#bait; beatrix

[hellsgreatestshow]

Tag dump; Beatrix

Beatrix is a fan child of Rachael & Alastor ( @hellsgreatestgame ). She is chaos and a complete menace. Art & info will be added soon.

[thelampisaflashlight]

Cryptid Biology Season 2: Shark Bait

[The previous entry in this series: Here. Rain decides to have a little fun with the abbey's gardener after she dares step into his lake smelling like a certain earth ghoul. Implied MountRain and some RainDrop. Going back to our roots and writing about tentacles.] Below the cut.

Rain is hovering just over the silt in the bottom of the lake, belly just barely touching the muck, when he catches a familiar, heady smell emanating from somewhere closer to the surface.

It's Mountain's musk; That distinct scent of evergreen trees mingled with the stench of sweat, but there's something softer, sweeter, diluting it.

He rises slowly, following the smell like a shark tracking a trail of blood in the water.

The ghoul breaches the surface slowly, making the smallest ripple on top of the water as his eyes adjust to the sunlight, blinking once, twice to retract the clear, secondary eye lids that protect his vision in the depths.

The air is thick with humidity, and the sun is harsh, hot on his head, but as his gaze settles on the shallows, he can't bring himself to care about the heat.

Waist deep in the water, the abbey's groundskeeper, Beatrix Milne -Bea-, is stood holding a mesh net, cleaning up debris and trash from the shoreline.

While the siblings, and the ghouls are careful to remove trash after lakeside parties, part of the greater lake extends towards a shore not on the abbey's property; Marked off by a series of buoys, despite efforts to keep the shared waters clean, careless individuals have left everything on the opposite side of the line a mess... leaving people like Bea to clean it up as the winds carry it across.

It's definitely one of the more frustrating parts of maintaining the land, one he's overheard the groundskeeper venting her frustrations about to Mountain when the two come back to the abbey in the afternoon in spring and summer, the cart attached to the UTV loaded up with debris to be sorted out into the compost or recycled later on.

He tries his best to keep the water clean himself, but there's only so much he can do alone, which is why he understands the pointed look of annoyance on Bea's face as she fills the net with half sunk beer cans and the occasional snack packaging.

Rain eases his way towards the shore, floating along even as the water gets shallower and shallower, and settles himself in the reeds nearby, watching the human work.

Bea and him have never really clicked, despite a shared interest in protecting the natural world, she's often too abrasive for him to want to approach her directly and strike up a conversation, but he can't blame her for being that way; He's seen how Mountain can get after spending all day out in the hot sun, isolated from others, sweaty and uncomfortable, body tense and sore...

However, looking at the groundskeeper now, she doesn't look too terribly bothered, just focused.

She's dressed more casually than he's seen her before -much, much more so-, wearing cut off jeans and a bikini top, her exposed skin shiny with a mix of sweat and sunblock...

Rain sniffs the air curiously.

It's just barely there.

Mountain's scent on her skin, not nearly strong enough for him to have smelled it from that deep in the water.

He hums, sinking down slightly when the groundskeeper looks out over the reeds, waving her hand as if swatting at an insect.

And that's when he notice, as his nose hits the water, he can smell it.

Trailing his gaze down the curves of her body from her face, he eyes the waistband of her shorts, just barely visible over the water, and lowers himself down further to get a better look.

Sure enough, the smell is coming from there.

"Oh, I see..." he thinks, taking in the sight of the rough fabric soaked through, and clinging to her skin.

Despite how often the two argue; Mountain has clearly marked his territory, or, perhaps, Bea had claimed hers.

Maybe both.

But regardless of who struck their flag where, coming into another ghoul's domain smelling so strongly of someone else has Rain feeling... slighted.

If she's going to play around -Clean, she is cleaning the lake- in his lake like this, she should at least ask his permission first, but she hasn't.

And that alone is enough for Rain to want to punish her.

Of course, the type of punishment depends on how she reacts to what he does next.

Cloaking himself slightly with his magic, Rain drops back beneath the waves, and glides himself past her legs, letting the fin of his tail slide against her thigh.

Her can almost her her gasp, feels her jump... but she doesn't flee.

Rain swims by her again, and before HE can react, he feels the tug of fingers in his hair.

He groans, air bubbling from his lungs as he's pulled above the water again.

"You know that doesn't work on me, right?"

He'd forgotten.

"Sister Imperator gave me 'Sight', so I wouldn't get tricked by the other creatures on the grounds like the last caretaker." she says, "Are you going to stop fooling around, or are you going to help me clean up?"

Rain pouts.

"You're one to talk." he murmurs, moving to stand, towering over the gardener, "Seems you and Mountain were 'fooling around' not long ago... You know it's rude, right? Entering my lake smelling like him."

Bea stares up at him, brows furrowed, squinting, both in annoyance and to keep the light out of her eyes.

He steps more into the path of the sun, casting his shadow over her.

"I was under the impression that you liked how Mountain smells." she says, turning away from him, tossing her net onto the shore, but not before tying a loose knot in it to prevent the debris from spilling out.

She's not going to clean it up twice in one day.

"Mountain told me you're always pressing yourself up against him, rubbing his scent all over you... Are you annoyed or just jealous that I smell like him, too?"

Rain grins.

"Jealous? Of you?" he laughs, then sighs, "Perhaps a little... Did you like it?"

He steps closer.

"Him shoving his cock inside of you?" he asks, watching the faintest hint of embarrassment color her cheeks, "I bet you begged and begged and begged for him to give you more."

"Me? Beg?" Bea tilts her head, and quirks her lips, "He was the one begging."

Rain presses forward again, and Bea meets him, skin to skin.

He can feel the soft pudge of her belly against him in the water.

Warm against his naturally cold flesh.

He traces his fingers along her arm, watching her shiver.

"...I could make you beg." he offers, "If you'd like to see what I do to make the 'mountain' shake..."

Bea squirms as he lowers himself into a kneeling position.

"If you want me," he says, poking his thumbs through the belt loops of her shorts, "you'll remove these. I don't much care of the look or taste of denim."

Wordlessly, and with an almost amusing amount of haste, Bea shimmies out of her bottoms allowing Rain access to her crotch.

With a whispered 'yes' from her lips -said far quieter than needed for where they are- Rain dives in, pressing his nose against her mound and inhaling deeply.

He can smell Mountain here; Though wiped clean, but a ghoul's scent is strong, and even if Rain bemoans not being able to lick if from her, he can still taste Mountain's release, perhaps there is some still deeper inside.

He continues to nose at her cunt for a time, separating out her smell from his, trying to appreciate her scent as well.

He giggles and feels her tremble above him.

"You smell like honey... Honey Bea... how cute~" he teases, dragging his tongue along her folds before she can begin to argue.

She reminds him a bit of Dew in that way.

He always shies away from endearments and praise during sex, but if Bea is anything like the feisty fire ghoul, then he knows if he keeps pushing, he'll get what he wants.

Rain kisses her 'lips' before probing deeper with his tongue, it's messy and the sounds it makes, though muted by the water, is obscene.

Having been on both ends of such encounters, Rain is very familiar with what to do to get himself and his partners off this way, but that's not his goal here.

He pulls away just when Bea's body is about to buckle, and pushes her backwards into the water, revealing in the way she yelps as overwarm skin meets the lake.

"You jerk-!" she shouts, but, again, she is cut off by Rain.

"Have you ever been with a water ghoul before?" he asks, fingers tracing the split along his crotch, teasing the scales there, catching her confused glare, "...You haven't, have you?"

The head of his tentacle begins to peek out from between the folds, a light blue, bleeding into purple at the tip as he begins to pet it.

"I think once you have..." he says, leaning forward, cradling her neck to keep her head above water as he lines himself up, watching the surprise flicker across her face as the tentacle begins to prod at her entrance.

"...You'll realize you're not the only one who can make someone beg."

