#THANK YOU KATIE for giving me the opportunity to gush about this <3 <3 <3

[potionwine]

Oooh, you’ve also seen Nirvana in Fire?!? That was SO good. And as inspiration for PF?? That, explains some things, dang! It works

My friend. My dear. My lovely Cimi—

WHAT in the world—

Have I seen the drama that bloody changed my life; my favourite comfort c-drama; the series that I rewatch yearly the way I rewatch lotr every Christmastime; that exquisite story with the most incredible breadth and variety of characters with impeccable character work and amazing themes and an ending that respects its viewers which however tragic is thoroughly earned and identity porn and politics and pride and grief, god, so much grief—and an Emperor who is shakespearean in his tragedy and—

Okay. Okay, no, you could not have known, tis a failure of my part if I have not spoken enough about it—I probably mostly reply to other people's posts as they liveblog their watching but. BUT. God when I saw your ask it felt like you came up to me to remark "hey wow so you also ship PF?" that's how gobsmacked I was lol!!!

I have dragged everyone in my life into watching this show! I have mutuals on here who can testify to my introducing them to it omg. I just checked and the earliest NIF post I reblogged was in 2016 so I have been watching it every year since 2016 hahaha!!! Although it's pretty complex chinese, and since so much of the show is made up of characters sitting around talking the intricate plot into existence, it's not really a beginner-friendly c-drama either!!!

NOW I DIDN'T KNOW YOU'VE WATCHED IT TOO???!!!

I. have. been. going. UTTERLY MENTAL. at the lack of anyone with whom I could talk about it? OR SO I THOUGHT. So many times I thought of going into our discord to be like "has anyone ever heard of NIF because hhhhhhh the phoenixflare resonance" or like "so is anyone into TGCF perhaps perchance mayhap???"——because heh. hehehehe. heheheh??? My fic is practically a NIF/TGCF mashup, it's a Lin Shu+Xie Lian!Joshua Rosfield & Jingyan+Hua Cheng!Dion Lesage——and I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I wanted to ask god please does anyone else see my vision please god does anyone?? but no one would even understand the references, and I couldn't even ask in areas (asian fandom) where there would be a higher chance of people knowing what crack I'm on because asian fandom is all about that...you know...that I loathe—and I have been in pain and I thought right well fine I'm writing the fic anyway it's fine if I have no one to scream about it with because I'm writing it and then I'll find fellow competence porn+politics enjoyers if they find my fic and—and.

God. What an earth-shattering message to receive in my askbox! You are some sort of miracle <3

Do you see it??? Do you see it? A boy who burned to death in an inferno as an innocent betrayed youth in a catastrophic event caused by his own family, his father slain, his entire clan (and all the troops under his banner) wiped out or scattered. A boy reborn after extensive and horrific injuries after an agonisingly long period of recovery: a ghost who crawled his way out of the gates of hell, the last of his broken once-noble house.

That boy's transformation into his new identity of Mei Changsu/Margrace. His off-screen discovery of the truth that led to Meiling/Phoenix Gate and his continued on-screen quest to learn more. His determination to hold the true culprits accountable at immense personal cost and suffering. His dogged persistence despite incredible odds and visibly failing health. Being surrounded by people who love him and want to protect him, and himself constantly undermining their efforts because his goals are more important than his health. (Because in truth he knows perfectly well that he won't survive, but he can make a difference while he is alive.)

Something that amuses me hugely is how Lin Shu and Joshua literally both come back as 宗主? I love it so much! They come back with the same title! Both of them come back as clan leaders of an organisation that obeys their every command! Margrace is the 不死鳥教団の宗主(=leader of the cult of the undying bird) and Mei Changsu is 江左盟的宗主(=leader of the Jiangzuo alliance).

AND. Hooooo yea this PF fic is just JingSu at this point because oh, a handsome, principled, prideful, and stubborn prince who is a decorated warrior famed for his numerous military accomplishments and the man who is essential to the success of Lin Shu's/Joshua's plans? The resurrected boy barging into his prince's life: no matter how insane it is to choose your side, still "I choose you, Your Highness Prince Jing"??? The fact that the undervalued prince has a history with our secretive ghost protagonist? And (arguably) frequently thought about and missed the bright boy he knew once upon a time in happier days—"I know you," says Dion Lesage without a shadow of a doubt, extremely normal of him to instantly recognise a dead boy he met 20 years ago?

Mutual admiration of each other's integrity and capabilities? Reciprocal faith and remembrance? The foundation of deep respect and enduring friendship, their shared goals and shared family??? I froth at the mouth. JingSu are cousins, PF are stepsiblings by their parents' marriage. Each pair is bound by destiny and by choice—other people have made choices that permanently entangled each pair's lives together forevermore (Joshua+Dion and Jingyan+Xiaoshu), and the choice they themselves personally made to choose each other—

DO YOU SEE THE VISION.

How difficult it is to pursue justice when everyone involved is family and how impossible it is for Lin Shu the nigh-extinguished Chiyan fire for Joshua, the guttering flame, to indict Jingyan's father the Emperor of Liang Dion's father the Emperor of Sanbreque of his crimes against Joshua's family without opening old wounds and hurting many loved ones in the process including Dion himself. The people directly responsible for the tragedies are related to the protagonists in one way or another! If Lin Shu Joshua ever wants resolution for his grief unending, he has to strike at his beloved's father, and plot meticulously to avoid all of the dangers of attacking such a powerful enemy.

(Of course, I acknowledge the critical difference in Jingyan's versus Dion's feelings about their respective fathers.)

