#locket chen

[beba-780]

Western Ninjago - Skylor

Skylor

She is quite embarrassed to be Chen's daughter, but she is pleased to see how ruins her plans when she secretly helps the resistance to remove him from the presidency in Ouroboros.

She met Kai after saving him from a small band of bandits in the city bar, but upon learning of his fame as the Red Shogun she confronted him, after beating him she discovered that Kai was not as bad as everyone said. She knew immediately that he was a good man.

Skylor and Kai established a small relationship every time they see each other. He almost always helps her get rid of the gangs in Ouroboros or just hang out with her.

She doesn't mind saving Kai's butt sometimes. After all, she has reasons to return some favors.

She is not officially in the resistance, but she does help them by giving them information or secretly getting rid of some of her father's men. Apart from that she cannot stand the hostility of the Clinthon family in her town and in Ninjago.

She loves her town, and from time to time she helps her people. Aside from the fact that it bothers her to see her father as the mayor of her city, she wants more than anything to do something to remove her father from the position of mayor.

She's pretty good to Lloyd, she's glad to know that at least Kai now got a little company for her travels.

She met Nya after keeping her from getting into trouble with a criminal gang in Ouroboros, she also learned that she was Kai's younger sister. She told him everything she knew about Kai, and she could see that something happened between the two brothers. But still, Skylor became a good friend to Nya.

Her most valuable treasure is a locket that her mother had given her.

She does not regret betraying her father, Chen stopped being her father a long time ago once she began to see how she made deals with Tyrrant Clinthon.

[hopepunk-priest]

Man, actually, if anything is fucking me up just after finishing Life is Strange: True Colours, it's Jon Chen.

Like, he was a fucking shitty father. Abusive drunk who couldn't hold down a job and abandoned his kids.

But... To die the way he did? Man.

Your wife dies, you're totally shattered by it, and you don't know how to parent two grieving kids. You can't control your anger, you lash out at them. You know your son steals your beer, but you don't fight with him about it. You get it. You know you're a piece of shit.

You leave because of the guilt. But not without taking your wife's locket of your two kids. Someone will come for the kids eventually, they'll be better off without you. They aren't.

You move to a new town, you try to start fresh. Maybe even try to get your shit together. You beg this guy for a job, "I'm a hard worker, and a fast learner, and I don't mind long hours." He gives it to you. You're part of this legendary deep mining crew.

Then the manager gets greedy. He digs too deep, too dangerous conditions. The mine floods. You get trapped, he makes a call, and you're abandoned there.

It's a slow death. You have enough time to be angry. Have enough time to watch the others trapped with you give up. You drown in the dark, in mud.

Your daughter thinks you never write back. She grows to resent you for it. You'd been dead for years at that point. Maybe you would have written back. Maybe not.

Your son tries to hunt you down. Hurt, and angry, and he still tries to find you. He gets a job working for the same man who killed you. He tries to build a family, better than you ever did. He's killed in an accident that was set up to cover up your death.

Your daughter gets a job from the same man who killed you. He tries to kill her. The rage you felt in your final moments is what saves her. She takes down the people who killed you. She still hates you, but maybe she forgives you. Maybe she thinks you deserved your death.

Abandoned to drown in the dark, in the mud, clutching your wife's locket with your kid's pictures inside. Never getting the chance to be better, to make things right.

[ginger-grimm]

RE-RE-INTRODUCING: MARLOW STILINSKI

Full Name: Marlow Marie Stilinski

Birthdate: February 22nd, 1999

Hair Color: Brown, then blonde

Eye Color: Blue

Species: Werecoyote, Beta (Bitten)

Family: Claudia Stilinski, née Gajos (Mother, deceased), Noah Stilinski (Father), Miecysław “Stiles” Stilinski (Older Brother), Elias Stilinski (Paternal Grandfather)

Love Interest: Liam Dunbar

Friends: Riley Parrish, Coop Harris, Nixie Baker, Bear Wallace, Tilly Cole, Oz Baker, Nina Simms, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Scott McCall, Malia Tate, Kira Yukimura, Lydia Martin, Derek Hale

Likes: Horror movies, scary stories, true crime, cookies, singing, dancing, cheerleading, scrapbooking, sunsets, movie nights, animals

Dislikes: Liars, not feeling in control, being treated like a child, people not following her advice, sour candy, loud noises, hot weather

Phobias: Snakes, flying

Style: Jeans and sweaters or blouses, sneakers (she hates uncomfortable foot wear), locket with pictures of her family in it, lazy with her makeup looks, hair up or down depending on the heat

Speech: Californian accent, low-pitch voice, gets loud when she’s stressed or annoyed - otherwise pretty much inside voice only

