#traegedys

[wcrfcres]

CLOSED STARTER ✦ DANCE CARD EIGHT ( @crimsonsbled , @crowncost , @disrcpairs , @traegedys )

❝ interesting things , these dance cards , right ? also curious . ❞ when circumstances demand — frustrates to his own parents to no end because the potential is there — the lord heir of pyke can be ... pleasant , charming even by the southerner's standard at that . goblet of wine in one hand , and the determination to be jovial at another . it was as if he is different man entirely . those known to him would think it strange , walks the thin line of suspicious and disturbing . but those who have not matched the face to the infamous name , would think him just like any lord looking to socialize . ❝ shall we dance ? or exchange stories over wine until the next song plays ? ❞

[morewoe]

closed for @traegedys

"Goodsister."  The  smile  that  graced  her  features  was  as  close  to  genuine  as  it  had  been  since  the  first  dance  of  the  night,  now  she  was  finally  face  to  face  with  another  lion.  She  had  started  to  find  comfort  in  the  family  she  had  married  into,  in  a  way  she  had  never  intended,  when  she  had  left  Ten  Towers.  Not  trust,  nor  love,  but  something  close  enough  to  fondness  to  seek  out  her  husband's  twin  in  the  festivities,  over  other  familiar  faces.  "I  find  I  am  in  desperate  need  of  a  break  from  dancing.  Would  you  join  me,  as  I  pillage  the  sweets  tables?  It  would  give  my  feet  a  much  needed  reprieve."

[ichorsveined]

so often heard well before being seen , arushi is inwardly unfazed by the cat's startle , " oh , dear , " the tully breathes out , a gust of an apology without exact words needed for one . for a beat , she lingers on the last place she witnesses a flash of fur , pondering the question , " … let's say lost , " she finally says with small , conspiratorial smile . an intentional sort , strolling outside the ballroom to break up the monotony . " i do hope your friend returns . i should like to make their acquaintance as well … ? " she trails of , leaving room for an exchange of names , if the other lady wished to do so .

𝓼𝓮𝓶𝓲 𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓷 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓻   ╱    for @steelfyre, @ironforgcd, @awhispcr + 1/2 open spots.

the  fresh  air  hits  gwyneth's  skin  and  she  can't  help  but  smile  at  the  relief  that  washes  over  her.  she  claims  a  small  spot  in  the  courtyard  inside  the  main  keep,  welcoming  a  furry  companion  she  was  not  expecting  with  a  warm  smile.  ❝ hello. ❞  the  allyrion  crouches  down,  dress  splayed  around  her  as  she  pets  the  cat,  its  purrs  echoing.  ❝ are  you  someone's?  ❞  gwyn  speaks  as  if  in  conversation  with  a  friend.  one  that  gets  spooked  by  another  pair  of  footsteps,  abandoning  the  vicinity  as  gwyneth  stands  up  properly  and  faces  the  liege  before  her  now.  ❝ lost  or  looking  for  a  hiding  spot? ❞

[dearorphic]

@traegedys, muse roulette * closed

[...] A look of mischief as she hums at the twirling couples on the dance floor, " Lady Tyrell and her one, singular rule given makes it all the more enticing to break if there was such a person to break it for, of course. " She peers to her companion near, violet hues questioning, "Is there such a person in attendance, my liege? "

[awhispcr]

closed starter for @wcrfcres @traegedys @regalxpoise @flamedreamt

"I was scoffed at today, and you'll never guess what for!" The lady of Claw Isle paced back and forth, stomping her feet and throwing a tantrum like a child would having their favourite toy taken away from them, her face frowning and accessorised with a pout. "For ordering water! Can you believe that? Just because I don't like the taste of wine, and ale is worse." Not everyone was used to the lady's preferences and oddities, and this was indeed a small issue in hindsight but now was the time for complaining and finding comfort in a friend.

