#me: *feels like shit* 'why must this happen'

[starry-eyed-stray]

5 times Stiles runs from Derek + 1 time Derek runs from Stiles (sorry to hijack your post but the fic inspo was so real)

Stiles has run away from Derek many times. When they first met, it was mainly because Stiles didn't trust Derek and Derek didn't exactly give him a reason to. Later it was because Derek was saving Stiles' ass and telling him to scram.

But the first time Stiles ran away from him and Derek had to urge to chase had been an innocuous yet sudden feeling he had to immediately stamp down.

They were in the middle of a pack meeting. Somewhere along the way, Stiles went from the token human of Scott's pack to a valuable member of his pack. Derek hadn't actually verbalized this idea in his mind. But his wolf knew.

He was in the middle of a conversation with someone else when an exclamation caught his attention. He turned around and his eyes were immediately met with the unprotected back of Stiles Stilinski bolting out the front entrance of his loft. Derek's entire body braced to run after him. Muscles tense and his wolf howling to chase. The logical side of his brain was the only thing that kept him locked in place because what the fuck was that? The sudden urge had confused Derek, but the full moon was tomorrow so maybe his wolf was just extra excitable. He ignored the fact that it's been years since his wolf had acted like this purely because of a full moon.

The second time, him and Stiles had been alone together. They had become unlikely friends that would occasionally grab lunch together which was a welcome change to Derek's usual solitude.

They were walking back to the parking lot when Stiles whispered, "Oh shit, my wallet." And once again, Derek's eyes were met with the exposed back of Stiles running away from him. Before Derek even had time to process it, he began chasing. The sound of his pursuing footsteps prompted Stiles to look back and Derek caught a glimpse of wide brown eyes and a panicked expression before Stiles began running faster. Now Derek felt like pouncing--

But the rational part of Stiles' brain must have kicked in the same time Derek's did because they both abruptly stopped. Stiles swiveled to face him.

"Why are you chasing me?!" Stiles exclaimed. He was out of breath from the sudden sprint and was gesturing wildly at Derek.

"Why were you running?"

"I left my wallet at the restaurant!"

"Oh." Derek was noticing a pattern. The urge to chase never happened with the other pack members. Just Stiles. "Let's go get it then."

He nonchalantly walked past Stiles who was still fixing him with a bewildered expression.

...

"Stiles, we need to talk."

Nothing got the anxiety spiking like those few words. Stiles and Derek were alone in Derek's loft post-pack meeting. Stiles often found himself lingering and being the last to leave these days. But hearing those words and seeing the stern expression on Derek's face had him wishing to be anywhere but here. Derek was leaning on the counter of his kitchen island. His piercing hazel eyes pinning Stiles in place. He nervously fidgeted before mustering up the courage to get closer and join Derek in the kitchen.

"What's up?" He tried to sound more casual than he felt.

"Relax, Stiles, you're not in trouble," Derek said with a frown.

That didn't immediately alleviate the nervousness stirring in Stiles, but he nodded prompting Derek to continue.

Derek opened his mouth. And then immediately shut it. He pinched the bridge of his nose closing his eyes as if to gather himself. This only made Stiles even more anxious because if it was something Derek Hale of all people had a hard time saying it must have been something pretty serious.

Derek sighed and finally looked up at him. "Stiles, you need to stop running."

Stiles barely held back the sputtered sound of surprise that bubbled up from him. Of all the things he expected Derek to say, this definitely wasn't one of them. "What are you talking about? Being part of the pack kinda requires the cardio. You rather have me briskly walk away when I'm being chased by some supernatural evil?"

"That's not what I meant." Derek paused before sighing again. He crossed his arms. "I need you to stop running away from me."

Stiles' face scrunched up. "When have I ran away from you? I mean-- besides all those times I ran away from you, but that was like before. I mean now, or like recently, I don't think I've been running away? I mean if anything I've been hanging around you more which is like the opposite of runn--"

"Stiles."

Stiles took the hint and zipped his mouth closed so Derek could get a chance to respond.

"Remember that time I ran after you when you forgot your wallet?"

"Oh yeah!" Stiles put his hands on his hips. "What was up with that?"

"Whenever you suddenly run away from me, I get the urge to chase you."

"Oh."

Stiles face suddenly felt hot. He cleared his throat before responding. "Uhm, do you know why?"

"I'm still working it out."

Stiles turned the thought around in his heads a few times. He was uncharacteristically quiet when an impulsive thought seized him.

He turned around and started sprinting.

"Stiles!"

Stiles ignored Derek's deep growly voice that called after him and ran as fast as he could. He barely lasted half a second before a sudden weight crashed into his back and had him tumbling to the floor. He rolled once before finding himself pinned underneath Derek Hale.

"Stiles, what did I just say?" Derek hissed.

Stiles' heart was loudly drumming against his rib cage as he stared up at narrowed eyes and furrowed eyebrows. He wondered how red his face was right now because his whole body felt like it was burning up.

"Well, you finally caught me."

"What?"

"You don't chase something unless you're trying to catch it. You caught me. Now what?"

Derek stilled as he stared down at Stiles still pinned beneath him.

Now what?

That was the first of many nights Stiles would spend over at Derek's.

...

The fourth time was at a grocery store. Stiles was over Derek's place more often than not and so today he got to help with selecting what to stock in the fridge. They were idly chatting as they approached the cashier.

Derek began to unload their grocery haul onto the cashier's conveyor belt when Stiles exclaimed, "I forgot the ice cream!"

A flash of movement in his periphery had Derek's wolf eager to make chase. Instead he shouted, "STILES, DON'T RUN!"

Stiles stumbled almost tripping over himself. He stopped and turned around just enough to flash him a sheepish grin before setting out at a brisk walk.

Derek buried his face in his hands after giving a quick apology to the cashier for his outburst. The urge to chase had only gotten harder to push down now that he was officially dating Stiles. His wolf liked having a mate, and he desperately wanted to play and chase and do a few other things with Stiles that weren't exactly appropriate to do in public.

He shook his head. The sooner Stiles made it a habit to not go running off at every random thought in his head, the better.

Little did Derek know, that the fifth time would happen soon after.

They were staring at the piles of grocery bags in the trunk of Stiles' jeep. Stiles shot him a doubtful look. "You can't seriously think you can unload all these groceries in one trip."

"Of course I can," Derek said. He began looping the plastic bags of groceries through his arms. "It's not like they're heavy."

"There's some fragile stuff in there. If you drop one of the bags because they rip, it's gonna break."

"Stiles, I got this. Just close the trunk for me."

Derek successfully held every single grocery bag in his arms and shot Stiles a triumphant look as the other shut and locked the car.

"Told you it would be easy."

"Yes, very impressive. Is there nothing your werewolf strength can't do?" Stiles teased. He looked back and paused. It was the type of pause that Derek had come to learn meant that Stiles just had an impulsive thought. And the mischievous glint in his eyes could only mean trouble.

"Stiles, don't you dar--"

"Derek, come catch me!" he called back with a smirk before running off like some small prey animal leaving his back completely vulnerable and absolutely egging Derek's wolf into a chase. It took every ounce of self-control for Derek not to drop all the groceries he had and pursue Stiles.

"Little shit," Derek cursed under his breath as he quickly stalked after him with groceries still in hand. If Stiles was going to insist on running from him, Derek was going to make damn sure Stiles wouldn't physically be able to for at least a few nights.

