#good lord one day ill stop posting things meant for here on my main

[marblerose-rue]

this weekend i should have some more adoptables out ^_^

[inosukeslefttoe]

SO i just finished wonder egg priority and i think that with confidence i can say it has been one of my favorite animes like... ever ?? and not even from hyperfixation or obsession over it just... its so fucking real yet so simple in a way that i havent rlly seen shown in any other shows you feel ??

but first i wanna talk about how sexy the art and animation is real quick... HOMIE ITS SO GOOD LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT JUST... serotonin... the characters are all so unique and iconic and fun but not over the top in their designs yknow ??? they seem like regular every day girls but they stand out and theyre all sO CUTE !!!! also i love how the style is like this soft bubbly slice of life lookin stuff with bright happy colors and the most beautiful scenes you could find but they also have the SICKEST fight scenes complete with whimsical animal helpers and terrifying villains and crazy weapons unique to each character. and the animation. god DAMN shawty i am obsessed with everything in this show. i might make a post solely about the art later lol bc i wanna get into the other stuff.

so the themes in the show right ?? it starts just as this cute lil magical girl kinda deal but within the first episode we see that like.. oh damn... thats kinda heavy... tbh i was a little shocked and thought about stopping bc yknow bad mental health BUT i was so intrigued that i had to keep going and i am SO GLAD that i did. because this show just so beautifully discusses all these heavy topics in such an eloquent and artistically expressive way. and also like, , the juxtaposition of the charming childlike vibe with bright colors and 14 yr old girl protagonists against the dark themes of suicide and so much else,, i think is just perfect. bc a lot of heavy animes are more of the seinen genre and have some middle aged dude as a protag or make the entire color palette dim or offer little relief to the pain of these heavy themes right ?? but NO not wonder egg bitches B) because these problems arent just things that ppl face later in life or just problems that need to be talked about among adults or the edgy seinen watching squad,, these are REAL problems that face people of every age, gender etc and i think its awesome that wonder egg addresses that. some may cringe at the thought of their high schooler watching animes that discuss sexual harassment, suicide, abuse, self harm, eating disorders etc,, but in reality it is the most comforting thing i have ever come across and is basically jsut free anime therapy. because not only does wonder egg present these themes to the viewers as something real that happens to all kinds of people (making said people feel heard in a way that maybe they hadnt before), but it also makes sure to vanquish all of these forms of trauma. and the way the trauma is vanquished isnt always beautiful and it isnt always just magically gone with a poof. the struggles of overcoming or living with that sort of thing are shown in such a real and relatable way that addresses every hardship trauma survivors have to go through. and i just. god i cry bro. 

oh m y GOD and the lgbtq+ rep in this show ?? like shawty... as soon as i saw episode one i was picking up on some gay/lesbian themes but then again im sapphic and project that a lot so i tend to see that sort of stuff like... everywhere... but NE WAYS... episode ten made me FUKCING CRY BRO LIke i cant believe there was a whole trans character with a whole trans pride hoodie like LKGHKDGH my heart is just so.. so fucking full thinking about him. bc like yeah i know there are trans characters in anime but i feel like theyre always very ambiguous about actually being trans or not or erased or portrayed as a harmful stereotype or theyre constantly misgendered and still refered to as their assigned gender at birth and i hate it. HOWEVEr... Kaoru.. *chefs kiss* it was so amazing to see a character straight up say “yeah im trans” in such a casual yet powerful way bc i personally have never seen that before. and i love love loved how he went into his backstory and talked to momoe about gender bc i think thats what she rlly needed and that it helped her find herself and it makes me so happy oh my god,, and the way they talked about it never seemed forced or like it was the focal point of his existence yknow ?? like yeah he existed to help momoe overcome some of her trauma but he also just existed to be HIM yknow ?? also... personally, i headcanon momoe as a trans girl even though i dont remember it being explicitly stated plus the school scenes of her and stuff would seem like they suggest otherwise ??but,,, SHAWTY THE AMOUNT OF SUBTEXT and her complicated relationship w gender is... something i feel like a cis girl would not go through so harshly yknow ?? with all of the questioning and feeling detached from femininity or feeling like ppl dont see her as an actual girl and only like her as a guy or for her masculine traits,,, but dont take my word on this bc i myself am a cis girl but that was just my take on it as someone in the lgbtq+ community trying to educate myself on the transgender community :) either way,, wonder eggs portrayal of momoe and kaoru and the way that momoe becomes so passionate about expressing herself the way she wants to as a girl is just... good lord im gonna cry its so perfect,,,.so ... i just love this show way too much. i also am honestly super lost about the relationship btwn acca and ura-acca ?? bc i was gonna mention ura-acca as a canonically gay guy bc when i was watching i interpreted ep 11 as him being in love with acca and being jealous of Azusa (bc i mean,, they lived together (i swear to god there was only one bed in that apartment) and had a daughter together and def loved each other and also when Frill said they were husbands and then when ura-acca said he wasnt attracted to azusa but he was def jealous of their relationship ??) but then i saw somewhere that theyre brothers ?? which would make sense ig since they look kinda similar and accas daughter called ura-acca “uncle”.. but at the same time its ANIME SO THEY ALL LOOK SIMILAR and referring to gay couples as siblings is an EXTREMELY common euphemism soooo... IM JUST LOST HERE... but yeah i tried doing research and found different things so i cant say anything for sure >:( however,,, if they are canonically a lil fruity for each other... when frill refered to acca as ura-accas husband i imploded dude you never hear that sort of wording in anime.. but if theyre related i am so sorry. 

