#not tagging everyone because it'd spoiler the surprises

[shepherds-of-haven]

I posted 1,173 times in 2022

801 posts created (68%)

372 posts reblogged (32%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@shepherds-of-haven

@emeraldgreaves

@queen-scribbles

@bi-stander

@bimollymauks

I tagged 1,071 of my posts in 2022

Only 9% of my posts had no tags

#shepherds of haven - 960 posts

#spoilers - 217 posts

#alpha build - 166 posts

#alpha preview - 161 posts

#<3 - 156 posts

#mc - 139 posts

#silly - 130 posts

#mild - 123 posts

#chase - 108 posts

#chase trinaeste - 107 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#kato puts up with literally everything while ari is simultaneously icked out by chase's antics and sincerely apprehensive for his and mc's f

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

if a stranger was to walk into the shepherds compound and observe MC and RO (in crushing stage) interacting, how would you rank the ROs in terms of what the stranger would think of them from ‘just two friends!:))’ to ‘oh my god can they just get a room’

Ooh, I love this question! (I have a vague feeling of deja vu like I've answered something like it before, but I'm too lazy to go looking--)

Blade: it depends on the person and how strong their shipper senses are, but 96% of strangers would look at them and go "oh wow what professional colleagues and intimidating figures of power. they seem to be equals and he clearly respects her" and that would be about it! Most people can't perceive that Blade feels any emotion at all beyond stern professionalism, flat dead-eyed stoicism, or an extremely dry and hard to pin down sense of humor 🙃

Trouble: the genuine surprise of 'oh you guys aren't married?? ...you're not even dating? YOU'RE ONLY FRIENDS???' They would be so completely confused and thrown off lol, like genuinely mystified because their behavior has no explanation otherwise lol

Tallys: probably only other Elves would be able to cotton to the fact that Tallys and MC are shagging because of very subtle things that Tallys was doing (especially if MC is Elf-raised), like certain inflections or tones of voice Tallys might address MC with, but pretty much everyone else would be completely oblivious and might not even know that they spend a lot of time together at first glance, thinking them to simply be coworkers!

Shery: I think a particularly perceptive person or someone with strong shipper goggles (I count myself among this group lol) would totally be able to tell that Shery has a crush on MC, like RIGHT AWAY, but wouldn't think much of it beyond that--they wouldn't assume that they're an official couple or anything! It'd probably be like 50% of people (who cared to notice) would notice, and 50% of people would be oblivious!

Riel: "they are acquaintances and business associates", and the buck stops there --I think long-time business partners of Riel's would be able to tell that he clearly held MC in high regard, but they would never have a suspicion that it was anything beyond that!

Chase: I think a lot of strangers would assume MC and Chase are boinking just by the way he outrageously flirts with them... So I'd say most strangers would think they're together just from wandering into the scene and witnessing their interactions, but ironically people somewhat acquainted with Chase (like Thieves Guild members from other cities, etc.) wouldn't bat an eye, because he already has that reputation among their circles, so they wouldn't think it means anything in particular!

Red: I think probably 70% of strangers would be able to tell "those two are clearly into each other/have great chemistry" or at least would think "oh those two look good together/would make a good couple", but not automatically assume that they're in a relationship or be like “omg get a room!”!

Ayla: most strangers would see that they're good friends and that Ayla gives MC special treatment in comparison to how she acts towards others (like the difference would be quite obvious), but it wouldn't be something obviously or overtly romantic to a total outsider!

Briony: I think most people would be able to see the situation for what it really is (two people crushing on each other) because it's just so clear and obvious, especially with how transparent Briony is with her emotions, but they wouldn't read into it more than that! Just like when you see two people working at, like, a store or a coffee shop and you can clearly see them flirting with each other, but also that they’re not actually in a relationship. You might be like 👀 or you might be like “oh maybe that’s just how they interact” and then not think much more on it!

Lavinet: I think most strangers would be able to tell Lavinet and MC were close, not just strictly coworkers, and possibly even mildly flirtatious, but wouldn't think much of it beyond that, especially with Lavinet's differing status: they might automatically dismiss the opportunity even before it arose because it’s just so far-fetched to them. Keen-minded nobles might be able to glean more of the true situation, though!

