#once again i think you should read this book

[entitled-fangirl]

How to liven a marriage.

Cregan Stark x wife!reader

SMUT SMUT SMUT SO MUCH SMUT

Summary: Cregan and the reader's marriage is dull, purely for duty. When the reader finds a book in the Winterfell library depicting just how pleasureful a man and wife's sex life can be, she takes it upon herself to introduce such a thing.

Warnings: p in v, fingering, making out, washing bruises (from a battle), riding, studying the scientific parts of a vagina, foreplay, etc

A/n: based on a reallllly good ask. I think this is my longest fic and I have no regrets. Except that I haven't proofread it yet. That's a later problem.

Masterlist

.......................................................

She felt her stomach drop to her feet when she saw the drawings in the book. Her cheeks became a flushed red, completely embarrassed to have stumbled on something so… private. She shut the book with a thud and cringed at the loud sound that echoed in the library.

She heaved the book back onto the shelf and brushed off her skirt, as if trying to completely brush off the experience itself.

Once she had pulled herself together, she decided she'd had enough of the library. Enough scavenging and prodding at the books. Especially one like that.

Be even so, she felt herself stop halfway to the door.

She was a married woman. The act of sex itself is no crime to a married woman. Nor studying various positions of it. 

It felt dirty to do so. Very wrong. Like her old Septa would appear and scold her ardently over it.

But her Septa wasn't there.

No one was there.

Just her and the book.

…

Cregan was sure to arrive within the fortnight. 

She wished to be happy about all of it. The return of her husband was good. It had been a tough few weeks to rule without him. After all, she was still new to the North.

But she couldn't find it in her.

Cregan was harsh and cold. Never happy, never caring. Duty and honor. How the words were stamped across their foreheads.

They had married out of duty, and that is all they had of one another. They were awkward and lacked the eagerness to spend time with one another. 

She had heard stories of great marriages of love that whisked away all problems and only left a man, a wife, and their love. That was not this marriage.

So the return of Cregan meant the return of a duty that she had started to dislike: Their attempts to conceive. She knew once she gave him a few sons, they would be rid of the need to conceive, but that day was far away.

And Cregan surely drew closer to Winterfell.

…

Perhaps the book- Forget about the book, she told herself. A proud man like him would never agree to look at such a thing.

Her fingers grazed over one of the drawings as she read the contents next to it. It was confusing to try and follow such a strange topic, but still she tried.

Women may experience intense pleasure of their own. It is most easy to start at the clitoris. It is located above the vaginal opening. A gentle circled rubbed at the area w

"What are you reading, my lady?"

She slammed the book shut with a thud and a gasp, her head snapping to the side to see Winterfell's maester standing with a curious expression. She held a hand over her chest. "Do not sneak up on a woman."

"Forgive me, my lady. I thought myself being rather loud in my steps." He gave her a chuckle. "It seems I was wrong."

Her shock was turning to embarrassment as she tried to slide the book further behind her back on the table that she leaned again. "You're forgiven, just go."

"Ah, I've come for a reason," he countered. "News of Lord Stark's return is at hand. He should be here by sunset tomorrow, gods willing."

She nodded, trying desperately to get him back out. "Right. How fortunate. Thank you. You may go."

"My lady, if I may," he continued. "You look rather flushed. Are you feeling ill?"

"NO!" She cringed at her outburst. "No, I'm quite well, thank you."

The maester gave her a strange look. He clearly didn't believe her, but he wasn't going to push it. "Right. If you need anything, only say the word." He dipped his head and hurried off, closing the door behind him.

Her entire body relaxed at his leaving. She ran a hand over her face in an attempt to physically remove the heat from her cheeks.

She had been so close to getting caught with this.

Too close.

When she was sure there weren't footsteps in the corridor, she turned back, opening the book once more and reading further.

It gave her an idea.

She grabbed the book, carrying it to Cregan's desk and setting the heavy thing down. Her fingers sprawled over the page once again, careful to not continue the tear that went down the side. She slowly sat down as she continued to read.

A gentle circled rubbed at the area will increase pleasure during the act of sex.

She looked over her shoulder to check one last time before her hands began to bring her skirt up. The fabric was quickly pooled around her stomach and her legs were exposed. Her right hand shook as it brushed the small piece of fabric still guarding her most intimate parts from the cold air.

But the most important part of a female's genitalia to understand is the vagina. Located between the clitoris and the anus lies the vagina. Though different in looks, all women's perform quite alike.

Her breath caught as she gained her last bit of bravery, and her fingers pushed the fabric to the side. The cold air made her hiss, as did the coldness to her fingertips.

The labia majora protects the vagina from foreign particles, the labia minora after that. 

Her fingers explore the very area, the cold digits skimping past the skin until she knew her middle finger grazed the inside of her vagina. 

She should have known the territory well. It was her own body and still she found herself unsure of where everything laid.

And above all else, she felt filthy for it. This was for her husband, not her own gain. Her own pleasure has nothing to do with making an heir. But she wouldn't stop now.

Her eyes grazed over the page again as she pushed her middle finger deep inside her. It caught once or twice, the lack of moisture causing a small discomfort. But once her second knuckle disappeared into her, she recalled the feeling. 

She remembered this now: the feeling of something inside of her. Though, this was one finger and nowhere near as intruding as her husband's cock. And only then did she begin to understand how a man could fall apart from this feeling. Her walls seemed to not want her finger to part from her. She pumped it in and out a few times before daring to turn the page with her left hand.

