#i should give claudi

[kabutoden]

GOLD RULE--GOLDBLOOD Wyrbie Furfur A fierce yellowblood who really likes wolves. Living in a city of only goldbloods that highly values trolls who are psiionically gifted, they have no psiionic potential. They can get very jealous of others, especially Claudi. Wyrbie’s lusus is a small ferret that insists on going everywhere with them. Having their dad at their side gives Wyrbie a lot of courage. Ferretdad nips them on the ear if they act too mean to others. Sign of hunting partner. Prince of Light. Bee Morph. 6 sweeps: 13 years.

[squireofgeekdom]

I could finish reading one series and then start reading/rereading another series. Or ... I could do whatever this is.

[dolla-dolla-yeah]

What are your really petty American Girl Doll complaints? Mine are I wish they sold more earrings, I hate the dolls shoes with heels cuz the dolls then stand weird, and I also wish they sold the bedroom/larger playsets accessories separately

[choropilled]

wile im mobilezoned . i think i have idea for choro in hell Again

[americangirlstar]

You know what I'll give even a smidge of it to them because they have another white character with a black best friend because the last I can recall the only other character that had a black friend was Marie-grace. Other than that yeah it's just Isabelle with glasses but yay another character with glasses since Z.

One of Grace's two best friends was Black, Joss's cheer friend was Black, as was Isabel's tennis friend. If you wanna expand it just to POC– Isabelle's best friend was latine, Lea's best friend was indigenous Brazilian iirc, Tenney's best friend was Bangladeshi, Joss's "surf sister" was Japanese. If you were here in 2021 you remember the whole hullaballoo about Alexis's ethnic ambiguity and the dolls they used to represent her.

Is this a bad thing in general? Uh, no, definitely not, kids should be friends regardless of race, and having diversity in stories even with white protagonists is welcome. The problem comes when AG has been releasing a slew of white dolls as the main characters, shafting tf out of the main characters of color they DO have, and THEN trying to claim diversity points by giving the white girls best friends of color. The message that sends isn't "we value diversity"– cause if they did, they wouldn't shaft Claudie or Kavi or the WBU dolls. What it ends up sending is "girls of color aren't important enough to be the popular main characters, they're only here to support their white friends." I don't think AG is sending this message iNTENTIONALLY, but in their hopes of pandering to the white 1% while also claiming to be diverse, they're really just shooting themselves in the foot and showing their ass to everyone

tl;dr,

[marzipanandminutiae]

Found an old American Girl catalogue earlier & the clothes & accessories & furniture all make me yearn something fierce

It all used to be so much better.

I feel bad for kids today, because AG used to actually be worth their price points- the historical dolls' furniture was once INSANELY nice, okay? -and not have Disney-faced dolls who seem to wear obvious makeup despite the characters being 9 years old, and not be hyperfocused on their modern line to the exclusion of their original mission (namely, teaching girls about history and thus making them feel empowered in the present).

Also, are they allergic to historical characters from before 1920 now or something? They don't even have a Revolutionary War doll anymore. That whole line is about American history, and yet one of the most seminal moments in said history is completely glossed over. It doesn't have to be Felicity, but...they should at least have SOMETHING for that era, right?

There are so many characters now that I feel deserved to be released during a better period of the company's production- Rebecca, Melody, Claudie, and Nanea come to mind. But no, they came about in the pinkified, plastic-everything, shoddily-researched nightmare that is AG nowadays.

1904? 1904?! IN WHAT FREAKING WORLD DOES ANY OF THIS LOOK "1904?"

HER ORIGINAL "MEET" DRESS HAD THE FASHIONABLE DROPPED WAIST OF CHILDREN'S CLOTHING IN THE EDWARDIAN ERA, AND A DARK, SMALL PRINT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THOUGHT CONVENIENT FOR A CHILD'S DAYWEAR IN CASE THEY SPILLED SOMETHING ON IT OR OTHERWISE GOT IT STAINED. BUT WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT THAT? GIRL IN OLDE TIMEY SKIRT ERA = PINK!!!

HEY KIDS HERE'S YOUR HISTORY EDUCATION! WE MODERNIZED ITS VISUALS FOR YOUR COMFORT, BECAUSE WHO CARES UNLESS IT FITS INTO OUR CURRENT NOTIONS OF AESTHETIC APPEAL, RIGHT? HAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

...anyway, congrats on finding those old catalogues

[xxiamtiebrousxx]

Lovey Dovey (Mercs x Reader) Valentine's Day Special

A/n: I'm late to the party but here we go.

Valentine’s Day was created because of Saint Valentine, who was murdered during Emperor Claudis’ reign for marrying people off. Claudis didn’t want people to marry so the single men could join the army. Valentine believed love shouldn’t be banned. The emperor found out and had him killed. The couples who Valentine married sent up flowers and notes, which created the tradition of giving those to your loved ones. They created this so-called special day in honor of the saint’s name. He was killed on the fourteenth, so I wouldn’t really call Valentine’s Day a day of love. It was more like a day of celebrating the day a man got murdered for love. We should host a service instead of romantic dates.

“Hey, Y/n, you listening?”

“Hmm?” I said. Scout’s voice pulled me out of my thinking. “What’s up?” I asked.

“It’s your turn,” he replied. 

“Right,” I said. I huffed. I held up my deck of two cards. I studied them before putting down a red number two. “Uno,” I said. Yes, we spent the first part of our Valentine’s Day playing Uno for the millionth time. Scout groaned. He had enough cards to build a full sized house. Heavy squinted at his deck. “Your move,” I told him. He hummed to himself and carefully picked his card. He put down a red number three. 

