#1.01 Three Two One...

[elialys]

THE NEWSREADER | 1.01 | Helen x Dale - Dale's Update Part 2 [ 1 ]

#Anna Torv #Sam Reid #Helen Norville #Dale Jennings #Helen x Dale #helendale #The Newsreader #be patient with me guys im heavily compromised #the trust between them from the get go is my downfall #like he lets her watch it even though its gonna kill him inside #ive rewatched this episode 15+ times and i always skip his update because secondhand embarrassment #yet here he is suffering through it again #yes she laughs but shes not mocking him #and then they're both laughing and she's encouraging him 🥹 #1.01 Three Two One... #gifs*

[miss-musings]

Crosshair's 10 Most Impressive Shots in "Star Wars: The Bad Batch"

We're now officially three weeks removed from the series finale, so I thought it'd be a fun time to look back at our favorite sniper and review some of his most impressive shots.

Note, I'll be ranking items from "The Bad Batch" TV show only, so there won't be any entries from "The Clone Wars" S7.

I did get a lot of input from folks here and on Twitter, and a lot of people ended up saying the same ones. I put them on here along with a few of my own.

As for how I determined the order, I judged based on a combination of: the distance of the shot, the size of the target, the speed of the target (if applicable), other external factors like light conditions and weather, and "internal" factors like Crosshair's physical and mental state.

You're free to disagree with which ones I picked and how I ordered them. It's all subjective.

Also, I don't proclaim to be an expert in marksmanship nor am I a military sniper. But, I do have a general baseline for how difficult Crosshair's shots would be IRL. I used to go shooting with my dad a lot at both indoor and outdoor ranges, and I was pretty decent at both pistol- and rifle-shooting. So, that's what I'm using to judge Crosshair's shots.

With that out of the way, let's dive in with #10:

10. Killing Lt. Nolan in 2.12 "The Outpost"

I probably wouldn't have put this one on the list for myself, but I had multiple people suggest it should make the cut.

While this shot is very important narratively, it's not very impressive from a purely technical perspective.

I mean, hitting a relatively stationary human-sized target from a few meters away... It's definitely not the most impressive shot on Crosshair's resume.

However, I did feel it was worth adding to the list for the simple fact that Crosshair is physically exhausted and mentally broken in this scene. He basically uses the last of his strength to kill Lt. Nolan, because he immediately collapses right afterward.

Also, Crosshair might be right-handed, but he's pretty good at shooting his pistol leftie. We don't really see the shot hit Nolan, but if you zoom in after his body hits the ground, you can see that Crosshair shot him straight through the heart. He wasn't leaving that bastard alive after everything he and Mayday went through.

9. Lunch tray ricochet in 1.01 "Aftermath"

Even though this isn't a shot in the traditional sense -- considering there aren't any firearms involved -- I had to put this on the list for two reasons.

One, I had multiple people suggest it; and two, because I've watched this scene dozens of times and only recently found out that Crosshair actually hits two clones with his lunch tray.

He initially throws it at the clone Tech was fighting, presumably knocking him down. But then it ricochets so hard that it basically clotheslines another clone who's just standing there, minding his own business. Dude was hit so hard, he was like floating in midair for a split second.

Also, this plays into my headcanon that Crosshair would be excellent at any sports that require excellent aim and coordination. If he was on a basketball team, he'd be a three-point specialist for sure!!

8. Plan 55 ricochet in 3.12 "Juggernaut"

This is the closest thing we get to a trickshot in S3, so I had to include it on the list.

Here, we see Crosshair's quick-thinking and perfect aim take out several troopers at once by purposely ricocheting his shot off the magnetically sealed doors.

As we know from “A New Hope,” magnetically sealed doors/surfaces are no joke. You really have to know what you're doing or someone's gonna get hurt. Thankfully, Crosshair is a freakin' pro at this!

It honestly reminds me of all those crazy pool shots where you have to plan out four or five bounces/angles ahead to get the angle you really want.

7. Downing a spaceship on Ryloth in 1.11 "Devil's Deal"

NOTE: This is the only clip I couldn't readily find on YT. So I included the clip of Crosshair killing Orn Free Taa from the same episode to maintain symmetry in this Top 10 list.

Don't let the clip fool you. The shot I'm actually talking about takes place before this, when Crosshair -- from like 300 meters away, mind you -- takes down a fast-moving ship by shooting one of the engines.

Look, I love S3 Crosshair with all my heart, but his shooting abilities were severely diminished after his time on Tantiss. When I was doing my S1 rewatch and got to this scene in 1.11, I was like "Oh yeah, I forgot Crosshair used to be able pull off crazy shit like this."

It's actually sad how many of his made shots in 1.11 are like an inverse of his missed shots in 3.11. Here, Crosshair easily shoots a tracker onto Hera & company's ship, and later shoots the engine with no problem, despite the speed and distance.

In 3.11, though, he misses CX-2's ship and fails to track Omega back to Tantiss. 😭

6. Shooting Wrecker's knife in 1.01 "Aftermath"

Now we're getting into the really impressive shit! Most of these remaining entries have Crosshair shooting small targets and/or fast-moving ones.

In this instance, it's both. Wrecker throws the knife like this is skeet-shooting or something, and Crosshair just very casually shoots it into a droid.

Have you ever seen someone who was so good at their job/hobby that they make it look effortless? Like they're not even trying? This happens to me sometimes when I watch the Olympics. I'm like, "That's not so hard. I could probably do that." And then I try it for like half a second, and I'm like, "Oh no, those people are insane."

That's how good S1-2 Crosshair is. He makes shooting a fast-moving knife look effortless.

5. His four-kill trickshot in 1.15 "Return to Kamino"

These next three are all no-brainer entries. I think the biggest question will be why I went with the order I did.

Here, we have Crosshair displaying two very important elements of marksmanship/sniping: patience and careful aim.

Crosshair evidently set up at least four mirrors (I counted the ricochets in the shot) well in advance in the exact spots he needed to take down his Imperial squad, if need be. That's some serious foresight and preparation -- to know exactly where everyone would be standing, and have all the mirrors ready to go ahead of time.

He must've set them up even before he brought Hunter into the training room, or Hunter would've seen them and probably signaled his teammates.

He's also hitting a target that seems to be somewhere between the size of a golf ball and baseball from like 10-20 meters. And with his sidearm.

I know everyone loves the hallway mirror ricochet to kill the squadron of battle droids in TCW Season 7, but it didn't qualify. But, honestly, I think this one is more impressive anyway. He hit the first 1.15 mirror from farther away than he does in TCW S7, and he's using his pistol in 1.15 rather than his rifle and scope.

Talk about accuracy!

4. Sniping the tank in 2.03 "The Solitary Clone"

Oh man! I think we all love this one, right? It's just one of my favorite sequences in the entire show -- the framing, the colors, the effects of the dirt flying up behind him.

I love how Crosshair baits the droids to get the exact angle he needs, and the dude clearly has nerves of steel for staring down the barrel of a tank without flinching. I wonder how many times he's done it, considering he seemed to know exactly how to beat them. I'm guessing at least a dozen.

This is another example of "expert making their expertise look effortless," when in reality, we'd all shit ourselves if we attempted to do the same.

Honestly, sometimes I wish we could've had this version of Crosshair face off against Hemlock in 3.15 -- the dude who stared down the barrel of a tank and didn't flinch at the most literal version of "kill or be killed."

3. Stairwell trickshot in 2.03 "The Solitary Clone"

While I love the tank sequence more for the aesthetics, I have to rank the 2.03 stairwell trickshot above it.

That's partly because Crosshair's still physically and mentally recovering from nearly getting choked to death. But, it's also partly because -- just like with Wrecker's knife -- Crosshair is shooting a target that someone else is throwing.

That means he has to adjust to whatever trajectory and speed they throw it at and compensate accordingly, which can understandably be very hard to do in a split-second.

And, in this situation, Crosshair can't even see the puck directly. He's looking at it through at least one or two layers of reflective mirrors. Dude's reaction time is insane!

He also manages to take down at least four or five droids with a single shot, including the tactical droid, which is several meters up the stairwell and into the next room.

I'm not sure if the clones learned any advanced mathematics during their training on Kamino. But if they did, I think Crosshair would've loved geometry and maybe trigonometry too! He would also absolutely kill in a game of pool. I wanna see him go to the SW equivalent of a pool hall, and show Omega that he can hustle people too! He just needed to find a game that would better suit his strengths. LOL

Anyway, as insane as this shot is, Crosshair has two others on his resume that are even more impressive:

2. Saving Omega & AZI in 1.16 "Kamino Lost"

This is one of three entries on this list that *no one* mentioned when I asked for suggestions, but I had to include it. That's because it is -- without a doubt -- the most bafflingly impressive shot Crosshair makes in the entire show.

I have watched this scene dozens of times, and I still have no idea how he knows where Omega and AZI are.

Initially, I thought -- as others did -- that he's using an infrared scope to see their body heat in the water. But, that doesn't appear to be the case.

The only times I can recall Crosshair activating an infrared capability is when he has his rangefinder, which is attached to his helmet. As we see in episodes like 1.01 "Aftermath" and in 3.07 "Extraction," he specifically has to put the rangefinder down in front of his eye to use the infrared option.

No, his scope is just that -- a regular scope. The infrared capability is only attached to his helmet's rangefinder, which he doesn't have in this scene.

Thus, I have no idea how Crosshair is using a regular-ass scope to find Omega and AZI in the dark ocean. The point of a scope is to see better, and I don't know what he might see beside more darkness. AZI's eyes aren't active and, even if Crosshair spots Omega's flashlight, Omega dropped it when she went after AZI, so it's not exactly on her.