[yuikomorii]

Ayato is slowly turning into the new “Yui” (she still gets hate too but yk less than other years) of the Diabolik Lovers fandom and I really thought the fandom was healing -jokes on me-

The way they complain about Ayato being too caring now inducing that he’s turning into a simp reminds me of the same people who complained about Yui for not fighting back and calling her weak for that. Let’s just let everyone enjoy whatever characters they want WITHOUT TRYING TO RUIN THEIR FUN ‼️

Also, why did Ayato even get so hated anyway? He was always one of the least horrible ones and right now, after all his development, I don’t find anything so unlikeable about him. He tries to see the good in others despite having such a past full of suffering. If I hear anyone say “because he’s too caring/dumb/immature” I will riot because why would it be bad to be caring with your girlfriend? He isn’t even as immature as people say. Isn’t this the same guy who took responsibility for things that were none of his business but he did so just to help others?

And don’t get me started on the fact he isn’t dumb at all. He’s an idiot because he’s uneducated but his brain power is above average. I played Reiji’s route awhile now and there was this chapter where Reiji helped Yui study for her math test but only after a timeskip she managed to get a right result while in Ayato’s after story, there was the same scene but with different characters and Ayato was able to learn very fast after Yui explained to him and even she found that amazing about him because he started getting all answers right. After I got interested in young blood, I came to the conclusion that he was the only Sakamaki brother who found something suspicious about the ceremony and planned to investigate it. I recall a few other moments but I’m curious to hear if you got a favourite one.

I hope this ask wasn’t too long ;w; I tried to fit my thoughts in but it’s ok if you don’t have time to answer it soon ^^

// So many languages in this word, but you decided to speak FACTS!

The reasons why some people start hating on certain characters, are incredibly embarrassing. Just tell me you didn’t pay attention to the story, without actually telling me that you didn’t pay attention to the story.

They had previously complained about him being too bratty and arrogant, but now that his true side has been revealed, they are still dissatisfied since he is not the "edgy and complex" vampire boyfriend they wanted him to be. Do you like such characters? Good for you but only because you have a preference towards those, doesn’t mean you should tell others how much their bias sucks… it’s just so uncalled??

As you said, something I have always found admirable about Ayato is his ability to be pure-hearted, despite his background. I can’t say anyone got much love yet… Beatrix was strict but she canonically loved both of her children, Christa was mentally ill and had her crazy episodes but it was shown that she still loved and cared for Subaru, and then there’s Cordelia, who truly didn’t show or feel any sort of love towards any of her children. In DF, I’m sure she regretted her actions but saying that she loved Ayato, Kanato and Laito would be an exaggeration. It’s no surprise that the triplets turned out so twisted when they didn’t get a taste of affection or kindness AT ALL. And Ayato’s side goes beyond that, since he literally was the piñata of so many characters.

In YB, he was used as bait, betrayed, and brutally knocked down by ghouls, as well as beaten up to the point of almost getting killed.

In Ayato’s character book, it was confirmed that Cordelia threw him in the lake every time he didn’t study. He had several near-death experiences as a result of her, and she frequently whipped and beat him up.

In the DF prologue, Carla and Shin sent the wolves to especially attack Ayato, not Yui, but Ayato thought they were going after her, so he sacrificed himself for her and used himself as shield so as she wouldn’t get hurt. He got severely injured that in some routes it takes a lot of time until he wakes up from the coma.

In Kino’s LE route, he burns Ayato alive and beats him up afterwards.

Last but not least, he got the Adam curse when he was a child and that’s so painful because it basically means drowning in a state of despair and insanity, until getting to taste something similar to that fig.

final YB chapter

Didn’t count the emotional and mental abuse but the physical one was INSANE. Despite so much torture, even if some of his actions were wrong too, most of the time he continued to value his life and to be empathetic and forgiving to those who mistreated him.

Let's not forget that we're talking about vampires here, who will always be more wicked than humans because, although not inherently evil, they still have a predator instinct, but what's truly fascinating about Ayato's character is that he has such a good soul in spite of learning from an early age that there is no kindness in this world. It's no surprise that Karlheinz was taken aback.

Moreover, I thought everyone was aware that Ayato isn’t actually stupid?? A bunch of his dumb moments are merely used for generating laughter and they’re not meant to be taken seriously. People also need to understand that the Japanese audience loves this kind of characters. They consider him an idiot in the affectionate way, because the lack of knowledge and gullibility make him endearing in their eyes. They don’t think of him as a genuine idiot. After all, nobody would like a character who’s completely dense.

It’s true that he’s impulsive and uneducated, which leads to him making dumb choices but I agree that his brain works faster sometimes than the one of other characters.

One of my favorite scenes is the one in which he eavesdropped on Cordelia, hearing that she only gave Karl children for attention, and he was the only Sakamaki who rapidly succeeded in connecting all of the dots, regarding all of Karl's victims and him being the root of all evil, which was the best revelation reaction in DL. I also enjoyed how, while all of his brothers rushed to kill Karlheinz (except for Laito, who had no battle scene in his route), Ayato was the only one who was like, "I won't kill you because I'd lead your plan to success in that case," and he only killed him after Karl wanted to harm Yui. If you haven't played DF, I recommend saving Ayato's route for last because it provides the most satisfaction.

Don't be concerned about the length! I believe I wrote a lot as well haha, but that's because your ask was so interesting to read! You made some excellent points, and I'm glad you're one of those people that can comprehend a character! 🥹🩷

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I was watching a Beatrix Potter biography movie that had clearly started out as Oscar-bait but ended up actually being really good.

[lovely-oh-so-lovelyyui]

Hey fellow Beatrix stan~💋 Was thinking about how Beatrix does not have a title like “the demon king’s daughter” or “the white rose”. If she had a title, what do you think it would be?

Let me die, let me drown, lay my bones in the ground

I will still come around when the time for sleep is through

Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale

Do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you

AHHH hello!! I love fellow Beatrix stans, I literally think about her 24/7. Thank you so much for this ask. It brings me so much joy to be able to talk about her and put down in writing the various ideas I have about her, even though it is very late I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Personally, I feel as though Beatrix has been an enigma throughout the short glimpses we got of her.

Especially as a vampire who has such a long history, most of these are simply theoretical based on what limited information there is about her. If that makes sense?

- Ice Princess

- Queen of Hearts

- Plain Woman

Ice Princess is probably the first one that came to mind with her, I think her impassive exterior is one formed over a long period.

From her actions, she has this callous care for the people around her that I think came from being one of those quiet children that meant well but stayed silent unsure of when they were allowed to speak, so she stayed content in not having to stand in the limelight. So she was probably someone quite introverted, hence when it came to being put out like a puppet her flight or fight response literally caused her to … freeze.

As far as I’ve understood from the way she treats her sons, she almost has an avoidant personality, many people do this by dissociation or simply ignoring things that will complicate their situation at hand, the worst part is it’s never on purpose and they feel guilt but it’s what they believe is for the best.

By choosing not to respond or give in to bait, and never being able to gain the courage to leave her mental castle, in a way she traps herself in her own tower from others because of something that occurs in her life that is so violent, unpredictable, something so out of her control.

It is the catalyst for her mask, like most children raised in these conditions they often find comfort in these abusive situations as it’s something familiar to them, and because her most frequent response became to avoid as much conflict as she could; the persona she now exudes is hardened, cold-blooded, and someone who needs control. Someone that puts priority and duty first not out of obligation or responsibility but as a survival tactic.

Which is my explanation for the ‘ice’ bit.

The princess bit is what I think is a bit more obvious, in comparison to Cordelia who is of viboran and first blood descent which makes her so important as a foreign bride of another powerful - if not equally powerful - clan.

Or Christa who is second or third? cousins with Karl which clearly solidifies her lineage as the blood of the imperial monarch of vampires.

Beatrix would come from nobility, partially as someone who would need solid legitimacy and also because it puts a balance to powers within the court because Cordelia strengthens the power of foreign ministers. Christa reinforced the power of royalists within the court the nobles would be neglected.

Within the peerage of nobility, the highest are the Dukes, usually 2 or more within every empire to restrict the power of the royal family, this is why many of their titles are also Prince or Princess before they inherit their duchy’s, or Your Highness.

Not to be confused with royal titles which are Your Royal Highness, otherwise, you might just be tried for treason and killed.

Again because the main responsibility of ducal families is to limit royal power, hence their families are kept separate. No marriages.

