#north and south trilogy

[psalmsofpsychosis]

"Cal, look into the fire. It will warm you, keep you company. But left unchecked, it will consume everything until there is only ash." yeah i think we're gonna be fine actually ❤️❤️ peace and love and mayhem on planet earth

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

the pained peace treaty

fused with the foe, chapter one

a/n: oh wow, i have no idea how to introduce this beast of a story except to say hi, hello, welcome! i really hope you enjoy this story, as well as the rest of the trilogy, idk if i've ever gone as in depth and all out with any story as i have with these.

summary: “now, everything is already set into motion, so we don’t have time for any of your theatrics,” not looking you in the eye, he frostily told you, “you are to be married. A carriage has just arrived a few minutes ago to pick you up and transport you to Eflorr.”

warnings: king!steve rogers x reader, fantasy AU (monsters, but not much magic), original fantasy world, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, slow burn, innocent!reader, abusive father (like super bad. he is a garbage person), wedding, blood, injury

word count: 4813

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“Your majesty, I must warn you, if, gods forbid, our people come to discover the great lengths you’ve been willing to go in this disagreement over the past two decades, they might start an uprising. And if you keep going, then it’ll turn into a full-blown war and you know our kingdom wouldn’t be able to survive that, not with them. Our city’s walls may be high, high enough to keep out any beasts that may wander this far south, but it wouldn’t keep them out. You know better than most how people from Eflorr are. If you don’t wanna lose your crown, one way or another, then I’d strongly advise that we come up with some peace treaty.”

“I know, I know…” King Ivan leaned back in his gilded throne with a huff, the quality of his voice was as thin as his towering frame, “a trade I think should suffice.”

A different advisor then timidly pipped up, “but our mines ran cold ages ago, what could we possibly offer that would be satisfactory?”

Not lifting his cold gaze, the king stared at a fixed spot on the marble floor as he said, “I know one thing the king lacks that we may be able to provide for him… a wife.”

“A wife–,” both of the men’s eyes grew wide, “but do you mean–, your majesty, she is your only daughter, are you certain this is the fate you want her to have? Those people are barbaric! If one of the dangers that rule the north doesn’t get to her first, one of their citizens surely will. Sire, what if history repeats itself?”

“Then let it do so. In fact, perhaps this could have been her purpose all along and I just didn’t realise it. Couldn’t see past my own rage to grasp how useful she actually could be…”

Sharing a nervous glance, one of the advisors asked, “should we send for her? See if she agrees with the plans?”

“No, I’ll tell her when the time is right. Wouldn’t want her to do anything stupid and ruin the one good thing she could ever provide,” finally lifting his stony gaze, the king commanded, “make the arrangements, I’ll see to it that she doesn’t ruin it.” 

Deep within the opulent halls of the gilded palace, standing grand and safe behind Ingorn’s tall city walls, twisting up towards the clouds, up in a window in the western tower, there you sat. 

Book in your lap, you leaned back against the small pillow you’d propped behind you to make the wide windowsill more comfortable. Small paper butterflies hung from strings above and some dangled so low that the childhood craft that still decorated your window trickled the crown of your head. Flipping the page, your fingertips brushed down over the illustration that appeared in the agricultural tome you’d found in one of your brothers’ rooms. 

As long as you put it back before Angus returned then you’d probably be good. And if he were to somehow notice, then as long as he didn’t rat you out to your father then it would be alright. Both Angus and a few of the others that were closer to your age, Oliver and Francis respectively, were always a bit of a gamble whether or not they would do such a thing. They didn’t always have the same spirit as the eldest pair of your older brothers, Xavier and Callum. 

You missed them so much your heart ached. The older they got, the longer their diplomatic missions seemed to stretch out, making the quiet palace that much more lonely in your solitude. 

A knock then suddenly boomed at your door, causing you to jump edgily in your seat before you slammed the book shut and nervously stuffed it behind the firm pillow. 

“Come in!” you called out, swiftly straightening out your dress that had crumbled around your legs at the comfortable seat. As the door to your room slammed open, the figure that stood in it caught you by surprise, “Father–, oh, hello,” you straightened your posture that much further at his arrival. 

Skipping over any niceties, King Ivan simply stated, “you need to pack up your stuff.”

Your brows knitted into a fierce furrow, “what?”

“Not everything, of course,” he cast a cold glance around the room though didn’t take a step to enter it, “just the things you are particularly attached to.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” your head lightly shook from side to side, “where am I going?”

When his eyes finally gave you the time of day, it swiftly dropped to the floor as a heavy sigh flowed from his lips, “why do you have to be the spitting image of her…” the muttering was unfortunately just loud enough for your ears to catch. His disappointment was always just loud enough for your ears to catch. When he entered the room and you moved to get up, he swiftly said, “stay seated, Y/n,” before he planted himself next to you on the wide windowsill, “now, everything is already set into motion, so we don’t have time for any of your theatrics,” not looking you in the eye, he frostily told you, “you are to be married. A carriage has just arrived a few minutes ago to pick you up and transport you to Eflorr.”

“To Eflorr?” your gaze grew wide, “you wish for me to marry someone there?”

“Not just someone, you are to marry their king.”

“I–… I–…” your chest rose and fell rapidly beneath your rosy dress, “but father, you can’t–, I can’t go live with the people who killed mom.”

“We don’t know if they actually murdered her. But I do know that you did,” his glare locked upon you as he let himself seethe, “if you hadn’t been born then she’d still be alive,” the fact that the only thing he blamed more for his late wife’s untimely demise then the kingdom she’d perished in was you, remained a point that the sovereign had never been shy about sharing with you for as long as you could recall, “your duty is to protect and serve this land, this crown,” your eyes naturally fluttered up to gaze at the twisted gold balanced upon his head, “if you don’t go through with this, then those savages will come pillage and ruin your home. You are, regrettably, the very last hope this kingdom has of survival. You have no choice, Y/n. This marriage is the only thing that can stop a war we would never survive,” exhaling slowly, he then dominantly nodded in a concluding fashion, “pack your stuff, you have an hour.”

You felt tears sting your eyes as your bottom lip quivered, “an hour? But–, can’t we wait at least a few days before I leave? Can’t I get a chance to say goodbye to at least one of my brothers? None of them are home yet.”

Regret instantly washed over you as your father’s nostrils flared angrily. Seizing your arm in a bruising grip, he yanked you close as he hissed, “you listen, and you listen carefully, you little brat. You have been the bane of my existence ever since you took your first breath. You took away the love of my life. You don’t deserve a goodbye, you don’t deserve anything. Do you think I got a goodbye when your mother suddenly went into labour on that diplomatic mission? No. All I got was you. Not another son, but a living, breathing reminder of what I lost that day,” your eyes squeezed shut as your cheek tingled at the memory of his strikes, “now, be a good girl and go wet his prick, give him a few babies, do anything he’d fucking please, so that him and his barbaric army doesn’t come here and slaughter everything you know and love.”

“Your highness, are you cold?” the high-ranking warden sitting across from you in the carriage noticed the shiver that your body couldn’t seem to shake. 

Tearing your eyes off of the scenery along The Emerald Path that the narrow window granted you a view of, you glanced back at the warrior. The brown hair he had practically tied off at the base of his neck blossomed into a dark beard. A bare palm clasped over an inked one in his lap as you met his gaze and said, “no, I’m–…” in truth, you were scared, so scared that you were trembling like a leaf, but you couldn’t tell the foreign king’s advisor that, too much weighted on your shoulders, you couldn’t screw this up, “no,” glancing back out of the window, you only stared a moment at the sparse cottages that slowly came into view on the rolling hills before you turned your head again and let the nauseating nerves control your words, “pardon me, Barnes, is it?”

“Yes, your highness?”

“Sir, how much further till we get there?” your quiet voice echoed within the carriage, “it’s just–, it’s been days.”

“Oh, not long at all,” he shook his head lightly, “actually,” the knight leaned forward in his seat and cast his glance outside, “if you look out the window now, right there,” a small smile tugged at his lips as his finger shot up to point, “that river, that means we’re getting close to Borün city.”

As the river then suddenly curved before the dirt road, the clomping hooves of the horses that hauled the coach resonated as they trotted over a stone bridge. 