[disrcpairs]

she  finds  response  to  be  amusing  ,  decidedly  un  lady  like  snort  slipping  through  nostrils  .  “  given  all  that  has  occurred  ,  i  would  suspect  the  gods  to  be  more  concerned  with  other  things  than  the  pilfering  of  apples  .  ”  from  fire  to  deaths  and  everything  in  between  if  she  was  to  determine  her  fate  with  the  couple  of  apples  she  picked  up  by  their  stems  from  the  water  ,  so  be  it  .  “  would  you  like  one  ?  ”  tempered  tongue  to  not  ask  if  it  would  offend  her  gods  ,  rather  ,  gives  a  smile  .  

such  an  event  feels  like  a  bad  jest,  the  targaryens  dangling  the  promise  of  home  right  in  front  of  their  subjects  without  allowing  them  a  taste.  erena,  like  many  others,  desires  for  home  —  for  her  time  away  from  the  north  to  be  cut  short.  and  yet,  here  she  stands,  in  the  midst  of  an  unwanted  celebration.  thankfully,  entertainment  lands  itself  right  at  her  feet.  ❝ that  sounds  like  a  good  strategy,  my  lady.  all  there  is  to  do  is  hope  neither  your  gods  nor  mine  judge  us  too  harshly  for  any  of  it. ❞

[regalxpoise]

closed starter for @traegedys, @steelfyre, @sacrificeds

The noise of the festivities remained subdued behind the Hatchling of Castamere; who instead found interest among the various trees and bushes of berries. Aelora knelt carefully amongst the rows, plucking the best raspberries, gooseberries, and blackberries her violet gaze could find. Her dark green dress blending in with the thickets of leaves, while her Targaryen silver hair set her apart like a lone star in the night sky.

 As she filled the wicker basket one of the servants at the outdoor kitchens had provided her, she imagined the sweet and flaky taste of jam tarts so vividly it made her stomach grumble. She was guilty, as a child, of stealing more jam tarts than what was properly divided amongst whatever siblings happened to be in residence at the time. Aelora didn’t know what they were making in the kitchens with all this fresh fruit, but she was determined (if it happened to be jam tarts) to be more diplomatic in sharing dessert this time.

“Ouch-!” A sharp pinch from a blackberry bush made her recoil and she squinted at the droplet of blood that appeared, quickly wiping at the skirt of her dress and squeezing till her knuckles turned white, “Damn thorns…” Aelora murmured, wondering why only the blackberries were clever enough to armour themselves from hungry passersby.

[steelfyre]

dance card twelve ›› @flamedreamt , @ironforgcd , @crowncost , @traegedys

after  taking  a deep  breath,  highgarden's heir approached the next name on their card; personal preferences to only venture onto the dance floor with a select few of their choosing, socialization balanced with distance, left behind for duty's sake. eyes would surely take note if he didn't partake in stepmother's latest scheme.  ❝ my liege, would you do me the honor of joining me for a dance? ❞   a smile accompanied the hand extended toward them.

[tiptapricot]

Alright. Finally getting my thoughts together about Mando S3 episode 6! Forewarning this is a very critical and disappointed view on the episode, however I do try and be as nuanced and explanatory as I can, as just like with the rest of this season there is so much potential, so much I almost love, but it’s just not carried through or is handled in a way that makes me confused and frustrated.

This is somewhat organized, but not overly edited, so if things jump around a bit or if there’s typos, excuse me. Other than that, let’s get into it.

So this episode brings a first two seasons side quest vibe to stuff, which personally I enjoyed as I think those side quests (while many ppl see them as filler/a distraction from the main plot) are more ab exploring our characters under different stressors and circumstances and seeing how they act/react as a result. The design for Plazir was gorgeous and intriguing, and it was fun to see Jack Black and Lizzo and Christopher Lloyd. Similarly to a lot of people I had a “HEY I KNOW THOSE GUYS” moment, and it made me smile and laugh.

