#island sanctuary so im still thinking over names

[twilishark]

Having references for Art Fight done before 28th June? more likely than you would believe 

uploading here for my ref more than anything 

So thankful to that hair for making full face refs possible without obstruction of hair, something you couldn’t really do for viera at least before now 

[dwn055]

im rewatching saint seiya and i am in a phase rn so bear with me cuz im thinking about this again so much, I got lots of thoughts im just gonna talk about

Other than just rewatching the original 80s one(plus like the rest if it cuz my siblings never got to watch all of it with me), i decided i'd give a chance to the knights of the zodiac netflix cartoon too and i was super surprised I really liked the second season alot more than i thought especially cuz I wasn't really the biggest fan of the first season

Honestly, the show isn't like the worst thing ever but like it had a very bad rocky start with all of the changes (Shaun💀, the military guy, i guess i can't really say anything too bad about it but the somewhat lackluster animation and how little impact of visuals we had as compared to the original ver,(like rly still thinking of the injustice of shiryu changing the direction of the waterfall only going up like an inch and its treated like he learned the move, its rly fucking funny how it was tho) plus the seriously fast pacing to cramp everything in there before the sanctuary arc but I'm actually glad I enjoying this show now cuz there's not alot of new material or spinoffs made from this franchise that is actually enjoyable unfortunately and i really did wanna give this show a chance when it first came out but we finally got to where its good!!!!! and like i actually appreciate alot of the changes they added or expanded in the 2nd season so the characters wouldn't seem so stupid or whatever. plus now the writing is evenly paced where it doesn't feel like things just immediately happen then move on before we get to fully take it in

Anyway im gonna try to see if I can make points of what i wanna say of what i like here so lol

There's a better explanation now for why Sienna is like some cursed Athena

More June or Genet(?) role into the story

The other good guys who are not the bronze saints are not sitting around twiddling their thumbs and their story is mixed into Marin's offscreen journey to StarHill

Their version explanation why the Sanctuary is duped for so long by Saga

Evil fucked up Athena prophecy

Ok, like first of all I know its supposed to be a build up for the Sanctuary arc but honestly I really didn't understand why they went with this plot, personally I'm still not a big fan of it but I think that they way they used it for the story of them already knowing Sienna is already a goddess rather than them thinking she's a fake like the original because it takes out the plot point of why hasn't anyone seen Athena around for like 13 years and how they let that shit slide so I can see why they changed that subplot. Plus honestly, I feel like the the reveal will probably be that Saga was lying that she was going to bring chaos to the world anyway just so he could take over, though idk im just guessing it's probably what it is but ig they could still make the prophecy happen and its just like "changed fate" or whatever

Genet (ok im just gonna refer to her original name June cuz i don't know how they spelled it)

I'm super happy they made June sort of secondary main character and expanded her relationships with Daedulus and Shaun cuz she deserved so much better and they really delivered. Like i thought it was sweet they had more of a father-daughter relationship in this one and it was really sad to see the scene when she discovers he's died(or dying from this ver)

I also thought it was kinda clever they made Daedulus be Shion's student along with Mu/be like the inventor(cuz of his name haha) since he didn't do jackshit in the original other than basically die, plus we get to see early Aphrodite appearance, and it was super cool. I really enjoyed seeing their ver and of the fight instead of the handwave in the original 80s anime, that already had to unintentionally butcher the story to make it Milo who killed everyone on Andromeda Island then last second say "oh yea Aphrodite was there too cuz he spit the rose at Shun's teacher that weakened him"(which Milo got away scotfree for, like he wasn't the one who killed everyone on the island but Aphrodite is the bad guy cuz he helped kill the important character)

But anyways it was nice seeing June just get focus in general and get to fight and actually be cool, when in the original she was just Shun's love interest cuz she's girl. also her sibling relationship with Kiki was super cute, I liked them qwq I'm excited with whatever they give her in the future honestly

Starhill subplot

June's part sort of a build up to this part but I did like that they had the other "good guys" travel with Marin and June to Star Hill instead of just sitting around playing jacks and cards while they wait for the next 12 hours. Honestly it didn't bring much interactions(other than basically June and Kiki) or rly bring depth to anyone else other than Marin having a connection to Aiolos and him being the reason why she has a mask/forgot her memory, like the most they got for the gold saints is that they're basically in denial about betraying the pope or whatever

but I still thought it was great to see something else going on and its actually very sad that Mu found out Shion(or Sion, im assuming from how they pronounced it) died the hard way, which leads to this next one

The whole reason why the Sanctuary is on the Pope's side

Since they changed the reason why anyone would actually be on the Pope's side in this one being that they don't want the world to be destroyed so they begrudgingly decide they should kill Athena no matter the sacrifices, plus they highlight the Pope's good side much more rather than his bad side, Also the explanation for why Saga's blue hair and pronouns ass isn't found out, cuz his magic turns his hair the same color as Shion's when he puts on the helmet which like yeah

This one was actually a really good change in my opinion cuz it makes some of the characters who should probably be smarter about it, seem less stupid, cuz in the original story in general, Saga's actions as the pope is probably the most sus out there that basically its hard to see why anyone would still think he's actually a good person telling them the truth about anything. Then the 80s anime had to really take liberties and just hope the people watching would forget the crazy ass lore/explanations they said about the Pope and somehow just try to paste Saga into the picture to follow the original story of the manga, where the anime starts that the good pope died so his evil brother Pope Ares took over as the new pope where things began to just suck ass for the sake of it but then they had to fit Saga into the story where he had actually killed the original pope 13 years ago instead and its like which one? the first one or Ares? Or a completely different guy altogether? (who's the Shion fill-in)

So I think that the whole "It's a hard decision but we gotta do what we gotta do because the prophecy could fuck us up if we leave it to Athena" and its like yeah it's definitely more plausible and basically when Saga's evil side does something sus, he's (im assuming accidentally)immediately cancelled out by his good side crying or whatever about his actions that the others use that to basically guilttrip the person going against him to feel bad which makes more sense why they are stuck in this dumb loop rather than just seeing a blatantly evil guy be in control, (which is something ig i can't actually fault the original story anyway cuz there was no such thing as gray morality back then in the 80s, or ig if u count whatever "gray morality" manga!Shura had ig tho imo its dumb as hell but anyways thats a rant for another time)

But anyways this rant was mainly for Shaka cuz honestly, I think the original anime made him a lot more evil or as evil as they could make him and its like there's no way in hell how someone like Shaka doesn't even have a doubt about Saga, though ig he still doesn't know that he's an imposter in either version but the manga honestly has a somewhat (really take this with a grain of salt)better explanation onto why Shaka doesn't think Saga is evil as compared to the anime ver because he explains its the same reason he spared Ikki where deep down he's not really evil, but also like you are still enabling him being evil rn dude??🤨

