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ladykailitha · 3 months

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The Harrington Pattern Part 1

Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late uploading today, but I went to bed early last night and forgot to schedule this.

Oops!

But! Welcome to what I've been calling Steve is a History Nerd agenda. We see in season two on Steve's essay for colleges that he can link his grandfather's military service with his prowess on the basketball court.

It is also surprisingly well written. *shakes fist at the Duffers stop telling us he's stupid and then showing the opposite, please! Let him be smart, too!*

Summary: The Renaissance Fair is finally back in Hawkins after three year absence (Starcourt was built on the fair site and after the fire it was bulldozed back to it's original field). Everyone is excited, even Steve to everyone's amazement. But Steve is hiding other hidden depths as he offers to help the kids make their costumes for the Fair.

Lucas is struggling with being both a nerd and a jock and fears the judgment of his friends. Steve sets out to help him overcome those doubts to be himself.

Tagging the untaggable: @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @emly03

***

Nobody expects Steve to be excited for the Renaissance fair. Dustin, Will and Lucas spend hours plotting bribes, schemes and out and out manipulations to get Steve to agree to take them. Even Robin expected him to side with her about the dust and the filth. Eddie expected him to be dismissive of the fantasy aspect of it.

Boy were they all wrong.

For it was Steve to bring up to the group after a rather successful D&D session.

In his hand was a bright pink flier and a wide grin on his face.

“Guys! The Ren Fair is back this year,” he said in lieu of a greeting. “I’ll finally be able to show off that tunic I’ve been working on.”

All heads turned to Steve in shock.

There was a cacophony of questions.

“Since when did you know how to sew?”

“What do you mean back? I didn’t even know Hawkins had one to begin with!”

“You want to go to the Ren Fair?”

“Why would you want to spend all day in the heat and dirt?”

Steve looked around at all off his friends in shock.

“Guys, I love the Ren Fair,” he muttered. “Didn’t you guys know?”

All their jaws dropped.

And Eddie? Eddie felt an icicle to the heart at the sight of Steve’s hurt expression.

“You’ll pardon the peasants, my liege,” Eddie said, bowing grandly. “I’m afraid we have all be harboring under the delusion that Ren Fairs were beneath your notice.”

Steve blinked at him a moment. “But I love that stuff. It’s the history and sword fights and jousting. It’s the like medieval Olympics. It’s the romance and chivalry of knights fighting for a fair maiden’s hand. It’s getting to dress up in fancy clothes and rip into turkey legs like a savage. What’s not to like?”

Dustin frowned. “Who here knew Steve liked history?”

Robin and Nancy raised their hands. They looked around waiting for me people to join them. But they stayed down.

Steve ducked his head and scuffed the floor with the edge of his sneaker.

“The ex-girlfriend I’ll buy,” Dustin continued. “But Robin didn’t become friends with Steve until after he graduated so how did she know?”

Robin blinked at them owlishly. “You mean you guys don’t know?”

Everyone looked around each other and then shook their heads.

“Steve was in my AP history class my junior year,” she said as if this was know fact.

“You do know that AP stands for advance placement, right?” Mike asked.

Eddie smacked the back of his head. “She was in it, dude. Don’t be an ass.”

Steve looked up at him and smiled a little.

Good, Eddie thought. Nothing like a little Mike violence to cheer up Steve.

“He wrote an essay for early placement college exams,” Nancy said. “He didn’t get a chance to turn it in because of our second go round with the Upside Down, but it was really good. It needed a little neatening up with the actual writing, but the history was solid.”

Steve blushed. “Thanks.”

Dustin looked skeptical. “What’s your favorite part of history?”

Steve opened his mouth and then closed it again. “I liked hearing about my grandpa’s time in the US army during WWII, but that was more because he made it interesting. But I really like the Industrial Revolution. Or rather the first Industrial Revolution. There have been four. The first one was from 1760-1840 and featured heavily in the textile movement.”

The room was silent.

“Why textiles, Stevie?” Eddie asked as the silence grew awkward.

Steve lit up like a child at Christmas morning and he began talking about the British textile movement.

“What the hell?” Dustin huffed, breaking into Steve monologue.

Steve ducked his head again and blushed. “Just because I’m not interested in science and fantasy doesn’t mean I’m stupid.” He straightened up. “And yeah, sometimes I get things wrong. But everyone does at some point. In fact I get a hell of a lot more flack for my intelligence than Eddie does and he repeated his senior year twice!” He took a deep breath and then ran his fingers through his hair.

“No offense,” he said waving to Eddie.

Eddie looked up at him with earnest eyes. “None taken. I concur.”

They all looked around at each other in shock. Like they hadn’t realized that they had done that.

After a few moments, Steve put his hands on his hips and pointed at all of them.

“So do you guys want to go or what?”

Eddie sat back with a smile as everyone roared their approval.

“No corsets,” was Robin’s only firm and fast rule for Steve when it came to dressing her up for the Ren Fair.

Steve looked her up and down. “Why on earth would I want you in a corset? Have you looked in the mirror?”

“Uh...” Robin said. “Is that a trick question? Of course I have. I don’t what that has to do with saying no to corsets though...”

Steve rolled his eyes. “In order to give you the curve you need to match the proper silhouette you would need to be cinched to hell. And as this is supposed to be fun.”

He grabbed her hand and started hauling her toward his car.

“Where are we going?”

“Thrifting!” he said with glee.

It took three different stores and a stop at the mall to get everything he needed.

“Give me three days,” he told her when he dropped her off at her house. “And I think you’ll like what I come up with.”

Robin eyed him warily. “If you say so.”

Steve laughed.

He crashed the next D&D session, showing up early to pick them up.

“What is everyone wearing to the Ren Fair?” he asked with a note pad on his lap and wagged the pen in his fingers.

“You want us to dress up?” Mike asked, eyes wide.

“Why not?” he asked with a shrug. “I’ve made my costume and currently reworking some thirfted threads for Robin’s outfit.”

Eddie blinked. “You made your costume?”

Steve shrugged again. “Yeah. I like sewing.”

There was suddenly an uproar and he held up a hand. “I can’t make you a full outfit before the Fair, but I can make over already made clothes to make them more historical. And maybe for next year I’ll have the time to make something special for everyone.”

Dustin eyed him suspiciously. “Like what?”

“Like tailoring pants to a tighter fit,” Steve explained “adding a sash or belt, turning old coats into vests and cloaks, things like that.”

They still weren’t sure how that would work out.

“Now I talked to Joyce and Claudia,” he continued. “And they’re both willing to help out in making sure everyone has something nice to wear. That includes Max and El.”

“Are the fair maidens joining us?” Eddie asked.

Steve nodded. “Yeah. Joyce is doing El and Will, Claudia is doing Dustin and Mike, and I’m doing Lucas and Max. Eddie said he already had a costume, so I didn’t have to worry about him.”

Eddie grinned. “You better believe it, pretty boy.”

Steve ducked his head and blushed. “So we’re all going thrifting with a $5 limit for each of you. But I wanted to brainstorm some ideas of what you wanted to go as so we don’t waste time wandering around.”

Everyone started shouting at once and it took Steve a good ten minutes before he got everyone calmed down enough to get what they wanted. Dustin wanted to go as a hobbit, but Steve had to nix that one.

“You don’t want to go running around the grounds barefoot,” he explained with a wince. “It’s not safe.”

“I’m going to have to agree with Stevie on this one,” Eddie said. “You guys have never been but there is all sorts of stuff laying around. It’s not indoors and the pathways are dirt lined. Think the state fair. It’s more like that then going to comic book convention.”

Dustin grumbled but conceded the point. Steve got them to decide on... well not quite peasant gear, but more rough around the edges than what Steve would be wearing.

Well, all but Lucas. He didn’t want to wear what they were wearing but he refused to say what he did want to wear.

So Steve dropped him off at home last.

They pulled into his driveway and Steve turned to him. “Do you not want to dress up? Because I won’t make you.”

Lucas picked at the loose string on his sweater. “It’s not that. I just remember the last time we did a group costume and they all thought I should be Winston because I was black like he was.”

Steve frowned for a moment. “The Ghostbusters, right?”

Lucas nodded. “I knew if I brought it up they’d shoot me down again.”

“So what did you want to go as?” he asked.

Lucas huffed out a sigh. “It doesn’t matter. It’s a stupid pipe dream anyway. Especially since you have to make Max’s dress and Robin’s costume, too.”

He opened the door to get out, but Steve reached over and slammed it closed.

“One, Robin’s costume is almost done,” he said counting out on his fingers. “Two, do you really think your girlfriend is going to want to wear a dress? And three, let me be the judge on what’s too much for me, okay?”

Lucas huffed a laugh at his second point. “Yeah, that was dumb of me.”

“So what is it?”

Lucas looked down again and heaved out a sigh. “An elf.”

Steve’s mind was whirling with the possibilities. “What colors?”

“What?” Lucas asked, not sure he heard Steve right.

“What colors would you want it to be?”

He pulled out the notebook and scrambled for a pen. Lucas pulled a pencil out of his bag and handed it to him.

“Uh I was thinking of a light blue and with a silver trim?” he said hesitantly.

Steve sketched something out. “Like this?”

Lucas leaned over to look at the drawing. “A little shorter so I’m not tripping over it and maybe those puffy pants?”

Steve adjusted the drawing and Lucas nodded.

“Yeah, like that.”

“All right,” Steve said. “I know exactly what to do and how to do it. It won’t be perfect because I don’t have time to do it right so I’ll be doing a lot of cheating. But yeah, it’s doable.”

Lucas gave him a hug. “Thanks, man.”

Steve called the one person he knew he could help him.

“Eddie,” he said the second the other man picked up. “I need your nerd connections to do a huge favor for Lucas.”

“Wha’cha got, big boy?” Eddie asked with a grin.

“You wouldn’t happen to know any Trekkies would you?” Steve asked chewing on his bottom lip.

“That depends, Stevie,” Eddie replied, “what’s the need?”

“Pointed ears.”

Eddie hummed. “I’m assuming you’re thinking Trekkie because of Spock and that’s a good thought. But I’m guessing since we’re going to the Ren Fair our stalwart ranger is wanting to be an elf?”

“Yeah,” Steve said. “Do you know anyone who can help?”

“Better than that,” Eddie said. “I know where to get the ears in the right... shade?”

Steve perked up. “Oh? I’m guessing Jeff?”

“Right in one, darlin’,” Eddie said with a soft smile. “I’ll give him a call and then call you back.”

“Thanks, Eds,” Steve breathed. “You’re the best.”

“Thanks, doll.”

****

I am so excited for this, guys. You have no idea. I'm little history nerd myself and this really fun to play around with.

Just a heads up. We WILL be addressing Mike's casual racism from the Ghostbusters scene because I don't like that it's never been addressed.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @gregre369 @artiststarme @a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @danili666 @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @vecnuthy @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @dragonmama76 @scheodingers-muppet @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual

#my writing #stranger things #steddie #ladykailtiha writes #steve is a history nerd #tw: racism

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linberlyy · 2 months

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Okay, you probably all saw the leaks of the “original” script of the first season and the scene of Daemyra in the brothel from ep 4. I don’t even know what comment to give here... if you read them, then you probably thought that there was something strange here, namely Daemon’s behavior. I wouldn’t even say “strange”, but “disgusting”. in that little passage, he collected all the red flags he could muster. like...

he says such stupid things to a 16-17 year old girl, an heiress who should rule the state in the future! for example: “A marriage is a duty. Yes. But that doesn't stop us from doing what we want. From fucking who we want”. you are a man, men have different rights in this medieval society. men can fuck with whomever they want and where they want and nothing will happen to them for it, but Rhaenyra is a woman, in a patriarchal society (sorry, but it is true) such behavior is inappropriate. What do you think, Daemyra stans, if Daemon truly loved Rhaenyra with the love you scream about on every corner, he would risk his reputation and take her to a brothel, and then tell her THIS? It seems to me that you have a completely inhuman understanding of “true love.”

and then: “He has began to unfasten her dress. Barely before she can realize what’s going on.” this all hints at some kind of coercion to sex, and not mutual consent on both sides 🫠 I don’t know how it feels for you, but for me it is. he knows that Rhaenyra has never had a man before him, this is her first time. (let’s forget that since he wanted to fuck her, he should have done it in a cozy environment so that she, as a girl with no experience, would feel comfortable, and not in a den with homeless people and whores). “There is no danger in it. The Maesters brew moon tea to take care of any... unwanted consequences." it’s as if he’s convincing her, persuading her into a sexual act. I'm so uncomfortable reading this... seriously, tell me I'm wrong and there really are sparks of true love there! let me understand this so as not to see how a grown man is trying to persuade a girl to have sex, which will trample her reputation and ruin her life!

and the following: “she takes his hand away. so he puts it up her dress. She gasps, but she moves it away.” Em. Apparently, she doesn’t want you to touch her, but he continue to insist on your position. in this “script” I don’t see Rhaenyra wanting sex with him as long as I only see coercion.

and again: “you can do whatever you want”😭 no, dear, that’s absolutely not true. you can do whatever you want, but she doesn't. You are not the heir to the throne, but she is. The fate of the seven kingdoms is not in your hands in the future, but in hers. It’s not for you to marry, but for her to marry pure and innocent. This is how this world you live in works. As an heiress, all the things you do are not permissible for her. I just read his words and think: fuck, dude, are you saying this in all seriousness? Now it’s clear why, after a couple of hours, Rhaenyra persuades Criston to have sex (after all, she can do anything, so Daemon said!), and a couple of years later, she gives birth to three bastards from her bodyguard and does not use moon tea (which is funny, because a couple of lines ago he said, that moon tea is very useful and takes care of any unwanted consequences, hahahaha). it seems Daemon's "you can do anything" motto made things very difficult for her in the future.

true love!❤️

Script @/darksvster

#hotd #anti team black #houseofthedragon #pro team green #team green #the greens #rhaenyra targaryen #daemon targaryen #daemyra #anti daemyra #anti daemon targaryen

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sunnycanvas · 6 months

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Could you make one of Balwin's girlfriend? He comes from the future, but he decided to stay in the time of Balwin Haci, who to celebrate their union they travel to the sea and his girlfriend decides to put on a very revealing swimsuit for the time and everyone watches her, making the king jealous.

