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thatscarletflycatcher · 21 days

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Thinking again about the darknesses that lurk underneath the surface of Sense and Sensibility (I have talked before about how Edward despite being the eldest is subjected to what we can argue is emotional and financial abuse by his family for years, and how the Dashwood women are disinherited on a whim of their great uncle), and this time specifically about the Brandons.

We get so little about them, and what we do get about them is all bad:

This lady was one of my nearest relations, an orphan from her infancy, and under the guardianship of my father... At seventeen she was lost to me for ever. She was married—married against her inclination to my brother. Her fortune was large, and our family estate much encumbered. And this, I fear, is all that can be said for the conduct of one, who was at once her uncle and guardian. My brother did not deserve her; he did not even love her... I have never told you how this was brought on. We were within a few hours of eloping together for Scotland. The treachery, or the folly, of my cousin’s maid betrayed us. I was banished to the house of a relation far distant, and she was allowed no liberty, no society, no amusement, till my father’s point was gained... My brother had no regard for her; his pleasures were not what they ought to have been, and from the first he treated her unkindly.

Mr Brandon Sr is shown to us as being a greedy man, a bad administrator of his estate, and a cruel father. His first son seems cut of the same cloth, and his pleasures were not what they ought to have been is one of the most, if not the most sinister line between all the Austen novels. But there's more about him!:

Her legal allowance was not adequate to her fortune, nor sufficient for her comfortable maintenance, and I learnt from my brother that the power of receiving it had been made over some months before to another person. He imagined, and calmly could he imagine it, that her extravagance, and consequent distress, had obliged her to dispose of it for some immediate relief.

The Brandons were married for two years; the colonel returns to England and starts looking for her 3 years later. Young Eliza was then a 3 year old toddler. We are obliquely told that Brandon cut all ties with his brother:

It was a valued, a precious trust to me; and gladly would I have discharged it in the strictest sense, by watching over her education myself, had the nature of our situations allowed it; but I had no family, no home; and my little Eliza was therefore placed at school. I saw her there whenever I could, and after the death of my brother, (which happened about five years ago, and which left to me the possession of the family property,) she visited me at Delaford.

Eliza is now 17, so the eldest brother died when she was 14, which is 16 years after his marriage with the older Eliza. In that period of time, he managed to squander the whole of her fortune, and put the estate in debt again, as we are told earlier on by Mrs Jennings:

Poor man! I am afraid his circumstances may be bad. The estate at Delaford was never reckoned more than two thousand a year, and his brother left everything sadly involved. I do think he must have been sent for about money matters, for what else can it be? I wonder whether it is so. I would give anything to know the truth of it. Perhaps it is about Miss Williams and, by the bye, I dare say it is, because he looked so conscious when I mentioned her. May be she is ill in town; nothing in the world more likely, for I have a notion she is always rather sickly. I would lay any wager it is about Miss Williams. It is not so very likely he should be distressed in his circumstances now, for he is a very prudent man, and to be sure must have cleared the estate by this time. I wonder what it can be! May be his sister is worse at Avignon, and has sent for him over. His setting off in such a hurry seems very like it. Well, I wish him out of all his trouble with all my heart, and a good wife into the bargain.”

We know the Bennets, with five daughters, and without a saving mindset, still manage to live very comfortably with 2000 a year, and if they had had any mind to save money, they could have provided all five of them with decent dowries/money enough to keep them out of poverty when their father died if they were single. It is clearly not that the money isn't enough, or that Delaford is an unproductive estate; in fact, it is described to us as almost paradisiac:

Delaford is a nice place, I can tell you; exactly what I call a nice old fashioned place, full of comforts and conveniences; quite shut in with great garden walls that are covered with the best fruit-trees in the country; and such a mulberry tree in one corner! Lord! how Charlotte and I did stuff the only time we were there! Then, there is a dove-cote, some delightful stew-ponds, and a very pretty canal; and every thing, in short, that one could wish for; and, moreover, it is close to the church, and only a quarter of a mile from the turnpike-road, so ’tis never dull, for if you only go and sit up in an old yew arbour behind the house, you may see all the carriages that pass along. Oh! ’tis a nice place! A butcher hard by in the village, and the parsonage-house within a stone’s throw. To my fancy, a thousand times prettier than Barton Park, where they are forced to send three miles for their meat, and have not a neighbour nearer than your mother.

One interesting character, though forgotten because only mentioned in passing, is the Brandon sister. On one of the quotes above we get that she's in Avignon for her health, and we know her husband is wealthy (and probably abroad with her) because it is his estate that the planned picnic is for:

A party was formed this evening for going on the following day to see a very fine place about twelve miles from Barton, belonging to a brother-in-law of Colonel Brandon, without whose interest it could not be seen, as the proprietor, who was then abroad, had left strict orders on that head. The grounds were declared to be highly beautiful, and Sir John, who was particularly warm in their praise, might be allowed to be a tolerable judge, for he had formed parties to visit them, at least, twice every summer for the last ten years. They contained a noble piece of water; a sail on which was to form a great part of the morning’s amusement; cold provisions were to be taken, open carriages only to be employed, and every thing conducted in the usual style of a complete party of pleasure.

It is implied that Brandon and his BIL are in very good terms (and we know he's not afraid of cutting ties with bad relatives), and one can safely guess that at the very least he cares enough about his wife as to have her travel for her health. Another guess can be made about her getting married about 10 years before the events of the book. Whether she lived at home before that, or was at school or somewhere else, it isn't said.

But this way you can feel there's a parallel in a way, between the Brandons and the Tilneys: a greedy, cruel father, a son that follows on his steps, and a younger brother and sister managing the toxicity as best they can. Talking about this with @bad-at-names-and-faces, she brought up the idea that in that scheme, Cathy would be Eliza (if it wasn't her not being an orphan, or a rich heiress, and how that connects with Austen's line about Cathy not being born to be a heroine at the beginning of Northanger Abbey). Certainly part of it is the romantic gothicness of the Brandon backstory, united with NA's commentary on Gothic tropes, but to me it drove home with even greater force how such a situation would break a man; losing Cathy that way would have definitely broken Tilney, and if we had met him 14 years down the line, would he have appeared to the unacquainted much different than Brandon appeared to the Dashwood sisters?

