#it’s more like a soul bond than a traditional friendship or romance

[spectrum-color]

I saw Fitz’s time in Withywoods being described as reading like a dream and it really struck me how accurate that is. Fitz comes off as pretty checked out in those chapters; despite having all of his memories and feelings back it’s like he’s lost a piece of himself and isn’t fully present. It ends up functioning like a cabin 2.0 and it was a really interesting narrative choice.

[can-you-even-anime]

Unveiling the Timeless Charm of Inuyasha: A Gateway to the World of Anime

Why is Inuyasha a great anime to start with? Well, simply put, it’s the show’s diverse themes! That’s just one of the many reasons, but what does that really mean? What makes these diverse themes so important for making Inuyasha a fantastic starter anime? Before diving into the details, let’s explore a bit about this amazing show and why its variety of themes makes it such a standout choice!

Set in feudal Japan, Inuyasha is a spellbinding tale that brings together the best of fantasy and romance. The story kicks off with Kagome Higurashi, a modern-day high school student who’s unexpectedly pulled into a mystical era after falling into a well at her family shrine. There, she meets the half-demon Inuyasha, and let me tell you, their encounter is nothing short of electrifying!

Inuyasha, with his fierce determination and brooding charm, might seem like a typical bad boy, but his heart is as big as his sword! And Kagome, with her sharp wit and compassionate nature, brings a refreshing balance to their dynamic. Together, they embark on a quest to recover the shards of the Shikon Jewel, each adventure more thrilling than the last!

What makes Inuyasha truly special is its unforgettable cast. From the lovable and loyal Shippo, the mischievous fox demon, to the fierce and formidable Sango, the demon slayer with a heart of gold, the characters are as diverse as they are endearing. And let’s not forget Miroku, the charming monk with a penchant for mischief and a curse that adds a layer of intrigue.

These characters don’t just fight monsters and seek out magical relics; they grow, laugh, and cry together, making their bonds feel like family. Their interactions are the heart and soul of the series, making every episode a rollercoaster of emotions.

The action sequences in Inuyasha are nothing short of spectacular. Whether it’s Inuyasha unleashing his signature Iron Reaver Soul Stealer attack or Kagome taking down demons with her archery skills, every battle is filled with intensity and excitement. And the journey is never just about the fights—it's about the friendships forged and the obstacles overcome.

The blend of traditional Japanese folklore and fantasy elements makes each adventure unique and captivating. From haunted forests to mystical temples, the world of Inuyasha is a feast for the imagination!

Image found on Google, taken from media-amazon.com. Copyrights go to the original creators.

One of the most compelling aspects of Inuyasha is the romance between Kagome and Inuyasha. Their relationship is a beautiful, turbulent mix of love, misunderstandings, and growth. It’s not just a typical love story; it’s a journey of two souls navigating the complexities of their worlds and their hearts.

Their ups and downs will have you rooting for them, crying with them, and cheering for their happiness. It’s a love story that transcends time and space, making it all the more magical.

So why is Inuyasha a great anime to start with? It’s because it masterfully blends everything together! Some anime can be super fast-paced, which might be overwhelming if you're not used to it. But with Inuyasha, the diverse themes give you something to connect with, the pacing of the story helps you follow the plot with ease, and the characters’ personalities make it easy to form a bond. By the end, you might feel a bit sad that it’s over, but you’ll also be thrilled that you connected with and enjoyed such a fantastic series!

That’s all, minna! I hope you agree with me. If you’re on the lookout for your first anime and decide to start with Inuyasha, please let me know what you think—I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! If you’ve seen it before and think there are other anime that do a better job of introducing Japanese culture, I’d love to hear about those too. Regardless, I’d love to know your thoughts!

[selfproclaimedunicorn]

question #1 in every section for your current muse <3

ljsdfsdf, JOEY. Thank you for your service (even if I gotta think harder than anticipated now, lol). Enjoy getting subjected to my daughter Daenys Targaryen, because I’ve been thinking about ✨her✨

Is your OC romantic in the traditional sense? Do they enjoy giving or receiving gifts of flowers or confectionery? Or are there other courtship traditions from their culture of origin that are important to them?

Yes, absolutely. Daenys is soft & sappy & dreams of epic, sweeping romance. Given the whole “no brothers for her or Rhaenyra to marry” thing, she lets herself indulge in daydreams about finding a Nonthreatening Hunky Boy(toy) to give her favor to at tourneys & kiss behind trees in the gardens & have romantic dances with. General “medieval fantasy girly girl” romantic fantasies. Before her friends-to-lovers with Tyland Lannister, she doesn’t really know how go about or what to do with these fantasies, but she has them.

After the relationship starts she is 1000000% all about gifts because that is babygirl’s love language. Give her flowers, give her candies & cakes, give her pretty jewelry. She wants to know that, even if they aren’t physically together, he was thinking about her. She does this right back to him, btw. “Saw this thing & thought of you, so I got it for you. Ily, bby💕”. She is also very, very determined that one day she’s gonna convince Tyland to go flying with her on her Pastel Princess Dragon, because the thought of having him with her up in the air with just them & the dragon she’s bonded to/is such a part of her is very, very special to her. Self actualization type need for her high romance.

Does your OC have a Best Friend? If they do then how long have they known each other and how did they meet? If they don’t then do they have a close group of friends they love equally? Or are they more of a loner?

I’m not really sure what her whole Girl Posse looks like, since I’m very focused on my Roycegaryen fic rn & it’s easier to write little snippets of my Alicent OC than it is for Daenys because I feel in my soul she’s gonna get a whole fic one day, & I can’t really know what will & won’t be stuff we see within her fic/The Red Princess. So she’s in a weird state of limbo where there’s all kinds of possibilities for her that I’m a little scared to explore because “there will be more one day & this could change.” The thing I absolutely know beyond a shadow of a doubt, though, is that her bestie is Lyonal Strong’s youngest child: Cassana.

By the time we get to the start of s1e1 of HOTD, they have known each other…essentially their whole lives. Like, maybe not “from the very minute they were born” type shit, but very near to “womb to the tomb besties.” So yeah, Cassana was just kind of presented as the friendship/companion option for Daughter 2 because if Alicent was there for Rhaenyra then Daenys needed someone, right? Right. They grew up together & neither Daenys or Cassana is aware of a time they didn’t have each other as their “sister I picked” (because circumstance sees them both not incredibly close to their actual sisters. Not in an animosity/”ooh, I hate you” type way, just “I love you, but we aren’t really friends” type way).

Did your OC’s parents love them unconditionally? If so then has this helped them feel confident as an adult? If not then how has this affected them? What were the conditions their family attached to their relationship?

I want to say yes, because I know Aemma definitely loved both of her girls unconditionally & did her best to make sure they would come at the world with some level of confidence hand-in-hand with their (rather frank) preparation for the world, but Vizzy is the wild card, ain’t he?

I don’t think he did much to undo what Aemma did with Daenys that crafted her into the softly confident, loved young woman she is by the time I introduce her around the start of the show (because I do not at all intend to start her fic as early as I did SOTF), but he definitely did something to it. Because she has to know she’s not what he wanted. Daenys was supposed to be a son, & he’s disappointed. He won’t tell her that, but she’s not stupid (head empty, but not stupid). His whole…how he is, & Daenys knowing that she was “supposed to be a boy” & that she’d probably have more outward love & affection from her dad had she been is, I think, what makes her double down on her femininity.

Daenys being hyper feminine, & soft, & leaning into all the conventions of courtly girlhood (later womanhood) both as “this is what I enjoy” & a way to game the system in her favor by manipulating people with her perceived weakness & emotional sensitivity is a product of Aemma’s love & her nurturing of these things Daenys liked, & of Viserys quietly wishing she’d been someone else while still telling her he loved her.

Does your OC wish to make the world a better place? How far do they see that as being their responsibility? What lengths would they go to in order to help achieve this?

Honestly, no. She is so, so far removed from the lives of people who are worse off than her. Daenys is selfish & privileged & spoiled & she just sort of…doesn’t care? She doesn’t want to do wrong by anyone, & she cares if the smallfolk don’t have food or whatever, but she’s the secondborn daughter who gets pushed further & further down the line of succession each time Alicent has a son, she’s not at all prepared in any way to make the world a better place & she kind of likes it that way. She likes being frivolous & removed from other people’s problems because she just doesn’t really think they’re as important as her problems unless the other person is actively dying as a result of theirs.

Does your OC have any particular favorite chat up lines? If not for themselves then perhaps ones they have suggested to a friend? How effective do these tend to be?

Not really, lmao. Daenys has all kinds of romantic fantasies & daydreams (as mentioned earlier), but none of them are about the process of falling in love or finding a partner, they’re about already having one. She’s simply never thought about picking anyone up, because whatever Nonthreatening Hunky Boy she’s supposed to have is just gonna land in her lap (RIP me for giving her confirmation bias because he is literally dropped in her lap the moment he becomes employed). That said, though, I think almost any chat up line could work on her if you’re who she’s decided is gonna be her boy toy.

Is your OC in a committed long-term relationship (or relationships)? If so then what has contributed to this relationship lasting so well? If they are not in such a relationship, then is this something that saddens them or which they regret?

Not at the start, but at least part of her planned fic is about her getting into & being in a committed long-term relationship (with my mans Tyland). I touch on why their relationship works here, & I don't think I'll write something as articulate a second time. But also, the nonserious answer to why their relationship works is that they are both sexy & they bang on the reg.

Does your OC have a healthy sense of their own worth and value? Or do they see themselves as failing to live up to their original potential? Perhaps they are convinced of their own sinful or inadequate nature?

I would say she mostly does. Like I touched on earlier: it's impossible for Daenys to not know Vizzy wanted a boy, & a small part of her thinks she'd be taken more seriously if she were the boy he wanted. Ultimately, though, she's very comfortable with who & what she is. Daenys is also vain & narcissistic enough to think that, even though she's not The Wanted Boy, she is hotter & better than most other people. Everyone wishes they were her. Everyone wishes they were an iced out princess who gets to bang the most employed man in the Seven Kingdoms. And she knows this. Incontestable fact.

[lttlecrow]

✨️Time for my Poppycaskieran rant✨️

The shitty takes on the joining between poppy x casteel x kieran in TWOTQ are literally so stupid and immature.

Allow me to elaborate...