...

After the fifth time, Stiles had mostly learned his lesson. Or at least, he learned to be more strategic about when he goaded Derek into chasing him. If he was being honest, Stiles found it pretty hot when Derek would chase after him and toss him into bed. But he knew, it was best to leave the chasing in more private places, so he tried his best to not go running off when they were in public. Emphasis on tried. He would usually catch himself, but sometimes when his mind was running in a million different directions he found himself doing the same. Just like he was today.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Stiles began to turn away, but was completely derailed from his thoughts when Derek started sprinting in the opposite direction.

"Derek!?" he called out exasperatedly. He hurried after his retreating form. "Where the hell are you going?"

Stiles knew it would be impossible to catch up if Derek was seriously running, but Derek was quickly folding over in a fit of laughter when Stiles jogged up to him.

Between gasps of breaths he asked, "What the hell?" He backhanded Derek's shoulder which was still shaking in laughter. "Why are you laughing?"

Derek straightened as he collected himself. "I'm sorry. It's just-- I recently learned that if your dog is ever running away from you, you shouldn't chase them. You should run in the opposite direction and they'll start chasing you." He wrapped his arms around Stiles. "Looks like it worked."

"Derek!" Stiles flushed as he tried to wriggle out of Derek's grip but to no avail. He gave up and let himself sink into the embrace. "I'm not your dog."

"Yeah, yeah. It just felt nice to be chased for once."

"If you like running so much, maybe I can get you a ball and we can play fetch sometime."

"Really, Stiles? Dog jokes?"

"You started it," Stile quipped back grinning.

Derek bent down and buried his face in the crook of Stiles' neck. "I'd keep you on a leash if I could, but I guess I'll just have to settle for keeping you in my arms."

"You're such a sap. And you don't need to keep me on a leash." Stiles shifted so he could cup Derek's face in his hands. "I might run away, but I got amazing recall."

He kissed Derek.

"I'll always come back."

when derek warns stiles not to run because he won’t be able to hold back his wolf’s instinct to chase after him… and it happens almost everyday too. due to stiles’ adhd, when he can think of something he HAS to do it immediately. like when they’re out for grocery shopping stiles would be like OH I FORGOT ABOUT ICE CREAM BRB and then start running like a small animal. which can confuse derek’s wolf who thinks his mate is playing with them and wants to be chased and we need to run after him right NOW

[puck-luck]

hey andy, congrats on your one year :) i’d like to order a cappuccino with cold foam for jack hughes please! i’d love if you could write sexting or phone sex while he is recovering from surgery in michigan and his gf is in jersey! thank you <3

i did something new on this one! it's meant to be read like a text thread. jack's messages are in italics and the reader's are in bold AND italics. enjoy!!

You up?

ofc. how did the surgery go?

Good. I’m back at the hotel

what time is it there?

Almost 9.

what else did you do today?

Watched the boys play the Stars. Lukie had 2 assists

that’s so awesome!! i’m sorry you missed it j i know you wanted to be there

I don’t really want to think about it.

i get that. did you get room service again this time

Haha I did actually

My season’s over so I went crazy and got the Ranch Wagyu Burger

It was really good

omg that sounds yum

what did it have on it

Normal burger toppings with a chipotle aioli

jack that sounds sooo good

can you bring me one when you get back to jersey?

Idk if it travels well but I’ll try

Why are you up so late?

i was polishing up a report due tomorrow and lost track of time 

now you’re texting me soooo

You don’t have to stay up just for me

j. i missed you today. ofc i’m staying up to talk to you.

I’m sorry I have to be away for longer

I wish I was in NJ with you

it’s not your fault, babe. injuries happen. i want you to be healthy

i wish you were here too but i can wait

i’m excited to play nurse when you get back

That sounds nice

Should we get you an outfit?

Sexy nurse

i’m one step ahead of you

[image sent: sexy nurse outfit from amazon, complete with stockings and hat]

You’re kidding

Put it on

lmao ok j one sec

[image sent: a mirror picture of you, wearing the sexy nurse outfit. the dress is sheer enough that jack can see your white panties through it.]

Holy shit

You look fucking good baby

i thought you’d like it

Like it? Y/N I’m hard just looking at you

I’ll die if I see you wear that at home

noooo you can’t die on my watch

save that for luke’s shift

No way Luke is going to take care of me

Not when you look like that

[image sent: a mirror picture showing the back side of your outfit. you’re slightly bent over so jack can see your ass cheeks and panties.]

Baby…

need to take your blood pressure after that pic huh

Want you to sit on my cock wearing that

now that doesn’t feel very professional :(

That dress isn’t professional

Tit pic?

omg.

[image sent: you, kneeling in front of the full length mirror with your boobs on display, like you’re about to crawl towards him]

[minutes later] are you there?

Sorry

You look so good

Can’t type at the same time

I only have one hand

ohhh i get it

fucking your fist to your pretty nurse huh

imagining it’s my tits? or my cunt? which one do you want j

Both

tits first i think

you can come all over them and clean me up with your tongue while you fuck me

gonna pull your hair while you do it

i should probably ride you

i’ll come on your cock and clean you up with my mouth too

Yes I want that

i bet you do

lick all my cum off your cock and moan bc it tastes so good

should sit on your face and ride your tongue

Want you to finger yourself

now?

Yeah

whatever makes my patient feel better

[video sent: you, still kneeling in front of the mirror, licking your middle two fingers and trailing them down to your core. you pull your panties to the side and slip your fingers inside, whimpering audibly.]

Fuck

[video received: jack’s lower half, filmed from a different angle. his phone must be resting against the lamp on his bedside table. one of his arms is slinged, but the other is flying over his cock, hips jumping into the tight grip. a choked groan, then a shaky moan leaves him just before white strips spurt from his tip and drip down his knuckles. jack’s hand slows and he milks his length, rubbing the tip of his finger over his slit to clear it of any lingering cum. “Fuck,” he whispers, wiping his hand on the sheets before grabbing his phone and giving you a closeup of his softening cock, laying across his hips. you get a good view of his thighs and stomach, spotted with his delectable white seed.]

[outgoing facetime call with jack – 11:24pm]

[vsa-pieldepapel]

But alas it was not programmed

or an honest to god can't believe i am doing this, is this real life holy shit i am so excited ralsus analysis of chapters 3 and 4

Contains spoilers for both chapters, both main route and secret boss so unless you want everything thoroughly spoiled don't read. Also contains details of chapter 2.

The script dictates the play

Chapter 4 was VERY VERY INTERESTING. I will return to 3 when it comes to minor details on the development of the ralsei/susie relationship, but 4 was what cemented my view on this.

extremely shortly before the new chapters released I did snowgrave for the first time and discovered I am a weenie who can't cope with doing any bad route in toby fox games (i do want to see what happens if you make the fusion item of the thorn ring, so I will let noelle slap me and take it like a champ. im sorry kris). But it also brought forth details I had previously not considered, specifically when Susie goes into Noelle's room.

In chapter 2, if you return to the banner with the ferris wheel once ral and susie are in your party, Ral comments on how Susie must be thinking about her ride with Noelle, and he says this even if you refused to watch the scene take place (which I know because I did exactly that). Susie is not thinking about her ride with Noelle. She's thinking about the etymology of the word Ferris. Ralsei knew this event was going to happen even if he can't send the player to witness it.

