#so many side characters we barely saw in book 3

[thatvampireenthusiast]

*shows up to the finale a day late with take out*

WOW was this. a ride. i went through. SO MANY EMOTIONS and also that boss fight was *oof* it took me a few tries though not as many tries as magical girl transformation jaania

but!!! just!!! the mage trio!!! who we have to leave behind!!! who is depending on us to get them out of there!!! aequillibria and everything it entails!!! i'll be glad to slow down with dragonfable for a bit now that i've caught up (except for everything with roirr and the first weaver stuff i didn't actually. get to that. but i will. i have Theories about what exactly happened there given it's placement in the timeline or rather, what the consequences of it were (aka i think i know what broke the magesterium or at least who broke the magesterium)), but i'm also super excited for what may come next!!!

we've got all these new tiny fissures, we've got the rift still open in the deadlands, we've got aequllibria to figure out, there's of course several open-ended side stories that still need closure like the fear saga and six heroes... and there's so much more of lore to discover! obviously there's more of the continent across the sea, but what about the lands to the south? the other side of the world where uaanta and notha come from! so many possibilities!!

but also the finale itself was so satisfying. it tied up some more threads, left other stuff open for the epilogue and for the future book 4, made me cry over the mage trio and then made me lose my mind over cysero and his big red (reset???) button (dragonfable devs please you can't keep doing stuff like this to us you've put so many mechquest references in book 3 we're gonna lose it (i still actually have to. play through mech quest. hopefully in a more sedate manner than i have torn through dragonfable). duality of video game, tonal whiplash my beloved

...i don't know where i was going with this but in conclusion i love this game and i'm still having emotions about everything

just. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[astrxealis]

i shut up abt ffxiv for now hii good noon u all take care :3 <333

[semifilms]

Prompt : waking up horrified as they find out pictures of them making out in a parking lot have been spread everywhere overnight

Character: The rooster headed capitalist

PLEASEEEEE

Thank you <3

☆"WHAT DO WE DO NOW?" | kuroo tetsuro

a/n - tell me why when i tried to title this i struggled so i wrote it first then settled. anyway! i also thought imagine “rooster head capitalist” is someone completely different…i’ll delete my account

cw - light swearing & manga spoilers (?)

prompt list - @novelbear

last night was mostly a blur to you. you remember going out to hang out with some of your friends. no, it wasn’t a blur because you were hungover, you honestly em barely even drank. the night was just long and…interesting.

as you groggily say up in your bed rubbing your eyes, you thought back to last night. and your fingers hovered over your lips at a specific moment in the night. one where you were in a dimly lit booth with one of your closest friends. kuroo tetsuro.

you’ve known him for a few years now and he’d never really tried anything with you. romantically that is. yet last night he was all over you. making flirty comments and touching you in places that gave you butterflies. even if they were just small gestures.

and last night, you fed into the flirting because why not? the next thing you knew though, your lips were interlocked with his, and his jaw was cupped gently on your jaw.

you'd admit it, kuroo was a good kisser, a great one even. especially when that was the first thing you thought about the next morning. but you’re just friends and nothing more so why did it even happen?

you were pulled away from your thoughts when you heard your phone continuously vibrate. letting out a small yawn you reached for your phone and turned it on to see several missed calls and texts. “oh shit.” you mumbled out loud as you opened one from your cousin, confused.

it was just a link to twitter followed by three question marks, so you clicked it ad your mouth fell slightly agape when the tweet loaded and you saw the photos attached.

if it weren’t for the familiar black bead of hair you wouldn’t have been able to tell that the other person in the image. barely visible but lips so obviously locked with kuroo’s was you. you didn’t even want to scroll through the replies, just the thought made your stomach churn.

the caption on the tweet read;

Kuroo Tetsuro, JVA for the Japan Men’s National Volleyball Team was spotted last night with a mystery lover. Many thought he was an eligible bachelor, but were they wrong? Read more here!: (linktogossipsite.jp)

without another thought, you opened up your call log and searched his name, and hit call. the line buzzed a few times before you heard his voice ring through.

“hello?” he has just woken up, and his voice was low and groggy. you could hear him shuffling to sit up.

“have you seen twitter?” you asked immediately after his response. “no, i just woke up, you woke me up.” he groaned. “we’ll check, because you’re trending.” you said with an eye roll before adding on, “actually, we’re trending.”

with that you could hear him scramble out of his bed on the other side, “hold on” he mumbled before his side went silent. you waited in silence impatiently. “OH SHIT!” kuroo booked through the phone. “who even took these, do these people not know what privacy is?”

you chucked a little bit at his comment, “i don’t think i want to be spotted with you in public anymore if it means im going o be photographed mr. sports promoter for the national volleyball team.” you cooed teasingly.

“hey don’t be like that! who cares if we were together anyway, it’s not anyone else’s business but ours.” you felt butterflies flutter around in your stomach at that comment. but you shouldn’t have, because that wouldn’t happen. you were just friends.

right?

“kuroo what do we do now?”

“do you want to go out tonight y/n?” he cut you off and you felt a lump form in your throat. “did you even hear me?” you asked. “i heard what you were trying to say, yes.” he said, “but i want to take you out on a proper date. last night was us and friends, and it wasn’t a date.”

“are you serious? people are going to keep thinking we’re a couple?”

“so? who cares y/n? do you want to go on a date or not?” you’d be lying to yourself if you said no. and besides, he was right, who really cared if random people on the internet would get upset. “okay yeah sure.”

“great, dress nice and i’ll pick you up at 9 tonight.”

©semifilms do not copy, repost or translate my works

reblogs appreciated!

[xjulixred45x]

OKEY I know I should be working on JJK's other works now, but I have to talk about Helluva Boss as someone who studied the Divine Comedy (a work that Vivziepop based on to create hell and some characters) and say that it is INCREDIBLE.

First of all, ASMODEUS AND BEELZEBU, I saw a lot of people confused about why they seem like good people while Mammon is an idiot, but it is actually something that is repeated in the book in a way, let me elaborate.

In the divine comedy, the sin of lust is just below purgatory, that is, it is the first sin, the first circle, the least serious of all, and contrary to what some believe, they are not people like rapists, but people who did "inappropriate" or taboo sexual acts for the time (such as sodomy), had sex before marriage, "forbidden" romances, etc.

Even the punishment given to these people is that they are separated into the air with hellish winds, and just when they are about to come into contact with someone/the person they love, they are separated at the last moment. My teacher even said "the worst punishment for lustful people was to have the person they loved within reach and not be able to touch them."

Which fits Asmodeus very well! we are literally told in the show that it is the least threatening sin of all. It's quite appropriate. Don't talk about the relationship he has with Fizz, I mean did you see how he was when he was kidnapped? He almost went crazy.

NOW WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, THE BEE DESIGN.

Many, and I mean MANY, people complained about the design, I get it, it's a bit overloaded. but i was also able to find a VERY good reference to the Divine Comedy that somewhat excuses her appearance as a dog rather than a bee.

In the divine comedy, the Gluttons endure an endless hail shower under the ATTENTIVE EYE OF CAN CERBERUS.

CERBERUS.

The legendary 3-headed dog! Because yes, in the divine comedy they put several characters from various mythologies (although the Greek one was Dante's favorite, since Charon, the old man who passes souls to the other side of the Acheron river, also appears).

I think it better explains why they decided on that design for Bee and her attentive attitude towards the people in her circle. After all, gluttons eat without measure and don't know when to stop, but in theory Cerberus prevents them from escaping the circle, so Bee prevents them from reaching that extreme.

Regarding Mammon, I can see why they made him an idiot, in the divine comedy the greedy were seen as plainly selfish who withheld their goods or squandered them without control, it is something that you cannot get anything positive from (not like being a glutton at parties or being lustful for your partner for example). I really like that they made him a pure and simple villain.

and my last comment regarding the serious work of the circle of laziness, yes, we barely have anything, but from the little I saw, I already have a reference.

The people in the circle seem to be amphibians or reptiles, even fish (except for the goat doctor), which is quite ironic considering that in the book the sloths are constantly DROWNED.

(EDITH: I FUCKED UP, THE FISH AND AMPHIBIANS ARE FROM THE ENVY RING, FOR THE LEVIATHAN, NOT FROM THE SLOTH, THE ONLY FISH THAT IS FROM THE SLOTH IS THE SHARKS, SORRY ABOUT THAT ONE)

ahghg sorry you have to put up with my fangirling over La Divina comedia and Helluva Boss, I know many hate the series but I love it.

I'll write something about JJK soon, don't worry. Love ya.

[bishy437]

Hey! I know it’s a bit late but I just saw your polls and your recent own opinion and thought I’d add my two cents. Scum Villain is my personal favorite and tgcf is my least favorite. Like many others, tgcf was my first danmei and first mxtx novel and svsss is my most recent.

I liked tgcf but it didn’t really feel like anything was happening, the pacing was very slow and a lot of the arcs felt really disconnected from eachother (which makes sense considering the scale and all the characters but..) a lot of the arcs that heavily featured side characters didn’t really grab my attention as well as, for example, the Yi City arc from mdzs did. I tried to latch onto the characters, I really did but they just didn’t leave much of an impact on me at all, which is strange because pretty much everyone in svsss interested me.

While svsss may not be perfect, it was just so engaging! i read the first 3 books in two weeks and I had so much fun! I felt so much! sy’s stupidity (affectionate) was just sooo infuriating in all the right ways and his relationships with the cast were super fun! There was definitely a clear progression of events and thinking and just a huge looming of stakes (even though a lot of them were just made up in sqq’s head). The character development too! Svsss was just a delight to read. So many of the side characters are just so amazing too: sqh and mbj have become some of my all time favorites and just all the extras were so good!

Anyways I just have so much love for svsss and I guess I just didn’t connect enough with tgcf. Thanks for reading :)

hi! i agree with everything you’ve said!

i read the books in the order of mdzs -> tgcf -> svsss and i didn’t expect to enjoy sv the most at all considering I had initially liked mdzs due to its horror and tragedy aspects. Tgcf had plenty of tragedy + some horror but as you said, the characters were somewhat unstimulating.

although i do feel the need to give a shoutout to QuanYin. That sidepair actually had me invested the most out of all the other side characters in hob. it’s a shame the fandom tends to sleep on them (i’m guilty i need to draw them Soon!!)

i think what i love about sv is that it’s more of a ‘show don’t tell’ book compared to tgcf. Tgcf took ages explaining things that didn’t need to be explained.

Moshang were barely even in the main story and yet the “Fuck! he can’t fly!” scene had me laughing for literally half an hour and fully believing in moshang supremacy!! mxtx did that with only a few lines during the final showdown!!! and yet we had an entire arc for beefleaf that only made me interested in the sibling dynamic between shi qingxuan and shi wudu 😩

i know sv has its faults—all the books do—but i do think it gets a more of a bad rap than it deserves.

thanks for sharing :)

[ahollowgrave]

Hiiiii Pigeon!!!! I saw you comment that you like the Locked Tomb series so I had a couple questions to ask...

Are Odette's little skele friends inspired by the vibe of the series?

Does Odette herself have an inspirations that come from the Locked Tomb as well?

What's your favorite character interaction in the series so far? (Mine is the Harrow Bone Soup)

Who is your favorite of the main protags? (I've got a soft spot for Nona, but its barely above the other two.)

That's all for now, hope your day is going well! ^.^

Oh my gosh hello!! The Locked Tomb has been my favorite series since I read the first book a few years ago! I was obsessed I was full in I hadn’t been that into reading since high school when I would read in the back of every class. Never has a book made me ugly cry so hard.