#jane austen #sense and sensibility #Northanger Abbey #colonel brandon #Henry Tilney #these are the spaces in the novel where you can see how Austen's craft evolved and changed #The mystery about Brandon's past works well in the context of keeping the surprises and the twists coming #but it doesn't lend itself easily to relate to the character and understand him properly #which I somewhat delusionally hold onto hope that it would have come across much better in the original epistolary form #Austen is kind of trying to pack a Wuthering Heights size and Tenant introspection levels story #into one and fractions of infodumps within her comedy of manners #And that's really A LOT to put on the plate of your first novel

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too-much-tma-stuff · 11 months

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I Don’t Believe You Care

Y’all are my beta readers XD if you see any errors please let me know. I’m going to post this on AO3 later.

Part one here

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The scolding that Bruce gave Damian was the gentlest either of them had ever received, but it did cow Damian enough that he behaved while meeting Cass and Stephanie. It helped that they were sweet, Stephanie was a bit energetic and overwhelming but Cass was quiet and seemed to understand them better. She helped reign in the over-enthusiastic family friend and Danny was glad to have her as a sister. She didn’t speak much, she communicated in signs that he didn’t understand but he thought that he could learn in time, and he wanted to. When he told her so she smiled and Steph squealed, insisting loudly and brightly that they would be happy to teach him!

He couldn’t help but feel relieved that when Alfred asked Stephanie if she would be staying for dinner she joked that she should actually spend some time at home for once. It seemed like she didn’t live here, though they knew of her identity as Spoiler and her involvement with the bats, all her noise and movement wouldn’t be a consistent presence around the house. Not that Danny didn’t like her! He just thought he’d like her best in relatively small doses before she could overwhelm him.

He would ask Cass to teach him when Steph wasn’t here, it might be just slightly trickier, but he could use the excuse of letting the two friends spend the time they had together. And maybe Tim could help him practice? He must know how to communicate with his sibling after all, and Danny could already tell he and Tim were going to get along.

He was even more glad that Steph had gone when Dick arrived because as the man came barrelling in like a hurricane Danny didn’t want to think of how much chaos and noise they would be together! For all his practice in social graces they really should have prepared him for this chaos, crowds, and friendly contact. But the compound had been short sighted and ill prepared in such regards.

Dick was the worst, Danny was almost jealous of Damian who could snarl and squirm and draw a knife on the man when Dick tried to hug him. Danny put on a smile and forced a laugh and pretended that his instinctual reaction to being held like this didn’t make him want to bite and rend. He knew that Dick meant well, or at least he thought so, the man was honestly famously good natured and cared for his family. Danny wanted to be on his good side, and couldn’t bring himself to actually say he didn’t want to be touched, or at least wasn’t used to it. The sudden, quick, and broad movements Dick favoured with his dramatics made Danny want to flinch though he had better self control then that!

He dodged hugs as gracefully as he could for the rest of the night and managed to sit him and Damian between Bruce and Tim for dinner, with Danny sitting next to Tim of course. The food was good, and everyone in the family was very welcoming, but by the end of it Danny was exhausted.

He was good at this sort of thing, trained to charm, and redirect apparently effortlessly, but the thing was it wasn’t effortless, and these sorts of situations were harder to simulate then battle. Danny had done a good job, he could tell that he had them charmed, and had them warming up to Damian too actually, but he also knew that he was drooping. He should hide his fatigue, but he was still human, he yawned.

“You’ve had a long day young masters,” Alfred said, instantly picking up on the mood, he was an impressive man and they both knew it. “Now that you’ve eaten why don’t you go settle in your rooms and get some rest? I took the liberty of going to buy you some pajamas and basics that should fit the two of you. I’m sure Master Bruce will be happy to take you both out to buy clothes more suited to your taste tomorrow,” he added.

“I think that’s a good idea, don’t you Damian,” Danny asked, glancing over at his brother.

“I’m not tired,” Damian harrumphed, of course he wouldn’t admit defeat. “But I would like to see where we will be staying,” He added. No doubt he’d thoroughly check security and for any potential surveillance before he slept. Danny wasn’t going to bother.

“Very good young Masters,” Alfred said with a nod, pausing to look back at Dick. “Will you be staying the night as well?” He asked the older man, who gave a rueful smile and shook his head.

“I’m needed in Bludhaven, I was able to come for the day on such short notice but I couldn’t get more time off. I’ll schedule a proper vacation as soon as possible so I can come back and visit!” He said giving Danyal and Damian an encouraging smile, and Danny did a good job of looking disappointed that Dick was leaving even though he was glad to have some time to get his feet under him before more of the family would be under the same roof once more. Maybe he hadn’t been as subtle as he thought about dodging Dick’s affection though, because he didn’t try to hug either of the boys goodbye.

He bid their siblings farewell and followed Alfred up to his bedroom, seeing Damian into his first and then going into his own. He was quick to brush his teeth and change into the comfortable, soft pajamas they’d been bought which did fit perfectly. Unfortunately when he flopped down into bed, regardless of how exhausted he was, he couldn’t sleep. He kept replaying the events of the day, how he did, how he could have done better, what he had learned about the family and what it meant.

After maybe an hour once things had gone quiet on the other side of the wall and he thought Damian was asleep Danny sighed and got up. He opened his window and climbed out, he braced his feet on the sill and shoved off, jumping unnaturally high for a human to grab on the edge of the roof and drag himself up onto it. He scrambled up gracefully and silently, finding a comfortable place to lay, looking up at the sky. He stayed there, zoning out for a while before he heard a soft thump on the roof near him.

“How did you get up here?” Bruce asked, dressed as Batman this time, Danny glanced over and gave him a small smile.

“You can’t really see the stars here,” he said, looking back up at the sky. “I won’t miss much about the compound, but I’ll miss the stars.”

“Not settling in particularly well?” Batman asked, sitting down on the ridge of the roof, a respectable distance between them.

“Oh I’ll be alright,” Danny said with a shrug. “They always raised me to be your heir after all, Damian will have more trouble than me. Want some advice?”

“Hm,” Batman said, an affirmative sound.

“Take him to a zoo, buy him art supplies. He’ll deny he cares about such things, but I know him better then anyone and he does. Once he realizes he really can be himself out here, that’ll help start undoing the brainwashing.”

