#The Olivier House Ghost

[belle-keys]

"Things are so much sweeter when they have an ending; things are so much more painful when they can be ripped away."

Official character art by Little Chmura for the new Masters of Death (2023) by Olivie Blake. Published by Tor Books.

[aperiodofhistory]

Books to read in autumn

Historical novels

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel: England in the 1520s

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett: Building the most splendid Gothic cathedral the world has ever known

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: A back-in-time Scottish romance

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland: A novel of the plague in the year 1348

The underground railroad by Colson Whitehead: Enslavement of African Americans through escape and flight

The God of small things by Arundhati Roy: A family drama in the 60s located in India

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank: A powerful reminder of the horrors of world war II

Fantasy

A Game of thrones by George R. R. Martin: A Fantasy epic run by politics, strong families, dragons

Red rising by Pierce Brown: A dystopian science fiction novel set in a future colony on Mars

Babel by R.F. Kuang: Student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree: A fresh take on fantasy staring an orc and a mercenary

Jade City by Fonda Lee: A gripping Godfather-esque saga of intergenerational blood feuds, vicious politics, magic, and kungfu

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik: A tale of hope and magic, with brave maidens and scary monsters

The Atlas six by Olivie Blake: A dark academic sensation following six magicians

Mysteries & Horror

The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror by various authors: Short stories perfect for the Halloween mood

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon: The story of Vern, a pregnant teenager who escapes the cult Cainland

The Weird and the Eerie by Mark Fisher: A noted cultural critic unearths the weird, the eerie, and the horrific in 20th-century culture through a wide range of literature, film, and music

Holly by Stephen King: Disappearances in a midwestern town

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas: Supernatural western

The good house by Tananarive Due: A classic New England tale that lays bare the secrets of one little town

Nonfiction

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey: The trail of America's ghosts

What moves the dead by T. Kingfisher: A gripping and atmospheric retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's classic "The Fall of the House of Usher

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry: A journey through the history, rituals, and landscapes of the American South—and a revelatory argument for why you must understand the South in order to understand America

All the living and the dead by Hayley Campbell: An exploration of the death industry and the people―morticians, detectives, crime scene cleaners, embalmers, executioners―who work in it and what led them there

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter: Gödel, Escher, Bach is a wonderful exploration of fascinating ideas at the heart of cognitive science: meaning, reduction, recursion, and much more

[girlbosswar]

ROUND 1 MASTERLIST

So uh… yea

No I didn’t actually include everybody submitted but I included most of them

Polls will go up around tomorrow at 4:00 PM CST

If you make any edits or art or whatever make sure to tag this account

SIDE ONE

Sharpay Evans (High School Musical) Vs. Misako Montgomery Garmadon (Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu)

Queen (deltarune) Vs. Tanya Degurechaff (Youjo Senki)

Reko Yabusame (Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-) Vs. Mai Zenin (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Sunset Shimmer (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls) Vs. Scheherazade (One Thousand and One Nights)

Megaera (Hades) Vs. Clementine (The Walking Dead)

Agent 8 (Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion) Vs. Palutena (Kid Icarus)

Nobara Kugisaki (Jujutsu Kaisen) Vs. Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog CD)

Lucretia (The Adventure Zone) Vs. Maya Fey (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)

Phi (Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward) Vs. Morganthe (Wizard 101)

Bo Peep (Toy Story) Vs. The Administrator (Team Fortress 2)

Audria Rose (Descendants) Vs. Chandrelle Stormblaze (The Hex)

Mion Sonozaki (Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni) Vs. Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell)

F!Nefarious Tropy (Crash Bandicoot) Vs. Toriel (UNDERTALE)

Nagisa Misumi (Futari wa Precure) Vs. Aspheera (Ninjago)

Sara Chidouin (Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-) Vs. Renée Minkowski (Wolf 359)

Callie (Splatoon) Vs. Romana (Doctor Who)

Marina (Splatoon 2) Vs. Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc)

Jolyne Cujoh (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure) Vs. Kagami Tsurugi (Miraculous Ladybug)

Ema Skye (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) Vs. Maki Zenin (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Edelgard von Hresvelg (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) Vs. Daisy (Super Mario Land)

Hinomori Shiso (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage) Vs. Nyota Uhura (Star Trek)

Regina George (Mean Girls) Vs. Lisa Lisa (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Olivier Mira Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist) Vs. Yor Forger (Spy x Family)

Lady Iron Fan (Monkie Kid) Vs. Claire Elford (Witch’s Heart)

MEIKO (Vocaloid) Vs. Hornet (Hollow Night)

Franziska von Karma (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All) Vs. Prudence (Papa Louie)

Ningguang (Genshin Impact) Vs. Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place)

Buffy Anne Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Vs. Kokomi Teruhashi (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K)

Gertrude Robinson (The Magnus Archives) Vs. Larxene (Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories)

Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket) Vs. April O’Neil (ROTTMNT)

Sasha Waybright (Amphibia) Vs. Princess Carolyn (Bojack Horseman)

Madoka Kaname (Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica) Vs. Zora Salazar (Epithet Erased)

Reagan Ridley (Inside Job) Vs. Vera Oberlin (Monster Prom)

Jay Ferin (Just Roll With It) Vs. P.I.X.A.L (Ninjago)

Katherine Pierce (The Vampire Diaries) Vs. Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Lumine (Genshin Impact) Vs. Korra (The Legend of Korra)

Bulma (Dragon Ball) Vs. Siobhan Roy (Succession)

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth) Vs. Alice (Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward)

Susie (deltarune) Vs. Kim Wexler (Better Call Saul)

Fairy Godmother (Shrek 2) Vs. Kanaya Maryam (Homestuck)

Rumi Usagiyama (My Hero Academia) Vs. Jess Valenzuela (National Treasure: Edge of History)

Lauren Mallard (Welcome to Night Vale) Vs. Hitori Gotoh (Bocchi the Rock!)

