#wind/water duology

[nothoughtsjustmhaandotherthings]

IT’S TIME!!!

beloved mutuals and followers, random people who are seeing this on their feed, it is my great honor to announce that the first installment of my Pirates of the Caribbean fic series will start publishing on November 1st!!!

Coming soon, Book One: (You’re In The) Wind

(artwork commissioned by the lovely @everythingispirates)

Meet Shuǐ Feng, Sao Feng’s daughter. A spitfire with a love for the ocean, Shuǐ has been shut out of everything and anything having to do with piracy—and when your father is Pirate Lord of Singapore, that’s a lot. An unlikely encounter is about to give her the opportunity she’s been waiting for…but who’d be willing to take a chance on her, much less bring her aboard a ship?

It’ll take a captain whose curiosity overcomes his superstition.

More info to come soon ;)

[m1d-45]

welcome to teyvat !

before you begin your journey, here’s my original take on the logistics of sagau, as well as an update after some more information from fontaine. while not essential, here are my thoughts on how nations worship.

if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see in the future, please send in your request to my ask box.

1k event m.list

(host to: aether, alhaitham, bennett, collei, cyno, diluc, dottore, kaeya, kaveh, kazuha, keqing, nahida, razor, tighnari, venti, wanderer, xiao, xingqiu)

warnings [⏵] : yandere / heavy cultish || obsessive

genre [title] : angst || fluff || hurt/comfort

traveller from afar — aether

‘I'm saying that I'm having a lot of fun traveling with you… It'd be nice if we could just go on like this forever.’

⏵ a new tomorrow

—⏵ my love, my god

twilight sword — dainslef

‘No, it’s just… I’m still waiting for my drink.’

⏵ will you promise that i'll see you again?

mondstadt

ah, the city of freedom. a wise choice as a first stop, to best wind up for what’s to come. a calm atmosphere and a soothing wind across your shoulders… truly, the only thing better is the wine.

choose the winds of anemo ?

(host to: albedo, diluc, venti)

liyue

the land of contracts… perhaps it’s a fitting choice, to visit the land so recently abandoned. the realm of illuminated beasts and host of history… unless it’s the music you prefer?

choose the stone of geo ?

(host to: baizhu, ga ming, xiao, zhongli)

inazuma

eternity… a false ideal, one impossible to chase, but i must commend ei’s determination if nothing else. all her effort, and the only thing permanent is its beauty.

choose the spark of electro ?

(host to: ayato, heizou, kazuha, thoma)

sumeru

hmph. the akademiya still runs rampant, and the desert is still a wash of ruin. i can’t promise much about here, except a few familiar faces. care to visit your friends?

choose the root of dendro ?

(host to: alhaitham, tighnari, wanderer)

fontaine

a nation submerged in water, surrounded by mirages at every turn. perhaps we could go see an opera, or catch a magic show… or have a cup of tea and catch up. what do you say?

choose the court of hydro ?

(host to: neuvillette, wriothesley)

natlan

…hm? ah, my apologies, but it looks like this destination isn’t available for travel just yet. thank you for your patience!

choose the ember of pyro?

snezhnaya

the land of ice and love, led by the lady of contradictions. have you found comfort in the snow?

choose the frost of cryo ?

(host to: il dottore, regrator, tartaglia)

series!

⏵ dearly beloved — complete trilogy

8.7k — being hunted across half of teyvat wasn’t exactly on your bucket list. but if he’s the one you keep seeing… maybe it’s worth it.

—⏵ on broken bones

—⏵ death, rebirth, new life

—⏵ the scottish play

⏵ abiogenesis — complete duology

10k — after being abandoned, albedo didn’t have the brightest hope for his future. travelling to mondstadt, he finds the closest thing to ‘purpose.’

—⏵ from soil…

—⏵ …was birthed chalk

⏵ secret contributions — complete trilogy

8.2k — false faith has forced you to flee to inazuma, barely surviving the trip. thankfully, the kamisatos are here to help.

—⏵ small miracles

—⏵ hidden blessings

—⏵ silent conclusions

⏵ spoken across stars — episodic

2.7k — voicelines characters would have in sagau

—⏵ kaeya, diluc, thoma ft. noelle + candace

—⏵ kazuha, wanderer ft. tighnari + baizhu

—⏵ zhongli, ayato, heizou ft. xinqiu + chongyun

—⏵ lyney, lynette, freminet ft. arlecchino + navia

miscellaneous / multiple

⏵ in excess (ft. zhongli + xiao)

⏵ new hopes (ft. the arataki gang)

⏵ emotions (ft. mondstat)

⏵ the young (ft. your main!)

—⏵ still too young (ft… a lot of ppl)

⏵ plagued (ft. diluc + kaeya)

⏵ reverse isekai drabble (ft. your main!)

⏵ slapfight (ft. a lot of people-)

⏵ mea maxima culpa (ft. zhongli + barbara)

⏵ in the stars (ft mona + your main!)

⏵ replacement (ft. kaeya + venti + albedo + xiao)

⏵ discretion advised (ft. mondstat)

⏵ warmth (ft. every pyro character as of 3.4)

⏵ a soft place to land (ft. zhongli + kaeya + diluc + alhaitham + tighnari)

⏵ constellations (ft. barbara + thoma + heizou + collei + kujou sara + sucrose + candace +ganyu)

⏵ connection (ft. diluc + kaeya + kazuha + albedo + kaveh)

⏵ your shield, a sword (ft. thoma + tighnari + zhongli + alhaitham + cyno + albedo)

⏵ divine favor (ft. yae miko + itto + kazuha + kaeya + chongyun + noelle)

⏵ dead leaves (ft. ..people)

—⏵ new sprouts (ft. chongyun)

⏵ the rule of threes (ft. albedo + his brother)

⏵ darling, my dear (ft. diluc + tighnari + childe + xiao + kazuha)

⏵ sandy refuge (ft. nahida + wanderer)

⏵ dancing soldiers (ft. aether)

⏵ a break in routine (ft. alhaitham + kaveh + sethos)

⏵ snapshot (ft. tighnari + neuvillette

please report any missing entries or misleading content as soon as possible !

thank you for reading !

