#and the books are pretty much about it aren't they? the found family when biological parents either did not care or failed badly

[dreamsofbroflovski]

hiii again, I was the person who wrote about the dbd hc post and to write more hcs about kyle, when i wrote that i wasnt really thinking about something in specific, just general hcs about kyle hahaha, howeverr If you don't Mind there Are some ideas i've never seen and i think would be pretty cool (If you don't mind, of course):

- general hcs about His gaming taste (which games he likes,plays,his fav, etc) kyle plays (also would love to ser main 4, but since hes my pookie i focused on him XD)

- how he would be dating a brazilian reader

- main 4 + butters dating (or being friends) with a reader who has autism

you don't need to write all of them (or even write at all), just would love to see more of kyle 🙏🙏

ha. hahaha. ha.

anon, you are ve ry familiar with my game, aren't you?

because i swear this was me when i read idea #2:

for the uninitiated (which anon probably isn't), i AM brazilian, so this is right up my alley lol

unfortunately, i don't think i'm doing idea #3. i'm not autistic, i don't have a lot of knowledge on the subject, and to depict that properly it would require from me a type of research that i'm just incapable of doing at the moment

#1 might happen at some point though. we have a few snippets of the boys' gaming tastes in canon already, but i can always tell canon to fuck itself and just say my own thoughts on the subject

with that out of the way.

KYLE BROFLOVSKI HEADCANONS - DATING A BRAZILIAN READER

Admittedly, he was very intrigued when you first moved to South Park. Why the hell would you come from a tropical country all the way on the opposite hemisphere to a small town in the middle of nowhere in the states? And that’s like, one of the first things he ever asks you - because obviously he volunteers to be the one to hang out with you and show you around. As time passes and you two get together, he’s just secretly grateful that whatever it is brought you to his arms.

Confusion is this guy’s middle name for a while when he starts getting closer to you. Brazil is so very different from the US, but it’s also very different from other latin american countries - even though there are several similarities, some aspects of the culture are very unique, so there’s a lot of him questioning you about it going on.  

Obviously starts taking Portuguese lessons immediately, even if you’re fully fluent in English. It’s an investment, really - God forbid you two break up, he’d at least have the knowledge of a new language.

Once he gets a better grasp of it, starts saying love declarations to you in Portuguese in front of everyone else since they don’t understand the language, making you giggle and blush. Has the cutest little accent, too. The guys keep on asking what the fuck he was talking to you about, he just tells them to piss off.

He gives you gifts on Brazilian Valentine’s Day (which, to unaware readers, is not February 14th! It’s actually June 12th) as well as on American Valentine’s Day. He’s just always looking to spoil his lady, honestly, and an extra excuse for that is very much welcome.

Brazilians are big on family and community. So if you’re close to yours, he’s gonna be so happy and basically bend over backwards trying to get along in order to feel properly included. (Biological or found family! He’s doing that regardless.)

Somewhat disinterested in Brazilian music, to be honest. He’d hate Brazilian Funk and Samba with a passion. More classical MPB is fine, he likes it from an intellectual point of view.

Our literature, on the other hand? He likes it beyond belief. If you’re a reader, you two can have a little book club of your own because he keeps on finding and reading new books that he wants to yap about.

Avoid explaining Brazilian politics to this dude. He’s already at high risk of heart disease due to stress, we are not trying to cut his lifespan in half. (He ends up doing research on his own, and then it’s a whole mess because he keeps on asking rhetorical questions to show just how stupid some parts of it are)

Not fond of the tropical weather, I don't think he fucks with the beach at all for several reasons. If you’re from a coastal city, he’ll visit with you for sure, but he just prefers to do other stuff while he’s there.

Turns FERAL if he sees you in a Brazilian bikini. Crazy possessive if it's around other people, can't get his hands off you if it's in private. (I mean, that goes for any bikini, really. But there's something about the extra skin...)

Carnaval kinda triggers his Jersey side a little bit, lol. He will go with you to a ‘bloquinho’, complain for a while like he’s not enjoying himself, and then all of a sudden Kyley-B is there, wearing a tinsel wig and flip-flops and trying to fight a street vendor because the beer is too expensive.

The amount of proximity and public displays of affection in Brazilian culture freaks him out a little bit at first. He’d get jealous if you greet other men with a kiss on the cheek or a hug, stuff like that. That’s just not how he was raised - but he’ll get around to it eventually, especially if you reward him with a few kisses of his own in front of everyone

All in all, he’s actually adorable about it. He likes knowing stuff, so new cultures interest him greatly - and if he can learn everything there is to know about you, then that’s just the best way.

Dividers by @cafekitsune

[rune-tisms]

sonic storybook AU

making this post mainly to document what i've got so far for myself (will update this post as i get further along in development). synopsis - sonic the hedgehog: storybook au is about taking the characters of sonic and putting them into a different genre of story, one that’s old-fashioned and fantastical. the stakes are lower, the overall aesthetic is more rustic and rural. it is heavily inspired by over the garden wall and beatrix potter's books.