Bayonetta (Bayonetta) Vs. Erza Scarlett (Fairy Tail)

Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender) Vs. Banica Conchita (The Evillious Chronicles)

Frye (Splatoon 3) Vs. Piper McLean (Heroes of Olympus)

Ann Takamaki (Persona 5) Vs. Haru Okumura (Persona 5)

GLaDOS (Portal) Vs. Princess Leia (Star Wars)

Kyoko Sakura (Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica) Vs. Poison (Street Fighter)

Beidou (Genshin Impact) Vs. Gertrude Robinson (The Magnus Archives)

Clawdeen Wolf (Monster High) Vs. Chiemi Serizawa (Raging Loop)

Alcina Dimitrescu (Resident Evil) Vs. Lois Lane (DC)

Miss Piggy (The Muppets) Vs. Starlight Glimmer (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Lord Dominator (Wander Over Yonder) Vs. Homura Akemi (Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica)

Aradia Megido (Homestuck) Vs. Maika Halfwolf (Monstress)

Dahlia Hawthorne (Ace Attorney) Vs. Shiva (Final Fantasy)

Lucina (Fire Emblem) Vs. Jade Claymore (Willow)

Makima (Chainsaw Man) Vs. Marie (Splatoon)

Loona (Helluva Boss) Vs. Toph Beifong (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

SIDE TWO

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid) Vs. Misa Amane (Death Note)

Opal Koboi (Artemis Fowl) Vs. Solar Flare (Plants vs. Zombies)

Mia Fey (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) Vs. Fleabag (Fleabag)

Adagio Dazzle (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks) Vs. Agent 3 (Splatoon)

Yashiro Uzuki (The World Ends With You) Vs. Isabelle (Animal Crossing: New Leaf)

Panty Anarchy (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt) Vs. Tabitha Chrysanthemum Scarlet (Scarlet Hollow)

Rosemaster (Cucumber Quest) Vs. Astrid Hofferson (How To Train Your Dragon)

Athena Cykes (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies) Vs. Lucifer (Helltaker)

Rapunzel (Tangled) Vs. Alana Bloom (Hannibal)

Nami (One Piece) Vs. Yukina Minato (BanG Dream!)

Nadja (What We Do in the Shadows) Vs. Kathryn Janeway (Star Trek)

Bridget (Guilty Gear) Vs. Liezel (Papa Louie)

Vriska Serket (Homestuck) Vs. Fish Mooney (Gotham)

Nina Cortex (Crash Bandicoot) Vs. Yosano Akiko (Bungo Stray Dogs)

Celestia Ludenberg (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc) Vs. Chloé Bourgeois (Miraculous Ladybug)

Tsunade (Naruto) Vs. Helen Richardson (The Magnus Archives)

Akane Kurushiki (Zero Escape: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors) Vs. Violet Muller (Court of Darkness)

Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan) Vs. Clementine (Stray)

Nancy Wheeler (Stranger Things) Vs. Katelyn (Aphmau)

Annabeth Chase (Heroes of Olympus) Vs. Test Tube (Inanimate Insanity)

Tifa Lockheart (Final Fantasy VII) Vs. Jinx (League of Legends)

Jude Duarte (The Folk of the Air) Vs. Lotus (Zero Escape: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors)

Yang Xiao Long (RWBY) Vs. Dark Noël (Shadows Over Loathing)

Her Imperious Condescension (Homestuck) Vs. Kitty Softpaws (Puss and Boots)

Boss (AI: The Somnium Files) Vs. Nathalie Sancoeur (Miraculous Ladybug)

Coco Adel (RWBY) Vs. Mary Katherine Blackwood (We Have Always Lived in the Castle)

Harumi (Ninjago) Vs. Tina Templeton (The Boss Baby: Family Business)

Nya (NInjago) Vs. Lady with an Ermine (Leonardo da Vinci)

Edalyn Clawthorne (The Owl House) Vs. Leslie Barbara Knope (Parks and Recreation)

Kanon Tachibana (NEO: The World Ends With You) Vs. Darling Charming (Ever After High)

Pearl (Splatoon 2) Vs. Amelia (The Amelia Project)

Mira (Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma) Vs. Carmelita Montoya Fox (Sly Cooper)

Hollyberry Cookie (Cookie Run) Vs. Vex’ahlia (Critical Role)

Yumeko Jabami (Kakegurui) Vs. Queen (Chess)

Lup (The Adventure Zone) Vs. Moonshine Cybin (Not Another D&D Podcast)

Taiga Aisaka (Toradora!) Vs. Sweetheart (OMORI)

Sister Beatrice (Warrior Nun) Vs. Millie (Helluva Boss)

Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender) Vs. Kyoko Kirigiri (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc)

Samus Aran (Metroid) Vs. Amelia Hughes (Infinity Train)

Mari Ohara (Love Live!) Vs. Clover (Zero Escape: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors)

Pomegranate Cookie (Cookie Run) Vs. Jessie (Pokémon)

Fiona (Shrek) Vs. Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Dana Cardinal (Welcome to Night Vale) Vs. Zakuro Fujiwara (Tokyo Mew Mew)

Aqua (Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep) Vs. Rose Lalonde (Homestuck)

Nadia Vulvokov (Russian Doll) Vs. Tron Bonne (Megaman)

Lucille Sharpe (Crimson Peak) Vs. Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg (Ride the Cyclone)

Statue of Liberty (USA) Vs. Undyne (UNDERTALE)

Ryūko Matoi (Kill la Kill) Vs. Bea Bottom (Something Rotten)

Mari (OMORI) Vs. Petra (Minecraft: Story Mode)

The Manger (The Hotel) Vs. Rosalina (Super Mario Galaxy)

Mamimi Samejima (FLCL) Vs. Weiss Schnee (RWBY)

Miriam Maisel (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) Vs. Elizabert Megafig (Bugsnax)

Cleo de Nile (Monster High) Vs. Green Shadow (Plants vs. Zombies)

Quinn (Papa Louie) Vs. Skylor Chen (Ninjago)

Barbie (Barbie) Vs. Shiver (Splatoon 3)

Cynthia (Pokémon) Vs. Kaede Akamatsu (Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony)

[red-velvet-0w0]

Hello from the hallowoods is really good at paralels between characters

the hfth brainrot is going strong and I need to take a bit to rant about how good all of the parralels between all of the characters are because oh my good mx wellman you truly outdid yourself on them

Riot-The Misters R&W-Moth: all three spent their entire time since the black rain in bunkers, only to be forced to leave

Riot-Clara-Moth: all three spent their time isolated in their respective safe houses with their families, only for something to go terribly wrong and them being forced to flee. They lose their parents, but after leaving all found a new mentor/father figure to teach them how to become strong enough to survive

Clara-Olivier: kinda obvious basicaly everybody references how clara is slowly becoming the new olivier and in the season 3 finale they make it even more clear by saying that blackletter didnt even remove olivier from the plan. also both dated riot

Walt-Bern: both were survivors in the woods but while walt used compassion and understanding, bern initialy refused to believe either diggory or olivier should be allowed to survive

Soloman-Irene: both were masters of the dark arts who attempted to reanimate the dead

The Resting Place crew-The Grand Crossroads crew: a group of a renagade devil, a powerful creature animated by the black rains, and a woman who takes her power from another indiscribably who acts as a lancer and supporter of the devil

The Countess-The Count: kinda obvious dont think I need to explain this one

Diggory-Cindy: connection to rizwana and dedication to stopping the end of the world