god this is so much longer than i planned it to be oops but i also love the theme about like.. relying on friends to help carry your weight but at the same time not becoming completely dependent on those friends and using their support to learn how to love yourself and rely on yourself yknow ?? bc that is exactly what healthy friendships look like. bc i think ai sort of had a codependency thing goin on with koito maybe ?? but now she has a whole squad of funky friends that are so so different but all struggle with different kinds of trauma and although they fight over it, they always get through it with each other together. and they push each other no matter what to be the best versions of themselves and they teach other that getting hurt is okay because theyre always gonna be there to pick up the pieces no matter what happens. they can give each other space when they need and adapt to meet each others needs but theyre always able to balance it out with their own needs and thats such a beautiful thing in friendships especially at their age like damn i wish i had that maturity when i was 14 but no all i had was depression. another thing is that through these friendships you get to see all the different sides of each girl; you get to see them being strong or a shining light to their friends when theyre hurting but you also get to see them being hurt and weak and allowing themselves to be on the receiving end of the comfort. their friendships allows them to have weaknesses but it also allows them to highlight their strengths and thrive off of each others. I LOVE FRIENDSHIP DUDE

next i wanna briefly mention some of the themes connected to suicide that ive noticed. a big one is the survivors guilt that ai feels once koito is dead. several times she screams that she wishes she couldve gone with koito and she dreams of a “perfect world” where they committed a double suicide. one of the main reasons for her troubles is that she blames herself for koitos death and feels like it should be her thats dead... but at the same time she feels like too much of a coward to do anything now that koito is gone. she just has all these complex and contradicting feelings that wear away at her in ways that ppl that havent gone through the suicide of a loved one could never imagine. a lot of the times when things like this are portrayed in media i feel like its more in a way thats meant to guilt trip those that have taken their own lives and paint suicide as this selfish sin thats unforgivable but... not only does wonder egg reject that idea and instead portray it as a heartbreaking tragedy with,,, so so many terrible reasons, but it focuses on the feelings of ai separate from koito without blaming her in any way. not once did i feel like the show antagonized koito or that ai blamed koito for doing any of this, but they simply mourned her loss and touched on ais reaction towards the event but separate from koito herself if that makes sense. and i think that discussing survivors guilt without painting koito as the bad guy is something so beautifully done in wonder egg that can really resonate with those that have lost a loved one to suicide and have struggled with these same things.

okay i think this is the last thing ill mention,,, but HOMIE THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE BIT AT THE END. I AM. OBSESSED. i am such a whore for anything about the multiverse okay n e ways...,, not only did this make a super epic trippy ending of season one and add a little bit more magical girl whimsy to the show,, but it had such a powerful message. from the perspective of og ai,, finding out that you killed yourself in another world is... i mean its definitely not a surprise but at the same time it rlly makes you think how close og ai herself couldve been to that point and what decisions led her out of that dark place in her life. if i were in her shoes i would be terrified and id cry bc the thought of going back to such a dark place and actually going through with something like that is my worst fear and probably something that ai fears too. but at the same time,,, think from the perspective of ai two !!! like yeah its true that theres this awful terrible version of ai that dies but theres also a whole version of ai that is a superhero magical girl fighting off monsters to save countless ppls lives !! and she has a badass lizard and a gang of awesome friends !!! at first i was worried that ai two would be jealous of og ai and compare herself to her and feel inferior but like.. THEYRE LITERALLY THE SAME PERSON AND CAPABLE OF THE SAME THINGS !!! and ai two realized that !! just within the span of one episode, she went from the version of ai who took her life,, to the version of ai jumping in front of a friend to take a bullet for them and save their life. and that just inspired THE SHIT OUT OF ME. i think that ai was sent another version of herself to sort of beat her own worst enemy yknow ?? those doubts and fears that shes no good or that shes that same bystander from episode one and that she hasnt changed at all. but getting to interact with her parallel self and see her grow was just what she needed to realize that while yeah sometimes the worst thing can happen and things can be terrible but on the other hand sometimes the most wonderful thing imaginable can happen because she has the power to do either. 

so im gonna go ahead and stop rambling bc i got all my thoughts out that i wanted to for this post :D but yeah lol i might make another if i feel like it sometime. long story short: this show is perfect and it is going on my favorite of all times.

[shadowfae]

1- Not much tbh, just what you've posted, and 2- To be honest I quite like your long answers. It can definitely wait though, you should get some sleep.

Is your warpriest link a constant thing? Does it ever fade into the background? I'm contemplating forming a second link, something happier than my copinglink, and I'm not sure how to tell when to tell when the line of a link vs a persona is crossed when not worn out of necessity.

And the original ask so I have it on hand. I did take a look at your original context, and if you're cool with it, I'll edit this post with a link for those who may find this is a useful answer and need that on hand. Otherwise, it'll stay a mystery.

But yes, it seems like my Sabe experiences would be a useful thing to talk about here. And in order to do that, I need to go over four things: who and what Sabe is, why he exists the way that he does, what that does for me, and lastly what I think he is in terms of terminology and why.

To start, here is his toyhou.se profile, if you want to read more about his actual story and thoughts and whatnot. But I doubt you'll have the necessary context for that, so let me go into it. RuneScape (RS) is one of the oldest MMORPGs in existence. WoW might be older but I doubt it. Basically it's a medieval magic fantasy that's very long running and you the player end up the World Guardian, aka the guy that stops the gods (who are very powerful folks who just don't die of natural causes and typically stand for some philosophy) from blowing the world up because Guthix, the dead god of balance, asked you to. Well, he voluntold you. And that makes you a major chess piece, Elder Gods get involved, it's a big mess.

But before all that happened, back in 2006 when I was introduced to the game and very shitty at it, well. I liked the lore insofar that I've always liked the lore, it was interesting and I liked thinking about it. I didn't have membership and I sucked at playing so I just read the wiki and the God Letters over and over and sometimes the Postbag from the Hedge. Alongside my two friends, we played at being children of the then-triad of main gods: Saradomin, Guthix, and Zamorak.