“Leetle Scout is next,” he boomed. Scout quickly pulled out a red number four. I smirked and put down a red number four as well. Scout gave a cry of disappointment as he dropped his cards down. All he had were red cards. I laughed. There was no way he was going to win with that! He had no chance!

“I’m back,” Spy called out, closing the door. He carried bags of Valentine cards, heart shaped chocolate boxes and balloons. I shivered at the thought of handing these out to other people. I wasn’t ready for a significant other. Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be just about romance. It should be about love in general. “You’re still playing that game?” Spy asked.

“Y/n won. Again,” Scout answered. He leaned back in his chair. “What’s with all the lovey dovey stuff?”

“None of your business,” Spy retorted. “Now, Y/n, as the winner of the Uno game, would you mind helping me unload?”

“Sure,” I answered.  I got up from my seat and joined Spy in the kitchen. “What is all this for?” I asked. “You’re not gonna have some big fancy wedding proposal for Scout’s ma, are you?”

“I heard that!” Scout yelled. “Don’t let him do it, Y/n! I won’t have him as my step dad!” Spy chuckled. We all knew the truth. Spy wouldn’t be Scout’s step dad if he remarried Scout’s ma. I pulled out a couple of chocolate boxes and set them on the counter. They were good and expensive chocolates. I licked my lips at the thought of eating some. I had some stuff hidden in the back of my closet. I was saving that for later today when all the guys were under one roof.

“It’s not for his mother,” he answered. “This was actually her idea to give the unlucky ones a chance of getting something for Valentine’s Day.” Oh geez. I nervously chuckled.

“So we’re gonna go around town and give these things to the people?” I asked. “Last time that happened, Pyro burned down half the buildings. Soldier thought it was a good idea to shoot the flowers through the windows with his rocket launcher.”

Soldier shouted, “AND IT WAS A GOOD IDEA INDEED.” There was chuckling from Scout and Heavy. “CAN WE DO IT AGAIN, PLEASE?”

“NO!” we all yelled. Soldier gave a small groan.

“Fine,” he answered. Spy chuckled and pulled out some expensive wine.

“Seriously though, what are we doing?” I asked. 

“We’re going to be like Saint Valentine and give people a chance at love,” Spy replied. I stared at him blankly. He was being honest about this. I was going to be honest. This was not a good idea.

*>/<*

I was right about Spy’s idea. It failed horribly before we even got the chance. It seemed well at first. Medic used his army of doves to drop off letters and Scout ran door to door dropping off some nice boxes. Then it went downhill. Soldier, against our orders, shot rockets filled with flowers and chocolates into people’s homes. It was behind our backs and we didn’t notice until the townsfolk started throwing bricks at us. I mean, it should’ve been obvious since the explosions were loud, but we passed it off as the townsfolk doing what they usually do. We ran back home with bruises.

“That was bad idea,” Heavy commented, holding the door for us all.

“Remind me to never agree to Spy’s plans ever again,” Scout said. “They suck.” Spy chuckled.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but I agree with Scout,” he answered. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” I laughed and patted Spy’s back.

“Now you’re beginning to understand, my friend,” I said with a grin. “We are never ever doing that again.”

*>/<*

I lied about what I said earlier. I pulled out boxes from the back of my closet and placed them on the ground. The others were in the living room watching T.V. I had gotten everyone Valentine Grams from a school. I had to break in and steal everything. There was a gram for Daniel, whoever that poor child was. I tore off the tag and replaced it with another. It was for Pyro. Yes, I was doing this, even after I said I wasn’t going to. But this was for my friends. I’ve known them for a long time. They deserved this. I grabbed all the relabeled grams and placed them in a spare box. I walked down the stairs of the base and into the living room. “Hey guys,” I said. Scout looked away from the T.V. screen.

“Is that what I think it is?” he asked. Pyro turned his attention my way. He mumbled happily, clapping his hands together.

“Wow, Y/n, I thought you said we weren’t gonna do stuff like that,” Engineer said. He smiled. “What was the change of heart?”

“I thought about it,” I replied, handing Scout his candy gram. “I came to the conclusion that Valentine’s Day should be about love, and just not the romantic kind, but like family or platonic love.” 

“Mmph mmph (That’s such a nice conclusion)!” Pyro mumbled happily. I smiled.

“Now c’mon guys, get your grams,” I said. “They didn’t come for free.” I finished passing out the grams to everyone. Spy passed around the gifts he bought and we all had a nice evening.

Yep, Valentine’s Day could be a lovey dovey day, but it was more than just that. It was about telling those you care for how much you felt. Even if they’re family, friends, or lovers. Tell them how much they mean to you.

[lestatthebrat]

About the Racists, Homophobes, and Purists Reviewing amc’s “Interview with the Vampire”

To put it bluntly: the people giving this show bad reviews are racists and homophobes. This is a damn good show that breathes new life into an old story, and the fan reviews claiming that this adaptation is “horrible” and a “disgrace” to Anne Rice’s work are simply bigots who cannot stand to see two men kissing on screen and/or who are ridiculously offended that Black actors are playing Louis and Claudia. 

