Absolutely crushed that I can't contribute to this fandom without wrecking these perfect stats

do you think my dad would be mad at me if i wore my ”best dad ever” shirt today

the battle between the starks and the lannisters at the twins in got is actually a battle between the parenting of ned stark and tywin lannister.

this is the first battle to which tyrion brings his vale mountain clan soldiers and tywin places him in the left vanguard, essentially as a diversion/sacrifice. he does not share his strategy, as outlined above, with tyrion because he claims he doesn't 'trust' him. he assumes tyrion will fail and so when he succeeds, it upsets his plans.

he expects as little from robb stark, an untried boy. but what he doesn't understand is that ned has prepared his son for leadership. he hasn't hoarded his authority from him, desperate for dominance over everyone including his family. he's brought robb with him when he carried out his duties as a lord. he's educated him in battle strategy but more importantly, he has not glamorised war to him. robb is not eager to go plunging into battle and he's not battling for the sake of it. he knows the burden of his responsibility as a lord and he even knows when to delegate it: tywin's first shock was that the freys were in the stark host because robb trusted his mother to negotiate a hard bargain on his behalf. all of this contrasts tywin's neglect of tyrion and even his adulation of jaime's prowess - in the same chapter before the battle, he admonishes tyrion: "does the thought of facing the stark boy unman you, tyrion? your brother jamie would be eager to come to grips with him." ironically the kind of foolhardy behaviour he expects and criticises from robb, he encourages in jaime. this is because tywin doesn't actually want an heir to succeed his rule, he wants a shiny trophy to flatter it. only of course, tywin is not immortal. as this chapter foreshadows, his inability to parent or relinquish any power will be his undoing.

propaganda:

✅️ "Tall hot buff German shadow man who shot his wife, he's single and never misses his shot"

✅️ "you have the correct choice, and the gets shot from across the globe choice"

✅️ "butterfly man would be so comforting to fuck like he would be reassuring you the entire time and have expert aftercare. frei would fuck you until youre senseless and then leave. smash both"

✅️ "Would fuck you until you're seeing stars, he'll dominate you in every single way, 15/10"

✅️ "not propaganda but I'd let Der Freischütz get me pregnant"

✅️ "if he shot me i'd thank him"

✅️ "hello, wellcheers anon here. but for people who say frei would dom you during sex, allow me to offer an alternative interpretation: frei has been cutting off any and all significant social interaction for the past several thousand years probably. imagine the touch-starvation, the neediness, the low thrum of nervousness (because it has been a long time, so long he's almost forgotten). the shudders at the first touches at his face and neck (he keeps himself so covered up, another barrier between himself and the world. when was the last time someone had touched him so?) that would move into outright trembling as time goes on. imagine making this dour and imposing devil keen and cry into the sheets. he'd be so pegged guys. "i can fix him (<<give him mindblowing healing sex)".

sub!frei is a possibility that NEEDS to be explored more and by god i will put the idea out there if it kills me.

also there was a freixfuneral fic that played with frei having an oral fixation and,,,,, bruh,,,,,"

The Name List

Organized from A-Z (yes I will add more names whenever I find more I like, probably in reblogs)

I currently have 1035 names (and that’s only including the first names. I have a list of last names, too.)

Angel, Atticus, Atlas, Apollo, Ares, Athena, Achilles, Artemis, Adonis, Avery, Aubrey, Aubry, Aceline, Ashlynn, Aislinn, Anjanette, Arthur, Archer, Addison, Arrietty, Amity, Autumn, Alastor, Alastair, Alasdair, Alistair, Alison, Arren, Arin, Astra, Aoife, Adalyn, Adeleine, Astoria, Agnes, Angus, Abigail, Ann, Anne, Ambrose, Adeline, Avarsel, Agatha, Ari, Azariah, Aniyah, Armani, Anastasia, Annabelle, Adah, Adelaide, Avis, Amelia, August, Axel, Adelina, Amir, Amin, Ayala, Arne, Averett, Adil, Astro, Ava, Anti, Ailun, Akemi, Asahi, Akari, Asako, Atsuko, Azumi, Aka, Aren, Akko

Blossom, Bambi, Babs, Bo, Bella, Blair, Bea, Bonnabel, Badeea, Betty, Bailey, Boris, Bee, Bugs, Blaise, Benjamin, Bog, Buford, Beatrice, Bryce, Bryan, Bazil, Brutus, Bellamy, Brigitte, Bailee, Bailey, Bao, Belladona, Belladonna, Bell, Bill, Bishop, Bones, Boneothy, Benno, Behemoth, Barry, Bellynn, Bowie, Bunki

Clover, Canyon, Cleo, Cameron, Celestial, Celestino, Ciro, Camilo, Cain, Charlotte, Clara, Corey, Cin, Charlie, Cassidy, Chiara, Callista, Cisco, Cynthia, Casper Clinton, Celestina, Clement, Christopher, Cornelius, Clifford, Claudius, Carey, Carrie, Coatl, Cyrus, Cyril, Cecil, Caisus, Castiel, Calla, Cosmos, Cherry, Cheryl, Crowley, Crow, Cassius, Cliodna, Clíodhna, Cliona, Conan, Cordelia, Calypso, Cas, Cillian, Chiyo, Chiaki, Chihiro, Calcifer

Danny, Darlene, Dex, Dot, Diana, Daphne, Demeter, Daedalus, Daeddel, Darphel, Dawn, Derrick, Derek, Dravan, Dravid, Drae, Dallas, Dimas, Dominic, Damien, Drew, Delilah, Dakota, Darian, Darius, Darwin, Devan, Darla, Dagmar, Daelyn, Dale, Dae, Dacey, Desmond, Dabria, Daniel, Daniela, Danialla, David, Davis, Donnel, Dennis, Demitrius, Delaney, Daiki, Daiyu

Everest, Emery, Ember, Elliott, Elliot, Earlana, Eliseo, Ezequiel, Emie, Evan, Eloise, Eric, Emmet, Elizabeth, Eugene, Ethan, Eret, Ester, Elias, Eos, Ellis, Edwin, Ebony, Elijah, Eliza, Enzo, Elissa, Edward, Eddalyn, Esther, Eda, Edalyn, Edalynn, Edison, Eddison, Estervan, Emma, Eden, Erfan, Eun-hae, Erytheia, Egan, Errol, Eiichi, Eiji, Eriko, Etsu, Etsuko, Eiichiro, Ezume

Flint, Finn, Fae, Fred, Fritz, Fang, Frankie, Frank, Fermin, Freddie, Freddy, Finley, Freya, Fai, Felix, Freda, Faolan, Frey, Feylynn, Faelynn, Failynn, Felipa, Febby, Febbie, Febie, Feby, Flynn, Fuji, Feiyu, Fukiko, Fumitaka, Fumito, Fuyuko

Griffin, Garnet, Gothi, Gertrude, Gabe, Grant, Giovanni, George, Gage, Gregory, Gabriel, Gabrielle, Guy, Gilbert, Guadalupe, Gerry, Grey, Gray, Gia, Grace, Gracian, Gracis, Gracie, Gretel, Gideon, Griffilow, Ghost, Ghazaleh, Gavin, Gryphon, Griffith, Goliath, Grayson, Greyson

Harmony, Hannah, Harlei, Harlie, Haritha, Haris, Harry, Harlan, Harvey, Hadrian, Harley, Hari, Harlow, Howl, Hank, Harper, Herbert, Humphrey, Hestia, Helios, Hephaestus, Hollis, Hunter, Hero, Henry, Helda, Hajar, Hasta, Hadis, Howard, Howie, Hannan, Haoyu, Hisako, Hachi, Hiroto, Hoshiko, Honoka, Hiroshi, Hiro, Haitao, Hamako, Haruhi, Harue, Hayate, Hide, Hideyo, Hidetaka, Hisaye, Hisayo, Heiji, Higari