195 notes - Posted July 12, 2022

#4

the shepherds when they find out MC is on the way home with another super-strong new friend/completely unnecessary addition to their growing army in tow

196 notes - Posted August 1, 2022

#3

seed: MC who smokes can’t light their cigarette so Trouble offers them a light and they have to cup their hands together to shield the flame and it’s a strangely tender and intimate moment 

sapling: MC who smokes can’t light their cigarette so Trouble casually leans forward to touch the lit end of his cigarette to theirs in an ✨ indirect kiss ✨

tree: Trouble can’t light his cigarette so MC casually conjures a flame between their fingers and lights it for him and that is the exact moment he forms a massive crush on them and is left absolutely speechless

218 notes - Posted August 31, 2022

#2

See the full post

226 notes - Posted May 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See the full post

257 notes - Posted January 17, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[samcybercat]

Sam's Top Tens: Professor Layton Animal Characters

Honourable Mentions

Even with such a small animal cast, there did end up being a lot of characters who I couldn't include on this list. So here's to the best of the rest:

Sharo / Sherl

The upcoming Lady Layton game is going to bring us the next major animal character in the series, Sharo (or Sherl?), who is the pet dog of the game's protagonist, Katrielle Layton. Fan opinion is already divided about having a talking dog in the series, but Sharo himself has a very cute design and I'm willing to hold off on judging his character before seeing the game for myself. The fact that Lady Layton hasn't been released yet is exactly the reason why I couldn't rank Sharo on this list yet – because we just don't know that much about him. Even his name might be changed for the western localisations. But I felt it'd be a shame not to mention him at all, so here he is kicking off the honourable mentions.

Eve

The second main animal character to feature in Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney, Eve is a cat belonging to one of the protagonists, Espella Cantabella. She is named after Espella's childhood friend (and total love interest, imo), Eve Belduke, although this isn't revealed until towards the end of the game. Eve is a very cute cat, but when it came to this list even a cat lover like myself had to admit that Constantine edged ahead on being the bestest animal companion in the crossover game. But even if she didn't rank on the list itself, I hope that giving Eve a mention here is good enough.

The Robot Dog from Curious Village

The first animal companion that the main characters are given during a mini-game is the robot dog from Curious Village. During the course of the game, the player finds parts that are assembled to make a robot dog, which then helps to sniff out hint coins for the rest of the game. This is a trend that would follow onto many games in the series (with the weirdest addition probably being a fish that jumps out of it's bowl to point out hint coins) and I reckon that the robot dog was a nice way to start it off.

The Hamster from Pandora's Box / the Diabolical Box

After the robot dog from Curious Village, the next title in the series gives us a hamster in the place of hint coin finding helper. This hamster's story is that he lives with the chef of the Molentary Express, but all of the scraps from the kitchen have left him overweight. Luke takes the hamster into his care for a while, prompting a mini-game where you have to help the hamster through a series of mazes so that he can lose weight. Although completing the mini-game does help the reluctant hamster get back into shape, his profile says that upon returning to the kitchen after the game was over, our hamster friend quickly puts the weight back on and ends up back where he started. However, even if this was the end of the hamster's little tale, he did make several cameo appearances in other games, and I believe was even featured in one set of the weekly puzzles that were given out in Azran Legacy.

Hazel

Azran Legacy actually introduced a fair lot of animal characters, so I had to narrow them down when making this list. Out of everyone who I considered for the honourable mentions, I ended up going with Hazel the squirrel, the hint coin finder for the game who also gives you the Nut Roller mini-game. This choice probably had a lot to do with the fact that Hazel's just so darn cute.

The Steeds from Miracle Mask

At the beginning of Miracle Mask we're greeted by a horse-chase scene involving our three main characters, with each of them been given a uniquely designed steed that matches them. Layton is given the Gallant Steed, a powerful black mare, Emmy is given the Spirited Steed, a speedy white stallion, and Luke is given the Faithful Steed, a small, but reliable donkey. Later on in the game an optional mini-game is unlocked where one of the policemen allows you to ride these steeds through the streets to collect points. I've always really liked the designs of these steeds, especially since they went to the effort of making different ones for each character, so I wanted to give them a mention here at least.

Tom

Early on in the second game we meet a woman called Babette, who tasks Layton and Luke with finding her precious baby, Tom, who has disappeared somewhere on the train they're travelling on. The duo assume that they're looking for a human child, but soon enough learn that Tom is actually a pampered dog, who has run off and been found by Flora, after she followed them onto the train. This series of events is very similar to what happened with Claudia in the previous game and although it's not stated exactly why Tom was with Flora (at least as far as I remember) I can't help but wonder if Tom's story of being sheltered and wanting to get out into the world ran true with her.

The Parrot from Lost Future / Unwound Future

Yet another hint coin finder, the third game in the series gives us this adorable green parrot. Having been one of the animals that the scientists were experimenting on, the parrot escapes and joins the protag party when Luke and Clive entice it from where its flying around by using a red jewel. After that their parrot companion proves useful by mimicking voices to help the group sneak into places, as well as providing a delivery service mini-game and the usual hint coin help. In Miracle Mask either this parrot or one that looks exactly like it can be seen flying around outside a hotel at some points in the game and a red parrot also appears later on.

