#laila gardens

[writtenonbone]

i started gardening bc i wanted (cheaper) red onions and now i have 3 raised beds, 1 lemon tree, and browsing through trademe for a greenhouse thatll fit my garden 😭😭😭😭

[jupiter-reimagined]

Princess!Laila and Gardener!Anika are still sneaking around, so you were correct.

Princess!Laila is saying that while Knight!Butcher might not snitch on her, the other knights might. And that's just a risk she's not willing to take.

So, she's still sneaking around and Knight!Butcher just has to hope he pays attention enough to notice so he can come with.

sigh. rip butcher then;;;

seamstress!Mārīte: … i have a few ideas to help them :)

shes saying that because she eventually needs to investigate lailas clothing (and by the extension:the royal courts/staffs) and she might as well get a "helper" and anika can just play the part of a maid, and they can have their little dates, as mārīte works. or yknow. girls night. idk

[lorasx]

cat kissing jean’s temple and forehead. laila brushing and playing with jean’s hair. cat teaching jean how to ride a bike and taking him on trips. laila saying they can plant whatever jean wants on their garden. cat kissing jeremy’s knuckles. laila protecting jeremy from his brother and being the one to hold him after the banquet. cat being the first person ever to tell ‘i love you’ to both jean and jeremy when they waited their whole lives to hear those words

[tea-moth11]

I had commissioned @lailas-in-space for my TMA OC/sona. They did amazing with just a few reference photos and a general ✨vibe✨ for my character.

Had an idea for TMA avatars, but from the South (US). Raine (working name), an avatar of the Web, was my first full fledged idea. They would work at a coffee shop and pull strings based on the gossip they get at work. Typical southern chismosa through and through. Spider design is from a black and yellow garden spider that was prevalent in my back yard growing up.

I have other ideas of more Southern TMA avatars for later.

[internet-kid-kenna]

The Golden Raven Spoilers

This is a list of things I can't believe happened in this book and have questions on still or just feel are important to reiterate. This is super spoiler heavy, DO NOT READ if you haven't read the book yet, I literally talk about pretty much every major plot point and then some.

Jean's mother had his childhood exy team captain and their ENTIRE FAMILY murdered because Jean dared to talk to them

What did Joshua say to Jeremy?????

Jean corrects himself from saying he's spent five years practicing Raven drills to seven? So he was learning them before he went to Castle Evermore?

I can't believe Andrew came back to California, I also can't believe he came back without Neil

I'm ALSO shocked to learn Neil didn't tell Kevin or Andrew that he went to California in June

ALSO shocked to learn Neil didn't tell Andrew about Grayson? this one makes sense to me now that I've thought about it, Neil wouldn't want to trigger Andrew like that

BRISKET LUNGS 💀💀 sassy jean ftw

WAS KAYLEIGH DAY FUCKING MURDERED????

Jeremy's ringtone for Kevin is a fox bark lmaooo

Jean filling Kevin's glass with tap water instead of fridge water is such a funny random comment but so petty

I can't believe we got three descriptions of looks Cody had (neon green hair, fire engine red buzz cut, and they’re a natural blonde) AND a description of what Cat smells like before we got what she looks like

Half-baked baguette is a hilarious and wild insult

Jeremy's mom keeps his passport, social security card and birth certificate somewhere locked and hidden away from him and that's fucking crazy

Jeremy's dad is stationed in Korea, I wonder if there are any Moriyamas in Korea?

Jeremy LOVES to avoid things and change the subject and I hate love hate him for it

Jeremy Alan White Knox LMAO I can't un-think this

I love Cody, Pat and Ananya and I want only good things to happen to them

I was NOT expecting an orgy, I definitely thought sex was involved w the banquet night, but coke-fueled orgy was rough to find out. The guilt Jeremy must feel about that all. Fuck. This was rough.

