#ugh pacat why would you do this to me

[scottishgremlin]

to be loved as nick loves seiji… to have someone who shares your passion. to have someone who pushes you as much as you push them, to reach new heights but never into anything inherently bad. to have someone see the best and the worst of you, the parts that repel everyone else, and tell you that it’s what makes you a champion. to have a rival and a friend foremost, and maybe something more.

[burnmywholelifedown]

Hi bestie I'm here I'm queer I'm going to ask you what's your favorite book (or if I've already asked this, what's your ultimate dating deal-breaker or maybe just relationship deal-breaker in general doesn't have to be romantic). Also, Killian is my second favorite character because Emma is my absolute favorite character on that entire show. Their relationship was EVERYTHING to me, I love sunshine v darkness trope so much, hence sterek and destiel as well. I love teen wolf but idk how much of that is because I was like 13 when I started watching it tbh. I would watch it just for dylan's performance in season 3 because HOLY SHIT he should have won a fucking Oscar.

asldjkflsdkjf oh my gosh are we meant to be best friends?? Ugh yes Emma is absolutely fantastic I just personally relate to Killian just that smidge more I think. They are both so special to me 😍 Ugh yes that trope is the best. Everlark was another couple that had that dynamic for me. Man now you're making me wonder if watching it for Dylan would be worth it. My only concern is that it might be too YA for me (I get very turned off by highschool stories). That's why I haven't picked it up yet. I'm afraid I missed the boat on that show. Now I tend to enjoy my YA stories to be fantasy because then the characters are more likely to be less immature (and potentially traumatized by the stakes of the fantasy world which is also fun - looking at you TFOTA trilogy and Grishaverse books).

Whoooo boy okay a favorite book is really hard because books mean a lot to me. I think you know that about me by now so you're getting a list from the last couple years lol:

TFOTA trilogy - the politics was so fun and the twists and turns kept me engaged. I read all 3 books in 48 hours and have reread them multiple times since in the last couple years because they were so good.

The Hunger Games trilogy - that series is straight up literature. There is so much to unpack.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan - idk what to say about this book except that the characters are so loveable, the take on portal fantasy is unique and the way she flipped sexism on it's head was so thoughtprovoking.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland - excellent anxiety rep, top tier slow burn without a lot of drama or miscommunications, beautifully written fantasy world with no homophobia

Captive Prince trilogy by CS Pacat - um this is a more problematic pick but if you're down for a high fantasy slow burn true hate to love romance this is where it's at man. You will have such a good time you won't even know what you signed up for until you are embroiled in the middle of it. Gosh Laurent's character arc gives me life.

Anything in Alexis Hall's Spires Series + Boyfriend Material - what this man has to say about gender and queer identity changed my mindset about what it is to be queer and I love it so much. His books made me feel so seen especially Pansies, For Real, and Boyfriend Material.

What Is a Girl Worth? by Rachael Denhollander - The only nonfiction book on this list lol. I loved how eloquently she spoke about her story and how she included the problems she's seen in the church around sexual assault. We need someone who has the legal and Christian connections to advocate for survivors but she's doing it and that really inspires me.

If I have to pick just one though - I pick Boyfriend Material and here's why (x). It's really personal to my insecurities and it made me feel very seen and loved. It's the epitome of a comfort book for me. Whenever I need a pick me up I go to that book and listening to Joe Jameson's voice gives me hope that I too will be loved in this precious way.  Honestly this is why the Spires books and Boyfriend Material are so special to me: These are stories about people who think they are broken and the men that show them that they've never been broken actually. They get to hear "I love you however you are. But also who you are is a person who can do things so you don't have to stagnate like this." It was so healing to read about I cannot even tell you.

If you're looking to check Boyfriend Material out you need the audiobook I promise you!! I will hook you up bestie just let me know 😉

Oh also my main platonic or romantic deal breaker is a combination of apathy and lack of thinking deeply about things (the reverse is also true - I find people who are passionate and think deeply about art and life super attractive. Those are the people I keep in my life).

thank you for these questions I clearly loved them lol. now i want to know all of these things about you! what are your favorite books? what do you find most attractive/unattractive in a person?