Physical Quirks/Scars: Climbed over a fence when she was a kid, leg got caught on the metal and still has the scar, her eyes glow blue when she’s in werecoyote mode

Personality: Fiercely protective, loving, selfless, salty, family-oriented, anxious, saracstic

Background: Born and raised in Beacon Hills, Marlow has halways been the baby of the bunch - whether that was at home or in her friend group. She was always in need of a little more attention due to her severe panic attacks and BPD. As a child, she was quiet and withdrawn, using her brother’s outspoken demeanor as a shield whenever she felt she needed to. Marlow’s mother Claudia died when she was seven, prompting the little girl to hide her true emotions from everyone. She toughens up and spends more time with her best friend Mason Hewitt, whom she met in kindergarten. When the two are out on a camping trip with Mason’s family, ten-year-old Marlow comes across a scary man with red glowing eyes. He bites her and suddenly her whole life is turned upside down. The night after her first full moon, she wakes up in the ruins of the Hale house, Derek and Laura Hale there to explain the ropes of being a shapeshifter. After Derek leaves town and Laura is murdered by Peter Hale, thirteen-year-old Marlow is left to fend for herself, continuing to hide her new identity from her loved ones. Then her brothers best friend Scott McCall is turned into a werewolf and she tries to help him navigate his new normal while keeping her own predicament under wraps. She is relegated to research duty, having Mason help her under the guise of making up a story. Two years pass and after losses, battles, and goodbyes, Marlow finally starts attending Beacon Hills High School with Mason. Then she meets the new kid Liam Dunbar, and there is a spark. When Liam is bitten by Scott and turned into a werewolf, Marlow is one more incident away from having an anxious breakdown.

Faceclaim: Jenny Boyd

TAGLIST: @waterloou @eddysocs ​ @ocs-supporting-ocs @foxesandmagic @veetlegeuse @decennia @hiddenqveendom @arrthurpendragon @luucypevensie @kentaroranda @noratilney @wordspin-shares @oneirataxia-girl @endless-oc-creations @lucys-chen @andromedalestrange @far-shores @daughter-of-melpomene @bibaybe

[northern-passage]

Oh are you a Soulsborne enjoyer? 👀 What type of boss would the cast be? & what would their government mandated epithets be?

oh this is like deep lore stuff.... im just a simple casual.....

i don't really know what you mean by type of boss 😭 but if i had to assign boss fights to them (bloodborne only cus it's what i'm familiar with):

Lea Chen of the Black Iron / Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower

"Only an honest death will cure you now...." Lea's fighting style matches pretty closely to Lady Maria's; they're quick but patient. also i love the hunter vs. hunter aspect of that fight, i think the hunter bosses are the most interesting bosses in Bloodborne. i find it hard to imagine Lea fighting against the hunter... only if it was for their own good, as a last resort.... to "cure" them...

Hunter Lykaon / Martyr Logarius

obviously the use of spells here would go well with Noel's fighting style, and while i don't understand all of the lore around Martyr Logarius, i see Noel's loyalty and stubbornness potentially putting him in a similar position. though Noel isn't really one to keep secrets, xe'd still stand guard for the hunter if they asked.... or stand against them if xe had to. Noel is the one companion that could potentially defeat the hunter. it depends just how far the hunter is willing to go.

Merry, daughter of The Omen / Vicar Amelia

honestly this one was hard, i think her and Lea could both fit under Lady Maria, but it's boring to do the same one twice (and there's not many human enemies in bloodborne so just pretend) same with Martyr Logarius, i'm sure there are lots of ways to interpret Vicar Amelia, but i see something kind of metaphorical there with Merry... instead of the locket she's holding the ring she wears around her neck, and while she doesn't turn into a literal monster, she's quite vicious and she has changed drastically from who she used to be. Merry doesn't always like the person she sees in the mirror. while Vicar Amelia is an early encounter, i actually think Merry would be one of the toughest companions for the hunter to fight. not because she's stronger, but mentally and emotionally i think this fight would be the hardest for them, besides Lea... Merry would lose but she'd make sure the hunter would never forget it.

Clementine the Jackal / Yharnam, Pthumerian Queen

Clementine is the secret boss..... i think the implications with this one are pretty obvious. Clementine absolutely could not stand toe to toe against the hunter, if i had to design an actual boss fight with them it would be something like Yharnam's, with Clem using magic, illusions, a whole lot of blood and a really big knife to get around the hunter and backstab them..... 🤔 i think Clementine could get a few licks in and drag the fight out for quite awhile with their magic tricks, but the hunter would catch them eventually.

[snazzilystoopid]

GUYS WAIT JUST HEAR ME OUT...

