goyuu thought of the day is that they would be so funny in an isekai situation a la bingqiu. Yuuji is a perfectly normal guy who has a Gojo Satoru anime body pillow and watches a compilation of the best Gojo scenes at the gym (rewinds the panting scene on a loop) while his gym buddy asks if they can pretty please just put on something else this time. he gets isekaied while trying to help someone and lands in the body of Itadori Sukuna, who is Gojo Satoru's least favorite student (won most likely to take over the world one day at the goodwill event awards ceremony). now he has to convince his teacher that no, this personality change is totally normal and not another evil plan, I promise! alongside frantically trying to cram Sukuna's various evil plots back into the closet while Kenjaku is hitting him up for the ETA on the prison realm plot
Satoru meanwhile is confused and amused, but he's been very strict about not developing feelings for any more villains after all that previous unpleasantness and he's pretty sure Sukuna's tried to kill him like three times already, so he's trying hard not to appreciate his student's change of focus from his throat to his ass
Nobara and Megumi clock the isekai immediately but they're so relieved that their classmate is no longer evil that they just get the truth out of Yuuji only to make sure that there's no possibility of Sukuna coming back
Yuuji is having trouble sleeping without his body pillow, but the great thing about this new world is that Gojo Satoru is real! surely he can get his pillow back in human form. all he has to do is figure out how to seduce him, throw Kenjaku in the prison realm that's burning a hole in his pocket, and figure out how to discreetly record his teacher so that he can get his gym compilation video back. it's really boring to do push-ups without watching Gojo take down villains
Plotting out loud, because I can. Glimmerglanger/Star Wars edition.
I read a fun smut Padmé/Obi-Wan piece from @glimmerglanger (another author I will read basically anything they write) that had a an interesting author end note:
....and the galaxy is saved because when Anakin tries to flirt with Padmé she goes, "Sorry, kiddo, not interested," because she's busy trying to arrange a time and place when she, Obi-Wan, and anyone else who wants to get down can all meet up.
And being me, I decided to plot out how this AU changes the timeline/plot. Because I can. And maybe if I do, it’ll stop knocking around my head.
So, relevant ‘plot’ points to this exercise for those who don’t want to read smut:
In Attack of the Clones, Anakin took a minor injury chasing Zam Wesell and went back to the Temple for treatment.
Padmé and the handmaids had crushes on Obi-Wan in The Phantom Menace.
Most of Padmé’s sexual experience up to this point has been with her handmaids (and they with each other).
Padmé initiates; the sex is very good; Padmé’s reaction is “I should see if he’s up for an orgy with the handmaids, they deserve something this nice.”
So! How I would plot out what comes next:
1) Anakin still tries to flirt with Padmé. It’s just as embarrassing as in the movies. Padmé decides to bring one of her handmaids with her to Naboo, hoping she’ll act as a buffer with Anakin. Let’s pick Dormé.
Dormé tells R2 to hang around Padmé when Anakin is there & don’t be afraid to use his arc welder/taser if he gets too pushy
2) The sojourn on Naboo is going to include fewer picnics and more Anakin bugging Padmé while she’s working with Dormé on Senatorial work. I see this leading to at least one argument about political structures.
Dormé totally yells at Anakin that he’s proposing fascism
How can a former slave think the scaled up version of what he suffered is a good idea?!?
Well the Chancellor could get so much more done if—
Dormé slaps massive history tome down on table
3) Padmé has good memories of Shmi, so they still go to Tatooine once Anakin shares he’s having nightmares.
4) Anakin does a Mass Murder™️ out of Revenge™️
5) When Anakin has his little ranting confession to Padmé (because he’s thinks they’re closer than Padmé feels), R2 starts pretending to be shutdown in the corner and gets a recording of his confession. Because Padmé is not interested in Anakin romantically, her little “anger is human” part of the speech also includes a “and I’m going to be very careful not to trigger the anger of this person who can throw things with his mind and has a sword that can bisect people easily.” mental clause. It’s a textual medium instead of a visual one. I get to include internal thoughts.
6) MEANWHILE, Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan got a nice dose of happy brain chemicals before starting his hunt and has gotten a decent amount of sleep while bouncing around the galaxy chasing down this attempted assassin. Obi-Wan digs in a little further at Kamino compared to the movies canon. He gets a copy of the contract from the Kaminoans. He ducks meeting Jango until after talking to some of the Alpha class (who introduce him to a couple of their proteges). Jango cannot hurry luring Obi-Wan to Genosis because he cannot find Obi for a couple days.
When Obi-Wan does talk with Jango there’s a lot more “why are you building an army for the Republic” and more paying attention in the Force to his answers.
