#since faerie is like ... A World in stardust

[kepler-station]

meet your mama on sunday 💋 m.list ─ .✦

— chambers of the rocket ; ii. ✦

cookie run: kingdom 💋✧˚

— stormbringer ; relationship hcs

— mozzarella ; relationship hcs

— golden cheese ; relationship hcs, angst hcs in the virtual world, crush & relationship hcs, general & courtship hcs with her royal tailor, reader, christmas hcs with her s/o

— stardust ; relationship hcs

— pure vanilla ; relationship hcs, christmas hcs with his s/o

; 'first meet with a primordial reader' — pure vanilla cookie stumbles upon a primordial cookie who had been asleep for years and years under protective area the witches cultivated to preserve their purity and protect them from corruption...

— white lily ; best friends hcs, helping her bestie who has a crush on one of lily's friends ( 🍦/🍓, 🍫/🧀 ), christmas hcs with her best friend

; 'idiosyncrasy wilted the lily' — the mysterious lily-scented hero experiences a love potion accident with a supposed urban legend-phenomena. a mere flower that was never supposed to bloom, and yet it did with just a sprinkle of determination.

; 'pretty girls don't do drama, 'less we wanna!' — sometimes girls just gotta have fun. today's mantra — you and your pretty girl best friend, the IT girl duo of earthbread. ain't no one gonna dim your good light, this the words y'all live by!

— burning spice ; pending...

; 'destruction is a form of creation' — burning spice cookie, a monster you once called your dad. you haven't seen him for a long long time, and now you're more like an adult, still leading his spice colonies and tribes in his stead. but now that he's back, well...

— red velvet ; husband hcs

— miscellaneous : the ancients vs. getting rejected hcs, the beasts vs. getting rejected hcs

; 'masquerade of the impartial' [prt i] — i mean, normally there are five beasts and five ancient heroes, right? well, what if there was a sixth?

; 'the execution of justice' [prt ii] — our group of five heroes now turned nine with white lily cookie and the faeries encounter an unexpected predicament from the crack. now, what will they do when their impartiality is questioned after impartiality is quite literally taken away from them?

; 'you got me feelin' like a psycho!' [adventurer x olive] — adventurer cookie tags along to the restored vanilla kingdom with gingerbrave, who was there for ancient hero ambassador duties. while walking alone in a street, he passes by a familiar green cookie with her round hat and glasses, and denied feelings start to bubble up again... will he be able to deny his heart when she looks at him the same way his heart yearns for her?

; 'i miss you, i'm sorry' — a mysterious ripple in the seas of Beast-Yeast draws our little group of five further into Beast-Yeast, this time to a drifted archipelago surrounded by crying waves and the sound of sorrowful, powerful tears.

cookie run: tower of adventures 💋✧˚

— cream soda ; crush & relationship hcs

avatar : the last airbender & legend of korra ✧˚

— toph ; crush & relationship hcs, crush & relationship hcs with a chi-blocker martial artist s/o

; 'dahlia' — toph falls in love with her enemy that's been on her and her friends' tails since they've began traveling, an ozai angel called you.

; [...] — your jealous greatest-earthbender-in-the-world girlfriend fights a determined and flirty "circus freak" for a chance at your love.

; 'jelly jelly, oh my girl!' — your allegedly-platonic relationship with toph gets strained when toph gets a little too close to the nonbender from the water tribe, sokka. assuming she's fallen for him, you back off. likewise, you start getting closer to zuko after he joins the gang. but whoops, looks like toph's not too happy with that...

— korra ; crush & relationship hcs with a chi-blocker s/o, asking asami for help with pursuing asami's best friend hcs

miscellaneous ; NO LONGER ACCEPTING.

— coil (phighting!) ; general friendly/platonic hcs with a teen home-runaway reader

[at-thezenith]

writer ask game!

thank you @mundanemoongirl these are very nice questions :)

when and why did you start writing?

1. not to be cliché but i've been writing ever since i was a kid. i loved making up stories with my dolls and toys and writing them down seemed to be the best way to remember them. when i was 7 or 8 i was off school for 4 days and the last piece of work i was assigned was a short story. i spent HOURS on this thing, and when i got back my teacher wouldn't even mark it because the unit was over. the horror!

what is your favourite genre to read/write?

2. favourite genre to read is definitely sff. i would say also literary fiction but that's a bit of a cop out. i prefer to write fantasy because though i do love reading sf i don't have the wonderful imagination for it.

what is the main lesson in your story and why did you choose it?

3. the faery children's lessons include the dangers of collaborating with ill-intentioned people and self-acceptance. there are more but these are the two i try and push the most. self-discovery is in literally every book i enjoy, whether that is on a physical journey or an internal one, and dangers of collaboration is how a lot of world issues start—short term satisfaction leading to long term ruin.

what do you prefer, character development or worldbuilding? why?

4. i prefer character development. it's so fun to figure out how far along the line someone realises how much they've changed (whether they like it or not) and also intertwining their arc with other characters'.

do you want to be published? if so, do you prefer traditional, self-published, or a hybrid?

5. i would love to be published, but i admit i don't know much about the process (going to start an entire degree on it soon though!). so i would like to be trad published but that could always change :)

what inspires you to write the most?

6. inspiration comes from reading other people's work! if i see something on here or in a book i'm reading, sometimes that will kick-start something in my brain and i have to write something down. for example if someone has a particularly incredible fight scene, that might inspire me to start on one of my own.

do you have any tips for other writers on tumblr?

7. only the one i stole from terry pratchett which is to write 400 words a day on your story, just as a baseline. also don't push yourself to write thousands of words in one sitting or else you'll burn out!

gently tagging: @scribbling-stardust @unmellowyellowfellow @rbbess110 and @phynewrites . here are your questions:

1. what was the first piece of writing you did where you thought "wow I'd love to be a writer"?

2. how do you gather inspiration for your works? (pinterest boards, writing prompts, etc)

3. what genre is easiest to write? what's the hardest? why?

4. what does a typical day of writing look like for you?

5. free space! ramble about a character you've most enjoyed writing about.

6. if you could pick the brains of one author, who would you pick and why?

7. what's one writing tip that has stuck in your head?

[alchemeiarchive]

@thievae​  said  :  in an ideal world, we’d just burn down the house.

❛     that’s  -  what  ?  no.  (  .  .  .  )  what  ?     ❜  is  this  to  be  his  legacy  -  a  bumbling  english  idiot  on  stormhold’s  throne  ?  (  yes,  but  he’s  less  of  a  bumbling  idiot  with  every  passing  day  -  at  least,  that’s  what  yvaine  tells  him.  )

even  at  his  worst,  with  the  witch-queen  after  him  (  after  yvaine  ),  he  hadn’t  actively  made  a  decision  to  burn  a  building  down.  when  he  &  yvaine  had  made  the  decision  to  have  his  mother  RULE  IN  HIS  STEAD  whilst  they  got  to  know  the  world  to  which  he’s  learnt  he  belongs,  he’d  expected  .  .  .  oddities.  he’d  seen  oddities.  found  out  he  was  one  himself  (  well,  half  ).  but  his  brain  really  sticks  on  this  concept,  refusing  to  let  it  go.  breathe,  tristan.  proper  sentences.  ❛     why  is  that  your  ideal  world  option  ?     ❜

[tomboyjessie13-artblog]

Trigger Warning: Implied suicide attempt I came up with a scenario on how my Jojo OC Medea King meets DIO and gets tempted by him... I mean, what do you expect? He does this every time there's a Stand user nearby. This took me all day and night to come up with this so forgive me if this is late. Anyways, The story here takes place in December 1987, a year before the events of Stardust Crusaders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Medea King and her now ex-boyfriend Jason Lennon had a very nasty breakup because of the latter's actions, which resulted in her loosing self-control and beating him to an inch of his life with her Stand Flogging Molly(which at the time she believed was a Irish faerie and didn't have a name), he survived but had to be taken to the hospital for his injuries.

The resulting fallout caused Medea to get expelled from her dream collage and had to be sent to live with her maternal Grandparents in Cork, Ireland to protect her from the media and Jason's family. Losing her childhood sweetheart and chances of ever getting a degree in Archaeology had sent Medea into a very bitter depression. 2 weeks later, it was nighttime and Medea runs off to Blarney Castle to be alone, there she contemplated on throwing herself off the castle roof much to Flogging Molly's horror.

When she tried to climb the walls though, she finds herself back on the castle roof, she tried again only to end up back on the roof again, this surprised her and her Stand greatly when she heard a voice behind her asking why is she doing something so reckless, that's where DIO makes the scene. Thrown off by his beautiful appearance at first, she asks if he's going to kill her, he refuses, saying that she had a wonderful gift that she should share with him and that killing her would be a waste. 

Medea tells him to screw off and that she just wants to be left alone, he steps forward instead and she tries punching him, only for him to "disappear" and whisper behind her, this went on for a minute before Flogging Molly starts punching out in frustration, he catches that fist and tells her that he's amused but her Stand could've done better. She asks what a Stand was and he reveals Flogging Molly's real identity of being one and how it came to be, as well as there being more Stand users in the world besides both of them. 

He promises to show her his Stand if she agreed to join him on his conquests, she refuses to be apart of his plans, especially because he's a guy. He asks if it was because of her fallout with Jason, this surprised her because she never told him her ex's name and asks how he knew... That's when DIO seized the moment to use his manipulation tactics on her: He tells her that he's been watching her ever since she first arrived in Ireland and knew of her past before presenting her a crystal ball, she takes the ball and he activates it using "the Passion".

