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skyechild · 4 months

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𖤐 pairing: Idol!Seonghwa x Actress!reader (M/F) 𖤐 genre: smut ehehe 𖤐 warnings: language, alcohol consumption, miscommunication, rumors 𖤐 wc: 8.9k 𖤐trope/au/kinks: trope: (one sided) e2fwb 𖤐 summary: You and Seonghwa have been friends since childhood, but one miscommunication caused a rift and between you. What happens when you both learn to communicate and you tell him your side? 𖤐 notes: surprise Sar im your secret santa for CODN' Secret Santa. (This banner sucks, and im sorry this took so long) 𖤐special tag: @kpop-stories-21 𖤐 tag list: @cultofdionysusnet / @kikouku / @spooo00oky / @yoonjonguwu 𖤐 Playlist: Crazy Form by Ateez, Getting Closer by Seventeen,

"Why are you always in the fucking way?" The voice comes from behind you and you already know who it is. Your body tenses and turn around in the dress. "Excuse me? Do you plan to walk into my dressing room?" Your glare at Seonghwa as he hums, looking the dress up and down, He has to admit it's a beautiful dress, and it looks beautiful on you.

It's a dress slightly modernized, and that hat is very cute. He is not one to bring anyone down. You are a successful actress for a reason and he isn't going to bring you down.

"Why are you even here Seonghwa?" It was almost hard to not call him Hwa. It had been a few years since you last saw each other. You had to admit, he had grown up very well. He was attractive, very attractive. He had debuted with a group you knew as Ateez, with one of your friends being the social butterfly Wooyoung, the boy being a year and a half younger than you.

He rolled his eyes, as if the (valid) question was stupid. "Im casted in this drama...what are YOU doing here?" You crossed your arms. "You better not be the lead male." His lips quirk into a smirk. "Oh my lovely little Y/n is going to be my partner?"

You felt the blood drain from your face in almost horror. This was a vampire themed tv movie. There were kisses, there was neck biting, a possible bed scene. Was your hatred enough to make you back out of this? These were only promotional photos.

You bit your lip and turned around, picking up the train of your dress and walking towards the director and photographer. Seonghwa grabbed your bicep and frowned. "You hate me that much that you would back out?" His brows furrowed, a thinly veiled look of hurt hidden by disappointment in his eyes.

"I'm not, I just want to shoot the photos. The faster we shoot, the faster I can leave...this." You motioned to him. The muscle in his jaw jumped and you raised a brow. "Did that offend you? I'm so sorry princess." You mocked, calling him the name Wooyoung called him privately.

You watched the muscles in his jaw tense. "My patience is running thin Y/n." He warned and you pulled your arm away, huffing. "Let's go. I don't want this to take all day." You continue your walk over.

"You look beautiful Miss L/n." You felt the pink spread over your cheeks. You were never good with compliments. "Thank you Director Hong." Director Hong was only a few years older than you, his assistant however, was two years younger. A pretty boy named Felix that looked like the stars made their home on his cheeks. But his voice was almost a whiplash. You smiled at the younger boy.

"Please, call me Josh." You chuckled, shaking your head. "Then you have to call me Y/n. We have had this conversation many times. We are friends, remember?" He rolls his eyes teasingly. You and Joshua had gone to college together with you only meeting him through a mutual friend, Minghao, Who was tired of you whining about the artist being one of your only friends.

"Shua." You called him the nickname you used in college. He grinned softly, nodding. "That's fine." He chuckled, motioning towards where the pictures would be taken. "Alright Y/n, these are just promotional photos." You nod but the energy kind of drains once Seonghwa is standing beside both men.

"It's a bit of a remake of Dracula, similar to Gary Oldman's dracula." You bite your lip and grin at Joshua. He knows about Your love for that movie, and the actor himself. He has to shake his head teasingly before you are put into positions by Felix, the flashes from the cameras almost making you blind and many photos and different positions Joshua motions for a break. "After break it's time for the duo photos."

A bit after and after an outfit change for you, one more towards the era you felt was nice did Joshua break the news. "Alright, these ones will probably be the main ones they post." You hold back your grimace and Seonghwa smirks. "A bit seductive." Joshua reiterates and you want to punch the grin off Seonghwas face as it grows wider.

"You heard him, seductive." You glare at him before you move into position. "Alright Felix, would you please position them?" Seonghwa stands behind you, one hand wrapping around your waist and one wrapped around your throat. Your mouth opens a bit as you tilt your head back and over, resting it on his shoulder as Felix explains. Your eyes close and you can barely feel Seonghwas breath against your neck, his mouth parted.

Felix steps off the set and to the side.

It's almost perfect. Joshua calls out. "Seonghwa can you get a bit closer to her neck, you're a bit too far away." He nods and pulls you more towards his chest, mouth getting closer to the skin of your neck. Photos are taken in that position, his eyes down and almost closed. "Look at the camera Seonghwa." He looks up, eyes dark and sharp as he stares at the camera.

You go through multiple photos with him and you are getting to the point you are starting to get squirmy. One of the last positions has you are fully in his arms, leaning against his left arm as his right hands tilts your head back till you are arched back, laying on the ground with your hand gripping Seonghwas shirt and the other holding his right hand when it moves to rest on your sternum.

The last one is your least favorite. Felix has you back to the position you started in but turned slightly towards Seonghwa. "Kiss." You hear both Felix and Joshua say at the same time and your body stiffens from reflex. Seonghwa nods and holds your cheek in one hand, putting a thumb between your lips so they dont touch fully. You thank him in your head quietly before you close your eyes, hands holding his thats around your waist. At Least he had some morals unlike some of your other coworkers.

You sighed once Joshua called finish and quickly shoved yourself away from Seonghwa. The slightly surprised look on his made you raise a brow. “Why do you look so surprised?” He blinked a few times before smirking. “Was surprised you let me almost kiss you.” Your eye twitched. “God, I can't stand you.”

“Then sit.”

“I fucking am.”

You bit back the urge to punch the guy in the face. If these were just the promotional pics, how were the rest of the shootings going to take place? You knew Joshua but Felix was pretty new to you. But he didn't seem very new to Seonghwa and that made your skin crawl. He was young and wasn't involved in what happened. But Joshua was just the photographer, maybe you could get him to come visit the recordings. Maybe you'll see if your manager can talk to Yoohyeon’s manager to see if she could stop by sometimes with Pie.

You walked off towards your dressing room and stripped out of the uncomfortable dress. You shivered as you slipped on your robe, the familiar knock sequence of your manager alerting you to her incoming, making a noise of acknowledgement as you watched the door swing open. “Alright little daisy.” Your manager had been with you since the beginning and you grinned softly at the sight of coffee and a donut in her hands. “Is that for me?” Your eyes glittered as you gave your manager the puppy eyes. When she shut the door she looked at you. “Did you play nice with Seonghwa?”

Your huffed, moving to sit down in the chair in front of a mirror to start removing your makeup. “The best I could with his shitty behavior.” She rolled her eyes.”Sujin please.” Your manager sighed. “Fine.” She watched you carefully as she cocked her head to the side, meeting your eyes. “You know that you won't be able to avoid him for long, you're in the same movie now. You need to tell him the truth.” She spoke as she placed her hands on your shoulders. “That's his fault for believing the rumors, Sujin! ‘N this was first year of high school. It's almost been ten years. It's easier to just return the attitude he gives me.”

You rubbed your eyes and sigh, the gentle squeeze on your shoulders told she understood. You do want to tell Seonghwa, but every time you looked at him the anger of him believing the rumors instead of coming to you always lit a fire inside you, leading your disappointment and anger towards him. If he came to learn the truth it would be like this between you both.

You lean back in your chair, resting your head on Sujin’s shoulder. “I'm so tired of fighting him but he never bothers to learn the truth.” You close your eyes and sigh. Sujin frowns down at you before she purses her lips. “Y/n.” You look up at her, seeing the look in your eyes and furrowing your brows. “I could talk to his manager? Or Hongjoong’ he seems to listen to him.” You sigh. “Wooyoung knows everything so i'm surprised he hasn't told him, i did ask him to not tell him. If Seonghwa ever wants to know the truth he can ask Wooyoung who will probably tell him to come to me.”

You smile as your manager takes down your hair from the updo the hair stylist had put you in. A breath left you as you closed your eyes, the small massage making you relax into her. “Fuck that was starting to give me a headache.” You confess and she chuckles, fingers sliding through your hair.

There's a knock on your door and you both turn to face it. “Who is it?” Sujin calls and you hear Joshua’s voice on the other side. “Just me, can I come in?” You stand up and move towards the door, opening it with a bright smile. “Hi Shua.” He gives you a tight hug, stroking your back for a moment. “Hello little one.” You forget how tall your best friend is sometimes, he's about a head and a half taller than you.

Pulling him in your room you quickly shut the door, not noticing the eyes watching the door close, a frown on his lips before he is following, getting close enough to hear the conversation.

You lean against the wall, a giddy feeling in your chest. Joshua always gave you the butterflies in the tummy and a giddy feeling in your chest. He was the first crush you had other than Seonghwa. You rest your head on the wall when you turn to face him. “How can I help you?” You smile and Joshua chuckles, returning the grin. “You could help me if you come to lunch with me.” You feel a blush rise on your cheeks. You forgot how direct your friend could be.

“..as a date?” He hummed softly. “Yes and no.” You crossed your arms and nodded. “When?” He pulls his phone out the same time you do, both checking schedules. “How about Thursday? We can go when everyone takes a break.” You nod. Thursday is full with filming of some of the movie.

Seonghwa crosses his arms from where he leans against the wall a bit down from your door. You're going on a date with Joshua? He glares at the door. Of course you would go out with him, he was perfect. He rolls his eyes and kicks one leg over the other, head down.

Standing straight you wrap your arms around Joshua’s waist and squeeze. He chuckles and hugs you tightly back, swaying a bit before he backs up, hand on the door. “I'll text you.” You nod and wave and he leaves the room.

Seonghwa is gone before the door opens.

Joshua walks down away from your room before turning down a hall, catching the younger male. “It isn't nice to eavesdrop on a private conversation.” Joshua spoke, startling Seonghwa. He tenses. “I wasn't.” Joshua huffed. “I saw you turn the corner.”

Seonghwa fights back the slight amount of shame he feels from being caught. “I was just wondering what you were doing with her…” Joshua raises a brow. “Why would you care? You hate her.” Seonghwa looks down, biting his lip. “I don't hate her….” He trails off and the elder crosses his arms. “You could fool me, probably her too. She's convinced you hate her. Believing the rumors and not coming to her.” Joshua starts, cutting the other off when he opens his mouth.

“What kind of friend are you?” Joshua narrows his eyes. “She told me everything. What you said, what the rumor was. The truth.” He walks closer, keeping eye contact with Seonghwa. “Maybe stop being a bitch and ask her what really happened.” He looks at the younger for a moment longer before sighing. “She doesn't hate you. But what you said really hurt her.” He whispered. “Let her tell you the truth.” Joshua walks past him before he can reply and Seonghwa is left standing in the middle of the hallway, staring at the floor blankly.

He clenches his fist. He should probably talk to you before the bed scene. He doesnt want that scene to be more awkward than it will be. He ruffles his hair angrily before returning to his room to remove his makeup and change, already finding his own manager inside, sitting on the couch. “Where were you? We are in a time crunch. We have a radio broadcast.” Seonghwa nods. “You have an interview next week with how the movie is coming along.” He lists and Seonghwa slips on his jacket and grabs his own.

His manager stops, frowning. “Where is your head at?” When there's no response his manager’s frown deepens. “Seonghwa.” He jumps, eyes locking with his managers. “Where are you at?” Seonghwa frowns back. “Sorry I'm just…tired I guess. It's been a long day.” His manager looks at him for a moment before nodding and walking behind Seonghwa as he leaves the room. “Van is here.” Seonghwa nods, looking around in case he will get a glimpse of you. He sees you walking towards him with your own manager, not looking at him.

You have to get past him to be able to leave and you want to disappear, go out the back way. Maybe if i don't look at him he wont talk to me. You hope, biting your lip but smiling as your phone starts ringing. It's a small part of Wooyoung’s part in mist. “Hi Woo.” You whisper, glancing at Seonghwa as you walk past him.

I'd like to thank Satan for creating Wooyoung and his perfect timing.

You hum when he starts complaining about Seonghwa and Hongjoong. “Hey, Joong is a busy guy. Plus everyone, including atiny, know you like when he degrades you.” There's a scandalous gasp on Wooyoung's end. “...just because my heart flutters doesn't mean anything.” You roll your eyes. “Wooyoung thats a degradation kink, try to lie again and i'll tell Hongjoong.” You threaten and the line is silent for a moment before Wooyoung's voice drops into a whisper.

“I know Seonghwa went to do promotional photos today. How did that go?” You sigh, your own voice dropping. “About as good as you think Woo.” There's a sigh from the other end. “I don't know what to do Woo…” You continue when it's silent. “Everytime i see him, i think of his words and the fact he didnt want my side of the story fucking hurts. The pain fuels my anger so then I just…break.” You start mumbling at the end. “It's been years, Woo.” Wooyoung sighs and nods. “I know.” He murmurs before there's muffled talking on his end. “I gotta go, Seonghwa is the last one here, do you see him?” You take a quick glance around before nodding. “Yeah, he's just kind of…staring.”

You smirk for a moment before waving at Seonghwa and disappearing into your car. “I waved and now I'm leaving.” There's a burst of laughter on the other end and you gasp mockingly. “Did you put me on speaker phone?!” San’s laughing joining just confirms your guess.You barely get a look at the shocked look on the others face before the door is closed and you're off to your next schedule.

“Have fun on the radio guys, I'll be watching!” The replies come together into gibberish and you laugh softly before hanging up. “Love those kids.” You mutter.

Looking up at Sujin you smile a bit. “What's next?” She hums as she drives. “Next is just a solo interview about what you're excited about for your upcoming movie, then there's a meeting with a brand that would like you as one of their ambassadors.” The smile that's playing on her lips has your stomach spinning in anticipation. “What brand?” You bit your lip, crossing your arms. “Starts with a G and ends with a y.” Your grin slowly grows.”Givenchy? Same one Hao is in?” She nods, her smile growing along with yours. “Can I message him about it? Or do I need to wait?” You are half tempted to pull out your phone.

Minghao has been your best friend since before you were even in the industry. Being under the acting portion of the same company you both had been friends before either of you had a debut. Minghao with his dancing and artwork and you with acting, you were both known friends. You were each other's rocks, especially when you found out Seonghwa was debuting in a kpop group.

She nodded, a glance back at you as she drove. “You can message him about it. He will probably be very excited.” You pull out your phone quickly, the memory and day with Seonghwa slipping your mind as you quickly texted your best friend about the news.

If there was one thing Sujin was good at, it was distracting you and making you forget about whatever happened during the days that made you sad. You grinned softly as you talked to Minghao throughout the rest of your free time between schedules.

Once sitting on the couch next to the interviewer you placed a blanket on your lap to keep modesty with how short your skirt was. “Hello Y/n, thank you for coming on the show.” You grinned widely, shaking your head. “It's no problem.” You leaned back. “So it seems you are having a new movie coming up. It looks like Ateez’s Seonghwa will be the lead male.” You nod softly. “Have you guys already met?” You nod, looking towards the camera. “We actually did promotional pictures today.” The interviewer gasps. “Can we expect anything? Can you give us any hints?”

Shaking your head you chuckled. “There's no need, once the photos are out it will be all you need to know.” You tease carefully and the lady in front of you pouts softly before it changes. “So you met with Seonghwa, with their rising fame did it make you nervous at all. “No. I was already friends with Wooyoung and San. So it wasn't hard to be friendly with him. I'm only a few months younger than him and I've been watching them for a while. They're all so talented and friendly.” You mention.

“Should we expect any collabs soon?” You laugh at the question and shake your head. “Oh no, I can't sing or anything at all, ‘n i wouldn't want their captain's hard work to go to waste.” You grin. “Though everyone knows of my friendship with Minghao, he often tries to help me dance but I'm not very good at it.” The interviewer shakes her head. “We have seen some of the tiktok challenges you do with some idols. They look like some of the best ones we've seen from the actors and actresses”

You bite your lip and nod, bowing a bit. “Thank you.” Your cheeks turn a soft pink at the compliment.

You weren't used to compliments from strangers. Even now with being in the industry for almost 8 years. Your attention is brought back when the other chuckles softly. “So it’s Seonghwa’s first big acting role. Are you teaching him the ropes?” You shake your head. “I think he got it down from when Ateez had their own acting film.” She nods and sits up straight. “Well thank you for visiting me here Y/n. I hope to see you again soon.”

