#it was ✨foreshadowing✨ all along...

[egophiliac]

LET THE BOY HAVE AN EDUCATION

officially at the point where we're starting to see where it's all headed and I am just going NYEEHEEHEE in delight at it all. ahhh...next week can't come soon enough...

[le0n-ardo]

What it's like dating 💙 Rise!Leonardo 💙 - Headcanons and ficlet pt 2

x f!reader. CW for slight angst and for some suggestive headcanons. The ficlet is entirely self-indulgent hurt-comfort my soul needed. Read part 1 here!

Disclaimer: all my writings contemplate the turtles aged up at about their late 20s, with the reader at the same age range. Your media consumption is your own responsibility ✨ dividers by @/cafekitsune

More Ninja Turtle headcanons in my masterlist!

Leonardo surprised you one day with his singing voice. It started off with him just singing a silly tune about how happy he was to finally eat something (he was hungry that day) but he noticed the effect his singing had on you.

Since then, Leon will sing fragments of your favorite songs to you. He mostly does it when you're alone, but it doesn't stop him from dedicating song after song to you on the occasional karaoke night. Sometimes, you'll even duet with him.

Leon behaves similarly when he finds out the effect he has on you when he whispers something only you can hear. He'll of course take advantage from time to time and whisper something spicy, foreshadowing something he wants to do with you later when you're alone.

Other times he'll whisper something completely goofy in your ear. You giggle, but you still get all airy and flustered at his proximity. Leonardo loves seeing your reaction no matter what it was he whispered.

Sometimes, you forget Leonardo actually knows how to play guitar. How he does it with only three fingers is beyond you, but he's quite good. He doesn't play and sing at the same time, though. Usually it's either-or, but music has become a big part of your relationship with Leo.

He also loves when you scratch his shell. If he's feeling cheeky enough, he'll ask you to do it and he'll have the biggest, cutest smile on.

Leonardo loves his alone time with you, but when you're deeper in the relationship and your dates become calm nights spent at home, he doesn't mind letting Donnie or even Mikey tag along (so longs as you're okay with it, and obviously so long as you two aren't planning on being intimate).

If Mikey's tagging along, the date will be goofiness galore and you can be sure there's going to be some sort of physical competition involved. You love watching Leonardo compete with Mikey - Leon will always show off to impress you as if he were still courting you, but he'll also balance it with cutting his little brother some slack just to see him happy.

If Donnie's tagging along, it's similar, but with video games. You and Donnie become great friends very quickly, and most times, the date consists of you and Donnie teasing and picking on Leon.

Leonardo, of course, makes sure you'll make up for teasing him afterwards 😉

For a while, you spend every night with him in his room. Cuddling, talking, telling jokes, making out, taking it one step further, you name it. Not every night is the same, and sometimes you're both so tired that you only cuddle for a bit before falling asleep, but they're still nights spent in Leonardo's arms and you love all of them.

Leonardo will go out of his way to show you how great you are, from giving you a flower or a thingamabob he found that made him think of you to actually telling you you're amazing, usually in the form of him bragging about you to one of his brothers.

There was, however, one time when Donatello (albeit jokingly) asked you, "What do you see in this guy?"

Leonardo acted all nonchalant about it, flexing and highlighting every single awesome thing about himself, but when the laughter died down and the subject changed, you could tell he was quieter and he was making just a little less eye contact with you.

Why is she with me?

That night, you got a pizza just for you and him to share in his room and you spoiled him with his favorite Jupiter Jim movie, which you watched in bed while eating and afterwards cuddling and making out during the boring scenes. When the movie ended, you both lay in Leonardo's bed and nearly fell asleep when you heard him speak.

"I know why you're doing all this," he said.

You simply turned around and gave him a light kiss on the lips, telling him how much you love him, and you also told him not to forget that. It seemed to reassure him, and you could tell his spirits were back to their usual level the next few days.

But after some weeks, you notice Leon is a lot busier with his brothers. They train a lot harder and they go on more missions. Leonardo lets you sleep in his room and tells you not to wait up for him if he knows he'll be out with his brothers - he hates the idea of you losing sleep and being all groggy the next day all because of him.

But Leonardo also hates the idea of you wanting to spend time with him and not being there with you.

If you fall asleep while he's still out in the city, you'll eventually be woken up by the sound of him arriving at his room and lying down next to you. You never know how late it is or what happened out there, but all you hear is a heavy sigh leaving him before he falls asleep.

The following morning, you usually wake up with Leonardo clinging to you, still asleep. When he does that, you gently stroke the top of his head and hold him closer, kissing him soft enough to not wake him up.

For as long as that goes on, Leonardo wakes up and acts as if nothing were wrong. He greets you lovingly, kisses you until you're both breathless, and behaves like his usual, charming, witty self. Still, you could swear that whenever his brothers make mention of the next upcoming mission or any reference to him being the one leading the squad now, you see a hint of dread flashing through Leon's eyes just for a moment.

You always figure Leonardo will talk to you about whatever bothers him when he's ready, and in the meantime, you keep showing him affection and support in whatever ways you can. Sometimes you leave food out for him for when he returns late from a mission, other times you'll get him little gifts or cheer him on during training or while he's working out.

Leonardo never verbally thanks you for this, but you do notice how tightly he holds you after one of your gestures - and how long it takes for him to let you go.

But the time goes by and you see him becoming more tense about his position as a leader. You try to cheer him up, but all Leonardo really wants is your comfort and your warmth.

If he's too shaken up about everything, he'll sometimes try and seek respite through intimacy. Those nights are particularly passionate, but it breaks your heart to see the weight returning to his eyes when he comes down from his high.

Eventually, you verbally let Leonardo know he has your full support no matter what, and that you believe in him as a leader. When you do this, Leonardo falls silent, and though it seems he won't react at all for a few moments, he then hugs you close and you both stay there a good long while.

The first months of his leadership were hardest for him, but a string of successful missions soon help Leon build his confidence, and eventually his vibrant personality returns. It's a whole new look on him - witty and brave, charming and stoic. He will bring laughter to his loved ones and doom to his enemies.

You love that duality in Leonardo. Dammit, you love all of him.

Leonardo having a free night to spend with you instead of being off on a mission felt like a rarity and a luxury, one that you would cherish. You could tell he would too, as was obvious by the fact that you weren't getting obscene amounts of food or planning for a move marathon in his room. He'd simply told you to follow him, and in a blur, you'd greeted Hueso in his restaurant and made your way with Leon past the back - one of the many perks of his lingering friendship with Hueso - climbing up the stairs until you reached the rooftop and took the door out. It was a decently sized building, one where you'd have both a magnificent view of the city and a decent view of whatever stars could survive all the light reflecting from below.

All Leonardo carried was a couple of blankets and a thermos with some warm liquid you still had yet to discover, and two plastic cups. He had told you to dress warm, and he was wearing a coat over his shell too. With all that, you knew you were in for a calm night, despite clinging to him as he led you through the mildly sketchy mutant restaurant where you were the sore thumb sticking out. It didn't matter; you felt safe so long as you were with your Leon. There was no one you'd trust more for that.

Leonardo swiftly set the blankets down and made a comfy makeshift mattress for you both, and you both lied down on it in silence. Neither of you rushed to pour any warm beverages yet. It seemed like for the time being, all you needed was to be there in silence with each other. You could have arguably done the same in his bedroom, but you'd noticed Leonardo's silence the past few nights. You knew what he'd never say out loud, you could see it in his eyes, hear it between the words he actually spoke. Leadership was a heavy burden, one that could put pressure even on the hardest shell, no matter how much he wanted to coop himself up inside it to protect himself from all he had to face.

You shifted onto your side and looked at Leonardo as he gazed up at the night sky. "Wanna tell me what's bothering you?"

He smiled softly, and the sight made you smile too - not only was he handsome with a gorgeous smile, but for some reason, his side profile was perfectly pleasing to look at.

"I knew you'd ask," he said.

"You wouldn't have brought me out here if you didn't want me to," you said. "So... is it anything I can help with?"

Leonardo sighed. "I don't even want to think about getting you in the crossfire."

"Has it been that bad?" Your brows dropped in worry. If you'd had any idea of the missions being too dangerous, you would have reached out sooner.

