moment to resume his trek to the locker room, but he stopped short.  He looked back at Tokoyami, his eyes boring into him.  "One more thing."

Tokoyami had started to turn away as well, but halted when Katsuki called him.  "Yes?"

"If you ever touch him again," he said, voice even, "I will rip off your dick and stuff it down your beak."

Tokoyami's expression didn't change at the threat, though his body tensed at the words.  "I was expecting you to start with that, if I were being honest."

Katsuki didn't respond.  His steps were purposeful as he walked away from Tokoyami, dropping the conversation as he desperately tried dropping for his mind.

::*~~*::

Katsuki spent most of the day in a foul mood that he dared not impart on anyone.  After he cleaned up from his excursion in the gymnasium, he quickly bathed and changed and left the dormitories.  He just wanted to be alone for a long while still, and he took that feeling with him as he wandered the streets around the building.

He was wallowing in his own thoughts, and he knew he should be trying to assuage it than giving in, but he found he couldn't help himself. There was something in him that wanted to just run with his ideas, go over them again and again, and he couldn't help but give in to the urge.

He still needed to move, anyway.  The idea of sitting still or relaxing was almost abhorrent.  So he let his feet take him, and he ended up meandering around Osaka.  He only had a mind to monitor where his steps where leading, lest he become lost.  His phone was still with Izuku, and he didn't really feel like looking foolish by asking someone random on the street.

So he just walked around the block, going out a little each time. He only stopped to get something to eat, but otherwise, he just kept his eyes forward and kept going.

His mind kept swirling back to the conversation he had with Izuku and Tokoyami.  

It was already late in the evening when Izuku had finally brought it up.  They had been intimate for hours by then and had finally lain down to go to bed.  He had known there was something he wanted to talk about from the initial conversation they had when he got back from work, but he figured it would be forgotten in the post-coital haze.

But Izuku was almost eager to bring it up once he had found some relief from his over-taxing libido.  It took no coaxing at all from Katsuki to talk about it, though as he spoke, he could tell why he hadn't wanted to bring it up when he first came back.

Katsuki was angry.  But what he was angry about was almost beyond him.  

He wasn't angry that someone had made a move on Izuku: that was inevitable with the current situation.  He wasn't angry with Izuku, because he hadn't left himself in the scene long enough for anything to happen, not like he wanted anything to at all.  He especially knew that was the case after what Tokoyami had said.

He wasn't even really that angry with Tokoyami.  Yes, he wanted to beat his face in, but that was more of an instinctual response.  He was grateful for the time he had to himself in the morning to overthink the whole thing.  Because of it, he was able to consider the information and calm down, and his reactionary feeling of violence had stewed into just above annoyance.

Tokoyami was not to blame.  He was simply responding to Izuku's scent, much like Katsuki had many times before.  It was only the day before that he had been hit with it when he went into Izuku's room, and he had instantly been upon him without any second thoughts.

Tokoyami wasn't the first one to remind him that fermin could smell the pheromone better than anyone else.  Izuku had been saying it since he learned of his condition; and even Hagakure had mentioned it in off-handed comment.  His own ignorance and denial of the extremes was what had kept him from thinking of these statements to the extent he really needed to.

No one was at fault.  It was just something that happened, and in reality, nothing did happen.  Izuku had left, and Tokoyami hadn't pressed him.  Their stories matched up.  And when he had come back, Izuku was all over him, which he had assumed would happen anyway.  Later Izuku confessed he had felt so bad about what had transpired, he hadn't done anything to himself, only wanting to come with Katsuki's aide.

Izuku had been up front and honest, his only delay for his own need of relief.  Even without Tokoyami's verification, Katsuki hadn't questioned him.  Izuku hardly ever lied, and even less to him.  He still held firm in his strong belief that no matter what the circumstance, Izuku was beyond and completely unable to cheat.

Katsuki had no reason to be angry.  But yet, that's all he had felt all day: angry and agitated.

It wasn't until further into his journey around this part of Osaka that he recognised his need to move was more his need to calm down before talking to anyone.  He almost wished he had gotten to do so before Tokoyami's insistence to discuss the matter with him.

Maybe he wouldn't have had to worry about that punching bag.

It was early afternoon when his feet led him back to the dormitories.  He wasn't exactly sure how long he'd been out, but he knew he'd walked several kilometres just meandering around the city.  He was starting to feel a little fatigued, but he didn't know which to blame: the walk or the lack of sleep.  He almost humoured the idea of lying down for a while, but a part of him knew it would do him any good.

The building was relatively empty of students.  He figured most were out, enjoying their day off, or were doing various activities elsewhere among the floors of the large structure.  He vaguely made out Kirishima and Kaminari in the common area with more of the class and others, just chatting it up.  He entertained the idea of going over briefly, but ultimately decided he wasn't in the best of moods to be around still.

Besides, he felt a much larger desire to be around his boyfriend at the time.

"Katsuki-kun!"

He grunted loudly as he was pulled back, an arm looping through his elbow and holding him still.  He didn't even have to turn to know who it was invading his personal space.

With a sigh he said, "Hagakure."

Looking at her was useless, but he still imagined she was smiling. She greeted him with the bubbliness in her voice: "Afternooooon.  What have you been up to on your day off?"

He shrugged but didn't pull her off.  "Just... been walking around."  They continued into the communal kitchen, empty as it was. Katsuki was feeling hungry after his wandering around, and he wanting to find a snack.

The past week she had gone out of her way to greet him anytime she saw him, and she was always sure to start conversation anytime he gave her the chance.  It wasn't exactly... unpleasant.  She wasn't the worst of company, as he had found the first day or patrol.

He also felt she needed someone to talk to who was outside of her friend group.  Someone if she admitted too much or spoke out of context, it wouldn't be taken the wrong way or lead back to anyone else.

She detached from him as he started to look around the cupboards. "That sounds boring."

"Probably," he said half-heartedly.  He pulled out an unopened bag of crisps from a random cabinet. "But necessary."  The bag was noisy as he opened it.  "Was it more interesting here?"

Hagakure jumped up on one of the cabinets, kicking her legs childishly.  "All of us went to lunch earlier!" she answered excitedly.  "Even 3-B and all the other classes.  It was really nice."

"Don't get used to that."

She shrugged.  "I guess not, but still."  By the way her arm moved, he assumed she was putting her chin in her hand. "Alsooooo."

Her voice was too sing-song for his liking.  She didn't continue immediately.  He rolled his eyes, sighing, as he got the hint: "What happened?"

"Midoriya was asking about you."

He paused in his snacking.  "What?"

"Mhm."  Her kicking slowed.  "I overheard him talking to Kirishima, asking where you were.  He sounded kind of concerned."

Katsuki huffed.  "He probably just needed me for something stupid."  He took another bite.  He had let her continue thinking he had a crush on Izuku.  Maybe he should have told her the truth, but he still couldn't bring himself to do it.  

Though, it was nice to have someone to talk to even in the slightest capacity about it.

"I didn't have my phone today."

"Oh, I just thought you didn't want to text me back."

He shrugged.  He wouldn't have ignored her even if he had it: she was pretty good about not messaging him too often, so he answered her whenever he could and was appropriate.

Hagakure started to ramble on about the lunch and who all was there.  There was a bit of gossip in her comments, things Katsuki didn't have much interest in. She was just used to that flow of the conversation, and he let her have it.

Her chattering just gave him time to finish his snack.

"And Tokoyami, he's just been weird all day: we kept trying to get him to come with us, and he—"

The mention brought a question to his mind.

"Hey, Hagakure," he said with no regard to what she was saying, "I want to ask you something."

Hagakure almost didn't notice the interruption, probably happy that he wanted to participate in the conversation.  "Yes?"

Katsuki hesitated.  He stuttered on the idea of bringing it up, but he had been curious. "When you broke up with Ojiro... why?  I thought you forgave him?"

At the moment, he couldn't tell if he was grateful he couldn't see her face or regretted not being able to read her features.

"Forget it, you don't have to—"

"I thought he wouldn't want me," she said, her voice soft.

Katsuki raised a brow.  "What the hell does that mean?"  He rolled up the part of the bag he hadn't finished and tucked it into the pocket of his cargo pants.  "I thought it was accident, that he apologised or whatever."

They had talked about the issue a couple of times, but only the initial event, never what came after.  When she talked about it, he understood why she forgave him, especially with how she spoke of his fermin.  But the actual reason she broke up with him was still unclear to him.

Hagakure's earrings moved around as he thought she was looking around, as if she were checking if they were alone.  Finally the metal stopped, facing him once more.  "I thought he... he wouldn't want me after being with a real woman."

"But you're--?"

"Not... exactly."

There was a long silence between them.  Hagakure's hands were in her lap, her legs completely still. Meanwhile, the gears in Katsuki's head were going, clicking together to decode what she could possibly—

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Huh.  Okay."

"Okay?"

Katsuki shrugged.  "You say you're a girl, you're a girl.  Parts don't matter."

"You say that so simply," she retorted. "What if Midoriya was like that?"

He shrugged again.  "Long as he's a he to him, I'm good."  He was being sincere.  Just because he happened to know the truth of what Izuku had beneath his clothes didn't make the statement any different to him.

Hagakure tutted at him in disbelief.

"And that's why you broke up with him?  Instead of just telling him?"

"I didn't know how.  We'd been together for a year, and I just never...  Haven't you ever had trouble telling people something?"

He ignored the obvious answer.  "He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would care," he observed.  "It's not like he's Grape Boy or anything."

"Oh, god, I know."  She groaned.  "He is the worst."

"Yeah, I've punched him a few times for shit he's said."  There were more times than he could count that Mineta had said something hateful, even if he didn't really realise it.  Katsuki just never let him get away with some of the more disgusting things he said, smacking him upside the head with a heated palm and correcting statement.

"...do you think I should have told him?"

Katsuki sighed.  He rubbed at his temple.  "I mean... I'm not really good at this kind of thing.  I don't even tell people things I should."

If Izuku was there, he'd mention how that was the understatement of the century.

"But... even if it's not Ojiro, you have to get used to telling your partner, right?  It's no one else's business, but it is for the person you're with, especially if you're ever going to... you know."

"You're right, I know...  I'm just worried about what he'll say..."

"I still don't think he'll care."  He followed, "And if he does, tell me.  I'll bury his face in the ground."

Hagakure laughed.  She jumped down from the cabinet and approached him.  He tensed when he felt her lips in a quick peck on his cheek.  "You're a lot better a guy than you let on."

"Yeah, whatever."  He took a step away from her.

She giggled.  "Aww, a kiss too much for Mister Loner?" she teased.

"Told you, I'm not into girls."

He groaned when she gave him a hug around the shoulders. "You're really sweet, you know that?"

He pushed her away by her arms.  "Don't spread lies about me."

"Yes, yes, tough guy and all."

Katsuki huffed in response.

"A bunch of us are going to the movies tonight," she said.  "Want to come with?"

"Nah, maybe some other time," he answered. "I'm going to go see what Deku wanted."

"Uh-huh."  She stepped away completely, her arms behind her back.  "I'm sure that's all you'll be doing."

"Don't you have anyone else to bother?"

Hagakure laughed.  "Bye, Katsuki-kun!  Have fun!"

He waved her off, disregarding her implied tone.

Katsuki only spent a few more moments in the kitchen to quench his thirst before he headed off to the men's dormitories.  He was planning on his room first to change his shirt from the smell of walking around all day, then see if Izuku was in his room.

Izuku wasn't, though, as he met him in the hallway.  When he saw him, he smiled wide and picked up his step to meet him.

"Katchan," he called when he was within a few steps. "I've been looking for you."

Katsuki gave him a light smile.  For all of his anger and ill-temper during the day, he found he was actually somewhat excited to see his boyfriend.  He had reminders all day of what could happen, but he knew what would happen, and how could he not be happy in that knowledge?

"Sorry, I was, ah..."  He looked him over.  "Are you going somewhere?"

Izuku's smile grew as he pulled the coat tighter around him. "If you had your phone, you'd know."

As he spoke, he handed Katsuki the mentioned device. Katsuki took it, unlocking the screen for only a moment to see how dead it was.  Glossing over the amount of messages he had, he noted it was at full life. He wasn't exactly surprised knowing how thoughtful Izuku was, but it was nice to see.

"Check your messages," Izuku said, his tone light. "I'll be outside."

He had to turn so his eyes could follow as Izuku walked past him. "What--?  Why?"