Ivy, Ivey, Ivo, Ida, Iris, Ilyssa, Illy, Irene, Iren, Isaiah, Ira, Idelle, Ivan, Illaoi, Isabel, Isabell, Isabelle, Isobell, Isabella, Ismelda, Io, Ismael, Isolt, Icarus, izuru, Isamu, Itona, Ichiro, Ichiko, Ichigo, Isoko, Ishiko, Isaye, Inari, Ikuko, Itsuki, Itsuko, Inosuke

Juniper, Jupiter, Jinx, Jamie, Javier, Josiah, Joan, Jake, Julia, Jamil, Jamila, Jesse, Jessie, Jess, Jasper, Janus, Jordan, Joshua, Julian, Juilliard, Julius, Juliana, Jeremiah, Jace, June, Junebug, Jazzy, Jackson, Jackie, Jackalynn, Jodie, Johnnie, Jan, Jaime, Jason, Jorge, Justin, Justice, John, Jay, Janelle, James, Jennifer, Jillion, Jill, Jana, Jonah, Jaycee, Jaxen, Junpei, Jona, Jun, Jin

Kenneth, Kat, Kas, Kris, Keith, Kingston, Kaeton, Kingsley, Kent, Katherine, Kyle, Knox, Kristen, Kristin, Kristeen, Kylie, Kaylee, Kamila, Kehlani, Kendall, Kerry, Kry, Kenny, Kath, Kathleen, Krow, Kix, Kedrick, Kennon, Klaus, Killian, Korallia, Krank, Kaz, Kaede, Kirara, Katsuhiko, Keisuke, Kanako, Kenji, Kaemon, Kamin, Katsu, Kaki, Kazane, Kazuyuki, Kazushige, Kenta, Kei, Kimi, Kin, Kohako, Koichi, Kota, Koji, Koharu, Kosuke, Kuma, Kumi, Kuniko, Kuniyuki, Kideko, Kazuko

Lullaby, Lotte, Lapin, Lorelei, Loralai, Lorelai, Luna, Lily, Lucy, Lee, Liana, Lola, Lethe, Lance, Laurence, Luther, Luca, Lennon, Logan, Lennox, Ilias, Liu, Lui, Luis, Lefu, Liam, Lyall, Lowell, Luella, Leona, Leonie, Leon, Lev, Lincoln, Lin, Link, Laverna, Lazarus, Lewis, Louis, Louise, Levi, Leslie, Lesley, Leilana

Marley, Marlai, Mei, May, Mae, Marceline, Marshall, Marshalee, Millie, Mallorie, Marcela, Melanie, Maddison, Mary, Mirabel, Marsh, Murphy, Montgomery, Mildred, Memphis, Molly, Maverick, Maurice, Muiris, Morgen, Max, Moses, Marion, Merrill, Monroe, Melanthios, Maxwell, Matias, Melissa, Maëlle, Marlene, Meredith, Maybelle, Margaret, Maeve, Moss, Mara, Maria, Myrtle, Mona, Mark, Markus, Michael, Micheal, Michelle, Mahsa, Minoo, Mehdi, Mohammad, Matin, Morpheus, Marlowe, Monica, Marilia, Magnus, Malachi, Malachy, Maggie, Makoto, Megumi, Mio, Maemo, Maemi, Masa, Masaaki, Masashi, Michi, Midori, Michinori, Momo, Motoko

Natasha, Noelle, Noni, Neville, Nixon, Neda, Natalio, Ned, Nausicaä, Noxis, Nova, Nathen, Newt, Noah, Nash, Nox, Nathara, Nathaira, Nathair, Nyoka, Nagisa, Nathan, Nate, Nik, Nick, Naohiro, Naoko, Nara, Natsu, Naoya, Nishi, Nobuko, Nori

Olindo, Ollie, Oliver, Ophelia, Odysseus, Orion, Osono, Oxen, Onyx, Otto, Ottoline, Otitile, Ottavia, Octavio, Olivia-Marie, Oakley, Omar, Olivia, Oscar, Octavian, Octavia, Oz, Octavius, Otta, Oisin, Orson, Orlos, Osiris, Owen, Odalis, Odell, Ozuru

Penelope, Patton, Paddy, Percy, Paulie, Page, Pazu, Phoebe, Phebe, Prairie, Porter, Parlay, Pally, Piper, Parker, Payton, Phil, Paul, Philip, Pyre, Piers, Phylis, Patricia, Payne, Payneton, Pip

Quinn, Quincy, Quil, Quinley, Quinstin, Quinlan, Quillen, Quavon, Quaylon, Quensley, Qing, Qrow, Quilla, Quianna, Quita, Qiao, Quinella, Queenie, Qaylah, Qailah, Qitarah, Quenby, Qadira, Qudsiyah, Quan, Qian, Quinby, Quella

Roseline, Raul, Rahul, Rafael, Roque, Rogelio, Remmy, Rei, Rey, Ray, Robin, Ro, Reika, Rowen, Rowan, Rose, Rosie, Ralsei, Riley, Remus, Rosalyn, Rosalin, Rosaline, Renata, Ron, Rat, Ratt, Reef, Roxy, River, Reed, Rufus, Robbie, Renee, Rivia, Ross, Rex, Ruth, Rosemary, Rosabe, Rosabee, Rosabell, Rosabelle, Rosabel, Rai, Rain, Rosella, Rosalie, Rhody, Robert, Raelinn, Rebane, Ren, Rollin, Ralph, Roxanne, Rox, Roderick, Reginald, Reggie, Rio, Ryu, Ryo, Ryoji, Rinmaru

Sage, Sam, Syd, Selkie, Storig, Sal, Sirius, Summer, Susie, Scott, Sunni, Sosuke, Sophie, Satsuki, Sheeta, San, Sulley, Sully, Savannah, Sappho, Selene, Shaw, Sean, Seán, Shaun, Sawyer, Sabrina, Sebastian, Shane, Stan, Socks, Snom, Stolas, Spencer, Sammie, Stevie, Samus, Sarff, Sullivan, Seth, Susiebell, Susiebelle, Sadreddin, Shellaine, Sverre, Saoirse, Sylvania, Sanae, Silas, Sumi, Shiori, Shinzu, Sile

Toby, Tobias, Teddy, Ted, Tomas, Thomas, Tomothy, Tyche, Taiga, Tundra, Tracy, Timothy, Troy, Tatum, Tommie, Tommy, Theia, Tae, Trix, Trixy, Thanathos, Tod, Todd, Toddy, Tora, Torie, Theodore, Theo, Theophania, Talos, Thanatos, Teddy, Tomohito, Tazu, Tanjirou, Touya

Ulysses, Urijah, Uriyah, Urina, Ukiah, Ulnar, Ursula, Ulric

Virgil, Vanessa, Vito, Venacio, Vylad, Veronica, Valentina, Violet, Velma, Venus, Verna, Veld, Victoria, Victorie, Vinyl, Vincent, Vasuki, Vex, Valor, Valentine, Valerie, Valeria, Valerius, Vitoria, Vic, Victor, Vik, Vikktor, Viktor, Vick, Vicky, Vicke, Vickie, Vidya

Wynn, Willow, Warren, Wilbur, Wylie, Will, Walle, Whisp, Wade, Wendell, Wendy, Willard, Wes, Wallace, Wilber, Wyatt, Wybie, Wynnie, Wennie, Winnie, Wynnston, Wynston, Wynsten, Wiles

Xenophon, Xuan, Xio, Xori, Xanthos, Xander, Xavier

Yen, Yukio, Yae, Yoko, Yume, Yaeko, Yui, Yuzuki

Zane, Zana, Zion, Zachary, Zach, Zachariah, Zander, Ziana, Zoe, Zula, Zenix, Zenith, Zaharia, Zaria, Zack, Zakaeia, Zara, Zakaria, Zev, Zaira, Zanata

How hugging my least favourite NPCs would go:

Harkon: he wraps you up in his arms and sways you from side to side, and it would be nice if only you didn’t know that you were being lulled into a false sense of security. He tells you sweet things, he tells you he’s so proud of you, but you know that he is only saying such things because he views you as his prized possession. You’re not a person, you’re an object. You’re his object. He might tell you that he loves you, but you can see it in those hollow, unfeeling eyes that whilst he appears to be looking in yours, he’s admiring his own reflection. Because mirrors do not work.