plot - in this au, sonic and friends live in the forest, with the exception of a few characters like shadow and silver. dr robotnik is a threat because he wants to capture sonic and his friends to study them. fortunately, the critters are skilled at evading him. the animals keep away from humans and live in different faction-like groups (similar to warrior cats' clans, except they aren't all interconnected as much). shadow and sonic are both magical in a sense…i haven't fully figured out exactly how yet, but they come from magic, which is why they have no biological family members. really trying to push the idea that they are two sides of the same coin. this is where sonic gets his super speed from and where shadow gets his strength and durability from. characters: shadow - shadow came from the forest with no family to speak of, and was found by maria robotnik, who quickly befriended the little hedgehog and brought him back to her home. she begged her grandfather to let her keep him, and he relented. shadow and maria immediately formed a close bond, spending nearly every waking moment together over the next few years. gerald, her grandfather, eventually found out that shadow was extremely durable and illness-resistant, and proposed the idea of using shadow to help find a cure to maria's illness. the two kids reluctantly agreed, though shadow was excited at the prospect of possibly helping to cure maria. the tests were hard on shadow, but he was just as willing as professor robotnik to do whatever it would take to save maria from her terminal illness. more years go by, and maria has not gotten any better. in fact, she's gotten much worse, now being pretty much permanently bedridden; it's clear she has very little time left. one fateful evening, she tells shadow goodbye, and a few hours later, she dies. gerald, overcome by grief, makes shadow feel as though he didn't try hard enough to help her, and kicks him out, not wanting shadow around anymore since he would only remind him of their failure to save his granddaughter. shadow flees to the forest, where he spends lots of time alone for awhile. eventually, he meets sonic, who invites him to stay with his group. sonic - sonic, like shadow, came from the forest with no family to speak of, but with unnaturally fast legs. he found tails at a young age, and they've been together ever since. the two of them eventually met up with knuckles, amy, cream, vanilla, and others and formed their own little group. sonic is second-in-command to knuckles. tails - named for his twin tails that he was born with, he was bullied and ostracized for them practically from the moment he was born. all he had was his mother; his siblings bullied him almost as much as the other critters around them. but when his mother succumbed to an illness, he was suddenly left very alone, with no one willing to take care of him. he ran away from home, which is how he met sonic, who found him crying soon after he ran away. tails and sonic quickly bonded, and they've been inseparable best friends ever since. knuckles - knuckles is the leader of the group which contains, among others, him, sonic, and tails. knuckles took on the role of leader of the group with encouragement from his friends, and takes that role very seriously. he came from far away, being forced to leave his home due to a natural disaster which wiped out his entire tribe. he traveled around a lot, looking for a new place to call home, and found it when he met sonic and tails. he formed a strong bond with them very quickly, and from there it was easy to make the decision to stay in their forest with them.

amy - amy rose and her parents lived together in the forest, but one particularly harsh winter had them struggling to stay well-fed, and they faced starvation. refusing to go down without a fight, amy left during a snow storm to look for any food she could find. she traveled far, and came upon a frozen stream, which she needed to cross because she thought she saw blackberries on the other side. the ice cracked and broke beneath her, and she fell in; luckily, she wasn't far from knuckles' group's camp, and her screams for help did not go unanswered. sonic rushed to save her, pulling her out just in time. amy, shaken from having almost drowned, started to cry and pretty soon she was telling sonic about all of her and her family's woes. sonic, of course, insisted that they join their group, and so, with help from knuckles, sonic, and tails, amy and her family were led from their old home to their new one.

art:

[lilo-jacos]

Next gen headcaonns

Some people get mad at me when I mention things that don't actually happen in the canon universe so for those people, this is your warning. I have kids for a LOT of characters and I will be naming them for both true-to-books and my version. ALSO. I will only be using canon endgame couples and characters for sake of avoiding confusion. (It's pretty long so I cut it for people who aren't interested and don't want to scroll through)

Red Queen Next Generation Headcanons!

Farley and Shade - Their kids would grow up to help out with the Scarlet Guard, that's where they grew up and what they're comfortable doing. They went from loving helping Mom at work, feeling important, then to it being their chores, then they have their own assigned roles as per their request. The family's whole theme when they were growing up was bunny stuffed animals and decorations since Shades nickname was Rabbit (for his jumping abilities) and he wanted to pass it down to his girls.

(Canon: Clara Farley. My version WHERE SHADE IS ALIVE AND WELL: Clara Mae Farley-Barrow, Madeline Taylor Farley-Barrow)

Maven and Iris (if they were to have kids) - Maven had names for his kids from when he was younger even if he wasn't always dreaming of being a dad like Cal was. They would raise their kids to be leaders, keep more to themselves, they would think of lying as twisting the truth in benefit of the ones you love. Having kids wouldn't be as much as a want for them as it would be to carry on the bloodline but if he ever was a father he would take care to be better than his own.

(Names: Ava for a girl, Ivan for a boy)

Mare and Cal - Their kids would be extra adventurous, each would have their own different personalities. For the sake of this being my post I'm going to go into their kids in my version but if you like the canon Marecal kids (Coriane and Shade) then you can pick and choose which personality fits them in your own mind🤭 They have the last name Jacos because I feel like Cal would be more comfortable taking on his mothers last name than keeping Calore.

Willow Thea Jacos: Adventurous, collects everything, loves animals, very clumsy, social butterfly.

Archer Zion Jacos: More shy, loves Mare more than anything, kind, loves to cook and help out with everything in the house whether it be help with meals or watch his siblings.

Cooper Max Jacos: Absolutely wild... He's Mare and Cal only adopted child, he's a silver with not being their biological son, he loves dinosaurs and feels like he always has a sugar rush. They thought he would be their last kid.

Kaia Stormi Jacos: Mare found out she was pregnant with Kaia two weeks after bringing Cooper home... Their last little surprise💀 and lets just say that having Storm as her middle name fits her because she is their most picky kid, she's a major daddy's girl- only likes being around Cal and Archer- fusses over so much. She truly is the most spoiled princess (she's still sweet, she's just fussy about it) people make fun of the name Stormi but Mare thought it was cool and she was already kind of done with having kids so she was like "yeah whatever I do what I want, it's cool"

Kilorn and Cameron - They would both be really playful with their kids. Cam gets annoyed easily but she would have a patience for her kids and only her kids. They would definitely have an infinite collection of pool floaties and have a beach house. Kilorn was always set on having two kids so they wouldn't grow up alone. They would be adopted to live out Kilorns dreams to give other kids a home like the Barrows did for him.