I had been bored after Baldwin IV left for battlefield. I wanted to further accompany him but Baldwin IV denied saying that it would be dangerous for me to further accompany him. He kissed my forehead thanking me for support and asked me to wait obediently in tent before leaving. I sighed bored as I came out of the tent. I wasn't worried about my boyfriend since I knew according to history books that he would win battle of Montingsard. I sort of guessed that I would be left alone in tent. So unknown to my boyfriend. I had already packed a bikini. Once I was sure that I am all alone. I decided to wear bikini to swim in the sea nearby

I was happy to feel cool water against my skin. I properly submerged in water ensuring my hair cooled down as well. I was so engrossed in water that I didn't hear the sound of knights coming. As they walked they were stunned to see me in bikini

"Isn't that the king's mistress"

"Look at her, she is practically naked"

"Such a woman like her isn't fit to be queen of Jerusalem"

I was stunned when I heard those words. I slowly came out of water and saw knights looking at me. Some looked in disgust while some were shocked but maximum had lust in their eyes. I looked all around me and saw that I was surrounded by knights

"She has such a beautiful body"

"Look at her chest, this is the first time I have seen a woman's chest"

"It's like she is naked in front of her"

I heard their comments. I suddenly felt very scared knowing how different people's mentality is compared to future. How could I be stupid enough to wear bikini in medieval era I thought

"What's going on here"

I immediately recognised the voice of my boyfriend. I was happy but also but scared knowing how easily jealous my boyfriend can get. I could see few knights in front of me making way for my boyfriend. As my boyfriend made his way through the crowd he was shocked and angry at my display and maybe bit aroused? I couldn't tell I was to scared.

"Get a blanket" he called in his authoritative voice. "Every one look away and go back to your tents". Soon the crowd slowly dispersed as someone handed my boyfriend blanket. In his controlled voice he called me "Come here" but I could easily detect his anger. As I neared the end of the sea. Baldwin IV quickly covered me in blanket and tried moving me towards his tent. I could feel some knights trying to peek on me but one glare from my boyfriend was enough to send shivers down their spine and make them look away.

"Ouch" I said in pain. "I am so sorry my grip must by too tight" Baldwin IV quickly apologized and was being gentler. "No" I replied. "It was the sharp rock which I stepped on" hearing this Baldwin IV quickly lifted me in his arms and carried me to his tent. Once we reached there he put he down.

"How could you allow yourself to go naked in front of everyone" "Do you have any idea how much have you not only embarassed yourself but me as well" I got up and tried defending myself saying"But honey, it was so hot outside" "I wanted to cool myself off".

"In that display" he yelled back. "Why don't you understand that you only belong to me" "I am the only one who has a right to see you like this but now my men have seen you like this even before me" "Now they will have sinful thoughts and dreams about you and I have to live with this fact". "Not only that they will probably start mocking you, or spread lies in your name"

"Honey, please" a single drop of tear fell down in my eyes and Baldwin IV grew quite. "Please this how people in future dress when they go to beach". "I thought nobody was here and kind of forget about the culture of clothes"

"Unbelievable, you want me to believe you that people dres- I mean you were almost naked out there"

I knew Baldwin IV knew some where deep down that I had told the truth but was unwilling to believe me. He was jealous and hurt. I could tell as a man of honour he was worried about my reputation as well. Baldwin IV rubbed his forehead in annoyance and let out a frustrated sigh. "I will see what can be done and ensure that gossip of today doesn't spread and soon gets forgotten". Baldwin IV suddenly looked back at me. He started to check me out. I knew for sure that he wanted to tear off my bikini and take me right here but his anger and hurt was stronger. "I am going to sleep now, quickly change back to normal clothes and please don't disturb me" I slowly feel down on mat again with tears coming down on face. Fearful of what have I done to his heart and if we can go back being same as before

"Please don't cry love" "I will pray to God for some miracle" "Even if miracle doesn't happen I will ensure that rumours spread in your name will be punished" "And please don't go out like that" I looked at him suprised prompting him to further continue. He looked away embarassed saying "I hate others seeing you like this, this is only my right to see you like that" I giggled at his response "But don't forget I am still mad at you so sleep on another mat" I smiled in response and quickly wore my normal clothes and went to sleep on my mat

#baldwin iv #baldwin iv imagine #baldwin iv x reader #kingdom of heaven #kingdom of heaven 2005 #kingdom of heaven fanfic #kingdom of heaven fanfiction #kingdom of heaven fandom #kingdom of heaven headcanons #king baldwin iv

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quidcumque · 1 year

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GRAVEYARD KEEPER: FIRST THOUGHTS

I heard it compared to Stardew Valley and aside from the silly title screen, it's definitely visually there. Play through? There are a hell of a lot of cons, but they won't keep me from playing it

Con: no character customization, no choices at all. You ARE a heterosexual white male-presenting protagonist with a female-presenting white sweetheart. Any headcannon re either of you being 🏳️‍⚧️ remains headcannon

Hilarious: you are reading a text from your sweetheart when crossing a road and you get hit by a car. Keep track of your surroundings, kids

Con: the dialog writing starts out real clumsy. You do eventually get choices, but I prefer how SV makes you the strong silent type when you're not actively involved

WHICH REMINDS ME, CON: don't let the dialog bubbles cycle on their own without me clicking??? I missed so much unretrievable info because I was mulling over the first half smh

Plot: she swallowed the dog to catch the cat, she swallowed the cat to catch the bird, she swallowed the bird to catch the spider, she swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly, maybe she died crossing the street and woke up in a shitty little medieval FLAT EARTHER village and she has to rube goldburg her way to and through a magic portal to get back to her sweetheart. Or something.

Pro: I don't play rpgs much so while I don't prefer this style over sv's do-whatever-and-you'll-suck-less-as-you-go gameplay, it's pretty awesome in and off itself BECAUSE it's so different. It also contributes heavily to the swallowed-the-spider-to-catch-the-fly effect because it's got EIGHT TABS OF TECH TREES and I started drawing graphs

Pro: you're on a derelict homestead/graveyard with a familiar need to clear rocks/trees/stuff and bring the area back to life. BUT doing things gives you different xp/knowledge points which is how you advance on the tech trees, so it's different from just a carbon copy SV feel

Con: Jesús Christ you can tell this was made by a dude. So was SV, but where it had nearly equal gender ratios (plus the aforementioned character choices), I've seen... not very many women thus far, and what we get is not exactly impressive. I have no problems with "ms charm" telling me to fuck off until I deserved to talk to her, as half the men I met said the same. But I've met two wives thus far, and uhhhhhhhhhhh one is straight up called sweet but stupid in her bio and the other opens EVERY SINGLE DIALOG with "you should talk to my husband, he's in charge" like jfc lady you're the one I need for recipes, calm down? Does he beat you? What the hell?

Con: let's set aside that I'm pretty sure the "medieval idiots thought world flat" thing has been debunked, because I found info but it didn't have good citations. Also maybe we're going for parody over historically accurate, fine whatever. But whyyyyyyyyyy do you have a guy named "G*psy Traveler" like I know I have an inflated sense of how widely it's known that that's a slur, but it on top of the flat earth thing and the WOW that's bad female-or-anything representation, it builds an image of the creator/creators as the really stereotypical basement dwelling head-up-ass dudes who have never ever looked outside their zone and never ever want to

Pro: like two steps into the tutorial you're slapped in the face with Soilent Green is People and you just live with that

Hilarious: I can tell when I have a first conversation with somebody I was supposed to have met already, because my pre-scripted side of the conversation suddenly backslides in terms of my acceptance of the situation

Pro: time is an illusion and represented only by the cycle of emoji-labeled days. Weeks are not counted, so I legitimately have no clue how many "weeks" I went through last night

Unsure??? I don't know how much I'm going to have to drink the church koolaid to progress? I saw an indication up the tech tree that suggested my good/evil choices MIGHT matter, but I've got no idea how. I told the inquisitor who'd just BURNED A PEOPLE ALIVE IN FRONT OF ME that sure I'd be his friend, and I don't know if the game allows for that to have been a choice made out of the fear that I'd be burned next if I said no

Pro: I still want to play it. The myriad cons will influence how I talk about it to my friends, but it's still giving me dopamine, and that's good enough

#graveyard keeper #stardew valley #game review #first thoughts

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gretchensinister · 4 months

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Book Recommendations 2023!

Hello from someone who read 111 books this year! Time for favorites and recommendations!

Favorites:

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang: I read this back in January 2023 and when I did I was like, “Did I read my favorite book of the year already in January?” Well, I did. In a world where the British Empire solidifies its power with silver infused with magic based on translation, a Chinese boy becomes an Oxford student and then has to decide what he’s going to do in the face of this system. Absolutely fantastic. (Also scratches that “school story + magic” itch that we’re all supposed to pretend we never liked.)

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik: This one was pure fun, about students in a magical school with reasons for “no adults” and “high risk of death” that I was down with for the world. Main character has been foretold to be the most powerful evil wizard in the world. She doesn’t want this.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson: This is a nonfiction book by a lawyer who is working against the death penalty, and I highly recommend it to everyone who wants to know more about WTF is going on in the current US criminal justice system.

Creature: Paintings, Drawings, and Reflections by Shaun Tan: Art, highly charming art of creatures and monsters.

Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: This is the first book of the series The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, which I loved as a child and decided to reread this year. It’s about a princess who decides to go work for a dragon as the dragon’s princess, because it’s better than being wooed by a stupid prince. Fun, earnest fantasy. Also Kazul (King of the Dragons, she/her) please call me I love you.

Translation State by Ann Leckie: Things I really liked about this were that it included people in widely varying strange situations trying to figure out their futures. And one of the people doing this was a middle-aged adult. Also involved one of those Advanced Sci-fi Intimacy situations with two other people, which I always enjoy hollering about.

Revelations by Mary Sharratt: This is a novel about Margery Kempe, a medieval mystic, her life, and her travels, taking the work of Julian of Norwich to other communities in secret. This book really stood out to me because I found it really showed a deep understanding of the era it depicts, and the characters really feel like they have the framework of their time. I’m not a medievalist but I think I have read more than average about the European middle ages and that’s what I’m basing this opinion on. I thought it was very beautiful and very human.

The Wordhord by Hana Videen: This is a nonfiction book about Old English with chapters on topics like “health and the body” “travel” “occupations” etc. The idea is to examine what we can tell about the lives of Old English speakers based on the words they had. A significant amount of Old English vocabulary is included. Made me want to start putting Old English puns in the next thing I write but maybe I recovered from that.

Other recommendations:

Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez: Do you want to know WTF is going on with the Christian Right in the United States? This will help.

