#this takes place two years after theon's comic

[esther-dot]

Pride & Prejudice AUs

You Look Like A Movie, You Sound Like A Song 2k @jonsastan

She had met Jon Targaryen there. It was a complete accident and at first, Sansa thought, a complete misfortune. He was drenched from an impromptu swim in his pond, and she was flustered, not wanting him to think she was vying for his attention. But as she had attempted to make her hurried escape, he had found her and invited her parents to stroll with him around the gardens. He had offered her kindness, and thoughtfulness, he had talked with her parents, discussed the present state of politics with her father and chatted knowledgeably about gardens with her mother.

A Certain Step Toward Falling in Love 2k by @comma-splice

Jon Snow returns North after departing abruptly one year ago.

The Bennet Sisters - a P&P AU comic by @melinaillustrations

P&P Gifset by @sardoniyx, P&P Gifset by @dcbicki, P&P Gifset by deactivated

Persuasion AUs

Who Loves Longest, Who loves Best 1k by @ladysaruka

After refusing him years ago, Sansa sees her cousin once again.

Persuasion edits one, two , three by @glueck

Mansfield Park AUs

Half Agony, Half Hope 10k, incomplete by @noqueenbutthequeeninthenorth

After the death of his disgraced mother, Jon Snow is taken in by his uncle's family, the Starks of Winterfell. He grows up alongside his cousins, including the beautiful and kind-hearted Sansa, but knowing he can never truly be their equal, he fears he has little choice but to leave the place he's come to call home. corresponding moodboard

Catch Me If You Can 34k (P&P and Emma inspired too) by @ben-barnes-is-my-husband

Set in the countryside of Regency England, Jon Snow has been in love with Sansa Stark for as long as he can remember. He wants her as his wife, but Sansa is not sure she wants to be a wife at all, and she knows she doesn’t want to marry the pragmatic and boring Jon. She’d rather help Theon Greyjoy come out of his shell and play matchmaker. But then Jaime Lannister comes to town and Jon finds he has some serious competition for Sansa…

Moments Like This (So Few and Far Between) 3k by @lydiamartenism

Mama and Papa left the house to go pick up Jon, the son of her father’s oldest friend. Three weeks ago, the phone rang and their parent’s announced that Jon would be coming to live with them since his mother passed away and had no one else to take care of him.

Northanger Abbey AUs

The Lady in White 7k by @kissed-by-circe

Dragonstone Manor had looked like it had woken only a few days earlier, after a slumber of several years, if not decades, and Sansa had felt like the heroine of a gothic novel, a mysterious, naive girl with a dark past or a dark secret, arriving at the opening scene of the most dramatic story of all times. Or Sansa as Katherine Morland in a Jane Eyre Setting.

Sense & Sensibility AUs

In Such Jocund Company 2k @maybetwice

It would be no matter at all for Captain Snow to return to the north after seven months’ absence, had Sansa’s heart not changed entirely in that time. A remix of Colonel Brandon and Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility.

Emma & Clueless AUs

if i loved you less 2k by @ladystarks

Her father has, often and fondly, told Sansa that she and Mr. Snow bite at each other like wolves, but he hardly understood that their verbal sparring was as exhilarating as a sport well done, or a match coming together under Sansa’s skilled hands. corresponding artwork

Sansa: A NOVEL in Five Parts 15k by @imagineagreatadventure

Sansa Stark, handsome, clever, rich, hopes to establish herself as her town's foremost matchmaker. After seeing her governess Miss Shae married to the rich and clever Mr. Tyrion Lannister, she feels as though she deserves that title. Her dear friend and cousin, Jon Targaryen, heartily disagrees and is quite proven right when Sansa sets her sights on marrying off her newest and dearest friend Jeyne Poole to the vicar Mr. Baelish.

A Baldwin and a Betty 2k

Jon drives to the Valley to give Sansa a ride home.

Emma AU art by @dcvahkiin and Clueless art by wolvesofspring

Emma Gifset by @dcbicki

General Regency AUs

No Notion of Loving by Halves 2k @darkmagyk

The Stark cousin, Jon, goes home to discuss matters concerning the entail on Winterfell. In which Jon is a really good guy, and I flagrantly disregard how entails actually work.

Manners and Misunderstandings 114k, WIP by @x-winging-it

The Stark sisters have travelled all the way to London to begin their first season, leaving behind the familiar world of Winterfell Hall and a disappointed Jon Stark- with whom the eldest Miss Stark has been convinced to break off a connection. In London they join family friends the Baratheons and the fashionable young Tyrells in a world of romance and balls. Meanwhile Gendry Waters has been plucked out of the life he knew to become his ailing father's heir, Robb, Theon and later Rickon embark on military careers in the Napoleonic wars, and their aunt Lysa makes a foolish marriage. When tragedy hits the family, they must come together, learning how manners may hide monsters and the best people are often those misunderstood by society.

You Could Draw Me to the Gallows 2k by @azulaahai

After having eloped from home with and subsequently been abandoned by wealthy heir Joffrey Baratheon, Sansa Stark refuses to come home. Having caused a scandal that is sure to prevent her from ever marrying, she is adamant not to bring further shame to the family name by returning to Winterfell. Until, that is, a visitor comes to her - Jon Snow, an old family friend, determined to bring Sansa with him back north. He has a solution to offer her - a proposal with the potential to change both of their lives.

A Perilous Dance Indeed & fiercely, tenderly and eternally 27k by @amymel86

He should either look away or interrupt this improper little meeting, he knows. For some unfathomable reason, he does neither. The two look far too intimate for Jon’s liking, although he feels he should have come to expect it to be so. A romantic like Sansa – however proper she is – would simply adore overt flirtations and a secret tête-à-tête. Even from where he stands, Jon can see the way in which she has stars set in her eyes like precious cut stones. He only hopes the man for whom they shine is deserving of it. *** Cousin Jon is to inherit Winterfell Manor and its estate after the untimely death of his uncle leaves a widow and two daughters. Sansa is expectant of an imminent proposal from her dear beau, Harrold Hardyng and everything will be absolutely, stunningly, utterly fine.

Waiting for Your Slippered Feet 49k by @wintry-ritu

Lady Sansa Stark has always looked forward to her come-out season in London, the balls, the rides in Hyde Park, evenings at Vauxhall, the romance and wonder of it all. Never had she imagined that it would happen like this, with her parents gone and her younger siblings underfoot. Now, all Sansa wants is for it all to be over quickly so she can get back to Winterfell. She needs a kind, amiable man who will be brave enough to take on his wife's siblings. That should not be so hard to find in London, should it? And while she is most grateful for Jon Targaryen's help, why must her cousin be so distracting?

To Make You Love Me 16k incomplete and orphaned

When Ned Stark dies, he leaves behind his wife, two daughters, and his family’s estate at Winterfell. What follows is a series of unwanted marriage proposals, houseguests who far outstay their welcome, and Arya parading around in a comically large hat and an oil-paint mustache as she declares herself the new ‘Lord of Winterfell,’ in an attempt to dissuade her sister’s suitors. However, when Mr. Jon Snow — their distant cousin and Ned’s appointed heir to the estate — comes to call, an oil-paint mustache is hardly enough to deter him from courting Miss Sansa Stark. And she thinks, perhaps, that a man could marry her for love more than her claim, after all.

Mine for a Season 101k by @vivilove-jonsa

Colonel Jon Targaryen is a single man in possession of a good fortune who claims no interest in finding himself a wife. With his war wounds, he thinks no young lady would want him anyway for anything beyond the allure of his pocketbook. Fortunately and unbeknownst to him, Fate has chosen to find a wife for him and will even deliver her right to his doorstep. Taking on the responsibility of shepherding a young lady about for a Season in London is not at all what Jon had wished to do but he had accepted out of a sense of familial duty. However, once he meets Sansa again after only having met her years ago as a child, he may not consider it a duty so much as a torment.

a lady of winterfell 185k, WIP by @wandering-scavenger

She bit her lip and exhaled shakily, “If you are so sickened by the prospect of marrying me, we should be able to obtain an annulment easily enough with your father’s connections.” “I will do no such thing.” he snapped, refusing to look at her. Sansa had never felt more rejected than she did at that moment. Her past experiences of being humiliated at the hand of Joffrey did not feel as painful as this. Even so, she could not allow him to see the weakness in her, not now. “I will not be left out, Jon.” she said, tilting her chin up to look down at him. He grimaced. They were silent for longer than she cared to count, but each second that he did not speak chipped away at her resolve and her ability to withhold her tears. Jon did not want her, and she could not blame him. Who could ever want her? It should not have distressed her as much as it did. She was never his favourite sister, she who treated him as a stranger since she was old enough to understand what a bastard was. A tear slipped down to her face until she tasted the salt of it on her lips. “If we marry, we will remain so.” corresponding gifset

moth's wings 47k by @cellsshapedlikestars

Sansa was determined to convince her aunt to let Arya debut, which is how she finds herself in her current predicament. “Who is this secret gentleman who has asked for your hand?” Aunt Lysa asks, and Sansa knows from her tone that she does not believe. (She has every right not to believe, for it is not true.) And then Sansa does something very, very foolish. She says a name. “The Duke of Dragonstone!” Or, Sansa fakes an engagement so that Arya can debut and marry the man she loves. The only problem? Her fake fiance just so happens to be in the city when he was not supposed to be.

An Understanding 2k, WIP by @thewolvescalledmehome

At the start of Sansa Stark's third London Season, she decides it will be her last. She will secure a husband by the end of the final ball. Jon Snow is new to the London Season and high society. He never expected to inherit money or property from an unknown uncle. When they meet at a ball, Sansa gets an idea.

you're in my blood like holy wine 72k

Sansa finds it difficult to look at Jon’s face, with its weathered lines and cragginess. It is the face of the North and a face that northerners trust; the face of Sansa’s brothers and her father, who had been loved and respected by their tenants as their forefathers had been when they were kings. How can Sansa feel anything but resentment, looking into that face and knowing that all of her years of hard work will never earn her the respect that that profile engenders within seconds? But she does. It is a small, burning coal of something that must be smothered.

PRE CANON - WESTERN - FAIRYTALES - LITTLE WOMEN - HOLIDAY - SEASON 6 ANNE OF GREEN GABLES - THE GIRL IN GREY - FREE CITIES - FAIRYTALE PART II - POLITICAL MARRIAGE - SALTY TEENS - POST CANON

#jonsa #jonsa fic #regency au #pride and prejudice au #emma au #northanger abbey au #mansfield park au #persuasion au #dot fic list #marriage of convenience au #arranged marriage au

[justmyimagination92]

Why Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and Theon Greyjoy are similar, beautifully grey and real characters that represent overcoming abuse and manipulation and it makes no sense to love one but hate the other, a thread:

*Disclaimer* I have only watched the GoT series & SW movies, I have not read the books or comics for either series but I have done research into both so anything I’m pulling that’s not from the movies or show has been taken from research/information I have gathered from others who have used these sources for their own opinions/arguments/statements as well as from a GoT class I took my senior year of college

Life of Mental/Physical Abuse:

They both had mentally abusive upbringings which is obvious to say has a huge effect on your development and how you perceive the world around you. Theon was the youngest of 4, known to cling more to his mother and not care as much about the ironborn mentality of piracy and raiding as his older brothers did. He was constantly tormented and bullied by them for it as well as feeling neglected by his father for “showing weakness” which made him feel like he didn’t belong and wasn’t accepted in his home. He was then sent off to be Ned Stark’s ward (prisoner) and would be executed if Balon tried to rebel against the throne again. This knowledge is constantly hanging over his head and threatening him even though he makes the best of the situation, especially by finding a brother in Robb. The North and most of the Stark family don’t accept him despite his best efforts in trying to do his best while also missing the Iron Islands and not being able to fulfill his right as the heir to the salt throne

Ben has been mentally abused since he was in his mother’s womb. Palpatine has been in his head since he was conceived, trying to seduce him to the dark because he knew the power Ben would possess from his family. Now were his parents abusive towards him like Balon, Maron, and Rodrik were to Theon? No. But they were afraid of who he could become which definitely drove him towards becoming what they were afraid of to begin with. He felt isolated and alone. Aside from questioning why his parents were afraid of him with no explanation (making him feel like he was some sort of monster), Han was gone the majority of his upbringing and Leia was building the New Republic. He was often left with droids to watch him, further developing his isolation. There’s also apparently an instance where a droid fantasized about killing him and how they’d be able to cover it up? Eventually, L&H sent him off to be trained by Luke due to their growing fear of him becoming like Vader, but he didn’t know because they never told him Vader was his grandfather. He ended up finding out later on when it was announced at a senate meeting that was broadcasted on the holonet. (Keep in mind he’s consistently being mentally tormented and tempted by the dark but fighting it off)

Loss of Identity:

I think you can argue that Theon and Ben have struggled with their identity their entire lives. Before Theon was taken to Winterfell he already felt like he didn’t belong. Then he does his duty as Ned’s ward, placing him in the midst of the rest of the Starks and trying to figure out his place without stepping out of line but also wanting to fit in as best as he can. After Ned dies and he’s at war with Robb he is able to return home to persuade Balon in lending his fleet to help Robb. Balon refuses and now Theon is stuck in deciding if he should help Robb or win over his father and take back his place as a Greyjoy. He leads an attack at Winterfell, betraying his loyalty to Robb, killing two farm boys that all of Westeros believes is Brand and Rickon, which leads to him getting overthrown by the Boltons taking Winterfell back, putting him in the hands of Ramsay who tortures him mentally, physically, and spiritually to the point where he takes on the persona of Reek and truly believes that’s who he is, who he was meant to be and who he deserves to be

