#antonia has way too much fun with this

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

GAYLE RANKIN PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANDREW ARTHUR AND INTERVIEWED FOR ELLE USA MAGAZINE.

“I was really nervous and, in the best way, really intimidated because after watching the first season of the show”

I was like, ‘Oh, wow. These are serious actors.’

“It’s just a massive ensemble with Liv [Olivia Cooke] and Emma [D’Arcy] at the center, which is just really so exciting to me,” Rankin adds.

But the nerves “dissipated very quickly” during rehearsals and table reads as she got to know her new colleagues, including her frequent scene partner Matt Smith and his dog, Bobby, who he’d sometimes bring to set.

“Then I fell in love with all the actors,” Rankin says.

Cooke, D’Arcy, Phia Saban, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, and Sonoya Mizuno are just a few names she calls out.

“We all became a little bit of a gang and would go out and go dancing....We had a good time.”

Some of them have even come out to watch Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club on Broadway, in which Rankin currently stars as Sally Bowles.

IT MUST BE SO INTERESTING INHABITING A CHARACTER LIKE ALYS, WHO IS VERY SPARSELY FEATURED IN THE BOOK, FIRE & BLOOD — AT LEAST IN THE PARTS COVERED IN THE SHOW SO FAR. WHAT IS IT LIKE AS AN ACTOR TO BUILD A CHARACTER BASED OFF OF LIMITED INFORMATION?

“It’s really fun and a little intimidating because the fandom around these books and this enterprise is so strong and that’s so amazing, but you want to build something that people can relate to and enjoy hand in hand with the book.”

“Because the truth is that you’re absolutely right, there’s hearsay and there’s barely mention of her sometimes.”

“She’s a presence and she becomes this presence that grows and builds throughout the book.”

“Then by the end of the book, she has quite a powerful position in the world and in the story.”

“It’s been interesting to build backwards too.”

To be like, “Okay, so if we were to ever end up here, what would get this place from A to B?”

“It’s been so fun, and there’s so much more to go.”

“There’s so much to build.”

HOW DID YOU INTERPRET OR ATTEMPT TO DEFINE HER POWERS? IS IT MAGIC? IS IT PSYCHIC?

“I like to think of her powers as quite elusive, because that’s probably what they are to her too.”

“As much as she’s aware of what they are, I think they change.”

“She’s powerful in many different ways.”

“I think that she has tactile power; we see her in episode four building some drink for Daemon, which she also tastes herself, which is really interesting.”

“I think she is actually a healer.”

“I think she works as a woods witch, which I would understand as more of a healer and a maester.”

“It’s interesting how we look at what powers are.”

“It’s like, Well, medicine is power.”

“Surgeons have powers.”

“But I also think that she is prophetic.”

“I really believe that, and that’s been talked about a lot.”

“I think there is truth to that, but what I think is a bit of a mystery both to the audience, hopefully, and to her, is how? Where? When? Why? How much of the world can she see?”

I THINK ALYS AND DAEMON'S DYNAMIC IS REALLY INTERESTING. SHE SEEMS FASCINATED BY HIM, BUT ALSO HAS HIM WRAPPED AROUND HER FINGER. SHE CAN PLAY AROUND WITH HIS EMOTIONS. WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE WANTS FROM HIM? WHAT DOES SHE FIND INTERESTING ABOUT HIM? WHY DOES SHE WANT TO HELP HIM TOO?

It’s so funny when you were describing her, I was like, “Oh, yeah. The qualities that any good woman should have.”

EXACTLY. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HER.

“No, no, no, no. I know.”

I was just like, “Wow, she sounds great.”

“Why does she want to help him? What we discovered really early on is that there’s something inside of this dynamic in this relationship...there’s something for Alys in it.”

“It’s not just one-sided, I think.”

“We had to really figure that out, because if you are someone who’s prophetic and who knows [the future], why bother?”

“Why take on this man, who is extremely powerful and dangerous and volatile and also extraordinary?”

“I think [with] Alys, it’s almost as if she’s like a 12th-wave feminist or something.”

“She is able to look at the masculine and embrace it in a complex and hopefully forward-moving way.”

“A way to get to “the other” and reach them.”

“I think that’s really cool whilst also getting something for herself too.”

“I think she’s really interested in that.”

“She’s interested in progress, I think, for herself, for the realm...”

“Can you imagine if we could see the future, and what would you do with that information? I don’t know if she’s trying to change it, and that’s really up to the audience.”

“I’ve made decisions inside of my work, but I think why she wants to help him is that she also sees parts of herself in him.”

“A loneliness. A stubbornness. A lostness.”

“I don’t know what to do with my power.”

“I don’t know what to do with my feelings.”

“There’s a kinship there, which I think is really shocking and surprising.”

SO, HER INVOLVEMENT WITH GROVER TULLY'S PASSING IN EPISODE 6: DO WE THINK SHE'S MAYBE ALSO TRYING TO DO SOMETHING FOR HERSELF THERE? LIKE, “I HELPED YOU. WILL YOU HELP ME?”

That just goes to the age-old question, “Is there a selfless act?”

Psychologists would probably say, “No, there’s not.”

“What is in it for Alys? I think it’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out.”

“I think that’s what we’ve been trying to build is, what’s in it for this person?”

IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE HOW REACTIONS ONLINE CAN RANGE FROM THAT TO THE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON.' BEFORE YOUR FIRST EPISODE, I SAW TWEETS THAT WERE LIKE, “IT'S ALYS RIVERS NIGHT!” AND PEOPLE WERE SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO APPEAR.

“It’s like, [gestures her hand up and down like a wave].”

TOTALLY UP AND DOWN.

“It’s been an extreme time.”

“It’s been really extreme.”

“I’ve been so lucky to have amazing people around me and also Jenny Tversky [Rankin’s publicist] being at the absolute helm of that to remind me what this is about.”

“I have to really be real.”

“I was worried that it was going to really negatively affect me, but actually, I’m so happy—the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“I feel stronger, truly, than I ever, ever have been.”

“It’s been hard-won, but a little bit through the fire in some ways over this period of time.”

[zkoh001]

All the ninjago kiddos! That I remembered, lol.

Also I'm not sure if Echo counts, but this is my art soooo... He does now

Fun fact, way before Dragons rising was an idea, I had a little theory/AU thingie, where the ninja got sent to another realm, where time passed differently. (How funny, it was way before SotFS...) So basically these kids formed a replacement ninja team to fight the evils treathening ninjago, discovering they themselves are elemental masters. And that's been in my brain, slowly adding all the new kiddos to it. Might make some art, and a post about that too, because I would love to draw them.

Here's my spitballing on these dummies and their designs.

The Darkleys kids!

The little shits. They would be the ones to have kidnapping as their first resolve.

- I kinda didn't know Sally existed, but I liked all the art, so she does now. Also, she loves pink, I love pink, we all love pink

- Brad is definitely the muscle of the group, with a big heart, but not the greatest mind. Also, he has a babyface, that's very hard to make look evil.

- His design kinda grew on me with time, but it still feels a bit lacking...

- There's this theory that Gene is Skylor's brother, and Chen's son, that I kinda absorbed into my brain and ran with it so yeah.

-Also, the hand thingie is not a glove, it helps hold his hand together after a nasty injury :)

- The bowlcut was uniform at Darkleys, but Gene was such a nightmare they just gave up with him.

- They have matching pins and earpieces. Cause of course they do. Also, dumbo boots uniform.

The Paperkids!

Antonia and Nelson are a given, and I just kinda added Unagami on there, since he waved at them once. Also, I think it would be cute if they were friends.

- I know he doesn't anymore, canonically, but I like to think he still wears his purple gi under the jumper. Who knows when someone will need the purple ninja?

- He has a scar from the injury he had when he met with the ninja. Also, am I the only one who tought something much worse was going on than a broken leg? Obviously a kid show can't have a terminally ill kid, but fsm that's still how I remembered it.

- Antonia! I loved drawing her hair. Also kinda like her badass big sis vibes.

- She has her hands out to make sure the two kids, but mainly Nelson, don't go missing somehow (happens more often than you think)

- Even if he can shapeshift, I like to tjink Unagami keeps his line-marks in whatever forms, since it's apart of his skin. He can hide them, but it takes effort, so he just doesn't bother.

- He can change his form generally, but you could still tell it's him by the lines, eyes, and hair

- He has a little nick in his eyebrow, and so does (did i guess) Jay. I just think that's a cute detail

The Forgotten ones...

Just called that cause I had to add them on a separate canvas after forgetting them. I forgot Skales Jr, shame on me, I tought Jake and Nelson were one character, and I was still debating Echo. But here they are!

- It was surprisingly not that hard to draw him, even tho I was very scared

- Since he has white on him, I was trying (and failing miserably) to replicate those partially albino reptiles. Also added some pink scales, since he is also Selma's son, who's pink.

