#Honestly probably my favorite book in the series so far

[alicelufenia]

Book 3 finished, and oh my god there is so MUCH

Many thoughts below

So my thoughts from finishing book 2 that this 3rd part would mark the true "conclusion" to this"first" story in the series was right on the money. Even in keeping with the "Pattern of 3" that's so prominent in the setting, book 1 literally ends on a draw, book 2 sees one success after another, while book 3 is where our "heroine" (villain? protagonist?) truly fails, in some big ways. As with many tales of woe, it begins with the Fae.

I've already hinted at comparisons to the Fair Folk from the Exalted tabletop rpg in a previous post, but it needs to be said MAN these Fae are REALLY SIMILAR to Jenna Moran's Raksha huh. To the degree where I was looking side eyed at some parts. They're not literally the same as Exalted's Fair Folk tho. Yes they're elemental themed but not in the same ways (more based on seasons than classical elements), yes they are less people and more magic receptacles for stories, but it's not like Jenna invented that interpretation of the fae. More importantly, rather than being completely anathema to Creation, they are more "to the side of Creation" and bare some unspecified connection to the Gods, their dwelling of Arcadia being like a prototype version of Creation. Plus in this setting mortals are also ruled by stories, just in the form of fate, the Named, and their Roles, whereas Fae are beholden to stories, to the point where it can completely override their will (good point to keep in mind for later)

Another point before I get into it, this book was LONG, to the point where it felt like two books in one. It's twice as long as book 1, so there's some truth to that. Not a point against it, just that it pretty cleanly divides the story between the "Arcadia arc" and the "Diabolist arc".

To start, the entire dealing with Arcadia was a nice mix of action and intrigue, culminating in an incredible duel, and later a fantastic series of battles that, far from being a side quest, proved to be utterly integral to the main plot, and Catherine's development. Her mantle of Duchess of the Moonless Night, and later of pretty much all of the (former) Winter Court, proved to be a drastic change in her very being that shows no signs of being reversed, unlike her "undead gambit" she used in book 2. The time for flawless victories has passed; every point of progress in this book cost her more, and more.

By the very end of the book it is not even clear whether she is still Named, in the traditional sense, but rather she is definitely more Fae than mortal, possibly full Fae even. She's so changed that wards designed to keep out the Fae now work on her, and she can feel thresholds and boundaries as tangible things that are difficult to deal with, even in relationships (oh I'll get to her and Kilian, don't worry).

And the oaths! Oh friends who know me know I LOVE me a good binding oath that borders on pathological (why I like fucked up paladins so much) I adored the bond she made with Hakram so much in book 2 he catapulted to my second favorite character, now here she makes at least three or four extremely juicy oaths, one which nearly ends her, and the rest we'll have to see later. And now that she's part/mostly/fully fae, those oaths are ingrained in her that she doesn't think she could break them if she wanted to.

Which is so fascinating, because alongside all of that, we see the first long term consequences of her actions, and the eroding of her moral scruples, of the lines she's willing to cross. While I had my arguments against during book 2, I think we can safely say by now that Catherine Foundling is indeed Evil, and not just in the sense of Evil being a faction, but down to how she views the world and treats others. That's not to say she doesn't care for anyone, or that she's just as bad as other villains (the Diabolist arc will rid us of that illusion), but she's definitely not a good person. But damned if that isn't a hard pill to swallow.

She wants to be a good person of course—her entire motivation jumpstarted off picking what she saw as the path of least harm. And then just overnight Akua, now the Diabolist, commits mass genocide on an entire Callowan city, turning 100,000 innocent citizens into her undead army, using a secret super weapon stolen from the Tower, and her own ghoulish designs, purely out of spite towards Catherine swearing to make her suffer beyond death if she harms them.

The horror and totality of that loss only gets to really hit her at the end following Akua's death. While this proves Cat has moral lines she won't cross that separates her from Diabolist—who literally tried to "not so different” speech at her because the audacity of this bitch—she still acknowledges her responsibility in the massacre, Akua's appointment as Governess of Liesse being part of her bargaining to beat her at the end of book 2, with the assumption that she'd be swiftly removed and dealt with.

Instead Malicia, as we find out in the aftermath, allowed Diabolist to build up her power base, in a gambit that she'd produce a weapon dangerous enough to deter Procer and the Principate from launching the tenth Crusade. This shatters Cat's trust, in Malicia and Black, that they tacitly allowed this to happen, and she wonders if she really chose the path of least harm if she's on the side that just might let a Callowan city get effectively nuked every other year.

What was most surprising was that this marked a fallout between Black and Malicia. While the Empress wanted to keep the weapon, and agreed to make Catherine Queen of Callow as part of reparations, Black sees it as a magnet for the biggest and strongest Heroes to come out of the woodwork and destroy everything they built. And I can't help but feel he's right, but also when he destroys the array controlling the weapon, that does ensure the Crusade is coming, and there will still be Heroes with them regardless. After a breaking of bonds where Cat stabs him in the stomach rather than kill him like he expected (a scar to remember me by), she is crowned Queen and prepares for war. Her connection with the Tower now frayed to near breaking, but the sheer cult of personality she's built keeps everyone in the fold.

Speaking of, I finally want to talk about her break up with Kilian. I went into book 3 still worried about their future. No longer the doubt that she could be a spy, that plot point does get wrapped up and none of the spies are known characters. However, the tension reaches a breaking point for our favorite couple when Catherine leaves Kilian (one of her senior staff) out of her senior staff meeting where she declares she's doing a spot of treason. Which Kilian later guesses it's cause she didn't want to risk Kilian threatening to break up with her in the meeting and throw off her game convincing her senior staff not to mutiny. Which, ouch. She feels like Cat doesn't trust her, just like how she left out Commander Hune too whom she doesn't trust (double ouch). AND she went into Arcadia without Kilian, a quarter-fae who could have helped, but she saw the non-Named as a liability (triple ouch). She offers the possibility of performing a blood sacrifice ritual that could turn her into full Fae, that would make her no longer a liability, which Cat staunchly refuses because she sees the practice as a disgusting disregard for life a "line she won't cross". They stop seeing each other for months.

I was dying to know the outcome of this fighting. I was one who wanted to see them make up somehow, if only cause it's rare to see a couple in fiction fight and make up, rather than break up immediately. Maybe it's cause I've only been in one relationship, that has lasted decades and seen us both through the best and worst of our lives, and we've made it work even though we don't always agree, or do/say the right things. But that makes me want to see people reconcile, I guess. So I assumed they would.

The chapter where they finally talk again is one of my favorites, tho very little of consequence to the story happens, but to Cat's and Kilian's character, very much. I don't know how many would be reading this that haven't already read through the series by now, at least to this point, but if you are you probably don't mind spoilers so I'd highly recommend reading this chapter which focuses on their talk, and eventual breakup. It requires little other context, and is such a good piece of prose exposing just how emotionally shut out our Catherine has gotten. I was as surprised as Kilian when she admits she'd used Kilian as a kind of refuge from the dark shit, so when Kilian made it clear she doesn't share the same ethics it felt like a betrayal, which wasn't fair to put on the mage. And then it makes so much sense that she'd be upset when Cat tries to turn this into a "so do you still want to do this thing I hate in order to be close to me" conversation.

Kilian, like Hune, isn't like the others that have been pulled into Cat's circle. She will serve as Senior Mage so long as the legion holds, for that is what she's the best at. But she has no interest in being "a horse you have to break or a hound you have to feed" to be a part of Cat's circle of Big Damn Villains. She was paramour to the Squire/Black Queen for a while, and she got left behind for it, when all she wanted was to be girlfriends with Catherine Foundling because she liked her, not the Name, and for a while was happy.

And isn't that the fucking tragedy of it all.

Kilian never wanted to break up, wanted to forget about the ritual and not see Cat use it to self-flagellate, to go on about how she's crossed lines so she shouldn't have held others to standards she doesn't meet. She wanted Cat to just be a person while it was the two of them, and Cat simply can't anymore. She's too afraid of failing, herself and everyone she's dragged with her, if she's not perfect in her vigilance, if she doesn't live up to the Name and titles given to her. And THEN after all that, has the GALL to say she loves her as she's saying goodbye which just breaks Kilian's heart 😭

You wanna know the best part? The very next chapter Cat has a debate with a priest of the House of Light about her definition of Evil. Cat says Evil refuses to play by the rules. Evil means seeing the powers trying to keep her controlled, tell her what to do or where to be, and decides she should be able to do what she wants, to live how she wants, and will kill for that right.

And the priest responds "I didn't think you would be so prone to fear," and Cat thinks she doesn't get the point??

Like, CAT. It's just like you were saying to your ex! And you don't see the connection there?? She really is losing her humanity, and the barometer for it was losing her connection with Kilian until they had to break up 😢

Needless to say I EAT THIS SHIT UP. Of all the most important lines Cat could have crossed, perhaps it's this one that's the most important.

Do I still expect them to make up? Not really, I think that ship has sailed. It would take a humongous amount of self-healing for Cat to be in an emotional position to be that vulnerable, and most importantly she'd have to forgive herself, which I don't see anytime soon. I almost wish Kilian moves on by then, for the added lesson of acceptance on top of that. But in the meantime we've got a lot more wars to fight and a lot more atrocities to commit, so that will have to wait.

See you all again after book 4! If I can finish before my post-surgery recovery is over (the only way I've been able to tear through these books so fast)

[britneyshakespeare]

i think reading the first three shakespeare henriad plays back-to-back-to-back has broken my brain for the last three months

[mylittleredgirl]

unpopular opinion but i really enjoy "field of fire," the ezri dax "to catch a serial killer" episode. for all the scenery chewing and deep space nine's continued vulcan smear campaign, i'm not going to pretend it's objectively the best of the ezri a-plot episodes, but it's my favorite for what it reveals about her.

jadzia was emotional, headstrong, and sometimes impulsive (as was curzon), but ezri is reckless.

of course she is! she's young! she's unqualified for everything that has happened to her, and honestly, so are all her peers. she ran away from a fucked-up home to starfleet at a time when, as we saw with nog, they're field-promoting cadets at top speed to fill the ranks as starfleet suffers massive war casualties. she's more or less the same generation as the red squad cadets on the valiant who decided to fight the dominion war by themselves behind enemy lines.

and she wouldn't be ezri dax otherwise. the reveal in "equilibrium" is a secret known only the symbiosis commission and the starfleet offiers who were physically in the room. to the medical staff on the destiny and ezri tigan herself, the odds of rejection from an improper trill joining are overwhelmingly likely and fatal. but ezri still volunteers to join with dax! she's probably going to die in this uniform anyway, right?

jadzia was a focused, rule-following, straight-a student before she met the party worm, and it took dax a season or two to loosen her up, but ezri was probably already unhinged.

so of course she's the one who decides to take her inner murderer off the leash at the slightest provocation. sisko asks her to help odo out, and ezri somehow interprets this as feeling like she's solely responsible for finding the killer when she only took one class at the academy in forensic psychology and didn't even like it. odo and o'brien are continuing their own investigation off-screen the whole time! meanwhile, she probably had to look up the trill emergence ritual in a book. she has not read the fine print on ANY of this.

and she sticks with this crazy plan, even when it becomes clear that she's right on the edge of becoming a danger to society. but ezri's whole starfleet career, maybe her whole young life of ignoring and plotting her escape from her emotionally abusive family, certainly her whole joined experience, has been lived right on the edge.

all the scenes she has with joran in and around quark's bar to me are her technique for staying grounded in reality. they often happen after joran pushes her too far, so she uses being public as a distraction from that one-on-one intensity—even though it means she looks insane and everyone's staring at her. even joran is like ".... shouldn't you have told sisko about me?" she is full in dax stubbornness on this deeply dubious plan.

and it works!! and in the final account, i think she liked it a little: the power of playing a killer, the power of being stronger than joran, and the soft ending she has with him during reintegration.

her symbiont, her whole life on the station, her friends, her romantic interests, they were all jadzia's first, but jadzia was afraid of joran and would never have played this game. in this one way, ezri has a closer relationship to her unearned symbiont than jadzia did.

ezri's beta canon trajectory of switching to a command track is okay, but it makes me sad to think she'd ditch her chosen career entirely. i could see her getting into criminal psychology. her brother's a murderer (she hasn't unpacked that AT ALL), one of her past hosts was a murderer... with that backstory, she'd do numbers in a federation law & order procedural series. i'd watch it.

but honestly, in the federation spirit of rehabilitation, she might be uniquely qualified to treat violent criminals as well, rather than hunting them down. she could reach in and heal that part of herself and then use that experience to reach others.