"Not... bad, just..." Leonardo's voice was smooth and only slightly higher pitched, as though draped with some sort of sadness. With another sigh, he sat up and crossed his legs in front of him letting his gaze fall to the city. "Don't tell anyone, but I don't know how Raph did it. Especially back then, when we were all a mess. I was..."

"Hey," you sat up and gently rested your hand on his coated shell. "None of us were our best when we were that age."

"Raph was," Leonardo replied. "He always seemed to be. I want to ask him how he got us through so much, but..."

"It wouldn't be admitting you can't do what he did, if that's what's stopping you," you said. "Raph has faith in you, I know it."

Leonardo gave a soft exhale and let his facial features soften in a way he'd only ever let you see. "I hope it's not misplaced."

"Are you worried they'll get hurt on your watch?" You said the words like ripping off a bandaid.

In response, Leonardo looked at you with a brief fear in his eyes, a result of hearing you say out loud what he dreaded every time he led his brothers into whatever mission they had.

"It's okay," you said, rubbing your hand over his shell for comfort. "It's a valid fear. But Leon... I look at you and know that you were meant to lead this family. This team."

"They didn't choose me, Splinter did," he retaliated.

"Because Splinter sees all that you're capable of, and so do your brothers," you comforted. "And so do I."

Leonardo looked at you with a soft smile. "Really?"

"You're my champion, Leonardo," you smiled at him.

He leaned in and pressed his forehead to yours. He wasn't beaming with pride - his aura was that of gratitude.

"Leon, I know it sucks to doubt yourself," you said softly. "I do it too. I always like to think I'm wise for my years and really smart and then I go and mess something up and when I do, it haunts me..."

"No, don't go there," Leonardo said. "I don't want you doing this to yourself too."

"Well, I don't want you doing that to yourself either," you reached for his hand and squeezed it. "We're in this together."

As he squeezed your hand in return, Leonardo chuckled softly. "We're a little messed up, aren't we?"

You nodded with a smile. "Yeah. I guess it comes with having grown up."

Leonardo laughed more fully. "Damn right."

You looked at him again and leaned your head on his shoulder. "I mean it. You're my champion. You always will be."

He looked at you with soft eyes. "And no amount of mistakes you make will ever make me love you less."

You fought the urge to tear up at his words. "Ditto, Leon."

You both leaned in close rubbed your noses together in the sweetest manner before you locked lips for a soft kiss. When you pulled apart, your gaze drifted over to the thermos that rested next to Leonardo on the ground. "So what's in there?"

He chuckled. "Your favorite."

Your whole gaze lit up. "Beer?"

He laughed. "Your favorite warm beverage." Leonardo reached for the thermos and one of the cups. "It's decaf."

You reached for the cup of coffee and inhaled the rich scent of coffee, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "That's why you're my hero."

Sorry the fic was so self-indulgent. I hope you enjoyed it and the headcanons too! You can see my masterlist for more if you want!

Reblogs are appreciated! 💙

[blissfullyunawares]

5 Days of Helping You Outline Your Next Novel

Day 1: Benefits of Outlining Before Writing Your Book

Follow along for all 5 installments of the mini series: helping you outline your next novel

I. Clear Direction - knowing where you’re going allows you to pack the right kind of clothes, same with a novel - know where you’re going so you can bring the right stuff

II. Strong Structure - by writing an outline, you can structure your book to have a natural rise and a fall, like breathing

III. Consistency in Writing - not getting stuck with what happens next allows you to write more content more consistently

IV. Intentional Themes - by defining your story outline, you can sprinkle in some intentional symbols and themes within your writing

V. Better Character Development - knowing the overall arc of your story allows your characters to experience the moment and become who they’re meant to be. you can add in vulnerable moments, mistakes, and bad decisions to help them become the best (or worst) version of themselves

VII. Opportunities for Foreshadowing - by knowing where you’re going, you can add in witty little details of foreshadowing (ex: the mercenary had a reputation that - well, you’ll see) to string your readers along

VIII. Scene Variety - similar to pacing, scene variety can be inserted into your novel to prevent boring repetitions and keep the pov fresh and interesting

IX. Realistic Plot Lines - knowing the journey and destination before the characters do allows you to insert realistic motive and plot lines that drive your characters, instead of allowing your characters to drive the plot with unforeseen chaos (although this happens sometimes too and it’s okay!)

your reblogs help me help more ppl 💕

You can find Day 2 of this mini series [here].

follow along for writing prompts, vocabulary lists, and helpful content like this! <333

✨ #blissfullyunawaresoriginals ✨

[bright-side20]

Elain and Azriel’s connection has been built up over multiple books, with small moments and growing tension that keep adding up. It was foreshadowed in ACOMAF and slowly developed into something real throughout the rest of the series. And here’s the thing, it already has a payoff. We already know, for a fact, that Elain and Azriel have feelings for each other. That’s not misleading, that’s called ✨ slow burn ✨️

I would’ve considered Elriel a misleading if SJM had actually laid the groundwork for Elain and Lucien. And honestly? She had plenty of chances to do it.

SJM had the time, the space, and the opportunity to create real ambiguity, to make us genuinely question who Elain would choose. She could have given Lucien the moment of discovering that Elain is a seer, only for Azriel to be the one to save her. She could have had Elain spend meaningful time with both of them, making us actually wonder where her heart lies. That way, when the next book came out and she ended up with Lucien, it would make sense.

But no. Instead, SJM spent multiple books subtly and not so subtly building tension, longing, understanding, and obstacles between Elain and Azriel. She made it obvious that they want each other. Meanwhile, she did the absolute bare minimum for Elain and Lucien, never developing any emotional connection beyond the forced bond. She made it clear that Elain doesn’t want Lucien and that they’re both uncomfortable around each other. SJM didn’t even try to play the who will she choose? game she just showed us exactly who Elain’s MMC is.

Elriel isn’t some trick or misdirection. It’s the most natural and foreshadowed resolution, the path the story has been leading toward all along.

[rayroseu]

THE MAJESTIC EXCELLENCY HERSELF 😍😍😍😍💚💚💚💚 also maybe its just me but is it a reach to hope that an ACTUAL Disney villain can cameo in TWST?? 😆 You know like how Mickey randomly appears before us akjdkss

Also i find it interesting how Yuu immediately got up to go to the Maleficent Statue after concluding the dream as "Maleficent is being left out..." She reminded him of One Guy lol 😭 Also Yuu lore crumbs that theyre finally catching up that their dreams is related to the next overblot lol

ALSO AAAAAHHH SEBEKKKK 💚💚💚✨✨✨ I missed hearing his "human!!" FULLY VOICED✨✨✨ Haruki Ishiya san... thank you 😭💚💚💚

I love his attitude change LMFAO and Silver being the polite person he is insisting Sebek to apologize and Sebek just doesnt lol... SOBS... Also agree with Grim lol Diasomnia literally the most dramatic dorm lol

Also I find it so funny that "Malleus evil smile" expression is his Happiest Expression LMFOAOAOA He's thoroughly AMUSED by Yuu calling him Hornton in front of Sebek (of all people) without hesitance 😭😭

Ohhh Malleus loves chaos alright ✅✅✅💥💥 and his family and friends getting along...😭😭💕💕💕

Also the part where the npcs talked about him broke my heart aughh...