Cuz like the scene where Saga does the Demon Emperors fist that mind controls Aioria right in front of him to kill a person, Shaka doesn't even bat an eye that he used a move called that while in the kotz Shaka at least questioned him a little about it but then immediately justifies it to himself when the pope gave him a handwave explanation and didn't tell him of what he's actually mind controlling Aioria to do (im pretty sure)

Anyways that was probably my whole rant about this but wow I have a change if heart about kotz now, im actually looking forward to the second half since they kinda abruptly stop at Milo's fight, They really just needed that slowburn to actually become a little bit better storywise

[empyreansentinel]

im so sorry @anon i didnt know i had them off. theyre on now. and TYSM for being interested in my rewrite. the general idea is that it shifts the POV from the vault hunters to several of the bandit clans over the games. putting this under a read more because its. a lot.

the rewrite will be separated into chapters focused on specific points in or before the games. starting with mapping out the hierarchy in borderlands 1, where the bandits we encounter are united under baron flynt. and how that destabilizes the entire continent whenever the VHs go up the ladder and kill everyone in power. because as it turns out, executing leaders and destroying resource supplies does not actually make a piece of territory safer. BL1 POV characters planned: baron flynt, reaver, krom, sledge, ninetoes, bonehead, mad mel, possibly the kobb twins, one eyed jack is VERY interesting to me seeing as how hes not a real bandit, but an undercover weapons dealer. a few outsider POVS, steele, pierce, roland possibly. the knoxx dlc and the underdome dlc will also be rewritten, though probably not zombie island and claptrap revolution. those who survive the events of BL1 end up forming the bloodshots: a massive group of bandits with no apparent leader, who are starting to conquer more territory of their own. the flynts try to push back on the territory theyve lost to regain control over the planet, but now theyre also in competition with hyperion and the crimson raiders. its a war fought from all sides where everyone is hostile to each other and no real ground is kept, especially for the bloodshots who are displaced again and again and again. this war is all based on this map in captains ship btw. weird how sanctuary is marked in blue. at this point flynt is also still hunting down the people who killed his brother.

two is a little more segmented just from the sheer number of bandit clans we get introduced to, but all of them will get some sort of spotlight. lynchwood especially, as a bandit town run by a bandit that is now under corporate lockdown, similar to baron flynt's thor pre-borderlands 1. BL2 POV characters planned: captain flynt, deputy winger, ellie, flanksteak, sheriff nisha, possibly tiny tina and/or fleshstick. brick, maybe. salvador is a definite and krieg is a maybe bc i think a VH pov might be useful but only through the scope of a bandit VH. opposition POVs as well. handsome jack, crimson raiders. i am fighting every impulse within me to not make a religious connection between angel and the bloodshots. all of those bandit leaders are again killed by the vault hunters on their warpath to stopping handsome jack. collateral, in the games. id like it to be different in my rewrite! i want their deaths to have value, which is limited by the type of game that borderlands is. its a lootershooter, kill the bad guys and move on and never think about them again. i will not be doing that <3 then the transition to BL3 where all of the varied bandit clans we have just get put into the melting pot to fuel the cults need for bodies. before i get to this part of the rewrite i will have to replay the game because its the one im least confident on. Its also a bit more of a struggle because of how little we have in terms of named COV bandits. the twins ofc get a spotlight, and its the detail of bloodshot tattoos on shiv means he lived through barons rule, atlas, the crimson raiders flooding the bloodshots out of sanctuary, hyperion, the crimson raiders flooding the bloodshots out of the dam, AND hyperion. and then uhm. you kill him with like three bullets. im less interested in the maliwan side of the COV, so i wont touch very much on it for this rewrite or have a POV character within maliwan but im also not going to sidestep promethia and athenas in their entirety. there will be a focus specifically on the opposition research sidequest and whatever else i can pick through on the planets. and then theres eden-6, carnivora, and to be perfectly honest, though nekrotafeyo might get mentioned in passing, i have no intention of doing very much with it at all. maybe some tyreen POV chapters but thats all i got in me. im so sorry. i do not like typhon enough to dedicate more than that to him. and then the end of the game and all of the consequences that follow as the bandits once again lose their leadership, but also are freed of the constant threats they have been living through for decades.

im not entirely sure if i will cover TPS, or tales 1 and 2 but im considering it! at this point i already have a lot on my plate with the main title games, but maybe ill be able to get around to it eventually.

This is so silly but I have a cringe ass non-borderlands account that I don’t want to ask from and mohavegecko has anon asks off (I totally understand that) but can you ask him to spill more about the borderlands bandit-centric rewrite she’s been working on bc it sounds awesome.

Also love your art and your fantastic AU content (Angel my beloved…..) You have such a fresh take on the borderlands world and characters and it’s always great reading your stuff. Thank you for being a bastion of Wainlock content <3

@mohavegecko i was asked to forward this to thee

and thank you very much anon :)

[heleizition]

I am just now finding out about your chosen one au and must know more

ok so i decided to copy paste everything i wrote to my friends when talking about it so its gonna be long Oups ... but it's the most complete ill ever be about it !

so this is set in a universe where gods, old and new are very present and usually they have humans serving them, regularly called chosen ones, every century or so. it's considered an honor and every sanctuary and gods have different missions for their chosen ones and it can go from taking care of the temple every week while being allowed to have their own life to go on a mission to erradicate evil. humans usually know that they are destined to be taken in by gods because of marks on their body, specific to the god(s) they'll serve. the mark starts to glow and guide them to where their god is waiting for them once the god decides they want them.

the story is set on an island stuck between two different temples. on the island stands gotham which is a strangely sunny city,  and then you have the deep sea in the bay, and the deep forest north of gotham. if gotham is mysteriously devoid of bad things, its because it's been giving every century a child to the old gods temple in the deep forest. and time is coming, soon, another one will go.

so here you have the wayne family, they mostly have the same backgrounds ? kind of ? cass's parents were mercenaries that went into the deep forest, where no one (haha) in gotham dares going due to fear of breaking the old gods protections, never came back, and left cass on her own in town. bruce adopted her. dick's parents were travelers on a ship that sailed not far from the island and while they did not survive, the gods in the deep see allowed dick to stay alive until he reached the coast. immm not quite sure of what happened to jason's parents yet but uh he's here and alive woo

damian is a bit of a mystery to most people. he was delivered to bruce's doorstep when he was only a few days old. what they dont know is that nine months earlier bruce went into the deep forest himself. 

