#my glorious king showed up in his new outfit and you expect for me to NOT draw him??? crazy!

[solplease]

hi. i saw him and went crazy

[brownandblackpearls]

📜 🖋 𝒞ourting with 𝒟r. 𝒟evorak (Julian x BlackReader) Pt.1

PART 1 SUMMARY:

You are a reputable, young beauty of means in Vesuvia, enjoying the winter courting season. An odd letter from an odd doctor finds its way to your door. You decide to respond.

─── Julian x black female reader

─── imagery + fiction

─── explicit smut

─── regency/historical/fantasy, courtship rituals, wealthy! MC, love letters, drama, handsome redheads

☾ next.

.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:・゜゜・．✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: *

.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:・゜゜・．✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: *

“Letters for you, Miss!” The scullery maid calls through the door.

You pause your writing, hesitating over your final line before turning to answer the call.

“Come in!”

The maid strides in with your daily mail on a silver platter. As expected, there is a heap of them from various suiters, all interested in seeking your hand. 

Some young, some old, some men, some women, some wealthy, and some positively blue-blooded, they are all voracious. Usually, your interest tends to wane after weeks and weeks of these greetings each season. The feeling especially set in after getting the particular suspicion that the lords, duchesses and dukes reaching out to you were having their own maids and butlers pen these letters, a copy of an inquiry to every potential young beauty in the region.

Consequently, many of the letters did not seem to genuine, remaining vague and distanced. Polite. 

Today, however, you find your lessons to be going slow. You decide to take a break and browse through the inquiries.

“Read through them for me, Delilah?” You call out the request as you lower your pen and clean your fingers in a warm, sudsy bowl of water on your desk. Drying your hands, you apply a spot of scented lotion on your fingers before smoothing it in and sliding your delicate gloves back on.

Delilah clears her throat, interested in the letters herself. 

You had no doubt the contents of the proposals would make waves throughout the household by sunset, but all of your staff were well-meaning. Just bored during these slow winter months. Honestly, you didn’t blame them for indulging in your courting dramas.

“Well,” Delilah begins, “Here is a letter from a Clarence Dunford Winthrop, hailing from Bremens County! He greets you and wishes you a very warm winter. ‘I am most pleased to write to you, Miss ------. I possess a healthy 34 years in me, and I seek the opportunity to meet and possibly enter the idea of courtship with you. Are the tales true that you are quite fine and b-buxom…? Goodness, how forward!”

You bite back a chuckle, allowing Delilah her scandalized looks and comments. After she’s thoroughly read Winthrop’s letter, she moves on to the next.

“This one,” she exclaims, “is from a young, Fiorentina Agosti, hailing from the Suthlands. She greets you amicably and wishes you a cozy winter. ‘Dear Miss ------, I am most delighted to write to you. I am a young woman of etiquette and good breeding. I am 23 years old, and yet for one so young, I am more certain of my passions and ambition than most grown adults. I seek the window of opportunity to introduce myself and my estate to you, as I am seeking to build my relationships with the nearby families of standing. I favor women only, as I’ll need a good, feminine eye to steer my estate towards a glorious future…what a boastful girl! I hear she is very attractive, though…”

Delilah goes on, examining letter after letter, reading aloud excitedly. Finally, she lands on a slightly ragged one, with a wax seal bearing no crest. Only a simple plant pattern with dried flowers and ferns trapped to the note.

“My,” Delilah wonders, flipping the envelope, “what a...humble introduction. Let’s hope that the contents are more splendid than the package they came in!”

Delilah adjusts the paper before her and begins.

“This one,” she explains, “is from a young…doctor…in the capital, near the palace. Oh, I think I recall this one? He is of great renown, but markedly odd. Hmm…He greets you fondly and asks if…if you have ‘seasonal allergies’...? He is more than happy to forward any herbs or teas that can help soothe inflammation…as a ‘show of good faith and possible friendship’—yes, very odd...He would like to know if you would be interested in accompanying him as an honored guest to his annual medical tools gala. There will be anatomical displays as well as guest surgeon speakers. Afterwards, he would like to take you to attend the opening night of a Vesuvian theatre drama, and then dinner. I—that sounds more exhausting than eventful. Goodness….“

Despite Delilah’s somewhat opinionated concerns, your interest perks at the oddness of the inquiry and the oddness of the planned date. You’re not so sure a medical gala will be of interest to you, as you’ve never attended one before, but you would like to try.  

“Delilah, please. No more commentary. What does the rest say...?”

Delilah harrumphs, moving on. “Well, he seems certain that you will find the engagement eventful and enlightening on his personage and he hopes to show you how good of a ‘provider he can be for a woman of your means’. He has ‘no grand heritage or acreages’, but he does have one of the ‘best practices in Vesuvia’ sporting several underling surgeons and plenty of business. New blood, instead of blue blood from the looks of it, if you ask me.”

You pause, thinking it over. 

The letter all sounded personally tailored and individualized for your reception, and clearly not something that was drafted up in the monotonous manner of house staff doing as ordered. 

The doctor seems very keen in meeting you... 

...You can’t help but feel the same.

“What is his name?”

Delilah levels you an uncertain look, noticing your choice, before sharing.

“The suitor signed off as a Dr. Julian Devorak.”

“Devorak,” you try out, rolling the name around in your mouth. 

It feels good.

“Thank you Delilah. You may place the letters in my box, save for the doctor’s. Please bring his to me, as well as my pen and good ink. I’ll also need the courting stationery.”

Delilah sours slightly before perking back up and doing as ordered quickly. She clearly does not approve of the choice but remembers her place, and knows that you are not one to be bossed. 

You wait until she delivers the stationery and retreats from your room before turning to your pen and paper, glancing at the letter from the doctor.

You perfume the parchment slightly, and use a fine, shimmering ink to dot the thick, French paper. You being to write, peering at your refined, swirling letters.

“Dear Sir…I take the first opportunity to acknowledge the flattering letter with which you have favored me…your discernment is of my deep interest, as well as your detailed plans for our hopeful outing. I consent to the date and time, and I look forward to your academic gala, as well as the theater and subsequent dinner. I implore that you arrive to chaperone me long before the sun is high in the sky, as we may need much time together that I am wont to spend with you. I will admit, I find you very curious and am interested to learn more of you. Warm Regards, ------.”

You finalize the paper with a neat calligraphy of your signature, before cleanly folding and pressing the letter. You choose a lovely envelope and seal it with wax before stamping and sending it off with Delilah to be mailed. 

“Hmm. Odd man,” you murmur to yourself, before moving on to send responses to the other requests of interest. 

The days pass by, eventful.

You go on several dates, some of note and some not so much. 

A few remain in your mind of potential. There was a beautiful countess seeking companionship after a split from her count…Nadia. Buxom and svelte, she was also the epitome of regality, and a brown-skinned beauty like yourself. You couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. 

There was also Asra, a mischievous but enchanting merchant king. You suspected a penchant for the occult on his end, but his beautiful face was too good of a distraction to focus on what may hide behind it. 

Then there was Muriel, a mysterious man with one of the largest claims of land in Vesuvia. He was fidgety and reserved, but you sensed a deep soul in him. 

Portia, the jeweler of the aristocracy, and her passionate stares paired with her down-to-earth jokes were enough to make you lower your guards and raise your spirits. 

Lastly,  Lucio. Oddly enough, he turned out to be the count that split with Nadia. You found his countenance alarming at first, only to later find a subtle charm in his passion for life, luxury and you.

All of them were far more interesting than the duds you’d went on dates with the past few weeks. 

Valdemar, the ambassador, had spilled soup all over your dress during a brunch while he spoke wildly about some conquest of his past. Then there’d been Volta, an odd little thing that insisted on trying all these unappealing, exotic dishes. There’d been Vlastomil, a weevil of a person who seemed more eager to gossip cruelly than to learn of you. And lastly...most memorably...there was Valdemar…you weren’t too sure what Valdemar did, but you were certain whatever it was, you wanted absolutely no part in it.

Weary from all the courting, you put your best face forward and hoped this day ended up being a delight instead of another disaster.

Foregoing flat-ironing, blowouts, presses, braids and twists this time, you decide to arrange for your servants to outfit you in lovely, long locs for the evening. You line them with fine silver trinkets, baubles, and rings before arranging your makeup to perfection and dressing in your finest, warm regards from the tailor.

Today was the day with the doctor, and you wanted to see exactly what kind of man he was. 

You donned a beautiful gown beneath your long, furred coat and lined your neck with a shining collar of diamonds. The winter snow would reflect stunningly off of them, as well as you.

Perfumed, plucked, and preened, you stand, assessing yourself in the mirror.

Vesuvia’s treasure.

You laugh, satisfied with the show stopping look, before leaving your room. You almost bump into a servant, rushing in to announce to you that the doctor has arrived with a carriage for you both.

“Let him in,” you say kindly, glancing out the window. Sure enough, a large, black carriage awaits. You lift your chest, square your shoulders, and raise your chin, allowing your lashes to lower and your aura to project.

You descend the stairs of your home into the grand hall, your eyes pinning the man that entered and awaited below, greeted politely by your staff.

‘Oh,’ you realize.

He’s gorgeous.

Your eyes widen slightly at the sight of him. Tall, tousled, and terribly attractive, Julian Devorak watched you, open-mouthed, as if you are some sort of ethereal being that decided to grace his mortal existence. Descending the marble stairs, you feel him watch every step you take until you finally reach the landing.

You decide to close the distance and break the ice when he makes no move, still in awe of you. No need for those stars in his eyes, you think. You want him dazzled, not anxious or elevating you to something or someone that is inaccessible.

He is here in your home, after all. If you were inaccessible to him, he wouldn’t be.

“Hello Dr. Devorak,” you grace easily, smiling. “I’m ------. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“J-Julian, please, no need for extraneous titles,” he insists in a light stammer. “The pleasure is all mine, I can assure you.”

‘Aaw,’ you think to yourself, looking fondly at him. You’ve heard the line so many times before, but somehow, the words sound so genuine coming off of his tongue. You also like the sound of his voice very much. He sounds like how he looks, you realize.

Julian mistakes your silence for something bad, and rushes to fill it.

“I-I can’t tell you how…how long I’ve anticipated today.”

“Oh?” You ask, tilting your head in wonder. 

Were you the only one he was querying? That wasn’t possible. There had to be others. You respond pleasantly.

“I’m honored...’Julian’. But I’m sure an interesting man such as yourself is entertaining many acquaintances and possess many options.”

Julian blushes, surprising you. He shakes his head, fingers fidgeting at his sides.

“Not exactly,” he offers, leaving it there.

Your brow lifts in wonder. 

“Really...? But I loved your letter. I’ve reread it several times and am not afraid to say so. I find you quite striking.”

If possible, Julian blushes even harder at that, daring to hold your gaze. You see an odd sort of mask arise on him then, a false yet endearing bravado. You don’t call it out and simply watch as he does his best to disguise his rampant shyness.

“Ah...thank you madam! But not nearly so striking as one such as yourself! Why, I remember the feeling of when I first laid eyes on you. It was as if  lightning had struck me.”

Your eyes widen in pleasure, curious. 

“Such flattery! Where did this occur?”

Julian smiles triumphantly, happy to visibly pique your interest.

“The theater! I noticed you in your private box and it was then I decided that I must inquire to learn more about you.”

Your smile broadens, and you can’t help but step closer. Julian feels very comfortable and warm, even with the pomp.

“So that’s how you knew I’d enjoy the theater!” You exclaim. You had wondered about it since his letter first arrived. He could’ve invited you to any event, any activity, and yet he knew the theater was the right choice...

Julian tenses as you near, unsure of where to look. You can’t tell if he wants you closer or farther away. You decide to hold firm and give him time to sort it out for himself.

“I-uh…yes.” He swallows thickly. “Allow me to enlighten you of the day’s activities in the carriage…?”

You nod, realizing that your questioning is holding the both of you up from your date. You step back, cowed.

“Of course! My apologies.”

Julian swiftly holds out a broad, gloved hand for you to take. The gentleman’s escorting hold.

“No need to apologize,” Julian insists, guiding your offered palm gently, “I...I actually should be the one to apologize.” He bites his lip, thinking of some unknown err. 

You glance at him as the two of you step out the front door together, waved off by your staff.

“Whatever for…?”

Julian looks sheepish, rounding you both to the carriage door and opening it for you.

“I....well!”  He pauses, the words sticking in his mouth. “I was...told by a confidant very recently that the medical gala may have some things that are not...er, conducive for a romantic atmosphere. So I must ask...you’re not squeamish of leeches, are you?”

.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:・゜゜・．✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: *

AN: Do not copy, repost, or edit. If you see someone do so, please let me know.

☾ next.

☾ check my blog for more imagines.

[producingtrashycontent]

who are your favorite top ten black clover characters & ships? talk about them! ~tat

Ooh this will be fun. I'm not sure I'll have as much to say as some other people who have been asked this question, but I hope it's ok!

Top 10 Black Clover Characters

1. Mereoleona Vermillion

I could rant for hours about how much I love this woman. She's very strong and doesn't give a damn about status, which I love about her. Like almost all the females in Black Clover, she isn't overly sexualized or dependent on a man in some way. I love her character design, her magic, and everything. I think I'm a little obsessed with this woman honestly.

