#c meera

[ariadnewhitlock]

A Cup of Stars || Meera & Ariadne

TIMING: Current-ish, early this week LOCATION: Best Exotic Herbal Tea PARTIES: Meera @the-haunteang and Ariadne @ariadnewhitlock SUMMARY: Ariadne goes to explore the tea shop, and she and Meera talk. Ariadne tells Meera that she wants to take friends to the tea shop. It's soft. CONTENT WARNING: None

“Good morning!” Meera cheerfully greeted the woman that just entered her family shop, with a warm smile and an excited wave. The Best Exotic Herbal Tea Shop was supposedly one of the oldest businesses in the town of Wicked’s Rest, though its current owner, Meera, hadn’t really bothered to verify that information. To her, it was good enough that her grandmother had always spoken about it, included it in their age-old catalogs, and no one else has disputed the fact.

The Ghazi siblings, who usually manned the counter, were currently busy with other customers, so it was up to the usually reserved Meera to try and do her best not to get distracted by the ghost of a random relative just staring at her from the door, slightly behind the other woman. Years ago, it would have been quite the most jarring of sights. These days, however, she was getting used to it. “How can I help you?” 

Having more than one place to go and get tea wasn’t a bad thing, by any means. Supporting local shops was important - a belief that Ariadne had all on her own, but one that was certainly aided by the fact that her family had a business of their own that relied on support from the town in order for it to be successful.

“I - what is your favorite tea to get?” Ariadne glanced up at the listing. “I’m big on tea - not like, an expert, I just like how it tastes, and I also like to listen to what others have to say.” She gave a small huff. “So. Yeah. Are you able to give me recommendations? If that’s asking too much, just tell me. I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Me, personally?” Meera was caught offguard by the question. She had been asked the same thing, of course, countless of times before, but it always catches her offguard. It was the same kind of question as when someone asks a mother who their favorite child was. Meera couldn’t choose. All her life, she had known tea, a lot of them, perhaps more than any one person should, but in her defense, her family was in the business. “I guess it depends on the time of day and the mood I’m in, but nothing can beat Assam or Darjeeling for me.”

Of course, she’d choose those two. They were from home, a part of her life she had barely known, she could no longer go back to for fear of the thousands and hundreds of dead relatives that would swarm her as soon as she stepped foot in that continent. There were already too many for her to handle in this part of the world. Meera shook her head, mustering enough strength to retain her smile, before continuing. “It’s not a bother, not at all, but I suppose we can start with what tea have you had recently and if you’d like to try something new?” 

“Yes - you’re the expert.” Ariadne sighed, “I didn’t - it’s also okay if you don’t want to tell me, but both of those teas sound wonderful.” There was something enchanting about getting to talk to someone who was such an expert at something so beautiful, and she regretted not having been to the shop many times before.

“I had rooibos last night, and also a chamomile. This morning I had Irish Breakfast, I think?” Ariadne thought for a moment, and then nodded. “Yes, that. I will admit I am fond of making teas quite sweet - but I do genuinely like the flavor too. But yes, I think I might like to try something new - or at least - well, yeah, actually - up for trying basically anything.”

Meera found the sigh a little discomforting. Although she tried her best not to show it, she was taken aback by the response. Was it something she said? Before she could ask that very question, she found a different ghostly relative staring at the customer, appearing right behind her. He didn’t make any sound, didn’t move their graying lips, only stared with those large empty eyes. Feigning a cough, Meera did her best not to focus on the ghost. They were neither buying nor selling anything. “O-oh, I wouldn’t call myself an expert,” she went on. “We do actually have one but they’re out at the moment.”

Wherever those two were, Meera didn’t want to know. The pair of so-called experts had been working for her mother before she passed and maybe even for her grandmother and her grandmother’s mother. She wasn’t quite sure about that part. But they were full of knowledge about teas, far more than Meera herself could ever hope to have. She knew her chamomiles and lavenders, Assams and Ceylons, but those guys were on another level. 

“Oh, well, in that case,” Meera turned her back to the customer to browse the shelf on the wall, which contained a selection of different teas. When she turned to Ariadne again, she held in her hands two different boxes. “Some teas ARE sweeter than others, so maybe you’d like to try some pandan leaf tea or star anise tea?”

She could see, for only a moment, an expression of unease wash over the woman’s face. Even though she hadn’t done anything to scare her, Ariadne couldn’t help but feel at fault. “I - sorry, I’ve just never met someone so wonderfully dedicated to tea before, and I think that surprised me.” She plastered a smile on her face, doing her best to force herself to relax, as much as was possible. “That’s totally fine, I’d probably be like, super unimpressive to them, anyhow.” She offered the other woman a small smile.

“I’d love either of those.” Her smile grew, “could - yeah, I’d even take both, if you wanted?” Ariadne nodded, “though not at the same time, I don’t know if that would work out so well.” She tapped her fingers on the countertop for a moment, before stopping, worrying that it would only draw that same expression of unease that her sigh had, earlier.