[pourcap]

thoughts: cp chapter 11

nicaise :( god it's so disgusting that he sleeps in the regent's bed. i hate the regent. so. so. so. much.

'What happened? Is he all right?' aaaah nicaise is worried about laurent :( i feel so bad for him. he's just a kid :(

you can really tell how desperate damen is to leave vere behind. i know i said it before but i really love pacat's writing a lot

govart ruining things again. classic.

'It’s the bitch’s pups,' (...) you just know this guard has a tiny dick

'We’re not the peaceful sort,’ said Jord. His sword was unsheathed. ‘We don’t leave without the slave.' ohhh so laurent is trying to protect damen. i know he said it's because he hates feeling indebted to anyone but it's nice to see he's more honest than damen gave him credit for

ugh. not the regent again.

'Or do you have other talents?' i kind of get why the guards would be a little bit interested in laurent's sex life (he's beautiful and aloof and no one really seems to know anything about him personally so i guess i understand the mystery), but his uncle? it's just so weird to me how in the beginning of the book he said he didn't care who laurent brought into his bed, and now he keeps asking not only laurent but also damen about it. it's so weird.

'I don’t know how this interrogation found its way into my bed. May I ask where I can expect it to travel next?' laurent's snark is so funny

can the regent stop trying to get laurent to admit he's been having sex with damen???

'Yes, apparently I have fucked my enemy, conspired against my future interests, and colluded in my own murder. I can’t wait to see what feats I will perform next.' hhhhhhh i love listening to him talk when it's not outright hostility directed at damen

‘I,’ said Laurent. oh no

so laurent will fulfil his border duty? hmm

After a moment, Damen saw the Regent’s hand lift again to rest in Laurent’s hair and stroke it with slow, familiar affection. can he please stop touching laurent? i don't like the image that sentence paints at all.

'I hate to see you grown up like this,’ said the Regent, ‘when you were such a lovely boy.' i... ??? i think i might understand why everyone hates the regent so much. someone please tell me i'm wrong but i am getting this sick feeling in my gut and i really hope it's not what i think it is but are there maybe more parallels to laurent and nicaise than i thought? please tell me no bc otherwise i will probably start sobbing.

[gildedgaze]

Just want to say, thank you for your blog and fanfics....Love reading them....

If you don't mind, can I ask something from Captive Prince? What do you think are Laurent and Damen's greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic? Sorry if you've answered these questions before.....Thanks......

Aw this is so sweet😍 Thank you so so much for reading my work! 🥰🥰🥰

Ou, I have not yet answered these fantastic questions!

Hmmm,

I think my favourite thing about Damen is his fierce loyalty and conviction when it comes to what he considers wrong and right. I think the latter is both a weakness and strength.

His loyalty extends in so many instances; like when he chose to fight at Charcy and meet up with Laurent at the end of Prince's Gambit, beginning of King' Rising. He had every liberty to leave, but didn't. The way he professed Laurent's innocence before his trial in Ios. Such a loyal, loving man, i melt. We must recall, 'I think if I gave you my heart, you would treat it tenderly' 😭🥺😩💛 SIR. I WISH A MAN IRL WOULD. 

In terms of seeing situations in a sort or black and white, right/wrong, the very reason Jokaste felt the need to send him to Vere (and may i add ✨SAVE HIM✨ from Kastor) was that he refused to believe his brother was capable of such evil (Patricide), even when Nikandros insisted his brother had it out for him, and believed the throne was rightfully his. Damianos' loyalty and blinded innocence and rejection of blurred lines are my fave character traits.

What I love most about Laurent is his reputation of being frigid/cast-iron bitch, and his intelligence. Such a stellar combination if you ask me 😂✨ Of course we know his demeanour is a coping mechanism as a result of his abusive childhood, but God, do i love smooth-talkers and people who are one step ahead, most esp in the context of political intrigue. 'It was like watching a man smile as he surrendered himself to drown in deep water' IM SORRY CAN U JUST ENVISION HOW CHARMING LAURENT CAN TRULY BE IN THE CONTEXT OF COURT. 

