#dragon layer blake

[goldenamaranthe-blog]

So when are we going to see more Dragon layer Blake?

Here's an idea I got from passing by the candle and perfume shop at the RenFaire.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sorceress!Weiss: Wow, this shop is amazing! Look at all these perfumes!

Rogue!Blake: (wrinkling nose) It's a bit overwhelming.

Sorceress!Weiss: Oh, come on. It's not that bad. Look at some of these bottles. Temptation's Kiss. Ghost of a Rose. Winter's Embrace.

Rogue!Blake: They sound like my romance novels...

Sorceress!Weiss: You mean that trash you call lit-

Rogue!Blake: .....Weiss?

Sorceress!Weiss: (frozen, beet red, and holding a dark pink, nearly black bottle)

Rogue!Blake: Weiss? Hello? (Looks over Weiss's shoulder and snorts with laughter) Is that?

Sorceress!Weiss: D-D-Dragon P-P-P-P-u- Pu-

Rogue!Blake: (giggling uncontrollably) Dragon Puss?

Sorceress!Weiss: DON'T FINISH IT!!! What kind of illicit, depraved, salacious-

Rogue!Blake: (uncorks the bottle and takes a whiff) Eh, doesn't smell anything like it.

Sorceress!Weiss: ..........

Rogue!Blake: ......I mean....

Sorceress!Weiss: Nope! I don't want to hear it. I don't need to know what you do with that scaled pet of yours.

Rogue!Blake: Yang is not a pet! She's a gorgeous golden dragon!

[riinkun-art-stuff]

Howdy ho! I'm very excited to finally be able to share this illustration I worked on as part of this year's @bumblebybigbang for @tahnex's lovely and super fun fic (with no pain attached whatsoever), "Of Dragons and Panthers," which you can read here! As soon as I read the original notes on it this scene captured me so much I had to do something dramatic for it. It's been such a pleasure watching the whole collab come together, tysm for having me!

First time joining an event like this, and I'd love to again if the opportunity comes around hehe. Still a few postings to go on this one, the pieces before us this year have knocked it out of the park and I'm super excited to see the rest once they come around!

Made a few process cuts just for fun, which I left under the cut!

I did do a few sketches roughly before I started out, especially based on other parts of the chapter, but this particular composition was so fixed in my mind that I ended up just sticking with it. In retrospect, I would've loved to go back and do some more thorough exploration for it. Here are a few of the sketches I managed to fish back up:

I also was thinking of trying a few other doodles/another big piece, but ended up not really having the time between other obligations :')

And the sketch I finally settled on:

Inking was SUCH a fun process on this piece in particular. I'm a huge fan of how dragon!Yang's mane turned out, especially, and all the detailing on the head and around Blake's fur and such. Feel like I'm really satisfied w the particular way the line weight variations came out, and it's where the piece shines the most imo.

Panther!Blake, too. Oh gosh. I feel like it took me a lot of reworking to get her structure to a point where she felt very leopard-like, rather than any other type of big cat- especially around the head.

Colours were such a challenging part. There was a big feeling I had for that glow coming off dragon!Yang in the middle of the heavy rain- I love seeing that sort of effect in real life so that's something I'm really hoping to work to capture better as I practice. Trying to get dragon!Yang's slight iridescence in there and to balance out the lighting on panther!Blake's fur each took a long time, too- I'm only a pinch sad that a good chunk of it is covered by other lighting effects XD

Blake's rosettes were SO fun. Augguhugg.

In terms of backgrounds. HOO boy I was going through a strange patch in life while working on the background and final polish for this piece, which is why (at least I feel like) it looks kinda rushed. I have been practicing natural landscapes and doing some observational studies but still struggling to get those rock shapes quite right, which I think is a big make or break point of something like this. I did really enjoy toying around with inking on the foliage and foreground layers of the ground, though! And in the end, lighting and effects ended up masking a lot of the big weak spots :D

I think natural effects like smoke/steam, and rain, are big things that I got to practice more of in this piece, but also really would like to get better at in future. Esp since I feel like it's been a great opportunity to mess around with different colours and brushes that I use way less, which I'm always grateful for w painting. I think just layering the rain on its own ended up being about 10 odd layers?

I think the only other thing I would have loved to improve is to just help the piece feel more Bumbleby™ in the final look. I think I like the cool colours of the lighting for this particular outcome, but I also would have probably tried to have made things much clearer (ahem at the very least switch to yellow/purple) in the long run in terms of representation and resemblance. Ik that at least for me it is fairly easy to associate the two characters with dragons and panthers since I'm more familiar w the fandom lingo around these two, but esp for outsiders I feel like it's probably not great at conveying who they are, and why they are potentially in this situation.

I'd also love to try and find a shading style that still has a painterly quality but compliments the inking a bit better, rather than overpowering it.