Normally the second most important rank in the peerage - the Marquises - would marry into the Royal Family.

So if there were a need for revolt it wouldn’t be cousin vs cousin or brother vs sister as coups are led by the Ducal Families so whoever wins has to execute all family members on either side and that would simply be crude.

Beatrix was an exception however and as a Ducal Princess the only one relevant enough to challenge the rights of the other wives.

So came the title ‘ Ice Princess’ in her younger years

Queen of Hearts is something I feel occurred once she became more established within her role.

I imagine it was a title of jest at first, where in the years after her marriage Cordelia spent her time throwing lavish balls and travelling the country from noble family to family under the guise of forming connections and spreading patronage; Beatrix was the polar opposite.

She spends long hours confined within her palace sorting through documents, attending royal ceremonies, meeting with officials, dignitaries and ambassadors. She looks through contracts and complaints within constituencies. As most would expect, such thorough combing through of the parliament and court led to quite a lot of lords and influential people being stripped of power, exiled, or executed.

Hence the trail of rolling heads at her feet led to the title ‘ Queen of Hearts.

However, near the end of crimson and amber leaves that once decorated the demon world, comes a new joy. His royal highness, crown prince Shu who is the firstborn of Karlheinz and Beatrix Sakamaki; it’s such a joyous occasion even the demon world’s winter couldn’t damper the hopeful festivities in hopes that he’d make it through the winter.

And he did.

Thus with his birth, and the first obstacle overcome with the resilience of a righteous ruler emerges a new Beatrix from her cocoon. Most are stunned at the frequency, they see her look content if not joyous in the presence of her little sun; she takes him out on parades around the nation and far travels.

Soon disperse the rumours of the plain, bookish woman who is their queen, for who better represents vampiric values than Beatrix. Someone who puts her family and duty first and frivolous activities second, never faltering in her politeness and gracefulness not to mention her striking looks that their prince has inherited. Vividly displaying power and commandeering those around her, they soon grow proud to have someone like her as Queen.

Especially with the work she puts into improving the social, economic and political situation within the country; her hard work evident in the new improved infrastructure, the peace treaties developed, so that some day her son shouldn’t have to lead armies like her husband once has.

So came a new meaning to Queen of Hearts, it wasn’t often someone became monarch and deserved their title.

It was to the extent even Karlheinz was forced to change inheritance laws, for so long only divorced or widowed women could own titles, but in the beginning of spring when more exciting news of her being pregnant again spread ‘The Act of Succession’ was passed, that if a husband were to pass his wife/mother of his eldest child shall take his title till his eldest child (not son) is of age unless specifically passed to another in his will.

It was enough to start outcries, and debates but in the end no one could deny faults within Beatrix as their ruler, and even if they never became regent monarch they happily let her rule their hearts.

Plain Woman had to be the most vicious of the nicknames Beatrix had gained in her time, for what did someone with such pure intentions know of the mental games that would exhaust her soul in the next century.

Obviously Beatrix was beautiful, but in the twisted comparison to the other wives not even the strongest mental fortitudes could resist it's slow decay.

Cordelia with her exotic features, enchanting lilt from her accent, and seductiveness that poured from the cells that made her or even Christa with her innocent pretty features, oh she was as pretty as the moon itself, with her illustrious silver strands and blood-wine eyes.

In comparison, Beatrix often wondered in the colder afternoons, when she would sit alone for hours on end her tea long cold, staring at her ink stained hands, knobbly and ugly, her straw like hair heavy, and her dull goulish skin in the reflection all she can wonder why was this the one truth Cordelia had to utter in all of her lies.

[rjzimmerman]

How to co-exist with a belligerent catbird. (Washington Post)

My childhood bedroom had a Jane Goodall quote on the wall — “My mission is to create a world where we can live in harmony with nature” — and I think this helps explain how I became a person who surrendered five blueberry bushes and my dignity to an angry catbird.

We called her Catherine. The spring when my daughter was 2, Catherine claimed the entire garden beside our house as her domain. I discovered this when we went to pick blueberries from our bushes; as my toddler plucked the fruit, the bird began calling loudly. Then she dove toward me and landed on my headband. I gasped and jumped, startling my daughter.

“What happened?” she asked, and because I wanted to convey a scene that was more Beatrix Potter than Alfred Hitchcock, I said, very calmly: “Mama catbird is asking for some space for her babies! What a good mom! Congratulations on your babies, Catherine!” Then I hurried us away, my daughter cheerfully calling, “Congratulations!” to the bird who was still shrieking and swooping toward my head.

When we think about living with animals, we might think first about pets — how they teach us empathy, responsibility and patience and shape our daily rhythms. But the wild creatures who inhabit our yards and neighborhoods offer their own lessons in companionship and accountability, and these, too, have become an indelible part of our family life. My daughter’s first words were, “Hi, squirrel!” as she waved to the plump rodent peering in the window. When the white-tailed deer bring their fawns to our yard, we are sure to keep the birdbath full; the nursing mothers are always thirsty. My children greet our garden residents by name: Mariah, the chipmunk, known for her clear, high-pitched vocalizations; Sally, the eastern cottontail rabbit, who nests in the flower bed; Albirdo, the redheaded woodpecker, who rudely banishes all competition from the suet feeder. (“Share,” my daughter urges him, unsuccessfully.)

Albirdo doesn’t understand that edict, but we try to uphold it. This is the one little patch of Earth over which we have any measure of control, and I want our family to share it thoughtfully with the other beings who belong here — even when those relationships demand a little extra compromise.

My loved ones have come to accept my soft spot for the wildlife forced to adapt to our modern human presence. In an apartment where doves nested above the concrete patio, I set out cushions and towels to soften the landing for fledglings. I once baited a humane mouse trap with parsley and peanut butter and conducted daily releases in a wooded area behind the yard. (Turns out I was releasing just one mouse, who returned day after day, increasingly plump and at ease with our morning routine. My mounting suspicion led me to dot a black Sharpie on the back of his head before he dashed into the underbrush. The next day, I drove Sharpie Mouse to a park several miles away, where I bid him a permanent farewell.)

Others are more skeptical of my devotions. Once, circling the perimeter of our house with a termite prevention specialist, he gestured toward the ivy-covered stump where a magnificent oak once stood. “That,” he said gravely, “will attract voles or chipmunks to live there.” “I know!” I gushed. I think he realized I was a lost cause.

Catherine sensed my weakness, too. She harvested the majority of our blueberries that first year; I didn’t dare challenge her. The next year, I tried to net the bushes — but she built her nest within the netting, so I gave up and took it down. Every time my husband passed by to take the trash out, she divebombed him. Still, I couldn’t bear to banish her.

In our third year as neighbors, when it came time for me to plant my dahlias in the raised bed — squarely in Catherine’s territory — I knew I’d need protection. I dug my old horseback-riding helmet out of the closet.

[dnschmidt]

The Lake Monster

Sir Eric asked Beatrix the witch to join him on an adventure. "I need to kill a sea monster," he said, "but it won't come to the surface."

"The problem is knights don't look tasty," she cackled. "How is he supposed to eat a tin can?"

He frowned. "I'm not going into battle without armor."

"You don't have to. You just need good bait!" She cast a spell, filling his longship with a thick, brown liquid. "It's a gravy boat!"

"Looks like I'm losing my deposit on the boat rental..."

[medusanova]

Can you write like a part 2 for the sambea story? i am loving it

Twist my arm, why don't ya ;)

This ficlet (that got very out of hand) is a continuation of what I’m calling 'Midnight Machinations' aka one of my sambea ficlets (that also got very out of hand). Read the first part here.

“You’re here.”

It’s his hesitant greeting that finally makes Beatrix realize she’s run out of chances to back out of this.

From the moment she’d gone to bed early — intending to sleep through any weed-induced promise she may or may not have made the night before — to the moment she’d woken, her spine dotted in a familiar cold sweat and her legs itching to take her away, she’d told herself it was just nosiness, detached curiosity. That she didn’t really care about meeting up with Harvey, or helping him with his daft vendetta.

But when Beatrix spotted him leaning against the library a few moments ago, absentmindedly pruning the fucking plants with a few waves of his hand as he waited (like he hadn’t attempted to vandalize a school building yesterday), she knew those excuses were flimsy at best.

Smoothing back the wind-blown strands of her hair, she laments the fact that she forgot to bring something to cover her pyjama-clad body. Again.

“In the flesh.” She waves the hand holding her blunt with her most mischievous smile. “And, as promised, I come bearing gifts.”

His lips twitch when he glances at it. “You’ve already smoked it.”

Still, he takes it from her hand, shaking his head before he wraps his lips around the end and inhales the last of it.

She can’t very well tell him she’d needed the high to numb the aftermath of her nightmare. To clear her mind of the cacophony, the chaos.

To fortify herself before being near the perplexing feeling of Harvey’s presence again.

“Didn’t say it’s a good gift.” She tilts her head with her most innocent smile, forcing herself to look at the library entrance instead of the smoky tendrils coming from his mouth. “So. What’s on tonight’s agenda for ‘Delinquents for Dummies’? Not another botched vandalism attempt, surely? You’d think ruining books would be where our dearest Professor’s son would draw the line,” she clicks her tongue mockingly, trying to get a rise out of him.

His shoulders raise in an unapologetic shrug. “Well, you’re not wrong there. I could never bring myself to ruin a good book.” He walks toward the entryway, touching the stone wall by the door. “Besides, I’m here to steal them, not damage them.”

Without warning, he passes right through the stone, leaving Bea out in the cold. Literally.

Bea waits a couple seconds, a few more, and then huffs in irritation. Did he just ditch her? Was this for baiting him?

She’s plotting his demise (by an electric chair of her making) and wondering why men’s egos are so fragile when she hears the echoing click of a lock and groaning creak of the library’s old door, opened just enough for Harvey to stick his head out and ask, “You coming?”

Rolling her eyes to hide her relief, she squeezes through the gap of the door and is immediately engulfed by warm air that stirs goosebumps along her arms. The scent of leather, paper, and wood fills her nose.

“And you can’t check this book out like a normal student because…?” She trails off in a low voice, pausing when she looks over her shoulder to find him wrapping their finished blunt in a piece of paper before throwing it away.

For the first time that night, they make eye contact. She can’t help it, can’t unglue herself from the honey eyes that have her looking for answers. That have her stuck in their depths.

She’d never met someone who was so like her and yet so unlike her. A school vandal — who tended to foliage in his spare time. A scheming sneak — who couldn’t litter. A professor’s son who loathed the Headmistress, and yet prevented the Headmistress’ accomplice from getting in trouble.

She can’t wrap her mind around him.

Another casual shrug. “Because it’s only available for faculty.”

“What do you need it for?” She puts a hand on her hip, only remembering what she’s wearing and how flimsy it is when his eyes trace a now-familiar path over the contour of her hips and thighs.

“Want to make something,” he admits, sliding his hands into the pockets of his trousers before heading to the circulation desk behind her.

“And what is this ‘something’?” She asks.

He pauses next to her, catching her curious gaze with his serious one. “A poison,” he says, a dare in his voice.

He means to throw her off guard, she knows, and yet she can’t help but let a smile bloom at the viciousness of it all. “Unexpected. Who do you plan to-“

The screech of the library door’s hinges cut Bea off as the heavy oak that her and Harvey clearly forgot to shut starts to swing open.

It’s an almost comical reenactment of last night as Harvey catches Beatrix’s eyes, grabs her wrist and, in a fit of desperation, drags her to the nearest hiding spot.

This time it’s a utility closet, filled with a slew of cleaning supplies and computer parts. Beatrix barely has time to realize it’s absolutely not big enough to fit one person let alone two, when Harvey grips her hips, twists her around, and holds her back against his chest as he closes the door as far as he can.

She squirms furiously, unable to believe she’s spending a second night feeling the disconcerting heat of Harvey’s body bleed through her night dress.

“What are—?“ Her enraged whisper cuts off as the library door shuts and they both go still. Beatrix can feel Harvey’s heart pounding against her back as he stands, both hands still encircling her hips.

“No one’s in here...” a boyish voice says, and there’s a distinct sound of two sets of footsteps.

“Are you sure?” The second voice is shy and decidedly female. 

Beatrix swears internally.

A couple. Of-fucking-course, it was a couple looking for a place to fuck. 

Harvey must’ve come to the same realization because she has to suppress a full-body shiver when he lets out a despairing sigh into the crook of her neck.

The footsteps get closer, and Beatrix immediately squishes herself back, unable to stop a vindictive smirk from creeping across her face when she hears a strained grunt from behind her.

“Even the staff aren’t here. No one will catch us,” coaxes the boy’s voice.

There’s a soft thump, and Beatrix can barely make out the guys back through the crack in the door as he looms over his partner. There’s a pause and then soft, wet sounds as little moans slowly fill the air. 

She wants to smash her head into the wall. Anything to remove herself from consciousness as the speed of Harvey’s breaths on her neck grow in tandem with the sounds of pants and moans out in the foyer.

And Beatrix grows unpleasantly warm as she tries to think of anything other than where she currently is.

Not being an accidental voyeur, listening to the groans and grunts of a pair of first-years grinding and caressing each other. Not crammed into a closet, against the firm, broad chest of golden boy Harvey — who couldn’t seem to stop breathing shaky breaths down her neck, or digging his fingers into her hip bones. And not feeling her own blood pulsing through her, brushing strokes of pink across her cheeks, neck, chest, and all the way down, down, down until there’s no oxygenated blood left for her brain.

Beatrix’s mind is almost completely disassociated from her current predicament when she hears the library door screech open again, prompting a startled scream and squeal from the overly-amorous couple.

It’s nothing dramatic, just the warning of an older student’s voice — one she thought she heard in Rosalind’s office a few days ago — that threatens the Headmistress’ retribution if the couple doesn’t leave immediately.

Beatrix is so desperate to escape the dizzying heat of Harvey’s breath and body, she grabs his hands to throw them off her hips as soon as the couple disappears outside. Only, Harvey lets out a pained hiss and an, “Ow, fuck.”

She turns around, wondering what he was complaining about until she sees him shaking out and flexing his hands. “Sorry, sorry. I know you don’t like being grabbed and this wasn’t the best hiding spot, but I didn’t exactly expect.. well that to happen,” he adds.

And that’s when two things overwhelm her. One, she realizes she’s shocked him.

It’s something that hasn’t happened since she was six-years-old, when she’d spent a full year accidentally zapping Andreas before he taught her to wield her magic. She’d had it under control ever since. Until today.

Two — and for some odd reason her breaking point for this night that started with a nightmare and ended with a fever dream — she realizes he’s just as aware of her as she is of him, attuned to her behavior, and he’s apologized to her. Again.

And, unable to process, to understand, to confront what just happened in the library, what happened with Sam fucking Harvey of all people, Bea does something else she’s never done to get out of a situation before.

She runs away. Not slowing down until she reaches the safety of her bed.

Away from the biting cold of the night. Away from dangerous situations that could get her in hot water with Rosalind. And away from the confusing earth fairy with fierce convictions, attentive gaze, and the instinct to protect.

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Klik Klik Boom #3 by Doug Wagner, Douglas Dabbs and Matt Wilson. Cover by Dabbs and Wilson. Out in August.

"Sprout continues to bait Dillinger and his high-priced thugs into one death trap after another throughout New York City. But when the bedlam spills into Sprout's warehouse bunker, will she, Serena, and their new best bunny companion Beatrix survive the chaos of gunfire, booby traps, and grenade launchers?"

[sab201030]

Somepony tagged my "oh so cosy in bed" post as beatrix Potter posting. I'm bored should I suicide bait them?

[saritawolff]

Not to add on to this already super long post, but I wanted to address some tags and reblogs!

Please consider, their name:

Betta means “fighter.” Betta splendens means “Splendid Fighter.” Bettas are well known for being territorial, and they were initially bred for aggression and subjected to cockfighting-type matches which people would bet on. These bettas had shorter tails like their wild counterparts, as the long tails would have created drag and given opposing fish more surface area to tear into. It wasn’t until the early 20th century when they started being bred for color and fins and became more of a display fish.

As for rats…

Well, they weren’t bred for fighting each other…

Rat-catchers in 18th and 19th century Europe were trappers who would catch wild rats and either kill them or sell them to be used in rat-baiting. Rat-baiting involved throwing a bunch of rats into a pit and making bets on how long it would take a terrier to kill them all. This was a lucrative sport, and some rat-catchers bred rats to sell as well. The two men most often credited for starting the domestication of rats were rat-catchers: Jack Black (no, not that one), the “royal rat-catcher”, and Jimmy Shaw (also not that one), manager of a large sporting house. Jack Black especially was known for breeding rats with prettier colors and markings, dressing them in ribbons, and selling them to “sophisticated ladies of court.” Some of his customers included author Beatrix Potter and Queen Victoria. Rat fancy became more formal when Mary Douglas got permission to enter her black and white hooded rat into a National Mouse Club show in 1901, and won “Best in Show.”

While axolotls were considered a staple of Aztec diets (and are pronounced “ash-o-lout” in Nahuatl, so let’s normalize not using the anglicized pronounciation) since being captive bred they have been used all over the world for different purposes. While it’s mostly scientific research, they are also bred in Japan and sold in wet markets as food.

These people are right about the snakes and I should have specified that. My examples were more to show how human breeding can hurt the animals involved, and the examples used may have been misleading.

Scottish folds are indeed a mutation of the Scottish longhair, however there are certainly breeds of cats in the same way there are breeds of dog. Just look at an Oriental Shorthair or a Pixie-bob and tell me those are “morphs.” I’ve worked with ragdolls, sphynx cats, and maine coons, definitely all seperate, distinct breeds. It’s just that most of the cats being bred and ending up in shelters in the USA are American Shorthairs and sometimes American Longhairs, so those are the ones you see represented the most.

Phew. This one took, uh… a bit longer than expected due to other projects both irl and art-wise, but it’s finally here. The long-awaited domestic animal infographic! Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough space to cover every single domestic animal (I’m so sorry, reindeer and koi, my beloveds) but I tried to include as many of the “major ones” as possible.

I made this chart in response to a lot of the misunderstandings I hear concerning domestic animals, so I hope it’s helpful!

Further information I didn’t have any room to add or expand on:

🐈 “Breed” and “species” are not synonyms! Breeds are specific to domesticated animals. A Bengal Tiger is a species of tiger. A Siamese is a breed of domestic cat.

🐀 Different colors are also not what makes a breed. A breed is determined by having genetics that are unique to that breed. So a “bluenose pitbull” is not a different breed from a “rednose pitbull”, but an American Pitbull Terrier is a different breed from an American Bully! Animals that have been domesticated for longer tend to have more seperate breeds as these differing genetics have had time to develop.

🐕 It takes hundreds of generations for an animal to become domesticated. While the “domesticated fox experiment” had interesting results, there were not enough generations involved for the foxes to become truly domesticated and their differences from wild foxes were more due to epigenetics (heritable traits that do not change the DNA sequence but rather activate or deactivate parts of it; owed to the specific circumstances of its parents’ behavior and environment.)

🐎 Wild animals that are raised in human care are not domesticated, but they can be considered “tamed.” This means that they still have all their wild instincts, but are less inclined to attack or be frightened of humans. A wild animal that lives in the wild but near human settlements and is less afraid of humans is considered “habituated.” Tamed and habituated animals are not any less dangerous than wild animals, and should still be treated with the same respect. Foxes, otters, raccoons, servals, caracals, bush babies, opossums, owls, monkeys, alligators, and other wild animals can be tamed or habituated, but they have not undergone hundreds of generations of domestication, so they are not domesticated animals.

🐄 Also, as seen above, these animals have all been domesticated for a reason, be it food, transport, pest control, or otherwise, at a time when less practical options existed. There is no benefit to domesticating other species in the modern day, so if you’ve got a hankering for keeping a wild animal as a pet, instead try to find the domestic equivalent of that wild animal! There are several dog breeds that look and behave like wolves or foxes, pigeons and chickens can make great pet birds and have hundreds of colorful fancy breeds, rats can be just as intelligent and social as a small monkey (and less expensive and dangerous to boot,) and ferrets are pretty darn close to minks and otters! There’s no need to keep a wolf in a house when our ancestors have already spent 20,000+ years to make them house-compatible.

🐖 This was stated in the infographic, but I feel like I must again reiterate that domestic animals do not belong in the wild, and often become invasive when feral. Their genetics have been specifically altered in such a way that they depend on humans for optimal health. We are their habitat. This is why you only really see feral pigeons in cities, and feral cats around settlements. They are specifically adapted to live with humans, so they stay even when unwanted. However, this does not mean they should live in a way that doesn’t put their health and comfort as a top priority! If we are their world, it is our duty to make it as good as possible. Please research any pet you get before bringing them home!

[wizardingwirelessnetwork]

Books, children’s stories and comics in the WW

There’s much more than just school text books in the Wizarding World, so as logical it is to assume that muggle borns read popular muggle fairytales during their childhood, it’s equally logical to think the same about magically raised children! And adults ( we known how those witches piled up for Lockharts autograph in Diagon Alley lol )

Here’s a list of wizarding books that are not Hogwarts textbooks

Children’s stories:

Tales of Beedle the Bard - book containing many wizarding fairytales. Stories in the book: The Tale of the Three Brothers‘ ; ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune‘ ; ‘The Warlock’s Hairy Heart‘ ; ‘The Wizard and the Hopping Pot‘ ; ‘Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump‘. As Ron says his mother read the book to him when he was young.

Toadstool Tales - a series of adaptations of other works, written by Beatrix Bloxam. They contained soppy, "sanitised" versions of other works, including The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which was Mrs Bloxam's way of purifying them so as to preserve children's innocence. The book is universally loathed by wizarding children

Comics:

Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle - Ron liked these comics a lot since he had a stash of them in his bedroom

Loony Nonby v.s. Cornish Pixie - read by Dean and Harry

Fiction:

Enchanted Encounters- a series of books written by the author Fifi LaFolle

Sports:

Beaters' Bible - by Brutus Scrimgeour

Beating the Bludgers - A Study of Defensive Strategies in Quidditch - by Kennilworthy Whisp

Flying with the Cannons

Noble Sport of Warlocks - by Quintius Umfraville

Official Guide to the Quidditch World Cup

Quidditch Through the Ages - Kennilworthy Whisp

Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland

Wonder of Wigtown Wanderers - by Kennilworthy Whisp

A Snitch in Time

Numerology:

New Theory of Numerology

Astrology:

Atlas of Celestial Anomalies - M. P. N. Carneirus

Magical Creatures:

Aquatic Wonders of Yorkshire: A Wizard's Field Guide

Bestiarium Magicum

Children's Anthology of Monsters - Newton Scamander

Dreadful Denizens of the Deep

Enclopedia of Bat Eyes

Hoax and Dreams - Laura Thorn

House-Elves & Self-Hatred

Little People, Big Plans - Ragnok the Pigeon-Toed

Lizard's Claws From Africa

Magical Creatures (book)

Merpeople: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Language and Customs - Dylan Marwood

Most Macabre Monstrosities

Newts of Bognor - Walter Aragon

Owl Breeds

Why I Didn't Die When the Augurey Cried - Gulliver Pokeby

Which Owl? - Miranda Goshawk

You & Your Owl

Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit

Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland

From Egg to Inferno: a Dragon-Keeper's Guide

Men Who Love Dragons Too Much

A Dragon-Keeper's Guide

Book on Hippogriff-baiting

Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology

Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality

Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires - Eldred Worple

Vampire's Monologue - Amarillo Lestoat

Hairy Snout, Human Heart - anonymous author

Hunting Werewolves

Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don't Deserve to Live - Emerett Picardy

Herbology:

Encyclopedia of Toadstools

Good Gardens Guide 1990

Goshawk's Guide to Herbology - Miranda Goshawk

Magical Water Plants of the Highland Lochs - Hadrian Whittle

Magical Mediterranean Water-Plants and Their Properties

Shrubs & Trees for the Garden - Arthur Osborn

Sub-Aquatic Botanical Mysteries

Wanderings of a Tree in the Alps

Winogrand's Wondrous Water Plants - Selina Sapworthy

Charms and spells:

Book of Charms & Spells, The

Achievements in Charming

Charms for attraction - Griselda Gogh

Charms of Defence and Deterrence - Catullus Spangle

Cheering Charms

Extreme Incantations - Violeta Stitch

Chadwick's Charms: Volumes I - VII - Chadwick Boot

Advanced Charm Casting - Eulalie Hicks

Abracadabra: An A-Z of Spooky Spells

Ancient thieves' text

Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed

Charms of Defence and Deterrence - Catullus Spangle

Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions

Confronting the Faceless

Curses and Counter-Curses - Vindictus Viridian

Dark Arts Outsmarted

Guide to Advanced Occlumency

Jinxes for the Jinxed

Practical Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook

Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts

Self-Defensive Spellwork

Evelyn Starling's duelling book

Updated Counter-Curse Handbook (Second Revised Edition)

Protection Charm Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Counter Legilimensy - Franciscus Fieldwake

Magick Moste Evile - Godelot

Secrets of the Darkest Art - Owle Bullock

Theories of Transubstantial Transfiguration

Transformation Through the Ages

Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks

Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts

Weird Wizarding Dilemmas and Their Solutions

Spell journall - Miranda Goshawk (spell journal only)

Book of Charms & Spells

Book of Spells - Miranda Goshawk

Easy Spells to Fool Muggles

Gilded-covered spellbook

Jiggery Pokery and Hocus Pocus - Brian Gagwilde

Slytherin's Spellbook - Salazar Slytherin

Alchemy:

Alchemy, Ancient Art and Science - Argo Pyrites

Alchemical duodecimo

Potions:

A Humble Guide for Potion Brewing You Cannot Live Without - Blossom Degrasse

Asiatic Anti-Venoms - Libatius Borage

Book of Potions - Zygmunt Budge

Have Yourself a Fiesta in a Bottle! - Libatius Borage

Moste Potente Potions

Potion Opuscule - Arsenius Jigger

Spell potions - Tim

Love Potions - Salamander

Cooking and housecare:

Charm Your Own Cheese - Greta Catchlove (revised edition by Gerda Curd)

Cooking the Muggle Way - Mordicus Egg

Enchantment in Baking

Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests - Gilderoy Lockhart

One Minute Feasts - It's Magic!

Practical Household Magic - Zamira Gulch

Divination:

Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul

Death Omens: What to Do When You Know the Worst is Coming

Omens, Oracles & the Goat - Bathilda Bagshot

Oracle of Palombo - Bathilda Bagshot

Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks

The Predictions of Tycho Dodonus

Xylomancy - Selina Sapworthy

Education:

Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe

Preferred Preface for Perfect Prefects

Revision guides:

Cram It!: How to Soar on Your O.W.L.s

W.O.M.B.A.T. Revision Guide

Magical health:

Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions

Healer's Helpmate - H. Pollingtonious

Healing at Home with Herbs - Phyllida Spore

Biographies/autobiographies:

Armando Dippet: Master or Moron? - Rita Skeeter

Biography of Uric the Oddball - Radolphus Pittiman

Dumbledore's Army: The Dark Side of the Demob - Rita Skeeter

He Flew Like a Madman - Kennilworthy Whisp

Horticultural History of the Blackwood Maze

Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore - Rita Skeeter

Magical Me - Gilderoy Lockhart

My Life as a Muggle - Daisy Hookum

My Life as a Squib - Angus Buchanan

Snape: Scoundrel or Saint? - Rita Skeeter

Biography of Harry Potter - Rita Skeeter

Historical magic:

Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms

Guide to Medieval Sorcery

Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes - E. Limus

Decline of Pagan Magic - Bathilda Bagshot

Historical wizards and witches:

Famous Fire-Eaters

Fifteenth-Century Fiends

Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century

Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy

Notable Magical Names of Our Time

Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts

Prefects Who Gained Power

Historical magical things, places and events:

Big Foot's Last Stand - Ortiz O'Flaherty

Dominating Dementors: A True History of Azkaban

Impenetrable Azkaban: The Hidden Prison to Escape in the World

Hogwarts: A History - Bathilda Bagshot

One Hundred Historical Sites from the Second Wizarding War

Perambulation of Kent

Scars of Salem: Essays on the Witch Trials of 1692 - Carlos Eduardos

Scourers and the Creation of MACUSA - Theophilus Abbot

Sites of Historical Sorcery

Triwizard Tragedies

Contemporary history:

Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century

Important Modern Magical Discoveries

Modern Magical History

Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry

Magical self-help:

Cast-a-Spell handbook

Learn Magic Fast with Kwikspell

Powers You Never Knew You Had and What To Do With Them Now You've Wised Up

Hairy Heart: A Guide to Wizards Who Won't Commit

Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches

Weird Wizarding Dilemmas and Their Solutions

Where There's a Wand, There's a Way

Wizards Are from Neptune, Witches Are from Saturn - Irsis Pius

Living With Legilimens: Choose Your Mind Wisely

Protection Charm Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Counter Legilimensy - Franciscus Fieldwake

Ancient Runes and Magical Theory:

Advanced Rune Translation - Yuri Blishen

Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms

Magical Theory - Adalbert Waffling

Manual M39h-z

Магичен Теория

Rune Dictionary

Spellman's Syllabary

Muggle Studies:

Moronic Muggles

The Muggle Conspiracy -Sinistra Lowe

Muggles Who Notice - Blenheim Stalk

The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why the Muggles Prefer Not to Know - Mordicus Egg

Quaint Muggle Machinery

When Muggles Attack - Barrett Fay

Transportation:

Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare

Fully Illustrated History of the Flying Carpet

Law:

Ancient Law

Dark Arts: A Legal Companion, The

Intricacies of Rappaport's Law, The

‎Extraordinary Trials in History

Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans

‎Illegal Compendium 198

‎Law and Literature

Legal Loopholes & Leprechauns

Legal Rules for Roving Sprites

Laws of Conduct When Dealing With Muggles‎

Legal Guidelines for the Manufacture of Magical Apparatus

Legislative Guide to the Proper Use of Magic

‎Magical Misdemeanours in the Modern Law

‎Magical Moral Perspective

‎Unforgivable Curses and their Legal Implications

Muggle 'Law & Order' - Complete Guide

Other books:

Animal Ghosts of Britain - Mopsy Fleabert

En Ful Flicka - Så Tuktas En Modedocka - Signe Björnberg

First Love, First Loss - Amorette Deneuve

Flap of the Cape - Abigail R. Cankus

Gateway to the Far Stars

Invisible Book of Invisibility

Mudbloods and How to Spot Them - Barrett Fay

Pure-Blood Directory

Skrifter af Knos

Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintegration of Essence and Matter - by Bertrand de Pensées-Profondes

Who Am I? - Gilderoy Lockhart

[embodies]

❛ clever. you were testing me, weren't you? ❜ @vi0lnt. selina kyle & beatrix kiddo.

ASK MEME TAG. ALWAYS ACCEPTING.

it is only when the jig is up that the assassin makes herself known, stepping out of the shadows in a way anything but theatrical. she is not reputable for flourishes and performances : the black mamba is not known for playing with its food. a smile graces her otherwise deadly features, not one to act hostile just for the intimidation factor. especially not in these circumstances. ❛ only in the same way a mouse tests a trap before taking the bait. ❜ her voice is practically demure, for she is capable of softness even if it was once robbed from her. like the steel of her sword, it hardens in an instant. ❛ i had to make sure i could trust you. ❜ loyalties change like the wind, her words even now holding an asterisk of for now. money drives the cat and beatrix isn't paying. she would be a fool to believe their alliance is infallible.

❛ what are we up against ? ❜

[critical-quoter]

October Books

(Look at that... Just a few short massive posts and I'm all caught up with my monthly books read.)

Twisted Game - Eva Ashwood ⭐⭐ Temptation - Ivy Smoak ⭐ Broken Souls - Ariana Cane ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kenna's Dragon - Leigh Miller ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chasing Your Ghost - Maggie Fields ⭐⭐⭐ Of Deathless Shadows - K. M. Moronova ⭐⭐ Bittersweet Memories - Catharina Maura ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Silver or Lead - Darcy Halifax ⭐⭐⭐⭐ One-Way Ride - Darcy Halifax ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tempted - Zoe Ashwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ensnared - Zoe Ashwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Seduced - Zoe Ashwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Screwed - Torri Heat ⭐⭐⭐⭐ When She Unravels - Gabrielle Sands ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Return to Us - Corinne Michaels ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Consolation - Corinne Michaels ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Conviction - Corinne Michaels ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Warrior Midwife - E. P. Bali ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Warrior Priestess - E. P. Bali ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Warrior Queen - E. P. Bali ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fated Crossing - Michelle Rose ⭐⭐ The Society #StalkerProblems - Ivy Smoak ⭐ Hookah Smoking Caterpillar - Beatrix Hollow ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fire and Ice - Victoria Paige ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Truth and Other Lies - Lyra Wolf ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Order of Chaos - Lyra Wolf ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Eat Your Heart Out - Eden O'Neill ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Grumpy Romance - Nia Arthurs ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sweet Venom - L. A. Ferro ⭐⭐⭐ Crooked Paradise - Eva Chase and Harlow King ⭐⭐ Hopeless - Elsie Silver ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best Laid Plans - L. K. Farlow ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cruel Deception - Monica Kayne ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Summer's Snow - Carly H. Mannon ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Payback - Julie Weaver ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Man Possessed - Haley Tyler ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Carter's Flame - Tiffany Patterson ⭐⭐⭐⭐ King's Bride - Beck Michaels ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ascend - Swati M. H. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Scandalous Games - Simran ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Flow - Kennedy Ryan ⭐⭐⭐ Divine Wickedness - Lexes L. Saia ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ranger - Dr. Rebecca Sharp ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Ever King - L. J. Andrews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Devil's Reward - Emily Rose ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Captured Light - Raya Morris Edwards ⭐⭐⭐ Curse of Shadows and Thorns - L. J. Andrews ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Court of Ice and Ash - L. J. Andrews ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Academy of Protectors - Gray Holbern ⭐ Icebreaker - Hannah Grace ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bait - Jade West ⭐ Triple Threat - K. Webster ⭐⭐⭐ Faux Beau - Marina Adair ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Den of Vipers - K. A. Knight ⭐ Animus - Ophelia Bell ⭐⭐⭐ The Hating Game - Sally Thorne ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Broken Throne of Bronze - Renna Ashley ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Star-Crossed Letters - Sarah Deeham ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Bond of Broken Glass - T. A. Lawrence ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Throne of Blood and Ice - T. A. Lawrence ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Voice Without Reason - Irene Bahrd ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Call of the Sea - Kate Schumacher ⭐⭐⭐ Hate You Later - Ciara Blume ⭐⭐ Mute - M. L. Nystrom ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Escaping Liam - H. L. Swan ⭐⭐⭐ House of Earth and Blood - Sarah J. Maas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

66 total books read for October 2023

[herstuf]

“They’re sisters it’s not queer baiting”

my siblings from this hell site, nobody knew they were sisters until book 3. Before the reveal there was like 2 hints to the possibility of them being sisters. They are so heavily queer baited throughout the books before that- people used to go crazy over the idea of them being endgame. The idea of Sophie and Agatha being together was pivotal to a lot of our childhoods and it was all crushed in like ten sentences two years after we were introduced to them. Nobody is actually shipping them, this isn’t fucking house of the dragon? But we are allowed to be upset about it!

There are so many moments in the books before the “sisters” reveal that made us think they would be together. Here’s some examples:

“Nearby, Tedros managed to reach his head from under boys and saw Sophie spring past. “Help!” he yelled— Sophie stepped on his head as she ran to help Agatha, who was being pelted with pebbles by Beatrix.” Chapter 13, book #1 this was almost directly after Sophie declared that Tedros was The One for her, and she immediately chose to protect Agatha over him.

“Tedros dove beside them. “Let me help,” he said, taking Sophie in his arms. “No—” Sophie wheezed—“Agatha.” Speechless, Tedros left her to his princess’s arms. Agatha pressed Sophie to her chest, hands soaked with her blood.” Chapter 30, book #1. Chooses her best friend over the prince she’d been vying for in her last moments.

“‘Who needs princes in our fairy tale?’ Sun exploded through fog, coating the two castles in gold. As the grass around it greened, the Storian blazed with new life and soared back to its tower in the sky. Across the shores, children’s robes, black, pink, blue, melted to the same silver, dissolving their division once and for all.” Chapter 30, just after Agatha kisses Sophie and saves her life with true loves kiss. The blatant queer symbolism in the description of the rainbow of colours which are then described as dissolving and erasing division is symbolism for the idea of finding acceptance and love, even with those previously thought of as “enemies” or “off-limits.”

“‘You make me happy, Agatha,’ said Sophie, ‘It just took me too long to see it”… “But Sophie had revised the prince with her sewing kit. Now he had boxy dark hair, goonish bug eyes… and a black dress.” Chapter 2, Book #2. Sophie had a pillow she previously stitched with a prince and princess, and had now stitched likeness of Agatha over the prince, symbolising Agatha as her Prince Charming and HEA.

“And Sophie and Agatha lived happy ever after, for girls don’t need princes for love to call. . . . No, they don’t need princes in their fairy tales at all.” Chapter 5, Book #2. Technically this is part of the manipulations from Dean Slader but it is a good reminder of queer undertones in the books overall.

Various quotes from book 2 that just stand out from a queer perspective:

“Agatha reviving her with love’s kiss,” “I won’t intervene in your lovers quarrel,” Chapter 5. ““Despite the storm in her heart, Sophie managed a smile. She had never seen something so beautiful. Then again, she’d never seen girls dance without boys.” Chapter 6. “happy together . . . without a boy in sight. ‘How can Agatha not want this?’” Chapter 7. “‘Just want to make sure she’s safe.’ Sophie peered down at the two armored knights, one short, one tall, standing in the blue pumpkin patch near the Woods Gate. ‘You sound . . . like . . . a . . . prince . . .’ Chapter 11. “Kissed a girl to life like all the best princes,” Chapter 11.

“‘I need more than a friend,’ Agatha had said. But what if she could make Agatha happy again? What if she showed Agatha she didn’t need Tedros? That their friendship was greater than any Ever After with a prince.” Chapter 13

And some quotes from book 3 before the reveal that made it all the more surprising to us when they were revealed as sisters

“Sophie. This time no anger came at the name. Only an echo, like the password to her heart’s cave.” Chapter 2. 

“Strange, wasn’t it, Sophie thought, moving closer. She’d kissed Agatha . . . Agatha had kissed Tedros . . . and yet, she’d never kissed Tedros” Chapter 13, symbolising kissing a boy would be exactly the same as kissing Agatha

Honestly there’s more but I am so tired of typing already sorry.

As someone who was in the 9th grade when the first book came out, and who was first questioning my own sexuality at that time, I latched onto these books because of the queer coding between Agatha and Sophie. I was stoked when the books came out each year because I honestly hoped they would end up together. For them to be revealed at the last moment as sisters? It was crushing to me and many others, and it came out of nowhere. It was my very first experience being queer baited.

Many of you might not be of the opinion that it is queer baiting, since apparently in the later books the girls are revealed to be bisexual (which is awesome! I never read past the 3rd book sorry!) but it doesn’t change the interpretation of queer baiting that many of us growing up with the books had. Being excited about a possible relationship only to have that ripped away and made impossible so suddenly is crushing for anybody. Nobody is shipping them, because gross, but we are upset about the narrative of it. And it is exhausting being continuously told that “it’s not queer baiting, they’re sisters!” when we literally had THREE YEARS to develop a ship for them before having that reveal. Nobody is shipping them, but we are allowed to continue calling it queer baiting because it literally was, and with the movie it is a revival of that feeling.

And for people who didn’t read the books? Imagine what watching that on screen felt like for them.

[rosesandartss]

ASOS Intros: Allistor Mira Raymond/ Allistor King/ Raven King

Allistor is from ASOS! -Allistor uses she/meow/moon pronouns -She is a tiefling and sorcerer/fighter -Allistor is affiliated with Selene, lives in the altena sector, and actively participates in the rebellion started by the citizens of Selene -Meow is pan and a demigirl -Moons spiritual connections are the shade of red that her eyes are, Crow, cats, and ravens -Meows got many a things going on in meows brain, including but not limited to, ADHD, Autism, Severe Depression, Severe GAD, and PTSD

The rundown of meows backstory is that she was born to Xavier and Vera Raymond due to Vera's moms forcing them to bind fates(at the threat of Xaviers entire family being killed) and have a kid. That kid was Allistor. Vera abused her, and believed meow was the cause of her problems. Xavier was not able to be around to keep Allistor safe, because he had to work to support himself and Allistor because Vera wouldn't. When Allistor had just turned 6, Vera sold moon off to some mind flayers, instructing them to kill her. They didn't and instead erased her memory and discarding meow in an alleyway, where she was found by more people paid by Vera to kill her. They left meow within an inch of death, but a young girl named Rowan(she/her) found and healed Allistor. Rowan and Allistor ended up sticking together, since neither of them had a home to go back to, and became the bestest of friends. Allistor also developed a small teensy little crush on Rowan. Woopsie! The two of them met Mix(they/them), and they joined the little group, making them a trio! Until one fateful day, Allistor had her first outburst. Rowan tried to help, though she didn't really know what to do or what exactly was happening and ended up being killed by it. Mix wasn't there when it happened, and once Allistor had the energy to get up, meow ran as far away from the body as meow could. Allistor and Rowan were 11 at this point, Mix was 13. For the next three years Allistor was completely alone. She was miserable, and hardly had enough to eat. Not that meow really wanted to eat, since during these years she believed she deserved nothing but death. Meow over these few years attempted to poison moonself, but was taken to Selene's medic area by an unknown person. Afterwards though, things started to look up, 1 year and a half in, meow found a cat, and named it Ember. She was a little bit happier then, but after a year, Hunters took the cat and killed it, leaving it in front of the area Allistor was sleeping in as bait. Little did they know, they sparked another type of outburst, an anger outburst. They were killed by the outburst in a quite gruesome way, and Allistor left the area, with the new belief that meow was a bad omen.

On the third year meow was no longer at her worst, but she was still in pretty bad shape, the first two years having left meow weak. Near the end of the third year, she was visited by her spiritual guardian, who gave her a little talk about how Rowan wouldn’t want moon to live her life like this, and also that Rowan didn't blame Allistor for what happened. This inspired Allistor to try to live a better and happier life, and start to recover from what happened to Rowan. The day after she was trapped and tortured by guards until Beatrix came along and killed them and took Allistor into Selene with her. Beatrix became one of Allistor’s caretakers after that. Once Allistor was out of the medics area she was initiated into Selene by the leader at the time, Meteor. She took on the Oath of Union and the Oath of Silence, and chose an alias for meowself, Raven, as well as learning the entrance spell to the underground city.

For the first 6 months she lived in Selene, she was mute, though she did have company in Beatrix and Beatrix’s other starling, Crow. He would talk to her every day for those six months, sometimes he told her about some interesting things, other times he would just ramble about his day. After he was done talking he would always ask her how she was doing or if there was something meow wanted to talk about to him. She never replied until one day she finally asked him "Why are you talking to me so much? I never answer so what's the point?" and he responded with "Well I mean you responded now. But if you're wondering why i kept on talking to you its cause its nice to have someone to talk to, and I also didn't want you to be lonely, cause that's no fun" and from there on out they considered each other siblings. After spending the entirety of her first year in Selene only within Selene Allistor wanted to get out and see the overground kingdom again and also get revenge on the guards. Within the time Allistor was stuck underground in Selene out of fear of the guards, Beatrix and Meteor started training her to fight without magic so meow was trained well enough to be able to fend off guards and Hunters when she was with Crow. She would go out and taunt guards and/or lure them away from people they were hurting. Meow also had started her hobby of dancing back up with a new dancing partner, Apollo. They could only do one performance that year since they had to spend a lot of time coming up with dances and practicing them together.

The second year Allistor lived in Selene is when tragedy struck, 3 months into the year Vera hired people to lure out Crow so she could rip his wings off, all to send a message to Beatrix, who had recently killed the Queen’s right hand, Zane(though, Allistor was the one who actually killed him, Beatrix just took all of the blame). Even before that Beatrix had been a thorn in Vera’s side. Crow spent about 3 weeks recovering before starting to get back into the swing of things, Allistor made sure to be by his side the entire time he was recovering. He had changed, he was extremely rude to anyone he wasn’t close with and extremely distrusting of everyone. The second tragedy that had struck was Meteor’s death. She was the leader of Selene and had also became one of Allistor’s caretakers through supporting meow with her outbursts. One of Allistor’s newer caretakers, Oberon, was chosen to be the next leader by the population of Selene. On the bright side, she had performed a few more times with Apollo and they even won a competition together. Allistor had also been getting closer to Apollo, they had started spending more time together and Apollo even gave Allistor some of the flowers she grew, and a few particularly nice gems. Halfway through this year meow broke her mirror in a fit of self-hatred and shoved her hands in the shards of it, and she used moons own healing knowledge to heal them well enough to where they didn’t get infected, but they did leave many scars.

The third year Allistor spent in Selene was a lot less eventful than the others. Allistor and Apollo did multiple performances across Selene and they won an award for their routine. Crow and Allistor tried to escape Starfell Kingdom and failed due to their lack of planning.

The fourth year was also less eventful, Allistor and Crow had plans to try to escape Starfell Kingdom again that were a bit more in depth this time, maybe they will finally get out.

A few more notes

-People in Selene did not like Allistor, due to her outbursts multiple people in Selene were killed or mortally wounded. Most of them were scared of her, but some of them wanted meow gone, whether that be her dying or her just leaving.

-Allistor received lots of harassment from people in Selene

-Allistor has two types of outbursts, anger outbursts and stress/panic outbursts. Stress/panic outbursts use up less energy at once but last longer while anger outbursts drain energy quickly and can only last up to half the time a panic outburst can.

- After bad stress/panic outbursts, Allistor is usually left unable to walk. After an anger outburst(unless it was particularly short-lived) Allistor will pass out.

-Allistor has been missing for 12 years to her living family(other than Beatrix)

-Xavier has been searching for Allistor for those 12 years

-Allistor’s birthday is May 20th

-When Allistor has an outburst, the cracks burn. It wouldn't be too bad if there wasn't so many. The outbursts create a lot of heat cause of the amount of energy being pushed out of Allistor’s cracks.

-The cracks when they first appear are wounds, but after the outburst they become scars. So during an outburst, if its too intense or Allistor is trying really hard to repress it, bigger cracks will appear, and those ones are the cracks that tend to draw blood. The bigger cracks are embedded deeper into her body than the smaller and/or thinner ones, they also are the cracks are more painful even after they appear in other outbursts thanks to the burning. Usually the burning is why shes screaming and crying so much. Moon cant do a ton of moving, due to this and the loss of her energy. It also limits the amount meow can talk since she has lots of  cracks on her face and neck.

-Allistor has a large tattoo of a raven on her back, given to meow by Crow

-Allistor instead of standing up for meowself when she was harassed just took it cause she believed moon deserved it.

-Allistor went on many rescue missions to help free tieflings

-Allistor has had many near death experiences, the current total is above 300

-Allistor is terrified of horses to the point where meow will not sleep during carriage rides unless she’s forced to.

-Allistor carries around many pretty rocks, she also swallows them regularly

-Allistor still carries around the map with all of meows and Crow’s plans to escape Selene

-Along with the plush bunny, Allistor carries around Rowan’s family crest and the pretty knife moon was given -Allistor collects daggers, 4 leaf clovers, small jars, shiny things(specifically silver, gold is Crow’s thing), pretty rocks, red things, and pest ears -Crow and Beatrix to this day don’t know about the mirror incident -Allistor has avoided looking at her reflection since the mirror incident(roughly two years)

this ended up being longer than i expected lmao but it is done now @multi-lefaiye since you asked to be tagged in meows intro post