Laurent being bookish was something alluded to in book one, and I love expanding on that facet of him within my fics! I'm an avid reader and any character who loves reading, i usually love too!! 📚💛

Ugh and their dynamic, where to start??? I think their biggest appeal as a pairing is the way that they're such opposites, and as they say, opposites attract. Pacat has taken the concept of 'enemies to lovers' and turned it on its head!! If you really think about it, it is crazily illicit to find yourself in love with the person who murdered such an integral figure in your life, a brother. That illicitness makes their dynamic so delicious and appealing, it’s like, their history is so messy but that’s what makes it also beautiful...

Also, there's another wonderful post floating around here on Tumblr which addresses the way that Damen can have sex with many people and not get emotionally invested, while Laurent, of course, is the opposite. When I first read the series, I found that there was something about reading their sex scenes which feel almost uncomfortably intimate, like I was watching in one something I shouldn't, because of Laurent's pure vulnerability.

GOD I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! 😭😭

Thanks for asking me this, my lovely!

(My inbox is always open to chat about capri xx)

[wellhalesbells]

✨✨ TOP FIVES FOR 2020 ✨✨

2020 was, i think we can all agree, a massively chaotic year but i have never consumed as much media before in my life, so i thought others might benefit from my slothery uh, connoisseur.... ship?  yes, that.  below are the books, comics, shows, and movies that got me through!

B O O K S .

the starless sea, by erin morgenstern - i loooove this book because it loves me back.  it says: ‘oh, you’re a reader, well i have just the thing for you.’  it luxuriates in language and story and riddles and fairy tales and it feels like an entire library in a single tome.

they never learn, by layne fargo - oh fuuuuuck, this was satisfying.  i thought it might feel a little exploitative as it is very aware of the zeitgeist and likely would not exist without the #metoo movement but it never ever did.  this was a fucking ROMP, period.  reading about a woman getting away with murdering skeezy guy after rapey guy after shitty human just made me happier and happier.

moonflower murders, by anthony horowitz - this is the second in the susan ryeland series (and the first was hardcore good fun too) and really feels very classic mystery with the artful twist of catering to the literary community.  mainly because: susan isn’t a detective, she’s an editor and she gets drafted in this time because the clue to what happened to a missing woman is in a book she edited, if she can find it.  both of the books in this series have such an excellent coming together moment that is rare af to find.

the invisible life of addie larue, by v.e. schwab - the writing in this is just so good.  it has that feel to me where i just want to drop the book and open up my own page and let my fingers fly.  it’s that inspiring kind of writing that reminds you of all the things language can do.

crown of feathers/heart of flames, by nicki pau preto - aaahhh, this series is SO FREAKING GOOD!  why is there not more of a fandom for it, why???? it is so many of my favorite tropes all resting perfectly together to the point where you almost forget they’re tropes because they just so naturally evolved there.  ugh, it’s just.... it’s so heart-bursty good.

.... number 5, part 2?  raybearer, by jordan ifueko - this was just so original and i was invested af.  like, what a brilliant idea though and an even better execution??  i loved every character and am so looking forward to the next in the series so i can get to know them even better!!

honorable mentions (sh*t i still liked a whole heckuva lot): you/hidden bodies, by caroline kepnes // writers & lovers, by lily king // i’ll be gone in the dark, by michelle mcnamara // the faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home, by joseph fink & jeffrey cranor // girl, serpent, thorn, by melissa bashardoust // a little life, by hanya yanagihara // the guinevere deception, by kiersten white // obsidio (and the entire illuminae series), by amie kaufman & jay kristoff // the bone houses, by emily lloyd-jones // house of salt and sorrows, by erin a. craig // we hunt the flame, by hafsah faizal // savage legion, by matt wallace // blacktop wasteland, by s.a. cosby // crier’s war, by nina varela // the empress of salt and fortune/when the tiger came down the mountain, by nghi vo // upright women wanted, by sarah gailey // the monster of elendhaven, by jennifer giesbrecht // a deadly education, by naomi novik // you let me in, by camilla bruce // when you ask me where i’m going, by jasmin kaur // the lights go out in lychford/last stand in lychford (and the entire lychford series), by paul cornell // the devil and the dark water, by stuart turton // serpent & dove, by shelby mahurin // one by one, by ruth ware // ruthless gods (this was SUCH an upshot from the first book - it’s worth sticking with if you’re on the fence), by emily a. duncan // cemetery boys, by aiden thomas // the inheritance games, by jennifer lynn barnes // the fortunate ones (2021 release), by ed tarkington