Diggory-Mort: deceased members of Rizwanas doomed expedition who in the end have to choose which one of them will die saving the world

Diggory-Creep: beings who have stolen the memories of Rizwanas expedition mixed with the black water

Friday-Penny: both have luck based powers that cause them to remain trapped and isolated being tormented for years

Nikignik-Ethel: both communicate stories through dreams, but LEM uses it to talk about herself and tell her own story, while Nik barely ever talks about it, especialy in season 1

Walt&Riot-Winona&Alena: young person with older mentor with a special sword

Ray-Gale-Bill: Moths 3 father figures, each of which take a different approach towards raising moth

Buck&Rick-Hector&Jonah: another pretty simple one

Jonah-Faceless King-Rat King: three kings of the end with three different perspectives on what that means for them

Marolmar-Nikignik-Xizikxiz: watch starcrossed gods please even if you have never watched a single episode of the show before I am begging you its so good

Al-Percy: the two ghosts, both only have one friend who can ever see them and carries their instrument around and a bad single parent

Ms Wicker-Indrid: both mothers who join the church of the hallowed name and have a chance to save their son from the spring service

Riot-Clementine: I really should not need to explain this one

I could go on for literal hours but literaly you can choose any two characters and their stories will parralel each other in some way and let you see something new/unique about how each handles their situation in contrast to the other.

If you have not watched HFTH please do so it is genuinely the best podcast if not the best story I have ever seen(or heard? its a podcast so im not sure what proper terminolodgy would be)

[queer-reader-07]

I'll help you procrastinate!

What were your favorite books as a child, and what are your favorite books now?

Also, I need book recs. Preferably fantasy or sci-fi, but I'm not opposed to other genres.

you, my friend, have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into

my favorite childhood books were definitely the Magic Treehouse books and Percy Jackson! (although i'm still a huge Rick Riordan fan to this day)

i say my number one spot is tied between The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver (a truly beautiful YA t4t romcom that i WILL peddle until my dying breath). and Dune by Frank Herbert! (the duality of man, if you will). i've written many a long winded pieces on Dune but if you haven't read it already go do that <3

i also read a lot more nonfiction nowadays, usually feminist & liberationist literature & memoir! (and ofc my fair share of romcoms and occasional litfic... as i say this i'm realizing that aside from horror i kind of read it all 😅)

SFF book recs!! (i'll throw in some other genres at the end if you do decide to branch out 👀)

i am a HUGE Octavia Butler fan so i'm going to recommend Dawn & The Parable of the Sower

Dawn is the first in the Xenogenesis/Lilith's Brood series (and i will admit that i have yet to read the sequels, don't come for me i'm ass at finishing series). I love this novel for how it discusses what it means to be human through explorations of race and gender in the wake of an apocalyptic event. I'd also class this novel under "it's about hope if you pay attention enough" which is a huge thing for me

The Parable of the Sower is part of a duology (which i have finished!) although was meant to be a longer series, unfortunately Butler passed before finishing it. this is the book that had me going "this woman is a profit" because of how much the events of the novel remind me of the modern day. set in the 2020s in the wake of climate and economic collapse, we follow Lauren, a teenager with hyper empathy (a condition she has due to her mom's drug use during pregnancy) as she not only works to survive in a crumbling society but also build a new future for humanity. this is another story that i believe is at its core about hope, but that specific kind of hope that can only exist because of the despair one has experienced. a hope borne out of a refusal to accept destruction as the only way forward. a hope borne out of a love for humanity.

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers!!! this is a soft, quiet, tender story about a robot who just wants to learn what humans need. and this robot starts to learn that when it encounters a monk who just wants to be in the wilderness alone to find their true calling in life.

Babel by RF Kuang is one of those books that i will fully admit is a tad bit condescending to the reader but nonetheless i find it a great and engaging place to start when it comes to literature that explores the violent ramifications of colonialism. like yes it overexplains things that i think could've been left to subtext, but i will also point to it before i point to academia, ya know?

The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams follows a main character who is like if Indiana Jones was a Black lesbian in a fantasy world and better. i call this one "not necessarily adventure gone wrong but rather adventure became far larger and graver than you could have ever imagined." empires on the brink of collapse, a species of creatures people don't quite understand are about to return, and the ninth rain is imminent. (also part of a series i have yet to finish, im sorry!!)

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake. this one has NG vibes but is written by a markedly better person!! the godson of Death, a vampire real estate agent trying to sell a house and a ghost haunting said house (he's quite the pain in the ass if you ask her), and some really high stakes games involving the literal gods; what could possibly go wrong? (specifically recommending the audiobook for this one, it was phenomenal!) (this one is also very gay!!)

ok now i'm gonna throw some non sff at you to try to get you out of your comfort zone :)

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong is a heartwrenching memoir-esque narrative of a queer boy writing to his mother in a language he knows she cannot read. it tells the story of what it's like to be an immigrant and the child of one, of what it means to be queer in a culture that doesn't accept you. it is, at its core, a story about the urgency of survival and the anguish of love that explores how we find joy in this broken mess of a world. (i read this one in a Gender in Lit and Film class i took my freshman year of highschool for a unit on masculinity and it has 100% shaped how i view and interact with masculinity especially in regards to race)

in a similar vein but not quite i'll also recommend Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. written in the 50s, this is a heartbreaking story to two queer men falling passionately in love only for it all to be ripped apart. i've recommended this book before alongside the lyrics to Good Luck Babe! by Chappell Roan. "you can kiss a hundred boys in bars // shoot another shot just to stop the feeling // you'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling"

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a novel i read right around when it came out back in 2020 and i really ought to revisit. it is, in my opinion, one of the best fictional explorations of what it means to be a mixed race person in the US. Bennett explores race in the United States through two twin sisters, both biracial, one who lives her life in the town they grew up in as a Black woman and the other out west as a White woman. told throughout generations their lives become more and more intertwined (were they ever really separate?).

probably my favorite memoir of all time is A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliot which explores race, gender, colonization, and more through the lens of Elliot's experience as a mixed race, First Nations Indigenous woman. the title comes from the Mohawk phrase for depression and it is with the same urgency and feeling that that phrase evokes that Elliot writes all her essays with. I particularly think of her essay titled "Half Breed: A Racial Biography in Five Parts" because its exploration of the grief only felt by being mixed or having mixed children is deeply personal to me. however, all her essays have so much depth and emotion to offer.

i'm not sure if romance novels or YA contemporary are your thing but if you're interested shoot me another ask about those, didn't include them here since those are more "you like em or you don't" imo

ok that's all for now thank you for providing me this distraction and giving me a chance to go full special interest on you <33

