Sweet Things Thorfinn Would Do For You On Your Period
A little edit kind of 'requested' for another female/afab scenario.
TW: Periods, mention of pms, bleeding, blood, mentioning pregnancy once, throwing up, passing out, general pain
The concept of having one's period was mentioned and I wanted to do some research before writing anything considering the story is Based on real history.
Now...things wouldn't be easy when it comes to you being part of Askeladd's band.
The men may be dumber than a sack of hammers but they do know what a period is and also know you will get it once a month. I'm pretty sure Thorfinn is aware too.
In fact, if you don't get it (or soak it up rather successfully) there will be a lot of 'Huh's?' Hey, it's been a while and you don't look like you've had your abdomen stabbed, ain't it time? You sure you're okay?
They know you HAVE to bleed. It aint healthy if you don't! (Unless of course...you are pregnant. Many will side eye Thorfinn before you yell out that you are bleeding, idiots. You are just not letting it ruin your clothes).
As mentioned, Thorfinn is aware too but won't immediately notice anything. Rather he'd have a small heart attack if he sees any blood on you before the logical thought of 'period' enters his mind right after and he calms down. If you go into the bushes for the fourth time today, he'd raise a brow and his concerns before going 'Oh.' right after.
Will just let you do what you need to do. He'd keep watch if you are in the bushes or lake and when you hiss in pain, he'd ask if you are okay.
He tends to be a bit more attentive but that's about it. To him all it means you'll have to deal with it for an amount of time. He himself doesn't know how to deal with it either.
Which can be a problem when you do need help. You could have profuse pain and blood (which WILL scare Thorfinn. He knows it can be normal but the way you are suffering and the amount of blood still makes him a bit uneasy) and all he knows is that cloths can be helpful. He'll get some, make some himself or in some cases, will even steal some during raids of the other vikings.
Thorfinn doesn't raid at all. All he needs are essential things which he can easily get himself. So imagine him there in an hut he saw a woman eacape from and explore each nook and cranny for some clean cloths. He prefers not to think about the original owners - you need it and thats important.
If you met at an early age, he would have done so as well, especially in the beginning.
Unfortunately, that seems to be the only thing he can do for you. He cant help when it comes to pain, which also comes in many variations.
When your clutching your stomach hard and can't get up, the blonde panics a little. He hoists you up on his back, piggy-back style, and carries you wherever you need to go. You may complain that he could get blood on him but he doesn't mind and tells you so. When you say you really can't stand straight, Thorfinn? panics? A bit? More? Whaddya mean you can't even stand straight? Bro, you're scaring him.
He'd be extra careful not to...bend or...whatever else could happen that causes you pain while he carries you.
But when you straight up throw up on the rails of the ship? Nuh-uh, you cannot convince him that can happen.
Startled a bit before rubbing your back. He holds your hair as well and just...prays that is a one-time thing. Like, what is happening inside your body?
He offers you his share of food, telling you to shut up and eat. No, it's fine, you can have it. Surely it has to be of help after you vomitted your entire lunch out.
And if you REALLY want to scare him to death, it happens when you might pass out.
What are you doing PASSING OUT?!
Thorfinn won't ever yell or scream or be demeaning to you because of your period ever, but he cannot help the confusion and fear settling in whenever something happens. He bottles it up instead.
He is at first not going to come to the conclusion that you passed out because of your period and will instead shake you like crazy to wake up, unknowingly causing you more pain.
And now, to the scenario which was my only reason to write these period key parts:
Askeladd hears a hard thump and looks over to see Thorfinn panicking and shaking you awake. The men watch with uneasy, eyes, speechless. With a frustrated sigh, Askeladd makes his way up to you two.
The moment he hears him, Thorfinn draws his dagger at the man and barks at him to stay the hell away. What could he possibly want?
With a roll of his eyes, the man points at your unconcious form and tells him what the hell he is doing rather. Doesnt he now that shaking you like a rag doll is only hurting you more?
Thorfinn screams at him as Askeladd kneels down and lays you down on your back, putting a cloak under your head as a pillow. He gives you something to drink, prepares something akin to soup with a few herbs and tells Thorfinn to shut up and learn.
He watches him pour something in a bowl and attempting to have you drink from it - before the leader could do anything, Thorfinn has his hands around his neck, pushing Askeladd to the ground with gritted teeth. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Askeladd shoves the lad off and points towards the blood around you. "You can't even help your friend. She's bleeding and unconcious and you're holding down the man who knows his way around women at least."
Thorfinn's breath hitches and he watches with wide, attentive eyes and a shaking dagger in his hand as Askeladd is tending you. When asked how he knows all these things, the man cheekily answers that in his years he had experiences with a few women for more than a few months. The men whoop for him.
In reality, he knows all this by having tended his sick mother ever since he was lad himself. Ill and alone, abandoned in a stable with manure and rats left and right. She survived so far until he was fourteen...so he reckons he's teaching Thorfinn something right.
While disliking this little lesson, Thorfinn takes it to heart as he watches you get better.
Cloths, food, herbs and salves...he'll get it for you. Either by means of foraging or stealing. All for you.
Tells you to always inform him on how you are feeling. If something hurts, here's the salve. If you can't get up, he'll carry you. He also mused if he should wash your blood-stained clothes but always asks you beforehand.
The fact that you could get infected (which is something he didn't know and Askeladd told him) makes him even more determined to keep his eye on you. There are so many ways to die and he can't have you be gone through something like that.
So, so helpless when you are feeling emotional (pms). You are depressed, upset or are crying because of...nothing particular. He is definitely NOT going to Askeladd but is going to ask you what you want him to do. What do you want, what do you need? This is all so confusing to him, just tell him what he's gotta do.
It doesn't matter if he doesn't understand it, don't bother explaining. Just give out your request. Anything.
He's not going to tell you how much it hurts seeing you like this.
Need a hug? Uh, he doesn't do hugs but he'll comply. Unsurely and carefully wrapping his arms around you with zero weight on your body. His skin is barely touching yours. Afraid he might hurt you.
Lean on him and cry. Talk about anything, he won't get it but will listen. Ask for anything and he'll get it.
Again, he does so really carefully like you are made of the thinnest glass. Thorfinn isn't the most affectionate even when he tries.
If you give him your thanks during pms, he will be...stumped. And his heart is beating fast. What are you talking about?
He'll accept your words quietly, patting your back before telling you to keep resting. Just a bit more and everything will be okay.
[@suofang this for u]
218 notes
·
View notes
“I didn’t catch anything,” Bran said, “but Jon gave me his fish on the way back to Winterfell. Will we ever see Jon again?”
“We saw Uncle Benjen when the king came to visit,” Robb pointed out. “Jon will visit too, you’ll see.”
- Bran V, AGOT
There’s something so strange about this exchange because it’s preceded by Robb and Bran grieving Jory and then all of a sudden we get a random callback to Jon Snow. it’s only two lines of dialogue but I think it does quite a bit of work in terms of establishing who Jon is as a character, and also gives us a few hints of what we might expect to happen in coming books.
They’re talking about going fishing with Jory once upon a time and Bran mentions that when he didn’t catch anything, Jon gave him his fish. This, in and of itself, isn’t very surprising and it doesn’t tell us anything new about Jon’s character. That’s because he’s been established as a selfless and kind person from the very first chapter. Jon being self-sacrificial, then, isn’t something that is new to the reader at this point. But this short exchange does show us the extent to Jon’s sacrifice. He isn’t someone who takes half measures. Rather, he’s someone who goes all in.
And it’s so fascinating because Jon giving away all his fish may seem like a typical ‘big brother looking out’ moment, but I can’t help but notice the extent to which Jon looked out for Bran. Because he could’ve given him a just few fish and it would’ve been quite lovely; we would still say that he is kind and compassionate big brother. He could’ve given Bran half his fish and we’d praise him for such a great display of kindness. But Jon gave Bran everything he had. He didn’t take any half measures; he went all in. And Bran doesn’t mention Jon only giving him some, so I’m assuming that this means all.
This is something we see in an earlier Tyrion chapter, where he and Jon are parting at the Wall.
“Rickon will ask when I’m coming home. Try to explain where I’ve gone, if you can. Tell him he can have all my things while I’m away, he’ll like that.”
- Tyrion III, AGOT
Jon once again assumes the role of the big brother looking out for his younger sibling, but it’s quite stark (pun intended) how far he goes to make sure that Rickon is happy and well-provisioned. He doesn’t say “tell Rickon to pick and choose what he wants”. He doesn’t name a specific thing that Rickon might want. No. Jon means to have his brother take everything.
The depth of Jon’s kindness is quite remarkable. Yes I know, it’s not the most revolutionary thing to have the fantasy protagonist be good to people. But it’s still quite nice to see him being so kind in a series half-full of actors motivated by purely selfish reasons. It’s especially important because this flashback comes after Bran gets news of Jory’s murder - a selfish, unkind, and senseless act; it’s just pure malice. There aren’t many people in this world who would give everything they have, especially when they don’t have to. Jon had no reason to give Bran all his fish, but he did anyway. He didn’t have to give Rickon all his things, but he did it anyway. It’s the extent to which he goes about being good to people that’s impressive. And we see this develop where he starts extending that to the dozens, hundreds, and thousands.
And I would be negligent if I didn’t mention the obvious messianic framing here. We’ve got a sacrificial lord (mayhaps we might even say a prophesied sacrificial savior), a little boy, and a couple of fish. And we also have mentions of giving away all your possessions to attain true righteousness in scripture, as Jon did with Rickon.
But what I find most curious is Robb’s line. Because it reads like a promise of some sorts. Robb makes the observation that Uncle Benjen visited them when King Robert went to Winterfell, and he is using that as proof to say that Jon will visit too. It’s interesting because Jon mentions hearing his uncle talking to his father about settling people in the Gift. Plus Jon and Benjen have a pretty good relationship so he must’ve travelled there earlier. Thus, I’d assume that King Robert’s feast wasn’t the first time that Benjen went to Winterfell in Robb’s lifetime. So it just makes the connection of Jon’s arrival coinciding with that of a king all the more noteworthy. Except, Jon might be the king who visits this time around.
Robb’s line evokes the imagery of the Return of the King. And also if we go back to scripture, there’s the return of the lord/king, after a great sacrifice. So:
Bran mentions Jon’s sacrifice and then Robb promises that he will return
The savior sacrifices himself then returns in glory (scripture)
Therefore, Jon shall return to Winterfell as a glorious king after a sacrifice
It’s part of why I think we as a fandom need to be a bit more flexible when we talk about Jon’s relationship with sacrifice. I always see people say that because Jon is self-sacrificial, then he is the one who needs to/must die after sacrificing himself for the realm/other POVs. Nevermind the obvious bias in this line of thinking, which is usually in favor of other characters, but I think such opinions only got half the picture. They don’t follow the pattern that has been presented to us by the text. Yes, it’s true that Jon makes some big sacrifices. And it’s true that they’re sometimes preceded by a period of temptation. HOWEVER, these sacrifices are usually followed by something more spectacular (obviously, in my humble opinion). For example:
When they find the direwolf pups, Jon sacrifices himself so his siblings can get a pup each. However, he immediately finds Ghost afterwards who is the most special of all the dire wolves (and even becomes the largest)
He sacrifices his want for Wintefell in ASOS, but is elected Lord Commander of the NW by book’s end. So the sacrifice is followed by a great appointment to power (rather quickly, I might add). And being Lord Commander puts him in a special position in the upcoming war for the dawn.
So the quote at the beginning of this post, imo, just illustrates that pattern. A sacrifice is followed by something grand. Bran mentions Jon’s sacrifice and then Robb connects his coming to a king’s return. The question remains though: if this is something that will happen in the future, how will it happen and when? I don’t really know tbh, but it would be quite a nice bookend to have Jon’s glorious return be towards the end of ADOS so that it can parallel King Robert Baratheon’s arrival in the beginning of AGOT (which preempted Jon’s departure in the first place).
100 notes
·
View notes