2. Noelle Silva

A typical female shonen character that's part of the main guy's harem. What I love about Noelle is her development. She goes from a royal who hates commoners to a strong female lead that accepts anyone for who they are. I haven't watched all the anime in the world, but from what I've seen, she's gotten the best development of any shonen female. If there's another one out there, please let me know. I love that Noelle's character development isn't over. I can't wait to see where she ends up by the end of the series.

3. Asta

Our gray-clad hero. A typical shonen protagonist with a never give up mentality. I really love that about Asta. Asta's mental strength is off the charts. He was able to dealing with people bullying him his entire life over something he had no control over. And yet, he continues pushing onward to change the dynamics of the Clover Kingdom. What a brave boy. Of course, with mental strength like that, it makes sense his brain can't keep up in other areas. I love how much of a simpleton Asta can be. It makes him more endearing. Asta's character even inspires me to push past my own limits and never give up on my dreams.

4. William Vangeance

A sweet, quiet man with a deadly secret. I love his origin story and how it has affected his life to this day. The main thing I love is how complex his character becomes. From a top captain to a man struggling living with another soul in his body that defies the ideals and people he believes in, William is complex. I couldn't imagine living with another soul in my body for about 15ish years. Dealing with this all alone without going insane marks William as another mentally strong character. Choosing between the mentor that saved you and gave you a new life and the best friend who's shared your body for longer than you've know your mentor must be a very difficult decision to make. I'm not surprised William wasn't able to choose between them. I hope both William and Patry get a good redemption arc.

5. Finral Roulacase

A typical playboy character. He's cute, funny, and relatable. I tend not to like playboy characters, but Finral is different. He believes all women should be worshipped and treated like princesses, and he actually has a backstory. Having a sibling who is better than you in all ways reminds me of Zuko and Azula from Avatar. Despite dealing with his parents disappointment and his sibling's sneering his whole life, Finral never turned evil or tried to get revenge. At first, he ran from his problems, but with the help of the Black Bulls, he conquered his fears and grows stronger each day. I really love this boy.

6. Nozel Silva

LOOKS AT HIM HE'S SO FUCKING CUTE DJJSJDJAJJS! Ok rant over. As a royal, I never expected Nozel to have a reason for treating Noelle the way he did. Granted, I don't approve of it at all, but I love that he's working to change. He's also very stoic and strong. Nozel has a cold exterior that can be broken over time. That's what Asta did to this Silver Eagle. Now, Nozel is rivals with 2 commoners. I love that he's changing to be better with Noelle. I can't surroort how he treated Noelle before, but I love that he's working to change his relationship with her. Also, his braid is so majestic. I had a dream and the whole dream was me staring at Nozel's majestic braid flowing in the breeze. I love this handsome man.

7. Yami Sukehiro

This man. Thiiiiis man. He is glorious. He's funny, smart, grumpy, and strong. I love him for all the reasons everyone else does. The main thing I love about Yami is the vibe he gives off. When I see Yami, I see a shonen protagonist who has completed their journey and gives advice to the newest generation of protagonists. He's such a well-rounded character. I would live a spin-off series of Yami's adventures when he was young. That would really sell.

8. Fuegoleon/Leopold Vermillion

THEY'RE BOTH SO PRECIOUS

Fuegoleon: I love this man. Such an inspiration. Just like his other siblings, he doesn't care about status. My favourite line if his is: "There isn't any shame is being weak. The shame is in staying weak." This line can really apply to anything in life. He also inspires me to do better.

Leopold: BABY. Ahem. I love his spunky personality. He's makes me think of Asta had he been born into a royal family. I love that, even though he's a royal, he has his own issues to deal with: making his own way in life and not having to live in his siblings' shadow. He's just a precious bean that requires protection.

9. Klaus Lunettes/Julius Novachrono

I RAN OUT OF PIC SPACE

Anyway, I love these boys. So good.

Klaus: Mom friends are the best kind of friends. I love that he changed because he witnessed Asta and Yuno's abilities and decided these boys were strong. They weren't cheating in any way. He was the first noble to change his ways and believe is Asta and Yuno, and I really love him for that.

Julius: A man working to change his country. We love that. I love that Julius is working towards a country where everyone tears each other as equals. That's a hard task to take on, yet Julius didn't hesitate and took the challenge head-on. Also he's hot...

10. Dorothy Unsworth/Yuno

I love these babies so much.

Dorothy: Hot, short, and powerful. My spirit animal. She's hella strong and shows us that you don't need to be a big strong man to be a powerful leader. Also, she sleeps a lot, which is something I desire more of in life.

Yuno: UwU baby. Hot, strong, and stoic. What more do you need? I love his HEALTHY rivalry with Asta. It's such a joy to watch him grow side-by-side with Asta. I love him so much that I'm not even sure who I want to become the Wizard King in the end. Can we have them both be Wizard Kings?

I don't have a top 10 list of ships, but I do have ships. I'll just talk about them in no particular order.

Mereoleona x William

I love this ship because opposites attract. But if someone tells me they ship William and Patry, I'm not going to argue. Overall, this ship would make both these characters even better than they are now.

Dorothy x Nozel

I get Hinata/Kageyama vibes from this ship. A small, eager baby with a tall, stoic and distant partner. The main reason I ship this is because of the fact that Dorothy knows about what happened to Acier. Nozel wouldn't tell just anyone about that. He must trust Dorothy a huge amount for her to know that information. A royal wouldn't share his darkest family secret with a lavender-haired witch from another country. Also, after the time skip, they both changed a part of their outfits for feathers of the bird corresponding their squad. They got feathers together!

Finral x Vanessa

After the seabed temple arc, I shipped these two. They have such a wholesome relationship that makes them better people. They're so cute together! What else can I say?

Asta x Noelle

I love how much they help each other become better. Asta is doesn't realize it yet, but he cares about Noelle more than he realizes. Noelle fell for Asta because he was the first person to ever say anything good about her magic. I just love these two. They're so cute!

Yami x Charlotte

I get the same vibes from this as I get from Asta x Noelle. A tsundere and an oblivious protagonist. I love this ship for the same reasons as Asta x Noelle. I won't repeat what I said before, so read the reasoning for Asta x Noelle. I love these two as well!

Grey x Gauche

I love the reasoning for Grey loving Gauche. I totally see Gauche being as protective of Grey as he is with Marie. Grey might help Gauche loosen up a bit with Marie. These two are just really cute, ok.

I can't think of any more ships, but yeah. Those are my favourite black clover characters and my favourite ships.

[ary-se]

Mankai with a dog

i was staring at my dog earlier, aggressively barking at a plastic bag. that's all. the rest is history

• at some point taichi just mentioned something along the lines of, "hey, wouldn't it be more fun here if... WE GET A DOG!?"

• whenever an idea spreads around the dorm, whether it's a good idea or an utterly ridiculous one, it's always either taichi or kazunari.

• IT'S ALWAYS EITHER TAICHI OR KAZUNARI (2).

• sakuya is excited about it! he never knew what it feels like to live with a dog, let alone actually grow up with one. this pure bean just wants to experience it, c'mon man...

• muku also agrees!! 100% yes!!! wouldn't it be cute when you get home everyday from school with a dog greeting you? it's like that one shoujo manga...

• tsumugi likes the idea! he also grew up with a dog (gosh dachshunds are so cute... zabi ily with my whole heart) so it wouldn't be too bad to have a dog in the dorm! apparently dogs can help you out a lot when it comes to emotional problems :)

• the moment these three angels literally agreed with the idea, everyone is ABOARD. it would be like taking care of a child except it's 100x times more fun

• actually no scratch that, not everyone is aboard...

• cause there's SAKYO.

• "WHAT'RE YOU GUYS GONNA DO ABOUT THE DOG?? DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT??? IT'LL ALSO TAKE MONEY TO BUY FOOD DISPENSER, DOG FOOD, YADDA YADDA YADDA"

• see it's all about money in the end, but sakyo. we know you want it too. god just pls say yes.

• a LOT of pleading - either the boys shoot sakyo puppy eyes whenever they see him, or some of them (by some i only mean taichi and kazu) waits outside sakyo's room and bleed his ears off with saying PLEASE repetitively the moment sakyo goes out of his room

• sakyo murdered everyone who barged into his room but they always, ALWAYS do it anyways. they don't learn their lesson!!

• SAKYO GOT FED UP. begrudgingly, after this has been going on for a month, he says yes

• EVERYONE CHEERS, FREAKING FINALLY!!!

• taichi and kazu, the mankai boys already aborted their plan of holding a funeral for the both of you... before sakyo agreed on getting a dog, he always has this look of wanting to strangle them to death

• after a lot of debating, they decided to settle on a dog that has a friendly disposition. anyways they get a light brown labrador!!!

• the day the dog got in the dorm, everyone got so excited

• everyone is literally ALL OVER THE DOG. THE DOG LIKES THE ATTENTION BUT GIVE IT A BREAK!! JUST PLEASE

• they name the dog koro! it's simple enough

• (i just searched for popular dog names in japan... don't @ me pls sobs)

• that night the dog kept wagging his tail from being so excited with everyone's presence he deadass sprained his tail

• it recovered after a week

• everyone takes turns filling koro's food bowl and water bowl. the duty of walking the dog is also distributed based on when the boys are free. they literally have a calendar dedicated for koro

• tsumugi makes a list of what the dog can and can't eat! it's most likely that everyone will feed koro, so they better not kill him off early...

• everyone follows the list except juza, it seems like he forgot the existence of the list

• one time juza was eating chocolate cupcakes, and koro was giving him puppy eyes

• how could he resist that face!! his inner resolve crumbled so fast, he was literally about to give it to koro

• tsuzuru to the rescue! the moment he saw juza and koro, he yelled "JUZA NO DON'T PLEASE STOP DOGS CAN'T EAT CHOCOLATE"

• juza just looks at tsuzuru, shocked. what do you mean dogs can't eat chocolate?? how do they even live their lives without the goodness of chocolates?? WHAT?

• he fails to understand, but he doesn't give it to koro. the dog whimpers and just goes away,, juza felt so bad and silently apologized to koro, but now he learned his lesson

• omi spoils koro!! every time he has free time, he whips something up for koro. he makes it as balanced as possible, of course.

• everyone to omi: "please don't make the dog fat."

• omi: "haha i won't"

• cue next day koro kinda looks chubbier

• OMI. PLEASE WE KNOW THE DOG IS CUTE BUT PLS CONTROL IT

• no joke, tenma was excited at first but now every time he sees the dog barking he gets scared shitless.

• JUST BECAUSE THE DOG BARKS AT YOU THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE DOG IS MAD AT YOU. IT JUST WANNA BE FRIENDS YOU FREAKING DOLT

• when he got comfortable with koro, he hid from everyone and patted the dog for the first time, and ran away immediately from embarrassment

• that night everybody was questioning why tenma gets beet red every time koro gets near him. but nobody mentioned it.

• on a whim, itaru let koro pull for a limited banner, making his paw tap the button. who knows if this dog is kinda lucky, right? there's no way of knowi-

• HE GETS ALL THE LIMITED CARDS IN ONE 10X PULL

• itaru just gapes at the dog for five minutes. "koro, you are a godsend..."

• itaru hid the dog's insane luck from banri, but somehow banri caught on

• "THAT'S UNFAIR! WHY WERE YOU HIDING IT FROM ME"

• from that point forward whenever itaru and banri play together, expect koro to be with them. it occurs a lot of times, but koro doesn't seem to mind as long as he gets belly rubs.

• congratulations masumi!! you now have a new alarm clock, but a million times MORE annoying!!

• they trained koro so every time masumi doesn't wake up, koro will just pounce and literally jump on him while barking right on his ear

• masumi hates to admit it, but the dog is goddamn annoying and it's effective at the same time

• hooray to masumi for not being late ever again!

• tasuku just stares at koro dead in the eye while the dog looks at his meal. what if i also train him to..?

• one day during winter troupe's rehearsals, hisoka was actually super duper early and that NEVER HAPPENED.

• "HISOKA WHY ARE YOU SO EARLY?? IS SOMETHING WRONG??"

• turns out TASUKU TRAINED KORO FOR A SOLID MONTH TO FIND HISOKA.

• once tasuku says "koro, where's hisoka?" the dog nyooms to WHERE HISOKA ACTUALLY IS. is he on the tree? in the washing machine? in the long-lost, ever changing storage room? you name it sir

• the days of painfully looking for hisoka are over! tasuku can finally catch a break! this is a big win for winter troupe!!!

• homare just blabs his poems to the poor dog. always.

• it's been going on for five hours and koro is so tired of his shit he just settles on trying to bury his ears on the ground just to not hear him. i am so sorry for your loss.

• homare pets him after he is done with his long ass session so guess that's worth it!

• tsuzuru didn't necessarily train koro to do it, but somehow whenever tsuzuru is in a writing spree the dog just grabs a can of red bull from itaru and brings it to his room.