Twisting your head, you glanced out to your right and spotted farmlands curve over the rolling hills that swiftly blossomed into thickets and towering flora you’d only assume was the southern perimeter of The Noll Woods. Books about this kingdom had been banned in your homeland for as long as you could remember, but even though you were essentially going in blind, you still weren’t completely ignorant when it came to the dangers that called that sprawling forest its home, not that you were an expert in the slightest, but your brothers had from time to time told you tales of the monsters who dominated in this part. From giant and twisted insect-like creatures, to mischievous pixies, to even the rare dragon, those stories had always been your favourite. Apart from the rare occasion where Callum would share stories with you about your mother. Being the eldest, he was the only one who truly remembered her. 

Instinctively, your fingers fluttered up to fiddle with the opalescent stone that hung from a chain around your neck. In the middle of the milky jewel was a small rune engraved into it. You had no idea what it meant, but your fingers had still traced the carving countless of times before as it had hung from your neck for as long as you could recall. It hadn’t been till you were a ways into your teens that you’d come to discover that it had belonged to your mother. 

Casting your glance out the other side as you passed a tall watchtower, behind the wide city stables unfolded a port town so quaint that it surprised you. Over the small valley of gabled roofs towered a central tree, and beyond all of that, the sparkle of the sea caught your eye, a sight you’d never beheld before, haven not only stemmed from a landlocked metropolis, but also not haven been permitted to leave your room as much as your heart had desired. 

“This is Eflorr?” you asked as the carriage began to roll up the winding path to the stone castle that loomed on the cliff, granting you a new view of how the river that you’d crossed slid through the city and spilt into the ocean.

“This is Eflorr, your highness,” the corners of his lips twitched at the sight of how wide your curious eyes were. 

“It’s–… it’s–…” your stare danced over the lush ivy that climbed the solid towers, “not what I expected…”

“What did you expect?”

Tearing your gaze away from the window, you blinked, “oh, I didn’t mean–,” suddenly worried that your shock had come out sounding rude, “I just–… I don’t know a lot about this land,” in the few tales you’d heard about this place, there had been a running gag that the people of Eflorr had lived so close to the dangerous beasts that called this part of the continent their home that they too had turned into monsters, “it’s just different than I imagined.” 

Ascending the jagged hill and passing through the front gate, it opened up into a wide courtyard before you felt the carriage finally roll to a stop. 

The wagon creaked gently as Barnes stepped out first, though when his boots were firmly on the cobblestone, his frame twisted as he reached an outstretched hand back for you to grasp in support of your own exit. Ever so apprehensively, you slid your own palm into his as your other twisted in your long skirts before you slipped out of the carriage. 

Letting go of his gasp, the soldier's low timbre washed over you as your head tilted back to take in the vast stronghold, “his majesty, unfortunately, couldn’t be here for your arrival as there was a bit of a dryad problem further up north he had to take care of,” you gaze tore away from the fort and fell upon him, “but I assure you he should be back in time for the wedding.”

“Oh, alright,” you breathed, unsure if that fact made you feel better or worse about the entire predicament.

“If you’d like, I can give you a brief tour of the castle,” he offered as he led you towards the main entrance into the castle proper, “or if you’re exhausted after the journey, then I can just show you directly up to your chambers.”

Offering him a polite smile, you nodded, “a tour would be lovely, thank you.”

He only briefly went over the buildings surrounding the courtyard you’d entered into, as they were mainly designed as barracks and various other facilities for the local wardens, though the horses that stuck their heads out of the royal stalls in the corner did catch your eye before you moved on inside. 

Barnes’ voice echoed in most of the chambers he showed you in the castle’s western wing. The vast stained-glass windows that were in the ballroom for instance took your breath away as you saw how the light streamed through them and warmed up the room with glittering little rays of colour. 

Behind the great halls, squeezed in between and connecting the two major parts of the fort, there you crossed through a much more quiet and lush courtyard. The pebble paths that curved around the central fountain too curled around various topiary bushes that were trimmed to perfection like living sculptures. 

Though as your guide showed you the eastern wing that crested over the foaming sea below, your curiosity got the better of you. 

“Hey, Barnes?”

Slowing his leisurely stride, he tilted his head slightly, “yes, your highness?”

“What are dryads?” your brows knit lightly together, “you mentioned there was a problem with them, but what are they?”

“You don’t know?” he glanced over at you, clearly trying to mask his surprise as you shook your head, “oh, well, they are forest spirits, nymphs,” he explained as you roamed deeper down a broad hallway on the second floor, passing many private chambers both to your right and your left, “it’s not uncommon for them to wander and bother the folks who live further up the coast. Have you never encountered one? They are not as uncommon in Obelón as most of the other creatures that thrive this far north.”

“No, I’ve never seen one…” you shook your head as a low sigh flowed from your lips, “never really seen anything…”

“Not much of an outdoorsy person?” he guessed in a light-hearted tone. 

Forcing a smile, you replied, “you could say that…” as you hadn’t been allowed to be one even if you wanted to. Passing a set of double doors that stood wide open, the sight inside made you halt your steps, “is this the library?”

Shadowing you as your feet crossed the threshold, he nodded, “yes, it is,” then pointed back over his shoulder, “and your quarters are right down that hall.”

Numerous grand bookcases stood lined up all the way down to where a tall window allowed the sunlight in and let it stream through the rows. 

“Can I–… would it be alright if I read some of them?” 

“Of course, your highness.” 

“Would you mind showing me which ones I’m allowed to read?” you briefly peeked back at him as a bubble of anxiety fluttered in your belly, “I don’t wanna accidentally read something that I’m not allowed to.”

Barnes then blinked back at you a moment before he uttered, “your highness, you can read each and every one of them if you’d like. Why wouldn’t you be allowed to read whatever you wish? They are yours after all, or will be after the wedding,” the corners of your lips twitched upwards as he then asked, “would you like to peruse the titles now or do you want to see your chambers?”

“Oh, uhm,” you tore your gaze away from the tomes and turned back, “I’ll look later.”

“Alright,” he nodded, extending his inked arm to show you the way. As he pushed the heavy wooden door open to the room at the very end of the hall, his voice rang out once more, “this is the peacock suite,” following him inside, he settled to a stop near the exit for you to explore the space on your own, “you can, of course, change anything you’d like for it to match your taste.”

“Thank you,” you breathed as you slowly made your way deeper into the chamber. It was gently divided with a more formal area towards the front where both tufted couches and a crackling fireplace stood, as well as a set of doors that opened up to a quaint balcony. Towards the left, under a swirling archway, twisted a broad canopy bed up towards the tall ceilings, warm with blankets and furs, and in the corner, by a breezy partition, stood a deep cobber bathtub.

Haven not noticed that he’d moved, you then heard as Barnes creaked the doors to a close, “if you need anything, anything at all, I’ll be right outside.”

With a loud creak, the heavy double doors opened before you and revealed the grand hall. As soft music gushed out, you nearly didn’t recognise the space from your tour the other day as it was now decorated with vibrant flowers and flowing banners that dropped down from the high ceilings above, as well as being completely packed with a swarm of people. A thin path parted the giddy crowd right down the middle towards the opposing grand door that guards opened simultaneously to yours. 

A shaky breath filled your lungs as you stared at the man crossing over the threshold. The flickering candlelight caught the honeyed shine of the locks that came down to tickle the nape of his neck. A bit darker, his short beard was full and warmed up the bottom half of his gruff features. He sure looked like a man who could slay a kraken with his bare fists, as the soft fur cloak that draped over his shoulders did not conceal his bulky physic one bit. The neckline of his indigo tunic stretched low enough for you to see the concave of his fuzzy chest and the impressive battle scars that broke up the rippling flesh. 

You’d seen the portrait of the king that hung in the hallway that stretched up towards the throne room, but to see him before your very eyes, in flesh and blood and not precise paint, was something else entirely. 

The long and embroidered train of the blue silk kirtle you wore dragged across the store floor behind you as both you and the monarch slowly stepped into the chamber to join in the very middle. 

The enchanting music stopped as you reached one another and the parted paths to either exit slowly closed as the crowd gathered and enclosed around the sacred vow that was about to ensue. 

Parting the sea of people like a divine force, an elderly woman, with a braided grey mane so long that it hit the floor, stepped up beside the both of you. 