But then you get into the plot and I just. I was so icked out and uncomfortable and baffled at how it was handled. Plazir is, as it’s set up, an absolute fucking dystopia. Star Wars has never been good with its droid issues, something that always makes me extremely mad and uncomfortable, but beyond the Solo story, I think this may be one of the worst handlings of those issues yet.

I’ll be sharing ideas with the video “The Traegedy of Droids” by Pop Culture Detective pretty consistently in passing here, so please check it out if you haven’t or aren’t aware of what I’m talking about with “the issue with how SWs handles droids.”

The mini plot of this episode is, in summary, our main protagonists helping to carry out a targeted physical oppression of a droid revolution in order to maintain the droid’s enslaved class status and allow the citizens to continue living on free labor. Not only that, but the revolution and fighting back is revealed to not be a choice, but a drugged reaction from an evil human source. The droid bar literally called The Resistor is not, in fact, an underground place for droids to find community and power and push back (despite the fact that it proves they have off time and desires for relaxation and comraderie) but a place for our mains to be reminded that droids actually just love being an enslaved class, and that oh yes these violent push backs actually make them look bad, and what if they’re forced not to work anymore? No they care about their oppressors and couldn’t imagine fighting back. Action like that has to be forced out of them by humans and is unnatural to their regular existence.

And none of this is framed in the dystopian way it should be. Plazir and it’s leaders and citizens are not framed or presented in a negative light, and the moral is not put on helping the droids to not be the forced labor class for a whole planet. The interesting and terrible ideas presented are taken at face value of how the ruling class sees it, and we as the audience are meant to root for Din and Bo as they chase after a droid Din harassed into fighting back, who is running for its life and defending itself, who they kill. We are meant to be happy when they shoot it, feel triumph, see these outbursts the same way those on Plazir/our mains do. We are meant to see droids as both the enemy and as rightfully subservient.

And that’s. Absolutely fucking wild? Similarly to Solo and L3, I cannot fathom the thought process going through the writers brains while setting up a plot that focuses on droid revolution and freedom, only to treat it as a joke, or to end up condemning droids to a fate worse than death/to a content slave class. And all of this, again, our protagonists go along with.

Bo and Din never once question droid rights or sentience, never once go “oh hey we should actually help these guys out.” They stop the uprisings, Lizzo knights Grogu, and the story goes along its way like it was just an unimportant side quest, and not a nightmare. The mains don’t care, the writers don’t care, the world is telling the viewer not to care.

This is exemplified, unfortunately enough, with the use of the cameos. That reaction of “Omg haha! Lizzo! Jack Black! Mr Lloyd!” add to the comedic/trope-y framing of this episode. The acting was great, this is not against the actors present, I was happy to see them, but their presence added to the episode’s unserious/comedic/don’t think about it too much tone. Seeing celebrities we like takes the focus off of the content of the plot and onto “Haha people I like!” And that sours their presence for me.

And like. Droid stuff not being serious has always been around, with protagonists playing into/joking about droid oppression right from the original trilogy, but hating droids has within the mandalorian itself been built up to be unreasonable and a flaw.

Din is droid-racist. That’s been part of his character since the start, and it has been something he has grown with, that the story has attempted to show him working against despite his prejudices. Yes, he is not over his hate for droids, trusting a few will not change his views on them all, and his actions still being violent and prejudiced this episode are not totally out of character. But he’s been shown to be working on that, and the issue comes with the fact that these actions are not seen as an issue past being impulsive. Kicking a line of workers until one lashes out, saying “if they’re programmed right they shouldn’t mind,” threatening to kill a droid bartender, not questioning forced labor, being excited to kill droids, are all framed as funny or correct or just regular “fighting before talking” type characterization, and not as the deeply flawed and bigoted actions they are.

I’ve seen people in fandom saying “well it’s because of his battle droid PTSD” “din still hates droids that wasn’t resolved” “he’s not just going to be fine around the droids that killed his parents” and like. Yeah, sure. But that doesn’t excuse the actions. They should still be seen as a big fucking issue, as him acting grossly out of line and holding up a “one bad experience means the whole group is bad forever” mentality. Not just a character quirk or something funny or an excuse. The best I can liken it to atm is racism from war vets against the group they fought against. You may be able to understand the distrust and trauma associations but hey guess what! Doesn’t excuse the racism/xenophobia/etc.! But the plot and story framing sure does, and it’s been effective, because the fandom has been doing the same thing too! And it’s. Wild to me!