Don’t believe me? Look at what fan reviewer joshua g had to say on Rotten Tomatoes: “Of course they would take a classic that does not need change, and turn it into a homosexual love story.” Obviously, his 0.5-star rating (the lowest rating possible on Rotten Tomatoes) was not motivated by the quality of the show but by his own homophobia. P W is another fan reviewer who gave the show a whopping 0.5 stars, because he has a problem with People of Color playing some of the leading characters. He says: “At some point, the intentional casting of minorities in reboots is going to end. History will look unfavorably at the practice.” Fan reviewer Rich G says it even more bluntly: “I dislike this show for one very specific reason. The race swapping of Louis and Claudie” (the misspelling of Claudia’s name is his mistake, not mine). Meanwhile, a fan reviewer on IMDb, GeorgeWHAMMYBush, gave the show a 1/10 (the lowest possible rating on IMDb) and this review: “They made the whole thing a dismally shot propaganda piece and it's painful to sit through… The plot gets obliterated completely in this and it's barely about vampirism at all and is now about race and sexual orientation. The whole thing is a waste of time. They then go after religion because while it was touched on as offensive to vampires in the books here it is clearly the target of the hacks who made this abomination. This could be studied in school as a part of a series on why American media failed when it had every chance to succeed. Whoever made this should be banned from the media industry entirely. Do not bother watching this. It will just aggravate you.” Most of the very low reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and IMBb are reminiscent of these examples, and it’s cringingly obvious these people just hate the show because they are racist and homophobic.  

It amuses me that some of these bigots are attempting to use their alleged “love” for the source material as a mask for their racism and homophobia. Like “HOW DARE THEY CHANGE ANNE RICE’S BOOK AND MAKE LOUIS A BLACK MAN INSTEAD OF A SLAVE OWNER!?” or “HOW DARE THEY MAKE LOUIS GAY JUST TO SEEM WOKE!?” But if these so called “avid fans” actually read any of Anne Rice’s books, they must have stopped after book one, because if they got even to book 2 they would have known that Louis and Lestat have ALWAYS been an LGBT couple. If you read book 1, “Interview with the Vampire,” and missed the pretty-hard-to-miss subtext, go re-read it. To recap: Louis talks about how Lestat “had me mesmerized, enchanted” (direct quote); Louis explicitly compares Lestat turning him into a vampire to sex; he and Lestat live together for over sixty year; and they adopt a child together. By book 2, “The Vampire Lestat,” Lestat has male lovers both before and after becoming a vampire, and he confirms that he and Louis were lovers. He and Louis also have a heartfelt reunion in the 80s, and they kiss multiple times on the mouth. (I know, too gay for people who didn’t get past the Neil Jordan film.) By the time we reach the final book in of series, “Blood Communion,” Louis and Lestat are again living together, and in the final chapter of the book, they dance together at a ball, embrace, kiss multiple times on the lips, and profess their undying love for one another. Sorry, homophobes, but these vampires ain’t never been straight, and you’d know that if you actually read the books.  

Aside from the raving racists and homophobes, there are some fan reviewers who seem to genuinely love Rice’s “Vampire Chronicles” but have a problem with the amc series diverging from the source material. Again, the “race swapping” is commonly mentioned, so I wonder how many of these people are also motivated by prejudice, but they have other problems too, such as changes in the time period, the ages of the character’s, the dialog (come on, what tv show preserves all of the dialogue from the books?), and even tiny unimportant details like the vampires “spilling blood” when they kill people. I understand when you passionately love a book series (and I myself passionately love “The Vampire Chronicles”), you imagine the story and characters a certain way, but what these people need to realize is that it is not unusual, uncommon, unfair, or disrespectful for tv reboots or movies to make changes from the books. “Interview with the Vampire” was already made into a very successful and well-known movie in 1994, and most remakes/reboots that do NOT try anything new but simply repeat what has already been done fail miserably. “Psycho,” “Nightmare of Elm Street,” “Carrie”... these are all movies that took a classic and remade it more or less the same as the original, and all of these films were brushed off and forgotten because they offered nothing new and exciting, nothing updated and relevant, nothing thought-provoking that would allow the audience to think of things in a different way or see things in a new light. In simply repeating the original with different actors, they failed to live up to the original. The same thing has happened when books have been made into movies and then later into tv series: look at “The Shining.” Most people don’t even know the inferior miniseries exists, even though it is more accurate to the book and Stephen King wrote it himself. On the contrary, some of the most successful remakes, the kind of remakes that make people say, “This is better than the original!”—which, by the way, the majority of critics and fans ARE saying about amc’s “Interview with the Vampire”—are remembered and beloved because they do not just rehash the same old material but because they put a spin on old characters and content; they make changes and updates; they offer the audience something new, exciting, current, and relevant, something more and something deeper. Some examples: “The Fly,” “The Thing,” “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” This is what amc is doing with “Interview with the Vampire.” 

So, if you earnestly love the original books, that’s wonderful, but you have the books, and you can read them as many times as you want. You also have the Neil Jordan film which you can re-watch to your liking. Now, the amc series is remaking/rebooting this series, and it is not a crime for production teams to take creative liberties, and I honestly do not see this as a disrespect to Anne Rice’s work either. She SOLD the rights of her work for this television series, which means the production team can make whatever changes they want. That’s how it goes for any author whose book is being made into a movie: they sign the contract, they get paid (and Anne Rice most likely got paid millions of dollars for this series) and they don’t have any say over what changes are made to the production. Even most script writers who spend months or years creating characters and writing a story, if they are lucky enough to sell their script to a production company, they lose creative control over that story. That’s just the way it works. It’s nothing new. It’s nothing shocking. And it’s not a “disgrace.” This has been going on literally always since movies and television shows have been made based on books. Have you ever seen the “original” 1931 “Frankenstein” movie? Ever compare it to Mary Shelley’s book? So like I was saying, movies/tv shows departing from the source material is nothing new and nothing to be “furious” or “disgusted” about. 

Now, if you love the show, please go leave a review on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, because it’s being review-bombed by racists and homophobes and purists who want to see it tank! But we won’t let that happen because they dumbass bitches and love wins! ♥️ 

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault - DNF

I have to admit I didn't give this one much of a chance. I got it in a Rainbow Crate so I felt compelled to at least try to read it, but it's just not my kind of thing, and I DNFed at page 4. Really didn't like the writing style.