Now if only Joshua had done the famous blizzard scene with Dion instead of letting him go off to carry out his ill-advised coup—"Xiao Jingyan! You stand where you are! If I don't stop you today, what are you going to do? What do you think you can possibly accomplish if you charge in to challenge imperial power like this? Do you think you can simply force the Emperor [to do what you want/change his mind about Anabella Wei Zheng]? You have honour and valour but why do you just not have brains! How many more people must be hurt, you tell me!"

Anyway Joshy doesn't have the insufferable smugness of Xiaoshu but he does absolutely have Xiaoshu's pride, the sort of pride that is not just personal pride but familial pride too (after all Joshua comes from extremely prestigious lineage)—just look at how he speaks to Ultima in every scene, his lordly manner. Joshua I think has more Consort Jing to him, and Consort Jing is only my favourite character in all of NIF, in a drama where I love every character to bits—steel in softness, ever gentle ever polite yet not to be bullied and not to be underestimated and also extremely perceptive and learned and patient. Extra sweet bonus that Consort Jing is also a healer. Elegant, restrained, and very repressed. Who knows the depths of Joshua's Consort Jing's grief and loss?

But you know, Jingyan, near the end he is completely in charge—the prince who was always a great and respected general on the battlefield is now more than that, he's directly taking responsibility for all of his people as their future ruler—that means thinking on multiple fronts and exerting control over all of the key governing officials, not merely his military officers. He's leading with confidence, and there's that little scene where he apologises to Xiaoshu for taking action on several plans without consulting him, and Xiaoshu says no, this is the way it should be, this is the correct state of affairs: you are the crown prince, and this is rightfully your arena. You lead, you decide, you command.

Jingyan now sees clearly, he's found out and accepted the truths of his father's role in the atrocity at Meiling and everything that happened back then. He rightly perceives the failings of his family and seeks to redress past wrongs and avoid repetition of past mistakes, he weeds his court of the corrupt and the cowardly, he's become the best possible version of himself: stronger than ever, not just a powerful wartime commander-in-chief but an inspiring leader in the imperial court, careful, thoughtful and politically up-to-speed, finally stable in his sense of self instead of being permanently stuck as that angry and lost and hurting child. He has renewed purpose, he possesses hope for the future, he is able to dedicate himself fully to what he truly believes to be right and act in furtherance of righteous causes—

Critically, this is the man he becomes only because Xiaoshu came back into his life to shake it up. Without Xiaoshu he wouldn't even have the opportunity or means or knowledge. The radiant and fiery boy who Jingyan missed all his life came back to save him. From the outsider prince without contacts or support within the imperial court->to the crown prince who has the court subdued within the palm of his hand. From his pitiful existence as a neglected, unfavoured prince, his lowkey constant simmering resentment, his half-dutiful half-forced obedience of paternal orders that chafe at his conscience->into the steadfast and self-assured prince who is capable of fighting for the betterment of his country and the rallying point for virtuous officials who share those aspirations. The drama shows the audience that Jingyan is unquestionably ready to assume rulership, and together with the person he loves most, they achieve their goals, they save each other and their country (by arresting its downward slide due to the rotten state of its governance).

It's just a strong headcanon of mine (albeit one that I can absolutely present extensive arguments for) but to me Joshua Rosfield is the one and only character able to perform that same abovementioned function for Dion Lesage. Catalyst, turning point, spark that ignites the fire—whatever you call it, this is salvation. It is beautifully poetic that both Lin Shu and Joshua are characterised by fire. They are the fires of change that burn away the old life: before their arrival, the two war princes exist in a state of wearying routine, long-suffering and almost hopeless. Both Jingyan and Dion are shackled by their stations and duties, both are unloved sons with virtually no chance of their circumstances improving without drastic action, and both are trapped in precarious situations where they are subject to the whims of their father (if their imperial fathers turn on them, it will result in irrevocable loss of their status).

Dion's position is weak in the Oriflamme imperial court—pretty sure this point isn't up for debate, since no one ever speaks up in support of him despite the obvious injustice of his ill-treatment. His degree of influence in the court is much, much, so much less than any reasonable person might expect someone who is literally Bahamut and crown prince to have. The Council of Elders and other officials stand by haplessly while he is progressively stripped of power in favour of Olivier. Nobody defends him, nobody objects. (Or maybe some did, and were eliminated.) Even Dion himself submits to the abuse despite inherently superior abilities. Career politicians know which direction the winds blow—they don't defy their Empress, meaning they are either her cronies or too fearful of her to make themselves a target by any raising any opposition. Added to that is the implication that Dion was often away for long periods—and as Xiaoshu explicitly tells Jingyan in the drama, the crown prince cannot leave the imperial capital untended because that is the surest way to lose power. Dion may be Sanbreque's mightiest weapon and revered by the populace, but in practice his political sway is almost negligible. He is not able to leverage himself effectively.

Don't get me wrong, for these reasons I extra extra love the canon portrayal of J*** obeying Joshua against her wishes and T****** obeying Dion against his wishes—I absolutely think their obedience is, to them, the truest and highest and final demonstration of their love and understanding of their respective masters. And both Joshua and Dion expected no less from them. [I've not typed the names out just in case the search function ends up capturing the post and putting it in their tags, not because I hate those characters; I just don't want to be uncivil within fandom.]

