#((a bit more like his mother; in contrast to his more withdrawn father and sister!))

[hearttohaato]

Encanto OC Event Week 2

Part 2: Tomás Herrera & Others

(Part 1 Here)

The second half of my OC relationship info post - this'll include some info about Tomás's bonds with my other OCs, as well as those background OCs' relationships with each other and canon characters.

@encanto-extended-edition

Tomás in regards to his natal family:

Tomás is the youngest in a family of four, born to Lucía and Horacio Herrera.

Lucía was a schoolteacher and volunteer in the town library, who passed away when Tomás was still a child. Tomás loved and admired his mother, considering her to have been a saint in life. The memories he has of her are fond ones, recalling her as being a kind woman without a bad word to say about anyone. He thinks highly of her optimism and humility, and her ability to make anyone feel understood and listened to.

Lucía as well as Tomás's older brother, Mateo, are both canonically deceased as per the events of the story the Herrera family is introduced in. This leaves Tomás and his father as the last living of their family within the Encanto.

Horacio used to be a mason, having to retire early due to weakness in his legs. Between this and the loss of his parents, his wife, and eventually his oldest son, Horacio sometimes thinks he's cursed - but his one silver lining is his remaining son, Tomás. Horacio has zero qualms about being openly affectionate with Tomás both physically and verbally, and though he's a little oblivious at times, he only wants the best for his boy. Tomás in turn is a loyal and protective son to Horacio, willing to put up with a little embarrassment if it makes his father happy. It doesn't matter how old Tomás gets, he'll always be his papá's conejito.

Art by cringecanto (right)

It's a bit self-indulgent of me, but I'm of the mind that when Tomás marries into the family, Casita springs up a small in-law suite for Horacio so he won't have to spend his days in an empty house. I also am of the mind that in their youth Horacio and Bruno were quite friendly with each other, due to both more or less being underdogs with not a lot of friends between them.

Horacio likely approached Bruno before his wife's passing, just on the off chance he saw her make a miraculous recovery. That isn't what he saw, of course. But though devastated, Horacio accepted the result with as much grace as he could and didn't blame Bruno or his visions for the bad news.

They ended up losing touch when Bruno became more withdrawn and eventually "left", but upon Bruno's return to society their friendship ends up picking right back up where it left off. When Tomás marries into the family and Horacio tags along, he and Bruno spend a good amount of their time having tea and playing cards as old men tend to do.

The rest under the cut to spare the poor dashboards out there!

The Patch:

The Patch, or El Parche, is the group name I use to refer to Camilo's small group of older friends, including Tomás (as introduced in the previous post). They're childhood friends; as a unit and individually they're all well-liked young men within their peers and the community as a whole, decently popular in different ways. They initially were meant to be unnamed background characters whose designs were pulled from random Encantownies, but I accidentally got attached to them and now they all have proper designs and development. Such is my life.--

Cristián Vargas, Rafael Molina, Santiago Torres, Tomás Herrera

Santiago (22) is the oldest not only of the friend group but of his own siblings, of which he's got 6 younger sisters and brothers. He's the designated 'mom friend' by nature, easily slotting into leadership positions and able to keep a handle on multiple goings-on at once. That said he very much is a mother hen type, a bit fussy and prone to scolding his siblings and friends (usually Rafael) whenever they start steering towards bad decisions.

Tomás and Santi are usually on the same page when it comes to caution and forethought, contrasting with Rafa and Cris's more go-with-the-flow attitudes. Santi's compassionate nature makes it easy for him to pick up on what Tomás is feeling without him voicing it, taking it upon himself to either make decisions based on what Tomás would most prefer or urging the others to do so instead. Tomás appreciates Santi looking out for him, feeling it alleviates pressure off of his own shoulders when he's unsure of what to do.

Rafael (21) is the most boisterous of all of them, the beacon of activity and extroversion to balance out his more subdued companions. He's a risk-taker and extremely liberal-minded about topics that usually wouldn't be openly bragged out, often leading to Santi urging him to keep it down (which will inevitably be ignored or expanded upon specifically to make Santi flustered).

His loud and brash personality clashes with Tomás's reserved ways, but the two have a unique bond despite the expected incompatibility; Rafael is not at all discouraged by Tomás's quietness and Tomás isn't put off by Rafael's brazenness. They both think the other is easy to communicate with - Tomás never has to guess what Rafa's feelings are and Rafa likes Tomás's predilection for being a listening ear.

Cristián (20) is far old enough now to have an identity and social circle separate to those of his twin brother César, but when he was a young child he used to be very shy and hesitant to leave his brother's side. When Santi and Rafa became his friends it was the first time he felt comfortable with something (or someone) that was more or less his own - so when his new friends started chatting with Tomás he felt a little threatened. Fears of abandonment were unfounded though, as not only did his friends not dump him in favor of the New Kid, but he very quickly realized why they liked Tomás and ended up getting attached to him too.

As adults they have similar mellow temperaments and get along quite nicely, though Cris's vastly improved self-assurance has made him a lot more laidback and unflappable than the more organized and prim Tomás. Tomás admires Cris's ability to be both steadfast and considerate, unwavering in what he believes in but knowing when to handle situations with delicateness and care.

When Camilo entered the picture and turned the Patch into a five-man-band, all four of the older members collectively decided that he was more or less their joint little brother. Santiago attempts to provide Camilo with proper advice and look out for him in ways an older brother should, which often means trying to make sure Rafael keeps his crude language in check around him. Rafael usually does not, taking a completely different approach to being and older brother and totally enabling Camilo's mischievous nature. Cristián is somewhere in the middle, oftentimes siding with Santi or Rafa purely based on what he think would have the most entertaining result.

Beyond this though Cris is a unique source of understanding for Camilo, as Cris is the only other person he knows who doesn't experience romantic attraction for anyone and has no interest in dating. He could have asked Bruno, of course, but solidarity feels a little better coming from someone close to his own age rather than his quirky hermit uncle.--

Cris, Santi and Rafa are the older brothers to Cecilia, Alejandra and Juancho (the town kids) respectively.

Other relationships to Encantownies include:

Santi and Alejandra have five other siblings, and José (the tall fellow Camilo shifts into near the start of the movie) is their tío. Osvaldo is a tío to Rafael and Juancho, as well as their teenaged sister. Cris's parents are seen bringing Cecilia into Casita before Antonio's ceremony, and his twin brother César is the young man who asks Luisa to help upright his leaning house.

Other OCs:

Claudia Reyes (19) is the young lady with the drum seen during The Family Madrigal, whose family owns the music shop they're playing in front of. Beside her are her brother-in-law on the left and her father on the right.

She's Rafael's long-time girlfriend, on his same wavelength of open-mindedness and free spirit. They've been in a strange will-they-won't-they situation since they were teenagers, with Rafael playing it off like they're not all that serious and just messing around. Everyone knows Rafa's totally full of it and is head over heels for her though, including Claudia who's more or less just waiting for him to finally get around to proposing. They're going to have at least 4 kids together.

She knows the rest of the Patch more or less as her boyfriend's friends, but there's still rapport between them and Claudia's more than welcome to hang with the boys whenever she wants. On top of that, she's also Luisa's good friend who oftentimes will suggest Luisa try out outrageous things in an effort to push her out of her comfort zone.

The town librarian, usually referred to as the Maestro, is an enigmatic yet helpful figure in town whose mission in life is the sharing of knowledge. They can be considered everyone's friend, though like Horacio they have a kinship with Bruno that goes back quite a few years. All perfectly platonic, mind you! Additionally, given Lucía's history of volunteering in the library, the Maestro also is on good terms with the Herrera family and still keeps in touch with Horacio pretty regularly.

And I think those are the most notable relationships to get into for now! Up next will be the AU posts, and... boy, do I have a lot of those. 🫠

#encanto oc event #encanto oc appreciation #encanto ocs #haato art #friend art #tomás herrera #cristián vargas #santiago torres #rafael molina #claudia reyes #encanto librarian #horacio herrera #lucía herrera #also there's hints of my headcanon that camilo (and bruno) are aroace in here

[theheadlessgroom]

https://beatingheart-bride.tumblr.com/post/657225007438708736/beatingheart-bride-theheadlessgroom

@beatingheart-bride

Once again, Randall wondered to himself: How does she do it? How did she make time simply slow to a crawl whenever she kissed him, make it feel like the world had stopped turning when he was here with her, lips pressed together in the most gentle and loving of kisses? He wasn’t sure if it was simply her or if there was something bewitching about the lipstick or perfume she wore (the taste and scent of which lingered after they’d pulled away), but it was like magic when they kissed, and he hoped that magic would never fade away.

“W-Wow...” he breathed once more when they parted, still in one another’s arms as he gazed at her with heavily-lidded eyes, eyes which glowed warmly with love and adoration as he sighed, “Y-You’re...you’re amazing.”

Dizzy with love, he gingerly reached a slender hand out to brush an errant lock of golden hair out of her face (having come loose during their more raucous dancing earlier), smiling ear to ear as he did. He knew it was still very, very early in their relationship, but even so, he felt like he was on Cloud 9 when she was near, and he never wished to come down from this proverbial high, which enticed him to kiss her cheek again, all aglow with love and joy.

#((i can DEFIDENTLY see lon being very theatrical just like his uncle dori; i think both his mother and aunt would be a big influence)) #((in terms of him getting into acting; maybe he'd get his start on the stage like emily did and then move on to film)) #((and i defidently see him being a bit more mellow than his uncle! if erika is a bit more like randall in how she's a bit more soft-spoken)) #((and even a little shy i feel like lon is a little bit more of a social butterfly; much more at ease around people)) #((a bit more like his mother; in contrast to his more withdrawn father and sister!)) #((i can see him very personable; very open-i feel like he might be a bit like his grandfather; being very confident)) #((and maybe even a bit boisterous! defidently in contrast to the shyer and softer-spoken erika!)) #((and i think it'd touch randall and emily to see their kids following in their mother's footsteps; taking tinseltown and broadway by storm) #((and being the next big thing in the movies! nicholas would hate it; i can defidently see him getting escorted out by security)) #((when he sees that the son of randall and emily is replacing him on a movie he pinned his comeback hopes and dreams on)) #((but there won't be much he can do about it; other than just sit there and fume!)) #outofhatboxes #beatingheart-bride #V:Sweethearts of the Silver Screen

[riddlecrux]

What is past is present: Azriel and Elain, Helion and Lady of Autumn Court

This post is going to be a long one. I will be talking about parallels between Helion - Lady of Autumn Court - Beron and Azriel - Elain - Lucien situation. How their relationships mirror each other, how the blood duel mentioned in ACOSF and ACOWAR will come to an end, but also how the first triangle was used as a plot device in ACOWAR. I believe it is not a coincidence that SJM decided to put these scenes and histories in the same book with such a short span of time passing between things happening on the pages of their story. I would like to say that this post is a pro Elriel meta, so if they are not your cup of tea please scroll past this. Many thanks to Gardening Tools, especially @silverlinedeyes !

We are going to start with the Lady of Autumn Court and the scene at the High Lord’s council. She is there with her husband, Beron and as the conversation surrounding Hybern increases in intensity, we are presented with a bit of background information about the Lady.

Lady of the Autumn Court had 2 sisters that died during Hybern's soldiers' attack. We got to see another family of three sisters, two of them dying for their sister. What's even more important is a mention of Hybern's war camps and how it's very unlikely for anyone to survive their time there.

Here Beron taunts Kallias by telling his mate that Hybern and his people probably torture and abuse women before killing them. (Please be sure to remember that because we're going to go back to this notion later in this post.)

Another big insight about Lady's life and this particular accident comes from no one else but Helion.

Few things that are very important to mention: - she had already given birth to a few of her children - Hybern directly attacked the estate they were in - her sisters let her run away because they loved her - she tried to fight and stay with them till they convinced her to run - the beasts sent by Hybern tailed her and finally cornered her in a trap

What Feyre says in this particular scene - about Helion knowing too many details holds great importance for the further quotes. We also get to know that, in fact, it was Helion who rescued the Lady - not only saved but found her. The setup, the build-up and the fact that it wasn't her "husband" that came for her are the main things I wish to bring attention to, as we are going to analyze different scenes from the same book with this knowledge.

He could have ended it differently, yet he didn't. Why? The question seems to be imprinted in Feyre's mind as she tries to connect the dots and points she was given, just like us readers. I do believe that what we are being presented with is the notion of the mating bond. Helion's rage at Lady's attack projects typical mate behavior - such as unnecessary violence against the ones who dared to hurt their mate. It also goes with the information of him finding her - how was that possible? Her husband wasn't there, it was Helion who essentially knew that something was wrong. How? Well, by applying the mating bond in this picture we can easily deduct few things: Helion probably felt her distraught through the bond, was able to locate her and save her.

