#and now their descendants are going to become legends because of how powerful their love makes them

[solohux]

The Arkanian legend of Vice General Valentine is one that Hux knows well. During a period of intense civil war that split the planet in two halves, the Vice General held secret ceremonies for lovers on opposite sides of the war who wanted to marry, to bond. He was eventually found, of course, and his treachery led to his death but the centuries old tale is honoured once a year on Valentine’s Day, a day that celebrates love in all of its forms.

When the calendar notification flashes up on his datapad, Hux scrunches his nose up in disgust. It makes him want to throw his datapad across his chambers but instead, he huffs with revulsion and sits up straighter in his bed. Ridiculous; of all the things to commend, he can hardly believe that his people would choose to honour someone who was a traitor to his own allegiance. Valentine’s Day is nothing more than a commercial trap that is set for half-witted fools who believe that they’re in the throes of infatuation, and it makes Hux sick to his stomach.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, lover.”

Hux frowns, but accepts the kiss from Kylo anyway. The Knight gives him a gentle peck on the lips before moving to kiss both of his cheeks, forehead and nose before handing a cup of Hux’s morning caf to him.

“How do you know about Valentine’s Day?” Hux asks, happily taking the beverage.

“It’s a Chandrillan tradition,” Kylo says, sitting down on the bed. He sets his hand upon Hux’s leg and rubs it absentmindedly; Hux silently admits how much these small actions of affection mean to him. “A Lieutenant of the Chandrillan army went against the orders of his superior officer to forbid her to marry someone she loved. Something about him having familial links to an enemy. But he married him anyway, and the two performed covert marriage ceremonies for people in the same situation. They eventually became The Lords Valentine. People from Chandrilla honour them once a year on Valentine’s Day.”

“That’s not the story,” Hux scoffs. “And it’s a tale from an Arkanis legend, not from Chandrilla.”

“I know my history, Hux.”

“As do I, Ren. Valentine’s Day is an annual celebration of love on Arkanis.“

“On Chandrilla too.”

The likelihood of a military man with the same name becoming involved in secret marriage ceremonies on two completely different planet seems far too impossible for Hux’s logical mind to comprehend but he sees the softness in Kylo’s eyes and decides not to challenge it any further. And then, he sees something else.

The room is covered in red roses; petals are scattered everywhere and on every surface whilst long-stemmed roses stand proudly in perfect arrangements in vases. There must be hundreds of them, all seemingly glittering in the low light of their bed chambers. The sight of them surrounding him is one of the most beautiful things that Hux has ever seen.

“Ren,” Hux sighs with a smile. “What’s this?”

“Like I said, Happy Valentine’s Day, lover,” Kylo says as a large bunch of roses float elegantly into his open hand. He holds them out to Hux, who takes them and inhales their fresh aroma.

“I didn’t get you anything,” Hux says dejectedly. “I’ve never…I’ve never had to before.”

“You’ve already given me everything I need, Hux,” Kylo says, leaning in closely until his lips are almost upon Hux’s. “You’re my air. You’re my heart. You’re my galaxy. What else could I ever need?”

Perhaps Valentine’s Day isn’t so ridiculous after all, now that he has someone to share his love with.

[ghoulsbounty]

Friend of the Devil

Lee Russell x Gamby!Reader

Warnings: smut (18+), office sex, oral (f receiving), face riding, interrupted fun times, cursing, angst, Lee is mean (but soft), secret relationship, power dynamics, power play, slight mentions of sub/dom, childish sibling relationship, competitive nature, frenemies, fluff/happy ending.

Word Count: 6.3K

A/N: Here's the Lee part to this anon's other request! I took a while going back and forth with this because I wanted to focuse on how Lee's personality affects everybody, and readers relationship/how you fit into that and in turn have effected him. There's a few Gamby sister requests similar to this going around, so I wanted to do something different but still follow the request. I hope you enjoy! I’d love to know what you all think to this, and feel free to send me more requests 💌

The lunchroom was alive with a vibrant cacophony of voices and the rhythmic clatter of trays, the air thick and rich with the mingled aromas of cafeteria offerings—overcooked vegetables, processed meats, and the ever-present scent of reheated pizza. Fluorescent lights flickered slightly overhead, casting a harsh glow over the busy scene. Teachers gathered in their usual enclaves, finding solace and camaraderie amidst the relentless pace of school life. At the corner table, under a particularly noisy air vent, a spirited discussion took place, the latest school gossip providing a welcome escape from the relentless mountains of essays to grade and detailed lesson plans to refine.

Ms. Abbott, always the central figure in these lunchtime exchanges, leaned forward with a knowing smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Don't look now, but here comes Tweedle-Dee," she whispered, her voice a blend of amusement and mock secrecy. Her comment ignited a ripple of subdued laughter that spread through the group. Eager heads turned discreetly, their curiosity piqued, all wanting a glimpse of the person who had become the unwitting protagonist of Ms. Abbott’s playful narrative.

Approaching with a brisk, almost frantic stride was Lee Russell. His attire, a meticulously tailored suit paired with gleaming shoes, barely concealed the unmistakable tension he carried. Since his promotion to principal, Russell had swiftly gained the unfortunate distinction of being the least favoured among the faculty. His unpredictable and often heavy-handed leadership style had alienated many. 

"He must be lost without Tweedle-Dum," Ms. Abbott remarked, her voice laced with a sharp edge of sarcasm.

Seychelle, always ready to add drama to any conversation, pounced on the opportunity. "He and Gamby were so far up each other's asses they could tickle each other's tonsils," he declared, his smirk broadening as he theatrically adjusted his silk scarf, draping it back over his shoulder. The group burst into laughter, a sound filled with both genuine amusement and a cathartic release from their collective disdain. "I heard he's returning soon, so maybe it will put his boyfriend in a better mood," Seychelle added, his tone dripping with irony.

As the laughter reverberated around the table, a sudden hush descended when you cleared your throat—a soft yet unmistakable signal of a presence they had momentarily forgotten. Seychelle, caught mid-chuckle, turned as the directed gazes of his colleagues guided him to meet your eyes. Seated right beside him, you were struggling to suppress your own mirth.

"Oh, sorry, Miss Gamby," Seychelle stuttered, his usual confidence slipping as he managed an apologetic smile.

You nodded, acknowledging his apology while your mind briefly wandered to your brother, Neal, and his infamous collaboration with Lee Russell. Together, they had orchestrated a reign filled with both mischief and mismanagement, becoming the stuff of legend at North Jackson High School. Now, with Neal's absence, Russell appeared more adrift than ever—an observation that had not escaped the keen, sometimes merciless eyes of the faculty.

"It's fine," you said reassuringly, prodding the homemade leftovers in your container with a fork. "My brother's an asshole, but Lee Russell is the fucking devil."

The group chuckled, the tension melting away as they eased back into their conversations. You let out a sigh, then heard the distinct click of Prada shoes on the linoleum and the wafting, fruity scent of cologne—signals of the principal’s approach. Setting down your fork, you looked up just in time to see Lee Russell stop beside your table. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear," you quipped with a tight smile.

Lee ignored the light-hearted jab, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized your lunch. "What the fuck is that?" he demanded, pointing at your container. "Is this what poor people eat?" His words cut through the resumed chatter, casting a silence over the table.

You rolled your eyes, your gaze taking in his perfectly tailored suit and meticulously styled hair—the stark contrast between his polished appearance and his coarse behaviour never failed to amaze you. "I don't know, Lee," you retorted, your voice mocking. "You pay my wages, so you tell me."

Russell's eyes flashed with irritation as a sneer formed on his lips. "Maybe if you spent less time eating garbage like a fuckin' pig and more time doing your job, we wouldn't have so many problems," he snapped.

Taking a moment, you looked around the cafeteria, observing the other teachers quietly watching the exchange, the rambunctious students that ignored it, then turned your weary gaze back to him. "It's lunchtime, Lee. Even school staff need to eat," you stated flatly, emphasizing the obvious.

Ms. Abbott's snigger echoed across the table, momentarily lightening the atmosphere until Lee's sharp glare silenced her amusement. Ignoring her, he leaned forward, pressing his knuckles against the table and fixing his gaze on you with an intensity that felt almost tangible. "Since when did you become so goddamn fuckin' familiar? It's Principal Russell to you," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "And it's lunchtime when I say it's lunchtime. You get your ass in my office and finish writing that grant proposal that was due this morning, or you'll be so fuckin' fired that dogshit will seem like a Michelin star recipe to you. Understood?"

You met his stare unflinchingly, the tension at the table palpable. You knew the importance of picking your battles, especially under the watchful eyes of your colleagues. "Understood, Principal Russell," you responded, your voice calm and measured.

Lee's smug expression deepened as he surveyed the now quiet group. "Good," he spat out, his tone dripping with contempt, pleased with his perceived control over the situation.

Mrs. Deets, unable to contain her dismay, addressed him directly, her voice filled with concern and a hint of defiance. "Don't you think you're being unfair, Russell?" she asked, her eyes flicking briefly to you in sympathy. "You've been loading Miss Gamby with extra work for weeks, and now you're disrupting her lunch break," she continued, her expression frustrated.

Her intervention brought a momentary pause, the air thick as everyone awaited Russell's response, wondering whether it would temper his approach or incite further harshness.

Lee's eyes hardened, turning towards Mrs. Deets with a menacing glint. "And what are you going to do? Report me to HR?" he taunted, his voice thick with arrogance. "I'd like to see you try. They're all in my pocket, just like you should be." His eyes narrowed as he scanned the table, issuing a silent challenge to anyone daring to contest his authority. The table fell silent under his gaze.

With a final sneer, he turned on his heel and strode away, the authoritative click of his polished shoes echoing ominously through the lunchroom. The oppressive atmosphere lingered for a moment before gradually dissipating, leaving displeasure behind but also a sense of unity among the faculty. They exchanged looks that communicated a shared resolve; something would need to change, but carefully and strategically, to avoid the fallout of a direct confrontation with a man who held too much power and too little regard for others.

Gathering your things, you stood and glanced around at the sympathetic faces of your fellow teachers. "Just another day at North Jackson," you remarked, trying to lighten the mood. You gave Mrs. Deets a grateful nod for her support. "Thanks for trying, Val," you added sincerely. Then, with a resigned breath, you turned and headed towards Lee's office, your mind already strategizing for the confrontation ahead and the careful navigation it would require.

Rounding the reception desk, you greeted Miss Swift with a nod, your eyes briefly scanning toward the office behind her. The blinds were tightly drawn, and the muffled sound of Russell's frustrated rant seeped through the closed door. Miss Swift met your gaze with a look of caution. "He's just got back," she whispered, her tone hushed. "He's been in a real bad mood all day. Made me cancel all his appointments and said he was going to tell Superintendent Haas to—well, it wasn't very nice."

You offered her a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, Janice. You know he's always got a stick up his butt about something," you reassured her, your casual words drawing a reluctant smile from her. "You go have some lunch. I've got this." With a confident nod, you prepared yourself and approached the door to Russell's office, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Lee Russell's voice was sharp as he commanded you to close the door, his tone betraying the strain of the day. As you shut the door behind you, the office felt suffocatingly small, filled with the tension that seemed to emanate from the man hunched over his desk.

Standing a respectable distance away, you maintained a neutral tone, despite the stress in the air. "You wanted to see me, Principal Russell?" you asked, watching as he slowly lifted his face from his hands, revealing a weary expression that briefly flickered to surprise, perhaps not expecting your calm demeanour. You waited, poised for his response, ready to discuss the grant proposal or whatever else he deemed urgent enough to interrupt your lunch. Deep down, you understood the true reason for this meeting, yet you couldn't deny the thrill it added to the encounter when you pretended otherwise.

"I don't have time for your smart-ass remarks today," he grumbled, slumping back into his chair with his legs spread wide. He shot you a pitiful glance, his face etched with frustration. "Everything's falling apart, and you're too busy cozying up to my damn enemies to be of any help." His voice was a blend of desperation and resentment, the anger he had shown earlier in the cafeteria now reduced to a needy whine.

You shook your head, unable to suppress a smile at his dramatics as you circled his desk, perching on its edge right in front of him. "They're my colleagues, Lee—your staff—and we need to keep things normal without you losing it and threatening me in front of everyone in the cafeteria," you said calmly, fully aware that it would take more to alleviate his irritation as he rolled his eyes.

"Losing it?" He scoffed, fixing you with a pointed look. "You've seen nothing yet. I'd line them all up and send them packing one by one, like a damn firing squad execution. The faculty are a massive pain in my ass; they're all fucking replaceable." His words were sharp and icy, each one a dagger designed to intimidate and belittle—something he excelled at.

The harshness of his tone left no doubt about his contempt for his colleagues, his disregard for their contributions painfully clear. This wasn't the first time you had heard such sentiments from him—it was merely the latest in a series of similar tirades. Lee had fought his way to the position of principal with a tenacity and fierceness that appeared limitless. His impulsive nature and propensity to act without thinking through the consequences often left you as the one trying to reel him back from the brink, attempting to mitigate the fallout of his decisions before they escalated into full-blown crises.

Lee's relentless ambition had fostered a toxic atmosphere, one rife with fear and uncertainty. Each time he went into a downward spiral, the responsibility fell on you to curb his impulsive decisions and soften the impact. The stress and exhaustion were evident on your colleagues' faces, their morale dwindling under Lee's oppressive leadership. You had cautioned him that maintaining friendships would be challenging once he held power over others, but he had dismissed your concerns, preoccupied instead with choosing the ideal carpet colour for his opulent new office. His priorities, it seemed, were focused more on appearances than on the well-being of his staff.

"Oh, really? And what will you do with nine hundred students and no one to teach them?" you questioned, going along with his rant. A bemused smile played at the corners of your lips, reflecting both amusement and scepticism at his drastic solutions.

"I'd hire new ones, ones who actually listen and respect me. Start fresh, a clean slate without those fuckin' assholes," he replied, his determination evident in the firm set of his jaw. When you laughed, he nudged your leg gently with his knee, showing a rare moment of playfulness amidst his tirade. "Might keep you, though," he mumbled, his tone softening slightly.

"Really? I thought I was the first on your list to go," you teased, your eyes twinkling with mischief. "Wasn't there something about firing me? Something about dogshit tasting good?"

He rolled his eyes again, his frustration melting into a reluctant smile. He scooted his chair closer to you and leaned forward, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the hem of your skirt. "I didn't mean it," he murmured, his voice low and tinged with regret. It seemed as if the gravity of his own words had caught him off guard.

Apologies from him were rare, like the fleeting glimpses of vulnerability he feared showing, lest they be exploited. His public outbursts had intensified since your brother's absence, leaving you to bear the brunt of his sharp tongue. The weight of his words felt heavier, cutting deeper as if to compensate for the missing target. Meanwhile, the staff's insubordination had increased, emboldened by the shifting dynamics.

Despite your frequent reminders that the tough façade wasn't as necessary without Neal around, Lee remained resolute in his approach. His determination to show the faculty that you were just another annoyance, merely another Gamby sibling he had to tolerate, was unwavering. He carried himself with an air of cold authority, a mask firmly in place to shield any sign of weakness, even if it meant pushing you further away.

Yet, you found yourself falling for him during every stolen moment in his office. Each encounter, hidden from the prying eyes of the world, unveiled the layers beneath his hardened exterior. The soft whispers, the fleeting touches, and the rare, unguarded smiles slowly revealed a side of him that was vulnerable and aching. Over time, you convinced yourself that Lee Russell was a deeply flawed man whom you could fix.

You watched his hand as it slipped beneath the hem of your skirt, tracing a gentle path along your thigh. You halted his advance by placing your hand over his, confronting his surprised look with a firm gaze of your own. "That's not how this works," you asserted clearly.

He let out a dramatic sigh and reclined in his chair, eyes shifting upwards to the stained ceiling tiles. "Do we have to go through this every time?" he asked, his voice laced with an unmistakable air of arrogance as he nudged his chair to swivel slightly with his feet.

"If you want to fuck me, then yes, we absolutely do," you responded, your tone flat and matter-of-fact. Your hands clutched the edges of the desk tightly, ready for whatever might follow. Observing him closely, you noted the visible struggle on his face as he prepared to speak, a battle of emotions that ended with him throwing his hands up in evident annoyance.

"Fine, fuck," he sighed, "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry that you made me shout at you," he mumbled, leaning forward in his chair and placing his hands on your knees. "There, are you happy now, you fucking cretin?" His gaze bore into yours with an intense mixture of annoyance and something deeper, something almost vulnerable. His eyes searched yours, seeking a reaction, a connection, while his rough words contrasted sharply with the tenderness of his touch.

You smiled down at him, a hint of satisfaction playing on your lips as your resolve waned. Casually, you draped both legs over the sides of his chair, your feet resting on either side of his legs. The room seemed to close in around you, the tension thick in the air as you held his gaze, challenging him silently while his hands remained on your knees..

Lee smirked, his eyes darkening with desire as he pushed your skirt higher up your thighs until it bunched at your waist, exposing more of your skin to the cool air. He hummed in appreciation at the sight of your panties, the fabric already darkening with the wetness that the tease of his fingers drew from you. The air between you seemed to crackle with electricity, the raw hunger evident in his eyes making your heart race and your breath hitch. His hands, resting back on your knees, gripped a little tighter, the possessiveness in his touch sending shivers down your spine.

Your skin prickled under his touch as he trailed soft kisses along your legs, from the inside of your knee to your thigh, until the curve of his nose pressed deliciously against your heat. You gasped, your hips involuntarily seeking more pressure from him, but he pulled back slightly, his eyes locking onto yours with a predatory gleam.

He sat back, his gaze intense as his hand slid up your inner thigh. Two fingers hooked behind the fabric of your underwear, swiping through your slick folds, sending a jolt of pleasure through you. You moaned as both fingers pressed against your entrance, the sensation electrifying. Lee's other hand pushed at your knee, spreading your legs wider, ensuring you were perfectly displayed for him.

His eyes roamed over you hungrily, the anticipation building as you felt the heat of his desire in his touch. Every sensation amplified, your body responding eagerly to his every move, you gasped into the silence of the room when his fingers finally filled you, buried to the knuckle, as he began to pump them in and out at an agonizingly slow pace. You leaned back against the desk on your elbows, head thrown back in pleasure, rutting your hips against him to encourage a faster speed. 

Suddenly, you felt a sharp thwack against the fat of your thigh, his hand coming down hard and grabbing at the tender flesh. "Stay still. Don't be so fuckin' impatient, damn," he scolded, his voice a low growl, the command making your throat burn. The sting of his slap mingled with the pleasure from his fingers, heightening your arousal as you lifted your head to look at him. His eyes bore into yours, a dominance there that made your pulse race even faster. The room seemed to spin as you struggled to obey, your body craving more even as you tried to remain still under his intense scrutiny.