The second book is the main reason I write in 2nd person POV for Odette most of the time (‘:

I’m gonna slap the rest of this under a readmore just in case people don’t want to hear about the books or don’t want things spoiled on accident !! But also this kind of turned into a long explanation of Odette’s whole deal, sorry (mwah).

But! To answer your questions!

1&2:) Yes. Pretty heavily but maybe not obviously? Like. Harrow and Odette would not get a long and Odette as she is does not fit the Necromancer vibes of the ninth house. But I was so enamored by these goth nuns being so out of place and so devoted and Harrow being so!!!!! Ready to ruin her life for her faith because she needed her faith so badly to cope with the grief.

And then the way it just all!!!! gestures.

Odette was always going to be a nun, as a result, and the psychopomp stuff felt right after I’d been playing her for a while. We run into Ashkin/undead several times in the MSQ, side quests, and fates and the like; someone being able to aid these ‘souls’ and return them to the lifestream feels like a role for Odette.

She would maybe make more sense being a nun of Nald’thal but I headcanon that each of the 12 have their own funeral rites. Nald’thal is the judge of all dead, that is his role! But each of the 12 get a say in how their faithful are laid to rest. A psycopomp’s role, traditionally, is not judgement but guidance and love knows no judgement, but she does know guidance.

The moths in her screenshots are souls themselves, flocking to Odette for aid in whatever form that means. Sometimes it means slaying their body so they can rest, sometimes it means cleaning their resting place or returning items stolen by graverobbers, sometimes it means finishing anything unfinished they have left, or solving their death or just finding them and laying them to rest. Each soul needs something different.

The skeletons originally were a metaphor and a call back to that root influence of the Ninth house. With encouragement from friends, though, they’ve become much more ‘real’ in her canon. Serving as her trust and guardians on more dangerous searches. (When None can’t join her but also sometimes with None!)

So you can see it’s a very loose influence, but the 1st book is 100% the reason Odette exists. Death nuns??? Please… What a gift.

I have a Locked Tomb AU with my friend, peep, in which Odette is the Ninth house Cav and Avidia the Third House Reject turned Ninth House Necromancer. The Cav/Necromancer relationship is sooo intense and I love reading into to them too much, as does peep, so it’s very fun for us. Would third house ever send one of their necro to the ninth house? No! Probably not! But Avidia must always be a reluctant ex-pat, and so! (It’s a complicated story but we really like it LMAO takes place far before the first book)

Ahem!

3:) The soup scene is SO good, I reread it a few times because it was just so!!! Amazing. This is such a hard question because so many of the scenes are so good.

Three-Way with God is good. Ianthe’s Arm Scene (SCREAMS!!!) The pool scene from book one is ofc a fav but ugh.

The one I think about the most is from book three and it’s a tie, I think, between tree moments at the very end of the book.

Paul’s (re?)birth and “You can’t take loved away.” and “Why are you not appeased? That is how meat loves meat.”

I can’t wait for Alecto the Ninth, truthfully !!

4:) GOSH! This is hard also!!! Nona is also a favorite of mine and I know she has influenced Odette heavily. She’s just so!!! Nona loves you!!! I hope we get to see some of her again, just glimpses, now that she’s been returned. Sobs into my hands for four days straight.

I think Camilla Hect is one of my favorites and Sex Pal, of course. Which means Paul… Paul… my love I can’t wait to know you.

You didn’t ask this question, but I do think there is a lot of Hect in my alt Prudence. That quiet competence and skill, that devotion, that dry wit.

Thank you so much for this ask and also your patience while I replied to it! I love these books very, very much and I always love to talk about them. Are any of your characters influenced by them @eorzeanflowers?

[syn4k]

What is your favourite trope? What was the worst book you have ever read?

Also the last one that was about giving 3 book recs :3

character that believes they deserve nothing and are utter scum of the earth being cared for and loved against their will until their tired eyes and hands finally turn towards hope and reach for it. i have written this into various works of mine so many times you have no idea

tempted to say Twilight and i don't think that My Immortal counts but uhhhhhhhh. there was this one really flimsy paperback book my parents bought me when i was like 12 called "so you're gonna be a teenager" and it was christian and detailed some things that teenagers should expect and get used to it and my queer ass, who already firmly believed in the progressive way of things at that point, flipped through it and saw that it talked about abstinence and made a bunch of points about no sex before marriage and then at one point it talked about having sex and clarified, in brackets, (with someone of the opposite gender of course) and at that i saw red and physically ripped the book in half with my bare hands. that was the only book i've ever destroyed and i do not regret it. twilight comes second

my book recs:

All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr- a masterclass in plot and 10 years of research in the writing, it's historical fiction following the paths of a young blind French girl and a young German boy who end up on opposite sides of the war but they somehow meet four years later and teach each other kindness

This Is How you Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar (i think i spelled that right orz)- time travelling enemy to lovers lesbians. as Bigolas Dickolas on twitter dot com said, don't research it don't look it up online just get it and read it all in one go. it's only 200 pages and it is fucking worth it.

this is a series not a single book but The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson is a kid-aimed fantasy series that comprises of four books and an extra story compilation. don't let the kid-friendly bit fool ya- this is an incredibly well written series with some easy to understand, fun, but still well thought out worldbuilding and some themes near the end of the series that permanently rewired my brain when i finished it for the first time. also, all of the books mentioned have some fantastic illustrations included, drawn by the author's son!

[sio-writes]

Thank you for tagging me @coffeewritesfiction !

I tag: @furrbbyx @menagerie-of-monsters and anyone else who wants to do it!

Interview with a Character!

For this interview, we have Kyla Bateman, a lovely young woman from a countryside farm in the untamed woods of the northwest. Recently, Kyla has had a bit of a, shall we say “location change,” and we’re here to get to know her better!

1. Are you named after anyone?

My maid’s name, Asher, was from my grandmother on my father’s side. She was a lovely woman, the one who taught me how to sew. So I am Kyla Asher Bateman.

2. When was the last time you cried?

A few days ago— but it wasn’t bad! I cry when I’m stuck, or angry, or even when I’m embarrassed. This time had been a passage in a book with so many new words that I had to keep pausing my reading and search for them, it was all very frustrating. And of course Aure— the lord of the forest walked in and thought he’d done something wrong, haha.

3. Do you have any kids?

No, and I don’t want any. I saw what my mother went through with my younger brother, and I’m not wont to repeat that.

4. Do you use sarcasm?

I try not to. It was...discouraged at home, and the Fair Folk here don’t seem to understand it? It passes over their heads, and some of them even get upset with me, they relate it to lying. His lordship has begun to pick up on it, but he’s got a long road ahead.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Aside from their face? Perhaps their hands. Funnily enough, that was one of the first things I noticed about— um, anyway. Anything that sticks out, usually. Like Gregory’s earrings or Sveta’s hair.

6. Eye color?

Just brown, the color of soil.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

I’m not sure what a movie is, but I love to read scary stories! Especially the ones with happy endings. So can I choose both?

8. Any special talents?

I think I have an aptitude for magic, specifically transforming spells. I don’t know much, but his lordship says I’m advancing rather quickly. I’m always learning, with him.

9. Where were you born?

Like my brother, I was born at home, in my parent’s bed on a horribly rainy night, and I lived my whole life on that farm.

10. What’re your hobbies?

I do love to sew, and I’m not good at it but I find I enjoy reading as well. His lordship still hasn’t taken me traveling with him, but I would love to see the sights as he does.

11. Have any pets?

If the animals on the farm count, then at least two dozen, haha!

12. What sports do you play/have played?

Sports? Oh! Recreation. I never had the time. After schooling I’d always be called back home to help with the chores, so I suppose I could count the labor I did there. I harvested crops, fed the animals, brought in and chopped firewood, among other things.

13. How tall are you?

I’m…not sure. I took my father’s height, and was taller than my mother by the time I turned 16. But in the years following, I didn’t think to measure myself. I’m sure there’s a rotting door trim somewhere at home with marks of my height on them, but I can tell you that if I stand on my toes, I can just barely touch his lordship’s shoulders when I stretch my arms.

14. Favorite subject in school?

Oh I loved everything in school. I loved to learn, to hear about new things, new discoveries and points of view. I especially loved hearing stories with the most fantastical creatures in them— and I suppose I’m living such a story now!

15. Dream job?

As a girl, I’d always dreamt of opening a dress shop in town, where I’d see enough people to keep the business running, but not too many like in the city. It would be nice to have such a thing, but many of the Fair Folk don’t wear clothing, so I think my customers would be very few, haha.

[mskoreodyssey]

[TLOK] Book One: Air (Fix)

Original-Novel: Info [Buy]

First 6 Episodes // Last 6 Episodes

Fix Book 1 by Tim Hickson

Rules

12 episodes // Fixing (not a full rewrite)

3 main issues on Book 1

They didn’t establish or give enough consequences to the oppression of non-benders.

The love triangle conflict doesn’t really work, so we need something else.

Korra’s arc is meant to be about her learning who she is without her bending, and Amon taking it away is a huge part of that, but we don’t get enough time to explore it.

[Episode 1: Welcome to Republic City]

The season opens with Korra living a contained, controlled life under the watchful eye of the White Lotus. She has a good grip on fire-bending, water-bending and earth-bending, but not air-bending, and we see she relies a lot on her passion and anger and independence as she fights and moves. “She's strong”, says Katara, “but she lacks restraint”. Korra, on the other hand, is stoked three elements down, barely an adult and ready to fill face the world. She longs for freedom and to do what the Avatar is meant to do right, fight injustice. This is the foundation for Korra's character arc, she's a prodigy who has had most things come to her in life easily. She's the chief's daughter, the prestige, the power. It's made her impulsive, a little unempathetic and makes her easily frustrated when she can't get things quickly, as well as overly reliant on violence and action rather than listening and understanding. Tenzin and his family arrive in the Southern Water Tribe with Korra, expecting him to teach her about air-bending and the spiritual side of being the Avatar. Only to reveal Republic City is unstable with tensions between benders and non-benders. And because of that, her training will need to wait. Korra insists that just means that's where she needs to be, the place with injustice and imbalance, but Tenzin refuses and leaves. That night, Korra escapes with Naga on a ship bound for Republic City. (...) Upon arriving in Republic City, Korra is astounded she's never seen so many bright lights before. But she soon finds herself in the poorest parts of the city, filled with the homeless, the drug afflicted, the impoverished. She sees a bending police squadron clearing out a city park, first peacefully and then with more of a threat, the non-benders scatter. In another place, one group tries to light a fire and to announce herself as the Avatar. Arriving in the city she conjures a fire for them and cease to sit down. But when Korra asks why none of them started a fire because surely one of them must be a fire-bender, they scoff. “They're all non-benders. You think you'll find a fire-bender down here. Make do, make mend”, an old man says. The others look at her nervously, as if they're a little worried she might come after them. But Korra, confused as to why people aren't excited at her arrival, leaves only for a Triple Triad gang member to begin extorting the group. Korra, inflamed with righteous anger, turns back to save the non-benders and does so, but destroys the surrounding neighborhood in the process. The place these people clearly called home...  and nobody thanks her. Korra then enters a wealthier part of the city, but is stopped by a bender. “I saw where you came from. I don't want thieves around these parts.” The police close in around her, asking if there's any trouble. But when she threatens him with bending, the man backs off. “Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were one of them.”

(One of the major criticisms of season one was that it didn't show the inequality between benders and non-benders enough. We see a gang exploiting one person and that the council is maybe ruled entirely by benders, but not much else. We don't see real systemic issues that demand real systemic reform. This is one attempt to do that, to show a city divided into pseudo-classes with a deep cultural association of non-benders with stealing and crime. Something we see in the real world, leading to classist divides and creating stereotypes. I also wanted to show a systemic bias from the police to assist benders over non-benders being benders themselves. That it's not like the average bender is going out of their way to hunt down non-benders, but it's a lot more subtle in this society.)