He's just talking with his classmates and everyone is already whispering how "he shouldn't be in this school he's going to curse everyone" (OKAY maybe theyre going to be right about that in a few more updates butksjdjs) But aaa knowing the fact he has superb hearing skills.... I like to imagine he's hearing these rumors while talking to Yuu and the knights but he's just ignoring the rumors since there's a few peopke who are treating him like a normal person right now 😭😭

I LOVE HOW THIS IMPLIES LILIA RELIES ON SILVER THE MOST TOO!!! He couldve asked Sebek or Malleus since theyre the people with no sleep problems... but nooo he insisted on Silver waking him up!! AUDGAUHS I thought he's a general who focuses on efficiency... 😭😭 He just wants Silver to wake him up... i know you lilia 🔍🔍🔍🤨🤨

I am in good pain... considering!! in Book 7!! Lilia repeatedly appears to be a reliance for Silver whenever he feels hopeless... I CANT. Lilia is just like more lowkey about how much he actually relies on his son 😭😭💚💚

ROOK BEING IN THE RUINS TOO IS SO FUNNY LFMAOOO THATS ONE OF MALLEUS' TOP INTERSHIP LIST??? ITS LILIA'S P.E VIGNETTE ALL OVER AGAIN LMFOAOAA HE'S GONNA HARASS MALLEUS DOWN IF THEYRE COWORKERS AHFHAHDHA

Imagine them in the ruins and finally Malleus has someone who is enthusiastic about ""boring facts about Gargoyles and Abandoned Ruins"" but its just... got to be THIS GUY Rook Hunt... who once tried to playfully harm Lilia lol

Malleus and Rook Duo is actually so funny though 😂😂 It still cracks me up that Malleus was once invited on Rooks Bday but he didnt attend cuz he's annoying to him and most notably Rook is not even hostile to him??? He just didnt attend bcs he hates his guts omg😭😭💥💥

This fact is so weird to me... What do you mean that some teeth just becomes an automatic RADIO under the right conditions????😭 Is this a foreshadow to Zigvolts Dentistry??? 😳⚡💚✨✨✨

Can a fae teeth play Elvis Presley just by opening their mouths...?? You know like Stitch acting as a phonograph... 😂

But I doubt??? They have radio towers at Briar Valley so it probably doesnt happen????? But It'd be pretty funny if Briar Valley radio just play bardcore music and one poor fae was "cursed" to have "magical radio teeth" playing bardcore everytime lol

My first thought was "Sebek!!!!✨✨✨" here actually 😭💚 Since he's the only freshman we're missing rn...

But I was surprised Yuu thought of Malleus??? That just further implies Yuu recognizes him as a friend that'll help them too 😭😭😭

Its just precious to think that someone finds Malleus reliable, he'll be so happy to assist Yuu if they're having trouble with anything just like how he enthusiastically offered to explain more about the Thorn Fairy since Yuu is curious about it...😭💖💞💖💗💕 I love them to BITS OMFG...

(I'm sad that Yuu is going home too but I'm ignoring that lol🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️ Yuu is a self insert theyre supposed to speak MY language of staying with Mal-)

Its devastating that the freshmen are so hyped up to be working together THEY ARE NOT PROCESSING THE IMPLICATIONS OF YUU GOING HOME... 💔😂 if Yuu truly goes home, theres no reason for them to be gathering like this on the cafeteria anymore... 😭😭💔💔 Making myself sad that they'll buy an extra plate for them during lunch break and not even Grim touches that food... just to honor their friend😭😭😭

Wait so we know that the first night in "sleepover to discover Mickey" consists of Deuce and Ace as Grim and Yuu's companion...

Maybe the next nights (without Malleus' overblot interupption) consisted of Epel and Jack, and then possibly Ortho and Malleus??? (since Ortho is the one who suggested that therell be a fae)

Oh but Im going to cry if at Book 7's ending consisted of Yuu inviting Malleus for a sleepover at Ramshackle despite what happened... 😭😭😭 and and like the stars aligning appears once again but this time he's not at ruined Ramshackle missing his friend... He's at a peaceful sleepover with a friend group auGh... 😭😭😭💖💕💞💗💞💗

[theknifeandsword]

Bryce Quinlan: The One True Heir of Dusk ✨⚔️

This is going to a loong post, so bear with me...

In HOFAS, it was revealed that the Prison Island is indeed the long lost land of Dusk (aka the Dusk Court) and where the Starborn fae lived, ruled over by Theia, the High Queen of Prythian and the Starborn fae.

At the end of HOFAS we saw Bryce return the Mask and Truthteller to Nesta in Prythian and at the same time, she surprised Nesta, by also giving her the Starsword/Gwydion. She told her to go find out the reason she had previously had the eight point star tattooed on her back.

Because of this, many people believe this indicates Bryce's story is over, that she is rejecting her right over the Dusk Court and handing it to Nesta, who some say will go on to become the ruler of the Dusk Court in future books (some even say Nesta will pass on the Sword to Gwyn who'll wield it and rule Dusk with Azriel, as he has it's counterpart, Truthteller. But I'll come back to that theory another day).

Whilst I very firmly, 100% believe that Nesta is integral to the future of the Dusk Court and it's role in future books, I DON'T believe she is destined to rule it. I believe there's much more evidence in the books that Bryce Quinlan is the one true heir of the Dusk Court and will return to Prythian in future books, to right the wrongs of her ancestors and take her rightful place in Dusk

Here's why Nesta's connection to Dusk is undeniable but not as it's ruler:

She once had the eight point star tattooed on her back along with Cassian, but it has since disappeared, whereas Bryce has it scarred permanently on her chest (in exactly the same place as Theia).

Nesta's power is that of silver flames, and affinity with death. She has shown no signs of being Starborn, able to wield shadows or light, the two Starborn powers.

It's explained in ACOSF Nesta was able to get through the wards in the prison due to her being "Made", and the harp calling her through (like calls to like)

Although Nesta was led to the prison to find the Harp by a higher power (we don't know why, how or by whom yet), Nesta doesn't feel the land call to or claim her the way it does Bryce. She isn't able to sense the part of Theia's Starborn power stored there, nor does she claim it. Nesta says it feels like the prison island is waiting for something to return, whereas Bryce says the land told her it was lonely and wanted her to claim it.

Nesta is not linked to any Dusk imagery. She is often linked to the moon, darkness or flames, but not Dusk. Whereas Bryce is described as smelling of the first stars at nightfall, she wears dusk colours, her body is described as dusky, her eyes are the colour of the setting sun etc

It's explained in ACOSF that Nesta is able to use the Dread Trove that belonged to the Asteri and Theia because she is "Made", but struggles with the consequences of doing so (e.g. Azriel having to talk her out of wearing the mask) whereas Bryce can use them easily and with little effort (just like Theia).

Nesta warns Bryce in HOFAS about running from her fate and that's exactly what Bryce is doing - she admits that Urd led her Prythian for many reasons, but chooses to turn away from it. She hasn't yet come to terms with her fae side and despite saying constantly that Urd is guiding her...she is in denial about all the things that are trying to pull her towards her place as the Queen of the Starborn fae.

And here is Bryce's connection to dusk and the foreshadowing she will be it's ruler:

1. Only Bryce possesses Theia's (star)light

The Starborn fae originally hailed from and resided in the land of Dusk and were born with one of two Starborn powers - the ability to control shadows (e.g. Cormac, Morven) or the ability to control pure light (e.g. Bryce, Ruhn).

Very rarely, some are gifted with BOTH powers (e.g. Theia, Silene, Helena, Ruhn, and Bryce).

Shadows and light come together to create Dusk, also known as twilight, the moment in time between day and night.

We learn from Aidas that Bryce was born, not just with as a "normal" Starborn, but bearing the exact power and pure light of Theia, the one and only High Queen of Prythian and the Starborn Fae.

“'I thought Theia's light was forever extinguished."

"So did I. I thought they’d made sure she and her power died on that last battlefield under Prince Pelias’s blade.'"His eyes glowed with ancient rage. "But Bryce Quinlan bears her light."

"You can tell the difference between Bryce's light and her brother's?"

'I shall never forget the exact shine and hue of Theia’s light. It is still a song in my blood.'” - HOEAB 

We learn from the Silene hologram that Theia split her power into three, giving each of her daughters one third and keeping the last for herself.

Silene hid her third in Prythian, in the prison. Theia stored her third in the Starsword before she died...but Helena removed and hid it in the caves of Prince for the future chosen heir.

Helena's third dies with her, but is reborn in Bryce 15,000 years later.

Bryce finds and claims the second third from underneath the prison Island in Prythian in HOFAS part 1:

Like a small sun emerging from the stone itself, a ball of light burst from the floor. A star, twin to the one in Bryce’s chest. Her starlight at last awoke again, as if reaching with shining fingers for that star hovering inches away.

With trembling hands, Bryce guided the star to the one gleaming on her chest. Into her body.

White light erupted everywhere. - HOFAS

Finally, Bryce finds the third part of Theia's starlight, the part that belonged to Theia in Avallen:

Light blasted up through the blades into her hands, her arms, her heart. Bryce could hear it through her feet, through the stone. The song of the land beneath her. - HOFAS

She heard how Avallen had yielded it's joy, it's bright green lands and skies and flowers, so it might hold the power as it was bid, waiting all this time for someone to unleash it. To free it. - HOFAS

'"You're free," Bryce whispered to Avallen, to the land and the pure inherent magic beneath it. "Be free."