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

What do you think each of the crowd would smell like? Not to be creepy, I just want to smell like Inej Ghafa

Interesting question; I’m afraid that Inej canonically smells of nothing according to Kaz, except for during the bathroom scene when he says that she smells of the hotel soap she just used. Nina does say when on parem that the table where she healed Inej’s stab wound smells of her but it’s strongly implied that the parem gives her the ability to distinguish the scent of one person’s blood from another and it’s the leftover blood she can still smell even after the table has been cleaned and know that it was Inej’s blood.

Nina canonically smells of the perfume that’s used to falsely scent the White Rose’s flower arrangements at the start of Six of Crows, according to Matthias, and later on the Ferolind during the journey to Fjerda smells of the toffees she stashed and has been eating.

During Crooked Kingdom, Nina and Jesper (and Kuwei, if you’d like to include him) canonically smell of coffee because they’re wearing it all the time like perfume to hide from the possibility that the Kerghud soldiers can smell the difference between Grisha and otkazats’ya

That’s all the canon mentions of people’s scents that I can recall off the top of my head, but if anyone remembers any others let me know, and as for headcanons:

Wylan probably spends most of the books smelling of the chemicals he uses in his explosives, Kaz claims that the scent of smoke can cling to people’s shirt cuffs and I expect that would ring true for Wylan. Pre and post canon he probably smells of fancy soap and, if it exists in the Grishaverse, nice curl cream or other products that he uses on his hair, but even if that does exist in the Grishaverse I very much doubt he had access to it during canon.

Jesper most likely often smells of smoke and gunpowder, pre and maybe during canon he probably often had the smell of alcohol on his clothes as well, and perhaps post canon fancy soap and the tinge of engine oil.

The Barrel may smell terrible but that doesn’t mean Kaz has to reduce himself to it and he most definitely won’t; he probably smells of soap and leather most of the time, plus he clearly puts a lot of effort into his suits so you may be able to smell whatever they’ve been so well washed in. Also quite possibly blood. I’m now thinking maybe he would deliberately choose scentless soaps because I read a book where lingering perfume was recognised at a crime scene and he would want to avoid anything that might be recognisable.

We know for a fact that Hellgate was a disgusting smelling place with poor access to hygiene and clean water, but after he was freed I imagine Matthias became hyper aware of cleanliness because of this limited access to hygiene products and kept himself very neat and clean. He probably smells of soap most of the time. Pre canon I imagine there were pretty strict hygiene and general cleanliness rules for the Drüskelle so again he probably smelt quite clean, but also had something of the rugged air and cold Northern winds about him. He also may have had the scent of some kind of shampoo since he had very long hair that the smell would remain clinging to, but I expect that whatever he used was standardised amongst the Drüskelle.

At home Inej probably smelled of spices and perfumes and chalk, and at the Menagerie she probably smelled of cheap, overpoweringly strong perfume. It’s a combination of both of these factors that make me think she was actively choosing to avoid scent during the duology, hence Kaz saying “she didn’t even have a scent”, and choosing scentless soaps. Post canon she probably smells of salt and the sea most of the time, and would maybe pick up a scented soap every now again to practice testing her limits and branching out since we know she actively pushes herself with some of the smaller things like this that she finds difficult

Honestly I’m not sure if i have any particular headcanons about Nina, though I think she would avoid rose-scented perfume post canon

Thanks for the ask! This was pretty fun to think about <33

This has been another episode of DK Finally Gets It Together And Answers Her Asks Because It’s About Damn Time (Working Title), thank you for joining me, if you’d like to see the rest of the series you can find it in the tags or if that isn’t working (again 🤦‍♀️) then in my pinned post <3

[bookishfeylin]

Black Fantasy TBR Part 1

It's taking so long to compile all my books that I might as well release my tbr one portion at a time. This isn't really that organized, but here's the first part of my fantasy (and a little bit of scifi) tbr listed out for people who are curious and/or want to see more fantasy books with Black protagonists:

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

Nubia: The Awakening by Omar Epps and Clarence A. Haynes

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Abengoni: First Calling by Charles R. Saunders

Across the Broken Tide by Lakase Cousino

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria

That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams

Kingdom of Feathers by Deborah Grace White

Priestess of nKu by Milton J Davis

Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Queen of Zazzau by J.S. Emuakpor

Elysium by Nora Sakavic

Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron

Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

Dream Country by Ashaye Brown

The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

She Steals Justice by J. Clark

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender

The Hope of Aferi: The Wolf Queen by Cerece Rennie Murphy

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

The Blazing Star by Imani Josey

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne Brown

Bones to the Wind by Tatiana Obey

Treachery of Water by Angela J. Ford

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

Beautiful Nightmare by L.C. Son

Conquest by Celeste Harte

Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye

The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin

Magic Dark, Magic Divine by A.J. Locke

Shadow's Dissident by Ariel Paiement

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

Mirage by Somaiya Daud

A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole

This was mostly stand-alones and duologies, so the next part of my tbr should be mostly trilogies and longer series.