Readme.txt by Chelsea Manning: Another book that I felt helped me understand a little more of WTF is going on re: the military/security culture

The Stones are Hatching by Geraldine McCaughrean: This is a book I read as a kid and missed a lot of because I didn’t know about a lot of traditional British faeries/creatures. I think anyone interested in folk horror as a genre would have fun reading this. It didn’t go on my favorites because the main character’s older sister is treated fatphobically to a degree that taints the overall book for me.

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots: This is a fun book about a woman who makes a living as a henchperson for supervillains. After she gets injured by a superhero, she starts analyzing the actual cost of superheroes to the world, and this work leads her to working for one of the world’s top supervillains. I think this isn’t in my favorites because...IDK, it’s like...it felt vaguely like a reply to one of tumblr’s endless writing prompt posts? It’s good, and I know I have no room to talk about the tumblr style or whatever, but there’s a certain vibe...I don’t know how to describe it. I really do still recommend it.

NOTE: Reading is my main form of entertainment. I’m not keeping up with movies, videogames, TV shows, comics, etc. I have no qualifications with these recommendations except that I am a person who read 111 books this year.

#book recommendations #books

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nedlittle · 2 years

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as someone who only just finished gideon the ninth last sunday & finally understands the hype & hasn't finished the other books, PLEASE release the 11 pages of notes

your wish is my command, here are my notes verbatim typed from my tiny notebook (typos notwithstanding. i fixed those so i don't look stupid)

ACT I

P. 29 - before the duel, Harrow presents herself “emptied like a quiver” prefiguring the necromancer/cavalier dynamic and the fact that they will grow to need each other. The king & lionheart of it all…

P. 54 - Gideon tells Harrow: “Your heart is a party for ten thousand nails.” and I SCREAMED

P. 73: [paragraph describing Ianthe and Coronabeth in luxurious detail] “The boy just looked like a bit of a dick.” lesbianism

P. 76 - “He didn’t look healthy; he looked like a collection of lemons in a sack.” Why is this so evocative

SO funny that Harrow is like Griddle. You hog you need to do this correctly. Wear the damn face paint. And then it’s just a weird Ninth House thing. I love space Catholicism these bitches so deranged

Cannot read the “I pray the tomb stays locked forever. I pray the rock is never rolled away” prayer without it being to the tune of ‘No Children’

ACT II

P. 110 - “Coronabeth Tridentarius, Princess of Ida, took her hand and roguishly kissed the backs of Gideon’s knuckles.” I know there’s a whole essay on chivalry and gender on Tor but I guess I just want to say that there’s a really interesting subversion of the medieval lady/champion dynamic going on. Coronabeth kisses Gideon’s knuckles. Dulcinea has Gideon physically show off but Gideon, bound by her promise to Harrow, cannot talk and thus any typical structures for wooing are inverted. By her silence she is rendered as cool and unbreachable as a maiden in a tower

Something something Gideon’s physical body and her personhood always being someone else’s property.

All of Jeannemary’s dialogue with Magnus being parenthesized and in a smaller type is such a fun little touch

P. 125-6 - “[...] but she had fed her entire life into the meat grinder of hope.” Fuck me!

P. 128 - “She had never seen Harrowhark Nonagesimus’s naked face.” Harrow having to perform being Reverend Daughter not only her role but the entire house in the shape of a girl

[Angela Carter voice] a girl who is both death and the maiden

P. 151 - “You could have died today.” "you could finish me right now, if you liked. You might even win."......hot.

Every single one of Gideon’s silly nicknames for Harrow is perfect.

P. 152 - “She smiled again–slower than before, just as terrible, just as strange.” Okay Galadriel

P. 161 has the first time Gideon calls Harrow by her first name. By the end of the act it will be three times. Harrow has yet to say hers.

“P. 163 - “You can control my body. You can read my thoughts.” I believe this is what the kids call foreshadowing for book 2

Also on that page: “But first, Griddle, I’m afraid I have to pass out.” I love her.

Verbatim annotation from p. 167: ‘SHE’S NEVER HAD A DESERT :(‘

I know that they’re not friends but [John Darnielle voice]: people say friends don’t destroy each other what do they know about friends

Ianthe’s “I don’t live alternative histories” god I am so excited for her to be awful

The dynamic kind of reminds me of Sweet Smell of Success (1957) which features a similarly nasty yet reliant dynamic but it ends Far Worse. Very much we need each other to be a cohesive whole but that doesn’t mean we have to be nice

IT WAS THEIR ANNIVERSARY!!! NO

ACT III

I will be surprised if Dulcinea survives and also does not end up being marginally evil.

Not to sound like it’s 2014 and I just discovered all-female casts but I’m really into both the 2nd and 9th being the only ones with both necro + cav being women. I know it’s a basic thing and that there isn’t

a ton about the Second House yet but having the representatives of “The Emperor’s Strength” both be girls…nice

Naberius die challenge!

P. 200 - “He wouldn’t have let anything happen to Abigail [...] She hated heights. She never would have risked falling.” I am howling like a shot wolf.

First of all, Gideon being affected by Magnus’s death because he was nice to her without any ulterior motives: OUCH. Second, “we are all the sons and daughters that the House of the Ninth possess.” The Twelfth Night of it all…the performance of it all. (“I am all the daughters of my father’s house and all the brothers too.” 2.4)

The Harrow who lives in my head has a mullet

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL I EVER DESIRE YOUR JUICE

The First time Harrow calls Gideon by her name is p. 228

The choice of ‘spawned’ to refer to Harrow’s birth feels deliberate and I’m sure I’ll find out why later. Also the Scandalous Nudity being her face rather than her body when they’re both bare…it’s about living around and under the foot of someone your whole life but never being allowed to know them

P. 234 - Gideon can’t even say Harrow’s name aloud to anyone else…I wish to die! Swiftly!

P. 246 - Gideon has a hot bath for the first time (yay!) and wonders “whether water could get inside of you and make you sick.” God the Ninth House really is living in Vampire Times. Aristotle, you there?

The way all the different houses approach necromancy and the necro/cav dynamic is SO interesting! Cam’s line on p. 235 about the Eight “breed[ing] batteries” absolutely chilled me. Also the juxtaposition between the Eighth using cavaliers as an energy source vs Ianthe, absolute freak, taking a chunk out of Babs. The physical body vs the energy which propels it. Then contrasting that with pairs like Magnus & Abigail (rip) and Cam & Pal who mentally and emotionally rely on each other instead. It isn’t parasitic. KING AND LIONHEART! GO CRAZY AAH! GO STUPID AAH!

I am using all of my meager brain cells to formulate a thought about Camilla and Marta’s fight that isn’t just. wrow. women. OK. The description is short and brutal like the fight itself. The line about Cam fighting like a grease fire works so well my blood was in my EARS! When she dislocated Marta’s arm my own arm jerked back in shock. Fully almost yeeted the book

Yay for Pal also getting a hot moment. One man <3

“Harrow “rose to the occasion like an evening star”....DEATH FIRST TO VULTURES AND SCAVENGERS…I love her something awful.

My highlighter ran out on p. 275 because I highlighted basically the whole page. The girls HUG!! Gideon lifts Harrow off the ground! Unsure if I should tag myself as ‘midnight hagette’ or Harrow’s utter lesbian brain death. At “It feels like forever” I genuinely screamed into my hands. God they’re it. THEY’RE IT.

P. 284 - “Gideon wanted her longsword and she wanted Harrow.” yeah me too

P. 285 - Jeannemary: “I hated [Isaac] when we were little, he wasn’t at all what I wanted.” ough the parallels

I know that naming a character ‘Isaac’ in your space opera about traumatized Catholics is sort of like naming a character ‘sacrifice’ and yet it’s still so gut wrenching! I love and I hate when characters fall victim to the prophecies within their names

Speaking of Biblical etymology, I see you Judith Deuteros. Please decapitate a dude

I knew about the Sex Pal joke and still guffawed

CHAPTERS 26-34

The description of Isaac’s body as a “broken sieve” really upset me and also harkens back to Harrow being empty as a quiver. The necromancer’s body as something which exists to be filled by energy and power, but also something so vulnerable as to demand the physical protection and occasional energy of its cavalier

P. 292 - “When [Dulcinea] breathed it sounded like custard sloshing around an air conditioner.” Absolutely Fucking Wretched!!!

P. 294 - “Mostly cancer and just a little bit of women.” each House really is fucked up in new and exciting ways

Gideon’s nightmare of finding Jeannemary’s severed limbs in her bed really kneecaps you. It’s giving Bluebeard. It’s giving Robber Bridegroom. It’s giving cavaliers as expendable physical forms, and that kind of body horror hasn’t quite been present aside from the avulsion room which wasn’t so bad

P. 331 - “What would you do if you discovered Camilla was a murderer?” "Help her bury the body." G O D

This entire page kills me. For some reason the one year difference and the choice to say “I’ve known her as long as she’s lived” like Harrow’s life is contingent on Gideon’s. One flesh one end B I T C H ! !

Also on that page: “She nearly killed me half a dozen times growing up, but I always knew why.” ok cool!

WAS NOT READY FOR THIS REVELATION???

I have run out of insightful commentary but Harrow wanting “prey, rival, and audience all wrapped up in one.” vs Gideon being “hungry for the Reverend Daughter’s preoccupation”. Don’t you think they’re the same thing? Love and attention? They’re both watching and being watched. Portrait of a Lady on Fire shit

I think Harrow and Cam should hold hands if only because they’d both hate it

Tamsyn loves a prophetic name. I thought she’d subverted it with Protisilaus but nope. Dead all along. First to die

Ianthe’s head pun…what is wrong with her

P. 352 - genuinely don’t have anything of substance to say about the pool scene but “I am exactly two hundred sons and daughters of my House, Griddle–I am the whole generation of the Ninth.” All this PLUS Harrow piloting her parents to keep the Ninth functioning. Christ.

P. 355 - “I am tired of being two hundred corpses.” ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch

Incredibly normal that Harrow’s parents were like hello our ten-year-old war crime daughter time for our group suicide! Here, I’ll tie your noose :) normal family!

I haven’t quite the familiarity with Antigone to say there’s an Antigone parallel somewhere but hmm

Cannot talk about the rest of this scene. I can barely look at it. YOU ARE MY ONLY FRIEND! I AM UNDONE WITHOUT YOU!!

Oh to have your only friend Gideon Nav kiss you on the forehead

I love you 4’11” teenage saint war crime necrophiliac

Gideon choosing to sleep in the cavalier bed. It’s about devotion as both a contract and an active choice. ‘I Will Follow You Into the Dark’ shit. I’m sick

P. 371 - “Dead as space, though accurately, that’s been true for a very, very long time.” I know this refers to Teacher but also stars themselves transmit light for millennia after they burn out. The cosmos itself as a haunted house

Why does the Emperor have a cohort anyway? What enemies are there that an army is necessary to grind children through? I need to know more about this

Cannot articulate this but Ianthe having to be a true necromancer and eating Babs to become a lyctor IS feminist not just because it’s such an overcome male power trip moment but also because it seems that In Media we can only have female villains if they’re tormented and redeemed by the end, they aren’t allowed to be deranged little freaks like this. She’s the damn joker!

REST IN PISS BABS. Again, genuinely progressive that Ianthe eats him and absorbs his perfect cavalier training; then, when she cannot keep it up she turns into a SKIN SHIELD?? [John Darnielle voice] come unhinged! Get revenge!

You’re really eased into the body horror and then Act IV is like hey kid you’re going to experience body horrors beyond your comprehension.

CHAPTERS 35-END

Thinking about 8-year-old Palamedes writing to 15-year-old Dulcinea about how he’s determined to cure her. Also interesting to think that something so mundane as cancer still exists in this world where people are regularly getting bodied by skeletons

Oh, re: Pal, I forgot to highlight this but there’s a line a few (?) chapters back where he surveys his work and sees that it’s good which is directly from god creating the universe

P. 400 - “[Gideon’s] brain was full of sweet fuck all.” yeah girl me too

Every single man in this book has died. Feminism but also Palamedes my friend :(

“Tell Camilla–oh never mind, she knows what to do.” Doctor Who vibes (sorry) “If you see Rose, tell her…tell her…oh, she knows.”

P. 406 - “Camilla Hect off the leash was like light moving across water. She punched her knives into the Lyctor’s guard over and over and over. Cytherea met them ably, but such was Camilla’s speed and perfect hate that she could only hope to block the thunderstorm of blows; she could not even begin to push back against them.” The wording here feels so deliberately Homeric! It’s her aristeia!

It doesn’t mention this in the after matter, but I am choosing to believe Cam was named after Camilla in the Aeneid. She HAS to be!!