so added to that is timothy drake. young boy of the drake family, the two parents who dont seem to care for him much. the boy is quiet but full of smiles and affection to give and when jason and cass drag him to the wayne estate after a day out, bruce opens his arms to him. he's a regular at the wayne house and a few days after he turns 11, he stops showing up. bruce's kids cant find him. the drakes dont seem disturbed by their missing son. and bruce knows the drakes by now, know they wouldnt give their affection to someone they knew would disappear, and bruce realises tim is gone, to the old gods in the deep forest. 

so tim, 11, wakes up sweating and his room lit up with a green light that he's never seen before but in dreams and he knows that it's time. he knows that this strange mark spreading across his back, shaped like a dragon, is glowing green. he's being called.

he moves by himself, not thinking, opens the door to his room and the one that leads outside and it's so fitting when he notices that his parents arent even home, that he'd leave without them caring. soon he's reaching the deep forest and for the first time in his life, when looking at the dark depth, he's not scared, and he walks on. 

tim walks and walks and there are eyes looking at him bu the soft green glow reassures him, and he knows where he should walk, and soon he's reaching a temple, strong stone and green plants and a setting sun carved on its floor, and there is a man - a god ? - walking out. and his eyes are glowing green like the mark he knows is glowing in his back, but it feels wrong, and when tim looks around again everything looks so much hostile, 

tim made researches on the deep forest temple, since he knew it was gonna be his future, and he knew that temple was supposed to host old gods who were dying, so why does it feel so wrong ?

tim approaches, despite himself, and waits for the man - god??? - to say anything. there is a hand, wrinkly and uncomfortable and cold, on his cheek, and tim looks up, and he's shivering when the god - he knows hes a god. he knows he is now. - speaks up.

"i am ra's al ghul. you were given to me to serve me. you will obey me in any way i see fit, and you are to never return to your human town." 

tim did make researches before he was taken. he knew that usually the child taken by the deep forest gods could travel to town without punishment. he knew that, with pattern, they were taken early, before they turned fifteen. he knew that he would most likely be lucky, have a mostly free life. he didnt know that a new god in quest of power had taken over, chained some of the old gods inhabiting the temple, killed others, simply for power and magic. he didnt know that he would be chained to a scary and cold temple, with a terrifying and powerful god that could turn him to dust on a whim. 

so thats basically,,, the intro ? the first part ?

so a few months after tim disappeared, it was jasons turn. 

jason, much like tim, had marks on his wrists and arms, long lines following his limbs. they're signs of being of the all caste temple, chosen one for those gods. for the ones in the deep sea. now these humans linked to temple in the sea are a bit different than the kind that tim was supposed to be. the all castes purpose is protection, and while there always is a human chosen for them, they're not always called for their purpose, in fact, no all caste chosen one had been guided to the temple in the deep see in generations.

however, one day, jason woke up, glowing white lines on his arms, told dick that he had to go to the sea, and disappeared for months.

jason doesn't remember going into the sea when he wakes up in the temple, doesnt know how he survived the journey there, but he's there, by the will of the gods, and he's informed of his purpose.

something hover over the island. something bad. it's already there, its root in the islands ground, and it must be killed. that will be jason's purpose. he doesnt know where. he doesnt know when. he knows it will happen.

so they train him. they give him the weapons and magic he will need to defeat the enemy. they want to protect the island and its inhabitant.

several months later, jason leaves again, with new knowledge and strength, and washes up on the beach, and dick finds him, unconscious. he brings him back to the wayne estate, where he tells his tale of sea gods and protection and prophecy where he is the hero.

years pass. its been about nine years since tim disappeared, since jason went to the sea temple for the first time. damian is 16 and damian wants answers from his father. he knows he's from the deep forest. he knows his mother is there. he wants to meet her, he wants to know her. but bruce never talks about her, never says anything about their meeting, like he was commanded not to, and damian decides to go against all beliefs he has grown with and he prepares. he will get in the forest. he will find his mother.

except jason know his little brother and he knows and sees him planning and on the night he leaves, jason is here, not stopping him, but ready to follow him into the forest. he has a feeling. something is there for him too .

so they travel in the forest, they're not really sure how to find damian's mother with how little bruce ever said about her, and they find creatures along the way, some of them recognize damian as one of their kin, which is how they realise damian's mother is either part god or part spirit, and jason as a god's messenger. they do not guide them, but they do not attack them. 

until they walk into a territory they feel they shouldnt have walked into

a small being with wings and claws attacks, telling them to not trespass, it's smaller than jason had been at 14, but it's furious and cold and it strikes right. and when jason finally looks up he's terrified to see that he recognizes the child in front of him. and its wrong, because tim should have been nineteen by now, but he doesnt look older than 15. 

finally the fight draws to a close when jason calls out for tim, a name he musnt have heard a lot, or not recently, not with care and not without an order behind it. tim stops. tim looks. he recognizes the boys in front of them, even if its been nearly ten years. after all they were two of the last humans he ever saw.

"you cant be here. you cant be here if he knows he will kill you and i cant let you die. please you need to go"

im not quite sur how they get tim to follow, or if they get in ra's territory, but they camp in a safe zone with tim, and tim tells them his story

[torture mention, non consensual body modification]

after ra's took him, he tortured him, he experimented on him. after all he was his first ever human tribute, to obey and be controlled at will, a toy for an immortal, and after many games of the new god, he settled on making tim a sentinel for his property, one that will age slowly and wont feel pain, a puppet with no strings but one that is scared of ra's power, enough that it will obey. jason and damian are Angry. something at the back of jason's head tells him that this ra's might have something to do with his own prophecy. 

so after that its more blurry but tim reacts strangely to damian, he's a bit scared of him and he figures out it's bc of his heritage, that he has links to ra's, and he leads them to talia who's half god half spirit and hidden deeper and deeper in the forest, away from her father, and it makes tim leave the territory he's supposed to guard, disobey ras, which makes ra's angy bc tim never disobey, not since the first few times when he was 12/13 and thought he would still get out,,,

so there is a bit of a final showdown w tim talia jason and damian facing ra's, ra's using his hold on tim to hurt him, and talia torn between her father and her son + tim who she's seen grow up from far away and who she feels she should have protected from ra's,, jason eventually has a one on one with ra's and the prophecy does happen and he kills ra's and angry old gods who were chained in the temple wake up and banish ra's soul from this realm.

they heal tim from whatever ra's did to him, with the promise that he will travel to care for the god's temple again, as his duty was supposed to be 

they all get back to gotham, tim still looks 15 but will grow to his real age within a few months, he has many scars and the mark on his back changed for a setting sun like what was carved on the temple's entrance, damian has his Mom, and jason is free from his all caste duty.

the end woooo this is over 2k long rip !! feel free to ask if u got more questions :0 !!