C O M I C S .

cosmoknights, by hannah templer - the art was gorgeous, the gayness was glorious, and just.... hot HOOOOOOOOT lady knights in space?!  a princess winning her own hand?  find something not to love in there, i dare you.

don’t go without me, by rosemary valero-o’connell - wow. wow wow wow wow wow.  the writing was stunning, so lyrical and atmospheric and deep, and rosemary has to be one of my favorite artists but even that managed to come as a beautiful surprise because it was just so freaking bold.

through the woods, by emily carroll - i loooove emily carroll, the convergence of spine-tingling horror and art that feeds into it, that is both visually and aesthetically pleasing, is hard to beat!  p.s. i also read beneath the dead oak tree from her this year and it was also a BANGER.

the impending blindness of billie scott, by zoe thorogood - zoe is someone that i just want to follow.  she’s just starting and i want to be there for every single step.  i love her art style and her ability to tell a story with it.

above the clouds, by melissa pagluica - this was so unique, and such a baller concept, as nearly half the entire book is conveyed only through the art and yet you’re never once lost, never once confused as to what any character is thinking or feeling.  it’s a story within a story and only one of those gets words though they both are chock full of emotion!

um.... number 5, part 2? crowded, by christopher sebela - everything about this series is fun af.  crowd-funded assassination and a hirable bodyguard who’s rated like an uber driver???  and the chemistry between the two mains is so great and gay!!

honorable mentions: monster and the beast, by renji // long exposure, by kam ‘mars’ heyward // fence, by c.s. pacat // invisible kingdom, by g. willow wilson // ms. marvel, by g. willow wilson // heathen, by natasha alterici // not drunk enough, by tess stone // giant days, by john allison // die, by kieron gillen // be prepared, by vera brosgol // ascender (sequel to descender, which is also great), by jeff lemire // the unbeatable squirrel girl, by ryan north // bang! bang! boom!, by melanie schoen // gideon falls, by jeff lemire // life of melody, by mari costa // cry wolf girl, by ariel slamet ries // the tea dragon society, by katie o’neill // ptsd, by guillaume singelin // heartstopper, by alice oseman // solutions and other problems, by allie brosh // finding home, by hari conner // the magic fish, by trung le nguyen // something is killing the children, by james tynion iv // the weight of them, by noelle stevenson // spill zone, by scott westerfeld // skyward, by joe henderson // miles morales, by saladin ahmed

F I L M S.

parasite, dir. bong joon ho - oh it was satisfying, oh it was suspenseful, oh i had to watch some of it through my fingers but i loooooooved it.  such a good story and so well made.

knives out, dir. rian johnson - okay, everything about this movie was amazing.  every single character was fun as hell and i could’ve watched an entire movie about each of them.  what a great fucking mystery!

blindspotting, dir. carlos lopez estrada -  this made my heart hurt so damn much.  what glorious writing, acting, and story!

portrait of a lady on fire, dir. celine sciamma - gooooorgeous cinematography, amazing chemistry, and such a soft, atmospheric film.

the farewell, dir. lulu wang - i cried and my heart felt so full and i love it so so much.

um.... number 5, part 2? someone great, dir. jennifer kaytin robinson - no part of me expected to love a netflix movie this much but it’s a love story that doesn’t get told that often??  the end of a relationship and the true love of friendship and i love these girls and i love jenny and nate’s broken relationship.