[handsome-girl-competition]

now that thats over i can finally share the competitors list! here's who made it into the competition:

Gideon Nav from The Locked Tomb Series

Rika from Whichever Pokemon Game That Was

Vi from Arcane (League design doesn't count, obviously)

Haruka Tenou/Sailor Uranus from Sailor Moon

Rachel Lindt/Bitch from Worm

Yuu Kashima from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

Scorpia from She-Ra

Utena from Revolutionary Girl Utena

Undyne from Undertale

Susie from Deltarune

Noi from Dorohedoro

Lady Oscar from The Rose of Versailles

Haruhi Fujioka from Ourah High School Host Club

Beauregard Lionett from Critical Role (Campaign 2)

Han Sooyoung from Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint

Catra from She-Ra

Kaoru Seta from BanG Dream

Olivier Mira Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist

Quanxi from Chainsaw Man

Juri Arisugawa from Revolutionary Girl Utena

Kotoko Yuzuriha from MILGRAM

Eda Clawthorne from The Owl House

Mitsuki Koga (my specialest lil guy) from The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy At All

Bismuth from Steven Universe

Jolyne Cujoh from Jojo: Stone Ocean

Merrin from Fire Emblem Engage

Sevika from Arcane

Kira Nerys from One of Those Star Treks

Ermes Costello from I Think That Same Jojo?

Tao from Gokurakugai

Jasper from Steven Universe

Amanda O'Neil from Little Witch Academia

Maki Zenin from Jujutsu Kaisen (post-shibuya look... dreamy sigh)

Lady Maria from Bloodborne

Korra from The Legend of Korra

Pyrrha Dve from The Locked Tomb Series

Fu Hua from Honkai Impact 3rd (did you know i thought it was 3d until now for some reason? the more you know)

Reinhardt from Alchemy Stars

Rekka from Hi Fi Rush

Akira Kenjou from One of Those Pretty Cures

Lupe García from A League of Their Own

Ellen Ripley from Alien

Percival King from Epithet Erased

Adora from She-Ra

Shima Nishina from Kiss Him, Not Me!

Joan Watson from Elementary

Baiken from Guilty Gear

Anne Lister from Gentleman Jack

Cassandra Jones from Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Max Chapman from A League of Their Own

Gebura from Lobotomy Corporation/Project Moon

Sakura Oogami from Danganronpa

Zero from Final Fantasy XIV

Xena from Xena: Warrior Princess

Imperator Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road

Graham Eaton from But I'm A Cheerleader!

Tsubomi Kido from Kagerou Project

Lin Beifong from Legend of Korra

Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell

Villanelle from Killing Eve

Pearl from Steven Universe

Tain Hu from The Masquerade Series

Amaya from The Dragon Prince

Naoto Shirogane from Persona 4

[ohwarnette]

my tbr for the September readathon!! big thank you to my besties jamie and coco for creating the readathon🫶🫶 @goodwitchs & @withasmiles

I know I won’t be able to read all these this month lol so I’ll probably slide in oct and nov! I’ve already read co op and good girls guide to murder this month!!

and tagging anyone who I think might be interested to join! @dallaswinstons @lorenlily @wherepoetsdie @deadpoets @camiladune @brimay @ravencycle @iknowitwontwork @jakeperalta @delilahsbard @permanentreverie @acotars @foxhenri @youweremycrown

a book about witches- the ex hex by erin sterling

a murder mystery- a good girls guide to murder by holly jackson

a book that takes place at a private or boarding school- the library of shadows by rachel moore

a creepy or horror book- sterling house by alex e. harrow

a book that takes place in September- the flatshare by beth o’leary

a book with a read cover- a fire endless ( elements of cadence #2 ) by Rebecca ross

a book with a yellow cover- the bodyguard by Katherine center

a book with an orange cover- the co-op by tarah dewitt

a short story collection- in these hallowed halls by olivie blake, m.l. rio, susie yang, david bell, j.t. ellison

a gothic novel- together we rot by skyla arndt

reread an autumnal favorite- the secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna

an autumnal romance- the dead romantics by ashley poston

a book about a haunted house- the September house by carissa orlando

a book about vampires- the serpent and the wings of night by carissa broadben

a cozy fantasy/ retelling- a river enchanted by rebecca ross

a classic- little women by lousia may alcott

a sept ‘23 release- the wake-up call by beth o’leary

an autumnal classic- anne of green gables by l.m. Montgomery

a dark academia book- house of marionne by j. elle

a graphic novel- hungry ghost by victoria ying

[torpublishinggroup]

5 Literary Encounters with Legendary Beings

by a cat

Many mortal constructs began as stories, we say, confident in spite of our unwillingness to invest the research hours necessary to prove such a thesis. Why else would we tell time? 

Anyway, having thus established the relevance of myth within our lives, let’s talk about something more fun than the ticking of the clock. Let’s talk about vampires, werewolves, and other myth-folk* by running down some awesome books within whose pages they reside. 

Check it out!

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Werewolves are for kissing. Don’t believe us? Let the gay lycans of TJ Klune’s Green Creek series melt your heart, and then achingly break it. These books are about a pack of werewolves, yes, but it’s important to remember that many mythical beings are people too: Given to all the messy yearning, loving, and hurting that comes with being alive. 

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

Vampires kind of have an image problem, unhelped by numerous depictions of bloody splatterfests and exploitative aristocratic legacies. Now who better to act on an image problem than a real estate agent? Viola Marek might be a vamp but she’s also got houses to sell. Unfortunately, one of them is very inconveniently haunted, and this is the inciting incident in Masters of Death by Olivie Blake—a story about (among other things) how immortality doesn’t actually spare the indignities, gifts, and difficulties of life. It just gives you more time to experience them. 

Ebony Gate by Julia Vee & Ken Bebelle

And the next entry in our rundown of legendary entities is an urban fantasy full of assassins and dragon magic in San Francisco. Here’s a partial list of the mythical beings encountered within this thrilling debut: 

a guardian foo lion

a shinigami in a business suit

a cat yokai

a LOT of ghosts

Spring’s Arcana by Lilith Saintcrow

The mythical and magical entities that populate our stories often embody aspects of our mortal lives. From this oblique angle, we as narrative-enthusiasts can sneak up on emotional and abstract truths otherwise inaccessible. But our lives change, and so do our stories, and Spring’s Arcana by Lilith Saintcrow is an excellent candidate to demonstrate this phenomenon. Nat Drozdova’s mother is sick, and she must cross an America full of modern divinities (the God of Money, Law and Order, the King of Thieves, etc.) in order to procure a stolen relic for a winter goddess in a skyscraper office who has the power to save her ailing mother. 