- I don't know to this day why Echo was introduced only to be left behind.... Nevertheless he's a sweetheart

- I guess if you count Mr.E, but then he would be dead... Unless the kids fix him (lightbulb moment)

- Also, ahy is his head weirdly tiny? How did that happen?

- Jake. Goddamnit, how were you the hardest to draw? Somehow I couldn't get the head right...

- The giant pants is an idea that lived in my head. I like yo think he would be able to fix ancient artifacts with hairties, ductape, and sheer force of will.

- He might have a bowlcut, but cmon, are you telling me he wouldn't at least try to replicate whatever the hell Kai's hair was in the beginning?

I guess that's it folks, lemme know if any of you are interested in my weird Ninja kids au thingie!

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

So I adore your worldbuilding and how you've mixed the worlds of the show and movie-

That being said, I'm curious how a three-way crossover between the legacyverse, the show, and the movie would go. Into the Ninjaverse, if you will

I'm not even gonna lie, I daydream about this all the time—

Show!Kai is Legacy!Kai but much more aggressive, while Movie!Kai is Legacy!Kai but more passive. They spend most of their time trying to puzzle out how they all wound up so different despite leading similar lives. Movie!Kai does have a conniption over Legacy!Kai once being friends with Chad (and not Show!Kai asking Legacy!Kai for dating tips gfdsgfd)

Show!Jay = Bastard!Jay and Movie!Jay= Uwu!Jay.......so, both are immensely jealous of Legacy!Jay who somehow gets the best of both worlds, on top of being able to teleport and fly consistently (but Legacy!Jay is the one that nearly loses an eye, so who's really losing here) (also, since Movie!Jay is actually single, Sunni starts rubbing her hands together like "my chance at LAST")

Legacy!Cole is vastly unimpressed with the other Coles (to him, one cares way too much while the other doesn't care nearly enough) and struggle to find common ground with each other since, unlike the Kais, their upbringings all turned out way, way different from each other (but of course all of them do unite in their passion for music/dancing)

Legacy!Zane learning that he has no mother (!!!) and that his father dies twice instead (!!!!!!) in Showverse, along with discovering just how robotic he is Movieverse, even without turning titanium. Multiple mental crises ensue.

All three versions of Nya are just chilling, although Show!Nya has some reservations about the other two "surrendering their independence" to be ninja, while Movie!Nya can't even fathom ever not wanting to be a ninja. Legacy!Nya sympathizes with both sides and thus is torn about her own decisions.

The only real sources of shock for the Lloyds are Legacy!Lloyd's op abilities and their age differences. Show!Lloyd is like 10 (if this is during the first half of S2), Legacy!Lloyd just turned 14, and Movie!Lloyd just turned 16, so their levels of life experience are quite different. They are, however, unified in the distress over their dad of course (and Show!Lloyd is a little envious of the other two getting to have their mom in their lives). Show and Movie agree that Legacy is probably the most terrifying out of the three of them, for reasons they can't quite explain why.

Jesse reveling in there being three Coles lmao, but then subsequently freaking out because he simply does not exist in Showverse (or worse, he's just that Fuchsia Ninja from Crystalized lmfao) and is basically useless in Movieverse. Legacy!Cole assures him that he is glad he gets to love have him in their universe tho.

Legacy!Olivia in outrage that there is no Shark Army in Showverse, and horrified at what does go down in the Movieverse. She is, however, a little distressed that her father (who is not her counterpart's father) is alive in Movieverse...but it's her alter-self that winds up getting killed. Whoa, man.

Legacy!Harumi getting real concerned when she can't find her Movie!counterpart, on top of how much worse Show!Harumi's life is than hers, against the odds. She starts dreading what *she's* gonna be in for, if her life can't seem to find peace in any universe–

Legacy!Antonia can't find her counterparts (as she believes they just haven't met their ninja yet, which technically isn't wrong) and thus has way more fun riling up everyone else and documenting all their difference. She also tends to play mediator for everyone else when things get out of hand

Harleigh, meanwhile: WHERE THE HELL AM I?!?!?! Show!Ronin: ...I think I just felt a disturbance in the forces that be

[1moreff-creator]

DR:OS - Prologue Bonus Scenes First Impressions

DROS content… yay :D As you might expect, this’ll probably be shorter than most of my other posts, given the length of the Bonus Scenes, but I’m sure there’ll be quite a bit for me to talk about anyways :)

I actually sent in a form for this! I wonder if any of the ones I chose will end up here. We’ll see!

CW: None (well, possibly implied medical malpractice depending on what Vivi’s deal is, but I can’t tell for sure :v)

Vivi & Kennedy

Hey! This is one of the ones I sent in! I figured it might be funny to see one the most obviously weird and suspicious talents (Mad Doctor) interact with the Conspiracy Theorist, though I’m fine with whatever direction the convo takes. I just like both these guys :)

Vivi PoV let’s go.

“Kennedy: Kennedy Rey, Ultimate Conspiracy Theorist, any pronouns. You seem to have a lot of good ideas. I hope we can work together moving forward.” Yay friendship :D

“[Vivi thoughts]: A “Conspiracy” Theorist… that’s someone who it could be really useful to have on our team, and someone who probably has a lot of ideas! I wonder what his area of expertise is…?” Cool to see Kennedy’s not immediately being dismissed, but I guess it makes sense with Vivi’s whole deal.

“Kennedy: Mad Doctor, huh?

I frown.

Vivi: What about it?

Kennedy: How’d you earn the title?

Vivi: Well… I think they gave it to me for my more… innovative…? Methods. I don’t think it’s really fair, though. I mean, all of my methods work! Why are they considered “mad” if they work…?” Vivi really seems to resent the title, which I guess makes sense if, like they say, all their methods work. 

“Kennedy nods, lost in thought. 

Kennedy: What do you think about the staff?” This is a change in topic, isn't it? I wonder what Kennedy was lost in thought about!

“Vivi [talking about the staff’s mask]: So, does that imply an audience beyond the sixteen of us?

Kennedy’s eyes light up.

Kennedy: An audience beyond us… that’s a good idea. There are cameras positioned everywhere. This… if this is being filmed and marketed, what does that say…?” Damn they figured that one out fast, if it’s true. Hot damn.

“Kennedy: I’m glad to meet a like-minded individual here. Everyone else is thinking too far inside the box.

Vivi: Thinking outside the box is my specialty! It sounds like it might be yours, too.” I really like this partnership! They’re both equally insane so it balances out, it’s really fun. Very glad I asked for this one :D

Antonia & Paris

I also sent this one in! Antonia content let’s go!!!

“[Antonia Thoughts]: I wrap up my conversation in the Courtyard and do my best to look natural, twirling my hair around my finger “absentmindedly.” Someone’s listening in. It would be unfair to let her get all the information without getting any myself, wouldn’t it?” She’s so good actually. Pretending not to notice when Paris is listening in… Antonia’s fantastic :D

“Paris: Slay!” Antonia don’t- Don’t take this literally please xD

“[Antonia’s thoughts]: It makes sense that a gossip would be looking for as much information as possible, but I obviously can’t tell her everything about myself. Besides, the point of this conversation is for me to learn more about her.” This is before the killing game even starts by the way. Antonia’s just Like This and that’s great. Mind you, she’s not even the only one (see: Cass and even Ellis to an extent), which is even greater.

“Paris: Aw, thanks babe! I do travel a lot, but I don’t recognize this place either.” Lore (Paris travels) :O

“[Antonia’s Thoughts]: If this were truly a hostage situation, I would question the reason for some of the choices of our captors. [...] Honestly, if that’s the case, why not just start and end with Harper…?” I did notice Harper had a lot of followers in the Twitter followers ask, so between that and Antonia’s comment it does seem ve’s pretty rich. Though Paris also had quite a lot of followers, didn’t she?

“Paris: Well, duh! All my followers know that there’s no replacing me~” How do I keep commenting on stuff right before it gets brought up.

“Antonia: Your followers? What for?

Paris: Oh, they just love me! I post pictures and videos and talk with them and everything, and they give me all their love in return.” Well, there’s the answer for why she had that many followers. I wonder if she’s more a blogger or a drama influencer. The things she says sorta fit blogger better, but the talent would imply drama. Something to think about maybe.

“Paris: Yeah… Do you have anyone at home you’re worried about? Anyone you’re missing?” Very interesting question… Will Antonia answer honestly?

“Antonia: Well, I’m sure my sister would be worried if I disappeared for too long.” Antonia lore??? I’m not fully discounting a lie, but I can’t fully see what the point of that would be. So for now, lore it is!

“Paris: Uh, duh! I have, like, tons of friends. I’m sure they wouldn’t know what to do without me.” Can’t help but note the lack of family mention here. Might mean nothing, but it’s worth noting down I guess.

“Paris: Speaking of friends… anyone in the killing game you’ve gotten to know particularly well so far?

Switching tactics, I see. That might work on someone less suspecting, but I’m not about to let her read me better than I can read her.” I’m so glad I asked for this, the mind games are insane and I’m grinning silly xD

“Antonia: I’m only just getting to know the others. I wouldn’t say there’s anyone who I immediately clicked with, but if we’re forced to stay here for longer, that may change.