[drippingmoon]

Get Reacquainted

Thankee both for my new song obsession (home to me) and the tag, @blind-the-winds🥰❤ been a while since I've done one of these, let's-a-gooo

Last song: Dreamcatcher, a multi-Halo medley. Not exactly the vibes I was getting from the OSTs, aka tight corridors and death chasing you down them, but I'll admit sleeping grunts are hella cute<3

Favorite color: grey, and I got on Sunday a grey sweater that makes me very happy

Currently watching: technically Aliens, which is a rewatch, so I absolutely wanna put Interstellar here because new favorite movie ever, been sleeping on it forever, and there's something about the music, the Endurance spinning, and done fucking up on the water hell planet because of gravity that made me feel as if I wasn't in the room anymore and?? Gods that movie. Tapped right into my space brainrot. How they explain wormholes. Gargantua??? I've rarely felt so seen as with this movie😭👌💞

Currently reading: about to start The Science of Interstellar and I'm super hyped about it because, hint hint, it's gotten me so soft about black holes again I have to get my hands on everything. Making research a pleasure☺🤩

Spicy, sweet, or savory: spicyyyy, rawr

Last thing I searched online: a lot of fact-checking for the thingie I'm translating, Veracruz being the focus, and a lot more info on dental works than I ever wanted to know tbh

Last thing I searched for writing purposes: organic weaponry, uhmm, uh, nothing to see here. Nothing at all:D I'm also disappointed about the general lack of answers, and I refuse to believe nobody's ever went down some particularly wacky rabbit holes

Current obsession: all of the above, these paprika chips I haven't had in ages, @sleepyowlwrites 's Mike and Harvey because hell yeah top tier hurt and comfort and giving me brainrot about some guys I've never even seen on a screen, but that's Sleepy magic; and I've also had the most exceptional time reading @sleepy-night-child 's Feather duology, whiiiich I'd been losing my mind over for years, and reading it in full? From cover to cover? Dream come true, and they're forever my soft babies with their sweetness and their constant honey mooning and making me laugh loads💙💜 and, it also meant I did not want to finish the books. Which is happening for a second time right now because😭 I'm about to finish rereading AoS. So absolutely and definitely Madigan and Spica, those guys have my whole heart😭❤ we finally also got Madigan to tell him he'll always have a home with him, and after 200k of getting maimed, standing back-to-back and Madigan defo coming to terms he's Spica's family, FUUUCK, I do not want this story to end, ever😃👍

Open tag, as always, from me! Come catch up, or gush, or anything<3

[thessidy]

Ennead Masterpost!

Welcome post

For my non-Ennead projects, check here (future link).

What is the Ennead?

“Ennead” is the universe of my big historical-fantasy, spec-evo writing project. This include my novel series (the Dewdrops series) as well as tons of short stories and much of the content on this blog.

THE PLANETS:

“Ennead” refers to the Nine Planets. In cyclic order, these are their common names as of TA2605:

Sassan: a dry planet of song and horses. Home to imeru and behemoths grazing the wide open plains. In alliance with her twin, Maurya.

Maurya: a fertile moon-world of knowledge and feather-scaled pakshina, where Rajan reign, rania lumber, raptors hunt, and giant mammoths carve bountiful forests. In alliance with Sassan.

Xia: the eldest planet of wrath and order. Home to wooly mammoths, forestwalker kites, and, perhaps, mankind itself. She mourns her single dead moon.

Paradiso: the ocean planet of bounty and wind. Home to giant whales and terrifying helmet-heads. Her moonless skies let the navigating stars shine brightest.

Cahok: the heart of the Nine, planet of trade and warmth. Home to glorious tatanka and loving pouch-mammals. Capital of the Nine-Spanning Panenneadic League of Peace.

Forlan: planet of stability and extremities. Home to llamas, amaru, and massive Hatun. Independent.

Anahuac: a planet of water and amphibians. Her twin Benevolence has similar flora and fauna to the north, but since the beginning of the Thessidian age has gradually grown more arid. Current leader of the Triple Alliance with Be and Eu.

Benevolence: a planet of life and turtles. Moon of Anahuac. Part of the Triple Alliance.

Eutopos: a moonless world of guile and gorgons, home to sailbacks, tarands, and tuskies. Part of the Triple Alliance.

THE STORIES:

Below are some stories set in the Ennead. All titles and such are of course pending :)!!

The Dewdrops Duologies (or just one Tetralogy?): set in TA2605, a two-part novel series followed by another two-part novel series.

Status: The first two novels, “To You I Gave Wings” (TYIGW) followed by “And You Will Be a Song” (YWBaS) are in their fourth and third drafts respectively. With any luck they should be edited and submitted to publishers soon :)

Status: the following two are planned/plotted.

Tags include: #Dewdrops , #Kai , #Tharra , and others.

Enneadic Appositions: a collection of twelve short stories set in the Ennead circa TA2500-2600. Can be read as a prequel to Dewdrops, a midquel in-between TYIGW and YWBaS, or a sequel after YWBaS. Each order will change how you view and learn about the characters!

Status: most stories are in their second or third drafts. Two are plotted but yet unwritten.

Tags include: #Appositions

Enneadic Epentheses: a sequel collection of twelve more short stories following on characters and themes from the appositions and two Dewdrops Duologies. Status: planned and some plotted.

Enneadic Ellisions: a threequel collection of more short stories bridging the events between the second Dewdrops duology and Visitors. Status: planned.

Visitors: a planned novel project following the two duologies and followed by the (Mystery Project). Status: planned, but not plotted.

(Mystery project wooo): mystery project whose contents would be big spoilers. Status: plotted and planned, some isolated scenes preemptively written.