I liked Zamorak best, but I didn't think his ideas would be the best for society as a whole, so I ended up playing child of Guthix. Eventually we grew up and grew apart but every couple of years I'd go back to RuneScape, read the lore, settle on what choices I'd make if I could play, and think about being the player character. In 2010 I discovered a fic - dawn by khayr, it's on Ao3 and dA - about Iban, son of Zamorak, right around when I was reading Percy Jackson. Cue him showing up as a soulbond and an older brother figure and guiding me right up until the end of sixth grade. Iban got me through the ruthless bullying that would later set the stage for all my major suicidal-ideation and self-hatred for the entirety of high school: even then, I was more stable than I might've been otherwise, because he interfered.

Saradomin stands for strength through order. Procedures and law and diplomacy and war strategy. He was originally kind of a ripoff of the Christian god, but he's grown to be more of an order-over-peace character and is quite well-written. Guthix stands for strength through balance, and has been all over the board in terms of what he's done and will do. He's kind of a dick, actually, but his heart's in the right place.

Zamorak, as you've heard, is strength through chaos and personal strife. It's no "the strong over the weak" or "the strong take care of the weak", it's flat-out "everyone is strong, and just need the right circumstances to tap into it to be the best they can possibly be". Now, his philosophy is kind of more for warriors and scholars, but if you tilt your head, it applies to everyone. Chronically ill folks will find their chaos in fighting to get up every day and maintain a life. Folks in traumatizing, abusive situations find that chaos in their very survival. Scholars challenge themselves and their fellows and their predecessors trying to find the answers they so need. Nobody in lockstep, no such thing as "we've always done it this way."

A lot of human Zamorakians and Saradominist propaganda says that Zamorak is simply absolute evil: and to be fair, when most of that was written, he kinda was because he was based loosely on the Christian devil. Later writing says that they're typically mistaken on that. Zamorak isn't evil. The very first thing he did upon becoming a god was fulfill a promise and lead a slave rebeliion. (The Avernic uprising, if anyone's curious.) He stands for the downtrodden and says "You are never going to get your dignity by going through the motions and trying to peacefully show you're worth respect. Burn some shit down and prove that you won't stand for this bullshit."

Zamorak in a Saradominist's eyes is someone whose banner you wear when you want to be a crazy murderer. Zamorak in a Zamorakian's eyes is the singing voice who murmurs "Get up, this isn't enough to kill you, you can still do this," when transphobic laws get passed or you hear a slur thrown your way on the street.

And as someone who grew up queer and nonhuman, yeah, that resonates, and the older I get the more I think "Guthixian philosophy is best for a society at large, but Zamorakianism for individuals is good." Because Zamorakianism can't really apply on a theocratic level. It really doesn't. It turns into American bootstrap culture and no social services and all that shitty stuff.

The funny thing is that Zamorak himself has no issues helping out if he thinks you need it. (If he didn't, he wouldn't be cool with asking for help, or giving it when he's asked. Which he does do repeatedly so. The man has more kindness in him than people want to admit.) What I do find fascinating is what he thinks of the actions of some of his longtime subordinates, who clearly support him, but I don't think support his actual philosophy. Because if you ask me, he'd side with the downtrodden humans of Meiyerditch, not the vampire lords that treat them like cattle. He's proven that he likes humans, and doesn't see them as unworthy. I do wonder if Jagex will show us what he might do about that.

Either way. Ahem. Over the course of a decade and a half, I keep going back to RuneScape, refining my philosophy and side, thinking again what I would do playing the game proper. About... I want to say five years ago, Jagex opened up the Sixth Age and I finally noticed, and they rewrote every god's philosophy because they wanted every single one to be actually playable. Not just "hurr durr evil" but actually have a logical line of thought. They probably didn't have pop culture paganism in mind, but the gods of RS are incredibly well-suited to it.

Well, I found that out, and immediately went through every god's philosophy, and reasoned my way through it. What does a worshipper of this god look like? What sort of life would they lead? If i apply this to me, what does that look like from that perspective? Do I understand this? Is it comfortable to exist in?

And as it turns out, I understand Zamorak the most, followed a close second by Armadyl, which was quite surprising. Zaros remains incomprehensible and I don't trust like that. (That's another story.) So I thought about it more, and it stuck even when I wandered off to different fandoms and interests. But what happened was that I ended up internalizing it, unknowingly and without meaning to.

It meant that when, two years later, I ended up in a horrific and traumatizing situation, the anchor I hit that held me together was a mixture of being a Devil - I am a fucking God you will obey me and recognize my power - and Zamorak's core philosophy: this cannot kill me, this cannot stop me, this is pure fucking hell and I am going to laugh in the face of death because people are forged in hellfire and I will walk away knowing what I'm made of.

And I was right. Honestly, out of everyone who was there with me, I think I'm the only one that was that deeply entrenched and walked out without trauma. I do not believe I could have done that had I not internalized Zamorak's philosophy. (That isn't to say if the others had that philosophy they wouldn't be traumatized, because there were absolutely other factors I wouldn't know about and some that I do and didn't do them any favours; but I am saying that it saved my ass and without it, I might not have been okay.)

I walked out of that with zero regrets. Zero. Even now, I don't regret a thing. Because it doesn't matter what happened or how much I was lied to or if he deserved my kindness. I know what I perceived to be happening, and I know how I reacted, and when the pieces were down I was stronger than steel, gave kindness without considering the cost, and I walked away unscathed.

How many people can say they've looked death in the eye and laughed? More than there should be, not too many that knowing what I'm capable of when put into pure chaos isn't somehow impressive. Because it is. And Zamorak's words proved themselves, or rather, I proved him entirely correct.

And when I last went back to RuneScape, and thought about it with enough time to put it all into hindsight, well. Aw, shit, he was right. Then vaguely around that time I went back and read Dawn, which was unfinished, tracked down the author and demanded to know how it fucking ended. (She told me and we're still friends like three years later. xD) Then I went back and found my old OCs, and decided fuck it, I'm making my own World Guardian.

So first thing I did was log in and jump over to the Makeover Mage and make myself into a boy. Kept the plateskirt though, I wanted to have the RS equivalent of a limp wrist to prove I'm Very Queer. Then I went about remaking my character. I wanted to make a self-insert, I was old enough to know it wasn't cringey, it was just fun, but I didn't want to use my default avatar with the black hair over one eye and the Chaorruption. I wanted to make a new self-insert based in nothing I was already using.

