#but the Fairies' new year would be March 20th

[ofliterarynature]

FEBRUARY 2024 WRAP UP

[loved liked ok nope dnf (reread) book club*]

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years • The Memory Librarian • Pixels of You* • Arch-Enemies • Moby Dyke • Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures • A Sinister Revenge • Lud in the Mist • Crying in H Mart • Something Close to Magic • Hula • (Renegades) • The Divorce Colony • Foundryside • Earthlings • A Far Wilder Magic

total: 13 books (12 audiobook, 1 print)

Not as many books this month! And not just because February has fewer days, I was really in a funk this month and struggling to pay attention to my audiobooks (and enjoy them). You wouldn't think there's such a thing as too many books, but I think the overtime hours at work are hitting their peak mental health destruction. Here's to hoping things improve in March!

The Divorce Colony (4.5 stars) - genuinely can't believe this was my 3rd nonfic of the year already! I picked a print copy of this up at a library sale in December after hearing about divorce colonies in the early 20th century on a recent episode of the 99% Invisible podcast. Turns out this book was actually about the beginning of the moment that took place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in the 1800's. Western states had shorter residency periods and less strict divorce laws, so women (and the occasional man) would travel west and live there for several months in order to obtain a divorce. This book tracks the movement through the stories of 4 of the more infamous cases to make the papers, and does an incredible job of weaving in the surrounding political and religious discussions. Would recommend, and has a great cover to boot!

Renegades (3 stars) - a reread, and for some reason it was torture. I originally read this back in 2018 and loved it, and wanted to tackle it again and actually finish the rest of the series. But I kept getting worked up and frustrated this time around! It kept trying to take itself seriously while also being very YA and kind of superhero-camp, and I was absolutely overthinking it lol. I found the strength to press on into book two, Archenemies (3.5 stars). I liked it a bit more! Something about it being new, the story being a bit more settled and maybe getting a better grasp on its message/politics, the characters growing more, me figuring out that I shouldn't listen to the audiobook for more than an hour or so at a time, lmao. Not great, but fun, and possibly worth reading? I'll keep y'all updated when I finish book 3.

Hula (5 stars) - incredible. Part generational family story, part history, part discussion of what it means to be Hawaiian, culturally and legally. Not always the easiest of reads, but it was so so worth it. It was also doing something very interesting with parts of the narration voiced by a collective "we" (culture/community?) that I would love to get a look at in print. Highly recommend, I'll definitely be getting myself a copy.

Something Close to Magic (4.5 stars) - an absolute delight! The Gail Carson Levine comp on this one is not entirely unearned, anyone who's a fan of fairy tale type fantasies will enjoy this, I had a great time! Very interestingly, it has characters who are in their mid to late teens, but is written in a way where they're still allowed to be young, to the point I'm surprised it didn't get shoehorned into MG instead of YA. If the author writes any more of these I'd be happy to read them.

Crying in H Mart (3.5 stars) - nonfic number 4! I'm sure everyone's heard of this one by now, which is why I finally picked it up. It's fine (which is why it got an extra .5 star), but on the scale of take it or leave it, I'd leave it. It just wasn't for me and I kind of wish I'd dnf'd it. A great cover though.

Lud-in-the-Mist (3.5 stars) - this one seems to be considered a sort of early precursor to fantasy and fairy tale type stories from the early 20th century, and I was eager to try it! While I definitely don't think it would feel out of place amongst it's more recent fellows (think the Last Unicorn, Robin McKinley, DWJ, etc), I absolutely could not get into it. Probably the chief recipient of "my brain doesn't want to cooperate, sorry," so maybe I'll give it another shot someday.

A Sinister Revenge (4 stars) - enjoyable as always! Not to hide this deep in my reviews or anything, but have the Emily Wilde people tried Veronica Speedwell yet?

Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures (3 stars) - This one's been sitting unread on my shelf for a while, and since I was on a bit of a Maggie Stiefvater run, I figured it was perfect! Well. Unless you are like 7, this was so bad. Not good. Having previously read and not liked a book by Maggie's co-author Jackson Pearce, I think it would not be unreasonable for me to assume she did most of the writing while Maggie did the illustrations - if the audiobook had been any longer than 4 hours I'd have absolutely DNF'd it, and I have no intention of continuing the series.

Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in the Country (4.5 stars) - part of me was wondering what I was doing trying this lol, not being someone who drinks or goes to bars, OR, as previously mentioned, is not the biggest fan of memoirs. It was not, as I hoped, also part research project, but it is a travelogue, and as a consequence has a strong narrative thread. It also has a lot of discussions about issues in the LGBTQ+ community, and overall I really liked it once I figured out what it was doing!

Pixels of You (3.5 stars) - a very short sapphic rivals-to friends-to lovers graphic novel about a human-form AI and a human with an android eye competing for a photography internship at an art gallery. The creators clearly put SO much thought into their characters and worldbuilding, but sadly there is nowhere near enough length here to do it all justice, and a number of elements felt very odd or under explored. The relationship parts are great! I just think this needed to be twice as long to really given everything its due, or maybe explored in prose instead.

The Memory Librarian (3.5 stars) - to start, I know nothing about the musical album this is related to, so I don't know how much that might have affected my reading. Overall I wasn't super impressed - when I discovered that the first story was cowritten by Alaya Dawn Johnson - no shade to her - I almost dropped it then, I just really didn't like her writing style in the one book I've read. But I stuck through it. Of the five stories, only one really stuck in my mind - Nevermind, cowritten by Danny Lore, which I could have read an entire novel about. I wish I could recommend it on its own, but overall I just don't quite understand the world Monae has created.

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years (3.5 stars) - I probably should say more about the book, it was fine, I was surprised to find that it's set in relatively current day, I found myself a lot more interested in the second narrative about the house's history, which did make me cry a bit. Mostly though, I really just want to let you know how MUCH of a non-entity the djinn was in this story, I have no idea why it was there and why it was included in the title of the book. All the author had to do was make the house a little more sentient and haunted and it would be fine, idk. Read it if you want, but it's not one I would rec.

DNF'S

Foundryside - I was so ready. I had the first two audiobooks checked out, I had the third one on hold. I started this but oh, the writing. bleh. I was looking thought reviews and someone referred to it as something like "21st century internet speak." In a high fantasy novel. I noped out at just 10%.

Earthlings - I've considered the author's other book before but haven't read it, but thought maybe a sci-fic book would work better for me? The beginning was odd but not uninteresting, and I might have continued if it had stayed that way. But then the main character was in school(?) and her teacher started getting handsy after class and I wasn't invested enough to stick it out.

A Far Wilder Magic - the success of Something Close to Magic made me a little too hopeful I think, bc while I'm still a little leery around YA, I know people have liked this. And it sounded interesting, truly, and I love the cover. But first it was the religion stuff. And I didn't really like the characters. Then it's like, oh, this is the same plot as The Scorpio Races, but nowhere near it's quality in any shape or form. I decided to stop while I was ahead, before I started to actually dislike it. (anyway here's your PSA to go read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, I recommend doing it in October if you can).

[cursedbluebird]

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

tagging: you

---

Name: Rosie

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday (no year): March 24

Where are you from? What is your time zone? Nebraska, CST

Roleplay experience: since 2009

Got any pets? Freya and Bast the naughtiest kitties in the universe

Favorite time of year: Fall

Some interests and things you like: sewing, thinking way too much about clothes

Some funfacts & trivia about you: - I wrote my undergrad thesis on the progression fashion of the 20th c, but I am terrible about keeping up on modern fashion

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? L E G E N D O F Z E L D A.... I love Majora's Mask... Hero of Time my beloved baby boy..... I also love Okami so much. I'm a sucker for fairy tales and mythology.

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: I'm actually not a big pokemon person! I started with Y. Ghosts and Psychic are my faves, particularly Mimikyu, Meowstic, and Hoopa. Gengar is also shaped like a friend :)

How did you get into Fire Emblem? I had been interested in the series since the GBA days but it wasn't until I got my 3ds and awakening that I got the chance to play a game.

What Fire Emblem games have you played? Awakening, Conquest & Birthright, 3H, Shadows of Valentia

First Fire Emblem game: Awakening

Favorite Fire Emblem game: Fates or 3H

Any Fire Emblem crushes? Oh my God Niles hi tee-hee... Tho Seteth damage art did get me into playing feh... And uh... My husband does look like Xander ...and his name is.... Alexander........🥴 I've posted my questionable taste in fe characters you can find it in the chat if you search

If you’ve played the following games, who was your first S support? - Awakening: Chrom- Fates: oh good God idr.... Kaze? I know I did Niles in one run... Did I do Stahl in Birthright? Kaze in conquest and Stahl in Birthright sounds right- Three Houses: Dimitri - Engage: haven't played engage. Place your bets for fun

Favorite Fire Emblem class: I like the magic classes! Healing and attacking! Tho Camilla's malig knight does have a special place in my heart 💜

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class? Dark magic user...I do not escape the goth aesthetic.... Unfortunately I am too much of a noodle to be a malig knight 😞

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Fear the Deer!!! (Side note, bless my luck bc when I ordered a leftover bundle from fodlans fables I got the deer. A cosplayer I look up to also offered me her deer pin from the fe3h preorder bonus which had me 🥹)

If you were an Engage character, which Emblem would you Engage with? I don't know what this means but I copied this from Erica and her answer was funny.

How did you find TOA? I track the Marianne tag on Tumblr and saw the previous Marianne drop. The old shit post emblem group I was in was falling apart and I thought it would be nice to join a new one.

Current TOA muses: Marianne, Camilla, Triandra

Who was your first TOA muse? If you don’t have them anymore, could you see yourself picking them up again? Marianne my cursed little blue bird 💙 I've thought about dropping her, thinking that maybe someone else would do a better job, but I just can't let her go.

Have you had any other TOA muses? Other than cami and Tria nope

Do you think you have a type of character you gravitate towards? Um??? I don't know? I got told that Tria was a Rosie muse when I reserved her so I guess y'all know better than me lol

What do you believe you enjoy writing the most? I like writing horror and setting the scene :) my favorite part about combat events is describing the creatures we're facing from my characters pov

Favorite TOA-related memory: What Kent told Mari in her first lore event about the importance of healers have lived rent free in my memory since it happened. Also Griss trying to blow himself up in the arena and despite his best efforts not succeeding.

Got any delusions that didn’t see the light of day in TOA that you’d like to share? Charlotte is one I've thought about and is the one most likely to send Triandra packing....there are an awful lot of men at the academy who would do a great job taking care of her and her family 😏

[monstercollection]

I’ve been slacking with my Literary Tarot Challenge posts so I’m going to do a quick drop with summaries of the ones I most recently finished, and hopefully get around to longer reviews of them later.

The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon (Nine of Parchment)- diary of an 11th century gentlewoman in the Imperial court of Japan. Sei is just… the most. She’s so much. She’s petty, she’s decadent, she’s conceited. She’s 100% That Bitch. I love and hate her in equal measure.

This was an absolutely fascinating window into the Heian Era but I had to WORK for it. Reading a book written 1,000 years ago is hard enough, but as someone from the US with only a second-hand familiarity with Japanese culture, Buddhism and Shinto, there were a so many new concepts I had to learn. Lots of good appendices in the edition I read that helped with unfamiliar vocab and cultural references (and I’ll edit to include which one I read when I get home). By far the hardest book I’ve read for the challenge and the first one I thought I might not finish.

“The Outsider” by H. P. Lovecraft (The Tower)- Short story about a sad, lonely haunted monster man, so basically my bullshit. My familiarity with Lovecraft and his mythos extends to having read Call of Cthulhu in college and playing a few board games based on his stories. I think I’d have gotten a little more out this one if I’d known more about his interconnected lore but I don’t necessarily feel the urge to delve further into Lovecraft’s work. It definitely stands on it’s own as a solo story.

“Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street” by Herman Melville (Four of Light)- this is probably one of those stories assigned to me in high school or college that I either read just enough to fake my way through or read but remember nothing about.

It’s a short story about a lawyer who seems to collect weird, quirky, flawed little men for employees. He is extremely compassionate and I can’t tell if the lengths he goes to for them is supposed to make him the butt of a joke or if we’re supposed to see them through his eyes and empathize with them the way he does. I feel like it’s the latter. It’s stance seems to be that no one should suffer for being weird, lonely or mentally ill.

I’m sure my high school teacher bent it into some kind of puritan morality tale about how there is no point in helping those who won’t help themselves, but it doesn’t hit that way.

Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery (The Star) - I don’t understand why Emily has not gotten the same attention and love as Anne of Green Gables. This is a beautiful story deeply into the category of Magical Realism, Emily’s world is as full of fairies and nature spirits and prophetic visions as it is the injustices of early 20th century childhood.

It pushes so many boundaries. I can see why it would not have been popular in it’s own time— there is a healthy level of blasphemy from Emily and her father who believe that their loving God exists as a separate being from the puritanical God everyone else preaches about.

It also radically asserts the idea that children are whole beings deserving of the same rights as adults. Almost every child in the book is living with some kind of abuse or neglect— and it’s not treated as “period-appropriate parenting techniques” but as the actual injustice it is.

I’m going to do a longer post on Emily soon because I have SO MANY FEELINGS about it. It might just be my favorite thing I’ve read for the challenge so far.

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot (The Hanged Man)- How are we all sitting around for tea when the slow march of time leads us ever closer to death? The helplessness in the face of existential inevitability made this one feel just right for the Hanged Man

“The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin (Temperance)- Hard sci-fi short story about a pilot who has to make the choice between jettisoning a stowaway into space or running out of fuel before he can deliver medical supplies to a colony. This was emotional as hell but a really good story.

[starlostseungmin]

play with fire.

pairings — prince!hyunjin x princess!reader ft. prince!seungmin and prince!chan

genre — angst, smut, fluff, royal au

warnings — nsfw, unprotected sex, slight degrading, swearing, mentions of pregnancy (once), blood, murder and death, playing with fire, reader knows witchcraft, lowercase intended.

words — 12.6k

note — sorry this took really a lot of time, even myself didn't expect this to be this long. i know this sucks since i'm new in this genre and i can't write a proper smut but this serves as practice for future writings. but do please let me know :( ps. not proof read.

— play with fire teaser.

— check masterlist for the series.

— 20th of March, year 1800, a healthy baby boy was born in the break of dawn. the kingdom rejoiced to the good news from the king's messenger that the hwang family has finally brought the next heir to the throne. the king and queen were delighted to be blessed with a son who will soon take over the entire kingdom and will inherit the pure goodness and delicate morality of the royal family.

he was named hwang hyunjin. the surname brings and depicts the royal family and hyunjin means kindhearted and to become true. there is no doubt that he will be a good ruler when the time comes. his father is a good man who did a lot of donations, have provided tight security for the safety of his people in their kingdom and promised good job opportunities for both men and women. his wife possesses kindness, she was the head of the parliament who gives good and fair judgment and has the beautiful face which everyone's eye candy. the admirable acts that the king and queen have made wasn't limited to the humans. fairies, trolls, animals and shape-shifters witness the hearts of gold of the royal couple. the news of the new born baby had spread across the neighboring kingdoms and the forest as well where these mystical creatures live. the fairies and trolls agreed to give one gift as the animals and shape-shifters contributed one useful ability for the prince.

as the night arrived, the king and queen's bedroom was visited by the fairies and trolls to see the baby on his crib. they were pleased to witness such a healthy and handsome young prince.

“here is the gift in exchange of the good deeds this kingdom has done to the mystical creatures.” the leader of the fairies stated. “the magic of fire will provide him strength, wisdom, light and purification.” the leader of the trolls and the fairy laid their hands gently on the prince's chest where his heart was located. as their eyes were shut, a gentle light from their hands glowed, implanting the magic of fire to his heart. fire symbolizes strength, wisdom and purification but it will be danger, destruction and pain towards the enemies. when the leader of the fairies and trolls were done, the king of the forest, the wolf and the leader of shape-shifters gave the prince the ability to transform as a raven whenever his heart desires.