…

Cregan returned as promised, with the sun beginning to set behind him- though it was covered with the thick clouds of the North. 

Standing on the stairs to the castle was his wife. He had long awaited to return home. To continue his duties to her? No. But home meant warmth and small comforts and he would take that every day he could.

He dismounted his horse and took slow steps to her. He forced a small smile, more for the sake of everyone else than the two of them. "My lady."

She gave a polite nod of her head when he grew close. "You've returned safely."

"I have." His gaze wandered around the area in an attempt to ease the awkwardness.

"I… I've missed you," she muttered.

His eyes looked to her and his brows pulled together. "Have you?"

"Well…" She looked down at her shoes. Was that even true? She didn't miss him. Not really. Well, she did in a way. Waiting to talk about the book. "Well, I found myself wanting to be with you as soon as I could." She swallowed and looked up at him. "Would that be considered missing you?"

" 'Being with me,' " he repeated as he thought it over. He squinted in contemplation before trying to clarify. "As in speaking with me or… other things?"

Her face flushed and her eyes looked right back down to the ground. 

He sighed and placed his hands on his hips. His tongue ran along his teeth before clicking as he came to a conclusion in his mind. "An hour. My chambers."

It was a soft command. He never ordered her around. And if she chose to voice an opinion ever, she knew he'd consider it. He was a forceful man, but not like that. 

But when she made no motion against it, he chuckled. One of his hands came up to her chin and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. "An hour. I'll even wash for you first." He pressed an emotionless kiss to her lips and stepped away, grabbing his horse's reins and beginning to speak to one of the other men.

An hour. That felt like too long to sit with her thoughts. But she'd manage. Somehow.

…

An hour later, she opened the door with her heart beating wildly. 

But upon seeing what laid inside, it died down.

Cregan laid in the large copper tub, his head laid back against the rim as he bathed: fast asleep.

She leaned on the door and studied him for a while. How easily the rough man became just as soft as anyone else. He seemed… at peace for once. That large crease that always laid between his brows was gone as he softly snored.

It's hard to make an heir like this. But he'd journeyed so far, and something like sex seemed dumb when he needed rest this badly.

She stepped in and closed the door behind her, careful not to make a heavy sound. Her steps were quiet and careful, quickly guiding her to him and now she kneeled at his side. 

Her fingers dipped into the water. It was beginning to grow cold.

And judging by the light pruning of his fingers, he'd been there for a while.

Cregan often took his baths alone. He always refused the help of servants, even his wife, rather wishing to have this as his alone time.

She grabbed the cloth that lay over the side- unused, judging by its dryness, and dipped it in, beginning to lightly trail it over his chest. 

She took the time to study every scar across him. There were many and she had no doubt that he'd won each battle they belonged to. She had seen him sparring- she knew how formidable she was with a sword in his hand.

The water ran down his chest and dripped into the tub again. The sounds echoed in his room. Each seemed loud compared to the utter silence of the air.

She moved to the other side of the tub and cleaned him, now noticing the deep cut on his shoulder. Deep purple and green bruising laid around it. It looked quite painful. When she ran the cloth over it, he hissed and his eyes finally opened.

He took in the room, a sharp gaze that would make most men fearful. Once they set on her and he completely came to, they softened slightly. She saw the way they flickered from her eyes to the cloth in her hand. She waited for him to inevitably shoo her from the room.

"Has it been an hour?" He quietly asked. "I apologize. How rude of me." He pulled the rag from her hand. "And I've made you feel as if you have to clean me to make up for time lost that I now owe you. Well, sit and I will hurriedly finish, wife."

His words and movements caught her off guard. She was unsure what to say. 

"Go on," he motioned with a hand. "Sit and wait for me. Like you so patiently have."

"No," she finally countered. "Y- your shoulder. It looks painful. Let me."

Her hand grabbed for the rag, brushing his. The two seemingly froze in the moment. Cregan's deep eyes stared up at hers, as if taking her in for the first time. Finally, he shook his head. "It won't take long."

"I know. So, let me," she argued again.

He looked down to their hands, their fingers touching just barely. Slowly, his grip loosened and she was able to slip the cloth from him.

Silently, she took the acceptance and began to wash him again. She took extra care around the bruises now. When the cloth ran over them, the fingers of her other hand followed and paused. "Does it hurt?" She softly asked.

Cregan's eyes were glued to the water now, his fingers dipping in and out and watching the droplets fall back into the tub. "They always do."

"It didn't go well, I take it?"

He held water in his palm, cupped carefully as he studied it. "It went very well."

"This is very well?"

He tilted his hand and let the water escape down his arm with a sigh. His head tilted and he finally looked at her with a firm gaze. "The Wall is harsh. Even on its best days."

Having him stare at her so deeply made her chest flutter and she suddenly imagined how he might look at her while doing things from the book in the library. 

She dared a thought, bringing a hand up to his cheek. He watched her carefully. To think that she did this of affection was a ridiculous one. He must have something on his face.

But when her palm rested there, on his cheek, he began to think differently. It brought a strange feeling to his stomach.

Her hand rested there for a while and the two were unmoving. But when she brushed her thumb over his cheekbone, he pulled his head away.

Her fingers pulled to her palm as she accepted the rejection and blinked away all thoughts. "Lean forward," she gently commanded.

He raised no fuss, pulling himself forward with a small groan. No doubt his muscles protested with each movement.

She focused now, trying to ignore the way the muscles in his back flexed and contracted each time he moved. 