“People of Eflorr,” the crone’s calm voice boomed, “today marks a day of unity, a day of peace, and most of all a day of love. Like a seed planted in the soil, tonight we will all witness this relationship blossom and go on the journey of growing into a magnificent tree, with roots strong enough to endure any storm, to propagate new seedlings that will watch over and shade our kingdom when yours have fallen.” 

Looking to the king, she handed him a small dagger from her belt and spoke, “blade across skin,” and he reached out for your right hand, “strike out your seedling’s love line,” your breath hitched as you felt him slice the top of your palm. Crimson blood trickled down onto his own hand as yours rested atop it, “and claim it as your own,” he flipped the blade around and handed it to you, before presenting you his own palm, open in yours. He didn’t even blink as you hesitantly pierced the calloused skin and traced the line already adoring his broad palm, “weave your lines together, so they become the same,” he then moved to clasp your hands together, his wide grip engulfed yours completely. Your teeth sank into just the faintest bit of your bottom lip at the fresh sting of your wound as it bled into his, “and may this scar serve you as a reminder, of the vow you made on this momentous day.” 

And as the last of the matron's words flowed from her lips so did the roar of celebration that erupted throughout the crowd as the festivities of the night bloomed at an instant.

The feast had been nothing short of immaculate. Countless of dishes had been spread out on the crowded banquet tables ranging from the savoury braised legumes to the sweet and shiny pies. It was an impossible task to try and taste every one of them, but an excuse you still used to stay glued to your seat and not get up and mingle with the boisterous gathering of strangers. 

As a stark contrast, you thought you only noticed the king take two bites before he rose to greet some latecomers who had arrived. Laughing and chatting with the sea of people, he hadn’t offered you a single word, barely even a brief glance the whole night. Though your gaze still followed him from your seat up at the high table as he moved through the crowd like they were all his dearest friends. 

When the moon had floated up to be high in the sky, clearly visible on the other side of the stained glass, your head had dropped down into a propped-up palm as a deep yawn forced its way out of your frame. 

“Are you tired, your majesty?” a deep timbre suddenly found your ears, a specific tone that caused your spine to straighten out at once. 

Whipping your head to your right, your weary eyes grew wide as you saw the king again at his seat, “no, I’m alright,” you hastily coughed out, “I’m so sorry for behaving like that in your presence. This party is exquisite.” 

“It’s alright, you can yawn,” you suddenly felt the need to look away now that his ocean stare was finally fixed upon you, “it’s late, I was about to retire for the night as well, so I can only imagine how you must feel. If you’d like, I could escort you back to your chambers. I’m not sure how familiar you’ve become with the castle since you’ve arrived, but even I can still get lost when the corridors are this dark and I’ve indulged in perhaps one too many goblets of wine.”

A flutter of nauseating nerves rushed within your belly, but even so, you still pushed through and forced a smile, “if that’s what the king desires, then sure, you can escort me.”

It was your wedding night. You knew what was about to happen. 

Or, actually, you didn’t quite know what the marital act entailed, but you were sure a man such as Steve had enough of an understanding to take charge. All you knew was what little you’d been told. To strip down naked, not whine or scream, and do as he tells you. 

The soaring butterflies within you only grew more ferocious as you followed his long stride throughout the castle. Out of the ballroom and through a cold stone hallway, when you crossed the bridge that linked the two wings over a part of the cliff that descended dramatically, you nearly doubled over the parapet to empty your stomach over the town of Borün that blossomed below. 

But with a shaky intake of breath, your fist closed around the silk of your skirt as you settled yourself and forced your feet to keep moving. Even as you passed the threshold into the eastern part of the castle, you still shadowed the monarch up the many steps until his broad palm held the door to your chambers open for you to enter. 

The fire had been lit while you were gone, and the room was encased in the warm glow. 

“Did, uh…” you heard the door close behind you as the king attempted a bit of small talk, “did you have a nice time tonight?” 

“I did, your majesty,” you kept your answer brief out of fear that he’d hear the tremble to your tone. 

Slowly turning his back to you, his gaze washed over the room, “are you pleased with your bed chambers?” he settled to face the balcony, the door slightly ajar to let the night breeze seep through and rustle the sheer curtains, “because if you don’t like it, if you’d rather have a view of the town then the sea, then that’s an easy problem to fix.” 

“I think the view is just fine from here, but thank you,” you answered politely as you gathered up the last bit of your courage and reached back to undo the long row of buttons that went down the spine of the light blue dress. 

When the silky garment dropped to the floor, the quiet rustle was enough to draw the king’s attention.

First offering you just a quick glance over his shoulder, he then swiftly whirled around completely, “what are you doing?”

Weaving your fingers in the thin material of your chemise, you blinked back at his stunned features, “I’m sorry, am I doing it wrong?” sure that he could already see everything through the sheer, white fabric. 

His feet didn’t move as he asked, “what are trying to do?” before he averted his gaze to the stone floor. 

“Well,” you uttered quietly, “it’s our wedding night.”

“Oh…” was all he breathed. 

“To be transparent, I’m actually not quite sure what’s to happen, but I do know it’s something,” reaching up, you took the gold and twisted circlet, that crowned your head, off and carefully sat it down on the side table to your left, “I don’t know the details, I just know that I should strip down. Do you know what we’re supposed to do?”

“Fuck,” he cursed, briefly squeezing his eyes shut, “yes I do, but, your majesty, please, keep your clothes on,” his gaze flickered back to you as you slowly began to hike up the last layer. 

“Why?” your fingers froze, “isn’t it a tradition here for us to–”

“Well, yes, but–…” he let out a strained sigh before slowly stating, “I’m gonna go.” 

A chill crawled up your skin, “…oh, I see…” you uttered quietly as he crossed the room, “did I do something wrong?”

Halting in the doorway as he ripped it open, “no, you–…” but the rest of his words crumbled as his gaze settled upon you one last time, instead letting a low sigh flow from his lungs, “sleep well,” and added nearly subconsciously just before the door slammed shut, “goodnight, dove.”

Even though a wave of relief washed over you, a sting of hurt also followed suit as the king left. 

Had you done something wrong, or did he just find you that repellent, that hideous, that he refused to perform his marital duties?

© 2024 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[misguidedasgardian]

GLADIATORS / A HotD Au

SUMMARY

The Andals came from Essos and conquered five of the seven kingdoms, and founded The Great Republic of the Andals and has them under its yolk, they took every tribe, culture and town that oppose them and subdued it, they took their men, and their women, and slaved them, only the greatest, strongest, better men, became gladiators under the sun of the mighty Republic

Pairings: Slave/Gladiator!Cregan Stark x Domina!Reader, Gladiator!Harwin x Domina!Reader, Slave/Gladiator!Aemond x Slave!Reader, Slave/Gladiator!Aegon x Patrician!Reader, Gladiator Trainer!Daemon x Empress!Reader. 

Warnings: Ancient Rome AU, Cursing, slavery (and everything that comes with it, technically rape, forced labour, punishments), blood, guts, gladiator battles, lude language, nudity, sex and evrything related is no biggie here, we’re a ‘sex positive’ Republic, mentions of sex, same sex couples, orgies, and more. Assassinations, assassinations attempts, pagan rituals, slaughter of animals for ritualistic purposes, crimes of war, more might be added by chapter.

The trilogy, Smut, Angst & Fluff (some) 

Since it's heavily inspired by “Spartacus”, “Domina” and “Gladiator”, you can expect similar events to be depicted here. If you are an Historian, you are clearly going to want to kick my ass, since I’m not, expect inaccuracies in rituals, cultures descriptions and religions. 

Notes: Alright… of course I’ll be adapting the ancient Roman empire to the Westerosi world… so here are some guidelines

“Romans” will be referred as “Andals”, and after those they are two other types of natives of Westeros, the “Northmen” or rather The first men, and the Rhoynar from the South. 

I’ll be using ancient roman terms that due to context should be easy to decipher jeje, and I’ll be using much of their rituals and customs. 

This will be considered “short”, as each gladiator will have three chapters. All the stories happen at the same time, though they won't cross much against each other, you can read them either the I's of each and then the II's and III's or read the characters separately, the ones that interest you.

Please remember, I am not an historian, just relax and have fun! that's what we are here for.

EVERY READER IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER! each character has a different reader! and they do not meet each other!

CHAPTERS SOON

CREGAN: CHAPTER I.