“a raven that has wisdom and insight, a smart creature that would help the prince for his future laws and acts, he will provide healing, light and affection to the ones under the darkness.” the ability to shape-shift will be useful in the future, it will serve as an eye and a look-out for approaching danger or it will depend how the prince would use it for his own benefit. yet warnings were given ahead. the mystical creatures always knew how hyunjin will use the gifts in the ways of uprightness but his powers must remain confidential from the public.

in fairytales, when everyone is happy to the great news, there is also one who is not pleased. in hyunjin's fairytale, it is an old wizard who can shape-shift himself in to a werewolf. he travelled north from christark to the kingdom of targarhyun. his hatred for the royal family is enormous for he was banished from the lands because of his cruel deeds. the wizard found sanctuary near the christark kingdom in which he could never be disturbed and lived his dark days. and when the news of the new born price of targarhyun, he guessed it is time to meet up an old friend.

of course he would bring a gift — a curse for the new born prince in exchange for being exiled. soon he was killed by the king's men piercing a silver spear on his chest but it was a little too late when the baby was devoured by the curse and the words from the wizard's mouth was irreversible: “on his 18th birthday, a full moon will be witnessed and when his bare skin touches the illuminating light he will turn into a werewolf who will show no mercy to his victims. he will suffer nothing but pain, he will feel no love but madness and despair.”

the king and queen were the ones who fell in to despair, he said no cure for the their poor son and the spell is too strong to eliminate. even the fairies who have magic cannot make it disappear nor the christark people who can shape-shift themselves as werewolves but the good ones. the king of christark came to visit the targarhyun kingdom, days after the tradegy, “your majesty, we're so sorry for the prince's fate. but we offer a gift that will lessen the strong magic that surrounds him.” he said.

“i'm very much thankful for it.” hyunjin's father said with sadness in eyes yet he still have hope to find a cure for his son's painful curse. the king of christark took a small box from his guard which contains a necklace in which an small stone of an amethyst crystal serves as a pendant, “this won't guarantee cure, but the magic of the crystal that our ancestors have left will help him find inner peace. the hideous beast that lies within the prince is not easy to be cured. we cannot rely on the crystal.” the king of christark says, looking at the couple. “he won't be able to use his magic when he turns in to a wolf but you must keep him away when he turns 18.”

the king and queen exchanged glances, they cannot do anything but to accept the fate of their only child.

years passed and his parents hid the secret until he discovers it on his own. they made sure that no one will ever find out about the hideous form that lies within their little boy, waiting to be awaken. the king was left in anger and got depressed because of the curse. he commanded his men to look for wizards, witches or anyone who has magic just to find a cure but they've got nothing.

“mother, what is this old lady doing?” the young prince would ask when he met the queen of minnister who has a background of witchcraft and studied spells all her life. his mother would chuckle and would set up a lie as an excuse that the queen of minnister is just checking his health. “oh, a doctor.” hyunjin smiled and the queen from the other kingdom would look at him with brightness, hiding the cruel reality of the 8-year-old boy in front of her.

“i'm afraid your son has no hope.” the queen of minnister would tell hyunjin's mother.

only a nod and a sad sigh was made from the queen of targarhyun as a response. even potions won’t work. hyunjin would often asked them is he is sick or has a lifetime illness for he is being checked by witches and wizards who disguises themselves as doctors. but the truth remain hidden. nevertheless, the boy was raised in a bright and good palace household. everyone who were working for the royal family is his friend and they couldn't help but love the adorable young prince.

hyunjin was kind, a gentleman and smart at a very young age. his parents brought him private tutors who taught him proper etiquette, art, literature and mathematics while his parents took care of the laws, rules, political science and how to rule the kingdom when he takes over the crown. even the swift strategic moves and sword fights were so easy on him. learning to control his fire magic and shape-shifting trainings were held privately by the mystical creatures. even the fairies and ravens made him promise not to show it to anyone except his parents. fortunately, the young prince is a fast learner and can follow instructions really well. the king and queen were impressed on how their son managed to learn quickly on his subjects and understood the meaning of life but, eventually forgot about the curse in which they promised to give the prince a normal childhood.

at the age of 14, hyunjin got recognized for his stunning visuals. the townsfolk on the other hand like him so much and would claim that he is more handsome than his father when he was young. aside from being smart and a gentleman, the ladies swoon over to his beauty and bright personality. the prince was also gifted by the talent of dancing and art, he even made a portrait of him and the king and queen which now hanging on the walls of the grand hall. and of course, his ability to rule is also mainly recognized. it is the way he speak, he is wise with words and the kind gestures he would perform for their people is indeed fit for a king. the parliament in which her mother leads made good discussions and have seen the potential of the young prince to be king in the future.

in their country, there were 8 kingdoms in total. the christark, grayleeknow, seortell, targarhyun, hanratheon, felly, minnister and irell. each leader of each kingdom are mandated to sign a peace treaty to preserve peace and friendship that were made by the past rulers of each kingdom and that no other state shall interfere and destroy the independence of their country. another signing of the treaty will occur when each kingdom has crowned their next heirs. the princes of each kingdom are also friends and will be crowned in the same year, soon become kings on their own kingdoms. they were hyunjin's best friends who would always back him up when he needs it. seungmin, from minnister, is his very closest friend among them. the one who visits him once in two months.

4 years later, seungmin didn't break his usual routine in visiting targarhyun ever since they were 10. he's been spending his breaks or even holidays in hyunjin's kingdom since it is rare to make the latter visit minnister because of one incident.

“you'll be 18 in two weeks. i am afraid i have to see that annoying friend of ours.” the younger prince told him. seungmin is a few months younger than hyunjin that is why latter has the authority sometimes to guide the young one whenever he comes to visit. the two were seen riding their horses in the streets of targarhyun with guards behind them, the townsfolk were very happy to take glimpse of the two handsome princes together on a stroll.

“which friend are you talking about?” hyunjin asked seungmin.

“jisung.” the younger prince answered making hyunjin chuckled. seungmin gave him a puzzled look and smirked. “you weren't in good terms back then.”

“we do but, we're over it.” hyunjin smiled. “besides, father taught to me not to engage hatred and fights with the neighboring kingdoms because of the peace treaty. i won't be the first one to ruin it.”

“oh really? aside from jisung, you were mad about my twin sister, y/n.” hyunjin halted his horse as seungmin looked at him again. the other prince stopped on his tracks and waited for the older one to answer. he saw how hyunjin's mood changed and regretted bring up your name to him. “i'm sorry. i shouldn't have—”

“no, it's okay.”

there was this one incident when hyunjin's mother and him first visited minnister leaving the kingdom of targarhyun on her husband's hands alone during two days time. the three of you were 13 and seungmin introduced you to his dear friend while both of your mothers were having a cup of tea somewhere inside the castle. at a young age, the queen taught you witchcraft and spells as it was a tradition for all women in the royal family. being naive and clumsy, you were the total opposite of your fraternal twin brother, seungmin. describing the minnister's young prince, he is smart, a quick-learner, persistent, he could control his emotions and has a very large potential to be king in the future. seungmin is strictly trained to master laws, mathematics and political science while you were left to master magic and literature. you admit that it's not easy to be raised in a royal family and learn things that you didn't like when you only come as the second option. but you never hated seungmin even if he's the one who always have the freedom to do anything he wants yet he is sincere and is the sweetest brother you could ever ask for.

“hi, it's nice to meet you, your highness.” hyunjin said dashing a smile, offering his hand. a hint of red started to be visible on your cheeks as your palm met his when he kissed the back of your hand.

“nice to meet you too, your highness.” you bowed at him. but you could ignore what you felt when you bare skin touched each other. it wasn't giving you butterflies in your stomach, but a dark magic. the smile on your lips faded as you looked at the handsome young prince standing in front of you with innocent eyes but you could see the darkness behind them. “there's dark magic in you.” you told him as hyunjin got confused, even seungmin himself.

“what?”

“you're cursed.” you responded. “don't worry, i'll help you.” without thinking, hyunjin didn't really know what you're trying to do when you held his hand again and casted the wrong spell in which you thought it was meant for healing and removing a curse. the young prince's eyes turned red as his body reacted to the spell. he started to had a hard time breathing and collapsed on the ground. his chest tightened as the dark magic showed hints of his hideous form. the amethyst crystal on his necklace managed to lessen the aggressiveness but it wasn't too much of a help. even seungmin was alarmed and asked the guards to call the queen quickly.

you were shocked on your own fault when you realized that hyunjin was dying. guilt startled you and started to panic, regretting your own wrong job. the two queens hurriedly went out of the castle and found the three of you in the garden. your mother immediately casted a spell to remove the wrong one you've made and managed to calm hyunjin down making the him pass out. the queen of targarhyun almost fainted at the sight of her son, the curse is supposed to be hidden from everyone and now even seungmin knew.

you got scolded after that and the queen of targarhyun distanced hyunjin from you. seungmin got to visit him alone in their kingdom instead. they said they forgive you for being reckless as you were a young child but it's best to be far away and let your mother or brother visit them leaving you in the shadows.

“are you sure?” seungmin asked hyunjin after remembering what happened to them.

“i'm not mad at her. i couldn't even remember what happened to me.” hyunjin chuckled. seungmin remembered what his mother told him about his friend being cursed. she said not to tell anyone about what he saw that day and keep it a secret, even if hyunjin is his close friend, the curse must remain hidden. “how is she by the way?” he asked.

“getting better in her subjects.” seungmin responded as hyunjin gave him a nod as they proceed to stroll on horseback.

“why don't she come here with you?”

“she felt guilty and embarrassed of what happened to you.”

“tell her that i'm not mad. i would love to see her again so we could talk.”

“i'll tell her when i get home.” seungmin reassured.

“you're so serious seungmin.” hyunjin chuckled again but the younger prince could only bit his lower lip to the fact that hyunjin doesn't know about his fate.

“forgive me your highness. the memory of the incident is so vivid for me to remember.” seungmin said which made hyunjin smiled.

“i said it's okay. it was only a dumb spell. nothing happened to me anyways.” but seungmin wasn't convinced. his friend has been left out in the shadows that he couldn't help but worry. “and by the way, the last one's nincompoop!” hyunjin exclaimed as he gave his horse the cue to run. seungmin was dumbfounded in a second but he tried not to kill the vibe as excitement melted him.

“hey! that's not fair!” he exclaimed and chased after hyunjin.

and the fun only lasted for a few hours and hyunjin was instructed to go back to the palace. prince seungmin immediately left after giving his notice and promised to come back in two weeks for his best friends' birthday. the worried king and queen were already aware about what's going to happen. they had to plan something to avoid the curse their son has and even tried to find a cure. searched for good wizards and witches but nothing seems to help. hyunjin never knew about his fate but what is written on his book, is going to happen, nevertheless, hyunjin cannot escape his destiny.

as the kingdom were busy for the preparation of the celebration of his 18th birthday, hyunjin kept himself busy after finishing his lectures. he would go to the woods to visit the fairies by his raven form then showed them how he could control the gift of fire the gave him. the animals, trolls and the shape-shifters love it when he come to visit before the sunset. the young prince felt free to be himself in the forest with his mystical friends. he could use the fire and shape-shift in to a raven whenever his heart desires. but if it's not the in woods, the raven magic that flows within his body is useful when sometimes he roams around the kingdom in the form of a bird watching his people go on with their normal lives. hyunjin keep them a secret as he is a man on his words. he's been hiding his abilities for years and wouldn't risk to show that he is not a normal human. at first he couldn't understand why nature gave him something beyond imagination but he is happy with what he has, he is delighted and pleased to have a kingdom filled with good, hospitable and kind people. even his parents were happy, targarhyun is always bright and magical. but every light has darkness, and every happy times has an equivalent of tragedy.

days passed by and the celebration will start in a few minutes. the king and queen meant to schedule the birthday party during daylight and end it before dark. the queen's astrologist claims to have a full moon tonight and this gave them fear. they were afraid of what will happen to their son and couldn't imagine how their guests would react if they witness his change of appearance, especially his own friends.

hyunjin woke up feeling weird himself as if he's sick and his body was feeling hot. but the boy didn't tell anyone and ignored the symptoms, he claims to tell his mother that he is sick after the party so he could enjoy his birthday. yet the weird feeling that flows within his veins didn't made him smile. he managed to get up and eat breakfast as if there's nothing going on, received gifts and smiled as if he doesn't feel pain that stumbles within his chest.

the clock stroke 12 in the noon, hyunjin was on his way to the hall but eventually he stopped walking when he saw a mirror. his reflection was perfect, his black hair that touches his shoulder and his parted bangs that drapes towards his cheeks, the creamy white long sleeved polo as top and black jeans, with black shoes as well as the white cloak hanging on his shoulder emphasizes his elegant appearance. he took his time ripping a piece of cloth from his sleeve and tied a small amount of hair at the back of his head to complete the look. but there was no smile written on his face. he stared at himself for a few seconds and left the hallway in silence.

he arrived at the hall and took his way downstairs as everyone's eyes focused on him. the announcer made everyone aware of his presence but when his parents saw him, they saw the dark energy that follows their son, the same dark aura from the wicked wizard who cursed him, 18 years ago. the spell is now starting to work. chan, the eldest prince of christark, sensed the dark atmosphere from hyunjin's presence. he knew about his curse when his father told him so. even himself, didn't know how to cure the spell who controls his friend after studying witch craft and werewolves. not even the necklace that was given, helped.

hyunjin went straight ahead to the throne, walking down the aisle with the red carpet. normal people couldn't see the darkness he possesses. even himself isn't aware of his own sad story.

“all hail, the prince of targarhyun!” all eyes were on the young prince, even his friends were proud to see him celebrate his 18th birthday. seungmin who got excited, approached him as he shook his hand.

“congratulations on your birthday, brother.” hyunjin smiled at his presence and looked around to see his people.

“it's nice to have this grand celebration, i hope you are enjoying it.” hyunjin responded.

“hyunjin.” a familiar voice was heard. “can i talk to you in private?” seungmin and hyunjin looked at the eldest person on their group of friends, it was chan.

“of course.”

“you go ahead, i'll have to go with jisung and felix.” seungmin told him leaving hyunjin with a chuckle. chan was already out of his sight but sure he could find him in the corner of the grand hall.

the older prince was drinking wine as he looked outside the large window as he directs his attention to the beautiful scenery of the palace's garden. he was too amused that he didn't even notice hyunjin is coming closer to his direction. the young boy seems to sense that chan would say something important as the way he moves. hyunjin took a glance on seungmin who was bickering with jisung because of a cookie while felix tried to calm them down but his gaze went back to chan who's back is facing towards him.

“celebrations like this, usually happens in the evening.” chan stated as hyunjin gave him a puzzled look. “the sun is high up and it's hot outside but the beauty of this place shines, still.”

“is there anything you needed to say to me?” hyunjin asked him as chan laid his glass on the table.

“a full moon will rise at the end of the sunset. it will be the brightest full moon for the last 200 years and it will be the most beautiful one.” chan started as hyunjin was left confused. “but the brightness of its light coming from the sun will bring tragedy to mankind.”

“will a full moon start a war? i'm sorry, i'm confused.” chan just smiled at him and patted his shoulder. hyunjin got suspicious of his friend, he wasn't a traitor or anything but he knew that chan knows something that he doesn't.

“i'm happy to see you well. but i must warn you with your abilities hyunjin. not all knows how capable you are on danger.” hyunjin looked at chan, the remaining bright energy he tried to store faded. he knew hyunjin wouldn't risk anything to start a war or danger that will affect the 8 kingdoms or even his people. but chan is hinting that something bad might happen because of him.

hours felt like seconds to hyunjin when he tried to figure out what chan was talking about. who knows what chan was doing in targarhyun when he is supposed to be back in christark with his family. but his father told him to see hyunjin after daylight. the king and queen were already aware that chan knows about the curse and he is there to help. everyone left when the party is over except him and seungmin. the latter was waiting for his twin sister to arrive after making a decision to stop by and visit targarhyun kingdom years after the incident and after receiving a telepathy from you.

curiosity filled your system when your brother would tell things about his best friend with fantasy in his eyes. at first you were hesitant to come with him because of princess duties and to cover up the given responsibilities from your own parents who are currently out of the country. never forget the wrong spell you casted on him yet you wanted to know how he was doing. meanwhile, hyunjin felt ill and went to his room, his parents made sure he wouldn't come out until sunrise. the astrologist was right, the full moon have its beauty giving light on the land on a dark night. on the other hand, your brother saw you approaching the gates on a horseback and gave you a glare.