• tsuzuru doesn't even realize it's the goddamn dog. HE DEADASS JUST TAKES THE CAN AND SAY THANK YOU AND CONTINUE WRITING THE SCRIPT

• everyone just assumed tsuzuru trained koro to actually do that. PLEASE LET THE DOG LEARN NORMAL DOG TRICKS HE ISN'T YOUR MAID

• "I DIDN'T TRAIN KORO!!!"

• Whenever it's misumi's turn to walk the dog, koro joins him in his triangle hunting! koro picked up misumi's habits, so koro picks up triangular objects from time to time and gives it to misumi. d'awwww!

• misumi please don't expect the dog to join you running on walls. please don't. everyone's gonna hunt you down once something happens :)

• citron is super affectionate to the dog! koro is so attached to him and koro listens to citron babbling even tho he understands jackshit

• "back in my country, i am known as the glorious legendary master of dog b-"

• "yes citron. we get it."

• CITRON MAKES A KORO JR. MY HEART MY SOUL I OFFER TO YOU

• it's the dog's fave toy!!! he sleeps with it.

• yuki enjoys making anything for the dog. a dog bed? clothes? accesories? toys? HECK YEAH BRING IT ON SIR

• yuki isn't touchy feely with the dog but that's how he shows his love for koro!! it's okay, the dog understands!!

• koro is literally drowning in all those handmade stuff, spoiled by the only yuki

• whenever it's yuki's turn to walk the dog, he wears matching outfits with the dog as he buys more fabric for the next play (and for the dog but we don't mention that)

• THEYRE KINGS! literally a head turner. everyone just looks at them in awe. yuki wanna show off

• like citron, sakuya is super affectionate to the dog!

• he always gives bear hugs to the dog, especially when he is feeling anxious about something! koro's presence calms sakuya down big time

• please protect these small beans

• muku also loves the dog to death!! every time they arrive at home from school koro just jumps to them and he enjoys it so much

• at times when muku wants company when reading his shoujo manga, or just wants something to hug, koro does the job

• affectionate babies. please protect (2)

• koro is super affectionate when it comes to azuma.

• every after koro gets really excited about something, he gets dead tired so he goes straight to azuma's room.

• do you want to know what azuma does to koro? hmmmm? :---)

• they sleep together! duh

• taichi ALWAYS plays with the dog. it's like two dogs bonding smh

• taichi gets confused whenever they play catch?? whenever koro finally gets the ball, he runs back to taichi but doesn't give him the ball

• "umm, koro? we wouldn't be able to continue playing if you don't give the ball?"

• koro: NO GET ONLY THROW

• kazunari has a lot of aesthetic pics of koro! they're so wholesome, there was a point when his instablam is just full of koro

• ok he does have a lot of funny videos too, that's unavoidable

• best one so far was muku tossing the ball for koro to catch it, but he threw it too far and it hit sakyo's head at the back

• RUN FOR YOUR LIFE MUKU OH MY GOD

• sakyo was about to lose his shit but once he saw muku apologizing and rambling he felt bad.

• should it be mentioned that cleaning sessions are more of a pain than before?

• the dog sheds a LOT MORE than they expected. the fur is literally fucking everywhere

• how does one dog have this much hair??

• those ppl with big sisters (cough itaru and banri) SWEARS this dog's shedding is a hundred times worse than their sisters' hairfall

• speaking of shedding everywhere, everyone's clothes have fur ALL OVER their clothes

• most especially sakyo because he wears all black. poor old dude

• after a month of deliberation from sakyo, they decided to buy more lint rollers and all that stuff that are supposedly effective

• every time the students are late to school, the dorms get chaotic

• unfortunately for everyone the dog joins in adding more noise pollution

• THE DOG DRAMATICALLY BARKS WHENEVER EVERYONE IS PANICKING. IT FEELS LIKE WAR

• cue sakyo's very angry "KORO, SHUT UP!"

• koro didn't bark for a solid week... just pure whimpering. everyone was looking at sakyo like, "you better apologize, he doesn't deserve it..."

• when it was sakyo's turn to walk him, koro looks like he was about to shit. everyone was pretty concerned, but they wanted to see how it went

• the moment they came home, koro was all over him and sakyo is hiding a smile

• SOMETHING DEFINITELY HAPPENED.

• but what happened? nobody knew a thing. and it will stay that way.

• EVERYONE IS SOFT FOR HIM. not taking no for an answer

[carinyms]

We're three days from the Loki finale and I’m back to spout more meta and theories about episodes 5 & 6! It’s a long one (again.)

I really enjoyed episode five. People have complained that they felt it didn't do much to move the show forward, but one of the things I've loved most about this show is the time it takes to sit with the characters and learn about their backstory, their feelings. (I'm always a little bugged when critics say that an episode hasn't done enough to move the plot forward, because without adequate character development, why should I care about the plot?) I thought the pacing of it was really well balanced.

….and I have never been so nervous for a finale in my entire life. There’s a lot of reasons.

The first is just the fact that I’ve been waiting for this show for a whole year, and the anticipation and excitement of it literally helped get me through the pandemic--so when those final end credits roll I’m going to be a whole mess no matter what happens. (I really hope the rumors floating around about season two are accurate) I also just feel like it’s somewhat inevitable that this is our final farewell to Tom’s Loki, and like—I’ll never be ready, but especially right now, amidst all the rampant controversy around this show, I’m just not ready to deal with that. I have a *small* modicum of hope that this won't be the case, but it feels unlikely. Anyway, guess I’ll die.

I really want this show to stick the landing, so to say. I loved the last episode, but a lot of the response has been that it felt like a lull in the plot. I want this show to end in a satisfying bang so it can get the credit it deserves.

Also I’m a whole hypocrite eating my words from last week—I’m fully on-board with Loki/Sylvie now (not that I was ever really against it)--I’m not sure why I’m surprised. They’re so adorable and wholesome, and I’m in love with seeing Loki in love. It’s so precious. (Just as a PSA, if you’re not into them that’s chill, and you’re allowed to dislike a ship without trying to justify your opinion by labeling shippers as morally problematic. Selfcest isn’t a real thing, therefore there isn’t a moral high ground to stand on here. Okay? Okay.) Wherever it ultimately leads, their relationship is still a really sweet exploration of them both growing and learning how to love themselves and trust others. Also, them cuddling under a tablecloth is the cutest shit I’ve ever seen with my two eyes.

MY THEORIES:

I love Sylvie so much, SO MUCH — and she is 100% going to stab Loki in the back by the end of the next episode. I don’t think the betrayal is going to stick, and by the end they’ll both be on the same page again, but the conversations on trust have been way too one-sided for my comfort. If nothing else she's going to seriously consider it. Here’s one way I can see that going. Spoiler alert: it hurts.

Sylvie betrays Loki at one point—and we see Loki’s growth and arc come full circle as, even after being betrayed by the person he hinged his entire development around, he still believes in doing the right thing, in saving her regardless. It ends in a heart-wrenching self-sacrifice of some kind, and his actions serve as the catalyst for her full development as well. We keep seeing different versions of Loki die for their ‘glorious purpose’, just like how Classic Loki shouts the phrase as he was consumed by Aloith (RIP King, I love you).

Loki has already called Sylvie his glorious purpose (or inferred it). There’s been backlash around him saying that, but the way I see it, it’s less “I’m obsessed with this girl she’s my purpose now” and more “I believe that she’s the best version of us and I’m going to make it my purpose to help her succeed and be what the rest of us aren’t”. That’s why seeing all the other variant Loki’s at their worst in the Loki clubhouse (? what do I call this lol) only fuels him more to find her. I think about what Mobius told him: “You exist to cause pain and suffering and death, all so others can achieve the best versions of themselves”. I don’t think Loki truly believes he can be the best version of Loki — I think he saw Sylvie and thought, "it's her". He’s decided he’s going to help her achieve the best version of herself, but he'll do it giving her love and trust and devotion, rather than through betrayal, pain and suffering. He’s re-writing his pre-determined role, in his own small way. I’m so proud of him.

So who’s behind it all and what’s truly going on here? (This isn’t really one theory, more like a string of possibilities and I don’t really know how they’d fit together.)

I still think it’s another version of Loki. And if it is, I can’t help but appreciate the connections between his position dictating the end of time in the show in relation to Loki’s role in the Norse myths, where he’s the catalyst for the destruction of all things. It feels relevant, considering the whole idea that ‘the end of time hasn’t been written yet’ has come up twice now. That would be a fascinating tie-in to the mythology. (Also—Alioth looks like a giant dog. And Fenrir’s role in Ragnarok was devouring the world—I realize this is a reach but am I the only person seeing this connection?) The thing I really can’t predict is the motivation. What would cause a Loki to want to prevent Loki’s from changing? Was there something that happened in the sacred timeline this Loki is trying to preserve? (I also like the idea of us maybe seeing another version of Sylvie behind it all, but I’m just going to leave that rabbit hole alone. )

But here’s the theory I can’t stop thinking about. There’s a theory floating around tik tok (by user twelvepercentcredit) saying the ‘castle’ we see beyond Alioth looks like a place called the House of Ideas, something that appeared in a (discontinued?) Loki comic. Here’s the wiki page on it. Just looking at the imagery of this compared to the location we’re seeing in the trailers, it’s too similar to be a coincidence. The huge bookshelves, the towering ceilings.

Here’s a description from the wiki:

“The House of Ideas is also home to a library which archives the exploits of every hero who has ever existed in the form of books, written unconsciously by the collective minds of their believers. This collection is curated by Now and Then, two of the children of Eternity. Now and Then routinely seek out heroes to bring into the House of Ideas to bargain with them and give their collections more pages, therefore more time for adventures and exploits. “

And later on the page on how Loki ties in:

“Heeding the desire in Loki's heart to do more with his life, Now and Then approached Loki and brought him to the House of Ideas,[5] where they struck up with him the deal to give more pages to his collection of exploits, rewriting the Books of Loki with a hero's stories in exchange for an eventual hero's death.”

Are they gonna play with the exact happenings of this? I don't know, but it sounds pretty cool!

It would be gutsy to go this route with the show given how meta it is, but I love the idea of it. Would they put characters that embody the abstract ideas of “Eternity” “Now & Then” into the show in the last episode? I’m not sure. Something I could see as a possibility though is an alternate version of Loki having overthrown whoever was previously guarding the timeline, and Loki and Sylvie will have to take them down in turn, thus ‘releasing’ the multiverse to its default, chaotic state.

What if our Loki’s ultimate destiny, ultimate Glorious Purpose, is to release the timelines--restoring all the variants back to their original timelines--and remain in this place for eternity, guarding the timeline and ensuring the multiverse is allowed to exist in its natural state? It seems a pretty fitting role for the God of Chaos. It would also explain why whoever’s behind the TVA would be so desperate to eliminate all variant Loki, if that was his ultimate destiny.

It would be an effective way to remove Hiddleston’s Loki from the movie-verse without killing him, AND place both Sylvie and any other Loki variants back in the the main timeline for use in future films—which we know has to happen somehow, because Young Avengers is definitely happening, and Kid Loki has got to get out of the void somehow.

And yea, this outcome would hurt like a bitch. Because even though that would truly be a lovely glorious purpose for our Loki, he’d be alone. And the whole point of this show is that he doesn’t have to be alone! It would be a very poetic sacrifice for him to take on the burden of watching over the timelines alone for all eternity so that his other variants could be the best versions of themselves, but I really just want him to be happy. I will be crying my eyes out if this happens. I’ll be proud but I won’t be okay.

And this all is probably speculative nonsense and could go off in an entirely different direction. Who knows. All in all, I just really want to see Loki fully believe in himself and his ability, to truly absorb what he said about being stronger than he realizes, and to take control of his destiny.

WHAT I WANT (NEED) FROM EPISODE 6:

Let Hunter B-15 and Mobius team up to burn the place to the ground. She was nerfed in the time-keeper fight, I want to see B-15 kick some ass.

I kind of want Ravonna to escape and be a character that carries over into the films for her tie-ins with Kang? I want to see more of her.

Give Loki a new badass costume. I’m begging. If he’s gonna go down, he deserves to go down in something other than khakis.

And then I want to see him and Sylvie fighting side by side in matching outfits.

I want a Mobius-level hug between them. Or a kiss. Or both. But I want the hug more. And you know what? I want her to initiate the hug or kiss or whatever it is because I want Loki to experience receiving love and affection from others as much as giving it. He deserves it ok??

I expect Mobius on a jet ski in the post credits and if I don’t get it I riot

@marvel these are my demands.

As always, if you've made it this far I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[nocompromise-noregrets]

character ask game!

The ever-lovely @lemurious asked me about Thranduil so *cracks knuckles* here goes...(movieverse here because let’s face it, that’s where he got some development)

Why I like them:  I like how completely different he is to the other Elves we’ve seen so far, and especially how absolutely fucking uncanny he is - I think Lee Pace really nailed the movement stuff, especially in that first scene with Thorin. Also I am incredibly shallow and he’s so pretty I can’t bear it (it’s the hair and the cheekbones). Also BOOTS. XD

Why I don’t: I actually don’t not like him. I know fandom has a tendency to paint him as an absolute dickhead (not entirely without justification, and I have read some extremely good takes on him being an absolute dickhead/a stuck-up arsehole who needs taking down a peg or three, which I greatly enjoy :D ) but I like how uncompromising he is, and I think he’s got plenty of valid reasons for being like he is (see below).