That’s pretty much everything for now! For non-Ennead projects, click here (future link).

[c-m-li-s-fanfic-corner]

WIP Lineup 8/1/24

Blow Out the Candle

A Song of Ice and Fire / Fire & Blood

Story# 1 of 2 in Change the Fate's Design Duology

Daemon Targaryen/Gael Targaryen

Baelon Targaryen gets a visit from 14 of his descendants who tell him about the fall of House Targaryen and how to prevent it.

98% book canon, I'm only taking like 1.75 things from the show.

Entire 1st story is in Baelon's POV, but this whole thing is Daemon-centric.

Not Viserys friendly.

* * *

Linger Near Me

A Song of Ice and Fire (entirely book canon)

Jon Snow/Satin

Jon Snow directly after his resurrection.

Mildly dark-ish Jon Snow.

Short one shot w/ no longterm plans.

This is just the result of me hating the way Jon's resurrection was handled in the show and waiting 13 years for the next book.

* * *

Needle and a Thread, Gonna Wind Up Dead

A Song of Ice and Fire / Fire & Blood

Daemon Targaryen/Gael Targaryen

Daemon and Gael wake up in their younger bodies after their deaths right before Daemon's wedding to Rhea Royce. They decide to fuck it all and elope.

* * *

Substance Left Inside My Head, Telling Me I'm Not Allowed to Feel

DC Comics

After years of being held by the Court of Owls, Dick's siblings finally have enough in place to rescue him. But that's the easy part and now Dick has to live with the consequences.

* * *

Blood Runs Thicker Than Water

Teen Wolf / Supernatural

Stiles/Derek, Dean/Cas, Sam/Eileen

After getting beat up in Gerard's torture basement, Stiles' dad has had enough and calls for reinforcements from his cousin, John Winchester.

Not Scott or Allison friendly.

* * *

Cast Off the Violence That Has Us In Thrall

Star Wars

Obi-Wan/Cody

Obi-Wan never left Melida-Daan and now he's stepping foot back on Coruscant for the first time during the clone wars.

Not friendly to Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin, or Padme.

Healthy dose of Obi-Wan & Quinlan friendship.

* * *

Heathen

Star Wars

Obi-Wan & Cin Drallig

Rule 63 for Obi-Wan, Quinlan, and Feemor

Melida-Daan centric and the aftermath, huge canon divergences.

Not friendly to Qui-Gon or Yoda.

* * *

(an og work that shall remain unnamed that started out as nightwing/a song of ice and fire fanfic and has been distracting me for months)

[bereft-of-frogs]

dark ocean duology | star wars (jedi fallen order)

A post-Fallen Order AU in two parts: After narrowly escaping the Inquisition’s clutches on Nur, Cere and Cal are not whisked from the water by Merrin’s intervention. Instead, they must embark on their own journey back to the Mantis. Wounded, ill, and trailed by the dead, they make their way through winding underwater passages and echoes of the past to make it home.

Featuring: oceans (both literal and metaphorical), the dead (also both literal and metaphorical), choices, and some much-needed catharsis.

part 2: to stand at the edge of the sea | chapter 3: and the great shroud of the sea rolled on

“We might have another option,” he says. “I maybe know a place where we could find plenty of replacements for the nav and comm systems, the right age even. Guaranteed.” “Where?” “Oh, just a massive scrapyard full of old Republic-era ships, that I happen to know my way around.” Cere looks at him with a flat, humorless expression on her face. “You want to go back to Bracca. Cal nods. “I want to go back to Bracca. Ok, well, want is a strong word…” - - - They’ve traversed the meandering pathways under Nur’s dark oceans and escaped the Inquisition yet again, but they’re far from out of danger, and a long way from reconnecting with the Mantis. All they’ve got is a stolen ship with a broken navigational computer and there’s only one place in the galaxy they might find a replacement. There’s just one other problem: Cal is dying. He’s been dying from the start. Cal just really, really doesn’t want to die on Bracca. chapter 3: FINAL CHAPTER! Cal manages to claw himself back to life, with a little help, but their other problems haven't solved themselves, unfortunately. If they want to make it back to Greez and Merrin, they still need parts to repair their ship. And there's just one last obstacle standing in their way: the Guild.

[ link to ao3 ]

I can't believe I'm finally done with this! Luckily I have plenty of whumptober prompts to occupy me. Thanks to everyone who has been following along! Until next time. <3

[ part 1: chapter 1 ] [ part 1: chapter 2 ] [ part 2: chapter 1 ] [ part 2: chapter 2 ]

[ series link ] [ spotify playlist ] [ image credit ]

[maguayans]

AYE’S YEAR OF WRITING ‘22

Hi, hello! How have you been? I hope the season’s treating you well. It’s that time of the year again—to see how I ruled as a writer this year. (It’s already 2023, though. Happy New Year!)

GENERAL WORD COUNT: Forty-one thousand eight hundred plus words—pops confetti—across eleven stories! That’s not a lot compared to what I’ve written last year, but I’m pretty proud of it, especially because almost half of it was written within thirty days—thanks, Camp Nano.

If you happen to stumble upon my posts, you may know some of them: Lethal Bloods, Mariang Makiling, Red Complex, Crimson, Fair Waters, Maharlika, All in Favor, Say Aye, Red Cuts, Where the Poet Went to Die, Don’t Fall Asleep, and Tres.

Yeah…I don’t think jumping from one WIP to another is good…for me. But it’s fun!

WORKS IN PROGRESS: In addition to drafting the stories listed above, a few ideas came up and made it to my list of projects. It seems like I’d never run out of stories to write and talk about.