What if I started a series about an AU where every ninja has a little sister? (So yes Nya and Kai "have a little sister")

OK YES

IM GONNA DO IT

STARTING WITH COLE OBVIOUSLY 🤭

(tw for sh!)

This gif makes me so sad I cant-

Libble "Lilly" Brookstone

Named Libble after her mom's best friend, Libber

(Yes I hc that Cole's mother and Jay's birth mother were besties)

Nicknamed Lilly because she looks exactly like her, they're basically identical apart from the fact that Libble has her dad's eyes

Her family sometimes give her the nickname "Libs" or "Libby"

(Most people acc call her Libby now)

She was the "naughty kid" and she ran away alot

Gave poor Lou lots of stress 😭

The moment Libble turned 13 (abt halfway through Possesion) she started to bunk off school and do stupid things (smoking, dr*gs, that sorta stuff)

She grew up WAY too fast

Like she rly didn't gave a shit abt Cole turning into a ghost or any of that until Day of the Departed

After DotD she had a much needed wake up call (still just age 13 at this point)

She didn't go and visit her home for the holiday and she realised just how much their family had suffered bc of Lilly's passing

So that night Libble cried herself to sleep in the crappy apartment she and her friends were camping out in

a) bc she missed her dad and big bro and b) because she knew she had seriously messed up

The next day she went back to school and finally started making an effort

She realised she really loved sketching and she also had a passion for programming/machinery/tech

She decided she wanted to pursue a career at Borg Industries before she mustered up the courage to go back to live with Lou

She apologised profusely and sobbed and begged for his forgiveness

Lou welcomed her back with open arms

Cole was skeptical of talking to her for a few days but after a week he ended up going back to visit

and he was the happiest he had ever been when he saw his baby sister had truly changed <33

They had a family dinner the following night catching up on things

During the one year gap after Hands of Time she continued to go to school and actually got an education, and regularly stayed in touch with Cole (since he was with Jay looking for Wu)

She met all the ninja just after March of the Oni and decided that Nya was her favourite (after Cole ofc)

After MotM, once Cole returned from Shintaro, his veins up his wrist/arms would sometimes pulse a faint orange. Libble liked to trace them and would always say she wished she was the one with elemental powers as a joke

By the end of Crystalized, Libble is 16!

Aaand that's her story!! Moving on to random facts abt her:

Unlike the rest of her family, Libble can't sing or dance to save her life

She'll stay up all night sketching and sketching and sketching

Cole often calls her "Libbler the Scribbler"

Whenever Lou and the Royal Blacksmiths have a performance, she always makes sure she's on the front row

She used to sh as "punishment" once she returned home, because she couldn't forgive herself for leaving her dad like that

Her classmates called her a freak because of the scars up her arms and the minute Cole found out he was PISSED

She hangs around Chen's Noodle House a lot, and she always orders the same thing: PUFFY POTSTICKERS

She smashed the TV in the monastery of spinjitzu once, because of Kai and Cole beating her in a video-game

Shes usually quite a calm and collected person, but she can also be really loud

Simillar to Lilly's locket, Libble owns a silver locket which pictures her and Cole in one photo, and Lilly and Lou in the other.

Thats all hehe, but I feel like I could've picked a better name, I had literally no ideas 😭😭

(Just to make things clear, each sister doesn't exist in the same universe, these are all gonna be seperate AUs!)

Hope yall enjoyed and I think I'll be doing either Lloyd or Kai + Nya next! <3

[kultofathena]

LK Chen - Vincentio – Italian Seven Ring Hilt Rapier

“Vincentio”  is a recreation of a beautiful 17th century Italian Seven Rings rapier inspired by rapier specimens in the fine collection of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Arts and other collections.  Named after the famous Italian fencing master Vincentio Saviolo, Vincentio is a rapier optimized for thrusting and despite its long reach the blade is quite easy to point and control the tip for a decisive strike. This is another exacting recreation that LK Chen has taken on and with valuable input from experts in the details of the seven ring complex hilt and the construction such as the braiding of the elaborate “Turkish  head” wire knots in the hilt.

The well-tempered blade is crafted from GB 60Si2MnA high carbon steel and it is mounted into a complex and finely decorated seven ring hilt of stainless steel. The grip is bound in stainless steel wire which is surmounted by braided “Turkish head” knots. The sword is matched with a wooden scabbard which is overlaid in black leather and completed with a locket and chape of stainless steel.

[lolacouldnotcareless]

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Dimir Locket

"Wear this, and take your place among the shadows—wise, lethal, and unseen." —Ivrelya, Dimir spymaster

Artist: Zezhou Chen TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

[yukiwhitetm]

Thoughts on Life is Strange: True Colors and Wavelengths

This part of the review contains no spoilers.