I think that, on the whole, I am pretty satisfied with the piece and had a great time working with Tahnex on the whole collab! And I've also has a fun time reading his work and notes in return, and thank you so much for being so so patient with me even as my updates were slow n rocky at points :'D

That's about all I got, have a great day y'all! Still a few big bang postings to go, so very excited for those once they come around!

[novankenn]

"Layer" Interspecies Relationship Counselling Service (Pt 1)

Inspired by Blake X Yang - Dragon Layer & Blake X Yang - Dragon Layer "More Love" By @goldenamaranthe-blog

("Layer" Master List)

Bard!Blake: (Watching Chevalier!Jaune pace) If you don't open up, I don't know what I can do for you?

Chevalier!Jaune: I... I... just... how?

Bard!Blake: Jaune you came to us, which means you need assistance, so everything is in confidence here... so tell me.. What brings you here?

/====/

Hydra!Yang: Please stop slithering back and forth, Pyrrha. You're going to wear a grove in my floor.

Lamia!Pyrrha: I'm just so nervous. I've never felt this way before!

Hydra!Yang: Go on.

Lamia!Pyrrha: Well you know I'm used to adventures and such breaking into my lair, looking to make a name for themselves... but he was so different!

Hydra!Yang: How so?

Lamia!Pyrrha: He apologized for interrupting my bath, and then turned his back, saying he'd come back when I was decent!

/====/

Bard!Blake: And what happened after that?

Chevalier!Jaune: I left, but before I did, I fixed the door to her hut? Hovel? Lair? I'm not sure of the term.

Bard!Blake: Probably Lair. Why and what happened after that?

Chevalier!Jaune: I was rather rude of me to smash in her door, so it was only polite to fix it. So, while I was fixing her door, she shouted out to me asking how next Tuesday sounded.

/====/

Lamia!Pyrrha: I asked him to come back next Tuesday...

Hydra!Yang: I see. Why?

Lamia!Pyrrha: I don't know? But he accepted! What do I do now? He was so cute and bashful... so virtuous! I mean, other would-be knights would have just attacked me... yet... he didn't Plus his ass... EEP!

Hydra!Yang: (All her heads smiling) Go on...

(This is just something that jumped into my head after reading the above original post by @goldenamaranthe-blog. It is NOT intended in any shape or form to be considered a continuation of their work, just something inspired by it. Hope you enjoyed, and please give the posts that inspired this some love. Thanks.)

[pinkhairandpokemon]

———

[Attached: A video. It starts out glitchy at first, before you get a view from what’s likely Blake’s bedside table. They’re sitting up on their bed, the blanket halfway over their body as they stare off solemnly into nothing. The night sky is visible through the window behind them. Petra is nestled comfortably in their lab, in a position where her tusks won’t poke them, but she gazes up at them with a twinge of worry in her dark eyes.

Eventually, Blake reaches their good hand up and begins stroking her head. Your eyes are drawn to the layers of thick bandages covering the full length of their other arm… For the rest of their time on screen, they don’t say a word, but you wonder what they’re thinking. Their face looks so tired, yet so full of emotion.

In this quiet, yet heavy moment between the former grunt and their dragon, it feels like it’s just the two of them in the whole world.

….

Then the footage glitches again.

It goes to static. Some kind of white crystalline overlay takes over the screen, followed by a sparkling sound. You hear a voice- is that… a Rotom-phone?

“ZZZT! USER DISCONNECTED. TRYING AGAIN!”

“CONNECTING…”

“CONNECTING…”

“CONNECTING…”

“…”

“ZZZZT! USER RECONNECTED! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!”

…The scene changes. It’s a vibrant, pale blue sky, dotted with clouds.

There’s the sound of grass rustling. A strange little blue creature with crystals on its face pokes its head into view. It chitters, nudging the screen with its nose a few times, just enough for the camera to turn and show- Blake. They’re sitting on the grass, watching the little Pokémon play with a brow quirked in mild curiosity, though they seem pretty bored.

“Hey, little guy-” they reach out to gently urge the little Pokémon away from the camera with their hand. “Just because Florence put me on babysitting duty doesn’t mean you can mess with my stuff. Come on, put my phone back in my bag…”

The strange creature chirps, before gently pushing the phone back into Blake’s backpack with its small head. The screen goes dark as it falls into the pocket, and the video ends.]