"Maybe I should fire you. Can't take a simple instruction, can you? What use are you to me?" he taunted, his words cutting through you in a deliciously cruel way. The sting of his tone only deepened your need, a twisted thrill running through you at his harsh command. His fingers continued their slow, torturous rhythm, and you fought to keep still, every fibre of your being wanting to both submit to and defy him.

You bit your tongue, staring up at the office ceiling. There was so much you wanted to say, but you knew it would only lead to arguments and, ultimately, not getting what you craved. So, you stayed silent. Instead, you adjusted yourself, laying your back flat against the desk and wriggling slightly when a stapler dug into your hip.

Once you settled, you slid one hand down your body until you reached the bunched-up skirt. Hooking two fingers around your panties, you pulled them aside to give him better access. The rush of cool, air-conditioned air hitting your hot pussy sent a shiver up your spine as you bared yourself completely to him. You watched his reaction, noting the way his eyes clouded, his breath catching slightly at the sight of you exposed and vulnerable before him.

The desk felt cold and hard beneath you, a stark contrast to the heat building between your legs. Every nerve in your body tingled with anticipation, the raw need to be touched and filled consuming your thoughts. The only sounds the hum of the air conditioner and the ragged breathing shared between you. You could feel his gaze like a physical touch, every second of his hesitation adding to the delicious torment.

As you lay there, fully exposed and waiting for his next move, your heart pounded in your chest. The thrill with Lee was always in the battle of wills, the way you both enjoyed the shifting power dynamic. Each moment was a tantalizing dance of dominance and submission, need and restraint.

You knew the hold you had over him, a card you kept close to your chest and only played when necessary. Yet, you loved watching him fall apart for you. His tough exterior and harsh words melted away in these intimate moments, revealing a vulnerability that was yours to command.

You could see the internal struggle on his face, the conflict between his need to dominate and the pleasure he derived from you taking what you wanted. It was a delicate balance, one you both played to perfection. As he finally leaned in, his fingers resuming their slow, torturous rhythm, you couldn't help but smile, knowing that in this intricate dance, you held the upper hand.

His nose to your pussy, he breathed you in deeply, his fingers moving with deliberate slowness.  You arched your back slightly, simultaneously grinding down onto his fingers and pressing into the bridge of his nose, your own breath coming in shallow gasps. The world outside ceased to exist, the only reality the intense connection between you two.

His hand tightened on your thigh, a silent command for you to stay still, but the gleam in his eyes as he looked up at you told you he relished your defiance. The raw desire in his gaze, the possessiveness of his touch, everything about this moment was intoxicating. As his fingers continued their relentless teasing, you felt the tension building, the delicious anticipation of what was to come.

Lee groaned at the sight of you, soaking wet and dripping just for him. Ever since his first taste, he couldn't get enough. He had lost his mind when you came on his tongue for the first time, practically riding his face to get the pressure exactly where you needed it. Lee loved that you used him for your own pleasure and revelled in using you for his, only to go about his day as if he hadn’t just had you bent over his desk and buried himself deep inside you.

His fingers quickened their pace, sliding in and out of you with practiced ease, each movement eliciting a soft moan from your lips. He watched you intently, his eyes dark with lust as you ran one hand over the swell of your breasts, pinching your nipple through the thin fabric of your blouse just hard enough to send a jolt down to your core. The scent of your arousal filled the air, mingling with the faint smell of your perfume and the cigarette that he had moments before approaching you in the cafeteria, creating an intoxicating blend that drove him wild.

"You like this, don't you?" he muttered, his voice low and rough. "Being spread out on my desk, ready for me to take you whenever I want."

You responded with a gasp, your hips lifting to meet his hand, craving more of the exquisite friction he provided. His other hand gripped your thigh tightly, his thumb brushing against your sensitive skin, adding to the whirlwind of sensations overwhelming you.

It excited him, made him hard when he thought about how no one knew what you let him do to you, and how they couldn’t do anything about it even if they did find out. The secrecy added a tantalizing edge to every encounter, an illicit thrill that made his pulse quicken.

The added twist of your brother, although messier, made it even more exhilarating. The rivalry with Neal meant that fucking you felt like a personal victory over the Vice Principal. Each time he had you, it was as if he was asserting his dominance, winning a private battle that only he understood.

Lee loved to win, and every stolen moment with you was a triumph. The thrill of conquest and the raw, unrestrained passion between you made his blood sing, fuelling his desire and solidifying his need to claim you again and again.

Sometimes, after coming down from your post-coital rendezvous in his office or under the bleachers, Lee would think that perhaps he didn't only love to win, but maybe loved you too. In those quiet moments, when the heat of passion had cooled and reality seeped back in, he felt a flicker of something deeper. Then, he'd light a cigarette, the sharp scent of tobacco filling the air, and shake his head, reminding himself that there were only three things he truly cared for in life—power, secrecy, and reputation.

You played a significant role in all of these. Your illicit encounters fuelled his sense of control, the thrill of secrecy added spice to his otherwise calculated life, and maintaining his pristine reputation meant everything to him, which he couldn't do without your cooperation. But no matter how good your pussy felt, he couldn't let you overshadow his priorities. He repeated this in his mind like a mantra as he leant forward, and licked a hot stripe up the expanse of you with the flat of his tongue.

"Lee," you mewled, the hand not on your breast moving to tangle in his frosted tips as he hooked your legs over his shoulder. His mouth was hot on you again, his tongue flicking back and forth as it lapped up the juices weeping from where his fingers were fucking into you. The sensation was electric, sending waves of pleasure coursing through your body.

His fingers moved in a steady rhythm, matching the pace of his tongue, driving you closer to the edge with every stroke as you muffled his moans. Your hips bucked involuntarily, seeking more of his touch, and he responded by pressing deeper, his growl vibrating against your sensitive skin.

Every nerve in your body was alight, the pleasure building to an almost unbearable peak. His grip on your thigh tightened, holding you in place as he continued his relentless assault on your senses. The combination of his fingers and tongue was driving you wild, your moans growing louder as you teetered on the brink of ecstasy.

When his nose nudged your sensitive nub, you cried out into the room. "Shut the fuck up," he hissed, his mouth leaving you but his fingers continuing their relentless assault. Whispered apologies fell from your lips as you writhed against the desk. He dipped his head again, wrapping his lips around your clit and sucking hard.

You felt him smirk against you, fully aware that what he was doing made it nearly impossible for you to stay quiet. The pressure of his mouth and the skilful movement of his fingers pushed you to the edge, each sensation amplified by the need to stifle your sounds.

Your whispered apologies turned to desperate pleas as he curled his fingers inside you, stroking with precision. You keened at the pleasure, rolling your hips to seek it again and again, your body completely at his mercy.

"That's it, baby," he murmured, his voice a mix of command and encouragement. He alternated between sucking and licking your clit, his tongue moving in perfect rhythm with his fingers as they worked you open. The sensations were overwhelming, each stroke and flick sending you spiralling closer to your climax.

Your body responded eagerly, muscles tensing and releasing as waves of pleasure threatened to course through you. "Ride my face," he murmured against you, the vibrations of his voice adding to the intensity as his nails dug into your thigh, not holding you still this time but instead encouraging you to grind against him. "Go on, you know I want it. Don't hold back." His words were both a challenge and an invitation, urging you to take what you needed without hesitation.

With a few final, desperate rolls of your hips, you surrendered to the building pleasure, letting it crash over you in powerful bursts. Your climax tore through you, leaving you breathless and trembling, the room echoing with the sounds of your release. Your body convulsed, your swollen cunt clenching around his fingers and soaking them with a gush of juices that seeped down to the desk below.

Lee worked quickly, lapping up every bit of your release from you as the last of the shockwaves wracked your limp body. He kissed and nipped lightly at your thighs before drawing back to take your hands in his, pulling you up like a rag doll to sit before him. You slumped forward, resting your hands on his shoulders as he captured your lips in a heated kiss.

You sighed at the taste of yourself on his warm lips, his hands slinking around your waist to pull you into his lap. Straddling him, you felt the hardness of his arousal pressing against you through his clothes. His kiss was intense, filled with raw hunger as he moaned against your lips, and you responded eagerly, your fingers threading through his hair.

His hands roamed your back, sliding under your shirt to feel the warmth of your skin. The connection between you was electric, every touch and kiss reigniting the fire between you. You could feel his need, his desire to take you, and it matched your own as you rocked against him, swallowing his gasp with your kiss.

Your mind was still reeling from the high, your attention fixated on pulling Lee closer, savouring the taste of yourself on his lips. The office door opening went unnoticed, and your brother's booming voice didn't register until Lee abruptly pushed you off his lap, sending you sprawling onto the carpeted floor.

Disoriented, you clung to the edge of the mahogany desk, its polished surface slick under your fingers. You pulled yourself up and peeked over the wood, willing yourself to focus. There stood your brother, his face a mask of fury, his eyes blazing with anger. He slammed the door shut behind him, the sound reverberating through the room. "What the hell is this?" he demanded, his voice like thunder, one hand clenched at his side and the other gripping his ornate cane tightly. 

"Gamby, I wasn't expecting you," Lee greeted with a forced smile, his fingers smoothing down the creases in his tie as he rose from his seat. His posture was stiff, tension evident in every movement. "Swift must have a damn death wish," he muttered under his breath, his voice low and edged with frustration. You winced at his words, feeling the sting of his disapproval.

"I sent Miss Swift on lunch," you whispered, your voice barely audible as you tried to explain. You glanced up at Lee, his expression steely as he looked down upon you, a harsh glare that made you feel even smaller. You mouthed your apology, hoping to diffuse the tension, but the atmosphere in the room was thick with unease. The weight of your brother's stare was almost unbearable, and you could feel the rage radiating off him in waves.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" Neal said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he drew both your attentions back to him. "Should I step outside so you can continue fucking my sister?" His voice was raised, face flushed, and you could see the prominent vein on his neck pulsing, a clear sign of his fury whenever he got worked up.

"What?" Lee asked, his voice taking on a jovial tone, though his smile faltered briefly. "Don't be an idiot, Gamby, I'm not fucking your sister," he reasoned, raising his hands in a placating gesture while nodding for you to get up from the floor.

Quickly, you adjusted your skirt, feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up your neck. You grabbed a manila folder that had fallen during the chaotic moment, clutching it tightly as if it could provide some semblance of reason. Rising to your feet, you held the folder up to Neal, trying to steady your shaking hands. "She was just helping with filing," Lee added, his voice smooth and reassuring but Neal's furious eyes remained fixed on him, scepticism etched across his face.

"Cut the bullshit, Russell! You've still got my sister's lady essence all over your goddamn mouth," Neal shouted in disgust, motioning to his own mouth with his hand. The air of pretence dropped from Lee's face as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, glaring at your brother with disdain.

You placed a hand on Lee's arm, your cheeks burning with embarrassment as you looked between the two men. "Can we behave like adults about this, please?" you implored, hoping to bring some sense of calm to the escalating situation. 

Neal shrugged, eyebrows raised as he looked at you with disappointment written all over his face. "I just can't believe you're gonna break Mama's heart like this."

"Excuse me? What's Mama got to do with this?" you snapped, feeling a surge of frustration.

"Well, doesn't she have a right to know her only daughter has been defiled by a fuckin' leprechaun?" Neal shot back, his voice dripping with contempt.

"We're the same height, motherfucker," Lee interjected, his irritation clear as he stepped out from behind the desk, trying to defend himself.

"Russell, I swear to God if you do not point that thing somewhere else," Neal threatened, grabbing a cushion from the sofa beside him. He chucked it at Lee, who quickly caught it and held it over the bulging tent in his pants, his jaw tight.

He fixed Neal with a threatening glare. "Gamby, you need to understand that your sister is a grown woman with her own sexual desires, and I happen to be the one fulfilling those desires—really fulfilling them," he stressed, his smirk widening into a taunting grin. The words hung in the air, dripping with provocative intent. Neal's face contorted with disgust, his fist clenching at his sides. The tension between the two men was palpable, a volatile mix of anger and defiance that seemed ready to explode at any moment as they stared at each other from across the room.

"Lee, stop it," you said, tugging at the sleeve of his jacket but his eyes didn't move from Neals. You looked at your brother who pointed his cane to Lee, challenging him, and you sighed. "Neal, if you breathe a word of this to Mama, I'll tell her about Ms. Abbot giving you a sloppy in the supply closet," you threatened, your voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

Neal's eyes snapped to you, then back to Lee, who held his hands up, his last ditch attempt at a gesture of innocence. Neal's face turned a shade redder, his fury momentarily replaced by shock and embarrassment as he dropped his cane back to his side. The balance of power shifted slightly, giving you a sliver of hope that the situation might be salvaged.

"You told her that? That's private, confidential information, Russell," Neal spat, his voice dripping with betrayal as he glared at Lee. "Just a couple of snakes in the grass, the pair of you."

You sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on you. "You know what? I've got a class to teach," you said, dropping the folder onto the desk with a thud. You moved towards the door, your steps purposeful. As you passed Neal, you paused, meeting his furious gaze with a calm steadiness. "I'll see you later at Janelle's race," you told him, hoping that by then he'd have somewhat gotten over this, although you knew it was going to take more than an afternoon for your stubborn brother to accept it.

He looked down at you, his demeanour wavering as you placed a hand on his arm. "I hope you wash the scent of shame from your body before you arrive," he said, his dramatic tone making you laugh despite the tension.

"Good to see you up and around, butthead," you said softly, giving his arm a light pat before reaching for the door. You turned back and glanced toward Lee, who was now slumped back in his chair with a pout on his face, still holding the cushion over his lap. You gave him a small wave. He rolled his eyes and shooed you away with a brush of his hand, his expression a mix of frustration and resignation. 

As you stepped out of the office, you drew a deep breath, relieved to be out of the suffocating room. You knew that the repercussions of this encounter were far from over, but for now, you had other responsibilities to attend to, and the chaos of the moment would have to wait.

As you left, the muffled sounds of Lee and Neal arguing drifted through the door. You walked past Miss Swift, who had now returned to the reception area, her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"I'd give them a moment," you told her, offering a small, knowing smile. Miss Swift nodded, her curiosity momentarily subdued, and you continued on your way, grateful to put some distance between yourself and the tumultuous scene you had left behind.

Hours later, as you sat at your desk watching your students during the afternoon pop quiz, you felt your phone buzz in the pocket of your skirt. The room was quiet except for the scratching of pencils on paper and the occasional rustle of paper. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, you discreetly pulled out your phone. The soft glow of the screen lit up your face as you saw the notification. You couldn't help but smile to yourself at the message, the tension from earlier in the day easing slightly.

Lee: Your brother's a little bitch. My least favourite Gamby.

You stifled a chuckle, biting your lip as you imagined the irritated look on Lee's face while typing the message. Moments later, another message arrived.

Lee: ❤️

The unexpected emoji made your heart skip a beat. You glanced up to ensure your students were still focused on their quiz, then allowed yourself a brief moment to savour the warm feeling spreading through your chest. You tucked your phone away, the smile lingering on your lips as you tried to refocus on your students, your mind still replaying the texts long past the bell.

[ladyandherbooks]

Runaan's Last Mission

So with the new season coming up and the confirmation that Kimdael is in season 5 I have a new theory regarding Runaan, Kimdael and why I think that killing her will be Runaan's final mission as an assassin.

You see there are some interesting links between Runaan and Kimdael, both are powerful warriors who have achieved the status of legends in their own lifetimes who have taken a number of lives. However, their statuses as legends are very different, Kimdael achieving her status through her greed and cruelty while Runaan achieved his through his selflessness, desire to protect the weak and his deep love for Xadia.

And then we come to how they both view taking a life. It's interesting to note that both of them discuss and reference the weight of a life in Bloodmoon Huntress:

However it's important to note the differences in these moments. When Runaan discusses the weight of taking a life he describes it as a balance, that taking a life may end hatred and cruelty but it also prevents any change, love and more from happening. He understands that death ends any chance of atonement or redemption and that this is an important weight and truth that every assassin must understand. That all life is important and that taking it must be taken seriously.

Kimdael however interprets the weight of taking a life very differently. Her interpretation is greedy and self serving, the lives that she takes are innocent, only taken to serve her, her desires and goals. She's willing to take anyone she finds, including children if it means that she continues to live and, given what we now know about her, serve Aditi's descendants. She's ignoring the true weight and value of the lives she is taking, only seeing their true potential in death. She has forgotten to value life.

And so it would be very thematically satisfying to see Runaan, someone guided by love and who truly understands what it means when you take someone's life finally end Kimdael, a fellow Moonshadow elf who has turned her back on this belief.

And what makes this worse is that she simply doesn't care about her crimes and cruelty anymore. She even taunts Runaan with the fact that she will kill again because she knows that it will anger and stay with him.

Kimdael has become arrogant, believing that she cannot be killed, that she cannot be stopped (except of course by a member of the Sunfire royal family), especially by a fellow Moonshadow elf.

But this again is another reason why Runaan, with the help of Ethari and Rayla and possibly others must be the one to finally stop her. Because despite her connection to the Sunfire royal family and her exile, she and always will be a Moonshadow elf. And it should be a Moonshadow elf who finally stops her once and for all. To fix the imbalance that she has created in Xadia, in Moonshadow society and within herself. And the one who takes her life, who fixes this balance should be someone who understands this balance, this weight, who feels it deep within themselves everyday of their lives.

Someone who is the complete opposite of Kimdael and someone who would never go down the path she went down. And the elf that best fits this description is Runaan.

It would also be very satisfying to see this be his final mission as an assassin, to finally have the best and most Moonshadow of all Moonshadow elves to defeat their worst, most cruel and corrupted example of themselves. To have a legend of love and protection defeat a legend of cruelty and hate.

And then let that be the end of it, with this final mission to put an end to the worst of their people and one of the most evil elves in Xadia let Runaan retire from his duties as an assassin forever. Let this final mission be his greatest, most important mission, let it be his swan song.

Let it also be his first step towards a new path, a new duty, one which allows him to protect and serve his people without having to kill or to leave his home and the people that he loves.

[belit0]

Could you make more scenarios of Sarada with the clan like more hcs yk? That’s only if that’s okay!

Of course it's okay!!

I didn't give much importance to Boruto because I was disappointed how Sarada knows nothing about her clan, I despair about her ignorance of the beautiful men who made up her family, so I abandoned it after the first few chapters.

Not sure who she is as a character now, but yeah, this is it!