[javierpena-inatacvest]

Chapter 8.5: 007- Peña, Agent Peña

Summary: After Javi's surprise on the Peña ranch, you had already had the best night of your life. Little did you know, your night was just beginning.

Word Count: 4.9K (This is as short as it's ever gonna get, this is just who I am)

Warnings: SMUT (18+), unprotected p in v sex (wrap it up), creampie, praise (oh boy, does Javi tell you what a good job you're doing), semi-public nudity?? (not really, but you'll see!!), mentions of eating/food, mentions of alcohol, mentions of loss of a parent, you and Javi being absolute goofballs and being lovesick idiots

A/N: SO. I finished Chapter 8 and went to go walk my dog, and the song "Would That I" by Hozier came on, and it 100% is the inspiration behind this mini chapter. I literally came up with the idea for this chapter and wrote it in less than 24 hours because Javi and Osita live in my head rent free at all times being the cutest two idiots to ever exist. Enjoy this fun lil bit, it's honestly probably my favorite thing that I've written for this series so far!!!

Series Masterlist Next Chapter Previous Chapter

“I��m not sure if cold, post sex and first I love you’s is the way that your dad intended us to eat these enchiladas, but holy shit are they delicious.” You and Javi laughed, finishing the last bites of the enchiladas verdes Chucho had packed for the both of you. It probably would have made more sense to eat dinner almost an hour ago when Javi had first taken you out to watch the sunset in the back of his truck, but, no offense to Chucho’s enchiladas, having the most romantic sex of your life followed by Javi telling you that he loved you for the first time seemed to take higher priority to you. 

“These ones are actually pretty good, I will give him that. Thank God he’s finally starting to get better at cooking, a few months ago his food was practically inedible.” Javi shook his head, wiping his face with the back of his hand as gathered both of your cleared paper plates and forks, tossing them into the empty paper bag Chucho had sent them with. 

“Actually? I didn’t know he had come such a long way in his cooking career in such a short time.” You snickered, pulling some of the blankets laying at the edge of the truck bed over you as you scooted yourself closer to Javi, laying your head against his chest as you snuggled next to him. Pulling you closer, Javi wrapped his arm around you, fingers tracing gentle circles along the back of his sweatshirt you were now wearing. 

“Actually. He never cooked until my mom died. One day he called me while I was still in Colombia and told me he had found one of my mom’s recipe books and was gonna teach himself how to cook. When I came home, he insisted on making me dinner every night so he could show off whatever he was learning. I ate a lot of sandwiches after he fell asleep the first few months I was home.” 

“Well despite the terrible food you had to eat, that’s actually really sweet. Glad I came around when I did so I only have to reap the benefits of his good cooking and not suffer along with you.” You giggled as he squeezed you before giving you a playful shake wrapped in his arms. “Can you cook at all, or is this a warning that you’re gonna subject me to your awful cooking too?” 

“I can cook enough. Not a good cook by any means, but definitely not my Pops a few months ago. Can do more than Kraft Mac and Cheese, I’ll tell you that much.” He smirked, poking fun at the first meal you had made. You sat up, giving him the biggest stink face you could muster without bursting into laughter.

“Okay, first of all, rude. Second of all, don’t act like you wouldn’t have eaten an entire second pot if I hadn’t made one for you, Mr. Literally Will Literally Eat Anything Under The Sun In World Record Time.” 

“If I seem to remember correctly, you weren’t doing a lot of complaining after I ate, Osita.” He winked at you as you nudged your elbow into his side before he grabbed you, rolling you over and playfully wrestling you into the pile of pillows and blankets beneath you. “C’mere, Hermosa.” He wrapped his arms around you as you giggled and squirmed beneath him, trying to wiggle your way out of his grasp. You kicked your feet as he kissed at your neck, his mustache ticking you with each peck of his lips. Using all your might, you were able to roll over on top of him, straddling his lap as he lay on his back, breaking free of his grasp.

“Can’t get me that easy, Peña. Wrestling was the only way I got anything from my brothers for the first ten years of my life.” You smirked as you leaned down to kiss him as his fingertips gripped into your hips, pulling you further on to his lap. 

“Could think of worse ways to lose a wrestling match.” Javi’s face smug as he gestured to how you were sitting on top of him, letting out a quiet groan as you started to grind into his lap, feeling him already half hard beneath you. “Careful, Hermosa. Not gonna be so nice if you’re gonna try to play dirty.” He raised his eyebrows, waiting for you to make the next move. 

Still bent over him, you kissed up his neck and jaw before nipping at his ear. “Last time I checked, you liked it when I played dirty.” Your whispers left jaw slack, pressing up into you, his dick already straining against the fabric of his sweatpants. 

“Fuck me.” He murmured under his breath as you began to grind harder into his crotch. “You wanna play dirty, baby? I can play fuckin’ dirty.” You could see the lust filled in the dark pool of his eyes, biting down on your lip, already feeling the slick pooling between your legs with each sway of your hips. “You already wet for me, baby?” 

This man read you like a book- like he had every fucking page memorized. “Mmmhhhmm.” You nodded, feeling how soaked the fabric of your sweatpants already was as you felt your clit rub deliciously against Javi’s dick, hard and heavy underneath you. 

“I know you are, dirty girl. Want me to touch you baby? Want me to make you come before I fuck that perfect pussy again?” You nodded again, frantically shaking your head yes at his filthy words as you worked yourself against his length. He laughed to himself, shaking his head as he watched how blissed out you already were rubbing against him. “Too bad.” 

You paused, shooting him a confused look. “What do you mean, too bad?” 

“You know exactly what I mean. You wanna play dirty, I will too. You wanna come? You get yourself off like this.” He gave you a subtle nod of his head, gesturing to how you were sitting on top of his lap. 

“Are you serious? Javi, c’mon, please.” You rolled your eyes at him as you crossed your arms over your chest, trying to play off how desperate you already were for him. 

“Rules are rules baby. Fight dirty, play dirty. C’mon pretty girl, I know how needy you are, how wet that pretty pussy is for me.” He mewled as he toyed with the waistband of your sweatpants, fingers brushing against your skin. He dug his fingers into your hips, slowly pushing them back and forth against his lap, encouraging you to pick back up your pace brushing up against his dick with every motion. “There you go, hermosa. That’s my girl. Just like that, baby.” He praised as you found yourself rubbing harder and harder against him, slick coating your thighs. With his length, it wasn’t hard to feel how big he was, making it easy to find a sweet spot that brushed up against your sensitive bundle of nerves as you rocked your hips back  and forth over him. 

“Javiiiii, fuck.” You whined, feeling the heat build at the base of your spine as your clit rubbed harder and harder on his covered cock. 

“That’s it, Osita. Doing so good for me, baby. God, you look so fucking pretty riding me like that, C’mon, I know you’re close sweetheart.” His praise had you climbing towards your high, each time you ground your hips into him had you closer and closer to coming undone. His name fell from your lips, moaning as he was gripping your hips again pushing you deeper into him. 

“Javi, I’m so close. Fuck, fuck fuckkkkkk.” You whimpered as you felt the euphoria rush through you, gushing, feeling your pussy throb from the intensity of your orgasm. You slumped into him, face falling on to his chest as you caught your breath. 

“Such a good girl, Osita. My good fucking girl. Did so good for me baby.” He whispered in your ear as hand his hands along your body, trembling at his touch. “Still want me to fuck you, dirty girl?” 

“Yes, holy shit, yes.” You moaned. “Please, I need you so bad Javi.” He helped you pull your sweatpants down, kicking them off your feet as you straddled back over Javi, sitting on top of his thighs. Slipping your fingers under his waistband, you pushed the pants down, revealing his dick, already red, precum leaking from its tip, leaving a stain on his sweatpants. You lifted yourself up, slowly sinking down on his length, each inch splitting you open with the sweetest stretch. Even without his fingers to warm you up, you were so wet that you took him easily, feeling yourself bottom out on his cock as Javi let out an audible groan. His hands reached around, giving you a light smack on your ass before his fingers kneaded into your flesh. You began to raise yourself up and down along his length, swirling your hips as your hands tugged at the hem of his sweatshirt that you were wearing, ready to take it off. His hand grabbed your wrist, stopping you before you could get any further. 

“Keep it on. Fuck, I love seeing you in my clothes.” He bit down on his lip as you nodded, rubbing your hands up and down his chest as you threw your head back, drunk on the way his dick felt hitting against that sweet spot inside you. The hair around his base rubbed against your clit, making you whine as you picked up your pace. “Jesus Hermosa, fuck me. Taking me so well. My sweet girl.” His voice was thick and raspy between his heavy breaths, his eyes glued on your every move as you rode him. 

Suddenly, you felt him shift. Sitting up with his back pushed up against the truck, he wrapped his arms around you pulling you in so you were chest to chest, foreheads pressed against each other. You could feel him thrust up into you, his cock punching that magical spot that made the heat at the base of your spine creep up your back. “Javi, fuck baby, you feel so good. Fuckkk.” You tugged at his thick curls, burying your face in the crook of his neck, the scent of his sweet and spicy cologne clinging to his sweatshirt. 

“I know, hermosa, I know. Fuck, you’re so wet and tight, baby. Gonna give me one more? Soak my dick before I fuck you full of me again?” You wrapped your legs around his waist, digging your fingers into his back as you felt yourself snap, screaming his name as pleasure ran through every inch of you. You could feel how tight you were clenching around his cock as you came, his thrusts pounding deeper and faster into you. It didn’t take long for him to meet his own end, only needing a few more pumps before you felt his seed spill into you, leaking down your thighs and into his lap as you slumped into each other. 

“Fuck, Osita.” He whispered between his labored breathing, lifting his head off your shoulder, smiling at your blissed out face. “Jesus, I fucking love you.” 

“I love you too, Jav. Super romantic with your dick still in me and your cum dripping down my legs.” You giggled, still sitting in his lap. 

“It’s fucking hot, is what it is. Fuck me, you’re so sexy. What the fuck did I ever do to deserve such a beautiful woman who fucking loves me like you?” 

“God, you’re so sweet. Get your dick out of me before I start crying again, you menace.” You both laughed as you shifted off of him, grimacing at the mess you had left behind in Javi’s lap. “Do you have any towels, or leftover napkins? Sorry, I made a fucking mess. So much for those showers before we left.” 

Javi paused for a moment before a sly grin crept across his face. “Ostia, can you swim?

You raised an eyebrow at him, very confused by his question, considering you were surrounded by a gigantic, grassy field. “What? Yes, of course I can swim? Why are you asking me that? How is knowing if I can swim helpful right now?”  

His smile turned giddy, smirking at you as he shimmied his sweatpants back over his legs. “C’mon, get in the truck.” He slid himself off the back of the truck bed, standing up and outstretching his hand toward you. You quickly pulled your sweatpants back on too, following behind him as he helped you out of the truck and picked you up to put you in the passenger seat. 

“Javi, what the hell are we doing? Are you gonna go throw me in a trough or something? Listen, I love those cows, but I am not gonna be happy if you toss me into a bucket full of dirty cow spit water.” You crossed your arms at him, waiting for a response. 

“You’ll see.” He winked at you before shutting your door, hopping over to the driver’s side and starting up the car. 

“You’re lucky I love you.” You grumbled, still crossing his arms at him. He reached over the center console, giving you a quick kiss before pulling away and shifting the truck into drive. 