“How are you so insightful about the situation? You can’t have avoided the brain washing.” Batman asked, and Danny shrugged. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Danny asked, glancing over just for a moment.

“How do I bond with you?” Bruce asked, and Danny laughed.

“You don’t have to. I don’t need to be won over or convinced. Our grandfather is a violent fool who only cares for himself, teaching me to recognize manipulation showed me what he really was years ago. If you turned me away entirely I still wouldn’t go back to the league.” He said with a wry smile.

“Hm,” Batman sounded unimpressed. “You’re still my son. I’d like to bond with you?”

Danny sighed, not sure why Batman was being stubborn when his energy was best spent elsewhere. He sat up and looked over at Batman, tilting his head slightly. “I don’t need you,” He said somewhat bluntly. “Damian does, give him your focus. If you truly want you can buy me an instrument, and books on astronomy.”

Batman nodded thoughtfully and Danny lay back down, there was a few moments of quiet between them before B spoke up again. “How did you get up here?” He asked again and Danny sighed.

“I guess you have to know eventually,” He murmured. “Part of the reason we’re both here is because Grandfather couldn’t decide who he wanted to be his heir, it was always supposed to be Damian but something happened and suddenly I was a much more attractive choice.”

“What happened?” B prompted after a moment.

“You know about the Pits? Most people dunked in it come back less, in the mind usually, sometimes less human, feral and monstrous. But rarely, once in the blue moon, someone comes back more.” Danny glanced over at Batman, and when he blinked he let his eyes flash green, glowing with the vile waters the kept Ra’s limping along. He could have explained more about the ways that he was different now, but he didn’t want to let on more then he had to at this point. He wasn’t naive enough to trust Bruce just because they shared blood, so he simply said; “I came back More, and I mean, I’m still a trained assassin, I probably could still have gotten up here even if I hadn’t.”

“But seemingly being chosen by Lazarus made me seem like a better option to grandfather, and your… complicated feelings towards empowered people is well known. So they didn’t know if you’d like me anymore.” His eyes faded back to blue and he looked up at the sky again, he couldn’t read Bruce’s expression under the cowl anyway. “It took a lot of subtle work to convince them to send us both so you could ‘decide which of us you wanted’.”

“Do you expect me to choose one of you?” Bruce asked, unreadable as ever.

“No, not really, you clearly like having many children. Damian still thinks now that you have a biological heir you’ll turn your adopted children away, but that’s grandfather talking and he’s a fool. If you do choose one then choose Damian, I’ll be fine on my own but he needs the help navigating this world. He’s strong, he’s clever, he’s more observant than me, he’ll make a good detective. He’ll be more loyal than me once you win him over too. He’ll be harder to break of the bad habits, I’ve never been as good at killing as him, but once he learns the way you do things I think he’ll be a good Robin.” Danny said, pulling up his knees and wrapping his arms around them, it was a bit chilly on the roof.

Batman hummed and nodded, which was good, if he had continued to push Danny would have had to bring up Jason. He knew that Jason was alive of course, but Bruce didn’t and Danyal would say he was more likely to end up like Jason if he had to but that was a last resort.

“Well I want you to know that both of you are very welcome here. And neither of you have to be Robin, or anything that you don’t want to be. I’ll support you in whatever you want to do, and you being a meta doesn’t change that at all. Both of you have a home here,” Bruce assured.

Danny nodded and gave Bruce a smile before standing up and smiling. “That’s good to hear,” He said, while not believing it at all. Bruce couldn’t and shouldn’t offer such unconditional support after just meeting them. “I should get back inside, it’s getting cold, and I am tired,” He said, wandering over the edge of the roof and stepping off, twisting around to grab the edge and swung off and back through the window before closing the window and brushing himself off so he wouldn’t get to much dirt in his sheets before crawling into bed.

He wasn’t fully asleep before the door to his room opened just enough for Damian to slip inside, he wasn’t surprised, Damian and he weren’t as independent from each other as they acted like they were. “You should have locked your door and blocked it somehow. We cannot trust the mongrels Father has taken in,” he hissed at Danny.

“Damian, shut up and get over here,” Danny mumbled sleepily, not bothering to open his eyes as he lifted the blankets on the other side of the bed. He heard a scoff and waited as Damian did whatever he needed to to feel like the room was secure and then came over to slide into bed next to Danny. Danny held out his arm, they didn’t exactly cuddle even when like this, but Damian liked to hold Danny’s wrist and feel his pulse. He had done it when they were younger but he had stopped for a while, it had only started up again after he had watched Danny die, it was understandable.

Damian wrapped one hand around Danny’s wrist, seeking out his pulse and tucked the other arm under his pillow, no doubt stashing a knife there. “None of them are going to hurt us Dami. They’re used to having multiple siblings, they probably compete, but other then one notable exception we’ve never heard of any of them trying to kill each other have we?”

“You don’t know that, Father’s has never had a biological child before, they must recognize we’re more of a threat then the others,” Damian argued in hushed tones.

“They won’t, we haven’t even proven ourselves yet. We could be incompetent.”

“We’re not!” Damian objected, his voice raising just a little and Danny hushed him softly.

“No, we’re not, but they don’t know that. I would suggest we keep out heads down for at least a month, we learned what we could about them from a distance but we should observe them. We’ve never been out of the compound except on missions, we have a lot to learn and whoever does end up his heir will have to be able to pretend to be normal. I intend to take Tim up on the lessons on popular media, perhaps it isn’t practical, but what about when we inevitably have to interact with people our own age at parties? What about interviews?

“We don’t want to reflect badly on father and if we don’t know Anything about such thing, or have any hobbies, or anything of the sort people will assume he treats us poorly.” Danny murmured and Damian harumphed, even without opening his eyes Danny could tell Damian was gritting his teeth.

“Why should we care what the uncultured masses think?” He hissed furiously and Danny cracked a small smile.

“Because father does. As the Bat his reputation is half of his weapon, and his identity as Bruce Wayne is carefully crafted to both divert suspicion from him being Batman and to make people like him. Father understands well how ones image is a tool, and being a good father is part of his image as Bruce Wayne, we will have to play into it if we want to succeed.” Danyal explained as gently as he could, he didn’t believe all of what he was saying really, or at least the way that he was framing it. He was framing it in the way he thought was best to make Damian start giving the outside world a chance, and hoping that when he did give it a chance he would find he liked it.