honorable mentions: eighth grade, dir. bo burnham // booksmart, dir. olivia wilde // midsommar, dir. ari aster // the curse of la llorona, dir. michael chaves // the secret life of pets 2, dirs. chris renaud & jonathan del val // jojo rabbit, dir. taika waititi // the invisible man, dir. leigh whannell // the favourite, dir. yorgos lanthimos // can you ever forgive me?, dir. marielle heller // troop zero, dirs. bert & bertie // ready or not, dirs. matt bettinelli-olpin & tyler gillett // brave, dirs. mark andrews & brenda chapman & steve purcell // the half of it, dir. alice wu // palm springs, dir. max barbakow // doctor sleep, dir. mike flanaghan // uncut gems, dirs. benny sadfie & josh sadfie // birds of prey, dir. cathy van // bloodshot, dir. dave wilson // the old guard, dir. gina prince-bythewood // enola holmes, dir. harry bradbeer // hocus pocus, dir. kenny ortega // always be my maybe, dir. nahnatchka khan // finding dory, dirs. andrew stanton & angus maclane // die hard, dir. john mctiernan

S H O W S .

black sails (2014) - this show, this shooooooooow.  i cannot, it just makes me want to cry with how good it is.  the characters, the EMOTIONS, the story, the plaaaaaan.  like, the creators clearly had a plan for every single step of this show and it was a gOOD, GOOD PLAN.

the untamed (2019) - truly, cheesy good fun with one of the best gay romances ever.  i love these characters and their relationships to each other and the way it glories in its own ridiculousness.

the righteous gemstones (2019) - one of the things that bothered me about my next choice (the ratio of female to male nudity) was so much more realistic in this one (i mean, we’ve all gotten five thousand dick pics and i know like three people?  so the fact that there is so rarely male nudity in shows when there are tits everywhere..... no, how does that even make a tiny bit of sense?).  this show was such great, wonderful, awful fun.  they’re not great people and the show is under no delusion about that and it’s GLORIOUS!

the witcher (2019) - this was just hella fun, i loved the characters and the fantasy elements.  i’m excited for the next season, it’s just entertaining swashbuckling through and through!

fargo (2014) - all of this was really very enjoyable with the through line being somebody fucks shit up and gets involved in something they really shouldn’t be involved in that’s going to swallow them whole.  season one and season three were my stand-out favorites but they were all so violent, clever, and vicious!

um.... number 5, part 2? central park (2020) - um..... so many of the hamilton actors in a muscial cartoon drawn and written by the bob’s burgers team? WHAT ABOUT THAT DOESN’T SOUND AMAZING?!  it was such a joy to hear daveed diggs and leslie odom jr.’s voices again!!

honorable mentions: schitt’s creek // the mandalorian // mr. robot // broadchurch // mindhunter // jack ryan // the good place // the end of the f***ing world // big little lies // elite // kidding // servant // letterkenny // curb your enthusiasm // i am not okay with this // ozark // buzzfeed unsolved: true crime/supernatural // you // runaways // dear white people // dickinson // brooklyn nine-nine // will & grace // 9-1-1 // dead to me // solar opposites // never have i ever // killing eve // what we do in the shadows // grace and frankie // avenue 5 // roswell, new mexico // the bold type // evil // tuca & bertie // impulse // the umbrella academy // watchmen // infinity train // corporate // search party // on becoming a god in central florida // a.p. bio // criminal: uk // the morning show // mythic quest // last week tonight // prodigal son // the great

[laurent-ofvere]

TSP anon: I wish they were both Kings in TSP. I wish Damen was a host in full sense of it (Akielon custom), and he was the one waiting for Laurent to come. I wish that scene was reversed and its in Laurents character to ride horse fast to get there. The bath scene was unnecessary imo, the scars/slavery were already addressed in TCT. The heat atmosphere was wasted without them swimming naked in the sea ugh. I wish they talked more about future rather than the past. Overall it could be better.

let me preface that those are all your opinions and you’re obviously entitled to them, so this isn't me negating them or anything like that, just saying my own takes on what you pointed out:

I dont really care that they both arent kings yet, I even kinda like that temporary imbalance where laurent is still /just/ a prince and damen is the king (can’t really say why tho, I just enjoy the idea of it) it also makes sense for the chronology of things. if laurent was the king then it would have been more than a year since the end of the books, and I think its clear that pacat wanted to instill that feeling of newness to a relationship in the short story - something else I enjoyed about it. in the grand scheme of things they know each other so well at this point, but in other ways theyre still only getting to know each other.