(Names: Crew Atlas Warren, Elijah Oscar Warren)

Eve and Elane - Cat moms. I can't see them having kids for themselves but would definitely be aunts to friends and siblings kids and take them on wild adventures undoing all the "good morals" they were taught. The cat names are all after some kind of alcohol.

Julian and Sara - They always wanted kids but just took in Cal as their nephew as he grew up so they thought they wouldn't have one since when they finally got together it was later in their lives. Then, they adopted a four-year old girl once Cal helped them get a house and steady situation.

(Name: Quinn Elena Jacos)

Bree - Both Bree and Tramy have kids with my original characters but I thought I'd mention them for fun. Bree has one boy with his ex-girlfriend. He's a good uncle so you just know he's an even better dad. He raises him to be so playful and they live in different households for half the week but he still wants them to be close.

(Name: Kouvr Marshall Barrow - Cove-er)

Tramy - Tramy got married and he and his wife wanted to mainly keep eyes on their hobbies but still wanted at least one kid. Unfortunately, they were dealing with infertility issues. Tramy has always wanted a daughter but was still so happy when his son came home after adopting. Four years later his wife finally became pregnant and they welcomed their baby girl... Yes, she has Tramys red hair.

(Names: Jacob Noble Barrow, Mila Brynn Barrow)

Possible Changes (Help me out!!)

- I like the idea of Kilorn having two sons more than one boy and one girl, thoughts?

- Do we like the name Mila for Tramys daughter? I'm also thinking Skylar or Amara

- I think Gisa would be fantastic mom (in the future obviously) but I personally haven't created any kids for her and also I think she would be focused on her business. And having all those nieces and nephews I think she's good without them.

[cienie-isengardu]

I'm so happy! You gave a thoughtful answer about the republic commando books!!! It's been awhile since I read them but I remember disliking Etain because of her keeping the kid a secret, even though of all people she should know they weren't going to take the kid. And it was good to get more into the realities of clones but I wish they had given them more variation in character, especially the nulls. Vau in the ice is fav part!

Thank you, even more since I too didn’t read the whole series in a long time so I ranted about what stuck in my head the most (and Force knows these issues are thorns in my side for years lol)  

Oh, I totally love Vau in the ice and the robbing bank scene. That man is so precious bastard that always is there to make fun of Skirata even when just saved from death :D

Personally I feel sorry for Etain for she was placed in a difficult position with little real support. Her not telling Darman the truth sucked but as much as her choice was frustrating at times, I somehow understand why she did that. I mean, she was pretty young woman who never had up to this moment any serious romantic and sexual relationship nor any knowledge about raising a child. Etain at first did not tell Darman the truth because she wasn’t sure how to do so, uncertain of his reaction and worried how it will affect him during war and later keep it secret because of Skirata’s threats that literally limited her autonomy - it was Kal who choose the child’s name, who kept constant check and oversaw her activities through people either allied or loyal to him (like Jinart's people on Qiilura or the clones like Ordo who took care of Etain when her pregnancy was in danger), who decided that Darman’s son will be a Mandalorian and when tell him the truth. 

And yes, Etain still could tell her lover the truth despite the consequences but there was no quarance that Skirata would not do anything drastic. Like taking her child away from her to raise Darman’s son somewhere alone or by some of his friends/family. And in contrast to Etain, he had money, contacts and means to make that happen while Etain had no such resources. Even if she could hide her pregnancy all by herself, she wouldn’t be able to be a Jedi and raise her own child at the same time. But even if she decided to quit Order, she still wasn’t economically independent to be on her own with a small baby. Clones and Jedi weren’t paid money for their service, so neither Etain nor Darman were in position to provide needed things for their child. Etain didn’t have a job (and most likely wouldn’t be able to get one stable job as a pregnant woman or a single mother with a just born baby when she didn’t have anyone to rely on), didn’t have a home nor friends outside the Temple / army and Jedi do not financially support those who left the Order as far as we know. Then there is a matter of Darman’s lack of legal status who, as a Republic property couldn’t just leave GAR and there could be some more complicated consequences for affair between Jedi General and clone trooper that could haunt them if the wrong people would find out the truth (Kaminoans, Palpatine, any crazy genetic scientist working for CIS or independent factions).

Even if Jedi didn’t insist on taking her son into Order, Skirata was a different matter to worry about and he gave her very strict conditions in return for his help. So I’m gonna defend Etain on this one, because she was a young woman with no real relationship experiences, no real family to rely on, no money and her biggest “crime” was being  A)Jedi and B) naive to think that Skirata’s kindness should be taken for granted. And the thing that kills me the most about her telling the news first to Kal, was because she wanted to share her happiness with him and because “Skirata was Kal'buir. He was everyone's father” only to be called selfish, insulted and threatened. 

(Her presumed selfishness is a topic for another time, but in the end, she hasn't raped Darman or used him under the influence of mind trick, so it's unfair to put all blame on the woman, whether she wanted to have a child or not.)

I do not like that she kept doing what Skirata demanded in that matter but I can see how the “lie” trapped her and it was harder and harder to tell Darman what was going on. Especially the older I am and have more experience with small kids (thankfully not mine, just my sister’s) to actually see how important family is to help the young mother, the more angry I am at the whole situation and Skirata’s shitty behavior. Seriously, I regret that Etain didn’t tell Walon Vau the big news first, it would save us all three books of family drama since from the start he seemed to be like the only(?) person opting for telling Darman the truth.