The crystal ball showcases her childhood and love life, all the while he tells her how he understood her pain and suffering, going on about how he had a brother he loved dearly before he "betrayed" him in the past and how it took him years to recover from the trauma(yes, he respects Jonathan as an equal, but is still willing to paint him as the bad guy). This caused Medea to breakdown crying, she mourns how she had loved Jason with all her heart and how she had poured her heart to him only for him to reject it for his greed, she also mentioned it was thanks to him that her life and reputation is basically ruined because she cannot become an archaeologist or return to America without facing retribution, and doesn't know what to do with her life now.

Now that he has her wrapped around his finger, he "comforts" her and tells her not to cry anymore, he promises her that her suffering will end if she chooses to join him and give her Stand more power in hopes of ruining Jason's life like how he ruined hers. Finally, after thinking long and hard about this, she accepts his proposal. Satisfied, he gives her an envelope with the name "DIO" on it, he tells her that he can't get her over to Egypt since they can't be seen together, she's going to have to make her way over. 

She asks if he's going to protect her from retribution if anyone from America found out about her, he promises before leaving into the darkness. After she returned to her Grandparent's home, she looks inside the envelope to see what's inside, it contains the following: 1 set of instructions on how to reach him 1 plane ticket to Cairo, Egypt 1 map of Cairo with his home marked on it 2 photos, one of his mansion and one of his gatekeeper Pet Shop 1 Tarot card, representing "The World" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Medea King belongs to me

[meddling-in-horror]

page turners to screen dreams: adaptations from book to film

It’s hard to deny the power of a good adaptation. Growing up in a generation where there was a good ten years where I saw many of my favorite books adapted for the screen in varying degrees of ‘close enough to be enjoyed on its own’ to ‘single handedly killed the vhs industry’ (iykyk), I have an appreciation for adaptations done not-so-well. However, this also means that when a story I love is adapted well, I appreciate it all the more, two of my favorites being Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs and Henry Selick’s Coraline. 

Starting with Silence, the key to this adaptation lies in the screenwriting of Ted Tally. While Thomas Harris’s ability to write interesting and three dimensional female characters who exist without being defined by the men around them is questionable, the combination of Demme’s direction, Tally’s writing, and Jodie Foster’s performance as the iconic Clarice Starling make her a fully fleshed and believably interesting character. I was a fan of the film long before reading the book, and became even more of a fan afterward reading both book and Tally’s screenplay. Some of my favorite moments in the film are ones where Tally lifted dialogue directly from the text of Harris’s novel, often with little to no change. In particular, Jack Crawford’s line “You spook easily, Starling?” has always been a moment that I enjoy, particularly because of the silence surrounding the moment as Clarice takes in the scene of Crawford’s office and the crime scene photos of the Buffalo Bill murders. This is an incredibly strong book-to-film adaptation that’s strength lies in the moments that were taken directly from the source material, and were interpreted flawlessly by Tally, Demme, and the cast as a whole. Overall, Silence is something that I would consider a near perfect interpretation of Harris’s original text, a trend that Tally continued with the screenplay for the prequel Red Dragon.

There is also the matter of changes that must be made to make a book more suitable for the screen. For this, we can look to Henry Selick’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. While not my first Gaiman book (it was Stardust, and at 9 or 10 I was most assuredly too young to be reading it), this one remains my favorite (one day I hope to get my illustrated copy signed by both Neil himself and Chris Riddell). There would have been no way for Coraline to be on the big screen without making several changes. In the novella, most of the story is told through the titular Coraline’s inner monologue, as she spends much of the story wandering the grounds of her new home completely alone. Since spending nearly two hours watching a child talk to herself wouldn’t necessarily make for a very interesting movie - at least in this context, Selick introduced the character of Wybie. He also tied Wybie further into the story by changing one of the ghost children from - what I assume is - the child of a faerie to his grandmother’s identical twin sister. The film, while not an exact adaptation, retains every single element of Gaiman’s original story that makes the novel so intensely frightening. The changes made allow the film to be read easier on the screen, and for the audience to watch Coraline interact with the world around her in a way that feels more realistic, whether she’s in her own home or in the world of the Other Mother. Selick’s writing sells the image of a truly lonely girl, who - while surrounded by people - feels isolated in a new and unfamiliar environment across the country, and abandoned and neglected by her parents. 

Adaptations, good or bad, are created to be enjoyed. While some are good enough to be considered something separate from the source material, some are certainly not (LXG I’m looking directly into your eyes). Nevertheless, I feel like the adaptations I’ve mentioned here are among the best there are.

[readerbookclub]

Discussion Masterpost - Stardust

I didn’t do this for the last two books. I was too busy when we read Never Let Me Go. As for Dubliners, there was no discussion to be summarized. But I did it this time! 

As always, I quote people’s reviews and posts. If you don’t like the way I quoted you message me and I’ll fix it immediately. Also, if I don’t know someone’s name (or nickname) I refer to them by their username. 

These are only excerpts, so if you want to read the whole thing, I’ve provided links to all the reviews and posts :)

Book Reviews:

Emma’s Review - “I really enjoyed this book! I love the classic fairytale elements and how each archetypical story beat hits perfectly.”

Generalblizzarddreamer’s Review - “Aesthetic, fairytale, and meh”

Melissa’s Review - “Gaiman’s style of writing and others like his tend to be my favorite because it’s direct, yet very descriptive and somewhat magical.”

Lina’s (My) Review - “I found the writing to be very lyrical [...] and fell in love with the fairy tale atmosphere.”

Ann’s Review - “A fairytale ‘for adults’, that didn’t exactly mix the darker themes with the unnuanced characters.”

Rey’s Review - “My expectations were pretty high because I remembered the movie and I loved it. [...] Did the book meet them? Not really. But I didn’t hate it altogether, it was an interesting read.”

Questions and Asks:

Ann asked : “Who was your favourite character in Stardust?”

I answered: “I think it has to be the hairy little man. He was such a fun character who added humour to the story [...] Yvaine is a close second.”

Ann asked: “Tristran just thinking that he wouldnt say goodbye to his family at the market and that he would never see them again anyway felt really harsh. What did you think about his attitude to his family?"

I answered: “I definitely agree that he was very cold towards his family. I don’t think I thought about them much at first (how often do hero’s journey books focus on anyone but the protagonist?). But it was after Tristan returned and his sister was crying that I realised how much he’d hurt them”

Ann asked: “What did you think about Tristran as a character?”

V answered: “I did not like him, but I didn’t hate him either. He just felt very flat to me, and very stupid. I mean sure, he was dedicated in finding the star for his “true love”, but he was just stupid. Like childlike stupid.”

Ann asked: “ Did you have a favourite quote or some moment that was very memorable in Stardust?”

I answered: “for there is no competing with the sea in a man’s affections, since she is both mother and mistress, and she will wash his corpse also, in time to come”

I asked: “What did you think of the dynamic between Tristan and Yvaine?”

Ann answered: “I normally love the enemies to lovers trope, but it wasn’t really developed well. Tristran was hung up over Victoria, and then he became a mouse, and suddenly he was in love with Yvaine.”

I asked: “The book is quite short, so I was wondering: did you wish there was more? Or did you feel satisfied by the end?”

Ann answered: “I felt the overall arc was finished, but the ending left me unsatisfied anyway. The ending felt rushed, because it tried to add onto the ever after [...]  Perhaps it would have ended on a more positive note, had it just ended at the market place.”

I asked: “While reading this book, I was reminded of fairy tales and children's stories. Did you feel the same thing?”

V answered: “This was definitely the kind of book I used to read as a kid, everything with the faerie world and the fallen star, adventures through magic forests, unicorns and stuff.”

Melissa asked: “I tend to want my main characters to be slightly evil. It bothers me when characters are so morally perfect. I find it strange that I didn’t hate Tristan, but instead love his character. What did you think of his character? Would you have preferred him to be a little evil?”

I answered: “While I enjoy books where the main characters have major flaws (it makes them feel more real), I don’t think I like evil main characters. [...] So I’m glad that Tristan wasn’t more evil.”

Other Cool Stuff:

Ann’s fascinating post about how stardust was originally meant to be a  ��story book with pictures”. On a similar post, here’s her other post about Charles Vess’ illustrations of the story. Thanks a lot for sharing these :)

Then we have some fantastic fan art, you can check out at these talented people’s blogs: shuravf, cinnamoonie, and  lackadaisycal-art.

[togreblog]

At Home Among the Stars

Nessian Fic - Chapter 1

I recently found out that the word for those insane little pushes in your mind to do stupid things are called intrusive thoughts. I get this feeling sometimes and ever since I finished ACOWAR and threw myself deep into the Nessian fanfic, I have wondered if Nesta ever had this little intrusive thought... This is how I see it playing out, when she is too drunk on faerie wine to stop herself and Cassian has to save her. Before long it becomes their little game.

Please go like it on Ao3

Words:  1658

- - -

The first time Nesta did it was at a Starfall party. Not her first one since becoming a fae, but the first she had felt like celebrating. And she had had too much to drink.

As a human, she had never had the opportunity to explore the elusive limit: the tipping point between joy and madness. Not that it would have mattered, this fae body... her fae body, responded to everything differently and from her limited experiences, she knew the alcohol here was different too.

The feeling of being drunk was new to Nesta. The way her thoughts danced in spiralling patterns she couldn't follow. before long, she found herself moving along the familiar path up to the roof as if her fae body craved the night air. She hated that she might actually be at home in this court, but she still marvelled at her instincts as the relief of being away from the bright lights and twirling dancers hit her.