And it was. - HOFAS

2. The Dusk Court chooses Bryce

In previous ACOTAR books, we learn that it is the land and it's magic that chooses it's ruler, guided by fate. And once it has chosen it does not choose another, until that ruler dies.

When Bryce is in the prison there's many quotes that show the land/magic choosing Bryce as it's ruler:

Power, uncut and ancient, scorched through her veins. The hair on her head rose. Debris floated upward. She was everywhere and nowhere.She was the evening star and the last rays of colour before the dark. - HOFAS

She is able to sense the land and can feel the prisoners residing there:

From far away, she could sense it, the things lurking within the mountain, her mountain. - HOFAS

The island calls to Bryce, telling her it has been alone all this time, waiting for her:

And in that moment, the mountain - the island - spoke to her.

Alone, it was so alone - it had been waiting all this time. Cold and adrift in the thrashing gray sea. If she could reach out, if she could open her heart to it...it might sing again. Awaken. There was a beating, vibrant heart locked away, far beneath them. If she freed it, the land would rise from it's slumber, and such wonders would spring again from it's earth... - HOFAS

And finally, Bryce is able to wield the land, just like the High Lords of the other courts are able to:

Bryce lifted a hand, and spike after spike ruptured form the ground, blocking Nesta's advance. - HOFAS

But at a mere thought from Bryce, stalactites and stalagmites formed, closing in on him, the room became a wolf, it's jaws snapping for the winged warrior... - HOFAS

The rock had moved for her, as it had for Silene. - HOFAS

Bryce stomped her foot. Those spikes of stone stretched higher, blocking his way. Blue light flared from him, smashing through the stones. - HOFAS

Bryce stomped her foot again, summoning more lethal spears of rock—but there were none left. Only a vast, gaping void. - HOFAS

Remember, Nesta has been to the prison before, to the exact place Bryce stands as the island speaks to her and where she claims Silene's part of Theia's starlight. And she is with Bryce at this exact moment in time. So if Nesta was meant to rule Dusk...why didn't she experience any of this instead of Bryce?

At no point does Nesta sense the land like Bryce, nor does it call or speak to her. Nesta doesn't find or claim Silene's power and she can't control the land, like Bryce can.

3. Only Bryce can wield the Knife and Sword FULLY

As far as I can decipher, people within the Maasverse fall into one of four categories when it comes to the Starborn:

Non-Starborn: Someone who has no Starborn ancestry.

Starborn descendent WITHOUT Starborn powers: Someone who does have Starborn ancestry but was not born with either of the Starborn powers.

Starborn descendent WITH Starborn powers: Someone who has both Starborn ancestry and one (or occasionally, but very rarely, both) of the Starborn powers.

Theia's Chosen Heir: The female heir, chosen by Urd, born with Theia's exact, unique starlight reincarnated inside her. There is only one heir and as far as we know, Bryce Quinlan is the one and only female fae to be born in 15,000 years with Theia's exact power.

And this is what happens when any of those people attempt to wield the Starsword/Gwydion:

Non-Starborn: Unable to draw the sword from it's scabbard or use it in any way.

Starborn descendent WITHOUT Starborn powers: Unable to draw it from the scabbard or wield it in any way as they are deemed "unworthy" (e.g. Autumn King)

Starborn descendent WITH Starborn powers: Some of these fae are able to draw the sword from it's scabbard, but only if they are "worthy". They can activate and wield only some of it's powers (e.g. Ruhn). Some are only able to draw the sword but are unable to activate or wield it (e.g. Cormac).

Theia's Chosen Heir: There is only one heir (Bryce Quinlan) and she has been "chosen" by Urd to wield the Starsword/Gwydion to it's full potential. She is able to draw the sword from it's scabbard and deemed "worthy" to activate and wield it's powers to its full extent.

"That Sword belongs to Theia's female heir," he snarled" - HOSAB

"Theia's power, when whole, is the only thing that can unite and activate the true power of those blades..." - HOFAS

In HOFAS, we see Bryce claim the sword:

Nor had anything ever felt so right as when Bryce took the Starsword from him, a formal claiming, and weighed it in her hands. - HOFAS

And we see her able to call both the Starsword and Truthteller to her hands, something no one else can do:

Bryce again reached out a hand, her will, toward Azriel. And as surely as the Starsword had done, Truth-Teller flew from his grip. He tried to grab it, but even his swift lunge wasn’t fast enough to stop it. To stop Bryce as the knife soared for her fingers.

The dagger’s hilt landed in her palm, cool and heavy. - HOFAS

And when Bryce is using both the Starsword and Truthteller she can produce a power that no one else is able to:

Bryce threw her power into the Starsword, light ripping through the black blade, willing it to tear this fucking monster apart—

She willed it into Truth-Teller, and shadows flowed—

And where the two blades met, where Bryce’s light merged at their nexus, power met power.

Her ears hollowed out. Magic like lightning surged through her, from her. The chamber rippled, a muffled boom echoing through Bryce.

Her blood roared, a beast howling at the moon. She was vaguely aware of a glow, of radiating light that flowed through the Starsword, the dagger— HOFAS

4. SJM retracted saying her series are "standalones"

After the release of HOFAS, SJM retracted her statement that Crescent City and ACOTAR are standalone series. It was followed up by her and Bloomsbury saying fans would need to read the Crescent City books going forward in order to understand and appreciate the story of ACOTAR 5 (her upcoming book) and future books.

This suggests that Crescent City, the events within it and Bryce are going to be important enough to ACOTAR 5 that readers now need to know what happens in those books, and hints SJM plans to merge them further.

FUTURE BOOKS

So after all of this...what does it mean? Well we have seen the Dusk Court start to wake, choosing Bryce as its ruler as it does, and if we stick to SJM's lore it won't choose anyone else until she dies.

We have not yet had the fulfilment of the prophecy...

When knife and sword are reunited, so shall our people be

...and with the Dusk Court and the Starsword/Gwydion all belonging to Bryce, only she can be the one to return and re-claim them.

As both Nesta and the Starsword are "Made" I think Nesta WILL be able to use the Starsword, but only in the same way as Ruhn. I think she will keep the sword for now and it will assist her in to uncovering what her connection is to the Dusk Court and the path fate is guiding her down, but, as she is not the Starborn heir, she will be unable to wield it fully and she will return it to Bryce at some point. I think the prison island will begin to fail now that Bryce has started to wake it and Nesta will realise only Bryce is able to restore it and prevent the cells opening to release the prisoners and that they need Bryce to return to Prythian to stop it.

As Bryce is also very closely connected to Pegasi (her affinity with Jelly Jubilee, pegasi originally came from the Dusk Court, Theia and her heirs rode them into battle, in Avallen we see them return after Bryce frees the land etc) and in Norse mythology, the Valkyries are depicted as riding winged horses into battle, I think we will see the Valkyries find a permanent home with Bryce at the Dusk Court.

With Nesta being one of the first Valkyries to be "reborn" and her having natural affinity as a warrior and "general", I'd love to see Nesta take command of the Valkyries as their General and instate them as the Dusk Court's and Bryce's official army. Nesta and Bryce offering a place for any female of Prythian a chance to train as warriors would be so on brand for these two kick ass females 🪽🧡

If you've made it to the end of this thesis post, you are a TROOPER and thank you so much for sticking with it! Let me know your thoughts! ✨🖤⚔️

[bamsara]

Hello

I was wondering where in the time line of the galaxy days/ cryptids series does dib learn what the Pak Zim gave him actually does?

Also maybe we get to see stich (IZ or SL) in a Halloween costume next month. I miss stitch.

Major Spoilers for Paklet AU since this was drafted for the written story but the chapter it belongs to isn't finalized or published anywhere

AFTER Galaxy Days was supposed to be another installment which would have been the last/second to last depending on the length, which would have brought upon the Intergalactic War against the Irken Empire and when Zim would have given both Dib and Gaz their Paklets.

Dib gets, uh, stabbed. Just like he was with the ghoul. You know. Really bad. Right through the gut. Yep. The kind that kills a human very quickly.

I won't tell you who does it or how he gets skewered because that's a major plot thing there, but I need you to know that the incident with the ghoul that started all this is how ends too.