[aaudace]

art of loving on

pairing: sam wilson x ava rhodes

word count: 2.5k

notes: the fact that im super late on posting this says a lot about me, so lets just pretend that its still thanksgiving. okay so i know that the title is cliche and this might flop big time, but i wanted to do something a little different besides simply posting gifs. im a sucker for reading sappy one shots so I decided to make my own. this is part one of my holiday one shot series. enjoy!

If you were to ask Ava Rhodes how she felt about the holidays, more than likely she would give you a whole monologue on her hatred for it. 

    Call her a Scrooge, but her love for the holidays had faltered a year ago after she lost the one thing that was considered a gift to her. Losing the one thing that brought her peace was the last straw that broke her to pieces. Her patience for the holidays had changed dramatically. No longer had she been longing for the joyous laughter and loving smiles that the goodwill season brought along. 

    Instead with every waking moment, she dreaded it. 

    However, for at least the next few hours, she had to throw away her personal thoughts about jolly holiday and put on a facade. Her face no longer carried a cold hearted look, but instead her cheeks were burning red with joy and laughter. Although she hated herself for it, the Rhodes girl would volunteer herself to help at the Veterans Affairs Office that was a couple blocks from her apartment.

   Even though it pained her dearly to sit through hours of hearing individuals explain their gratitude and compassion for the season, a part of her felt like the peace that she lost was there with her when she volunteered. Before he died, her boyfriend Marcus would spend hours in the exact building that basically became a formulated routine of the two of them each holiday season. The one thing that Ava missed the most about him was his passion for helping others. Her heart sung with joy as she watched him go above and beyond for each individual that walked through the doors. He had a way with words that made people feel good about themselves. Whether you were the poorest individual or the richest, Marcus was willing to do whatever it took to bring the best out of you. At least that’s what he did for Ava.

   God, she missed him. 

    But she managed to put on a brave face as she stood in the same position that he did before. Her mind and hands had been tied up in many things. For the first hour of her time, she served food to individuals that came by the office. Usually within the first few minutes, the small building was packed from the outskirts. So this kept her mind busy. The few next hours, she spent entertaining the elderly veterans with card and board games. The first hour was pretty easy for her, but soon afterwards, she came to the realization that card games and grown men didn’t really mix as well as she thought. Bernard Chapman and Arthur Wilfred, two regulars at the VA did not really understand the concept of a friendly competition. One minute, she was showing one group how to play Connect Four, the next she found herself in the middle of a brawl that involved childish name calling and sailor swearing. This also kept her mind busy. 

   And now, with time being the thief that it was, she found herself in the banquet hall that once housed thousands of individuals that came from different walks, cleaning up the remainder of the trash that was left behind. Although the help that she once had offered to stay behind and help, she ushered them out of the door. She didn’t mind doing the clean up part. Out of everything, that was the easiest to her. In other words, it kept her mind busy. 

   As she cleaned off the tables, a sigh escaped from her lips. The silence that had once inhabited the quiet space had come to halt at the creaking sound of the doors being pushed open.

    She figured it has been one of the volunteers, Marge coming back to help her out with the clean up. Marge had been one of Marcus’ favorite volunteers to work with. Her sass was nothing compared to what he put up with at home with Ava, however, it was her golden heart that made her stand out. She was different from other volunteers. Marge had been working for the VA office for years after her husband passed away. For her, this place had been a sanctuary of peace. Just like for Ava. Marge had become family for Ava. She was the only person that knew her the way that Marcus had come to know her. Maybe that was the reason why Ava was able to remain stable throughout her time of volunteering. 

   “Marge, how many times do I have to tell you,” Ava yelled, placing her rag onto her shoulder. She didn’t bother looking up at the entrance way because she knew looking into the eyes of the shameless woman would only make it hard for her to say no to her. “You know, one of these days you are just gonna accept the fact that no means no.”

    The sound of footsteps echoed across the room as they began to move closer and closer towards Ava directions. “I swear, sometimes I wonder how Marcus dealt with you. You are worse than me. And sometimes I can’t even stand me....” 

    At this point, Ava turned from her duty to look up at the shadowy figure. Her green eyes widened as she realized that the body figure didn’t quite match up to the petite figure that Marge had. Instead, it was made up of bicep muscles that hid under a dark leather jacket. Her mouth opened to protest, but she couldn’t find the words. In fact, the only thing she could say was, “Uh, um—”

  “Just so you know, Marge was on her way back, I just managed to convince her to go home,” the man said. He moved a little closer, covering the large gap that stood in between them. “I swear, she reminds of someone that I know. Someone that’s kind of feisty, blunt, and can be a little sarcastic at times. Sometimes a little too much, but we are working on that.” 

   Ava rolled her eyes, “I think the key of life is getting your point across. And there’s nothing wrong with my sarcasm. Some people just don’t have a sense of humor.”

   “Or sometimes you can be a little too harsh and you aren’t willing to admit that.”

“If it makes you happy,” she scoffed. “I managed to put away my sarcasm and trade it in for joy and cheer for the day.” 

   “Atcha girl,” he laughed. “Look at you turning over a new leaf.” 

Ava smirked at him. She loved the idea that he was proud of her. It had been a while since she had felt like that before. “But, now that the day is over. I’m putting it back on and I am now returning to my normal sarcastic, feisty, blunt self. Ah, it’s good to be me again.”

   All the man could do is sigh and return a small chuckle as a response. Ava smiled back a little. “But besides my issues, what are you doing here, Sam? It’s the holidays, you are supposed to be spending time with family.”

   As she said this, she moved past him, focusing on the last of the table that she had to clean. The smell of fresh lemons brushed against her nostrils as she squirted the bottle of cleaning supply that had been resting in her waist apron. One thing that she loved the most about cleaning the VA office was the vast amount of cleaning products they stored. She really couldn’t her finger on why exactly she enjoyed them so much. She just did. 

    Maybe it was the idea that each of them held a fragrance that held a sentimental memory in her mind. Like the one that smelt like an island breeze reminded her of the time Marcus cleaned up after a man who accidentally spilled his carton of milk on the floor. It had been a slow holiday at the VA office that day. Although the man was generous enough to help Marcus clean up the mess, it was Marcus that had been too caught up with everything that he forgot to place the warning sign for the place that he mopped and managed to slip. That holiday, Ava spent the majority of the night cracking jokes as they occupied the waiting room of the hospital for Marcus’ broken back. The one that smelt like flowers reminded her of her first time volunteering at the VA office. She and Marcus had only been dating for a couple of months. As part of getting to know him better, he invited her to see what he considered his safe haven. When he wasn’t dealing with police business, he would spend his Saturdays, encouraging other veterans who had been down on their luck. Ava would later find out that his dad was the reason why the place even existed. New York only had a few VA offices, but there was nothing like the one that stood on the corner of Baldwin Avenue and 2nd Street. 

   The one that she loved the most was the one that smelt like lemons. That one was his favorite. 