———

[teacupballerina]

Behold The Great Red Dragon

@sorrowsdaughter concept, taken from:

Mandark's canon villain outfits looking red and scaly

Mandark = Mandrake = Drake (as in dragon) = Draconian (as in how Mandark runs shit)

The Red Dragon being a symbol of Satan/Antichrist (Mandark wants to be a better antichrist than his Redheaded Dragon boss)

The William Blake painting that inspired Mandark also contains Deedee, "The Woman Clothed With The Sun" and Mandark himself sees Deedee there and fawns over her

The Red Dragon seeks to "devour a child as he's born", a callback to Mandark's initiation while also being what the Shogun does to his kids

Yes there are layers to this corny AU side character design

[razieltwelve]

Wake Up Call (RWBY AU Snippet)

Yang walked toward the mountain of golden scales splayed out across the meadow. Ember Celica had always been fond of a good nap in the sun, and that hadn’t changed even as she’d grown larger and larger. Once upon a time, the dragon had actually been able to sleep with her head on Yang’s lap. Those days were long gone. Instead, Ember Celica was now so enormous that Yang could easily sleep on her snout.

An elaborate series of runes and seals shimmered in the air as Yang got closer. It was standard practice for all dragons to layer defensive magic on their surroundings before going to sleep. True, there were very, very few things that could hit hard enough to seriously endanger even a sleeping dragon, but there was no sense in taking unnecessary risks.

Ember Celica opened one  eye, and Yang waved. “Come on, buddy. It’s time to get up. We’ve got a mission.”

Is Gambol Shroud awake yet? Ember Celica rumbled.

“Uh... no. Blake just went off to wake her up now.”

Then wake me up in fifteen minutes. It’ll take at least that long for Blake to wake her up. Ember Celica closed her eye and very deliberately shifted a wing to cover her face. It’s supposed to be our day off.

“Alas, the forces of darkness do not take days off. Things are under control for the time being, but they want us ready to go in case the situation worsens.”

X     X     X

Blake sighed.

Her dragon was floating upside down in the middle of the lake again. Good grief. It was vaguely disturbing just how well Gambol Shroud could impersonate a log when she wanted to. To make matters worse, Blake had forgotten to bring a boat with her.

“Damn it...” The Faunus sighed. “What to do...?” She looked around, and her gaze settled on a nearby pebble. “This should do the trick.”

Blake picked up the pebble and threw it in the direction of Gambol Shroud. Normally, she wouldn’t have thrown a pebble at someone to wake them up, but a pebble wasn’t going to do any harm whatsoever to a dragon as big as Gambol Shroud. In fact, it probably shouldn’t do anything at all, provided Gambol Shroud had defensive magic in place.

However, rather than strike a magical barrier, the pebble sailed through the air and struck Gambol Shroud on the back. The dragon immediately began to sink into the lake, and Blake could only gape in disbelief as Gambol Shroud vanished from view.

“...” Blake covered her face with one hand. That lazy dragon.

Right on cue, a plank of wood floated to the surface. There was writing on it, and a tendril of shadow tossed it toward Blake. It landed beside her, and she picked it up. Her eye twitched as she read out the message.

“Agh. Your senseless and brutal attack has broken my back. I must spend the next several days convalescing in the lake before I can return to duty.” Blake threw the plank back into the lake. “Stop being lazy! I could have hit you with a catapult, and you’d barely feel it. There’s no way a pebble could actually have hurt you. Now, come on. They want us on standby.”

The surface of the lake quivered, and Blake scowled... only for her shadow to suddenly expand, racing outward like ink spilt across a page. And then Gambol Shroud was beneath her, the massive reptile rising up out of the shadows to hold Blake in one huge claw.

How long is this going to take? I was napping.

“I don’t know,” Blake admitted. “We’ll just have to see.”

Gambol Shroud sank back into the shadows, taking Blake with her. They reappeared beside the stables, startling the workers who had been preparing the gear the dragons and dragon riders used. I was afraid you’d say that.

X     X     X

Weiss smiled as Myrtenaster paced back and forth. The new saddle looked incredible and the fit was even better. Her dragon might not have the raw speed of Crescent Rose or the sheer size of Ember Celica, but Myrtenaster was an outstanding flier in her own right. Her previous saddle had been serviceable enough, but a better one had been required to ensure Weiss stayed in place when Myrtenaster used her full agility in the air.

The white-scaled dragon preened as the attendants hastened to attached a number of magical gemstones to her limbs. Myrtenaster was already one of the most gifted dragons in the world when it came to complex and simultaneous spell-casting. Her only weakness was the size of her magical reserves. They were growing rapidly, but her youth meant they were far from the near-bottomless oceans of magical might that an adult dragon could wield. The magical gems stored magical energy, which Myrtenaster could draw upon when required.

The others are really taking their time. Myrtenaster gave a low rumble of discontent.

“Ember Celica should be here any second now,” Weiss replied before squinting as a large shadow fell over the area. “That would be her.”

The golden-scaled dragon landed with a tremendous crash, the ground shaking beneath her. Despite being similar in age, the other dragon was twice the size of Myrtenaster and far more heavily built. As dragons went, Myrtenaster was on the slender side. She had a svelte form, nearly serpentine when her wings were folded. Ember Celica was a fortress with wings.