Paris: Mmm. Well, if you’re ever curious about someone, let me know. I make it a project to learn about everyone else, you know~

Antonia: Of course.” Now I could see that thing about not clicking with anyone being a lie, since there’s zero chance in my mind Antonia would actually answer that truthfully if she really had clicked with someone. However, I imagine she isn’t lying, the truth just happens to be the most convenient thing for her to say. And Paris’ project is fun, I wonder if it’ll end up being important in plot/trials?

“[Antonia’s Thoughts]: We both stare at each other for a moment. If I had to give the sentiment a name, I’d call it “mutual respect.””

“If she hasn’t, she should try playing poker.” I am really glad I asked for this one, these two are on the same wavelength and it’s great to see :D

Grace & Cass

I didn’t ask for this one, but it’s quite intriguing, I like it! These two also happen to be mine and accirax’s pre-CH1 mastermind guesses, which is funny.

“I’m 14/15 introductions in, and it’s around 7:45 PM.” I like that just from this line I can guess this is a Grace PoV :p

“Cass: It’s about time I met an Ultimate who actually creates something. My talent is pretty useless without anything to market, so I was hoping I’d be able to help at least one of you with my services. As it turns out, the last person I met was the one who best fit the description.” Oh, yeah! I did think about this at some point, how Cass’ comment that no one had talents that were about making anything kinda didn’t work with Grace, so it makes perfect sense she met them last!

“Grace: You’re quite eager.

Cass: Well, would you be interested?” Grace is right, it’s interesting that Cass is this committed to agent work. I guess she’s an Ultimate for a reason, but I have to wonder if there’s other reasons, like money issues…

“Grace: I’ve just opened my own shop.” Grace lore :O Sorta anti-mm coded, unless they’re just lying I guess :p {Just so we're clear I bring up mm stuff because of the aforementioned funny coincidence with the mm guesses :p}

“Cass: Well, in that case, I could help you find clients for commissions, or just generally broaden your marketing. Keep me in mind if you’re ever looking for someone.” And this is sorta anti-mm coded for Cass lmao.

[The conversation about goals and wasting time] Really interesting perspectives, and this already seems like a fun little connection between these two. 

“Cass: I don’t waste time talking to just anyone if I don’t believe it’ll help me achieve my long-term goals. But if I decide it’s worth it, I’m not easily swayed. Right now, I’ve decided I want to talk to you, and that’s the best use of my time.” In particular, it’s funny we’re talking so much about time to the Clockmaker, who is very “no-time wasting”-minded themselves :p

“Grace: What are your long-term goals, if I might ask?

They smile.

Cass: I’m not gonna go around talking about that kind of thing immediately, especially not with cameras everywhere. I’ve got big plans once I’m back out in the real world. But, foundations are laid here.” … ???

Well, very glad someone asked for this pair! Cass was the character I was most lost on in terms of what their deal was, but this sounds like it could be a pretty fun thing to explore moving forward!

“[Grace’s Thoughts]: It’s nice to be told directly what motivates someone. It makes it far easier to predict their behavior, and eliminates the need for some future conversation. If I can trust it, that is.” Everyone thinks and talks like they’re playing mind games 24/7 what is this. I love it xD

“Grace: It’s 7:56, and it takes around 3 minutes to get from here to [the Movie Theater].

Cass: Right. I suppose you are the one to listen to as an expert on time.

Grace: Clockmaker’s intuition. I hate being late, so we should head out now.” Sounds like a quirk that might be useful in trials actually, maybe I should note that one down… 

Actually yeah, let’s do that! Apart from the “canon notes”, the ones that Ellis keeps in the e-Handbook, I’ll add my own set of notes I feel could end up being important somehow, be it character analysis or actual murder mystery. You know, just for fun :)

Non-Canon Note: Clockmaker’s Intuition - Grace can seemingly accurately tell how much time a task will take on intuition alone.

“Grace: Right. I suppose I will keep your name in mind in the future, if it’s so important to you.

They smile.

Cass: I’ll keep yours in mind too, then.“ Aw, neat duo :)

-

Well, I’m really happy two of the three pairs I sent in got a Bonus Scene, they were awesome! The third one I sent in was Taylor & Vanessa if you’re curious, chosen based on their little interaction at the end of the prologue. The others were just characters I was curious about and thought they’d make fun duos: the crazy talent people (Kennedy & Vivi) and the social game talent duo (Antonia & Paris). I enjoyed them a lot, and I also really enjoyed the Grace & Cass one! Really neat little activity, can’t wait for the first episode of CH1! :D See ya’! 

[serafiel-jacobs]

Cinders (Fanfic)

New chapter from my main series 🩷

“Pinocchio, Pinocchio wake up already” Gemini was scolding him, it was already 12 pm.

“Just a little more,” Pinocchio said in a drowsy voice while snuggling more into his covers.

“You have your lesson with Lady Antonia at 2 pm” Gemini got on top of his head, jumping up and down to make him get up, “You have to get ready already”

“Gemini let me sleep” Pinocchio was annoyed but gave in and decided to get ready.

“You have been oversleeping a lot lately” Gemini gave out a sigh, “You have to be responsible about this”

“I just really like sleeping” Pinocchio was getting ready while talking, “It’s um, I don’t know how to explain but it feels very good”

Pinocchio wasn’t able to sleep when he first came to be, but when he gave Sophia life again he fell asleep and when he woke up he felt so much better, by the time he had faced Simon he constantly felt exhausted even if he didn’t know that physically he was fine. Then he wasn’t able to sleep again, it was odd but he thought maybe he only fell asleep because of Sophia.

But then he gained the ability to sleep again out of nowhere, he doesn’t understand it but he doesn’t question it anymore.

“I like dreaming” Most of the time, he still has nightmares sometimes, awful that the first dream he ever had was a nightmare.

But his other dreams are always so nice and pleasant, it makes him feel good but also safe, he often dreams of his loved ones and that’s why he likes it so much. Sometimes he dreams strange things, like being in some strange place like a field or inside a building but despite being alone in those dreams he doesn’t feel scared, it feels weirdly nostalgic for some reason.

He has started to write a few of his dreams in his diary, it’s fun to describe them.

“Well, dreaming does look like it’s relaxing” Gemini doesn’t sleep, he just enters his rest mode and can “wake up” when he wants to, “But you can’t oversleep all the time”

“Gemini dreams are just… special”

“I understand Pinocchio but dreams are just dreams” Gemini knows that his best friend is just enjoying life, Pinocchio enjoys even the most simple things about it, “You have to eat something now”

“You are not my father Gemini,” Pinocchio said in a playful tone.

Both of them laughed and Pinocchio finished getting ready, he ate and waited for a bit, before making his way to see his mother.

——

Pinocchio had just finished his lessons, and he wanted to spend some time with his mother but she had matters to attend to managing the hotel.

The boy made his way towards the exit when he saw someone was having trouble at the Hotel Lobby, a girl who was carrying too much luggage by herself.

“Do you need help?” Pinocchio asked but he grabbed some of that luggage without waiting for an answer, as she was about to drop them.

“Oh you don’t have to” The girl smiled at him, “But thank you so much, since you already have”

“Are you here on vacation?” Pinocchio wanted to start a conversation, but she looked a bit stressed.

“Well, not really a vacation, my family is here to attend some private matters” The girl gave out a sigh because she knew that truly she would be the only one to not have fun and only work. “Oh but where are my manners? My name is-“

“Cinderella!”

Cinderella turned around, her sister Drizella was calling for her.

“Our room is ready, come here and take our bags to our room!” Drizella shouted at her.

Anastasia signals to her expectantly and Lady Tremaine, her stepmother gives her the cool dead look of dissatisfaction.

“It was nice to meet you” Cinderella’s voice showed her sadness and she took the luggage and left with her family.

Pinocchio watched her leave and couldn’t help to feel bad, but he didn’t know her family, maybe they were just stressed from their trip?

Before Pinocchio made his way back home, he looked for Spring, wanting to say a proper goodbye. The cat had become even more affectionate towards him, his mother says that he is Spring’s little hero.

When he finally found Spring, it was odd, her cheeks weren’t supposed to be this big…

“Spring!” Pinocchio grabbed the cat, “Spit it out! Spit it out!” he shouted at her as he shook her.

The cat had no choice but to comply, a tiny brown mouse emerged from her mouth and Pinocchio grabbed it, holding it gently in his hands.

“Bad kitty! Bad!”

Spring just turned around and waved her tail in frustration.

“Pinocchio let’s go outside and leave the poor thing there” Gemini knows that it’s best to set it free, but it’s odd to see a mouse, Lady Antonia takes great care of this place, no way are there any pests in here.

The tiny mouse shook his head over and over again, trying to speak to them.

“Uhhh are you someone’s pet?” Gemini asked.

The mouse nodded, even though he wasn’t technically a pet, he was a friend.