But the very point here is that, you know, sometimes you aren't supposed to leave someone just because they say so. Sometimes it is the worst possible course of action to obey someone just because they command it. Sometimes it is undesirable at best and disastrous at worst to support someone's every decision out of unchanging (if uncharitable, one might even say unthinking) loyalty. That is a fundamentally unequal relationship, and while beautiful in its own way, is also uniquely doomed. The truth is, Joshua was always going to pull that trigger, and Dion was always going to pull that trigger: the master was always going to sever the relationship. Those pairs were doomed as soon as they began, because one party can only ever say yes, and yes means the end, you see? That is The End, that is the final break. By their very subordinate nature and by their established personalities within the game, "yes" is the one and only answer J*** and T****** can ever or will ever give. Their master will say, "Leave me", meaning it is over, and they will reply, "Yes, I obey". Because this is the only answer that proves their devotion, leaving them totally incapable of changing the script. Both J*** and T****** knew it and played their parts to perfection, and my heart hurts for them.

In NIF terms, I reckon J*** is Gong Yu, and T****** is Lie Zhanying. Zhanying will follow Jingyan to the end, whatever it may be—in fact in one episode he explicitly says so, and his loyalty is never in doubt. He will go to his death if Jingyan orders it. He will always support Jingyan's decisions. He and the rest of Jingyan's men have been following Jingyan even when the prince was out of favour and cold-shouldered and constantly dispatched to safeguard the country's frontiers—inconvenient places where comfort is low and the environment harsh. Jingyan's favoured brothers live in the lap of luxury within their palaces (like Olivier), while Jingyan himself (like Dion) has always been at war. And as with Zhanying, T****** will never be able to change this status quo on behalf of Jingyan (Dion). For all his boundless dedication to his lord, Zhanying will never be able to improve his prince's standing in the court, never be able to secure more political power for his prince (unless his prince decides to revolt/coup), never be able to make his prince's father love or prize his prince.

It is not a problem of character or willpower or desire. It is, simply put, a problem of power. It is a problem of class. The servant rises as their master rises, and falls as their master falls. In other words, the servant's status is determined by their master's status. Zhanying is Jingyan's deputy. When Jingyan's status was elevated, Zhanying naturally also assumed commandership over more troop divisions because those were allocated to the prince by the Liang Emperor. (There is no doubt in my mind that T******'s status as second-in-command is because of Prince Dion. He's too young to have earned that position by gradual promotion through meritorious accomplishment. Unless you're telling me that the knights dragoon don't have a single officer above age 30.) Zhanying is invaluable to Prince Jing in security, in warcraft, and in a variety of generic daily tasks. However, he is part of the rigid imperial system and lower in the hierarchy. He may persuade his lord, but he cannot order him. He may disagree, but he cannot defy. He may privately despise the Emperor/Empress, but he cannot show it and cannot act on it (literally treason). His role is to follow and obey. If he does not perform that role for whatever reason, he fundamentally negates his utility to his lord.

Ergo, endgame Jingyan is only possible because his true equal and soulmate, his real zhiji, came back to challenge the status quo. In fact, came back to challenge him. It is not merely the fact that this person understands him above all, it is also the fact that this person has the ability to act on that understanding. Jingyan is technically also Xiaoshu's prince, master, and eventual Emperor—so where is the difference?

The difference is, Lin Shu is comparable in nobility. Lin Shu is the cousin of princes and the incumbent Emperor's nephew, Lin Shu was raised amongst the imperial household, and played and studied and fought and hung out with them as peers of roughly equal rank. In this respect Joshua actually outstrips Lin Shu: Joshua is a prince by blood, and had Rosaria not fallen (especially if Sylvestre had not risen to the throne), would have been higher status than Dion. It's a massive pet peeve of mine that so many fans in XVI fandom don't seem to realise that Joshua was crown prince? Everybody knows Dion is crown prince, but do they realise Joshua is the original? In the English version prologue, the knights do call him "prince" and "your highness". The Rosarian throne is Joshua's by right of birth. At the time of their meeting as children, Joshua outranked Dion. They were equals as Dominants of their nation, but Dion back then was the child of a Cardinal and not the child of Sanbreque's ruler at that time; i.e. he was not a prince and not in line for the Sanbrequois throne.

The other wonderful similarity is Lin Shu's and Joshua's statuses as outsiders to the system when they reintroduce themselves to Jingyan/Dion. As Jingyan's strategist, Lin Shu has more leeway with regards to making his prince listen to him and take his advice. But importantly, he is now Mei Changsu, and that means he is able to play outside of the system. The imperial system effectively cast him out when it killed him. The strict codes of imperial conduct no longer chain him as they chain those confined within its structure. As a free agent unlike Zhanying, he has the right and privilege of choosing his own master. That includes the right to leave or to change his mind. And although the prince's strategist is supposed to be subordinate too, Xiaoshu would never truly be subordinate in the same fashion no matter how many times he bows his head, because at his core he is still high nobility and it still shines through despite everything. His manners are still perfect. He still navigates life with the easy expectation that people will serve him. He grabs the Duchess' hand and yells at Prince Jing and gloats at Marquis Ning. It's all the little ways that remind the audience, over and over, that this man was raised as a posh lordling. You can remove the boy from the upper class but you can't remove the upper class from the boy. It's the same with Joshua. His manners are still court-perfect. He still moves through life accepting that he will be served. He may bow his head to Dion and call him "your highness" but he also takes the liberty of throwing himself at Dion for a hug. Because to him, the prince is not some lofty and untouchable figure to be addressed with unfailing deference, he's just a friend.

(I know T****** is minor nobility, to be honest Zhanying definitely is too. The deputies of high level royals aren't going to be commoners. But I don't think I have to explain the gulf between ruling class/a close blood relative of the monarch versus lower nobility.)

