#as the person known for loyalty towards one trusted companion this is huge

[limelocked]

The Sun

The Star

The Moon

Going by celestial things I agree with The Eclipse for Martyn

For a general title The Thief

For the arcana I can’t in good conscience say anything other than The World, it seems that Martyn’s lore is more about cycles than anyone else and with the fragment being restored it’s now the end of a cycle for him

Although, something themed around temptation could also work nicely

[thetypedwriter]

A Curse So Dark and Lonely Book Review

A Curse So Dark and Lonely Book Review by Brigid Kemmerer

My gosh, I feel like I have enormous feelings about this book. 

So, I had seen this book for awhile bestow the shelves at Barnes & Noble and while it drew the eye, it also didn’t entice me right away. I must have read snippets of the backside summary a dozen times before I finally succumbed and purchased it when the store was having a buy one, get one 50% off deal. 

Lame, I know. 

That being said, A Curse So Dark and Lonely surprised me in a lot of pleasant ways and at the end of the experience it was a book I genuinely enjoyed reading, despite the flaws throughout. 

First off, somehow, in ways that I don’t even fully understand, I did not realize that this was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. 

You might ask, seeing the title, the reviews on the back literally calling it a retelling of a classic fairytale, the summary itself, and the basic premise, how did I not realize what the true nature of this book was?

I genuinely have no idea. 

I really don’t. 

It’s so flabbergasting that I don’t even have a proper answer for you other than Beauty and the Beast was not my favorite Disney movie growing up and that I probably should have spent more time checking out what bargain books to buy before I laid down the cash. 

Oh well.

That being said, retellings of classic fairy tales has been a fairly popular phenomenon in the YA literature scene (and popular culture as a whole, really) for the last couple of years and while I can see the appeal, it was never something that beckoned me. 

I’m not a huge fairytale fan to begin with so a retelling of the original doesn’t hold much sway in terms of intrigue and buy-in. 

If I had known what A Curse So Dark and Lonely truly was, I never would have bought it. Frankly, it’s a little sad because I genuinely would have missed out on a very fun and engaging read. Fortunately enough, however, my dumb actions actually paid off in good luck this time around. 

The whole premise is exactly what you’ve probably surmised up to this point: an enumeration of Beauty and the Beast with some modern fanfare and twists and turns along the way. 

Rhen is the current Crown Prince of Emberall, a country in some parallel world to the one that you and I currently exist in. With a series of twists, the main protagonist, Harper, is unwillingly hoisted from her homeland of Washington D.C. to the magical world of Emberfall, which unfortunately is not all that magical with a looming war on the horizon involving a neighboring nation, rumors of a savage beast that has wreaked havoc on the country, and a wicked witch that delights in torment and carnage to sadistic glee.  

Soon enough, a high school dropout with cerebral palsy soon finds herself in the imaginary role as the Princess of Disi, an allying nation that has promised aid and troops to Emberfall and potentially betrothed to the Crown Prince, Rhen. 

To make matters more complicated, Harper finds herself often in the company of Grey, the lone soldier of the Royal Guard and Rhen’s constant shadow, a figure she soon begins to trust despite herself. 

With a war on the horizon, the ever-present threat of the witch Lillith, the haunting promise of the beast’s return, and evolving feelings, A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a lovely concoction of both fast-paced action, romance, humor, and fantasy. This whole book gave me a pleasant buzz from start to finish. 

The plot itself, while recycled at its core, is fresh enough with the modern flare of Harper being from D.C. (Disi-this still makes me laugh), representation in the form of a character with a disability like cerebral palsy, interesting and complex relationships, and opposing enough with the threat of Lillith and future battles that it never seemed pithy or banal. 

While the world building is...mediocre, I don’t think it was amazing nor do I think it’s awful, it’s a useful enough background for the characters and their emotions to take place, which honestly is the real focus throughout the entire novel (although the author did take some liberties by inputting in things like the castle automatically regenerating food-how much more deus ex machina can you get?). 

  Kemmerer’s writing style is also fine. Nothing groundbreaking, but also not writing I find abhorrent or even unlikeable. She comes across as a typical YA author to me in terms of her vocabulary, her figurative language, and her writing style. 

The real focus, if you haven’t caught on by now, are the characters. 

I genuinely like all three main characters quite a bit, which, if you regularly read my reviews, is quite the anomaly. 

Rhen I find to be strangely complex. While he fits the mold of the brooding, arrogant prince that actually cares deeply for his people and his country quite well, I also found him more interesting than just the archetype of the royal son. 

He’s surly, dark, and quite temperamental. While he does care deeply about his people, he’s often selfish and petty. Honestly, he shouldn’t be very likable at all, but it’s for that reason alone that I do like him. 

I like that while he might be a good ruler he’s not necessarily a good person and I like the dichotomy and the conflict that implicitly comes with that struggle, a struggle often shown to the readers and the two other characters he’s closest with: Harper and Grey. 

In addition, often in YA I feel like authors constantly feel pressured to make romantic love interests “perfect” which to me, translates to being stereotypical and boring. Very often my favorite characters are the ones who are flawed and complicated-just like Rhen. 

Grey is also a character that I thought would be more simple than he actually turned out to be. I originally thought Grey was going to be the stoic, soldier type and while he is, I also really enjoyed seeing his lighter side, his sense of humor, his love for children, and the deadly loyalty that binds him not because of a curse or a spell, but because of his own stubbornness and dedication to the decision that he made and the refusal to break it.

I found this honor code fascinating and his adherence to it almost obsessive. His loyalty to Rhen is both baffling and intriguing and often it was the best part of the novel for me. 

Which brings me to my next point: Rhen and Grey’s relationship is hand’s down the best part of this book. It’s a complicated relationship and, therefore, really fascinating to read about it. They have a serpentine history involving Grey being the one to let Lillith into Rhen’s chambers which sets off the whole curse business in the first place. 

However, as Rhen says later on in the book, it was his choice to keep Lillith overnight and to pursue romance, not Grey’s. 

There is guilt, blame, affection, loyalty, ownership, friendship, frustration, anger, sacrifice and more to their relationship. Their history stops them from being true friends, as do their roles as prince and guard, yet they are the only companion the other has for seasons upon seasons. 

At the end of the day, Grey is all Rhen had for a very long time and it shows. 

Their relationship was always so engrossing to read about due to its complications and its nuances. Very few YA relationships, especially that of platonic male friendship, gets even near the level of depth and grey (I couldn’t help this pun) area shown between Grey and Rhen. Their relationship alone is a huge draw for why I found this novel so captivating. 

I did wonder for a while if perhaps there were more than platonic feelings involved, but I could never quite put my finger on the true nature of their relationship or their feelings towards each other, which I find absolutely amazing. Their relationship is messy and complicated, just like real life relationships are. 

That leaves the third piece of the puzzle: Harper. 

Out of the three main characters, I like Harper the least, but I do still like her. I like that she’s strong and tenacious, not in spite of her cerebral palsy, but in addition to her already present bravery and ferocity. She’s headstrong, stubborn, kind, merciful, and compassionate. 

My dislike from Harper stems from the fact that she’s a little too perfect, especially compared to Rhen and Grey, who I found to be much more convoluted characters. 

Again, harping (hahah) back to stereotypical YA, other than her cerebral palsy, I don’t think there’s anything in particular about Harper that makes her complicated, flawed, or especially interesting. 

She’s a good girl willing to give it all up for a country she’s only known for a few weeks even though her mother’s dying at home and her brother is most likely involved in some kind of gang violence. 

The best scenes with Harper are the scenes were she is struggling to choose between the two worlds and weighing her options, as at some points it does depict her as selfish and wanting to go home, even though she knows it would doom thousands of people. 

But of course, this is all taken care of later when she realizes D.C. isn’t her true home any more and that Emberfall has become where her heart lies. 

Lame. 

Kemmerer made Harper just a little too pristine for my liking, which is why she ranks lower than both Rhen and Grey when on paper she is by far the best in terms of personality and character traits. 

This especially grates on me when Kemmerer tells us that Harper is fantastic instead of letting us glean that for ourselves. I really dislike when an author tells me instead of shows me that someone is brave or kind or amazing or whatnot and I feel like there were enough instances of Harper being all of those things without having needed Rhen or Grey to point it out all of the time. 

I also do feel like there is some weird shaming regarding things typically seen as “feminine” in relation to Harper and why that makes her “better.” For example, Rhen talks often about how no girl ever has ever done what Harper has done, like attacking him. 

I’m sorry? You’re telling me that Grey has kidnapped hundreds of girls and not one of them before Harper tried to attack them? In any form? Really? 

I find that preposterous. 

Other instances of Harper being unique in this fashion is also sprinkled in, like how most girls apparently only care about the dresses and the jewels in the castle, but not Harper. Or how most girls would be crying from a scar on their cheek, but Harper is just upset that she misses her target.

 I get what Kemmerer is going for, but these force-fed characterizations really bothered me and were the most irritating thing about the book. 

Being feminine or caring about stereotypically feminine things like jewelry or dresses does not mean that someone can’t also be strong and brave and fierce. I dislike a lot of the subliminal messages in the novel in regards to that. 

In terms of romance, again I have to ask myself when the trope of the love triangle will die. Perhaps it never will. Perhaps it will live on for eternity, forever immortal and present in nearly 90% of YA literature. 