So I made the most beautiful man I could! Long, dark brown hair, pretty semi-dark skin, looked Kharidian, and then I said fuck it and made him Zamorak's youngest son. Originally, he was adopted when he was young by Iban and Clivet, and suffered serious imposter syndrome when being WG meant he'd never get demigod powers. But as I grew more confident in myself, he ended up getting powers? And then eventually I rewrote his backstory, and then wrote about his mother, and her relationship with Zamorak, and then he had friends like Blaire and Icthlarin (who was also my furry awakening, rip me).

Then with the most recently questline I've been getting a bit more into RS magical theory, and I've been mulling it over lots, and Seanan McGuire's Middlegame definitely helped; and I figured out how I wanted him to handle being World Guardian: it didn't make sense for him to be openly Zamorak's son, the other gods would just target his family to manipulate him. So I had him play neutral openly and Zamorakian to his friends, effectively living a double life.

Then he just looked up one day and said "Oh, by the way, my father won't acknowledge me to keep me safe but I don't know that so we have a very unsteady relationship because I don't know if he loves me", and then Children of Mah came out, and he was all "Oh and I think I just got disowned (I didn't, Zamorak was protecting me, but I don't know that) so my relationship with Zamorak is Fucking Shitty" and he was stuck that way until I figured out how to save their relationship.

It culminated in Sabe not knowing how his Mahjarrat powers worked and guessing, and hating himself for being half-and-half, and missing everything about being a Mahjarrat, and literally you couldn't have gotten more obvious in order to tell me I was having Fucking Issues coming to terms with the fact I didn't have any understanding or knowledge of my own heritage, but whatever, eventually I noticed that.

And as I've been working to understand myself and my heritage, so too has Sabe been doing that with his Mahjarrat heritage. But for the longest time, no matter how I put him and Zamorak in the same room in a scene to try and get them to talk it out, it wasn't working. Something wasn't right. Sabe resented being World Guardian, hated having to betray his family, didn't know if he was wanted, and hated himself for having to kill Mah, the mother of his species.

Not that long ago, a few months actually, he informed me (which is my shorthand for 'I suddenly figured out this happened, and it genuinely feels like remembering that one fucking word you have on the tip of your tongue, I always knew and just forgot for a while') that no, he'd been ripped in two by a hope devourer, brought to his father's stronghold, and Zamorak split his magic between mortal and divine in order to get around his godproofing and heal him. Zamorak's intense worry for his youngest son was what caused Sabe to break down and tell him honestly what was going on and how he was feeling, which caused Zamorak to do the same, and they finally, finally made up.

A week later, I noticed the connection between Sabe's Mahjarrat issues and my Irish issues, and started to wonder if he was a linktype.

I mean... he's a self-insert. He makes the choices I would, the me in the here and now, that I think are best. He's not a person I was and still know myself to be, he's not someone I grow into, he's not living his life beside me like a shadow. He's me, choosing the things I do, because I say so. But he's also me in the things he reflects, the things he struggles with, and things I had zero fucking conscious input on.

Sabe is the person I am when a crisis hits and I have to deal with the chaos. Sabe is the person I am when I need to lead. Sabe is the person I am when I am desperate to be known and loved by those I consider family. Sabe is the person I am when I want to be sure in where I came from, where I will return to, and the things that I will always be. Sabe is a man of darkness who knows the light as an acquaintance and nothing more, who is cruel and careless and kind.

Sabe is a warpriest of Zamorakian philosophy, because it took me twenty fucking years to put into words how I see the world, and now that I know, I will argue them to death and use them to help others. Drakath may have wanted a messiah to share the hivemind with others. Sabe is a warpriest, spreading the word and calling home the broken and the damned. He is the Last Rider, not the last of the Ilujanka but the one who keeps riding towards the chaos and never falls, no matter what.

Some of who Sabe is I have conscious input on. A whole lot of him was unintentional and perfectly reflects me.

So when it comes to terminology... I don't know what he is. A self-insert, yes. A linktype, maybe. A kintype, also maybe. Sabe doesn't feel like my past linktypes, because Sabe isn't always catharsis and comfort. Until he made up with his dad, Sabe was brutal and hurt a lot and constantly yearning for his foundation and slowly going mad. It wasn't fun. I just refused to do anything but see the story through. I was going to get it right. I wanted to see it to the end. I wanted to be the Last Rider, even though I didn't phrase it that way.

But to answer your actual question, of what he feels like when I'm not actively being him out of necessity, desire, and active thought. If it fades into the background.

And like... it can? Sabe as he is, recognized for what and who he is, is kind of a new thing. Sabe as a concept is very old, but Sabe as what he is right now is new, and confusing, and honestly I'm still trying to figure out what to make of it.

Like, seriously. Sabe is Zamorak's son. Am I Zamorak's son? Is he keeping an eye on me as I am? Would he be proud of me? Would he offer his approval of my progress? Does that make me, in some way, the World Guardian?

I have not a clue, buddy. Not a goddamn clue.

So what it means is that I've been paying attention, really. I don't just become strong in times of crisis. I've been trying to do better. Be better. Learn, and listen, and rethink myself. Break out of lockstep, of doing things the way I've always done them. Try to always do better than I did, build habits I like, stop waiting for things to change and just do it. Become the chaos, instead of waiting for it to hit me.

It means I need to live up to what Guthix told Sabe to do. It means being gentler, being kinder, not burning bridges when I'm not sure. It means keeping an eye out for any sign Zamorak's listening, in case I am his son, in case I really have to decide what I'm gonna do about being the son of chaos incarnate.

But other than the questioning, what it feels like is just... what I was already dealing with, just a little more at arm's length and easier to deal with. Once I recognize that his issues are reflective of mine, if I solve his, I have a pretty good idea of how to solve mine. Some of it won't work exactly right - Zamorak will always forgive him for not being the son he expected he might have had, my own parents may not, yay I'm queer and pagan - but it's a good rule of thumb.