The Wolves from Eternal Diva

One of the challenges faced by those who were competing for eternal life was being attacked by a horde of wolves that were being mind-controlled by Descole's technology. Not even Luke's ability to talk to animals could get through to them, with the correct answer to the puzzle being hiding under some cages to stop the wolves from being able to get to them. Later on the wolves return in the castle, but Emmy manages to take out some of the mind-controlling devices on their ears. During the ending credits we see Luke helping the rest of the wolves to free them from Descole's control and allow them to go back to living on the island like they were before. The wolves have a cute design and admittedly that's why I wanted to include them as an honourable mention.

[m-jelly]

Hi jelly! Hope you’re doing good! I wanted to request a Levi x reader where they both adopt a kid back at the orphanage in paradis. While they both helped out historia with the orphanage reader and Levi grow attached to a kid and them wanting to have a family after the war is over they surprise them by adopting them. You can choose if the child is a boy or a girl it really doesn’t matter. If you can could you add that while reader was playing with them they accidentally call reader mom. I just thought it would be a nice idea. Thank you!

So cute <3 Happy to do this one. It'd be great therapy for Levi as well after what his body has been through. I think I'll pick a little boy because Levi would most likely see himself in the little boy, due to losing his own family. Hope that's alright!

Making a family

Pairing: Levi x Reader

Genre and tags: Married life, post-war Levi, romance, adopting a child, family life, healing.

Concept: After the war, Levi and the reader visit Paradis to connect with old friends and to help the Queen out. They work at an orphanage and meet a little boy, who seems to follow the reader like a lost puppy, but he never speaks. Levi and the reader become attached to the boy and officially adopt him. One day the reader and Levi hear his voice for the first time and it moves the two of them to happy tears.

!This story contains manga spoilers about how Levi is at the end!

You pushed Levi's wheelchair as you walked through the city on Paradis. "This place has changed so much. It's weird coming back after living on Marley so much."

Levi hummed. "Well, Marley has better medical. I need to get better so I can chase you around the bedroom again."

You leaned down and kissed the side of his head. "Such a flirt. There's gotta be other reasons."

"Nope."

You hummed a laugh and just adored how wonderful Levi was. Since the war ended, Levi and you married. You buried your friends, then made sure Levi got the best medical care possible. Levi missed his two fingers because he said it was due to him using them to give you pleasure in the bedroom, but you told him off for saying that. His knee was getting better, but there were some days where he woke up and it was bad and he needed his chair. Levi never let it slow him down when it came to you though. He showed you, never-ending love when he could. You were the voice of reason with Levi because if you weren't, he would push his body too much in pleasuring you.

You pushed him into the orphanage and saw Historia waiting. "Good morning, my Queen."

Historia smiled and waved at you both. "Mr and Mrs Ackerman." She giggled. "I'll never get tired of that. It's lovely to see you both!"

You smiled. "You too. How's your daughter?"

"She's great. She's with her father right now." She looked to Levi. "Are you alright Levi?"

Levi nodded and pushed himself to his feet. "I'm fine."

You moved his chair to the side. "Let him be grumpy."

Levi reached over. "Cane?"

You took it off the back of his chair, then handed it over. "You going to be okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I will be okay."

Historia smiled. "Well, I'll give you a tour of the place. The kids have been so excited to meet humanities strongest soldier, as well as his sweet and strong wife."

You giggled as Levi hummed next to you. "I'm not as great as him. I barely did anything during the war."

Levi smacked your bum with his cane. "You did a lot, brat. You were there with me at the end. You gave medical support to everyone." He stopped and smiled sadly. "Hange was proud of you."

You welled up, then nodded. "Thank you."

Historia smiled at how sweet you and Levi were together, then she led you both around the orphanage. As you went around, you noticed a little five-year-old boy following you around with a cuddly doll in his arms. You kept an eye on the cute little guy and thought he was adorable. His hair was black like Levi's, but he had one green eye and the other blue.

You stopped a moment and tapped Historia's shoulder. "Who is that little boy?"

She peered around you to see him peeking around the wall. "Oh, that little cutie is Ren. He hasn't spoken a word since coming to us. He seems interested in you both though. Maybe you both should find a place to sit and play with the kids. I'm sure he'll come over in time."

You nodded, then guided Levi to a nice place to sit down and play with the kids. You gave Levi a book to read to them, while you sat on the floor and played with them using the different toys they gave you. You admired Levi having kids sit on his lap and listening along to his voice, then he answered all the questions they had for him.

You smiled, then noticed Ren was watching you. You smiled at him and waved sweetly. You giggled when he blushed, then hurried over to you. "Hi, Ren. Lovely to meet you." You felt your heart-melting when he hugged you. "Aww, you sweet little thing." You looked at his doll. "What have you got there?"