As for Nulls, I’m kinda happy they weren’t the main heroes and were kept more in the background. They weren’t bad characters I guess, but I was tired of all the paragraphs about how wonderful and genius the little Skirata’s boys were. Or maybe I should say, less Ordo, more of his brothers would feel better? Dunno. I agree that clones didn’t feel that unique, like yes, everyone had his own personality and all, but the Omegas (and Nulls) kinda blurred one with another? Albeit I suspect it is the fault of the Republic Commando game and the very individual take on Delta Squad who raised the bar high. At least for me. To the point I have theory of mine, that Omegas came from “normal batch” while Vau got the most faulty one and I’m not kidding, the five clones we know were trained by him are either recognised as the most stubborn (Atin), most frightening/efficient cold killer (Sev), most likely pyromaniac (Scorch), gruff, by-the-book tech nerd (Fixer) and one the most balanced Boss who is badass on his own while Omegas are, well, great soldiers and nice men, but beside crack-wise Fi (and Atin) no one really stands out that much? Or I’m just biased. Yeah, I'm.

[howlingday]

tragic backstory (tm) au) yang has a mental breakdown when she realizies that she might have to marry her brother to keep the bloodline pure during ooblecks class (medieval royals were fucking weird man) btu it gets even worse when she realizes that the idea of her and jaune together is pretty hot! it's the curse of her royal blood! she must stop it! ... what it ruby was also involved? no! degeneracy be gone she should have never read blake's weird romance books! she's been corrupted!

jaune ruby and yang then go out for a dinner when all their other friends cancel, pyrrha looked absolutly murderous when she found out she'd been double booked and couldn't cancel the other thing

Please, I Incense...

Yang loves her family. Her family includes her younger sister, Ruby Rose, her uncle, Qrow Branwen, her recently learned adoptive father, Taiyang Xiao Long, and her just as recently learned of biological twin brother, Jaune. One added family member isn't too much too handle for her. The feelings she developed, on the other hand...

Jaune: Are you guys sure you can't stay tonight?

Nora: Sorry, Jaune, but Ren promised me to take me to that late night pancake shoppe, and I need to remove all distractions before my first year finals!

Ren: Her logic bested me.

Pyrrha: And I already promised I'd help Velvet study. I would cancel if I could, believe me...

Jaune: It's fine, I'll study enough for all three of us. Besides, what's the worst that could happen studying with Team RWBY?

Pyrrha: (Jaune's voice in her head) Oh, tying me down? You kinky girls~... (Speaking) You're right. I'm worrying too much, aren't I?

Ruby: Aw! Are you sure you have to go?

Weiss: Stop whining! We're just going to call our families. I promised Winter and my father I would contact them as soon I was able.

Blake: And my mom has been trying to get a hold of me since the attack started.

Yang: Too bad! We were going to order pizza, too.

Weiss: No, you weren't.

Yang: We were. Ruby has the number ready and everything.

Ruby: It's just a phone call away!

Weiss: Fine, but I better not see one crumb when I get back.

Yang: Okay, Mom! (Knock, knock, knock) I got it! (Opens the door) Well, well, well, if it isn't my brother, Jaune!

Jaune: (Rolls his eyes) Still playing that tune?

Yang: Why not? It's true, isn't it?

Jaune: (Sighs) If it helps you sleep at night.

Yang: (Thinking) It doesn't.

Jaune: So, what are we studying tonight?

Weiss: You will be studying everything from Historical Perspective to Dust Applications, as well as Grimm Anatomy and Combat Performance.

Jaune: So everything from the last year?

Weiss: Exactly, now get to it! We'll be back to check your progress. (Leaves)

Blake: Have fun. (Leaves)

Jaune: ...Pizza?

Yang: (Smiles) Pizza.

Ruby: (Dialing) PIZZA!

Pyrrha: I'm here. So, what are we-

Velvet: Get in here! (Pulls in Pyrrha, Shuts door)

Pyrrha: Is everything okay, Velvet? Is the third year that terrible?

Velvet: I... I'm not worried about the third year exam. I'm sorry for lying to you. I need your help with something else.

Pyrrha: Something else? Like what?

Velvet: Pyrrha, have you ever been in love with someone who wouldn't understand your feelings?

Pyrrha: ...Go on.

Jaune: Uh... No. It happened three years after the war, not eight.

Ruby: Right! (Drinks her soda) Yang, your turn!

Yang: Alright, uh, who was Klavier Kase's first bride?

Ruby: Um... Pass!

Yang: (Sighs) Jaune?

Jaune: Uh, Elsa Kase, his sister, who sat on the council in his place during the Faunus Wars.

Yang: Yup. Still weird hearing he was married to his sister.

Jaune: It was a different time back then. When you can't trust your name to a random family, sometimes the best way to protect it was to marry in your family.

Ruby: Still gross.

Jaune: Not as gross as them having three kids together.

Ruby: (Shudders) So gross.

Yang: (Blushing) Y-Yeah, really gross...

Weiss: Are you done for the night?

Blake: Yeah, and you?

Weiss: Yes. My father was insistent on my return to Atlas. He's trying to get in touch with Ozpin, but apparently, he's not available.

Blake: Well, the Headmaster summit is soon, meaning the Headmasters of every academy are gathering to discuss recent events and plan for the future.

Weiss: Hopefully they can perform a better background check from now on.

Blake: For the White Fang?

Weiss: For cases like Arc. No one knows what his background is, and all these stories are honestly giving me a headache.

Blake: I suppose you're right. Who's to say he's not a sociopathic serial killer?

Weiss: Arc? Please! He's hardly intimidating.

Blake: All the more reason to be wary of him.

Weiss: (Rolls her eyes) Whatever. Hm? Is that Ren and Nora? What are they up to?

Blake: It looks like they're following someone. Should we join them?

Weiss: Normally, I'd say to let them be, but my curiosity is getting the better of me.

Blake: I see Ruby is finally rubbing off on you.

Weiss: Please, don't imply Ruby rubbing anything on me.