Cat and Jean's friendship means so much to me and I love love love how physical they are with each other and how he starts kissing her temple and shit, adorable, spectacular gimme 14 of em

STUPID, BEAUTIFUL KEVIN 😭😭😭😭 man finding out Kevin is oblivious to Jean's feelings about him hurt

I want Jean to have a garden so bad

LITERALLY WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOX V RAVEN GAME HOLY SHIT I WAS GASPING OUTLOUD

I will personally track down and murder and kill the fucking Raven fans who burned their house down, it held EVERYTHING jean owned and loved and cared about (other than the people obvi)

Fireworks showing up on jeans list chapters later while and also adding Fathers (deliberately ignoring his own and attributing that title to Wymack and Rhemann)

Aaron driving the Mas because Andrew has a broken collar bone and Neil has broken ribs

RIP Barkbark, you will be forever missed

The way Browing is annoyed as fuck at jean for not wanting to be in witness protection and is like wtf is with this game, Jean and Neil being exy freaks fr

Warren Wilshire is a massive fucking asshole and can suck my dick

JEAN'S FAVORITE COLOR IS BROWN LIKE JEREMY'S EYES

JEAN BRAIDING LAILA'S HAIR 😩

JABBERWOCKY, bro that's Jean in dog form, can't convince me otherwise

[elene78-blog]

I've been thinking about Jean trying to fix the bike Cat told him about.

Jean has no idea how to do it, but when Cat teaches him the basics of a motorcycle, he begins to get interested in looking for problems with it. It's like a puzzle that keeps you very entertained, just like cooking or pottery.

He works on the motorcycle in the garden of the house he shares with Cat and Laila. Cat takes him to get the parts he thinks he needs, but one day she's not there, so Jean goes alone. He doesn't think about it much. Jean knows the way, he has the scholarship money, and he wants her pieces, so he goes. He gets them. When Jean returns and Cat sees the new pieces, her eyes fill with tears for a reason unknown to him.

After that, Jean goes shopping with Jeremy, but asks him to let her drive his car. Jeremy does it. Jean drives very well.

One very hot day Jean goes to the boba store because Laila won't stop complaining about the heat. He buys a drink for each of them.

Jean can't understand why his friends seem so excited.

One day the bike is finished. Jean wants to go for a walk with her. However, before riding it, Jean thinks it would not be wise to go alone. If he has done something wrong, he could have an accident and kill himself, and Jean doesn't want to die.

...Jean doesn't want to die...

That thought catches him completely off guard.

Jean looks at the motorcycle that seemed to be destroyed, now fixed. It's not perfect. He has changed many pieces.

Starts it without problems.

Jean laughs.

[inafieldofstarflowers]

i just finished tgr and i am losing my mind (i think i need 2-3 business days to process all of that)

my first thoughts: (the golden raven spoilers below)

- i LOVE the trojans & the further insight into them (derek & derrick comedy duo)

- k e v i n d a y

- dude we got the jeremy lore. this is not a drill. i was having so much fun being like !! my mutuals and i theorized about this and here it is !!

- “embrace fatherhood”

- aaron minyard driving the mas ??

- jeremy and jean looking at each other and being awed by how they came out of their circumstances as they did is everything to me

- Cody Winter icon that you are

- fireworks

- fathers ??? (the gardening scene was everything to me actually i love james rhemann with my whole heart)

- “Redemption, perhaps”

- the ravens vs foxes game ???? holy shit ???

- william saying seeing jeremy happy is a rare treat (& also the “if you still have to ask whose side i am on you have not been paying enough attention)

- laila and jean talking about elodie

- andrew minyard appearance ! also neil lying to them about the fbi is sooo on brand

ANYWAY come talk to me about tgr plz

[falafels]

TGR SPOILERS BELOW

my main thoughts

-Open heart surgery is done via nipples? God bless you Jean in what world. Xavier i adore you

-Derrick and Derek SILLY BOY REPRESENTATION LOVE IT

-Lucas Johnson is growing on me very quickly. horrendous circumstances and a profound air of misery about him. more

-Tanner Adams my beloved “a little duckling of his own” IM SOBBING

-I like to think Browning is slightly gentler with Jean because he overheard him call Neil a wretch or cockroach. you know what french boy hell yeah i don’t even care that your parents are evil that ginger kid is an ASSHOLE

-speaking of which Jean’s mother straight up killing his youth exy captain is wild. maybe my own fault but for some reason i’d been expecting slightly more tame or organised crimes