The love triangle between Grey, Rhen, and Harper doesn’t bother me so much in this novel as I feel like it isn’t truly focused on very much, which I appreciate. I understand that Harper has feelings for both Grey and Rhen, but her feelings make sense. I don’t feel like Kemmerer is just foisting a love triangle onto the readers for the sake of having a love triangle. 

It felt somehow...natural. 

In addition, most love triangles suck as they’re very one sided, usually in terms of the female’s POV. 

In this case however, the love triangle is influenced by Grey and Rhen’s relationship, where the lines are very blurry and for a good portion of the book I thought perhaps they were in love with each other and Harper. 

Frankly, I would have been ecstatic if this was the route Kemmerer had taken. Not many YA authors go down this route, but examples like Mark/Cristina/Keiran from The Infernal Devices and Niall/Irial/Leslie from Ink Exchange are actually the only examples I know from YA literature so this would have been so welcome and anticipated. 

If Kemmerer had gone down the route of looking into a polyamorous relationship I would have been over the moon. I don’t think she is sadly, but polyamrous relationships are still so few and far between in YA that it would have been utterly captivating, especially as she has all the ingredients to do so. 

Or, I thought she did. 

Until it’s revealed at the very end that Rhen and Grey are brothers. Or, at least half-brothers. 

Yeah. 

It’s super unfortunate. 

I’m genuinely disappointed that this is the route Kemmerer decided to take it as it seems so grossly safe. It’s almost like an intense male/male relationship can’t exist unless it’s romantic or they’re brothers and I despise that. 

Hence, why I have also decided that I won’t be reading A Heart so Fierce and Broken. I want to keep the memory and the interesting relationships between the three characters as it is: interesting.

 I have a very strong feeling that if I read the sequel that will all be shattered. 

When all is said and done, I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to reading it and I wasn’t expecting very much, but it met all of my expectations and more. 

I am sad that I won’t be finishing the series as a whole, but I know that the direction it's going will only make me frustrated and annoyed and I would rather preserve the positive emotions attached to A Curse So Dark and Lonely than ruin it with a sequel that I know won’t meet the expectations I have. 

Perhaps that’s unfair to say, and rightly so, but I know myself and I can see where the sequel is going and I’m almost certain that I won’t like it. 

So in this case, I’m going to quit while I’m ahead and savor the moments I had reading this novel in all its fairy-telling glory. 

Recommendation: If you love Beauty and the Beast, fairytales with a modern twist, interesting characters and interesting relationships set in a fantasy world where the music never stops playing and a savage beast runs rampant, than this book is calling for you.

 I didn’t know that I needed this novel in my life and now I’m so glad that it is. Captivating from beginning to end, if you’re anything like me and a sucker for interesting romance and strong, nuanced characters you won’t be able to put this down either. 

Score: 7/10 

[border-spam]

Leech Lord: Allies

Troy

Gar is about as native as a Pandoran can get, and has for years had a very soft spot for the bratty King.

He's old colonist, thinks his parents might have been with Atlas on one of the many failed corporate town setups that plagued Pandora 30-ish years ago. He was too young to remember who's banner they flew under when his family stepped out of the shuttle and onto the dust planes they’d been instructed to settle, just that things went wrong fast and anyone still alive 18 months later had needed to adapt quickly to what constitutes living on this planet.

He was drawn to the Holy City for the same reasons as most survivalists, it was an opportunity for safety and a roof over your head. Not needing to fight to eat or scrabble to stay alive is a blessing for most Pandorans, and he's one of the thousands who live within the walls who don't quite worship the twins as Gods, but praise them as holy... because the twins gave them a chance to have a home. Wether they are deities or not isn't a factor in the loyalty they've’ earned.

He's skilled with food. Knows how to spice spoiled flesh to hide the rot, pickle cactus root and delicate rock blossoms for long storage, or how long rakk wing needs to be slow roasted to turn from gamey string to meat that melts in the mouth.

Like most in the HC, he ended up where his skills have value and has ran the kitchens in the Grand Cathedral since its founding bricks were set.

It didn't take very long for him to find Troy in it one night - picking through ingredients and half finished dishes in the early AM.

While he'd expected to need to drop to his knees and grovel, the God King had seemed more embarrassed than anything, awkwardly explaining he hadn't eaten that day and asking if there was anything left from the after sermon banquet. 

His eager politeness had hit Gar hard, but his reaction to finding out the leftovers had been destroyed was what left a lasting impression.

Gar had thought the twins affluent spoiled little shits who'd hit things lucky on Pandora and been clever enough to know how to use their wealth to culture worship, so when Troy was genuinely upset to the point of disgust that food had been wasted like that? It changed his perception immediately.

This wasn't the reaction of some egotistical little shitbag from a wealthy background, this was the visceral panic and anger of someone who'd starved before, who understood the insult of food being destroyed when there were so many hungry... when he'd known hunger.

It took less than 24 hours for the kitchen policies to be changed and Gar's team to find out nothing was to be wasted. Uneaten and unused stock was to be transported at end of day to the Slums from now on, where it would "Bolster the flesh of the faithful."

Every time he finds Troy hunting through his kitchen at 4 am over the years, their chats grow a little longer.

By late COV, Gar's meals delivered to his sanctum are some of the only things God King Calypso still trusts enough to eat.

Tyreen

Xanshi Ur-Vendit is obsessed with the God Queen.

As her Saint of Marketing, he's got both her ear and a position of high authority within the organisation that he covets viciously, and takes great personal offense towards newer Saints he doesn't deem worthy of the title.

His pedigree speaks for itself, the man had quite a reputation on Promethea among the media departments of the high corporations. An expertly trained and cut-throat money maker that was the exact kind of egotistical, nasty piece of work that would be drawn to the God Queen's side.

Has direct tie in's with the esteemed Katagawa family, something he's used to his benefit throughout his career.

He fawns over her, she can do no wrong around him, and he spends as many hours of the day as he can trailing behind her heels like a lapdog, reaffirming her beauty and intelligence and infallibility with every breath he can manage between the underhanded threats he aims towards anyone possibly about to draw her attention away from him.

Hates Troy. Fucking hates him.

Too much of a hole-sucking little coward in his $60k three piece suit to actually do anything about it of course, but he takes plenty of his vitriol out on Troy's departments instead.

Marketing has such massive reach within the internal structure of the COV that he's able to throw his weight around far more than some of her other Saints, and regardless of if they actually like him, they tend to back Xan and his opinions automatically.

A huge amount of the conflict between departments and heads is driven by this imagined competitiveness, that Troy's people, Troy's chosen, must in some way be inferior to Tyreen's.

Xan is her right hand in his own mind, he's her holy knight. If she holds too much misplaced love for her brother to see how pathetic he is in comparison to her radiance, then it's up to Xan to keep Troy's people in place...

In reality? Tyreen isn't even invested in him enough to remember Xanshi's full name.

Seifa

Sei makes friends in low places far easier than higher ones, always has. People at the bottom of the ladder, folks who have struggled? They recognise each other. Doesn't matter where on the scales they currently stand, there's an unspoken nod, a side glance. You see your own - even if who you are has been lucky enough to change over time.

While she's never been in one place long enough to set up a friend network before that was tangible and not based on e-comms and data feeds, she's woven one since settling in the HC without really even noticing it was happening.

One-hand Jim in the King's Call, that high end rave bar near the cathedral grounds. Not so gruff now he's not drowning in debt, few more smiles while he's mixing cocktails.

Cleo in munitions stocks, breathing a bit easier since her son landed that underling role in the Mechanica, more food on the table with less worry.

Feliz and Irgo running deals in the western slum backstreets. Not competing against the HammerClaws for territory anymore since JK "got wind" of the shit they were cutting their gear with and had Vanguard waiting at their quarters for a polite discussion about unspoken laws. What Fe and Iggy are selling isn't exactly high quality but at least it won't rot your brain inside the skull.

Sei will tell you she's a lone wolf. She'll insist she’s a one woman show, runs shit on her own and doesn’t need others.

But watch closely when out with her in the city, check how often she buys a drink, how often it's not on an invisible tab the barstaff nod knowingly about as they hand her glass over with a smirk.

She's never asked to pay.

That should tell you plenty.

Seifa and Tyreen

- Early COV

"Ty, you ever wish you were born a guy?"

Of all the things Tyreen had expected to hear from Sei tonight, that... wasn’t it. She stopped reading the same piece of nonsensical math in the sheet she was holding to gawk at Seifa instead, staring at the other woman’s back as she continued to work on the data records they'd been passing between them all evening.

"No.. god. What, and look like Troy?" she snorted with a wince. "Nooooo thanks" Ty sighed as she leaned back and heard her stiff spine pop, waiting for a response that didn't come. She felt a pang of concern as Sei's shoulders sank a little lower in front of her, deflating.

This wasn’t normal, where was the bitchy retort, or joining in on insulting her brother? She shuffled together the files and stood, walking to her friend's side and sitting slowly next to her in the quiet of the twin's shared office. Sei still hadn’t responded, pretending to be completely absorbed by the notes she stared at. Ty cleared her throat with a cough.

"Uhhh.. why?"

Seifa silently reached to her side to take the offered files from Ty as she sat, pointedly not making eye contact, though the younger woman picked up on the redness in them easily enough.

"Sei, I need to have someone's hands cut off?" 

Ty pouted, hitting her mark as Seifa failed to completely hide a smirk in response.