“I’m a very lucky man, indeed.” You finally shifted out of your playfully grumpy demeanor, melting as Javi stared at you, his sweet, puppy dog eyes making your heart explode every time they landed on you. You turned up the radio as Javi pulled away, heading the opposite direction that you came from, his headlights shining on a thick patch of trees at the end of one of the pastures. Driving a little deeper into the wooded area, Javi put the car in park, leaving you even more confused than when you left. He smiled at you as he shut off the ignition, hopping out the door before coming around to your side, helping you out of the car. 

“God, I thought driving me out to the middle of the field was bad, but taking me out into the woods in the pitch black? You really never are beating these serial killer allegations, I’m afraid.” 

“You’re the worst, do you know that?” Javi shook his head as he grabbed your hand, pulling you along with him as he began to walk through the trees. 

“I’m just saying! Listen, if you really wanted- Hey! Hey! Put me down!” You squealed as Javi picked you up, flinging you over his shoulder as you pounded your fists against his back, kicking and giggling with each step he took. God, was he strong. He carried you like it was nothing, laughing to himself as he watched you try to wriggle your way out of his fireman hold. Letting out a huff of defeat, you slumped further into him, staring at the ground as he took each step. 

“At least I have a good view of your ass from here.” You snickered as he continued walking. 

“You really like my butt, don’t you?” He laughed, rustling you in his grasp, still flung over his shoulder. 

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you are built like a God, Javier Peña. You’re very much proving your point right now carrying my fat ass through the woods.” 

He stopped, setting you down so you were facing towards him, placing his strong hand under your chin before tilting it up towards him. You gazed up at him, a surprisingly serious look spread across his face. “Hey. I love your ass. I love your body. Every curve, every single bit of you. Okay?”  

“Okay.” You softly replied, pulling you in tighter as he kissed the top of your head. “So are you gonna tell me where the hell we’re going, or are you just gonna keep carrying me through the woods?” 

“Turn around.” He nodded his head, gesturing behind you. As you spun around, you saw the moonlight sparkle off ripples of the pond in front of you. Rocks and tall grass surrounded the edges, water from a small stream flowing from behind the reeds into the pond. An old, worn wooden dock sat at the end, hovering over the first few feet out into the water. You turned back around to look at Javi, now smirking at your pleasant surprise with his most recent mystery. “I was out here every day as a kid in the summer. Nothing much, but it was deep enough to swim in. Haven’t been back here since high school, probably.”

“Is this where you’d take all the ladies to woo them with your swimming skills?” You joked, giving Javi a nudge as he stared around the pond. 

“No.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Just me and my friends, sometimes my cousins when they came over, if I was lucky.” 

“Well, I feel very honored to be the first lucky woman to get to see this secret pond.” You replied, slipping your sweatpants off your waist, leaving your bottom half exposed. Javi’s jaw dropped for the second time today watching you strip yourself of your clothes. “What?” You looked at him as your sweatshirt came next, dropping in a pile next to your pants, leaving you fully naked in front of him. “Aren’t we getting in?” You tilted your head at the pond, smirking at Javi who was now speechless. 

“You sure?” He said, gulping as he looked you up and down, your soft skin glowing in the moonlight. 

“Would I be standing here naked if I wasn’t?” You shrugged your shoulders as you raised an eyebrow at him. “You gonna swim in your sweats or am I gonna keep standing here like a naked idiot waiting for you?” Before you could say anything else, Javi’s clothes were on the ground next to yours, leaving you both bare, hidden amongst the secluded trees. This time, you grabbed his hand, running as you pulled him to the end of the dock, abruptly pausing as you got to the edge. “Are there like, weird things in here? It’s deep enough to jump in, right?” 

“Hermosa, just get in, you’re fine.” 

“Okay, but like-” 

“Osita, get in or I’m gonna push you in.”  

“You wouldn’t dare.” 

“You know I fucking will.” 

“Ugh okay, okay! Just promise me-” 

“1…” 

“Javi, wait-” 

“2…” 

“I’m being serious, don’t you do it! Javier Jesús Peña, I swear to God-” 

“3!” 

Before you could finish, Javi had his arms wrapped around your waist, swinging you back and forth, throwing you over the edge of the dock, limbs flailing as you splashed into the water. You peeked your head up, running your hands over your face as you watched Javi laughing hysterically. You flung your hand against the water, trying your best to splash him as he still stood at the edge thoroughly amused with himself. 

“I hate you, I hope you know that.” You grumbled, splashing him again. “Hey, wait, where are you going?” You shouted as you watched Javi turn around, making his way off the dock. It wasn’t long before you regretted asking the question, as Javi quickly turned around, getting a running start as he launched himself off the edge, drenching you as he drove into the water, making waves that splashed against you upon his entrance. You swam there for a moment, waiting for his head to pop up somewhere next to you, when suddenly, you felt something wrap around your ankle, making you absolutely screech at the top of your lungs. You swam as fast as you could back to the edge of the dock, clinging to the edge as you heard more hysterical laughter behind you, turning around to see Javi cackling to himself as you panted breathlessly, waiting for your heart rate to return to a semi-normal pace. 

“Holy shit, I didn’t think I was gonna scare you that bad, Osita.” He came down from his laughter, looking over at you hanging from the wooden planks still trying to catch your breath. “I’m sorry, baby. Are you okay?” He swam closer to you, now seeming like he felt a little remorse for what he had done. 

You took a few more deep breaths before letting go of the dock, looking back at him. Now only an arms’ length away from you, you swam full force towards Javi, wrapping your body around his, trying to wrestle him in the water. “You are an absolute jerk, you know that?” You grunted between your giggles as Javi grabbed you back, spinning you as you thrashed in the water, splashing it in his face before he grabbed your face to kiss him. Your legs locked around Javi’s hips, arms wrapping around his neck as his slipped behind your back, pulling you closer, feeling weightless in the water. He drew away for a moment, taking one of his hands to caress your face, rubbing his thumb along your jaw. 

“I forgive you, I guess.” You smiled as you sat there for a moment, taking in every detail of his face. His messy wet hair, his chocolate brown eyes, the way his mustache shifted above his lips as he smiled, everything about him that made you love him even more than you thought you already could. The way he looked back at you made you feel like there wasn’t anyone else in the world who could ever love you more. 

“God, you’re so beautiful. I love you, Osita.” 

“I love you too, Javi.” 

He brought you in closer, placing another gentle kiss on your lips. He pulled away again, this time with a look of panic washing over his face.

“What? Are you okay?” 

 “Was that your foot?” 

“My feet are wrapped around your waist?” You looked at him curiously. 

Trying his best to keep calm, Javi swam you both closer and closer to the shore, still carrying you with him as you stepped back on to land. This time, it was your turn to laugh at him, suddenly realizing why he had gotten out so quickly. “Not big and brave now, huh?” 

“At least I didn’t scream like you.” 

“Oh shut up.” You giggled as he set you back down, now sopping wet and shivering next to your pile of clothes. “Any way to explain to your dad why the hell we’re both coming back soaking wet?” You grimaced as you started to pull your sweatshirt over your wet body.

“We’re not.” His face smug as he followed suit opting to only put on his sweatpants, leaving him shirtless as you both headed back through the trees. 

“So…. What? You’re just gonna ask your dad to close his eyes and ignore us when we come back inside?” You raised an eyebrow in confusion looking up at Javi as he reached down to grab your hand as you walked. 

“No. To be honest, Pops is probably already passed out in front of the TV, but of course, you can’t walk through the front door without going past him. We’ll just sneak in through my bedroom window and he’ll be none the wiser.” 

You stopped for a second before laughing at him, continuing to walk as you shook your head. “Sneak in? What are we, 16? I know you said you’ve never brought any girls down here before, but I have a very hard time believing this is the first time you’ve snuck a girl into your room, Javier Peña.” 

“Only a few times.” He looked down at the ground sheepishly as you squeezed his hand. 

“I’m just giving you a hard time, Jav. Wouldn’t be my first time sneaking in either.” You admitted, your cheeks turning slightly red at your admission. 

“Really?” He perked up. “You don’t strike me as the type, but do tell.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You just seem like such a rule follower, maybe it’s the teacher in you.” He shrugged as you rolled your eyes. “What’d ya do?” 

“Fair, I guess. I was 17. One of my friends was having a party at her parents house while they were on vacation, and being the rule follower that I am, I asked my parents and they said no. I was so mad because it felt like they always let my brothers go out and have fun and I never got to. So, once everyone was asleep, I snuck out, rode my bike all the way to my friends house, got drunk out of my mind, which is part of the reason why I can never drink vodka again, and by some miracle, was able to ride my bike back home. When I came in through the side door of the garage, my brother David was in there, already waiting for me. He told me that he could hear me singing at the top of my lungs halfway down the block. He took pity on me and helped my drunk ass up to bed and never told my parents. He’s always been my favorite brother. Then, I pretended to have the stomach flu for the next 3 days to cover up for my hangover.” You both laughed as you finished your walk up to the truck, Javi opening the passenger door for you as you stepped in. 

“No vodka, duly noted. You trying to tell me your singing gets even more obnoxious when you’re drunk?” He smiled as you buckled yourself in. 

“You love my singing, don’t lie. But um… maybe… Just a little. You’ll just have to deal with my sober serenading for now, sorry.” You smirked at him as you shrugged your shoulders, Javi laughing to himself as he shut the door behind you. 

……….. 

As promised, you spent the rest of the ride to the ranch windows down, blaring “Go Your Own Way” from Fleetwood Mac, noting that even though Javi had put on the album not long ago, you were a bit distracted to actually listen to any of the songs. If it was anyone else, Javi would have rather been caught dead than singing along to anything, regardless of song, album or artist. But lucky for him, you weren’t just anyone. You were his everything. Javi was sad when you’re singing came to an end, lowering the music as you pulled up to the house, trying to remain as quiet as possible to not wake up his dad. 

“Too bad you don’t have the James Bond soundtrack in your car, I feel like we’re on some sort of secret mission right now.” You whispered, trying to close the truck door behind you as quietly as possible. 

“C’mon, you dork.” He replied, taking you by the hand and leading you around the edge of his house. You both tiptoed along the wood siding of the house, Javi leading you before stopping under one of the windows, slightly cracked open, pushing out of its frame. “Alright, if I lift you up, can you push it the rest of the way open and climb in?” 

“Sure thing, Agent Peña. What number do you want to be, since you clearly can’t be 007, that one’s already taken. I don’t think they’ll let you be the next James Bond with that ‘stache.” You mumbled, stepping in front of Javi as he got ready to lift you up. 

“Will you just get in the window, please?” He scoffed, squeezing his hands on your hips, getting ready to hoist you. 

“Fine, fine, just say you wanna be lame and move on. I’m ready.” As Javi shot you up, your fingers wrapped around the edge of the windowsill, humming to yourself as you shimmied yourself in. 

“Bada boommmm, bada booommmmm, bahnanah.”  

“Are you seriously singing the James Bond theme song right now?” Javi looked up at the window as you pushed open the rest of the pane, now looking down at him. 

“Yeah, at least one of us should have a little fun with this. You need my help getting in?” 

He hadn’t even answered your question before he was already halfway through the window, pulling himself through and landing on the floor.  

“Showoff.” You grumbled to yourself as he closed the window behind him. Wet and uncomfortable in your clothes, you stripped them off of you, drying yourself off from the towel you had left on Javi’s bed from your shower earlier. Javi did the same, shedding his sweatpants and throwing them next to yours before you both crawled under the covers, curling into each other. You pulled the comforter up over you, nestling against the warmth of Javi’s body. Laying your head on Javi’s chest, Javi ran his fingers through the ends of your hair, still damp from your swim. It wasn’t until you hit the bed that you realized just how exhausted you were, barely keeping your eyes open, your eyelids heavy with sleep.

“Javi?” You asked, looking up at him, your voice low and soft, letting out a quiet yawn. 

“Yes, Osita?” He peered down at you, fingers still twisting through your locks. 

“You really love me?” 

He chuckled warmly, planting a soft kiss on the top of your head. “I really do. Con todo mí corazón. (With all my heart.) Get some sleep, Hermosa, I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” 

He paused, waiting for you to respond. 