Joshua too is an outsider that isn't beholden to Sanbreque's Emperor in the way that all of Dion and his knights owe their fealty. Again in this respect Joshua has it better than Xiaoshu—Joshua is his own sovereign master, and that should impact his perspective, his sense of self, and therefore his behaviour with others and how he navigates the world.

Gong Yu... I think anyone who's watched NIF will know exactly why I say that J***'s counterpart is Gong Yu lol. I think the s/h/u/a/t/e/s want her counterpart to be Princess (Duchess) Nihuang and they certainly produce fanwork in that vein, and I respect them for it because fans be doing what they love and hooray for that. But..... she's Gong Yu.

For all these reasons I am utterly obsessed with a Joshua that pushes back at Dion. The person able to challenge the status quo and challenge Dion. An equal who listens to Dion's absurd speech in the palace at Twinside and calls utter bullshit, who says, "A matter for the imperial family? are you joking? that's my mother, that's my younger brother. an imperial matter for you to resolve? say rather, our family, OUR problem to resolve. You don't get to go off half-cooked to arrest or kill my mother without actual political strategies, notwithstanding your military capability to launch a coup. And also, what about your dad? However much I love you, my darling Dion, we have to talk about the way that you insist on poor little meow meowing your awful father because my dear old mum didn't do Phoenix Gate alone and she for sure didn't immaculately conceive Olivier."

Endgame Dion isn't satisfactory in several glaring ways and it annoys me hugely that even unto the end he never grapples with and confronts the truth of his father instead of the idealised version that lives in his head. It's a little bizarre how Dion's arc is often praised by fans, since it feels very incomplete to me. Or, well, fine, perhaps just unsatisfying (since XVI simply isn't his story). His deep-seated need to be loved by his father prevents him from seeing anything clearly, which is so ironic for the only character to possess a third eye in canon? His honour and his might have been squandered in service to a selfish, uncaring, and objectively bad monarch, yet despite how earnestly Dion wants to be a good prince to his people he seems wholly incapable of recognising this fact? His mind repeatedly shies away from his father's shortcomings. In one scene he calls his father out for words befitting a tyrant, yet ultimately he persists in the belief that his father simply needs to be saved from Anabella's evil influence as if Sylvestre Lesage isn't a 50-year-old adult man who schemed his way to the throne and killed a woman's whole family and happily married that woman to beget legitimate offspring with her.

Soooo....... I've just spoiled the whole plot of my fic but it's really just NIF nonsense as usual and that is actually extremely predictable of me. But honestly the spoiling is not a big deal, because as with NIF, fundamentally my story is not meant to be plot-twisty and suspenseful—the real storytelling skill of the NIF drama is that the audience should be able to quickly grasp the overarching plot with no difficulty because the pleasure of this particular type of story is to watch the protagonist achieve their heart's desire, step by delicious step. The objective of this type of story is to properly pay off what it promises. NIF=the wronged protagonist seeks justice. We already know Lin Shu will obtain justice by the end of the tale, what we are here to enjoy is the journey! Same really for IEM I reckon; by the end of chapter 1 Joshua's goals should be really obvious, and since my little fic will have the happy ending tag because I only ever write happy endings, the audience basically knows he'll succeed—it's very much a journey not destination kind of story.

Ooof the post is crazy long and took me 3 nights to compose an answer and I haven't even managed to go into any TGCF elements but that work mainly contributes to characterisation instead of plot. One of the craziest XVI scenes was the Hideaway's sickbay after Twinside, the genuine regret Joshua expressed and how he blamed himself for not reaching out to Dion sooner; now the Empire and her prince lie in ruins etc. Surely he remembers this is the country that destroyed his own? Surely??? What kind of person, robbed of home and throne, can find it in himself to respond with so much empathy and kindness? Sanbreque has now experienced pretty much the same tragedy they inflicted on Rosaria two decades ago, and isn't that just the funniest parody of divine retribution? Instead of viewing this as Sanbreque's just deserts, Joshua Rosfield pities them and wishes he could have helped them avert this disaster.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wonderfully Xie Lian-coded. Something something someone who has been through the worst and nevertheless chooses goodness and kindness. Someone who intimately understands the ugliest and lowest depths that people sink to, yet refuse to lose themselves in that temptation even when vengeance would seem perfectly justified.

You've known for a long time now that I love a Joshua who is very similar to his mother. This is why lol. It's about that delicious, delicious contrasting foil. It is the difference between Jun Wu & Xie Lian, as it is the difference between Anabella & Joshua. That the indestructible integrity we see from Xie Lian or Joshua didn't come easy, they weren't born perfect, their ethics were tested and forged and earned through suffering the likes of which most people will never know. The person that they have each become is the sum of their choices actively made. In the canon of TGCF and XVI, both of these ex-crown-princes live on in disgrace, in circumstances best described as reduced and humiliating, their respective kingdoms fallen, their wealth and glory spent—but they are better and braver human beings than everyone around them, they are beautiful and noble souls, quiet and unacknowledged, and only Hua Cheng and Dion truly see and fully understand that (and therefore cannot help but love them utterly).

I've a few more thoughts regarding Joshua swirling around as captured in other Xie Lian posts: here, here, here, and here. Not sure if you know TGCF or are into it as well, but just leaving links to those posts here for my own benefit too. I've been gravitating towards phoenixflare comparisons in various hualian meta posts since early 2024 so clearly these concepts have been stewing in my head for some duration, but I haven't fully teased out what it is about these two ships that gives me that niggling sense of connecting similarities.

^ Whereas I clearly know exactly what it is about JingSu that makes me point and holler "THEM!"