He handed you the doll, then sat in front of you and gazed at you like you were the most beautiful thing in the world. You studied the doll and noticed it looked just like you. You kissed the doll, then handed it back to him and saw him smile brightly and hug the doll.

You reached over and ruffled his hair softly. "Thank you for letting me see her."

Levi limped over to you as the kids ran off to play. "Who's that honey?"

"This is Ren. He's been keeping an eye on me and you and being very brave."

Levi leaned down and offered his hand. "Lovely to meet you. I'm Levi."

You smiled at Ren. "Levi would love to kneel or sit down like us, but he got a bad knee from the war."

Ren gasped and marvelled at Levi. He stood up, then took Levi's hand and shook it. He let Levi's hand go, then tapped his cane.

Levi smiled at the little kid. "This is my cane. It helps me get around on good days. Bad days I use a wheelchair."

Ren stared at Levi's knee, then he looked up at Levi. He smiled, then lifted his doll up.

Levi took it and looked closely. "Oh, this looks like my wife. Cute." He handed it back to Ren. "Thank you for letting me see her."

Ren hugged his doll tightly, then he reached for your hand.

You took his hand and stood up. "You wanna go somewhere? Alright, sweetheart, you take me and Levi to where you want to go."

Ren pulled you along, then would stop and check on Levi. When Ren was happy that Levi was okay, he'd carry on pulling you along and led you all the way to the canteen. He found a set for you, him and Levi. He patted the seat and smiled.

You lifted him up and sat him on his seat. "I'll go get some food for us." You left Levi and Ren together and felt yourself smiling at Levi talking to Ren about a few cute things. You collected food and drink, then returned to the two boys. "Alright, I've got the best things they had."

Levi winked at you. "Thanks, brat."

You cleaned Ren's face as he ate. "Don't worry buddy, he calls me a brat sometimes. It's a cute name he has for me."

Ren smiled and nodded at you, then carried on eating his food.

Ren was such a sweet boy, it was just sad he didn't speak. You were sure it was because he probably saw something terrible during the war, or maybe saw his parents die. You and Levi cared about him a lot and grew to love him. You and Levi came to the orphanage every day for a month and Ren was always ready and waiting for you and him. When Levi had bad days, he'd sit on Levi's lap and go around on his wheelchair.

You and Levi sat together and had a serious talk about your relationship and future. You both badly wanted children together, but you couldn't try for kids knowing Ren was there at the orphanage. You and Levi decided to adopt Ren, then try for kids when Ren was older. You both couldn't wait to start a family together and with Levi setting up a teashop that sold all kinds of tea leaves, it was just coming together perfectly.

You went with Levi to the orphanage, then signed the papers with him and felt so excited. You waited by the doors for him and saw the door open and a staff member holding his hand. You smiled and waved at him. "Hi, Ren."

Ren stared at you and Levi wide-eyed, then he ran right over to you and hugged your legs.

You ruffled his hair, then picked him up and smiled. "You're coming home with us Mr." You put him on Levi's lap. "Levi has to have his chair today, so can you look after him for me?"

Ren nodded.

Levi smiled at Ren on his lap. "Thank you for looking after me."

You held the back of Levi's chair, then pushed him along and through the city. "We have a home here together, but in time we'll move back to Marley. Levi needs to go there to take care of Gabi and her fella. There's also better doctors there. This island is our home, but not our future."

Levi looked back at you. "You're right. This place will always be home and give us a lot of memories, but it's also stained with blood. It's nice to come back now and then."

"How about we have holidays here?"

Ren clapped his hands and nodded.

You smiled at how cute he was. "Well, looks like Ren agrees."

Levi hummed a laugh. "I'm glad."

You pushed Levi and Ren to a cute cottage just outside of the major part of the town. The house was like a holiday home for you and Levi. It was a perfect placement because you and Levi could get some peace and quiet and you had a nice garden to enjoy the lovely weather. You moved Levi into the house, then took Ren from him.

You held Ren's little hand. "Alright little guy. I'll show you to your room here, along with your toys. When we go back to our home in Marley, you'll see you have so much more." You loved how he looked around the house like it was magical. You led him to his room and opened the door. "It's all on one floor, so it'll be easy for you to run around and find me and Levi. When we get to our house, it's on two floors."

Ren let your hand go and walked into his room. He looked around, then ran over to the toys. He jumped up and down, then he hugged your legs.

You gasped when you felt your skirt get a little wet where his face was. You knelt down and rubbed his tears away. "Oh, sweetie. It's okay." You hugged him and rubbed his little back. "I'm right here for you. Levi and I are here for you and we're never letting you go, okay?"

Levi wheeled into the room and saw the sweet moment. "Everything okay in here?"

You nodded. "He started crying at seeing his room. I think he's just really happy." You felt Ren nod. "Yeah, he's happy."