Idol Minds by KT Salvo - 2.75/5 stars

Almost DNFed this when I was about 50 pages from the end because it very abruptly lost my attention. I never really liked either of the main characters so I didn't care about their breakup or HEA. Also the sex scenes were weirdly short but also repetitive, somehow?

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse - 3.75/5 stars

I will be completely honest and admit that I could remember almost nothing of the first book when I started reading this the other day. I remembered that I really liked it, and that was about it. This one was...good?

Ok, so, let me see if I can put this into words. During the pandemic, authors kept writing, right? Especially if they were under contract to produce a series. And for some authors, that was fine. There is no discernible difference in their work. And then other authors, it's like...the anxiety brain fog got baked into their writing. There's nothing technically wrong with it. Things are happening. The characters are still engaging. And yet...sometimes it just feels like...things are happening. Like the author couldn't really process the emotions of the things happening, and thus couldn't really write feeling into the work? So it becomes just Things Happening. And I know how I should feel about it, but I'm not feeling it. Like when the dose of your antidepressant is too high, and you just have no feelings? It's sort of like that.

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton - DNF

There's nothing wrong with this book, tbh—it's well written with an interesting setting, characters with depth, and a theme that should, in theory, interest me. That said, I just wasn't feeling it. I won this book from my local bookstore and it's the sort of literary fiction that I read all the time in my teens and early twenties, even though I never really enjoyed it? I'm a genre fiction kid, as it turns out.

My Dear Henry: A Jekyll and Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron - 4/5 stars

I really really liked this, and I probably would have rated it higher, except it fell into the trap that a lot of queer retellings of classics do: in being forced to hew to a plot line from a century or more ago, a lot of story and character depth has to be jettisoned. This book did a much better job than The Henchman of Zenda by KJ Charles, but I still found myself wanting a more modern storytelling style. Overall it was really good, though.

Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer - 4.75/5 stars

I hated Less for most of the time I was reading it (but it didn't bore me, so that's something). When I got to the end and realized it was a romance, I ended up loving it, but I had to split the difference in my rating, haha. This is the direct sequel and I loved it. It's laugh out loud funny (which I did not find Less to be most of the time) and melancholy, but at its heart is also a love story.

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain - 4/5 stars

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske - 5/5 stars (reread)

I loved it even more on the reread. I would die for Edwin and Robin. I'm crazy excited for A Power Unbound.

Hoarfrost by Jordan L Hawk - 4.25/5 stars

Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda - 3.5/5 stars

I never know how to rate thrillers because honestly, they aren't my genre. This was part of the batch of books I won at trivia from my local bookstore. It was good in that it held my attention and was entertaining (and a bit creepy), but like, I don't know that I'll tell people that they simply must read it. But yeah, I read it in a day, so it's a quick read.

Spell Bound by FT Lukens - DNF

Ugh. Reads like my fantasy epic I was writing when I was 14 (see also: TJ Klune's Verania series). When I'm mentally editing the book as I'm reading, you know that's a bad sign. The first chapter could have been like, 2 pages (instead it was 18). Here's how Chapter 3, which introduces the other main character begins: Summer was such a waste of time and effort. Spring was okay. Autumn was the best. Winter wasn't bad.

Okay???? Great??????? Why do I care? I read for another page after that. Lukens is an author I really, really want to like, but the last two books I've read by them are just obnoxious. I could forgive The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic because it was one of their first books (it might have been their first?), but this...is not their first book, yet that's what it reads like. I suspect this is a manuscript they wrote a while ago, shelved, and brought it back out now that they're having success.

Heart of Dust by HL Moore - 5/5 stars

You know when you read a book that's so good, and you can't figure out why the hell you had to stumble across it by going down some algorithm recommendation rabbit hole? This is one of those books. Gritty and unique sci-fi setting, a backdrop of labor rights, aching gay mutual pining? Please read this.

[writingdollworlds]

Some AG goals that I don't necessarily need to finish in 2023. Also, some are just for fun, and I don't know if I'll ever actually do them. Kinda just turned into an infodump lol

1. Get a new truly me 50, as my current one has no eyebrows. I don't have the skillset to give her eyebrows. And the doll hospital doesn't have #50 heads anymore. At some point, my current one will go up for sale/trade. She's perfect every other way. She is just missing eyebrows lol

2. Have my other dolls repaired in one way or another. Lindsey, Josefina, and two new dolls (Grace and #29) need various repairs. Lindsey's legs are nearly out of the socket, I've never seen a doll with such floppy legs. Josefina hair has been cut. Grace and #29 came from the same home. Both have fried hair. Manageable but it's definitely not smooth like it should be.

3. Get a CYO not meant to represent a character. I want a CYO for Nellie. But also want one just for the fun of designing it.

4. I have a few custom dolls in mind. I want to take the base of 110 and give her brown hair and brown eyes. I also want to give the 110 wig to another doll. Probably a tlc Julie, Kit. As they're easy to get. Or finding a custom that looks like that out in the wild would be great too

5. I want another custom doll of some kind. I think one of the Corinne mold with curly hair would be super cool. Plus, I want another Corinne mold.

6. Then, lastly, for custom dolls, ever since I saw @desertdollranch make a custom Elizabeth out of a truly me 13. I wanted a doll that looks like that too.

7. I want more clothes! Specifically for my historical dolls, but also getting more items from the inner star u period would be great.

8. I want Kavi, Addy, Claudie, and Kaya added to my collection.

9. I also want one of the new truly mes

10. I hope to acquire more GOTYs in general. Marisol, Jess, Luciana, and Kailey are also on my list. Though I do hope to get all of them eventually

11. I want more of the original twenty. I love all of them a lot, plus I love the history of them. I can't even pick just one to seek out.

