#they won the fall title and will then try to win the spring one for.... a full circuit????? is that when they get the emperor's cup??? and

[geniemillies]

Yearning For Spring | Ch. 2 | Tamlin x Oc

◇— Chapter 2 - The Lighthouse

<<Ch.1 ||◇|| Ch.3>>

✧ masterlist

Ch. Warnings: brief mention of murder (no one important), King of Hybern is a warning on his own.

For years I slept only to dream of spring and an eternal field of flowers. For years I lived in daydreams where I dared break free from my cage, to spend my days without a mask or a glamour on myself. Living in my thoughts seems to be the only remedy to the cruel reality I wake up to everyday. I tried my best to hang on to the memory of that golden haired boy at the terrace, I cling to it every chance I get. And yet no matter how much I burn his face in my mind it fades through the years that slip by me.

The last I saw him he had been crying, his hands bloody while emerald eyes pleaded to me. His face is all but blurry in my head. But his voice..

His voice still plagues my thoughts.

Four hundred and fifty years have passed, I've grown into something unrecognisable. What used to be the meek little girl who served as the King's servant has now climbed the ranks in his Court. Throughout the years I grew tired of always running to him, filling his cup and holding his wine and sought something greater. I was not spared from military training. I trained and bettered myself alongside the many children that wished to serve the King with a greater purpose. My first kill was a Lord in his Court. Lord Galdiir, the sleeze who'd always make advances at me. I can still remember how the King’s face twisted in cruel satisfaction at my bloodied state, on a bed, with the Lord's head limp on a pillow before me.

“Red suits you.” He once said.

That is when he first realized that there was more to me than just his cupbearer. I was invited to his tower where he worked. He taught me how to wield dark magic and cast spells without needing the Mother's gifts to do so. He taught me until I felt my hands melting off my bones, my power seeping out of me, clawing to be free.

He awakened something in me that even I am terrified of. He said it is a good thing to fear one's self. One must know the monster to properly unleash it.

The King has always been a student of the dark arts. Everyone knows of his experiments and more often than not he shares that hobby with his people in the most cruel of ways. My resilience in both physical and magical training sparked a curiosity in him and I became a subject to his experiments.

Those experiences are ones I try to forget the most.

Meanwhile I entered competitions and duelled soldiers of varying ranks, my strength ever growing thanks to countless hours with a sword and on the floor writhing from his experiments. In Hybern, the only way one can get what they want is by taking it by force. By winning. So I took and I won a million times over. My many triumphs lead me to a seat in his Court serving as another commander of armies. While I still do run to him at every beck and call, at least now I don't have fill his goblet.

I worked my ass off earning such a title. The last battle I won for something I wanted, it was Amarantha and I who clashed blades in a ring. She was his second in command and I wanted that title. I won it in exchange for her hatred. Not like she didn't hate me before but now she just despises me with every fibre of her being.

And now she's gone, turned her back on Hybern and while I do not miss her, the duty of keeping armies in check now falls into my hands alone. The bitch. The nerve of her.

The King seethed for days. His throne room is a disarray of broken furniture and tattered tapestries. Amarantha hasn't sent us back ravens with word of her progress with her mission in Prythian. Turns out she has abandoned her duties and crowned herself High Queen in light of her success of manipulating the entirety of the Prythian Courts. Now I hear she's trapped all the Lords in a cave somewhere.

Matters concerning the neighbouring islands never reach me as my duties are solely in Hybern so I can only rely on Court rumours and gossip of what she might be doing over there. And even then, I cannot trust their whispers.

“Welcome back, Commander.” Two voices said in unison as I walked into the castle, the large doors opening at my presence.

“Brannagh. Dagnan.” I nod to them as they welcome me back. My heart swells with an aching I try to ignore. They used to hug me back from my travels, prying my pockets for any sign of a gift. But they've grown too. And while the King favoured me when it comes to testing spells and experiments they were not spared from that particular hobby.

And they were not as resilient as I was.

I can scarcely recognize them. For there's nothing left in those eyes. They might as well be strangers to me. And I will forever mourn their souls.

Where ever they might be now.

“How is he?” I ask.

“Better.”

“And the throne room?”

“Better.”

“Good.”

As we reached the doors to the throne room, “Your Grace—” I bow–no. I duck and I feel the twins do the same behind me just before I feel a vase thrown to my head.

“Ah, great you're here.” He breathes deeply before running his fingers through his crownless head. “Leave us.” He orders and the twins immediately disappear and the door behind me shuts closed.

“My King.” I step forward, examining the ruined throne room. The twins either lied or he threw another tantrum.

“Little dove.” I cringe at the nickname.

I bow slightly. “At your service.”

“The ‘High Queen’ of Prythian does not wish to speak with her King. She rejects every attempt at a negotiation. She has cut ties with Hybern. The little...” He trails off, struggling to maintain his graceful front before letting out a half laugh.

I walk towards the round table at the centre of the room, my eyes skimming past the many scrolls spread open on the dark marble. “It is difficult to tug on a dog’s leash when it's put a crown on its head.” I look up at him as he walks past, returning to the dais and back on his throne, menacingly slow. “Shall I fly to Prythian and seek her out? I will gladly rip her head and return it to you. Maybe then she'll remember where her loyalties lie.”

“No..” He breathes out. “No. We do nothing. Nothing. For now.” He collects himself. “This is not a loss.” He whispers to himself, a smile forming on his face.

“If my Amarantha seeks to play games I am.. more than happy to indulge her. Let her play Queen a while longer.” He stands again only to walk towards a window overlooking the sea, where Prythian lands peak at the horizon.

The balcony doors open and he calls me to follow behind him. The open sea greets us, the air a smell of death and rot from the bones and cadaver that lay beneath the castle and onto the cliffs below. Failed experiments. I try not to look down but their stench seems to claw their way up to me even at this height.

As I approach him, I speak up. “Amarantha is a fool to challenge you, my King. If she thinks that a crown atop her head is enough to save herself from Hybern's wrath.”

He hums. “She is a fool. A clever, cunning little thing but a fool nonetheless. I always knew she would falter after her countless requests to invade have been denied. Too impatient. Too driven by anger and a desire for vengeance. She lacks clarity. Even more when that sister of hers died. Yet another embarrassment.” He turns to me.

“Tell me, little dove. If I had sent you to overtake Prythian, what would've happened instead?” His question takes me off guard but I do not show him not a flinch of surprise.

“While I may not be as cunning as she, I would make swift work of the island. Bring the courts to heel without unnecessary bloodshed and bring them right before your feet. Amarantha has always been distracted by other pleasures on her conquests. Pleasures that are irrelevant and therefore, useless to our cause. If I had been sent instead of her I would've done the job by now. And we would’ve found the Cauldron and the books.”

“Hm. Precisely why you are my second in command. Not her. But I needed you here so she was the secondary option. A poor choice I will not commit again.”

“The poor choice was committed by her. Not yours.”

“Do not attempt to coddle me, child.” He hissed and I almost flinched at his tone. “I know where I've faulted.”

I close my eyes. “Apologies.”

“I have decided. We will indulge in this little game of hers. A.. sort of experiment if you will. I wonder how long until the High Lords break under the pressure and rebel against her. Or if she surprisingly succeeds my expectations and brings them to heel– hm. I'm rather curious now. Excited even.” I force myself not to cringe. His experiments have always been brought to the most extreme ends. Even when such games are losses to him, he is not affected much. In fact, he is amused by all results whether or not they turn out to be failures. The subjects of said experiments however… suffer all consequences.

I raise a brow. “You will let her do as she pleases?”

“Why not? See if she can actually be of use for once. I consider myself a very, very patient male. I will wait..~”

“That you are.” I look down. “What if they rise against her? And this experiment fails? What of our own plans for the mortal realm?”

“It is no consequence if the experiment succeeds or not. If she manages to control the seven courts then it's a win. If she does not then I will have the pleasure to trample them myself. Either way, I will be happy with the results.”

“I see.”

We stand in silence, our gaze never tearing away from the island that pokes out in the horizon. Spring. Autumn. And for a moment I hesitate to ask him. “Has she.. gained control of all the Courts?”

“The winds return with word that she has. But they prove to be unreliable these days. She has ways of turning the Attor completely to her side so they do not. Return. To. Me. Anymore.”

“If you wish for a messenger I am available.”

He smiles, a cruel and wicked smile. “Eager to visit Prythian are we?” He asks. I avoided his gaze and swallowed the lump in my throat. “You have never set foot outside Hybern since.. that little expedition I sent you all those years ago, haven’t you..?”

“No, my King. I have never. But visiting foreign lands is of no importance to me.”

“Surely you've been… Curious?”

“Perhaps. But Hybern is my home. I'm well content here.”

“So you are.” He looks at the sea then to me. He shrugs. “Why not? I shall send you as a messenger. Tomorrow you are to step foot in whatever hovel she has made her castle and tell that traitor that if she does not kneel before her King then she will break. Scare her a little.”

I nod. “I will see to it done immediately.” But before I leave the balcony he stops me.

“And another thing?” His voice echoes, louder than the waves below.

“Yes?”

He approached me slowly, his body relaxing and he breathes deeply. And as his black eyes stared into mine I saw a softness in them that I once longed for.

He flicks his wrist and my mask disintegrated into glowing embers, revealing my face in its entirety to him. He cups my cheek with one cold hand, showing his illusion of affection that could only make my stomach turn. I wish to flinch away at his touch. “You are my second in command. Amarantha is a fool who lets her emotions control her. Her sister is the same. They are my greatest embarrassment and no longer will I tolerate such failures in my Kingdom.”

His gaze is intense, his eyes a gateway to a hellscape I no longer wanted to look into. My shields are up immediately, like an iron wall of defence, showing him only what he wants to see. My blind devotion.

“See to it that you won't disappoint me either.” His head tilts ever so slightly, his thumb caressing my cheek, his voice soft even as he threathens me.

“I would never betray you, my King.” I held my head high.

“I know you wouldn't, daughter.” He grins, using that word on me. Daughter. As if it held meaning other than that I am a most beloved possession and nothing else. My blood boils beneath my skin.

“I am not Clythia. I am not Amarantha. I have no use for emotions. Feelings are useless but I offer my love and devotion to you and you alone. And my strength and power, all but yours to wield like the sharpest of blades.”

Something flashes in his eyes that is akin to pride. Prideful he is, no doubt. He's made me into his image. Forced me to glamour my silver hair to his onyx black locks and forced a mask on my face at all times just so he wouldn't see my mother's eyes when he looks at me. Through his experiments he's moulded me into a soulless, obedient little thing, always waiting for his command.

And for four hundred years I worked to the brink of death to convince him that he's truly broken me.

I am not broken. Not yet.

Not yet..

— —

I return to the Lighthouse, the smell of rot and decay never reaches this place. Not since I took over it. While the skies above were still tinted and foggy and the pine forests nearby still lifeless and dull as always, it is.. home. A safe haven as opposed to the rest of the island, anyway.

A great estate is built around the lighthouse, a gothic styled piece of architecture in the edge or the cliffs. It used to belong to a rather vicious priestess belonging to the King's Court. The old crone was in charge of taking in orphan children and drilling their heads with religious nonsense. Though, that was before she became a victory of mine and the estate passed down to me. No longer did I wish to live in that horrid palace for a moment longer.

The children she kept.. stayed. And.. additional orphans came soon after because, much to Father's dismay, I still do possess emotions. Sympathy amongst other things. Though, unlike the priestess in charge before I did not push outdated teachings into their little heads. In fact, I taught them nothing at all. They just.. live here.

Most of them..

To avoid the nightmare that is the King finding out that I take in orphan children, I challenged him to a duel to keep the Lighthouse strictly my business and whatever happens in these lands are to be turned a blind eye on by anybody. Granted, I lost the duel. But to a dramatic turn of events he commended me for my confidence and sheer audacity to challenge him. He let me have my privacy, claiming that whatever I do in my off time is none of his or anyone's business and we never spoke of the Lighthouse ever since.

“The children are awfully obedient today. Not one child missing from lessons. Most of them can read two full sentences.” I heard Vel behind me as she undoes my braids and brushes my hair. The Lighthouse is the only place where I can drop my glamoured hair and the mask, the only place that I can ever be someone else other than High Commander or Princess or little dove. The duel with my Father to keep this place private was a bloody one. I still have scars from his sword from that battle. But it was worth it to keep these people close to me.

I don't know what I'd do if he gets his hands on this place. The children. Vel.

If anything happens to them I might actually break at last.. They’re the reason I haven’t yet faltered.

“You okay..?” Vel asked me as she continued to brush my hair. “Has something happened?”

I shook my head and looked down at my hands, a small, green fabric in my palms. The handkerchief the golden boy gave to me all those centuries ago. I rub it in my hands, as if touching it would make me remember his face that's all but fading in my mind. I never lost it. Never let go of it, not even for a second. It's always nestling inside my pockets, tied around the leather of my armoured wrist, on my head serving as an accessory– Never.

It's the one thing I have of him. The one thing that keeps me from forgetting just how green his eyes were that night.

I close my eyes. My mate..

“I'm going to Prythian.” I declare and I feel her shift behind me. “Negotiate with Amarantha. See what she's up to or if she's willing to return to Hybern.”

I look up at the raven-haired girl, her expression twisting into a sickly one. “Will you..”

I nod. “I will confirm it for you.” Her shoulders soften a bit as she thanks me before she turns around, pacing the room. She looks even more at unease.

“She will kill them. I see what she does in that throne room, what she encourages.”

“I know. I know..” I look away.

“I'll try my best to lessen her damage. No matter how light my efforts might be. Though I doubt she hasn't already traumatised the people.” I breathe deeply, and looking at Vel now, with her face filled with dread, I know she's thinking of it too.

“Please.. make sure she doesn't hurt him.” She pleads. “Please, Niamh.”

“I cannot guarantee that. Amarantha has always been a spiteful little creature. If the King cannot control her, what hope will be there for me?”

I can see the hope die in her eyes almost instantly and I falter. For her I falter.

“While I cannot guarantee your brother's safety..” I sucked in a breath and stepped closer. I cup her face and touch our foreheads together, an act of reassurance.

“I'll try my best, Velaria.”

— —

A/n: cough. Iykyk. Also a little bit of math here. Last chapter was set two years after the Treaty/War and we know the war lasted for seven years. And we know Tamlin was born just around the beginning of the War. So during that party Tamlin was nine years old. Niamh is around his age, maybe younger. They were both just babies :') if I'm not mistaken.. And if I'm right then canonically Tamlin's father has been bringing him to Hybern around that age. Amarantha when I catch you..

[mangoisms]

you see i say this and open my scrivener project and immediately get bogged down with research. Of course this is no one's fault but my own but. Why is the structure of the baseball tournaments in college in japan so. Mystifying.

at stabz 👍 will be writing for the rest of the day. we're starting off with literally like

934!!!!! we'll see what that looks like at the end of theday

[thef1nalb0ss]

Faction Rankings: April 9, 2023- April 16, 2023

I've been doing these on my twitter for a while, but now I'm doing it here!

Basically I just rank WWE factions (main roster and NXT) into the top ten for the week (based on wins/losses, championships, storylines, and appearances). At the end of each year I count what number rank a faction falls at each week add those together, and then divide by the weeks they were active. (I.E. if a faction breaks up, they are no longer counted and however many weeks they were counted is divided by the sum of their rankings). If a faction is not ranked on a particular week, when I add up their rankings, the week(s) they were not ranked are counted as an 11. Then the factions are ranked highest number to smallest to determine who the best factions throughout the year were.

This is all completely unimportant and means absolutely nothing. It's just something fun I like to do!

Anyway, let's begin!

[Previous]

10. The LWO

Despite Rey losing to Finn on Monday and Santos losing to Damian on Friday, the LWO is not backing down against The Judgement Day. In fact, Zelina seems to be set to be the first challenger for Rhea's title.

9. Chase U

The MVP Award Ceremony for Duke was crashed by Bron. Generously, though, he gave his spot in the fatal 4-way to determine Melo's challenger at Spring Breakin' to Duke!

...and then he speared Andre, tore the Chase U flag and broke the flagpole in half. And Duke lost the match. But hey, he's still got the MVP trophy!

8. Diamond Mine

They're back to being "the three of [them]", according to Ivy. Seems like we're forgetting somebody...I think their name started with an R?

Anyway, The Creeds have a match for the tag titles this week against the champions, Gallus, and The Schism.

7. The Schism

Hey, look who it is!

After confronting Gallus after they yelled at Tank for no reason other than to be mean (classic heels), demanding a title opportunity, Gallus was happy to give them one. However, that match would also feature The Creeds, making it a triple threat.

6. Imperium

Gunther has a new challenger in Xavier Woods. He's never faced Xavier, and Xavier said he wanted to get a chance at the title before The Draft comes since he doesn't know where he'll end up. They'll have that match this week.

5. Gallus

Joe has his eyes set on gold, but first they had to yell at Tank when he was just trying to get pictures for his renders. Joe defeated Tank in the ring, only for The Schism and The Creeds to come to the ring, causing a brawl, which resulted in a tag title triple threat being made official for this week.

4. The New Day

With E and Kofi out, Xavier's solo at the moment. He's making the most out of it though, with a win against LA last week and an IC title match against Gunther this week.

3. Damage CTRL

IYO is the #1 contender to the Raw Women's Championship!