The cloth ran across his back and few times, and he eventually sighed at the feeling. Her hand somehow applied just enough pressure to his aching back. And when she noticed and focused just above his shoulder blades, he let out an audible groan.

"Tense, Lord Stark?" She almost teased.

He didn't catch the teasing part though, too relaxed in this state. He only nodded and prayed that she'd continue.

She abandoned the cloth and began to fully massage his shoulders with her hands. It put the powerful man in a relaxed trance, and not one he cared to come out of anytime soon.

"I've been thinking," she spoke. "Well, do you think that… " she hesitated. "That maybe… maybe there's more to conceiving a child than… what we've been doing?"

There was a silence. It was suffocating and she was sure that she'd said the wrong thing. She would have swore he hadn't heard her, but the sudden tension in his back said so.

Finally, his head turned just a bit, revealing half of his face to her and he barely looked over his shoulder. "I think," he drew out, "you've been reading."

Oh. So he knew of the book.

She pulled away, as if burned and began to wring her hands as her nerves took over. "It was there… and… And I only thought… maybe-"

He laid back again the tub again to look at her. "Is that something you want?" He calmly asked.

Her mouth went dry as she tried to speak an answer. 

"Wife," he voiced a little sharper. "I asked you a question."

She forced herself to take a deep breath. "Yes."

The corner of his lips tugged up and leaned his head back against the rim as before, closing his eyes. "So be it."

"W-" she stopped herself before creating any problems she didn't need. He'd agreed, and that was that.

With her confused presence, he opened his eyes and lulled his head to the side. "I'll apologize again for taking our time." His hand came out of the water to her, mimicking the way she had cupped his cheek early. "But after the feast?" His thumb ran over her lips, catching and pulling down her bottom lip. "You are mine to have."

…

She remembered something in the book about this. Foreplay, she recalled. Like dangling a bone in front of a dog and seeing the way it would drool in anticipation. 

Like quick glances, small touches, things that would signal to a partner that you wished to engage in sexual activities. 

Doing such things during a feast felt scandalous. But it filled her heart with a fire that she knew was traveling between her legs as well.

She had started it, brushing her hand with his as they ate. Then wiped at a bit of wine that had dripped down his chin. Then even daring to brush a hand across this thigh.

But that was earlier. Now, across the room from each other, she took other tactics. 

When she wasn't looking at whoever she spoke to, she looked at Cregan. Her eyes would wander from his face to his feet, a long gaze that took its time, and enjoyed every moment of it. And he was quick to notice it. When she was caught and his eyes were on her, she quickly looked away in mock embarrassment.

It worked wonderfully.

The rest of the evening, she felt his eyes on her and when she'd look back, he'd have a look that said he was ready to devore her whole. She felt her core almost drip with the adrenaline rushing through her.

Now, to act on it.

She caught his gaze again, keeping it and taking slow steps to the high table, hoping he'd get the hint to follow her. 

And perceptive he was.

She stood in front of her chair and reached down to her cup when his chest warmed her back. His hand reached over hers and seized her chalice as his voice spoke lowly in her ear. "Bid them goodnight. We are retiring."

She craned her neck to try to look at him. "We are the hosts-"

"-two minutes, and I'll carry you myself if I must."

His warmth disappeared, and he set her cup back down to the table.

A wide grin came to her lips.

…

The moment the door to his chamber closed, he pushed her against the wall. His lips chased her with a heat like she was the air he needed to breathe. His hands pulled at the fabric on her shoulders, so eager to undress and ravish her.

Her hands did the same, pulling at the strings of her doublet. But it was hard to do so through Cregan's heavy hands tugging her this way and that. 

Soon enough, cold air rose goosebumps across her skin. Cregan paused, only for a moment, letting his eyes wander over her. And for the first time, lust was evident in his pupils.

His lips consumed hers once more, his tongue delving past her teeth to hurriedly explore. His hands and hers both pulled at his clothes. 

With his chest bare, he deemed that enough for now. He picked her up and took her to the bed, dropping them both to it and holding himself above her with one hand. His lips moved to her neck now, sucking at the skin. And her small hitch of breath encouraged him.

Soon he pulled away and stood at the foot of the bed, pulling down his trousers and throwing off his boots. His eyes never strayed from her body. How beautiful she was. Now he really noticed.

His hands found her ankles. He pulled her down to the edge of the bed.

She began to notice how he'd began to go back into their routine from before.

He stepped between her legs and propped her hips up a bit, lining his cock with her cunt and beginning to force his way in.

Her jaw clenched and her nose inhaled sharply. She was never used to that first push. 

Her mind wandered to the night before with the book. She had went on to get three fingers in and without pain. She knew it was possible to avoid this if they went slowly. And the pleasure she had felt yesterday was inexplainable.

"Cr-Cregan," she panted out.

His eyes snapped up to hers. They never spoke during this. There was never anything to talk about. 

"I want to… to do it differently," she managed out.

He pulled out from her, holding her legs steady as he gave her a questioning gaze. "What did you read in that thing?" He finally asked.

"I want… I want to be… above," she tried to explain. "You lay down and I… I will do the work."

He was hesitant, understandably so, but he was hard enough now that he didn't quite care how it happened. He just needed a release.

So he laid himself on the bed, his eyes almost bulging out with the way she straddled him so confidently. 

She brushed against his manhood, and he couldn't take it anymore. His hands gripped her hips tightly as he tried to take back control. But her own hands pulled his away. She gave him a look that warned him to let her try it.