She took a deep breath of the cold, night air and her thoughts cleared.

The majority of the stars had passed over and only a few partygoers remained outside, conversing in little clusters. Nesta looked at them and her heart ached a little at her loneliness. On the dancefloor, it didn't matter who you were, there was always a steady stream of strangers ready to whisk you away. Nesta had danced each dance with a new partner, their faces (some more human-looking than others) appeared and blurred together in her mind and she was forced to once again draw the cold, night air deep into her lungs, the resulting shiver seemed to shake the images from her mind leaving it clear once more.

She took in her surroundings, trying to ground herself in reality. At first glance, it seemed that each of the little groups were just taking in the final few stars smattering the sky overhead, but Nesta looked closer, she wanted to take in every detail of this night, finally free of all her burdens (even if she wasn't entirely sure she would remember it in the morning). It didn't take her long to decide that there were 3 reasons to be up on the roof. The first was to escape the party, this justified the presence of those still nursing drinks, a scattering of empty bottles around them and a cache of full ones nearby, the draw of free alcohol enough to lure them to the party, but not to entice them to remain downstairs and participate fully in the socialising. There were a few groups like this. The second reason was respite from the party, these patrons were taking the opportunity to swap alcohol for water and sit cradling their heads in their hands, far from the lilting music still drifting up the staircase. The final reason was privacy, the couples deep in whispered conversations, or, much to Nesta's shock and disgust, couples engaging their mouths in other ways. Nesta chided herself for allowing her human ideas about modesty to make her harsh and judgmental, it was yet another thing that was different, she needed to get used to it, she was trying to get used to it, maybe she could even... embrace it. She stopped those thoughts dead in their tracks, taking another deep breath of cold, night air deep into her lungs, to once again clear her head. Faerie wine, much like faeries themselves, was delicious and dangerous.

Her eyes were flitting about the rooftop trying to keep from looking at any of the couples in particular when they caught on a pair of wings. Three pairs, in fact, interspersed by smaller female figures. Stood further out onto the roof than where she had stopped near the door, they truly were watching the last few stars wend their way across the sky, the Night Court incarnate. She felt some stardust land on her cheek and as she stared at those beautiful wings, a faint glow clouding the corner of her vision, one thought filled her empty mind. Her alcohol addled brain couldn't quite form the words, there was only the overwhelming feeling that she wanted to know what it was to be a star, flying alone, but together above the world but not quite in it: powerful and delicate. Blissfully inebriated, the stars sang to her that no one could truly understand how she felt in this world, except maybe them. The alcohol in her system became a dam holding back logic, allowing the thought to become all-consuming. The call of the stars grew louder and louder and Nesta turned her gaze towards them.

As if feeling the loss of her gaze upon him, Cassian turned and watched as Nesta looked towards the star and without warning, began to run full speed towards the edge of the roof.

Rhys had been in the middle of talking to him, so when he turned away from the conversation mid-sentence, they all looked with him. They stared confused as Nesta ran towards the edge of the roof. She was now level with them and she wasn't slowing down. Everyone was transfixed. Two heartbeats passed. Thump. 'She's not slowing down.' Thump. 'Run.' Cassian shot after her. She was now closer to the edge than he was, but he was faster. His arm wrapped around her waist just as she launched herself into the sky, an arm outstretched towards the stars. He loosed a sigh of relief at having her in his arms a split second before his body hit hers and he realised their combined momentum would carry them over the edge. He held her flush to him, the force of his tackle causing them to tumble through the open air as they fell. Two heartbeats passed. Thump. 'Shit, I tackled Nesta off the roof.' Thump. 'Fly.' The part of his brain that had trained as a warrior for hundreds of years before this mortal girl had even been conceived took those two heartbeats to click into place. He calculated the timing and out his wings snapped, at the perfect moment in their tumbling to catch the wind and level them out.

Nesta could feel the stars getting closer, if she just ran hard enough, jumped high enough, they would catch her and take her with them, to the place where wandering things could rest. She was so tired, she wanted to rest, but she needed to run. As she neared the edge she reached for the stars, she was weightless, she would make it.

An anchor clamped around her and she was being pulled down. The wind rushed passed her as she fell and she shut her eyes against it. Her awareness slowly returned to her after the initial shock. It wasn't the same feeling as falling through the depthless waters of the cauldron, unlike the water that pressed in, the air tore at her. She wished it would tear the anchor from her and let her soar with the stars. There was a jolt and she thought that the stars had answered her, as she began to come free. The arm, that's what it was, tightened around her to prevent her from escaping. No, not escaping, but it was pulling her upwards, stopping her from falling. The weight was not an anchor at all, but the weight of another person. The air stopped rushing past them and a sob ripped through her as she was finally able to take another deep breath. This time though, her head was clear, the adrenaline wiping away the fog of alcohol. Dangling from in her saviour's arms, she could only hear the leathery wings beating behind her as they carried her up towards the stars.

Only to bank left and set her back down on top of the roof.

"I just wanted to touch the stars," she said quietly before the warm weight at her back stepped away and gently helped her as she sagged to her knees.

Nesta let her eyes remain closed, mourning the loss of that dream. Tomorrow night the stars would be gone and there would be no one to lead her home. She would never get to feel the freedom of soaring over the world. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

It took her a moment to process the voices as they drew near.

"I had her by the waist. I almost dropped her." Cassian, she knew that voice was Cassian.

"The impact of you grabbing her could have done some damage, I'll send for a healer. I take it you want a strong drink ?" Practicality, that was Rhys.

"Guess the party is over." Mor... Nesta blocked that voice out.

The various comments continued. Azriel, Amren, Feyre. Until her brain was able to pick up on a faint sobbing.

Elain.

Nesta's eyes shot open. Elain was instantly on her knees facing Nesta. Feyre approached more cautiously and looked like she was going to try to embrace Nesta, but changed her course to kneel next to Elain instead. She rested a hand lightly on Nesta's arm, the other reaching around Elain to steady the girl who was trying desperately to hide her sobbing, only leading to unsteady breathing.

None of them seemed to know what to say for a long while, before Feyre, of course, it was Feyre, always taking the lead, said "if you aren't happy here, there are only places you can live.”

[elliepassmore]

Stardust review

4.5/5 stars Recommended for people who like: fantasy, fairytales, multiple POVs, magic, witches, faerieland, Neil Gaiman I was a bit worried coming into this book since I've really loved the movie since I was a kid and, typically, the books are better than the movie. However, I think the book and movie actually stand on pretty equal footing for this one! They each follow (relatively) the same story but go into detail about different things. The movie definitely changes a bunch of stuff, so it might be helpful to just think of it as something that's only tangentially related to the book (or as something completely different, if you'd like). Neil Gaiman has such an interesting voice and it's very suited to telling fairytales. I feel that American Gods doesn't have a ton of worldbuilding since it is set in the US, just tweaked a little, and while The Sleeper and the Spindle does focus somewhat on worldbuilding, it's less than 100 pages, so Stardust is really the first Gaiman work where I have been able to see how he builds a new world. Faerie was an interesting place and has the kinds of rules you would expect from such a place. True names and ghosts and magic all come up, and of course there are different kinds of creatures and magic that get introduced as well. I feel that we do get introduced to a good bit of the world over the course of the book, but there are also some things that I do think got kind of brushed to the side. The Fellowship of the Castle, for example, was something that seemed as if it could be a big thing but then just didn't really pan out. I also think I would've liked to learn a bit more about Stormhold in general since I feel we don't really get to see a ton of it and the princes/lords of it do play a pretty big role in the story. Also, the whole thing with the witch and the squirrel and the nut was just never brought back up. Something interesting that I found was that none of the characters are really super likeable. Tristran, of course, captures the star in an attempt to give it to Victoria. Victoria is largely snooty. The star/Yvaine is understandably angry. Septimus is very murderous. The witches are conniving, etc., etc. Primus might be a character that I liked pretty fully, as are the hairy creature and Captain Alberic. Also the dad/Dunstan Thorn is pretty decent. Of course, most of these are side characters that don't get a lot of page time. Dunstan Thorn and Primus get the most of the side characters, but the hairy creature and Captain Alberic are only in it for maybe 50 pages. Tristran is pretty one-minded at first and is rather solely focused on pleasing Victoria. In the beginning she is just about all he thinks about. As time goes on, however, he is able to take a larger view of things and gains more perspective. He is definitely a better character in the last third of the book. He is funny and gives a certain twist Faerie since he is new to it in a way the other character are not (Yvaine as well, though we don't get her POV). The witch is also pretty one-track minded, but I feel she's more interesting solely because she doesn't have 'true love' as a motive. I wish we got to see more of the air ship, since that's one of my favorite parts of the movie. I still liked that part of the book, but I do just wish we got to see more of it. Additionally, Captain Alberic is someone who I liked and he was also part of the Fellowship of the Castle, something I would've liked to get more information on. Additionally, this is really about the time when Tristran and Yvaine really start to talk to one another and stop being antagonistic. So there are a couple of good reasons I think this part of the book was longer. In all, I think the book was pretty good and I enjoyed the story. For me Stardust isn't quite as strong a book as American Gods simply because the latter focuses a bit more on characterization than this one does, but this book is still pretty substantial. I liked that we got to see several different characters' POVs with differing motives. (The temporal length of the book is also more believable than the movie, but that's a different thing)

[yoditorian]

thanks for the tag my sweet sweet @bee-dameron

Nickname: liz, lizzy, ironically my best friend calls me frankie for reasons i’ve forgotten