✨It was foreshadowing all along✨ Or history just repeats itself when you learn nothing about taking up out-of-league battles you're far too confident, or emotionally invested about.

However despite the obvious and what is surely a catastrophic injury, Dib does not die though! Weird! It's almost as if there was something uh, keeping that from happening. It is REALLY not normal to stay alive after you get mutilated like that, much less heal within hours without so much as a scar.

Not gonna go into detail, but he figures out that the weird 'friendship' bracelet that Zim promised was just a signifier of their truce that prevented his death, and he has to figure out the extent of it all on his own because Zim isn't exactly available for him to confront about it.

(Also I might draw something for Stitch tbh, either in a Moon costume or a Gir Onsie)

[virginiaisforvampires]

Some initial chaotic thoughts for 2x01 (Episode 8) — SPOILERS INCLUDED!

I didn’t like it as much as 1x01, but that episode was impossible to beat anyway. 😅

I loved finally getting to see the revenants and also the fact they went full horror with them. Chilling and foreboding.

The little nod to Allesandra with the Devil’s Road mention from the old vampire made me smile.

The first scene with DreamStat was insane. Louis fully believes Lestat wants to destroy him over what they did. No doubt that’ll come into play later and especially wrt the initial way the trial will be framed. Also Lestat feeding from him? Confirmation they did share blood during their happy times? Or the confirmation of Louis’ yearning for Lestat and the connection and wishing Louis could give himself to Lestat once more? Very interesting implications there. 😩😭♥️

Louis carrying Grace’s photo got me.

Daniel is amazing. I laughed out loud at several points because he sees right through the bullshit and isn’t afraid to call it out. The snark and looks between him and Armand? Ooof gimme more! (Also the reviewers saying there’s no DM? LOL did they miss those looks and that chemistry? 🤷🏼‍♀️)

The control and manipulation between Loumand is evident. The fact Louis was unaware of their business dealings. The fact Armand is desperate for Louis to not remember anything. The cold vibe between them with Louis essentially rewarding Armand with a kiss after he said he’d get the other diary pages. There’s a lot to be unraveled with this, what was it Eric called it, “psychotic relationship”? I cannot wait for more!

Jacob Anderson is a treasure! The “I want this” speech was utterly incredible and devastating and possibly one of the most touching moments of the entire show so far. It’s easily right up there with the confession monologue for top Louis moments. I found myself tearing up, because you can feel his emotions and aching desperation, and it’s an arrow straight through the heart. I also loved the fact that Louis was happy to realize Claudia’s diaries aren’t 100% truthful either.

Lestat’s absence is palpable, but intentional. We are supposed to be missing him right along with Louis. We are going on this journey with Louis, and that’s evident with this episode. I’ve truly never experienced something as raw and powerful as this show and all kudos to Jacob for making us feel it!

Delainey is perfect. Give her all the roses! Why was she not cast in the first place?! 💕💐✨

The “you and me” speech was heartbreaking. We know Louis won’t be able to keep that promise. Louis and Lestat both fail Claudia, and my heart literally hurt just knowing how this is all going to turn out. The fact DreamStat was there too? Holy moly the implications. Also the foreshadowing of Louis saying “as long as you walk the earth, I’ll never taste the fire”? I think we all know where this is heading, and I don’t want it at all! Take me back to their happy family times! 😭💔

I really hope they don’t skip the “it was as if the empty nights were made for thinking of him” speech. I need Jacob saying that like I need air to breathe.

[10underoot2]

Here's a lovely, beautiful, little detail I loved in Episode 14 that I wish we saw more of throughout the show. BaekHong just teasing each other with their quirkiness and wittiness.

All those little scenes and dialogues were so beautiful and so important in letting me know and believe that yes this is why and how they fell in love. This is where they match in personalities. They see that part of each other. Cause life can be long as much as it is short, so god do you need a person who can make you smile, allow you to take yourself less seriously and just someone you can laugh with.

Here are a few examples I found in episode 14. If anyone knows more throughout the show that I'm missing please list them here!

1. Busman Confession

Haein: 'How did you even get into SNU?'

She was so real for this and it was so deserved. Also the way Hyunwoo starts teasing her immediately. She never wanted to tell him cause she knew he'd get cocky with her and of course he did. Love that lil laugh and teasing. Also I love how Haein keeps teasing him about his first love. She loves seeing him wound up.

2. Praying at the Church:

Haein: 'You're praying so much to get into heaven. Of course you'll need it if we want to meet in heaven.'

Hyunwoo: 'What makes you think you're going to heaven?'

They're both so mean and chaotic 😂 They're literally in church praying for Haein's fate and they decide to make these jokes. And I love how Hyunwoo doesn't hold back. He gives as good as he gets. I love the lightness foreshadowing the very dark and real reality they live in. This was so necessary and so well delivered. Like just subtly sprinkled.

3. Last Night at the Hospital before Haein's Surgery

Haein: 'You have nothing (complaints, times you were hurt in marriage secrets)?'

Hyunwoo: 'I'm trying to pick'

Making light of something that is very heavy and sad. It also shows the lighter side of Hyunwoo that I really appreciate when I get to see this in characters cause the people these characters are have to be multilayered. They can't be defined only by their capacity of love and sadness. Another example of this is Haein's really dark and dry sense of humour.

4. Episode 14 Epilougue

Haein: 'You used to tell me about the days you were in Law School? What was your secret to memorising so well?'

Hyunwoo cockily lies: 'I was just able to easily memorize anything I looked it.'

Haein: 'I'm serious did you gobble up the pages after memorising them?'

Hyunwoo: 'I'm not a goat.'

There literally hours away from her surgery. But look at him teasing her and making her smile. I love how Haein points out in an earlier episode 'as arrogant as you are you must Baek Hyunwoo' cause in front of her he flexes like no other but other than that he's just a humble man. So I love him never missing a chance to impress her. It's a very cute detail and I love seeing it strung along.

There are others as well. I think I saw a post by @havemercedes some time ago as well. I think this truly shines in episode 14 and I love this detail! ✨

[queerespresso]

🐶 Kant, I’m curious how his character will evolve. Love his big puppy energy

Kant does not remind me of Yok or Sand at all. While Yok was flirtatious, he leaned more into his feminine energy and deeply artistic side. While Sand was an indie music lover with a slight sad boy vibe.

Kant’s vibes are totally different for me. He’s incredibly confident. Like truly confident. I haven’t seen too much of his submissiveness yet but I think he will not be ashamed of it in the slightest. He likes what he likes and isn’t afraid to say that and go for it. When Bison kind of rejected him for his pick up lines, he swiftly switched gears and approached the communication differently. These traits are true confidence to me.

He almost has a f*ck boy energy to him. His desire to literally f*ck around (respect), be free without relationship ties, okay with being unaware of his ONS name, along with using a cache of pick up lines lead me here. I normally don’t get attached to f*ck boy/girl characters (nothing wrong with them just not a magnet for me). But Kant’s down bad, romantic mushy traits screams golden retriever which balances out the suaveness and swift pick up lines. That starry eyed, goofy smile is so so endearing. He 1000% has lost the plot and forgot his mission at times and that had me smiling all goofy with him. I think

his love for Bison will surprise him, maybe even scare him, but ultimately be something he craves. With Bison showing the sides of him that take care of Kant (bringing him food and the bedroom so far) I think Kant will feel safe (hah) and fall deeper.

Yes he is a tattoo artist and I do feel that art element but I feel he partially took up the trade as a desire to share and connect with people more than it was strictly to make art. I also think there were financial reasons behind it. The car theft could have been for adrenaline or the love of certain cars but it partially feels financially motivated to me as well. He seems very family oriented with holding onto his Dad’s car and being reluctant to part with it. He also is loyal and caring for his younger brother. To the extent he’ll take on jobs and clear his name for the sake of both of their futures.

My first impression was he took on the job to clear his criminal record. That’s not how I perceived that interaction though. He was threatened. There was no option other than gaining a criminal record back which isn’t really an option considering his circumstances. So knowing he’s being forced to do this, I hope that is explained well to Bison later. If I was Bison, and I found out that my bf was threatened into this, I’d be going after the cop. Miscommunication tropes stress me out so I see that coming.