Chapter One

This chapter was an excellent introduction to Alex Chen, her brother, Gabe, and the rest of the Haven Springs community. Steph and Ryan, our two romance options, were introduced with equal value - Steph was super cool and Ryan was super cute. Every character was well rounded and likeable, but the game was glitchy, hard to run and no one’s mouth moved with their speech - this improved in later chapters after the October update. The worst glitch was on Alex when she suddenly turned entirely black during an animation, but that went away quickly and may have been resolved in the October update. I had to adjust my settings several times to get the game to run smoothly! Windowed mode is your saviour here.

Chapter Two

This chapter could have been done better. It was OK. But it could have been impactful and emotional, and it just... wasn’t. I will talk about it more in the spoilers part of this review. There was a hilarious glitch where the bartender, Jed, T-posed when he wasn’t even supposed to be in the room. I laughed so hard.

Chapter Three

My favourite chapter by far! This chapter was fun and enjoyable - and then it was intense and emotional. I am so glad that they fleshed out Gabe’s girlfriend, Charlotte, more here as she had seemed bland before. I am concerned about how they did it, but I will talk about that in the spoiler part of this review.

Chapter Four

Fun and optional romance was abound in this chapter! The event was enjoyable and the romance so sweet that it made me smile. But it had a shocking conclusion. I literally clasped my hands over my mouth and gasped!

Chapter Five

Remember how in the first game Max had visions of alternate futures and alternate versions of herself and it got really crazy for awhile there? Well, it happened again here! But it made tons more sense and I actually enjoyed unravelling it all. True Colors came to a decisive end as the mysteries were brought to a satisfying, if tragic, conclusion. 

Wavelengths

This expansion pack was long! It was as long as a chapter of the game - so grab a warm drink and get comfy. In this, we followed Steph as she started her new job as a DJ and shop assistant in Haven Springs and slowly, bit by bit, moved on from the grief and trauma of what happened at Arcadia Bay. It impacted her more than we ever thought it did and she really struggled for awhile. You see the DJ booth and the music shop change over time as she settled in and got her life in order. Steph grew to become the Steph we knew in the game, and we got to see it happen. (Side note, I had a serious glitch occur when she entered the back room at one point, and had to restart from a previous check point three times. Hopefully, this will be ironed out with time.)

To read a more in depth review carry on, but beware the blatant spoilers below!

This part of the review contains spoilers and, honestly, this is where the critique comes in.

Chapter One

I like that this chapter started with Alex talking to her therapist because it introduces us to the main character, and it is then tied into the start of the last chapter. I appreciate that there was foreshadowing put in place by Ethan telling Alex that he wanted to go up and into the mountains that day, and by the signs of the upcoming explosions that were literally everywhere, but it ruined the experience for me. I predicted the entire thing before it happened and was frustrated that I couldn’t stop something so obvious from happening. It happened and I could have stopped it because I saw it miles out, but the game wouldn’t let me. So much for player’s choice. Also, I think that Riley’s hair could have done with being animated better as it looked not-quite-right throughout the game. And, I hate to say this, but Gabe’s death was more funny than it should have been. I mean, it was upsetting, yes, but I knew it was going to happen because of the trailers, so I did not miss the hilarity of the animation of this one random boulder just hitting Gabe in the stomach and throwing him off the mountain. I think that could have been animated better.

Chapter Two

This chapter started with a memorial for Gabe. I cried really hard during this part and had to restart the scene to watch it clearly. Then we helped Steph deal with her grief in a scene that was beautiful and well done. Steph’s eyebrows kept on disappearing, though, which made me giggle. Alex helped Charlotte support Ethan, and she helped Ryan with his grief and guilt. The scene with Ryan was brilliant too - and his following joy random but sweet. My critique here is this - where was Alex’s grief? It was her brother that died right in front of her and yet we did not see her grieve him, not really. And I get that it was mentioned in Chapter Five that she never cries, but still. Her voice was too level and her expression too clear and it really did not seem as though it had only been two weeks since her brother had died, I repeat, right in front of her. The entire chapter was about grief and mourning, but not about hers. She did start to see her empathy as something she can use to help other people and that’s great, but what about her emotions, where were they?

Alex’s watered down emotions were why this chapter was only an OK. Alex is the main character - so her emotions matter the most.