Unfortunately, Bayley doesn't seem to think it's so great.

Bayley originally was going to be in the triple threat to determine the #1 contender, but IYO pointed out that she's already gotten multiple chance at the title, and it was her or Dakota's turn, and Bayley agreed, reluctantly. Even though she came to the ring to celebrate IYO's win, she looked torn between happiness and jealously.

2. The Bloodline

Solo gets wins on both Raw and Smackdown, while The Usos got a win against Alpha Academy on Raw and have a rematch for the tag titles in two weeks.

But, is Roman running out of patience with The Usos? Is that title match their last chance to prove themselves?

1. The Judgement Day

With 14 staples in his head, Finn won against Rey, with some help from Dominik. On Smackdown, Damian won against Santos, after Rhea grabbed Santos' leg to prevent him from winning. Zelina took her out, but it was already too late. It seems pretty likely that Zelina will be Rhea's first challenger for the Smackdown Women’s Championship.

[nanowrimo]

Win an Introduction to an Agent or Publisher During Pitchapalooza

Ready to pitch your novel to the pros? Here’s a message from The Book Doctors to tell you how!

You wrote your 50,000 words (or close!). You’re a winner. You felt the high. Now what are you going to do with your precious manuscript? That’s where we, The Book Doctors, come in. Join us for our twelfth annual NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza to learn how to catch the attention of publishers and readers. 

For those of you unfamiliar with Pitchapalooza, here’s the skinny: You get 250 words to pitch your book. Twenty pitches will be randomly selected from all submissions. We will then critique the pitches during a live webinar on April 2, 12PM PT, so you get to see what makes a great pitch. At the end of the webinar, we will choose one winner from the group. The winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for their manuscript.

We will also crown a Fan Favorite who will receive a free one-hour consultation with us (worth $250). On April 3, 2022, the 20 random pitches will be posted on our website, www.thebookdoctors.com. Anyone can vote for a fan favorite, so get your social media engine running as soon as the pitches go up! Connecting with your future readers is a vital part of being a successfully published author, and this is a great way to get some practice. Voting closes at 11:59PM PT on April 25, 2022. Fan Favorite will be announced on April 26, 2021.

Here’s how to enter:

Beginning February 15, 2022, you can email your pitch to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com. 

Do not attach your pitch, just embed it in the email.

You get up to 250 words to pitch your book.

Include your title and your name at the top of your pitch. These don’t count toward your 250 words.

All pitches must be received by 11:59PM PT on March 15, 2022.

Where are they now? NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza Success Stories

It’s been a great year for past NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza winners: 

In 2016, May Cobb ran away with NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. She's been capturing attention ever since. In 2019, it was a "heated six-publisher auction" that ended with Berkley winning the rights to publish her novel The Hunting Wives, which was pitched as In a Dark, Dark Wood meets Mean Girls. The Hunting Wives launched in May 2021 with buzz from The Skimm, Cosmopolitan, SheReads, PopSugar, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, E! Online, Crime Reads, Book Riot, Bustle, and more. In September 2021, May announced another two-book deal with Berkley. First up, My Summer Darlings hits bookstores in May 2022: three lifelong friends plus a dangerous, sexy new stranger in town add up to a scorching summer of manipulation, obsession, and murder.

Gloria Chao won the 2015 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza with the novel that would become her critically-acclaimed debut American Panda. Her award-winning books have been featured on the “Best of” lists of Seventeen, Bustle, Barnes & Nobles, PopSugar, Paste Magazine, and more. American Panda received four starred trade reviews, was on the Amelia Bloomer list, and was a Junior Library Guild Selection, Indie Next Pick, and YALSA Teens’ Top 10 Pick. Her second novel, Our Wayward Fate, came out in 2019 and her third novel, Rent a Boyfriend, is out now from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 

But that's not all. Fools in Love, an anthology released December 7, 2021 (Running Press Kids/Hachette), features Gloria and fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and up-and-coming authors as they reimagine some of the most popular themes in the romance genre that are sure to steal your heart. Gloria's work graces Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between that released last month from Viking/Penguin. And coming from Viking Penguin in Fall 2022 is When You Wish Upon a Lantern, a YA romance that sold in a heated auction! In Spring 2023, look for Freshman Orientation, a YA anthology of linked stories set on the first day at a small college, from the perspective of teens moving into their dorms, making new friends, avoiding old ones, and trying to fit in (Candlewick).

Gloria is giving back to aspiring authors by being a 2022 We Need Diverse Books YA mentor. 

Stacy McAnulty has been on fire since she won our third NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, publishing twenty-eight books and counting. Her latest novel, Millionaires for the Month, is out now from Random House Books for Young Readers. Kirkus calls it “cinematic, over-the-top decadence, a tense race against time, and lessons on what’s truly valuable.” Stacy also signed a deal with Random House to publish another middle grade novel, A Penny Doubled, pitched as How to Steal a Dog meets Brewster’s Millions. She also published three picture books in 2021: A Small Kindness (February 2), Mars! (February 9), and Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack (August 31). And Little, Brown recently won at auction rights to publish her debut nonfiction middle grade Save the People! Halting Human Extinction, a look at our potential demise with a side of humor and a powerful remedy: scientific knowledge. In April 2022, look for Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth, and in August, Blood! Not Just a Vampire Drink. 

“Winning Pitchapalooza gave me confidence and the courage to keep fighting. It also helped bring my manuscript to the next level.”

–Gloria Chao

Important NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza Dates

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 — Pitch submission opens

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 — Final day to submit pitches

Saturday, April 2, 2022 — NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza live on YouTube

Sunday, April 3, 2022 — Voting for Fan Favorite begins at www.thebookdoctors.com 

Monday, April 25, 2022 — Final day to vote for Fan Favorite

Tuesday, April 26, 2022 — Fan Favorite announced at www.thebookdoctors.com 

NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza FAQs

Q: May I submit more than one pitch? 

A: Yes, you may submit multiple pitches. Please include your book’s title and your name at the top of each pitch.

Q: How are the 20 pitches selected? 

A: The 20 pitches are randomly selected; however, we read all the pitches.

Q: Are the choices for Fan Favorite also randomly selected? 

A: Yes. They are the same 20 pitches that we read during the webinar.

Q: Will a recording be available? 

A: Yes. You’ll be able to view the recording at www.thebookdoctors.com and on YouTube. 

Q: Does my novel have to be finished?

A: No, you may pitch a work in progress.

Q: May I submit a pitch for a self-published novel?

A: Yes.

Q: Will the writers of the randomly selected pitches be notified ahead of the webcast?

A: The writers of the selected pitches will not be notified ahead of the event.

Q: Where can I learn more about writing my pitch? 

A: We offer resources on our YouTube channel. We recommend that you watch “The Art of the Book Pitch”,  last year’s NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza, and our Pitch Tips playlist. Hungry for more examples? Check out our Pitchapalooza playlist. You can find Gloria Chao’s pitch tips here. 

Are you feeling a little unsure about exactly how to craft your pitch?  We’ve got you covered. 

10 Tips for Pitching Your Novel

A great pitch is like a poem.  Every word counts.

Make us fall in love with your hero.  Whether you’re writing a novel or memoir, you have to make us root for your flawed but lovable hero.

Make us hate your villain.  Show us someone unique and dastardly whom we can’t wait to hiss at.

Just because your kids love to hear your story at bedtime doesn’t mean you’re automatically qualified to get a publishing deal. Make sure to include only relevant information in your pitch.

If you have any particular expertise that relates to your novel, tell us. Establishing your credentials will help us trust you.

Your pitch is your audition to show us what a brilliant writer you are, so it has to be the very best of your writing.

Don’t make your pitch a book report.  Make it sing and soar and amaze.

A pitch is like a movie trailer.  You start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc. close-up with intense specificity, then you pull back to show the big picture and tell us the themes and broad strokes that build to a climax.

Leave us with a cliffhanger.  The ideal reaction to a pitch is, “Oh my God, what happens next?”

Show us what’s unique, exciting, valuable, awesome, unexpected, about your project, and also why it’s comfortable, familiar and proven.

Join our newsletter to receive more tips on how to get published.

Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry have appeared everywhere from NPR’s Morning Edition to The New York Times to The Wall Street Journal to USA Today. They have taught everywhere from Stanford University to the Miami Book Festival to the granddaddy of American bookstores, Strand Books in New York City.

Their book, The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published, is the go-to book on the subject, and contains all the information you’ll ever need, taking you through the entire process of conceiving, writing, selling, marketing and promoting your book.

[mbti-all-the-things]

Myers-Briggs Types as Songs from my Greek Mythology Album

The album is called From the Kindly Ones, and it tells the stories of figures in the Greek Underworld, from the point of view of the Fury Alecto, who punishes or otherwise knows them. Each one teaches a lesson Alecto feels the figure needs to learn, or features some other opinion the Fury has. 

There are 16 songs, so I figured, why not? Each blurb includes the title, the type, a sample lyric, and some explanation.  There are four sections of the album: Kings, Queens, the Innocent, and the Guilty.

The lyrics are here, and the entire album (a rough acoustic recording) is included here if you want to listen to your type’s song! 

I. KINGS

Dictator - INTJ

It’s no fun when you didn’t want to be the ruler of the world ? But the job is yours, there’s no denying

Hades’ song is about a man in an unwanted position of power, forever set apart with terrible duty and ability from the rest of his kind. But he was granted this broader perspective of the world for better or for worse, and I think the INTJ Mastermind type can relate.

Peaches Before Gold - ENTP

You earned the gold / You made the score / You saw a win and made it yours

Midas’ song cautions against ambition and greed trumping interpersonal relationships. While he gains unimaginable wealth, he becomes unable to show his daughter what he’s won. ENTPs can be prone to falling into a need to “win” above all else.

Down - ISFP

Death is no giant; it’s more of a king / Small like a tyrant, and just as inevitable

Sisyphus’ song details why he is condemned to roll a boulder up a hill forever. He was cunning and creative, and managed to cheat death more than once, for which he was punished. The ISFP’s individualism can sometimes make them believe that rules don’t apply to them.

The Dictator Remix - ENTJ

Lie on the chaise lounge while they lower grapes in front of you / Go on, keep chasing the high like the dictators do

Tantalus’ song is a mirror of Hades,’ showing a man who grasped at power his whole life, trying to cheat the gods, only to hurt those around him and damn himself. The ENTJ can be incredibly focused on success, but needs to understand humility to be truly powerful.

~

II. QUEENS

Friend of Fury - ISTP

You drew a bath of roses and you stood behind the king / You heard it then, the sound of blood when it decides to sing

Clytemnestra’s song depicts a woman taken advantage of her whole life, who finally breaks the chains of society to take revenge on her husband. The ISTP is an independent, practical soul who often thinks against the grain and is willing to take swift action, like this queen.

Upside Down - ESFP

You’re a creature of ego, oh Lady in the Chair / To see Aphrodite’s face beside your own could grant some clarity

Cassiopeia’s song tells the story of a vain queen who boasted of her daughter’s beauty above that of a goddess. While ESFPs can fall into the trap of vanity, they (like this queen) also have strong bonds with others, especially taking pride in their families.

The Queen of All The Ghosts - ESFJ

I was once like you / I was once a martyr, too / You, a sign of spring / Me, a warning of the justice I would bring

Persephone’s song gives a glimpse into the mind of Hades’ wife, and how her internment in the Underworld was more her decision than the myth leads us to believe. Like the Queen of the Dead, the ESFJ often makes quietly strong decisions for their family and for their own needs.

~

III. THE INNOCENT

Good Boy - ISFJ

If they would listen to your words and not the mouths that they escape / I think they’d love you, dear

Cerberus’ song is a sad one, but it’s also full of compassion. The three-headed dog is most often seen as a terrifying figure, but the narrator of this song sees him as an innocent. The ISFJ’s desire to care for others and natural gentleness is on full display here.

Falling From Grace - INFJ

So climb the stairs to heaven while I wait here on the ground / Paying no attention to the bodies raining down

Icarus’ song warns against perfectionism, following the story of a young man who up until now has easily navigated the patterns of life. INFJs are prone to god complexes due to their ability to see beyond the surface of life, but they may come crashing down if they are too reliant on it.

Coins - INTP

‘Cause the ferryman will take it from under your tongue / Doesn’t really matter if you die young 

Charon’s song covers the ferryman’s singular interest in his mission: ferry souls across the Styx and receive payment for it. The INTP can become completely fixated on a certain topic, neglecting all else to puruse what they deem most interesting at the time.

Follow Me, Prelude - ISTJ

One, too bound to his lyre / And one who a liar kept in the ground

Orpheus’ and Eurydice’s songs are preceded by this very short prelude. While it’s the shortest song on the album (sorry, ISTJs!), the practicality of this piece lines up with the ISTJ’s. They are also very to-the-point, and these lines pack a powerful punch, summing up the next story.

Follow Me, Pt. 1 - ENFP

What you wanted was a mystery, even to me / Why do I follow you when I don’t even know where you’re leading me?

Eurydice’s song is the only one on the album from the subject’s point of view, rather than the narrator’s. The story of her open heart and innocent nature mirror the ENFP’s, idealists who may find themselves in the sad position of loving those who cannot love them back.

~

IV. THE GUILTY

Follow Me, Pt. 2 - INFP

Should I listen to men who would tear me apart? / I’m sorry, my love, but your face isn’t worth my heart

Orpheus’ song depicts his devotion to his art and ideals, and how that extends beyond his devotion to Eurydice. The fiercely individual and creative INFP needs to balance their focus on ideals with reality and relationships, which Orpheus has unfortunately failed to do.

Visitor - ESTJ

Hera saw it in your heart (she held it there herself, you know) / And so she knew how it could stain your darkest clothes

Heracles’ song is about the demigod’s disproportionate strength and rage, and how Hera manipulated both to cause his life harm. ESTJs are strong-willed and tough, and need to be careful of allowing their rigid tendencies to break the softer world around them.

Doomed - ESTP

Sitting on the head of your father’s coffin / Sitting on the bed while your mother’s watching

Oedipus’ song tells the story of a man told of his dark fate, who fulfills it in his effort to avoid it. ESTP individuals are bold, which can come at the price of taking opportunistic risks. Like Oedipus, they could end up acting on something with unexpected consequences.

To Cower, To Covet - ENFJ

Theseus, do you think of your friend in the pit? / Pirithous — condemned, while you got away with it

Theseus’ and Pirithous’ song shows the double standard of condemnation when a slight is personal rather than impersonal. The ENFJ is an idealistic leader who may, like Hades with these young men, hold others to a high standard - but who also may be too hard on themselves.

[goforth-ladymidnight]

✨✨✨ ✨✨

Thank you for the tag, Mathi! @highlordofkrypton

Here are my answers!

What should we call you?

You can call me Midnight, or Lady M works, too. ✨

How long have you been a Tamlin fan?

Ever since I saw the ACOTAR Official Coloring Book on the shelf. (So, 2017-ish?) I loved the illustrations of this handsome blond elf-like character (with a masquerade mask and everything, ooo, so mysterious), which led me to picking up the original novel, and now here we are!

What drew you to Tamlin?

I've always liked Beauty and the Beast retellings, so it didn't take much for me to fall in love with him. I liked Lucien's sass, but I think the moment that won me over is when Tamlin rescued Feyre from the naga. Yes, the scene is a shameless ripoff of Disney's Beauty and the Beast scene where he rescues her from the wolves, but that part of the movie was a turning point for their relationship, too. What can I say? It worked!

Do you have a favourite headcanon for our Spring Lord?

Tamlin played (and sent!) the music Feyre heard Under the Mountain, and I will die on that hill.

Who’s your favourite pairing (platonic or romantic) with Tamlin?

It's impossible for me to choose. It honestly depends on my mood! 😭 But, I will say that I'm most fond of these pairings:

Lucien x Tamlin. Okay, I'm biased, because I'm close to finishing a holiday fic featuring these two sweethearts. But their relationship is the epitome of best friends to lovers. How can I not love them for that?

Briar x Tamlin. Naming a one-off character like Briar in the third book of the series, whose name means Thorns, when Tamlin has always been the Rose?? It's like SJM is hinting that we're going to have another ACOTAR on our hands, with an actual Beast this time around. I'm a sucker for everything Beauty and the Beast, so sign me up!

Feyre x Tamlin, because no one does it better than the original. Their romance felt so earned and real, and their personalities were mirror-images of the other. Two half-wild beasts who found each other, to try to break one impossible curse. 😭 "I love you, thorns and all." SAME.

Rhysand x Tamlin. Okay. So. I haven't written anything for them myself, but once I read A Court of Lies and Resurrection, I couldn't help but root for them. These two have a lot of history, and it just makes sense that they would develop feelings along the way. Forget about Enemies to Lovers; what about Lovers to Enemies??

Honorable mention: Nesta x Tamlin. This is a rare pair, but it honestly makes so much sense to me. Yes, Nesta loves books, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast loves books, too, but there's more to it than that. Other writers have astutely noted that Nesta's power is Death, while Tamlin's is Life. ( @ae-neon, is this your theory? ) Nesta was born to be a Queen, and Tamlin was born to be a Beast. She has a sharp tongue, and he has sharp claws. Talk about a prickly pair!! I am into it.

Have you named Tamlin’s family? What are their names? (Give us your headcanons too!)