“I wonder how long it will be before Gambol Shroud gets here?” Weiss asked, looking up a the sky.

Beneath her, Myrtenaster rolled her eyes. Do you really think Gambol Shroud is going to waste energy flying here? Knowing her, she’ll just pop out of a shadow or -

The shadows on the other end of the open space in front of the stables parted as Gambol Shroud appeared.

And there she is. Myrtenaster waited for the attendants to back off before flapping her wings to make sure none of the equipment or any parts of the saddle were in the way. Now, we’re just waiting for Crescent Rose.

X     X     X

Ruby pushed Crescent Rose’s snout back. “Wait outside!” she hissed. “You can’t just stick your head into the bakery! They’ll throw us out, and then we won’t get any cookies at all!”

Crescent Rose huffed and backed away from the bakery. They need to hurry up! We’ll be in trouble if we don’t get back to base soon, but I refuse to go on a mission without at least a few cookies to tide us over if we end up just flying around and doing nothing.

“Yeah, yeah.” Ruby breathed a sigh of relief as the baker came back with several sacks full of cookies. “It’s only taking so long because you asked for so many.”

I’m a growing dragon! Crescent Rose protested. If I don’t get enough cookies, I’ll end up tiny like Myrtenaster.

“You do realise that she’s bigger than you, right?” Ruby thanked the baker, gave him a generous tip on top of his payment, and then hurried out the door. She tied the cookies in place and then leapt onto Crescent Rose. The dragon was up in the air in an instant, effortlessly accelerating to a speed that no other dragon on the base could match.

Myrtenaster is older than me. Trust me. I’m going to end up way bigger than her.

“I hope so. Otherwise, you’re never going to hear the end of it with how much you’ve been teasing her.” Ruby held tight as Crescent Rose upped her speed, lancing straight through a cloud before turning and diving toward the stables. The journey to the town would have taken hours on foot. It had taken less than a minute for Crescent Rose.

You’re later. Myrtenaster growled as they landed.

Nope. I am just under a minute early. Crescent Rose snickered and trotted over, so the attendants could begin putting on all of her battle equipment. Besides, who knows whether we’ll have to fight today or not? Until the alarm is raised, all we’ll be doing is staying here. She cackled. Ruby, give me so cookies. I can eat some while we wait. Crescent Rose frowned as she realised that Ruby had already hopped off her back and grabbed a cookie. Hey!

X     X     X

Author’s Notes

As fliers go:

Crescent Rose has A++ (Speed); A++ (Agility); C (Endurance)

Ember Celica has A (Speed); B (Agility); S (Endurance)

Gambol Shroud has B+ (Speed); B+ (Agility); B+ (Endurance)

Myrtenaster has A+ (Speed); A+ (Agility); B (Endurance)

Note that Crescent Rose’s relatively poor endurance is due to her youth. In their primes, their stats will look closer to:

Crescent Rose has EX++ (Speed) EX++ (Agility); S (Endurance)

Ember Celica has S+ (Speed); A (Agility); EX++ (Endurance)

Gambol Shroud has S (Speed); S (Agility) S (Endurance)

Myrtenaster has EX (Speed); EX (Agility); A++ (Endurance)

The relatively poor Endurance stat that Myrtenaster has is due largely to her size and comparatively poor physical ability compared to the other three. However, Myrtenaster has absolutely monstrous magical stats along with a number of potent magical abilities, which not only allow her to cast a stupidly broad variety of spells but also cast incredibly powerful spells... and cast more spells simultaneously than any other dragon.

[adam-sadmon]

So to preface this post, in the book and movie Red Dragon as well as the movie Manhunter and (I'm told) in the series Hannibal the serial killer Francis Dolarhyde is obsessed with the image of William Blake's 'The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in the Sun' as it embodies to him the ideal of exerting his twisted dominance over his victims and, on a deeper layer, superiority over what he perceives as his sexual inadequacies.

I think a lot about the scene wherein he unveils his tattoo of the Great Red Dragon and flexes to make it move a lot

Mainly because for like a year now I've been trying to figure out were I a serial killer what would be the funniest tattoo to get to flex before my victim as a show of its microcosm-like representation of my fractured pscyhe. Like a tattoo of jacked Peter Griffin.

[yinyangofnevermore]

To add to your bumbleby soul mate imagery post, yang also plays the role of beast to Blake's Belle when the story dictates it. Like Belle blake leaves the beast/yang and adam/Gaston is romantically obsessed with blake/Belle, also yangs surname means sunny dragon (a mythological beast) and Blake's surname means beautiful lady, so that's very telling

Very true!

Adam does try to kill Yang multiple times as Gaston tries to kill the beast!

I also wonder if CRWBY meant for the Belladonna to be like BELLE. Y'know, Belle aka Bella. Probably. Though, I'm like just now realizing it.