Ben has also had this lifelong struggle. He’s tried to follow what his parents have taught him while fighting everything going on in his head. He looked up to his dad and wanted to be a pilot like him despite Han being gone a majority of the time. Not to mention just the pressure he faced with being Han & Leia’s son as well as Luke Skywalker’s nephew. But he could sense and sometimes hear his parents discuss their fear of who he is/who he will be. He was under the impression that they thought he was or could become some sort of monster and gave him no explanation on why they would think that and then was sent off to train with Luke (when there’s no real indication that he wanted that, he just voiced how he wanted to be a pilot) Luke could sense the same darkness in him as H&L but instead of helping him and having a conversation about it he decided to sneak into Ben’s tent one night and kill him before his fears came true. Ben awoke to his own uncle standing over him with an ignited lightsaber about to strike him down. Yes, Luke regretted it the minute he ignited it but it was too late, Ben was awake and betrayed. What he didn’t do (but the galaxy thought he did) was destroy the Jedi temple and the rest of the padawans, a higher power (most likely Palpatine) did and Ben was upset about it and he didn’t want them all to die. He felt like he had nowhere else to go and succumbed to the voice that had been tormenting him for 23 years (but in a way was the only consistent thing in his life) and went to Snoke. He felt unwanted, untrusted, and doomed to become this awful being everyone around him thought he would. He took on the persona Kylo Ren and allowed Snoke to continue to torture him mentally and now physically and spiritually to ultimately turn him into Snoke's chess piece to take over the galaxy

Path of bad decisions driven by the need to please their abuser who gives false hope of a home:

Parts of this are redundant but they both have made some terrible decisions that were heavily influenced by the manipulation of their abusers and a need for a sense of acceptance and belonging. Theon wanted to please Balon and later Ramsay, Kylo wanted to please Snoke and his grandfather (who we later find out was all Palpatine). The majority of deaths that Kylo is blamed for were under Snoke’s orders and Kylo was either unaware they were happening or tried to prevent them and resort to other solutions to get whatever it is they wanted. He killed his father because he was convinced it would make him stronger and reach his potential on “who he’s destined to be” when really it tore him apart and destroyed him, 

similarly to how Theon felt after he killed those farm boys and saw what his actions had created for Winterfell and Westeros 

Acceptance of “who they truly are” through self-hatred and regret:

Through this they come to terms with their actions and the destruction that has followed from those actions. They believe they deserve the pain and suffering they’ve had their whole lives. Theon is constantly saying how Theon is dead, he’s Reek and he deserves to be. Ben states how Ben is dead, he’s only Kylo now and that he deserves to be seen as a monster.  

Needing help to be pulled back to their true selves:

Their inner conflict is clear through both of their journeys and it’s clear that others can see that. They need help to be pulled in the right direction and reminded that they’re not the person they think they are. Yara comes for Theon when everyone else has given up on him. He’s her brother and regardless of what he’s done she still cares for him and believes in him. However, even the love of his sister can’t persuade him or break the abusive turmoil he’s been suffering and he stays with Ramsay as Reek. 

Then Sansa comes, someone he has grown up with and cares for. She learns the truth that he didn’t kill Bran and Rickon. She knows who Theon really is and she brings him back, she needs him back and gives him the strength to do it. 

Similarly, we see Han trying to bring Ben back in TFA, and like with Yara and Theon, it doesn’t work. He believes Ben is dead, that his family gave up on him and he did too so he can only be Kylo now. And as we see later on, the act of killing Han only made it worse and caused a deeper pain and regret to Ben as well as the conflict on where he lies in the force. In TLJ we see this and how Kylo seems to be chipping away from coming to terms with everything he’s done. 

(I would also like to point out that in TLJ Ben couldn’t kill his mother and it’s stated that had he noticed quick enough he would’ve stopped the blasters from hitting the bridge) He gets a connection with Rey, who at first wants nothing to do with him and sees him as the monster he thinks he is. But similarly to Sansa, she finds out the story Luke told her about him destroying the Jedi Temple was a lie and from then on they’re able to console in one another and understand the pain and isolation they’ve both felt their whole lives. 

When Luke refuses to go back and help Rey and the resistance she takes it upon herself to go and fight to bring Ben back to the light because she can see that he’s still there.

Taking a stand against their abusers, specifically to help save someone they love:

They both go against their abusers and take a huge leap towards taking back their true selves. Theon wants to help Sansa and she gives him a few chances too, for example with the candle but he ends up telling Ramsay. However when Ramsay is gone Sansa is crossed by Miranda and even though he’s still filled with fear and conflict, he throws Miranda off the ledge to save Sansa and finally defies his tormentor and everything that he’s done.

Kylo retrieves Rey when she lands on the capital ship and takes her to see Snoke. In the elevator they both state how they’ve had a vision of seeing them by each other’s sides. Kylo takes it as Rey joining him in the dark but Rey sees it as him reclaiming who he was supposed to be and even refers to him as Ben which he responds to. 

(for the majority of knowing him she called him Kylo, monster, etc but since they touched hands and she saw the conflict she now sees him as a real person and more importantly Ben) Snoke wants Kylo to kill her in order to reach is full potential since killing Han only made him question the path he was going down even more. However, he tricks Snoke and instead kills him instead of Rey, destroying his abuser and saving Rey who is the only one he’s ever been able to connect to.

Reclaiming their identity:

Even though they have someone in their corner, believing in them and helping them to come back to who they are, it takes time. Theon stays with Sansa until they cross paths with Brienne and Podrick and knows she’ll be safe with them. He then heads back to the Iron Islands to join Yara and help her however he can. He still feels as though he’s Reek and doesn’t deserve any redemption or to be trusted/loved. 

Overtime those who still believe in him and given time to heal he reclaims himself as Theon Greyjoy, not even the one from before, but a better and stronger man because it’s who he chooses and wants to be. He saves Yara from Euron and goes back to Winterfell to help fight against the dead. He protects Bran at the Weirwood tree bringing it back and trying to rewrite his wrong when he took Winterfell from Bran and caused him to abandon his home. Even though Arya is the one to ultimately save Bran by killing the Night King, she wouldn’t have been able to without Theon and his sacrifice.

Now Kylo’s is a little different and his journey back to Ben takes a few more steps. Killing Snoke was supposed to be him reclaiming himself and finally getting rid of the demons that have been haunting him his entire life. But now we’re aware that Palpatine created Snoke and was the one who has been in his head the whole time so really those voices are still there, abusing and tormenting him to do what they want. Except now he has something more to fight for. He knows Rey believes in him and they have a bond, a force dyad, that hasn’t been seen for centuries. We don’t get to see much of how Supreme Leader Kylo Ren deals with First Order affairs but I would assume it would be different from how Snoke handled it considering (as stated earlier) Kylo tried to get what they needed in the easiest way, preventing as much unnecessary harm or death. (I also would like to point out that at the beginning of TROS we see Kylo in Mustafar and all of the people he’s killing are Vader cultists so they were bad beings) He then travels to Palpatine who reveals it’s been him all along in his head and Kylo threatens to kill him, but then palp shows his army he’s been creating, how it could be Kylo’s, and reveals who Rey truly is. Palp wants him to kill her and he tricks him into thinking he will when really he chases her around to tell her this information as well as see if it’s true and to prevent her from getting killed. They fight a lot but it’s always Rey initiating it and Ben defending himself when he needs to. He gets distracted during one of their fights because Leia is reaching out to him and in the process, Rey stabs him with his own lightsaber (death of Kylo Ren) but ends up healing him and tells him that she did want him, the real him

He then has a vision of Han and basically reenacts what happened in TFA but has it play out how he wished it did the first time. He is now truly Ben Solo and goes to Exogal to help Rey and defeat Palpatine. After Rey kills Palpatine she dies and Ben comes back (he was thrown down deep pit) and transfers his life force to her to save her. Like the situation with Theon, if Ben wasn’t there Rey wouldn’t have been able to defeat Palpatine and save the galaxy.

Only got to live in peace with themselves for like 2 minutes:

They both get complex, intriguing, and beautiful arcs of redemption that represent realistic struggles of life and grey morality that people face throughout their lives. But they both end with a terrible message that the only way to fully redeem yourself from past mistakes, bad decisions (even if it was influenced by a life of mental/physical abuse) is to sacrifice yourself.

Theon sacrificed himself to save Bran and the fate of Westeros and was only able to be at peace with himself for about the last 20 seconds of his life because Bran forgave him, told him he was a good man and confirmed the type of person Theon really is and always wanted to be.

he deserved to feel this way for a MUCH longer time and continue to heal and grow and live a life that gave him much more peace and happiness (preferably with Sansa 😏) but instead he only gets to feel good about himself for the first time in his life and have it only last for a moment.

Once Rey defeated Palpatine it’s safe to say that the voices stopped in Ben’s head. There’s no more tormenting, persuading, or taunting. He climbs out of the pit to find Rey dead (his literal other half) and channels the rest of his energy to bring her back and it works. Similar to Bran, Rey confirms her joy and acceptance of Ben being back 

and he would’ve been fully content with that, but Rey kisses him and he smiles for the first fucking time we’ve ever seen. His mind is at peace, Rey is alive in his arms and for the first time he is truly happy. And then he DIES. 

Who knows what would’ve happened to him and how the resistance would’ve reacted, but he deserved the opportunity to atone for the mistakes he made, live life with a clear mind, as well as continue to be the other half of Rey that brought balance to the force and galaxy.

Bonus:

They both deserve to be with the only person that fully understands them and their pain and can grow, heal, and live in peace together.

#reylo #theonsa #ben solo #kylo ren #rey #rey skywalker #rey palpatine #sansa #sansa stark #theon #theon greyjoy #reek #star wars #game of thrones #got #sw #twitter got it so tumblr does too #adam driver #daisey ridley #sophie turner #alfie allen

[stilesssolo]

baby I’ll come back to you: coming soon

Well folks, since my current wip, where the wild things are, is winding down (there’s only one chapter left WHAT) and I’m taking off March/ early April from posting anything to focus on finishing up my remix fic(s) on time, I wanted to share a sneak peek of my next wip (mostly just so I could show off @dragonanddirewolf​‘s BEAUTIFUL beautiful art.) So here it is: the long-awaited Jonas Brothers au (sorta), which I hope to start posting in late April. I am really excited to start working on this fic, and even more excited to share it with everyone! Hopefully this little preview intrigues you and gets you as excited to read it as I am to write it! And tides you over while y’all wait for my next update, since I am incapable of really working on more than one project at a time. WHOOPS. Anyways, here it is, so enjoy!!

It feels like it’s been a bloody age since he’s actually seen both Robb and Theon in the same room. 

He spots them the moment he steps into the coffee shop, even though they’re tucked away in a back corner, away from prying eyes. Jon keeps his head down as he maneuvers through the crowded café, sunglasses still on even inside, just in case people are looking his way. It’s an old habit he has yet to break— out of the three of them, he certainly gets recognized the least nowadays, which is probably why all the tabloids claim he’s fallen off the face of the planet. Theon’s been doing movies, Robb was in a new band and is married to probably the most famous woman in the world, and Jon— well. He’s been living, best he can. Getting better, all of that bullshit. But truly, he hasn’t done anything like his brothers have in the past five years, so people don’t recognize him as much. Enough to squint at him in an I-know-you’re-famous way, but not enough to rush him like they do Robb whenever he steps foot outside his house. He outgrew his nineteen-year-old baby face and started tying his hair back, and all of a sudden it’s like he’s wearing a mask. 

Jon’s not sure how much longer that will last, though, because he has a feeling he knows why Robb’s asked them to meet him here today. 

“Jon,” he hears that familiar voice call, and he nods towards the two men at the back table, head still down. The last thing they need is the paps recognizing them, starting to spread rumors about the three of them all together again. 

“Hi,” Jon says, slipping into the booth, finally taking off his sunglasses. Light from outside streams in through the large windows, the busy sprawl of King’s Landing right before them. Theon slaps him on the arm in greeting; Robb smiles at him in that way he does now. That way that looks like everything’s fine, but where the light doesn’t quite meet his eyes. 

Gods, he can’t remember the last time his brother actually looked truly happy to see him. Probably before their last tour. 

He knows why, of course. Robb would never say it, but Jon knows that he blames him for the breakup. For everything. 

“Bloody hells, Jon, it’s been an age,” Theon says, grinning at him. “Where’ve you been?” 

“I’ve been here,” he responds, crossing his arms. “You’re the one who was off filming that movie for three months.” 

“Aye, how did that go?” Robb asks, gaze turning to Theon, that guarded look disappearing. “I haven’t seen you since you got back. You missed Rose’s birthday party, you know.” 

“I know,” Theon grumbles. “I’ll make it up to her, I promise. I have to maintain my favorite uncle status.” 

They chat for a while— mundane things, catching up. Theon tells them about the movie he’d just wrapped on. Robb shows them both a million new photos of his children. Jon keeps quiet, just listening. It’s… nice, to be back with both of them, the warm sunlight spilling in through the window, making Robb’s eyes shine like they used to when he was younger. It makes him forget, for a moment. Wish for those days back, when the three of them would spend every moment of their time writing music, pouring their hearts and souls into their careers. It was something so fleeting and magical, he’s not really sure he’ll ever find anything like that again. 

Jon realizes he’s lost track of the conversation when Theon clears his throat, looking at the two of them almost nervously, in a decidedly un-Theon-like way. “I’m glad we did this,” he says to them, “because I wanted to tell you both.” He pauses, looking at Robb, as if trying to gauge his best friend’s reaction before he even says anything. “I’m going to ask Sansa to marry me.” 

Robb’s eyes get comically wide, so much that Jon chuckles, ducking his head. But it only takes his brother a moment to recover, before he’s grinning widely, eyes sparkling in a way Jon hasn’t seen them in a long time. 

Or maybe that’s just because Jon seldom sees Robb anymore. 

“Wow,” Robb says, almost speechless. “That’s— that’s brilliant, Theon. Congratulations!” 

“Well, I haven’t asked her yet,” Theon says, giving Robb a look. “Don’t go cursing me or something now. She’ll go on and say no.” 

“You think she would?” Jon asks. Theon shrugs. 

“I don’t really, but— hells, I don’t know.” He gives Robb a look. “How did you know it was right when you asked Margaery?” 

Robb huffs in laughter. “Oh gods, don’t take advice from me on that,” he says, raising his hands in surrender. 