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

“Toadling was, more or less, lucky. She was not harvested by the flesh-smiths nor devoured by redcaps, nor raised in the retinue of a great lord of Faerie. Instead she was thrown to the greenteeth, the slimy swamp-dwelling spirits who devour unwary swimmers. Boy-children they eat, always. Girl-children they eat, mostly. But occasionally their numbers will fall, or one of them will be seized with some murky maternal instinct, and they will raise a child instead.”

This snippet comes from the beginning of T. Kingfisher’s twisted fable, and already we are blessed with a dearth of fae folk. If you like mythical beings in fiction, pick this one up as soon as you can!

━━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━━━━━━━

*Tor Blog-cat’s Note: Diligent readers may note that the introduction to this book roundup seems to imply the veracity of werewolves, vampires, and other beings of legend. While this question certainly lays beyond the scope of the Tor Publishing Group to answer, we do heartily encourage all readers to show kindness to any vamps, wolves, etc. that might or might not exist <3

[theinquisitxor]

24 in 2024

Considering myself tagged by @sixofravens-reads

My 23 in 2023

These are 24 books/series I want to prioritize in 2024:

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden (new release)

The Mirror Visitor series by Christelle Dabos

Realm Breaker series by Victoria Aveyard

Beartown series by Frederik Backman

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

The Books of Pellinor by Alison Croggin (reread)

Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (new release)

A Fragile Enchantment by Alison Saft (new release)

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake (new release)

House of Flame and Shadow by SJM (new release)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Hild by Nicolla Griffth

Captive Prince by CS Pacat

The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland (new release)

The Luminaries by Elenor Catton

Song of the Huntress by Lucy Holland (new release)

Paladin's Grace/ more T Kingfisher books

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

The Magician's Daughter by HG Parry

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Tagging anyone who wants to participate!

[balshumetsbaragouin]

Lore Post: Ghost Zone Heraldry

This is part two that I promised, covering the usage of stain is the heraldry of the Zone. Because the bearing of arms is compulsory for all Clans of sufficient rank, there are actual Stains in practical use throughout the Zone. They have different means and see different cultural usages, which I'll be covering below!

Stains:

Unlike in Human World Heraldry, the use of stains to denote dishonor or illegitimacy is actually in use in the Ghost Zone. As a result, the three human world “Stains” are joined by additional stains that represent notably/purposefully darker versions of particular tinctures or metals, and consequently, there are nearly as many stains are there are tinctures and metals in combination. They carry particular meanings in terms of what dishonor took place and when depending on what “stain” (darkening) of the traditional blazonry tincture or metal is used. Typically, this means the stain is “caused” or represents a failure to uphold the traditional value of the tincture or metal, displays an act that represents the opposite value of the tincture or color, or a stripping of honor from the House.(rebellious or treasonous Houses have their crests historically displayed in books and scrolls in the “Stain” color version of the traditional Crest) They are also used in conjunction with particular charges or ordinaries to further specify or explain the dishonor. It is quite an elaborate system as the displaying of arms is actually mandatory in the Zone for Noble Houses.

Naturally, very few Houses or individuals display “Stains” in their crests or blazonry, often those dishonored are stripped of rank and so lose the right and the legal compulsion to bear arms, with exceptions for those who carry them as reminders for past wrong doings, and the rebellious who carry them with pride. A notable example in this case is the House Eldritch, formally headed by Emrakul, whose blazonry carries Murray and Sanguine. Stains supposedly given to the house for cowardice and high treason against the original ruling house (as a minor branch of the former royal house they carried Gules in their crest). House Eldritch bore these “stains” with pride, on having crafted a successful rebellion to free, genuinely by all historical accounts, their people from the oppressive behavior of the former rulers(their House’s Major branch) House Dagon.

Additionally, rebel or protesting groups in the zone often adopt “stains” into their banners. This is not a display of supporting the vices and ills represented by these tinctures, but instead a charge of wrongdoing on whatever ruling house they are rebelling against. An example is the protests against the wartime taxes in the Lenaindros Empire using Cendrée, Purpura, and Amaranth in this banner. Owing to this, Amaranth(representing ruthlessness and overindulgence), Lâche(representing greed), and Cendrée(representing lies and warmonger) are the most common stains in rebel banners.

Navy Blue(Azure/Azia Blua): Dark blue is one of the rarer stains in heraldry. Because Blue Celeste/Lazura represents humility, obedience, and loyalty, the opposite would be treason and undue pride. But treasonous behavior, if the house isn’t stripped completely, is represented by Sanguine, the stain most often seen in disgraced heraldry. Instead, Azure is commonly used in patterns, especially charges, to represent undue pride. For example, a House might have disgraced themselves by promising to deliver a product that ended up far inferior to their claims, or be infamous for talking big in military skill, but being unable to back it up. As such, it’s most common in the rare disgraced merchant house’s crest(merchant crests are more common in non-military kingdoms like the Malproksime Frostiĝinta). In ordinaries, it shows up to represent a time a military house failed to support its kingdom by not a failure of loyalty, but a failure of skill.

Olive green(Olivier/Olivujo): Because of the rarity of green in heraldry in general, Olivier has only a handful of historic examples, and only then in the reversed crest form, and not on the crest of a still extant clan. Green represents life, fertility, abundance, and happiness. Olivier is given when someone has squandered the abundance they were meant to be good stewards of. However, there are no examples of an Olivier charge being given for either greed or squandering a gift(instead Lâche is used for that). The most common usage of Olivier is not in the traditional “strain” usage, but instead to represent grief the way Sable is used on Earth. (This is one of the colors that represents Aodh)

Because death for ghosts is such a rarity, the passing of a ghost is often marked by the creation of a temporary shield for the survivors of a massacre or a widow(er) to bear in the immediate aftermath or at remembrance services. The most notable recent usage of Olivier to represent death/grief was on the banners for the funeral of Queen Aithne of Archtalahm. The more traditional usage of it was after the massacre that lead to the rebellion and unseating of House Dagon in Kingdom Drazi. The rebels originally used a combination of Olivier and Lâche to mark their group, before House Eldritch joined them in rebellion. (to represent the death of the massacred and the poverty the King had condemned the massacred to before their death and that the rebelling would rather be poor of material then of morals. The third color used was Purpura, representing the ancient meaning of Justice/Judgment instead of military prowess.)