“Hermosa?”  

The only thing he heard after that were your sweet snores humming against his chest, you already sound asleep in his arms. He gave you one more kiss on the head before pulling you closer, shutting his eyes as he whispered one last goodnight.  “Buenas noches, Osita. Soy un hombre afortunado. Tienes todo mí corazón para siempre. Te amo.” (Good night, Osita. I’m a lucky man. You have all of my heart, forever. I love you.)

..........

Taglist:

@cool-iguana @rhoorl @whyjuliaaa @bbiophiliaa @pertinentpostmortem @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @pedrobaby @fatima-marisa @beboldbebravethings @poodlebae @kittenlittle24 @3sriracha @jungchloee @perennialdoll247 @prettyinpunk85 @partyofone3413 @harriedandharassed

[kittybobitty]

Ranking the Danmei I Read this Year

I got into Danmei this February, and wanted to do a top 5, but then realized I'd only read 5 this year lol, so instead I'm going to rank them from least favorite to most. So without further ado:

5. The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish

I picked this one up just because it sounded so ridiculous and funny, and never expected it to be so sweet! It's pure fluff and love. I've only ranked it low because it's just very low stakes compared to the rest of the series on the list. It's a great read in between much higher stakes series that constantly feel like they're ripping my heart out. I love Li Yu's character and how in love with him Prince Jing is. I'm looking forward tk getting the final volume next year!

4. Heaven Official's Blessing

We all know it and love it for a reason. I was absolutely enamored by hualian's love story. I love the lack of relationship drama because they trust eachother so completely, and I think it has one of the best confession scenes of any media ever. However, I did rank it lower because I didn't find the ending completely fulfilling. I know MXTX is doing an amended version and I'm anxious about her removing some characters but I am curious to see if I find the ending any better.

3. The Scum Villain's Self Saving System

It made me laugh so much, and then volume 3 broke my heart. I really love how related Shen Yuan is. It is MXTX's first series and it does feel like it is her first in a lot of ways, but this series has so much heart. I honestly would love to see more of the world explored, because I think it's so vast and interesting.

2. The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

I LOVE this series. I love our himbo protag living in the regret of his previous life, I love how much of a hopeless romantic CWN is behind his cold exterior and damn, it's good spice. I am spoiler free and have not even read volume 7 yet (it arrives tomorrow!) But it's definitely the longest series I've read, I belive it will have 11 volumes in total. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it turns out, but until then, I will keep all the related tags blocked haha

1. The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Anyone who follows my blog probably wouldn't be surprised by this. The series with too many titles, MDZS, was my first danmei and still sits atop as my favorite. I see a lot of myself in Wei Ying. His story breaks my heart, but his love story with Lan Wanji heals me. I love their dynamic, their relationship to the juniors, and their devotion to each other. I was to keep experiencing this series in new ways; I already am collecting the webcomic, I've started watching the donghua (and I'd like to buy it) and I will eventually watch The Untamed. Theres also the new stage play happening soon (no idea how I'll see that) and me hoping and praying for someone to pick up the manga for publication in the west. I love Wangxian so much!

And that's all I've read thus far. I know it's kinda basic as far as danmei go, but everyone has to start somewhere! I would love recommendations for what to read next. I do prefer the cultivation storyline, but I'm also open to Palace Dramas. I'm not particularly interested in Modern stories.

I'm likely to pick up Thousand Autumns soon, and I've heard Remnants of Filth is in the same universe as Erha, so I may also check it out. Feel free to leave other recommendations (please also note I'm currently only interested in series that have been published as books in the US, and not interested in reading fan-translations)

Happy new year everyone!

[hazellevessque]

ALRIGHT I FINISHED CRESS

I feel like I should start with this post I made because. Wow. Guys that was my crack theory I was joking 😭

While we’re on this topic DR. ERLAND??? WHAT THE FUCK??? DUDE I LIKED THAT GUY CAN WE KEEP HIM AROUND A LITTLE LONGER???

Ok back to my actual thoughts I think this book is my favorite so far. I can see why everyone said they loved it

Honestly I really really like Cress she’s so relatable and I love her imagination

Also <333 Cress and Throne <333 I love them <333

But their age difference does make me feel a little weird!!

We had so many deaths this book what. Sybil, Erland, like damn people were dropping dead left and right

Cinder is still my favorite character, I don’t think anyone could make me hate her honestly. I really loved the scene where she went back to the apartment and glamoured Adri and then after she was like “that was something Levana would have done.” I got chills

INDIAN LUNAR CHRONICLES CHARACTER LETS GO EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR MY GIRL TASHMI

I was also not expecting the wedding to be in THIS book. I thought it would be the series finally but hey I’m not mad

KAI AND CINDER. THE TENSION BETWEEN THEM OMG. MY SISTER WAS ABLE TO TELL WHEN I WAS READING A SCENE WITH THEM BECAUSE I WAS GASPING SO MUCH

They stress me out but I love them

And every review (these are not formal enough to be reviews) I need to talk about Iko because she’s SO fun. I love that she got a new body and the way she mad Kai look away towards the end

Based on the one (1) chapter we got with Winter I already love her and I’m so excited for her to be a main character! Also I’m starting to see what y’all are talking about with her and Scarlet…

Anyways I’m gonna probably start the last book tonight…oh wow I can’t believe I’m already at the last book. At least I have Stars Above and Fairest after this

Tags (ask to be added/removed): @caliburn-the-sword @permanently-stressed @winterrhayle @writergracethepanda

@typingwithmyhandstied @rosaadiazs @rxsewqter @qylinscafvne @hijabi-desi-bookworm

@livie1507 @silverstarssart

[jerzwriter]

Happy Birthday, Baby! 🩷🤍🩷

Every time Ainna (@/artbyainna - IG) creates something for me, I say it's my new favorite, but this time, I doubt it will ever be topped!

Last month, I was busy and going through some stuff, so I completely forgot to get a slot with Ainna. Imagine my surprise when she reached out a few days later and said, "a secret someone" got a slot for me. It honestly couldn't have come at a better time. I was so down and this act of kindness lifted my spirits so much. When she said my slot was 7/24, I knew what we were going to do! Casey's "birthday" is 7/26, and this had to come to life. And OMG, I could NOT love it anymore.

When Ainna sent me the final today, I sent a sneak peek to just one person... @lucy-268. Not ten seconds later, I got a message from Ainna saying, "By the way, this was from Kathy (aka Lucy-268)." The coincidence was wild! And given that Kathy & I are total Tobias stans - it was perfect! Kathy was so glad I chose to do Tobias & Casey (naked Tobias at that! lol), and I'm so touched by her generosity & kindness. Thank you SO SO much, my dear friend! You have no idea how much this lifted my spirits when Ainna told me initially and again today. I'm so blessed to have you in my life, and now, we're all blessed with this art! 🥵 Yeah, her birthday is July 26th, but I'm not sitting on this one! Though Casey probably will, but I digress. 😏😏😏 This deserved a little fic - which can be found below. Thank you again, Kathy! You're the best! 🩷🤍🩷🤍

Book: Open Heart (Post Series) Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey Carrick) Featuring: Bryce, Ethan, Aurora, Sienna, Jackie Rating: Teen (It's racy, but not that racy) Words: 1,700 Summary: Tobias wants to make this a birthday that Casey will always remember, so he plans a girl's night out for her and her friends. Once they're gone, he and Bryce start the second part of his plan. Eventually, Ethan gets dragged in, too. It's definitely a night to remember! A/N: Mostly already above, but some at the end, too!

🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍

Tobias stood in front of his townhome, a sparkle twinkling in his bright blue eyes as he watched the white stretch limo disappear into the night. Casey popped her head out of the sunroof just moments before, enthusiastically waving and blowing kisses as her friends raucously cheered her on. He was determined to make this birthday special for her, and it looked like his mission was a success.

He stepped back inside and shut the door with a sigh, leaning against it as Bryce approached, placing a freshly made strawberry mojito in his hand.

“Man, did you see her?" He asked. "She looked amazing tonight."

“She sure did,” Bryce agreed, spreading out on the couch with a massive bowl of chips on his lap. “You did good, T. The girls’ night out idea? Legendary! I’d say you’re bound to get it now, but...”

“Yeah,” Tobias chuckled, getting comfortable in his recliner. “I’m not worried about that ever. But I am slightly worried about tonight."

“Tonight? Why?”

“Did you see her? She could give up medicine and be a freaking model. Goddamn, one day, that woman’s going to realize she could do much better than me. Let's hope that night isn't tonight."

Bryce went pale; he rushed over to his friend and placed his hand on his forehead.

“What the hell are you doing?” Tobias asked.

“Checking to see if you had a fever! Since when have you thought there was anyone better than you?”

“Heh,” he chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “You have a valid point there.”

“I mean, the rest of us always told her she could do better,” Bryce teased. “But she hasn’t listened so far. Now that you’re married with a kid and a cat, I think you’re safe, buddy.”

“You’re right,” Tobias let out a deep breath and clinked his glass against Bryce’s with a grin. “Besides, did you see that limo I got them? Now they’re off for dinner at Contessa, then a VIP table at The Grand... you’re right; I’m the best husband in the freaking world. What do I have to worry about?"

“Aaaand just like that, he’s back!” Bryce grinned, grabbing the remote to flip on the television.

A couple of hours later, as the guys ate pizza and watched mindless TV, Tobias’s phone buzzed. Casey sent him pictures of her and her friends having the time of their lives. Then, a quick message: I'm having so much fun!! I don’t care what anyone says! You’re my favorite husband! I adore you, baby. 😘

“Favorite husband,” Tobias laughed, rapidly texting back: Your ONLY husband, sweetheart! Have fun, baby. I love you.❤️

Bryce laughed with a mouth full of chips. “You are so freaking whipped. Now, what’s the surprise that I’m here to help you with?”

Tobias glanced at his watch. “We still have a little time to chill, but you're going to help me put up a balloon wall.”

Bryce raised a brow. “A... balloon wall?”

“Yeah,” Tobias said, pulling a picture up on his phone. Bryce’s eyes popped.

“That looks... complicated. T, you’re loaded. Couldn't you have just hired someone to do this?”

“Dude... the kit says ages ten and up. We’re seven times that between us. We both managed to graduate med school, right? We’ve got this.”

Two hours later...

Perched precariously on the top rung of a ladder, Tobias carefully balanced a cardboard frame brimming with balloons.

“I’ve got it... I’ve got it! I’ve got it!” he shouted just before the frame slipped from his hands, plummeting onto Bryce, who found himself entangled in the balloons, looking like a large cluster of pink and white grapes.

He glared at his friend as he untangled himself. “T. I think it’s about time that we admit... we absolutely do not have this!”

Surrendering, Tobias climbed down the ladder, cursing under his breath.

“You're right! Now, what the hell do we do? Normally, I’d call Sienna at this point, but....”

“Yeah, no,” Bryce laughed, scrolling through his Instagram feed. “Right about now, she’s five martinis in, and based on this picture... she’s getting a lap dance.”

“A lap dance!” Tobias’s eyes went wide. “From who?”

“Your wife,” Bryce cackled, handing Tobias his phone.

Tobias couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. “Well, I'm glad they're having fun! But we need to call in some help.”

Twenty minutes later, Bryce answered a knock on the door. “Thank God you’re here,” he exclaimed. “We desperately need your help.”

“Your panicked phone call made that abundantly clear," Ethan groaned. “Now, what am I here to fix?"

Stepping into the living room, he saw Tobias sitting defeated in front of a wall of half-covered with balloons.

“Hey, buddy,” Tobias half-smiled, handing him a picture of what the wall was supposed to look like. We need your help.”

“With this?!”

Ethan’s face went blank. He looked from the picture to Tobias, to the wall, and back to the picture again, shaking his head.

“This. You called me for this. What about me has ever given you any indication that I would be of any help with... this.”

“I'm desperate,” Tobias pleaded. “Everyone who could be of any use to me is currently out celebrating with Casey. You’re it, man.”

“I don't know how to do this! How do you think I can help?"