Pronouns: she/they

Star sign: gemini babey (cap moon, leo rising, my chart is a mess)

Height: 5′3ish

Time currently: 08:23

Birthday: 11 june

Favorite groups/bands: queen, walk the moon, the neighbourhood, i’ve been rly into jukebox the ghost recently,,

Favorite solo artist: uhhhhhh hozier, dermot kennedy, miley cyrus

Song stuck in my head: i woke up with the theme song from malcom in the middle pls don’t ask me why i i haven’t seen it in yeARS

Last movie you watched: stardust!!!!!! the legend, the og, the best of the best, it’s a cinematic masterpiece and nothing will ever top it

Last show you binged: i’m currently on season 5 of sons of anarchy (started literally a week ago) bc if there’s one thing me and my brother can agree on it’s objectively terrible tv shows full of senseless violence and motorbikes

When you created your blog: this one was the end of november last year but i’ve had 4 or 5 blogs since like 2015

Last thing i googled: the chinese takeout place in town bc i was hungry but also lazy last night

Other blogs: my main is @lap-of-the-gods but i don’t rly post there anymore,,it only exists so i don’t have to start this one from scratch

Why I chose my url: i wanted just one word that i knew no one else would have (yodito + mandalorian) and then less than a week later we learned grogu’s name but i didn’t want to change it

Do you get asks: once in a blue moon i get one without prompting and they’re always nice

How many people you are following: 346

How many followers: 302 (my next follow celebration is coming shortly)

Average hours of sleep: either like 4 or 12 there’s no in between

Lucky number: i don’t have one :(

Instruments: i am simply not coordinated enough to play any kind of instrument

Currently wearing: jeans and a sweater i designed!!!

Dream job: i still really don’t know

Dream trip: i miss rome sO MUCH i would give anything to go back

Favorite food: spaghetti bolognese or spinach pancakes or paella or that octopus i had once i don’t kNOW i like food too much to choose

Favorite song: somebody to love by queen is kind of my all time favourite but the current fav is talk it up by sammy rae and the friends

Top 3 fictional worlds to live in: port coriol from the wayfarers series (which i kind of stole for my depiction of the pug in ald), elfhame from the folk of the air bc faeries???? maybe camelot from merlin for the nostalgia

no pressure tags: @thosewickedlovelies @chatterbean @justrunamok @darnitdraco @yespolkadotkitty 

[tinyblips]

The moon smiled up in the sky, that sly little lemon wedge, as I saw you scamper off into the forest laughing in the dead of night, taking your secrets with you into a world not meant for us. Does the ringing of your kitten’s bell call you home—or were you always at one amongst the nymphs and the faeries of the deep wood? When I walk backwards around the lake three times whispering your name, can I still turn back time just to hold you in my gaze one last time? Because if I were to be quite frank with you, the truth is that contrary to what I told you before, maybe it turns out that I do have regrets in this life after all.

I stepped up to the edge of the lake after my third round walking backwards. I felt like a fool, but the kitten’s bell jingled softly around my wrist and I missed her awfully. I stared at the moon’s reflection in the waters and waited. I don’t really know what I waited for. I don’t even know what I wanted anymore. It’s just, ever since Catherine disappeared into the forest with her golden hair trailing behind her, I knew that there were things that had been left unsaid, and I desperately needed to tell her. Secrets shouldn’t be kept to the end like this, and my secrets wanted her to know them.

Suddenly, a deer ran out of the bush beside me, and knocked me over into the water. I suppose a fox had scampered by and startled the poor beast, but I fell into that cold shivering lake nonetheless. The cold water shocked me so that I gasped and nearly drowned, until I realized that I was choking on air, and that I had fallen up into an inverse world where the moon was down and the air glowed faintly with laughter an eerie sparkling stardust that drifted in the breeze.

A small faerie flew up to me and smiled wide. “So you’ve come to find her after all?” Her eyes glowed light blue.

“I—yes, I have,” I said. “Where is she?”

The forest was more a jungle swamp now, and the sprawling trees silhouetted against the hazy dark teal sky were dotted with tiny fireflies. I assumed they were all faeries like the one that had flitted up to me. Catherine had told me it would be like this. Under the starry night sky years ago, she had told me that in the other world, you could hear music in the very wind. I could hear small bells like giggles chiming in harmony with the bell around my wrist.

“Ah, the romance,” she smiled, excitedly. But then her look took on a different tone as she looked at me more carefully. Venturing to touch my sopping wet clothes, she gasped. “Oh, no,” she whispered.

“What? What is it?” I asked her. It felt as though she hadn’t even touched me.

“Oh.” I could tell she was debating on telling me or not. Catherine told me otherwise, but I’d heard stories about these tricksters. Was she trying to think up some sort of way to scheme me? Or was water somehow poison to them?

“No, that’s not it,” she said, as if reading my mind. “It’s just that, well, it appears your heart wanted to tell Catherine so badly that your soul found its way here despite all the odds. You’ve come here as a ghost. You’re dead, Michael. I’m so sorry.”

[lovelylogans]

You seem to be the person that I follow who knows the most about fanfic, and I kinda want to get into reading it again. I used to read a lot of phan or supernatural stuff and now I read none, lol. Can you rec me LAMP or any pairing between the light sides or platonic fics with happy endings? Even if it's the most basic ones that everyone has read, I probably haven't. Thanks so much!

*cracks knuckles*

this is gonna be a long one. it’ll go title, pairing, then super basic plot summary, so. below the cut!

as far as self-promotion goes, i’ll get that out of the way first and rec you some of my most popular stuff in this fandom. these links will be to ao3, though you can also find them on my tumblr:

where you lead, i will follow (romantic moxiety, romantic logince): 150k of a gilmore girls au that absolutely no one asked me for, you do not need to have read the show to read this. it’s slowburn friends-to-lovers moxiety and childhood friends-to-lovers for logince, this fic follows patton, who was a pregnant trans teen who ran away to the tiny town of sideshire, his son, logan, who just got accepted into one of the most prestigious high schools in the state, patton’s parents, emily and richard, who clash often with their son, virgil, the owner of the local diner and reason all the locals have not developed scurvy, and roman, a teenage dancer/dance instructor who just so happens to have a crush on his best friend. this is a big personal favorite of mine, and i’m still writing in that verse, so. 

lavender for luck (romantic polyamlamp): the fae family has been cursed with magic dating back two hundred years. with great power, however, comes a great price; any man or woman who falls in love with a fae is doomed to die. virgil fae is trying his best to ensure that that does not happen. as is his uncle, dee. however, three of the friends he makes at college makes that increasingly difficult, for him.

my true love gave to me (romantic prinxiety, romantic logicality): a christmas-centric fic of four roommates, all of which are in love with each other in some way. follow these disaster gays being wooed or attempting to woo their crush in time to make out under some mistletoe. (this fic was nominated for best overall in the fander fic awards on tumblr.)

not you again (romantic prinxiety): inexplicably my most popular fic in terms of tumblr notes, this follows roman being a Gay Disaster Barista who is crushing hard on one of his regulars, who unfortunately has a boyfriend (or does he?) ft. remy (aka the sleep character from thomas’ short vids.)

dance partner (platonic royality): the popularity of this one is also due to the fanart made by the incredible sanderstribute, roman takes patton for a night of dancing on the town. 

okay, that’s enough of my stuff. this section is mostly “fandom essentials” in that most people have either read them or are familiar with them, in some way. a lot of these are kind of old-school fander fics, but they’re still really good and a good introduction to fandom! mostly the most kudos/bookmarked fics on ao3. also a pretty good starting point to a variety of popular fic-types in this fandom.

to build a home (romantic logicality) by avalorouschoice on ao3: patton and logan adopt virgil from an orphanage. this is a lot of found family, kid-growing-closer-to-the-family, and it’s just. i Like It A Lot and i’m definitely due for a re-read of it, it’s just very sweet

starved (polyamlamp, ft. thomas) by @randomslasher: honestly, it was tough to pick just one randomslasher fic to put on the list (if you’d like more fandom essentials, i’d argue that lj has written a toooon of them so just reading through their fics would be good!) but this one kind of had to win out. this fic boils down to “virgil needs hugs desperately and hides how desperately he needs them from the other sides, the other sides find out, the other sides give him hugs.” that’s... yeah. that’s the one. it’s Good Stuff.

of trying and towers (romantic prinxiety) by @parsnipit: similarly difficult to parse down any parsnipit fics! a lot of their stuff ranks among my personal favorites, so again, just reading down the list of what they’d got is a Good Call especially once upon a dream, which is similarly one of those “fandom essentials.” this fic in particular is about thomas in medieval times, stuff goes wrong, and all the sides split up and are turned into what they hate/fear, and it’s their journey of teaming up together again and defeating the evil ruler in place of the kingdom. there’s dragons. it’s Good Stuff.

it’s only logical (romantic logicality, romantic prinxiety) by @tinysidestrashcaptain: logan owns a flowershop and hires single dad patton, while his best friend virgil, who owns a coffee shop, and roman flirts with virgil a lot. very cute, very sweet, kid thomas is Great! again, tstrashcaptain has a lot of the stuff i’d call “fandom essentials,” so. those! all good stuff!

silence and duality (platonic lamp) by @xaandiir: one of the first takes on the whole “dark sides” aspect we had, back in the day, this fic follows along with the sort of psychology/mentality of the sides as children, as they grow up, and the potential of what could happen to one of the dark sides, especially if they were rejected. i’m trying not to spoil it too much, but! again! good stuff!!