   “I could ask you the same question, Ava.” Sam said. She didn’t bother to stop cleaning. “Mariah called and said you didn’t want to come over for Thanksgiving dinner. She said something about you being sick. But knowing you like the back of hand, I knew that wasn’t true.”

  Ava laughed a little. She had totally forgotten about the little white lie she had mentioned to her friend earlier. Mariah Riggs, her best friend, was known for doing the most of the holidays. In fact, she’s so much into it that she basically starts all of her planning in the summer. The summer for Christ’s sake. “Well, I was sick, but after a little while I started feeling a bit better. It’s no big deal, I’ll call Mariah tonight and tell her the truth.”

   “Which one?” asked Sam. “The truth about you not being sick or the truth of the real reason why you continue to hate the holidays.” At this, Ava stopped her motion and turned to look at him. “Ava, I understand your reasoning, but you can’t keep—”

  “Sam, can we please not get into this? I really don’t have the energy.” 

He sighed. “Ava, avoiding the topic will only make it worse. You can’t keep burying yourself in this hole of hurt.”

   “I am fine, okay,” she spoke, her tone turning a bit harsh. “I just don’t understand why everyone is so concerned. Why is it a crime that I hate this time of year?”

  “Because when Marcus was alive you enjoyed it.” Her heart sank. Even though it was unspoken for the two of them, Ava didn’t like it when other people brought up the issue of her dead boyfriend. Usually, her reaction was cold and she was ready to fight the first person in sight. However, Sam never really brought it up before so she really did not how to react. She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued. “Marge told me that once upon a time, you were in love with the holidays. Now all you do is make any excuse to get out of anything festive just so you could stay locked up in your apartment. I can’t even get you say one good thing about the holidays.”

   Her green eyes begin to water. She cursed at herself for even allowing herself to feel any type of vulnerability. He continued, “You don’t think when I signed up to be your boyfriend that I wouldn’t be prepared for these moments. Babe, you and I are a team. You have to let me in. You can’t keep shutting me out.”

   He had a point, but Ava really didn’t want to admit that. However, the tears that streamed down her face said something else. The pair had been together for a little over a few months. And even though they seemed compatible, the thought of them getting closer scared Ava. If she was being honest, she was terrified when her heart started developing feelings for him. She was terrified when he asked out on a date. And she had been feeling this way for a hot second, but ironically, she was terrified of even bringing it up. 

   The silence stood in between for a moment. Sam stood in front her, his heart beating out of his chest. The longer she stood in silent, the more nerve wracking it became from him. The few months of dating Ava had its moments of challenges. But it also had its rewards. Even though she was tough, she had her moments to where she brought out the good in him believe it or not. And that was something that wasn’t easy. But she did it. And as someone who cared and loved her, he was willing to do whatever it took to do the same for her.

   “I-I am scared that one day, I’ll wake up and you won’t be there for me.” Ava spoke, finally popping the bubble of silence. “I am scared that if I let my guard down, life will take away from me. Just like it did for Marcus. Sam, I want to let you in — I really do, but I am just tired of—” 

      Her words were cut off by the touch of his soft lips on herself. He placed his hands onto her waist, pulling her a little closer to him. Ava didn’t remember exactly when it happened, but sudden her hands were wrapped around his neck. Even though he was a couple inches taller she didn't have to stand on her toes, the heels of her boots did that job for her. 

   When he pulled away from her, he looked into her eyes and spoke, “Ava, it's gonna take a hell of a lot more than just life to keep me away from you. I am not going anywhere.” 

“You say that, but what if—”

 “I am not going anywhere, Ava.”

“Okay, but —”

“I could do this all day, Ava. I am not going anywhere.”

    She rolled her eyes. As she pulled away from him, she wiped her face from her tears. Maybe life did have a way of giving back. And even though, life had gave her shit for her whole entire existence, maybe in some universal designed fate, life was giving her the gift of love again. And his name was Sam Wilson. 

  “Well, if that's the case then just know that since you are linking me to you forever, that doesn't mean I’ll go easy on you, Wilson.” she said. He shook his head and laughed. Maybe he was right? Letting him in couldn’t be such a bad idea. “I am known to be pretty grouchy in the mornings when I don’t have my coffee.”

  “Noted. That's why I stack up extra coffee beans back at my place.” he laughed. “I love you.” 

    She kissed his cheek. “I love you more.” He smiled at her. Before she could say anything, he walked over a table just across from them. She didn’t realize it earlier, but he had a big brown bag that he propped on the table.

    He placed the bag on the table that she finished cleaning. “So since you really didn’t get a chance to properly celebrate Thanksgivings, I figured I would bring a piece of it to you.” he said. He pulled out two plastic containers along with utensils. “Marge told me you like pumpkin pie, so I managed to get the last two pieces from that diner up the street.”

    She laughed. From that moment, she made a mental note to take the time out to thank Marge for the many facts that she managed to learn about her. “Marge knows me well.”

   “Happy Thanksgiving, Ava. Here’s to many more holidays together.”

    “Cheers to that.”

[falcophoenix]

continuing my descent into khell with dream drop distance, in progress reactions

-time to see what this test is about

-THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU KID, I NEVER PLAYED IT BUT I RECOGNIZE IT

-ohh again new type of creatures okay

-ORGANIZATION CLOAK

-wow even more characters, this is one solidified crossover.... did squeenix do twewy? that would make sense. guess kh isn't all final fantasy

-X-blade again

-i feel like context is lost on me cause i never played TWEWY but ughh

-ahh damn it's terranort

-note to self look up TWEWY later

-HUNCHBACK AAAAA YES

-wow they kept frollo racist, im still so used to the villains being watered down in the very first game

-NOOO QUASI

-i think square just wanted to recreate the movie scenes cause that was a lot of focus on a 1:1 scene

-even flashbacks, definitely focused on the recreation

-frollo's actor is really good, dead on likeness

-shit even the burning scene

-GO QUASI BOY! SANCTUARYYYY!

-damn even the climax scene remade to detail, square showing a lot of love and i dig it

-still awkward to have the MC just be a standby witness with occasional two cents

-oh shit vanitas

-quasi bb.... (i think ill stop gushing about this section we all know the movie)

-oh damn alternate ending with riku

-OH SHIT ANSEMNORT

-oh hi axel WAIT SHIT AXEL WHAT

-THE ORG MEMBERS ARE NORMAL AGAIN WHAT HOW

-oh hey it's the TRON sequel i didn't see

-i fucking love the TRON worlds it's so aesthetic

-didnt tron become the mcp in kh2 where tf is he

-oh there he is, oh hi photorealistic people (the dad looks and sounds so much like Ego i swear)

-i have a feeling they're gonna allude to roxas here

-ohh i get the feeling terranort is after vens heart inside sora (spoiler from the future: i was wrong)

-the former org! good guys now! i hope!

