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the-lake-lily-alchemist · 4 months

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Dany’s vision of Rhaegar in the HotU

So, I want to beat an already dead and over-beaten horse, and talk a bit about Dany’s vision of Rhaegar in the House of the Undying.

Now, I want to preface it by saying that I know this subject has been talked about thousands of times and it’s boring and tiring to talk about the same shit over and over again, but I just saw “Rhaegar is a prophecy-obsessed groomer/rapist” discourse on my twitter feed and thought I’d toss my two cents in.

Firstly, let’s look a bit at this vision as it appears in the books, shall we?

Viserys, was her first thought the next time she paused, but a second glance told her otherwise. The man had her brother’s hair, but he was taller, and his eyes were a dark indigo rather than lilac. “Aegon,” he said to a woman nursing a newborn babe in a great wooden bed. “What better name for a king?”

As we can see here, Dany, on her quest to find her children, stumbles upon this little moment long past. The text tells us that the three people shown here are Rhaegar, his wife Elia, and their son Aegon.

“Will you make a song for him?” the woman asked.

“He has a song,” the man replied. “He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.” He looked up when he said it and his eyes met Dany’s, and it seemed as if he saw her standing there beyond the door.

This passage specifically has been interpreted numerous times. The text tells us that Rhaegar thought that his son, Aegon, was The Prince that was Promised. However, Rhaegar looks up when he says the prophecy, and looks directly at Dany, as if talking to her.

This to me reads as not-very-subtly being told the answer to the prophecy. Dany is TPTWP, as the author tells us through vision-Rhaegar. Thus, she is made aware of the prophecy, part of which we can find in the title of the book series.

I’ve seen the theory that Rhaegar seeing Dany was a time-space continuum bubble, of the present looking at the past, or, for Rhaegar, the present glimpsing at the future. How I see it, however, is that when he says those fateful words, and looks up to meet his sister’s eyes, he becomes both the gods’ and the author’s channel to make Dany and the reader aware of the answer to the prophecy. He sceases to be just a vision of the past and becomes the gods’/R’hllor’s voice, informing Dany. He tells her about the PTWP prophecy, because she is TPTWP!

Thus, when he continues with this,

“There must be one more,” he said, though whether he was speaking to her or the woman in the bed she could not say. “The dragon has three heads.”

we can infer that he’s saying this to Dany, because the gods want her to know this (and the author wants us to know this).

Mind you, these are visions, not just excerpts from the past/present/future. The conversation as it’s shown might not have taken place exactly like this, if it ever did. With how abrupt the cut from Rhaegar saying this to him going and playing the harp, I think he’s never said those words himself. Again, I believe that, in that moment (given that “There must be one more” and “The dragon has three heads” do not tie at all with the PTWP prophecy), it’s the gods using this vision of him to tell Dany (and the reader) an important message.

I shall say it one more time, just to be perfectly clear: IT’S NOT RHAEGAR TALKING ABOUT THE THREE HEADS AND A THIRD CHILD, IT’S THE GODS!

“There must be one more”, because Rhaegar has three children, not just two. Dany is fated to meet Rhaegar’s third child (and very probably fall in love and marry said third child, but that’s another overly-beaten, dead horse), and we as readers have been getting clues about who this child is since book one.

In no passage is it stated or implied that Rhaegar sought to have another child. He doesn’t go on and say, “When the maester has cleared you, we shall try for a third.” or “Because you can’t get pregnant again, I shall look for another woman to bear my third child.” The theory that he wanted another one, presumably a girl, to name her Visenya, is just that, a fan theory.

“The dragon has three heads. There are two men in the world who I can trust, if I can flnd them. I will not be alone then. We will be three against the world, like Aegon and his sisters.” (ASOS, Dany VI)

It’s clear (or it should be) that “the dragon has three heads” it’s specifically for Dany to know that there are two people out there whom she can trust and with whom she shall stand “against the world, like Aegon and his sisters.”

It’s not about Rhaegar thinking that his children are “the three heads of the dragon”. It’s about Dany. You would think it’s obvious given that it’s her chapter, but whatever.

