i’ll be good

[crshingdevotion]

#CR[U]SHINGDEVOTION : a private &. selective blog for criston cole from hotd

rules at @djaerin

[grimson-deactivated20250802]

A MATTER OF HONOR ; THE FIRST STRIKE? A TONGUE. blood drawn without need of a sword, she can only imagine the hush that followed such comments. allowing herself a few moments to gather her thoughts on the matter, the queen's eyes oh so dutifully follow his sweeping movements, the spread of red. searching for some vestiges of a reprimand - for a trace of what she should be feeling after such a display, only to come up empty. despite her own (INTOLERANCE) of the princess' behavior, her position limits her ;

being a woman limits her. only a pawn to be passed between the filthy, groping hands of men. just the thought of it URGES HER TO CRAWL FROM HER OWN SKIN - sending her across the room, only stopping once at his side.

❝ please, you're missing the worst of it. ❞ gentle fingers pry the cloth from his grasp, clearing it of blood in the warm water before continuing his previous ministrations, with a kinder hand.

despite her careful movements, she's sure the edges of his open wounds still burn. the heat of the moment, he's likely still burning inside as well. ❝ i suppose i am only sorry that you were put into that position in the first place, ser criston. ❞ punctuated by one final brush of the cloth, daringly mirrored by that of her bare hand.

[crshingdevotion]

eyes nearly flicker to a close, sweet touch on his flesh, unused as he is. a digging in memory, trying to find some remnants of softness bestowed upon him. in another life, there was a gentle hand carding through his hair, fingertips grazing his skin. deep breath fills his lungs, an attempt to do it quickly, to not let show how affected he is by gentleness. there is no better way to break a monster than to show it kindness. that he knows in his bones.

' thank you, your grace. '

a whisper in the room, unwilling to break the atmosphere, hoping to bask a little in the care she offers quietly. winces and groans of pain are tightly help behind teeth, trained in not showing weakness. fingers clench and unclench into fists, not one to remain inactive, unsure what he is to do but stay. as he is. unmoving under her hands.

words of answer on the tip of his tongue are crushed by her flesh against his, breath catching in his throat. eyes dart down, for a second, to find hers before he looks at his feet again. he is devoted to her, ready to fall to his knees, like the mother she is to be revered, above them.

' i put myself there, your grace. ' for you, he doesn't say. eyes dart up again, surprised to not hear complaints. her fingers are warm on his cheek, criston wonders if she feels the barely grown hair that escaped the razor this morning. the thought is quiet but it does not disappear : what if they stayed like this.

[mcflymemes]

TREASURE PLANET (2002) PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue from the disney film, adjust as necessary

you're gonna rattle the stars.

now you listen to me, [name]. you got the makings of greatness in you, but you got to take the helm and chart your own course.

look at you, glowing like a solar fire.

you're something special, [name].

let me make this as... monosyllabic as possible.

how did i describe them?

i said something rather good this morning before coffee.

there you go. poetry.

i'm an astronomer, not a doctor!

i am a doctor, but i'm not that kind of doctor. i have a doctorate. it's not the same thing. you can't help people with a doctorate.

you just sit there and you're useless.

i won't bore you with my scars.

oh shut up. you know i don't mean a word of it.

i'm starting to see my life pass in front of my eyes.

you have wonderful eyes.

yes, you. i have a question.

is it that your body is too massive for your teeny-tiny head, or is it that your head is too teeny-tiny for your big fat body?

i have one more question.

is this yours?

well, this has been a fun day.

without the map, we're dead.

if we try to leave, we're dead.

what a joke.

at least you taught me something.

that's just what i'm gonna do.

you still don't know how to pick your fights.

are you saying this because it's the right thing, or because you really want to go?

playing games, are we?

thanks for the lift, guys.

don't mention it.

this is the answer to all our problems!

don't you remember? all those stories?

would you please explain how ridiculous this is?

it's totally preposterous! traversing the galaxy alone!

now at last we hear some sense.

you flatter me, [name].

i feel like such a useless weakling.

stay out of trouble!

that was more fun than i ever want to have again.

so... uh. how'd that happen anyway?

i've got two new friends i'd like you to meet.

are your parents around?

i've got some plans to make people see me a little different.

sometimes plans go astray.

you take care now.

this should be a wonderful opportunity for the two of us to get to know one another.

with the greatest possible respect, zip your howling screamer.

we're about to get under way!

i'll follow you.

you know the rules.

maybe your ears don't work so well.

i just don't want to see you throw away your entire future.

i don't know how you manage it.

did you actually aim for that?

what is all this stuff?

wait wait wait! what about the treasure?

i don't want to lose you.

i'll make you proud.

i'm sorry, my memory isn't what it used to be.

i say we kill them all now.

all my life, i've been waiting for an opportunity like this.

[grimson-deactivated20250802]

THE TYPICAL LANGUAGE OF MEN : she's discovered it to be bloody, brutal, often unforgiving in the heat of the moment. rapidly burnt bridges are not uncommon - contrary to the ties of women which tend to deteriorate over time. a thousand cutting words over several years, or the brazenness of a sword to the back, they bleed out all the same. given what she's heard of the incident, this has been a long time coming. the boiling point.

she finds little trace of regret in the lines of his form, only acceptance of whatever he believes he's owed in return. be it praise or scorn ; he'll bear it without complaint. ❝ have you been tended to? ❞

several, more pressing questions loom & yet she cannot ignore the state of him. downcast eyes surrounded by THE FRESH BLOOMING OF BRUISES, forced to wear evidence of the friction that has itself become a plague upon their house. ❝ i should like to hear what transpired. from you. ❞ stories spoken on many lips always take different forms, twisting & turning until the truth becomes (...) unrecognizable. now, whatever his version of events may be, the queen finds herself inclined to believed it.