-the mechanic of parallel paths for sora and riku to affect separately is a really interesting one that works surprisingly well narratively

-i should watch both tron movies later

-OH GOD PLEASURE ISLAND, SORA DON'T DRINK OR SMOKE ANYTHING

-poor sora getting gaslit left and right

-that poor whale

-OH NO MINNIE

-i cant get over they freely say the brand name so seriously

-oh interesting riku is inside the whale instead

-terrible flashbacks of kh1 i hated the whale level so much

-OH SHIT DUPLIRIKU

-rofl nightmare getting gradually more pissed while kids banter and ignore it, you never see the monsters have quirks

-i like how the baddies have much more screentime and written more like themselves

-EEYY LEA

-AWW MUSKETEERS IS THIS LIKE THEIR PAST TOGETHER or an alternate reality

-mickey is a sharp cookie!

-i like to think this is how the royal gang all met as youths training together before mickey married minnie and became king

-good to see donalds not an actual coward like the cartoon. their friendship with sora trancends all realities! they really are his best friends! thats so sweet!

-GOOFY YEETED

-OH MY GOD FANTASIA WITH THE CLASSICAL MUSIC

-YESSS IT LITERALLY IS FANTASIA

-ITS SO UNCANNY AND AWESOME TO HAVE THE GENERIC GAME TRACK REPLACED BY REAL CLASSICAL SCORES

-aww sora composing the main game score! how cute!

-aw i love the solidarity between mickey and riku, just like sora and donald&goofy, they've forged such an inseparable bond it's adorable

-HOLY SHIT NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN YESSSS

-again i love the inclusion of the real scores

-LEA IS LEARNING TO KEYBLADE OH BOY

-xehanort chessmaster

-oh hey its edgy city

-xigbar is such a shit lol

-i kinda don't understand how this plan works but okay, wibbly wobbly timey wimey

-this first person perspective is disturbing for some reason

-hi venxas

-the sad children

-i guess they're explaining how the supposedly heart-less Nobodies could still act emotional

-i knew the Org was gonna be vessel fuel but woah Xigbar

-EVERYONE IS HERE

-*the nomura clothing design is an actual plot point*

-i guess terranort isn't actually terranort, they showed him at the island several times so who tf is he

-oh young xehanort okay then

-ouch vens throne

-vens armor

-they're still connected weh

-ohh thats where rikus voice came in

-riku like goddammit the darkness again

-AGAIN CLOTHING SIGNIFICANCE

-aw ye riku gon do what terra couldn't

-dream eaters are so fuckin cute i want one

-YAY MICKEY

-and there's Old Nort

-poor mickey lost his closest friends and blamed himself for the longest time wehhh

-huh. seven guardians, thirteen dark, makes sense

-WHAT UP LEA

-sup saix

-DONALD N GOOF EYYY

-EVERYONE IS HERE

-woahh nightmare ven is badass

-island of spiritual questions

-eyyy og ansem!

-sora you goof

-aw yay riku good for you!

-"cant get my keyblade to-- -SHWING-" L E A

-sanctuary is such a weird song

-eyy glimpses of ven (wehh), aqua and young nort

-I KNEW KAIRI WAS GONNA BE A WEILDER AND BE THEIR SEVENTH

-goddammit re:coded is next after all

[the-shadow-of-atlantis]

Battle of the Soulmates

 Based off of @melyaliz 30 Days of OC Soulmates #21 Each year at a certain age, soulmates are paired together into some sort of battle royal thing. But, if you lose the battle you forget who your soulmate is until the next battle and you can only live happy ever after if you win

Word Count: 1,656

Tagging: @batlog @staringatademigod @yoshithedrawing @insideoflit

A/N I think i may have veered off subject on this one... im not sure i hope you enjoy. Maia belongs to @royslittleharper fyi I’m so sorry how I treat Maia in thing please forgive me.