[gryffindors-weasley]

You guys!! I absolutely can’t believe I have the opportunity to say this, and I’m beyond grateful that I get to. Thank you so so much for giving me a space to write what I love and to share what I love. Thank you to everyone who sends me sweet messages and reads my work—I appreciate each and every one of you and I love you!!

In celebration, I’m doing a mutual appreciation post for some of my friends on here that I love dearly <3

@iliveiloveiwrite — Millie!! Oh Millie I love you, you were one of the first friends I’ve ever made on tumblr and I adore you so so much. You’ve always showed me continuous support of my writing, you’ve always helped me whenever I needed it and I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I really wouldn’t be here without you! You’ve introduced me to some of the best books I’ve ever read, and your talent alone is absolutely breathtaking and there isn’t a fic of yours that I haven’t reread at least once. I love you so incredibly much and I’m so grateful to have you in my life. You’re absolutely amazing.

@heloisedaphnebrightmore — My lovely Gina!! I’m so lucky to have met you because you’re absolutely amazing, and there’s no other person I’d rather gush over the lovely Bridgerton boys with!! (And there’s a lot of gushing) You’re an incredible friend and I’m so grateful for you, for all the beautiful aesthetics you bless me with. I enjoy each and every time we talk, each time we ramble to each other, everything. Your writing will always make me swoon and I will always gush about it. I love you so much you’re incredible!!

@anchoeritic — KELLY OH MY GOD. I literally love you more than words please, like IM SOBBING OVER YOU. You’re the absolute funniest person I’ve ever met, and I wouldn’t want to share 3 am conversations with anyone else. Talking to you every day truly brightens my mood and my day no matter what and I look forward to every crazy thing we talk about, every crazy meme, everything about Ron. My day would not be the same without you, and I am beyond grateful to have you in my life. You’re so beyond words amazing and absolutely wonderful and talking to you for the first time was the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ll cry if I think about it too much I love you.

@loony-loopy-lupinn — SOPH!! Light of my life, love of my life. You are an absolute treasure in my life and I love you so much I barely have words. I adore every conversation about Bill and about Ron, I adore every message from you and every ask. You never fail to make me smile. You’re the kindest and most absolutely lovely human being in the world and I could spend all day everyday gushing about you. You are so incredibly precious to me and I couldn’t imagine a day without you in it my soph <333

@gcdric — Lanie, bestie, I adore you too much for my own good. You’re an absolutely incredible friend and I can’t tell you enough how much I love and appreciate you. You’re so wonderful, talented beyond words, funny, and incredibly generous and I couldn’t imagine a day on this site without you here. I love you I love you I love you.

@vogueweasley — MERE!! I’ll cry right now over you. I love you so dearly bestie, you’re my hype woman, my Ron lover, and the absolute kindest soul. Your talent is absolutely out of this world and it never fails to have me in awe. You’re an absolute wonderful friend in my life and you make me happy beyond anything, I love you tremendously Mere :,)

@ch0colatefr0gs — MEL MY BESTIE!! My cloud buddy, my Ron buddy, the love of my life. I love you so so much, I can’t believe it. You’re so precious to me and I adore every cloud ask every message, everything. You are one of the sweetest people of ever known and the sheer happiness you bring to my every day is absolutely insane. I love you, I cherish you, and I’m so blessed to have you in my life <3

@cherryweasleys — Emmie Emmie Emmie please!! I treasure you so much it’s unreal. You are literally so sweet and so amazing and so incredible all in one person. You make my day so much better, and the kindness you always show me never fails to make everything so much brighter. You’re an absolute gem and I couldn’t imagine anything without you in it

@harrysweasleys — ALEXA!! I love you so tremendously much I could cry!! You’re always there for me, always, and I appreciate you more than I could ever say. You’re such an incredible and amazing friend and you mean the absolute world to me and then some. I cannot express how grateful I’ll always be to have you in my life. You always know just what to say and I can’t thank you enough for being so absolutely wonderful and talented and amazing and the light of my life. I love you!

@slytherinsunrise — Katie goodness gracious I adore you please. You’re an absolute wonder and an amazing friend. You always hype me up, and your messages always always always make me smile no matter what. You’re absolutely precious to me and I love you dearly. Thank you for always being so sweet to me, I cherish you.

@lumos-barnes — Marissa my heart melts every time I talk to you. You’re literally sunshine and rainbows all wrapped up in one, extraordinarily wonderful person. Talking to you will always brighten my day, and you’re so incredibly kind and compassionate my heart sings when I see you in my dash. I love you so so much.

@rcwenaclaw — Kai, bestie, I LOVE YOU!! You’re the absolute most radiant angel inside and out and I adore you so much I don’t even know where to start. You’re so talented, so kind, so powerful, so ethereal. You’re truly an amazing friend and I’m so beyond grateful to have you in my life always. I love you loads :,)

There are millions more that I love dearly and I appreciate each and every single one of you more than words!!

Tagging some more mutuals that I love and cherish (if I forget anyone I’m so sorry I don’t mean to, I love you all!)

@dreaming-about-fanfictions @greenappledraco @dracosathenaeum @band--psycho @lunalovecroft @awritingtree @writeroutoftime @snitches-at-dawn @weelittleweasley @thisismynerdyself @breadqueen95 @acosmis-t @dracosaurusrex @eunoniaa @ronsbadidea @astoria-malfcy @anxiousblanketqueen @ronbrokemyheart

[onemanonewarrior123]

Different famous people who was changed by the Bible.