Izuku turned around, walking a step backward.  "Check your phone," he reminded before turning back around and heading toward the dormitories' exit.

Katsuki's brow was raised as he watched him go.  Finally he opened his messages, ignoring anyone else's to go to Izuku's thread and to the most recent text.

Let's go on a date tonight.

Katsuki smirked at the screen.  He made a quick step to his room to change and grab his jacket.

::*~~*::

Two mugs slammed on the table, empty of everything but a few drops and some foam.  Katsuki messily wiped away the remnants of alcohol from his lips with the back of his hand, while Izuku covered his mouth as he belched due to the carbonation. They both laughed at the antic, the two young men noticing the almost foolishness of the eager behaviour.

Katsuki ordered another round of drinks as Izuku started to dig into their meal.  The chef had only just left after preparing their okonomiyaki in front of them. Their portions were large to fill the appetites of their still growing bodies.

"Your face is red," Katsuki mentioned as he started in on his own meal.

"So is yours," Izuku quipped back, smiling.

Katsuki shrugged.  Izuku just chuckled, turning his attention to his food.  He watched him for a moment, and he couldn't help but think how cute he was with the flush across his cheeks.

Two more mugs were placed near them, and the empty ones were taken away.  Katsuki took a sip of the sour liquid, no urge to chug this one like their first one. Izuku did the same, but he was more apt to take his time.

"Probably shouldn't overdue it," he said in an off-handed tone.

Katsuki waved him off.  "Part of being an adult is enjoying your day off."

Izuku gave him a look.  He said in a low voice, "You know we can get in trouble for drinking, right?"

"Yeah, I feel like they should've carded at least you. You look like you're twelve."

"What does that say about you?"

Katsuki waved him off, pointedly taking a long drink of his mug. "Don't care, I know how old you are, and that's what matters."

Izuku rolled his eyes.  "Whatever you say, Katchan."

They went about eating their dinner, quiet aside from the sides of chopsticks and chewing.  Katsuki hadn't realised how hungry he was until they had gotten closer to a street full of restaurants and the smell of food over-powered him.  He had to wait until they got to the specific place, though, as Izuku had already had a place in mind.

All of this was after sneaking away unnoticed from the dormitories.  Izuku had been outside, tucked away in a corner of the building, all smiles and attentiveness.  Katsuki had kept them for a moment, wanting to shower Izuku in kisses and affections before they left for the streets further into Osaka.

Izuku had already planned out much of what he wanted to do with the evening.  He had a list of activities he still wanted to accomplish, but Katsuki thought nothing of it.  They were supposed to stay up all night, after all, and the more they had to do the better.  Not to mention that they were going to be switching their dorms to the new location during the night, so they were actually forced out of their rooms for the evening.

He just wondered how long before Izuku's itinerary took a more intimate turn.

"Did Tokoyami find you?"

Izuku's question had brought a sourness to the bite in his mouth. The octopus was suddenly extremely tough as he took more bites than needed to hold off on answering.

He swallowed before saying in a flat tone, "We talked this morning."

Izuku's smile was thin, more forced with a hint of worry than sincere.  "He said he was going to explain some things to you."

"You explained them.  That's enough for me."

Izuku's expression took on a bit more relief at the comment. "Thank you, Katchan." He reached across the table, his fingers gliding over his free hand.  "But that's not what I meant.  He wanted to tell you a bit more about the fermin."

Katsuki took his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Did he tell you more about?"

Izuku nodded.  "It was nice to actually talk to someone my age about it," he said.  "I have a bit more of an idea about certain things, but there's still really no... tricks or anything."

"So nothing really useful?"

"Well... the only thing that really stood out was something he said about emotions."

Katsuki raised a brow.  "Emotions?"

Izuku pulled away his hand after a light squeeze.  He took a drink from his mug before saying, "Something about sometimes, there's a trigger emotion.  Like, if you feel a certain way, it makes your pheromone worse while you feel that way."  He shrugged. "But the pheromone can still be random, too."

"Okay, so, what's the emotion?"

"What?"

"What's the feeling or whatever that makes it worse?"

Izuku sighed.  He put his elbow on the table and put his cheek in his hand.  "That's the problem," he said.  "It's different for each person."

"Well, how were you feeling yesterday?  Because your scent was... fuck, it was awful." He continued eating where Izuku seemed to be too concentrated on the topic to finish.

"I really just..."  His face took on a deeper shade of red as he looked at the grill in the middle of the table.

"Just...?"

"I just missed you all day, really," he admitted. He took another drink. "Nothing happier or anything, just really... really wanted to be around you."

"There's a difference between missing me and missing my dick," he teased.

Izuku glanced up at him, and he stuck out his tongue briefly. "It's not my fault."  He talked more into the mug as he said, "And it can be both, jerk."

Katsuki nudged his foot under the table.  "I know, Deku."  He took the last piece of the savoury pancake.  "But you must be feeling different today.  Your scent isn't nearly as unbearable and you aren't trying to jump me, so points there."

"I've thought about it a few times today, but you've been gone."

"Sorry," he said honestly.  "I was just... I was angry, and I didn't want to take it out on you."

Izuku gave him a soft but sincere smile.  "It's okay, Katchan.  I get why you were mad."  He finally turned his attention back to the remainder of his food. "I was just worried when Tokoyami went to see you."

"I wanted to hit him," he said simply.  "But it's not his fault, and he didn't really do anything."

Izuku gave him a long look, chewing on his lip before he finally said, "I'm glad it's you, Katchan."

Katsuki quirked a brow.  "What do you mean?"

"I'm glad that I'm with you through this," he answered. "Tokoyami said it's better for fermin to be single, but I don't agree.  I like only having one person, and I'm glad it's you."

"Even if I end up beating someone up?"

"You're not who you were back in middle school," Izuku said.  "You don't... you don't respond to things like that anymore, even if you think you would.  I know Katchan; I know how much he's changed."  He took a long drink, finishing the alcohol in the glass. "You wouldn't hurt someone unless they had it coming."

Katsuki just looked at him, his expression even.  Izuku was smiling, his eyes lidded and his expression soft.  He didn't know if he was right.  He knew how he felt that morning, he knew how badly he had originally wanted to punch Tokoyami for laying a hand on his Deku, he knew the anger he had felt all day.

But he didn't.  He didn't give in.  The problem was, he didn't know if it was because he knew it was the wrong thing to do, or if it was because he knew Izuku would be unhappy about it.

Did it really matter?

"I love you, Katchan."

Katsuki could feel the heat in his cheeks.  The way he said it was so soft and meaningful, that he was almost floored at the thought that it was a statement toward him.  He didn't deserve him.  But he had him.  And he would make it worth everything for the time he was willing to stay with him.

"Yeah, me, too, Deku."

Izuku's expression made his heart skip.  He felt an urge to hold him close, to make him feel his affections rather than have to say them.  He settled for taking his hand again, and kissing his knuckles.  That was more than enough for him.

They were quiet, staring into each other's eyes. Eventually, Katsuki put his hand down in order to finish his own drink.

"So, where to after this?"

Izuku hummed.  "I was thinking the Tenpozan."

"We have ferris wheels at home."

"But not this one," he replied.  "It's bigger and takes more time to go around."

Katsuki smirked.  "Any reason it matters how long it takes?"

Izuku's smile widened.  "Well, we can't go back to our dorms for the evening, so I thought..."

"You're a real pervert, you know that, Deku?"

"Is that a 'no'?"

Katsuki shook his head.  "Not what I said."

Izuku grinned.  He turned around in the seat, holding up his hand and asked for the check.

[wendynerdwrites]

Meta Repost #1: The Trident Fight: Why We Need to Stop Blaming Little Girls and Start Blaming Irresponsible Adults and the Awful Society They Perpetuate

It’s back!

I feel embarrassed that I feel the need to discuss the Trident scene in a meta at this point in time. It’s been four books and nearly twenty years since George R.R. Martin wrote the damn thing, and yet people still keep bringing this up as not only A defining moment for certain characters, but THE defining moment for certain characters. Especially for Sansa.

This is wrong. The person to be angry at isn’t Sansa or her sister. While both girls can get blamed for this event, Sansa tends to get the bulk of fandom hatred for the events that led to the death of Lady. I want to focus on why this viewpoint is wrong.

It’s just that so many of the mentions of the fight at the Trident between Arya and Joffrey, Sansa’s reaction, and the fallout are so often used to make really bad arguments. And, in fact, the whole instance is just misinterpreted a lot.

Usually, the Trident and subsequent hearing is often cited when people want to argue that Sansa Stark hates her sister, or Sansa was weak and stupid, or Sansa was super-duper-evil-selfish-and-wanted-to-throw-her-sister-under-the-bus-just-so-she-could-wear-a-tiara-and-was-willing-to-betray-everyone-to-do-it-and-also-she-is-probably-a-secret-Nazi-and-the-writer-of-High-School-Musical. Sansa has no honor. Sansa cared more about being a princess and impressing her crush than she did about anything. Arya is awesome and Sansa is the worst and here’s why. Sansa utterly betrayed Arya. Sansa was stupid. Sansa should have told the truth and she didn’t so she is the worst.

Okay, so everyone? Sansa may have actually done Arya a huge solid by saying she didn’t remember. It’s likely that her answer of “I don’t know, I don’t remember” was the best thing she could have done for not only her well-being, but Arya’s as well. The person who failed Arya wasn’t Sansa, it was Ned.

No, seriously. Hear me out on this one.

Now, a few things off the bat I want to establish: 1) Joffrey Baratheon was a sadistic little boy who attacked Mycah out of the desire to see him bleed. He got off on the suffering of others and that was his intention all along. 2) Yes, Sansa did often resent and antagonize her sister. I know that Jeyne Poole came up with the “Arya Horseface” name and that we don’t actually see Sansa use it. However, the fact that the name became wide-spread enough for people to remember it, and that Theon would have made the mistake that the name came from Sansa does indicate that she either used it herself or at least gave it enough of a blessing to allow that name to continue. As a huge Sansa fan, I have to say that in my opinion, Sansa’s lowest point as a character was her rant to Arya about how she should marry Hodor because she’s “stupid and ugly.” Sansa bullied Arya. Not all the time (and certainly not to the extent that some people claim), but it did happen. It was wrong and messed up, but it is true. 3) The relationship between the two sisters was seriously strained. 4) Arya was trying to defend her friend and what happened at the Trident was horrible and not her fault. 5) Yes, Sansa blinded herself to Joffrey’s cruelty in AGOT. She blamed Arya for the incident unfairly.

6) Up until the Trident fight, Sansa had no way of knowing Joffrey wasn’t Prince Charming.