Jaune: Uh... Corrosive?

Ruby: Nope! It's actually still incendiary, but like a dry ice effect off of burning.

Yang: When you said you weren't good at Dust, you weren't kidding. Like, let's say I got fire dust all over me. How would you wash it off?

Jaune: Uh, cold water?

Yang: Bzzt! Nope! And now I'm in shock! (Falls backwards) Whatever will you do?

Jaune: Uh, okay. So, first, I'd lay you down-

Yang: Don't just say it, show it!

Jaune: R-Right! (Moves to Yang's side) I'd lay you down gently, then lift your feet up. (Lifts Yang's feet onto the coffee table, Hovers over her) While you're laying down, I'll check to make sure you're comfortable and your vitals are stable. (Places a finger to her neck) Pulse is good. (Places his head to her chest) Hm...

Yang: (Blushing from Jaune being so close and touching her)

Jaune: Your heart and lungs are functioning. (Places his hand over her mouth)

Yang: (Red-faced)

Jaune: Your breathing is normal. Now I call somebody, and treat with first aid in the meantime.

Ruby: Wow! You're really good, Jaune!

Yang: Y-Yeah, really good.

Weiss: And you're saying you followed her here?

Nora: Yeah! She's meeting with somebody here, and I don't like it!

Ren: She was talking about contacting "Ratttler" tonight in the diner.

Blake: Who's Rattler?

Ren: I don't know, but I doubt whoever they are is childish in any way.

Weiss: You'd be surprised.

Blake: And you're certain it's Scarlet?

Ren: Unless you know of any other red-haired women not with Jaune tonight.

Velvet: I mean, I like him, but does he like me? Sure, he bullied me, but after he apologized to me, he's been nothing but kind and patient. Well, except for that one night.

Pyrrha: Have you tried talking to him?

Velvet: And embarrass myself?! No! Absolutely not!

Pyrrha: But if you don't confess to him, someone else could easily snatch him away. (Thinking) Well, not easily. It is Cardin after all.

Velvet: But what would I say? What should I do?

Pyrrha: Well, first, talk to him. After all, if you don't talk to each other about it, things will only get more weird and awkward.

Yang: (Wakes up) Jaune? What are you?

Jaune: Shh... Be silent, Yang. We wouldn't want to wake mother and father.

Yang: What are you- (Kissed by Jaune) J-Jaune, what are you-?!

Jaune: I cannot control myself tonight, Yang. I need you!

Yang: But we can't- We're- (Jaune nibbles her neck, She moans)

Jaune: Your body betrays your speech, sister. If only you were more honest tonight, like myself...

Yang: (Panting) Jaune~...

Jaune: Yang~...

Yang: (Closes her eyes) Jaune~...

Jaune: YANG!

Yang: (Shrieks awake, Panting) What's happening?!

Jaune: You fell asleep. Your face is red. Were you having a nightmare?

Yang: I... I don't know.

Jaune: It's getting late anyways. I'll let the team know we finished up our session.

Ruby: Do you want the pizza? There's still a slice left.

Jaune: Yeah, sure. Unless you want it, Yang.

Yang: No... No, I don't want anything but a shower right now. (Gets up, Walks to the shower) A really long shower.

[bookcub]

romance readathon wrap up

this got long, so it's under the cut. who let me read this many books???

read:

a girl like her by talia hibbert

a sweet book with sweet characters and so satisfying to read about a character finding love and confidence after an abusive relationship. warmed my heart and made me excited for the rest of the series. loved that the mc was autistic as well. (backlist, bipoc author)

untouchable by talia hibbert

this book was centered around family, biological and found. the kids felt fairly realistic and I always love the trope of new adoptive parent. some weird power dynamics, which were addressed but I didn't love that aspect. very enjoyable overall. (backlist, bipoc author, lgbtq+ rep)

a guy like that by talia hibbert

my favorite of this series because omg the mc is demisexual??? explicitly so and I loved zack's thoughts on being demi and seeing how it effected his actions and what he said!! also there was friends to lovers and older woman, younger man. and it's about loving nerdy fictional things!! delightful!!! (backlist, bipoc author, lgbtq+ rep, fake dating, favorite trope-friends to lovers)

the boyfriend project by farrah rochon

a little too long imo but good conflicts, good set up, and almost had the perfect ending. I will read more of rochon's books in the future (although her second disappointed me) and I liked seeing the friendship between Samiah, Taylor, and London blossom. I was shockingly attached to Daniel as a love interest as well. totally worth picking up. (backlist, bipoc author, pink cover, new to me author)

intercepted by alexa martin

honestly, this book was a mess. overdramatic, way too many life threatening situations for a romance novel, and #HashtagsAreAnnoyingInBooks. the more I think about this book, the more I dislike it. I will not be reading more by Martin. (backlist, bipoc author, red cover, new to me author)

the love hypothesis by ali hazelwood

yeah, I read the reylo book. my mom loved it and told me she thought the mcs were both ace. the author did confirm them as demi, so proud of my mom for spotting this but didn't love the rep and not counting it. also how cringe is it to name your mc after the actor the character is based on? over hyped and pretty cringe. (fake dating, pink cover, new to me author)

written in the stars by alexandria bellefleur

my hatred of all things astrology strongly colored my experience of this book. if you like astrology or aren't bother by it, you'll probably enjoy it. if you hate it like me, you won't be able to enjoy this book. (fake dating, lgbtq+ rep, red cover, new to me author, backlist book)

once more upon a time by roshani chokshi

I adore this novella!! I loved the characters and setting, I loved the message, great chemistry of the characters . . .. I love a good fairy tale commentary. super funny, very sweet, and I can't recommend it enough for those who crave a happily ever after and second chances at love. (bipoc author, red cover, favoirte trope- fairy tale setting)