insomnia (platonic lamp) by @xaandiir: virgil cannot sleep, attempts to hide it from the other sides, and the other sides find out. Good Stuff. let the boy take a nap

learning & loving verse (romantic prinxiety, romantic logicality) by @virgilsjourney: jenna’s just... yeah, lots of really good fics there! again! a college verse fic in which Pining Roommates feature; virgil helps roman through some stage fright (trying not to spoil it!) to eventually star as fiyero in wicked, and the realization of Feelings throughout. good stuff!

college verse (platonic lamp) by @princelogical: again! one of those Really Great Authors to just read a ton of their stuff! this one in particular is a college verse, in which all the sides have various emotional reckonings. really great character development, really great backstory. i will say read the warnings, just in case!

and now, for some of my personal favorites. this is only a fraction of my favorite fics, and if you’d like more of my personal recommendations, i have a whole tag for fanfic! (if there’s an indent under, it just means ‘more by this author!’)

love and other fairytales (polyamlamp) by @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors: ohhh my fuckin god. worldbuilding a+, characterization a+, plot a+. have you ever wanted faerie!virgil and changeling!logan and witch!roman and a-little-cursed!patton??? you do! trust me you do! i have no idea how to describe it without spoiling any of the plot, however, i will say that this is basically just Straight Up a novel and has developed a little fandom of itself which is honestly so lovely to see, so!

faded with uncertainty (romantic prinxiety): in the aftermath of ‘dealing with intrusive thoughts,’ roman finds virgil crying in the midst of the mindscape and comforts him in the aftermath of That Reveal that virgil had in the video

blanket!verse (romantic prinxiety, romantic logicality): a few oneshots of varying topics, this deals with virgil and his anxiety in his new relatinoship, as well as patton’s tendency to hide emotions, with fluff involved in each. (canoodling especially it’s so soft and fluffy and just!!!)

track seven (romantic logicality): logan struggles with his emotions and snaps and blows up at everyone; patton tries his best to get to the bottom of it.

lovely, dark, and deep (romantic analogical) by @teacupfulofstarshine:  MERMAIDS!!!! virgil’s a doctoral student and thomas is his advisor, and logan, roman, and patton are all mermaids, of a sort. very good, very gay, the imagery is spectacular and it is Good! Stuff!!!

little and broken (but still good): moxiety as dads! logan, roman, and thomas are their kids! they’re all so good! so cute! really great family feels! i cry every single time! the domesticity! the FLUFF! it is a masterpiece!

the pattonella au (romantic analogical, romantic royality): oh my actual god, star, YOUR MIND, this au is just such a wonderful take on the cinderella fairytale and putting it within the context of the sides with its own little twists and turns, they are Cute and Good and the development of the relationship in the aftermath of a cinderella-type event is just chef’s kiss 

living in the real world (ain’t it fun): the sides coalesce into the real world, and thomas is KIND OF FREAKING OUT about it; they’re having trouble adjusting, at first, but since the work’s still in progress you can see them kind of slowly coming to terms with it and it’s just a take on the “sides become people” au that i’ve never really seen before so!!!!!!

stardust sleeper (and the college!verse in general): logan gets to take the nap He Deserves, there are Cute Accents in here, and it’s just a very cute, very good domestic slice-of-life in the midst of the chaos that is college. it’s Very Cute and Very Sweet and please just read it oh my god???? 

internal bleeding (past romantic logicality, romantic prinxiety) by @princelogical: virgil and roman come to visit patton at christmas, in the aftermath of patton’s husband’s death; his husband is very aware that he’s dead, but he hasn’t been able to leave yet. angst, hurt/comfort, Oh My Fuckin God

the queerplatonic logince verse: logan and roman are in a queerplatonic relationship, and the stuff that entails. i just really like it whenever someone focuses on aro or ace sides, and i think this is a really well-done portrayal of the fact that relationships absolutely do not need to be romantic in order to be significant.

i feel like it’s just me: patton is a professional cuddler, and the people he meets in the course of that job, ft. some patton angst and general thoughts about loneliness. to quote, “this is more of a concept piece,” but i very much like the concept

lists.: just a short, sweet lil thing about the other sides appreciating logan.

hold your breath until it’s okay by insertfandomjoke, @notafeeling on tumblr: a brooklyn 99 style au in which logan is the captain, and virgil, roman, and patton are the detectives—it’s a “Five Times They Closed a Case Without Anyone Getting Hurt and the One Time They Didn't” au. 

in which we are all virgil: in which virgil stares at elliott and thinks “oh no they cute!!!” and also presents elliott as joan’s anxiety and dr. picani as a fusion between patton and logan and it just. Good!

sweaters: patton makes his boyfriends all christmas sweaters and They Cute

habits (romantic logicality) by @astralbone: human au, slice-of-life kind of thing. the characterizations are Very Good and honestly i just really love to read it. both of them are hurting and their life may not be perfect but they’re fitting together and it’s just. it’s Very Good

sanders sides ficlets by @virgilsjourney: ranging a variety of topics/timespans in terms of the series, there is a ton here. you want movie night fluff? it’s here! you want hurt/comfort angst in which roman is locked away like in the snow queen? you got it! you want logan and patton mend up after moving on???? it’s here! just a lot of really good stuff!!!!!!

blink back to let me know (romantic moxiety, hinted romantic logince) by @virgilsanxiety and @shakespearesocks: virgil and patton are both pining, logan and roman don’t get paid enough for this, and they are Good Soft Boys who maybe need to improve a bit at communication

logic’s notebooks (romantic analogical) by @parsnipit: logan keeps notebooks about all the sides and feels bad about it; in the midst of all this, some Very Great domestic analogical

and you lied to all your selves (romantic prinxiety, romantic logicality) by penrosequartz: i haven’t read this in a minute, but it’s a prinxiety fic in which they get closer, and virgil is being, well, anxious, and i’d recommend you read the warnings but!!! loosely structured, good characterization, it’s just some! good! stuff!

migraine (analogical) by @theonlyjelly-iwillput-inmybelly (philosophicalrune on ao3): virgil is overworking himself through a migraine, logan helps him feel better, and tries his best to make virgil feel better. it’s cute and sweet and very good in terms of hurt/comfort, i tend to go back to it whenever school is stressing me out, so that should tell you something!

smile (platonic moxiety) by @doggo-fiends-on-a-spaceship: to steal their alternative title, “Alternatively titled: Virgil has a nightmare and wants a hug, but being emotionally constipated, Cannot Ask for one.” virgil has a nightmare and spends the night in patton’s room; the trouble is, patton did not know that he was doing that until he nearly trips over virgil. they are Good Boys and it’s just Real Nice

again, this is a tiny, miniscule fraction of really spectacular fics in this fandom—there’s a lot of talented people here, so happy reading!

[spidersmiceandeverythingnice]

What if Fionn was the Grand Saber

the justice we deserve... I literally have no idea what that would look like in canon but boy oh boy do I have IDEAS and COOL IMAGERY that I want to see regarding this

(read more because it turned out longer than expected WHOOPS lol)

Picture the final stage of the Camelot Lostbelt - the reverse side of Avalon, if you will. A crumbling tower surrounded by black flowers, each one draining mana from the air. Sherlock Holmes is long gone. Da Vinci and the rest of their crew, from the Shadow Border to the Wandering Sea, is far, far, far away. Beryl’s Assassin Servant has killed King Arthur, preventing them from destroying Beryl with a blast from Rhongominyad. Beryl has possession of Excalibur, the Holy Sword of the Planet, and intends to destroy it - the last remnants of the guardians who once protected this cursed land - and unleash his Lostbelt until it covers the world. The Phantasmal Tree is in full bloom, raining stardust. There will be no more gods, or faeries, and Galahad’s protection is as far away as it ever was.

Ritsuka’s power is fading, too. When they first came to Chaldea, they were considered a biological phenomenon - a human with no magic circuits that somehow produced enough mana to power a small city - and they’ve only gotten stronger with time. But it’s not enough. Not against this endless sea of curses, not against the embodiment of wickedness itself.

One by one, the Servants who assisted the remnants of Chaldea begin to fade away. Cu Chulainn, Queen Medb, Fergus and even Scathatch, the True Scathatch of Pan-Human History, who has finally met her end against an opponent she did not train, who she did not even anticipate. It has been a long and bitter war. The knights of the Round Table - first Lancelot, then Tristan, and brave Gareth, and Gawain, and Mordred, though the Traitorous Prince manages to send one last blast of signature red lightning through the skies. It does not reach it’s target, and Mordred slumps before disappearing. Finally, there was Sir Bedivere, winking out like a comet passing over the horizon.

Even if this place hadn’t been so evil, even if Assassin wasn’t so challenging as an opponent, it wouldn’t have mattered. Ritsuka can no longer support the Servants, can no longer cause them to manifest. It is hard to tell if they are dying, or if the flowers have swallowed their very Spiritual Origins, feeding the Phantasmal Tree.

Paracelsus and Jekyll are barely hanging on, trying to keep Assassin busy behind Mash’s cracked and broken barrier. The mold of Camelot is going to fall, and when it does, they will die.

There is one Servant, though, who does not stop fighting even for an instant.

The arc of Moralltach burns through the air. When it comes into contact with the black flowers, the hiss and fade away, filling the air with a burning stench. Diarmuid is nearly as fast as Assassin, and it’s clear that the enemy Servant is getting frustrated.They cannot keep Paracelsus’s spells at bay while simultaneously blocking each of Diarmuid’s attacks forever. Indeed, the dual-classing Servant has proved their greatest weapon in this Lostbelt. Closely attuned to the ancient gods and fey of this world, able to destroy any magic and even cut the threads of fate with his weapons. He even resisted the nega-genesis. Provided that he didn’t get too close to the Phantasmal Tree, Diarmuid seemed able to keep fighting indefinitely. At least, that seemed to be his intent.