Isran: as your arms close around him, you feel cowardice and rage emanating from him. You are merely a means to an end, a dog to do his dirty work. He only holds you to be polite, and you regret thinking that you could squeeze any sort of affection out of him, for his embrace is colder than that of any vampire. He is stiff and unforgiving. You can feel that he doesn’t care, and that your sentiment irritates him.

Astrid: She leans into you out of cordiality, yet something tells you that she feels threatened by your very presence. She squeezes you, holding you in such an uncomfortably tight embrace that you feel as if any tighter, and your ribs would crack. You get the impression she is trying to assert some sort of dominance over you, and when you lean back, she simply says “Brother/Sister.” And plasters on a very rehearsed smile. It would be a lovely smile, if it reached her eyes. If her eyes weren’t black as the night. If she didn’t look at you like a blood-sniffing shark. You’re sure that if you were truly alone, you would have pulled back to find a blade running you through.

Ulfric: He pulls you in and roughly slaps your back with all the grandiose machismo of very worst of men. His embrace exudes a false sense of equality and brotherhood, but he doesn’t believe that for a second. He believes that you are thick as thieves, that you’re his friend. He reeks of ale and mead, and somewhere underneath all of it, you feel a peculiar sort of emptiness. He might be a broken man, masking it all with a need for control and a drive for power. He thinks your love for him is unconditional.

Orthjolf: Of all the vampires in Harkon’s court, he is the worst, next to Harkon himself. The way he grips your arms is a threat, and if you weren’t already dead, you’re sure he’d leave bruises. He doesn’t ask you if you’re loyal to him. He tells you. You feel insecurity radiating from him somewhere underneath it all. Insecurity and disgust. Whether his disgust is aimed at you, or himself, you will never know. Over your shoulder, he is looking at Harkon, and you feel his envy, his idolisation of the Vampire Lord. He wants to be him. He wants to be Harkon, he wants that power over everyone, including you, and he wants you to be his favourite pet. You’re nothing more than a blood-bank to him, and someone to validate his heinous personality. You’re a fool if you think he loves you.

Mercer Frey: He lets out an uncomfortable parody of a friendly laugh. He reeks. He stinks of ale, of body odour, of damp corridors and muggy rooms. There’s something slimy and underhand about his body language, and you realise that - as you painstakingly hold him - he has never felt the touch of a man or woman. His hands are tempted to wander, to claim. His breath would make you recoil in disgust if you weren’t so polite, remnants of vomit from the morning’s hangover clinging to his lips. He smiles at you, and his teeth are caked with filth. He almost refuses to let go of you, and for a moment, you feel like you are in danger. He tells you not to be a stranger, and your guts roil with repulsion. You are left feeling somewhat violated.

Fem!Robb x Tywin please! Those two are my secret crackship! Let's call him Robyn and she leads the Northmen and while not physically fighting, she's great at planning and strategies and wins them all the victories. She also agrees to marry Frey and on the wedding, Northmen are ambushed by Tywin but this time he promises to spare her mother and the rest of the Northmen from Red Wedding if she surrenders and marries him. She does and the two are married and Tywin is very scary and dominating and obsessed with her on their wedding night.

Maybe something like "I've never met a woman like you. Beautiful and smart, all in one. I knew I had to keep you." And she's basically his prisoner in King's Landing after they return and he isolates her and blackmail her (using her sisters and brothers lives as threats) to keep her submissive and he just LOVES fucking and breeding her?

Part 2:

Hey, I'm the Female Robb x Tywin one! Just to add a headcanon I have for them. Robyn is as meek and quiet as Alicent is with Viserys in bed, except Tywin forces her to orgasm and is very vocal in bed. Keeps telling her how tight and sweet she is. How she's gonna make a fantastic mother and basically baby traps her into falling in love with him?

Maybe a short extra smut in the one shot where Robyn tries to take moon tea and Tywin spanks her and promises to bed her twice as often (he already fucks her every night) to ensure she's pregnant? Please? I loved your Fem Daemon one! Please let me have my Robb x Tywin!! AN: Loved the idea and i hope you like this too xx

NSFW

It was for the good of her people, Robyn thought to herself as she shakily watched her now Lord husband move into the room. She knew it was thanks to him there would be no public bedding ceremony; the thought had long terrified her but she was still not calm. The thin, near see through night shift bore her to him completely. 

“I know this is not what you had planned, in many ways.” Tywin whispered over his shoulder. The fire burned beside them both; warming the room but still Robyn shook. She softly gulped as she clasped her hands behind her back. “I will make it good for you - better than any Frey could have.” The old lion promised darkly.

“Tywin…” She whispered out; softly gulping as he stalked closer. There was something in his eyes she couldn't describe as he so gently cupped your face. “I have wanted you for so long.” He purred his secret. The cat and mouse war games had only wet his appetite even more for the she-wolf. 

“So beautiful and smart…” Tywin continued to purr. His hand moved up and down her sides causing Robyn to gasp out even more. Gods, she knew it was coming but everything was happening so fast. It had not been two days since she was at her own wedding; one that never came to be.

His hands moved past the sides of her breasts. “You do not have to worry.” Tywin purred. His body brushed against her. His bare chest was more muscular than she had thought it was and she scolded herself for staring. The lion only chuckled as he leaned in; lips brushing before the kiss deepened. 

The sweet wolf whimpered against him but Tywin took the lead. He only grew harder at the thought of Robyn’s innocence; all she would know was him, he’d make sure of it. “Good girl.” He whispered, brushing their noses together before his tongue was forcing itself inside her hot mouth.

Her dark eyes were so wide as Tywin gently guided her back against the bed. He watched in delight as she fell back; bouncing with her soft breasts moving too. Fuck, he was too old for this. He should have had Robyn married to his son but they were all so useless. Tywin could only trust himself.

His greedy hands were soon on her as he began to crawl up the bed. His body hovering over Robyn’s sweet body. “Tywin…. “ She whimpered out some more as her breasts softly moved with her breathing. The lion did not listen as he leaned in; his hot mouth taking her clothed breast with his lips.

Robyn cried out as the new sensations moved through her body and had her arching from the bed. “Oh ..oh gods…” She whimpered out as his free hand moved towards her breast and began to palm her. “No Gods here, only me.” Tywin purred into her ear as he ripped the thin layer from her. 

His hands moved over her now bare body as he stared in near awe. Robyn was all his now. The thought alone had him smirking. “I’ll give you pleasure you’ve never known but I need to be inside you now.” She gently began to shake her head; gulping as Tywin’s hand tugged his own pants down.

“Shh, that’s it…you can take me.” Tywin purred. He moved up her body and nearly groaned when her soft, ample breasts brushed against his chest. “Oh, fuck..you are so tight.” He purred as his fat cock was slowly; inch by inch pushing inside her. Her hands moved onto his chest to push him away.

Her legs shook as the pain and pleasure moved through her mind. Robyn’s body shook as she reached for the sheets and tightened her grip on them. “Good girl..taking me so well, you were made for it.” Tywin purred; his thrusts still slow as he watched the erotic sight of her taking his cock.

“You have the body to be bred.” Tywin hummed. His hips rocking as his hands slowly moved over her body. He groped those ample breasts of hers and squeezed them; envisioning them filled with milk. “Good girl.” He purred and leaned closer. The action had his cock slipping deeper.

He watched in delight at how her face screwed up in pleasure. “Do you like this now?” Tywin cruelly teased; his thrusts quickening. The lion was not going to last long - but neither were you.

~

The sight of the wolf in his house colours only had Tywin becoming harder. Their argument the evening before for Robyn to see her family had ended with him fucking her from behind. His fingers stuffed in her arse with a threat of him taking her there. It had her soft for him, he thought it did anyway.

It seemed he’d underestimated his little wolf. “I thought I told you what a wonderful mother you would make.” He purred darkly into her ear. His hands roughly palmed on her now red arse as she whimpered prettily into his ear. The lion took no notice as he kept Robyn impossibly close against him.