Magenta(Amaranth): Representing ruthlessness, overindulgence, and a lack of discipline, Amaranth is uncommon as a strain, outside of reversed crest. Because Roza isn’t common in heraldry outside of the Vampire Clans, only a few examples of it exist in traditional stain usage for disgraced houses from Kingdom Ĉiamdaŭra. Amaranth is the second most common stain in use in rebel banners and crests, however, and sees long and storied usage throughout the zone, with a special commonality among non-militarily inclined kingdoms to protest going to war. One of the most notable examples isn’t wartime taxes, but instead related to the famine of Kingdom Ĉiamdaŭra. Because Rozkolora is an especially common color in heraldry there, the meaning of the stain carried immediate, clear, and nuanced significance to anyone who viewed it. The famine wasn’t caused by a natural disaster, but instead a natural variation in crop output coincided with an absurd increase in state taxes. The induced famine resulted in the death and maiming of hundreds of ghosts inside the kingdom, and though the protests were put down brutally, it forever cemented the image of Kingdom Ĉiamdaŭra as a violent, brutal, dictatorship characterized by lack, much to the chagrin of the vain and aristocratic ruling class of the Kingdom.(Despite the Kingdom’s fall, it’s still common to see vampire ghosts themselves represented in stories by amaranth and the color, along with Rosa, associated with vampirism of all types.)

Mulberry(Murray): Military Prowess is the usual usage of Purpura, but Azure is given for Military incompetence instead of Murray. Murray is instead the color of cowardice, not incompetence. Commonly seen in the crest of disgraced houses, in the crest displayed in the reverse, Murray does sometimes find use in individual charges. In this case, the charges are added to the crest of a military, and it is always military because of the meaning of purpura, clan to represent the occasion of their cowardice at a battle or during a call to arms. Because ignoring an entire war would usually result in the clan being stripped of rank, Murray is seen in charges only when a call for aid is avoided. A notable example of this is House Athanaric of Duchy Teruingi. They failed to appear to defend their Kingdom against the invasion of the crushing army lead by future King Dark. Although the kingdom eventually bent the knee, for abandoning the call to defend a civilian’s retreat, the House was given a Murray charge Blood Blossom, representing the field where the battle took place. (Another notable House with Murray in their crest is Eldritch, whose crest is reversed, but who displays it with pride.)

Blood Red(Sanguine): Royalty(this is the most common Stain in heraldry because it is given to traitorous houses or rebels). Gules is not the most common color in ghost zone heraldry by far. Because only the highest ranking houses in the zone carry gules in any part of the coat of arms, you’d imagine Sanguine is a very uncommon stain. In actuality, it is the most common stain in use. Because the stain represents treasonous behavior and treachery in general, most rebel groups(who lose) or rebellions lead by minor branch of ruling houses, end up with Sanguine stains on their crests. Leading a rebellion requires manpower and organization, so more often than not this is lead by very powerful or connected houses, whether they succeed or not. It isn’t uncommon for a new ruling house to demand the previous house to reverse colors to signal their removal from power; this is where near 60% of all usages of Sanguine comes from. Disloyalty is never displayed in charge form, as a single instance is enough to brand a house a traitor permanently. Instead, new crests are forged and forced into usage with the Sanguine, if not previously present, presented on the field or ordinaries of the newly minted crest for the rebel houses.

Mustard Yellow(Lâche): Foolishness/greed. Representing foolishness and greed, this tincture, while very common in the metal form, is rare outside of merchant houses that are disgraced. A notable exception was the rebellion to House Dagon(and protest banners in general), before they took up the colors of House Eldritch when they joined the rebellion, and as a “brand” of sorts given to the rare farmer’s house that withholds their Lord’s proper tithe.

Ash Grey (Cendrée): Representing someone who obscures the truth, lies, or steals, Cendrée is almost never seen as a stain. As with Argent being a very rare color in Ghost Zone heraldry, outside of the priest caste, there are almost no historical examples of this stain even in full reversed crest form. One notable exception is the use of this stain in the banner of rebels. Commonly used to display their objections to their Lord’s ways, instead of representing over-taxation(which is more commonly represented by Lâche), it instead finds the meaning of “failed promises” of public works, and by far its most common meaning “warmongering”. This makes Cendrée a common tincture in use by pacifist protesters and rebels refusing to work to help their Lord undertake a new war campaign.

Brown (Tenné): Representing Sloth, shortsightedness, and a weak will, because cuivre/kupra is so uncommon in the Zone, the stain sees most of its usage in disgraced hereditary knighthood crests. These are recorded for posterity in history books to describe Clans from rebellious factions or failed coup attempts. True disgraced knights are simply stripped of rank, owing to their very low status on the hierarchy of nobility. The stain does see much more use in the banners of protests, instead of rebellion, often representing the charge of Sloth or shortsightedness. Protests are distinct from rebellions in that the populace seeks reform rather than replacement. Because of the liberal nature of these protests, they are far more common in Kingdom Drazi, a now constitutional monarchy, than any other part of the Local Zone. The last major protest to use the strain, however, is from the Lenaindros Empire. A mass protest called out their elected leadership for their "shortsighted" refusal to trade with the Malproksime Frostiĝinta for the metals needed to supply an increase in the army, instead choosing to do business with Arachtalamh.

[belle-keys]

The Ultimate Dark Academia Book Recommendation Guide Ever

The title of this post is clickbait. I, unfortunately, have not read every book ever. Not all of these books are particularly “dark” either. However, these are my recommendations for your dark academia fix. The quality of each of these books varies. I have limited this list to books that are directly linked to the world of academia and/or which have a vaguely academic setting.

Dark Academia staples:

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Dead Poets Society by Nancy H. Kleinbaum

Vita Nostra by Maryna Dyachenko

Dark academia litfic or contemporary:

Bunny by Mona Awad

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever

White Ivy by Susie Yang

The Cloisters by Katy Hays

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates

Attribution by Linda Moore

Dark academia thrillers or horror:

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

Dark academia fantasy/sci-fi:

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins

Dark academia romance:

Gothikana by RuNyx

Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake

Dark academia YA or MG:

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Crave by Tracy Wolff

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Dark academia miscellaneous:

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip

[dark-honeyed-dreams]

An Eccentric Bibliophile's (Yet Incomplete) Guide to Dark Academia Reading, Because Who Needs Sunlight Anyway?

Lo and behold, the inevitable moment has arrived. You find yourself engrossed in Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History' for the umpteenth occasion (it never loses its luster, does it?), and you've diligently explored the whole dark academia canon. Or have you really? I've made this post to collect the lesser-known tomes (because, you see, I'm well-acquainted with the exquisite agony of the quest). So, without further ado, let the revelry commence! Disclaimer: the current version of the list has the links that lead to Goodreads. Also, the current version of the list seriously lacks books written by non-white authors. I hope that we'll collectively gain a cultural momentum and make this list better in this sense. I, personally, would love a recommendation!

Dark Academia Canon

Photo by Giammarco Boscaro on Unsplash

The volumes that are often bestowed with the dubious honor of canonical status, or, simply put, the ones that are most recommended dark academia reads.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Babel by R.F. Kuang

Bunny by Mona Awad

The Atlas by Olivie Blake

Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo

Lesser-Known Dark Academia Titles

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

Intellect reigns supreme, arts and philosophy hold us captive, and we can't forget our undying affection for those delightfully lifeless languages. Oh, and let's not overlook the timeless charm of tweed. Simply put, less known but not less great titles that have all the canonical elements of dark academia. I've also added a few words about those that I love most.

The Flanders Panel by Arturo Perez-Reverte: a 15th-century painting has the key to a Renaissance murder, and the question Quis Necavit Equitem is answered by a modern-day art expert

Cornish Trilogy by Robertson Davies: a defrocked monk, some scholars of a university lovingly called "Spook" and a girl named Maria Magdalena Theotoky try to find out what to do with the vast estate of the recently deceased millionaire and art collector Francis Cornish

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas: a selective admission process gets Ines in an experimental liberal arts school called Catherine House. The alumni of this school became, at their own time, prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices and even presidents. But how exactly did that happen?

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee: no such thing as witchcraft exists in the world. That's probably not the case for Felicity, who is still trying to find out who killed five Dalloway students (supposedly, witches). Enter Ellis Haley, a young prodigy and a literary darling, who writes books about murders by re-enacting said murders...

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Hex by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever

Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella

The Cloisters by Katy Hays

In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Dark Academia Vibes

Photo by Darran Shen on Unsplash

These books might as well be the quintessential dark academia reads, but the only element that isn't bedecked in romanticism is higher education itself. Murders continue to unfold in the most peculiar manner, occult knowledge flourishes, and suddenly, the folks with a smidge of Latin under their belts are the life of the scholarly soirée. Simply put, a book that a dark academic might read and love if they are not that fond of remembering their own school days.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Magus by John Fowles

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco

The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson

All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

All's Well by Mona Awad

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

Hare House by Sally Hinchcliffe

Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters

The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson

Piranesi by Susanne Clarke

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanne Clarke

The Laundry Files series by Charles Stross

Alchemical Journeys series by Seanan McGuire

The Cadfael Chronicles by Ellis Peters

Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French

Please, by all means, feel at liberty to append additional entries to the inventory - or, simply put, feel free to add to this list.

[girlbosswar]

ROUND 2 MASTERLIST

I apologize for the wait

Here are the round 2 matchups

SIDE ONE

Sharpay Evans (High School Musical) Vs. Queen (deltarune)

Reko Yabusame (Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-) Vs. Sunset Shimmer (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls)

Megaera (Hades) Vs. Agent 8 (Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion)

Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog CD) Vs. Maya Fey (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)

Morganthe (Wizard 101) Vs. The Administrator (Team Fortress 2)

Audria Rose (Descendants) Vs. Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell)

Toriel (UNDERTALE) Vs. Aspheera (Ninjago)

Sara Chidouin (Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-) Vs. Callie (Splatoon)

Marina (Splatoon 2) Vs. Jolyne Cujoh (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Ema Skye (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) Vs. Daisy (Super Mario Land)

Nyota Uhura (Star Trek) Vs. Regina George (Mean Girls)

Olivier Mira Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist) Vs. Lady Iron Fan (Monkie Kid)

Hornet (Hollow Night) Vs. Franziska von Karma (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All)

Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place) Vs. Buffy Anne Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Gertrude Robinson (The Magnus Archives) Vs. April O’Neil (ROTTMNT)

Princess Carolyn (Bojack Horseman) Vs. Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Reagan Ridley (Inside Job) Vs. P.I.X.A.L (Ninjago)

Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club) Vs. Korra (The Legend of Korra)

Bulma (Dragon Ball) Vs. Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

Susie (deltarune) Vs. Fairy Godmother (Shrek 2)

Rumi Usagiyama (My Hero Academia) Vs. Lauren Mallard (Welcome to Night Vale)

Bayonetta (Bayonetta) Vs. Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Frye (Splatoon 3) Vs. Ann Takamaki (Persona 5)

GLaDOS (Portal) Vs. Kyoko Sakura (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Marina (OMORI) Vs. Clawdeen Wolf (Monster High)

Alcina Dimitrescu (Resident Evil) Vs. Miss Piggy (The Muppets)

Lord Dominator (Wander Over Yonder) & Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) Vs. Aradia Megido (Homestuck)

Dahlia Hawthorne (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations) Vs. Lucina (Fire Emblem)

Marie (Splatoon) Vs. Toph Beifong (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

SIDE TWO

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid) Vs. Solar Flare (Plants vs. Zombies)

Mia Fey (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) Vs. Agent 3 (Splatoon)

Isabelle (Animal Crossing: New Leaf) Vs. Tabitha Chrysanthemum Scarlet (Scarlet Hollow)

Astrid Hofferson (How To Train Your Dragon) Vs. Athena Cykes (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies)

Rapunzel (Tangled) Vs. Nami (One Piece)

Nadja (What We Do in the Shadows) Vs. Bridget (Guilty Gear)

Vriska Serket (Homestuck) Vs. Yosano Akiko (Bungo Stray Dogs)

Celestia Ludenberg (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc) Vs. Helen Richardson (The Magnus Archives)

Akane Kurushiki (Zero Escape: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors) Vs. Clementine (Stray)

Nancy Wheeler (Stranger Things) Vs. Annabeth Chase (Heroes of Olympus)

Jinx (League of Legends/The Arcana) Vs. Lotus (Zero Escape: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors)

Yang Xiao Long (RWBY) Vs. Kitty Softpaws (Puss and Boots)

Boss (AI: The Somnium Files) Vs. Coco Adel (RWBY)

Harumi (Ninjago) Vs. Lady with an Ermine (Leonardo da Vinci)

Edalyn Clawthorne (The Owl House) Vs. Darling Charming (Ever After High)

Pearl (Splatoon 2) Vs. Carmelita Montoya Fox (Sly Cooper)

Vex’ahlia (Critical Role) Vs. Queen (Chess)

Lup (The Adventure Zone) Vs. Sweetheart (OMORI)

Sister Beatrice (Warrior Nun) Vs. Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Samus Aran (Metroid) Vs. Clover (Zero Escape: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors)

Jessie (Pokémon) Vs. Fiona (Shrek)

Dana Cardinal (Welcome to Night Vale) Vs. Rose Lalonde (Homestuck)

Nadia Vulvokov (Russian Doll) Vs. Lucille Sharpe (Crimson Peak)

Undyne (UNDERTALE) Vs. Ryūko Matoi (Kill la Kill)

Mari (OMORI) Vs. Rosalina (Super Mario Galaxy)

Weiss Schnee (RWBY) Vs. Elizabert Megafig (Bugsnax)

Cleo de Nile (Monster High) Vs. Skylor Chen (Ninjago)

Barbie (Barbie) Vs. Cynthia (Pokémon Diamond/Pearl)

[byneddiedingo]

Gene Tierney and Vincent Price in Dragonwyck (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1946)

Cast: Gene Tierney, Vincent Price, Walter Huston, Glenn Langan, Anne Revere, Spring Byington, Connie Marshall, Harry Morgan, Jessica Tandy. Screenplay: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on a novel by Anya Seton. Cinematography: Arthur C. Miller. Art direction: J. Russell Spencer, Lyle R. Wheeler. Film editing: Dorothy Spencer. Music: Alfred Newman. 