After a game of charades, the mouse explained who he was looking for, a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing clothes that resembled those of a maid.

“You mean Cinderella?” Pinocchio was glad he had heard her name before she left.

The mouse nodded again enthusiastically.

Pinocchio made his way to the front desk, Polendina was there and he asked him if he could tell him which room Cinderella was in.

“Unfortunately Pinocchio, room information is something private between the guests, but I could send someone to fetch her and tell her to come to the lobby,” Polendina said in his usual polite tone.

Polendina did so, and a few minutes later, Cinderella was back in the Hotel Lobby, and soon as he saw the mouse in Pinocchio’s hands she rushed toward him.

“Oh Jaq! Was so worried when I couldn’t find you” Cinderella took him and now Jaq was in her hands, “What happened to your clothes?”

Pinocchio and Polendina turned to look at Spring, who proceeded to simply hiss at them.

Cinderella laughed, “Oh don’t worry I don’t hold any ill will, a cat must do what cats do”

Spring perked up after that, rubbing herself in between Cinderella’s legs.

“Miss Cinderella, please forgive this inconvenience” Polendina was apologetic, specially since Hotel Krat does allow pets to stay, would have been a disaster if Pinocchio hadn’t noticed.

“It’s alright, no harm done in the end,” Cinderella said with a smile. It reminded her a little of Lucifer’s antics, that cat is a little mischievous as well.

“I could give you some small clothes” Pinocchio has a few clothes for Gemini in his Hotel room.

“You are very kind”

——-

Pinocchio handed her down a small red shirt, and since Jaq is a slim mouse it fit him perfectly.

The mouse began to talk to Cinderella. Pinocchio and Gemini could almost seem to understand him, but they couldn’t make it out correctly.

“Oh of course you look wonderful Jaq!” Cinderella was in a better mood now.

“You can talk with animals?!” Pinocchio was excited, he had never seen someone do so and the princesses in his books talk with them.

“Well more or less,” Cinderella began to explain, “Jaq and the other mice have their language, as for others, well I do not fully understand the words, but I do seem to understand what they mean”

“That’s so cool, just like a real princess”

“I could only dream of such honor”

“Dreams are so fun, I told you Gemini!” Pinocchio took his cage and set it on the table, Gemini jumped to Pinocchio’s shoulder to join in better in the conversation.

“They are fun Pinocchio but like I said, it’s bad to oversleep”

“Dear, dreams are more than just fun” Cinderella put Jaq next to her shoulder, mimicking how Gemini was standing in Pinocchio.

“Really?!” Pinocchio was so happy; no one ever talks to him about dreams.

Cinderella felt happy, she liked this boy so kind, so full of life. It reminded her of when she was a child, before her father passed away, she has changed some much since then, she doesn’t mind her new calm demeanor, but she wishes it didn’t come because she had to mature so fast.

Something about this boy seemed… a little different, she could hear him, rather she could hear the sound of springs coming from him.

“Is something wrong?” Pinocchio was worried, Cinderella had stayed quiet for too long.

“Please forgive me” She apologized, “Maybe I am daydreaming, I could have sworn I heard the sound of machines inside your body”

“Huh? How did you know?!” Pinocchio was stunned, that hadn’t happened since he fought against… the white lady, it made Pinocchio feel sad.

“So you really are a puppet?!” Cinderella was stunned, she had seen plenty of puppets ever since she arrived at Krat, and her sisters kept talking about them.

“Mother, why don’t we get one? To help with chores?” Anastasia had asked.

“We do not need them, we have Cinderella,” Her stepmother said bluntly.

A little help on the house chores would have been appreciated…

“Well yes but actually no” Pinocchio gave her the short version of the answer.

“You must have some musical talent Cinderella, impressive that you could hear them” Gemini chirped.

“I enjoy singing from time to time, but I am not an expert or that good” Cinderella was underestimating her talent.

Jaq began to speak again and even made motions to motivate Cinderella.

“Thank you Jaq, you are always so kind to me”

“Can you tell me more about dreams?” Pinocchio had little stars in his eyes.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes” Cinderella had become even more radiant, her shy demeanor completely gone. “Dreams can come true if you keep believing”

“What kind of wish?” If Pinocchio had a tail, he would be wagging it right now.

“If you tell a wish you won’t come true silly”

They wanted to keep the conversation going, but Polendina said that Cinderella’s family was calling for her, and unfortunately their conversation had to be cut short.

——

The next day, Pinocchio overslept again, this time his father was the one to wake him up.

“Son, wake up” It was time for a lesson, Geppetto takes time off work to teach his son about different things, “You need to learn more about history”

This time, Pinocchio got up with that much resistance, as he loves it when his father teaches him things, well he loves to learn im general but it’s special when his father does it.

Geppetto deep down knows that Pinocchio would be able to learn things more constantly if he was enrolled in school but he wants to be there for him as much as he can and he is happy homeschooling his son. He also knows that he feels this way because of his regrets when raising Carlo but he is self-aware enough to not let this affect the way he teaches his son about things.

When they were done, Geppetto suggested that they both go together to the beach and spend some time together bonding as father and son.

——-

Lady Tremaine isn’t fond of beaches, but her daughters annoyed her until she gave in, and she makes Cinderella do the hard work of giving them food and tending to their needs.

She had come to Krat only because her daughters were left an inheritance, she had a relative living in Krat who recently passed away, and her daughters were fond of them, but she wasn’t. Anastasia and Drilleza are under the impression that she is the one to hold the money until she dies, in reality, the money was given directly to them, but Lady Tremaine isn’t going to let them know that, as long as she gives them money here and there, they won’t suspect a thing.

“We must head back to the Hotel” Lady Tremaine doesn’t like the sun, she wants to leave already, in fact, they will leave first thing in the morning, she is just here for the money.

“Cinderella, fetch us a carriage”

Cinderella did as she was told, but the place was extremely filled with people, and the only carriage available did not have space for all of them.

“Cinderella has to stay behind,” Drizella said in a snarky tone.

“Yes Cinderella, is going to have to find another carriage” Anastasia joined her sister.

“Unfortunately Cinderella this must be the case,” Lady Tremaine said.

“But-“

“Silence!”

Cinderella kept quiet, she knew better than to defend herself. Her stepmother handed her a small amount of money.

“You better not waste this, I counted and I expect the exact change” Lady Tremaine stared at her with hatred in her eyes.

“I understand” Cinderella’s voice was low, barely finding her voice.

Her family left, it would take a while before she would be able to get a way home. Cinderella walked around, she just wanted to get her thoughts away from the situation.

“Jaq I don’t know what to do” Cinderella had sadness in her voice.

She is smart, she knows that her stepmother is taking advantage of her, that she is using her as a maid when the home belongs to her when the money her father left her should be rightfully hers, she is an adult but is unable to claim it, as her stepmother has hidden all the important documents she will need to reclaim it.

And even if she did so, she doesn’t have the heart to quick her out, her father loved that woman, and her stepmother didn’t act the same way she treats her now, that is, in front of her father, but when she father passed away, there was no reason to hide her true colors, yet she still feels like she would be betraying her father if she makes her leave the home.

Not to mention poor Drizella and Anastasia, they weren’t always like this, they used to be kind, genuinely kind, Cinderella was specially close to Anastasia, as children they would bond together. But her stepmother spoiled them until they become rotten girls like they are now, but Cinderella knows deep down that they are good people, she doesn’t have the heart to leave them without a home.

Cinderella kept walking, too consumed by her thoughts to pay proper attention to her surroundings. Ending up in a place where no one else was to be found.

“Take the girl, she looks like a maid, no one will miss her”

Cinderella had no time to react to what she just heard, she felt someone grab her and before she knew it, she was dragged away somewhere else.

——

Cinderella was unconscious, Jaq had to do something, he had hidden under her clothes and saw how they shoved her inside of those boats that were on shore.

Being small, he managed to fit under a hole in the door that held her captive, he ran and ran until he found the exit, once on the beach he panicked, he desperately tried to get the attention of others but no one paid attention, some even tried to step on him.

He started to feel like it was all hopeless until he saw a familiar face and rushed towards him and climbed on top of them.

“Huh, Jaq?” Pinocchio recognized him and held him in his hand. “Is Cinderella nearby?”

“Is she a friend of yours son?” Geppetto asked.

There was no time to answer, Jaq frantically began to make gestures and move his hands, it didn’t take them long to understand.

“Someone kidnapped her?!” Pinocchio shouted this was bad, really bad.

“We have to save her” Gemini knows that they need to act quickly.

Jaq pointed at one of the boats, it was a big one and it looked like it was abandoned by its state, no one ever went close to it.

Pinocchio drew in his weapon, he always carries one just in case. They decided it was best for Jaq to stay with Geppetto as they already knew how to find her.

“Son, be careful” Geppetto knows what his son is capable of, but as a father, he still worries about him.

Pinocchio nodded and made his way towards the boat.

[foxingpeculiar]

Lies of P blogging (Spoilers up through Rose Isabella Street or w/e).