"I'm glad. So, I've come to let you know I'm sorting a bath out for Ren."

You let Ren go and smiled. "Levi will help clean you up, okay? I'll get some food going. Sound good?"

Ren nodded and smiled shyly.

"Wonderful." You stood up and led him over to Levi. "Hop on Levi's lap then." You kiss Levi's forehead. "Catch you in a bit."

Levi took Ren into the bathroom, then put him on his little feet. Levi grunted in pain, then stood up fully. He limped around the bathroom making sure everything was perfect, then he grabbed new clothes for Ren and a lovely soft towel. He helped Ren out of his things, then lifted him up and into the warm water.

Levi sat in his chair and sighed, then he helped wash Ren. "The water okay buddy?"

Ren nodded and smiled at Levi, then he played with the buddles.

"Good." He washed Ren's hair as gently as he could. "You like the soaps?"

Ren smiled at Levi, then reached over and patted Levi's hand. He leaned over, then rested the side of his head against Levi's hand.

Levi smiled at Ren. "You're welcome."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ren had been living with you and Levi for four months now. He spent a month in Paradis, then you and Levi had to move back for Levi's health and his appointments. Ren was in a little shock at first with the change in environment, but he soon settled into his new home. He loved playing with you and Levi. On bad days for Levi, he'd be at home with him, but on days where Levi was okay, you'd be at home.

You and Levi were having a day off work, becuase he had a check up about his knee. The doctor had given him wonderful remarks and said progress was going great, he just needed to rest more. So, he'd booked time off for you and him. Gabi and Flaco had offered to keep the shop running, but Levi told them to enjoy married life. Plus, Levi was waiting for new shipments of tea.

Levi was watching you with Ren and just relaxing. You were sat nicely with him and just playing with his toys. You grabbed your drink and sipped it as you kept your eye on him. You choked on your tea when he hurt his finger on a toy.

You put your cup down and looked at his hand. "Oh sweetheart." You looked at his finger and saw nothing was wrong. "It's okay, but I'll make it better." You kissed his finger and smiled. "There, all fixed."

Ren looked at his finger and smiled, then he pointed to his cheek.

You giggled, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "All better."

He smiled at you. "Thank you, mummy."

You gasped and covered your mouth as you felt tears well up in your eyes. "Ren. Did you just speak and did you call me mummy?"

Ren smiled at you and nodded. "Mummy."

Levi laughed a little. "That's amazing Ren!"

Ren got up and walked over to Levi. He held Levi's hand and pulled. "Help mummy stop crying. Please daddy."

Levi welled up, then nodded. "Sure Ren. Your mummy is just really happy you spoke and called her mummy."

Ren smiled. "Because you're my daddy and mummy."

Levi picked Ren up and hugged him. "That's right Ren."

You got up and hugged Ren and Levi. "We're your family."

Ren smiled in happiness at being hugged. "May I have a brother and sister?"

Levi look to you. "Oh, well we've talked about it. We could adopt."

Ren shook his head. "No, make a baby!"

You blushed, then laughed when you and Levi locked eyes. "I'm happy to try, are you?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah, me too. Let's make this Ackerman family just a big bigger."

[nostalgia-tblr]

WIP Update: Just passed 8000 words, most of which formed actual sentences!

The angsty discussion of (the first) murder ended up going in a slighty disturbing direction - I didn't think they'd be that into murder but apparently so. 🤷‍♂️ (Rly tho I thought to myself "You know what would make this even worse?" and hopefully I made the right (wrong?) decision on that.) Gosh, everyone in this is terrible. Maybe not Thor, aside from one or two moments of not being very good at marriage? But this is the sort of story where Goodness is maybe not the best defence against fratricidal "hunting accidents", so... (No, the "hunting accident" thing will never stop being funny to me, I've been like this since I first learned about it in a medieval history class and that was actual decades ago. So you're just going to have to put up with it.)

(LOL, "hunting accident." Heh!)

Actually that's a point, at some point this will (hopefully) get posted to AO3 and I'll have to decide between Choose Not To Warn + vagueness, or just announcing in the tags that Thor is doomed and giving it the proper Character Death warning. It'd be a spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen me enjoying it all far too much on tumblr, but I read somewhere that spoilers generally don't make a story less fun to consume? And CNTW can be off-putting because you don't know what you're getting into, so if I specified then the reader knows what's on offer and has no need for fear. Hrm. Probably best to go with 'spoilering' the reader in this instance? But I probably won't specify in the tags that it's fratricide. That can be a wholesome 'surprise' for anyone who makes it that far without being put off by the rest of it.

8000 fucking words though. I have no idea how long this thing is going to end up being. My highest ever wordcount (and the longest thing of any sort that I have ever written in my life) is 21,694 and that record has stood since 2006 so it'd be nice to break it. Might get close to that, but I'll just have to see how it goes.

[jusiri]

Alright so we're putting this AU in little parts because otherwise it'd take me like a week before I posted anything

Ok so it started with me thinking about the weird ships and that the only way that Hiccup/Alvin could work is if, ya know, they're around the same age and also Alvin's not completely awful

And I do love a good enemies to lovers

So basically that lead to me retconning the entire series

Obviously there's gonna be spoilers so

Also everything for this will be tagged HTTYD Child Alvin AU if you want to keep an eye out for the rest, or if you just wanna block the tag :p

So just to get the basics about Alvin out of the way, in this AU he's like 12-13, also since he's a child he never did anything with Termagant, so he's not missing a hand and he's not Fishlegs's dad

Alright book 1 goes as usual, no changes there

Book 2 obviously is when we meet Alvin, things go basically the same, he's in the coffin, they open the coffin, he pops out

He still has the map to the isle of the skullions because "his parents found it while they were farming, knew it was important and being honest farmers they decided they HAD to return map to it's rightful owners, sadly they passed away before they could (bless their souls) but before they did they made him PROMISE that he'd return the map, and so that's why he's here"

And obviously cause everyone is stupid, they fall for the sob story

Continuing on, they make plans to go to the isle of the Skullions, they Actually Go to the isle of the skullions, get the treasure,yadda yadda

Then the other Outcasts show up only difference here is that everyone is extra surprised Alvin's the Chief cause ya know, he's a child, there's been rumors about it but no one actually thought they were true

Continuing on basically the same, the ship sinks, Hiccup saves Alvin, which Alvin finds confusing, also this time Alvin's not really all that interested in the treasure, I mean sure he wants it but like there's more important stuff to be worried about

They get to the cavern, into the treasure room, start fighting

Alvin does NOT get swallowed by the Strangulator

Hiccup being Hiccup knocks Alvin out of the way and the Strangulator grabs him

Hiccup beats it the same way he does in the books but this time it's thrashing causes a partial cave in and that's what makes them think Alvin is dead

From that the book would end the same way

[michaelarowrites]

Hello! I recently finished Honor the Words and loved it!! I'm not quite sure of where to start, so here are some random comments and questions, in no particular order (many spoilers below):

1. Why didn't Toshiaki take Basho in the room with them when he was planning to kill Masaomi (in the lines from "Perhaps Basho and Hitokiri should stay outside" to "Fine then")? I was mainly confused about the fact that Toshiaki says Basho is "better groomed" in response to Masaomi's "Basho goes everywhere with you." It makes sense that he wouldn't want a very unkempt "Hitokiri" inside for various reasons, but then he doesn't really put up any resistance when Masaomi insists on taking Youji in. Since Hitokiri went in, wouldn't it make sense to also bring Basho? Or was Toshiaki just confident that he'd succeed in killing Masaomi regardless of the two bulgae?

2. I loved how parts of the MasaYou plot were conserved!! Masaomi and Youji getting to know each other has been absolutely adorable because Masaomi is so out of depth in some of these situations and he just keeps getting saved by Youji. (And this is really looking like a slow burn, I love it.) Can't wait to see the process of them growing closer—not only MasaYou, but the whole crew :)

3. On that note, it's looking like Masami + Youji and Hinami + Shiori at the moment, which is beautiful especially because we didn't get to see much of the latter in D:M. A living Shiori makes everything better. When I first read Shine the Brightest, it was interesting to have Shiori + Masaomi be the ones who knew each other already, because that changed their dynamic; Masaomi doesn't go through the whole "who is this person and how is she so fascinating" stage on-screen (or, at least not yet). I particularly like how Shiori gets—and stays—angry at him in Honor the Words. There's also a lot less of Youji's crush on/obsession with Hinami thus far, so I'm curious as to how things will unfold in the Masaomi + Shiori / Hinami + Youji direction. Is it going to be an OT4 this time, or two pairs? (Please ignore that question if it'd be a huge spoiler.)

4. Kyouhei's dialogue was highly entertaining to read; his word choices were so hilariously absurd. Was it difficult to write?

5. I love the cover! Thank you for the kind mention, it was a very pleasant surprise :D I'm looking forward to cover art of Youji's true form! And Shiori's!

6. I just saw the previous ask and OMG YES there's going to be more books! Hopefully many more books, I will buy all the books!!!

Oops, that was a long ramble. I may send a second ask if another thought pops up. Until then, please take care! Thank you for yet another wonderful story!

—Jay

P.S. I have figured out how to embed images!

Thank you so much, friend! I didn't know you had a tumblr, I would have included that in the acknowledgements page had I known =) It is so amazing to see someone has copies of my books, so thank you so much for sharing that photo.