Obi-Wan has concerns™️
Obi-Wan sends his concerns to the Council and Anakin with instructions to boost his signal to the Council and make sure it gets there. Also DO NOT COME.
7) Genosis. Obi-Wan sneaks around Genosis for a little bit longer before getting caught. He gets a little more information back to the Council. When Dooku says “there’s a Sith in the Senate”, Obi-Wan says “evidence or I think you’re lying to sow discord and ignore you.”
8) Padmé and Anakin get caught on Genosis just as fast as in the movie. Dormé and R2 do not get caught. They feed technical info about the droids and on the ground tactical information to the arriving Jedi and clone rescue force. The rescue force tries a more diversionary attack expecting Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padmé to get themselves out of the arena. Fewer clones and Jedi die. It’s still a shitshow with terrible numbers of casualties. Just fewer than in the movie.
9) Anakin still goes after Dooku. He still looses his arm. Dooku still gets away. Padmé and Anakin do not kiss, and do not sneak off to Naboo to get married.
10) Anakin is brought back to the Temple to start healing and doing PT for his new space-future prosthetic arm (see recent writing advice re:arm amputations and why they’re portrayed unrealistically). Obi-Wan is sent off on a mission with Alpha-17. Padmé, Dormé, and R2 speak with the council about Tatooine — the council diverts a Shadow to Tatooine for more evidence to back up the decision they know they’ll have to justify to the Senate.
11) Obi-Wan’s mission goes badly. He and Alpha-17 are captured and tortured by Ventress. Word of this reaches the Council and Anakin...
12) After his mother’s death, Anakin has slotted Obi-Wan into the ‘must not die, will burn down the Galaxy’ slot that Padmé occupied in movie canon. Padmé has made herself unavailable for the role since they’re not in a romantic relationship (although Anakin would like to and plans to continue pursuing her). So Anakin subconsciously choose the other parental figure in his life, instead of the female person he cares most about.
13) Anakin freaks the fuck out, runs off to Kamino, grabs the 212th being assembled for Obi-Wan’s return from this mission (which includes Rex and Cody), says he’s the General’s Padawan/Commander, and they’re going to go rescue Obi-Wan.
14) Anakin did not have an assignment to do this. Anakin is disobeying direct orders to come the fuck back to the Temple. Anakin takes the 212th and runs silently. No one in the 212th knows that they’re not in communication with the rest of the GAR and are in danger of being declared AWOL.
15) Obi-Wan or Alpha escape long enough to send a transmission to the GAR before getting recaptured. The 212th pick up the signal and rescue Obi-Wan and Alpha. Obi-Wan contacts his superiors (the Council and GAR military) and gets informed of the situation with Anakin. Obi-Wan orders them all back to Coruscant.
16) The dressing down of Anakin is a) in the medbay before Obi-Wan is dunked in a bacta tank and b) EPIC. Phrases used include “My life is not worth all of these men!” and “Do you have any idea what happens to AWOL clones?!” Obi-Wan has to arrest Anakin for fear the boy will accidentally start a mutiny by ordering the ship NOT to go to Coruscant.
17) The Jedi Council. Anakin and Obi-Wan think they’re there for Anakin’s punishment for absconding with the 212th and disobeying order. Nope. Surprise. You done did a mass murder. Into Jedi jail you got to go Anakin.
“It’s not fair! You need me in this war!” excuse me?
“They’re just animals” excuse me?
“The chancellor didn’t think I did anything wrong?” ex-fucking-cuse me? say that one again.
18) So yeah, Anakin goes to Jedi jail, the Jedi Council decides to hide that fact to figure out the Chancellor’s involvement in that and prevent him from ordering the Jedi to release Anakin, Shadows start investigating the Chancellor (plus keep an eye on the Coruscant guard who have to interact with him), and sad Obi-Wan goes back to war while trying to investigate his concerns™️ about the Kaminoans and the clones (which is where I want the discovery of the chips to come in, but like, later. In a different story in the series. One where Ahsoka is Obi-Wan’s Padawan.
And yes, Padmé and crew do occasionally meet up with Obi-Wan during the war for some mutually fun sex.)
Plotting out loud, because I can. astolat/GoT fanfic edition.
So I’m going to do some plotting here, because if I can’t build a sequel plot to an AO3 fanfic on Tumblr, where else am I going to build it? My head? I’ll never finish it that way!
Right so, Winter’s Crown by Astolat, which is fanfiction of Game of Thrones. This thing consumed me for the 4 or 5 days it was being released. It’s a damn good thing Astolat posted two chapters a day because I was refreshing my email waiting for those chapter notifications two or three times an hour and then injecting several thousand words into my veins the second that notification hit.