I understand why people scream at Marvel movies now but the more apt comparison for Gideon & her two-hander is the re-forging of Anduril. I can hear the score

P. 412 - “I need to be inside you.” NOW IS NOT THE TIME HARROW!!

P. 414 - “Did you behold me, Griddle?” she got yeeted by a vertebrae string because she was too busy beholding you, Harrow!

Rosary-whip made of knuckles. What a great time to be ex-Catholic. This is so hot of her

Camilla Hect aroace icon. Send tweet.

A climactic boss fight where all 5 characters are women…wrow

FUCK YEAH DISMEMBERMENT!!

P. 429 - “All you have to do is live.” Harrow begging Gideon to do the one thing she thought was impossible as a child

Oh these bitches in LOVE

I love “undeserved” forgiveness

[holds Harrowhark Nonagesimus] you do not have to be good you do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting you only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves

I’m sorry I have zero thoughts I’m just saying ROMANCE ROMANCE ROMANCE ROMANCE ROMANCE ROMANCE over and over and over again in my head

“First flower of my House” is the most romantic shit I’ve ever heard get it OUT of my face. That is not something you come up with on the spot…

The cruelest thing anyone has ever done to Harrow in her life is willingly die for her…

P. 436 - “They were cheek to cheek: Gideon’s arm and Harrow’s arm entwined, holding the sword aloft, letting the steel catch the light.” No THIS is the most romantic shit

Harrow/Pal lavender marriage of the century lmao

Gideon & Harrow 🤝 Gimli & Legolas

Quoting the verses of the Book of Ruth that’s commonly used at weddings

Hey at least I successfully guessed that Dulcinea would be evil & dead by the end. I love being right

IN SUMMARY: DEATH DYING SUFFERING ROMANCE PAIN

#going back through these notes and the amount of stuff i accidentally foreshadowed....#what you don't see is rebecca-dewinters and i opening each other's notes only to realize that we wrote/quoted the same thing #anyway book good i feel cuckoo bananas #the locked tomb #alittletoosaintjust #answered

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kaeyapilled · 1 year

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u should tell me more about asa PRETTYPLEASE

AUGH I REALLY DONT HAVE MUCH. does it have to be only the genshin related parts? well yes ill stick to that because he has like four different flavors depending on what universe i put him in. okay so

this is roughly what he looks like. i thought i had more good picrews of him but i dont apparently<//3 well heres some fun facts about him like in general to start

- best friends with my oc sofia who. i haven't really put into the genshin universe. but if the people ask i can talk about her too loll

- ambulatory wheelchair user, typically uses a cane, has Some chronic illness that i dont really know which,, pots probably. unspecified chronic pain. but the thing is im not chronically ill or disabled myself so i need to search more stuff before im super confident exploring this side of his character lmao

- sadly he is just like baizhu. the chronically ill doctor trope is already filled in genshin but there's always space for someone else! right!

- not pictured here but sometimes i make him have wings. i still haven't decided if he should actually have them or not. when he has wings only one is functional so he can't quite Fly

- wings or no wings he likes birds a lot!

- i chose his name because it means healer or doctor in....hebrew i think? according to google? and it also means just. "wing". in my mother tongue portuguese so kshdksh hitting two symbolisms with one stone

- now focusing on the genshin part. his father is the actual doctor in charge of the cathedral infirmary but is currently on the varka expedition (look this guy's father is. I don't know what to do with him. like in any universe. idk if i give asa oc syndrome and make him a full orphan or if i just leave the man alone because he's a solid guy! a good father! anyways i digress) and asa is in charge sort of in a similar situation to jean being acting grandmaster.

- i think he's besties with barbara. she's like a younger sister. because i think hes around jeans age. (and dilucs and kaeyas i think all of them r around the same age)

- he has an anemo vision but don't ask me how he got it

- catalyst user and healer but do not ask me like what sort of talents he'd have i dont know. don't ask me if he's a 4* or a 5* either i don't know,, but if he were to have a banner his like. title? idk? would be, and this is kinda stupid, Healing Winds of Birdsong - does it not sound like something you'd read on a genshin banner. i think does

- hes very devout to barbatos but at the same time i kinda enjoy the idea of him. questioning some stuff about the archons and gods too. like those medieval(? do not quote me on this) philosophers who thought extensively about religion and the human condition and. etc. does this make sense

- if he knew the annoying bard is no one other than the anemo archon i think he'd combust

- he picks up his fantasy testosterone prescription at the alchemy shop. the image of albedo and sucrose coming up with hrt is just too dear to me

- i want him and kaeya to kiss just because im a kaeya lover and. why not. but i don't have anything developed about them At All forgive me

do you want to see my cringefail voicelines i wrote?

Something to Share: Did you know that Mondstadt alone has over three hundred species of birds? Around the city area, you mostly see pigeons and falcons, but the diversity in places with less human activity is much bigger. Also, a lot of the birds migrate during the winter months, towards warmer climates like Liyue and even Sumeru. Oh, and— um... Forgive me, I seem to have been talking for a while... It's a topic that interests me.

Favorite Food: I tend to like more savory dishes. In fact, Sofia won't let me cook anymore, because I "put too much salt in the food". You know, I don't see the problem. It tastes fine to me.

- oh!! on the topic of favorite foods! i tried coming up with a special dish for him and i ended up picking northern smoked fowl because. vibes. but its a stamina dish and i kinda wish his special dish was a hp one.,, but anyway:

Special Dish: Doctor's Orders

Asa's specialty. The same recipe for smoked fowl with vegetables that's been passed down in Mondstadt for years, with the doctor's own twists. It's a little heavy on the salt, but it tastes really good overall.

plus character voicelines

About Barbara: Barbara? Oh, we wouldn't manage at the cathedral if it wasn't for her. I have taught her a lot, but the healing techniques she comes up with never fail to amaze me. Her presence always brightens up the place and soothes even the most ill of patients. I hold her in very high regards.

About Rosaria: I can't say I approve of Sister Rosaria's negligence towards her duties in the church, or of her blatant disrespect towards the Anemo Archon. That being said... I think I admire her conviction to simply do whatever she wants. Perhaps trying to force her into the role of nun is a bit foolish. This is the city of freedom, after all, is it not?

About Venti: The bard? *sigh* Archons above. He'll sing beautiful melodies about Lord Barbatos, then turn around and immediately slur out the most sacrilegious things I have ever heard in my life. Being around him for too long is exhausting and he always brings trouble. Yet, I find that I can't truly dislike him. Heh, he's an interesting one for sure.

and my entirely self indulgent and overly long About Kaeya voiceline:

About Kaeya: Sir Kaeya? Way too much of a charmer. That overly confident attitude ought to backfire on him sometime. It's easy to get swept away in all his smooth talk, but after a while you start to see it for what it is: a convoluted way to either change the subject or make you the center of his jests... *sigh* Well... I suppose that, when he wants, he isn't entirely awful to talk to... Hm? What? Who– who told you that? No! Why would I go to the tavern "just to see him"!? That's– *ahem* It isn't like that. Is it that far fetched that I might enjoy a drink during my moments of leisure? It's not my fault if the Captain is there all the time... Hmph, did Sofia put you up to this?

yeah. what else can I say about him. i thought of writing character stories for him but couldnt find enough ideas. here's the only salvageable paragraph:

... Asa can recall exactly what Mother Maria told him when he came to her, realization still fresh in his mind, desperate for some sort of guidance.

"The winds lead each of us through different paths. Barbatos has granted you with the power to choose whoever you wish to be; that is part of His gift of freedom."

Like a gust of cool wind that brings with it epiphanies, something clicked inside his chest, like the pieces of a puzzle falling into place.

And it was on that day that the little girl who used to dream of nunhood grew into a sharp young man who named himself "Asa."

okay this is all I've got. for now

#it isnt All of it there's still the underdeveloped alternate universe where he's an amurta student from mondstadt studying in sumeru #but its just a really disconnected idea #my posts #oc tag #right how could i forget. he is definitely some degree of autistic #okay im sleepy and just. typed this entire post like in one sitting #so i didn't proofread it. okay have fun reading my infodump

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harperwasstaken1 · 1 year

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[어떤 일이] 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠

Ch5➪ Who tf is Topher?

Rival!Prince!Nishimura Riki x Princess!Reader

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔➪ Angst, Rivalry, Mentions of Death, Modernly Medieval

𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔➪ 1.1k

𝑺𝒚𝒑𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒔➪ 2 Kingdoms, 2 Kings, 2 Queens, 2 Heirs, and 1 Forbidden Love. 'Whatever happens' to them when they fall inlove with the Rivalry still going?

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I placed my phone in the pocket of my dress, I walked out of my bedroom. My phone on silent as I went inside the lounge room. My parents sat beside eachother with a chair empty beside my mom for me.

There were 4 other people in the room, Royalties from another kingdom that's a two day travel away. They've been trying... Well not all of them, the eldest of the two kins. The Prince of Trinium, Yoo Sangwoo.

Hate him to death that is. He has been asking me to marry him since we we're in training school. He was everywhere. During my Law Class for Kingdoms? He was right outside of my classroom by the window yelling, "THAT'S MY FUTURE QUEEN!!"

I could just feel eyes on me everywhere I go during training school. It got on my nerves.

Now here he is infront of me with this lovesick grin while I stare in disgust. His little sister looks so tired of his brother, I nodded at her and sat still.

From the corner I saw Heeseung standing there with the others behind him. They looked worried, I ignored it.

"Now what seems to be the problem here Yoona?" My mother asked the other Queen as she looked at her son in annoyance.

"Your Majesty, My son has done something indescribably stupid." She responded aa she looked at her son with a glare and to her husband with a go for him to continue.

"He has paid the media that your daughter is getting married to him." The king finally said as Heeseung brought a laptop over infront of my parents and I with the article open.

"Excuse me?" I asked, bewildered that this idiot would go this far. I looked at the article, the bolded title was making me nauseous.

"Princess Y/n of Solaíre, has been confirmed to marry Prince Sang-woo of Trinium."

I felt sick.

"I do not accept this offer from your son, this is ridiculous." I stood up with a glare at their heir, as they looked down in shame.

The princess of one of the most powerful kingdoms, the next heir, yelling at them in spite of their son's behavior.

"I'm so sorry Princess." His sister beside him muttered as she glared at her older brother, who grinned at me. I looked at my parents as they were in shock.

"We will sort this out with the media, to ensure my daughter isn't marrying your imbecile of a son." My father stood up and dismissed the family. They stood up, and the Queen dragged her son away from the area.

"Father, this can't happen!" I reasoned, my mother had her eyes furrowed at me as she was in deep thought.

"But honey, are we just going to pay the media back to tell them this is false?" My mother asked. I shook my head, They can figure this out. I need to talk to my friends.

"Mother, Father, may I be excused to my room?" I looked at them, they nodded. I bowed and rushed away with the others following behind.

As soon as I got in my room, I threw my phone on my bed and groaned.

"That imbecile! How could he do that?" I yelled as I burrowed my face in my hands, Heeseung had the laptop in a full on facetime with the others as Wonyoung sat beside me.

Ni-ki was quiet, he didn't say anything as he scanned my figure in worry. He sighed and looked away.

Jungkook, who sat beside the youngest, looked at the Prince. He knows he was hurt about the article, he also knows that Ni-ki knew it wasn't what she wanted. But the thought of the girl he loves marrying someone who she didn't want hurt him.

It hurt him that she won't be marrying him, but he knew that this isn't what she wanted. So he shook his hurt aside, and looked at his bestfriend who had the right to get mad at the dumbass, who paid for the article to be released with a fake news.

"You alright, Love?" Ni-ki asked, everyone stopped their complaining as soon as he spoke. They waited for the girl's answer. But as soon as her shoulders shook, he knew she was crying. Overwhelmed with what was happening.

Me being a Princess wasn't the best life someone could have, She would be forced to a marriage, or be inlove with someone she can't have.

I couldn't speak as sobs tried to make its way out of my mouth, it's pathetic. Crying over this thing, but I just can't help it.

"Hey, you're alright. We're here, I'm here. You can let your frustration out Princess." Ni-ki reassured, as I let my sobs out. Unbeknownst to us, my parents stood by the slightly open door. Listening to the Prince of Risqué, calming her down ever so sweetly.

"I did not know my Princess is friends with Prince Riki?" The Queen asked, as she stared at her daughter's shaking figure as it slowly calmed down, hearing the Prince's reassurance.

"My love, they've beens friends for awhile. But they were scared of both your and his mother's opinion. His father knows too." The king reasoned.