So many layers.

[chrisryanspeaks]

The Smashing Times Return with MOD-Infused Magic on New Album Mrs. Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys – Out Nov 1!

The Smashing Times are back, and if Mrs. Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys doesn’t become your new favorite, then you’re missing out on one of the freshest slices of MOD-infused indie pop this year. With a nod to Merseybeat and a wink to 60s revivalism, the Baltimore band delivers a jangly, shimmering sound that’s impossible to ignore. And seriously, how many times can you really watch Blow-Up on repeat when the real revolution is happening outside your front door? Their latest, out November 1, 2024, via K Records/Perennial, is their fifth album, and it’s everything fans have come to love about the group. Mrs. Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys, the album’s title track, perfectly captures the band’s ability to blend the modern and the nostalgic, layering 12-string guitars with mallet-slammed floor toms in a sonic collage of sharp, sparkling sound. Featuring scene stalwarts like Thee Jasmine Monk and Zelda-Anais from The Smashing Times and Midden Heap, alongside Britta Leijonflycht (Almond Joy, Children Maybe Later), Paul Krolian (Expert Alterations), and Blake Douglas (Corduroy), the album is as much a celebration of the underground scene as it is a showcase of The Smashing Times’ evolving sound. Written and recorded by Jaz at Druid House, and produced by Hayes Waring and Thee Jasmine Monk, the album’s polished and punchy feel owes much to the mixing prowess of Capt. Tripps Ballsington and the mastering by Amy Dragon. Channeling the influence of The Television Personalities and Dan Treacy, The Smashing Times elevate their psychedelic, twee, and freakbeat blend to new heights on their second LP. The guitars shimmer and jangle, the vocals float dreamily, and every track is brimming with energy and hooks that dig deeper with each listen. If this album had come out in the 80s, it would have been snapped up by Whaam or Dreamworld, but luckily for us, it’s 2024, and K Records is bringing it to life. Ready your playlists, pop kids, because The Smashing Times are here to make your heart skip and your head spin. https://youtu.be/B_yxARIf8fo?si=eXpYV9NMrp-8_zTK Read the full article

[infjtarot]

High Priestess. Weiser Waite Smith Tarot

A woman dressed in robes is seated. In her arms is a book or maybe a scroll. It is not only closed but also locked. Her foot rests on a crescent moon, and behind her stand one black pillar and one white pillar.

In the ancient world, the Priestesses tended the temples, led rites, and were taught the esoteric mysteries. Her card represents wisdom, secrets, and ritual. She is given the number two.

The High Priestess is about wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge for its own sake, not project-driven research or facts and figures you’ll cram in there to make yourself sound smart. This is a card about input, not output.

The High Priestess cues us to when we need to feed our minds, our souls, our senses. Do you know that maxim “Write what you know”? Nonsense. That saying lets us off the hook for our more narcissistic impulses and for not trying to understand the world around us. The more a person learns—and this does not mean you need to get a PhD before you can work, merely that you nurture your curiosity and imagination—the more nuanced and complex his or her work becomes.

Think of the bardic system of the Celts. A poet was expected to learn everything—from myth and history to the natural world and science to art—before he was allowed to put pen to paper. Or, since this was still a time of an oral tradition, before he was allowed to perform his own work. A person with limited experience and knowledge was considered to be of limited talent and potential. By building up this great wealth of learning, the bards could work from a much larger resource.

An artist should always be learning. And not with any end result in mind, just guided by his or her curiosity. It doesn’t even have to show explicitly in the work. Think of a writer such as P. L. Travers, who created the iconic character Mary Poppins in 1934. She was a student of mythology and fairy tales, studying with masters around the world. Travers wears that learning with a light touch in her children’s books, but it’s certainly one reason why her eccentric nanny became such an archetypal figure in literature.

Another example is Silvina Ocampo, a woman who used her wide knowledge of history, art, and mythology in her short stories and poetry. Her metaphysical learning puts her on par with William Blake and Jorge Luis Borges for the ability to create visionary work, but it’s never showy. Learning has to be digested and incorporated, otherwise a writer just regurgitates it onto the page without any flair. Blake also drew from mythological and religious learning to create entirely new, mysterious, and bizarre visual worlds in his painting.

There’s a touch of the mystical to the High Priestess, and artists under her sway tend to be a little kooky: Blake, Borges, Ocampo, Calvino, Carrington, Travers, the British poets Ted Hughes and Robert Graves, and dozens of others. They understand symbolism and metaphor, and so their work takes on a depth and layered quality that rewards multiple reading and viewing.

When the High Priestess shows up in a reading, it can indicate a need for you to put aside the work for a moment and make more time for study. If the card falls in a more active position, it might mean that it’s time for you to draw on that knowledge you’ve already acquired. Either way, it’s a card that draws your attention inward, rather than back to the page.