The book is not ruined nor did it diverge from canon... literally the joining was discussed multiple times and is a part of Atlantean culture. Full stop. It doesn't mean they are a throuple but it also wasn't just *~*as friends*~* to save Kieran. Poppy and Cas are soul mates, but they do feel romantic love for Kieran. Newsflash, you can love multiple people in multiple different ways! It doesn't lessen their relationship!! But can y'all please stop disrespecting my boy Kieran?

The poppycas ship is not dead? Like that's the dumbest most whiny baby bullshit I've ever heard. Cas and poppy love eachother more than ever which is made clear time and time again in this book. Cas alludes to Poppy exploring sexuality multiple times including being clear that he (and p much all Atlanteans) do not subscribe to traditional monogamy. On the beach they watch Kieran and others in a sexual manner, they discuss a female taking two partners at the same time, plus HELLO Miss Willa's diary is like a huge kink for them the entire time? It discusses orgies, multiple partners, and all manner of kinky shit. CASTEEL IS DOWN FOR WHATEVERRR AS LONG AS POPPY IS COOL WITH IT.

Saying that Poppy and Kieran have no connection? Like huh?? Were you just too wrapped up in obsessing over the traditional one boy/one girl romance to see the other relationships forming? Clearly Cas and Kieran already had a strong bond. Kieran came to be extremely protective of Poppy as he got to know her. At first it was because of Cas, sure, but the banter and friendship that grows between Poppy and Kieran is so glaringly obvious. The bond connects them, he loves and respects her as a person, plus HELLO he was literally there participating in some major PoppyCas sex scenes. He held her while Cas fed from Poppy in Spessa's End and again when she ascended and they fucked. (Can I get a hell yeah?!)

STOP!!! saying Kieran and Poppy were out flirting and having a great time while Cas was imprisoned by Isbeth. Poppy literally had nightmares and barely slept or ate. Kieran tried so hard to take care of her that he stopped taking care of himself. They talked about Cas every day, thought about him every moment, and considered his wishes with every move they made with the Atlantean forces. Like omg two people bonded over their sadness and loss of their soul mate, how dare they comfort each other! Get over yourself. Cas was so fucking glad they had each other. AND YEAH ofc Poppy fed from Kieran and had some sexual feelings. As I said before, THEY LOVE EACH OTHER and do have a bond! Plus we know that's the nature of taking blood from someone. Again, Cas was not bothered by this and LITERALLY TOLD HER HE WAS GLAD that she took Kierans blood later in the book. How tf can you read that any other way?

In conclusion, fuck the JLA haters. Y'all immature and need to learn more about love. Also, it's JLA's book so.... if you don't like it accept that it's fiction and leave.

✨️POPPYCASKIERAN SUPREMACY✨️

[neptunegoneby]

composite charts

some quick and random notes about composite charts since i’ve been doing a lot of synastry-composite readings recently.

the composite chart, davison charts, any kind of combined chart, is the Platonic idea of the “dia-logos”, or Lacan’s idea of “the Big Other”. you can think of these combined charts as showing the intellectual-emotional kin that is created by you and another person. this is the invisible “Other” that lingers around you both, and is activated through speech, physicalness, really anything you both do together.

- saturn trines or sextiles or conjuncts, adds stability consensually. easy moderation, easy discipline, easy structure. set structure. “consensually” as in, both people make a conscious decision and choices for structure.

- saturn squares, opposes, quincunx, adds stability after learning a lot of lessons. risky people and will need to learn. there can be a hard time learning to moderate. no-set structure with identity. makes more mistakes than an easier aspect, so again, stability come over time through failures/mistakes.

- saturn is relationship karma. shows where the couple has each other’s back, where the couple succeeds. where the couple fails and falls short.

- venus and moon: where the couple finds romance, love, pleasure, comfort, security --> 5th and 7th house.

- venus square/conj/opp moon --> this is a relationship that gets DEEP quickly, fast, and skyrockets to the next level.

- 6th/8th house and moon: how your day-to-day with each other is, how you share physical space, eating habits, night and daytime routines, hygiene together, shopping lists and other lists, a lot of space, things you need to do together

-mars: the  energy your relationship has: is it explosive, is it slow, is it hard for you both to adapt to change together --> do you both quarrel, are you both slow to anger. mars in 2nd/taurus will have you both taking your sweet time together, and perhaps you both have strict boundaries about what is yours and what is theirs so no arguments can happen over posessions.... mars in 8th: arguing about money.

- jupiter and mercury adds friendship, forgiving, unconditional aspect. friends first, lovers later. family first, lovers later. strong foundation of friendship first. everyone expects friends and family to stay first, which is what mercury and jupiter gives. the bond. (so does saturn, but more of a sense of responsibility to someone.) - mercury is a bond by camaraderie, jupiter is a bond unconditional generosity, and saturn is a bond by responsibility (parental almost). loosely.

- 4th house composite, 4th house ruler, planets in 4th house --> home element, retreating together. always wanting to be alone, wanting to just do things with the two of you and some family. keeps the circle small. 

- uranus in a composite shows unconventionality --> doesn't necessarily mean quick break ups or quick hookups (though it can) but can mean that the relationship is not traditional, in some taboo, some sort of oddity/rarity --> relationship meant to rebel/age differances/long distance. similar to pluto. relationship is exciting. where the couple experiences the most change.

- neptune in a composite shows all idealization ... neptune conj mars --> sexual idealization, moon conj neptune --> emotional idealization... can be a good thing because this romanticizes the relationship and keeps everyone in phases of romance, this just gets tested during hard times. everyone projects onto everyone, and everyone has an idealized version of themselves and others, yet when there is a hard neptune contact, neptune takes it to an extreme. both people tries to be the ideal, and doesnt necessarily fail, it can bring people to try to be their best self for the other, which can be selfless. romance and spiritual. to reach the "Ideal" is the neoplatonic/stoic understanding of reaching Unity, reaching Perfection: just as fractalic nature is perfect and unity, neptune shows this same reach.

- pluto on an angle, people get jealous, intense couple, something about the relationship that makes people shocked.

- most planets below horizon --> private, lowkey, invisible relationship - most planets above horizon --> public, highkey, visible relationship

- chiron in the 10th --> damaging of public image, chiron shows damage to the relationshp. --> chiron in the 4th: damaging of familial image, traditions, struggle to make tradition, struggle to make foundations with each other. --> chiron in the 1st: damaging of each other’s ego. losing oneself in each other, losing individual identity and unified identity.

- north node in 2nd --> accumulate resources, get a house together, invest, etc. where the north node shows what they go out in the world to do together. ---> in the 4th house has similarities, settling down together, real estate and houses, setting up legacies and traditions, learning how to nurture each other and themselves. north node in the 12th --> SACRIFICE, the idea of sacrifice comes up because the relationship you must learn to uncondtiionally love each other, learn what sacrifices are necessary to keep each other if that is what both people want. compromise, and you will most likely feel each other as soul mates or you will truly self-realize through each other. catalyst for each other’s spiritual growth, ltierally and metaphorically. the relationship launches you both into each other’s psyche. 

- south node heavy --> relationship that you are coming back to again. planets and points making hard aspect to south node, and house placements, show the repeated events.

- planets to north and south node --> yes, this is a relationship from the past that you either are going to have to stick through to see the rewards, or itll be very difficult to continue to go through. sextiles/trines/squares to jupiter, saturn, and sun can really ease these difficult placements.

[starberry-cupcake]

Free Short Stories: Aromantic Recommendations

Aro week is over but I spent it reading aro stories that are entirely accessible online (with their authors' consent) and thought I'd share some with you, as well as some extra resources. I’m going to include under “read more” content warnings and specific details, like the kind of rep included or important notes, so if you want to be sure and safe before reading them, you can click “read more” for all that information, or if you prefer just the blurb, avoid it easily enough. There you will also find the extra links of interest and other masterposts.

Edit: This post used to be split in two parts, I’ve integrated them into one whole post for everyone’s convenience. 

1. Nkásht ii by Darcie Little Badger

Josie and Annie set to investigate a strange death that may involve more than they expected. Sometimes the love that heals isn’t romantic and bonds that are strong are those chosen.

2. Hope of the Future by Elizabeth Barrette

In a fantasy setting, a human cleric finds an elf bard and a strong female dwarf, all cast aside for their identities, and create their own home and family. The same characters also appear in another poem that continued their story: The Underground Gardens.

3. Tanith’s Sky by Penny Stirling

Ash is left with the loss of Tanith, after she sacrifices herself to save the world. Tanith's memories resurface in people's minds and Ash has to navigate their identity, their memories and how to label for others’ sake their lost relationship.

4. And If The Body Were Not The Soul by A. C. Wise

Ro is a human who forms an unlikely bond with an alien refugee, discovering a different layer of proximity that doesn't chain to the type of physicality humanity sets. In that process of discovery, Ro learns about the other side of the social oppression in their own city.

5. The Crows Her Dragon’s Gate by Benjanun Sriduangkaew

An exploration of the background and re-telling of the story of the goddess Xihe. Marrying out of the obligation of customs and pressure, this story explores the feelings of Xihe, her relationship with Di Jun and the freedom she ultimately seeks.

6. The Girl Turns West by Darcie Little Badger

Another tale set in Native American culture (the author is a Lipan Apache writer), this story is about family, sacrifice and forms of non romantic love and devotion that transcend the limits of life and death.

7. Kin, Painted by Penny Stirling

The narrator can’t find a place in a family that seems so determined, so certain, painted each in a specific way. A poetic prose filled with magic and the colors that we paint ourselves with, which can sometimes change with time.

8. Cucumber by Penny Stirling

A queerplatonic couple in a fantasy setting deals with social pressure in a story written in poetic verse.

9. The Famine King by Darcie Little Badger

A woman is chased by fear, memories and a being that affects her relationship with her own identity and mental health, while finding refuge in a found family. These characters are also included in a previous story called To Sleep.

10. How My Best Friend Rania Crashed A Party And Saved The World by Ada Hoffman

Emma, a Relator, finds out that her best friend Rania, a World Saver, is being used by her boyfriend and can lose her credibility as a Hero for it, so she enlists a tech-savvy Number Fiend, Deborah, to crash a high school party in a forbidden sector to confront the guy.

11. Unlike Most Tides by Darcie Little Badger

Mathilda is in peace with her solitude until she communicates with energy beyond her understanding and finds the voice of a murdered woman who asks her for help to deal with her killer: her ex boyfriend.