"I need to have someone thrown into a pit? Huh? C'mon Sei, talk to me. You always tell me I need to talk more about things that me down, right?" she weedled, hands clasped over her heart as she faux whined, earning a quiet laugh from her companion.

"Oh god Tyreen SURE, if you'll shutup." Sei groaned, leaning back in her chair and running hands over her eyes. She was tired. Beyond tired, really. Always said she knew how to not outstay her welcome but had been wondering recently if that had ever been true. Day to day in the cult, managing people she’d never meet and holding the weight of more responsibility than she’d ever wanted was eating at her. Had been for some time. Nights like this helped, shooting shit with Tyreen, bitching, sometimes gently bullying Troy together if he’d decided to grace them with his janky presence, but still.. it was heavy, and Seifa was tired. 

"Ahh.. just the usual shit" she whispered, thumbing through the papers as Tyreen leaned a little closer, as much of a comforting presence as she could muster all things considered. An arm around the shoulder or gentle stroke of hair wasn’t an option. All Ty had was words and honestly, they weren’t exactly her forte.

“It's just like. Sometimes when I'm talking, and it's about something they think I shouldn't know shit about, like how Burgess is spending too much of your budget on expensive, low grade gear-assemblies when if we went off brand I can prove it would be better, they just zone out."

"It's like.. if they thought I had a cock, if I was 6'4, they'd be listening. " she added, eyes burning again.

She groaned, leaning over the table and resting her cheek across her folded arms.

"I got so angry. I'm used to dealing with it, it's always happened, but I just boiled over. This week has been.. long, I guess." she whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose as Tyreen watched quietly. "I ate into him in front of like, 6 other people Ty, couple of heads were there. That doesn't help my reputation does it.. that's just making shit worse. I'm sabotaging myself. They think I'm a bitch already without me starting a fight and stirring the pot."

Tyreen shifted in her seat, eyes thoughtful as she rested her chin in her hands, elbow propped on the table edge.

"Nah. "

"Just sounds like they're dumb. I keep telling Troy we need people with actual brains leading this shit Sei, if you're getting ignored cause you have tits? Haha. Wait till they meet me in person. " she grinned, a genuine act peeking through her usual haughty persona as Seifa chuckled.

"I mean my rack is way bigger than yours, you're flat as a fuckin' plank in comparison."

Asks are Open!

[hadnothing]

kiun is a lot more complicated than he gets credit for welcome to my ted talk -

ok so hear me out. this shinki. is fucking insane. just, what the fuck is happening? let’s break this down. oh boy. 

he’s a fucKING LIGHTNING DRAGON. so, he’s one of exactly two shinki we’ve seen with extremely ‘abnormal’ manifestations. this implies that he’s, honestly, probably led an incredibly traumatic and weird life given the track record we can see of how other shinki have forms that are very symbolic of their past occupations, their personalities, etc. sadly we’ve not seen that in canon yet. so i have a lot of hc about it but i also want to see if he gets revealed in the next few chapters or anything first, so i won’t post anything for a little just to find out, you know how it is. if i get impatient i’ll just spill eventually so it’s fine.

but genuinely, kiun is fascinating. he’s incredibly old, to start with. it’s dropped in the manga that takemikazuchi’s forced reincarnation was directly before the reign of the  first Japanese emperor, jimmu (660 bce). kiun was employed on the day of said reincarnation. so this implies that his death was very, very long ago. and he really lacks the generally uppity-ness one would expect from a noble, so he was also likely a peasant.

i’m not even going to touch on the fact that he’s got blonde hair in this and seemingly always did post-death. well. maybe a little. i don’t think it’s natural. i’m thinking he may have straight up died by lightning strike, but i’m not sure. i have some logic to work out on that later. i realize that most likely it’s just a style choice of the creator and doesn’t really matter, but i like everything to have a reason bc i’m a dickhead.

but yeah, so he’s a fucking lightning dragon. what’s with that? oh, and he can change his size seemingly at will. and he bleeds, which implies that he does have something of a physical form underneath the lightning, at least circumstantially. which is...you know, interesting, but not particularly weirder than any of the other things we’ve seen happen with shinki. but, anyway, my whole point here is that he does then have a physical form underneath the lightning which he can display if he likes. my guess is that there’s just seldom a reason to, so he doesn’t. this isn’t a major thing, but i think it’s really interesting and opens up new avenues of communication and interaction.

the main thing i really want to talk about though, is his personality. because we see him mostly as just a sort of airheaded guy. very sleepy, a bit formal, quite lonely and generally not in some regards what we would expect a guidepost to be. 

this is fascinating, especially since takemikazuchi on meeting him pre-incarnation and after taking him into his employ notes that kiun is a reflection of himself more than anyone or anything else has ever been - this god, who is known for being reckless, angry, vengeful, uncontrollable, wild - and asks him to promise to stay by him. so what does that say about kiun deep down as well?

of course, the fact that he reincarnated that night after being murdered by his elder shinki for being too uncontrollable complicates things, but keep in mind: kiun keeps this promise. he never stopped keeping it. and it’s interesting, because i think that the reason that take claims him as an echo of himself is that deep loneliness. their personalities are too vastly different (even though i do think that kiun has some anger issues that he’s supressed an incredible amount during his service in order to perform well). they are both these really undefinable beings; they’re sort of the shape of something recognizable, but not really, and they’re massive as concepts. you can’t contain lightning. you can’t shape it. it simply is, and when it strikes, it’s fast and decisive. they both make their decisions this way.

so it’s absolutely fascinating to me that kiun keeps this promise, especially in agony. i don’t think he stood idly by during the execution either - in fact i’m quite sure he probably begged to be used against the elders and was denied. because realistically, the only way that execution could have ever commenced is by take’s consent, because if he had called for any of his other shinki (not the elders, if they were drawing lines to deny him), they couldn’t have not answered his call. he let them take his life. yeah, he fought, and there were collateral deaths, but i think that's genuinely just pride. because at the end of the day i don't believe there wasn't a way for him to call for aid if he truly wanted it.

which makes it so much more incredibly cruel that his powers were bound upon reincarnation, and he was only given kiun to express himself. and as his guide. this newly dead shinki, who (as far as we know) had never served before and had no idea what he was doing, and didn’t truly know his master yet. and now his master doesn’t know him, because he no longer remembers kiun’s naming, but he still belongs to him. his vessel has already been declared.

and kiun has had to, more or less, just...do what he’s told from two directions for all of this time. he had to learn to be a guidepost, and yet his true loyalty is to take, not the elders, so he has to learn how to appease them without prompting another execution, and serve without being a traitor to his master’s wishes. (not surprised he’s always tired.) and it’s so sad, i think, because the really strong implication is that the elders left kiun to raise the new take, and at the end of the day that had to be the most frustrating thing in the world for them both. he couldn’t tell him who either of them used to be, or really what he was supposed to do. all he could do was stay by his side. and care.

which is, i think, a heavy part of why take is so bitter and sometimes cruel to his shinki. he doesn’t understand himself, he is full of resentment, his closest companion and really the only person he cares for he isn’t sure that he can trust. and kiun is really faded. i think this is a huge part of why his most defining feature is being an exhausted ditz. he’s so distracted by always fretting after take that it makes his functionality in literally anything else essentially shit, because he wants more than anything to keep his master well. he drowns his own desires and personality in the interest of service. and it’s really fucking sad, because takemikazuchi is almost generous in that he allows his shinki to have relationships, and be free, to mingle. kiun doesn’t do any of that. he has no friends. no lovers. he glues himself, absolutely and completely, to take. and that’s self-punishment at its finest, because while he’s practically all of his master’s happiness he can’t see that. he blames himself for all of takemikazuchi’s misery since his reincarnation. and in a way take does too, but he forgives him for it except in the moments where he’s enraged beyond belief, and then it’s weaponized.

their relationship is a bizarre, tangled mess of emotion and frustration spanning millennia. they both have incredibly deep affection towards each other that they don’t admit, because it isn’t proper and they are both super steeped in tradition. take is selfish; kiun will always serve his whims until he thinks that take is destroying himself. they are apart only when kiun is asleep or when takemikazuchi tells him to be gone. i genuinely think that they probably have adjoined quarters (if not just straight up shared) and their codependency is absolutely bonkers. they both look to the other for instruction and affection while trying to retain an autonomy they have no idea of how to gain, and it’s ultimately just tragic.

but neither of them will give it up. they’re part of each other. 

[quilandivy]

Halo Story vs. Cinematics

Just recently I was talking with someone in a heated discussion over the original trilogy of Halo’s story vs. the ones that came after. The whole time their whole argument was completely convinced that the games after did not have the interesting storytelling the original trilogy did, and i couldn’t understand that. This basically inspired this article, in it I want to describe why I think the original trilogy doesn’t have a good story, but highlight a reason why it might’ve been viewed that it did, and talk about Halo 4’s story and how it tackles this reason.