She sunk down onto him this time. The pressure was there, but it was different. More bearable this time. And at her own pace, she took her time to adjust to him until his pelvis met hers. 

Cregan's eyes were closed in bliss, and she took that as a sign to continue. She pulled her hips up and sunk back down, and a whine left her mouth without realizing it. It felt… good. Sex with Cregan felt good.

His hands trailed back up to her hips, more gentle this time. He guided her hips in a back and forth motion and a sinful moan escaped from him.

She continued it as he wanted, leaning down to brace herself on his chest. With this new motion, she could find a little pressure to her clit, and it brought a whole new wave of pleasure.

The motions quickened as the two began to explore the idea that maybe… just maybe… they liked this.

If their moans had any indication.

She felt a tightening in her lower stomach, something she remembered from yesterday. She wondered if Cregan could feel it from inside.

And he could. It created a resistance that had him almost drooling with how well it felt. How good she made him feel.

"Let me fill you," he voiced in a beg. It hadn't intended to come out that way, but it did. Cregan was begging.

"I w~" the words caught in her throat. "I want you to fill me," she managed. "Give me a child, Cre~"

The words died altogether on her lips as her orgasm washed over her. The one from her fingers yesterday was nothing compared to this. She felt it throughout her body like spring that had finally snapped. 

Cregan's eyes were open and wide at the feeling of her cunt around him now, spasming with the aftermath of her orgasm. It felt amazing, and he had cursed himself for never discovering it before.

And now that he had, he wouldn't forget it. 

Her cunt milked him for all he had, and he happily gave it to her, releasing himself with a heavy groan.

The two slumped on the bed, Cregan's arms wrapped around his wife's frame. Neither were eager to move from their positions, not even as he softened inside of her or the liquid ran down her thighs.

Before, Cregan had held her up and made her keep it in. 

Now? He didn't care. He could always just fill her again.

He'd do anything to see the way her jaw dropped and her eyes glazed over again. 

"Thank you," she breathed against his neck.

There was a comfortable silence from him. Then finally, "I'll have that book read within the fortnight."

..........................................

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[beloveds-embrace]

When Konig returns, How do you think he will react when he realizes that reader is limping and has a prosthetic??

Would he blame himself? would blame and fight with others??

-����anon

It’d be a mix of both, but he largely (and understandably) blames them the most. There is disliking your spouse, and then there is the cruelty that has been inflicted on you.

König didn’t even notice it at first- not until you stood at last.

The faint click against the marble floors froze him. His eyes dropped, breath hitching at the gleam of metal where your foot should have been. Cold and foreign, it should have never been on you. He’s only seen it on soldiers.

Your grip on the cane now in your hand- how did he not notice it?- tightened. “Don’t.”

It wasn’t a plea. It was a warning.

But König couldn’t stop staring. His eyes traced the straps digging into your thigh, the unevenness of your gait. He imagined the pain you must have endured, the surgeries, the adjustments, the raw skin and bruising. He imagined you lying in some cold room, scared and alone, with no one there to hold your hand.

“Who did this to you?” His voice was low and guttural, barely human.

“They all did,” you said quietly. “You. Them. All of you.”

The words hit harder than any blade could.

König staggered back a step, the breath knocked from him. Shame clawed up his throat, but it couldn’t overpower the guilt. You’re right, he wanted to say. You’re right, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness.

Instead, he knelt again.

Slowly, deliberately, he sank to one knee before you, lowering himself as if in supplication. “Mylady,” he rasped, voice raw. “I have failed you.”

You flinched, your fingers tightening on the cane again, but you didn’t pull away.

“I failed you when I left,” he continued, head bowed. “And I failed you by leaving you in their care. I will never forgive myself for it.”

“You think kneeling will fix this?”

“No,” he admitted. “But I won’t leave you again. Not unless you send me away.”

You faltered. For not the first time, König saw something- grief, fire, exhaustion—flicker in your eyes. But then you turned.

And when you stumbled, he was there.

He steadied you without a word, and though you flinched, you didn’t pull away.

The days after König’s return were heavy with tension.

He didn’t leave your side- not when you struggled with the prosthetic, not when your cane trembled, not when your breaths came shallow and pained.

And you let him.

You let him carry the books you’d occasionally read, adjust the chairs, and brace you when the steps proved too much. It wasn’t spoken. There were no apologies. Just König- silent, patient, and steady.

And the others saw it.

“She lets you help her.” Kyle said once, disbelieving. But König ignored him and continued on his path to your room, carrying a tray of tea he made himself.

I do not force it, König thought, focused on adjusting the padding of your prosthetic. The straps had rubbed you raw again. He fixed them without asking.

Price bristled at him another day, and König focused especially hard to ignore him. “You weren’t here. You left her.”

I did not let her rot, if anyone were to listen to König’s thoughts, they would immediately sense his utter disdain and disgust. You did.

Johnny tried to step in once while König waited for the tea to boil. “We tried—”

“When it was too late.” König spoke at last, lip curling under his mask. “You watched her shatter and did nothing. And now you ask why she won’t let you put her back together?”

Johnny had no answer.

None of them had an answer.

And König didn’t wait for one.

He returned to you, and looped a tiny little flower he picked on the way into your hair. “Better, mylady?”

You nodded, hesitant. “… better.”

It was not as if you forgave him- you didn’t.

But König didn’t ask. He didn’t demand or beg, or force himself into your space. He didn’t push you for it, didn’t demand it like a starving man clawing for scraps.

He stayed.