Another insight given by Helion is about Lady's relationship with Beron. Not only it gives us information about her young age (cue to Rhysand's mother and how her young age was also brought up as something very disturbing and not in favour of some mating bonds), but also we get to know that her marriage was arranged. Just like the reader, Feyre is left with these very personal insights and detailed descriptions - so she presses Helion more, to speak, to see if her suspicions are correct.

Another person jumps into the conversation and it is Mor who hands the information of a possible romance between Lady and Helion. We learn that both of them met at an equinox ball before she was proposed with an arranged marriage with Beron. Feyre's curiosity is evident in the way she perks up at Mor's words. Helion on the other hand counter-attacks and provides us with the political background of the story. The Lady was basically left without a choice when it came to her love life.

Helion saved Beron's wife during the war. And Beron didn't know and still doesn't have an idea that it was Helion who saved the Lady.

Feyre tries to fish for more information - and Helion seems to be very reluctant to answer her question about his relationship with the Lady. It makes us think that, in fact, their relationship was somehow forbidden, being kept in secret. Moreover, what's even more interesting is the fact that we suddenly have a shift of focus on another person - Azriel. We are deliberately made aware of the fact that Azriel is listening to this important conversation.

We are starting to see Helion becoming slightly less humorous - Feyre can spot the difference between his usual self and the way he delivers his question. It suggests that the relationship and potential mating bond is a very touchy subject for him.

Their forbidden relationship went on for decades. They were secret lovers till Beron found about them. We see that contrast between the Lady with Helion - all brightness and smiles, Lady with Beron - withdrawn, timid, scared.

I clenched my teeth. “If you were her lover, why didn’t you stop it?” The wrong thing to say. Utterly wrong, by the dark fury that rippled across Helion’s face. “Beron is a High Lord, and she is his wife, mother of his brood. She chose to stay. Chose. And with the protocols and rules, Lady, you will find that most situations like the one you were in do not end well for those who interfere.”

Helion reacts with anger at Feyre's inquiry about his lack of participation in the case of the Lady's wellbeing. "Dark fury rippling across Helion's face" is also an interesting word choice. Again we are reminded that their romance was meant to end that way due to the notions of choice and politics.

“Beron never called you out for it?” “To publicly do so would be to admit that his possession made a fool of him. So we continue our little dance, these centuries later.” I somehow doubted that beneath that roguish charm and irreverence, Helion felt it was a dance at all.

Helion reminds us about politics that bind different Courts - in this case, we can easily see that the matter of choice in this example ends with Lady choosing duty over love. It also supplies us with an idea that if Helion would have wanted to fight for Lady he would need to participate in a blood duel. Yet, the Lady chose Beron - we don't know why Helion probably was left alone with the same question. However, by analyzing this situation I believe that Lady knew about the possibility of a blood duel happening she didn't want her potential mate to be hurt. So, in the end, she opted for a life in a loveless marriage with Beron. Furthermore, we have Rhysand and Feyre coming to the conclusion that Lucien is Helion's son - and he is the fruit of the loving relationship between Helion and the Lady.

What does this mean, though? Nothing—ultimately nothing. Other than the fact that Lucien might be Helion’s sole heir. And that … it changed nothing in this war. Especially not with Lucien on the continent, hunting that enchanted queen. A bird of flame … and a lord of fire. I wondered if they’d found each other yet.

The usage of the word "this war" is not a coincidence, as well as Rhysand's poor prediction of the future. Because as we know, right now - it changes a lot. Elain being his mate bounds him to the Night Court, so losing that relationship puts the Court at risk. Especially now, when Lucien doesn't know that Helion is his father. Another very important addition is the part about Lucien and Vassa. Feyre has prophetic tendencies and her thoughts about both Vassa and Lucien always focus on their... relationship. Not to mention that it was brought up after that whole conversation with Helion. With all these things above, I would like to move on to Elriel parallels. Starting with the Cauldron kidnapping Elain. Please bear in mind that this scene happens after the meeting with Helion, after learning about the story of Lady's and Helion's romance.

But Azriel asked softly, “What about Elain?”

The one who noticed that Elain was absent was Azriel, we can speculate whatever it was his intuition, his shadows, or perhaps some kind of feeling that made him aware of her absence. Yet, it's not a coincidence that another male character, the one who doesn't have an official mate is the only one who either felt/realized that she was taken. That's the first parallel I would love to bring to your attention - Helion was the one who found and rescued the Lady. Now, the situation is almost identical - Hybern attacks via Cauldron takes Elain to the war camps.

And what Hybern would do to Elain, might already be doing— From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “I’m getting her back.” Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. Nesta said, “Then you will die.” Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, “I’m getting her back.”

Azriel reacts with rage, a silent debate raging within him. He is battling something deep inside him, which is obstructed from the reader's point of view. I wonder why? He is the one who swears to find her and rescue her. Also, worth mentioning how Feyre seems to realize the graveness of the situation - as if she can remember the conversation she had with Helion about what happened with sisters of the Lady of Autumn Court. War camps. Nobody would walk away from them alive.

We looked to Rhys, to Cassian and Nesta, to Mor—right as she appeared, breathless, between the tent flaps. Her eyes went to me, then the shadowsinger, and flared with shock and fear—

In this scene we also have Mor. Mor was present during Helion's conversation and gave input about their love and forbidden relationship. Mor that possess the power of Truth. Is it possible that Mor knew about the mating bond between Helion and the Lady? Is it possible that Mor knows about the truth of the mating bond between Lucien and Elain? Does Mor know about the potential mating bond between Azriel and Elain? There are so many questions and we don't get an answer. Mor keeps secrets, which is understandable yet it provides a whole new aspect of Mor being the one who realizes what's happening. (Not to mention that Mor is always present when Elain is with Lucien, assessing them.)

Screaming. A shadow gripped my shoulder, reminding me not to run. Ianthe would not run—would not show alarm. My mouth went dry as that scream sounded again. I couldn’t bear it—to let it go on, to see what was being done— Azriel’s shadow-hand grasped my own, tugging me closer. His rage rippled off his invisible form.

It is Azriel who reacts once again with - rage. At the thought of Elain being tortured, abused, or being killed. Feyre can't stomach the idea of what is happening to her sister in this war camp.

I could feel Jurian’s smile against my ear. “She’s in his tent. Chained with steel and a little spell from his favorite book.” Shit. Shit. Perhaps I should have gotten Helion, who could break almost any—

The mention of Helion is such a beautiful parallel. We, as readers, are amidst a rescue mission. A situation that was very similarly described few chapters before, a situation in which it was Helion in Azriel's shoes. In the past it was - Helion and Lady, here in the "future" we have - Azriel and Elain. The same circumstances - Hybern attack/Hybern powers, three sisters, and the only one is targeted, a savior that isn't husband/mate finding and rescuing the girl.

Azriel gently removed the gag from her mouth. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head, devouring the sight of him as if not quite believing it. “You came for me.” The shadowsinger only inclined his head.

I could write a whole meta about this quote because it's ridden with such enormous parallels and foreshadowing. Let's start with the simplest one, which is the word "devour". It has very strong connections to physicality, it basically means that Elain greedily took him in, he was her focal point at that moment. Also, the following addition of her not quite believing that, in fact, it is Azriel who arrived before her - she hadn't expected him to rescue her and you may be wondering why? It all beautifully goes with the idea of two mates/true mates theories - what is making me say this with so much certainty? Well, first of all, ACOWAR is full of descriptions of how a healthy mating bond works, for example, Feysand one. It's a bridge connecting two souls through which our emotions, thoughts can be perceived for the other person.

Find me, find me, find me, I tried shouting down that bond. But my mate’s wry voice didn’t answer. There was only the roaring void.

This happens at the begging of ACOWAR when Feyre tries to communicate with Rhysand through their mating bond. I find it very interesting that throughout the whole book the trope of "finding your true love, significant other" is very persistent. This brings me back to the theory that both Azriel and Helion heard their mates' cries of help and that's how they were able to rescue them and find them. In addition to that Elain's "you came for me" is striking so many questions. What does she mean? Why is she so docile and peaceful? As if she somehow had an idea that someone will come for her - did she perhaps inwardly call through the mating bond? This, again, brings us to another parallel - Beron doesn't know that it was Helion who rescued the Lady. Lucien doesn't know that it was Azriel who saved Elain - which, we really don't know if he even felt/knew that something has happened.

The hounds closed in, two breaking away—to cut to the side. To herd us. For that was a cliff at the other edge of the camp. A cliff with a very, very long drop, and unforgiving river below.

I'm bringing this up because the setting is oddly familiar with the run of Lady of Autumn's one. The isolated place, a trap etc.

Azriel’s roar echoed off the rocks as the hound slammed into him, dragging those shredding talons down his spine, his wings— The girl screamed, but Elain moved. As Azriel battled to keep them airborne, keep his grip on them, my sister sent a fierce kick into the beast’s face. Its eye. Another. Another. It bellowed, and Elain slammed her bare, muddy foot into its face again. The blow struck home. With a yelp of pain, it released its claws—and plunged into the ravine.

Parallel on parallel. We have Hybern's beasts, we have a similar setting again and fight. What is different, however, is that in Helion's case it was solely him that destroyed beasts while rescuing the Lady. Here, however, it is Elain that fights against beasts - she who had never trained, she who is a gardener is fighting against evil. She is kicking as the beasts hurt Azriel. She took the initiative and killed the beast at that moment when they previously hurt Azriel. Also, the most beautiful comparison in my opinion is the fact that after Elain knocks the beast it falls down the ravine, dying. It is somehow very symbolic that Elain kills the beast that falls into the ravine, whereas Lady of Autumn is stuck in the ravine as beasts approach her and it is the moment when Helion saves her.

The gray light of morning had broken over the world, mist clinging to our ankles as we headed into that camp, Azriel still cradling Elain to his chest. He dripped blood behind him the entire time—a trickle compared to the torrent that should be leaking out.

After that intense battle, they arrive in the safety, but Azriel still holds on Elain even if he himself is bleeding all over the place.

Rhys lunged for Azriel, taking Elain from him and gently setting my sister down. Azriel rasped, swaying on his feet, “We need Helion to get these chains off her.” Yet Elain didn’t seem to notice them as she rose up on her toes and kissed the shadowsinger’s cheek.

Another mention of Helion in that very parallel setting. He was very present during the rescue mission, which is a neat way of showering the audience with foreshadowing. If I wanted to indulge even more in the symbolism of this scene, I would point out that the chains on Elain are very symbolic as well. They could either mean the restrain of her powers, but also the chains of the "lack of freedom", "lack of choice". Being freed by both Azriel and Helion is something that I believe is very important to remember while waiting for the next book. Because even if Elain is a mirror to Lady - Elain will change the course of her story. Elain is going to choose love over duty, she will choose Azriel - which ends with them discovering that, in fact, the bond was there from the beginning. Helion getting rid of those chains is also a metaphor for what is to come. He will break Lady's chains by fighting with Beron during the blood duel. In this timeline, Azriel and Elain are symbolism of healthy love, mating bond, freedom of choice. Lucien doesn't mirror Beron, because he himself doesn't want to be with Elain since both of them don't feel comfortable with each other, they are making each other miserable. Not to mention the fact that their mating bond is... very weak and through the ACOWAR and ACOSF we see that it is different from the true mating bonds that are present in the universe. Azriel-Elain-Lucien triangle will break the past wheel of unhappiness and forced love, changing it by their own rules of free choice. As for Helion-Lady-Beron love story, if I may be so bold, the blood duel is going to happen and Beron will die - freeing Lady and Helion from him and politics that kept them away. If you are still not sure if these two situations are foreshadowing I would love to put this quote as the ending of this very long meta.

Azriel shrugged. “We—Rhys, Cass, and I—will occasionally remind each other that what we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength. And that the most unlikely person can alter the course of history.”

And as you can guess, that very unlikely person who altered the course of history in ACOWAR was Elain when she killed King of Hybern.

#elriel #elain x azriel #elain and azriel #elriel meta #pro elain archeron #elriel acowar #acowar meta

[brackenfur]

i actually wrote a small pre-relationship tallpoppy/stonefur thing from me n @exaggerated-yawning ‘s au ....i rly love tallstone and enjoy it omg so just have this drabble that i was able to pump out after i got home frm work tonight omg

He must be having a nightmare again, Tallpoppy thinks as she watches him shiver in his nest. In his waking hours, Stonefur is usually more withdrawn and quiet; it’s a stark contrast to a time before, of a tom that she remembers from Gatherings as being so full of confidence in himself and his family. Not of the arrogant kind; just a cat who knew his path in life and want he wanted for himself. Seemingly not glory or fame, not a high position (although he got that eventually) just the joy of being in his home with his family at his side. 