Cregan is a man that got enslaved when the Andals conquered the wild tribes of the North, he ends up being trained as a gladiator in the villa of a prominent family; a respectable man, and his daughter who is impressionable, and young, and as a young woman, she starts hearing tales of her friends about men, about their own gladiators and stories of orgies and sex… and she gets curious when she sees this beautiful man, a slave no less, training in his father’s villa.

HARWIN: CHAPTER I.

Reader and Robin knew that they were never going to find better than each other, best friends since childhood, so they got married. Robin prefers the company of men, he and reader have an agreement.

They came to the capital to get out of the scrutiny of the Vale, they want an heir, and embark in the politics of the capital. The answer to both their desired might be incarnated in the champion of the Arena Robin just purchased

AEGON:

It was not uncommon for patrician families to… copulate… with their slaves and gladiators specially, a particular group of women decided to bed specially gladiators because of their strength and physiques. Domina Alys starts to sell one of her gladiators in particular to her best friend. 

Aegon takes a liking to this, rather than fights, specially with reader, who only wants to escape her old husband Borros

AEMOND:

Aemond is a gladiator in the same villa as his brother Aegon. He dreams about victories in the arena, and it's focused on his training and bringing honor to his Ludus.

His determination and skill makes him the favorite of his domina, Alys, who had inherited the Ludus from her father, the only problem they are both going to face is you, a young sweet slave, purchase to tend and serve your domina, who does not take kindly that you are “stealing” away her favorite gladiator

DAEMON:

Daemon is a legendary gladiator, but his days of glory are past him, now he trains his own Ludus in the outskirts of King’s Landing, finally he has recovered some of the power he once had, now a free man. 

But the emperor is frail and weak, he’s got no heirs but a girl, in the dangerous political climate, he has been hired to protect you, next in line to the throne and the first woman to ever ascent as empress of the republic

[calibratemehard]

Alrighty folks I finished the game. I will put non-spoiler thoughts here and then put my spoiler thoughts under the cut. Again, these are MY OPINIONS. I am happy to hear your thoughts but I'm not arguing with you because you won't change my mind.

* holy shit this is a big game

* Mournwatch is the best faction in my opinion. Idk they're just cool and not problematic lol

* there is some retconning of established facts, but I take it this way: it's been a long time since the original trilogy's events. Origins was canonically sometime almost 20 years before Veilguard - think of life 20 years ago, it was very different. A lot can change and gods coming back changes a lot. Factions grow and change and become something different. Also this is NORTHERN Thedas, an area we've never played in. With few exceptions we've always had companions from the south and learned information about the north second hand. I think that's important to keep in mind when people complain about things not staying the same or 'lore accurate.'

* I still recommend picking the same faction as your projected romantic interest

* The cameos are ... Fine. Again, it's been a long time in game. Are you the same person you were 10 years ago? 20 years? I think Morrigan is the most disappointing but my headcanon is that motherhood has really suited her, also a decision she made off screen that is explained to you during the course of the game also made her personality make a little more sense

* I think I liked this game because I went in with an open mind. I have always loved Bioware games for the writing and the companions and this game has those in spades. I loved how fleshed out the characters were though it doesn't approach the levels that say, Baldur's Gate 3 reaches. But overall it was an enjoyable experience, around 65 hours for me to finish just about everything. Though maybe shave off about 5 hours for the character creator, which was great.

Okay so now for the spoilers. DO NOT OPEN IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!!

* I maxed out all of my companions and factions and nearly 100% every area. There was no quest undone. I think that's why I got a good ending, namely Solas agreeing to bind himself to the Veil, sharing a big kiss with Lavellan, and walking into the Fade together. I did lose one member, Harding, and that fucking sucked. I haven't looked into spoilers so I don't know if switching her and Davrin would have made a difference cause Davrin is a Warden and would have fared better against the blight idk. I'll have to look into it. Overall I was happy though.

* I ... Should have seen the Varric twist but I wasn't looking for it so it just passed over me. I was devastated, but I think that it was well done and well earned. Still sad though. That was the second time I cried during the finale, after Harding.

* This felt like a Bioware game to me. It felt big, it felt complex, and the humor was always there. The QoL improvements and expansion of classes and abilities made this so much fun.

* I felt the romances were lacking a bit in content, though Emmrich had suuuuch a sweet and gentle romance. I loved it so much. They banged in a graveyard in what I assume is a coffin. A+ love him, love Manfred. I just wish I had kiss options a la BG3. I got spoiled. 😅

* I'll play this again. And again. That's how my brain works. I think they need to patch a sort of 'golden nug' option into the game and a new game plus to make things better. If there are DLC, I'll happily play them.

[datcloudboi]

List of Video Games Turning 10 Years Old in 2024

Alien: Isolation

Assassin's Creed: Rogue (the one where you play as an Assassin turned Templar.)

Assassin's Creed: Unity (the one set during the French Revolution.)

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky

Azure Striker Gunvolt

The Banner Saga

Bayonetta 2

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea (the DLC where you go back to Rapture)

A Bird Story (a sort of spin-off of "To the Moon")

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (is this a sequel to 1 or a prequel to 1? I forgor)

Bravely Default (in North America)

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (the one with K*vin Sp*cey)

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (to date, the last new Castlevania game to release)

Child of Light

The Crew (going offline at the end of March)

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (a wonderfully strange game from the guy that made Deadly Premonition)

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (in North America)

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (in North America)

Dark Souls II

Deception IV: Blood Ties

Demon Gaze

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

Disney Infinity 2.0

Divinity: Original Sin (from the team that would go on to make Baldur's Gate 3)

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Dragon Age: Inquisition (the winner of GOTY at the very first TGAs)

Drakengard 3

Earth Defense Force 2025 (EDF! EDF! EDF!)

The Evil Within (from the creative director of Resident Evil)

Fable Anniversary

Fairy Fencer F

Far Cry 4

Freedom Planet

Guilty Gear Xrd Sign

Hyrule Warriors

Inazuma Eleven (in North America. And digital only.)

Infamous: Second Son (as well as its expansion, First Light)

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

The Last of Us Remastered (just one year after the original version came out...)

The Legend of Korra (the game from PlatinumGames that you can't buy anymore)

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Lego The Hobbit

The Lego Movie Videogame

Lethal League (from the team that would go on to make Bomb Rush Cyberfunk)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (the third and final chapter of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy)

Lisa: The Painful (yes, really)

LittleBigPlanet 3

Lords of the Fallen (not to be confused with Lords of the Fallen, which came out in 2023)

Mario Golf: World Tour

Mario Kart 8 (the original version)

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (the prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which came out 18 months later)

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Might & Magic X: Legacy

Murdered: Soul Suspect (it's like Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, but not as good)

Natural Doctrine

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! (a from the ground up remake of the first Oddworld game from 1997)

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (yes, it got a sequel. I don't know how or why.)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (the last time that Professor Layton himself was the protagonist. At least, until the New World of Steam comes out)

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Pushmo World

Risen 3: Titan Lords

Sacred 3

Samurai Warriors 4

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (the 3rd one)

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

Shovel Knight (yes, really)

Skylanders: Trap Team (the 4th one)

Sniper Elite III

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Steins;Gate (in North America)

Strider (the one from Double Helix)

Sunset Overdrive

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS (or Smash 4 for short)

Tales of Xillia 2

Tales of Hearts R

The Talos Principle

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

Thief (the reboot)

This War of Mine

Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (this game merged the storyline of the War for/Fall of Cybertron games with the storyline of the Michael Bay movies. I’m not joking)

Transistor

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Walking Dead: Season Two

Wasteland 2

Watch Dogs

The Witch and the Hundred Knight

The Wolf Among Us (sequel this year!)

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

Yoshi's New Island

[the-passenger-if]

hi Pime! Is it too early to ask questions about your new project yet? ROs and characters and setting and stuff? Sorry if this sounds pushy, that’s not intended!

Not at all! I enjoy talking about my IFs <3

Since I'm working on two projects I'll give you a quick rundown of both of them. First,

❆❆❆Leesangre❆❆❆

This game is set in the southernmost tip of South America in a distant future after a cataclysm wipes out most of humanity and the Earth turns into a big snow globe.