Indra

- Disappointment, pure and utter disappointment. This man expected more from his latest reincarnation. The fact he created such a weak creature hurts his soul.

- Yes, she is intelligent. Yes, she has potential. But what would she do in the face of war? Could she face the founder of her clan and come out of the fight alive? He doesn't think so. Indra expects more from all his descendants.

- He appreciates his successor's trying to rebuild the clan, but come on, do better Sasuke.

- If he came across her, he'd give her a dirty look and ignore her. If the girl tries to interact, he'd send her flying away with a light punch, given he doesn't enjoy murdering children (yet).

- "Any of my sons would eat you alive in a fight without even revealing a hint of power or interest. The remnants of my clan became weak, they lack a good war to wake up from their stupidity."

Madara

- Ew. Ew? Potential? Potential... With a little work, he could get himself something... eight hours of training a day under his own hand and traumatic events to develop her Sharingan... Maybe he can even pretend to kill her father...

- Of course, at first, it strikes him for the worse. Being a man raised for war and being the strongest Uchiha after his ancestor, he expects his entire family to meet a certain level of skill.

- He despises people raised in times of peace, disliking the serenity with which they live and how they are constantly susceptible to any enemy attacks. Sarada will be forged by his own training regime.

- He will aim to turn her into a mini-version of him, have a right hand to help him bring down the world the Senjus ended up forming. A second version of Obito.

- "Child, there is still much to learn, let me guide you and bring you to your greatest potential. Your father will be a joke next to you once we're done."

Izuna

- Little Uchiha girl!!!!! Who would have thought his idiot doppelganger would be able to produce such a beautiful and perfect human being!!! The jewel in his heart, protect the girl at all costs.

- If Sarada has a problem with someone, he'll take care of it. He will bully as many children as necessary and stage their nightmares, don't touch my baby. Soon he will become the monster of the Uchiha clan, and kids will spread legends about the fearsome man who protects the newest born.

- He will destroy a few childhoods and traumatize many of them, but everyone knows not to mess with the little Uchiha. Izuna enjoys accompanying her everywhere and seeing the terrified looks directed at him.

- He fights with Shisui over time-sharing, finding the other man also wants to monopolize the girl. The two find a sort of bond, going everywhere together, and playing practical jokes on anyone who dares to mess with her.

- "Sarada, Sarada.... If someone bothers you, you must gouge their eyes out and smash them right in their face! Wait...first you gouge out one and squash it, so they get the point, cause if you gouge out both at the same time they won't be able to see you crush them...Yeah!"

Obito

- The one who puts a stop to Izuna and Shisui. He is reassured to know children have new opportunities and are not subjected to combat from a young age.

- He takes it upon himself to chase after both idiots so they don't get Sarada in trouble. The two have a strange concept of pranks and may end up with a house on fire. Obito will be there to prevent it.

- He likes spending time with her and enjoying her pristine, quiet, peaceful life. He loves her intelligence and likes to practice with her after Madara scolded the girl for not reaching his desired potential. He knows what it's like to deal with that grumpy old man, so he becomes an ally in this regard.

- He will help her achieve her training goals and develop her skills in a relaxed manner, contrary to what the other Uchiha sets out to do. He wants Sarada to live in harmony and tranquility, but being able to defend herself.

-"Alright, if we don't get you to perform this jutsu before your next session with Madara, he's going to make you fight him for hours. Let's try again, shall we?"

Shisui

- An Uchiha kid free of war and destruction! He never lived to see such a thing and is fascinated! Just like Obito, he is very reassured to know the new generations will not have to go through what he went through as a child.

- A babysitter, even if the girl is grown up and doesn't need him. He will accompany her everywhere and will want to meet all her friends, introducing himself as her uncle from a few good years ago.

- He will fight for custody of her time with Izuna, who also wants to be her daily companion. Shisui will find original ways to win Sarada's affection and will get desperate when learning his money is no longer good and he can't buy her sweets (times change and so do things, Shisui.)

-Constantly begin Sasuke to lend him money for buying things, and take her to spend fun times together. He will become the best uncle in no time, and will grow very fond of the girl.

- "What are we doing today, Sarada? Are you interested in trying the new sweets at the fair, or are we messing with that blond friend of yours?"

Itachi

- Peace, pure peace. He loves knowing his brother was able to have a family, maybe not under the best of conditions, but still. He enjoys his niece to the fullest and is very touched by her relationship with Shisui.

- He soon becomes her most trusted confidant. Sarada knows she can count on him for everything, and she turns to him for help when she needs advice or someone to listen to her. Itachi absorbs everything she tells him with patience, and speaks from the heart.

- His favorite thing to do is to sit and enjoy a cup of tea while listening about her day, how things are working at the academy, and how her adventures and wanderings are going. If her tale involves any Uchiha doing something questionable, he'll be sure to have a chat with them afterward.

- Itachi is the one who reassures her when training with Madara is too hard or when Sasuke isn't paying attention to her, quickly becoming her father figure.

- "Sarada... life isn't easy, and it certainly wasn't for your father. You must forgive him for acting so distant at times, and know that he loves you."

[siriuslysatorusimping]

Sample: Kiko's Original Work

Hi. I uhhhh. There's the summary just below and then some small blurbs/excerpts below the cut 😬

They likely won't make a lot of sense. But I wanted to show a bunch of different sections... I'd love to know what you guys think 😊

It's been a while since I looked at this, too. So it was really fun to go back through it!

Summary:

“The cold and I,” she murmured, her eyes burning bright and reflecting the dangerous fire within her. “We don’t know each other, little one.”

Non-humans haven’t been seen in over a century. They’re mythology now. A class taught in the schools that covers the legends of non-human creatures. No human has knowingly interacted with a non-human in over a hundred years. And they certainly don’t believe in them, despite the evidence of the creatures all throughout older parts of the Capital City of Heims. The pieces of the original city that remain, still standing against the harsh weather that plagues the region almost year-round, hold traces of those who once resided within the city walls. Of the magic users responsible for the safety those walls now offered. The same ones who were burned alive in the center of the city they helped build.

-

“It’s said,” her grandfather would whisper in her ear as she drifted off to sleep, “That descendents of the Ejdirla Kan were to be reincarnations of history’s strongest dragons.”

But none lived long enough to have children.

Except him.

“That’s you,” he would say, pride in his burning eyes as he smiled down at her content form. “That’s what you are, yavrum. A very powerful dragon resides in you. It will guide you, help you.”

-

“And what do the legends say of my kind?” her eyes were burning bright when she turned to stare at him. He could feel the anger radiating from her. “Other than that they’re extinct?”

“Creatures of great power-”

“Do the legends mention that they disappeared because they were hunted?”

The question caused Aeran to snap his mouth shut. He’d known the legends mentioned power, danger, how violent the Dragon Breaths were, but they never mentioned them being hunted.

“Why would they-?”

“My kind were hunted after the Great War. And slaughtered. My grandfather was the only to escape.”

-

Pietro clenched his jaw as he focused his energy on uttering the protection spell he had told his sister to use on the abandoned diner. Now using it to keep the space from becoming an oven in Aleva’s fire.

You did it on purpose, he accused bitterly as he watched her. She knew he would stay to protect the others if he thought her flames were too much, for so many various reasons. You’d truly rather die than let me help?

Still no response from her, her mind completely silent as she pretended to ignore him.

-

“They’re channeling abyss and aether simultaneously, melding the two outside of the vessel.”

Pietro let out a small sound of wonder. “It’s inefficient,” he stated, his brows furrowing as he came to the realization. “But the end result is the same: Abeyance.”

A trap. The pawns placed perfectly to lure the queen into her demise.

Aleva stood in the center of the square now, surrounded completely by ghulruh as the two magic users approached slowly.

-

“It’ll be impossible for her to melt any of them while they’re here.” He was shrugging his coat off as he spoke to his sister. “I’m going to need you to help me.”

The flames in front of the building rose higher as he spoke, telling him Aleva already knew what he was going to do. Her aura glowed bright now, flames encasing her as her eyes moved to meet his for just a moment, ordering him to stay inside.

Pulling his daggers from his coat before dropping it to the floor, he met Willa’s eyes. Understanding passed between them when she nodded, already muttering the incantation. It wasn’t meant for humans, but it would at least keep him alive as he passed through the fire.

Pietro cracked his neck, mentally preparing himself before propelling himself forward. Sparks jumped from the blur he left behind, the lightning he channeled striking the ground where he landed.

Blue mist shimmered around Aleva as he appeared behind the ghulruh, the ends of his sweater burned and his hair singed. He let out a steaming breath, the sweat on his forehead freezing as the climate set in.

It had been hotter than he’d expected, even for her.

-

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Hi. I see you're really keen on the idea of an Azula redemption arc and I was wondering if you were willing to help me.

You see, I'm writing my own Zutara au and I wanted to give Azulas a simple but well meaning redemption arc but I don't know where to start. She is a complex character so I don't wanna go "and now she is good". Because that's also the point, I don't want to turn her into a goody-goody two-shoes, picture perfect princess. I want to keep that snarky and sarcastic side of her, mixed in with a little bit of tsundere. I want to make her an aunt to my two Zutara babies so she'll keep her caring side but more on the down low.

Anyway... Do you think you can give me some ideas? I also don't know who I want to ship her with so Azulaang ideas are welcome but not a must (nothing against the ship, i just haven't decided between Taang or Azulaang)

Thank you!!

How about this?

Due to Azula and Aang being a descendant of Aang's past life Roku. The two become spiritually connected, linked, and bonded with each other. This bond came to be right after Aang let go of Katara and embrace his last chakra, which instantly caused Aang to lose any romantic feelings he had for Katara. They can use this bond to slowly create another, more emotional and intimate bond. We don't give Aang enough credit of being sassy, sarcastic and mischievous in his own right. I'd kill to see Aang and Azula throw sass and comebacks at each other, it'll be peak entertainment.

I picture Azula's redemption being like Dante's divine comedy trilogy but it's metaphorical and psychological. She'd go through 9 circles of the burning hells, 9 earthly terraces of purgatory and 9 spheres of the high heavens. That's a total of 27 episodes.

You want an example of what a redeemed Azula looks like? Look no further than Diablo 3 reaper of souls, the female wizard: A deadpan snarker? check. Has fire and lightning powers? check. Is a prodigy? check. Her characteristics, design and clothing based on East Asia? check. Insufferable genius but can back it up? check. A one woman army? check. Is voiced by Grey DeLisle herself? check check check.

I've read a few Azulaang AUs where Aang teaches Azula how open and master her chakras. Each has there own interpretation on what's blocking each of her chakras. Here's what I have in mind.

Azula's fear is abandonment and being seen as monster, as evidence with the beach and the mirror scene.

As for her guilt, it's possible she may have some guilt over how Zuko was treated given how quick she was to overturn his banishment, she just couldn't bring herself to admit it and apologize. I than imagine Azula going through the same stuff Zuko went through in Zuko alone. Azula sees the damage her war has wrought, befriends some earth commoners but later turn against her either by finding out who she is or when she does something maniacal and unhinged which. Azula takes their rejection WAY harder than Zuko and angrily lashes out and wounds an innocent, which increases her guilt further.

Shame. Her failure to fulfil Ozai's promise to be fire lord and her humiliating defeat by Katara's hands is pretty self explanatory.

Greif. Contrary to popular belief, I think Azula loved Lu Ten and the two had close relationship. Why else would she only have her sights on Ba sing se and is dead set on bring it down? What comes in the form of new love, Azula sees Zuko and starts bawling her eyes out.

The lies she was told all came from Ozai. I picture Ozai and Azula having a similar dynamic between Anaken and Palpatine. You oughta explore more of the relationship between Ozai and Azula.

It's obvious by now she fell prey to the illusion of separation, but she also seems to be chasing after the illusion of perfection.

Her earthly attachment? It's Ozai. Hands down.

I hope any of this helps.

Btw, I'm currently trying to write a book 4: air. But the second half of season 2 of legend of korra will be shown in Aang's saga. Particularly book 4: air. Ozai is the dark avatar and he’s the most powerful firebender, earthbender, waterbender, airbender and energybender in existence after slaying the last lion turtle and absorbing its soul during Sozin's comet. But instead of Ozai fusing with Vaatu, Ozai IS Vaatu, and he was directly but secretly behind the starting of the 100-year-war. It's Aang that goes through the destruction of the original avatar cycle and heralds a new spiritual/avatar era, but this time, Raava becomes the spirit of light/peace and darkness/chaos at the same time, aka, the spirit of balance, she also embodies and controls all sources of bending.

[briar-craft]

Pokemon ideas

Okay, so recently I've been playing Pokemon Black 2 again, and had an idea for an older trainer/ranger. Now, imagine a young boy living near a nursery, where one of the pokemon there was a Leavanny who has eggs of her own from time to time because hey, just part of pokemon. He wants to go on an adventure when he grows up, so his parents decided to let him have a pokemon. He's so excited until they bring him a Sewaddle. He knows Grass/bug types are really weak, so he's pouty for a while, until he sees how scrappy the Sewaddle is. The Sewaddle, while loving his mother's creations of clothes and such, is not the best at it himself, but loves to battle and wants to get stronger.

While at home, Sewaddle's clothes stay in shape because he has his mom around to help. But, once it's time to go, it starts to get ripped here and there. He at least keeps it in tact enough to wear and not look strange, but the patchwork jobs he does is patchy, and is noticeable over time.

Finally, he is now a Leavanny himself, but he still has no sense of mending his own clothes. One time while they were at home visiting, he was sitting and watching his mother when she collapses. She's older now, frail, but she helps him accept nature and death. Since then, his clothes are his most prized possession, even though they are tattered and patchy, holding onto his mother's love while walking beside his trainer. Though sometimes he'll be taking a nap while his trainer is getting berries or something, and passing by trainers think he's hurt just because it's rare to see Leavanny's clothes having small holes and large chunky patch jobs.

And now a bit of "what if" for the protags of Legends. Spoilers to come under the cut. And for the sake of making things flow better, I'm going to refer to Dawn as the protagonist, but if you wanted to do something with them, you can swap in Lucas if you want.

Now, what if at the end of Legends Arceus, the protag actually does get to go back to their time. Sure, a bit hard at first, but they missed their home: Twinleaf Town.

Even though they are older, I believe the game says 16 or so, they can no longer just sit at home in their tiny town anymore. So they set off the Diamond and Pearl plot basically. Now before, they don't really react to Professor Rowan just because they knew about him through the tv programs, so they knew he was the descendant of Kamado. Dawn is a little caught off guard at Lucas' appearance, just because Rei didn't really seem that interested in a relationship with anyone, and just focused on his work as a scout. But whatever happened, doesn't really concern her anymore, she's just happy it seems her friend found someone.

The first time she's really thrown for a loop is meeting Team Galactic. And not in a good way. She's a bit more fired up due to them using Galaxy Team's emblem to cause trouble.

Then, she starts to meet the commanders. Mars and Saturn she knows, but not really Jupiter, but that doesn't stop her from trying to have Team Galatic change their ways with mixed effects.

The biggest obstacle she faces though is when she sees Cynthia for the first time. Volo had betrayed her in a way she could never forgive, not to mention the terrifying pokemon that was Giratina had flashed in her mind first seeing Cynthia. I would say there's a good chance she had no idea about Cynthia before this due to Cynthia not being on TV as much as the professor, plus she apparently wasn't interested in becoming a trainer until after her trip to the past so she wouldn't look into the champions of the regions.

Whenever Cynthia does come up, Dawn is so carefully guarded against her considering Volo was nice in the beginning too but turned out, from her perspective, to have a hand in almost destroying the world just because he wanted to meet Arceus and had grown power hungry.

During the fight with Dialga/Palkia, she's calm, collected, because she knows the true kind of power they could have in them but they don't have access to it. But then, when she gets to the Champion's room, seeing Cynthia there she gets chills. It's made all the more worse when Cynthia sends out Spiritomb first and it all rushes back at Dawn ten fold.

The sickening power running through the air. The look of excitement in her eye. The cry of the ghost/dark pokemon in front of her. She gets overwhelmed, passing out from the rush itself, the fear of seeing those red eyes once again in front of her. She later wakes up in the infirmary of the Pokemon League. Barry is right by her side, and he's freaking out, wondering what the hell happened in the champion's room. She apologizes and explains everything that happened when she had disappeared. She never told him as it just sounded insane to herself, and she was the one that lived through it. But she lays it all out to him there. Turns out Rowan and Lucas were just behind the door, listening as well, and Rowan comes out to offer Dawn some time on Cynthia's behalf, not having to face the E4 again before challenging Cynthia herself again, to recover from such an experience with therapy. Maybe going to another region to clear her head. Maybe she'd meet a train master who lost his brother while doing so.

[wheelchair-wizard]

Irish Mythology

VOL 13

Aine Goddess of Fertility

Áine, the legendary Irish Goddess, is the Celtic Goddess of Summer and Wealth who, while known for her healing nature, also had a dark side, as she became famous for how she took revenge on a cruel Irish king.

Áine, pronounced ‘awn-ya’, was a legendary Irish goddess who was said to represent the sun, fertility, and love. She was also said to possess the power to grant a bountiful harvest. 

Áine has always been associated with the west of Ireland and with County Limerick in particular, where there is Knockainey Hill, Cnoc Áine in Irish, which was named in her honour.

Interestingly, her name is also remembered in other locations throughout the country, such as Toberanna (Tobar Áine) in Tyrone, Lissan (Lios Áine) in Derry, and Dunsany (Dun Áine) in Louth.

Before she became known as Áine the Irish Goddess, Áine was already special as she was the daughter of a Sea God called Manannán. 

She was known and well-liked for her healing nature and knowledge of natural remedies and was widely seen as a symbol of hope and love that people adored.

Áine was said to be very beautiful, and as such, it was said that she had many different lovers who would be consumed by her passion. It was also said that she had a very vengeful nature that was to be feared if provoked.

However, it was her tragic interaction with the cruel king of Munster, Oilill Olum, and its aftermath which forged her place in history as an important figure of Irish legend.

Oilill Olum, otherwise known as Ailill Ollamh or Ailill Aulom, was the semi-mythological King of Munster who had a huge problem.

He made the shocking discovery that the grass in his many fields simply would not grow, which meant that soon his livestock and people would starve and die.

Oilill Olum sought the help of a Druid called Ferchess, who instructed him to go to Knockainey on Samhain Eve, better known as Halloween.

When Oilill Olum arrived there, he suddenly fell into a deep sleep and had a vision of Áine, who came to him as she was the Goddess of bountiful harvests and fertility.

