#big fan of her take on necromancy

[vtimbertiger]

without death, life is meaningless

[audreyscribes]

Ω PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS: 🔮 HECATE: Goddess of Magic, the Mist, Crossroads, Necromancy, the night and moon🌙

Author's note: Hello everyone! In lieu of posting the major gods demigod headcanons, here is the minor gods version!As usual these headcanons will contain what it's like being claimed and what it's like for the respective god and cabin, followed by a small story between you, the reader, and the respective demigod of that god. Thank you for reading and please like and reblog! [PJO MINOR GODS DEMIGOD HEADCANONS MASTERLIST] Disclaimer: To new fans or strictly TV watchers of the PJO series, future spoilers for the entire PJO series books will be referenced. Read at your own risk.

Out of the ‘minor’ gods, a child of Hecate is powerful and just as dangerous as a child of the major gods. As powerful as a child of Ares, Athena, and Apollo, but closer to a child of the Big Three. 

When you get claimed, a rolling mist rolls in and you feel power sparkling at your fingertips. You always have felt the magical power within you but with this claim, it courses through your veins. The spell you cast at your claim is a tell-tale to your half-siblings what kind of magic wielder you are. One time, there was a child of Hecate who summoned the dead beneath their feet and everyone had a meltdown thinking it was another child of Hades until Chiron pointed out the claim symbol belonged to Hecate, and Necromancy is within her domain. Which can be utterly terrifying or cool. Just don’t actually mess with Death itself and stay in your lane, unless you want either Hades or Thanatos having a word with you; either or both. Nico di Angelo becomes a common sight around the Hecate cabin as he acts as a sort of liaison for his father’s domain. 

Hecate’s domain is very broad and large, and you guys have a lot to figure out. Aside from magic, every child of Hecate has a mixed bag of what powers they inherited from Hecate’s domain. Some have others that others don’t. You have shared headaches with the children of Hermes, who are in a similar boat.

As cheesy as it might sound, your power is stronger at night and when the moon is out. Of course a full moon is when you’re at peak strength, but what people don’t know is that your powers can be at peak strength depending on the phases of the moon. This is determined by finding out what phase of the moon the day you were born on, and the phases leading up to that face you feel stronger but the phases afterwards feel less intense for you. If you were born on a full (and/or old) moon, well, more power to you. Literally. 

While not all common, there’s a high percentage of children of Hecate being born in the evenings and night. 

“With great power there must also come great responsibility” - Spiderman, Stan Lee. These words are similar to the Sword of Damocles, that Mr. D and Chiron tells you and the Hecate cabin that power cannot simply be enjoyed for its privileges alone, but necessarily makes its holders morally responsible for what they choose to do and what they fail to do with it. As a child of Hecate, with magic at your disposal, you have to work and study hard to control the magic and command it to your will, however it is a heavy burden to bear and magic can be not only bring miracles, but can take on a form of its own if their wielder isn’t convicted enough. 

Along with magic, the mist is your next inherent power. You help maintain the mist between the world of the gods and the mortal realm; maintaining the balance. The power of the mist comes naturally to you and you can use it to create illusions or manipulate the veil over mortal eyes. However, be careful of it because if you mess with the mist too much, you might pull the mist’s veil over a mortal’s eyes too powerfully and affect their mind, distorting it; it’s cautioned to only manipulate the mist that is still tethered to reality. Worse, you also might get lost in it yourself; or worse find yourself between the borders between the living and the dead. Limbo if you will.

Hecate may seem a bit cold and solitary, but she does care for you. Especially after the 2nd Titan War, where many of your unclaimed (read: unrecognized by the camp) half siblings had perished during the war. You might get the occasional words of advice with magic, magical items, or what your siblings have collectively understood as vague magic teaching moments. You definitely feel her guiding hand when you command more magic that threatens to lash out at you, and you feel her hands guide you to mould the magic in a way you want like a potter’s hand.  At least one thing is for sure, Hecate loves all her children equally…even including Lamia and Circe who are pretty hostile to you guys. 

On that note, you have definitely performed a magic spell you’ve seen on TV, Book, Movie, or Game, and proceeded to tear it apart on how it should not have worked and how it should work before creating either an entirely new spell or an even better one. At the very least, you have a laugh and lead you into discovering and creating new spells. 

You can use magic with your hands, but you could also use a wand or staff, or what have you. With wands though, it has never been easier walking around among mortals and spell-casting magic, and playing it off from certain franchises or being a very dedicated DnD player. The latter is very true and you have no shortage of LARPers.

You know the roles like “The Fairy Godmother”, “The Wicked Witch”, “The Wizard”, and etc? Oh yeah. Every child of Hecate starts to come into one of these roles and leans into it completely. What is yours? 

You and your siblings have an awkward relationship with Lamia, who was a former daughter of Hecate, who became a monster, and is the reason why all monsters can find half-bloods. Sure it was out of spite at Hera for killing all of Lamia’s children, but like….really?  You’re not entirely sure if you guys are safe from Lamia’s curse but on the other hand, given the amount of monsters you’ve encountered and the latest news from one of your half-siblings, Alabaster who was hunted down by Lamia from Gaea, it’s really up in the air. There’s a long research by all the Hecate cabin on how to break this curse or at least mitigate it.

When you get claimed, you feel the veins in your body growing both hot and cold, with power sparking wildly from your fingertips. The small well of bubbling power that had always been in you suddenly burst open and was overflowing, like the seal on it had been ripped off. Wind was kicking around you with the ground trembling and cracking under your power. You could see the mist rolling in and twisting around you with the wind, cutting you off from the outside world. 

With what you could see outside it was utter chaos. People were running around doing damage control with a few brave, offensive demigods taking the front as they knocked away any flying debris and were keeping your magic from breaching the red zone as they batten down the hatches. 

You weren’t sure what to do with this power but you couldn’t just turn the tap off either, you had to release it somehow. But just shooting raw magical power wasn’t desirable since the magic could take on the form of the cognitive power of those around you, whatever that was. 

You tried to remember a spell you were familiar with. Something that was familiar to you that was almost as easy as breathing. You remembered it but the power of the magic within you was too much. It felt like you couldn’t breathe, the extension part of you had to move how you want like you were discovering growth pains, your limbs feeling almost feeling foreign to you. You tried to squeeze the magic into form but it pushed back between the gaps of your fingers like you took too much clay. 

You started to breathe heavily as sweat clung and soaked your being, the strain becoming unbearable. Then you heard yelling as you felt something open beside you. Then you felt someone press up against you, hands grabbing yours that was also flowing with magic. 

You gasped and looked at the person, seeing a girl with dark hair and with glowing green eyes. 

“What-” you tried to say to say how and why she was here and that she shouldn’t be, but then before you could see anything more, she gripped your hands harder and you felt her magic flowing into yours, as if smoothing the gaps, helping you grasp your raging power. 