Content Warnings and Extra Details

1. Nkásht íí by Darcie Little Badger

Details: urban fantasy, folklore, suspense, aromantic lead character, main platonic relationship between female characters. CW: minor characters deaths, accidents, the death of a child is mentioned, domestic abuse in flashbacks.

2. Hope for the Future by Elizabeth Barrette

Details: aroace male lead in a poly relationship with a female and male character, fantasy, story in poetry, happy ending. CW: arophobia and acephobia, family abandonment.

3. Tanith’s Sky by Penny Stirling

Details: fantasy, sci fi, drama, hurt/comfort. Main qp relationship between an aroace cis female lead and a non binary allo lead. The aroace lead is dead by the start of the story, which I had my hesitation about, but the story does a wonderful job capturing Tanith’s life in an aftermath of what would be another untold story, as well as Ash’s identity and their relationship, as well as the process of grief and moving forward. CW: major character death, grief, depression, transphobia, arophobia and acephobia.

4. And If The Body Were Not The Soul by A. C. Wise

Details: explicitly touch-averse asexual non binary lead, very likely aromantic (expressed but not named in the text), sci fi, social strife, hurt/comfort, found family and friendship (nb and cis female, nb and alien friendships). Many commenters have expressed that Ro is potentially an autistic character, some autistic authors and reviewers have agreed or disagreed but I couldn’t find whether the author stated that at any point. CW: mild depictions of violence, xenophobia, social issues and unrest, happy ending.

5. The Crows Her Dragon’s Gate by Benjanun Sriduangkaew

Details: the goddess Xihe is depicted as aroace yet marries the god Di Jun for a time in which she lives troubled. Fantasy, mythology, re-interpretations, angst with a happy ending. CW: internalized acephobia and arophobia, dubious consent, violence, animal death, toxic marriage, there is a side wlw couple of mortals who die.

6. The Girl Turns West by Darcie Little Badger

Details: there isn’t romance in the story, the lead character doesn’t seemingly have romance in the future and there is a side female character who explicitly rejects suitors and prefers to live independently yet with her family. Considering that the author has written several aroace characters, I decided to include this one and another story in Part 2 as strong potentials (there is another story by the same author that other sites recommend as aro-representative, but I think these two are a lot less vague). Fantasy, mythology, folklore, bittersweet ending. CW: death mentions, wounds and accidents, blood mentions.

7. Kin, Painted by Penny Stirling

Details: poetic prose, fantasy, aromantic lead character, trans male character, non binary characters.

8. Cucumber by Penny Stirling

Details: fiction in poetry form, queerplatonic relationship in a fantasy setting. CW: arophobia and acephobia, social pressure.

9. The Famine King by Darcie Little Badger

Details: mystery, suspense, horror, folklore, hurt/comfort, angst w/optimistic ending, explicit non romantic & non sexual main relationship between to female characters. CW: blood, wounds, cannibalism mentions, mental illness with hallucination episodes, racism.

10. How My Best Friend Rania Crashed A Party And Saved The World by Ada Hoffman.

Details: high school setting, uplifting, sci fi, aroace lead character in a friendship with a heterosexual girl and a bisexual girl. CW: arophobia by the best friend, which is not confronted or discussed, mentions of racism. Notes: I read this story for the Pride list last year and I didn't include it because I had a bone to pick with Rania's character. The story is fun, a lot more lighthearted than many of the ones here and has a distinct tone that makes it good to include, plus Emma (the lead) is a very friendly, social and well-liked person, rather than the traditional robot/alien foil aro, ace and aroace characters tend to receive. So, even if I'm still uneasy about Rania and how her bad attitude is not acknowledged in the story, I’m still including it for all its perks.

11. Unlike Most Tides by Darcie Little Badger

Details: there is a protagonist who prefers to live in solitude and speaks about it and about her favorable feelings towards it. It isn’t explicitly stated that she is aromantic but, much like The Girl Turns West in Part 1, I’d say it’s a good addition to the list, though it's probably the least explicit of the bunch. Mystery, supernatural, sci fi, suspense, positive ending. CW: murder, corpses, side character death, blood, femicide.

Other masterposts:

@coolcurrybooks's first and second masterpost I consulted

Penny Stirling's recommendation list

LGBTQReads recommendations list

Claudie Arsenault recommendation list

Aro and Ace character database

Aroaessidhe recommendations list

YA Pride masterlist

My own LGBTQ+ free short stories rec list from last year, some of these stories are in it but the majority is not

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

Let’s talk about ‘Friends’ by BTS

by Admin 1

Friends is the subunit song by Jimin and Taehyung (co-written and co-produced by Jimin) from Map of the Soul : 7 which was released in February 2020. Interestingly enough, the Korean title is actually 친구, a word that is only used for friends of the same age, which is how ARMY figured out that it had to be their subunit prior to the release of the album.

On a very surface level, Friends is about the bond between Jimin and Taehyung recounting different little stories over the years, including the now famous dumpling incident which was first presented to us as a conflict that merely took up a few hours. Actually though it was a conflict that grew big enough that Jimin and Taehyung barely spoke to each other for two weeks and it culminated in Jimin getting drunk with Yoongi and then meeting Taehyung at a park at 4 am to make up. Yes, the same park at 4 am that Taehyung and Namjoon sing about in 4 O’Clock. That song, like many suspected, really was about Jimin and Taehyung as well.

But, while Friends might seem simple and fun on the outside, especially due to the upbeat melody and anthem like chorus, I think there is far more to it than meets the eye. Stella Jang, who co-wrote the lyrics, said in an interview with K-Pop Herald that BigHit sent her an email which contained the song as well as long stories about Jimin’s and Taehyung’s bond and based on that she was supposed to write short lyrics. She also had a friend, who is an ARMY, help her truly understand the depth of their bond. That alone to me shows that this goes far deeper than most might assume, and others wish for it.

Hello my alien We’re each other’s mystery Would it be why it’s more special

This verse for me is very interesting, especially since Jimin reclaims a nickname that people used to call Taehyung by which he hated. Instead Jimin turned it into something endearing, something that now belongs to them instead of others. It’s also noteworthy that that specific line is in English, not Korean, and he says my alien, so basically telling the listener that he takes some kind of claim over Taehyung, connects them in a way that anyone would understand, and unmistakably highlights that he’s the only one to call him like this because Taehyung is special to him, much the way you’d call someone dear to you/someone you love by an endearment such as ‘my darling’ or ‘my love’. 

More below the cut:

The mystery part could refer to the early days of their friendship, the times when they were just getting to know each other and trying to figure out their dynamic and each other in a more general sense. We know they almost instantly became friends, stuck to each other and spent a lot of time together, despite constantly getting in little fights, but perhaps those struggles were what made the end result that much more special to them. Interesting to note is also how Jimin once said that when he saw Tae for the first time he experienced many different emotions (he didn’t specify which ones though), and how to this day he remembers Tae only wearing those red shorts and snapback and how even then he already looked like an idol/celebrity. 

But the line could also refer to something more recent, or something more overarching, like a secret about themselves that only they know about, that they share and guard together.

Someday, when these cheers die down, stay hey Stay with me by my side Forever, keep staying here, hey

and

Someday, when these cheers die down, stay hey You are my soulmate Forever, keep staying here, hey You are my soulmate

These two might just be the most important parts of the song, and the ones that seem to be the hardest to swallow for some. This is basically Jimin and Taehyung asking each other to stay together forever, even when (or especially when) their careers will be over and BTS won’t be such a main and overarching reason for them to stay by each other anymore, so to speak. It implies that what they have is something they want to last forever, that it reaches far beyond them just being two best friends inside a group, but that they are rather two people who found ‘their person’ in each other. They know they’ve found something one of a kind, once in a lifetime, and want to hold on to it, to each other. It’s also them proclaiming and reminding everyone once again that they are soulmates, that this isn’t just something ARMY made up, some shipping agenda or anything like it, but that it is truly the title they see most fit for each other, that it basically feels like their bond was destiny and they were always meant to be together. You are my soulmate is also in English, something that every listener will understand, something so important they specifically made it this way so you wouldn’t need to look up translations from Korean to get it.

Sidenote--somehow soulmate has become a very debated term in connection to vmin so lets look at the definition for soulmate that wikipedia gives us: A soulmate is a person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity. This may involve similarity, love, romance, platonic relationships, comfort, intimacy, sexuality, sexual activity, spirituality, compatibility and trust. Most of these are rather connected to the most traditional way in which people imagine soulmates, as in two people destined for each other, lovers perfect for one another. Of course there are friendship type soulmates, but those are far more rare in peoples minds. The point I’m getting at is that Jimin and Taehyung never defined which type of soulmate they are, and until I saw non-vminies have a fight about how they’re definitely just platonic ones, I never even really saw the word soulmate in connection with ‘platonic’. In a way you could argue that both sides are right, that they are both friendship soulmates but also romantic ones as well, their bond encompassing both. But in the end, of course, that’s something only they can confirm yet I thought I’ll mention it anyway.

Like your pinky, we’re still the same I know your everything We must trust each other Don’t forget Instead of an obvious thank-you, you and I — let’s promise that we won’t fight tomorrow, for real

These lines may seem so simple, short and sweet, but I think there is a lot of meaning to them, a lot that’s written between the lines and potentially only something they understand the true extent of. I know your everything is another reminder that they are each others secret keepers, each others closest confidants, their person to go to and laugh or cry or celebrate with. Jimin and Taehyung have something that is rare, one of a kind, and it’s something beautiful that should be regarded with respect and wonder since it’s close to a miracle that they met and formed their bond in such a manner. After all Jimin is from Busan and Taehyung from Daegu, chances are, if BTS hadn’t happened, they might’ve never met, though looking at everything BTS have said about each other, they seem to believe they were all destined to meet regardless if as members of BTS or as normal people. The same most likely would’ve also have been the case for Jimin and Taehyung, and Friends is a beautiful piece of proof of that.

Many dismiss Friends as just a song about their friendship, but I think once you truly think about the lyrics and the thoughts that must’ve gone into it, you might change your mind. Even more so when you take into account what Namjoon said about Friends in his MOTS:7 vlive, how he wouldn’t even dare try writing any of the lyrics because he could never, ever do them justice, and how just thinking about the bond Taehyung and Jimin have, he gets goosebumps. That alone already says a lot, implies a lot of different things, very deep and (in my opinion) potentially more than just friends type things. There was also a moment during Bon Voyage 3 in Malta where Namjoon and Seokjin were at a restaurant together and somehow they brought up Taehyung and Jimin and both just shook their heads at how they are just--something, something apparently meaningful enough neither dared to voice it.