Firstly I need to reiterate what the story of Halo consists of. Across all three games, the story of Halo is very much standard space soap opera fare, you have a clear good side (humans) and a clear bad side (The Covenant). This is the basic structure that the first game starts from. Over time, other factors are brought in: a completely eldritch abomination known as The Flood acts as another threat for the humans to fight as well as other twists and turns, like the elites turning on The Covenant after their fealty is thrown out to be substituted as the Brutes, as well as their realization that The Covenant by in large is an illusion, and that the Halo rings that they are pushing towards for their Sacred Journey will actually wipe out all life in the galaxy. It’s a very simple structure right? Humans (and then elites) good, covenant and flood bad. This is the main rub of Halo storytelling, this is all that it is. None of the characters have particularly interesting motivations or nuance to them, there’s a clear line of black/white. The Covenant is made up completely under the guise of religion creating this dumb populace. There’s no fact-checking, only serious devotion to a cause. The villains don’t have any interesting backstories or motivations, they’re one dimensional “I want to keep my power in this classist society!” For my example, I’m going to use what I’ve often heard is the best story of the trilogy, Halo 2. Halo 2’s Covenant story starts out with this literally who, the only thing you know about them, the only thing that defines him, is that he was in charge of the invasion that found the first ring and couldn’t stop the Master Chief from destroying it. He becomes the Arbiter, not for anything specific to him, but because he’s a stand-in of elite loyalty, so he decides to be one for redemption’s sake. He’s sent to kill a heretic, a person spreading “false information that could be destructive of the sacred order”, being that he knows that the Sacred Journey is a lie perpetuated to keep the power contained. He goes to stop him, but not before he shows a “oracle” that being 343 Guilty Spark who begins to explain what the purpose of the rings are before the heretic stupidly shoots at the Arbiter while his guard is down which is still probably one of the stupidest plot contrivances of his game. Literally the chance was there for the Arbiter to be convinced that the thing he is following is a lie and he dumbly decides to just shoot first, it doesn’t make sense. Anyway continuing on, he begins to doubt the Covenant internally (or at least I assume he is, because the game certainly doesn’t show it! It’s all implied), but still continues to work for the leaders of the Covenant. One twist is pushed when one of the leaders is killed, and the others decide to swap out the elites with the brutes, as they do not trust the elites to keep them safe when they failed to do so with the one killed by Master Chief. This increases the tension as the elites are angry about their loss of position despite being incredibly devout and loyal. This comes to a head where finally the Arbiter is betrayed by a Brute leader during one of his missions, and the Arbiter is then told straight up by the gravemind that the prophets are wrong and the Halo will consume all life. This is passed on, infighting happens with the Covenant, etc. etc.

The problem with this story is that it’s a tale of motivations, not characters, and those motivations are one dimensional. Everyone is a stand-in, it’s a simple tale told in an incredibly black/white manner. There’s no interesting thing being told about the elite’s blind obsession with the religious order, it’s just a very black “obsessive religion bad, second guessing what you follow good”. There’s no nuance, the arbiter’s motivation is completely flipped. I said earlier that he started to doubt the Covenant implicitly? He didn’t, in fact when talking with the Gravemind he refuses to believe what he’s saying. He’s just completely convinced in the end, there’s no fallout, no grand shock to him or the other elites, there’s just a complete motivation switch. Elites go straight from loyal to fuck you I’m joining the humans now just to stop you. Events happen with scapegoats and power struggle, no personal or interesting reasons for why anyone in the Covenant does the things that they do. The prophets see the humans and heretics as threats to their power, nothing more. The elites just want to keep their position of loyalty, and when that’s tested seek solace in a more accurate truth so that they can betray the Covenant. That’s it, that’s the story of Halo 2 with the Covenant in-fighting. This problem is endemic of Halo 1 and 3 as well, in general the whole trilogy doesn’t have any themes to share, it just has a very “epic” space soap opera with a decent structure. It has its twists and turns but in the end it’s a very simple motivation-run story for events to unfold.

If that’s the case though, why do people like it so much? That gets me into my reasoning for why, the theatrics. Bungie knows their story isn’t particularly interesting, they know that their writing isn’t very good. What makes the story stand so high up in people’s heads is the overall tone, heart, and cinematic feel the game holds. What do I mean by that? Let me give a couple examples. Let’s start with this cutscene from Halo 3: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlMvje_e3ko

This is from the second mission, its opening cutscene. It starts with a dramatic sting in the soundtrack as the tone is set, Master Chief is setting down in one of humanity’s hideouts on the planet as they prepare themselves to defend on their last bastion, Earth. Master Chief walks by and the injured soldiers notice that he’s here, and it gives them hope, they’re sure they’ll be alright. They walk up to Miranda Keyes, the Sergeant cracks a quick joke, there’s a heartfelt hopeful tone, with a little bit of camp off the bat. Master Chief walks down the hall while he follows Miranda, looking to the left and right noticing all the injured soldiers, a real war is hell but they’re still fighting. Miranda gives the rundown and sets the stakes, capped off by Master Chief saying with a blunt “The rings will kill us all.” Miranda talks with Lord Hood to tell MC about what they plan to do in response, when they are cut off. Complete black frame, whole power in the facility goes down for a little. Cut to the tvs, showing the Covenant’s Prophet of Truth on every single one. Creepy track plays in the background as he gives a super chilling and strong monologue, no thanks in part to the terrific voice acting by Terence Stamp, ending with “Your destruction is the will of the gods. And I? I am their instrument.” Power goes back up, sergeant makes a quip in as well as MC, before Miranda under the realization that they’re about to get hit tells the soldiers to get ready. Whole scene ends with “Squad leaders are requesting a rally point. Where should they go?” “To war.” All in all, it’s a very well done cinematic, it does a super good job selling the tone of the scene and it has a fantastic pacing. This coupled with a nice bit of camp and some solid quoteworthy lines. This is what I think people talk about when they think of Halo’s story, they don’t think of the underlying narrative, or the characters in detail. They’re thinking of how this story is told. Because despite being a super mediocre and underwhelming tale, the framing around it is well executed, Bungie is great at their craft of selling a scene.

But what about Halo 4? From the start, Halo 4 has an outright better narrative. The Didact has fully developed motivations, and the story has a theme to it, a message to take home. The Didact doesn’t want to kill humans for any sort of power struggle reason, he wants to use the humans as a tool to make an army, for him to stop the flood. It was an original plan he had before he was put into cryostasis, one he formulated around the humans because in short, he fought a war with huge amounts of losses that ended up with his children dying in the onslaught. He has no empathy for humans, he outright hates them, but he is using these humans for a greater good in his mind. As for the theme, the main concept is “letting go.” As I described above, this motivation the Didact has is one from a past now left behind him. He refuses to let go of this past, blindly continuing to follow it despite the fact he’s now in a reality where the flood threat, albeit a delayed not completely destroyed one, is no longer central and applicable. The Chief’s “letting go” is Cortana, his AI companion that he’s been venturing with for a while now that in the end, has to let go as she devolves due to rampancy. Where the Didact refuses to separate from his motivation, the Chief ends up having to give up his own, leading to a solemn ending of him overlooking the Earth he had to save while doing so. That’s great storytelling, clear theme, clear strong motivations to each character. Didact acts as a close parallel, and it leads to a satisfying conclusion. That being said, how is this story told? This is the cutscene that plays detailing the backstory of the Didact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-4r_5AE6D4 Compare this to the Halo 3 scene above, see the problem? The whole motivation behind the didact is given by a complete long exposition to the Master Chief, it’s not told naturally at all, it’s told as a backdrop to a cliche chosen one the MC becomes, being immune to the Didact’s machine’s power. All done in a TV movie like cinematic, no interesting framing or tone. The only strong framing I could even give as a benefit here is that the leitmotif of Halo 4’s soundtrack is done in the background for a minute of the scene. But overall this scene is absolutely flat and lacks any of the emotional core the series was heralded on. Now, I’m not going to say Halo 4 in general is like this, there are great scenes that do get close to the ones above, specific examples being the goodbye to Cortana, and the ending cutscene in general. But for the most part, the way the story was told took a significant hit. With that, I hope I got across a good understanding of why I think people see Halo OT’s story in the way they do. And I also don’t want to imply that Bungie doesn’t know how to do good storytelling either, 3:ODST serves as a good example of how they combine the emotion they’re so good at conveying with a more interesting story with a team of legitimate personalities and character relationships, despite also not really having a clear message to give either, other than a vague notion of “don’t just shoot everything becuz these Engineers are actually enslaved creatures guys.” Although I don’t understand at all how they fucked up Reach so badly as they did after this with its completely cardboard cutout Noble Team all wrapped up in shitty tragedy bait with an even weaker emotional core than even Halo 4. I have an axe to grind on Reach so I’ll make a write-up on the story at a later time but I just wanted to leave this with a hot take if you want to see more of this writing.

[plutonic-astrology]

Venus in Scorpio

This is my personal breakdown of Venus in Scorpio based on myself and other Venus in Scorpios I’ve known over the years. A lot of this could also apply to people who are very Scorpionic in general, or those with Venus/Pluto aspects. Warning: In true Scorpionic fashion I don’t sugarcoat anything so do try and take it with a grain of salt.

ATTRACTED TO

POWER: Someone with influence, someone who pulls the strings, could have formidable social standing, typically confident and/or gives off an intoxicating vibe, could even have an air of danger or something destructive about them.

MYSTERY: Someone hard to pin down, someone who’s private, elusive, keeps you guessing. Someone to play detective with. Doesn’t open up easily. Takes effort and patience to really get to know them.

DEPTH: Someone who has a quiet intensity that lurks beneath their surface. Is the psychologist, the loner, the criminal, the tortured artist, someone with a dark past and a lot of baggage.

SUBTLETY: It’s all in the eyes. Lingering looks, suggestive wordplay, touches that may or may not mean something more. Won’t always tell you they’re interested so much as hint at it.