When Oilill Olum met Áine, instead of listening to the Goddess and heeding her advice, Oilill Olum was overcome with lust and desire and forced himself onto her.

During this assault, Áine, of course, became outraged and exacted immediate revenge by biting off his ear.

This act would go on to have huge ramifications for Oilill Olum because, according to ancient Irish law, only a person who is “unblemished” would be allowed to rule.

By biting off his ear, the mythical Goddess had forever maimed Oilill Olum, and he lost his kingdom as he was now deemed by ancient Irish law to be unfit ever to rule again as he was now imperfect.

From that time on, the surname of the king, Olum, became known as meaning “one-eared” in Irish.

Surprisingly despite this, his descendants, who went on to become known as the Eoghanachta, became a powerful Irish dynasty based in the Cashel area in Tipperary that dominated and controlled the southern part of Ireland for many years.

This fact helped the legend of the Goddess Áine to grow wide as she became associated with having the ability to grant power and sovereignty.

Áine was also widely known as the Queen of the Fairies and as Áine Chlair (Áine of the Light). Rites in her honour were held regularly as recently as 1879, where Midsummer rituals were performed by locals in hopes of encouraging fertility and bountiful harvests.

The legacy of Áine the Irish Goddess is still strong today as she is remembered as being among one of the most revered and most powerful of the Irish Goddesses.  She is also remembered for how she took revenge on a terrible king who wronged her.

Most of all, Áine, the Goddess of Healing, Goddess of Sovereignty and Goddess of Sun, will probably be remembered for the duality of her personality.

This is because she was both loving and caring whilst also being quick to get angry and vengeful. Now, she is remembered in the places that bear her name. Knockainey Hill, Toberanna, Lissan and Dunsany.

Christy,

Male, Husband, Dad, Family man, Friendly, Easygoing.

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[iamconstantlyinpain]

Trapped

A Yandere!Kitsune!Childe x Reader

warning(s): yandere themes, obsession, abuse of power(magic?), lmk if i missed something

A/n: Here it is! Finally, i had an itty-bitty hard time thinking about how the story goes, but it was a great time writing this! (and it looks like i got carried away with how long this is) And oh! Here's also the drawing that was requested along with the fic, hope you like it~ Thank you again for requesting @banettelbatkva 💕

Word count: 2.8k

The forest near your village was highly avoided, elders telling that it was cursed and should be barricaded so that whatever was in there won't go into the village and vice versa. They don't want any trouble getting inside their peaceful village.

Inside the said forest, lives a creature from the legends that has been passed down from generation to generation, now seen as an evil entity that plays with the lives of people it encounters, a cold-hearted and ruthless kitsune that goes by the name "Tartaglia" or now "Childe", as per what the elders call him in their stories.

He finds it ridiculous, and at first offending, because the moment they saw and experienced his true self they started calling him "troublemaker", "curse bringer", and even a kidnapper whenever a person in the village disappears! Utterly ridiculous he thinks, when he didn't even commit any of the crimes they point at him as the sole suspect.

With the treatment he was getting, he just decided to return back into his forest and never come out again, then maybe, just maybe, the village he cared for would find his absence a good sign

They did of course, celebrating that they finally got rid of the kitsune that has been causing trouble and panic in their village.

"Ah~ No more kitsune to disturb our people! How about we call for a celebration for this yeah?" said the village chief to his men, highly overjoyed by the fact that Tartaglia was back to where he came from

"That's a very good idea chief! Everyone! The chief is hosting a celebration for the Kitsune's disappearance!" one man shouted where the villagers can hear him, they were ecstatic to say the least, "Prepare for a banquet people! We're gonna have fun tonight!" and so they did

Tartaglia didn't like that honestly, he was hurt that the village he loves wanted him gone, and they were happy that he's gone from the village, oh what did he do to deserve this? He asks himself as he watch the people dance and eat around in the name of Tartaglia the Kitsune's disappearance

He turned around with bitterness filling his senses, they don't want him? Fine. Maybe he can become that thing the villagers always describe him as, a ruthless prankster that does evil things for fun. If they can’t accept him then so be it, he’s not shackled to be a good entity anymore, so why not?

This now brings us back to the present, now with you as a descendant of the former chief that drove Tartaglia away from your village. Everything has changed by then, although olden stories and rhymes about him still lingered and believed by your fellow villagers. The stories intrigue you ever since you could understand what your parents were telling you, you were curious about him and even wanted to see him yourself

You were supposed to be scared of him, you were supposed to believe all the stories that the elders passed down unto your generation, yet you find yourself sneaking away at night to go the forbidden forest near your village, bringing some food from your dinner as some sort of offering

“What could go wrong anyway? It’s not like the stories about him is true...” you thought to yourself 

“...I just want to see him with my own eyes” to confirm if he was truly evil as they say? You honestly don't know anymore as you try to find your way half through in the forest

You could swear that you can feel eyes boring holes into your entire being as you try to set your sense of direction straight again, and you could also swear you’ve been walking for hours but you keep seeing the same weird mushroom on the bottom of a zigzagged tree. You don’t even know if it’s still night or day already because of how dark it was in the forest, the only source of light was the somewhat luminescent plants that you don't know when appeared

Now you’re contemplating whether it was truly a good idea going into the forest all alone and with the sole reason of finding a kitsune from the legends that you’re not also sure is even true.

Tartaglia looked at you, intrigued that a villager from the same village that drove him away decided to come in his forest unprepared. He could’ve dubbed it as a dumb hunter that heard the stories of the elders deciding to head into the forbidden forest just to catch and maybe kill the kitsune that lives there, but no, you didn’t have any capturing equipment with you or any of the sort that is meant for killing, or maybe you were a trained professional? Seeking him for a price above his head. That was how cautious Tartaglia was around you, a mortal human, he had already learned not to trust your kind, he’s not falling for any of your kin’s tricks anymore.

He decided to play with your poor self, making you go around in circles and making you confused for almost half a day now. He was quite entertained at the “show” you were putting on for him. You should’ve been hungry by now but you refused to eat the food you brought with you, were you really serious about finding him? Wait, he wasn’t even sure if you’re looking for him in the first place! 

But his suspicions were turned down when he heard you speak to no one in particular, “Good archons, is that Childe even true? Maybe I’m just delusional thinking that he was actually true and now that brings me here!” you screamed in frustration

Raising an eyebrow, Tartahlia finally let you off of his illusions, maybe he felt pity for you for some reason, or maybe it was because there was actually someone willing to look for him without ulterior motives? He doesn’t know the answer in his questions as he looked at your face light up in relief as you finally found something different other than the weird mushroom

You found a shrine, possibly it was in the middle of the forest but you couldn’t possibly care as you finally laid out the offering you brought with you.

Clapping your hands in a prayer position and closing your eyes, you asked for someone or anything to guide you to the answer you were looking for

And as if your prayer was fulfilled then and there, you heard a male voice behind you

"What's a human like you doing here?" He asked, whipping your head back to look at the sudden voice, your eyes widened when you saw a young man with ginger hair and deep blue eyes that seems to glow yet no light can be seen in them

What was more evident was the ears atop his head, as if he was a...

"Kitsune?" you thought outloud, the male looked at you with a small smirk as you realized what you just said. Clasping your hands onto your mouth you muttered an apology

"I'm Tartaglia, or whatever the people in your village call me now, was it Childe?" he said, crossing his arms and tilting his head a little, the small smirk never leaving his face

"O-Oh, hi, I'm (Y/n)... I came here to look for the kitsune in the stories the elders always tell," you answered the question "But I don't think I still need to do it since you're in front of me now."

"How curious, aren't you scared of me?" he said as he suddenly disappeared into thin air, startling you as you then try to look for him

"Aren't I the big bad kitsune that the villagers tell you to not get close to?" his voice was everywhere in the air and you don't know where to look exactly

"I am now that you're doing that, but I'm here to know if you're really THE big bad kitsune that they always tell us about" you answered

"You know that you're in danger right now don't you?" his voice suddenly become clearer behind you, facing him immediately

"This forest is big and you barely found your way through it, are you sure you can get away from me?" he taunted as he slowly walked towards you, his tail behind him moving ever so slow as it flicks left and right

Unexpectedly to him though, you didn't flinch or run away when he was walking towards you, he can see you trembling and clutching your kimono so hard it's obvious that you're scared

Stopping on his tracks in front of you, he observed you closely from head to toe and back into your eyes

He saw that it was full of determination with a mix of admiration and fear, something that he hasn't seen ever since he came back to his forest

Backing away with his eyebrows raised, he let out a huff and turned away, seemingly leaving you there

"W-Wait!" you called out, though he didn't stop from walking away "Please help me find my way out of here!"

At that he stopped and turned around, looking at you with a smug face, his fangs showing

"Okay." shrugging he went the other way, as if telling you to follow him

After some time you found yourself out of the forest, looking back you were about to thank him but he was gone

The next night you decided to come into the forest again, sneaking out and bringing food with you

Tartaglia was shocked to say the least, that it was you again that he was playing with again, what shocked him more was you were calling out to him

"Childe! Childe! Are you in there? Childe!" you shouted almost at the top of your lungs

"Hey tone it down will you, I can hear you all the way on the other side of the forest" he appeared beside you, startling you and almost making you fall on a stream

If it wasn't for him catching you on time you would've been wet by now.

Pulling you onto his chest to catch you, you were surprised at how gentle his touch was. Pulling away slightly you looked onto his face to thank him, but you saw him already looking down at you with unreadable eyes

He chuckled in response as you try to look away and mutter a word of gratitude but fail as your eyes keep coming back into his

"Like what you see?" he teased making you blush and pull away abruptly, causing you to actually fall into the stream. He laughed at you, wheezed at your pouting face

He helped you out of the forest that night again

He doesn't want to admit it but he liked your presence around him, how you brought almost new experiences to his immortal life, you got this light around you that reels him in oh so strong and he lets himself get caught up in it

You were someone who accepted him as what he truly was, his pranks might have irritated you sometimes but you didn't bad mouth him and always gave him smiles and giggles instead. You seem genuinely happy around him as you both travel the "vast" forest together

"I really like it here, it's really beautiful here and peaceful, without the others looking and judging you." you suddenly said when you both were walking near the mountainside

"Oh? Isn't it peaceful in your village without me there?" he asked

"No I don't think so, it might be peaceful but crimes happen every night like robbery and sometimes murder, the guys who commit them are mostly the guys I avoid when I come here"

"You don't have to go here every night you know, I barely know if you still sleep when you go back into the village" he said

"Oh I do alright, but I come here because I want to, I like spending time with you, you know? You always help me finding my way here either way" you said "And I like it when we stroll around like this.."

What you didn't know was it was all his doing, when he decides to use his powers to make the forest look infinite so that you two would spend more time together, you also still don't know it was him who intentionally makes you go around in circles whenever you enter the forest, and have to call out his name if you ever wanted to find your way around

He liked it that way, you relying on him whenever you needed help, he wanted you to rely on him and him only, you liked it too didn't you? Yeah you do, with the way you keep coming back to him every night just to spend time with him

Until one night though, you didn't come into the forest and call out his name, it was weird he said, because instead of you a different person came in your behalf

Tartaglia didn't want them, he wanted you, so where were you? Did you leave him? Did you find him boring now so you made someone else go instead of you? Oh this is unacceptable

Instead of greeting the new person kindly, he immediately got rid of them. He wanted you to come back to him

Every night new person comes into his forest, and he always kills them whenever they're deep enough inside, how many people was he supposed to kill just for you to come back to him?

He was angered when after a week he still didn't see any sign of you, he lashed out on the recent person

"Do you have any idea HOW THIS IS JUST GETTING FRUSTRATING DAY BY DAY? WHERE'S (Y/N)?!"

"T-They're in the village preparing to take over! Please have mercy!" they trembled as they fell onto the floor

"Ahh, you all just don't know how I want to keep them here forever with me, do you know those illusions I make?" he asked, but not expecting an answer, "oh yes them, I use them to make them call out to me every time they go out her way just to get in here."

"Ah~ That sweet voice of theirs calling my name, all helpless and wanting me to help them out.." he rambled on as the person watched him in horror

After he was finished talking with the person, he killed them on the spot, not even letting them make a step towards escape, he doesn't want them running their mouths and telling you everything he just said to them, no?

But unbeknownst to him, you were actually there, nearby but he didn't notice you, blinded by his rage and obsession, he didn't know that you heard all of the things he said

Eyes widened in horror, you flinched when Tartaglia turned around to look at you. The man was shocked at first, but his face contorted into a blissed one when he realized it was finally you who decided to appear

"Ah! (Y/n)! You're finally here!" he approached you with a big smile on his face that made his fangs stand out. He walked towards you so naturally as if he didn't just kill one of your servants

"D-Don't come near me right now.." you stuttered out, backing away, fear now slowly eating your entire being

Tartaglia's expression dropped faster than lightning when you said that, his ears and tails dropped along with it

"Why..?" he asked, he looked like a kicked puppy with him pouting and ears drooped, you could even here him whimper as he try to get close to you

"T-Tartaglia..! Stop right there for a minute yeah?" you said as you stepped back bit by bit, yet the space between you two seem to keep getting smaller and smaller

"Are you leaving me too..?" he asked, looking into your eyes as if looking for something, perhaps he was looking for proof that you're not going anywhere, but he fails to find what he's looking for as the fear in your eyes overpowers other emotions

"You can't leave me..! You can't!" he suddenly shouted, making you flinch and start running, fearing that he was also going to kill you like he did to all those other people you sent

You sent them here because you were busy preparing for your inheritance of the title "village chief", it was a great thing you thought, because you can remove the barricades in the entrance of the forest and finally show that Tartaglia wasn't someone who was evil like they say in the stories

Sending people over there was the first step you decided to do, maybe if people went there themselves, they'll see that Childe wasn't bad at all, and it was also convenient because you can't come yourself at the moment

Today was supposed to be the day you tell him that you're going to make him feel accepted again, but when you saw what he just did, you can't find the reason to remember all the things you wanted to do

What you wanted to do right now was to run, run away and save your life and alert the villagers about Childe going on a killing spree

"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!" you heard his shouts behind you

"NOT WHEN I FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE WHO ACCEPTS ME!" he said, his voice getting closer and closer

You saw the dirt you were running on grow the same weird mushroom and plants, and that's when you knew you were fucked

You once saw how his magic worked, whenever he uses his illusions, these same types of plants grow out of nowhere. It was like a sign that he was playing with the person who saw the plants

You liked it when you saw them back then because when they appear, you know that Tartaglia was there to save you from getting lost in the forest, it was also a sign that he was using his magic to show you something that you'll surely like

Now you cursed those same plants as you just try to get away from his illusions, and from him mostly

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" you heard him again "YOU'RE GOING TO STAY WITH ME HERE FOREVER!"

Seeing yourself nearing the edge of a cliff and knowing that you can't make it, you decided to call out for him

"T-Tartaglia, please stop! Please calm down for a second!" you said, stopping near the edge, not sure anymore where to go

You saw him emerge from the shadows with a crazed expression that sent shivers down your spine

"I finally caught up with you~" he cooed, his smile getting wider as he walked close to you

"W-wait, don't come any closer right now, please." you pleaded, looking behind you and finding no more ground to walk on, seeing how steep and deep the almost seeming like abyss, you started trembling

Tartaglia saw this and his smile widened, he knows where this was going, his plan's going to work!

"We can talk about this (Y/n), you just need to come with me yeah?" he said as he opened his arms towards you, expecting you to come running on his chest and embrace him

"N-No— I mean, not now, we can talk about it later, please just go away right now." you said, your hands in front of you in a shielding position

"What do you mean? Don't you like being with me? Why do you want me gone? Is it because I killed those people?" he bombarded you with questions

"You know I won't do that to you right? I can never hurt you! You're my sweet (Y/n) who loves me back! I can't have you gone now can I?" he said, spreading his arms more as if it would make you go to him faster

"I do like being with you, but what you just did was—!" you were cut off as you felt yourself falling down

Screaming, you were lucky enough to get a hold of the ground you were standing on before

"Childe!" you called out to him. Ah, there it is, you finally called out his name for help

"Childe please help me!" your sweet voice calling him out sounded like the trumpets in heaven, a blissful sound that puts him at peace

"Childe! Help!" he almost forgot that you were actually "falling", he ran up to you and pulled you up

You clinging onto him felt just right to him, yes, this was where you belong, in his arms as you rely on him and him only

"You're not leaving me right?" he asked, snaking his arms around you, encasing you in a protective embrace

Knowing again that you don't have any chance of escape anymore, you buried your face in his chest, hugging him tighter as you nodded

"Good girl" he said as he stood up, carrying you bridal style as he entered the forest again

You could swear that the cliff wasn't there when you looked back

Looking up to his face, you could barely see his smug expression as he finally have you in his arms, and you're not going to try and escape right? Well, you can't do it in the first place because he'll just use his illusions on you

So that you'll just keep coming back to him and call him for help over and over again until you learn your lesson.

You were trapped, and you can't do anything about it.

Masterlist here!

The event is still open! Feel free to send in some asks~

Thank you for reading!

©Iamconstantlyinpain

[black-coffee-and-sugar]

What the actual fuck

i had to sit with my thoughts on 6x18 for a while. you know every time i tell myself 'this is the worst episode' the sg writers say 'hold my beer'. this is the final season i can count all the genuinely good episodes on one hand with 3 fingers to spare. it's honestly so sad. the premiere injected me with so much promise, the phantom zone storyline was supposed to be the chance to explore kara as her own damn character again, 6b was going to give us all our endgames and the unity between the super friends that we've been robbed of for the past few seasons. but they have literally given us anything but that. for instance in this episode:

- started in such a strange place i actually had to check to make sure i didn't miss something

- cringe cringe cringe. why are the effects so bad

- fight scenes are so terribly choreographed. fire whoever is responsible

- william trusting otis with intel. super friends trusting the intel. especially lena. like come on, you should know otis better than the others and his relationship with your brother. you didn't think it was in the least bit suspect? the fuck happened to you lena???

- given how incompetent the super friends have been this entire season, im actually shocked that they managed to get those totems from nyxly

- nyxly's truth totem test used to further her contrived romance with lex and just like that, nyxly has ceased to exist as her own character. i was genuinely enjoying her as a villain up until this point

- andrea is actually not a nice person but i blame the writers for making her such a mean girl cut out instead of a complex, morally grey character. there's no actual motivation for her behaviour. her stock characterization, one dimensionality, one minute scenes this season is such a poor way to handle her. the only revelance she served was in 5x06 and i had hoped that they would spend more time with her as acrata and developing her friendship with lena, especially while lena was separated from kara and the super friends. but no, they didn't do that and im so irritated by this

- can't believe im saying this but william wasn't wrong with what he said to andrea. he wasn't. but he should just quit catco and go home. why isn't that an option?