New WIP #1: Human x Deities — Once in a while the deities would come down from their heavenly, divine realm to visit the mundane (like tourists.) When they do, a human would accompany them (like a tourist guide). The story features the gods of Philippine Mythology, soulmates and reincarnations (I’m a huge sucker for it), shamans and glowing tattoos.

New WIP #2: Flea Market Isekai — MC enters a flea market at the wrong time and finds herself in the same market with a different crowd. The story features the wonderful creatures of Philippine Mythology.

There are also four new short stories. *eye emojis*

WORLDBUILDING: Maybe I didn’t surpass my word count last year because I was too immersed in ✨worldbuilding✨.

Tres. Following the decision to change the titles and revise the origins of the characters I immediately went to Tres’s worldbuilding — an island far, far away; isolated from the main population (which could mean a lot of things, but most importantly overlooked crimes, gore, and everything in between.) The island, San Angel, is modest and gorgeous, but like a multicolored amphibian in a rainforest, it is deadly. Lovely flowers grow by the earthen roads, and underneath lies the remains of those buried without tombstones.

Red Complex. The red strings universe is expanding. In addition to a novella called Red Cuts, there’s a short story collection featuring characters from the mundane and the Matchmaker’s realm.

The Morose Cat. There’s a mini worldbuilding series I call, The Uphill Town, introducing a town up the hill (where the story takes place) and what makes it so different…and magical. For one, there’s an abandoned shrine that cats always pass through, and where the veil between the mundane and the otherworldly fades.

Elementaliaverse. There are so many things I added recently to the project and the stories. Mainly: Mystique Heights, Fair Waters, and Maharlika.

Worldbuilding, my beloved.

WRITEBLR. I can confidently say I interacted with the community more in 2022, and it was so much fun! Hopefully, I could do the same and more this 2023, and participate in more writeblr events/activities. Speaking of which, here are two: 30 Days, 30 Lines Challenge (by blind-the-winds), and Trick or Treat Writeblr Halloween Event (by pluttskutt). Thank you so much for these!

BOOKS & READING. I read less than ten books, and I enjoyed them. I am open to random book recommendations in my inbox/messages. I'll continue reading reviews/posts about books—how I discovered The Great Library series. (A writeblr posted about how much they enjoyed reading the books, so I bought copies. They were on the third book then, If I remember correctly, and I wanted to reblog the post but I forget their handle.)

Crier’s War Duology, Nina Varela

House of Hollow, Krystal Sutherland

The Great Library (1-4), Rachel Caine

Intersections, B. Pigeon; Fell Marsh

MISCELLANEOUS/PERSONAL. We went on a trip for Christmas, and the funniest, most writer thing I did was buy a stick (an arnis stick, the vendor told me, though it seemed different), thinking it would help me write one of my WIPs. It was affordable, so I guess it was fine. ( A little Christmas gift for me, I told myself. But I did buy more than a stick from a gift shop. *laughs hysterically*)

INITIAL PLANS FOR 2023. Read at least twenty-five (25) books. // Finish at least one (1) draft. // Share two (2) short stories. 

I think...I’m going to be busy.

Thank you so much for reading! Enjoy the rest of the season. Stay warm and safe. Let’s hope 2023 will be kind and gentle. Cheers to more writing and reading and writeblr-ing!

If you have time, visit #ayearofwriting to see how other writers owned 2022!

[gnusnoteunuchs]

also sage, ivy, mahonia for the ask game

sage ⇢ what ‘medium’ of art (poetry, music, fiction, paintings, statues etc.) is the most touching to you? why do you think that is?

I'd probably have to say fiction, but I'll admit that's colored by the way I interact with art in general. I read a lot of books, just because I spend about two hours commuting a day. I go through books really fast.

But I really do appreciate the way that a good novel creates an immersive world and characters, and really draws you into its logic and stakes. prose fiction is probably the strongest way to get me to engage with stories, and i think most of the stories that really fucked me up were in fact novels. I'll give you a few examples:

Simon Jimenez, The Vanished Birds This book is like, what if you had the "found family space opera pursued by demons of their pasts" thing that Firefly did, but without the Whedonesque "we all hate each other" thing? That's the basic emotional premise. This book is about love, mostly, but it's also extremely about grief. It's also about loving someone even when you know you've lost them and you'll never see them again, not even at the end of all things, when your small slice of eternity has run its course. This book fucking hurts, deeply. I love it.

Ursula Le Guin, Tehanu This book takes the basic premises of Earthsea, a very cool setting, and rips them wide open, using Earthsea as a stand-in for [insert sword and sorcery setting of your choice]. This book is Le Guin holding you by the head, looking straight into your eyes, and forcing you to ask yourself what happens in a world of might and magic where all the might and magic is done by men. What happens when all the men think they're doing might and magic, but they're just hurting people? This was the most upsetting text I've ever interacted with, straight up. I've watched movies that were more viscerally unpleasant, but nothing made me mad the way this book did. This book made me wonder whether Le Guin loves fantasy or hates it, and it made me wonder whether I hate it too. Fucking excellent, everyone should read this. Just pace yourself, it's agonizing.

Megan Giddings, The Women Could Fly I kind of burnt myself out emotionally thinking about Tehanu, but this is a very fun urban fantasy story about witches, love, and reactionary thought. They say this is set in a dystopian alternate universe United States, but I'm not gonna lie, most of the dystopian stuff didn't even surprise me. It just feels like how the US is gonna be in about 30 years if the water wars don't kill us all first. Good book, with a very fun take on magic.