When I did Snowgrave, Susie exits the same door she entered. This means there probably was no Ferris Wheel, since it does transport the two of them from a Point A to a Point B in the normal route. Ralsei seems very agitated about this and this is one of the hints we get that was thoroughly reinforced in the new chapters that he knows what events are supposed to take place and he can notice the actions of the player have made the prophecy go off course. He specifically asks Susie what she did with Noelle. My personal take is that since the weird route is you faux-emboldening Noelle by using Kris as a conduit to brainwash her into "taking what she wants" even through aggressive means, that thinking it was all a dream she took what she wanted and kissed Susie. Her refusal to tell Ralsei and then telling Kris she'll let them know later indicates to me that she's probably trying to protect his innocence and/or his feelings. I think Susie felt very cool in that moment and liked that kiss, because it's a boost to her poor self confidence to feel wanted by a pretty girl like Noelle.

Notably in chapter 4 we learn that the prophecy can get incredibly specific with the events that happen within it, down to details like Lancer calling Ralsei "toothpaste boy". Given Ralsei instinctually knows so much about how events are supposed to play out, he absolutely knows about how the relationships between the heroes will develop... which I am convinced is the reason he says "Susie must be thinking about her ride with Noelle".

And then you enter the second temple and find out

LOVE FINDS ITS WAY TO THE GIRL.

Suselle is a foretold event of the prophecy. It's scripted. He is worried about what Susie and Noelle were doing because there was a possibility one of the events that are supposed to happen isn't happening, and susie being vague about it leaves that question unanswered. Love finds its way to the girl, so after the Ferris Wheel he checks that off the To Do List of prophecy events.

Even the way that is phrased, Love finds its Way to the Girl, sets the girl as a passive receiver. I already saw someone say it as Ssuie finding love, but that's not what the prophecy says! The prophecy phrases it as "Love finds its way to the girl"!

That is the reason all of the scenes with Susie and Noelle are so saccharine and inoffensive, they have no conflict or development other than a cutesy but bland hangout. That is why you can simply speed your way past them both times they happen, once by outright skipping the scene, which has no consequences, and one by just touching the breaker and the guitar quickly (you only get all the dialogue if you stay still and wait for a long long fucking time). It is events playing out like they're supposed to play out. It is the trains following the track. I have seen people phrase the ferris wheel and this hangout as evidence that "susie and noelle are obviously intended to be shipped", and it's like, yes, exactly. That is what the prophecy says. That is what the game wants you to think.

But there is a problem

Dragon-shaped wrench

Susie does not do prophecies.

The guts stat is accepted fandomwise to be an indicator of how much the party member is up to defy the player. Susie has always had the highest Guts stat. You have never been able to tell Susie what to do. Susie doesn't do the prophecy the way it is expected.

She recognises the girl with her heart crossed with hope as herself, and she doesnt recognise the statue noelle had in her room as herself. But that Susie is using a sword, and our Susie uses axes because it's cooler. When Ralsei and her argue and make it out of the argument and he promises to be more honest, he states outright that the bows and ribbons are meant to be worn by her, which fits with the fact that she was put into bows as a kid. But Susie is gnc, she doesn't want to do bows, and so she doesn't. She is a hero, and embodies the core features of one, caring and bravery and perseverance, but she's also messy, aggressive, and loud. She is still the Hero of the Girl with her heart crossed with Hope, but she does that her own way.

She does follow the core beats of the prophecy, but at every step there is a twist to it, a subversion, because her will is just that strong.

Even if you explicitly tell Susie to flirt with Noelle in the Ferris Wheel (say something romantic), she doesn't.

Even if you tell Susie that Kris will take Ralsei to the Festival so she can invite Noelle, Ralsei is her first choice. She starts considering Noelle after it is abundantly clear that he cannot be there. She even brings this up in the susie noelle hangout in chapter 4, mentioning explicitly that there's this boy from another school she invited and he couldn't go.

Even then, she only takes Noelle as an affront to Carol, that is the last straw, what convinces her to invite her.

So love finds its way to the girl. But does the girl want it?

Boom Boom get out the way

The ghost of Gerson Boom is the secret boss fight of Chapter 4, a fight you do with Susie and ONLY susie. Considering Gerson is the first character we see shatter the prophecy holograms, which is very clear symbolism for taking things in your own hands, I'm convinced the reason he tests her and the weapon being for her is because Gerson can see that she's the one who has the strongest Guts. That she is the one that can show the gumption to do what he wants the youth to do: Take up the pen and write their own stories. Take fate into their own hands.

The dialogue in the Gerson fight is quite bluntly parallel to the major beats of the chapters, with specific turns of phrase and subversions. Obviously, the heroes don't "stop the dragon" by slaying it; they "stop the dragon" by befriending her and showing her the value of connections with others. Considering that, the fifth chapter onwards is really interesting.

Field of Pink and Gold... Pink and yellow are the colors susie's and Noelle's names and attack numbers show in the Dark World. The garden is burnt by the flames of jealousy. There is so much going on here. You have Kris there, seeing their childhood friend be gooey with their new friend. You have Noelle seeing Kris and Susie bond fast. You have Susie, insecure about the history Kris and Noelle have... You have Susie mentioning "the boy from another school". Often, perhaps. We can't know yet, of course. None of this may be true lol. But it gives me a gut feeling. And after the fifth chapter... Nothing! An open end! And Gerson asks Susie... What does she want? You have the controller, choose what to do

Going back to Susie and Ralsei.

All the way in Chapter 1-2 we have Ralsei being shocked and interested in Susie's impressive will. In the latter though there is an interesting thing he says, admiring her "selfish" tendencies, her just doing what she wants. And now we are seeing--- repeatedly--- that that's not just a seed planted in his head from observing her, but that Susie wants him to exert his will, to be "selfish". She gives him cake, and tells him to eat it all, that he deserves, at the very least, a slice. That he deserves a nice room, like the ones he has given them. Interacting with her across chapter 4 you do see her considering furniture to put in his room.

In chapter 3, if you ask her how she's doing rather than Ralsei, she's still anxious about the dark world not being real, but then she says: I wish Ralsei understood that doesn't matter that much to me. If you ask Ralsei how he's doing, he compels you to buy her some ice cream in his name, because he worries about being insufficient for her, though she desperately wants to have him around to the point she is willing to shatter the Last Prophecy to make it happen.

Contrary to the susie noelle hangout and the ferris wheel, you cannot skip these things, other than the "normal" skip of making text go by really fast. You get to see them argue, you get to see them fight for each other, you get to see Susie telling Ralsei that he can be player one; you see her promise to him that she won't let the Last Prophecy happen, filling him with wanting to live, with wanting to hope!!!, you get to see her invite him to the festival, initiating herself, regardless of what answer you gave her in ch2. Optionally, you can see them playing videogames together, you can see her giving him the cake, though she's very food motivated, you can see her deciding that he needs proper furniture, calling bullshit on his self deprecation, and all the way in chapter 2 you can see her cornered because she finds his face cute...

But Ralsei is not yet selfish.