Friends might not be something you’d call a traditionally romantic or love song by any means, at least sound wise, but I’d argue the lyrics tell a completely different story, one of a bond that binds two souls, that combines friendship and love (both the love you have for a cherished friend, but also the one you feel for a romantic partner, I’d argue). The song, as well as 4 O’Clock are far more than meets the eye, you just have to be open and willing enough to see it.

After all Taehyung did say: “95z is love.” The biggest clue of them all.

(Lyric snippets taken from 친구 (Friends))

[lys-lilac]

My top 5 Voltage Inc. characters

A/N- First of all, thank you so much for 52 followers! I am so grateful that people respond to my posts, interact with me and support me. So here is a little celebratory post for this. Hope you enjoy participating in it. Also, feel free to reach out to me! Alright, let’s tag along!

Rules- Tell me your top 5 Voltage Inc characters. Just reblog, and share your favorites. Description may/may not be added. Anyone can participate! 

Starting from me, I have,

5. Igarashi Kota (Scandal in the Spotlight)

Even though I was hesitant at first from the title, I decided to proceed with him after reading his description. But it was way much better than expected. Kota is a genius. He can memorise lines in a go. An amazing idol and actor. One may feel at start that he is a cold and aloof character, but knowing his past and struggles will make your thinking go through a 180 degree flip. He is bad in expressing his feelings, that’s why described as a cat. (When you try to be close to him, he will shove you away with his claws, but if you don’t, he will slowly approach you)  His personality softens when he meets MC. When it came to confession in last chapter, it was really amazing. I loved how he helped MC to not depend on others. Also, extremely cute when blushes. Pfftt...

(don’t go with the line, it’s just a play.)

4. Kyogoku Sentaro (Romance MD: Always on Call)

An amazing pediatrician, member of EICU and a black hearted liar. Expert in his career, an amazing surgeon at the age of 31 only. Appears to to super friendly to talk to, but wait and watch. Dedication towards Kasumi? Pfft, no. His high level teasing nature interested me. I have played Kasumi’s main route, and I absolutely loved his becoming a volcano out of jealousy, throwing ridiculous jokes on MC and what not. But, his backstory and the struggles he went through will enthrall you. I am guessing, even though he appears like that from outside, he must be sensitive from his inner side. If time permits someday, I will definitely go though his super happy ending route.

(thanks to @tsumikashares​ for the above CG! That cute face and smile in the second... )

3. Maruyama Takao (My Forged Wedding)

A random recommendation I got. He is different from the general otome characters, but his realistic nature is what interested me. A professional attorney in Law Firm, along with having sweet pinch of homely nature. When MC’s marriage with her first so called fiancé gets called off before meeting with her parents, Takado pretends to be her fiancé and they start living together. As a friend, he slowly mends MC’s broken heart, and gradually falls in love with her.  In a chapter, there arises some severe problems to him and he even gets ready to break up with MC for protecting her. What I liked here is his support towards her to continue her favorite hobby as her job, and the warm moment and time they spend every morning, making traditional breakfast and nutritional shake. What a peaceful life, it’s simple, realistic and that’s why more appealing.

2.Hidaka Ayato (My Last First Kiss)

A top actor of Japan with extra-ordinary acting skills. This character. I was amazed with how much he supports MC(even if you don’t choose his path). She and he are childhood friends, and had studied together till high school. MC had a crush on someone, but when she gets rejected, he comes by to her support. And this happens two times. To cheer her up, all her friends along with Ayato gather together, just like best buddies. Ayato even helps her to become an ideal woman for finding a boyfriend by training her, going on dates with her, shopping for her and so on. That just showed how much he cares for her as a best friend. Slowly, this blossoms to love. The bonds of friendship, reunion and happiness through it shines through this story. 

and with this, moving on to the top...

1.  Kasumi Toshiki (Romance MD: Always on Call)

A genius cardiovascular surgeon, head of EICU, chief of medicine and a prodigy. In the start, he appears to be unapproachable, with a cold and intimidating aura. But beneath that lies a sensitive soul which he has encapsulated in the walls. What makes him get to the top of my list is the amount of inspiration he gives in his as well as in other character’s routes, the support and faith he slowly builds in MC, the urge to protect her when he realizes he has fallen for her, and the extent of sacrifices he is ready to make for the ones he loves and holds dear.  He cares for all the characters equally. Also, even after some arguments and misunderstandings, he always appears to be calm, and that is only for MC’s sake. That is a unique thing I observed in his route. In the story, a little misunderstanding occurs in a certain chapter, and this guy even prepares himself to give up on her and just support her from behind. (T^T) I have many posts about his character analysis, story briefings and so on, so I will not write much here. In a sentence, he is a delicate cinnamon roll as well as a sublime surgeon, dark prince and an angel.

That’s it. So I tag- @miss-alien-pixel, @imoonlit-river, @rikumorimachisgirl, @windybirdboi, @kamyru, @voltage-vixen, @world-a-to-z​, @tsumikashares​, @silverheart1123, @kasumisnowdrop​​ and anyone else who wants to join! Please let me know so that I can tag you.

Until next time.

~Lys

[uwua3]

white day confession.

❄️🍶 yukishiro azuma

summary: azuma receives many gifts of admiration on valentine’s day, but he’s only returning one on white day

dedication: ruri — my divorcee of all time, internet bff, and much more, i love you! happy birthday!! 🎁🎊🎉

warnings: distance, feelings, slight angst

author’s note: this is for my best friend, ruri! i love her endlessly and so does azuma! happy birthday to the angel born on white day; azuma loves you and so do all your friends! (･ω<)☆

word count: 1,518

music: say yes – loco, punch

it was as if azuma wielded cupid’s bow, unintentionally shooting everyone within sight to fall hopelessly in love with him

after all, how could you not? he appeared like a demigod, with the grace of something heavenly and the touch of a human. azuma captured the hearts of anyone who gave him a second glance

it was only natural for him to receive confession after confession on valentine’s day, with the typical box of chocolates he disliked and traditional store-bought cards presented to him. it didn’t matter who it was; azuma would always politely reject them with a sympathetic smile before leaving behind a trail of broken hearts

it wasn’t exactly a reputation he sought after, but the title “king of broken hearts” began to follow azuma every valentine’s day

many thought they could change his mind, that they could chain him down and get him to sign a contract to commitment. azuma was blessed with ero’s wings, he could fly away from any trap possible. no one could keep azuma on the ground

except, you

azuma expected a letter from anyone but you. you were always one of his closest friends, where the line between friendship and romance blurred. it was a no strings attached kind of relationship, where you two could do anything you want but still be with each other at the end of the night

so when you carefully gave him a folded letter, azuma repressed a sigh at the foreshadowing of another failed casual relationship. he didn’t open it, nor did he say a word and neither did you. it was like a silent agreement—nothing would change if the feelings weren’t said aloud

there was this non-verbal deal to not read the letter, so azuma didn’t. but, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. all he had to do was rip it up and destroy any chance of being curious

but, it was like pandora’s box. azuma would lay in bed, knowing the letter was in his bedside and all he had to do was pull open the drawers. azuma would wake up, wondering what you possibly were afraid to say, and azuma would fall asleep, dreaming of what contents were penned in your handwriting

it was like you put a love spell over him. ever since azuma received your love letter, he couldn’t think of anything else but you

unfortunately, it wasn’t a drunk decision to open your letter once and for all. azuma smoothed the wrinkles upon his forehead for the nth time, finally giving in when homare (who quickly ran away for his own good) commented about the condition of azuma’s skin

the world was quiet for once as the moonlit letter was read. the ink seemed like a fountain pen, with a lavender wax seal discarded to the side. as azuma took in your words, he unintentionally began reciting them whenever his eyes closed for a moment too long

My dearest, Yukishiro Azuma

Good day. This will be my first letter to you which I believe is long overdue. Now where do I start? Should I mention how I first fell for you? It was love at first sight. The moment you appeared in my eyes, I was struck by your beauty and I was affected even more when I heard your alluring voice which promptly sent shivers down my spine.

azuma reminisced on the past, where you two were much more naive and younger than you were now. had he truly missed the way your eyes looked towards him? how had you seen him? were you infatuated as well? for all these years? azuma was flattered to be the subject of your affections, but how was he so unaware?

How could this be? How could this possibly be? Just your first appearance already made my heart aflutter. My feelings for you grew tremendously once I started to get to know you better. I smiled when you smiled. I laughed when you laughed. I cried when you cried.

it was true you two shared a bond unlike any other. it was as if you two were truly connected; soulmates, if you will

when you smiled, he had no choice but to smile along. when you laughed, azuma found the world to be a much better place than he originally thought. when you cried, azuma did everything in his power to hold you close. you two shared something indescribable and unexplainable, that much was true

When your first leading role came, I did my hardest to support you. I gave my everything for you. Of course, this was only natural. For my heart, body, and soul belongs to you.

azuma faintly relived what it felt like when you ran into his arms, throwing your arms around his neck with a bouquet of the prettiest cecilias. it was closing night and you were the first to stand up during the standing ovation. azuma watched you like you were the star of the show that night

I can't believe that such a fine man like you exists. Oh how blessed I am! Can you see it? Can you feel it? How I wish to caress the side of your face? How I wish my lips could touch yours? How I wish to be embraced in your arms throughout the night? My darling Azuma, allow me to be by your side forever and always.

I love you, my darling.

with your signature gracing the bottom of the parchment, azuma’s heart warmed from the thought and consideration you had put into the letter. at first, the feeling was a pleasant warm sensation but quickly faded into a bitter cold

this was the first time azuma had felt truly moved by a letter before. what did this mean? did this mean... no, it couldn’t be

azuma closed the letter, his hands faintly shaking and a blush that couldn’t go away across his face. you love him, azuma repeated this in his head until he fell asleep, your words pressed against his chest

a month passes before azuma writes his own letter. a month of fleeting glances, touches that trailed for too long, and unspoken words that could change everything. although both of you tried your best to make sure nothing changed, something did

conversations that once flowed so smoothly froze over like a winter waterfall. energy that only you two knew the meaning of faded into a spark of what it once was. you two slowly grew distant no matter what either of you did. you both knew what was inside the letter now, there was no turning back

so, azuma sits down, takes out his own fountain pen, and watches the lilac wax melt above the aromatic candle. all the words he couldn’t speak were forming at the tip of his fingers, all he had to was write

if azuma shared his feelings, he’d lose what he worked so hard to maintain: his independence, his freedom, his privacy. but, after a month-long contemplation, azuma knew he’d rather lose those things than lose you

To my beloved,

Perhaps this may come as a surprise to you, but my letter is long overdue as well. Words that I cannot bring myself to share are now dutifully written upon this page; I promise you, they are as truthful as they come. I have laid out my soul bare for you to choose whether or not to accept. Please be gentle with me as I attempt to express how I feel about you.