12. Allow myself to have fun and get truly mes if I want them. I sometimes feel like the character dolls have more "value" even if I love truly mes just as much.

13. Cecile and Marie-Grace are great historicals, and I hope to have them someday.

14. Can't forget Emily, Ivy, and Ruthie either. I have a lot of dolls on my wishlist. I just love them all and whoever I get I get. Obviously, some I like more than others, but honestly, it's rarer i dislike a doll than I like a doll.

15. Felicity, Elizabeth, and Molly would complete the trio of nostalgia. Plus, they have such fun collections!

16. I have so many dolls on my list, but Maryellen and Melody are great too. If I end up with either at some point, I wouldn't be surprised.

17. Truly me 33 and 35 have been on my list for a while. 58, 62, and 69 have been more recent additions.

18. Even if I never get them big shout out to the dolls with dyed hair. I love them a lot. Especially when they get outfits to match their hair.

19. I need a kitchen set, I just haven't found one I've loved yet. The our generation one is cool, but I'm not a fan of the colors. I'd love just a simple plain kitchen. White, gray or black. Even wood would be fine. Kits stove top is the one I'd go with right now. Even if it is blue, it's a lovely piece.

That went on a lot longer than I thought, but hopefully, some of my rambling was interesting. I'm hoping to post a doll update soon. If you've read this far, thank you!

[lucifer-kane]

Okay time to go through my To Read tag on Libby and see what I wanna pick up next. Under a cut bc I'm adding descriptions and some are long

Death by Silver by Amy Griswold, Melissa Scott (this one is high on the list just because I enjoy Melissa Scotts writing bc she was doing the Aestrient series I adore but am taking a break from before I read the last one)

His practice newly established, metaphysician Ned Mathey can’t afford to turn away any clients. But the latest Londoner to seek Ned’s magical aid gives him pause: Mr Edgar Nevett, an arrogant banker, is the father of the bully who made Ned’s life hell at boarding school. Nevertheless, Ned accepts the commission to ensure the Nevett family silver bears no ancient or modern curses, and then prepares to banish the Nevett family to unpleasant memory again. Until Edgar Nevett is killed by an enchanted silver candlestick—one of the pieces Ned declared magically harmless.

Calling on his old school friend Julian Lynes—private detective and another victim of the younger Nevett—Ned races to solve the murder, clear the stain on his professional reputation, and lay to rest the ghosts of his past.

Assisted by Ned’s able secretary Miss Frost, who has unexpected metaphysical skills of her own, Ned and Julian explore London’s criminal underworld and sodomitical demimonde, uncover secrets and scandals, confront the unexpected murderer and the mysteries of their own relationship.

City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault

sandor, City of Spires.

A hundred and thirty years have passed since Arathiel last set foot in his home city. Isandor hasn’t changed—bickering merchant families still vie for power through eccentric shows of wealth—but he has. His family is long dead, a magical trap has dulled his senses, and he returns seeking a sense of belonging now long lost.

Arathiel hides in the Lower City, piecing together a new life among in a shelter dedicated to the homeless and the poor, befriending an uncommon trio: the Shelter’s rageful owner, Larryn, his dark elven friend Hasryan, and Cal the cheese-loving halfling. When Hasryan is accused of Isandor's most infamous assassination of the last decade, what little peace Arathiel has managed to find for himself is shattered. Hasryan is innocent… he thinks. In order to save him, Arathiel may have to shatter the shreds of home he’d managed to build for himself.

Arathiel could appeal to the Dathirii—a noble elven family who knew him before he disappeared—but he would have to stop hiding, and they have battles of their own to fight. The idealistic Lord Dathirii is waging a battle of honour and justice against the cruel Myrian Empire, objecting to their slavery, their magics, and inhumane treatment of their apprentices. One he could win, if only he could convince Isandor’s rulers to stop courting Myrian’s favours for profit.

In the ripples that follow Diel’s opposition, friendships shatter and alliances crumble. Arathiel, the Dathirii, and everyone in Isandor fights to preserve their homes, even if the struggle changes them irrevocably.

City of Strife is the first installment of the City of Spires trilogy, a multi-layered political fantasy led by an all LGBTQIAP+ cast. Fans of complex storylines criss-crossing one another, elves and magic, and strong friendships and found families will find everything they need within these pages.

Gentleman Wolf by Joanna Chambers

An elegant werewolf in Edinburgh... 1788. When Lindsay Somerville, the most elegant werewolf in Paris, learns that the man who held him in abject captivity for decades is on his way to France, intent on recapturing him, he knows he must leave the Continent for his own safety. Lindsay cannot take the risk of being recaptured—he may have been free for a century but he can still feel the ghost of his old chains under his fine clothes. … on a mission... While he’s in Edinburgh, Lindsay has been tasked with acquiring the “Naismith Papers”, the writings of a long-dead witchfinder. It should be a straightforward mission—all Lindsay has to do is charm an elderly book collector, Hector Cruikshank. But Cruikshank may not be all he seems, and there are others who want the papers. … meets his match As if that were not enough, while tracking down the Naismith Papers, Lindsay meets stubborn architect Drew Nicol. Although the attraction between them is intense, Nicol seems frustratingly determined to resist Lindsay’s advances. Somehow though, Lindsay can’t seem to accept Nicol’s rejection. Is he just moonstruck, or is Nicol bonded to him in ways he doesn’t yet understand?

Note: This is the first book of a duology – the story continues and will complete in the second book, Master Wolf.