#i also want to add that nowhere in the books does it say that ‘a song of ice and fire’ means Stark + Targaryen #this is also a fan theory that has become so popular it’s regarded as canon #Dany is TPTWP and she’s also Azor Ahai as it’s shown when she fulfilled the prophecy in her last chapter in AGOT #most of you are dumb tho #full offence #you guys are not reading the books properly #pick ‘em up and start reading because this shit is getting ridiculous #daenerys targaryen #daenerys stormborn #rhaegar targaryen #how tf do you read about a duty-bound melancholy book-ish beautiful prince #who loves going outside to play his harp for the people of kl #and say he’s prophecy-obsessed and a rapist #are you guys robert baratheon or smth?#my meta #asoiaf meta #asoiaf

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starrysharks · 10 months

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magical girl ward

#ocs #my ocs #my ocs art #original character #velvet kuragari #gloomy nurse kuragari #magical girl ward #her story is kind of complicated but she was designed and conceptualised last year when my mental health was really in the gutter #so her story reflects that somewhat - there were/are strong themes of suicide and hope/healing (hence the nurse theme)#her whole thing is that she helps others by going into their mindspaces to defeat 'viruses' that cause their suicidal thoughts #(extended metaphor)#i say this about EVERY character i know #but i do want to make a 20-ish chapter comic about her #suicide #< warning tag #zeno's art

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solivagantingrebel · 4 months

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I need to write a scene where Soap shamelessly kisses Ghost through his mask. It is a need, an essential component to my overall fulfilment and happiness, if you will.

#making out sloppy style except john mactavish is so pent up that he doesn't even care if there is a mask between him & ghosts lips #i mean... look...#kinda spoilers but it DOES happen this chapter #but it's like. in the last scene-ish.#i need to get through so many words to reach there #but hey #at least something to look forward to lmaoo #ghostsoap #ghoap #talking about my wips

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writeouswriter · 1 year

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Not enough protagonists passing out and waking up in random fields or something anymore, need me some more characters passing out and waking up in random fields

#writing #writeblr #this is referring to nothing specific except partially my 2016 nanowrimo project #which is prob the 1st+last time I ever wrote so much so fast+actually enjoyed it before my power went out and I lost 3 pages of progress #i was not giving that protag a moment's peace except for when he passed out. opening chapter out cold #writer things #relatable #textpost #i don't know!#writing humour #ish #knock em out baby

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ssreeder · 3 months

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Chapters: 17/? Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), others to be tagged later - Relationship Characters: Sokka (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar), Aang (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Toph Beifong, Jet (Avatar), Suki (Avatar), Kyoshi Warriors (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar), Jee (Avatar), Hakoda (Avatar), Bato (Avatar), A bunch of OCs, Long Feng, Joo Dee (Avatar), Azula (Avatar), Mai (Avatar), Ty Lee (Avatar), Ozai (Avatar), General Fong (Avatar) Additional Tags: Violence, Blood and Injury, War, Minor Character Death, Rape/Non-con Elements, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Attempted Sexual Assault, Major Character Injury, Amputation, Implied/Referenced Suicide, possible major character death, themes similar to the first two books, Sexism, Racism (like has already been written in first two books), dark themes, Human Trafficking, Slavery, Just a lot of dark war-like themes, there will be a battle, Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Injury Recovery, Healing, Underage Sex, Underage Drinking, Animal Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Warnings each chapter, Hopefully some healing for Zuko finally, no promises, but that’s the goal, Reunions, hopefully a happy ending, Sokka gets some healing too, Non-Consensual Drug Use Series: Part 3 of Leaving It All Behind Summary:

-This is the last book of the series LIAB, please go read the other two books before this, or you will be very confused-

Zuko has been taken by the Earth Kingdom army to who-knows-where, and Sokka is determined to get him back.

But he can’t do it alone.

With Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors by his side, Sokka is headed to Ba Sing Se to find Katara and Aang so they can go rescue his fire bender.

Things aren’t as easy as he had hoped. Corruption, lies, and unknown horrors await them inside the city’s walls. None of this is helping Sokka’s mental well-being.

Hakoda and his men face a problem of their own as Azula approaches with the intentions of making it rain fire.

Sokka and Zuko will both find themselves having to reintegrate back into a life they thought they left behind, with people they hardly remember. It isn’t easy for anyone, especially when they don’t recognize the person standing in front of them.