When you graduate from high school instead of going to college or getting a job you are sent to a facility on a remote island where you find out who your soulmate is. And then you are sent out to fight with another couple. If you win you walk out with your soulmate and live your lives. But if you lose you forget who your soulmate is and you live at the facility until the next year when you are our put to fight again. The goal is that if you are willing to fight alongside your soulmate no matter what then everything else in life will be easier. Despite the fact that your time fighting gets erased from your memory but the instinct to protect your soulmate at all costs stays with you. Some people tend to spend their whole life preparing for the fights. Annabella's father was one of those people. He walked out with his soulmate on the second year. And he made sure that all his sons and daughter received training too. So when the time came they would be prepared. He did have one rule you had to follow. Do not make friends with anyone at the facility. You never knew who you were going to fight so friendships were best avoided. However after being in the facility for three years that rule became harder and harder for Annabella to follow. She became lonely especially when she couldn't remember who her soulmate is. And that's how Annabella found herself befriending a girl named Maia. Everyday they would sit together during meal time and talk. "I remembered something about my soulmate." Maia whispered. "Really what is it?" Annabella asked. "He has red hair." "Oh how fancy." Annabella giggled. "Do you remember anything about your soulmate?" Maia asked. "He has grey eyes." Annabella said with a small smile. "I wonder what they remember about us." "My height probably." "My hair." "Our breasts." Annabella and Maia stared at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter. "The fights are in a month are you excited?" Maia asked. "After being here for three years I am so ready to get out of her." Annabella sighed. "Try being here for four." Said Maia as she pushed her food around. Annabella's watch beeped and she quickly turned it off. "Well I have to go train. I'll see you at lunch." Annabella got up and threw her scraps away. The time came to begin the battles and Annabella was the first one called up. She took a deep breath and walked to the room where she would receive her memories. As she laid on the cot she slowly began to receive the memories of her soulmate Kaldur. Once that procedure was finished she was put in a room where one wall was filled with weapons, another wall had a panel which would show the information of your opponent, another was made entirely out of glass which allowed you to look out into the forest. A few movements later the door opened and Kaldur walked in. The quickly hugged each other as tight as they could. "I've missed you my love." Kaldur whispered. "I've missed you too cariño." "Have you read the information yet?" "No. Let's take a look we only have a day to plan." When Kaldur pulled the information up Annabella felt her stomach drop. "Do you know her?" Kaldur asked as he noticed her uneasiness. "I befriended her recently but it changes nothing let's get to work." They spent the day planning and perfecting. Practicing with the weapons available. And when the time came they began to prepare what they would take. The weapons couldn't cause any real damage they were like holograms. They can however give the sensation of being cut or stabbed. Annabella slipped the last dagger into the sleeve of her jacket before turning to Kaldur. He held her face and pressed their foreheads together before kissing her forehead and the tip of her nose. His lips hovered centimeters away from hers. "When we win we'll kiss." Annabella whispered and Kaldur slowly nodded. The glass wall opened up and they both took off into the woods. Annabella went into the east wide as Kaldur took the west. Annabella whisked she still had her powers but when you arrive at the facility they do something to suppress your powers so that it will be an even fight. Annabella heard a twig snap and quickly rolled out of the way of an oncoming arrow. "So you're an archer." Annabella stood up and faced Maia. "Interesting choice of armor. You aren't from around here are you Maia." Maia quickly shot another arrow and stared in shock as Annabella caught it before it hit her chest. "Whew I knew that trick would come in handy." Annabella tossed the arrow to the side and threw a smoke pallet, quickly disappearing into the trees. "I wonder how does an Asgardian end up on earth?" Annabella questioned as she hopped from tree to tree. "Do you just hides and wait for your soulmate to fight your battles?" "Oh no I like to learn all I can about my opponent before I fight them head on. So you're an archer you seem to be a bit of a hunter. Not a good one if you've been here for four years." Annabella quickly dodged another arrow. "Hmm now who are you really? Sif? No. Freyja? Oh definitely not. Skadi?" Annabella halted as an arrow impaled itself into the tree in front of her. "Oh am I getting colder... Drifta?" Annabella questioned as she quickly dropped down behind her and swiped her legs then kicked her bow out of reach. Maia pulled out a dagger and slipped at Annabella's legs but she quickly stepped out of the way. "Oh your mother must despise you for wanting to live here." Said Annabella as she grabbed her dagger from her thigh holster. "Shut up!" Maia lunged at her and Annabella dodged and swiped at her. "Did our friendship mean nothing to you?!" "Sorry but soon this will all become forgotten and anything that happened here will no longer matter." As they fought Maia managed to knock Annabella's dagger out of her hand and pin her down. "Now where is your soulmate?" Maia questioned. "Sorry but intimidation doesn't really work on me." Maia stood up and proceeded to stomp on Annabella's arm. Annabella cried out in pain and held her arm close to her chest. "Where is he?" "Right here." Said Kaldur as he dropped a semi conscious red head and stepped on his torso while holding a sword to his neck. Maia quickly pulled Annabella up and held an arrow to her throat. "Let him go." Maia spoke slowly. "He can't do that Maia. See if he lets him go you could still kill me and we would lose. But if he kills him you'll probably still kill me and we both lose." Annabella explained. "Well looks like you didn't really think this through did you?" "Never underestimate your opponent." Annabella's dagger sprang from her sleeve and she cut Maia's fingers causing her to drop the arrow. Annabella turned no plunged the dagger into her side. "You might want to fix that kink in your armor." Annabella whispered as Maia's body dropped to the ground and Kaldur stabbed the red head. Annabella sighed as she staggered back and Kaldur quickly caught her. They looked up at the helicopter approaching them and turned to smile at each other. Kaldur slowly leaned in and kissed her with such a passion it would have set the forest on fire. "Let's get out of here." Annabella whispered as they pulled away. *Five years later* Annabella was finishing up getting set up for the adoption day at the park. "Hi is this where we come to adopt a dog?" A woman asked her when Annabella looked up she couldn't help but feel as if she knew her from somewhere, "Are you alright?" The red haired man standing beside her asked. "Yeah sorry I just thought I recognized you from somewhere. Um is there a certain breed you're looking for?" Annabella asks with a smil. "Well if possible a Rhodesian Ridgeback." Said the woman. "You know I think we might have one. One second... I'm sorry what did you say you name was?" "It's Maia and this is Roy." Again Annabella couldn't help but feel as if she recognized that name. She quickly wrote it down on a form and called out to her husband. "Kaldur honey can you check to see if we have a Rhodesian Ridgeback?" After a few minutes Kaldur came walking over with the dog. "He's the only one and is about two years old but very well trained." Said Kaldur as he handed the leash to Roy. "Oh he's perfect." Said Maia as she pet the dog. "You just have to fill out the forms and pay a small fee." Said Annabella as she handed them the clipboard with the paperwork. "And if you need anything just come over to our sanctuary and we will take care of everything." "Thank you... Annabella. Huh nice name." Said Maia as she saw the name tag and Annabella smiled in return. The couple finished up filling out the paperwork and waved goodbye a the walked away with their new dog. Kaldur wrapped his arms around her and she sighed as she leaned against his chest. "Are you alright my love?" He asked as he kissed her head. "Yeah I just can't help but feel as if I know that couple from somewhere. It's probably nothing." She smiled up at him and kissed his cheek. "We got  long day ahead of us." "They seemed like a nice couple." Said Kaldur. "Yeah they did. Maybe we'll see them again someday." Said Annabella as she spotted the couple in the distance.

[writingguide003-blog]

Out from the margins: meet the New Daughters of Africa writers

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/out-from-the-margins-meet-the-new-daughters-of-africa-writers/

Out from the margins: meet the New Daughters of Africa writers

More than 25 years after her groundbreaking Daughters of Africa anthology, Margaret Busby reflects on the next generation of black women writers around the world

Time was when the perception of published writers was that all the women were white and all the blacks were men (to borrow the title of a key 1980s black feminist book). At best, there was a handful of black female writers Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou who were acknowledged by the literary establishment. This was the climate in which, more than 25 years ago, I compiled and published Daughters of Africa. It was critically acclaimed, but more significant has been the inspiration that 1992 anthology gave to a fresh generation of writers who form the core of its sequel, New Daughters of Africa.

The critic Juanita Cox told me: I received Daughters of Africa as a birthday gift from my father. Two things immediately struck me about the book. It was huge and it contained women like me. Even though Id been brought up in Nigeria, I had had very little exposure to black literature. At school the only black characters Id ever read about occupied the margins: figures like the Sedleys servant Sambo and the mixed-race heiress Miss Swartz in Thackerays Vanity Fair. Daughters of Africa introduced me to a huge number of writers Id never previously been aware of. And on a more personal level it made me realise that I was somehow valid. The anthology was peopled not just by women of pure African descent, but also women of mixed ancestry, and just like the women the book contained, I too could have a voice.

Ivorian Edwige-Rene Dro said: It was as if the daughters of Africa featured in that anthology were telling me, their daughter and grand-daughter, to bravely go forth and bridge the literary gap between francophone and anglophone Africa. Bermudian writer Angela Barry, meanwhile, spoke of her thrill at coming across a contributor whose father was from her island, allowing her to feel that I also was a daughter of Africa and that I too had something to say. Writer Phillippa Yaa de Villiers recalls: We were behind the bars of apartheid we South Africans had been cut off from the beauty and majesty of African thought traditions, and Daughters of Africa was among those works that replenished our starved minds.