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

The Topless Tower, book by Silvina Ocampo What the Bee Knows: Reflections on Myth, Symbol, and Story, book by P. L. Travers Mules and Men, book by Zora Neale Hurston The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun, painting by William Blake

[feyarcher]

I'm still trying the squeeze in one last book before the new year, but I thought I'd make a little post looking back at what I read in 2022. Looking at my entire list, I read A Lot of Very Good Books! So I can't list everything I loved this year, but here are some of them:

- The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

This is a collection of random short essays which is a true charming delight. Was slightly skeptical cause it's not the kind of thing I would usually think to read, but I loved it so much I bought it as a gift for my sister in law too.

- The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman

This whole series is so fun! In alternate universes (with the fey and dragons) there are sometimes variations in classic books and spy librarians sneak into those universes and buy or steal those books to preserve them. So fun. Every book is a different adventure in a different world and I love them.

- Murderbot novellas and novel by Martha Wells

I love these so much that I read them 3 times this year and am trying not to do a 4th reread right away. Sci fi series starring a cyborg (ish) security bot who just wants to fucking watch tv but keeps having to deal with humans. Cannot say enough good things about it.

- The Lost Man by Jane Harper

Murder mysteries are not my usual thing, but I really loved this. Set in extremely remote cattle ranches in the Australian outback, it's about difficult families and living in isolation and oh yeah about that dead guy too.

- Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

SO FUN! Joyful queer romance. The next book is great too. Just read them and be delighted.

- Next of Kin / Next to You by Hannah Bonam-Young.

I laughed, I cried, and then I reread them again. Romance. One is enemies to lovers and the other is friend to lovers and I just adore them. So good. Just so good.

- The Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik

The final book is out and somehow it is even more of a gut punch than I expected. So fucking good. Fantasy where kids get shipped of to a school in a void to avoid dying as teens en masse and instead are only quite likely to die to monsters at the school. Every character is great. The fucking layers to the plotting are beyond anything. A million stars for this series.

- I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeannette McCurdy

At least half the non fiction I read is depressing af and this one takes the cake while still being funny? Requires all the fucking trigger warnings, but is amazing if you are in the right space to read it.

- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

I was looking for a delightful fantasy and this was even better. A middle aged caseworker for magical children gets sent to examine an orphanage for the most extreme magical children with some interesting guardians. A DELIGHT!!

On one hand, I just want to keep rereading all these books. On the other, I can't wait to see what books I fall in love with and scream over text at my poor long-suffering friends (looking at you, Boo) about in 2023. Happy Reading, y'all!

[goldenamaranthe-blog]

Dragon Layer Aftermath: RPG AU

Warlock!Weiss: Blake, you're finally back! How did the dragon slaying go? SWEET BLOOD OF THE ARCHFEY!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!??!

Bard!Blake: (still looking haggard after her passionate night with D!Y) Hey, Weiss. How's it going?

Warlock!Weiss: Sune, above! Are you alright?! You're legs are shaking worse than a newborn lamb! I'm glad you're still alive.

Bard!Blake: Ooooh, I've never felt so alive~~

Warlock!Weiss: .......You didn't.

Bard!Blake: She was pretty, Weiss!!!

Warlock!Weiss: DAMMIT, YOU HORNY SLUT OF A BARD!!!! I liked you better when you were a brooding rogue!!!!

[linkman447]

5 hours later

Jaune rushed into team rwby’s dorm

Jaune: I am a true knight, I have slayed the dragon please continue to look after Adrian

He runs off

Ruby: oh gods the puns are contagious

Nora: why is jaune singing Kickapoo from that tenacious D movie

Blake: he just layer the dragon

Nora: oooohhh. Neat

Papa wolf arc.

Obleck " okay class I know arc is late but we are waiting for he has a good reason."

Weiss " whats that?"

Obleck " most of his family got killed by grimm. Only surviver was his son adrian

Everyone who knows jaune " O-O what?"

Obleck " oh you see his sister and her wife wanted a baby so his bug sister said, little bro go put a baby in my wife and he did"

Cardin " that dirty dog

Obleck growls " as ge is a wolf faunus that's racist"

Blake and velvet "BUT HE HAS NO TRAIT!!!!??"

Obleck " yes he does but leave his wee wee out of this

Girls who know jaune " o///o..what?

Jaune walks in holding adrian who has happy wagging puppy tail. " this is Adrian"

Adrian tail wag and he make happy mix of cheerfull baby and happy puppy sounds " bark" his leg kicks as jaune rubs his tummy

All women in rooms maternal instincts have activated

[novankenn]

"Layer" Interspecies Relationship Counselling Service (Pt 4)

Inspired by Blake X Yang - Dragon Layer & Blake X Yang - Dragon Layer "More Love" By @goldenamaranthe-blog

("Layer" Master List)

Bard!Blake: Hey babe. How was your day?