“What do you mean?” Theon demands. “You’re the only one of us who’s bloody married!” 

Jon looks down as the sudden feeling of coldness creeps in, like an icy dagger to the heart. Memories flash before his eyes, and he’s trapped back in the past, glimpses of hair like moonlight and teasing smiles dragging him down, drowning him. 

He still has that diamond ring somewhere— buried in the back of a drawer, probably, where he won’t stumble upon it. Seeing it is too painful, but getting rid of it— well. That’s painful in an entirely different way. 

“Aye, but Margaery made it easy for me,” Robb says. “She wrote a whole bloody album that basically told me she was waiting for me to ask her.” He laughs, shaking his head. “Y’know I still get asked if I married her with paper rings.” 

At that, Jon snorts, a little of the darkness lifting. He’s seen his goodsister’s engagement ring, and it is certainly not made of paper. 

Jon tunes out as Robb continues on, reassuring Theon. He doesn’t realize he’s being addressed until both men are staring at him expectantly. 

“Sorry, what?” he says, and Robb rolls his eyes amiably. 

“I asked, what have you been doing, Jon?” Theon repeats, and Jon shifts uncomfortably. Nothing, is really the most honest answer. Working out. Walking Ghost. Trying to keep his mind occupied and himself sober. 

It’s probably sad, to look at his life now, compared to what it used to be. When he was nineteen years old he was touring the world, singing for millions of fans, writing songs every single minute of every single day. Music was most of his life. And now he’s just— trying to get by, he supposes. It’s sad, but it’s what he’s become accustomed to. Just… making it through the day, one day at a time. 

“Er, not much,” he admits. “Not like you two, anyways.” 

Robb glances up at him, that guarded look back in his eyes. “Arya told me you’ve been writing again,” he says, quietly. Jon curses mentally— he never should have told her that. 

“Fuckin’ tattletale,” Jon grumbles. But he can tell from Robb’s expression he’s not going to drop it. “Aye, I have been,” he admits, heaving a sigh. “Not anythin’ good. Just… I dunno. I missed it, I guess.” 

“I miss it too,” Theon says, a smile tugging at his lips. “Acting is fine, but music… it’s something different, isn’t it?” 

“Aye, it is,” Robb agrees. “Margaery’s been workin’ on her next album, and it makes me think back to then. When we’d just crowd around the table in Mum and Dad’s living room, and Jon would come up with a lyric, and Theon would just hear how it should sound, and we’d write a song in an afternoon.” He sighs, a little wistfully, looking down. “Watching Margaery at the piano, it just…” 

“Feels like a part of you is missing,” Theon supplies. 

Jon doesn’t answer, but he knows what they mean. Maybe that’s why he began songwriting again. Not because he wants to have a music career anymore— just because it’s so ingrained in him, he doesn't really know what to do with himself if he’s not making music. And if he’s being honest, writing down lyrics, coming up with a melody on the guitar or the piano that mainly just collects dust in his living room… there’s a comforting familiarity to it. Like maybe his sense of self hasn’t been completely destroyed. Maybe some of the old person he used to be is buried down deep. 

“Do you ever think about it?” Theon asks, and Robb’s brow furrows. “Y’know. The possibility of… us. Getting back together.” 

Robb exhales slowly. “More than I should,” he says. “I… it’s really hit me, in the past few years. How much I miss it. And doing things by myself, or with other people, it’s just not the same.” 

“Aye,” Jon agrees, both Theon and Robb looking a little surprised at the fact that he’s participating in this conversation voluntarily. But he knows what Robb means. He did solo things after the breakup, just because he didn’t know how to do anything else. And it had been a lackluster replacement, nothing like he’d felt for the almost seven years he and Robb and Theon were together. 

“What about you, Jon?” Robb asks, and as casual as his brother may be trying to appear, Jon knows him better than that. He can hear the apprehension in his voice. And the hope. 

Jon exhales, trying to sort out his words in his head before he says something he regrets. “I… do miss it,” he says. “And sometimes I think about it. Gettin’ back together. But I always…” He hesitates. “Would it even be the same? Can we have that again, truly? Or was it just some miracle we stumbled upon we can’t get back?” 

“I wonder that too,” Theon admits. “If we got back together— would anyone even care? Would anyone want to listen to our music in the first place?” 

“I know what you mean,” Robb says, and his blue eyes flash with determination, desperation. Like he’s clinging onto this with all his might. “But I miss making music with you two. And I think if we truly did this, we couldn’t worry about the fans, or the people. We’d have to do it just for us.” 

Just for us, Jon thinks, trying not to roll his eyes. That’s a novel thought in Hollywood. All he seemed to do when they were a band was give and give and give himself away. Nothing here was ever just for him. 

Well… there was her. But now that’s gone as well. 

“I would do it,” Theon says, with a conviction that surprises Jon. “It would be hard, and who bloody knows what would even come of it, but I would. If this is you asking, Robb, then I say yes.” 

Robb blinks, a little taken aback, but then Theon’s words really seem to hit him, and he smiles. A laugh falls from his lips, eyes shining in a way that Jon rarely sees anymore. 

“What about you, Jon?” Theon asks, and that’s when Robb’s eyes dim. 

Jon sighs. “I dunno,” he says. “That’s… a big decision. I’d like to just say yes, but…” 

“I know,” Robb says. “And I don’t want you to say yes unless you really mean it, Jon. If you just… do this for us, nothing will end well.” 

His eyes drop down to the coffee table, heart heavy. Yes, he knows that’s true. Because isn’t that how it all blew up the first time? Jon couldn’t do it anymore, and instead of telling anyone, he soldiered on for Robb and Theon. For his brothers. And it all ended in fucking disaster. 

“I’ll think about it,” he promises, and the sincerity in his voice takes him by surprise as much as it does Robb and Theon. “Truly, I will.” 

Maybe it’s not a bad idea. He loved making music with Robb and Theon. It was his entire life for so long— some crazy dream they somehow made come true. The most surreal, incredible thing in the world, right there before them. And he does miss it. He misses having a purpose, an outlet, an… anything. He misses the time when his life wasn’t an endless void, a monotonous parade of going through the motions day-to-day, trying to learn to move on from something he never really thinks he’ll be over. 

Robb’s smile is warm when it meets his, and Theon claps him on the shoulder, looking uncharacteristically hopeful. And for a moment, Jon’s heart feels light, not like it’s made of iron, still heavy in his chest after nearly seven years. 

But then Robb’s expression shifts, and his stomach sinks once again. 

“There’s somethin’ else,” his brother admits. “Sansa just told me. And I figured you’d rather hear it from us, than see it plastered across all the tabloids in King’s Landing.” 

“What is it?” Jon asks, dread filling his stomach. He just knows, somehow, that this is it. This fragile peace he’s tried to build these past years is about to shatter, the rug pulled out from under him. 

Robb exhales, like he has to physically force the words out, and Jon prepares himself for the fallout.

“Dany’s back in town.” 

And with that, the world stops spinning.

#jonas brothers au #my writing #jonerys #jonerys modern au #jonerys fanfiction #baby i’ll come back to you #im so excited for this one guys #AND THE ART!!! #I CANT!!!! #martha did such a good job #really im posting this because I was too impatient to wait #to share her gorgeous gorgeous artwork with yall #HOPE YOU ENJOYED #coming soon to an ao3 near you

[glassprism]

Since you're also in other fandoms, are there any ships/pairings you like? Who's your favourite pairing in POTO? Who are your favourite characters (from POTO to all your other fandoms) and why? Ooh, here's a rather unusual one: who's your favourite side character (name one for all your fandoms!) and why?

Yeah, definitely! Though whether some can be counted as actual “ships” is debatable, as you’ll see in a bit.

For Phantom, my favorite “ship” is the love triangle - E/C/R. Not in a polyamorous, threesome way, but one where I love the dynamics of the characters, the way they affect one another, the ways Erik and Raoul are similar and different. So it’s not quite a “ship” in a traditional sense where I want characters to end up with each other, but more in the sense that I like to explore and analyze them.

As for other “ships” or pairings, I’m just going to list, like, every fandom or random-ass thing I’ve ever loved in semi-chronological order (time to go back to my middle school fandoms!). Under the cut for length.

Harry Potter: Sirius Black and Harry Potter. I adored the godfather-godson bond between the two (absolutely no romance; I clicked on an mpreg fic of the two when I was but a wee lass of twelve and it scarred me): how Harry was the last living reminder of Sirius’s best friend, whose death he still feels responsible for; how Sirius is the parental figure Harry wanted, how they were never able to be happy god damn it Rowling. (You can imagine how much my eleven year old self cried when I read the fifth book. Oh boy, the tears.)

Star Wars: Vader and Luke. Again, totally familial, father-son relationship only. (Speaking of scarring experiences, I once stumbled on a romance fic between the two, where yes, both of them were still father and son, and I have that summary etched into my brain permanently.) The way Vader obsessively hunts down Luke, the first emotional connection he has had with a person in literal decades! The way Luke has just ached all his life for a father figure, to the point where he will take a homicidal Sith lord if that’s who he is! How he never gives up on trying to redeem him! How Luke is right. Loud screeching.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Will Turner and Bootstrap Bill and Will Turner and Henry Turner. More sad father-son dynamics (you may be noticing a pattern here). Repeat what I said with the Star Wars relationships, only with more pirates and less homicide. (And way more parental abandonment guilt.)

Halloween: Michael Myers and Laurie Strode,  remake universe. Yet again, no romance, just a severely messed-up brother-sister relationship. I can’t begin to tell you why I like the horrific relationship between a serial killer and the little sister he was so obsessed with he ruined her life, completely traumatized her, and ended up leading to her death, but I do. Maybe it’s the dark obsession aspect of it, that in the midst of all his murders, there’s still one person Michael Myers longs to have a connection with, the baby sister who represented total innocence in his mind. Maybe it’s the “what could have been” aspect too, as Laurie never recognizes him or realizes their connection until it’s far too late. Maybe I need to re-examine my life choices. I’ll figure it out someday.

Bat Boy The Musical: Bat Boy/Shelley. Yes, this is a romance; yes, they are half-brother and half-sister, yes, you can get on me about this, but in my defense how about you watch the musical and NOT come out of it shipping these two against all your better instincts.

POTO: E/C/R, as stated above and for all those reasons. Oh, and you know what - The Phantom and Gustave from Love Never Dies. Can’t get away from those father-son ships. I actually care about that relationship than E/C or R/C in LND (maybe because both E/C and R/C suck in the sequel so what else am I going to latch onto).

Batman: Listed here, but my heart really lies with three ships. Jaytim is the first: it’s the whole “angry woobie destroyer of worlds who hates everyone meets seemingly well-adjusted and cheerful individual who is secretly hiding their own issues” dynamic. Bane/Talia from The Dark Knight Rises is the second. Doesn’t matter if it’s familial, friendship, protector and protectee, or romantic, I eat it up, and to be fair, it’s never explicitly stated what the relationship is in the movie. All we know is that the two grew up together in a hellhole prison, probably dependent on and solely trusting only one another, and that bond continues even after they leave, and not even death will make them leave one another. Finally, we have Jason Todd/therapy from the Arkham games. Because the poor guy needs it.

MCU: STEVE/BUCKY (aka Stucky). This ship (again, could be friendship or romantic) dominated my thoughts for four years. Steve’s fish-out-of-water status! Bucky’s horrific imprisonment under Hydra. The way the two find each other after and the angst. The fact that Steve refuses to kill Bucky and, even after seventy years, succeeds in breakthing through to him because their connection runs that deep. The fact that Marvel just ruined this relationship so now I have to rely on fanfic. Oh yes, and I also slowly fell into the Kastle ship (Frank Castle aka The Punisher and Karen Page). Another “hardened killer with sad backstory who connects to idealistic young woman with hidden darkness” dynamic.

Terminator: T-800 aka “Uncle Bob” and John Connor. Returning to sad father-son dynamics, I have this from Terminator 2. A robot learning emotions! A boy learning to take his place as a leader and all-loving hero. The bond they form, partially because the T-800 will do nothing else but protect John and partially because John has no father-figure of his own, so his robot bodyguard will do. THE ENDING.

ASOIAF/GOT: I actually have very few ships from here other than Arya/Gendry (and only when they’re older) and, weirdly, Theon/Sansa from the show. The Gendrya ship is just cute, it may well be the most wholesome ship on here, while Theonsa has shades of Stucky in it, I suppose, given that Theon has been tortured so badly he can barely remember his own name, until Sansa turns up and reminds him enough that he breaks out of it to help her.

Favorite characters from each of those:

Harry Potter: My favorite characters from here are probably more side characters, so I’ll just say Hermione Granger. Her focus on academics, fear of failure, and conviction that the library holds all the answers, felt all too reminiscent of myself.

Star Wars: Darth Vader,  no contest whatsoever. Cool mask, cool cape, cool lightsaber, and the absolute worst life one can imagine.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Interestingly, Will Turner. Yeah, I guess Jack Sparrow is cool and Elizabeth is absolutely awesome to watch and has the greatest change in the series, but oh-so-serious Will, with his deep loyalties and slow slide into moral ambiguity because of those loyalties, fascinates me.

Halloween: Laurie Strode, all versions. My favorite final girl, my survivor of trauma (except in the remake, where, well, she doesn’t survive). Also, her daughter in the Thorn trilogy, Jamie Lloyd, the most tragic little girl to walk across a horror movie screen.

Bat Boy The Musical: Ah, wow, haven’t thought about this. I guess Bat Boy and Shelley, more by default than anything.

POTO: Christine Daae, no contest. Love her character, love her arc, love her songs, love her costumes.

Batman: Listed here.

MCU: Bucky Barnes (unless he counts as a side character), but I also love Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Karen Page, Elektra Natchios... and I’ll leave it at that.

Terminator: John Connor. (There’s a reason I haven’t watched Dark Fate yet... or ever.)

ASOIAF/GOT: Three of them! Daenerys Targaryen, who I love because she tries so hard to rule well, who is so observant and cognizant of the things going on around her. Then Sansa Stark, who makes such astounding growth, who retains her empathy and compassion throughout, who is capable of startling perception and insight which most others underestimate. And finally, Cersei Lannister. She’s terrible. I love her.