PASSION: Someone who doesn’t shy away from emotionally charged situations. Someone who loves and hates with their entire being. Someone in touch with their desires, someone who cleverly goes after what they want. Someone who likes sex, uses it to express themselves or considers sex a large part of their identity.

FORBIDDEN FRUIT: Someone who’s emotionally unavailable or unstable, someone who’s already in a relationship. Subconsciously or consciously drawn to relationships that are turbulent or inappropriate in some way.

Venus in Scorpios themselves will possess some or even all of the above traits.

PITFALLS/TRAPS THEY FALL INTO

CHEATING: A need for intensity can result in a wandering eye. Once a relationship settles into a kind of monotony they can start to crave the emotional high that they experienced during the “honeymoon” phase. It’s important for Venus in Scorpios to remember what fascinated them about their partner in the first place before betraying that person’s trust and potentially losing them. On the other hand (despite how it may feel) not every relationship is meant to last forever. If you’re honest with yourself you know when a relationship is over for you. Try to end it properly before looking elsewhere.

ABUSIVE SITUATIONS: Associating love with pain is a Venus in Scorpio hallmark. Even in a happy, healthy relationship there will always be an underlying ache, a twinge in the chest whenever they think of their partner. This is simply how they experience love. That in itself isn’t problematic. The issue arises when a Venus in Scorpio lacks the self awareness to discern “good pain” from “bad pain.” They can easily latch onto a partner who doesn’t have their best interest in mind, or chase after someone who only wants to string them along. Generally “good pain” soothes a Venus in Scorpio and has a positive effect. It’s that “wow, I love you so much it hurts” feeling you get all while knowing your love is being reciprocated in a healthy way. “Bad pain” can have a similar flavor at first but inevitably leaves you feeling hopeless and sends you spiraling into a depression. Not to say you’re always the victim, you’re not. Sometimes you’re the perpetrator. You’re capable of being manipulative, possessive, playing power games and projecting your issues onto other people. It’s important to stay aware of these tendencies, as they could easily get out of control under the right circumstances. Be honest with yourself about it. Turn that perception inward and ask yourself why you feel the need to do certain things. Don’t allow your fears to consume you and taint your relationships, but more importantly don’t allow yourself to become someone you can’t respect.

OBSESSION: Every Venus in Scorpio will experience obsession with another person at some point in their lives, usually when they’re young. They want to talk to that person, know everything about them, fantasize about them, go over everything they’ve ever said with a fine-tooth comb looking for double meanings and hidden clues. They’ll probably stalk their social media and quietly (or openly) resent anyone in their lives who’s a little too close to them. Scorpio is polarizing in ways that make it easy for things to go too far too quickly. When you like someone you really like them. Being passionate in love isn’t a bad thing, but when your life starts to revolve entirely around another person and their actions, it might be time to pull back and look at the situation objectively. A mature Venus in Scorpio will take no for an answer and move on (after privately sulking and writing poetry about it of course), but someone less evolved might hold on longer than is necessary or appropriate. The creepy stalker stereotype is connected to Scorpio for a reason, so it’s crucial to recognize that unrequited love is a scenario you may find yourself in again and again because it’s pretty much the perfect drug to fuel your lust for suffering. If the Scorpio passion is handled poorly it can become a viscous cycle that ultimately leaves you feeling empty and frustrated until you can break out of it.

PARANOIA: Venus in Scorpios always seem to possess this knowing that every relationship has an expiration date. This is mainly because Scorpio/Pluto itself never allows things to thrive that no longer serve a purpose, and so a lot of relationships are cut short or end on less than favorable terms. The “death” of so many close relationships can result in a feeling of impending doom whenever they enter a new one. There’s a huge fear of abandonment and loss, but also a fear of betrayal that either comes from having their trust violated in traumatic ways or simply being able to see other people’s intentions a little too clearly. To combat this Venus in Scorpios are usually very private with their feelings, figuring the less people know the less chance there is for someone else to use it against them. This is of course a double-edged sword, as the preoccupation with protecting themselves can make them overly suspicious of loved ones. On the other hand they could place so much trust in a loved one that the thought of them ever leaving causes them to panic. They can get so wrapped up in these feelings to the point of actual paranoia, which of course can drive people away, making their fears of abandonment a self-fulfilling prophecy. And it’s true, some things will end. You don’t always know how and you don’t know when it will happen, which is scary, but this is a fact of life no one can avoid. You don’t need to potentially speed up the process by accusing or smothering others and risk ruining something good. The sooner you can learn to enjoy what a relationship has to offer without always trying to control the outcome, the better off you’ll be.

THE POSITIVES/THINGS TO APPRECIATE

LOYALTY: Saying Venus in Scorpios are fiercely loyal might seem strange after calling out their penchant for infidelity, but 1) Not all Venus in Scorpios cheat, and 2) Even if they do mess up in that regard, they’ll usually still have your back when it matters most. They take relationships of all kind very seriously. If you mean something to them, they're in it for the long haul and aren’t about to let anything get in the way of that. They can also be really protective, making them hostile towards your enemies. They’ll probably remember every slight they’ve ever made against you better than you can. Definitely not the flaky types to associate with those you have good reason not to like. If someone’s wronged you then they no longer exist.

DISCRETION: They will take your secrets to the grave. They know what is and isn’t acceptable to say in front of other people. (Unless of course you betray them or they’re air dominant, but that’s another story...) Can also be useful to have around when you need to get information out of someone without giving too much away.

PERCEPTIVE: If they know you well enough they’ll probably know what you’re thinking and feeling in any given situation without you having to say a word. They make excellent therapists and can probably give you some truly amazing insights about yourself and the people around you.

GOOD SEX: This one’s a bit of a cliché and probably applies more to Mars in Scorpio, but it is true that most Venus in Scorpios are generally... knowledgeable in this area. Sex is best when there’s a deep connection going on as that’s when they’ll really want to give it their all, but either way they’re bound to pleasantly surprise you.

ACCEPTING: These people will love you, warts and all. Their philosophy is everyone has flaws and those flaws are what make a person uniquely them. Someone with baggage is someone worth knowing, since baggage usually comes with a deeper understanding of the world learned the hard way, and that’s something they can always appreciate as well as relate to. 

EMPATHETIC: They may not always know how to express it, but these people really do care and are way more sensitive than they let on. They may not be as easily prone to tears as some (at least not in front of you), but tell them about a time you were deeply hurt and they’ll feel it like a stab to the chest. They understand trauma on a profound level and the struggle that comes with healing from it. This type of person can actually become a powerful healer to those closest to them, which makes them some of the most valuable companions you could ever hope to have.

TRANSFORMATIVE: Venus in Scorpio love isn’t for everyone. They can be melodramatic in ways that give Venus in Leo a run for their money, but that’s because these people have a tremendous amount of passion lurking within themselves just biding its time waiting for them to find “the one” so it can fully express itself. This is definitely overwhelming for some, but for others it’s downright intoxicating, and most likely karmic. Venus in Scorpios are slowly learning the ins and outs of their very own nature and transforming themselves through their relationships with others. Chances are if you’ve fallen for one you’ll be undergoing some type of change as well. For better or worse, this experience is meant to teach you both something about yourselves, and at the end of the day, whether you’re romantically drawn to a Venus in Scorpio or not, a close encounter with one will nearly always have a lasting impact.

[roguelioness]

Amaryllis Trevelyan

Origins Parents: Bann Trevelyan [father], Seraphine Trevelyan [mother] Siblings: Paulette Trevelyan [twin sister], Gerald Trevelyan [brother] At the time when she attended the Conclave, Amaryllis Trevelyan was the youngest of Bann Trevelyan’s children. Amaryllis and her twin, Paulette, came by their powers at the same time when they were ten years old. They had been horseriding, and when Paulette was thrown off her spooked horse, both girls reacted instantly; Paulette by freezing the poor horse, and Amaryllis by causing the ground to burst into thick grass. When they reached home, they told their mother what had happened, and Seraphine did her best to hide the girls’ new-found powers from their father. Unfortunately, this did not last for long, as their younger brother Gerald spied on his sisters one evening and found them creating ice sculptures out of nothing, and, frightened - and having been taught that mages were evil - ran to his father. Bann Trevelyan immediately arranged for Templars to take away his daughters, disowning them as they were dragged away from the only home they’d known.

Seraphine tried to protect her daughters from their father and the Templars, but she was unsuccessful. She died a year and a half later from a broken heart. Gerald, knowing that he had played a part in both his sisters’ capture and thereby his mother’s death, lived with the guilt of his actions for the rest of his life.

Amaryllis was sent to the Circle of Ostwick, and her sister to the Circle at Kirkwall. Paulette was abused by Ser Karras during her stay in the Circle, dying from her injuries as a result. Though Amaryllis was informed that Paulette had died in ‘an accident’, she knew the truth, having been informed of the truth by the spirits in the Fade. 

Circle of Ostwick Knowing that the best and brightest in the Circle of Ostwick were granted more freedoms, Amaryllis swore to be the very best. Magic, and control of her powers, came naturally to her, and she underwent her Harrowing at the tender age of sixteen. She was the youngest Enchanter, and was both respected and envied in equal measure.

She quickly befriended the Knight Commander and the Knight Captain as the two men felt very fatherly towards her, and this afforded her a great deal of protection in the Circle. She learned how to be craft and cunning, and how to use her charm and wit to get what she wanted. Her skills she used to aid the other mages, especially those who had garnered the unfortunate honor of catching an errant templars’ eye. She did her best to protect those weaker than her, and was widely considered to be next in line for the position of First Enchanter. 