♨️💭 I don’t know the full dynamic yet (sub/brat/dom/top/bottom/verse) so can’t talk too much on intimacy. But the first go around Kant was his confident self and encouraged Bison to join him. It felt like a power play. He had no qualms with Bison over him which feels like foreshadowing. Kant certainly likes breasts/chests and sucking 😂. I feel like his submission will come from that “I have to be the mature one in charge of every aspect of my life and want to give up control sometimes” place. Many with tattoos ( ✋ ) know that some get enjoyment out of the pain so there’s that as well. It takes a lot of trust to hand over your well being to a dominant so this will definitely potentially deepen Kant and Bison’s bond.

Caveat, I have large piece tattoos including a sleeve but don’t enjoy that specific pain myself so I know not everyone does. But I do have aesthetic desires, so I can see that being a motivator behind his tattoos as well. I feel like Kant is very aesthetically driven with his house, style, car and luxurious pieces. Even his initial interest with Bison was largely based on appearance…maybe some vibes too but it seemed like he was focused on what he saw and his comments followed suit. The man has taste ✨

[zedd364]

happy new year!

here's a collection of trad art I never got to post/forgot to post/was too embarrassed to post ft. my silly little ramblings 😆

(note: artist is VERY embarrassed to post these, but, he has to anyway, for the sake of it 🤫🧏‍♂️)

this is Collection 2, consists of old oc art (coupled with lore ramblings), and an assortment of more doodles and attempts, along with concepts

this is Zedd

no, not the same guy I use as my purple-themed oc/persona online, he's actually red-themed, and also, has square eyes

(oh boy, the lore is definitely gonna get convoluted later down the line, but, moving on 💀)

ahh, now this big handsome guy right here

his name is Braun >:)

he's my favorite big buff devil oc that I made

him and Zedd are really close

as you can see, he is the scrunkly blorbo

I've yet to draw an amount of him 😔💖���

this was me during artblock 💀

dawg, I was literally tweakin, fuckin, I literally could not draw shit 🗿

first and second attempts of drawing Jason

oh these have already been posted on my blog before, but, I still wanted to include them in this collection

besides, this time, I had properly edited them with a color filter >:)

I didn't want to include this, but GAUAHAHSJSK, HE LOOKED SO STUPID SILLY AND FUNNY 😭😭😭

(I was trying to practice when I made this thing, I do loose attempts on a different page whenever I'm working on a trad piece, cuz it helps plan my process and lessen erasures 🤫🧏‍♂️)

so, The Noise Update huh? pretty cool stuff >:)

on a side note, wish Tumblr had a yellow text option 🤔

concept I had in mind

imagine how badass it would be if you and Dark were able to fuse and stuff 👀✨

(definitely not foreshadowing my future plans once I finally start working on my concepts 😆)

another concept I had in mind, back in the middle of the year when I became a fan

imagine a variant of Dark, with red eyes instead of blue, and a bad ending

if he never got to overcome his insecurity

if he really believed he was what people say he is

IT'S THE FANCY MAN HIMSELF 🗣️🔥💥✨

I could draw him better though, but, that's for something later down the line 🤫🧏‍♂️

I still really love Brad's silly little fancy stickfigure game >:)💖✨

more sadge 😔

me and my two personalities on the daily

see guys? I told you they were different 🤭

okay but fr though, there are two Zedds in my silly little fictional universe, they both represent me in certain ways and my personality

while they look exactly the same, key details to tell them apart is:

Red Zedd has square eyes, and sharper hair

Purp Zedd has semi-circle ones, and he also has eye wrinkles all the time

the reason there's two of them is because:

one has pre-fixed oc lore already

and the other was made as a self-insert vessel for me

"why couldn't you have just made them look more different from one another, and change the other one's name?" because I don't want to, and frankly, the convolution and confusion is kind of silly 😤✨

I've still yet to draw the both of them more 👁️👁️

Jason doodles/attempts

I like him a lot, even though he's gonna force me to learn anatomy properly soon, just for his sake 😆

some Bob practices

gosh, the second one, he looks like a professor 😭💀

aaand, that's about it 😳

you can view the next or previous collections here:

Collection 1

Collection 3

[lucky-clover-gazette]

prince's gambit highlights & annotations

chapter 1

indented text is from the book. some quotes have commentary, some do not. some comments are serious, and some are definitely not. most of them will only make sense to people who have read the series. and, like, there are spoilers. so please read the books first if you're interested!

also: part of the reason i'm doing such a close reading is to study cs pacat's style, especially in terms of how she does romance and erotica. there are "craft notes" that might seem weird, like i'm being redundant or restating something rather than analyzing, but those are more things that i want to remember/take away from the writing!

i'm going to tag these longer posts with "sam reads capri" in case anyone wants to read them all at once.

this is a google doc i wrote with overall content warnings for the captive prince series. it's not perfect, but i do think it's important to include.

Across the courtyard, a couple of alaunt hounds came bounding down the stone stairs to throw themselves ecstatically at Laurent, who indulged one of them with a rub behind the ears, causing a spasm of jealousy in the other.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

the first thing laurent does in this book is pet a dog. i love him so much.

craft-wise, this foreshadows the shift in damen’s perception of laurent that occurs throughout book 2. his/our first impression of laurent in book 1 is him cruelly demeaning damen, almost like a dog, which is something we’re meant to hate. our first impression here is him affectionately indulging actual dogs who clearly know and love him. this might make the reader ask: why do these animals love laurent, when we understand him to be cruel? is our understanding incorrect, and/or incomplete?

context: in arles, the regent closely observes laurent’s attachments. he can and will destroy anything or anyone laurent cares about. but here, outside of arles, it makes sense that laurent would immediately feel more comfortable being affectionate.

laurent’s hot girl summer has officially begun ✨

Damen craned for a glimpse but, not being an owl, saw almost nothing.

The physician rummaged in the satchel and produced one of his endless ointments.

doesn’t this become a running gag? ointment reference #1

That was really too much. ‘It’s cosmetic?’

does damen take pride in his scars, and other physical indications of his experiences? that could be an interesting parallel to the cuffs throughout the series. or maybe he just knows he’s hot either way. or doesn’t want to be fussed over.

he is technically still laurent’s property—has laurent given any kind of indication that he finds the scars unattractive? or did paschal simply make that assumption, which laurent then went along with, knowing it would annoy damen?

The physician said, ‘I was told you would be difficult. Very well. The better it heals, the less your back will trouble you with stiffness, both now and later in life, so that you will be better able to swing a sword around, killing a great many people. I was told you would be responsive to that argument.’ ‘The Prince,’ said Damen.

paschal, sighing deeply as he commits laurent’s exact words to memory: i’m about to become the first homophobe in vere because these petty gay bitches can’t keep their nonsense to themselves

actually, new thing to count—every time a minor or secondary character has a valid reason to complain about damen and laurent’s lack of professionalism in the workplace. this is lamen hr complaint #1 (paschal).

But of course. All this tender care of his back, like soothing with a kiss the reddened cheek you have slapped.

great line.

connects to an ongoing theme: niceness vs. goodness. damen “sees through” laurent’s niceness, as it conflicts with laurent’s meanness that he personally has experienced. in the same way damen has a favorable bias towards kastor and the regent, he has an automatically unfavorable bias against laurent. which is totally fair, given the events of book 1! but this is a new book, and a new stage in damen’s overall series arc.

additional theme for books 2&3: tenderness. a wound is tender; it aches in need of soothing. but what soothes an ache? tender care. if nice is good and mean is bad, where does a concept like tenderness fit in? how exactly will we go from “all this tender care of his back, like soothing with a kiss the reddened cheek you have slapped” to “i think if i gave you my heart, you would treat it tenderly”?

Damen snorted. ‘It wasn’t that bad.’

a consistent damen behavior: the refusal to admit that he is helplessness, and/or experiencing circumstances beyond his control. i would call it toxic masculinity, but i don’t think it’s meant as gender commentary—it has more to do with being a prince and a king, worthy of the throne. toxic royalty, if you will.

‘If you served the King,’ said Damen, ‘how is it you now find yourself in the Prince’s household, and not his uncle’s?’ ‘Men find themselves in the places they put themselves,’ Paschal said, closing his satchel with a snap.

laurent of vere: the people’s prince ✨

also, interesting juxtaposition with previous dialogue about damen and paschal both being at marlas, on different sides of the battle. can we truly say that damen, at age 19, had put himself there? what does that suggest about his character and his kingdom?