“Oh,” came Meera’s meek reply. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of the apology. Although she took the compliment as a, well, compliment, Meera has never been good at actually stating the obvious when it came down to it. Like, what was she even supposed to say? Thank you? She felt that was not enough to express how much she appreciated the customer’s sentiment, but at the same time, just saying it out loud, as is, felt like too much, too. “I don’t know… You’re…pretty…impressive to me.” What.

Meera feigned a cough, trying her best to move past that weird reply from herself, though she stumbled a few more times, unsure how to actually do that and whether she could even do that. “Tell you what, since it’s your first time here,” she did look too young to be an old customer, and if she’d been around, Meera would have remembered her…right? “Why don’t I give you 50% off on both? That way, it wouldn’t be too much of a waste if you end up not liking them!” Maybe this was why Meera wasn’t doing better business than usual, though to be fair, she was never a good businesswoman to begin with anyway.

“I’m really not too impressive but, uh, thank you?” Ariadne squeezed her eyes shut. This whole encounter was something she wanted to apologize for. She’d invaded the woman’s space (even if it was a shop, technically) and hadn’t done anything to make her feel more at ease. If anything, she just seemed to keep making it worse.

“I - really? I’d love that, but that’s really a lot of you to offer, to a stranger. So how about, if I do like them, I pay you what I’d owe you?” Ariadne suggested. “It feels like theft or something, otherwise, but if you want to give me the discount, you can.”

Meera gave her a fervent nod with a warm smile to boot not unlike that of a child that just got patted on the head for acing a test that was more important to their parent. It wasn’t a familiar state of being for the tea shop owner, as it had been her childhood. To be fair, however, her mother just wanted to ensure her survival, all things considered. It was hard enough to raise a child on her own in an unfamiliar place, but to raise a child who could see their dead relatives while their dead relatives kept stalking them? It was too much, something that was now akin to a nightmare for Meera herself.

“That’s okay with me, too,” Meera tried her best to make the young woman more comfortable than she seemed. “Whatever feels right for you.” 

She wanted to argue about that statement regarding the theft but felt unprepared to do so. What did Meera even know about theft? She’s been hauntingly sheltered all her life, trapped in the walls of her family’s overbearing tradition. The tea shop’s walls even felt like they were designed to keep her in. She did not have any cause to resort to thievery, not even a hint of desperation or curiosity. That and a dead relative was always watching. That was more stressful to her than getting thrown in jail for stealing a piece of gum. “Would you like anything else?”

“I just like to be honest and kind whenever possible, and I wouldn’t want to cheat you out of anything is all.” Ariadne sighed. She wanted the woman to like her, except she got the feeling that perhaps she was trying too hard. That perhaps all the effort that went into reassuring the woman was actually making her more hesitant about Ariadne. She did her best not to focus on that too much, and to instead focus herself on the tea. Which was, after all, the original point of her outing. Not totally embarrassing herself around someone cool would have just been a nice bonus.

“Do you have any cookies or cakes? I’ll pay for those too, I promise!” Ariadne squeaked, “but the tea all on its own is also perfect. Better than perfect, even.” Okay, now even she could tell that she was trying too hard. She took a deep breath. “I like it here. I might bring a friend of mine sometime. I think they’d like it too.”

“That’s fair,” Meera gave the young woman a warm smile. She was pleased at that response. Although she did like handing out discounts like there was no tomorrow, which most likely meant that she wasn’t that great of a businesswoman compared to her late mother and late grandmother, Ariadne’s words felt genuine. Or at least genuine enough to make her feel better even if her most generous offer was denied. “You’re a nice person.”

Usually, when someone declined Meera’s offer, it was because they wanted something else. Or they felt like too proud to accept what they felt was a ‘handout.’ That wasn’t always the case, though. She was sure of that. But it did feel like that most of the time. It wasn’t like she was a mind reader to know what people really thought. She was something else. A ghost watcher. Something like that. 

“Hmm, well, we do have something back there,” Meera moved toward the part of the counter to the side that had some pastries left on display. There used to be more over there, at least more earlier, but other customers have purchased them. What were left weren’t the usual kinds of pastries one would find at a bakery, most of all a tea shop. They were Indian pastries. From her father’s side of the family. Things she didn’t even have on a daily basis while she was growing up. “Oh, we still have a few Dharwad peda and Mysore pak! The peda is made with sugar and buffalo milk while the pak a buttery and dense cookie prepared in ghee. Dharwad and Mysore are places in India.” After the brief summary, she offered her a piece each to taste.

The woman was actually smiling now, which did a wonder for Ariadne’s nerves. Of course, she was practically positive that nothing could make them go away entirely, but any sort of lessening was more than welcome. “You’re a nice person too.” She offered her a small smile. “I just figure there’s not really ever a point to not being nice, really.”

She’d been raised to not take too much for granted - to be grateful - and Ariadne was, easily so, perhaps absurdly easily so sometimes - but she also knew that along with that came necessary respect, and it seemed overdue here, especially if the woman was out and about offering discounts to nearly everyone who entered the store. Not that she was rich - she never had been, but she believed very much in giving what was deserved.