The episode ends with Korra finding the pro-bending arena, this monolithic building that everyone seems to be heading towards. And she also finds one of a man's pamphlets, “Equality”, it reads. At which point Tenzin flies down to interceptor, blocking her path. “You know, word travels quickly when the Avatar is in town”, he says, a little frustrated. We then get a cutaway scene of Amon learning that the Avatar has arrived in the city as well, and that they must accelerate their plans.

[Episode 2: A Leaf in the Wind]

Tenzin takes Korra to Air Temple Island, away from the pro-bending arena. Much to her protestation, insisting that she return home. But she refuses, Tenzin storms away, frustrated. Korra then connects with Pema, Jinora and Ikki, who try to teach her some basic air-bending techniques. She doesn't learn much, but when Tenzin returns and spies Korra trying to learn, Pema comes up behind him and encourages him to let Korra stay. Tenzin goes to her, “I can't believe you followed me all this way when I specifically told you not to, but I'm impressed. So long as we can put that determination to good use with your studies”. Korra punches the air, fire bolts all around ecstatic. That night, Korra has her first dream of Aang in the past. Those flashbacks to Yakone, and like in the show, she's just going to get more of those dreams. The following day, Tenzin takes Korra for her first lesson. He impresses on her that air-bending is about attaining full control over yourself, your emotions, your body, by detaching yourself from the world and the things that affect you. Not holding on to the past and allowing yourself to change, not holding on to one idea of themselves. A freezing gust of wind hits them and Korra shivers. But Tenzin explains that they can even control their body temperature with careful use of their breath, which is why it didn't affect him.

(And keep that in mind because we're just going to set that aside for later.)

Korra tries to air-bend, but she doesn't move with the world around her, she relies on punching and kicking. Asserting herself on the world around her and as a result, she's beaten in that spinning boards test. She tries again and again and again, but fails every single time, getting more and more frustrated. She is not used to taking this long to get what is in her mind a very simple thing. At the end of the lesson, Tenzin tells her firmly that attaching oneself includes things like pro-bending, and he forbids her from going. Better from having tried and gotten nowhere, Korra sneaks out with Jinora to go and see the Pro-bending tournament. As in the show, she meets Mako and Bolin who are down a member, and she fills in. Tenzin arrives furious, but sees Korra putting the lessons he tried to teach her into practice in her own way during the tournament. And he starts to understand that she might have to learn this stuff on her own terms.

[Episode 3: The Revelation]

Tarrlok, another counselor in Republic City watched Korra perform and approaches her after the game. "You must be the Avatar. I've heard you're a natural, a true prodigy". He encourages her to join the council sometime, to sit in and hear about the politics of the city. "With the instability between benders and non-benders, that it'd be good to have the Avatar to help maintain order. I heard you dealt with this yourself first-hand, and I commend you". Korra wants to loving this praise, but Tenzin insists that she stay out of politics. It's here they're also approached by Asami, a non-bender and the owner of Hiroshi Industries.

(So there's no Hiroshi Sato in this rewrite, which I guess makes it Asami Industries, and that's because of our first major change. Asami is an Equalist, though she doesn't reveal that.)

She offers to sponsor them, noting it would be well worth having the Avatar's face for her company. Korra immediately hits it off with Asami, this charming, beautiful girl from a whole other world to her, who admires her skills and says that she sees value in the Avatar. And Mako initially refuses, insisting that they don't need her money. But Bolin presses that well, they're not going to make it very far without it. Reluctantly, Mako agrees. Korra wonders why Mako was so opposed to taking Asami's money, to which they explained that their mother was murdered by a group of Republic City non-benders during the riots a year ago. Apparently when this instability really kicked off, in that since then, Mako has found it difficult to trust non-benders. He describes a non-bender with a prosthetic leg and scarred arm, that he remembers the man's face and swears he will find him one day. Korra asks what he's going to do and Mako says nothing.

(I wanted to introduce this change because to be perfectly honest, Mako isn't that interesting. In the first series, Bolin is likeable and delivers comedic relief and heart to the story. Korra is an interesting conflicted character with a real arc. But Mako is brooding without much of a reason, no obvious flaw or goal to overcome in this story, he's a dollar shop Zuko. Here Mako's trauma in the past, and it's a trauma that does exist in the story, we're just modifying it a little bit. It really plays into the current narrative conflict and it provides a personal bias and arc for him to overcome his prejudice against non-benders. It's just enough to enforce those social divides and give a face to one side of it.)

Taking out Amon's pamphlet that she found at the end of the first episode, Korra insists that they look more into this divide. These equalists, this guy called Amon, especially if Tenzin isn't going to let her get involved in politics. As in the show, they piece together where it's happening and go to find the rally, here Amon reveals himself. He gives this brilliant speech about bending being the source of suffering and war in the world, and removes the bending of those same gang members who Korra fought at the beginning. As well as a couple of the policemen that she saw. Impulsively, Korra leaps up onto the stage to rescue the remaining victims. Horrified at the idea of losing her own bending, she fights Amon and his right hand man, referred to only as the Lieutenant. Who, like Amon, keeps his face hidden. But it goes terribly, and she has to be rescued by Tenzin, Tarrlok and Beifong's police force. In the course of that rescue, though, Korra witnesses some kind of police brutality. People are arrested for simply attending this rally. All of this only hardens Mako's resolve, that they need harsher measures to deal with the Equalists. In the aftermath, Lin Beifong rails against Korra for acting unilaterally like that. That they knew about the meeting and they were monitoring it from afar until she had to go and jump up and ruin everything. She coins it as typical teenage Avatar entitlement and ignorance, not knowing how things really work in a city like this. While Korra says that at least she did something, at least she tried to save people. Tarrlok, however, insists on forgiveness, "It is the Avatar, after all". Tenzin takes her away, but he's also angry, and although he empathizes with her frustration. He insists that the situation is complicated and it needs to be left to the professionals. "Professionals, I'm the Avatar. What's more professional than that?", she cries. But the episode closes out.

Amon’s speech (Fix)

My quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren't rich, and none of us were benders. This made us very easy targets for the water-bender who extorted my father. One day, my father confronted this man, but when he did, that water-bender took my family from me. Then, he took my face. I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since. As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City. And if she were here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world. But, she is wrong. The only thing bending has brought to the world, is suffering. It has been the cause of every war in every era. But that is about to change. I know you have been wondering, "What is the Revelation?" You are about to get your answer. Since the beginning of time, the spirits have acted as guardians of our world, and they have spoken to me. They say the Avatar has failed humanity. That is why the spirits have chosen me to usher in a new era of balance. They have granted me a power that will make Equality a reality. The power to take a person's bending away. Permanently.

- -

[Episode 4: To Fight or Not to Fight]

Tenzin tries to teach Korra more air-bending, but Korra can't focus. With everything going on, she just wants to go out and help with this stuff. She insists that the world gave her the four elements for a reason, not just air-bending. And at least she can use three of them to do something good and bring them on to justice, there are also further reports of benders disappearing off the streets. Korra sits down with Bolin and talks about how she just wants to help people, that she hates sitting around when she knows there's so much wrong in the world and she's just not sure how to help. Bolin tells her, “That sometimes you've got to fight, yeah, but sometimes you've just got to listen and learn, and sometimes you've got to wait before you can really make a difference”. Meanwhile, Mako tries to find an Equalist hideout. Asami comes across him while looking for Korra and offers to help, and he refuses it. But after struggling and getting nowhere, he reluctantly accepts the help. Beginning to trust non-benders again, he even flirts with her, and the two get along and laugh. And in turn, she provides a map of the city's underground infrastructure, tunnels and buildings, even the power grid, able to nail down where they might be by an unusual consumption of power. Asami insists that Korra and Bolin go with Mako if he really wants to do this, to help keep him safe. While Asami stays behind, insisting that although she wants to help them, she doesn't want her company to get caught up in a turf war. Sure enough, though, they find a huge weapons cache of these new electric gloves that the Equalists plan to use. But before they can call in Beifong, they're ambushed by the lieutenant who electrifies Mako and Bolin. Korra only just manages to fight her way out with them, and realizing the Equalists must be planning something big if they're collecting weapons like this. Korra challenges Amon on the city-wide radio system to a duel at Big Aang Face Island, which plays out exactly as it does on the show.

(It's a brilliant scene, genuinely one of my favorites in the entire show, with Amon taking her down easily and promising that he won't take away her bending yet because he has plans.)

Amon’s announcement

Good evening, my fellow Equalists. This is your leader, Amon. As you have heard, the Republic Council has voted to make me public enemy number one, proving once again that the bending oppressors of this city will stop at nothing to quash our revolution. But we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear. The time has come for benders to experience fear.

Korra’s Challenge

Amon, I challenge you to a duel! No task force, no chi-blockers, just the two of us tonight at midnight on Avatar Aang Memorial Island. Let's cut to the chase and settle this thing, if you're man enough to face me. Guess you're a no-show, Amon. Who's scared now?

Amon’s speech

I received your invitation, young Avatar. Our showdown, while inevitable, is premature. Although it would be the simplest thing for me to take away your bending right now, I won't. You'd only become a martyr. Benders of every nation would rally behind your untimely demise, but I assure you, I have a plan. And I'm saving you for last, then you'll get your duel, and I will destroy you.

[Episode 5: A Voice in the Night]

Korra is shaken by her confrontation with Amon and returning to Air Temple Island. She's suddenly starting to internalize for the very first time that she isn't necessarily the most powerful person in the world. Tenzin counsels Korra and tells her about how fragile he feels as well that as one of the last air-benders in the world. And at one point the only air-bender in the world, that it was a big responsibility. And for a long time, there was all he could ever see himself as the last air-bender. Until Jinora and Ikki and Pema came along, and he started to see himself as more than that, as a father. He links this in with air-bending by explaining that it's a lot to do with finding peace with oneself, not defining ourselves by what we can do for the world, by the role that we are born into, but recognizing we are valuable outside of that. Korra internalizes this a little and even manages to learn some more air-bending movements but confesses that she doesn't know who she is outside of the Avatar. That is all she has ever been, that is all anyone has ever really seen her as, and she's terrified of Amon because of that. Even pro-bending is based off her powers, she thinks that Mako and Bolin would drop her without them. Mako and Bolin overhearing her, assure her that this isn't the case. “We love you because you're fiery, you're our friend.” And Pabu comes up and sits on top of her head. But following that very escalation, Tarrlok opens a special task force with more powers to deal with the Equalists. Beifong opposes this, but Tarrlok tells her that it isn't her business. This is a council decision, it's for the safety of the city. Mako joins the task force, but Bolin steps aside, saying “No! Hey, this is going too far for me”. That, yeah, he's scared as well. But this will only make things worse between benders and non-benders, and it'll only make him on bolder.

(One of the most common criticisms of Season One is that the love triangle between Bolin, Korra, and Mako is distracting. And to be honest, it doesn't actually take up that much time. I rewatched the series, it's not that invasive. And it does make sense for Korra as someone who is developing her independence for the first time. She wants these kind of experiences, but it is also the only real character conflict within the trio, and I don't think it's a particularly great example of that. And I think that this would be a more interesting conflict. It's drawing on their traumatic history together, but it also deepens that wider conflict, giving more room for growth and personalizing it. Especially because neither of those romances really come too much in the end.)