Like I get many people don’t think about stuff, because again that’s how the world frames it, but you gotta? You gotta see the messages being pushed here?

And from a narrative standpoint you can’t just introduce a storyline like this without dealing with the implications it therefore burdens the story with discussing. Otherwise you end up with something reductive, trivializing, and at its core really really ideologically gross, which is what we got here.

This also doesn’t even touch on:

—The further use of the amnesty program in a way that doesn’t fully dig into the messed up results or the irl parallels to operation paperclip

—Ugnaughts being the only organic labor class we see besides those monitoring security, another group that’s framed as loving to work on the things the ruling class don’t want to, and also living in the dark underground

—The implications of direct democracy and non-militant societies being seen as weak and unreasonable

—Leaders finding loopholes in their laws to intact violence into a revolting class without having to answer for the repercussions of rule breaking

Mainly because I don’t have the brain to unpack all of it. But hey! Just shows how much they introduced with no real thought of how big a can of worms it opened up from a political and social perspective. Something that while a constant in Star Wars at this point never makes it alright. It’s lazy and shows the underlying racist/capitalist politics running through most main pieces of the universe, of which this episode I’d say is probably Mando’s most outright example of. (There are exceptions, Andor being a huge one, but lord is that an exception with everything around it)

And like in concept a neo-noir detective story/procedural with the mando cast sounds awesome, that’s one of my favorite genres, but this was just good old fashioned copaganda and race/class fumble episode with no real nuance, point, or lingering effects on our characters and their view of droids. When I’m fully able to say Detroit become human did a better job handling the ideas of robot sentience/freedom/uprising/changing sides, I think you need to take a good hard look at your story.

So just. That’s that part of the episode. And that’s already so much, but then we have the ending/it’s ties into the overall plot.

From the start we get no real explanation for why Din is with Bo and no one else, what the fallout of the armorer’s decision and reveal of Bo’s place in things had on the covert or on Din and Bo. We just jump in. Then you have Din and Bo showing their individual leading strengths in the episode, the balance between diplomacy and action, heavily implying some joint ruling need, or even showing Din finally showing leadership skills.

But then we get to the final scene with the Axe and Bo fight, and I’ll say I loved that combat! Beat each other up! It was great and I think shows their competence and the statement that fighting makes in mando culture, as well as asserting Bo’s place leading her group. But then we also get two really fucking stupid things.

The first is Axe saying Din isn’t a real mando because of blood even though that? Has never really been a staple of the culture??? This opens up an idea that the night owls have different views on Mandalorian culture than the larger consensus that understands it as a religion, a culture, a people, but not a homogenous group with direct biological descent. Foundlings are huge! So where is this coming from? What’s the background there?

It muddies up a lot of character stuff, culture stuff, and the analogies Mandalorian culture has to real life groups like the Jewish community, various Indigenous and colonized communities, etc. As with so much of this season, Mandalorian culture and politics is begging to be explored, to be fleshed out and dug into in a deeper way than it has been already, and even with new ideas the writers decide to use, it’s given almost no focus. It’s frustrating and disheartening.

Second, ofc, is the Darksaber hand off. I have talked previously about one of the largest issues this season being the writers wrapping up Din’s arcs and plots with no real focus or fanfare, and this was another slap in the face in that regard. Officially, every single important thing from the end of S2 has been wrapped up either in a spin off series that shouldn’t even have had sm Din focus, or in the second episode of the third season. Everything that poised Din for a huge character arc at the end of season 2, at a fundamental change and exploration in himself, has been tossed aside. And it makes no sense to do that. So let’s go through them each!