“Look,” Bryce said, placing a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Three idiots are better than two; now, let’s get to work.”

“You’re so lucky I love Casey,” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Ethan instructed Tobias and Bryce to remove everything from the wall; they were starting from scratch. One hour, ten arguments, and three "confetti incidents" they swore would never be spoken about again later, the balloon wall was perfect!

“There you go!” Tobias said, brimming with pride. “A work of art!”

Ethan shot him a look as he poured a tumbler of Tobias’s most expensive Scotch, a reward for his hard work.

“How long before Casey gets home?” he asked. “I may as well stay to see how she reacts to our handiwork.”

“Oh,” Tobias smiled deviously. “I’m afraid you can’t stay for that.”

“Why not?”

“You won’t like all the... props,” he grinned.

“You don't scare me,” Bryce chimed in, stretching out on the couch. “I put in all this work. I’m waiting.”

“Suit yourself,” Tobias sighed. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

He texted Aurora, knowing she’d be the most coherent member of Casey’s entourage, for an estimated time of arrival. She said they’d be back within 30 minutes, and he asked her to help Casey to the door but warned her not to come in. He then turned to his friends and offered them a final chance.

“You've been warned," he repeated. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go make the final preparations.”

The two men were engrossed in a conversation when Tobias returned, and they didn’t see him step into the back of the room. He positioned himself in front of a now perfect balloon wall, wearing nothing but the skin God gave him and one strategically placed mylar balloon.

The front door burst open, and Casey stepped inside, followed by her friends, who clearly hadn't listened to Tobias.

“Surprise!” Tobias shouted with a bright grin, drawing all attention his away.

“Oh my God!” Sienna gasped, quickly covering her face with both hands.

Casey burst into laughter, doubling over while everyone else stared, mortified but unable to look away.

"It's like a train wreck!" Aurora mumbled.

Ethan buried his face in his hands. “I did not sign on for this.”

Bryce shook his head, attempting to suppress a laugh. “This was definitely not in the plan.”

Tobias shot them a quick glance, “Hey, you were warned.” But his eyes quickly returned to the object of his affection as his beautiful wife rushed toward him.

“Oh my God," she gushed. "I have to admit, I did not see this coming!”

Tobias's eyes narrowed as he looked her over. “Oh, baby, there’s going to be lots of coming very soon!”

“Aaaand that’s our cue to leave!” Aurora announced. Ethan was already ten steps ahead of her, putting his coat on at the door.

“Hey, where’s everyone going,” Tobias hollered as Casey wrapped her arms around his waist, almost causing a wardrobe malfunction. “We’re about to put on quite a show!”

“You better believe it,” Casey beamed, squeezing him tight.

“We’re good!” Sienna yelled, rushing to the door. “We are so good!”

“Sienna! Wait!” Casey ordered. “Don’t leave before taking a picture.”

“A picture... but he’s... he’s naked!” She gasped in horror.

“Oh, come on!” Casey winked. “You're a doctor! You've seen naked men before."

"But in fairness, none that look this good," Tobias teased.

"True," Casey agreed. "But the balloon is covering the best part!”

“She has a point,” Bryce agreed, only adding fuel to the rapidly burning fire.

“Oh, things are coming to a point, all right!” Tobias droned.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake! Take the damn picture so we can all get out of here!” Ethan grumbled.

“Say uh... say cheese?” Sienna said as Casey reached up and placed a flirtatious kiss on her husband’s cheek.

“God, you look beautiful,” he whispered.

“Me?” she winked. “You look good enough to eat.”

“Aaand we’re out....” Bryce announced as the friends all rushed out the front door.

"This is how they end up with another little Carrick!" Jackie fumed.

“Happy Birthday, Casey!” Aurora yelled from the distance; then the door closed with a bang.

Once they were alone, Casey ripped the balloon out of Tobias’s hands with a grin. She read the inscription on the champagne bottle-shaped balloon.

“Make it pop, huh?” She smiled, lowering her eyes and dragging a manicured hand slowly up his thigh, then higher. “Looks like I’ve already completed the assignment.”

“You sure have,” he growled, slowly unzipping the back of her dress, his eyes lustfully taking her in as it fell to the floor. “Now, this is a team project. You completed your part; the rest is on me.”

His lips met hers in a passionate kiss as their hands roamed over the contours of their bodies. With a low groan, he lifted her as she wrapped her legs around him. He carried her to a velvet armchair and gently placed her down, leaving one of her legs draped seductively over the side.

He stepped aside to pour a flute of pink champagne, giving her another lingering kiss as he placed the gas in her hand.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"Your favorite, baby. You sit back and enjoy it," he smirked and dropped to his knees before her. "Relax, the rest is on me. I want this to be a birthday you'll remember."

“Oh, I assure you,” she said, her eyes fluttering shut as he began his ministrations. “It already is.”

Tobias stopped just for a second, reaching up for one last kiss. "Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet. Happy Birthday, baby."

🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍

I'm still light-headed over the art!

A/N: Participating in @julychallenge Pink: Love, Joy, Playfulness, Friendship and Black: Seduction, Attraction

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanart @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[traegorn]

Shadowcasting, Mia Graves Book Three, Is Now Available for Pre-Order! (Updated)

So this has been probably one of my most productive years creatively in a long time. Back in January I published my first novel, The Witch and the Rose, and followed it up in June with a sequel, Bloody Damn Rite. Well, today I'm excited to officially announce the third book in the series, Shadowcasting, will be available on 12/15/2024!

Like the earlier books in the series, you can pre-order the book on Kindle immediately, and it will arrive on your device December 15th ready to go -- but this time you can also pre-order the paperback version too, either through Amazon or through your favorite bookseller with the ISBN 9781088207031! (edited to add paperback pre-order) Honestly, I'm super excited about this one. It's probably my favorite book in the series, and I can't wait for you guys to get your hands on it. Here's the back of cover synopsis:

Winter has clawed its way into the heart of Parrish Mills, and something far darker may have come with it. When Mia Graves, a witch with a habit of getting into trouble, and her best friend Riley Whittaker stumble across a grisly scene along the Wabash River, they find it reeks of dark, forbidden magic and has left at least one charred body in its wake. With the help of young Bobbi Crawford, the further Mia and Riley dig into the events that took place on that cold Indiana morning, the more dire their circumstances reveal themselves to be. Between a stolen grimoire and a group of young witches who may not know how dangerous their actions are, shadows loom in the dark of winter. And one of those shadows may be more dangerous than anyone imagined.

So yeah - pre-order the book on Kindle or pre-order the book in paperback (ISBN 9781088207031) today!

(Also, and this is unrelated, the non-Kindle, DRM free ePub version of Bloody Damn Rite is now available in my Patreon store too)

And, y'know, if you want the earlier books in the series:

The Witch and the Rose ISBN: 9798869132666 Available Via: Amazon / Kindle / ePub / Direct Order

Bloody Damn Rite ISBN: 9798330220373 Available Via: Amazon / Kindle / ePub / Direct Order

[livingformintyoongi]

— Small section to thank my dearest @parkitrighthere for tagging me, you are the sweetest, I adore you, *kiss your beautiful brain*.

— So, uhm, first of all, I really didn't expect to get this far with this blog (I mean, I already have 460 something followers and it's like, I don't know, so unrealistic, thank you so much to each of you for your love <3). It's not the first blog I have on tumblr, but it's the first ql that I really put a lot of effort into it (I lasted more than three months, it's an accomplishment, believe me). I really love writing and publishing my little random ideas here, and I'm glad that at least for some people it can be useful to enjoy their free time ^^ now that I'm on vacation I've tried to let go as much as possible, because I'll probably disappear again in March (who knew that studying Architecture was so overwhelming?). Until then, I hope I can continue writing for you as I have done so far, and again, thank you very much to all of you who read and leave messages, you really are a love, you deserve to find a bill of the highest value in one of your pockets 🫂

-> MOST POPULAR FIC OF 2024:

First Time | Min Yoongi | 1,083 Notes | May 12th 2024

-> LAST, LONGER & FAVORITE FIC OF 2024 (not sorry at all lol):

Echoes Of Love | Kim Taehyung | 53 Notes | December 20th 2024

FICS RECS OF 2024:

-> First of all, I want to add that I already had a list of recommendations before, all with small comments (you can see it here). I mention it because it never hurts to recommend those wonderful fics.

-> Dear Mate! [KTH] By @parkitrighthere | I really felt very tense reading it, like, too much, it was so exciting! I felt the conflict inside, like, for a second I really questioned whether or not it was okay to just give into Tae (because of the whole incident thing at the beginning and everything), but the scene was so well put together and I just Kjsdjksdjjjswks I gave in, I was oc, I literally gave in to her 🕴.

-> A human Touch [KTH] By @snackhobi | This was a series (two chapters, one drabble) and I literally started and finished it yesterday, it was so addictive to read! I really enjoyed with the writing of the author, it was just majestic,I could feel myself perfectly in the scene. Also Tae was so adorable, he could breathe and I was already screeching on the floor because unfortunately the character doesn't exist here and there are no dysfunctional androids in the world :(

-> Always The Bridesmaid [KTH] By @kookingtae | This is an adaptation of 27 Dresses and GOD, HOW I LOVED IT. I watched the movie before so I could get a bit of context (because I hadn't seen it in a while) and then I read it and, I swear, it was so fascinating, I loved it so much more than the movie (it's different, believe me). The author added her own touch without taking away from the essence and she did it so wonderfully, I really highly recommend it if you have free time and want to read something a little more light-hearted! (Although it has angst most of the time, if you love angst, you'll like it).

-> Ain't No Sunshine [KTH] By @whimsical-ness | Another adaptation, this time of Notting Hill. In this version, the actor is Tae and the protagonist is the one who attends the book store. Honestly, I also liked it a lot more than the movie (I found it funnier, I got more attached to the people... I don't know, but I liked it more :>). It was a pretty fun read, and again, the author did an amazing job! (It also has angst, obviously, but as an angst lover this is like, I don't know, perfect).

-> Taste Of Love [KTH] By @vopegist | In a nutshell: the sweetest thing you'll read all month. It's super fluffy and super beautiful and peaceful and wonderful and spectacular. You can really feel a warmth in your chest every time you read it, and it's so easy to get attached to both characters! (It has a sequel, which I highly recommend).

-> What do you do when you have just been cheated on? By @1uvtae | This is, literally, my favorite of favorites. I read it months ago and I can still feel the anxiety coursing through my veins when I remember it. It's an amazing story, Taehyung is a character that I consider too charismatic and I really understand why oc fell in love with him (who doesn't? Look at him). I don't even know if I can describe it in words, it really is something you must watch to understand. I highly recommend it (remember to read the warnings!).

TOP STATS OF 2024:

-> Total Notes: 6,4k

-> Total posts counted: 203

-> Total words written: 72.3 k

-> Tops muses: Taehyung & Yoongi 🩷🩵 (Honorable mention to Taylor because my inspiration comes from her music).

TOP TEN TRACKS OF 2024:

-> Who - Jimin

-> Guilty As Sin? - Taylor Swift

-> Hate You - Jungkook

-> Yes or No - Jungkook

-> loml - Taylor Swift

-> Good Luck, Babe - Chappell Roan

-> Maroon - Taylor Swift

-> How did it end? - Taylor Swift

-> Die with a smile - Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars

-> Love wins all - IU

GOALS FOR 2025

-> First, I think I would love for my college career not to drag on all my time and to be able to make good progress on everything I have planned (it's too many things for one person, but the only one to blame is me, so...)

-> Finish BOTN before the end of 2025, the series is super planned in my head, but I'm so scattered and so distracted that I always pass on writing it down :(

-> I wish I could write a one-shot over 30k... but it's so hard for me to write long fics, I always feel that the transition from one scene to another is bad for me, so I end up splitting it into parts.

-> Finish the 7 requests I have pending. Most of them are smut and lately my brain has been super negative to the idea of writing spicy stuff, I'm out of practice? Probably.

-> Socializing more with you guys. I really love the tumblr community in general, and I ADORE talking to anons/moots about everything and nothing at the same time, but I'm pretty introverted and don't really know how to bring up conversation topics 🫠.