Windrush is an ever-present theme Jamaican immigrants arrive at Tilbury in 1948. Photograph: PA

New Daughters of Africa has been a truly collaborative venture: writers steered me in the direction of others whose work they admire. Altogether, more than 200 writers from more than 50 countries contributed work to the new anthology, from Margo Jefferson to Aybmi Adby, Malorie Blackman to Yrsa Daley-Ward. New Daughters of Africa begins with some important entries from the 18th and 19th centuries a reminder that later generations stand tall because of those who have gone before. Nana Asmau (17931863), a revered figure in northern Nigeria, spoke four languages and was an educated and independent Islamic woman whose life and work can be considered a precursor to modern feminism in Africa. Sarah Parker Remond (18151894), abolitionist, lecturer, suffragist, demonstrates many of the themes and serendipitous connections that characterise this anthology. Her letter of September 1866 to the London Daily News, in which she waxes eloquent on the reactionary movement against the coloured race in the United States, and castigates the social commentator Thomas Carlyle for having claims to the gratitude of all negro haters on both sides of the Atlantic, makes one wonder how she might have reacted to a tweet by Donald Trump. Elizabeth Keckley (18181907), her life bridging the 19th and the 20th centuries, describes first hand the trauma of enslavement in her autobiography Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House, published in 1868 exactly 100 years before the mould-breaking year that Delia Jarrett-Macauley refers to, when on university campuses from Paris to New York, students were protesting against the old order, against bureaucratic elites, against capitalism, sexism and racism and all forms of authoritarianism.

The year 1968 was blighted by the assassination of Martin Luther King in April. Later that month Enoch Powell gave his infamous Rivers of Blood speech, scaremongering about mass immigration to the UK. And it was in that year that Angela Cobbinah, the only black girl in her Cornish village, watched African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their fists in a Black Power salute on the podium at the Mexico City Olympics. I felt an unfamiliar emotion, she writes. Call it connection or kinship, or the bubbling of a youthful rebelliousness.

Such connections, and bonds of kinship, actual as well as intuited, strengthen the links between contributors. There are the literal mother-daughter relationships, as with Josephine St Pierre Ruffin (18421924) and Florida Ruffin Ridley (18611943). It is pleasing to note the emergence as a writer of Yvonne Bailey-Smith, having raised and empowered three successful children (Zadie Smith and her brothers), to witness Attillah Springer following the path of her mother Eintou Pearl Springer, a contributor to Daughters of Africa, and to see Rebecca Walker, daughter of Alice Walker, achieve prominence in her own right.

In many ways 1992 seems much longer ago than a quarter century; yet, while much has changed, many challenges remain to the publication of work by women of African descent. Who imagined in 1992 that we would celebrate the first African American US president in 2008, and who could have predicted who would follow Barack Obama in the White House? Much more empowering to think of Michelle Obama, who in 2018 broke records with her memoir Becoming, selling 1.4m copies in its first week.

In 1992, Morrison had not yet been awarded the Nobel prize. Only the following year did she become the first black woman to win it. Many accomplishments were years away: Jackie Kay, the current Scottish makar and a contributor to the first anthology, had only just begun to receive recognition after the 1991 publication of her first book. So the authors within New Daughters of Africa that may still be unknown are as deserving of attention as the household names.

Custom, tradition, friendships, romance, sexuality, intersectional feminism, the politics of gender, race and identity all are explored, in ways that are surprising, angry, considered, joyful, heartrending. Taboo subjects are addressed head on, familiar dilemmas elicit fresh takes. How candid and engaging is Ted Hughes poetry prize-winner Jay Bernards I resist the urge to destroy my own records by reflecting on archives, how I use them, and what they have meant to me. How touching is Andaiyes recollection of her amity with Audre Lorde:

I do not remember when I wrote Audre but I did, and I remember that she answered immediately and sent me a copy of A Burst of Light with the inscription, Sister Survivor May these words be a bridge over that place where there are no words or where they are so difficult as to sound like a scream!

Unflinching stories Audre Lorde. Photograph: Robert Alexander/Getty Images

Lordes name recurs in other contributors work, including that of Edwidge Danticat, Sisonke Msimang and Panashe Chigumadzi, who writes:

It wasnt until I met the force of the unflinching stories of our mothers and grandmothers and aunts and sisters written by black women that I was compelled to find an answer to the question: what did it mean to be a black woman in my grandmothers time?

The different ways of connecting to an African heritage are an ever-present theme, as are stories of migration, and specifically Windrush stories, typified by the poignant writing of the late Andrea Levy, whose father was among those immigrants who sailed to Britain from the Caribbean on the Empire Windrush in 1948. Stories of mothers separated from offspring through transatlantic crossings, and the resultant psychological effects, inform many of the contributions.

How you find your identity in the course of growing up in Britain is a major thread, whether it is Simi Bedford describing the particular experience of being an African at boarding school in England shared by many (myself included) or Nah Dove making the journey from a childhood in West Africa.

So often London encapsulates the black British experience, with all its possibilities for racism, and much else besides. For Donu Kogbara, whose harrowing tale is of being kidnapped in her Nigerian homeland, London has become a sanctuary.

The book reveals works in progress, identities in transition, shapeshifting sensibilities, a delicious mash-up of expectations. Who knew that Nadifa Mohamed, one of Grantas best young British novelists in 2013, was also a fine poet? The chef Zoe Adjonyoh, from whom cookery writing might have been expected, delivers a memoir of her father that is indeed A Beautiful Story. Contributors are drawn to write about countries not theirs by birth: a Zimbabwean shines light on Antigua, Ghana has an impact on a writer from Trinidad.

Another link with Daughters of Africa is the image on the UK cover, by black British photographer Suzanne Roden, featuring her friend Sibusiso Nozipho Mavolwane (19582015). Busby herself exemplifies the international scope, historical trajectory and enduring female bonds represented by the 200-plus women in New Daughters of Africa. The third of five sisters, she was born in what was then Southern Rhodesia, lived in the former Gold Coast, attended boarding-school in Sussex, and from the 1980s worked in London. New Daughters of Africa pays tribute to her as well as to the many writers we have lost, most recently the talented Andrea Levy.

The aspirational mantra of inclusivity and diversity is increasingly routine, fashionable even, in todays publishing industry, but lasting change has yet to be achieved. Verna Wilkins, founder of the childrens imprint Tamarind Books, explains in her essay that she began hands-on work creating books in diverse classrooms in the belief that the process must start with children: They should see themselves as the authors, editors, designers, illustrators and publishers of the future.

New Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African descent, edited by Margaret Busby, is published by Myriad. New Daughters of Africa is launched at Women of the World at Southbank Centre, London SE1, 8-9 March. southbankcentre.co.uk.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us