Greenwode by J. Tullos Hennig

Daring the old gods. Defying the new. The making of a legend—and a truly innovative re-imagining of Robin Hood. Rob of Loxley and his older sister Marion have been groomed from birth to take their parents’ places within the Old Religion. Despite this, when Rob finds an injured nobleman’s son in the forest, neither he nor Marion understand what befriending young Gamelyn could mean for the future of their beliefs. Already the ancient spirits are fading beneath the iron of nobleman’s politics and the stones of Church subjugation. More, the druid elders warn that Rob and Gamelyn are cast as sworn adversaries, locked in timeless and symbolic struggle for the greenwood’s Maiden. Instead, in a theological twist only a stroppy dissident could envision, Rob swears he’ll defend the sacred woodland of the Horned God and Lady Huntress to his last breath—if his god will let him be lover, not rival, to the one fated as his enemy. But in the eyes of Gamelyn’s Church, sodomy is unthinkable... and the old pagan magics are an evil that must be vanquished. ------

With a truly original take on the Robin Hood legends, this historical fantasy series sets Robin the outlaw archer as a queer, chaotic-neutral druid; Marion as pagan queen who is sister but not wife, and their consort a Christian--and thusly conflicted--nobleman.

[dashing-darlings]

Since we collectively willed Claudie into existance I think our next target should be an Asian American girl during the 1880s with a story focusing on the railroad and the Chinese Exclusion Act. Her father could be working to complete a railroad while her and her mother could live in the camp with them doing laundry or cooking for the workers. It would give us the first Asian American historical character (apart from Ivy who was put in a supporting character role), let us explore the midwest, combat racism, and trains are cool! Plus her story could have a special event where her mother makes her a bustle dress (so fashionable!)

Oooooooh her "saves the day" story could include a tornado even where she saves all the men at the railroad by warning them and the dress is for a special thank you dinner with the company owner..... (I lived in tornado alley as a wee one. First in Nebraska and then we were right next to Xenia, Ohio when it got decimated.)

[dolla-dolla-yeah]

So I've been speculating what the twins may look like, and my favorite idea so far is that they'll be fraternal twins, so maybe they can have different but similar face molds and maybe different hair colors

The predictions online are that they're white so maybe a Joss mold and classic or Marie Grace mold (personally I hope not a classic since we have so many of them in the historical line but im also being realistic and AG loves that one)

Alternatively, them being white is just a rumor, the rumor is also they are Jewish but that isn't necessarily tied to an ethnicity (like I know its a religion and ethnicity but like going with it as them only being the religious part) I think a Nanea mold and Corinne mold would be perfect as fraternal twins, since in the first few weeks of Corinne's release I and a portion of the ag community were unsure if they were different faces (i can tell them apart easily now but idk it took me a minute to fully accept they were different).

Makena mold and Claudie mold would also make perfect twins, but since the Claudie mold and doll are so new, i doubt they'd reused the mold so soon, and for the very next historical after her.

I don't think American Girl would do it, at least not in the historicals (maybe in the World by Us line if they continue that, also like side note but whats going on with that line is it retiring is stuff just needing a restock, im so confused about whats happening there, its a new line and fantastic line, i hope they dont already retire it) but you know how sometimes biracial twins will each be born looking a different ethnicity, like same face just different skin tone or hair texture, i think that could be so cool for AG to do, and think of all the different story possibilities with that, but yeah I just feel like that is the most unlikely of all the previously mentioned ideas i had.

Anyway I just wanted to get my ideas out and maybe see what others thought of them! I'm just excited to see the new girls, like yeah similar to a lot of other AG fans I do think its too soon after Claudie to already have a new Historical (and who knows AG actually still have yet to say they are historical so their is still a chance they aren't until AG says so) but at the end of the day I cant control when AG releases things so you just gotta accept it. I also really really hope the name we have heard for them arent their actual names, like their are literally infinite names out there to use why use TWO that have already been used by AG dolls in the past, I dont care if they are now retired, you could name them something else, but AG does love reusing or using similar names.

Okay now im actually done, I think, please feel free to add/tag/comment whatever your thoughts or speculation on the new twins!!

[eddysocs]

A Gentle Manner (Queen Anne x OC)

Summary: Going to inquire after the queen's health, Claudette becomes her caretaker for the day, coddling Anne far more than the wicked Sarah Churchill ever would.

Word Count: 1,047

Warnings: Coddling, a little angsty in the beginning, but mostly fluff

Claudette made her way down the corridor to the queen's bedchamber. She’d heard Anne had taken ill the night before and wished to check on her and offer her aid should she need it. She was about to knock on the great, dark, wooden door, when it swung open to reveal Sarah Churchill exiting hastily. "Take care of yourself, you old cow," Sarah shouted, stomping past Claudette without even giving her a glance.

Claudette’s hand went to her chest in shock at hearing words spoken so harshly and so crassly to the queen. A metal pitcher came flying out the door behind Sarah, causing quite the ruckus as it clattered to the floor. The metal clang echoed and reverberated down the hall. Claudette stooped to pick it up before cautiously entering the queen's bedchamber.

"Anne," Claudette softly addressed, almost certain that they’d be alone, so her lack of formality would not be chastised.

She found the queen pouting in her bed, arms crossed and her expression sour. She turned to the sound of Claudette's voice. "Claudie," Anne greeted fondly, brightened to see a kind face.

"How are you feeling," Claudette broached rather gently, not wanting to upset Anne. On her way to the queen's bedside she set down the tossed pitcher in its proper place.

"I am made better just by your presence," Anne replied with a smile, though even that simple expression seemed to pain her. It was clear to Claudette that it was not one of Anne's better days. And it was even more clear that no one was taking proper care of her.

"You will be made better by proper care, Anne. If you’ll allow me, I shall be happy to provide it. Have you bathed recently?"

"Sarah refused to help me to the bath. That is what led to her departure."