He noticed every wince, every tremor, and fixed what he could- polished the cane, adjusted the straps, moved the chairs- without asking for permission or praise.

And when you wept in the conservatory late at night, when the pain in your leg and the ache in your heart became too much, he didn’t try to hush you. He didn’t tell you to be strong or remind you of how far you’d come.

He simply sat there, guarding the door, letting you cry until the exhaustion dragged you under.

And then, when you woke the next morning, the cane would already be waiting by your bedside, polished and steady.

Just like him.

[ultravioletbrit]

like my sunshine

For @into-the-jeggyverse - Jegulus Bingo 2024!!

Bingo Prompts - "Will You Sing to Me?"

Fic Summary - Regulus sings a song to Harry and things get a little silly and a little sappy ☀️

word count - 1,257 - also posted on ao3

Regulus is leaning against the headboard of Harry’s bed with Harry tucked tight against his side.

“I didn’t like that one very much.” Harry tells Regulus.

Regulus chuckles softly. “No? What didn’t you like about it?”

“The prince was boring. The princess was too good for him. She can do better.” Harry says, matter-of-factly. That pulls a full laugh out of Regulus.

“You think so?”

“Yup.” Harry says, popping the ‘P’.

“Alright, do you want to read one more since you didn’t like that one?” Regulus asks placing the book on the bedside table.

Harry scrunches up his nose as he’s thinking. “No. Will you sing to me?” He asks instead.

“Sing to you?” Regulus was not expecting that, but Harry just nods as he cuddles closer to Regulus’ side with a little yawn. Regulus can’t help the smile that takes over his face as he watches his son. This boy could ask for the moon and all the stars and Regulus wouldn’t be able to say ‘no’ to him. “Yeah, I can sing to you.” Regulus tells him. “What song should we sing?”

“I want you to sing the song about Daddy.”

“There’s a song about Daddy?” Regulus asks, genuinely not knowing what song he thinks is about James.

“Yeah, the one you always say makes you think of Daddy because you say he’s like sunshine and when we sing it you get all smiley because you say it makes you happy.” Harry tells him and Regulus knows what song he’s talking about now, but he didn’t realize he talks about James enough when they sing it for it to be a ‘song about Daddy.’

“I get smiley?” He asks instead of voicing all his thoughts.

“Yup!” He pops that ‘P’ again. “And it’s that really goofy smile, too.” Harry giggles; a sound that makes Regulus’ heart flip every time he hears it.

“Hey! I do not have a goofy smile.” Regulus tickles Harry’s sides making him giggle even more.

“When you think about Daddy you do.” He says between giggles.

His giggles are joined by a small chuckle coming from the door. Harry and Regulus both look over to see James leaning against the door with a bright smile.

“Daddy!” Harry calls out through his giggles, but Regulus sends James a fond glare for eavesdropping on a very private conversation, James just chuckles more as he walks over to Harry’s bed.

“What’s going on in here?” James sits on the edge of the bed beside Harry.

“Papa’s gonna sing your song!” Harry tells James proudly.

“I have a song?” He asks Harry.

“Yup.” Always with the ‘P.’ “The one about sunshine that makes you happy, and it’s your song because whenever we sing it Papa says you’re like sunshine and you make him happy.” James’ smile is so bright as he listens to Harry, who wouldn’t compare this man to the sun?

“And then he gets smiley?” James asks Harry, with a sly smile to Regulus.

“Goofy smiley!” Harry corrects with a giant nod and more giggles. James instantly joins the giggles, and they are so infectious that it’s not long before all three of them are a little giggly.

After a moment, the giggles calm down and James lays down beside Harry so that Harry is tucked snuggly between Regulus and James. James and Harry both wiggle a little to get comfortable and Regulus just shakes his head with a fond smile.

Once everyone is settled, James looks at Regulus, “Are you going to sing the song?” He asks, with just as much childlike excitement as Harry.

Regulus scrunches up his nose like he’s actually thinking about it, but eventually he gives in. Like he said, moon, stars, song, he can’t say ‘no.’

“Fine, I will sing the song. But you have to sing it with me.” He lightly pokes Harry’s side making him wiggle between Regulus and James. “Because you make me happy, too.” He taps Harry on the tip of his nose.

Harry turns to look directly at Regulus. “Like your sunshine?” He genuinely asks, and his voice gets so soft and sincere, Regulus feels a lump forming in his throat as he looks from his son to his husband, thinking about how happy they make him.

“Yeah.” He says looking at James, and James hears it in Regulus�� voice and give him a look basically saying, ‘if you cry, I’ll cry.’ Regulus swallows and looks down at Harry. “Yeah, like my sunshine.” He whispers with a smile reserved only for Harry.

“Then you’re my sunshine, too.” He whispers earnestly, with a smile that’s an exact replica of James’. And Regulus is hanging on by a thread. “Just like Daddy.” He adds, softly. It’s coming, Regulus can feel the pressure building behind his eyes. “Now sing to me, already!” Harry demands in the most adorably annoyed voice as he throws his hands up in the air. Tears instantly averted, Regulus and James snort a laugh and fall into more giggles until Harry crosses his arms over his chest with a loud huff. Regulus has no idea where this boy learned to be so dramatic.

“Okay, okay.” Regulus and James settle back down beside Harry, and everyone gets comfortable again. “Ready?” Regulus asks Harry.

“Yup.” Another ‘P.’

Regulus smiles at James and Harry and starts the song.

You are my sunshine

Regulus sings while looking at Harry, then nods with big eyes, gesturing for Harry to sing the next line.