When we had first met, you had come into my life because the heavens had blessed me with humanity’s greatest gift. What did I, an unfortunate mortal, do to deserve such a person? Overcome by my blinding adoration for you, I continued worshipping you as the gods intended. For the past years have been nothing but bliss, you are the only person who could make me feel such a way.

I could see your angel wings when you had hugged me that closing night after Winter’s first show. I should’ve told you then, but I didn’t know. I am only human, how could I know what these emotions were when I had never experienced them?

To this day, I do not know if I’ve always felt this way about you. But, I do know now. Please forgive me for taking so much time to admit the truth.

I love you, too, my angel.

Love, Yukishiro Azuma

white day had arrived. you weren’t the type to receive an influx of gifts on either days, since you only had ever given one letter to a special someone in all your life

azuma was the type to be showered in sweets, chocolates, and letters every day of the year. his charm and charisma could make anyone fall head over heels, including you. but, he had never given a white day gift before

when you turned around, you noticed a letter being held out between the hold of azuma

could it be? did azuma love you, too?

“happy white day. i love you, my angel.”

[theguildedtypewriter]

Interested in an eARC? Contact me with that good ol' email button at info@rejohnsonbooks.com!⁠

Affinity for Pain is an urban paranormal romance with sex, assassinations, and explosions. It's the first of the Newborn City Series but does offer its own HFN ending. (CW: murder, sex, torture, sexual assault.)⁠

Here's what @idreamonpaper had to say:

"Enticing and intriguing

Where do I even start? This story was intriguing from start to finish. From the very beginning, you are pulled into Hope's world and you are introduced to this new idea of demons. You see that they have their own culture and traditions and they are almost like tribes. It breaks the traditional image you have of them. And the terminology used as well as the language gives the reader a sense of otherworldliness.

The characters are complex and well written and even when they have their flaws it's those flaws that make you root for them. Ciaran is a tragic soul who's endured so much that he's not seen as pathetic and it breaks the image that big buff men don't have issues and insecurities. You find yourself falling in love with him and the romance between him and Hope was soon natural and realistic.

Hope was a badass female character who was no damsel in distress. The fact that she leads Ciaran out of the dark and is his polar opposite makes them both the perfect match.

Dimitri was that friend that just wanted to help his buddy even when he had his own issues. His sense of humor and sarcasm always made me laugh. I like the friendship between him and Ciaran because of how supportive it is. It also showed the friendship between two males which is not something you see a lot. I love how protective he is and how much he tried to get Ciaran out of his shell.

All in all this book is one that I have no doubt in my mind that it will end up in bookstores. The writing, the story, the characters, and the world are all fascinating and so well done. I can't wait to add this book to my collection of books!"

Here are the details:⁠

Newborn City, once a dead-end, old lady-infested town, is now home to hundreds of supernatural creatures. The Chakal demon, Hope Turner is one such being. Without physical sensation and the dreaded emotions that often go with it, Hope is the ideal human-hunting assassin. Tonight’s plan is like all others- to introduce a bullet to yet another demon-hater’s brain. Fate has other plans. Upon seeing Ciaran, she’s paralyzed by omaeriku, a bond that forces Hope to feel it all: heat, cold, and pain (which she could've happily done without).⁠

⁠Ciaran O'Connor escaped his own Gladiator captivity to create a somewhat normal life. Now, someone from his past wants him dead. Aligned with the woman sent to kill him, who may have guest-starred in some saucy dreams, Ciaran must determine who put the target on his back and deal with his attraction to Hope. Worse yet, a sadist biting at their heels wants Ciaran back under his thumb. ⁠

As they race to find their attacker before thugs kill them both, old habits rip them apart, allowing Ciaran to be captured by the one person he fears. Filled with demons, a wealthy madman, and torture, Affinity for Pain follows two people as they navigate a violent road lined with monsters and a heaping dose of sex. Hope and Ciaran have seen and felt pain, but they’ll soon see there’s more to life than agony.⁠

[deathberrybro]

IchiRuki Transcends Romance

I want to finally give a formalized account on my interpretation of IchiRuki and the ending of Bleach.

Ichigo and Rukia's relationship in Bleach is one that "transcends" traditional romance. It's clearly apparent throughout the series that IchiRuki is the most well developed relationship, with those two having the most interesting character dynamic and on-panel chemistry. Kubo himself chose to focus on this bond the most, starting with their initial meeting with Rukia giving Ichigo his Shinigami powers to kick off the entire story, all the way up until the last chapter where they are still featured as the focal point.

We can see here it is implied that despite being married to other people, Ichigo and Rukia still consider each other to be the most important person in their respective lives. So why is it that they did not end up together? I believe Kubo deliberately had them NOT end up married to each other to emphasize the fact that their relationship goes BEYOND that of a typical romantic one.

I want to start off by saying I strongly disagree with the way Kubo decided to end the series from a pairings standpoint. Having said that, I want to point out some of the things I believe he was trying to convey.

Bleach is a Shounen manga first and foremost, which means romance was never going to be the focal point and Kubo has stated himself in multiple interviews that he does not want to focus on romance. However, that doesn't mean that he would not put emphasis on important relationships between characters. Kubo likes to go for a sort of "Star Crossed Lovers" trope where two characters have strong, albeit not outright romantic, feelings for each other, but yet will be separated by the circumstances. We saw this with Gin/Rangiku where Gin dies just as he reveals his true intentions and feelings for Rangiku

and with Ulquiorra/Orihime where Ulquiorra fades away just as Orihime has finally made him realize the meaning of "The Heart".

Kubo is very effective at writing these types of scenarios which create a sort of sad yet poetic vibe.

He does this in part, with Ichigo/Rukia as well, with their separations, firstly when Rukia decides to stay in Soul Society to repair her past relationships after Ichigo rescues her

and then again after Aizen's defeat as Ichigo is losing his Shinigami powers.

The way these events are framed to show the magnitude of the moment indicates that Ichigo and Rukia consider each other to be the most important person in their respective lives. Of course then it would be extremely out of character for Ichigo to marry Orihime and Rukia to marry Renji, if marriage is to be considered the strongest form of a bond, which in the context of Shounen manga it is not.

Kubo has stated in interview that he considers Ichigo and Rukia's relationship to be one that is more than friendship but different from that of lovers, which is not to say that it is less than that of lovers. Kubo had wanted to develop a unique, one-of-a-kind relationship for Ichigo and Rukia that carries more significance than traditional romance.

That is why in the final chapter it is still Ichigo and Rukia's relationship that is given more attention in contrast with their respective marriages. I believe Kubo wanted something more for these characters, and so by deliberately having them married to other people but still putting the focus on their bond, he is emphasizing that what they have goes beyond the traditional romantic relationships they mysteriously developed with Orihime and Renji respectively.

Again, I don't agree with the decision to do this, as I think it would have been much cleaner and a lot less convoluted if Ichigo and Rukia had just ended up together romantically, since anyone who paid attention would already be able to realize that their bond is much deeper than any typical superficial Shounen romance, but given what we got, this is the way I interpret it.

Another reason why Kubo may have ended the series the way he did was to have Ichigo and Rukia's kids meet each other, paralleling the way they initially met in chapter 1. This is one of the things he was obviously trying to go for with the titles of the first and last chapters both being "Death and Strawberry". And I think that it further enhances my interpretation as he wanted to show that Ichigo and Rukia's bond is one that transcends time and persists across generations.

This idea is one that Kubo has hinted at before. A quote from this color page:

"When the two that share destiny part and reunite, beyond the frame of time, the ceased clock will awake and start to tick once again."

And at the end of the Fade to Black movie which he was involved with the production, Ichigo drops this quote: "If death really isn't the end of everything, then that first time we met might not have really been the first time. For all we know, we might have been connected from way before that. I'm not really sure, but I think maybe once a bond is formed it can never really disappear. And if that's the case, even if we forget everything, we'll all be connected again somewhere in the future."

I believe the intention here was to show the timelessness of Ichigo and Rukia's bond, and that it will persist even after they are both gone. Once again, I think that it would have made for a much cleaner ending if they had just ended up together, but given that Kubo did not go that route, this is the only way I can make sense of the ending. Anyways, that’s the end of my ramblings and I hope this made at least a bit of sense.

[tabloidtoc]

OK, December 21

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Queen Elizabeth cancels Christmas

Page 1: Big Pic -- David Beckham in an ad for Haig Club 

Page 2: Contents 

Page 4: Bella and Olivia Jade Giannulli -- life on their own -- find out what Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli’s daughters have been up to while their famous parents sweat it out in prison -- Bella has been so stressed out and felt she deserved a trip with her buds so she went to a luxury resort in Santa Barbara over Thanksgiving weekend 

Page 6: It’s been a little over a year since Felicity Huffman was released from prison after serving her time for role in the college admissions scandal but she is finally starting to get her life and career back on track -- initially she was nervous about working again given the controversy and everything that went down and she seriously wondered if there would be anything out there for her material-wise but she shouldn’t have worried as she landed a part in an upcoming pilot in which she’ll play a recently widowed owner of a Triple-A baseball team and she’s really excited about the show 

Page 7: Kristin Cavallari is fed up with Carrie Underwood’s meddling in her divorce from Jay Cutler -- after Kristin called time on her seven-year marriage Carrie and her husband Mike Fisher who used to be Nashville couple-friends to both Kristin and Jay have taken Jay’s side and since then there’s been some snide stuff said that’s made it clear how Carrie really fills about Kristin -- while Jay spent Thanksgiving with Carrie and Mike, Kristin filmed a wine-fueled Instagram Live and Carrie finds this type of thirsty behavior on social media incredibly lame and she’s saying it’s obvious Kristin cares more about upping her profile than making any type of family peace 

* After nearly 60 years in showbiz Cher has a different aspirations -- since traveling to Pakistan to help a mistreated elephant from a local zoo be relocated to an animal sanctuary she’s saying this is her new mission to help endangered species in third world countries and campaign for other good eco causes -- Cher spends much of her time cooped up and bored in her Malibu mansion and her trip made her realize there’s a world out there that needs her help 