I have! But it varies depending on the AU. See below:

Tamlin's mother: Rosalin. This is the only name I can picture for her, no matter which universe she appears in. Named for the rose garden that her husband planted for her, and incorporating part of Tamlin's name. Rose + Lin.

Tamlin's father: In my fic ACOFAE, he's called Magnus. According to my favorite baby name resource, it's a name that means greatest, and it's popular in Scotland (where the Ballad of Tam Lin originates from). It's admittedly not my favorite name, but I haven't learned enough about his character to give him a different one.

Tamlin's brothers: Peter and Arthur (in my modern AU), Angus and Fergus in every other AU I've written. Their modern AU personalities are a lot more self-centered, and they bully their younger brother just because they can, but everywhere else I picture them as twin warriors who must contend with each other to eventually win their father's title. I also chose their fantasy names to emulate their father's, but that could change if I ever get around to writing a story about the Spring Court.

If you were transported into the Spring Court right now, what would be your role? (Sentry, Gardener, etc.)

If it's anything like my current job, I would be in charge of shelving books in the High Lord's library! 😏 I must say, that sounds like a pretty good deal to me!

While we wait for Tamlin week, do you have any fic recommendations?

Yes, I do! I don't read as much fanfic as I would like (since my free time can either be spent in reading mode or writing mode, and lately it's been in writing mode), but here are some suggestions:

Tamsand: The aforementioned A Court of Lies and Resurrection, especially if you like lots of angst (but heed the tag warnings!!). It has a well-earned happy ending.

Feylin: My most recent favorite is Soap Bubble by @kateprincessofbluewhales. It's short and sweet and angsty and sexy all at once, and I love the evocative details.

Brilin: If you are a monsterfucker at heart, this oneshot is for you: You Can Be the Beauty and I Can Be the Monster by @lady-nestas. If you'd like something tamer, try her longfic: A Dream of Roses (WIP).

Tamcien: It sounds incredibly vain, but I'm going to suggest my own work for this one: A Second Chance. I consider it an unofficial modern-day sequel to ACOWAR, where Tamlin gets his "redemption", and he and Lucien reconnect over the holidays. I'm incredibly proud of it, considering it was my first foray into a modern AU. So if you want something to read over the holiday season, it should be done by Christmas!

I'm still keeping an eye out for Neslin fics; there are some on my TBR list, but I don't want to recommend anything that I haven't read first.

There are many talented creators in this fandom! You really can't go wrong. I love you all! 💖

Tags, but no pressure: @songofthesibyl @positivelyruined and anyone else who hasn't been tagged yet!

In the coming months, weeks and days leading up to Tamlin Week, we'll be dropping some fun community activities. Feel free to participate as much or as little as you like!

Now that we've got the prompts out of the way, it's time to get to the heart of Tamlin Week. Everyone knows our High Lord Tamlin, and you’ve met our mods, but it’s time to meet you!

Introduce yourself through the questions below, and if you know someone who’d like to participate in Tamlin week, feel free to tag them.

What should we call you? How long have you been a Tamlin fan? What drew you to Tamlin? Do you have a favourite headcanon for our Spring Lord? Who’s your favourite pairing (platonic or romantic) with Tamlin? Have you named Tamlin’s family? What are their names? (Give us your headcanons too!) If you were transported into the Spring Court right now, what would be your role? (Sentry, Gardener, etc.) While we wait for Tamlin week, do you have any fic recommendations?

Tags: (add your friends here!)

We encourage you to check the notes to say hi to old friends, and welcome new names to our community!

[livinglikearoyal]

K-drama Recommendations: Nov. 2019

One of you asked for some K-Drama recommendations and here you are! Keep in mind that I watched some of these quite a while ago so the plot isn’t as fresh in my mind as I’d like. I tried to keep the list to K-dramas that are fairly easy to find either on Netflix or Hulu. I’d love to hear your opinions on these and any recommendations you have for me! Also, these aren’t necessarily in any sort of order...but I will say the top 10 that were described are ones that I will probably rewatch at some point because I enjoyed them so much.

Chicago Typewriter (Netflix)

Summary: This one is hard to summarize without giving away the storyline. It follows a group of three characters through two eras: the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea and then the present timeline. The characters’ reincarnated selves are brought together seemingly by fate and struggle to find out the truth of the past lives.

Why I liked it: Netflix almost did me dirty on this one. The summary and preview that popped up were not intriguing to me at all. However, it said I’d be interested in this (98%) so I figured I’d give it a shot. Boy...was this a journey. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and I loved how there wasn’t a “weak link” in the trio. They all brought something unique and important to the dynamic of the show. The acting is spectacular and they really allowed these characters to grow. The storyline can be predictable at times...but how they get there is unexpected. The ending had me in happy tears. 10/10 will watch again!

Romance is a Bonus Book (Netflix)

Summary: This kdrama follows Kang Dani, a 30-something mother, and her journey to find herself after a divorce. She reenters the workforce after being a housewife and finds herself at a popular publishing company as a temporary worker (I believe it was an internship). This company just happens to have one of her childhood friends as one of the co-owners and editors-in-chief. That doesn’t make it any easier on her and the series follows her through the hardships and triumphs of finding her independence. 

Why I liked it: The title says it all. The romance is just the cherry on top for this storyline. It really follows Kang Dani and looks at all of the challenges that people of various demographics face: single parents, “older” individuals trying to find a job after a time away (and while competing with the younger folks), women in general, etc. I was going through a bit of a quarter-life crisis when I stumbled upon this...questioning my job, my love life (or lack thereof), the expectations that I was facing...and it really helped ease a lot of the anxiety. Plus, Kang Dani and  Cha Eunho are absolutely adorable working alongside each other. The ending credits of the final episode got me too. This is the one that I couldn’t help to rave about to my coworkers that have never watched a kdrama in their lives. 

Strong Girl Do Bong-Soon (Netflix)

Summary: Bong-Soon was born with superhuman strength like the other women in her family and she aspires to become a video game creator--making a game with a strong female character like herself. In real life, she tries to be more “girly” and “delicate” but it doesn’t always work. One thing leads to another and she finds herself hired as a bodyguard to the CEO(?) of a video game company and also tries to find a kidnapper that is threatening her neighborhood. 

Why I liked it: Strong female lead...duh! :) But in all honesty, I don’t remember all of the details from this one as I watched it a long while ago. I remember it being funny, sweet, inspiring and suspenseful. I loved the main three characters too! 

Hello, My Twenties  (Netflix)

Summary: A group of female college students learns and grows while living together. Each character has their own backstory, secrets, and hardships. The five bond through the various hardships, traumas, and successes that come their way. 

Why I liked it: 5 strong women finding their way in the world. They struggle with so many realistic things: temptations, poverty, insecurities in their love life, an apartment ghost, an attractive neighbor. It was a fun and heartfelt journey. Realistic. You can definitely learn something from this one! Once again, my single self enjoyed that it wasn’t relying on a love story to draw the plot forward also.

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (Hulu)

Summary: Kim Moo Young has lived a traumatic life and is rolling with the punches. He has also forgotten many of his childhood memories. When he happens upon Jung So Min, he doesn’t think anything of it. They grow on each other and eventually enter a relationship, much to the disapproval of her brother, a homicide detective. He believes Kim Moo Young is more sinister than he lets on. 

Why I liked it: Just looking at clips/photos/quotes from this drama still tugs on my heartstrings. This one made me an emotional MESS. Seo In Guk is PHENOMENAL as Moo Young. Absolutely phenomenal. His character is so cold and detached--flawed--but he still makes the viewer connect with him. The storyline could be cliche (amnesia, secrets, etc), but they execute it so well. Each episode is a cliff-hanger and you get so emotionally invested in the characters, Moo Young especially, that you just stay up all night binging it...knowing that you are on a train that is heading straight for heartbreak. I will definitely rewatch when I’m in my feelings. 

One Spring Night (Netflix)

Summary: Lee Jung-In is a librarian who happens to meet Yoo Jiho at the pharmacy where she buys a remedy to her hangover but forgets her wallet. He tells her to pay him back later and pays for a taxi. She is in a long-term relationship with a very well-off gentleman and is battling with pressure to get married from both her family and her significant other, but she has her doubts. This meeting with Yoo Jiho makes her question marriage even more as she begins to fall for him. Another issue, he is a single father and is looked down upon by their society and her family because of it. 

Why I liked it: I always love a show where they go against the norms. I fell in love with Yoo Jiho immediately and his son even more so. It is real. The conversations are thought-provoking. The love is sweet. 

Just Between Lovers (a.k.a. Rain or Shine) (Netflix)

Summary: Two individuals who lost their loved ones in a tragic mall collapse meet each other after there is news that a new mall is being built in the same location. Lee Gang-Doo was an aspiring soccer player when he lost his father (a construction worker) in the mall collapse and his legs were injured, ruining his dream. He has become a bit of a “bad boy”. Ha Moon-Soo was at the mall with her younger sister when it collapsed. Ha Moon-Soo survived; her sister did not. The two characters find out that their lives are more interwoven than they thought and work to figure out how they can stop another traumatic event from happening in the same location.

Why I liked it: It had mystery. It had trauma. It had love. These two main characters are complete opposites on the outside but their traumas bring them together and they make an awesome team. Another one that really tugs on your heartstrings! 

Black (Netflix)

Summary:  Black is a detective possessed by the Grim Reaper. Ha-Ram can see shadows of death. These two struggle to save the lives of people, breaking the rules of heaven. (from AsianWiki)

Why I liked it: It has been quite a while since I watched this one. It was my first Korean mystery show. This is one that you can’t watch when you are distracted...you need to have your eyes on the screen at all times or you are going to miss something important. It was suspenseful and interesting. I’m not sure if it is one I will rewatch, but it is definitely worth the first time!

Vagabond (Netflix)

Summary: This is a newer addition to Netflix. Cha Dalgun is a stuntman that has taken in his nephew after he was abandoned by his mother. Their relationship becomes strained as his nephew begins to see how much Cha Dalgun hadn’t wanted a child before him and doesn’t have the finances to live a prosperous life. When his nephew dies in a tragic plane crash alongside the rest of his soccer team, we begin to see how much the boy meant to Cha Dalgun. When some video clips shared on the cloud make Dalgun suspect malicious intent in the plane crash, our story begins. He meets Go Haeri, a member of the NIS, when the bereaved families fly in to collect their deceased loved ones. A story of political corruption, big business, terrorism, doubt, and crime-fighting ensues. 

Why I liked it: This one isn’t completed on Netflix yet so I don’t know the ending, but it is definitely suspenseful and you find yourself trying to figure it all out and cheering on or booing at the characters. The characters of Cha Dalgun and Go Haeri both won my heart early on and now I’m hoping their ship sails! Each episode leaves you on the edge of you seat. 

Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung (Netflix)

Summary: Goo Hae Ryung is still single in her late twenties and is seen as a sort of misfit as she seeks knowledge rather than a husband. She becomes a female historian in the Joseon Dynasty. Prince Yirim has been living a life away from society, writing love stories that are popular but forbidden by the government. The two happen upon each other in a book store where she speaks poorly of his writing/genre. As they come to be familiar with each other through their positions, they work to uncover the secrets that the rulers would prefer to keep hidden. 

Why I liked it: The cast of characters is spectacular. While Hae Ryung and Yirim are the leads, there are so many supporting characters that catch your attention and win over your heart or make you absolutely hate them. They also aren’t all the boring, simple, support characters. They are so complex that this seems more like a slice of life piece rather than a drama. The storyline is interesting, especially to someone with little to no knowledge about the Joseon dynasty, Hae Ryung stays strong and independent while also showing her vulnerability. Yirim puts off a clueless aura but is really a strong character. Did I mention the characterization is amazing? 

A Few Honorable Mentions...

Something in the Rain (Netflix)

Memories of the Alhambra (Netflix)

When the Camellia Blooms (Netflix)

Descendants of the Sun (Hulu)

Thirty but Seventeen (Hulu)

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (Hulu)

[galacticidiots]

AUs,AUs...how about either a Regency AU or a Victorian AU, if either of those strike your interest? (Or any other historical period, if not.)

Anonymous asked: Fake dating AU (I’m combining these two prompts, I hope you don’t mind!)

.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. 

Less universally acknowledged is that a single woman in possession of a fortune just wants to be left alone to enjoy it, without a husband to contend with. 

That is why, when presented with the opportunity, Lord Solo, Duke of Alderaan and Lady Palpatine, heiress of Exegol Park and owner of half of Sithshire, plotted a scheme — mutually beneficial, if not altogether proper by the standards of polite society — and began a fake courtship, essentially binding themselves to each other, with the sole purpose of appearing unavailable to other suitors. 

For Ben, it was a means to escape his lady mother’s loathsome reminders that he must marry; for Rey, it was a way for her to go on enjoying life as an unmarried woman, free to do as she pleased. 

And even though they both prized themselves on their wit and intellect, neither accounted for a most unexpected turn of events: that their pretend feelings would, slowly but surely, become real.

.

They met at a ball, because every story worth telling has its start among the swishing of skirts of ladies wearing expensive chiffon and the passing around of imported cigars by gentleman in elegantly tied cravats.

Lord Solo, recently returned from a tour of Europe where his reputation as a rake and a fiend only served to bolster his standing in Coruscant’s society, was the reason for every lady’s giggle and blush. All, except for one - Lady Rey, who herself was used to being the topic of conversation at every social gathering. As one of the most eligible young ladies of marriageable age, her resistance to being seen as little more than a trophy to be won by one of the men in her social circle was first met with surprise, then with scorn and finally with antipathy. 

She had heard all about him through her cousin Rose, who dedicated more time to the Society Pages than to her studies. He intrigued her, she could admit as much - a man of his social standing, with his fortune, was certainly allowed his eccentricities, but Lord Ben Solo had always appeared, at least to Rey’s well trained eye, to be resolutely against any and all societal rules of decorum. It mattered little she could relate to his familial woes - well known and extensively documented in every issue of the Society Pages - because even though they were both products of complicated families, they were complete and total opposites.

Which is why she is quite taken aback when Lord Solo seeked her out at the ball, just when she had managed to flee from yet another encounter with a boorish bachelor and his tenacious mamma.

“Would you like a respite?” His voice startled her.

“A respite?” she echoed. He nodded, a bemused smile gracing his features, which even she had to admit were handsome. 

“You seem to be hiding from every gentleman in attendance.”

“I’ll remind you, your grace, that you are also a gentleman in attendance.” 

Lord Solo shook his head. “That’s debatable, I’m afraid - the gentleman part, at least. And I meant a respite from the party. It seems we have both grown bored of it.”

“And here I thought the weak lemonade and ratafia would be right to your taste.”

“Not quite,” he said, ignoring her sarcasm. 

“Well, you’re right on both accounts,” she conceded. “I have grown bored of this dreadful music and I am currently hiding from Lord Herrington and his frightfully heavy feet.”

Ben’s laugh was soft and low. “I believe you.” His appraising gaze weighed on her. “But surely one of them must suit your fancy. Enough to marry, perhaps?”

He was teetering on the edge of impoliteness and he knew it; a gentleman should never be so forward with a lady. And yet there was something about her that made him press on, that made him desperate to know more about her.

“I will never marry,” she said decisively, her tone final, almost like she was expecting to have to defend herself to him.

Ben was unable to hide his shock. “No?”

“Not if I can help it. Why should I give up my freedom?”

He didn’t know what he expected from Lady Palpatine, but this was surely not it. 

“And you, your grace?” she asks, jutting her stubborn little chin. Her profile waas elegant and regal and Ben could see why so many men rushed to prostrate themselves at her feet. He’d seen it happen right before his eyes, thrice that evening alone. “Do you want to get married?”

“I don’t.”

Rey scoffed. “You think you don’t. All men think they don’t, but you will.”

“No,” he replied. “I truly won’t.”

Rey balked. “What about your title? If you don’t marry and sire an heir, it will expire.” 

“Let my cousins take it, I don’t want it.”

She was at a loss for words. Could it be that they weren’t so different after all? He would never marry, and he was free to come and go as he pleased. That was all she wanted for her own life. 

Suddenly, Lord Ben Solo didn’t seem quite the conceited rake she made him out to be.

He eyed her speculatively. “Miss Palpatine, I have a proposal for you.”

Rey grinned, curious. “Go on.” 

.

And so it was agreed - Ben would take time out of his schedule of appearing busy and avoiding his family to call on Rey at her home, fiendishly expensive tulips in hand, to pretend to woo and court her and decidedly scare off any young bachelor who had the misfortune of assuming he could try to win Miss Palpatine’s affections. She in turn would have to do very little; by indulging his visits and being seen taking a turn around the park with him, she would put a stop to Lady Leia’s matchmaking  - which would, in turn, decrease the number of headaches she caused her son. 

. 

“I can’t remember the last time I conversed with someone with such obvious good sense.” 

They had walked the length of Jansaari Park together - Rose, their unwitting chaperone, a few steps behind. Conversation flowed easily between them. So easily, in fact, that their walks had turned into a daily affair. 

“You must not think very highly of your usual company, then.”

“No,” he mused. “I think it's just you, really.”

Rey frowned. “What about me?”

“You’re… quite spectacular, Miss Palpatine.” His words were almost hushed. He seemed to regret saying them, for he rushed to correct himself. “What I mean is, I-... I take great pleasure in your company.”

It was Rey’s turn to blush. “Thank you, your grace.”