-> I'd like to get better at making banners, there are some out there that are soooo cute, they make me envious (the good kind), I'd like to learn how to make some like that in the near future!

-> And I think that's all (? Personally I feel that I ask too little :].

Before I finish, I want to clarify that I'm not going to tag anyone because all the people I was going to name have already been named 😔 buuuut, I'd like to leave this space to give many thanks to certain people I may not have interacted with much but I still appreciate very much because they always show up in my inbox to give notes to the things I post, sooo, here we go:

Mooties~

First of all, I want to say thank you to my best friend @thunderg, She's literally my best friend, I've known her since I'm like, I don't know, 4/5 years old? We've been friends since I was about 13 or so and I'm really grateful for that, she always supports me in everything I do (which is generally a bad idea lol). I really don't think I would be here without your help, Ily 🫂💕.

Second, I would like to thank @parkitrighthere, I know we have only known each other for a short time, but I really appreciate your friendship (can you call it that? I hope so 🫡). You are literally the first person I actually talk to around here, you honestly have made being here feel so much more fun exciting, thank you so much for everything! 🩷.

Lastly, I wanted to thank @angellekookie for all your help since we met (it's only been a few weeks, but that doesn't take away from the fact that your help was very helpful). I really enjoyed talking to you, and I can't wait for you to start posting content here as well, you write very well, and I wholeheartedly believe you will be very successful here, good luck with your project! 🫡

No-mooties~

To my dearest @sunhyepark16, I know we haven't talked at all (technically we have, but not directly), but I want you to know that you have a special place in my heart since the first request you made for Taehyung 🫂💕 I never said it because the opportunity didn't arise, but in this blog you were my first protégé and I really enjoyed doing the requests you made. Thank you for requesting them <3 love you 💕.

To @lizzymizzy-blogg, we haven't spoken directly either, but I've seen you so many times on my blog that you also ended up becoming someone special (that's weird? I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable 😔) I really appreciate the support you've given me, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much 💕.

And last (but of course not least), @agustdjiminblog. If I'm being honest, I'm not sure how long I've known about your account, but lately I see it in so many things and that really makes me very happy! I wanted to thank you for giving me support on the things I do and for keeping an eye on them, it really means a lot to me. 🩷🩷

And that's it! I hope I didn't bother any of the people I mentioned, I really didn't mean to make anyone uncomfortable! I just wanted to take this moment to thank those people who made this year much more enjoyable (on this platform).

Bye bye, see u later 🫡

[saltyyuuri]

🖋️Writers Block 🖋️

Iso x fem! Reader

Part 7

PART 1 - PART 2 - PART 3 - PART 4 - PART 5 - PART 6 - PART 7

Words; 2800

Warnings; mentions of NSFW and vulgar language . This will be copy pasted on every chapter.

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For the next weeks you are completely absorbed with writing your books- because the moment you started writing the second one, you also started writing the entire series without stopping. You had spent two entire weeks, not taking a day off, writing non-Stop. There has been a few instances where Jett decided to butt in your office, playing one of the songs from Hamilton, "Non-stop" , to pester you slightly-

But honestly you were so absorbed with your work that you didn't take a moment to even acknowledge her. Jett and Iso ended up giving you a bit of space for the time that you were just completely absorbed with your own work- even though they felt a little neglected, they kind of understood your point of view.

You were working on a series that anytime you mentioned it you said you were going to make it one of your best series yet- that you wanted it to become your best seller and that the idea that came to mind was one of your favorite ones so far. You were pouring your soul out onto this- and even Iso was starting to have trouble to pull you away from your computer to get proper rest and take care of yourself.

You did however apologize for the time that you were taking away from him- promising that once this was done you would give back all that time, you just just wanted to write this entire thing since you were on the bubble of creativity, and that you have the energy to just do it all in a go.

2 weeks straight, within that time you managed to complete two books, and you were missing the fourth one-the one that would be breaking everything back down. That meant probably an extra week, and that meant having to ask Jett and Iso to be patient with you for just another week.

You saved a copy of the third book on your hard drive, just like you did for the first and second, making sure not to lose anything. You sent in the third book to the editor-which of course they called you a bit insane for being able to write everything so fast- but accepted it nevertheless.

It was around 7:00 p.m., not too late-since you had some free time tonight you decided you were going to do something with Iso - take him out on a date since you were done with the third book and had some spare time for the evening. You immediately sent him a message, telling him to meet you at your dorm and to dress nicely.

You on the other hand headed back to your dorm to take a shower, do some proper self-care and slide on a nice dress- it was a long sleeve V-neck simple black dress, which you paired up with a pair of heeled boots, a white trench coat and some silver jewelry. By the time you were done applying some perfume, you heard a knock at your door.

Your heels clicked on the floor of your room, swinging open the door with a smile. "Yu!" You called out, smiling even wider when you saw him. "Good evening - you look really pretty-" He said, looking you up and down, a slight blush on his face as he was shamelessly checking you out. To be fair, you had been dressed in only pajamas and sweats for the past two weeks, so you really don't blame him for that reaction.

"Thank you, and you look hot in a button up shirt -" you pointed out as you fiddled with the collar of his shirt, smirking slightly. "Hm- if it weren't for the fact that I already have taken reservations for restaurant, I would have asked if I could have you for dinner-" you added- leaning into place a kiss on his cheek before walking out of your room, your hand in his.

He blushed a bit, but smirked. "I mean-" he started off before you interrupted him. "Love, I already put down my credit card for that reservation. If I cancel now I'm still paying for the table." You cut him off, giggling slightly. He let out a slightly disappointed sigh, but followed you along towards the parking garage.

He was going to be driving there since you still didn't have your car, so you got in the passenger seat, making yourself comfortable that's the passenger princess. He put the car on drive and started making his way towards the address you put in the GPS. "So... What has you in such a good mood tonight?" Iso asked , smile on his face. "Are you done writing your series?" He asked you once again.

"I'm done writing the third book but I still have one to go-" you said, your head turning to look at him immediately. " But I swear I only have one left, so it's one more week and then I'm free -" you said in a reassuring tone, one of your hands going to rest on his thigh. Iso felt his face heat up at the touch, keeping his focus fully on the road.

"Oh- ... It's only one more week, it's not that bad." He said softly, smiling as he spoke. You paused for a moment, your hand still on his thigh, your mind wandering just a bit. "I do want to apologize for locking myself up while I work on my books-I know it probably seems like I'm neglecting you, But I'm just trying to get through it all as quickly as I can to not only not forget my ideas-but also allow me more free time." You said, just trying to put some sense into what you were doing.

"And I really felt the need to say it, because I know I haven't been the most talkative for the past two weeks. But just know, as soon as I'm done, my entire attention spawn is all yours. And I won't jump back into another series or another book immediately- I'll let this one simmer." You continued, giving his thigh a small squeeze as you spoke.

"(Y/n), you don't need to apologize, I understand. You're just caught up with your work." He said, taking one of his hands off the wheel to take the one that was on his lap into his, interlacing his fingers with yours. "I appreciate that you're taking time off this evening to spend it with me, but I wouldn't have held it against you if you decided to continue working."

You simply stared at him for a short moment before finally speaking up. "How are you so perfect - I swear-" you mumbled out, your cheeks turning a bit pink at the statement you made. He chuckled, squeezing your hands lightly.

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And so, the next week came along and just as you predicted, you are completely absorbed in your work, not wanting to be disturbed unless it was someone bringing you food because you inevitably forgot again.

You are so focused on your idea, nothing was pulling you out of it. You ended up writing a lot more than you had expected yourself to-meaning that last book was going to be a bit longer than expected, but you didn't care. You just wanted it to be perfect-you wanted it to have that exact plot twist, with these exact details and you also wanted that shocking extra NSFW scene that would leave your audience talking about it for ages.

You wanted it all- and you made sure it was perfect. Even though as you were done typing it, you took the time to read the final book over, making sure you didn't miss anything and that everything was strategically placed correctly in the timelines.

That's what you have been doing for the entire day, just rereading the entire thing. By the end of it, you saved your copy, sending it into the editor afterwards. And that was it-that writers block you were fighting off when you came here was gone, leaving place to this four book series that you deem to be one of your best ones yet- all on this hard drive.

You stared at the hard drive in your hand- and then an idea I came to your mind. One that you think both Jett and Iso would appreciate- plugging the hard drive back into your laptop before clicking away, working up a little plan on your end.

After maybe half an hour, your plan was complete, all put into a nice little Zip file. You have turned your four books into PDF copies, deciding to send out that zip file to Iso and Jett. You sent it via email just because- the only thing you wrote was "Here it is. Early access for you guys- enjoy :)".

And then you finally relaxed in your chair, letting out a sigh of relief. You finally shut your laptop, this time it was going to be for a good while. You stayed there for a few minutes, as if basking in the aftermath of all your hard work-even if it wasn't out yet, you knew it was going to be good.

It was only a few minutes later that you finally pushed yourself off your chair and out your office, making your way back to your room to settle down for the night. You texted Iso goodnight as usual, then deciding to turn off your phone to get a good night's rest-actually knocking out for more than just 6 hours.

And when you woke up the next day, sometime around noon, you picked up your phone to check your messages-surprised to see that they were empty. You wondered if maybe the email didn't send out- or maybe if they just didn't check their phones? You didn't want to worry about it too much, so you just decided to head to the training room for the day, knowing you usually would find those two there.

Except you didn't. It was already odd enough not to find Jett doing some weird stuff here-but not having Iso do his usual practice? That definitely striked you as odd. You decided to stick around a bit, chatting with some of the other agents, thinking that maybe at some point they would show up-

But it was already late afternoon and there was no sign of either. So you headed towards the common kitchen-making yourself dinner. Once again, no sign of Jett or Iso. You have time to cook yourself dinner, eat it and even do your dishes and there was still nothing, not even a message.

So you thought enough was enough-it was already 7:00 p.m., and you made your way towards Iso's dorm to look for him. You knocked on his door a couple of times but there was no answer-so you just walked in.

What you didn't expect was to see him look up at you, there was an unreadable expression on his face as he had his phone in his hand, plugged in. There was bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept, also looking like he was taking a second to register you were actually in the room. "Hey-" he said quietly, looking back down at his phone for a short moment.

"Hey indeed-what were you doing all day?" You asked him curiously, shuting the door behind you as you made your way towards the bed. He looked up once again from his phone, blinking a few times before speaking up. "Reading your books- I'm already starting the third one." He said-his attention shifting immediately after.

You paused-now realizing that those two have probably been reading up your book series-and he seemed to have pulled an all-nighter as if those books had got him hooked. You weren't sure if you should just interrupt his reading to tell him to at least take a nap-or let him be. You ended up just deciding to lay beside him in bed, propping yourself in a way so that you were able to see the screen too.

You read along with him, reading your own story as he did the same. Your book series - about the protagonist being an assassin who ended up retiring- was filled with small plot twists, and up to the third book the plot twists were just to keep people hooked, drop little hints. You knew by the moment he would be on the 4th book, that's when the stuff would hit the fan.

7:00 p.m. turned into midnight-and he was already past halfway in the book, while you were just completely passed out, sleeping beside him. Iso was honestly way too hooked to want to pause-but seeing you sleep beside him finally made him put down his phone.

He promised himself the moment he woke up he was going to continue-because if there was one thing that was certain, is that you were right when you said that this was going to be your best book series.

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The next day, by the end of the evening, you were already in your room on your phone, passing time scrolling social media. Iso was too caught up on your book series, so you didn't want to bug him. And you assumed that Jett was probably doing the same- so you just passed time alone.

Or at least that was until the two of them barged into your room at the same time- Jett yelling something as she had tears in her eyes and Iso just looking shocked. "Woah what-" you jumped, not expecting them to barge in that way.

"SHE WAS A TRAITOR??" Jett yelled, hiccuping slightly, unable to hold back her emotions. Iso on the other hand looks like he was trying to find something to say- taking an extra moment. "Jett, calm down, its just fiction-" you said, immediately trying to help her calm down a bit-but your attempts are futile. "No! HOW COULD YOU MAKE HER THE TRAITOR?!" She yelled out again before tears actually streamed down her face-

Before you can respond- Iso finally spoke up. "You... You actually did the knife play. I'm not even that mad about the traitor- I'm just-... How are you so descriptive of that-please understand I'm mildly concerned-" he finally said, making you cackle just lately before Jett continued sobbing. "Iso I promise it was just the fruits of my imagination-" you said a bit sheepishly as you tried to console Jett.

You were currently hugging her she was crying in your shoulder- trying to get over the ending of your book- while Iso was practically staring at you blankly. "I'm really concerned as to how you can imagine that so vividly-and put it down on paper as if it was describing an apple-" He said, shaking his head slowly.

"what-did I maybe awaken a new kink?" You asked him teasingly- smirking as you spoke to him. "No! God no- I wouldn't imagine doing that to you-" he said, his face going a bit pale as you burst out laughing. Jett finally started calming down, lifting her head from your shoulder for a moment. "Wait... So you two are dating?" She asked, making sense of what was going on, putting aside her breakdown from your book serious for the moment.

"You haven't told her?" Iso asked you, looking at you a bit incredulously. "I .. I will admit it slipped my mind-" you said sheepishly - it really did seem that you had that slight issue of announcing to people that you were dating-and boy did Jett not let that slide.

"WhAt?!" She exclaimed loudly once more. "First you kill my emotions with your book, and now I suddenly learn you two are dating?! Are you trying to kill me emotionally right now?!" She yelled, making wide gestures with her arms, flailing around a bit as she spoke.

"I swear I just really forgot to say it-" you said , rubbing the back of your neck as you spoke. Iso on the other hand just watched this dumpster fire burn-not intervening at any moment.

Anyways with all the yelling, it attracted some attention-and not only did the word go around fast that you and Iso were dating - but also word of your book series being complete went around. Which means, anyone who liked the stuff you wrote was inevitably sending you text messages asking if they could get the leaks too-

You sighed- the evening was definitely chaotic- but in a good way. You were glad to see that your book series ended up putting those two in such states- in your mind that was a victory, meaning that you successfully wrote everything exactly how you wanted it to pull up the right emotions.

So when you went to bed that night, cuddled up with Iso in his room of course, you fell asleep with a wide smile on your lips.

Overall; this stay in valorant protocol brought you a new amazing idea for a book series, brought you closer to your remaining family and brought you Iso.

You couldn't ask for anything better.

[terapsina]

#2 for the book worm ask game!

(ask game)

2. Favorite fantasy book(s).

(Eeeeexcellent, I do love fantasy books. Though how I'm gonna narrow it to only a few I've got no idea. Okay. I'm going to remove the very obvious choices like Lord of the Rings (though it is one of my faves)).

---

Monstrous Regiment. I love the entire Discworld series (especially The Witches) but I've also got a huge soft spot in my heart for Terry Pratchett's take on 'a girl dresses like a boy to go to war' (and thinks of everything except some spare socks in- erm... the right place). Along with Polly, the squad consists of a vampire, a troll, an Igor, a religious fanatic and two very, very close "friends" (and yes, the official summary put the friends in quotes too). And everyone has their own secret.

I love basically everything about this book and I can't tell you guys any of it because it would spoil all the fun.

The Goblin Emperor. This one's a story filled with light. Maia the half goblin son of the elven Emperor was never supposed to take the throne (or to ever even be at court. because racism). And then everyone ahead of him dies in a single "accident" and suddenly he's the new Emperor. Maia is a good person, and a kind one, and despite everything that gets thrown at him he keeps hold of that understanding of right and wrong and refuses to bend.

(I have to mention that the language of the writing is kinda hard to get into in the beginning, and the characters's have very complicated and long names, but once you get into it it really did enhance the story for me).

Good Omens. An Angel and a Demon try to stop the apocalypse and instead lose the Antichrist. I've loved that book for like a decade now and if I don't put it on a list of my faves that list would be a lie.

The King of Attolia. Third in The Queen's Thief series and my favorite one out of all of them. I've always enjoyed Outsider POV in fics. And here is a book that just... proves why. We've got Eugenides and Irene, the Thief and the Queen, and we know them from the two previous books. And adore them. But the story isn't from their POV, it's from the POV of Costis, a Queen's guard who's suddenly gotten assigned to the King. The useless, weak, undeserving king that as far as Costis is concerned doesn't deserve to even kiss the Queen's boots. And it's hilarious to read the story from the eyes of someone who knows so much less than us. And so satisfying, as he begins to understand.

(I recommend the whole series and am personally glad to have read them in the published order but Megan Whalen Turner has stated that she wrote them in a way that allows you to jump in at any point you want).

The Raven Tower. The story is from the viewpoint of a sentient, omniscient rock whose name is Strength and Patience of the Hill and it is the GREATEST THING EVER. The gods are real and must be very careful with their words, because if they speak a lie the reality will alter to make that lie the truth but if the lie is bigger than the power of the god... well. Inspired by Hamlet.

(the book also has a trans man as the main character; the other main character? The sentient rock is the narrator but the largest part of the story focuses on Eolo).

A Natural History of Dragons. The first book from The Memoirs of Lady Trent (and honestly it would probably be more honest to say that every single book from this series fits the category of fave but I'm putting up the first here because this isn't a series where you should skip ahead). The book focuses on the life of Isabella as narrated by her older self. This is the story how a Scirland lady bucked all tradition and became a world renowned expert on the Natural History of Dragons.

(this series has a piece of my heart and always will).

---

(and finally, here's some more of my favorite fantasy books that I also adore and would totally ramble about but I got tired of typing).

[mae-i-scribble]

Soooooo about that new tgcf episode, right? (novel spoilers for those who have not finished book 1)

Across the board tgcf season 2 has honestly been blowing away all my expectations for just how *good* of an adaptation it was going to be. It definitely helps that the 2nd half of book one is probably my favorite arc in the entire series and it brings me great joy to see it animated with such care.

Case and point, I was not expecting them to go quite so hard in showcasing the history of Xie Lian and Lang Qianqiu but it is by far my favorite scene in the episode. There is just. So much attention to detail here.

First up we have how they actually transition into the massacre.

The returning thematics of the 3rd glass of water problem being presented and what that means for Xie Lian and Lang Qianqiu specifically are clear enough from how the novel presents them, but this is just a perfect way to showcase that visually. By having Qianqiu's statement of "he shouldn't have intervened from the beginning" into Xie Lian becoming that 3rd person to take responsablity for the Gilded Banquet. The way that this also shows how it will reflect Qianqiu's views on what Xie Lian did when the truth is revealed.

Also shoutout to how menacing Xie Lian is as he walks up to the king. The donghua is really selling you on the possibility that maybe Xie Lian did do this. However, important to note, Xie Lian does not have a speck of blood on him- until he kills the king. A clever bit of foreshadowing to how the only blood Xie Lian actually has on his hands is the king's, no one else in that room was killed by him.

I wish i had the screencap of when Qianqiu has overtaken Xie Lian because this is such a miserable and perfect parallel shot between the two of them.

Circling back to the initial transition with the 3rd glass of water question, we see Xie Lian becoming that third person to prevent Lang Qianqiu from having to do so in his stead. He turns that 3rd person question in to a simple good and evil scenario. Upcoming we'll have Xie Lian's declaration of "Good! I hope you never become like me!" to Lang Qianqiu and furthering the parallels between them, and this is such a classic shot to establish such parallelism. Lang Qianqiu is so young and terrified and eerily similar to Xie Lian. And Xie Lian, who we have come to know as a apathetic but ultimately compassionate and kindhearted person, fully assume the mask of the villain.

Anyways if anyone needs me i am going to chewing this episode between my teeth

[jeanvanjer]

Hi, I hope you don't mind the question, but do you have a list of (historical) romance novels you recommend somewhere? I'm pretty new to the genre and would like some recs to start off with.

Thank you!

Of course I dont mind! I dont have a list here (but if you check the book recs tag or reading romance im sure youd find books ive read or books friends have recommeded) so I'll just post a few here.

Fair warning! I am horrible of keeping track of the books I've read so my recs will be a just a bunch of random books I like. @mermaidsirennikita and @triviareads are far more organized in their book recs than I am so you can always check their pages.

Please let me know if you'd like specific tropes!! Or more importantly if you have any TWs!

The Chief (the entire Highland Guard series actually) by Monica McCarthy. Tor MacLeod is a highland laird very much focused on helping Robert the Bruce with his secret plan to free Scotland from English Rule but his sudden marriage to sweet Tina is distracting him. They're forced to marry after she's found in his bed (her dad blackmailed her into getting herself ruined instead of her sister). The entire series is honestly a banger. It marries actual history with romance in a very clever way. The Chief is 1 of 12 so you have a lot of different tropes and stories to choose from if this one isnt for you!

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven - A TRULY WONDERFUL book with great disability rep. Harry (Harriet) is probably the biggest STEM heroine Ive read in HR (I know you love those based on your writing) and is on the spectrum. On paper Thomas is a rake that cannot fathom committing to only one woman but he needs to marry for money fast and she just wants to solve Fermat's Last Theorem. They enter a marriage of convenience and this book is just plain lovely. The very few books that have made me cry. Its emotional and the relationship that builds between these two is just🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽

The Winter King and The Sea King by CL Wilson. CL Wilson is an amazing writing imo. I haven't read romantasy since high school and these books were the first ive read and enjoyed after such a long time. The first book is a marriage of convenience/ forced marriage situation. Her brother killed his brother and fiance?? I dont remember the specifics. But he wants a bride as payment and Thasin (our herione) father is an ass and decided TW there is dubcon. The first sex scene is the wedding night and there are aphrodiacs involved. Second one Dilys is a merman. Thats always fun. Super feminist too. Dont remember the exact details but did have a great time reading this one too.

The Duke Gets Even by Johanna Shupe. Shupe is a great writer and from the very few books I've read of her, The Duke Gets Even is probably my favorite.

Anything by Lorraine Heath but the most recent book I remember reading is The Duchess Hunt where the hero appoints his secretary (who secretly loves him) to find his a wife. Preferably one who is as organized, wonderful, and knows him as much as she does LOL. Lorraine one of the best writers in the genre and they always hit emotionally. You won’t go wrong with anything by her.

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas. An all time favorite book of mine. Think Persuasion but with a revenge plot. Aline drives McKenna away when they were younger to save him and he comes back a rich ass bitch ready for revenge. The chemistry between Aline and McKenna is insane. One of the few times I truly believed the “soulmates” thing. These two are definitely soulmates. And there’s a wonderful secondary romance as well.

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long. An Age Gap romance where Alexander plans to seduce Genevieve as revenge against her brother (who slept with his mistress) but she susses him out quickly from there they become sort of friends? he helps her win over her crush, he tells her she has stars in her hair, and along the way they fall in love. Alex is one of my all time favorite heroes.

Lord Of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. As much as I love the hero of this book, Dan I recommend this book a lot solely for the heroine. Jessica Trent has my heart. She is that bitch.

Heartless Duke by Scarlett Scott. An intense romance between Leo, an agent for England and Bridgit, a fenian rebel. Lots of angst and sexual tension. So good.

Lost in Your Arms and That Scandalous Evening by Christina Dodd. These books were one of the first books I read when I started my own reading journey so these hold a special place in my heart. LIYA is about Enid who’s living her life as a widowed caretaker but then someone comes to tell her husband is alive and on the brink of death so she’s forced to nurse him back to health. The love confession that happens is honestly one of my favorite confessions of all time. TSE is about Jane who is back from self imposed exile after a scandal that ruined her ten years back. Ransom, the cause of her scandal and her last crush, suspects of being a spy and tries to stop her. With his heart (and dick).