I think he feels quite tortured. She is so nice "it makes his heart hurt". And I think on some level, this is because he knows that it's not what says in the script. That Susie should be with Noelle, because Love Finds Its Way To The Girl. But now he has all these new ideas... He feels like he can have his own opinions, be his own person. He's told it's okay to be sad. He now has to be, at least, conflicted about his own role versus his wants. And the game is very, very clear that Susie and Ralsei influence each other, often for the betterment of both of them.

Now, has anything explicitly romantic happened yet? No, there is no kiss, and no i love you. But is all that not love? Holding your bloodied hand to the face of someone you care for, an intimate touch to boot, telling him that it will be alright, that you're willing to break fate for his sake? That he will never be left behind? Admitting to finding him attractive and being taken aback by it? Learning his magic and wanting to perfect it? Finding things to make his home a little warmer because you know what it is like to be somewhere empty and sad? Is it not love to want to get someone else to do something nice for her, because you can't do it, as much as you want to? Is it not love to feel your mindset change because this person you care about introduces so many new ideas it makes you feel alive again?

Stories get boring with repetition

Tenna and Gerson actually touch on narratives growing boring and dull when you can predict them. Brother, fucking NO ONE saw ralsei and susie coming because everyone was so fixated on the predictable. Oh, it's alphys and undyne again. Oh, it's definitely gonna happen, just look at the ferris wheel. Meanwhile the story itself states emphatically that you should look beyond what you can initially see. Search, analyse. It was so subtle that I thought it was serendipitous, that toby was too dumb to realise what he was writing. I am beginning to think otherwise, and the wider reaction to it tells me so. It was unpredictable. It was not the story that gets old because it's so repetitive.

And with that I close this rant.

[laursdomain]

oh oh oh or maybe you know he's left behind in a lot of things in onyx storm like hes not part of quest squad maybe or he's being dumped with the idea of being the next duke but something comforting ? or something cute and fluffy please!!

team bodhi

pairing: bodhi durran x fem!reader

genre: fluff

synopsis: Bodhi Durran can endure many things his cousin makes him endure. Being the next Duke is where he draws the line. He’s not the type of person to put himself in the spotlight, especially when that spotlight meant ignoring every piece of training he’s received throughout his childhood. He can’t help but blow up in Xaden’s face, before retreating to his solace—you.

warnings: cursing, angst at the beginning, reader is lowkey not specified

w/c: 1.5k

a/n: chat i got sick </3

ྀིbodhi durran masterlist

𓇢𓆸

There’s only so much Bodhi Durran can handle in his lifetime.

Watch his parents burn when he was sixteen? Sure. Be sentenced to endure the riders quadrant in exchange for his life? He was going to go there anyways. Become his older cousins shadow, and basically be a nobody to practically everyone? Check. Not be apart of “quest squad”? He knew Garrick had to be there.

But this? This is the cherry on top.

“Fuck that,” Bodhi seethes, glaring at his cousin.

Out of all the things he was expecting Xaden to tell him when he was called to his room, he was not expecting to be told that he has to prepare to be the next duke. It was a stupid idea, really. Bodhi? The Seventeenth Duke of Tyrrendor? What a joke, Bodhi thought.

“Bodhi, listen to me,” Xaden’s voice is cold as it always is, though Bodhi has become accustomed to it. Instead of it striking fear as it does for others, it’s comforting to Bodhi. Surely, people would think he’s weird for feeling that, but it must be because they’re family. “She has to stay with us when I don’t make it.”

“If you don’t make it,” Bodhi corrects, ignoring the obvious fact that Xaden is now an Initiate. Bodhi refused to believe that Xaden would fully turn, he’s the strongest person to ever walk the Continent. If there’s any person who can overcome being venin, it’s Xaden fucking Riorson.

Xaden rolls his eyes, “fine, if I don’t make it. But the point still stands, we only just got Tyrrendor back, we can’t lose it.”

“And you’re relying on me to make sure that doesn’t happen?” Bodhi raises a brow, already fed up with his cousin. 

Memories of his childhood flood to the forefront of his mind, specifically of all the trainings he had with his father. If there’s one thing his father engraved in his mind—it’s that Xaden is meant to rule the province, just like he was taught, while Bodhi is his right-hand. He loved his father too much to throw all of his hard work away.

“You and I both know that I don’t know the first thing on politics, or how to lead a province.”

“That’s why I would train you,” Xaden points out.

“No,” Bodhi’s voice is firm and steady, “you were taught our entire childhood on how to be the next Duke. I was taught how to be your right-hand man. That is how it’s been planned since birth, and it’ll be that way until death. Get your shit together and be the leader you were taught to be.”

Bodhi doesn’t give Xaden a chance to retort, he’s already spinning on his heel, storming to his room. He knows Xaden or his shadows aren’t following him, he’s become too accustomed to the feeling of them and knowing when they are nearby. No, Xaden knows his younger cousin needs space to cool off, so he backs off. For now.

Bodhi swings his door open, kicking it behind him as he begins pacing the length of his room. It’s a nice upgrade to his room in Basgiath, but everyone knows it’s only because of his blood. Your figure sitting on the edge of the bed you two shared every night goes unnoticed by him, your worried eyes carefully following his frame. 

“Bodhi?” You gently ask, your voice alone enough to make him stop. 

He stops in place, facing you, though his eyes are distant. With his hands on his hips, you notice the way he still fidgets in place, an indication something was wrong. You knew your boyfriend that well.

“What’s wrong?” You follow up, watching as he sits next to you on the bed. He’s no longer looking at you, his head hanging as his gaze stays glued to the carpet. His arms rest against his thighs, while his hands grip his knees.

“Xaden wants to train me,” he mutters out, though his words lack context for you to understand what is upsetting him.

“Train you in what?” You scoot an inch closer to your boyfriend, your shoulder brushing his.

“If he fully turns, he wants me to be Duke,” he spits out, venom lacing his words. 

Your own eyes widened, shocked Xaden would ever take that route. In all honesty, you thought he would find a way to marry Sorrengail and have her be Duchess in his absence. If there’s one thing you knew, it was that Bodhi would never willingly accept being Duke. It’s not because of his body language from right next to you, it’s from years of knowing him. He’s always been Xaden’s shadow, he’d never willingly go into the spotlight. You never thought he’d willingly get into a relationship before his older cousin, but here you two were.

“That’s absurd,” you finally speak, noticing the way Bodhi ever-so-slightly loosens. “If anything, it should be Violet.”

“What makes him think I have what it takes to be Duke?” Bodhi questions, appalled at the absurdity of the situation.

“I don’t know,” you mumble, placing your hand on his relic-clad forearm, “maybe because you have the looks for it.”

He scoffs, a chuckle following soon after, “can you go five minutes without flirting with me?”

You giggle, “you know I can’t help it. But in all seriousness, you did do a good job handling the Assembly while he was on the Isles.”

“Now I wish I hadn’t,” he mumbles, shaking his head.

“Hey,” you turn your body to face him, pressing yourself closer to him. “Don’t say that. You did what you felt was right for your province. Blame Xaden for thinking he’s weak.”

He chuckles, “that’s what I told him. He didn’t seem too happy about it.”

You raise a brow, “what’d he say?”

He shrugs, “I walked away.”

You shake your head, giggling, “you’re ridiculous.”

His head snaps up, finally looking at you. He feigns shock, quickly tackling you on the bed and tickling your sides. Your laughs fill the room, quickly easing away the tension that lingered from Bodhi. He swings one of his legs around your hips, keeping you in place as he continues his torturous ministrations. 