My only sunshine

Harry sings, then points back to Regulus.

You make me happy

Regulus sings the next line, and his gaze shifts to make eye contact with James for a moment before looking back at Harry and nodding again for him to sing the next line.

When skies are gray

Harry sings this line overdramatically, opening his arms in a circle and holding the note on the last word much longer than necessary.  

You'll never know, Harry

Regulus changes ‘Dear’ to ‘Harry’ with a small tickle making Harry giggle again, so Regulus sings the next line also.

How much I love you

Regulus looks back at James for a moment and he looks amused, endeared and on the verge of tears all at the same time. Regulus smiles fondly and looks back at Harry.

Please don't take

My sunshine away

Regulus and Harry sing the last lines together and they both finish with big smiles on their faces.

There’s a brief moment where all three of them are quiet, and Regulus could live in that moment forever, overflowing with so many emotions for the two most important people in his life.

“That’s the goofy smile!” Harry breaks the silence pointing at Regulus excitedly. He turns to presumably show James the ‘goofy smile’. “Daddy! That’s—” Harry pauses for a moment to look at James. “You have a goofy smile, too!” He sounds shocked to tell James. Harry looks back and forth between Regulus and James as their smiles are getting bigger and turning into giggles… again. “You guys are goofy.” Harry rolls his eyes. Honestly, how is this boy so dramatic?

And that’s what does it. Regulus and James both break into a fit of giggles that they quickly turn into tickles on either side of Harry, making him giggle also.

Regulus feels his smile growing impossibly wider and brighter as he has a tickle fight with the two people he loves the most, the two people that light up his entire world, and Regulus is happier than he ever thought was possible.

[boreal-sea]

You should always have goals while reading, and yes, you definitely should take notes while writing. I could show you the literal notebooks FULL of the notes I took while reading papers for my Masters degree.

My advisors gave me advice of different things to note while reading, including things like the following:

Name of the paper, main authors, year

Why I'm reading this paper - aka, what part of my research project do I think this paper is going to help me with?

Important facts I find as I read the paper. Again, I have my own paper in mind while I'm reading. I'm reading this paper for a reason, because I hope it has facts I need to support my research - or, maybe because I'm critiquing it, whatever.

The things I wrote about changed during different phases of my research. Sometimes I was reading papers that focused on chemical components, sometimes I read papers about mineral textures, etc.

Now, some folks are really good at this and really organized and have whole note-card-folios all organized with their sources. I wasn't quite that good. I also did not do cite-while-you-write which MAJORLY bit me in the ass as I was getting into the last few months before my thesis was due.

Here's how reading and writing went for me:

Background reading: I took some general notes during this, but these were mostly books and papers meant to catch me up to speed.

Planning and executing my project.

Focused reading during my project: this time taking specific notes because now I had specific questions and I could be more focused in what I was reading and why.

Outline to write up my research results: Here is where I created the outline of my paper. Once I had an outline, I was able to see where I needed to fill in information, and which sources I already had that I could cite for that information, and where I needed to go find new sources for that info.

Re-reading old and new papers to flesh out my thesis: here's where I really got into the nitty gritty of where I was citing all these papers in my paper.

So I taught my students during the first few weeks of class that for their paper, they needed to cite profusely. They needed to cite more than they thought they should cite. They needed to cite multiple times per paragraph. I told them that it was literally impossible for them to over-cite. I showed them an example of my own published papers. It was in the rubric.

At the end of the term, I graded their papers. Most of them did ok. Some of them only cited 2-3 sources even though their References section had 6 sources. And some of them... some of them didn't cite a single time in their entire paper. They had their citations in the References section, but didn't cite them in the paper even once.

Some people just do not follow directions. It's baffling.

And that doesn't even get into all of the APA style errors. Those I can forgive because citation styles are confusing. Citing enough and citing correctly are two separate parts on my rubric to account for this fact, actually.

BUT - it just gives me data for how to teach this even better next semester. I don't have any way to require them to use a citation manager, but the students who used one did MUCH better than those who didn't.

[maxdibert]

Lately, I’ve seen so many Snaters bringing up the “If Voldemort had chosen the Longbottoms instead of the Potters, Snape would have never changed sides” argument to bash Snape. Honestly, I find this kind of reasoning so reductive and dismissive of his entire character arc. What’s your opinion on it?

I think it doesn’t matter because:

That wouldn’t erase everything he suffered beforehand.

It wouldn’t make sense to hate him for being a “terrible” teacher because he probably wouldn’t have gone to Dumbledore, and therefore wouldn’t have ended up as a teacher. As a result, he couldn’t be accused of being a bully to kids because he wouldn’t have gone near a child within 15 kilometers.

In that case, Lily and James would have lived, and he probably would have moved on from his issues and wouldn’t have become a creepy, brooding person consumed by guilt. So, once again, we’re in the same situation: he would likely be a completely different character from the one we came to know. Therefore, the hate isn’t valid because it’s based on a personality that wouldn’t exist.

That said, Severus didn’t owe anything to anyone. Not to the Longbottoms, not to the Potters, not to any member of society. Severus was a soldier in a war, and he was doing his job. His job was to report relevant matters to his general. Looking out for the safety of your enemy is not one of your duties during wartime, nor is it something you do because they’re your damn enemy. End of story.

The fact that Severus was on the “bad” side doesn’t matter either, because at the end of the day, a war is a war, and soldiers are in it for life or death. Even if I find it morally questionable, wars themselves are morally horrible, so I don’t see the point of bringing that up because it’s an argument that doesn’t make sense. Even on the “good” sides in wars (and I’m using quotes because all sides kill, and all sides destroy families), soldiers never in their lives beg their generals for the life of the enemy unless the enemy is someone close to them whom they care about. That’s how it works. I don’t know, maybe people should read more history books or something.

[d-joana-a-shippadora]

Charles Doyle || Major International Academy Book Series || @majorinternationalacademy

"Sem cultura é o país de onde você veio, que não consegue nem ao menos reconhecer um autêntico cavalheiro. Eu só vou dizer uma vez, então trate de lembrar. Meu nome é Charles Doyle, mas, para você, é Sir Charles James Cameron Stuart Doyle."

“Cultureless is the country you came from, who can’t even recognize a true gentleman. I’ll say this only once so try and remember it. My name is Charles Doyle, but to you, it’s Sir Charles James Cameron Stuart Doyle.”

[so-very-small]

the worst part of being a g/t fan is when you really get into a piece of Media, like a book or show or whatever. but all your friends who like The Media arent into g/t. and all your g/t mutuals have never heard of The Media before. so you’re just alone going nuts with sizey concepts no one you know could comprehend

[boltlightning]

year of the dragon round up

you may or may not have heard that i spent this blessed lunar year of the dragon reading many dragon books. here i am rating them based on how cool and relevant the dragons are and nothing else. they are listed in the order i read them here.

NOTE: year of the dragon ends on jan. 25, 2025. so if you have any other recommendations...let me know 👀

the earthsea cycle by ursula le guin — these dragons have left an indelible mark on my soul. i adore that they are super intelligent and have their own customs, but they still act like animals with animal instincts. orm embar you will always be famous to me. ∞/10

seraphina by rachel hartman — love em. lots of good discussion of what it means to be human and what it means to be draconic. the sequel gets WEIRD about their lore but i liked the rest of the worldbuilding enough to politely ignore that. 8/10

fourth wing by rebecca yarros — the dragons are regrettably cool but the logic around them is not particularly sound. they don't act like dragons; they don't have the wants or needs that supposedly wild animals would. their classification is awful and bad. but i like that they give their riders powers. 4/10 but really they get a 0/10 for compelling me to finish this book and a -2/10 for starting a wave of romantasy books with poorly considered dragons.

eragon by christopher paolini — i adore saphira. i don't remember what the rest of the books teach us about dragons and i won't be rereading them anytime soon, but i love saphira sm, and i love that despite dragons being a recognized part of life, they still have some magical mystique to them. 7/10

temeraire by naomi novik — you all don't need to hear me talk about this series more. gold standard for lite fantasy dragons. tied intimately to the themes of the story. lots of variation and biological consideration. as a dragonet temeraire hisses like a cat when he gets caught in a hammock and bats at swinging lanterns. what more can you ask for? 10/10

dragonfall by RL lam — i loved the lore and religion. dragon parts as relics is such a cool idea. that said we didn't have a lot of time with the dragons in True Dragon Form but i will look forward to that in the sequel. 9/10

the aurelian cycle by rosaria munda — these books are like if fourth wing was good. LOVE the idea of these dragons, i wish they were explored more in depth, both from a biological view and an emotional, thematic view. they could've been replaced by horses and it wouldn't have changed much. but i like them and they're cute. 6/10

the farseer trilogy by robin hobb — look. when i first read these books i didn't know they even had magic, let alone dragons, and they function so differently from dragons in all fantasy that i don't even know how to rate them. it's such a surprise i don't want to give more than that away. i haven't read the sequel series that actually deal with dragons more in-depth, so i'll give them a go read these books/10

(and yes i know the rest of the realm of the elderlings books have more dragons, i just haven't read them yet. the rating is a command for you all as much as for me)

a natural history of dragons by marie brennan — love the biologist-centrist view of this books. they are animals and they are treated like animals and that's very refreshing and fun in its own way. i wish i liked the book more so i felt compelled read the sequels to see the other variations. solid 7/10 for the dragons tho

tooth and claw by jo walton — this entire book is a heavy-handed metaphor, and while i had trouble visualizing the dragons, their biology is inherent to the heavy-handed metaphor and pretty fuckin cool. there's gross eyeball stuff. they wear hats. 8/10 for that alone

harper hall trilogy by anne maccaffrey — i haven't read the rest of pern but a friend told me how the dragons in the series came about and honestly...love it. wish i could make myself read more of these books. 7/10

to shape a dragon's breath by moniquill blackgoose — love to see feathers and spikes. there was a surprising amount of chemistry (legitimate science not metaphorical) involved with their magic and i like that they're not just for warfare. but it had the same issues as the aurelian cycle, where they are not characters and contribute very little to the emotional journeys of the humans. but their breath is very cool! 8/10

the bone ships by rj barker — not only are the ships made of dragon bone cool, but the dragons are also cool. and importantly they are as gross as they are mysterious. the sopping wet sailors get a 9/10 and the arakeesians also get a 9/10

DNF LIST

heartstone by elle katharine white — genuinely really enjoyed the dragons and their variations as presented here. this book is regrettably determined to get in the way of its own interesting ideas for the sake of being a pride and prejudice retelling. however i will give the dragons a 6/10 for being present and cool despite this

when the moon hatched by sarah a. parker — i did not even get to the part of the story where the dragons appeared. regrettable. NO SHOW/10