-OBSESSED with the girl from Marseille who wrote to Jean I really really hope she comes up again

-RIP Jasmine Lane you were a vile little bitch and I was kind of into it (undergone some blorboing in the past year in my head). she sucked so bad i wanted to see more even if just to see horrible women but starting a riot on court will suffice

-James Rhemann my most beloved. rocked Zane’s shit. plants his little garden. “fathers” BRO

-Would like further clarification on what Cat meant by “technically not even her father” about Laila

-Lowkey I don’t entirely know what to make of Cat and Laila’s relationship? I think I’d just like to know more

-Thea Muldani. lots of thoughts. almost exactly what i expected. don’t want to say more because everyone seems to have such strong opinions on her and i can see both sides of it and do not wish to engage in the warfare

-Kevin saying the last person to try and take his title from him is dead now is so fucking funny. you drunken bitch you know DAMN WELL it is not that straightforward you’ve been crying yourself to sleep about it. absolute scenes. i love you drunk bitch

-hannah bailey die

-JABBERWOCKY MOREAU. if english wasn’t my first language and someone put the poem jabberwocky in front of me i would throttle them. “your parents threw you away too” JEAN. also zhaberwockee…. french accent with this one

-Cody Winter. that is all

-SEBASTIAN MOORE HE MEANS WELL I LOVE HIM. ALSO FROM WHERE SETH IS FROM

perhaps more to follow but i finished it like an hour ago and i’ve been awake for SO LONG i may have to sleep then regroup with more

[an-angel-so-called-satan]

This man will always be funny to me.

You know why?

Precisely because of his twisted sense of humor.

Callisto has good qualities but also bad ones, like being cruel, NO ONE has ever doubted that, because after all, he is a character whose actions speak louder than his words.

In a nutshell, as he is cruel, his sense of humor is twisted. And when he interacts with Penelope we can witness it. Mainly, because he loves to tease her.

This guy has no qualms about making jokes about her nickname, "the rabid dog of Eckhart," about her social position, about the incident in the imperial garden labyrinth, about the crossbow incident, about the Laila clan... He even joked when he was poisoned or bleeding! His humor never had limits, and all because he liked to see Penelope's reaction, either because she looked pretty when she was angry or because he liked the fierceness of her responses...

Of course, after the coming-of-age incident, he regretted making her angry... Yet still continued his twisted humor later in the story.

But we must not overlook the fact that, with his twisted sense of humor, he liked to play a particular joke on Penelope: buying her things that were exaggeratedly expensive from his budget (which, by the way, was quite limited because the current empress was the one behind the empire's finances, I mean, let's not forget that little and important detail).

Callisto of course knew about the rumors of Penelope buying lots of jewelry, so as a joke, he bought her not only jewelry, but dresses, crossbows, and so on. To everyone else, Callisto seemed to be courting her, trying to win her over. But they both knew perfectly well that it was just a joke from him to annoy her. A very twisted and waste of money, but a joke after all.

Callisto knows perfectly well that Penelope is not going to fall in love with him if he does those things, because, again, it's a joke between the two of them and the funniest thing is that I have to clarify what is obvious to the readers.

I will never understand, nor am I interested in knowing, the reasons of people who do not like Callisto, but there is a huge difference between criticizing using the liver and criticizing using the brain, and as a reader, you can easily tell who has read the work and who has simply over-read it.

[awildtei]

The way I see it, Andrew was like a garden stake for Neil and Kevin: he couldn't do their growing for them, but he could be the solid, unbending support rod that they could use to grow toward the sky without having to worry about falling to the ground when they were not ready to hold themselves up ("the main function of a garden stake is to ensure that a young or weak plant can hold itself up against the elements").

And I think that's what Kevin and Neil are trying to be for Jean now. They are finally steady enough on their own that they're able to support someone else, and Jean needs them.

Kevin provides guidelines that make sense within Jean's worldview (you have a new master, obey him by going to LA and building a new life for yourself / you made me a promise so you can't kill yourself), he asks Betsy to break his own patient confidentiality as much as she needs to show Jean that Kevin trusts her and he can too, he coaches Jeremy on how to best support Jean (if you tell him to submit, he will / he will need someone to go to class with him / he will fall apart without a buddy system).

Neil encourages Jean to make meaningful connections with people because it will help keep him safe, he anchors Jean when dealing with the FBI, he actively removes a threat to Jean's safety so it won't hinder his slow growth, he uses a lil bit of emotional manipulation to drive the message home that Jean is worth saving, he makes himself someone Jean can talk to about the things only the two of them understand.

Jeremy, Cat, Laila, Rhemann, the Trojans, they are all vital for Jean's healing, the soil in which he'll put down roots; but it's Kevin and Neil who have been in his position before and know exactly what they needed to survive and thrive in a new environment. They needed Andrew to prop them up, and now they'll do that for Jean.

[livingasaghost]

hello i love your takes so i wanted to ask for your thoughts on jerejean’s development in tgr?

-@you-know-i-get-itt

oh my god this made my whole week im obsessed with you

i think there’s a few ways to answer this - mostly because the jerejean of it all depends on the two halves of the whole. obviously.

(i am soooo sorry this is literally an essay)

spoilers below!

at first glance, jean is the one who needs the most healing, so for most of book one you are so focused on his trauma and his grief and his healing that you almost (i said almost, bear with me) overlook jeremy’s mysterious past. so stepping into book two we had a good idea of what jean’s been through and where he needs to go to make changes and start the actual healing process. yes he has friends now, yes he has a team and coaches to support him, yes his abusers are dropping like flies, but healing is a CHOICE for jean and he spends most of book two battling that internal struggle of whether or not he deserves to make that choice. i’m so invested in jean’s character because it isn’t easy for him to accept his worth, and every victory is an uphill battle for him. whether he realizes it or not, he is fighting for his life, and it takes him most of book two to finally come to terms with that. and HE DOES!!! his arc isn’t over yet by the end of book two, but he’s made so much progress that he can admit he didn’t deserve the abuse, he can admit that he LOVES people and wants to protect them and wants to keep loving them, and he can admit that he needs help to step into his healing. he starts taking therapy seriously. he allows other people to care for him. he’s taking steps now that will make book three infinitely easier on him because he’s finally made that choice to heal. all he has to do now is accept the love and joy and peace that’s coming to him.

and if jean were the (only) main character, that would be it. book three would be a happy silly time where he learns how to garden and falls in love and rebuilds his home with cat and laila and wins finals and fixes his relationship with kevin. hooray! but that is not what nora set out to do. it’s a classic bait and switch. mr captain of the sunshine court himself is the one who can’t heal. mr im so happy and kind and positive all the time is the one who is still actively being abused.

the reason book two is so compelling is that we see the narrative switch happen. jean starts the book fresh off grayson’s abuse and jeremy starts the book ready to help him through that. but then we watch jean get closer and closer to accepting what he really deserves (what he wants) and all that time, jeremy is being driven deeper and deeper into abuse. his mother keeps imposing boundaries on him. we learn more details about jeremy’s freshman year, about his past sexual exploits, about his PRESENT sexual exploits with people who do not respect or care about him. we watch jeremy’s family beat him into the ground while jean is lifted up by kevin and andrew and rhemann and the trojans and jeremy himself. but jeremy refuses to let anybody save him. he doesn’t think he needs it, doesn’t think he deserves it, doesn’t think it’s even possible to be saved. by the time the fire hits the house, jean has decided he doesn’t care what he loses as long as his people are safe…but jeremy is NOT safe and his mother and step-father are doing everything to keep him away from the people who WOULD save him. and all the while, jeremy and jean are so caught up in trauma and grief and abuse that they refuse to even acknowledge the elephant in the room.

that jean knows jeremy’s favorite color, that he’s always aware of his brown eyes on him, that he would beat bryson and ivan and anybody else to a bloody pulp if it meant that jeremy was safe. that jeremy is possessive of jean when he looks at other people, that jeremy is actively seeking out a marseilles french tutor simply because it would help him communicate with jean, that jean is exactly his type.