#OLLLOOO #new chapter whatttssss upppp #ok but seriously #HEED THE TAGS #this chapter has some seriously intense themes #some new themes that might be triggering to some #so please keep an eye on the warnings #BUT THERE IS SOME FUN #*gesture at fun*#We have fun! Haha I promise!#Zuko talks a lot!#A lot - ish haha #ok this chapter is a doozy I hope you enjoy #zukka #avatar the last airbender #DARK THEMES

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heartbreak-sandwich · 6 months

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💌Red Letters to Nowhere💌

A/N: Chapter 2 is FINALLY here! Thank you for being so patient with me. I've been having a hard time writing the longer winded chapters lately. In Chapter 2, your first day at your new school wasn't as bad as you thought it would be -- that is, until the day ends, and Billy is less than thrilled with your choice of new friends (angst incoming - no other content warnings for this one).

Read on Ao3 ❤️‍🔥 Chapter One 📖 Master List 🌈

💌CHAPTER TWO: Certain Type of People💌

You spit your toothpaste into the sink, rinsing the last of it down the drain, and jumped with a gasp when you straightened back up to see Billy standing behind you in the mirror. He chuckled and patted you lightly on the back before greeting you with sleep still lingering in his voice.

“Morning, new kid.” He smiled as he opened the mirror cabinet and grabbed his own toothbrush, slathering it with a thick line of toothpaste before getting to work, brushing back and forth vigorously, still smirking around his mouthful.

“Morning,” you mumbled, putting your toothbrush back in its spot in the cabinet and closing it, realizing Billy’s sharp, blue eyes still connected with yours in the mirror. “What?” you asked, your cheeks tinting pink at the heat of his stare. Billy just shrugged, still keeping his eye contact until he pushed past you to spit his toothpaste into the sink. You rolled your eyes and left the bathroom, trudging to Max’s room to make sure she was ready to leave for school.

Max was slinging her backpack over her shoulder, her skateboard resting under her opposite arm, and she looked up as you entered her room. You could tell she was nervous even though you were sure she would never admit it out loud.

“You ready?” She gave you a quick nod, and you turned back the way you came, making your way into the kitchen with Max on your heels. You grabbed the three pieces of toast you had prepared before you finished getting ready and handed one to Max who quickly crunched a bite out of it. You both traveled to the living room where your backpack was waiting.

Billy appeared just a moment later in his denim jacket with a cigarette ready between his lips, keys jingling in his hand. You handed him one of the pieces of toast, and he looked at you like you were insane.

“What’s this?” he asked around his cigarette, glaring down at the offering.

“Breakfast,” you answered, crunching a bite out of your own toast. He finally accepted the toast from your outstretched hand, squinting with suspicion at the kind gesture.

“Thanks, I guess,” he mumbled before striding past you and Max to open the front door. He didn’t wait for either of you as he approached his Camaro, quickly sliding into the driver’s seat and starting the engine with a loud roar. “You guys coming or what? We’re going to be late!” Billy was already impatient. That didn’t take long.

You and Max exchanged a puzzled look before you both exited the home, closing the door behind you, and got into Billy’s car. The ride to school was silent with the exception of crunching toast until Billy grumbled.

“God damn, I can hear everybody chewing in this fucking car,” he hissed before pushing a cassette tape into the player and turning the volume up to an earsplitting level, Judas Priest’s You Got Another Thing Coming rattling the speakers as his led foot kicked in, and he sped down the road toward town.

When you reached the Hawkins High parking lot, the three of you got out of the car, and Billy didn’t look back at you or Max as he slammed his door, flicking his cigarette onto the asphalt and strutting toward the front of the building. The ogling eyes of each girl he walked past were so painfully obvious, it almost made you sick to your stomach. The worst part was the arrogance that oozed out of him with every swaggering step he took and every high five and clap on the back he received from the boys that approached him. He loved this.

“Ugh,” Max scoffed.

“Yep,” you said dryly, knowing she had just come to the same conclusion you did. The two of you exchanged a look before meandering toward the front of the building, Max hopping on her skateboard and veering off to the right to find the Hawkins Middle entrance.

After a visit to the office where Janice, the school secretary with way-too-long purple nails, presented you with your class schedule and a scrap of paper with your locker number and combination on it, you managed to find its location without having to ask anyone - thank God. You were busy fighting with your combination lock when you felt someone run into you from the back.

You stumbled forward, dropping the stack of papers Janice had given you as they flowed all over the floor. You immediately felt embarrassment wash over you as you squatted down to collect them, trying to put them back in order, and you noticed a pair of Nike sneakers and bent denim clad knees in front of you. A boy in a green sweater with tall chestnut hair was helping to gather your papers.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized, handing you the remainder of your paperwork. “Tommy doesn’t know when to use his inside manners.” He looked at you with friendly, hazel eyes and a warm, crooked smile. You both stood up at the same time.

“Don’t worry about it,” you finally said quietly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the blush growing on your cheeks. “And thanks.” He nodded, his smile unwavering.

“Anytime.” He held out his hand. “Steve Harrington. You’re new here, right?” You took his hand, giving it a firm shake.

“Yeah, I am. I’m Y/N.” Steve nodded again and looked like he was about to say something more before a boy with short brown hair and freckles appeared at his side and punched him in the shoulder.

“Don’t be rude, Harrington. Are you going to introduce us to your new friend?” Tommy nodded in your direction as a shorter girl with long brown hair and a pink sweater slid out from behind him as he draped his arm over her shoulders. She blew a bubble and popped her gum as she eyed you up and down, waiting for Steve to oblige Tommy’s request.

“Y/N, this is Tommy Hagan and Carol Perkins,” Steve said through a sigh as he gestured to each of them respectively. Before Tommy and Carol could join the conversation, the morning bell rang, and the sea of students started to part in different directions.

“I’ve got to get going,” you told them with a soft wave. “It was nice to meet you guys.”

“See you around!” Steve called after you as you beelined for your first class at the end of the hall. You sucked in a deep breath before entering the classroom, praying the teacher wouldn’t make you stand at the head of the class and introduce yourself.

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By the time lunch rolled around, you were exhausted. You made your way back to your locker to exchange your textbooks for your copy of The Outsiders. You were ready for a break, so you decided to explore outside beyond the football field to find a place to read. On your way outside, you passed by Billy who was standing in a circle of people wearing expensive shoes and letterman’s jackets, all talking loudly about someone named Tina who was hosting a party that Friday. You met his eyes, but only briefly because he quickly looked away to refocus his attention on the conversation in his circle, obviously not wanting to be bothered. Go figure.

Beyond the football field, you found the edge of a seemingly thick forest. Breaking through the line of trees, you walked for a few minutes until you noticed a picnic table in a small clearing. It was a neat little spot, and you wondered what it was doing all the way out here. You didn’t see anyone else around, so you set your backpack down on the table and took a seat at one of the mossy benches, opening your paperback and immediately losing yourself in its pages.

After a few moments, the rustling of leaves startled you. Your head snapped in the direction of the sound to meet the gaze of a pair of friendly, deep brown doe eyes nestled beneath a mess of long, dark, curly hair.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” the man said, holding up a hand. “Are you…here to buy?” You stared at him, perplexed.

“Buy?” You furrowed your brows and continued to stare.

“Or not,” he deduced with a grin. “People don’t usually come all the way out here unless they’re looking for me.”

“Oh,” you responded flatly. “Sorry. I didn’t realize this was somebody’s spot. I just wanted a quiet place to read.”

“During the lunch hour?” He smirked at you and crossed his arms. “Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you before.”

“You haven’t. I just moved here.”

“A month into the school year?” He whistled loudly. “Rough.” He took a seat on the bench across from you, clattering a black lunch box onto the table in front of him. “I’m Eddie.” He held out his hand for you to shake, and you obliged.

“I’m Y/N.” He made surprisingly deep eye contact and smiled as he repeated your name.

“Y/N. Charmed.” You blushed slightly and hoped Eddie didn’t notice, but his grin made it obvious that he did.

You surveyed the patches and pins on his denim vest – Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest. His style was different, alternative, and he noticed you eyeing him.

“You like music?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye, clasping his hands together and resting his elbows on the table.

“Sure. I can tell you do, too,” you answered with a cheeky smile.

“Is it that obvious?” He scoffed and looked down at his hands for a moment. “Do you smoke?”

“I never really liked the smell of cigarettes.” You scrunched up your nose at the thought, and Eddie cleared his throat with a chuckle.