“Do you know a spell?!” she yelled over the raging, howling wind. 

You stammered to reply but nodded instead as she nodded back. “Alright! Use that spell! I’ll help you enforce it!” 

You were confused but you could feel the magic about to explode soon so you pushed everything aside and focused on what was at hand. You remembered that spell from earlier, taking deep shaky breaths as you tried to manipulate the magic into a form. You could feel it oozing from the gaps of your fingers again but with the girl’s help, she smoothed it and followed your hands, shaping it with you. 

You took form and you threw it in the air as the energy took on a form, taking the wind and mist with it. All tension in your body left you and disappeared with the spell , making you collapse immediately. You were out of breath and out of focus so you weren’t really paying attention to what was happening. All you heard was a boom, sprinkles, oohs and ahhs with gasps and peals of laughter. 

From your starfished position on the ground, you heard feet crunching on the ground beside you and you peaked to see see the girl from earlier, hands on her hips with an exasperated smile on her face with a thin sheen of sweat; even she looked a bit winded. 

“So that’s what kind of magic wielder you are” she commented, crouching beside you. 

“What?” you tiredly said, confused. 

She gestured to the air, “This kind of situation isn’t unusual for children of Hecate, even if yours is a little bit on the extreme side. Every child of Hecate that gets claimed has a spell that they have to unleash and we figured out the first spell they instinctively use is a good indicator what kind of magic wielder and person they are.”

“Oh” you uttered dumbly as you took in the open sky above you. The adrenaline was just dying down and your mind caught up. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you sat up and looked at the girl. “Wait, how do you know this?”

The girl grinned and stood up, holding her hand out to you as you clasped it. “My name is Lou Ellen Blackstone, daughter, head coven, and cabin leader of the Hecate cabin” she introduced herself as she helped you up. 

“Oh…wait, does that mean-” you asked as Lou Ellen nodded.

“Yup, you just got claimed by Hecate which makes us half-siblings” she said as she patted your shoulder and helped you steady yourself as you headed towards the Apollo kids, “Let’s get you checked up just in case. Suddenly being able to have that much access to your magic takes a whole lot of you.”

“So this isn’t new?” you asked as a child of Apollo checked you over. 

“Nah. While some children of Hecate can access their magic before they get claimed, when Hecate claims you, it suddenly feels like the cap on our magic is removed. Don’t worry too much about it, with some practice and integrity, you’ll get a hold of your magic soon enough. In the meantime, you have the entire Hecate cabin to help you.”

You smiled at the thought as you felt yourself drifting off to sleep due to the exhaustion. 

[griseldagimpel]

Media Recommendations for Harry Potter Fans

Alright. So you’re a Harry Potter fan. You’re a Harry Potter fan because you love Harry Potter and you love the community you’ve built with your fellow fans, but J. K. Rowling is using her vast fortune to harm people and she says asinine shit about how anyone who likes Harry Potter agrees with her transphobia, and you know that’s not true, but maybe you’re wondering if there’s a different fandom you and your friends could go to, where if nothing else the creator isn’t using a massive platform and massive amounts of money to harm transgender people. This is a guide for you.

You really wish you could have a Harry Potter that’s just not Harry Potter. You want a magical school and aerial sports games and fighting a tyrant and the equivalent of Hogwarts Houses.

Check out The Owl House. It’s about a girl named Luz who wanders into another world and attends a magic school.

You can watch it on YouTube: Link.

You like the idea of a modern-ish fantasy book series (British, pre-Smart Phone technology age) with a big, rambling world to play around in.

Check out The Chronicles of Chestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones. It’s set across a multiverse and follows the lives and trials of young magicians.

Start with Charmed Life, which can be purchased on Amazon: Link.

You want a fantasy series with chosen ones, suffering, and sacrifice where anyone can die. Also, you like magical animal companions.

Check out The Last Herald Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, which is part of the broader Valdemar series. It’s about the life of Valdemar’s greatest – and last – Herald-mage.

You can find it on Amazon: Link.

You love Harry Potter for the mysteries. You’d be fine with something for a bit of an older demographic, and you love supernatural horror and angst. You want to see the protagonist go through it. But you’d also love it if there was something akin to the Hogwarts Houses that you could define yourself by.

Check out The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir or The Magnus Archives. The Locked Tomb series is science-fantasy set in the far-flung future and has necromancy. The Magnus Archives is a podcast about an institute in London that takes down statements from people who have had encounters with the paranormal.

The Locked Tomb series begins with Gideon the Ninth: Link.

The Magnus Archives can be listened to on YouTube: Link.

Your favorite part of the Harry Potter series is the wizarding war, and your favorite house is Slytherin.

Check out The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It’s about a necromancer who’s been resurrected. The necromancer in question is like 95% brat-turned-cool-uncle and 5% evil-necromancer.

The volumes are numbered and can be found on Amazon: Link.

There is also an adaptation entitled The Untamed that I have not watched yet, but it can be found on Netflix.

You really enjoy the social satire aspect of Harry Potter and think Hermione was right about House Elf liberation. Also, you’re okay with science fiction instead of fantasy.

Check out The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. It’s about an enslaved cyborg finding freedom, making friends, and healing from trauma.

The first book is All Systems Red: Link.

You like Harry Potter because it’s comfort media. Life is rough, and you want a piece of media that’s engaging but gentle.

Check out the podcast Welcome to Night Vale. It’s presented as the community radio broadcast out of a small, deeply weird town in the American southwest.

You can listen to it on YouTube: Link.

If you want something in print form, there’s The Lord of the Rings: Link.

If you like movies, there’s Jupiter Ascending: Link.

Don’t hesitate to ask if you want more information (such as content warnings) for any of the above.

[lady-harrowhark]

Upon reading the Wikipedia synopsis for the 1997 Don Bluth Anastasia film, and then subsequently the Wiki page for the historical grand duchess Anastasia, I have learnt that the name ‘Anastasia’ is apparently derived from a Greek name meaning “of the resurrection”. And as I know you are a big TLT fan I’m coming to you asking… is this anything? What are the implications? Obviously everyone in the empire is ‘of the resurrection’, but why is Anastasia specifically given this meaningful name?

Fantastic question, and one I’ve been mulling over myself. I think there are two main pieces here, and there are undoubtedly people on here better suited to expounding upon both of them than myself, as both of these topics are beyond the scope of what I can give a super nuanced explanation of, but I’m out here doing my best!