the fastest way to fall by denise williams

this book had great messages about bodies and exercise and health!! it got little too dramatic at the end and it was too long, but I really loved the through message of it all and the chemistry of the characters. (bipoc author, red cover, new to me author)

how to fail at flirting by denise williams

honestly, this didn't make much of impression on me *shrug* (bipoc author, pink cover, new to me author, backlist)

delilah green doesn't care by ashley herring blake

this was addictive to read, absolutely captivating, and while the romance was delectable, I really loved seeing the way the sister relationship changed and I cant wait for the sequel!! I can't recommend it enough. it was so upbeat and chaotic. (lqbtq+ rep, new to me author)

romancing the inventor by gail carriger

I'm so mad I put this off for so long, I really enjoyed this novella. it was sweet, and heartfelt, and I wished I read it when I read the other books in this universe so I remembered the rules a bit more. I don't usually love historical romance but I loved this one. (lgbtq+ rep, backlist)

love & other disasters by anita kelly

super sweet and I had such food envy. sunshine and grumpy trope, which is always a joy to read. a little too much second hand embarrassment for me personally. it was amazing to see nonbinary rep, I'm excited to see what this author has to bring next. (lgbtq+ rep, new to me author)

meat cute by gail carriger

this was fine but paled in comparison to the main books staring these characters. did make me want to reread them tho. (backlist, enemies to lovers- eventually)

electric idol by katee robert

this series is consistent so far, convoluted worldbuilding, messy family dynamics, and very well written smut. honestly fun reads overall, if greek mythology modern day smut is your jam. (pink cover, fake dating/marriage)

currently reading:

emma by jane austen

slow moving but quite enjoyable, esp in conversation with clueless.

dnfs:

the dating playbook, i kissed alice, real men knit,

not much to say about these but I just didn't care for them.

[nadineeb]

CRAZY RICH ASIANS -  MOVIE REVIEW

Hi dears! It’s me again. After my tech review, I’m navigated to this 2016 movie -  Crazy Rich Asians which came from the first book of its trilogy novel. This is always at the top of my list and my favourite movie. Hope you’ll enjoy this movie review as it feels like you’re watching it when you’re really just reading. All credits goes to the owner of the photos and GIFs. Thank you so much!! Enjoy it as much as I do. 

- XOXO, Nads <3

New York City - Rachel Chu, a young, lovely, part-timer economic professor who dates for over a year now, a hunk, eye-turner, history professor, Nick Young, at New York University. Rachel already introduced Nick at their family dinners but since Nick's family are from Singapore, he hasn't presented Rachel formally to them.

Nick's closest female cousin, a double - heiress in her family, an icon in the fashion industry, had already chatted with Rachel. She's the only one that has known her cousin's girlfriend. Astrid was always busy with the Paris' fashion week, shopping spree every week, buying ancient jewelries that costs a fortune and building her own family with her only son and her husband who's also busy gaining investors in his technology business. 

(Astrid down below)

Being that it's Araminta and Colin's wedding, Colin, who happens to be Nick's bestfriend and cousin since their diaper days. Colin wants him to come home for he is his bestman in his wedding. He wants to take this chance for Rachel to meet his gigantic family and have her experience his childhood in the country where he grew up. It's also a great opportunity for her to visit her college bestfriend, Peik Lin , who always asks her to come to Singapore where she lives.

Excitedly, Rachel asks his mom for help with what dress will she be wearing when she meets his boyfriend's Ah-ma (grandmother in Chinese) during the family dinner to welcome the guests of the wedding. She forcibly agrees when her mom tries to get her wear the red dress. Her mom says that red is a color of good luck in Chinese traditions and also a little bit more of a plus point from Nick's Ah-ma though she also got a pure Chinese blood but grew up in America which promotes an entirely different culture.

Amazed by their First Class seats and soft silk pair of pj's given by the airlines, Rachel couldn't contain her happiness while sipping on their glass of champagnes on their flight to Singapore. Astonished as she seemed, she nags Nick on why he can afford the First Class tickets to a country miles away from them while Nick uses her Netflix password. He admits that they are living "comfortably" which what exactly a member of a crazy rich family says.

As soon as they land in Singapore, Araminta and Colin, the soon-to-be wedded couple was there at the airport with balloons in their hands and joy in their auras. After introducing them to Rachel, they plan to eat Newton Food Centre, a place where they serve delicious street foods especially laksa curry and satay bowls from street food vendors which gained Michelin stars.

Right before the Nick's family welcome dinner, Rachel visits Peik Lin in her house which everything is brilliantly gold-plated and was inspired by the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. While catching up over their food for lunch, Peik Lin's mom interrogates her about her coming to Singapore. When she said that it's for the wedding of his boyfriend's bestfriend Colin, Peik Lin's family were shocked, they said that it is the wedding of the year and even them having that rich, they aren't invited to the wedding. It seems like Rachel didn't do a research at his boyfriend's family!

Peik Lin also warned Rachel that the Youngs are kind of snobbish that would belittle a commoner. She would not let Rachel wear that little red dress to the dinner so she gathered all of her fancy clothes and choose the best for Rachel to wear.

The Youngs - migrated in the 1800's to the small island of Singapore from their main land, China  with a vast amount of fortune. They started real-estates business until this family became most probably the landlords of Singapore.

Nick escorted Rachel and Peik Lin to his Ah-ma's house which is the largest, most beautiful house that Rachel didn't expect to see. A house that Nick and Astrid grew up in. A house that has lots of wings that you'll probably get lost once you enter the wrong one.