Most of what I remember about the second part of the cathedral level is trying not to walk in the decay swamp before burning it off. I did do Cecile’s little questline and got the record from her, though (and it’s my favorite so far). Father What’s-His-Nuts wasn’t that bad. With the Specter to break aggro, I just gave him a wide berth and did my best to parry his spinning attacks when I got close. The second health bar kinda threw me, but didn’t change the fight too much. Got it on the third try, no muss, no fuss.

So then I was in the Malum District and ran into the Fox and Cat again. In fact, we even ran part of the level together! That was fun. And it was nice having backup for once. But then, of course, they fucked off.

I think I might’ve fucked up here, though. There was a zombie guy trapped behind a grate just past the Stargazer, and I just kind of reacted and killed him before he could pop out at me. But then, when I died later, it didn’t respawn. So now I’m like “shit, I shouldn’t have done that.” I don’t know what it’s going to affect, but it feels significant.

The District itself wasn’t too bad. The only tricky bit was the big guy wandering around the fire in the plaza. He’s guarding some treasure I still haven’t managed to nick, but I’ll head back for it.

Then there was the Black Rabbit Brotherhood fight JFC that main guy hits like a truck! And you’d think somebody with that kind of power would be slow, but no! I never for a minute felt in control of this fight, but somehow managed to squeak by on the third try (and I do mean squeak—no pulse charges and within one hit of being killed). Most of the fights so far I feel confident about, but this one I don’t know if I could do again, cos I’m not sure how I managed it.

So now I’m in Rose Isabella Street getting skewered by The White Lady. This bitch is fast, AND she can parry me, which I sure don’t love.

Story-wise it still hasn’t really come into focus. That the Alchemists are up to something seems more and more evident, but I don’t know what. It has something to do with the Golden Coin Fruit, I think, or maybe being cut off from it by Antonia? Also, I found that portrait of the boy who looks like me and now I’m pretty convinced that Geppetto remade his dead son into me, and that makes me not trust him, in like a Pet Sematary, “sometimes, dead is better” kind of way.

I also got the record from the merchant in the Lobster Inn, and I found the old lady who wants a “tipple” (what a delightful word) of wine. I like her style.

But yeah, further updates once I figure out how to not get turned into shish-kabob on this lady’s rapier.

[monotonous-minutia]

I expect you've been asked this before, but I am so intrigued by your Hoffmanposting that I absolutely have to finally watch it. Which production would you recommend for starters?

love this question!! I am an absolute fanatic of this opera and based off of my experience with it so far, here are my thoughts for a first-time watcher.

One quick note: I won't go too much into the edits and history but it is important to mention for first-time Hoffmann viewers, to avoid some confusion. There are a few different versions of this opera, the most common being what I call "the short version" (Choudens) and "the longer version" (Oeser). it gets way more complex than that but I'll just say here that Oeser is superior and therefore always what I recommend first. there are some very good Choudens out there though that I will include.

starting with the longer version (Oeser), we have:

My #1 fave, the 2009/2015 Metropolitan Opera production, also happens to be a really good one for first-time Hoffmann viewers, for a few reasons. 1) it's a straightforward edit that has the most important parts (imo) of the story. 2) it's a really fun, but not overwhelming, production. 3) the cast is great. and 4) it's a fun take on the story that doesn't make it too crazy but stays close to the heart of the piece.(you can find the 2009 one here, and the 2015 one in three parts here, here, and here)

The 1995 La Scala production is my other favorite. It's another fun, relatively straightforward production that balances the silly and dark aspects of the opera well. another standout cast with my absolutely beloved Hoffmann and Nicklausse team, Shicoff and Mentzer. just a bit of peaking around my blog will show you how much I adore these two, so I won't gush too much here. the edit isn't quite as comprehensive as the Met one but it's still a good one. the only fault of this one is it doesn't have my favorite number, the trio des yeux, but that is pretty much my only complaint.

another great first is the 1885 Brussels one. This one is a little trickier just because it's so old the sound and image quality are kinda bad. but, it's another great one and one I talk about a lot. some really great performers in a lot of the lead roles, and though this Hoffmann isn't one of my top faves per se, his dynamic with Nicklausse here is one of my favorites.

looking at the shorter version (Choudens) which isn't as good because it cuts out quite a bit, and a lot of those cuts alter the Hoffmann/Nicklausse dynamic which I argue is the most important in the opera; as well as moving around the order of the acts in a way that doesn't really make sense. But it's still worth watching and I'd recommend these two for a first-time watch:

possibly my favorite Choudens is the 2000 Orange production. it's really atmospheric (outdoor stage!!) with another great cast. the way they stage the very end is not my favorite, but aside from that it's a really solid, fun, spooky production that's a good first-time watch. (find part one and part two here)

the Met 1988 one is another great first one. A bit odd at times but another solid cast with great dynamics (Shicoff can't be beat in this role and really brings it all together) and I really love a lot of the costumes. another straightforward production that has its quirks (and a lot of glitter in Antonia's act).

so here you go! Hopefully it's not too much. let me know if you have any questions or need clarification on anything!

one final note, since some of these don't have subtitles, and there isn't a great libretto online, I recommend taking a look at this post (mine, shameless self-plug) that has detailed synopses of the various edits. also, PLEASE come to me with questions/thoughts on any you end up watching!! and if you need help accessing any of these let me know!

[hyperfixatinglove]

by the way, what's your favorite aspect about your ship with p? ~devotion-between-the-wheat

Oh boy favorite`aspect? There's many little things.

Perhaps the fact he doesn't vocalize often. His actions and body language do the talking & I imagine even as puppet human hybrid in between, in the best ending he wouldn't talk much.

I adore how powerful he is but also tender while being unsure since he's new to the world. Smacking steel doors open with steel hand but holding kitten awkwardly in the air. Love it.

He's special. In pretty much every way. Puppet who's immune to the rules. One that can become human. He can lie. He killed a god. Prettiest man around. Has freckles. He's kind but also ruthless. List goes on.

I think my fave aspect ultimately is the fact he's puppet. It's fascinating, they clearly can develop personality & attachments and look human but they can have so many things that differ. It's fun coming up with more lore about P & me as puppets. In X Reader circles the consensus seems to be that reader's human and i'm fine with that, I like it, but it's just more interesting to me if me and my self insert would be puppet as well.

I've been trying to find a way for my si to meet P and I like the aspect of canon where Romeo, the King of Puppets keeps sending messengers to P who are unfortunately hostile to him, so maybe my si is one messenger who has broken the Grand Covenant & developed their own ego and personality but is too late to deliver the message Romeo entrusted them. Since those puppets who have broken the Covenant keep being attacked by the puppets who are still bound, they are in danger from humans and fellow puppets. Antonia would allow them to enter Hotel Krat since P insists and she's kind lady. Geppetto would be pissed though.

Oh shit I need to write this now, or at least some kind of ramble post.

Not only from first meeting perspective but from post-game as well it'd be fascinating. If I follow the best or true ending where P becomes human, there's so much interesting directions to take the ship to. Can my si become human as well or is P just special one and thus only one capable? How would that impact not only P but my si and their relationship? How would they fare in post-Puppet Frenzy Krat? Would the survivors be hostile to my si, Pulcinella & Polendina since they're puppets? What Krat will look like post-game?

[elcctra]

You mentioned you finished domina season 2, so I was wondering what your opinion was on Augustus and Livia and who’s characterization did you like the best out of everyone?

ok domina season two thoughts and spoilers (i mean... it's all in the history books) under the cut

ok really, really disliked augustus this season. when he wasn't being boring he was just stupid annoying. one of my problems with season one is that he depended a little too much on livia and agrippa and should've been a little more of a political player himself, and that didn't get any better this season. i really only liked his relationship with octavia, they had some really touching moments.

livia was fine, i know some people dislike her characterization in the show but i think it's fun, i love how matter-of-fact she is, i absolutely died when she told tiberius and drusus that she thought they were boring as children and she liked parties and politics and scheming too much to pay attention to them sdfghjhgfdfgh i think it's refreshing that she's not a Perfect Girlboss but a deeply flawed human who screws a lot of people over - but who is really, really good at her job. her obsession with bringing back the republic has always felt a little ridiculous to me, but i like that in the end tiberius and drusus called her out about it and laid out something i always suspected: she doesn't actually give a fuck, or at least isn't willing to sacrifice her own power to get it. at this point it's more of a crutch to justify her scheming than any real goal coming deep devotion to her father or to the republic. i liked that.

as for best characterization, there's no way i can say anyone but antonia and antonina. they stole the show. antonina especially was pitch perfect: intelligent and strong willed, but knowing when to back off and accept things. really close to how i imagine her historical counterpart was. her relationship with drusus was peeeerfect and her interactions with livia, tiberius and vipsania made them all feel like a real family (i can totally see this version of antonia acting like the family matriarch to tiberius' patriarch during his reign). there were times, especially in episode 7, when i felt like livia's plot was the b-plot and the real protagonist was antonina trying to make sure all would work - and i was fine with it. she carried the narrative effortlessly.