Favorite episode (scene if movie): Three-way tie between the scene with Thorin, the scenes in Dale with Bard (I did not even have to put my slash goggles on), especially the eye-roll at Gandalf, and the battle scenes, particularly the bit with the elk and the rolling-to-his-feet-and-continuing-to-fight and the general fucking uncanniness. Yikes.

Favorite season/movie: Five Armies.

Favorite line: ‘A hundred years is a blink in the life of an Elf. I’m patient. I can wait.’ (particularly the delivery thereof. :D )

Favorite outfit: ARMOUR. Also the BOOTS. :D  Also the glorious long silver robe thing that they had to pin up and then relengthen digitally in post-production because Lee Pace couldn’t get up the stairs without falling over it. XDDDD

OTP: Bard. Can’t help it, it’s the way they keep looking at each other in Dale. XD  Also his wife, who in Empty Vessel is called Auriel and is a daughter of Celegorm (very very estranged pretty much from birth) who was raised by Thingol and Melian and who has all the strength of character one might expect from someone with Fëanorian blood and that upbringing. :D She puts up with exactly none of Thranduil’s ridiculousness and she is absolutely the one in charge. I love her. :D :D :D

Brotp: Tauriel, I think, once they’ve sorted out their issues. Also Legolas, once they’ve sorted out their issues. I am also having great fun writing him being summarily adopted by Bard’s (very cheeky) wife Maudie as her new BFF in the sequel to Empty Vessel.

Head Canon: He is how he is because he is hurting. He’s lost so many people - if he was in Doriath as a youngster that’s going to have to have been traumatic (I’m not sure if anything is said in canon about his extreme youth, but I think it’s implied that Oropher left Doriath for the Greenwood after the Kinslaying so presumably he took his kid with him, and I’m headcanoning that he was born in Doriath just before 500FA, therefore knew Thingol, Melian and Dior who was close in age to him), he lost his father in battle and had to step up and be King, which was presumably not something he was expecting ever to have to do, he lost his wife in traumatic circumstances, he’s most likely in constant pain from the dragonfire scars, he’s lost a great deal of his territory to the creeping evil sneaking out of Dol Guldur, etc etc. Throw in a certain amount of natural haughtiness and the fact that he’s been royalty his entire life, which is a very long time indeed, and it’s not entirely surprising that people meeting him without knowing all that (which he’s never going to just show anyone) are going to think he’s an antisocial dickhead.

Unpopular opinion: He’s not an antisocial dickhead, he’s just not very good at handling his grief/talking to the people who love him.

A wish: That he never shuts up in the back of my head because I am having so much fun writing him.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: If he does ever shut up I will be very sad indeed.

5 words to best describe them: I need qualifiers for these so it’s going to be about ten but... (somewhat justifiably) haughty, (understandably) misguided, (utterly) beautiful, (silently) suffering, passionate (once you get past everything bloody else about him)

My nickname for them: Legolas’ Dad. Because he is. I’m not great with names, they make me feel awkward (no room to unpick that right here XD ) so most characters I particularly like end up getting a nickname, especially if I like them, because I can’t quite say their actual name (I have spent 18 years calling Legolas ‘elf-boy’ at this point, so, y’know, I have some fairly substantial issues XDDD ).

That was fun! Any more for any more? I am likethenight on AO3 if anyone else wants to see who I write and pick a character! :D :D :D

[theyearoftheking]

Book Thirty-Eight: Rose Madder

The first time I picked this book up, I was fifteen, and on a family vacation in Mexico. I have no idea how I found this book; I don’t remember selecting it from a book store, and my moms is not a fan of Stephen King, or horror, so I doubt it was something she had purchased for herself. 

In all honesty, I remember bits and pieces of our trip to Mexico, but the most memorable part was reading Rose Madder. It imprinted on me in a way I can’t fully articulate. It remains my favorite Stephen King book because sometimes the scariest monsters are the ones we share a life with. 

The second reason Rose Madder is so memorable for me... when I was in third grade, I auditioned for Really Rosie, and tormented my sister by singing it constantly. To this day, I still remember ALL the words to Carole King’s lovely song. I can barely remember a grocery list, or my gas card pin... but I remember, “YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE ME, I’M A GREAT BIG DEAL!!!! BEEEEELIEEEEVE MEEEEE!” In one of life’s more disappointing moments, I was cast as Rosie’s pet cat and spent most of the play crawling around on my hands and knees. Humiliating. 

In addition to being a double shot of nostalgia, Rose Madder is also a finely crafted, suspenseful piece of writing. It’s also a book I thought I knew like the back of my hand. But upon re-reading, I picked up on the following King universe mentions:

The novel starts with Rosie reading Misery’s Journey, and a later reference to Misery’s Lover (Misery Chastain from, well, Misery).

Several Ka references!

“I’ve seen bodies on fire and heads by the hundreds poked onto poles along the streets of the City of Lud.” (Dark Tower)

“On the wall was a framed picture of two women Norman recognized. One was the late great Susan Day.” (Insomnia)

Some of these references would have been lost on me, had I not taken the Constant Reader pledge to read every single book in chronological order. It almost makes this entire project worth it, just to find those Easter eggs. 

Rose Madder is the story of abused wife Rose Daniels (nee McClendon) who finds a small spot of her blood on her bed sheets one morning, and decides she needs to leave her husband, Norman. She knows it’s now or never. If she stays, he will eventually kill her. As it is, he’s beaten her badly enough, and even caused a miscarriage in the past. 

So, Rosie steals Norman’s debit card, withdraws some cash, and hops on a Greyhound bus to Chicago, where she hopes to lose herself. But Rosie has no idea what to do when she gets off the bus in Chicago. Thankfully, a helpful Traveler’s Aid worker, Peter Slowik, steers her towards Daughters and Sisters, a home for battered women, run by his ex-wife, Anna Stevenson. 

At Daughters and Sisters, Rosie breaks down before building herself back up again. Her body starts to heal, she meets other women just like her, she gets a job working at a hotel, and she starts to shed some of the shame and guilt associated with being Norman’s punching bag. 

One day after work, Rosie wanders into a pawn shop to sell her wedding ring. After their engagement, Norman told her he could have either bought a new car, or her engagement ring... that’s how expensive it was. Spoiler: Rosie finds out it’s a cubic zirconia. She’s pissed. But on her way out of the shop, she finds an intriguing painting of a blonde-haired woman in a rose colored toga, looking out over a field and ruins. Rosie can’t explain it, but she needs the painting, named Rose Madder. She swaps out her worthless engagement ring for the painting, and makes the acquaintance of shop proprietor Bill Steiner. She also meets Rob Lefferts, who is fascinated by her throaty, Elizabeth Taylor-esque voice, and offers her a job reading audio books. 

Life is finding it’s rhythm for Rosie; she has her own apartment, she’s making more money than she could have ever expected, and she is casually dating Bill Steiner. But sometimes she looks at Rose Madder, and gets the feeling it’s alive. 

One night she has a vivid dream that involves her going into the painting, and helping the woman pictured by rescuing her baby from inside a labyrinth, and avoiding a bull stomping around. The woman is so thankful, she promises Rosie that she’ll return the favor some day. 

Spoiler: it wasn’t a dream. 

Meanwhile, Norman is stewing over the embarrassment of his wife leaving him and stealing his debit card. Honestly, he seems more embarrassed about the debit card than anything else. Because... toxic masculinity. Using some sneaky police tactics, he tracks her to Chicago, and tortures and kills Peter Slowik in an attempt to get information out of him. Slowik tells him about Daughters and Sisters, and Norman is on a mission to find Rose.

Daughters and Sisters just so happens to be having a fundraising picnic that weekend, and Norman thinks it’s the perfect time to get his Rambling Rose back. He goes deep under cover, shaving his head and outfitting a wheelchair with feminist propaganda. But despite his best attempts, he’s still recognized as, “Rose’s crazy biting husband who probably killed Peter Slowik.” And... the next scene is so epic... Norman gets the shit kicked out of him by Gert, one of the women from Daughters & Sisters who is compared to Refrigerator Perry. Oh, and as payback for the damage Norman did to Rosie’s kidneys with his repeated kicks and punches; Gert pees all over him. It’s glorious. 

Norman eludes capture, heads over to Daughter’s and Sisters main house, where he finds Rose’s new address, and kills Anna Stevenson. 

Now... this is where the Stephen King twist shows up. 

Rosie and Bill escape into Rose Madder, where they are pushed into the maze, and the woman turns into a spider (It?) and kills Norman... who had stolen a Ferdinand the Bull mask from some kid as he was fleeing the picnic, and inside Rose Madder, it turns him into an actual bull. But now he’s a dead bull, so that’s a plus.

Rosie and Bill step back out of the painting, and life continues on. Rosie slips a few drops of something into Bill’s drink, and he forgets the whole Rose Madder adventure. They get married, they have a baby, their careers flourish... but Rosie has fits of rage. She remembers the last thing the woman in the painting told her, “Remember the tree...” So, Rosie heads out to this park she and Bill went to once, and she buries some pomegranate-y fruit seeds and Norman’s ring under the tree. And she just kind of lets it all go. As you do. 

I can’t say enough about this book. If you have friends or family members who are like, “Meh, I don’t really LIKE Stephen King,” or “I don’t really LIKE horror,” THIS is the book you need to put in their hands. 

Oh, there was also one Wisconsin reference... it was thought Norman might have been spotted in Milwaukee. 

Total Wisconsin Mentions: 27

Total Dark Tower References: 38

Book Grade: A+

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books

The Talisman: A+

Needful Things: A+

Rose Madder: A+

Misery: A+

Different Seasons: A+

It: A+

Four Past Midnight: A+

The Shining: A-

The Stand: A-

The Wastelands: A-

The Drawing of the Three: A-

Dolores Claiborne: A-

Nightmares in the Sky: B+

The Dark Half: B+

Skeleton Crew: B+

The Dead Zone: B+

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: B+

‘Salem’s Lot: B+

Carrie: B+

Creepshow: B+

Cycle of the Werewolf: B-

Danse Macabre: B-

The Running Man: C+

Thinner: C+

Dark Visions: C+

The Eyes of the Dragon: C+

The Long Walk: C+

The Gunslinger: C+

Pet Sematary: C+

Firestarter: C+

Rage: C

Insomnia: C-

Cujo: C-

Nightshift: C-

Gerald’s Game: D

Roadwork: D

Christine: D

The Tommyknockers: D-

Next up is The Green Mile, which I am reluctant to start. I read it when it first came out, and I remember barely being able to read the last chapter because I was crying so hard. And based on our current climate, I’m not sure this re-read is going to be any better. But, onward. 

Until next time, Long Days & Pleasant Nights,

Rebecca 

[monstaxscenario]

Monsta X - Their S/O Surprises Them Backstage

A/N: Hello! This was requested by @tuggingatanangelsheartstring​ and I am sorry that this is going up now, I had a problem with viewing the inbox but it’s fixed now. 

I hope you like it.