‘Yes, of course,’ said Damen. Then stopped. Jord didn’t notice.

he needs acting classes from laurent

Damen said, ‘If you’re not going to tip your head back, why don’t we go find Paschal? He can give you a scented ointment.’

HA. ointment reference #2.

Damen thought of the ivory and gold casing that held a creature duplicitous, self-serving and untrustworthy. ‘You’re so loyal to him. Why is that?’

really nailing in the damen perspective subversion setup. also, the irony re: aimeric's loyalty!

Damen joined the work, where he was the only man to smell, expensively, of ointments and cinnamon.

ointment reference #3. he’s expensive.

‘Aimeric’s young. He says it won’t happen again,’ said Jord. It will happen again, and once the two factions in this camp start retaliating against one another your campaign is over, he didn’t say.

i love how we finally get to see damen in his element here, after experiencing The Horrors for 13 + prologue entire chapters in book 1

‘The Captain is in one of the horse stalls, up to his waist in the stableboy,’ said Jord. ‘The Prince has been waiting for him at the barracks. Actually . . . I was told to have you fetch him.’ ‘From the stables,’ said Damen. He stared at Jord in disbelief.

laurent wastes no time before assigning damen unpleasant tasks. does this count as an hr complaint? i mean it would be damen doing the complaining, am i counting charges they have against each other? no. they’d wreck the curve.

Inside, Govart was unambiguously fucking the stableboy against the far wall.

“unambiguously”

‘The Prince stays here often?’ The castellan mistook him to mean the keep, not the rooms. ‘Not often. He and his uncle came here a great deal together, in the year or two after Marlas. As he grew older, the Prince lost his taste for the runs here. He now comes only rarely to Chastillon.’

context: >:(

Laurent said, ‘I have saved you till last.’ Damen said, ‘You owe the stableboy a copper sol.’ ‘The stableboy should learn to demand payment before he bends over.’

“honey, i’m home!” sitcom entrance

‘Your virtue’s safe. It’s just water. Probably.’

somebody’s feeling playfulllll

Laurent placed the goblet carefully back on the table, and picked up the knife. It was a sharp knife, made for cutting meat. Damen felt his pulse quicken as Laurent came forward. Only a handful of nights ago, he had watched Laurent slit a man’s throat, spilling blood as red as the silk that covered this room’s bed. He felt shock as Laurent’s fingers touched his, pressing the hilt of the knife into his hand. Laurent took hold of Damen’s wrist below the gold cuff, firmed his grip, and drew the knife forward so that it was angled towards his own stomach. The tip of the blade pressed slightly into the dark blue of his prince’s garment. ‘You heard me tell Orlant to leave,’ said Laurent. Damen felt Laurent’s grip slide down his wrist to his fingers, and tighten. Laurent said, ‘I am not going to waste time on posturing and threats. Why don’t we clear up any uncertainty about your intentions?’

laurent explaining to damen that his behavior in arles was a bit in the most insane way possible

He was so infuriatingly sure of himself, proving a point. Damen felt desire come hard upon him: not wholly a desire for violence, but a desire to drive the knife into Laurent’s composure, to force him to show something other than cool indifference.

they’re so normal and well-adjusted

He said: ‘I’m sure there are house servants still awake. How do I know you won’t scream?’ ‘Do I seem like the type to scream?’ ‘I’m not going to use the knife,’ said Damen, ‘but if you’re willing to put it in my hand, you underestimate how much I want to.’ ‘No,’ said Laurent. ‘I know exactly what it is to want to kill a man, and to wait.’

“yes, and” “yes, and” “yes, and”

Laurent said, ‘When this campaign is over, I think—if you are a man and not a worm—you will attempt to gain retribution for what has happened to you. I expect it. On that day, we roll the dice and see how they fall. Until then, you serve me. Let me therefore make one thing above all clear to you: I expect your obedience. You are under my command. If you object to what you are told to do I will hear reasoned arguments in private, but if you disobey an order once it is made, I will send you back to the flogging post.’

this is their starting place for the book! “we hate each other, we owe each other nothing, we know that we are going to eventually attempt to kill each other—but for now, we are calling a truce and working together”

also. would laurent still love damen if he was a worm 🥺

Another pause, and then Laurent indicated once again to the chair. This time Damen followed his prompt and sat. Laurent took the chair opposite. Between them, unfurled on the table, was all the intricate detail of the map. ‘You said you knew the territory,’ Laurent said.

this is part of why i love damen and laurent so much as a pairing. they have interests and skills in common, and they make a genuinely good team. they’re intellectually compatible, in addition to sexually and romantically compatible.

[lacunafiction]

i saw that post you reblogged. what about the characters as ABBA songs? 😮

Hi Anon!

I hope you're doing well. 💚 Oh, this is a fun ask, and it fits with what I have planned for the character playlists. 👀 (I'm trying to pace updating them with what's available to read in TFS, though some songs do foreshadow or are meant to intrigue.) A few of these have deeper meanings than others, so I'd study them rather carefully.

B. Warrick: "Take a Chance on Me." 🧡

Take a chance on me (That's all I ask of you honey) Take a chance on me We can go dancing, we can go walking As long as we're together (As long as we're together)

This has a friends to lovers vibe (hope? uncertainty? yearning?); B wants you happy, but could they possibly be the one to do that? 🥺

S. Dorran: "People Need Love." 💙

People need hope, people need loving People need trust from a fellow man People need love to make a good living People need faith in a helping hand

People also need someone like S. Dorran in their lives, full stop.

R. Vener: "The Winner Takes It All" 🖤

I was in your arms Thinking I belonged there I figured it made sense, building me a fence Building me a home Thinking I'd be strong there But I was a fool playing by the rules

I can see R running to this track along with playing it in their room while their cat watches. The 'winning' aspect works with the childhood rivalry too.

J. Corvin: "SOS" 💚

So, when you're near me, darling, can't you hear me? S.O.S The love you gave me, nothing else can save me, S.O.S When you're gone, how can I even try to go on? When you're gone, though I try, how can I carry on?

Honestly, this fits a bit too painfully perfectly for young J. Corvin.

Mal: "Angeleyes" 💔 (Honestly, a lot of ABBA's songs could work for Mal like "Waterloo" and "Voulez-Vous".)

Look into his angeleyes, one look and you're hypnotised He'll take your heart and you must pay the price Look into his angeleyes, you'll think you're in paradise And one day you'll find out he wears a disguise

Before anyone is like: "Aelsa, you just made Mal more suspicious." Yes, but they're gorgeous, so it's okay. Also, this song is a bit of a misdirection; it'll make more sense when you learn more about them like on their special date in Book Two if you manage to unlock it. 🤫

Book One Launch Post💚 | TFS Patreon🌲

New TFS Patreon benefits, including spicy stories 🔥, monthly alpha content drops ✨, and more! Please check it out:here. If you enjoyed your time in Fernweh, please consider reviewing/rating it. 🥰

We're into RO excursions (date branches)! 👀 R. Verner's is released.

[chainedupgirlsblog]

✎ Commentary of Ep 7 ~ The Loyal Pin (Thai GL-2024) - Part 1

This episode could easily be classified as the epitome of romance, but this series is so full of romance it’s hard for us single to keep up with it!

Nonetheless, this episode we have lots of gifts, romantic gesture, and lovely letters!

We knew it! It was only a dream—nightmare. Anil hasn’t left, yet.

Aren’t they cute? Pin doesn’t need medication she just needs to hug her Princess 😭

Clingy, aren’t we? AnilPin 🫵🏼

Pin demands to be fed and Anil takes on the challenge. But we knew she will and so did Pin, even if she acts surprised when Anil wiped her mouth…

Get it together you two!

Here, they “argue” about who love the other the most. Pin asks Anil to let her love her more only for this time and Anil accepts with none hesitation. She was not about to argue furthermore with her girl about that, nah-uh ☝🏼

Then we have this scene… HELP ME 😳

First, Pin states that she’s worried. Worried about all those suitors she heard are pursuing Anil. And then Anil gets back at her with a stronger—most worrisome statement…

“Hopefully, you won’t be married to Mr. Kuea when I return from England” And DAMN, is that some foreshadowing? Please say no. I refuse!