7) Arya also had a tendency to antagonize and resent her sister unfairly. Why? Because that’s what siblings DO. Also, she’s a child. Kids can be dicks. Arya is not exempt from this. Because she’s a child. Sansa, being older and more capable of fitting into the social roles of her family, was in a position to do more damage to her sister. However, she was more or less actively encouraged to pick on her sister. Both girls were pitted against each other. Their primary caretaker, Septa Mordane, often made nasty comments about Arya while making rude comparisons to Sansa “Arya has the hands of a blacksmith”, etc. This happened CONSTANTLY. Sansa’s bullying of Arya was reinforced from all sides by their authority figures and the society they lived in. Arya’s resentment of Sansa, therefore, was likewise reinforced. The two fought in almost every interaction we see between them, partly because most of their interactions occur after the Trident. Their memories in later books are kinder. They used each other as outlets for their hurt feelings and acted out at one another. Because they’re children. It’s just that Sansa’s poor treatment of Arya was informed and reinforced by the abusive system they lived in. That is not Sansa’s fault. It doesn’t make what she did RIGHT, but it is the source of a lot of the emotional damage done to both girls and did insure that their relationship reached such an antagonistic level. Arya’s resentment towards her sister was also informed by the system in which they lived. 8) It doesn’t matter what Joffrey’s motives were in attacking Mycah. Not at all. At least, it doesn’t matter when it comes to the outcome or the reaction. Joffrey was always going to get off scot free for what happened. 9) Sansa and Joffrey were betrothed. It was considered a binding arrangement. Marriage was a system of ownership in Westeros. The husband owned his wife (they put it in kinder terms, but let’s not white-wash things here. Women were property. Husbands had legal rights to abuse, rape, command, control, imprison, and in some instances even kill their wives) 10) Joffrey was also the future king, giving him even greater authority over others. The common husband, according to TWOIAF, was allowed to beat his wife with seven strokes of a rod as wide as his thumb. Joffrey, as king, was allowed to order Sansa to be “beaten bloody” and stripped in front of the court. King Aerys Targaryen got away with raping, burning, and abusing his wife, Queen Rhaella. Aegon the Unworthy was allowed to systematically abuse and rape Queen Naerys and took joy in endangering their son (a story Sansa was intimately familiar with). Maegor the Cruel was able to kill multiple wives for not giving him an heir (another story Sansa would have known well). Baelor the Blessed imprisoned his sister-wives (another story Sansa definitely knew) Rhaegar Targaryen was only prince and still was able to abandon his wife for a younger woman and carry off Lyanna Stark. While Rhaegar DID NOT get away with this, it was only because of the huge war and rebellion that took place after. If Robert’s Rebellion hadn’t succeeded, Rhaegar likely would have gotten away with it. When a complaint was lodged against Aerys, the man set Lyanna’s father and brother on fire. Elia Martell and her children, left behind in the Red Keep by her husband, were brutally murdered and neglected more or less. Lyanna Stark died. Another story Sansa would have known VERY WELL. 11) Westeros is a country with a majorly divisive feudal, caste system. Highborn girls like Arya playing around with the sons of butchers was a HUGE breach of custom. The rights and safety of someone like Mycah didn’t matter to those in power. While Winterfell might have been an environment where Arya could have been “underfoot” and played with the children of the cooks and smiths, this was in no way the norm. Girls like her were encouraged and expected to consort with other girls of nobility or some sort of higher social status. For a “butcher’s boy” like Mycah, playing with the daughter of a Lord Paramount and the Hand of the King would have been considered him going above his station. It’s also a place where highborn people constantly get away with abusing and even killing common folk. Furthermore, “respect to one’s betters”, i.e., people of higher social standing, was expected and could be punished to the Nth degree. 12) Westeros is also a society that brainwashes young women to believe that it is their duty to accommodate their husbands at every turn. Ladies obey and please their lords, and to fail or resist is a dereliction of duty. 13) Westeros is also a society that encourages ideas of chivalry, of highborn men saving innocent women and children, often from monsters or evil lords or, on occasion, “common peasants.” 14) Arya was breaking more than one rule when she was playing with Mycah at the Trident. 15) (Controversial opinions time) Ned Stark is a really bad parent and shoulders quite a bit of the blame for what happened. Arya and Sansa are both little girls put in an awful situation. Their father utterly failed to handle it. None of this would have happened if Ned Stark wasn’t impressively negligent. I know people give him a lot of (deserved) crap for how he handled himself in King’s Landing vis a vis Cersei and the court, but I don’t see him called out for this shit enough. He’s no Tywin Lannister, but he still utterly shit the bed as a father to his daughters.

Okay, so with all of that background, let’s talk about that day and the morning after. I’m going to focus on this sequence of events in particular:

1) The events of Sansa I, where Sansa and Arya have an argument, Sansa encounters Ser Illyn and the Hound, spends the day with Joffrey, and the incident at the Trident happens 2) The events of Eddard III, the hearing and execution of Lady.

By the time we get to Sansa I, we know that Arya’s seen Joffrey act like a real dick. The fight with Robb showed her that Joffrey was a petulant brat, something Sansa didn’t witness. The only criticism Sansa’s heard of Joffrey thus far is, “Jon says he looks like a girl” per Arya I. Sansa’s interactions with her future husband so far have indicated that he’s polite. Also according to Arya I, he told Sansa that she was beautiful and gave every impression of being “gallant.”

Sansa’s been trained to be the perfect lady and wife, and to believe in romance, but also to accommodate royalty and men, as is her duty.

It was a great honor to ride with the queen, and besides, Prince Joffrey might be there. Her betrothed. Just thinking it made her feel a strange fluttering inside, even though they were not to marry for years and years. Sansa did not really know Joffrey yet, but she was already in love with him. He was all she ever dreamt her prince should be, tall and handsome and strong, with hair like gold. She treasured every chance to spend time with him, few as they were. —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Then there is Arya.

The only thing that scared her about today was Arya. Arya had a way of ruining everything. You never knew what she would do. — Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Now, granted, this seems kind of a dick thing to say. But the problem is… Sansa is sort of right? In a way? Sort of. As much fun as Arya is, there is a good reason Sansa has to worry about Arya misbehaving and/or embarrassing her. Take this passage of Arya I, for example:

“What are you talking about?” Arya asked suddenly. Jeyne gave her a startled look, then giggled. Sansa looked abashed. Beth blushed. No one answered. “Tell me,” Arya said. Jeyne glanced over to make certain that Septa Mordane was not listening. Myrcella said something then, and the septa laughed along with the rest of the ladies. “We were talking about the prince,” Sansa said, her voice soft as a kiss…… “He’s going to marry her,” little Beth said dreamily, hugging herself. “Then Sansa will be queen of all the realm.” Sansa had the grace to blush. She blushed prettily. She did everything prettily, Arya thought with dull resentment. “Beth, you shouldn’t make up stories,” Sansa corrected the younger girl, gently stroking her hair to take the harshness out of her words. She looked at Arya. “What did you think of Prince Joff, sister? He’s very gallant, don’t you think?” “Jon says he looks like a girl,” Arya said. Sansa sighed as she stitched. “Poor Jon,” she said. “He gets jealous because he’s a bastard.” “He’s our brother,” Arya said, much too loudly. Her voice cut through the afternoon quiet of the tower room. Septa Mordane raised her eyes. She had a bony face, sharp eyes, and a thin lipless mouth made for frowning. It was frowning now. “What are you talking about, children?” “Our half brother,” Sansa corrected, soft and precise. She smiled for the septa. “Arya and I were remarking on how pleased we were to have the princess with us today,” she said. Septa Mordane nodded. “Indeed. A great honor for us all.” Princess Myrcella smiled uncertainly at the compliment. “Arya, why aren’t you at work?” the septa asked. She rose to her feet, starched skirts rustling as she started across the room. “Let me see your stitches.” Arya wanted to scream. It was just like Sansa to go and attract the septa’s attention. “Here,” she said, surrendering up her work. The septa examined the fabric. “Arya, Arya, Arya,” she said. “This will not do. This will not do at all.” Everyone was looking at her. It was too much. Sansa was too well bred to smile at her sister’s disgrace, but Jeyne was smirking on her behalf. Even Princess Myrcella looked sorry for her. Arya felt tears filling her eyes. She pushed herself out of her chair and bolted for the door. —Arya I, A Game of Thrones

I hate to tell you this, guys, but that’s the sort of thing that WOULD give a person a good reason to worry. Arya interrupted a private conversation about Joffrey. She insulted the crown prince in front of his sister. She attracted the attention of Septa Mordane (something she blames Sansa for, which, you know, is wrong. “Her voice cut through the quiet of the tower room” while Sansa had been trying to keep things quiet). Sansa actually covers for her when Mordane comes over and asks what they’re talking about, being courteous and pretending that Arya did the opposite of insult royalty. Then Arya gets reprimanded and she cries and runs from the room. So yes, sorry, Sansa does have a reason to worry about Arya turning things into a fiasco. She of course does it in the most resentful, pre-teen way possible, but her worry isn’t exactly unfounded.

But back to Sansa I.

She found Arya on the banks of the Trident, trying to hold Nymeria still while she brushed dried mud from her fur. The direwolf was not enjoying the process. Arya was wearing the same riding leathers she had worn yesterday and the day before. “You better put on something pretty,” Sansa told her. “Septa Mordane said so. We’re traveling in the queen’s wheelhouse with Princess Myrcella today.” “I’m not,” Arya said, trying to brush a tangle out of Nymeria’s matted grey fur. “Mycah and I are going to ride “upstream and look for rubies at the ford.” “Rubies,” Sansa said, lost. “What rubies?” Arya gave her a look like she was so stupid. “Rhaegar’s rubies. This is where King Robert killed him and won the crown.” Sansa regarded her scrawny little sister in disbelief. “You can’t look for rubies, the princess is expecting us. The queen invited us both.” –Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Okay, so this isn’t great. The royal family invited both girls to ride with them. And yes, this is, as Sansa says, a great honor. It’s also pretty important for her future. Joffrey is her betrothed, Cersei her future mother-in-law. Making them happy will greatly affect her future. While Sansa’s determination to be “in love” with Joffrey does seem silly to a modern reader, there’s a very good reason for it. The second part of Bluecichlid’s excellent series of metas covered this pretty well. Joffrey is her future: her future monarch and her future owner. Both Cersei and Joffrey are going to be major influences on her for the rest of her life.

It’s better for her psychological well-being to believe that Joffrey is “all she ever dreamt her prince should be.” If not, well, the young man her father sold her to is a bust, and so is the rest of her life. Betrothals were considered VERY binding, marriage even more so. So yes, a lot is riding on Sansa impressing and pleasing the Lannister-Baratheon clan, including the wife of her monarch. Her well-being could very likely be shaped by the impression she gives now.

And then there’s Arya, who wants to snub the honor of Cersei’s invitation, covered in mud, and saying things like this:

“I don’t like the queen,” Arya said casually. Sansa sucked in her breath, shocked that even Arya would say such a thing, but her sister prattled on, heedless. “She won’t even let me bring Nymeria.” She thrust the brush under her belt and stalked her wolf. Nymeria watched her approach warily. “A royal wheelhouse is no place for a wolf,” Sansa said. “And Princess Myrcella is afraid of them, you know that.” “Myrcella is a little baby.” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Remember, her sister also decided to mention aloud that their half-brother said that Joffrey looks like a girl in a room where Joffrey’s sister was sitting. So yes, Sansa’s frustration and fear is pretty warranted. As far as she knows, her entire future could be at least partially determined by the impression she makes on the Lannisters today (it is, as it turns out, just not in the way she expects). She’s an eleven-year-old girl who is looking at a future in a high-profile position as the wife, partner, and property of an extremely powerful person whom she doesn’t know very well. That is a ridiculous amount of pressure for a young girl to be under.

If Arya causes trouble, it isn’t just some brief embarrassment Sansa has to worry about. It’s her entire future and position.

So, keeping that in mind, there’s also this:

One day she came back grinning her horsey grin, her hair all tangled and her clothes covered in mud, clutching a raggedy bunch of purple and green flowers for Father. Sansa kept hoping he would tell Arya to behave herself and act like the highborn lady she was supposed to be, but he never did, he only hugged her and thanked her for the flowers. That just made her worse. Then it turned out the purple flowers were called poison kisses, and Arya got a rash on her arms. Sansa would have thought that might have taught her a lesson, but Arya laughed about it, and the next day she rubbed mud all over her arms like some ignorant bog woman just because her friend Mycah told her it would stop the itching. She had bruises on her arms and shoulders too, dark purple welts and faded green-and-yellow splotches; Sansa had seen them when her sister undressed for sleep. How she had gotten those only the seven gods knew. —- Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

And this:

“You’re not supposed to leave the column,” Sansa reminded her. “Father said so.” Arya shrugged. “I didn’t go far. Anyway, Nymeria was with me the whole time. I don’t always go off, either. Sometimes it’s fun just to ride along with the wagons and talk to people.”” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Okay, so sorry guys, but Sansa’s actually totally right that her father should have told Arya to behave. And then enforced that. Especially after the flower incident. The fact that Ned didn’t take that as a warning and instead just smiled and allowed his daughter to continue breaking rules and direct orders is kind of… Super shitty parenting.

Yes, Arya got some flowers that just gave her a rash. But the next day? It could have been flowers that give her an even bigger rash and an infection that requires a medieval amputation. Arya’s not exactly kept things hygienic in an already bath-phobic society. The fact that Arya was rubbing fucking MUD on her skin inflammation… Yeah…

Of course Arya does this stuff. She’s an energetic kid who likes to have fun. She’s going to want to do these things. She’s got this cool older friend who told her that helps the itching. She prefers hanging out with her exploration buddy. Especially since every time she tries to join the sewing circle like a “proper lady”, she inevitably gets Septa Mordane on her ass insulting her in front of her peers.

But, you see, that’s sort of why Ned has a job to do, one he’s not doing. He’s left his daughters to a caretaker that neglects and emotionally abuses the younger one. And then doesn’t do much to protect his daughter and/or keep her from running around random countryside where she’s already encountered POISON FLOWERS. He doesn’t take the Poison Kisses as an indicator that MAYBE he should at least send a guard with Arya when she goes on these little expeditions.

And no, having her run around with a temperamental direwolf doesn’t count. Neither does having her run around with the kid who told her to rub mud into her rash.

Okay, so Sansa’s got her sister defying orders, bringing home poison flowers, covering herself in mud and bruises, insulting Sansa’s future royal in laws, and announcing plans to snub the queen. The queen. The mother of the future king Sansa is going to marry and, once again, BE LEGALLY OWNED BY.

And for the record, Sansa does try to coax her sister by promising cake and feather pillows and lack of mud-covered poison rashes. That was Arya’s cue to insult the queen.

So, now, completely humiliated, faced with having to tell her future mother in law that “I know that you invited us to come and spend the day with you, but my sister decided to go look for rubies in a lake with a boy that smells like dead meat instead. Have I told you how great an honor it is that you invited us? I can’t wait to join your family.”

Is it any surprise that minutes later, upon meeting Illyn Payne, she has a panic attack?

She heard the queen say, “Joffrey, go to her.” And her prince was there. “Leave her alone,” Joffrey said. He stood over her, beautiful in blue wool and black leather, his golden curls shining in the sun like a crown. He gave her his hand, drew her to her feet. “What is it, sweet lady? Why are you afraid? No one will hurt you. Put away your swords, all of you. The wolf is her little pet, that’s all.” He looked at Sandor Clegane. “And you, dog, away with you, you’re scaring my betrothed.” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Yeah, there’s Joffrey, looking cute and telling people who are scaring her to stop freaking her out.

Then this happens:

“Joffrey, perhaps you would be so kind as to entertain our guest today.” “It would be my pleasure, Mother,” Joffrey said very formally. He took her by the arm and led her away from the wheelhouse, and Sansa’s spirits took flight. A whole day with her prince! —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Okay, so Joffrey’s just “saved” her from the freaky executioner dude. And now she has ALSO been spared the prospect of giving her queen the “My sister prefers the company of the boy who smells like dead cow to you” speech. And to top it all off, she actually gets to finally spend time getting to know the king-to-be her father sold her to. She’s going to make a good impression! Exactly what she needs!

““What would you like to do?” Be with you, Sansa thought, but she said, “Whatever you’d like to do, my prince.” Joffrey reflected a moment. “We could go riding.” “Oh, I love riding,” Sansa said.” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

This is a lie. Earlier in the chapter, she thinks about how much she hates it. But, also remember points 9, 10, and 12. We also know she’s afraid of making him angry, because earlier in the chapter:

“I can answer,” Sansa said quickly, to quell her prince’s anger.” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

“If you like,” she said uncertainly. “I suppose I could tie Lady up.” She did not quite understand, though. “I didn’t know you had a dog …” Joffrey laughed. “He’s my mother’s dog, in truth. She has set him to guard me, and so he does.” “You mean the Hound,” she said. She wanted to hit herself for being so slow. Her prince would never love her if she seemed stupid. “Is it safe to leave him behind?”” — Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

That’s a good question, Sansa. No, strangely enough, it is safe to leave him behind, even though logic dictates that it shouldn’t be. You’d think bringing a guard with the two high-profile, rich children would be the safer option but it’s the Hound, so no, not really. But good on you for having more sense than your father WHO NEVER SEEMS INTERESTED IN SENDING GUARDS WITH HIS CHILDREN. (yeah, there might be a whole other meta on this)

But then there’s this. “Her prince would never love her if she seemed stupid.” Points 9 and 10, guys. It’s super important that her prince love her. Which is also why she keeps drinking when Joffrey tells her to keep drinking. Why she suddenly loves riding. Why she takes his word for it that he’ll protect her.

Then the magical day starts. And what is described is what sounds like several hours of Joffrey charming her petticoats off. He promises to protect her, he gets her food, and he sings to her. He acts like every story she’s been told to believe in her entire life.

Also…

“They dined on trout fresh from the river, and Sansa drank more wine than she had ever drunk before. “My father only lets us have one cup, and only at feasts,” she confessed to her prince. “My betrothed can drink as much as she wants,” Joffrey said, refilling her cup. They went more slowly after they had eaten. Joffrey sang for her as they rode, his voice high and sweet and pure. Sansa was a little dizzy from the wine. ” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Guys, the eleven year old is drunk now. Sansa doesn’t know how to hold her liquor yet. She’s eleven.

“Beyond, in a clearing overlooking the river, they came upon a boy and a girl playing at knights. Their swords were wooden sticks, broom handles from the look of them, and they were rushing across the grass, swinging at each other lustily. The boy was years older, a head taller, and much stronger, and he was pressing the attack. The girl, a scrawny thing in soiled leathers, was dodging and managing to get her stick in the way of most of the boy’s blows, but not all. When she tried to lunge at him, he caught her stick with his own, swept it aside, and slid his wood down hard on her fingers. She cried out and lost her weapon. Prince Joffrey laughed. The boy looked around, wide-eyed and startled, and dropped his stick in the grass. The girl glared at them, sucking on her knuckles to take the sting out, and Sansa was horrified. “Arya?” she called out incredulously. “Go away,” Arya shouted back at them, angry tears in her eyes. “What are you doing here? Leave us alone.” Joffrey glanced from Arya to Sansa and back again. “Your sister?”” —Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

So here is the scene they’ve come upon: A girl and a much older boy are hitting each other with sticks. The much older boy is winning and hits her so hard she drops her weapon. And Joffrey knows that the girl is highborn. And Mycah, who is a good three or four years older than Arya, is the butcher’s boy.

Points 11 and 13 come into play now. Which is why Joffrey does this:

““And you’re only a butcher’s boy, and no knight.” Joffrey lifted Lion’s Tooth and laid its point on Mycah’s cheek below the eye, as the butcher’s boy stood trembling. “That was my lady’s sister you were hitting, do you know that?”” — Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Points 1, 8, and 13 guys.

Highborn girls were expected to obey and not take up swords. For Mycah, the son of a butcher, to play with a girl as highborn as Arya was a HUGE breach of conduct. That he was hitting her with a stick didn’t help. Nor does it help that Arya’s been spending her days with him and coming home with bruises everywhere for weeks now.

Joffrey wanted to hurt Mycah for fun. He doesn’t give a shit about Arya, and he finds the situation hilarious. He’s a sadist. The problem is: it doesn’t matter. Because he’s the prince, because Mycah is lowborn, because Arya is much younger than Mycah and a lady, because princes like Joffrey are supposed to be chivalrous and protect ladies from harm, because Joffrey’s got a powerful family, because a lowborn boy hitting a little lady is a HUGE taboo. It doesn’t matter why Joffrey does it.

All Joffrey has to say is this: “He was hitting my lady’s sister.”

And boom. Excuse for him to attack an unarmed, innocent boy in the eyes of Westeros law. Joffrey, as prince, is allowed to hurt boys like Mycah, especially when boys like Mycah were hitting his lady’s sister. He was being “chivalrous.” He was maintaining the status quo.

He was definitely doing the latter, at least.

“Arya went for him. Sansa slid off her mare, but she was too slow. Arya swung with both hands. There was a loud crack as the wood split against the back of the prince’s head, and then everything happened at once before Sansa’s horrified eyes. Joffrey staggered and whirled around, roaring curses. Mycah ran for the trees as fast as his legs would take him. Arya swung at the prince again, but this time Joffrey caught the blow on Lion’s Tooth and sent her broken stick flying from her hands. The back of his head was all bloody and his eyes were on fire. Sansa was shrieking, “No, no, stop it, stop it, both of you, you’re spoiling it,” but no one was listening. Arya scooped up a rock and hurled it at Joffrey’s head. She hit his horse instead, and the blood bay reared and went galloping off after Mycah. “Stop it, don’t, stop it!” Sansa screamed. Joffrey slashed at Arya with his sword, screaming obscenities, terrible words, filthy words. Arya darted back, frightened now, but Joffrey followed, hounding her toward the woods, backing her up against a tree. Sansa didn’t know what to do. She watched helplessly, almost blind from her tears.” — Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Okay, so Joffrey is bleeding and attacking Arya, Sansa’s freaked out and calling for them to stop, and Arya has attacked Joffrey and is afraid. Sansa has gotten her first glimpse of Joffrey’s cruelty and feels helpless. In comes Nymeria. She bites Joffrey. Arya calls her off and brandishes a sword at Joffrey, Joffrey threatens to tell his mother, and Arya bolts when Sansa bids her to leave Joffrey alone (good advice).

“Joffrey,” she sobbed. “Oh, look what they did, look what they did. My poor prince. Don’t be afraid. I’ll ride to the holdfast and bring help for you.” Tenderly she reached out and brushed back his soft blond hair. His eyes snapped open and looked at her, and there was nothing but loathing there, nothing but the vilest contempt. “Then go,” he spit at her. “And don’t touch me.”” —-Sansa I, A Game of Thrones

Sansa is totally screwed at this point. There’s no going back. She doesn’t know this, but she’s aware that this is a huge problem. Even as she is trying to help him, he’s looking at her with hatred. Even though she’s not done anything. Joffrey is the type of boy who attacks little girls. Joffrey is looking at her with the vilest contempt. And Joffrey is the boy she is tied to for the rest of her life. The boy her father has betrothed her to.

Okay, so let’s move on to Ned III. They’ve found Arya, and she’s brought before the king after a night of being lost. She’s crying and sorry and freaking the fuck out because she’s a nine year old who was attacked by the prince, spent a night in the wilderness, and has now been dragged before the entire court like a criminal.

“Why was I not told that my daughter had been found?” Ned demanded, his voice ringing. “Why was she not brought to me at once?” —Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Arya should have never been allowed to leave the progress unguarded in the first place.

She felt so tiny in his arms, nothing but a scrawny little girl. It was hard to see how she had caused so much trouble. “Are you hurt?”” — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Oh, I don’t know, maybe she’s an energetic kid left completely unattended in the wilderness and has a wolf for a pet? Maybe that’s how she caused all this trouble. (Actually, she didn’t and you know that. But whatever, look at the little girl who you know was defending her friend from the nasty, armed prince and view HER as the source of the trouble). Maybe the wolf you brought home and the guards you didn’t give her might have had something to do with the trouble. Even if you wanted to indulge her and let her go running with her friend, SEND SOME FUCKING GUARDS. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS. POINT 15.

Now the actual trial part:

“The queen stepped forward. “You know full well, Stark. This girl of yours attacked my son. Her and her butcher’s boy. That animal of hers tried to tear his arm off.” “That’s not true,” Arya said loudly. “She just bit him a little. He was hurting Mycah.” “Joff told us what happened,” the queen said. “You and the butcher boy beat him with clubs while you set your wolf on him.” “That’s not how it was,” Arya said, close to tears again. Ned put a hand on her shoulder. “Yes it is!” Prince Joffrey insisted. “They all attacked me, and she threw Lion’s Tooth in the river!” Ned noticed that he did not so much as glance at Arya as he spoke. “Liar!” Arya yelled.” — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Okay, first of all, this is a farce: It doesn’t matter what the truth is.

Second of all: A surprising amount of what Joffrey and Cersei said were lies. Mycah didn’t hurt Joffrey, and he and Arya didn’t beat Joffrey with clubs, and Nymeria attacked him without Arya’s bidding. But it is true that Nymeria kind of tried to tear his arm off (good puppy) and you and Nymeria did attack him, and you did throw Lion’s Tooth in the river.

And unfortunately, that’s all that’s going to matter. Because you live in a awful, unfair world, Arya.

Seriously, one of the saddest parts of this whole thing was “He was hurting Mycah.”

Why? Because it doesn’t matter to anyone but Arya and the readers. Arya, it doesn’t matter that he was hurting Mycah. It doesn’t matter to the king, the queen, and his court. That would never affect the outcome of any of this. Joffrey is (supposed to be) the son of the king. Mycah is the son of a butcher. 8, 10, 11.

All Joffrey has to say is that Mycah was hitting you with a stick. That is true. If anyone with power over the situation might have cared, your game with Mycah would put an end to that. It won’t matter that you were just playing. You’re not supposed to play with fake swords, you’re a girl. You’re not supposed to play with the butcher’s boy, you’re noble. According to the standards of class and chivalry, Joffrey was intervening in a wholly inappropriate situation and punishing the lowborn boy attacking the highborn girl.

You should have known this. But your parents kind of suck at preparing themselves and their children for the world around them. So yeah. Mycah is getting his throat slit by the Hound for attacking the prince as you passionately testify that Joffrey was hurting him. I’m sorry. You’re a little girl who lives in a world where everything is terrible.