"Then let's not waste the warm water. I'll assist you. Can you get out of bed?"

Anne nodded, and though her body was stiff, her joints inflamed, she made it up. Claudette helped her to the bath, the water still on the warm side, and assisted Anne out of her nightdress. Once eased into the tub, Claudette busied herself with fetching some warmer water to keep the temperature regulated. The water seemed to relax Anne, or maybe it was Claudette herself that soothed her, either way, she was happy to see the queen happy.

Claudette washed Anne's back and her hair, her touch always gentle, doing her best to keep Anne from any more pain. She already suffered so much with her condition. "Claudette," Anne said, bringing the young woman away from her thoughts.

"Yes, Anne?"

"I don’t want Sarah to come anymore. I only want you." Claudette smiled. She knew Sarah had been a longtime friend, but the way she treated Anne sometimes was beyond cruel. Claudette would even go as far as to say inhumane.

"If that is what you wish, I’m sure it can easily be arranged, though I doubt Sarah will take it well."

"She will fend for herself, she always has," Anne said bitterly. Sarah had always had her own interests at heart. Even above the needs of the queen she swore to serve. Claudette liked to think herself not so selfish as that.

After helping Anne out of her bath, and drying her off, Claudette went to fetch a fresh nightdress from the wardrobe. Once redressed, Claudette helped Anne back over to bed, carefully tucking her in and fluffing her pillows to make sure she was as comfortable as possible. "Claudie, could you bring me one of my rabbits? I want to hold one." Claudette smiled and went to pick up a rabbit, kept not far off in their little pen in her room. Handing the soft creature over to Anne, she was met with a kiss to her cheek for the kindness she’d shown her.

Claudette sat on the edge of Anne's bed with her as she stroked the animal's long ears and velvety soft fur. Eventually, Claudette noticed Anne's eyelids getting heavy and she was well on her way to falling asleep. Gently, she took the rabbit from her arms and set it back with the others.

She made her way back to Anne, careful not to let the floorboards creak too loud beneath her feet as she did so. With a light touch, Claudette placed the back of her hand against Anne's forehead, wanting to be sure she was not feverish. Cool, just as she’d hoped. "Stay with me," the sleepy Anne pleaded.

"Don’t you worry. I'm not going anywhere," Claudette assured. Anne's hand rested atop hers as if she were to lift it, Claudette would not keep her promise and leave her there alone.

"Tell me a story," Anne requested. "It will help me sleep."

Claudette thought a moment before settling on a tale of her own creation. "There once was a beautiful queen, who had a very wicked serving girl," she began. Anne listened intently as Claudette's story of the evil servant progressed. She hadn’t meant to cast Sarah as her villain, but after the display of cruelty she witnessed today, she harbored a fresh hatred towards the woman. How could anyone be so mean and careless towards another, especially her Anne.

"And the queen," Anne asked, "does she ever escape her wicked serving girl?"

"Of course she does. She casts the serving girl out of her castle with the help of a kind and noble princess who allies herself with the queen when she hears of her plight."

"A princess? Is that what you fancy yourself then," Anne teased, seeming in much lighter spirits than she’d been when Claudette first arrived.

"I couldn’t think of anything else," Claudette admitted with a nervous laugh.

"Does the queen end up with the princess in the end?"

"If that is what she wishes her happy ending to be, then yes. I know it’s what the princess would want for hers."

Anne smiled. "Then I think that’s what the queen would want too." Anne brought her hand up to cradle Claudette's cheek, as she pulled her in for a soft kiss.

"Then we shall live happily ever after, my queen," Claudette whispered, the words ghosting across Anne's lips. "But for now, let us sleep."

Claudette Kingsley: @borg-queer, @chickensarentcheap, @sicktember

[americangirlstar]

OK AG, we NEED to talk about the painted lashes.

Now, painted lashes on dolls are not inherently good or bad. They look good on some, not so much on others. They MAKE SENSE on some, not so much on others. I personally think the painted lashes work very well on the World By Us girls, as they are teenagers and it distinguishes them from the other dolls, who are 9-10. The paint around Nanea’s eyes also helps accent her face in a pretty good way. However, the fact that you seem to be adding painted lashes to EVERY doll is getting concerning.

First of all is the matter of appearance. A lot of the time, the painted lashes stand out in an uncomfortable way when the dolls’ eyes are closed, and too many of the lashes can look excessive on dolls where it stands out the most. It also doesn’t make sense for every doll; Claudie is the most glaring example, as a 9-year-old would not be wearing mascara in the 1920s, and honestly, while she is a perfect doll otherwise, with the lashes she just constantly looks tired when I look at her. I personally WOULD HAVE bought Corinne if it weren’t for her lashes.

Then there is the question of makeup itself: while makeup is a fun activity and artform, as it stands it is a very predatory market towards women, with women of all ages feeling pressured to alter their appearance to look “””prettier””” or more professional, to the point where it becomes less of an art form and more of an unrealistic societal obligation. The pressure to wear makeup has started going towards younger and younger ages with social media trying to market to very little kids, telling them that makeup will make them look older and pressuring them to act more mature than they are, all so the makeup industry can make billions off of selling their products to insecure girls.

And while makeup is indeed a neutral concept, the fact is that in our current state, girls being pressured to wear makeup is NOT a good thing, especially at the ages you market towards. We do not need to be telling 9-10 year old girls that they need makeup to look pretty; they should be worrying about homework and playdates instead of societal beauty standards. Putting painted lashes on every doll isn’t giving them a fun new design feature, it’s telling girls that even their look-a-like dolls have to wear makeup now, have to alter their appearance to appeal to societal standards.

