#to be honest i feel like my main strength is in creating characters. like i have this one family of werewolves i've been slowly but surely

[fingertipsmp3]

Ughhhhhhh I hate writing and I hate not writing and I hate myself

[iwanthermidnightz]

*sigh*

The way some (because it’s not all) of *them* are acting over what someone intentionally picked out from the entire prologue to share online (lol after screaming not to leak things lol), knowing it would go viral and lead to harassment of Gaylors/Kaylors is sad.

Especially when it proves that they go with whatever satisfies their insecurities over the possibility (re: TK for the time being). Lavender Haze “ended Gaylors/Kaylors” until the entire song and video came out, right? Or what about when “It’s Time To Go” and “Right Where You Left Me” were released and ended Gaylors/Kaylors” because they were about Karlie’s “betrayal”? Which led to Taylor commenting and saying what those songs were about.

When she deleted the reel about the LH, who was in shambles?

It doesn't change the fact that Taylor:

Wrote queer-coded lyrics and had an entire era of queer themes

Asked why people were mad when they could be glad (GLAAD) in a video where she placed herself in the queer community.

Pushed for the Equality Act to be passed and wrote letters, which she signed and added a rainbow to.

Said “out now” while wearing a rainbow dress to say reputation was available.

Has said, “I want her midnights”.

Wrote an entire song referencing a tattoo and a Tumblr account that a woman had removed and deleted.

Gave permission for “Seven” and “Ivy” to be used during scenes between queer characters on “Heartstopper” and “Dickinson”.

But somehow, Gaylors/Kaylors are projecting these things and creating them from their imaginations?

I am straight, but I have picked up on the queer-coded themes, etc., that she puts out. I actually…take the time to observe and listen to her lyrics and ask my queer mutuals on here questions about things I don’t understand because conversations help, and they matter. I don’t disregard their feelings or discredit their perceptions of her lyrics because I am mature and secure enough to respect their connections from her music to their life experiences.

From the excerpt (seems to be getting all the focus), it seems they think she is singling out Gaylors/Kaylors, but I think she’s simply saying that she was hoping that if the focus was taken off her dating life and that energy/focus were placed into her female friendships and having that concept empowered, they wouldn’t sensationalize or sexualize them.

Yet, they still sensationalized her friend group by criticizing /saying it was elitist, non-feminist, and a publicity stunt because all of her friends in the group happened to be white, rich, and thin. As for sexualizing, she specifically addressed the media by saying for her 25th birthday, she would like for THEM to stop accusing all her friends of dating her. While this was after kissgate, when the main discourse was not only still on her dating life but whether or not she and Karlie had kissed, let’s also look at these select lines from the reputation prologue:

“When this album comes out, gossip blogs will scour the lyrics for the men they can attribute to each song as if the inspiration for music is as simple and basic as a paternity test. There will be slideshows of photos backing up each incorrect theory.”

The same people who say Gaylors/Kaylors are sexualizing (because let’s be honest, that’s the only word they zoned in on. Lol) her female friendships have (along with the media) been sensationalizing the alleged “beef” with one of those female friends specifically since 2017. They also engage in sexualizing her male “relationships” that are also sensationalized until they aren’t because they loved all her “boyfriends” (Calvin less than others, lol) until they ended.

Anyways, thanks for letting me rant, IWHM. I wish you and others who stand to be harassed or cyberbullied over this peace, patience, and strength.

you came in hot with that one! thanks anon 🙃

[roseinyoursaltwater]

So I don't change much when it comes to the warriors themselves. I'll update in a different post, I haven't planned out to much lore hahahah. Most of this is just like phrases or books or stuff like that pertaining to the story. (PLEASE NOTE - I am not religious and my knowledge on religion is either ancient civilizations or what I've been exposed to which is Christianity. I do apologize) ALSO - I obviously don’t support some of the standards listed below but like I’m creating a sexist religion for plot sooooo)

Phrases

• Oh My Irene - Oh My God (Same as cannon), I feel this would change names depending on the region you're in. But Irene is the main one used) (ie, regions who ship Esmund would use his name and Irene's interchanging)

• Holy Divine - Jesus Christ (I made this up. I think it's funny hehe)

Books

• The Divine is the main book which covers the life of Irene and her wars, sayings and just life. This book is widely used in Ru'Aun. It has been altered over the years

• each region has books that paint their gods in good light. Though characters in different regions aren't exposed to those books.

• They are unknown books, "lost to time" that depict the wider picture of those years of history (they probably live in Hyria's attic let's be honest) (she probably wrote them, let's be honest)

Desired Traits and Standards/Culture in Ru'aun Based on Religion

• Giving, helping your family, neighbors and foes. It's a huge part of the religion. Irene is seen as the matron and so you must be as understanding as possible. This message is slowly lost overtime.

• Purity. Mostly enforced by places like O'Khasis. Purity is a huge fixation on the religion. Whether it's sexual or with ideas or violence. You're expected to only do "dirty" things when needed

• motherhood is heavily emphasized. Caretaker, nurture, protect. Women are seen as these bringers of life who radiate kindness and love their children.

• Violence being needed. Only take lives when needed and when there is no other way out. Try to be diplomatic. O'Khasis and other powerhouses disregard this.

• The standards of giving allow for good trade amongst the land. O'Khasis uses this standard to mooch off of it's civilians by taking as much as they can from them. Other places like Meteli or Phoenix Drop take this saying to heart

• Saving yourself for marriage and being a homemaker is emphasized greatly to the higher classes of wealthy villages and kingdoms

• Occults like Werewolves and Meif'was are looked down upon, mostly by powerhouses. O'Khasis deems Meif'was as immature and that their magicks aren't "beautiful" like Irene's - that they're naive. Werewolves are seen as barbaric and their polyamory is frowned upon.

• Shadow Knights are hated in the region. Valued by power houses for their strengths. They are usually killed on sight in villages and strong followers of the Divine will kill themselves when brought back as Shadow Knights due to the disgust at themselves.

• All powered beings besides the Jury are looked down upon. Even if used for their strengths. Places like O'Khasis doesn't value their humanity.

[tigreblvnc]

BLUE LOCK MATCHUP — @atsu669

Your match is...

— Isagi Yoichi

✦ Fluffy.

✦ That’s the word that comes to mind when I read your bio.

✦ Fluffy.

✦ And as I often say: not everyone can handle fluffies.

✦ Right away, I ruled out all characters that displayed excessive, toxic, or unhealthy aspects from my choices to favor those who could create a positive ++ chemistry with you.

✦ I often have two preferred choices in terms of matchups: the duo ++ like with you and Isagi, and the duo +- where the + serves to bring balance and potentially help the - become a + in turn.

✦ Honestly. Were you expecting someone else? :)

✦ I wasn’t.

✦ Isagi is perfect for this kind of tandem, very sweet, simple, and honest.

✦ (Headcanons and the one-shot are usually included in regular matchups; since you asked for just a relationship analysis, I’m leaving them out of your matchup.)

✦ Let’s go!

✦ "I see myself as a really friendly and caring person. I always want everything best for my friends and loved ones. I'm that friend who's everyone's therapist but also needs one lmao." This screams Isagi, you know? Without a doubt, I affirm that he is the healthiest and most balanced character in the entire manga. He benefits from the considerable advantage of being the main character, after all. For as many characters and dynamics as possible to revolve around him, he’s designed to be very balanced in his characteristics—those less developed being the ones subject to evolution on the field.

✦ Your relationship, therefore, is based on trust, and that’s basically how we define a healthy and steady romantic relationship. Something that seems improbable with the rest of Blue Lock's roster.

✦ "I'm an introverted dude who almost never leaves his room, it's hard to make me go somewhere." I think Isagi is very versatile in terms of relationships and can connect with both introverts and extroverts. I don’t see him as someone who pushes others, but rather someone patient and attentive, which is a great quality, giving you the time to do things at your own pace. He lets you choose when you want to go out or stay inside. It’s not a problem because he knows how to keep busy outside with football and doesn’t need to be constantly glued to you—or anyone, for that matter.

✦ … Even though we know in-game, he can develop a kind of dependency because his skills really peak when he plays with someone.

✦ "I always want people to feel safe with me, I treat them with no judgment, I'm creating a comfort space for them to open to me." :D

✦ "I'm pretty much an overthinker, I'm overthinking everything CONSTANTLY, every little detail of my interaction with someone, and it's exhausting sometimes." I could see the puzzle pieces racing in your mind like Isagi on the field. We’ll come back to this when we talk about MBTI, but being an overthinker is due to your second cognitive function, Extraverted Intuition (Ne), which gathers data in bulk and processes it constantly, without pause. That’s why you often keep thinking about a conversation long after it’s happened or wonder, "What could I have said at that moment?" You might even understand a joke years after hearing it. When you finally get it, it’s because your function has managed to connect several ideas and give you the answer you didn’t get back then.

✦ "I often find myself overreacting to the smallest problems, I'm quickly panicking. I also tend to think lowly of myself." These are among the reasons I didn’t choose another character, not even Hiori, because I find him prone to a lot of anxiety and defeatism. Isagi knows how to stay positive, get back up after a loss, and even motivate those around him. He’s naturally talented at recognizing others’ strengths and helping them bloom in the best conditions. Since he also asks a lot of questions, it makes him able to understand your thought process. It’s easier to communicate with someone who gets how you think.