“I think you want me to fuck you all day, every day.” Tywin purred; he bit into her neck and had her moaning out. His hand came down on her arse once more and the little wolf was trying to escape. “I will do…every morning and night …even more.” He whispered and soon he captured her soft lips.

Robyn moaned and whimpered; melting against him as her body still shook at the spanks he’d given her. His hand slowly fisted his cock; brushing his fat head against your clit that had you shaking even more. “You won’t see your family today…another punishment.” Tywin hummed just as she took him in.

Tywin was never going to allow her to see her family - but Robyn did not have to know this. She could blame herself as he made her bounce on his cock. Soon, she would be full of his heirs and all his. He licked up her chest as her head fell back. It seemed pleasure had unlocked something inside her.

She was addicted to it; to him even as the young wolf tried to escape it. “Good girl..that’s it.” His fat head brushed against her spongy spot time and time again until she was squirting around him. Still, Tywin did not stop. He only thrust harder and faster; his hold on her side only tightening.

Celebrate Aromantic Awareness Week with Our 8 Favorite Books with Aro Characters!

To celebrate #aromanticawarenessweek, we asked our contributors (some of whom chose to remain anonymous) to recommend their favorite books with aromantic characters (some explicit, some implied).

Here are our 8 favorites!

Loveless by Alice Oseman This is the funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of Georgia, who doesn’t understand why she can’t crush and kiss and make out like her friends do. She’s surrounded by the narrative that dating + sex = love. It’s not until she gets to college that she discovers the A range of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum — coming to understand herself as asexual/aromantic. Disrupting the narrative that she’s been told since birth isn’t easy — there are many mistakes along the way to inviting people into a newly found articulation of an always-known part of your identity. But Georgia’s determined to get her life right, with the help of (and despite the major drama of) her friends.

Commit to the Kick by Tris Lawrence For eighteen years, Alaric has lived under the cloying politics of family and his Clan community. His freshman year is supposed to be a chance to explore a world where Clan and his shapeshifting Talent isn’t central to his life. But when his inner bear bursts forth during his first football game, endangering those around him, Alaric realizes that it’s not so easy to ignore his past, or his own internalized anger. In his quest for anger management, Alaric begins to train in taekwondo, and makes new friends in both sports. He finds that he is creating his own small community, where Clan, Mages, other Talents, and even humans come together and build their own found family. When Alaric receives news that something has happened to his brother Orson, he must return and deal with his Clan and his place in their world. He discovers that old prejudices are still strong between Clan and Mage communities, but that both may be in danger from a creature long thought to be only a legend. Alaric must figure out how to move forward and prevent a war and protect both his home and newly built communities, his found family with him every step of the way.

The Graverobbers’ Chronicles by Xu Lei Uncle Three loves good food, good booze, good card games, and bad women–and he’s never found a grave he wouldn’t rob. He can’t help it – it’s in his blood – grave robbing has been the family business for centuries. So when his bookseller nephew comes to him with a map to an ancient tomb, Uncle Three sets off to find it, in the company of some grave-robbing colleagues, his nerdy nephew, and a strange poker-faced guy that nobody can quite figure out. Uncle Three knows that the grave he seeks will lead him and his companions to “another kind of world,” but not even he could ever imagine what they are about to find. Lost in a labyrinthine cavern that is full of dead bodies, Uncle Three and his comrades fight for their lives as they come up against vampires, corpse-eating bugs, and blood zombies.

The Devil’s Luck by L. S. Baird Years ago, a foolish wastrel once played a hand of cards with the devil… and lost. Now Frey has inherited his uncle’s double curse: the Devil’s claim written on his body in crimson letters, and the impossibly good luck that comes with it. Death is Frey’s only escape from his destiny, but not even Etienne, an expert assassin from the Order of the Crimson Seal, can defeat Frey’s luck alone. And when Etienne finds himself growing too fond of his victim, he doesn’t know if Frey’s good nature or the luck is to blame. However, Etienne will give his all to preventing the Archdemon’s return, even if his all includes wearing a corset, and killing a friend.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid – a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

In Good Company by Nicola Kapron Haruki no longer remembered what had been going through his head the first time he’d killed. All he recalled was the sight of those he’d once loved with all the helpless force of a scared, scarred child covered in red and utterly still. He hadn’t felt grief or triumph when he realized they weren’t struggling anymore. He’d just felt— Empty. Better to be hollow than to despair.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions–much good it did me. So begins Kaikeyi’s story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on legends of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear. Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her. But as the evil from her childhood tales threatens the cosmic order, the path she has forged clashes with the destiny the gods have chosen for her family. Kaikeyi must decide if resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak–and what legacy she intends to leave behind.

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace New Liberty City, 2134. Two corporations have replaced the US, splitting the country’s remaining forty-five states (five have been submerged under the ocean) between them: Stellaxis Innovations and Greenleaf. There are nine supercities within the continental US, and New Liberty City is the only amalgamated city split between the two megacorps, and thus at a perpetual state of civil war as the feeds broadcast the atrocities committed by each side. Here, Mallory streams Stellaxis’s wargame, SecOps on BestLife, spending more time jacked in than in the world just to eke out a hardscrabble living from tips. When a chance encounter with one of the game’s rare super-soldiers leads to a side job for Mal–looking to link an actual missing girl to one of the SecOps characters. Mal’s sudden burst in online fame rivals her deepening fear of what she is uncovering about BestLife’s developer, and puts her in the kind of danger she’s only experienced through her avatar.

Recommendations contributed by Nina Waters, softestpunk, Adrian Harley, and others.

Also: did you know? Duck Prints Press’s owner, Nina Waters, is aro! We’re an aro-owned company!

Who we are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to help fanfiction authors navigate the complex process of bringing their original works from first draft to print, culminating in publishing their work under our imprint. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and publishing stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Love what we do? Want to make sure you don’t miss the announcement for future giveaways? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more! Want to support the Press, read about us behind-the-scenes, learn about what’s coming down the pipeline, get exclusive teasers, and claim free stories? Back us on Patreon or ko-fi monthly!

Du glaubst du hast sie nackt gesehen.

Du denkst du hast sie nackt gesehen, weil sie sich vor dir ausgezogen hat?

Erzähle mir von ihren Träumen. Erzähle mir, was ihr Herz bricht.

Erzähle mir, was sie begeistert und was sie zum Weinen bringt.

Erzähle mir von ihrer Kindheit.

Besser noch, erzähle mir eine Geschichte über sie, in der du nicht vorkommst!

Du hast ihre Haut gesehen und ihren Körper berührt.

Und doch weißt du von ihr genauso viel wie über ein Buch, das du einst gefunden hast, und doch nie dazu kamst, es ganz zu lesen ... ♡

[Dominic-Matthew Jackson, danke Übersetzt frei: mara.asura Reminder Art by Pinterest]

@Shadow - Light and Love

In honor of Upload season 3 being out, like for a starter from:

Stephen (Robbie Amell, Froy Gutierrez, Oliver Stark, Rudy Pankow, Chris Evans, Casey Deidrick)

Luca (Max thieriot) - His Twin

Bellamy (Grant Gustinm Rome Flynn) - Younger brother

Preston (Matt Cornett, Ed Skrein, Grey Damon) - His younger brother (although he has his own starter call so for him that one may have priority)