“Ben, please.” His smile was coy. “Just Ben.”

They carried on walking, silence settling comfortably between them. 

“What I meant, earlier, is that you seem to know what you want out of life.” He inclined his head graciously. “I admire that.”

“Do you know what you want?”

He took some time to ponder her words, gazing out at the sprawling field ahead. “I made some decisions when I was younger. I hope to live my life according to those vows.”

Rey respected that. She recognized in him the same values, the same hopes and dreams, the same ideals she herself treasured. Not for the first time, she had to make room in her head for this new version of Lord Solo - Ben - that she was getting to know, little by little, every day. 

. 

Their daily walks became daily calls and then biweekly trips to the theatre. Soon enough, they became the talk of town - how Lord Solo and Lady Rey could never be seen more than two feet apart. 

The Society Pages betted on a spring wedding. 

.

His proposal, when it came, wasn’t the most gracious or the most eloquent. 

“Rey,” he started, and she knew what was coming, could feel it in her bones and in her heart. 

“You know I never wanted any of this. I didn’t want a wife, or a family and I definitely didn’t want to fall in love-”

“That’s not terribly romantic,” she interrupted with an amused huff. 

“It’s the truth,” he shrugged. “But you changed all of that. You came into my life and changed it all for the better and I…” 

He swallowed thickly. Patience had never been Rey’s strongest suit, but she made herself wait for him to finish, needing to hear him say it. 

“I love you.” His eyes brimmed with unshed tears and it pierced Rey to her very soul. “Desperately. Because it’s impossible not to love you.”

She captured his mouth with a kiss and melted into his arms.

The answer, predictably, was yes.

[anxiety-trademark]

The week in review:

Raw 12/14 NXT 12/16 NXT UK 12/17 Smackdown 12/18 TLC 12/20 + Main Event 12/17

Raw:

“This Sunday at tlc, it’s gonna be you and me against Nia and Shayna,” Lana says to Asuka, as a quiet ‘woo’ can be heard in the distance.

Lana facing her fears and fighting Nia Jax makes her the bravest person Asuka knows. Rolling. Fucking Asuka. ASUKA. wwe, stop.

Why isn’t Asuka accompanying Lana to the ring?

I like Lana’s gear.

Joe just compared Lana to a mosquito, goodbye.

Oh snap look how fast Lana did that headscissors takedown. We’re witnessing her progression, ladies and gents.

You know, I knew Lana would win this match, I knew exactly how she would win this match, but jfc what a treat watching it myself. 

Nia’s face lmfao.

Shayna wrecking Asuka so she can’t save Lana from her inevitable fate. Still curious on whether or not this beatdown injured her, if she was injured going into the match, or if it was all really just a storyline.

Yikes this is sad.

Man that leg drop onto Lana’s ankle actually looked kinda wicked, ngl.

*distant woo intensifies*

Wow we got real tears from Lana. Points.

Becky and Charlotte have been gone, Alexa hasn’t been on tv, the Raw women’s championship has become a meaningless prop... what a dead period for this roster.

Hi why is this match happening?

I will never not be impressed by Dana’s entrance.

Is Mandy actually hurt? Why did they take her off tv for so long? Is Shayna the resident kayfabe shelver? “Hey this girl is actually injured, have her written off by Shayna” ?? Cuz I know they’re not splitting Dana and Mandy up, and Dana has been on tv every week since Mandy left. Must be genuine.

These 2 are running roughshod over the entire division at this point.

OH SHIT MANDY’S BACK WITH A KENDO STICK

Lmfao the babyfaces are fucking done with Nia and Shayna. Honestly that’s great, I love it when babyfaces band together to stand up to dominant duos. This has been going on long enough. They took out Mandy, took out Lana, were about to take out Dana. Totally fair.

Highlight: Lana getting a clean win over Nia & being taken out so my queen can return

---

NXT:

It’s a funny thing with Toni and Rhea. Toni says she’s the reason Rhea came to nxt, but she’s also the reason I became such a huge fan of Rhea’s. Heard they were having some big TakeOver match and everyone was always praising Toni. So I checked into Blackpool solely to see what the Toni Storm fuss was about, and I left that ppv solely impressed by Rhea Ripley. Then I took particular notice of Rhea in the Royal Rumble a few weeks later, and I’ve been watching NXT UK for her ever since (til she moved). To see her growth has been tremendous, and she’s so young. Such a bright future.

The music to this is great.

Toni says she isn’t scared of Rhea, as if Rhea’s mere theme music didn’t scare the absolute shit out of Toni the week prior lol.

Toni’s not even a terrible promo, but the timing of her blinks could not be worse. Yes, it matters.

I can’t stop laughing at how fucking intensely Shotzi started this interview.

She does pissed off interviews well. I can feel her annoyance.

Really don’t want to see a Candice/Shotzi feud tbh but okay, I’ll try.

aaand there’s the howl. Awful.

Lmfao Rhea called Toni a piece of trash. This is gonna be interesting to see with the alignments reversed.

I don’t remember who won this match, but I’m betting it was Toni. Which is fair tbh. Rhea is probably on the “put some peeps over before moving up to the main roster” path that everyone in the women’s division walks on. They always eat at least one monumental, or a couple meaningful, loss(es).

Oh man that is fucked up. To not only be forced to continue punching/kicking a human (fun fact: the person on the offense takes quite the damage doing so) but to have the defenseless victim bleed out and beg for you to stop. That’s rough.

This was shot really well. That music holy shit, I’m creeped out. It’s like a horror movie.

I see the point. Numbs him to pain and breaks his will, while numbing her to mercy. Ruthless stuff.

Oh are we finally done with Indi’s neck brace? Cool.

I can’t believe wwe invested in this upgraded tank. I still don’t think it’d work on the MR, but points to the boss for shelling out the cash.

Wtf was that stumble and “fall” by Indi lmao.

If Candice was a real bully, she’d distract Shotzi by fucking with her tank at ringside.

Indi does need a mentor, she’s a hell of a lot greener than my mutuals have made it sound. oof.

Shotzi looks like she has no idea how to work with Indi, and Indi looks gassed, confused, and slow as hell.

All Indi knows it going from spot to spot while Shotzi waits around for her to get there.

Lol Indi failed at getting a dirty win. I don’t really care if this is a part of her The Way storyline, what a mess.

The only redeeming part of this piss poor segment was Theory shaking the troll’s head at Shotzi.

I’ll give wwe an extra $9.99 if they let this match have a clean ending.

“[Rhea] was at one point the biggest superstar in the world,” that isn’t even close to being true because Becky Lynch exists, but I’ll let it slide and pretend you said “in nxt”.

Their paths will be so similar to Becky and Charlotte in the future.

Wow what a sequence. That would’ve received an applause on the MR. Traded headlocks for restholds, threw around their strength, then went into a battle of pinfall reversals. Instead of following that with some stalemate, they didn’t take a breath and proceeded to dance with each other and showcase some chemistry before rolling back into a battle of pinfall reversals. The sequence started with a kick by Toni to Rhea’s midsection, and it ends with a kick by Rhea to Toni’s midsection. Peep that match production, good stuff.

My, my, those slaps to Toni’s back. Whew.

Yeah actually it’s really fucking cool that these 2 get to main event nxt together, come to think of it.

They sell well for each other.

Rhea has the best dropkicks, lesbireal.

Holy shit Toni’s headbutts make my own head hurt. God I wish she wouldn’t. Most people put their hands between the heads so no contact can be made, but Toni’s just like “lol fuck it”

This is a great match. This duo works a lot better with these specific alignments. Watching face Toni try to chop down Rhea is not as good as heel Toni being impossibly hard for Rhea to put away.

Women’s matches and never having a clean ending. Name a more iconic duo. Winter of overbooked women’s matches continues.

Like I had guessed Toni was gonna win anyway, but fucking come on.

*Bonus* online exclusive: Toni says playing by the rules got her diddly and squat, but like... she was a champion lol. “It ain’t even Toni time right now, it’s party time.” Alright.

Highlight: Rhea vs Toni minus the ending

---

NXT UK:

I don’t know why we’re getting Isla Dawn vs KLR but anytime I get to see KLR fight, I’m here for it.

Hell even Isla’s song never kicks it out of first gear. Song has so much potential but it never goes to the next level.

Ahhhh my Scottish queen is here.

No, don’t compare Sasha’s basement meteora to the double knees Isla did. That was pitiful.

Anyway, KLR vs any of the 4hw would be fantastic, take my money. Sasha, Bayley, Charlotte, or the woman KLR wanted to face at TO Dublin, Dublin native Becky Lynch.

That back body drop is horrendous as a finisher. It’s like when Becky won her debut match the exploder suplex. Awful lmao. Imagine if KLR lost to a back body drop ffs.

You don’t get to be this frustrated for not being able to beat the champion when you’ve only been fighting for like 3 mins.

Isla’s pisspoor speed going in the corner, and her pisspoor roll off of KLR’s tornado ddt. Shame.

Such a clean transition from a failed pinfall attempt into a submission by KLR, whew.

This whole match was just a flex by KLR lmao.

There was a time where we had Becky Lynch, Bayley, Rhea Ripley and KLR as our champions. Wow, take me back plz.

The background music of this stupid recording is so unnecessarily dramatic, wow.

All for the delivery of a chair. Of a fucking chair. Piper... shut up and handle your shit.

For someone so much larger than the little man, Piper is insanely unintimidating.

Highlight: I got to see KLR wrestle

---

Smackdown:

Bayley does run her mouth a lot. She’s kind of the EST at saying dumb shit that gets her into trouble lmao.

Bianca is so friggin good at interviews and in backstage segments. She hasn’t received much of a chance to do promos in the ring, let alone obviously to a live crowd, but I hope she shines there, too.

Has Liv reverted back to being a dumb blonde, or is it drugs? Stop letting her speak.

Love Riott Squad’s everchanging gear. Wonder who makes it for them.

Billie Kay claims that she’s a ‘seasoned’ ring announcer, and somehow that would not surprise me.

Tamina “get the fuck out of my face until I get a nap and a vat of coffee” Snuka, everyone.

Lmfaooo Tamina fucking chucked Liv across the damn ring. What a good job by Liv.

Ruby is exceptional at running the ropes. She gets a good spring off of it.

Tamina’s hair is always so beautiful, she gets points there.

Dropkick into a faceplant. Billie Kay gets pinned rofl. She’s so bad at wrestling and yet here I am ridiculously entertained.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Carmella’s current persona, but man I wish she’d come out in a cut off tank top, camo pants, high tops and a printed hat.

I mean people are at home cuz covid, but go off.

Aye putting over Sasha. Good heel Mella.

Sasha has held the title for like a whopping 2 months and we’re already marking calendars. Sad.

In kf, Sasha is kind of mentally weak, so I’ll give Mella that. I’m not sure what it’s gonna take to shake that perception, either.

“Who is Sasha Banks if she’s not the Boss? Who is Sasha Banks if she’s not the best? It’s sad because that’s a question that not even Sasha Banks knows the answer too.” So I get that wwe are trying to help Sasha develop and fight off her past demons, but man these women are ripping her a new one. Sasha’s only 29 so she can grow and develop however she wants, but jeeze. Salt, meet the dagger Bayley stuck in Sasha’s back.

I like Mella cuz she knows how to hype her opponent’s accolades and strengths while cutting an immaculate heel promo where she hits them RIGHT where it hurts. She’s a pro. Heels should take notes.

This music is like the Jazz Vibes playlist I always listen to.

She just called Sasha cheap and frantic lmaoooo

Oh damn Sasha be out here looking like MONEY. That girl has style, even if it doesn’t always hit with me, she got style.

oof the crack of that slap to Reggie.

OOF the crack of the bottle shattering over Sasha’s poor back. rip.

Match at TLC should’ve been a champagne match. That entails whatever your mind comes up with; pouring alcohol on your opponent, dumping their head in a bucket of ice, breaking bottles over spines. It don’t matter.

“You don’t see me going around here bragging about how damn good I am,” lmao WHAT. Bayley is equal parts delusional and obnoxiously annoying.

One size heel does not fit all, but I think her version suits her beautifully.

If I were her I’d pick your brain too, but I’d also want a match, cuz people leave matches with you looking as good as humanly possible. Equal parts selfless as well.

She didn’t lie, this was absolutely her putting Bianca on the map on the main roster.

wwe: wants to strap a rocket to Bianca and make her a star. Also fucking wwe: “lol no we’re not gonna show you her full entrance, cry more scrub.” 

Bayley still looks weird without a title.

Bayley mocks Bianca’s entrance and then gets swept onto the apron lmao. Idiot.

Bianca is a lot of flash and showboating, which is great from an entertainment standpoint, but she needs to do a little... less.

Fantastic snap of the hand against the led board. Bayley wrecking Bianca’s arm gonna hinder the flips.

“I’m the ER. I’m BET-TER. haha.” lmao Bayley is such a fucking dork. Got sent into the ring steps for her bravado. Love that there’s always immediate repercussions for Bayley’s arrogance.

Bayley turned midway going down onto Bianca’s knee for that backbreaker, there. Hope she doesn’t have a massive bruise. Looked like it’d leave a massive bruise.

3 things I’ll apparently never get to see again: Bianca’s hair whip, Bianca’s full entrance, and Bianca’s 450 splash. I’m tired.

These stupid fucking squats while Bianca is dangling off the top rope rofl I swear Bayley is something else. Girl knows how to entertain. “Bayley got a bit cute and Bianca made her pay,” story of Bayley’s life.

Beautiful spinebuster by Bianca. At least SOMEONE in the women’s division will use it.

Bit of a miscommunication there it seems. Bayley goes for a B2B, Bianca tries to block it, Bayley drops down to dodge and go for a cradle. She rolls Bianca all the way back, stands up and hesitates before running at Bianca with an elbow - even though Bianca is not in position to receive it - which Bianca counters by rolling Bayley up, but it was super obvious Bianca was just scouting the next spot. Bianca goes to pick her up for a powerbomb but Bayley has to kick out twice to prevent herself from being pinned while Bianca tries to lift her. That entire sequence was super messy.

Then Bianca nearly drops her lifting her all the way up lol. Yikes. Gotta be pretty fluent to pull that off. Not to plug my fav (but I’m totally gonna plug my fav); it’s a move Charlotte does in almost every match against Asuka or Becky, and you gotta be not only built to pull it off, but you need to have impeccable timing to make the transition look smooth. Extra points if you lift them off the mat RIGHT before a 3 (which Charlotte usually does)

Anyway, good match with a messy last 2 sequences. Bayley did what Bayley does best.

Highlight: Bayley vs Bianca

---

TLC:

They really took Eva Marie and Sasha Banks’ characters and meshed them together while keeping Carmella’s obsession for animal print lol.

Really don’t like that gear. That’s a miss, Mikaze.

Beautiful arm drag. Sasha taking the idea of wrestling like a Lucha more seriously? Cuz she should, ain’t nobody else in the MR doing it.

Commentators say the trash talk is continuing, I say Sasha is quietly leading this match with a grimace. Peeped that “hit me”.

Carmella goes to suicide dive through the ropes just for Reggie to catch her, cept she got caught up and started turning in midair. Would’ve hit her neck and shoulder HARD had he not been there. Great catch indeed.

Sasha “rip my back” Banks.

Not to be douchey, but if you have to adjust your gear in the middle of a match and it’s not just to fill time or be used as character work, then you need to redesign your gear.

Sasha’s a great babyface once that bell rings man. I wish she could carry that energy everywhere.

Holy fuck that facebuster. SPIKED her head, oh my god. I have never seen anyone make a facebuster look so impactful. Points if intentional.

Oh the timing of Sasha blocking that superkick from legit connecting. God she’s good.

You know how I know this is a good match? I’m watching some of these near pinfalls and submissions knowing damn well Sasha’s gonna win, yet my anxiety is still spiking thinking Carmella might walk out with the title. I KNOW she doesn’t though lmao. Good sequences, believable offense, great near pinfalls. They work well together (I’m not surprised, Mella and Sasha both work well with almost anyone)

What a fantastic transition into the bank statement. Points.

That match should’ve ended by dq the second Reggie pulled Mella out. 

Sasha could’ve sold that double superkick pinfall attempt a little bit more.

Carmella having a breakdown. What does that mean? That means she’s about to lose this match lmao. There it is, not even 10 seconds later hahaha.

Sasha sells pain so damn well. Good for her. Good defense of her title. Points to Sasha, she’s phenomenal every time she has an actual match. Post-match and she’s already annoyed me though lol. Ugh. Maybe she’ll get it soon enough.

Nice “replay” wwe. Billion dollar company btw.

Billie, drawing a horizontal line is not how you write ‘clairvoyant’. 

“proficient in Japanese” aw Asuka was so excited for a split second lmao.

Oh no, she made a mask to match Asuka’s with a paper plate. Oh no no no. Travesty. 

Ugh I’m so excited. I’ve already seen this and yet I’m excited. Here we are, the whole damn reason I started catching up on everything I basically refused to watch since June 22.

SHE LOOKS LIKE MONEY, WHEW. The queen IS back. She’s so fucking beautiful man.

Love how annoyed Nia looks. This is your comeuppance tbh. Could’ve just faced a measly Lana, but no, you had to play too much.

Really Charlotte shouldn’t be in the tag division, and really she shouldn’t give half of a fuck about Asuka, but we’ll get to that more in the future since this is already nearly 2 months old.

Nia’s doing a great job selling Charlotte’s return, and she’s not even active in the match rn. She does good work.

Bad camera angle on Asuka hitting the ring post.

Asuka getting wrecked lol.

I really despise that the Raw women’s championship was tied up in all of these storylines that have nothing to do with the Raw women’s championship. The Lana crap, the Charlotte crap, the tag teaming in general crap.

In hindsight, I now find it curious that Ric Flair was in the back for this match. Very curious. I swear, if the past 2 real time months weren’t a part of some master plan the Flairs came up with together, I will be SHOCKED.

Charlotte’s fucking crazy for doing those moonsaults to the outside though, for real. I know she was a gymnast and an exceptional cheerleader, but MAN you could not pay me to do fucking blind back flips that high up. Crazy.

She should’ve given us a spear in this match. I wanna go rewatch her work just to see some spears.

Good match. They needed to not focus on destroying Asuka for as long as they did, pacing was off for a little bit there.

Love how Charlotte sticks her tongue out when she bridges up into the figure 8. She’s such an asshole lmao.

If I could’ve changed one thing about that finish, I would’ve had Charlotte bounce off the ropes before hitting Natural Selection. Other than that, it was great.

Charlotte looks good with a title, idk *shrug*

The way Charlotte looked over at Asuka though. I really don’t trust her in hindsight lol.

Like how this Firefly Funhouse is setting the spotlight on Alexa before Bray takes his leave of absence, only wish she hadn’t missed 2-3 wks of tv.

What a fun way of running a video package.

Inferno matches are insane and I’m not sure why anyone would participate in such.

Think it’s smart they’re both leaving their jackets on tbh.

Alright that was cool. The way Fiend called up the flames was fucking cool. It looks amazing aesthetically. They could’ve never done the set quite like this if there had been fans.

WE HAVE STRAPS?! IS FIRE NOT ENOUGH?!? Man. Randy is a fucking trooper.

Guys. Guys excuse me, that strap is on fire, can... can we not, please??

Man is swinging a god damn pick axe at Randy Orton, I--

I hope that wasn’t actually flammable liquid cuz otherwise Randy is now soaked in it, and that’s insanely dangerous. Oh that’s great editing. So it was flammable, but Randy was out of the chair before the fire rushed at him. Also covered the chair in blood. That was cool.

Orton just pull the damn string out of the jacket real quick lol.

Caught Orton’s attempt at an rko with a mandable claw. Points.

Can someone... put him out? Editing trick? Were the flames real? Am I real??

Shouldn’t the bell ring? Match is over, right??

The dummy was kind of obvious ngl. Not to sound like an asshole, but they should’ve made it a bit thicker and more solid lol. Doesn’t really take me out of it though, cuz even though I’m sure it was a stunt double that got lit on fire by the ramp, someone was on fucking fire, and that’s intimidating in itself.

Also the dummy is melting. I’d say they should’ve used pig meat, but I’m sure vegans and animal rights activists would’ve had a field day writing to Snickers about that.

Was a good match, for what it was. I was entertained.

---

*BONUS*

Main Event:

“Nasty Nikki” lol okay.

“The only reason people even know you exist is because you were Alexa Bliss’ best friend,” ouch. Truth is pain.

Ahahahah Lacey has hand sanitizer again. 

Love that submission Lacey jumped into through the ropes, plus an eye rake. Fantastic.

That’s curious. Lacey and Peyton are arguing over the hand sanitizer as Lacey wants to squirt it on Nikki, while Peyton is claiming it’ll get her DQd. Now I’m on Peyton’s side in the sense that it should absolutely be illegal, but Lacey’s done it in a match against Nikki before, sooo ???

I like how Nikki fell trying to get back into the ring before the 10 count. Adds credibility.

Haha Nikki gets the pinfall over Lacey because Peyton was being a nuisance on the outside. Lacey big mad. That’s great.

---

*Smackdown easily shined the brightest in what was a great week of wrestling. Utilized 8 women in 3 different storylines, couldn’t possibly complain about that.

[v3vanya]

“WHEN I AM SILENT A FALL INTO A PLACE WHERE EVERYTHING IS MUSIC” -Rumi      Living the notes of music...

SABRINA CARPENTER.....

Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter(born May 11, 1999) is an American singer and actress,After making her acting debut with an appearance in the crime series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, she starred in a recurring role as the young version of Chloe Goodwin in the television series The Goodwin Games. Carpenter was later cast as Maya Hart in the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World, from 2014 to 2017.Carpenter has starred in the feature films Horns (2013), The Hate U Give (2018), and starred as Jenny in the Disney Channel Original Movie Adventures in Babysitting (2016). As a voice actress, she had a recurring role as Princess Vivian in the Disney Channel animated series Sofia the First from 2013 to 2018. In 2016, she began voicing Melissa Chase on the Disney XD animated series Milo Murphy's Law.Carpenter's debut EP, Can't Blame a Girl for Trying, was released in 2014, and in the same year, she released her debut single of the same name. She released her debut album, Eyes Wide Open in 2015, and has since released another three studio albums: Evolution (2016), Singular: Act I (2018), and her most recent studio album, Singular: Act II, was released on July 19, 2019.

DEMI LOVATO

Demetria Devonne Lovato ( born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television judge After appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004), she rose to prominence for her role as Mitchie Torres in the Disney Channel musical television film Camp Rock (2008) and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010).Lovato has released six studio albums: Don't Forget (2008), Here We Go Again (2009), Unbroken (2011), Demi (2013), Confident (2015), and Tell Me You Love Me (2017); all of which debuted in the top five of the US Billboard 200. She has earned nine top-20 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 with "This Is Me", "Here We Go Again", "Send It On", "Skyscraper", "Give Your Heart a Break", "Heart Attack", "Cool for the Summer", "Sorry Not Sorry", and "I Love Me". In total, she has sold over two million albums and 20 million singles in the United States.[7] On television, Lovato has starred as the titular character on Sonny with a Chance (2009–2011); served as a judge and mentor on The X Factor USA in its second and third seasons; and appeared as a recurring character on Glee. Her struggles with personal issues received significant media attention in the 2010s; in response to which she published a book, Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year (2013), and released a YouTube documentary about her life and career, titled Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated (2017).Lovato is a pop, pop rock, and R&B artist. She has received various accolades, including an MTV Video Music Award, 14 Teen Choice Awards, five People's Choice Awards, and two Latin American Music Awards. She also holds one Guinness World Record, and in 2017 Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Outside the entertainment industry, Lovato is an activist for several social causes.

LAURA MARANO

Laura Marie Marano (born November 29, 1995)is an American actress and singer. She starred in the Disney Channel series Austin & Ally as Ally Dawson. Marano was one of the five original classmates in Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?. She starred in Without a Trace for three seasons and also Back to You, in both instances playing the daughter of the main characters. Marano starred in the indie film A Sort of Homecoming.[5] Marano also starred in the 2015 Disney Channel Original Movie Bad Hair Day. In 2019 Marano starred in the Netflix original movie The Perfect Date.In 2015, she signed with Big Machine Records and released her debut single "Boombox" on March 11, 2016 and "La La" later that year. On October 5, 2018, Laura Marano released the single "Me" as an independent artist. On January 13, 2016, Marano debuted her own radio talk show on Radio Disney entitled For the Record with Laura Marano. The weekly one-hour show chronicles Marano's journey as she launches her music career, featuring interviews with a guest star in each episode. The show also provides listeners tips on how one can pursue a career in music. The show has featured various guest stars including Nick Jonas, Ariana Grande, Meghan Trainor, OneRepublic, and Troye Sivan. The first episode of the show, which aired January 12, 2016, guest starred her co-stars of Austin & Ally.

SELENA GOMEZ

Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television producer.  Born and raised in Texas, Gomez began her career by appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004). In her teenage years, she received wider recognition for her role as Alex Russo on the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012).Alongside her television career, Gomez has starred in the films Another Cinderella Story (2008), Princess Protection Program (2009), Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009), Ramona and Beezus (2010), Monte Carlo (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), Getaway (2013), The Fundamentals of Caring (2016), The Dead Don't Die (2019), and A Rainy Day in New York (2019). She also voices the character of Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania film franchise (2012–present), and has executed produced the Netflix television series 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020) and Living Undocumented (2019).Gomez released three albums with her former band, Selena Gomez & the Scene: Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011), all of which attained gold certifications and reached the top ten in the US. Additionally, Gomez has released three albums as a solo artist: Stars Dance (2013), Revival (2015), and Rare (2020), all of which debuted at number one in the US.[2] She has released eight songs which reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100: "Come & Get It", "The Heart Wants What It Wants", "Good for You", "Same Old Love", "Hands to Myself", "We Don't Talk Anymore" with Charlie Puth, "It Ain't Me" with Kygo, and "Lose You to Love Me", the latter being her first US number-one single.In 2017, Billboard reported that Gomez has sold over 7 million albums and 22 million singles worldwide. Gomez has received various accolades and was recognized as the Billboard Woman of the Year in 2017. She has a large following on social media, and was at one point the most-followed individual on Instagram. Gomez's other ventures include a makeup line, a clothing line, a handbag line, a fragrance line, and a production company named July Moonhead Productions. She has worked with various charitable organizations and, at age 17, she became a UNICEF ambassador.

MEGHAN TRAINOR 

Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter "All About That Bass", and for being the recipient of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Trainor became interested in music from a young age; she wrote, recorded, and produced three independently released albums between 2009 and 2011. After signing a publishing deal with Big Yellow Dog Music, Trainor wrote and helped produce country and pop music for other artists in 2013. She met producer Kevin Kadish in June that year, with whom she wrote "All About That Bass".Trainor rose to fame after signing a contract with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing "All About That Bass", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eight consecutive weeks and received a diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) but drew criticism for its lyrical content. The song was included on Trainor's major-label debut studio album Title (2015), which also includes the top-10 singles "Lips Are Movin" and "Like I'm Gonna Lose You". The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was awarded a triple-platinum certification from the RIAA. The lead single of Trainor's follow-up album Thank You (2016) was "No", which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at the same position on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Her third album with Epic, Treat Myself, was released in January 2020.

DUA LIPA 

Dua Lipa; born 22 August 1995)  is an English singer and songwriter. After working as a model, she signed with Warner Music Group in 2015 and released her self-titled debut album in 2017. The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart, and yielded nine singles, including "Be the One" and "IDGAF", and the UK number-one single "New Rules", which also peaked at number six in the US. In 2018, Lipa won the Brit Awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.Released in April 2018, the single "One Kiss", with Calvin Harris, peaked at number one in the UK, and became the longest-running number-one single for a female artist in 2018. It won her the 2019 Brit Award for Song of the Year. In 2019, she was also awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and "Electricity", a collaboration with Silk City, won her the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. The success of the singles helped her self-titled album become one of the most-streamed albums on Spotify and achieve platinum certifications. Her second studio album, Future Nostalgia, was released in March 2020 to critical acclaim. It is her first UK number-one album; its lead single "Don't Start Now" peaked at number two on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.Lipa has received various accolades, including two Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards and two MTV Europe Music Awards. She has also been nominated for three Billboard Music Awards, an American Music Award, and four MTV Video Music Awards.

BILLIE EILISH 

Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell (born December 18, 2001) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.She first gained attention in 2015 when she uploaded the song "Ocean Eyes" to SoundCloud, which was subsequently released by the Interscope Records subsidiary Darkroom. The song was written and produced by her brother Finneas, with whom she collaborates on music and live shows. Her debut EP, Don't Smile at Me (2017), reached the top 15 in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.Eilish's debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019), debuted atop the Billboard 200 and became the best-performing album of 2019 in the US.[2] It also reached No. 1 in the UK. The album contains six Billboard Hot 100 top 40 singles: "When the Party's Over", "Bury a Friend", "Wish You Were Gay", "Xanny", "Everything I Wanted",[a] and "Bad Guy", the last of which became her first No. 1 single in the US. In 2020, she performed the theme song "No Time to Die" for the James Bond film of the same name, which became her first to peak at No. 1 in the UK.Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, two Guinness World Records, three MTV Video Music Awards, and one Brit Award. She is the youngest person and second person ever to win the four main Grammy categories – Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year – in the same year. In 2019, Time placed her on their inaugural "Time 100 Next" list. Additionally, Eilish is the 23rd biggest artist of the digital singles era, according to RIAA, selling 37.5 million singles in the US alone.

HAILEE STEINFELD 

Hailee Steinfeld (born December 11, 1996) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. . Her breakthrough role was as Mattie Ross in the drama western film True Grit (2010), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Thereafter, Steinfeld gained further prominence for roles in Ender's Game (2013), Romeo & Juliet (2013), Begin Again (2013), and 3 Days to Kill (2014). She appeared as Emily Junk in the Pitch Perfect film series (2015–2017), and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for her role as Nadine Franklin in The Edge of Seventeen (2016). In 2018, she voiced Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and starred in the action film Bumblebee, contributing to the latter's soundtrack. Steinfeld currently stars as Emily Dickinson in the Apple TV+ series Dickinson.Steinfeld made her breakthrough in music after performing "Flashlight" in Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), signing with Republic Records soon after and releasing her debut single, "Love Myself", followed by her debut extended play Haiz (2015). She has since released a series of singles, including "Starving", a collaboration with both Grey and Zedd, which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, and "Let Me Go", a collaboration with Alesso, Florida Georgia Line and Watt, which peaked at number 14 on the

CAMILLA CABELLO

Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao ( born March 3, 1997)  is a Cuban-American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, formed on The X Factor USA in 2012, signing a joint record deal with Syco Music and Epic Records. While in Fifth Harmony, Cabello began to establish herself as a solo artist with the release of the collaborations "I Know What You Did Last Summer" with Shawn Mendes, and "Bad Things" with Machine Gun Kelly, the latter reaching number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. After leaving the group in late 2016, Cabello released several other collaborations, including "Hey Ma" by Pitbull and J Balvin for The Fate of the Furious soundtrack, and her debut solo single "Crying in the Club".Cabello's debut studio album, Camila (2018), reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The Latin music-influenced pop album was well received by critics, and received a Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its lead single "Havana" topped the charts in several countries including the US and UK, and follow-up single "Never Be the Same" reached the top 10 in multiple countries. Cabello's 2019 duet with Mendes, "Señorita", became her second single to top the Billboard Hot 100. Her second studio album, Romance (2019), peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 chart and number one in Canada.

ASHLEY TISDALE 

Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress, singer, and producer. During her childhood, Tisdale was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatrick in the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005-2008). This success was heightened when she starred as Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series (2006-2008). The success of the films led to Tisdale signing with Warner Bros. Records and subsequently releasing her debut studio album Headstrong (2007). The album was a commercial success, earning a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Tisdale played the voice of Candace Flynn in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas & Ferb (2007-2015).Tisdale's second studio album, Guilty Pleasure (2009), was released to less commercial success than its predecessor. Tisdale would part ways with Warner Bros. Records following the release of the album. During this time, she began appearing in more films and returned to television with shows such as Hellcats (2010). Tisdale's production company Blondie Girl Productions, first formed in 2008, signed a multi-year production deal with Relativity Media in 2010; Tisdale would produce shows such as Miss Advised (2012) as part of the deal. Tisdale starred in the High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure (2011), releasing a soundtrack to promote the film. This marked her final portrayal of the character to date.

TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter.She is best known for her narrative songwriting that often centers around her personal life, which has received widespread critical praise and media coverage. At age 14, Swift became the youngest artist signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house and, at age 15, she signed her first record deal. Her 2006 eponymous debut album was the longest-charting album of the 2000s on the Billboard 200. Its third single, "Our Song", made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Swift's second studio album, Fearless (2008), propelled her to international fame and produced the successful pop crossover singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me". It became the best-selling album of 2009 in the U.S., won four Grammy Awards—including Album of the Year—and was certified Diamond by the RIAA.Swift's self-written third album Speak Now (2010) and genre-bending fourth album Red (2012) each sold over one million copies in their first week in the U.S.; the latter yielded her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together". Her fifth album and first all-pop project, 1989 (2014), produced the back-to-back number-one singles "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space" and won three Grammy Awards—including Album of the Year—making Swift the first woman to succeed herself at the top spot on the Hot 100 and the first woman to win Album of the Year twice as lead artist.  

ZARA LARSSON 

Zara Maria Larsson  born 16 December 1997) is a Swedish singer and songwriter. At the age of 10, she achieved national fame in Sweden for winning the 2008 season of the talent show Talang, the Swedish version of British TV's Got Talent.  Four years later, in 2012, Larsson signed with the record label TEN Music Group and subsequently released her debut compilation recording, the extended play Introducing, in January 2013. The single "Uncover" topped the music charts in Scandinavia: Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. In February 2013, "Uncover" was certified Platinum by Universal Music Sweden.In July 2013, Introducing was certified 3× Platinum in the country.France. Larsson's debut international album So Good was released on 17 March 2017 and entered at number seven on the UK Albums Chart. It produced eight singles: "Lush Life", "Never Forget You", "Ain't My Fault", "I Would Like", "So Good", "Don't Let Me Be Yours", "Only You", and "Symphony", a collaboration with Clean Bandit. Almost all the album's singles reached the top 15 in the UK.

[dragracereviews]

My Ultimate Top 10 Favorite Drag Race Queens

#10 - Kameron Michaels: NGL, Kameron is partially on this list because I would fuck her in a heartbeat. I actually plan on making a list later of queens I would sleep with in and/or out of drag and you will definitely find Miss Michaels high on there. I’ve seen her live on the Werq the World tour and I 100% regret not getting Meet and Greet though I probably would’ve just drooled on her and made a fool of myself so maybe it’s better that I didn’t. It’s a known fact that Kameron is an incredible lip syncer (if you haven’t watched season 10, please do so just to see her in action because honestly, she’s one of the few good things about that season) and she did NOT disappoint. Her dancing was only beat out by Vanjie who you may or may not see later on this list. Kameron if you’re out there reading this (LOL, we all know she isn’t) and you ever feel like experimenting with an actual biological woman, hit me up!

#9 - Sharon Needles: And here we have another attractive man out of drag! Sharon was the OG underdog and while I’m not going to sit here and bash Phi Phi O’Hara because she’s actually talented AF (checkout her Harry Potter cosplay, it’s soooo good), Sharon definitely didn’t deserve all the shade thrown at her on season 4. Her drag aesthetic has always been equals parts spooky and equal parts fabulous, but she’s actually improved over the years and it’s made me love her even more. My favorite Sharon moment ever is during a “Queens Reading Mean Comments” video on WOWPresents’ Youtube channel where someone said they liked her old teeth better and she just goes, “Well my old teeth just looked ridiculous with my new lips!” Get ‘em, girl.

#8 - Jinkx Monsoon: I want Jinkx to be my mom. There, I said it. Also, if you don’t get that reference, get your shit together and subscribe to WOW Presents on Youtube you fucking bumpkin. Jinkx was the loveable weirdo on her season and received a lot of hate from her fellow queens but I loved her from the start. I have since forgiven Roxxxy Andrews for her cattiness because of her rudemption on All Stars 2 (insert her Read U Wrote U verse here) but nothing was more satisfying than watching Jinkx go from the underdog to America’s Next Drag Superstar. I don’t know what’s more iconic; her tendency to fall asleep at inopportune times, her laugh, or all the jokes about her being a full blown swamp witch. Either way, it will always be Monsoon season in my eyes.

#7 - Nina West: Hands down, the DEFINITION of Miss Congeniality! This choice was so obvious, I don’t even know why they took a vote. I think that even if they left it up to the fans, it would’ve been her. I fucking LOVE Nina. I’ve actually met her IRL and my first thoughts were 1: she’s HUGE (hello, she’s a six foot tall man in like 6 inch heels and I’m barely over five feet) and 2. she just radiates happiness! She is the only queen I’ve met that asked me my name (though shout out to Plastique Tiara for calling me gorgeous as if she’s not the most beautiful creature on the planet) and she didn’t make me feel like an idiot when I just stared at her adoringly and just word vomited “you’remyfavoriteiloveyousomuch”. Class act people!

#6 - Bianca del Rio: Do I even need an explanation for this one? Hands down, the undisputed winner of season 6, and that’s coming from a die-hard ***** fan (see entry #2). Did she wear the same silhouette 10+ times? Yes. Can she kind of be a bitch sometimes? Definitely. But is she the funniest fucking person alive? Probably! My love for Bianca is infinite but I still wouldn’t want her to read me, at least not in person. Actually, scratch that, I’ve seen her Twitter feed and getting read online is almost worse. I fucking love Hurricane Bianca and the sequel even though it’s one of those so-bad-it’s-good type of film series. I sadly missed her last tour because it was the same night as Sasha Velour’s Smoke & Mirrors show and as amazing as Sasha was, my heart was broken that I couldn’t go to both. But you better believe the next time she’s in town, I’m forking out lots of $$ for VIP and I may or may not faint at Bianca’s feet #noregrets

#5 - Vanessa Vanjie Matteo: Mother. Fucking. Vanjie. OKAY, I’ve met this bitch IRL and let me tell you, she is the cutest fucking thing. Like Nina, it shocked me how apparent it is that she’s a man (square jaw, hello?) but she can still paint for filth and look fishy AF even with her boyish features. Also, AMAZING performer! I waited 3 hours after the M&G for her to actually come on stage and perform only two songs (that’s a story for another day) but let me tell you, it was worth the fucking wait. I showered that bitch with Canadian monopoly money and I would’ve given her more if I wasn’t such a broke millennial. And to top the whole night off, I got woken up at 5 am to my friend screaming because Vanjie had reposted my photo in her story so I was essentially Instagram famous for all of like, a day. Thanks girl xo

#4 - Bendelacreme: I love me some Dela. This queen proved in both her regular season and All Stars that she is a force to be reckoned with. Season 6 wouldn’t have been the same without her and did I want to yell at Darienne Lake for being a bitch to her? Absolutely! (Gia Gunn pun intended) And I honestly think that if she hadn’t eliminated herself, she would’ve won AS3 (though if you read my #1 entry, I am 100% satisfied with who did win). She completely deserved her Miss Congeniality title, and while I see where the others AS3 queens were coming from when they suspected she was trying a little too hard to keep up that image, I did appreciate her trying to play the game with some class, because we don’t see that often on Drag Race. I also love her friendship with Jinkx and it’s definitely on my bucket list to see one of their shows one day. You know what they say, the Creme always rises to the top!

#3 - Brooke Lynn Hytes: Full disclosure, I’m Canadian but that’s not the only reason why I love Brooke (she is the Queen in the North though, and I’ll fight you if you say otherwise). This queen is fucking TALENTED! Season 11 would have failed without her, IMHO. She can design and sow a complete outfit, read people to filth, sort of sing (I still listen to Queens Everywhere daily, especially her verse), dance circles around ANYBODY, and lip sync like her mother fucking life depends on it. Did she, by the end of the season, forget that’s there’s more to a lip sync than being on pointe? Yes, absolutely. But that doesn’t change the fact that she is literal perfection and I think that’s why Ru gave Yvie the crown instead of her (though I love Yvie so don’t come for me). Brooke’s biggest downfall was the fact that she wasn’t relatable and I am 100% okay with that. Sometimes you just have to worship the unattainable. The only issue I have with Brooke is her and Vanjie not being officially together anymore because yes, I am one of those fans that ship queens together, especially queens that have actually dated. I will never get over #Branjie, just saying.

#2 - Adore Delano: "I'm a fucking Libra!" As soon as these words left her mouth, I knew I was in love with Adore Delano. Season 6 is by far my favorite season (spoiler alert if I decide to make a Top 10 Best Seasons list) and if it weren't for my #1 pick, she would 100% have the top spot. Hell, before I discovered WOW Presents, she WAS my #1 pick (read my next entry to understand what I mean). Adore is simultaneously adorable (pun intended) and fierce AF. She's beautiful, hilarious, and did I mention beautiful?! She is the reason I say "party" at inappropriate times. She is the reason I wish I was a Libra instead of a fucking Scorpio. She is the reason I insist everybody start their first Drag Race binge with season 6 because I know they’ll fall in love with her as much as I have. Adore, if you’re reading this, I fucking adore you.

#1 - Trixie Mattel & Katya Zamolodchikova: Of course these two are tied as my number one spot. Individually, these queens are fucking fierce and extremely talented (go download Trixie's country albums if you don't believe me), but together they are pure gold. If you've only ever watched their run on season 7, you probably don't understand why I love them so much, so do yourself a favor and go watch All Stars 2 & 3, as well as their web shows "UnHhhh", "The Trixie & Katya Show", and “Queens Who Like To Watch”. I can even give you a list of other stand alone videos of them to watch (ex. "Besties for Cash", "Fashion Photo Review", compilation videos of the pair in Palm Springs... I think you get the gist). Truth be told, I'm absolutely obsessed with these two, so much so that I may or may not have indulged in some online fan fiction about them from time to time...don’t judge me, okay?! I love a friends-turned-lovers love story, and I know I’m not the only one wishing #Trixya would happen IRL. I've also shelled out so much money to Trixie alone on her merch and makeup, and I'm waiting very impatiently for them to go on tour together so I can go full Futurama and just scream "take my money" as I buy the most VIP package they have. Trixie and Katya are the ultimate definition of All Stars and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise.

[polygarnstars]

part 1: 4, 12, 15, 18, and 19

If you think I’m going to have common sense and not answer all of these in a single post, I have Bad News lmao

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? Smart, mostly. “Gifted”. This very much Did Not Last lmaoooo

12. name of your favorite playlist? I literally never make playlists I’m a stupid fuck who uses their spotify premium to skip freely through all my thousands of liked songs on shuffle until I find something I want to listen to lmaooooo (Having said that: Rey and I put together a playlist for some characters we were entering a contest to win last fall which I titled Story and Song after the TAZ arc and also because we wrote Way Too Much for it and I’m Very Proud Of That)

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment? Okay upon reading this I initially genuinely couldn’t remember any of the books I read in school because for the last several years of my schooling I just fuckin Sparknotes and TV Tropes-ed everything lmao... having said that, I do remember enjoying Maus! It was neat having a graphic novel assigned amongst all the “literary classics” that I couldn’t sit through a sitting of without falling asleep, and it may be the furry in me but the depiction of the characters/people as animals was Good :0c See, if all history was depicted with methods like this, I’d maybe actually be able to remember it ghfdjhgjfkdl

18. ideal weather? Depends on the day, but generally: Between like 65-80°F, not humid, not a lot of wind, and either sunny, partly cloudy, or drizzly but not outright storming. Basically decent temperatures without feeling like I’m walking through soup because of the humidity and weather that’s not completely gray and boring. Aka what Maine basically never is lmaoooo

19. sleeping position? I change positions every five minutes I swear to god (don’t take that out of context gfhdjbhvjd). Usually with at least one arm draped over a pillow that is Definitely Not Being Mentally Portrayed As A Character I Like To Supplement The Fact That I Did Not Get Enough Affection To Be A Functional Adult As A Child ghfdjknbhgfjdk

21. obsession from childhood? bold of you to assume i don’t still obsess over nintendo games (and just video games in general tbh)

23. strange habits? OKAY I COULDN’T THINK OF ANYTHING FOR THIS AT FIRST BUT I HAVE ONE NOW: MIDNIGHT FRIES

28. five songs to describe you? Speeding - LightsDaydreaming - ParamoreMusic - Mystery SkullsNo Lullaby - SIAMÉSLonely Dance - Set If Off+Bonus because it came up on Spotify while I was shuffling for songs for this and it’s a Mood: Pineapples Do Not Belong on a Pizza - Vargskelethor

29. best way to bond with you? I don’t know I usually just scream about ocs or video games with people and suddenly it’s been a year??? @riskreyes how has it been a year since we started talking but also how has it only been a year??? Wild bvhfdjkbhvgfjdk

30. places that you find sacred? Lmao I’ve never had anywhere like that really. Need a goddamn lock on my door :p I guess... the woods by my house? As a little kid before things got shitty my neighbor’s cousin or niece or something would go out there wandering around catching frogs and stuff in the spring or almost falling into the frozen streams during winter. When things started to go to shit in my life as a teenager I would hide out there to get away and nobody would find me. I haven’t been recently but the last time I did my friend and I walked along the train tracks and dove off into the woods by the side to avoid the amtrak coming by, it was great lmao. Uhh, other than that... I dunno, Boston and New York and New London all make me feel good to visit. Probably mostly because during those trips I don’t feel trapped in a dying land like Maine feels like bgvhfdjkhvgfjd

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? ......my entire wardrobe is my work outfit, excessive graphic tees, and jeans. So uhh... I dunno. I guess my NWTB shirts are pretty rad, I’d kick a dude’s ass wearing Nate’s merch

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? if i have to see another ad for some fuckin branch of the us military while i’m just out here trying to watch people play video games i swear to god-

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school? Oh boy I don’t know how weird these are but do you want a list??? I can give you a list hang on- In 4th grade we had a day of class where we all just had a party and ate chips and salsa and stuff because the pats won the super bowl and our teacher was Obsessed- In middle school my math class started working out of college textbooks, which is a bit much when you’re 11, advanced classes or no. Yet somehow none of the other students had any problems with this- Also in middle school, the school counselor really wasn’t very Good at his job so I usually just ended up playing Rock Band in his office instead of talking out any of my Many, Many Problems. I played the drums, for the record- Also in middle school, one time I straight up fell down a flight of stairs? Like, a full flight of stairs. Fuckin somersaulting down the stairs. The binder I was carrying broke open, papers went everywhere, my arm got cut open somewhere along the way and started bleeding. I get to the bottom, the other students are staring at me in horror, aforementioned counselor fuckin steps out of his office which is, of course, right at the bottom of the stairs, all concerned because what the fuck a kid just fell down the stairs, right? And so I, laying on the floor disoriented and laughing, declare, and I quote: “That was fun, let’s do it again!”- THE MOTHERFUCKING MAC AND CHEESE MUFFINS IN HIGH SCHOOL. Macaroni and cheese baked into the sweet batter of a muffin. I refused to touch the stuff but a friend of my did and it was bad enough he had to go to the trash can and fucking empty his stomach in it.- SAID FRIEND ALSO MANAGED TO GET A CARTON OF MILK THAT EXPIRED A MONTH BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED AT THE START OF ONE OF OUR YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL and if I didn’t trust cafeteria food before that sealed the deal on me Never Trusting It Again- OH BUT SPEAKING OF CAFETERIA FOOD one time in the old school before the renovation, in like freshman year I think? I laughed so hard a piece of spicy chicken strip flew up my windpipe and got stuck in my nose and it was too big for me to snort out so I had to suck it back down and for the rest of the day all I could smell was burning- ON ANOTHER FOOD RELATED TOPIC down in the library I was on my iPad and 3DS because I had Long Since Given Up On School and some asshole dudes threw a rotting orange at me and it splattered all over the screens of both? So I picked up the remains and chucked it back at them and yelled “Do you wanna fucking NOT?” and they all ran off. The librarian heard me yell and saw me throw the orange back at them and she just didn’t give a fuck lmao- The librarians at my school were cool as shit really during one of our years we had to do x hours of volunteer work so I did some adjustments to the library catalogue for mine but the thing is I was fast enough at it that there really wasn’t enough to fill up my required hours so instead of giving me more to do they just sort of let me and my friends hang out playing Yu-Gi-Oh and called that good lmao. (For the record I only had one starter deck so I let my friend pick half of the cards and I would use the half she didn’t want. I managed to fuckin WRECK her with throwaways it was Iconicque)- OKAY ONE LAST LIBRARY STORY on the last day of finals I was hanging out in one of the smart tv rooms in the library right? My last finals weren’t for a few hours and lord knows I wasn’t gonna study, ADHD ass couldn’t do that and I’d already given up on school lmao. So I fucking... I brought my Wii U to school, hooked it up to the smart tv, and just started playing Splatoon there in the library. One of the librarians walked past to check on everyone, stopped at my room, watched me play for a minute (I noticed her and just sort of nodded and waved like ‘Sup’ so she Knew what was going on), and then just LEFT. Like, she didn’t give a fuck. Shoutout to the librarians, the Chillest- ALRIGHT LAST STORY LAST STORY I straight up never got all the credits I needed to graduate lmao. I was missing half a credit but they let me go anyway and to this day I cite the reason as being my high scores on the SAT/PSAT? I was the first student at the school in like, a decade, to have gotten an award from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for my performance on them, and I guess they must have thought that me failing to graduate on time would look bad on them because, uh, yeah, it would, if people found out their teachers couldn’t handle a ~smart kid~ to the point that they did poorly enough to not even graduate with the rest of their class nobody would be willing to send their kids there lmao. And that’s the story of how I graduated when I wasn’t technically supposed to!!!

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? That’s a good fuckin question hey shit memory what was that thing that made us laugh so hard we couldn’t breathe again?...Don’t remember? Yeah I thought so lmaoI dunno, probably a joke in some let’s play? Or... god. Now that I think about it was probably the Slicer of T’pire Weir Isles moment actually. Holy shit, that was good.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? That I’ve ever tried? Jesus, I dunno, I have issues with texture more than flavor. I Refuse to eat my mother’s stuffing because it’s literally just soggy ass bread. In terms of pure flavor alone? Her shepherds pie. It’s just... there is no flavor. It’s like eating cardboard. I’m begging you, De, use seasoning. If I ever have to eat shepherds pie that just tastes like tin from canned peas and vague hints of unseasoned beef again I’m going to go on a murderous rampage.That said? F in the chat to Cameron for that mac and cheese muffin. Rest in pieces

73. favorite weird flavor combo? GVFHDJBVDN JUST GONNA MAKE ME SHARE THE DILL PICKLE/CHOCOLATE PUDDING PACK COMBO FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE HUH

93. nicknames? Gar, Garn, Lane, Bill, Master, Pants, Shortpants. The first three are self-explanatory, first two are shortenings of my name and then my masc/surname. The latter four come from usernames of mine - Bill from Bill Ciforce (If you stack a Bill Cipher on top of two other Bill Ciphers, you get the Ciforce), Master, Pants, and Shortpants from MasterShortpants in reference to one of Link’s nicknames in Skyward Sword

95. favorite app on your phone? Does the internet app count? No? Lmao. Spotify I guess :p Need me some Tunes

[dramioneasks]

HP FESTS: DramioneFanfictionWriters (Part 2)

DFW's First Birthday GOGO Fest 2019:

The Minister's Decree by LadyKenz347 - M, 5 chapters - Ten years have passed since the Battle of Hogwarts and birthrates have steadily declined. In order to save the Wizarding World, the Minister enacts a Marriage Law.And Hermoine Granger is ready to burn down the patriarchy to make sure that doesn't happen.

Tempo by bionically - G, 4 chapters - Draco's good deed is punished. How bloody typical.On the verge of a suitable marriage, a chance meeting with a mysterious time witch gives Draco a chance to review his options.

Quite the Declaration by Frumpologist - M, one-shot - Glimpses into Draco and Hermione’s evolving, secret relationship.

Bare One's Soul by Felgia_Starr - E, one-shot - Ten creatures around the world have been chosen to study at Scholomance to become the most glorious warlock the world has ever seen. There, Hermione meets Draco Malfoy of the Purebloods, the most infuriating boy she's ever put her eyes on and the only one with whom she feels a connection.What happens when they bare their souls to each other?

Ichor and Aureum by fandomfairytales - E, one-shot - Based on the prompt/ gorgeous aesthetic by Felgia_Starr so, I've done my best to give it a little bit of everything (the only thing I couldn't work into this franken-prompt-fic was an accidental marriage what with the word limit).

Hermione Granger and the 'I'm sorry but I have to work with WHO?' by highlyintelligentblonde - G, one-shot - Hermione's Head Girl, Draco's Head Boy- neither of them know the other is though. What could go wrong? ;)

To My Wife by MykEsprit - T, one-shot - Draco admits to an obsession.

Game On by BiscuitsForPotter - M, one-shot - As co-Head Boy and Girl, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger just can't seem to get along. Hermione won't let Draco have a say and Draco refuses to listen. In an effort to force them to work it out, Professor McGonagall sets up a series of non-traditional detentions to get them to work together and communicate better. Her chosen method: board games. What could go wrong?

Of Love and Ducks by frecklesandbroomsticks - T, one-shot - Draco and Hermione take a trip to Paris. Things don't quite go as planned.

You make me see clearly now by ruthy4vrsmoaked - E, one-shot - You make me see clearly now... the rain is gone.She never asks permission to seat at his table. She just sits, drinks her tea and eats her cake. He has no other choice than to endure her unsolicited opinion on his life. The start of something none of the two expected.

Golden by msmerlin - M, one-shot - In a world where magic is forbidden and bounty hunters are on the prowl, Hermione must try to outrun the Crownland's most notorious hunter, The Harrier, when her secret is exposed. Magic Suppression AU.

A Game of Chance by TheLastLynx - M, 4 chapters - Hermione barely registered Harry calling out after her to let in someone he was apparently waiting for. So when she rushed out, deep in thought, she smacked straight into the tall person standing just outside the door. ‘Careful there, Granger,’ someone with a pleasant baritone said, chuckling under his breath. ‘No need to hit on me.’  Hermione’s head snapped up. The pointy face of Draco Malfoy looked down on her, something like humour brightening his pale eyes. She raised her chin, ignoring the heat in her cheeks. ‘Don’t flatter yourself, Malfoy.’ These past weeks, the London Muggle casinos have seen unprecedented losses. When Number 10 gets concerned and starts pressuring the Ministry of Magic, the D.M.L.E. tasks Hermione Granger with investigating the poshest of them all, Les Ambassadeurs. Is it all just an unlucky streak or might be magic to blame? And why does she keep running into Draco bloody Malfoy at the most unfortunate of times?

Magic in the Air by otterlyardent - not rated, one-shot -  On his twentieth birthday, Draco has the first of many dreams, meant to lead him to his soulmate. The other problem, however, is that he's quite certain his dreams revolve around two women. Add in a request from Hermione Granger to assist her with a case, and Draco finds himself in a right mess. Canon divergent. Soulmate AU.

Healing Properties by MrsMast - T, one-shot - Hermione needs a cure for Dragon pox. She decides to go to the one man she knows that can help.

Wise Words by CourtingInsanity - T, one-shot - Both stuck in a war they didn't start, Hermione and Draco forge a strong bond on the night Dumbledore falls. 

Not My First Mistake by savedprincess85 - M, one-shot - Hermione is a hard-working lawyer. Draco is a rugby player. Will they hit it off when Harry tries a bit of matchmaking?

DFW Trope Fest 2019:

The Essence of Veela by Elena78 - T, one-shot - Hermione doubts herself before she starts her new job at the Ministry and finds herself caught up in a predicament of Molly's. As she tries to resolve her part in this situation, a personal one arises.

The Dream Connection by Pureblood_Muggle - M, one-shot - Hermione is going stir crazy. She's having dreams about Draco Malfoy of all people. If only she could figure out why!

A Wide, Dark Sky by perilous_circumstance - T, one-shot - Set an indeterminate amount of time in the future, the wizarding world is travelling across Space. Hermione is a veteran of the Second Wizarding War and a Junior Auror aboard the giant Station, the large starship that houses the main parts of the Ministry, Hogwarts and other communal parts of the wizarding community. She is battling residual trauma leftover from the War, as well as a painfully awkward attraction to her former-Death Eater colleague, Draco Malfoy. When they are sent on a routine shuttle mission and disaster happens, Hermione is forced to confront her feelings for the insufferable git.

Near the Dragon's Eyes by fandomfairytales - E, 3 chapters - Late bloomer. That’s what they called her, adding yet another title to follow her other asinine monikers.With magic as strong as hers how could she possibly be anything else?What a joke. Of course, she took it all in stride; pushed herself harder, striving and struggling to make herself worth more than her lack of Alpha, Beta or Omega designation. But even the abject awe or generalised jealousy she inspired didn’t prevent the surreptitious glances or whispers behind hands about the girl who simply 'wasn’t witch enough.'

Soteria by Felgia_Starr - M, one-shot - 150 years after Voldemort won the Greatest War, nothing has changed. The Rebellion is still fighting against His regime. The Salvation is still defending their benevolent Dark Lord. Several generations came and went, but the world remains the same. Who knows? Maybe things will change soon. Maybe when fate forces Prince Draco of the Salvation and Hermione of the Rebellion to meet in the only neutral zone in the world, something different will finally happen.

Pinned by bionically - E, WIP - Draco doesn't know what he's expecting when he follows Blaise down a dark alley, but it certainly isn't this.For a man with an addictive personality, this isn't going to turn out well.

CATastrophic Love Potion by rennaissance_woman - not rated, one-shot -   What do you get when you cross a bored feline and an owl on a mission.

Hello. (Is it me you're looking for?) by weestarmeggie - M, one-shot - A series of meetings that can only be described as "meet cutes" lead Hermione to her one true love just as a spell cast on Halloween the previous year predicted.

Finding Granger by TheImperfectionista - T, 6 chapters - When the Ministry introduced the Pureblood Reparations Act, Hermione found herself with a tax bill for being Pureblood. Despite being told she qualified for an exemption, the witch began a search for the truth of her ancestry with the most unlikely financier of her journey.

Questions Later by Pandorascube - M, one-shot - Hermione's life of isolation changes with a mysterious stranger's appearance.

Broken Barriers by Snowblind12 - M, one-shot - Tensions run high when Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger return to Hogwarts after the fall of Voldemort. As Head Boy and Girl, how will they ever get along? A story about tradition, booty shorts, and learning to trust.

Higher Love by PartyLines - M, one-shot - Hermione Granger learns about love in the conviction of Draco Malfoy.

The Unlikely Governess by Art3misiA - T, one-shot - The Malfoy children are little terrors. They drive away every Governess Draco hires.Will a certain curly-haired witch be able to tame his wild offspring, or will it all be a disaster?

Revenge by TriDogMom - M, one-shot - Hermione has a secret- she liked revenge.

More Than One Way to Win by scullymurphy - M, 7 chapters - “That’s damn near impossible, even for me,” Blaise shook his head. “I think we’ve hit the bar. Is there anyone who would be more difficult to shag?”His words were hanging in the air when Draco felt a magnificent plan spring fully formed into his mind. Could it work? He thought it could. A grin split his face and he said, “I know someone.”“Who?” Theo demanded. “Granger.”“Oh fuck ME, I can’t believe we forgot her!” Theo was really slurring now. “She would never let any of us get within ten feet of her precious, pristine knickers. Not that I wouldn’t love to,” he leered. “But yeah. Impossible.”“Impossible, you say?” Draco tilted his head to the side and regarded his extremely pissed friend. “Would you care to wager on that?”

Dark Affair by Kaarina_Riddle - T, one-shot - Dark Draco! Hermione and Draco have a secret affair and someone finds out what will they do? Will they be caught?

Regards, Hermione Granger by HufflepuffMommy - M, one-shot - Hermione and Draco form a relationship through writing letters while Draco is in Azkaban.

DFW 20/20 Challenge 2020:

Bookworm to Badass by Pandorascube - T, WIP - Guess who will rescue our Draco-in-distress?

Hindsight by floorcoaster - T, WIP - It's a New Year and Hermione decides it's time to make some changes.

Fireworks by Felgia_Starr - T, one-shot - Pressured by their managers, Draco and Hermione come together one evening during the Midnight Kiss Ball, a yearly get-together of greedy record labels, eating up business deals like they’re treats, disguised as a New Year’s Eve party for artists to celebrate their success during the year.

Grave Awakening by savedprincess85 - T, WIP - Hermione is mourning. Harry wants to help her. No one knows exactly what happened to Draco. One chapter a month for the year 2020. 

The Green Pheonix by Gidgit2u - M, WIP - A betrayal at the beginning of sixth year causes Draco to swear allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix.Having recently come of age and as both hold the position of Prefect, Hermione is the perfect choice to become the Order’s handler of the grieving Slytherin.Despite years of hate and animosity, Hermione and Draco need to overcome their past and put aside their differences in order to help defeat Voldemort. As the war crescendos, the two must fight prejudice on all sides as they discover they may not be as different as originally thought.

Pretty Petty by TriDogMom - M, one-shot - "Damn right I'm pretty." "I said petty."

All Things Unsaid by TheImperfectionista - T, one-shot - "Many of the faces he knew from work, but he never liked any of them or had a desire to sit with them in the canteen for lunch. That was one thing he never told her. She was the only colleague, he enjoyed working with."

This fest is ongoing.

[psychodollyuniverse]

D.H.Lawrence  

 Playwright, Poet, Author, Journalist (1885–1930)

D.H. Lawrence is best known for his infamous novel 'Lady Chatterley's Lover,' which was banned in the United States until 1959. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.

Born in England in 1885, D.H. Lawrence is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. He published many novels and poetry volumes during his lifetime, including Sons and Lovers and Women in Love, but is best known for his infamous Lady Chatterley's Lover. The graphic and highly sexual novel was published in Italy in 1928, but was banned in the United States until 1959, and in England until 1960. Garnering fame for his novels and short stories early on in his career, Lawrence later received acclaim for his personal letters, in which he detailed a range of emotions, from exhilaration to depression to prophetic brooding. He died in France in 1930.

Early Life

Author D.H. Lawrence, regarded today as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, was born David Herbert Lawrence on September 11, 1885, in the small mining town of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, England. His father, Arthur John Lawrence, was a coal miner, and his mother, Lydia Lawrence, worked in the lace-making industry to supplement the family income. Lawrence's mother was from a middle-class family that had fallen into financial ruin, but not before she had become well-educated and a great lover of literature. She instilled in young D.H. a love of books and a strong desire to rise above his blue-collar beginnings.

Lawrence's hardscrabble, working-class upbringing made a strong impression on him, and he later wrote extensively about the experience of growing up in a poor mining town. "Whatever I forget," he later said, "I shall not forget the Haggs, a tiny red brick farm on the edge of the wood, where I got my first incentive to write."

As a child, Lawrence often struggled to fit in with other boys. He was physically frail and frequently susceptible to illness, a condition exacerbated by the dirty air of a town surrounded by coal pits. He was poor at sports and, unlike nearly every other boy in town, had no desire to follow in his father's footsteps and become a miner. However, he was an excellent student, and in 1897, at the age of 12, he became the first boy in Eastwood's history to win a scholarship to Nottingham High School. But at Nottingham, Lawrence once again struggled to make friends. He often fell ill and grew depressed and lethargic in his studies, graduating in 1901 having made little academic impression. Reflecting back on his childhood, Lawrence said, "If I think of my childhood it is always as if there was a sort of inner darkness, like the gloss of coal in which we moved and had our being."

In the summer of 1901, Lawrence took a job as a factory clerk for a Nottingham surgical appliances manufacturer called Haywoods. However, that autumn, his older brother William suddenly fell ill and died, and in his grief, Lawrence also came down with a bad case of pneumonia. After recovering, he began working as a student teacher at the British School in Eastwood, where he met a young woman named Jessie Chambers, who became his close friend and intellectual companion. At her encouragement, he began writing poetry and also started drafting his first novel, which would eventually become The White Peacock.

'The White Peacock' & 'The Trespasser'

In the fall of 1906, Lawrence left Eastwood to attend the University College of Nottingham to obtain his teacher's certificate. While there, he won a short-story competition for "An Enjoyable Christmas: A Prelude," which was published in the Nottingham Guardian in 1907. In order to enter multiple stories in the competition, he entered "An Enjoyable Christmas: A Prelude" under Jessie Chambers's name, and although it was published as such, people soon discovered that Lawrence was its true author.

In 1908, having received his teaching certificate, Lawrence took a teaching post at an elementary school in the London suburb of Croydon. He also continued to write, and in 1909 he received his big break when Jessie Chambers managed to get some of his poems published in the English Review. The publishers at the English Review took a great interest in Lawrence's work, recommending his draft of The White Peacock to another publisher, William Heinemann, who printed it in 1911. Set in his childhood hometown of Eastwood, the novel foreshadowed many of the themes that would pervade his later work, such as mismatched marriages and class divides.

A year later, Lawrence published his second novel, The Trespasser, a story based on the experiences of a fellow teacher who had an affair with a married man who then committed suicide. Around the same time, Lawrence became engaged to an old friend from college named Louie Burrows.

'Sons and Lovers'

However, in the spring of 1912, Lawrence's life changed suddenly and irrevocably when he went to visit an old Nottingham professor, Ernest Weekley, to solicit advice about his future and his writing. During his visit, Lawrence fell desperately in love with Weekley's wife, Frieda von Richthofen. Lawrence immediately resolved to break off his engagement, quit teaching, and try to make a living as a writer, and, by May of that year, he had persuaded Frieda to leave her family. The couple ran off to Germany, later traveling to Italy. While traveling with his new love, Lawrence continued to write at a furious pace. He published his first play, The Daughter-in-Law, in 1912. A year later, he published his first volume of poetry: Love Poems and Others.

Later in 1913, Lawrence published his third novel, Sons and Lovers, a highly autobiographical story of a young man and aspiring artist named Paul Morel, who struggles to transcend his upbringing in a poor mining town. The novel is widely considered Lawrence's first masterpiece, as well as one of the greatest English novels of the 20th century.

'The Rainbow' & 'Women in Love'

Lawrence and Frieda von Richtofen soon returned to England, where they married on July 13, 1914. That same year, Lawrence published a highly regarded short-story collection, The Prussian Officer, and in 1915 he published another novel, The Rainbow, which was quite sexually explicit for the time. Critics harshly condemned The Rainbow for its sexual content, and the book was soon banned for obscenity.

Feeling betrayed by his country but unable to travel abroad because of World War I, Lawrence retreated to Cornwall at the far southwestern edge of Great Britain. However, the local government considered the presence of a controversial writer and his German wife so near the coast to be a wartime security threat, and it banished him from Cornwall in 1917. Lawrence spent the next two years moving among friends' apartments. However, despite the tumult of the period, Lawrence managed to publish four volumes of poetry between 1916 and 1919: Amores (1916), Look! We Have Come Through! (1919), New Poems (1918) and Bay: A Book of Poems (1919).

In 1919, with the First World War finally ended, Lawrence once again departed England for Italy. There, he spent two highly enjoyable years traveling and writing. In 1920, he revised and published Women in Love, which he considered the second half of The Rainbow. He also edited a series of short stories that he had written during the war, which were published under the title My England and Other Stories in 1922.

Determined to fulfill a lifelong dream of traveling to America, in February 1922, Lawrence left Europe and traveled east. By the end of the year—after stays in both Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka) and Australia—he landed in the United States, settling in Taos, New Mexico. While in New Mexico, Lawrence completed Studies in Classic American Literature, a book of highly regarded and influential literary criticism of great American authors such as Benjamin Franklin, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville.

Over the next several years, Lawrence split his time between a ranch in New Mexico and travels to New York, Mexico and England. His works during this period includes a novel, Boy in the Bush (1924); a story collection about the American continent, St. Mawr (1925); and another novel, The Plumed Serpent (1926).

'Lady Chatterley's Lover' & Final Works

Having fallen ill with tuberculosis, Lawrence returned to Italy in 1927. There, in his last great creative burst, he wrote Lady Chatterley's Lover, his best-known and most infamous novel. Published in Italy in 1928, Lady Chatterley's Lover explores in graphic detail the sexual relationship between an aristocratic lady and a working-class man. Due to its graphic content, the book was banned in the United States until 1959, and in England until 1960, when a jury found Penguin Books not guilty of violating Britain's Obscene Publications Act and allowed the company to publish the book.

At the highly publicized British obscenity trial, the prosecuting attorney infamously asked the jurors, "Is it a book that you would have lying around the house? Is it a book you would wish your wife or servants to read?" The jury's decision to allow publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover is considered a turning point in the history of freedom of expression and the open discussion of sex in popular culture. As British poet Philip Larkin quipped in one of his poems, "Sexual intercourse began/In 1963/Between the end of the 'Chatterley' ban/And the Beatles' first LP."

Increasingly hobbled by his tuberculosis, Lawrence wrote very little near the end of his life. His final works were a critique of Western religion titled Apocalypse and Last Poems, both of which were published in 1930.

Death and Legacy

D.H. Lawrence died in Vence, France, on March 2, 1930, at the age of 44.

Reviled as a crude and pornographic writer for much of the latter part of his life, Lawrence is now widely considered—alongside James Joyce and Virginia Woolf—as one of the great modernist English-language writers. His linguistic precision, mastery of a wide range of subject matters and genres, psychological complexity and exploration of female sexuality distinguish him as one of the most refined and revolutionary English writers of the early 20th century.

Lawrence himself considered his writings an attempt to challenge and expose what he saw as the constrictive and oppressive cultural norms of modern Western culture. He once said, "If there weren't so many lies in the world . . . I wouldn't write at all."

from https://www.biography.com/writer/dh-lawrence

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 148

Episode: Futari wa Precure Splash Star 49 - “In Top Form! Forever Friends Under the Starry Sky!” Date watched: 29 July 2019 Original air date: 28 January 2007 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/LingrF5? Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

words don’t do this justice

note: I may revise this later if i look back and think of more to say. I probably will, bit i wanted to push this out now for personal reasons.

This is it. The finale. We finally made it! From November to now, Splash Star has been a long road plagued by personal difficulties and stubbornness and some lost sleep along the way, but I made it! And boy do we have a lot to discuss!

The Plot

When we left off, Saki, Mai, Michiru, and Kaoru, were infused with the power of spirits and transformed into Cures Bloom, Egret, Bright, and Windy. Gohyaan mocks their resolve and points out how all life is gone and there’s no light, no wind, nothing. It’s a world of ruin, except for the four of them, and he’s about to fix that. They battle, and as the girls again try to explain why they consider life so valuable, Gohyaan explains his backstory. He is an existence predating the universe, and he doesn’t like the commotion of life, so he wants to go back to the quiet. The girls won’t let that happen, because they have so much to live for. Gohyaan destroys the entire Earth, and thinks this is the end for them, but no! Saki explains how she needs to lead the softball team to victory. Michiru wants to try baking bread, because Saki’s is so delicious. Kaoru wants to draw with Minori and Mai, Choppi wants to live in the Land of Fountains, Flappi wants to confess his feelings, and Mai wants to keep drawing everyone’s smiles. They stand up, gather their power, and all together they perform a brand new four-person finishing attack: Precure Spiral Heart Splash Star!

This is too much for Gohyaan to handle and as the girls proclaim the strength of their hopes and futures, he is blown away.

The spirits of the various fountains and the Fairy Carafe reappear, and they restore everything to its original, beautiful state. We see all six fountains one final time, as the girls stand in front of the Sky Tree as they realize that it’s connected to the World Tree in the Land of Fountains. Princess Filia is fully restored to power, and Korone returns to being a normal, non-talking cat. However, Michiru and Kaoru have exhausted the last of their remaining energy, and they begin to fade away. Saki, Mai, Flaapi, Choppi, Moop, and Foop all cry deeply, not wanting to let their friends go, and even Filia seems sad but unable to do anything. However, a miracle occurs as the spirits of the Land of Greenery flow into the two, and Filia deduces that the spirits themselves want to live with the Michiru and Kaoru. They’re restored to life, and Princess Filia finally returns to her place in the Tree of Life.

At this point the first ending theme begins to play as we get a montage of events: All four girls visiting the Fountain of the Sky at long last, fulfilling that promise. Waving a tearful goodbye to their fairies. Mai and Kaoru drawing in school. The girls sitting on Gourd Rock in the spring. Saki and Michiru baking. And then, the softball tournament. Kaoru and Minori have drawn a picture to support Saki, while Michiru baked some bread in the shape of Saki’s head. Kaya, Miyasako, Kenta, Hitomi, Yuuko, and Mai are all in the stands anticipating the game. Saki looks into the stands and sees Izumida, the former captain, and suddenly gets nervous. She walks out of sight, and Mai walks up to her. They hold hands and Saki comments about how holding hands lets Mai’s energy flow through her, a callback to an earlier episode.

Then Saki walks out onto the field. Next thing we know, we’re treated to a few of Mai’s drawings: Saki holding the championship trophy, indicating they won. Everybody gathered together with Saki: Mai, Michiru, Kaoru, Kenta, Miyasako, Kaya, Hitomi, Yuuko, Izumida, Ms. Shinohara, Saki’s parents, Mai’s parents, Minori, Kazuyua, Korone, and all the fairies. Basically, every major character in the series. How nobody saw the fairies is not answered, and I have to assume it’s actually a photograph that Mai copied but details aside, it’s a great picture.

We zoom out to see Saki and Mai sitting beneath the Sky Tree, closing the sketchbook, and the real credits roll.

The Analysis

I absolutely love every minute of this. Even with the powers of all four spirits, Gohyaan is a formidable opponent, but the girls hold their own and manage to overcome him in the end. What is the power of destruction next to an indestructible will? He underestimates the power, the value, of life, and that is his ultimate undoing. He gets the peace and quiet he wants.... at the cost of his existence. And, indeed, this explains the Uzainaa’s name. It’s derived from “Urusai na”, which means “it’s annoying”. Gohyaan is an existence that predates the universe, and he doesn’t like the commotion created by life. It’s a darkly mundane reason to want to try to destroy everything, and frankly he should find a new hobby, but maybe in the end he learned that life is precious. Doesn’t seem like it, though. Honestly I don’t have much to say about the battle itself. There’s some good scenes, like this part where the cures all flip Gohyaan, but it’s more of an exchange of wills than a physical fight. Both are important aspects, as I’ve commented many times, I just want to note that the physical stuff was done last episode.

Let’s talk Michiru and Kaoru. Officially, they don’t get new designations even with the powers of Moon and Wind, because the idea at the time was still that Precures were only ordinary girls, but I think they deserve to be called Cure Bright and Cure Windy. Their journey is heartbreaking, even if their death was an inevitability and they were given a new lease on life very quickly. They never deserved what they got, but their tragedy is a part of this show I honestly forgot about, and I think it makes it more powerful. I knew Splash Star was an underrated gem but I had forgotten the depths of tragedy the Kiryuus were in, I kind of thought everything was pretty hunky-dory when they got back. Their journey escalates this show to a higher tier in my view, and I’ll have to remember that when making recommendations.

Obviously, they already had powers from being Dark Fall denizens, and getting Cure abilities doesn’t make them innately better, but it’s a great next step for them, epitomizing the journey they’ve undergone from mindless servants of Akudaikaan to friends and sisters who have a network of people who care about and support them, discovering their own interests, and getting to live life. They are every inch heroes in the way that Saki and Mai are and they have been done dirty by the franchise writ large.

The epilogue gives us a lot of things I really wanted. Michiru and Kaoru finally get some casual clothes, and they are really stylish.

Also, we fast forward to spring and see them in spring outfits and Michiru’s outfit is extremely similar to Nagisa’s spring clothes.

I’m happy to see them living normal lives, practicing baking and art and getting to experience life, finally. They seem so happy and I’m sure they have a bright future ahead of them and GOD DAMN IT TOEI WHY DO YOU IGNORE THEM. They were lucky to get Figuarts.

The softball championship game is something else I honestly forgot happened. I commented back in the last softball episode (35 I think) that we would never see Saki lead the team to victory the next year, because the show didn’t get a second season. Well, they took care of that here, and Saki did live up to her promise to Izumida by winning the championship.

In general it’s a lot of tying up loose ends that I really appreciate. Flappi finally confessed his feelings to Choppi and they’re a couple now, Kenta and Miyasako are still going strong as a manzai duo, Yuuko feels inspired by his encouragement even if they don’t seem to be a couple, and... well, the last closure we got on Saki and Kazuya was in the Christmas episode, but that’s just as well because Saki’s only love is Mai. For real though I love that the episode closes out on them being close, and you can choose to interpret their friendship any way you choose. It’s just perfect for this show.

Oh and there’s a little epilogue after the ending theme. On the TV broadcast it was probably a preview for Yes! 5, but we don’t get that here. Instead we get  , some stills of Saki and Mai thanking everybody for watching, and saying that Precure will continue for a long time! And boy, truer words were never spoken.

Next time on precure Daily, I’m going to revisit a little Splash Star something that I forgot to do sooner. After that, I’m going to try to push out a retrospective on the entire Futari wa era, before we change up the formula big time with Yes 5. My goal is to finish Yes 5 by the end of 2019, but if I’m really good I might even be able to start GoGo this year. I don’t want to drag another show out for 8 months, so we’ll see where we end up. I hope to see all of you again soon!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 1 Zekkouchou Nari!, in the title of the episode.

[gobigorgohome2016]

All the Cliches

When I started writing this post in my head, I was going to title it something like Out of Hibernation, yet make it known that I wasn’t planning to bore you with a 1,300 word soliloquy comparing myself to a Bleeding Heart (which is apparently a Spring perennial and, you know, we’re all about cliches here) blooming through the last remnants of Winter frost.

Then I thought, no, do I really need an intro to tell everyone I’m back on my bullshit after a few steps forward and another step back?  

Then I realized...isn’t running really just the epitome of a giant cliche?  

TL;DR I had a big accomplishment in the fall and thought the momentum would carry over super easily into the Spring.  I ignored some symptoms, realized I was anemic, felt really sad, and now I’m starting to feel like myself again.  aka, the simple, common, cliched journey of every.single.runner.

Even though this experience is the embodiment of what it means to be an endurance athlete, why do we act surprised every single time?  Leading up to Philadelphia, after my year of mystery illness [which, it turns out, had another plot twist.  Remember how I was having a massive immune system reaction and pretty terrible quality of life?  Well, after we found mold in the house the problem went 90% away.  The remaining 10% was still driving me crazy.  Long story short, the installation of a whole-home water filter has returned me to a fully functioning human being.  Hello, my name is Anna and I’m just your local canary in the coal mine] I vowed I would do a better job about just letting life go with the flow and not try to fight the current every step of the way.  I guess I got too big for my britches because - lo and behold - I found myself avoiding what I pretty much knew all along.

After Philadelphia, I took 2 weeks off and really enjoyed my down time.  The highlight was a day trip to French Lick, where Dave and I hit the casino (I won $25), ate all the sweets, shopped, split an amazing kobe beef burger, got day drunk, and took the scenic drive home.  The next day I started running again and, much to my surprise, felt way better than I normally do after two weeks of zero exercise.  This felt like a big win. 

December turned out to be extra crazy, then at the end of January I co-hosted a women’s running retreat, BAnna Camp.  Any fatigue I was feeling during December and January I just chalked up to stress and the typical things you do when you’re in that awkward in-between period from one race to another:  less sleep, less healthy food, less fitness.  

^have to make sure this post never dies

The first day I was in Austin, Becki and I did a workout together.  It was my first “real” workout back (other than some fartleks and strides), and it wasn’t even supposed to be hard:  3 x 7 min @ 6:00 pace.  I STRUGGLED.  I couldn’t breathe, my quads were heavy, and the paces felt much more difficult than they seemed like they should.  But, there were plenty of excuses:  it’s windy, we were running a net uphill, I was dehydrated from travel, I was stressed about the upcoming camp, etc. etc.  Midway through that workout I had a very distinct thought of oh shit, this feels very anemic right now.  That night I texted my friend who would be joining us later in the week and asked her to bring some iron pills, since I had forgotten my supplement.  

The following week my workout didn’t feel great, but again, it was easy to make excuses.  I was on a treadmill.  I was still catching up on sleep from camp.  Maybe I’m more out of shape than I thought. 

Longer efforts didn’t feel great, but I was getting them done.  My paces felt quick, but, winter training never feels amazing.  Plus, it seemed like every workout I did was into a strong wind, so how can you really judge pace and effort?  

In early February, I had my first race of the season which was a 5 miler in downtown Indy.  I had told Dave I was going to hold 5:30 pace for as long as I could and see what happened.  My first mile was 5:54, and Dave said he could hear me breathing before he could see me.  I was 3rd that day in just under 30:00.  Again, there were plenty of excuses.  It was windy.  We had celebrated Valentine’s Day the night before, so maybe steak, lobster, buttered mashed potatoes, and wine wasn’t the best pre-race meal?  

During my sulking about the race I had an aha moment.  In December, prior to realizing we had an issue with our water, I was trying to figure out what was still causing skin rashes and GI issues.  The only thing I was taking every day was ferrous sulfate, which is an iron supplement that is gentle on your stomach but has some suspect ingredients (food colorings, sorbate, etc.).  I decided to switch my supplement (one that had worked for me for YEARS) to something that seemed “cleaner”:  ionic iron.  While I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what could be wrong, it occurred to me to check my iron dosage.  

I was taking ~10% of my normal ferrous sulfate dosage, and honestly don’t even know how absorbable ionic iron even is.  That day I made the switch back to ferrous sulfate, but knew that if my iron/ferritin was low, it would take about 6 weeks before I felt a difference.

If at this point you’re reading along and thinking to yourself, it’s not expensive to just go and get a blood test to find out whether your iron is low - you are absolutely correct.  I should have just scheduled an appointment to take a blood test and find out.  But, I’m stubborn.

Two weeks after my 5 mile race I flew to Atlanta for the Road to Gold, an 8 mile race on the 2020 Olympic Trials course.  This is a whole other post in and of itself, but I will say that the hype is real.  That course is going to be hard.  

While the experience was great, my time was not.  My goal had been to run 5:45 pace through the first 4 miles and then pick up the pace.  While I did go through the first 4 miles in 22:50, just under my goal, I went through the next 4 miles in 24:20ish, and again felt as though I couldn’t breathe.  I finally conceded it was time for a blood test. 

The results were pretty much exactly what I thought they would be:  low ferritin, high CO2 in my blood, and borderline-low Vitamin D.  After weeks of agonizing over whether I was out of shape I finally had an answer (albeit one I should have just figured out sooner).  So, I upped my iron supplement and looked ahead.  

Nowhere to go but up, right?

In the following weeks I paid better attention to meal timing (i.e., if I was having a steak for dinner I wasn’t pairing it with red wine or other iron-inhibiting foods).  I cut out my second cup of coffee in the afternoon so that my body could have a better chance at iron absorption.  I focused more on sleep.  I got back on nutrient tracking to make sure I was getting everything I needed from my diet.  

and it paid off

6 weeks after my miserable 5 mile race where I could barely run faster than 5:58 pace for 5 miles, I ran 1:16:37 in the Carmel half marathon on a less-than-ideal day with rain and wind.  

During race week I cut out all caffeine and red wine to hopefully give my body the extra boost it needed to absorb iron.  I meal prepped early in the week so that I had nutrient-rich options readily available.  I said no to a couple work-related opportunities that popped up in favor of less stress, and I gave myself my best chance to succeed.  

In truth, sometimes setting yourself up for success is scary.  What if you do everything possible and you don’t succeed?  I have seen so many talented athletes give up because they went all in and it didn’t immediately pay off.  But, that’s probably another post for another day, too. 

Come race day we had 15 mph winds, pouring rain, and puddles on the course.  It will sound sarcastic when I say this, but that truly is my favorite racing weather.  Going into the race my A goal (not accounting for weather) was 75 min, B goal 76 min, and C goal 77 min.  My plan was to run the first 10 at 5:45 effort, then see how fast I could go the last 5k.  

Starting off, I was very pleased to find myself in a pack of men and through the first mile around 5:40.  I NEVER trust my GPS, so all splits I give will be those from the course.  I went through 4 miles in 22:50 - the exact same time I went through 4 miles in Atlanta, only this time I felt so much better.  I went through 6.55 (again, as marked on the course, not my GPS) in 37:26 and felt like I really had a chance at sub 75 still.  Through 10 miles I was right at 58 min.  I felt strong for the first time in a long time. 

Around mile 11 I started to get tired, and just focused on getting through 0.5 miles at a time.  T last couple miles were definitely the toughest, as they were mostly uphill/into the wind.  76:38 is my fourth fastest half [74:03, Houston, PERFECT weather; 75:20, ‘17 US championships, goal race full taper, 75:59, Columbus half, 4 weeks out from Philly], and this gives me a lot of encouragement considering some sub-par months of training.    

Now that I am feeling the effects of higher ferritin, I’m beginning to wonder if I wasn’t a little bit low during my Philly build up.  I have had some of my best long runs and workouts the past couple weeks - ones that would have blown away what I did leading up to Philly.  It also makes sense, given how I felt the last half of my Philly race, that my ferritin may have been low.  Moving forward, I’m going to schedule blood work much more regularly so that I don’t have preventable problems like this occur.  Definitely kicking myself, but, as with all failures in life it was a great opportunity to learn and grow.  

My next race is in 6 weeks and I’ll be at the 25k championships in Grand Rapids.  I’m looking forward to seeing what another 6 weeks of quality training and (hopefully) warmer weather can do for my fitness!