~Admin Angie (๑>◡<๑)

~~~~~~

Shownu 

It was always a bittersweet thing when your boyfriend’s group went on tour. On one hand, you can’t physically be with Shownu, however, on the other hand, you could always see posts of the concert on social media and acknowledge the glorious performances, especially of your boyfriend. And so, after almost three months without seeing your boyfriend, Shownu, you decided to consult with their manager and surprise Shownu backstage. It was towards the end of Shownu’s dance solo that you made your way behind the stage. Soon you heard the loud screams and applauds erupt from the crowd. Shownu was coming towards you but hadn’t acknowledged you. He had his head down, wiping the sweat from his eyes. You extended him a white towel and he took it without looking at you. 

“Great performance Hyunwoo, like always.” You commented with a happy tone. Upon hearing your voice, that he knew so well, he quickly turned around.

“(Y/N)??!” He called your name with confusion until he strides towards you with open arms. You couldn’t react quickly enough and so he engulfed you in an embrace and practically bear-hugged you, lifting you up a few inches from the ground. You accepted the hug, even in his sweaty state.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I missed you so much.” He mumbled into your ear. 

“I missed you too, my love.” You replied while wiping his sweat. “Now that you’re here, I’m not letting you go until the last concert of this tour.”

Wonho

You had arrived a bit early than expected and the only reason was that impatience got the better of you. You had texted Hyungwon last night saying that you wanted to surprise Wonho tonight after the concert. He had agreed and let security know you were coming. You were supposed to arrive during their encore, but you decided to come forty minutes before. In result, you had to hide behind curtains or other staff whenever your boyfriend came off the stage for an outfit change. You had succeeded in hiding from Wonho however not lucky enough to hide from other members. After an hour of you hiding, their concert was over, meaning that the members were making their way past you, with Wonho being last. You waited until Wonho was right next to you, to jump out from your hiding spot.

“BOO!~” You exclaimed.

“WAAA~!” Wonho jumped back a couple of steps, startled at your sudden entrance. He quickly looked at you and shouted. “YA!” He placed his hand and his racing heart. “Why do you have to scare me like that~” He whined and pouted at you. His members heard him and laughed at his response, all but one. 

“Aww, I’m sorry my darling.” You said with a quiet chuckle. “I just wanted to surprise you.” Wonho pouted at you one last time before opening his arms. You smiled and made your way into them. 

“Well not only did you surprise me, but you also managed to surprise Jooheon.” 

Minhyuk

Minhyuk is your boyfriend and you know that he’s a smart man. He knows that you have been missing him ever since you went a month without waking up next to him. He is aware that you’ll eventually come and see him and he’s right. But you couldn’t tell certain members of your plan, knowing that some of them would let it slip. So you told one member. Kihyun. You let him know of your plan and he helped you with any security problems. 

Throughout the entire concert, you were dressed up as a staff, thanks to Kihyun. You hide your face from the members by using your black baseball cap. You managed to help around like handing the members water or help fan them or occasionally touch up their hair. It was now the end of the concert and the group gave their bows. Minhyuk was on his way to his changing room when you walked behind him and wrapped your arms around his midsection. 

“I can’t go another month without you, my sunshine.” You mumble into his back. Minhyuk turns his head and observes you with a smile.

“Neither can I. How was the concert?” Minhyuk asks casually. 

“You’re not surprised?” You questioned with a small pout. Minhyuk shook his head. He wrapped his arms around you and lead you down the hall. 

He wouldn’t let you know now, but he was honestly very surprised to see you and very happy to have you in his arms again.

Kihyun 

When you found out that your boyfriend’s group was having a concert in your hometown, you purchased a ticket straight away. Him being on tour always made you feel lonely because you couldn’t see Kihyun in person and now that he’s coming here, you knew you had to go and surprise him. You texted Changkyun of your plans and he thought it was such a romantic idea and helped you. 

You arrived at the venue and took your seat. You would have liked front row but it would have given you away easily. Throughout the concert, you cheered just like the other Monbebes. You even cheered louder when you saw Kihyun sing his solo. You, along with most Monbebes, knew that Kihyun’s vocals are amazing. You were so lost into his song that you almost missed your cue to go backstage. You hurried out of your seat.

Once Kihyun finished, he went backstage. After taking out his earpiece, his eyes spotted your figure. His heart sped faster as he made eye contact. His eyes trailed down to your arms. A big smile appeared on his face as he saw you with a bouquet of red roses and a small plush teddy bear. 

“It’s a bit traditionalist but I know you like it.” You said as you extended the items to him. He took them in one arm and used the other to hug you tightly, kissing your cheek. “I missed you, my love bug.”

“I missed you so much more.” 

Hyungwon

Hyungwon was on tour and you missed him as much as he missed you. Sleeping at night and taking naps didn’t feel the same without him near. You wanted to go see your boyfriend and you were, however, you wanted to be a bit extra. Around two weeks prior to the date of your visit to Hyungwon, you decided to learn a dance and become one of the background dancers for one show. You learned it, you practiced it and you nailed it. You thanked Shownu a thousand times for being able to help you with the dance and keeping it from Hyungwon.

The night of the concert, you dressed up like the other background dancers, which consisted of loose black pants and a red undershirt with a long sleeve black mesh on top. The bottom half of your face was hidden with a black facemask. When it was time, you took your stance and danced. You had occasional parts where you had to dance next to Hyungwon. There was a moment where he met your eyes. He squinted at you before returning back to the song. After the song ended you went backstage with Hyungwon following closely.

He grabbed your arm and turned you around. He gently pulled down your facemask before breaking out in a smile.

“Hello, my prince. It’s been awhile.” You said with a kind smile. He pulled you close and hugged you gently to his chest.

“I’m finally going to get some good sleep now.”

Jooheon 

Jooheon missed you. Your boyfriend missed you very much to the point where it drove his members insane. Every day he would show them new pictures of you two together, complain about how you weren’t here, etc. His members didn’t hate you, it was just that they were having enough of Jooheon’s constant blabbering. They didn’t know what else to do to make him quiet down until Minhyuk told them, besides Jooheon, that he was going to call you so you could put an end to their misery. The members agreed and told him to call you asap.

Minhyuk called you and told you what was happening, you tried not to laugh but did anyway. You missed Jooheon too but not extremely bad. You discussed with Minhyuk about the details. When you came up with an agreement he cheered, thanking you nonstop.

Now here you were, waiting backstage for your boyfriend. When the concert ended the members walked off stage and headed towards the changing rooms. You were a distance ahead but you heard Jooheon say your name along with a few groans from his members.

“Jooheon, no wonder my ears kept turning red. You keep talking about me.” You casually said, walking towards him.

“(Y/N)!!” Jooheon yells your name and immediately laches his arms around you.

“I hear that you missed me, my honey bee.” You wrap your arms around his neck. He nodded.

“Yes indeed. Now I’ll stop complaining.” Jooheon said as his members cheered with glee.

I.M

You were running late and you hated it. You weren’t meant to but somehow you were held up by your friend. You were supposed to greet your boyfriend before the concert started but because of your friend’s small problem, you were arriving late. You realized how late you were when you found out that they were finishing their encore. Your shoulders slumped down knowing you practically missed the entire concert. However, you were determined to meet with Changkyun. You hadn’t seen him in a long time since he’s been on tour.

You two texted, called and video chatted whenever you both could. You told him that one night you would go to one of their shows and cheer for him.

Before meeting him backstage, you stopped by to use the bathroom. As you made your way to the backstage you saw your boyfriend come off the stage and walking with his members. He had a small pout on his face and Jooheon asked him about it.

“(Y/N) was supposed to meet me before the show but hasn’t.” He grumbled.

“I’m sorry, my king. I had to solve a friend’s problem. Can you forgive me?” You call out as you walk in front of him. His pout then turns into a smile.

“(Y/N)” He calls your name softly while bringing his hands to hold yours. “It’s better late than never.” He pulls you close and then whispers in your ear.

“But you can make it up to me later.”

~~~~~~

[emotionaldepravity]

A Night At The Palace...

This is very different to anything else I have written. Basically, I left it general as possible for anyone to enjoy. There is nsfw at the end so be aware of that. 

Imagine you are nobility, not very prestigious or rich, but still nobility and tonight you are invited to the palace for a party. Your parents dress you up in proper regalia and the finest clothes you have ever worn in your life. They are very excited that all of you had been graced with an invitation, and if they are lucky, they might just be able to form a proper alliance with other higher up families. Therefore, they have the tailors taken in your clothes a bit to properly show off your “assets.” 

You had been anticipating the event all month, and as your carriage drew closer to the grandiose building, you felt a bit ill. Your loyal retainer took your hand to comfort you. 

    “Don’t feel afraid, I’m sure you will bring great honor to your house and yourself tonight. But don’t forget to enjoy yourself some too. You are young after all.”

You take these words to heart. Yes, you were still young for an adult, but in some way you knew that made you too old for fun. You had not planned to get married and here you were almost 21. It felt strange as any friend you had known was married or with child by now. You had hoped that perhaps these thoughts would leave you tonight, but your faithful servant was always there to say the wrong thing no matter their intent.

You grab at the hem of your clothes as you walk through the spacious and towering doorway of the palace entrance. As you stepped into the ballroom, you heard you name called along with the rest of your family’s. With each step down the stairs your eyes met a new face staring at you vehemently. You get a bit dizzy and look up to see the ornate chandelier hanging for the highest portion of the ceiling. You wonder if it has ever fallen to kill anyone before as you reach the bottom stair. Your led by your mother to the dining area and told to eat what you want quickly as once more guests had arrived that you would be quite busy. 

The food, barely touched, smelled incredible to you. There were dishes you didn’t even know existed on the spread before you. You fill your plate in whatever way you desire. You don’t leave the vicinity of the table food to begin eating just to avoid having to come back for more drink. You watch as others, interest now peaked from your actions, fill plate after plate to take them to where their families were currently. One man in particular caught your eye. 

Your heart stopped for a moment as you watched the King of this palace and realm walk up to you and grab a goblet without a word. You weren’t sure what to say nor where you sure why he of all people would be getting the drink for himself. 

    “Your highness,” you start but you stopped before continuing. What right did you have to question his actions after all? 

You had never seen him up close before which seemed like a damn shame. He was incredibly attractive to you. You knew that it was impolite to look upon those of much higher rank as if you had a chance with them, but you didn’t dare look away. His cologne was a bit strong, but the light numbing sensation that washed over your brain made you feel a bit more focused on him. Coming to that realization that his eyes ran over your form, your face burned like you had been standing to close to a bonfire. 

As he walked away you weren’t sure if he flashed you a smirk or scowled.  You felt a bit jealous of the ladies surrounding him when he returned the main portion of the ballroom. They seemed a bit perturbed that he had left his throne for any purpose, but they slowly seemed to fall back into fake laughter and smiles. You couldn’t guess at their words due to the distance, but you were sure that your presence over here was not of any importance to them. You felt relieved and returned your attention to eating once more.

It didn’t take much longer before the nobles your parents were waiting for arrived. You leave whatever is left on your plate to act as the proper heir you needed to be tonight. The guests took up most of your time with dancing and casual flirting. You didn’t mind it, but you couldn’t help but find yourself staring at the man who had caught your eye. You felt a bit embarrassed that your father kept elbowing you to pay attention, but it was hard not to want to admire the most handsome man you have ever seen. Occasionally, you’d lock eyes with him, and you’d earn a smirk from your better. He seemed to quite enjoy the attention. 

After another quick dance with the eldest son of the other noble house, your eyes returned to the King. With how late into the night it had gotten, you were surprised  at how few of the ladies surrounded him like before. Surely, you thought,  it was time for him to leave the party with whoever he planned to bed that night. But the frown upon his visage made you a bit fearful especially since it was directed at you. He  removed himself for the irritated pose he was in and started to make his way through the crowd. The fear in your heart dared to creep onto your face as he stood towering over you.

    “So you, a low noble, think you may flash your doe eyes all night without even coming up to me. You have caught my attention, and you have made me come take what you seem to be too afraid to beg for.”

You aren’t sure what to say. It was true you had imagined him doing this very same thing earlier in the night save for the intimation, but now that he was here just a breath away you were frozen.

    “Speechless again? Very well, let your King show you what your heart desires.”

 He offered his arm which you quickly took. His expression seemed a bit softer as he prepared to dance with you. Though you weren’t the best at it, you were quick to mirror his more sophisticated steps. Your senses felt honed in as again your body felt blanketed by his cologne. He made sure to complement you on this. You felt like as long as it was with him you could perform any feat, any task as long as he was there to guide you or encourage you. You weren’t sure what exactly you were feeling, but you didn’t want it to stop as the each song ended. However, he never let you hip or hand go. The distance between you never seemed to grow in fact you two were as close as your outfit allowed. 

The last song was played and all the guests started to leave. You expected him to leave you to return to his life, but he dared not move. If fact as you turned to leave, he locked his fingers with yours.

    “It might seem like an honor, too great for you but if you are willing, bed me tonight. I’d like to see if you have the courage to take what you desire, if you truly do.” 

He let go and turned away. Now was your chance. Would you take it or would you go back to the life you had known with only a taste of something greater lingering on your tongue? You thought back to earlier in the night. Yes, you were young, and you deserved to grasp your desires with both hands without fear or regret. You couldn’t care what your parents would say after hearing of your deviancy. The King expressed his desire for you, not anyone else but you. It didn’t matter if you’d be considered a whore or damaged goods because tonight you’d know what it meant to be favored. And oh how favored you would feel.

You ran toward him grasping his arm as you weren’t fast enough to catch his hand.

    “A quick response. This is most welcome.”

Without hesitation, he grasped your hand once more to led you to his chambers. You weren’t sure if you were allowed to speak. He did not attempt to carry a conversation with you though he made sure to make eye contact with you over and over. You were sure he was checking to make sure you were serious, and each time you made sure the glance was met with a half-lidded, desire filled expression. Hopefully, that was enough to convince him. He opened the door to reveal the most incredible bedroom you had ever seen. It filled you with great excitement to be able to stay the night in here with this handsome man. You were quick to say your name properly as you never even thought to introduce yourself. He was a bit amused and returned the favor. 

The party felt like a long time ago, as he spread you open for him. He hummed in pleasure seeing you finally exposed to him. You would have never imagined that you would be taking the King’s cock by the end of the night. The light-hearted laugh he made at your gasp at his initial penetration made your body melt. What a glorious sound to be allowed to hear! It felt as if the Gods themselves had gifted him the ability to make such music. He mused a bit over how tight you were, and over how you should have mentioned your need for stretching, but at some point, you told him it didn’t matter. In truth you were right. whatever pain you had from the initial was long gone and replaced with unspeakable pleasure. His scent, his voice, his thrusts were all that mattered to you in that moment. 

Your body shuddered as his penis brushed past your most sensitive spot. He growled at the sudden extra pressure on his member. You had no control over your moans as he managed to hit that spot over and over and over. His lips were quick to reach yours when you almost screamed. He loved your excitement, but the inhuman screech was too much even for him. Your tongue explored his mouth as you carded a hand through his hair. Nothing in this world tasted as good as him. It was unfair how much your desire for him grew each time he let you experience new things about him. You hated that you were totally enamored with this man, and yet you were so deep that you could not deny yourself the pleasure of finishing what was already happening. 

Filled with extra vigor you tried to meet him with each thrust. You hoped that this would help your lover climax as you felt yourself oh so close. Luckily for you, he was. Though he mentioned he was going to come he gave no indication of pulling out. You smiled at the thrill of such an honor. In fact, you were prepared to beg him to penetrate you again if he had. He made sure to yell your name as came, and that was enough to push you right over the edge. With each twitch of his cock, you felt your insides become covered in his seed. You were sure that there was no greater feeling than this.

[sunigyrl]

Anqualë: Past is Prologue

Series Summary: The Queen of Mirkwood was lost to her kingdom almost two centuries ago after a battle with orc marauders. King Thranduil and Prince Legolas have worked to move on, but the past still shrouds their lives. Try as they might, the agony of loss still dogs their steps. Yet things are not always what they seem...

Series Pairings: Thranduil x Wife!OFC, Legolas x Mother!OFC

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1687

A/N: OMG, she finally dropped something! Yes, yes I did. Gasp, it’s a Lord of the Rings/Hobbit fic! Yes, yes it is. This little multi chapter gem has actually been in the works for quite some time now. Shout out to @daytimeheroicsonly and @killmongersaidheyauntie for convincing me finally post it. I foresee this being a long one, so buckle your seat belts kids. Chapter two is done, so I’ll drop that later this afternoon. I tagged people that I thought would be down for my foolishness. DM me or send me an ask if you want on or off my tag list.

*The picture below is what I envision the OC to look like with the exception of her hair color. This picture is the inspiration for her look in this chapter with a few minor color changes to her hair and outfit.

Part 2

Sunlight. That was the first thing that he felt. Radiant sunlight, bright and pure pouring down on him. It warmed his body and rejuvenated his spirit. Taking a deep breath as he opened his eyes, he realized that he was no longer in his bed. No longer inside the halls of his castle, or even the forests of Mirkwood for that matter. No. Everything was different. The forest that surrounded him was different, yet strangely familiar. He knew this place, though he had not been here in many millenia. It had been destroyed in the war during the First Age. Yet somehow he found himself back here. Back home in Doriath. As he took in the sights and sounds of the lost forest, he committed everything to memory. The summer flowers that carpeted the forest floor in a mosaic of vibrant color. The trees, tall and strong, offering a rich green canopy that filtered the light in different patterns. The sound of the great river on the air as it rushed across the land in the distance. Birds sang wondrous tunes of old as animals scampered to and fro. This was home. Absorbing the wonders for a moment longer, it was then that he heard it. A laugh that sounded like the golden bells of the Great Hall. It had been so long since that laugh had graced his ears, but he recognized it immediately. He could never forget it. It was her laugh. Walking toward the sound, he searched through the trees. He could not yet see her, but he could tell he was getting closer. At once it was as loud as if she were right beside him; he knew she must be near. Rounding the tree and expecting to see her, he was greeted only with a gentle breeze. Looking around, he saw a flash of silver disappear into a grove of trees not ten yards ahead. Following the flash, he could still hear the laugh beckoning him to continue on. Moving further into the forest, he increased his speed in an effort to try and catch her. After many minutes of dashing around trees, jumping across streams and hopping over rocks, he noticed that he seemed to be getting closer. Where he only saw flashes of silver before, he was now catching glimpses of an arm and a leg as well. But why was she running from him? Why this game of chase?

Suddenly, he realized that day had become night during his pursuit. The moon now shone down upon the forest and lit his path. Yet he couldn't stop to take in the change. He had to keep going. He was so close to her now. So close that he was sure with another few steps he'd be able to reach out and touch her.

"Thranduil", he heard her breathy call as it flowed along the wind and wrapped around him. He looked up in time to see her make one last turn before she finally came to a halt.

Stopping several yards from her, he noticed that they were standing in the middle of a clearing on a cliff that overlooked the river. He knew this cliff. This was where he spoke to her for the first time all those years ago. It had been during one of the great Feasts of Starlight when her uncle came to visit with his royal court. Seeing her dance under the stars during the evening celebration from his post was a sight to behold. There was something so wild, so free, so in tune with nature about her. She was nothing like the elleth girls of his lands, nor any of the others he had visited. He had to meet her. That night, much like this one, he had followed her into the forest. At first it was just to see her once again. To catch a glimpse of her uninhibited and in the wild. Something told him that this was her natural element, and that he would find her here. Following the glittering sound of her laugh, he came upon her standing in this very spot. Her back to him, she lifted her head and basked in the glowing light of the full moon while humming to the nightingales' song. Many nights he found himself listening to that same song and finding comfort. He never knew of another that enjoyed it as much as he. Yet here seemed to be such a being. And what a beautiful being she was. Her hair cascaded in endless waves of silvery white that softly fell just beyond her hips. The moonlight giving it an ethereal shimmer as it blew untamed in the midsummer night's breeze. The top portion had been pulled back from her face into three intricately woven braids that were bound together high upon her head by a decorative white leather band that was studded with multicolored gems. The hair that flowed from the band was left loose and silky so that it fluttered behind her. Upon her body she wore a robe that was unlike any he had ever seen before. Instead of the usual long flowing silk, it was made of long, thick bands of white leather fringe that hung from a solid leather neck and shoulder piece. From where he stood, Thranduil could see that the fringe, though beautiful during the dance as it twisted in the air, offered little in the way of modesty or cover. The fringe covered skin below the shoulder piece was exposed to him. Through the wide bands he could see her gracefully long arms, rich and chestnut in color. He could also see the gentle curves of her lithe back, bare and fully exposed. As she turned toward him, he took in the rest of her image. Staring at her uplifted face he could see from her profile that she had beautifully high cheekbones, a perfectly crafted nose, and lips that were as plump as  summer berries. A decorative adornment of white, silver and gold was carefully painted across her forehead and down her temples and the bridge of her nose. The design patterned to look like the moon surrounded by the stars. Hoops of quilted silver and gold framed her face. Her neck was long and graceful, like that of the rare and beautiful black swan that swam in the garden pools of the palace. Moving downward he saw the clasp of her robe, fashioned from multicolored gems, resting in the hollow of her neck just above her exposed décolleté. Oh how warm and inviting her earth toned skin looked. He wondered if it would be as soft to the touch as it appeared. Drawing his eyes down her frame, he saw that the bodice of her costume was that of tightly woven white leather interwoven with ropes of pure gold and silver. Jewels danced between the contrasting materials and made them sparkle. The sweetheart neckline and tight waist accented her every dip and curve to make them pop. Her skirts were made of a glorious sheer white chiffon material that seemed as light and airy as the wind itself. Slits were cut into the front on both sides and stopped just above her mid thigh so that he could see her impossibly long brown legs. She was barefoot, and bands of gold and silver encircled her ankles and wrists. Staring at the beauty, he silently pleaded for her to show him her eyes. Something within him knew that they had to be her most enchanting feature. As if hearing his request, she lowered her head from her moon bathing and aligned her face with his. As she slowly opened her almond shaped eyes, he saw glowing pools of liquid silver staring at him. To him they looked as if they were made of pure moonlight. Beauty such as this could only be crafted by the Valar, for there was no way in his mind that mere beings of Middle Earth could create such a creature. But this couldn't be happening. This event had taken place several millennia ago. When they were both quite young. She a visiting young Avari princess and he a prince and new Captain of the Guard. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was in fact wearing the royal guard dress uniform from that night. How were they back in this moment? “Thranduil, a'maelamin", he heard her whisper as he looked up to see she now wore a soft smile. Her hands stretched to him. “Arahaelil", he breathed as he stepped forward to meet her. But on the third step, everything changed. Suddenly the stars were hidden and the wind began to fiercely howl around him. It swiftly pushed clouds in front of the moon so that it shone down as a sliver a light that illuminated only her. Everything else was bathed in a darkness so black that it was palpable. It felt breathtaking and evil. At once her arms fell to her side and shackles appeared about her wrists. Chains formed and seemed to extend from the shackles into the great darkness behind her body. The rich chestnut of her skin faded away to an ashen grey. Her silver eyes suddenly swirled to a pool of murky white as her smile contorted to a look of pain and torment. As he made to step closer still to finally take hold of her, he found that he could no longer move. His feet were being held in place by some force, though he saw nothing around them. Looking to her once more, he realized the chains were pulling her backward toward the cliff's edge. His own face twisting into a look of fear and desperation, he stretched forth his hand and screamed out her name. "ARAHAELIL!" With a lone tear trailing down her cheek, her milky white eyes focused on his and caused him to still. "Help me", was the last thing he heard her say in a whispered plea before her bonds were given a swift yank and she plummeted backward off the cliff into darkness.

Tag List: @daytimeheroicsonly @killmongersaidheyauntie @chefjessypooh @onyour-right

[dfroza]

A decision of whether or not to “believe...”

is seen in Today’s closing chapter of the book of Acts along with God’s “i love you” in the first chapter of Malachi, the closing book of the Old Testament that describes the first Covenant as given through Moses

and a New Covenant of grace is revealed in the New Testament writing, conserved as books and letters given for us in the here & now to decide whether or not to “believe...” in the eternal truth of Light and in Love (in the True illumination of the Son)

from the ancient writing of Malachi:

A Message. God’s Word to Israel through Malachi:

God said, “I love you.”

The Book of Malachi, Chapter 1:1-2 (The Message)

[Acts 28]

Once everyone was accounted for and we realized we had all made it, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. The natives went out of their way to be friendly to us. The day was rainy and cold and we were already soaked to the bone, but they built a huge bonfire and gathered us around it.

Paul pitched in and helped. He had gathered up a bundle of sticks, but when he put it on the fire, a venomous snake, roused from its torpor by the heat, struck his hand and held on. Seeing the snake hanging from Paul’s hand like that, the natives jumped to the conclusion that he was a murderer getting his just deserts. Paul shook the snake off into the fire, none the worse for wear. They kept expecting him to drop dead, but when it was obvious he wasn’t going to, they jumped to the conclusion that he was a god!

The head man in that part of the island was Publius. He took us into his home as his guests, drying us out and putting us up in fine style for the next three days. Publius’s father was sick at the time, down with a high fever and dysentery. Paul went to the old man’s room, and when he laid hands on him and prayed, the man was healed. Word of the healing got around fast, and soon everyone on the island who was sick came and got healed.

[Rome]

We spent a wonderful three months on Malta. They treated us royally, took care of all our needs and outfitted us for the rest of the journey. When an Egyptian ship that had wintered there in the harbor prepared to leave for Italy, we got on board. The ship had a carved Gemini for its figurehead: “the Heavenly Twins.”

We put in at Syracuse for three days and then went up the coast to Rhegium. Two days later, with the wind out of the south, we sailed into the Bay of Naples. We found Christian friends there and stayed with them for a week.

And then we came to Rome. Friends in Rome heard we were on the way and came out to meet us. One group got as far as Appian Court; another group met us at Three Taverns—emotion-packed meetings, as you can well imagine. Paul, brimming over with praise, led us in prayers of thanksgiving. When we actually entered Rome, they let Paul live in his own private quarters with a soldier who had been assigned to guard him.

Three days later, Paul called the Jewish leaders together for a meeting at his house. He said, “The Jews in Jerusalem arrested me on trumped-up charges, and I was taken into custody by the Romans. I assure you that I did absolutely nothing against Jewish laws or Jewish customs. After the Romans investigated the charges and found there was nothing to them, they wanted to set me free, but the Jews objected so fiercely that I was forced to appeal to Caesar. I did this not to accuse them of any wrongdoing or to get our people in trouble with Rome. We’ve had enough trouble through the years that way. I did it for Israel. I asked you to come and listen to me today to make it clear that I’m on Israel’s side, not against her. I’m a hostage here for hope, not doom.”

They said, “Nobody wrote warning us about you. And no one has shown up saying anything bad about you. But we would like very much to hear more. The only thing we know about this Christian sect is that nobody seems to have anything good to say about it.”

They agreed on a time. When the day arrived, they came back to his home with a number of their friends. Paul talked to them all day, from morning to evening, explaining everything involved in the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them all about Jesus by pointing out what Moses and the prophets had written about him.

Some of them were persuaded by what he said, but others refused to believe a word of it. When the unbelievers got cantankerous and started bickering with each other, Paul interrupted: “I have just one more thing to say to you. The Holy Spirit sure knew what he was talking about when he addressed our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet:

Go to this people and tell them this:

“You’re going to listen with your ears,

but you won’t hear a word;

You’re going to stare with your eyes,

but you won’t see a thing.

These people are blockheads!

They stick their fingers in their ears

so they won’t have to listen;

They screw their eyes shut

so they won’t have to look,

so they won’t have to deal with me face-to-face

and let me heal them.”

“You’ve had your chance. The non-Jewish outsiders are next on the list. And believe me, they’re going to receive it with open arms!”