“Stop—“ you giggle, tears forming in your eyes from how hard you’re laughing.

He relents, slowing down his fingers before stilling completely. His hands go from your sides to wrapping around your waist, laying his entire body weight on top of you. You sigh out in content, welcoming his embrace as you wrap your arms around his body. One hand tangles in his soft curls, messing around with the strands as he nuzzles closer to your neck. The other trails up and down his spine, your touch almost featherlight. 

“Thank you,” he mumbles into the skin of your neck, lightly tickling you in the process.

“For what?” You question, still slightly out of breath from your intense tickle battle.

He hesitates for a moment, maybe to find his words or maybe because he didn’t want to tell you just yet. “For always being on my side.”

Your heart warms at his words, and you have the sudden urge to kiss him. The hand that’s been caressing his spine finds it’s way to his jaw, pulling his face out of your neck to face you. 

“I’ll always be on your side,” you confess, smiling at him. 

A smile finds it’s way to his face, tugging the corners of his lips up as his eyes crinkle. With a hand still on his jaw, you slightly pull him towards you until your lips touch. You both smile into the kiss, before you tilt your head in an effort to deepen the kiss. Bodhi pushes his lips against yours harder, pushing you even further into the pillows. When he pulls away, his lips are swollen and he’s demanding air. You mimic his actions, though a lazy smile is still plastered on your face. 

Bodhi rests his forehead against yours, breathing in your scent, “can we stay like this forever?”

“I wish,” you mumble, closing your eyes.

Bodhi finds himself nuzzling his head into your neck again, placing a gentle kiss on your beauty mark before resting his head completely. Your hands resume their original positions, continuing their ministrations on his back and hair, slowly lulling him to sleep. Bodhi’s hands sneak under your shirt, rubbing his calloused thumbs back and forth on your skin before those ministrations slow, an indication he’s almost asleep. 

“I love you,” Bodhi sleepily whispers into your neck, loud enough for you to hear.

A smile stretches onto your face, one that makes you look and feel giddy. Bodhi makes you feel giddy. “I love you too.”

In these four walls, Bodhi can be himself with nothing weighing onto him. No war, no venin, and most certainly no need to have to be the backup Duke.

𓇢𓆸

[spaceinmyhead13]

Chapter 266

Im going to say this out of the gate: I totally fucking forgot this chapter happens lmao. It's been so long since I read this part of the novel that the whole spanking bit hit me like a truck going 55 in a school zone...

First off, lets start off with the obligatory simping:

GOD I LOVE WOMEN HOLY FUCKING SHIT I WANT HER TO HOLD ME LIKE THAT HOOOOOOOO BOY. I'm so fucking in love with her holy goddamn shit. She's so damn cool and strong and I feel like she'd make the best goddamn pancakes.

Anywho...

Absolute funniest part of this chapter has to be, as I would describe as; "Get Scuffed Idiot"

He legit weighs as much as a cat to her and I think that's so fucking funny. Girly really went "This man is a wild animal so I must treat him as such" and she's right.

Of course, we cant have a chapter with out inflicting Yoo Joonghyuk with emotional damage, and of course he tries to run away from his problems to much failure.

He's so cute when he's tied up

And WOW did I forget this scene existed. Holy shit did the artist not have to go this hard with showing him get his literal ass beat (not that I'm complaining). Really gives me some great ideas for fic nonsense but that's for another time.

And Yoo Joonghyuk, darling, why are you thinking about Dokja while you're getting you ass smacked? Is there something you'd like to tell us????

My god he's so fucking hot. I'd never say this about real men but holy smokes did they not have to write him looking so fucking good while being pounded (literally!). I swear to god this frame justifies my entire head cannon that YJH acts tough and mighty but in reality he does not wear the pants in any relationships. Motherfucker looks like he's straight out of an erotica with that goddamn waist curve goddamn.

All in all this chapter hits like a truck and I'm so happy to have it in my ever growing arsenal of "situations I can put YJH in for fan fictions", new addition: spanking!

Not a lot of lore going on in this chapter other than the look into the 2nd turn during the first few panels, but that was already pretty well established last chapter so I didn't feel the need to go over it again here. I do love that we keep getting hints that Jang Hayoung is indeed a female (since Namgung Minyoung directly says that "this one is my type") but Dokja is just a fucking idiot. I do like that this is subtle though, since readers who haven't read the novel wont really understand why it's so important that she's a female until a bit later. I'm really looking forward to this entire arc since it starts to develop YJH and KDJ a bit better while they're apart from the rest of the company, and it starts the deep dive we'll get into later about the sheer amount of emotional trauma YJH carries with him (which will later be expanded on in the 1864 arc in 2 arcs from now).

[thatsmzbitchtoyou]

Mon Cher Chapter 4

*Idea found on TikTok by @yaberdat aka Finnley.*

“A modern day writer exploring a vampire’s estate during the day.  Wondering why a random room was locked.  Until…they find a Victorian painting of themself.”

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Y/N trudged out to her car with Bucky right on her heels.  The sun had set and she needed to get back to regular life, which seemed ridiculous.  But since they had planned to change her later, she needed to keep up appearances for the time being.  She put her things in the car and set the pouch necklace on top of the car before turning to him and hugging him tight.  “I’ll be back tomorrow,” she said, squeezing him as hard as she could.

“I won’t be far,” Bucky said, kissing along the side of her face as he hugged her back.  “You may not see me, but I’ll be there.”

Y/N giggled and kissed his lips deeply before pulling away.  “We’ll figure this all out,” she said.  “We are forever, mon cher.”

“We are forever,” he repeated with a sweet smile.  

She opened her car door and was about to get in but then giggled and leapt back into his arms to kiss him again.  Bucky laughed and kissed her back hungrily, squeezing her again before she let go and grabbed the necklace before sitting in the car.  She waved to him as she drove away, her heart hurting to watch him in her rearview, but within the blink of an eye he disappeared.  True to his word, she could feel him but couldn’t see him as she drove home and parked along the street of the bungalow.  Once she got inside she was greeted by loud squeals.

“What took you so long?”

“Are you okay?”

“What happened?”

“Wait, why do you look so…did you go home with someone?”

“Oh my god!”

“You guys, please!” Y/N interrupted Kate and Yelena loudly.  

“No no, explain yourself!” Yelena said indignantly.  “You disappear for a whole weekend and say you’re good but give no explanations—”

“Okay yes, I did,” Y/N admitted, biting back her wide smile.  “I slept with someone.”

The girls squealed and pulled her to the chair in the front room and then plopped themselves down on the couch across from it.  “Spill,” they said at the same time.

Y/N giggled and covered her face for a moment as she blushed.  “His name is Bucky,” she said quietly.

“Bucky?  What kind of name is Bucky?” Kate asked.

“It’s a nickname,” Y/N said with a frown.  “His name is James, but I call him Bucky.”

“Weird, but okay,” Yelena said.  “What else?”

“Well, what else do you want to know?” Y/N asked, unsure of how to spin the fantastical story into something they would understand.

“Where did you meet him?” 

“At the Barnes mansion.”

“What?”

“He’s…the owner there.  He let me take a tour,” Y/N said.  Not a full lie.

“So a tour turned into sleeping over?” Kate asked with a smirk.  