- lena giving andrea solid advice. you know what that is? GROWTH

- idk how publishing lex's journals really does anything for catco or tainting lex's public image. if the trial didn't, the trial where he pretty much said "yes I wanted to mind control the world, what of it?" didn't convince the world he's evil and crazy, nothing will

- one of the most unbelievable things is that cat grant exists on earth prime and she's apparently quite fine with how catco, her baby, is a joke now

- alex cannot and does not understand kara's lived experience. "i was there" god y'all have no idea how that triggered me

- alex literally has two character traits: asshole cop and supportive sister. her reaction to kara's very reasonable suggestion about helping esme with her powers. is it a bad thing to use training wheels when you're learning how to properly ride a bike? the child doesn't know how to control her powers and it's overwhelming for her. taking steps to help manage that does not have to equate hiding and suppressing. it's just easing her into it while she learns control. like wtf was this scene

- kara apologized too why?

- lex getting all this character growth in these past 2 episodes is also triggering

- the way lex and nyxly are getting all this development and screentime when your MAIN CHARACTER GETS NOTHING

- lena on comms. Ooooh westallen vibes

- loving these kara and space dad scenes we've been getting recently

- brainia wtf. the crimes committed to this couple are UNENDING

- im assuming nia can't go to the future because she has a descendant there and this will basically become the same situation amaya was in on legends

- lena's little hip sway came too late in the episode to keep me invested

- but also can we take a minute to appreciate how hot everyone was looking this episode? even william

- william is allegedly "friends" with superheroes so my big question is, why wouldn't you call them instead of picking up a knife? you mean to tell me that the tower doesn't have a panic room or something? some internal lockdown sequence that is manual and therefore cannot be remotely disabled? is this a joke?

- i tried putting on my phone's video and putting it in perfect frame in 0.1 secs like william and it was not physically possible

- lex is an asshole yes but even him killing william made zero sense narratively

- andrea will be forever traumatized because she got william killed and you know what? im not even mad about that

- what does upset me is that william's death was not impactful. i think about tommy merlyn dying in arrow S1 or stein in legends S3 and how those deaths greatly impacted the main characters and the even the audience. but william's death did...nothing. even the super friends reaction to seeing him there on the floor bleeding out was...benign. it wasn't sad, it was stupid and unnecessary. but it fits the theme of them killing POC characters

- the bachelorette party lasted all of 2 minutes and honestly the episode should've ended there

- but also thinking about how short the party was, the lack of intimacy we saw from dansen and i am reminded that the cw is not interested in giving us real representation. don't let them fool you into thinking otherwise

- would also like to point out that all the couples were standing next to each other and it's very homophobic that supercorp and dansen were not grinding on their partners

- is it weird to have your dad at your bachelorette party? feels like it would be. honestly would've made sense for j'onn and eliza to babysit esme but no, they just had to get william involved and try (fail) to give him a "hero's death"

so what i gathered from this episode is no brainia, probably no supercorp, idk what is happening with andrea, lex and nyxly have become our main couple and that the super friends (comprised of a martian, kryptonian, 12th level intellect, dream energy wielding badass, genius billionaire/witch and 2 skilled vigilantes) need 2 men from the future and calvintown's paper editor to help them fight the big bads.

what the actual fuck

[cielrouge]

YA SFF Books by Asian Authors

Ash by Malinda Lo: In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed to love her and the King’s Huntress whom she loves.

Along the Indigo by Elsie Chapman: Marsden yearns to take her sister and escape Glory, a town famous for seedy businesses, but her friendship with Jude yields secrets that may chain them to the Indigo River forever.

Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard:  In this sci-fi retelling of Ramayana, Sera is a Hindu goddess incarnate and must battle between her good and evil sides in order to save the world from becoming hell on earth.

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee: It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her 17-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel, Raffe. 

The Archer at Dawn (The Tiger at Midnight #2) by Swati Teerdhala: Set in an Indian & Hindu-inspired world, long-held secrets will force Kunal and Esha to reconsider their loyalties—to their country and to each other.

The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif: After being fired from the Athena Protocol, an organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice, Jessie Archer investigates a human trafficking case in Belgrade, while her former teammates have been tasked with bringing her down.

Blood of a Thousand Stars (Empress of a Thousand Skies #2) by Rhoda Belleza: Rhee risks her crown to negotiate peace terms with villainous media star Nero, while framed assassin Aly plots revenge and Kara seeks technology that will erase her royal past.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco: Tea’s gift for death magic means that she is a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community, but when an older bone witch trains her to become an asha - one who can wield elemental magic - Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice in the face of danger as dark forces approach.

The Bronzed Beasts (The Gilded Wolves #3) by Roshani Chokshi: With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs, and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself, but at a price they may not be willing to pay.

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi: An epic YA fantasy about a girl with a special power to communicate with magical beasts and the warring kingdom only she can save.

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh: In 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight, half-Asian Celine Rosseau, a dressmaker from Paris, becomes embroiled in a murder mystery, connected to the glamorous supernatural cohort, known as the Court of Lions, and catching the eye of their mysterious, charismatic leader, Sèbastien Saint Germain.

Broken Web (Shamanborn #2) by Lori M. Lee: With Queen Meilyr bent on destroying the magical kingdoms, Sirscha becomes caught between a war in the east and the Soulless in the west.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad: Set in the city of Noor, along the Silk Road which has become a refuge for those of all faiths, Fatima becomes embroiled in a war between two clans of powerful djinn who threaten to destroy her peace in different ways, forcing her to make unlikely alliances to survive.

Caster by Elsie Chapman: In this Chinese-inspired, magical Fight Club, Earth is already at the brink of environmental disaster due to the magic overuse. And 16-year-old spell caster Aza Wu must navigate through an illegal, underground battle magic tournament, while evading local gangs and police scouts to save her family from ruin.

Catalyst by Lydia Kang: Zelia Benten has lost her father, the love of her life, and any future she might have imagined for herself. Now she, her sister, and the band of illegal genetic outcasts they’ve come to call their family are forced to run when the safety of their foster home is compromised.

A Clash of Steel (A Treasure Island Remix) by C.B. Lee: Set in 1820s China, Xiah joins Anh and her motley crew in pursuit of the hidden treasure of the legendary Dragon Fleet.

Chainbreaker (Timekeeper #2) by Tara Sim: In 1876, someone is destroying the clock towers that control India’s time. Teenage mechanics Danny Hart and half-white, half-Indian Daphne Richards as they travel to Agra to investigate a series of clock tower bombings.

The Chariot at Dusk (Tiger at Midnight #3) by Swati Teerdhala: In the final book of this epic fantasy trilogy, the lands’ fate, their people’s livelihoods, and the bond that sustains their world all depend on what Kunal and Esha can offer—to the gods and to each other.

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu: June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic--and each other--and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic's border cities.

Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye: Love, spies, and adventure abound as apprentice warriors Sora and Daemon unravel a complex web of magic and secrets that might tear them—and the entire kingdom—apart forever.

Control by Lydia Kang: In 2150, when genetic manipulation has been outlawed, seventeen-year-old Zelia must rescue her kidnapped sister with the help of a band of outcasts with mutated genes.

Court of Lions (Mirage #2) by Somaiya Daud: After being swept up into the brutal Vathek court, Amani, the ordinary girl forced to serve as the half-Vathek princess Maram’s body double, is desperate to continue helping the rebellion But can she bear to remain separated, forever, from Maram's fiancé, Idris? 

Cross Fire (Exo #2) by Fonda Lee: When the peaceful alien-run government withdraws from Earth, it seems that the terrorist group Sapience is going to get the "free" Earth it wanted; but Donovan Reyes, member of the security forces, and once a prisoner of Sapience, realizes that freedom comes with a price. 

The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye: Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia. The Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death. 

The Crown’s Fate (The Crown’s Game #2) by Evelyn Skye: Vika struggles with dangers in her new role as the Imperial Enchanter while Pasha faces disputes about his legitimacy and Nikolai considers how far he is willing to go to return to the world.

A Crown of Wishes (Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi:  Gauri, princess of Bharata, has been captured by her kingdom's enemies and faces a future of exile and scorn--she has nothing left to lose. But Vikram, the notoriously cunning prince of a neighboring land, promises her freedom in exchange for her partnership on his team to win the Tournament of Wishes.

The Damned (The Beautiful #2) by Renée Ahdieh: Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The price of loving Celine Rousseau was costly. But as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.

Dark Goddess (Alpha Goddess #2) by Amalie Howard:  In this Indian-inspired fantasy, a girl who is the avatar of the goddess Lakshmi must work to prevent the apocalypse at the hands of demons. 

Dark Goddess (Templar Chronicles #2) by Sarwat Chadda: Billi SanGreal, a teenaged member of the Knights Templar, must prevent a young girl, who is being hunted by werewolves because of the dangerous powers she possesses, from falling into the hands of the ancient Russian witch, Baba Yaga.

Daughter of Dusk (Midnight Thief #2) by Livia Blackburne: After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster. As tensions rise within Forge’s Council, and a vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. 

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He: In this Chinese-inspired fantasy, Princess Hesina of Yan is thrust into power when her beloved father is murdered, and she’s determined to find his killer–whatever the cost.

The Devil’s Kiss (Templar Chronicles #1) by Sarwat Chadda: 15-year-old Billi SanGreal has grown up knowing that being a member of the Knights Templar puts her in danger, but if she is to save London from catastrophe she must make sacrifices greater than she imagined.

The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician #2) by Lisa Maxwell: Esta and Harte set off on a cross-country chase through time to steal back the elemental stones they need to save the future of magic.

Divided (Dualed #2) by Elsie Chapman:  When the Board goes after West Grayer for refusing to kill her next target, West must uncover the truth of the past to survive.

Dove Arising by Karen Bao: On a lunar colony, 15-old Phaet Theta does the unthinkable and joins the Militia when her mother is imprisoned by the Moon's oppressive government. 

Dove Exiled (Dove Chronicles #2) by Karen Bao: Phaet’s past catches up with her when the Lunar Bases attack the community and reveal that Phaet is a fugitive. She’s torn between staying on Earth with Wes—whom she’s just discovered her feelings for—and stowing away on a Moon-bound ship to rescue her siblings.

Dove Alight (Dove Chronicles #3) by Karen Bao: Shy, introverted Phaet Theta has gone from being a top student to an interplanetary fugitive to the reluctant but fierce leader of a revolution. But as the death tolls rise, the cost of the war weighs heavily on Phaet. Phaet started this war because she lost someone she loved. Will she have to lose another to end it?

Eclipse the Stars by Maura Milan: Criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot Ia Ccha and her allies make unpredictable choices as they fight to keep darkness from eclipsing the skies.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan, Laia, fighting for her family and a soldier, Elias, fighting for his freedom.

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean: During a once-in-a-generation competition to find the new empress, Mari, who hides a terrible secret, Taro, the prince who would denounce the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human outcast, will decide the fate of Honoku.

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza: Two sisters, Rhee and Kara—sole survivors of a murdered royal lineage - must reunite from opposite ends of the galaxy to salvage what’s left of their family dynasty and save the universe from a greater threat.

End of Days (Penryn & The End of Days #3) by Susan Ee: After a daring escape, Penryn and Raffe are on the run, but a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all. When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee: 15-year-old Genie Lo wonders if she’s qualified enough to gain admission to an Ivy League school, then becomes powerful enough to break through the gates of Heaven with her fists.

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa: Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allison Sekemoto will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever--and possibly end human and vampire existence.

The Ever Cruel Kingdom (The Never Tilting World #2) by Rin Chupeco: To break the cycle of sacrifice, twins Haidee and Odessa need answers that lie beyond the seven gates of the underworld, within the Cruel Kingdom itself. The shadows of the underworld may hunger to tear them apart, but these two sisters are determined to heal their world—together.

Exo by Fonda Lee: For a century now, Earth has been a peaceful colony of an alien race, and Donovan Reyes is a loyal member of the security forces, while his father is the Prime Liaison–but when a routine search and seizure goes bad Donovan finds himself a captive of the human revolutionary group, Sapience, terrorists who seem to prefer war to alien rule, and killing Donovan just might be the incident they are looking for.

Fair Coin by E.C. Myers: When evil versions of himself and best friend Nate appear one day, teenaged Ephraim embarks on a dangerous odyssey through parallel worlds to make things right.

Firestarter (Timekeeper #3) by Tara Sim: Colton, Daphne, and the others must choose between those striving to take down the world’s clock towers so that time can run freely, and terrorists trying to bring back the lost god of time.

Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns #4) by Kendare Blake: In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three dark sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Allegiances will shift. Bonds will be tested, and some broken forever.

Flame in the Mist by Renee Adhieh: The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by the Black Clan. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of this gang. But she’s quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru. 

For A Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig: 16-year-old shadow puppeteer Jetta Chantray performs with her family’s traveling troupe, the Ros Nai. But as rebellion seethes and as Jetta meets a young smuggler, she will face truths and decisions that she never imagined—and safety will never seem so far away.

Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee: Sirscha Ashwyn, while training to become the queen’s next royal spy, discovers she’s a rare and powerful lightwender and is summoned to the realm of the Spider King, where her newly awakened abilities are needed to cull the bloodthirsty Dead Wood.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao: A reimagining of the evil queen from Snow White based on Asian mythology in which 18-year-old Xifeng must unleash a jealous god on the world and set free the viciousness of her own soul in order to become Empress.

The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) by Julie Kagawa: Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren. But Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions as his trail leads straight to the one place they must protect at any cost -- the last vampire-free zone on Earth.

Fury of the Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia #2) by Cindy Pon: When Ai Ling leaves her home and family to accompany Chen Yong on his quest to find his father, haunted by the ancient evil she thought she had banished to the underworld, she must use her growing supernatural powers to save Chen Yong from the curses that follow her.

Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee: A teenage girl must keep her ability to manipulate the threads of time a secret, but when her brother goes missing, she risks getting caught up in a revolution in order to save him.

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta: Eris Shindanai and Sona Steelcrest, two girls on opposite sides of a war fought with Windups, giant mechanizes weapons, discover they’re fighting for a common purpose–and falling for each other.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi: Paris, 1889: Treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie gets the chance of a lifetime when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help in exchange for a priceless treasure: his true inheritance.

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig: From modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend, 16-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end.

The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco: Okiku has wandered the world for centuries, but when she meets Tark she knows the moody teen with the series of intricate tattoos is not a monster and needs to be freed from the demonic malevolence that clings to him.

The Girl King by Mimi Yu: Sisters Lu and Min become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust: As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Princess Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan: When Lei, seventeen, is stolen from her home to become one of nine Paper Girls, the Demon King's concubines, she proves to be more fire than paper.

Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girls of Paper and Fire #2) by Natasha Ngan: After escaping the Hidden Palace, Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans.

Girls of Fate and Fury (Girls of Paper and Fire #3) by Natasha Ngan: The last Lei saw of the girl she loved, Wren, was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death. With the two girls torn apart and each in terrorizing peril, will they find each other again or have their destinies diverged forever.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh: A feminist retelling of the Korean folktale The Tale of Shim Cheong, set in a town where every year a girl is sacrificed to the sea to stop torrential rains, but when a brave teen girl dives in herself to protect a loved one, she discovers a spirit kingdom in need of saving.

The Great Destroyers by Caroline Tung Richmond: set in alt-history, 1960s America where WWI & WII were fought with giant mechs, biracial Chinese American teen Jo Linden is Team USA’s most unlikely pick in the annual Pax Games, an Olympic-style competition that pits mecha pilots against each other.

The Heartforger (Bone Witch #2) by Rin Chupeco: With a thirst for vengeance, a band of terrifying daeva at her command, and her resurrected lover Kalen by her side, dark asha Tea is ready to face her adversaries.

A House of Rage and Sorrow (Celestial Trilogy #2) by Sangu Mandanna: As gods, beasts, and kingdoms choose sides, Alexi seeks out a weapon more devastating than even Titania. The House of Rey is at war. And the entire galaxy will bleed before the end.

Huntress by Malinda Lo: 17-year-olds Kaede and Taisin are called to go on a dangerous and unprecedented journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen, in an effort to restore the balance of nature in the human world.

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan: When outlaw Ia Ccha is captured by the Olympus Commonwealth and revealed to be a 16-year-old girl, they force her to serve them by joining the Commonwealth's military academy where new acquaintances cause Ia to question her own alliances.

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa: Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city, until she too becomes an immortal vampire. Forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls, she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend -- a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

Inferno (Talon #5) by Julie Kagawa: Ember Hill has learned a shocking truth about herself: she is the blood of the Elder Wyrm, the ancient dragon who leads Talon and who is on the verge of world domination. With the stakes rising and the Elder Wyrm declaring war, time is running out for the rogues and any dragon not allied with Talon. The final battle approaches. And if Talon is victorious, the world will burn.

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman: Japanese American teen Nami Miyamoto finds herself in a limitless world where the human consciousness goes after death, where she battles an AI entity posing as a queen that has hacked its way into the afterlife.

Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier: Mysterious maps from opposite ends of the sea cast doubt on the whereabouts of two princes, presumed dead.

Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan: A debut fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, in which peasant girl Anh, cursed with the power to steal souls enters a tenuous alliance with exiled prince Altan, bent on taking back the dragon throne, and save the empire from a cult of dangerous priests.

Journey to the Heart of the Abyss (Light in the Abyss #2) by London Shah: Leyla McQueen has finally reunited with her father after breaking him out of Broadmoor, the illegal government prison—but his freedom comes at a terrible cost. As Leyla celebrates his return, she must grapple with the pain of losing Ari. Now labeled the nation’s number one enemy, Leyla must risk illegal travel through unchartered waters for the truth behind her father’s arrest.

Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena: Set in a world inspired by medieval India, the story tells of a girl, Gul, with a star-shaped birthmark who is prophesied to be the downfall of a tyrant king, the warrior women who come to her aid, and the boy she falls in love with.

The Keeper of the Night by Kylie Lee Baker: set in 1890s Japan, half-British reaper, half-Japanese Shinigami Ren Scarborough flees London and enters the Japanese underworld under the service of Izanami, the goddess of death.

King (Dragon King Chronicles #3) by Ellen Oh: Girl warrior, demon slayer, Tiger spirit of the Yellow Eyes - Kira is ready for her final quest! She must save her cousin, the boy fated to be the future king, uncover the third lost treasure, and face innumerable enemies in order to fulfill the famed prophecy.