And favorite side characters from each of those:

Harry Potter: Sirius Black may well have been my first fictional crush. But Remus Lupin is the kind of person (and teacher) I aspire to be.

Batman: I swear, depending on the comic series or movie, everyone is a side character. I’ll just link to my old ask again.

Star Wars: Batman syndrome all over again; every character in Star Wars might be a side character elsewhere, and every side character gets to be the main character of their own comic, book, movie, etc. Erm... I really liked Rose from the sequel trilogy and Chirrut Imwe from Rogue One. I find Mara Jade from the Legends universe fun to read. WAIT I GOT IT - Queen Amidala’s handmaidens from Episode I (Sabe, Rabe, Eirtae, Yane, Sache). Highly trained in both politics, decorum, and weaponry, able to be utterly nondescript or the Queen’s decoy at the drop of a hat? I love.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Hmm... you know what, I thought Syrena the mermaid was pretty cute.

Halloween: Rachel Carruthers! Your typical girl-next-door but well done and with a touching relationship with her foster sister. I will die mad about her death in the fifth movie.

Bat Boy The Musical: Uh.... I’ll get back to you on this...

POTO: Carlotta is super fun.

MCU: Oh heck, Dottie Underwood. (My taste in female characters goes like this: a) intelligent and observant, 2) sweet and compassionate, 3) batsh*t insane. She’s the third.)

Terminator: Not sure how much of a side character she is, but Kate Connor. Wife and second-in-command to John Connor, able to heal wounds and kick butt depending on what the movie requires.

ASOIAF/GOT: I’ll probably think of someone else, but you know what? Queen Rhaenys Targaryen, younger sister and wife to Aegon the Conqueror, whom he wed out of desire. Playful, spirited, loved to fly, sponsored musicians, initiated reforms for the smallfolk, what’s not to love? (Apart from one possibility of her death... but we don’t talk about that.)

#Anonymous #GP gets asks

[rhowena]

Pile of stuff concerning what happened to Loki between Thor and The Avengers

Originally posted on r/FanTheories

https://inforapid.org/webapp/webapp.php?shareddb=IAxUFHnwkGJSYMj9OFbT8mRl5goHm9SC2qHbWw4knO1cng5qI5Wrg48nP1MdgbWlJmHj6UpwbN343IqnstQUwxIIO01M5Rvb

As it does not escape my notice that I’ve created a digital version of this meme, some navigation help for anyone who needs it:

Mouse over/tap an item or relation to view its description

For items with the yellow ‘Note’ label, select the node and then 'Notes on Item’ in the side menu to view an additional notes page

If an item has a globe icon it the top-left corner, click it to open a webpage

'Adjust View’ in the side menu has controls to zoom in/out, increase/decrease the distance between items, and filter items or relations by category

Relations (and items) are color-coded by type: solid green lines are for in-universe evidence (light green connects evidence to the theory it supports, while dark green connects pieces of evidence that should be looked at together), purple dotted lines denote parallels, and dark red lines mark cases of “one of these things is not like the other”

And an overview of the theories contained therein:

First, the central piece of tinfoil around which all other tinfoil is arrayed: remember how, at the end of the first Thor, Loki was pathologically obsessed with gaining his father’s approval? And how, when he next showed up after vanishing for an entire year, he’d gotten mixed up with a guy who keeps a menagerie of adopted children? And how, during his argument with Thor on the mountaintop, he said this?

Loki: Did you mourn? Thor: We all did. Our father– Loki: Your father. He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?

Loki: I’ve seen worlds you’ve never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract and when I wield it—

Tom Hiddleston: There’s a bit where Thor says, “We all mourned! Our father…” and Loki interrupts him and says, “YOUR father.” And it’s that sense of 'don’t include me in this anymore. I have no relation or connection to you.’ It’s his way of saying 'I’ve let go, I’m gone, I’m on the outside of the fence, I’m happy here, I don’t want to come back in.’

If I may take a minute to get out some of my extremely complicated feelings on this, while there’s a bunch more evidence in favor of Loki having been another of Thanos’s children that can be viewed on the mind map, I want to highlight this pair of quotes because it’s everything implied by the words “Your father” that makes it into a devastating punch in the stomach which draws on both halves of Loki’s Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds characterization: his genuine love for his family is his primary redeeming quality and that he forswore it like this puts the terrible moment when he first knelt before Thanos and pledged himself to the Mad Titan’s service firmly into archetypal Faustian sell-your-soul territory, but when you consider the straits he was in at the time and the implication that Thanos initially ensnared him not through promises of power but by preying on him emotionally, it’s a very human kind of tragic mistake.

The other mitigating factor is that based on everything we’ve heard from Thanos’s other children, it’s a safe bet that he did in fact do unspeakably horrible things to Loki too – indeed, noticing the resemblance between the existing theories about Loki having been tortured/brainwashed and Gamora’s “He took me, tortured me, turned me into a weapon” was what prompted the above realization in the first place. (It’s reminiscent of Theon’s storyline in ASOIAF/GOT: yeah, he betrayed his adoptive family and did some generally awful stuff, but no one deserves what happened to him.) It also bears emphasizing that accountability cuts both ways: one of the key takeaways from the previous bullet point is that the suffering Loki went through doesn’t absolve him of responsibility for his villainous actions, but the other side of the coin is that Loki’s partial complicity doesn’t absolve Thanos of responsibility for the choice he made to take a broken, desperate young man who’d just lost everything and turn him into the rabid animal we saw during The Avengers, and I dearly hope that exploring the rich font of psychological horror that is that time period will erase any remaining doubt that Thanos’s claims of acting For The Greater Good are nothing but empty, egotistical, self-righteous posturing and everyone in the audience who insists on taking them at face value is being duped just as Loki was.

Stephen: No. I mean, come on. Look at your face. Dormammu made you a murderer. Just how good can his kingdom be?

As for where this is all going, I believe there’s a good chance that the Loki Disney+ series will be where they finally address this as a. the split timeline Loki the series will be following is still fresh from his time with Thanos and it will therefore have to explain what happened if we’re to understand the kind of headspace that he’s in at that moment and b. Tom Hiddleston has revealed that the series will also clarify whether or not Loki really is dead in the main timeline, and everything I have so far indicates that understanding the nature of his original pact with Thanos is essential to understanding both Loki’s choice to die and Thanos’s choice to kill him (see the 'Pledge of fidelity’ and 'Limited use’ notes pages on the mind map). Character-wise, I think one of the points of emphasis will be that Loki’s death in Infinity War doesn’t wrap up his story as neatly as it may appear to on the surface; truly completing his redemption arc will require him to confront this part of his past in full, and with it his guilt over everything he’s done and his fear that he’s wrecked his life and relationship with his family so thoroughly that he can never, ever fix them.

Loki: Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? […] Your ledger is dripping, it’s gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer… PATHETIC! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code. Something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will *never* go away!

An additional giant red flag indicating we really should be asking more questions about that time gap is a group of lines in The Avengers which reveal that Thanos taught Loki how to use the Tesseract.

The Other: The Tesseract has awakened. It is on a little world. A human world. They would wield its power, but our ally knows its workings as they never will.

The Other: You question us? You question HIM? He, who put the Scepter in your hand? Who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated?

Loki: I’ve seen worlds you’ve never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract and when I wield it— Thor: Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be king?

Sharing that kind of knowledge and power with someone as volatile as Loki strikes me as an monumentally terrible idea (and as much as I don’t want to be the person who throws a tantrum because their fanfic didn’t come true, I’m kinda salty that Thanos was defeated without it coming back to bite him in the ass), which leaves me wondering what Thanos hoped to gain that he believed would be worth the risks. My thoughts on that particular sub-puzzle are still somewhat hazy, but my basic sense is that there’s something weird going on between Loki and the Tesseract and wanting to exploit that connection is one of the reasons Thanos went to all the trouble of breaking him into submission.

Loki: So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?

The other reason for Thanos’s interest in Loki ties back to all that emotional twistiness I talked about earlier: he planned to leverage Loki’s anger and resentment towards his family in a bid to destroy Odin and Asgard from the inside.

Zemo: An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That’s dead… forever.

As a prelude to this, during The Avengers Thanos had additionally tasked Loki with killing Thor as a way to prove his loyalty and destroy the last remaining shreds of his own humanity, a test Loki failed because he still loved his brother too much.

Coulson: You’re going to lose. It’s in your nature. […] You lack conviction.

What’s more, Thanos anticipated this, and the Scepter’s influence over Loki was aimed at forcing him to go through with it if he refused.

Loki: I won’t touch Barton, not until I make him kill you! Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear! And then he’ll wake, just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I’ll split his skull!

Lastly, even with Infinity War having established that Thanos simply gets off on emotional torture, that he would go out of his way to fuck with Odin personally by turning his second son against him leads me to believe there was a special hatred there stemming from some as-yet unrevealed history between the two. I mean, when I picture the alternate universe where Thanos shows up to attack Asgard with a corrupted Loki in tow like “You screwed up so badly that he chose me as a father figure over you” …that isn’t something you say to a complete stranger.

GRRM on writing villain POVs: That’s a comic book kind of thing, where the Red Skull gets up in the morning [and asks] “What evil can I do today?” Real people don’t think that way. We all think we’re heroes, we all think we’re good guys. We have our rationalizations when we do bad things. “Well, I had no choice,” or “It’s the best of several bad alternatives,” or “No it was actually good because God told me so,” or “I had to do it for my family.” We all have rationalizations for why we do shitty things or selfish things or cruel things. So when I’m writing from the viewpoint of one of my characters who has done these things, I try to have that in my head.

#mcu #loki #thor #thanos #odin #loki's missing year #theory #analysis #mind map #i swear i will turn this into an actual essay one of these days

[enygma0710]

First Line Meme

RULES: List the openings of the last ten stories you published. Look to see if there are any patterns that you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any! Then tag some friends.

Tagged by @thescarletgarden1990 and @drakhus thanks luvs :D

Ya’ll, I really had to dig for these… my writing spans YEARS! Were talking disc drives, so many fics are lost to time, ah well. 

The first two are from Harry Potter, the others are Game of Thrones. I’ve only published 2 stories, one is a multi chapter, the other a one shot. The others are fics I’m working on or were finished and I never posted them.

1. Edgedancer of Madness- Harry Potter (posted WIP)

"That will be two pints of best, one banger and mash, two butterbeers, and one steak and kidney pie." The table nodded in unison. Shoving the quill in her bun, Ginny left the table to place the order. The usual pub banter of the Leaky Cauldron was replaced with the boisterous conversations of Wimbourne Wasps' fans celebrating their victory over fierce rivals, the Appleby Arrows

2. Untitled End of the War drabble, (Never released Harry Potter)

In all their turbulent lives, they had never seen such a beautiful sight. The pale hues of morning peeked on the receding curtain of night. An innocent scent wafted into the air while the four stood and watched as the ramshackle house they’d all come to call home became slowly engulfed in the sun’s light. Ron made the first move as he pulled Hermione towards the home that nurtured their love so long ago. Ginny smiled and admired the emerald eyed wizard standing next to her. He looked down and squeezed her hand. “I guess this is the end,” he whispered, smiling wistfully.

Ginny shook her head, “No, Harry. This is just the beginning.”

3: When you least expect it: Game of Thrones (one shot, complete/posted)

The convention floor at the fifteen annual Blackwater Comic Con was humid to say the least, but that was the last thing on Jon’s mind as he flipped through the comic book bin in front of him.

“Jon?” Sam held up a comic book.

Jon squinted, shaking his head. “No, I already have that one.”

Sam shrugged, placing the comic on his growing stack. Jon returned to the box in front of him.

“I’m off to catch the Lego panel. Are you coming?”

“No, I’ll catch up with you at the Steranko panel.” Jon replied.

4. Gaze into the Abyss (WIP, multi-chapter Game of Thrones, Jonerys)

The earpiece in his right ear chirped three times, “Go ahead.”

“It’s two clicks to the northeast, you should be hitting the perimeter in a few minutes.”

Jon tapped his ear piece and motioned his team to continue. Grenn was to his right and Tormund to the left with Edd covering the rear. Jon heard a snap to his left and held up his hand. The men stopped and listened. Tormund gestured to the furry foxlike creature that darted in front of them as the culprit that had disturbed the forest floor.

“Alright boys, according to the Halfhand, there is perimeter check just a few feet ahead. This is the first of several barriers,” Pyp’s voice sounded through their earpieces. Grenn stepped forward and sprayed the air with pressurized liquid nitrogen, briefly exposing a beam of red light, indicating the perimeter.

“This is some serious security for a dodgy crackpot, eh?”

5.  Once in a Lifetime (WIP, Game of Throne, Jonerys)

“Hey Targaryen, are you busy?”

Daenerys looked away from the patient chart she was charting vitals in and saw Irri standing in front of her leaning over the nurses station. “Yes, but that’s never stopped you before.”

“I need your help, one of my patients in the ICU is due for a dressing change and no one does dressing changes like my favorite pediatric nurse.” Irri grinned.

“Ha! That’s because you know I like my dressings to look perfect. What’s wrong with the patient?”

“Induced coma from head trauma with shrapnel chest wounds. I normally wouldn’t have a problem doing them, but he just finished a round of antibiotics because they got infected so…”

Alright these are drafted scenes that could either be a one shot or develop into something more, haven’t a clue, these are just the result of my overactive imagination. 

6.New Year eves One shot (unfinished scene, GoT)

“Damnit, what now?” Daenerys’s threw down her pen to answer her phone. “Yes?”

“Sorry Ms. Targaryen, I know you said you did not want to be interrupted but I just received a notice from the court, the jury has ruled in our favor…you won.”

Daenerys smiled. “Good, I will inform our clients, When is the sentencing?”

“The judge is delaying it until the new year, after two weeks of deliberations. He said we could all use a break. He’s ordered Kraznys to be held without bail until sentencing.” Jorah answered.