“y/n. what the hell? it's 7pm! i am supposed to go back in minnister!” seungmin scolded as you landed on your feet. “you came here alone?!”

“it was a reckless last minute decision and you didn't wait for me!” you argued as chan stood there watching you and your twin brother bicker. of course, travelling alone from targarhyun from minnister is a crucial 6-hour ride on a horseback but sure you were brave enough to be alone on the road in a broad daylight with no guards.

“princess y/n, oh my goodness! we weren't informed you'd come to visit.” the queen said welcoming you at the entrance of the castle.

“your majesty, forgive me for the sudden presence of my reckless sister. she wanted to come with me to the party but this imbecile is late and didn't made up her mind earlier.” seungmin defended when you gasped and got annoyed to what he just called you.

“imbecile?! you son of a b—” but before you could say anythingg else, the prince has the right to shut your mouth by covering it with his hand.

the commotion from three floors below was weird for hyunjin to hear crystal clear as he lays on his bed with a thick duvet. the maids believed he got a high fever after the party as he is sweating uncontrollably but his heart beat started to get faster, feeling the pain in his chest. the cold breeze of the wind the comes from the gap on his window didn't even help to ease him down. the urge to get up from the mattress wouldn't help either but the essence of the moon and the light that enters his room is calling him to come outside. his feet dragged him towards the balcony as the light touched his bare skin, his eyes were mesmerized by the beauty of the moon, not realizing the black turned into red and andrenaline rush became painful. the sound of his scream was heard all over the place and the king and queen was alarmed, including chan who let the time slipped from his hands. seungmin got worried and you got confused by the sudden scream of the young prince coming from his room. even the guards tried to open his door but it was locked yet they still managed to come in to see no shadow of their son, only a broken crystal necklace.

“he's gone.” the king said seeing the empty room. the queen collapsed on the floor as his husband quickly assisted her.

“chan please find my son, he could be in danger.” the queen said as chan gave them a reassuring nod.

“but promise to stay safe until hyunjin comes back.” chan responded. “it will be too dangerous to have guards with me, it's better to settle with a werewolf as well.” the boy immediately left as you took a small bow and followed chan downstairs, seungmin was left dumbfounded yet he managed to follow the both of you.

“is there something that you need to tell me chan?” the younger boy exclaimed, taking his steps downstairs. “and why is y/n following you?”

chan took his time to stop and faced the younger prince and smiled, “the party, and you yourself isn't the only reason why y/n is here. i sent a letter two days ago in minnister for her to read.” seungmin was stunned as he looked at his charming little sister who didn't even bother to tell him.

“you're here for what?” seungmin asked you.

“apparently chan needed my help to tame your best friend. no secret will remain unraveled.” you responded. “i guess they didn't tell you?”

seungmin couldn't believe how you manage to keep a secret from him. he knew about hyunjin's curse but you, not telling him that you're coming over to help chan, is a surprise. he has the knowledge about your witchcraft trainings and chan didn't even bother to tell him that you got invited to tame hyunjin. you weren't the reckless girl anymore who almost killed the young prince and promised yourself to become better. and so you did. the people in minnister recognizes you for being good at casting spells and do magic all in ways of uprightness. not unless if you got provoked, you might actually kill someone with the ability you have.

“i feel betrayed.” he sighed. “but promise me you'll be okay.” the boy said as he held your shoulders tightly waiting for your response. seungmin is a sweet brother you could ask for. though there are times that you fight against each other but the love he has for you is more important than the things that make him feel insecure towards you.

“i'm with chan, i'm sure i'll be fine.” you reassured him as he gave you a nod.

“then i'll wait here.” seungmin said letting go of your shoulder and took a step back. you went back to your horse and hopped on its back as you saw chan transformed into his wolf form and started running to the woods in which he could smell the scent of hyunjin. the horse followed the wolf and proceeded to the forest while seungmin and hyunjin's parents were left stunned in the castle. worried by the absence of their son, seungmin was left with the responsibility to look after them. the king and queen barely remembers what the old wizard said when he casted the spell on their son. probably the only hint of his was hyunjin will turn into a loathing werewolf with no mercy at the light of the full moon.

the forest was deep and dark, the fairies heard the commotion and sensed the young prince's curse lurking around the woods. chan was alarmed and you were ready to cast spells on him to make his body numb and unable to move but things happen so suddenly. the animals living in the forest hid for their lives and the trolls didn't even bother to leave their places, shape-shifters got no match for him yet there was no cure.

“how far did he went?” you asked chan as he shifted back to his human form.

“not far enough. he's heading to town.”

“shit. how do we catch him with no witness?”

“right, the curfew is 9 pm. the townsfolk might've caught a glimpse of him. let's go.” when chan shifted back to his werewolf form, your horse immediately followed him. the gust of the wind is carrying hyunjin's scent that made it easy for chan to track him down. your eyes suddenly gazed at the sky were luminous of stars were shining surrounding the bright full moon. there were old tales within the 8 kingdoms that when a person was cursed to be werewolf caused by the light of the moon, the victim must dance in a circle of fire by midnight on the first friday of every month. it will not guarantee cure but it will lessen the evilness and pain.

hyunjin was caught causing chaos in town, humans ran for their lives and hid inside their homes but one poor victim was caught under his larger paws and sharp claws. he couldn't control himself at that time and the redness of his eyes were red as blood but his stare is cold as ice. the desire of smelling human blood was so sweet to him. the man was choked by hyunjin's strong grip as he lifted his arm and swiftly left a large, deep scratch on his body, ripping the man into pieces. a howl as heard, the howl that was loud that the king and queen could hear the animal that devoured their son's human form. it was a little too late for the both of you to reach hyunjin in that time that he had fled to find another one to kill. the poor dead body of the man was scattered on the streets along with his fresh blood and the townsfolk didn't like what they saw. it was a first attack of a beast after 500 years.

“there he is!” you exclaimed upon seeing the wild werewolf killing another victim. chan immediately threw himself to hyunjin who is two times larger than his own werewolf form. the prince stumbled on the ground as you restrained your horse from the fear of the dead bodies. you landed on your feet and ran towards them and chanted the spell but hyunjin was quick enough to throw chan away from his body as he ran away. chan turned himself back to his human form in which he got injured when he hit the log piles beside the street after hyunjin blew him off. your spell didn't even manage to reach the prince who is now out of sight.

“goddammit!” chan groaned.

“stay there. i'm going after him.” you responded, quickly hopping onto your horse's back and fled.

“no wait! y/n! it's too dangerous!” chan yelled but you were stubborn to listen and that was the last thing you've heard before disappearing from his sight.

the next morning, the dead bodies were disposed and buried beside the kingdom's church. doctors were afraid about the cause of death of those two bodies because some of their body parts were not connected to the main. the king and queen promised to support the bereaved family because they themselves knew that their son unconsciously killed the two men. meanwhile, the prince was found lying unconscious inside the forest where the fairies and trolls were. pointing a spear on his chest, you came down from your horse and carried him with you. good thing he didn't woke up from his slumber when he fainted from the extreme exhaustion.

he was placed on his bedroom with his new clothes as the maids washed him clean. you sat on his bed and examined his features realizing he grew up to be a really handsome prince while chan wasn't amused at all. all he could think now, is how to remove the curse because if this gets worse, he wouldn't only kill people but his powers will be highly affected by it by simply not being unable to control them. it may be used to evil and who knows what will happen to the fire-bearing prince. seungmin finally knew the tea when hyunjin's parents told him the story but of course he was worried about you who looked around to find hyunjin the whole night. chan was found in town struggling to move and was carried back to the palace, hours before the sunrise.

“the curse is too strong, your spells won't work on him.” chan said when a small sigh escaped your lips.

“how about the ritual?” seungmin suggested but you shook your head looking at the prince who didn't gain his consciousness yet.

“it will not cure him.” you responded. “it will not guarantee healing but at least it will lessen the pain and the evilness he is suffering within.”

“performing the ritual will be hard and it only happens on the first friday of the month.”

“i'm sure he can do it.”

the prince was told about the ritual as his curse continues to appear when a full moon rises. but ever since the first transformation, hyunjin wasn't the usual prince that everyone knew. he changed, even his eyes that once filled with happiness and sparkles of joy turned into dark and cold. seungmin couldn't even talk to him properly and would lock himself inside his room during the day. when the light turns dark, he would roam around the castle or sometimes he would play with fire and stare at it feeling mesmerized by the beauty of the fairies' gift.

chan already gave the notice to christark that he won't be home for a while. he had also left you to take care of the prince during the usual nights where there is no full moon and let's you call him when hyunjin suddenly got out of control. seungmin on the other hand, even went home alone to minnister leaving you behind to help his best friend. for now, your brother can't do anything about it since he has no magic but he promised to come back when you will need his urgent help. on the other hand, the king and queen felt no hope for hyunjin's condition.

the ritual is strictly followed that hyunjin would come to the tower and made himself a circle of fire and danced with the outfit he had wore on his 18th birthday. you would watch him perform the dance and couldn't help but admire him. he is natural in dancing, his moves was smooth and his expression says it all, sexy, wild and captivating. as you were staring at him for too long, you didn't know that he finished the ritual smoothly in a quick of time. the cloth that was ripped from his sleeve was removed as his long hair landed above his shoulder. his presence and beauty must've captivated you which made caused the certain maiden unable to speak.

“you're staring at me for too long, your highness.” hyunjin spoke absorbing the fire surrounding his dance floor. the blush on your cheeks couldn't deny and you were quite embarrassed about it but still you wanted to make sure he's doing it right even though it won't help him that much.

“i am just really amused, your majesty.” you responded, landing on your feet. “you're a natural.”

“i would take it as a compliment but shouldn't you be sleeping now?” he asked when you shook your head implying your answer.

“i am supposed to be here watching you.”

“but i prefer to be alone.” he said. “and if i'm not mistaken, you're seungmin's sister aren't you? couldn't really recognize you since you don't look-a-like for a twin.” he smirked as he brushed your cheeks with his fingers. this sent shivers to your spine, you reacted to his bare touch as he was amused.

“you must've forgot about me.” you spoke as you heard him chuckle.

“oh my god, dear, no.” he smiled and continued as he turned his back away and took a few steps but his moves were too swift that he ended up pinning you on the wall with his hand wrapped around your neck. “how could i forget the kid who almost killed me with her dumb spell. you think i would let you get away with it?” his eyes turned red as you were choking on his tighter grip. it could tear you apart in any minute if he wanted to as the memory started to be vivid.

“hyunjin let go of her.” it was chan who suddenly popped out of nowhere as the prince took some steps back. your body collapsed on the floor while catching your breath as you massage your neck to ease the pain from his grip. several coughs was heard and hyunjin gave you a one last dark stare before leaving the tower. chan looked at you as he sighed at the sight of your weak body on the floor, his hands took yours and helped you stand on your feet, ready to scold you. “what did you do?”

“nothing.” you told him. “he remembered that i almost killed him when we were 13.”

“you what?” chan asked.

“it was stupid you know?” you chuckled in amusement. “it was the first time i held his hand for some greeting because seungmin introduced us to each other, i thought i was feeling butterflies in my stomach but it turns out it was a dark magic.”

“you sensed it?”

“yes!” you exclaimed. “i sent you a letter about taming hyunjin, how come you didn't tell me you sensed it before i told you he's cursed?”

“it's because you didn't ask. i wanted to stop thinking about it and i was wondering how was he until you sent me that letter for pete's sake. how could i face the king and queen especially him when i knew he's mad.” you explained when chan sighed in frustration.

“did seungmin know?”

“yeah, because of me, he knew that his best friend is cursed. he did tell me that hyunjin wasn't mad and he wanted to talk but hey, i guess the wind changed and there, he nearly killed me.” you said. “he's mad at me too.”

“it's the dark magic's fault why. hyunjin is not usually like that in the past.” chan defended.

“well i only met him once and i do admit he's sweet but then, because of me, he never visited minnister again that's why seungmin would go to him.” chan shook his head in disappointment and asked you to go to sleep. he, himself wanted to reverse the curse so he could go back to christark in peace. but he has a job and he didn't know when will hyunjin go back to normal. seeing the half moon from the window of the tower made him wonder, how.

meanwhile, you were on your way to your room which is just across hyunjin’s. but the latter seems to be waiting for you that he’s leaning against his door frame with a smirk on his face. “seems like the memory we shared in the past is starting to be vivid. my mother told a lie that all those witches and wizards and even doctors would come to check my health,” he paused and looked at you. “including your mother.”

“it was to help you.” you responded.

“nobody told me about the curse, until i turned 18 y/n. i felt so betrayed, even seungmin knew.” a sigh escaped from your lips and gave him a bow before taking the doorknob.

“i think you should rest, your majesty. don’t let that beast inside devour you.” you answered when he just chuckled.

“i think you didn’t ask for my forgiveness way back then, princess.” you scoffed at the thought.

“my bad for not being able to see you after the incident. it’s my first time to come in targarhyun and you didn’t come back to minnister.” you smiled at him as he chuckled, looking at his shoes before pushing himself towards you.

“that doesn’t matter, all i want is an apology.” hyunjin pinned you once again to the bricks of the wall with his one hand beside your head while the other one brushed your lips with his thumb. you started to breath heavily and flinched at his touch when a smirk appeared on his face while staring at you feeling amused. “are you going to apologize or i’ll have to beg it on another way?” his face got closer to yours as you could smell the fragrance of his breath. but instead of maintaining the eye contact you’ve had, you felt his lips touched your neck, leaving traces of kiss heated kiss and nipping your skin. his actions resulted on to trying to keep your mouth shut and whimpered as you heard him chuckle. it was weird when it suddenly happened but your body liked it. and you wanted more.

“you like that?” he asked and met your eyes again. there was no response heard from you but he could tell it just in your stare and the feelings that your eyes convey, you wanted it. hyunjin wasn't surprise when he dragged you towards his room and made sure to lock it behind him. “you're not saying anything.”

“beg for my apology after you choked me almost to my death at the tower you—”

hyunjin pinned you down to his mattress meeting his lips with yours as he held your hands, intertwining your fingers with his on the sides of your head. it was deep and hungry as if he waited for a long time for this. you didn't even protest to his sudden moves and let him do whatever he wanted with your lips but didn't expect his hands tugging your white night gown leaving trails of kisses from your lips towards your neck, leaving red marks. capturing his lips again, you pulled him even closer to your body as he lifted your dress for his hands to slip inside caressing your skin.

he didn't even lasted for a few seconds having your body covered with that white cloth wrapping your naked skin. it was loose enough that he brushed the sleeves off from your shoulders, leaving wet kisses from neck down to your collarbones until it reveals your breast making his mouth watered at the sight of your hard nipples. his thumbs rubbed your sensitive buds as you bit your lower lip, preventing a moan. “hmmmm... t-that feels good your highness”

“is it?” he smirked pinching them before sucking deeply within his mouth. a lustful moan escaped your lips not being able to stop it. you loved how he treated your breast as he started massaging the other one while keeping the other one entertained and wet from his saliva. not a few seconds later, he switched to the other one as his free hand started rubbing your throbbing core, feeling the wetness that he made. “you're soaking wet princess..” he bit your nipple hard as his lips brushes down to the valley of your breast, fully removing your dress off of your body. his kisses got lower until he reached your slit and licked it with his tongue making you whimper below him.

your breaths started to feel heavier as you watched him enjoying your wet core with your legs spread open. his grip tightened on your thighs when he buried his face to push his tongue inside you. “f...fuck.” you moaned making your head fall back on his pillow feeling the heat of his tongue inside you walls, but he wasn't satisfied. he wanted to feel you more.

hyunjin pulled away as you whined in disappointment. “such a slut.” he groaned while stripping in front you. your eyes couldn't help but notice how built and toned his body were, he has perfect skin. no flaws, no scars, well there could be fresh wounds from his hunting but that doesn't degrade his natural beauty. “like what you see?”

“you're beautiful...” you told him as he hover over your body slowly rubbing his cock on your slit, preparing for its entrance. you twitch at the feeling of his tip and whined. “just put it in please.”