Scott Westerfeld, Succession (duology) People say they don't like science fiction, or that they don't like hard science fiction. They are wrong, and this duology (The Risen Empire and The Killing of Worlds) is why. Read it.

ivy ⇢ what are your ‘tells’ for your emotions and moods? how can someone tell you’re happy, annoyed, upset or tired?

Not sure how to answer this one, sorry! Ask my wife, I think she knows better than me

mahonia ⇢ what place, thing, activity inspires you most and how do you express yourself when it does?

This varies widely, actually! There are quite a few places that have inspired my art and writing in the past...a few big examples are:

The redwood forests of northern California (particularly in Humboldt)

The United States Botanic Garden, in Washington DC. It's this massive, ornate conservatory, and it's absolutely beautiful. It felt magical to me as a kid

The sea. The delicate yet massive interplay between wind and waves, between water and hull, air and sail, stunning in its desolation yet overwhelming in its richness. I need to go to sea. I need to go to sea.

Also some fucked up horror movies really get me, also. After I watched Event Horizon and Videodrome I started thinking and could not stop thinking

[whimsy-of-the-stars]

(Monthly?) Writing Update :D

hiiii guys!!

I was very lucky to personally not get hit very hard by the recent hurricanes that hit Florida, and that my area overall was relatively small damaged compared to what other poor souls had to experience. The water in rivers and creeks near me were quite high, drowning some people’s personal docks, and well as the wind felling some old trees in my neighborhood. Anyway, over the past three weeks I have had 6 days off from school due to storm precaution, and did I get any writing done? NOPE!

As a college student I’ve been pretty uninspired, busy and stressed. Great combo, huh? Well, I’m still hoping to participate in “book prep October” and “novel writing November”, though, of course separated from that website.

Just trying to plot and figure out weird world building things…. And the end goal of what will probably do a duology or trilogy! Vaguely, of course lol.

As for other projects, I’ve started making kandi! Not many yet but I’ve made a couple stars and singles (mostly due to needing to buy more string lol)! Also, I’ve been wanting to make a short comic, but all my ideas are too long :( oh, and I’m interested in

For now tho, I’ve got TWO essays to write this week, and other random things to do too! So, wish me luck in keeping on track with school and filling in plot holes :D

hopefully I’ll be posting updates to my writing in November… of course, if I feel I have any chance to win the challenge!

:) bye for now to whoever is reading till the end

[nothoughtsjustmhaandotherthings]

Chapter Two of (You're In The) Wind is here!!

And Jia makes her first appearance! We'll see how long she lasts as the voice of reason...

[wellreadwyvern]

🐉RATING: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5 Have you ever participated in a read-along with the book’s author? What a treat! I read A River Enchanted over the course of three weeks, and each Saturday I was able to tune in for IG Live sessions with Rebecca Ross. For each of the three book sections, Ross answered questions and shared about her experience writing the book. A River Enchanted is set on the magical isle of Cadence. This Scottish-inspired world is strictly divided between the Tamerlaines in the East and the Breccans in the West. And both clans are susceptible to the whims of the folk - spirits of fire, water, earth, and wind. I loved everything about this story. The spirits are both whimsical and terrifying. The romance is swoon-worthy. Every character is fully developed and the relationships (between husband and wife, mother and son, brother and sister) are well written and realistic. The book also includes one of my favorite tropes: estranged adult child returns home. If you read my last review, you know I enjoyed Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young. The most common criticism I heard of that book was that readers wanted more magic. As I read A River Enchanted, I kept thinking that *this* is the book those readers wanted. The two books have much in common - disgruntled son returns after long absence, magical island, and a mystery to solve. But Spells is at its heart a small-town murder mystery while River is a rich fantasy with intricate world-building. After finishing A River Enchanted, I was able to dive right into the sequel, A Fire Endless. The first book focuses primarily on the Tamerlaines in the East, while the second fully reveals Breccan life in the West. I’m more than half way through and loving the contrast between the two societies. Hope to share a full review soon! ❓Do you like to read duologies and trilogies back to back? Or do you take a break in between? #ariverenchanted #rebeccaross #fantasybooks #fantasyreader #fantasyduology #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl6j1jDLUjx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[wisteria-lodge]

SHC Character Sorting

3% @justbecauseyoubelievesomething

9-1-1 @cactusspatz

AKATSUKI NO YONA @writingonesdreams

ANASTASIA @alix-in-july

ARCANE @sporadiclyanenthusiast

BARBIE FRANCHISE @missbrunettebarbie, @the-phoenix-heart, @starry-sky-stuff, @laufire

BARE: A POP OPERA @repetitionsings

BLACK SAILS  @laufire

BOKU NO HIRO AKADEMIA @the-phoenix-heart

Hawk & Dabi

More on Deku & Bakugou’s sorting

BOKURANO @swearingintengwar

THE BOLD TYPE @writingonesdreams

BROADCHURCH @connecting-the-mothership

Alec Hardy

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER @wisteria-lodge

BUNGOU STRAY DOGS @writingonesdreams

CASTLEVANIA @the-phoenix-heart

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE @wisteria-lodge

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN @wisteria-lodge

CENTAURWORLD @niche-pastiche

CHUUBO’S MARVELOUS WISH-GRANTING ENGINE: GLASS-MAKER’S DRAGON @thecottageinthedark

DC COMICS

Catwoman / Selina Kyle @nectargrapes

A DEADLY EDUCATION @parpatarts

DISCWORLD @paint-the-ravenclaw

Death @paint-the-ravenclaw

The Witches @thecottageinthedark

DISNEY ANIMATION

Snow White, Cinderella, Alice, Wendy, Tinkerbell, Aurora, Maid Marian, Eilonwy @wisteria-lodge