“Good,  thank you again for all your help with this Jorah.” She glanced at the clock, finally noticing the time. “Has Mr. Lannister left for the day?”

Jorah laughed. “Yes as soon as he got the news, Tyrion left with a bottle of wine to celebrate. He is picking up the tab downstairs, will you be joining us?”

She thought about it for a minute. “We’ll see, I have a few things to finish up before the winter holiday.”

7. Untitled one shot (unfinished scene, GoT)

“That was brutal,” Robb walked into their shared living room and flopped back on the couch with a huff. “Remind me why I decided to re-take Trigonometry and Math Analysis again?”

“Because you pissed away the fall semester and your mother demanded you re-take it,” Jon answered from behind his laptop.

Robb nodded and shot up from his seat, he walked into their small kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator. “Is there any Guinness left?”

“If there isn’t any on the bottom shelf, then Theon finished it last night after his final.” Jon raked his eyes over the paper he had spent the better part of two weeks working on. It was almost there but not yet.

“You still working on that paper?” Ron slid into the seat across from him. “When do you turn it in?”

“Seven,” Jon flipped through his notebook and began to search for a reference that his paper is missing.

Robb whistled. “Tick-tock, brother. You have t-minus 30 minutes”

Jon glared at his brother before return to his notes. Robb held his hands up, smirking as he backed away. “Just make sure you’re ready for tonight. Theon’s having his finals party tonight at 10.”

My conclusions:

I drop you right in the scene or action, no work up or nothing. I give no hints about what the hell is going on in the opening scene and tend to keep the reader that way until the story calls for more info. I prefer to open with the POV character talking or being spoken too. I thought I only like writing female POVs but I did a damn good job with Jon on two of these fics, even surprising myself. 

Im cruel, I like to pull the reader along, to a page turner good old mystery, but I do give hints if the reader catches them. 

I think everyone has been tagged so if you see this and want to do it, say I tagged you. 

#first line meme #tagging meme #im working on Edgedancer I swear #the other two jonery fics will be coming out in october

[philosynphonie]

My personal GoT modern!AU headcanons (1/5)

*Ships* - Cathelyn Stark/ Ned Stark - Robb Stark/ Theon Greyjoy - Jon Stark/ Ygritte Wilde - Sansa Stark/ Margaery Tyrell - Arya Stark / Gendry Waters - Bran Stark/ Jojen Reed - Rickon Stark/ Shireen Baratheon . - Danaerys Targaryen/ Khal Drogo - Tyrion Lannister/ Shae Essos - Lyanna Stark/ Rhaegar Targaryen - Samwell Tarly/ Gilly Craster - Jaime Lannister/ Brienne Tarth - Oberyn Martell/ Willas Tyrell - Renly Baratheon/ Loras Tyrell - Davos Seaworth/ Stannis Baratheon - Tywin Lannister/ Olenna Tyrell - Thoros Myr/ Berric Dondarrion . *(alternative Ships)* - Robb Stark/ Jane Westerling - Sansa Stark/ Sandor Clegane - Arya Stark/ Myrcella Lannister - Rickon Stark/ Lyanna Mormont - Danaerys Targaryen/ Yara Greyjoy - Oberyn Martell/ Ellaria Sand - Tommen Lannister/ Shireen Baratheon - Margaery Tyrell/ Robb Stark

.

.

Character stories . Ned Stark: -married to Cathelyn -politician (big or small)

/- company owner /- police force boss - (ex)business partner of Robert Baratheon - best friend: ... Reed -despises the Lannisters (except Tyrion) for their corruption, but comes to kinda respect Jaime Lannister -especially close with Jon, Arya, Rickon . Cathelyn Stark: author /-interior designer /-life manager -traditional type of design -loves her children over all -especially close with Sansa, Robb, Bran . Robb Stark: -was class best -very grown up and reliable -gentle soul -will protect the ones he loves at any cost -logical and calm -utterly in love with Theon Greyjoy -patient -good listener -his best friend is his boyfriend (and Jon) -great big brother -always worrying -only Theon can make him reckless -bi (and accepted himself pretty fast) . Sansa Stark: -gentle and soft -but has a deadly fire inside her -happy, but also melancholic -past abusive realtionship(s), Joffey (, Ramsay) -used to be naive and a little bit cruel (with words) -is annoyed by and loves her little sister to death -looks up to Robb (and also Jon) -is very protective of her siblings, especially in front of their new romantic partners -found happiness in the form of Margaery (she is her best friend and the best fiance she could ever hope for) -bi (and didn't know it till Margaery) . Jon "Snow" Stark: -wants to join the criminal investigation police special force (nicknamed the Nights Watch) like his  big idol uncle Benjen Stark -has a very snarky releationship with kinda mob girl Ygritte -is sceptic of Theon (but respects him for Robbs sake) -loves his siblings and knows how to let a body dissappear -goes nearly no where without his dog ghost -feels kinda responsible for Arya becoming so reckless -is her partner in crime -but is far more oberthinking -his best friend is Sam . Arya Stark: -doesnt take shit from anyone -will probably never admit that she likes Gendry -even if they have been dating for over two years -knows how to sword fight, break in, parkour, and pickpocket -her crew are Gendry, Lommy and "Hot Pie" -idolizes freestyle wreslerin Nymeria Rhoyne (and Jon) -loves her sister (but will not admit it out loud) -was responsible for Joffreys black eye and sprained wrist . Bran Stark: -since an accident (or failed suicide attempt/murder) disabled -used to love climbing -loves to read -has strange dreams -has gotten used to his wheelchair -best friends: Jojen and Meera Reed -got together with Jojen after 4 years of friendship -is the gentlest soul to ever exist (except maybe Shireen) -but isnt as innocent in every way (*hrmpf* Jojen *hrmpf*) -is class best . Rickon Stark: -almost wilder than Arya -her apperentice in pranks -is Brans personal bodyguard -loves (and always borrows) his big brothers comic collection -loves and protects his Shireen -his best friend is Lyanna Stark, she is the only person that can put him in his place (Shireen could too, but she's too soft) . the Starks family dogs: Greywind - his name is certainly in no way a refrence to a certain Greyjoy, nope (it totally is) Lady - died far too young (through Joffrey) Ghost - drug search dog (not official) Nymeria - put her bite marks on Joffey Summer - best therapy dog Shaggy -the scariest/wildest

#game of thrones #game of thrones modern au #headcanons #got #got headcanon #ned stark #catelyn stark #robb stark #sansa stark #arya stark #rickon stark #jon snow #ygritte #jojen reed #margery tyrell #gendry waters #theon greyjoy #shireen baratheon #rickeen #rickon x shireen #sansaery #jon × ygritte #bran x jojen #bran stark #robb × theon #gendrya #ned stark × catelyn stark

[neilgansey]

hey arti 💗 🎃 + dany x sansa as harley quinn and poison ivy please? 😇

Sansa pushed open the door to the bathroom, walking inside where three other girls were reapplying their make up in front of the mirror, variations of catsuits and ‘slutty’ somethings, obviously.

The noise of the party shut off when the door closed behind her, and she walked over to an empty sink, bracing her hands on the edge and looking up at her reflection. One of the leaf things stuck to her forehead was slipping off from the sweat caused by a room packed with people, and she wrinkled her nose as she tried to wedge it into place.

Honestly, at this point, she might just take them off. So far, she’d been confused as Princess Fiona, Merida, and around fifteen guys had asked if she was a sexy tree.

After the third explanation, Sansa had given up on trying to pry relatively obscure DC comic knowledge from the minds of wasted teenagers. She supposed the effect of the costume was somewhat diffused without Jon and Theon at her side as Batman and Robin.

One of the girls next to her looked over and seemed to pause to consider what she was supposed to be -- Sansa purposefully didn’t take her eyes off the mirror as she continued to pretend to fix her eye leaves -- before seemingly giving up and turning back to her friends as they all left the bathroom.

Maybe if she’d had enough drinks, the costume thing wouldn’t bother her as much. Maybe she’d even have accepted the shirtless fireman’s offer to go into a more secluded corner of the house.

The door opened again and Sansa straightened up where she was leaning forward on the sink, glancing over to the girl that had just come in, not bothering to hide her surprise at her costume.

See, since Suicide Squad had come out, the number of Harley Quinns on Halloween had skyrocketed. It was less so this year than last, but still, the booty shorts and chance to wear fishnets and ponytails was too sexy for girls to pass up the opportunity.

However, Arkham City Harley Quinn? Red and black pants and corset with a choker?

“Poison Ivy,” the blonde called out as she walked over to the sinks, resting her hip against the edge and watching her. “Is that your natural hair colour?”

Sansa was almost rendered speechless, and she let out a bit of a laugh in relief. “Yes! Yes, it is, I mean-- I can’t believe you get my costume. I’ve been at this party for hours and no one’s even come close.”

The girl smiled at her, crossing her arms across her chest. “Yes, I’ve been asked why I took liberties with Margot Robbie’s Harley costume,” she shared with a bit of an eye roll. “Trashy, I think.”

Sansa laughed, suddenly delighted by this newcomer. “I’m Sansa,” she told her, holding her hand out.

“Are you sure you’re not toxic?” the girl wondered out loud, looking pointedly down at her hand, a smirk playing at her lips before uncrossing her arms to shake her hand. “Dany.”

Her grip was firm, practiced, and Sansa noticed her eyes were a curious shade of lilac under the heavy eye makeup, and fierce look to them. She let go off her hand and tucked a bit of hair behind her ear as Dany turned to the mirror, adjusting the grip of her ponytails. “So, Sansa,” she spoke up, looking at her through the reflection. “Did you come here with someone? Ivy is usually a couples costume.”

Though true, Sansa had to blush somewhat at the implication, because Dany was dressed as Harley, the other half of the ‘usual’ couples costume. “Just with two friends as Batman and Robin, but I’ve lost them at some point,” she replied honestly. “You?”

“Friends, as well,” Dany answered, dropping her hands from her head and turning back to her, a curious look on her face as she looked at her up and down. “Do you want to get a drink and laugh at the boys who try to approach us?”

Sansa felt her lips widen into a grin. “Yes,” she nodded at her. “Please.”

Dany smiled again, stepping back from the sink and yanking the door of the bathroom open, standing aside to let Sansa walk through first with a nod of her head. “Maybe later we can see how well we play together.”

The music blared loudly again as they left the bathroom, and Sansa felt the back of her neck heat up at her words, glancing over at Dany as she followed her out into the crowd. “I'll give you a shot so my skin doesn’t poison you,” she called back at her over her shoulder with a wink, noting, pleased, the look of surprise on the blonde’s face.

Perhaps the costume wasn’t a mistake after all.

#daensa #dany x sansa #sansa x dany #leejordan #clovdstrife #queeenpersephone #daenerya #manbunjon #ladvystark #writing #writing: got #spookymelisandre

[dknc3]

So, I've just come over from ao3 after reading pretty much everything you've written over there. And i just saw your eclipse family pictures and I thought "I need a fic about the Stark clan watching an eclipse", and since there's no one better to do it than you, I just leave the prompt here. No problem if you take a long time, I know RL can be busy. Keep up the amazing writing!

Here’s your eclipse fic, Nonnie! I put it under the cut because I’m afraid even most of my short fics are kinda long for tumbler dashes! 

Catelyn Stark surveyed her children scattered about the small field. Robb and Jon were standing beneath the shade of a large tree engaged in an animated conversation, probably about either some sporting event or a girl. Robb had been a bit girl-crazy for at least the past two years–likely Theon Greyjoy’s influence–but his cousin’s interest had only developed since the two boys had started high school. Robb liked to gleefully proclaim that a certain red-headed new student from somewhere much further north was responsible for that. Sansa was lying back in a reclining lawn chair, her NASA-approved glasses pushed back on her head, and her eyes fixed on her phone rather than the sky. Arya was also looking down at a phone as she sprawled on her belly in the grass, eclipse glasses lying beside her. Bran was running toward the little farmhouse, having been dispatched by Ned to fetch the colander they’d laid out on the kitchen table, and Rickon was in Ned’s lap in the chair beside hers, his little face turned up toward the sun with his father’s hands on either side of it making certain the glasses stayed firmly in place.

“Mommy! Look! The moon IS eating the sun up like a cookie!” he exclaimed. “It’s got a big bite gone now!” Then he began twisting in Ned’s arms, pulling his father’s hands off his face. He turned his head from side to side rather comically, blind in the dark glasses which still covered his eyes. “Mommy? Where are you?”

“Right beside you, little wolf,” Catelyn laughed, reaching out to pull the glasses from his eyes. “You can’t see anything except the sun when you’re wearing the eclipse glasses, remember? You have to take them off to look around you.”

He grinned at her. “I forgot.” 

“But you must put them back on before looking back toward the sun, Rickon. Do not forget that,” Ned cautioned him rather sternly.

“I won’t,” their youngest replied as solemnly as a four year old boy could manage.

“I’ve got it, Dad!” Bran yelled, reappearing from the house, waving the colander above his head.

“Oh, good!” Ned exclaimed, lifting Rickon off his lap to stand up. “Come here, children.” 

Catelyn saw the slight frown on his face as only Rickon jumped to follow him. To be fair, she didn’t think the older boys heard him. “Girls,” she said, “Put those phones down and go see what your father has.”

“It’s a spaghetti drainer,” Arya said. “I can see it from here.” She looked back down at the phone.

“Whose phone is that, Arya? And did you ask to borrow it?” She and Ned didn’t believe children needed phones until middle school so Sansa was the youngest to have one at the moment.

“It’s Jon’s, and he doesn’t care.”

“Does he know you have it?”

“He doesn’t care,” Arya repeated.

“Jon!” Catelyn called. “Did you give …”

“Hey, Jon! I’ve got your phone, okay?” Arya interrupted loudly.

“Don’t break it!” Jon called back to her, barely turning from his conversation with Robb. 

Catelyn sighed. That boy could never tell Arya no to anything. And considering the things Arya got herself into even at the ripe old age of nine, one of these days that would likely get both of them into trouble.

“Told you he didn’t care,” Arya said smugly.