Finally, Nick introduces Rachel to all of his cousins. Nick's mom, Eleanor, is busy in the kitchen scrutinizing every detail of the food to serve to their guests. When the couple went down to the kitchen, Rachel thrillingly hugs Eleanor which made Eleanor uncomfortable around Rachel. That is why Rachel immediately concluded that Eleanor doesn't want her for his son.

In the middle of the garden, sits a fragrant Tan Hua flower which usually blooms fully once a year, a great opportunity for the guests to see this once in a year. While waiting for it to fully bloom, Nick introduced Rachel to his Ah-ma, surprisingly, she likes Rachel the moment they talked in Chinese. She said that Rachel should come back to the mansion when there are no more craining necks so that she can teach Rachel how to make their family's traditional dumpling recipe which was passed to generations.

The Bachelor and Bachelorette's  Party where Nick and Rachel's love was tested. The Bachelor's party is located literally in the middle of the ocean, filled the cargo-like ship with sexy girls and men that is enjoying the scenery. As they are talking about anything under the sun and with the influence of alcohol, some men questions Nick on Rachel's details. Though the men want to know more about Rachel, Nick went hot-headed as the men start to sexualize his girlfriend. He decides to leave the ship that day with Colin, the bachelor, to an island with a small wooden floating house and a raft.

On the other hand, Rachel met Nick's ex-girlfriend, Amanda, in Araminta's Bachelorette party at a private island. She did not know that Amanda wants to be friends with her so that she and her mean friends can pull off their plans and that Rachel would want to leave. Their plans succeeded, while crying Rachel went to her villa to get her things and leave, she bumped into Astrid. They two found that Rachel's bed was covered in tuna's blood with a tuna head at her headboard.

That incident led to them to the seashore talking about why Amanda is like that. Astrid also opened up to Rachel how she found out that her husband is not really busy going to business trips but rather he is busy having an affair with a woman she doesn't know. It seems like the two found comfort in each other.

Dumpling day comes and also another day to test their relationship. While making dumplings, Rachel found out that Ah-ma doesn't want Eleanor for Nick's father way back then and she doesn't have the heirloom engangement ring of the Youngs since Ah-ma didn't approve of her. Ah-ma arrived at the dining table exactly after Rachel knew the backstory of Eleanor and Nick's father. Ah-ma was pleased after seeing Rachel again. She adoringly expressed her interest in Rachel's face features which made Eleanor jealous of Rachel.

On her way to the toilet, Rachel's lost in the mansion and was shocked that Eleanor found her. Eleanor talked to Rachel and frankly told her that she will never be enough for her son.

(Rachel and Eleanor Scene)

The wedding of the year came, famous business elites and the royalties attended. Rachel wore a pretty blue elegant dress paid respects to Eleanor and Nick's aunties though Eleanor doesn't want her to sit with her.

Princess Inta, who demanded a whole row of the front seats to herself so she would not be bothered by anyone, approached by Rachel who doesn't have seats, she talked about the princess' book about economics and that they have the same stand. They immediately been comfortable with each other. Escorted by Astrid, Ah-ma came and everyone was shocked at her presence. They said that Ah-ma never came to such events.

Not long after Ah-ma arrived, the grand wedding started which left everyone in awe on how beautiful the oriental, Gothic-themed was.

After the ceremony, the program continued at the Gardens by the Bay, a reception for the wedding. It was filled with laughters, everyone is having a great time dancing and enjoying the beat. In contrast with this, stands Rachel and Nick called by Ah-ma and Eleanor for the truth behind Rachel's identity. They said that they cannot let Rachel join their family for the fact that she lied to them about his father after they hired a peivate investigator. Little did they know that Rachel only found out then that her mom's husband, which all throughout her life she believed wa sher father, isnt really her biological father. Rachel walked out for she is deeply hurt by their actions. Ah-ma later then gave Nick an ultimatum. Once he leave, he can't come back. Who will he choose? His family or Rachel?

After a few days of crying, Rachel's mom found her in Peik-Lin's house and not eating. Her mom admitted that she left her husband because she was impregnated by Rachel's father and that her husband was not kind after all. She flew all the way to America to start a new life with her baby, Rachel.

Before leaving Singapore, Rachel wanted to talk to two people; Nick and Eleanor. She ended her relationship with Nick and declined Nick's offer to marry her and start a new life in New York as he will cut his ties with his family.

Rachel meets Eleanor at a Mahjong Parlour where they had a mahjong game along with two deaf players. She told Eleanor everything that had happened before she met with her and that she knew that Nick loves his family so much that even though Nick decided to leave his family for her, she couldn't stand to see Nick away from them. He is the only son that would inherit their wealth. She decides to let him go.

Also broken-hearted with her cousin Nick, Astrid decides to leave his husband for she cannot be blinded by her husband's affair. She decides to take their son with her.

Rachel and her mom are boarding the aircraft when Nick chased her to fly to New York with her.   She don't want to listen to Nick at first but when she realized what Nick's doing, she decided to  clisten to him and is completely speechless when Nick get down on one knee. Her face brightened when she saw the small box with the emerald stone ring embedded in diamonds that Eleanor wore on their engagement with Nick's father is vividly shining right infront of her eyes. She said Yes!

Them three left the aircraft to celebrate their engagement with their friends at the top of Singapore's most popular hotel - Marina Bay Sands. Ended as Eleanor genuinely smiles at Rachel as Rachel shows her engagement ring.

This movie taught me that you can’t choose who you’ll love. If you're looking for someone with the same wealth level as yours or even the same race as yours, you may never find your true love. Given the circumstances of Rachel and Nick, they don’t want their wealth status to be a hindrance in their relationship.

Though family always comes first, if it's a matter of going through what your family wants for you or going through what you want for your future family, always choose the latter. I only get one chance to live and I don’t want any regrets, so for as long as possible, if my decisions don't violate a person's right, i’ll do everything and whatever it takes.