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

a song of ice and fire by george r. r. martin — i read these books 10 years ago before i was dragonpilled. i remember liking the themes and drama of dany's dragons, and what it takes to feed/train them. HOWEVER: i can't bring myself to watch house of the dragon. while i am supremely jealous that this series gets a high-budget dragon show and not temeraire (peter jackson PLEASE buy the rights again there's an audience for this shit!!!!) glad that there is a dragon show that has gotten so popular, it bothers me that they're wyverns, not dragons. this is the dumbest thing to be pedantic about in this series and i know that. nonetheless: 5/10 very thematic but not particularly cool. sorry.

the book of dragons, an anthology by johnathan strahan — lots of variety here (obviously) and the graphic design fucks. i'm still working my way through it, but it's impossible to rank these all anyway, so i'll give it a GRAPHIC DESIGN IS MY PASSION/10. in particular i love the brooke bolander piece and think about it all the time <3

[bisexualalistairtheirin]

One really annoying argument ppl keep bringing up when someone complains about lore in Veilguard not making sense considering the other games is "Lol that game (da:o, most often) came out 15 years ago, it's fine if they want to change stuff!" but like... girlies, I don't think it's Origin's fault that Veilguard took 10 years to make and decided not to use what was already established.

[foxfeast]

some of y’all are about to be real mad at me, but it must be said…….. mxtx is overhyped

[repotting]

people who don't normally read sci fi have such bad taste in sci fi 😭

[ablednt]

Granted I have the overall geographical and cultural knowledge of a 4th grader but from what I can tell the nuclear family model really does seem to be a white colonial invention

Different cultures have different approaches but I mainly hear about either large family units where multiple generations support each other and raise their children and grandchildren together or an "it takes a village" approach where children are raised somewhat communally

And I can't really speak on it much or claim that these families were free of abuse or that children aren't often an oppressed group basically everywhere I know of but the way ownership of your children is so engrained into white society is so bizarre

Like once you notice it you can't unnotice it even the most loving well meaning parents don't know what to do about it because everyone is so isolated from their own families and their own communities so you wind up with 1-2 parents who have full legal ownership of their child and are raised in a culture where you don't have personhood until you're 18 and all attempts at self actualization before them are seen as clueless rebellion. Like our culture is so divorced from the concept that a parent is someone who is helping mentor and care for their child so they can thrive as a fellow human being and it's actually so alarming

And ik this problem isn't unique to white and colonized people but it's honestly really soothing to hear about how other cultures approach and view parenting and community as a whole and to internalize it doesn't have to be this way

[mazojo]

I was just trying to read a book, not have the course of my life change in irreparable ways

[mmxxviii]

I'm literally so excited to see that you're reading the between earth and sky trilogy, the lack of fandom for this series is CRIMINAL. Please tell me every single thought you have about the books 😂 (/hj)

this is so funny because YOU are getting into lockwood and co which does have a fandom but i’ve been so excited to see you post about it and to see what you think of the books compared to the show!

but yeah i’m rereading between earth and sky right now!! actually thank you for that bc i think you posted about the last book being out and i immediately scrambled to go and put it on hold bc i am. terrible about keeping up with those things. and i’m rereading the other two first bc i know i don’t remember enough, especially of the second book. it’s such a good series and there’s so much depth to the characters and so much care in the worldbuilding and i love it so much. everything is so vivid and fleshed out. and the multiple perspectives and the way you watch the characters come together and see their shifting relationships !! so good.

actually now that i’ve started fevered star again i forgot just *how* good it is. like i remembered black sun and i knew i loved that one but fevered star kind of got sucked into the black hole of my memory and goddamn everything about it is compelling. especially with it being book two, having established the base relationships and pov characters in book one and then moving around and having xiala lose serapio and meet iktan, who naranpa lost and then also learning more about serapio’s backstory and his tutors from outside his perspective through balam and powageh is SO good. sometimes later books in a series don’t keep their momentum as well as the first but fevered star takes everything in black sun and just keeps building so smoothly. i’m so excited to read mirrored heavens now (not that i wasn’t before, i just remember how incredible the first two are now!)

[tracle0]

Bvvvvvv

[princess-of-purple-prose]

hi, if you don't mind me asking (since i saw you reblog a post about the orv webtoon): how far into the novel is the webtoon, approximately, now that it's starting the dark palace (?) arc? is there still a long way to go, would you say? sincerely, a huge webtoon orv fan who is trying to muster up the strength to pick up the novel

Hi, anon!! I'm so excited you asked this, because I myself picked up the webnovel right around the dark castle arc! So, um... yeah, chapter 172 of the webtoon is chapter 151 and a good portion of chapter 152 of the webnovel, and there are 551 chapters of the webnovel total. (To be even more precise, with the formatting I have on my phone, chapter 172 covers up to 2290 pages out of 8807 pages-- just over a quarter of the way through the story both ways.) There is, uh, QUITE a ways to go

That said!!!! I literally cannot recommend the webnovel enough, and this is from someone who started with the webtoon as well and then transferred straight to the webnovel where it left off at the time! The webnovel is such a different experience, since there are so many small characterization details that the webtoon doesn't adapt, and I actually bitterly regret not starting the webnovel from the start (I'm in the process of backreading, and I find new things to scream about every day!). There's no rush at all to read the webnovel all at once when the webtoon will take so long to finish, but at the same time, the pacing is so addicting that you'll probably speed through it till you're caught up or even beyond regardless! In case you'd like it, here's some info on accessing the epub file :) Happy reading!!!!