Pin immediately reassures her stating she already made herself clear to everyone (even if some annoying mister still doesn’t get the fucking hint) but she’s ✨taken✨. Thank you very much!

She even encourages Anil to do the same by offering to left her marks all over the Princess’ royal body. If that’s some sort of crime against the crown or the country that’s only for Anil to judge and she’s pretty much into it so…

The way they look at each other here should be criminalized! Stop it right now! (don’t you dare!)

“What are you waiting for” SHE SAID 🥴

Surely my death, that’s what Pin is waiting for cuz god damn… the way she looked at Anil got me gasping for air~

Then we have the night previous to Anil’s departure and it’s just so sweet. Pin confesses she’s not strong enough to see her princess off and Anil asks her to wait for her as she gently caresses her cheek and then kiss her on the forehead… They’re so soft and adorable please 🤧

The next morning Anil is convinced that Pin won’t see her off but guess what? She does!! Are we even surprised they’re gone for each other!

Pin find the strength and go see her girlfriend off. They both end up a complete mess of tears (me along with them) but at least they see each other one last time :(

Here, we have a beautiful analogy by Princess Pattamika about Anil being like the wind or something like that, I don’t remember right now but it’s beautiful and I agree, Anil's free spirit is definitely like the wind.

Here we also have Pin sending a pink flower petal to Anil and look! The petal made it to England faster than me 😭

Here we have Pranot spilling the beans on Anil’s business once again, please he’s on a mission or something, always gossiping about his bestie’s love life.

But hey! At least that made Big brother help Anil on this hard mission of dealing and rejecting so many suitors!!

Please, look at Anil’s face. She’s a menace!!

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Finally I’m able to post episode 7’s commentary. Here’s Part 2

[oenothera5]

✨ people I wanna know better! ✨

Thank you for the tag, @raksh-writes !

Last Song? My memory is pretty jumbled today but I do remember hearing a Dwight Yoakam cover of the Grateful Dead's Truckin' this morning for the first time and absolutely loved it.

Favourite colour? Cool colors (green, blue, purple)

Currently watching? "Loki" Season 2 on Disney+ and "Imitation" on Viki Rakuten. Loki Season 2 is so well-written. I can tell that they plotted it all out ahead of time and seeded important things along the way. If users figure out the foreshadowing ahead of time, it's not a bad thing- it means you constructed it well.

Last movie? I was supposed to go see the Taylor Swift concert movie a few weeks ago but something came up and we had to cancel last minute. I am bummed out.

Sweet/spicy/savoury? Definitely spicy. I like all sorts of spicy things, but complex spicy things like a really good fresh salsa or a Thai curry or Korean fried chicken. I am not into things that are sheer pain though- you'll never find me trying a ghost pepper or anything.

Relationship status? Married

Current obsessions? The World Series just ended. My Diamondbacks lost, but I provided great entertainment to my coworkers this week as I begged every restaurant/venue we visited to put the game on. There's always next year!

Last thing you googled? "Seventeen Seventeenth Heaven Autograph Template." My BFF and I are trying to decode the signed albums she bought. We've identified two but some others are eluding us. Strangely, if you Google search that, you get calendars with the Virgin Mary on them

Selfie: I'm a very shy person but here is a funny sign I saw at the Starbucks this week. They are very much Swifties at my Starbucks.

Friends I wanna get to know better:

I will tag with no pressure, as always: @myevilmouse @minisugakoobies @seokjinger-ale @ele-millennial-weirdo @theyellowotter

[frizzle-mcshizzle]

the rest of the kotlc books i read summarized in the most unhinged way possible

part one

Lodestar: Sir Mommy Issues™️ is apart of the neverseen and blows. up. his. SCHOOL. the council make everyone go to prison school lesssons, btw y’all can blow up flesh and bone, what?!, oh nothing, girl blows up rock with mind, ✨Slumber Party✨ MARRIED PEOPLE 💕KISS💕 BECAUSE THEY LOVE AND FORGIVE EACH OTHER, daily check-in with double agent friend, he makes a poem about his bootie!!, they meet on a island?? and talk about stuff??? young man gets kidnapped and 🔥tortured🔥, the mirror that the girl was allergic to is actually a ✨secret portal✨, and it leads to another ✨secret portal✨,it takes them to a evil bad gut hideout (it’s empty btw), (they accidentally trap their friend in the secret wall hole), 13 year old is asked to attend peace talks because that’s where a child should be, this just in: having a peace talks on top of a underground prison is a horrible idea™️ who would have thought, the building collapses on top of everyone because foreshadowing, man who murdered his fiancé gets smooshed by a R O C K, the mentor guy gets stabbed and slowly bleeds out as his creation watches helplessly (this will definitely not effect her forever) oh no the bad guys have another bad guy!! oh know the girls human parents get kidnapped!! but her sister is ok!! she suddenly remembers who her sister is! THE END so much happens in this book what the hell

Nightfall: Human girl thinks elves names are weird, man drugs a group of children and takes them to a second location (his ex best friends apartment), the ex best friend fosters the human girl along with his “not legally” ex-wife, main character goes into zombie mode because her human parents are being tortured, strange lady takes children on a field trip with a man who’s just a blurry blob and not any character we knows older brother, 🎶young man, fight the ogre king, i say young man, rip that jewel, off, his, ear🎶 a princess becomes a body gaurd and immediately booby traps her charges bed, he’s supposed to be on bed rest because he got almost gutted by the Ogre king aka her dad, surprise girl can control 🔥FIRE🔥, secret message decoding, and technically not cousin kissing,they find the evil big brother™️ and he gets slammed into the walls by his sister, there’s a secret torture chamber under the under water city, parents are stuck inside fake 🔥fire🔥, they get the parents out, dad mid controls a psychopath AND a genetically modified murder creature that shouldn’t even exist (kinda like the main character but with less murder), girl decides to take on a murderer, without emotions, who’s been in jail for a millennia on her own and gets TOSSED THROUGH A MIRROR (A+ for effort baby girl), she’s completely shredded and to this day i don’t understand how they even found her body or how she found the evil lady, the human parents gets their minds wiped AGAIN (you will cry at what the mother says), evil big brother completely forgot who he is THE END

Flashback: Evil big brother who had his mind completely wiped is living at home again, because the council and his parents don’t think he’s evil anymore because he forgot all his memories, the younger siblings are NOT happy™️, the younger brother AKA the Burnette hot guy is EXTRA not happy™️, he works out in the desert doing hand stand push up that the main character definitely doesn’t find hot, OH NO! the bad guys attack with shadow powers!!!, the two guys the series keeps forgetting about save the day with a 🌈rainbow sword🌈 (and Explosives!!!🔥local children almost die for the eleventeth time, their in comas, their poor parents, girl wakes up, her arm is goopy and there’s a monster in her brain that is not a metaphor for PTSD, the boy is still in a coma, 🩷😊✨happy shadow thoughts✨😊🩷, girl says she misses the boy and he wakes up through the power of 💕love💕 (probably), they’re hospitalized for two months aka half the book, the blonde hot boy walks in on the Burnett hot guy had feeding the main character candy, he leaves like a sad puppy in the rain, they get out of the hospital, but the Burnett guy is still on crutches, ❤️boy x chandelier the love story for the ages❤️, main character gets not 1 not 2 but 4 new body guards, one is married to the princess, they hate each other, self-defense training and bodyguards shenanigans, the ballad of Bo and Ro is written, local horse girl almost gets kissed by a guy who’s basically royalty, the horse girls horse goes into labor and the horse girl teleports to her rescue, the bald girl from book one helps save the horse’s life with her mom and dad, a troll takes advantage of the fact that the baby horses need to be incubated and gets the horse girl make an alliance with the entire horse species without any other adult input, they take the babies to some hidden tower and create an illusion that will definitely protect them, surprise Evil brother is still evil, he release secret gmo murder troll newborns who wreck havoc, EVIL LADY GETS CRUSHED BY D O O R, little brother almost kills his brother not once but twice, one of those times he trapped him in a baby troll capsule, when it started to fill with goop. he. stopped. pressing. buttons. evil brother escapes definitely won’t be relevant later, evil mom lady threatens to kill the baby horses if he doesn’t get to steal a child, he agrees to be stolen, she knocks him out anyway, the baby horses are born and they are ok, then the horse girl goes to get her eugenics lists because that’s what you do when your friend is kidnapped.