“Those both sound amazing,” Ariadne took a small piece of each, taking care to chew each slowly, “and they both are amazing. This time I think I’ll go with the Dharward peda - which I hope I didn’t completely mess up the pronunciation of, but something advertised as having sugar is pretty much always gonna win me over.”

No point in not being nice… Those words reverberated in Meera’s head as her smile never left her lips. Truly the same words she has tried to live by, all things considered. To be fair, Meera had never encountered any reason, or point, to not be nice to someone, anyone at all, but that was mostly because she usually spent her days within the walls of her family’s tea shop. 

Maybe if she had time to go out, mix and mingle, Meera could find a reason, a point, to not be nice to someone, maybe one of those Internet goblins in person. “Why, thank you! That’s so…nice of you to say!” She beamed, thinking she was so witty for that play on words.

“Oh, don’t worry about it! New words in new languages of new cultures can take some learning,” Meera gracefully rang the additional purchase after leaving the two samples with the young woman, having gestured for her to finish them or just leave them there if she couldn’t. Forcing someone to do either was a bad habit everyone tends to mistake as a good one. People should have the freedom to decline offers and kind gestures and what-not. “Here you go! Enjoy them together!”

“Thank you.” Ariadne offered her another small smile. “It’s - I appreciate the pun. Joke? Whatever you just did.” Again, there wasn’t anything but complete and total honesty, even if she wasn’t totally sure she was making anything other than a fool of herself, but right now she wasn’t going to focus on that.

“I just wouldn’t want to sound ignorant or anything,” Ariadne bit her lip, “but thanks.” She took another bite of the sample, the taste something incredibly satisfying. “Oh - really? Together? I promise I don’t always repeat things quite this much, but uh…” her voice trailed off. “Anyhow, these are both wonderful. Is - I have a friend, who I might want to bring here, sometime. Would that be okay?”

Meera didn’t know what it was either. Was it a pun? She wouldn’t necessarily chuck it in the same company as ‘dad jokes.’ Those were mostly puns, weren’t they? Was it a joke? Sort of? She wanted it to come off as at least humorous but there was no set-up, at least nothing that wasn’t just recycled into it, and no hilarious punchline. Basically, she just repeated what Ariadne had said for the most part. Either way, though, she was just glad it was appreciated, so to speak, and she acknowledged that a polite smile and a brief nod. 

“Together,” Meera nodded again, gesturing toward the purchase. “They do taste great together, but of course, feel free to take them separately or with others that may be more suitable to your taste and preference. Dharward peda should go well with any tea.” At least she hoped. Truth be told, Meera hadn’t tried it with all the teas. There were far too many possible combinations out there, and she hadn’t even tried all the teas that existed. “Yes! That would be lovely! Bring everyone! All your friends. We’d love to meet them and share our love of teas with your friends and family!”

“You know so much.” Ariadne said, eyes wide, truly in awe. “I’m for sure gonna come back.” There was no reason not to, with the drinks and good being as good as they were, and with the women being so endlessly kind and accommodating. “I don’t - well, I don’t have a lot of friends, but I can bring the ones I do have, promise!” 

She took another bite of her dessert and a sip of the tea. “These are perfect.” Another nod. “You know, I’m really glad I came here.”

[vanishingreyes]

[pm] Yes, I have. Have you lived in many different places?

[pm] Oh, but did you ever visit Mexico? Here and there, but mostly around the Yucatan. We lived with my uncle back then.

[wintervsuns]

DURING THE TIME SKIP; Following the return of the northern fighting forces from the iron war. // @northernseer

Lord Brandon Karstark, the Sun of Winter and the Hand of the King was wed to Lady Meera Reed within the Godswood at Winterfell. It was a private, intimate event; if not interrupted by the Sea Wolf entering and standing at the back of the gathering in the Godswood, a strange phantom. It was followed by a night of feasting and revelery, where the Northern court and their guests took the chance to bask in winter’s sun once - for they had made it out of the other side, again.

[honeysmokedham]

@the-haunteang

A bear? With your bare hands? That can't be right. That sounds more like a joke or a pun or something. Well, I mean, tea has many positive properties like [...] it increases my alertness and makes me feel good about my body inside and out. Is tea causing all this haunting

Yes, I fought a bear with my bare hands. Ham allowed me to do it. Ham gives me triple the alertness you have, and I have never felt bad about my body inside or out. I'm built differently. Stronger. Better.

[duckprintspress]

23 Queer Books for Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month! To celebrate, we asked our contributors to recommend their favorite queer books with disabled characters. The contributors to this list are: Neo Scarlett, Dei Walker, E. C., Polls, Rascal Hartley, Sanne, Meera S., Shadaras, Shea Sullivan, Annabeth Lynch, Tris Lawrence, Nova Mason, Nina Waters, and an anonymous contributor. Reminder: we encourage our rec list contributors to suggest books that spoke to them, which means that sometimes works on our rec lists do not include explicit representation.