1. Grogu. Throughout the first two seasons Din and Grogu’s relationship was a focus. It was about Din breaking rules and getting into danger to save this kid, his drive to protect him, to connect him with his people, and then to save him from Gideon. We get that line “He is more important to me than you will ever know,” and then Din has to give him away. This sets up exploring how Grogu has changed him, how that relationship has affected them both, how Din now operates without him.

But then he was reunited with Grogu relatively easily, and there has been no focus on how the newfound understanding of Grogu’s importance to Din affects their relationship now. He hasn’t even recognized himself as Grogu’s father yet, and there’s been no real bonding moments past some in the first two episodes and the background shallow cute moments in others. There’s been no side interactions of Din asking about what Grogu learned, or treasuring having him back, or reflecting on his place as a parent, or making sure he doesn’t lose him again. In episode 6 Din even leaves Grogu with strangers he’s just met for the entire episode and that has no fallout or recognition, despite one of them being an ex-imperial.

2. Breaking the creed. Throughout the first two seasons, again, Din’s faith and his adherence to the CotW’s beliefs are a huge focus. From episode one and on we get variations of the question “Why don’t you take off your helmet?” “Just take off your helmet” “don’t mandos never take their helmets off?” And we see Din is willing to die rather than break that, rather than not be Mandalorian anymore in his eyes. But he does anyway. For Grogu. A testament to not only his growth because of him, but to his commitment to Grogu over all else.

And he is in some ways hopeless because of that. He willingly takes off his helmet again to show Grogu his face before he says goodbye, because he is all Din has left at that point, all that matters in the moment.

But, of course, there is no lasting effect. Bathing in the waters, built up to be a season long arc, was aborted to being finished in episode two with relatively extreme ease, and even then, had no lingering focus on what being redeemed meant for Din. There was no questioning or clinging to faith, no discussions of how much this meant for him, no lingering on the bathing (because it was turned into a rescue action scene for Bo’s story!), no discussion of how being accepted back and cleansed affected him. One of the largest parts of the character since his introduction is. A footnote.

3. The darksaber/ruler of Mandalore story. This one’s just. Nothing. Also resolved retroactively in episode 2, and with no plot presence otherwise. To start this out, no I didn’t think Din was going to have this great rise to being Mand’alor, that was never really where the plot was going in my eyes. But no matter where it should’ve gone or what it should’ve been, it should’ve been something. Yes! He doesn’t want it! So show us why, show us what that responsibility or implication means to him, why his sect of culture doesn’t care about it, why he doesn’t believe himself to be the one to rule or unite. Make him giving it up feel as earned as if he’d kept it. This is one of the most frustrating aspects of this episode and a final straw in my vendetta against the writers.

The dark saber doesn’t even make an appearance between episodes two and six, it’s that unimportant. There is no conversation with Paz or the Armorer, who both know Din has it. There is no discussion about what it means with Jedi vs Mando history, or with Bo Katan about her history with it. This therefore makes Din having it pointless. It did nothing beyond maybe some combat scenes and the brief Butt up against Paz in BoBF. Another case of more actual plot engagement being in BoBF than the main show. There was no point for it to change hands to Din, because him having it changed nothing, made no one grow, made no one think. It affected Bo, which I’ll touch on again in a bit, but the story blooming there could’ve come around by many other means and was not tied to Din at all.

But before I dig into that aspect, the amount of times I’ve seen “Din never wanted the saber that’s why hes finding an easy loophole to give it up” “Din likes being a side character” stuff is so!!! Like!!! Yes! He doesn’t want it he doesn’t want action and responsibility and he doesn’t care about it but he is not making choices he is not real he is being written lazily! This is the writers not wanting to engage with their own character that they built up and created and set the arcs in motion for.