The main character travels in a caravan along with their family/clan which are also the only people they have ever interacted with, 1. because there aren't a lot of human beings around, just small settlements, and 2. because their family doesn't want other people to know about the main character. The lack of contact with other human beings and their constant dependency on their family has made the main character very sheltered.

The game starts after the death of the matriarch of the clan just as the main character's big brother becomes the new leader and everyone is feeling very uncertain about the future. The family consists of the main character's father (a huge mother-hen to everyone but mostly to MC and MC's niblings); the main character's brother (who has a strained relationship with MC); the mechanic of the caravan (the best mechanic in the world, or at least that's what they proclaim); the "shaman" of the caravan (a woman the caravan adopted when she was nine, she's in her late twenties at the start of the game); the main character's nephews, two teens who are also the clan's hunters, and the preteen nibling who has yet to find what role in the clan they will fulfill (these three were given to the clan when they were six, five, and one year old and they are presumably children of another big brother MC has never met); the main character's five-year-old niece and four-year-old nibling (they are the children of MC's brother and the mechanic). The clan also adopts a guy they find passed out in the snow at the start of the game (something neither the clan nor this guy really wanted but is forced onto all of them after he finds out about the main character).

The romantic options are:

Heco (they/them) — the clan's mechanic. They are thirty years old and they prefer to be maintaining the caravan than interacting with others but they don't mind people sitting in a corner and watching them work if they aren't too distracting and promise not to touch their tools. They're also the parent of MC's youngest's niblings, but they aren't in a relationship with MC's brother and never have been. It's a bit complicated.

Mo (she/her) — the curandera or shaman of the clan. If Heco is the hands of the caravan, Mo is its soul. It's impossible not to know where she is at any given time because she's a talking machine and also the type who loves to make people laugh. Of course, her jokes are hit or miss now that everyone is mourning the clan's matriarch but Mo's sense of humor can be like a runaway freight train if she isn't paying attention. (Mo is also my attempt at the friends-to-lovers trope)

Gil (he/his) — the guy the clan saves from certain death. He's in his early twenties and speaks a language that's more common in the north of the continent, so what was he doing completely alone so down south? Even though not much is known about him, he is friendly and quick to adapt to his new life in the caravan.

This game is a trilogy and I will add a few more ROs in the next books.

Project 2 is called,

˚.༄˚.༄A Song of Sirens and Soulmates (ASOSAS)˚.༄˚.༄

ASOSAS is set in modern times (2024∼) in an alternate timeline where Sirens appeared in the fifties changing the world forever. The game starts in New York but the main character and their buddy are thrown into the Siren realm around the first or second chapter so don't expect a lot NY lore.

In this alternate timeline Sirens are considered THE beauty standard with tall and toned bodies if they are male and petite and graceful figures if they are female. Also pointy ears, cavernous black eyes, and wide mouths full of sharp teeth.

Although they prefer to live in their own dimension it isn't rare to see Sirens as movie stars, runway models, and musicians. Most humans won't ever interact with this larger-than-life creatures but a few lucky ones will get claimed by the Song of the Siren, a red dot that shows up just above a person's belly button and marks them as a Siren's soulmate. Sure, leaving the human realm means never coming back but most people will take the opportunity if it means marrying and forming a family with these impossibly beautiful (and rich) beings.

Unfortunately, the main character of this game isn't interested in any of that and has been on the run since they were twenty and they were claimed. Seven years later, their betrothed finds them in a prison cell after they and their road buddy are detained at a punk show. MC is able to convince the Siren to bring said road buddy along and off they go into the Siren realm. Now MC and their ally must come up with a plan to escape before MC's wedding day befalls them.

The romantic options are:

Spook (ze/hir) — MC's ally in this mess. They met a month before the start of the game and decided to travel together for the time being. Spook is a thirty-three year old crust punk that can't stand Sirens and the power they wield over humans. Ze's also half-human and half-Siren, something ze carefully hides behind masks and dark shades. (Non-binary RO)

Verna/Vernon "Vern" Harley (she/her or he/his) — Twenty-four year old Vern is on the same boat as MC; they are a Siren's soulmate who has just arrived to this realm. Unlike MC, however, they've completely bought into the Siren fantasy and can't wait to marry and form a big family with their betrothed. Vern might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but they are a sweetheart and painfully candid. They are a breath of fresh air among the sneers of the Sirens. (Gender choosable RO)

Camille Abadi (she/her or he/his) — In their mid to late thirties, Camille has been married to their Siren for a longer time than they've been single. They speak with the tiniest trace of a french accent, which is hard to notice when they so seldom speak. They are very polite and attentive but a hard person to get to know on a deeper level. (Gender choosable RO)

[aleksanderscult]

I don't understand how Leigh Bardugo could write something as bad as King of Scars and a trilogy as average and problematic in its messages as Grisha ?!

Knowing that she also wrote Six of Crows which was very good for me, limits most people to only knowing that about the Grishaverse (even if, if you take it in the context of the original trilogy, that makes the fate of the Grisha and of the Darkling even worse)... The Language of Thorns with some really cool stories, the Demon in The Wood (which makes you wonder even more why the Darkling is supposed to be the fucking bad guy in the original trilogy and die at the end ?!). Not forgetting recently The Ninth House which has 2 very good volumes and the beginning of The Familiar.

I have a hard time understanding how she can produce good things and such bad things.

I hear that not everyone is perfect, but for me the gap is still huge.

And the most paradoxical thing is that while she seems to gradually improve her way of writing, at no time does she acknowledge having made questionable choices in the writing of Grisha ?

Just see her attempt at moralizing backpedaling with the King of Scars duology...

TW!: Genocide

I don't think she knows or even cares about how genocide and prejudice in real life are not how she portrays them. And they definitely don't vanish by magical means. Clearly she put them in her story as a dramatic effect but she handled it with such unrealism and carelessness that makes you wonder what was the point of putting such issues in her book in the first place. She places such importance to the romance part (Mal × Alina, Kaz × Inej, Nina × Matthias) that the problems of her world take a third place in her books.

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom weren't such flawed because the heroes there did some personal jobs and didn't have a humanitarian goal. Kaz, in particular, has made it clear that he doesn't give a fuck about the world, only about his pocket. So they were some pretty straightforward books and well-written enough that you cannot see the issues.

But in the trilogy we have this huge war going on while the protagonist wails about her love interest, kills her enemy at his weakest (so no flex of her powers against him) and other people vanish the Fold for her.

In the duology Bardugo wanted to get back to her own readers:

- "People dislike Zoya. Hmm... Let's make her Suli with a very sad background. Also let's make her the most important character among the heroes just for these haters to shut up. Because if they don't, they'll be racists and misogynists"

- "People love the Darkling. Hmm.... Let's remind those readers of mine what he has done by having Zoya conjure up every delulu thought about him. Also let's have Mal, Alina, Zoya, Nikolai and freaking Misha make him shut up and look stupid"

- "Ah shit they love Aleksander too much. Ok how about this. I'm gonna make the Starless Cult out of them to prove how blind they look"

- "People didn't like the R&R ending. Hmm.... Let's bring Alina back and have her say how happy and peaceful she feels with her current state"

- "People hate Mal. Hmm... Let's have him be likable and funny while thwarting Aleksander's comments like a pro. It's not like he isn't a hot-tempered guy or smth"

(and about bringing the Darkling back, this was lazy writing. Instead of making the heroes face new foes from the north and south, she recycled villains)

By the way, when the TV adaptation of S&B came out she said that she wanted to fix the diversity. Can you imagine that? Not book!Alina as a character, not the trilogy's ending (not protesting on that cruel scene on the show where the Crows gleefully kill the Grisha that stood with the Darkling) but the diversity. Season two's ending was the showrunner's idea as well as Mal's change of personality, not Bardugo's.

Anyway, she should stay on writing short stories. I really love the Language of Thorns and Demon in the Wood so why ruin your fictional world further?

[fluff-and-such]

Since you might be interested (and likely read the Sin War trilogy) based on map and region information, Diablo IV lately hinted at the first novel taking place in Teganze (AKA: Diablo equivalent of African savanna). Thoughts on that?

Here's the thing about The Books.

The Sin War trilogy came out in 2006. Massive chunks of them have already been retconned (The Worldstone is a big one, Rathma being Not Dead is pretty significant. Apparently there was an active volcano somewhere in Estuar), and characters as they are in the books behave drastically different from how they do in the games. The geography was never that well laid out to begin with. At this point, they're more of a vague guide than gospel when it comes to the current series, so take anything you read in them with a grain of salt.