Feeling a lack of purpose and fearing failure, Korra joins Tarrlok in hopes of reasserting her sense of self-worth, her role as the Avatar. Bolin and Asami are disappointed, and a rift develop in the group. At an operation that night, they burst into an Equalist facility and once again they face the Lieutenant. Mako is initially happy to see some success rescuing several benders who are being kept for Amon. But he begins to question his feelings towards non-benders after watching more brutality at the hands of the special task force. Even targeting people who just happened to be in the building, suspicions of them being Equalists. With a group of harmless civilians also being rounded up for questioning. In the apartment building, their raiding itself also partially collapses during the fight. When Mako goes to Tarrlok about this though, the Council just insists that it's crucial for law and order. That they had intel that Equalists would try to hide like this, hide amongst civilians. Mako looks away, nods, but reaffirms his dedication to the Task Force.

[Episode 6: And the Winner is...]

This episode plays out basically exactly the same as in the show. I think it was pretty good. Amon warns that if the Pro-Bending final isn't cancelled, there will be consequences. Beifong and Tarrlok swear to protect the stadium, the Wolf-Bats with foul play and the Equalists attack. Amon ascends from the sky, removes the Wolf-Bats bending, and though they fight, the Equalists do escape.

(Only one tiny change I will mention.)

In the midst of the fight, Korra tears off a section of the Lieutenant's clothing, revealing a tattoo of a small white lop-eared rabbit. Korra would have gotten a hold of Amon if not for the Lieutenant, shocking her at the last minute. Watching her as they ascend into the sky before they escape.

Amon’s announcement

Good morning, citizens of Republic City. This is Amon. I hope you all enjoyed last night's pro-bending match, because it will be the last. It's time for this city to stop worshiping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the finals, or else there will be severe consequences.

Amon’s speech

I believe I have your attention, benders of Republic City. So once again, the Wolf-bats are your pro-bending champions. It seems fitting that you celebrate three bullies who cheated their way to victory because every day, you threaten and abuse your fellow non-bending citizens just like the Wolf-bats did to their opponents tonight. Those men were supposedly the best in the bending world and yet it only took a few moments for me to cleanse them of their impurity. Let this be a warning to all of you benders out there: if any of you stand in my way, you will meet the same fate. Now, to my followers: for years the Equalists have been forced to hide in the shadows, but now we have the numbers and the strength to create a new Republic City. I'm happy to tell you that the time for change has finally come. Very soon, the current tyrannical bending regime will be replaced by a fair-minded Equalist government. You and your children will no longer have to walk the streets afraid! It's time to take back our city.

📖Hello👇Future👇Me✏️’s Legend of Korra

[bibliollama]

Sunday Reading Wrap-Up

What are you currently reading? M.T. Clanchy - From Memory to Written Record: England 1066-1307 47% read. I've said this before - this book was written to be written, not to be read. It's utterly fascinating but it's a serious slog DK Publishing - SuperSimple Chemistry 18% read. I picked this up on the Libby app, I didn't realise it was a bite-size revision guide LOL but I've been on a science kick lately and it looked interesting. It is. Imogen Edwards-Jones - The Witches of St. Petersburg 65% read. I'm feeling a little meh on this one. It has some good bits but mostly interspersed with blah. I don't really care about the characters but I'm kinda curious where it goes. Mostly reading to fill the Russia prompt on a Round The World reading challenge. Claire Heywood - The Shadow Of Perseus 49% read. Picked it up from the library, and I am loving this, y'all. It's being told from the women in his life, so far I've read Danae and Medusa, and moving to Andromeda. So much love! Stel Pavlou - Decipher 40% read, still absolutely batshit and I fucking love it! grins a bit like Matthew Reilly's Temple, it has all the best bits of crazy sci-fi & pseudoscience & pseudohistory, with just enough of the actual stuff… kind of Ancient Aliens. LOL Matthew Reilly - Ice Station 35% read, not loving it quite as much as Temple but it's still a thoroughly enjoyable read. Maybe a little similar plotline-wise in places to Decipher but a very different approach.

I think my goal for the weekend is to finish either Witches Of St Petersburg or The Shadow of Perseus

What did you recently finish reading? Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone - The Warlock of Firetop Mountain 4/5 Li and I discovered we both loved Choose Your Own Adventure & Fighting Fantasy books when we were kids, so naturally we checked this out of the library and had a super nerdy date night. It took us 4 attempts to get through - Li drawing the map of our adventure while I read the book out. Raynor Winn - The Salt Path 4/5 This had been on my TBR for ages, I saw one of her other books in the library so checked to see if they had this one, which they did and it was bloody brilliant, I could barely put it down. Janna Levin - Black Hole Survival Guide 3/5. Like I said, I've been on a science kick recently, this was actually one of Li's library books but I ended up reading it as well. I understood about 60% of the actual science, but could follow what Levin was saying about 90% of the time. Throughly enjoyed my trip into a black hole grins Kris Hallenga - Glittering a Turd 4.5. I picked this one up on Libby purely based on the title, didn't look to see what it was about. And I'm glad I didn't, because I probably wouldn't have read this, if I'd known it was a memoir of someone living with stage 4 cancer. But it's amazing and highly recommended! Angela Kelly - The Other Side Of The Coin 4/5. Another random Libby read (I love the app for that LOL) but I couldn't resist it. A memoir of the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe and In-house Designer, filled with so many lovely anecdotes and fascinating details about what goes into dressing The Queen. And lovely never-seen-before candid photos. I thoroughly enjoyed it - and Li knows I did because of how much I read out loud to her LOL

What do you think you’ll read next? Meik Wiking - The Little Book of Lykke Katja Pantzar - The Finnish Way: Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu Both books I picked up from the library based on how much I loved the Hygge books. I don't know if I'll enjoy them, but I'm curious and they're due back next week so definitely moving to the top of the pile LOL

[finelinevogue]

Can you do a concept where harry has a girlfriend who loves to read and she would always tells him about everything she reads and he would listen to her paitently and sometimes ask her to read to him just to hear her talk

yes of course! i'm a hoe for reading and books so this is my dream sort of situation! i'm making up a book by the way. here we go;

You had just finished your most recent chapter when Harry walked into the room.

He was back off tour for a while and he had decided to come home, because unfortunately someone in his crew had tested positive for covid. Harry hadn't been near this person and he was not going to be able to spend 10 days without you next to him, so he came straight home to you after doing lateral flow tests and PCR ones.

“Got the strawb—”

“Sshh!” You shushed Harry as he walked into the room with a plateful of chocolate coated strawberries, per your request, “Noah’s about to kiss Lily!” You squealed, giving your boyfriend once quick glance, before burying your nose back into your book.

You were reading a book recommended to you by thousands of Harry’s fans on Twitter, since they’d found your twitter account dedicated to reading and reviewing books. You would join BookTok, but you and Harry both agreed that TikTok hadn’t been good for your mental health and so had deleted within 3 weeks of downloading it. Harry’s fans were now a huge part of your twitter following and you trusted them with the book recommendations, seeing as you hadn’t read one you’d hated yet.

The current one you were reading was a childhood-best friends, to enemies, to lovers and you were so happy about that because it was in your top-5-favourite-book-tropes. Yes, you had a list - it’s actually more weird if you don’t. You’d been telling Harry all about this book ever since you’d started it and he was just as invested in it as you were, and he wasn’t even reading it properly.

“No way!” Harry exclaimed, putting down the strawberries and rushing to sit on the bed next to you. He leant his head against your shoulder and you rested your head on top of his, before you began explaining what had just happened.

“Right, so Noah just saw one of his best mates talk shit about Lily in front of her and he even shoved her—”

“Dickhead.” Harry inputted.

“—and so obviously Noah went over to do something about it, but ended up getting punched in the face by this supposed ‘best mate’ and got a bloody nose. Lily then goes to the bathroom to calm down, not expecting to lock herself in the same bathroom as Noah who’s already trying to clean the blood. She explains how Noah is cleaning it wrong and offers to help him and now they’re stood really close to one another and he keeps saying nice things and ugh they just have to kiss.”

“No, they need the tension to build up first in order for their first kiss to be proper worth it.” He explained, shaking his head in disagreement with your argument.

“Their first kiss will be worth it regardless. They’ve waited long enough for it.” You sighed, putting your finger in the book as a bookmark and just talking to Harry instead for a bit.

“Do you think we waited long enough?” Harry asked, sitting up and crawling across you so he was sat in between your star-fished out legs. You looked at him for the first time, properly, since he’d walked in the room and you smiled at just how beautiful he was. You couldn’t fault him at all, he was just every perfect ever.

“You kissed me after our third date, honey, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.” You replied honestly, that first kiss still igniting fireworks inside your body.

Harry reached his hands forwards and you took his hands in yours. He smiled when your skin touched, the warm feeling so comforting and familiar. You linked your fingers with his and he pulled your arms so you were forced to fall over towards him. Your legs sat around his and you situated yourself in his lap, smiling when his hands snaked around your waist and under your t-shirt to touch your bare skin. You hummed at the touch of his skin to yours and laughed when he pinched your sides into a tickle.

“So you wouldn’t have wanted me to be more like Noah?” Harry asked, clearly insecure that he’d not given you the life of romance that you desired.

“Then you would’ve had to be my enemy?” You rhetorically questioned, moving your hands to the back of his neck to play with the soft curls there. Although Harry had cut his hair short, it was still fluffy enough to roll curls into it with your finger. You enjoyed playing with his hair to calm him down, but also to calm you down too.

“I can be you—”

“Honey,” you interrupted him before he could say anything he may not mean or later regret, “I love reading about romance and the different ways two characters can fall in love, but nothing is better than the romance story we made. I wanted nothing but you and I got that - I got you. Every detail was perfect and you, you were perfect. I love reading about stories like Noah’s and Lily’s, but it’ll never compare to ours. Our story is worth a million romance novels combined.”

“A million? Wow.” Harry spoke to himself, but you heard him enough to laugh at the fact that was the bit of information he picked up on.

“Just love you so much.” You spoke quietly, but Harry turned to see you as you whispered out the words. He smiled when he saw you slightly blush, moving one of his hands up to cup your cheek and brush it softly.

“Times a million?” Harry teased, leaning in closer to you.

“No. Times a billion.” You smiled, before pressing your lips onto his and revelling in the sweet taste of his perfect lips. He was as sweet as sugar, but his kissing was as wild as the jungle. He loved putting all of his passion into your kisses, making sure he pressed his love completely into you. His lips melted with yours and you moved in-sync magically. You moaned when he bit your lip softly and he sighed when you caved in and pulled away.

“Hey!” He whined, leaning in to give you a quick peck, “I was enjoying that.” You laughed at him, leaning in to give him a little kiss to his button nose, before shifting yourself to the top of the bed again and picking up your book.

“Well let’s see if Noah and Lily can do better.”

“Really? You’re choosing the book over me?” Harry asked rhetorically, because yes that’s exactly what you were doing.

“You’re seriously asking me that?” You laughed, opening the page exactly where you’d left it and ready to divulge back into the chaos and heartbreak of your new favourite book.

“You owe me so many kisses for this.” Harry shifted himself up the bed and curled up so his head was resting in your lap, his body tucked into a foetus position and your hand running through his soft locks.

“As many as you want, my love.” You leaned down to kiss the side of his cheek and then began reading again, this time out loud so you and Harry could enjoy the novel together.

[deardragonbook]

Writing Reference: Minor age differences in relationships

It is surprisingly rare in the real world how many relationships consist of people the same age. (The older you get, the more rare it is, which makes sense as age is relative and what not). 

For today’s reference I’m focusing on a minor age gap. As usual I’ll be talking from experience so for context sake I’m 23 and my partner is 30. A seven year gap, pretty common especially where I am. I’m saying minor because it’s the average, but averages vary depending on locations and culture so take that in mind. 