“Well, a tour turned into talking that turned into kissing and then a sleepover,” Y/N shrugged, looking down at her hands in her lap.

They both squealed again.  “Well, is he cute?  I mean, he must be at least a little for you to want to sleep with him,” Kate said.

“Ridiculously handsome,” Y/N said automatically.  “Probably the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.”

“Holy shit,” Yelena said with wide eyes.  “You’re down bad for him already!”

“Are you going to see him again?” Kate asked.

“Yeah,” Y/N said with a shy nod.  “I lo–like him,” she quickly corrected.  

“When can we meet the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen?” Yelena asked teasingly.

“Hopefully soon,” Y/N said, happy that they seemed happy for her rather than skeptical.  “I’d love for you guys to meet him.”

“Well, I’m happy for you,” Kate said happily.  “You haven’t dated in a long time.  Hopefully he can give you plenty of sexual healing since that last disaster of a relationship.”

Y/N rolled her eyes as Yelena made a sound of disgust.  “Ugh, don’t remind me,” Yelena said.  “I will track him down and slap him silly again, don’t test me.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Y/N said, raising her hands as she stood up.  “I’m gonna go shower and get ready for bed.”

The girls bid her goodnight and made kissy noises at her as she walked to her bedroom.  She shut the door behind her and started getting her things together for the shower when she heard a tapping on her window.  She froze and looked toward the window, waited for a moment, then heard it again.  She walked to the window and peered outside as best as she could in the dark then gasped when she saw those blue eyes.  She wrenched the window open and gawked at him.

“Bucky?  What are you doing?” Y/N whispered.

“Invite me in doll,” Bucky said, holding himself on the windowsill with ease.

“Oh, right,” Y/N said sheepishly, moving away from the window.  “You’re always welcome.”

Bucky gave her a small smile and lithely hoisted himself into her room, landing without a noise and straightening up to look around the room.  He appraised it for a moment as she closed the window and shut the blinds, then he turned to her with an unreadable expression.  “So I’m ‘ridiculously handsome’ am I?” he asked quietly, his smile turning into a smirk.

Y/N blushed then rolled her eyes at his cheekiness.  “For fuck’s sake,” she huffed.  “You and your damn vampire hearing.”

He chuckled quietly then walked toward her until he could embrace her.  “‘The most beautiful man you’ve ever seen?’” he teased, nuzzling her nose.

“You’re insufferable,” Y/N shook her head at him, wrapping her arms around his back.

“And you’re so fun to tease,” he said, kissing her lips lightly.  “But now I need you to tell me about that disaster of a relationship.”

Y/N stiffened in his arms, her eyes widening for a moment before she looked away from him ashamedly.  “It’s nothing, Buck,” she said quickly.

“Obviously it wasn’t,” Bucky said, his voice harsher than she’d heard it since they’d found each other.  “Who was it?  What happened?”

His hands moved from her back to her face, cupping her cheeks and turning her head to look at him.  Y/N couldn’t say no to him, and knew he wouldn’t give up until she told him.  She sighed heavily and leaned her head against his left hand.  “It was abusive,” she breathed.  She watched his face turn from curious to furious, his hands stiffening on her face.  “His name is Helmut Zemo.  I called him Z.  He was…sweet at first.  But that’s how abusers get ya, you know?” she said with a bitter laugh, shrugging her shoulders.  “Give you a false sense of safety and then slowly change their behavior over time.  It was all emotional and verbal until he…”  She stopped, closing her mouth and tightening her lips as she shut her eyes to stop the onslaught of tears that still welled up after all these years.

Bucky pressed his forehead against hers, nuzzling her nose again as his fingers moved to cradle her by the back of the head and his thumbs wiped away the beginning of those tears about to slip out of the sides of her eyes.  “Until he what?” he asked, his voice barely containing his rage.

Y/N let out a sputtered breath, keeping her eyes closed.  “He didn’t like me saying no,” she whispered.  “So he took what he wanted.”

Bucky let out what she could only describe as a growl, the sound vibrating the air between them.  She shivered at the sound, her eyes snapping open to look at him.  He was reigning in a snarl, and she barely got a peek of his fangs before he closed his mouth and his jaw ticked audibly with how hard he snapped his teeth shut.  His eyelids fluttered closed as he frowned, his nostrils flaring with an angry huff.  He took a moment to breathe before opening his eyes and looking at her with a pained expression.  “I’m so sorry, my darling,” Bucky said lowly, leaning down to kiss her again, but this time more passionately.  “I’ll kill him.”

“Bucky, you don’t–”

“Oh I do,” he said, leaving no room for argument.  “You go wash up and get ready for bed, and I’ll take care of it.  I’ll be back soon.”

“Mon cher–”

Bucky shut her up with a deep kiss, then his touch disappeared and by the time she opened her eyes he was outside again.  He gave her a reassuring smile and a nod before vanishing into the night.  Y/N went over to the window and looked outside, but he was nowhere to be seen.  She left the window open just a crack and then turned to get ready for a shower.  She didn’t know what he would do exactly, but she knew that she’d hear about it on the news.

A few hours later she was awoken to the feeling of the side of her bed dipping down.  She gasped and turned to find Bucky climbing into bed with her.  He was in a different outfit than what she had seen before, and his hair was slightly damp.  “Go back to sleep my darling,” he whispered, gathering her up in his arms as he slid in next to her.  “I took care of it.  You just rest.”

Y/N sighed heavily, turning to face him and snuggling into his chest.  “I love you,” she said sleepily.

“I love you,” he murmured into her hair, kissing along her hairline and down the side of her face as he squeezed her.  “I love you more than life, my darling.  My doll…prettiest doll…my girl…”

She dozed back to sleep with a smile on her face.

***

“Y/N!”

Y/N woke up with a start, sitting straight up in bed as thundering footsteps echoed down the hallway toward her room.  She remembered the night before and panicked, looking around the room, but Bucky wasn’t there.  She sighed heavily as her door flew open and Kate and Yelena nearly fell into the room.  “What?” she asked in annoyance at having to wake up so suddenly.

“First of all, it’s 8:00, you’re going to be late for work,” Kate said.

“And secondly, look!” Yelena said, holding her phone up to Y/N’s face.  

Y/N blinked blearily, trying to focus her eyes on the screen in front of her.  She read the headline then gasped and took Yelena’s phone from her hands.  It read, “Local man found drained of blood and crucified in courtyard of historic Catholic church.” Her eyes widened as she read the article below it and then whispered in shock, “Z?”

“Yes!” Yelena said, her face showing the same shock.  “Can you believe it?  I mean, he deserved it but good Lord.”

She and Kate started coming up with theories about who would do this and why while Y/N sat staring at the phone.  Bucky had done this, and had done it for her.  As horrifying a death as it was, something about the fact that he had done it for her, to protect her, to avenge her, was oddly satisfying.  She smiled when she could feel Bucky’s presence nearby, hidden somewhere in the shadows.  

“Well, either way, justice has been served,” Kate said with finality.  “But we should probably make sure we’re doing the buddy system when we go out.”

“When do we ever not?” Yelena asked, walking forward and taking her phone out of Y/N’s hands.  “Get ready for work, missy.  And let us know when we can meet your beautiful man.”

Y/N snorted and pushed her away, making Yelena and Kate laugh before walking away and shutting her door behind them.  She sat in silence for a moment, feeling a strange peace spread through her as Bucky appeared from her closet.  “You alright, doll?” he asked quietly, walking over to lock her door and then heading towards her.