Hydra!Yang: (Replies after each of her heads gets a smooch from Blake) Pretty quiet. Pyrrha missed her session. I hope nothing happened to her, she was a sweet girl. How about you?

Bard!Blake: I had a couple sessions, but nothing much. One I'm sure is just a Succubus toying with her prey; but now that you mention it...

Hydra!Yang: Let me guess, Jaune didn't show up either.

Bard!Blake: I hope he's okay. He's like a human puppy-dog, so innocent, and loving... it would destroy him to be forced to slay Pyrrha.

Hydra!Yang: I seriously doubt he could take Ms Invincible, more than likely if it went south, she ate him.

Bard!Blake: Well... (A knocking on the Lair door interrupts her.)

Hydra!Yang: Should I?

Bard!Blake: I'll handle it. Probably just some lost Cthulhu Cultists. (Blake walks away and returns a few minutes later carrying an ornate box) It was a delivery for us.

Hydra!Yang: From?

Bard!Blake: It doesn't say. (Opens it to find a very finely crafted silver mirror nestled inside straw padding.) Okay?

Hydra!Yang: Careful, I can smell magic.

Bard!Blake: Well only... Whoa!

As soon as Blake touches the mirror, it floats from her hand and shimmers, revealing a scene they didn't expect... Chevalier!Jaune and Lamia!Pyrrha holding hands with a clutch of about a dozen eggs, safely cradled in Pyrrha's coils.

Bard!Blake: Jaune? Pyrrha? What?

Lamia!Pyrrha: Blake! Yang! We just can't thank you enough for helping us get together! We owe it all to you guys!

Hydra!Yang: Um... how did the first date go, and why is there a clutch of eggs?

Lamia!Pyrrha: It went splendidly!

Chevalier!Jaune: I couldn't have wished for a better date.

Bard!Blake: And the eggs?

Lamia!Pyrrha: Well... (blushes up a storm)

Hydra!Yang: After the first date!?!

Chevalier!Jaune: I couldn't help it... (rubs the back of his neck with his free hand)... but I've always wanted to be a dad.

Lamia!Pyrrha: Well, we just wanted to thank you and expect a scroll in the coming weeks, and please RSVP, Jaune has a large family.

Bard!Blake: Huh? Scroll? RSVP?

Chevalier!Jaune: For the ceremony.

Hydra!Yang: Married? After one date?!?

Chevalier!Jaune/Lamia!Pyrrha: It's our destiny. Don't forget to RSVP!

The mirror shimmered and returned itself to the box.

Bard!Blake: Huh. It's always the quiet ones.

Hydra!Yang: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Bard!Blake: Ara-Ara

(This is just something that jumped into my head after reading the above original post by @goldenamaranthe-blog. It is NOT intended in any shape or form to be considered a continuation of their work, just something inspired by it. Hope you enjoyed, and please give the posts that inspired this some love. Thanks.)

[adie-dee]

Midsumma Festival

As I stumbled down the hallway to my apartment I tried to pull my keys from my pocket, catching a swear on my lips as they tumbled from my hand to the ground almost right outside my door. Tonight had been a bigger night than I’d anticipated - the afterparties for the Midsumma Pride March were always massive, but the one at the Espy had gone off, and had their liquor licence not expired I probably would have still been there.

But I was home now and I needed to get inside without waking Blake or the shouty neighbours, which I wasn’t sure I’d be able to manage. Prior to my phone dying I’d seen the time was twoish, and while I had no idea what the time was now, I was pretty sure they would all still be in bed.

Holding onto the wall of the spinning hallway I slowly leaned down to pick up my keys, stumbling once again as I straightened up. At least I hadn’t lost them completely this time - Blake’s concerns over security meant my spare was no longer hidden in the hallway, and I really didn’t want to wake him if I didn’t have to.

The key slipped from the lock as I tried to insert it, scratching the paint on the door to reveal another layer of dark brown paint underneath. Which I knew my landlord wouldn’t be happy with, but if he wasn’t going to fix the mould problem then I saw no reason to care about the door.

I bit back a squeal of delight when the door swung open. The lights were still off in the living area which meant Blake was still asleep, and if I treaded carefully then I’d be able to get in bed without waking him.

Delight turned to dismay when I flicked on the lights. Blake was awake and on the couch, watching me through bleary eyes, though the dismay I was feeling vanished when I saw he was wearing nothing more than the donut-print pink trunks I’d bought him for Christmas. It was a really good look on him, almost as good as my sequin playsuit was on me.

“Did I wake you?” I asked. I was sure I’d been quiet, even with the key mishap, but apparently not.

“Nah,” he replied. “Was just about to get ready for a run when I heard you attack the door. You have a good night?”