It's also just comforting to know that when in doubt, nothing can kill me, because I simply refuse to die. I am World Guardian, I am a demigod of chaos incarnate, all the hellfire in the world can do nothing but strengthen me. And if I present those to myself as unshakeable beliefs, because for Sabe they are, then I'll be okay. It probably couldn't stop most disasters or tragedies, but I got hit by a car, broke five bones, and walked away with a record recovery time, so I mean... I can't prove that I can't die by some accident or tragedy, but you also can't prove that I can. (Trying to do so usually falls under what we call 'murder', and I personally believe I can't be murdered. Only assassinated.)

But really, I think the worst that could possibly happen with a new linktype is that you learn what not to do. It's new, it's scary, it's chaotic, and from where I'm standing, that's the best way to learn.

[ainarosewood]

Gentle

@gatheredfates​

 This is Part 2 

Hello is part 1 

tomorrow’s prompt Kiss will be part 3

Aymeric looked pensively out his window for the fifth time at the heavy snowfall.  Beside him he heard the clank of a tray and Lucia’s voice stating, “You worry too much sir,  did she not face Shiva, Nidhogg, even Thordain and his Knights Twelve and still return to us.  I doubt a storm is going to be much of an issue for the Warrior of Light.”

He turned toward her the barest of pink rising on his cheeks and he stammered, “I...no I’ve not forgotten any of those things Lucia but you know as well as I how unpredictable the storms of Coerthas can be....”

The female knight’s lips twitched with mild amusement as she poured his tea adding his preferred amount of birch syrup deftly before asking, “Have you also forgotten that she was born and raised here in Ishgard?  That she was in the Central Highlands post Calamity?  I’m sure she is fully aware of how uncertain Coerthan weather can be,”

She set the tea before him and he gave her a sheepish grin before saying, “Thank you Lucia and no I’d not forgotten she is a daughter of Ishgard I just...”

“Want to worry like a maid swooning for her errant knight,” the Garlean woman teased her eyes dancing waiting to speak until he was taking a sip of the tea.

“Lucia!” he sputtered nearly spitting said tea across his desk, he glared at her the color deepening on his cheeks as he stammered again, “I...there is naught wrong with being concerned for a dear friend.  Especially one that we owe so much too.”

Lucia laughed stating, “And there’s naught wrong if she is more than a ‘dear’ friend to you sir,”

She was about to say more when he raised a hand looking at the door his politician’s mask up as it swung open and a very annoyed Hilda strode in.

“Sorry te darken your door noble sir,” she stated with a ghost of a grin, “But me boy’s and I have made some headway in finding those bastards that claim to be the ‘True’ brothers o the faith,”

“So some escaped the Vault as we suspected that day?” he queried

She nodded her ruby eyes dark as she stated, “Aye at least one known, a good Father by the name o Reginald.  Seems he was a favorite o the swine Charibert’s Inquisitors.  My boy’s found that the man was spotted with a contingent o about ten Knights heading into the Western Highlands.”

“So they’ve been detained at Falcon’s Nest?” he asked dread filling him

Hilda shook her head, “No the snake stopped there briefly but then went on further into the Highlands.  My boy’s don’t know exactly but they’re fairly certain that he and his following have holed up in the old mills out there.  The one’s the Heretic’s used fer a time.”

“Seven Hells!” he swore turning to Lucia, “Gather a contingent of our most trusted knights.  Lucia, have them be ready to move as soon as the storm clears.  And inform the Scions that I wish to speak with them immediately.”

Hilda cocked her head at him stating, “While I admit they shouldn’t be left to their own ideas, good sir, why the sense of urgency and calling on the Scions?”

He closed his eyes in anguish as he stated softly, “Because about six bells ago I sent the Warrior of Light to investigate reports of Dravanian activity in that same area.  Reports that came not from Falcon’s Nest but the Mill’s knights.  I had assumed it was simply from the ones left there to prevent the Heretic’s from returning not the potential of anyone else.”

“So our dear Warrior’s most likely flying into an ambush she knows nothing of...hmm she is more than capable of taken care o herself, Lord Commander.  I’d think you of all people would know that.”

“She is, but she will most likely stay her hand if she suspects the knights are only doing their duty.  And I dare to assume, that you know as well as I, what an Inquisitor is capable of.”

“Hmm, you’ve got me there,” she stated thinking, “Don’t worry bout Ishgard at the moment.  My boy’s and I will keep the peace go and save our friend.”

He nodded, “I leave it to you and the Watch then,  Inform Handeloup if there is aught the Watch needs.”

“Aye ser,” she responded striding out.  Once she made it into the hallway she spoke with said knight then made her way back toward the Brume.

*******************************************************************************

Aymeric paced his office like a caged ceourl awaiting the Scions to come to the Congregation.  His eyes kept staring out the window relieved to see the snow lessening which meant they’d have a chance to arrive swiftly provided they left before the storm started up again.

A knock sounded on his door and he barked, “Enter,” a moment later Alphinaud strode in his young face filled with concern, behind him came Y’shtola, Thancred and finally Krile.  The trio had curious looks on their faces and he wasted no time, “Pray first, allow me to apologize.  I had no intention of sending her into such peril.”

Y’shtola’s ears twitched and he felt her gaze harden as she asked quietly, “What sort of peril and of whom do you speak?”

Aymeric closed his eyes fighting back his anguish as he replied, “Sallee...I had asked her to investigate reports of Dravanian activity near the Gorgagne Mills in the Western Highlands.  With no knowledge that some of the True Brother’s of the Faith had made their way there and was sending a false report.  Please forgive me friends, I had no idea I was sending her to a trap.”

Alphinaud’s face paled and he snapped, “We must do something at once!  I have no doubt that they blame her for all of what they perceive to be Ishgard’s ills.”

Aymeric nodded, “Lucia has already gathered our most trusted knights and I intend on leading them myself.”