Allen (Brant Daugherty) - His next younger brother

Eric (Chris Wood, Lucien Laviscount) - His babiest brother

Jace (Dominic Sherwood) - His adoptive brother

Phillip Halliwell-Ward (Paul Mescal) - His son

Eri Halliwell-Ward (Danny Griffin) - His son

TJ Halliwell-Ward (Will Poulter) - His son

Sebastian Halliwell-Montgomery (Jack Gillinsky) - His son

Roman (Luke Mitchell) - His best friend

Astor (Mason Gooding) - His best friend

Frey (Dacre Montgomery) - Past life’s lover

Colt (Ryan Reynolds) - His brother-in-law

Prue (Jensen Ackles) - His dad

Andy Jr (Chris Hemsworth) - His cousin from dad's side

Piper (Murray Bartley) - His uncle

David Nolan (Josh Dallas) - His uncle

Wyatt (Jeremy Allen White) - Cousin

Mel (Tom Holland) - Cousin

Phelan (Frank Grillo) - His uncle

Teddy (Max Riemelt, Joshua Orpin) - Cousin

Derek (Tyler Hoechlin) - Cousin

Phoenix (Matt Daddario, Joshua Bassett) - Cousin

Percy (Greg Sulkin) - Cousin

Parker (Brenton Thwaites) - Cousin

Peyton (Gavin Leatherwood) - Cousin

Page (Tahmoh Penikett) - Uncle

Owen (Tom Hardy, Pablo Schreiber) - Cousin

Joel (Glen Powell, Michael Provost) - son of Owen

Tanner (Jacob Elordi) - Cousin

Keith (Nico Greetham) - Cousin

Henry (Ronen Rubinstein,Karl Urban) - Cousin

Brendon (Leo Howard, Oliver Jackson Cohen) - Cousin

Kody Jr (Tanner Buchanan) - Son of Tanner

Piers (Christopher Meloni) - Gramps

Alan (Tom Welling) - Distant ancestor

Charles (Craig Parker) - son of alan

Ken (Wes Chatham) - Son of alan

Xander (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) - distant relative

Colt (Ryan Reynolds) - Brother in law

Clive (Jake Aunstin Walker) - Son of Dacre

Yorick (Ryan Gosling) - His familiar

Penn (Oliver Jackson Cohen) - Long distant relative direct descendant from his uncle's past life

Porter (Max Irons) - Long distant relative direct descendant from his uncle's past life

Pascal or Prescott (Robert Buckley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan) - direct descendants from his father's past life

Patrick (David Harbour) - ^^ and the uncle of the ones above

Xavier Johnson (John Krasinski) - second uncle once removed

Bruno Johnson (Charlie Cox) - second uncle once removed

Gerard Johnson (Derek Theler) - second uncle once removed

Dacre Ward-Johnson (Boyd Holbrook) - second uncle once removed

JJ Johnson (Dylan OBrien) - second uncle once removed

John Johnson (Drew Starkey) - second cousin once removed

George Johnson (Harris Dickinson) - second cousin once removed

Because It is impossible for me to have them all open, I will stick to the few first set that are chosen, and stop there, if someone else is chosen and I don't haev a back and forth reply, then I will close that and make the starters for those I haven't made. I may do exclusively one liners as my brain is not in the right place right now though.

On Monday, a peace activist from Be’er Sheva, in southern Israel, learned that his friend, Khalil Abu Yahia, a resident of the war-torn Gaza Strip, had been killed in an Israeli air strike. “He was one of the organisers of the Great March of Return,” said Yossef Mekyton, visibly shaken and emotional when referring to the March 2018 to December 2019 pro-Palestinian protests held along the Israel-Gaza border. “And he was killed with his whole family.” Mekyton, an Israeli citizen, has long supported the rights of the Palestinians. But since the events of October 7 – when Hamas fighters breached the Gaza border with Israel, killing some 1,400 Israelis, prompting an unprecedented scale of bombardment on the Palestinian enclave – Mekyton says that many Israeli-based activists live in a climate of “fear”. “I think one of the most effective ways to commit suicide these days in Israel is to go out on the street with a Palestinian flag,” the graphic designer told Al Jazeera. While the treatment of activists felt threatening before October 7, it is “much more threatening” now, he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to destroy Hamas – which has controlled the impoverished Gaza Strip since 2007 – following the group’s incursion and kidnapping spree. But Israel’s relentless shelling of Gaza has killed 8,500 Palestinian civilians, including more than 3,500 children. Israeli troops claim that among the dead are several Hamas commanders. The Palestinian group has not yet announced any deaths of its fighters. Fear and panic have gripped most sections of Israeli society following the Hamas attacks, making the activities of Israel’s activist population more conspicuous than ever. “I am facing harassment by individuals on social media,” said Israeli Ofer Neiman, a pro-Palestinian resident of Jerusalem and supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is committed to putting political and economic pressure on Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian West Bank and blockade of the Gaza Strip. “Will it get worse? Yes, perhaps – it is concerning.” On October 28, dozens of Israelis attended an anti-war protest in Tel Aviv – widely regarded as a liberal city. “In terms of going out to demonstrate, I would feel reasonably safe in the Tel Aviv demonstration. But in other places, such as in Jerusalem where I live, I would not feel safe,” said Neiman. Right-wing voices ‘dominate’ discourse Last month, Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai warned there would be “zero tolerance” for domestic rallies supporting Gaza. But there are signs of a crackdown that go beyond protests. Israeli Jewish sociolinguist Uri Horesh recently announced that he had been suspended from his lecturing role at Israel’s Achva Academic College, citing his opposition to the attacks on Gaza as the reason for his dismissal. Israel Frey, an ultra-Orthodox Israeli journalist, was forced into hiding after expressing support for the people of Gaza – which he said made him the target of far-right activists. And it was reported that an Israeli citizen had been arrested on account of a publicly displayed sign. “There is no sanctity in an occupied city,” read the sign, which had reportedly been hung from the window of his Jerusalem home for years.

Revisiting the Rat Cook, Part 2: Prince-and-Bacon Pie, and Pork Crackling

This is the second part of a series where I'm examining the symbols and themes present in the "Rat Cook" story, as relayed by Bran in ASOS Bran IV, and search reappearances of those elements throughout the rest of ASOIAF.

This is the first part, as well as the long version of my introduction.

"Revisiting the Rat Cook" is predicated on the understanding that GRRM's use of metadiegetic legends provide a "road map" of symbols and meaning, used in their abstract form, which we, as readers, can use to better understand the relationships between symbols, motifs, and themes as they reoccur throughout ASOAIF as a whole.

Among other things, the Rat Cook story is about a rat which eats rats, or a cook who serves kings; The Rat Cook story is about fathers and sons, about cannibalism, about trust, about vengeance, and about damning one's legacy.

This is likely going to be a 9-part series, but ideally almost all of these parts will be able to stand on their own. Each post will inform the next as I build my analysis, but hopefully each individual post is also interesting in its own right.

"Prince-and-Bacon Pie"

Last time, we talked about Wyman Manderly's wedding pies, and his favorite, lamprey pies.

In the original Rat Cook story, though, the Andal King is allegedly served a bacon pie. “Prince-and-bacon pie”, Bran calls it, and he repeats later that a “rasher of bacon” was cooked into the prince pie. The idea of pork served alongside human flesh is given repeat attention in regard to the pie, but it extends elsewhere into the story as well:

When the Rat Cook is punished, in turn, and becomes a cannibal rat eating his own kind, he is transformed into an insatiable rat “as huge as a sow”. Unusually large for a rat, but he is certainly no longer a man, although perhaps close enough, if you trust the moniker “long pork”.

This connection remains true for Lord Manderly’s Frey pies. When they are served in ADWD The Prince of Winterfell, they are introduced as being pork pies:

“…three great wedding pies, as wide across as wagon wheels, their flaky crusts stuffed to bursting with carrots, onions, turnips, parsnips, mushrooms, and chunks of seasoned pork swimming in a savory brown gravy.

Manderly’s pie is nearly identical to the one served by the Rat Cook, with carrots, onions, mushrooms, and, most importantly, down to pork as the main meat—which is to be expected, as Manderly has all but admitted to his influences.

In fact, though, the association of cannibalism, pork, and even pies comes as early as AGOT Jon IV, when the readers are introduced to the notion offhand while the Night’s Watch recruits mock Samwell Tarly:

“I saw him eat a pork pie," Toad said, smirking. "Do you think it was a brother?"

Three-Finger Hobb is certainly not serving Dickon to Samwell, but it contains all the same connections that the Rat Cook story relies on: between cannibalism and one’s own family, children baked into pork pies. The phrase “rasher of bacon” from the Rat Cook story appears in this same interaction about Sam, doubling down on the associations:

"You girls do as you please," Rast said, "but if Thorne sends me against Lady Piggy, I'm going to slice me off a rasher of bacon."