The first is, as you said, in relation to “the resurrection” with roots in “anastasis.” Within the context of Christianity, this is almost always in reference to the Resurrection, that of Jesus. Gideon is the obvious Christ figure of the series, but in NtN, most of our main characters get a little sprinkle of Christ figure imagery at the very least. However, I actually think that the more salient thing here is that within Christian art, the Anastasis specifically refers to depictions of the Harrowing of Hell. Eagle-eyed readers may recall that Harrow herself is named specifically for the Harrowing of Hell. The Harrowing of Hell, in turn, refers to the period of time between Christ’s crucifixion and his Resurrection on the third day. During this period, he descended into Hell and brought salvation to the righteous souls there, leading them out of Hell. I’ll throw in here that the stoma is said by John to be the mouth to Hell. Make of that what you will.

Additionally, I’ll point out that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is also known as the Church of the Anastasis. This is significant to our Anastasia because the Church of the Holy Sepulchre/Church of the Anastasis includes the site of Jesus’s crucifixion… and his tomb. Which sounds more than a little familiar, no?

So the second big thing is that within biology, “anastasis” has a similar but distinct meaning. Take a look at this quote which I’ve pulled from a journal article not really because of anything about the article itself but because the wording makes the comparison super easy: 

Anastasis is a natural cell recovery phenomenon that rescues cells from the brink of death. Programmed cell death such as apoptosis has been traditionally assumed to be an intrinsically irreversible cascade that commits cells to a rapid and massive demolition. Interestingly, recent studies have demonstrated recovery of dying cells even at the late stages generally considered immutable.

Was anyone else immediately reminded of this conversation, in which John asks Harrow to explain apopneumatism (which appears to be a play on apoptosis itself)?

“Thalergetic decay causes cellular death,” you said carefully, pressing the nail in harder, “which emits thanergy. The massive cell death that follows apopneumatism causes a thanergetic cascade, though the first bloom fades and the thanergy stabilises within thirty to sixty seconds.”

Because I sure was.

In this same conversation, they talk about the life force and communal soul of a planet, arising from “the accumulation of microbial life” and what happens when you kill a planet all at once: Resurrection Beasts. Alecto.

Taken together, I think we’re looking at some very significant imagery regarding not just Anastasia, but her relationships to Harrow and Alecto as well. We have a guardian of the Locked Tomb, in which lies the soul of a murdered planet and the ostensible source of necromancy. Given where we saw her last, Anastasia seems to have set some plans in motion to not only halt this death but bring her back. A resurrection, and perhaps salvation for those who have been trapped within the stoma, which is to say: Hell.

[imakemywings]

Sapphic Book Recs

Moving outside the realm of fanning out over characters we already know, here are a few book recommendations that feature or center F/F relationships. (Note: I am NOT including comprehensive trigger warnings--please mind your triggers if you choose to check any of these out!)

The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir - My personal favorite on the list. If you’re into the F/F lit scene at all, I’m sure you’ve heard of these. TLT is a masterpiece of modern fantasy and has enough moments where its glib tone gives way into something raw and real that it keeps the stakes high and the reader invested. The characters jump off the page and the worldbuilding is colorful and strange. However, if you’re easily squicked by gore, you might want to give these a pass--necromancy is a central pillar of the world and Muir does not hold back on the ick factor.

Recommend if you:

Like stories that keep you guessing

Like messy characters

Savor a bit of codependency in your F/F

The Burning Kingdoms trilogy by Tasha Suri - TBK is a fantasy series set in a fictional country inspired by ancient India. Suri weaves together the stories of several characters and does an excellent job of showing how her two main protagonists--Priya and Malini--are torn between their attraction to each other and the roles of responsibility they choose to take up. Suri also does an excellent job of allowing the female characters to drive the plot, even where they don’t exist in positions of power. (Longer review here)

Recommend if you:

Want female-focused fantasy

Enjoy the push and pull of “duty vs. love”

Enjoy multi-POV stories that unfold gradually

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - Fingersmith is a period romance piece that involves deceit, heist plans, and falling in love with the mark. This is one of those books where re-reading it a second time will definitely feel different than the first go. Waters does a great job with the interplay of the characters’ motivations which are gradually revealed throughout the book.

Recommend if you:

Enjoy spy/heist stories

Love it when characters lie to each other

Are mostly looking for romance

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - An epic high fantasy novel clocking in at over 800 pages, Priory covers a lot of ground and a lot of fantasy staples. Ead, an outsider to the court of Inys, has taken it upon herself to secretly guard the queen for reasons of her own--with the results you might hope for as she gets closer to Sabran.

Recommend if you:

Enjoy a romantic subplot but don't want it to take over the action

Enjoy multi-POV stories that unfold gradually

Like the tension of "duty vs. love”

Want an epic dragon-on-dragon fight

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - If you just really want something lighthearted and if you’re a big reader of fanfiction, this might be your choice. OLS is a fluffy piece that relies heavily on the found family trope with just a dash of fantasy. The standout character is definitely love interest Jane, a suave, confident butch who sweeps protag August off her feet from day one. (Longer review here)

Recommend if you:

Are mostly looking for romance

Do not want lots of angst

Prefer a story where everyone gets along

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - I debated including this one, because it is not explicitly F/F, which is going to be a deal-breaker for some people. But honestly the romantic and sexual undertones of Lily and Snow Flower’s relationship come across so strong I’m willing to put it up here. This book is set in 19th century China and centers around the intense friendship of two women, starting from childhood and through their adulthood. This one will take you on an emotional ride for sure. A film came out based on this, but in short my review on that is: the book is better!

Recommend if you:

Are okay with ambiguous relationships

Like looking at what women’s private lives looked like in the past

Are looking for something dramatic/emotional

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Memento Moria

Kiiiii-shi-shi-shi! Happy Halloween! Last time we took the whole month for Victoria Cindry with our #Spooky Sidestory. That was fun, if you don't know Cindry always borrowed from a famous ghost story about a spirit named Okiku. Which means you maybe need to think a little more in hindsight about her being an actress whose story relies on a theme of toxic obligation. We touched on Moria a bit, how he serves as a warning to what lies ahead. But I always wanted to give him his due. He's such a good seed for the yonko; baiting the idea of separating the crew, the zombies as an analogue for infighting, his shadow keeping you from even touching him. How many people did he beat without lifting a finger? This becomes a huge motif by Totland & Wano.

Moria is a great villain, though I'll never fault a younger fan for not quite getting it yet. Other characters share this idea of their dreams dashed by the buzzsaw of the New World, but Moria is the one who really embodies it. He's not just someone who experienced loss, he's defined by it. I mean this in the nicest way possible, you won't truly relate to Moria unless you've had some kind of tangible past success. Laurels to rest on long enough you know how dangerous that can be. I love this "whiteout" panel, how his face looks so bat-like. If you need a refresher on why this pertains to Kiku:

Kiku's introduction already leans on drawing from One Piece's history, subtly baiting key associations. Bat-Man being one of the first Gifters is certainly a choice, and his extremely shallotesque shape reinforces the reference. For those who don't know, Moria's animal motif isn't a gecko. It's a bat, Gecko Moria. Komori=bat. That in Kiku's intro is worth pointing out alone, much moreso when we get an update on Moria paired with a reflection (Catarina) of what we just highlighted out of the star of the first act. Those two are solid thematically, now add the Ringo ripple.