“With no knowledge of their numbers or how they have them arrayed, Ser Aymeric?” Thancred asked in an annoyed tone, “Think man, they will have the advantage.”

Aymeric nodded, “I am well aware.  Which was one of two reasons why I sent for you.  One was to inform you of the situation and the other was to ask for your aid in discerning how best to extract her.”

Thancred gave him a relieved smile then stated, “Then I shall head out there and see if I can get a lay of the land.  I will contact you via linkpearl to inform you of their placement and numbers.”

He left and Aymeric turned to Krile and Y’shtola, “I am also informed that the both of you are accomplished healers and I would greatly appreciate you assistance for I have no doubt she will be injured.”

Both healers nodded and Alphinaud stated, “I to have some skill with the healing arts Ser Aymeric and I have fought alongside her many times before.”

Aymeric looked down at the young Elezen stating,  “I am aware of that fact Master Alphinaud, I had no intention of leaving you behind.”

“Calm yourself Alphinaud, you will not be able to help her at all if your not thinking,” Krile stated quietly then she turned to Aymeric asking, “Obvious animosity aside what makes you think she will have injuries?”

Aymeric’s eyes closed a pained expression crossing his features, “Because the one leading them, Father Reginald was one of the foremost Inquisitors...and they are not known for gentle questioning.”

“I see,” the Lalafell murmured softly 

“Come, there are chocobo readied and waiting for us at the stables as soon as we receive Master Thancred’s report we will strike.  I’d rather not gather in Falcon’s Nest for fear of them having eyes there.”

Once they arrived at the stables they were greeted by the sight of a chocobo pacing agitatedly and kwehing in distress.  Its deep burgendy feathers idendtifing it as Swiftwing, Sallee’s chocobo.  Quickly Y’shtola made her way over to the bird and did her best to calm it before leading it forward and handing its reins to Alphinaud.  The boy nodded patting the distressed chocobo and stood there awaiting Thancred’s call.

Within a few bells Alphinaud’s linkshell chimed and Thancred stated flatly, “There seems to be around ten knights gathered around the perimeter.  As well as another ten separated out into two patrols that have irregular intervals.”

Alphinaud relayed this to Aymeric who directed the knights into the air as he  mounted.  Alphinaud mounted along with the other Scions and they launched as well.  “Were on our way Thancred let us know if anything changes.”

It didn’t take long before they arrived all gathered near where the Hyur was observing the Mill.  “I figure I could slip in for a closer look provided there was a distraction made.  That way we can locate her quickly and prevent them from taking any drastic measures.”

“Seems sound enough to me, Lucia take ten of our knights with you toward the western front and lure the patrols to you.  Master Alphinaud, your with me along with the remaining knights to deal with the sentries once Master Thancred has located the Warrior of Light.  Mistress Krile, Y’shtola could I ask you to follow and be ready for the charge on the main entry.”  Aymeric directed

All nodded in understanding and Thancred made his way down to the Mill using the land to his advantage.  It did not take him long to slip past the sentries.  Once he was there Aymeric commanded, “Now!”

Lucia led her knights forward directly toward the patrols who scrambled to meet them. It did not take long for her to lure them away toward the nearby fields.  Meanwhile Aymeric mounted his chocobo and waited for Alphinaud and the others to do the same.  The young Elezen climbed onto the bird’s back and awaited Thancred’s call.

In a few moments the shell chimed and Thancred gritted, “The bastard has her in the basement and seems to be torturing her as we speak.  If you strike the sentries I doubt he will notice, he seems to enjoy his work far too much.”

Alphinaud’s eyes flashed in anger as he relayed this to Ser Aymeric.  The older Elezen felt rage building deep within as he growled, “To arms then, let us go now!”

They charged directly at the Mill and several of the sentries scrambled to meet them.  Aymeric drove his bird straight for the main entry having it kick down the door.  With the grace of long experience he swung off the bird commanding it to guard and he met the blade of the knight still standing with Naegling. He shifted his blade using it to disarm his opponent then used Naegling’s hilt to knock the man unconscious.  

He turned to face the other two knights only to see one drop wretching as a sickly green spell slammed into him from Alphinaud’s tome.  The other cried out in pain as a blast of air began ripping at his face.  From the corner of his eye he could see Y’shtola standing with her cane drawn not far behind him.

Suddenly the air was torn with the sound of a pain filled scream and Aymeric charged forward leaping over the rail and down into the basement charging forward.  Before him he saw Sallee bound to a chair a myriad of wounds seeping blood.  Her face thrown back in agony as a cherry red pole of iron was being stabbed into an empty spot in he abdomen.  Said pole was in the hand of a short balding Hyur in the robes of the vault.

Aymeric snarled in rage and lunged Naegling held before him.  The priest had enough time to turn only to be impaled on the blade.  He stared wide eyed in shock at Aymeric and the Elezen twisted the blade and slashed down.  Reginald fell to the basement floor, his guts spilling out before him.  A pool of his lifesblood pouring from the gaping wound.  Ignoring the mans gasps as he breathed his last Aymeric strode forward shaking the blood from his blade before sheathing it.  He then stepped behind the chair and unbound the Warrior.  Catching her then cradling her gently as he called, “Mistress Y’shtola, Krile to me!”

The two bolted down there seeing him holding the injured Elezen their mouths thinning in anger before Y’shtola stated, “Pray, hold her tightly Ser as we see to closing these wounds.”

The Elezen nodded not trusting his voice as he knelt down holding her close while the two began channeling healing spells into her.  Her scream of pain rang in his ears but he held fast.  Firmly but also feather light fearing that he’d harm her further but knowing that if she thrashed about it would only make things worse.

“Seven Hells,” he heard Alphinaud cry as the young Elezen joined his fellows and aided in the healing.  It did not take long for most of the surfaces of the wounds to close.  Once that had happened the three lowered their hands cutting the spells.

“That is all we can do for now, we must get her back to Ishgard and to proper facilities,” Y’shtola stated wearily.