* Mark Harmon of NCIS is all work and no play these days and nearly two decades in the same TV gig as Leroy Gibbs has only made things worse as the responsibilities of the show seem to wear heavier on Mark by the year and even on a break you can’t get him to crack a smile or tell a joke; he’d rather go lie down in his trailer -- off set Mark and his wife of 33 years Pam Dawber get along because they’re such homebodies and Mark can usually be found working on his cars in the garage or relaxing in the yard and he cherishes his quiet time but people have stopped inviting him out because he’s known as Mr. Boring 

Page 8: Dolly Parton is spreading Christmas cheer far and wide with a new TV special and album and Netflix movie but at her home in Tennessee the holiday spirit is decidedly lacking because Dolly is forgoing her favorite 40-year-running traditions which are filling her house with trees and driving her nieces and nephews and their kids around her farm in golf carts dressed as Santa and handing out presents because of her concern for her husband Carl Dean who has Alzheimer’s disease and he’s in a high-risk group for coronavirus so she’s restricted the property to just them and two staff members -- it breaks Dolly’s heart to have to cancel her big annual celebration and she’s still decorated her home to the nines but it’s a lonely feeling knowing the family won’t be there to see it 

* Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton are proving themselves to be perfectly postmodern parents by raising their kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis with firm rules for TV and electronic use -- Kate who recently revealed she’s fielded her share of temper tantrums actively attempts to stave off meltdowns with a strict rewards chart and the kids have to earn screen time -- Kate prefers to keep them busy with activities like board games and hikes and baking which the children enjoy anyway

* After spending the last several years living a relatively low-key life in his native England Russell Brand is desperate to have a bigger presence in Hollywood but his wife Laura insists he stay put -- Russell’s craving SoCal living and the copious acting jobs and event invites that came with it but Laura prefers their British life outside the spotlight with their young daughters -- while some work has come to him in England like the upcoming Death on the Nile if he had his way he’d make a more aggressive career push in L.A. 

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars stand out in festive green dresses -- Carly Pearce, Angela Bassett, Zendaya 

Page 11: Jodie Comer, Adriana Lima 

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Melissa Gorga vs. Jennifer Lahmers, Abigail Spencer vs. Hailey Bieber in Max Mara, Olivia Culpo vs. Aurora Culpo 

Page 14: News in Photos -- Brooke Burke with Christmas ornaments that will be auctioned by non-profit Operation Smile 

Page 16: Audrina Patridge brought along her daughter Kirra’s favorite toys for a picnic in Beverly Hills, Padma Lakshmi visits The Vitamin Shoppe in NYC, Brandy at the BET Soul Train Awards 

Page 17: Kelly Rutherford felt the love from her dogs in L.A., Shawn Mendes out for a walk in Miami 

Page 21: Robin Wright and husband Clement Giraudet held hands while riding their bikes in L.A., long-time friends Gabrielle Union and Snoop Dogg unpacked ingredients delivered by Shipt 

Page 22: Josh Duhamel on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Karlie Kloss on her new Adidas collection 

Page 24: Vanessa Hudgens snuggled up to her beloved pup Darla while at the park in L.A., Jay-Z taking a walk around the island in Hawaii 

Page 25: Kimora Lee Simmons and her children handed out food to residents of a housing complex, Prince Jackson safely helped a community church distribute food to those in need 

Page 26: Inside My Home -- Ariel Winter’s stylish setup 

Page 28: Like most Garth Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood have had a challenging 2020 but their 15-year marriage was put to the test this past summer when the country superstars’ daughter Allie tested positive for Covid-19 -- they were worried sick and had to go into quarantine themselves and not being able to hold Allie’s hand was terrible for both of them but fortunately Allie’s case was mild and Garth and Trisha’s tests came back negative 

Page 30: Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott who have amicably coparented their daughter Stormi since their split last year and recently spent Thanksgiving together as a family are drawing up plans to have another baby together in 2021 because both of them want to give Stormi a sibling ASAP and neither can imagine going through this process with anyone else -- the exes are figuring out a contract to specify their family plans that will protect Kylie’s money and outline coparenting terms more formally and give them each an agreeable share of custody if things don’t stay as rosy down the line

* They’ve costarred in five films and have proclaimed they’re each other’s work wives and are finally single at the same time so pals of Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis are urging the longtime friends to give it a go romantically especially now that Jason has split from Olivia Wilde -- Jennifer always says Jason makes her laugh the way no one else can -- while Jason’s primarily focusing on coparenting his kids he’s long harbored warm and fuzzy feelings toward Jen and he would love to ask her out but the only thing holding him back is the potential to ruin their solid friendship

* Love Bites -- Johnny Galecki and Alaina Meyer split, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky dating, Jonathan Bennett and Jaymes Vaughan engaged 

Page 31: Matthew Perry’s loved ones are worried the Friends star has made a rash call by suddenly getting engaged to literary manager Molly Hurwitz -- the on-off two-year romance between Matthew and Molly has been dysfunctional from the get-go and Matthew’s way more into this than Molly who seems to love him more like a brother

* A rough year for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle including inter-family strife and a move across the pond and a devastating miscarriage has only strengthened their bond -- after Meghan revealed she and Harry had miscarried in July the two were quite overwhelmed by the outpouring of compassion and the response not only validated their decision to go public a thousand times over but it also helped them grow even closer -- they’re determined to put this behind them and try for another baby at the earliest opportunity but more than anything else it’s really underlined how they belong together as soulmates 

Page 32: Cover Story -- Queen Elizabeth’s holiday shake-up -- inside the monarch’s heartbreaking decision to call off the family’s annual Christmas celebration -- the queen will celebrate the holidays at Windsor Castle in Berkshire for the first time in more than three decades -- while the queen is upset not to have the company of the younger royals this year she has to think about her and Prince Philip’s health 

Page 36: Katie Holmes’ season of joy -- how Katie is spending the holidays with her new love Emilio Vitolo Jr. 

Page 38: Mistaken Identity -- with these celeb look-alikes it’s deja vu all over again -- Carrie Underwood and Reese Witherspoon, Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Wood 

Page 39: Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon, Amy Adams and Isla Fisher, Lucy Hale and Selena Gomez 

Page 40: Interview -- Tommy Lee’s new beat -- the veteran rock star opens up about his latest solo album and his new fan base 

Page 42: Gal Power -- how Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot gets into superhero shape 

Page 43: Fight Club -- these buttkicking superheroines pushed themselves to new limits -- Brie Larson, Scarlett Johansson, Danai Gurira 

Page 46: Style -- Zendaya for Lancome’s new mascara 

Page 48: Sleek activewear from celeb-loved label Gigi C Bikinis makes it easy to look like a star when you work out 

Page 49: 5 minutes with Adrienne Bailon 

Page 54: Entertainment 

Page 58: Buzz -- Disney Holiday Singalong featuring Ryan Seacrest, Katy Perry, Pink and daughter Willow, Ciara and her kids Future and Sienna 

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Nelly on feeling disappointed with placing third on Dancing With the Stars, Kaley Cuoco on husband Karl Cook’s social media presence, Megan Fox on first meeting boyfriend Machine Gun Kelly 

Page 61: Paul McCartney on why he doesn’t like taking pictures with fans, Cardi B joking about how her 2-year-old crashed her selfie video 

Page 62: Horoscope -- Sagittarius Vanessa Hudgens turned 32 on December 14 

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Dan Levy 

[halloweensims]

▼ Mateusz Kotowitcz ▼

YA/vampire male/straight clan: Nosferatu aspiration: the Tinkerer traits: avoidant, practical, sporty extra traits: polyamorous, aversive appearance career: army world: San Myshuno

Mateusz has a lot of intimacy issues and prefers to avoid emotional situations (unless he is drunk XD) he has no illusions about the world and himself, but of course he is not made of steel. Greta, with her loyal friendship and a bit of naive ideals managed to sparkle something within him, something that reminded him of how he used to be. She is the reason why he is trying hard to save the remains of his humanity and be a better person, and a better friend. He currently joined an army career as he was a soldier before his Embrace and it felt like a good way for him to make some money, so they could afford to pay the rent and live in an actual apartment, like people. His favorite hobbies that take his mind of troubling thoughts include repairing broken objects and tinker everything else. He also loves going to the gym or spend some time with his Nosferatu friends from the Sewer boys club. Even despite initially not being a fan of Albert (who he Embraced for Greta), his innocent and kind demeanor actually grew on him and he cares for him, and even considers him a friend.

▼ Greta Marlowe ▼

YA/vampire female/straight/demisexual clan: Mekhet aspiration: one sim band traits: reserved, shy, encouraging extra traits: attractivness ambivalent career: freelance musician world: San Myshuno

Greta still thinks about herself as human and she still can’t bring herself to tell the truth to her parents. They live in Brindelton Bay and she sometimes visits them, telling them how she is living the good life in the city. Her parents envisioned a different future for their only daughter, they hoped Greta would follow in their footsteps, get her degree and becomes either a psychologist like her father or scientist like her mother. Instead, she dropped out of college, moved to San Myshuno and tried to level her guitar skills while working shifts at the local cafe.That was before she was turned into a vampire by a woman who thought that Greta would make everything right again...She knows her parents would not approve of her living with two men in a rundown apartment without any real future. At least now she has a lot of time to bettering her guitar skill, and now when both of her friends have jobs, she wants to overcome her shyness and play for tips, so she could also bring some money into their already humble household. Even despite everything that happened, she is grateful that she has found such close-knit friendship with Albert and Mateusz. She will never give up on Mateusz and she will never stop protecting Albert, hoping that she will never have to choose between them.

▼ Albert Holloway ▼

YA/vampire male/straight clan: Nosferatu aspiration: soulmate traits: nurturing, committed, soft extra traits: polyamorous, aversive appearance career: social services world: San Myshuno

Albert has probably the sweetest personality, he is rarely angry and he always sees the good in people. He doesn’t remember his mortal life as when Mateusz Embraced him, he wasn’t a human for a long time. He was a changeling, a person abducted by fae. He led a very lonely life as a changeling as others often exploited his kindness and soft nature. Despite being turned into an undead by Mateusz, he is actually grateful to him as it brought him closer to them and he doesn’t feel as a such an outsider anymore. He is learning how to be a vampire, while still retaining his gentle manners and good heart. Mateusz even invited him to join their Nosferatu club and Albert for once really feels like a part of the society. From this household, he is the only who really wants to be in a romantic relationship, he has a lot of love and cuddles to give, even though he is not always very good at expressing his feelings. He fell in love with Greta at the moment he saw her stand up for Mateusz, even though she would probably meet final death if Mateusz didn’t intervene. She also treated Albert with respect and friendly attitude even when he was just a stranger to her. Even though he is happy with how his life is now, he still hopes he finds a soul mate. He wants to get married and have a family. He would love Greta to be the one, but he isn’t sure she feels the same about him or if she even wants the same things as he does.