“Uh, not that kind of smoke.” A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he waited for you to answer.

“I don’t get it.” Eddie sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Grass? Weed? Do you smoke weed?” You felt embarrassment rise to your cheeks as you responded.

“Oh, right. I have before, but it’s not a regular thing,” you answered, fidgeting with your book on the table.

“Consider it a welcome gift,” Eddie declared, opening his lunch box and handing you a small baggie with a tiny green nugget inside.

“Oh…thanks, I guess.” You gave him a kind smile as you pocketed your baggie and closed your book.

“Don’t mention it.” Eddie closed up his lunchbox and stood up from his bench. “Tragic news on the horizon.”

“What’s that?” Eddie let out a long, exaggerated sigh.

“It’s about time to get back to class.”

“Oh, right A travesty.” You slung your backpack over your shoulder and continued to make small talk with Eddie as you both marched your way back to the school, parting ways when you emerged into the foyer.

What you hadn’t noticed was a pair of blue eyes burning into you from across the parking lot as they watched you walk into the building with Eddie Munson by your side and a smile on your face.

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The rest of the day went relatively smooth, but you were glad to be heading home after so much excitement. Returning to your locker a final time, you collected your study necessities for the night.

“Hey,” a familiar voice greeted as you slammed your locker closed.

“Oh, hi,” you answered. Eddie’s smile widened when you returned his greeting. “I just wanted to ask you –”

“Y/N!” Billy’s voice boomed in the hallway over every other sound, causing passersby to stare in your direction.

“Billy.” Your voice was small. Why was he yelling at you?

“Time to go,” he said flatly, staring daggers into Eddie whose face fell into a frown.

“Sure,” you answered. “Just one second. Eddie wanted to ask me –”

“I’m not your fuckin’ chauffeur. I don’t wait. Let’s go. Now,” Billy demanded, his voice getting louder by the second, hands balling into fists at his sides.

“It’s okay. I’ll catch you tomorrow,” Eddie conceded with a tight lipped smile and a half wave as he hurried in the opposite direction of where Billy stood. You scoffed and glared at Billy before pushing past him and stomping out to the parking lot.

Max was already waiting beside the blue Camaro when you arrived with Billy sauntering behind you with his usual swagger, taking a moment to wave at some girls who were giggling and whispering as they crossed his path. You rolled your eyes and opened the passenger door for Max to get into the back seat before seating yourself and slamming the door closed.

Billy’s mood was icy, and you could practically feel the eggshells under your feet as soon as he sat down.

“Don’t slam my door,” he said flatly, keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead.

“Don’t be a dick to me in front of my friends,” you countered, folding your arms across your chest. “Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson is not your friend.”

“Right. Because you get to decide who my friends are.” You glared out your window, wishing you could be anywhere else when –

“Hey!” Billy grabbed your wrist hard enough to get your attention and held it up as he spoke through gritted teeth, his menacing eyes searing into yours. “There are a certain type of people in this world you stay away from.” Billy’s grip on you tightened, and your eyes brimmed with tears. “And that guy, Y/N,” he seethed, squeezing harder. “That guy is one of them.”

Billy shoved your wrist back into you, and you turned your body to look out your window again. You could see Max’s worried expression in the side view mirror as a tear escaped and ran down your cheek. What the fuck was his problem?

The rest of the drive home was silent, and Billy didn’t utter another word or even look in your direction again until dinner time.

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You were setting the table when he entered the dining room and took his usual seat.

“Smells great, Susan,” he gushed with a sickeningly sweet smile.

“Thank you, Billy,” your mom replied, pressing a hand to her heart. “It’ll be ready in just one second.” She hadn’t stopped talking about how impressed she was with Billy’s manners since she met him. You rolled your eyes at his display. What a kiss ass. You could feel his eyes on you as you finished your task and sat down across the table from him, but you avoided making eye contact.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Billy fidgeted with his knife, tapping and scraping it on his plate before sighing dramatically, tipping his chair backward onto two legs. You finally looked at him, and he was still staring directly at you.

“Did you want something?” You weren’t amused by his method of garnering your attention, and you were even less thrilled with the way he had spoken to you earlier. Billy leaned forward in his chair and rested his hands on the table, speaking in a hushed voice.