Jessica Rabbit, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Jasmine, Aladdin, Sally @wisteria-lodge

BIG HERO 6 @dragonsaredorks

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG @the-phoenix-heart

SOFIA THE FIRST @alix-in-july

DOLLHOUSE @missbrunettebarbie & @laufire

DOWNTON ABBEY @montmarayroyal

EMMA (AUSTEN) @alix-in-july

THE EXPANSE @wyrdnis

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF @wisteria-lodge

FINAL FANTASY X @thecottageinthedark

FIRE EMBLEM: THREE HOUSES @lachless

The Lords

The Black Eagles

FUTURAMA @the-phoenix-heart

GOOD OMENS @wisteria-lodge

More on Crowley’s sorting

More on Aziraphale’s sorting

GOSSIP GIRL @persefoneshalott

THE GREAT @missbrunettebarbie

GRISHA TRILOGY @starry-sky-stuff

Six of Crows Duology

H2O: JUST ADD WATER @nectargrapes & @missbrunettebarbie

HAIBANE RENMEI @swearingintengwar

HAMLET @wisteria-lodge

Ophelia

Gertrude

Hamlet & Horatio

Laertes & Fortinbras

HANAKO-KUN @writingonesdreams

HANNIBAL

Abigail Hobbs @dealltheknives  

Will Graham @awritersrejections & @reds-burrow

HARRY POTTER

Harry Potter @awinterrain & @wisteria-lodge

Ron Weasley @wisteria-lodge

Ginny Weasley @awinterrain & @the-phoenix-heart

Peter Pettigrew @wisteria-lodge

Draco Malfoy @awinterrain & @the-phoenix-heart

Vernon, Petunia & Dudley Dursley @awinterrain et al.

Rubeus Hagrid @paint-the-ravenclaw

Sibyl Trelawney @paint-the-ravenclaw

Tom Riddle & Cornelius Fudge @paint-the-ravenclaw

The Weasleys @the-phoenix-heart

Gilderoy Lockheart @paint-the-ravenclaw & @wisteria-lodge

HIS DARK MATERIALS @missbrunettebarbie

HOUSE OF CARDS @sevilemar

KILLING EVE

Eve Polastri & Villanelle @idrewbedraggledbreaths

More thoughts on Eve & Villanelle @ornamental-coral

KILLJOYS @missbrunettebarbie & @starry-sky-stuff

LABYRINTH @the-phoenix-heart

More on Jareth’s sorting

THE LAST FIVE YEARS @dealltheknives

THE LAST UNICORN  @the-phoenix-heart

LES MISERABLES @everyonewasabird

THE LOCKED TOMB TRILOGY @thecottageinthedark

Ianthe & Coronabeth Tridentarius

Ortus Nigenad

LUCIFER @yoursummerfrost

MAFIA III @rottingmanifesto

More on John Donovan & Lincoln Clay

THE MENTALIST @missbrunettebarbie with @laufire

MERLIN @sarahmillie

MIRACULOUS  LADYBUG @the-phoenix-heart

Redux

MONSTERS INC. @dragonsaredorks

MR. AND MRS. SMITH @starry-sky-stuff

NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND @the-phoenix-heart

THE OLD GUARD @wisteria-lodge

ONCE UPON A TIME @starry-sky-stuff

PERSONA 4 @thecottageinthedark

PITCH PERFECT @starry-sky-stuff & @missbrunettebarbie

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA @air-in-words

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN @wisteria-lodge

RED NOTICE @starry-sky-stuff

RIVERS OF LONDON @wisteria-lodge

SANDERS SIDES @magpie-of-a-birb

SCOOBY DOO @air-in-words

SET IT UP @starry-sky-stuff

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS @reds-burrow

SHERLOCK HOLMES (CONAN DOYLE) @wisteria-lodge

THE SOUND OF MUSIC @starry-sky-stuff

SPIRITED AWAY @the-phoenix-heart

STAR TREK (TOS / AOS) @wisteria-lodge

STAR TREK (DS9) @wisteria-lodge

Elim Garak

Julian Bashir

STAR TREK (LOWER DECKS) @reds-burrow

STAR WARS (PARENT SERIES) 

Emperor Palpatine @wisteria-lodge

Anakin Skywalker & Obi-wan Kenobi @wisteria-lodge

Luke Skywaker @sortinghatchats

STAR WARS (CLONE WARS) @reds-burrow

More on Rex’s sorting

STAR WARS (THE MANDALORIAN) @reds-burrow

More on Greef Karga’s sorting

STEVEN UNIVERSE @applesaps et al.

STRANGER THINGS @magratmakethetea

SUPERNATURAL

Castiel @wisteria-lodge

John, Dean & Sam Winchester @wisteria-lodge

Lucifer & Michael @wisteria-lodge

Jimmy & Claire Novak @wisteria-lodge

Ruby & Bela Talbot @laufire

Balthazar @wisteria-lodge

Meg Masters @laufire

TANZ DER VAMPIRE @herlaqueen & @niche-pastiche

TWILIGHT  @misku-nimfa & @livrelady

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY @wisteria-lodge

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES @sevilemar

V FOR VENDETTA @the-phoenix-heart & @wisteria-lodge

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS @sevilemar & @wisteria-lodge

OC SORTING - Essence of the Equinox @nectargrapes

[chromaji]

ever since i saw a post about the idea of sonic (jokingly) being a sort of wind god, i’ve had so many thoughts in my head abt an AU that goes like:

Ok so an AU where Sonic IS a wind god who lives up in, idk, God Land w/ some other gods.