Okay, so then both Arya and Joffrey tell their version of what happened.

And then Ned decides to make another really awful parenting decision.

““They were not the only ones present,” Ned said. “Sansa, come here.” Ned had heard her version of the story the night Arya had vanished. He knew the truth. “Tell us what happened.”” — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Eddard Stark, YOU agreed to have your eleven-year-old daughter tied to this family. You had her swear an oath to marry Joffrey. You signed a contract. You did it so that the Lannisters would not question your loyalty as you investigated them for the murder of Jon Arryn. You are heading to King’s Landing to find evidence and bring the most powerful family in the country up on charges. The same family you have tied Sansa to in a legally binding sense. Sansa, the daughter who has been raised from birth to follow custom, be a perfect lady, and obey. The daughter who is tied to the boy you now know to have attacked your other daughter. The daughter whose future in laws you suspect of murder and treason. The daughter who has no idea WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON.

An hour ago, you were terrified that the Lannisters were going to hurt or kill Arya. You believe that the queen is responsible for Jon Arryn’s death. You know that she sent THE HOUND and her brother THE KINGSLAYER after your nine-year-old daughter.

So you’re asking eleven-year-old Sansa to go before her future husband and his murderous, traitor mother and call the prince a lying brute who attacks children. The same prince you’ve legally tied her to.

Both Joffrey and Cersei have attacked and/or tried to attack your children with lethal force. You KNOW this. Sansa is supposed to marry Joffrey, an arrangement you agreed to. And now you expect her to go up against them in a court of law.

“His eldest daughter stepped forward hesitantly. She was dressed in blue velvets trimmed with white, a silver chain around her neck. Her thick auburn hair had been brushed until it shone. She blinked at her sister, then at the young prince. “I don’t know,” she said tearfully, looking as though she wanted to bolt. “I don’t remember. Everything happened so fast, I didn’t see …” “You rotten!” Arya shrieked. She flew at her sister like an arrow, knocking Sansa down to the ground, pummeling her. “Liar, liar, liar, liar.” “Arya, stop it!” Ned shouted. Jory pulled her off her sister, kicking. Sansa was pale and shaking as Ned lifted her back to her feet. “Are you hurt?” he asked, but she was staring at Arya, and she did not seem to hear.” — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Sansa’s entire future might have depended on this moment if not for the fact that the Lannisters are insane. In a somewhat sane, logical world, where fathers don’t betroth their daughters to the sons of suspected murderers, what Sansa did in this passage might have saved her and her sister.

If she had backed up Arya’s story, it would not have helped the situation. The closest thing to consequences that might have come about for Joffrey would be for attacking Arya.  And even then, an argument might be made for self-defense. It wouldn’t be a valid one, but it would win out because Joffrey is heir to the throne.

Joffrey might have been punished somewhat. Not severely, though, if Cersei has a say (and she does). Joffrey would still be heir to the throne. Someday, he’d be king. And he’d be very, very angry with both Stark sisters.

She’s seen Joffrey attack her sister once. Someday he might do it with a crown on his head and absolute authority. As far as Sansa knows, she’s still going to marry him.

We know she told Ned what happened earlier. The fact that her father didn’t decide right then and there that the betrothal would end speaks volumes. Her father didn’t make that decision. But he has made the decision to drag her up in front of her future husband and have her call him a lying psychopath.

If Joffrey doesn’t hate Sansa, if she finds a way to rectify the vile contempt she saw on his face, she’s potentially not the only person who is safer.

Yeah, Arya is safer if Joffrey likes Sansa as well. Everyone is. This won’t happen, but Sansa doesn’t know that.  

In a drunken haze, partially blinded by tears, Sansa saw Joffrey attack her sister. Before that, Joffrey had been charming. Sansa’s approach to her relationship with him even before this happened was to “quell her prince’s anger.” She’s always intended to be a tempering influence on him. That becomes much harder if he hates her.

However, if she agrees with Joffrey’s story, she’s selling out her sister and possibly subjecting her to a cruel punishment. It’s a capital offense to attack the prince. Even though Arya, due to her birth and age, wouldn’t be executed or tortured or something, it likely that this incident would ruin her life and lead to some severe violence for her down the road. Years from now, she’d have a king who hates her and the mark of being a criminal to make her even more vulnerable.

So, Sansa gives a non-committal answer.

She’s already told her father the story. He didn’t pull the plug on the betrothal even though he believes her. He didn’t use her honesty to protect her. He used it to fling her out in front of the most powerful family in the country and endanger her entire future. The future HE set her up for in the first place.

The thing is, it doesn’t matter if Sansa backed her sister up for another reason:

“Their only good fortune was that both Jaime Lannister and Sandor Clegane were missing, leading searches north of the Trident.” —- Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

It had already been decided that the Starks would suffer for this, regardless of who was at fault. The king allowed his wife to send her brother the Kingslayer and The Hound out after a nine-year-old. Justice for Arya and Mycah was never in the cards.

And then the wolves.

That was when Sansa finally seemed to comprehend. Her eyes were frightened as they went to her father. “He doesn’t mean Lady, does he?” She saw the truth on his face. “No,” she said. “No, not Lady, Lady didn’t bite anybody, she’s good …” “Lady wasn’t there,” Arya shouted angrily. “You leave her alone!” “Stop them,” Sansa pleaded, “don’t let them do it, please, please, it wasn’t Lady, it was Nymeria, Arya did it, you can’t, it wasn’t Lady, don’t let them hurt Lady, I’ll make her be good, I promise, I promise …” She started to cry. All Ned could do was take her in his arms and hold her while she wept. He looked across the room at Robert. His old friend, closer than any brother. “Please, Robert. For the love you bear me. For the love you bore my sister. Please.” The king looked at them for a long moment, then turned his eyes on his wife. “Damn you, Cersei,” he said with loathing. Ned stood, gently disengaging himself from Sansa’s grasp. — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

As much as I want to completely blame Cersei and Robert and Joffrey for Lady’s death, I can’t.

Really, Ned? THAT is the extent of your protests? Sansa did absolutely nothing wrong. You are Hand of the King. Offer to send Lady back to Winterfell (and send your daughters back too, FFS).

Or better yet, offer to do it yourself and then sneak Lady out of there!

“Shortly, Jory brought him Ice. When it was over, he said, “Choose four men and have them take the body north. Bury her at Winterfell.” “All that way?” Jory said, astonished. “All that way,” Ned affirmed. “The Lannister woman shall never have this skin.” —- Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

NED YOU SUCK ALL THE DICK.

You’re denying Cersei the pelt. You feel confident enough to deny the crown proof that Lady is dead. You want to send her back to Winterfell. You do.

Lady SHOULD have been sent back to Winterfell, but not to be buried. The fact that she is? Yeah, NED’S FUCK UP. AN UNNECESSARY ONE.

And then this:

“No sign of your daughter, Hand,” the Hound rasped down, “but the day was not wholly wasted. We got her little pet.” He reached back and shoved the burden off, and it fell with a thump in front of Ned. Bending, Ned pulled back the cloak, dreading the words he would have to find for Arya, but it was not Nymeria after all. It was the butcher’s boy, Mycah, his body covered in dried blood. He had been cut almost in half from shoulder to waist by some terrible blow struck from above. — Eddard III, A Game of Thrones

Remember what I said about justice never being in the cards? Here is your proof. The Hound didn’t even know they’d already found Arya. But he slaughtered Mycah. This was an inevitability, just as Joffrey getting away with what happened was. No matter what Sansa said.

Even if she backed Arya up. Even if Joffrey was punished and judged the sole aggressor. Mycah would still be dead. Joffrey would still be heir to the throne and angry at both Stark girls. And Sansa would never have a chance of “quelling her prince’s anger.”

A lot of people hate Sansa based on this and the fact that she blamed Arya for the incident later. That she didn’t see what Joffrey was then. That she trusted Cersei.

As Bluecichlid says in her meta, confronting the reality of the situation would cause a huge psychological break for Sansa.

Sansa has a history of rewriting events in her head to cope. The most famous example would be the Unkiss, where she remembers the Hound kissing her during the battle of Blackwater. He didn’t. He snuck into her room, put a knife to her throat, forced her onto the bed, and threatened to kill her. But she rewrites it in her head as a kiss.

She does the same thing with the Trident. In her subsequent chapters, she looks back on the event internally blaming Arya. It’s not just something she says, but something she thinks. She believes her sister, who had a habit of insulting the royal family and misbehaving, who literally attacked her in front of the entire court, attacked the prince with Mycah. She remembers again when she can no longer deny what Joffrey is, but consciously, throughout the rest of A Game of Thrones, she believes her sister is responsible.

George R.R. Martin has gone on record saying that the loss of Lady has had a serious impact on Sansa’s mental state. It’s not entirely surprising—all the Stark children, according to Martin, are wargs, and they come into their powers through their bonds with their direwolves. We see it with all of Sansa’s siblings. Even Rickon and Bran, who are far younger than her, enter their wolves’ minds. Arya possesses Nymeria even after they are parted and can possess the minds of other animals at will. Meanwhile, Sansa’s power hasn’t developed at all. This natural ability has been cut off and stunted.

During the fight, it’s mentioned that Sansa is “blinded by tears”. And soon after, she is robbed of her ability to ever see through the eyes of her wolf, who is a core part of her being. Despite the fact that Sansa didn’t do anything wrong, she, like Mycah, was punished. And she is still legally tied to a cruel boy. So yes, she alters her conscious memories and refuses to confront the truth. She stays blind in order to keep some semblance of her sanity and hope for her future.

Neither girl was responsible for what happened. Both of them were neglected and put in an extremely dangerous situation. Sansa, who lost her wolf, processes this internally, in an unhealthy manner to cope with the tragedy. Arya, who didn’t lose her wolf, does remember what happened. She “hates” her sister as much as Sansa “hates” her (they’re super, super pissed at each other with the sort of anger one can only feel towards family and congressmen). They both unfairly blame one another for things that are not their fault. The difference is, Arya didn’t have a piece of her soul killed by her father. So she deals with things like a normal little girl. Sansa, who lost Lady and is still looking at an impossible future, does not.

[booksummarieswithkatz]

Karma by R.J. Blain

Okay, terms to know can be found here.

Now that that’s out of the way let’s get on with the story.

As with Pack Justice, I’m gonna do a bunch of spoilers by telling you the story in order of in-universe chronology instead of the books method of presenting it for the sake of suspense. Got it? Good.

So Karma Clarice Johnson isn’t nearly as human as we are led to believe at the beginning, you see – Karma was adopted after being dropped off in a forest with only a gold locket with her first name inscribed on it. She was taken in by her parents, whose names are so unimportant I’ll just call them Shitter Dad and Shitter Mom, as an adopted surrogate for their missing son as opposed to being one of the many fostered children the two have cared for over the years. Now, Shitter Mom and Shitter Dad are not what I would call good people, mostly because they (mostly Shitter Mom) beat the shit out of Karma when she was a small child. The Inquisition allowed them to adopt Karma because they had a great track record with taking care of children of supernaturals – they just never realized that they were so good because the children were too terrified to get into trouble.

Karma in particular was beaten regularly until she was five, because she is a… something? We never actually find out what she is, but she has aspects of both shifters and earth witches. Karma has two modes: normal person mode (a result of her abuse) and vixen mode, which means that she doesn’t think like a person, she thinks like an actual fox – biting, scratching, and making fox noises instead of talking. The process of breaking her lack of control and overpowering instincts have left her with several phobias, heights in particular. She also has an issue with water, like many powerful earth witches, she sinks like a stone; water loves her and doesn’t want to let her go – ever. But because character’s have to have sudden realizations of the supernatural, Karma’s early abuse has cause her to severely repress all memory of her fox powers, relegating them purely to dreams and a childhood fixation.

Remember how I said that the Shitter parents had a missing son? Yeah, so when Karma was six years old, the team of FBI agents assigned to the case by CARD (Child Abduction Rapid Deployment division) came to visit so say that they had found the boys body; it was the four grown men breaking down and crying over their failure to save an infant that stuck with her and gave her her life-long dream: to join CARD and save parents from that kind of heartache. So now, at the age of 29 (six years after entering FBI training), Karma has been accepted for a position at CARD in New York, and she is finishing the move out procedures after selling her house in Baltimore.