Paul lived for two years in his rented house. He welcomed everyone who came to visit. He urgently presented all matters of the kingdom of God. He explained everything about Jesus Christ. His door was always open.

The Book of Acts, Chapter 28 (The Message)

A pairing of chapters from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s reading of the Psalms and Proverbs for january 24 of 2020 (Psalm 24 and Proverbs 24) as well as Psalm 35 for the 35th day of Winter

[Psalm 24]

A song of David.

The earth and all that’s upon it belong to the Eternal.

The world is His, with every living creature on it.

With seas as foundations and rivers as boundaries,

He shaped the continents, fashioned the earth.

Who can possibly ascend the mountain of the Eternal?

Who can stand before Him in sacred spaces?

Only those whose hands have been washed and hearts made pure,

men and women who are not given to lies or deception.

The Eternal will stand close to them with blessing and mercy at hand,

and the God who redeems will right what has been wrong.

These are the people who chase after Him;

[like Jacob, they look for the face of God].

[pause]

City gates—open wide!

Ancient doors—stand back!

For the glorious King shall soon pass your way.

Who is the glorious King?

The Eternal who is powerful

and mightily equipped for battle.

City gates—open wide!

Ancient doors—stand back!

For the glorious King shall soon pass your way.

Who is the glorious King?

The Eternal, Commander of heaven’s army,

He is the glorious King.

[pause]

The Book of Psalms, Poem 24 (The Voice)

[Psalm 35]

Rescue Me

A poetic song, by King David

[Part One – David, a Warrior]

O Lord, fight for me! Harass the hecklers, accuse my accusers.

Fight those who fight against me.

Put on your armor, Lord; take up your shield and protect me.

Rise up, mighty God! Grab your weapons of war

and block the way of the wicked who come to fight me.

Stand for me when they stand against me!

Speak over my soul: “I am your strong Savior!”

Humiliate those who seek my harm. Defeat them all!

Frustrate their plans to defeat me and drive them back.

Disgrace them all as they have devised their plans to disgrace me.

Blow them away like dust in the wind,

with the Angel of Almighty God driving them back!

Make the road in front of them nothing but slippery darkness,

with the Angel of the Lord behind them, chasing them away!

For though I did nothing wrong to them, they set a trap for me,

wanting me to fall and fail.

Surprise them with your ambush, Lord,

and catch them in the very trap they set for me.

Let them be the ones to fail and fall into destruction!

Then my fears will dissolve into limitless joy;

my whole being will overflow with gladness

because of your mighty deliverance.

Everything inside of me will shout it out:

“There’s no one like you, Lord!”

For look at how you protect the weak and helpless

from the strong and heartless who oppress them.

[Part Two – David, a Witness]

They are malicious men, hostile witnesses of wrong.

They rise up against me, accusers appearing out of nowhere.

When I show them mercy, they bring me misery.

I’m forsaken and forlorn, like a motherless child.

I even prayed over them when they were sick.

I was burdened and bowed low with fasting

and interceded for their healing,

and I didn’t stop praying.

I grieved for them, heavyhearted,

as though they were my dearest family members

or my good friends who were sick,

nearing death, needing prayer.

But when I was the one who tripped up and stumbled,

they came together to slander me,

rejoicing in my time of trouble, tearing me to shreds

with their lies and betrayal.

These nameless ruffians,

mocking me like godless fools at a feast—

how they delight in throwing mud on my name.

God, how long can you just stand there doing nothing?

Now is the time to act.

Rescue me from these brutal men,

for I am being torn to shreds by these beasts

who are out to get me.

Save me from their rage, their cruel grasp.

Then I will praise you wherever I go.

And when everyone gathers for worship,

I will lift up your praise with a shout

in front of the largest crowd I can find!

[Part Three – David, a Worshiper]

Don’t let those who fight me for no reason be victorious.

Don’t let them succeed, these heartless haters

who come against me with their gloating sneers.

They are the ones who would never seek peace as friends,

for they are ever devising deceit against the innocent ones

who mind their own business.

They open their mouths with ugly grins,

gloating with glee over my every fault.

“Look,” they say, “we caught him red-handed!

We saw him fall with our own eyes!”

But my caring God, you have been there all along.

You have seen their hypocrisy.

God, don’t let them get away with this.

Don’t walk away without doing something.

Now is the time to awake! Rise up, Lord!

Vindicate me, my Lord and my God!

You have every right to judge me, Lord,

according to your righteousness,

but don’t let them rejoice over me when I stumble.

Let them all be ashamed of themselves,

humiliated when they rejoice over my every blunder.

Shame them, Lord, when they say, “We saw what he did.

Now we have him right where we want him.

Let’s get him while he’s down!”

Make them look ridiculous when they exalt themselves over me.

May they all be disgraced and dishonored!

But let all my true friends shout for joy,

all those who know and love what I do for you.

Let them all say, “The Lord is great,

and he delights in the prosperity of his servant.”

Then I won’t be able to hold it in—

everyone will hear my joyous praises all day long!

Your righteousness will be the theme of my glory-song of praise!

The Book of Psalms, Poem 35 (The Passion Translation)

[Proverbs 24]

Don’t envy the wealth of the wicked or crave their company.

For they’re obsessed with causing trouble

and their conversations are corrupt.

Wise people are builders—

they build families, businesses, communities.

And through intelligence and insight

their enterprises are established and endure.

Because of their skilled leadership

the hearts of people are filled with the treasures of wisdom

and the pleasures of spiritual wealth.

Wisdom can make anyone into a mighty warrior,

and revelation-knowledge increases strength.

Wise strategy is necessary to wage war,

and with many astute advisers

you’ll see the path to victory more clearly.

Wisdom is a treasure too lofty for a quarreling fool—

he’ll have nothing to say when leaders gather together.

There is one who makes plans to do evil—

Master Schemer is his name.

If you plan to do evil, it’s as wrong as doing it.

And everyone detests a troublemaker.

If you faint when under pressure,

you have need of courage.

Go and rescue the perishing! Be their savior!

Why would you stand back and watch them stagger to their death?

And why would you say, “But it’s none of my business”?

The one who knows you completely and judges your every motive

is also the keeper of souls—and not just yours!

He sees through your excuses and holds you responsible

for failing to help those whose lives are threatened.

Revelation-knowledge is a delicacy,

sweet like flowing honey that melts in your mouth.

Eat as much of it as you can, my friend!

For then you will perceive what is true wisdom,

your future will be bright,

and this hope living within will never disappoint you.

Listen up, you wicked, irreverent ones—

don’t harass the lovers of God

and don’t invade their resting place.

For the lovers of God may suffer adversity

and stumble seven times,

but they will continue to rise over and over again.

But the unrighteous are brought down by just one calamity

and will never be able to rise again.

Never gloat when your enemy meets disaster

and don’t be quick to rejoice if he falls.

For the Lord, who sees your heart,

will be displeased with you and will pity your foe.

Don’t be angrily offended over evildoers or be agitated by them.

For the wicked have no life and no future—

their light of life will die out.

My child, stand in awe of the Lord Jehovah!

Give counsel to others,

but don’t mingle with those who are rebellious.

For sudden destruction will fall upon them

and their lives will be ruined in a moment.

And who knows what retribution they will face!

[Revelation from the Wise]

Those enlightened with wisdom have spoken these proverbs:

Judgment must be impartial,

for it is always wrong to be swayed by a person’s status.

If you say to the guilty, “You are innocent,”

the nation will curse you and the people will revile you.

But when you convict the guilty,

the people will thank you and reward you with favor.

Speaking honestly is a sign of true friendship.

Go ahead, build your career and give yourself to your work.

But if you put me first, you’ll see your family built up!

Why would you be a false accuser and slander with your words?

Don’t ever spitefully say, “I’ll get even with him!

I’ll do to him what he did to me!”

One day I passed by the field of a lazy man

and I noticed the vineyards of a slacker.

I observed nothing but thorns, weeds, and broken-down walls.

So I considered their lack of wisdom,

and I pondered the lessons I could learn from this:

Professional work habits prevent poverty from becoming

your permanent business partner. And:

If you put off until tomorrow the work you could do today,

tomorrow never seems to come.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 24 (The Passion Translation)

“An honest answer is like a warm hug.”

“A straight answer is as precious as a kiss on the lips.”

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 24:26 (The Message / The Voice)

[thenamelessbaroness]

Strange Magic Week 2017 - Tuesday: Masquerade (instead of Fake Exes)

I really, really dislike the premise of “Fake Exes,” so I went for one of the bonus prompts, instead. And since I’m going to the Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball in L.A. in... oh, 4 DAYS! so are Bog and Marianne.

Apologies to Sypher Studios if I messed up some of their mythos. I’ve only been attending since 2010, so I don’t know what things were like in those early years.

           The Convergence had been happening for 19 years, and Bog & Marianne had no reason to expect this year, the twentieth, would be different. They and their small party of friends, family, and deserving subjects waited in the small secluded dell they’d finally settled on to make the transfer.

The Convergence swept up Bog & Marianne regardless of where they might be. The first year it was a complete and total surprise, terrifying the monarchs of the Dark Forest. They had been walking down a hall in their palace when, with a rushing noise and a pulsing light, they suddenly found themselves transplanted to a new realm, unlike anything they’d ever seen, populated with creatures they’d never imagined. To their relief none of them seemed dangerous. Well, at least not aggressive.

           Shortly thereafter, an armed creature who looked like a fairy, but was without wings, noticed their distress and introduced himself as a “Knight of Sypher.” Somehow, he managed to decipher, from Bog’s angry blustering and Marianne’s snarky comments, that they had not planned to be there, and were surprised, angry, and not a little confused.

           “Oh dear,” the knight replied. “Another invitation gone awry. Those blasted goblins!” Bog and Marianne gaped at the man.

“Please,” and he gestured them toward a door, away from the crowd, “let me take you to Lord Strider. He can explain everything.”

           “He’d better!” Bog grumped, but followed.

           Lord Strider turned out to be another wingless fairy, blond, and with a kind, intelligent face. He apologize immediately, and treated Bog and Marianne with all the deference due their royal stature. His explanation seemed farfetched, but as Bog and Marianne HAD found themselves transported to another dimension, they were forced to believe him.

           Lord Strider has recently found himself in stewardship? As Regent?  Ruling? Well, in some way, definitely in charge of a faerie realm that sounded quite a bit more perilous than the one Bog and Marianne inhabited. This realm had a mind of its own. And it had decided, for whatever reason Lands decided things, that it was going to play host, at the Convergence, to denizens of all realms to which it could reasonably (or in some cases, unreasonably) claim some connection. Whether they wanted to show up, or not, it seemed.

           Lord Strider had managed to intuit most of those who would be so “invited” and send proper invitations (or were they warnings?). But Bog and Marianne were among the few who had been missed.

           “Please, accept my humblest apologies. But, as you are here, enjoy the festivities. The Labyrinth has assured me, “and here he scowled directly at the ground as his feet and gave it a little kick, “that all will be returned home in a matter of a few hours. There are rulers from several other realms, so you will not be lacking in peers. Do not hesitate to call upon me, or any of my knights, should you need anything.”

           And so, Marianne and Bog found themselves at loose ends for an evening; which was something that never occurred while they were busy ruling their boisterous subjects. They ran into the goblins previously mentioned, and if they didn’t look much like their subjects at home, their behavior was at least blessedly familiar. Marianne found other faeries, as well. But these seemed even more foreign to her than the goblins did to her mate. There were endless streams of those wingless faeries, and quite a few other creatures that they slowly learned to identify over the evening. And nearly all of them wore masks and finery. Marianne’s wings were the most glorious at the ball, and Bog’s stature always made him stand out, but they were practically non-descript against the other guests.

           Nevertheless, they danced together, and with others, the music strange, and strangely compelling. They found themselves conversing with other Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, Dukes, Countesses, Barons, Lords, Ladies, and others. And despite the frightening beginning to the evening, thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

           Late in the evening, as they were casting around for a quiet corner to rest and center themselves, the pulsing light and rushing sound returned. When it receded, Bog and Marianne found themselves perched on their own thrones, in their own palace, in the middle of the night.

They decided, together, that what had happened was too far outside the realm of possibility and it would probably be wisest not to mention it to anyone.

And it did seem the wisest course, until nearly a year later.

On that day, a sleepy, sunny, summer day, the sound of shrieking, and a pounding that made the ground shake, seemed particularly out of place. Goblins raced into the castle, bellowing about a monster, and creating such chaos that Marianne and Bog didn’t even try to wade through them. With a single shared glance, they grabbed their weapons and dove up through the window in the roof of the throne room.

Some distance from the palace, a monstrous shape was, indeed, stomping toward the palace. It easily overtopped the height of the briar hedge, and was almost the height of some of the smaller trees. No wonder the goblins had panicked.

Marianne put on her Hell No Face and prepared to charge, sword point first, but Bog grabbed at her shoulder.

“Wait, look. It’s Pruzz.” He pointed his staff toward the lumbering creature’s face.

“It can’t be Pruzz! Pruzz was my height! This thing is giant!” Marianne protested.