Again, this early instance of bullying, which might instead be framed as the brutal hierarchy of interpersonal domination—or we might say, brothers turning against brothers—is depicted using the same motifs as literal cannibalism. Is it Sam’s blood brother who is a pork pie, or is it Sam, called pork by the men who would become his black brothers? These are brothers turning against their own, and it is the imagined transformation of a man into a pig.

The recruits are joking here, but the comparison between slicing up a human and slicing up pork was brought up with a much darker tone only three chapters earlier, in AGOT Arya II:

Jeyne Poole had told Arya that he'd cut him up in so many pieces that they'd given him back to the butcher in a bag, and at first the poor man had thought it was a pig they'd slaughtered.

It’s dark irony for Micah, the butcher’s boy, to be returned to his father butchered like a pig. It also evokes our Rat Cook story again, with a dead son delivered to his father; like the Andal king, Micah’s father thinks—for a moment—that he’s being given pork. Also present again is the nature of transformation that this death creates: the prince becomes a pork pie, and the Rat Cook becomes as big as a “sow”, just as much as Micah becomes a slaughtered pig.

When the Night’s Watch arrives at Craster’s Keep in ACOK Jon III, Jon finds the similarity again, noting that a pig about to be slaughtered sounds eerily human:

Nearby, a small girl pulled carrots from a garden, naked in the rain, while two women tied a pig for slaughter. The animal's squeals were high and horrible, almost human in their distress.

Immediately later in the same chapter, Dolorous Edd makes a wry joke about cannibalism:

Best leave the wolf outside, he looks hungry enough to eat one of Craster's children. Well, truth be told, I'm hungry enough to eat one of Craster's children, so long as he was served hot.

Just like with the Night’s Watch recruits, this is a joke, but Edd’s line about eating one of Craster’s children transforms the earlier scene into a more chilling image: we were presented with the human-sounding tied pig appearing side-by-side in the same sentence with one of Craster’s small, naked children. With the addition of Edd’s words, both motifs appear alongside a story of eating children—just as in the Rat Cook story, where the Andal king eats his child-as-pork, and the Rat Cook-as-sow eats his own children as well.

Even more can be made of Edd’s jape, if we notice another minute detail: it’s also loaded that Edd uses “he” here to refer to Craster’s child… when Craster only keeps his daughters. Because Edd evokes sons here, Edd’s joke about eating a child calls special attention to the conspicuously missing sons from the scene. Might we expect, in the context of all this imagery, that these sons have been 'eaten' as well, even if not literally? We learn that these missing sons were sacrificed to the old gods later in the same chapter:

But the wildlings serve crueler gods than you or I. These boys are Craster's offerings. His prayers, if you will.

This is the clear meaning of the earlier association between the vulnerable child and the “almost human” pig, which is about to be slaughtered—or sacrificed—so that the keep could live, by way of eating it. It’s the same thing with Craster’s children, who are also, from his perspective, sacrificed so that his keep can live on, untroubled by the old gods.

Note here how all these motifs occur in tandem with each other: pigs as sacrifice to become food, eating children, sacrificed sons, deference (or lack thereof) to the old gods (and, importantly, their laws). The Rat Cook, in retribution, is forced to eat his children, for he forced the Andal King to do the same.

In both scenarios, the gods seemingly ‘demand’ that a father sacrifice his children; the fact that these are sons for Craster deepens the symbolic meaning, as it did with Walder Frey and the Freys in the last part: it is the death of one’s legacy by way of one’s lineage. Only sons bear the family name.

This is the paradox, the 'doom' that Craster, like the doomed characters in "The Rat Cook", is living out. From his perspective, he sacrifices his sons for the same reason he slaughters the pigs: to ensure his keep's survival. They need to eat, and they need to be untroubled by curses. But that sacrifice is Craster's curse, for even as he ensures his short-term survival, he damns his legacy. Craster may have children, but his keep has no future. Every one of his daughters, rather than become their own generation, perversely returns to reenact the role of their mother’s generation as Craster weds her; his keep, as its own patriarchal entity, is stagnant, and will die with him.

"Pork Crackling"

Regarding the equivalence of eating one’s family as an extension of eating one’s legacy, agency, or even one’s self, bear with me into an interesting digression about Victarion:

In ADWD The Iron Suitor, Victarion understands that his role as captain is both inextricably tied to his physical person, and yet is also an idea, separate from him as a mortal man. Referring to his rotting hand, he thinks to himself:

This was not something that his crew could see. They were half a world away from home, too far to let them see that their iron captain had begun to rust.

His mortality—the mortification of his injured hand—would ruin the effect of his role as captain, a higher status which the Ironborn consider to be a “king aboard his own ship”. Victarion may not be socially permitted to be so incapacitated while captain, but he also understands that if he keeps his captain identity separate from his mortal form—that is, if he can lie about the severity of his injury, keeping the state of his body hidden while playing the role of captain—he can maintain his identity as “the iron captain”.

The role of 'captain', and even more so, the arm that is required to be a warrior, is so intricately tied to Victarion’s warrior identity, and therefore to his sense of self, that Victarion refurses to allow the maester to cut off his arm to save the rest of his body. Again, his identity is greater than his mortality.

Yet, when Moqorro suddenly arrives, and Victarion is faced with an alternative, he is willing to sacrifice all else: to stray from the Drowned God towards R'hllor, to put his body into the hands of a “sorcerer” that he just met—all to pursue the ideal of his legacy as captain, divested from his person. And so Victarion, by beginning to sacrificing so much cultural baggage which he believed was part of himself, gets to keep his arm and his captainhood—and what does this arm look like?

Victarion offers this sickening description in ADWD Victarion I:

The arm the priest had healed was hideous to look upon, pork crackling from elbow to fingertips.

It’s a rare case where someone is able to look at their own body and make the gruesome comparison between their own flesh and pork as food, and this moment is Victarion’s reward. Like the Rat Cook who became a rat "huge as a sow", like Micah the butcher's boy who became a butchered pig, Victarion's arm—which was so much his legacy, his identity, that he would not let the maester remove it, so much a symbol of his personhood and his power that he would stray from the Drowned God to get it back—has become pork crackling.

- - -

Speaking of pork crackling, and returning to Craster's Keep...

When they burn the body of a fallen Night’s Watchman in ASOS Samwell II, Sam finds that it smells so much like pork that he is involuntarily hungry:

The worst thing was the smell, though. If it had been a foul unpleasant smell he might have stood it, but his burning brother smelled so much like roast pork that Sam's mouth began to water, and that was so horrible that as soon as the bird squawked "Ended" he ran behind the hall to throw up in the ditch.

Yet again, Dolorous Edd appears immediately afterward to bring the cannibalistic overtones to the forefront. Again, Edd makes the comparison between eating pork and eating human flesh, like in the Rat Cook story, and with eating one’s family, as with his own jape a book earlier, as with Rast mocking Sam in AGOT, as with the Freys eating their kin in ADWD. They may not be tied by blood, but Edd jokes about eating his brothers all the same:

"Never knew Bannen could smell so good." Edd's tone was as morose as ever. "I had half a mind to carve a slice off him. If we had some applesauce, I might have done it. Pork's always best with applesauce, I find." … "You best not die, Sam, or I fear I might succumb. There's bound to be more crackling on you than Bannen ever had, and I never could resist a bit of crackling.”

If Sam were to die, Edd suggests, he too would become pork crackling. I wonder if that says anything about Victarion's own fate... but I'm talking about Sam for now.

The even more important part of Sam’s experience here is Sam's knowledge that it is wrong, sickening, to eat human flesh—or, perhaps, to turn against his family, even his adopted family, as the two issues are conflated in these instances. Edd jokes about how delicious Bannen smells to make light of a dark, cruel truth: in these starving conditions, that might be true. Despite that suspicion, it is still firmly the wrong thing to do. Sam vomits even considering the thought.

When it comes to the Rat Cook story, though, that knowledge does not spare the Andal King any more than the Rat Cook; both, ultimately, are forced into the position of cannibalism, which makes it all the more tragic: to know the difference between right and wrong, but perhaps not to know which you are choosing. Did Victarion make the right choice turning his arm to pork to stay the "Iron Captain" he wanted to be? Did Craster make the right choice leaving his sons to die so that he could live untroubled? Do they even know?