So it turns out that her house is being bought by some condescending dick-bags, who tell her that it’s not right for her parents to make a young girl like her do all this paperwork – oh yeah, did I mention that despite being 29 Karma looks like she’s 18 at most? Because she does and that’s important. Just to be sure we’re ready for the story begins let’s get her appearance out of the way, yeah? Karma is short, at around five-foot-one, she is also hot – and I mean hot. While her actual features are never mentioned, she has pale skin (in a pretty way? Idk) with eyes the color of amber (not brown, like vividly orange/amber). Her also needs to be regularly dyed to appear normal, because while her long locks are a deep black in color, the last few inches are a stark white, and when put in pony tail looks like a fox tail. Got all that? Because people are gonna say shit about it and it will be important (okay it’s mostly her eyes but whatever).

So Karma hands of the last of the house keys to the buyers, and tries not to use her 23 years of kickboxing experience to earn herself an assault charge, opting to go to a music festival downtown to cool off before competing in a womens kickboxing tournament later that evening. Tomorrow she drives up to New York City for her dream job. Things are looking really great for Karma. For about five fucking seconds.

At the festival Karma hops in line to satisfy her funnel cake addiction, and ends up behind a middle aged woman and her seven children. The oldest child, a girl named Chloe, sees the kickboxing patches that Karma had sewn on her purse and starts chatting her up about the sport. Karma goes on the whole “everybody loves a whooping” spiel and admirably advocates the sport (she’s a four-time champion btw). This continues until the other kids (ages 3-6) decide to start screaming and being little shits; Karma offers to hold the youngest child, an infant named Annabelle, while Chloe and her mother rein the rowdy kids in. While Karma is holding Annabelle, however, she feels something eerily similar to a gun barrel pressed up against her head. No… yeah that’s a gun barrel. Everyone starts screaming and backing away, while the man with the gun pulls a Karma and the baby into a black SUV, then goes screaming off down the street.

The kidnappers are smart; they use multiple identical SUVs to separate law enforcement and turn a chase into a mess of hide-and-go-fuck-yourself. They think that Karma is just some teenage girl, and force her to take care of Annabelle in exchange for not killer her. The soon cross into West Virginia, and time starts getting skewed as Karma rests and focuses on fooling the kidnappers and caring for the baby. Somewhere in Kentucky they make her drive for a spell, then they must have slipped her some sedatives somewhere along the line, because before she knows it, she’s in a lodge in the mountains somewhere in Colorado. The abductors remove all ways of telling the time other than the lengths of their shifts on watch. Days pass, and finally, a call comes in: in twenty-four hours, dump the baby and kill the girl.

The abductors don’t realize that Karma knows what’s going on, and one of them lets his guard down; she kicks him in the back of the skull, knocks him out, steals his gun, then uses his phone to call the cops before fleeing with Annabelle in a travel carrier. She treks through the woods for several days, before she realizes a wolf is stalking her. When she puts Annabelle down to give her a change, she turns around to find herself nose to nose with the beast. She screams and pistol whips it. It smiles at her. She pistol whips it again. It is a very friendly wolf, it’s also way bigger than a wolf has any right to be.

Realizing that the wolf probably won’t eat her, she sets off with the wolf in tow, and she finally finds a river so she can mix more formula for the baby (desperate times because river water might make you sick boys and girls). She tests the water on herself first, but when she turns around and sees someone is standing at the baby carrier, she panics and slips and falls in the water. Remember: Karma can’t fucking swim. So she starts doing a strip tease because trying to doggy paddle in heavy wet clothes doesn’t really work very well, but she’s yanked out of the water when she’s down to her panties by none other than her former partner, Jake.

A slight digression here for Jake, because he’s the love interest and it’s important. In the six years Karma has worked in the FBI, she has had not one, not two, not three, but NINE partners. The first one repeatedly allowed her to get shot because he was too busy trying to impress their supervisor, the next six just couldn’t handle how strict she was about the buddy system, the eighth one actually tried to murder her before disappearing into the void. But Jake, Jake was perfect; he always watched her back, always kept it professional. They worked together for four years, and other than him being there to razz her every once in a while, they got along really well. But they chose separate paths for their careers, she wanted to join CARD (Child Abduction Rapid Deployment), and he wanted to join HRT (Hardcore Rectal Training). They said goodbye as partners and friends a few days before she was abducted, but they called him on to the case when they finally realized an agent was involved.

So they bring Karma to the hospital (she was in shock and hypothermic at this point), and goose her up with some morphine (any other sedative turns her into a screaming homicidal maniac). When she’s recovered and lucid they begin her interview and debriefing, and this is where the sexism starts. The guy they sent from Washington immediately accuses her of being in on the abduction to boost her resume, and Karma responds by not talking other than to demand a lawyer. Eventually the director in charge of the FBI in Colorado comes in and kicks the asshole out, then they start actually debriefing her. They don’t learn anything new, and Jake takes Karma out for pizza in celebration of her safe return (pepperoni, light on the cheese).

They wake the pair up extra early, hand Karma a gun, and put them on the first plane they can find back to Baltimore. They then tell her that she will have to lie low and play Anchor (basically a coms-monitoring secretary) until the media sensation from the abduction blows over. So Karma moves into her new apartment in NYC, cuts and dyes her hair, quits kickboxing so she doesn’t need to go out in public, and buys color contacts; she’s finally starting her dream job.

Too bad her team is full of sexist old-school assholes who don’t respect her and let a kid die because they didn’t want to follow a lead she discovered. Nice! This goes on for two whole months, and Karma’s life enters a stress based death-spiral. Since moving to NYC, Karma has only eaten pizza (pepperoni, light on the cheese, just the way Jake liked it), and she’s getting out of shape from being unable to go to a gym and kickbox; her job is so arbitrary that she actually sits in a pool and doggy paddles around while listening to her supposed teammates chatter on the phone. Finally, the last straw is placed on the camel’s back, her supervisor looks at her and says: “You have brown eyes, not amber. Was putting the exotic color on your file just to boost your confidence?” She very slowly takes out each of the color contacts, and tells him to go fuck himself. She quits.

After a brief standoff where she tells her supervisor that he can have his stupid boys’ club and shove it up his ass, and walks out on the job she’s worked her entire life for. So Karma decides that she needs to take a walk and finally get around to exploring the city. She winds up in central park, and after  kicking stones into pond for a while, someone sits on the bench next to her. He says that her proposal of quiting has been rejected, effective immediately. Turns out that this guy (who looks maybe 30 if you’re generous) is actually her supervisor’s boss, Kelvin Daniels, and he takes Karma out for some Italian food (not pizza), and makes her and offer: sign a waiver (which basically says “don’t kill innocents” and let’s her break pretty much any other rules), go rogue, and take an unmarked car (a yellow Corvette convertible) out to due the case that her team already left for, on her own, and she has to do it without any FBI agents finding her first. If she wins, she gets put on a new team and she gets to keep the car; if she loses, she gets a new team and isn’t allowed to quit. Basically if she doesn’t agree to this game they will arrest her and keep her in custody until she agrees to take her job back. Cuz that’s not illegal at all.

She agrees, takes the Corvette, and puts on her disguise: booty shorts, a halter top with leather jacket to hid her gun, and foot-long hair extensions; she looks like a promiscuous highschooler. She heads off on her assignment.

Jacob Henry, ten year old son of an accountant that works for the government. He has been missing for a few days now, and may have run away to his relatives in a neighboring state. Karma starts by meeting with Jacob’s uncle in New York, Winston Henry, who likes to hang out at home in the buff. She learns that Jacob has a lot of issues: he hates being home-schooled (even though his parents claimed he was registered at the local school), and has few friends, and his parents don’t let him go outside, and life’s just not awesome for young Jacob. Also Jacob’s father doesn’t get along really well with the rest of the family. She also notices that someone has tampered with the phone chord in the drywall, possibly a wiretap. She then spoke with another uncle, Peter, who says a lot without giving any useful info other than a set of albums that supposedly have pictures of Jacob’s fathers friends, who drive around in nondescript black SUVs and aren’t terribly friendly.

So Karma gives Daniels a call and they manage to connect the Jacob’s case with the Gianni case (her and Annabelle’s kidnapping), and Daniels wants to take her off the case before she becomes a target, but Karma says she really will go rogue if he tries. So he says that if the agents he has pursuing her catch up then she needs to take a partner. She agrees (kind of) and looks through the album, finding a picture of one of the men who kidnapped her. She tells Daniels and heads off the next day to meet with the principal of the local elementary school to talk about any overlaps between home-schooled kids and those who have public education. Getting the names of two local hangouts, she catches sight of a nice car that’s following her. She lures the car to the more popular of the two hangouts, a gorge that cuts through the town. It turns out that the partner they sent her was actually Jake, and they roll out to their hotel room to have a chat about all the shit she’s gone through recently (they always take a double-bed room after an incident where a guy broke into Karma’s room when she was taking a shower and tried to kill her). They catch up, and then Jake gets really uncomfortable and insists that she change into normal clothes. The tiny booty shorts and halter top are a bit too stimulating for him, and asks if she’s wearing the outfit because she is switching careers to being a prostitute, because if so he has a lot of cash in his wallet and a set of handcuffs. After checking the waiver to see that it removes all rule about coworker fraternization, they whip out the handcuffs and have a whale of a time “roughing up the suspect.”

Karma is so impressed with his sexual prowess that she jokingly says “marry me.” Jake responds with a “yes! NO TAKEBACKSIES!” and they take a quick drive to Ohio and get married before anyone can talk them out of it. They head back and go to the second hangout in town: a big alcove under an overpass that is covered in detailed chalk drawings. Karma spots the signs of a a shooting here, two bullet hole and signs of removed bloodsplatter. They call Daniels to get a forensics team over and head back to the gorge to investigate if any bodies were dumped in it. After very carefully “negotiating” with Karma’s fear of heights, they look around the river running through. They don’t find anything, until Karma trips and falls right on top of a rotting corpse. They take off most of her clothes to wash of the pieces of the body stuck to her, and she trips on another corpse. She sees the third without falling on it. They call the forensic team and cops over, and then get a call that Jacob has turned up at his uncle Winston’s house, traumatized and covered in blood. They drive the Corvette at about 125 miles per hour to get there as soon as possible, before getting Jacob to agree to go to the hospital with them.

At the hospital we meet Jake’s father, who looks just like him plus a year or two. He tells them they have to go with him to D.C. and he takes Karma’s car keys without asking first. Now, Karma is not really in a good place right now, and she gets fed up with people not asking her to do something like they would a reasonable person and kicks the keys out of his hands (kickboxing ftw).

They confiscate her gun as they get on the plane (saying that they did not have her paperwork to bring it on the plane ready on such short notice), but then they tell her once they land that they won’t return her gun until she passes a psych evaluation. They thought she wouldn’t submit her weapon willingly, they didn’t trust her enough to be so reasonable, Jake didn’t trust her to be so reasonable. Agents can’t deploy without a weapon, she’ll be forced to Anchor for months before they get around to doing her eval and requalification with a  firearm. That fucking tears it. She has a nice dinner with Jake, his father, and his mother; she tells them that she will be sending in her resignation immediately.

The next morning she has a talk with Jake’s mother, borrows her car, and heads to the airport. She walks up to the ticket counter and buys the first airline ticket that catches her eye: first class to Morocco.

She explores the country for a week, buys new clothes, a bag, and a set of beads the same chocolate brown of Jake’s eyes (the traitorous bastard). After that she heads to Russia, sees that it sucks, and immediately hops on a plane to Germany. She grabs a really expensive rental car, and drives around the autobahn for two weeks straight, no phone, no credit cards, only cash and the road. Finally she decides to head to London, then she’ll go home to sort out what she’ll do with her life.

In London she gets stopped by a man with the FBI named Agent Miller, he insists on bringer her to the American Embassy, and by insists I mean that her resignation was rejected on the grounds that it was “done under duress” and that as an agent who did not respond to muster he has full legal right to arrest her as a “possible traitor” to the United States government. She agrees to go. On her arrival at the embassy, she is brought into a room and left sitting with a psychiatrist and psychologist names Dr. Sampson, who has been assigned to do her psych eval and then either give her treatment or return her to active duty. Karma tells her to fuck off. Dr. Sampson implies she’s a whore that willfully endangers others like a petulant child crying over a gun. Karma responds by calmly denying such allegations, punctuates her statement by slamming her hand on the table so hard that she fractures her fingers and dislocates her wrist.