I personally like that it was laurent waiting for damen, the idea of laurent being at damens territory first and greeting him rather the traditional dynamic of a host greeting their guest is charming to me. I enjoy the thought of laurent there alone while he takes it all in, imagining the times damen had already been there and what it will be like to be there with him now when he finally arrives. I also liked the image of damen breaking off from the group to get to him and laurent watching the road restlessly waiting for him. to me theyre both dong the same thing here, its just in a way that matches their character. theyre both impatient to be together again, damen is more obvious and straightforward about it where a lot of what laurent does is understated but not less meaningful.

like i said before, the bath scene was touchy. I dont think it was unnecessary, I was comfortable with it and I found a purpose to it but I understand that that wasn't the case for everyone. there was an interview after kings rising came out and when asked if laurent’s abuse would be discussed, she responded that some of the issues that were still up in the air would be touched on and that there was a bit of unexplored territory that she wanted to go into. what laurent went through with his uncle is not something between him and damen, what laurent did to damen in arles is so I understood the need to tie that loose end (again, I really dont remember this all that well and know I had pretty extensive thoughts on this bit, but thats just an idea of it) (also, what is TCT?)

silly thing for me to be like “and another thing!” lol but it was only the first few hours of their week long stay, damen made the internal comment about taking laurent swimming so there's no doubt in my mind they’d do that. I would assume they would regardless but he fully pointed it out so that didn't strike me as lacking I guess.

overall, I hear what you mean about it being about the past rather the future but for me that just wasn't what I feel it needed to be. it was very close to the end of canon, it was a honeymoon vibe and a vacation of sorts, they needed time to be in a little bubble just about them and thats how it read to me. they tied up some loose ends and then enjoyed each other in the now, and after this reprieve Is over they would take strides for their future - which we do see in the adventures of charls short story.

sooo idk, just my own thoughts 💖

[mi6-cafe]

The MI6 Cafe prides itself on being a hub for our fandom community. And as a part of that community, we would like to get to know you! We are continuing by highlighting participants in last year’s 007 Fest.

Standard questions:

Introduce yourself. Hi! I’m Sven, a diehard Floridian and very newly minted PhD in English Lit. (Someday I’ll stop telling people that, but today is not that day.) I bake, garden, write, and am somewhat of a hermit.

What was your first encounter with James Bond? I kind of watched as a kid--Brosnan was my Bond growing up--but really converted to the cause after I went to see Skyfall. It was my first semester away from home, I’d just started my doctorate studies, and I went by myself and fell in love with it.

What is your favourite Q branch gadget? The standard-issue 00 briefcase in From Russia With Love. It appeals to my inner dragon. It had a gun, ammo, knife, and money in it. Awesome.

If you could cast yourself as any James Bond role, what would it be? The villain, hands-down.

Who or what are your most important creative influences? That changes a lot. But anyone who has ever read my fanfic knows that I’m an absolute freak for Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe (and early modern English literature in general, even though I’m a trained medievalist. Go figure.)

Questions to pick from:

Bond:

What is your favourite Bond Movie? Skyfall. It was such an intelligent movie, comparatively, and we are introduced to Ben Whishaw’s Q and Naomie Harris’s Moneypenny. Although, Quantum of Solace and License to Kill are close seconds.

Who is your favorite Bond Girl? Villain? Hench-person? Sidekick? Camille Montes, from Quantum of Solace. She’s my absolute favorite Bond Girl--quick, ferocious, and basically a female version of Bond, which is probably why they got along so well. Jaws is my favorite hench-person.