I'm willing to believe that Crosshair has better eyesight than the average human in the Star Wars universe or IRL, but his eyesight must be insane if he can see them in the water, even with a scope.

But, whether it's eyesight, some other enhanced sense or just plain luck, Crosshair knows where in the vast, dark ocean they are — not just the angle but the depth too!

It's really hard to tell how far down they are, but I'd say at least 20 meters. And if he is able to see them somehow, he might have to adjust the shot for refraction in the water too.

Plus, unlike the other entries on this list, Crosshair isn't shooting a blaster bolt. He's shooting a cable, meaning he'd have to adjust his shot to accommodate its weight and trajectory once it hits the water. Additionally, with how Omega and AZI are situated, he needs to have the cable hit and latch onto AZI, without hitting Omega in the process, and get the exact angle needed to drag both of them to the surface.

Like I said: I have absolutely no idea how he made this shot. It's definitely the most impressive one he makes in the entire show based solely on external technical factors.

But of course, there is a parallel shot later in the series that's his most impressive one of all...

1. Freeing Omega in 3.15 "The Cavalry Has Arrived"

I will never shut up about this scene. It's been living in my head rent-free for three weeks already, and will continue to for several months.

This is undoubtedly the most important shot in Crosshair's life: the shot to save his kid and free his family from Hemlock once and for all.

And everything is working against him: It's dark. It's raining. Omega and Hemlock are like ~40 meters away. The target is the binders between their hands, which is like 3-5 centimeters wide, and won't exactly be stationary. Oh, he's using CX-2's stolen blaster, which doesn't even have a scope on it!!!

We the audience get a POV of what Crosshair sees from over his shoulder, and I can barely see Omega's face, let alone her hands!! I said in the previous entry that Crosshair's eyesight has to be better than the average person's because, holy hell, how can he see that?!?

And, even worse, Crosshair is physically and mentally spent in this scene. He had to return to his own personal hell -- the place where he was tortured and traumatized for months -- then got beaten in a fight and had his dominant hand chopped off.

He and Hunter are running on pure adrenaline at this point. They are absolutely hellbent on getting their kid back, even if they die or collapse in the process. They were practically hobbling out of the CX lab together, and when they crouch down on the bridge, Crosshair has to steady himself against Hunter because he doesn't have his other hand.

And, as the final cherry on top of this proverbially shitty sundae, Crosshair absolutely terrified of missing.

A few episodes ago, the guy couldn't hit stationary fruit from like ~15 meters away with a scope in daylight and in a controlled environment. He even tells Omega: "Close doesn't count. It's either a hit or a miss." Because in a high-stakes situation like this, missing your shot could mean death for you or someone else.

Crosshair already feels like he failed Omega because he missed the shot on Pabu. And now, he has to make an even tougher one with every disadvantage stacked against him and her life literally in his hand.

I don't blame the guy for doubting himself.

Thankfully, Hunter and Omega have complete faith in him, and despite everything he's been through in S3, he has faith in himself.

And so, in the shot to end all shots in "The Bad Batch," Crosshair hits his target and frees Omega.

He and Hunter then subsequently turn Hemlock into Swiss cheese before Omega gives Crosshair a much-needed hug, causing me to cry for the 100th time.

I'll admit: as much as I would've loved seeing another mirror trickshot or some other crazy ricochet in the finale (or just S3 in general), this scene is basically perfect.

It also makes for a nice little parallel to the S1 finale, where Crosshair saved Omega's life after she saved his. Here, as he says himself, he goes back to Tantiss to free her because she freed him first.

As someone said on Twitter when I asked for ideas about this list:

"(Crosshair) put his whole heart and soul in this shot, and he didn't miss. He couldn't afford to."

Like I said: this was the shot that freed the entire Bad Batch family from Hemlock forever. So, I think by default, it had to be No. 1 on this list.

*******

Anyway, thanks for reading! It'd be fun to put together another TBB list like this. I guess I'll have to pick a subject first, though, because I don't have any ideas. If you have any, send them my way!

(EDIT: For anyone who’s also on Twitter, give me a follow. @CatchingClassic )

#Youtube #the bad batch #tbb #tbb spoilers #bad batch #tbb season 3 #tbb series finale #tbb season three #tbb crosshair #the bad batch crosshair #clone trooper crosshair #crosshair tbb #star wars #sw tbb #star wars tbb #clone force 99 #star wars the bad batch

[cookinguptales]

The power is still out so I guess I’ll get started on that meta now.

One thing that I think is really fascinating about this season as a whole is that it’s really, really emphasizing the power Nandor and Guillermo have to accidentally hurt each other. It’s kind of fascinating, tbh, because this whole show it’s been Nandor purposefully but also accidentally hurting Guillermo — but this season, it’s been very much the other way around.

Let me start with Nandor’s history of this. It happens in almost every episode, being honest with you, but two of the clearest instances were in 1.01 and 4.09.

In the very first episode, we’re introduced to the relationship that Nandor and Guillermo have by how they behave on their 10th anniversary as a master-familiar partnership. Guillermo is practically giddy at the idea that his beloved master is finally going to make him a vampire, and he’s hurt deeply when he not only does not do so, he appears to have forgotten altogether how long Guillermo has been there.

We feel bad for Guillermo here, but… well, let’s look at it from Nandor’s perspective. Yes, he forgot how long Guillermo’s been there, but… being real with you, the vampires seem to have a very shaky grasp on time at the best of times. They don’t understand human lifespans at all, they have very fuzzy memories for when things happen, and almost every time they make time estimates they’re off by a hilarious amount. I don’t know that we can fully blame Nandor for not realizing that an entire decade has gone by — he, like the other vampires, tends to live simultaneously in the Long Time Ago and the Right Now and any time in between those periods is ?????

So to him, he’s remembered when their anniversary is (already a success) and has put hours into making a handmade art project for his very endearing familiar. He is sure that Guillermo is gonna love this. He thinks he is absolutely acing this being-a-vampiric-master thing.

But we know that his gift depicting the two of them as vampires together is really just rubbing salt in the wound, because we’re approaching this thing as humans — like Guillermo.

Then again in 4.09, Nandor straight-up steals Guillermo’s boyfriend and inadvertently puts the events in motion that will lead to Guillermo’s boyfriend leaving him for his own clone. Terrible behavior! This hurts Guillermo deeply! His very first boyfriend cheating on him (sort of) with the man he’s been in love with for over a decade and then leaving him altogether for another man he is cheating with (definitely) who also happens to be his own clone.

That’s traumatizing!

But… again, let’s look at it from Nandor’s (very stupid) POV. He knows that Guillermo losing his boyfriend will hurt him, but he also wants to have said boyfriend. So he comes up with a solution that, to his mind, will make everyone happy: let Guillermo keep his boyfriend but also make a clone of him so he can have him, too.

I think it’s very important to note here that, catty as it was to say, Nandor was right. He definitely could have stolen Guillermo’s Freddie without too much work. The guy’s a philanderer. But instead of doing that, he used up one of his last three wishes to make his own Freddie specifically to avoid hurting Guillermo. And then he seemed genuinely confused when Guillermo was hurt anyway. He then tried to do whatever he could to make Guillermo stop hurting, including offering him his own Freddie, until he ultimately gave up a toy that he truly loved so Guillermo would hurt less.

Again, from Nandor's POV he has made a significant sacrifice for Guillermo’s well-being. He has given up a man that he really, really liked so Guillermo would stop being so heartbroken. Moreover, this is a man that, to his mind, he got the hard way instead of the easy way that would have hurt Guillermo more.

So he still thinks he’s doing great at this relationship, even if we know he is ultimately breaking Guillermo’s heart.

(And as an aside here, I think it’s fascinating that Guillermo really did seem to understand exactly what was going on, too. He knew that Nandor’s decision to clone Freddie wasn’t about Nandor wanting Freddie, it was about Nandor wanting all of Guillermo’s attention on him at all times, and that’s why he was angry.)

Anyway… that’s all a really long way to get to my point, which is this. We’ve seen Nandor play this out a hundred times, doing something he thought was fine only for it to devastate Guillermo. We understand human lifetimes, relationships, and emotions, so we understand why Guillermo is upset. But, and this is key, Nandor doesn’t.

So season five finally shows this happening in reverse. I’m not going to say that Guillermo hasn’t hurt Nandor before, purposefully or otherwise, because he has. But boy did he really fuck things up this time.

Like Nandor, Guillermo didn’t do any of it on purpose. He was never trying to hurt Nandor or upset social norms when he paid Derek to bite him. But vampiric priorities are as foreign to Guillermo as human priorities are to Nandor. He did something he thought was totally fine and value-free only to find that he didn’t just transgress a social norm, he transgressed the big one. He didn’t just do something that would hurt Nandor, he did something that will destroy him.

He didn’t mean to. His misunderstanding was understandable to us, fellow humans. But that doesn’t make it okay. Just like it wasn’t okay when Nandor stole his fucking boyfriend.

It's almost like this was tailor-made to force the audience to think about how the vampires have been interacting with Guillermo for years. This time Guillermo didn't know something about their culture, and obviously we didn't either. So we felt that same dawning horror when we understood how big the accidental fuck-up was — and we had to come to terms with the fact that this is how Nandor feels about Guillermo all the time.

Anyway... Guillermo’s big angst trigger seems to be being undervalued by the people he loves. It’s when someone who he loves with everything he has does not love him back. We see that devastation hit him both of the times that Nandor accidentally hurt him in this post, along with a thousand other times. I think, in fact, it is his main drive as a character: doing everything he can to be valued. It’s why he wants to be a vampire. It’s why he serves the vampires. It’s why he lies to his family. It’s depressing and it’s codependent and it’s unhealthy, but that’s Guillermo.

Nandor’s big angst trigger, on the other hand, seems to be abandonment. He is so fucking terrified of the people that he loves leaving him, and that seems to be rooted pretty firmly in his experiences when he was still alive. (Jehan, his wives running away, etc.) He’s so scared of Gail leaving him that he just tries harder to win her back when he discovers she’s cheating on him. He’s so scared of Laszlo leaving him that he gets angry when Laszlo makes new friends. He’s so scared of Guillermo leaving him in 2.08 that he’s willing to humiliate himself to bring him home. His primary drive really seems to be hoarding the people he loves close — too close for comfort sometimes. He tries so hard to force a connection that he ironically tends to sever it. Just look at his poor descendent Madeleine. :’)

And just as Nandor constantly sets off Guillermo’s devaluation trigger, Guillermo constantly sets off Nandor’s abandonment trigger. Every time he leaves or even just threatens to do so, Nandor goes ballistic. But it seems like the only thing that sets him off more than Guillermo leaving is Guillermo staying where he is but being emotionally absent. He doesn’t know how to handle a Guillermo who has replaced him while they’re still living in the same home. Right now he thinks that Guillermo has replaced him with Laszlo as a hang-out buddy, and that’s bad enough — how will he respond when he finds out that Guillermo has replaced him with Derek in a much more intimate way?

Guillermo’s doing everything he can to spare Nandor’s feelings in this season, but it seems like every decision he makes just upsets Nandor more. Nandor feels replaced, abandoned, and neglected, and he’s going to feel that way a hell of a lot more when he sees the truth.

Guillermo has always been shown to be capable of hurting Nandor in intimate ways that no one else can. From the very first episode, we’re made abundantly aware that Guillermo chooses to take Nandor’s shit. He twitches that curtain to the side and we realize that no matter how strong Nandor is, Guillermo has the ultimate power in this relationship. Guillermo can hurt Nandor like no one else can because Nandor trusts him to protect him while he’s asleep.

Then Guillermo becomes this legendary slayer and he can actually physically hurt Nandor like no one else can just because he’s stronger than even the most powerful and respected vampires in the Tri-State Area.

But we’re seeing now that Guillermo can also hurt Nandor emotionally like no one else can. Nandor gave him that power, too, didn’t he? This whole series, Nandor has been the one hurting Guillermo over and over, but this season is making it so fucking clear that Guillermo has the power to do it right back. Even if he doesn’t mean to.

Especially if he doesn’t mean to, maybe.

The two of them are so terrible at communicating with one another. Just. So fucking terrible. And that’s a lot of how Nandor accidentally hurt Guillermo over and over throughout the years. And it’s how Guillermo has just straight-up gutted him now.

#we had electrical problems this morning and I'm operating off of very little sleep but oh well #wwdits #wwdits spoilers #wwdits meta #long post #nandermo

[sophsun1]

Sam Reid as Dale Jennings | The Newsreader – 1.01: Three, Two, One...

#the newsreader #dale jennings #cinematv #cinemapix #filmtvcentral #userthing #smallscreensource #dailyflicks #userstream #tvarchive #tvedit #televisiongifs #sam reid #i binged the first season last night & i love him already #but my god is this show a nightmare to colour #it's drenched under a red and green filter which is so hard to get rid of and make look good #these look awful but i wanted to gif it so meh

[oliviassunrise]

Helen Norville ✦ one gifset per episode ↳ 1.01 Three, Two, One...

You know, I am a fucking disaster, but I'm also relentless.

#the newsreader #helen norville #anna torv #thenewsreaderedit #annatorvedit #helennorvilleedit #*myedit #helenepisodes

[starogeorgina]

White knight

Paring: Criston Cole × OC

Warnings: HOTD spoilers, age gap

Note: Criston and Rhaenyra never got it on in this universe!!!

1.01

“Princess, please, you must-”

You wave the servant away, no longer wanting to hear her beg you to eat. It didn’t matter what delicious-looking foods were brought before you; you simply had no appetite. You had spent every day since the battle of rook’s rest staring out the window, praying and hoping that your family would come to rescue, but you doubted that would happen.

You arrived at the battle too late and saw the red queen, Meleys, go down with your grandmother as both Sunfyre and Vhagar blasted them in flames. You ordered your she-dragon to attack; Sunfyre was badly wounded, with one wing torn in half, while the dragon rider's body was badly burned down one side. You could have killed the usurper if it weren’t for Vhagar, who tore your beloved dragon in two. You survived the fall but were unable to unstrap yourself in time to get away before being seized by knights, and ever since you have been a hostage in the keep.

You feel a presence behind you and already know who it is before they speak. “You need to eat to survive, princess.”

“I’ve already lost Lucerys, my grandmother, and my dragon, and now I’m going to lose three of my brothers. Living isn’t something I strive for, Ser Criston.”

“If you don’t eat, the queen dowager will have someone force feed you, and I do not wish to see you suffer that.”

“I shall give my half-sister’s ‘Sweet Visenya’ to my brother Prince Aemond as a reward.”

Your uncle’s words echo in your head. It made you nauseous to think about being handed over like a prized possession. Not only would Aemond take a son from your mother, he would take her daughter’s virginity.

“You may go, Ser Cristion. I’d rather be alone while I await to hear my uncle’s bragging about how—how they have—“ your voice begins to break. Otto had sought an alliance with the Triarchy, which had gone to the Gullet, which was being blockaded by House Velaryon. You had heard that your brothers, Aegon and Viserys, were meant to be fostered until the war was over.

Knowing Jacaerys would immediately fly on the dragonback to save his brothers, the greens had set up a trap to kill him.

The pain of knowing what fate awaited your three brothers was devastating, and the fact that you were unable to help them tore your heart apart. You loved them so much and couldn’t imagine the pain of losing another sibling; the loss of Lucerys already weighed heavily on you. Your sweet brothers are soon to be gone. You look out into the darkness, not wanting the knight to see you cry.

“The battle has started, princess, but it’s not yet finished. There’s still hope.”

You turn to shoot him a glare; the knight's expression is hard to read as he stares into your bloodshot eyes. He was green, and no matter how kind he may pretend to be at times, that would never change.

—

You remain sealed away in the bedchamber you often sought to escape from to try and remain as safe as possible.

In a twist of events, the battle of the gullet was a success for your family; the blacks won the battle, and Jace, Aegon, and Viserys survived. Vermax was lost at sea—a crossbow through the neck, you believe—but Jacaerys was alive. Someone had sent a raven to Dragonstone informing your mother and Daemon of Otto’s plan, and they sent all the dragon riders to defend your brothers. A few dragonseeds, your mother, Jacaerys, and Daemon arrived and burned the Triarchy.

Obviously, you were ecstatic to learn what had happened; however, the people you were surrounded by were not. You had already been questioned twice about any belongings you had rummaged through to see if there was any evidence you had sent the raven.

In truth, you had no idea who would have sent it, but it made you feel better knowing you had an ally. Even if their identity was secret.

—

Squeezing your eyes shut, you enjoy the feeling of warm water easing the pain in your joints. This was also the first time you’d bathed without supervision since being dragged back to keep. Even with a lady in the room, Ser Cristion would stand in the room facing the opposite way while you bathed. You suspected he would be lingering close by, but at least you were given the privacy you deserved.

Once Tatiana, the lady-in-waiting assigned to you, helps you dress while being careful not to put any pressure on your cuts and bruises, she leaves to fetch you some supper, which you were exceedingly keen for. Sometimes you’d accompany Tatiana to the kitchens through lesser-known halls and passageways, but since you were unsure of where Alicent and her sons were, you decided it was best to stay out of the way to avoid any accidental run-ins.

When the door opens, you only see Tatiana, but Ser Cristion enters the room. “I’m glad to be informed you are eating again, princess.”

You roll your eyes. The knight didn’t care if you ate or not; he was just trying to lure you into a false sense of security. You walk towards a small table and trace your fingers over the books that were neatly placed on it. You inspect the dust on your finger before cleaning it away with a tissue. This was how most interactions with the knight went: he’d talk to you, and you’d ignore him.

“You must be thrilled to hear your brothers are safe.”

Even though there were no traces of sarcasm in his voice, you knew his comment was sincere. The knight, along with the former queen, has spent years calling you and your siblings bastards. You reply with a scoff.

“I know you think I’m a monster, princess, but perhaps one day you will see things differently.”

His comment irritates you; how dare he even think such a thing?

“Why would I ever change my opinion of you?” You helped usurp my mother's crown,” you practically hiss at him. “Not to mention it was you who suggested I be brought back as a prisoner.”

He licks at his lips nervously and says, “One day I will be the only one that stands between you and Prince Aegon and Aemond. I suspect you will think differently of me then.”

Before you can reply, Tatiana returns, and Ser Cristion takes it as his cue to leave. His worlds replay in your mind; he called Aegon a prince, not a king.

#house of the dragon #criston cole x you #house of the dragon fanfiction #house of the dragon fanfic #ser criston cole #criston cole #Ser Criston Cole/you #Ser Criston Cole x you #white knight #criston cole x oc #Criston Cole x fem oc #Criston Cole/oc #Ser Criston Cole x oc #Ser Criston Cole/oc #Ser Criston Cole x fem oc

[margaretoakgrove]

Heisenberg's notes

Development Note 1

Mechanical Soldier: Soldat

ver. 1.00 Fully-grown male corpse used.

Removed heart and implanted Cadou. Muscle stimulation via electric shock was successful.

Brain dead so no high cognitive ability. Only moves by destructive instinct, then stops.

Mechanical Soldier: Soldat

ver. 1.01 Attached headgear to the cranium. Electrodes confirm stable brainwaves.

Experiment One: lycan fight. Was dismantled and eaten within three minutes.

Issues with destructive and murderous capabilities.

Mechanical Soldier: Soldat

ver. 1.10 Replaced lower part of arm with drill. Not enough output for effective movement.

Need live bodies perhaps?

Mechanical Soldier: Soldat

ver. 1.15 Implanted Cadou reactor into the chest. Output greatly increased.

Experiment Two: lycan fight. Destroyed three lycans in one minute.

Good results but issues with reactor durability. May stop functioning if the reactor is destroyed.

Development Note 2

Soldat Enhancement: Soldat Jet

Attached a jet pack and head stabilizers to a Soldat. Greatly improves mobility.

Experiments prove limited flight capabilities. No long-distance flight, but now possible to navigate rugged terrain.

Soldat Enhancement: Soldat Panzer

Attached aluminum alloy shielding to a Soldat to protect chest reactor and exposed flesh.

Experimentation proves he is invincible against regular firearms.

Armor doesn't hold up against strong blasts. Further development needed.

Prototype: Sturm

Used a cheap turboprop engine, but he's impossible to control. All he does is charge. Too much power output from the reactor?

Completely invincible head on.

But the dumbass managed to chop his own damn arms off on the propeller. Also issues with overheating from running for long periods of time.

Conclusion: A complete failure.

#resident evil 8 #resident evil 8 village #resident evil village #re8 #re8 village #re village #Lord Heisenberg #Karl Heisenberg #Heisenberg #House Heisenberg

[scoobydoodean]

I want to point out something in 1.16 “Shadow” regarding Dean’s resourcefulness and the derision with which his contributions are treated within the writing. In “Shadow”, multiple shots are taken at Dean’s methods of earning money and working cases as well as his intelligence level.

It starts with another small squabble about money that clearly frames Dean as still, at this point, the sole person supporting him and Sam financially through credit card scams, gambling, and hustling pool.

Yet again we have a jab at the ways Dean earns money. I wouldn’t make a big deal about this one at all if not for the outside context—the three previous episodes where Sam (while happy to benefit from Dean’s ill-gotten gains and provide no financial support to their two-man team) criticizes or is dismissive toward the work involved in how Dean earns money for them (1.01, 1.05, 1.08). Dean deserving to have his contributions dismissed is explicit in the text, but Sam's failure to actually assist with finances is implicit.

Next, it's how Dean gets information. He flirts with a cop and a bartender:

In the case of the cop, he gets information that is valuable to the case—unreleased details. In the case of the bartender, he doesn't, but he learns there's nothing to learn. But because Dean was also having fun, his actions are reduced down to him thinking with his dick, when he is actually intentionally using charm and even (see below) offering sexual favors in exchange for information:

Additionally, Sam (despite having seen Dean research just fine on his own multiple times) questions how Dean was able to do research on his own, which—you do you, Kripke, I guess? But we get "Haha name the last book you read" in a similar vein to 1.03 "Dead In the Water" (and just as Sam demands that Dean name one child he knows and Dean can't but it means nothing because Dean actually does like kids, Dean also does read—as established multiple times throughout the series.)

But also—if Dean called Caleb, why does that matter? Is talking to people to get the information you need, somehow inferior to finding some old tome and finding it in there? No. But it's treated that way in the framing of the episode. Weirdly like Dean took a shortcut or something and that's... "bad"...? When a shortcut in this context literally just means you're being efficient and resourceful and yeah—smart.

Then Meg jabs at Dean's intelligence as well:

What's also interesting, is that this is the first (I believe—I don't think I missed one at least) example of Dean's eye for visual patterns within the series.

So Dean, in this episode

Finances the suits Sam wanted to buy so they could sneak into the victim's apartment

Gets valuable information from a cop twice by charming her

Is able to recognize a symbol on the floor from blood spatter and is able to trace that symbol back to discover the monster they are dealing with using his hunting connections.

And all of this is treated in a dismissive way within the writing—like Dean's contributions don't matter or are earned in some way that causes them to deserve to be dismissed and even used as points against him. What's more, Dean doesn't fight back much. He leans into the very thinly-veiled suggestions of him just being dumb and horny and covers with jokes and a light jab about how the only thing valuable EITHER of them have gotten at the bar is the bartender's number (note that this is after he gets secret information from the cop and finds the symbol on the floor, which he could have pointed out but doesn't). He also leans into other narratives about himself suggested by Meg in the episode, but that's a separate post.

#1.16 #this isn't a criticism of sam fyi it's just a writing thing that i think is interesting #i think kripke enjoyed writing dean as a character whose contributions to the family are minimized by everyone #strangers and #even himself. #it fits with his whole weird “give Dean the same birthday as my wife” schtick imo. #pk rewatches spn number ? #my smart bby #dean and the family finances #dean minimizations #season 1 #meg #dean chores

[vidavalor]

have u ever seen the "his name has Ra in it. Ra is the Egyptian god of sun. Sun has three letters. A triangle has three peaks. Illuminati is a triangle. That means that he's illuminati" videos?

cuz ur like that but cooler and more educative

The last line of your message means you can have chocolate pie. 💕*sets you up with a plate* I was getting a little nervous there for a second lol. I think that any book or show that causes its audience to engage so much is a great one and if someone is enjoying making connections like the ones you described, then it's their life to enjoy. I'm not going to yuck on anyone's yum but I have seen some theories that I honestly had difficulty following so I get whatcha sayin' and I appreciate the compliment.

If I said this next sentence with any other context but with regards to Good Omens, you'd all try to have me committed lol but here it is: I'm following language-related directions from The Voice of God. Literally. I have it in the works to do a post on that alone because the show is actually teaching the audience Crowley & Aziraphale's vocabulary and it's provided some keys at times as to where in the show you can find lessons in it. In S2, there's also a meta scene about it, which is the "Professor Rossignol" scene. Some brief thoughts on that and, since you were nice enough to drop me a note, also on Ra and The Illuminati while we're at it, just for kicks.

It's no good to make it evident to your audience that your main characters are speaking a secret language that they've made up if the audience can't be taught to speak it because then the meaning of what's being said is lost, right? And it is very obvious that Crowley & Aziraphale have their own vocabulary. There are a lot of examples of it but one scene, in particular, that stands out to me is 1967 because it is literally impossible to make heads or tails of what they're fully discussing unless you try to figure out what Aziraphale means by "dangerous." He tells Crowley that he's heard about Crowley's plan to rob a church for holy water and then says to him this, word-for-word:

"I can't have you risking your life. Not even for something dangerous."

What does that mean, right? If you didn't already get a sense that their words don't add up on the surface sometimes, you get smacked in the face with it in that scene. Aziraphale's phrasing puts "dangerous"-- a word with a scary, negative connotation-- in the position of a positive, cherished thing that Crowley would see worth risking his life for and the end result is that "dangerous" must mean something to them besides the surface definition of the word. [What it does is something someone else has asked me for so post on that to come.] Right there, though? You have hidden vocabulary. One of the most important scenes in the show and it makes no sense without an awareness of it. This is all long before Crowley's standing there saying "no nightingales" in 2.06.

There are other scenes where something doesn't add up without an awareness of hidden language being spoken. Why does Crowley melt into a puddle of burning goo at Aziraphale saying "We will win, you know" about Heaven winning Armageddon in 1.01? Because, as other scenes and The Voice of God's narration teach, when they're speaking of Heaven or Hell with pluralized pronouns, they're really talking about the two of them together beneath the surface. That's why Crowley's face melts into a lovesick gaze and hint of a smile when Aziraphale says "we will win"-- because Aziraphale is saying that he and Crowley will win.

In S2, Aziraphale says he learned French "the hard way" with "Professor Rossignol" in 1760. Aziraphale already speaks French. He and Crowley, as Crowley points out in the scene, speak every language of the world. It's a nod towards how you can speak a language but a secret language like theirs is one that can be built out of words that sound familiar but are put together in a way that you need to understand in order to comprehend what is being said.

In the course of the scene, Aziraphale speaks French to Crowley and what he says is a riff on "la plume de ma tante"-- a French phrase that refers to the kinds of sentences that you are taught when you learn a new language that you would never actually say in real life. This scene is actually nodding to the "la plume de ma tante"s of Ineffable Husbands Speak and where you can find them in the series.

The reason why those sentences exist the way they do when you are learning a new language is to teach as much vocabulary as possible alongside teaching people how to conjugate verbs, etc.. This is why you are never taught practical sentences like "Excuse me, where is the restroom?" or "Yes, I would like to buy that bread, please." but are, instead, taught sentences like "Is it true that you can buy white onions at the library on Tuesdays?" lol. It's because when you are a child and you learn the native language or languages spoken by the people around you, you absorb thousands of words just by living in that world but when you are a teenager or an adult learning a new language, you start almost from scratch. You need to learn as much vocabulary as possible as soon as possible, in order to become fluent. Aziraphale says he learned some "la plume de ma tante"-like sentences (in a language he already speaks but in which he wanted to play better) from a professor whose name eagle-eyed fans already translated as meaning "nightingale" in French, right?

Nightingales (the birds) and also nightingales (the skeleton keys). The Rossignol family created The Great Cipher that encrypted communications for the French government for centuries-- they literally built a secret language. If you want to learn Ineffable Husbands Speak, the show is saying, you need to follow the nightingales. So, who taught us about "nightingale" being a word related to Crowley & Aziraphale? God. Whose sentences, at times, smack of "la plume de ma tante"-like vocabulary lessons? God. What better character to teach us what we need to know than the literal Voice of God, right? God is our Professor Rossignol.

God's 1.01 line of "The Russian cultural attache's black bread is particularly sought after by the more discerning duck" is the most la plume de ma tante sentence in Good Omens lol and the four sentences-- of which that is one-- that God says to re-introduce us to Crowley & Aziraphale in the St. James' Park scene, when picked apart using language elements things suggested by God's opening monologue at the start of the series, contain almost every element of the vocabulary, with other scenes reinforcing and adding to it throughout.