Brooms by Jasmine Walls

Iron Widow (Iron Widow series) by Xiran Jay Zhao

Six of Crows (Six of Crows series) by Leigh Bardugo

Golden Stage by Cang Wu Bin Bai

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

The Tea Dragon Festival Treasury Edition by K. O’Neill

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

Feed (Newsflesh series) by Mira Grant

Into the Drowning Deep (Rolling in the Deep series) by Mira Grant

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

Interesting Facts about Space by Emily Austin

Body, Remember: A Memoir by Kenny Fries

The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost series) by C.L. Clark

The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus series) by Rick Riordan

The Monster Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade series) by Seth Dickinson

Chrono Crusade (Chrono Crusade series) by Daisuke Moriyama

Tokyo Babylon by Clamp

Godkiller (Fallen Gods series) by Hannah Kaner

A Tiny Piece of Something Greater by Jude Sierra

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

The Charm Offensive (The Charm Offensive series) by Alison Cochrun

Umineko When They Cry by 07th Expansion

Copper Coins by Mu Su Li

What are your favorite queer books with disability rep?

You can view this list, and our many others, as a shelf on Goodreads!

Looking to buy any of these books or others we’ve recommended? You can browse our rec lists on Bookshop.org!

Want to chat your favorite reads with us? Join our Book Lover’s Discord server!

Love reading queer books? Our Queer Book Challenge is running on Storygraph through the end of 2024. Come join us!

[wintervsuns]

who: @northernseer​ where: the chambers of the lord of karhold, some nights following the arrival of lady meera to her new lands and seat as the lady of house karstark

Their sacred vow had been said within the Godswood of Winterfell, beneath the Hearts Tree and those blazing red leaves that seemed to provide a backdrop for the flames that seemed to finally have been put to rest within his own heart - though that face, remained etched within his memory and within his soul. Looking upon a momentous part of his life, for he intended on doing good by his vows to the lady he had chosen as his wife; for as much as this arrangement seemed to work out to both of their favours, extending Karstark influence far further South than he could ever have guessed, it was an arrangement of choice. 

The heart of Meera Reed had been entrusted within his own hands, and it was that hearted he would carefully hold by the honour and love of the Old Gods themselves. It was never ice, nor was it ever cold; perhaps peculiar, perhaps it had shadows, but ice? Never that. Evident in the feeling of warmth beneath his own hand as it trailed over her the velvet of her nightgown, slowly pushing it upwards as his hand sunk between the warmth of her thighs, moving to spread them as his own lips moved quietly against her own jawline, listening to her quiet breathing. When his lips met her own, it was always slowly; as though he wanted to  savour every moment, as though he wanted her to wait. 

She didn’t need to look to know there was a slight grin across his dark bearded features, as his hair fell slightly over him as he leaned his forehead against her own. 

Knock, knock. The slight groan that came from the Hand of the King was mroe than just exasperation as he attempted to ignore the knock, even for a moment; and yet, there was a clear rule in Karhold. Three knocks, and it was the King’s business. Another knock. “Damn him.” The man muttered into the softness of her neck, breaking his lips from her skin as he raised, moving towards the door to accept the letter that had been sent to him. King’s sigil, at the bottom. “The old, the new, and whoever else would listen.”

For the first time in months, there had been some light and happiness within the walls of Karhold following the death of his own sister; and yet, it seemed as though life itself had returned within the castle walls - those seemed to look curiously and strangely at their new Lady, who was yet to pick up the sun tongue. And yet, that was something her Lord husband was ensuring she soon would understand at least broken parts of - so that within this keep, they knew that she was one of them. “Kiitos, Olavi - syömme aamiaisen myöhään.” 

Brandon read the letter as he thanked the pageboy and closed his chamber door, creaky and old; wondering back over to the unkept bed as his wife remained perfectly happy beneath the furs and heavy quilts that ensured of their warmth, when their own body heat did not do the job. “He wants us to go to the Reach for a wedding. The young Tyrell has won.” 

It were as though the skies dance, the term often given to the phenomena that occurred within the nightsky when it bled green and vibrant sea blue, was visible within their new lady’s eyes; and though they looked at her curiously, spoke to her in the common tongue she would understand wrapped with their own regional accent, Brandon Karstark felt as though the stability of his family and his name had once again been restored. 

[lucie-newman]

"Gave it up with childhood?" Lou asked. She'd never let that part of her go. Maybe it was a side effect of her lifestyle, but it had lead to some happy nights and to a very full pantry now that she was living at a fixed address. "Candy? Well I'm always a slut for Swedish Fish."

Meera's eyes widened as the woman began listing out options without having to really think about them. "I haven't had cheez-its for years," she admitted, "But I like the idea of the popcorn without the bits so I think I'll try that." Thinking for a moment she asked, "Any candy suggestions?"

[katyspersonal]

Let's try to count female (?) characters in Elden Ring!