That being said.

If you get creative, and look at things a bit lopsided, and accept that some things just aren't going to perfectly slot together, you can kinda piece together roughly where/how things took place.

I've been thinking that Birthright actually starts up in the Fractured Peaks, and makes its way into and through Hawezar, ending at the very edge of Toraja. They do cross through some scrubland, which could be Teganze, but it's mentioned in one sentence and nothing of note happens there. Scales of the Serpent crosses south west down through Toraja, and eventually curves northwest up into Kehjan as they head for the City, before flipping up to head straight north to the Cathedral of Light. Exactly where Kehjan the city, and the Cathedral of Light are, is a bit of a mystery.

Seram is surrounded by a temperate forest, and Uldyssian and his companions who hale from the area are considered northerners/uplanders. Seram is possibly closer to the Cathedral of Light than any other location in the books, at least laterally. There are two zones in D4 that have temperate forest; the Peaks, and Scosglen. It should be noted that D4 takes place in the winter time, and the Sin War seems to be during the summer, or possibly spring (for being a farmer, Uldyssian makes no mention of when his next harvest might be. They have good weather through the entire series despite being in the 'north' though.)

Seram could be in either one; we don't know conclusively which side of the mountains its on. Being in the southern end of Scosglen would would put Kehjan/jistan immediately south of the town, when it's stated to be more westerly. Kehjan is also noted to be a few days ride-by-caravan to the nearest major seafaring ports, with travelers able to get lost and end up in Seram by accident.

The sea-port could be something on the Twin Seas, or it could be one on the Sea of Light. We don't know, either one could fit. Personally though, I like to think Backwater in Hawezar is our port-town, doing trade with the Western countries over the Sea of Light.

As the group plan to flee Partha in Birthright, Mendeln tells us that Toraja (present-day Nahantu) is still to the Southwest of Kehjan. They're two separate regions. The group plans to hide in the Torajan jungles to escape what Lilith started. Scales of the Serpent takes place entirely within the region of Toraja though. They rampage their way through the Torajian jungles on their mission to root out the Triune.

Kind of fitting that Mephisto's tomb and shenanigans are apparently in the same place as the original Temple of the Triune.

Now, the differences between Toraja and Kehjan are a little...muddy. There are multiple books and games that put them as being two different entitys, one entity, or sometimes even three.

The lands that make up Kehjan become Kehjistan after the conclusion of the Sin War. This was at the beginning of the Age of when the Vizjerei were in control, and they moved the capital from Kehjan the City to Viz-Jun, down in Toraja somewhere. During the Sin War, Kehjan contained parts of Kurast/Toraja/Nahantu, but lost them over time. Nowadays, Kehjistan mainly consists of the dried out borderlands. Big difference from the apparent verdant jungle that it was made up of in the books eh?

It could be that the various magical battles over the ages ruined the lands. That's actually the explanation given for the Desolate Sands; that the area used to be lush, but was blasted flat and ruined by a particularly nasty Mage Clan battle. It's not clear whether or not all the damage Uldyssian and Inarius do to the landscape surrounding the Cathedral is undone or not. One might imagine that such a clash would leave behind some kind of impact, but then, Uldyssian may have gone ahead and fixed everything when he ascended.

Kurast is it's own can of worms. In D2 its treated as a separate entity from Toraja, even though it actually makes up most of Toraja itself. Kehjistan 'owns' it at the time, along with their more northernly territories. After Mephisto thoroughly ruins the capital city of Travincal, the capital is transferred to Caldeum, which prospers.

Until it doesn't.

The most likely explanation here is that a powerful Kehjistan conquered or annexed the Torajian territories through an allyship with the Mage Clans, shortly after the Sin War. After the Mage Clan Wars, Kehjistan began a slow decline in power, and coincidentally a slow receding of land. By present-day Diablo IV, it is nothing more than the burnt out shell of a once-great empire.

Now, the Cathedral. We know it takes about a day and a half for the Edyrem to march from Kehjan to the Cathedral, although they have the benefit of mowing down the forest in their path. So lets say its about two days for a good ol' Pilgrim. Trouble is, we don't know exactly where Kehjan the City was. Maybe it became Caldeum itself, perhaps it is lost in the sands somewhere. Maybe Blizzard has changed all of this, and it is actually down in Nahantu somewhere.

Tbh I feel like Blizzard has shot themselves (and the rest of us) in the foot by not already showing where Kehjan + the Temple of the Triune + The Cathedral were. They're running out of space.

This is more of a side-note, but both Uldyssian and Mendeln make note that the landscape changes biome very abruptly while they travel. Almost like a patchwork quilt. Almost as though someone (or, quite possibly, multiple someones) built and stitched the place together. Or perhaps even like a bunch of video-game levels interconnected with one another.

Anyway. Have a boney-Lilith x Inarius that I never posted and prolly won't finish, since this is my art blog.

[zuko-always-lies]

The Order of the White Lotus has five major members in the show: Iroh, Pakku, Piandao, King Bumi, and Jeong Jeong. Of those five, only Iroh went on to a have a significant role in post-show media. Pakku appears as a minor character in North and South (even though him having a really major role would make a lot of sense in that trilogy). Piandao, Bumi, and Jeong Jeong haven't appeared in anything. It really seems like no one had the slightest idea, even a bad idea, about what to do with them or how to use their characters.

[mythalsknickers]

Post DA Day Thoughts and Predictions

Genuinely I remember back in Trespasser's post released Dev Cycle, we learned very quickly not to trust a word out of Epler's mouth. Does anyone remember the days of "The Romance end of Trespasser will be closure for Solavellans" Pepperidge Farms Remembers.

That being said some amazing things came out of DA Day, for starters my Hawke looking stunning. But also Mary Kirby seeing and creating representation for Demisexual Panromantic people like myself. Rookanis and Spookanis (fuck you epler) will be my new Solavellan temple. So what are my thoughts going forward into potentially a DA5? This will likely be edited or linked to edits as more information in the dev cycle comes out.

The Executors are going to some kind of bad, I don't necessarily know if they will be THE big bad right away, but they are something that terrifies Solas.

We have not seen the last of the Lighthouse or the Caretaker

Which likely means we are not done with Rook, I have said from the beginning Rook's story is unfinished. They were a field commander promotion and the next game is going to be them earning their leadership. Veilguard feels entirely to much like ME1 narratively in terms of what it suffers from. Which is being the first in a franchise.

The Blight has Fundamentally changed which may present for an easier time curing it other then pregnancy with magic dragon baby

We will see more of Kal-Sharok, and we likely are not going to the south any time soon. That is a hard pill to swallow, we spent almost two decades in the south, but I knew five years ago, for us to only focus on the north the South would have to be up-ended.

I do not think we have fundamentally seen the last of Mythal even though the evanuris as we know them are dead or worse. Mythal fragmented herself alot, and there is no saying which fragment Solas killed. By my reckoning the Kirkwall (if you left her alive in origins) fragment is unaccounted for and it seems to be a direction Bioware could head.

My hope is that as the series continues with Rook and crew we get more involved romance scenes similarly to what was done with ME's Trilogy.

At Some point we will see Par Vollen and we will have more depth to the mage traditions of norther thedas.

[ninesartblog]

Please Read This Series

This is completely unrelated to anything I post and I know I haven't really posted here in a hot minute (I'm gonna try again I promise). But I am two books into this trilogy and the community feels tragically tiny for it on any site I'm on. I want this book series to be incredibly popular it is so beautiful. The few posts I've seen here so far, keep it up please!

Do you like fantasy? Epic fantasy with magic? Do you like queer/LGBTQ+ characters treated naturally within a fantasy world? Do you like awesome stories about gods and wars? Please read this series.

Between Earth and Sky is a series by Rebecca Roanhorse and currently all three books are available to purchase. I will say now I am not indigenous and can't comment on the accuracy of portrayal but I find her use of indigenous north and south American and Polynesian cultural influence in her worldbuilding to be soooooo refreshing in a sea of medieval/renaissance high fantasy. Not there is anything wrong with those, but it is so nice to see someone do something new and the way she describes everything I feel like I'm there, like I'm seeing these people. Rebecca's description, characterization, and overall writing is incredible in my opinion. This was the first book I haven't been able to put down since I was devouring books in high school. I struggle to remember characters in most content I consume but I do not struggle at all with this book. Every name sticks in my head and I can always remember the details of their motivations and goals.