Does it have to mean anything? No, but theoretically if we wanted to have one of the Akazaya involved somehow there's a certain logic to Kiku the Ringo native being the intuitive choice. It's just like the Shanks/Buggy angle. We have someone so oddly worldly in Wano and yet again a known thread is set up it can easily run through her. I might actually want to see a flashback of Kiku & Moria having a chance encounter over Shanks. If only because I can guess how Shanks would go. You think Moria might make a play at recruiting the demonic prodigy of the Akazaya? Say what you will about his necromancy, which I'd imagine Kiku would abhor, I don't see Moria being the type to care about the trans aspect. Being earnestly good about it like Luffy seems reasonable.

Moria though, just as a villain he's grown on me. Or really I've grown, lost groups of people I once felt brought out the best in me. Lazily replaced them with shadows, spun my wheels in a position that sounded like a good enough spot to be in. I get Moria, he's kinda over it but hasn't fully given up. Just taking a lazier, safer approach because he's scared of what lies ahead. Shadows Asgard and taking in 1000 shadows is a big example of growing on me. Makes so much more sense when you see how Kaido/Wano builds off of the concept. Moria has the power to be a top contender, he doesn't have the will to control it. Shadow Asgard, false divinity.

Back then, even the Straw Hats see it right away. Luffy turns to the crew and tells them to take care of the rest cause he's gonna get reckless. I love the parallel of Luffy having to take on a taste of Moria's true power and Zoro well, that time when nothing happened. Kuma's getting plenty of focus now but we'll wait until the flashback ends to do him proper. Keeping that strong and famous crew he could count on over more zombie mooks won the day. That under the threat of daybreak is good shit.

[maintitle]

I’m a big fan of the dialogue option in Inquisition where you talk about Orsino with Varric.

Inquisitor:  “In the book, you say that First Enchanter Orsino turned himself into a giant monster made of corpses.  How?  Why?”

Varric:  “Do I look like an expert on magical weirdness to you?”

VARRIC SLIGHTLY DISAPROVES.

Now, this could be read in a few ways by Varric himself, but I don’t see it like that at all.  It’s always felt like the writers tilting their head toward the camera and staring directly into the lens.  At the time people were entirely confused by Orsino’s actions, forcing a confrontation with the guy you’re siding with for what can be amounted to as no reason.  

Now, granted, there is in fact an in-game letter that can be found during your chase after your Mother that infer’s Orsino is dabbling in more than he lets on.  

My dear friend, I have obtained the books you requested. I'll leave them at our usual hiding spot. Please collect them as soon as possible. I would hate to see them in the wrong hands! Your last letter was fascinating! You have proven me wrong, once again, by doing the impossible. I shouldn't have doubted your resolve, and I hope you will keep me apprised of further progress. Your friend and colleague, O

This is a Codex found just before the confrontation with Quinton in Act 2, one that’s overshadowed by the horror Hawke goes through in that quest.  I, personally, feel like it was an afterthought put into the game in order to explain why the seemingly straight arrow First Enchanter is suddenly using necromancy to make a person meat shield.

The biggest thing that makes me think this is the Inquisition writing team acknowledging this, however, is Mark Darrah’s wrap-up video on his memories and the lessons he learned leading the project.  

Mark Darrah:  “We’ve talked about the level reuse, which I think is probably one of the weakest things in Dragon Age 2.  The thing that actually makes me feel the most regret for Dragon Age 2 is the way that the endings go.  So, I guess spoilers... but you get to the end of Dragon Age 2, and you have to deal with the mages and the Templars, there’s the whole question of the mages and the Templars.  But regardless of the choice that you make there, you end up fighting both Orsino and Meredith and the mages end up going all crazy regardless.  You’ve made a different choice, you’ve come down on this decision in a very different way... and yet the game has you play through basically the same content, in a slightly different order, but it’s basically the same content.  I think that’s a mistake... I mean, I’m pretty sure that was my decision, but I think that’s a mistake because it undercut the mage/templar question quite a bit.”

Mark Darrah:  “Now the reason why it is that way in Dragon Age II is that the games under incredibly tight constraints.  Orsino isn’t worthy of being an end boss all on his own, so the decision is that you gotta fight Meredith no matter what.  Okay.  So... that’s actually, I think, defensible, you could say.  Meredith has been corrupted by red lyrium, you gotta fight her no matter what.  You can still make the choice.  I think the place where Dragon Age 2 crosses the line is that we also make you fight Orsino no matter what, and I think that’s the mistake.  And the reason we do that is, it’s content, we want players to consume as much of our content as we can, because it feels like waste if we have content that isn’t seen by a player.  And I think that is a mistake, and I think that’s a lesson that maybe video game studios are just waking up to now, that actually it’s NOT waste, content that isn’t consumed by the player ISN’T a problem, that actually you should WANT that.”

Now, that summarization to me covers a lot of DA2, and I’m glad he’s had that reflection, even as the man that pulled the trigger.  DA2 deserves a bit of grace considering they had to take an idea for an Origins DLC and make it a full game because EA demanded it, and I’ve certainly been far more forgiving of the game as time has passed.  But that’s STILL a decision that drives me bonkers.

Now, that leaves us back at where we began.  It’s a FASCINATING moment with the writers, when we get that disapproval at the question.  It almost feels defensive.  Had they learned the lesson Mark Darrah later learned at that point, or where they still a bit upset by how badly that fight was received by folks who sided with the mages?  I’m really not sure, but I love it just because it has such sass attached to it.  It’s a moment in Inquisition where Varric once again becomes the voice of the writers, telling the plot of their previous game in a really defensive manner.  It’s a unique little moment that stands out so much to me.

[sfsolace]

Makinata Mondays: A Hakumei & Mikochi read-along

This is a weekly series where i read through my favorite manga and share my thoughts, along with some screenshots.

Chapter 3: Glass Lantern

Plot summary: Our two leads go on a fishing trip and have an encounter with the mysterious Sen. Out in the Swamp, she is developing a way to make animal skeletons move and seemingly come back to life.

CW: lots of bones

This chapter is pretty spooky, all things considered. I'm surprised Hakumei and Mikochi aren't more shocked at all the necromancy going on.

I'm a big fan of George, the house turtle, who seems to just take it easy and is the perfect mix between a pet and a houseboat. (If you can ignore his undead-ness)

In general, Sen keeps bringing funky new undead critters to every chapter she's in and it's always fun to see what she comes up with.

Also we meet Sen! Very calm and collected, to the point where she can be oblivious to social cues, she just focuses on her morbid research and will gradually become friends with Hakumei and Mikochi.