Chapter Three

I cannot put into words how much I loved this chapter. The LARP was so inspired and fun - I enjoyed every moment of it. And the way that Ethan’s Joy transformed the LARP into a real fantasy world was wonderful, followed on by how it was torn apart by his grief. After this came a scene with Charlotte where we finally got to see her grief - and it had manifested as anger, which is one of the five stages of grief. The option to take away her anger was an interesting choice to make, if an intrusive one. She had the right to her emotions. But! My concern is this - Charlotte is a black woman and the writers made her angry, so are they perpetuating the ‘angry black woman’ stereotype? Or are they allowing her the right to be angry in her grief despite the stereotype? I just think that this is such a sensitive topic that it would have been better if they had swapped her anger with another character’s sadness - like Steph’s or Ryan’s - so that this topic could have been entirely avoided. But maybe I am wrong here.

Chapter Four

I loved the Spring Festival! It was so much fun exploring it all and talking to all of the characters! My favourite part was the giving of a rose to your romantic interest - I loved how this made it clear to the game who you were interested in, as I was a bit concerned I would end up with Ryan when I had been gunning for Steph. (I just think dating your brother’s best friend is kind of weird.) The rooftop scene between Steph and Alex was adorable and I was so happy to finally see them kiss! Pike arresting Alex was not unexpected, because he had always seemed wishy-washy, but upsetting. The fact that she and her friends had been spied on was unnerving, but I should have seen that coming after what happened with Mac. Taking Pike’s fear away seemed contradictory to her thoughts on how taking Charlotte’s anger away was intrusive, but it was the only option other than signing the paper, which I was not going to do, so I did it. Jed’s betrayal was shocking. I did not expect that at all! And that Alex was shot and fell down a mine shaft from the impact was terrifying. What if she had died?

Chapter Five

This chapter started with Alex talking to her therapist again, and I love that it tied into the beginning of the game. The following mystery was fun to solve, and the magical memory explorations with Gabe were interesting to explore as we got to see more of their shared past. I actually really liked it! I was cheering Alex on as she made her way out of the mine, but I nearly cried when she found her mother’s locket down there. The final showdown between her and Jed was impactful and emotional like I had hoped chapter two to be, and I am glad that I managed to garner every character’s support. Jed admitted to his crimes and I... I forgave him. Not for him, but for Alex, because she deserved to move on from what happened. I chose to stay in Haven Springs with Steph, because it seemed like the game wanted me to do that (as I had learned from the first game that Life is Strange tends to have a ‘favourite’ ending that is more fleshed out) but I actually wanted them to leave. It didn’t seem healthy to me for her stay in the place that her father, brother and almost her had been murdered. Despite this, I found the ending to be... lacklustre. Gabe’s description of her future in Haven Springs was beautiful, but I would have liked to see that after I made the choice not before - because after I made the choice all I got to see was Alex walking to Haven Springs, which I had seen several times before, and then roll credits. If I had known that I wouldn’t have seen anything different I would have let Alex and Steph move on with their lives.

Overall, Life is Strange: True Colors is a great game! I would not say it is as good as Life is Strange was, but it is far better than Life is Strange 2, because it had a cohesive story with an overarching plot, likeable characters and a mystery to solve.

[sumrallmind]

so i finsihed True Colors

Overall, I liked it. The game was good, it played well, I liked the characters, it felt like my choices mattered and had impact throughout, the soundtrack was good

overall, a good experience. More spoliers and chp 5 thoughts under the cut

Man, poor alex. She is going through some shit.

Going through the memories was good, becasue it helped Alex re-examine some of the parts of the past she was still letting define her. Ghost!Gabe acted as a good guide, encouraging her to see the past for what it was, and how certain things said to her fucked her up a bit. It stripped away some of her defenses and masks to get to her core, which of course culmiates in finding her dad’s memory.

This was an interesting choice. We only had a vague sense of John Chen up to this point, and we needed to get to know him more to have the ending more impactful. In fact, you could argue that his memory imprinted into the locket is why Alex was flashing back to that in the first place. I mean, it did lead her to the cave-in.

This takes us to the conuncil meeting and i’m very glad I was able to make connections with all the members. I mostly went with my gut in regards to everyone. Duckie i wanted to be nice to anyways, Eleanor i thought that her secrets were her own and she would have the town to back her up if things got worse, charlotte i understood her anger was a big part of her at that time and taking that would have possibly done more harm. For pike, taking away the fear made sense, becuase it seemed like a recent thing. At least, the level of fear of typhon at that point.

Anyways, everyone supported alex, inclduing steph and ryan, which brought us to the take down of jed. Less a takedown and more Alex doing to him what she did to herself, stripping away the lies and layers and masks to get to the core. Jed is a conflicted man. He knows he made a mistake and was able to lie to himself about it.

In the end, I chose forgiveness. I felt the game is about second chances, accepted the past but not letting it define you. Jed can be a good person, and this can help him down that path. Plus, Alex need to not hold onto that anger and resentment herself.