With all this said, here’s a list of things that happen due to this age gap: 

1.- Different shows and music growing up, different games too! My first pokemon game was Diamond on the DS, my boyfriend was around to play pokemon red. That’s like, the first one! 

Similarly sometimes my boyfriends and friends start going of about an old show I’ve either never heard of, or binged as an adult because it wasn’t on television when I was a kid. 

Sometimes it’s the opposite and I start going on about a show they never saw because they were too old. Or shows that I watched they will laugh at because, when it was on television it was “little kid’s show”. 

This leads to both me and them discovering a lot of amazing new shows. I view this as a total positive. But if a relationship was not willing to give new things a chance, this could be a barrier, less things to talk about. 

2.- General different childhoods. I’ve had internet since I was like six or seven. My boyfriends grew up without it. If you’re writing fantasy, this can be replaced with any important technological advancement. 

Because of this specific one, I’m more technology dependant, I use an ipad instead of paper for example, where he is better at using dictionaries and maps. 

3.- Language differences. I’m fortunate enough to have grown up with plenty of terms that weren’t in use when my boyfriend was young. Some are technological, while other’s are mental health or sexuality related. Because of this when we’re discussing news I tend to speak in a more “politically correct” kinda way. 

This also affects expressions, I’m going to use an example in Spanish because I can’t think of an English equivalent, “Chachi,” is a word that means cool. There’s a lot of words like that in Spanish (Guay, mola, súper, lindo...). And it’s a term that my generation used a lot in High School, my boyfriend was older, didn’t use it and now it is not a normal part of his vocabulary. He’ll said mostly “mola”. 

It doesn’t really make a difference. It’s just a difference I’ve noticed and thought could be fun to implement in a story. 

4.- Fashions choices is obvious and I don’t think needs an example. 

5.- Playgrounds songs and games. It’s kind of upsetting that I have more overlaps with my little sister than most of my friends. But it’s also kind of funny. 

6.- Schoolling! This is a big one. We learnt different subjects, under different rules. Sometimes these differences are minor, back when he was in school he had to study religion. I studied ethics. But other times the entire educations system is changes so that now a degree is worth less and I am forced to not only consider but consider almost mandatory getting a masters degree. Thank you politicians. 

7.- Politics. We are one the same side of politics but the politics we have experienced and lived through are very different and that’s something you can tell when we talk and discuss stuff. I was too young when my country was in crisis to truly understand what was going on. It was just a word to me. He suffered the consequences. 

This one is probably the one that can be incorporated the best into a fantasy setting. And now that I’m thinking about it, I believe Poison Study did quite a good job at doing it. Not going to spoil anything too big, but basically there’s a big political incident that happens before the books and the main character barely remembers it, while the love interest lived it. I highly recommend you give Poison Study a read! It’s one of my fave books of all time (even though I haven’t read it in years). 

As usual,  check out my book, stories I’ve written plus other social medias: here.

Are you in a relationship with an age gap? What’s your experience? Feel free to add to this post! I sometimes struggle with what differences are due to age and which are due to culture so I left quite a few things out. 

[iliveiloveiwrite]

Family Ties // Benedict Bridgerton

Request: hey lovie!! i wanna start by saying i adore your writing for bridgerton and harry potter and i always find myself coming back to it,, if you’re up for it, would you mind writing a benedict imagine? i was thinking something sweet and domestic?? like maybe him and the reader have kids and they’re going to visit the rest of the family? take it however you want!! <3 - @ddaeng-danvers​

A/N: Thank you so much!! I truly hope you like this. This is the first thing I've written in close to a month now and I love how happy it is. There’s love, and family, and fluff. I am so happy with it. This features characters seen in the prequel books ‘The Rokesby’s’ - I finished reading book 2 today and I think I'm going to own all of Quinn’s books by the time we reach summer.

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x Fem!Reader

Warnings: children, marriage, fluff, female reader, she/her pronouns, bridgertons being bridgertons, family fluff, love, romance, kissing, cute, mentions of pregnancy. SPOILERS FOR THE PREQUEL SERIES BUT I CANT BE SORRY, I LOVE GEORGE TOO MUCH.

Word count: 3.3k

Giggles and gasps lighten the morning air as you take those first steps outside. The grass is still wet with morning dew and it dampens the hem of your dress, but you cannot bring yourself to care as the laughter of your children surrounds you.

“You can’t catch me!” Your daughter declares, laughing loudly as her steps quicken on the slick grass.

A quiet smile crosses your face as you watch the scene unfold in front of you.

Your daughter, Violet, continues to laugh wildly as Benedict grabs her from behind, lifting her onto his shoulders. She settles there quickly; having spent a lot of time on Benedict’s shoulders when her little legs wore themselves out from running and exploring.

“My love,” Benedict greets, smiling widely at you, “Did you sleep well?”

“I did until I realised I was alone.”

Benedict casts his eyes upwards, gesturing to the four year old currently busying herself with trying to tidy the permanently messy locks of her father. “Someone,” Benedict emphasises with another glance upwards, “Woke up too early and I didn’t want to wake you.”

Your body warms at the obvious love in Benedict’s voice – for you, for his daughter. Close to a decade being married and he has every capacity to reduce you to a lovestruck fool. It’s perfect, really.

Chuckling, you gaze lovingly at your daughter. “Did you wake your father up?”

She nods; not an ounce of apology on her small face as she continues to mess up Benedict’s hair. “I couldn’t sleep anymore,” she defends, “I’m excited to see Grandma Violet.”

“I’m sure she’s excited to see you too,” Benedict comments, reaching for his pocket watch to check the time. “We’ll have to be setting off soon. Are we all packed?”

You nod, meeting the loving eyes of your husband. “The footmen have everything covered. Where is John?”

Benedict gestures to the overgrowth behind him. “He joined us when Violet wouldn’t keep quiet. He shouldn’t be too far behind.”

“I’ll go in search. Get Violet ready for me?”

Benedict nods, smiling down at you before dropping the first kiss of many to your lips. You watch the pair leave; Violet chattering away about the birds singing in the trees before heading off in search for your eldest child.

“John Edmund Bridgerton,” you call out, voice loud in the quiet garden, “Where have you gotten to?”

“I’m over here,” John calls; his dark brown curls popping up between the rose bushes.

“Shall we head inside? We need to get ready to make the journey to London.”

John smiles, making his way to your side. “You look more like your father every day,” You comment absentmindedly, running a hand through your son’s hair.

John flushes at the compliment; his father was an exceptionally strong man as well as incredibly talented in whatever he pursues. “Thank you,” John replies, reaching for your hand to begin the walk back to your home.

---------

Bridgerton House had always grown violet hyacinths; they perfumed the air, making every inhale sweeter than the last. The door to the Bridgerton London home is opened before you get chance to place your feet on the ground after stepping down from the carriage.

Benedict steadies you as you straighten your skirts whilst trying to keep an eye on your children, making sure they hadn’t fallen out of the carriage. The laughter of your children floating on air has the tightness in your chest relaxing.

You take a moment to stand beside your husband, enjoying the feel of his hands on your waist. It had been so long since a moment alone had been found between the two of you; one of you running after Violet before she scared off another governess. Her stubbornness was to be admired, but it made it hard to teach her the basics in terms of literacy.

“Are you alright?” Benedict asks, noticing your hesitancy.

You smile widely at the love of your life. “I’m fine, my love. I just wanted to be close to you.”

Benedict’s face softens at your confession; he would be the first to admit that he found himself missing you even when he was sat next to you. There were no problems in your marriage but being so busy meant that there was little time for the two of you.

Benedict takes your hand; dropping a kiss to the back of it before turning it over and placing a lingering kiss to your wrist, over your pulse point. You gasp at the intimacy of it, your toes curling at the promise in his eyes.

“Mama!” Violet cries, taking your hand and dragging you through the house in the direction of the portrait gallery with all her might.

You chuckle, turning to Benedict with a helpless look on your face. He holds his hands up, letting you take the lead with your headstrong daughter. “I shall announce our arrival,” Benedict laughs, blue eyes focused on the way his daughter’s slippers slip and slide on the marble tiles of the entrance hall. “John,” He calls, “Would you like to join me?”

Imperceptibly, John takes a step in your direction. An incredibly smart but shy boy from birth, you sometimes worried over his place in the loud, boisterous family of the Bridgertons. “If it’s okay, I want to see where mother and Violet are going.”

“Of course,” Benedict smiles, ruffling John’s hair, knowing how he needed to get used to a new environment before feeling comfortable.

Benedict presses a kiss to your mouth and then to your cheek before taking the steps two at a time to hurry to the drawing room where he can greet his mother and siblings before answering their questions about your whereabouts.

Letting yourself be led through the ornate home of Violet Bridgerton, you can’t help but smile at the determinedness of your daughter. Her little feet stomping away on the marble tiles as she pulls you to the portrait gallery – her favourite place in the whole house bar her grandmother’s knee.

The gallery hasn’t had a new addition to its walls in years; the last painting being of Anthony and Kate on their fifth anniversary. Violet saw it as fitting that their London home had an up to date portrait of Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton. Anthony had argued, but one look from his mother had him falling silent – knowing a losing battle when he sees one.

Generations of Bridgertons line the walls; their famous blue eyes watching the latest generation walk the halls of their once home. John remains silent by your side as he meets the gaze of the men of which his name is descended; if he feels their pressure at such a young age, he doesn’t say.

One painting catches your eye. A young woman and her husband; his hand is resting on her shoulder as she remains seated. They both stare out of the painting; their eyes filled with the stories of generations passed but utterly silent on the matter.

“Who is this?” Violet asks, effectively distracted by the bright colours of the painting.

“That’s your Great Aunt Billie and her husband,” You comment absently, mind occupied with Billie Bridgerton’s eyes.

“Have we met her?” John asks, hand reaching for yours.

“You have, John. She and the Rokesby clan came to your christening. I doubt you remember, you were so young, my darling.”

John flushes at your use of his childhood pet name. Not even ten years old and he was already growing too old for such things, but you didn’t care – he would always be your darling, your first born, the very boy that made you a mother.

“Where are they now?”

“I suppose they are still at Crake House in Kent. We should have to pay them a visit the next time we visit your Uncle Anthony.”

“Can we?” Violet asks, her Bridgerton blue eyes wide with promise and excitement.

“If your father allows it, I see no problem with it.”

The children seem placated at that. With their hands in yours, you make your way to the drawing room where the rest of the family have gathered. Benedict spies you immediately despite being deep in conversation with Colin and Hyacinth; his body and soul finetuned to your presence – feeling uplifted when you’re beside him, feeling as if he was missing a vital part of himself in your absence.

“Grandma Violet!” Your youngest child cries, launching herself for the skirts of the Bridgerton matriarch. Her small arms barely make their way around the legs of the elderly woman who cannot contain her amused giggle at the exploits of her granddaughter. Instead, she gathers young Violet in her arms, placing her on her knee to get a better look at her.

“You have grown,” The matriarch murmurs, brushing back the dark brown hair of her granddaughter.

“John!” Anthony calls, drawing the attention of his nephew. Releasing your hand, John crosses the room to talk to his beloved uncle; the topic of conversation, you know not but they both look incredibly animated and devoted to the matter.

“Where were you?” A low voice sounds in your ears, making you jump. The voice turns amused as a low chortle escapes your husband’s mouth. “I’m sorry, my love,” he offers in apology as an arm wraps itself around your waist, tugging you closer to him.

“If you must know, we were in the portrait gallery.”

“What drew you there?”

“Your daughter,” You comment, tone amused.

Benedict moves to inquire further but is cut off but the gong signalling that dinner has been served. At once, the family moves as one – all ravenous and desperate to begin their meal.