1) Marika

2) Malenia

3) Melina

4) Trina

5) Ranni

6) Rennala

7) Rellana

8) Moonrithyll

9) Finlay

10) Tiche

11) Alecto

12) Lansseax

13) Florissax

14) Sellen

15) Dolores

16) Therolina

17) Nepheli

18) Roderika

19) Fia

20) Vyke's Maiden

21, 22) Irina and Hyetta

23) that Finger Maiden who is found dead at Church of Anticipation

24) Enia

25) Tanith

26) Rya

27) Dancer of Ranah

28) Rakshasa

29) Tricia

30) Lhutel

31) Latenna

32) Phillia

33) non-respawning Albinauric woman behind Gaius' boss battle (it is still hysterical that she is the one who drops pants from his set btw fffkffkf)

34) Loretta

35) Adula

36) Leda

37) Freyja

38) Gloam-Eyed Queen

39) Romina

40) Hornsent Grandam

41, 42) Jolan and Anna

43) Hilde

44) Meera

45) Blue Dancer / Water Fairy

46) Devonia

47) Siluria

48) Formless Mother (?)

49) Metyr

50) Nanaya

51) Jori

52) Grandmother

53, 54) those Nox women whom puppetry originates from

55, 56) Aurelia and Aurelitte

57) the first Astrologer who discovered a Moon

58) Anastasia

59) Daedicar

60) Lanya

61) Lacrima

62) Boc's mother

63, 64, 65, 66) Gilika, Maggie, Margot and Marigga (named Demi-Human Queens)

67) Grana (it is a name of the one behind Witch Crown from cut content, but basically it is the woman among the portraits in Debate Parlour! I doubt this is Sellen because why would they keep face of enemy of the Academy?)

68) the woman whose body was used for Sellen to live in it again (she has Witch Crown too but it's crystal is not cracked like Sellen's, and given that 'witch' conspectus did exist.. yeah this is more likely a person another Seluvis's victim than not)

69) Millicent

70, 71, 72, 73) Mary, Maureen, Amy and Polianna (Millicent's sisters)

74) the sixth sister (there is a scarlet flower near Malenia but she is said to only bloom second time in her boss battle, and near that flower you find the same set as what other two are wearing)

75) Greyoll

76) Eleonora

77) Bernahl's Maiden

78) Miriam

79) Arghanthy

80) Twinbird

81) Cleanrot Knight in Stillwater Cave (what makes her stand out is that you find the set Gowry wears here! otherwise this set doesn't have connection with Scarlet Rot (which this cave is filled with) but is simply a set of sorcerers that got kicked for herecy. maybe this cave is where Gowry did something with his glintstone to be able to possess any Kindred of Rot body, and perhaps she helped him with it?)

82) single Nox Swordstress as a boss in Sellia

83) a Black Knife with unique wounded model unlike any other of them in Deathtouched Catacombs

84) wife of Garris

85) Jar Bairn

Potentially:

86) there is 'Gaia' mentioned as someone who studied Gravity Magic along with Gaius, and apparently it is not mistranslation of Ogha. the only one it could be is his BOAR xD this name sounds feminine though, so maybe boar is a she?

87) Fortissax's gender is not confirmed; Japanese description doesn't have any pronouns at all, so English just said 'it'! However, Godrick monologues to the dead drake that they're "both relatives of the dragons", which could be literal considering Godwyn and Fortissax were so close 🤔

88) Eiglay (Eglė is "the Queen of the Serpents" in Lithuanian folklore, and I don't think you need me to tell you the two names are similar ahahah)

89) Asimi (cut content but Mimic Tear was supposed to be the girl who bonded with us first, it is hard to tell whether we can count the final one as Asimi or not)

90, 91) two 'female' Mimic Tears from four of these hostile NPCs (I feel like Silverfolk origin for Tarnished descends from Silver Tears rather than Albinaurics, so they can become solid people! these two perhaps are just fleshed out in this form at this rate! these do respawn though, so it is hard to tell if they count, or if this is actually their gender and not just mimicry)

92) Miranda (in cut content it was the first floral Crucible known, for now this is the name of the big flowers, two of which are also Dungeon bosses! however, ALL of them are called 'Miranda flowers', so maybe the actual character Miranda whom flowers with the same name descended from is still palatable!)

[commanderthalys]

I was tagged by the lovely @i-mybrunettelady for this ^^

-- B A S I C S

name: Thalyssera

nicknames: Choya, Thalys

birthday: May 28th

race: pale tree sylvari

gender: nonbinary (she/her)

orientation: bisexual

profession: pact commander, post EoD is semi retired and does various pact jobs after several months of vacation

-- P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

hair: patina, short length

eyes: sun

skin: green olive, succulent texture

tattoos/scars: missing her right leg below the knee, the remaining stump is covered in scorch marks. Also has several tattoos! The largest is a raptor skull decorated with flowers on her back. She has a small pact symbol tattoo on the right base of her neck. Her left arm is tattooed with vines, and on her left calf she has two cogs, I talked about them a little more here!