Assassin must have realized it, too - and must have realized that Beryl was too busy playing around with the seals of Excalibur to be of any help - and that was why they changed tactics.

Ritsuka saw it unfold in an instant, and opened their mouth to shout a warning.

Assassin changed course. They were not heading for Jekyll, whose work with Diarmuid had given him an extra combative advantage - or for Paracelsus, who was drawing his sword and taking aim.

Instead, they went for the cracks in the Mold Camelot.

They were going to kill Mash.

She could block the blade - and destroy her barrier, leaving them vulnerable to the nega-gensis.

Or she could take the hit, and pray that she was strong enough to stand after Assassin was finished with her.

Time moves very slowly - Ritsuka feels like they are moving through molasses - and then, something happens that they didn’t expect.

Gae Dearg reappears; his Spiritual Origin flickers and shifts, contracts in response to the sudden change - Diarmuid has aimed for a killing blow while Assassin’s back was turned to him.

The red spear sinks into Assassin’s stomach, and then, it disappears -

An illusion! Ritsuka forces their legs to work, and breaks into a run.

Assassin’s blade sinks into his back, sliding cleanly between powerful shoulder blades. 

At once, Gae Buidhe stabs outward, slicing a clean line down Assassin’s torso as they leap to get away from the weapon. There’s a spray of blood, and then a scream of delirious laughter, and then the enemy Servant is gone, back to their Master to get healing before they come back to finish the job.

But even though Diarmuid ua Duibhne sinks to his knees, blood streaming into the bed of black flowers beneath him, he does not immediately fade away.

Ritsuka feels a bubble of panic rise like a scream in their throat as they come up to Mash, who is in tears.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry -”

“No,” says Diarmuid, levelly, putting a hand to the exit wound in his chest. “I managed to get a fair number of strikes in. No matter what power source they are drawing from, it cannot last forever. Nothing can. I think we have some time now, anyway. You must hold the barrier, Mash. It’s important for what comes next.”

Mash nods, even as tears streak down her cheeks. “I will! I won’t let go no matter what!”

“Good. Master?”

He looks up, clear-eyed and expectant. Tears prickle in Ritsuka’s eyes.

“You should have given me more of a warning,” they say, choked. “I needed more time.”

Diarmuid smiles, almost sheepishly. “Well, if I’m right about this -” a wet cough; blood bubbles up from his lips and Ritsuka feels cracks spreading in their resolve. “- which I am, then it doesn’t matter what happens to me now. Everything will be fine.”

And even though everything is awful, he says this with such radiant confidence, that Ritsuka believes him.

Diarmuid holds out his hand, and Ritsuka hands him the hunting horn that they had collected from the Wild Hunt. Ritsuka comes close and helps Diarmuid stay upright, pressing their hand tight against the gaping wound, feeling the crackling energy within - Assassin’s poisonous mana - and with gritted teeth, begins running through a healing spell. Please, oh, please, let this work.

Diarmuid speaks in a language that Ritsuka does not know or recognize.

Then he lifts the horn to his lips, and -

All other sound disappears.

A single, clear note, pure as a hawk’s cry.

A breeze washes over them, and only then does Ritsuka realize how unbearably hot this flowerbed was - a greenhouse from hell - and even as the thought crosses their mind, the flowers wither and die. Mana is immediately restored to the area behind Mash’s shield, and immediately, the Earth begins to repair itself. Ritsuka feels it like a pulsing heartbeat, and thinks, Is this Avalon restoring itself? Or is it - the Counterforce?

No, that didn’t make sense. But - at the same time - they are summoning a guardian. The circumstances are extraordinary, and before it was cursed, this was indeed Avalon. So perhaps...

A hand comes down on Ritsuka’s shoulder, and they look up.

A familiar-looking man is standing there, even though there had been nothing here a second before, and there was no way for anyone to enter this place since Beryl had sealed the gateways. He is wearing a blue cape over simple, fur-lined armor. His hair is spun gold; he seems to be glowing faintly. He is at once divine, a giant, and perfectly normal, though he smells faintly of river-flowers and dark woods. His eyes are filled with fire, infinitely gentle and warm, and he carries a sword across his back that is not Excalibur - but -

“Please,” says Fionn MacCumhail. His voice is just as Ritsuka remembers, but at the same time, it seems to come from everywhere. It fills him with a sense of strength and peace, and Ritsuka thinks they might cry all over again, just from sheer relief. “May I?”

Stunned, Ritsuka steps back.

Diarmuid grumbles when Fionn takes a waterskin from his side and pours a measure into his hand.

“Took you long enough,” he says, as Fionn tips the water into his captain’s mouth.

At once, the wound on Diarmuid’s back closes, and Assassin’s poison disappears as if it had never existed. Ritsuka registers a surge of mana - that counts as a mana transfer? 

Diarmuid stands, and Fionn claps him on the shoulder.

“You’ve done well to protect these two,” says Fionn. “Now, please - I know it is difficult for you to avoid showing off - but please don’t get in my way.”

Diarmuid smiles thinly, amused. “No promises, my lord.”

“Dear shieldmaiden,” says Fionn, smiling down at Mash. “You have become an exemplary warrior! I see I was right to single you out back then! I have always had a keen eye for talent. Kindly lead the way for us?”

Mash stutters. “But the barrier -”

“It is no longer necessary. I am here now.”

He spoke simply, with no room for arguments. Ritsuka looks at Mash, whose mouth is stretched thing, whose lip is raw from biting into it.

“Mash, do as he says. We’ll take our cues from you -” Ritsuka pauses, blinking at Fionn, trying to get a better read on him and his new status. (A part of Ritsuka honestly hadn’t even believed Diarmuid when he proposed this plan - could summoning a Grand Servant truly be so simple as sounding a hunting horn?) “Saber.”

Fionn smiles. “Ah yes,” he says, with a chuckle, as if just remembering an obvious fact. “I still am a Servant, even like this.” He turns to Diarmuid, who is at attention. “Call for the others, will you? It is time for the Fianna to fulfill our responsibilities. Lady Mash, when I draw my sword - drop the barrier - we shall finish the battle now, without further delays.”

Diarmuid nods, and lifts the horn to his lips.

Fionn takes the sword from his back, and the battle begins again.

[thenightling]

Films and shows to get you ready for Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman

Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is getting adapted into a series by Netflix.   Though this is a DC comics property, The Sandman is NOT like Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman.  The Sandman is a gorgeous and surreal fantasy that only partially takes place in the human world.  A big part of it takes place in the fantasy realm known as The Dreaming. 

There is very little combat action though there is horror.   To give you an idea of what you are in for (Or if you are a Sandman fan already and want something to hold you off) here are twenty-five films and shows that share some of the traits (or atmosphere) you might find in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.

25.   The Raven (1963 film).  This might seem like an oddball one to list since it’s a Gothic Horror fantasy comedy from the 1960s but it gets referenced in The Sandman by Matthew imitating Peter Lorre and later Matthew compared Cain to Vincent Price.  I think it’s safe to say Matthew was a Price (or Roger Coman) fan.  

24.   Death.   Death is a short animated film from DC and was featured as bonus content for the Blu Ray of the animated movie Wonder Woman: Bloodlines. 

Though she looks younger (appearing about nineteen-years-old) Death is the older sister of Morpheus AKA Dream of The Endless, the main protagonist of The Sandman.  She was first introduced in The Sandman issue 8, The Sound of Her Wings.

23.   Stardust.

Stardust is a fantasy film based on the novel (and graphic novel) by Neil Gaiman.  Though there are liberties taken, this should give you some idea of what his fantasy writing is like.

 22.    Beetlejuice the animated series. 

If you want an idea of what The Dreaming (realm of Dreams) is like then I urge you to check out the surreal Neither (that’s not a typo) World from the Beetlejuice animated series.  The monsters that inhabit this realm are the stuff of fantasy and nightmares.  Some are living puns.  And they are ruled over by a broody Goth who makes it rain when he’s depressed and feeling melodramatic, much like a certain Dream Lord from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman...

21.  Bonus listing:   The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.  

One major antagonist of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is a nightmare entity known as The Corinthian who escapes into the waking world and becomes a serial killer.  Had Sandman been adapted in the mid-90s I think many would have loved a crossover with Freddy Krueger.  

20.   Return to Oz.

If by some weird chance you have never seen The Wizard of Oz or any faithful (read: Not 2010) version of Alice in Wonderland I would recommend those first.  But under the assumption you may have already seen those I would suggest watching Return to Oz.   Return to Oz features an adorable Jack-o-lantern headed character called Jack Pumpkinhead.   Jack Pumpkinhead was the loose inspiration for the grounds keeper dream entity character of Mervyn Pumpkinhead in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.  

19. Tales from the Crypt (TV series).

Issue 2 of The Sandman is called Imperfect Hosts because all of the characters introduced in that issue are former horror host characters from horror anthology comics.  Cain and Abel were DC’s answer to The Crypt keeper and The Vault Keeper.  For a good idea of who Cain actually is (assuming he’s in the show along with his House of Mystery) I strongly recommend checking out the TV show Tales from the Crypt.  

18.   Tales from the Cryptkeeper (animated series)

In the mid-1990s there was an animated series adaptation of Tales from the Crypt called Tales from the Cryptkeeper.  Season 2 featured the three original EC comics horror hosts of the Cryptkeeper, Vault Keeper, and the Old Witch.  These storytellers might give you an idea of who (or what) some of Morpheus’ Nightmare minion are in The Sandman.