“i thought i was the only one who would beg for your apology but you're begging me to go inside you?” he bit your lower lip hard enough to make it bleed as he kissed you again, this time, placing a hand on his nape for you to deepened the kiss. hyunjin slowly thrusted himself inside you resulting to your moans to get louder. it was endearing for him to watch and he couldn't wait to see your reaction the moment he'll thrust himself harder and faster as he could imagine how will it turn out to be.

morning came and you woke up by the sudden pain of your throbbing core from the last night. remembering how rough hyunjin was, it made you feel dizzy and exhausted as you lie naked beside him. your body was covered underneath his thick duvet and glanced over him to see his calm, and peaceful state. hyunjin was still sound asleep and you wanted to escape his room before he wakes up but your legs won't even bother to move as they were still trembling after you sat on his face while eating you out. imagine how he did manage to fuck you all night. of course he could, he has a good body built and a handsome physique. you can't even deny the fact that he was good but the embarrassment fills your mind when he wakes up. you're sure that chan probably heard you last night, he has the ears of an animal that could hear from far away and seungmin will definitely kill you if he finds out you fucked with his best friend.

another full moon came, and a howl was heard. a signal that the town gets alarmed and wanted to hunt to kill the beast that was lurking around on the night like this. then there was hyunjin, jumping from his room with his werewolf form and ran heading to town. the sight of the beast caused you to ride on a horseback and followed him right after as chan on his wolf form, is running beside you. some men were seen holding spears, torches and pitchforks ready to kill the beast.

hyunjin is heading his way to the townsmen to feast disregarding the fire, he himself could control fire, but the spears and torches were silver that he feared. men were alarmed at the bridge and threw the sharp weapons at his direction. luckily, you were at the right time to shove him away to side letting your horse run away. you fell on the top of his body, realizing he have hit his head on a rock and fell unconscious. it was a crucial move you admit and just did and landed on the river. a relieved sigh escaped from your lips as he came back to his human form. good thing his head didn’t bleed for some reason.

“where did that beast went?” one of the men said.

“i thought i saw a woman.” another one responded.

“a woman?”

“take him back to the castle, i’ll distract them.” chan said upon seeing you by the river.

“yeah, thank you. be careful.” you lifted up hyunjin’s body and chan ran away with a loud howl.

the group of men went to chase the wrong wolf and you managed to take hyunjin back to the castle. a hint of magic helped you reached his room in a quick of time and placed him on his bed, not minding how soaked he got from the river fall. you sat down on the floor trying to relax yourself from the exhaustion you felt from the every full moon job.

hyunjin was probably asleep, you still need to wash up and go to bed and rest or maybe wait for chan to come back. forcing your body to go up, you walked towards hyunjin’s balcony to find a glimpse of chan but there wasn’t. a sense of guilt filled your system and was about to jump over when you felt strong arms wrapped around your waist. flinching at the sudden touch, you looked at him, still wearing his red eyes and that cold stare which send shivers down to your spine. the next you knew you were lying on his mattress with him on the top of you.

“what are you doing?” you asked him but he just smirked.

“say the words that describes it, exhaust you, make you scream, moan, but most importantly, fuck you.”

the prince didn't even let you move and the next thing you knew, he was pounding you on his own bed, lying naked and begged for more. you even tried different positions and every time you changed, hyunjin gets rougher with you. he was fucking your from behind, with his hand squeezing your boobs as he pinched your nipples and moans echoed on his room with the intense slapping from skin to skin. one time he commanded you to suck him up as he held your hair together at the back of your head. he buried himself deep in your throat with your saliva dripping from your mouth down to your body. it was good, though he is bad, you both loved it.

but it wasn't about making love or two people loving each other to have sex. it was hyunjin's stress reliever as you were watching him do the ritual or looking after him as we were in his werewolf form preventing to cause chaos in the town. you pity yourself for giving him the pleasure without him loving you in return. as what the curse said, he will feel no love. he murdered people, he shut his door from his friends even from his parents, the palace workers were afraid of him and even rumors about him being cursed as a werewolf have spread. your spells and potions couldn't calm him, or even chan himself who is a werewolf himself. seungmin didn't even come to visit as what he had promised. hyunjin changed, he wasn't the sweet prince that every one looked up before.

you didn't even know how to solve this even if you're with chan to figure this out together. prayers didn't even work, but you didn't stop there. you still pray and hoping that someday, hyunjin will be back and return your love.

“i don't think this will end really soon chan.” you told the prince of christark as you were walking side by side by the garden, leaving hyunjin sleeping on his room after another transformation last night. he killed 5 men again and both of you couldn't stop him that easily.

“have hope, we'll find a solution to this.” he said giving you a reassuring smile. “but you know y/n, my werewolf instincts doesn't really help us to heal hyunjin.” frowning at the sudden sadness from chan's voice, you stopped on your tracks and looked at him.

“what about me then?” you asked him. “i'm useless at the fact that my potions and spells doesn't seem to work. even the myth of that stupid ritual chan. my role here is to assist him and stay beside the king and queen until we figure this out.”

“you're not useless to the fact that i could hear you loud and clear from his room doing something good y/n.” he said making you blush and when he caught you, he just chuckled and shook his head. “don't worry i didn't tell anyone, but seungmin will be in rage if he knew.”

a sigh of relief escaped your lips, “i even used a spell to prevent myself from getting a baby. i'm sure even my parents wouldn't love this.”

“it's okay y/n. can you keep up with it?” you looked at chan filled with worries in your eyes when he stared at you in pity. “it's my fault, i shouldn't have asked you for help. you won't be like this if it wasn't for me.”

“chan, no. i was eager to help. besides, i only saw hyunjin once. i wanted to meet him again.” you defended. hyunjin on the other hand, wasn't really sleeping. in fact he could hear your voices from three floors of thick bricks. he listened as you spoke and didn't realize a tear escaped from his eyes. for the first time ever since he was devoured by the curse, he felt guilt and sadness. “i love him.”

hyunjin's heart started to race faster and decided to sleep it off but he couldn't. he walked of his bed and glanced over to his balcony where he could see you and chan. “then, are you willing to sacrifice yourself for him?” chan asked as the prince above, got intrigued.

“if that what makes him calm and an answer to this curse then i will.” hyunjin went inside his room and sat on his bed, he couldn't bear to look at your face when he could sense that you're about to break down. it wasn't easy and he pretended he didn't hear anything.

months have passed, each rituals by the midnight of the first friday of the month is being followed by hyunjin pounding you on his bed, sometimes you would do it in your room. even when he comes back to his normal form after an exhausting night of a full moon, he would never get tired to make you feel good. of course you couldn't say no. you love it yourself even if he doesn't feel the same way. but his kisses meant something, and every touch started to be gentle and sweet yet the roughness of his style is still there making you moan and scream his name in the middle of the night.

the king and queen tried to cover their son's mess in the town when full moon comes where chan and you would try to stop him. but then, the brightness of the targarhyun kingdom fell a year later when king passed away during a diplomatic meet on the other country. he was sick at an old age. he didn't have time to look after himself thinking of his son. the news shocked everyone in targarhyun and the queen herself couldn't rule properly because of the tragedies in her family. eventually, this made her fall ill and waited for her death. she had to appoint the prince of christark, chan to look after the kingdom while trying to figure out how to end hyunjin's case. but the cursed prince's several attacks on its people didn't get any better but worse.

the townsfolk noticed how the prince got cold, his essence and brightness faded ever since he turned 18. he's meeting his 20s soon and they sought him to take over the kingdom for the queen is weak to sit on the throne. rumors about him were proven to be true and the townsfolk started to feel fear on him. he was left with no choice but to hide from everyone else as he locked himself inside the castle. the death of king made the kingdom's sky turned dim and you couldn't help but wonder why such beautiful and kind family had to suffer from the evil which mainly started on the curse. the prince was nowhere to be found during the king's funeral and the queen was assisted to her room to rest while you went out looking for him. it was in a broad daylight and the townsfolk noticed how the prince got cold. his essence and brightness faded ever since he turned 18. he's meeting his 20s soon and they sought him to take over the kingdom for the queen is weak to sit on the throne.

“why didn't you come to see your father one last time?” you asked upon seeing him in the forest, sitting on a large rock throwing pebbles by the small river.

“will he come alive if i did?” he asked back and was stunned.

“no, but he's your father. at least pay respect for his death?”

hyunjin sighed and stood up from his seat. he was wearing all black and a black cloak as his hair falls naturally on his shoulders. “don't torment me with that y/n.”

“you're his son, hyunjin.”

“and you're being nosy.” he retorted. “why don't you go and meet someone who's cursed then try to kill them.” he added as he walked passed you making you scoffed and followed his direction.

“i thought you weren't mad and you wanted to talk to me?”

“shut up.” you were caught off guard by his words as he continued to walk away from you. but since your duty is to be with him at all times, you needed to follow the stubborn prince wherever he goes. this would give you hard times of course, especially when there's a full moon. “oh for pete's sake hyunjin come on!”

“what is it y/n?!” he glared at you.

“what is with you hyunjin?” you asked him. “you're acting as if i am nothing. as if i'm not that stupid girl who let's you fuck her for every damn ritual and full moon just to calm you down. are you enjoying me in pain? are you happy that it hurts me because i love you and you don't?” that's it. you couldn't take it anymore, you spilled it. hyunjin already knew about it but confessing directly to him felt different. but he could only look at you and sighed.

“then stop it!” he said, “stop loving me. i didn't ask you to help me nor chan, i could live in despair in my whole life. it was you and him. i didn't ask you to love me either!” without responding by words, you slapped him square on his cheek. hyunjin was stunned as you left him hanging on the woods and he didn't come near you since then.

but words didn't stay confidential until one day, seungmin came back to targarhyun riding on a horseback alone, filled with anger and rage upon why did his own best friend fucked his sister. “hwang hyunjin you fucking asshole! come out and face me!” he yelled by the door in which guards try to stop him, even you. “chan! how could you let this happen?!” he raged at the older one still hyunjin wasn't showing himself.

“i think it's better for y/n to explain.” chan calmly told him as he signaled the guard to let go of the fuming prince of minnister. a glimpse of embarrassment filled your face when the queen was looking through the commotion, seungmin didn't feel any shame for it was his priority to hit hyunjin first before bursting his anger on you. and yes, the queen knew about that midnight screaming from both of your rooms.

“what the hell is it?” seungmin asked immediately when you dragged him almost to the forest.

“seungmin i'm sorry.” you said as tears suddenly fell from your eyes made him soften his expression. “i love him.”

“goodness!” he hissed pulling his hair. “i wouldn't have the problem of your love story if he wasn't cursed y/n. it's been almost two years and he's not back for fuck's sake! why did you fell in love?”

“i still see hope for him, seungmin. even if everyone thinks he's not gonna come back, i believe he will.” you convinced him. but seungmin left the kingdom when he saw hyunjin shape-shifting from his raven form after looking up to the town and told him to leave you alone. he was still upset about it and he didn't even had the chance to punch him in the face. seungmin didn't want to die young, he believed he will be arranged in a fixed marriage soon and of course, he wanted to see his sister well. but the thought this wasn't the right time.

you waited for another year again. it was that one night when he turned himself into a raven and looked at the view from above down to the town. it is the people whom he once loved and how did he manage to let himself got controlled by the disturbing curse? a sigh escaped his lips as he landed on a tree branch and watched his people's eyes filled with fear and worry. he was so thankful that there are still a lot left when some of them decided to move because of his unintentional attacks. but his sightseeing didn't last for long. good thing there was no full moon for he could go and rest.

he flew back to his room and found you on his balcony, waiting for his return. even he tried to give you a cold shoulder, you wouldn't even last a day without talking to him. “what do you want?” he asked as he walked inside, with you tailing him around.

“are you really going to face them alone?” you asked him back as he sighed.

“this is none of your business y/n.” he defended and took off his cloak when you held his hand. the warm touch that he missed.

“i'm just worried about you..” another sigh escaped from his lips as you dragged him in to a hug. he shouldn't feel weird about having skinships after fucking you for a long time which was almost every night back then but he noticed that he doesn't want to do it anymore and his werewolf form is not worse as it was before.

he kissed your soft lips as you hummed in return, kissing him back. he pulled you closer to his body as he deepened the kiss, molding your lips together. hyunjin wrapped his arms around your waist as your draped around his neck, slowly pushing him down to sit on his mattress and you on his lap. your fingers searched of his upper dress' buttons as he smirked in between your kiss, he also reached at the hem of your night gown, slowly pulling it up to see you naked. hyunjin also undressed himself as he pulled you down with him when he lay down without breaking the kiss.

you rubbed your clit on his throbbing cock making him moan in between your kisses. he slid his fingers inside you first before his member could as he wanted to make sure you're soaking wet before pounding you again but this time, it was you who let himself get inside you and ride him. humping him was fun and it felt good inside you as he was massaging your breast, pinching your nipples. he started sucking them as you were riding faster on his length. for the first time, that night was sweet but still you weren't sure if he feels the same.

time flew by and it was morning, he is still inside you but he was hugging you from behind. a sweet gesture made your heart thump and the redness of your cheeks made you hot. hyunjin felt your sudden movements the moment he woke up and kissed your cheek. “you're awake?” you asked him.

“hmm, i felt you moving.” he answered as you planted a soft kiss on his lips.

“you should rest more.” you hummed in response.

“yeah..” he smiled, for the first time. he looked actually so good and more handsome when he smiles but it was seen on paintings ever since you got here. and this is the first time, he smiled at you. “are you busy today? are you going to meet chan?” he asked.

“not really. why?”

“i want to take you out on a stroll by the beach. if that's okay with you?”

time didn't matter as long as you were with him and one swift moment later, you're both walking on the sand, hand by hand. chan saw you both when he himself was riding on a horseback while looking at the townsfolk's condition. it was a mess but a smile was formed on his face when he saw the both of you happily walking on the shore. seeing hyunjin smile after almost two years is an improvement and he guessed it was all because of you. but the happiness that droves between two people in love gets consequences.

“hyunjin seems happy earlier. what did you do to make him smile like that?” chan asked sitting in front of you as you were making a potion.

“nothing.. we just kissed, woke up together and suddenly he asked me out.” you smiled as chan gave you an excited nod.

“you know, he's not that aggressive anymore. i mean, he changed a bit.” he said as you chuckled.

“yeah, a change of character. i guess..” you said as your smile faded. “i think he is slowly learning to love again.”

“i know but where did the smile go? y/n you should be happy about this. i think it's not me, nor the potions and spells. every thing that happened to him is because of you. maybe he feels the same about you though. you should ask him.” chan said. it was obvious that the older prince is excited about hyunjin's character development but you hid a secret that only you knows.

a few days flew by and hyunjin didn't see you. he would ask chan where had you been but the latter didn't even know himself for he didn't see you either. the truth is you've been staying in the forest with the fairies because they were the only ones who could help you with your spells and potions. hyunjin would try to look for you but hiding is a good option to stay away from him for a while. why? it is because you have decided to be serious on sacrificing yourself just to save hyunjin.

a fairy once told you about the same curses they've encountered on the past century, if one person was cursed in any manner, one must love them and accept who they really are and pray to set them free. but those curses were nothing but normal ones, no werewolves. some turned into animals, some turned into elves, hideous creatures and other weird forms. it was their first time to hear a person was cursed into a werewolf and they couldn't guarantee cure for the said sacrifice for some people failed to save their loved ones. but you wanted to try it out after the myths and rituals.

“it will not guarantee you cure, your majesty,” a fairy said as you draw a circle on the grass and made weird symbols that only witches could understand. tapping the bottle you're holding, red dusts started to fall and lit the circle on fire. hyunjin sensed it as he was near. fire, he could sense fire. the gust of wind held your scent to his and that's when he ran across the forest to find you.