"But their mothers were in the way?" Her majesty's voice shook, her voice small and timid. She can see the effect the young Prince has on her daughter.

She could hear the adoration and calmness in his voice, just like how her husband talked to her when she was in remorse and pain.

Both powerful heirs are inlove with eachother, despite knowing the rivalry. She was in the way of her daughter's happiness, and she despised that. She hated herself for it.

She knew what she could do, but it would take talking to her old friend. The one who have become her rival. The Queen of Risqué.

"Tell the advisor of Risqué, that we would like to talk to the Royal Family. Tell our advisor to set up a declaration of the current situation, and please be ready to print out a treaty." The queen told the nearest worker of the castle. Who nodded and left.

"What is this about?" Her husband asked, she stared at her daughter one last time and looked at her husband.

"I'm doing what my daughter has wanted for the longest of time. We are talking to the Royal Family of Risqué, If my daughter can't be happy. Then I'll make sure that she is, even if it's by talking about a treaty to our rival kingdom. Everything for my Princess." The Queen finished and walked away from her daughter's room.

Anything for her daughter.

Taglist: @flower0930 @forever-in-the-sky2

Note: Sorry for the rlly late update, I got busy and forgot😭

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biskael · 10 months

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@inouehs said : *you know I do* and also can I just tell you how much I adore their weird, messed up interactions? because he could straight up torture her, she manages to get him talking about his nnoi and she's still just AHH SO SWEET like girl calm down?

This is just very important to me and I had to talk about it too . But as I said, Quilge is used to talking to some of the people he’s captured . Historically , many prisoners in the medieval era would really only have their jailers to speak with , should they not have other prisoners nearby . It’s something that wasn’t too uncommon . Canonically of course, Quilge does decide to kill everyone , orihime included . And he would , if given the orders . But this is roleplay, that doesn’t always work in terms of interacting.

So , writing that perhaps the Sternritter would like Orihime alive instead is very interesting , imho ! Especially given her personal connection to Ichigo & Uryuu … and maybe even, depending on the verse , she would get to see them both as Quincy *holds back tears*

Still , what Quilge shares is normally a very broad range. He likes to talk. At times, he never shuts up LMAO. It’s just, yeah, as you said, weird & messed up, as most relationships with Quilge are . He would talk to a prisoner he might eventually kill someday , telling her bits & pieces here & there of his life & his thoughts . Even if he were ordered to end her life . It’s small, but something he’s never really wondered about. And he doesn’t see anything wrong with it, so long as he doesn’t talk too much about something that might be too revealing . He isn’t stupid , and he knows when to shut up ( surprise , surprise ) .

Also, orihime is friends with Nnoitra ?! … he doesn’t want to make his husband upset or sad by hurting someone he shouldn’t have . screams gently . There’s just So Much going on here ! It deserves its own post .

#[ 𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋 ! ] | mobileposting .#inouehs #they’re just Interesting to me I think they’re neat !

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qqueenofhades · 2 years

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Happy birthday! Your posts on medieval and non-medieval history are fascinating, and I love love love your kastle fics! I’d like to see your take on the misunderstanding/miscommunication trope and how Karen and Frank manage to (happily!) resolve the problem.

Honestly, it's more unusual when they do understand each other clearly, rather than when they don't. It's been five or six months of living together by now, and they've both made a lot of progress, but Frank's secretive-loner habits are burned down to the bone, almost genetically impossible to break, and Karen has to admit that she tends to do the same thing: wanting to handle it alone, not wanting to make a fuss, trusting herself more than anyone else and unwilling to ask for "unnecessary" help. She gives Frank a hard time about not opening up to her, but you know. Stones and glass houses. She could do a lot better too, but as always, both of them think the other has to change first. They love each other like crazy, but that alone isn't enough.

Tonight -- Karen doesn't even remember how the argument got started, apart from how it always does. Frank is out late, he has fresh stains on his sleeves when he gets back, he won't tell her where he's been or what he's been doing or what's in his suspiciously heavy and clanking bag, and even if she's tried to be patient, so patient, with his hangups and his trauma and his Frank-ness, Karen loses it. She screams at him to go sleep under a fucking bridge, if it's so important to him to always do his own thing, and Frank roars back that it's not like she's brimming with information either. It's stupid, it's raw, it comes from two people who desperately want to care for each other and yet are still very bad at it, and as Karen lies in bed, angry and sleepless with the covers knotted around her legs, it slowly starts seeping back into guilt. Maybe she should have been kinder. Maybe she should have been more accommodating, made herself smaller. But she's done that long enough, and with Frank, of all people, she thought that she shouldn't have to. Not again. Not with him.

She finally drifts into an uneasy doze, from which she's abruptly stirred close to dawn, by the feeling of a familiar weight on the other side of the mattress, the springs creaking as he crawls in next to her. She opens her eyes groggily, just in time to see Frank, unshaven and exhausted-looking, as if he too has had an equally bad night. "Karen," he whispers. "Hey. Karen. You awake?"

"Am now," Karen mutters sleepily. She's tempted to give him the cold shoulder, just because, but she feels like she's made her point, and she is glad to see him. He smells like cigarettes and night air, and she can feel the chill coming off him. "Where've you been, huh?"

"Well." Frank attempts a shrug. "Did tell me to get lost, right?"

"I guess." Karen is spurred into a reluctant chuckle, and she rolls closer. "So did you camp under a bridge, or what?"

"Thought about it," Frank admits. "Seems like it might have been a good idea. But eventually, I -- " Again, he shrugs, almost diffidently. "Well, I just wanted to come back here and make sure you hadn't actually kicked me out for good."

"No," Karen murmurs, charmed despite herself. "I guess not."

There's a pause as they look at each other, all the words that they so badly need to say burning between them, as if they hope that the other will read their mind if they just think hard enough. Then Frank rubs his hands together, blowing on them, to be sure that they'll be warm when he touches her, and settles a light, tentative grip around her waist, his thumb absently stroking the curve of her ribs beneath the thin cloth of her pajamas. Karen sighs and nuzzles closer to him, tucking her tousled blonde head beneath his chin, and Frank lets out a sigh like the breaking of the world, the shattering of the fundament, as if nothing really, truly matters but having her here in his arms again. "Hey," he whispers roughly. "I'm sorry that I'm such a fuck-up, Karen. I am. I know I need -- I need to remember how it was, you know. Living with a woman, right? Maria would have done just what you did, busted my balls for being an asshole. I deserved it."

Karen pulls her head back and looks at him, even as Frank flushes and almost can't meet her gaze. She puts her finger under his chin and makes him look at her, and he does, Adam's apple quivering in his throat as he swallows. "Hey," she whispers back. "I screwed up too. But I want to do better. I want this -- us -- to be real. Do you?"

"Yeah." Frank's answer explodes out of him as if he can't stop it, and he surges forward across the bedclothes, gripping her head in both callused hands and rolling over on top of her, kissing her until she can't breathe and doesn't want to, their mouths wet and raw and happy, happy, happy. "Yeah, Karen. I do. I do. I do."

[it's my birthday send me a prompt]

#anonymous #ask #fic prompts #kastle #kastle ff #it is technically no longer my birthday #but you can still send me prompts!

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dragonstepp · 1 year

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American Politics

I have not talked much about American politics because this site does not appear to be very political, other than Scottish politics. But someone asked a question about what someone else thought about American politics. I replied, but it was a no-nothing reply, and just a reference to what I had done 60 years ago.

There are two biggest problems in American right now.

There are two major problems in this country right now. The first, of course, is Trump. He was so nasty when he ran for president that everyone who was angry about Barack Obama, and the freedom we have given to black people and to people whose sexual references are not strict enough in christianity.

The other is, of course, the National Rifle Association, and the big money they give to conservatives.

We had another mass shooting today in Kentucky. An ex-employee of a bank went in and killed several people and injured others. This is not being seen as a terrorist killing, but we who are in despair over the number of killings that go on everyday in every city in every state are all terrorist killings. We are a country that thrives on war, and conflict, and terrorism.

My theory about why so many children are being killed is because they nuts don't want them to grow up to vote. Possibly because their parents are either liberal, or the wrong colour, or the wrong religion. It has gotten so bad that in Nashville Tennessee, the grade school level kids were walking out of classes to protest. One thing that came out of that was that three state representatives were put up to be voted out. Sadly, it was the two coloured men that got removed, but not the white woman. Very sad, and very much to show how much racism there still is.

There is a theory going around, people like me think is a good possibility is that the far-right Republicans know they are going to lose their party - the Republican party is dying. And what is helping that along is that our young people, those not yet old enough to vote, are very progressive, and these repubs know that when they get old enough to vote, they are going to go liberal, or progressive.

So these crazy repubs in our Congress are going to get rid of as many rights for the people, based on colour, sexual-orientation not hetero, and especially against women, who the very most conservative still believe that women, as in medieval times, are lower than their dogs.

I can tell you that our government is getting so many people filing for passports that they are having a hard time getting them checked and done, and our citizens are having to wait a very long time to get their passports. We the people want to get the hell out of this country. I have no statistics about where they are wanting to move to; probably Europe, Canada, Australia. I myself would move to Scotland were I not elderly, slightly disabled, and poor. I suspect I will be dead in the next 10-15 years. I hope I will stay alive to see this country go back to what we became in the 60s-80s. Stupid, perhaps, but at least safer than we are now.

I don't leave my apartment very often. It is not a good thing because I have been a very social person, as well as working to make things better. But now I am afraid.

So maybe I am not able to explain exactly what the problem is with our citizens, but perhaps this will give some insight into what is going on in our American government.

Carol

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swolewhale · 1 year

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Day 1 - The Actual Beginning

Here I go doin the thing. Today was pretty much the same as usual with me. Stayed in most of the day playing Skyrim (downloading a fuck ton of mods and not actually playing). Only time I went out was in the morning for this volunteer thing. Don’t have a life or any friends near me so thought it’d be a good idea to do something that would get me out of the house.

I know that just doing the same shit over and over again isn’t gonna change anything, but it’s not like I can really do anything to change that. I don’t have enough money to just spend on random shit to go have fun by myself, especially when I don’t even know what I enjoy. Hell I don’t even have enough money to buy canned food confidently.

The only thing that I can think would actually make a difference is getting adhd meds, but that requires taking a stupid fucking test that cost 200 dollars for it to tell them the same fucking answer of I HAVE ADHD.

Anyways, that’s not happening anytime soon. My mom said that she’s got enough money to cover the cost in a medical account or something, but I ain’t doing that. I have no idea how much money she has and I ain’t gonna take any more from her. Hell I’m sure insurance could cover it but I’m also sure that they wouldn’t cover even 75% due to bullshit of thresholds or something.

I’m sure the bastards can see my recent history for medical shit. Being in a hospital due to horrible mental health (which wasn’t even as bad as it is now), heavy meds for depression and anxiety that have only been increasing more and more. Surely at some point someone would go “hey this person could die if they don’t get this one thing paid for” but that implies that people work at insurance companies. They only have pathetic excuses for people there.

Anyways, I said I do this to focus on the positives so I guess it’s time for that:

Volunteered at a cat shelter: It was only my second day doing so, but the fact that I even showed up the first day or bothered getting out of bed is something (ignoring the fact that it’s mainly because I’d be too bored being only in bed). Made friends with a couple of wobblers. A lot of the others are a bit more timid of me, but it was just my second day so.

I took a shower: I know, bare minimum, but hey we’re talking about positives. I was gonna do it before the volunteer shift, but then I realized that it would be worthless doing so since I was only going to smell terrible afterwards anyways. Said I was gonna do it after it, and actually fucking did it (the madman). Usually the “I’ll do it later” is actually never for me, so it took me an hour or 2 to do so, but hey, took the shower.

Brushed my teeth: I know, bar- wait I’ve already said that. I’m tying to get into the habit of brushing my teeth after probably over a decade of barely even doing so. Just broke the routine one day and it was all downhill from there. Never had a cavity or any problems with my teeth though, so... Anyways, gotta brush my teeth after I post this, but once a day is better than once a year.

I was going to add “ate food”, but realized that it’s more of a “I couldn’t stop myself from eating a single can of corn” since I don’t have the money to buy more food. Trying to make the shit I do have last a few more weeks, but it fucking sucks. I hate being so fucking hungry all the time. Thanks inflation, capitalism, depression, anxiety, and all the other mental illnesses that I have that may or may not be undiscovered cause that’d just be my luck.

That’s all for the positives so now I guess it’s time for the daily question because it’s my account and I’ll do what I want. Anyways,

What fictional place would you most like to go to?