“(Y/N)!” Colin calls out, catching up to you on the way to the dining room.

“Colin,” You greet fondly, “How is married life?”

“Wonderful,” Colin sighs, “Penelope is… Penelope is wonderful.”

You laugh, elbowing the third eldest Bridgerton. “Surely, you remember the early days of your marriage,” Colin states, “The honeymoon period.”

“It doesn’t leave you,” You reply, catching sight of the love of your life just ahead of you. His head is bent as he reaches for the hand of your daughter; her whole hand wrapped around one of his fingers. It sends your heart into a tizzy as you inhale sharply; the love you feel for Benedict Bridgerton could rival the love of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, of the sonnets written by William Shakespeare himself.

“No,” Colin comments, glancing between you and Benedict, “I don’t suppose it does.”

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

Dinner with a large Bridgerton crowd was never a quiet feat; conversations flowed in every direction. Societal propriety non-existent as everyone spoke over each other; happy to have the company of their siblings, nieces and nephews, sons and daughters.

“Anthony,” You begin, reaching for your glass as you draw the attention of the head of the family, “When would you next be at Aubrey Hall?”

“Kate, the children, and I travel back in two days. Why?”

“We were in the portrait gallery earlier. Violet was rather taken with a portrait of Billie Bridgerton and her husband, George. If Benedict has no qualms, could we travel with you? I think Violet would like to meet them.”

Anthony beams; rather liking the idea of bringing the Rokesby’s back into their lives once more. “I must admit that I haven’t travelled to Crake House in a long time. What a terrible nephew I must seem.”

Violet frowns, picking at the food on her plate. “What a terrible sister-in-law, I must be. It must be close to a year, probably longer since I’ve seen Billie and George. Longer since I’ve seen Edward and Cecilia.”

“That does it,” Anthony declares, “We shall all travel to Aubrey Hall before dropping in on Crake House.”

Meeting Benedict’s eyes across the table you smile at the clear affection written on his face. “You have no objections do you, my love?”

He shakes his head. “Never, my love.”

Turning your attention to Anthony, you nod your affirmation. “Should we write in advance of leaving here?”

Anthony wipes his mouth with his napkin. “I’ll send a missive with the morning messenger; if I tip generously then there shouldn’t be an issue.”

“I’m sure they won’t mind,” Violet adds absently, “I just can’t believe I’ve left it this long. I’m so rarely in Kent and they never journey to London.”

Colin reaches to his right, placing his hand on top of his mother’s. “They will more than understand. Aunt Billie was father’s sister after all. I think even Aunt Billie finds it hard to return to Aubrey Hall.”

“Then it’s decided,” Benedict smiles, “We shall journey to Aubrey Hall and get settled there before descending on Crake House.”

“Do you think Gregory would like to join us?” You ask, thinking of your youngest brother-in-law.

“He’s in his final term at Oxford,” Colin replies, “He’s sitting all number of exams right now, I don’t think he’ll have the time.”

“A shame,” Anthony comments, thinking of his youngest brother and the stress he must be under, “But I’m sure he can complete the journey in the summer.”

“He always was Aunt Billie’s favourite,” Benedict states darkly. You raise your eyebrows at your husband in question. “Gregory struggled with the pronunciation of some plants when he was a child; Aunt Billie thought it was adorable,” He explains, sounding far off as if trapped in a memory of his youth.

Smiling widely at your husband’s tone, you coo, “I’m sure Violet will be her new favourite when we explain what inspired our visit.”

Dismissing all social expectations, Benedict rounds the table, reaching for your hand, pressing a long kiss to the back of it before stating loudly. “You, my love, are a genius.”

“It has been said before,” You laugh, watching your husband return to his seat with promises of the night alight in his eyes. His eyes remain bright as he gazes at you over the rim of his wine glass, no longer paying attention to the conversation pertaining to the history of the Bridgertons and Rokesbys. Instead, his gaze remains fixed on you as he thinks of all the good you have brought to his life – loving him, marrying him, bearing his children. His love for you is endless, and he’ll spend the rest of his life proving that to you.

--------

Crake House was just as grand as Aubrey Hall. The Rokesby’s gaining the favour of the monarch in the seventeenth century leading to an earldom and a rather large estate that bordered on the Bridgerton’s at Aubrey Hall. From then, the two families had been intertwined – as close as two families could get.

“It’s very big,” John comments quietly to Benedict as they leave the carriage.

“Don’t let that intimidate you, John,” Benedict says, “There’s nothing to be worried about.”

As Benedict finishes his sentence, the door to Crake House is pulled open by a strong hand. Deep blue skirts are the first thing you see, and you know that Billie Rokesby nee Bridgerton has arrived.

“Bridgertons!” A feminine voice cries, “I have Bridgertons on my doorstep once more!”

“Billie,” Violet sighs, a fond smile on her face as if the sound of her sister-in-law’s voice has transported her back to times long thought of as memories.

“Anthony Bridgerton,” Billie admonishes as she hurries down the stairs, her elderly frame not a hindrance to her speed whatsoever. “How long have you taken residence in Aubrey Hall? How long has it been since you came to see me?”

“Aunt Billie,” Anthony murmurs, ��I don’t suppose you could ever forgive me.”

Billie Rokesby nee Bridgerton eyes her nephew; looking him up and down before taking his face in her strong hands. “Are you well, my boy?”

For a moment, tears shine in Anthony’s eyes as he is reminded of his departed father. He nods wordlessly; trying to get a grip on the feelings rushing through him at the love that emanates from Billie. “I’m well, Aunt Billie.”

Billie nods, stepping back, clearly happy at the information offered by Anthony. She casts her shrewd gaze over her brother’s family; happiness alight in her eyes as she takes sight of your daughter, hiding behind your skirts.

“Who do we have here?” She asks, stepping closer to Benedict and yourself.

“You met John when he was just a babe in arms, but Violet is our youngest,” Benedict introduces, an arm wrapped loosely around your waist.

“Violet?” Billie gasps, dipping at the waist, “Violet Bridgerton, it is an honour to meet you.”

Violet giggles from where she has her face hidden in your legs. You reach down, tapping her on the shoulder. “Come now, sweetheart. Let’s say hello.”

Violet peeks her face out of your skirts, her blue eyes meeting the kind, aged ones of Billie. Violet curtsies, remembering her manners despite her age. “I saw your painting at Grandma’s house.”

“Which one?” Billie asks gently, eyes flickering to the Bridgerton matriarch. “Please tell me it wasn’t the one that Edmund commissioned as an anniversary gift for George and myself.”

Violet Bridgerton covers her mouth to stem the laughter that threatens to bubble over. “The very same.”

Billie huffs, turning to you, “I was six months pregnant, and Edmund thought I would want nothing more than to sit for a whole day with nothing to keep me company.”

“I think you look wonderful,” Your daughter compliments, tripping up on her pronunciation of ‘wonderful’.

Billie’s eyes shine with happiness, “Thank you, my dear.”

“I think our guests might like some tea,” An exasperated but fond voice calls from the doorway. Billie’s face softens at the sound of it; she turns to her husband, finding him watching her with a loving smile on his face.

“They aren’t guests, George. They are my family, and by marriage, your family.”

“All the same, I’m sure they would like something to drink and to rest a little.”

Billie pouts, knowing a losing fight when she saw one. You take in the sight of the pair; their hair had greyed over time, their face becoming wrinkled but their love – it was so palpable, it could be felt in every aspect of their conversation and every expression they sent each other.

Billie and George manage to wrangle the whole Bridgerton clan into their drawing room with promises of food, tea and stories of their mother’s youth. Violet pales at such a promise but Billie’s hand on her arm steadies her.

Your children, John and Violet, join their many cousins on the carpet. They all sit cross legged, eyes intently focused on the elderly couple sitting on the pale green couch. Billie gestures animatedly as she begins one of her many adventurous stories. George leans further back into the cushions, happy to let his wife regale his extended family with the very story of how they had fallen in love. A story told many times, but a story he would never tire of hearing, especially not from his beloved wife’s lips.

You watch all of this from where you sit, perched on the window seat. You smile at the sight of Anthony, Colin and Hyacinth watching Billie with nothing short of wonder written on their faces as they are reminded of the aunt that had explained the way of the land before they had truly understood what it meant to be part of a family with such a large responsibility.

Benedict joins you on the window seat, crossing his legs at the ankles as his heart sings at the sound of his children’s laughter. Silently, he reaches over to take your hand in his. He rests your tangled hands on his thigh; needing you close for a reason he cannot seem to find the words to explain.

“I love you,” You whisper, needing him to hear the words that have begged to be released since you had rolled up to Crake House.

“I love you too,” Benedict responds, his hand tightening around yours.

*********

Bridgerton taglist: @heloisedaphnebrightmore @dreaming-about-fanfictions @now-its-time-for-a-breakdown @janelongxox @aspiringsloth20 @wallwriterstuff @magicalxdaydream @darkestbeforethedawn16 @gryffindors-weasley​

[doomfox]

College Days—

Geoff comes out to Eclipse and Infinite? :3

It had been three days.

Three days.

And already Geoff felt as though he couldn't imagine life without his new friends.

He and Eclipse lived together in the same dorm, and even though their quarters were pretty bare they had made the most of it. Eclipse had talked about his love of ducks, and Geoff had reciprocated with his love of cats. They'd taken turns on the old computer, playing totally not pirated copies of old Pokemon games. Reading through their small collection of comic books and giving the characters funny voices. Singing, horribly off-key, to random songs they'd think of in the moment. Obviously they had to split up for their studies but, with only fifteen hours in class each, they'd soon meet up so they could fool around again.

And, of course, there was Fin.

Geoff and Eclipse had remained true to their word. They had met up with Fin as soon as possible the next day, the shy jackal quietly pleased to see they had remembered, and hung out together for the afternoon. Like before Fin had been somewhat reserved, but had stayed at their side and listened as Eclipse prattled on about nothing (Geoff and Fin DID learn a lot about duck traffic safety). The jackal seemed very happy to be around them, just quietly doing his own thing while still managing to be involved. Geoff swore he even saw the guy’s tail wagging.

So it was the trio eventually found themselves retiring to Geoff and Eclipses’ dorm, Fin carrying a suspiciously large rucksack as he followed.

“So!!!” Eclipse jumped onto his bed, falling into a reclining position beneath his duck posters, “what do we do tonight, fam??”

“I dunno....” Geoff sat on his own bed, carefully removing his hoodie so it didn’t disturb anything beneath and depositing it on the floor, “how about we play more Pokemon?”

“OOH” Eclipse hopped up and ran over to his computer table, one arm swiping empty packets of beef jerky and soda cans onto the floor, “WE CAN TRY THE MEW GLITCH I’VE BEEN MEANING TO TRY THAT HOLY CRAP!!!!”

“Um... well...” Fin set himself down on the bed, catching the others boys’ attentions as he unzipped his bulky rucksack, “I... actually brought something round...? Thought you guys might be interested...”

Geoff and Eclipse exchanged a glance and watched as Fin reached inside his bag... and removed a spotless, pristine, brand new white video game console along with a pair of controllers.

“Oh, awesome!!!!” Eclipse chirruped, eyes going wide as he inspected the console, “you brought your Xbox???”

“Yup!” Fin grinned, showing off his pointed canines as he tossed his long hair out of the way, “and I haven’t used it yet... I especially haven’t... had anybody to play it with...”

“Cool!” Geoff spoke up from his place on the bed, “what you wanna play?”

Fin went still, before an evil, dark look fell over his face, one that the other boys couldn’t imagine the quiet jackal ever wearing. “DOOM.”