Alice Cooper

“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” Corinthians 3:18 

For years Alice has been one of the most successful and acclaimed heavy metal musicians. His concerts were macabre, with guillotines that killed mannequins, impaled dolls and, of course, the python that he used to wear on his neck, but some years ago, he had a radical change in his life. He explained: "Yes, it's true, I was reborn. Because all those who believe in Christ live a new life, and have a different perception of their own existence."

Denzel Washington

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Although Washington is not a supporter of the word religion and refrains from uttering phrases like "I am right, you are wrong", he is not ashamed to speak bluntly of his beliefs. "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. We pray for everything, every day, and we always finish saying Amen. I believed that 'God is love' was just a phrase, it took me a long time to learn what it means. It does not matter what book you read or what you believe: if you do not have love, if you do not love your neighbors, you have nothing."

Justin Bieber

 “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

Justin Bieber demonstrates more and more often that he is not ashamed to talk about Jesus. The young singer published a message of encouragement highlighting the importance of the believer to position himself firmly in the daily spiritual battle of their life. "Let's say, NOT TODAY, to the devil". Temptation has no power when we know God, whose name is Jesus. "So, why worry when we can worship Him? "

Katy Perry  

“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” Galatians 5:22-23

In the written words of the singer: "I wrote that song 'By the Grace of God', because I believe in something much bigger than me and that is God. I know that God has His hand on me, and I know that sometimes I go after things and when they are too intense, I can not deal with them, then I pray and HE shows me that it is His grace that takes me through HIM. "

Mark Wahlberg

 “Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).” Colossians 3:5

Actor and producer Mark Wahlberg has publicly stated his Faith, affirming that his relationship with God is the most important part of his life and attributes his massive success to that relationship. "I pray every day and try to go to church whenever I can, my Faith in God is what makes me a better man."

Matthew McConaughey

“But those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” John 4:14

Upon receiving his award for the best actor, Matthew gave one of the most exciting speeches: "First of all, I want to thank God, because it is Him that I observe. He has graced my life with opportunities that I know are not from my hand or from any other human." McConaughey added that he saw God as someone who could answer his questions and that the Lord has a hand in all this miracle we call life. 

Nick Jonas

“Rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.” Joel 2:13

Nick Jonas has shown that he can be a teenage idol without betraying his principles. In an industry saturated with an excess of temptations, the youngest of the 'Jonas Brothers' remains true to his beliefs and has not tainted the image of purity that he has built up from the first day. The young singer is very religious and, along with music, his Faith is a fundamental part of his life.

This was all from

https://biblical.space/blog/god-transforms-everything-7-famous-people-who-changed-their-lifestyle-for-religion/

[coolkat122]

Male:Pidge x Male:Reader Part 1

Special thanks to my friend Maryrose for the names. Keith:Kathy Lance:Lorelei Hunk:Harriet Allura:Abe Coran:Corey  Katie(Pidge):Kevin This takes place where everyone(more accurately just Lance) thinks Pidge is a boy but, in reverse k? Good. I decided to do MxM  with this one after watching some Yaoi and then noticed my lack of Yaoi. BL with super moe Pidge how lucky *u* 

Shiro's name will stay the same on the account of it being unisex. ____________ I was looking out at one of the window staring at the many stars and planets. God I l am loving this whole being out of space, so glad that I was there when we went to go rescue Shiro. I guess it was a good thing I was out on the roof with Pidge am I right? Awkward wink. I mean if I wasn't I would have missed out on such an awesome adventure and a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Oh if little me could see me now he’d have such a freak out something like this as been my dream since movies like Star Trek and Star Wars and now I’m actually living it. A smile quickly made its way to my face as I continued my staring at space.

After a while I decided as much as I love looking out into space I think I should use some of my free time to do something a little more useful so I want around looking for something to do and that’s when I came across the ever so adorable Pidge just minding ‘her’ business working on some bot she found. 

I stopped to watch her for a bit, I just love the way she looks when she’s really focused on something which is one of the reasons why I liked sneaking out on the roof at night the other being is because I just love looking up at the stars and picturing myself going on all sorts of adventures and now I actually am... Sort of I mean only Shiro, Lorelei, Kathy, Harriet and Pidge  are the ones doing the cool stuff but, nonetheless I appreciate being able to tag along. 

“Ahh!” I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a slight scream a few feet in front of me where Pidge was sitting. I looked to her as she stared back at me. “Why’d you scream” a red hue spread across her cheeks as she avoided eye contact. 

“You startled me” I sheepishly smiled.

“Sorry didn’t mean too” I stepped forward about 3 feet before turning over to a nearby desk and leaning on it. “I just was walking by when I saw you working on something and decided to watch for a bit” I said honestly not really noticing how that sounds, causing Pidge to blush.

“W-why were you watching me?” Stuttering a tiny bit Pidge asked her question.

“Cause I find it cute when you are working or tinkering with things” I smiled brightly before continuing. “They way your tongue pokes out at your left side of your lips before shifting to your right as you frown and how your eyes light up when it works or when you figured something out its all so cute and interesting to watch” I gushed while fawning of a few brief flashes of images of the times I’ve watched Pidge do all those things.

Pidge’s face turned bright red by the time I finished which I find absolutely adorable. “Don’t you find that just a bit weird to confess?” She started fidgeting with her fingers.

“Why would I? ” I asked curiously before shrugging. “I’m just being honest and there’s nothing wrong with that” 

“Well it just sounds a bit weird to say especially so carelessly like you were doing just now” She said as she pointed her index finger downward at the ‘now’ part of her sentence.