“I…yeah,” she breathed, watching him as he approached her and then kneeled down at the edge of the bed.  She swung her legs over the edge on either side of him and hugged him.  “It’s a bit weird to thank you for killing someone for me, but also incredibly romantic of you.”

Bucky chuckled as he kissed her neck, licking over her jugular.  “I did it before, and I’ll do it again.  Anything for you, my love.  I’d burn this world down just for you.”

Y/N shivered at the promise in his voice and the way he was kissing her.  “Mon cher,” she moaned.  “How am I supposed to go back to normal life when I know you’re here now?  Going to work, paying bills, grocery shopping, it all just seems pointless.”

She could feel him smile against her throat before pulling away to look at her.  “Just a couple more months, Y/N.  You’ll have fun with your friends but introduce them to your new boyfriend,” he paused, a playful frown forming on his face.  “That sounds weird.”

“It does, because you’re so much more,” Y/N giggled, kissing the tip of his nose.

He smiled.  “You’ll keep working, help them with the rent, then after Halloween and your 30th birthday move in with the most beautiful man who will take care of you for the rest of your short human life, and into the next.”  He kissed her lips.  “And we’ll be together forever, like we always planned.  We will never lose each other again.”

“We are forever,” Y/N nodded, kissing him back passionately.  

Bucky suddenly hauled himself up and made her lay back on the bed, his knee resting on the bed between her legs as he hovered over her and continued kissing her.  She felt herself getting lost in the sensation of his intoxicating kisses and his body above her as his hands felt all over her greedily.  She moaned and his left hand moved up and wrapped around her throat, squeezing to make her stop.  “Ssh my darling,” he murmured against her lips.  “Or they’ll hear you.”  Y/N whimpered quietly, her eyes pleading with him.  “Keep quiet doll, and I’ll fill you up, have you thinking of me all day while you’re at work.  But you’re definitely going to be late…”

[atopvisenyashill]

imagine you’re ned. your son and heir is nearly marriageable age and your family is down to one (1) slender branch. your eldest daughter is also a major catch and nearing an age when a betrothal might be arranged. you’ve also got a bastard son whose future urgently needs to be decided, and three younger children whose futures must be considered too. you are severely traumatized by everything that went down during robert’s rebellion, and while it’s the long summer, winter is coming. what plans do you make for your children?

i think the key thing here to understand is that ned wants to BURY this secret. that’s his MAIN priority. so personally if i’m ned, i don’t want any of my kids in the capital. rip to robert but if i was ned trying to avoid the capital, i would have made sure those kids were promised before he came calling. probably also, the best place for jon IS the wall comma but we know ned did sort of want robb & jon to continue being close and EYE think it’s mean to banish a child to the wall SO!

i’m going to apologize without apologizing to catelyn about being so hostile about the wylla of it all*** and signaling that i will be less hostile to anything she has to say regarding her feelings towards jon or wylla from this point forward.

im sitting the oldest three down and telling them You Aren’t Grown But You’re Not A Baby. i am expecting more from you but also, i didn’t know shit when i became lord, its fine if you don’t know, that’s why you have all these advisors. i’m emphasizing family togetherness here.

also im telling catelyn to have a talk with sansa about like, Being A Woman; like a for real one where she’s Serious to Sansa about the actual reality of it (bc it does seem like they don't ever....genuinely prepare Sansa which is crazy bc Catelyn seems from her own memories plenty prepared for her move & marriage)

idk that Ned notices the catelyn-arya issue as an issue. i think he sees this as very typical exasperated mom-unruly daughter thing. however, if he’s paying more attention to them bc he is being possessed by the spirit of bisexual asshole from chicago, i think the fact that sansa & arya argue all the time is p obvious, so i Do think id sit them down & be like “the hell is happening between you two” and i’m arriving much faster at “arya needs an outlet” and letting her train with the boys/finding someone who will train her. if catelyn is like “this will not help her behavior” my argument is nothing else has why can’t we try something new + i mean cat if YOU want to learn how to use a sword, i can get someone to train you too. maybe you would feel better if you got to beat the shit out of something once a day idk. i can put some padding on theon if you want and you can just go hog wild. something something the north is hard.

then i am engaging sansa POST HASTE. even one Second of thinking would tell you that robert was gonna want to engage joffrey to sansa, they are Very close in age!!! so im simply beating him to the punch PUBLICLY

but not like too publicly, i dont want robert to know im husband hunting until its too late

who do i engage her to? i mean that’s tricky bc catelyn is going to have opinions & imo if they’re too Weird of a choice, robert is going to send a raven like “hey just call that off i got joff right here.” probably the only non northern house that Doesn’t get robert’s attention in a negative way is the blackwoods, with brynden being around sansa’s age and heir.

but really staying in the north is key - you’re probably guaranteed an immediate yes and i think ned could absolutely pull the “my whole family is dead robert, let me keep my kids in the north” card. does this argument work? honestly, no idea but i think it doesn’t hurt to announce it first and if necessary ask for forgiveness afterwards.

esp bc as you say, they’re down to One (1) branch. i do think ned can and Would lean heavily on guilting the hell out of robert IF after he announces the engagement robert is like “what the fuck”

(if robert asks about arya, well first of all i’m making the same argument, second of all, i will have prepared for that and had a betrothal for her too that i can’t possibly break.)

but we’re threading a thin needle here when it comes to all these engagements being Good but not Suspicious. the girls are tricky are on their own but jon is a whole can of worms. i dont need to get jon engaged any time soon - men get married later often anyway, and if i give him a nice match, catelyn is going to have a heart attack. but i think ned would just fully commit to Giving Jon A Place At Winterfell if he gets to make the choice before robert comes (is sending him to the wall easier? probably, but so was sending him with howland so). to tell jon “you will be to robb what i would have been to brandon, what i wish i would have had.”

i think id just like, foster jon somewhere. and not in a “im sending you away” way, i would once again compare him to myself, since ned also got fostered, and i'd ask for jon's input to make it clear this isn't a punishment for Existing As A Bastard. two ways to do this. either i get the boys together (EYE Rani VisenyasHill would also bring sansa in but i do Not think that would occur to ned) and say “what are your opinions on which of our vassals we should foster a stronger bond with by sending them jon for a few years?” OR im going “and i know just who to send you to - my good friends HOWLAND REED” whatever causes ned less anxiety. robb gets to escort jon there (do i go with?? idk, worried that would make Robert look at me too much) and stay for a bit (brandon seemed to travel a lot, i think ned should encourage the same with robb. get these kids out of the fucking house ned!!). might send robb out on a lil tour just so people don’t get jealous idk

Prepare for Winter. idk what this entails when you have years longs winters. are they hoping to get one more round of produce planted and grown? do they start consolidating in the same castles for warmth and safety in case of snow? do they flock to the southern north houses, like does white harbor get Super packed during winter? i would assume white harbor gets kind of important as the only major port city but how far out does the ocean freeze?

anyways i think i’d float the idea of fostering bran out to white harbor, so he can become a knight and live in The Big City, with the aim of preparing him to start his own Stark cadet house. I'd focus on making it kind of Manderly-esque, in that the house is meant to be built around a city (maybe another port city?) and meant to culturally be a lil Southron-y.

i would ask jon & robb what they would prefer - jon living with bran (eventually) or jon returning to winterfell.