I really like her character design, with the dark colors, the high collar that sometimes hides her mouth and the color scheme she has in the anime, with lots of blues and purples. Also her long white hair is quite stunning.

In general this chapter is a bit moody. In the anime they offset the gloomy atmosphere by their use of color, but in the manga it is a bit more subdued. It is still an interesting chapter, but certainly not as cozy as most other ones.

I'm going to post a little thing i wrote about Sen potentially being neurodivergent, so please stay tuned for that!

See you all next week!

[unkledeath]

17 and 25 for all your guys?

OC Ask Meme

17. What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?

Ezra's is answered here! Content warnings definitely apply,

For Soren, it's likely his experience with Balthazar's chamber during the Gauntlet of Shar and his eventual run-in with Ketheric. He's been in denial about the negative aspects of necromancy for most of his career, and it's an upsetting wake-up call to him because he views the dead as something to be treated with kindness. The details of Isobel's death and resurrection are horrifying to him, and force him to come to grips with how his magic could harm others.

For Ibaraki, it's likely her betrayal by Orin. While she never had a great understanding of what she went through as someone raised in the church of Bhaal from childhood, she always held a deep affection for her, and didn't take her resentment seriously until it was too late. Killing Orin is the only time she ever feels sorrow in carrying out a death, because she was a sister to her.

25. What is your favorite thing about your OC?

Ezra: He is a bastard at the start of his journey. He's evil for evil's sake, evil because of pure indifference and nihilism, and he's still capable of doing good with just a little push in the right direction. He's a manipulative blackmailing serial killer who becomes capable of better by the grace of good people around him, and I'm always a sucker for a story like that.

Ibaraki: Deeply empathetic, kind, warm, loving. A monstrous killer that has zero remorse, or even acceptance that what she's doing is horrible, who considers the murder cult she was enfolded into her greatest comfort. Both apply to her, and I love that for her. (Also I've always been a big fan of oni characters.)

Soren: I've wanted to give a character a hairless tressym familiar for the longest time, but I feel like that's more what I love about Cutlet. For Soren himself, I think what I love most about him is that he's so deeply entrenched in the macabre because it's what makes him happy. He's also a deeply empathetic character despite outward appearances, and I think he's probably the BG3 OC I relate to the most.

[leafdrake-haven]

Ok so if I wanna get back into doing stuff with my OC’s I gotta like, figure out what they’re doing xD

Trying to lay some groundwork for Rhynn here.

Post War of the Spark— Not doing great. Lots of survivor’s guilt and blaming herself for being a planeswalker and wondering if she hurt Ravnica while being there. (Obviously not her fault but worrying it is) Her Ravnica friend group is trying to help but she’s being a bit flighty. Ayden (to my knowledge, if this is still @connoissuer-of-fine-vines intentions) went off to Theros without saying bye in person (he is also obviously dealing with shit).

Elrick convinces (low key forces) her to take a vacation away from Ravnica so she can get some distance from the situation. She does a blind jump and winds up on Perenia (my fan plan). Ends up meeting Helis (Fanwalker from Perenia. He wound up on Ravnica during the war and Did Not Care For That). They end up befriending each other (and being into each other 👀). I’m working on this story and have the first chapter out on tumblr. I’ve got some overall ideas how their time on Perenia goes, including some fun CONFLICT.

Rhynn and Helis end up going back to Ravnica (Rhynn had to do much convincing, Helis really didn’t want to go back there). If timing is still right Ayden is also returning to Ravnica around this time, also with new powers in tow (👀). Elrick recommends they go study magic an Strixhaven. The Gang Goes To School.

This is where timing gets funky. Cause like they have to be able to apply/get into the school and actually start studying. How long are they there before they really can pick colleges? I want Rhynn to study a little at Quandrix but also, surprisingly, mostly at Witherbloom. Life and healing magic is something she already knows a lot about. Learning more about potions/poisons is something she’s intrigued by because of Elrick. But I also want this to be a good time for her to confront her fear of necromancy. Really embracing the circle of life and death in magic. I don’t think she’ll ever be a necromancer but learning to use life force magic could be beneficial. I want her to meet Witherbloom (big life/death dragon for the Dromoka Tarkir native yes please). Low key I actually would really like if Liliana became a pseudo mentor to her while she was there. So far I’ve managed to avoid too much interaction with canon characters but hey what’s the fun in that 😅 We also had an idea for my other fanwalker Tali to be there and be an antagonist of sorts. Never got fully fleshed out though.

Back to weird timing. The phyrexian invasion is coming up and I haven’t decided where I want Rhynn to be for that. She visits Ravnica frequently and I know the Gatewatch recruited walkers there. They would know of Rhynn at least because of the WotS. And let’s be real, they could use more healers in the Gatewatch. And after WotS Rhynn really would want to help against interplanar threats. So it feels like her being recruited makes sense. Again though, that’s reeeeeally putting her into the real plot. She could easily just not be at Ravnica while people come recruiting. And tbh Elrick would NOT tell her cause he doesn’t want her running off and doing a self-sacrifice.

So! I gotta decide, insert Rhynn into the plot or nah. I think she would probably stay behind on Dominaria as like a field medic or something maybe. She might try to go to Phyrexia but I think it would scare her too much and she wouldn’t want to compromise the team. Also I keep going back and forth on if her empathic abilities would help her detect phyrexian sleeper agents or not. Feels potentially OP but not necessarily impossible. But if Jace couldn’t detect sleeper agents, then she probably couldn’t. Telepathy and empathy are different but like she’s not on his level at that.

Now post invasion. I can’t decide if she’s losing her spark or not. Narratively it could be interesting. Especially since her adopted father is a planeswalker who lost his spark before they even met. But idk I like her having it just for fun reasons. Also deciding if Elrick would want to leave Ravnica now that there are Omenpaths. Myree would love exploring but I think Elrick would be nervous leading his teenage daughter around into unknown dangers. Plus he’s made a certain amount of peace with losing his spark and not leaving Ravnica. But seeing Fiora again… showing it to Rhynn and Myree…. Hmmmmmm Dx But he loves his house and what he’s built there.

Anyway I basically have to decide if/which of my walkers are losing their sparks. Where everyone was during the invasion (lol I’m too wimpy to compleat anyone or kill anyone off). Then I can catch everyone up to the plot. Hopefully before Tarkir. I actually WAS going to make some Tarkir dragon walker OCs to kickstart my own return to Tarkir but now I wanna see how they’re gonna do it xD Might still make those characters tho….

And my planebound OCs! Will they want to leave Ravnica???? I just don’t know :O

Anyway if you made it this far in the ramblings you should go get yourself a tasty treat. Just getting my thoughts out there xD

[nfumbewalk]

Charmed, I'm Sure

Well, what a freaking great day. I don't go into much mundane here but my husband and I were put through the ringer! Seems that way. We aren't huge fans of the outside world. We're little hermit crabs. I was raised that way, he wasn't. My family was mostly antisocial. I say "was" because my grandparents are dead & my parents are dead, I have a sibling who is "dead to me," and maybe a few uncles, aunts & few cousins that are living. I can say that I don't know my family at all, anymore. Bothers me, not. Only ones I was attached to was my dad, who passed last summer & my grandma who immigrated here to Ore. from West Germany in 1947. But, ppl say ain't you white? You look white. What is this? Cultural appropriation!?!

My color never bothered my Cuban & Black teachers any! Of what? Palo & Ifá, respectfully. This was before 2016. Did not matter. Now, after the Wokedom arose, color suddenly matters. How racist is that? 😅 The deities certainly DO NOT give a crap. I get great responses & no, they aren't "unknown" spirits or whatever bullshit you see on Reddit.

Some ppl say if you build an Orisa altar without "being in the religion" that the Orisa won't see it or you & won't appreciate it! Bullshit! Ppl seriously think the Orisa are *that* narrow minded or that they don't accept the uninitiated? Flat out fucking retarded, right there! No one starts out initiated!!! Duh.

And heritage, race, creed, color has NOTHING to do with religion or spirituality. Now, no more! Done!

Onto the rest of my post. I chose the image above because Obatala has great meaning to me & I'm starting some personal goals with him He inspires me to "stay cool" which isn't really my easiest ability. He is also inspiring me to write by giving me the wisdom to know what to write, then Santa Muerte is a huge part of that - mostly helping me with critical content & drive to move forward. Obatala is also giving me the "Creator" vibe for my work, though my necromancy is definitely not as great of a creation as human life. 😊

I just got my candles in the mail, one GROSS and 48 more. I usually get two gross. Keeps my practice alive! 💀 Spendy? Not really, but learn to use white for *every* purpose & it works! A candle is a candle, just like any tool - it's the intention. Yes, ALL intent is ALL you need. Don't give me "This color is better..." Sorry. Ya won't win. Tested for 3 straight years & verified. Do I use colors? Yes, I do & love them. I'm talking getting magic results with practicality. Wins every time. There is one trick for cursing that a book threw out there years ago - turning your white candle upside down makes it work !like a black one.

No, it doesn't. Much better results sticking thin iron nails in it after anointing it with a cursing oil, like a Martial one. Burn it in front of a large piece of obsidian (like a obsidian mirror) & listen as the nails drop. A white taper is used here.

Anyways, Obatala is the King of the White Cloth. I love spending time with him. And saying his oriki (praise poems) always makes me happier. The Orisa come daily, but certain days are stronger. My mother's were with me this morning. I have to get to Obatala tonight for our routine. Santa Muerte also gets her attention, but our relationship differs than most of her devotees.

I don't ask for "stuff" from her. I pray to her for keeping me & my husband safe & together, to watch my 24 year old son, or certain friends to get well. I'm not a person of many wants or needs. Yes, I have very big forces but I am not the best liked person either. Why?

I'll speak many, many things - but the true secrets of any path? No. I was a known person before & I won't do it again, at least until my writing project takes off. Proj. #163.190 has it's wings. I'm in the beginning. Will take awhile!

Ah, well. Shit. Prolly write something else!

J. -Necromantress

[caelumsthelimit]

LESBIAN DIVORCE

YEAH OKAY SO. Flattery Mckinley and Niq Nyong’o from the georgias are commonly imagined as wives and kind of persistently happy and conflictless no matter what happens and while there’s nothing wrong with their common interp i wanted to make it more interesting!!! so anyways in this version, Niq drowns on a research mission and ends up at Atlantis where it makes her the first reality anchor in order to keep the city from falling apart post-Poseidon’s death. The city keeps her just alive enough to serve this function meaning she’s essentially undead. At first this doesn’t bother her, she meet Flattery falls in love and they get married, the two of them do their science-y thing together for a while, but eventually Niq begins to notice just how many non-native Atlanteans are some form of undead, and begins to start doing research on it. When the Georgias return to Blaseball, Niq joins due to the tales of necromancy, and convinces Flattery to join too- without telling her why which causes a big argument between them, but they make up with Flattery making Niq promise not to get hurt in her research.

When Hercules dies she’s devastated, as any good captain would be, and throws herself even harder into finding more about necromancy and new ways to do it. It’s unclear, however, how much of that is *actually* for Herc and how much is just an excuse to dive deeper. And then Dickerson comes and he has a Squiddish ring which Niq takes immense interest in, suddenly Morse finds himself placed under the eye of the umpires more and more often during solar eclipse games.

It all culminates when Niq meets Nanci Grackle and comes up with a plan to purposely get killed and resurrected, but she doesn’t even tell Flattery. So when Niq dies, Flattery is devastated. Sure, they didn’t really support how intense her research was getting but they still loved her! And so they mourn her for seasons until one day they see in the election results- she’s back! They’re so happy that it barely even crosses their mind that she might have wanted this. But next time the Pies play the Georgias Niq completely brushes her concern about all the Season 24 stuff off- her plan worked, she knows how the fans do necromancy now! which means it doesn’t matter who Parker kills if Niq wants them back they’ll come back! She’s so nonchalant about it that Flattery finally realizes it. When she asks Niq says of course the incin was on purpose she planned that for months! Flattery is of course horrified and angry and then they don’t get to talk again until the black hole swallows everything and Flattery has years to stew in the Vault :) needless to say when everyone is released the first thing Flattery does is file for divorce!

[thewritingcoroner]

WIP Masterlist

Hey guys, I haven’t made a wip masterlist or a proper writeblr intro in quite a while. Guess it’s time yeah?

About Me

I’m Mak, she/her, and I’m an adult. I write almost exclusively WLW sci-fi and fantasy and it’s rare for my stories to lack a romance subplot. I just like that shit man. I have a graduate degree in Public Policy, I'm an USAmerican so my expertise is there.

This is my main blog so sometimes I do post personal opinions, updates, and rants about whatever catches my eye. Feel free to ignore or engage with whatever, for the most part I’m very open to discussion about pretty much anything, so long as it is respectful. DM’s are always open, Asks are always open and anon always available.

What I Write

Sci-fi, usually set in space and the distant future. I'll talk more about my specific wips later in the post

Fantasy, I'm not a fan of like elves and dwarves and stuff, but I love fantasy worlds where things are wildly different from our world. Magic, superpowers, aliens, all sorts of stuff pops up in my work.

LGBTQ+/Queer characters and relationships

Political intrigue, I'm a huge politics nerd so building my own political systems and then playing in them is soooo much fun

Below the Cut: My Ever-Growing List of WIPs

Alright, so I have a very long list of wips in varying stages of progress. Here I have them listed out with the covers if they have one.

Under the Raven's Watchful Eye

UtRWE is my latest WIP inspired by Norse Mythology, specifically a retelling of the most crucial myths about Odin and Ragnarok. It has:

WLW vikings

Skaldic Poetry

tragedy and a desperate attempt to avoid one's fate

morally gray characters (esp. the MC Ashildr)

werewolves

WIP Intro here.

Heavy Lies the Heart

Oh boy, how to even explain this one.

It's a fantasy-romance set in a world completely my own. Queen Alessandra survives an assassination attempt with sheer luck and the help of a handsome rogue. The queen takes her rescuer along on the adventure of a lifetime as she tries to weed out the conspirators. Featuring:

- WLW reluctant allies to lovers

- lovable rogues

- political intrigue

- plenty of romantic tropes

- pirates!! Especially lady pirates 😏

WIP intro here, worldbuilding posts here and here.

Wolves at the Door

[No Cover]

This one's a weird one. Six childhood friends are captured and put to work by the wolf-like aliens invading earth. Exposed to their power source, the six find themselves developing supernatural powers. It's up to them to drive the Wolves off their planet.

WatD includes:

- group dynamics, siblings, childhood friends

- WLW childhood friends to lovers

- angst-addled lovers with a lot of whump

- nonbinary MC (though not the POV MC)

- necromancy

Lost Among the Stars

This is one of my main scifi wips.

Following a failed rebellion, Ran and her rebels were cryogenically frozen and sent sailing through space. When aliens discover the humans and release them, they discover that thousands of years have passed, they are the last humans in the universe, and Earth is no longer habitable. Thrust into an intergalactic struggle for dominance, the last humans in the universe have only themselves to rely on.

This WIP has:

spaaaace and aliens

political intrigue

intergalactic war

humans are space orcs

themes about the definition of home, duty, and survival

The Salvation Experiment

Another scifi wip!

Sprawled on the floor, Nyx wakes up to find a baseball bat and a pamphlet. The pamphlet displays her full name as well as some other more personal details. But on the back, in big bold letters is her “prescription.” Completion of the Salvation Experiment.

She’s not sure what any of that means, or how they got all of this information about her, but she’s pretty sure that baseball bat might come in handy.

Look out for:

themes regarding punitive justice, redemption, and vengeance vs justice

there's some religious undertones in there that I would like to explore further

The Rebel's Halo

Oh boy, so I created this wip in the middle of a full-blown manic episode. A lot of my notes don't make sense, but it's a fun little experiment.

Essentially, it's a YA dystopian wip about what happens when the government can assign guardian angels to do their bidding. It does not make sense yet lmao

Featuring:

angels

dystopian themes

surveillance states

The Last Horseman

[No Cover]

Disaster strikes NYC and Adrian Marshal is stranded. While trying to escape, she is kidnapped and brought to a strange woman who claims that Adrian is an immortal being destined to bring about the apocalypse and destroy humanity. Adrian finds herself in the middle of a great battle between light, dark, and balance and must recover her memories to return to her place as the Last Horseman of the Apocalypse.

In this wip:

immortal, star-crossed lovers (WLW)

LGBTQ+ characters (a nb character is one of the main cast)

light corrupts

themes surrounding corruption and good v evil

.

So WOW that's a lot. All of these projects are in varying stages of contemplation and drafting. Looking forward to pivoting more towards actual writing than whatever I've been chatting about.

[silvertsundere]

Silver Talks AniManga (21/04/24)

I actually haven't watched BA yet cause there aren't any (good) subs out atm and it's prob gonna take a couple days so if I have something to say about this episode I will next week but anyway

green - new series/new to me blue - finale/completed

Anime

Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night Ep 3

that was a really good ep, helps that I can relate to kiui a lot more than the other 3 too. tomita miyu did a great job as her and the direction was really good too. I saw the "twist" coming early in the episode and when they explained the story for the play I figured where it was going but it was still very well executed. now that the main cast has been assembled I'll be looking forward to what shenanigans they get up to

Kaiju 8 Ep2

also a good ep, think I liked it more than 1 despite a couple awkward bits that were better in the manga like the window opening. which speaking of opening the op sucks ass holy, I wasn't a fan of the ed in the previous ep but I was like "well it's just generic radio pop it's not that bad" but they really goofed it with the op huh. they're clearly desperate to make this a hit in the west considering how popular the manga is over here too but getting mainstream artists to do your op/ed isn't gonna help. I mean look at mashle, s2 was a lot more popular and even the manga sales got a huge boost cause of how much people liked the op. shoulda went with something catchier like that instead but whatever but anyway, I also really liked the shinomiya scenes, she's one of my favourites so it was fun seeing her in action. looking forward to her getting more scenes next ep and showing off

Wonderful Precure! Ep12

one of the best eps so far, to me, we even got some sakuga crumbs. from when the designs originally leaked yuki had my favourite design by far and her being a cat girl was good too. she's also the only one so far to commit violence which is exactly what I was hoping for. she'll probably stop it in the future cause of the other cures but I'll cherish it while I can. it's kinda weird that they made her blonde in the human form but I guess it's so the transformed and human form don't have the same hair colour. I love her voice tho, not really seen her in any roles except hoshi syoko from imas but that's a good one. she was also beryberie in the previous precure season so it's a pretty big upgrade to go from a side chara to a main cure, good for her. but yeah, I figured from the start yuki/nyammy would be my favourite and seeing her in action now solidified that idea even more, I'll be looking forward to seeing more of her in the coming eps

Manga

Kyokuto Necromance Ch1

this new series is by naba fusai who did aliens area a couple years ago. gave that a 4 in the end but it wasn't a terrible manga by any means. this one felt a lot better tho, you can really tell the author leveled up a lot since the previous series ended, the art is a lot sharper and easy to read. the chapter itself was pretty similar to the aliens area one but more engaging. they did a good job setting up the basic premise and giving a decent understanding how stuff works anyway, the powers system is similar to stands so that's cool, it's fun to see other people's take on araki's baby. we're gonna have to see with the next few chaps but just from chap 1 I think this could survive for a good while

Shadow Eliminators Ch19 (Finale)

Despite the 3 score I don't got much to say about this. Unlike something like ichigoki or ichinose fam which were REALLY bad so I had a lot to talk about, or something like aliens area or super smartphone which weren't completely terrible cause they had some neat ideas, I basically have nothing to say about this. The art and designs are REALLY good as easily the best part about this manga but everything else about it was pretty generic and forgettable. I would give this author another chance but they would have to spend a lot of time cooking to come up with something more compelling than this. They would probably be better off and teaming up with someone else and letting them do the story while they do the art cause, again, that was really really good and significantly better than the average series we get better luck next time mr kento, may you avoid the U19 club

Astro Royale Ch2

hey that was a pretty good chap too, it felt a lot like an early OP chap which is cool, I said on ch1 that we'd have to see with the next few chaps how this would go but if it continues having the same energy from these 2 chaps I could totally see this being the next long runner in the magazine. ofc it could go south in the next handful of chaps but it's a veteran author so I have some trust it won't

[livingfictionsystem]

Queen of Air and Darkness Review (SPOILERS)

It was good timing that I read this when I did because I was beginning to get self-conscious over the fact that a novel I was about to publish was nearly 600 pages. I am, by no means, a slow reader but this 900-page monster took A While.

So, the bad first. Cassandra Clare, please, I beg of you, stop with the 'We're so in love but we have something stopping us being together for three novels in a row.' With Cordelia and James, that was fraught and interesting---loads of twists and turns with the false marriage and Grace and all. It was also time-period relevant. With Tessa and Will and Jem, you came up with one of the more brilliant conclusions to a love triangle I've ever seen. The circumstances to Will's curse was darkly laughable and tongue-in-cheek creative. Clary and Jace---hated it. Categorically hated the incest bait and I knew they weren't actually related a long while before you probably wanted your audience to. Emma and Julian's star-crossed thing was almost as bad as Jace and Clary's deal.

The 'parabatai curse' felt forced and contrived. I don't recall any mention of this all-important plot device in previous novels and the explanation seemed vague and weak. The way it was resolved was an afterthought.

Also wasn't that big of a fan of Julian. He was neurotic and moody to the point where he made Jace Herondale look stable. Emma was wonderful, though.

There really is more to build a relationship other than to make it impossibly star-crossed, I promise. You seemed to realise that with Alec and Magnus and many of the other 'non-main' couples.

Speaking of which, I love, love, love that you Cristina, Kieran, and Mark to be your polyamory triad. It was a brilliant representation, but it took a frustratingly long time to get there. Even in the end, you teased us with, 'Oh but they were torn apart, never to be together aga-- JUST KIDDING.' CASSANDRA, PLEASE, I HAVE ANXIETY. But I loved their dynamics and Cristina is a *great* character. Perhaps it was my fault, being as I had such a big time gap in between reading Lord of Shadows and Queen of Air and Darkness, but I'd completely forgotten her plot with her family heirloom/Diego/Jaime. It wouldn't have hurt restating it to remind the audience, but that's also probably on me.

I wasn't quite sure how I felt about the journey to Thule at first. It was risky. On top of 'Make Idris Great Again', Star-Crossed Part 4, and Necromancy Gone Awry, I was sceptical as to whether you'd pull off a multiverse plot in the middle of the last book, but it actually worked surprisingly well.

One of the better aspects about this book is that it takes place a few years after Mortal Instruments and the Cold Peace. It shows how everyone, particularly the Blackthorns, were affected by post-war bigotry. The fact that this was written in 2018 was no surprise, as Horace Dearborn, Zara Dearborn, and Manuel Villalobos were absolute MAGA stand-ins, but I love how it translated into the magical world. And of course, seeing where Clary/Jace/Alec/Simon/Isabelle/everyone ended up was satisfying for any fan of the original series.

Wonderful with the queer representation. I believe this is the first series where you've done a transgender individual and I liked how Shadowhunter culture played into it. There were at least three queer couples on centre-stage in the entire book without it feeling exploitative, so bravo there.

I will say, the autistic representation with Ty seemed sort of heavy-handed. Just about every mention of him mentioned stimming or aversions to change and such. But as an autistic individual, I have no actual *problem* with it, as there are people like that and I've known many.

The introduction of Ash was mind-blowing and welcomed, I'd say. I can't wait to see how that character plays out. It feels sacrilegious but I almost sort of missed Sebastian.

I will say, throughout the series, Annabel Blackthorn starts out as an extremely intriguing story but it ends up nearly... written out? Like geez, have one bad breakdown and murder a couple people and suddenly, your character depth goes away. It started out strong with Malcolm's grief twisting his ambition and Annabel having understandable PTSD, but something was lost, there.

So, quite long and not without its issues, but absolutely worth the read. Especially if you're wanting some warm fuzzies about your favourite Shadowhunterverse couples.

-Xanthe

[djbunnie]

Raven new Familiar Idea!!!

I don't know about you guys? But I think it would be a fun idea if Raven has a Familiar. I have already created an OC "Tadashi Shiysuji." He is a kitsune (Japanese fox spirit) who is Raven Familiar/Butler. Don't get me wrong, I love my OC. But I feel like having a 9 tail fox kitsune as familiar would be too much and overpowering. And I wonder if I should change it?

Cats?

Let me explain!!! Let's face it. You can't beat the classics. But don't worry, I'm not a basic bitch. If I'm being honest, the black cat is a little overrated. Sorry to all black cat lovers, but it's true. That's why I want to introduce you to the Egyptian Mau. just imagine this Majestic creature beside Raven

Now the serious questions

Is the Egyptian Mau a boy or a girl?

Should the Egyptian Mau talk or not?

What kind of personality should the Egyptian Mau have?

What is his or her name?

Does the Egyptian Mau have powers?

Is the Egyptian Mau a regular cat or a mythical creature?

My answers

Female

Yes

She's vain, spoiled, manipulative, selfish and loves to be the center of attention – but she's also very passionate, determined, intelligent in old/new magic, abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation, and more. and goes to great lengths to take care of Raven. Always on top of the latest trend, designer clothing and accessories. Favorite pastime to gossip. desires the rich and glamorous lifestyle. (secretly trying to set up Raven with Damien because💰)

scarlett o'hara known as “The Love Witch”

Yes!!! Telepathic, telekinetic (only to move small items), vast knowledge of alchemy and old/ new magic, psychic (see and talk to the dead)

Mythical Creature

I'm a big fan of Salem and his origins from Sabrina the Teenage Witch. But with a little twist:

The "Love Witch" uses her beauty, spells and potions to hypnotize demon kings, powerful warlocks and men into becoming her adoring love slaves. Only to kill them and steal their power, wealth and kingdom. She tried to usurp world domination, but was turned into a cat for her crimes and sentenced to life as a cat. All her wealth and power have disappeared. For decades she has been an ugly, weak, dirty street cat. Just when everything was over and she was on the verge of death. She was rescued by Raven, who restored her to health and formed a bond with her.

I thought you'll be really funny to show how high maintenance Scarlett O'Hara is. in the corner of Raven's room is scarlett o'hara bedroom and yes scarlett o'hara collar with a heart pendant made out of gold, rubies, and diamonds.

so what do you guys think of Ravens new familiar? do you guys agree or disagree? explain why or why not? are you guys interested in involving this new oc in future skits/AU/ Fanfics? I would love to share and read ideas!!!