You nod and smile, standing up once the camera is off. “Thanks for inviting Lia.” She grins, eyes turning into crescents. “No problem Y/n. I do want to see you again soon though.” You nod. “We can get lunch in a few days?” You propose and she nods, standing up as well. “I'll be off first.” You bow your head a bit as the younger girl waves you goodbye.

Sliding into the car you huff when you catch Sujins gaze. “You did pretty well hiding your reactions from everyone.” She compliments and you nod, keeping quiet as you lean against the seat and closing your eyes. “Just a few months with him then you're done.” She comments and you sigh, eyes closing. “I can't believe he believed the end of what he saw.” You mumble before sitting up straight. “Now it's the meeting?!” She laughs and nods, driving away from the set and back to the company.

“Should I go home after this or ask Hao to get lunch with me? Maybe Jun?” You're mostly talking to yourself but your manager still answers. “It's been a while since you last saw Jun, why don't you call him and see if he's back?” You purse your lips and nod. You know both of your managers had to have something going on between them. Considering her cheeks turning pink whenever you mention you're gonna see Jun.

You giggle quietly at the thought. You wont ask until she comes to you, after all it's her personal life even if you are friends too. You're just happy she doesn't keep it professional and stand offish as your last manager did.

“Actually call both of them, I know their friends too.” She comments and you smile, nodding. You'd love to see both of your friends at the same time. Plus it's a known fact between all of your fans that you guys are best friends so you don't worry.

Seonghwa totally slips your mind once you step into the meeting room to talk with givenchy.

You also walk out as a new ambassador for the brand. You're quickly calling your two friends and asking them to dinner. “It's been so long.” You pout. “Especially since we have all gone to eat.” You wait for them to answer, grin growing as they both say yes. “Ok, how about in an hour? I just want to get out of these clothes and into something more comfortable.” They hum in response and you end the call, biting down on your bottom lip.

—---time skip—-

The next months are brutal, you barely got through the first month of shooting and Seonghwas remarks before you were aware of the kiss and bed scene. “Seokmin…” The blood drains from your face. “Don't worry Y/n, The covers will be over both of your bodies, nothing will be seen and both you and Seonghwa will be wearing skin coloured clothing so it's not like you'll both be seeing each other naked. The chemistry so far is amazing.” He grins brightly and you feel your protests crumble.

How can you be mad when he gives you that smile. You sigh and nod, Seonghwa behind you also nodding. You rub your eyes lightly, careful of the make up. “Alright, the scene is the day after tomorrow. Hopefully you'll be able to prepare yourselves in time.” He leaves with that remark.

The tv crew for the interview is already arriving and both of you go back to your rooms to put something a bit more modern on before you back in chairs in front of the cameras, Lia beside them. You smile as the camera man counts down and Lia starts her greeting before asking for both of you to introduce yourself.

“Hello, Im Ateez’s Seonghwa.” He bows his head a bit.

“Hey, thanks for having me again. Im Y/n.”

She smiles before she crosses a leg over the other, hands on her knee. “So how has recording been so far? We have seen the pictures, which look incredible. It seems like you have incredible chemistry even through pictures.” She comments and you shift in your seat. “Yeah it's been, about as you'd expect for a movie filming. Seonghwa and I have actually met before. We went to middle school together but never talked.” You can feel the way the male tenses a bit beside you. “It also helps that I'm already friends with most of his group.” You grin a bit.

“What about you Seonghwa? How've you felt so far?” You're a bit nervous about his answer. You could both destroy each other's careers with a single sentence. You tense a bit as you look over towards the male beside you.

“So far I think it's going pretty good. Its fun working with Y/n and seeing her again after a long time.” You want to laugh in his face at his words. Thats a whole fucking lie. You smile at his words, making sure it feels natural. “So as your first big screen debut how does it feel Seonghwa?” She asks and he chuckles a bit.

“It's a big change from webtoons and small things like Ateez has done before.” He nods, you nod along with him. “But Y/n has been amazing at helping me learn more. I'm happy it was her that got the lead.” You think he's being truthful at the beginning. You have helped him a lot with learning the ropes of acting, getting him used to it just in case he gets another role in a different movie.

“That's amazing!” Lia grins and she sits up straight. “So you're way through filming right?” You both nod and she lowers her voice dramatically for the effect. “Can you give me a little inside as to how the movie is going?” You shake your head. “I can't give you anything Lia, I'm sorry.” You sigh teasingly and she slouches back in her chair.

“Alright, I give.” She pouts a bit and you grin and sit up straight in your seat. “But…” You say, grabbing her attention. “We have a scene coming up that everyone will like.” She gasps. “Is it a kiss? Bed scene? A steamy make out?” She throws questions and you ignore the barely concealed shock on Seonghwa’s face.

You know you might get scolded later, but you liked breaking the rules sometimes. You grin and Lia sighs when she notices you won't answer any of her questions. “I guess we should end it here.” She speaks, back to herself as she bows her head. “Thank you for visiting again Y/n and thank you Seonghwa for coming today, hopefully i can see you guys after the movie comes out.” She has a hopeful lilt in her words and you nod.

“Thank you for having us Lia.” The cameras shut and you're off the seat, eyes landing on Sujin who is already on the phone, eyes narrowed at you and you smirk, shrugging your shoulders. ‘Give the people what they want, just a peak.’ Your mouth and her scowl dissipates, a sigh leaving her lips and she turns away.

“You're going to get in trouble for that.” You glance around, making sure all fans have gone before you turn back and half roll your eyes. “Sujin knew I'd probably pull something, I do it sometimes, especially with Lia.” You wave your hand dismissively. “Plus, I have to keep everyone on their toes.” You pat his cheek teasingly before walking away towards the hallway. You're half way down the hall when Seonghwa catches up to you, holding your wrist.

Frowning you turn around, seeing the other biting down on his bottom lip. “That photographer…” You raise a brow. “Shua?” He nods, frowning. “He told me a few things, well more yelled at me the day we had the promotional photoshoot…” You pull your arm out of his grip before sighing and pulling him to your dressing room and making him sit down. “So what?” You continue and he looks away before he starts recounting the more one sided conversation.

By the end you're huffing out a laugh. “Ok? He told you the TRUTH if you were interested in it. The side you should've gotten, the side that made sense and matched with others.” You chuckle bitterly. Seonghwa went to college, not knowing Joshua as he was a few years ahead. You can tell Seonghwa is done with your attitude but you think he deserves it.

You snort as his eye twitches, raising your own brow before getting comfortable on the couch and staring at him. “So why are you here?” He clenches his jaw, and sighs. “I'm sorry…” It's clear and audible but it still sends surprise through your body. “You're sorry? Now you're sorry?!” You almost let out a hysterical laugh, disbelief on your face. “Are you sorry before you feel guilty for yourself or because you know the truth and realize you did the wrong thing? Didn't get both sides?” You spit, locking eyes with him.

“Y’know what, let's just…forget it and once we finish the movie we will go our separate ways.” You wave your hand and sigh before getting up to grab your clothes. “Now, if you'd get out, that'd be great. I'm going to see Wooyoung after this.” He frowns. You're going to see Wooyoung? “Why are you going to see him?” You sigh and face away from him. “If you aren't going to leave, can you atleast make yourself useful and unzip the back of my dress so I can change.”

He nods and walks closer. “You didn't answer my question.” You sigh once he unzips the dress, slipping on your shirt before turning around once he steps away. “Thank you. But I'm going to see Woo because we are friends.” You explain before slipping your shorts on under the rest of the dress and slipping it off. Seonghwa sighs, resting his head in his hands. “I never hated you…” You rolled your eyes as you slipped on your shoes and grabbed your phone. “Ya’ coulda’ fucking fooled me.” You snap before you're grabbing the rest of your items and calling Wooyoung.

“Hey Woo- '' He frowned as you called one of his members. Grabbing your phone he hung up the call and pulled you into his arms, hugging you tightly, you couldn't help but melt into his hold first, hiding your face in his chest with a sigh. Your body tensed and you tried to pull away only to give up when you felt his body shaking. “...Seonghwa?” His sniffles grew loud and he hid his face in your neck. “I’m sorry Y/n…” You sighed. “I never hated you Hwa, I was just… just…disappointed that you didn't want to listen to my side.” You sighed. “I missed you Hwa. A lot, but you seemed so happy to just drop me because it didn't look like you cared.” You frowned gently, arms raising and hesitating before hugging him back.

You heard him sigh, a shaky sound as he hugs you tighter and pulls back. “Tell me everything.” You pause, eyes flickering between both of his eyes, seeing if there was anything else in his eyes. You have a few hours before you have to meet Wooyoung. Pursing your lips you sigh. Why not? You mumble before putting your back down and turning to sit on the couch. Once Seonghwa sits on the couch you take a breath before explaining.

—--

By the end Seonghwa hasn't said anything, he's quiet, eyes on his hands as he tries to find the words. “Why did you think Yujin told the truth?” You speak and Seonghwa bites his lip. “I had a crush on her…” You scrunch your nose in disgust. “Are you serious? You believed I was a slut because she said so? You believed I slept with your family. Your dumbass believed her over me, you knew her for maybe a month. What other lies did you believe? Didn't she tell you that I slept with your friends too? That I slept with the whole school?” He looked away. “No, Seonghwa look me in the eye when you lie to me.”

His eyes found yours after a moment. “Im…” You kept eye contact and his bottom lip trembled. “She fed me so many lies I didn't know what to believe.” He spoke and you sighed. “I won't forgive you and I won't forget, but we can be friends again.” You handed him your phone. “Put your number in and we can talk more, maybe even meet up after shooting when our schedules line up for dinner or drinks.”

Seonghwa’s cheeks flushed red. “I, uh, i'm not a good drinker.” You blinked before you nodded. “That's right, Wooyoung told me.” He huffed before he put his number in your phone. “Maybe we can continue back to when we were friends? When Yujin wasn't there?” You sighed. “I think we talked enough about it right now. I'll see you tomorrow.” You finished and got up. Seonghwa watched for a moment before he nodded, resting against your couch.

You could almost see the million thoughts going through his head and you bit your lip before walking over to him and leaning down. There was only one way to get his mind to stop running. You knocked your forehead against his gently. It was a thing you both always did when one was spiraling, thoughts running 100 mph with no end in sight. “Breath Hwa.” You could hear his breath hitch, no doubt remembering how many times you both did the same thing to each other.

Once you felt him relax you stepped back, his eyes looking at you with almost sparkles. Your cheeks flushed. “Stop looking at me like that.” Why did he still have the same effect on you as he used too, if not more intense. Enemies to lovers was one of your favorite tropes. You rapidly shook the thought out of your head before walking towards the door. “Text me Hwa. We need to catch each other up on everything.” Your voice was the softest it had been towards him in a while.

He nodded, a small smile growing on his lips as he watched you leave. He finally had a second chance. When he lost you he felt it. The pain of losing your best friend. But the lies she kept telling them only fueled his hatred for what he believed you had done. Why didn't he ask for your side, ask his family or friends if it was true? Everything he could have done was now spinning around his head. He really was an idiot.

He pulled his phone back and sent you a text, smiling as he saw your contact name. He stood up and walked towards the door as well, not seeing you in sight before he left as well, heading back to the dorms just in time to see Wooyoung leaving. “Bye Wooyoung.” He said instead of a greeting. The younger waved before he was shutting the door and off to meet up with you.

He bet Wooyoung knew what had happened, assuming by the way Wooyoung had given him a soft smile.

—--

The next day you both met up for shooting, you had both agreed to head out after the shoot to catch up, maybe continue where the good things ended. He had high hopes. You bit your lip as you watched him come into your dressing room, Sujin giving you a firm look before walking out. Seonghwa smiled faintly at you. “I know today is the kissing scene and the bed scene is two days ago. I think we should be on friendly terms…” He trailed off, leaning against the make up table you were at as you nodded, eyes locking on his.

The silence should've been awkward or tense but you guess the talk yesterday had an effect. You licked your lips as you leaned back. “Tell me about afterwards. When did you join your company?” You watched him look down as he started talking about what happened after. You both went back and forth talking about what had happened when you both split ways.

There was a knock on the door that interrupted you both, a voice through the door telling you it was time to shoot. Giving each other a look you both went out, hoping to finish quickly so you could both go to eat after. Seonghwa had an early schedule tomorrow and you had a rare day off. You took a breath as you went onto the set, going through the lines and scenes in your head. Giving both the director and Seonghwa a confident nod and a smile, you were both ready to start. “We finish last time right before the kiss, so we will go from there.”

You smiled as you stood in front of Seonghwa, face softening as you changed into your character, arms going around his neck and one hand on the back of his head in his hair. When the cue was given you went through your lines, head tilted to the side before you glanced down at his lips, before Seonghwa was leaning down to press your lips together, a hand somewhat covering both of your lips., the other gripping your waist.

Your eyes fluttered shut as you felt consumed by Seonghwa, letting him lead.as he adjusted you both, turning as the camera changed positions, tongue swiping against your lip and you let him, a harsh breath through your nose as you let the other move you like a doll, your grip on his hair. You gasped as he pulled away, your head tilting back as you felt him move to your neck. You bit your lip as the camera zoomed in on Seonghwa, catching the way his mouth opened and bit down on your neck.

You faked a struggle and held your neck as you backed up, fake blood smearing against your neck and Seonghwas mouth.

“Cut!” You gave Seonghwa a high five before you both changed into a different scene, a grin on both your lips as you both changed and cleaned up.

The filming ended quicker than usual and you thanked everyone for their help before you nodded towards the other. “I'll meet you by the door so we can head to dinner together? There's a place across the street I've wanted to try.” Seonghwa nodded before you both disappeared into your room,

You had to admit, you were a bit scared of what this dinner could come out to. He could only want to be on friendly terms for only the rest of filming. But he seemed genuine. Maybe he wanted to start catching up? You frowned as you finished changing, slipping on your jacket before texting your manager that you would be getting dinner with Seonghwa and would be home later. You got the expected reaction from her.

‘???? Dinner??? With THE Park Seonghwa??? What happened to this mutual hatred?’

There were masses of texts from her and you had to sigh, a fond smile on your lips before you locked it and put it in your pocket, walking to the door and finding Seonghwa already. “Well?” You question and his head snapped up, gaze meeting yours and he nodded. “Let's go.

You smiled, walking beside him as you both left to go to the restaurant across the street. “So this dinner, did you want to talk about what's gonna happen after this? After filming ends?” He took a minute, eyes on his feet for a moment before he looked over at you. “Yeah.” You nodded, pursing your lips as he opened the door for you, giving a small smile and nod of thanks as you asked the waitress for a private table as her eyes widened when the recognition hit her. She led you away towards the back where there were small partitions splitting the few of the tables. “Thank you. Could we start with water and desert wine?” She nodded, scribbling it down and disappearing.

You took a breath and sat down, Seonghwa sitting across from you. “I think we should be friends, start over.” He started, looking at you. “I'm not saying forgive and forget, I'm saying, maybe forgive over time? I’ll show you that I'm better, that I won't hurt you again.” He pursed his lips when the waitress came over with the water and wine. Nodding his thanks he continued. “I did miss your friendship, and I'm sorry that I let her brainwash me with lies.” You nodded, drinking your glass of wine as you listened to him talk.

“Im ok with that…” You nodded and you couldn't fight your smile when you saw Seonghwas own. “I’ll give you another chance, but i wont forget.” He nodded. “I get it.” He smiled crookedly. “Maybe we can get back to where we were in friendship?” You shrugged and watched as he took a drink nodding. “Maybe.” You nodded, licking your lips and both looking through the menu and you both quickly picked something and ordered before you leaned back in your chair.

“Sujin was surprised when I told her where I was going, more that i was going with you.” He nodded, a chuckle leaving his lips. “Yeah, I think Woo was surprised when I told him.” You grinned wider at the mention of the younger. “I'm waiting for his call.” You admitted, Seonghwa nodding before he took another drink, closing his eyes. “Maybe he will wait til after?”

He didnt end up calling that night.

The dinner ended with you both drinking another bottle of wine before walking back to your place, giggling and bumping into each other like old times. Every now and then your fingers would brush and Seonghwa would hesitate to hold your hand. Was it too soon? You both had just made up and he didnt want to risk it by doing anything dumb too soon.