“I wanted to say sorry. For earlier.” Your eyebrows shot up in surprise at his apology.

“Okay, I guess. Thanks,” you answered tentatively, your eyes narrowing.

“I just –” he shifted in his seat again and chewed on the inside of his cheek as he chose his words carefully. “I have a reputation to uphold, you know? The pressure is indescribable, but it has its perks. If people see you hanging around with The Freak and they know you’re my –” he stopped as if saying the word “sister” might induce vomiting. “If they know that you live here, and we’re…associated, then I start to take the flack. Do you get what I’m saying?” You nodded slowly and scoffed, looking down at your empty plate.

“I understand what you’re saying, but I think it’s stupid,” you retorted. Billy’s expression didn’t change.

“It might be stupid, but it’s better to be on top than to be one of them,” he said dryly, leaning back in his seat again, looking at you through hooded eyes.

“To each his own.” Billy nodded at your response when your mom piped up from the kitchen.

“Come and get it!” Both of you rose from your seats and parted ways, Billy going towards the kitchen and you heading to Max’s room to tell her dinner was ready.

You poked your head in through Max’s door and rapped on the doorframe.

“Hey,” you said, stepping over the threshold into her room.

“Hi,” she greeted, looking up at you from her bed. You could instantly tell she had something on her mind.

“Dinner’s ready. You okay?” She nodded and looked away from you for a moment before answering fully.

“I just – I didn’t like seeing Billy talk to you like that earlier in the car.” Max locked eyes with you, and you frowned.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. He does.” Max was angry. Injustice never sat well with her, especially when it came to her big sister.

“He did,” you reassured, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Really?”

“Yep,” you affirmed, nodding slowly. Max was quiet as she processed the unexpected news, and she finally stood up, setting her comic book down on her pillow.

“Didn’t see that one coming.”

“Neither did I,” you agreed.

*Tag List: @lithium80sblog @justsimonrileythings @b1tchy3lf @jozstankovich @darleenjade @jenna-jd @peachyaliien @dananahenderson @strangerthing933 @yoyokiss97 @californiaboytoybilly - if you want to be added, let me know! 💕

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vivianquill · 5 months

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Jimmy hadn't realized he was alive. Not at first. He'd been frozen to the spot, static buzzing in his ears and eyes shut against the incoming pain.

He flinched, when a too warm hand touched his shoulder.

"Hey, Jimmy." Tango's voice cutting through the static, a hand cupping his cheek, "You're quite the treasure, hm? You make letting those fools paw through my hoard worth it."

Jimmy hunched in on himself, his wings coming up in a protective mantle. He was too scared to make any noise, too frozen to open his eyes. He didn't want to see his troupe. Not like this.

"Hey now-- hey sh sh shhhhh. . ."

Jimmy felt a rush of cold air, before something scooped him up and tucked him close. It felt almost like a giant hand, but a little bit too cold and smooth. He didn't dare look, ignoring the vertigo of sudden movement.

It took him being dropped onto a pile of something soft and warm to shock him into opening his eyes with an 'oof--'

Jimmy wished he hadn't. He'd been deposited in a nest-- one much bigger than any avian would make, obviously big enough to house a dragon comfortably--

And Tango was staring at him.

Tango. As a dragon. Right.

He couldn't look more different that the form he'd taken as a human to trick them into his lair. His scales were silver, as far as Jimmy could tell, what with the horrible lighting and the shock and the way everything was sort of swimming--

So he was a good dragon then, not one that would torment Jimmy just to eat him later. Maybe. He had just-- Nope. Not the time to think about that.

The dragon circled Jimmy once, almost like a dog bedding down, before plopping next to him, one big eye staring at Jimmy.

"You're not going to keel over from stress, are you? I hate losing my treasures."

Jimmy pulled his wings tight around himself, "N-no. I'll-- I'm not going to die."

"Good." Tango huffed out a soft breath of mist, draping a big wing over Jimmy like throwing a blanket over a birdcage.

Jimmy let out a soft 'eep-'. Then he went quiet. He was probably in shock.

He was most definitely in shock. Jimmy's memories were fuzzy, at least for the next few-- somethings. The next stretch of time.

It came in waves, almost.

The memories were tinged with fear and static first; who wouldn't be terrified of a dragon? Tango brought him food and water, and bundled him up in warm furs and draped him in jewelry. Like Jimmy was a glorified statue. To be fair, it was how he'd been acting.

Then Jimmy either got over his fear or got used to it-- he couldn't remember which. Probably both-- and out came the anger. Tango had murdered his entire troupe on a whim! He had probably done it to more adventurers in the past. And now he was treating Jimmy like a pet-- a very spoiled pet, but still a pet--

There was a lot of yelling, and a lot of static, and there was an attempt at escaping-- It would have never worked, but Jimmy had to try. Multiple attempts at escaping. Anger turned into a desperate need to be free, a yearning for the sun and the open sky after so long without it.

Tango was patient through it all, in a way that pissed Jimmy off even more. It was like-- like anything Jimmy did was so entertaining. Like Jimmy was a disgruntled kitten.

The anger lasted a long time, swinging down into despair and back again. Nothing he did could make Tango angry at him. Nothing he did could get anything other than a condescending grin and an amused laugh and a wing draped over his head in the nest at the end of the day. Tango even started bringing him along when he went to work on his lair; he put Jimmy on a magic leash, one that let Tango keep him close. Tango said it was 'to keep him safe'

There was only one time where Tango did anything to hurt Jimmy. And it wasn't even anything bad, the static said. It hadn't really hurt him.

Tango had clipped his wings.

Jimmy had attempted to throw himself to the floor from the very top of the swooping ceilings of the treasure room. It was the highest place he could get to, trapped underground as he was.

Tango had caught him before he could to anything to truly hurt himself, carefully slicing his flight feathers short and crippling the avian for who knew how long.

It was humiliating.

The static had taken most of the next stretch of time from him-- but it didn't take everything. Jimmy knew that he'd finally found a way to piss Tango off. Somehow. Whenever he reached to grasp at those memories, they always seemed a little bit out of reach.

Tango just wanted to be his friend. Why had he been fighting so hard against him? Jimmy should be happy to have a friend as great as Tango! Who else could say that they were best friends with a dragon?

Jimmy's feathers grew back in as gold as the treasure Tango loved to drape on him. It was comforting, for the dragon to help him preen them.

He couldn't quite remember when he'd made the pact, but he had. How else could he have ended up with more magic than he knew what to do with, and the ability to hear Tango calling for him anywhere in the lair or the Citadel above?

Jimmy was given free rein of the place, after the pact. Tango seemed overjoyed to have someone to show all his clever traps and passages and hidden doors and puzzles and treasure to. There was always some new trick to learn, or some new spell Tango wanted him to try, or some new magic artifact for Jimmy look at or wear or use.

Jimmy didn't quite know when he'd picked up singing, either. It wasn't singing like most humanoids sang. It was birdsong. And it was something Tango could hear no matter how far away from him Jimmy wandered.

The dungeon continued to bring in adventurers. Wanna-be heroes, after gold or magic or who knew what. Time was a fickle thing, down in Tango's lair, and Jimmy had no way of telling how long it'd been since he arrived. Whenever he asked, Tango would give him an answer that wasn't really an answer. Surely he'd been here for less than a year.

Tango started letting Jimmy help. The adventurers made for good magic practice. And not all of them were the punch first, ask questions later kind of adventurers.

Jimmy couldn't help but warn them about the danger. That this was a dragon's lair.

Tango found it amusing, how some of them tried to backtrack, after they found out what they were up against.

He didn't let them, of course.

Jimmy found it at least a little bit interesting, how Tango's lair was set up to reward those who played his games and solved his puzzles and were clever in ways Tango hadn't thought of yet. His troupe had had so much trouble because they'd ignored all of it, in favor of slogging through the dungeons and killing the monsters.

The fastest he'd ever seen a troupe get down to Tango's lair proper was less than a week.

That was the first troupe where Jimmy had a significant hand in guiding them past the worst of the danger. He'd grown fond of them. They had treated Jimmy like one of their own.

Tango let them each choose one piece of treasure.

They'd earned it, Tango whispered through the bond. He did give treasures away to those who had earned the reward. And besides, they'd treated Jimmy so well. Even before knowing this place was a dragon's lair.

It was up to them to get out with the treasures, however.

Tango didn't let Jimmy help them on the way out.

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