As for the Andal King, he didn't even understand the choice in front of him; he was placed into that position by the Rat Cook—because of the violation of guest right, that significant law of the Old Gods.

Guest right is a social contract, the type that is necessary to maintain social stability. To keep interpersonal relationships, to build a community—or a kingdom—a person must be able to trust their neighbor. Practically, a guest must be able to trust that they will not be poisoned with food, in the same way that a host must be able to trust that their guest will not turn their cloak and slaughter them under their own roof. In other words, both parties must be able to trust that the social conditions of peace will be upheld.

The fact that this story of the Rat Cook concerns a power dynamic as well—between the lowly cook and the Andal King—expands the metaphor into one that describes feudalism as a whole… but I’ll expand that idea in the subsequent parts to come.

For now, consider this: that the Andal King, like Sam with Bannen’s delicious-smelling corpse, might have known the difference between right and wrong, but it may have made no difference as to what he actually did: he still ate his own son.

But what of the Andal King's own crime? Who started it? The Rat Cook broke the ancient social contract of trust called “guest right” to punish the King… but for the Rat Cook to be deserving of vengeance, the Andal King must have broken a social contract as well, perhaps a social contract regarding the position of power that a King has over a cook. The King must have broken that contract first, even before the story of "The Rat Cook" picks up.

But that will be further discussed in parts to come. Next part we’ll talk more about trust in particular, finally taking look at Coldhands attempting to feed Bran a “sow”, visiting Arya in the House of Black and White, and looking at Quentyn making a deal Meereen.

Mercer Frey NSFW headcanons. Long post below, 18+ only. Reader is gender neutral and no actual genital descriptions are used, just vague things.

Trigger warnings for: Vague mentions of trauma, sex things, kinky stuff, knives, singular mention of watersports

Mirrored on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45678733

-If you've managed to get Mercer Frey to bed you, you're doing something right. Don't worry, he's not going to kill you- he has many more methods that aren't as... vulnerable.

-Most of the time, Mercer repulsed by sex and affection. Something about it doesn't sit right with him. On his good days, be plain in asking if he wants to have sex. He hates beating around the bush, and it's the easiest way to get consent. As your relationship develops, he'll be a bit more, ah, kind about his rejections. They'll turn into "not right now" instead of snapping about how he doesn't "have time for these shenanigans!"

-His experiences are limited. Most of the action Mercer has gotten has been from sex workers, but it's few and far between. Not quite his taste, he does just fine with his hand. However, he's a quick learner. Be straightforward in what feels good, what you like, what you don't like, and so on. He hates guessing games.

-Presuming it’s early in your relationship, please be gentle. Nothing hardcore- for now. Don’t be surprised if he needs to take a minute every once in a while to take a few deep breaths. Sex, and furthermore, a relationship, is new for him, and can easily be overwhelming. Don’t pressure him into doing something, don’t take his “no”s personal, and be patient.

-Now, to the juicy bits! Mercer may be an ‘old man’, but he’s still got it in him. He’s strong, and has no problem pinning you to something or tossing you onto a bed. He has impeccable self-control, and can last for quite a while. Mercer’s refractory period is a bit longer due to age, but if you need more, teach him how to get more use out of his fingers and tongue. Lock picking and fancy words aren’t the only things this thief is capable of.

-His penis is nicely sized, good to fill you up but nothing over-the-top. His girth only makes a little trouble, but lubricating oils will make the process easier.

-At first, he’s awful at aftercare. He’s not an asshole about it, it’s just that he doesn’t know what to do. Help him by guiding him on what you need, and suggest to get some advice from Brynjolf. You’ll always remember the face he pulled when you said that…

-After building up trust, he’ll slowly ease into harder, kinkier things. He’ll start simple- a hand around your throat, slapping your ass, biting. Then he gets to explore more of his kinks with you. What fun! He’s a dominant type who prefers to top. He doesn’t want to be penetrated, but that’s not the only fun there’s to be had!

-Here’s some ideas of what he’s into: marking/claiming, impact, knife play (refer to point 1), oil play, light BDSM, pet play, power exchange, dacryphilia, praise, degredation, edging, overstimulation, slight humiliation, begging. 

-As is his lifestyle, he’s rough. He can’t really help it- his life has been shitty and he’s not used to softness. However, despite what he says, he’ll do what makes you happy. If he’s got you over his lap and your ass is quite raw, and you whimper about it hurting, he’ll snap “It’s supposed to hurt!” but ease his slaps into gentle caresses. If you complain about his thrusts being too rough, he’ll growl out “too damn bad” but slow down. This is the only time where Mercer will not say what he means- hypocrite. But don’t say anything about it!

-Eventually, he can learn to be soft. Early in the relationship, he was still quite rough, even if it wasn’t anything hardcore. He’ll murmur praise into your ear, only you can hear it. You’re so good for him, so sweet, so nice to let him do these things to you and still have the guts to ask for more.

-Yes, he likes seeing you flustered from his praise, but he needs it, too. Tell him how big he is, how his cock fills you up just right, like he was made to fuck you. Tell him how strong he is, how much you love it when he manhandles you. When you’re in the relationship for a decent while, moan out how much you love him and he’ll do whatever you want. Mercer is starved for words of affirmation.

-Mercer will definitely be interested in BDSM protocols. Nothing major, you’re both busy people, but little things. Kneel for him when he gets home, offer to cockwarm him when he brings home paperwork, things like that. 

-Building on that, he’s into petplay. In Riftweald Manor (not the guild, for fuck’s sake!), be good puppy and lay at his feet while he works on paperwork. Let him clip on a leash and walk you to the kitchen where he’ll have you sit at his side and beg for your food. He’ll feed you bits of his meal from his hands, until you’re full. Then he’ll walk you back upstairs and give you a good fuck for being his good puppy. His praise kink is definitely shown here, he’ll almost constantly be calling you his good puppy and his good boy/girl (depending on your preference).

-The Guildmaster, despite slinging insults like rocks, isn’t too much into degradation. It’s more like mean praise. “My slut” and “good whore” is more his speed.

-However, Mercer very much enjoys humiliation. He’ll mock your whines when he edges you, he talks about fucking you in front of the Guild (just dirty talk, he’s a private man), he’ll laugh if you struggle to get out of any bonds he puts you in. If you’re into any sort of watersports, that’s the prime time to get him to humiliate you.

-Mercer greatly enjoys seeing tears run down your face. Whether from fucking your throat or giving you so many orgasms you can’t stand it, he’ll gently wipe them from your eyes and tell you to get over it. He may be mean, but he’ll never be so mean that you cry… unless the overstimulation makes him mean to you.

-Mercer will make you beg for what you want and then not give it to you… not at first, at least. He loves hearing how much you need him and responding with “But I’m right here, love.” as he expertly avoids sticking his cock in your needy hole. Going back to the praise kink, he wants to feel wanted. Talk about how you need his big cock and him to hold you down and he’ll be more accepting of your requests.

-With marking you up, he’s an expert. He loves seeing the results of a play session on you afterwards, especially if it’s on you for a week or so. Not to dip into any angst in a smut post, but he needs that reassurance that something is *his*, just as equally as he is yours.

-Knife play doesn’t get too rough. He likes you shuddering as he runs it over your skin, or when you gasp as he cuts clothing off of you. He’s more hesitant with marking you, but enough talking about it can get him to warm up to it. Any marks will be light, only on you for a few days. Mercer always has healing supplies at the ready.

-After a play session, once he’s taken care of you, he likes it when you rub his back and shoulders. His posture is horrible from his brooding and any massaging you do helps ease the pain. Grab some massage oil if you want another round.

-Once he’s had a nice ‘what is aftercare’ chat with Brynjolf, Mercer is a master of cleaning up the mess he’s made you into. Healing potions, water tankards, and snacks are prepared beforehand. Everything in his house is expensive so you don’t have to worry about the quality of his furs when you get cold. He’ll run a bath for you if that’s what you need. Don’t worry, this guy takes care of you.