This part below, where Rachel met Eleanor at the Mahjong Place where they talked about why Eleanor didn’t want Rachel for Nick the second she arrived in Singapore. Eleanor said that there is a Hokkien phrase “Ka ki lang” which means “Our own kind of people.” This is why the Chinese people tend to want to marry the same ethnicity as them because they want to preserve their traditions and would want to keep it going for as long as possible, which Rachel is not. Not because she is not wealthy, but because she is a foreigner, an American, although the Chinese blood runs through her, she grew up in America and Eleanor doesn’t want that.

One of the Chinese’s cultures is that they are taught to build things that last and not to feed in what they want, but in what they need. I understand Eleanor in this part because as an Asian, we are taught by these things - to prioritize our needs and build connections that will benefit us in the future. But for me, we should give respect to other cultures and not close our circle entirely. We all have different perspectives regardless of our race, that is why we should not judge one’s personality based on their race.

Rachel said that Nick proposed to him the day before and she turned him down, though Nick stated that he will stay away from his family for good. She said that if Nick would choose Rachel, he would lose his family, and if Nick would choose his family, he might spend the rest of his life resenting Eleanor.

Eleanor shows her Mahjong tiles which she thought she won, but Rachel looks at her, sighs, and says,

“ I’m not leaving because I’m scared, or because I think I’m not enough, because maybe for the first time in my life, I know I am. I just love Nick so much. I don’t want him to lose his mom again, so I just wanted you to know that one day, when he marries another lucky girl, who is enough for you, and you’re playing with your grandkids, while the Tan Hua’s are blooming, and the birds are chirping, that is was because of me. A poor, low-class immigrant nobody.”

Then she showed her Mahjong tiles and she won to Eleanor. She left the table and fetched her mother with a smile at the other table to leave the place. What a queen! Powerful. That is the best scene ever. The feels, the script, the emotions, they are just so perfect.

Astrid, my favorite character, not just she is stunningly beautiful but among all the cousins, she has the purest heart. She doesn’t want the people around her to feel that they are left out when they are with her. She wanted everything to be perfect when it comes to her family. Though her shopping spree every time she’s going to Paris fashion week is a bit overwhelming to commoners, she deserves all of it.

Astrid and I have similarities in our personalities. I’m also calm when there are problems that are coming my way. I can remain composed and I buy my time until I can find solutions to it. I remember the time when the man I loved cheated on me just like when Michael (Astrid’s husband) cheated on Astrid.

I can relate to her when she said that she’s wrong when she’s turning down jobs because Michael might feel lesser than her. I used to lower myself when I’m with him because I worry that he might feel that I’m the superior one between the two of us. But when he cheated, I realized that it shouldn’t be like that. It will be his fault for being insecure in me. Just like what Astrid said,

“It’s not my job to make you feel like a man. I can’t make you something you’re not.”

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Review: A Kiss in the Moonlight by Cathy Maxwell

2/5. Releases on 3/28/2023.

For when you're vibing with: romances centered around family, beta heroes, light romance, sisterly bonding, and light heat.

Dara and her sisters Gwendolyn and Elise are in a tight spot. After the disappearance of their gambler father, the girls are left destitute and in the clutches of their awful cousin. Dara's plan? Gambling what little money they have in order to fund a London season--and advantageous marriages. At first, all appears to be working... Until Dara meets budding politician Michael Brogan, who questions her and tempts her, despite the fact that he's not the duke she intends to marry...

So. I wish that I'd like this one more, I really do--and I do think that a lot of this was a case of me not being the right match for this book. But...

Quick Takes:

--Here's the thing. We begin with the sisters. I love sisterly relationships in romance, whether they're between biological sisters or best friends. I mean, The Wallflowers is one of my all-time favorite series. And the sisterly relationships in the book are really good! But after that first chapter, we then jump into a chapter or two centered on Gwendolyn taking action and meeting a man that I assume will be her hero in the next book, or the one after that. However, this is not their book; this is Dara and Michael's. While I'm all about teasing a future pairing--I love it--I found it really confusing that so much of the early aspects of the book focused on a pairing that wasn't going to be the focus of this one. I want to read Gwendolyn's book. That seems great. Dara's honestly felt much tamer than the story Maxwell is setting up for Gwendolyn, and... it set me up for disappointment.

--Almost a quarter of the book passed before Michael and Dara actually interacted. I'm sorry, but this was too long. I kept thinking "okay, this is it", and nope! Much of that is because of the Gwendolyn setup. Which was good! But I knew from the summary that this wasn't her story, and I kept thinking "where is the hero?" Michael and Dara needed more time to develop their story.

--Once Dara and Michael did have time together (and there was still a lot of focus on the other sisters) I just... wasn't sold. And again, maybe with more page time together, less comparison to Gwendolyn's setup, they would've been better. They just came off as a bit bland. I wish I could say that I was about it, but I found myself thinking about how much easier this story would've been to get into if Maxwell had jumped into Gwendolyn's story.

The Sex Stuff:

There is on-page sex in this book, but it is very mild. Dara is a virgin, Michael is gentle with her. There is very mildly depicted cunnilingus. I found the foreplay pretty underwhelming, especially considering the fact that Dara was a virgin. Like, you have the wherewithal to warn her that it's going to hurt, but not the wherewithal to give her an orgasm before penetration to relax her? Seemed kind of dated for a book released in 2023.

I know this sounds very negative, but I think that traditionalist historical readers (who aren't into alpha males) will probably enjoy this--it's a lot of the marriage mart, a softer hero, and a straightforward love story. I've only read one other Cathy Maxwell (which I preferred) so I'm not sure how similar this is to her other books. Here's the thing--I admire the emphasis on the sisters, and I see what she was going for there. For me, it just didn't give enough to the romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.