A show can have multiple mains, can shift character focus, but “The Mandalorian” at its inception was referring to Din Djarin and there was no precident for that focus to completely shift. This isn’t a show that changes protags every season, he used to be a shape in the title, is on the merch and the branding. And if there is meant to be a protagonist shift it has to be gradual, and to still involve his development in the impact on that other character. The explanation of “Well it’s called The Mandalorian not Din Djarin” just makes me really mad cause yeah? It is? But it’s also called Star Wars and not Luke Skywalker but we still understand he is the main protagonist, even if other characters develop and are present alongside him.

And there’s no excuse to sideline Din, because the truth is he does have growth to get, he does have arcs to explore, the only reason he’s so flat and has nothing to work towards right now is because the writers threw that away. Specifically in ways that did not make sense from a character or writing perspective.

And why is that? Because they wanted to write someone else, they wanted to write Bo Katan.

Which is exciting! I love Bo as a character from what I’ve seen of her. She is complex and flawed and has a deeply fucked up past that’s intrinsically connected to Mandalore and it’s future. That is a fascinating character to work with, and I don’t mind her being more present in Mando as it tracks for the goal of bringing Mandalorians together. But! This plot is not doing her justice either.

Throughout this season Bo has been dragged along through the shallows in her own journey. There has been no discussion of her past, of Death Watch’s terrorism and torture and murder, of Satine, of her several past attempts to lead Mandalore, of her history with the civil wars and with clan Viszla and with so much more. Which is wild, because you’d think a season which has chosen to focus on her would? Give a shit about her? Would actually engage with the character she is and what she brings to the table?

Instead she’s been handed every plot point, reduced to a girlboss leader, and her rise to getting the saber again is not only forced with no real discussion or nuance, but she’s once again been given it on a technicality. Just as Din giving up the saber is not a decision and shift earned by development, Bo getting it again isn’t either.

And as I mentioned earlier, she was affected by Din getting the saber in that it led to her people leaving her, and led her to question things, but it being Din having the saber means nothing. The same thing would’ve happened had anyone else gotten the saber, or had it been vented off into space or lost or hidden or whatever. By giving it to a specific character, that begs for interaction over that ownership, for discussion and reflection and connection with that character.

And yet there has been nothing. Bo and Din have had some good interactions, yes, but the development the show seems to want for Bo, seems to want the audience to be rooting for and going along with, is not being shown.

To make all of this more basic, the issue with this episode and this whole season thus far, is that it refuses to engage with its own ideas to a fault. It doesn’t want to get its hands messy, doesn’t want to untie the complicated and fascinating and fucked up knot it’s tied for itself. Instead it’s slicing through all of those Gordian style and leaving us to wonder about what might’ve been, about what the story seems to want to be.

I love a lot of the concepts this season, I love what it could be. I love the characters and the world and the religion and the politics, but I have to actually see what is set up, what is set in motion, what is built, to feel like I am watching the show I loved at the start.

And though it’s not as relevant to this episode, it feels relevant here: This should’ve been a Mandalorian politics season, not a new republic politics season.

Yes, they are intertwined, but at the moment the new republic development feels like a main focus, meant to set things up for further installments in the franchise or retroactively explain pst choices, and the mandalorian culture a side focus, and this has caused a detriment to both. Neither gets explored in their full complexity and nuance, and the story feels unfocused and weirdly disjointed as a result.

I’ve seen people upset by the great divide or presence of fandom negativity lately and I get that, but I feel there needs to be an understanding that people aren’t hating just to hate, this is a serious disappointment with the tanking quality of the show and it’s lack of commitment to itself. When something doesn’t deliver on what it markets itself to be, what the writing lays a basis for, that breaks trust and engagement and enjoyment, and leads to people being pissed. It happens. You can still enjoy the show, while also recognizing there is a boatload of valid criticism and issues and flawed messages that are making people uncomfortable, disinterested, and angry.

And having expectations doesnt devalue those criticisms either. I’ve seen a lot of talk of like “you wanted it to be something it’s not” and while that’s true in some cases, I had no solid ideas for this season beyond… what it showed it was going to do. And I am trying to engage with the ideas it is presenting. Again, I like the hypothetical arc at play, but the execution just. Isn’t it for me. The writing quality isn’t good and isn’t smooth and as I hope I’ve laid out, isn’t living up to its own potential or ideas.