Dragonwyck both courts and suffers from comparison to those other paradigmatic gloomy old house movies of the 1940s, Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca (1941) and Robert Stevenson's Jane Eyre (1943). As the imperious master of the titular gloomy old house, Vincent Price can hardly compete with Laurence Olivier in the former or Orson Welles in the latter. Price had an aura of camp, present not only today after his many horror movies, but apparent even then, after playing Shelby Carpenter in Laura (Otto Preminger, 1944). Gene Tierney, on the other hand, holds up well in a comparison with Joan Fontaine, the heroine of both of the other two movies. There's also some distinguished supporting work from first-rate actors like Walter Huston, Anne Revere, and Jessica Tandy, and solid contributions by familiar character actors Spring Byington and Harry Morgan. So Dragonwyck isn't a total loss. Where it falls apart is in adapting Any Seton's hefty novel, which concentrates as much on history as on gothic romance. The historical element in both novel and film centers on the overthrow of the semi-feudal patroon system that was established in the Hudson River Valley by the Dutch in the 17th century and persisted through the mid-1840s. In adapting the novel, even the gifted screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz can't do much to stuff the history into the confines of his movie, which was also his debut as a director. But I got the feeling that he was stymied by the demands of the characters as well: We get only an outline of the backstory of his heroine, Miranda Wells (Tierney), in an opening scene with her stern, puritanical father (Huston) and her more understanding mother (Revere), before she is carried off to Dragonwyck to serve as governess to Katrine Van Ryn (Connie Marshall) and companion to the invalid Mrs. Van Ryn (Vivienne Osborne). The mystery of how and why Miranda's distant cousin-by-marriage, Nicholas Van Ryn (Price), decided to hire Miranda is never explained. The faithful Van Ryn housekeeper (Byington) shows her the house and tells her its creepy history, and then warns her, "One day you'll wish with all your heart you'd never come to Dragonwyck." But there's also a handsome young doctor (the forgettable Glenn Langan) to suggest alternative possibilities. The spook factor consists of a portrait of an ill-fated ancestor and her harpsichord, whose ghost can be heard singing and playing at ominous moments, such as the death of Mrs. Van Ryn. Mankiewicz has some trouble putting all of these pieces into play: For example, little Katrine disappears from the story entirely in mid-film, even after Miranda nominally becomes Katrine's stepmother. The best way to watch a movie like Dragonwyck is to disengage all expectations of logical character development and plot structure and just go with the mood supplied by the sets and Arthur C. Miller's cinematography.  

[mad-rdr]

Masters of Death - Olivie Blake

★ ★ ★/5

I had really high hopes for this book, and while I still found it interesting, it was nothing like I expected (or wanted). The premise of the book sounded amazing; a vampire real estate agent trying to get rid of a ghost in a house she was to sell so she hires a medium who turns out to be not only a fraud, but the godson of Death himself. Doesn't that sound SO COOL?? I was expecting the miscommunication trope, maybe some romance, and generally... just a whole lot of chaos. What I got instead was some complicated and confusing game that I'm sure was an attempt at a metaphor for something. I got a barely thought-out world with a bunch of monsters that coexist in the world without any background information. I'm not a fan of this author's other works so I'm not sure why I thought this one would be any different. What made this book redeemable was the story between Fox and his love interest (whose name is alluding me), I thought it was really well done as a romance through time and betrayal. I also really enjoyed Death as a character and how he became a parent by accident by he will be The Best Role Model he could possibly be. Overall, not a bad book but not what it could've been. Probably best to read it without any expectations lol.

[wizardofgore]

can you tell me about your wips? i took the oc quiz and now i'm curious about them.

Hey!! Sorry I was sitting on this for a sec trying to put together my answer but essentially I write around characters/settings/vibes and struggle to create plots and narratives but I’ll do my best to tell u about them.

The first story (characters from the quiz: nymeria, ophelia, hugo, sofia) always felt like a dark fantasy/political drama where I wanted the characters to be a classic rpg party exploring a world on the brink of revolution, and through them I wanted to create a fantasy world that satisfied me politically (by implementing the immortal science of Marxism-leninism and so on and so forth) but because of my recent interest in fear and hunger I also want to create more lore for the religion that some of the characters follow. I imagine the story will end with the party being split somehow, and I think the best way I can imagine developing the rest of it would be to think of it like a video game where u can explore things in a nonlinear way and learn about the world in small increments. I think my dnd character olivier exists in this canon as well, and could maybe be a late game antagonist and someone who’s lore is revealed slowly over time. The setting of the dungeon is really intriguing me right now too, and thinking of the dungeon as a living entity like a haunted house would be part of it too if I had them explore the dungeon? Idk this is all over the place but hopefully it gives some clarity 🙏🏻

The other story (annika and anna) is supposed to be an exploration of two different peoples responses to traumas and solitude, they find each other and form a relationship that’s simultaneously the most fulfilling each other has ever had but also “toxic” and codependent because neither of them know how to navigate relationships, thus leading to their demise. These two characters feel like 2 different sides of my own response to grief. Annika is the anger, the self-sabotage, the quest for vengeance, the hope that others will pay for the harm they have caused her. Anna is a retreat into the self, complete lack of self-esteem, imposter syndrome, and she has neurotically convinced herself that her hunger and iron deficiency are actually a result of her not being human. Annika both sympathizes and takes advantage of this, and Anna both uses and consoles Annika. I want their relationship to be really beautiful so I’m still building up the events that happen in their short time together hehe.

The third is the newest and least developed, and I actually just named the characters for the sake of the quiz lol. Myra and maeve are (also shockingly) are also symbolic of my different neuroticisms, this time about death/thinking of oneself as a ghost, seeing someone you love die and realizing you have to live. I see this story as a classic mystery but probably with some nonlinear storytelling…hope that makes sense lol

Thank you for asking, im really bad at explaining my thoughts which is why I usually only communicate in roundabout ways (hence uquiz lol)