[vintagerpg]

Skipping ahead a bit to Fighting Fantasy 15, Demons of the Deep (1986). I think it is my favorite of Steve Jackson’s (the American) contributions to the series, which is maybe surprising as I don’t generally enjoy underwater adventures. My all-time fave is Eye of the Dragon though, which has a lot of water in it, so maybe what they say about there being a thin line between love and hate is true after all. One thing’s for certain: there is absolutely no indication in the book that this Steve Jackson is not the UK Steve Jackson, which I will never not find amusing.

This one was among the first FFs I ever got (from the World’s Biggest Bookstore in Toronto, RIP, on an mind-blowing family trip in 1990) and that perhaps accounts for some of my fondness. I do think it is a solid entry in the series, though, nostalgia aside. In contrast to Ian Livingstone’s linear books, this feels very open for exploration in any given direction. Pitched overboard by pirates, you’re saved by magically grown gills. Underwater, you to meet mer-people, deep ones, sea demons, dragons and more on your quest to gather black pearls and have your revenge on the pirates.

Thanks to the openness and the relatively low difficulty, you can play through successfully while only experiencing a fraction of the encounters. That keeps the things fresh for multiple playthroughs and, honestly, gives the book a real sense of exploration. There is probably one optimal path, but that’s not really a concern here. I dig it. Not many FFs feel so free.

Interiors by Bob Harvey, who I am not super familiar with. His illustrations were so formative to my FF experience though that they buzz a little more for me than maybe they do for anyone else. That’s OK though. Cover by my man, Les Edwards. Les rules, and this painting is an all-timer as far as I’m concerned. King bone demon of the sea!

[sparklepirate]

Alright, final thoughts on Inheritance.

;-;

Eragon continues to be the guy of all time. I love him. He really displayed a maturity in this book that I think supersedes anything we've seen of him in all the previous books, and just like... His strength really is that he is compassionate and thoughtful towards everyone. Even Murtagh, now, too. He had the realization of how close he was to sharing his fate, sought to understand him, and that was ultimately what led him to realizing his true name had changed, tearing down Galbatorix's wards, etc etc. I don't know that I could properly articulate everything about him here, but Eragon definitely became the hero he needed to be by the end of the series, 100%. He is the only person who could've possibly thought of the final piece of magic to defeat Galbatorix. Even the dreams of starlings are equal to the worries of a king. Ahhh, it's so good. ❤️ I'm so proud of him.

On the other hand, Barst was some bullshit. Bro. Like, on the one hand, it was a very good climactic battle for Roran to participate in, and his triumph was the perfect culmination of his character- cunning in battle, cunning in strategy, the intelligence and charisma to sway everyone around him into cooperating and working together, sheer determination so intensely strong that he was able to crush and Eldunarí with his bare hands. His role was perfect! But Barst as a villain was kinda... Well, first of all, he came completely the fuck out of nowhere. He wasn't mentioned at all until they were already on their way to Uru'baen, and then he was only MENTIONED. They didn't hype him up enough before the actual battle in my opinion. And ONE human and one Eldunarí being enough to beat the QUEEN OF THE ELVES in hand to hand combat...? I mean, I guess that could work but... Ehhh... I dunno. It kind of felt like an excuse for Islanzadí to die, and Roran to triumph more than anything. It was cool, but it was probably the weakest part of the plot in my opinion.

That said though I think it's pretty safe to say this was my favorite book of the series. I'm having trouble recalling all the iconic shit (I took a pretty long break from reading about halfway through the book) but there was soooo much cool stuff in here. The Nasuada being kidnapped and being helped by Murtagh arc is GOLD, Vroengard was amazing, and all the battles were SO well written??? I need to study these books more closely just to learn how to write compelling fight scenes. Honestly, it's gripping stuff. I was on the edge of my seat, despite knowing how everything turns out.

Nasuada is amazing, Arya is amazing, Saphira is amazing, Roran is amazing, MURTAGH is amazing... I think I already liked basically every character in this series going in, but I somehow like them even more now that I've read it again. Everyone is so good, and interesting, and I want to be everyone's friend. I think the only character I liked less this go around was Orrin (sorry to my Orrin stan friend out there). That said, though, I don't dislike him, I think I just went from positive to neutral about him.

Orrin honestly just didn't get nearly as much screen time as I remembered? We only see him a handful of times throughout the book and each time the only thing he's doing is getting drunk and making an ass of himself, though... Idk, he also has a point? He has his own unique point of view, and his own unique experiences that lead him to his own ideas of how to conduct things, and it is definitely kind of true that like no one ever really listens to him or takes him seriously, despite being the King of Surda for w while at that point. I don't think there was a more graceful solution to the division of power/territory after Galbatorix was killed than what was decided upon, because like... Realistically, Orrin was never gonna be high king. He had good reason to assert for the throne, sure, but actually ascending to the throne? That is SUCH a far reach for power, unless the aim was to assimilate Surda in and have all of the humans under one crown. Nah, Nasuada giving up territory and ascending to the throne was the better choice, even if I do empathize with Orrin's point of view. It seems like Nasuada did as well, because even though she was persistent, she seemed to be gentle and sympathetic with him. He even had his line about like... "Why do you even want to do this?" "None of you would understand." Idk. Very interesting, but not tremendously notable compared to others, and he definitely was a bit of an asshole at times.

Murtagh my beloved my BELOVED I'm honestly just gonna make a whole separate essay post about him because his shit is Complicated™️ but one little note it was such a small detail at the end but I love that he said to Eragon "Hey check in on Arya about killing Shruikan. It couldn't have been easy for an elf to kill a dragon." And Eragon hadn't even THOUGHT of that and Arya probably would've been the last thing on his mind but he still was just so thoughtful. He is thoughtful like his brother and he cares so deeply and AHHH!!! And actually I want to see him and Arya be buds. I think they would have a cool dynamic. And also I love that he never once hesitated to acknowledge Eragon as his brother and just wanted to be with him and finally Eragon also acknowledged him as a brother too that last scene with them was just so good 🥹

Also I love how Thorn's like only spoken line in the whole series (until November) is to boop Eragon on the forehead and say "Hi. Thank you for not killing my rider. :)" and Murtagh is just like "Yeah thanks for that. 😒"

Love how quick Saphira and Fírnen hit it off lol. They really played tag and wrestled for like five minutes and then were like "Alright we're gonna go fuck like now see y'all later ✌️" And Eragon's like "Is this??? Okay???" And Saphira's like "Pfft dragon's don't mate for life 🤷‍♀️" Their little romance was so cute.

CAN WE FUCKING TALK ABOUT QUEEN AND RIDER ARYA??? That shit is by FAR the wildest endgame decision Chris made because like. That. That's so fucking. Oh my god??? Like, one, poor Arya!! She just wanted to be a rider and have adventures! She probably would've either spent her time happy herrying eggs across Alegaësia, or she would've gone with Eragon to Mount Arngor, but you can NOT convince me that she would be particularly happy as queen. She's grieving the loss of her mother that she barely had a relationship with, and denied the other eleven leaders for a full week before they convinced her to do it!!! Girlie!!! You deserve to be happy!!! And, two, the obvious point of holy shit that is such an enormous power imbalance in favor of the elves. Like, there is a REASON the riders were separate in the first place!! And, you know, Galbatorix JUST died and now there is another rider/monarch and it's the ELVES who have historically been both the most powerful race, and the race with the best relationship with the dragons. And Arya is the ONLY RIDER LEFT IN ALEGAËSIA!!! Because Eragon is gone (and stubbornly convinced that He Shall Never Again Return Oh Woe Is Him) and Murtagh is... Also gone to an extent. He at the very least holds no political power. Basically everyone hates him, and those that don't can't do more than, like, pardon him, for whatever that's worth. I just can't see this not rubbing people the wrong way, and not coming to an eventual head. Nasuada and Arya are both great, but I just get the feeling there is going to eventually be some sort of conflict between them, no matter how much neither of them want it. I do think Arya is perhaps the least corruptible person, other than maybe Eragon but... I don't knowwww maaaan it's complicated!!

Also I regret to inform everyone that rereading the last little bit did make me ship Eragon and Arya a teensy tinsy itty little bit. Just a liiiiittle bit. Like idk the last fairth and the telling each other their true names and calling each other their true names and Eragon's grief at leaving and his vow to love her forever and her insinuation of maybe one day just got to me alright???

There were a lot of cool magic things in this book! Like the pocket space that the Eldunarí were kept in? Cuaroc's body? More shit that I'm forgetting? God I would just love, like, a magical encyclopedia or something idk. Lots of cool shit. And artifacts!! I want to learn about more magical artifacts.

Also at my Galbatorix stan mutual? I'm a certified Murtagh Girlie™️ and therefore obligated to hold a grudge but like. I do get it. He is a... Very competent villain.

Alright I think that's it for now but. Wow. Man oh man. There is a reason I love this series. I'll probably think of some more things to talk about later, and I'm gonna be participating in the Big Bang, and I'll probably post about The Fork, The Witch, and The Worm as I reread that but yeah!!! Can't wait for November!!

[goodlucktai]

tagged by @bobtheacorn like...... 3 weeks ago 😭 my bad

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

283

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

1,353,670

which seems.......excessive

3. What fandoms do you write for?

actively, one piece and tmnt, but that is ruled by the demons in my brain that control the hyperfixation machine.

fandoms ive posted 3 or more fics for:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends Good Omens Final Fantasy XV Undertale Mumintroll | Moomins Series Harry Potter Young Justice 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia 陈情令 | The Untamed King Falls AM Percy Jackson and the Olympians Rise of the Guardians Voltron: Legendary Defender

4. Top five fics by kudos?

Exclusivity - 11,116

walk straight through hell with a smile - 9,152

Inanition - 9,039

there is thunder in our hearts - 8,161

trouble is a friend of mine - 7,842

5. Do you respond to comments?

i do try to but i can't always :'( and i feel terrible if i manage to reply to most and then forget someone and only realize it months later. but i read every single comment and i appreciate them more than i have words for

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i tend to veer away from angst, but off the top of my head....

where the good men go or if i go i'm going on fire

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

99% of my fics have a happy ending because thats my BRAND but i suppose give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around or the weekend we were in love OR put your empty hands in mine

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not often, but i recently had someone who REALLY disliked the way things change because i 'villainized' raph. which is definitely news to me, since raphael is the love of my life

9. Do you write smut?

nope

10. Craziest crossover?

i wrote a tmnt/one piece crossover once ? but now that we are actually getting a tmnt/naruto idw run it doesnt feel that weird to me anymore

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

only once if i'm remembering right ?? it was a long time ago and wattpad related, which is a site that i dont really understand and therefore tend to avoid

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes ! i'll often have people request to translate my stories and it blows me away every time

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Devil took your hand was written by myself and @moogsthewriter

14. All time favourite ship?

ineffable husbands, wangxian, or leosagi

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

how much time do you have 😭

16. What are your writing strengths?

i want to say characterization and narrative voice. i'm also pretty good at maintaining a throughline, even if it sometimes gets a little wobbly

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

conflict ! i hate it ! i will avoid writing it at all costs ! i also tend to struggle with writing fight scenes, especially when there are several characters involved :') staging any kind of choreography is my opp

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

i try not to but if it feels unavoidable i google the heck out of it

19. First fandom you wrote in?

honestly it was either digimon (which also inspired my og penname) or xiaolin showdown lol

20. Favourite fic you've written?

i'm stealing bob's idea and going top 5:

there is thunder in our hearts - this story came together so easily for me, like i knew exactly how i wanted to tell it from start to finish

the only hoax i believe in - a kfam fic in my top 5s why yes and i'll tell you why. because i poured so much of myself into this fic that they could probably read it at my funeral instead of a eulogy

traveling so far to get there - after party au raph and mikey continue to take up so much real estate in my brain and for what

now the darkness comes alive - this one is more recent but im so happy with the way it turned out :')

if we could stay all day in the sun - it was a lot of fun reimagining one of my favorite fairy tales and doing a bunch of unnecessary research for this story i will stand by it until the day i die !!

i'm tagging @mykimouser, @owletstarlet, @portgas-d-aroace, @mad4turtles, @camsthisky, @remedyturtles, @pickledcarrotsandradish, @swordsmans, @mangogreent, and anyone else who wants to !