Mild spoilers ahead!!!!!!!

The story follows Serapio and his destiny to become a god reborn, Naranpa trying to fix the corruption of Tova's leaders, however fruitlessly, and a disgraced sailing captain named Xiala, a teek woman who ferries Serapio and falls in love with him. Despite these three being the main characters, the books pull back the curtains on others such as scheming merchant lords and a matron's son trying to do his best for his clan.

There are gods fighting for power and a political power struggle between so many groups it feels dizzying in a good way. Everyone's striving for power over the city in some way or another. There is magic and a balance of elements and it honestly reminds me of the series Avaryan Rising, specifically the first book The Hall of the Mountain King by Judith Tarr in the struggle between light and dark and the push for political power. Except it doesn't have a weird pseudo-incest subplot in the second book and has actually queer characters. (Mirain and Vadin should have gotten together and I fucking stand by this)

Regarding queer/LGBTQ+ characters: Xiala is canonically bisexual, multiple characters have very fluid sexuality and it's mentioned frequently, and there are 'non-binary' characters, specifically Iktan's gender is referred to as bayeki and xe uses xe/xir pronouns. It feels so natural and accepted within the various cultures depicted.

If this interests you, then start with Black Sun. The other two books in the trilogy, Fevered Star and Mirrored Heavens are also available both in print, ebook, and audiobook formats. I admittedly have not begun the third book yet as I just purchased it, but the first two are so good that I have faith Rebecca can round off this trilogy near-perfectly.

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

a list of some autumnal movies/series 🍂

i am nothing if not an organised little goblin who can not stop themself from making a good list. this is just in case you want something with that fall vibe but can't think of any. just close your eyes and point somewhere on this little list, or even put the numbers in a generator and go with whatever the result is ♡

winter | spring | summer

🥧 ‧₊˚ ⋅ movies ⋅˚₊‧

nosferatu (1922) 

sabrina (1954)

the creature from the black lagoon (1954)

psycho (1960)

rosemary’s baby (1968)

the rocky horror picture show (1975)

halloween franchise (1978-)

friday the 13th franchise (1980-)

an american werewolf in london (1981)

dark crystal (1982)

a nightmare on elm street (1984)

ghostbusters (1984-)

ronja rövardotter (1984)

clue (1985)

princess bride (1987)

the witches of eastwick (1987)

elvira mistress of the dark (1988)

dead poets society (1989)

when harry met sally (1989)

ghost (1990)

the witches (1990)

death becomes her (1992)

hocus pocus (1993)

addams family values (1993)

interview with a vampie (1994)

the craft (1996)

the first wifes club (1996)

the scream franchise (1996-)

halloweentown (1998)

practical magic (1998)

you’ve got mail (1998)

the blair witch project (1999)

sleepy hollow (1999)

chocolat (2000)

amelie (2001)

the lord of the rings franchise (2001-2003)

scooby doo (2002)

school of rock (2003)

mona lisa smile (2003)

peter pan (2003)

pirates of the caribbean franchise (2003-2017)

north & south (2004)

pride and prejudice (2005)

the descent (2005)

just like heaven (2005)

the devil wears prada (2006)

the lake house (2006)

penelope (2006)

el orfanato (2007)

juno (2007)

ratatouille (2007)

bridge to terabithia (2007)

the edge of love (2008)

twilight (2008)

the curious case of benjamin button (2008)

julie & julia (2009)

jennifer’s body (2009)

dorian gray (2009)

coraline (2009)

true grit (2010)

the cabin in the woods (2011)

jane eyre (2011)

wuthering heights (2011)

perks of being a wallflower (2012)

the odd life of timothy green (2012)

hotel transylvania (2012-)

the conjuring franchise (2013-)

what we do in the shadows (2014)

the riot club (2014)

as above so below (2014)

john wick (2014-)

the age of adaline (2015)

the witch (2015)

far from the madding crowd (2015)

the edge of seventeen (2016)

paterson (2016)

20th century woman (2016)

the love witch (2016)

mary shelly (2017)

murder on the orient express (2017)

get out (2017)

a quiet place (2018 + 2020)

the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society (2018)

on the basis of sex (2018)

knives out (2019)

ready or not (2019)

the lighthouse (2019)

little women (2019)

the gentlemen (2019)

emma (2020)

ammonite (2020)

the dig (2021)

fear street trilogy (2021)

good luck to you, leo grande (2022)

the batman (2022)

fresh (2022)

bodies bodies bodies (2022)

mr malcom's list (2022)

totally killer (2023)

slay (2024)

🧦 ‧₊˚ ⋅ series ⋅˚₊‧

moomin (1990-1992)

twin peaks (1990-1991)

x files (1993-2018)

buffy the vampire slayer (1997-2003)

gilmore girls (2000-2007)

supernatural (2005-2020)

vampire diaries (2009-2017) / the originals (2013-2018) / legacies (2018-2022)

downton abbey (2010-2015)

the walking dead (2010-2022)

once upon a time (2011-2018)

american horror story (2011-)

teen wolf (2011-2017)

peaky blinders (2013-2022)

outlander (2014-)

how to get away with murder (2014-2020)

the magicians (2015-2020)

izombie (2015-2019)

poldark (2015-2019)

critical role (2015-)

stranger things (2016-)

ghost files / buzzfeed unsolved (2016-)

lucifer (2016-2021)

shadowhunters (2016-2019)

anne with an e (2017-2019)

the good fight (2017-2022)

riverdale (2017-2023)

manifest (2018-2023)

killing eve (2018-2022)

succession (2018-2023)

you (2018-)

a discovery of witches (2018-2022)

the chilling adventures of sabrina (2018-2020)

dickinson (2019-2021)

virgin river (2019-)

carnival row (2019-2023)

the witcher (2019-)

the umbrella academy (2019-2024)

sanditon (2019-2023)

good omens (2019-2025)

the haunting of bly manor (2020)

i’ll be gone in the dark (2020)

queens gambit (2020)

the great (2020-2023)

shadow and bone (2021-2023)

the nevers (2021-2023)

wednesday (2022-)

interview with the vampire (2022-)

vikings valhalla (2022-2024)

lessons in chemistry (2023)

my lady jane (2024-)

[bangtanpurplearchive]

BTS trip through time. July 2015.

Promotions for HYYH - Dope continued with music show appearances

THE RED BULLET -SECOND HALF- continued at the end of the month with dates in Australia and South and North America.

BTS filmed Now 3

Now 3 Chicago: (pt1): (Pt2):  NOW 3 ( filmed July/ August 2015 aired 5th April 2016) (archive)

150731 A.R.M.Y #2] Happy Birthday to you~ (August) 

I rewatched Now 3 - absolutely loved it!!!!

What about you? What did you like?

[snowdropsandtigers]

Book asks: 2, 3, 4, 16, 25?

Thank you for asking! I’m sorry this is a few days late.

2. Did you reread anything? What?

This month I finished my reread of Wicked by Gregory Maguire! As ever, I love Elphaba so much. The book is my preferred version of the story in a lot of ways, but particularly for the construction of her character: that passion which can sleep but not go away--I love that bit where the narration notes she's furious at hearing about the world because she had wanted to forget the doings of evil men, and retire into a cave, but she just can't stop caring, even as she can't find an explanation for what's going on or how to stop it. She breaks my heart and thrills it.

That said, I do love the musical and am glad it gives her a little personal happiness, along with fulfilling some of the wishes book Elphaba had. I knew someone who said Heathers wasn't really right for a musical because of the particular ways it was a dark and cynical movie, so of course the characters, particularly Veronica and J.D., ended up changed in the adaptation. I wasn't sure I agreed, but Wicked--seeing the movie, and the seeing the show for the first time in sixteen years--made me think of that again, especially once I read the original outline for the show. That version was definitely peppy in its ending; I was intrigued by the ways the final version was actually pretty similar. It already made sense to streamline things by focusing on the Elphaba and Glinda of it all--coalescing all the different voices and Elphaba foils/reflections into Glinda--but I understood it better after seeing how they started out. It helped keep the story a tragedy, while still allowing for that musical happiness.