“That doesn’t mean it was okay for you to take it without his knowledge. Now, put it down and let’s go see what your father is showing the boys.”

“A spaghetti drainer,” her younger daughter repeated. But she did put the phone down in the grass beside her eclipse glasses and stand up. “That reminds me, what are we having for supper?”

Catelyn sighed and rolled her eyes, turning to her older daughter and saying, “You, too. You’re here to watch something very special, not text for hours with Jeyne.”

Sansa sighed and rolled her eyes at that, and Catelyn knew that if Ned had been paying any attention to them he would have commented upon the similarity of their daughter’s exasperated expression to her own. “Come on, Sansa,” she said softly. “This is very important to your father. And if you’d take your nose out of that phone for a bit, you just might enjoy it.”

Sansa still didn’t look very happy, but she slowly raised herself up, pushing the glasses down on her eyes as she did so. “Oh!” she said in genuine surprise as she looked up at the sun. “It’s nearly half gone now!” 

That sent Arya scurrying back to fetch her own glasses from where she’d left them. “Wow!” she said, when she looked up. “It was taking forever before. Seems like it’s going faster now.”

“Arya, come over here and look! This is cool!” Bran yelled.

Both girls pulled their glasses off and walked to join their father and younger brothers, and Catelyn followed behind them. She thought about calling the older boys over as well, but saw that they both now stood side by side in the shade of the tree, glasses on their faces, looking at up at the sun without moving. She smiled at the two of them and turned to hear Ned’s very scientific explanation of why the light from the partially eclipsed sun shining through the holes of the colander produced the little shadow crescents on the ground.

The kids were at least impressed enough that it held their interest for a few moments before Rickon announced he was hungry. Bran, having discovered the snacks Catelyn had put out on the table when he went in for the colander, asked if they could eat some now. Catelyn nodded and the younger three bounded into the house while Sansa returned to her chair and her phone.

Ned sighed. “I thought they’d enjoy this,” he said, sounding rather dejected.

“They are enjoying it, my love! This is a treat!”

“Well, they’re enjoying getting to skip school on a Monday, anyway.” She could still hear the disappointment in his voice.

When he’d heard about the total eclipse crossing the entire country, her normally far too serious husband had gotten as excited as a little kid, and when he realized that Winterfell was only going to get a partial eclipse, he’d gone on line and researched the path of totality, renting this little farmhouse for the weekend because of its perfect location and made travel plans for all of them to experience the total eclipse together. Ned never planned vacations. He didn’t like to spend money frivolously. Yet, this had caught his imagination, and he’d run with it. The man who’d been to countless hockey, football, basketball, and soccer games, fencing matches and track meets, piano and ballet recitals, school plays, beaches, and amusement parks for the sake of the people he loved had now brought them all along to experience something he loved. 

“They’re kids, Ned,” she said softly. “The younger three have the attention spans of gnats most of the time. The older three … well, they’re teenagers–or ALMOST a teenager in Sansa’s case–so they’re behavior isn’t even recognizably human at times. But they all are enjoying this. I can tell. They’re simply out here being themselves, and then they look up at that sun and … just watch their faces, Ned. This is an amazing thing you’ve done for us.”

He looked at her and smiled. “Have I mentioned lately how glad I am that you married me?”

“Lately?” she said teasingly. “No.”

“Well, I am,” he said. “Every day of my life.”

She tiptoed up and kissed him and then grinned. “Remember that when I remind you about your promise to clean out the garden shed next weekend.”

He just laughed and pulled her against him for a longer kiss, knocking her own eclipse goggles off the top of her head as he ran his hands through her hair.

“Hey, Dad! I thought you put down ‘astronomy’ as the academic subject we’d be learning about today when you filled out the papers to take us out of school–not sex ed!” 

“Robb Eddard Stark!” Catelyn scolded her firstborn, but she was laughing too hard to be taken seriously.

“Well, some of us are trying to watch an eclipse here, Mom. Maybe you and Dad should get a room!”

“That’s enough, son,” Ned said mildly, reluctantly releasing her from his arms. “What brings you over here from your hangout under the tree?”

“Oh, I just wondered if it’s really getting colder out here or if Jon and I are imagining things. The sun’s over half gone now.”

Catelyn hadn’t noticed any change in temperature–and she certainly hadn’t been cold in Ned’s arms. It still wasn’t cold, but … “It’s not hot,” she said, realizing the boys were right. It was a very hot August day. She’d actually been surprised Ned hadn’t retreated to the shade with the older boys, but he hadn’t wanted anything obstructing his vision. While it was still very warm, it wasn’t hot at all.

“No,” Ned said, grinning. “It’s actually quite comfortable.”

“This is pretty awesome,” Robb said.

“And we haven’t even gotten to the best part,” Ned assured him. “What’s Jon looking at?”

Catelyn looked over to the tree and saw Jon crouched down on the ground, intently studying something. Before she could call out to him, she heard Arya’s voice shout from the doorway of the house.

“Hey, it’s getting dark out here!”

Catelyn looked at Ned, and he furrowed his brow in puzzlement. It was still a sunny day–not dark at all.

“What are you talking about, Shortstuff?” Robb asked. “It’s bright as day out here.”

“No, she’s right.” Bran came out of the house behind his sister and stood looking around with an odd expression on his face. “I mean … it’s not dark, but it’s darker than it should be. It looks way darker than when we went in.”

Ned stood still for a moment and then took Catelyn by the hand. “Come with me,” he said, pulling her toward the house rather quickly.

“Hey! I don’t think Robb really wanted us to get a room, Ned,” she laughed.

“No, I think we’ve been out here too long. That’s why we can’t see it.”

“What?” she asked as he pulled her into the doorway of the house. The children had all gone outside and she spotted a pair of forgotten eclipse glasses on the table which she grabbed up to take outside, remembering as she did so that her own were lying out in the grass now where Ned had knocked them off. She hoped they didn’t get stepped on.

“It’s probably been getting a just a little bit darker all along, but it’s too subtle to notice because we’ve been there for all of it. I bet if we go back out after staying inside for a few moments, it’ll look darker to us as well.”

“Well, we can’t stay in here too long, Dad. It’s at least 2:15pm and I’m not missing this. Oh, you must have dropped these, Mom. Rickon nearly squished them.” Robb stood there behind them holding out her eclipse glasses. She hadn’t even heard him come in.

“Let’s go then,” Ned said with a grin as Catelyn thanked Robb for the glasses.

“Oh, my!” she said as she stepped outside. The light was indeed dimmer. It looked very odd for the middle of an August afternoon. And it was very definitely cooler.

“Uncle Ned! Aunt Cat! Robb! You’ve gotta see this!” 

Catelyn looked over toward the tree and realized all the children except Robb were now there with Jon, even Sansa.

The three of them hurried over to see what the attraction was. Sansa looked up at their approach and pointed to the ground. “Look, Mama! It’s so pretty.”

Catelyn looked down to see what appeared to be a thousand tiny crescents overlapping each other and shifting through light and shadow as the leaves overhead moved in the light breeze.

“It’s lovely,” she agreed.

Bran was jumping up and down and asking Ned to explain it but Catelyn missed the explanation as a small hand tugged on hers. “Look, Mommy,” a grinning Rickon said to her, holding up a chocolate chip cookie he apparently brought from the kitchen. “I’m the moon and this is the sun.” He then took an enormous bite out of it and grinned at her again, chocolate all over his front teeth. 

She laughed and bent down to hug him, but before she could reply, Ned said, “Kids, I think this is it. Let’s all go back to the chairs and put our glasses on. I’ll tell you when you can take them off.”

“My glasses!” Rickon cried out in dismay. 

“I’ve got them, little wolf,” Catelyn assured him, taking him by the hand and leading him back to the little cluster of lawn chairs. 

When they were seated with their glasses on, all eight of them were silent, even Rickon as the last bright rim of the sun visible through the dark lenses began to fade away. Catelyn realized it was entirely silent. There was no birdsong any more. Then she heard a cricket.

“Ned …” she breathed. 

“I know,” he said. “Night’s falling. In the middle of the afternoon.”

The temperature drop was no longer subtle, and she shivered a bit just as Ned said, “Take your glasses off, everyone.”

She’d seen the bright sliver of sun disappear through her glasses but wasn’t prepared for the sight that met her eyes without them. It was dark as night. She could even see stars. And in the sky above them was a dark circle surrounded by a halo of soft light. She couldn’t remain seated, standing up to look heavenward.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, shivering again.

Ned had stood as well, holding Rickon, and he shifted the little boy into one arm reaching to put the other arm around her.

“Are you cold, Cat?” he asked softly.

She shook her head and leaned into him.

“This is the coolest thing EVER!” Robb exclaimed then, and then all the kids began shouting and laughing and jumping around and generally celebrating the celestial phenomenon that they all were witnessing for the first time.

“Mommy? Did the moon eat the sun all the way gone now?”

She heard the apprehension in her little boy’s voice. “No, baby,” she assured him. We’re only pretending that the moon ate up the sun, remember? The sun’s really only hiding behind it. It’ll be back in just a bit.”

“Good. I like the sun!” he exclaimed. “When does it come back?”

“Oh, I’d say in about a minute and a half now, Rickon. At least the first little bit of it, and you’ll have to put your glasses on again to look then.”

“A minute and a half?” Robb cried. “Jon get that selfie stick!”

Catelyn realized the older three all had their phones out and had been snapping various pictures of each other. Now Jon was rapidly affixing his phone–which Arya had apparently returned to him–to the selfie stick her sister had given the boys two Christmases ago. She hadn’t realized they still had the thing.

“Okay, everybody, get together with the sun behind us!” Robb yelled.

“I don’t know how the sun will turn out in the picture, Robb,” Jon said.

“Yeah, but it’ll be cool in any event. Can you see everybody?”

“Rickon’s head’s in front of Uncle Ned’s face,” Jon said. “Arya, quit making rabbit ears over Bran’s head! We want an actual good picture for a change! This is too amazing to act stupid!” 

Catelyn could barely see what anyone looked like on the little screen of Jon’s phone, but everyone must have moved to his satisfaction because he snapped several pictures, saying, “There. At least one of those should be good.”

Amazingly, after the picture was taken, all the kids quieted down again. Rickon wanted down, and Ned allowed it with an admonishment that he mustn’t run off. Instead, he walked over to his sisters and took each of them by the hand. “The sun will be back,” he promised them.

Sansa smiled and bent to kiss the top of his head while Arya reached over with her free hand and mussed his hair. “Yep,” she said. “Just like magic.” Then the three of them stayed like that, holding hands and watching the sky.

Robb and Jon stood together as they so often did–the son who’d made them parents and the nephew who’d become a son through tragedy. Both of them looked heavenward with almost identical expressions of wonder on their very different faces and it struck Catelyn that she had only a few precious years left until they would truly be grown. 

“Dad?” Bran’s voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she turned to see her second son standing at Ned’s other side, looking up at his father with adoration. “This is the greatest idea you ever had!”

“Thank you, son,” he replied softly, and Catelyn heard the quiet joy in the deep voice she loved so much.

She smiled at him and tiptoed up to kiss his cheek and then stood leaning into him with her head against his shoulder and his arm around her waist as they stood with their family watching the heavens and awaiting the magic of daylight’s return. 

#asoiaf fic #modern AU #Ned x Cat #Stark family #Catelyn Stark #Ned Stark #Robb Stark #Jon Snow #Sansa Stark #Arya Stark #Rickon Stark #fic request. I love Ned and Cat with the Starklings #Anonymous

[zip001]

The Sweetest Thing

“Code blue, code blue. Erratic heartbeat. Starting chest compressions and ventilation.”

“This is a twenty something male, found naked underneath a bank of snow. Unresponsive at the scene.”

So cold, it was so cold and dark. He felt numb.

“Should’ve been DOA - no heartbeat at scene. Why’s he restrained?”

“Partner was gonna call it when the dude just went ape-ship, screaming, kicking. My partner and me both had to hold him down.”

“What was he saying?”

“Gibberish, something about salsa or sienna.”

“Charging in three, one… two… three. Clear!”

Suddenly his whole body felt like it was on fire, from the inside out. So much pain radiating from his chest. Felt hands firmly pressing his chest rhythmically. Something was covering his mouth, something cold and smooth.

No, no. The hands were not her tiny hands. No, no, let me go. I need to get back to her.

Something hard was pushed down his throat. He sputtered and gasped. Everything seemed to stop but for a beeping sound. Beep, beep, beep.

His eyes flew open. He could not see, blinded by the light. So bright, so bright. Benjen said the snow could be so white that a man could be blinded, not knowing where the ground even was or where the white sky began.

But he was not outside.

A small light was shone in his face. He tried to turn away but round hands held his head immobile.

“Mister… do you know why you are here, how you got here? What was the last thing you remember?”

“Snow,” he croaked.

It snowed on her eleventh name’s day, actually started the night before, starting with a delicate sprinkle lightly dusting the trees that grew into a thick blizzard. Old Nan said that it was fitting for the only Stark child born during a Northern, albeit mild winter, scoffing that the other Stark siblings were sweet summer children before ranting about 100 foot high snowbanks that buried entire villages and generations.

He remembered the hustle and bustle in Winterfell as a grand feast was planned for her day. Although Lady Catelyn thought it was not necessary as normally only their family and the Stark household celebrated the other name days of their large brood, Father insisted, wanting something special for his little princess. Normally Father deferred to his lady wife, but this time she acquiesced, with softness in her eyes.

There were rumors that she would soon be going South. Jon heard from the stableboys that the King and his royal family were coming in less than a fortnight, that their little princess would be a princess true, then later a queen. Queen Sansa. He called her that many times in the Old Keep, each time it hurt more and more, but he would never let her know.

The cooks made all of her favorite dishes. Rabbits that Jory and he trapped that Cook braised and stuffed with wild herbs, barley, and stewed fruits. And of course, Sansa’s favorite lemoncakes, buttery cakes with swirls of tart sweet frosting. Cook made extras the night before as she suspected that the little princess and her best friend would pilfer a few, leaving crumbs on the little lady’s bed sheets the next morn like they did the last eleven years. Cook even decorated a few with the letter S, for they were the ones always missing the next day.