julia, drusus and iullus were all fine, i liked that they all had clear character arcs, which feels impressive when you consider how big the cast is. i know some people didn't like vipsania's characterization but i LOVED her, she was a delight. weird girls forever. and i loved the julia/iullus/antonia little trio!

my favorite character of the season, though, was tiberius. i liked the old actor but the new one is sooo good. the "bad tiberius" thing is… hmmm…. a choice. i think they did a good enough job in showing WHY tiberius would do bad things, there was no need to give him an evil alter ego lol but i liked the rest of it enough to politely ignore that in favor of everything else. he's the only person in the show who is as intelligent as livia, but isn't interested in politics in the least. he's very, very devoted to drusus (and drusus to him - their scenes made me insane), but fails in his "only ambition", keeping him safe. he loves vipsania and is loved by her, but lives in the shadow of livia's emotional neglect and manipulation and the mix of adoration and fear both he and, to a lesser extent, drusus, feel for her. in the end he betrays both vipsania and drusus for livia but in doing so finally breaks free from livia and starts seeing her as enemy. it was just too delicious, i ate it up. but let me say that i won't be too sad on his behalf if we don't get a third season because i will be glad to see "bad tiberius" go dfghgfdfgh

overall, yeah. some good, some bad. some things that were ridiculous and fun, others that were ridiculous and bad bad bad. the kids were a delight and it was a good thing we had them because the livia/augustus/agrippa trio that drove the narrative in season one was... just... not it. overall i'm glad we got this season and that we had these portraits, especially for people who don't always get the spotlight like antonia the elder or iullus. but if we don't get a third season i'm cool.

[changlingfamilies]

The Corination of Avalon

I wanted to get this out before the last chapter of Changling Families vs The Titans. It’s almost everyone in their formal wear. I left out Darci, Aja and Krel as well as Angor and Morgana. I do want to do one for Angor and Morgana later though. Closeups of everyone under the cut.

Lady Claire, apprentice and heir of Angor Rott. I had so much fun designing her dress! I got to play with all kinds of pens for it as well. I was originally going to go with something a little closer to what Barbara is wearing but when looking for references I stumbled across a bunch of Quinceanera dresses and fell absolutely in love. I probably could have done more with her hair, though.

Sir Steve of New Avalon, one of the head of the Knights of New Avalon. He brought his armor back from Ancient Avalon with him after their ‘temporal accident’.

Prince Elijah, Fairy Prince of New Avalon. Technically, he should be dressed in Ancient Greek clothes but I fudged up at the beginning of his storyline and dressed him in Roman clothes so it’s too late to change it now. I like how this turned out anyway.

Lord Tobias, Duke Heir of Akoridian V. Toby now gets to sport a full Akoridian suit, complete with a royal cape. I had to dust off my old Circular Galifrayan for the markings inside his core window.

Sir Seamus, Werewolf Alfa of New Avalon. I used the Johnston tartan as a reference for his kilt since I had stated earlier that his grandmother (his mother’s mother) is from Ireland. I also gave him a small fur cape as a part of werewolf culture in this fic. Most other werewolves would have a much larger pelt but since Seamus had to use pelts from the Arcadia Valley and Angor helped him with the legality of what animals he could use, his is much shorter.

Lady Mary, the Lady of the Lake. I put the most effort into this outfit. Since Mary’s a goddess now, I wanted her outfit to reflect that as well as have a water motif. I spent DAYS looking at references and flipping through animes that my brother-in-law recommended for this. I ended up going with a more modern and less formal hair clip to go with it. Once again I turned to Circular Galifrayan for the hair clip since it’s meant to be built around her Akoridian hair clip from Karl Uhl. But I’m not 100% satisfied with the way the colors shift.

Atlas, Leader of Heartstone Trollmarket. I’ve drawn Jim as Atlas befor but this is a more formal variation. Here he wears trollish garb, lacking his usual leggings, tunic, and vest. He also has more features of his original base form; particularly his ruff of fur that i don’t think I’ve drawn since his baby pictures. He holds his wings closed with his adoption medallion, which now is embellished with a shard of Vendal’s stone.

King Waltolomew the Wise and Queen Barbara the Brave, King and Queen of New Avalon. I’m super happy with how Barbara turned out! All the colors are so pretty on her. Walt on the other hand… The royal colors of Avalon are not flattering on him. I think I spent nearly an hour just trying to find the right color combination for him.

Lord Otto and Lady Elizabeth, Duke and Countess of New Avalon. I LOTHE how ugly Otto’s outfit is. I also lothe that it’s not entirely inaccurate. Because Otto and Liza are ~500 years old, they’re both wearing clothing from Germany the 1500s. Otto’s outfit could have been much, much worse. I should have dressed him in something similar to Walt… Liza, on the other hand, makes me very happy. Even if I don’t love the colors. However, I can’t imagine wearing that many layers in Southern California in the summer so I had a little mercy and gave her a sheer veil rather than the thick wool one she should be wearing. She spends most of the night holding up those rediculous skirts. Neither of these two are having a very good time...

Queen Lenora and Antonia, Fairy Queen of New Avalon and Daughter. Lenora got the same treatment as Eli as far as her outfit goes but she also got a new and fancier hairstyle. I think I like the headband better the gold clasps from before. Antonia’s outfit is pretty basic since she’s still a baby.

Lady Nomura and Sir Erik, Duchess of New Avalon and son. Was this an excuse to draw Nomura and Erik in Kimonos? Maybe so. I had a lot of fun doing it. Nomura’s kimono is modeled after the one I drew her wearing when I drew the original trio as babies but I almost forgot that she only has one arm now. I spent a little more time deciding what color Erik’s kimono was but, ultimately, decided he gets to match his mother.

[evita-shelby]

Hey Juli!!!

Once more congratulations on 1,000 followers!!! 🎉

Let’s celebrate shall we?

Now… I’ve a very very serious question/advice to ask for the What would Eva do section:

I’ve the worst luck of the world when it comes to matters of the heart, like seriously-I’m going to share a little secret with Eva ages ago one of my former friends got married and I caught the bouquet 💐, she divorced a year later because she caught him cheating with a man (I know this sounds like a story I’d write).

Anyways… so there are girls with the endless queue of men ready to jump in as soon as they’re single again, me? 0 it seems like I’ve a men’s repellent 😂 I’m terribly shy, but funny once you get to know me, I’m not picky or pretentious, but I’ve to admit I walk around with a resting bitch face (completely unintentional), and I’ve been told that I look like I’m unapproachable, that men are scared to ask me out afraid I’d look at them like this:

I’m in my middle 30’s love music, movies, dogs, cooking, wine, going out for weekends getaway, travel, love to read, coffee shops, small towns and I dream of finding my soul mate, but there are days when I think it’s impossible… WWED?

Omg thank you Mar 😊

Anyways here it is

WWED

Gif by @tiffanyachings

I am very happy to hear you caught the bouquet, it is a very fun game. Once I saw one of my cousins body slam the girl next to her.

I did not participate because then I would win all the time or ruin my face, and the second would be a nightmare.

While dreadfully funny, it is still very awful to be cheated on.

I know the feeling; my exes had the nasty habit of seeking comfort with others.

Diosdado did sleep with any girl that smiled his way, Antonia did leave me for my cousin, Francisco.

As for your issue, remember, quality over quantity.

I have had my fair share of suitors, and most of them were, to put it nicely, pendejos.

The nice ones tragically died or were exiled and married someone else.

I have been told I intimidate men, I have been a spy, an assassin, a nurse, a businesswoman and most importantly, a witch.

If a man is scared to approach you, it is his loss.

If he cannot handle a resting bitch face then he is not a man, he is a boy.

A boy has no idea what he wants, a man will not give a shit whether you could kill him or simply look like you will if he desires you.

Really my husbands dug the danger and were not afraid to pursue me.

You will find one at the right time and when you least expect it so do not worry, and if you do not, then you are too much woman for them and not a single one of them were going to be the One.

You sound like an amazing woman, and remember love is not something you plan for, it comes when it wants to come.

All my best wishes,

Eva.

[semper-legens]

50. The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins, by Antonia Hodgson

Owned: No, library Page count: 371 My summary: Thomas Hawkins is in trouble. He’s in a cart, on his way to Tyburn to hang for murder. As he’s paraded through the streets to the jeering of the crowd, he’s hoping for a royal pardon. Days earlier, he was summoned to the chambers of the Queen to perform a job for her. A job that became so much more complicated when his hated neighbour was murdered - and the prime suspect was Tom himself. But with only moments remaining before that noose tightens around his neck, Tom begins to suspect that he’s not going to get out of this one... My rating: 5/5 My commentary:

Back to this series! And I'm still loving it. There's just something about the Georgian setting that I absolutely adore. I know the 18th and the 19th century are not actually that far removed, but after the slew of historical novels set in the late Victorian period, seeing literally anything else feels like a breath of fresh air. Which is helped by how well-researched the setting was! I didn't come across anything that jibed with my historical knowledge (though 18th century England is not my forte) and it's clear that the author is a huge nerd for the 18th century. She includes a bibliography and some historical notes detailing the real people who show up in this novel, and the real inspirations she was drawing from in order to create this narrative. And it's very welcome, because I am enamoured with this series.