we knew there was mutual attraction in book one, and it really ramps up in book two, but these two traumatized people are still nowhere near acknowledging that attraction. and in book two it’s grown into more than attraction. it’s a mutual understanding, a witnessing, a protectiveness that transcends friendship or sex - these two people are mirrors that refuse to look at each other lest they see themselves reflected back at them. jeremy cannot look at jean too long or he’ll start to realize that he doesn’t deserve his family’s abuse. jean cannot look at jeremy too long or he’ll start to realize that even after all his sexual abuse he’s allowed to act on attraction, he’s allowed to love someone romantically. and the two of them are caught in a deadlock until one of them breaks.

and at this point…i think jean is going to act before jeremy, if only because he has to. jeremy himself states in tgr that regardless of how attracted he is to jean, he is conscious of jean’s specific trauma, that jeremy can’t ask that of him no matter how much both of them want it. but more than that, jean is miles ahead of jeremy in his healing. he’s made the choice, he’s acknowledged he deserves better, he’s working towards overcoming all the abuse that was done to him, and who was there for all of that healing? jeremy. who is his safe space? jeremy. who is his partner? jeremy. but jeremy still can’t look his shame in the face. he can’t deal with his grief and his mistakes, but more than that, there’s still a part of him that thinks he deserves the abuse in payment for all the things his actions caused. as IF this whole thing didn’t start with bryson! as IF it’s his fault his family is PREJUDICED and SELFISH! as IF he wouldn’t still deserve to be loved, regardless of what he did.

i know some people are nervous that jerejean isn’t romantic/sexual endgame because nora has a complex history with them as a ship and as characters, but this book has cemented their partnership in my mind. i do think if/when they start making moves in book three it will look unconventional - because all the ships and characters in AFTG are unconventional - but there is a queerness there that cannot be denied. not when there’s so much attraction, so much yearning, so much care between the two of them. like i’m sorry, but you cannot end a book with THE RULES HAVE CHANGED (ignore jean’s inner monologue, that bitch is still healing) and not expect me to believe that they’re destined to be together.

bonus for those who want it: here’s a playlist of taylor songs that are also jerejean

[writtenonbone]

YALL LOOK AT MY SUPER FUCKING BIG STRAWBERRY

[lorasx]

is it too early to make bingo card for tsc3?? anyways

-jean breaks faser’s face 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

-jean confronts his parents

-moriyamas are going DOWN neil is plotting something

-catlaila & jerejean motorcycle double date

-jeremy’s sleep deprivation will lead to. Something

-the four of them or only jerejean will go to palmetto state. idk why they just will. need jeremy and renee to meet

-jeremy gets disowned/leaves his family

-jean swimming

-jerejean first kiss. jean makes the first move

-cat proposes to laila 🤭🤭

-actual homoerotic pottery moment

-peach tree!!! jean asks rhemann about gardening

-jean gets rid of his tattoo

-jeremy & neil interaction

-trojans win championships

-JABBERWOCKY MOREAU !!!

-lucas and jean have a talk

-“i love you” scene between jerejean

[amputeewomen]

Laila and Alex

Laila: (sitting comfortably) Alex, I need to talk to you about something important. I know this change is big – I'm an amputee now, but I want you to know that it's not the end of the world. I've got these crutches, see? And I'm learning to do everything I did before. I can even wear a high heel on my right foot again.

Alex: (takes her hand gently) Laila, you don't have to play super strong for me. I love you for who you are, not for what you can or cannot do. This change… it doesn't change how I feel about you. You're still the incredible person I fell in love with.

Laila: (smiles, a mix of gratitude and vulnerability in her eyes) Thank you, Alex. That means the world to me. But, there's something else… I want you to be a part of this new journey with me. Would you… (pauses, takes a deep breath) Would you touch where my leg used to be? I need to know that you're okay with all of me, as I am now.

Alex: (nods, his eyes filled with compassion and love) Of course, Laila. (carefully places his hand where her leg used to be, looking into her eyes) I'm here for you, every step of this journey. We're in this together, and I love every part of you, always.

Laila: (leans in, tears of relief and love in her eyes) Thank you, Alex. Your support means everything to me. I love you so much.

Alex: I love you too, Laila. More than words can say. We'll get through this together.