 17.    Hocus Pcous.  

I chose to put this one here because the three witches of Hocus Pocus very much remind me of the Hecatae version of The Three-in-one from The Sandman Issue 2.   There’s also a powerful Grimoire that is a plot catalyst. 

16.   The 10th Kingdom.

The 10th Kingdom was a fantasy mini-series that aired on NBC in 2000.   It dealt with a twenty-seven-year-old young woman who discovers that her estranged mother is the evil queen in a faery tale world.   It is very much a story about stories (much like parts of The Sandman) and shows you the original dark and unvarnished versions of some classic faery tales as well as how those characters (and their descendants) carry on centuries later.

15.   Once Upon a Time (TV series.  Particularly seasons 1 through 3.)  

Much like with 10th Kingdom we have here a story about stories and those characters from classic stories trying to live in the human world with varying degrees of success.  You see how important their stories are and how carefully and intricately each tale was interwoven with each other.  (...Until around season 4 that is...)

Also it begins with a very powerful creature imprisoned and later undergoing an extremely long redemption arc and a sense of guilt tied to the death of his own son.

14.  Constantine:  City of Demons.

John Constantine appears in one issue of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.   Issue 3.   Constantine: City of Demons gives a good crash course on who Constantine is and where he comes from.  John Constantine’s ancestor, Johanna Constantine is a recurring character in The Sandman.

13.  Justice League: Dark animated movie.   

Justice League:  Dark is the first animated movie to feature The House of Mystery.  The House of Mystery is a building whose roots are in The Dreaming in The Sandman.

12.   Constantine (2014 series).  

 In 2014 Constantine got his own live action series but it only lasted for one season. 

11.  Locke and Key.

Only recently did I learn Locke and Key will be doing an official crossover with The Sandman Universe.

 10.    Lucifer TV series.  

The TV show Lucifer is an oddball thing since it was based on a comic that is actually a spin-off of The Sandman.  The storyline that introduces us to Mazikeen, where Lucifer quits ruling Hell, opens Lux, and takes up playing Piano all come from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.

When Fox got the rights to Lucifer no one thought The Sandman was going to be getting an adaptation, at least not in the near future.  As a result several conversations and key pieces of dialogue that originally passed between Morpheus and Lucifer in The Sandman comics now went to Lucifer and his therapist, Linda, and his angel-brother, Amenadiel. 

Bonus: If at all possible check out the Crisis on infinite Earths event from the CW as the real Crisis on Infinite Earths (original comic event) eventually gave way to things like The Sandman.

9.   The Witches (1990) and Coraline (2009)   I couldn’t decide which one to put here so I put them both.

  The Witches is a children’s horror film based on the book by Roald Dahl. I suggest this here for its darker themes and you get a group of dangerous, child-killing witches attending a meeting at a hotel, much like The Corinthian’s Serial Killer convention in The Sandman.

Coraline is a stop motion fantasy / horror story for children and can give you some idea of what certain aspects of The Sandman are like, as it is by the same author.

8.    Pan’s Labyrinth.  

The Sandman is very much part fantasy and part Gothic horror and no director alive quite fits that criteria now better than Guillermo del Toro and possibly Tim Burton.   Pan’s Labyrinth has the surreal beauty and darkness you are likely to see in The Sandman.

7.   Doom Patrol.

Doom Patrol was the first DC show that made me have faith that yes, they CAN adapt Sandman respectfully and unafraid of the strangeness it might entail.  Doom Patrol seemed unafraid to tackle the strange, quirkiness of it’s own content.  From a talking roach, to gender-queer sentient street named Danny, Doom Patrol was not afraid to be strange.  

6.   Swam Thing (2019 TV series from DC Universe Streaming Service).

I mostly suggest this for one character in particular. Matthew Cable.  After Matthew died in The Sandman comics he chose to spend his afterlife as Morpheus’ raven.

Besides featuring a character from The Sandman Swamp Thing gives a very good Gothic atmosphere and supernatural content, giving you an idea of the sort of horror DC can do.  

6.  Justice League Action:   Trick or Threat.   And Justice League action: Supernatural adventures in Babysitting.

The episode of Justice League Action called Trick or Threat features Cain, a nightmare character from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, as well as The House of Mystery.   This was Cain’s first appearance in media.  The version of Cain in the TV show Lucifer is nothing like his comic book counterpart.  This cartoon is the first and only faithful adaptation of the character from the comics.

The episode of Justice League Action called Supernatural Adventures in Babysitting features the Magdalene Grimoire. This is the grimoire used to summon Morpheus in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.  It also features John Constantine.

    5.   She-Creature:  The Mermaid Chronicles (2001 film)

This is an odd from about some humans have a captured mermaid.  The majority of the film is about her escape and revenge on her captors.  You will see something similar to that with Morpheus in the very first episode of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.    

4.  The Company of Wolves. 

The Company of Wolves is a story about stories.  In the ontemporary world a pubescent girl sleeps during her first period. She dreams that she is Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother tells her horrific stories about werewolves.  The wolves become metaphors For puberty, masculinity, and waking sexuality.  Toward the end Rosealeen (the protagonist) becomes one of the wolves.   You get random stark reminders that this entire film is set in a dream world, and yet it’s still strangely easy to forget.

 3.   The Nightmare before Christmas.

The Nightmare before Christmas is a fantasy musical about the king of Halloween.  Though he’s adored by his subjects he longs for more.  The surreal landscape and strange creatures can be reminiscent of The Sandman.

2.   Labyrinth.

One of the earliest efforts to talk me into reading The Sandman entailed someone telling me that Morpheus was “Like a Goth Jareth.”   This effort (at the time) failed to entice me though I do love Labyrinth.   

1.   Over The Garden Wall. 

I only saw Over the Garden Wall for the first time about a year and a half ago and loved it very much.   This is a strange animated mini-series about two brothers lost in a forest called “The Unknown.”   The setting has been debated among fans as to if it’s purgatory (a place between life and death), a dream realm, or something else entirely.  I choose to believe that though it may be a place between life and Death that it’s also a part of The Dreaming, especially with so many surreal and Gothic visuals, and characters and creatures directly out of vintage seasonal cards.

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

Reasons to watch “Stardust” (2007)

“Stardust” is one of my absolute favourite fantasy movies and yet it’s supremely underrated? Which is why I want to give everyone reasons to watch it - I’ve tried to leave out massive spoilers but you know, beware if you haven’t seen the film and would like to!

First of all the original book was written by Neil Gaiman, who also wrote Good Omens (well, he wrote it with Sir Terry Pratchett I think) and Coraline.

The cast of this film is incredible; the lead is played by Charlie Cox, who has since gone on to do The Theory of Everything and Marvel’s Daredevil. Claire Danes plays a fallen star called Yvaine, and she’s both beautiful and hilarious. Michelle Pfieffer plays a witch who wants to eat the star’s heart; Robert DeNiro plays a gay sky pirate who likes to cross-dress; David Kelly (Grandpa Joe in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) plays the old man guarding the wall who somehow knows how to knock people about; the narrator is Ian McKellen; there are 7 princes, some of whom are already dead, some who die in the film, and they’re played by people like David Walliams, Rupert Everett, Mark Strong, etc. Peter O’Toole appears briefly as the dying king, Ben Barnes plays a younger version of Tristan’s father, Sienna Miller plays a spoilt girl called Victoria who Tristan at first wants to marry, and her suitor is played by Henry Cavill. Ricky Gervais plays Ferdy, who’s not in it a lot but is hilarious. Honestly, the list goes on and on!

The basic story is that Tristan is this boy living in a village called Wall, and he wants to marry this spoilt woman called Victoria. One night, when they’re having a picnic together under the stars, they see a falling star; he promises to bring it back to her before her 18th birthday in exchange for her hand in marriage. He then sets out to bring the star back to his village, but the star isn’t a lump of rock, she’s this ethereal woman who is PISSED at being knocked out of the sky. Crossing the wall that borders “Wall” takes you into this Faerie/Fae land. Everyone is looking for the star too in the Fae world because eating the heart of a star will give you beauty and add years to your life. The necklace/gem that knocked Yvaine out of the sky was sent there by the dying king, and his remaining/surviving sons have to find it if they want to be the next king - and Yvaine wears it as a necklace after falling to earth, so they’re after her too. I don’t want to give too much away but there’s so much going on in this film that later ties together so neatly!

Unlike a lot of romance in movies, the romance in this movie is actually not completely cringeworthy. It’s super sweet and romantic, and develops really nicely.

Robert DeNiro dancing whilst wearing a corset/skirt and make-up, whilst also decorated in sailor tattoos, is reason enough to watch this film frankly.

It’s an epic fantasy which is also reason enough to watch it.

This film is a mix of all kinds of genres and it’s epic: fantasy, romance, adventure, a bit of action, comedy...

Charlie Cox? Is really cute??

There’s a scene where Tristan is talking to his dad about how the old man at the wall beat the shit out of him, and his dad is just like “Tristan, he’s 97...?!?” It’s super hilarious!

The soundtrack is STUNNING?! The cinematography is also STUNNING, holy moly...

Prince Septimus (Mark Strong) is literally the shadiest mofo throughout the whole thing and it’s the best.

Yvaine is super sassy and I love her. It’s really hard not to like her, she’s just so amazing

Near the beginning, Tristan mistakenly thinks that Yvaine is his long lost mother 😂

“But of course! Nothing says "romance" like a gift of a kidnapped injured woman!”