I lighthearted medieval fantasy world.

Fantasy because it’s my favorite genre. I can imagine that I’m anywhere but here.

Medieval cause DnD, skyrim, and some anime as well make me more interested in that type of magical filled world. I’m sure it could work in a modern setting but I’m more used to the medieval time period having magic.

Lighthearted cause then I wouldn’t have this account and be making these post. Due to the laws of the universe for this world, everyone would be on the more positive side for pretty much everything. I know, unrealistic, but it’s fantasy for a reason.

I’m sure it was more of a location thing, but I don’t really have many that come to mind immediately. After a bit of looking around and seeing my options, either the Comet Observatory from Mario Galaxy or the world of pokemon.

Comet Observatory: Mario Galaxy was one of the first games that I played when I was younger that actually really interested me. It’s one of my favorites, if not my favorite game. The game is very nostalgic for me since it was in a time where I was so ignorant to the world around me. Hell, after many many years of not even hearing music from it, the Comet Observatory theme appeared in a daily mix and I actually cried because of it, so yeah, I hold the game near and dear. I do still have a wii and the game, but the nun-chuck is fucked so I can’t play it right now at least. All that, plus the fact that Rosalina was my first video game crush and that hasn’t gone away at all. Shy quite types get me right in my weak spot of being an absolute sucker for cuteness.

Pokemon: Black 2 was my first pokemon game and still my favorite. I don’t know if there’s a single pokemon that I actually hare or even dislike. I already love animals as is and then you make them pokemon and I wonder where the sign up list has been my entire life. It’s fucking pokemon. Also maybe fucking pokemon. I know the lore, plus you can’t tell me there wasn’t a single mf in that world that hasn’t clapped some gardi cheecks.

Anyways, that’s all I can remember and be bothered to mention today so I’ll end it here. Hopefully tomorrow will bring me blessings (free food).

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ragamuffinsage · 2 years

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I have a lot of thoughts about Three Houses; there’s characters in this game I could ramble on about for hours, and I feel like the main reason I never post my meta is that the fandom as a whole can feel so uniquely unwelcoming. And with two games in separate timelines with multiple routes, tons of hidden and sometimes intentionally misleading lore, and generally just a lot of content, it’s frustrating that a lot of people’s reaction to disagreeing with a meta post or someone getting a fact wrong is to assume that the poster is stupid or misleading people on purpose. It feels like any analysis or piece of fanon will always end up with bad faith backlash if it gets popular at all and almost always through people complaining and rarely through actual open discussion with the person they disagree with. And it’s fine if people don’t want that discussion, but I think a lot of people actually would want to talk to people with wildly different thoughts on the game if it didn’t mean being talked down to.

I’ve been in the Fire Emblem fandom as a whole for a long time, and it’s never been the greatest place for disagreements or discussion. At its core its the holy trinity of appealing to fans of medieval politics simulators, fans of strategy games, and fans of anime, and from my own experience in those communities it’s not much of a shock that the series appeals to the kinds of people who hate admitting they could be wrong or less then completely correct. I’m not immune to this either. I think there’s a lot of validity to my thought that the Fire Emblem fandom can be harsh and unwelcoming, but I also realize that times when I’ve felt looked down on or mocked for my opinions could have easily been mostly in my head because I’m the kind of person that hates to be wrong and is particularly sensitive to being thought of as dumb. And I’ve definitely been more annoyed than I should have been about people disagreeing with me on character analysis because of these insecurities. It’s kind of a fascinating vicious cycle.

I don’t want to claim that most of this fandom sucks because I don’t actually think that. There’s so many kind people in this fandom, some of the most creative passion projects I’ve ever seen, and voice actors and character designers that seem to have such a genuine love for what they work on. Fire Emblem is a unique and fun series that went from one of Nintendo’s more obscure IPs to an well-known and influential RPG, and you can really tell the fandom has passion because of that. What I do think is that you can really kill that passion when you interpret someone saying something about the games you disagree with- be it a legitimate oversight, a blanket statement with unfortunate implications, or just a disagreement in how you prefer stories being told- as intentional malice kills the passion people have. Especially when people have other interests, social obligations, and responsibilities and can’t put the same level of care in a fanfic they’re writing for fun as they would in a thesis paper they’re writing for a grade and a degree.

Fandom and gaming are pretty low-stakes hobbies, first and foremost, though of course this is all only made more complicated by the number of people in gaming communities that intentionally hide real-world hateful views behind video game opinions. Demonizing or mocking people who are hypersensitive to people using coded language due to past trauma isn’t helping anyone either. I think assuming the worst of people can be a coping mechanism and it’s one I’ve fallen victim to plenty of times myself.

At the end of the day I’m not really trying to make a grand statement here. I just like sociology and think the Fire Emblem fandom exhibits some interesting social trends, be it on a small scale. Also, I want to encourage people to post their thoughts about things even if they might change later. Even if people might disagree. Even if you know you might see a different agreement or a piece of lore you forgot about that changes your mind entirely. Sometimes you’ll read something and say ‘woah they’re right; that’s a viewpoint I’ve never considered’ and sometimes you’ll read something and say ‘I see where they’re coming from but I think my interpretation has more merit’ and sometimes you’ll read something and think ‘this viewpoint is very different but can coexist with my own’. Learning how to be confident in your ideas even when people disagree, but also willing to stay open minded and consider other views is a very applicable but difficult skill to learn, and one I’m still working on myself.

#sorry for the long rambly sentences and weird grammar im brain foggy #and sorry for word vommiting about Society right after jokey dilf posting #but I am an srpg nerd at heart so of course I love to talk #were all just geeks with a lot to say and I love that for us #mymeta

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the-firebird69 · 2 years

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We have some several strange ideas throughout the day and back in the day he and I and usually pretty quiet with each other but we do he thought of the Grom I thought it was nuts and it worked. And I was thinking of the Janus company a little strange too, and how he did it is weird too really they just closed it down cuz people didn't want the replicas and didn't say it right I didn't say it was replicas of ours and they didn't say it was us and they said like once and ran around like Howard Stern just smiling at everyone even though he was thinking stupid stuff like jokes and stuff but it's people figured something idiotic. Idiotic Howard Stern says versus dumb jokes I'll take dumb jokes any day me too... That's three S4 the actual Robin says so. We had some doozies in our time but here comes a doozy I don't know what to think of this might actually need it it says I have the banquet one and you can reserve like this big banquet room and you can do like knights of the round table cosplay routine in the reserved rooms and it will have winches and we'll have the service dressed in the the fool garb... Oh wait a minute Frank Castle Hardcastle wants to say it first

Hera Zues

They said part of it but really it's just a fast food restaurant and we can have a couple banquet rooms and we can do the cosplay we can have rental costumes there and we'll just dry clean them every time and just have a couple dry cleaning machines so big deal no room for 20 or two rooms for $20 says they can have the Romulus and the capulets. Everybody is Shakespearean and you can have that kind of a thing or a middle ages and probably hold a classic medieval Fair nearby That's my kind of thing so we're on to this idea and I would make smaller ones too complete with big thick outer doors which stay open during the day and if there's a problem you close them and they be hardwood with a metal on them and it would be for safety and to eat in a safe place if you have a problem but they be almost a mirror image of the huge castles and people go there to try and figure out who they are probably probably have a lot of problems maybe not a complete mirror image but similar and that's what we'll do but really it's going to be thick walls and you'd be able to tell on the inside and there's a couple ways to make a little bit less thick looking and that's to angle the windows out with that we can strength of it but we can put extra material inside the wall and we can also put in a thick lex in Windows and we can see it's thick but we have hiding that too and I think we need around 4 inches and to be just a fast food place but with controlled air and all sorts of stuff you kind of need it it's such a hassle you have to evacuate come back fix it again you have to come back and fix it again but it wouldn't have to evacuate and rebuild the restaurant portion this patch it and yeah we would meld it in with cement epoxy and they have that who knows something nobody likes the idea no I'm getting a lot of requests he's just sitting here and nobody's saying anything they usually means they're not opposing it and we're going to proceed and we're beginning and we are going to build a few of them and test them we built something like it and people liked it and this would be a pretty decent sized dining area and the food would be very rich and we will cook chickens if you want a family style and we have chicken pieces and you can order steaks and other Fair basically it's kind of a banquet type thing and it's decent food and Hardy food but real potatoes and pasta and and more salads and it's famous already and we can have nice big beef stews and prepared so you don't have to wait so it would be a hit right away and it would smell wonderful for miles and miles and miles everybody would come from all around and yeah and cities too

Well we went to work on a few and we're putting them in people are wondering what the hell they are they just plop in so you probably underground and we're doing that and they don't know what it is so put a picture up and we put a description and they all love the idea and at night you lock it down and some of the staff stays here they live in and it's a separate quarters and separate place from the restaurant because it's got very clean

Frank Castle Hardcastle

We love it we might put our own in so our own people can come and eat I'm going to see what the place is designed like usually it looks unobtrusive and we have seen places like it like the medieval manor looks like a regular building but this will be like the opposite it looks like a castle but there's plenty of castles in Europe we've been in them forever and they're hard rock they're more solid than concrete and harder to get out of big iron bars it sounds like a good idea though

Mac

And we'll have a couple big ones where people can come and do their recreations and things and weddings will hold weddings there you can have a traditional medieval wedding and that's actually the period that queen of Elizabeth and there's a wearing their guard from a lot of it is and some of it's from the revolutionary war. Their uniforms are but really really a lot of their costumes and outfits go back to the medieval era The capes and the crowns and the big black hats not all of it but the beefeater is dress up too and original carb and that's from the medieval era with the fluffy shoulders and they are seen in it too as a matter of fact we'll probably go with that look and intense because the max don't mind it

And we're looking for places to put them if people were interested it usually it's East Coast kind of thing or extreme West Coast so it's kind of an issue where can we go Massachusetts comes to mind as a whole bunch of nose and there's some yes it's like the 99 it has stone walls all right comments every time they go in it's kind of like that we do with the stone block and the interlink and have like a invisible concrete wall behind it the structural integrity a lot of people think it's a good idea I'm going to proceed with this you can always do full stone for time sake I like that too the full stone these days is awesome use a certain stone and you you can just break the face and it looks just like Stone with a certain concrete it's a little bluish

Frank Castle Hardcastle I don't see the reason stone versus concrete I do understand concrete is much easier and you can move the whole thing by lifting it up and dropping it down without a rock falling off I guess that's why but I'm going to check into this I understand what he's saying and Thor Freya okay what he's saying is he's the leaders and they're not kicking her ass but it's a pain it's very difficult for me

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the-king-andthe-lionheart · 3 years

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The Fundamentals of Gendrya

So I just want to establish the possible foreshadowing Arya and Gendry have that hints at a possible romantic relationship in the future, as well as the romantic undertones present in their story. I’m not really going to focus on symbolism in this meta (although it will come up a couple of times in a minor way), as that will be a focus for future meta. This is only meant to establish the fundamental basics.

First I want to say that when I’m talking about the romantic possibility of Gendrya, I mean future Gendrya, as in once Arya is older. However I will posit and say that because we are viewing this in the world of Westeros (in a pseudo Medieval world that GRRM exaggerated and sensationalized from real Medieval sources as well as rumor) and because GRRM has established he has no problems with placing his younger characters in romantic or sexual situations (see Mercy TWOW) I think it would be remiss to think GRRM would not take Arya and Gendry here if that was his plan all along. After all, there is plenty of precedent.

This also leads me to remind everyone that Gendry is not an adult when he meets Arya, and the age gap between the two is one of the least egregious age gaps in the books as most of the age gaps are between adult men in their 20’s and 30’s with 12-16 year old girl’s. I think a lot of people think of the age gap as Arya being 9 the whole time and Gendry being 16, but this is in fact wrong. According to the timeline, Arya and Gendry meet at the beginning of 299 AC, right around Arya’s 10th birthday. In 299 AC Gendry was only 13/14 years old. He was born in 284 AC and is not the same age as Robb and Jon, like Ned surmises. Gendry is just big for his age, and it’s highly likely Gendry doesn’t even know how old he is. When Arya and Gendry separate in ASOS Arya is almost 11 while Gendry is 14/15 years old.

Regardless, this is fiction, and doesn’t reflect real world morals. So what I’m getting at is that if anyone disagrees with this meta because of their ages I suggest you don’t read any further.