The Conclave Having lost a sister to the templars, and having seen - and experienced - first hand just how cruel they could be, Amaryllis had little faith in the templars. She was eager to bring about a resolution between the two sides, however, wanting to avoid more bloodshed, though she was determined that the mages should be allowed to have greater freedom.  She wholeheartedly believed that mages could rule themselves, and that mages should be taught to not fear their power so that they could control it better.

She was puzzled and dismayed by the Anchor, especially because it garnered her the title of ‘Herald of Andraste’ which she did not believe to be true. Her curious nature pushed her to investigate the mark, and in this task she was aided by the elven apostate Solas.

Relationship with companions Cassandra Pentaghast - she had little trust in the Seeker, quietly believing that the woman had failed in her duty to oversee the Templar Order; but after spending more time with Cassandra, and discovering that she was honest and good, and eager to do the right thing, Amaryllis dropped her guard and began to forge a friendship with the Nevarran. They ended up bonding over the grief of losing a sibling, and their friendship deepened when Amaryllis accidentally discovered that Cassandra was a fan of Swords and Shields - a series she herself was rather fond of. Cassandra approved of Amaryllis’ ability to plan carefully before undertaking a task, though the Seeker disapproved whenever she used underhanded means to gain support for the Inquisition. 

Iron Bull - Amaryllis was one of the few people who trusted Bull right from the start. She got along incredibly well with the Chargers. Though she knew that he was a Qunari spy, she believed that his men’s loyalty to him said a great deal. In Haven she would spend her evenings at the Singing Maiden with Bull, who taught her how to play chess in exchange for drinks. This eventually turned into a ritual of sorts, and when Amaryllis finally won a game against Bull, he celebrated by throwing his tankard of beer over her. When the Qunari approached with the prospect of an alliance with the Inquisition, Amaryllis refused to sacrifice the Chargers, and told Gatt to tell his seniors that “[his] name is Iron Bull, NOT Hissrad!”

Blackwall - She greatly respected Warden Blackwall, and during their travels learned to appreciate his wit, and his stories. However when the truth of his deception came to light, she couldn’t bring herself to trust him again. She had him smuggled into Skyhold, and set him free on the condition that he join the Grey Wardens after his service in the Inquisition.

Vivienne - Amaryllis despised Vivienne, especially after Madame de Fer insisted that they were both alike in nature. She informed the Iron Lady, rather icily, that even if they were both well-versed in the Game, she played to help other people while [Vivienne] was only interested in herself. In Skyhold, however, there was first a unspoken truce between the two women, which eventually turned into a friendship of sorts. Amaryllis spent a great deal of time with Vivienne after Bastien’s death, just sitting and listening to the older woman talk about her relationship with the Duke.

Solas - She got along excellently well with the elven apostate, the two being very pro-mage. Though Amaryllis was confused by Solas’ preoccupation with the Veil and the Fade at the beginning, she eventually found it fascinating, and soon began to study in in earnest. It was thanks to Solas’ many tales of what he’d seen in the Fade that she studied to be a rift mage. She developed feelings for him, but knowing that he wasn’t interested in her, forced herself to cast them aside, and accept his friendship instead. She did all she could to help his spirit friend, and though she understood his anger towards the mages who had inadvertently caused Wisdom’s death, she would not let him kill them for she knew their only crime was ignorance.

Dorian Pavus - Amaryllis developed an instant friendship with Dorian. Though the two argued frequently, it was always good-natured. They were very much alike, believing in doing the right thing and not the easy thing, and valuing loyalty and kindness. They would often curl up in a corner of the library, a bottle of wine between them as they pored over leather-bound tomes late into the night. It was Dorian who helped her get over her automatic distrust of Cullen, and he engineered many scenarios where she and the Commander were thrust together. Amaryllis was furious at Dorian’s father, and had to be held back from punching the man in the face. She staunchly vowed to stand by Dorian’s side no matter what, and though tongues wagged in the keep about the Inquisitor’s suspiciously close friendship with a mage from Tevinter, she paid little heed to them.

Varric Tethras - She was excited to meet Varric, not just because she was a huge fan of Swords and Shields, but also because of his friendship with Hawke. She tried to question him, discreetly, for any information regarding her sister’s death. He found out about it eventually, and after she told him everything she knew, used his spy network to put the pieces together. It was Varric who brought a measure of peace to Amaryllis when he informed her that Hawke had killed the man responsible for her sister’s death.

Sera - Amaryllis found Sera to be a breath of fresh air in the otherwise serious-and-stodgy Inquisition. Though she did think the young elven woman was a little immature, and though she found Sera’s dislike of mages distasteful, the two nevertheless became fast friends. They would play a host of pranks on everyone, especially Cullen, though when Amaryllis started a relationship with the Commander she stopped playing as many pranks on him. She appreciated Sera’s concern for the ‘little people’, having once been that person herself. The two spent a great deal of time on the many rooftops that Skyhold offered, eating good cookies and throwing the bad ones at the nobles Amaryllis found annoying.

Cole - Something about the young lad drew her, and by the time they were all settled in Skyhold Amaryllis had firmly adopted him under her wing. While Varric was his honorary dad, she became his honorary mom, much to the annoyance of Solas who insisted that the spirit lad did not need parenting. When the time came for Cole to choose which path he wanted to walk down, she guided him to become more human, believing that it truly was what the young lad wanted the most. It was one of the times she questioned whether she had made the right decision or not. When he entered a relationship with Maryden she was happy because he was happy, though in private she threatened the bard with something ‘worse than death’ if she ever hurt her boy.

Romance Amaryllis despised Cullen at the beginning because she blamed him for her sister’s death. They had many arguments, but their worst was the one before she left to help the mages, where she called him a ‘mage murderer’ who was only too happy to see all of ‘her kind’ dead. After facing Alexius, and seeing how dangerous magic could be, she thawed enough to apologize to the Commander when she returned to Haven, though she still considered him to have turned a blind eye to the suffering of the mages in Kirkwall.

It was Varric and Dorian who helped her soften; Varric told her how Kirkwall had had many blood mages, and how Meredith had been driven insane by red lyrium. Varric also helped her gain some closure by informing her of Ser Karras’ death. Dorian opened her eyes to Cullen’s actions, and how the Commander was not the same man as he’d been as Knight Captain.

It started off as contriteness, their relationship, with both parties hesitant and wary about the other. But soon Amaryllis was penning notes to Cullen when she was away, and it became easier to talk to him in person. From there, their friendship grew deeper as they began to deeply care for and about the other, and it was an easy, effortless step to fall in love. Though Amaryllis had never considered herself particularly religious, she began to thank Andraste each evening for giving her something she thought she’d never have - true love.

Major decisions Mages or Templars - Sided and allied with the mages, because she considered herself to be one of them. Hawke or Stroud - Left Stroud in the Fade, even though she believed the Wardens would have greater need for him, because she owed Hawke for avenging the death of Paulette. Grey Wardens - Chose to ally with the Wardens, believing that they would be needed on the small chance that Corypheus triggered a Blight. Halamshiral - Reunited Empress Celene and Briala, because she did not trust Duke Gaspard, and because she thought that it was the best way to benefit the elves. She recruited Florianne as an agent, and placed her in Leliana’s unbreakable grasp. Temple of Mythal - Completed the rituals, both because they made her curious and because she trusted Solas’ advice. She was awed by the Sentinels, though aggravated that they seemed indifferent to the threat of Corypheus, though she did ally with them. She drank from the Well, not trusting Morrigan enough to give her the knowledge that the Vir Abelasan had.

Trespasser Amaryllis was incensed by the claims of the Exalted Council, and angered by how quick they were to dismiss her deeds, knowing how much blood had been shed for the nobles who had barely lifted a finger to help. She and Bull laughed at the Viddasala when the Qunari woman tried to get Bull to join her side, and chose to release Ataashi, having great respect and fondness for dragons. When she met Solas, she was heartbroken and devastated, and couldn’t believe that the man she’d considered such a close and dear friend was not just not who he seemed, but that he’d also been the cause of everything. Though she knew what he intended to do, she still considered him a friend, and promised to show him that there were other paths he could take.

The loss of her arm grieved her greatly, but it was made easier knowing that Cullen, her husband, would always be there by her side. She chose to disband the Inquisition, believing that it would be needed in the days to come, even if it was overrun with his spies. She felt confident that by searching for new people, ones who Solas did not know, she could find a way to get him to see the light.

When introducing her mabari, Sir Barks-a-lot, she’d joke that when she first came across him, she’d been “disarmed by his charm and good looks.” Everyone groaned at the bad pun, but Varric included into his book anyway.

[marjaystuff]

Author Interview of Beth Kendrick by Elise Cooper

In Dog We Trust

Beth Kendrick

Berkley Pub.

Jan 8th 2019

In Dog We Trust by Beth Kendrick says it all with the title.  This fun-loving book is a must read for all dog lovers and those that want smiles on their faces.  In addition, readers get an interesting mystery where greed is the antagonist. The story is enjoyable, amusing, and entertaining.

The plot takes place in the Delaware seaside quirky quaint town of Black Dog Bay. It has become well-known for being the “best place in America to bounce back from your breakup.” Charming seaside diners, boutiques, bakeries, and a bed and breakfast capitalized by having names of “Home to Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, the Jilted Café, the Rebound Salon, and the Whinery bar.” The owner of “Black Dog Bay Books” created a legend about an apparition of a black dog as a harbinger of hope and change.

The main character Jocelyn Hillier helps her mother run a laundry rental business in the beach town. A chance encounter leads to Jocelyn’s meeting Mr. Allardyce, the owner of several pedigreed Labrador retrievers and living in one of the fanciest shore-side mansions. He is gruff, a penny pincher, and a social outcast, but decides to hire Jocelyn as a dog walker and dog sitter.  After Mr. Allardyce suddenly dies, he leaves all of his money to his three show dogs, appointing Jocelyn as their guardian. She has control of the money and is able to live in the mansion. An interesting premise that encircles the story, how an eccentric dog owner would appoint a trustee of the dogs who inherited the wealth. But life becomes troublesome when his estranged son, Liam, and the dog’s trainer, Lois, decide to sue her for the inheritance left to the dogs and her guardianship.

Besides having likeable characters and cuddly dogs this story delves into scandal and betrayal. The humorous banter allows for a very fun read.

Elise Cooper: The dogs are a background to the story?

Beth Kendrick: I like writing about the relationship between the owner and the dog along with the dog’s spirit and the environment surrounding everybody.  The story cannot happen without the dogs, who are agents for change.  People and pets have a very significant relationship.

EC:  Dogs are a special breed?

BK:  Dogs know who is kind and nurturing.  It is that saying, ‘if my dog doesn’t like you neither do I.’  There is something about having another being to rely on us.  There is a deeper level of nonverbal communication that is satisfying and profound.  My vet once said to me, dogs want to be useful and serve.  I think we have an obligation to give that back to our dogs.

EC: How did you come upon the premise?

BK:  The name of the town is Black Dog Bay. In the first book, Cure For the Common Breakup, these is a mystical and magical legend in the town, an Irish Wolfhound.  The dog is a symbol for hope and change.  But in literature it is the symbol of depression and despair.  I like playing off both: how hopelessness turns into hope, the dark into light, and the feeling of being totally isolated/lonely into finding a companion.  This is the kernel of the whole series.

EC: Is this town made up?

BK:  Yes. It is loosely based on some of the Delaware beaches such as Bethany Beach.  I like the atmosphere and vibe that has the old-fashioned boardwalk and huge mansions along the beach.  Too bad this prime real estate is empty most of the time and not occupied.  

EC:  How did you get the silhouette of the dog in the beginning of each chapter?

BK:  I wanted a simple outline.  I think we went through five to ten kinds.  Some were too distracting and some were unclear.  I could not find an Irish Wolfhound since most are so shaggy they look like sheep.  For me, this silhouette is like a lucky penny bringing good luck.

EC:  How did you come by the storyline of a dog’s inheritance?

BK:  I was reading with my eleven-year-old son a National Geographic story.  It was how all these dogs are bequeathed millions and millions of dollars. There is plenty of legal precedent even though the dogs actually cannot spend money.  All they want is food, water, and a human.  Pet trusts are routinely now part of estates.  I understand how we owners want them well cared for.

EC:  Are you a dog person?

BK:  I write a series set in Black Dog Bay that includes a book titled In Dog We Trust, so I think we all see where my loyalties lie. I wrote a book, The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service, that helps humans find their canine soul mate, making sure the humans and dogs get their needs met.  In this book, I write about dog breeders and dog shows even though I have adopted all my dogs from the pound.  I think dog people have a spiritual and creative streak that are mostly kind and helpful.

EC:  Do you go to dog shows?

BK:  Yes.  A scene in this book is inspired by true events.  Jocelyn takes the dogs to a show and they are boisterous and badly behaved in the ring.  They were not naughty but just could not control themselves.  The judge remarked that they are acting like labs.  All the other breeds appeared like they wanted to win.  But the labs just wanted to say hi to each other and other people.  

EC:  How would you describe Jocelyn?

BK:  Sweet, attractive, smart, and sensible.  She has been restrained her whole life and is aware of the limits placed upon her by family, friends, and the community.  She has a great sense of responsibility, especially to the dogs. She is very practical and has a sense of obligation to the dogs, her mom, and her friends. Once she has been given some financial freedom she is able to let go a bit.

EC:  How would you describe Liam.  I think readers will fluctuate between liking and disliking him?

BK:  He is determined and obstinate. He has a clear understanding of how money changes someone’s life.  For him it is not personal, but business.  In a sadistic way, I had fun torturing him when the money mixes with the personal.  I think one of the turning points is when he helps with the puppies’ birth where he had a metaphorical and spiritual transformation.

EC:  How would you describe the three labs?

BK:  Carmen is the rebellious one.  Hester is sensitive and sweet.  Curtis is charming and goofy.  I wanted to show how each have their own nuances with a distinct personality.  

EC:  The humorous banter?

BK:  This is my natural voice.  I have tried to write very dark and serious perspectives but cannot do it.  Even when I watch TV I still gravitate toward shows with some humor.  I think life can be short and complicated, but we can deal with it through humor, even when things are really messed up.

EC: Why the book quote, “My dogs are better than most people.”

BK:  I wanted to say something nice about the dog owner, Mr. Allardyre who had some tough times in his life.  In some way, this is the theme of the book.  Dogs are not selfish or prejudiced, and are willing to engage, serve and connect.  Mr. A. left all the money and made Joselyn the dogs guardian because he wanted a guardian that could be trusted.  Even though when he was alive he treated her badly and paid her practically nothing, she still hung in there for the dogs.  He saw that in her and trusted that she would treat the dogs well.

EC:  You even have a dog romance?

BK:  Yes between Carmen and a mutt, Friday.  I based him on my own dog because both dogs are very charismatic.  I liked to compare this romance to the Disney movie, “The Lady and The Tramp.” I think this relationship was very spontaneous and organic.

EC:  Do you like the group Duran Duran?

BK:  Yes.  I put their songs in the story as a shout out to my college roommate. I also needed a group that would be age appropriate.  I would go to see them in concert if they appeared.

EC:  Next book?

BK:  I am still in the process of deciding on the next book.  I do think there will be another “Bay Dog” novel.  Right now, I am working on something else that I am not allowed to talk about, but if I had to bet there will be a dog popping up.

THANK YOU!!

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: Before His Birth, His Birth and His Childhood

The Birth of the Messenger of Allah

The earth was covered with incorporeal darkness.

Everything that existed was in a state of mourning because of the oppression and atrocities committed by mankind. It was not eyes that shed tears, but soul and heart. There was a general lamentation in the world.

People had become wild like monsters eating each other; they were about to be drowned in the swamp of unbelief, polytheism, ignorance, and oppression. The oppressed were groaning bitterly under the whips of the oppressors.

The world was sorrowful; the beings were sorrowful; the hearts and the faces were sorrowful and grievous.

The infinite mercy of Allah would not let the unbelief, polytheism, deviation, ignorance, sorrow, and trouble that spiritually squeezed the minds, spirits, and hearts hard make humanity suffer any longer. He would definitely send a person that would end all of those troubles as an indication of His compassion and mercy.  

And, he was coming!

The unmatched person, the last Prophet of Allah, who would change the spiritual form of the world with the light that he would bring, was coming!

Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), who would lead the jinn and human beings to the way of endless bliss was coming!

That Moment…

The universe was waiting for its Master in awe and respect. Every being was ready to welcome this unmatched person with their own tongues, languages, states, and acts joyfully.

Date: 571 AD, Twentieth of April.

Fifty or fifty-five nights after the Event of the Elephant.

The twelfth night of the lunar month of Rabiulawwal.

A modest house in Makkah. It is Monday. The time of dawn.

A magnificent and unmatched thing happened in this modest house and at that unmatched time: Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), the master of the Universe, was born!

When he opened his eyes, it was as if the world forgot about its pains and mourning, and was overwhelmed with joy. It was as if the universe shouted with joy and excitement: “The Sultan of the Religion was born at that time / The skies and the earth was overwhelmed with light”.

From the narrations by his mother…

Reverend mother, Hazrat Amina, who was deemed worthy of such a unique honor that no other mother ever was, describes that blissful moment as follows:

“Someone came towards me in my dream in the sixth month of my pregnancy and said:

“O Amina! Know that you are pregnant to the most decent person in the universe. When you give birth to him, name him Muhammad and do not tell about it to anyone!”

Then the time for birth came. My father-in-law was away, performing Hajj. I was at home. Suddenly I heard a voice. I felt as if I would melt with horror. It was there. A white bird appeared and came to me, and it patted my back with its wing. I did not feel any fear or anxiety from then on. I had a look around. They were serving me syrup in a white jug. As soon as I drank it, I was covered with a sea of light and Mohammad was born.” 

The reverend mother tells about afterbirth as follows:

“I saw a flag in the east, a flag in the west and a flag on the Qaaba. The birth was over. I looked at the baby. He was on sajdah (prostration) and his finger was raised up towards the sky. Then a white cloud came down and swaddled the baby. I heard a voice: Show him around the east and the west, show the seas so that creatures will know Muhammad with his name, his title and his face then the cloud disappeared away.” 

Also on the same night, Hazrat Amina saw a divine light and in the brightness of that light, she watched palaces and mansions in Damascus. 

Observations by Midwives Shifa and Fatima

At the time the Lord of the Universe (Prophet Mohammad) was born, Shifa who was Abdurrahman bin Awf’s mother and Fatima who was Uthman bin Abul’l As’s mother were together with the reverend mother.

Shifa, who was one of the midwives, described her observations at that time as follows:

“I was there when The Messenger of Allah was born. I quickly came there for help. I heard a voice: “May Allah’s mercy be upon him.” The distance between the south and the north was filled with divine light. And I saw some palaces of Byzantine in that light. Then I took the Messenger of Allah in my arms and started to suckle him. I started to tremble and almost fainted. The baby disappeared in front of my eyes. A voice asked: ‘Where has he gone?’ Another one replied: ‘They took him to the east.’

I never forgot those words. Therefore, as soon as the Messenger of Allah declared his prophethood I went to him and accepted his faith together with the first Muslims.” 

Fatima said that the house where the birth took place was filled with divine light and the stars in the sky seemed as if they would fall into the house. 

Another specialty of Prophet Mohammad was that he was born circumcised and his umbilical cord was already cut off. There was “The seal of prophethood” between his shoulder blades on his back, just in the line with his heart. It was formed by hairy, raised and reddish freckles that looked like pearls and it was in the size of a partridge egg. The seal was a sign indicating that he was the last prophet being awaited for a long time.

Saib bin Yazid, one of the Companions, tells about the seal as follows:

“When I was a child, my aunt took me to the Prophet and said: O Messenger of Allah, there is a pain in my nephew’s foot. The Messenger of Allah patted my head with his hand and prayed for me. Then he took ablution. I drank from the ablution water. Then I stood behind him and I saw the seal of prophethood between his shoulders; it was as big as the huge buttons of the tent (or a partridge egg).” 

Describing the Messenger of Allah, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “He was broad between his shoulder blades and it was obvious that he was the last prophet from the seal of prophethood between his shoulder blades.”

Glad Tiding Given to Ab­dul­mut­ta­lib…

When the Master of the Universe, our Prophet, was born, Abdulmuttalib, his grandfather, was talking with some of the notables of Quraysh near the Kaaba.

He was given the news. Abdulmuttalib, who became very happy, went straight to see his grandson. He hugged and kissed his grandson. Then, he gave his grandson to Abu Talib, his son, and said, “This child is entrusted to you. He will be an honorable, well-known person.”

Ab­dul­mut­ta­lib slaughtered camels and sheep on the seventh day of the birth of the Master of the Universe and held three banquets for the people of Makkah in the honor of this joyful event; he also slaughtered camels in each district of the city and left the meat there so that the poor people would take and the animals would eat them.  

The luminous child was given the name Muhammad (pbuh)

After the banquet, they asked Abdulmuttalib what name he had given to his grandson. He said,

“Muhammad...”

“Why did you not give one of the names of your ancestors but this name?”

He replied:

“I wanted Allah and the people to praise him!”

Indeed, the Master of the Universe, our Prophet, is the only person in the world that was praised by Allah, the people, and the angels because he deserved that praise, interest, love, and respect. He deserved the praise with his unmatched belief, understanding, worshipping, loyalty, fear of Allah, trust, effort and hard work, sincerity and high ethics. Therefore, there is and there will be nobody that will reach his rank of praise.

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: Before His Birth, His Birth and His Childhood

The Birth of the Messenger of Allah

The earth was covered with incorporeal darkness.

Everything that existed was in a state of mourning because of the oppression and atrocities committed by mankind. It was not eyes that shed tears, but soul and heart. There was a general lamentation in the world.

People had become wild like monsters eating each other; they were about to be drowned in the swamp of unbelief, polytheism, ignorance, and oppression. The oppressed were groaning bitterly under the whips of the oppressors.

The world was sorrowful; the beings were sorrowful; the hearts and the faces were sorrowful and grievous.

The infinite mercy of Allah would not let the unbelief, polytheism, deviation, ignorance, sorrow, and trouble that spiritually squeezed the minds, spirits, and hearts hard make humanity suffer any longer. He would definitely send a person that would end all of those troubles as an indication of His compassion and mercy.  

And, he was coming!

The unmatched person, the last Prophet of Allah, who would change the spiritual form of the world with the light that he would bring, was coming!

Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), who would lead the jinn and human beings to the way of endless bliss was coming!

That Moment…

The universe was waiting for its Master in awe and respect. Every being was ready to welcome this unmatched person with their own tongues, languages, states, and acts joyfully.

Date: 571 AD, Twentieth of April.

Fifty or fifty-five nights after the Event of the Elephant.

The twelfth night of the lunar month of Rabiulawwal.

A modest house in Makkah. It is on Monday. The time of dawn.

A magnificent and unmatched thing happened in this modest house and at that unmatched time: Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), the master of the Universe, was born!

When he opened his eyes, it was as if the world forgot about its pains and mourning, and was overwhelmed with joy. It was as if the universe shouted with joy and excitement: “The Sultan of the Religion was born at that time / The skies and the earth were overwhelmed with light”.

From the narrations by his mother…

Reverend mother, Hazrat Amina, who was deemed worthy of such a unique honor that no other mother ever was, describes that blissful moment as follows:

“Someone came towards me in my dream in the sixth month of my pregnancy and said:

“O Amina! Know that you are pregnant to the most decent person of the universe. When you give birth to him, name him Muhammad and do not tell about it to anyone!”

Then the time for birth came. My father-in-law was away, performing Hajj. I was at home. Suddenly I heard a voice. I felt as if I would melt with horror. It was there. A white bird appeared and came to me, and it patted my back with its wing. I did not feel any fear or anxiety from then on. I had a look around. They were serving me syrup in a white jug. As soon as I drank it, I was covered with a sea of light and Mohammad was born.” 

The reverend Mother tells about afterbirth as follows:

“I saw a flag in the east, a flag in the west and a flag on the Qaaba. The birth was over. I looked at the baby. He was on sajdah (prostration) and his finger was raised up towards the sky. Then a white cloud came down and swaddled the baby. I heard a voice: Show him around the east and the west, show the seas so that creatures will know Muhammad with his name, his title and his face then the cloud disappeared away.” 

Also at the same night, Hazrat Amina saw a divine light and in the brightness of that light, she watched palaces and mansions in Damascus. 

Observations by Midwives Shifa and Fatima

At the time the Lord of the Universe (Prophet Mohammad) was born, Shifa who was Abdurrahman bin Awf’s mother and Fatima who was Uthman bin Abul’l As’s mother were together with the reverend mother.

Shifa, who was one of the midwives, described her observations at that time as follows:

“I was there when The Messenger of Allah was born. I quickly came there for help. I heard a voice: “May Allah’s mercy be upon him.” The distance between the south and the north was filled with divine light. And I saw some palaces of Byzantine in that light. Then I took the Messenger of Allah in my arms and started to suckle him. I started to tremble and almost fainted. The baby disappeared in front of my eyes. A voice asked: ‘Where has he gone?’ Another one replied: ‘They took him to the east.’

I never forgot those words. Therefore, as soon as the Messenger of Allah declared his prophethood I went to him and accepted his faith together with the first Muslims.” 

Fatima said that the house where the birth took place was filled with divine light and the stars in the sky seemed as if they would fall into the house. 

Another specialty of Prophet Mohammad was that he was born circumcised and his umbilical cord was already cut off. There was “The seal of prophethood” between his shoulder blades on his back, just in the line with his heart. It was formed by hairy, raised and reddish freckles which looked like pearls and it was in the size of a partridge egg. The seal was a sign indicating that he was the last prophet being awaited for a long time.

Saib bin Yazid, one of the Companions, tells about the seal as follows:

“When I was a child, my aunt took me to the Prophet and said: O Messenger of Allah, there is a pain in my nephew’s foot. The Messenger of Allah patted my head with his hand and prayed for me. Then he took ablution. I drank from the ablution water. Then I stood behind him and I saw the seal of prophethood between his shoulders; it was as big as the huge buttons of the tent (or a partridge egg).”

Describing the Messenger of Allah, Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “He was broad between his shoulder blades and it was obvious that he was the last prophet from the seal of prophethood between his shoulder blades.”

Glad Tiding Given to Ab­dul­mut­ta­lib…

When the Master of the Universe, our Prophet, was born, Abdulmuttalib, his grandfather, was talking with some of the notables of Quraysh near the Kaaba.

He was given the news. Abdulmuttalib, who became very happy, went straight to see his grandson. He hugged and kissed his grandson. Then, he gave his grandson to Abu Talib, his son, and said, “This child is entrusted to you. He will be an honorable, well-known person.”

Ab­dul­mut­ta­lib slaughtered camels and sheep on the seventh day of the birth of the Master of the Universe and held three banquets for the people of Makkah in the honor of this joyful event; he also slaughtered camels in each district of the city and left the meat there so that the poor people would take and the animals would eat them.  

The luminous child was given the name Muhammad (pbuh)

After the banquet, they asked Abdulmuttalib what name he had given to his grandson. He said,

“Muhammad...”

“Why did you not give one of the names of your ancestors but this name?”

He replied:

“I wanted Allah and the people to praise him!”

Indeed, the Master of the Universe, our Prophet, is the only person in the world that was praised by Allah, the people, and the angels because he deserved that praise, interest, love, and respect. He deserved the praise with his unmatched belief, understanding, worshipping, loyalty, fear of Allah, trust, effort and hard work, sincerity, and high ethics. Therefore, there is and there will be nobody that will reach his rank of praise.