Laila and Alex remain by the classical column, a moment frozen in time as they navigate the new realities of their life together. The sun casts a gentle glow on the scene, highlighting Laila's smile and the depth of emotion in their intertwined hands.

Laila: (her voice steady, eyes sparkling with resolve) You know, this spot right here, next to this column, it's going to be a place of new beginnings. I can feel it. I may need these crutches for a while, but I'm still going to be here, laughing, living, loving with you.

Alex: (with a warm, reassuring smile) And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. This column, these gardens, they've seen many seasons, just like we will. And just like it stands strong, so will we.

Laila: (glancing at her crutches, then back to Alex) They're just an accessory, like this denim jacket or these knee-high socks. They don't define me. They're a part of my journey, sure, but not the whole story.

Alex: (gazing into her eyes) You're incredible, you know that? You're taking on this challenge like you take on everything else – with courage and a style that's all your own. And I'm here, for every step, every victory, every hard day.

Laila: (reaching out to trace the outline of the column with her finger) Just like these pillars support this structure, we support each other. And with you by my side, I feel like I can do anything.

Alex: (leaning closer to her) With our love as our foundation, we'll hold each other up, no matter what comes our way.

They sit together in silent understanding, the serenity of the pond and the steadfastness of the column serving as silent witnesses to their unshakeable bond. With Alex's support, Laila feels a renewed sense of confidence, and together, they look towards a future filled with possibilities.

[louisupdates]

Win a Guitar signed by Louis Tomlinson and help to raise funds for music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins

Project by Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy

The Prize

To celebrate Louis Tomlinson's Artist of the Year nomination at the Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards, Louis has donated this beautiful guitar, which he has signed (for the winner).

Louis is currently learning how to play the guitar and finds a lot of joy in it. He's always wanted to learn so he felt by donating a guitar it would encourage and help someone else begin to learn how to play.

The Cause

Nordoff and Robbins is the UK’s largest music therapy charity, with a unique approach shaped by more than 60 years of practice. Through the power of music, it breaks through the barriers caused by life-limiting illness, disability, and social isolation. The charity does this through providing music therapy to people across the UK, whilst also training the music therapists of the future and funding research to measure and improve the impact of its work.

Music therapy is the act of making music collaboratively, and it can help people with all kinds of conditions: from autism to dementia, learning difficulties to brain injuries, life-limiting illnesses to mental health issues, grief, and trauma.

Nordoff and Robbins music therapists use the power of music to create space for people to express themselves and find connection in society.

Enter the raffle by donating £5 per entry here. Donations will be collected until 28 May 2024, 11 PM.

Postal entry

Send your details to:

Louis Tomlinson signed Fender Duo Sonic guitar

Laila Khan

Nordoff and Robbins

2 Lissenden Gardens

London NW5 1PQ

[coldsaturn]

TGR LIVEBLOG

CHAPTER 23

“Finn heard Zane visited you and wanted to see how it went down.” On its heels, another email: “First time I’ve ever seen you look afraid of him, JOHNNY.”

Can we save at least ONE raven out of the lot or do we dump them all?

“It’s been four years.” Jean caught the sleeping bag when Jeremy looked ready to burrow under it and held on tight. “If she doesn’t know you enough to trust you now, she never will.” Jeremy’s protest was soft: “You don’t know that.”

Ok so it's going to be painful with Jean's resistance on one side and then as soon as he starts getting better, we're off to suffer through Jeremy's

Brown like the soil in Rhemann’s garden, or the sand where the tide washed ashore, or the dirt roads Cat had led him down time and again. Brown like the gaze that sought Jean out in every room, but that last thought wasn’t one he could linger on.

shut UP

“It’s not a good idea, Laila. We’ve got classes and practices and games. How could we possibly take care of an animal with our schedules?”

No you idiots you have people actively working to vandalize everything you own and possibly kill Jean in the meantime??? The fuck???????? Let's add a dog that could permanently scar them if anything happened to it, sure

“It is a mistake, Cat,” Jean said again.

Can someone make them THINK

“Peaches are trees?”

“Then do as you like.”

Listen, I'm going to be extremely honest with you. If there's a dog in the story that makes the characters happy before the very end of the trilogy, Nora can kill it. Do with that what you want.