The relationship between Tristan and Yvaine is also hilarious, like their banter is honestly so strong

“Close your eyes and think of home...well that was a great plan! You thought of your home and I thought of mine, and now we’re stuck halfway between the two!” “Oh, you stupid cow!”

Yvaine literally glows and shines whenever she’s happy, and if that’s not the cutest thing then I don’t know what is

At one point Tristan gets turned into a mouse and it’s strangely really adorable?? And it helps move the relationship along between the two characters??

Lamia (the Michelle Pfeiffer Witch) starts off really young and pretty but progressively starts to age and look worse and worse gradually, and it’s so cool to see?

Also shoutout to the moment where she goes to remove some wrinkles from her face with magic and it makes her boobs go from perky to saggy 😂

At one point Tristan, thinking he’s talking to the beautiful innkeeper’s daughter, asks “oh what’s your name” and the girl (who’s actually a farm boy that the witch turned into a woman to help with her ruse to lure Yvaine in) just goes “Bernard” in this gruff manly voice 😂

The princes literally have blue blood, I can’t get over that for some reason

Also all the dead princes make appearances as ghosts, and they’re kind all frozen in the way they’ve died? So one got pushed off a tower window and so his face is smushed to one side and his hair is wind blown in one direction. But their banter is also super hilarious

This film is actually super dark when you think about it, like people literally want to cut someone’s heart out of her chest and eat it?? And the princes are all trying to murder each other

I keep saying about Robert DeNiro but he is literally one of the best parts of this whole film, like in front of his crew he puts on the tough “Captain Shakespeare” act but then in private he becomes so flamboyant and it’s both funny and cute??

“Ever tried to get bloodstains out of a silk shirt? Nightmare!”

There’s a scene where the captain is “cutting” Tristan’s hair and his hair is short until this point...but then it suddenly becomes long out of nowhere and it’s so funny??

“It’s alright, Captain...we always knew you were a whoopsie”

“You better be telling the truth, you two faced dog” “I can get you one of them, actually. Very good guard dogs, they can watch the front door and the back door at the same time”

Victoria getting her comeuppance is honestly the most satisfying thing, like I was cackling like crazy because she really deserves it.

“Grow up, and get over yourself” - LITERAL TEARS FLOWING FROM MY EYES LORD ALMIGHTY

The film has really lovely messages about love and true love and all of that, it’s honestly so wonderful

^ There’s also another speech when Tristan is a mouse that Yvaine gives and it’s literally the most beautiful heartfelt love confession I’ve ever heard. Under any other circumstances, in any other film, performed my any other actress or any other character, it would be cheesey - but in Stardust, it’s perfect.

The ending of the book is super sad and bittersweet, but the movie alters that ending slightly so that it’s happier. I won’t give spoilers but the movie definitely has a much happier feeling to it than the end of the book.

The song that plays over the end credits is “Rule the World” by Take That and I literally cannot hear that song without thinking of this film ♥️ even if you don’t watch the film (which please do!), at least listen to the song!

[artoflifehealingarts]

It's funny how upside down

and

inside out

it all just. is

I seem to be. right where I was

Right. where I be

When I was about 3

My mind filled with clouds

Feet in the sand

In my own wonderland

I seem to have lived just to get back

To me... And I~ for one

Never did struggle,

with that! It was absolutely where I

Longed to ......BE!

I always liked me

All of me

Was a rebel without a cause

Square peg in round world

It never really mattered much

Never really lost my touch

I always did

always did like

Me.

Didn't really understand

Why anyone

Would want to be

Something

They simply

We're not.!!.. And in the changes

The saving graces

The climbs and trying to fit into places✈✈✈✈✈

I always

Yes!

always

Longed to just be

Very much so

Just

Me

So there I was... And that be where I have been

For a while now😊

Since the day I landed by lady lake and began to live as just plain old me👽

Ya see.

🐼

Funny how it goes

to make it out with your mind as a child

Mine never grew up...

Did struggle with that

So much I

Had to let

That train

Goooooo

So

Back

To essence🗝 came all this way

Just to get back home

To

My silliness self

Wanna giggle but my belly may wiggle !! The answer to the riddle was me!!!!! To transform into something so far from myself

And oh boy I did I did!

And yet

To

See

that

It's all just

A dream

Or an ocean of me inside of me

Outside or inside

Makes all the sense

To

Me 😂😂😂😂😂 Just trippin on stardust

In

A breath of eternity

I be.

What dreams my come what dreams may go

Where it ends

Nobody

Knnnooooowwwwwsssss

And that be just

Really

Just

Faerie dust

Pixie dust

Ok

By

Me

Not sure where I am going

But I know where I be

Perfectly

Perfectly

In

A sea

Of

Me.

P.S and just to confess

I care not who cares

Who sees

Who hates likes or goes to the sun or the moon.

I Am happy just like when

I was

3

Shakti

E.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_EL7hSh_-92akklVEoMoFegbOM1KEp3XoKaiA0/?igshid=zi7bkcyj1lms

[spookyclooky]

Book Review 2: Electric Boogaloo (2022 Edition)

hello, everyone, I'm back once again to talk about the books I've read for 2022!

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Goodreads Book Description: Go and catch a falling star . . . Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria Forester—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that stone barrier, Tristran learns, lies Faerie, a world of lords and witches . . . and the most exhilarating adventure of the young man’s life. 

My Goodreads Review: (Warning! Contains spoilers!)

(I gave this 4 stars)

Now that I’ve finished this book, I’m not entirely sure what to say about it other than I felt very mystified reading it. It was interesting to see the difference in ending between the movie and the book (since I saw the movie long before reading this), and I like the ending of the movie more. I’m not gonna expand too much upon that, but I was glad that it was more of an adult fantasy novel. It felt realistically magical and I enjoyed reading it, though Yvaine’s characterization is a bit off to me. I think that her feelings toward Tristran could have been shown in a much more natural progression, I don’t feel that the book truly did Tristran and Yvaine’s relationship justice? I think it could have been tweaked a bit. I also am slightly annoyed that his name is Tristran and not Tristan, because I have no idea how to pronounce Tristran correctly and it’s awkward so I’ve been more or less ignoring the fact that there’s another R in there. I’ve been reading it as Tristan. Also, I thought his mother was unnecessarily rough with Tristan? I feel like she should have been more delighted to see her son for the first time in 18 years rather than saying “I ask you ONE time to rule Stormhold and THIS is how you treat me?” It felt sort of gaslight-y and I wasn’t down for that. I sorta like that she had cat ears, though, that was cool. Not to mention the graphic sex scene that was somehow included in there?? It threw me for a loop seeing it just kinda sprinkles in toward the beginning of the book. I don’t think it really fit with the theme of the story and it felt out of place and jarring the way it was introduced to us. I also don’t understand why he was happy to see his sister, when through his whole life she’s been nothing but a bully to him. I feel that should have been addressed more, as well as the passive aggressiveness he was shown by the woman his father married and he had perceived to be his mother. ALSO, Victoria marrying the older shopkeeper feels weird, I don’t like that. I don’t know how old he is but the way they describe him in the book makes it feel like he’s too old for her, especially if she’s either the same age or a year younger than Tristan. Her age wasn’t very clear, though, like the only part of it that’s clear is that they’re close in age. I preferred the character of Humphrey being the romantic rival for Tristan, considering he seemed to be about their age as well. I appreciate that Victoria wasn’t as entitled in the book as she was in the movie, though it was way more satisfying seeing Tristan sort of stand up to her rather than simply being like, “If you’re in love with another man, I wish for you to be happy and nothing more,”. It does make sense, considering he cared for her enough to travel literal months to find a star for her. One thing I did quite enjoy about the book as opposed to the movie was the more dynamic nature of the environment and the more zany characters that were encountered along the way, (such as the weird little hairy man and the sentient forest that tried to attack them, for example.) Considering this is possibly the longest review I’ve written for goodreads, I’m going to stop here. All in all, it was a wonderful read and I’m happy I spent the time to go through it. (Shit, that was so long sorry lmao)

2) The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Goodreads Book Description: Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful. Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back. There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

My Goodreads Review: I gave it 2 stars but didn't write a separate review for it. I remember really not liking it, though

3) Heartstopper: Volume 1-4

Goodreads Book Description (Book 1): Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more...? Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn't been too great, but at least he's not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He's heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months - but he's never had the opportunity to talk to him. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...

(I didn't add any more cause the first book sort of summarized the series)

My Goodreads Review: (I rated them all 5 stars but didn't write a separate review for any of them)

4) Blackwater by Jeanette Arroyo, Ren Graham

Goodreads Book Description:

Riverdale meets Stranger Things in this debut queer YA graphic novel, developed from a hit webcomic. Set in the haunted town of Blackwater, Maine, two boys fall for each other as they dig for clues to a paranormal mystery. "For fans of Heartstopper and Teen Wolf." —School Library Journal Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad’s attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more . . .) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama. Co-illustrated by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham, who alternate drawing chapters in their own unique and dynamic styles, Blackwater combines the spookiness of Anya's Ghost with the irreverent humor of Nimona.

My Goodreads Review:

(I gave this 5 stars)

cute and lgbtq+ with supernatural beings! what more could someone ask for??? plus the art is fantastic. like, i honestly couldn't tell 2 different artists were illustrating

----

I hope you enjoyed my lil ramblings about these books and I can't wait to tell you guys all about what I read in the coming year!

If you want to find me on Goodreads, let me know and I'll figure out how to make that happen!

Till next time, y'all!