“Hmm I still don’t see what’s wrong with it” I smirked a bit too on the mischievous side. “Especially when it gets a little cutie like you to blush the way you did” Pidge crossed her arms and give a mini glare. “I wasn’t blushing and I’m not cute” I raised a brow.

“Really cause my eyes are seeing otherwise” I pointed at my eyes.

“Then maybe you should get them checked” She pushed up her glasses due to them sliding down while I raised my hands up in surrender.

“If you say so” I casually said before smiling softly. “But, all they would do is help me see just how cute you are even more” I quickly left only popping back in to say bye before going off.

Pidge’s P.O.V  I was blushing again at another stupid thing ____ said as he quickly made his get away before I could do anything. I frowned slightly before going back to what I was originally doing only my mind kept wandering back to what he said about me being cute. ‘Piff yeah right he’s only saying that because he thinks I’m a girl’ I hunched over a bit as a wave of sadness hit me at the fact, if he knew that I was a boy all of his flirting would just stay directly at Lorelei. I’ve seen them flirting back and forth with one another even back at the garrison they would make googly eyes to each other and at any boy and girl(1) that crossed their path. 

Ugh the two of them are kind of annoying in that regard. Feeling too annoyed to actually get any work done with the bot I found I decided to just take a walk when I saw Lorelei and ____ flirting again. I rolled my eyes. ‘Seriously?’ I decided to ignore them as I made my way by them ‘unnoticed’ right into the kitchen where Harriet was cooking, she cheerfully greeted me as usual while I slouched on the counter burying my head into my arms. 

“What’s wrong?” Harriet asked with clear concern for my dampen mood.

“It’s nothing Har don’t worry about it” My eyes were looking to the left side of the wall.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing…” She was silent for a bit before sighing and sitting down in front of me. “It’s about ____ isn’t it?” 

“No” I lied even though I knew she would clearly know.

“There’s no use in lying I know it is” Harriet said while shaking her head slightly. “If you are worried about how he and Lorelei flirt you shouldn’t it’s mostly playful so you shouldn’t let it stop you from confessing your feelings” My eyes widen a tiny bit as I sat up a bit straighter.

“I don’t have any feelings for him, he’s much too flirty for my taste” 

“Right” Harriet nodded.

“And even if I did I couldn’t confess to him anyway” Harriet raised her eyebrow.

“Why not?” I quickly came up with a half truth.

“I’m too busy looking for my sister and there are other things that are making it complicated so I wouldn’t be ready for a relationship” Sounds believable enough.

“Okay but, you shouldn’t keep your feelings bottled up for too long or you might miss your chance” She warned before going back to her cooking while I thought it over.

‘My chance huh? Like I even have one’ I got up and went for my room thinking that maybe some sleep will help.

As I lay in bed I stare up at my ceiling thinking a bit. ‘Maybe I should tell them?’ I quickly dismissed the thought before falling to sleep.

__________ Thank you again Maryrose  Sorry if Pidge was out of character. 1 when Pidge said boy he meant Lorelei and at girl he meant ____ since when you hit on guys he’s never usually around only Female Lance and Female Hunk know that you are Pan. Female Shiro doesn’t know you well enough to actually know what’s your sexual preference nor does male Allura or F:Coran and F:Keith just doesn’t care. I might do a part two Idk.

[amakeshiftlibrary]

This past Wednesday was an incredibly special day for me. Both as a book lover and a blogger. I was given the opportunity to attend Indigo’s Fall 2017 YA Preview event in Toronto. This blog post will detail the event itself and some of the books discussed, so you can have them on your radar and pre-order some of the ones you’re most excited about!

PS: If you’d like to see more photos and meet some of the other bloggers at the event, make sure to search for the hashtag #IndigoYAPreview on both Twitter and Instagram!

I arrived just at 5pm, where a bunch of fellow bloggers from the area were waiting to be let in around the entrance. We were soon invited upstairs, where a beautifully decorated room awaited us! We received the most warm welcome from the Indigo team, who had our name tags ready to go, a catered table of bagels and veggies, bubbly beverages and snacks galore! And of course, books everywhere!

We started the event with a bit of a mingling and eating session, where everyone was able to catch up and meet other bloggers! Shout out to my table-mate and amazing fellow booktuber Erika, who I hadn’t seen in ages! It’s always a pleasure to catch up with fellow book influencers.

Then we moved into sharing some brief introductions, of both the bloggers and the Indigo team conducting the events of the evening. It was great to meet the faces behind all the work we see on social media and also from the many stores around the GTA. Shout out to Ameema (Ajax), Shannon (Eaton Center), Taylor (Richmond Hill), Sydney (Eaton Center) and Teresa (Barrie), who came all the way downtown to gush about books with us!

Then….we talked about all the books! Below is a quick list with some brief notes on what you can expect this Fall season!

1. Highly Anticipated Novels: 

These are the titles that everybody and their mothers can’t wait to get their hands on! I may or may not have some of these pre-ordered already…ops.

        The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur – October 3, 2017

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green – October 10, 2017

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas – September 5, 2017

Renegades by Marissa Meyer – November 7, 2017

2. No Filter: 

This was my absolute favourite part of the night. We had Brandon, Chelsey, and Tina from the Indigo team explain to us about this new and exciting initiative in stores. A new table will be set up in the major store locations (others to follow in October) all about books with #NoFilter, written by smart and innovative young writers who are breaking the mold on what books can be; they are the voices of young people overcoming struggle and pushing boundaries. These books would often fall into too many categories, such as being a Young Adult book that is also a Memoir and discusses Well-Being. Where would these books go? Well, now they have a home! And in great company! A lot of these titles have been on my radar or are already on my shelves!