Further suggesting this is the way to go is that if you apply the same instructions to the top part of Demon's Guide to Angelic Beings Who Walk the Earth (the bit above Aziraphale's entry), you'll find the guidelines repeated-- and notes to us that include everything you would need to unlock the hidden language in the entries for Aziraphale and Baraqiel (Crowley) beneath them. I'm not just randomly deciding this is what stuff means, is mah point lol. I'm taking lessons from Frances McDormand.

As for Ra and The Illuminati, well... to date, I've seen Ra come up as one of the many, many words in Demon's Guide to Angelic Beings, which are hidden-in-plain-sight coded love letters. Aziraphale uses it in relation to Crowley. Ra is the ancient Egyptian god of the sun and was depicted as a figure that was half-bird, half-man. That alone would probably be amusing to Crowley & Aziraphale. Aziraphale referring to Crowley as the god of the sun is just romantic. The sun is a star and Crowley made them; the Earth and all life and their life on it would die without the vital warmth of the sun. There is no food and no peace and no life without it. Calling his very old serpent partner the god of the sun sure sounds like Aziraphale saying that he can't live without him.

As for the masons and Gabriel... I took it as a joke about conspiracy, actually, not something suggesting one. The bartender at the pub assumes that Gabriel and Beez are masons-- meaning Freemasons-- because he thinks that there is a local chapter that meets nearby. The bartender has made assumptions about Gabriel and Beez that add up to "not from around here" and assumes they're there for a mason meeting. Gabriel is well-dressed and clueless in a rich sort of way to the bartender-- he doesn't know what a jukebox is and he's in an expensive-looking suit. He also has an American accent so the bartender figures he's probably not a local. Gabriel doesn't dissuade the bartender from thinking that he and Beez are Freemasons because Gabriel has no idea what that is-- because the bartender said "masons" and, honestly, that actually is pretty close to what Gabriel is by his own definition.

A mason works to make things out of stone and the original meaning of the word was specifically related to those making stone walls. Gabriel was in Eden at the start-- the ultimate in stone walls built-- and he also just took Beez to see a statue of himself carved out of stone. Walls are really all Gabriel's ever overseen being built or ever reinforced or ever known before Beez. He's not the most poetic of beings but he can see an analogy there where he is the imprisoned imprisoner of those in Heaven and he just doesn't dispute it because not like he's about to tell the bartender that he's actually The Supreme Archangel of Heaven and Commander of the Heavenly Host 😄 so, letting the guy assume that he works in stone seems like a good solution, as it's actually barely a lie.

The irony is that, etymologically-speaking, the bartender is actually more correct: Gabriel, in the pub that night with Beez, isn't a mason. He's a free mason. Because he's with Beez and the two of them together are carving a path out of their prison walls. Gabriel has actually joined "The Illuminati"-- because he's been illuminated... he's been enlightened. Dude's going to be Grand Master Wizard of The Illuminati or whatever it's called in S3 and bring a whole lot more with him, Beez, Crowley & Aziraphale along the way. He consumes beverages now. There's nothing holding him back. 😂

Anyway, thanks for indulging my ramblings and have a great night. 💕

#ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens #good omens meta #good omens 2 #crowley #aziraphale #good omens s2 #good omens theory

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: March 2024

……….FILM……….

Dune: Part Two (2024) Every piece of technology felt and looked so tangible. The baby worm too! Love the tactile nature of this whole production and I hope studios take note that CG can't be the only tool in your belt. So much bigger than I imagined and just enjoyed the whole thing.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) Ages surprisingly well and a script that lets the main quartet be both funny and layered.

……….TELEVISION……….

Columbo (1.01 to 1.03) Hey I'm starting Columbo! Love that each episode is feature-length and Columbo appears fully formed right out of the gate. The sets and costumes are all so glamorous and L.A. Very excited to keep going.

Succession (2.05 to 3.04) The Kendall play at the end of season 2 felt very much like the Kendall play at the end of season 1 and while I'm still a huge fan of this series, I just hope it's not the same going into season 3 and 4.

Delicious in Dungeon (Episode 1.09 to 1.13) Great adaptation that isn't just a straight recreation of the artwork in the manga. The more kinetic/frantic moments in the animation are a nice departure and while they don't pop up in each episode, now that I'm 13 eps deep I can appreciate how they're sprinkled throughout.

Love is Blind (Episode 6.02 to 6.13) It still amazes me that anyone goes on reality tv.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Twilight | ContraPoints by ContraPoints Yes I did watch a nearly 3-hour essay on Twilight, sexual expression, and all that comes with that. And you should too. VIDEO

Instagram fatigue and the rise of 'Resentment Reels' by Taylor Lorenz While I haven't noticed this specific phenomenon, I have noticed Instagram declining as an app (both as a user trying to see anything other than ads, and a creator trying to get my work seen in between those ads). It's a bummer. VIDEO

Saltburn: The Tumblr-ification of Cinema by Broey Deschanel Every since I saw Saltburn, I've been thinking about what wasn't quite sitting right with me. This unlocked a lot of what I couldn't describe and most of it stems from the writer/director's upper class upbringing. Saltburn isn't a "take down the rich" movie, it's a horror story from the perspective of a wealthy family. VIDEO

Why Is It So Hard To Cross The Street? (& What You Can Do To Help) by Strong Towns Accidents where drivers hit a pedestrian are going up in my area so this really hit home. And for those feeling like there's nothing you can do at ground level, consider taking their course (not a paid sponsorship I'm just in real support of community-lead initiatives). VIDEO

……….READING……….

Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock (Complete) After picking up the last book in this series (which I've yet to read) I figured I'd start at the beginning. Love the fast pace pulpy action and I can see how this influenced the creation of D&D.

The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (Complete) This one would lose me for stretches but the final quarter of the book is stronger. A lot less cozy and a lot more action than I was expecting but skimming other reviews it sounds like this was written during her more...adventure-focused era. Three books deep and I have to give Christie credit that each has been a completely different experience.

Adventures of a Japanese Business Man by Jose Domingo (Complete) Always love going back to this nearly wordless epic that follows the titular Japanese business man. I love the complexity of the earliest panels and wish that could carry throughout more of the book, but it's always such a treat to discover just where each new panel will go.

Delicious in Dungeon Volume 5 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) Enjoying rereading this with shorter breaks between volumes as I certainly missed/forgot details on my first read. It's here that the story and tone shifts from light romp to a more dramatic and dangerous affair but it never loses its spot-on humour. Love those dryad pumpkins.

Ultimate Spider-Man HC Volume 11 by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, David Lafuente, and more (Complete) Going from some of my other comics back to this, I'm struck by just how wordy it can get. Now knowing where the story goes, it was a great idea to prime readers to the idea of Peter Parker dying even if it's not from this event.

……….AUDIO……….

Blank Check with Griffin & David (Podcast) Late to the game on this but really enjoying burning through their back catalog. Obviously started with their episode on Speed Racer as it's a near perfect film that you should watch right now.

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Tuesday group just killed a mayor! So the aftermath of that is going to play out over the next couple of sessions. And the Mof1 crew is investigating the aftermath of their own district-wide catastrophe and it's all looking rather suspicious!

Spot It (Blue Orange Games) I can't recommend this game enough. It's so easy to learn, rounds last maybe 5 minutes, it plays well with small or large groups of any age, and all it requires is pattern recognition and quick reflexes. Every time I've played this someone says they're going to buy a copy for themselves.

And that's it. See you in April!

#Monthly Media #Kolbisneat #Andrew Kolb

[elialys]

"To sport now, and Australian cricket captain, Allan Broader…Border, has threatened to resign in the wake of Australia's worse…worst ever World Cricket score…Series score."

THE NEWSREADER | 1.01 | Helen x Dale - Dale's Update Part 1

#Anna Torv #Sam Reid #Helen Norville #Dale Jennings #Helen x Dale #helendale #The Newsreader #fun fact but i made this 2 months ago #but tumblr refused to make it appear on my dash or in the tags #so im trying again now and splitting it in 2 #so i'll post the gifs of them laughing in another one #hopefully it works 🥲 #i just love their dynamic from the very beginning #the way they immediately trust each other #i love this soft patient side of helen so much ok #it's her default mode without the traumas and bpd and masking and society #she is POOKIE #and so is he 😭 #gifs* #1.01 Three Two One...

[my-favourite-zhent]

New Tricks - Chapter 20

Status: Work In Progress

Version: 1.01

Pairing: Rugan x AFAB!OC

Rating: NC-17 (This chapter PG-13)

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Summary: Misadventures of Rugan and the original Zhentarim Gate's crew before and during the year of three sailing ships.

Notes:

Part two of the three chapter split!

I was spamming @fistfuloftarenths bits of this way back in February. We get a little bit of Sal in this chapter, if you wanna read more of him check out her fic de diversis artibus.

Another lovely beta is of course the kindly @dustdeepsea who's Rugan story Gods and Monsters has our dear old man in this cut content bad ending with a very kickass Tav. (Part of the Trouble Will Find Me series.)

And last but not least @captainsigge who is a one woman hype squad. Be sure to check out her tumblr which has an inspiring collection of Rugan video edits <3

Table of Contents

Read Here on AO3 or below the cut~

New Tricks - Chapter Twenty

Goulcrest was a small village that sat roughly Northeast of Baldur's Gate. So named for its proximity to the fields of the dead, though it saw little in the way of actual ghouls.

They had made good time on the road from the Gate despite all the mud from spring rains. Thankfully the ground had dried out by the last leg of their journey. Rugan supposed there was something to be said for a small crew. They had made a short stop for lunch. Bellar and Olly had gone to take a piss before they set back out, while Rugan and Sal remained with the wagon by a small copse of trees.

When he was certain Bellar was out of earshot he turned to Salazon.

“Sal, would you send Izzy for me?” 

He had planned to leave a letter at the Elfsong before they left for Elturel regardless, but still he was anxious about missing Iz.

“For one hundred tarenths I will.”

“A hundred! Last time it was fifty.” Rugan replied indignantly.

“Yeah well, second to last time I sent you, you told me to sod off.”

“That was months ago, you spiteful imp.” Leave it to a wizard to hold a grudge.

“I've loans to pay off, as you well know.”

Grudgingly, Rugan rifled through his coin purse and began counting out the coins one by one. 

Sal let out an exasperated sigh at his slow progress. “Here just let me do it, you're terrible at counting.”

“So you can cheat me more than you already have? Not bloody likely.” Rugan went back to the pile and began counting again from one.

“What are you doing?!” Sal asked aghast.

“You made me lose count,” came the saucy reply.

“Oh for Helm’s sake.” Sal hissed. “Just what do you want to say to her?”

“Tell her I might be some days late to meet her in the Gate on account of the job. But I'll come as soon as I can.”

Sal gave a deep intake of breath and leaned back against the tree, closing his eyes. Rugan watched as the wizard's hands contorted into strange gestures as he cast the spell. After several long moments Sal opened his eyes.

“She says she'll wait for you at the Elfsong, she doesn't have any other jobs lined up after this one.”

“She will?” The smile was broad across Rugan's face. He went back to hastily counting the coins, but Sal held out his hand.

“Forget the coin, this is too painful to watch. Just ask her to put in a nice word with Corra.”

“Ah, I can get you talking to a more local girl, but if you insist. Buy you a drink too.” 

If Sal was a better Zhent he would've pressed Rugan for more favours while the man was feeling generous, alas he was not. 

“It's a deal.”

+++++

It had been another two days' travel before they finally reached Goulcrest. While there had been no proper road leading up from the highway, the paths connecting it  to the local farms were better maintained. They followed one of these now to an abandoned farmstead farther apart from the others. Strange place to retrieve a delivery, but coin was coin.

Rugan and Olly were in the wagon today while Bellar and Salazon were on horseback. The group often rotated but Salazon was always given the blue-eyed chestnut mare when riding. The creature was particularly unflappable around casting compared to others of its ilk.

As the party approached they could hear raised voices emanating from their destination.

“Sounds like trouble up ahead,” said Bellar astride his mount, hand already on the hilt of his blade.

Straining his ears, Olly scrunched his face in concentration, leaning forward in his seat at the front of the new wagon.

“I don’t hear any blades.” By now the ring of steel had become an unmistakable sound to the young recruit.

“Nor I,” agreed Rugan from the driver's seat. “Still, best to play it safe.” He looked to a mounted Sal who nodded in affirmation, readying a spell just in case.

As the party drew closer the voices became more discernible.

“That isn't what we agreed upon.” A woman's voice, straining with anger, somehow familiar.

“You've already been paid upfront.” A man's voice this time. Rugan could easily imagine the sneer its owner must be wearing.

“I’ve been paid half upfront as outlined in the contract, and now that the job is done I expect the second half.”

“Work can't be half as hard as you say seeing as you finished early. So you get half the pay.”

“How many antiquarians have you brought down here before me? Ones that didn't even finish the job? At least two that I know of.”

“Isn't that—?” Olly began as they crested the hill, the figures of a dark-haired man and woman came into view.

“Take the reins, lad.” Handing over the leather straps to Olly, Rugan hopped off the ambling caravan and made his way towards the arguing duo.

“Just one of those urns is worth twice what you agreed to pay me. So give me my due.” Her voice was even but Rugan noted that the fingertips of one hand were glowing ever so slightly.

“Don't push your luck, girl. I could bury you back in those tombs and then it would take another three antiquarians just to find your corpse.” The man was snarling contemptuously.

“Luck indeed,” Rugan interjected. “Inauspicious to start a job with violence though.” 

Izzy stared at him dumbfounded, rage temporarily forgotten as he approached. Her verbal sparring partner smirked, mistaking her confusion for fear.

Rugan came to stand beside the two with a sidelong look to Izzy before he turned his attention to the man. She seemed to take his meaning, making no move to let show their familiarity with one another.

‘Good, lass.’ He thought. ‘My clever lass.’

“Grim, I take it?” It could have been his real name, common enough among Chondathans, but Rugan had a feeling the man had chosen it to sound tough.

“That's right.” Grim extended his hand to Rugan who took it readily. “You our Zhent escort then?”

“I am indeed.”

“You're early, I like that.”

“Funny, not what you said a minute ago,” came Izzy's sharp tongue.

‘My short-tempered lass.’ Rugan worked hard to suppress the look he wanted to shoot her.

“That the cargo?” Rugan glanced over at a group of ceramic vases and statues clustered under a tarp to the far side of the camp.

“That’s right, we weren't expecting you for another few days, but I can have the boys pack them up in a jiff.”

“No need to rush, it's already late in the day so we won't be setting back out tonight. Wouldn't want anything to break if they’re requiring special care.”

This gave Grim pause, he looked to Izzy for an answer.

“Really?” She crossed her arms.

“Throw in an extra twenty electrum for you, little worm.” Grim sneered.

“That's not even close to–”

Rugan held out his hand. “Perhaps in the spirit of cooperation we should forgive past debts. If we're all going to be on the road together, that is.”

“Fine.” She bit out through gritted teeth.

Grim was grinning broadly, confident ‘his’ Zhent sellsword had cowed the woman.

“We'll help with the loading up.” Rugan turned back to the waiting Zhents with a sharp whistle. “Bring ‘er round Olly!”

“Why don't you show him what needs to be done, Alyssa?” Grim smirked.

Wordlessly, Izzy stalked off to the tarp set-up at the side of the farmstead, Rugan followed one step behind.

When they were finally out of earshot she groaned and braced her arms against an open crate, hanging her head low.

“I'm so bloody sick of dealing with this shite on every job.”

Rugan positioned himself such that the two other tomb raiders milling about the camp wouldn't see when he placed his hand on the small of her back.

“There now, lass, it can't be helped. Thugs like these only respect a sword arm. Business at the end of a blade as it were.”

“I always seem to be getting the short end of the stick on that one.” She gave a shuddering sigh as she tried to regain her composure. Rugan's hand smoothed over her back in a tight circle, easing some of the tension she had been holding in.

“Do these actually need any special care or?”

“Hah, no they're just bloody vases mostly. Some bits of statuary.” She swiped at the sweat of her brow. “I mean, do take more care with them than these damned fools. That one urn there was in perfect condition when we found it and now it's got a big split up the side because they thought it was faster to roll it down the stairs.”

“Thought you liked this stuff.”

“I do.” She sounded mournful, almost wounded. “Just can't afford to be precious about it. These bastards aren't exactly museum curators.” She let out another long sigh.

“This frippery really worth as much as you say?”

“Yes, if you can sell them directly in Athkatla, that is. Nobles there are so obsessed with appearances.”

“Vases get them all puffed up, do they?”

“If it's from some ancient temple or Elven villa? Absolutely. I've even seen people pay decently for known fakes, so long as they thought it would fool their party guests.”

“Fucking nobles.” He chuckled at the absurdity.

“Fucking nobles.” She agreed and gave him a tired smile.

“Feeling better, lass?”

“A little. I'm glad it's you that's come.”

“Someone's gotta keep you out of trouble.” With one last gentle press he removed his hand from her and stepped back. “I'll talk to the lads, get sorted on supplies.”

Izzy nodded in response and went back to inspecting the ceramics as he turned to leave.

+++++

“That your girl, innit?” Bellar's voice was low and conspiratorial as Rugan returned to the wagon.

“Aye, going by Alyssa, and as far as we're concerned she's a stranger.”

“Why's that? I like Iz.” Disappointment coloured Olly's voice.

“Well it's a conflict of interest, isn't it?” supplied Sal. “And we don't need our clients knowing that.”

“Suppose that makes sense.”

“Will it be a conflict though?” Bellar looked to Rugan.

“No need for it to come to that.” Rugan did his best to sound reassuring. “We've come to do a job after all. I've volunteered us to help with the loading up.”

“‘Course you have,” muttered Bellar.

Rugan continued on as if he hadn't heard. “Goods are fragile so we're going to need a lot of straw.”

“I saw a farm with hay back the way.” Olly gestured with his thumb.

“Right.” Rugan retrieved a few coins from his purse and handed them to Olly. “Buy what hay you can off them, and if it's not enough, inquire about their neighbours. Bound to be enough around here.”

“Sure.”

“Oh and Olly,” His voice lower now so as not to be overheard. “Take ‘Alyssa’ with you, see what she can tell you about this crew and their affiliations.”

Olly nodded and Rugan put up his hand to flag Izzy down.

“Guess you want us to help with the boxes?” Bellar sighed.

“I do, but don't go working too hard, it's supposed to be their job. Just use it as an excuse to get to chatting with them.”

“Wasn't planning on working hard at all.”

Sal chuckled before agreeing. “We can handle that.”

“You couldn't handle a paperweight,” Bellar clucked as he and Sal moved to approach the raiders.

“Surprised you know what a paperweight is,” came Sal’s counter.

Rugan turned as Izzy approached, his volume increasing enough that they could be overheard. “Lass, my boy Olly here is going to help with fetching supplies if you could direct him.”

“Of course.” She maintained a neutral expression as she climbed up into the driver's box next to Olly, and they set off without a backward glance. Rugan watched them disappear back down the dirt road, relieved to have Izzy away from this lot even for just a little while. 

+++++

As the party set to work, Rugan had made note of the derelict farm's surroundings. The barn was locked up tight with fresh chains, the gleaming metal sat in stark contrast to the many rusted tools laying about. There was also a fresh pile of dirt outside the barn. No doubt the excavation site lay inside.

On closer inspection it was easy to see the farmstead had been built on top of some sort of ruins. Fragments of an old stone wall jutted out from the earth in places, and he recognized those same stones being repurposed in the property's dilapidated farmhouse.

Wandering the perimeter where the length of the field met the edge of the forest, Rugan noticed something else peculiar. A few more short mounds of dirt, these were about seven or eight feet long and five or six hand spans wide. New work, but the dirt had coalesced from the recent rains. They hadn't been dug in the last ten-day, but likely some time this past month.

It had already been late afternoon when they had first arrived, and it was dusk by the time they had finished assembling enough boxes for the cargo. Introductions had been made, and stories swapped between the two groups.

Olly and Izzy had also returned, and both addressed each other cordially. Rugan was glad that while the pair of them were generally terrible liars when questioned directly, they were at least passable at playing pretend.

“Sal,” Rugan called from his position leaning against the barn. The wizard turned to regard him, and he jerked his head to the side indicating Sal should follow. When the pair had rounded the corner away from prying eyes, Rugan slipped into the Zhentil dialect as an added precaution.

“I want you or Olly with Iz at all times.”

“Any particular reason? Besides Grim���s less than stellar first impression I mean.”

“Aye, think I've found their previous contractors buried round back.”

Sal let out a long exasperated breath. “Even when I get put on the easy jobs someone's getting merc’d.”

“Sometimes that's what makes them easy.” Rugan forced a smirk to cover the undercurrent of anxiety he felt trying to fight its way to the surface.

“We can watch her, I'll talk to Olly about it. Sure you don't wanna keep an eye on her yourself?”

“Be too obvious.” He sighed, though he wasn't sure if it would be him or Iz that would falter in the charade.

Sal nodded in understanding, and the pair rejoined the others.

It was an hour or so later when Grim came to sit where Rugan and Bellar were quietly eating by the fire.

“Mind if I join you lads?”

“We're nothing if not hospitable.” Rugan put on his most congenial smile, gesturing to the empty spot on the log beside him.

“Couldn't help but notice your boys trying to cozy up to the little book fucker.” Grim nodded towards the other end of the farmstead campsite where Olly and Sal were quietly speaking with Izzy.

“Ah well, pretty thing like that might make for good company on the road. Can't fault the lads for making the best of it.”

“I'd save my breath if I were them, she's as frigid as they come. Probably as dry as those musty books she lugs around too.”

“Didn't have any luck, I take it?” Rugan chuckled and Bellar watched him obliquely. Though his friend’s face was plastered with a smile, Bellar recognized the anger simmering under the surface.

“Don’t expect anyone to have much luck with a creature more harpy than human. Would you believe she even put traps around her tent at night?”

“You're joking.” Rugan laughed. “I'll have to take you to a proper festhall when we get to the city.”

Grim began rambling on about some misadventures he’d had in the Heartlands over the years. Rugan was only half listening, but he laughed and nodded along in the appropriate places.

Bellar, for his part, was conspicuously quiet, watching Rugan from behind an enthusiastic Grim's shoulder. He didn't speak up until the raider had finally wandered off to chat to his square-jawed compatriot.

“How do you want to handle this?” Bellar moved to take Grim's spot, voice low, watching the raiders as he spoke.

“We're professionals, and we'll behave like it.”

“Will we?”

“Sure, so long as he doesn't raise my ire any further.” Rugan's voice was low and closer to a growl than he would like to admit.

Bellar gave a short dry laugh. “Somehow that seems like a foregone conclusion.”

“Aye, doesn't it just?” A wry smile curled the corners of Rugan's mouth.

+++++

There were no more surprises when setting up camp that night. Sal and Olly dutifully planted their shared tent beside Izzy's and Rugan made a mental note to buy them plenty of drinks at the next opportunity. Grim also seemed to take note of the current arrangement, and while his sour expression gave away his feelings on the matter he was wise enough to not make a complaint. At least not yet.

Watches were organised, and Rugan volunteered himself and Olly to take the last one. Late enough that most of the camp would be deep asleep.

When he felt confident the previous shift wouldn't rouse he turned to Olly for a debriefing of his ride with Iz. He tried to use the coded dialect as he had with Sal.

“What was her read on the group?” Rugan asked, absently poking at the fire.

“She said Grim’s a—umm brag-bragga—? A trumpet?” Olly’s tongue twisting over the words before switching back to common with a frustrated sigh.

“Rugan, can we just do this in common?”

Rugan sighed and rolled his shoulders. The boy was still new to the tongue, and while he understood others well enough his own responses were often stilted and abrupt in this way. They weren't going to get far if Olly stumbled every third word.

“Fine, but keep your voice down, lad. Don't need anyone catching wind of this.”

“Right, so Grim’s a swank.”

“Gathered that much from his tales, go on.”

Olly went on to describe the other crew members. The big meaty bastard with rust coloured hair was Friss. He rarely spoke but was constantly surveilling the others. The scrawny lad was Soren, the youngest of three. Smaller than the others and habitually bullied by them. 

Most importantly, there had been no evidence of them being part of a larger guild or network. Rugan considered this a bit of good luck. Less complications if things played out the way he thought they might.

“This group doesn't exactly seem well read, did she know how they found this place?”

“Apparently robbed some noble on the road, and that's how they found out about the ruins. The rich fellow, he'd done some family research and thought his ancestors used to tend a temple here.”

“What happened to the fellow?”

Olly shrugged. Likely dead and Rugan didn't wanna be in the vicinity in case any fancy relatives came looking.

“Right then, I want you to see what inroads you can make with Soren.”

“Me? I'm no spy.”

“You're close in age, he'll want to talk to you. Don't think of it as some daring thing, just tell him some stories so he opens up a touch. Complain about us a bit.”

“Complain about you?”

“Puts folks at ease if you open up first. If he's got issues with his crew he'll be champing at the bit to say so.”

Olly nodded in understanding. “Alright, I'll try.” Then after a beat. “Suppose there is lots to complain about.”

Rugan huffed. “I'll pretend I didn't hear that last bit.”

+++++

It was a small group as caravans went, only the two wagons, eight people and seven horses. Two horses were hitched to each wagon.

Still, the way was slower going now that their numbers had doubled, especially with the wagons heavily weighted down by vases and small bits of statuary.

To make matters worse, Grim had taken a shine to Rugan. The Zhent’s days were frequently spent feigning interest in one of Grim's oft repeated adventures.

“You know I thought of becoming a Zhent,” Grim would say. “Yeah, seriously considered that, but I enjoy being my own boss too much.” Even Grim's own people looked like they had to bite their tongue when that one was repeated. It was true that the Zhentarim recruited all sorts, but Rugan doubted such a loud-mouth would go a month before finding a knife in his back.

“Used to run with the thieves out of Beregost,” Grim stated matter of factly one morning ‘round breakfast. “They were really small-time though. Yeah didn't wanna expand out of the ‘gost.” Rugan had to fight hard to choke down a laugh when he saw Bellar mouthing ‘the gost’ over Grim’s shoulder. Nobody fucking called Beregost that, and if they did Rugan would eat Olly's scarf.

That particular story seemed to set off Sal, who had over the winter become an expert on all things Amnian.

“Small time!” He had whisper-shouted at Rugan during their watch that night.

“They're a branch of the Shadow Thieves of Amn! The very same that Izzy warned us about in Crimmor. This isn't embellishment anymore, it's outright disinformation.”

Rugan thought enduring that particular story was worth it just to see how it frustrated Sal.

Grim's constant hovering also interfered with Rugan's other tasks. It was near impossible to go over a manifest with his constant nattering. His tinny voice followed Rugan as he inspected wheels and tarps. He couldn't even take a leak without Grim sidling up beside him at some random tree. 

Worst of all, it made it near impossible to sneak a glance at Iz. The most he got to see of her was when he was sitting in the driver seat of the wagon. She sat quietly beside him while they studiously ignored one another, though on more than one occasion she had rested her hand on his knee when Grim’s crew were preoccupied. He could almost pretend they were alone in those moments, sometimes he even dared to place his hand on top of hers.

It was usually at such times that Grim would come riding up to tell Rugan how the Flaming Fist had tried to recruit him, had begged him to join on bended knee. 

“Couldn’t meet my salary expectations though.” Grim would say as Rugan and Izzy surreptitiously disengaged.

At least Olly had made inroads with Soren—the pair often rode side by side at the head of the party, sometimes laughing over some shared joke.

+++++

Rugan was busy tacking up his horse one morning when Bellar spoke up.

“Don't look now, but your best mate is coming round.” He chuckled before wandering off.

Rugan sighed as he finished inspecting his saddle. It seemed Grim was intent on talking his ear off the whole journey back to the Gate.

“Good day to be on the road,” greeted Grim.

Every day on the road with Grim felt like the worst day of his life. “That it is indeed.”

“Now, Zhent, I can see that you're a professional.”

“Aye, that if nothing else.” Rugan agreed with a smile that did not touch his eyes. 

“Can't say the same for your lads.” Grim turned and Rugan followed the man's gaze to where Izzy and Sal were brushing the latter's horse. Rugan chose not to comment.

“Now see, I've a little business proposition for you,” Grim continued.

“Go on then.” He said, knowing full well Grim was about to say something he wouldn't like.

“Well…” Turning back to Rugan, Grim lowered his voice and leaned in close. The man was so obvious about what he was doing it almost seemed like a parody of secrecy. “Seems a waste of supplies to have an extra body around when her part’s already done.”

“You wanna dump the girl in Goulcrest?” Rugan hoped that was all, but he knew better.

“Why part with the coin? Overpriced as she was, even at half the contract. Better to just dump the body in a ditch.” He swiped a dark strand of hair behind his ear with a lopsided grin. Rugan imagined himself dashing Grim’s face against a stone wall, till that grin was broken and jagged.

“That would be outside the terms of our established contract.” His voice was silken, even as he felt himself gritting his teeth. “You've paid us to protect the merchandise, no more, no less.”

“You drive a hard bargain. Half her coin is yours when the job is done.”

“Respectfully—” Respect was in fact the last thing he felt for Grim. “No.”

And even if it hadn't been Iz, if it had been some passerby he had no compunctions over killing, even then he would've expected to keep the full purse plus fee. 

“Just think it over, it's a good chunk of coin.” Grim clapped him on the shoulder before wandering back to his own horse.

“Still want to be professional?” Bellar, who had of course been eavesdropping, appeared at Rugan’s side. “Not particularly, but we’ll see if he drops the issue.” Rugan tried to shake out the tension in his shoulders as he said it. “Doubt it.” Bellar chuckled before mounting his own horse. Rugan had a feeling Bellar was right and a vengeful part of him looked forward to it.

#rugan #bg3 rugan #rugan bg3 #zhentarim #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 rugan #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fanfiction #new tricks #bg3 fanfic: new tricks #bg3 oc: izzy #izzy x rugan #rugan x izzy

[mundaneandmagicalcreature]

Dale looking at Helen adoringly

The Newsreader (2021 -) 1.01 Three, Two, One

#the newsreader #dale jennings

[isabellaofparma]

The Newsreader | 1.01 – “Three, Two, One...”

#the newsreader #thenewsreaderedit #samreidedit #dale jennings #sam reid #caroline lee #mine #he is so cringefail <3 kin. #i tried with the colouring but alas.

[catty-words]

(1.01)

(2.04)

(3.09)

-

no big deal, just a collection of moments that implicitly and explicitly illustrate how much ben’s input matters to and has an effect on devi, which would (and does) make me feral all on it’s own, but please also consider the way it progresses from him exploiting her insecurities in the pilot to the way his ability to cut to the quick of her motivations inspires self-reflection in season two to him using his position as one of the rare people devi allows to guide her in order to protect her in season three.

#catty's perpetual nhie rewatch #nhie meta #devi x ben #knife edge loves!! #their relationship is not demure or particularly sweet or easy but it matters so so much

[starogeorgina]

Broken bonds

Paring: Ser Harwin Strong/reader

Warnings: None

Notes: I’m excited to share my first Harwin fic!

1.01

“Vaella!” Rhaenyra runs towards you, her arms extended. “How are you?”

Excited to see her, you hug her tightly. Since being married, you’ve missed spending time with your older sister; after all, she was your closest companion. The other half of you. No poet could describe the depths of your love for her.

You step back from the hug and notice a knight standing patiently behind her. You remember the day your sister picked Ser Cristion as part of your father's royal guard. Ser Harrold seemed impressed by her decision-making, while Otto Hightower was furious.

You smile at him and say, “I hope you are well, Ser Cristion.”

He bows his head and says, “Princess.”

Rhaenyra links her arm with yours as she leads you through the gardens. You notice the sudden displeased look on her face. Lightheartedly, you nudge her with your shoulder and say, “I’m sure there are worse things than having a sworn protector that looks like Ser Criston Cole.” You giggle. “Now tell me everything so we can eat cake and ride our dragons for the rest of the day, once I’ve said hello to Father.”

“And the queen.”

“Ahh, yes, Alicent.” You roll your eyes at the thought of seeing her; you have no love for any Hightower. “I am excited to meet our newest sibling, though. Has Aegon still got chubby round cheeks?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you spot Ser Harwin Strong talking to his father, and you feel your heart speed up. You hadn’t seen him since your wedding, when he attended alongside his father. You were so distracted by him that you missed what Rhaenyra was saying to you.

An action that didn’t go unnoticed

“See something you like?” She whispers.

“No, not at all,” you shake your head. “When do you leave for your tour for a suitor?”

She looks at you unimpressed. “Tomorrow morning, I’m dreading it.”

“You are beloved by many; the realms delight. The lords and knights will be fighting for your hand.”

“They want my blood, not me. The whole thing seems barbaric—that I will pick a husband based on what fleet or castle he can offer me.”

“Believe me, dear sister, you're lucky to be the one who gets to choose.”

She gives you a sympathetic smile. It was no secret that you hated the Lannisters, and being married to one made you nothing but miserable. You often asked the gods what you did to deserve such punishment, but they never answered.

You did resent your father for forcing you to at first, but you soon realized he wasn’t the problem, but the snake who had been whispering in his ear was. Otto Hightower. He had convinced your father, the king, that it was the best way to keep you safe.

“Sorry,” she squeezes your hand. “So, how long will you be staying this time?”

—

You sit in tense silence as the men in the king's small council look at each other. You were summoned to meet with them before dawn, much to your distaste, to discuss who would be your ‘sworn protector’ while you stayed in kings landing.

“It’s been three hours,” your father sighs. “What are you waiting for?”

You look at the dirt underneath your nails and then back up at him, “I am not the heir to the throne; I do not need watching over.”

“Heir or not, you are still my child,” your father rubs at his face. You wanted him to admit out loud why he really wanted someone to watch over you, but he knows this and refuses. It’s an unspoken war between the two of you. He shakes his head and laughs. “You share the same stubbornness as my mother once did. Why else do you think we had this meeting so early?”

The fact your father anticipated your refusal caused heat to rise in your body; you wanted to beat him at this game. Ever since you were a child, he seemed to know what you were thinking before you did.

“The list of names you have suggested is regrettable. I doubt any of these men have ever been in a fight, let alone been fit enough to protect a Targaryen princess,” you point out.

“Perhaps the princess would like to choose someone else,” Lord Lyonel suggests. “Someone more suited to her.”

Your father glares at him; he fears who you might pick, given the choice.

“He’s right,” you smile, knowing he was panicking internally. You could go for the obvious choice and pick Daemon, but you decided to pick someone more sensible. You look directly at Lord Lyonel Strong and ask, “Do you think a knight such as your son would be willing to protect a princess?”

He glances between you and the king before nervously answering, “Yes, of course. He is traveling at the moment, but I will send word for him to come back right away.”

“Very well, then,” you smile sweetly at your father. “It’s been decided.”

Everyone stands as the king walks around the table. He pats Lord Lyonel on the shoulder, chuckling, “Rest assured, Ser Harwin won’t have a moment of peace from now on.”

—

You don’t lift your head when hearing footsteps approach; you're too focused on the letter you're writing to Daemon, asking for his help.

𝒟𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝓊𝓃𝒸𝓁𝑒

𝐼 𝒶𝓂 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉. 𝒲𝒽𝒾𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝒸𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒸𝓇𝒾𝓂𝓈𝑜𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝑜𝓁𝒹 𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝒹𝒶𝓎, 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝓊𝓈𝒷𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝓈 𝒶 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇, 𝓌𝒽𝑜𝓂 𝓌𝑒 𝒷𝑜𝓉𝒽 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓁𝓎. 𝐼 𝒹𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝒽 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒷𝓊𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝑅𝒽𝒶𝑒𝓃𝓎𝓇𝒶 𝑜𝓇 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒶𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝓁-𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓇 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝑒𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝐹𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇, 𝓈𝑜 𝐼 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝓀 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓃𝓈𝑒𝓁 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝒲𝑒 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓉𝑒𝒸𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝓁𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑜𝓃.

𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒱𝒶𝑒𝓁𝓁𝒶 𝒯𝒶𝓇𝑔𝒶𝓇𝓎𝑒𝓃

You roll the letter up before tying string around it; you will send a Raven later on in the day. Finally, you look up and are surprised to see it was Ser Hawin, whom you hadn’t expected to arrive for another couple of days.

“You honor me, princess,” Ser Harwin says, bowing his head. “My father informs me that you suggested me personally for the job.”

“You are the strongest knight in the seven kingdoms. I doubt being a royal minder is the highlight of your career.”

“It’s still an honor, and I will do my best to protect and serve you, princess.”

You raise your brows, trying to read his facial expression underneath his armored body. His fierce reputation is why you chose him, but mainly because you wanted a guard who wasn’t intimidated by your family name or reputation. “And it’s an honor to be protected by someone so…strong.”

You can see the ghost of a grin pulling on his lips underneath his helmet. “Can I speak freely?”

You motion for Harwin to join you on the balcony, where you are currently enjoying the sunshine. “You are always free to speak your mind with me.”

He sits across from you and smiles, “When my father told me I was to be a guard for one of the king's daughters, I’d assumed it was princess Rhaenyra.”

“Why is that?”

“I found it hard to believe a fierce warrior such as yourself would need a protector.”

“I’m just a dragonrider.”

“I have a feeling you are much more than that princess.”

You press your lips together, trying to hold back a laugh. Harwin removes his helmet, and the smile on his face is contagious, causing you to blush. He clears his throat. His expression changes into a serious one as his gaze lingers on the scar on the back of your hand. Feeling self-conscious, you pull the sleeve of your dress down and place your hands on your lap. You think of the pain you endured...

“One day, I hope to hear how you fought at the War for the Stepstones.”

His voice brings you back to reality, “And I hope to hear how you earned the name Ser Harwin breakbones.”

#house of the dragon #ser harwin strong x reader #Ser Harwin Strong x you #Ser Harwin Strong #broken bonds #house of the dragon fanfiction #house of the dragon fandom #house of the dragon fanfic #house of the dragon x reader #Ser Harwin Strong/you #Ser Harwin Strong/reader