Oh, Thomas Hawkins. You really are the fucked up little man of my heart. After his release from the notorious Marshalsea, Tom moved with Kitty to Sam Fleet's old shop, selling certain literature to interested (and discreet) gentlemen. But he's bored. He longs for adventure, and gets it when he accepts a deal from James Fleet to do some work for him. Which leads him to an audience with the Queen. Yeah, Tom's in over his head, and it's worse news yet - his neighbour, who he was seen very publicly threatening, has been murdered. And he's the most likely suspect. Tom has to work fast to both find a solution to the Queen's problems and his own before he's charged with murder. This is a character at his best when he's most desperate, and we definitely see him pushed to the edge here. I like that Tom has realistic reactions to things - he's not Superman, when he gets chained to a wall by his wrists he's in pain, he makes bad choices and bad judgement calls, he gets himself into more trouble than he can talk his way out of. He's a very full, very flawed person, and that's interesting! I do have to criticise, though, that Kitty feels more of an accessory for Tom than a character in her own right, though Tom's attempts to shield her from trouble and his paternalistic attitude are shown as flaws of his character, so the narrative is at least addressing it.

The actual plot here takes two strands - one, court intrigue as the King's mistress is having some problems with her husband demanding money, and two, the aforementioned murder. Tom has to find a solution to the first and solve the second before too long, because it's only the Queen's favour that's keeping him alive. Obviously, the stakes are high, and Tom gets increasingly frantic as time goes on. His enemies keep piling up, and his friends are few. And the mystery itself is intriguing. The house was locked, so who could have killed the neighbour? There were four people in the house - a maid, his son, his daughter, and his apprentice, all of whom had good motivation. But there's also a hidden passage between Tom's home and the neighbour's, which Tom is desperate not to let anyone find out. Everyone is a suspect, but there are more twists and turns than meets the eye in this mystery. I won't spoil it, but it kept me guessing straight up to the end. By contrast, the courtly plot is a lot simpler, and mostly consists of Tom being put in Situations by fate itself, almost. Not that this isn't just as fun to read. Poor guy.

Look, I'm just going to admit it. I have a morbid fascination with the history of executions - I'm English, my country hasn't had the death penalty for as long as I've been alive, and I am deeply interested both with how such a thing worked historically and attitudes around it today. This book revolves around Tom being hanged for murder. He's on his way to the gallows in the book's opening, and each part begins with a new stage of his journey, as he begins to panic that he won't be reprieved after all. And he isn't. Only through Kitty bribing the hangman was he saved - he was hanged until unconscious, but cut down before he could die. The slow march to the gallows, and Tom's changing mood throughout, makes for grippingly tense reading. It's a foregone conclusion that he will be convicted of murder, but will he live to tell the tale? Adding to that is the fact that the account we are reading was written by Tom in the condemned cell just before his execution, which then picks up after he survives. It's a clever narrative device that really adds to the experience. The stages in bringing Tom to the gallows, apparently authentic, are interesting - the pageantry on display as Tom is paraded through the streets, chained in a cart, and ritualistically offered wine before finally arriving at Tyburn, really shows that the point of such a penalty was to display those convicted of crimes moreso than actual punishment. It's interesting, if terrible.

Next up, still in the realm of history, and the story of a reviled king.

[the-road-from-calvary]

⭐️⭐️

They have the same trick, you know: someone getting too close? Time to skitter back like a wary cat. I imagine that, in a funny way, it makes their relationship feel fairly stable - they both like to keep approximately a country's worth of distance between themselves and other people, so there is rarely a need for startled skittering, and when it does occur, it is Politely Not Noticed.

Obviously, Antonia likes calling Fina out about being a menace on the dash. Part of it is that it seems a shame to just let her get away with it, and it's nice to let someone know you saw their cleverness, even if others missed it. Part of it is just that it's fun to engage in a particularly low stakes game of banter. She's aware enough that sometimes such a game is closer to a cat batting around a mouse - and that Fina is more the cat than she - but it is a game and the claws are sheathed. It is something like affection, by her estimation.

Bonus, bc remembering this was what made me wanna rb the meme, but you've already seen it:

You once suggested that Antonia (familiar with What The Kids Are Up To These Days) might have been the one to suggest to Fina getting a DnD group to keep in touch the The Youths. Shortly after making the suggestion, they played in a campaign together. Antonia knew someone who was looking for two players, and had said she knew someone before she actually thought about it. She was going to just not say anything, but she ended up suggesting it anyway, and Fina agreed - that for a first game, some of the weirdness from Fina's age could be obscured by the fact that Antonia was also there being Weird.

It was an odd effect - both of them so pointedly being what they were not. An even playing field & casual setting that sticks out like an off-tune note in the understanding of Fina that Antonia has. Antonia played a druid and had like, tables of presets for prepared spell layouts and incredibly detailed wildshape notes.

Antonia can never really decide how sincerely to regard the experience - on one hand, they both had ulterior motives and the roleplaying was as much in effect outside the game as within it. On the other - what in kindred life doesn't have ulterior motives? And if they were simply pretending to be Normal People, does that mean that is what it would look like if they were Normal People? Antonia opts to not think about it very much - an anomalous odd note. But a fond enough one, nonetheless

[eighteenoheight]

Watching Time Cut on Netflix and I already have thoughts

I’m not a science person so the whole time travel talk with the paradoxes and multiverse is confusing any time I’ve ever heard it but so far not too much has been said. Just have to wait for it to happen and immediately break my brain.

Antonia Gentry has such a lovely aura about her. I think it’s impossible for me to not have a soft spot for her.

I’ve seen people complain about the fashion and I have to agree. Obviously it’s fun to see vibes from previous decades, and I think the problem is greater here because we’ve been in the midst of Y2K making a comeback. There should have been way more emphasis on the fashions especially at a time where it’s being repeated now.

Regardless I’m having fun but I’m dreading the sciencey stuff

Edit after watching: thank god they didn’t go too much into the time travel mechanics I’m definitely the target audience. Dumb sluts who enjoy horror movies and fatal femmes

[serafiel-jacobs]

No Girls Toy (Fanfic)

New chapter from my main series 🩷

When Pinocchio woke up that morning, he found it odd that Gemini wasn’t in the room with him, he got out of his room, and in the living room, his father was waiting for him, Gemini’s cage was on the table.

“Good morning son, just time time to see the surprise” His father was smiling.

With that said the cage was opened and Gemini came out from inside.

“Hey buddy”

Pinocchio had stars in his eyes, he kneeled to get a closer look, Gemini was finally out of his cage, he extended his hand and Gemini jumped into it.

“Gemini we can finally do so many things together!” Pinocchio was so excited. When they did stuff together he was the one who had to do things on Gemini’s behalf, and that didn’t bother him at all, it’s more so the fun part that Gemini is finally able to do them.

“He is still going to have to be inside his cage while outside, so it can protect him” Gemini is made out of the best materials so he is very resilient himself, but the best is for him to be inside his cage for protection, and little crickets aren’t exactly safe walking outside by themselves.

Pinocchio and Gemini were so excited about all the fun stuff they could do together, but they decided that first, the best idea was to make Gemini’s life at home more comfortable.

—-

Pinocchio knows Krat extremely well, so he remembers passing by many times the place they are currently in, it’s a doll store that sells different types of small houses and other accessories and of course the dolls themselves. All in different sizes.

Gemini was in his hands looking at everything, Both could overhear the store staff talking.

“Isn’t that Pinocchio, Geppetto’s son?”

“Yeah, go there and show him the most expensive house”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? Geppetto is loaded, he probably gives him a huge allowance”

“Pinocchio tell them that you don’t need any help” Gemini spoke up, geez, if they were going to say stuff like that they should at least lower their voices more.

Pinocchio followed Gemini’s advice and they were left alone, “Gemini what does that mean?”

“Don’t think too much about it, just that your father has a lot of money and they want to take advantage of that” Not the first time something like this has happened, Gemini always helps Pinocchio not to get stuck buying things that are way too expensive or falling for scams.

Well, most of the time, the boy certainly didn't listen to him when he was dealing with the fox and cat stalkers, but Gemini has come to just accept that Pinocchio sees them as friends, more than that he sees them as family, and that at least they care about him.

“Mmm, there are so many options” Gemini wasn’t sure what to pick, there were so many, all in different sizes.

He doesn’t need a big one, it’s not like he is actually going to use the things inside of them, it’s more so for comfort and to have a space for himself, so he doesn’t need that 5-floor deluxe edition with a balcony one that they were about to offer them. He already has that small bed that Lady Antonia gifted him and it looks like it can fit in any of these houses.