It was quiet for a long time which was good, it meant that Damian was properly considering what Danny had to say. He was nearly asleep before Damian spoke again, rousing Danny from his half doze. “Alright, knowing these ‘siblings’ patterns would help, and I can concede the point on the importance of reputation,” He said stiffly.

Danyal had to suppress a smile at his brother’s tone. “Good. And try to remember that unlike Mother and Grandfather batman has a rule against killing. Anything you do you must make sure it is never tracked back to us, especially because he’s not going to suddenly stop caring about them because we share his blood. If he finds out we hurt one of them it would absolutely ruin our chances, or be a huge set back at the very least,” He added, again trying to gently steer his brother in the direction he wanted. He was being manipulative, but it was the way he knew that worked.

“Father should know better then to develop such misplaced attachments,” Damian grumbled but then after a moment of silence he sighed and nodded. “All of our missions have had to be done in secret anyway, with time and planning we’ll manage.”

Well, it had bought them time and that had been Danyal’s goal so he nodded as well. “Good, now sleep Ahki, we’ve both had a long day and I’m tired.”

Damian let out a soft hum and that was all, he kept hold of Danny’s wrist even as he fell asleep, as he always did. Danny liked it too, the physical reminder that Damian was there, that they were safely together. He didn’t think that either of them would have to sneak out before dawn to make sure they weren’t caught and punished for such childish behaviour, he truly felt like they could rest.

Part three

#Danyal al ghul #damien wayne #bruce wayne #tim drake #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #alfred pennyworth #danny phantom #dc #dc x dp #demon twins #twins AU #the league of assassins #batman #implied child abuse #this is a more introspective chapter #lots of talking

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voltfruits · 1 year

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one really important thing about Aubrey and Sunny's swingset scene (and their other interactions on One Day Left) is how it establishes Aubrey as a realist in contrast to Kel and Hero's relentless optimism and Basil's despairing attitude. like don't get me wrong, Sunny really benefits from Kel and Hero's sunshiney cheer, and his bond with Basil will always be important too. but Aubrey is the person who straight up says "you've gotta let yourself feel your feelings, the good and the bad. you've gotta eat. you've gotta go outside. life sucks and it's never going to be easy, but you've just gotta take it day by day and be patient." and it's frustrating to see people say that Aubrey didn't do anything for Sunny or that she only caused trouble for him... because after Sunny spent years living in his own head, he really needs a friend like Aubrey who is just completely real and candid with him.

#aubrey is actually. impressively mature and wise for her age. but no one admits it because she's a girl who's mean sometimes!!!!!!! 🙃#and tbh i think she and sunny have a lot in common re: the things they've been through and the way they deal with their issues #they are both full of love but feel tempted to suppress it #and they are both people who prefer to stay quiet and observe and judge and be introspective #i just think they're really good for each other!!! whether that's platonically or romantically. and that bond is sooo underrated #omori #aubrey omori #sunny omori #volt.txt #omori headcanons #this sat in my drafts for a while but the post i reblogged from lastvalyrian reminded me it existed. so here

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eggplantgifs · 5 months

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Kazuki Tomono: Halston » 2023 Japanese Nationals

#kazuki tomono #fskateedit #figure skating #japanese nationals 2023 #JN 2023 #program #still overwhelmed by that last group #kazuki threw down and then everyone else followed suit #the tension was insane...one of the best groups i've ever watched #i'm still mildly salty about kazuki getting robbed blind in pcs though #this program is very un-kazuki #but it's grown on me a lot #the chsq is so lovely #i think it says a lot about his quality and range that he's able to pull off quiet introspective programs as well as fun energetic ones #hoping he gets a 4CC assignment #the whole last group deserves to go to worlds though

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zinniapetals · 3 months

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my fave chengxian reconciliation scenario is wei wuxian slowly realizing that the life of a wanderer isn’t actually what he wants and lotus pier is his home and more clearly, living in a world with jiang cheng but not actually being something to jiang cheng isn’t what he wants either

#chengxian #text #liztalks #I’m just ugh sad girl chengxian hours #I think a lot about the ending of mdzs and how it doesn’t add up #I fee like if it actually took the time to let wwx grieve to heal to think about what happened #wwx would realize he’s using lwj to run away and to hide from his past #I love the fics that give him a few years to get situated with the world #the introspection of what he did and what he now wants and needs #and not to slander lwj but it isn’t him lmao #don’t even get me started on if wwx found out about jc’s sacrifice #mxtx is a coward for not doing that reveal bc she knew that the endgame would have been chengxian lmao #okay I’m delulu ignore me

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marysong-mp3 · 6 months

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midnights is not a breakup album but it is an album about examining new and old kinds of hurt which exist next to new and old kinds of love and how those things have and continue to impact your life and your relationships.

how have we gotten to where we are? where can we go from here? i miss you and i love you and i feel suffocated and i want no one else but you. when have i been here before? how do i get through this now?

#i'm sorry!!! there is just too much love still present there for me to dismiss it as a breakup album!!#it's too introspective and reflective and hopeful for it to be a “breakup album”!!!#we don't know the specifics but if she stayed for another year and a half then there must have been a lot of love there still #and that is more interesting to me as an analytical and artistic lens #dee speaks #midnights #taylor swift #you're losing me

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tumbleweed-run · 7 months

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Observations

Kinktober 2023 Day 19 Voyeurism

Astarion found that sometimes when he had no desire to join in with Tav and Gale, he enjoyed watching them have sex.

Sometimes, the mood struck and he would join them in the middle or even near the end of their lovemaking. Strangely, they didn’t complain and easily accommodated his late arrival. Sometimes, he didn't want to join them and instead touched himself while watching. And sometimes, he just wanted to watch and his cock took almost no interest in what was going on.

He could never tell what the outcome would be.

Tonight when Tav invited him into their room he’d accepted, knowing that, at least for now, he was going to claim his spot on the windowsill nearest the bed. Gale, irritatingly enough, took notice of this and nodded like he understood the meaning. Maybe they did. Somewhere around the time Tav was sitting in Gale’s lap, back to his chest, and she opened her eyes to find him watching as the wizard trailed kisses down her neck she’d reached out her hand and asked if he wanted to join them. He’d declined.

That was that.

As it was every time this exact scenario happened. He’d separate himself. One of them, usually Tav, would ask if he wanted to join them somewhere in the beginning. As soon as he’d decline they would leave it, no pouting or cajoling. Hells, they never asked again. Astarion would sometimes tell them no, even when he wanted to, just to see their reaction. Every time they took him at his word and left him alone.

It was still a strange feeling for Astarion when his no was met with unequivocal acceptance.

Gale’s hand was now in between Tav’s legs, and he was whispering something so softly in her ear that all Astarion could hear was the rush of his breath. She was whimpering as she ground against the wizard’s hand. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shut.

Gale was still fully clothed, whereas Tav was naked.

The wizard asserted dominance in subtle ways like that. He was quiet and gentle dominance, where Astarion made sure you knew who in the room was in charge. Gale rarely inflicted pain instead he withheld or on the opposite end, overstimulated. Astarion knew the line between pain for pleasure and pain for hurting and happily inflicted it on the willing. The wizard liked sweet words of praise and soft reassurances, saving his filthy mouth for other activities. Astarion preferred commanding with his tone and cruel words that were only softened by his lovers reactions. Tav enjoyed both of them, shining like the sun when Gale called her his sweet love or some other nauseating poetry and then flushing as she became dripping wet when Astarion called her a whore.

It was strange knowing these two so intimately to know these things. He was always good at reading people but this knowledge lived inside him.

Which was why it was little surprise when Gale made a show of licking his fingers, glistening with Tav’s arousal. Sex was a rare moment when the wizard would cease his mindless ramblings to put his tongue to better use. Tav, Astarion, it didn’t matter. The wizard liked things in his mouth.

Astarion’s cock twitched with the memory of the other man’s tongue working along it similarly. He pressed his palm against it, not sure if he wanted to do anything just yet.

Tav was also watching Gale, writhing, hips seeking contact where there was none.

Gale offered his fingers to her a string of spit stretching from his mouth to them obscenely. She accepted, drawing them into her mouth. As she began sucking, Gale’s hips bucked upwards, jostling her slightly. He groaned, allowing her to continue sucking for a moment. She keened when he removed them.

Astarion’s hand moved lazily against his cock, fabric of his trousers dulling the sensation slightly.

Gale had her stand from his lap and crawl onto the bed. She waited on all fours, legs spread exposing her wet cunt to Astarion. The wizard stood, pulling off his shirt. Astarion had anticipated him using this position to bury his face into her. He was a little surprised when instead, Gale pressed a finger back into her.

From the sound Tav made, she too was surprised. She leaned forward a moment as if away from Gale’s finger but then almost immediately rocked back. Gale’s free hand landed on her lower back, pressing down lightly as if to hold her in place. She stilled even as he added more fingers inside of her, pumping them in and out. Tav moaned, head hanging low below her shoulders so Astarion could no longer see her face.

Gale leaned over her, more soft words he could only hear the whisper of. Her response was to moan louder. The wizard withdrew his fingers, there was a mutter of incantation, and then they were coated in oil.

Astarion had used magic during sex before, though from him it centered more on disguises. Gale on the other hand used it as an extension of himself. The mage hand was a personal favorite, whereas Tav preferred various ice spells. On a whole things would be a lot more tedious without the magically appearing oils.

At first when Gale pressed his fingers back inside of Tav Astarion was confused. Then in a barely there movement Gale pressed his thumb gently against the pucker of Tav’s ass. She moaned loudly in response. Astarion shifted, partially so he could see better and in part so he could free his cock.

Gale was far gentler with Tav than he was with Astarion as he gently worked his thumb past the resistance of that little ring. For once she wasn’t growing impatient with how slow the wizard was moving. She was only rocking back slightly against him, the fingers in her cunt still moving. Astarion watched, rapt.

This was something new, as far as he was aware they’d never done this. The way Gale handled the situation was, unfortunately, not an indicator.

Astarion stroked his cock, subconsciously in time with the speed of Gale’s fingers. He even stilled when Gale withdrew them. Tav collapsed onto her elbows.

Gale was quick to remove his trousers. The way his cock slapped against his skin when free annoyingly made Astarion’s mouth water. He doubted he would ever forgive his body for the way it reacted for the irritating wizard. Even more and more, he was growing annoyed with his mind for the soft thoughts that occasionally filtered in about him.

Gale climbed up onto the bed behind Tav and blocked Astarion’s view of her. He stood and shifted towards the side of the bed. A quick glance from Tav, head still bowed, was the only indication either of them gave to his presence.

Gale gripped his cock and teasingly swiped it from as far up between Tav’s ass as he could reach to her clit. He did this several times until she was rocking back towards him, tempting him to press into her. When he finally pressed into her cunt she sighed, happy and relieved. Gale began to thrust, but not without angling his still well-oiled fingers so he could press one into her ass.

Tav’s breath hitched as the wizard worked his finger deeper into her than before. Gale froze, ever in tune to her responses, until she urged him on thrusting back once again. He resumed his movements almost instantly.

Astarion was happy to watch them even as he stroked his cock a little faster, deciding now that he’d get off from this.

Neither of them acknowledged him still, both of them lost in this little world. Tav’s moans were near constant, noises escaping her even as she inhaled. With the way she was squirming, fingers gripping tightly to the sheets below her, she was close. Gale was a little quieter only little grunts escaping each time he thrust into her. He was watching the way he fucked his finger into her in time with each of his thrusts, the whole thing disappearing now. Astarion found himself equally mesmerized.

He didn’t know what had prompted the wizard to try this with her but suddenly his own mine was filled with many ideas he wanted to try. For once, Astarion really hoped he and Gale were on the same page about something.

Gale barely pressed the fingertip of a second finger into Tav when she came, gasping the wizard’s name. He allowed her her time, letting her ride out each and every wave of her orgasm until she was still and panting. Only then did Gale remove his fingers to grip her hips, pace near brutal as he chased his own release. Astarion’s hand matched his pace.

Gale came with a curse spilling out of his mouth, like always pinning their hips together and rolling his hips as he came.

Once the wizard had still and he pulled out of Tav Astarion climbed onto the bed behind him. Reaching around the man he drug his fingers through the mess between Tav’s legs. She whimpered, still sensitive from her orgasm. He quickly slicked the mixture of oil, arousal, and cum along his cock before grinding it against Gale’s ass. He didn’t thrust into him, just between the globes of his ass.

The wizard didn’t protest, his mouth blissfully quiet as he allowed Astarion to rut against him. Astarion gripped Gale’s hips moving faster. It didn’t take long, his own orgasm hitting quickly. His hips stuttered and he came onto the other man’s back. Astarion allowed himself a few more thrusts, letting his own cum mingle with his already profane mixture on Gale’s back.

#bloodweave x tav #Astarion x Tav #Gale x Tav #bloodweave #kinktober 2023 #voyuerism #this turned out a lot more introspective than I planned #Breaking News: Vampire is dragged into love with a Wizard #I'm here I'm here #sorry its so late thursdays are my busy days

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hippolotamus · 1 month

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Inspiration Sunday Sentences

My turn to take my queer feels out on our freshly minted Bi Buck 🩷💜💙

tagged by the lovely @stereopticons @loserdiaz @tizniz @filet-o-feelings @diazsdimples @ladydorian05 @theotherbuckley absolutely loving everything you're putting out in the world (and obviously tagging you right back)

Next is the bisexual pride pin from Eddie that he prominently displays on his work duffle. Chris gives Buck his own gift, a Binosaur tee shirt that makes them both giggle. There’s a pink, purple and blue fidget spinner ring from Chim. A snapback embroidered with ‘I put the bi in bitch’ from Hen and Karen.

Athena bakes him cupcakes with tiny pride flags stuck in the frosting that’s also dusted with rainbow sugar crystals. Buck definitely never tells her how they unintentionally lead to the best sex he’s had in years after Tommy witnessed him shoving the entire treat in his mouth in one go.

Through his adult life, Buck has developed a certain taste for his personal decor and style. It’s rather minimalist, but it works for him. Still, he finds he enjoys adding these gifts of support and love from his family.

np tagging (lmk if you want added or removed) @shipperqueen6 @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @bidisasterbuckdiaz @actuallyitsellie @bi-buckrights @chaosandwolves @daffi-990 @elvensorceress @epicbuddieficrecs @eowon @fortheloveofbuddie @bucksbiawakening @giddyupbuck @saybiwithme @hoodie-buck @jesuisici33 @indestructibleheart @jesuisici33 @thekristen999 @lemonzestywrites @lizzie-bennetdarcy @loveyouanyway @monsterrae1 @rmd-writes @spaceprincessem @spotsandsocks @steadfastsaturnsrings @the-likesofus @theplaceyoustillrememberdreaming @thewolvesof1998 @vanillahigh00 @watchyourbuck @weewootruck @welcometololaland @wikiangela @wildlife4life @your-catfish-friend @honestlydarkprincess @queerbuckleys and anyone else who wants to 😘

#911 spoilers #hippo writes #surprise! introspective queer feelings #from moi???? the hell you say!#no idea what we’re calling this one yet #hippos bi Buck fic #in which i have a lot of feelings #about learning who you are later in life #and being told it’s unnecessary to *suddenly* have queer everything where everyone else can see it #spoiler alert: it's not #you do you babe #love you anyway to the core #inspiration saturday #sunday sentences #7SS

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nightswatchdisbandmentera · 3 months

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I do think it’s quite interesting how GRRM’s ideals of a good king are confronted and challenged in Jon’s storyline.

Jon is undoubtedly a good person. And he has the capability to be a good king. But being a good person in the world of ASOIAF is not always rewarded. And being a good king is easier said than done.

“They say the king gives justice and protects the weak.” She started to climb off the rock, awkwardly, but the ice had made it slippery and her foot went out from under her. Jon caught her before she could fall, and helped her safely down. The woman knelt on the icy ground. “M’lord, I beg you—”

“Don’t beg me anything. Go back to your hall, you shouldn’t be here. We were commanded not to speak to Craster’s women.”

“You don’t have to speak with me, m’lord. Just take me with you, when you go, that’s all I ask.”

All she asks, he thought. As if that were nothing.

“I’ll … I’ll be your wife, if you like. My father, he’s got nineteen now, one less won’t hurt him none.”

(Jon III, ACOK)

The situation with Gilly at Craster’s Keep is a perfect example of how difficult it is to give the king’s justice in certain situations. Jon wants to help Gilly, he even feels guilty and horrible for choosing not to, but he cannot so easily offer his help because he is a man of the Night’s Watch.

What’s interesting about this conversation is that Gilly addresses and appeals to Jon as she would a king. She places herself as the weak party and Jon as the king who is expected to protect the weak. She kneels to him, as one kneels to a king, and addresses him as “M’lord”; ironic because Jon is just a bastard, who is now a member of the Night’s Watch. Much has been said about this exchange, and fandom often gives Jon a lot less empathy than he deserves. The truth is that he is in a very terrible situation, notwithstanding the character development that is to come regarding his perception of the wildlings.

But I’m looking back at GRRM’s quote about how being king gives one wealth and power and ability to do something, anything. This is something that Jon absolutely lacks in this situation. He may have been symbolically positioned as the rightful king by the narrative, but that doesn’t mean he has any actual power to enact change within the narrative itself. If Jon were nearly as callous about this whole situation as this fandom wants us to believe, he wouldn’t feel so guilty about refusing to help Gilly as he does later on. P.S: I also want to note that Sam is often lauded for being the one to help the girl, “unlike Jon”…except, Sam only does so when the chaos that follows the mutiny and Craster’s death gives Gilly the opportunity to flee. Sam understood that he had no power to help Gilly early in ACOK and that’s why he sent her to Jon. But he also overestimated just how much Jon would be able to do at that moment. Jon may have been the Lord Commander’s steward, but that didn’t give him the ability to go against Mormont (especially when the LC himself was turning a blind eye to Craster’s vices).

It’s then interesting how this situation of a young girl trying to flee a precarious situation is repeated later on in ADWD and this time, Jon manages to help her. Except the difference is that Jon is the Lord Commander now, not just the LC’s steward. What he couldn’t do for Gilly in ACOK, he can do for Alys even though that too places him in a tough situation.

“Why not the king? Karhold declared for Stannis.”

“My uncle declared for Stannis, in hopes it might provoke the Lannisters to take poor Harry’s head. Should my brother die, Karhold should pass to me, but my uncles want my birthright for their own. Once Cregan gets a child by me they won’t need me anymore. He’s buried two wives already.” She rubbed away a tear angrily, the way Arya might have done it. “Will you help me?”

“Marriages and inheritance are matters for the king, my lady. I will write to Stannis on your behalf, but—”

Alys Karstark laughed, but it was the laughter of despair. “Write, but do not look for a reply. Stannis will be dead before he gets your message. My uncle will see to that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Arnolf is rushing to Winterfell, ’tis true, but only so he might put his dagger in your king’s back. He cast his lot with Roose Bolton long ago … for gold, the promise of a pardon, and poor Harry’s head. Lord Stannis is marching to a slaughter. So he cannot help me, and would not even if he could.” Alys knelt before him, clutching the black cloak. “You are my only hope, Lord Snow. In your father’s name, I beg you. Protect me.”

(Jon IX, ADWD)

We’re seeing a repeat of Gilly and Jon here. Alys is now the weak and helpless maid and Jon, who is still a brother of the Night’s Watch, is once again made to play the role of a king.

Obviously the narrative, as it was with Gilly’s situation in ACOK, is saying that Jon is the king because while Alys could’ve pinned her hopes on Stannis Baratheon (who is actually titled), she chose to flee north to Jon the bastard. And what’s interesting this time is that Jon actually helps Alys in whatever way he can. He uses his status as Lord Commander and his dealings with the Thenns to secure Alys’ marriage. He oversteps his bounds as Lord Commander, and the irony is that he starts to act more as a king would.

So it’s interesting to see how the character often marked as the true king by GRRM’s narrative handles the moral obligations that come with kingship. And GRRM is putting Jon through these tests when he doesn’t even have a crown of his own. GRRM often makes Jon prove his worth as a king despite thinking of himself only as a bastard. We see this best when Stannis comes to the Wall.

Surprisingly, Stannis smiled at that. “You’re bold enough to be a Stark. Yes, I should have come sooner. If not for my Hand, I might not have come at all. Lord Seaworth is a man of humble birth, but he reminded me of my duty, when all I could think of was my rights. I had the cart before the horse, Davos said. I was trying to win the throne to save the kingdom, when I should have been trying to save the kingdom to win the throne.” Stannis pointed north. “There is where I’ll find the foe that I was born to fight.”

(Jon XI, ASOS)

It is true that Jon and Stannis are in very different situations. Stannis is aware that he is the rightful king (as Robert’s heir), and he has also heard from Melisandre that he is the prophesied prince. Jon, on the other hand, is a bastard boy completely unaware of his royal birth or his magical destiny. Yet it’s so interesting that it’s Jon the bastard who was actually doing his duty as the king (without even knowing it) whereas Stannis had to be reminded of it. So despite his failings every now and then, Jon does live up to the author’s ideal of a great king.

#in my king jon feels again dksjsnsnsdj #this started as an introspective look at the morally difficult choices Jon has to make across the series and how that relates to kingship #and then took a turn into jonsnowdefensesquad nonsense in the middle smh #2 am thoughts #jon snow #asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #forgot to add but that last stannis bit is why I think jon will be king at the end of the story and not in twow like most jon stans #grrm legit puts my boy through the ringer #he will have to prove his worth (and make lots of morally ambiguous choices)#he needs to save the kingdom FIRST then be its king

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tswwwit · 2 months

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I want a bill whump so bad, if dipper falls in love with bill every time he reincarnates but hes also a little bit different in every reincarnation, could there be one where hes almost entirely replused by bill, or already in love with someone else?

We all love to see that terrible little man struggling! Typically hurting Bill is accomplished via Dipper-death, but this is a neat alternate scenario. You know he's definitely going to start out totally full of himself! Winning his husband back should be easy! Until he realizes he has no idea how he did it in the first place.

#answers #To really squeeze the good Angst Juice from a ripe Cipher you gotta put him in a position where he's helpless *despite* being so powerful #Killing Dipper off is a classic; Bill's got a lot of skills but full-on resurrection is outta his wheelhouse #The 'not in love' scenario offers another route that would be fun #One neat part of Bill is his lack of introspection #Sure of course Dipper fell for him! Why wouldn't he! He's great!#It's only when *forced* to look over the situation that Bill has to face facts: He didn't do that on purpose #No manipulation; no clever trick. Not something he can just *repeat* easily #He's gonna be REAL unhappy with trying to get THAT going around again #Of course it ends with him finally winning Dipper over once he STOPS trying to manipulate him into it #For that full-circle narrative #Which is a Good Ending for Bill! But leaves him with the lingering 'what the fuck' of STILL not knowing how he got it done #That's gonna bug you for ages now isn't it Bill

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werenotacoupleyesyouare · 4 months

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I think one of the most important aspects of the c!tntduo dynamic is that at the end of the day, they’re both just a couple of losers

#that and also the fact that they are inherently silly when they’re happy #they will have philosophical conversations but neither of them rlly knows what they’re saying #the phrases Tntduo are two very complex characters who have a lot of hurt and introspective skills #and #sometimes two girls should get to just be silly together #can and SHOULD coexist #thank you for coming to my ted talk #also this is not directed at anyone that’d be weird im just thinking about them #tnt duo #tntduo #tntblr #c!quackity #c!wilbur

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lendmyboyfriendahand · 1 month

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More in the AU where Elrond and Elros are 16 years old rather than 6 when Sirion is sacked. Tag is "older kidnap fam fic" for previous installments

Elrond wakes up draped over the rump of a horse.

Not, to be clear, his own warhorse. His faithful stallion is being ridden by one of the few remaining warriors of the Gap, the great cavalry of the Noldor, who will be able to keep her seat regardless of what the horse tries.

Elrond isn't initially sure who is riding the horse that he's been set over like a sack of baggage. His arms are stretched out past his head, tied wrists dangling toward the ground, and his ankles are tied as well, tighter than the hobble that he had while walking. He can't see anything but horse flank.

Elrond wriggles around to try and get a better view, and someone notices.

"Lord Maedhros, it seems your guest is awake."

Maedhros pushes down the middle of Elrond's lower back to pin him more surely to the horse. "Lie still. If you fall off while riding in formation you're liable to get stepped on by the next horse, even if the rider wished to avoid you."

"I know how to ride properly."

"Yes, I saw that you were quite skilled when you killed my soldiers, which is why you're staying right there."

"Could I at least sit upright, even if I have to ride behind someone else like an infant?"

"Maybe tomorrow, if you give your word not to escape."

"I'm not stupid enough to try and bargain with you again, after you broke your word about setting us free from the cellar."

"I never said I'd set you free, I said I'd leave the city and wouldn't kill you. Sirion crumbled in the first assault, but I did no more damage after taking you and your brother into custody. If they're smart enough to repair the castle first, everyone should be able to keep warm this winter."

"And if they focus instead on burying their dead, or rebuilding their houses, or rescuing their kidnapped princes?"

"Who knows? But I'm not king of even the Noldor anymore, and the people of Sirion are not my responsibility."

"You would just let them die?" Elrond wanted to glare at the Feanorian, and nearly slipped backwards off the horse as he tried to sit up.

Maedhros caught Elrond deftly by the bound wrists and pulled him back into place. "Next time you do that, I'll let you fall"

"So you don't actually intend to even spare my life."

"I agreed to spare you, not to save you . None here will harm you, but I won't rescue you from consequences of childish stupidity, no more than I will rescue Sirion from winter. If you would rather bash your head open rather than remain my captive, I am not so cruel as to deny you that escape."

Elrond had nothing to say to that topic, as his first retort about more palatable escapes seemed likely just to enrage his captor, as did any question about cutting off hands. "Where's Elros? Was he at least left back in Sirion?" Elrond wanted his brother to be safe, and his people to have a leader with his mother drowned. But he, selfishly, also did to want to be alone with the kinslayers.

"He's here as well, don't worry. Nornmalo has him, and I trust him not to torture a prisoner, despite what it may sound like."

"The moans of pain might be a headache, he drank rather a lot of beer while we were trapped."

Maedhros laughed. "Well, a hungover child soldier. He will at least bother Nornmalo less with questions."

"Could I give him something to soothe the headache? I know a bit of healing."

"No. A headache won't kill him, and he'll get water when we stop same as you."

They stopped only once that day, to water the horses at a stream. Elros was pulled down from the saddle - feet first, luckily, though he still landed in a heap - and his hands untied. Maedhros tossed him a canteen, and said "if you need to piss, now's the best time. You won't get piss all over the horse or your clothes, and we're downstream of the rest of the company."

"My legs are still tied."

"The ropes low enough you should be able to unfasten your belt."

"Are you going to watch me the whole time?"

"Until I find another guard, yes."

Elrond drinks little enough water to avoid the issue, for the moment.

When it's time to ride again, Elrond puts up a fight about having his arms tied again. That just gets Maedhros pinning his face in the dirt while a soldier ties the rope.

Elrond is slung back on the horse like a parcel.

They stop again just before sunset to make camp.

Elrond's hands are untied again for dinner.

The food is simple, waybread and water, and Elrond wonders if he should mention that Men need to eat more than once a day.

Far more exciting than the food though is the figure dropped on the grass next to him, clutching his own canteen and waybread.

"Elros!"

"Elrond! By Ulmo, you're alright!"

"I am, just a bit bruised from the horse. You?"

"Here's something for your healer's notes: do not put people with hangovers upside down for hours. I must have thrown up a dozen times."

"That's terrible! Maybe we can ask-"

At that point the guard tells them to hurry up, they'll be taken to where they're sleeping in ten minutes regardless of how much dinner they've had. Elrond and Elros focus on eating.

They are not, apparently, going to be sleeping near each other. "Too much chance to plot."

The Feanorian soldiers have tents. Some of them share, some of them have their own. A few soldiers have tents obviously designed for two or three that they go into alone.

The horses stolen from Sirion are tied to a picket line. It's loped through the reins, but one person untying the end would let all the horses scatter.

The horses the Feanorians rode into town on are not tied at all. They are loyal old warhorses, and will not flee from orcs in the distance. If wolves do sneak past the guards into the camp, better for the horses to run, and come back at their masters' call when the danger is passed.

Elrond, by contrast, is tied to a tree trunk. His hands are tied in front of him rather than behind, and his legs are unbound. Maedhros's brother - and Elrond learned from a careless remark that their is only the one left - even tossed a blanket over Elrond's legs, to guard against the chill of the night air.

It is the most freedom of movement Elrond has had all day, but that's saying little.

He is stuck sitting up, feeling every root and rock underneath him, unable to reach his hands back to where the rope is tied behind the tree.

Elrond sleeps poorly, stirring at every noise, whether it's a guard on their rounds or an owl hooting its warning.

In the morning, Elrond is given a breakfast of water and waybread again.

Maedhros says "You know it would be suicidal to flee, alone in the wilderness, yes?" and lets Elrond ride behind him sitting up.

Elrond's hands are still bound, and a rope leads passed Maedhros to the saddle horn. If he fell off, he better hope he can keep pace with a cantering horse, or else be dragged on the ground.

Elrond stays on the horse. He figures out his balance well enough to turn, and sees Elros riding similarly.

Thing continue like this for over a week, until they reach Amon Ereb.

#older kidnap fam fic #my fic #silm #silmarillion #Nornmalo means oak friend #he was originally one of Curufin's followers I think; he is more used to defending a fortress than riding long distances #but all the best riders in the Feanorian host were either a) in the Gap during the Bragollach and so a lot of them died in fire #or b) on the riverlands of Ossirand under Amras and so extremely pissed off at Elrond and Elros now #Maedhros trusts /most/ of his soldiers not to torture or kill prisoners against his orders; but he does recall Doriath and Elured and Eluri #better to put the annoying enemy teenagers with someone who is grieving a bit less and so is less likely to strike them in anger #Maedhros is confident in his own self control in the field; he has scheduled to break down in tears three hours after they reach Amon Ereb #in the meantime he ignores all his emotions and doesn't attempt introspection

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