Ein Vorteil davon, in einer sehr kulturellen Großstadt zu leben: man bekommt jede Menge Gelegenheiten, seine Tatort-Blorbos life on Stage zu sehen ^^ Im November war ich mit @chrisoels bei einer wundervollen Lesung mit Udo Wachtveitl, im Dezember bei einer sehr witzigen Lesung mit Axel Prahl und Jan Josef Liefers und heute bei einer bitterbösen Komödie mit Dominic Raacke.

Nächste Woche bin ich dann bei einem Konzertabend von Miroslav Nemec und im Februar bei einer Lesung mit Harald Krassnitzer. ^^

Am kommenden Freitag seh ich noch ein Theaterstück von und mit einem Darsteller aus "München 7" (Winfried Frey) und demnächst eine Lesung mit Kommissar Rex' Herrchen Tobias Moretti ^^

Zitat von Udo vor seiner Lesung: "I brauch eigentlich keine Lesebrille. Aber i schau halt verboten gut aus damit!" 🤣

This is the Riverlands canal asker again. Thank you for answering my question. That's very interesting though, do you think the Riverlands could become an entrepreneur with trade from across Westeros and Essos using them as a speedier means to hit Oldtown/Lannisport? Could Harrenhal be remade into a commodities exchange market?

I implied this (although didn't perhaps go into enough detail) in my Westerosi Economic Development entry on the Riverlands. In my defense, it was the first entry and the series had a way of growing more elaborate over time as I warmed to the subject:

"a Blue Fork to Ironman’s Bay canal would hugely increase trade, to the benefit of House Mallister and my own (since the ships would have to pass by Riverrun-2), and allow House Mallister to better check the Freys (although I’d definitely insist that the Mallisters put some of the extra cash into more oceangoing ships - I want them to be the Riverlands Redwynes). At the same time, Riverrun-2 should ensure that the Mallisters’ new dependence on riverrine trade means a certain deference (make sure those ships’ keels are too long for the canal)."

Later on, in a separate post, the idea of a canal connecting the Godseye (and thus the Blackwater) to the Trident appealed to me as a secondary canal system.

And yes, I think the Riverlands could prosper from such an endeavor, both as an entrepôt between Oldtown/Lannisport and King's Landing/the Free CIties and as an exporter of grain, cattle, and other commodities.

As far as "Harrenhal be remade into a commodities exchange market," my original theory of the case was that a Blue Fork canal would drive urban development to settlements along the Trident and Blue Fork - Maidenpool, Lord Harroway's Town, Seagard. In that context, Harrenhal is a little inconvenient because it lies a good 75 miles or so to the south of the Trident.

However, if you were to build a secondary canal to the Godseye, Harrenhal would absolutely rise in economic prominence through its ability to dominate the King's Landing trade route.

Sniffles, Cuddles, & Takeout

[University!AU]

Word Count: 966

Note: Credit goes to @cheeseybeans8 for this Ask which asked for the dialogue prompt of “You're really sick, you should go lie down. I can take care of this for you, don't worry” (taken from this prompt list) with Freyja being the sick one and Alice taking care of her. I appreciate your patience! 💜

---

Freyja needed a hug.

This had been the most frustrating three days of her life. What had started off as a bit of soreness at the back of her throat had now blossomed into a frame-shuddering cough, no taste or smell, achy muscles, and burning, watery eyes that could barely stay open.

After nearly a week of being stuck in bed, she was finally starting to go a bit stir crazy. She had gone from the high of traveling and playing for a crowd of thousands at state finals last week, to the current low of coughing and sputtering like a sick puppy. If she had to stay cooped up in her apartment for one more day, she was going to cry.

The mattress creaked as she finally mustered the energy to roll over. She tried blinking away the fog from her most recent NyQuil coma to spy her boyfriend sitting on the edge of her desk. He typed away on his laptop with a mechanical pencil held in his teeth–a towering plastic to-go bag dominated the space behind him. He was fully absorbed in whatever he was working on because he didn’t notice her stir. 

Since she was no longer contagious, Alice had offered to stay for a few days to help her recover. And while Frey was normally loved being the strong one who could take care of herself and others, she had to admit that it was nice to have tender, loving company.

Mercy, she’d missed that pretty face of his.

“H-Hey.” Alice perked up at the sound of her haggard croak.

“Hey, big mama…” He cood sympathetically as he took his pencil to speak. “How are you feeling?”

“Diiiiiiisgustin’...” She tried to sound as chipper as possible, but the facade quickly devolved into a cough. Alice laughed. “What’s in the bag?” 

“Hm?” Alice looked over his shoulder. “Oh, it’s delivery from Sue Murphy’s–courtesy of the Griffins.”

Freyja tried to mimic The Squad’s warcry but her attempt was pathetic and phlegmy, so she gave up halfway. Alice burst into giggles while she managed a chuckle.

“I’ll hafta Venmo them later…” she rasped. Alice shook his head before setting his laptop to the side.

“Don’t you dare,” he replied. “I already took care of it.”

“Baaaaaabe,” Freyja groaned. 

“Don’t baaaaaaaabe me,” Alice chided with a smile as he stood up to smooth out his jeans. “I’M taking care of YOU, honey–that’s how it works when you’re sick.”

Freyja playfully screwed up her face and shook her head. “Naw, that doesn’t sound right…” Alice rolled his eyes and giggled. 

She lost track of him as he climbed down from her desk and dropped to the floor. After a minute or so, he came back into view as he crested the edge of her mattress. She watched him walking the length of her body–carefully stepping over the folds in the sheets and trying to avoid errant wads of tissue paper as he did so.

She noticed the determination in his eyes as he examined her. Despite the probably momentous task of taking care of a sick girlfriend well over twenty times his size, Alice looked undeterred. Maybe it was the sick brain…but something about that was incredibly sexy. 

She was just…enraptured. She watched him approach with bated breath, even though she could barely feel his footfalls disturb the mattress. Every urge screamed at her to just…grab him. Hold him. Wrap herself around him and not let him go. She felt so unbearably clingy and touchy right now, especially since this was the first time she’d really been able to spend time with him since getting sick; however, she restrained herself.

Alice walked up to her face and placed a hand on her cheek. She felt every single one of those precious fingers and couldn’t help but hum at the touch. She placed her fingers over his hand and forearm and smiled weakly.

“Oh lovey,” he caressed softly between finger and cheek. “My poor Giant…”

Freyja crooned, her eyelids fluttering as she nearly dozed off…but she hissed when she suddenly remembered what day it was. “W-Wait. Shoot, I was suppose’ta help Coach with the fliers for the fundraiser. Those are due, like…tonight. I need to get up-”

She started to pull her fingers away, but Alice didn’t move his hand.

“No, you’re not,” Alice corrected firmly, but lovingly. “You’re staying right here.”

Freyja blinked. “But-”

She was cut off as Alice placed his free hand on her lips. A shiver rolled down her whole body. Feeling his hand on her cheek was one thing, but on her lips? That miniscule touch was a candlelight in a dark room, and she paid deference to it.

Heat rose to her cheeks as she silently stared down at him.

“No buts,” he ordered with a raised eyebrow and smirk. A groan welled up within her throat, but it was silenced as Alice caressed her lower lip lovingly. Her brain was sparkling and she felt goosebumps at the feeling of him on her lips. “You’re really sick, babe. You need to lie down. Just let me take care of that, okay? I don’t mind pitching in to help, and I’m sure Miss Donovan is more than understanding. She’d want you to rest, and so do I gosh danggit.”

Freyja grumbled softly, but she closed her eyes as his touch melted her stubbornness.

“Mmmmmm…fine. But…I have a request.”

“Oh?”

“When you’re done…c-can…can you be my teddy bear for a bit? I just really need to hold you for a bit…”

Alice paused long enough to delicately kiss the tip of her nose.

“I’d be delighted to be your teddy bear, my colossal cutie... Let me get you your food, then I’ll give Miss Donovan a quick call. After that, I’m all yours.”