✦ "I have low self-esteem and often compare myself to others in terms of appearance or skills." Isagi's ambition and pride are very contextual due to football triggering these traits in him; outside of that, we’ve seen him in more normal settings, where he’s very easygoing, accommodating, and open-minded. I see him as someone humble who knows his place and is content with simple things. Even in terms of clothing (especially in terms of clothing, actually), he’s often the most simply dressed character, reflecting someone who doesn’t feel the need to overdo it. So I think he’s great at naturally making you feel comfortable and not in competition. Some people automatically make you feel like you have to prove something, like you need to be good enough or not let them down. In my eyes, Isagi doesn’t provoke that at all in others; it’s actually the opposite. People tend to underestimate him because he doesn’t physically exude something impressive. It’s simply because he’s spent more time working on his strategies and being in his head than focusing on external appearances.

✦ I definitely see you two talking for hours about both simple and complex topics. Redoing the world together until late at night. A thought pops into your head at a random moment, and the message is sent. I imagine Isagi taking the time to carefully craft his replies, even writing long messages to explain his thoughts from A to Z. This might have scared away many of his past conversation partners, but I think you’ll particularly enjoy it because, on one hand, it reflects his depth of mind, and on the other, it stimulates your own thinking, giving you something to reflect on. It’s mental nourishment.

✦ "I love, LOVE making gifts and giving them." I believe the love language Isagi most enjoys receiving is probably words of affirmation, especially from people he holds in high regard. That’s the case with Noel Noa when he suggests that Isagi could beat him; it triggers a big reaction in Isagi. Not verbal, but very internal. His heart races, it works on him, it’s as if Noa indirectly told him he’s very good. Well, I think that’s exactly the kind of words that could greatly improve Isagi's mood—the fact that someone validates his game, his analytical skills, his rapid development since the first chapter.

✦ On his side, he naturally leans toward valuing others. It’s a natural ability he has, with acts of service (like when he cleans up for others) and quality time (the fact that he spends time thinking about others’ problems). If he were to have a more specific love language reserved just for his significant other, I think it could be physical contact (holding your hand, seeking your company, getting close to you, wrapping his arm around your waist in public…) and giving gifts. I can easily imagine him spending hours in front of stores thinking of the perfect gift for you, from the content to the wrapping, to how he’ll give it to you, where, when, how, and why. He considers every possible parameter to ensure the moment unfolds in the best possible conditions.

✦ The Wiki said: "He thinks his strong point is being able to find other people's strengths."

✦ Definitely, his other love language to receive is getting YOUR gifts, especially handmade ones. And if they’re knitted clothes? You bet he’ll wear them all the time in public!

✦ "And for the last one, I learned how to crochet! I want to make cool bags and plushies for me and my friends." Hihi.

✦ "I'm a touch-starved person." Oh my god, I’m so glad I was spot-on with this.

✦ YES.

✦ Isagi holding your hand at the bus stop, Isagi waiting for you after work, Isagi hugging you at home when he senses that’s what you need... Isagi is perceptive; he understands without words, even what isn’t said. He’s the ideal partner to approach you with tenderness without ever rushing you.

✦ "So I like when the other side also initiates physical contact." Quoting this just for the pleasure of confirming my assumptions.

✦ "I like when the other side’s patient and caring." (Again.)

✦ In terms of communication, Isagi is one of the best choices. Just because he’s an introverted temperament doesn’t mean he’s unable to express himself openly—quite the opposite, in fact. He does it better than most extroverts; it’s a very important quality that many introverts have over extroverts, by the way. The fact that you both spend so much time in your heads makes you very careful with your word choices. You like your sentences to reflect your feelings as accurately as possible. You’re typically the ones who write a message, erase it, and rewrite it until the text is as faithful as possible to your thoughts. That’s the case with Isagi, whose natural tendency is never to speak without thinking: he analyzes for a long time before drawing conclusions and verbalizing them.

✦ This type of communication can still pose another problem if you are not aware of it: the fact that his reflection takes time sometimes makes him silent for a while, the time he needs to structure his speech. From your side, it may seem like indifference or ignorance, but he will teach you that this is not the case: he simply needs time to think and come back to you with the best possible solution. Since Isagi is INFJ, this behavior is a reflection of his Introverted Intuition (Ni). This particular function needs a lot of time but constantly works in the background. It is known for suddenly bringing forth an idea out of nowhere in the middle of its user's mind.

✦ This complements users of Extraverted Intuition (Ne), whose ideas are constantly flowing and always in motion. One thought leads to another; it's like tree-branch thinking. On the other hand, for Introverted Intuition (Ni) users, these thoughts all converge towards the user themselves, leaving only the purest and most refined essence, that one idea that will eventually emerge in their mind.

✦ Quoting the Wiki on Isagi after writing all this: "He likes when he is praised or given sweets." Words of affirmation and giving gifts confirmed ;)

✦ "I'm watching anime since I was, idk, 7 or 9, and it's a big part of my life." We don't know what kind of manga Isagi reads, but we know that he does read some. Given that he's rather curious and likes to learn about other people's preferences—well, to beat them at football, but outside of that, he's genuinely interested in the person. So, I think he's open to your new discoveries and likes when you pitch him the synopses, which sometimes makes him want to dive into them too. I believe he might occasionally binge-watch on his own to come back to you with his thoughts and spark a debate, or he might watch with you under the covers, commenting out loud on what's happening on the screen.

✦ "I also love to play games like Hades or Cult of the Lamb." I don't know this video game, but we know Isagi is more interested in football games. If you like puzzle, thinking, moral choice, immersive, or story-driven games, I think it could easily captivate him as well. In fact, anything that engages his brain can absorb him for hours. Maybe you'll both start playing Inazuma Eleven together, who knows. (Wow, that’s an old reference.)

✦ "I often find myself forgetting to eat or drink when I get caught up in the game." :) I don’t need to mention that Isagi, along with Barou, is the perfect character to remind you when it’s time to eat, shower, and sleep. But I’ll say it anyway because it adds a bit more nuance and realism to your relationship: Isagi cares about your health, and even though he knows it's important to you to be on the computer for everything you love to do, he cares about your well-being and will often poke his head around the door to ask, "By the way, have you eaten?" Until one day, when he knows full well that the answer is no. So, he comes into your room with a meal tray, without saying a word, because he wants to make sure you’ve got something in your stomach.

✦ I'm canonizing Isagi as a man who knows how to cook perfectly well.

✦ And with that, I confirm that the love languages you give match well with those Isagi loves to receive, just like the ones you love to receive are naturally what he gives.

✦ (I think the physical contact moments between you will be intense.)

✦ (Like… curled up under the blankets, cuddling for hours? He’s totally up for it.)

✦ "KAISER'S HAIRCUT" :) I think it’s the first thing he noticed about you when he saw you from behind at your first meeting, and he probably looked at you suspiciously.

✦ He’s definitely handling your next haircut.

✦ (Honestly, I love that haircut too, so fight to keep it.)

✦ (I want a picture.)

✦ Last little MBTI note as promised; the INFP-INFJ couple reminds me a lot of a parent-child duo. In the sense that the INFP tends to be more influenced by their own emotions and reacts on impulse, while the INFJ naturally has the ability to absorb and process information before manifesting any kind of reaction. I think this dynamic is very present between you and Isagi, and in the long term, it’s a very healthy and close relationship that awaits you. You may have some difficulty stepping out of your comfort zones, as you are both introverted and home-loving profiles. But the major advantage is your ability to easily understand the other’s psychological workings.

A word about your match: Probably one of the sweetest matchups I've made. I love writing for Isagi; he’s underestimated too often when he’s a true gem in the midst of this bloodthirsty jungle of competitors. Take care of your Kaiser haircut and your adorable boyfriend. Go on, now!

© TIGREBLVNC 2024 | SEPTEMBER ‘24 MATCHUPS EDITION.

[inflammatoryfandomblog]

okay. so voltron’s second season (”seasons” 3-6) were. well.

i have to say that i sort of vastly preferred the first production block. i definitely think the show was more in its element with the episodic “defeat zarcon” stuff than with... to be honest, i have no idea what’s happening.

i mean it started off pretty good. could have gone in a lot of directions. i was interested in the idea of lotor, whose ideology seemed to be a very good contrast to zarcon’s but still seemed to be a good villain. a darker side to the alteans, the fact that the lions can bond to multiple paladins, etc etc etc.

like idk, i know there are people that would take issue with it but it would have been kinda cool if various characters could bond to the different lions sometimes, and the relationship with each one could reveal something about the character. like maybe it would have been a contrast to zarcon, who was hyperfixated on the black lion and thought that because it was the leader, it was the Important One or whatever.

anyways this is called “inflammatoryfandomblog” and it’s time for the griping.

-> the plot is about quintessence, which... the galra empire depends on for some reason, even though it was really the druids we’ve seen use it before, and they were destroying whole planets for the stuff and using it to power zarcon’s little ego “i’m going to get the lions trip.” it’s kind of unclear what else uses it. and i think that’s like my main issue with this season/production block? aside from the S1-like episodes, it feels very muddled and hard to really get into.

i just. am trying to make sense of lotor’s plan. or haggar’s plan. or what they each wanted. or what even what quintessence does. quintessence seems to be like, a... theme-thing... for being too entrenched in the past and what you’ve lost, and so being poisoned by it is losing sight of the present by trying to recreate it. at least that’s what makes the most sense. it’s not, uh, subtle--but it’s not used well enough to relieve it of the Magical Bullshit feeling. 

(this is something she-ra has over voltron; whatever plot magic BS happens is generally woven in better, thematically, with adora and glimmer and catra--but this just might be because there’s a lot less characters and she-ra very early on drops the pretense of being political in any way; it’s the type of series that’s very transparent with that--it says “yeah lmao our world doesn’t matter this is basically a basic family story with princess/scifantasy icing”, while voltron is very different in this regard, and so this approach does it no favors, because how it developed its world was a very good selling point for me in the first production block)

like “oh we just offer them more quintessence and they’ll listen to me” seems like a really bad justification for......... anything......... and idk if they even needed that plotline, i feel like lotor wanting to create an “inclusive/fair empire” is a pretty interesting oxymoron without the weird altean magic stuff. that haggar also unlocked. somehow. i wasn’t very invested in it i suppose; it failed to sort of convince me at any point of being true to the setting, which was a real strength of the first season.