So many cats, Tallpoppy thinks, go through their lives not realizing that sometimes that’s all they truly want; to belong, to have a shared community. She thinks of Brokenstar, who she remembers from her kitdays, who constantly shied away from ShadowClan and withdrew into himself until the resentment for Lizardstripe, and the coddling Raggedstar gave him boiled over until he couldn’t contain it. Of Tigerstar - a tom she didn’t grow up around, but knew just as well from Gatherings, proud and arrogant and so blinded by needless ambition, that he lost his Clan and family from his own doing and is now spending his days trying to recover from that blow by punishing others for what he lacks.

But Stonefur, before TigerClan, wasn’t like that. She didn’t know him well before helping rescue him from Blackfoot, but she felt as though she understood him from a distance. What you see is what you get, one of those cats.

But then again, no one is really like that; she remembers the collective shock of ShadowClan when Tigerstar told them how Stonefur and Mistyfoot were half-ThunderClan, sired by Oakheart but carried by Bluestar. The way he recalled it, amber eyes stirring with hatred and disgust - Tallpoppy thinks that part of why it bothers him so much is that the cat who mothered Stonefur is the cat who drove him from ThunderClan, and he wanted to go for the next best thing after Bluestar now that she’s gone from this world: her children. 

And not just Bluestar’s, either; Tallpoppy remembers seeing two apprentice-aged cats huddled together tightly, eyes fearful and wide as they take in the ShadowClan warriors before them. RiverClan apprentices from the look of them, but there was something about their head shape, the molly’s too-thick coat-

“RiverClan doesn’t just house two half-Clan cats, but four,” Tigerstar had hissed to them, narrowing his eyes at the apprentices. “Crookedstar’s grandkits have a ThunderClan father; how embarrassing for his legacy.”

It was that moment that Tallpoppy had felt as though she had enough; her children, her kits, were taken from her. Killed by Brokenstar at three moons old. There was no funeral, no ceremony. No one gathered for a vigil to send her kittens to StarClan and wish them well on their journey. Dawncloud and Brightflower pressed against her sides, murmuring that they would be there for her through this - but that was all. Her kittens are dead, and ShadowClan had to move on. No one had tears to shed again for a dead litter; it was too common for them now, that it almost felt as though no one but her mourned them truly.

She tears her thoughts from her kittens, though; she has to, in order to get through the next day, and the day after that. And the next. It’s something that the queens of ShadowClan have learned over the past seasons.

But that idea - of killing two apprentices, just for their parentage, was something she’d rather turn a rogue than to go and perform. This wasn’t the forest she was born into anymore.

Stonefur twitches again, and Tallpoppy blinks at him softly; in the moonlight, his blue-gray fur shines brightly. The patches of missing fur from where Blackfoot attacked him are almost grown back, but some of the wounds have scarred too horribly for any fur to grow back. She looks at the one on his side, and her stomach tightens.

He’s a strong tom. He lost his home; his leader was perfectly comfortable with him being killed to suit Tigerstar’s needs. But as he stayed with the rebels in ShadowClan, with Littlecloud nursing him back to health, Tallpoppy did not think he would stay with them. Perhaps go back with his sister and her son to RiverClan, or maybe join ThunderClan.

But, just as shockingly, he began...talking to her. Well, she talked to him first, mostly; he was still too shell-shocked, too shook up to really carry on a conversation for too long. Their first conversations consisted of her reminding him that he wasn’t their prisoner, that he could go anywhere he liked - he was just here to heal, but if he didn’t want to stay, she understood that.

But after awhile, they began to talk more; it was awkward and guarded at first, due to their differences, but the walls began to drop the more they understood each other.

He’s proud and strong-willed because his father taught him to be; Oakheart was a tom of confidence and generosity. His father had to protect his brother from their Clan at a young age, and Stonefur and Mistyfoot were taught to protect each other. He has a bit of a temper that he says is from his mother; when Tallpoppy’s whiskers twitched, he explained that Graypool had quite the temper, and no one could really calm her down once she started to fire up. 

Maybe it’s because his personality compliments the side of hers that is instinctively protective, that tries to look at the best in life and tries to move forward with what she has, but they did grow closer over the moon before the battle with BloodClan.

And after that, he stayed.

He didn’t explain why, exactly; he merely shrugged and said that Mistyfoot is Leopardstar’s new deputy, and she can keep the other molly and check from there. That his sister will always be his sister regardless of the Clan. But Tallpoppy mostly thinks it’s because you can’t go back to that; to a Clan who wanted you dead, and a leader who turned a blind eye to it. Mistyfoot is as badly damaged from it as he is, but Tallpoppy also knows that she wasn’t the one under Blackfoot’s claws - that was Stonefur. Every scratch, every bite, every wound opened - it was on Stonefur. She thinks that there’s a difference in that.

Tallpoppy nestles closer to him; he started to sleep next to her when the nightmares came back. Strangely, after all is said and done - with Tigerstar dead, BloodClan defeated, and ShadowClan trying to begin a new chapter again, wondering who will lead them next and if they’re ready to move forward, and how, she still has nightmares.

About her kits, mostly. But sometimes it’s about herself, too; where she’s the one that Brokenstar is taking out for battle training, while her kits watch.

Stonefur didn’t say anything that first night, merely plopped next to her and went to sleep. But his presence helped; a familiar scent of someone who is trying to get back on his own paws was nice to have. 

But now it’s him who’s having the nightmare; he twitches in his sleep, eyelids fluttering. Tallpoppy frowns; she cares about him in a way that’s new for her, something that’s hard for her to put her claw on. Her kit’s father was just a fellow warrior; it wasn’t a courtship of that kind. She’s never really had relationships outside of her friends and Clanmates; but this thing, with Stonefur, it’s different. She finds herself aching for his companionship in a way that’s just different from Dawncloud or Littlecloud’s friendships; she wants them to sleep in the same nest for every night they have left together. She wants him at her side when ShadowClan decides to go to the next Gathering, and to look down (because, adorably, he is shorter than her) and see him there. To do the whole tail-twine, gaze up at the sunset thing that she’s seen so many couples do ever since she was a ‘paw.

But mostly, she’s just glad to be here with him, to know she has someone at her side through this confusing time.

She leans down and licks his ears; he doesn’t instantly relax at first, but as she moves closer to him, nosing his cheek, he slowly does, leaning into her touch.

#srry mobile users if it doesnt like cut off under the readmore #shark noises #writings #wc #tallstone #long post #jic

[the-cookie-of-doom]

Equilibrium

@maia-nebula enjoy 2k of lightly-angsty Mitch/Derek!

It was the waiting that wore Mitch down. He couldn’t stand it, waiting around for something to happen, unable to do anything. Logically he knew he couldn’t expect Derek to just get better after everything he’s gone through, it doesn’t work that way. That doesn’t stop Mitch from feeling like a lion pacing in a too-small cage, wanting to just do something. Fixing things is what he does, but he can’t fix this. He doesn’t know how. 

Mitch has always been shit at the emotional side of things, and he knows it. When his first - and last - girlfriend was killed, he cried for a week and only left his room for her funeral. After, he buried the grief deep enough that he didn’t have to feel it anymore, and moved the fuck on. Healthy? Not at all. Effective? Most of the time. Repression was the name of the game and he’d always been a star player. 

Repressing everything wouldn’t help Derek, though. Repression was the reason he was in this situation in the first place, after Kate got him so twisted up inside he didn’t know up from down anymore. Mitch hated it. Derek was acting like a terrified kid when he was a werewolf for fucks sake. A werewolf that had fallen in love with the wrong person when he was too young to know better, and paid the worst price for it. 

Kate had taken everything from Derek, and Mitch would kill her for it if he could find the bitch, but she’d slipped away at every turn. The authorities had no chance of catching up to her, she was too good at what she did. Her and her father, they’d made murder their business, and people like that don’t give up easy. Mitch would know.

So here he is, trying to coax Derek out of the hollowed-out shell he’s become. Trying to be delicate when he’s anything but understanding, when he doesn’t understand. Tragedy he gets, loss he gets - he’s lost everyone he loves, except for his brother - but what Kate did to Derek is something Mitch will never fully fathom. He’s glad for it, too, after seeing what it’s done to the man.. 

Derek had nowhere to go, so Mitch took him in. An impulsive decision he still doesn’t get - he does get it, he just doesn’t want to look too closely at it, he never was fond of self-reflection - but he doesn’t regret it. He had the space and didn’t mind the company, even though he was a loner through and through. Hell, it was like he still lived alone with how much space Derek didn’t take up. Like he was always trying to hide away, withdrawn into himself, trying to disappear. Waiting to make a mistake, to get punished for it.

Mitch tried not to let his frustration - helplessness - show. It didn’t always work. Not when Derek was a werewolf, who could sense or smell or whatever the fuck every change in someone’s mood. The littlest alteration in the wrong direction could send him cowering. The slightest bite to Mitch’s tone could have him devolving into a trembling mess, balled up in the corner.

For the most part, Mitch was a calm person. He prided himself on being calm and collected at all times. When others would lose their temper, he was there with cold rationale and hard facts, even when the truth was something he would rather not face. He repressed just about everything, but he didn’t lie to himself about anything. (That was a lie, he could never face the truth about Derek, wouldn’t let himself.)

Interacting with Derek was an exercise in self-control. Mitch was confident that he could get away with any outrageous lie on a polygraph now, with how careful he had to be to keep steady around Derek. He was so fucking zen.

Like usual, Derek is in the guestroom. Not his room, because Derek is so determined to fade into the background that he didn’t leave a mark on anything. Mitch didn’t even know if Derek slept, or if he just maintained that same rigid posture sitting on the edge of the bed all the time. It made Mitch want to get out and run just seeing him. 

Now there was an idea. 

Mitch got up from the dining room table, abandoning the neatly spread out gun parts he’d been meticulously servicing. When he found Derek in the guest room, he was sitting on the edge of the bed staring blankly at the wall, just like Mitch expected from him. It was as heartbreaking as it was disturbing, and made Mitch hate Kate all the more. Derek had been broken down and broken in, and Mitch was not the person to try and fix him, but it was him or no one. Derek didn’t have anyone else. 

“Hey,” Mitch said, hating the way Derek’s back tensed. There was no way Derek hadn’t heard him coming, didn’t know he was standing there before he announced himself. It was dread that had Derek’s muscles bunching and poised to bolt. Not that he would. He would stay and bear whatever pain came to him, just like he’d been trained. Mitch’s heart, black and buried as it was, broke for him. 

Derek didn’t respond. Mitch didn’t expect him to, but he tried to give Derek an opening when he addressed him just in case he was feeling up to it. It’s been three days of nothing, but Mitch was nothing if not persistent. He reminded himself it would take more than three days to undo years of abuse. 

Mitch waited him out, leaning casually against the door jam. He had nowhere to be right now, content in the silence. When he didn’t leave, Derek slowly turned to face him, apprehensive. Guarded. Mitch didn’t take it personally.  

“Wanna go for a run?” 

“Do you think you can keep up with me?” Derek’s voice was soft. Softer than you would expect, looking at him, and timid. His words were carefully deliberated and slowly spoken. He braced like he would be hurt for the question, like Mitch would be insulted by Derek implying he was in any way less. Kate would have punished him for hours for the slight. Mitch only shrugged. 

“Let’s find out.” For the first time, Mitch saw what might have become the beginnings of a smile starting to tilt the corners of Derek’s mouth up. He grinned back, pushing off from the door when Derek rose from the bed.

***

As it turns out, Mitch could in fact keep up with Derek. He was in peak condition, proud of the fact that he could maintain a five-minute mile for ten miles. By contrast Derek was weak, still sweating through the poison in his system, recovering from years of neglect. It was enough that Derek had trouble keeping up with Mitch, and when they came back to the house half an hour later, both breathing hard and drenched in sweat, Derek was looking more alive that Mitch had seen him in the last week.

Both were too exhausted to talk, but that was perfectly fine. Neither of them were any good at it, and talking wasn’t what Derek needed anyhow. 

***

Derek’s snarl was inhuman, his eyes glowing blue. There was something about him that sent a chill down Mitch’s spine. This wasn’t the timid man that had been cowering at Mitch’s every word. He was feral. 