“Look at its face!” Bog insisted. Marianne squinted, flew a few feet back, a few feet forward, up and down, and had to admit, it did look exactly like one of the goblins they had met at the Convergence.

“BOG KING!” the thing rasped. “BOG KING AND QUEEN MARIANNE! I GOTZ A MESSAGE FOR YOU!”

“It’s Pruzz,” Bog and Marianne said, simultaneously. They flew up, right in front of the giant’s face.

“YOU GOTS TINY!” Pruzz exclaimed.

“Or you turned huge,” Bog countered. “Just give the message and go back where you came from. You’re wrecking my kingdom!”

Pruzz reached inside their vest and pulled out a, slightly grubby, envelope, which was more than twice the length of the Bog King. It thrust the paper out toward the royal couple, who dodged easily.

“Pruzz, just put it down here!” Marianne hovered around the roots of a nice sturdy tree. Pruzz obligingly bent down and leaned it against the trunk. It bore a sigil that looked slightly familiar. After regarding it for a moment, Marianne started running her sword around the edges of the envelope.

“Right. Thanks. Now shove off, Pruzz.” Bog said, wondering where, exactly, Pruzz was going to shove off to.

Pruzz grinned and turned on one massive heel. Directly in front of them, a space of pulsing light and roaring noise appeared from nowhere, and Pruzz leapt into it. It disappeared a moment later. Being on the outside of the experience was only slightly less disorienting than the two times he’d been inside it, Bog thought.

He shook his head and darted down to land beside Marianne. She had sliced the front of the envelope cleanly off, and the message inside could now be read.

“So, do you think we can get some fancier duds in the next week?” she asked Bog, somewhat eagerly.

Bog eyed his subjects, who were now peeking out from behind trees, rocks, and each other, gaping at the giant invitation.

“Only if we can get the explanations done before then.”

But at least, on that e second year of the Convergence, Lord Strider had managed to get their invitation to them. He was very apologetic about the size confusion, and muttered something about getting the Goblin Engineer to work on fixing the magical transcendental compensators. Or something like that.

The third year, and every year thereafter, it was delivered by what Lord Strider called a “pixie.” Superficially, it looked like Marianne and her kin, but it had teeth sharper than and goblin’s, black eyes, didn’t speak, and was just damn unsettling the way it simply appeared wherever they might be, without warning. Bog thought he might just prefer that Pruzz return.

That was also the year they discovered that, when the Convergence took them, Bog & Marianne would bring along anyone who was in close proximity. Misjudging the time, Dawn had still been doing Marianne’s hair when the hour struck, and was transported along with her. She was simultaneously delighted, and upset with Marianne because, “I’m not wearing anything nearly fancy enough!”

Despite her outfit, Dawn danced with, as far as Marianne could tell, every single creature there. It reminded her of her youth, keeping her baby sister out of trouble. Sunny was frightened, and furious, when they returned.

So, the fourth year, they brought him along as well.

           Bog and Marianne never quite got used to the Convergence, it was just too bizarre. But they learned to plan for, and even enjoy it. Their entourage grew from just Dawn and Sunny, to their children, Griselda (who always had “the time of my life!” and adored making elaborate costumes for everyone), and the few other fae who expressed an interest.  The gathered crowd for this twentieth trip was nearly twenty in number.

           Just before the appointed moment, Marianne took Bog’s hand and smiled up at him. “Ready?” she asked.

           “With you, always, Tough Girl.”

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Inside the glorious and lucrative world of Instagram's famous pups

Manny has achieved a lot for a six year old.

He's a philanthropist and social media influencer with more than a million followers on Instagram, including Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. He’s appeared on Good Morning America and had his own booth at a music festival. He has numerous licensing and sponsorship deals with brands like Turtle Wax and Dremel.

Oh, and he’s a French bulldog.

SEE ALSO: Goats are the G.O.A.T.s of Instagram

Manny the Frenchie, as he's known on Instagram, is not alone. He's part of a growing breed of pet influencers that include other pedigree personalities like shih tzu Potato McTater and Cavalier King Charles spaniel Toast Meets World — they're pictured above, doing their adorable thing.

Each of these doggos have achieved fame thanks to a distinctive personality trait.

Take Chloe the mini Frenchie, who is about half the size of a typical French bulldog. Her petite stature garnered her thousands of adoring fans, and eventually led to sponsorship deals in beauty and fashion. 

night night from an extra mini chlo nugget ���� #fbf

A post shared by Chloe The Mini Frenchie (@chloetheminifrenchie) on Mar 3, 2017 at 7:39pm PST

Inspired by Chloe, her owner, Loni Edwards, has founded The Dog Agency — an agency that manages internet-famous pets. 

Potato's famous costumes, meanwhile, included Hillary Clinton for Halloween, and have helped earn him notoriety. He has since appeared on the Today Show: 

A post shared by 👻🐤Potato_McTater | Shih Tzu (@potato_mctater) on Oct 29, 2016 at 7:14am PDT

Toast, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel rescued from a puppy mill, had to have all of her rotted teeth removed. This caused her tongue to flop out of her mouth, and the internet to fall in love with her.

my plan for the weekend...#carbs #FBF 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞

A post shared by TOAST MEETS WORLD™ (@toastmeetsworld) on Nov 11, 2016 at 3:13pm PST

Her ensuing fame has led to a book deal, merchandise, sponsorships, and even a fashion campaign. While her following largely grew organically without the help of management, she is now managed by Edwards' Dog Agency. 

"I have a background in PR, and I started sending out pictures of her in little outfits to different magazines, and it took off," said Toast's owner, Katie Sturino. "It became a really fun, cool thing."

Manny got the internet's attention with his sink naps. 

Long weekend calls for long sink nap! 💤

A post shared by Manny The Frenchie (@manny_the_frenchie) on Jul 5, 2017 at 4:13pm PDT

"That's really what started to go viral," said Manny's owner, Jon Huang. "From there, celebrities started following up with him, giving him shout-outs. He got followed by the cast members from Glee, and then local media started picking him up."

The corporate sponsorships

The money pet influencers can make from sponsorships varies based on follower count, but it can be a cash cow. Pets with a comparable number of followers to Manny can make anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 per sponsored post, according to Edwards.

"Of course there's many variables that go into it — the rates pets can make per post depend on the following, the engagement, and what's involved in the campaign," Edwards said. "But generally those with a couple hundred thousand followers are making $3,000 to $5,000 per piece of sponsored content, while those in the millions make $10,000 to $15,000."

Those figures are comparable to human rates; Forbes reported in April that an influencer with 100,000 followers can expect around $5,000 per post.

Hey girl, I know frenchies fart alot, but don't worry I got us covered! 💨😉 . . @turtlewax #turtlewax #promoted #Shinesquad

A post shared by Manny The Frenchie (@manny_the_frenchie) on Jun 30, 2017 at 4:18pm PDT

While one might reasonably expect these pet influencers to promote products for animals, that's not usually the case. Toast is best known as a fashion model; she did the entire look-book for Karen Walker's Spring 2015 eyewear campaign and, as a result, was featured on posters all around the world. 

I am so excited to finally be able to announce that I am the new face of @karen_walker sunglasses!! You can see the whole campaign(my first one!) and all of the chic new shades on their site. Karen Walker and her wonderful team have donated generously to @friendsoffinn and are helping us get the word out about puppymills. 😎🐶🍞👅❤️***None of the photos are photoshopped. I'm just that good.*** #TOASTMEETSKAREN

A post shared by TOAST MEETS WORLD™ (@toastmeetsworld) on Jan 25, 2015 at 11:13am PST

Though it might seem odd that a fashion brand would choose a dog to model its new merchandise, Edwards said it actually makes good sense.

"A lot of the brands we work with are human brands as opposed to pet brands," she said of her agency. "Brands are seeing the value that pet influencers are providing; they have higher engagement levels, they're relatable across all demographics, and they offer all the traditional benefits of influencer marketing."

Modeling hasn't been Toast's only foray into the human world. She also has brand deals with Stainmaster, Febreze, and Swiffer. Chloe also has her own distinct Instagram persona, focussing on topics that might not seem typical for an animal.

"Travel, fashion, and food," Edwards said. "Chloe's content tends to revolve around those themes, and the brands she partners with are based on those themes as well."

photoshoot ready thanks to @UrbanDecayCosmetics 💄💁🏼 #UrbanDecay is cruelty-free & doesn't test on animals. how could anyone? #ad

A post shared by Chloe The Mini Frenchie (@chloetheminifrenchie) on Jul 6, 2017 at 3:06pm PDT

Manny, unlike other famous pets with such large followings, is managed by his owner Huang.

"We try to partner exclusively and strategically with partners who are organic to us, and who kind of share our mission," Huang said. Manny's partners are based in both the human and pet worlds, and range from Halo organic pet food to power tool brand Dremel, which makes a special nail filing attachment.

"We take all of Manny's photos," Huang said, explaining how the process works. "We write all the captions for the organic posts. If it's campaign related, we write them in Manny's voice and if the partner wants to change or edit, then they can choose to."

Corporate partnerships and appearances aren't the only ways these pets make money. Toast and Manny both have book deals and merchandise available in their online stores. Manny even did a campaign with American Apparel — his first partnership. 

Philanthro-pups

Of course, it's not all take, take, take. The humans behind the Insta pets generally use the social media platforms to give back where possible. 

"Manny is known as the most philanthropic pet celebrity in the world,"Huang says. It's a grand claim, but he insists that they've donated some $105,000 to various charitable causes. The proceeds from Manny's merchandise go to animal rescue organizations and the pair purchased a new van for an animal shelter. Manny also visited a cystic fibrosis patient whose only wish was apparently to meet the dog.

Huang plans to launch Manny's non-profit foundation before the end of the year, which will benefit whatever causes "touch [his] heart."

"We visit a lot of retirement homes; Manny's training to visit kids now," Huang continued. "We want to work with kids with disabilities and fighting cancer. We want to cheer them up with Manny." 

According to Chloe's website, she has used her celebrity to raise money for the Humane Society of NY, mostly through fashion-based collaborations.

"[Chloe] recently collaborated with luxury scarf line Donni Charm to create dog scarves, as well as worked with a factory in NYC to create Pawtty Bags, essentially little dog purses to hold poop bags," her website states. All proceeds went to the Humane Society. 

NYC: join me in protesting the sale of puppies in NYC on Tuesday Aug 1st from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Pet Store location will be announced the morning of. 100% of puppies that are in pet stores are from #puppymills It's not chic. NYC LETS GET ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY HERE!!! #adoptdontshop

A post shared by TOAST MEETS WORLD™ (@toastmeetsworld) on Jul 29, 2017 at 2:34pm PDT

For Sturino, the most important use of Toast's platform is encouraging dog adoption. She began the account not to seek fame, but because she felt more people needed to be aware of rescue dogs like Toast. 

"She just had a very special energy — she just did," Sturino said. "People were always very drawn to her."

In addition to monetary donations to the humane society, she frequently uses Toast's account to advocate for the removal of pet stores from New York City. 

The future for Insta-pups

The Instagram pet community has ballooned in recent years, with newer pet owners seeing the mass appeal enjoyed by famous animals. 

"I think that there was a first wave of Instagram famous dogs," Sturino said. "And now that world has bloated so much."

Take Potato, whose owner Tracy Wong started his account after following San Francisco's Daily Dougie. "I became obsessed [with Dougie]," Wong said. "I said, 'When I have a dog, he's totally gonna be Instagram famous.' It started as a joke, and it was just me following other dogs on Instagram and getting a lot of joy out of that; we never thought it would escalate to the point it's at now." 

Draw me like one of your #FrenchFries 🍟 Happy #NationalFrenchFryDay! What's your favorite way to eat #Fries? 😉 #CurlyFries #Ketchup #Mayo 😍

A post shared by 👻🐤Potato_McTater | Shih Tzu (@potato_mctater) on Jul 13, 2017 at 5:49am PDT

Much like any niche community, Wong said, there's always a bit of drama. Sturino agreed. "It's like the Toddlers and Tiaras of dogs," she joked. 

The issues stem from owners of rescue dogs versus those of dogs who were bought from a store or breeder. "A lot of store bought dogs on Instagram hide a little behind dog rescue, acting like they didn't buy a dog," Sturino said.

The ASPCA works closely with a lot of these canine celebs. “Instagram pet celebrities have a large influence on their fans, which is why the ASPCA often collaborates with them to spread awareness about key animal welfare issues including the importance of pet adoption, how to end puppy mills, and the cruelty of dog fighting, said Olivia Melikhov, ASPCA director of social media strategy.

"Lil Bub, for example, does a great job raising awareness about special needs pets, while Marnie the Dog helps raise visibility about the value of senior pet adoption. So while simply being famous on Instagram is a celebration of pets in general, we feel the true potential impact of these wonderful animals is their ability to advocate for fellow dogs and cats in need and at risk.”

All of the owners said their pets' fans made running the accounts a fulfilling experience. 

"Potato's fans are the sweetest people in the world," Wong said. "You see this goofy-looking, fluffy dog — just his existence makes us happy. It's cool we get to share that with everyone else."

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