After that, we get super cute steph being all like ‘hey babe lets be together forever lol’ and it was a good scene. and the final moments of ‘here is waht your live could be in haven’ was pretty beautify. It spoke of hope and comfort and acceptance. it was nice. But something about the final moments with jed, and parts of the nightmare scenes. I dunno, in my game I felt like Alex would be happy staying, no doubt, but something called out. The idea that she could travel and help people. That she could be a catalyst for good everywhere, not just haven.

I dunno. Something about traveling with steph just seemed right.

Anyways,

I vert much enjoyed this game and it might be my fav of the LiS series so far. Giving Decknine the series was a good pick.

[dontmindmyshadowhunting]

To never being parted - Part 2 Chap 4 - The Birthday Party

This is the Chapter 4 of the mini sequel to my flower cards inspired Kitty Fan Fic “Am I Forgotten?”

AO3 Link here.

****

As it turned out, Jace absolutely loved his surprise. He jumped in the pop-out cake to hug Kit, who pushed him away, and they ended up rolling and wrestling amidst the vanilla buttercream, with a crowd of onlookers cheering. The most enthusiastic was Mina, who shrieked with delight during the entire fight.

They both had to change after that, which was a relief. Tessa had to hastily recover Kit’s dress from Mina, who had undertaken to lick the fabric drenched in vanilla frosting.

The party was as decadent as any party organized by Magnus Bane could be. Dark blue velvet banners hung from the ceiling, stitched with the design of stars which seemed to shine, as if the guests were standing under the night sky. Candles glowed from every surface. Magnus had magicked up a small playground for the kids in one corner of the room, far from the chocolate fountains.

Kit carried Mina around on his shoulders for two solid hours before she finally asked him to put him down. When he did, she whispered in his ear. “When I am older, I am going to marry that tall and handsome Centurion bodyguard who has been following us everywhere… He takes such good care of my big brother.” Kit felt all the blood drain from his face.

****

The dinner table was covered with food from all around the world but Kit settled for a burger. He noticed that Julian had made the same choice although he saw him slip his lettuce to King Kieran, who had decided to make an appearance for Jace’s birthday party. He was seated between Mark and Cristina, and both were trying to get him to taste Mexican food. He shot Julian a grateful look.  

“So, has Ty been sleeping in front of your bedroom, as he used to in Los Angeles? That was so cute!” Cristina asked Kit, in a cheerful voice.

“Of course not”, Kit replied. “He is absolutely welcome to my bed now.”

Everyone around the table froze before turning to look at him. Shit. Did he say that out loud?  

Kit moved his gaze towards the only person whose opinion mattered in the case.

Ty, who was seated next to Dru and Jaime Rosales, was staring at him open-mouthed, his cheeks flushed. Oh well, thought Kit. I am not taking it back anyway. If I said I was joking, Ty would take it literally. And we wouldn’t want that now, would we?

Kit shrugged and went back to eating his burger.

****

After dinner, there was a cluster of girls around Lily Chen, who was seated on a chair flaunting the Hot Shadowhunters calendar, as if it was the best book of the year.

She had decided to publish a first edition, as an experiment, in an attempt to boost the Clave’s revenues. Alec had been reluctant at first, but even he couldn’t deny the incredible success of the calendar after only a few weeks of sales. It had been sold to both Shadowhunters and Downworlders, entire stalls being dedicated to it in several Shadow Markets around the world.

King Kieran himself had bought several to add to his collection which included kitten and mundane firefighters calendars.

“So, of course we have Jace for the month of January. That one - and Mark Blackthorn’s - were the easiest pictures to obtain,” Lily explained as she enthralled her audience by flipping through the pages of the calendar.

On the front page, Jace was almost entirely naked, a well positioned sword covering his most intimate parts. Mark was just as barely dressed, poetically covered in roses and thorns.

“I had to negotiate with Magnus for Alec’s picture but as it turns out, I am quite happy with what he provided.” Magnus winked. In the picture, Alec was half naked, his muscles flexed as he was pulling an arrow to his bow. His skin was covered with black marks which stood in stark contrast with his white skin.

“Here we have Jem. Although he is officially retired from the Clave, we couldn’t do this without him. He is much too popular with the Shadow Markets’ crowd. He is only half naked of course, but compared to what people used to see of him when he was a Silent Brother, this looks like porn.” Most of the girls giggled.

“This is Simon, it was easy enough to obtain a picture of him. I just had to offer him a limited edition of a light-saver…”

“A lightsaber,” Isabelle corrected.

“Whatever. The most difficult one to obtain was Julian Blackthorn’s, of course,” Lily continued. “I had to hire a professional photographer…”

“You mean a paparazzi,” Emma interrupted.

“Emma almost broke his arm…”

“He was lurking behind a rock, taking pictures of Julian while he was surfing…”

“But apparently you both found an arrangement.”

Emma stared off into space. “He does have talent. He took amazing pictures of Julian on his surfboard… I made an album of them. He’s going to be our wedding’s photographer. Free of charge.”

“That’s my girl,” Julian said, raising his hand for a high five, though not moving his gaze from Tavvy.

Lily turned to Kit and Ty, then, pointing two fingers at her eyes and at them. “Now that you have come of age, I have got my eyes on you boys.”

Ty looked terrified but Kit only shrugged.

****

Kit danced with a lot of people. Mina, mostly, but also Clary, Isabelle, Emma, Dru, Aline and even Lily, who kept giving him a variety of nicknames. Mostly food-related. When he waltzed with Tessa, everyone stopped to observe their graceful twirls, and they were given a round of applause. Kit had to admit he was quite smug about it. Not a single dance with Ty though, who had mostly been hiding in a corner with his headphones on, his arms crossed, though a friend of Dru’s kept talking animatedly to him. He didn’t seem to notice.

After a dozen dances, Kit was exhausted and parched. As he moved towards the buffet to get something to drink, Emma and Cristina appeared out of nowhere to stand in his path, their faces alight with excitement. Kit had noticed that when Emma was not glued to Julian’s side, she was always running around with Cristina and Mark, like an iconic trio of besties.

“Welcome to the club,” they said in unison. Had they rehearsed that?

“What club?”

“The club of fearless warriors who decided to take the hazardous path of dating Blackthorn men,” Emma replied with an ominous voice.

“One word of advice,” Cristina said. “Get as much sleep as you can, while you can.”

“What?” Kit was puzzled.

“Hmmm, how to explain…” Emma put one finger on her mouth, her expression thoughtful. “Have you ever wondered why there are so many of them?”

“The Blackthorns you mean? Er- because they like kids?” Kit answered.

“True enough,” Emma replied, winking at him.

“What else is there?” Kit asked, as he had the feeling he was missing something.

Emma and Cristina burst into fits of laughter, clutching each other for support.

Kit shrugged and considered it as his cue to leave. Ty had already left the party an hour ago and Kit was wondering whether he should stop by his room to watch him sleep. Just a little peek. Ok, no, that was creepy.

As he was heading towards the door to leave the party inconspicuously, Kit was stopped mid-flight by a hand grasping his shoulder.

“Not so fast, Kit Herondale.”

Kit turned to meet Julian’s blue-green eyes. He was a different version of the Julian he had known.

The shape of his face was sharper, his features more chiseled and his luscious Blackthorn waves longer. There were no longer circles under his eyes and Kit had noticed that he had stopped biting his fingernails. He seemed happier, more rested. Almost… glowing.

Kit had to admit he was stunning. But I am already head over heels in love with his brother, Kit was reminded.

According to Jace, Julian had been a close and trusted advisor of Alec for the past few years, the Consul relying on him for war strategy and delicate political matters.

During the time he had spent in Los Angeles, Kit had witnessed how dangerous Julian’s sharp mind could be when he decided to use it. How deadly. And that was tired, restless Julian. Glowing Julian… their enemies would never know what had hit them.

Julian’s gaze moved to Kit’s chest, where the Blackthorn locket was resting.

“I see that Ty has given you his and Livvy’s pendant. I trust that you know what this means.”

His blue-green eyes were now boring into Kit’s, and Kit could not help but feel exposed, as if Julian was not looking into his eyes but straight into his head, accessing his mind.

“I do. This is it, for Ty. I am it . First and last. There won’t ever be anyone else for him.”

“What about you?” Julian’s gaze was still burning holes through Kit’s eyes.

Kit sighed. “You know what they say. Herondales love but once.”

“And you just realized that, where you are concerned, this is true?”

“No, Julian. I had already realized that three years ago.”

Kit turned to move, but Julian caught him by the arm.

“You already know what I am going to say next, don’t you?”

“Julian, I have witnessed what you were capable of in order to protect your family. I’d rather be facing the nine Princes of Hell.”

“Good,” was all Julian said, letting him go.

****

Tagging @darkkitai

[agdragonstudio]

Dimir Locket

I cannot be stopped with these. I'm stocked on exacto blades, glue, pens, and cards to cut. Churning them out till I start the distance learning, whatever that looks like.

Art by Zezhou Chen

Dimir Guildgate art by Cliff Childs

[drivingsideways]

thoughts on ep 21-22 under the cut, spoilers ahead!