A Kingdom for the Stage (For A Muse of Fire #2) by Heidi Heilig: The rebels are eager to use Le Trépas’s and necromancer Jetta’s combined magic against the invading colonists. Soon Jetta will face the choice between saving all of Chakrana or becoming like her father, and she isn’t sure which she’ll choose.

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress #2) by Julie C. Dao: Princess Jade has grown up in exile while her stepmother, the ruthless Xifeng, rules Feng Lu. Ready to reclaim her place, Jade embarks on a quest to raise the Dragon Lords and defeat Xifeng and the Serpent God once and for all.

Legend by Marie Lu: In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, 15-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.

Legion (Talon #4) by Julie Kagawa: The legions are about to be unleashed, and no human, rogue dragon or former dragon slayer can stand against the coming horde in book 4 out of the Talon series.

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana: Amrita must unravel the mysteries of her past to save her kingdom, but in doing so, she herself might come unraveled.

The Light At the Bottom of the World by London Shah: Set in a future where the Earth is underwater, Leyla McQueen must navigate the treacherous abyss to find her missing father, but discovers a world drowning in lies.

Live in Infamy by Caroline Tung Richmond: 80 years since the Axis won World War II, and America was divided between the victors: the Nazis in the East and Imperial Japan in the West; but now resistance is growing in the Eastern territories and 16-year-old Chinese American Ren Cabot finds himself drawn into a resistance group. 

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna: 15-year-old Eva is the clone of a girl living far, far away on another continent--and when this 'other' dies, Eva must step in and take over her life.

The Infinite (Gates of Thread and Stone #2) by Lori M. Lee: Kai always believed the only danger to the city came from within. Now, with a rebel force threatening the fragile government, the walls have become more of a prison than ever. To make matters worse, as Avan explores his new identity as an Infinite, Kai struggles to remind him what it means to be human. 

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao: blending Chinese history and mecha science, Wu Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. Features a poly F/M/M main romance.

The Iron Will of Genie Lo (Epic Crush of Genie Lo #2) by F.C. Yee: Along with a few other contenders for the throne,  heaven-appointed guardian Genie and her friends embark on a Heavenly quest to an in-between world.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen: An intergenerational story of a mother and son struggling to relate to each other—the mother an immigrant to America who wants to make a home for her family in an unfamiliar country; the son Tiế  trying to figure out the best way to come out to his parents. Through telling each other fairy tales, they’re able to find common ground.

The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas: When her ailing father is conscripted to fight invaders from the north, Mulan dresses as a man to take his place in the army, but an old enemy and an attraction for her troop's commander complicate her mission.

The Memory Keepers by Natasha Ngan: Seven is a thief with a difference - he steals downloadable memories from banks and memoriums to sell onto London’s black market. But one night, as Seven is breaking into a private memorium in a wealthy part of London, he is caught in the act by one of its residents; Alba, the teenage daughter of London’s most famous criminal prosecutor. 

The Memory Key by Liana Liu: In the not-so-distant future, everyone is implanted with a memory key to stave off a virulent form of Alzeimer's. Lora Mint fears her memories of her deceased mother are fading, but when her memory key is damaged she has perfect recall--of everything-- which brings her mother's memory vividly back--but may also drive Lora mad. 

The Mermaid, The Witch, and The Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall: A desperate orphan turned pirate, Flora, and a rebellious imperial daughter, Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, find a connection on the high seas abroad the Dove, in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.

The Midnight Star (Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu:  Adelina is forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.

The Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne: Kyra, a highly skilled 17-year-old thief, joins a guild of assassins with questionable motives. Tristam, a young knight, fights against the vicious Demon Riders that are ravaging the city. 

Mirage by Somaiya Daud: In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, 18-year-old Amani is forced to work as a body double for the princess who is hated by her conquered people.

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco: In  a world ruled by goddesses that has been split in two—one half existing in perpetual scorching Day, the other in freezing Night—twins separated at birth Odessa and Haidee embark on a quest across the great divide and rule a reunited world.

Mooncakes by Wendy Xu & Suzanne Walker: Teen witch Nova Huang runs into her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. 

Moribito, Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi: The wandering warrior Balsa is hired to protect Prince Chagum from both a mysterious monster and the prince's father, the Mikado.

Moribito II, Guardian of the Darkness by Nahoko Uehashi: The wandering female bodyguard Balsa returns to her native country of Kanbal, where she uncovers a conspiracy to frame her mentor and herself.

Night of the Dragon (Shadow of the Fox #3) by Julie Kagawa: As darkness rises and chaos reigns,  fierce kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko and her shadowy protector Kage Tatsumi, will face down the greatest evil of all.

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee: Resigned to a life without superpowers in a world full of them, Jess takes a paid internship where she helps a heinous supervillain and works with her longtime crush Abby, but stumbles on a massive plot.

Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad #2) by C.B. Lee: After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes’ League of Heroes, shapeshifter Bells Broussard and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance.

Not Your Backup by C.B. Lee (Sidekick Squad #3): As the Resistance moves to challenge the corrupt League of Heroes, Emma Robledo realizes where her place is in this fight: at the front.

On This Unworthy Scaffold (Shadow Players #3) by Heidi Heilig: Jetta’s home is spiraling into civil war.Le Trépas—the deadly necromancer—has used his blood magic to wrest control of the country. Meanwhile, Jetta’s love interest, brother, and friend are intent on infiltrating the palace to stop the Boy King and find Le Trépas to put an end to the unleashed chaos.

The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond: After 70 years since Hitler's armies won the war, 16-year-old Zara St. James lives in the Shenandoah hills, part of the Eastern American Territories, under the rule of the Nazis--but a resistance movement is growing. 

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He: In a near future when life is harsh outside of Earth’s last unpolluted place, Cee tries to leave an abandoned island while her sister, STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara, seeks escape from the science and home she once trusted.

One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns #2) by Kendare Blake: Preparing for the queens' sixteenth birthday celebration and navigating the fallout of the Quickening, sisters Arsinoe, Katharine, and Mirabella reassess their strategic paths to the throne using new understandings of their powers and destinies.

Our Violent Ends (These Violent Delights #2) by Chloe Gong: In 1927, Shanghai tethers on the edge of revolution. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and while secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat.

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu: June and Day make their way to Las Vegas where they join the rebel Patriot group and become involved in an assassination plot against the Elector in hopes of saving the Republic.

Quantum Coin (Fair Coin #2) by E.C. Myers: Ephraim, Jena, and Zoe embark on a mission across multiple worlds to learn what's going wrong and how to stop it. They will have to draw on every resource available and trust in alternate versions of themselves and their friends, before it's too late for all of them.

Ravage the Dark (Scavenge the Stars #2) by Tara Sim: After escaping the city of Moray, Amaya and Cayo head to the port city of Baleine to find the mysterious Benefactor and put a stop to the counterfeit currency that is spreading Ash Fever throughout the kingdoms.

The Reader by Traci Chee:  Set in a world where reading is unheard-of, Sefia makes use of a mysterious object to track down who kidnapped her aunt Nin and what really happened the night her father was murdered.

A Reaper At the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir: Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger as the Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, Laia of Serra, and Elias Veturius all face increasing dangers.

Rebel (Legend #4) by Marie Lu: Brothers Eden and Daniel Wing struggle to accept who they’ve each become since their time in the Republic, but a new danger creeps into the distance that’s grown between them. Eden soon finds himself drawn so far into Ross City’s dark side, even his legendary brother can��t save him. At least not on his own.

Rebelwing by Andrea Tang: At a prestigious prep school, scholastic student Prudence Wu, who smuggles censored media in a futuristic North America divided by culture wars and becomes an unlikely revolutionary, after being imprinted by Rebelwing, a sentient cybernetic dragon.

Renegade Flight (Rebelwing #2) by Andrea Tang: Pilot-in-training Viola Park, a probationary student at GAN Academy, enters a mech combat tournament that becomes a fight for the future of Peacekeepers everywhere.

Rising Like a Storm (The Wrath of Ambar #2) by Tanaz Bhathena: Gul and Cavas must unite their magical forces―and hold onto their growing romance―to save their kingdom from tyranny.

The Righteous (The Beautiful #3) by Renée Ahdieh: Pippa Montrose is tired of losing everything she loves. When her best friend Celine disappears under mysterious circumstances, Pippa resolves to find her, even if the journey takes her into the dangerous world of the fae, where she might find more than she bargained for in the charismatic Arjun Desai.

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee: The never-before-told backstory of Avatar Kyoshi, from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

Rogue (Talon #2) by Julie Kagawa: Unable to forget the human boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, Ember is determined to save him from execution with the help of rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues.

Rogue Heart (Rebel Seoul #2) by Axie Oh: Two years after the Battle of Neo Seoul, telepath Ama must use her telepathic abilities to infiltrate the base of the Alliance’s new war commander, Alex Kim, her first love who betrayed her.

The Rose and the Dagger (Wrath and the Dawn #2) by Renee Adhieh: Unsure who to trust, Shahrzad takes matters into her own hands to try and break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

The Rose Society (Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu: Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis.

Ruse (Want #2) by Cindy Pon: In near-future Shanghai where society is divided between the fabulously wealthy business elite and the masses they exploit, Jason Zhou must play a dangerous cat and mouse game with the ruthless CEO of an all powerful corporation which has an ever-growing choke hold on the polluted metropolis.

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim: In the city-state of Moray, Amaya, orphaned by a powerful merchant’s greed and condemned to seven years aboard a debtor’s ship, returns to seek revenge only to encounter the merchant’s son in this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Serpentine by Cindy Pon: Although 16-year-old Skybright feels lucky to be the handmaid and companion to the daughter of a wealthy family, she is hiding a secret that threatens to destroy her position and her closest relationships.

Sacrifice (Serpertine #2) by Cindy Pon: When Zhen Ni discovers that her new husband, the strange and brutish Master Hou, may not be all he seems, Skybright and Stone must travel through the terrifying underworld to save her.

Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda & Valynne Maetani: Set in contemporary Japan, Shinto temple priestess Kira Fujikawa, must seek the aid of seven ruthless shinigami, in order to protect Kyoto from an ancient evil.

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells: Maren, desperate to save her kidnapped girlfriend Kaia, plans to steal one of the emperor’s dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold, but her success depends on becoming an apprentice to the mysterious dragon trainer, which proves to be a dangerous venture.

Talon by Julie Kagawa: In a world in which near-extinct dragons pass as humans to grow their numbers secretly, siblings Ember and Dante Hill prepare for destined positions in the world of Talon only to be hunted by a dragon-slaying soldier.

The Ship Beyond Time (Girl From Everywhere #2) by Heidi Heilig: Nix has escaped her past, but when the person she loves most is at risk, even the daughter of a time traveler may not be able to outrun her fate—no matter where she goes.

The Shadow Mission (The Athena Protocol #2) by Shamim Sharif: Jessie Archer faced down death to prove her dedication to Athena, the elite organization of female spies she works for. Now she’s back on the team, in time to head to Pakistan to take down the man whose actions spurred Athena’s founders to create the secretive squad. 

The Shadow of Kyoshi (Kyoshi #2) by F.C. Yee: Kyoshi’s place as the true Avatar has finally been cemented. With her mentors gone, Kyoshi voyages across the Four Nations, struggling to keep the peace. But while her reputation grows, a mysterious threat emerges from the Spirit World. To stop it, Kyoshi, Rangi, and their reluctant allies must join forces.

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa: Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has…and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.

Shadow Girl by Liana Liu: When Mei arrives at the beautiful home on Arrow Island, she can't help feeling relieved. She's happy to spend the summer tutoring a rich man's daughter if it means a break from her normal life. Yet she can't shake her fear that there is danger lurking in the shadows of this beautiful house, a darkness that could destroy the family inside and out...and Mei along with them. 

Shadowsong (Wintersong #2) by S. Jae-Jones: Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. But when troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be.

Smoke in the Sun (A Flame in the Mist #2) by Renee Ahdieh: After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice—to rescue him, she tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will. But each secret Mariko unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring her and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.

Sisters of the Snake by Sasha & Sarena Nanua: an Indian-inspired fantasy where twins separated at birth—one now a princess, the other a street thief— must switch places in a bid to stop a catastrophic war that threatens to tear their kingdom apart.

Silver Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia #1) by Cindy Pon: With her father long overdue from his journey and a lecherous merchant blackmailing her into marriage, 17-year-old Ai Ling becomes aware of a strange power within her as she goes in search of her parent.

The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves #2) by Roshani Chokshi: Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but at a terrible cost. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God. Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into icy heart of Russia.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim: The Wild Swans meets East Asian fantasy where an exiled princess, Shiori, must unweave the curse that turned her brothers into cranes, assisted by her spurned betrothed, a mercurial dragon, and a paper bird brought to life by her own magic.

A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) by Sabaa Tahir: Laia of Serra is now allied with the Blood Shrike, Helen Aquilla. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory–or to an unimaginable doom.

Skyhunter by Marie Lu: Robbed of her voice and home, Talin Kanami knows firsthand the brutality of the Federation. Their cruelty forced her and her mother to seek asylum in Mara. When a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. 

The Shadow Glass (Bone Witch #3) by Rin Chupeco: Bone witch Tea’s dark magic eats away at her, but she must save the one she loves most, even while her life—and the kingdoms—are on the brink of destruction.

Song of the Abyss (Towers of Wind #2) by Makiia Lucier: When menacing raiders attack her ship, navigator Reyna must use every resource at her disposal, including placing her trust in a handsome prince from a rival kingdom.

Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao: After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician’s apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman’s daughter, regrets her actions. After learning that Bao’s soul has been trapped inside a flute by a witch, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) by Julie Kagawa: As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna: In this sci-fi retelling of the  Mahabrahata, Esmae learns that the King of Wychstar is offering the unbeatable warship Titania to the winner of his competition and she sees her chance to return home and help her brother win back his kingdom.

The Speaker (Sea of Ink and Gold #2) by Traci Chee: Having barely escaped the clutches of the Guard, Sefia and Archer are back on the run, slipping into the safety of the forest to tend to their wounds and plan their next move.

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim: 17-year-old Maia Tamarin poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor, and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars, with help from the mysterious court magician, Edan.

Spell Starter (Caster #2) by Elsie Chapman: Yes, Aza Wu now has magic back, but now she’s in the employ of the gang leader, St. Willow. Who soon decides that having Aza as a fighter is much more lucrative than as a fixer.

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar: Inspired by Hindu mythology, half-mortal, half-star Sheetal enters a celestial competition to save her human father’s life.

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi:  Treated with scorn and fear in her father's kingdom because of a formidable horoscope, 16-year-old Maya commits herself to her education only to land in an arranged marriage that culminates in her sudden elevation to the throne, a situation that is threatened by dark secrets and Otherworldly magic.

Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Choski:Three lush and adventurous stories in the Star-Touched world.

Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu: After the fall of Mara, and with the fate of a broken world hanging in the balance, Talin and Red must reunite the Strikers and find their way back to one another.

Storm the Earth (Shatter the Sky #2) by Rebecca Kim Wells: Maren and her girlfriend Kaia set out to rescue Sev  in Zafed, and free the dragons from the corrupt emperor.

The Storyteller (Sea of Ink and Gold #3) by Traci Chee: Sefia is determined to keep Archer out of the Guard’s clutches and their plans for war between the Five Kingdoms. As Sefia and Archer watch Kelanna start to crumble to the Guard’s will, they will have to choose between their love and joining a war that just might tear them apart.

Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan: In this steampunk fantasy set in Qing dynasty-inspired China, warrior girl Anlei teams up with a thief to save her village from shadow spirits, but after arriving at the Courts of Hell, a discovery challenges everything they know about who the real enemy is.

The Suffering (Girl From the Well #2) by Rin Chupeco: When an old friend disappears in Aokigahara, Japan's infamous 'suicide forest,' Tark and the ghostly Okiku must resolve their differences and return to find her. In a strange village inside Aokigahara, old ghosts and an ancient evil lie waiting. 

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong: In 1920s Shanghai, starcrossed heirs to rival gangs, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, must work together to face a monster that hunts the city streets before the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War.

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake: A fantasy about triplet sisters separated at birth, where one of the sisters will grow up to be queen of their magical island, but in order to ascend to the throne she must hone her magic for a dark purpose: assassinating her other two sisters before they kill her first.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman: 15 bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price: In modern-day San Francisco where three gangs rule the city streets, half-Filipina teen Valerie Simons enters the Red Bridge Wars to seek vengeance for her younger brother’s death, but soon finds herself torn between old love and new loyalty.

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala: In ancient India, soldier Kunal hunts the “Viper,” rebel girl Esha accused of killing his General, embarking on a dangerous cat and mouse game and where both must decide—loyalty to their old lives or to a love that’s made them dream of new ones.

Timekeeper by Tara Sim: set in an alternate Victorian era where clock towers control time, about a teen clock mechanic who is assigned to repair a damaged tower and finds himself falling in forbidden love with the boy he mistakes for his apprentice, but is actually the tower’s clock spirit, and whose life is threatened by a mysterious attacker planting bombs in clock towers across England.

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir: Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3) by Kendare Blake: A victorious Katharine sits on the throne, Mirabella and Arsinoe are in hiding, and an unexpected renegade is about to wage a war of her own. The crown has been won, but these queens are far from done.

Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of Stars #2) by Elizabeth Lim: With a war brewing, master tailor Maia Tamarin will stop at nothing to find her love Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her country.

Vicious Spirits (Gumiho #2) by Kat Cho: With the support of Somin and Junu, Miyoung and Jihoon might just have a shot at normalcy. But Miyoung is getting sicker by the day and her friends don’t know how to save her. With few options remaining, Junu has an idea but it might require the ultimate sacrifice and, let’s be honest, Junu isn’t known for his “generosity.”

Want by Cindy Pon: Set in a teeming, pollution choked Taipei which follows a group of teens living on the seedy fringes of a highly divided society that works only for the elite as they decide to risk everything to take down the powerful company which controls the city. 

Warcross by Marie Lu: When teenage coder Emika Chen hacks her way into the opening tournament of the Warcross Championships, she glitches herself into the game as well as a sinister plot with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. 

Warrior (Dragon King Chronicles #2) by Ellen Oh: Kira, the yellow-eyed demon slayer of Hansong, continues her quest to find the lost treasures of the dragon king's prophecy, save her cousin, the prince, unite her kingdom, and defeat the demon lord

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) by Hafsah Faizal: In a world inspired by ancient Arabia, 17-year-old huntress Zafira must disguise herself as a man to seek a lost artifact that could return magic to her cursed world.