[crshingdevotion]

heartbeat can be felt under the bruises, metallic taste on his tongue as it sweeps over his lip, toying with the gash right there. dark eyes flicker up, taking in the expression of her face, the severity in her pressed lips, trying to gauge her state of mind. being her shadow for years, following every step of hers, he's more skilled at guessing her moods than he is with his sword. there is a reserve in her, the way her fingers twirl and pinch skin as all feelings are caged under her ribs, a testament to her grace.

' no, your grace. you do not need to trouble yourself. '

bloodied fingers find wet cloth, wringing it before applying it to his face, pressing against bruised lip, the bleeding arch of an eyebrow. the words are to be chosen carefully, the truth she asks of him, one that cannot hurt her for criston has learnt that he is to not only protect her life but also her heart -- with clenched jaw and silent glances, a witness to the slights committed against her, to the crumbling of her faith, of her love for the targaryens.

' sir harwin strong accused me of not training the princess' children. i took offense, told him that his words were those of a father. he took offense and hit me. '

in front of the king, in front of the court, a senseless act of violence against a member of the kingsguard. i stayed my hand so that there would be justice. his blood colored the sand of the training yard in hopes for misery for the princess, in retribution for the sorrow inflicted on his queen.

[elena-gilbert]

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 1.05 "We Light the Way" || 2.08 "The Queen Who Ever Was"

[calisources]

A   SONG   OF   ICE   AND   FIRE   &   HBO'S   GAME   OF   THRONES.   sentence   starters   taken   from   both   the   source   books   and   the   hbo's   adaptation   of   a   song   of   ice   and   fire   from   george   r.r.   martin.   change   titles,   names   and   pronouns   as   you   see   fit.

 "Tell them the North remembers. Tell them winter came for House Frey."

"Leave one wolf alive and the sheep are never safe."

"I'm not a lady. I never have been. That's not me."

"Nothing's more hateful than failing to protect the one you love."

"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

"An unhappy wife is a wine merchant's best friend."

"What good is power if you cannot protect the ones you love?"

 "So we fight and die or we submit and die. I know my choice."

"I thought if I could make something so good, so pure, maybe I'm not a monster."

"Power is power."

"I'm not going to stop the wheel, I'm going to break the wheel."

"Do you understand? I'm no ordinary woman. My dreams come true."

"It's not easy to see something that’s never been before: A good world."

"I believe in second chances. I don't believe in third chances."

"As long as I'm better than everyone else I suppose it doesn't matter."

"When enough people make false promises words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies."

"If you only trust the people you grew up with, you won't make many allies."

“Winter is coming. We know what’s coming with it."

"It is a big and beautiful world. Most of us live and die in the same corner where we were born in, never get to see any of it. I don't want to be most of us."

 "I wonder if you’re the worst person I've ever met? At a certain age it's hard to recall. But the truly vile do stand out through the years."

"Know your strengths, use them wisely, and one man can be worth ten thousand."

"Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you."

"I try to know as many people as I can. You never know which one you'll need."

"No one is very happy. Which means it’s a good compromise."

 "Men decide where power resides, whether or not they know it."

"Give us common folk one taste of power and we're like the lion who tasted man—nothing is ever so sweet again."

"But it's you and me that matters to me and you. Don't ever betray me."

 "I want to be the queen."

"Any man who must say, I am the king, is no true king."

"The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword."

"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention."

"Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder."

"A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is." 

"Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word." 

"If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. "

"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives."

"People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up."

"Every man must die, Jon Snow. But first he must live."

"We look up at the same stars and see such different things."

"I need you to become the man you were always meant to be. Not next year, not tomorrow, now." 

"It's a neat little trick you do. You move your lips, and your father's voice comes out. "

"Tell me something, Varys who do you truly serve?"

"They’re dragons, Khaleesi. They can never be tamed."

"Love is the death of duty." 

"Thousands of men don't need to die. Only one of us. Let's end this the old way."

"I Am not beholden to my ancestors vows."

"Robert's rebellion was built on a lie."

"We're children playing at a game, screaming that the rules aren't fair."

"With respect, Your Grace, I don't need your permission. I am a King."

“The world is one great web, and a man dare not touch a single strand lest all the others tremble.”

“Black and white and grey, all the shades of truth.”

“In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining.”

“There is no creature on earth half so terrifying as a truly just man.”

“Every man should lose a battle in his youth, so he does not lose a war when he is old.”

“I prefer my history dead. Dead history is writ in ink, the living sort in blood.”

"The war continues, Davos Seaworth, and some will soon learn that even an ember in the ashes can still ignite a great blaze.”

 "He has a song. He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.”

"The only time a man can be brave is when he is afraid."

[crshingdevotion]

rabid dog with a bone to pick, metallic taste on his teeth that unveil in a smile. a few comments, her coat of arms on his heart, a sworn shield that acts as a sword, cutting words that attract fists to his face. but it is known now, the words like whispers passed from guard to serving girl until the whole of king's landing is buzzing with the truth. the inner workings of court are still a mystery to him, criston leaves it to his queen. the worry upon her brows, the fear that grips her heart, there is no failing her, an opportunity was there for him to seize and he threw everything he had in it.

the door creaks, heavy as it moves the air around the room, dirty fingers leaving wet cloth to rest on the table as he gets to his feet, head bowing.

" Your Grace. "

eyes downcast, judgement is awaited though there is PRIDE at the corner of his bent lips, @ghoulyard has reached into the abyss and gave his tarnished cloak its honor again. guard dog, obeying to a single movement of her hand, criston is at her mercy but it does not feel precarious, trusting that she could not let him down. awaiting a word, the scorn at his action, knowing her to be pristine clean in her actions : there would only be shame should she want it to be.