-- F A M I L Y

parents: The Pale Tree

siblings: Trahearne

grandparents: Does Mordremoth even count

in laws and others: Amelarius (romantic partner), Aurene (like her niece), Neil (friend), Caithe (romantic partner), Callum + Meera (friends), Tonn (friend), Tybalt Leftpaw (friend), Carys and Tegwen (friends), Taimi (friend), Braham (friend), The rest of DW (coworkers who she likes but isn't incredibly close to), Clementine (former pet turned friend, it's a long story)

pets: formerly Clementine, Streamline (old raptor, died during PoF)

-- S K I L L S

abilities: after the Clementine incident she inherited some iboga features and can spit acid from openings in her face. Good at close combat both unarmed and with daggers. Decent with guns as well, and can be stealthy when needed thanks to her whisper's training. Can soulbind with her pet if she has one.

hobbies: Training and generally working with raptors, sparring and working out, hiking, fishing with Neil. Overall any activity outdoors, she loves games as well as relaxing nature walks!

-- T R A I T S

most positive trait: Her optimism and determination! She works hard and plays hard, and refuses to give up fighting for what she believes in. She's incredibly devoted to her work and genuinely believes that the world is worth saving.

most negative trait: her ruthlessness. If she believes her goal is the right one she'll stop at nothing to get it, no matter who may ultimately stand in her way, and she's incredibly brutal when she feels that it's necessary.

-- L I K E S

colors: copper, turquoise, earth tones overall

smells: cooked meats, fresh grass, wood burning, ocean air

textures: rough, dry, bumpy, coarse

drinks: lemonade and fruit juices!

-- O T H E R D E T A I L S

smokes: no

drinks: not anymore, used to heavily at one point

drugs: no

been arrested: yes

taggin but no pressure!!! @baronvonscrufflebutt @manasurge @mystery-salad @brightwingedbat @wilsons-journey @ratasum @pyppyn @twilightdomain @commanderjuni @ancientkarka @the-desert-beast @sunsrefuge @s0urfangs @dotmander @aetherblooms @the-elven-star

and anyone else who sees this, feel free to hop on! that's right! You there!

[liuyan]

IT WAS all so very tedious. While her current companion was polite & false-smiling with the same intensity as Liu Yan, she couldn't say she blamed her. The social call that drones on for days, weeks, is welcome to no one. She wondered how her High Lord endured it all.

still, the woman was at least witty.

Yanyan's lips curled into a soft, lightly amused smile as she inclined her head. Indeed, it was rewarding to be bonded to a dragon - in more ways than one. She could count on Erinya when she could count on no one else, & she knew the red drake would have her back until her - until both of their - last breaths. Who else would go to such lengths for her, her siblings aside?

no one.

A bond with a dragon was more sacred & profound than the one with The Mother, but she did not wish to offend the woman - given her way of speaking, she must've been a High Priestess in some of the continental courts.

"They are rather temperamental." Yanyan chuckled with a light smile on her face. Temperamental? Erinya was a menace, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Perhaps you will have a chance to meet one, soon." she shrugged, then offered an introduction ;

"But, where are my manners. I'm Liu Yan."

eyes  widen  slightly,  but  in return  of  the  false  jest.  meera  often  places  herself  on  the  pedestal  of  navigating  discussions.  she  reflects  energies  which  are  first  provided  to  her.  sometimes,  she  calls  on  the  guidance  of  the  mother  to  interpret  the  exact  notion  of  what  was  going  on  before  she  proceeded. 

but  this  is  not  one  which  required  spiritual  intervention:  a  fae,  fed  up,  was  a  common  occurrence.  not  to  mention,  their  intuition.  this,  though,  does  make  meera  wonder:  if  dragons  had  intuitions  even  as  drakes,  then  are  they  capable  of  speaking  and  intervening  with  the  dusk  court's  dark  mother?

impudent  to  speak  on  politics  and  religion  during  celebrations.  but  meera,  high  priestess,  could  not  escape  one  of  these.  “forged  of  wisdom.  a  spiritual  divide  we  cannot  hope  to  cross.”  when  in  doubt,  always  retreat  behind  spiritual  philosophy.  words  of  wisdom  to  some,  for  drakes  did  not  offer  them  to  the  members  of  other  courts.  “to  have  a  bond  that  mimics  one  we  as  priestesses  have  with  the  mother,  but  with  a  tangible  creature,  seems  very  rewarding.”  for  the  mother  whispers  messages  here  and  there,  as  if  draped  against  meera's  shoulder.

she  could  match  the  questionable  haughtiness.  “no,  i've  not  dared  to  have  the  pleasure.  to  approach  one  in  the  wild  is  foolhardy,  and  those  who  are  bonded  are  closed  -  off.  i  do  not  tread  where  i'm  not  wanted.”  the  mirror  of  the  polite  smile  is  near  perfect.