We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya #2) by Hafsah Faizal: When Zafria, the Hunter, and Nasir, the Prince of Death both embark on a quest to uncover a lost magic artifact, they encounter an ancient evil long thought destroyed - and discover that the prize they seek may be even more dangerous this time.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles: Showgirl Kallia, haunted by a dark past, must compete in a magician’s competition in order to secure her ambition and freedom from the handsome, enigmatic keeper of the club, Jack, even as mysterious accidents seem to plague her every move, while crossing paths with another talented magician, Demarco.

When Night Breaks (Kingdom of Hearts #2) by Janella Angeles: The competition has come to a disastrous end, and Daron Demarco’s fall from grace is now front page news. But little matters to him beyond Kallia, the contestant he fell for. With time running out, Kallia must embrace her role in a darker destiny.

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho: After 18-year-old Miyoung Gu, a nine-tailed fox surviving in modern-day Seoul by eating the souls of evil men, kills a murderous goblin to save Jihoon, she is forced to choose between her immortal life and his.

Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu: Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Knowing the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she is determined to put a stop to his plans. 

The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad: A a multi-perspective feminist narrative about a fierce band of magic-wielding girls—the Wild Ones—who have collectively survived unspeakable things, and together are determined to save other girls from the cruelties and tragedies they’ve had to endure in their own past lives.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones: After her sister is kidnapped by the Goblin King, Liesl journeys to the Underground and is faced with an impossible decision when she finds herself captivated by the strange world and its mysterious ruler.

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco: A girl descended from Filipina mythological heroine Maria Makiling, finds herself caught up in a war between two fairy tale kingdoms, where the fate of Avalon is at stake.

Windborn by Mary Fan: With magicians hot on their trail, air nymph Kiri and magician’s apprentice Darien embark on a treacherous journey through dangerous lands to freedom.

World After (Penryn & The End of Days #2) by Susan Ee: Penryn's search for her kidnapped sister, Paige, leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans, while Raffe must choose between reclaiming his wings--and his role as the angels' leader--or helping Penryn survive.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adhieh: In this reimagining of The Arabian Nights, Shahrzad plans to avenge the death of her dearest friend by volunteering to marry the murderous boy-king of Khorasan but discovers not all is as it seems within the palace.

Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee: As 17-year-old Carr 'the Raptor' Luka rises to fame in the weightless combat sport of zeroboxing, he learns a devastating secret that jeopardizes not only his future in the sport, but interplanetary relations.

[bluesdesk]

ZELDA HEADCANONS

Sun:

-- considers "Zelda" and "Hylia" as 2 different identities. When she has to act as Hylia (to give a serious order, to do some magic...), she moves her fringe to her left side. Also when Sky makes her angry in a discussion she is like: "remember I can be Hylia!" and  not "remember I'm Hylia"

-- she wears shorts under her dresses, she would be pretty uncomfortable without them.

-- She has a very strong personality, like a girlboss, and she's as chaotic as Tetra

-- She's Hylia, and so she must handle magic pretty well. Also Sky didn't have problems, if not more frequent nightmares and lightning scars and fear of thunderstorms... But "fear of thunderstorms" doesn't even count! However, she noticed her hair became lighter near the tips, and wavier.

-------------

Dot:

-- the girly princess? No way! She grew up with Four, she's a smith too, she loves adventures and festivities. The fucsia jacket is a hoodie (she covers the hood with her cloack), she wears leggings and seakers nunder the dress, that's actually a high waisted long skirt she can remove

-- her hair is kinda orangey! Also it's pretty long

-- she's a relative of Four! In the italian version of Minish Cap she refers to Link's grandpa as "uncle Smith". This might mean Smith is her uncle, grand-uncle or greta-granduncle? Dot's mom might be Smith's younger sister for example.

-- She had a pretty simple life before MC and FS.  Dot had learnt some magic because of the whole "descendant of a goddess" thing. Not much, and she preferred to not use it. So, when she got petrified by Vaati's magic, she got the signs of it. Her hands and feet are as small as when she was 12 (MC), and her hair got way straighter than before. And when Vaati kidnapped her, she got some eye markings, like tattoos, on her arms.

-------------

Lullaby:

-- genderfluid! But their father doesn't really support them and when they feel like a boy they just become Sheik and go in the woods or at Lon Lon!

-- They have a tanned skin and dark blonde hair

--They do want to be a mom though. Dusk is their daughter!

-- They can handle magic well, but Lullaby turned into Sheik for the first time when they were really young, and this had an impact on them. Their blue eyes became red with the Sheik mask (yeah I headcanon it as a mask!), and the repetitive use of it made their eye color turn from blue to violet even when they're "Zelda". They also got a sheikah eye symbol on their left eye, which they cover with their hair.

---------------

Dusk:

-- She grew up with her grandpa (Lullaby's father)

-- She has Lullaby's skin color! Also she's thin and tall

-- She  didn't attend a royal/exclusive school but went at Twi's same one so they were friends as kids. She also studied swords and archery!

-- She simply didn't recognize Twi as a wolf, she thought he had become a spirit, because she didn't know he had the triforce too!

-- When Ganondorf turned her into his puppet, her skin became pale, and she had those black scars/signs and her eyes turned yellow. Her light power kinda healed this, but she now has light brown eyes, that turn blue when she's really happy and yellow when she's angry. Her skin color changed back to normal but her lips are always more violet than normal and she still has those black scars.

--------------

Artemis:

-- Dusk's great-great-granddaughter! She has a similiar face, but her colors are different. Also she has chubbier legs.

--When the war started, she took the master sword and trained with it, until Impa told her she had to leave it for the next hero

-- She's been training with magic for a long time, since she can really use it perfectly, and she masters different kinds of magic. Every scar/sign she got is from the enemies' weapons, and not magic

-------------

Flora:

-- She refused the whole princess/goddess thing, she just refers to herself as a scholar, researcher and adventure.

-- she loves Sheikah clothing!  She has stealth lessons with Paya

-- she tries to imitate Wild's cooking in secret, but she refuses to admit it because of the "powerful hero/ useless princess" thing

--She has also been training a lot with magic, and when she sealed herself and Calamity Ganon, her powers were awake. But being sealed for 100 years, with constant light powers on, and Calamity Ganon surely did something. The constant light made her photosensitive, and her hands are burnt, not as badly as Wild's face of course, but you can recognize they are. The usage of a newly awakened magic, for so long time and with that intensity made her unable to use magic for the next years after she came back, and if she'll ever get her magic back, it'll be only few.

------------

Tetra:

-- She grew up knowing her name wad Tetra. She didn't know it was just a nickname, so for her "Zelda" is a nickname she doesn't even like. In the italian version of WW/PH, her name is Dazel. She prefers Dazel over Zelda when she has to do royal stuff.

-- even as Zelda her skin is dark and her hair is all curly

-- Wind's grandma loves her and already adopted her in her mind XD but she keeps telling her she needs warmer clothes and she also gives her lots of Wind's clothes that became too small for him

-- she has blonde freckles on her dark skin, Aryll says she's a starry night

-- chubby!!

-- She had never heard of magic before her first adventure, so you might imagine she must have taken it really badly. She has a messed up sleping schedule and she falls asleep in the strangest ways, positions, and times. One second she's arguing with you, the next moment she's asleep, even if she's on her feet, this thing can get dangerous for her so she always brings someone (mostly Wind) with her. She has scratches everywhere from her petrification too, and being petrified surely didn't help with her previous situation.

------------

Fable:

-- she loves to wear pink and sky blue together! Pink is her favorite color and sky blue represents the goddess. She's a fan of jewels too!

-- Don't touch her hair, she'd get mad!

--Legend's step sister and somehow twin! She and Legend have different mothers and the same father (the father became a king after the marriage with Fable's mom, the queen). Oddly enough, they were born the same day of the same year.

-- She knows how to use a sword but she mostly uses magic and she can kick pretty well!

-- She can use magic almost perfectly, like Artemis! However, being in a painting gave her some lighter/"discolored" spots on her skin, pretty much like vitiligo. Just few spots, as she could handle that magic well too.

----------------

Aurora:

-- a child. She's like 10/12. A pretty smart kid!

-- redhead, tanned skin, curly hair and lots of freckles!

-- autistic, her stims are most likely jumping and moving her arms! She loves springs and water in general, she could spend her entire days with fairies in a spring! Pretty enthusiastic about literally anything too!

-- she sees Hyrule as an older brother

-- She had negative memories about her brother, and giving the adjective "brother" to Hyrule is  like turning the page, seeing that adjective with a new meaning

--The poor kid often thinks her dreams are reality. She has problems in distinguishing vivid dreams from reality as she had been asleep for too much. On the other hand, she barely sleeps.

----------------

BONUS:

Phantom/Angel (Spirit Tracks!):

As the great granddaughter of Tetra, Phantom and Link should be related (One of Spirit and one of Phantom's parents must be cousins) Unless Spirit isn't the great grandson of Tetra and Wind... but maybe the great grandson of Aryll instead! This would explain why Spirit is in contact with the pirate crew but not royal, and since their first common relative is so distant (Wind and Aryll's parents) they wouldn't be considered as related and the fact they didn't know each other before would have more sense

-- She took her personality from Tetra AND Wind: her will to help and be a hero too, still being a bit sassy, and a little rebel (escaping from the castle). She's like, a perfect mix of their personalities.

-- As for her design, she has wavy hair, a slightly tanned skin (she's not dark skinned, unlike Tetra), she loves earrings and she has a lot of them!

-- She wasn't used to magic, she knew that but not too much, so being a phantom and leaving her body because of said magic had an impact on her. Her eyes were originally dark blue like Tetra, but they're now pink to purple and yellow! Her skin got lighter after ST, and so she wears makeup to seem less pale. Her eyes get irritated easily (red eyes when possessed) and she spaces out a lot, sometimes she has dissociative events

[10holmes]

author self-rec game - tagged by @lady-of-the-lotus thanks for the tag! 💕

Rules: list the five favorite fics you’ve written, then pass it on to five other writers.

Puh... Basically this is me just tagging about every fic I've written so far, considering a lot are more on the nah side of things, but let's see 😂

1. Time is Our Worst Enemy

Recently I just recommended this fic to my super amazing and precious reader @impossible-stardust and realized this is - if maybe not my best or most popular - definitely my all time favourite XueXiao fic that I've written so far 💕

Basically it is me going: "The Yi City Arc didn't hurt enough - Let's make it even more heart-wrenching!" #peacewasneveranoption #IdontwantpeaceIwantproblems

2. Now That I See You

This fic is really dear to me because it is the most extensive one I've written so far and I spend like every spare minute thinking about it and plotting (if also often not always writing... #writerstruggles)

While watching the deleted campfire scene and seeing XY making heart-eyes at XXC and also his puppy-eyes during their final confrontation, I thought: "Gosh, what if XXC could have seen his expressions and had really had the time to understand and reflect on XYs story and past? And what if XY was more aware of his feelings sooner and less vicious & shaped by his past? This definitely would have changed things!"

Thus, this fic was born featuring a XXC, who still has his eyes, and a XY who's amnesiac after the assassination attempt. And, yes, I do take the slow in slow-burn very seriously here.

3. Fate is a Wicked Thing

Way before descending into danmei hell and becoming a Xue Yang apologist, I was an avid Loki stan and Lokane shipper and also very pissed with how his character was done dirty by Marvel. So I thought Screw canon! and went to write a canon divergence where the Infinity Stones are sentient beings and two of them always form a pair and they bond with their hosts and the pairing also extends to their hosts. So now we have Loki bonded to the Tesseract and Jane bonded to the Aether, which are a pair, and thus the two of them also find themselves suddenly developing feelings for one another and then having to question whether these feelings are influenced by the Infinity Stones or maybe their own after all...

Regrettably, I haven't finished or updated this in years as my interests and obsessions have shifted...

4. Down in the Black Sea

Are you even truly pan (or bi) if you haven't got a weird obsession with pirates and mermaids and Pirates of the Caribbean?

So yeah, I love mermaids, I love pirates, and I love the idea of combining that obsession with XueXiao. Thankfully I stumbled upon @memequeen1127 's fic collection and got permission to continue her opening chapter for what is now also one of my most beloved fics!

It's about XY, a mermaid hunter, being saved by XXC, a white mermaid of legend, with whose heart one can gain immeasurable power. So of course XY wants that power. But the growing feelings between them may yet change the tide of any ensuing betrayal...

5. Lone Wolf And His White Sheep Shizun

Take XueXiao but make it RanWan. As my obsessions shifted yet again to another pairing, but I can't quite let go of XueXiao (probably not ever again), I decided to just combine it and make it one huge obsession ✔️

But be warned: Updates are very slow for this one... #sorry

And now, I'm excited to get to know your favourite personal fics!

@bao-shan-black

@onlyonewoman

@unfortunatelycake

@the-ineffable-arvari

@zishustits

And anyone else who sees this and wants to join in 🥰

[so-i-dont-forget-again]

So I Don’t Forget Again: A Breath of The Wild fanfiction

Entry 208: Zora’s Domain

 Sidon made me breakfast. He made things I had taught him to make back at Hateno, he had to wake up very early to get the ingredients on time. He tried to hide it, but I could see he was a little sleepy through the whole day, he’s had such little rest. I really appreciate this, him just focusing on me, almost like there’s nothing else, but I don’t want him to push himself. Though I want to thank him all the same. He just makes me feel so special and safe, in a way unlike anything else, I guess. I feel like he really sees me, like he truly wants me. I don’t know how to describe this, but I want to. I want to pour these feelings into these pages, have him read this so he can know just how much he means to me, how he’s an irreplaceable part of my life, how he

I just want him to know as amazing as he finds me, I find him to be just the same. He’s much more eloquent with words than me, so maybe he’d know how to write this, but I want to at least try, even if this is just kinda incoherent thoughts by now.

We went to market, it’s a bit away from town, but that’s because it’s more of a trading area so Hylians and Gorons and others can get there easier than going through the canyon to the town. We did some shopping but we heard a lot of rumors. A new hero appearing, one who couldn’t be the reincarnated one. A hero who did not wield the blade of evil’s bane but a trident, instead of working in service of the princesses, or royalty, or goddess they worked for the people, a blond gender ambiguous Hylian who slew a massive, fearsome beast all to get ingredients for a medicine for a gerudo woman’s sick husband they didn’t even know, a person who helped the descendants of the champions calm all the Divine Beasts soon after their rampages began, a person who is a brother to the strong gorons, a person who had begun to teach others how to fend for themselves, on and on it went, even false or exaggerated tales. They were all about one simple person who served the people for their sake and nothing else. This person was not grand or flashy, they were only recognized since tridents are an uncommon weapon and even more uncommon for hylians outside of the royal family to be blond, two odd, eye catching characteristics and people made the connections from there. Sidon told me it just seemed fitting that the “Hero of the People” would wish to use all his peoples’ fighting styles, a person who was strong with all their power, their best qualities united.

I guess it is fitting. Before being the chosen hero or whatever felt like a burden, but this time, it felt different, it didn’t feel bad, like there’s this cumbersome weight I just can’t carry. I’m being called a hero for things I have done already, not things I’m expected to do, I think that’s the difference. I think Sidon could tell too. He admitted he was a little nervous about this, but if I did react badly, he wanted to be beside me so he could comfort me and not have me over hear this some other place far away and for my thoughts to go dark again. And we had the whole day to be together so we could do something fun to get my mind off it.

We had a lovely walk back. Bossa Nova kept trying to steal some of the ingredients we ended up running part of the way as he chased us. He even tried nibbling on my hair to get my attention. Sidon tried scolding him, but Bossa Nova didn’t care. After gifting a Hearty Radish he calmed down, but Sidon said I shouldn’t spoil him, that he’ll just take advantage of that and eat through all my non-meat supplies sooner or later. But then he just looked at me for a moment, smiled and shook his head before turning back to the trail ahead. When I asked him what that meant he told me he couldn’t find my behavior endearing and that I need to learn how to say ‘no’ sometimes. I guess he is a prince, he has to make decisions for his people, and he’ll likely have to say ‘no’ sometimes, but how can you say no to a cute hungry capybara! Besides I don’t think he would have stopped trying to knock us over till he was fed so I don’t think it could have been THAT bad. Just a treat. He’s a good boy, he needs the love. Sidon then gasped and said this must be why Bossa Nova likes me more now. It was clear he was play acting, playing up the moment but his reaction did get Bossa Nova to charge at him and knock him into the river for hugs. Much of the fruit started floating down river and it took a while to collect it all.

We cooked lunch together, a fusion between Rito and Zora cuisine. I always love cooking with him, well I just like cooking, but especially with him. Food reflects it’s culture and traditions, cooking is literally making something to help the other keep living and making it enjoyable all the while. I don’t think I need food, not anymore at least, but I can still enjoy it, making it and tasting it with others. Eating and cooking with others feels different than on your own, it only makes sense, food reflects people and so more people would surely make it taste better. All this to say I just really enjoyed lunch. And Bossa Nova still ate his meal so giving him his treat was not spoiling him! He didn’t eat his whole thing though, but that’s not the point! He still ate it… I guess it’s because I don’t get hungry I don’t see the point in having scheduled meals. Sidon said that was not the point, the point being Bossa Nova acting bratty to get whatever he wants. But could it be so bad, all he ever wants is food or extra affection.

Sidon asked if I knew how long I can hold my breath for. Much of his kingdom is underwater and he wanted to show more of it to me. Zoras really are made for the water, even the shape of their heads are kind of like arrows so they can effortlessly pierce through it. I know fish need fins to swim, I wonder how fins help Zora swim. They’re just stunning racing past, or at least Sidon is. Even with my complete zora armor set swimming can be a struggle but for him it’s effortless, he can go in circles and make twists and turns so quickly. Light seems much starker underwater, either bright or dark, I notice his glowy parts much more, I still can’t tell if they’re always glowing or if the glow activates when he’s in shade.

His home underwater looks similarish to land with similar plants, but there are also very different ones I don’t even know where to begin describing them. Some are kind of like flat dishes and others more spindly, then there are others that are wrinkly, I’ve never seen plants like those in the rivers before. There are some like stone, Sidon says they’re called coral and are plants oddly enough. Many of these only grow in the domain, but there are similar ones in the ocean. I wondered if any could be used in cooking, as they are plants zoras have never tried and Sidon was rather keen on assisting me if I tried working with them.