“I will bear her there my self,” Aymeric murmured softy, “Ser Nathan!”  

At the knights appearance in the door he continued, “Send word to Captain Whitecape he will have a patient brought to him shortly by my own hands.”

The knight saluted then bolted off once he had Aymeric called, “Ser Esseoux”

A few moments later an Elezen knight appeared in the doorway and Aymeric commanded, “See that the knights that were here and survived the battle are detained for questioning.  I will be returning to Ishgard so the field is yours, please had it over to Lucia upon her return.”

“At once Lord Commander,” the knight responded saluting.  Then he turned and began shouting commands to the other knights.  

Aymeric then carefully made his way up the stairs taking care not to jostle Sallee in any way.  Behind him he heard the three Scions follow.  Once he stepped outside he was greeted by Switftwing who began looking over the woman in his arms and whistling agitatedly.

“Would you bear us back to Ishgard?  Tis the best chance she has at the moment.” He asked the bird.

The cocobo kwehed in agreeance then stood still waiting for the Elezen to mount.  As if melting out of the shadows Thancred appeared beside him and Aymeric handed him Sallee long enough to mount before the Hyur handed the unconscious woman back to him his free eye dark with rage at her injuries.

The chocobo launched and unerringly turned toward Ishgard flapping as fast as he could to get his mistress to someone who could help.  Aymeric simply held onto the bird with his legs and grasped the woman close praying that she would be well.

[cathygeha]

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon

by Kerrelyn Sparks

The Embraced #3

 As I began to read the introduction and backstory to this book I began to smile remembering the two books that preceded this one. Yes, I smiled :) Why? Because books like these remind me of the fairy tales I read as a child BUT these are all grown up. There are princesses and dragons, trolls and elves, magic and mysteries, romance and oh so much more…they are fun tales filled with adventure and action and friendship and quests with evil thwarted and a hook for the next book in the series. When I finished I thought, “Hooray! There are at least two more books to read before this series ends!”

 So, what is the story about? It is about five young women who are “embraced” due to what was happening in the sky when they were born. Each one has a talent that some consider a curse. They were all sent away and raised together away from the general population and became closer than blood sisters. Two of the sisters have had their stories told and two remain but in book three, this one, Gwennore meets her mate. Gwennie is an elf and her love is a dragon shifter…and what a story theirs is!

 Who wouldn’t want to meet and be saved by a dragon? Who wouldn’t want to feel needed and loved and cherished? Who wouldn’t want to be able to do something good for a people that were in need of her skills? And, who wouldn’t want to find their own true love? Silas and Gwennore are a match made in the heavens and their story made me smile when I read the last page, too :)

 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 4.5 Stars

EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON:

The Embraced Series

By Kerrelyn Sparks

Published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks

**On Sale March 27, 2018**

Mass Market Paperback | $7.99

ISBN: 9781250108258 | Ebook ISBN: 9781250108265

 For more information or to set up an interview with the author, contact:

Brittani Hilles at brittani.hilles@stmartins.com or 646-307-5558

BLURB:

Kerrelyn Sparks is no stranger to the New York Times bestseller list, as her massive fan base couldn’t seem to get enough of her Love at Stake series. Sparks then introduced her extraordinary fantasy romance series, The Embraced, with How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days and So I Married a Sorcerer. Set in a medieval mythical world, the series follows a special group of people with powers born when the two moons of the world form an eclipse. Now comes the captivating third installment, EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON (St. Martin’s Paperbacks; March 27, 2018), where readers meet Gwennore, our fierce and powerful new heroine.

 Gwennore is an Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it; a valuable asset to her people. But when she is thrust into the realm of the dragons, she discovers a haunted place of power and magic, plagued by an ancient curse. And then she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon, but never did making a deal with the devil feel so good…

 Silas has no way of saving the royal family he’s served for years. But when a beautiful elf comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to desire in a way he’s never felt before. But can he trust a sworn enemy?

 Filled with romance, adventure, and a vividly imagined new world, EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON is a fantasy in the vein of Game of Thrones with all the fun of The Princess Bride. Audiences will become enthralled with Gwennore in a world where passion, fantasy, and royal intrigue collide. Return to the most exciting, magical and romantic series to come along in years in the stunning world of the Embraced!

EXCERPT:   Chapter Three

 As the three men came to a stop, Gwennore noted that the ladies-in-waiting were curtsying, so she did, too.

Karlan bowed. “My lord general.”

“At ease,” the gorgeous man in the middle said.

Freya rushed to his side. “Silas, you arrived just in time. I’ve discovered an assassin.” She pointed at Gwennore. “You should arrest her!”

Gwennore popped up from her curtsy, ready to defend herself. But before she could say anything, the general had enveloped the queen’s hand in his own and turned her away.

“Your Majesty.” He flashed a smile that caused a few of the ladies to stumble as they rose from their curtsies. “I came as quickly as I could after hearing the news. May I congratulate you on the birth of your daughter?”

“Why, yes.” Freya blushed. “Thank you. I was in labor a dreadfully long time, you know.”

“Yes, so I hear.” He patted her hand. “But thank the Light, you and the babe are doing remarkably well.”

What nonsense was this? The gorgeous general was acting like the others—playing along with the queen’s delusion. Gwennore drew in a deep breath to voice her

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon                39

objection, but the general shot her a warning look with his sharp green eyes.

When she lifted her eyebrows as if to question him, he inclined his head ever so slightly. He’s asking me to trust him. It was as clear as if he had spoken. For a moment she wondered if she was experiencing a mental connec- tion with him like she had with Puff.

Don’t jump to conclusions, she chided herself. She was only hoping for a connection because he was the most handsome man she’d ever met.

Something flared in his eyes, a spark of gold in the em- erald green, and her knees grew weak. Good goddesses, was she about to swoon like these other silly women? She needed to be stronger than this.