They take a trip to the hospital and get her some really nice morphine (turns out the use of other anesthetics was expressly forbidden in her file, the entry is highlighted, underlined, and circled). They bring Karma, now a sobbing mess because drugs, and hand her off to Jake, who just about kills someone when she starts crying into his shirt. Jake brings her into their hotel (which is actually a five-star hotel converted from an old castle), and takes her to their room. They spend the evening… making up for lost time… and the next morning she answers a knock on the door to find… the Shitter parents. Shitter mom barges in spitting hellfire, but Karma manages to focus her parents’ wrath onto Jake, and hides under the bed while they’re distracted. Jake’s parents kick the door down in the middle of Shitter mom’s tongue-lashing, and start their own lecture on how it’s bad form to get married in Ohio at 8 a.m. without inviting your parents you little shit.

Eventually everyone realizes that Karma is nowhere to be found, and Shitter mom says that she’ll have climbed a tree or something and they all go off to find her. Jake pulls her out from under the bed and they sneak out to London to buy some new clothes (Jake had one suit and Karma had two outfits that hadn’t been washed in three weeks). As they walk, they hear screeching, and a bullet blasts through Karma’s shoulder, and three shots hit Jake’s chest. Karma starts going into shock as she’s pulled into a nondescript black SUV again.

She passes out as they drive her away, only to be slapped awake somewhere in the woods. Her kidnapper punches her in the shoulder and asks how she knew that Annabelle would be kidnapped at the festival. Karma goes quiet, she stares at them like they are already dead. What’s the point? She thinks, Jake is dead. But she’ll take his killers with her. She opens her mouth, and what comes out is a fox’s scream. She shifts and tears out the man’s throat, all human thoughts and memories a forgotten dream to her bestial instincts. The killing begins. More kidnappers come to check in with the one’s that grabbed her, she kills them all, and when they are all dead she tears the whole place apart.

Her business finished, she heads off into the forest. She slinks into the river, the water welcomes her, the earth hides her scent. Wolves are following her; she can smell them invading her new territory. The pack come to the river where she lurks, invisible in the water. A foolish wolf begins to drink from the waters, his lack of caution infuriates her, and she jumps out of the water and bites him right on the nose. The pack startles, but soon surrounds her, she keeps biting the wolf’s nose, until he shakes her off and she falls into the deeper waters. The water welcomes her and she passes out as she starts drowning.

She awakens with the wolves surrounding her, an injured male watches her anxiously. She’s terrified that they’ll eat her, and when the alpha female starts licking her it just gets worse. A woman picks her up. She brings her back to where Karma killed all of her attackers, and passes out.

She wakes up again in a bed, and Jake’s voice greets her. She demands that they’re dead, three shots to the chest is not survivable and she’s not buying what he’s selling. Finally he gets her to accept that they’re alive, but then she sees that his wounds are almost healed, it’s been four days. Bulletholes don’t heal that fast. But they did. Her shoulder is in a sling, and the x-rays show that the bone is perfectly healed, a year of healing finished in days. Impossible, she says, but the evidence is before her, and the only problem with her shoulder is that the tissue hasn’t healed over fully.

They tell her that her surgeon was Dr. Sampson’s father, Mr. Dr. Sampson, and he made the unfortunate choice of trying a bunch of different painkillers on her so she wouldn’t get addicted to morphine; she told her parents off on the phone and explained the entirety of her sex life with Jake in front of Jake and his parents and admitted that Shitter mom “beats the sin” out of kids in front of two members of CARD and an HR manager from the FBI. So guess who isn’t going to be allowed to foster kids, and disowns Karma?

So after being taken out to a firing range to give her mostly healed shoulder some exercise, Karma has a nice cry out in the woods about how her parents hate her now, and then one of the giant wolves comes out of the shadows. Karma screams like a fox and climbs a tree. Jake tries to convince her that she’s safe and Karma screams that she’ll miss him once the wolf eats him. Finally Jake reveals that the wolf is actually his mom, and then his dad shows up and busts as over how much of a fragile baby she is being despite the fact she can turn into a coyote-sized fox.

Eventually they get her to accept the crazy that is the situation, and then bustle her off back to America so they can begin hunting the remaining abductors, they have a license to kill and the Inquisition as told them that there are no rules as long as their foes are taken down quietly. The End.

[theowlsarenotwhattheyremembers]

Episode Seven: The Dragon and the Wolf

Cocks and Blood.

I don’t know how many levels of irony Scene One was on. The Unsullied, last heard of / forgotten after having pointlessly won Casterly Rock pre-stripped of food and besieged, are now lined up in well-fed ranks, because of plot nihilism. Jaime and Bronn discuss blood (family) and cocks and how they have them but the Unsullied don’t but then the barbarously virile Dothraki turn up with clearly more and bigger cocks apiece than any Lannister or lannlackey. What does all this mean? Is there an answer? Maybe, in the end, it is just cocks.

Look I know this recap is about a fortnight overdue. I have had to hand in a dissertation and then I was tired. We are all tired. This shit is tiring. Settle down. Rest. We have an hour and twenty minutes to get through and darn it we are going to escape from everything that’s tiring us out through lushly cinematographised fanfic cocks and all. Who doesn’t like cocks? Cocks cocks cocks.

Let’s carry on.

Scene Two: Tyrion lets Jon know that the leaping loins of Fleabottom have populated the city with a million warm sweaty bodies. King’s Landing, when compared to other cities of the early modern period, is bigger than any European city was ever, after Rome fell, until the Industrial Revolution. It’s more like the equivalent of Beijing or Edo-period Tokyo. Cool! This is, Jon observes, bigger than the entire North, and they’re all going to be ice wights unless our heroes prevail. Why would anyone want to live with all those other people?? The fucking’s better, Tyrion explains.

Scene Three: The bagged ice wight has retained its horrid vigour!!! Does this mean that the White Walkers can’t take unlife away once they’ve given it? (Does anything mean anything any more)

Scene Four: Cersei tells her undead henchlump to kill everyone.

Scene Five: Dragons understand that property is theft and children can be delicious if you are a large fanged lizard, so they had to be put in prison, which destroyed them and the vigour they animated the Targaryen blood with, Tyrion lets Missandei know. Then we have a massive reunion pile-on! The feels get mushy as Pod+Tyrion “you can suck his magic cock later”, the Hound+Brienne (Arya’s ultraviolent fosterfam are so proud of her!)

, and Bronn+Tyrion “I’ll pay you double”. That everyone is about to die is vigorously foreshadowed making me extremely anxious, but the pre-tension is pissed up the wall and everyone settles down for a civil conversation, because nothing matters any more. Tyrion+Cersei. The Hound+The Mountain, brothers, death and unlife can’t change blood, blood runs strong and hot, it’s the end of the world but #cleganebowl has been written in ruddier ink than this multideaths-are-coming tensionmusic can inscribe. Then the Queen herself arrives, atop her non-cock Drogon, who envelops with flame but does not penetrate (but wait till the final scene when Ice Viserion fucks the wall). Everyone is v impressed with Daenerys’ lady-D and how unambiguously it testifies to the rights her blood demands. Prophecy music plays. Cersei is upstaged. Did you know that the Lannisters are basically just nouveau-riche - their Age of Heroes ancestor Lann the Clever wasn’t even a king or a god like the other aristocrats? At best he was only the bastard son of one. Uncle Euron taunts Theon about his sister; but Tyrion/Cersei shut him up. These guys, the Greyjoys, trace their line back to the Grey King, who won a war against the Storm God, married a mermaid, and lived for a thousand years (i.e. was basically some form of deity himself). Seems likely Theon’ll bounce back eventually. They do the show and tell with the wight and then Euron storms off pretending to go home but actually going to pick up the legendary mercenary army Cersei just hired. Qyburn is definitely not on the side of the living. These guys are evil!! Cersei makes a pretend offer to help but Jon Snow is full truth, in love, with fire in his blood and his britches, so he messes up the fake negotiations.

Scene Six: Tyrion+Cersei chat over wine, and Cersei wins by letting Tyrion think he’s found her out for being pregnant. Tyrion points out that Daenerys isn’t a foreign whore who can be abducted, beaten up or intimidated, because of her blood and non-D.

But as @lasophus points out this (not this actually, violent death, usually via crossbow / arrow penetration) has happened to literally every other lowblood foreign whore (Ros Shae Ygritte Osha), plus all the lesbians. But not Daenerys! But Cersei Plannister has a plan. She doesn’t kill Tyrion because of blood / because otherwise the dragons and the dothraki and the unsullied would torch the city. She plays him instead.

Scene Seven:

Daenerys: I can’t have children

Jon: *hip thrust* oh really, let me introduce you to this gentleman here, I call him The Dragon

Daenerys: *swoons*

Scene Eight: I think Sansa was always playing LF but also kind of also knew he was her only friend and the only person who approached understanding her, but then her brother explained to her that LF was super betraying her so she had to kill him whoops getting ahead of myself

Scene Nine: Since diarising a meeting between Daenerys and The Dragon Jon in this war strategy meeting is looking at her with the disrespectful pout/halfsmile of the total lad who knows he’s about to get laid, and they arrange to take a ship up to the north together despite the danger because they have a very BUSY schedule.

Scene Ten: Jon lifts a finger to be on Theon’s recovery team, by telling him that it’s ok to follow his blood and save his sister.

Scene Eleven: Theon wins a fight and assumes his bloodright as sea prince by virtue of not having a penis. He staggers out into the surf and is rebaptised in the cold salty water as destiny music plays. I guess actually some cephalopods don’t have penises.

Scene Twelve: Sansa stands in a snowstorm making a difficult decision: yes she is going to go ahead with it. She gets flunkies to bring her sister to the Great Hall, and there, in front of all the ballachingly obstreperous northern lords, explains how LF has been the villain all along (via Bran’s magical insights). “How do you answer these charges ....... Lord Baelish???”, she reveals, as our prayers for Arya turn into a globe-spanning cry of BAZINGA!! It was us who underestimated the girls all along, and believed in their fights when actually they were just putting it on for the benefit of the spy at the keyhole and the viewer at home!!

“I deny it! None of you were there to see what happened,” LF says, no longer himself but just a plot toy setting himself up for Bran to coolly recollect that actually he was there to see it and all other things; an accusation based on magic which the northern lords don’t have any reason to believe in but which still floors our arch-manipulator to his knees, begging for his life. “Thank you for all your many lessons, Lord Baelish,” Sansa says to her friend and teacher, weeping, then delivers the nod to Arya, who slits his throat. As his blood spills we may reflect on how LF has been dead since the beginning of the season.

LF is of low blood and uses his tongue not his dick, so we do not have room for him any more. LF makes the plot diverge off in weird complicated directions, so we do not have room for him any more.

He killed Ros though

BAZINGA

Scene Thirteen: Another one of those tricksy bitches and Sansa’s other teacherenemy Cersei Lannister reveals the Plannister to Dummbister Jaime: just wait in the south until all the enemies have marched north to turn into an army of wights (which then maybe Qyburn could do something about or maybe I don’t care because “I’ll do anything to protect my family” is just madbitch speak for “I am now aligned with the forces of death”). Jaime is not with the programme because He Made a Promise and is aligned with the forces of the living after Brienne+Jaime met up and she worked her customary powers on his moral fibre. Despite basically giving the order to kill him Cersei flubs it at the last minute and Jaime walks away from her, finally choozing the right floozy, as Cersei makes an impotent I’m-not-evil-enough-yet fist.

Then we have a really nice and eerie snow scene where a christmas-y version of the title song plays and King’s Landing gets dusted with white. Winter coming maybe can be nice or cause people to do good things because of christmas?? I fucking love christmas!

Scene Fourteen: Sam’s initial reaction to Bran telling him he became the three-eyed raven is the kind of “Oh!” you’d give your kid if it told you it made friends with a stegosaur in school that day, but then has the wits to ask the follow-up question which has thusfar eluded other characters: “I don’t know what that means?”, and Bran delivers a semi-coherent explanation, representing, together with his material use to the case against LF, marked progress from the days when he was just scaring and upsetting people. Why is Bran so intent on telling Jon that he’s actually Aegon Targaryen, the true heir to the Iron Throne and D’s nephew, when he is, just this precise moment, eagerly performing eagerly-anticipated activities with D on a ship?? In these circs it seems like it would just be upsetting news which could threaten an alliance pleasant to both parties and vital to humanity. Whose side is Bran on?