I realized after the other question ask that I should probably have a spoilers tag for this books, so now there's the #htw spoilers tag.

SO SPOILERS AHEAD! And under the cut.

1) Basho was in the room! Youji kills him too. It's pretty quick and easy to miss though, so sorry that was unclear! Toshiaki initially proposed Basho and Youji stay outside because he thought Masaomi would be suspicious if he said only Youji should stay behind. But since he thought it would be suspicious if he insisted, he also trusted that a) Basho would beat Youji, if necessary, because Basho was a pretty powerful fire dog and b) that Youji wouldn't actually want to help Masaomi. The Shiroryu's were pretty sure a fire dog would not feel loyal to Masaomi =)

2) Thank you! I really didn't want to just write the same story all over again, but I also wanted elements to be similar. And oh gosh this is turning out to be SUCH A SLOW BURN. So buckle up for a long ride here with everyone =)

3) You will find out! Hopefully. Hopefully I get to write all the books I would like to write for this. But since that is a huge spoiler, I will hold off on answering for now.

4) HIS DIALOGUE WAS SO HARD TO WRITE. I'm not even sure I did it justice. It required much use of a thesaurus.

5) Thanks again for connecting me to the cover artist!! I'm very happy with how it turned out.

6) I am so glad other people are interested in reading other books. Seriously, I cannot stress how much my interest in writing other books is directly correlated to reader feedback, so thank you so much. These asks have really helped motivate me in finishing book three!

Thank you again for reading and for all your lovely questions. If you have other asks, please feel free to send! I love hearing back from readers!!

[courtneyyharper]

10 Christmas Gifts ‘for her’ if you’re completely clueless

Since it's apparently time to start thinking about that time of year I thought I'd jump on and attempt to give you some help in an attempt to spark​ some ideas. Whether you're using this list for ideas for your other half, your mum or sister, or even if you are that person that likes something on this list why don't you send it over as a wee hint... the irony of this is that I've banned my boyfriend from looking at this list as there's a few spoilers on here for his gifts! (Hope he enjoys a wee eyeshadow palette😬).

So let’s start...

1. AIRPODS

I'm sure this will be a big gift this year and a perfect gift if you know they'll be getting a new phone or laptop! Perfect for a music lover or just the person that always needs to have the next big thing! I'd recommend planning to get a pair of these bad boys from Amazon or Currys during the Black Friday sale.

2. STUDIO LIGHT

A gift my mum got me unexpectedly a few years back and I haven't looked back. Not just for the MUA or photography student in your life but even just for every day make up application and I know my friends always use mine for checking their outfits or taking selfies before a night out! I've shown in the product photo how you can get a full sized one or a desk sized one easily on Amazon, your choice. Along this line would also be a Hollywood mirror, the big vanity mirrors with the bright lights installed but they can be hard to source as they're so popular and you need to make sure they're the bright studio lights. Top tip would just be to check the dimensions so you know what you're getting.

3. POLAROID CAMERA

I wanna say this is a cult favourite. I don't know many girls who don't have one of these now but if your gift recipient is one of them then it'd be a great gift! They're a great idea for Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries because it means you can capture the memories and of course ironically take a photo of the polaroid with your phone and post it to Instagram!! They come in a variety of colours and you can purchase accessories and refillable polaroid packs for other special occasions after, making it the gift that keeps on giving.

4. VINYL PLAYERS

Another gift that keeps on giving. If they're a real music lover and always have Spotify going in their room, and with the lack of concerts this year, this would be a very thoughtful gift. You can get these lads pretty cheap on Amazon or fork out for the pricey ones from UO. The only downside is that the actual Vinyl records themselves is where this gifts will cost you the most, but at least you'll always have an idea for next years present.

5. FOREVER ROSES

Now these guys can be quite boujee and I remember them being really popular a few years ago. If you type 'forever roses' into google or, probably better yet, Instagram you'll get a lot of companies selling gift sets of these specially preserved roses that can last for years. An incredibly romantic and surprising gift, this one can cost you big bucks but if you shop around enough you can get single roses for around £20 or major bunches for a few hundred but it's sure to win you major brownie points.

6. LUSH

This is the standard gift and perfect for a Christmas Eve bath. If you couldn't come up with this present on your own then please pay close attention to this blog because oh buddy you will need it! There are so many gift boxes to choose from at Lush and the great thing is you can't go wrong with any of them. Not to worry if you don't have a bath too because I also have you covered with these Lush sprays which are sooo good that you won't need to work out what their favourite perfume is for the third year in a row. (Also a great brand to support for its morals which is a bonus!!)