So. Yeah.

I just want a show to be what it was begging to be, what it set itself up to be, what the characters and plot threads are wanting to be, but aren’t able to reach in their entirety. I want stuff that makes sense, that makes me think, that isn’t bigoted and lazy and frustrating. But I haven’t been getting that. And that really sucks.

TLDR: a train wreck in motion, but it was carrying cargo I would’ve loved to see.

[bludstaine]

she  has  been  so  frequently  melancholic  ,  but  as  it  is  with  milah  who  misses  the  freedom  of  home  .  she  does  not  feel  steady  on  her  feet  ,  in  this  strange  place  and  surrounded  by  faces  and  by  names  she  must  learn  if  she  is  to  survive  this  .  but  then  her  sister  is  here  ,  and  she  breathes  in  slowly  ,  shakily  ,  grounding  herself  in  this  moment  where  it  is  her  and  her  ,  where  it  can  feel  like  home  if  she  closes  her  eyes  and  listens  to  her  voice  .  “  yes  ,  i  suppose  .  it  feels  like  a  bit  of  freedom  up  here  .  ”  she  tilts  her  head  as  her  hands  clasp  before  her  ,  lower  back  leaning  up  against  the  wall  as  she  meets  erena's  gaze  .  “  i  am  —  homesick  ,  but  i  shall  survive  it  .  at  least  we're  all  in  the  one  place  ,  where  they  can  keep  an  eye  on  all  of  us  .  ”

it  is  boredom  that  brings  erena  to  a  reclusive  space.  or  at  least,  so  she  thought.  although  the  young  bolton  has  embraced  the  clothes  of  the  reach,  the  direct  sunlight  still  proves  a  challenge  to  a  skin  so  used  to  cold.  she  seeks  shelter  from  it  —  and  from  all  the  southerners  that  think  themselves  friends  just  because  they  share  a  temporary  home.  ❝ does  it  matter,  sister?  the  dragons  are  already  keeping  us  here.  the  least  they  could  do  is  let  us  have  our  whimsical  explorations. ❞  words  spoken  as  the  distance  between  them  gets  shorter  and  shorter.  erena  seeks  shade.  ❝ are  you  doing  alright,  milah? ❞   

[wcrfcres]

CLOSED STARTER ✦ gwyneth allyrion ( @traegedys )

every detail of the plan is crucial , scrutinizing is a must . one , twice , thrice , and four times , at least . like a scene from a staged play , acted out to his preference , strings tugged and spun to his will . steps , turns , and lifts executed without missing a single beat . vein pulsing on necks , sweat trickling , and chests rising to a melody of his choosing , his creation . his father taught him well , and he will see to it that he is worthy of this legacy that was passed to his capable hands . ❝ i don't need any of your nonsense sulking at the ball . ❞ his sister's frivolities will not ruin a life's work . she can mope , scream , and throw how many tantrums she so desires across the narrow sea , when and only if she has secured a wedding band on her finger — the only way he might consider forgiving her . ❝ do you understand , gwyneth ? ❞

[morewoe]

closed for @traegedys

Blue  eyes  scanned  the  room  from  the  edges,  watching  as  people  laughed,  and  danced,  and  talked.  It  was  a  cacophony  of  music  and  voices,  of  feet  against  floor  as  they  danced  and  laughter  from  groups,  and  utterly  overwhelming,  even  if  it  was  beautiful.  With  her  dance  card  in  hand,  Myranda  found  herself  walking  the  edges  of  the  room,  running  fingers  over  the  opals  as  she  watched,  as  much  an  entertainment  as  any  play  they  had  put  on  in  the  previous  nights.  She  found  a  lot  could  be  learned  from  quiet  watching,  though  as  she  made  eye  contact  with  another,  she  found  herself  stopping,  giving  a  gentle  smile.  "It  is  a  beautiful  night,  is  it  not?  Are  you  enjoying  yourself,  my  liege?"