What Cook did not know was that there were sticky crumbs in his tiny bed that barely fit him now that he sprouted in the last few months, but still slightly shorter than his Queen.

It always amazed him how Sansa would fit herself so snugly against his body so that they both fit in his bed. He could not tell exactly where his legs began or where hers ended. And she smelled so sweet, better than any of the winter roses he picked and wove into crowns for her. She always blushed a pretty pink and giggled when he told her that.

“Why aren’t you with Jeyne tonight?” he asked when he found her tucked in his bed.

Jon did not expect her here. Normally she would sneak in only during the heavy storms as Jeyne would not sleep with her then, complaining that she kicked and turned every time the winds howled. The blizzards also scared him - he imagined that the snow would completely engulf them, suffocating them to death, even though Old Nan scoffed at the storms, saying that they were merely flurries. He begun to look forward to them as Sansa would be there, holding him as they both fell asleep. Sansa always left before he woke up, but her sweet scent remained.

But there would be no large storm tonight. Father stared into the sky that morn and made that pronouncement. Father gravely nodded that there would be a fine storm for the feast the next day and that “Winter is coming.” Those were the House Stark words - he did not know then what they truly meant.

“Oh, you rather I leave?” Sansa quietly asked as she sat up. She looked nervous, unlike her haughty self, that he (and everyone even Arya) knew was just a facade - Sansa had the kindest and softest heart.

Shaking his head no, he sat next to her and held her close.

“No,” he whispered into her soft hair. He never wanted her to leave. Sansa did not pull away but instead buried her face into his chest. She was upset.

“My fair Queen, w-what would your wish be tonight?” he tried to joke.

Jon was never the jokester - that would be Robb, their brother, who always had a smile and quick quip that made others smile. He was as different from Robb as their little sister Arya was from Sansa. Sun and Moon.

“Do you know what Old Nan said about wishes? If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” Her voice was muffled as she did not lift up her face from his chest.

“And so I am a beggar now,” he exclaimed with feigned indignation. “Or are you calling me an animal? A horse may be too fine for the likes of me, perhaps a mule then?”

She finally looked up and smirked, “We know the title of Lord Stubborn as a Mule is already taken - it belongs to the Kraken.”

Jon looked away and blushed bright red, remembering the intimate scene they both saw at the Old Keep, their old meeting place until it was taken over by Lord Mule. Some serving girl was riding the Kraken. Luckily neither the girl who since left nor Theon saw them.

“Arya gave him one of her special surprises again,” Sansa blurted, trying to make her Jon smile.

They both stifled their laughter as Theon did deserve sheep dung in his mattress. They reclined back onto the bed with her lying atop him, her ear pressed against his heart while her hand lazily played with his long curly locks.

Jon knew that she would be upset when he and the rest of the boys had to shorn their hair for the upcoming royal visit. They were orders of her lady mother - they needed to look presentable, not like wildlings. If he were honest, he would miss his locks too.

Finally, she whispered that she knew a secret, giggling as she did. It always made him smile to hear that crystalline giggle. As always, one delicate finger pressed against his lips, although he would never say a word.

“Shhhh,” she admonished as she pretended to tippy toed out of his room, but first comically pretended to look both ways. There was never anyone near his room, far away from the Stark family private quarters and the servant’s quarters.

She ran, and he followed, both bundled in furs and trying to contain their giggles. Tim was asleep again on duty, but luckily the Winterfell walls were tall and strong.

In the storeroom, Jon had to lift her up as Cook hid the covered precious lemoncakes up high, away from any rodents but not high enough from them! After Jon found a half empty bottle of sweet ice wine, they each took one apiece with Sansa swirling the icing on his so that there was a lopsided J on it. They could not eat it there - his Queen whispered that they tasted best in bed.

And she was right. They drank the wine and waited until the moon was at the highest point to take their first bites. Jon shared his lemoncake after she devoured hers and pouted when he pretended that he would not share.

He took the tiniest bites, savoring her happy sighs after each of her bites and giggling at the icing that graced her nose. When he finally pointed it to her, she pretended that she meant to do that, that the Queen is never anything less than poised and oh so dignified, before they both bursted into giggles which deepened into gales of laughter when he pretended to lick it off her nose. She daintily wiped it off with her handkerchief.

As the snow delicately fell outside, Jon watched her fall asleep, her red tipped lashes fluttered. The hush of the snowfall magnified her soft breathing and the nuzzling sounds she made whenever he moved to take a better look at his sweet Sansa with her pert nose still sporting a tiny bit of frosting. Jon looked at her lips - did they taste as sweet as her beloved lemoncakes? He hovered over her, wanting so badly to steal a kiss.

One kiss.

Such a small thing it seemed until her eyes flew open in surprise. But instead of looking at him in disgust and backing away, she looked at him in wonder and smiled.

Whenever times were bleak, when he thought all was lost, Jon always came back to this memory, to her bright smile, to the love in her eyes.

I would always come back for you.

#jonsas7summer #day 1 #food & drink #jonsa #jon x sansa #my writing

[robbmywolf]

Wolf on a Leash

Hey all! This is the first little fic I’m writing in the GoT fandom and I’m super excited. Lemme know what you think pretty please? xxx

Pairing: Robb Stark x reader 

Summary: Robb mistakes the feeling he has for you as loathing. You mistake the returning feeling you have for Robb as disgust. After 16 some odd years of having to deal with the feuding that’s been going on between his eldest and you, Ned finally takes jurassic measures to put an end to it. 

Tags: AU where Jon Arryn doesn’t die and all of the Starks stay in Winterfell, Ned is a class A troll, Ayra’s a little shit, Stark family feels, fluff, humor, s l o w b u r n, angst at some point probably

Prologue 

Ned Stark is universally known for his wisdom and fair mind, his gentle but blunt ruling hand, his honorable intentions, his kind smile and sympathetic heart. But never in your entire time living with the Starks have you witnessed this level of fuckery.

Growing up with the Starks never made you a Stark, you aren’t naive, but they treated you like family all the same. 

Jon and you are practically related, and not by blood but by the fact that you were both orphaned by your mothers (and in your case your father too) which formed a bond between you that was untouchable much to Robb’s extreme chagrin. Sansa…tolerates you, much preferring her dresses and stitching and titillating conversations of marring Princes and Lords to your blunt company. Ayra simply loves you, as you two commonly practice swordplay together secretly out in the woods boarding Winterfell. Brandon genuinely looks up to you and Rickon follows you around like a shy newborn foal. 

As for Theon Greyjoy, the other Stark-adopted stray, he mildly irks you but you don’t mind him too much. Mostly you dislike him because he and Robb are so close. And that brings you to Robb.

Robb Stark is charming, handsome, kind, a bit naive but counters that with a strong fair-mindedness, undeniably brave, proud and impatient as all young men are, and most importantly an absolute asshole. 

Well, he’s an asshole to you anyway. 

At this point you don’t even remember why Robb and you became literal mortal enemies, locked in this endless emotional (and sometimes physical) warfare. You met Robb as a shivering, tiny, skinny-as-a-stick three year old who was brought in from the harshness of the cold wildness by Ned Stark. You were found half dead curled up in a gnarled cradle of tree roots with an icy blanket of snow dusted over you. Ned had been teaching three-year-old Robb how to ride in heavy snow in the Northern forest surrounding Winterfell when they cantered past you. It was actually Robb and his young sharp eye that spotted your skin tinted an unhealthy grey-blue hidden in the roots and fresh snow. Ned had dismounted and quickly pulled you under his furs, ridding at a harsh gallop back home with Robb struggling to keep up on his pony. 

Honestly you don’t know how things managed to escalate from mild annoyance to matured literal hatred. The older you both got, the more you both despised each other. But all this brings you to your current predicament because finally, after sixteen years of bickering and fighting and slapping and punching and taunting and insulting and food fights and sword fights and much much more, Ned has snapped. 

Robb and you stand both grown ass adults, both nineteen years old, both bowing your heads like scolded children before Ned who’s seated behind his desk in his study. 

Last night at dinner you both had at it again, flinging stinging words and petty names at each other across the table like you were twelve. Your nemesis status is quite known in the household and is so normal at this point most of the family ignored you two, instead easily continuing their meals with their own small talk. Most of the family, except Ned who honestly was done. 

Starks aren’t known for their patience. And Ned is surprised he’s let this go on as long as it has. 

“I have had enough,” Eddard begins with easy authority, not even looking at you two but signing some official looking scroll rolled out on the desk below him. Only silence and the scratching of his quill against the thick parchment dare respond to his words. 

You can feel Robb bristling beside you even as you stand as far apart from each other as possible, both of your hands clasped respectfully in front of you despite the tension in the room.  

“You are both far too old for all of this nonsense and I expect much more from both of you.” He pauses to give an official Stark Grunt™, dipping his quill in the ink pot, before continuing to write and speak, “I am going to force you both to fix this. I have tried many times to mend whatever vague issue you two seem hell-bent on holding against each other, but I will not have it continue. I refuse to live among this unnecessary toxicity any longer.” He finishes in a deep flourishing baritone, his words final and inexorable. 

There are a couple more suffocating minutes of verbal silence, Ned letting you two simmer uncomfortably in it a bit in a small form of retaliation for ruining dinner (again), before collecting himself and sighing.  

“Come here,” Ned prompts as he carefully sets down his quill and opens one of his desk drawers. 

As you both step up to the desk in irking unison, a heavy metal clanking sound muffles dully through the wood of the desk and both Robb and your hearts begin to speed up. The second Ned pulls out worn steel shackles with a generously long chain of knotted iron connecting the circles of metal, you know shit just got real and the gates of hell have just opened.

“Father?!” Robb exclaims in open, sudden confusion and disbelief, his voice cracking with the force of his alarm and potent discomfort. 

You feel like you just got slapped in the face as you stare speechless at the shackles in Ned’s hands as he places them on the desk like this is the most normal thing. Your mounting disbelief matches if not trumps Robb’s, but you have always expressed your emotions differently than him. 

“Not a single word Robb.” Ned silences his son with a tone of dense impatience and a very effective Stark Glare as back up while he remains unruffled and scarily calm behind the desk, motioning for Robb to give him one of his wrists as he maintains challenging eye contact from his seat.  

When Robb doesn’t comply, face twisting into rebellion and looks like he’s about to argue – let’s go with the describing word: passionately – you take a deep breath and surrender to your fate not wanting to anger Ned further. 

So. Here you are, salvaging what’s left of the civility in the room as you gallantly offer your right hand to the man that’s been a Father to you and given you a home and a family (your compliance is the very least you can give in gratitude). You do this silently and respectfully with the only sign of your protest visible in your eyes which you hide expertly behind the shade of your lashes. You can feel Robb’s horrified gaze on your profile, shocked you caved so easy and counted on for once having you back his side of the argument. 

The irony that Robb somehow feels betrayed by you in this moment is truly earth shattering. 

Unlike Robb who shares actual blood with Ned, you don’t have such a privilege and therefore have no right to argue against Ned’s wishes anyways. You don’t want to become unwanted in this place that you have considered your only home, and even worse you don’t want to be kicked out because you didn’t concede to Ned’s wishes no matter how insane they are.  

“Thank you Y/n,” Eddard says in that tender fatherly voice that you are so lucky to have had guiding your head and heart most of your life, sending you a grateful smile when you briefly glance up and catch eyes. He gently takes your hand in his two broad sword-calloused ones, “Been out in the woods with Ayra have you?” Ned asks with a knowing amused smirk when he spots matching callouses on your palms from wielding a practice sword. 

You nod and try to smile but end up grimacing when the uneven, but smooth with age, weight of the cool metal shackles close with a dooming clack around your wrist. Ned makes the metal loose enough that it won’t chaff too much, but tight enough that you couldn’t squeeze your wrist out. 

It takes another hour with you standing awkwardly with one arm stretched out, hand cuffed with metal, watching as the two Starks argue and fume, to get Robb’s left wrist into a shackle. Once the metal makes a shuck noise when Ned finishes adjusting the tightness on Robb, and locks the thick cuffs on both your wrists with the handcuffs’ key, you can honestly say you have never understood the meaning of dread more purely than you did just then.

It wasn’t until you both passed Catelyn Stark, grumbling and pulling at each other down a long stretch of stone corridor, that some severely concerning circumstantial problems were brought to both of your attentions. 

Catelyn did a double take as she at first was shocked you two were walking side by side, and then looked again when the noise of metal chains clanked between your bodies. 

“By the Gods!” She exclaims with a comical expressive gasp shaping her face, before shuffling in her intimating but graceful way over to you. “What in the name of the Seven is going on here?” She demanded accusingly of you – like it was by our own wills you chained yourselves together – in her easily recognizable tone of authority that she only used when she was well and truly upset, wanting honest explanations. 

Robb immediately launches into a rant about the atrocious happenings of the past hour. You roll your eyes at his usual dramatics and yank on his chained wrist when his wild gesturing pulls your own wrist annoyingly with it. 

What a mama’s boy, You think bitterly, bristling in an extraordinary state of unhappiness at Robb’s side when he continues complaining about Ned and his idea of problem solving, piercing your own version of the official Stark Glare at his profile. 

When he finally finishes Catelyn’s face peddles through a myriad of expressions: amusement, shock, cautious approval, mild marital exasperation, and finally settles on a surprising one you didn’t foresee at all. 

“And just how are you two going to maintain cordial propriety?” Silence greets her words as she stares you both down with a cocked head and hands placed on her skirt covered hips. “How will you sleep or relieve yourselves?”

“Relieve ourselves?” Robb questions with a quirk in his brow and a familiar twitch that tugs at the corner of his mouth. His head cocks to the side too, ironically mirroring his mother. The resemblance between them in that moment is so blatant.

It makes a small tucked away part of your heart sad, knowing you never have or will physically resemble the Starks. Although your habit to bite the inside of your cheek when you’re nervous you inherited from Ned, you secretly pride yourself on it. 

