STORM'S / LIGHT

[stormlandeda]

secondfalcon‌  / olyvar arryn . 

          he  smiles  softly  when  he  sees  lady  katherynne,  her  presence  welcome to  him  in  a  way  that  many  were  not.  he  knew  her  well  and  being  with  her  was  easy,  and  seemed  to  lack  the  moments  of  explaining  himself  he  so  often  did  with other  members  of  the  court.  he  was  happy  to  see  her.  ‘  slightly,  yes,  though  i  suppose  that’s  part  of  my  wonder  with  it.  ’  a  slight  pause  as  he  turns  towards  her.  ‘  did  you  get  here  recently  ?  ’    he  had  only  arrived  with  his  brother  and  his  brother’s  children  the  night  before,  just  enough  time  to  rest  before  the  festivities  had  begun  this  morning.  ‘  it’s  good  to  see  you  again,  katherynne.  ’

                  WHATEVER TUMBLE  HER SPIRITS HAD TAKENamidst the happy rabble of celebrating northern folk were quickly ameliorated by the presence of lord olyvar . truthfully , she had hoped that he might accompany his brother & family , but had yet to see her suspicion realized until that very moment. katherynne’s true friends were few , and she was happy to count olyvar among them. ❛ i find that very often , things can be both wonderful and intimidating , and have given up trying to categorize my feelings as one thing or another , for i too often feel too much all at once . ❜ she tilted her head toward the dancing , smiling once more , before returning her attention to olyvar. she held herself with a new lightness , a joy at being able to speak freely with one whom she felt quite comfortable around. there was little room for facades or pretense here - - what a relief it was to be simply katherynne for a little while. ❛ oh , no . i arrived with cedrik - -we were among the first southerners , it seems. though i cannot say i’ve uncovered the mysteries of the north. . . ❜ she paused, raising a brow for effect before laughing, ❛ yet. though i could provide a comprehensive tour of the glass gardens, should one request it. ❜  

                   to his comment , katherynne smiled fondly , folding her hands together to stave off a usual fidgeting. ❛ i did not know you would be among jasper’s party. what a happy discovery this is. are you well ? ❜ light eyes widened , mild concern painting her features. she did not mean to insult or injure him by drawing attention to an ailment that pained him , but katherynne was a creature of care & had little tact to restrain herself outright where matters of consideration were involved. 

[stormlandeda]

 amereicaron‌  . 

Amerei had been full of light once, the kind of lady who would have adored the Northern feast, who would have danced and flirted and delighted in the celebrations. Things had changed. She had never been particularly free spirited, but now she was burdened by a crushing feeling that eyes were on her, and she didn’t belong. There were precious few people who could make her put that feeling to one side, lift the weight from her shoulder and restore her old self, but chief amongst them was her dear Katherynne. Any familiar face would have been a blessing, but her presence was a true god send. “You shall have all my dances, if you want them,” she declared, giving the other’s arm a gentle squeeze. “Though I don’t think it is I who the lords are looking at. I’ve seen the ways the Northerners are looking at you.” She was teasing, though there was a grain of truth to her words. Katherynne was a great beauty, only a fool would miss that. “Let’s dance together, and see how many Northmen we can get to bring us drink and lavish us with attention.” 

            ❛❛ AND DEPRIVE OTHERS OF YOUR COMPANY ? MY DARLING , I WOULDN’T DREAM OF IT .  ❜❜  a light squeeze of amerei’s arm accompanies her words. the pair have been quite unfortunate in their matches , but katherynne cannot look at her dearest friend and not be determined to see her happy , to do whatever is in her power to ensure a happiness that she deserves . to ami’s remark , katherynne couldn’t help but laugh , more heartily than she had recently become accustomed to.  ❛❛ if there are northern lords looking at me , it is only to wonder how i’ve survived  this visit.  ❜❜ slight as she was , katherynne looked odd almost anywhere   - - like a fragile thing easily displaced . she was sure her generally nervous disposition did very little to make her look as though she belonged.  katherynne took a step back , extending her hand towards her friend and mimicking a lordly bow . ❛❛ surely king harlon will not mind us upsetting his coronation feast by diverting all northern attention to us . may i have this dance , my lady ? ❜❜