And so it was the boys spent their free evening tearing around, having a Hell of a time (pun intended) and blowing up demons. They only had two controllers but that was okay, the three of them would trade off and one would watch and offer support/unconstructive criticism. Energy drinks were pounded, and fun was had, right into the very late hours when they had to fall quiet.

Eventually the game was traded for Youtube, and the boys chilled out on the beds listening to random music on the small flat screen tv. Even though it was late, they weren’t very tired. They were enjoying themselves too much.

“Y’know, it’s funny...” Geoff said, hands behind his head as he reclined against the wall, “I never thought when I left home that my best friends would be aliens from outer space!”

“Yeah!” Eclipse cackled, busy (badly) braiding Fin’s hair, “and when I was a kid, I NEVER thought I’d be friends with a human! Let alone LIVING around so many of them!”

“Same....” Fin said quietly, eyes closed as Eclipses’ claws pulled at his hair, “I never thought there’d be a place with so many humans...”

Geoff frowned as Eclipse hummed in agreement. “What was it like?” he said curiously, “coming to a whole other world and being around a totally different species?”

Eclipse and Fin shrugged in unison. “Well... I was kinda stranded here when I was a kid...” Eclipse said uncertainly, his usual bluster evaporating for the moment. “I lived in the wild... humans would just scream and me and throw stuff at me if they saw me. So I stayed away. I was always told that humans were cruel and evil...” the Darkling went quiet, before shaking himself off and grinning. “But things got way better when I found my brother!”

“It’s not that different here from where I grew up...” Fin said, adding his own perspective to the conversation, “big cities... lots of people... but at least back there everyone else was Mobian. Coming to Earth and being around Humans was really intimidating at first... everyone around you is different, they all look at you funny.”

Eclipse snorted, slit nostrils flaring. “They stare at you, and talk about you when they think you don’t notice...”

“You’re always the odd one out...” Fin said wearily, before remembering Geoff was there. His ears went flat as he looked to the human. “S... sorry... I guess it’s hard for you to understand...”

Geoff merely smiled, jaw set. “Actually... not as hard as you might think.”

Eclipse and Fin glanced to one another before curiously regarding their friend. “What do you mean?” Eclipse said, cocking his head in curiosity.

Geoff bit his lip and looked away. “If it’s personal...” Fin said, ears raising as he noted his friend’s discomfort, “you don’t have to tell...?”

Geoff remained silent for a few moments, before looking over to the two aliens. “Well... it’s not really a secret, just something I’m a little reserved on when it comes to telling people...” he shrugged. “I’m trans.”

Fin’s ears perked with interest, while Eclipse cocked his head in puzzlement. “What’s that?” Eclipse said, wide-eyed and innocent.

Fin gave him a look and frowned while Geoff ran a hand through his hair. “Transgender...” Fin said, emphasising the second part of that phrase.

Eclipse screwed his eyes in thought for a moment before clarity hit him. “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooh!” he said,a light bulb igniting above his head, “sorry, brain fart. Oh, that’s cool! I had no idea!”

“ ‘s’okay,” Geoff waved a hand dismissively, “like I say, it’s not a secret. I just don’t... go out of my way to advertise it until I get to know people better.”

“I guess we have more in common than we thought...” Fin said quietly, ears flat as he played with his hair.

“Well, duh!” Eclipse stuck his tongue out at the jackal and grinned mischievously, “we’re best friends, ain’t we??”

The other two remained quiet, considering that indeed, they did seem to be best friends. They’d known each other only a short time and all three were different species, from different worlds and parts of the galaxy. They were each different and weird in their own way, but were more alike than they could ever have dreamed.

“Can.... I stay here tonight? With you guys?” Fin spoke up, “I kinda don’t wanna go back to my dorm...”

“If you like,” Geoff said, “that’d be cool.”

“Hey!! Why don’t you put in a request to switch dorms??” Eclipse spoke up, tail swishing excitedly, “we’ll get another bed and everything!!! It’ll be awesome!!!!”

“Okay...” Fin smiled, twirling the end of his hair around a finger, “I think I’ll do that.”

[aquafaith]

My lengthy, angry ACOSF rant review.

Spoilers, TW for mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.

.

.

.

I loved ACOTAR. I still love ACOTAR. I always will love ACOTAR. But every book afterwards made me give up more and more. ACOMAF romanticized an abusive relationship and assassinated characters for the author's convenience. ACOWAR was a bunch of boring and inconsequential death scares. ACOFAS was all-round dreadful. And each book kept shitting on and pushing away Lucien for no reason.

I'd like to preface this by saying I hated Nesta too. I hated the way she treated Feyre in ACOTAR especially, and I wasn't even too excited for this book because I wasn't that keen on Nesta as a character.

Nesta's POV and her backstory changed my perspective. It does not excuse her actions. All Nesta stans can hold these characters accountable for what they do - trauma is a reason, not an excuse. I, and many others, sided with Nesta because of the way she's treated by everyone else in this book. Also, if you're going to hate Nesta for not teaching Feyre how to read and letting her hunt at fourteen, (which I did, and are very valid things to hate), AT LEAST hold Elain accountable too.

This book. This fucking book.

Shall we start with the intervention? Feyre on her little power trip thinks that her boyfriend that hates Nesta and Nesta hates back, Nesta's ex-best friend, and her possible mate who she never talks to should be at this stupid fucking intervention??? Excuse me???

Remember in ACOMAF when Feyre wouldn't shut up about how rich Rhysand is? Feyre literally has four or five houses and is always talking about how much jewelry and lingerie she can afford because Rhysand is so rich??? Well, Nesta has a few shots. So you know what Feyre does? Humiliates Nesta at this "intervention", TEARS DOWN HER HOME, and forces her to go to the Illyrian training camp.

That was the god awful premise for this book.

Did you think Elain wasn't there because she was against the "intervention"? Nope! She was packing Nesta's belongings without permission.

Remember in ACOMAF when it's made a big fucking deal that locking up a traumatised woman is extremely damaging? Well, when Nesta decides she doesn't want to be in Illyria, Feyre locks her in the House of Wind. Nesta can't fly, so her only way of leaving is down the TEN THOUSAND STEPS, that Feyre KNOWS Nesta isn't capable of climbing.

Feyre's pregnant. In ACOFAS she randomly decided that she wanted a baby to remember Rhysand by if he dies. Which doesn't make any sense because they made that stupid fucking death pact in ACOWAR. It's just SJM superimposing her pregnancy onto her early 20's protagonist. Ignoring the fact that Feyre isn't ready for a baby and Rhysand CERTAINLY isn't, and with a war just ended and another looming and so much trauma and a DEATH PACT are all such horrible circumstances to bring a child into, Feyre is already pregnant. Remember when SJM made a big deal about Fae babies being so hard to conceive, and Feyre said in ACOFAS they wouldn't have to worry for a long time because it can take years to conceive your first Fae child? Well it's been no more than 3 or 4 months and Feyre's already pregnant. Yep.

Also the birth will kill her. Because of course it will. Rhysand KNEW this, and still agreed to try for a baby.

There's no solution. Abortions don't exist for some stupid reason, and a C section would apparently kill Feyre?

(Wasn't this book supposed to be about Nessian?)

In ACOWAR, Cassian was on the battlefield with his entrails around his knees. Someone had to literally hold his guts in for him, and he's fine, but you're telling me a C section would kill Feyre?

Don't worry, this is just setting up the AWFUL ending to this book.

ACOSF amounts to Nesta being gaslit into believing her abusers are right. Her friends and family slut shame her and shame her for her lifestyle constantly. Cassian says it took him decades to work through some of his trauma, and he tried to drink and fuck it away too, but suddenly when Nesta does so it's heinous? Nesta's barely twenty five and she's expected to cope better than these ancient immortals.

Hell, didn't SJM write ACOMAF? Nobody expected Feyre to pick herself up so quickly. The IC (excluding Rhysand) respected her boundaries for the most part and understood when it was grief, trauma, and turmoil that made her angry, sad, want to be left alone, etc. But that's all forgotten here.

Amren also compares Nesta to the people in, and says she belongs in, The Court of Nightmares. You know, the murderers, abusers and rapists? This innocent woman who had a few shots and a bit of sex is on par with them, apparently!

The sex scenes.

SJM is scared to say vagina so she says sex.

She says seed to mean semen.

Apparently the word cunt turns SJM on. I just found Cassian saying that kinda cringe because I'm Bri'ish so the word cunt really isn't a big deal.

Back to the baby killing Feyre, because this is definitely what we all wanted from this book as indicated by the change in covers and format and title... Rhysand decides not to tell Feyre. He tells her friends and family, and tells them not to tell her.

SJM loves sweeping Rhysand's abuse from the first book under the rug and claiming it's always about Feyre's choice... where is that here, MAAS? WHERE IS IT?

Anyway, when Nesta rightfully decides to tell Feyre (although it is kind of out of spite), Rhysand threatens to kill Nesta.

And I believed him. With the way he treats his """mAtE tHaT hE lOvEs sO mUcH""" and all the people he's mindlessly killed before, do you really think he wouldn't kill the person who gave Feyre an inch of autonomy?

So what does Cassian do? His lover who he cares deeply about and suspects is his mate has received a death threat from tHe mOsT pOwErFuL hIgH lORd iN hIsToRy.

Cassian simply gets Nesta out of the court.

EXCUSE ME?

He doesn't breathe ONE word to Rhysand about this. This Illyrian WARRIOR who fought with his GUTS HANGING OUT didn't dare step up to the hIGh lOrD who he considers his brother and sparrs and fights with all the time?

Cassian literally does nothing.

Was it not Rhysand himself who said Mated males are dangerous? Can kill anyone who looks at their mate? Can be dangerous simply leaving the house? Rhys and Feyre both pull the Mate card to justify their bad actions on the other's behalf... and Cassian just tried to get Nesta out of the court?

Also, this High King bullshit.

I swear to fucking god, if SJM DARES to make this abusive, power-tripping, mOsT pOwErFuL hIgH lOrD eVEr, husband-insert of hers hIgH kInG, I will fight her in the street.

My beloved Lucien is in this book. Only for him to be used and shat on.

I really liked it when he calmed Cassian down with just a look though. Yes please fox man.

Helion is also in this book. Nothing to do with Lucien.

Eris is also in this book. ERIS. Lucien's eldest brother. The same one who abused him for years, but according to SJM he's slightly better, because at least he didn't agree to kill Lucien's lover. He betrayed his daddy that one time, therefore Eris is good. Y'know, the same Eris who abused Mor? Left her laying on the Autumn Court border with a nail in her womb? Well SJM is going back on her own canon to redeem yet ANOTHER abusive male, while continuing to demonize Tamlin for things he only happened to do when SJM decided the villain from the first book was sexy.

Nesta and Cassian are Mates.

Remember when Mates were supposed to be a rare and sacred thing? Now SJM dishes them out like Oprah.

I don't want these characters to be mates. I want to see them slowly fall in love. But SJM is incapable of writing that so she forces them together with the mAtInG bOnD. That's literally the only basis for most of these relationships, Feysand especially.

The only relationship where the bond would make sense is between Helion and The Lady of Autumn. Who still isn't named. But I will die on the hill that they're mates, I can feel it between them.

I wanted someone to die in this book. I predicted that it would either be Helion or Tarquin, but Tarquin isn't even in this one.

And the ending.

SJM can't write a decent climax, so she kills both Feyre and Rhysand for the second time. Yep.

The baby is being born which stupidly kills Feyre, and thankfully takes Rhysand with them.

Nesta decides to save them. Bad choice. But she decides to save them! Because she's so powerful and she ATE THE CONTENTS OF THE CAULDRON and she's CONNECTED TO THE MOTHER.

Do you know what happens.

Nesta loses her powers.