[morewoe]

"You  can  speak  plainly  with  me,  my  liege."  While  he  may  not  be  able  to  fix  problems,  he  did  pride  himself  on  being  able  to  relieve  burden  from  those  he  was  sworn  to  protect.  And,  at  the  very  least,  wanted  to  keep  himself  appraised  of  the  tensions  within  his  houses.  "Everyone  seems  rather  caught  up  in  the  celebrations,  as  is  their  right.  But  there  is  much  and  more  to  be  done,  before  I  can  class  my  duty  as  fulfilled."  He  shrugged,  taking  another  bite  of  the  lemon  tart.  At  the  very  least,  he  could  make  no  complaint  about  the  food.  "I  have  not  been  made  privy  of  any  plans.  But  that  speaks  little  of  the  actual  plans  being  made.  I  can  assure  you,  I  will  do  everything  in  my  power  to  have  us  return  home."  The  issue  being,  his  power.  Looking  to  some  of  the  great  lords,  he  couldn't  help  but  think  himself  lacking  in  the  same  strength  they  seemed  to  ooze.

such  large  events  make  arwyn  nervous  and  the  setting  of  them  only  adds  to  the  restlessness  that  creeps  underneath  their  skin.  with  a  familiar  face  near  them,  however,  the  liege  from  seagard  considers  themselves  lucky  —  a  welcome  company  in  the  midst  of  a  garden  filled  with  roses  whose  thorns  are  bigger  than  their  petals.  ❝ hospitable.  that  is  certainly  one  word  for  it. ❞  words  escape  tainted  with  hesitation,  knowing  there  is  no  hospitality  towards  their  family  —  not  if  the  queen  has  anything  to  do  with  it.  there  is  even  a  part  of  arwyn  that  thinks  it  was  all  done  to  keep  them  in  one  place,  the  royals  well  aware  of  it.  ❝ i  reckon  even  more  so  with  this  event,  especially  with  the  jousts  and  all  that  there  is  to  do.  i  do  not  suppose  the  queen  has  seen  fit  to  tell  the  lieges  of  the  regions  when  we  are  to  head  back  home. ❞ 

[crimsonsbled]

there  was  a  shift  in  the  air  ,  something  different  ,  something  aerion  couldn’t  quite  place  .  his  brows  furrowed  ,  lines  creasing  his  forehead  as  he  glanced  at  his  lady  wife  .  "  joanna  ,  "  he  called  softly  ,  though  his  voice  resonated  through  their  chambers  .  "  dearest  ,  has  something  happened  ?  "  worry  tinged  his  tone  .  “  what  is  it  ?  ”

CLOSED  STARTER  for  joanna  targaryen  (  @traegedys  )

[proelium]

❛  i  believe  i  will  retire  for  the  evening  ,  soon  .  ❜  entertaining  enough  that  mel  hadn't  spent  the  evening  in  letters  ,  curating  careful  responses  to  each  though  thought  that  her  time  would  be  better  spent  in  the  back  of  their  mind  .  it  had  been  long  enough  for  appearance's  sake  that  no  one  would  bat  an  eye  ,  though  there  were  not  many  that  could  make  melantha  feel  guilt  for  anything  .  they glanced at @traegedys before back to those still dancing .

[crvwncd]

the  grand  ball,  with @traegedys

customary  with  the  westerosi  events  ,  malaya  chose  to  exist  on  the  outskirts  .  the  amethyst  dangled  from  their  wrist  in  their  small  show  of  good  will  as  they  picked  through  the  throng  of  people  to  refill  their  goblet  with  the  selections  of  wine  ,  a  pause  in  their  step  when  they  came  close  to  stepping  on  another  .  "  excuse  me  .  i'd  like  to  get  around  you  ,  please .  "  with  as  little  socialization  as  possible  though  it  didn't  seem  she  could  get  away  with  that  as  she  had  the  rest  of  the  celebration  .