NOW ROBB'S MARRIAGE. okay, like, the thing is, i think it wouldn't hurt to continue fostering a sense of unity with the south by reaching out to a rich house who will give me a bride with a huge ass dowry that we can use to continue Preparing for Winter. but also. again it's about not pissing robert off. would he be upset if i said like, hey i'm engaging robb to margaery tyrell? maybe a myrcella match would make robert feel less jilted, especially since i am potentially sending jon off to foster elsewhere, so robert won't even have contact with the kid nor will myrcella until they're all grown up. but i do worry robert would get greedy, and also that this would be too much for ned's nerves.

not to be like, ned should be angling to be known as the Stark Who Cured Winter Starvation, but i do think Ned should have been really digging in and trying to make it easier to travel in the north. it gives him a great excuse to ignore robert, it regains some points with some of the lords in the north who seem to feel bitter about rickard & brandon's behavior, it cements his own legacy as A Lord Who Rose To The Occasion, A Lord Who Cared (which, imo, seems to be something Ned cares about - he is quite preoccupied with his reputation tbh!!), and it helps him get his house rebuilt.

tldr - foster jon somewhere in the north and let him feel like its his joint decision alongside robb (and sansa, maybe). get sansa & arya engaged BEFORE i even THINK about contacting robert for anything. send bran to foster at white harbor (not right away). Prepare For Winter (whatever that means). get robb a rich fiance so i can Prepare For Winter and be known as the stark who Prepared For The Winter. call me Ned the Prepared. Ned the Winter Killer.

all of this is so that by the time robert comes north after jon arryn has been off, i don't have to send sansa & arya down there, jon is already gone, and potentially I can say that myrcella can marry robb if robert gets pushy. also, this would allow me some semblance of control over the south if i have to go there - i've already started working on shit with wyman, mending fences through arya and sansa's engagements, and i have CRONIES to bring south. then i am immediately and i mean IMMEDIATELY going to fire the entire small council including renly, putting my own people in there, and telling stannis that if he doesn't get his ass to the capital right now i am accusing him of conspiring against the king and having him marched across the goddamn bay to answer for his behavior.

*** listen i can’t tell cat. this isn’t a debate about whether he should have it’s about If Ned Realized His Kids Would Grow Up One Day What Would He Do. if i want to keep jon around and fight marginally less with my wife about it, i think id just be up front about The Lie. that is to say, i'd apologize without apologizing (i dont think he’d would want to apologize when he’d do it again and i also think ned is too Like That to just lie to manipulate cat and say he’s sorry for how he’s approached it - and i do think we’re really stretching the limits of ned’s ability to lie here), and just tell her something about wylla. like, she was married & i completely fucked her life bc i was horny & sad and then i took her kid away from her and i’ve been really touchy about whether that was a good thing to do or not. something. say anything. fucking anything. just acknowledge he’s been a dick & also make her feel a little bad (he said that line about brandon, he’s not above a little guilt & low blows).

(the ashara story would work BETTER to get cat’s sympathy - like she KILLED HERSELF do you know what kind of yarn he could spin about that & his guilt keeping jon here bc of that!! but he’d never do that lol. tbh i’d also just bring up ashara - i would say that i reacted so negatively bc like, i murdered her brother and then she killed herself 😭 that’s bad enough and now people are saying she had my BASTARD? that i ruined her life TWICE and then she killed herself?? of course i was pissed off people were gossiping about it, but i should have been nicer to cat about it. but anyways, ned would just never lie on ashara’s name, he had the wylla story in mind and that’s the one he went with. but,,,, he HAS a story. ned SAY THE STORY OUT LOUD.).

Does this fix everything in their marriage? Obviously not, i’m sure Cat is still going to push about Jon, but I think signaling that i'm going to be less hostile about this would bring Cat’s hostility down in turn.

[vaguely-concerned]

it's so interesting that gideon opens his heart so quickly and completely and irrevocably to twig, while regarding mishka -- a parallel little sister/kid figure with some worrying hag magic attached, who also is in a situation similar to and has overlapping trauma with his own; they both have the scars of manacles around their wrists and are exploited for some inborn capacity other people want to make use of -- with such measured distanced distrust. and any reason you want to imagine there makes so much sense! it could be it's just too much like his own situation and he can't go there without getting into contact with things in himself he'd rather not feel or remember. might be instinctive flinch-away from still dealing with what happened to twig (and then jabberwock party wipe horror on top of that as a further attachment anxiety booster -- he didn't see kremy die since he's the first to go, but he sure gets to hear the story afterwards), and not wanting to risk that pain again so soon. twig meeting him at a moment where he was ready to let someone into his fiercely guarded in-group, and mishka didn't? just plain differences in personal chemistry (again... mishka is a lot like him in a lot of ways. perhaps. too much for comfort from some angles)?

if his trauma brain has decided that NO I've got kremy under one wing and twigsy under the other and sorry kid I only have two fucking wings, nothing is ever going to take this from me again while I'm alive to fight for it (the way they took my dad and my home and all those years of my life)... biggest FAIR ENOUGH GID! AS YOU WERE GID YOU DO YOU GID!! in history honestly even if it is a bit unfair to mishka

[quietwingsinthesky]

on the one hand, syndicate’s resolution of jacob & evie’s overarching fight feels sort of rushed and unearned, but on the other hand, if i was in an argument with my sister and then some fucking guy tried to kill her in front of me, yeah, that might not solve all the reasons behind the argument but it would make me go ‘oh! right! i never want to live in a world without you!’ and stop us from fighting. so that bit’s actually quite realistic.

[watermelinoe]

why does every medical practitioner think they know more than you

[ducktollers]

me on that next episode button when season 8 episode 16 ‘secrets and lies’ queues up

[cosmicterrorthe8th]

Another Grant headcanon:

I think he wrote love notes when in relationships, and he went all out with like making the paper scented and stuff. But like he had no good perfume so he ended up using his horrible body spray. So like the lucky boyfriend would like find a paper reeking of the body spray like every once in a while.

Also I think he was someone who fell deep into romance because having a crush and feeling butterflies in his stomach was better than numbness. So he would pursue every crush even if he knew it would not end well because of the thrill of it. I think this sucked but I think he atleast felt like this is a normal way for life to suck.

[camgirlkaminari]

i just caught up with the latest chapters and like. those dudes definitely made out right? like that's not even subtext? like horikoshi fully said one and two absolutely went hog wild upon each other like. in the text, right??????? I have other, more cool and normal thoughts, but what is really important to me right now is that. those dudes definitely canonically got nasty. right???????????????????

[deerest-deer]

thinking really hard about logging into my old tumblr acc after being gone for like a year and a half cause i stumbled upon a post that led me to my old mutuals and i teared up a lil </3 but also i feel so ashamed i left without saying a word to anyone aaaa

[iceeericeee]

I wonder how many tags i can add on to this

[hershelwidget]

i think it would be funny if for the theatre reveal it’s just an ABSURDLY long bit where a small rock containing theatre’s “true name” is rolling around on the ship and everyone is failing miserably to catch it. nobody ever fucking grabs the rock but to save them some time i do allow for the players to See what is written on it but as soon as its said whats written on it i disband the party and this all happens on april fools so nobody believes me