____________________________________________________________

❤ I gave both of the guys polyamorous trait, so they didn’t get jealous at each other, because even though they both are in love with Greta, there is no love triangle drama in my non-Sims story and I don’t want it in the Sims either. Their friendship comes first. But it doesn’t mean that either Mateusz or Albert wants to have more than one romantic partner, Albert wants a traditional romantic relationship and Mateusz doesn’t even care about romance, beside Greta. There is no way to disable jealousy just for one partner, so I had to come up with this solution. 

❤ All of my Nosferatu vampires have the aversive appearance trait, so it was harder for them to find a partner to simulate the VtM clan flaw. 

❤ Greta has the attractive ambivalent trait as she was never interested in how other people looks, as a demisexual she is only attracted to people who she has a close emotional bond, so looks are quite pointless to her.  

[patriciavetinari]

I really really really really dislike the fatphobic diet culture "health eating" cult thing where they call food "fuel".

Food is not fuel. Human body is not a machine.

Food is life. Food is comfort. Food is culture. Food is religion. Food is family. Food is medication. Food is healing. Food is friendship. Food is romance. Food is tradition. Food is history. Food is celebration. Food is memories. Food is art. Food is creation. Food is emotion. Food is bonding. Food is so much more than fuel. Food is life.

Stop despising it. Stop berating it. Stop stripping it of its significance in overall human history and your own personal history. Stop seeing it as your enemy. Stop dieting.

Your body is not a machine. Neither it is a temple. It is what is is – a body. A complex unique organism that has unique nourishment requirements. It is bones and blood and muscles and fat in the unique quantities needed to be yourself. It is also a brain that craves the good chemicals in a world where those are scarce. It is also a soul that is living through a global pandemic and capitalism and is fucked up in its own unique way and might need some chicken soup or ice cream. There is no nutritionally useless food. Stop attaching morals to food.

Food is not fuel. Stop disrespecting it. Food is life. It's not only ok to eat, it's good to eat, it's glorious to eat. It's good and glorious to be fat and exist even if only out of spite. You are supposed to like what you eat, you are supposed to enjoy food, you are supposed to have plenty of it and look forward to meals because they bring you happiness and help you through the day.

Fuel does not do that to a machine, only food does that to a body.

[astroismypassion]

hi!! saw that you’ve been having difficulties with the message section, I wouldn’t mind putting the reading on here

Hi!

Thank you for buying me this delicious hot beverage. I drank irish cream black coffee with rice milk while writing your interpretation. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing! And I listened to Leon Bridges - Shy while writing. ;)

Your dominant planets are: 1. Saturn, 2. Mercury and 3. Moon. Your dominant signs are: 1. Leo, 2. Aquarius and 3. Pisces. Your main mode is Cardinal. You are Air dominant.

FAMILY, SIBLINGS, EARLY LIFE

You have Cancer Sun in the 2nd house. Your father was a bit of a passive figure in the family. He likes to stay at home, indulge a bit, but he is also a hard worker. He values family and home. He can be moody and stubborn. You have Libra Moon in the 5th house. Your mother is kind, loving, playful and has a childlike spirit. You have Virgo Lilith in the 4th house. The “negative” side of Lilith could happen here. You might be over critical of your family members, nit picky, a bit controlling and bossy. You might be of help to them, but you expect this help returned. You might be a bit of a “user” at times. And expect your family members or siblings, share your possessions, items, belongings, even money with you. You have Sun square Moon. Your mother and father are quite different personalities wise. They have different characters and traits. They might have not agreed on the style of your upbringing or they were not in sync in the style of parenting you. You have very strongly aspected Sun. You might have felt  a bit restricted, limited and not supported by your father. You might have felt like he didn’t give you enough praise and thank yous. You have a deep and complex relationship with your mother. You have Virgo IC. You learnt how to speak and read early on. You were a responsible and mature child. Parents emphasized realistic goals for you and to choose something practical to do in life. You liked to read as a child or your parents read to you often. If you have any siblings, they are Leo, Libra, Taurus, Virgo or Gemini.

PARTNERSHIPS AND FRIENDSHIPS

You have Leo Venus in the 3rd house. This is who you attract, what you value in yourself and others. You attract lively, childlike, talkative people. Who are outgoing, generous, kind and have an inner child. You like to shine in your local town, among your siblings, cousins and family relatives. You might be the popular, well liked cousin! You have Libra Mars in the 5th house. This is how you approach your crush, how you act, what you’re passionate about. You are a bit passive when it comes to taking action. But it’s still sly and calculating. You might flirt with people unintentionally. You like your attention reciprocated back. You might like someone, but then back off a bit and just study and observe them for a while. You can appear cold and detached. You like giving compliments to others. You have nice manners and dress well. You have a nature sense for fashion and know what looks good on you. You have Venus sextile Mars. You might be attracted to younger partners or partners who energize you. Someone who uplifts you, motivates you and brings you out of your shell. You have Venus opposite Jupiter. You might be over loving and over generous, especially when you’re in love. You could be too generous with your money, attention, affection, praise, admiration and compliments. You have Venus trine Saturn. You like partners that are younger or older than your own age. You might be attracted to responsible, reliable people, who are ambitious, have high status or are just very hard workers. You have Venus opposite Uranus. You might have a long distance relationship at some point in life. Or you could start online dating. You like your partnerships to have a friendly air first. You might like to be friends before you are lovers. You could also date your friends. You have Libra, Scorpio, Taurus, Aries, Capricorn and Cancer, Virgo, even Gemini friends.

CAREER, PROFESSIONAL LIFE, PUBLIC IMAGE

You have Pisces MC. You might be a caretaker or help others and guide them somehow. YOu might also help people organise their life. You will be seen as caring, imaginative, creative, loving, compassionate and an old soul. You have Aries Saturn in the 11th house. You might like to work on your own or don’t like to network as much. You might be a great leader of a club, group or community. You have Aquarius Jupiter rx in the 9th house. You could be a teacher, life coach, motivational speaker or someone is a mentor to others. You could work in the health field, nursing, business, finance or accounting. You might be a professor or an educator on a topic. You have Virgo North Node in the 4th house. This indicates your life purpose. You could specialize in whichever topic you are willing to research more in-depth. You might like to take care of your mind and body. You are an excellent host! You might often host parties or gatherings at your home. You are a people’s person. You are called in this lifetime to organise, establish healthy boundaries with your family members, take care of your health. You would benefit greatly from owning a pet. You might be interested in dietetics, nutrition, wellness, mental and physical wellbeing. You’ll need to create a steady routine, focus on the now and your day-to-day life. You might work from home, online or if you have a family business, continue that. You have Pisces Part of Fortune in the 10th house. This represents your natural luck and good charm. You might be at your happiest when you help others, when you “heal” someone, when you can show your imaginative and creative side.

ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS

You have Libra Chiron in the 5th house. There is a certain wound or a past hurt when it comes to your one on one relationships. You might have been rejected by your first crush or they didn’t like you back. You might not have an ideal example when it comes to a healthy relationship. Maybe your parents separated or they didn’t have a healthy relationship, so that ruined the image of relationships a bit for you.  You have Pisces Ceres in the 10th house. This is how you take care of others and how you like to be nurtured. For you it is important to allow yourself to get lost in daydream at least for a bit or listen to music, or just a creative outlet for your emotions. It’s how you stay emotionally sane. You like to be of help to others, do things for them, give them your unconditional love and support. You have Cancer Juno in the 2nd house. This indicates your ideal partner, your ideal soulmate, be it platonic or romantic. I find it interesting that it is the same as your Sun sign and position! This would mean you would like someone who is the same as you. You might like a partner who is caring, compassionate, loving, kind, highly opinionated, stubborn, love and values home, tradition, family. Likes security, safety and comfort. Someone who is an excellent chef as well! You have currency Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter transiting your 8th house. You might find it harder or easier for at least a half of a year to gain money from others. You might reevaluate, think more of gain better focus on the following topics: shared resources, sex, physical intimacy, dee trusted bonds, spirituality, occult, mysticism, inheritance, death, transformation and rebirths. You might feel like you are in a transitory period. You could also undergo many internal transformations. This is an excellent time to talk to others on a deep level or even therapy. You could also be an excellent listen or somehow a bit of a therapist to OTHERS.

CHART RULER

Your chart ruler is Mercury. The chart ruler of the 1st house is in the 3rd house. Your personality shines through best when you are connecting with your peers, siblings, cousins, people from your local hometown, your elementary and high school friends. Your ego, character, self esteem, self image might develop through 3rd house topics, such as writing, communicating, learning a new skill, connecting people from your local scene, hanging out with your siblings and peers. This is also a part of your life purpose besides Virgo North Node in the 4th house. Here is an additional video on the topic by a fellow astrologer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBu9sY2RHJI .

