WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS | 3x02 -The Cloak Of Duplication

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS | 3x02 - “The Cloak of Duplication”

🪐 — GARLAN TYRELL​  for  margaery !

Opportunities like that, to be able to leave the castle walls and move away from what he perceived as an oppressive atmosphere, would become rarer and rarer the quicker the wedding approached. Already it was difficult in those times to find a moment of quiet and privacy; the keep, while welcoming to the soon-to-be-queen and her family was not a place the knight looked forward to spending a long amount of time in, distrustful of most of its inhabitants. A distaste so far he voiced, in whispers even though he was walking through the keeps gardens and no one else was around to hear, only to his lady wife — and plans were already in motion for after the wedding, to take the castle he had been granted with his actions on the battlefield and leave the capital behind. A luxury that couldn’t be granted to his sister — albeit things were supposed to change once she was the bearer of the title of queen.       (       And for that his father’s goal was to cement Tyrell’s influence even so far from the Reach, win the people’s favour at the expense of the king’s family.       )       « The city is most grateful for your presence, » Garlan corrected her in a lower tone than hers, a smile lighting up his visage for a moment as he turned to look at the girl. Both statements were true; the city was grateful for the arrival of the Reach’s army as they saved it — and they welcomed their young future queen as a symbol of a new era of peace. And Margaery was perfect in the role — all smiles and kind words, helping those in need, it was impossible to resist her charm. The crowd gathered around them as they passed, chanting her name, was proof enough of how the people of King’s Landing were already in love with her. « I’m sure Her Grace too will show her support and blessing, in time, » he continued, adjusting the pace of his horse so that it matched his sister’s, side by side, looking ahead. He refrained from adding more; he didn’t wish to affect the girl’s mood. It was difficult in truth to say whether or not the queen would show herself more open towards his sister in time; he could only hope, though his instincts were different. « And how does His Grace feel? Have you gotten to know him? »

     HER SECOND WEDDING  would be nothing like her first, margaery knew.  &  even renly had not been her first intended husband  —  less than a year ago, her family’s plan had been to wed her to king robert  &  have their young daughter bear a legitimate heir to the aging king.  but she had learned quickly that kings could die just as any man could,  &  sometimes with very little warning.  &  so her wedding had happened with precious little grandeur or ceremony in spite of the wealth of their union, rushed in the wake of king robert’s death.  &  the marriage itself had been just as barren as the ceremony, renly seemingly far more interested in the troops that their formalized alliance would afford him than finding time for his new wife.  but her second wedding would be massive.  half of the nobility from across all seven kingdoms had been invited to the city in order to celebrate the union of the king  &  his young bride, which would forever cement house tyrell into the upper echelons of royalty within the seven kingdoms.  her family’s dream for generations, all balanced now on her petite shoulders.  still, margaery does not let the pressure bend her spine, does not let her uncertainties reveal themselves  —  this is what she was born to do.                                                    yet in spite of her years of practice, margaery feels her smile flicker at her brother’s question  —  though only for an instant, certainly not long enough for anyone in the crowd to notice.  ❝ not near as much as i’d like.  but then, it wouldn’t be proper to see each other without a chaperone present until we are wed.  so in the absence of any true privacy, we’ve mostly exchanged pleasantries.  &  he has been kind to me thus far.  with his words at least, the king has been every bit as polite as he is handsome. ❞  although his prior betrothed, sansa stark, had warned her that the handsome  &  chivalrous exterior of the young king was not to be trusted.  &  who would know better than she, who had lost her father at his command ?  margaery may be young  &  a maiden still,  but she was not naive enough to fall for pleasant manners  &  well-practiced courtesies  — how could she, when none could play that particular game better than she.  ❝ grandmother says that ours is to be the wedding of the century  —  that it will be all the smallfolk talk about for a decade, at least.  but i pray only to be  a good wife  to his grace,  &  a good queen  to his people. ❞  &  she gives garlan a rare genuine smile,  glad to have  someone that she trusts  at her side while finding her footing in this nest of snakes they call a capitol.

Rhys Darby as STEDE BONNET in Our Flag Means Death.

🪐 — PODRICK PAYNE​   for  margaery !