-> i remember being miffed at the lack of shiro/lotor interactions (i mean, the lack of interactions sort of gave it away that this shiro was not worth investing into, especially since it was so telegraphed that druidlady was controlling him, but i was annoyed at the time) because i dunno, real!shiro and lotor could have built up an understanding re: being forced by zarcon to do bad stuff. generally the shiro clone plot is very meh, i feel it would have been better if a) the “real” shiro was actually taken to be some sort of trojan or he’s dead and the clone has to reckon with what it means and be an actual character or b) shiro’s spirit guided them and he was a mentor figure the entire way through, only getting back into a body at some point or another.

generally the entire clone plotline was just kind of worse than most possible alternatives to it, including having both shiros be alive and kicking. as it is now shiro is basically the same as the one from the first production block and can’t have changed.

-> for a second, since most of my predictions panned out in some way, that shiro *was* actually going to be zarcon all along. that would have been wild. similarly a very funny alternate universe is one where the gang splits the comet, gives half of it to the evil alteans and half of it to the galra and simply lets them fight.

-> i liked that the characters went off and had lives/missions outside of voltron (or at least, pidge/keith) and had a few episodes dedicated to those. those, aside from the early “season 3″ episodes and the fun one-shot ones were very enjoyable breaks from the mostly incoherent main plot. i had fun watching them instead of being like “hmm. so this is a Thing now” in the Main Story 

i really feel that ultra-dramatic storytelling is not these writers’ strong suit. which, fair, i mean, i’m not a writer, but i don’t think it’s a stretch to say that they’re a lot better with episodes with some implications as opposed to long, serialized, dramatic structures as a group. i think it might just be a matter of experience; most cartoons until the 2010s were very episodic, and longer stories just have more production/meddling complications which are non-trivial, whereas with episodes, if something doesn’t work... you can just dump it. but episode-episodes also don’t play well with streaming. just kind of an unfortunate media-landscape conundrum there.

(note that japanese animation for example, while it’s very serialized, most of the time has the benefit of having source material already laid out for it. really the equivalent of something like that are like, comic book shows i guess.)

-> animation is really stellar and action is very good. studio mir is great. they always stick the landing.

-> i guess i like that they tried to do something with the idea of “the evil emperor is dead/gone, now what?” which is kind of a difficult plot to write honestly, especially when the main cast are transformer-power-rangers, it’s not obvious how to make them relevant enough to have the focus on them. (and in classic fashion, i don’t really like making suggestions.)

-> lance is going to get with allura nooooooo. i was really invested in the idea that he defects because of a hot girl. instead he just gets jealous of lotor. the sad thing is i really think they could have been at least good friends (lance/allura). the scene where allura replicates trying to flirt with the blue lion is really funny, and lance bringing out everyone’s goofballness would have been a good variant on his general archetype. instead lance is mostly Annoying and gets a few disconnected Scenes. i can’t even really think of a good lance episode this season.

-> pidge baby though. she’s obviously flawed (esp with the prisoner exchange stuff like wth lady) and like. the main plot is dead to me at this point. but i really liked her side episodes. same with keith etc etc.

-> predictions for next season (if i get around to watching it):

-> 1. sendak (zendak?) invades earth. “YOU EARTHLINGS DEFEATED ME LIKE A CHUMP... LOOK WHO’S THE CHUMP NOW???” -> 2. allura and coran start a cow extermination policy -> 3. everyone gets sent to a mental institution and they have to break out -> 4. haggar does some quintessence bullshit and tries to revive lotor or whatever. zombie lotor is horribly mangled and rips a hole through reality again! -> 5. shiro binge-watches all the series he’s missed in the time he’s been dead. he likes kdramas or wuxia. not anime though. -> 6. ?????? lance becomes embroiled in cuban politics. just randomly. (he’s the one who likes anime.)

[pain-in-the-butler]

Hii!! I absolutely ADORE Coattails!!! Thank you so much for writing it!! I feel like you really understand the characters and the story in a way not many do, so I would really love to hear some of your headcannons about Ciel and Sebastian, maybe somethings you would have liked to write into the fic but just wouldn't have fit or made sense to the story^^^^ whether its individually or about their relationship, either would make me very happy!! Thanks again for creating something so precious and close to us. Have a nice weekend!!!

Well hi there, anon! Wow, thanks for all this enthusiasm, I'm super stoked you're into the story! I really appreciate all the hype!

Hmm, as for your questions, let me consider how to answer them... I already have a place for posting any Coattails drabbles, so if there's something I really want to write that won't otherwise work in the main story, you can count on it showing up there. But there have definitely been a few very short scenes over the years that I've cut or reworked as necessary! I'll compile what I can remember here:

Chapter 3: After Mey-Rin's backstory came out in the manga, I changed the scene where Sebastian asks her if she had ever hidden or lied after making a mistake as a kid. Initially, Mey-Rin had told Sebastian that she'd hidden after breaking an heirloom belonging to her father.

Chapters 10-17: The horse jockey plot actually changed a lot while it was being written. Initially, there was supposed to be a literal underground racetrack that Sebastian and Ciel would infiltrate, but during the two-year break between chapters 14 and 15, I decided that I didn't like it anymore and changed Hastings' ploy to be solely about developing the strength injection. I didn't originally plan for Sebastian to reveal he's a demon to Hastings either, but sometimes I just let my writing guide me and see what happens (that's most of the time, if I'm being honest).

Chapter 17: I played around with the idea of Ciel getting one of the strength injections and having to deal with its effects in the short term, but ultimately decided that Sebastian would be too attentive to allow this to happen. It wouldn't have added anything to the story either.

Chapter 26: I really wanted to include a scene where it's lightly implied that the person in the mascot costume at the Funtom event is Yana Toboso, since she's done that RL at the pop-up store, but the chapter already had waaay too much going on, so I nixed it.

Also, Sieglinde's existence is hinted at in chapters 26 and 27, and while she sadly won't make it into the main story of Coattails, I would love for her to meet Ciel and Sebastian in a post-story drabble!

If you were looking for more "deleted" scenes between Dadbastian and sonboy, usually when I come up with those they don't get removed because they're so central to the story. So, sorry I don't have much to provide! I usually do feel disappointed any time I have to do a time skip, because I imagine there must have been a sweet moment between those two during it that'll never be realized. I think small moments are just as important as the big ones, if not more so.

AH, but headcanons about Ciel and Sebastian, in terms of Coattails... Let me see... Well, I guess I'll share some of the things I keep in mind whenever I write the two of them!

Sebastian sometimes misses when things felt easier in their contract, but he doesn't want to go back to how it was before either

Sebastian's favorite thing lately is asking Ciel a question when he doesn't know how Ciel is going to answer it. He often has to restrain himself from being too overbearing

Sebastian's least favorite part of experiencing love is feeling like there's so much he has to worry about now (he doesn't know how to deal with all of his new worries yet)

Sebastian's favorite part of experiencing love is how different it is from anything he's known before. He really doesn't understand it at all yet but he's very curious about it

And now for Ciel headcanons:

Ciel feels that "current Sebastian" is easier to talk to, but doesn't yet trust him completely and isn't convinced that Sebastian's changes are for the better

Ciel hates everything about growing up because it means contending with the fact that he's not already an adult

Ciel talks with Sebastian more than Tanaka because he's afraid his emotions and his past would scare Tanaka

Ciel is pretty sure Sebastian knows he called him "father" one time but has vowed to never ever mention it (he'd rather not know)

Well, not all of them are happy, but I hope those HCs gave you something to consider while you wait for more story! I don't know when chapter 30 will be done yet, but when it is, you'll know! Thanks again for all your interest in Coattails! This was fun to write 😊

[lxmelle]

Do you think that Gojo will return some day? Since we have Geto's family members back in the latest chapters, we have a litttttle chance to get Geto back. So, based on SatoSugu connection, maybe Gojo will be back too...(I know it's kinda stupid and naive, but anyway i still hope).But... to be honest, i have mixed feelings about that. I mean, on the one side i feel like Gojo's story is over. He died on a dramatic note, in such a worthy way for the strongest jujutsu sorcerer. That's why he will be remembered forever. But on the other, i think that Gege made a unique and memorable character, but killed him really fast. I feel like Gojo's story left unsaid, unfinished. We lost him too early. I will miss him (i already do). But anyway, Gege doesn't like him, so 😔.

Hi!! My first ever question! 😃 Thank you for asking 🥰

I’ll do my best to offer an answer. Spoilers ahead!

To be honest, I feel like you’ve come to the echo similar sentiments to many of us in the fandom who love Gojo.

From an objective standpoint, the conclusion to his character arc made a lot of sense. He isn’t the main character, as popular as he is. Similar to your point, his dramatic end was through a good fight and it was fitting as the strongest in the modern era. He already exceeded all his ancestors in defeating Mahoraga and overcame his pride so some degree by discussing with others what they should do if he loses in the battle. He wasn’t perfect, but no character is in JJK. Gege did design him really well and he’s been sooo loved.

His immense strength that usually is associated with the main hero in fiction can be confusing, because why doesn’t the strong triumph over evil? Did he not deserve a better life / death?

Of course he did... 😔

But JJK isn’t that kind of story, I guess.

We get shown time and time again that death comes to the characters at different times. Loss can be unfair - loss of limbs, binding vows, etc. and I guess it’s just meant to mimic real life. The characters are fallible and make decisions or judgements that may not work out or are incorrect. They, like people in real life, have flaws and don’t have the power of foresight. They can be wrong.

It’s uncomfortable reading sometimes, isn’t it? Especially when we get attached to some of them. This is also what I remind myself when I feel overwhelmed by the loss of so many other characters who just had so much potential that never got realised. When powerscalers diss Geto it gets my back up too - because it just doesn’t feel fair that his potential was capped by the timing of when jjk 0 was written before domain expansions were created, and we never got to see how powerful he could’ve been - oftentimes people say it was Kenjaku who used Geto’s body better. Idk if it’s true, but I can imagine it does because of his life experience.

I don’t think you’re naive for having that hope at all. I have similar wishes and hopes - I’d love for Geto and Gojo to relive some kind of a life together - teacher AU or something. I hope with all of my satosugu soul that they’re reunited and it wasn’t some death fantasy in Gojo’s head 😭

As for being revived, I don’t know if Gege will throw some kind of curveball, but if the jujutsu world crushed Geto’s soul so much, and if Gojo was happy to just be with Geto and leave the rest to the next generation, then I’m happy for them to remain dead. Sorry if this isn’t what you wanted to hear 😢 I just don’t know how happy they’d be knowing so many have died to Sukuna and what their purpose would be in the new world.

This is perhaps why there are so many in the jjk fandom who are creating art and fiction, discussing metas and proposing theories. We just love the characters and sometimes there isn’t space for everyone’s story to develop to its full potential. Gege himself doesn’t like spoonfeeding information, apparently, preferring to leave things (frustratingly) vague at times to allow for reader interpretation or prompt research.

Love it or hate it, Gege writes really cleverly in my honest opinion - the amount of foreshadowing even from earlier on is something I marvel at. How he weaves in real-life themes (like the idolising of “popular idols” or “unfairness” and “politics”) alongside mythical / religious themes - is really incredible. As for Gojo, I think his strength was a challenge for Gege to write about as well, hence his sealing in prison realm.

That lends itself to why I personally feel Gege didn’t hate Gojo, but maybe found him difficult to handle to progress with the story due to how overpowered he was. We often dislike in others what we dislike in ourselves, so maybe that’s gege because apparently he’s similar to Gojo 🤣

But yes, I hope that I managed to offer something to your question, @vacuum2314 ! Thanks for submitting a question to me to answer! <3

[notwantedonthemoon]

THE HANNAH RAMBLE

This rapidly spirals into me plotting fanfiction. PRELUDE:

Gotta be honest. Hannah completely blindsided me. Her character did not go the direction that I thought it was going to go.

When I was studying Not Wanted on the Voyage in class, she was given a super impressive introduction: “the most intelligent character in the cast” (which I will respectfully disagree with. I think it’s Crowe, because my love for that bird is immense and unending) and her scenes in book one were stellar. I am most fond of book one Hannah. She had poise and ambition, she was menacing and mysterious. I liked that! I liked that a lot! I think she has a future in politics or perhaps as an extremely cutthroat lawyer. Unfortunately her talents keep being wasted in middle management at Applebee’s (the Upper Decks).

I was envisioning her throwing a coup and taking Dr. Noyes’ place as the main antagonist of the book. I feel like she had potential to be an even more terrifying villain than Dr. Noyes because she’d not only be cruel and ruthless like him, but she’d be smart, too. Noah was kind of an idiot. 

The message that I was expecting from Hannah's coup is a commentary on how systemic issues by getting rid of the bad people in power; the entire structure that they were functioning under needs to be overhauled. I was expecting a story in which Noah was killed off and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the root of evil was done with… only to discover that Noah was never the root of the evil in the first place, but rather, a product of it. His ideas are infectious; they didn’t start with him and they certainly won’t die with him. 

And now that he's dead, there are some people who are very interested in continuing his legacy. 

The environment that these characters were raised in is very, very flawed and we see a lot of what the culture expects from people very early on: formalities and borders are encouraged, power imbalances are essential for the structure of this society, obedience to one’s superiors is equivalent to love, differences should be eliminated, and questioning your superiors is dangerous and insulting. Noah is terrible and has committed so many atrocities that he should definitely be held accountable for, but I refuse to believe that there is anything inherently evil about him. I refuse to discount a character like him as ‘just a bad apple’ because people are products of their environment and these guys are living in a world that has a tendency to produce tyrants. You can’t say someone is ‘just a bad apple’ and ignore the same rotting barrel that all of them are showing up in and Not Wanted on the Voyage is very good at showing how all its characters are impacted by their environment

I think a lot of Noah’s strength as a character lies in his simplicity. I vaguely remember read an academic article somewhere that describes him as more like a force of nature or a strawman than an actual person, and I disagree. I think that he is painfully human. He doesn’t want to take any responsibility for his actions, because he doesn’t want to be the villain (no one does!) and he always has to be the victim. He throws his authority around and mistreats everyone around him because it feels good to be powerful and to get what you want. He’s so human and that makes him scarier because he’s the type of villain that you could realistically become by giving into your worst impulses.

I suppose that's why Mottyl was so tentative in calling him evil.

What I’m saying is: if it wasn’t Noah, it would have been someone else. Someone like him is inevitable (but so too are the people who stand up to him).

This world has a tendency to create tyrants and Hannah has been primed to be Noah’s replacement. Even the victim in a harmful system can internalize its values and they can end up becoming the perpetrator. We do see that with Hannah in the book (her treatment of Emma, for example), but on a much smaller scale than what I was expecting. 

But what exactly was I expecting?

THE PART WHERE I RAPIDLY SPIRAL INTO PLANNING FANFICTION:

I was expecting Noah to die somehow (don't think too hard about how, because I sure didn't), leaving behind a power vacuum that multiple candidates would be vying to fill aboard the ark.

There’d be Noah’s sons: Shem, who’s the oldest and should be expected to replace his father… actually who am I kidding, he’s not going to be involved in this. 

There’d be Japeth, who, at the core of his character, is scared; he learned, abruptly and in one of the most traumatizing ways possible, that powerful people can do whatever they want to you; but you know who never had to beg for his life and bend and bargain around the whims of stronger people? His father. If Japeth inherited that kind of power, he’d never have to be scared and powerless again. 

And then there’s Lucy; yes, she wants a better world for herself and her loved ones. Yes, she has good intentions and has always done what she thinks is right, but Lucy grew up in the trigger happy, might-makes-right culture of Heaven that produced her battle-obsessed brother. We already know that Lucy has a ruthless streak:

So I want to see how far she’d be willing to go to achieve her goals. I think Lucy should commit some murders, actually. I cannot believe that her kill count during the book is a solid zero.

Friendly reminder that Lucy is basically a disgraced war general from Heaven. She has canonically led armies. So why on earth is her kill count the same as Ham’s????

Is my frustration, perhaps, anything like what Lady Macbeth felt when she was trying to get her husband to commit regicide. Actually what I said about Lucy applies to Lady Macbeth too, I want Lady Macbeth to commit a murder or two.

And finally there's Hannah, who’s ambitious and clinical and calculating and wants to carry on Noah’s legacy not out of love or loyalty to him, but because she wants the respect she’s owed. She wants to have her words spoken and heard and appreciated, she wants to be Yaweh’s new prophet, she wants the security and prestige of Noah’s position. 

We'd be viewing this disaster of a succession crisis through Mrs Noyes and Mottyl's increasingly distressed narration.

Can I just say, though: Mottyl would make a fantastic diplomat. She’s comfortable talking with both humans and animals, she’s very frank but very considerate at the same time, and her greatest strength is making allies by being friendly and dependable. 

‘LOCAL NEWS. Exhausted 97-year-old mother of six desperately drafts peace treaty: more at nine. Also she’s a cat.’

I think it's clear you're screwed when all your hopes are riding on the negotiation skills of a 20-year-old cat.

Anyways, this entire plot was inspired by this song:

[disclosed-spire]

"I spent quite a while writing this, so if you'd want to see more of other characters, be sure to let me know!"

I have been gathering up the courage to send this ask, so I am just gonna guess you want the asks to be sent here.

Can you please tell us about your Gourmand headcanons?

Yeah Ofc! I love Gourmand as they're just absolutely great, especially since my pal gourmy is the first campaign of downpour when it was released. I enjoyed their campaign a lot, and had a blast towards the end of their campaign. Seriously, I wish I could get a hug from them because I KNOW they give amazing hugs!

Time for everyone's favorite family oriented orange slugcat! And as everyone knows, this is my own hcs about them and, and definitely some Gourmand spoilers. Please don't be offended at any of this, as these are my own personal beliefs!

If anybody wants to see more of my opinions on the characters, be sure to ask me! I'm welcome to answering questions about my thoughts and HC's, as well as discussing and hearing others POV's!

ANYWAYS! GOURMAND SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!

Design Choices

My design for Gourmand isn't very flashy or anything, but to be honest, I feel it suits them and their personality! It's very close to the original, but has my own little flair and sparkle to it to make our pal Gourmand stand out a bit!

I decided to give them just oranges for a pallet, with their nose being the darkest, which is a dark orange. I usually shift blacks and such for cannon designs to another color of the design but a lot darker to keep the colors overall the same, but just a little easier to look at (in most cases).

I made the tips of Gourmand's limbs, including their tail, dewlap, and ears, a darker orange as I took a bit of inspiration from cat breeds in real life, with my own cat being the main inspiration. This makes Gourmand stand out a bit more, and makes it easier for me to make art of them, as their limbs mark where my own wacky anatomy should be.

Personality

My version of Gourmand has a tough exterior as they need to keep a strong stance towards the hardships of the world around them. Despite this, Gourmand also shows a lot of love, compassion, and sympathy for the world around them at the right moments of course! Gourmand doesn't view the world as only black and white, instead, more of everything being in a morally grey area. Gourmand believes there's a reason for everything, and if possible, they try to go to the more pacifist side of things to keep peace.

Speaking of this, the reason Gourmand is like this is because they believe this deep in their heart, but also because they want to provide their colony with a good example. Gourmand wants to show their colony that while the world is extremely dangerous and that they need to take caution, but also that they can also show compassion even in the scariest of situations.

Other than setting an example, Gourmand loves telling tales of adventures, history, and places they've been, as it always makes others happy, and especially gets the slugpups super excited. Sometimes these stories are made up, but Gormand always lets the listeners know beforehand to clear any misconceptions.

Gourmand is a great parent to all, and generally kind to everyone unless their friends, family, slugpup, or colony is in trouble. While Gourmand is kind, they are a force not to be reckoned with, as they are strong both in personality, and physical strength, and those they care about fuel their determination to continue on.

Powers

Gourmand's powers are a bit of a weird one to me! Being able to create something from your stomach isn't something I've seen before, nor do I have a naturally logical way to explain how this would work (Enot was different as they didn't need to have logic applied to them bc cryptid slugcat), but I'll try my best to explain how this works in a rain world logic sense (hopefully). It's a bit complicated, but here's my best shot!

The best way I could possibly explain slugcat powers is that their body developed some kind of mutation, something with radiation (highly unlikely), or something with being a descendant of a purposed organism/modified slugcat. This is where I believe slugcats get their powers from, as this is the best explanation I have for such unnatural abilities. In Gourmand's case, this happened with their stomach!

My best logic to how Gourmand's stomach creation works is that Gourmand needed to have swallowed the created item in their life at any moment for them to make it in their stomach again. Since Gourmand takes a food pip when they create an item in their stomach, this makes me believe that their body harvests the nutrients to make it, using the information of the dna/material/whatever made the item to re-create it in Gourmand's stomach to pull it out. This explains the randomized effect of what's pulled out of Gourmand's stomach.

As for the crafting mechanic, I wouldn't say that's a power. Gourmand could use their power to help combine items, but for the most part, I feel that it comes from a chemistry standpoint. It's still very useful and important! To me though, I don't think it's a power, even from a rain world logic POV.

Headcannons and Slugcat Colonies

This category is a bit different from the Enot post, and that's because I have my own thoughts about the cannon slugcats!

I personally like to think there's a big distance between Gourmand and Survivor/Monk's timeline placement as this makes the most sense in my head for what I'm gonna say, and it gives Gourmand the "Old and cool legendary ancestor" vibes!

Gourmand in my HC was the one that found the slugcat tree, and started a home there for the whole colony! If it weren't for Gourmand, then Monk and Survivor's campaigns wouldn't have happened. I want to give Gourmand that bc it makes them just the more special in my eyes!

The reason I believe this is because it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for Gourmand to already be there and then start searching for food, and then to get up and leave once food is found. If there's more food in an area, animals tend to stick around, and the slugcats aren't an exception from this. I believe that Gourmand searching was making sure that the area has plenty food, as the colony recently moved and was looking for another temporary home. Another thing to support this is the wall drawings, as I feel the colony would talk about Gourmand through generations.

Another one of my HC's is that Gourmand is the leader of the specific slugcat colony. A lot of people probably think this already, but I'd at least like to give my own take with my own spin on how a Slugcat colony works.

Gourmand is a leader in my eyes because of how useful they are to the colony, and how strong they are. Animals usually prove dominance in size and strength, which Gourmand definitely has (My Gourmand is a big lovable fella)! But since this is also fiction, I added more to this. Slugcats usually choose their leaders based on a few qualities, which are:

Size: Gourmand is big yes, which gives them the upper hand at intimidating possible threats! Slugcats view Gourmand as very important due to this factor, as any predators that would try to harm a slugpup would have to face the intimidation of an angry Gourmand. This is why Gourmand fits here!

Strength: Gourmand DEFINITELY has some big strength to them, bro does 3 damage when not tired! This is viable to a slugcat colony as this shows that they can rely on their leader in even the most difficult of situations. That, and also they are capable of defending the young! Slugcats view this as one of the most important features in a leader, so this is why Gourmand is super important in this category.

Intelligence and Powers: Gourmand definitely checks out here! Their powers and their intelligence combine together, making them VERY useful to the colony. Gourmand can use their powers to help get their colony out of a tight bind, to entertain, and to direct. Slugcats can always count on Gourmand if stuck, which is why Gourmand fits!

Compassion: My Gourmand DEFINITELY fits here! Gourmand is super caring and great with kids, kind to everyone that they can be, uses their powers to help others, uses their intelligence to lead, and does everything in their ability to make sure their colony is safe. Why Gourmand left to look for food is because they wanted to make sure their colony would live and thrive. They'd do anything for their colony, and care for them dearly! This is probably the most important rule of a leader to them, as slugcats are usually social creatures, and rely on companionship to thrive.

If a slugcat leader doesn't fit most of these, and/or possibly abuses their leadership, the colony will choose another leader, and in VERY extreme cases, the leader will be thrown out of the colony (Totally doesn't have something like this with another character).

Relationships

Iterators

Gourmand is overall friendly towards all of the iterators, as Gourmand gets the feeling that the world has been unkind to them, given their situation. Gourmand knows that being stuck inside a box isn't the best, especially if they cannot leave, and can only view the world from small holograms. Gourmand feels bad about their situation, so they come to visit the iterators to help keep them company, and to tell the iterators stories they'd be interested in.

Gourmand does have a lot of respect for them, as they know that the iterators have a lot of power, but have to be careful with their given situation. Gourmand views the iterators as fairly important, and that alone makes one of the reasons Gourmand respect them.

Slugcat Family + Monk and Survivor

Gourmand is their ancestor, so Gourmand is related to them. Despite this, Gourmand has a HUGE amount of respect for the slugcat family. This is because even though they had two kids they lost, they decided to stay strong, and to dive in after their family, which Gourmand finds to be very admirable. Gourmand would do anything to make sure they're safe.

For Monk and Survivor, Gourmand has a huge amount of respect for them both! Gourmand finds it admirable that they stayed strong in a world so dangerous, able to take caution, and able to use the tricks they've passed on through the colony. Despite this, Gourmand also feels sadness for them as they know it was an extremely rough situation on slugcats so young. They'd do anything to make sure that Monk and Survivor don't get separated from their family again.

Nightcat and Inv/Enot

Gourmand is friendly towards them both! Although Gourmand tends to dislike Enot's flirting, they still think of them both as friends. Gourmand does find them a bit mysterious as they both seemed to appear out of nowhere, and with the strangest first interactions as well. As far as Gourmand knows, Enot and Nightcat don't know their parents, and don't have any family nearby. Regardless of this, Gourmand took them both into their colony, and loves talking to them.

Hunter and Artificer

Gourmand is best friends with Artificer and Hunter, and values hunting with them! The three are nearly inseparable, and value each other's company, as well as talking about the colony. Slowly overtime though, Gourmand began to have a crush on the two, and seeing the two in a relationship was nice, but they wanted to confess their feelings to both of them. Eventually Gourmand does, and the three end up in a poly relationship! They're quite happy together :D

Regardless of this, Gourmand has respect for Hunter as they went to save Moon despite them being sickly. Gourmand has since then been finding ways to help Hunter, and with Sig's help, they're lessening the effects that the rot had on Hunters body. Through all this, Gourmand sees Hunter as a fearless and stoic warrior, and loves how kind they can be despite this.

Artificer is a bit of a different story, as Arti had some bad experiences with the colony, and Gourmand doesn't agree with Artificers genocidal ways. Gourmand was a bit on edge of first meeting them, but it grew to fondness as Gourmand realized that Arti is trying to correct their wrongs, and make up for what they've done in the past, with one of those being to apologize to their colony. Upon finding out about Arti's situation, they've grown closer to Artificer, and letting Arti interact with the colony as a way to help heal from the past. Gourmand is a firm believer that Artificer can heal, and they choose to stick by Arti every step of the way.

Spearmaster, Rivulet, and Saint

Gourmand isn't super close to Spearmaster, Rivulet, or Saint, but enjoys their company! Gourmand knows they mean no harm intentionally, but also respects Rivulet and Spearmaster quite a bit for helping the iterators. Saint is a bit more distant, and from what Gourmand knows, Saint has a bit of a complicated past. Gourmand isn't going to push it, but they'll always be there if Saint needs someone to talk to. Gourmand is always welcome to them joining their colony, and is on quite good terms with the three.

[cinderella-ish]

Fruits Basket Personality Types Part 5: Kyo Sohma

Gosh, Kyo is such a wonderful character, isn't he? Seeing him find happiness in the end was genuinely healing for me.

Kyo Sohma's Enneagram

Wound: Oof. Where to start? Kyo's father was shown to be verbally abusive and is strongly implied to be physically abusive. His mother kept him hidden away, and Kyo felt like she didn't accept all of him. He was called a monster from the time he was born, and then he was blamed for his mother's death.

Wounding message: You will only ever hurt the ones you love.

Core desire: For his loved ones to be safe

Core fear: Hurting the people he loves

Defense mechanism: hypervigilance, projecting blame onto others, pushing people away

Strengths: resilience, sensitive to others' needs and feelings, hard worker, loyal, diligent, responsible, loving, warm

Challenges: self-defeating, extremely low opinion of self, resigned, judgmental, hypervigilant

When healthy: kind, warm, relaxed

When unhealthy: aggressive, competitive, out of touch with feelings

Here's what connects when I go back to the Enneagram post:

Wound: could be 1, 6, or 8

Wounding message: 6, maybe 5

Core desire: 6

Core fear: 1, 2, 6, or 9

Defense mechanism: 6 or 8

Strengths: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8

Challenges: 5, 6, or 8

When healthy: 1, 3, 6, or 8

When unhealthy: 2, 6, 7, 8, or 9

I've written before that I see Kyo as an 8, but I was wrong! Kyo is clearly an Enneagram 6.

Sixes are a bit unique in that they have two different ways they show up: Phobic and Counter-Phobic. From Truity:

Phobic Sixes deliberately move away from the source(s) of fear, and tend to fly under the radar. They’re open and expressive about their vulnerabilities and weaknesses, so others can understand their situation and line of thought. This is their prime defense mechanism to avoid being manipulated. Counter-Phobic Sixes, on the other hand, possess a high-strung, irrational fear of fear itself — which may paradoxically translate to rule-breaking. They try to keep up an image of independence on the surface: a tough exterior to shield their persistent internal uncertainty.

Kyo is clearly Counter-Phobic, putting on a tough front to mask how scared he really is.

This excerpt, also from Truity, is such a good description of Kyo, I'm just going to include it in full:

As a child, the Six may have grown up in an unsafe environment, had overprotective guardians, or experienced a traumatic event that shaped their worldview. This type sees the world as a place of danger — anything or anyone outside of the Six’s circle of trust is a potential threat. Sixes are extremely logical types. They are constantly strategizing and planning for future events and how to protect themselves and their loved ones from harm. When you think of the stereotypical “survivalist,” you are likely imagining someone with several Enneagram Six characteristics. The Enneagram Six is part of the “head-based” triad, along with Type Five and Type Seven. Each of these types deal with fear as a core emotion, but no type tackles fear as head-on as the Six does. A healthy Six is a person you want to have on your side — they are loyal, trustworthy, honest, and protective. When less healthy, the Six can get in the habit of fear-based decision-making and creating self-fulfilling prophecies.

I wrote a bit in my series on Kyo's relationship with Momiji that Kyo's main focus from the beginning is on protecting Tohru, and he's often scolding her when she's in situations that put her at risk of harm.

It's typical of Kyo to get stuck in his head and become self-defeating. When I think of the "self-fulfilling prophecies," I think of his reactions in the True Form arc, or when Tohru confessed her love to him.

Sixes are in the Head center, and they tend to overexpress fear. This shows up for Kyo not only in his hypervigilance and attentiveness to Tohru's safety, but even in the way he's easily startled. Those moments are quite funny in the series, but it's kind of sad knowing the root of his jumpiness.

Wing

Sixes will tend to lean more towards some aspects of Fives or Sevens.

The Enneagram Institute refers to 6w5s as "The Defender," and 6w7s as "The Buddy." "The Defender" sounds more like Kyo to me.

EnneaApp describes 6w5 like this:

Seeks security by investing in strong beliefs and aligning with a group.

More inclined to delve deeply into a hobby or specific area of interest.

Can be aggressive for a cause; strong focus on fairness and loyalty

Skeptical; reactive to sources of authority that seems unjust or unfair

More introverted than 6w7; serious; very focused and self-controlled

This is such a good description of Kyo!

Subtype

Since Kyo tends to be more focused on 1:1 connections (particularly his connection with Tohru), I think he's a SE or SX 6. Here's what Enneagram Explained has to say about SX 6:

SX 6s are the Countertype of type 6 as they react in an opposite way with their vice (fear), this is the subtype that is usually referred to as a “counterphobic 6” They may even be unaware of their fear as they tend to take on a “the best defense is a good offense” mentality.

They go on to say that SX 6s can sometimes be mistaken for type 8s.

Tritype

Kyo's Tritype probably includes both 6 and 8, and his Heart type is probably either 2 or 3. After reading the descriptions of those types on Katherine Fauvre's website, I think Kyo fits 3-6-8 (the "Justice Fighter") the best:

If you are a 368, you are ambitious, inquisitive, and protective. You want to be accomplished, loyal, and straightforward. Verbally adept and a good reader of people and situations, you have the ability to identify unjust authority, rebel against tyranny, and verbally spar against it. You seek people and situations that share your values and work hard to achieve your goals. You want to get along with others but can struggle with being too direct and outspoken.

Kyo Sohma's MBTI

I already wrote a bit about how I see Kyo as ESFJ in my MBTI overview post, but here's a breakdown of why:

E vs. I: I think Kyo falls near the middle of these, but he tends to focus on the external world and on other people, so I'd lean toward Extroverted.

S vs. N: I see Kyo as strongly Sensing.

T vs. F: I see Kyo near the middle of these two again, but with a tendency toward Feeling.

J vs. P: I see Kyo as strongly Judging.

Type Dynamics: Here's how I explained Kyo's Type Dynamics in the MBTI post:

Fe- Kyo wears his heart on his sleeve and is highly attuned to the needs of others.

Si - Kyo prefers routine and predictability. He remembers details about the past which inform his understanding of the present.

Ne - since Kyo is still young, this process is probably not very developed for him, but he may tend to brainstorm aloud. He sees possibilities in the outside world and shares the connections he makes with others.

Ti - this process is probably more developed for Kyo than in most teens, since he's experienced so much trauma. Kyo possesses a strong internal framework and can sometimes make harsh judgments, especially about himself.

There are examples of each of these in canon, even Ne. Things like when he suddenly suggested pancakes at the beach house, or how he talked through his thoughts on the future with Kazuma might be examples of how he brainstorms aloud and shares the possibilities he sees in the outside world with others.

Here's the description for ESFJ:

ESFJ: Warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative. Want harmony in their environment, work with determination to establish it. Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time. Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others need in their day-to-day lives and try to provide it. Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute.

Wow, that fits him perfectly!

So, to summarize:

Enneagram: SE CP 6w5 (The Loyalist/The Defender)

Tritype: 3-6-8 (The Justice Fighter)

MBTI: ESFJ (The Provider)

What do you think? Did I get it right or wrong? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Next up: Yuki!

Fruits Basket Personality Types Series: Enneagram | MBTI | Tohru | Akito | Yuki | Haru | Kisa | Momiji | Hatori | Ayame | Rin | Hiro | Ritsu | Kureno | Shigure | Kagura | Kazuma | Saki | Arisa | Machi | Kakeru | The Hondas | Kaibara Students

[ecargmura]

Solo Leveling Episode 12 + Final Thoughts - Birth Of The Shadow Monarch

It seems that this job-changing quest seems to be a set-up created by the system to change Jinwoo’s class into something they want him to have. The illusion of choice lingers heavily in the system as no matter what Jinwoo rejects, the system will still force him to do whatever it wants him to do. I feel like the System itself is the major villain; if not, maybe it’ll be the final boss?

The System obviously wants him alive, hence why the penalty quest saved his ass. The four hours of being in there allows him to recover and heal his wounds. I do feel like this was intentional. After getting a new weapon, one that can strike down armored foes effectively, Jinwoo does manage to defeat the knights after realizing that he needs to focus on the mages who are summoning them and not the actual knights.

I think the scene where the old Jinwoo was looming upon him was his feelings of self-doubt and insecurity. I also feel like the system did that intentionally—I am on the train of thinking the System was the villain all along, like how Kyubey was in Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

I think out of the fight scenes, the battle with him and the last-minute golem was the best. Since I like RPGS, I have a kick at fighting extremely large enemies as a measly human. I think that was the vibes that this fight wanted too. I just like seeing Jinwoo being strategic and resourceful by using whatever he can, whether it be chandeliers or just strength.

The scene where he becomes the Shadow Monarch was amazing, honestly. The way he gains the ability to summon shadows of fallen monsters with some drawbacks, but the way Igris resurrects and they all bow down to him was so cool. The way he says ‘Arise’ was nice too.

A second season has been announced, which is obvious with the way the Jeju Island Arc has been teased. Imagine ending the show with the monster ant segment and the fate of all those Hunters are left unknown. That’d be a huge waste. Also, I do hope that Jinwoo remembers Jinah’s guardian-teacher meeting. Also, I will be tuning in for the second season as I do want to know what happens next.

Final Thoughts

I normally don’t watch shows like Solo Leveling, but it was an exception. Since many anitubers raved about it and how it’s so popular in Korea, I decided to give it a try since Korean media is getting popular these days. To be honest, it’s a bit different from my initial expectations. While it is a power fantasy type of story, it is also a deconstruction of it. The main character doesn’t get isekaied by a truck and instantly becomes popular in a new world. Instead, he almost dies in a dungeon incident and now sees hologram screens that are controlling him.

I think the nice thing about Solo Leveling is that Jinwoo’s not exactly a loser? Like, usually these types of power fantasy stories have the MC be extreme losers in life, but Jinwoo seems to be civil with people and Joohee seems to like him because he was a nice guy. The fact that Jinwoo being a 24-year-old adult also makes it interesting because he is a rather responsible adult from trying to work hard to provide for his family to not using his authority as an adult to harass anyone younger. A majority of the characters are also adults too, so they all behave like adults that know how the world works or adults still trying to figure themselves out. He doesn’t seem out of place for a typical power-fantasy story and behaves like an adult too. I’m glad that he isn’t written out to be a teenager because it would’ve gotten a bit annoying if he had been one.

I’m actually surprised that a story like this doesn’t have as many characters as I would have expected a show like this to have. Usually, stories like this usually would introduce an influx of characters that nobody would remember after an hour, but Solo Leveling does a good job having a good balance of ‘characters no one cares about’ and ‘characters people care about’. I think that having the story reuse characters that appear in the beginning was a nice touch too. I didn’t expect to see Joohee or Chiyul again, but they did show up in another mission. Kang Taeshik, a supposedly background character, also has a role too. I think that the writing of these kinds of characters show that the writer knows what they are doing in building up significance.

The animation was one of the three best things about this show. The way A-1 decided that they wanted their reputation as a good animation studio back came with good results. The way they animated so many battle scenes was easily amazing. I especially loved Jinwoo’s fight with Taeshik and with Igris. The animation went hard there.

The music was great too! Courtesy of Hiroyuki Sawano, the music was great. Definitely ear-worm quality. I quite liked the somber song that was played in Episode 6 where Jinwoo decided to murder Hwang Dongseok’s group.

The voice acting was really good! While I mainly listened to the Japanese dub since it was the fastest to come out, I do commend the good voice acting. Taito Ban as Sung Jinwoo was really great! The transition in his tone from gentle and soft in the beginning to deeper and stern after episode 4 was really nice to hear. I do like that he’s not obnoxiously loud like some Shounen anime MCs tend to be; maybe it’s because he’s an adult. I do hope Ban gets a lot more roles in the future because his voice is nice to listen to! The voice cast for the other characters are great too. I think other than Jinwoo, the other stand out for me was Kouki Uchiyama as Kang Taeshik as Uchiyama shines with villain roles.

The English and Korean dubs are great too! I totally recommend you listen to them! I do commend the English dub for pronouncing the characters name the ‘correct’ Korean way and not how an American would pronounce them. Jinwoo’s name is pronounced as ‘Jinu’ (G-Nu) and not ‘Jin-woo’ with the emphasis on the “w”—the W is actually silent. I would know because I can speak the language. Also, the Solo Leveling English cast has two Korean people (Sung-won Cho as Woo Jinchul and Alan Lee as Kang Taeshik) so I found that cool. Aleks Le, who’s not Korean, does a great job voicing Jinwoo! I’ve been seeing his name everywhere recently and I hope it keeps up! Get that dough! The Korean dub was really good too! I think it’s super underrated! Please give it a listen! Jinwoo’s Korean voice actor is Min Seung-woo and he has a really nice voice as he is the Korean VA of the Wanderer from Genshin Impact.

There are rumors that Solo Leveling has been licensed for six seasons. Fans must be really happen to know. I heard that a lot of fans are happy with the adaptation for this story and some say it’s better than the original manhwa webtoon. I honestly can’t wait to see what the following seasons has in store. If you have watched this anime or have read the webtoon, what are your thoughts on it? I’ll see you guys when Season 2 airs!

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 28

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “Sometimes there are no happy endings.” Number 28 is…Growing Pains.

BEHOLD! THE MOST DEPRESSING EPISODE IN THE ENTIRE FRIGGIN’ SHOW! “Growing Pains” is an episode I have SUCH a love/hate relationship with, which is why it gets such low marks. On the one hand, it’s a really great story; easily one of the darkest – as well as one of the most bizarre – in the entire series. It’s one of a couple episodes on this list that I would almost say reminds me of something out of “The Twilight Zone,” which is hardly a bad comparison. But on the other hand…DAMN, this one is just a hard one to SIT through, to be honest, especially by the time it reaches its climax. The story focuses on Tim Drake, the second Robin, as the main character. Robin runs across a young girl with amnesia, called “Annie.” The young lady is being pursued by a mysterious man, with superhuman strength and a seeming invulnerability to pain, who claims to be her Father. Robin goes on an adventure to help Annie recover her memories, and escape her Father. Now, all this already sounds like it could be a fine combo of “feels” – with the idea of helping a girl escape an abusive parent figure, and Robin and Annie forming a friendship over the story – but things take a turn for the utterly gut-wrenching when it’s revealed who Annie and her Father are. I can’t really continue talking about this episode without revealing that, so – SPOILER ALERT – Annie’s Father is revealed to be Clayface. It’s explained that, after the events of the episode “Mudslide” (which I referred to in the Honorable Mentions), Clayface used a small portion of his own clay form to create a special “scout” to run reconnaissance in Gotham while he pulled himself together. Over time, however, the clay scout formed their own sense of consciousness, and this was how “Annie” was born. Clayface wants to re-absorb Annie into himself, which will effectively kill her, erasing her from existence, since he won’t be able to bring her back the same way again. Tragically, that is exactly what happens: although she doesn’t want it, Annie sacrifices herself to save Robin by hurling herself in Clayface’s path, and is thus re-absorbed by the monster. This is the point where the episode goes from just dark and complex to really, REALLY freaking painful. Seeing this little girl struggle for so long, being so scared, trying to find out who she is and where she could go…only to end up simply being effectively eradicated from existence itself? That is sad and horrifying, at the same time. It’s no wonder Robin goes berserk and nearly kills Clayface in a fit of rage afterwards. This is by far the villain’s single most despicable outing, and it’s one of the most anguishing episodes of the show. Others can be sad or scary, but something about “Growing Pains” hits in a very different, much more disturbing area. It's for this reason that I can’t give “Growing Pains” higher credit. While it is a truly great story, and one of the most ambitiously agonizing the series ever attempted, one could argue it does its job TOO well. Out of all the episodes I revisited in order to create this countdown, “Growing Pains” was the one I wanted to watch the LEAST, and it still hits as hard now as it did when I first saw it growing up. But, to be fair…the entire point of the episode WAS to be a tragic tale of darkness and bitterness, and that is exactly what it achieves, and it does so in a way that does manage to be both interesting and memorable. So while I can’t rank it too highly, simply because on a list of “favorites” something that physically hurts to view CAN’T rank too highly, it has more than earned enough applause to gain entry into the main countdown.

Tomorrow we move on to Number 27! And thankfully, it’s at least a LITTLE more upbeat. Hint: “Live from Gotham City! The show that nobody wants to see, but everyone will watch!”

[depressedhatakekakashi]

I just hate the whole Vs thing because these fanboys will always annoy me because they forget that power isn't the only thing that matters. I love minato him, and kakashi are my favorites, but being honest, kakashi would beat minato. Yes, Minato was powerful, but he died young, so we don't know what could've been. Not to mention, kakashi made minato take him seriously when he was still kid now as an adult without the sharingan he would beat minato no questions asked. People who do vs battle will always downplay the other character to prop up their fav. I also feel that kishimoto sucks at keeping powers scaling consistent throughout naruto

THANK YOU.

In a world of Shinobi with varying skill I'm so sick of people only thinking about power scale. Ya, against literal gods characters like Naruto and Sasuke with their broken ass skills are needed

but in a world of normal humans, it's not just about power scales. Kakashi is a tactical genius. Minato is recognized as a genius, but like Orochimaru and Tobirama there's nothing stated about him being a TACTICAL genius.

Orochimaru is a genius in a scientific sense

Tobirama is a genius in a jutsu sense, creating countless new jutsu's.

Minato is also a prety big jutsu genius and i think had he survived he'd be a lot like Tobirama. I mean in his short 24 years he created the rasangan AND improved Tobirama's move. Clearly Jutsu's were his thing.

Kakashi's a tactical genius though. He's the guy who can change plans at the drop of a dime and adjust to the fight as he goes. we see this in action multipole times (living longer than he honestly should have against pein, his fight against Kakazu) and we even have it spoken of (Yamato mentioning how Kakashi would always change the mission last minute during their anbu days, likely because he realized things were not as he expected and changing the mission plan in the moment so they succeded)

In a fight, Kakashi trounces Minato.

He also managed to steal a bell from Minato and we KNOW Minato has no problems using his teleporting jutsu against his students (we see him teleport to Kakashi during one of their training sessions) so Kakashi was clearly catching on how to counteract his main skill. Minato is feared because he can telport to the enemy and take them out before they can blink and a lot of Kakashi's attacks counter this (purple lighting is PERFECT for it as are electric clones)

I think Minato could have adjusted and found a different way to come at Kakashi in a fight, but Kakashi would adjust to that too. That's his main skill.

And that's not even touching on Kakashi's overall skills. We don't know Minato's stats so i can't compare, but Kakashi has nothing below 'good' (3/5) in his stats. and only one of his stats is only at 3/5 (stamina which...fair considering the sharingan literally drains his stamina)

Kakashi is the perfect all around shinobi. I see a lot of people say 'Jack of all trades master of none' for Kakashi but that's a lie.

Hand seals, ninjitsu, and intelligence are all 5/5. He has mastered all of the elements including Yin and Yang (the sharingan definitely helped but it doesn't master the elements or Itachi would have all of them as well. he does not and neither does Madara, Obito, or Sasuke).

His taijutsu is 4.5/5 (largely because of his rivalry with Gai but still)

His speed is 4.5/5 (again probably largely due to his rivalry with Gai)

Genjutsu is 4/5 (let's compare to an Uchiha. Sasuke is a 4.5/5 even with his Mangekyo which obviously gives him an upper hand in genjutsu. Kakashi is .5 under Sasuke's genjutsu skills which is damn impressive for a non uchiha)

his lowest stats are stamina (3/5) and strength (3.5/5)

That's a really powerful skill set that can be adjusted to almost any fight. Not to mention Kakashi's stealth is top tier (in Kakashi retsuden he took out 7/8 sleeping shinobi and the only reason the eighth woke up is that Kakashi got distracted and, get this, allowed a bit of fabric to rub against something. tHESE JONIN level shinobi were asleep but ready to react to FABRIC brushing up against something and Kakahsi took out 7/8 of them without alerting any of them. If you don't consider retsuden canon we have all of his Anbu career and the fact that he constantly sneaks up on people in canon because he knows how to hide his chakra and move slow and quiet. Skills Naruto (for example) doesn't have.

Kakashi is far from being the strongest in a world of broken powers

but among regular ass shinobi he is top tier, and Minato is a regular ass shinobi just like Kakashi (we don't count the kyubi chakra cloak because that wasn't HIS power. He didn't bond with Kurama, he got extended the power thanks to Naruto's work with Kurama)

[ddarker-dreams]

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

😅 What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

Lowkey wanna send you all of these asks, I'm interested to know it all 😭

[ask game]

HI HI thanks for sliding into my inbox <3 i figured i'd take this chance to thank you for all the blessed feedback you leave in the tags of my posts,, they're always such a highlight omg <33

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

for themes, i'd say isolation, existentialist dread, powerlessness, idolization, obsession and heightened emotions. when it comes to scenes, it's probably obvious to anyone who has read a few of my stories that i focus on the back and forth between the main characters. what they reveal with their words, what they imply, struggle to keep hidden, etc... feeding off each other and often showing the most unsightly sides of themselves. it's one of my favorite ways to create tension because as the reader, you (hopefully) wonder when the other might snap. where that invisible line in the sand is that shouldn't be crossed. and when that line is crossed, how it'll be dealt with accordingly.

as for imagery. well. i'm basic. i love figurative imagery a little too much, probably. i like how it can be open to interpretation, since when i'm reading and authors use this, it feels they trust their audience's intelligence if that makes sense ?? where not everything has to be spelled out. knowing that two people might read the same story and come away with different interpretations is a cool thought to me. the downside of this is that i'll sometimes wonder if i'm writing something too vague and it's coming off as pretentious... 😭

😅 What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?

oh god. everything from my BNHA era if i'm being honest. 2019-early 2020 is when i was getting back in the groove of writing after a long hiatus, so it was rough. i never proofread anything i published (whereas now i read stories multiple times before posting them). i'd just open up my laptop, tip tap away for an hour or two, then figure the story is finished. good enough. this story was the first i ever spent more than one day on. i remember being very pleased with how it came out, which led me to put in more effort from that point onward. what i wrote back then may have been unpolished, but i had fun while doing it, and that's what matters the most!

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

SWEATS ... my brain has gone blank... hmm..... i think that my greatest strength is bringing various characters to life. whether it's a super complicated plot or a simple back and forth, i focus most on capturing the essence of what makes the character, well, the character they are. i'll reread/rewatch scenes with them in it multiple times to try and get their speaking patterns and body language down. it's always an ongoing process though, like trimming a bonsai tree. how i write so and so today is different than how i did a year ago, even if it's in small ways. i enjoy this part of the process and think that i'm okay at it!!!!

[h0wdyrobin]

I want to try out writing some book reviews so here I go!

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

World Building: 4/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

“Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess's traitor brother.” - Goodreads

I’m sure it seems cheap to give a book a 5/5 rating, but I like to be liberal with my stars. This book is genuinely so amazing and I can’t recommend it enough (I’m going to keep this first part spoiler free, but I will go more in-depth later on, so beware if you have not read this book yet). Tasha Suri writes some of the most interesting and strong female characters that I have ever seen. Our two leads, Malini and Priya, are shown to be these very powerful and strong women who are also heavily flawed. I really appreciate the way she makes them flawed, everything about them feels natural and real. The world she creates is also incredibly detailed and interesting. There is a lot of political intrigue and religious conflict that I personally find to be very interesting. I won’t comment much on her representation of Indian culture or stories, since I have little knowledge on them, but in my opinion she does an excellent job of creating an interesting and vast world. The only complaint I could have is that it can be hard to remember the names or places since there are a lot of them, but that isn’t a specifically Jasmine Throne issue it’s present in almost all fantasy books. Overall, this novel is extremely well written, has good pacing, and great representation of a sapphic couple. If you aren’t hooked by just Malini and Priya’s relationship, the political conflicts surrounding them will surely get you. I would very much recommend it if you enjoyed Priory of the Orange Tree (which I will also be reviewing, hopefully).

Be warned!!! I am going to spoil things in this section, go read the book if you haven’t!

Now I, of course, must talk about the romance/bond between Malini and Priya because oh my god is it amazing. The slow progression of this love they have for each other is beautifully executed. Every small intimate moment feels monumental and earned, and by the end you can’t help but root for their relationship. At the end when they share their first kiss in the waterfall I was flailing with excitement. Suri does such an amazing job of making these complex and interesting female characters who are so much more than you expect. Malini is first talked about as a traitor, which can create this almost violent image of her, but when Priya first sees her she seems nearly pitiful. I sympathized with Malini’s pain but also saw the way she manipulated people to do what she wanted. I think the beauty in this manipulation is the fact she avoids using it on Priya. She could most likely use her silver tongue to get Priya to free her from prison, but she genuinely wants to gain Priya’s trust, which is just so romantic. And Priya is just amazing too, head strong and stubborn but not in an annoying way. I often see female characters who are written as stubborn but come off as arrogant and stupid. Priya is definitely stubborn, but in some ways it benefits her and helps her at times. Overall our main characters are just amazing in nearly every way. The side characters are not to be overlooked though. You have Bhumika, though she is pregnant she shows a considerable amount of strength and will. She is extremely dedicated to her community and literally kills her husband to get the Ahiranya temple back. She is the definition of girl boss lets be honest. Rao is also so great. I don’t have a ton to say about his character in this book because he doesn’t get a ton of chances to shine until the next one (I will also review that). But he is so endearing to me for whatever reason. He is so devoted to Malini, but in the most sweet and platonic way possible. It is so nice to see a true friendship between a male and female character that I know will never become a romance plot or anything. The conflicts outside of the romance are so interesting too. The way these different religions either work together or against each other for different reasons is very cool to me. I also love how she includes feminism and patriarchal ideas in it without it feeling out of place or forced. The patriarchal society that Malini and Priya live in feels realistic. The biggest issue I think I have is the lack of explanation for certain concepts especially for religious figures. I feel as if we got very little information about the Mothers of the Flame (I think that is Chandra’s religion?) or the Nameless Gods. You get quite a bit of information about the Yaksa and stuff, but I think a bit more explanation on these religious concepts could have helped me. Other than that this book is just so wonderful please go read it.

[pollyssecretlibrary]

“A Problem Princess”, by Anna Harrington

I read this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review RELEASE DATE - Apr11, 2023 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Lords of the Armory” is a series about former soldiers of the Napoleonic wars who initially created a place of solace for ex combatants who didn’t know what to do with their lives after Waterloo but some of them, an elite of them, ended up under the employ of the Home secretary and now they work as spies or secret service to unveil and fight Scepter, a secret group of extremists who want to overthrow the status quo by killing the Prince Regent and the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool. In this, the sixth book of the series, our hero is Clayton Elliot, one of the main leaders of the Armory who works as undersecretary for the Home Office. He had saved the lives of the Regent and Lord Liverpool in the previous book, and managed to cover the attempted assassination with a citizens riot, so no one nows why all of a sudden Prince George has given him the rank of general and why is he a favorite in the court. Everything has been kept a secret or covered since everyone who is in the known believe that Scepter are over and done with the demise of their leader. But Clayton has a feeling that another leader will rise and the band will regroup and try again.

Princess Cordelia of Monrovia is in England to be offered in marriage to one of the Royal dukes (Prince George’s brothers) to seal the relationship between her country and England. She feels like a swan in a gilded cage but she knows her duty and she has been brought up by her uncle, Crown Prince Ernest, to behave and do what must be done at all times. Her motivations aren’t entirely selfless, since she wants to do it for her people who, she is convinced, were betrayed by her late father, who was the Crown Prince before Albert and who died with his wife in an accident. There’s a welcome ceremony for the Prince and his niece at Carlton House and Clayton was invited, only to find himself protecting the princess from a false footman who threatened her life with a knife to the throat. From that moment, Prinny appoints Clayton as the responsible for the protection of the princess, but also from that moment, neither Clayton, nor Cordelia can take their eyes off each other. I wonder if Anna Harrington created Cordelia as an homage to my favorite Audrey Hepburn movie “Roman Holiday”. Her opening scene is a recreation of Princess Ana (Hepburn’s Character) bedroom scene, when she is told of all of the next day’s activities and she calls her daily routine “The program”. In that scene Ana opens a window and sees Rome at night, with its life, its music and its people enjoying the good weather, and she dreams of having at least one day of normalcy, one day in which she could have an ordinary woman’s life. Cordelia is just the same, only her adventure is much more dangerous than Ana’s because someone wants to kill her. Cordelia doesn’t think she has such an important role in anybody’s life, her only fate in life is to marry a royal duke and have children for England. If only for a moment… It’s Clayton who gives her just that. The normalcy, he treats her with respect and consideration but not in the way courtiers and admirers treat her but like a human being who feels and think and whose opinion is as valid as everyone else’s. For Clayton she is a magnificent woman, not ordinary at all because she’s so smart and brave and beautiful. She overcomes incidents and “accidents” with courage, not because she’s not terrified at all, but because he gives her strength and encouragement. He admires for who she is, and the more time they spend together the more he feels he is losing his heart for her. There’s a key moment when he has to decide if he would forget his personal mission of uncovering and destroying Scepter or give his life to protect her if necessary. I always thought that Clayton was a bit of a pain, but in this book he reveals himself to be a man of honor, duty and heart. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her or to keep her safe, even if that means that he’ll be considered a traitor to the Crown. Once again Anna’s style of writing is incredibly direct and straight to the point. She gets you invested in her stories and characters by refusing to fall into lyricism or artifices. She doesn’t mince words but doesn’t use more than she needs to, she’s very precise but don’t get me wrong, she delivers every time. She compensates the lack of ingenuity or beauty by providing a good amount of angst and excitement. She’s not the spiciest writer that I have ever read but she treats these few moments with care and delicacy. Her books are full of action and intrigue yet the moments of intimacy are full of vibrant emotion. She knows how to engage her readers and she does that masterfully. Honestly I had a lot of fun reading this book.