Foreshadowing

Our first hint of foreshadowing happens in Arya’s very first chapter:

She frowned down at them with dismay and glanced over to where her sister Sansa sat among the other girls. Sansa's needlework was exquisite. Everyone said so. “Sansa's work is as pretty as she is,” Septa Mordane told their lady mother once. “She has such fine, delicate hands.” When Lady Catelyn had asked about Arya, the septa had sniffed. “Arya has the hands of a blacksmith.” - Arya I AGOT

This quote is later followed up with:

[...] “I ruined that gown Lady Smallwood gave me, and I don't sew so good.” She chewed her lip. “I don't sew very well, I mean. Septa Mordane used to say I had a blacksmith's hands.”

Gendry hooted. “Those soft little things,” he called out. “You couldn't even hold a hammer.” - Arya VII ASOS

In the same book Lem Lemoncloak says this to Gendry:

“You must be a lackwit, boy,” said Lem. “We're outlaws. Lowborn scum, most of us, except for his lordship. Don't think it'll be like Tom's fool songs neither. You won't be stealing no kisses from a princess, nor riding in no tourneys in stolen armor. You join us, you'll end with your neck in a noose, or your head mounted up above some castle gate.” - Arya VII ASOS

At this point Arya is indeed a princess, but Lem also makes an obvious reference (to the audience) to the Knight of the Laughing Tree, which I think we can safely say was Lyanna. The fact that Lyanna is Arya’s literary mirror, tells me we can connect Arya to Lem’s comment, not to mention the inclusion of “princess” just kind of seals the deal. We also know that Arya is the spitting image of Lyanna and Gendry the spitting image of Robert Baratheon. I think it’s worth noting also that after Acorn Hall, Lem takes it upon himself to make sure nothing untoward happens between Arya and Gendry (he thought Gendry was taking advantage of Arya after they wrestled) as he starts sleeping in between them, which is seen in Arya V ASOS when they are at The Peach. Lem saying “Don’t think it’ll be like Tom’s fool songs neither” is also interesting because at Acorn Hall we specifically get Tom singing a love song directed towards Arya and Gendry.

Speaking of Lyanna and Robert being reflections of Arya (in both appearance and personality) and Gendry (in appearance for the most part) this is said in Eddard I AGOT:

We were meant to rule together. If Lyanna had lived, we should have been brothers, bound by blood as well as affection. Well, it is not too late. I have a son. You have a daughter. My Joff and your Sansa shall join our houses, as Lyanna and I might once have done."

Now this quote may be referring to Sansa and Joffrey, but I do think it’s foreshadowing for Gendrya and this is just a misdirect. After all, Joffrey is not Robert Baratheon’s son by blood, but Gendry is, even though he is illegitimate. To me this also sounds like a promise. When you think about it, the story truly begins at the Tourney of Harrenhal with the events that broke the betrothal between Lyanna and Robert, so it would be very cyclical for the ending to do what the beginning could not, binding a Stark and a Baratheon together in marriage.

There are also several references about Arya marrying an apprentice/blacksmith:

“[...] Or if it is marriage and children you desire, tell me, and we shall find a husband for you. Some honest apprentice boy, a rich old man, a seafarer, whatever you desire.” - Arya II AFFC

We also have a comment made by Jaime:

“Not all,” said Jaime. “Lord Eddard's daughters live. One has just been wed. The other...” Brienne, where are you? Have you found her? “...if the gods are good, she'll forget she was a Stark. She'll wed some burly blacksmith or fat-faced innkeep, fill his house with children, and never need to fear that some knight might come along to smash their heads against a wall.” - Jaime I ADWD

Now I know what you are going to say, that Jaime is referring to Sansa possibly marrying a blacksmith or innkeep, but if it weren’t for Jaime’s thought’s in the middle towards Brienne, you’d never guess which Stark daughter he is referring to because Sansa was only just recently married as well. Also it’s Arya who is associated with a blacksmith (Gendry) and a fat-faced innkeep (Hot Pie). So while Jaime is referring to Sansa here I think we are meant to actually look at the reality behind this and reverse the foreshadowing back onto Arya, because it wasn’t Arya who was recently wed, that was Sansa. It’s also Arya who is legitimately trying to forget she was a Stark (Sansa isn’t trying to forget, she is only pretending to be Alayne to ensure her protection) and like I mentioned it’s Arya who had a blacksmith and future employee at an inn as companions for two novels. So I think it’s a foreshadowing switcheroo. And I think it’s also worth mentioning that while Jaime sent Brienne out to save Sansa, Brienne spends her whole journey almost exclusively hearing news and following leads about Arya.

There is also a reference in Brienne VII AFFC that makes mention that Arya may marry an apprentice boy:

Gendry was the closest thing to a man grown, but it was Willow shouting all the orders, as if she were a queen in her castle and the other children were no more than servants.

If she were highborn, command would come naturally to her, and deference to them. Brienne wondered whether Willow might be more than she appeared. The girl was too young and too plain to be Sansa Stark, but she was of the right age to be the younger sister, and even Lady Catelyn had said that Arya lacked her sister's beauty. Brown hair, brown eyes, skinny...could it be? Arya Stark's hair was brown, she recalled, but Brienne was not sure about the color of her eyes. Brown and brown, was that it? Could it be that she did not die at Saltpans after all?

“One day that little girl [Willow] will make some man a frightful wife,” Ser Hyle observed. “That poor 'prentice boy [Gendry], most like.”

Willow is very obviously a Arya stand-in which makes this specific quote about Arya and Gendry, not Willow and Gendry.

Arya IV ASOS has the strongest case for future romantic Gendrya. Not only does Gendry follow after Arya and invite her to look at the forge, Gendry opens up to her about his life right before he was uprooted, and does this:

Gendry reached out with the tongs as if to pinch her face, but Arya swatted them away.

Gendry is being playful and open with Arya during most of this scene in the forge, teasing her in a manner that verges on flirting, telling her a story about his past, laughing and having fun with Arya. And then this happens:

Gendry put the hammer down and looked at her. “You look different now. Like a proper little girl.”

“I look like an oak tree, with all these stupid acorns.”

“Nice, though. A nice oak tree.” He stepped closer, and sniffed at her. “You even smell nice for a change.”

“You don't. You stink.” Arya shoved him back against the anvil and made to run, but Gendry caught her arm. She stuck a foot between his legs and tripped him, but he yanked her down with him, and they rolled across the floor of the smithy. He was very strong, but she was quicker. Every time he tried to hold her still she wiggled free and punched him. Gendry only laughed at the blows, which made her mad. He finally caught both her wrists in one hand and started to tickle her with the other, so Arya slammed her knee between his legs, and wrenched free. Both of them were covered in dirt, and one sleeve was torn on her stupid acorn dress. “I bet I don't look so nice now,” she shouted.

Gendry compliments Arya’s looks and scent, only for Arya to think he’s teasing her about her appearance due to her intense insecurity when it comes to highborn conformation (Gendry’s laugh when he first saw her didn’t help matters in her insecurity even though Gendry most likely only laughed out of being startled at her transformation). This insecurity leads Arya into getting angry and starting a wrestling match with him. This wrestling scene also directly follows Jaime and Brienne’s very sexually charged sword fight, and could also be interpreted as foreshadowing a romantic and potentially sexual relationship in the future, like theirs did, when they are older.

Now I’m not saying that I think Gendrya is going to go NC-17 in the books, but I do think it’s likely to go PG-13 by the end of ADOS, considering we have precedent that GRRM has no qualms about writing these types of things as I mentioned above, and we know Arya is going to be 12 in TWOW and may be at least 14-15 when the series ends depending on how much GRRM can spread out the timeline in the next two books. But considering the amount of stuff that needs to happen, I think the next two books will span 2-3 years before the epilogue begins.

Then there is the love song GRRM specifically wrote for Arya. A song that has only appeared in one chapter, Arya’s chapter:

“My featherbed is deep and soft,

and there I'll lay you down,

I'll dress you all in yellow silk,

and on your head a crown.

For you shall be my lady love,

and I shall be your lord.

I'll always keep you warm and safe,

and guard you with my sword.

“And how she smiled and how she laughed,

the maiden of the tree.

She spun away and said to him,

no featherbed for me.

I'll wear a gown of golden leaves,

and bind my hair with grass,

But you can be my forest love,

and me your forest lass.”

Now we know this song is about them because when Tom O’Sevens is singing it, he winks at Arya, and later Lady Smallwood specifically says to Arya “I have no gowns of leaves”. The song specifically mentions yellow – a Baratheon color – and depicts the free spirited “Maiden of the Tree” who wants love on her own terms, which sounds like what an older, flowered version of Arya would want if she fell in love.

Romantic Undertones

Arya’s Crush

As she passed the armory, Arya heard the ring of a hammer. A deep orange glow shone through the high windows. She climbed to the roof and peeked down. Gendry was beating out a breastplate. When he worked, nothing existed for him but metal, bellows, fire. The hammer was like part of his arm. She watched the play of muscles in his chest and listened to the steel music he made. He's strong, she thought. As he took up the long-handled tongs to dip the breastplate into the quenching trough, Arya slithered through the window and leapt down to the floor beside him. - Arya IX ACOK

It’s very subtle but this paragraph tells us everything. Arya unintentionally reveals in this quote that she watches Gendry blacksmithing enough to know that the world falls away when he’s in his element. She watches the play of muscles in his back and notes how strong he is and even attaches poetic language to his work. Arya has a crush on Gendry. It’s not acknowledged and it’s likely she doesn’t understand it herself, but this seems to be the truth of it, especially with the way GRRM worded this. I don’t know how many times I’ve read a romance where the protagonist studies their love interest while watching the “play of muscles” in their back or their arms. It’s also interesting to note that Arya always mentions specifics about Gendry’s looks and notes details about him:

He blinked at her, startled. Strands of thick black hair, still wet from the bathhouse, fell across his deep blue eyes. "I'd hurt you." - Arya II ACOK

"It's me they want," Arya whispered back. His ear smelled of soap. "You be quiet." - Arya II ACOK

When she spied Gendry, his bare chest was slick with sweat, but the blue eyes under the heavy black hair had the stubborn look she remembered. - Arya VIII ACOK

"She's not alone." Gendry rode out from behind the cottage wall, and behind him Hot Pie, leading her horse. In his chainmail shirt with a sword in his hand, Gendry looked almost a man grown, and dangerous. Hot Pie looked like Hot Pie. - Arya II ASOS

Now most of these I’d normally chalk up to the author just being descriptive, but if that’s the case, why don’t we know more about Hot Pie’s looks, who Arya spent nearly a year with at the same time as Gendry? Why does she take special time out to describe Gendry so much? Honestly I think part of it is to keep reminding us that Gendry is a secret Baratheon bastard, but that doesn’t explain the first quote about Arya watching the “play of muscles” in his back and noting how strong he is. So I think it’s a combination of GRRM wanting to remind the audience that Gendry is a Baratheon and to also subtly show us that Arya has an innocent crush on him, but doesn’t know or acknowledge that this is the case out loud.

Their Mutual Jealousy

Starting after the events of Acorn Hall in Arya IV ASOS, it’s obvious that something shifts in Arya and Gendry’s relationship. One aspect is that Gendry can no longer ignore that Arya is indeed a highborn girl after seeing her for the first time dressed up as one. He knows what class differences will mean for their friendship. And another aspect, is that Gendry acknowledges that he may be romantically interested in Arya, or at least acknowledges the potential for those feelings to emerge in time. And because of this, combined with their class differences, Gendry knows that if he follows Arya to Riverrun where her mother and brother are, he would end up watching Arya grow into someone he could romantically love, only for her to be torn away from him due to an arranged marriage. Both of these aspects play a factor in why we see Gendry become more outwardly scathing towards highborns in the chapters following this and why his behavior seems to become one rife with jealousy.

In Arya V ASOS the Brotherhood Without Banners travel to The Peach and both of the above aspects I spoke of are present in this chapter:

"You don't even know what a brothel is."

"I do so," she insisted. "It's like an inn, with girls."

He was turning red again. "What are you doing here, then?" he demanded. "A brothel's no fit place for no bloody highborn lady, everybody knows that."

And when Gendry protects Arya from a pervert by saying that she’s his sister, this is what goes down:

"Why did you say that?" Arya hopped to her feet. "You're not my brother."

"That's right," he said angrily. "I'm too bloody lowborn to be kin to m'lady high."

Arya was taken aback by the fury in his voice. "That's not the way I meant it."

"Yes it is." He sat down on the bench, cradling a cup of wine between his hands. "Go away. I want to drink this wine in peace. Then maybe I'll go find that black-haired girl and ring her bell for her."