[mhia89]

This is Lana, 14 years old who got bombarded by Israeli strike in Gaza and stayed in a coma for weeks. She woke up with permanent damage in her eye and loss of the function in her arm. We are working hard to find and provide the best treatment for her. This image was taking after her eye surgery a few days ago. This surgery is part of serial surgeries which will take place in Cairo. The damage that was caused for our family, the loss of our daughter Meera, the demolish of our house. All need your support to help us restore some of the life we had.

Please, if you care help us spread this message to your friends and your acquaintances.

10 USD donation from 5000 people is what we all need. Spread the word and you will help us more than you could imagine

@dlxxv-vetted-donations @c-u-c-koo-4-40k @a-shade-of-blue

@sayruq @nonspicychickenramennoodles @noble-kale @gazagfmboost @nabulsi27 @eastgaysian @victoriawhimsey @autisticmudkip

@mushroomjar @cheezbotsblogsblog . @cheezbot-rip-off-blog @feluka @endercat @komsomolka @determinate-negation

@irhabiya @importantt-reblogs @imjustheretohelp-blog1

@northgazaupdates2 @voidpumpkin @xinakwans @xxra7maxx

@90-ghost

[15-lizards]

ASOIAF American highschool AU bc I want them to suffer

-Jon is that guy you see in the hall all the time and he’s super cute but then you talk to him and he’s just. The most pretentious asshole you’ve ever met. He’s better than you bc he takes AP classes btw. And he’s on the basketball team but he’s brooding so he barely has any friends

-Dany is a little FREAK ugh I love her. She’s a GSA officer and wears weird clothes and cat ears to school and everyone makes fun of her but she’s the nicest person ever. Very passionate ab her special interests. super smart too like no one can say that she isn’t top of class

-Sansa is the nice popular religious girl who likes to make cookies for people. She’s like condescending nice though and is sweet to the losers mostly out of pity. Obsessed with Loras in a comphet way to cover her real crush on Margaery. She is on the swim team and loves to run the student council like the navy

-Arya is on the soccer and basketball team. Slightly to weird to be popular but too cool to be a loser. Kind of disruptive in class but it’s okay bc she’s funny. Definition of a low maintenance girl. Cuts her hair short and likes the way she looks in a sports bra and baggy clothes but has yet to find out what non-binary is

-Robb Homecoming King football captain you get the gist. Sincerely nice and is the one jock who’s on good terms with literally everyone in his classes. Tries his best to defend Jon (it is so hard) Has dated around but his most intense relationship is with his drug dealer burnout bestie Theon. They get jealous when the other starts dating a girl (both of them have yet to find out what bisexualism is)

-Joffrey is a grade A bitchass. He’s on the soccer or lacrosse team only because Cersei bribed the coach. No one really likes him but they hang around him anyway because he has a sick ass house and his moms hot. Thinks he’s smarter than he actually is, maintains a C- average

-Bran is that freshman you only see in khaki shorts and graphic t-shirts about bugs or some shit. Completely lives in his own world (autism slay!) and has trouble interacting with other kids. Besties with Meera and Jojen tho who just get him. Reads big ass philosophy books in his spare time

-Aegon is Dany’s cooler cousin. He’s way more popular than Jon and the two have a one sided rivalry that Jon made up in his head. Pretty nice to other people but he thinks he is such hot shit. His superiority complex is kinda crazy

-Theon graduated last year but still hangs around campus. Goes to Robb’s football games and sells drugs under the stands. “Where’s my hug at” guy. Drives a beat up Honda civic that’s on its last legs. Has multiple misdemeanors on his record. Robb thinks he can fix him

-Loras is Robb’s teammate who’s also mister popular. Already has a scholarship to a D1 school and is every teachers favorite (he takes advantage of this to skip class). Smart but doesn’t really try that hard in class. A classic DL gay guy who is in a situationship with grad student Renly after lying about his age on grindr

-Davos is everyone’s favorite History or English teacher. Gets invested in the students wellbeing. Gay kids LOVE him, he never can have a lunch period to himself those kids who are looking for a father figure are always eating lunch in his classroom. Has a loving wife and kids but is down bad for the eternally suffering Vice Principal Stannis

-Robert is the football coach and in most American schools you have to be a teacher to be a coach so he probably teaches health or sex Ed or some shit. Half asses his classes so he can go over film with his football players instead. You can hear him yelling from across campus. He is so loud

-Stannis is the vice principal who absolutely no one likes except Davos. Even the teachers don’t respect him. Has wanted to be principal for years but keeps getting fucked over by administration. Wants to move to a different school district so he can get a pay raise but the sexy Spanish teacher Mel is trying to convince him to blackmail the school board instead

-Tywin the principal. Used to be a AP US history or AP economics teacher but then discovered that he hated kids so he bullied and bribed his way into the principal position. Kids run when they hear him in the hallway with his walkie talkie crackling and his keys jangling. Lets Joffrey get away with everything bc he’s the principals grandson

-Cersei as the head of the school board. Always shoveling funds to her kids school instead of any of the other ones in the school district. Probably is in some sort of tax evasion or bribery scandal that Tywin is trying to cover up. Number one passive aggressive hater on Facebook

[ashleyfanfic]

WIP Title Game

Thank you@pearlypairings for tagging me!