You bit your lip, once you got inside the lobby you pressed the button for the top flood and barely got inside before Seonghwa had up up against the mirrored walls and a rushed ‘i cant wait’ before he leaned forward and pressed your lips together again. This one was full of passion, longing and a bit of sadness. You gasped before you relaxed and let him take over again, hugging him close to you before he heard the elevator ding, dragging you out and grinning against your lips.

He gripped your hip as he pressed you against the wall beside the door, locking the door easily. You let out a sigh as his lips met the skin of your neck, eyes closing as your hand reached up to tangle in his hair, pulling him closer. Your free arm wrapped around his waist as you held him against your body tightly. “No marks.” You managed to get out and you heard Seonghwa huff. “I can't make you either. Your fans wouldn't be happy and neither would mine. The media would have so much fun.” You managed to choke out when he nipped at your neck, hands slipping under your shirt and up towards your bra, stroking the warm skin of your back.

You rested your head back against the wall, tugging on his hair to bring him up to your lips. “Are you going to let me ride your cock Hwa? Make me forget my name and only remember yours?” You could feel the effect your words had on him, his cock on your thigh twitching with every dirty word that left your mouth. You giggled against his lips as he grinded against your thigh, hissing quietly. He leaned down, tapping the back of your thighs, hinting at you to jump. “Wrap your legs around my waist baby.” He murmured against your lips as he pressed them together, nipping at your bottom lip.

He chuckled, catching you easily as you wrapped your arms around his neck, hand hands tangling into his hair as he deepened the kiss, letting him lead you to the couch. His hand slipped up your back to find the clasp of your bra and easily unclipped it before you both fell onto the couch, him grinning.

“I just might make you forget your name. You've been teasing me lately.” He hums. “I could punish you but I bet you'd like it.” You rested your head back against the cushions, legs falling from his waist but still caging his hips in. You chuckled. “I think we have waited too long for you to just punish me, after all.” You trailed off, lifting your hips enough to grind against him, a smirk on your lips as you felt the hardness pressing against the fabric of his cheeks. “You're seeming to get a bit…what's the word, impatient yourself.” You hummed, sitting up to slip off your shirt and bra. “How about we practice for that scene?” You grinned a bit, sliding your hands underneath his shirt and pulling it up. “We can make it real. Not having barriers against us.”

You grin and he groans against your lips as he leans back down. “Such a tease.” He shifts both of you enough to get your pants and panties off as his shirt and pants disappear. “You're already so wet.” He cooed quietly, hands sliding against your thighs before he shuffled down and laid on his stomach the best he could, thanking you in his head that you had a long couch.

“Can I?” He flicks his gaze up to you as he glances at your pussy, licking his lips. You pretend to think about it for a moment, but the warmth of his breath against the wet patch of your panties makes you clench around nothing. You nod and he wastes no time with getting you accustomed to his tongue. You would've never guessed Seonghwa was good at head, but looking at some of the videos and what fans have to say you should've guessed he would be.

You groaned at the swipe of his tongue through your folds, hand tangling into his hair as you let your head fall back on the couch, eyes closed. “Fuck…” You feel more than hear Seonghwa hum against your pussy and your hips jolt from reflex, a string of expletives leaving your mouth.

You sighed as you felt Seonghwa wrap his lips around your clit and suck, his finger pressing his way inside after swiping them through your folds. You wanted to close your legs but it was like he could read your mind, his hands coming to pin your legs against the couch before pulling away, licking his lips. “You taste so good.” It sounds pornographic, the whine you let out when he pulls away. His eyebrow raises and his lips quirk into a smirk. “Was my tongue that good?” The smirk on his face tells you he knows it was. You pout, avoiding his eyes as he presses his fingers into you, crooking them upwards, fingertips pressing against the spongy spot inside of you, a grin on his lips.

“There?” You nodded, hand gripping his wrist as his massaged the spot, eyes tracing over your body. “You're so pretty.” His tongue swipes across his bottom lip, hunger in his as he adds another finger. “More?” He looks back up at you, free hand coming to stroke your side, humming as you nod. “I want you cock Hwa. Please…” He bit his lips before he slipped his fingers out and straight into his mouth. He groaned softly at the taste, eyes falling shut before you wrapped your legs around his waist, trying to put his cock inside you by yourself.

A quick swat to your outer thigh had you stopped, a pout on your lips as he looked down at you. “No.” You huffed before it broke into a low whine, gripping his wrists once he caged you in with his hands next to your head as he slowly pressed inside you. His eyes locked between your body, biting his bottom lip. When he glanced back up he furrowed his brows at the slight pain on your face.

“I knew you werent stretched enough, so impatient you couldnt wait long enough so i could fuck you comfortably? Maybe you wanted it this way.” He cooed once he managed to fit all of him inside, a deep breath leaving. “Wanted to be stretched by my cock and not my fingers. Do you like the pain?” He taunted and you bit your lip as your eyes opened, looking up at him.

A look into his eyes told you he was holding himself back the best he could, Maybe talking was distracting him. “Hmmm.” You hummed out, eyes a bit hazy as you tried to focus on the man above you. “You can move.” He raised a brow but sat up, hands on your hips, a faint smile on his lips as you kept your hands on his wrists. The first snap of his hips ripped a gasp from your throat, a groan following. “Fuck thats good.” You whined, tightening your legs as his gaze stayed on where you both were connected. “Look at you…” He murmured. “Taking me so well…” He bit his bottom lip as his thrusts sped up slowly, punching moans out from your chest with each one.

You released one of his hands to put it against the arm of the couch to prevent your head from hitting it, Seonghwas thrusts scooting you up the couch little by little. He raised your hips a bit, shifting his aim and grinning when you tighten your grip and arched your back, a loud broken moan leaving your lips. “Right there?” At your frantic nod he kept his hips aimed and sped up his thrusts, licking his thumb and rubbing your clit quickly. “Fuck…” He breathed, hissing under his breath. “You're so tight.” He looked up at you. “Cum baby.” He purred as he held back his own orgasm, wanting you to cum first.

Watching you fall apart on his cock made him wish he could have recorded it. The thin layer of sweat covering your body and the way your body arched, mouth falling open in a silent moan, the way your eyes squeezed shut and your grip on his wrist tightened. Beautiful. He had half the mind to ask if he could take a pic. The image had him quickly pulling out, his cum pooling on your stomach and some on your chest. He let go with a groan, giving you both a second before he got up and walked to your bathroom, grabbing a washcloth and wetting it to wipe off his cum.

“Hey Y/n. You need to go pee.” He murmured after he finished cleaning you up. “And take a shower.” He spoke softly, using the other side of the rag to wipe his own body clean. He will take a shower when he gets home. You nodded, disappearing into the bathroom on shaky legs. He sat down at the table after slipping his pants and boxers back on. You both had to talk about what had just happened.

When he saw you come out he nodded towards the chair in front of him. “We should talk about it.” You nodded before you sat down in front of him and quickly spitting out what you were thinking in the shower. “I'm ok with keeping this friends with benefits thing…” Seonghwas mouth dropped a bit, surprise on his face. “I know jacking off only helps so much until you start needing something better.” His cheeks are turning pink so you continue. “While I know any of your fans would line up for a chance, we would be better. We are friends to the public eye and it won't be TOO hard to pass everything with no scandal.” You watch him, mouth still open. You grinned slowly. “Hwa?”

He rapidly shook his head, shaking away the surprise before he covered his face. “Im…ok with that.” He admitted and you chuckled. “While its hard for idols its hard for actresses, we are seen as sluts or whores if we hand out with any guy that the public doesnt seem to know. Hao, Jun and I hang out because we are all under the same company so theres no scandal.” He nods, peeking through his hands.

“We can both fill each others sexual needs. Easy.”

You were both in agreement. You smiled at him. "Maybe we will end up as more some time." That got Seonghwa to pull his hands away to look at you. "Really?" You nodded.

"Really."

#cultofdionysusnet #park seonghwa imagine #ateez imagine #park seonghwa smut #ateez smut #codn: santa23 #skyechilds work

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satansapostle6 · 4 months

Text

Kids | Rodrick Heffley

Spotify Playlist Link

Rodrick Heffley becomes obsessed when he finally meets his thirty-five year old band mate, Bill Walter’s, younger sister.

Warnings: Mature themes/language. Drug use. Sexual content. Violence.

“10 Things I Hate About You”

“The Perks of Being A Disappointment”

Rodrick found that he very much liked holding hands. Especially Sara’s. He felt he looked better than ever that Monday morning, because her hand was in his.

“Ew. Look,” Heather Hills whispered, staring with her friends as they watched Rodrick and Sara coming down the hall. “The emus are dating.”

Sara just chuckled as Rodrick stood tall beside her, completely unaware. But he wouldn’t have had it any other way. His only focus was Sara, and the way her smile was something reserved mostly for him.

“Alright. I guess I gotta get to class,” Rodrick sighed, fully aware that he and Sara were already fifteen minutes late.

“Okay,” she sighed unenthusiastically, smiling as he gave her a quick peck on the lips as he leaned in the doorframe.

“Be good,” he teased.

“You first.”

“Never,” Rodrick promised, chuckling as he just stood there for a moment, admiring what was his.

“Sara, are we joining us for first period?” Mr. Emerson called in annoyance.

“In a minute, you old fart!” Rodrick yelled impatiently, peeved that someone had interrupted his state of bliss.

“Mr. Heffley, do I need to call administration?” the history teacher asked.

“No, Mr. Emerson,” Rodrick said quickly, looking back at Sara as he awkwardly scratched at his shaggy dark hair. “Go to the bathroom in ten minutes,” he mouthed.

Sara just smirked back at him as she entered the classroom, taking her seat by Lauren. Class that day went by faster than she’d anticipated, and before she knew it, Rodrick was walking her out, with his arm lazily thrown around her.

He had deemed it chivalrous to take care in walking Sara to and from all of her classes, conveniently giving him a reason to miss the first and last ten minutes or so of each of his own classes. Sara had just barely sat down in her elective psychology class before receiving a slip of paper from the office on her desk.

Sara squinted in confusion as she read it. Apparently, she had been checked out of school right at the beginning of second period by someone listed as “brother”. She didn’t question why Bill would check her out of school without telling her, so she collected her things and headed to the front office, not sure what to expect.

Sure enough, there was Bill Walter.

“Hey, Sar Bear,” her older brother smiled.

“Hey,” she nodded. “What’s up? Is everything okay?”

“More than okay,” he promised her as they walked out of the school together.

“What’s going on?”

“You’ll see,” he promised her excitedly.

Bill walked Sara down the street to where Rodrick’s van was parked, not saying a word. Sara was confused for a moment as she saw Rodrick leaning against the van, arms crossed before he hopped up.

“Hey, baby,” he said casually.

“What’s up?” Sara asked, not understanding.

“I’ll leave you two to it,” Bill smiled, walking off to where his own car was parked.

She just looked at Rodrick, waiting for an explanation.

“I got Bill to check you out of school, so I could take you on our first date,” he smiled happily, seeming satisfied with himself.

“But, we’ve been on a date,” Sara pointed out. “And we go to the mall together.”

“This is something a lot better than the mall,” Rodrick promised her, making a point of it as he put on a dark pair of Ray Bans. “We’re going to the boardwalk.”

“Really?” she asked, surprised by the spontaneous gesture. “You’re cutting school? Again?”

“Yeah,” he scoffed nonchalantly, “I blocked the school on my mom’s phone. She’ll never know anyway.”

“Okay,” Sara grinned, throwing her arms around him as he smiled down at her. “So I have you for the whole day?”

“Definitely,” he said in a low tone, hands situated on her hips. “I’m all yours, beautiful,” he said in a cocky manner.

“Good,” she mumbled, kissing him on the lips.

He held her in arms as tightly as he could, making sure to wrap his arms all the way around her in a way that always made her feel safe.

“Hop in, sweetheart,” Rodrick teased her. “I’ll let you pick the music.”

Rodrick drove off as Sara sat blissfully in the front seat next to him, flipping through CD’s for a few minutes.

“Limp Bizkit?” she asked, holding up one of his CD’s.

“Whatever you want, princess. Today’s about you,” he responded affectionately as she popped it in.

The drive to Oceanside Pier would take about an hour, but Sara almost wished it would take longer just so she could sit in the passenger seat while Rodrick drove and talked to her. She felt like his world was centered around her whenever he would find special places to take her.

“You look really good sitting there like that, you know that?” Rodrick said a he watched her.

Her fair skin glowed golden like moonlight with the way sunlight poured in through the window.

“I think you forget how handsome you are,” she pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

She loved his shaggy hair and crooked smile like nothing else. Rodrick Heffley didn’t completely show it, but her words had an impact on him he couldn’t find the words to fully describe.

“You know, you have more personality than anybody I know. And it even shows on your face, and the way you look,” he stared in amazement. “Everything about you is just perfect. Just right,” he thought.

Sara thought for a moment, finding the compliment had a certain novelty to it. Her nose wrinkled in surprise as she tried to place her reaction.

“I always thought there was a lot wrong with my face,” she said softly.

This fact seemed appalling to Rodrick.

“What idiot made you think that?” he demanded.

“I don’t know. I just kind of accepted it as a fact. My teeth are kind of fucked. My eyes are hooded and uneven, and they have bags underneath. And my eyes are kind of droopy and dead,” she thought, seeming physically overwhelmed by the details as she spoke, as if not quite understanding.

“I think your eyes are one of the best things about you,” he said honestly. “And your smile’s the cutest thing ever.”

“Well. I think you feel about me the way I feel about you,” she stated.

“I hope so,” Rodrick expressed. “Because… I want you to be my girlfriend,” he concluded.

“You do?” Sara looked up at him.

“I do,” he nodded, completely serious. “Do you want that too?”

“Yes, I do,” she said without a second thought. “I think that would be perfect.”

He smiled at her, genuinely content with the world. When Rodrick and Sara frolicked around on the beach, after having bought swimsuits on the pier, he saw the whole world in her eyes. They were just brown, but to him, they reflected so much more.

In her eyes, he saw the same darkness he had in his own heart, and the same golden light he imagined pouring into his home through the windows ten years from then. Rodrick had never given growing up much thought, mostly because he thought he never wanted to do it.

But as he ran along the beach with Sara, and carried her in his arms in the water, he so badly wanted to fast forward and see if this, the lunacy of this dream, stood the test of time.

“Nobody has a voice like you,” Sara Walter said softly, as Rodrick heard their second joint in her voice.

They were sitting on a towel close to the water, but the few people who’d been somewhat close to them had cleared out because of the aromatic smoke. Rodrick chuckled lightly as he hit the joint with his sunglasses on, charmed by the sight of his girlfriend in her matching two-piece black and pink bikini.

“You think I could really sing if I wanted to?” Rodrick asked her.

The truth was, he heavily valued her opinion more than anyone else’s.

“Not necessarily sing. Scream, maybe,” she reasoned. “I think you have a voice that really rocks. You just have to find your style.”

“I think I want you onstage with me,” he expressed, passing the joint to her. “Like, background vocals, or something. I think someone like you could really take the band to a whole ‘nother level. Like, Amy Lee, or Lacey Sturm.”

“Please don’t compare me to Lacey Sturm,” Sara grimaced, taking a deep hit off the joint, “I don’t wanna fuck Jesus.”

“I have sandals on right now,” Rodrick pointed out in amusement. “Would that work?”

“Very funny,” she said to him with sarcastic approval.

“Do you ever think about dying?” Rodrick asked as she smoked while processing.

“What about it?” she questioned.

“Like, how you would wanna do it?” he asked awkwardly. “Or why you would wanna do it?”

“All the time,” Sara nodded. “I used to think about it a lot… I always thought I’d just OD, or something. Die young,” she offered her sentiments.

“Really?” Rodrick asked, seeming sad despite having the conversation on the sunny beach.

“Yeah… My family has a history of suicide,” she confessed. “My mom’s grandpa committed suicide. And my grandma; my dad’s mom. And my cousin, too.”

“Your cousin?” Rodrick said softly.

“Yeah. Bryan,” she nodded. “He was like my best friend growing up.”

“You told me about him,” he thought, remembering all the different stories. “You never told me he died.”

“Yeah. Shot himself a few years back,” Sara remembered. “He was seventeen.”

“I’m sorry,” Rodrick offered. “That… really, really sucks.”

“It does,” she agreed. “I didn’t understand it. I always thought, out of the two of us, it would’ve been me. He only smoked a little weed. I was the one who did all the drugs, even then… I wanted to go out like him. Young, and smarter than everybody. I wanted to go out on my own terms.”