“this will free him so it should work.” you told them and fell on your knees as you chanted the spell that was given to you. clasping your hands together, you shut your eyes tightly as you felt weak and the fairies was alarmed when they saw a purple smoke covering the circle of fire. hyunjin himself felt weak as well, he couldn't run like what he used to when he's a wolf. usually, a person who is also a werewolf will inherit its basic skills such as running, sharp ears and eyes as well as the strength. his mouth opened as a black smoke came out from himself. it was the curse and disappeared in to thin air as he fainted.

the next thing he knew, he found himself lying on his bed with chan beside him. he immediately sat up and looked around his room trying to find your presence yet only he was welcomed by a headache. “where's y/n? did you find her yet?” he asked chan but the older prince shook his head in despair.

“she's gone...” he whispered but it was loud enough for the prince to hear.

“what do you mean she's gone?”

“i found her lifeless body in the woods after i found you. she's gone.. she sacrificed herself to save you.”

“what?!” hyunjin didn't even know how to react. he doesn't know whether he wanted to be angry, sad or even crazy. that couldn't be. you can't die without his permission and you can't perform a ritual without telling him first. you didn't tell him about your plan and just ran out and fled to the forest keeping yourself hidden from him. but no...

“seungmin's coming tomorrow to pick her up. you should see her one last time.” of course hyunjin fled to where you were.

he ran as fast as he can not minding the weakness of his body, he wished chan was just lying but how could he be lying when he fainted so suddenly inside the forest after sensing your presence and the fire you've made? his feet brought him back to the woods and hurried to see the fairies floating around your body as you lay on a bed of flowers. hyunjin shamelessly cried making all the mystical creatures startled by his presence and gave sympathy to the young prince. they made way for him to see you up close and there he cried as he held your hand.

“y/n please. you can't leave like this, i just came back. you're so annoying but i love you.” he said between his sobs. the sudden noise woke you up from your slumber. you didn't die, you just fainted from the spell you performed.

“hyunjin?” you called as the fairies took their time to smile and laughed quietly at the prince's reaction. but it wasn't funny at all.

“huh?” he blurted out.

“did the spell work? i don't feel any dark magic in you.” you said examining him. alas, they spell you chanted work and you didn't die!

“you didn't die? you're not dead? am i dead? or did chan lie to me? he said you're dead!” he cried again as chan came right in time and heard him.

“i just did a little experiment, i'm so sorry your highness.” chan chuckled.

“chan how could you say that to him?” you asked but smiled hyunjin looked like he's going to burst in tears after being so worried and got fooled.

“i was so worried, i thought i lost you for good.” hyunjin said. “and don't do things like that without telling me! didn't you know how worried i was when i didn't see you few days ago? i thought you—” chan covered his eyes as the mystical creatures hid themselves after you pulled hyunjin into a kiss. he never hesitated to kiss you in return, for the first time he felt relieved and relax. he wouldn't be back without you and he still owe seungmin an apology. as well as the rest of the town.

his mother got healed from her illness and got the strength to rule again with her son. seungmin didn't even let you go back to minnister since hyunjin never let you go. fortunately, the latter was forgiven and seungmin left a threat that if he ever hurt you again, he'll kill him but of course he wouldn't. chan himself had to leave targarhyun and go home to christark where his family is expecting him. and so, every thing went well. hyunjin worked hard to take back the trust of his people with the help of you as later on he will be crowned as king after his mother will pass the throne to him and with you, as his queen of course.

the queen is very thankful of you and chan for her only son came back but unfortunately, his power of fire and the rave were both gone with the curse. but it was okay, hyunjin said. he doesn't want it anymore since he has you to help him.

“i love you.” he said kissing your forehead.

“i love you too.” you smiled at him as he kissed your lips, waiting for your marriage in the future when he is king.

taglist: @wolfchanchan @inseonqt @oh-my-sparkle @intospear @nachobabygirlboo @nerdiebutgoldie @stunninskz @hyunjun-jpeg @danyxthirstae01 @straykisz @punkjisung @tanjiroar @eajone @jakepittsgirl @semichei @fxmz14 @strawbrrychan @kayxstories @princehyun-jin @xa16x @lunateez @nirelvega @heyoitsme @lcvryu

[princesssarisa]

Cinderella September-through-November: Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" (1957 TV musical)

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella needs almost as little introduction as Disney's animated version. Three TV productions, glitzy Broadway, West End and national tour productions, and countless productions in schools, children's theatres and community theatres have made this unquestionably the best-known, best-loved Broadway-style musical version of the fairy tale. The legendary duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II crafted a tuneful array of songs that so many of us have known by heart since childhood: "The Prince is Giving a Ball," "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible/It's Possible," "Ten Minutes Ago," "Stepsisters' Lament," "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" and "A Lovely Night," as well as the orchestral "Gavotte" and "Waltz for a Ball."

This TV production, broadcast live and in color (though the only surviving version is in black and white) to millions of viewers on March 31, 1957, was where it all began. It was produced by NBC as their answer to the success of another TV musical, CBS's Peter Pan starring Mary Martin, and as a vehicle for the shining new star of Broadway's smash hit My Fair Lady, 21-year-old Julie Andrews.

For those of us who grew up with the 1965 and 1997 remakes, this original version of the musical is interesting to discover. The script, written by Hammerstein along with the lyrics, is a particularly frothy, comic take on the fairy-tale. The Stepmother (Ilka Chase) is cheerfully haughty and never really threatening, while her daughters, brassy would-be intellectual Portia (Kaye Ballard) and sourpuss Joy (Alice Ghostley) are broad figures of fun. Cinderella herself, dressed in a plain yet respectable ladies' maid costume without even the Disney version's few token tatters, is excluded and overworked but never blatantly abused, with the barrage of orders heaped on her played, again, mostly for laughs. Further gentle humor is provided by the Prince's slightly dotty yet devoted parents, the King and Queen, played by the real-life Broadway "power couple" Howard Lindsay and Dorothy Stickney. And the youthful, elegant Fairy Godmother (Edie Adams) is far from the sweet, motherly figure of tradition, but a mischievous trickster type of fairy instead. Cinderella already knows her from the beginning (this is one of the few retellings of the tale to follow Charles Perrault's version in that respect), but doesn't know she's a fairy: she masquerades as an ordinary, practical-minded godmother who scoffs at Cinderella's "foolish dreams," until it's clear that Cinderella won't give them up, and only then reveals her magic.

Still, Hammerstein brings sincerity and genuine tenderness to the figure of Cinderella and to her romance with Prince Christopher (a pre-Hill Street Blues Jon Cypher). Although they don't meet before the ball in this version, their two romantic duets bring a depth of feeling to their blossoming love that other adaptations (e.g. Disney's) sometimes lack. And Cinderella herself has a distinct character arc, as she starts out "as mild and as meek as a mouse," trying to be content with her fantasies alone, but by the end gains the courage to do more than just wish and ventures back to the palace in her shabby clothes. It's there – with a little more mischievous help from her Fairy Godmother – that she tries on the glass slipper.

By 1957 TV standards, no expense was spared for the production. That said, 1957 TV standards aren't today's standards. The sets look fairly cramped, narrow and studio-bound throughout, especially in the ballroom. It's probably for this reason, as well as Julie Andrews' association with My Fair Lady, that the costumes have a vague early 20th century look, with the women in simple, slender dresses that make dancing easier in a narrow space than lavish, full-skirted "fairy tale" gowns would have done. Cinderella's chic white ballgown could just as easily have been worn to the Embassy Ball by Eliza Doolittle! The "magic" effects are also fine for their day, but limited: unlike in the two later remakes, for example, Cinderella's dress transformation takes place offscreen. Still, the performance is carried not by its visual aspects, but by the all-star cast.

It's fascinating to see such a young Julie Andrews in the first bloom of her stardom, and without question she's a luminous Cinderella. I think it's fair to say, though, that her posh-accented, always composed and ladylike portrayal (although it would make Henry Higgins proud) lacks the depth and pathos of other Cinderellas. This is at least partly due to the airy-toned script, which lets her show wistful yearning but never deep sadness. At any rate, her legendary voice shines in the songs that were written for her. The rest of the cast is uniformly excellent, with first-rate voices and endearing characterizations. Although the breezily comic portrayals of the stepfamily won't suit all tastes, nor will Edie Adams's vinegary, puckish Fairy Godmother. The latter's portrayal has charm, but it most definitely wouldn't work in a less comic version of the tale or with a more fragile and abused Cinderella than Julie Andrews.

Whether you think this original version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is the best or if its later remakes are improvements is a matter of taste. But either way, this TV broadcast is a historic landmark, and a must-see both for Cinderella completists and for lovers of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals.

[chiseler]

The Bankruptcy Barrel: A Historical Debate

In recent years I’ve been keeping an unofficial list of once-commonplace iconic images and tropes that seem to have vanished completely from the culture. A man on stilts, for instance, who was usually dressed like Uncle Sam. I can’t remember the last time I saw a man on stilts, or even heard a reference to stilts. Quicksand is another. Time was you couldn’t see a jungle adventure or a wacky comedy that didn’t at some point include a scene in which someone gets stuck in quicksand. For one reason or another, they’re no longer part of our collective consciousness.

Most recently I’ve become a little obsessed with barrel suits (also known as barrel cloaks, barrel shirts, or bankruptcy barrels). You know what I mean—an image of a destitute and naked man, a man who has quite literally and figuratively lost his shirt, who for lack of any other form of clothing has been  forced to wear a wooden barrel held up by a pair of attached suspenders. If the subject in question was once very wealthy (i.e. someone who lost everything in the Crash), he might also be seen wearing a top hat.  It used to be an inescapable representation of bankruptcy, appearing in countless animated shorts, political cartoons, and comedies.

It seems like such a ridiculous idea if you think about it. There are easier ways to keep oneself covered. A burlap sack, say. A potato sack would be so much easier to craft into a wearable form, and would be more comfortable and practical to boot.  With a barrel you need to knock out the bottom, find a way to attach the suspenders, and even after all that’s done it remains impossible to sit down or move very fast while wearing it. There is absolutely nothing practical about a barrel suit. Yet it was the man in the barrel suit who came to immediately signal poverty.

The origins of the image are today a little mirky and the subject of some debate. While most people simply shrug their shoulders as to the origins of the barrel suit, a few intriguing educated guesses have been put forward.

Some trace it back to the 4th century B.C., when Diogenes, founder of the school of Cynical Philosophy,  made a virtue of poverty and among his countless other pranks, chose to live  in a barrel in the marketplace. It’s a tenuous connection, but perhaps the first historical example of a connection being drawn between poverty, barrels, and cynicism.

Certain European fairy tales from the 16th century include scenes in which, as punishment, drunkards and gamblers are placed naked into barrels and dragged through the streets behind a horse. Some other sources, apparently inspired by the fairy tales, claim the origin of the barrel suits exclusively the domain of unlucky gamblers. Having lost everything in a game of chance and with nothing left to bet, the other gamblers would place the unlucky man in a barrel and roll him into the street as a form of humiliation. The image of the man wearing a barrel eventually came to represent someone who had, again, lost his shirt while gambling. This notion, however, is mostly the result of armchair speculation.

More readily documented is the fact that in the 18th and 19th centuries, public drunkenness in England and Germany was occasionally punished by forcing the inebriate in question to wear a barrel in the town square, a form of degrading spectacle akin to the more sophisticated stocks.

The barrel as humiliating punishment seems to have made the leap across the Atlantic by the mid-19th century, as revealed in Miles O. Sherrill’s account of being a Union soldier held in a North Carolina prison during the Civil War.

“While we were standing in the snow, hearing the abuse of Major Beal, some poor ragged Confederate prisoners were marched by with what was designated as barrel shirts, with the word "thief” written in large letters pasted on the back of each barrel, and a squad of little drummer boys following beating the drums. The mode of wearing the barrel shirts was to take an ordinary flour barrel, cut a hole through the bottom large enough for the head to go through, with arm-holes on the right and left, through which the arms were to be placed. This was put on the poor fellow, resting on his shoulders, his head and arms coming through as indicated above; thus they were made to march around for so many hours and so many days.“

And while the connection remains a little fuzzy,  that, perhaps, might lead to the next and final jump. The origins of the barrel suit as a symbol of poverty are today generally traced back to Will B. Johnstone. In the 1920s and ‘30s, along with being a successful song lyricist (best known for “How Dry I Am”) and a writer for the Marx Brothers, Johnstone was also a popular political cartoonist for the New York World-Telegram. Among the regular cast of symbolic characters who appeared in his panel was The Taxpayer (the date of his debut is unknown), a naked man wearing a barrel to illustrate his penniless state. With the Great Depression, it’s not hard to see how The Taxpayer may have come more generally to represent the millions who had lost everything.

But even if that answers the question of where the symbol as we know it first appeared, there is another angle to this whole debate. Several, actually.  Some who’ve written on the subject claim the barrels being used as clothing for the poor were almost exclusively pickle barrels, whereas beer and whiskey barrels were used to punish drunks and, as noted above, confederate thieves were made to don flour barrels. And if in fact pickle barrels were reserved for the destitute, it might be read that someone in dire straits has found himself, yes, in a pickle.

Of course there is an easier and less product-specific answer to the question of why barrels were chosen as the adopted mode of dress. Today it’s become cliche to think of the homeless living in cardboard boxes. The reason is simple—cardboard boxes are plentiful and easy to come by. By the same token in the early part of the 20th century everything was shipped in barrels making them just as readily available as cardboard boxes are today. Maybe it only makes sense that something of that size and shape that was at the same time so ubiquitous and cheap might come to be seen as a potential clothing substitute when nothing else was available.

Still, though, why dress the downtrodden in barrels instead of the much more logical and functional burlap sack? From a cartoonist’s perspective, it’s an even simpler answer. Keeping in mind that during the Depression the nation’s poor did not actually dress in barrels save for comedies and cartoons, barrels were easier to draw, they were more immediately recognizable in a cartoon panel than a burlap sack would have been, and most important of all, they were funnier.

by Jim Knipfel

[tabithalovesstuff]

Ostara is Right Around the Corner! (March 20th-23rd)

It is almost time for Ostara, the spring equinox. Here are some ways you can celebrate (both simple and complex):

🚿 Do some Spring Cleaning!

Go through all of your clothes and donate what you don't need anymore!

Clean the house (you can even visualize sweeping the negative energies out of your house when you sweep the floors)

Meditate and clean out your mind of the gunk caused by winter

Go through your fridge and get rid of anything old/expired

If you have kids, go through their toys with them and donate the ones they don't play with

❄ Physically melt snow (if you have some in your area still)

Put some snow in a bowl or jar on your altar and watch the snow slowly melt away, to help build the intent to the end of winter and the end of snow for the year.

This can also be done in a ritual by melting it in a pot on the stove or over a fire

🌸Appreciate flowers that have started to bloom

In a lot if places flowers will start to bloom, you can collect these and out them either on your altar or somewhere in your house to keep spring on your mind!

If you are in a place where flowers haven't started to bloom yet, you can always buy some from a store and/or draw/make paper flowers instead

☀ Welcome the return of the sun

This can be done in a lot if ways:

Hold a BBQ outside with your friends and family!

Sit outside on a blanket and sunbathe or read a book or maybe study and do hw there in the sun.

Retire most of your winter clothes and bring out your spring/summer clothes

Have a picnic

🥚 Eggs! (Spring is the season of fertility after all 🤷🏻)

Have an egg hunt with friends

Decorate an egg and put it on your altar (a boiled egg, and remember not to keep out on there for too long otherwise your house/room will start to smell bad)

Make an egg themed feast for breakfast which could include (but nit likited to) scrambled eggs, omletes, breakfast sandwhiches, french toast, deviled eggs, etc.

🌱 Start your garden for the year!

This one depends on how the conditions are where you live, but in at least some places, now would be a good time to start germinating seeds and planting them for your garden if you have one! Planting them during Ostara will even be symbolic and help set the intent for spring and is a good way to honor the gods of the holiday if you worship them!

You can also start a garden if you don't already have one! Or welcome a new indoor plant into your family.

💡Make a new goal for yourself

Ostara is about new beginnings, now is a perfect time to start a new goal, whether it is to learn tarot, quit smoking, start exercising regularly, eat healthier, learn how to cook, anything!

🧚🏻‍♀Leave Offerings for the Fae

This also ties into owning a garden, leaving a mini altar to leave offerings to the fae is a great way to make your garden strong and please your local fairies.

Disclaimer: always be very cautious when working with the Fae and make sure you are aware the the main rules and safety precautions.

[arcadialedger]

As promised-- 100 things about admin

1. I am really, really short. 4′10 short.

2. Books are my favorite thing in the world-- I am a die hard bookworm, collect them endlessly, read about 3 a week.

3. I had spinal surgery for scoliosis and have Turner’s Syndrome, a chromosomal disorder

4. ASPIRING AUTHOR!

5. I’ve got big blue eyes 

6. Harry Potter is one of the most important things in my life, and literally my childhood. It is my heart, and it is home.

7. I have lived in 10 different houses, because my family loves to move

8. I am a double major in English and Film Studies, hoping to be both an author and work as a creative executive for Walt Disney Animation Studios, or in publishing

9. Boston is my favorite city in America

10. I am very, very Italian- Sicilian. Ciao. 

11. Overprotective cat mom, and crazy cat lady

12. I absolutely adore BBC/ PBS television, and anything British: including Victoria, Downton Abbey, Poldark, and more.

13. Astrological sign is Cancer (July 20th)

14. Lifelong Sherlock Holmes nerd. I adored Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories as a child and the friendship between Holmes and Watson is incredibly important to me.

15. Scholar and lover of all fairytales, folklore, myths, and legends.

16. Yo hablo español. ¿Alguien mas?

17. Language and linguistic studies fascinate me. I love both learning languages and language family trees. The story of history is written within them.

18. History buff and nerd.

19. Proud brunette who wishes she was ginger.

20. Youngest sibling of three girls.

21. I just realized I never said my name so hi, my name is Katie.

22. I am a die hard Whovian. Like, huge Doctor Who nerd.

23. INFJ, 4w3 personality. 

24. Alongside Harry Potter I grew up with Percy Jackson, which I love wholeheartedly to this day. The nostalgia I feel with that series-- man.

25. My best friend is @shadowqueendiangelo and I love her. We’re platonically married.

26. I love film history and learning about film techniques. 

27. Connoisseur of all period fashion.

28. I’m kind of obsessed with red lipstick.

29. Active member of the YA book community.

30. I’m a barista!

31. I am a barista because I love coffee and drink too much of it.

32. Only 19 but my mind is older.

33. Speaking of which, I am a theatre kid, and live for the stage.

34. I love Broadway and musicals.

35. Besides musicals/ Broadway, I was born and raised on country. I also love 80′s rock, and am an absolute classical nerd.

36. Beethoven and Tchaikovsky are my two favorite artists.

37. Shakespeare aficionado and lover.

38. Big Stranger Things fan and 80′s nostalgia junkie.

39. Would live in Victorian England if I could.

40. Proud Christian, of Catholic and Jewish ancestry. 

41. Very, very pale.

42. I practically live in preppy dresses and skirts.

43. Self proclaimed hobbit, and LoTR fan/ Tolkien scholar.

44. I suffer from severe OCD.

45. I play the piano.

46. I used to do archery, and was very good. I hope to take it up again.

47. Lifelong New Englander.

48. My favorite color is blue.

49. Huge HTTYD fan-- like, ridiculously obsessed.

50. Jane Eyre is my favorite classic outside of Sherlock Holmes, as well as the works of Austen, The Odyssey/ The Illiad, Little Women Frankenstein, Anne of Greene Gables, Beowulf, The Great Gatsby, and Alice in Wonderland.

51. I LOVE GAME OF THRONES AND A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE.

52. ^Arya Stark is my GIRL^

53. Obsessed with Queen Victoria because she was a short, stout, brunette blue eyes woman like me.

54. I long to travel abroad, and have serious wanderlust

55. I am absolutely obsessed with not only history but culture. I considered going into cultural studies for a long time.

56. Secretly a wannabe historian.

57. I collect coffee mugs.

58. For a Christian I am oddly obsessed with everything pagan and absolutely love Halloween/ Salem culture (us New Englanders have the best Halloweens!)

59. I’m a sketcher and a cartographer!

60. Had a childhood obsession with Pixie Hollow Fairies. Still kind of do.

61. I AM A HUGE DISNERD! I want to work for Disney, and am super passionate about not only their animation, but the history of the company and the parks.

62. I am very passionate about animation as a whole. I adore foreign animation, and anything highly stylized which stretches the reaches of the art form.

63. Guillermo del Torro’s Pan’s Labyrinth is my favorite film, and GdT is one of the all time favorite creators.

64. Avid reader and lover of Agatha Christie.

65. Art museums are one of my favorite places on the planet. They’re cathartic to me, and help my anxiety.

65. I absolutely love the solar system, constellations, astronomy, and astrology.

66. I have a deep connection with the ocean. It is home to me. Not only do I just love everything nautical, I love old maps, seafaring tools, ship wheels and ropes. I’ve been on SO many ship tours it’s ridiculous. The sound of the ocean waves and an endless horizon before me is pure magic.

67. There are few things I adore more than a starry night sky.

68. Other favorite shows not yet mentioned include A Series of Unfortunate Events (first the books then the series), The Umbrella Academy, Merlin, Lost, Reign, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Broadchurch and Vikings.

69. Star Wars and MCU fan.

70. I am starting to run out of ideas for this.

71. Middle grade was my golden age of reading, and middle grade books will always have a very special place in my heart.

72. I can best be described as passionate, stubborn, sassy, caring, and complex.

73. I have an incredibly aggressive and confrontational personality. I have been frequently called a chihuahua. 

74. I am half blind. My eyesight is awful, I need to update my glasses prescription yearly.

75. Right handed. Boring, I know.

76. I grew up playing soccer/ in a hardcore soccer family, and am now super passionate about fitness and working out. I work out 6 days a week and love it.

77. I love to sleep. Like, a lot.

78. I have to take Vitamin D supplements during the winter or I will pass out often.

79. Favorite foods include: pizza/ any Italian food, any seafood, eggs/ egg sandwiches, burgers, ribs, mac and cheese, dumplings, and grilled chicken. I also love anything corn (including corn bread and muffins), potatoes, and LOVE all fruit besides pineapple. 

80. Speaking of which, if you put pineapple on pizza my Italian ass will COME FOR YOU.

81. Ungodly introverted, but also very outgoing and social.

82. I continue to go my therapist mostly because of her dog and she is well aware of this.

83. I just really love animals in general.

84. Koalas are my favorite animal.

85. I tend to stick to canon shipping, and I kind of hate fan fiction. Nothing against it, I just find it stupid. 

86. One of my goals in life is to not only visit multiple countries on each continent, but to be at least trilingual.

87. I have crazy long eyelashes, and love to emphasize this with mascara. It’s one of the few features about myself I like.

88. Hopeless romantic who has never had a boyfriend and dreams of falling in love/ having a fairytale romance.

89. I have a stuffed Toothless gifted to me by my best friend-- I feel this is oddly important.

90. My favorite art form (as in literal art, drawing/ painting) is charcoals. 

91. I have always felt I would be good at knife throwing and have wanted to learn. 

92. Hermione Grander, Belle, Jane Eyre, Hiccup Haddock, Jo March, and Elizabeth Bennett are my heroes.

93. Nicknamed Angsty Yoda. (I really am an angsty Yoda).

94. I’m a big fan of ballets, operas, and arias. 

95. I love school. A lot. It’s kind of my element. 

96. My dream career (a writer) has stayed the same since I was 3 years old.

97. My favorite Disney animated film, is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I also love The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Moana, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Mulan and Hercules.

98. Favorite musicals include: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Wicked, Les Mis, Into the Woods, Rent, Once on This Island, Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton, The Sound of Music, Anastasia, Hadestown, Bandstand, Cinderella,  Singin’ in the Rain, Newsies, Finding Neverland, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Saigon, The Music Man, Beauty and the Beast, Something Rotten, Once, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Sweeney Todd.

99. I live for the deliciously dark and macabre (yet I hate horror?) Guillermo del Toro and Tim Burton are my favorite creators.

100. Friendship is the greatest love in my life, and what I firmly believe to be the most beautiful, raw, powerful, unconditional love in this world.

[dazzledbybooks]

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked. And the wolf is angry. Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good. But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her. A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions. About the blood in Bisou’s past and on her hands as she stumbles home. About broken boys and vicious wolves. About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone. Elana K. Arnold, National Book Award finalist and author of the Printz Honor book Damsel, returns with a dark, engrossing, blood-drenched tale of the familiar threats to female power—and one girl’s journey to regain it. Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold Publisher: Balzer + Bray Release Date: February 25th 2020 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Fairy Tales Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43721070-red-hood Amazon: https://amzn.to/32Ip5Us B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-hood-elana-k-arnold/1130335629 iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/red-hood/id1465581675 Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Red-Hood-Elana-K-Arnold/9780062742353?ref=grid-view&qid=1573657505950&sr=1-1 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/nz/en/ebook/red-hood-3 Google Books: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Red_Hood.html?id=W-i4xQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y Favorite Quotes: Fairy tales and fables are powerful because they tell us truths we already know. They ring a bell deep inside us, striking a resonant, vibrating note that makes us nod yes with recognition. Forcing anything when it comes to sex is completely unacceptable. Darling, it is not your job to make boys happy. Sometimes boys become wolves. Review: Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold. I am not totally sure what to say at this moment. This wasn’t the book that I was expecting. I was expecting a modern retelling of Red Riding Hood but instead, I ended up with a giant metaphor of being raped and killing your attacker. Something I wish I had a bit more warning for. Red Hood is told in second person. Which it has been a long time since I read a story like this. Second person is definitely one of the harder story views for me to read. It is a lot harder for me to connect to the characters this way. This story is very gory and very dark. Normally I would mind gory and dark if it made sense, but I don’t feel like it makes sense for this book at least not for teenagers. I find that this doesn’t work so well in this YA thriller fairytale retelling. There are moments that I feel like Arnold is trying to be an educator. She is trying to teach teens how to use a tampon and put a condom on it. I can possibly understand this for kids that have the lack of parental education or even sex ed in school. I just wish that Arnold did a better job with it vs going about it the way that she did. I think the biggest issue that I had with this book is that the message is supposed to be about female empowerment and girls banding together. In the end, it feels like this is feeling you that there is justification in murder. That is not an endorsement I support. This book is written to make the reader very uncomfortable so I get that. I just found that the book wasn’t really for me. I can’t say that it is a bad book either. I would definitely give it like 3 stars. I do think that Arnold is a very skilled writer. About the Author: ELANA K. ARNOLD is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children’s books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets. Author Links: Website: http://elanakarnold.com/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5772357.Elana_K_Arnold Twitter: https://twitter.com/elanakarnold Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElanaKArnold/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elanakarnold/ Giveaway: Prize: Win a copy of RED HOOD by Elana K. Arnold (US Only) Starts: 18th February 2020 Ends: 3rd March 2020 a Rafflecopter giveaway Tour Schedule: http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2019/12/tour-schedule-red-hood-by-elana-k-arnold.html February 18th The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post February 19th Kait Plus Books - Guest Post Here's to Happy Endings - Review + Favourite Quotes Write, Read, Repeat - Review Foals, Fiction & Filigree - Review + Favourite Quotes + Instagram A Bronx Latina Reads - Review February 20th Bibliobibuli YA - Interview @womanon - Review Feed Your Fiction Addiction - Review Flying Paperbacks - Review + Favourite Quotes Fanna Wants The World To Read - Review February 21st Camillea Reads - Review Rants and Raves of a Bibliophile - Review + Favourite Quotes My Bookish Bliss - Review + Playlist Kris & Vik Book Therapy Cafe - Review + Favourite Quotes Gwendalyn’s Books - Review February 22nd Sometimes Leelynn Reads - Review + Playlist + Dream Cast A Dream Within A Dream - Review The Reading Corner for All - Review + Favourite Quotes For The Love of Fictional Worlds - Review Jenerally Reading - Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes February 23rd The Contented Reader - Interview Dazzled by Books - Review + Favourite Quotes L.M. Durand - Review Confessions of a YA Reader - Review + Favourite Quotes Book Lover's Book Reviews - Review February 24th NovelKnight - Guest Post Pages and Pugs - Review + Favourite Quotes The Bibliophagist - Review The Layaway Dragon - Review + Favourite Quotes devourbookswithdana - Review + Favourite Quotes

http://www.dazzledbybooks.com/2020/02/red-hood-blog-tour.html

[kelvinerazo7]

10 Interesting Novels

Lord of the Flies (William Golding) At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies is perhaps our most memorable novel about “the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”  (goodreads.com)

1984 (George Orwell) Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmarish vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life—the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language—and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.  (goodreads.com)

Animal Farm (George Orwell) A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned –a razor-edged fairy tale for grown-ups that records the evolution from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible. When Animal Farm was first published, Stalinist Russia was seen as its target. Today it is devastatingly clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of George Orwell’s masterpiece have a meaning and message still ferociously fresh.  (goodreads.com)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)) Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry. Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined. Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.  (goodreads.com)

A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens, Joe L. Wheeler (Contributor)) 'If I had my way, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, would be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Merry Christmas? Bah humbug!' Introduction and Afterword by Joe Wheeler To bitter, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, Christmas is just another day. But all that changes when the ghost of his long-dead business partner appears, warning Scrooge to change his ways before it's too late. Part of the Focus on the Family Great Stories collection, this edition features an in-depth introduction and discussion questions by Joe Wheeler to provide greater understanding for today's reader. "A Christmas Carol" captures the heart of the holidays like no other novel.  (goodreads.com)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)) The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny. But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone -- or something -- starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects . . . Harry Potter himself?  (goodreads.com)

Fatherland (Robert Harris) It is twenty years after Nazi Germany's triumphant victory in World War II and the entire country is preparing for the grand celebration of the Führer's seventy-fifth birthday, as well as the imminent peacemaking visit from President Kennedy. Meanwhile, Berlin Detective Xavier March -- a disillusioned but talented investigation of a corpse washed up on the shore of a lake. When a dead man turns out to be a high-ranking Nazi commander, the Gestapo orders March off the case immediately. Suddenly other unrelated deaths are anything but routine. Now obsessed by the case, March teams up with a beautiful, young American journalist and starts asking questions...dangerous questions. What they uncover is a terrifying and long-concealed conspiracy of such astonding and mind-numbing terror that is it certain to spell the end of the Third Reich -- if they can live long enough to tell the world about it.  (goodreads.com)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)) Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts is full of new dangers. A convicted murderer, Sirius Black, has broken out of Azkaban prison, and it seems he's after Harry. Now Hogwarts is being patrolled by the dementors, the Azkaban guards who are hunting Sirius. But Harry can't imagine that Sirius or, for that matter, the evil Lord Voldemort could be more frightening than the dementors themselves, who have the terrible power to fill anyone they come across with aching loneliness and despair. Meanwhile, life continues as usual at Hogwarts. A top-of-the-line broom takes Harry's success at Quidditch, the sport of the Wizarding world, to new heights. A cute fourth-year student catches his eye. And he becomes close with the new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher, who was a childhood friend of his father. Yet despite the relative safety of life at Hogwarts and the best efforts of the dementors, the threat of Sirius Black grows ever closer. But if Harry has learned anything from his education in wizardry, it is that things are often not what they seem. Tragic revelations, heartwarming surprises, and high-stakes magical adventures await the boy wizard in this funny and poignant third installment of the beloved series.  (goodreads.com)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)) Harry Potter is midway through his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup. He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal - even by wizarding standards. And in his case, different can be deadly.  (goodreads.com)

The Hobbit or There and Back Again (J.R.R. Tolkien) Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001). Unforgettable!  (goodreads.com)

[eddycurrents]

Hellboy in Mexico: “The Coffin Man”

Words: Mike Mignola | Art: Fábio Moon (Part 1) & Gabriel Bá (Part 2) | Colours: Dave Stewart | Letters: Clem Robins

“The Coffin Man” - Originally published by Dark Horse in Hellboy 20th Anniversary Sampler | March 2014

“The Coffin Man 2” - Originally published by Dark Horse in Dark Horse Presents #7 | February 2015 

Collected in Hellboy in Mexico | Hellboy: Complete Short Stories - Volume 1

Plot Summary:

In part one, a little kid comes to Hellboy to help save her uncle from the spell of the Coffin Man. It goes awry. In part two, Hellboy employs another witch to help him find the Coffin Man in order to get revenge. It also doesn’t go so well.

Reading Notes:

(Note: Pagination is solely in reference to the story itself and is not indicative of anything found within the issue or collections.)

pg. 1 - Hellboy relating his marriage to drinking buddies is both funny and a nice way to connect the continuing narrative of these stories. It really gives all of the Mexico stories a thread to follow along, rather than just a random bunch of events that happened while Hellboy was on a drunk tour. It’s also hilarious that the drinking buddies agree that they’ve all been in the same situation.

pg. 4 - Not even drinking and swapping stories in a bar can be simple. Of course there’s some sort of evil afoot.

pg. 6 - I love this art from Fábio Moon and Dave Stewart. The donkey turning into a donkey-monster reminds me a bit of A Midsummer Night’s Dream even though there it was a man into a donkey. It helps gives this story more of a dreamlike fairy tale feel.

pg. 8 - Hellboy failing and winding up in a cactus is also really damn funny.

pg. 9 - Only a drunken fool would think that this was a good plan after what happened the first time. It’s also interesting in the shift here to Gabriel Bá’s artwork, that there’s an increase in shadow, more darkness on the page. It gives the story an even more ominous feel than the first part.

pg. 11 - Just gorgeous layouts here. Creepy derelict, unkempt house and interesting things adorning it.

pg. 12 - Hellboy’s witch guide doesn’t seem to have fared so well. The slow fall of the coins from her hand signifying her death is just wonderful.

pg. 14 - Interesting little bit about Hellboy’s hand here. At this point in time, he’s no idea what it is.

pg. 15 - Hellmonkeyboy should really have his own series.

pg. 16 - Another hilarious ending. You would think at this point Hellboy would have figured out that maybe drinking his way through Mexico wasn’t such a good idea.

Final Thoughts:

I like that these Mexico stories are almost absurdist comedies. Although looking full grown, it’s worth noting that Hellboy’s only 12 in these stories, only a few short years after he even started going out on field missions. We’ll get even more context on what the driving factors were of Hellboy taking off in Mexico in Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956, but these all still work as discrete short stories.

It’s telling that in almost all of these, Hellboy messes up. Hellboy loses. Hellboy makes mistakes. And in doing so, he learns, both about the enemies he’s facing and himself. Trial and very humorous error.

Hellboy in Mexico: “House of the Living Dead”

Words: Mike Mignola | Art: Richard Corben | Colours: Dave Stewart | Letters: Clem Robins

Originally published by Dark Horse in Hellboy: House of the Living Dead | November 2011

Collected in Hellboy in Mexico | Hellboy: Complete Short Stories - Volume 1

Plot Summary:

During his “lost weekend” of 1956, following the unfortunate death of his best friend, Esteban, a despondent and drunken Hellboy agrees to wrestle the champion of a guy threatening to kill a girl for her safety. Monster hijinks ensue.

NOTE:

“House of the Living Dead” was previously released as full standalone graphic novel. You can read my full notes and thoughts on it here.

d. emerson eddy says that there is a house in New Orleans they call “The Rising Sun”. It’s been the ruin a many a poor boy, of which, he knows, he’s one.

[queenofglassbeliever]

The other day, @swanqueenisendgameyo made a post about an interesting tidbit about the timeline she found. It was the date on the forms that Roni almost signed when she was going to sell her bar to Victoria. 

It’s kind of hard to see, but if you zoom in you can make out what looks to be June 6, 2018 written at the top of the form. I’ve also made my own discovery that it was a little less than a year between when Ella and Henry met and when Lucy was born, I made a post about it which I’ll link here:

 These two discovers got me thinking about the timeline and I decided to take my own little crack at it. 

As we already know, Henry was born on August 15, 2001. We also know that while the events of HH were happening, Past! Henry was in senior year of high school. So on June 6, 2018. Past! Henry would be starting the school year soon. The curse broke when Past! Henry was graduating. Which would be around May 2019. 

Henry starts his senior year in August of 2018 and graduates in May of 2019. He’s 17 when he graduates high school. He leaves Storybrooke shortly after his 18th birthday and travels to the Magical Forest. The first friend he makes is Jack. They fight giants and travel together for a little while. August 15, 2020 was Henry’s 19th birthday. Jack buys Henry his first drink at the Crimson Crow. They go their separate ways shortly afterwards. In March of 2021, Henry meets Ella. Regina comes to the MF. Emma tells Henry she’s pregnant. Hope Swan is born 8 months later on November 11, 2021. 

Ella was born on March 7, 2001 in Vallestrella. Her mother Cecelia was a fairy and her birth father, Antonio Agama, was a human. Ella has never met her birth father, but she knows of him. When Ella was four years old, she and her mother were banished from Vallestrella. They traveled to Avalor and lived there until Ella was eight years old. Then, they moved to the Magical Forest where Cecelia met and married Marcus Tremaine. Marcus had two daughters from a previous marriage and he adopted Ella as his own. He would become the only true father Ella’s ever known. At the time, Ella was ten years old. When Ella was 14 years old, Rapunzel, Marcus’s first wife, showed up at Tremaine Manor. In May of 2015, the Tremaine’s celebrated Drizella’s 12th birthday. Cecelia was poisoned by Rapunzel and forced to leave her family. Marcus searched for her for a year. 

In December of 2016, Ella and Anastasia fell through the ice of a frozen lake. Marcus was only able to save Ella. Anastasia died at 14. Ella and Drizella were 15 and 13 respectively. Shortly after Ana’s death, Rapunzel arranges for the Prince to kills Marcus. She wants Ella to suffer and knows how much the girl loves her father. Sometime in February of 2017, Marcus and Ella travel to the castle. Marcus has been summoned to tailor new clothes for the Prince and Ella goes along as his assistant. They don’t know that it’s really a trap set up by Rapunzel. The Prince stabs Marcus when he believed them to be alone. He didn’t know that Ella witnessed the entire thing. After Marcus’s funeral, Rapunzel made Ella into a household slave. She’s cruel to her step-daughter and Drizella follows her mother’s example. For the next four years, Ella is abused by her step-family. Drizella receives an invitation to a ball at the castle. Ella sees it as an opportunity to get revenge on the Prince and her own suffering. She knew that killing the Prince would result in her own death by execution. 

Ella’s 20th birthday had just past when she met Henry in March of 2021. He convinces her to not kill the Prince and that there was a happy ending out there for her. The two of them join Princess Tiana’s Resistance. During the next couple of months Henry and Ella fall in love. They have a small wedding ceremony in September of 2021 and Ella becomes pregnant right away. On June 21, 2022 their daughter, Lucy Mills, is born. For the next eight years, the Mills trio live happily ever after. On Lucy’s eighth birthday, June 21, 2030, Drizella casts a dark curse. Not only does the curse take them to the LWM, it also brings them back in time to 2016. For the next two years, everyone lives under the curse. Then, on June 6, 2018, Lucy brings Henry to Hyperion Heights where he meets her single mother, Jacinda, Ella’s cursed self. In May of 2019, Henry breaks the curse when he gives Regina true love’s kiss. The lasted for nearly three years. Regina casts a curse that unites the realms of story. Rather than staying in 2019, Regina brings them to what would've been there present had they’d not been sent back in time. Regina brings them to May, 2033. Lucy’s 11th birthday is celebrated on June 21, 2033. In November of 2033, Regina is crowned the Good Queen of the United Realms. 

As you could probably tell, I mostly stayed focus on Ella and Henry. But if you want to ask me about others, like Robin and Alice or Tiana, feel free too. :) @heatherfield You've always liked my timeline related posts, so I thought you might like this one, too. :D

[butterflieshurt-ia]

New (well bringing back old) Muses!

Name: Katalina ‘Kat’ Rodriguez Fandom: The Emperor’s New Groove/School & Descendants  Parents: Kuzco & Malina Label: The Flirt Gender: Female Main Age: same age as the main descendants crew (minus carlos & jane) Birthday: November 20th Zodiac Sign: Scorpio Orientation: Bisexual, Biromantic Bio: It’s easy to say Kat is her father’s daughter, that air of arrogance is there, along with the fact that she likely will try to flirt with someone upon first meeting them, especially if they’re cute. Add in the fact that she definitely has her dumb moments, many brush her off as just a ‘mini Kuzco’, but what they’re not aware of, what most aren’t, is the Kat actually has a lot more in common with her mother than they realize. She’s actually wickedly smart, the top of all her classes, she has the competitive streak, and a deep love for animals. It’s hard, though, for anyone to actually see her as smart, they think she’s ditzy, perky, annoying... Kat tries to not let it get to her though, she’s stronger than that, she tells herself, the words don’t hurt... Even though they definitely do. She doesn’t let anyone know though, she has to be empress one day, she’s been in training her whole life, and that means she has to have a backbone. Plus, with her best friend, Scrat (pet squirrel, descendant of Bucky) by her side and her family, life isn’t actually so bad. Faceclaim: Jamila Velazquez

Name: Victoria ‘Tori’ Pixie Fandom: Disney Fairies & Descendants  Parents: Tinkerbell & Terence Label: The Good Gender: Female Main Age: same age as carlos & jane Birthday: March 10th Zodiac Sign: Pisces Orientation: Pansexual, Panromantic Bio: One of the purest hearts in Auradon, Tori is one of the kindest people one could ever meet. She loves to put smiles on everyone’s faces, whether that’s with hugs, cookies, or flower crowns, it doesn’t matter. She’ll even sit with someone for hours when they’re upset until they’re smiling again. When she’s not busy being a shining beam of light, Tori loves to hang out with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, getting into mischief and playing games. Or she’s baking, Tori loves to bake and has a tendency to overdo and end giving out a bunch of free baked good to various residents of Auradon, sometimes even making them cute little baskets and hand delivering them door to door. People have told her she should consider making into a business, but she can’t imagine charging people for anything. Despite all her goodness, Tori also has a secret, when she was young, she was gifted a tiny bottle of pixie dust. She wears it in a chain around her neck hidden by whatever clothes she’s wearing, and she uses it to fly occasionally, and perform small feats of magic from time to time. It’s replenished by one of her parents when it starts to get too empty, and she’s sworn to not tell anyone. Especially Fairy Godmother.  Faceclaim: Elle Fanning 

Name: Ashley Lillian Wonka Fandom: Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Parents: Willy Wonka & Sarah Fielding (NPC) Label: The Sweetheart Gender: Female Main Age: 16 Birthday: April 5th Zodiac Sign: Aries Orientation: Bisexual, Biromantic Note: Ashley’s influence mostly comes from the 2005 movie, but her Willy is definitely... not as creepy and childish. and his ‘faceclaim’ isn’t Johnny Depp. Okay just wanted to make that clear. Bio: Long before Willy Wonka became Willy Wonka: The Amazing Chocoatier, he was in love, he was married, to a beautiful woman named Sarah, and they had a baby, a beautiful little girl named Ashley. But tragedy struck on Ashley’s first birthday, driving home from the restaurant they had been celebrating at, there was a terrible car accident. Sadly, Sarah was died on impact, and Willy and Ashley only suffered minor injuries. But Willy, not thinking he’d be able to continue to raise Ashley all alone, or even at all, made the decision to sign his rights over to Sarah’s mother, he convinced himself it would be too hard... Especially considering how much she resembled her mother. So life went on, Ashley spent the next several years of her life being raised by her grandmother, knowing who her father was (mostly due to a slip up by her grandmother one day when was around the age of six) and absolutely idolizing him. When the infamous golden tickets happened, Ashley did everything in her power to try to get one, sadly she did not... But little did she know, the golden tickets would help her anyways, because a while after Charlie won and officially became Willy’s heir, he ended up finding out about Ashley. A talk with Willy that had never meant to lead to Charlie finding out, but it did, and after that Charlie could not just forget about Ashley and what he knew. So, the young boy set out to find her, and, thanks to the help of the Great Glass Elevator, he did. The reunion between Willy and Ashley was not the most... heart-warming at first, but it took Willy only a short amount of time to realize Ashley had been a missing piece in his life that he’d been missing all these years, and soon, Ashley moved into the factory as well. 

Nowadays, Ashley can usually be found helping her father and Charlie out with new candy inventions, going to school, and preparing to one day help Charlie take over the factory. While Ashley is definitely considerably calmer than her father and not nearly as zany, one can see him in her. She loves to invent things, not just candy either, she’s extremely passionate, and loves to have fun. Fancies herself a good party, but doesn’t necessarily let her father know about that part. Also extremely brilliant, and all around friendly, pretty popular due to who her father is. All in all a girl who’s just as sweet as... candy. Faceclaim: Jenny Boyd

[keyogrey-blog]

Nintendo E3 Summary and Review

Being one of the Big 3 gaming companies, it was expected that Nintendo would have a lot to show at this years E, and they did not disappoint. Ranging from Smash Bros. to Animal Crossing, Nintendo had an incredibly good showing this year, and I’m going to walk through the games shown through the direct, and featured on Treehouse Live.

Starting in chronological order is one of two DLC character reveals for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. A character that is more popular in Japan than in the west, The Hero from Dragon Quest makes it into smash as DLC Fighter 2 (3 if you include Piranha Plant). Before the reveal many people thought that Erdick, the playable character in Dragon Quest III, would be put in. However Erdick is just a title in the Dragon Quest games, not a name, so Nintendo decided to include Dragon Quest III, IV, VIII, and XI as alternate skins for the character. The character will simply be known as “The Hero” and wields a sword and shield like Link, but also focuses on magic, with the character trailer showing a MP bar and spell selection screen. The Hero will no doubt work in a similar fashion to the other “limit” characters in smash (Cloud and Joker). The Hero is slated to be released Summer 2019, so we can expect more gameplay and news in the coming months.

Astral Chain was shown after, with the trailer focusing more on story than gameplay, though a gameplay demo was shown during Treehouse Live after the E3 Direct. Astral Chain is a JRPG title that focuses on two police force members that are part of the special task force Neuron. Neuron’s purpose is to fend off extra-dimensional beings known as Chimeras. To do this, a device was developed to capture Chimeras and turn them into Legions, beings that fight with the main characters. Gameplay is real time action style, similar to Xenoblade 2, with Chimeras functioning similarly to how Blades from Xenoblade 2 work. Outside of battle Legions can be used to break up civilian violence, track down Chimeras, clean up “Red Matter” which seems to be a collectible, and close extra dimensional portals. Multiple different Legions can be used and swapped, each with its own play style and skills. This game has a lot of potential, and I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. Astral Chain in set to release on August 30th, 2019.

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield were shown off heavily as one of the main draws of Nintendo’s show this year, and rightly so. The newest entry to the series is coming to Nintendo Switch and it looks beautiful. The art style of the game is following that of recent trends shown in Ultra Sun and Moon and Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee, which is to be expected. New features like Dynamax, a system where Pokemon can grow to gargantuan size was displayed, new Pokemon were unveiled, and the Wild Area was featured heavily. The Wild Area will be taking the place of Routes it seems, with different biome’s and weather conditions. Interestingly, the game as a whole seems to have more focus on open world, allowing the player to move the camera themselves, and providing them with ways to traverse the environment without the use of HM’s, a system that was replaced in Pokemon Sun and Moon. The Wild Area also spawns different Pokemon depending on weather conditions and time of day, and even allows Pokemon to be in the overworld with the player, which makes the game feel a bit more populated. The old gym system seems to be making its return as well, after a brief departure in the Alola region. Two gym leaders, Milo and Nessa, have been revealed, with the predictable types of Grass and Water respectively. The champion has also been revealed, although all we know is his name is Leon, he’s undefeated, and he has a Charizard. Surprisingly, the evil “team” has not been revealed, though we can safely assume they exist, as there has been one in every Pokémon game prior. The legendary Pokemon, Zamanestra and Zacian, were shown off before E3, but it's still worth mentioning that they play into the overall plot of the game, as was stated in the Pokemon Direct earlier this month. Pokemon Sword and Shield will release worldwide on November 15th, 2019.

Another large franchise is also receiving a new entry on the Switch. Fire Emblem Three Houses brings the franchise back to consoles this year. While most of the information regarding this game was given during a previous Nintendo Direct, the new trailer shown at E3 points towards some sort of time shenanigans. This is shown through character appearance rather than gameplay. Interestingly, the trailer dropped at E3 takes place after the gameplay shown in previous directs, and while I love to speculate about games, feel it’s better to let the game give us the answers. Fire Emblem: Three Houses will release for Nintendo Switch on July 26th, 2019.

Nintendo spent a large amount of time talking about Luigi’s Mansion 3, even bringing out new President of Nintendo of America Doug Bowser to introduce it in the Direct. The first game spawned a decent following and good reviews, so it makes sense to keep a beloved franchise going. This time around Luigi and company go to a haunted, multistory, architecturally impossible hotel. The game follows Luigi going through the hotel looking for Mario, Peach, and Toad. With a new game comes new features, and this one is no exception. Luigi has a new Poltergust that has the ability to push and pull ghosts, attach a plunger to an object and move it, use an air burst to stun enemies and elevate Luigi, and bash ghosts on the floor Hulk style. Gooigi is a new feature that allows the player to take control of a Luigi who is made of, you guessed it, goo. This version of Luigi is able to walk through spikes, metal bars, and more that normal Luigi is unable to do. What’s more, Gooigi can be taken control of by a second player, allowing local multiplayer. Another new feature is the Scare Scraper, a floor progression based mode that allows up to 8 people to play together and fight through the different floors. Luigi’s Mansion 3 releases for the Nintendo Switch sometime this year.

Some other things that Nintendo showed off was the third party support coming to Switch. Titles like Ni-No Kuni, Witcher 3, and Dragon Quest XI were revealed. This change in ideology from Nintendo is welcomed, as the only reason to own a Nintendo console in the past was for exclusives. With this support, Nintendo may finally be able to compete with Microsoft and Sony directly again.

The beloved Animal Crossing series is getting its next installment with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. New Horizons lets the player live on an island, complete with beaches, NPC’s and of course, absurd loans from Tom Nook. Players are able to craft their own furniture and equipment like axes and fishing rods, as well as place furniture outdoors. Horizons seems to focus on player freedom more than anything, with the ability to create roads to form villages, or place houses on the beach for that scenic life. Additionally, local multiplayer is supported, with up to four people per console, while online eight player as well. In local multiplayer, one player is designated the “leader”. This player seems to be the only one capable of interacting with crafting benches and NPC’s, while other players are able to perform actions like fishing, digging, and wood gathering. The release date for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is March 20th, 2020.

Finally, the remade Link’s Awakening was the last game revealed for the E3 Nintendo Direct. The game looks incredible, using an art style that looks like clay models. The full game is in tact, and features like the Color Dungeon are also returning. For some reason Dampe from Ocarina of Time is in the game, running a feature called Chamber Dungeons. Chamber Dungeons are player made dungeons created using a tile selection system. The dungeons can be completed by the creator or by other players. The clear time is recorded each time, and the best clear time is displayed. These dungeons can also have multiple floors, and contain items that help in the base game, like fairy bottles. It is unclear if the bosses of these dungeons are chosen at random each time or if the creator can choose which boss waits at the end, but either way this feature is a unique one for a Zelda title, which is always welcome. Link’s Awakening is arriving on Nintendo Switch on September 20th, 2019.

The last 2 things Nintendo showed in their Direct were trailers. I’m going to start with the second DLC character reveal for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After years of begging and speculating, the Western Smash Bros. players got their wish: Banjo and Kazooie have finally joined the fight. With a happy-go-lucky feel, these characters are welcome additions to the staggering roster of Smash. This addition means there are now four Rare characters in Smash, with King K. Rool, Diddy Kong, and Donkey Kong all having been in Donkey Kong Country. We can expect to see the Bear-Bird combo sometime in Fall 2019.

The final announcement made from the Nintendo Direct is one not many-if any- people were expecting. It’s no secret that Breath of The Wild was one of the best games of 2018, as well as one of the best games in the Zelda Franchise. The game seemed to leave a lasting impact as on Nintendo as well, as they announced that a direct sequel to Breath of The Wild is currently in development. Direct sequels aren’t commonplace in the Zelda series, which is why this particular announcement shocked me. Who’s the villain? What’s the plot? Do I still retain the fancy powers of the champions? The Master Sword? There are a lot of questions that won’t be answered for some time, but one thing has been said. During an interview with IGN, Zelda director and producer Eiji Aonuma stated that "The new Breath of the Wild or the sequel to it, it’s not necessarily going to be related to Majora’s mask or inspired by it... What we showed you currently is a little darker,".

I eagerly look forward to how much darker Zelda is going to get.

Overall Nintendo had a VERY strong conference this year. Titles like Pokemon and Fire Emblem were expected to be present and showed heavily, but some sleeper titles also made their name known. Astral Chain looks promising in its gameplay and premise, Luigi’s mansion looks to be a very whimsical puzzle/action game, and the third party games coming to Switch will expand a bigger audience to the incredible games on the market.

Keep a lookout for more pieces like this in the future! Next up is Square Enix!

-Nick Owens

[stylinbreeze60]

My “WIPs”

Thanks @sugaandyams. I don't get tagged too often, so thank you!

“The Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous.”

Oh my goodness. I had stuffed saved in all different places. I’ll start with the folders that contained fics that are incomplete. Welp, here I go!

Great Galactic War - this folder is the dump for my Haikyuu space/war AU, one of three or four fics I may focus on writing in the near future (first chapter is already published); the folder has very little atm, but I have about two dozen different scenes on my phone that aren't saved on PC

Kenma Project - the dump for my actively ongoing Haikyuu next gen captain war AU. I have a file in here further titled Ennoshita chapter. I wonder what that’s about? ;)

Three Kings - the dump for my Haikyuu samurai AU starring Hinata and Noya, the second possible fic I may commit to writing (first 2 chapters already published); there’s a chapter outline (which is dated because I’ve updated it in my head so much), and there are notes and many chapter tidbits on my phone too

Vice - the dump for a canonverse Haikyuu fic that was borne from a desire to write more Nekoma, so I subjected them to debilitating angst. There’s a rough chapter outline in here, and there are a couple of chapter drafts saved as emails on my phone. It’s the third fic that I might commit my time to (first 2 chapters, starring poor Inuoka, already published)

March of Justice - this folder was the dump for my aborted One Piece/My Hero Academia crossover, in which a couple of One Piece villains travel to the BnHA universe to conquer it

And here’s the rest I found. Some of these are just notes on fanciful ideas I had for a day and then never revisited. Others were never intended to see the light of day whatsoever

Abe dake ga Inai Machi - Oofuri-Erased - oh goodness. I had to stare at that title for a while to figure out what was wrong with it. An Oofuri/Big Windup fanfic that I didn’t play with for very long, but I was surprised to find I actually wrote the first chapter. Like Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased), there’s a murder and then Abe finds himself transported back to the start of the Oofuri series, 10 months earlier. I reread some of this first chapter, and by my standards, it’s awful

Ace of Diamond - scandal fanfic - one of the ones never intended to see the light of day. It’s just notes. Basically Seidou pulls off its own Black Sox scandal and gets nailed, with some drama over whether Eijun is actually guilty

Ace of Iron / Ace of Swords - a Diamond no Ace samurai AU, mostly notes but also including drafts of a first chapter. It grew so huge there was no chance I could ever write it as a fanfic, so I actually converted it into an original story idea that I may do something with some day

Big Windup - cheating ploy disaster - this one is just notes and also never intended to see the light of day. An Oofuri idea in which Nishiura’s defeated rivals suspect them of cheating and kidnap the club boys to force them to confess. It goes even more downhill. (I’m very glad that, since discovering Haikyuu, I now conceive fanfics I actually want to write.)

Day of the Countercoup - I had to dig to find this one cos I knew it existed, but it wasn't a file. It was a tab in an Excel doc I used for my Haikyuu political AU, Coup d’Etat. It’s notes for an aborted sequel (Coup d’Etat’s original title was “Night of the Coup,” hence this contrasting title) that I scrapped soon after starting work on it. So glad too! Coup d’Etat got its due, and that AUverse shall be left to itself now

Haikyu - Gospel of Shouyou - oh goodness. I’m not gonna explain this one. Me experimenting, not intended to see the light of day

Haikyu - Nightmare from Heaven - this one may be the fourth candidate for continuation as a long-term fic but is currently unpublished. A war/occupation fic in which Miyagi Prefecture is conquered during a contemporary World War III, and the Karasuno boys must now live under foreign military occupation. The first chapter and part of the second were written, and I've got several notes on my phone and PC about subsequent chapters. Thank goodness tensions in that part of the world have simmered down since I devised it

Life Hereafter - Chapter 6.5 alternate ending - oh no. Life Hereafter is my darkest and most sensitive fic, published only on FFN, written to process a RL tragedy I was distantly affected by. I struggled with the ending of Chapter 6, which covered Tsukki and Yamaguchi’s coping with the canonverse tragedy. One draft (called “6.5″ in case I ever wanted to publish it, but I likely never will) featured Tsukki, seeking solace and desperately wanting to console Yamaguchi, giving in to poor judgment and kissing him. Only to then learn Yamaguchi doesn't have the same feelings back. Topping off their hurt with this was far too cruel and painful, and even before I started typing it, I knew I wouldn’t actually publish it. Rereading the draft even now made me feel uncomfortable which is why I kept it because it’s perhaps the best friendship-ruining moment I’ve ever written

Oofuri fanfic - Sakura Conspiracy - I thought I wrote a chapter 1 draft too, but this is an outline for a WWII Oofuri AU in which Nishiura, after winning Koshien in the late 20s or early 30s, moves on to military and political careers, one of their former teammates dies under suspicious circumstances, and Mihashi fears one of his old teammates may be responsible. The story stretches from 1937 to 1945

I'm actually surprised I found no notes on my Haikyuu mafia AU idea. I guess I never actually transcribed any, even though the plot is substantially complete in my head!

These four are all notes for gigantic crossovers:

Periods of World fanfic - This was an experiment, in which each century from 2000 BC to 2000 AD was listed out, a different part of the world selected for each century, and then a different anime or manga assigned to each part of the world. The idea was to write a chapter set in that century in that area starring those characters. The last chapter, for the new millennium, would have covered all parts of the world. The file is dated 2013. It never became more than this list

Periods of World fanfic 2 - and so it seems I tried again! This file is dated 2014 and shows just a teeny bit more dedication, with the 20th century further subdivided into decades, then every year from 2000-2009, and then every six months for 2010-2014. There are some different anime choices than the 2013 version. Never went anywhere with it, never gonna

Reborn epic crossover anime tribute layout - yes, that’s the literal filename. This is from my days as a Katekyo Hitman Reborn fan, and I don't even recognize most of the character names anymore. Apparently the villains of Reborn travel to seven other anime universes to kidnap major characters to sacrifice them as part of some weird magic scheme that I can’t properly decipher now

Random multi-anime WWII fanfic plan - yes, that’s also the literal filename. This is an outline for a 50-chapter crossover set before and during World War II, where the main characters of Naruto are Russian, One Piece are British, Bleach are French, Katekyo Hitman Reborn are German, Blue Exorcist are Italian, Fairy Tail are Japanese, and Ed and Al from FMA are American. The plot is emotionally devastating, doesn’t pull the punches on all sorts of WWII-related triggers, and frequently and cruelly denies catharsis.

To be perfectly honest though, rereading it, I swear this is the best story I have ever invented! It has a heartrending blend of tragedy, poignant poetic justice, subplot causality, and social commentary and contains few of the traps I sometimes fall into like cheap shock and subplots going nowhere. I really wish I could do something with this narrative now

And I’ll count the hefty handful of TV scripts I’ve written in an effort to practice and hone my scriptwriting skills. All but the last one of these are hypothetical new seasons of real anime:

Blue Exorcist s2 - 1 episode. My attempt to write the Impure King arc, years before they actually produced the Impure King arc. This was not my best work

Noragami: God’s Secret - 2 episodes for a manga-based Season 3. These were pretty decent imo

Oofuri/Big Windup: The Coming of Fall - 17 episodes. I got really into this one. A speculative season 3 assuming three cours (imo we probably won’t be blessed with that many episodes if season 3 comes), covering everything up until the end of the fall tournament. The first 13 episodes covered the story up to chapter 84 minus the Kasukabe match, followed by an OVA (ep 13.5), and then I was working on the Kasukabe match told in hindsight before planning to continue with the big game of the fall prelims. The third cour would have covered the fall tournament itself

Mekakucity Actors XX - 4 episodes. My own idea for a season 2/alternate ending. Because I was very conflicted with how the anime ended

School Babysitters - this was an original episode idea for Gakuen Babysitters that I enjoyed writing very much but turned out too long (40 pages) and features the babies turning into insects. I wouldn't mind publishing it somewhere actually!

I am going to tag @wire-pudding and @kemoiunder! Anyone else who reads this and wants to explore the abyss that is non-started WIPs, be my guest too!

[bellmo15-blog]

I get wholesome stuff sometimes! I mean, not all the time but some of the time. And honestly, how much more wholesome could you get than Animal Crossing?

Original description: Just from the timing of me commissioning MallousCallous to do this pic for me alone I think you can guess why I’ve gotten this pic. Yup, it’s almost the two-year anniversary of a specific game that I think you all know. Fairy Tail!... Oh and also Animal Crossing New Horizons lol.

That’s right, on March 20th this game turns two years old and by extension my save file for the game. I brought this when it came out and haven’t stopped playing since. And I’m pretty sure most of you know why at this point. It was both my favourite game I played in 2020 and my favourite game that was released in 2020. Why was this my favourite in the same year I played other games that came out that year that arguably have way more to them such as Shantae and the Seven Sirens, No Straight Roads, DOOM Eternal and the remake of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 and even games that didn’t come out in 2020 that I still first played that year such as all of the Batman Arkham games aside from Knight since I played that in 2015, Indivisable, Call of Duty Black Ops and Watch Dogs 2? Do I even need to say it? It was 2020! You know, the same year that literally started with my own country being on fire in one of the worst country wide bushfires we had seen? The same year one of the worst pandemics ever reared it’s ugly head which for some reason people still personified as a f***ing waifu for some reason? The same year where we were forced to spend an extended amount of time in our homes and couldn’t go to work or hang out with our friends because of said pandemic? The same year where people willingly broke all the restrictions placed that were there to try and stop the spread while a vaccine was being made which resulted in extended lockdowns and more people getting sick!? I could go on and even talk about other stuff I hated about this year but you get my point by now!

Yeah needless to say this year sucked and my mental state at this point was not at its best. So since all I could really do at that point was stay indoors and play video games well, what else was there for me to do? I brought this game digitally from the Nintendo eShop day one and let’s just say the next few months after that were filled with Animal Crossing! So, so much Animal Crossing. I would play this every single day to check on my island and my villagers and it was fun for me! It was therapeutic. It was… you know what, let’s just cut the crap. It helped me mentally get thought what was one of the worst years I have ever had to endure! It had such a positive atmosphere compared to all that was going on in real life that I didn’t want to stop. I just wanted to stay in this world and be with these characters. Now obviously you shouldn’t spend every moment of your life in a fantasy and doing so can be quite unhealthy, but I mean, do I even need to remind you about what was going on in that year again? I’d rather not. Why wouldn’t I want to spend so much time in Animal Crossing?

And then there’s your character. This is probably the best Animal Crossing avatar customization we have gotten! Not just because for once you are able to select your appearance manually and not have it determined by some test which could lead to a face you hate, but because the hair styles look great, the clothing was amazing not to mention how it allowed you to wear all kinds of clothing regardless of your gender, they are very expressive which makes for fun screenshots and moments and also because they just look really dam good! Like this is no joke my favrotie avatar creation system in any game and the only other one that comes close are the Mii’s. So yeah, for this games 2nd anniversary I got a pic of my own villager who despite looking a bit like my own sona it technically predates him by seven months. Then again, he also has similar hair and glasses, the same love for Shantae, his favourite animal is snakes, even having a pot in his home as a substite for Tuki’s pot so it might as well be an Animal Crossing version of my Sona at this point lol. Either way, here’s to two years of one of my favourite games of the decade so far.

Artist is MallousCallous