I urge you to reconsider the amount of painted lashes you’re putting on dolls. AG has always been about telling the stories of girls AS girls, letting them know that they can still be children while finding themselves and their place in history. While you have been doing a great job with your stories recently, the new pressure for young girls to put on makeup is concerning and something you should consider.

[wolfish-trickster]

Advent kisses

15/24

Loki x female!reader

Word count: 1 146

Summary: Instead of chocolates, kisses are going to be recieved everyday until Christmas.

Tag list: @gaitwae @lucywrites02 @modestlyabsurd @winterfrostsarmy @spaceyempress @thefridgeismybestie @laramoonworld @birdgirl90 @nickkie1129

He didn't want to go straight to cliché 'under the mistletoe kiss', but it happened. He can't undo it now. He wasn't even feeling himself when thet happened and couldn't enjoy the kiss how he usually does. He was still a little shocked when Thor told him humans actually like cold weather and they even have winter sports. Asgardians were raised to link snow to Jotunheim and its inhabitors, not fun and games how people do. Loki's relationship to snow and cold changed, but didn't get solved completely. He was neutral with cold now, but that doesn't mean he's instantly going to like it.

Next day came fast. Decisions were made, the Avengers suited up and went skiing. Those who couldn't ski either stayed in the house or went for a walk.

Loki decided to stay, he looked forward to spend some time with you, helping him sooth the weird feeling he had ever since he got surrounded by snow. He found you drinking something dark and hot in the significantly smaller kitchen than the one you were used to. You waved at him.

"Hi."

"Hello sweetheart, what are you enjoying?" he peeked into your mug.

"Hot chocolate, wanna taste?"

He took the offered mug and sipped. It was way tastier than a solid chocolate. Sweet and liquid with whipped cream on top. You certainly knew how to make a treat.

"This is quite good, will you make me one too? Please?"

"Of course," you immediately got to work.

While his hot chocolate was in making he started a chat with you. "Where is everybody? And don't tell me they went skiing, Thor doesn't even know how to. Same with Vision and at least two of Clint's kids."

"That's why everyone went to watch and laugh at your brother's and Vision's fail at skiing. I send Bruce to spend some quality time with Nat. And I ended up here all alone. With you," you handed him the hot steaming mug.

He took it. "What a shame. Any idea what we should do? Besides regretting not going to laugh at my brother's attempt to ski?"

You chuckled. "Yeah, I'm starting to regret it too. My original plan was to watch adorable kittens on youtube."

"Sound like fun, can I join?"

"Like you have to ask," you plopped down on the soft sofa already taking out your phone.

Loki sat down close to you and as usual brought you closer to him by his arm on your shoulders.

You went from kitten videos through funny compilations and ended up at How to train your dragon edits. Beautyful views of clouds and sea, dragons and birds, sunset and starry night.

He noticed your longing looks. "Did you ever wish to fly?"

"Who didn't when they were a kid," you turned your phone off, giving Loki your full attention.

"It's just..... to see everything from birds' perspective, to go everywhere you could, sky being your only limit. Who wouldn't wish for that?"

Loki smirked at you, stood up and offered you his hand, "Well, today is your lucky day, my sweet. Since you can't go outside and enjoy hardcore activities with your injury, it has become my duty as a God of Mischief and Fun to provide you with far better entertainment than your phone screen," he smiled charmingly at you.

You took his hand and he lead you by it to the nearest balcony, "Where are you taking me?"

His only answer was: "You won't freeze, I won't let that happen," and he made his old furry cloak appear on you. The one he wore a long time ago when he was on Asgard.

He opened th balcony door and closed it shut after you accompanied him. "Now darling, close your eyes."

You did as you were told. Loki closed his eyes, he let the seidr flow through his veins and out his fingers and palm. His clothes melted, leaving him in only his underwear momentarily. He felt his body getting longer, so long he had to fall on his hands to keep balance. His skin hardened and turned into pearly white scales. He grew snout full of razor sharp teeth. His black hair grew from his head all the way down to his new tail. His hands and feet turned into grey claws, still shining with his golden power.

He looked himself over, exact replica of your favourite dragon sorcerer. "Open your eyes," he couldn't speak with that long snout, he made you hear his voice in your mind instead.

When your eyes landed on dragon Loki you nearly cried, making him panic for a moment, until he heard you laugh.

"Climb on my back darling, and hold on tight. I'll show you a world from dragon's perspective."

He felt your body on his prolonged neck. Your hands wrapped around his golden horns. Your legs squeezed the sides of his scaly body, to keep yourself from falling. Like he would ever let that happen.

He pushed himself off of the ground, hovering in the air. You held onto him even tighter. He shot straight to the claudy sky, not too fast. His body made small twist and turnes in the air, sending you higher and higher. Taking you to touch the clouds.

He saw everything from up here. Mountains, forrests, little dots that are supposed to be the Avengers. You were right, who wouldn't wish for this?

Your body relaxed. You were visibly enjoying the ride, just as much as he was. He made few circles around lakes and nearby villages until he got too tired for any more flying.

He gently landed on all fours, leaning his head down to the ground so you could jump off.

Before he could telepathically tell you to close your eyes again you spoke up. "Thank you for the ride, my dragon prince," you hugged his snout to your face. He closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of you. It was warm and comforting. All of a sudden he felt your lips land between his horns, giving him a little soft kiss. Your forhead touched his after you ended the kiss. His clawed paw gently covered your eyes, so he could turn into his asgardian aspect again. He clothed himself with his seidr and took you inside. It was late, and world was getting colder.

"What the fuck-?"

"Man, not infront of my kids!"

Sam and Clint were watching news. Something what looked like a long mythical snake flying in the clouds. When they showed close up, it even looked like someone was riding the scaly beast. Loki and you only chuckled to yourselves, leaving both of them confused.