       Love Her Wild by Atticus – Out Now

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – Out Now

Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim – Out Now

Lighter Than My Shadow by Katie Green – October 3, 2017

          You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero – Out Now

Unlearn: 101 Simple Truths for a Better Life by Humble the Poet – October 31, 2017

Love & Misadventure by Lang Leav – Out Now

Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook – Out Now

Unlearn by Humble the Poet is due to come out in an exclusive partnership with Indigo! The cover we were shown at the event was different than the one I’ve listed, but I was not able to find the new one online. It must have been a secret…

3. Great Books for YA Explorers:

These are the titles that YA Lovers would likely really enjoy, if they’re willing to step outside of just YA fiction into essays, memoirs, humor, and other categories. I can’t give enough praise and love to ODWABDANOTWM by Scaachi Koul and Trust No Aunty by Maria Qamar.

       Courage is Contagious: And Other Reasons to Be Grateful for Michelle Obama edited by Nick Haramis – October 24, 2017

Trust No Aunty by Maria Qamar – Out Now

One Day We’ll All Be Dead And None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul – Out Now

We Are Never Meeting In Real Life by Samantha Irby – Out Now

     Bad Feminist (Paperback, Olive/Pink Edition) by Roxane Gay – October 10, 2017

Lady Stuff: Secrets to Being a Woman by Loryn Brantz – September 26, 2017

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert’s Story by Debbie Tung – November 7, 2017

Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Andersen – Out Now

I am specially excited for Courage is Contagious and Quiet Girl in a Noisy World. That new Bad Feminist cover is also speaking to me…

4. Great New Contemporary:

       Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu – September 19, 2017

They Both Die at The End by Adam Silvera – September 5, 2017

Release by Patrick Ness – September 19, 2017

Kat and Meg Conquer The World by Anna Priemaza – November 7, 2017

       A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck – September 26, 2017

Top Ten by Katie Cotugno – October 3, 2017

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart – September 5, 2017

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds – October 17, 2017

5. Great New Fantasy:

       La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust #1) by Philip Pullman – October 19, 2017

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake – September 19, 2017

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo – September 16, 2017

The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera – October 3, 2017

       The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli – October 3, 2017

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust – September 5, 2017

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty – November 14, 2017

Fireblood (Frostblood Saga #2) by Elly Blake – September 12, 2017

We heard amazing praise for The Tiger’s Daughter from Angel, who vouched for this amazing Mongolian inspired fantasy queer story (not YA). The City of Brass was also compared to Uprooted by Naomi Novik, and Girls Made of Snow and Glass got amazing raves as a feminist Snow White retelling.

6. Great New Science Fiction:

       Artemis by Andy Weir – November 14, 2017

Warcross by Marie Lu – September 12, 2017

The Empress by S.J. Kincaid – October 31, 2017

Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller – October 31, 2017

       Nyxia by Scott Reintgen – September 12, 2017

Satellite by Nick Lake – October 3, 2017

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada – November 7, 2017

Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray – Out Now

Nyxia got amazing praise from Taylor, who described it as the best combination of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Ender’s Game. She also gave a shout out to Otherworld (which I’m very excited for, as a huge Jason Segel fan), adding that the story is an interesting mix of sci-fi and fantasy.

7. Great New Paranormal and Dystopia:

     All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater – October 10, 2017

Monster by Michael Grant – October 17, 2017

The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin – November 7, 2017

     Siege of Shadows by Sarah Raughley – November 21, 2017

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel – September 5, 2017

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston – October 3, 2017

Overall I’d say a good portion of the people at the event had only amazing things to say about That Inevitable Victorian Thing, even though it doesn’t quite fall under the paranormal or dystopian categories.

8. Under The Radar:

These are books that deserve more praise than what they have been getting thus far! Stories were shared of people sobbing uncontrollably after reading The Mosaic. As you know, The Nowhere Girls has been on my radar for a while!

       The Agony of Bun O’Keefe by Heather Smith – September 5, 2017

The Lives of Desperate Girls by MacKenzie Common – September 19, 2017

The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan – October 3, 2017

Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi – October 31, 2017

       Invictus by Ryan Graudin – September 26, 2017

Runebinder by Alex R. Kahler – November 14, 2017

The Mosaic by Nina Berkhout – Out Now

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed – October 10, 2017

9. Upcoming YA Events:

There are some amazing events coming up in Canada that need to be shared!

Becky Albertalli, Julie Murphy, and Angie Thomas will be in Dartmouth (September 8, 7pm), in Oshawa (September 9, 4pm) and Yorkdale (September 11, 7pm).

Maggie Stiefvater will be in Oshawa (November 7th at 7pm).

Scaachi Koul and Jonny Sun in conversation at Yorkdale (October 5th at 7pm).

AND FINALLY, the goody bag!

So many books!!!

We were fortunate enough to receive a tote bag filled with ARCs of upcoming releases and recently published books. I was also very fortunate to win a copy of Trust No Aunty by Maria Qamar and also Depression and Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim during some of the trivia giveaways.

Thank you so much again to Tina and the entire Indigo team for hosting such a wonderful and fun event! It was a pleasure to be sitting among some of my favourite book bloggers.

Have you read any of these titles yet? Which ones are you excited for? Let me know in the comments below!

As always, you can also fine me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Happy Reading!

Happy reading!

Event: #IndigoYAPreview Fall 2017 This past Wednesday was an incredibly special day for me. Both as a book lover and a blogger.