Scene Fifteen: This conversation, “does it bother you that I’m the Lady of Winterfell”, “no obviously not let me introduce myself”, “I never could have survived what you survived, not like what I said in front of LF that one time”, feels like their first make-up-and-closure chat, which makes it seem like they weren’t pretending the whole time. Unbazinga.

(Direwolf thoughts: Sansa’s direwolf is dead and she’s totally different to how she was before and also not so much of a Stark (she didn’t swing the sword though she passed the sentence; she rules LF/Cersei-wise not starkly); Bran’s wolf died (at the moment his three-eyed-raven skills got transferred into him) and now being Bran is just one memory amongst millions of others; Arya’s is alive and thriving and she is the same as always and thriving; Jon’s is for all we know still alive and ditto (D got his chilly post-dead juices heated up again); Rickon’s wolf died and then he did.)

Scene Sixteen: Oh yeah, the ice dragon. Seems everyone this episode, including this recapper, just had too much darn stuff on their plates to mention to each other about you know how the White Walkers can reanimate corpses - people, bears, horses, giants, so on, he has a fucking ice dragon now obviously, climate change has nuclear weapons now obviously, everything is fucked, obviously.

[placetobenation]

The last one, I promise. For those of you who’ve been wary about dipping your toe in the wrestling ocean that is the G1 Climax tournament, here’s the edited highlights version.

The whole shebang: Primer, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15, Day 16, Day 17, Day 18, Final.

The Matches

I rated twenty seven matches at four-stars or higher over the course of the tournament, and that’s ignoring the dozens more that fell just short of what is, let’s be honest, a wholly subjective threshold of quality. Here, in chronological order, are my Top 10 favourite matches of the tournament:

Honourable mentions:

Okada vs. Elgin (Day 4 – July 22nd)

Ishii vs. Ibushi (Day 5 – July 23rd)

Omega vs. Elgin (Day 8 – July 27th)

Okada vs. Suzuki (Day 16 – August 8th)

Sabre Jr. vs Ishii (Day 17 – August 11th)

Naito vs. Ibushi (Day 1 – July 17th)

Talk about setting a tone. I was practically watching the closing stretch from behind the sofa, such was the risk of some spots, but it can’t be denied it was an incredible match. An opening salvo that reminded us just how good Ibushi is and confirmed Naito’s status as tournament favourite.

Ibushi vs. Sabre Jr. (Day 3 – July 21st)

They never left the ring and only once did Ibushi leave his feet. Proof, as if it were needed, that Ibushi is capable of far more than spectacle and that Sabre Jr.’s box of tricks can keep even the highest of flyers grounded. Just brilliantly done.

Tanahashi vs. Nagata (Day 5 – July 23rd)

This one went up sharply in my estimation upon rewatch and has stuck with me since. Nagata gave one last determined effort against the Ace of the Century but came up short, while Tanahashi really played up to a crowd that was ready and willing to boo him. A simple and beautifully told story.

Okada vs. Kojima (Day 8 – July 27th)

So much fun. Okada in ultra punk mode was a blast, clapping along with the “Ko-ji-ma!” chants and being a dick to Tenzan, while Kojima denied him the opportunity to establish a rhythm and tried desperately to overcome the champ’s arrogance. A single Rainmaker was good for the win in what was a refreshingly concise main event.

Ishii vs. Nagata (Day 11 – August 1st)

They cranked through the gears in this one. I kept thinking Ishii would cut off Nagata any moment and put him away, but Nagata just kept fighting. One of those matches that it seems I enjoyed more than anyone else, but that’s fine by me.

Tanahashi vs. Ibushi (Day 11 – August 1st)

Such an important result that it led to Ibushi christening the arm-trapped knee strike that defeated his opponent the Kamigoye – “to overcome God”. Tanahashi once against played up the arrogance and the knee strike was an appropriately brutal way to shut him up and end what had been a spectacular match.

Okada vs. EVIL (Day 14 – August 5th)

Only when Juice pinned Omega in the match prior to this one did I consider that the upset was possible, and even with that thought in my head it was a huge surprise. Evil got the clean, no excuses win over an opponent who hadn’t been pinned in a singles match for 364 days. We’ll gloss over Evil’s use of chairs, naturally, but with this victory alone the King of Darkness was significantly elevated.

Ishii vs. Tanahashi (Day 15 – August 6th)

Another great match between these two, and any match where Tomohiro Ishii busts out a sharpshooter is likely something I’ll enjoy. This one favoured flow over high-risk moves and maintained a compelling pace and intensity throughout, with a focus on duelling limbwork at its core. Quality pro wrestling from two of the best around.

Naito vs. Tanahashi (Day 17 – August 11th)

An epic drama between two of the most charismatic wrestlers on the planet plus crazy crowd heat. What’s not to love? I keep coming back to the Texas Cloverleaf. Having been re-established as a match-ender at Dominion, it was perfectly utilised here and quite honestly one of the best submission sequences I’ve ever seen.

Okada vs. Omega (Day 18 – August 12th)

Stunning. Not a sprint – well, maybe one more akin to the 400m than 100m – but so thrilling and intense there was barely a moment to catch your breath. We, and Omega, now know that the One-Winged Angel is good for beating Okada, but can it do so when the champ is 100% and the title’s on the line? Feel free to argue amongst yourselves which of their three matches to date is the best.

Naito vs. Omega (Final – August 13th)

I don’t think I’ve been as emotionally invested in a wrestling match for years. Last year’s block decider between the two was as good a heel vs. heel match as I’ve seen. Here, though, Naito was in full babyface mode (one spitwad aside) and survived some brutal assaults before overcoming Omega in desperate fashion, as has been the case throughout the tournament. Omega was excellent too, consistent in his selling and deliberate in his offence, not to mention the nasty bumps he took. Most great matches I appreciate, but it’s rare these days to feel like I’m experiencing one. This was one of those matches.

                  The Wrestlers

Tetsuya Naito, tournament winner for a second time, wisely kept his head down after the insanity of the opening night, escaping with wins rather than dominating and even looking a little out of sorts. But this is a man for the big occasions, and once the bright lights of Sumo Hall were on him he demonstrated exactly why he’s considered one of the most charismatic wrestlers in the world. His act may suggest aloofness and nonchalance, but let’s not pretend that score-settling wins over Tanahashi and Omega weren’t an important factor in motivating Naito on that final weekend. He was the favourite going in and that tag was justified. It was destino, after all.

Kenny Omega, last year’s winner, could not repeat that feat, going down to the man he defeated to reach the 2016 final. But on his way to the final he secured a psychologically crucial victory over Okada and perhaps an even greater prize will be gained thanks to that. He had decent run in the main body of the tournament, but my goodness, just like last year, he turned it on in a big way for the final two nights and will likely be fighting it out with himself on many people’s Match of the Year ballots. Kazuchika Okada delivered again and again in a tournament of extraordinary consistency and quality. He may have ended his run with a loss, a draw and a loss, but he never looked anything less than one of finest wrestlers in the world. He made his opponents look like stars no matter the result and carried his side of the tournament like a true champion.

Hiroshi Tanahashi continues to work harder than seems sensible. Last year, he returned from a serious injury and opted not to alter his style whereas this year he went into the tournament carrying an injury and utilised it to demonstrate his selling, giving each match a focus and a story. Odd to think his performances have almost gone under the radar, because he delivered huge in several matches with made his opponents look like stars. A selfless tournament from the great man. Bad Luck Fale was very good this year. He was clearly motivated and delivered an interesting variety of matches, the pick of bunch being a four-star effort with Kota Ibushi. The big man remains an underrated worker.

EVIL was the breakout star of the tournament, certainly in booking terms, and delivered big in several key matches. As a brawler he offers something different to his colleagues at the higher end of the card and that may well benefit him as he moves up – which certainly seems to be his direction right now. Minoru Suzuki didn’t have the most interesting of tournaments. Backed by his goons, his matches this year fulfilled a booking requirement, but mostly topped-out at “fine”, and this is coming from a fan of his who’s not entirely sick of the Suzuki-gun interference. His match with Okada, however, which was almost entirely one-on-one inside the ring, was great and demonstrated that when the occasion demands it he can still offer something unique and brilliant.

Hirooki Goto somehow picked up five wins in a forgettable set of matches. His best were against Ishii (unsurprisingly) and the ultra-motivated Nagata, but even a main event with Tanahashi fell flat. I suppose as a finalist last year, he couldn’t slip too far down the table, but it’s just so hard to care about anything he does these days. Kota Ibushi, by contrast, demonstrated time and again what a special talent he is. While he never looked like winning the block – a highly unlikely scenario – he was a boon to the tournament and adds a spark to any match he’s involved in. Fingers crossed he’ll stick around a while longer. Zack Sabre Jr. made Tanahashi submit in the opening show, got Makabe to tap out to a secondary submission move, tied Ishii up so comprehensively that the referee was forced to call for the bell, then made Tanahashi submit again in yesterday’s tag match. I’d say that a successful first appearance in the G1, wouldn’t you?

Michael Elgin’s third tournament was a strange one. He brought A-game against the bigger names but consistently slipped up against those he should’ve beaten. The loss to Yano that eliminated him from the running was frustrating, and overall – despite two very, very good main events – this seemed a step down from his previous two appearances. A NEVER title shot against Suzuki beckons, however. Juice Robinson grabbed that brass ring by the balls, if such a thing is possible. In-ring improvement is one thing, but gaining the fans’ investment is another, and that’s what he’s been able to do over the past month. The surprise win over Omega was one of my overall highlights, but beyond that he was one of the most reliably compelling performers throughout. SANADA, if I’m honest, had a slightly underwhelming tournament. He was solid, don’t me wrong, and still carries himself and looks like a star (big fan of the new entrance mask and gear), but he’s a few steps away from everything clicking. In part that’s down to the results, which can’t be helped, but a little more of the fire he displayed against Suzuki on a more regular basis and New Japan would surely have a star on their hands.

Tomohiro Ishii did what he does, which is have great matches. He quietly went about his business, working a wider variety of match-types than he is often given credit for. How I wish he was considered of greater value to the company than Goto. Fingers crossed for a rubber match with Sabre Jr. down the line. Togi Makabe was also in this tournament. Okay, that’s a bit snarky, because despite his propensity to sleepwalk through his signature spots, he actually had a few good matches, particularly those with Ishii and Naito. He looked fresher this year, and that translated to his performances. YOSHI-HASHI was someone who I described as having a breakout tournament last year and as being a regular highlight. Well, that guy wasn’t anywhere to be seen this year. There was nothing offensively bad about him, in fact he had several decent matches, but the fire that defined his underdog act in 2016 is down to the embers.

Tama Tonga was okay, I guess, but the progress he’s made in Guerrillas of Destiny hasn’t translated to singles matches. The ultra-serious, scary act doesn’t do anything for me, but he delivered some really funny off-the-cuff lines here and there and further mining that side of his personality would do him wonders, I think. His match with Juice pointed the way forward. Toru Yano did his thing. I still get a kick out of it and his role in this tournament is a useful one. The match against Kenny Omega was properly funny, SANADA no-selling his schtick was enjoyable, and sneaking another win over Suzuki was great. Satoshi Kojima had a damn good run. Not results-wise, sadly, but he showed up many of the younger guys with intensity alone. He peaked with an excellent performance against Okada (and had me thinking that maybe, possibly at title shot was viable in the near-future), but his pride and determination were undimmed and there was never a hint that he was taking a night off.

The last word goes to Yuji Nagata, who wrestled his final G1 tournament. Not only did he over-deliver on my expectations, he had a legitimately excellent run – probably one of my favourite ever. Every match was compelling and heated, and the 49-year old regularly outworked colleagues in the prime of their careers. Of course, this being New Japan, there was no room for sentiment, and he ended up with only one win to his name. Nevertheless, that final G1 match at Sumo Hall last Friday, and the bow of respect from Fale, was a genuinely touching moment. I salute you, Mr Nagata!

Final thoughts: I don’t know if it was because of more variety or better spacing of shows or what, but I thought this was the best of the three tournaments I’ve reviewed in their entirety. The coverage on New Japan World was faultless and there was yet another step-up in production value this year as every show had commentary to go along with the multi-camera footage. As we got closer the final I was hopeful but unsure that this roster could match the extraordinary quality of recent years, but boy did they ever. And those final three main events – my word – back-to-back-to-back classics.

If you have been, thanks for reading these, I’ve appreciate the feedback and comments and hope you enjoyed the tournament as much as I did. Thankfully, there are now a few weeks off, but I’ll be back for the three Destruction shows in September. See you then.