“Thank you, Silas,” Freya said, drawing his attention back to her. “Doesn’t the baby look just like her father?” “Yes, indeed.” The general glanced at Eviana, who was still clinging to Gwennore’s legs. “And to mark the occa- sion, I have brought you a gift.” He motioned to Gwennore. “A nanny. As you can see, the princess has already

developed a special fondness for her.”

Freya gasped. “You brought the elf here?”

“Of course.” He gave Gwennore a wry look as if he was daring her to contradict him. “She’s a noblewoman I captured some time ago in battle, but since then, she’s learned our language and proven herself quite useful.”

So General Gorgeous had no problem spinning lies or manipulating a madwoman. Gwennore snorted. But since she was in danger of being imprisoned and even exe- cuted, she was not in any position to reject his solution.

Even so, she wondered if she could actually trust him. As the general of the Norveshki army, wouldn’t he see her as an enemy?

“We dare not trust an elf,” Freya muttered. “She could be a spy. Or an assassin.”

40                            Kerrelyn Sparks

“We can trust her,” the general insisted. “Lady Gwennore cares deeply for the princess. Enough to risk her life for her.”

Gwennore’s heart lurched into a fast pace. He knew her name? And what she’d done? Puff must have told him everything that had happened. That meant General Gor- geous could hear dragon voices, too. It made sense, she figured, since his job would require him to communicate with dragons. But did that mean he had ordered the first dragon to kidnap Eviana? Or perhaps, he had ordered Puff to try to stop the kidnapping. Which side was he on?

“But elves are such violent creatures,” Freya whined. “They are fierce warriors, that is true,” the general

agreed. “That is why Lady Gwennore will make an ex- cellent nanny. No one will protect your daughter as well as she.”

“Well . . .” Freya looked confused. Her hands fluttered around her chest, causing the rubies to sparkle in the after- noon sun. “I suppose we can give her a try.”

“Excellent.” He turned toward Karlan. “You and your men may return to your posts.”

Gwennore exhaled with relief. She wasn’t going to the dungeon. And as the official nanny, she could remain close to Eviana.

“And remember.” The general stepped closer to Karlan and added softly, “Lady Gwennore is my guest. She will be treated with respect.”

“Yes, my lord.” Karlan motioned for his men to follow him back to the main gatehouse.

With Gwennore’s superior hearing, she’d heard the general’s whisper. He had to be on her side. For one thing, he kept referring to her as a lady. The status of noble- woman would shield her from any physical abuse during her stay here in Draven Castle.

So, most probably, she had two allies in Norveshka—

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon                41

Puff and General Gorgeous. She could only hope they would both prove to be trustworthy and honorable.

The general turned to the nearest lady-in-waiting. “Your name, please?”

The woman stumbled back a step. “O-Olenka, my lord general.”

“Lady Olenka, would you please escort Lady Gwennore and the princess to the nursery? And make sure they are well taken care of.”

“Yes, yes, of course, my lord general.” Olenka nodded, then curtsied again.

“I’ll drop by to check on you later.” The general shot a pointed look at Gwennore. “Till then.”

Gwennore inclined her head, understanding he in- tended to have a talk with her. That was fine. She needed to talk to him, too.

“Oh, everything will be perfect, my lord general! You can trust me.” Olenka motioned for Gwennore to follow her. “Come along now.”

Gwennore lifted Eviana in her arms and walked toward Lady Olenka. As she passed the queen, she bowed her head. “Good day, Your Majesty.”

Freya narrowed her eyes. “If anything happens to my daughter, I’ll have your head. I will not lose another child!”

Another child? How many had the queen lost? “I will protect her with my life,” Gwennore told her, then fol- lowed Lady Olenka toward the northwestern tower.

As she neared the general’s two companions, she noted there was a slight difference in their uniforms. One had three brass stars embedded in his leather breastplate, while the other had two. Did that mean they were officers? The general had four stars on his breastplate.

These men were handsome like the general—tall, mus- cular, long dark hair. No doubt they knew how to make a

About the Author

Kerrelyn Sparks is best known (so far) for the Love at Stake series, which has hit as high as number 5 on the New York Times list and 22 on the USA Today list. Visit Kerrelyn on Facebook, Twitter, or her website, http://www.kerrelynsparks.com/.

MORE:

Praise for Kerrelyn Sparks:

“Readers will be fully invested in this Embraced series!”

— Romantic Times on How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

 "Readers will relish Spark’s lovingly detailed and memorable tale and look forward to the next.”

— Booklist on How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

 “[Sparks] has produced a book that I'll come back to again and again. I'll be counting down the days till the next girl gets her story.”

— Night Owl Reviews on How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

 "A deeply satisfying, delightfully swoon-inducing close...full of vulnerability and tenderness."

— Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire

 "Mixing paranormal romance with humor, Sparks clearly has a style all her own, one that readers love."

— USA Today's Happily Ever After blog

 "Sparks skillfully infuses her writing with a deliciously sharp wit."

—

Booklist

“As with Sparks’s previous books, a tangled plot resolves with ease after the efforts of the determined lovers and their friends. Fans of Sparks’s lighthearted romances will feel right at home here.”

—Publishers Weekly

  “Each story in the Embraced series gets better and better! In this third installment, Sparks weaves a magical fantasy world, filled with paranormal characters that will make you nostalgic for those bedtime stories from your youth.”

—RT Book Reviews

  “The Embraced series will not let you down! Just like in book one, there is a layered heroine and hero, and supporting characters whose lives add to the story and humor. Set in the past, the series has a decidedly fantasy slant that is easy to follow, which makes this delightfully fun to read. Readers are gifted with a well-executed read with kings, dragons and pirates.”

—RT Book Reviews on So I Married a Sorcerer

  "The second in Sparks’s Embraced fantasy romance series (following How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days) is a lively tale of pirates, intrigue, sorcery, and lost heirs...the story charges along at a rapid pace, and Sparks’s characters are witty and full of life. Her latest should satisfy historical romance fans who are ready for a little magic."

—Publishers Weekly on So I Married a Sorcerer