- Alright, emperor fucklord continues to be the absolute *worst *. I’d been spoiled for ep 21, so I already knew about the sexist way in which he dismisses Cao Danshu’s thoughts/advise on the war; but I hadn’t known about ep 22, where he not only doesn’t apologize for his behavior, but after Zhang Bihan’s breakdown and display, he continues to act like the entitled prick he is, by becoming infuriated that the Empress politely tells him to leave, after what was an excruciating day for her. 

-As episodes pass, it’s becoming more and more evident just how shallow his so called “benevolence” and “generosity” is. He’s benevolent and kind when it costs him very little (and coincidentally, when he knows that the said act of kindness/ charity will garner him praise.). It’s very telling to me that the person he’s both most unthinkingly and deliberately cruel to is his wife. Like in his head, his code of honour probably causes him to treat his subordinates with respect and politeness as an obligation to his own position in life, but apparently it makes not a bit of difference when he’s heaping humiliation upon humiliation on his wife. 

At this point, the only truly unselfish act I recall him doing is when he sent Chen Xichun away. 

- And like, I know his childhood left him feeling inadequate and insecure and all those things, i can even go a step further and sympathize with that emotional blackhole of need that nothing will ever fill- upto a point. After some time, the constant self-victimizing narrative when a character lacks any self awareness just becomes tiring to watch, and also, at least for me, very narratively unfulfilling. Right, so, we’re still not even 1/3rd way through the series, so there’s still a chance that Renzong will display some growth in character later on in the drama, let’s hope so, because otherwise, having your lead become progressively unlikeable is just going to lose your audience, emotionally, and probably even literally. 

- In the good things from these two episodes: Maoze’s vow to protect Cao Danshu (how much do I love that he says her name, and not “Huanghou”???? I LOVE IT A LOT). I didn’t understand significance of the locket and tree though, so if anyone knows, tell me! 

-The conversation between Zongshi and Cao Danshu: again, so heartbreaking, so poignant. I *loved * that bit when she tells him, “I won’t lie to you”, but also is so gentle and kind in her way of teaching him how the world can be a terribly shitty place, how she does it while reminding him that he’s not alone in the world, not even in suffering, and that she’s right there with him, and so she understands.  I love that she treats him with respect; not as an adult, but as a child with enough mental and emotional faculties to understand what she’s saying. It makes me think back to what Renzong’s childhood might have been like- though we get a very one sided view of it from Renzong’s memories- Empress Dowager’s personality was probably such that she wasn’t as gentle with Zhao Zhen as Cao Danshu is being with Zhao Zongshi. Too bad he only sees the ways in which Cao Danshu is like his mother , intimidating in her strength and forcefulness. 

-Inspector Jia and that minister/official lover of hers continue to be the only valid couple in the entire series. No really: like, which other couple in this series are so in sync with each other? I love that they seem to know each other so well, and there’s this acceptance from both sides that ok, we’re both basically going to prioritize our own selves, and that’s fine, and it doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun together. 

[kultofathena]

Balaur Arms – German Kriegsmesser (Oct. Preorder)

Its large, saber-like blade coupled with a two-handed grip for power and leverage creates a sword with superb cutting and slashing ability. Whatever the source of the Messer and its smaller and humbler forms, a Kriegsmesser such as the one here with its elevated stylization was a weapon for a professional warrior, mercenary or noble.

This Balaur Arms Kriegsmesser – inspired by the Albion Knecht and collaboratively produced with LK Chen – manages to recreate this powerful, large sword in a form that is particularly agile and swift for its size. Its blade features a high degree of distal taper with a thick and strong base which thins considerably toward the main striking portion of the sword to create a blade that will bite into and pass through a target with minimized drag and resistance. The keenly sharp blade is ready for powerful cutting right out of the box; the blade is well-tempered high carbon spring steel with a hardness of 54-55 HRc. The guard and pommel are stainless steel and the grip has two halves of smooth-polished rosewood which are solidly copper riveted to the thick tang of the blade for a tough construction. For heightened durability, the blade tang is peened over the pommel. The nagel gives excellent protection to the knuckle and is solidly fitted to the guard; its base pin goes straight through the guard and is peened on the reverse to ensure that it will not shear off in an impact.

This Kriegsmesser is paired with a durable scabbard of wood which features a finely cast locket and chape of stainless steel. The wood is bound in leather and etched with late Medieval scrollwork on a single side to complete the sword.

Available to pre-order here.

[enlilwind]

Profesoara de pian de Janice Y. K. Lee - Book Review

#thepianoteacher #janiceyklee #profesoaradepian #elenasbookshelf

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Dimir Locket

"Wear this, and take your place among the shadows—wise, lethal, and unseen." —Ivrelya, Dimir spymaster

Artist: Zezhou Chen