Arya doesn’t really understand the intentions of the pervert, despite knowing of sex, and is confused on why Gendry would say that he’s her brother, but when she asks him, he takes it the wrong way since he is already so sensitive about their class differences at this point in their story. That last paragraph is what makes this exchange really interesting though. Why would Gendry say this, when it’s already made clear and established in this chapter that Gendry has no intentions of sleeping with any of the girls, even when it’s offered to him for free? He is very obviously lying to try to get a rise out of Arya and the only way this makes sense is if we put it under a romantic lens.

Then we have this:

Arya whirled and left him there. A stupid bullheaded bastard boy, that's all he is. He could ring all the bells he wanted, it was nothing to her.

Now considering Arya’s defense mechanism (the mechanism that has her calling things or people stupid when she’s hurt or feeling inadequate by them to try to make the pain and hurt not seem so severe) the fact that she calls Gendry a “stupid bullheaded bastard boy” and proclaims Gendry ringing the bells of any girl was “nothing to her” tells us that it matters to her and that she’s upset. This is further reiterated in Arya VIII ASOS:

Arya wished she had another crabapple to bounce off his face. "My father had honor," she said angrily. "And we weren't talking to you anyway. Why don't you go back to Stoney Sept and ring that girl's stupid bells?"

So here we have Arya mention this three chapters later, likely weeks if not months later. If Arya didn’t care about Gendry ringing “all the bells he wanted” then why is she still so hurt and jealous? She’s obviously been stewing about this for a while.

In this same chapter we also see gems from Gendry that clearly proclaim that he’s still plagued about his class differences to Arya. It also clearly shows that Gendry is jealous of Edric Dayne once Arya befriends him, especially since she befriended someone highborn, like her, who just so happens to be a boy who we know has nearly the same coloring as Rhaegar Targaryen, which evokes the history repeating motif that is present in Arya’s arc of the Rhaegar/Lyanna/Robert love triangle.

"You have a knife," Gendry suggested. "If your hair annoys you so much, shave your bloody head."

He doesn't like Ned. The squire seemed nice enough to Arya; maybe a little shy, but good-natured. She had always heard that Dornishmen were small and swarthy, with black hair and small black eyes, but Ned had big blue eyes, so dark that they looked almost purple. And his hair was a pale blond, more ash than honey. - Arya VIII ASOS

And

"My lady?" Ned looked embarrassed. "I'm Edric Dayne, the . . . the Lord of Starfall."

Behind them, Gendry groaned. "Lords and ladies," he proclaimed in a disgusted tone. Arya plucked a withered crabapple off a passing branch and whipped it at him, bouncing it off his thick bull head. "Ow," he said. "That hurt." He felt the skin above his eye. "What kind of lady throws crabapples at people?"

"The bad kind," said Arya, suddenly contrite.

Gendry continues to encapsulate “ours is the fury” during Arya’s whole exchange with Edric Dayne.

I do want to add that I know Gendry’s class issues have always been there, and it’s definitely been made even more apparent to him during the War of the Five Kings during his time in the wartorn Riverlands with Arya, so it’s not exactly that far-fetched that Gendry may become even more sensitive and/or bitter about it. However, this extremity of his behavior only happened after Acorn Hall where he saw Arya looking like the highborn girl she is. And while I do believe part of Gendry’s increase of bitterness about their class differences does have to do with potential romantic feelings, I also think it has to do with Gendry also coming to terms with the fact that Arya’s family is also directly responsible for the carnage they have seen and experienced (even though he doesn’t blame Arya, as she seems to be one of Gendry’s exceptions when it comes to his dislike of the nobility). If it weren’t for the blatant flirting on his behalf in the forge at Acorn Hall and the jealousy, I would honestly chalk it up to Gendry trying to reconcile his own trauma and anger regarding highborns, including Arya’s family’s sins, but alas, that is not completely the case.

Post Separation

When Arya is kidnapped by the Hound and witnesses the Red Wedding, Arya contemplates where she may go and this crosses her thoughts in a very romanticized light:

She could stay with Hot Pie, or maybe Lord Beric would find her there. Anguy would teach her to use a bow, and she could ride with Gendry and be an outlaw, like Wenda the White Fawn in the songs.

But that was just stupid, like something Sansa might dream. - Arya XII ASOS

The fact that Arya follows this thought up with “that was just stupid, like something Sansa might dream” tells us specifically what type of fantasy this is. Arya isn’t fantasizing about an adventure, she’s fantasizing about love and romance, considering those are the types of flights of fancy Sansa always loses herself in. Now Arya isn’t outright rejecting the possibility of romance here, because there is more to that second paragraph:

But that was just stupid, like something Sansa might dream. Hot Pie and Gendry had left her just as soon as they could, and Lord Beric and the outlaws only wanted to ransom her, just like the Hound. None of them wanted her around. They were never my pack, not even Hot Pie and Gendry. I was stupid to think so, just a stupid little girl, and no wolf at all.

She rejects the possibility because she remembers that Hot Pie and Gendry abandoned her as soon as they could, and that all the Brotherhood did was use her, according to her perspective on the matter. And her perspective is entirely skewed because of her abandonment and low self-esteem issues, as well as not fully understanding the class issues as she honestly didn’t think that bringing Hot Pie and Gendry to Riverrun and Winterfell would cause any issues with their friendships, which is understandable for a kid to think. Especially one that hadn’t been in the highborn world for the past year and a half. In fact, Medieval children in the real world and in the books, weren’t reprimanded for playing together regardless of class, usually the highborn children played with the children of those who worked and lived within the castle walls, from other lords children to stewards children to the helps children. It’s just something children did until they reached a certain age where it just wasn’t allowed anymore. So it’s only natural for this not to really factor into Arya’s plans.

When Arya is about to walk into the House of Black and White, Arya comforts her fear with a memory of Gendry:

Suddenly she was somewhere else . . . back in Harrenhal with Gendry [...] - Arya I AFFC

Which indicates that Gendry is still very much on her mind at this point. I think it really says something as well that Arya takes comfort from a memory at Harrenhal of all places. I think this indicates how much comfort she took from their friendship. I also think she doesn’t think about Gendry with the Brotherhood to take her comfort because while ASOS has the most romantic foreshadowing for them and the two shared some nice moments, it was also the start of them truly fracturing, or so her unreliable narration interpreted it as. After all, she actually thought that Gendry was making fun of her looks at Acorn Hall, and she thought Gendry didn’t want to be her friend anymore as he “abandoned her” for the Brotherhood. So while Harrenhal was awful and they had their disagreements there, Arya still felt reassured with his companionship and likely found it uncomplicated in comparison to her other problems at the time.

When we next see Gendry in Brienne VII AFFC we see a drastically different Gendry. While Gendry has always been guarded and sullen with a chip on his shoulder, with little love for the nobility, this change is drastic enough where it’s unsettling to read at first. Not only is Gendry just flat out rude in a very mean way but he is filled with rage. Gendry joined the Brotherhood because he liked how they handled justice, but under Lady Stoneheart there is no justice and he doesn’t seem to mind. His beliefs have shifted as well.

And though his eyes had been that same deep blue, Lord Renly's eyes had always been warm and welcoming, full of laughter, whereas this boy's eyes brimmed with anger and suspicion.

Septon Meribald asked if he might lead the children in a grace, ignoring the small girl crawling naked across the table. "Aye," said Willow, snatching up the crawler before she reached the porridge. So they bowed their heads together and thanked the Father and the Mother for their bounty . . . all but the black-haired boy from the forge, who crossed his arms against his chest and sat glowering as the others prayed. Brienne was not the only one to notice. When the prayer was done Septon Meribald looked across the table, and said, "Do you have no love for the gods, son?"

"Not for your gods." Gendry stood abruptly. "I have work to do." He stalked out without a bite of food.

Gendry was at his forge, bare-chested beneath his leather apron. He was beating on a sword as if he wished it were a foe [...]

What would a knight be doing working at a smithy? "You have black hair and blue eyes, and you were born in the shadow of the Red Keep. Has no one ever remarked upon your face?"

"What's wrong with my face? It's not as ugly as yours."

Lord Renly was ahead of her, her sweet smiling king. He was leading her horse through the trees. Brienne called out to tell him how much she loved him, but when he turned to scowl at her, she saw that he was not Renly after all. Renly never scowled. He always had a smile for me, she thought . . . except . . .

While some people chalk up Gendry’s behavior as a result of trauma about what he experienced in the Riverlands, and I don’t deny that is a factor, I don’t believe it’s the only factor because we didn’t see Gendry like this post Harrenhal or even with the Brotherhood in ASOS. Yes he embodied “ours is the fury” at times and was jealous and bitter, and rude at times as well, but he wasn’t flat out cruel to people, nor filled with rage and vengeance. The Gendry before Arya was taken would never have led Brienne to Lady Stoneheart for the slaughter after she tried to save everyone in that Inn against Rorge and Biter and co. We can also see another difference in Gendry:

Lightning cracked to the south as the riders swung down off their horses. For half a heartbeat darkness turned to day. An axe gleamed silvery blue, light shimmered off mail and plate, and beneath the dark hood of the lead rider Brienne glimpsed an iron snout and rows of steel teeth, snarling.

Gendry saw it too. "Him."

While there is no emphasis on the “him” when Gendry sees the Hound’s helm, it’s an abrupt and emotionless statement. It’s one word without emphasis but it conveys a lot. Gendry recognizes the Hound’s helm and it’s apparent he’s not happy, thinking that it was indeed the Hound for a minute. And while I’m trying to avoid discussing symbolism, I just can’t ignore how the lightning that cracked in the south could also be symbolic of Gendry’s true mood. He is, after all, a bastard Baratheon, connected to the storm, the fury - thunder and lightning - as well as sharing a connection to the god, Thor in our mythology. This lightning could symbolically be linked to Gendry’s anger and vengeance. So why does Gendry act like this when he sees who he thinks is the Hound again? He had no issue with the Hound during his trial by combat, so what changed? The Hound kidnapped Arya. And while he knows Arya didn’t die at the Red Wedding, he and the Brotherhood aren’t entirely sure if the Hound sold Arya to the Lannister’s and if she is now Arya Bolton. So it makes complete sense why he would have issues with the Hound. In fact I think a lot of this behavior we are seeing from Gendry is the direct result of the Hound kidnapping Arya and not knowing if she’s dead or being brutally raped and tortured in the North.

Why do I think this? Because this behavior began between Arya being kidnapped in ASOS and Brienne VII AFFC. Only a few to a handful of months have passed since then. This, I believe, is the inciting incident. Another reason why I believe Arya is the reason is because of what he is doing. He is staying at the Crossroads Inn, one of the last known places Arya was sighted, and he’s helping take care of orphaned children. Arya took in strays as well and cared for them, like Weasel. And considering how Gendry in ACOK wanted to leave Weasel and Hot Pie and Lommy behind, it’s interesting to see that he’s helping by taking in strays himself now, as if he thinks he may be able to atone for not saving Arya. Another reason is because the Brotherhood is actively searching for Arya as well. She is ever present on their minds. So yes, I believe part of Gendry’s change has to do with losing Arya, which goes to show how much he really cared about her. Not to mention (a tiny bit more symbolism, oopsie!), Gendry’s stay at the inn, waiting for Arya to return (I believe Gendry and the BWB are hoping that Arya is alive and will return to the inn) is a romantic aspect to the mythology of Weyland the Smith and his Swan Maiden/Valkyrie, and the aspect about the Brotherhood + Gendry searching the realm for Arya is also a romantic Cinderella motif, hence why I feel Gendry’s behavior here is supposed to have romantic subtext.

Extra: Another interesting aspect that I think foreshadows this future relationship is the meaning of Gendry’s name. Gendry is a nickname type of surname for a person who has inherited his family estates from his father-in-law, deriving its origin from the Old French word “gendre,” which meant “son-in-law.” And as we know if Arya and Gendry married when they were older, Arya wouldn’t be taking his name, but he hers, due to her higher status. So by marrying into the Stark family, he would be inheriting from his father-in-law Ned so to speak, even if it’s just inheriting the surname.

So this is everything I’ve compiled so far about Gendrya, that relies on just their foreshadowing and romantic undertones in the texts we have available but I’m positive I’ll be adding more to this list once TWOW officially releases. However, I still have a lot more to share that focuses on their symbolism and motifs throughout the story, so I’m definitely not done making Gendrya meta, far from it and I can’t wait to share it with you all!

And if anyone is interested in Arya’s and by extension Gendrya’s Cinderella motifs, you can find it at this link: A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.

#arya stark #gendry waters #gendry baratheon #gendrya #asoiaf

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