Anyway, one day he decides to drop down to the mortal plane for fun and to experience the world he’s helped create, bc sitting around blessing mortals n stuff gets boring after a while.

Basically, mans skydives outta god land without telling anyone & its all fun and games until he crash-lands in a field head first (& surprisingly does not lose his memory).

From there, he’s found and rescued by Tails and his magical golem. Sonic wants to hide the fact that he’s a god, so he feigns complete amnesia… until Tails decides he wants to try and help him recover his memories. Then Sonic claims to have recovered some memories the next day. He makes up a very odd yet mundane story abt his life. Is his tale believable? …Ehhh if you squint hard enough🤨.

And eventually a plot begins where someone in the story needs, or is trying to get, the 7 Chaos Emeralds or something. idk. Is it Eggman trying to get them for nefarious means? Is it one of the good guys getting a prophecy to gather the 7 emeralds? Someone else entirely? Dunno.

Anyway some lore stuff I have cooked up:

This is basically a fantasy rpg-like setting with magic and kingdoms and all of that. Technology would probably exist, but it’d be magically fueled u know? Like a “phone” being a specific crystal fueled by mana that allows voices to travel long distances or smth.

Tails is a self-taught magic scientist. He’s gone as far as to create a Golem from scratch in his off-time by the name of Emerl. Emerl is seen as odd for a golem, as he wasn’t built with a personality or directive in mind, rather, he was built to form his own personality & directive by observing others. At the start, he mostly takes after Tails & Tails’ friends. Now he also gets to take after this odd, lackadaisical, cocky, yet soft-hearted stranger by the name of Sonic. Yippeeee!

Amy is a paladin (thanks SF:SB) who is the retainer to Princess Blaze of Soleanna. She’s got an eye for strategy (shoutout to whatever Forces was trying in that regard) and presents a more level-headed exterior in the public, but is truly just a peppy, bubbly girl on the inside (& off the clock). She hangs out with ppl like Tails & Cream when she can.

Silver is a mage and oracle-in-training who’s the retainer to Princess Elise of Soleanna. He’s usually cheerful, naive and optimistic, but also has low tolerance & respect for people who bother him (stares at the Sonic Rivals Duology Silver. I love that little punk).

So yes, Blaze & Elise are related here. I mean cmon SOLeanna? SOL dimension? SOLaris??? BOTH CHARACTERS RELATE TO FIRE IN SOME WAY???? CMON!!! Anyway Elise & Blaze are step-siblings & Elise is a bird.

Anyway, there could possibly be a “kingdom” for each of the gods?? I could see characters who’d fit as important royal-like figures corresponding to each elemental god, but im not sure of that yet. At the least, we got the Soleanna Sisters

There are mortals who’ve been blessed by certain gods. Some examples are Tails being blessed by “Sonic” [whatever Sonic’s god name is], Blaze + Elise by Solaris, & Knuckles by Tikal.

Speaking of, so far, the gods I’ve thought of are:

Sonic (Wind), who looks like Super Sonic in his god form & any mortal depictions of him. However, he disguises himself in a different form (that’s just his normal blue self in-game/media) when dropping into the mortal realm.

Tikal (Earth), who looks like her usual in-game self. Also, those blessed by the Earth God are the only ones with notable healing capabilities. While anyone who’s blessed by a god has better self-regeneration than those not blessed, only those blessed by Tikal are can directly heal others.

Chaos (Water). aka the God of Gods. Almost never seen by the other gods unless its something important. Sonic, being the youngest of the main gods, has never actually seen Chaos in any way shape or form. VERY picky about who gets their blessing. Probably doesnt even bless people anymore, actually.

Solaris (Fire), who im not sure what looks they’ll have. Maybe literally how they look in 06 (which i think is just some weird… bird-like shape of light? Or maybe they look like Crystal Mephiles? Or a bird anthro? Maybe they shapeshift when they feel like it? Can Solaris split themself into Iblis & Mephiles or is Solaris just one entity? Much to think about.

??? (Light). There’s a “Fallen God” who was once known as the God of Light. After a certain incident, they were branded as the God of Destruction and banished to the mortal realm with his memories wiped. The God of Light is hardly known or worshipped in the mortal realm after most traces of their existence have been removed. These days, those blessed by the God of Light are few and far between, to the point where it’s become a mark of misfortune to have such power. Hmmmm I wonder who this Fallen God could beeee 🤔

& there may be another character or two who could fit the role of a god but idk off the top of my head.

…& I think thats all i’ve got for now. Listen this has been cooking in my head for days and especially last night for some reason. lmk what yall think bc its a fun little story idea thats been swimming in my brain hgkgh. Or if yall wanna shoot off some ideas n stuff that’d be fun too.

[yourneighborhoodbibliophile]

Not pictured: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

July Monthly Reading Wrap-Up

I read eleven books this month. ✨

1. One Last Stop, Casey McQuiston — ★ 3/5 stars ★

2. Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston — ★ 4.5/5 stars ★

3. Carry On, Rainbow Rowell — ★ 4.5/5 stars ★

4. Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell — ★ 4/5 stars ★

5. Any Way the Wind Blows, Rainbow Rowell — ★ 4.5/5 stars ★

6. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, Mackenzi Lee — ★ 4/5 stars ★

7. The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky, Mackenzi Lee

8. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller— ★ 5/5 stars ★

9. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin Alire Sáenz — ★ 3.5/5 stars ★

10. The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune — ★ 4/5 stars ★

11. In Deeper Waters, FT Luken — ★ 3.5/5 stars ★

I started to read American Royals and Majesty of the American Royals duology by Katharine McGee, but I haven’t finished them. 😌✨