“I think I know what you mean,” Rodrick thought. “I don’t…” he paused for a moment, seeming genuinely perturbed.

Sara watched him, wondering what was going on his mind.

“I don’t know what my life is for. I’m not smart, I’m not a good person. I’m not good at anything that matters.”

“Music matters,” she offered, not even able to process the inaccuracy of the other claims.

“Mine doesn’t,” Rodrick said spitefully. “I mean, my dad’s right; it’s not real music. We just bang on our instruments and scream about blood and shit, like, literal shit.”

“But that is real music,” Sara promised, sitting up in front of him. “If it means something, it’s real music. You think music has to be serious all the time? Look at Jim Morrison. Half of the time, he had no idea what the fuck he was talking about.

“And you saw what happened when Fred Durst and Jonathan Davis got together and recorded a song. That was the least serious shit I’ve ever heard. Think about the people that made you wanna make music; did their music not make you feel something? Did it not make you feel good?”

“You’re right, you know that?” he said after a moment.

“How many times have you turned on the radio and heard a piece of industry-planted garbage that’s full of buzzwords and bullshit just to appeal to as many people as possible? ‘Baby’, ‘love’, ‘girl’, ‘party’, ‘boy’, ‘beach’. That’s the shit that doesn’t deserve to be called music.”

“You’re so smart,” Rodrick sighed, overwhelmed by his feelings for her.

“You’re really something, Rodrick. You have passion, and talent, and you really are driven when you actually put your mind to something,” Sara remarked. “Anyone who really sees who you are could tell you that.”

“But, I don’t know what I even wanna do with my life,” he confessed. “Mom and Dad both say I gotta go to college, but what the fuck am I gonna do at college? I don’t read, I can’t pass tests, and I definitely don’t know how to be an adult.”

“I think once you find something, it’ll all fall into place,” she told him.

“But what am I gonna do?” he asked. “I’m not good at anything.”

“That’s not true. No one who really knows you would let you think that,” she frowned.

“Well, what do you think I’m good at?”

“You are good with music. Specifically working out the beat and music of a song… Like the composition. And, you don’t think you are, but you’re good at finding ways to look at things so that you can understand them,” she offered. “I saw you explaining stuff to Chris during practice.”

“See, this is why I love talking to you about stuff,” Rodrick sighed. “You really get me, and you really wanna help me.”

“I hope so,” she thought, looking him in the eyes as she hoped he would see what she saw in him.

“I think my mom would really like you,” he remarked.

“I don’t know,” she sighed, exhaling a heavy puff of smoke. “I’m just different than what she wants for you.”

“She wants someone who cares about me, and is a good influence on me,” he stated confidently. “That’s you.”

That evening, a while after had Sara went off to work, and Rodrick had returned home, the Heffley family was seated around their dinner table for a family meal. Frank’s day at work and Greg’s day at school had already been discussed, and Susan was rambling on about different people they knew, before Rodrick decided he had something to share with them.

“Hey, Mom?” he said as he got himself a second helping of mashed potatoes.

“Yes, Rodrick?” Susan looked up at him, pleasantly surprised to find that he was willingly speaking up during a family gathering.

“I, uh… I have a girlfriend now,” Rodrick smiled smugly.

“Huh. That’s my boy,” Frank offered him an extremely paternal smile, for once finding a reason to be proud of his eldest son.

“What?” she finally looked up at him through her glasses, eyes widened.

“Whoa, look outside!” Greg interrupted loudly, pointing out the window. “There’s pigs flying!”

“Shut it, smart ass!”

“After you, dumb ass,” Greg muttered.

“I’m sorry, what did you say, Rodrick?” Susan asked after a moment.”

“I said, I’m a changed man. I have a girlfriend now,” Rodrick grinned, proud of the one he had ended up with.

“Oh, that’s nice, who’s the lucky girl?” his mother asked pleasantly, seeming thrilled.

“Sara,” Rodrick told her, expecting that to be obvious.

“Sara, Bill’s sister, Sara?” she asked incredulously.

“Sara?” Frank Heffley blurted out, almost sounding startled. “The blonde girl?” his eyes widened as a smile spread across his face.

He was quickly met with a sharp nudge from his wife, who seemed less than enthusiastic about the new development now.

“Yeah,” Rodrick nodded, not understanding the reaction. “I’m with Sara.”

“But, why?” Susan asked him. “She’s so…”

She failed to come up with something acceptable.

“‘So’ what?” he asked defensively, seeming upset. “Sara’s what?”

“She’s just… not who I would’ve pictured you with, is all,” she tried to soften her demeanor.

“Mom, do you even know me at all?” Rodrick demanded, seeing the disappointed frown on her face. “I’m serious. Like, do you know what I like, or how I think?”

“Of course I know you! I gave birth to you! You’re my oldest son!” she exclaimed in shock. “That’s why I don’t want you to end up with someone you’d regret being with, is all.”

“How do you even know I’d regret it? You don’t know anything about her!” he cried. “You’ve met her once.”

“And I’m not assuming anything!” Susan assured him. “I just… want you to be careful, that’s all.”

“Yeah. Your mother doesn’t mean anything by it,” Frank attempted to mediate the situation.

“Okay,” Rodrick tested her, a suspicious look on his face. “Then, can I invite her to dinner tomorrow?”

Susan nearly choked on her food.

“But, the Bensons are coming over for dinner tomorrow,” she reminded him, her face even looking pale.

“You said I could have a friend over for dinner whenever I want,” he pointed out.

“No, I said you seem to have friends over for dinner whenever you want,” she chuckled as patiently as she could, patience clearly thinning.

“Honey, Sara seems like a nice girl. Sure, she’s Bill’s sister, and she looks a little edgy, but she seems nice enough,” Frank reasoned, stepping in. “She’s polite, and she says ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. That’s more than we can say for most of the other kids he’s had over. I’m just glad he found a girl he likes that doesn’t sell pot in an alley,” he justified simply.

“I don’t know…” Susan considered skeptically.

“Come on, Mom,” Rodrick sighed. “You don’t change your mind with Greg’s friends.”

“That’s because Greg’s friends don’t come from families with more teen pregnancies and suicides than college degrees,” she mumbled.

“Susan,” Frank looked at her in shock.

“Mom!”

Everyone realized that he seemed genuinely hurt.

“I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t mean it like that,” she sighed, realizing her mistake.

“What other way is there to mean it?!” Rodrick snapped at her. “You don’t say shit like that!”

His father remained completely silent for a moment, not sure at all how to deal with the topic. Even Manny started to seem uncomfortable at the dinner table, as Greg was also surprised to find he was on his brother’s side.

“That’s dark, Mom.”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Susan gave in, “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just getting stressed out, with all this… It was a horrible thing, and I shouldn’t have said it. I take it back.”

“How did you even know that?” Rodrick questioned her, disregarding the apology.

Even he seemed to be just finding out about it.

“People talk,” she sighed, “One of the PTA moms has a sister who used to work with Bill and Sara’s mom. People talk about that family, and the things you hear aren’t exactly good. I just didn’t know if I wanted you hanging around a girl like that.”

“Why would people talk about that? It’s fucked,”Rodrick said in disgust.

“I know. And I shouldn’t encourage it,” Susan agreed.

“So, are you actually willing to give Sara a chance?”

“Yes, honey, of course,” she promised, mostly out of obligation and guilt.

“Congratulations, son,” Frank beamed, shifting the direction of the conversation, “On finally getting a girl.”

It seems that was all they really could’ve hoped for. Rodrick just smiled in more of an awkward grimace, not really feeling as good as he thought he would after their conversation.

Meet the Fuckers

#rodrick heffley #diary of a wimpy kid rodrick #rodrick rules #rodrick x reader #doawk rodrick #rodrick heffley x reader #rodrick x y/n #devon bostick #rodrick fanfic

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riordanness · 7 months

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gorgeous - [r.cameron]

requested: no

warnings: rafe cameron 😩

wordcount: 1K

I was in a fit of uncontrollable giggles, sitting side by side with Sarah on the bedroom floor, our backs against her bed.

“Okay,” I gasped, struggling to breathe as I pushed myself up to be sitting properly. “We really have to go to bed now.”

Sarah took a deep breath, brushing her long blonde hair out of her face and behind her ear. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” She glanced at the glowing alarm clock beside her bed. “It’s getting late, and we have school in the morning.”

I nodded, and we both climbed into her queen sized bed, snuggling together under the covers. We both lay on our sides, face to face.

“Tell me a secret,” I whispered.

“I’m in love with John B,” she whispered back, with zero hesitation.

I raised my eyebrows. “For real?”

Sarah nodded. “Why would I lie about that?”

I was impressed. “Damn, girl, cheating on Topper, hey?” Not that I blamed her for falling for someone like John Booker Routledge while Topper was her boyfriend. Topper was a controlling asshole, with no sense of excitement or adventure at all.

Sarah looked upset at my words, and I immediately felt awful. People at school have been calling Sarah a cheater for years, based on assumptions made up due to getting with new boys ‘too quickly’ after a break up.

“I’m sorry,” I said, and my best friend gave me a little smile. “It’s okay. You’re not exactly wrong, you know. I just haven’t told Topper anything yet. But I will. Really soon, I promise.” She sounds like she’s promising herself more than me.

“I believe you,” I said earnestly.

Sarah apparently decided the conversation was getting too emotional for a sleepover night, and nudged me playfully. “What about you,” she asked. “Any boys?”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course not. You know boys never look at me. You’re the one they look at.”

“Y/n, you’re gorgeous, you know that right?”

I made a face. “Yeah… no. I’m not even kind of, especially compared to you, Sar.” It was true. Sarah Cameron was probably the most breathtaking person I’d ever seen in my life, and I wasn’t just saying that because she’s my best friend. She was unbelievably pretty.

“Whatever. You’re just lying to yourself.”

“Goodnight, Sarah.” I told her, not wanting to dwell on my pathetically sad love life any longer. “See you in the morning.”

Sarah rolled over, and within a few minutes was asleep, her breathing evening out, slow and deep. I, however, couldn’t follow her example, tossing and turning for what seemed like hours.

Finally, I give up and crawl out of the bed, leaving the room quietly. Maybe a glass of water would help me sleep. I try to tiptoe, my bare feet making little noise on the vinyl flooring. I was worried about waking up Sarah’s family members, but then I relaxed, moving almost silently downstairs.

I reached the kitchen door, and stopped in my tracks, standing frozen in the doorway. Rafe Cameron is standing at the stovetop, shirtless, in grey sweats. At first, I had no idea what to do. Do I silently back away? Do I try to act normal as I grab my water and leave?

I ended up not having to make a decision, as Rafe turned around, a wooden spoon in hand, spotting me instantly. He looked as shocked as I felt.

“Y/n?”

His voice is soft, and slightly hoarse, probably due to the late hour. That logic doesn’t stop me from immediately getting flustered, though, my eyes wandering down to his bare chest, his abs…

“Y/n?” he asked again, and my gaze snapped up to meet his. He had the hint of a smirk playing at his lips, and I know he caught me blatantly checking him out just then.

“What?”

“I asked what you’re doing in my kitchen at nearly two am?” he repeated slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

For some reason, I can’t seem to find an answer. “I, uh, well, I-”

Rafe laughed, a sound I had never heard before. It was a pretty sound, comforting, somehow. I liked it. I liked the way his nose crinkled a little when he laughed, and how his blue eyes lit up.

Damn, listen to me. I sounded ridiculous.

“Do you need something?” Rafe asked, his teasing tone and accompanied smirk suggesting things I did not want to get caught thinking about.

“I- uh, water,” I replied dumbly, pointing at the sink. That was lame, I realised right after. I’m pretty sure Rafe knows where water comes from, especially in his own house.

Rafe turned, and pulled a glass from the cupboard behind him, and I cannot stop my eyes from wandering this time. I quickly squeeze them shut, ignoring the way my body is aflame right now, every sense on high alert.

“Y/n.” My name, on his tongue, is hushed and gentle, and very close. I open my eyes. Rafe stood right beside me, offering me the glass of water. I take it, and drink, my eyes on him.

He watched me as I finished the water, and placed it on the bench beside me. “Thank you,” I said, the tension in the air between us practically sparking.

Rafe suddenly stepped forwards, closing the space between us. His body is pressed against mine, his knee in between my legs, and every part of my body that is touching him is on fire. He lowered his mouth to my ear, whispering in a hushed tone. “You are very welcome, y/n.”

And then he is gone, leaving me alone.

taglist: @drewstarkeysbae <33

#fanfiction #fanfic #drew starkey #rafe cameron #outer banks #obx #rafe cameron fanfic #rafe cameron fanfiction #outer banks fanfiction

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dotcroissant · 3 months

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trying to imagine a type of bioweapon that makes it so that if you catch it it makes you not want to avoid catching it anymore

wouldn't that be so scary

#covid #covid isn't over #lab grown plague #they call it sars for a reason #respirators work #vaccines work #host manipulation

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hoaxriot · 9 months

Note

Reader and JJ are in a relationship despite her father telling her to stay away from him. One day she gets a call from Sarah or Kiara that he’s in the hospital- his dad beat him within an inch of his life. Luckily her dad is somewhere on the mainland for the next two weeks so she can sneak out. She doesn’t leave his bedside for anything but using the bathroom until he can leave the hospital. Maybe he’s in surgery when she gets there, and/or has to have emergency surgery, maybe his heart stops a few times from like internal bleeding or something.

HOSTAGE

pairings. jj maybank x fem!reader

synopsis. you were forbidden to see jj by your dad when he gets hurt, it doesn’t matter— you’re there.

you loved your life on kildare island, except for the fact your own father keeps you away from the one you love. you’ll always remember the night after jj took you out and brought you home, all smiley as you hopped off his bike but little did you know your dad watched you kiss him goodbye.

as soon as you walked in the door he yelled at you, for you not to see jj anymore. kooks can’t be with pouges.

jj just took you on the most beautiful date, you couldn’t help but smile all the way up to your house. yes, jj was a pouge and you were a kook but that didn’t stop you two from falling for each other. you had always hated the stupid rule and he might’ve not till you caught his eye.

walking in your house usually expecting your dad to be fast asleep in his bed but not tonight, he was standing right in front of you looking down at you with disgust.

“what the hell are you doing?” questioning you with a sneer, you shrunk under his look as he waited for an answer.

“nothing, i was just out with sar—“ he cut you off as he slammed his hand against the front door causing to flinch.

“i saw you with jj maybank! that flilth of a pouge. kissing him! you will not being do that ever again. do you hear me?” he backs away from you turning his back towards you but when you do not answer he turns back around.

“no i do not! i do not hear you, why? there is no good reason not to see him.” you slightly raise your voice making his eyebrows raise, a laugh rumbles out of his mouth.

“you’re reputation on this island.”

“yours! i do not care about my fucking reputation, dad. if it meant every kook hating me just because i love him, i don’t care!” you yelled at him as you threw your arms out to make a point, but he did not care.

“goddamnit, go to your room. you’re grounded until i figure out what to do with you.” he rubbed his fingers against his forehead, you scoffed shaking your head bitterly before making your way up the stairs.

that was a week ago, now he was out on the mainland doing whatever he usually does and you were stuck in your room. luckily, he let you keep your phone so you could still text jj and your friends.

the pouges were a little slow at letting you in but it was easy when they saw you and jj together, but at the moment none of them were texting you so you were scrolling through instagram bored.

until sarah’s contact picture popped up on your screen, you immediately clicked answer and put the phone up to your ear.

“sar?” you heard commotion in the back on the other side of the phone and her sniffles making you worried, first no one’s talked to you all day and now this.

“hey, um.. jj’s— shit. jj is in the hospital,” she gasped lightly trying to gather herself, “an accident with his bike. it’s so bad, you need to come.” she walks back in forth in the waiting room as the pouges sitting down stressing out about their friend.

you gasped as you heard the words coming out of your best friends mouth before telling her your on the way.

it didn’t take you long as you had a car, walking really fast into the hospital to see sarah’s face stained with tears and her face was puffy. she immediately threw her arms around you, your face was straight you couldn’t cry for some reason— probably shock but you didn’t know.

“he just got out of surgery, i’m sorry i didn’t call right away. i jus—“ you pulled away grabbing her face assuring her it was okay.

a doctor called out jj’s name, everyone stood up as you and sarah turned around.

“he’s out of surgery, he’s heart stopped once but we got him stable and finished. he’s intubated right now considering how bad he is. does he have any family?” the doctor tells you, you finally feel the emotions and cover your mouth. sarah grabs your free hand and squeezes it comforting you.

“we’re all he has.” john b answers, you look towards all the others to see tears falling down their cheeks. pope looks like he’s been pulling at his hair in stress and crying a lot, kiara’s face has continuous tears falling down silently. john b looks a mess, his shirt looks like he’s been pulling at it and his eyes are bloodshot.

“i would offer for you all to go at once but he’s bad, one at time is what would be best.” she offers a kind smile at all of you, everyone turns to you but you shake your head.

“you guys should go first, your his true family.” you also wouldn’t admit this but you can’t see him just yet. everyone agrees understanding you.

“okay, but first. he will not be awake, we have mended his cuts but they will be there— it might be hard to see him with everything. he won’t be able to respond but we always think that it’s best to speak positively because he can hear you.” she says before asking who is going to go.

as everyone goes in turns you sit on the bench outside, looking down at the ring laying on your pointer finger. it was one of his that he gave you since you always played with it on his finger.

you didn’t know how long you sat there looking at it but soon enough sarah was out there telling you it was your turn.

you don’t really remember how long you sat talking to jj as he laid completely still, clinging onto his hand without anything back from him— but you did.

you were there everyday, not getting up unless it was for the bathroom or when visiting hours were over and as soon as they were open again you were there. the nurses knew your name, his doctor knew your name and they all treated you so well.

it was mid day and the night before you hadn’t got much sleep so you were sleeping against his hand as you held it.

until you felt a tight squeeze on your hand and heavy choking from above you, not sleeping heavily you snapped your head up to see him eyes widen up choking on the tube.

“oh- oh my god. jj! hold on!” you got up and yelled for the nurses as many came running in, not bothering to tell you to go outside as they helped jj. he continued to cough once they pulled it out struggling against his own self.

his bodied was still covered in cuts and bruises bur you couldn’t care less once his eyes met yours, he saw the tears flow out of your eyes as you tried to keep down a sob. you couldn’t run and hold him yet as the doctors came in and told him everything.

but once they did you he held on tightly to you ignoring the pain in his chest, maybe it’s the fact he just woke up after a week and it hurt to breath or the fact he saw you and his heart hurt seeing you in pain.

but he was awake and here in your arms and you couldn’t ever let go of him again.

#jj maybank #outer banks #jj maybank x kook!reader #jj maybank x you #sarah cameron #jj maybank x oc #outer banks jj

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stormcloudrising · 4 months

Text

The Secret Song of Florian and Jonquil- Part 9: The Grey Ghost and the Girl in Grey

December 23, 2024

This latest chapter was meant to be in one part, but it has turned out so long, I’ve decided to split it into two. Thus, today you are getting first part titled, The Grey Ghost and the Girl in Grey. Tomorrow, I will be posting part 2, and as a preview of what we will be covering, it will be entitled, The Shrouded Lord and a Mermaid's UnKiss. And so, without further ado, let’s begin.

Jon and Sansa by Arantza Sestayo for the 2023 ASOIAF Calendar

I begin this chapter with a question. Can a dead man get Greyscale?

A strange and provocative question to be sure, but I think it’s an important one that has not been but should be considered by the fandom. I say this because while I’ve seen an abundance of videos and read numerous essays about why greyscale is in the story, none seem to ask what I think is the most important question surrounding the topic, and that is why is Shereen at the Wall? More importantly, why does she have greyscale?

Why is Shireen being at the Wall important? Well, greyscale is said to be a curse called down by Garin on the dragon lords of old Valyria, and there are three dragons of note in the series. Dany, Faegon (whether he’s truly Aegon’s son or a Blackfyre descendant, he has dragon blood), and Jon. Let’s also include the Baratheons in this mix, as they also have dragon blood, which could be one of the reasons why Shireen has greyscale. But there may be a more important one.

The Volantenes and their Valyrian kin put them to the sword—so many that it was said that their blood turned the great harbor of Volantis red as far as the eye could see. Thereafter the victors gathered their own forces and moved north along the river, sacking Sar Mell savagely before advancing on Chroyane, Prince Garin's own city. Locked in a golden cage at the command of the dragonlords, Garin was carried back to the festival city to witness its destruction. At Chroyane, the cage was hung from the walls, so that the prince might witness the enslavement of the women and children whose fathers and brothers had died in his gallant, hopeless war...but the prince, it is said, called down a curse upon the conquerors, entreating Mother Rhoyne to avenge her children. And so, that very night, the Rhoyne flooded out of season and with greater force than was known in living memory. A thick fog full of evil humors fell, and the Valyrian conquerors began to die of greyscale. —The World of Ice and Fire - Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships

Curiously enough, all the dragon blooded in the story are tied to the greyscale arc. Faegon via Jon Con, who has the disease; Dany is not directly tied to it yet, but she will be when her story intersects with Faegon and Jon Con; and then there is Jon who is connected to greyscale via Shireen Baratheon who is a survivor of the disease and has the marks to show it.

So again, why is Shireen, who has greyscale at the Wall. She’s Stannis’ daughter, but obviously there’s no need for her to have greyscale. No need that is, unless George needed someone with the disease to be in contact with dragon blooded Jon Snow, and so the question again becomes why, and can a dead man get greyscale.

Obviously as I’m proposing the question, I think the answer is yes, a dead man can indeed get greyscale. And obviously, I’m not talking about any dead man, but rather the special snowflake of the series who has been foreshadowed to rise from the dead, one Jon Snow. This is because Jon Snow is the Shrouded Lord and Shireen is at the Wall to give him greyscale and make him, the “Living Stone.”

Do I mean that Jon is the mysterious man of legend that lives in the Sorrows. Absolutely not. While Martin once intended to have Tyrion meet that figure, I don’t think that he will ever appear on the page. No, what I’m saying is that the legend of the Shrouded Lord from the Sorrows is in the story to inform and clue us in on Jon’s resurrection.

You are no doubt saying that this is a ridiculous theory and that the myth of the Shrouded Lord has nothing to do with Jon. I say that it and the inclusion of greyscale in the story has everything to do with Jon Snow, and I think that by the end of this chapter, many of you may come to agree.

This latest chapter has been six years in the writing. I started writing the theory 6 years ago, even before I wrote the first chapter of the Florian and Jonquil series. It’s one of many essays I’ve started but have not completed because once I started the F&J series, I realize that most of the half-written essays tied into the Florian and Jonquil mothership.

Some I’ve completed as earlier chapters in the series and a couple I’ve written as standalone essays. Still, I always knew that the chapter about the Shrouded Lord had to be part of the F&J series, because it’s a key part of the legend of the original characters and their modern-day counterpart, Jon, and Sansa.

I don’t think that I must go into the reasons Sansa is the Jonquil of the story because it should be obvious to all. There are also many clues that point to Jon being the modern-day Florian, including the fact that George obviously named the character after Saint Florian, the Roman soldier who became the patron saint of firefighter, who was killed when a rock was tied to him and he was thrown into a river to drown. As you continue to read this chapter, you will see that the stone and drowning aspect of the Saint Florian legend will be of major symbolic importance to my theory.

It makes perfect sense that George named his Florian after the man firefighters view as their patron saint because textural evidence suggests that the ancient Florian also fought against fire and it’s strongly hinted at in the books, that a returned Jon will lead the forces of ice against that of fire.

If you are still not convinced that Jon is the modern Florian of the story, consider this other real-world Florian whose story is strongly echoed in Jon’s arc.

Florianus (Marcus Annius Florianus; died 276), also known as Florian, was Roman emperor in 276, from July to September. He was the maternal half-brother of his predecessor, Tacitus, who was proclaimed emperor in late 275, after the unexpected death of Emperor Aurelian. After Tacitus died in July 276, allegedly assassinated as a consequence of a military plot, Florianus proclaimed himself emperor, with the recognition of the Roman Senate��and much of the empire. However, Florianus soon had to deal with the revolt of Probus, who rose up shortly after Florianus ascended the throne, with the backing of the provinces of Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Phoenicia. Probus took advantage of the terrain of the Cilician Gates, and the hot climate of the area, to which Florianus' army was unaccustomed, to chip away at their morale. Because of this, in September 276, Florianus' army rose up against him and killed him. —Wikipedia

Does this story about Emperor Florianus remind you of anything? Florian became emperor after the murder of his half-brother, and ruled for just three months before he was killed by his men. Except for the different circumstances, this is basically Jon’s story with the murder of his “half-brother” Robb; and him rising to be Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch before he like Emperor Florian was killed by his men soon after he takes on the leadership role.

I mentioned Florian and Jonquil at the onset of this chapter because this series is obviously about them, but their identity and symbolism is especially key to this chapter. However, before I get deep into the explanation of why Shereen is at the Wall to give Jon greyscale and why Jon is the Shrouded Lord of the story, let’s first discuss Jon’s symbolic color.

JON SNOW, THE GREY GHOST

Grey Ghost by René Aigner

Color is important in ASOIAF. George uses color over and over to give clues to his monomyth at the heart of the story. This is primarily done though sigils. However, characters are associated with colors as well, and that often has meaning in the story.

There is what I think is a mistaken theory from some in the fandom that Jon’s symbolic color is black. It is not. Jon’s color is tried and true Stark grey. It’s understandable why some may think his color is black. After all, he’s a black brother of the Night’s Watch and when he first leaves to join that order, he has this conversation with Robb.

Robb looked relieved. "Good." He smiled. "The next time I see you, you'll be all in black." Jon forced himself to smile back. "It was always my color. How long do you think it will be?" "Soon enough," Robb promised. He pulled Jon to him and embraced him fiercely. "Farewell, Snow."—A Game of Thrones - Jon II

Sadly, this moment was the last time Jon and Robb saw each other alive. In the passage, Jon tells Robb that black was always his color, but we know that’s not what he wanted. All Jon ever wanted was to be a Stark. He wanted to stand and represent the grey wolf of the house. And he wanted to follow his “father” as Lord of Winterfell. Yes, he loved Robb and would never have done anything to hurt him, but in his heart of hearts, he wanted what Robb had.

The thing is that George shows us over and over that Jon is more Stark-like than any of Ned’s kids. He looks the most like Ned and the ancestral Starks. He has Ned’s disposition, and he has the matriarchal genes of the Starks through his mother Lyanna, where Ned’s kids’ matriarchal heritage come from the Tullys. Most importantly, Jon has Ghost, the white wolf. And who is Ghost?

When he finally put the quill down, the room was dim and chilly, and he could feel its walls closing in. Perched above the window, the Old Bear's raven peered down at him with shrewd black eyes. My last friend, Jon thought ruefully. And I had best outlive you, or you'll eat my face as well. Ghost did not count. Ghost was closer than a friend. Ghost was part of him. —A Dance with Dragons - Jon III

Over and over in the text the connection between Jon and Ghost is emphasized. It’s the same for the other Stark kids and their direwolves bond mates. The human and the direwolves are two sides of the same coin once the bond is made.

Jon wondered where Ghost was now. Had he gone to Castle Black, or was he was running with some wolfpack in the woods? He had no sense of the direwolf, not even in his dreams. It made him feel as if part of himself had been cut off. Even with Ygritte sleeping beside him, he felt alone. He did not want to die alone. — A Storm of Swords - Jon V

When Ghost and Jon are separated by the Wall, Jon feels as if a part of him had been cut off. Even Ygritte beside him couldn’t lessen the loss of Ghost because Jon and his direwolf are one. They are one, and they are grey. This is one of the major symbolic reasons why Martin gave Jon the white direwolf.

Yes, Ghost’s name foreshadows Jon’s death and return, but his color in combination with Jon’s black brother symbolism make the two who are one, grey not black. So, while I understand why some in the fandom think of Jon’s color as black as an echo of Drogon, thus marking him as Dany’s mate, that is the wrong interpretation. Jon is the Grey Ghost.

If you doubt that Jon’s color is grey, consider the story that Martin gives us in The Princess and the Queen, which was further developed in TWOIAF about one of the wild dragons on Dragonstone.

Dragonstone’s three wild dragons were less easily claimed than those that had known previous riders, yet attempts were made upon them all the same. Sheepstealer, a notably ugly “mud brown” dragon hatched when the Old King was still young, had a taste for mutton, swooping down on shepherd’s flocks from Driftmark to the Wendwater. He seldom harmed the shepherds, unless they attempted to interfere with him, but had been known to devour the occasional sheepdog. Grey Ghost dwelt in a smoking vent high on the eastern side of the Dragonmont, preferred fish, and was most oft glimpsed flying low over the narrow sea, snatching prey from the waters. A pale grey-white beast the color of morning mist, he was a notably shy dragon who avoided men and their works for years at a time. The largest and oldest of the wild dragons was the Cannibal, so named because he had been known to feed on the carcasses of dead dragons and descend upon the hatcheries of Dragonstone to gorge himself on newborn hatchlings and eggs. Would-be dragontamers had made attempts to ride him a dozen times; his lair was littered with their bones. —The Princess and the Queen

Grey Ghost, sometimes referred to as “the” Grey Ghost was one of the three wild dragons on Dragonstone during the previous Dance with Dragons. He along with Sheepstealer and Cannibal were considered wild dragons because they were never ridden. Also, doesn't the use of the in front of his name almost seem like a title...something similar to "the Stark," "the Ned,” “the Great Jon,” or “the Night’s King."

While Sheepstealer was said to have hatched during the youth of King Jaeherys and some of the small folks said Cannibal was on Dragonstone prior to the arrival of the Targaryens, there is no information given on the birth of the Grey Ghost. However, all indication is that he was a young dragon because of how he met his demise.

It was about this time that a battered merchant cog named Nessaria came limping into the harbor beneath Dragonstone to make repairs and take on provisions. She had been returning from Pentos to Old Volantis when a storm drove her off course, her crew said … but to this common song of peril at sea, the Volantenes added a queer note. As Nessaria beat westward, the Dragonmont loomed up before them, huge against the setting sun … and the sailors spied two dragons fighting, their roars echoing off the sheer black cliffs of the smoking mountain’s eastern flanks. In every tavern, inn, and whorehouse along the waterfront the tale was told, retold, and embroidered, till every man on Dragonstone had heard it. Dragons were a wonder to the men of Old Volantis; the sight of two in battle was one the men of Nessaria would never forget. Those born and bred on Dragonstone had grown up with such beasts … yet even so, the sailors’ story excited interest. The next morning some local fisherfolk took their boats around the Dragonmont, and returned to report seeing the burned and broken remains of a dead dragon at the mountain’s base. From the color of its wings and scales, the carcass was that of Grey Ghost. The dragon lay in two pieces, and had been torn apart and partially devoured. —The Princess and the Queen

It is at first believed that the Grey Ghost was killed by Cannibal because the black wild dragon was known to eat dragon eggs and kill and eat smaller dragons on Dragonstone. However, in this instance, Cannibal was innocent of the crime. We later find out that the dragon that was guilty of killing Grey Ghost was none other than King Aegon’s Sunfyre.

And there Aegon might have remained, hidden yet harmless, dulling his pain with wine and hiding his burn scars beneath a heavy cloak, had Sunfyre not made his way to Dragonstone. We may ask what drew him back to the Dragonmont, for many have. Was the wounded dragon, with his half-healed broken wing, driven by some primal instinct to return to his birthplace, the smoking mountain where he had emerged from his egg? Or did he somehow sense the presence of King Aegon on the island, across long leagues and stormy seas, and fly there to rejoin his rider? Some go so far as to suggest that Sunfyre sensed Aegon’s desperate need. But who can presume to know the heart of a dragon? After Lord Walys Mooton’s ill-fated attack drove him from the field of ash and bone outside Rook’s Rest, history loses sight of Sunfyre for more than half a year. (Certain tales told in the halls of the Crabbs and Brunes suggest the dragon may have taken refuge in the dark piney woods and caves of Crackclaw Point for some of that time.) Though his torn wing had mended enough for him to fly, it had healed at an ugly angle, and remained weak. Sunfyre could no longer soar, not remain in the air for long, but must needs struggle to fly even short distances. Yet somehow he had crossed the waters of Blackwater Bay … for it was Sunfyre that the sailors on the Nessaria had seen attacking Grey Ghost. Ser Robert Quince had blamed the Cannibal … but Tom Tangletongue, a stammerer who heard more than he said, had plied the Volantenes with ale, making note of all the times they mentioned the attacker’s golden scales. The Cannibal, as he knew well, was black as coal. — The Princess and the Queen

During the period of the Dance, Sunfyre was described as a young dragon. Like Grey Ghost, the year of Sunfyre’s hatching is not mentioned in the books. However, even though he was described as young, he had to be bigger in size than the Grey Ghost as even with injured wing, he was able to kill the wild dragon. This tells us that Grey Ghost was likely younger than Sunfyre. Thus, Grey Ghost can be considered a young dragon as Jon would be as well.

As he was a young dragon and born on Dragonstone, he had to have been of the same lineage as the other Targaryen dragons. However, and this is of symbolic importance, he was wild. He was never ridden by a Targaryen, and so while he was “of them,” he was not “one of them.” This is of vital importance when you consider that he met his demise battling a Targaryen dragon of the same lineage.

Jon Snow is the Grey Ghost dragon. Like his animal counterpart, he is of Targaryen lineage, but will never be one of them. Grey Ghost’s battle with Sunfyre, a Targaryen dragon during the first Dance is also a key clue that Jon and Dany, the current Targaryen in the story will be in conflict. The rumor that Cannibal was the dragon that killed Grey Ghost may also foreshadow Jon facing off against that dragon or one like him in the future, but that’s a tinfoil theory for another day.

For now, let’s just acknowledge that George wrote the story of Grey Ghost into the story to point to Jon and what he represents in the story. His symbolic color is grey, not black and like the Grey Ghost, we will discover, that he also has a penchant for fish, because George didn’t just add that little bit to the legend by mere happenstance.

SANSA STARK, THE GIRL IN GREY

Among her many symbolic representations, Sansa Stark is also a symbolic fish. This symbolism she gets from her mother’s Tully heritage. As I discussed in the previous chapter, she is also a symbolic sea dragon, and in the story, when George talks about sea dragons, he’s talking about mermaids and vice versa. And again, I’m not talking about actual mermaids and sea dragons, but rather the symbolic representation of the female greenseers who first ruled the green sea or what the fans called the weirwood net. There is so much sea dragon/mermaid symbolism surrounding Sansa in the text, that it’s not even funny.

Petyr absconds with Sansa on the galley, the Merling King with a golden-crowned merman blowing on a seashell horn as the figurehead. Littlefinger seems to own the galley as his man Oswell Kettleback is the captain and Petyr seems to use it on a regular basis. Thus, when he and Sansa depart Kings Landing on the galley, Petyr is the symbolic merling king in the passage. Then he gets to the Vale, and makes Sansa pretend to be his daughter Alayne Stone thus making her the daughter of the merling king.

George then does something genius in the Vale arc to reinforce the symbolism. He has Petyr kill the merlin queen and usurp her rulership, which she was carrying out in the name of her son. What made Lyssa, the merlin queen you ask? Well note that that I didn’t say that she was the merling queen. I instead said that she was the merlin queen. Merlin without the g.

This is because the merlin, as in the blue falcon bird is the sigil of House Arryn. This is one of the genius ways George uses word play to emphasize his symbolism. Petyr is both the symbolic Merling King of the sea, and the Merlin King after he kills Lyssa and takes over as the Lord Protector in the Vale. This is also why Ursula Upcliff the ancient Vale figure, who is named after the character from the Little Mermaid can have said that she was the bride of the Merling King. She was likely for however brief a time married to one of the Kings of the Vale.

There is even a myth in the Vale of the Winged Knight, their ancient ruler being a friend of mermaids.

There is an overabundance of frozen sea dragon/mermaid symbolism in the Vale, and George for whatever reason, plopped Sansa who some in the fandom ridiculously argue is not that important a character right smacked in the center of it. Let me now discuss the girl in grey.

There is a popular theory in the Jonsa fandom that Sansa is the true girl in grey Melisandre saw in the fires coming to Jon at the Wall. While Mels did not have the vision on the show, they did merge Sansa’s storyline into that of Jeyne Poole and Alys Karstark and had her reunite with Jon at the Wall.

As I’ve stated on prior occasions, I have several problems with this theory playing out as proposed. First, Sansa being the girl in grey at the Wall would be a case of Martin pulling that rabbit out of the hat one too many times, and that’s not the way he writes.

First, the girl in grey was thought to be Arya. We the reader knew that it was not but Jon didn’t. Then Alys Karstark showed up and he thought she was the one that Melisandre saw in her vision. Stannis now thinks that’s Jeyne is Arya and he’s sent her to Jon at the Wall, and so you have another girl showing up. I don’t think George’s writing style leads to him going to that well for a 4th time.

Another reason that I don’t think the girl heading to the Wall is Sansa is because in the books, there will be no such merging of storylines like on the show. Also, when Sansa leaves the Vale, she will be taking the Knights of the Vale with her as she heads north. She won’t need to run to the Wall to Jon to for protection. Finally, part of Sansa’s arc as the Persephone of the story is to be stolen by the northern Lord of the Underworld, the symbolic Hades of the story.

Now having said all that, I’m going to surprise you by saying that I do think that Sansa is the girl in grey from Melisandre’s vision. I’ve confused you, haven’t I? Well, let me try to explain.

In the past when I’ve been asked my opinion about the girl in grey theory, I’ve tried to keep my answer to the part of the theory that had to do with her reunion with Jon at the Wall. I’ve done this because saying, “I don’t think she will reunite with Jon at the Wall, but I do think she is the girl in grey” would have required me to go into detail on what I meant.

This is something I was not prepared to do, because I was not quite ready to discuss the Shrouded Lord theory. However, now that I’ve finally gotten to this specific chapter of the series, I can reveal my thinking because Sansa being the girl in grey is central to the theory.

Melisandre often misinterprets her visions, as we see with the one about the towers by the sea.

Visions danced before her, gold and scarlet, flickering, forming and melting and dissolving into one another, shapes strange and terrifying and seductive. She saw the eyeless faces again, staring out at her from sockets weeping blood. Then the towers by the sea, crumbling as the dark tide came sweeping over them, rising from the depths. Shadows in the shape of skulls, skulls that turned to mist, bodies locked together in lust, writhing and rolling and clawing. Through curtains of fire great winged shadows wheeled against a hard blue sky. _____ "We've had a raven from Ser Denys Mallister at the Shadow Tower," Jon Snow told her. "His men have seen fires in the mountains on the far side of the Gorge. Wildlings massing, Ser Denys believes. He thinks they are going to try to force the Bridge of Skulls again." "Some may." Could the skulls in her vision have signified this bridge? Somehow Melisandre did not think so. "If it comes, that attack will be no more than a diversion. I saw towers by the sea, submerged beneath a black and bloody tide. That is where the heaviest blow will fall." "Eastwatch?" Was it? Melisandre had seen Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with King Stannis. That was where His Grace left Queen Selyse and their daughter Shireen when he assembled his knights for the march to Castle Black. The towers in her fire had been different, but that was oft the way with visions. "Yes. Eastwatch, my lord." —A Dance with Dragons, Melisandre I

As many in the fandom have deduce…especially after the release of the Forsaken chapter, the two towers in Melisandre’s vision are the ones in Oldtown, which Euron will soon be attacking. She has seen Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and knows that those towers look different from the ones in her visions. However, because she misinterprets things and thinks the vision is about the Wildings attacking, she quickly agrees with Jon when he asks if the towers were at Eastwatch.

She also thinks that Stannis is the Azor Ahai figure from her visions even though her visions show her Jon when she asks. She’s convinced herself that it must be Stannis because he was the Lord of Dragonstone, and all the discrepancies don’t sway her. She’s also making assumptions in her thinking of the girl in her vision, but more on that in a moment.

Alys’ arrival at the Wall does seem on the surface to fit the vision describe Melisandre, as she arrives on a horse almost dying under her. This is exactly how Melisandre described the horse in her vision, and so Jon assumes it’s Arya when he’s first awoken and told of Alys’ arrival at Castle Black. “Arya. Jon straightened. It had to be her. “Girl,” screamed the raven. “Girl, girl.” “Ty and Dannel came on her two leagues south of Mole’s Town. They were chasing down some wildlings who scampered off down the kingsroad. Brought them back as well, but then they come on the girl. She’s highborn, m’lord, and she’s been asking for you.” “How many with her?” He moved to his basin, splashed water on his face. Gods, but he was tired. “None, m’lord. She come alone. Her horse was dying under her. All skin and ribs it was, lame and lathered. They cut it loose and took the girl for questioning.” A grey girl on a dying horse. Melisandre’s fires had not lied, it would seem. But what had become of Mance Rayder and his spearwives? “Where is the girl now?” —A Dance with Dragons, Jon IX

However, George does something strange when Jon visits Alys in that he never tells us the color of her clothing even though it was such an important point in the vision. He has Jon note them in a wet heap on the floor, but he doesn’t have him comment on the color, which is strange when “the girl in grey” is all that’s been in his thoughts.

“Maester Aemon’s old chambers were so warm that the sudden cloud of steam when Mully pulled the door open was enough to blind the both of them. Within, a fresh fire was burning in the hearth, the logs crackling and spitting. Jon stepped over a puddle of damp clothing. “Snow, Snow, Snow,” the ravens called down from above. The girl was curled up near the fire, wrapped in a black woolen cloak three times her size and fast asleep. She looked enough like Arya to give him pause, but only for a moment. A tall, skinny, coltish girl, all legs and elbows, her brown hair was woven in a thick braid and bound about with strips of leather. She had a long face, a pointy chin, small ears.” —A Dance with Dragons, Jon IX

This omission of the color of her clothing seems deliberate on George’s part…especially as he made them wet. As we know, some colors can look different when wet. For instance, reds can appear brown or black depending on the shade; and it can be difficult to tell if grey is black or vice versa. This seems as if George wants the reader to wonder whether Alys were indeed grey.

Another possible clue that the girl in the vision wasn’t Alys is the location of Karhold in relation to Castle Black. Karhold is Southeast of Castle Black. The fastest route for Alys to take would have been a straight shot east of Last Hearth through the Gift, up to Mole’s Town and over to Castle Black. It makes no sense for her to go out of her way to travel west to approach Castle Black from Long Lake as Melisandre says about the girl in the vision.

The Long Lake route would only make sense if Alys was indeed coming from Winterfell, but as she isn’t Jeyne and was coming from Karhold, that approach would make no sense. Plus, to get west of Long Lake, she would have had to cross the Last River, go through the Lonely Hills, and then also cross the lake to get to the western shore. This is a long way to travel when one is trying to reach a specific destination quickly. Plus, how exactly would Alys have crossed the Last River and the Long Lake.

There is also the fact that she was found by the Night’s a couple of miles south of Mole’s Town. This is proof that she came the route I suggested would have been the most direct to take from Karhold, and thus could not have been the girl in grey from Melisandre’s vision because as you can see from the map, the landscape looks nothing like what Mels described to Mance.

“Did your fires show you where to find this girl?” “I saw water. Deep and blue and still, with a thin coat of ice just forming on it. It seemed to go on and on forever.” “Long Lake. What else did you see around this girl?” “Hills. Fields. Trees. A deer, once. Stones. She is staying well away from villages. When she can she rides along the bed of little streams, to throw hunters off her trail.” He frowned. “That will make it difficult. She was coming north, you said. Was the lake to her east or to her west?” Melisandre closed her eyes, remembering. “West.” “She is not coming up the kingsroad, then. Clever girl. There are fewer watchers on the other side, and more cover. And some hidey-holes I have used myself from time—” He broke off at the sound of a warhorn and rose swiftly to his feet. All over Castle Black, Melisandre knew, the same sudden hush had fallen, and every man and boy turned toward the Wall, listening, waiting. One long blast of the horn meant rangers returning, but two … —A Dance with Dragons, Melisandre I

Melisandre tells Mance that the girl was Jon’s sister and she was escaping from Winterfell. Based on how she described the landscape, Mance made what he thought was the correct assumption because the girl in grey supposedly was coming from Winterfell. If the girl in grey is not Alys, might it have been Jeyne Poole who did indeed escape from Winterfell? Well, no!

First off, from the moment she escapes, Jeyne is never alone. She escapes with Theon and is soon captured by Mors Crowfood and sent to Stannis in the Wolfswood. Then as we see in TWOW preview chapter, Stannis in turn sends her to Jon at the Wall with 7 of his knights, Alysane Mormont, 12 horses, and several Black Brothers. Thus, there is no way that Jeyne is the girl in grey of the vision.

Stannis nodded. “You will escort the Braavosi banker back to the Wall. Choose six good men and take twelve horses.” ______ “Oh, and take the Stark girl with you. Deliver her to Lord Commander Snow on your way to Eastwatch.” Stannis tapped the parchment that lay before him. “A true king pays his debts.” Pay it, aye, thought Theon. Pay it with false coin. Jon Snow would see through the impostesure at once. Lord Stark’s sullen bastard had known Jeyne Poole, and he had always been fond of his little half-sister Arya. “The black brothers will accompany you as far as Castle Black,” the king went on. “The ironmen are to remain here, supposedly to fight for us. Another gift from Tycho Nestoris. Just as well, they would only slow you down. Ironmen were made for ships, not horses. Lady Arya should have a female companion as well. Take Alysane Mormont.” —The Winds of Winter, Theon I

I supposed Justin Massey and the other men travelling with him could be killed as they travel to Castle Black and Jeyne escapes and must make it the rest of the way on her own, but then one must ask what thematic purpose would that serve? I don’t mean what storyline purpose does it serve for Jeyne to arrive at the Wall. They are several. Rather, I mean what would be the purpose of her arriving alone and being the girl in grey…especially as Alys has already arrived at Castle Black and been mistakenly thought to be the girl in grey by Jon. No, Jeyne is not the girl from Melisandre’s vision.

Can the girl the true Arya Stark? Doubtful as she is halfway across the continent in Braavos, and all clues in the text that when she returns to Westeros, it will be to the Riverlands. This makes it very doubtful that she will reunite with Jon or any of the other Starks before A Dream of Spring, the last scheduled book in the series.

So, if the girl in grey is not Alys, Jeyne or even the real Arya, who is she? I say that it’s Sansa. However, just as she misinterpreted events in her vision about the two towers by the sea to be about Eastwatch, Melisandre is mistaken about the vision being about someone coming to Jon at the Wall. Rather, I think that she’s seeing events surrounding Sansa in the Vale as she tries to escape unfolding events after the Tourney of the Winged Knight.

Why is the vision not Sansa going to Jon at the Wall but of her in the Vale? Well for her to be going to the Wall, so many beats of the story would have to play out first, and like with Arya, it couldn’t happen before A Dream of Spring. Also, when Sansa goes north, she will not be travelling alone. She will have the Knights of the Vale with her, and so like Jeyne Pool, even if she goes to the Wall, she won’t be alone. And there is the fact that the Wall will likely have fallen by then.

Remember I said that Melisandre was making assumptions. What I meant is that she made it seem to Jon and Mance as if she had several visions of the girl in grey, when in fact, she had only one quick brief vision.

She came up with her own reasons of why the girl in the vision was Jon’s sister…likely because she wanted the Lord Commander to owe her a favor. She as much as thinks this. She also came up with a reasoning why the girl in grey was staying away from villages, and riding along the beds of streams. It’s not that she is necessarily wrong in her reasoning, but it is another example of how she puts her spin on things and often misinterprets the meaning of her visions.

The girl. I must find the girl again, the grey girl on the dying horse. Jon Snow would expect that of her, and soon. It would not be enough to say the girl was fleeing. He would want more, he would want the when and where, and she did not have that for him. She had seen the girl only once. A girl as grey as ash, and even as I watched she crumbled and blew away. —A Dance with Dragons, Melisandre I

White Walker Queen Sansa by AmyArts93n_DeviantArt

While I don’t think in Melisandre’ the girl in grey is approaching the Wall, there is one way, I think it could be the case, and that is if the vision is of Sansa and Jon reuniting in the weirwood net. Their reunion could be at the Wall in the weirwoods because after all, Old Nan did tell Bran that the Nights King first saw his corpse queen from the top of the Wall.

George has incorporated several Chekov guns into Sansa’s Vale arc that will go off in TWOW…most during the Tourney of the Winged Knights. There is the collapse of the Giant Lance causing an avalanche to descend on those attending the tourney at the Gates of the Moon. George has foreshadowed this happening from as far back as the Tourney of the Hand in the first book, and Oberyn’s battle with the Mountain in A Storm of Swords.

Lucifer Means Lightbringer also has a great theory that the Long Night was cause by the red comet knocking one of the previous two moons, in this case, the fire moon out of alignment and shards of it descending as meteors. This is what led to the Qartheen myth Doreah told to Dany.

LML proposes that the returned red comet heralds the coming of a similar event, which will cause the new Long Night, and there are strong textural clues to support this theory.

"A trader from Qarth once told me that dragons came from the moon," blond Doreah said as she warmed a towel over the fire. Jhiqui and Irri were of an age with Dany, Dothraki girls taken as slaves when Drogo destroyed their father's khalasar. Doreah was older, almost twenty. Magister Illyrio had found her in a pleasure house in Lys. Silvery-wet hair tumbled across her eyes as Dany turned her head, curious. "The moon?" "He told me the moon was an egg, Khaleesi," the Lysene girl said. "Once there were two moons in the sky, but one wandered too close to the sun and cracked from the heat. A thousand thousand dragons poured forth, and drank the fire of the sun. That is why dragons breathe flame. One day the other moon will kiss the sun too, and then it will crack and the dragons will return." —A Game of Thrones, Daenerys III

This time around, the shards to impact Planetos will be from the icy moon, which is the lone remaining moon in the sky. However, the icy moon won’t break up or be pushed out of alignment as was the case with its fiery sister, but pieces of it will descend to Planetos and cause the new Long Night. The icy moon can’t be destroyed because that would also mean the destruction of Planetos. As I queried in Why are the Others Back, the fact that the icy moon remained in the sky while the fire moon was destroyed is probably what protected Planetos from total destruction during other Long Nights, and maybe of symbolic importance in regard to the Others.

It's still to be determined whether returning comet or the meteor shower will be a natural occurring event or something precipitated by magical means. As this is a fantasy story, and the red comet has already moved away from Planetos, I suspect there will be some type of magical event that will call it back.

Unlike LML, I think a shard of the icy moon will hit in the Vale with impact on the Giant Lance, precipitating the avalanche. As I discussed in previous essays, descending from the Eyrie via the three waycastles of Sky, Snow, and Stone is like riding down on a meteor with the vaporish tail at the top (Sky), the icy snowy interior/middle (Snow), and the stony head (Stone) that will impact on Planetos.

You can view LML’s Long Night theory at on his YouTube channel here. And to read more about an avalanche hitting during the Tourney of the Winged Knight, please read Sweetsunray’s essay here. While her interpretation of events is different from mine, I think that she hit the nail on the head regarding the foreshadowing of the avalanche, and it was from her that I first picked up on the idea.

Other Chekov’s guns slated to go off are Petyr having Harry the Heir killed during the tourney; the revelation that Alayne Stone is Sansa Stark; Shadrach attempt to kidnapped Sansa; and of course, the Mountain Clans attacking during the tourney. Keeping all that in mind, let’s again look to see whether there is anything in Melisandre’s vision that might point to the girl in grey being Sansa.

Funnily enough, the description that Melisandre gives that Mance interprets to be the Long Lake area, could be a description of the Mountains of the Moon in the Vale. In fact, if you look at the area around Long Lake and the MOTM on a map, you will see that they look very similar as both are mountainous fertile regions.

Hills. Fields. Trees. A lake. Unlike in the North and other areas of Westeros, we have not yet been given the names of any of the lakes or rivers in the Vale. However, we know from the map that there are plentiful. Plus, as the Vale is one of the most fertile places in Westeros, and produces much of the area food, we know that they must have an abundance of water.

There is certainly a lot of water flowing from Alyssa’s Tears before it’s frozen during the winter months. Legend tells us that the water from the waterfall turns into mists before it reaches the Vale proper, but we know that can’t really be the case, and somewhere in the mountains…and likely through a cave system, water flows down from Alyssa’s Tears to the valley below.

Aside from the area around Long Lake being similar in terrain to that of the one around the Mountains of the Moon, you might be asking, what else in Melisandre’s vision suggests it might be of Sansa in the Vale?

Well, there is the curious mention of stones. Why stones? The area in her vision, which supposedly looks like Long Lake is a mountainous terrain as the northern mountains are to the east. However, Melisandre already mentioned there were hills in the vision, and while not quite the same as a mountain, the word is sometimes used as a stand-in. Mance himself makes this connection with his belief that she’s talking about the Long Lake area.

Might she be talking about mountains when she mentions stones? It’s not out of the realm of possibilities but is certainly a weird turn of phrase when hills were mentioned previously. So, if not hills or mountains, to what might stones refer?

Could the word be a hint to Alayne Stone, the pseudonym that Sansa is currently using while she pretends to be Petyr’s bastard daughter? I think that is certainly part of the answer. You’re probably saying that Melisandre refers to stones as in the plural form, not singular as in one person, which would be the case if it was about Sansa. To that I would say that all the bastards of the landed gentry in the Vale are referred to as Stone, and that could be where the plural reference comes in.

Nonetheless, there is one possible additional explanation for the Stone reference.

"Little boyman," Shagga roared, "will you mock my axe after I chop off your manhood and feed it to the goats?" But Gunthor raised a hand. "No. I would hear his words. The mothers go hungry, and steel fills more mouths than gold. What would you give us for your lives, Tyrion son of Tywin? Swords? Lances? Mail?" "All that, and more, Gunthor son of Gurn," Tyrion Lannister replied, smiling. "I will give you the Vale of Arryn." A Game of Thrones - Tyrion VI

Tyrion has armed the Mountain Clans with steel. It’s why they are more brazen in their attack, and why they have become the woe of the Vale.

Littlefinger stroked the neat spike of his beard. "Lysa has woes of her own. Clansmen raiding out of the Mountains of the Moon, in greater numbers than ever before . . . and better armed." "Distressing," said Tyrion Lannister, who had armed them. "I could help her with that. A word from me . . ." —A Clash of Kings, Tyrion IV

Winter is coming for everyone, including the Mountain Clans, and they must prepare. With their new castle forge steel, they are raiding more in preparation, and the upcoming tourney provides them with a perfect opportunity to test out their new weapons against some of the leading warriors of the Vale and gather provisions for winter at the same time.

His dream of selling Arya to Lady Arryn died there in the hills, though. "There's frost above us and snow in the high passes," the village elder said. "If you don't freeze or starve, the shadowcats will get you, or the cave bears. There's the clans as well. The Burned Men are fearless since Timett One-Eye came back from the war. And half a year ago, Gunthor son of Gurn led the Stone Crows down on a village not eight miles from here. They took every woman and every scrap of grain, and killed half the men. They have steel now, good swords and mail hauberks, and they watch the high road—the Stone Crows, the Milk Snakes, the Sons of the Mist, all of them. Might be you'd take a few with you, but in the end they'd kill you and make off with your daughter." —A Storm of Swords, Arya XII

With steel in their hands, the clans have united in ways they never did before, and it just so happens that one of the leading ones, led by Gunthor son of Gurn are the Stone Crows, and so we have another explanation for reference to stones in Melisandre’s vision.

One of the members of the Stone Crows was Shagga who along with Timett of the Burned Men and Chella Black Ears were Tyrion’s guards. They all would recognize Sansa. Shagga and the other Stone Crows who travelled with Tyrion to the capitol remained in the kingswood after the Battle of the Blackwater and Tyrion’s later downfall. They may still be there or they may have made it back to the Vale.

Whether Shagga has returned to the Vale or not, Timett, Chella, and other members of the Burned Men and Black Ears have and they will recognize Sansa when they see her at the tourney and during the fighting afterwards. They will know that she is Tyrion’s wife and know what she represents. And if they recognize Sansa, she will know them in turn.

As the clans seem to be working together more, even if Shagga is not present, the news of Sansa’s identity will likely be shared with Gunthor and the Stone Crows as he seems to be one of the central leaders of the clans and was the one who brokered the deal with Tyrion.

Is the Mountain Clans a threat to Sansa? At the end of the day, I don’t think they will be. I suspect that they will end up being her guards as foreshadowed in A Clash of Kings.

It was as if her face were an open book, so easily did the dwarf read her hopes. "Do not take Oxcross too much to heart, my lady," he told her, not unkindly. "A battle is not a war, and my lord father is assuredly not my uncle Stafford. The next time you visit the godswood, pray that your brother has the wisdom to bend the knee. Once the north returns to the king's peace, I mean to send you home." He hopped down off the window seat and said, "You may sleep here tonight. I'll give you some of my own men as a guard, some Stone Crows perhaps—" "No," Sansa blurted out, aghast. If she was locked in the Tower of the Hand, guarded by the dwarf's men, how would Ser Dontos ever spirit her away to freedom? "Would you prefer Black Ears? I'll give you Chella if a woman would make you more at ease." "Please, no, my lord, the wildlings frighten me." He grinned. "Me as well. But more to the point, they frighten Joffrey and that nest of sly vipers and lickspittle dogs he calls a Kingsguard. With Chella or Timett by your side, no one would dare offer you harm." "I would sooner return to my own bed." A lie came to her suddenly, but it seemed so right that she blurted it out at once. "This tower was where my father's men were slain. Their ghosts would give me terrible dreams, and I would see their blood wherever I looked." —A Clash of Kings, Sansa III

Sansa turned down Tyrion when he made the offer of having the members of the mountain clans protect her, but I suspect her response will be different in the future, because just as Jon is brokering a peace between the Northern Houses and the Wildings, Sansa will do the same for the Mountain Clans and the Houses of the Vale.

Jon also could be a part of Melisandre’s stony mystery, but the answer to that will come later. And what about the deer. Martin didn’t just have Mels mention that name for no reason, and so, what might that name have to do with Sansa.

Well, as George has used anagrams on many occasions in the text, one can look at deer and see that it’s reed spelled backwards, and so could potentially hint at Howland finally appearing on the page. There is a fandom theory that he is Shadrich, but there are too many holes in that premise for me. Plus, nothing we’ve seen of the Mad Mouse fits the father described by Jojen and Meara. If Howland Reed is in the Vale to help Ned’s daughter, he’s not Shadrich. However, as the theory is out there, I had to mention it.

As I proposed in Ser Shadrich of the Shady Glen, the Mad Mouse is a Faceless Man…possibly even wearing the face of the first of their kind. And I do think that it’s quite possible that the deer Melisandre saw in her vision could be referring to the Mad Mouse. How you ask?

It so happens that there is a mammal called a mouse deer, but I don’t think it’s that type the text is referring to. A mouse deer is a cute fawn like animal. No, I think that George is quite possibly using the deer in Melisandre’s vision to refer to deer mice, the little rodent so named because its fur looks like that of a deer. As I discussed in the Shadrich essay, Faceless Men are compared to mice over and over in the text.

Now that we’ve discussed why Jon’s symbolic color is grey, and why Sansa is the girl in grey, let’s briefly talk about Martin and his love of Christian myths.

GRRM, THE LOVER OF CHRISTIAN MYTHS

The Episcopalian Church is the American offshoot of the Church of England (Anglican Church). It formed after the American revolution because priests in the newly independent nation were still required to swear allegiance to the British monarchy as head of the Anglican Church. Today, the ruling British monarch is still the head of the Church of England as they have been since Henry VIII split the church off from the Catholic Mother Church so that he could divorce and remarry whenever he wanted.

Unlike the Catholic Church which has a Pope who rules over the worldwide congregation and is considered the head of the Christian faith, the Church of England have regional bishops and archbishops who are leaders of their region and unlike catholic cardinals do not have to report to a central head. However, there are different tiers of leadership, and the most senior ranking member of the English church is the Archbishop of Canterbury who reports to the ruling monarch.

The structure the American Episcopalian Church is very much like that of the Church of England with a presiding Bishop as its titular head, but of course without the monarchy above him. It, like the Anglican Church is also very steep in the tradition of the Catholic Church. However, there are differences in the two churches and their Catholic counterpart from which they formed.

The most obvious difference is that in the Anglican and Episcopalian churches, the clergy are allowed to marry. Women are also allowed to be priests while only men are granted that honor in the Catholic church. One other major difference I want to mention is that the doctrine of the Catholic church is heavily centered around the Holy Mother, while the Jesus the son is more the focus of the Anglican and Episcopalian branches.

Other than those major differences, the Catholic and Episcopalian churches are similar in their pageantry. Both called their baptism into the faith, confirmation; both have kids as acolytes; the Catholic church has the Breviary while Episcopalian uses the Book of Common Prayer; the prayers for the different holy days are also very similar…the Apostles Creed vs the Nicene Creed among others.

I went into a brief discussion of the Catholic vs Episcopalian churches because George was confirmed and raised as a Catholic when he was young. He is no longer a practicing Catholic and could be described as more of an agnostic than an atheist. In fact, I may have heard him in an interview described himself as such, but I’m not positive if I’m remembering such an interview or if it’s just my opinion based on reading his writings.

However, it’s obvious in his writings that he loves religion…not necessarily the religious aspect or the wars that have been fought in the name of various religions. Rather, I think that he loves the myths around which all religions are based.

As George was confirmed and raised as a Catholic, I was confirmed and raised as an Episcopalian. I wasn’t an acolyte, but my brother and sister were. Every Sunday, the three of us had to attend Sunday School, and although, I no longer go to church every Sunday—and truthfully only attend services a few times a year, I’m still a member of the Episcopalian church, and can recite by heart all the prayers and homilies I learned as a child. When people ask me about the difference between the two churches, I don’t go into the detail explanation I just gave you. I basically describe being an Episcopalian as being Catholic without the guilt. That’s pretty much it in a nutshell…LOL.

Being an Episcopalian is one of the reasons that I recognize George’s heavy use of much Catholic doctrine and biblical myths in ASOIAF. This includes myths recognized and discussed by the fandom over the years such as the doctrine of the seven who are one of the Faith of the Seven mirroring that of the Trinity of the Christian faith; the ironborn’s legend of the Grey King descending to sit at the right hand of the drowned god just as in Christianity, Jesus is said to have ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father.

In Part 1 of, Do Direwolves Dream of the Weirwood Net, I even discussed how Petyr’s killing of Joffrey echoes that of Samson’s killing of the young lion. There are other examples I’ve discussed in different essays, and some I’ve recognized but have not touched upon. However, what I want to discuss now is how one such biblical myth is baked into the legend of The Shrouded Lord as the representation of Christ in the story.

Again, I don’t mean the figure Tyrion is told about while sailing through the foggy stretch of the Rhoyne called the Sorrows. I am talking about Jon Snow, the true Shrouded Lord, aka the Prince of Sorrows, aka, His Grey Grace.

There is no character as much the focus of the Christian symbolism at play in the story as Jon Snow. He is the risen Christ of the story. It’s the reason for his grey symbolism, and I think it’s why George added the legend of the Shrouded Lord to the tale in A Dance with Dragon, just as Jon was being killed. It was to foreshadow and set up his eventual resurrection.

Aside from the foreshadowing of Jon’s resurrection George layers throughout the books, one of the most popularly accepted clues by the fandom that Jon is the Christ figure of the story is of course the legend of the Last Hero and his 12 companions, which mirror the real world one of Jesus and his 12 disciples. On the show, they also had Jon and a gang of 12 go behind the Wall on the wight hunt. I highly doubt that anything even similar will play out in the books, but there likely will be an event involving Jon and a group of 12, and maybe even a 13th, which will become clear shortly.

However, there is one scene that I don’t see discussed that is symbolically very important to the foreshadowing of events surrounding Jon’s symbolic resurrection, and it is the magical scene that takes place outside of Craster’s keep. I discussed it previously in Part 5 of my essay series, Of Sansa Stark and the Glass Menagerie and in a shorter excerpt in Waking in a Winter Wonderland. For expeditious purposes, I’m going to copy a bit of that essay here.

He woke to the sight of his own breath misting in the cold morning air. When he moved, his bones ached. Ghost was gone, the fire burnt out. Jon reached to pull aside the cloak he’d hung over the rock, and found it stiff and frozen. He crept beneath it and stood up in a forest turned to crystal. The pale pink light of dawn sparkled on branch and leaf and stone. Every blade of grass was carved from emerald, every drip of water turned to diamond. Flowers and mushrooms alike wore coats of glass. Even the mud puddles had a bright brown sheen. Through the shimmering greenery, the black tents of his brothers were encased in a fine glaze of ice. So there is magic beyond the Wall after all. He found himself thinking of his sisters, perhaps because he’d dreamed of them last night. Sansa would call this an enchantment, and tears would fill her eyes at the wonder of it, but Arya would run out laughing and shouting, wanting to touch it all. “Lord Snow?” he heard. Soft and meek. He turned. Crouched atop the rock that had sheltered him during the night was the rabbit keeper, wrapped in a black cloak so large it drowned her. Sam's cloak, Jon realized at once. Why is she wearing Sam's cloak? "The fat one told me I'd find you here, m'lord," she said. A Clash of Kings - Jon III

There is so much symbolism in the above passage and I wish that I could unpack it all, but I’ll have to give you the crib notes version. Jon wakes to aching bones…almost as if he was awakened from the dead. He notes that Ghost is gone from besides him and then pulls back his cloak (a symbolic door) to go outside. Jon is the Christ like figure in the story and so the cloak he hung over the “rock” is symbolic of the stone that sealed Jesus in his tomb, which of course will take on additional meaning later when Jon is killed and returns to the land of the living.

Jon crept beneath the stone, symbolic of Christ existing the tomb and stands in the realm of the afterlife. His brothers/disciples are still asleep because it is not yet their time to join him in the icy afterlife. He is alone in this icy landscape and thinks that there is magic beyond the Wall after all. He then thinks of his sisters and how they would react to the scene. Arya would run out laughing and wanting to investigate everything, but Sansa, she would cry at the wonder of it all. I’m going to come back to Sansa’s reaction later, because it’s very important, but for now, let’s talk about what happens next. It turns out that Jon is not alone in the icy landscape of the early morning.

Jon hears someone call his name, but they don’t refer to him by his name of Jon, but rather by the moniker of Lord Snow mockingly assigned to him by Alliser Thorne. Note how Martin italicizes Lord Snow for emphasis. This is because in the scene, the title positions Jon as the risen Christ like figure. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He turns and sees Gilly wearing a black cloak sitting on top of the rock that sheltered him during the night. Symbolically, it is as if Gilly sheltered him while he slept. It also implies that potentially, she could have been why he awoke. Maybe she made a sound; maybe she willed him awake because she needed to speak to him.

Jon wonders why Gilly is wearing a cloak so large it almost “drowns” her. He then realizes it’s Sam’s cloak and wonders why she’s wearing it. I’ll tell you why Jon. It’s because in the scene, Gilly is the symbolic Mary Magdalene who was the first to know that Christ had risen from the dead. Her wearing Sam’s cloak positions her as a female member of the Night’s Watch as Mary Magdalene was said to be Christ’s 13th disciple.

It of course also positions Gilly as a symbolic Nights Queen/Persephone/original blue winter rose to Jon’s Nights King/Hades character. Even her name has icy Night’s Queen connotations as we discover when she tells it to Jon.

"I don't even know your name." "Gilly, he called me. For the gillyflower." "That's pretty." He remembered Sansa telling him once that he should say that whenever a lady told him her name. He could not help the girl, but perhaps the courtesy would please her. "Is it Craster who frightens you, Gilly?" A Clash of Kings - Jon III

Here is a description of the gillyflower from the wiki.

Matthiola incana is a species of flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae. Common names include Brompton stock, common stock, hoary stock, ten-week stock, and gilly-flower. The common name stock usually refers to this species, though it may also be applied to the whole genus Matthiola. The common name "night-scented stock" or "evening-scented stock" is applied to Matthiola longipetala. —Wikipedia

As we see, the gillyflower is also known as night-scented stock or evening-scented stock. Another name for it is also hoary stock. Very icy and almost most straight out of the Long Night. Sounds like the perfect flower stand-in for the blue winter rose in the scene. Notice also that Sansa’s name comes up for the second time in the chapter…this time when Gilly tells Jon about her icy sounding name.

Considering the association flowers have with romance, and the fact that the gilly flower is also called night and evening scented stock, one can argue that the name also has lady of the evening connotations. I will return to this and the hoary nature of Gilly’s name shortly but for now, I want to talk briefly about a scene that echoes the Jon magical one…this time from Sansa’s viewpoint.

Several times in the text, George writes mirror scenes for Jon and Sansa. These includes Sansa’s scene with the Hound on the top of the ramparts during the Battle of the Blackwater as they look out over the burning of the city. In the scene, the Hound puts his sword to Sansa’s throat. In the very next chapter, we get a re-enactment of this scene from Jon’s POV when he first meets Ygritte. The emphasis is again put on fire, and this time, it’s Jon who puts his sword to Ygritte’s neck.

Another mirror scene is when Sansa is interrogated by the Queen of Thorns and in the very next chapter Jon is interrogated by the King Beyond the Wall. The elements and content of the two chapters perfectly matches up. It’s almost as if the Jon chapter is a continuation of the Sansa one. Or rather, it’s as if Jon’s chapter gives you the answer or at least some of them to the question raised in Sansa’s. I discussed both the scenes with the Hound and Ygritte, and Olenna and Mance in Sansa and Sandor, and Jon and Ygritte. It’s one of my earliest essay series, and while I’ve since come to different interpretation of a few of the points, overall, I’m still behind the basic theory.

I mentioned these scenes to draw attention to the Sansa one that mirrors the one Jon has in the magical realm beyond the Wall. They don’t follow each other as with the two I just mentioned and in fact, occurs in different books, but George does write them to mirror each other and obviously wants you to think of them in unity.

When she opened the door to the garden, it was so lovely that she held her breath unwilling to disturb such perfect beauty. The snow drifted down and down, all in ghostly silence, and lay thick and unbroken on the ground. All color had fled the world outside. It was a place of whites and blacks and greys. White towers and white snow and white statues, black shadows and black trees and dark grey sky above. A pure world, Sansa thought. I do not belong here. Yet she stepped out all the same. Her boots tore ankle deep holes into the smooth white surface of the snow, yet made no sound. Sansa drifted past frosted shrubs and thin dark trees, and wondered if she was still dreaming. Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks. At the center of the garden, beside the statue of the weeping woman that lay broken and half-buried on the ground, she turned her face up to the sky and closed her eyes. She could feel the snow on her lashes, taste it on her lips. It was the taste of Winterfell. The taste of innocence. The taste of dreams. ASOS Sansa VII, Chapter 80

As he does with so much of their character arcs, GRRM wrote this Sansa scene to echo Jon’s from the haunted forest. In a way, it’s a continuation of that scene because where Jon stopped short of seeing Sansa enter the death realm, here she steps out into it. Both wake from having dreams of their family. We don’t learn much of either dream except that both included Arya. We’re told that Jon’s dream included Sansa as well and so we’re left wondering whether hers also included him or even if possibly the two were of the same event. We also know that for both, it is a dream of home.

In Jon’s scene, he wakes, notes that Ghost is gone from besides him and then pulls back his cloak (a symbolic door) to go outside. I’ve already discussed the symbolism of him exiting from under the rock and so won’t do so again. Sansa on the other hand, opens a real door to enter the garden and is greeted by a ghostly silence as the snow falls. GRRM’s brilliance shines through here as he ties the two scenes together as soon as Sansa enters the garden.

Ghost is the silent direwolf who never makes a sound. In fact, the words ghost and silent appears together in 21 paragraphs in the various books and each time, the reference is to Jon’s direwolf. And so, Martin connects Jon’s frozen forest scene with Sansa’s winter Eyrie wonderland by making it seem as if Ghost has symbolically left Jon’s side to be at Sansa’s. But Ghost is not just a direwolf, he’s Jon as well and he brings the snow with him, which brushes Sansa’s face as soft as a lover’s kiss.

Martin continues the kiss imagery as Sansa describes feeling the snow on her lashes and tasting it on her lips. It’s almost as if she’s receiving butterfly kisses. The melting snowflakes on Sansa’s cheeks also echoes the tears that Jon mentions she would shed if she saw the magical icy realm beyond the Wall. In fact, Sansa’s reaction to the similar scene in the Eyrie, is just how Jon thought she would react.

She didn’t want to step out, which makes sense because she’s the Persephone character and while the time for her to descend is approaching, it’s not quite here yet.

I referenced the Sansa Eyrie scene not just to show the connection between Jon’s in the haunted forest, but also to show that there has been an idea of a kiss between the two percolating in background of their arcs. This is very important as I believe that when it happens, it will play a role in Jon’s resurrection. However, before I get to that bit of the theory, let’s briefly revisit Mary Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene in a landscape by Annibale Carracci

There are different versions of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ in the four gospels but the common denominator in all is the presence Mary Magdalene at his death, burial and as one of the first witnesses of his empty tomb.

In some telling of the story, Mary is one of the three women who discover the stone removed from the tomb of Christ. They enter to find the body gone and the presence of an angel who tells them that Christ has risen and they should go and spread the word to his disciples. In two other gospels they don’t enter the tomb but an angel rolls away the rock and tells them that Christ has risen. Jesus then appears to them and tells them to go and notify the disciples that he has risen and to meet him in Galilee. And in the Gospel of John, Mary goes to the tomb alone and it is there that the Christ appears to her.

According to John 20:1–10, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb alone when it was still dark and saw that the stone had already been rolled away. She did not see anyone, but immediately ran to tell Peter and the "beloved disciple," who came with her to the tomb and confirmed that it was empty but returned home without seeing the risen Jesus. According to John 20:11–18, Mary, now alone in the garden outside the tomb, saw two angels sitting where Jesus's body had been. Then the risen Jesus approached her. She at first mistook him for the gardener, but, after she heard him say her name, she recognized him and cried out "Rabbouni!" (which is Aramaic for “teacher"). She tried to touch him, but he told her, "Don't touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my father.” Jesus then sent her to tell the other apostles the good news of his resurrection. The Gospel of John therefore portrays Mary Magdalene as the first apostle, the apostle sent to the apostles. —Wikipedia

Mary Magdalene like the 12 disciples is a major part of the Christian myth about the Christ. Like with the tale of Christ’s resurrection, there are many different versions to the biblical myths surrounding Mary Magdalene—including the earlier belief that she was a repentant prostitute. She is often conflated with Mary of Bethany or the sinful woman who washed Christ’s feet as referenced in the Gospel of Luke. And there are some biblical scholars who believe that there was some type of romantic relationship between Christ and Mary.

Another woman of whom Mary Magdalene is confused is Mary of Egypt, the prostitute who later became a saint. In fact, in some Medieval paintings, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Egypt are rendered in similar manner with a skull to signify their penitence, which no doubt contributed to the confusion between the two.

Whores play an important role in ASOIAF. They show up over and over in background scene but also in central roles as with Shae, and Tasha, Tyrion’s offscreen wife. Female characters are also often assigned that derogatory moniker. As a woman, it can sometimes be uncomfortable to read. However, I don’t think that George is doing it to be controversial or that he’s a sexist writer.

There is a symbolic and very important purpose behind all the reference to whor*s in the story. I think George is playing off the rumors about Mary Magdalene. House Darry from the Westeros forum and the once hopping Twitter myth-head fandom may have discovered the symbolic importance of whor*s in the story. He may have discovered why George has Tyrion asked the question, “where do whor*s go?”

House Darry proposes that often when George references whor*s, he is playing with the word hoar as in hoarfrost and icy. And ultimately, it’s to tell us something about the Others. Figuring out the answer to Tyrion’s question may provide an answer about what happened to Nissa Nissa and the Night’s Queen. You can read the thread on the forum here. I fully endorse his theory and advise reading as the thread as it contains some thought-provoking ideas.

This I believe is why George named Gilly after the gillyflower, which as we saw is also called hoary stock. The Matthiola longipetala, species of the flower, is called evening or night scented stock because its blooms and gives off their fragrance at night and wilts during the day. It’s also cold resistance. Gilly is not the Nights Queen of the story, but George often symbolically writes her as such to provide clues about the true NQ character and so it makes sense that the flower from which her name comes is cold resistant and associated with the night. This is GRRM, as I always say, being consistent with his symbolism.

Many in the fandom often joke about George having a thing for redheads in real life and that’s why there are so many in his stories. I think that he may even have jokingly acknowledged this in an interview, pointing out how his wife is a redhead. In his stories, his leading female characters are often redheads and this is true in ASOIAF as well. But here, he goes one step further and often makes his background characters redheads as well…especially the whor*s.

There is an abundance of female whore*s who show up in the background of scenes who are described as redheads. In part 3 of this series, I discuss this phenomenon, and the clues in the Hedge Knight and other books in the series that point to the corpse queen being a redhead, as well as the first blue winter rose of House Stark. Funnily enough, as seen in the above image, in classical art, Mary Magdalene is usually depicted as a redhead. You can see several representations of Mary in art at the Fitzwilliam museum.

An interesting image of Mary is not a full fledge painting but the charcoal drawing by Dante Rossetti, he of the perpetual redheads in his painting. It is titled, Mary Magdalene at the Door of Simon the Pharisee. While done in charcoal and not paint, one can immediately see Dante’s style and recognize that if done in color, he would have painted Mary as a redhead as he did most of the women in his art.

Mary Magdalene at the Door of Simon the Pharisee by Rossetti

Rossetti rendered Mary who is wearing a garland of roses that she pulls from her head as a prostitute trying to reach Christ and being blocked by others. What is interesting is that Rossetti was also a poet and he wrote a poem to accompany the drawing, the words of which suggests that while he might have been describing a spiritual love, it’s possible that he also believed there was a romantic relationship between Christ and Mary.

Oh loose me! Seest thou not my Bridegroom's face That draws me to Him? For his feet my kiss, My hair, my tears He craves today: – and oh! What words can tell what other day and place Shall see me clasp these blood-stained feet of His? He needs me, calls me, loves me: let me go!

According to Wikipedia, Mary Magdalene is mentioned by name twelve times in the canonical gospels, more than most of the apostles and more than any other woman in the gospels. In several of the gospels left out of the bible at the Council of Hippo, a closer relationship between Mary and Jesus is described in a way that may or may not have been romantic. For brevity’s sake, I’m copying and pasting the excerpt from the Wiki, including the passage from the Gospel of Phillip, which is one of the ones left out of the bible.

The Gospel of Philip uses cognates of koinônos and Coptic equivalents to refer to the literal pairing of men and women in marriage and sexual intercourse, but also metaphorically, referring to a spiritual partnership, and the reunification of the Gnostic Christian with the divine realm. The Gospel of Philip also contains another passage relating to Jesus's relationship with Mary Magdalene. The text is badly fragmented, and speculated but unreliable additions are shown in brackets: And the companion of the [saviour was] Mary Magdalene. [Christ] loved Mary more than [all] the disciples, [and used to] kiss her [often] on the [–]. The rest of the disciples [were offended by it and expressed disapproval]. They said to him, "Why do you love her more than all of us?" The Saviour answered and said to them, "Why do I not love you like her? When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they are no different from one another. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness." —Mary Magdalene, Wikipedia

Whether the kisses Christ gave to Mary were different from those given to the other disciples, and thus possibly signifying a romantic relationship between Mary and the historical Jesus will never be known but it is clear why over the centuries, there have been many who have considered it a strong possibility. However, I do believe that George is playing with this idea in the text regarding the Nights Queen and the very strong possibility that she was a redhead. He has folded the myth of Jesus and Mary Magdalene into ones about mermaids, sea goddess and a kiss of life.

In the last chapter, I discussed how the legend of the Grey King and his mermaid wife mirrors that of Elenei and Durran Godsgrief with both being about a female greenseer and her husband. In the Grey King version of the myth, he killed his mermaid/greenseer wife to access the green sea/weirwood net. On the other hand, the legend of Durran Godsgrief and Elenei, his mermaid wife is just the opposite. In it, the wife saves the husband from drowning in the green sea with the kiss of life.

All these myths about mermaids, sea gods, and the kiss of life are in the story to inform us not just about events during, and leading up to the last Long Night, but also about the same leading up to the next one. And as Amanda from Crowfoods daughter showed in her ironborn video essay series, the myths are also tied to those of the Shrouded Lord.

Amanda did such a great job with the theory that I’m not going to go over it again, but will simply provide the link to ironborn series so that you can watch the videos yourself.She talks about the influence of the Little Mermaid on the legends in question; Tyrion’s near death in the Sorrows; Florian and Jonquil; and the Shrouded Lord amongst other topics.

Now, I will show you how all these myths in question are about Jon’s resurrection and Sansa’s involvement in it, because as I’ve been saying this entire series, they are the Florian and Jonquil of the current tale.

However, that will have to wait until the next chapter because this essay has grown so long, I must split it in two. But I will leave you with a preview of Jon Snow the risen Christ in the story with this excerpt from 1 Peter 2:4-6 that describes Jesus as the Living Stone.

4 As you come to him, the Living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Next chapter, we will look at the evidence that shows that George is using the myth of the Shrouded Lord to mirror that of Christ the Living Stone and why Jon is the representation of both in the story.

ETA 12/24 to reflect the updated name for the next chapter from "the Infamous UnKiss, to a Mermaid's Unkiss.

#sansa stark #jon snow #asoiaf #jon x sansa #house stark #asoiaf meta #my meta #sansa stark meta #florian and jonquil #the shrouded lord #the living stone #girl in grey

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