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

YOU GUYS ASKED FOR IT - this is just the list until I got tired of scrolling

The Real World

Arranged marriage 7

hellcheer zombie au

Three men and a baby

Scarecrow

Untitled document

fuck you fuck you fuck you you're cool i'm out

legends novel

7deadly sins

dany twins 2

Bran 106

Chrissy Lives outline

survived the upside down

Jon 105

103 Meera

c&c 5

Dragons 26

Three times Eddie drives and one time Chrissy does

Rewrite 4

Chapter 15

When Eddie Met Chrissy

Alpha Omega Hellcheer Nonsense

Moonlighting 1

Dragons 28

MHWFS 6

Polin Chapter 5

Hellcheer 3

Eddissy Christmas 3

Eddissy Christmas 2

Eddissy Christmas 1

Laura Cunningham

Thank you

Chrissy Dance

Pay Eddie

YMF Wedding

108 Jaime

MOF 14

Oral 6

Catch 12

When He Was Wicked 1

smut ff

pen pals

public sex

colin pen

wandering

oral 5

dragons 24 smut

angst

kinkfest 11

season 2

angsty polin

dramione bd 36

Feel free to send me an ask about any of them...

Tagging if you’re feeling it : @muttpeeta @combatfaerie @xxthewolvenstormxx @chrissy-n-eddie @chrissyfied @rizzlewrites @adecila @frostbitepandaaaaa

[lucie-newman]

"Well," Lou squeezed the last bit of her lime into her drink, "that's up to you actually. The last time I saw them perform they gave a full introduction but basically, they'll take it from you, or you can tuck it in their waistbands. The real VIP performance is reserved for Cordelia, but they're very respectful."

Meera swallowed hard as she heard the description even though she more or less knew what to expect. While she had had worries earlier in the day about the strippers, now she was multiple drinks in she was very much getting in the swing of the idea. "Just so I understand it right do I give them the singles or are they the sort of performers who want them...erm stuck in their costumes?"

[fivenightsatfreddysfanfiction]

hey it's benny from lucasverse again! was wondering about router: did he know about isabella's side of the family? if so, did he ever consider reaching out? what would've happened if he did, and would it have changed his ultimate fate (becoming a merc and/or getting springtrapped) in any way? is there a world in which meera grows up with an "uncle" alex? :|c these possibilities intrigue me...

Sadly he never knew about Isabella's side; Lucian was very careful about making sure no one knew he had any family so Isabella could be kept safe and free to live her life away from himself.

If the two had ever known of each other, before Alex was led down the technology path by Afton'd Lucian, Isabella would certainly have stepped in to mitigate Helena's abuse and provide a safe alternate home for Alex, advocating for him to be able to pick his own future. It's very likely he wouldn't have become a mercenary, not with an aunt like Isabella to give him guidance, support, and a firm foundation to rebuild his self worth (and probably help with his fear of ghosts).

He'd be like a cousin once removed (i think, family trees are still tricky generationally for me to figure out) to Meera, since he's the son of her grand-uncle.

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate Romance Month with Queer Books!

August is Romance Month, and so we’re back with another rec list, this time featuring our favorite romance books and/or books with prominent romance subplots. This list builds on the one we did last year for Romance Month, which you can view by following this link. These books don’t necessarily fall into the romance genre, but they’re centered around romantic love and have a happy ending. Contributors to this list are: Meera S., Sebastian Marie, Terra P. Waters, Shadaras, Nina Waters, Tris Lawrence, Dei Walker, E. C., Shea Sullivan and two anonymous contributors.

I Want to be a Wall by Honami Shirono

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

Heaven Will Be Mine from Pillow Fight Games and Worst Girl Games

start;again from Two and a Half Studios

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

How to Find a Princess (Runaway Royals series) by Alyssa Cole

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Cover Story by Rachel Lacey

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Those Who Wait by Haley Cass

A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding series) by Freya Marske

Limerence by Jiang Zi Bei

If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

My Summer Of You by Nagisa Furuya

Something Fabulous (Something Fabulous series) by Alexis Hall

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens

Consort of Fire & Queen of Dreams (Bound to Fire and Steel series) by Kit Rocha

Blood on the Tide (Crimson Sails, #2) by Katee Robert

The Lady or the Duke? by A.L. Heard

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Witchmark (The Kingston Cycle series) by C.L. Polk

Winter’s Orbit & Ocean’s Echo (Winter’s Orbit series) by Everina Maxwell

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

What are your favorite queer stories with romantic plots? Tell us in the comments!

Want to chat your favorite reads with us? Join our Book Lover’s Discord server!

Update your Goodreads TBR with any of these books by visiting our queer romance shelf on Goodreads! Or, jump straight to buying your own copies by visiting our affiliate shop recommendation list on Bookshop.org.