Derek charged, his claws extended and sweeping through the air. Mitch would have been gutted if he didn’t duck out of the way just in time, sliding up behind Derek and shouldering him into the wall. Derek fought him, but he was subdued by the knife Mitch was suddenly holding to his throat with one hand, Derek’s wrists pinned above his head with the other. The razor-sharp edge kissed Derek’s skin, slicing in so fine he didn’t even feel it at first. He felt his skin trying to knit back together, progress halted by cold steel. 

“Do you think you’re going to hurt me, Derek? Try.” Mitch’s teeth were bared in a vicious snarl, every bit the predator Derek was. It didn’t matter that he was only a human in the face of something much stronger than himself. He held Derek fast with human strength, daring him to break free and get his claws bloody. To become the monster Kate always told him he was, prove her right. 

The fight left Derek with a whine, shoulder’s falling. His fangs felt too big in his mouth, unwieldy. Mitch waited, eyes narrowed. When Derek didn’t attack, looking plaintively at him, he flicked the knife back closed, slid it into his pocket. He didn’t release Derek though, keeping a steady grip on his wrists. He gentled his touch, waiting for Derek’s labored breathing to calm. For his fangs to recede, for the glow to leave his eyes. Derek’s claws were still fisted in the front of Mitch’s shirt, ruining it. When they receded back into blunt human nails, Mitch finally released him. 

“I’m sorry,” Derek choked, staring at the floor. He didn’t want to face the damage he’d done, however trivial. Mitch touched the side of his neck, thumbed away the line of blood that had dripped down. The small cut was already healed. 

“You’re not a monster, Derek.” 

-

Feeding a werewolf was undoubtedly expensive. Even if Derek did try to eat as little as possible, trying not to be an inconvenience, Mitch wouldn't let him get away with it. He was thin, thinner than he should be, a wounded wolf. It took a few days before Mitch finally managed to cajole him into at least eating like a human, rather than a mouse. It got easier when he started plying him with steaks. Mitch shelled out for the good stuff, too; meat was one of the things he'd never skimp on. It was either top quality cuts or nothing. 

Derek noticed. And he appreciated it; Mitch was a great cook, managing to sear the meat to perfection every time, not afraid to leave it a medium-rare pink in the middle, instead of ruining the meat by overcooking it to toughened well-done. Well done, Mitch scoffed, when he finally got Derek to express a preference. Nothing about that is done well. It made Derek smile. 

So, Derek noticed the quality. It spiked memories from his childhood, his parents joking with others that he and his sister could eat them out of house and home. The Hale wealth wasn't so much a bonus as it was a necessity to keep up with their appetites, having to feed an entire pack. They even had a rotating roster of grocery stores to keep anyone from questioning large, too-often purchases. Derek's mother always had the excuse, “it's for church!” On the tip of her tongue. 

Derek also began hoarding receipts, apparently, sequestering them away in the midst of helping put away groceries. Which is how Mitch came home to find Derek at the kitchen table, slips of white paper spread out in front of him. 

“Uh, what's this?” Mitch asked, his eyebrows raised. 

“I can pay you back,” Derek said softly. “My family had—I have money. To repay for this—for taking care of me.” He said it like he thought he was a well-kept pet. Mitch knew that he probably did. 

“Don't worry about it, man.” 

“Please. I know it's a lot, you shouldn't have to—”

“Seriously, Derek, don't worry about it. Trust me, I'm not feeling the cost.” It wasn't like Mitch was poor; he was actually pretty well off, despite his average beginnings. He was nowhere on the level the Hales had been—they were old money, had practically founded the town—but Mitch made a killing in his career. 

Mitch picked up the receipts that Derek had yet to look away from, crumpled them up, and threw them away. Clearly he'd been torturing himself with them for a while. 

“Why?” Derek plainly asked. He sounded so small. 

“You deserve to have nice things, Derek.” Mitch knew the wolf didn't believe him. He was too broken. “Speaking of, we really need to get you some clothes of your own. You can keep borrowing mine if you want, but I think it'd be better to get you something that actually fits. If you're up for it.”

Mitch watched as Derek struggled with the decision. On the one hand, he would have to leave the house and be around strangers for a long time, and Mitch would be spending even more money on him; this time not related to his immediate survival. On the other hand Mitch was being generous enough; Derek shouldn't keep treating his clothes like his own. 

#cookie writes #mitch rapp #derek hale #I've had this in my drafts forever #I think it was inspired by Disco's Wolfsbane? #idk it's been a long time but I vaguely remember that #idk who Mitch even IS here but he and Derek went to high school together for sure #no idea how Derek came back into Mitch's life or anything though lol

[chronicparagon]

Free Verse

I decided to move this to its own post to keep verses better organized and make Harmony’s information versatile. 

The profile for Harmony’s Free verse is below.

NAME: Harmony Halcyon NICKNAMES: Harm, Har, Harmy, Ha-chan, Har-chan, Mato Ciqana (by her family, which means Little Bear).

Her nickname in her family changes to Mato when she inherits her grandfather’s Lakota name in honor of graduating from high school. AGE: Varies by verse between 18 years to 26 years. Default age is 19-20. POSITION: Default verse is a university student majoring in nursing and member of the swim club. Becomes a certified midwife nurse later on. RESIDENCE: Grew up on the Black Hawk Reservation in Montana, United States. Her current location depends on the verse. FAMILY: Destiny Halcyon (mother), Lucas Halcyon (father), Issac “Mato” Halcyon (grandfather, deceased). NOTE: Mato means bear or fiercely angry in the Lakota language. Harmony’s relatives are found here: LINK

ETHNICITY: Native American (enrolled member of the Lakota) Note: She’s half Lakota Sioux, a quarter Crow (the Crow Nation), and a quarter Euro-American (Irish and British). SEXUALITY: Pansexual

RESIDENCE: Grew up on the Black Hawk Reservation in Montana, United States. She moves to Yokota Air Force Base near Tokyo before relocating to Iwatobi when her father retired from the Air Force.

IMAGE COLOR: Turquoise MOTIF ANIMAL: Grizzly bear SWIMMING STYLE: Butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle (crawl)

Reference

Art made by Yohao88

Appearance: Her long hair is dark brown, sometimes mistaken as black with long bangs and gray eyes. Harmony stands about 5 foot 4 inches (162.5 cm) who is toned due to working out with a pear-shaped figure. Her weight fluctuates between 135-140 pounds (61.2- 63.5 kg). 

Her style varies. Compared to many girls in Iwatobi, Harmony is deemed to be a bigger girl due to her figure and musculature. Harmony is a member of the Lakota tribe from her father’s side. It was a goodbye present from her grandfather before leaving Black Hawk. 

Harmony has three piercings. One on each ear lobe and she has a piercing on her tongue. When she swims, the piercings are replaced with retainers.

She also has features indicating her motif. Harmony has sharper canines to resemble a grizzly bear’s teeth. Hidden beneath her clothing are ghastly scars over her body. Her upper back, right shoulder from childhood. Growing up, there’s a reason why she opts to wear long sleeves. By the time she turned eighteen, Harmony received a tattoo on her upper back of an eagle.  

Note: Due to cultural norms, Harmony would conceal the tattoo in public in Japan. in other verses where she is located elsewhere, she would be more likely to reveal her tattoo and scars.

More information for it can be found here: Link

PERSONALITY: Generally, Harmony a shy girl who can get excited on occasion. This can be off-putting to other people, especially if she just met them. It makes her come off as socially awkward. Most of the time, she’s more reserved, often in the background. She fears that people won’t like her because of the color of her skin, her name, or the scars she hides. This makes her have little confidence in herself. It will take time for Harmony to warm up to someone. Once she does, she’s sweet, even affectionate. Her most noticeable traits are her kindness, being polite, and quiet nature. Much like a grizzly bear, she can be fierce, which may be a bit scary. It occurs when she witnesses injustice or when her friends are in trouble. This is a little bit of a contrast to what she was like living in Tokyo prior to moving to Iwatobi. She was more belligerent and had a habit of getting herself into trouble. This is explained more in detail to what brought this on in her full backstory, which is further down the profile. She’s stubborn, sometimes this can do more harm than good. Harmony means well, but even after living in Japan for several years, she still has much to learn and a lot to adjust to. Harmony is dedicated, sticking to her tasks to the end. The last thing she wants to do is let anyone down.

BASIC MEDICAL INFORMATION BLOOD TYPE O+ MENTAL DISORDERS: Depression, anxiety, insomnia MEDICAL PROBLEMS: Scars, family history of Type II diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disorders (tied to diabetes). More information can be found here: LINK

STATUSES  CURRENT STATUS: Stamina: 4/5 Body: 4/5 Mental strength: 2/5 Water repellency: 3/5 Logic: 3/5 Courage: 4/5 EXPECTED STATUS: Stamina: 5/5 Body: 5/5 Mental strength: 5/5 Water repellency: 5/5 Logic: 5/5 Courage: 6/5 

FULL BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Triggers: Fire, racism, xenophobia, death

Harmony Halcyon was born and raised in  Montana. Her parents owned a small bison ranch, and she used to spend her days helping her parents and riding her horse to endless plains. She loved the mountains that stand in the distance and the sky was open, limitless. As a child, she spent time with her paternal grandfather. He often told her various stories from legends passed down between generations and humorous misadventures of himself and his sisters as children. 

She had a Karelian bear dog named Sedona and a paint mare, Mojave. She used to take long horseback riding through the trails in the neighboring forest. Harmony was a happy child.

.Unfortunately, her life would dramatically change. Harmony was a child when her parents lost everything. It all started with fire. It grew and ravaged the wilderness, stretching far and wide. The Halcyons couldn’t save their home. The fire surrounded Harmony who was riding Mojave on their way home with Sedona in tow. The raging fire scared the horse, and the girl fell from Mojave’s back. She was trapped in the fire. A burning tree strikes her down, pinning her to the scorched ground. A desperate attempt to free herself burned her right hand and arm. Burning debris fell upon the girl. 

She couldn’t escape.But she wasn’t alone. Sedona desperately dug at the pile of fallen branches and ash. The dog pulled Harmony out and to the edge of a lake away from the smoke. Sedona left her, only to return with a rescue team following her. If it wasn’t for her Sedona, Harmony wouldn’t have survived. Mojave’s return without Harmony warned her parents and they acted quickly, only to find that rescuers found their daughter and was transported for burn treatments. The burns would remain as scars on her skin. Harmony struggled when she became ill from infections, a result of the burns. In the end, Harmony would pull through. But the same could not be said for the stability her family had.

The wildfire took everything. The herd was killed by the flames and stifling fumes. Harmony’s home engulfed by flames. It almost claimed her life.All that was left was her family, Mojave, Sedona, and a few of their belongings.

.The Halcyons had nowhere to go and the hospital bill was high, Indian Health Service couldn’t help cover all the costs. Employment was difficult to come by in Black Hawk.  No one in their small town would hire them, except two Air Force recruiters who met Harmony’s father, Lucas.  He took a chance that day. He enlisted and soon found out he must go to Yokota Base near Tokyo, Japan. The family made sacrifices before leaving the United States. Harmony’s heart broke when her parents sold Mojave. They couldn’t take her with them. The little girl could only watch when a strange man drove away with Mojave in a trailer behind his truck. Harmony wouldn’t ever see her again. 

 Thankfully, the family kept Sedona, and the family relocated when Harmony was ten years old. They lived modestly, just like always while sending some money back to help Mato make ends meet. She struggled in a new country. New expectations, new people, new language. She was rebellious as a child, not adjusting well to the culture shock. Children made fun of her trying to speak in Japanese and her appearance. She was darker compared to the other children. The children often question whether “Indians” still scalp people or live in tipis like in the old movies. They teased with war cries and left her out in most of their activities.Fitting in society was just part of the problem. Harmony couldn’t stand the sense of claustrophobia with the city enclosing around her. She stayed in the large city, almost forgetting what the stars looked like and it’s as though the sky that she once loved is imprisoned by towering skyscrapers.  She missed the mountains and valleys, and the sky that could go on for thousands of miles.

Yet, Harmony soon got used to it. Slowly adjusting to the life on the base and in an urban setting. The family learned to speak Japanese and blend in the best they could. Unfortunately, there would be another tragedy inflicted on Harmony when she turned thirteen. Her grandfather passed away, succumbing to his long battle for hsi health.

First her home, Mojave, and now her grandfather.  Harmony felt isolated, hurt, and yet she couldn’t do anything. Kids made fun of her for not looking the same, her necklace, and although she became more fluent in Japanese, she still stuck out. She tried to make the most of it but wished things were different. Isolation has left her longing for friends, becoming withdrawn and unsure of herself. This led her to get into trouble for any sort of attention. This included getting into fights.After several years, Harmony’s father went into retirement from the Air Force. 

Her parents grew to love Japan, but missed the quiet life in the country. They were also afraid of Harmony getting into trouble, such as joining gangs that were rampant in the city. They thought Iwatobi would be the perfect place and relocated there. Harmony’s mother, Destiny, received an education from Yokota and gets a job as an elementary school teacher in Iwatobi. Lucas got a job as a security guard at Samezuka Academy, and Harmony transferred to Iwatobi High School.

After moving from the city to the quiet town, Harmony must acclimate to another dramatic change of environment. This time, it was easier because Iwatobi is closer to nature, just the way she likes it. However, making friends isn’t easy, which led her to wonder if joining a club would help in achieving that goal. After searching for all the options, Harmony discovered the Iwatobi Swim Club. A chance to challenge herself, make a name for herself, and make friends.

#ooc #for Harmony's Free verse #the default bio will be a little different #working on that for my new promo

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON 1NFERNO’S LEAD VOCAL, LEAD DANCE JANG WOOSUNG...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: N/A CURRENT AGE: 21 DEBUT AGE: 18 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 14 COMPANY: Midas ETC: This member is known for often occupying a center role in videos and promotions

IDOL IMAGE

On stage, Woosung is a captivating performer. Explosive energy and charisma, a coordinated dancer and stable vocalist, with a cute yet handsome visual to boot. He’s magnet on stage, someone who fans’ eyes are drawn to despite not being the best dancer or vocal in the group. He can handle the experimental concepts that Midas throws at 1nferno and is able to take most of the intense concepts in stride, finding it not terribly difficult to get into a character and convey the appropriate image onstage.

Offstage, however, Woosung is incredibly different. Having a naturally meek, introverted, and insecure personality, he tends on the quieter side during interviews, lives, and other social situations, finding it hard to talk and share his opinions. Midas pushes him as a chic, artistic personality, capitalizing on his contemporary dance training as a testament to his artistry and emotionality. It’s an easy role for Woosung to play, as someone who is much more comfortable staying quiet regardless of his image. During public appearances, he tends to let the stronger personalities in the group take over, chiming in rarely and even then, it’s usually only when he’s directly referred to or asked a question. Some fans complain about this behaviour, calling him cold and distant from the other members of the group, but his dedicated fans claim it’s because of his emotive side, reasoning that he’s one to read the situation and observe in order to match the others involved, rather than take charge of things.

When Woosung does speak, he’s surprisingly insightful despite his shyness, a delight to both fans and the company. He’s the type to consider unusual perspectives, without being strange enough to be labelled as a 4D personality. He’s thoughtful and considerate, easily able to gauge the needs of others around him. He does have his spacey moments, though, tending to get lost in thought. Thankfully, it’s more endearing than frustrating, and is marketed as simply another aspect of his emotionally-tuned personality.

IDOL HISTORY

1998.

Jang Woosung has always been a boy caught between two worlds, even from birth. He is born on January 26, 1998 to a Korean father and a Korean-American mother, and given two names— Woosung, a Korean name given by his father, and William, an English name given by his mother. Neither quite fit, each one missing a component of the other, and as Woosung grows up, he comes to resent them both. His English name as a target of ridicule, the label of gyopo, his mother’s roots in America. His Korean name as a cover up, trying to conceal the other half of him; but also, as a constant reminder of a father who left him, who gives him that name before leaving when Woosung is less than six months old. His mother has already established herself in Korea, has already planned a life here for her son, so despite being alone, she stays, intent on raising her son like she had planned, just without Woosung’s father. And so she does, the two of them in a tiny apartment in Ilsan, an infant Woosung crying for a father he wouldn’t even remember.

2001.

There’s no reason for Woosung to attend nursery school. His mother’s job as a freelance translator means she can work from home, balancing her responsibilities for work and responsibilities as a mom. They don’t go out much, simply stay safe in their own little world. Woosung’s mom is all he needs, and his mother is happy to provide. That is, until Woosung turns three, and his mother takes him to America to meet his grandparents. Look at him, Mia, they tell Woosung’s mother. He never leaves your side. He doesn’t talk to his cousins. He hardly plays at all. He keeps to himself too much. He doesn’t know how to socialize. What kind of adult will William be if he doesn’t learn how to act as a child?

And they’re right. Woosung is withdrawn, looks at others with fear in his eyes, holds onto his mother’s skirt wherever they go. So, as soon as she gets back to Korea, she enrols him in the first activity she can find that will take three year olds— a ballet class at a studio just a fifteen minute bus ride away. Woosung cries during the first class. He cries during the second. He clings to his mother and begs her not to go. She hushes him, gives him a kiss on the cheek, tells him that if he goes to the class, tries his best, acts like a good boy, they’ll get ice cream later. Isn’t that nice, Will? Wouldn’t you like that?

This is where everything begins.

2003.

Woosung excels in his ballet class. He takes it very seriously, practices at home, hums the complex classical melodies even when class has long ended. He doesn’t become the most talkative kid in the class, not by a long shot, still insecure and devastatingly shy, but he comes out of his shell a bit, shares short sentences with a few of the other kids in his class before and after their lessons. I want to be a dancer, he tells his mom, and he’s good enough, loves it so much that she kisses his head and says of course, Will, whatever you love to do is something worth doing.

But then, Woosung starts school, and the bullying begins. In his dance classes, the other children were too young to understand what it meant when Woosung spoke another language with his mother, and they spent too little time with him to be bothered by it. The children at school, however, understand the difference. They realize that Woosung is different because he speaks a language that isn’t Korean with his mother, because the food he eats for lunch is a bit different from theirs, because he has two different names on his report. So they tease him, pick on him, call him a foreigner, a gyopo, a fake Korean. Woosung’s personality doesn’t help him either, his shyness and lack of interest in anything other than dance making him an easy target. It never progresses beyond name-calling, but it hurts just the same, presses down on Woosung until he withdraws entirely, speaks to hardly anyone. It’s then that he vows to never use his English name again.

2007.

It’s not until Woosung is nearly ten years old that he meets his father again. They never talks about him much, Woosung and his mother, and he would never visit— he lives far from us, Will, it’s hard to get here from Busan. Woosung was never able to forget him, though, reminded of his father’s existence by the cards and small pockets of money that double as birthday gifts and seollal presents. But one November day, when Woosung gets home from school, his mother tells him (in a voice so quiet, nearly sad, your father wants to visit you, William) and Woosung stops.

His father is tall, intimidating, dressed in a suit when he drives up to meet Woosung. (Even that detail is strange to Woosung— his mother has never had a car.) He takes Woosung for dinner, to a restaurant with food that Woosung doesn’t like but chokes down anyways because he’s scared of seeming impolite. He finds out he has sisters— two of them, aged five and two— that he’s never met or heard of before. Woosung, talking for the first time since his father picked him up, asks how they can be his sisters if they don’t have the same mom. His father doesn’t answer, takes him home twenty minutes later.

Back inside his house, the small apartment he shares with his mother, he feels like he’s back in the safe zone. But there is no safe zone anymore, the influence of another world with his father weighing on Woosung even when he’s alone with his mother. And so he withdraws into himself even further, stumbling along the line between two contrasting worlds that he must exist in at the same time.

2011.

Woosung dances every day, now. He’s moved on from ballet, branching out into contemporary, modern, other styles of dance that make use of his lithe frame and flexibility. He finishes school each day and goes straight to practice, logging long hours at the studio, coming home well past sundown and still slaving over his homework. He doesn’t do great in school, but his mother keeps on him, tells him it’s good to have a backup, Will, what if you get injured and you have to stop dancing? It’s a thought that scares him immensely, but he trusts his mother, so he tries his best, forces himself to keep going, stays up well into the night just to keep his head above the water.

But the lessons are getting expensive now, the older Woosung gets and the harder he pushes himself. He starts competing— starts winning, bits of money here and there, small scholarships to workshops— but the costs rack up. His mother is alone, just her and Woosung, and while his dad visits sometimes, he never provides. So it gets harder to put food on the table, harder to pay the bills, and the night that he notices his mother not eating simply because there isn’t enough food, Woosung breaks.

For the first time in his life, Woosung reaches out to his father. It’s not like Woosung has never contacted him before— since Woosung met him four years ago, he makes sure to message him on important days to wish him well, like his father’s birthday, or Parent’s Day. He’s a good son, polite, and he never asks for anything, never asked until that day, when he meets up with his father and asks him for money.

His father doesn’t agree. His father denies him vehemently, once he finds out what the money is for. He’s fuming, yells at Woosung, I already have two other kids to provide for, and you have the audacity to ask me for money for a hobby? For ballet? I won’t support something gay like that.

It’s the first time Woosung hears the word gay like that— used to describe something he loves so dearly, curled up into the seat of his father’s car, his head down and tears in his eyes. He’s heard it snickered behind his back in school, as he got older and the bullying had turned from shouts and jeers to things more subtle. I heard he dances ballet. And he’s never had a crush on anyone, he’s never even talked to any of the girls in our grade. Do you think he’s gay? It still hurt, a lot, his heart aching at each comment, but it was easy enough to tune out, used to it after eight years of snide comments and insults— but this is the first time he hears it so directly. He doesn’t realize why it would be a bad thing, his mother always telling him gently it’s fine to like what you like, as long as you aren’t hurting anyone. But from his father, it sounds bad. It sounds wrong. Woosung doesn’t even know what he likes yet, doesn’t know if he’s gay or not, but it plants the seed then— he can’t be gay, not if he wants to be loved.

Woosung goes home and cries, locks himself in his room, presses his face into his pillow and tries not to make himself as small as possible in hopes that he might disappear. He deliberates it for days, stays up all night thinking. The thought of quitting is unbearable, but there’s no way he can let his mom keep doing this to pay for his dance. After a few days, an idea comes to him, risky yet seductive.

If I get accepted into a good company for my dance, will you help mom pay for it? He texts his dad, too scared to ask him to his face after last time.

His dad agrees.

2012.

Woosung gets scouted less than three months later.

He’d cut out his ballet classes, cut out modern and contemporary, switched to something that people would be interested in him for. Something that people wouldn’t call him gay for. He joins a hip hop academy, fills his time outside of school with that. He learns the basics voraciously, dedicating every second of his time to be able to improve as fast as possible. He doesn’t have the power and swagger that the other dancers have, but he’s toned, coordinated, and expresses feelings well onstage, uses all of it to his advantage to put on a good performance. He tries his best to fit in, to not draw any criticisms, feigns confidence like it’s his job. Two months after he joins his academy, they put on a public performance, and someone in a suit approaches him as he leaves the venue. I work for an entertainment company, they tell him, but Woosung doesn’t hear anything, only sees the Midas on the business card they hand him. We’re looking for new trainees right now for an idol group. You should audition.

Woosung does. He goes to the first audition he can make it to, forks out the little bit of money he has saved to travel to Seoul for it. A week later, his name is on the contract.

2015.

Trainee life is exhausting. As much as Woosung wanted to leave school, dedicate every minute of his life to dance and performance, his mother and the company wouldn’t let it happen. He enrols in SOPA with the companies help, in the Department of Practical Dance, goes to school and study only to train into the wee hours of the morning. He moves into the dorms, away from his mom— as much as it breaks his heart, going between Ilsan and Seoul every day on top of his already intense schedule just wasn’t feasible. Woosung never takes it easy on himself, always pushing himself as much as he can, working as hard as he can. He’s self-critical, incredibly so, uses every second he can in the studios and practices until his body is screaming at him. It seems to pay off, getting him noticed by the company. He doesn’t rank too high in his evaluations, maybe a bit above average, but he gets compliments from his coaches, trainers, teachers. He doesn’t dare take any of it for granted, though; he’s seen it happen, talented trainees letting the praise go to their head, getting cocky, getting comfortable, and in the end, getting dropped from the company. He makes sure he’s always consistent, always hungry, searching to be better. Woosung doesn’t pay much attention to the other trainees, never really makes friends— it’s not like that’s something he’s ever been in the habit of anyways, after how his school life turned out. The cutthroat nature of the trainee industry makes it harder on him too, because the comments turn from general meanness to picking on the parts of himself he has confidence in. They pick on his dancing, about how he lacks power, how he’s too soft in his movements, how he stands out too much that he’ll never fit into a group. The comments break him down even more, tear his confidence to pieces. He doesn’t let it destroy him though, and he doesn’t back out— he’s come too far to quit now, and besides, what would his mother and father think? So Woosung just does what he’s always done— keeps his head down, his mouth shut, and works until he can’t anymore.

Then at the end of 2015, right before Woosung is about to go home for the holidays, he’s called for a meeting with five other boys and told they’ll debut. Management explains the concept to them— experimental, powerful, conceptual. It doesn’t seem like it’s anything Woosung will fit into at all, especially when he’s given the label of lead dancer and lead vocal. He doesn’t have the strength behind his voice, the power in his movements to carry such a title. But the company assures him, all wolvish smiles, hands on his shoulders, you don’t need to worry, Woosung, you’re handsome and tall so you’ll do well. It clicks then, why he’s gotten as far as he has, why the company always seemed to like him, give him some extra spotlight. It wasn’t because of his talent, because of his hard work— even though he’s a good dancer and a decent singer, what the company wanted him for was his looks. Everything feels fake now, the compliments, the encouragements, all the work he put in discounted. It feels like a weight on his shoulders, another thing crushing down on him. He resents himself for it, resents not being able to get by on his talent alone, resents the company having to lean into his looks to justify putting him into the group. And yet, months

later, despite everything, he debuts.

2019.

Woosung has never had a crush. Never had a true friend, someone his age that he could talk to. Never had a goal other than dance. Never had an urge to open his mouth and speak his mind. But now, things are changing. Woosung has a couple people that he’s comfortable with being around, people who he trusts not to tear him down at the first chance they get. They’re few and far between, his friends, but at least they exist. People still intimidate him, strong, aggressive personalities easily overpowering him, and he’s still devastatingly shy, but the company is pushing him, putting him front and centre, so he’s forced to work through the anxiety, stomp it down so he can do well. He has a crush now, maybe. He doesn’t know what it feels like to have a crush, but he thinks this might be it— the heart fluttering, cheek reddening feeling whenever that certain someone is around. He doesn’t think anything will come of it— who would want to date someone like him, twenty-one years old with absolutely no experience— but it’s there. (He’s not gay though. Or, he doesn’t think he’s gay. He can’t be gay, not after what his dad said to him.) He has fans, people who like him, hears good things about himself. They like his English, find him relatable, coo over him, find out his English name, call him Will without it twisting his stomach in the same way. There’s not as much direct bullying anymore, but Woosung is so used to it now, feeling like he’s being criticized for everything he does, that he finds himself being hard on himself. Late nights spent crying in the practice rooms, his body aching so much that it’s hard to get off the ground. He wants to snap out of it, but it’s hard— especially when he sees comments online, fans pitting the members against each other, pointing out how he lacks compared to the main vocal and main dancer. But he’s trying— really, he is— and maybe, one day, he’ll feel good enough.

#id.bio #id.midas #id.inferno #id.no yoonho

[lawful-evil-novelist]

Introduce your OCs. As many as you can. Salem seems cool especially.

All my ocs?  I dunno anon, I have a lot of ocs.  As a small numbers summary, my rogue kids ocs number at 25, my Gotham U kids number at 3, their friends and family number at 2 and this is not taking into account Black Mask’s weapons dealer and his bodyguards.  I also have the Curtis family, the Tsath, and assorted Rogue family.  And that’s just Batman OCs, which I’m assuming you want to know about, so I’ll list them as best I can.

Under the cut because that is over 45 OCs.

Tobias Bloom, or simply Tobi, is Mr. Bloom’s adopted son.  He’s a small phytokinetic boy from South Korea and is a pretty happy and well-adjusted kid, you know, considering he’s the son of Mr. Bloom.

Dorothy Crane is Jonathan Crane’s daughter,  she is also the daughter of Roxanne Sutton but she and her brother were mainly created with Jon in mind and thus it is closer to describe her as Jon’s daughter than Roxy’s.  Her name is a really blatant reference to the Wizard of Oz and she takes a lot of her personality, including her snark and vindictive attitude, from Jon.

Pluto Crane is Dorothy’s younger brother.  Compared to Dorothy he’s a lot more timid but a lot less vindictive.  On the other hand, Pluto is a lot more prone to anger than Dorothy is, his temper is faster and like Jon’s it is violent.  His name is a reference to “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allen Poe.

Ezekiel Dent, more commonly known as Zeke, is Harvey Dent’s son.  At his core he is very much like his father, but he’s not well treated and has a low self-esteem and depression as a result.  Zeke and Todd are a couple.

Evangeline Fries, or Eva, is the daughter of Victor and Nora Fries.  While she primarily lives with Nora when she first realized she had ice powers she ran away and was found by Victor, who brought her home.  Eva closely resembles Nora and Victor has, on occasion, mistakenly called her Nora when distracted.

Violet Harris is the daughter of Music Meister, and in her teens begins a job as a sidekick for Black Canary, due to them having similar meta-abilities.  Violet is a natural musician, much like her father, but usually channels her energy in to ballet and violin, rather than singing.

Clover Isley is one of Pamela Isley’s plant children.  Her appearance is largely based on that of Jervis Tetch and Mary Dahl, and is thus rather small and childlike in appearance.  However, Clover is a rather spiteful child, and her personality is based largely on fair folk, being mischievous and full of bad ideas.

Lavender Isley is Clovers older sister, and her appearance is more closely based on Harley Quinn’s, though Lavender dyes her hair purple out of preference (Lavender lives up to her name), Lavender is much gentler compared to Clover, and a lot kinder.  That said she is not without faults, and like her mother is prone to vengeful rages.

Ayah Jones is Waylon Jones’s daughter.  She has a very mild form of Waylon’s condition, which surfaces in superhuman strength, reptilian eyes, and sharp teeth.  Ayah is normally very cheerful, but she is fully willing to fight to defend people.  Ayah is a trained boxer because she insisted on knowing how to fight.

Hunter Jones is Ayah’s older brother.  He also has a form of Waylon’s condition, though along with Ayah’s symptoms he also experiences scale growths.  These are located mainly on his face in spots where bone is prominent (jaw, eyebrow, cheekbones, etc), joints, and spots where the bone is very close to his skin, like along his spine.  These growths are dark brownish green.  Hunter is a lot calmer compared to Ayah, and can come across to some as timid or a pushover.  Hunter and Leo are a couple.

Aiden Lynns is Garfield Lynns’s son.  He’s pyrokinetic and is also diagnosed with autism.  Aiden is normally very soft-spoken and shy, but is still very friendly.  Most of the other Rogue kids like Aiden, even if they don’t like each other.  He is also the youngest of the Rogue kids next to Gwen and Jeremy.

Aisling Machin is Lonnie’s only daughter and eldest child.  She’s a lot more orderly than her father and is the most responsible of the three kids.  She disagrees with most of her father’s views, but agrees that society needs to be reformed, largely because it creates people like Lonnie in the first place.

Maxwell Machin, or Max, is Lonnie’s older son and middle child.  Lonnie is the least kind to Max, who is withdrawn and hostile towards most people as a result of Lonnie’s abuse.  Max is a daredevil of sorts, and Batman has caught him in multiple illegal motorcycle races.  Though hostile to most, Max is close to his siblings and protective of Niall.

Niall Machin is the youngest of Lonnie’s children, and his favorite.  Niall is the closest to his father and often overlooks his poor treatment of Max because he’s treated well.  He doesn’t ignore it outright, he knows Lonnie doesn’t treat Max well, but he also is willing to look the other way if it means he can keep a close relationship with Lonnie.  Aisling and Max don’t like this in the slightest and think Niall is selfish, which he is, but they still care about their younger brother.

Sarah Menkel is Peter Menkel’s daughter.  She’s a cheerful, friendly girl, a bit of a tomboy and an avid gymnast.  Like her father she is hypermobile and a contortionist, both things she uses to freak people out.  She’s much better at blowing off mean comments compared to the other Rogue kids.

Andrea Monroe is the daughter of Paige Monroe.  She’s extremely optimistic, mostly in an attempt to keep her mother happy, often at the cost of her own happiness.

Eleanor Nygma, or Ellie, is the older daughter of Edward Nygma and Selina Kyle.  She is a lot more like Selina in both appearance and personality, is proud to be the daughter of both.  Selina is very elegant and smug.

Elizabeth Nygma, or Liz, is the younger daughter of Edward Nygma and Selina Kyle.  She is very similar to Edward in appearance and personality, and similarly is just as haughty and prides her intelligence above most other attributes.

Barbara Quinzel is the daughter of Harley Quinn and the Joker and Todd’s twin sister.  She’s nicknamed Barb and Babs by her brother Todd.  Barbara is very cheerful and friendly, but shares a similar morbidity with her father.  Barbara is named after and the goddaughter of Barbara Gordon.

Todd Quinzel is the son of Harley Quinn and the Joker and Barbara’s twin brother.  He is cheerful and bubbly and acrobatic.  Joker’s chemical damage has resulted in Todd having albinism and asthma.  Todd has very bad vision and wears thick round glasses.  Joker is very protective of him, as are Bud and Lou.  Todd is named after and the godson of Jason Todd.  Todd and Zeke are a couple.

Leon Sanchez, or Leo, is the son of Bane, he is half-Nahuatl.  Bane’s venom use caused Leo to develop superhuman strength.  Leo is a snarky, cynical young man, but comes off as smug and apathetic.  Leo was born November 2nd, during Dia de los Muertos.  Like Bane, Leo is extremely intelligent and multilingual.  Leo and Hunter are a couple.

Gwendolyn Tetch, or Gwen, is the daughter of Jervis Tetch.  She’s shy and quiet, often mirroring her father in manner and personality.  Gwen has a meta-ability linked to mind control.  Gwen is regularly assumed to be Jervis’s “Alice” but in contrast, her name is based on the White Rabbit.  Gwen takes the assumption that she’s Alice as an insult.

Jeremy Todd is the youngest Rogue child and the son of Jason Todd.  He is much closer to the Rogue kids than the Batfamily and considers himself part of the Rogue kids, not the Batfam.  Jason doesn’t like this but the Rogue kids accept him willingly.

Cosette Walker is the daughter of Drury Walker, and splits her time between her father and her mother in France.  Cosette is polite and well-mannered, and is rather flighty.  She loves butterflies and birds and the color blue and singing.

Marcus Wesker is the grandson of Arnold Wesker.  Because his parents abandoned him with Wesker and Scarface, Marcus grew up with a lot of verbal abuse from Scarface and ended up adopting his rude attitude as a manner of defending himself, which really only made Scarface more aggressive towards him.

Salem Jackson is a white witch from a rich family in Mississippi, and a psychology major at Gotham U.  She has large black horns and interns at Arkham Asylum.  Most people do not know much about her family in Gotham but there are rumors abound that she killed her parents in retaliation for being abused as a child.

Audrey Brenner is an anthropology major at Gotham U, but was born and raised in Metropolis.  She prefers Superman to Batman and several rogues have taken a liking to her and protect her.  Audrey works as a cashier at the gift shop of the Superman museum over breaks and deals with Lex Luthor on an almost daily basis because for some reason he has to visit the place regularly.

Valerie Spade, or Val, is a chemistry major at Gotham U and, essentially, a villain intern.  She works for Penguin and he rents her out to various rogues.  Val has superspeed and as a result has a boosted metabolism that means she needs to eat regularly.

Penelope Spade, or Penny, is Val’s older sister, though she has a meta-ability, she doesn’t use it often, and is an art student in Metropolis.  Penny and Audrey get along and Audrey has convinced the Superman museum to commission her for their special exhibit posters.

Jack O’Reilly is Audrey’s best friend and the shift manager at the Superman museum gift shop.  He goes to school in Central City and has dyed his hair green to emulate the Joker.  He finds villains fascinating, which is a pretty reasonable reaction because he and Audrey attract them like flies.

Daniel Frei, or Dani, is a weapons dealer partnered with Black Mask, he is the youngest of Mask’s dealers at 19, and is part of a larger German crime family.  Dani is cautious and avoids conflict with most of the Batfamily, though he has quite often flirted with both Nightwing and Red Hood.

Nathaniel Zhao, or Nate, is one of Dani’s bodyguards, he is half-Chinese and half-German.  He is a chronic smoker and a survivor of severe abuse from his father.  Nate regards most people rather bitterly, but after an accident where Batman lost his headset, he actually spoke to and befriended Oracle.  Nate is 21.

Xavier Knight, affectionately nicknamed Xav, is Dani’s 17-year-old bodyguard.  Xavier was born deaf and has severe damage to his vocal chords that prevents him from speaking without feeling pain, and instead almost always signs everything.  Though he can hear due to a cochlear implant, he usually has headphones and reads lips like he did as a child.  Xavier’s vocal chord damage is visible from his throat, and because he doesn’t want to ask any awkward questions about it, he covers the scars with a scarf.

Abigail Curtis is a forensics officer at GCPD and a college friend of Edward Nygma.  She is vain, sarcastic, and temperamental, the latter of which is in large part due to her job.  She hates Batman because he takes a large portion of her evidence for himself, but appreciates his work to clean up the crime in the city.  She’s known to throw things and despite being small can take Lyle Bolton in a fight.

Jasper Curtis is Abigail’s twin brother and almost emotionally dead.  As a child he was interred at Arkham due to mild depression and was psychologically tortured and experimented on by Hugo Strange.  Jasper’s response was to retreat inward, his only really prominent emotions being irritation and apathy.  The experiments gave Jasper the ability to remove his head without killing himself and pull his spine out of his back without losing its support.  Both of these cause him chronic pain.

Melody Curtis is Jasper and Abigail’s older sister, a metahuman who can create living things from drawings.  Melody doesn’t live with her siblings, but takes care of them as best she can.  Melody has a personal vendetta against Hugo Strange.

Hazel Marsh is a half Tsath, half Atlantean woman best known for defending the Tsath against Atlantean purists, by killing the purists.  Hazel’s Atlantean father almost never gets to see her.

Basir Mihael is the prince of the Tsath,  He’s missing an eye because of the Atlantean purists, and lives in Gotham because he wants to learn how humans deal with Atlanteans.  He is in a relationship with Jasper Curtis and is one of the few people who can make Jasper laugh.

Reagan Napier is the Joker’s older brother, he lives in Star City and is a bare knuckle boxer.  Reagan is extremely protective of his brother and has threatened both the GCPD and Batman several times, he has also broken Lyle Bolton’s nose.

Ailish Napier is Joker’s mother.  She still lives in Belfast where Joker and Reagan grew up, in their childhood home.  Though she communicates with both of her sons by letter, she has avoided meeting Joker directly, a decision Joker urged her to make for her own safety.

Cinta Walker is Drury Walker’s mother, a Javanese woman who fell in love with Drury’s father, but only married him and moved to Australia with him after Drury was born.  She still lives in Australia, even after Drury’s father died, but visits Drury in Gotham on occasion.

Chayton Crane is Jonathan Crane’s paternal grandfather.  He didn’t know about his grandson until Jon was 19, but treats him as family nontheless.  Chayton does not speak to Gerald Crane, and is furious that Gerald abandoned a child he concieved.

Ruth Crane is Jonathan Crane’s paternal grandmother.  She is a very gentle, kind woman who taught Jon how to speak Crow and is very protective of her grandson.  She carries a concealed firearm and has threatened Batman with a shotgun.

Leigh Crane is Jonathan Crane’s closest cousin, being about 15.  Leigh is a nervous, shy girl and though she has been to Gotham to visit her cousin, clung to Jon the whole time and refused to leave him for a moment.  Jon is very protective of her.

Lyndon Keeny is Jonathan Crane’s great great uncle and Marion Keeny’s younger brother, though he is almost 100 he looks about 23 because he has been in the Lazarus Pit.  Lyndon is good friends with R’as al Ghul and is brave to the point of utter stupidity.  For instance, he steals from Vandal Savage, regularly, for fun.

Lucio Kyle is Selina Kyle’s younger brother.  He is a grad student at Gotham U, where he studies forensics.  He is also Abigail’s current intern.

Vaite is Garfield Lynns’s childhood best friend, a young Maori boy.  He is a cheerful, friendly young man and is still on very good terms with Garfield.

#asks #answered #ocs #batman ocs #oc #batman oc #i am not tagging 47 ocs by the way #nope #too many ocs #Anonymous

[maddie-grove]

The Top Twenty Books I Read in 2016

Oh, 2016. The year that gave me a promising new life with one hand and ripped up what peace of mind I had left with the other. What better way to deal with such a confusing emotional state than to read a bunch of wonderful books, many about incredibly tough subjects? Arguably, there are many better ways, but I like reading.

20. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick (2013)

Traumatized seventeen-year-old Leonard Peacock makes a plan to kill his former abuser and then himself, but first he needs to visit four people who are important to him and say goodbye (without, of course, letting them know he’s saying goodbye). Throughout the day, he’s caught between trying to talk himself out of his horrible goal and feeling he has no other option. This is an affecting, compulsively readable novel with experimental bits that really pay off (especially Leonard’s letters to himself from a semi-dystopian future).

19. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (2011)

After her mother’s untimely death, thirteen-year-old Ava Bigtree’s family falls apart, along with their Floridian gator-wrestling theme park. Her senile grandfather is sent to a nursing home, her brother runs away to another theme park, and her father departs for the mainland for an indefinite time, leaving Ava alone with her séance-obsessed older sister Osceola. Then Osceola elopes with a ghost, driving Ava to take a perilous journey into the swamp.  At turns fanciful and brutal, this is a fascinating and spooky story about grief and how scary nature is.

18. Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt (2015)

In 1740s London, withdrawn Eve Dinwoody is appointed by her half-brother to sort out the accounts of his investment, a pleasure garden owned by the boisterous middle-class Asa Makepeace. Eve and Asa are complete opposites who disagree about all matters financial, but they also have chemistry and actually turn out to care about each other’s problems. The family relationships in this romance are particularly strong, plus I liked that the aristocratic characters were so tangential to the story; it’s mostly a story about theatre people.

17. Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt (2016)

Alf is a messenger/informant by day, a masked vigilante by night, and, unbeknownst to everyone she’s met since early childhood, a woman. Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle, is a widowed father of two bent on bringing down a ridiculously depraved secret society. When Alf gets beaten up while in his employ, Hugh persuades her to stay in his home for protection…which leads to some complicated feelings for Alf (and Hugh, once he realizes she’s not a teenage boy). Like Sweetest Scoundrel, this is a part of the Maiden Lane series, and it’s a fine installment: tightly plotted and prettily written, with a delightfully unusual heroine and a protective hero of the best type.

16. Silver Deceptions by Sabrina Jeffries (1994, revised for 2016 reissue)

During the height of the English Restoration, Annabelle Taylor takes to the London stage and purposefully cultivates a bad reputation with the goal of finding out and shaming the aristocratic father who abandoned her.  Unfortunately, her discreet inquiries about his identity lead the king’s spies to think she has an anti-Royalist agenda. Colin Jeffreys, Lord Hampden, is sent to find out what her deal is, only to get caught up in something way more risky than a Roundhead plot (to his heart, anyway). This is easily the best Restoration romance I’ve read, with a beautifully realized setting, a fast-moving plot, and multilayered protagonists.

15. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (1938)

An unnamed narrator, young and awkward and alone in the world, marries the handsome, haunted Maxime de Winter after a whirlwind courtship in Monte Carlo. The problem is that she has trouble adjusting to being lady of the manor, plus he seems just shattered over the death of his beautiful, accomplished late wife…but is that what’s really going on? Kind of! I loved the weird, funny narrator, and the initial romance between her and Maxime is so sweet that its devolution once they get to Manderley hit me hard.

14. Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer (1957)

Sylvester Rayne, the Duke of Salford, does not want to marry Phoebe Marlow, the mousy granddaughter of his godmother…but he’s still miffed when she flees her father’s house in order to avoid marrying him. Then he finds out that she wrote a popular gothic novel whose hero bears a striking resemblance to him, and he’s really annoyed. This is a terrific comedy—the two unplanned road trips are particularly delightful. I also liked the heroine and how she comes into her own after years of being cowed by her stepmother.

13. Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt (2016)

Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery (and half-brother to Eve Dinwoody), is a bad, bad man. He blackmails his peers, tries to abduct heiresses (he’s not that great at it), and pretends that he’s done even worse. Bridget Crumb, his housekeeper, is working in his household in hopes of helping her mother. She has every reason to hate and fear him…but instead she thinks he’s full of shit but kind of likes him anyway. In turn, he’s intrigued by the fact that she has morals and wears a huge mobcap to hide her hair. This is a balls-out ludicrous romance novel in the best possible sense, with enough emotional pathos to keep me seriously invested.

12. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (2013)

Rose Justice, a young American flying planes for the British Air Transport Auxiliary during WWII, is captured by the Germans during a mission in France. Sent to Ravensbrück, she barely manages to survive the experience with the help of her fellow political prisoners and poetry. This book is less twist-driven than its companion Code Name Verity—the reader isn’t kept in much suspense about Rose’s eventual escape, let alone surprised with any revelation—but it has every good thing in common with the other novel: a complex and human narrator, a focus on women’s contributions to WWII, and a message of steely hope in the face of evil.

11. Crispin: The End of Time by Avi (2010)

In the third and final installment of the starkly beautiful medieval-set Crispin trilogy, thirteen-year-old Crispin finds himself bereft and unable to speak the language in war-torn France. He tries to get to Iceland, where everyone is free according to his late mentor, but he falls into bad company and has existential crises along the way. If you enjoy the most heart-shattering parts of A Song of Ice and Fire but wish the series had a smidge less violence and a lot less sex, this series might be for you! The ending is satisfying and holds the hope of hope, but good lord does it put you through the wringer.

10. The Study of Seduction by Sabrina Jeffries (2016)

When Lady Clarissa Lindsey finds herself being stalked by a sleazy French diplomat, family friend Lord Blakesborough agrees to help her out. They tend to clash—she’s gregarious and fun-loving, while he’s reserved to the point of stuffiness—but she wants the best for him, too, and tries to teach him how to talk to ladies so he can find a wife. Of course, everything goes wrong and they end up marrying each other for convenience…only it’s not so convenient, because they want to bang each other something fierce, plus they both have sad pasts they can’t talk about easily. A beautiful, hopeful romance with two extremely endearing protagonists.

9. A Scandalous Countess by Jo Beverley (2009)

Georgia, Lady Maybury, was the toast of society…until her beloved young husband was killed in a duel and everyone (wrongly) thought it was with her lover. Now she’s coming out of mourning, but someone has resurrected the most vicious rumors about her. She finds an unexpected ally in Lord Dracy, an awkward, badly scarred ex-naval officer who secretly wants to marry her for her money (at first). This novel is a glorious melodrama with an intriguing mystery and a wonderfully complex heroine.

8. Once Upon a Marquess by Courtney Milan (2015)

Lady Judith Worth used to have everything, but then her father was exposed as a traitor and committed suicide. Now she can barely pay rent on her shabby London home and all her siblings are either missing or in distress, but she’s still loathe to accept help from Lord Ashford, an old friend whose investigations helped bring about her family’s ruin. His charm, willingness to assist her, and ready acknowledgment that she has a right to be angry make it a bit easier, though. Courtney Milan is a National Treasure, and this complex series debut, alternately hilarious and heartrending, is among her best.

7. Emma by Jane Austen (1815)

Emma Woodhouse, rich and pretty and beloved by most, tries to be a good person, but that turns out to be a confusing business. I was frequently irritated by this novel, but honestly that made me love it more. On several occasions, Emma actually shocked me with her bad judgment, callousness, and even malice. At the same time, I saw that she was genuinely trying to do the right thing, even though she was severely hampered by classism and a lack of self-awareness. The contrast and the questions it raises are fascinating.

6. The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel (2014)

This gorgeously written, endlessly unnerving anthology includes “The School of English” (the heartbreaking, infuriating tale of a London housekeeper starting a new job), “How Shall I Know You?” (the story of a pitying, pitiable writer on a miserable book tour), and the title story (a snapshot of an alternate history). Every story has excellent style and atmosphere; Mantel has a particular talent for making the reader feel queasy and excited at the same time.

5. Fortune Favors the Wicked by Theresa Romain (2016)

World-weary courtesan Charlotte Perry returns to her hometown in search of a stolen hoard, hoping that the reward will allow her to build a new life for herself and her “niece.” Lieutenant Benedict Frost, recently blinded and restless, travels to the same location in hopes of establishing a household where he can live with his younger sister. They should be adversaries…but perhaps they will not be? This was a nearly perfect romance; the central relationship was delicious, all the side characters were great, and the plot was very well-constructed.

4. The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith (2016)

After her brother’s best friend rapes her in her own bedroom, high school freshman Eden’s primary reaction is rage—not only at her rapist, but at the parents who overlook her, at the brother she’s sure wouldn’t believe her, and at herself for being quiet and trusting. Over the next few years, she builds a new identity for herself; unfortunately, it comes with self-destructive behavior and a tendency to push everyone away. This story is ultimately a hopeful one, but it’s a damn hard read. I cried like a tiny baby girl, and I often felt incredibly angry. Eden is a wonderful narrator, clear-eyed but still unable to extract herself from a morass of silence and self-punishment without help.

3. Room by Emma Donoghue (2010)

Five-year-old Jack has never left the room where he was born to his captive mother, or even learned that the outside world they see on television is real. All he knows is Room and Ma…until she tells him there’s a whole universe outside and shares her desperate escape plan. Room is an absolutely beautiful story, and it’s all the more wonderful because the characters are so individualized. Jack is a sweetheart, but he also does weird kid stuff, from the adorable (declaring broccoli his “enemy food”) to the dangerously inconvenient (getting angry at his mom when she tries to explain the outside world). Ma is even more complex, and it’s truly impressive how Donoghue can convey her anger, compassion, youthfulness, maturity, and everything else when she’s filtered entirely through her five-year-old son’s perspective. I also appreciated how much the novel is about recovery, with all its attendant joys and difficulties.

2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (1969)

In her classic first memoir, Angelou shares the story of her childhood in Arkansas and then California. I loved this book almost as much as its sequel Gather Together in My Name; it’s just as funny, heartbreaking, and sharply insightful. It can also be a much tougher read, due to the trauma she experiences in her childhood and the near-constant racism she faces, but her exploration of these issues just makes the book more powerful.

1. Gather Together in My Name by Maya Angelou (1974)

In this memoir, Angelou relates her experiences as a young woman in post-WWII California. She tries to care for her new baby, find a purpose in life, and look for someone to love, but she runs into many obstacles: bad boyfriends, racism, anti-Communist paranoia, an unfaithful dance partner, and an unplanned foray into running a brothel, just to name a few. Angelou’s second memoir is glorious, funny and poignant and righteously angry at turns. Even though my experiences are very different from hers, I related hard to her loneliness, lack of direction, and premature regret. The best book I read all year.

#gather together in my name #i know why the caged bird sings #maya angelou #room #emma donoghue #the way i used to be #amber smith #fortune favors the wicked #theresa romain #the assassination of margaret thatcher #hilary mantel #emma #jane austen #once upon a marquess #courtney milan #a scandalous countess #jo beverley #the study of seduction #silver deceptions #sabrina jeffries #crispin #avi #rose under fire #elizabeth wein #duke of sin #duke of pleasure #sweetest scoundrel #elizabeth hoyt #sylvester or the wicked uncle #georgette heyer

[evilsapphyre]

Sapphy’s Spoilerific Review

Game of Thrones: Season 7 Episode 3

As with the last two weeks, this is a review of the latest episode with spoilers, as indicated with the title. Ye have been warned.

Welcome back to As Westeros Turns, where plot lines are moving along at breakneck speed, and people are moving about the country as if thousand of miles didn’t separate certain points. Sure, it’s nice to be spared the countless and pointless hours of travel, but it’s a bit jarring nonetheless.

Anyways, Jon, who was just in the North has already made it to White Harbor, and now to Dragonstone. A slightly terse reunion between Jon and Tyrion happens, where they exchange basic insults for how they are viewed by others. Missandei requests that they turn over their weapons, and of course, Jon agrees. It makes sense, but with as small of an entourage that arrived from the North, it seems slightly foolish to walk into a dragon’s mouth with no weapons. Davos tries to make polite conversation with Missandei, and it gives us a glimpse of the Isle of Nath (which sounds quite lovely with butterflies).

As they walk the long battlement, Tyrion asks about Sansa, but then hurriedly rushes to assure Jon that the marriage was never consummated. Apparently, word has reached Tyrion on what Jon did to Littlefinger in the crypts, in addition to what happened to Ramsey. Jon distances himself from the conversation, and Tyrion talks about how bad things tend to happen to Starks that travel South. Jon replies that he’s no Stark, which is perfect timing from a drive by dragoning. In case people are still confused on who Jon’s true father is...

Varys and Mellisandre watch as the North makes it way to Dany. Varys finds it curious that she’s hiding, and she intimates that she may not be well liked by the visitors for reasons she would rather not disclose. She did what she needed to do though; she brought together Ice and Fire. (Does she get points for bringing in the name of the series?) She’s now off to Volantis, and Varys says she probably shouldn’t return to Westeros. Mellisandre says that she’ll be back. After all, they both have to die in this strange country. That’s not ominous at all.

The North entourage enters the throne room to find Dany dwarfed by the throne at Dragonstone. Missandei then lists off all 101 titles that Dany has collected, and Davos does a great job at the contrasting the two with the sparse introduction of Jon, King of the North. Dany feigns ignorance on having a good education, but then goes into the exact history lesson of how the North bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror. Jon reminds her that his family was butchered by her father. She apologizes and asks him to not judge her by the sins of her father. She wants Jon to be her Warden in the North, and she reminds him how things could be. After all, she’s last of the Targs. Well, not really, but she doesn’t know that yet.

Jon agrees that she shouldn’t be held accountable for her father’s actions, and he shouldn’t be held to his ancestors oaths. He then starts to paint a picture about the plight of the North with the army of the Dead that is on the move. Of course, no one really believes him in that threat. Dany feels that Jon doesn’t give her the right and due respect she is owed, so she attempts to rub his nose in all the things that she has survived. Jon will have none of that still, and tells her that she will be Queen over graves. Davos steps in and tries to be the herald of Jon’s deeds, and why people choose him even though he has no true birthright (that he knows of). Davos even lets slip that Jon took a dagger to the heart for what he believed in, which earns him an unhappy look from Jon.

Jon tells Dany that he doesn’t know her. He can’t and won’t abandon her people just because she claims certain things. Dany takes his words better than I’d expect, but maybe it’s only because Varys interrupts them, whispering in her ear like he has whispered in so many others. She has Jon and Davos taken to some private rooms for a bath and supper, like they are little kids. Jon asks if they are prisoners, and she tells him not yet. Then she learns the fate of her Dornish and Ironborn allies, and how they were captured by Euron.

We get a brief cut to Theon brought aboard Ironborn ship. I’m fairly certain that these were friendly Ironborn, but we don’t know for certain. He tries to fib that he only barely got away after trying to save his sister. They tell him that he’s only alive because he didn’t try to save her. Hopefully this scene will have some eventual importance, but right now, I could deal with less Theon. Give me a reason to want to root for him again.

Euron parades Yara, Ellaria and a Sand Snake through the streets of King's Landing. (Apparently, this is the Most Beautiful Woman in the world from what I’ve read. Her hair is much different, and she’s kept her clothes on.) The people throw things at the prisoners and shout whore and other tame profanity at them before Euron leads them, horse and all, into the throne room. He hands over the Dornish prisoners to Cersei, which is to be the justice for her murdered daughter. Cersei lavishes Eurone with praise, and even says that she will give Euron his reward of choice once the war is over. As the crowd applause so their first victory, Euron taunts pod-Jaime with questions about how Cersei likes to be pleased in bed. (Psst, Jaime, let the crazy pirate guy have your sister. You’ve got better prospects North.)

Cersei, with her suddenly very pink and shiny lips, then goes to the dungeons with her new prisoners. She reminds Ellaria about the day Oberyn died and how he could have lived had he had less bravado. A truth, but let’s not rub salt in that wound. She then changes the conversation to mothers and daughters, talking about Myrcella and how much she loved her. She compares her love for Myrcella to Ellaria’s for the Most Beautiful Woman, talking about the ways she thought about killing her daughter. She finally kisses her, and everyone realizes that Cersei poisoned the girl just as Myrcella was poisoned. She then wipes off the poison lipstick (and her lips return to her normal pink and non-super-shiny luster), and drinks the antidote. She then tells Ellaria that she will watch as her daughter dies, and then rots.

And then it’s time for icky Cersei and pod-Jaime sex. I get that Jaime loves her, but it’s all icky. And not just because of the incest. She literally goes straight to Jaime after basically murdering a girl, and seduces him with no words. So she’s aroused by the death of her enemies? Again… Yuck! And she doesn’t even care if the servants gossip, as the next morning she answers the door and let’s a servant see Jaime in her bed. But she’s the Queen, so it doesn’t matter any longer. She then scurries off to speak with Iron Bank, and basically tells them that she will secure payment for the debts. She’s also lauded for being Tywin’s daughter. (Which yes, show-Cersei has glimpses of being very Tywin-esque, but that’s not how book-Cersei would be.)

Back in Dragonstone, Jon is brooding, and Tyrion starts to speak about how he can’t compare to brooding next to Jon. They bicker over who has more need, and Tyrion tells him that he’d be happy to solve his problem if Jon could solve theirs. Tyrion points out that the two rulers are actually quite similar, and he also points out that Jon is being unreasonable in his requests. He says to think smaller and maybe they can help the North.

Tyrion goes to Dany and tells her that Jon wants Dragon Glass if she can’t ride North. He makes a strong case to her about how it could be useful in helping to secure the North as an ally, and it would cost them nothing. He also spouts off some words of wisdom that Dany calls him out on, since he claims it’s ancient wisdom, but it’s really his own words. Dany asks before she leaves about the “knife to the heart statement” but Tyrion says something about flights of fancy in the North. She seems unconvinced. That doesn’t stop her from agreeing to let Jon have the dragon glass, where she talks to Jon also about her dragons. There seems to be some begrudging respect between the two monarchs too, as she sends him off to mine that glass.

Meanwhile, back in the North, Sansa is going over the stock and supply of Winterfell since she’s in charge. She feels that they don’t have enough food to feed everyone once the armies return to Winterfell. So everyone is to start sending wagons of grain to Winterfell to prepare for Winter. She is very astute even about how the armorers should be manufacturing the armor. Littlefinger points out she is very good at this, and he continues his coaching of her and how to win all her battles.

He’s interrupted by the sudden return of Bran and Meera who seem to have lost part of their souls when they returned to Winterfell, given their wooden expressions and comments. Sansa tries to learn more from Bran, but he’s rather withdrawn. He also turns down his own birthright as he tells Sansa that he’s the Three-Eyed Raven, and has a difficult time explaining that to her. I’m guessing that the Weirwood Wifi Net has fried part of his brain, or he’s still in such an information overload. He does freak out his sister by saying that he saw her marry Ramsey in the snow in their Godswood. She nopes the fuck out of the scene pretty fast.

Which then leads us to Oldtown where Ser Friendzone has been cured it seems. Slughorn seems nonchalant and points out how it happened, even though Ser Friendzone denies it to him. He gets discharged from his room, being cured, and Ser Friendzone gets dressed. Boy, I hope that is a new shirt that wasn’t resting on all that grayscale! Sam and Ser Friendzone say goodbye and shake hands. Cross your fingers that Ser Friendzone is truly cured. I like Sam too much to see him become a stone man. Later, Slughorn calls Sam out for curing Ser Friendzone, and he both lauds him for his success and punishes him for not minding his orders. He’s told he should be thankful that he’s not tossed out of the program.

Back in Dragonstone, Dany wants to sink Euron’s fleet with her dragons. She wants to go so far as to ride Drogon, leading her other two dragons to burn the fleet. Which isn’t a bad idea really - even if we know he could have Cersei’s hidden weapon. Instead though, she’s cautioned against this notion over worry to her own safety. What if she got hit by an arrow? I mean, if it’s in the knee, her adventuring career is over! Instead, they focus back on taking Casterly Rock.

We’re given the first glimpse of Casterly Rock after seven seasons, after hearing about it almost all the time. The Unsullied lay siege to the castle, in a jarring scene that looks choppy and laden with poor CGI. Maybe there wasn’t CGI, but it just didn’t have that polished look like other battle scenes. The true attack comes from underneath thanks to Tyrion’s expertise about the sewers of Casterly Rock, which lets the Unsullied army within the walls. The battle is quick on the screen, but it is brutal from the appearance of bodies along the battlements from both sides. Grey Worm notices that there isn’t as many men as they were told would be there. Also, why they were capturing the Keep, Euron destroyed their ships. He really seems to get around!

The rest of the Lannister army has marched south to Highgarden under the leadership of pod-Jaime with Sternly Tarly and our first Bronn sighting of the season. The Rains of Castamere play as pod-Jaime takes the castle and marches straight to Lady Olenna, who is awaiting her execution as it would seem. Jaime tells her why they left Casterly Rock, having emptied the food stores and with it having no more gold. He tells her that the play was something he learned from Robb Stark. Olenna wants to know how she is to die, and gets a jab in about how much a cunt Joffrey was. Cersei wanted Jaime to flay her or chop off her head. Jaime hasn’t lost all his honor, and pours some poison into a glass of wine for her. She guzzles it down, and as she awaits her death, she tells Jaime one last thing for Cersei. She was the one who was behind the death of Joffrey.

It’s a such a poignant end to the Queen of Thorns, and a wonderful last jab at her enemies. Always a joy to have another twisted bittersweet death on the show. Even if the show kind of moved around at a fast pace over Westeros, and it’s hard to judge how much actual time has passed. Maybe next week we’ll have Ser Friendzone already reunited with his Khaleesi at Dragonstone. Tune in to find out!

#sapphy's spoilerific reviews #game of thrones #got review