“Yes Robb, how are you both going to pee and shit?”

Catelyn has become more Stark than Tully over the years. 

Robb’s face goes red for a second before embarrassment is quickly overwhelmed with another wave of fury. Before he can voice this anger, Catelyn speaks again saving you from another rant.

“I’ll speak to your Father about what amendments are to be made to this…endurment.” Catelyn says to the both of you (your heart flutters when you hear Catelyn refer to Ned as your father too, making you temporarily forget your caged hatred for the woman for abandoning Jon and causing him so much undeserved pain), a little unsure of what to call your current predicament, before blinking quickly a few times and taking in a sharp breath, “Rules will be announced at dinner. Make do until then and please, for the love of the Gods, attempt not to kill each other.” 

You both know she pleads this with genuine warning before hasting regally away to Ned’s study.

Dinner was obviously a disaster. 

When Ned finished reading off the “rules and boundaries” of this joined punishment from a ridiculously official scroll Catelyn had drawn up before the entire family seated at the dinner table, Robb and you were quite ready to saw off your hands instead of endure this torture. 

The Rules and Boundaries included the following:

You will stay chained always — even throughout the night; you will both retire to either of your personal chambers where Robb will sleep on the floor and Y/n in her bed in her chambers

Ned wiggled in his seat under the mighty glare of Catelyn at this. Mother Stark was obviously upset she lost the debate to have you both sleep in separate chambers. But Ned had argued no impropriety would go on between you two since you could barely stand to breathe the same air, let alone willingly touch each other. You could also feel the rage that was throbbing off Robb as he sat next to you at being forced to sleep on the floor instead of a bed. 

Robb had gasped in horror and fierce protest, “I will not–!”

“Oh yes you will,” Ned interrupted with matching heat, “Maybe it’ll teach you a few manners and a bit of humility.”

You grinned savagely at Robb’s responding expression and this small victory.

You will need my, Eddard, express permission to unlock yourselves for self-relieving purposes — If for any reason I am unavailable your Mother, Catelyn, will see to any assistance you may require 

The entire table erupted in giggles when this was read as Robb and you burned under your own cheeks.

No one is to interfere with or assist in the release of Robb and Y/n from their confinements, unless given permission by either me or your Mother

No one is to further antagonize or tease Robb and Y/n as they adjust to their new accommodation

Ayra looked crestfallen at this; the little shit you thought affectionately.

You will only be released from this joint endurance when I, Eddard Stark, deem you ready 

The horror of the last declaration almost made you faint.

After dinner Robb and you agreed on something for the first time in a decade.

Ned and Catelyn had handed the shackles’ key to a trusted Stark sibling for safe keeping for the evening, and like the dire wolves that roamed the halls and fields of Winterfell, Robb and you teamed up and were hell-bent on hunting whoever that was down. 

“Jon, who has the key?” Robb demands of his brother in an impatient almost-whine (which you would have teased him for but decide against it seeing as there’s only a mere foot of chain to stretch between you, providing you with minimal chances of dodging his usual retaliation of a knuckle-sandwich) since the tactic to intimidate Jon into giving up the answer proved to be as useless as trying to carve a hole through stone with your bare fingers. 

You already know the answer as you watch pity wipe clean over Jon’s originally amused facial expression. 

“Ayra.” 

Robb gravely closes his eyes and drops his head back to face the boards in the ceiling as you petrify beside him. The shackle grows heavier by the second. Your eyes widen to saucers like one of Sansa’s porcelain dolls, your hands clench into tight unforgiving fists, and doom blooms clear as a spring dawn on your face. 

You are fucked. Ayra wouldn’t give up that key for anything. Even her love for you wouldn’t trump the responsibility bestowed to her by Ned. 

Something within you snaps and habit mixes with frustration, creating a poisonous brew to boil through your veins and aid fire to your words when you speak, 

“Maybe if you spent less time treating her like an incapable little girl, and more time getting to know her and maybe, I don’t know,” You pause dramatically and swing your hands around in a wild gesture purposefully wrenching your connected hands so his wrist would chaff a little in the metal, “Practice swordplay with her, then maybe Ayra would give us the key if we asked her for it! But since you don’t give a crow’s droppings about her, now we’re stuck like this!”

Robb stiffens further in his already frozen stance before whipping his head over to you and flashing you his crazy eyes: his button (multiple buttons actually) successfully pushed. He falls into easy habit with you.

“Well if you were a Stark, as in actually apart of my family, then you would have the right to advise me on how to treat my sister. But as you are not a Stark and not part of this family, I suggest you shut the fuck up!” Robb replies in a wavering Northern accent in matching hysterics, waving his arms around too making you both start a painful yanking fight over the chain between your shackles. 

You actively fight against the sting in Robb’s words that’s trying to transform your anger into pain and loneliness. Instead of hurting you immediately his words settle patiently in the marrow of your bones and sit heavily in the pit of your gut to beat you to tears later when you’re alone under your covers. You physically jolt like a whip had snapped in all your nerve endings when you realize there won’t be a later. Because Robb is chained to you and will be sleeping beside you. 

Your entire soul revolts at the thought of crying in Robb’s presence no matter if you could manage it without him knowing. Bile rises thickly in the back of your throat. If he saw or even sensed a new weakness of yours he’d only add it to his already existing short list of ammunition against you. 

The look on your face outwardly hardens opposing your insides that weaken as you glare up at him.

“Robb,” Jon gently chastises his half-brother at his words, but before Snow can say anything more to break down Robb’s anger and aid as a catalyst to its current transformation into guilt, Robb rushes past him and hauls you with with him.

Robb ignores your sharp cries and shrieks of protest as they bounce loudly off the stone walls while he yanks you through the different wings of Winterfell. He eventually brings you to his chambers and bursts in through the thick, beautifully carved wooden door. The pain that the metal abuses into your wrist mutes temporarily when you take in the generous chamber. 

You’ve never been in Robb’s room before. 

Without any warning or time to fully take in your surroundings, Robb quickly rounds the room and snuffs out most of the candles (leaving a few lit just in case), and makes for the large bed still completely clothed in his day wear. The slept-in-sheets, thick feather down comforter, and multiple fluffy furs all wink invitingly at you through their crinkles and folds as Robb stubbornly throws himself down on them. You gulp discreetly as you off-handedly wonder if his pillows smell like him. 

What an odd thing to think about. 

Before you can register what he’s doing, Robb is yanking the metal chain so you crash harshly to the thin fur carpet on the floor beside the bed. He chucks one balled up fur down at you like a soft cannon ball before settling with his hands curled into his chest as he rests on his side towards the edge of the bed, facing you. 

The position of his hands makes your right wrist dangle uncomfortably mid-air against the wooden frame of the bed. You tug stubbornly at it to bring it back down to you but Robb braces against the pull. You try this for a solid thirty heart beats before huffing extraordinarily loud and giving up. You can feel Robb smirking in small petty triumph. 

Grey Wind comes trotting in at that moment and stops to assess the current situation with a weird wolfy pout. His large beautiful grey head tilts to the side, much like how his master does oddly enough, and instead of hopping up on the bed to sleep with Robb the beast sidles up next to you. You feel a small sense of vengeful victory at this. Grey Wind nuzzles his big wet nose against your cheek in a shy kiss, his stretched out body on the floor practically the entire length of your own, and gives an animated huff as he settles and stills. As you run your free fingers through the wolf’s course winter fur (the smell of pine, cold sunshine, fresh snow, and earth wafting up from the disturbed hairs) Robb gives a classic Stark Grunt in mild aggravation at this minor betrayal. 

You respond with your rendition of a Stark Grunt stubbornly, shifting awkwardly and uncomfortably in your tight corset and day shift, heavy skirt hem still chilled from the cold stone you walked on just a few moments ago making your toes turn to ice. Your head spins and you fist your fingers in Grey Wind’s coat. You prepare to become walking dead because there is no way you’d be getting any sleep tonight. 

Part 2

Alright so idk how well this will be received, but I hope yall like it :) Lemme know if you have requests xxx

#Robb Stark x reader #Robb Stark x Y/n #Robb Stark imagine #Robb Stark fanfic #Robb Stark angst #Robb Stark fluff #Robb Stark humor #Nikki writes #Stark family feels #GoT imagines

[triple-sight-firebug]

Mason Vespa July 19 1996- December 14 2016 The ghost He captured a god and committed an Unforgivable crime. But he was spared by the God of Death Now he only wants to live again ╭━━━━━━━━━╮DEITY N/A╰━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━╮FACTION N/A╰━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━╮STATS Health ✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧ Strength ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ Speed ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧ Agility ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ Reflexes ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ Magic ✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ Intellect ✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧ Charisma ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ Willpower ✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ Luck ✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧╰━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━╮RELATIONS MATE BEST FRIEND: Evan FRIEND FRIEND FRIEND COLLEAGUE COLLEAGUE ENEMY Match/ Naperone╰━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━╮LIKES Drawing Science fiction Animals╰━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━╮DISLIKES Match/Naperone His illness Being dead╰━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━╮FEARS ] Dying again His illness returning Hearing the dead╰━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━╮LINKS X X X X X X X X X X X ╰━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╮Personality Quiet, closed off a reserved on the outside, but get to know him and you'll find a hopeless romantic and a creative individual.╰━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╮Early Years Born on Earth in America. His mother was Hispanic and grew up in Mexico, his father was white. He has cheerful memories of his childhood and good memories with both of his parents. He had always had a creative side and his parents were excited to cheer him on to follow his dreams.╰━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╯ ╭━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╮Bio Mason Vespa was once a young human. He lived on Earth, was a United States citizen and had an interest in all kinds of science fiction. All of that became meaningless when he was targeted by a god at the age of 18. The god of Death, Dios de Muerto Cursed Mason for no reason other than the fact he was angry and had no other way of venting his emotions than tormenting mortals. Muerto used to be a cruel god. He didn’t see the value in mortal life. He thought he had the right to kill them as he please being the god of Death. Muerto’s a different person now, but he cannot take back what he did to Mason. He made Mason listen to the voices of the dead. Mason’s Curse was emotionally damaging to his mental health and even after his Curse was lifted the symptoms of the mental illness he had before the Curse had worsened. Mason had been schizophrenic since he was 16 or 17. Mason, as an attempt to rid himself of his Curse found out how to summon Muerto. He captured Muerto, locked him in a cage and tortured him. Muerto’s limbs were weighed down with a metal that prevented him from using his magic or defending himself. Mason now regrets his actions. He now realizes that Muerto was just an abused child who was forced to take on a responsibility he could not handle. It was wrong of Muerto to Curse Mason, but it was also wrong of Mason to attack him back. Both Mason and Muerto have nightmares from the horrible things they did to each other. After Muerto was released and Mason’s Curse was lifted they settled an agreement with each other. When Mason died Muerto would spare him from eternal punishment (the capture and torture of a god is considered an Unforgivable crime in the god’s laws) and let him live in his own Palace, as long as Mason kept out of god business. It was all Muerto could do to make up for his actions. Mason lived for two years after being Cursed before he committed suicide. If he were to answer why he did it, he would respond that it was complicated. How does anyone describe their feelings when they feel there is no other option but to take their own life? He was in a dark place. He was overcome with an illness. He was unemployed because his Curse had forced him to drop out of high school. He had a boyfriend named Jebediah, and he loved him. But it wasn’t enough. Mason doesn’t like to think about that day. He just wishes he didn’t do it. But he accepts that what happened happened and he cannot reverse his death. He has spent over a hundred years as a ghost. Muerto kept his promise. And Mason kept his most of the time. He didn’t exactly stay out of god business. But there was no harm done. Mason spent most of his time being dead reflecting on his life. He wished he could have said goodbye to his family and boyfriend, but how could he? They would have tried to save him and at the time he didn’t want to be saved. He hated that he made them suffer. Even after they all passed away he found he didn’t want to see them. They had grown old without him and he was afraid of what they would say to him after so many years. He also wished he had finished one of his stories. He liked to write and made comics. He was in the process of drafting a science fiction novel about a boy who traveled to the future and found that history had been changed. It was supposed to be a grand novel with aliens, genetic modification, monsters, robots and young love. But he had lost the inspiration for his novel after his Curse. But being dead allowed it to come back. Only problem he had no one to share his ideas with. He couldn’t talk to Muerto. He could never be friends with him after everything that happened. But lucky for Mason he did still have one friend. Evan Fear was the only mortal turned god. Muerto turned him into a god as an apology for Cursing him too. The reason why Mason didn’t get turned into a god too was because Muerto only had the power to turn one mortal into a god and Evan’s soul would have eventually turned into nothing if he hadn’t been turned into a god. So no godhood for Mason. After a hundred years of hanging out with Evan, Mason and him quickly became best friends. They were an odd combo. Mason was usually pretty quiet unless he was explaining his stories, while Evan was a chatter box. But now the Underworld is in Chaos and Mason and Evan just barely escaped. They fell through a portal to another world. Mason found himself in the body of a dragon. He was no longer a ghost, but alive. He stumbled his way to clan Ton Theon just like Muerto and the other gods did. Mason is thrilled to be alive again, but after a hundred years of being dead he has a lot to get used to. He often forgets to eat and he forgets he can no longer walk through walls or float. He also has to get used to being a dragon. Walking on four legs is awkward and so are the wings. He doesn’t understand any of the clan members, but he’s trying to learn their language. Experiencing a language barrier is something he never thought he’d have to experience. Since he was young he was fluent in both English and Spanish. His mother was Hispanic so Spanish was his first language. Growing up in a mostly English speaking community was fun because everyone was always so impressed with his double languages. But now he has found himself struggling to pronounce the dragons’ odd words. But he knows he’ll get used to it. Once he grows accustomed to the new language he plans to continue his novel. He also hopes that maybe, just maybe he might find some new romance in this new life of his. Mason just can’t help being a hopeless romantic sometimes. He’s thankful and happy for this second chance, but one thing has been worrying him. He’s afraid that his illness will come back. But so far he hasn’t shown any symptoms. Only time will tell.

#dragon mason #tcotg