7. BLANKETS

Not only perfect for those cosy Winter and lockdown nights but also a great home decor item that is so popular on Instagram! These massive knit blankets can get incredibly pricey online, ranging from 20ish quid for a tiny one to a few hundred for the massive ones, so if you're willing to pay that then go ahead but top tip is to have a look in Home Bargains because they had these guys in all year for £25 and even Primark Home had a few in recently but I'd get ahead of the game for this one before they sell out...

8. JEWELLERY

Now I'm not a massive jewellery fan myself but some girls just go ga-ga for a princess ring. If you're wondering if your girlfriend/sister/daughter is one of them you can identify these people by their less-than-subtle 'just gonna post this here xx' social media posts sharing the Pandora sales. I know most boys get scared to choose jewellery in case the person 'doesn't like it' blah blah but chances are unless they've told you somethng they specifically want or you've been missing some massive hints (ie. ring photos 'accidentally' sent to you) then they'll appreciate literally anything you choose. It's the idea you've went and chosen something specifically for them more than the item itself that matters. If you like it, they'll like it more. The big site is Pandora and many sites like it will have 'Christmas Gift Guide' sections to make it super easy for you. Top tip: you could do a wee price low-high if this is just an add-on gift and although it's horrible to say they will most likely look it up and check how much you spent on it... sorry about that!

9. EYESHADOW PALETTE

Now this is one you will most likely skip over because it feels like delving into a massive jungle with no map and no water and actually no shoes and no clue whatsoever of where to start. That's what boys feel like trying to buy girls make up and I really can't blame you. In fact, if you haven't been told exactly what to buy then who could blame you but if you're really looking to impress and go the extra mile and know they like make up then I'm going to attempt to help you as best I can and try and keep it really simple! So, first of all you'll need to somehow have a look at their collection when they're getting ready or be super stealthy and just double check they don't have the palette you're going to get them.

This is important. Right, so question one is do they watch YouTubers do make up? Because if they do then simply find out who they watch and check if that influencer has a palette or collab with a makeup brand because then your job is done for you!! If they've told you all about the James Charles/Tatti/Jefree Starr drama that encapsulated YouTube in the past then find out who's side they support because all three of those guys have palettes! James Charles x Morphe Artistry palette, Tatti has her own brand, or if they came out supporting Jeffree Starr and Shane Dawson in the whole fiasco then the Jeffree Starr 'Conspiracy palette' is for you. To each their own. These two main palettes I've featured on the left below for you to have a look at.

The top right palette is the new HUDA Beauty Naughty Nude palette and it's the one I'd go for if you're really unsure still! It's a new release so doubtful they have it and there's no crazy colours so can be used by everyone. It would be my top recommendation for make up this Christmas.

The three below that are all YouTuber/Influencer collabs with makeup brands that have been pretty popular this year. From the left: BPerfect x Stacey Marie Carnival III Love Tahiti Palette is one to get if you know they love doing colourful and adventurous looks, middle: Carli Bybel Palette x Anastasia Beverly Hills and far right: BPerfect x Jah Makeup Artist Clientele Palette are both perfect for more simple looks or if they don't go wild with colour and are both from big brands so will be very much appreciated!

God, this really could have been its own post where I explained it a bit better but alas...

10. HAIR CURLERS/WAVER

Maybe they're not as into makeup and prefer hair, or maybe they just love both? Then a Beauty Works hair styler would be a boujee gift for them. So, for this you can do the standard version of the products (gold) or you can do the newer versions in the collab with Molly Mae (pink). It's up to you. These products are pricey but great quality. First is the hair curler (Professional styler) which is great if both you and they love their hair curly, and you can't go wrong with Molly Mae's signature bouncy curls. The second option is a new trend in hair his year, The Waver, which creates the mermaid waves that I've pictured Molly Mae wearing below (and yes boys they’re different than curls) and a great gift if they already have the curler. Top tip: is to get these lads while ASOS have 20% off because you're grabbing yourself a bargain or if you're really on a budget many brands do these products without the hefty price tag.

BONUS: GIFT ADVENT CALENDER

This year there is a major boom in the idea of gift advent calendars, so behind every door is a small gift instead of chocolate. Now what would be super adorable is to buy advent boxes online and fill them yourself with personalised gifts but luckily many brands have brought out their own versions! The best one I have saw so far this year is this PrettyLittleThing beauty calendar but it has been sold out for some time now! ASOS etc. are doing their own versions and there have even been adorable versions in the likes of HomeBargains and B&Ms where you can get candle or even alcohol versions.

Well, I hope this helped even a little bit! If you're really on the ball you'll have noticed I haven't included anything like the staple Primark pyjamas or everything seems catered towards girlfriends or 'for her' but not to worry I've many more versions planned, including 'for him', 'on a budget', and 'how to dress up your present'!

Happy (very early) Christmas!🎁🎄