[stormlandeda]

secondfalcon‌  / olyvar arryn  

         it  took  a  true  occasion  to  bring  the  younger  arryn  brother  from  the  vale,  or  even  the  eyrie  for  that  matter,  but  the  coronation  of  a  new  king  was  an  occasion  indeed.  olyvar  sat  at  a  table,  watching  the  movement  around  him    (  the  dancers  who  moved  with  speed  and  grace,  the  household  staff  who  managed  to  navigate  their  way  expertly  between  them,  the  collections  of  different  nobles  throughout  the  hall  so  far  from  their  homes  ).     not  for  the  first  time  that  night,  olyvar  was  very  much  aware  of  his  place  in  this  moment  within  history ;  how  the  changing  of  hands  was  such  a  powerful  yet  vulnerable  moment  and  how,  unless  something  went  wrong,  it  would  just  be  a  single  line  in  the  history  of  the  world.  ‘  it’s  somewhat  amazing,  isn’t  it  ?  ’   he  asks  of  the  soul  nearest  to  him,  ‘  sitting through living history.  ’

                 THE NORTHERN FESTIVITIES , WHILE LIVELY & BEAUTIFUL , are daunting . a tension hangs in the air between northern & southern kingdoms - - as if peace is suspended only for a moment  , maintaining a precarious balance between chaos and ruin . the northerners celebrate the ascension of a new king , will the southerns wait in expectation for their sovereign to scandalize them all . she has spent the majority of the evening as a spectator to it all . she cannot expect to dance many dances , when her reputation has been damaged so severely , nor can she expect more than pleasant conversation from the acquaintances of her family , too polite to acknowledge that she has become something of a joke to them . she seeks out rowena amidst the gaiety , but finds lord olyvar instead . his presence is as welcome a respite as her sister’s would have been , and she listens to his comment intently. she offers him a small smile , before speaking.       ❛❛ amazing , yes.  and rather intimidating , don’t you think ? to be reminded of how small we are - - to wonder how time will remember us ? ❜❜

[juliacaesaris-deactivated202109]

[stormlandeda]

                 THE THRILL OF THE LIVELY NORTHERN dances washes away any chill that has settled in her bones in the recent days . it is warm  here - - full of a life & a joy she could have scarcely anticipated for a people so often depicted as cold. it is with a particular spring in her step that she approaches a familiar figure , carefully winding her arm around the other’s , a fond smile touches her lips as she leans toward the other woman. 

             ❛❛ though i fully expect your time to be occupied by the lords           that will fawn & fall at your feet        to be expected when you       look as lovely as you do , i’m also expecting you to save me a dance.  ❜❜  

@amereicaron​ 

[persephonememes]

* (  LITTLE WOMEN /  SENTENCE PROMPTS.

These may have been edited for clarity or length or to better apply for roleplaying.

❛ Don’t try to make me grow up before my time. ❜

❛ Love is a great beautifier. ❜

❛ I never wanted to go away, and the hard part now is leaving you all. ❜

❛ I’m not afraid, but it seems as if I should be homesick for you even in heaven. ❜

❛ If I didn’t care about doing right and didn’t feel uncomfortable doing wrong, I should get on capitally. ❜

❛ When we make little sacrifices we like to have them appreciated, at least. ❜

❛ Don’t mind me. I’m as happy as a cricket here. ❜

❛ You don’t need scores of suitors. You need only one, if he’s the right one. ❜

❛ Love casts out fear, and gratitude can conquer pride. ❜

❛ I am lonely, sometimes, but I dare say it’s good for me. ❜

❛ When you feel discontented, think over your blessings, and be grateful. ❜

❛ Let us be elegant or die! ❜

❛ Hearts, like flowers, cannot be rudely handled, but must open naturally. ❜

❛ I do think that families are the most beautiful things in all the world! ❜

❛ Be worthy love, and love will come. ❜

❛ Oh, my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this! ❜

❛ The sincere wish to be good is half the battle. ❜

❛ The humblest tasks get beautified if loving hands do them. ❜

❛ I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle—something heroic, or wonderful—that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead. ❜

❛ I think I shall write books, and get rich and famous; that would suit me, so that is my favorite dream. ❜

❛ Don’t cry so bitterly, but remember this day, and resolve with all your soul that you will never know another like it. ❜

❛ I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now. ❜

❛ Be comforted, dear soul! There is always light behind the clouds. ❜

❛ I don’t like to doze by the fire. ❜

❛ I like adventures, and I’m going to find some. ❜

❛ I like good strong words that mean something. ❜

❛ Because they are mean is no reason why I should be. ❜

❛ I hate such things, and though I think I’ve a right to be hurt, I don’t intend to show it. ❜

❛ Conceit spoils the finest genius. ❜

❛ Watch and pray, dear, never get tired of trying, and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault. ❜

❛ I am angry nearly every day of my life. ❜

❛ I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship. ❜

❛ For love casts out fear, and gratitude can conquer pride. ❜

❛ I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them. ❜

❛ I make so many beginnings there never will be an end. ❜

❛ Some people seemed to get all sunshine, and some all shadow. ❜

❛ I don’t pretend to be wise, but I am observing, and I see a great deal more than you’d imagine. ❜

❛ I’m interested in other people’s experiences and inconsistencies, and, though I can’t explain, I remember and use them for my own benefit. ❜

❛ I’m not like the rest of you; I never made any plans about what I’d do when I grew up. ❜

❛ I never thought of being married. ❜

❛ I wish I had no heart, it aches so. ❜

❛ Wouldn’t it be fun if all the castles in the air which we make could come true and we could live in them? ❜

❛ You’re an angel! How shall I ever thank you? ❜

❛ I have nothing to give but my heart so full and these empty hands. ❜

❛ Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort. ❜

❛ Life and love are very precious when both are in full bloom. ❜

❛ I could have been a great many things. ❜

❛ Talent isn’t genius, and no amount of energy can make it so. ❜

❛ I want to be great, or nothing. ❜

❛ If we are all alive ten years hence, let’s meet, and see how many of us have got our wishes, or how much nearer we are then than now. ❜

❛ You have grown abominably lazy, and you like gossip, and waste time on frivolous things. ❜

❛ I hate ordinary people! ❜

❛ Now and then, in this workaday world, things do happen in the delightful storybook fashion, and what a comfort that is. ❜

❛ You are like a chestnut burr, prickly outside, but silky-soft within, and a sweet kernel, if one can only get at it. ❜

❛ Love will make you show your heart someday, and then the rough burr will fall off. ❜

❛ We’ll all grow up, no pretending we won’t. ❜

❛ If I didn’t care about doing right and didn’t feel uncomfortable doing wrong, I should get on capitally. ❜

❛ I can’t help seeing that you are very lonely, and sometimes there is a hungry look in your eyes that goes to my heart. ❜

❛ Love covers a multitude of sins. ❜

❛ It takes people a long time to learn the difference between talent and genius, especially ambitious young men and women. ❜

❛ But, like all happiness, it did not last long. ❜

❛ I do think that families are the most beautiful things in all the world! ❜

❛ How happy and good we’d be, if we had no worries! ❜

❛ I think we are all hopelessly flawed. ❜

❛ Where’s the use of looking nice, when no one sees me but those cross midgets, and no one cares whether I’m pretty or not? ❜

❛ Nothing remained but loneliness and grief. ❜

❛ I don’t think secrets agree with me, I feel rumpled up in mind since you told me that. ❜

❛ Nothing seemed impossible in the beginning. ❜

[juliacaesaris-deactivated202109]

[stormlandeda]

kingharlon‌ . 

He hadn’t expected to see her so soon, realistically he knew she was coming, she would be here it was unavoidable. But there was nothing that had truly prepared him for the sight of her. He’d not seen Katherynne since her father rejected his permission to court her. There wasn’t a need for a marriage to the North, their ties were strong as it was and there were other opportunities to be made. Even him reminding the man that marrying him would make Katherynne a queen some day he wasn’t interested in it. Harlon hadn’t even truly gotten to say goodbye to her. Now she was standing in his home, one as a teenager he’d imagined would be theirs, apologizing to him. 

“Every good godswood has a weirwood tree.” he smiled a little, memories of him alone in the godswood of Storms End when the others went to the sept. “And it’s far better than the one in Kings Landing.” He’d been only once but their godswood… he’d been surprised it was even still standing. Turning to face her Harlon finally stood, they were both adults now, grown and married to other people, at least he was. Gysella was truly more than he could have ever hoped for in a match but Katherynne had been his first love. He didn’t think anything could make him forget her.

“I thought Baratheon’s were supposed to be tall?” A half smile, “I remember you telling me once you’d be even taller than I am.” In all fairness Harlon had been a very small 10 year old. 

               NATURALLY , THE LORD SHE STUMBLES UPON , amidst her awkward fussing with her heavy furs & her nervous disposition , would be that of harlon stark. but he is no lord - - he never has been. always a prince , and now a king .  it was only a matter of time until they encountered each other , something that had seen katherynne fretfully pull stitches out of her newly embroidered gloves on the journey. how much did he know , she wondered ? about her life now - - what it had been & what people made of it ? did he even care ? 

     so much had passed between them , and so much had occurred since she had woke to find that harlon had made the journey from storm’s end home without so much as a goodbye. she was sure that the woman he saw now was but a shadow of the girl she had been. the girl that had loved him quite terribly.   ❝   it might be treasonous to say ,   ❞ she starts cautiously , shuffling her weight from foot to foot , ❝  but much of king’s landing pales in comparison to the rest of the world.  ❞ she tilts her head slightly , a small smile lighting her eyes.  ❝   AND - - it smells. quite terribly, actually.  ❞

         katherynne stifles the urge to ask him a million questions all at once - about his life , his wife , his family. she is thankfully interrupted by a question ( or more of a jab ) , to which she merely shrugs her shoulders.  ❝   you can’t rule anything out, you know. perhaps the northern air will agree with me and i’ll shoot up overnight. i might be taller than you yet.  ❞ she had been a competitive girl, in her own way. precocious to the point of potentially annoying. 

she  looks at him for a long moment , lips pursing and un-pursing as she struggles to find something ( anything ) to say that feels natural. 

                    ❝  i was so saddened to hear about your father. i - - well ,                           i wanted to write , but it didn’t... i should have.   ❞

[vicbertsource]

[stagborn]

HOUSE  BARATHEON  +  name  meanings  .

@fatewcpt @justicemarred @baratheonrose @stormlanded @antleredoe

[stormlandeda]

stagborn‌ ( 𝖈𝖊𝖉𝖗𝖎𝖐 𝖇𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖓 )

             he  remembers  once  wondering  aloud  the  existence  of  the  gods  .  it  was  met  by  a  slap  to  the  face  by  his  father  ,  a  man  cedrik  had  never  labeled  as  religious  .  the  mere  speaking  about  it  had  been  enough  to  see  some  sort  of  punishment  and  he  learned  to  never  say  another  word  about  such  a  thought  .  cedrik  himself  is  no  religious  man  ,  no  god  fearing  lord  –  but  the  silence  that  comes  with  prayer  is  enough  for  him  to  give  the  facade  of  one  .  it’s  the  only  reason  he  finds  himself  at  the  northern  godswood  ,  heart  aching  for  home  and  desperate  for  quiet  .  if  one  more  stranger  came  up  to  introduce  himself  ,  he  would  run  for  the  stables  to  retrieve  his  horse  and  never  return  .

             the  crunching  of  leaves  cause  his  jaw  to  tighten  .  footsteps  are  not  foreign  to  him  and  knows  the  sound  the  second  he  hears  them  .  with  his  silence  disturbed  and  not  wishing  for  more  conversation  ,  cedrik  stands  from  his  kneeling  position  .  as  he  turns  to  face  whoever  has  ruined  his  hiding  place  ,  there’s  a  relieved  gasp  that  falls  from  his  lips  .

              ❝    our  godswood  is  perfectly  fine  ,    ❞    he  defends  ,  pursing  his  lips  .  the  whining  from  his  tone  ceases  as  he  whispers  his  sister’s  name  ,  rushing  forward  to  pull  her  into  an  embrace  reserved  for  baratheons  only  .  it’s  as  if  they  hadn’t  traveled  together  ,  hadn’t  seen  each  other  earlier  in  the  day  and  lived  in  the  same  castle  .  still  ,  his  willingness  to  see  strangers  is  dwindling  and  the  sight  of  someone  so  important  to  him  has  suddenly  mended  his  panic  .

             IT IS ONLY REASONABLE THAT SHE FINDS HIM HERE . they are so alike in this way - - surrounded by hundreds of lords &  ladies , they seek out quiet wherever they can .  katherynne is not one for the preening and politeness of the ladies she feels all but forced to assimilate to , all the while knowing that they gaze at her with suspicion & gossip once her head is turned. cedrik is a welcome replacement any time. 

        to his defensive statement , katherynne merely cants her head , lips stifling a smile before  her voice betrays her , a light laugh escaping her.  ❝    do you think me blasphemous , brother ?    ❞  the volume of her giggling increases as she is ushered into an embrace.  petite arms wind their way around her brother’s form , head settling briefly against his shoulder before she lifts to the tips of her toes and presses a kiss to his cheek. despite her being all but attached to the hip  of her brother, katherynne often feels the need to compensate for the time that was lost when she was locked away in the confines of the hightower. to prove that she is as baratheon now as she has ever been. that she LOVES him now more than ever.  

          ❝   i’d be a fool to trade our home for anything else.                 but you must  admit - - this is beautiful.     ❞

    gloved fingers reach to brush against cedrik’s face , as if she can somehow smooth the lines of worry that she finds there. it is her duty as one of the people that knows him best ( & most truly ) to serve as his comfort and his confidante , and it is a duty she regards with the most care.  

                           ❝   what vexes you , my heart ?     ❞

[stormlandeda]

bloomandthorns‌ . 

“They are strange gods, aren’t they?” He replied, slowly coming up from his knees to meet her in standing, smiling a kind and gentle smile that spread across his face like the first candlelight of a long evening. He had sought out the quiet of the weirwood to contemplate, think, find some solace from the cacophony that was the Tyrell entourage. He enjoyed the bustle of life, especially on the road, but after Loras, after Sireene, the quiet had become a good friend. He’d never enjoyed being alone so much as he did now. A difficult thing to explain.

“You did not disturb, Lady Katherynne. The quiet gets a little overwhelming with the snow and the trees.” He bowed at the waist and drew his right arm briefly across his abdomen. As he came up, it seemed he hesitated just a little, before his otherwise lyrical voice sounded out again. “It’s good to see you.” His eyes remained solemnly locked to hers. He had missed her presence, however light it was, ever since her husband, his vassal, had passed. Before then, he had invited the Lord Hightower and his wife regularly. A sort of penance, in a way, for a sin that was difficult to explain, but that weighed on him quite heavily. His chivalrous heart had bled.

“How does the Stag fair? It must have been a long road, cooped up with Cedrik Baratheon of all people.”

                     IT  WAS  STRANGE  TO  SEE   LORD  TYRELL without moryn’s stiff hand against the small of her back , encouraging her to be pleasant without being obvious. she was to do enough smiling that no one would suspect the state of her marriage - - seen , yes , but certainly never heard.  despite the obvious restraints , a friendship had formed between herself & the ruling lord of the reach. it was born to some degree, she surmised, from pity. the lord tyrell pitied the life she had been forced to lead , and offered what solace he could in his company . she hoped it was not all pity & penance that drove his kindness , for she desperately needed a friend now more than ever. 

             steps were light against the hard ground beneath her , the faint crunch of leaves under the toe of her boot seeming the loudest noise in the quiet of this sacred place.   ❛❛  strange , i suppose , but not silly . what a beautiful thing it must be to find faith in the trees - - in the birds , and not be kept to the sept.  ❜❜ in fact , whatever faith katherynne resigned herself to nowadays was more fervent amongst the changing of the tide that it could have ever been in a designated place of worship. to his formal bow , katherynne politely inclined her head , wrestling with her furs ever so slightly before sitting atop a large , dead tree.  

               ❛❛ and you , my lord. you look well.   ❜❜

           to his query , she laughed lightly . ❛❛ i suppose now you can see why i required the silence so desperately. i am as well as can be expected for a half-mad spinster . and you ?  ❜❜ she attempted to minimize the self deprecation by gesturing for the lord of the reach to sit beside her. 

[stormlandeda]

            the north was an adjustment katherynne had scarcely prepared for. the climate was like nothing she had experienced , and the landscape was vastly different to the home she had left ( where was the sea ? where was the rain ? ) . nor had she prepared for the emotional implications of the voyage : the ghosts of her past all converging at once , the looming threat of whispers ( the baratheon failure , now close at her brother’s heels ) . her nerves frayed & heart tired , katherynne had bid the pardon of her family and sought out the one place she might find solace . how many times she had sat in front of the weirwoods at storm’s end , learning of gods that were not hers & wondering if they were kinder than her own.         heavy furs encumber her , making her walk strange and uneven . still , she ventures forward , light eyes transfixed on the deep red hues , the stark white of the heart tree. it is only then that she realizes she has disrupted another . she stops , dips her head. her fingers smooth the fabric of her skirts ,           ❛❛ forgive me , i had no intention of disrupting your prayers or your quiet . i’ve never seen a weirwood in its true home . it looks more right here - more true, somehow , than anywhere else. it makes the godswood of my home seem a farce. ❜❜

[juliacaesaris-deactivated202109]

[stormlandeda]

❛ husbands lie. ❜

            SHE STRAIGHTENS HER SPINE  - - a feeble attempt to make herself somehow more imposing than a petite frame typically allows her. ever - firm in her convictions , katherynne is rarely given opportunity to speak them plainly. years of enforced silence , being kept & restrained like a dove in a gilded cage , have done very little to quell the storm of rebellion within her. chin tilts upwards , wide eyes bearing deeply into those of her brother. 

             ❛❛ yes , they do. to us & about us , all the while assuming that we live in blissful ignorance of those betrayals. that we are so feeble-minded that we cannot see it plainly.  ❜❜  her voice warbles , faltering only slightly as she is met with her own truth. it’s one she avoids  for the sake of preservation. she is the living result of lies - - a fully sane ‘mad woman’ now left to survive the aftermath of a liar. slim fingers find the hand of her brother , the squeeze she gives it relaying all of the hurt she will never convey with words.                                                                                                   ❛❛  we can , and we do. every time.                   do not be so ignorant as to assume that we are blind. be better.    ❜❜

            she pauses , taking her other hand to press it to his cheek, attempting to soothe whatever sternness accompanies her words.                                         ❛❛  and do not lie to her. she deserves far better                                    of you than the mistruths of a foolhardy husband.  ❜❜

@stagborn

[blakelivey-deactivated20211026]

I just - I just feel - I just feel like….

LITTLE WOMEN (2019) DIR. GRETA GERWIG

[resourcesinblue]

DEATHLESS.

the following prompts were taken from the novel deathless by catherynne m. valente, an american novelist & poet. the novel was loosely based on the tale of koschei the deathless, incorporating other elements of russian mythology, & setting it against the backdrop of the russian revolution. feel free to change the pronouns / prompts as you see fit, but be warned – below the cut, it’s quite long !

❛ the service of your body is not yours to give as you please. ❜

❛ you probably won’t survive. ❜

❛ go. run. don’t look behind you. ❜

❛ i have come for the girl in the window. ❜

❛ i will never be without information. ❜

❛ i will see him with his skin off before i fall in love. ❜

❛ if the world is divided into seeing & not seeing, i will always choose to see. ❜

❛ secrets are jealous things, permitting no fraternization. ❜

❛ no, it’s not like that, when magic comes. ❜

❛ magic does that. it wastes you away. once it grips you by the ear, the world gets quieter & quieter until you can hardly hear it at all. ❜

❛ the sight of it bruised my heart so that i cannot think about anything else. ❜

❛ i’ll be so quiet, i’ll never talk again. ❜

❛ keep me & obey me, for i am your husband, & i can destroy you. ❜

❛ i shall be clever, & i shall not let him go. ❜

❛ it is a new world, & we do not wish to be left behind. ❜

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