NESTA.

LOSES.

HER.

POWERS.

The powers we've hardly seen, the powers that were briefly mentioned and used ONCE in ACOWAR, then we saw like two flashes of in this book? They're GONE now. GONE SO NESTA CAN SAVE HER ABUSIVE SISTER AND ABUSIVE HUSBAND WHO ABUSES THEM BOTH.

Nesta is just an Amren now. They both fought for their powers, and had to give them up to save people who didn't deserve it. Now they're anticlimactically trapped in powerless bodies.

Also, and I can't BELIEVE I didn't originally include this - do you know what else Nesta TRADED HER POWERS FOR?

Illyrian anatomy so she can carry Cassian's baby one day.

EXCUSE ME?

I am so fucking SICK TO DEATH of the narrative that every woman needs a man and children to be happy. SJM clearly loves this because she's literally only keeping Amren and Nesta alive now to be sex objects to their partners and nothing else seeing as their POWERS WERE RIPPED AWAY FROM THEM, and now NESTA TRADED THOSE POWERS TO HAVE A BABY SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW SHE WANTS? Nesta does NOT strike me as a motherly type. She's the wine aunt, she and Cassian are the couple that go on holiday a lot and and babysit their nieces and nephews, but nope. Nesta HAS to have children.

The Feysand baby is called Nyx. That's just so underwhelming, you go from these huge, multiple syllable names like Amarantha and Morrigan and Lucien to Nyx? I get it's supposed to be unique but it's not even meaningful. It's just more shit-flavoured icing on the hAHa nIgHt uWu cake. I prefer Renesmée.

Nesta is wrong somehow. She says she's sorry as she's saving them. FOR WHAT? For being a little rude to Feyre as all sisters are? And rightfully hating your sister's abuser?

Oh yeah, remember in ACOWAR when Nesta took care of a comatose, starving Elain for months? Elain is randomly okay now because she takes care of her mental health the stereotypical way of baking cakes, and not drinking and fucking, which she shames Netsa for.

Remember the slut shaming, demeaning comments that the whole iNnEr cIrClE made about Nesta? They all expect apologies from her. For some reason.

Nesta has done nothing wrong. She coped with her trauma and minded her business in her own ways, and she's expected to apologise to the people who control and emotionally abuse her.

Nothing that any of these characters did to Nesta is right. Nesta wasn't okay at the end, this wasn't Nesta's healing story. This is Nesta being shamed and degraded until she submits.

Oh I can't believe I forgot to write this in my first draft of this review, do you know how Nesta "overcomes" her grief about her Father's death and her conflicting feelings about him and his life and her guilt? When she visits his grave for the first time, she takes Nyx.

NYX.

She holds NYX up to the grave and talks about how it's his grandson.

GO AWAY YOU STUPID DEMON BABY THIS IS NOT YOUR BOOK.

Speaking of, it's revealed that Nesta was abused by her mother and grandmother in this book? Something we were all looking forward to is seeing more of the Archeron's mother seeing as Feyre was so young when she died, but... nope. She gets a few vague mentions, and this newly revealed abuse is entirely glossed over. Nesta was also actively groomed by an older man at 14. But SJM glosses over this because of course she does.

Finally, the bonus chapters.

My edition came with a bonus chapter from Feyre's POV. It was pointless and I hated it.

There's another bonus chapter from Azriel's POV. Once I'd finished this book, he was one of the few characters I still harboured a shred of respect for.

Then I read his bonus chapter.

This exists to purely objectify Elain.

Whether you ship Elain with Azriel, or Lucien, or neither, this chapter is disgusting. He thinks about her coming on his tounge, and other things simply just to please him.

He then dares to suggest that "the Cauldron picked wrong" in choosing Lucien as Elain's mate?

No Azriel, SJM picked RIGHT in not giving each Archeron sister a bAt bOy.

Rhysand does the only right thing he's ever done by telling Azriel to stay away from Elain, but then he has to ruin it by clarifying that it's only so they can manipulate and use Lucien more.

Oh, and Azriel wants to kill Lucien.

Need I remind you that Lucien respects Azriel? Lucien is another victim of the Night Court's needless, baseless torment, and Azriel is no exception.

Lucien stays well out of Elain's way because she makes it clear that she's not interested in a mate, but Azriel wants to kill him simply for being her mate.

Lucien has done nothing. And I mean literally NOTHING to warrant any of this treatment. From the bAt bOyS, from Feyre, from his family, from SJM, from the deluded part of this fandom that think he's done wrong. NOTHING.

All I liked about this book was the Lucien scenes (which is a given), ((although I hated the way everyone talks about him behind his back)), Nesta's relationship with the house, Emerie and Gwyn, the evidence that Gwynriel is endgame and subsequently Elucien, and the book love. Everything else was horrible. Oh, and Nesta hates Rhysand. I love that for her, because everyone else bows at his feet.

Oh yeah, when Nesta DARES suggest that Rhysand is an "arrogant, preening asshole" which I think is a compliment, Cassian can't take Rhys' cock out of his mouth for one second, and has to get mad at her for having an opinion. Don't even get me started on Azriel in that scene.

If each book after ACOTAR made me slowly give up, this book made me give up altogether. I cannot go on to support this victim-blaming, abuse-forgiving, misogynistic series. I've given up on SJM, and the only characters I care about anyone are Lucien, Nesta, Helion, and Tarquin. I'll continue to read this series to see if SJM redeems herself, but I'll be downloading them for free. I'm not giving this piece of shit any more of my money.

I hope we don't get the Lucien book. I don't want her to slaughter my fox in the way she slaughtered LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE.

Thanks for listening.

Edit: I put the review on Goodreads!

[blindtaleteller]

Marvel Comic moments and character points that deeply inspire my MCU-flavored Lokiverse, followed by some of the exerpts that result from that influence. Because someone in my discords asked, and said I should.

LISTEN (Vestibule HVRA-0616.04.03 - Door/Universe 3)

  " They all are; the last safe pieces of me left; that none of them, or the ones they left me in the hands of to torture.. to be made to give it up just to survive because they knew, and they saw; and.. " that sharp breath in and the slow breath out: audible. Reaching for control when that and his words had sped up with the edges of anger was forced to drop off. " They left me there. Watched through Heimdall's eyes and did nothing, nothing to stop it. That's how valuable a son I was as what I am. What they lied and told me I wasn't, for all my life. How loved a brother. A year of .. all, that. Left to be tortured and definitely killed without that deal, once he was done with me. "

           Oh.. god Thor. You big stupid idiot. That had better not be true. He had better be lying..

      " If you don't wanna talk about-- " Tony, badly wanting to backtrack. Natasha wanted him to too, just hearing the way, never mind the words coming out of his mouth.

                " I say the summary of it now or I won't get through saying any of it again any time soon. " was just as quick and .. a little defiant. " I refuse. And refuse to refuse this to you especially, if those words are real. " was almost clipped. And she got it.Nat almost wished she didn't. " Do you love this me. Aaron? "

 " I love you. "

       " You love the last pieces of me that still matter then. The man still left that took that deal with every, malicious, vindictive intent to kick it back in his face and steal everything that bastard wanted as repayment; and keep what was left of me, and all of you who had the memory whether you knew it or not, safe. Or as much as I could under the stone's influence, with Ultron still running around inside it. Or the Other constantly in my head as a reminder and near constant watch. A few hundred, for a few billion lives. The whole of everything left I loved here, to keep that alive? Stay me regardless of him? Or of Odin? Or of any of the rest? Worth it. Always, forever; worth it. No matter how much I missed coming here the way I used to. At least it's here still to keep growing. Even if it's a few people short, it's a few heroes greater too after I pushed you. It's all I could manage. "

     Cue Clint rushing the back door. Cue the bang of it being all but kicked open as that registered. She only looked up and after him stomping and kicking at the gravel on the side of the road when he stopped to snap a particularly hard kick of gravel across the grass in the ditch. Because what else was there to do, but rage, and squat down like that with your back to the road? How could you not, grip at the back of your head when you learned that the man you had been blaming for the blackest marks there were in your recent history; had been tortured and left to it and dying that way by his much more capable intergalactic family to force him into it, and doing what his torturer wanted?

     Who was there left in reach to blame now?

          What was there to ask? Why he hadn't chosen to just die? In a way they didn't understand, for people who had all but abandoned him to that, and from the sounds of it more?

GROUNDED (Vestibule HVRA-0616.01.08 - Door/Universe 8) Book 2: Chapter  11

When the clash came, Bucky barely caught it. The pressure grinding their blades against each other. He’d have to sharpen his again after this. “ There are times when the faces beyond that particular threshold are all we have, and all we can have. “ Loki was stronger, but Buck noticed the control too. It wasn’t that he was holding back; it was that he was measuring a limit to set himself to; when Buck was half pushed back by the shove. “ For some of me, I am better family to myself than any other in our own worlds. “

           “ Is that how it is for Gin? “ Not even a nod when they clashed again; Loki wrestling by half with his prosthetic arm; the even catch of their calves wrestling below for the imbalance turning into a stalemate. “ You’ll know it anyway on your own, but aside from one particular person; yes.  His world is  ..far  harsher. Things did not go as planned.  Many more died. He bears the brunt of it. The rest, you should find mostly on your own if you want it. “

              “ You think of him like a brother… a  real brother. “ surprised him a little bit as those tones registered and they conceded that draw, a step back for both of them. Adjusting grips, assessing movement; potential strikes.

                      “ Yes. You’ll  probably  understand why before long. It’s rare he takes to  anyone  not one of us. And he  never  claims as much outright, even in the  exceedingly rare  occasions when he does. “

Roll Call - Vestibule HVRA0616.01 (aka The Inbetween [platovember prompts FINAL BONUS ENTRY])

       " I think I heard enough.. " was the bile rising with that last one. Tony didn't think he could do that, even if Loge looked at Gin's door fondly. His eyes ended up on his mug.

              " Have you really? " in that tone, oddly sympathetic; tugged his browns up to silvery, too-blues quicker than he thought he should like. And put a pause on the thoughts he had there for the expression. " The point is.. all of us are different, but all of us are the same man, somewhere. "

    " Yeah, I know. Same Loki.. different choices. "

           " The same Anthony Edward Stark, before you choose differently; too. " was what cocked his head back a little. Knocked the breath out of most of the downward thoughts. More so when he slid the point of that finger fully around the room looking right at him. " Twenty one of you. And every single one a champion. Perhaps not always on our side. Perhaps not always finding themselves with the option to choose to step into this room or not. But still you, the same way every one of those who opens the door in the first place is still me. Every single one.. " pointed still, along the turn of the walls to land on him. " Could have been you, but wasn't. Just as easily as you could have been any single one of them; but you aren't. Very few of them, have the balls or desire to face this room and what it is and what it means; and what it represents. This is why we call our others Mirrors. And why the universes connected are also called shards. These are the stories of your life, and our lives too yes; that you were never able to tell. The pieces you missed catching; and the pieces you have caught. The care, and passion, and handsome defiance still remains. You are you and separate. But you are also much more than what anyone sees, that doesn't come into this room; peek into it's doors: and see or hear for themselves. "

    " ..so basically; Fate has the ball: so you may as well roll along with it? "

            " Or learn her habits so you can shift her direction. " came with a soft huff of a laugh before Loki finished off his coffee. " I'm saying; whatever brought you in here to take my usual stance and sit against the door frame to sulk, or distract yourself from eyes that know you better -- " made Tony look at this one differently, but then : he was pretty sure that was the point. " -- will still be there when you go back. But; if you must come in here to steal my internal drama time: at least make certain that while you do you take note that whatever it is that brought you here, it could as easily be worse rather than better. "