They decided that would be a good idea to buy a simple 4-room one that was empty and let Gemini choose what sort of things he would like to have inside the home.

While Pinocchio was paying for everything another person came inside the store, who as soon as they saw Gemini rushed to their side.

“I’ve never seen this toy before, where did you buy it?” A man said, “And why did you take him out of his box?“

“Not this guy again,” Said one of the store clerks under his breath, He took a deep breath, he is a collector too so he understands but this guy tends to take it too far. Still, that’s their best customer so…

“I’m not…” Gemini then realizes that he is at a toy store, buying a toy house, and even buying toy clothes, this guy isn’t going to take him seriously if he says that.

“Gemini is my friend” Pinocchio felt uncomfortable, this guy was staring way too intensely at Gemini.

“Okay yeah he is your friend but where did you get it, I know every single toy line that has ever been released to the public in Krat and I KNOW that this toy, isn’t one of them” The man had a know-it-all voice.

“My father made him for me” Pinocchio doesn’t want to try and explain everything and maybe mentioning that Gemini is unique would leave him alone.

But it had the exact opposite effect.

“Who built him for you?” Then the man stopped staring at Gemini and stared at Pinocchio, “Wait, you are that son Geppetto built for himself right? So he can also build toys? Why does he waste his time and talent building puppets when he could be making beautiful toys like this one” He was pointing at Gemini now.

“Here is your change come back soon have a nice day” The store clerk wanted to avoid dragging this conversation.

Gemini went back inside his cage but before he and Pinocchio could leave, the man stepped in front of Pinocchio.

“Man don’t start” The store clerk was done, and the other one had gone to the back, not wanting to deal with the situation.

“Can you take him out of his cage so I can have a closer look? I want to know how he can change colors like that?”

“It’s because he is angry” Now Pinocchio was angry too.

“It changes colors with its emotions?! That’s unheard of, I need to see him again”

Pinocchio took a few steps back, this guy was capable of trying to steal Gemini.

“Look man, I’m done with your shit, you are banned from the store”

The man refused to leave and refused to stop questioning Pinocchio, so the store clerk grabbed a broom and chased them out as if they were a cat.

Pinocchio and Gemini couldn’t help but laugh, it was amusing.

“We also make custom clothes, in case you and your friend need something special”

Pinocchio was smiling, despite the strange experience, maybe this was a place he could come to later if Gemini needed more things.

As both left the other clerk came out from the back.

“Well we lost our best customer but we got Geppetto’s puppet son, that’s probably going to be even better business!”

“Am I the only person that works in this store that actually likes toys?!”

—-

Back home, Pinocchio was helping Gemini set up his new house. He even made him a tiny painting so that he could hang it in his new home.

“Buddy, what’s wrong?” Gemini could tell something was wrong.

“Um well…” It was something Pinocchio noticed that had been happening more and more.

“That son Geppetto built for himself”

At least that one store clerk was nice, he even knew his name, but the experience with that other man made Pinocchio remember other words like that.

“Geppetto’s puppet”

“Geppetto’s pretend son”

“Carlo’s replacement”

If he can take a guess the comments have increased because more people recognize who he is. Not to say that every time he goes outside he hears those things but it always makes him upset.

“It’s okay to feel upset, if you pretend it doesn’t bother you then it’s going to hurt you in the long run” Gemini chirped.

Pinocchio wiped a few tears from his face, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down”

“It’s okay buddy, don’t apologize for how you feel”

Pinocchio feels really lucky to have Gemini as his friend.

—-

Gemini really enjoys his new house and everything about being able to walk around, what surprises him is how high he can jump, just as high as a normal cricket, if not a little more. Geppetto truly is a genius inventor.

Pinocchio wanted to do something nice for his father, and so did Gemini but it seems like they were disagreeing on how to show their gratitude.

“Pinocchio you are still banned from using the kitchen” Gemini knows that he has good intentions but rules are rules.

“Come on Gemini, now that you can walk, you can help me more!” Pinocchio was excited, too excited it looked like he wasn’t going to back down.

Gemini took a deep breath, he told Pinocchio that maybe he should make his father a painting or buy him something but that brat couldn’t stop insisting, he said that he wanted to make something for his father so that when he came home he would have something to eat so there was no other choice.

Pinocchio decided to bake his father a cake, everything was going surprisingly well, Gemini was standing up on top of the recipe book, and Pinocchio was following the instructions, he used the correct amount for everything and the texture was just as described, the only thing left was to put it inside the oven.

—-

“WHAT DID I SAY? WHAT RULE DID I GIVE YOU? YOU ARE GROUNDED!”

Geppetto was shouting, all the firefighters could hear him loud and clear, thankfully Pinocchio was taught the emergency services number, even better is that the kitchen was only partially burned, only the oven and stove were truly damaged but they would have to be completely replaced.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry” Pinocchio was crying, Gemini was standing on his shoulder, he wanted to say, “I told you so” but his father was scolding him like never before.

”You aren’t allowed to go outside for 3 weeks!”

“3 weeks?!” Pinocchio had never been grounded for so long.

“It’s going to last more if you try to question me” Geppetto wasn’t playing around. “No hanging out with Eugéne or Venigni and no lessons with your Mother”

“But-“

“I already called her and told her what happened, and she agreed with this” Unfortunately as much good intentions Pinocchio had, he screw up badly, bad enough that his mother that spoils him all the time agreed with this punishment.

“You can’t see your pony either”

Pinocchio started crying louder. “I’m sorry Father please, I’m sorry!”

Geppetto knows that his son didn’t mean any harm, but this could have ended so much worse.

Pinocchio stomped his feet on the ground, this was so frustrating! He only wanted to do something nice and he is a fast learner, why doesn’t that work when he starts baking?!

“Buddy don’t throw a tantrum in front of the firefighters,” Gemini said.

But that had the opposite effect and Pinocchio began to throw an even bigger tantrum, saying how it wasn’t fair that he couldn’t understand how to bake, how he could do all these other things but he still didn’t know what to bake. He stomped his feet multiple times, to the amusement of everyone watching. Pinocchio doesn’t tend to act this much like a brat, so Gemini is assuming that he is still upset about the things he heard about him before, maybe it’s best he talks with his father about this.

Eventually, Pinocchio calmed down and his father hugged him. Gemini took that opportunity to jump to Geppetto’s shoulder and while Pinocchio went to his room after all was done, he explained the situation to his father.

“I see, I’m going to talk with him about this, thank you Gemini”

Gemini only wants what’s best for Pinocchio. He jumps to the floor and makes his way to Pinocchio’s room, he slides down from the small space of the door and enters, he sees that Pinocchio is writing in his diary, best not to interrupt him; Gemini makes his way to his house, that’s just in Pinocchio’s nightstand so they can sleep close to each other.

He opened the door and turned on the lights, he was quite impressed with the fact that it came with working lights for each room. He made his way to his new bedroom. Soon after, Pinocchio stopped writing and changed clothes, ready to go to bed as well.

“I’m sorry” Pinocchio mumbled under his breath.

“It’s okay, I’m here for you if you need anything”

Pinocchio turned off the lights in his room, and Gemini turned off the lights of his home.

“Goodnight”

“Goodnight Buddy”

[goldenchildport]

Thoughts on jobs

So Christians ideal job was probably to be a professional skater, a professional gamer, or a stuntsman but then he died. Realistically, he would do neither of these and would instead go to business school.

Chase is taking the steps to be a marine biologist and study the ocean, but his dream job as a kid was to be an explorer. For a moment he was going to do neuroscience, but switched instead to the ocean after a transcendent acid trip.

Chelsea wants to start her own clothing line and get into fashion. She begged to be a model but Antonia said no fucking way. Nowadays when people ask her, she's nihilistic enough to just say she doesn't know.

Antonia, being born into a fashion legacy, wanted to be a ballerina but the athleticism wouldn't allow her to be a model. She is more than satisfied with her current life and work, but she still smiles fondly at ballet and figure dancing (her sister).

Chase Andrew didnt have much plans LMAO, he just went with it all and landed into his crownport work anyway

Nate is in grad school for Architecture due to a love of math. Daphne originally wanted to be a plastic surgeon but is now in law school. Criminal law.

Kendra wanted to get into Special Effects in movies. Right now she is getting into real estate. Elle is drifting and just working corporate, but she's also working through a coding degree room. DJ didnt have many ambitions but he thought teaching would be fun. Summer is so fucking funny. Her dream growing up was to just be a pageant queen. Then to just be a rich wife. Anything with a life of luxury. Right now she is pursuing a teaching degree with DJ 😭

Lana is an addict without a job from last what Chase heard. Peter fucked off with her too, and Chase doesn't care to know about either of them. Sugar owns a tattoo shop on the boardwalk and loves it. She was the one who gave everyone stick n pokes. Miona is about to make it big in Nascar as the one who was most passionate of them about cars. Buddy does god knows what but he technically has a bar.

Garrett wants to be a fashion designer but seemingly is just cursed to being Antonias assitant forever LOL