“A run? Already?” I unclipped the blue, purple and pink extensions from my hair. “But it’s it like three am or something?”

“Gonna take it you had a great night, then,” he said with a smirk. “It’s almost six. Surprised you didn’t see the sun coming up on your way home. But then, you were probably blinded by your outfit.”

I glanced down, confused at what he was saying. My neon yellow stiletto boots were bright, but they weren’t in my field of vision, and my playsuit was made up entirely of dark purple sequins, so it wasn’t distracting either. As for my fluffy white jacket…

The realisation of what he was saying suddenly hit me. “Isn’t it amazing?” I stated, posing to better show off the flashing LED lights built into it. “I found it in Vinnies. Can you believe someone just gave this away?”

As I stripped it off, his face twisted in a way that suggested he could.

“I got you something better,” he told me, throwing a parcel in my direction, only for me to fumble the catch. I cringed, hoping the contents weren’t breakable.

Thankfully, upon picking it back up I discovered it was squishy, and given his comment I figured it was probably clothing.

“Spotted a market after I dropped you at Faith’s,” he told me as I tore the package open. “Was branded as being part of Midsumma and--”

“You bought me a present for Pride?”

“Um. Yes.”

I nodded with approval. Presents for Pride was a great idea, and I was totally going to have to get something for Faith too.

“Anyway,” he continued on like I hadn’t just interrupted him, “I found that.”

I let out a little gasp at the sight of the t-shirt in the package. It was grey marle and decorated with a cartoon dragon with bisexual-flag coloured wings, making it identical to the one I used to own.

“You said you liked that tee,” he stated, “and I haven’t seen you wear it since--” he cut himself off, suddenly looking concerned while he traced the edges of the brand on his arm. The brand he’d gotten the last time I wore the old shirt. “It’s just occurred to me that maybe you stopped wearing it because of that day.”

“I couldn’t get the blood out,” I replied, my voice sounding distant even to me. That attack was the first time I ever felt pain, and I never wanted to experience that again. “Tried my hardest because I loved that top, but the stains wouldn’t budge. That’s why I stopped wearing it.” I hugged the t-shirt to my chest. “Was my favourite, too. And now I have a new one!”

Relief washed over his face. “There’s another one in there too. A different one.”

I put the dragon tee to the side and pulled out the other, a pastel purple racer back singlet.

“The guy was doing custom prints,” Blake explained. “So I had him do that.”

The front of the singlet had the bisexual flag printed on it, and on top of the flag was the bicep emoji. I looked from it to him, confused as to what it meant.

His face fell. “You don’t get it, do you.” When I shook my head he continued. “It’s a biceptual flag. Because you’re bi and you…” the concerned look reappeared again, “like… biceps,” he finished lamely.

I clapped my hand over my mouth again and stared at him, wide eyed.

“It’s bad, isn’t it,” he grumbled. “Knew I shouldn’t have done it.”

A snort escaped my nose and I dropped my hand from my face. “This is hilarious,” I told him, trying to hold back a laughing fit. “And true! I love it!”

The shouty neighbours started banging on our shared wall so I buried my face in the top, hoping it would muffle my laughter. I didn’t need them spoiling this unexpectedly perfect morning.

“So you really like it?” Blake asked.

I nodded, not trusting myself to stay quiet.

“Good.” He stood and came over to me then stared at my feet, suddenly confused. “Just how tall are those heels?”

I grinned down at him. “Eight inches. Don’t like being short?”

“It’s—” he glanced down again then back up at me, his eyes burning with a look I knew so well. “Fucking hot, actually.”

Gods, could this night get any better? “Then how about you skip your run and get your cardio another way?” I suggested with a wink.

“On one condition,” he told me, his hands already at the zip of my playsuit. “You keep the shoes on.”

My grin grew bigger. Tonight was definitely going to get better.

[conspirwbytheorist-inactive]

What do you think would be cooler?

Yang shooting fire out of her hands (Let’s imagine she has both)or breathing fire

Hmm. . .honestly, they'd both be really cool but I think I'd have to give the advantage to fire breath, for the added dragon imagery (I'm assuming this is a power upgrade and not an anger thing like how Cinder uses it)

I also feel like fire breath has a lot of cool potential for quiet intimidation. Like, some jerk messes with her or her friends and not only can she say "back off" but have flames flickering from her mouth? Adds a nice extra layer of menace without sending the message of "I'm definitely punching you" like I feel flame fists would. (It's also a great way to punctuate sentences) And the mental image of her trying to use it to fluster Blake only to go into a coughing fit is sending me. XD Steep learning curve with a lot of comedic potential (and awful "come on, my breath can't be that bad!" jokes) but ultimately a higher return in terms of flexibility.

(unless the flame fists can be used as rocket boosters like Cinder does. Because flight adds a whole new layer of coolness)