His kingdom underwater is so much larger than on the surface. Sidon and his people could so easily be separated from the rest of the world and be just fine. Their most important places like the throne room are on the surface so others can more easily reach them. That is something he’s always had been so appreciative of his ancestors for doing. His people, they’ve always been distant from the rest of Hyrule whether they lived solely underwater or some place out of reach or hidden away, of all times this current era is likely the closest they have been to others even with being separated by a distant canyon still. He doesn’t like this distance, even if it is better than before. After the champions fell and the hylians had no leader, everyone mostly went their own ways and more of a divide was created between everyone, sure there’s trade and the mail service but other than that, nothing, no alliance promises or at least documents stating they were at peace with one another, there’s nothing except for the few individuals who sought out pay from others, that’s why he finds what I’m doing to be so incredible. This legend I’m making just by being myself, becoming something or someone everyone can connect too or want to strive for. A kind of hero he could only have dreamed of. I told him I can’t do anything like uniting everyone, I’ve just lived with them and gotten to know them, he however, someone who knows how to lead others, someone who can understand and relate to others so easily or through his sheer determination, his hunger to know others better, wanting those connections, he could become someone who could lead and unite hyrule. He told me uniting hyrule again was going to be a monumental task, surely one he could not handle on his own, he’d definitely need someone who’s on good terms with everyone, and more importantly a partner by his side, someone he could lean on during the rough days, someone who could emotionally support him and just be by his side, just someone precious to him to keep close.

How tenderly he held my hands and stroked them with his thumbs, and just that way he looked at me. I don’t know what I was feeling but it was so warm, and soft, and like my chest was fluttering. Just… how he wants me, not just for what I can do, he just wants me. He wants me to be there because he just wants to share his life with me, I just happen to get some additional satisfaction since I know I get to help, but even if I couldn’t I KNOW he’d want me to be there with him and it just…

It means so much to me.

Today was just so nice.

After leading me to my room he collapsed on the bed. I don’t know about him, but I know swimming definitely takes a lot of energy and he was already working with little sleep, at least this way I know for certain he’s getting rest. I hope nobody comes here looking for him. For now, I guess I should get some sleep myself.

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[faraway-wanderer]

BOOKS BY ASIAN AUTHORS MASTERLIST #stopasianhate

In light of recent events and the growing anti- Asian hate in the US and UK over the course of the pandemic I wanted to put together a masterlist of books by Asian authors. Obviously, it’s not extensive and there are HUNDREDS out there, but supporting art by Asian creators is a way of showing support; read their stories, educate ourselves. It goes without saying that we should all be putting effort into reading stories of POC and by POC because even through fiction we’re learning about different cultures, countries and heritages. So here’s some books to start with by Asian authors!

Here is a link also for resources to educate and petitions to sign (especially if you don’t read haha). It’s important that we educate ourselves and uplift Asian voices right now. Your anti-racism has to include every minority that faces it.

https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/

for UK peeps, this is a good read: We may not hear about the anti Asian racism happening here, but it is definitely happening. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/culture-news/a35692226/its-time-we-stopped-downplaying-the-uks-anti-asian-racism/

 THE BOOKS:

·         War Cross- Marie Lu ( the worldbuilding in this is IMMENSE.)

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. 

·         Star Daughter- Shveta Thakrar

A beautiful story about a girl who is half human and half star, and she must go to the celestial court to try to save her father after he has fallen ill. And before she knows it, she is taking part in a magical competition that she must win!

·         These Violent Delights- Chloe Gong (I told my little sister to read this book yesterday bc she has a thing for a Leo as Romeo- so if you want deadly good looking Romeos, badass Juliet’s and to learn about 1920s Shanghai- this is for you.)

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. A Romeo and Juliet retelling.

·         The Poppy War- R.F Kuang (My fave fantasy series just fyi- it’s soul crushing in the best way. Rebecca Kuang is a god of an author).

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.

·         Loveboat Taipei-  Abigail Hing Wen  (Really heartwarming and insightful!)

When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.

·         Sorcerer to the Crown- Zen Cho (if anyone is looking for another Howl’s Moving Castle, look no further than this book)

At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.

·         Emergency Contact- Mary H.K. Choi (very wholesome and fun rom-com!)

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. When she heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

 ·         Jade City- Fonda Lee (I am reading this currently and can I just say- I think everyone who loves fantasy and blood feuds in a story should read this.)

JADE CITY is a gripping Godfather-esque saga of intergenerational blood feuds, vicious politics, magic, and kungfu. The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.

 ·         A Pho Love Story- Loan Le

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighbouring restaurants.

·         Rebelwing- Andrea Tang

Business is booming for Prudence Wu. A black-market-media smuggler and scholarship student at the prestigious New Columbia Preparatory Academy, Pru is lucky to live in the Barricade Coalition where she is free to study, read, watch, and listen to whatever she wants.

·         Wings of the Locust- Joel Donato Ching Jacob

Tuan escapes his mundane and mediocre existence when he is apprenticed to Muhen, a charming barangay wiseman. But, as he delves deeper into the craft of a mambabarang and its applications in espionage, sabotage and assassination, the young apprentice is overcome by conflicting emotions that cause him to question his new life.

 ·         The Travelling Cat Chronicles- Hiro Arikawa

Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. 

 ·         Super Fake Love Song- David Yoon

From the bestselling author of Frankly in Love comes a contemporary YA rom-com where a case of mistaken identity kicks off a string of (fake) events that just may lead to (real) love.

  ·         Parachutes- Kelly Yang

Speak enters the world of Gossip Girl in this modern immigrant story from New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang about two girls navigating wealth, power, friendship, and trauma.

·         The Grace of Kings- Ken Liu ( One of the Time 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time!)

Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.

·         Wicked Fox- Kat Cho

A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

 ·         Descendant of the Crane- Joan He

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

 ·         Pachinko- Min Jin Lee

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.

·         America is in the Heart- Carlos Bulosan

First published in 1946, this autobiography of the well known Filipino poet describes his boyhood in the Philippines, his voyage to America, and his years of hardship and despair as an itinerant laborer following the harvest trail in the rural West.

 ·         Days of Distraction- Alexandra Chang

A wry, tender portrait of a young woman — finally free to decide her own path, but unsure if she knows herself well enough to choose wisely—from a captivating new literary voice.

·         The Astonishing Colour of After Emily X.R Pan

Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love. 

·         The Gilded Wolves- Roshani Chokshi

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

·         When Dimple met Rishi- Sandhya Menon

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

·         On Earth we’re briefly Gorgeous- Ocean Vuong

Poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling.

·         Fierce Fairytales- Nikita Gill

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.

 BOOKS BEING RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR TO PREORDER:

·         Counting down with you- Tashie Bhuiyan- 4th May

A reserved Bangladeshi teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.

How do you make one month last a lifetime?

·         Gearbreakers- Zoe Hana Mikuta- June 29th

Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series

·         XOXO- Axie Oh- 13th July

When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

·         She who became the sun- Shelley Parker-Chan- 20th July

Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.

·         Jade Fire Gold- June C.L Tan- October 12th

Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series

  Keep sharing, signing petitions and donating where you can. The more people who are actively anti-racist, the better. And if your anti-racism doesn’t include the Asian community then go and educate yourself! BLM wasn’t a trend and neither is this. We have to stand up against white supremacy, and racism and stereotypes and we have to support the communities that need our support. Part of that can include cultivating your reading so you’re reading more diversely and challenging any stereotypes western society may have given you.

 Feel free to reblog and add any more recommendations and resources of course!

[robininthelabyrinth]

Sometimes if you pray to someone enough, they become a god. The people of Yunmeng have been praying to Jiang Cheng since he rebuilt Lotus Pier.

Everyone thought it started later.

With Jiang Cheng rebuilding the Lotus Pier with his own hands, side by side with cultivators and common folk alike, working on it night and day – the real cause for his enthusiasm was insomnia, spurred on by endless nightmares, but to an outsider it looked a lot like virtue. When there was no more building to be done, he took up his sword and went night-hunting: not for fame or glory, though he would hardly refuse those, but simply to have something to do. Nothing, no matter how small, escaped his grasp.

It’s said that Hanguang-Jun went where the chaos was, but he never needed to come to Yunmeng. Jiang Cheng, as terrifying as he might be, a force of nature in wind and lightning, would always get there first.

Everyone thought it was because of Zidian.

After all, to a common person, what sort of person can call lightning into their hand with little more than a thought? Even cultivators, rarely seen and mysterious, could not reliably do such a thing, and Jiang Cheng’s ancestors had generally been respectful of the ancient spiritual weapon, using it only for war.

It wasn’t that Jiang Cheng wasn’t respectful of Zidian. It was only that in time it became as much a part of him as his own right hand, and he had never learned to stay his hand when anger filled him from head to toe. Zidian crackled on his knuckles when his nephew irritated him, when something when wrong, when he felt upset – the sight of the lightning comforted him, reminded him of his mother’s devotion, and let him feel powerful when he felt powerless.

Still, it did mean the common people saw a lot more of it than they had before.

Some people – including Jiang Cheng – thought it was because of Wei Wuxian.

The majority thought only that Wei Wuxian, that daring genius, that talent that hadn’t been seen in a thousand years, had done something; the minority who knew what it was that he had done, the truth of the golden core settled in Jiang Cheng’s belly, believed that it was Wei Wuxian’s merits that had set Jiang Cheng on the road to glory.

Those people were all wrong.

It was true that cultivation was a means to fight against one’s fate, and that it could, if perfected, give a man the chance to leap up to a higher branch and become a god in a single moment, the right opportunity of fate and luck and merit.

That just wasn’t what happened, that’s all.

Wei Wuxian was a talent not seen in a thousand years, that much was true, but the same could be said for many others in his generation: times of anguish were often fertile grounds for geniuses. Hanguang-jun himself, who took Wei Wuxian as his husband, was very nearly perfect in his sect’s cultivation style, upright and righteous even beyond their expectations, and yet he also fulfilled the requirements of Wei Wuxian’s Jiang sect, being free in his heart and defying all odds to claim the man he loved. If there was anyone the cultivation world could place their hopes on, it was him.

Not Jiang Cheng. Easily angered, overly emotional, too competitive, overly trusting, self-sacrificing yet selfish – not Jiang Cheng.

And yet when the lightning tribulation came, when the opportunity to ascend to the heavens appeared, it appeared to Jiang Cheng, not Hanguang-Jun.

The truth was: Jiang Cheng did not cultivate to greatness and godhood.

The truth was:

It began years ago.

The lady of the Jiang sect was cultivating alongside her husband, with her two children brought along to gain experience by proxy, but night-hunting was sometimes a dangerous sport and this particular evening they left them behind in the small, obscure village at the foot of the mountains; a place that no one cared about, nobody noticed.

Jiang Yanli was polite and kind to their well-paid hosts; Jiang Cheng was restless, and snuck out the window to go walk around.

He had very little spiritual energy back then, being only a small child, but his mother was fierce and strict, and he knew the basics. When he found the village children grieving over an injured dog, which panted and whined in agony, he squatted down at once and stained himself to the utmost to transfer his little store of energy to the dog.

The dog was healed, and tottered to its feet, happily licking the faces of all those who came by.

“How did you do that?” one of the village children asked, but, embarrassed at the new experience of being talked to by a child his own age, Jiang Cheng fled instead of answering.

The money the Jiang sect leaders had spent was used, eventually, to send the best and brightest of those children to school, and it just so happened that that child, too, was a talent that hadn’t been seen for years; he scored well in the imperial examinations and became an official. He never forgot his home, going back often to Yunmeng and offering money and help to all those who asked; his little obscure village whose name was commonly forgotten became wealthy, and its children, now grown, spread out across the land – and with them went their little superstitions, formed in their youth, of praying for good luck from a youth dressed all in purple, who’d said his name was Jiang Cheng.

It didn’t take long before someone connected the local god that had given the children such fortune with the Jiang Cheng that swept through their lands like a scourge aimed at evildoers: a man who had survived his own family’s ruin and resurrected a dead sect from the ashes all on his own, a man who summoned the wind and lightning at will to scold his impudent nephew, a man who would come no matter how far the distance at the merest hint that a demonic cultivator had emerged to torment the common people, refusing to tolerate injustice.

The stories, exaggerated through retelling, spread through the common people.

It began at the outskirts of Yunmeng, where the cultivators and cynical wits of the Lotus Pier rarely went; by the time it reached further in, the stories had become fantastical and personal – a sea captain swearing that he’d been rescued from pirates by a lightning storm that sent down purple lightning, a village talking about how Jiang Cheng had come in person to eliminate a demonic cultivator that would have become the next Yiling Patriarch if he’d been left unchecked, a housewife shyly whispering about how her children had become filial at last after a mere glimpse of him.

When the Jiang sect cultivators, travelling around, first heard the stories, they laughed in delight – teasing their too-prickly sect leader was a popular pastime, since his bark was invariably worse than his bite – and immediately set to telling even more stories. And so the tales of what Jiang Cheng had achieved during the Sunshot Campaign, previously limited to the world of cultivators, began to circulate among the common people, and even made its way to a certain court official in a far-off capital, who told his Emperor about it.

It was truly a coincidence that around the same time, the Emperor’s favorite son encountered a misfortune, surrounded and assaulted by wicked creatures, and that Jiang Cheng, night-hunting in the area because he couldn’t sleep and because he simply refused to stay one moment longer in the house where Hanguang-Jun and Wei Wuxian were stuffing everyone full of dog food, was bored enough to intervene with a flick of his finger.

The Emperor was still laughing about his earnest official’s little backwater superstition, for which he’d indulgently lit a candle as a reward for an especially fine display of merit – such a charming request, so naïve and innocent, he could hardly believe it, and he’d added the gold and honors the work had really deserved on top as a matter of course – when he received the letter from his son, telling him about how purple lightning had descended from nowhere in a night with a clear sky, saving him from certain death.

Only a sailor was more superstitious than an Emperor.

In his overwhelming relief, he ordered a temple to be built, and the poor folk of the capital flocked over to see who this new god was: it turned out that part of his legend involved dogs, which was fairly rare for a god, and since plenty of people in the capital had dogs that they treasured like part of the family, it was easy enough to accept him.

Eventually the story of the temple (and its copycats, quickly constructed or converted) made its way, carried by merchants, to Lanling; the young sect leader there rolled around on the floor laughing and insisted on going to visit every single one of them.

He brought his spiritual dog, his friends, and a very great deal of spending money.

Every single town that had put up a temple to the god of purple lightning was suddenly flooded with good fortune: money, money, and more money, with cultivators in yellow competing with those in white to buy better gifts for those at home, and the gifts they liked best of all were the ones sold by the temples.

Even the local dogs suddenly all became well behaved after meeting with the cultivator’s husky.

(It wasn’t a husky, it was a fairy! One of the villagers insisted. You’re all blind – didn’t you hear the way the cultivator in yellow and gold referred to it? I’m telling you, it was a fairy rescued by Jiang Cheng years ago and given to the cultivator as a gift –)

Good fortune begets more good fortune: even more temples began to be built, and the ones that had become rich overnight had not yet had time to formulate the habits of the wealthy; they were initially inclined to spend their money locally, rewarding good deeds, rather than consolidate influence or seek position, and that encouraged even more people to come to pray. Eventually, of course, one of the temples ended up in the hands of an ambitious man, who used the unexpected fortune to raise his family’s stature, and that made the temples a matter of interest to the wealthy, too.

It was a joke in the Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng going around with red ears and a furious temper that refused to hear a further word about it – not that that stopped anyone, most especially Wei Wuxian, who had taken to telling outrageous tales of the godly Jiang Cheng everywhere he and Hanguang-jun travelled.  

Outside of it, though, it became less and less of a joke, especially as the wheel turned and the generations shifted; what one generation thought of as a novelty, the next accepted as a matter of course.

And so one day, the skies above Yunmeng opened up, the lightning tribulation descending, and –

“Hanguang-jun! Senior Wei! A story has just come – Jiang Cheng ascended to immortality!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Wei Wuxian said with a smile.

“It’s true,” the junior insisted. “I’ve heard about it from three different sources – I’ve even heard that Sect Leader Jin has already gone to the Lotus Pier to investigate; I heard the senior people there sent him a letter, most urgently.”

“An urgent letter?” Wei Wuxian asked, smile starting to fade. “Lan Zhan, do you think something actually happened to that brat Jiang Cheng?”

Lan Wangji shrugged, indicating that he didn’t know.

Wei Wuxian huffed, amused, and looked up to the sky. “Hey, Jiang Cheng! If you’ve really ascended to the heavens and become a god, you’d better come and tell me yourself, or I’ll never forgive you!”

The sky was clear that day, with only a scattering of pale white clouds.

There was nowhere in nature for the rumble of thunder to come from, and Wei Wuxian, who had turned away, turned back to the outside with a confused expression: how had it suddenly become dark? Where had the thunderclouds come from? Why was there lightning –

There was a flash so bright it blinded the eyes, searing purple, and suddenly Jiang Cheng was there, standing in front of Wei Wuxian.

“Don’t threaten me, I hate that,” he said.

Wei Wuxian gaped at him. “Jiang Cheng? Where..?”

“I can’t stay long, too much to do,” Jiang Cheng said, scowling; it was a familiar look on his face. “Tell Jin Ling he either has to find someone else to do the damn job or consolidate Lotus Pier and Lanling, and not to pray for help too often or I’ll break his legs. And anyway, for you –”

With Wei Wuxian still speechless, he didn’t have any time to react before Jiang Cheng moved, slapping his hand right up against Wei Wuxian’s dantian: the weak golden core inside, a gift from Mo Xuanyu, suddenly glowed bright, strengthening back to what Wei Wuxian had had before he had given it away.

“I can’t give you more than what you had; cultivation is fighting the fates, and every man’s path is his own,” Jiang Cheng said, looking irritated by this inescapable law of the heavens. “But at minimum I can restore your potential – not that I think you’ll stop with the demonic cultivation, because you’re you, but at least a stronger golden core will help mitigate the effects, and make your lifespan more similar to Hanguang-jun’s. Who is not getting any sort of gift from me,” he added with a glare, “is that understood?”

Lan Wangji’s eyebrows had arched up and he stared wordlessly at Jiang Cheng, who immediately became so uncomfortable with it that he shifted from one leg to the other and then spat, “Fine, one gift, whatever. Think about it carefully. Anyway, I’m going now. Don’t bother me too often – but don’t not bother me at all, you hear me? Or I’ll find a way to break your legs.”

Another flash of lightning, and he was gone.

Wei Wuxian put his hand to his dantian, which still glowed warm, the strength starting to spread through his veins to his entire body – he’d forgotten how nice the feeling was, having never expected to feel it again.

“Lan Zhan,” he said blankly. “Did – Jiang Cheng – he just –”

Lan Wangji exhaled; in anyone else, it might have been called an aggravated sigh.

“We should,” he said, “probably set up a shrine.”