Before this, I was rereading the Books of Pellinor (The Naming--or The Gift in the original Australian release--The Riddle, The Crow, The Singing) by Alison Croggon. I seem to have loved a lot of Australian fantasy in my life--Trudi Canavan, Garth Nix, Juliet Marillier, and Croggon. My memory of it was that the books had their Tolkienesque vibe, but with a female protagonist; that is true, but they do feel different enough to stand out to me. Maerad is a great protagonist; the baggage from the loss of her mother and their enslavement informs her and the story's development well. The series also has an interesting quality; of the four books, the third is entirely about her brother Hem. This bothered me intensely when I first read it--this is Maerad's story!--and it bothered me this year too, enough to mention. And yet! The world, already expanded in the second book to include the northern circles of the world, is expanded even further, as Hem goes to the south, roughly to the North Africa-inspired sections. This in turn allowed the Saliman character to become more central, and introduced Zelika, a new female character who is central to that book.

The writing is lovely, and the story has that melancholy, that bittersweet joy that I also like in Tolkien, so that particular similarity is a good thing.

There are things that made be like "Oh that. That's a thing you did." I did overall enjoy my reread though, and remembered what I loved about these books over a decade ago.

3. What were your top five books of the year?

In no particular order:

The Moonday Letters by Emmi Itäranta

Finnish science fiction/fantasy, gorgeously written, and I will be going on a bit more about it in the new author question below.

The Broken Earth Trilogy (The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, The Stone Sky) by N. K. Jemisin

These had been on my tbr list forever. I devoured them. These books raised my standards for the epic fantasy: the excellence of the worldbuilding, and the way it is integrated into the characters, the plot, and the themes, is just on another level. The characters are so shaped by the tragedies and oppressions visited upon them, in ways that just make sense for each one; Essun and Nassun break my heart. I love the mother-daughter cycles and narrative at the center of this trilogy. I loved reading about the different apocalypses, and the bits of the world's past, how knowledge would be shaped and how people's ability to even envision certain things could be limited or nonexistent. Essun was an incredible protagonist, and I adored her. This is a far-future take on what humans do with the Earth, and the aftermath of its apocalypses makes it stand out within the genre. It's been long enough that I don't know what else to say about them right now, but man. These books are quality adventures.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

I already talked about it above, but I am just going to note again how well the book builds Elphaba's character, and how beautifully it both centers her and uses her to gather up all these themes that blend into the world and paint it, if that makes sense.

4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Not quite sure whether this counts: I started reading The Moonday Letters by Emmi Itäranta last year in June, but real life reasons led to me stopping for about a year, until this last June. It was absolutely beautiful in prose, story, and theme. A bit slow at first, but that's enjoyable too. The premise is that Lumi, a shaman healer in the near future, is trying to meet with her spouse, but the scientist appears to be involved in an ecoterrorist plot, and they never show up to meet her. You get to know how the Mars colony exploits the Earth, how other satellite colonies exist, how immigration from and to Earth works, what happened to its environment and inhabitants (human, animal, plant). Lumi is a refugee and an immigrant. The book is suffused with loss, grief, memory, and regret. The format isn't letters per se; the letters are more like journal entries written as letters, to be shared when the partners can meet again, and there are other types of texts in there, like communications and excerpts.

It's a wonderful book, and I hope to read the author's other works.

An interesting detail; she wrote this one in Finnish and English at the same time, rather than translating it to English after it was already written.

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. I feel a little guilty, because it's not like I got it based on huge buzz; still, it was apparently a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, and the blurbs on the books made it seem really interesting. I did like the art and the concept, but it didn't feel like the gothic fantasy it was described to be. Not dark enough; the love story was sweet, without real bite to complement that, and the house felt so cozy. It wasn't bad, but it also didn't live up to my expectations.

25. What reading goals do you have for next year?

I was hoping to read Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse; it was originally coming out last year and then came out this year instead! It's the conclusion to the epic fantasy, Between Earth and Sky. But I was already partway through my reread of the Books of Pellinor, another epic fantasy, and wanted to finish the series before getting into another tome with that kind of energy. That finished, the semester started again, so between grad school and a full time job I didn't actually start. Wicked was the only dense book I managed to read these past few months.

So, I hope to read the book not long into the next year! I also want to sink into more of my Puerto Rican books--particularly the Marta Aponte Alsina essays, and some poetry--some Sofia Samatar books, and a few science fiction/fantasy/horror titles that have been waiting. And finish the Sookie Stackhouse books; am already halfway through. Additionally, my non-resident's New York Public Library card expires at the end of February, so I need to take advantage of that while I can, even if it means DNF'ing some books I can't get through for now.

[without-ado]

Massacre in Korea l Pablo Picasso

The third installment of the antiwar trilogy that began with Guernica; this painting depicts the massacre of North Koreans by US forces; the painting was completed in 1951, but was not exhibited in South Korea until 2021. In fact, the shadow of ideological confrontation existed everywhere in both Koreas and the art world was no exception.

[jaeausten]

Hi Everyone!

This post is for anyone wanting to request a gifset. Below the cut is a list of all films and tv shows that I am able to produce an gifset for.

Pre Medieval:

Vikings 1-4a.

Tristan and Isolde.

Rome (HBO) 1-2

Cleopatra (1963).

Medieval:

The Hollow Crown 1-2.

A Knight's Tale.

Robin Hood (BBC) 1-3.

Ophelia (2018).

Ever After- A Cinderella Story.

The White Queen.

Braveheart.

Tudor: (If requested on here, I will actually post the request on tudorerasource, but will answer the ask on this blog with a link.)

The White Princess.

The Spanish Princess 1-2.

The Other Boleyn Girl.

Anne of the Thousand Days.

The Tudors 1-4.

Wolf Hall.

Lady Jane.

Elizabeth R.

Shakespeare in Love.

Anonymous.

Mary Queen of Scots (2013).

Mary Queen of Scots (2017).

Elizabeth I (2005).

The Virgin Queen.

Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Stuart:

The Favourite.

Tulip Fever.

The Three Musketeers (2012).

The Musketeers (BBC) 1-3.

Stage Beauty.

Charles II: The Power and the Passion.

Georgian:

Harlots 1-3.

Pirates of the Caribbean 1-4.

Poldark 1-5.

The Scandalous Lady W.

Belle.

The Affair of the Necklace.

The Duchess.

The Abduction Club.

The Aristocrats (BBC).

Casanova.

Marie Antoinette.

The History of Tom Jones.

Dangerous Liaisons.

The Madness of King George.

Amadeus.

Outlander 1-5.

Regency:

Becoming Jane.

Miss Austen Regret's.

War and Peace (2015).

Mr Malcom's List.

Vanity Fair (2005).

Vanity Fair (BBC) (2005).

Jane Austen:

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Pride and Prejudice (2005).

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Mansfield Park (1999).

Mansfield Park (2007).

Emma (1996).

Emma (BBC) (1996).

Emma (2009).

Emma (2020).

Persuasion (1995).

Persuasion (2007).

Sense and Sensibility (1995).

Sense and Sensibility (2008).

Northanger Abbey (2007).

Sanditon 1.

Love and Friendship.

Death comes to Pemberley.

Lost in Austen.

Victorian:

The Young Victoria.

Victoria 1-3.

The Count of Monte Cristo.

Little Dorrit.

Wives and Daughters.

To Walk Invisible.

Gentleman Jack 1-2.

Cranford.

Return to Cranford.

Jane Eyre (2007).

Jane Eyre (2001).

Little Women (1994).

Little Women (20019).

North and South.

Crimson Peak.

Bleak House (2006).

The Age of Innocence.

Far from the Madding Crowd.

The Phantom of the Opera.

Anna Karenina.

The Gilded Age 1.

Dr Thorne.

Edwardian:

Somewhere in Time.

The Secret Garden (1993).

A Room with a View.

Miss Potter.

Titanic.

Colette.

Anne of Green Gables Trilogy (1985-2000).

My Fair Lady.

20th Century/Modern/Everything Else:

Austenland.

A discovery of Witches 1-3.

Merlin 1-4.

Me before You.

Letters to Juliet.

The Da Vinci Code.

Angels and Demons.

Cinderella (2015).

Beauty and the Beast (2017).

Stardust.

Dracula (NBC) (2013).

Maleficent.

The Sound of Music.