HOUSE RULERS

The ruler of the 1st house is in the 3rd house. You may seem like “the girl (or boy) next door. Life is oriented toward communicating, gathering information and daily interactions. You gossip about the way people look. The ruler of the 2nd house is in the 5th house. You use your money for artistic projects. You are possessive of creative projects. Financial security depends upon your personal creativity. The ruler of the 3rd house is in the 2nd house. You discuss issues of self-worth and self-esteem. Writing is a way to earn a living. Your ability to communicate affects your ability to make money. Siblings affect your self-worth. Gathering information is oriented toward making money. The ruler of the 4th house is in the 3rd house. Home is a place to have lively conversations. Cultural upbringing has a strong bearing on your thoughts. Feeling included or rejected by your family influences your day to day interactions.  Home is a place where people come and go. You bring your private inner self with you when you write, keep a journal or blog. The ruler of the 5th house is in the 3rd house. You communicate in a playful and lighthearted way. Romance and fun express themselves through a love of reading and writing. Fun is found through gossiping. Relaxation comes through conversation and writing. The ruler of the 6th house is in the 6th house. You work in a health-related field. Your daily habits impact your ability to find a job. You create habits and routines that focus on health, work, and relationships with employees, coworkers and animals. The ruler of the 7th house is in the 9th house. Partners help you expand your horizons. Your partner needs to be broad-minded. You want to be with someone who likes to discuss philosophical topics. Your open enemies are people from other cultural or religious backgrounds. The ruler of the 8th house is in the 11th house. You find it hard to be “just friends.” You bring your need for depth interactions to friendships. You need to belong to groups of like-minded people who share your intensity. Your groups and clubs involve research and investigation. You join occult groups. You have to adjust your debt to achieve long term goals and dreams. The ruler of the 9th house is in the 9th house. You find meaning by devising your own personal belief system. You travel to expand your horizons. You gain wisdom by learning about religion. You find meaning in higher education. The ruler of the 10th house is in the 8th house. You bring a professional approach to depth psychology. You find your true vocation by exploring occult subjects. Your career revolves around the need for intensity of experience. Your career involves working with other people’s emotional baggage. Your true vocation involves in- depth interactions with other people. You achieve recognition as a researcher. You receive awards for your work with people on the fringe of society. The ruler of the 11th house is in the 5th house. You are friends with all your romantic partners. You bring your social awareness to your children. The people you connect with are self-expressive and entertaining. You belong to artistic groups. You’re in a band. You are a huge fan of the arts. The ruler of the 12th house is in the 3rd house. You talk about things that make you sad. Your imagination is stirred by talking and writing. You work your dreams into your daily conversations and writing. You have a dreamy voice. You bring imagination to your writing and the way that you speak.

[ajbrooks-writes]

WIP Re-Intro: For The Crown

Book One of the Blood Ties trilogy

Heyo! Exactly what it says on the tin. A new and improved For The Crown with special edition features and up-to-date info! Also now with an official trilogy title: Blood Ties. Incredibly accurate.

Book One: For The Crown

Two young shapeshifters uncover generations of blood crimes as they attempt to change their own destiny. Masquerading amidst power plays and fickle allys, the prince and the pretender learn the meaning of family in a tale of love, loss, and the cost of challenging the stars.

Elthian and Ryvaeryn are from very different worlds, tied together by a bloody past. They are each given a single chance to attain their goals, but to do so must navigate a court full of lies, a country full of secrets, and a foe determined to keep both in the past.

Basics

Stage: Complete Structural Overhaul Review

Estimated Length: 135k

Genre: New Adult high fantasy

Themes: found family, adventure, self-discovery, romance, challenging status quo, challenging destiny.

More info

Orphaned as an infant and raised by humans on the continent, Ryn has never known another shapeshifter. A bookbinder by trade, she masquerades as a scholar and runs to the island country of Mantha, where she meets our team, and her resolve is tested when she is discovered and has a choice: go home to safety or join the court and risk it all.

Growing up in the castle with his father, brother and best friend, Elthian has known he would be king since he was a child. A planner by passion, Elthian’s progressive ideas clash with his father’s traditional values, placing them increasingly at odds. When his father threatens to change his successor, Elthian must choose between sacrificing the crown for his values and work, or sacrificing his values for the crown and power.

Ryvaeryn and Elthian’s journeys intertwine as they work towards their goals. Among the trials of their individual paths, they realise their growing friendship might be more than that. Now they must weigh their loyalties and, when discovered, understand that one false step could tear them apart forever.

Read on to learn about some of the characters and the next two books! Also cool graphics.

Welcome to part two!

Characters

Protagonist. Age 29, lion shapeshifter. Idealistic, compassionate, creative, naive. Elthian has a rocky past, but has landed on his feet with a father he idolises, an older half-brother he loves unconditionally, and a best friend he could not do without. His brother’s protection has left him naive to their father’s nature, but kept him from losing that idealism and compassion their father is so blatantly missing. Elthian’s biggest struggle is his own self-doubt, but his brother’s line “There are some things in this world you just can’t change.” kickstarts his determination to do exactly that. I love my son, but not make it easy.

Protagonist. Age 26, tiger shapeshifter. Impulsive, defensive, determined, kind. Safe in seclusion with her long term girlfriend, Ryn gives it up to journey to Mantha and find others like her. She is quick to defend herself and slow to reason, and so desperately wants to know who she is and where she came from that she will risk everything to find answers. This is made difficult when she becomes to target of assassination. See her right eye pictures above? That may or may not emerge intact . I love her, and I forge her fortitude in fire.

Secondary. Age 30, wolf shapeshifter. Quiet, perceptive, loyal. Joal spent half his childhood as a crown ward, becoming Elthian’s best and most loyal friend. His official role is Royal Historian and Heritage Law Consultant, and he lives at the castle. He is the first to realise Ryn isn’t a scholar. Joal isn’t ‘in touch’ with his emotions, which quickly creates a rift between him and Ryn. Joal has the largest role in Blood Ties after Ryn and Elthian.

Secondary. Age 32, human. Optimistic, intuitive, honourable. Kalen is the ultimate best friend. He is a great hugger, great listener, and gentle soul. He left the army  to pursue music, specifically the flute. Kalen is aro-ace, and his and Skye’s QPR is the most precious and pure dynamic I have ever seen. He becomes close friends with Ryn, we call him K, and I would die for him.

Tertiary. Age 35, lion shapeshifter. Discerning, protective, adventurous. Orrian paints himself as rebellious and unreliable, allowing him to pursue his interests in peace, and as a bonus giving his father frequent headaches. Orrian runs a shelter for homeless or orphaned boys and young men, mostly shapeshifters, and basically has a dozen adopted sons. He is also investigating his father, whom he loathes. Orrian has a much larger role in the next two books.

Tertiary. Age 21, crane shapeshifter. Shy, observant, attentive. Skye is very close with Kalen, and Ryn first meets her in a courtyard where Skye is playing violin. She struggles with anxiety and  PTSD, and attempts to create a support network in this book, which unfortunately backfires. Skye’s role will change a lot over the trilogy as she develops and grows and discovers her strength.

Tertiary. Age 24. human. Sarcastic, charming, realist. Corri meets Ryn early in town, and they become friends quickly. She loves to have a good time, and encourages Ryn to do the same. If the cellars are stocked, right? Corri has a brief, secret fling with Joal in this book. She also frequently makes time to spend with the children at the castle - much better company than nobles.

Tertiary. Age 64, lion shapeshifter. Assertive, determined, commanding. Parthian rules with iron, currently with his third wife. He pushed Orrian to abdicate, and has spent the last decades grooming Elthian to be a more worthy successor. Parthian is struggling under the weight of (subjectively) poor past choices. His sons take more from him than they’d like.

Side. Age 34, human. Calming, authentic, passionate. Lowe and Ryn were together for three years, and lived together for most of that. She knows Ryn’s aspirations, fears and hopes and supports her move to Mantha. Lowe will have a larger role in the next two books, but will crop up a few times in this one, too.

Side. Age 9, shapeshifter. Shy, curious, adventurous. Pab is an orphan, and has lived at the castle her entire life. She is friends with Corri, and becomes a loyal friend of Ryn’s after a vandalism mishap. Pab will climb literally anything. She scales two storeys of old stone to break into Ryn’s room. Ryn and Pab’s bond strengthens over the trilogy, and we learn more about her family later on.

--

The World:

For The Crown takes place primarily in Mantha, an island country about the size of France. It has several smaller ilsands scattered around it., and across a strait is a mainland spanning an area close to that of Russia, which is where Ryn is from. Skye and Joal are from the North and South islands around Mantha respectively..During this book, the court travels around the country to various estates, under the guise of a ‘royal tour’, in which Parthian speaks to the leaders and the people and try to assure them that the monarchy has their best interest’s at heart. It gives Elthian the opportunity to find the progressive among them, and Ryn the opprtunity to explore different libraries and estates, including a ruined city, searching for answers.

Mantha is a feudal society originally settled by shapeshifters, which Parthian encourages, because they are easier to control. The continent, all humans, is meanwhile approaching an early industrial age; they have a direct democracy, with all the people having a voice. Mantha works with alchemy, whereas the continent works with technology. They have minimal overlap, but for trade and transport, things like air travel crosses their cultures.

This means I can have steampunk airships flying over my feudal farmland. The dream.

If you would like to know anything else about their culture, feel free to shoot an ask my way!

Rest of the trilogy:

For The King

After the bittersweet end to For The Crown, Ryn and Elthian try to recover the trust of the Manthan people as Elthian begins a shaky rule. But when the new king is kidnapped, it’s up to Ryn, Orrian, Kalen and Joal to race across the continent to save him, finding help from old friends along the way. Meanwhile, in a deep underground prison, Elthian meets new allies and foes as his captors attempt to break him, and he plans a daring escape or three. For The King is significantly darker, and ready to be drafted. You can read this wip intro here.

For The Country

Following a narrow escape, Ryn, Elthian, their new allies and remaining friends journey back to Mantha only to discover it has been overrun! With Elthian’s confidence shattered and Ryn struggling to stay afloat, For The Country has them and their team racing to rally their people against an approaching enemy while they battle fire, uprising, discord and disease. In the conclusion of this epic fantasy, everyone comes together for the battle that will decide Mantha’s future.

Final comments:

Can’t believe I managed, finally, to finish this intro.

I’m going to try and participate more in wip and OC related things, and post more about my story when life allows. I hope you enjoyed it, congrats on getting to the end, and have a great day!

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For The Crown tag list:

 @trigwrites @jessicacaseyauthor @mfackenthal @mushwrites @b-works-074  @gardeningourmet @apocalyvse @jcckwrites @writingisdivinetorture  @purpleshadows1989 @thatwritergirlsblog @betwixtofficial @pen-in-hand @whynotwriting @bookish-actor @sunlight-and-starskies @jcckwrites @half-explored @watermelons-writings @purpleshadows1989 @crazycoffeemermaid​ @summerflowers

Blood Ties taglist:

@whisperswritings @stand-inthe-rain @fantasy-shadows @halrose @romanticatheart-posts @hopefulmoonobject @angelolytle @albarnesauthor @fantasy-penman @ofinscriptions @jynecca @venomouspen @k-nazario​ @raenawrites @s-n-o-w-p-i-e-r-c-e-r​ @the-starlight-chills​ @crazycoffeemermaid​ @ardawyn​ @bookish-actor​ @waterfallofinkandpages​ @the-writister​ @thewriteblrarchives​

(if you would like to be added or removed from the Blood Ties tag list, please let me know. Also if I’ve missed anyone I’m really sorry, could you let me know please thank youx)