Get to know you:

What was your first fandom? My first fandom was definitely Star Trek. I grew up during the early days of online fandom, way before fandom was cool, when disclaimers were plastered on everything, and you stepped lightly because Anne Rice cast a long, dark shadow. But when I found online fanzines, they blew my mind--there were people talking about my favorite thing! Creating meta! Fanfiction! Magic.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel? Fic? Art? Captive Prince, by C. S. Pacat. The first book is kind of slow, and honestly, can be skipped because everything important is covered in the other two. I loved the trilogy because it was written like fanfic--the good kind--and it actually got me reading real published books again for fun instead of just fanfic.

Plug yourself! What is one of your favorite things that you’ve ever created in the fandom? “Pray You Now,” is still one of my favorite long-works, and I’d say that “00 Poltergeist” is a close second.

What are your goals for the future as a creator? What is something you want to try? Write an original book! Either a novel or short stories, either one.

Self insert:

What department in MI6 do you think you would most likely work in? Probably I’d be some kind of analyst minion: data, culture, logistics, whatever. I’m good at finding loopholes and patterns, and organizing contingency plans. I would not be a field agent. To paraphrase Mycroft Holmes: The noise, the people, the leg work, ugh gross.

Bonus round:

What is a question that you would like to be asked, that we haven’t asked yet? Go ahead and answer it! Favorite Bond theme song(s): Currently? “The World is Not Enough,” “License to Kill,” and “Skyfall.”

Want to nominate someone for us to spotlight? Leave us a note in the MI6 Cafe ask box! You can find previous spotlight posts here.

[cyberphuck]

10 Q's Tag, tagged by @boy-king-stories !

1. Why did you start a writerblr? I wanted to get in touch with more of the writing community, and make friends as well as get more eyes on my work.

2. When did you start your first wip? Uh Like in middle school, I guess. It was basically a Dragon Ball Z fanfiction, but it was fairly long for an 8th grader writing in a notebook. After that I wrote about two "novels" a year until I graduated high school. After that I got """""serious"""""""""" lol

3. Is there a book that inspires you? Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward was one of the first books that I read where I was like, "I want to write stories that are as fun as this one," and I actually felt like I could. Other books were okay but had parts that weren't really my thing-- as much as I liked them and loved to read-- but I loved Villains start to finish. Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See. If you are a young writer, definitely buy or borrow this one. It's not just a "how to write" book-- it's a "how to life like a writer, i.e., AS FABULOUSLY AS POSSIBLE" book. Reading it always gives me hope and inspiration. Authors whose writing is pretty/funny/good: C S Pacat Robin Hobb, especially in the first three books of the Farseer/ROTE series UGH those descriptions I just wanna eat them up Mark Lawrence Terry Pratchett

4. Do you already have birthdays for your OCs? The vast majority of them don't. Sometimes I make one up randomly, but I'm not super versed in star signs so I just end up going "I feel like this person was born in the spring/heat of summer/coldest part of winter" etc.

5. How does the political system work in your world? In Order of the Wolfshead, it works the same as ours, with the exception of Order Law which only applies to cryptids and is pretty unfair. If you fuck up too many times or do something that puts humans in danger, somebody comes to kill you.

6. Any Laws of Physics in your world? ... Yes?

7. Tell us your OCs’ backstory, but badly. France dirt fancy vampires lol what are gender politics wait a minute you can't say "neither" hey where are you going fashion fashion FASHION sadness

8. Do you like using music or nothing at all when writing? I used to only be able to listen to white noise-- I couldn't have any distraction at all-- but these days I listen to a tried and true playlist on Pandora, all songs that I know already. The "musicals" playlist and the "let's try something new" playlist are no-go for writing, though.

9. What would your OC's usernames be in any social media? Ashley has a couple accounts under "PiiinkParty" Mika has every social media available, usually his username is Ringlight. Wyatt had a facebook under his real name that he updated once with a picture of him drinking a beer and flipping off the camera when he was fifteen. Leon doesn't know or care what a social media is, and Ama's off the grid, so he stays away from phones and computers. No use showing up on insta if no one's supposed to know you exist.