Just as a programming note. I’ve read the first third of the first book in Game of Thrones. Most of my knowledge of the series has been absorbed by osmosis from my partner and general pop culture saturation. Moving on.
I loved Winter’s Crown.
I also took one look at the ending and said “well, they’re going to be in a civil war within the year.”
Again, to be clear, the ending was perfect for the story. I’m just also sure that if the story continued we’d be into a war for the Iron Throne, like the main series is actually about.
Here be spoilers for Winter’s Crown.
So, our set-up for the sequel is that Robb is still the King in the North, with all the magical power that crown from the Children of the Forest invested in him. He’s promised/engaged to Shireen, Stannis’s daughter and only heir. You know, the niece of Robert Baratheon, the King of the South/Seven Kingdom (except whoops Robb declared the North independent, so I guess it’s Six Kingdoms now?). Robb is also currently fucking Jamie Lannister. Jamie Lannister who was Robert’s Hand before uh... declaring? taking service? with Robb. (There was magic involved.) Who also probably didn’t actually explicitly break up with Cersei before following Robb out of the throne room on Robb’s orders after the declaration of independence.
ALSO, Stannis has already said to Robb that he intends to declare Robert an oathbreaker as the Protector of the Realm. Which from a strict reading of the situation, Robert WAS. Which Robb has already lain on Robert with the force of magic behind it. Here, I’ll quote: “I name you false kind and false friend, oathbreaker and coward, and may you end your days in the shame and misery your treachery deserves.” Which, as far as I can tell the only witnesses who aren’t Robb’s people are Robert, Cersei, the children, Margaery Tyrell, and a small handful of goldcloaks/Kingsguards. So, I doubt that bit of information is getting publicized by anyone in that room. Which Stannis was not.
Basically, I see war coming from two fronts. One, Stannis declaring Robert an Oathbreaker, which is politically tricky because either Stannis has taken himself out of Robb’s service and is making a play to be the king himself? OR he’s calling Robert an Oathbreaker as one of Robb’s sworn liege lords. Which, yikes. Plays right into the narrative that Cersei has built up for herself: that Robb wants power and will march on the South with the Wildlings and/or Stannis’s men at arms and/or the Lannister men (answering to Jamie).
I think if Cersei left the North alone after the Long Night and Stannis was very clear he was not one of Robb’s lords, Robb and the North would be happy to sit out a war and just work on recovering from the Long Night. Because, again, yikes, about half the population that survived the initial rise of the dead froze to death. The North is not in any shape to be going to war.
But I don’t think Cersei can put herself in someone else’s (Robb’s) shoes and believe they won’t act like a politically duplicitous cunt after power and only power. So she’s going to want to go to war to strike first and protect her own power. And also to pay back the “betrayal” of her brother/lover (Jamie) abandoning her. Also Stannis’s betrayal of swearing to the King in the North. But I think she’ll care about Jamie’s more.
And I think Robert isn’t strong enough, morally, emotionally, etc. to stop her.
So... I tend to think that Stannis at least wouldn’t kick off a war until he could secure his supply lines. Supply lines which after the Long Night freezing a significant portion of the country would be in terrible shape. Especially since the largest supply of excess grain is the Tyrell’s and Cersei has that on her side since Margaery Tyrell is married to Joffrey.
End result is that I think Cersei will kick off the war and Stannis will lay the charge of Oathbreaking as a response. To you know, weaken/divide her forces as much as he can.
What Cersei may not have is a competent General. Robb, Jamie, Stannis, and Tyrion are on the side of the North (whether or not Jamie and Tyrion can stomach fighting their sister and niblings/children, those two at least aren’t on Cersei’s side). Tywin is MIA from Winter’s Crown except as a brief aside in the past tense and may or may not be dead in this iteration of the world. The best General we can reasonably project to be on Cersei’s side is her Uncle Kevan. Who did see the dead with his own eyes, so that might change his thinking on if the charges of Oathbreaking are true and who that means he should fight for.
Meanwhile, Robb/the North has six direwolves, at least 3 giants, Brienne of fucking Tarth, Jon Snow, Jamie Lancaster, Tyrion Lancaster, AND, most importantly, every single hero and every foot soldier of the Long Night who survived who’s willing to be called to arms again (they’d probably all like to just go home and recover, but damn, if their king is calling, these are the people proven to show up when called). A significant portion of that army are Wildlings who are now released from their oaths and will most likely head back home over the Wall. But! There will also likely be a significant number who stay (*cough* Tormaund making eyes at Brienne) and can function well as a scouting force.
So the North has an army that trained and trauma bonded through the Long Night together. Morale/belief in each other and their leaders is going to be high. The Boltons are all dead due to events in Winter’s Crown and the Freys are possibly all to mostly dead, so Robb is not going to be stabbed in the back by traitorous liege lords this go around (no Red Wedding here!). What the North doesn’t have is food.
So, what they need is to get the intelligence of Cersei attacking quickly and to haul ass South where they can pillage food.
As a side note, I am assuming that Danerys does NOT show up with dragons at any point to turn this into a three-way fight. She is not mentioned at all in Winter’s Crown, not even the aside Twyin got, so I’m working off the assumption she’s dead or busy on her side of the sea and will not be appearing in a relevant time frame to this completely hypothetical sequel fanfiction of fanfiction.
So, questions I would need to answer, for myself, before writing:
1) What does Varys choose to do?
In GoT, he is canonically more loyal to the realm and thus the people living in it than whoever is on the throne. We know he’s still the Master of Whispers in the Winter’s Crown iteration of the world and was able to slip a number of spies/potential assassins into Robb’s camp. Assassins who were routinely thwarted by Brienne and Tyrion, but all it takes is once. And people might be more willing without the magical terror of the oncoming Long Night/Night’s King. Robb still has the magic invested in crown however, so maybe not. Essentially, I think Varys would be a strong asset for Cersei if she utilizes him (she didn’t earlier because he was telling her information that didn’t fit her world view). And therefore what he choses to do would be important. Tyrion at least knows Varys is the spymaster and to work to counter him.
2) Is Joffrey enough of a cruel bastard to still get offed?
3) Does the accurate parentage of the royal children come out?
Well, this is a lot of thinking about the state of the board at the beginning and not much thinking about ‘plot’ isn’t it? Maybe thinking about a theme would help me out here.
The theme(s) in Winter’s Crown is(are) oaths, the costs of them, being a ‘worthy’ person, and when to adhere to an oath. So I would want this hypothetical sequel’s theme(s) to flow naturally from that. Meaning... the consequences of adhering to your oaths when your opponent doesn’t. Good job brain, the theme is the Prisoner’s Dilemma and what shame and misery is the natural consequence of treachery.
Okay, cool, now I have the overall arc of my plot: a sudden swift victory on Cersei’s side (she seizes the first mover advantage) followed by the slow build to victory of Robb’s side. I picture this slow build to be Robb focusing on the smaller battles and alliances that builds a solid alliance to suddenly at the end sweep Cersei off the board. I’d focus on getting smaller lords on their side and peeling away minor but consequential logistical goods from Cersei’s side (armies march on good boots kind of thing) while Robb keeps his army out of direct confrontation with Cersei’s, nibbling away at their numbers in hit-and-run tactics, or swaying the men to withdraw their oaths to their lords and take up service with Robb, or just picking the terrain a battle happens in very carefully.
Too bad I don’t trust my writing chops to write a drawn out war story complete with military campaigns yet... Ah well, into the ideas pile it goes.
The idea of goyuu with Yuuji as part of Suguru’s cult tickles me.
I like to imagine this as part of an AU where Wasuke dies earlier than in canon and a younger Yuuji gets placed with Kaorijaku. Surely the kid’s mom will help him through his grief! (Wasuke is rolling in his urn.) Kenjaku now regrets not changing bodies and very quickly gets tired of having to go “not now, darling, Mommy is doing soul experimentation in the next room.” Also Yuuji is a terrible Frankenstein’s assistant, keeps yelling about the bodies. Children these days, honestly.
And so Kenjaku stuffs a Sukuna finger into Yuuji’s sandwich and sends him off to the House of the Children of the Star with a note for Geto about how Yuuji can be used in Geto’s plans one day. Geto has some conflicting feelings about this monkey turned vessel for the king of curses that his creepy frenemy is sending his way, but ends up taking Yuuji in. Who knows, maybe having another kid around will be good for the girls.
Alas, the kids don’t get along. Everyone’s traumatized, no one’s had any therapy except for cult-style confessionals. The situation is not helped by Kenjaku dropping by every few months with a finger for Yuuji to eat. Set menu, no going to your room without finishing your plate.
The girls can’t accept that non-sorcerers can be good, while Yuuji has enough memories of happy times with his grandfather and at school to know that all this about monkeys is crap. The arguments are ear-splitting, but over time they learn to get along as long as it’s not on certain subjects. Being around Yuuji still ends up softening their opinions, with Yuuji happily claiming the monkey insult because there’s nothing wrong with being one, and the girls benefiting from having a brother to chat with when they’re not arguing.
When Geto dies during the JJK0 plot and returns as Kenjaku, Yuuji and the girls are familiar enough with the forehead stitches to know what happened. After a hopeless fight where they get their asses kicked by Kenjaku, the three of them flee to Jujutsu High, hoping to become stronger as jujutsu sorcerers in order to take down Kenjaku.
And so you have Yuuji, Mimiko, and Nanako arriving to the place Geto scorned but also referred to as some of the best years of his life. They meet Gojo, finally learning more about the man Geto referred to as his former best friend without ever providing enough detail, as well as the current first year class and Gojo’s ward. Megumi’s around on campus a lot, training and preparing for his future as a jujutsu sorcerer, and he’s a lot less volatile than the current first years, who’ve met Geto and are unimpressed with the quest to save his body.
Good thing Gojo’s on board! Not only does he stave off Yuuji’s execution when the vessel thing gets out, but he joins the kids on their red string corkboard nights of connecting Kenjaku’s various plans to try to track their location.
Yuuji gets mailed Kaori’s urn and he has some big feelings about it, sparring them out with Gojo. He’s a little darker than he is in canon, having seen a lot already, but he has a good heart and a strong sense of purpose. He’s happy to share memories of the good times at the cult with Gojo, reminiscing on the meals and the jokes, the times Geto would play video games with them. Sometimes the girls join in too. The affection between Gojo and Yuuji starts off because of the fond and complicated feelings they have about Geto, but it doesn't end there.
Kenjaku goes to ground, but now that Gojo is determined to find them, it’s not too long before they’re located. By now, Yuuji and the rest have started their first year, and their mission ends up as bait for Kenjaku to resurface. Success!
After Kenjaku is taken care of, they're able to have a proper funeral for Geto and grieve properly. Meanwhile, the girls inherit the cult and start in on some reforms, having been worn down by everyone's insufferable morality. Yuuji convinces Mimiko and Nanako to stay with him at Jujutsu High despite them teasing him mercilessly about his crush on their teacher, but also they don't have anywhere to go, and also they want to make sure that this teacher treats their brother well.
"We're not getting together!" Yuuji tells them, but Mimiko and Nanako are very familiar with what it feels like to be drawn into Yuuji's orbit, albeit in a sibling fashion. They're already planning the wedding. It'll be great.
It takes a few years, but Mimiko and Nanako do get to walk Yuuji down the aisle, even if they don't manage to get him in a dress. Gojo's exactly as smitten as they thought he would be.
Scenes from a Sequel I haven’t Written to a Piece I didn’t Write
The brilliant @astolat continues to inspire me. Here be scenes from after the end of Raised by Wolves. Fair warning, the inspiring fic is rated E and I’m putting my writing after a cut for a rated M line. Also, you know, spoilers. And expletives. Because I’m me, and I cuss with some frequency.
Robb closed his hand around Jamie's, tightening up his too loose grip on the carving chisel. “This is a poor hobby to try in winter.” He plucked the rough wood scrap out of Jamie's other hand. “We cannot afford for you to injure your hands, especially not in this cold.”
Jamie nodded, swallowing around the lump in his throat, and stared at the fire in the hearth of their, Robb’s, room.
Robb turned the wood over and around, looking at the guides Jamie had scratched in. “This is the weirwood, isn’t it?”
Jamie nodded. “From the window by your office.”
Robb deposited the wood on the table at Jamie’s elbow, on top of the sketch he’d drawn before marking the wood. Robb traced the lines, fingers lingering over the tree’s open eyes Jamie had drawn before he tugged Jamie up, out of his chair, and to bed.
After Robb reminded him pleasure still came from his body, despite the cold and the work and the slow gnawing hunger, Robb leaned his head against Jamie's shoulder blade and murmured, “The gods don't care if we carry their sign.”
“It's not for them,” Jamie mumbled, lowering himself off his forearms and into the mattress trying to swallow his words.
Robb made a questioning grunt as he rolled off to curl up against Jamie's side, one hand still splayed across his back.
“I need… to remember. With whom and why I made the bargain. That I just need to hold fast, or… they'll still take the price because I offered and won't have to keep helping.”
Robb pulled the fur-lined covers over them and Grey Wind jumped onto the bed as well; Jamie felt warm for the first time since he'd woken up. Jamie rolled on his sides Robb tucking in against his back, there being no other way for the direwolf to fit otherwise.
“Let me talk to someone,” Robb murmured in his ear, “before you risk your hands.”
Jamie squeezed Robb’s hand in promise before they both fell asleep.
*~*~*
Jamie carefully deposited the old servant woman in a chair by one of the lower hearths in the Great Hall. Several other retainers and servants were also clustered around the hearth, many buried in blankets with sewing, mending, knife sharpening, or other such necessary but minor tasks as they could do in the cold on their laps.
“Boy,” one of the men said, “you Robb's new Southern knight?”
Jamie kept the grin off his face at the idea of Twyin Lannister’s eldest son no more recognizable to someone than a new Southern knight. “Yes,” he said, shifting over to the old man. There was a bowl of wood shavings in the man’s lap, perhaps he needed Jamie to empty the bowl. “What can I–”
Jamie nearly choked on air as the old servant held up a rough carved branch of wood. “Is that weirwood?!”
“Aye,” the man said absently, holding the bottom edge up somewhere around Jamie's sternum, “deadfall from the godswood when Ned was barely toddling.” He threw a string around Jamie's neck. “How long ye want it, boy?”
Jamie blinked at him before moving the blank far enough up a sword blow to his heart wouldn't shatter it.
The man adjusted the string then tied a knot at the correct length and held the length of it against the whole brach. “Aye, I can do something that long.” He patted Jamie on the cheek, like he was a boy barely ready to leave a nursemaid. “Two weeks, no more than three, and I'll have it ready for ye. Good line on that sketch of yours Robb gave me.”
He cackled at the dumbfounded look on Jamie and pulled out a chain and pendant from under his shirt.
“Yer not the only Southern turned Northerner that needs a little reminding.”
The pendant showed a godswood, one of the weirwood trees in front with the suggestions of a forest behind. It was carved so fine Jamie thought he saw individual leaves and branches swaying as the pendant rotated slightly. The chain was wooden, links sliding free from each other and polished to a rich shine. Jamie wasn't sure how he'd made the links but they were obviously from the same initial wood: the grain of the wood flowed up the chain in an unbroken pattern weaving up the links.
“Thanks,” Jamie choked out of his suddenly dry throat.
The old man nodded, patted Jamie’s cheek again and muttered “Good boy.”
*~*~*
Tyrion was examining the pendant Jamie had left atop his clothes with a frown when Jamie returned from the hot pool. Jamie dried off with one of the enormous fluffy towels from the winter storage. Tyrion fingered the wooden chain, examining it as close as a housewife at the market looking for flaws to bargain with. Still frowning, he handed back to Jamie and began to dress himself.
Jamie slipped the weirwood pedant on and quickly pulled on a shirt over everything, a sense of unease stealing in.
Tyrion didn't say anything as they left the baths, the next couple of servants slipping in for their turn. At the end of the hall, he simply looped a hand in Jamie's belt loops and strode towards the backstairs. Several floors up, he pulled Jamie into the small office Robb had set aside for Tyrion.
“You never believed in the Seven,” Tyrion said, a hard statement of fact, no give or question involved.
Jamie sat heavily in the one chair for a guest. “No,” he agreed, “I don't.”
“You wouldn’t start, not them or something else, without reason.” Tyrion looked indignant. Like Jamie had upset some carefully put together plan. “Which means you experienced something.”
Jamie nodded slowly.
Tyrion poured himself a precious half-cup of wine and drank it all at once. “Right then,” he said, putting the cup down perhaps harder than he meant to. “Tell me everything.”
This time the gods didn’t stop the words.
*~*~*
“Uncle Jamie, Uncle Jamie!” Tommen yelled across the hall, dashing towards him. “Something's wrong with Bran!”
Jamie handed off the wood pile he'd brought in to one of Robb's men and met Tommen in between the wooden trestles. “Where? What happened?”
“Robb’s office,” Tommen said, starting to gasp from the run as he grabbed Jamie's hand and reversed course. “He put some chips on the fire, there was a lot of smoke, he fell over and started shaking!”
“Find—”
“Arya ran for a Septa and Rickon went to find Robb!”
“Good, go find Tyrion!”
Tommen split off, racing down the hallway, and Jamie took the stairs up as quickly as he could. He found the hallway with Robb’s office remarkably clear, only a thin wisp of smoke leaking out the closed door he knew he would find Bran in. The smoke was white, so at least the room wasn't on fire yet.
Outside the door, Jamie pulled the scarf he constantly wore now up over his nose and mouth, briefly wishing there was a bowl or jug of water he could wet it with. The smoke was thicker inside the room and had a sharp, clear scent he had last encountered…
In the godswood. Fuck.
Jamie made it several steps further into the office before stumbling and almost falling over an adult’s body. Grabbing them by the shoulders, he pra– hoped he wasn't trading Bran’s life for the children's maester. Or worse, the maester’s corpse.
Robb met him at the doorway and took the body. After sticking his head out in the hallway for a deep breath, Jamie plunged back into the office. He shuffled as quickly as he could towards the hearth (and heart of the smoke). He found Bran just before it, sprawled on his back as if thrown in the training ring. Jamie scooped him up and at least knew he still lived from the trembling wracking his body from crown to toes.
For a heart-stopping moment, Jamie couldn't locate the door. Then Robb called for him and he plunged back out. A Septa in the hall directed him to follow her as Robb dove into his office himself, a large metal plate in hand. The smoke drifting out behind them thinned and slowed as he carried Bran. He was slowing and feeling thin himself, a light headedness climbing as they went down the stairs.
The Septa directed Bran to be lain down beside the hottest pool in the hot spring. She made Jamie pull off his scarf and start drinking water while she stoked a fire to pour water on and fill the room with steam. Bran was still trembling as she washed his face and hands, then began trickling water into his mouth. Robb came in, carrying a bowl of wood chips and shavings, as the Septa got more water in Bran and his shaking slowed. Robb collapsed onto the bench beside Jamie and he passed over the waterskin. Something loosened in Jamie's chest and he doubled over trying to cough it out. Once he finally spat whatever it was into the chamberpot the Septa brought over, Robb's hand on his back the whole exhausting time off it, she poked through it with a small rod. Jamie was reminded of the aftermath of the thing he'd fought in the Wolfswood, years ago now. This didn't glow even faintly though; the Septa seemed satisfied at whatever she found, or didn't, and went back to dribbling water in Bran’s mouth.
Robb passed over the bowl he'd brought in. Jamie poked a few piece before closing his eyes in despair and letting his head fall back on the wall. It was the shavings of weirwood from carving his pendant.
“I was waiting for a false spring to bury them in the godswood,” Robb said, low and exhausted himself. “But I forgot, Bran…”
“Bran likes to climb.”
“And it didn't matter I kept this up high.”
Jamie breathed out, guilt squeezing his guts. “The maester?”
“Dead.”
“Fuck.”
Robb was about to say something but doubled over coughing. Once Robb finished coughing out some of his lungs and Bran was still laying so still by the pool, the Septa brought them over and bade them hold Bran on his side. The three of them took turns thumping Bran’s back until he too started coughing. The boy didn't wake up once during the long time it took him to finish. The Septa grimaced at the streaks of black and green in his chamberpot. But sent them to Robb's chamber with strict instructions for as much broth and sleep as they could get in both Bran and themselves.
Bran didn't wake until the dark of the night, sitting bolt upright from where'd they'd tucked him between them. Grey Wind looked up from the foot of the bed where he'd curled up over their feet and whined, low and frightened. If Summer, Bran’s direwolf, over by the hearth made any noise, it was too low to hear. Bran turned, just his head, stutter-stop like one of the great gears ringing the bells at the Great Sept, and blinked his filmed-over, luminously milky-white eyes at Jamie. Jamie shot up, trembling and without memory of moving. Robb was groggily sitting up, a sleepy ‘Bran?’ on his tongue when Bran said “Burn them all.”
It had been more than twenty years, but Jamie recognized Aerys’s voice. He shook, the remembered terror of nineteen and trapped in a castle under siege with a mad king rising.
“Burn them all,” Bran repeated before crying in Jamie's voice, “They’ll kill you, the princess, the children, please, Your Grace let me surrender!”
Robb had seized Bran about the shoulders, calling his name. Grey Wind was inching up the bed, whining ceaselessly, and Summer was scrambling into the bed too.
“Burn them all! Fire the wildfire! Burn the whole traitorous city! Burn them all!” A look of wild glee came over Bran as he crooned, “Yes Your Grace. At onc–” and made a short, cut off grunt, the sound of a sword driving the air from a body, hands reaching slowly up to his heart where Jamie had stabbed Rossart, Aerys's pyromancer, so long ago. Robb seized Bran's hands, trying futilely to push them down, his twenty year old strength no match for whatever the gods were inflicting on Bran, and calling for his brother. Grey Wind licked Bran one long swipe from chin to crown, the film over Bran’s eyes gone after Grey Wind lay his head back down. Bran collapsed bodily against Robb, a puppet whose strings were cut.
Jamie gasped for air, tears leaking down his face, unable to look away from Bran. Robb reached over, gentle fingers lifting his chin before stroking a thumb over his cheek.
“Kingslayer,” Robb said softly, reverentially. Like it was the greatest honor. Jamie sighed, eyes slipping closed and leaning into Robb's hand. The one true piece of honorable work Jamie had done.
Concept: harrival alt timeline AU where Percival is a of guest lecturer or something for the fifth years choosing careers. Harry sees him and instantly goes “yes actually I have decided I want to be an auror now” and they meet years later
Yes! I’m imagining this as Fudge trying to entice people to join up for the aurors because ministry employment has been on a downward trend for the past decade and an especially downward trend ever since he took office. The general opinion is that the cool, successful people join other careers, while the rest join the ministry. Also nepotism. Crabbe and Goyle already have assured jobs at the ministry because of their fathers, and do you really want to be like Crabbe and Goyle? Case closed.
And so Fudge recruits several aurors to give speeches on how cool it is to become an auror. Maybe Percival isn’t even an official guest lecturer, but working a case with one of the British aurors. He drops by Hogwarts to collect some documents from an auror, then stays because all these curious fifth years have questions for him and the auror in the actual guest lecturer role has been called back to work.
It cracks me up to think of Percival accidentally sabotaging Fudge’s recruitment efforts. Instead of hyping up the British auror department, he talks about how cool the American auror department is. Or maybe this is even more of an AU and he’s Director Graves, head of the security unit for the International Confederation of Wizards. Everyone looks at him with hearts in their eyes -- maybe those like Hermione for how fascinating it would be to be a part of the ICW, those like Draco getting ambitious, and Harry just being really thirsty. I mean yes his father was an auror, fake Moody thought he’d be great at the job, his DADA skills are off the chart, but holy shit Percival Graves 😍😏😍
Percival only visits that one time, but the students of Hogwarts are undeterred. Hermione figures out the career path that will land them in the ICW, the first step being to graduate Hogwarts with high marks, then go to some highly acclaimed wizarding university in Rome. She makes leaflets and study plans. By the time everyone graduates, it’s only the Crabbes and Goyles who stay.
And then years later, Harry joins as a trainee in the department Percival has already been promoted out of, and after a while he gets put on Percival’s protection detail. Bodyguard/former-bodyguard-turned-politician romance ensues!
YES ABOUT YOUR TOMARRY HANAHAKI DISEASE BUT ALSO CONSIDER
Harry goes to the 40's to kill tom before he makes all the horcuxes or maybe to find what his other Horcruxes are or even because he just got stuck there, doesnt matter. things go kinda sideways when Tom, obsessed to know his secrets, starts following them around and now they are interacting and Harry is the only person in school that doesn't worship the ground Tom walks in and he should hate it but he doesn't and only after Tom finds about who harry really is he gets the disease. goes to madam pomPomfreyfrey, all that jazz, and he is *enranged* and avoids harry like the plague because he HAS to find a way to cure this and it cant be by telling harry his feelings, ugh. Especially not now that he knows Harry is his biggest enemy. No, he has to find it on his own.
but then Harry goes after him like hey what the FUCK and tom says something like "guess you found your way to kill me after all" and harry SOFTENS and I'm sorry I might have gotten obsessed thank you.
(The hanahaki disease post for context)
Yes! And maybe it all began with Harry traveling back in time to kill Tom, but he quickly realized he couldn’t do that. So he decided he would find out what Tom’s horcruxes are for killing him in the future, except Tom has been so busy stalking Harry that there really aren’t any horcruxes out there?? Whoops. And then Harry decides that he’s just in the past to keep an eye on Tom, which is going splendidly for most of a year, maybe even two, with the small hiccup of Tom managing to pry Harry’s secrets out of him. They’re not quite enemies, they’re not friends, but they’re absolutely obsessed with each other.
Tom’s version of obsession edges just enough into love that flowers rise from it, while Harry’s lungs stay clear. Tom’s pissed and terrified and finally tells Harry about it and Harry softens because he hasn’t wanted to kill Tom in ages.
But that doesn’t mean he loves him, right? Right? And so in the interests of saving Tom’s life, they decide to consciously spend lots of time together instead of just stalking each other all the time. Tom is convinced that either he will fall out of love once he has to be around Harry all the time due to Harry’s innate annoyingness, or Harry will fall madly in love with him and they’ll both be stuck in the emotional pit together.
Then for the angst, it takes ages for Harry to fall in love. Maybe because he’s oblivious, maybe because he’s scared of falling in love, maybe because his only experience with love is his mother’s love for him and Harry’s feelings for Tom aren’t nearly as pure. So he helps Tom through every flower, every pain, holds him close, tries to help with coming up with solutions. Meanwhile Tom is absolutely convinced that he’s unlovable because he just can’t seem to get Harry to fall in love. There’s a time limit and they’re hurling towards it, getting way too close to Tom’s death, until it finally clicks in Harry that he can’t live in a world without Tom. That going back in time was all about Tom--but not to kill him, never to kill him. He couldn’t do it purposely so he sure as hell doesn’t want to do it accidentally.
And so Harry says I love you and means it, and Tom is tempted to kill him but instead he just kisses him. It’s close enough.