CAST ( IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE )   ,     MUSECRAFT IN THE ROLE OF MARGAERY TYRELL  ,     DESTAGE IN THE ROLE OF PODRICK PAYNE   .     THE SCENE OPENS TO A BUSY BALLROOM, COUPLES DANCING IN THE MIDDLE AND GOSSIPING OFF TO THE SIDE, AND THEM, STANDING BY THE DOORWAY.

conversations  come  carefully ,   stood  off  to  sidelines ,   careful  that  impropriety  cannot  be  noticed ,   that  nothing  scandalous  can  come  her  way .   even  if  hopeless  for  his  own  heart ,   he  wants  better  for  her ,    wants  to  never  be  considered  anything  other  than  a  lightness  in  herself .   still ,   he  can’t  help  the  longing ,   the  need  to  be  close  to  her ,   if  even  for  a  moment .             ❛   can i have the next dance?    ❜

    EVERY EYE FOLLOWS HER  when she moves through the room, but margaery is well used to their weight,  &  has learned to bear it with all the grace that is expected of a girl of her station.  yet it is still a gift indeed when she finds herself able to take a grateful pause in the presence of the boy who has brought her such comfort through the trials of court.  &  when podrick asks her hand  &  the music swells again, margaery’s smile only grows wider, a genuine tilt to her lips that only the keenest of eyes would notice hadn’t been there before.  ❝ how kind  —  it would be my pleasure to dance with you, podrick, ❞  she replies, &  the scent of roses is in the air when she moves a step closer to him  &  rests her satin-gloved hand atop his forearm.  a dance with him would surely be the high point in her evening; for what other opportunity would they have to stand so close ?   ❝ how are you enjoying the ball ? ❞

🪐 — LUCIUS SPRIGGS  for  izzy !

the admission catches him by surprise,   leaving him entirely stunned for a good few seconds.  for a moment he is even tempted to ask izzy who he is and what he has done with their resident feral first mate,  but well..  lucius hardly wants to ruin this,  whatever this is shaping up to be,  so he holds his tongue,  allowing his expression to actually soften.  they had their rocky moments,  for sure,  and lucius has all but forgotten cutting himself on izzy’s sharp edges not too long ago at all.  still,  there is no metaphorical blood spilled between them now.  izzy doesn’t shove past him,  doesn’t lash out,  either  —  he gives him very much needed directions,  instead,  instructing lucius on what he wishes him to do.  so that’s really nice.  it also makes lucius finally stop over thinking each stupid intake of breath.  that’s great too,  helps him feel less like he is trying to kiss a wild animal.  it’s definitely a learning curve from here,  but lucius is good at paying attention and pretty determined to not overstep any boundaries that might be set.  

‘  yeah?  okay,  yeah  —  i can do that.  ’   there is an actual smile on his lips at this point,  relieved and hopeful  (   foolishly maybe,  but a tiny bit proud,  too?  he seriously doubts izzy would have gotten there without a little push,  if anything else   ).  '  i don’t mind.  i wanted to touch you earlier,  actually,  i just.  wasn’t sure you would have wanted me to.  you,  um..  didn’t have the happiest reaction last time,  so.  ’   and who could blame lucius for hesitating,  seriously?  but anyway,  he has more urgent things to consider right this moment,  like following through on what lucius has asked him to do.  less talking and more doing.  he knows,  he knows.   '  i am going to  —  here.  is this okay?  ’   lucius pushes his hands up until one finds the back of izzy’s neck,  fingers brushing against his hair.  the other goes to his waist,  as he experimentally tugs the other man closer. 

      HE DOESN’T MISS THE HESITATION,  eyes following every moment — as well as the absence of it when lucius goes still at his request.  &  there is sense of panic that rises in izzy instantly, warning him that he’s asked too much, that there will be consequences for such an admission.  but then there’s a smile, a softening in his expression.  &  when lucius admits that he actually wanted to touch izzy, that leaves him breathless with shock.  for who would want to touch him, of all people  —  especially now that he is old  &  wounded  &  undesired by all, even the one man who had always been at his side ?  but there is no hesitation in the boy’s hands when they curl around him  &  pull him closer.  one even finds bare skin above his collar, cradles the back of his head in a way that’s confident, yet gentle.  &  the way he draws izzy in, it’s easy for him to believe that this is no joke, no trap.  that lucius actually does want him, too.                    ❝ yes, it’s — ❞  but izzy’s voice breaks off, unable to find the words. it’s overwhelming is what it is, to be so close to another man, the flush of heat beneath his black clothes spreading slowly up his throat  &  over his face.  but though izzy can’t entirely understand it, he also knows without doubt that he doesn’t want it to stop.  ❝ it’s fine.  it’s good, ❞  he decides at last.  &  in admitting it aloud, it’s like the resistance to his desires that he has been honing for decades frays thin, becomes weak enough for him to push through it  &  slot his lithe body against lucius’s larger one, hands pressed to his broad chest.  &  izzy tilts his face upward with the intention of making good on his request for another kiss,  finally allowing his eyes to rise to the other man’s.  &  he’s still a bit shocked to find there’s not a trace of disgust there, only his own desire mirrored back at him.  ❝ lucius, ❞  he says, the first name unfamiliar in his mouth. izzy had kissed him once already  —  but even he knew that he had been none too kind about it.  &  he wants to make up for his mistakes. wants to do it right this time.  his gaze falls to lucius’s lips again.  ❝ can i — ? ❞

#mood