10. Would you let any of your OCs have a lava lamp Ashley has one in her room, but she hasn't plugged it in for like a year. Mika sneers at it every time he sees it and keeps threatening to break it. Leon won't sell them in his shop because they really aren't worth anything, but he has some fond memories of dim, smoky rooms with beaded curtains and lava lamps. QUESTIONS FOR YOU: 1. How would your character make a simple sandwich? And how about a deluxe one? 2. Does your world have atheists? How are they treated? 3. Do you have any characters that hands down, no argument, totally and completely loathe camping/the outdoors? 4. Your main character can go to any national park or historical attraction in the continental US (sorry, it HAS to be the US. My meme, my rules. You can't go the eiffel tower. throw a rock at the French) where would they go? Why? 5. You have two sentences to end your WiP right where it is. What do you write? 6. Why did you start writing? 7. What are your family and friends' reactions to your hobby/livelihood/obsession as a writer? 8. How are trans people treated in your world, and by your characters? Nonbinary? Asexual? Pansexual? Bisexual? 9. Which one of your WiPs is "the one that got away"-- the story that you really want to write and you know it's gonna be awesome but you haven't been able to make it work yet? 10. Your character is a pro wrestler. What's their gimmick and what song do they come to the ring to? I've been away so long that I have no idea how many people have done this already. If you follow me and like my questions, TAKE THE MEME AND RUN.

[laurent-ofvere]

Ugh, I don't know about Pet. I'm not at all interested in Ancel, but the real problem for me is that Ancel disappears after the first book. I could deal with a return to CP if the story also had post-KR scenes. But I can't see that happening with Ancel as the POV character. And I really don't care to see miserable, under the control of his abuser, Laurent and enslaved Damen in the last CP story.

i totally feel you on your reservations and i have them too (paschal i miss you) but here are my various PET/ancel thoughts:

i was lowkey bitter when charls was announced as the third pov bc i was like uhhh i don’t care but then once i read the snippet and got her angle i was like oooo yes and taoc saved my life

i don’t care for ancel myself, but we can see laurent in scenes without damen which is intriguing. and i know he’s generally this huge asshole in book 1 but it can be interesting to see how he’ll act when damen isn’t around and he’s not continuously like Fuck You. remember when erasmus said he was nice and came to speak with him and reassure him? we can maybe see some of that. maybe him talking to ancel and nicaise since nicaise appearances have been confirmed and they seemed to be friendly.

the prospect of going back to book 1 is terrifying and a large part of me is like WHAT THE FUCK PACAT but really, she’s not dumb. why would she leave the entire series off on a bitter, depressing note?? thats just not logical, and i don’t even mean that to reassure myself, its really just illogical. she must have some angle or something up her sleeve that when we read it we’ll be like “ohhh okay”

going off that, i firmly believe there will be a time jump or something like that. gbfas went between past and present so maybe this will be a present and future, showing how arles was fucked during that time from the pov of a pet and then future jumps will show how arles is now prospering with king laurent and his bae (married bae please god) from the pov of a pet who is now in a safer environment? i think the short stories gave us the vibe that akielos is doing okay but we never really got that with vere, and this can be it.

pacat said in a livestream that up in the air things between d and l will be addressed (damen’s back in tsp) she imagines that they will continue their undercover adventures (everything in taoc) and that she believes the pet system will remain intact but will be handled safer and better under the new rulership. if 2 of those things ended up happening, I’m sure the third will as well, which reinforces my thoughts that it will time jump and show us things in cp that we didn’t see or from a different angle that might surprise us, and then future vere where we can maybe see laurent as king and the way he (and damen His Canon Husband) have handled the pet system, since we saw the way they handled slavery in taoc.

idk man she said it will be 3 short stories unless something else is really alive to her and she wants to write it, and then she eventually decided on a fourth which means she had to have SOME crazy good idea that she just HAD to write. soooo ye a lot of me is like “pacat what the hell” but i also don’t think she would end off this amazing love story that we all love in a depressing way??? ANYWAYS IM SO ANNOYING HOW AM I STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS