#two fey from different courts

[astronomodome]

New gridaph rivalry foundational text just dropped

[elumish]

When talking about why stories are written certain ways, I think two fairly separate ideas are often conflated: 1) the author's reasons (conscious or unconscious) for writing a specific story a specific way and 2) the systemic reasons for stories like the one you are looking at being written the way they are.

To separate out from any of the trickier subjects for a second, let's look at romantasy over the last five or so years.

If you look at a book like A Game of Love and Betrayal by Elayna R. Gallea (chosen only because I've read it and also have Thoughts on it), I can reasonably assume that the author likes or is interested in writing about vampires and magic/fae, and probably enjoys dating competition shows.

But the book also follows some very clear and direct trends in recent romantasy.

The popularity of fae in its current iteration can likely be tracked primarily to A Court of Thorns and Roses--while some earlier fantasy romance series like the Tairen Soul series by C.L. Wilson had "Fey" as an immortal, ethereally beautiful species with elemental powers, fae tended on average more towards being directly inspired by the Tuatha Dé Danann and aes sídhe of Celtic mythology that we've seen in everything from Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series to Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. Using fae in the manner used in the book not only draws from those ACOTAR framings but also capitalizes on its popularity.

Much of the plot mirrors Kiera Cass's The Selection, reflecting the trend of modern romantasy to throw back to or draw direct inspiration from young adult books that were popular from the mid-2000s to mid-2010s (e.g., Twilight, The Hunger Games). This is because a decent chunk of romantasy readers (especially those who are popular on Booktok and Bookstagram) are women who were teenagers during that time and read those books, then got back into reading with ACOTAR and Fourth Wing. Many popular romantasy books are a direct play on that nostalgia and familiarity.

The book is very focused on nobility and royalty. While this is not unique to romantasy, romantasy plays much more heavily on that than other fantasy genres.

We can see here that both personal preferences (assumed, in this case, because I've never spoken to the author) and systemic forces can be true at the same time. Chances are that some of those personal preferences are driven by those systemic forces, and at the same time, the popular nature of those personal preferences is what drives those systemic forces.

And someone analyzing or criticizing systemic forces doesn't necessarily mean that they're being critical of a specific person's personal preferences or motivations.

It can be true that a person is writing about a white character being attacked by a Black character because they themselves are a white person who was once attacked by a Black person, and it is still possible to analyze and be critical of the way that story reflects and exacerbates broader systemic views on Black people being a physical threat to white people.

It can be true that a person finds dubious consent or sexual coercion or controlling relationships hot in fiction but would never do it in real life, and it is still possible to analyze and be critical of the way that story reflects and exacerbates broader systemic views on sex and sexual pressures and expectations in relationships, gender roles, and sexual violence.

And sometimes it is also possible and even important to analyze and be critical of a specific person's personal preferences and motivations for writing things a certain way. When JKR, a woman writing under a male name because I guess she's the only one allowed to go by a name associated with a different gender than she was assigned at birth, writes about someone being killed for having transphobic beliefs, it is important to be critical of it not only in the context of broader transphobia but also JKR's specific history of being transphobic.

[thegnomelord]

just read about demon hunter reader and demon ghost cuddling, and the first thing i thought was how ghost would react if, one of these times, reader ends up having a wet dream and dry humping his ass 😋

about time that our demon thinks of getting laid, he's disgusted and turned on at the same time

Sorry this took a while lads :Dd, I'm getting back into writing after all that shit with my school but I got a summer job as an assistant medical worker with 12h shifts every other day so It might take a bit for me to write stuff.

Hush, Hunter

CW:NSFW, MDNI, demon Simon Ghost Riley x male hunter reader, grinding, wet dreams, handjob, blowjob, size difference (demon ghost is like 11 feet tall.)

Your ‘husband’ is strange, even by demon standards.

He grumbles about the inconvenience brought on by your mortal failings and fragility, growling whenever you have to stop at a gas station to buy food or at some dingy motel to sleep. He grumbles even more about being confined in the stolen human skin suit he's forced to wear to blend in.

You can ignore the stranger with the stolen face and hellfire eyes throwing dark glares at you for the most part, except for when the demon decides to make the binding ring around your finger heat up when you spend too long talking to the pretty cashier. And it only takes a few more seconds of not paying heed to the incessant burn before Ghost Simon looms behind you, glaring at the flustered cashier like she’s a fey trying to trick you into the Fey Lord’s court.

And the big bastard never gives you any explanation on why he’s acting like that, just drags you back to your car, slamming the doors closed with enough strength to shake the entire vehicle. He’s like a cat honestly; hisses at you, but doesn’t want to let you out of his sight or claws.

But when your nightmares get so bad your only chance of sleeping is on the floor, well hidden behind the bed with your back flush with the dingy motel wall, Ghost surprises you by laying down with you. Sure he grumbles about the demeaning position - laying like some mongrel dog - but he still does it.

Ghost is on his side, his broad muscular back to you, rough inky scales swallowing all the moonlight that filters through the blinds and turning him into a pitch black wall of muscle. He’s so still you might even think he’s sleeping – you know he’s not; demons aren’t tied to mortal laws, nor are they subject to time’s iron grip, that’s what makes hunting demons so dangerous. The only indication you have that he’s awake is the occasional twitch of his tail and the slight shuffle of his wings when you accidentally get closer to him in your attempt to get a comfortable position.

You flinch when his one wing spreads out and back, but the blanket of black and blood dyed feathers soon eases the tension in your body. Probably too quickly, definitely too quickly, but Ghost doesn’t draw attention to it and neither do you and the night is cold and he is blissfully warm and he stays stock still when you shuffle a bit closer. You're glad he pays no attention to you when you get comfortable against him, barely an inch of space between you two.

His feathers tickle your face, they’re softer than you’d expect a wrath demon to have, fluffy like the down of chicks. His scent invades your nose, rough leather and steel oil and something distinctly demonic you can’t name. . . but it’s strangely comforting.

Laying only an inch or two away from a demon goes against everything you’ve ever been taught. Your nerves should be on a razor’s edge, but instead you’re calm. You don’t know why your fucked up mind finds comfort in the fact a possible threat would need to go through half a ton of murderous wrath demon to get to you. And you don’t want to think about it either, you’ve had far too many sleepless nights for your brain to care how you manage to sleep so long as you do. And the moment you close your eyes, you’re out like a light.

Ghost has gotten used to your nightmares.

Just like his father’s absent love, your nightmares are consistent. He’s almost impressed how such a frail thing like you could hunt the likes of hydras and Hell Dukes when you barely sleep a wink most nights. The longest you’ve gone is a couple of hours of restful sleep before you woke up trying to claw your eyes out. You never talk about it, nor does he, Ghost may be a demon but he knows far too well how the mind can haunt someone.

And Ghost has gotten good at telling apart the individual nightmares by how you squirm in your sleep.

It takes a little longer for the nightmare to start than usual, but he knows you’re neck deep in it when you heart starts it’s frantic drumming in your chest. He ruffles his feathers as your hands grip his sides, your breath fanning over his skin. He thinks it might be the basilisk haunting you this time by the way you press yourself flush with his back, burying your face into the space between his shoulder blades until your nose is flush with his spine, back hunching to further shield your eyes.

Ghost doesn’t, nor will he ever, mention the low happy rumble that escapes him when you snuggle up to him. His feathers fluff up, the scratchy hair of his tail flattening down - about as silk soft as he can make them. It’s little better than throwing pearls before swine, you won’t remember any of this after all, but doing this strangely doesn’t feel as much of a burden as it should.

Usually the low deep purring growling will chase away your nightmares and lull you into a dreamless sleep for a little while, but not this time. You squirm against his back like an eel, muscles tensing to grip his sides until dregs of pain dance along his spine. Your breath fans across his scales, your heart pounding in his ears like that of a rabbit’s caught in a snare. He’s just about ready to turn around and wake you before he feels it—

Your arousal pokes his back, hard like iron.

Only now does he pick up the slight sweetness of arousal in your adrenaline rich scent. “Hm- fuck.” You mumble as you roll your hips to grind your cock against him. “Slow- fuck fuck- slow down.” You breathe out, and Ghost swears this must be another part of his father’s eternal punishment. The sudden thought that your dream is of a sexual nature smites him with all the intensity of his father’s rage.

Who do you think you are, taking his little mercies for granted? Who do you think you are, grinding against him like some mongrel mutt? Who do you think you are holding him as if you are more than the eventual reward for the maggots fervent prayers? Who do you think you are—

“Ghost- Simon. . .” His name, his original name, leaves your lips; it’s the softest he’s ever heard you speak.

“Human.” He seethes and rolls around, pushing the warm feeling –warm like a campfire compared to the blistering pits down below that usually dwell in his chest– out of his mind. “Disgusting.” You’re so small compared to him, your head could easily fit in his rough hand, a momentary lapse in the binding’s protection all that it would take for his flesh rending claws to cleave through your skull. He’s thought about it often, of the look in your eyes as your life fades, of how good your blood would taste, of how nice your shoulder would look with his teeth marks on it. . .

His hand is gentle as he reaches to brush your cheek, like he’s handling glass, rumbling when you lean into the touch. “Wretched thing.” He growls, hand sliding from your cheek to your back and pulling you close. He feels you nuzzle into his wide chest, carefully bullying his thigh between yours, steel hard muscle tensing to give you a good surface to grind on. “Nothing more but a mongrel waste of flesh.” He doesn’t notice how quickly his voice has lost heat, barely above a murmur as he listens to your breathless gasp and watches your back arch.

For someone usually so guarded, you are painfully naked in flesh and soul, responding so wantonly to his touches; from low moans to soft little murmurs of ‘Simon’ and ‘more’ that has him mindlessly rubbing his thigh against your crotch in hopes of getting more of those so painfully human sounds. You moan and nuzzle into his chest, your body like soft clay in his hands now that you’re no longer shackled by the chains of pride and prejudice that your mind conjures around him

You’re like a strange bug to him; a part of him wants to pin you down, to tear you apart with vicious claws and see if there’s anything different in the way your heart beats, in the way your lungs move, in the way you exist — something substantial to show why holding you in his arms doesn’t feel as degrading as it should.

He wonders, briefly, if this is what God saw that made him love Adam so much. Why God did not have the heart to kill Adam for his disobedience.

Greed moves his hands like they’re puppets on strings, flesh rending claws carefully tracing the bumps of old and fresh scars that dot your abdomen — perhaps you aren’t so pathetic, it takes strength to survive this long. Your skin prickles from his touch, your breath fanning over the rough belly scales protecting his front as his hand slowly moves down. He hooks a claw under the band of your underwear and pulls down until your cock springs out right into Ghost’s hand.

Ghost hasn’t seen many cocks before, why would he?, but a low sound comes from his chest at how neatly your cock fits in his hand, how neatly all of you fit against him. And only now does it dawn on him that he doesn’t know how to do this— he’s a wrath demon for fuck’s sake, he understands war and bloodshed like it’s the back of his hand, but this? This is new territory.

Well, he’s never been one to back down when he’s gotten this far.

His hand slowly closes into a fist, just a little loose around you. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t be anything but gentle in the way he strokes you. Your hips move on their own, gentle little rocks to fuck your cock into his fist and he follows along with the motion. It’s a little rough at first, he feels how the dry slide of his hand makes you shiver, but he soon finds a nice pace as your precum eases the glide of flesh on flesh.

He wants to see your face when you moan, but he can’t bring himself to pull you away from his chest when you cling to him so sweetly, your lips mindlessly ghosting over his scales. So he contends himself with coiling his tail around your leg, draping a wing over you so there’s a barrier between you and the rest of the world, so no creature from heaven high or deep below may entertain the thought of taking what’s his.

No good thing lasts for long.

He feels you wake like the first thaw in spring, slow and gradual, eyes fluttering open, mind still clouded with pleasure to really understand the position you’re in. He takes advantage of that, gripping your hip to keep you close, swirling his tumb in the precum beading at your head and squeezing his hand just right to coerce a breathless moan from your chest.

Then your eyes snap open, realisation hitting you with the same intensity as the punch you throw at his skull. But the ‘marriage’ turns that show of force into a gentle caress of the skull cheek of his ‘face’. “Ghost what the fuck are you-” You begin, cut off as another clench of his hand has you gripping his forearm and biting your lip to silence yourself. 

“Oh hush hunter.” Ghost rumbles low in his throat, his wing tensing behind your back to bring you in closer, soft blood dyed feathers encasing you in a cocoon of warmth against his cool belly scales. “No need to wake the other worms.” Disdain and mockery drip from his voice like molasses, yet strangely it doesn’t feel aimed at you. . . it must just be the pleasure making you believe that.

“You- bastard!” You snarl, trying to summon the hunter savagery that had been meticulously beaten into you, but it slumbers like a fat cat. “Fuck off- get away from me.” You aim to slam your fist against his scaled abdomen, just a little lower and to the side where the floating ribs should be, but all you manage is a slow caress of his side and back up his chest where you can feel his eternal soul burning beneath the flesh.

He laughs and slides his hand down, rolling your balls in his wide hand and squeezing just enough to be at the edge of pain– shit, that should not feel so good. You hiss and throw your head back despite the inherent danger of exposing your throat. He tilts his head down, ghostly breath washing over your ear, “We both know if you wanted this to stop you would have done so.” Oh, now you can just feel the mockery in his voice, sweet like honey that it is.

Some petulant part of you thinks of arguing, anything to retain what remains of your damn pride, but then he slides his hand back up, pressing your cock against your stomach and grinding the palm of his hand against your shaft and all the thoughts of arguing are pushed to the side by the tide of pleasure. Fuck, it’s been far too long since you ‘took care’ of things, it’s not like you have much time to wank off, let alone with Ghost hanging over your shoulder like some grim reaper. And hell, if any other hunter heard you let a damn demon jack you off, yours would be the next head put on the stake but. . . but Ghost is surprisingly gentle with you, not a single hint of pain coming from his touches, not even from his claws gently running down your side.

“Fine-” You suck in a sharp breath, head fixed to stare directly at his chest. “Make it quick.”

You feel him smirk against your ear, “As you wish, hunter.” He laughs lowly, like you’re nothing but a cute puppy chewing on his shoelaces, “Though, you should thank me for debasing myself like this.” He growls, and with a sharp move of his wing he rolls you on your back. 

You gasp as your back hits the sleeping mat, and before you can even struggle Ghost looms over you, a wall of muscle and dark scaled flesh. “Fuck no.” You growl, some scraps of pride still clinging to your mind, though even those are threatened when his broad hand returns to stroking your cock, faster this time, the drag of his palm making pleasure sizzle up your spine. Your head rolls back to rest on the mat and you don’t even notice when you close your eyes. You’re not sure how Ghost is so good at this, something sharp like jealousy curling in your stomach at the thought of him doing this to someone else. But it’s hard to think when you can feel and hear him purring, his claws gently tracing your stomach and leaving lingering heat everywhere they touch.

You jump as something slick brushes over your balls, “Look, good hunter.” He growls and you listen without thought, eyes wide when you see his tongue— it extends from the darkness of his head just beneath the rotten upper teeth of his skull, long, black, thick strings of oil coloured spit dripping off his tongue. “That’s better,” He purrs; you’re not sure how he can talk, and you’re unable to ask because he leans in closer until your cock rests against his skull, his hellfire eyes burning in the darkness and giving just enough light for you to see his long black tongue curl around your base like a snake. 

Shit– he wants to kill you.

“Holy fuck Ghost-” You breathe out, lungs burning before you remember how to breathe. His tongue moves, squeezing your base and sliding lower to lap at your balls. You’re forced to bite your finger to stop the painfully pathetic sound burning on your tongue.

He stops moving and you’re thankful he doesn’t mention the whine that slips past your lips. “Simon.” He demands, oily spit clinging to your skin and making it tingle with heat.

“Simon.” You nod along dumbly, “Fuck- Simon.”

“Good.” You imagine he’s smiling when he says that, his hand returning to stroke your cock in reward. “Call me that again.” He says, a purr rumbling in his chest and you can’t help but moan at how the vibrations travel through his tongue, making it act like a vibrating toy.

Your hands fly to grip his horns, the pleasure making you throw your head back yet you try to keep your eyes on him, hiccuping his name between harsh breaths. He doesn’t mind the touch on his horns, leaning into the touch before flicking his tongue at your taint. He rewards you for each time you say his old name, tongue and hand working in tandem to slowly and steadily march you towards release. 

You try to tug on his horns to warn him, or maybe to pull him away, but he pays no heed; he doubles his efforts, wetly slurping at your balls and base while his hand toys with your crown, his free hand holding your hips down so all you can do is weather the pleasure until you’re finally pulled under the waves. “Simon-” You gasp, cum spurting all over his hand and your stomach. 

You watch through lidded eyes as he retracts his hand, keeping his gaze on you as he lazily licks up your cum from his hand. “Better than I expected.” He rumbles, more to himself than you, leaning up to drag his long slimy tongue across your stomach to gather up all your cum.

 Shit, that sight got you hard again before you could even soften.

You’re not sure if the greed you see spark in his eyes makes you scared or even harder, but you’re not left any room to think further about it before his tongue wraps around your cock again.

Unfortunately for you, demons have no concept of time as mortals know it, so his ‘quick’ ends up being the entire rest of the night. At one point you get to the point you’re sure Ghost is trying to kill you with all the pleasure, spit polishing your cock until he’s satisfied and by that point the sun is rising and your voice is hoarse.

You can’t meet the gaze of the motel receptionist in the morning, but Ghost Simon, looks smug like the cat who ate the canary.

[fiddleyoumust]

I've been thinking about my taste in historical c-dramas and realized I always lean toward political/palace intrigue over xanxia or wuxia fantasy dramas. So, without further ado, my list of favorite historical c-dramas (with a happy ending) that ground the romance in political power struggles.

1. The Double

Cast: Wang Xing Yue, Wu Jin Yan

Synopsis: After being framed for adultery by her husband and his family, Xue Fang Fei takes on the identity of the deceased daughter of a high-ranking court official in order to clear her family's name and take revenge on the people who wronged her.

This drama is flawless. Both the FL and the ML are two of my favorite characters of all time. They're both smart, funny, and badass in their own way. Their relationship is one of mutual respect and admiration, and the way they fight for and support one another is beautiful and romantic. The villains are fleshed out and great at making you hate everything about them while also understanding their motivations. Wang Xingyue gives an INCREDIBLE performance as Duke Su, and while I think Wu Jin Yan is too old to believably play a teenager, she is a fantastic actress who does a complicated character justice. I really have nothing negative to say about this drama. It's perfect to me.

2. Blossom

Cast: Li Yun Rui, Meng Zi Yi

Synopsis: A chance meeting between a woman leaving her cheating husband and a general helping a second prince overthrow the crown results in both of their deaths, intertwining their fates. When the woman wakes up reborn in her 10 year old body with all her memories intact, she has the opportunity to change her fate, the fate of the general, and maybe the entire country.

Dou Zhao and Song Mo are my parents, full stop. This couple is so good - both smart and capable in their own right, but damn near unstoppable together. Their chemistry is great. Their love and devotion for each other is crazy, and they're both just so, so pretty 🩷. I never found this drama boring, but I have seen some people say they thought the back half drags a bit. I think if you're not fully enamored with the couple, that might be the case since the back half focuses more on palace power struggles, but I'm a political intrigue girlie, so I was hooked the whole time.

3. Are You The One

Cast: Zhang Wan Yi, Wang Chu Ran

Synopsis: An anti-heroine bandit and a vassal Prince army general find their lives entwined when he saves her from near death and uses her resulting amnesia to trick her into thinking they're a married merchant couple in order to use her to catch the mastermind behind her bandit stronghold. As he sinks deeper into his own lies, he desperately tries to cling to their made-up life, fearing the day she regains her memories...

THIS SHOW!!!! My beautiful power couple who outsmart everyone but each other and wield death with knives and swords. This show does so many things right. The palace politics are interesting. The second male lead is compelling and complicated in a way that makes you seriously consider him as a contender. Both of our protagonists are smart, capable fighters who slowly realize they want the same things but have chosen different paths to achieve their goals. Also, the ML is a SIMP, which I am always here for.

4. New Life Begins

Cast: Bai Jing Ting, Tian Xi Wei

Synopsis: Ignored by his Emperor father and neglected by his concubine mother, the 6th prince of Xin Chuan marries the daughter of a farming family from a neighboring country as part of an annual marriage selection. Together, they face the challenges of court politics, royal etiquette, treatment of women, and international relations as the prince's reputation rises in the court of Xin Chuan and he begins to earn the respect of his father.

The ML and FL are great, and their relationship is solid, lovely, and heartwarming. But the real delight of this show is the women and their friendships. The unwavering support and love all the female characters have for one another is the true heart of this show. If you love women supporting women and women fighting for change and equal access to power while a few great men support them, I can not recommend this one enough.

5. The Princess Royal

Cast: Zhang Ling He, Zhao Jin Mai

Synopsis: After 20 years in an arranged marriage, Princess Li Rong has her Prince Consort, Pei Wenxuan, assassinated after she believes he's been slowly poisoning her. She dies from the poison soon after his death and wakes up to find she's gone back 20 years, memories intact, to before she and Pei Wenxuan got married. She quickly realizes that Pei Wenxuan is also back, and the two of them must decide what parts of their past they'll repeat and what parts they can change to avoid their fate.

Li Rong is one of my favorite female characters. She's cold, closed-off, analytical, and so repressed it's painful. She's tries so hard to protect herself, that she ends up missing out on the most important thing in her life the first time around and her bravery in trying to change herself enough to not miss it a second time is breathtaking. Watching fiery and charismatic Pei Wenxuan try to properly win her heart in their second life is one of the most swoonworthy romances I've watched. The politics in the show are engaging, and there is interesting meta to be had around how our desires and how we prioritize those desires affect the course of our lives.

6. The Story of Kunning Palace

Cast: Zhang Ling He, Bai Lu

Synopsis: A wicked Empress is pushed to her death after a coup overthrows the Emperor. She wakes up in her 18 year old body and vows to make different choices this time around. But changing her course is more difficult than she imagined, and things become more complicated when she gets entangled with the man responsible for the coup and her death in her first life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the politics and court drama of this show, but ultimately, it's the performances of Bai Lu, Wang Xingyue, and especially Zhang Linghe as the intense and unhinged Xie Wei, that really make this drama worth watching. Bai Lu's chemistry with both MLs is fantastic, and her scenes with Zhang Linghe are so charged that you'll be holding your breath. They both chew their way through this drama immaculately. Watch it for the simple joy of watching two actors ACT.

7. Melody of Golden Age

Cast: Ding Yu Xi, Ancy Deng

Synopsis: In order to protect her family, the 6th daughter of a low-level court official marries the favored general of the queen dowager in place of her older sister. Neither party wants the marriage, but neither can afford to anger the queen. They decide to bide their time and divorce in a year, but in the meantime, they help one another achieve various goals... and, of course, fall in love for real.

I can't be rational about Ding Yu Xi. If he's in it, I'm tuned in. His chemistry with Ancy Dang is fantastic, and watching his character, Shen Du, slowly melt and fall for his wife, Yan Xing, is so, so enjoyable. I was less interested in the mystery/court politics of this one, but I still liked it a lot. The romance is very good and Shen Du and Yan Xing are dreamy protagonists.

8. Blossoms In Adversity

Cast: Hu Yi Tian, Zhang Jing Yi

Synopsis: The feisty and brilliant daughter of a noble family must find a way to keep all the women and children in her family alive when her grandfather offends the king and gets their family's wealth, property, and status stripped away, as well as all the men banished to a labor camp.

This show is all about the FL, Hua Zhi, for me. She is a fantastic character - strong, sensible, smart, and fearless - while still managing to hold on to her heart and see the good in the people around her. Her love story with the prince/commander lacked something for me. I think I wanted it to be more intense than it was and might have worked better if a different actor played him. But, Hua Zhi, her family dynamics, the court politics, and all of the side characters were beyond enjoyable.

9. Flourished Peony

Cast: Li Xian, Yang Zi

Synopsis: A woman in a terrible marriage makes an escape with only the clothes on her back and a rare potted peony her mother left her. She ends up pawning the peony to the king's flower envoy in order to start a business, and the two become entangled as a result.

The FL, Mu Dan, is a badass. She tackles villain after villain with just her wits and the sheer determination to live her life freely. The ML, Cheng Yang, realizes early on that he's found a kindred spirit, but neither of them are interested in romance at first. I loved that they are genuinely friends for the majority of the show and that the ML trusts Mu Dan to solve her own problems, rarely stepping in to help her because he knows she's strong enough to solve it herself. This show, much like New Life Begins, highlights the horrors of being a woman in this time period. And like New Life Begins, one of the best things about this show is the women Mu Dan collects throughout her journey, building her own little found family. Flourished Peony has a 2nd season on the way that will air some time in the back half of 2025, but the end of S1 is solid and won't leave you hanging if you decide to watch it before S2 comes out.

10. The Rise of Ning

Cast: Zhang Wan Yi, Ren Min

Synopsis: After spending most of her childhood in the country away from her scholarly family, Yi Ning, the black sheep daughter, returns home for her grandmother's birthday. Rivalry between her and her other siblings and cousins cause tension, but she finds an ally in her father's illegitimate son, Shen Yuan, another black sheep who has cultivated a life for himself in the shadows of a family that doesn't acknowledge him. Together, they try to solve the mystery of Yi Ning's mother's death and decades old case involving Shen Yuan's master. A case that puts them in contact with a dangerous man from Ning's past.

Full warning, the romance in this is between Yi Ning and Shen Yuan. Spoiler: No, they're not really siblings. He knows they're not very early on. She finds out much later, and the romance starts after that, but he's very clearly already fallen for her while she still considers him a brother. If the trope bothers you, skip this one.

If you're like me and don't care 😂, this show is great. Yi Ning is a sweetheart with a spine. The second male lead is a combination of incredibly handsome and scarily unhinged, which makes him all the more sinister. Shen Yuan is smart, calm, and deadly - my male lead kryptonite!!!, and his devotion to Ning is so wonderful. I also have a Zhang Wan Yi bias. His face is just very, very good to me. The mystery plot is engaging, and I didn't ever find myself bored with this show.

[carriagelamp]

My favourite books from 2024! Another really strong year of books for me -- every year will have some stinkers and a bunch of middling reads, but the highs of this year were really high so I'm pretty content

As always, I give more detailed descriptions and opinions of the books in my month reviews, but here's a quick breakdown for anyone who's interested:

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

A non-fiction book that looks at how childhood has been “rewired”, focusing specifically on the increase of overprotective parenting, increase of tablet/social media usage, and decrease of unstructured, independent play. It was a fascinating read that really looked at how children need to be given lots of opportunities to play, take risks, and make mistakes in order to learn and grow and how a loss of that might be impacting people’s mental health. As someone right on the cusp of the age bracket that’s being focused on, it felt very exposing.

Apothecary Diaries v1-2 by Natsu Hyuuga

Maomao is kidnapped and sold as a servant to the imperial palace, where she serves as a general dogsbody in the rear palace, home of the emperor’s various consorts and concubines. She’s determined to keep her head down until her contract is up… until she helps solve a mystery and catches the eye of the powerful eunech Jinshi who soon learns about her in-depth knowledge of apothecary work and anything to do with poisons. Very funny premise, Maomao hates Jinshi soooo much and he is such a simp for it. She just wants to eat poisons and be left alone and he says “no<3” to both of those

Bury Your Gays (and Straight) by Chuck Tingle

Both of these are very explicitly queer horror novels. Straight is a novella that riffs on the format of a zombie story, but with straight people becoming inexplicably violent towards queer people one day a year. Bury Your Gays is about a Hollywood screenwriter who realises his horror creations are begin to stalk him in the real world. Both are very intentionally built around social commentary on queer issues, and despite have audacious premises they completely own their camp and end up producing really well thought out, insightful stories. I can’t say I liked either as much as Camp Damascus but either is worth a read.

Console Wars by Blake J. Harris (and Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier)

Console Wars is a nonfiction book I’ve meant to read for years on my brother’s recommendation and I quite enjoyed it. It explores the history of the video game console market in North America, with a focus on how Nintendo revitalized it and how Sega then swooped in to upset the monopoly it held. The book is written in a very narrative, personable style and I found myself really rooting for the various people and companies being portrayed ahahaha. A shockingly fun read. I also read Blood, Sweat, and Pixels which wasn’t quite as narratively compelling but a related read that looked at games with complex development cycles.

Defekt by Nino Cipri

Technically the sequel to Finna which I also read this year, but Defekt works as a stand-alone and is, imho, the better of the two. Both deal with a surrealist horror Ikea setting, where the sheer density and liminal-space-ness of it all allows strange wormholes to open up between these stores from different dimensions. Finna deals with actual wormhole hopping, whereas Defekt focuses in on one employee who gets assigned to a very strange overnight inventory shift.

The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish v1-2 by Xue Shan Fei Hu

Fish isekai book. Is this a good book? No. Is it a really really fun book? Yes, in spades. In this book, Li Yu wakes up in a court drama novel… but not as a character but rather as the tyrannical prince’s pet fish. He is given the task to improve the prince and is stuck figuring out how the hell to do this as a fish. This book knows exactly how ridiculous it is and leans into it. Li Yu and Prince Jing are both idiots in very unique and exciting directions. No one knows what the fuck is happening.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

A prequel to Every Heart a Doorway, though it works perfectly well as a standalone. Honestly I liked it more than the first. This book has deliciously gothic horror vibes, and it plays with all the tropes you would expect from gothic horror / fear of the sublime. It’s about sisters who find a strange chest that lets them descend to the sinister land of the Moors. This is where vampires rule, werewolves stalk, and mad scientist’s ply their craft. The girls end up separated on and very different trajectories as they grow and acclimatize to the brutal existence of the Moors.

Escape From Incel Island by Margaret Killjoy

Exactly what it says on the tin. Completely insane book that is very worth the read if you feel like something that is patently insane. I strongly recommend treating this as a read aloud with a friend or loved one because I read it with my brother and couldn’t stop laughing. Top notch mercenary Mankiller Jones is sent to escort a computer scientist to Incel Island to retrieve lost governmental data. There they have to survive the hoards of Nice Guys, Volcels, Betas, and every other violent inhabitant of the island if they ever want to… escape from Incel Island.

Heaven Official’s Blessing v6-8 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

I finished the main series of Heaven Official’s Blessing (without reading the extras yet), and man what an ending! I could not have asked for a more epic or satisfying conclusion! The final battle and its various stages? The character reconciliation? The villain reveal? Perfect, no notes. The series itself follows Xie Lian, a prince who has ascended to godhood twice and been cursed and cast out from Heaven just as many times, giving him the title of the Laughingstock God. The story begins with him, to everyone’s dismay, ascending a third time.

Horrorstör (and Paperbacks from Hell, My Best Friend’s Exorcism) by Grady Hendrix

This book also deals with a Strange Alternate Ikea, but is the superior book. This was one of my top reads for 2024, and it was flawless horror. It is essentially a haunted house story set in an Ikea, that manages to be both chilling, disgusting, and a shockingly insightful critique of capitalism and retail. Very worth the read. 

After reading this I also read Paperbacks from Hell (a nonfiction book that does an analysis of horror fiction from the ‘70s and ‘80s, very good read) and My Best Friend’s Exorcism (which was decent but not my favourite of Hendrix’s since possession and exorcism isn’t my favourite brand of horror. The vaguely queer undertones and ending I found interesting, and it did some cool things throughout.)

Jeeves and Wooster books by P.G. Wodehouse

I ended up listening to so many of the Jeeves and Wooster audiobooks this summer while I was travelling. There were some I really really loved and some that fell very flat for me. I think I listened to too many in a row by the end… These books are like popcorn, not deep but very fun, and follow the airheaded but good natured Bertie Wooster and his man Jeeves who unfailing swoops in to solve all the strange and inane problems the Bertie gets involved in. They tend to be funny, light-hearted, and clever in their resolution of plot problems… though some of the issues do get rather repetitive. My favourites were: The Inimitable Jeeves, Very Good Jeeves, Right Ho Jeeves, and the Code of the Woosters.

Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Some excellent science fiction, especially for my Pacific Rim loving heart. This bordered on the cosy fantasy genre, while mixing in plenty of science, world-building and a good dash of excitement. During the Covid-19 lockdown, Jamie Gray is stuck trying to make ends meet as a food delivery driver… until he runs into an old acquaintance who suggests he might have a very different job offer for him. Jamie ends up joining this very secretive “animal rights group” and finds out just how massive, dangerous, and otherworldly these “animals” are by being risked to an entirely different dimension filled with giant, radioactive monsters.

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

One of my favourite books from this year! Tthis book managed to hit on very topical subjects with both tact and humour. Lula Dean has spearheaded a book banning crusade, managing to get a number of “problematic” books removed from the library and has made a show of setting up a Little Free Library in her yard full of “appropriate” books instead. When Beverly Underwood visits her mother and hears about this she’s so exasperated with it all that she quickly hatches a plan swapping out the dust jackets of some of the banned books with the ones in Lula Dean’s Little Free Library. The rest of the story is about various people in the town who borrow a book from Lula Dean’s library and how the book they got instead ends up impacting not just themselves but their town. The first story involves a penis cake. Can’t recommend it enough, starts out humour and quickly becomes something you want to rally around.

My Happy Marriage v1 by Akumi Agitogi

This was pure mindless fluff, it was honestly a delight. This is a low-fantasy, Cinderella-esque story set in the Taishō era. It focuses on Miyo Saimori who lives under the thumb of her cruel step-mother, haughty step-sister, and indifferent father. She’s resigned to being treated like a servant in her own home and ekeing out a strained existence, but her life takes a turn when she finds herself nominally engaged to the allegedly cold and cruel Kiyoka Kudou. It’s just absolutely overwhelmingly cute and I really enjoy the contrasting POVs.

A Series of Unfortunate Events and Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket

I’d never finished The Series of Unfortunate Events when it was originally coming out, so I finally sat down and did that, and honestly it was well worth the wait! It was a very interesting series to read as an adult, especially all in one go, because it really let me appreciate everything that Snicket was trying to say. It was a much more clever and philosophical read than I was anticipating, and The End was fucking superb. He absolutely stuck the landing, it completely blew me away. Poison For Breakfast was also a very interesting standalone novella that felt like surrealist philosophy. I might have even enjoyed it more than the basic TSOUE.

The Poison Squad (and The Poisoner’s Handbooks) by Deborah Blum

Poison Squad is a very compelling and topical nonfiction about the formation of the American Food and Drug act. The state of unregulated food processing in the late 19th century was, in a word, nightmarish. Don’t read this book if you have a weak stomach. But it’s completely fascinating to see how one person, Dr Harvey Wiley, made it a personal mission to scientifically prove what all these mysterious food additives were doing to people and put limits to what could be sold to consumers. I liked it so much I went to read Blum’s other book, The Poisoner’s Handbook which is set during Prohibition and explores the rise of forensic medicine and again exposes how people were being poisoned by simply living their standard lives.

The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill

The real, true history of the New York City Pushcart War!! For real!!! This is a delightful underdog story that is really written in the style of a history textbook recounting the fictional Pushchart War. This war started in New York City as the roads get increasingly congested with traffic, the worst offenders being the increasingly massive and arrogant trucks. The trucking companies hatch a plan though: if they begin to push out the little pushcarts, framing them as the problem for the congestion, then how hard would it be to push out taxis next? Or buses? Or motorcars? How long until they can make the road a perfect habit for trucks and trucks alone? How can something as small and poor as a pushcart owner fight back?

Railsea (and This Census-Taker) by China Miéville

I heard Railsea described on tumblr and it sounded sufficiently insane that I had to read it for myself. This author is truly unrivaled when it comes to bizarre worldbuilding that feels both very, very grounded in reality while also being completely unexplained and impossible. Railsea is essentially a Moby Dick meets Treasure Island retelling but with trains instead of boats and giant, mutated, vicious moles instead of whales. Unhinged. Can’t recommend enough. I followed this up by reading his novella This Census-Taker which was not as much of a frolicking adventure but fucked with my brain just as much or more than Railsea did. Genuinely not sure I even know what happened in that story but I enjoyed the experience of being completely fucking baffled for some 200 pages.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Another book to ideally not read if you have a weak stomach. This novella is very big on unrelenting body horror. This is a twisted fairytale retelling in which a cannibalistic Little Mermaid meets a plague doctor Frankenstein. Both of them are walking away from cruel past lives, along a trail that’s soaked in blood and viscera. You feel how painfuly and disgustingly human this book is, while also being so wildly separate from anything that resembles human anatomy or morality. Superb.

Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System v1-4 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

The last of MXTX’s three series I needed to read. It was the one I was most hesitant about, but I ended up having a really great time with it. It is simultaneously the most light-hearted and silly of the three series, while also the one that most gleefully dives into torture and sex. So you get a bit of everything with this, and as usual MXTX does a really good job of mixing the humour and series in a way that keeps things constantly interesting. The story is about Shen Yuan who dies our of pure, frothing fury after reading the shitty ending to the shitty, porny webnovel he’s been reading for hundreds of thousands of words. He dies cursing the lousy author and the lousy writing so he’s given a chance: step up and do it better! Which is easier said than done, when he finds himself waking up in the body of the series’ villain who is destined to be gruesomely tortured to death. Better get on that!

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench and Brendan O'Hea

This is the written result of a number of interviews held between Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea and she discusses her time as a Shakespearean actress. It looks into what her time working with theatre companies was like, summarizes the plays she took part in, and delivers into some fascinating character analysis of the roles she played. An absolute treasure of a book for someone who enjoyed their Shakespeare and/or Judi Dench.

Singing Hills Cycle v1-5 by Nghi Vo

Probably my favourite series that I read this year, I can’t wait for the next book! This series follows Chih and her magical bird companion who come from the Singing Hills Monastery, an order that is devoted to keep recording tales and keeping a history of the land. Chih travels all over in these various novellas, collecting stories, memories, and histories that they come across. The first book has them entering the recently unwarded palace of the late Empress to learn about her marriage, imprisonment and rise in power. The second has them trapped by a pack of tigresses with nothing to do but frantically lure them into comparing stories. 

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Ten year old Ada was born with a club foot and because of it has never been allowed to leave her apartment. She lives a hard life trying to care for her younger brother and suffer through the abuses of her mother. Things change though as the Second World War truly begins and London begins to evacuate children to the country. Ada is determined — she and her brother will evacuate, they will escape their mother’s house, even if it means her learning how to walk on her club foot. Even if it means facing how different life is for unwanted slum children in the country, and confronting how much she and her brother don’t know about life. This was a very touching book, it did a great job of balancing Ada’s justifiable pain and anger with an optimistic story. Queer elements are all subtext but there — they aren’t the main focus of this story.

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

This book absolutely took my breath away, it was a next level literary experience. It’s very, very solidly magical realism, so don’t go into this expecting true fantasy, everything going on here is allegorical and a beautifully done allegory at that. This story is set during the 1950s, in a time surrounding an event known as “The Mass Dragoning” when thousands of women suddenly, spontaneously, transformed into dragons and flew away. The story follows Alex Green who was a child during this event. Her aunt transformed. Her mother didn’t. Both of these things have profound impacts on Alex as she grows up, and a woman’s role in society, a woman’s anger, her joy, her desire are all questioned and explored.

[sapphicmsmarvel]

the night courts justice

pairing: platonic!rhysand x reader

summary: rhysand learns your past traumas are more alike than he assumed.

Tw: MASSIVE trigger warning for r*pe being mentioned. Graphic, graphic violence. Feminine rage, unhinged female rage. Unhinged. 

Would like to preface: this is a work of fiction, uh, yeah. 

I know people write more detailed shit than I did however, I just wanted to give the violence disclaimer bc this is the most violent thing i've ever written (i usually just write fluff!)

Happy reading to my unhinged vengeful girlypops <3 

After you turned, you got bad. You had always struggled with depression, however the fae transformation increased that feeling. 

Rhysand noticed first because you were showing the signs that he did after under the mountain.

“You’re taking care of them, so they’ll be okay when you leave.”  He had approached you on the balcony.

You weren’t an idiot. “Sometimes, I do wonder what would happen if I just…” You waved your hands around. “Ceased.” 

“You wouldn’t see Feyre again.” His voice cracked. “She was what was keeping me from…ending it after I got back.” 

“I don’t know the extent of what happened to you.” You began, “but I can fill in the blanks.” 

“How so?” “From one rape victim to another, I can see the signs.” You simply stated.

It was silent and then, “Feyre found me that night.”  Your voice was a whisper in the wind.

He paused, he could feel the sorrow radiating off of you. You swallowed, “she found me abandoned in the woods, that’s where I was taken. At the time, we had no idea who it was, or where he was from. It was close to the wall. Hence how she found me. I had been there since the previous night. Missing for almost a whole day plus a night. She was hunting at night so people wouldn't get greedy when they saw her with prey. She brought me back to the cottage, her dad was asleep, Nesta woke up because I couldn’t get up the steps and she heard a bang.” You sucked in a deep breath, “I couldn’t get up the steps because….he had hurt me too badly.” He put a hand on your shoulder, he wasn’t one for physical affection like this with someone he barely knew, but he knew you needed it.

You didn’t push him away. 

“Fey and Nesta got me up the steps, it was the first time I had seen the two of them work as a team. They got me in the bath, cleaned up the blood that was staining my legs, my…everything.” 

He tried to keep his rage contained, however it was hard, you felt the air turn denser. 

“I appreciate the sentiment, Rhysand.” You laughed bitterly. “It’s over and done with.” 

“Do you want revenge?” 

You sighed, “Yes, which makes me terrible-”

“No it does not.” He hissed.

You shrugged, “it doesn’t matter.” 

After a brief silence he asked, “You said, at the time. Who was it?” 

“He was from the Spring Court. Not Tamlin or Lucien. Or the guy that Fey killed. But now that I am here, and I have the heightened senses. I recognize the different courts, it’s the smell. He smelled like the Spring Court.” 

“Can I see what he looked like?” Rhysand asked. 

You nodded and let him into your mind.

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

During the war, it had completely slipped your mind that you had told Rhys about these things. Or rather showed him the face. Feyre had come back and then you were off fighting a war. Not too much time to dwell on things. 

But, one day you were called to “the torture chamber” as you called it, however Azriel disapproved even though he also agreed. He just didn’t like how blunt you were about it. 

“What is this?” You asked. 

That’s when you could smell it. The smell of dandelions and dewy grass. The smell that had haunted your nightmares long before Hybern had. You saw him tied to a chair, beaten and bloody, his mouth had a gag stuffed in it. Azriel was behind him, Rhysand off to the side and Feyre was behind you, she had come with you. But based off the look on her face, she knew all along. 

“You can either kill him or I will.” 

“Doesn’t this look bad, High Lord?” You asked, quirking an eyebrow. “If this gets out…” 

“Oh it can, I don’t particularly care, let them know I don’t tolerate anyone being raped, let alone someone in my court. Let Tamlin come and try to defend this.” 

“He’s an asshole, but he never raped me.” Feyre walked up and put a sword in your hands. “Gut him like a fish.” 

You took the sword, ready. You looked at him as he wept. “Do you remember me?” 

Silence. 

You lifted his head with the tip of the sword, drawing blood that trickled down the metal. 

Gods, nothing has ever looked so fun. 

“I said, do you remember me?” You asked in an innocent voice. 

He shook his head, screaming around the gag. 

You widened your eyes, mockingly, “you know I screamed that night too.” 

HIs eyes widened, you didn’t know if he was recognizing your scent, or if he had done this to multiple people and he’s trying to figure out which one you were. “You went across the wall, found an innocent sixteen year old girl. A child. You took me out there and you raped me. And then at the end, when I was crying into the dirt, begging for the Mother to put me to sleep so I would stop hurting; do you remember what you said?” You asked. 

He didn’t answer, so you shoved the blade in deeper, causing a bigger waterfall the color of revenge to cascade down the blade. “I asked a question.”

He shook his head. 

You let a cruel smile slip. “You said that with the way I was acting, I had it coming.” You laughed and his eyes widened. “And now, you’ll see what you’ve had coming all these years.” 

With that you moved the sword. He let out a breath, but then saw you go to the table and grab pliers. 

“How many people?” You asked starting with his finger, that’s when you saw the wedding ring. You laughed coldly. “What poor person did you trap?” 

He glared, you smiled and took the pliers and pulled off a fingernail. He screamed around his gag and it was music to you. “I ask again, how many?” 

He kept screaming, so you kept pulling. 

Once you started on the other hand, that’s when he stopped screaming and began nodding. “You’ll tell me?” You asked. 

He nodded so you removed the gag. “Nine.” 

You let out a laugh through your nose. Not a genuine one of course, but one that showed you were about to become even more angry. “Do you remember their faces?” 

He nodded and you looked at Rhysand, “if you’d ever be so kind. I want to pay them a visit.” 

To let them know their monster is dead, and he did not die a slow death. 

Rhysand nodded to let you know, he intruded the male's mind and then left the room with Feyre. 

He would show her their faces, she would draw from memory. Then you would find them to give them peace that he was dead. 

Only Azriel was left in the cell.

Then you smiled again, a twisted and evil one, “and now our fun begins.” 

That’s when you smelled the urine. 

And your smile grew bigger. 

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

The male was later found staked to a rock by the wall. An ice pick through his forehead and his hands, pinning him to the old stone. The word “rapist” was carved into his naked chest. All fingers were broken and nine teeth were pulled out of his mouth. 

Then a letter was sent to eight houses, explaining that their monster was dead and if they chose to, they could see what became of him by going to a certain spot. 

All eight showed up. 

Well nine but no one could see her. No one could see her or the High Lord of Night Court watching. 

“You feel better?” 

You sighed, “murder is bad, however I can rest easy knowing he’s dead.” 

“Yeah, you definitely know he is.” 

You snorted, “I may have had a bit of fun.”

“He definitely deserved it, the thing with his penis though was twisted.” 

You laughed outright at that. “That was Azriel’s touch.” 

Rhysand shuddered, “once again the guy deserved it, but Gods, you filet’d that thing.” 

“They’ll find it in the autopsy.” You shrugged, sipping your hot chocolate, that fought off the cold Sunday morning. 

He lifted his cup over for a cheers and you clinked, and both of you took a sip. “We’re fucked in the head aren’t we?” You said. 

He nodded, “Oh we definitely are. At least we’re surrounded by other fucked individuals.” 

“Cheers to that.” 

And once again you clinked mugs. 

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

The next day you were called into the Feyre and Rhysand’s office, part of you wondered if it meant that the mortals had connected the murder of the Night Court and now you’d have to pay for what you’d done. 

But when you walked in, Feyre was smiling genuinely. 

Rhysand gave her a loving look, “could you at least pretend it’s something bad just to mess with her?” He drawled teasingly. 

“She’s my best friend, she’d know I was lying.” Feyre responded as if Rhysand was dumb. 

Could confirm, you would know. 

“I thought I was your best friend.” Rhysand put a hand to his chest as if he was offended but you both could tell he was not. 

You and Feyre shared a look and rolled your eyes in unison. 

“Can I just know what’s going on?” You asked. 

“We want you to be the Night Court’s Justice.” “...Isn’t that what Azriel is for?” 

“Azriel is for collecting information on enemies. You will basically be an assassin for us.” Rhysand explained. “If you so desire.” 

“Who would I go after?” 

“Anybody that poses a threat to my family.” His eyes flashed with anger. “Someone hurts anyone, including you. Then you have our full permission to slit their throats.” He said. “Obviously, we’d give you assignments. When you don’t have assignments you’d be working alongside Azriel.”

You nodded and then went, “fuck it. Okay.” 

“You don’t want to think about it?” Feyre asked. 

“If I’m taking out people that are like the bastard I just killed, then I will do it. Rapists deserve nothing else.” 

Rhysand smirked, “welcome to the court.”

[operationslipperypuppet]

ballad of a green knight beverly toegold

a quick (ten minute) and harrowing combination of campaign one of naddpod (and our favorite dad who made a bad deal but also his son, who shares his name) with emily's ballad of a green knight

transcript under the cut!

lyrics from Ballad of a Green Knight with NADDPod C1 moments. Lyrics are in italics. Episode numbers quotes are pulled from are in parentheses next to the line.

darling I can't see you anymore

Beverly (Caldwell): Take us to the land where my people may heal. Take us to the Feywild. (20)

I'm afraid they've summoned me to war.

Murph: The garden glows green, then takes on a gel-like consistency, then gets brighter and brighter as Bev’s dad and company are pulled into it. The last thing you see is a face full of green goo as Uncle Duck is swallowed down by the flowerbed and the green knights and the green teens escape to the Feywild! (20)

Promises I have made to the Queen and to the Fae

Cran (Murph): When we traveled through the portal, we landed in the Summer Court. King Lestibourne and Queen Cirilla accepted us with open arms. And in return, we defended their kingdom. (47)

And I intend to keep ‘em with my sword.

Cran: He went to the Winter Court to try to track down King Lestibourne. (47)

Darling if I never make it home to you

Bev Senior (Murph): You tell her the truth, Bev. You tell your mom that I died in the Feywild. (58)

I’ll visit you as butterflies and dew.

Martha (Murph): Your father, he came to me in a dream, and it was, I don’t know, I just, uh, I knew it was real. (70)

In another place and time, I swear I would have made you mine

Martha: Oh, wait, you - your father never came home. Usually - He’ll get home late sometimes but, oh boy, he works hard, you know? I love him. I don’t know what I’d do without him. (14)

But I have got a duty to strike true.

Murph: Bev Senior just Fey Stepping away and he’ll just fall and (sword noises) blade clashing against Barrett Brisden’s. (57)

 Green though I be, remember me

Murph: You see this little halfling man, this Green Knight, this Knight of the Summer Court, Captain Beverly Toegold IV, Fey Steps, doesn’t Misty Step, Fey steps over to this angel and grabs its ankles.

Bev Senior: Let go of my boy, you sons of b-s! (52)

Who I could have been if we lived in peace

Murph: You see that there are like 20 copies of him, like, trying to write you that letter and say that he was proud of you, and he kept throwing them out.. (14)

Married my blade to the fate of the Fae

Bev Senior: I sure as heck ain’t letting somebody just kill my dang queen, okay? (56)

Traded my days for honor and fame

Murph: You see Bev Senior shaking hands with Akarot. (57)

Green be my steel, be my bow, be my shield

Murph: The high priest Merrick Highhill is reading the Vizier his last rites and your father is there with a sword drawn, looking stoic. (80)

Pledged to defend the vine and the hedge

Murph: The Vizier extends his neck. Your father swings the blade.

Beverly: And I watch the blade fall.

Murph: Um, you see the Vizier’s head is severed from his neck and rolls forward. (80)

Remember me when the leaves and the breeze

Martha: It - I - I could tell he was there, but he was different, and I knew he wanted to help me, but there was something cold and distant about him. (70)

And the trees start to tease the first breath of spring

Martha: Bev, he - he told me that everything will be alright in the end if you do what needs to be done. (70)

I would’ve loved to pledge myself to you

Murph: He just was hard on you because he didn’t want you to make a misstep and die and be another person that he lost. (14)

But that is not the world that I was born into

Bev Senior: Okay, when I was growing up, I had six siblings, and now I got none. So I need you to stick around, kiddo, alright? (13)

A knight is always forged in the crucible of war 

Bev Senior: We had three Toegolds that died in the war against the Giants. We had two Toegolds that died in the war against Asmodeous, and then we had your Uncle Ronald who fell off a dang balloon, okay? And he was goofing around, okay? (13)

And that is what I gave my word to do

Bev Senior: I couldn’t - I couldn't have helped you without - without Akarot, without - without his power. (58) 

So I will fight with all my verdant might

Murph: You see your father has given you a strategy guide on how to beat him. (70)

The blight of night will never dim my light

Murph: This is the same lay on hands that your father would cast on you, like, when you fell off a horse when you were first learning how to ride. Um, this is the lay hands that was used on you when you, um, broke your nose using sparring swords, um, when you were first learning to fight as a Green Teen. This feels more like your father than this monster that is in front of you. (81)

Though the memory of you makes me turn a shade of blue

Bev Senior: You turn around and you face Thiala, the one who took our home from us. Pick a side, Beverly. (80)

A Green Knight has a duty to the Wild

Beverly: I try to reach out to the spores, I try to reach out to the amulet. I just try to reach out to anything that isn’t this, that isn’t this duty, that I’ve always felt deep down. (80)

Green from my head to my toes, ‘til my death

Bev Senior: I always, I knew I could make the deal 'cause I - I knew you’d stop me. (81)

Pledged to protect the vine and the hedge

Murph: Your dad, he retains the parts of his personality that are the worst things about him. Um, and then other than that, he’s just a devil that serves Ilsed. (81)

Green is my blood, I’m sorry my love

Alanis (Murph): I like to let other people make their own decisions, but your dad was insistent that you could stop him and I thought he was right. (83)

Remember us after I’m gone

Bev Senior: I love you, Bev.

Murph: Your father starts to weep, and you see a vision of an angelic woman with a wimple take him into her arms. (81)

Oh that I could be in love and be good

Moonshine (Emily): And it’s very important to me to get you back to Martha Toegold and keep you in Bev’s life. He just really missed you. (54)

But I made an oath to the fields and the wood

Moonshine: A child has a duty to his father, but a hero has a duty to the world. Now, I’ve got my opinion of what you are, but it’s time for you to decide. (80)

So think of us all when the snow starts to fall

Moonshine: I tried my best to bring him back to you. (71)

And though we may fall, the order lives on

Jolene (Murph): Alright, let’s do this the right way. Please repeat after me, Beverly Toegold. The Green Knights fight with all their might.

Beverly: The Green Knights fight with all their might. (90)

Darling in another place and time

Martha: You know, and if it doesn’t work out, then we’ll all just go to Shadowfell and we’ll buy a nice little house. (99)

I’d have been content to make you mine

Bev Senior: I knew you'd be able to stop whatever was in your way, even if that was me.  Part of this journey is becoming your own person. As long as you fight for what's right, that's what the light is to you. (93)

And in the dream of death, I’ll dream the life I could have had

Bev Senior: The Dusk Mother sent me to Shadowfell to do penance for selling my soul there for a minute. (93)

If  I hadn’t pledged myself to hedge and vine

Lydia (Murph): You’re looking at the captain of my shadow guard, Beverly Toegold IV. (93)

[fillingthescrapbook]

Let's Talk About: Cloudward, Ho! to the Secrets at the South Pole Station

Holy motherforking shirtballs.

Did I expect that we were going to Zood? Yeah. I think, if you're not a first-time watcher of Dimension 20, there's already an expectation that Zood is a destination that our Sky Intrepid Heroes will arrive in within the campaign. What I did not expect was for it to happen by Episode 3.

Then again: if we're playing by adventure rules… Yeah, Episode 3 tracks. This is the end of the first act. We are getting what we wanted, and now we're going to have to realize what exactly it is where going to get.

And this being an adventure season… I feel like we're gonna get a lot of puzzles. I'm both excited and worried. Excited because puzzles are great fun when done by Dimension 20. Rick Perry and the props department, KC McGeorge and the art team, Derek Christiansen and the projection team, everyone involved in the production of this show always pulls out all the stops when it comes to the puzzles. And it is always outstanding.

Worried because, as evidenced by this episode, Siobhan Thompson is a very smart person and she solves these things so fast we don't get more time to marinate in them. I mean it's still great. Like, seeing Brennan realize that the tough puzzle they designed was getting owned by Siobhan while still being very involved in what's going on at the table was amazing TV. For me. I do worry though that the puzzles might get more complicated moving forward.

But this is Brennan. Fun comes first. So I shouldn't be worried. Right?

As for the rest of the episode: I understand why we couldn't get have more time at the south pole. We're on an adventure. But I really wish we could've spent more time there. The vibes were immaculate. And to think Brennan didn't even think they were going there.

Two hours is a long time but I truly did not feel the time passing during the episode. The bits were flowing just right, the tension was incredible, the reskinning of certain abilities from different systems… Amazing. I love that the Mech Suit has wild magic that's flavored with tech. The rumor system from A Court of Fey and Flowers getting brought back was unexpected but it fits in perfectly…especially when you have players who know each other so well. The anxiety rolls coming back?

This season truly has everything.

And, sorry to Zac, but I am now joining the Wealwell train. He is like Gilear but made more chaotic. I mean, what other NPC would have a move called "Dynamic Stand: Withstand Edition?" Wealwell is perfect.

Other two things I thoroughly enjoyed and found hilarious:

Daisuke attacking seagulls for sustenance. (Hi, Josh Ruben!)

And the Zephyr's dinghies going back to the ship via spring instead of via the claw machine that the Zephyr already has. Because of course.

[sunriseinorbit]

i am fully aware that i'm lowkey making shit up but i truly think there's a strong parallel to be found between godot and mia and phoenix and trucy when it comes to how tragedy can paradoxically bring you into the orbit of someone you love (romantic or familial) enough to completely change your priorities and the entire course of your life.

the fawles trial ends in loss in the form of fawles' death. so does the gramarye trial, in the form of zak's disappearance and phoenix's disbarment. the ramifications of both events haunt everyone involved for several years afterward as the case remains technically unsolved, and both diego and phoenix end up performing their own unofficial investigations behind the scenes to figure out what really happened. but conversely and crucially, both trials also mark major turning points in their relationships with mia and trucy respectively.

diego and mia already know each other and have worked together prior to the fawles trial, but i think the trial is the first time diego sees the full depth of who she is. he sees her kindness and her conviction and especially how the two combine into her unwavering belief in fawles' innocence until the very end, and he also sees the fallout firsthand when she blames herself for fawles' death, which has just as much of an impact on diego as the death itself. (basically what i'm saying is that you can take the headcanon that this is when he really falls in love with her out of my cold dead hands. anyway!)

meanwhile, phoenix meets trucy for the first time before the gramarye trial, and later that same day, she gives him the forged diary page that destroys his career. in a strictly literal sense, she is his undoing. (to be clear, i am not blaming her for this at all. she was 8.) but despite that, it's trucy who has nowhere to go when court is adjourned. zak told her that she could trust phoenix, and so she does, and now there's a little girl standing in phoenix's office when everything else is gone.

and at this point, both of these men are in vastly different situations, but the choices they make are at their core very similar: diego chooses to work to bring dahlia to justice in no small part for mia's sake, and phoenix chooses to take trucy in. and for better and for worse, in ways both healthy and VERY much not, they center themselves around that choice from then on. everything diego does once he comes back as godot is, at least as he justifies it to himself, is in mia's name. and as phoenix himself says, "happy, smiling trucy, she was my light"—taking care of her is what stops him from spiraling more than he already has.

neither of them knew what the future would hold. diego couldn't have predicted that he would get poisoned, and he didn't know just how deep the fey family issues truly ran. phoenix didn't know if zak would come back for trucy, or if he'd ever be able to practice law again. but while they both have their regrets about how things turned out, i think that if they were offered the choice to love mia and trucy all over again, even if the events that led up to it and happened because of it would play out exactly the same way and they'd end up in the exact same place, they would both still take it.

[maspers]

About the Persona 5 / Ace Attorney Timeline

I've seen a handful of fics engage in crossovers between Ace Attorney and Persona 5, largely along the lines of "So-and-so defends Joker in court" or some other assortment of shenanigans. And those are really fun, because the idea of Sae Niijima or Shido's Lawyers having to put up with Phoenix Wright (or Apollo Justice, or Athena Cykes, or whomever else) is delightful.

But here's the thing.

If we assume 20XX really is 2016 (and its calendar among other things indicates that yes, it is) then Persona 5 starts on April 9th, 2016. With Ren's false assault charges and the subsequent involved trial likely occurring anywhere between a couple weeks to a month beforehand, just so everything could get arranged for him to get registered at Shujin and for Sojiro to get located and convinced to take him in and so on and so forth. My guess is it happened in March, right before the school year started up, leading to his arrival at Shujin being later than the actual start of said school year.

The First Turnabout, Phoenix Wright's debut case, where he defends Larry Butz from a murder charge and honestly only barely gets a Not Guilty verdict by the skin of his teeth, with copious advice and assistance from his mentor, takes place on August 3rd, 2016.

In the games, at least. The anime gives the date of March 26th 2016, but the anime is very wishy-washy with dates and has a handful of other inaccuracies so I trust the games canon more.

In Ren Amamiya were to get a defense attorney from the Ace Attorney series to defend him in court from Shido's fraudulent assault charge, it would not be Phoenix Wright. It would be Mia Fey, who is far more comfortable than any of Phoenix's crew when it comes to dealing with underhanded criminal conspiracies involving large businesses and corruption.

Can you imagine how that would throw LITERALLY EVERYTHING IN BOTH GAMES OFF THE RAILS

Even if things end up going really badly and Mia dies to one of Akechi's mental shutdowns instead of to Redd White, that's still enough of a difference and enough of a divergence to set Phoenix and Maya (and later on Edgeworth, which might possibly mean Franziska too) on the trail to the Antisocial Force. Not to mention regardless of whether or not Mia succeeds in getting Ren a Not Guilty verdict, things are still DRASTICALLY different. If he gets Not Guilty then suddenly Yaldy has to do a lot more work to get his pawn where it needs to go (assuming he doesn't select a different opponent for Akechi entirely). And if Ren is still declared Guilty he'll see how completely destroyed Mia (and her tagalong lawyer trainee Phoenix) are by the verdict after doing everything they can, and be reassured that there will still be at least two adults he can trust, meaning he and the Phantom Thieves will be able to use the lawyers as a resource later down the line. Heck, Mia or Phoenix could even be a Confidant for him. Most likely this would come into play during the Medjed Arc at the earliest (because of Sae bothering Sojiro) and the Shido Arc at the latest (for obvious reasons).

Either way, the Ace Attorney Cast is involved, and provided with a very interesting distraction from the cases that Mia and Phoenix would normally have dealt with that year.

The First Turnabout probably still happens, since Larry will always get his friend to defend him, but Turnabout Sisters probably doesn't happen at all since Mia's pursuing a different conspiracy this time around. Turnabout Samurai might not happen either (though hopefully Will Powers still has a good lawyer). Then in Turnabout Goodbyes the murder happens LITERALLY on Christmas Eve right when the Thieves are facing down Yaldy, which could throw EVERYTHING about that case off when the murder might not even happen on schedule due to Metaverse shenanigans.

(Plus we'd probably get to see Mia Fey and Sae Niijima in the same courtroom and like YES PLEASE)

[frickingnerd]

love triangle with franziska & maya

pairing: franziska von karma x gn!reader x maya fey

tags: respectful rivalry, jealousy, supportive!phoenix & miles

there's quite the appeal to both women; the confident and cunning prosecutor franziska von karma and the cheerful and cute maya fey! both girls are so different, making it hard to choose between them…

maya is a lot more affectionate than franziska! people are going to think you're already dating maya with how clingy and affectionate she is with you!

franziska is rarely as affectionate as maya, though you know that whenever she compliments or praises you, she truly means it! and because those moments are so rare, they are even more special and memorable!

franziska and maya don't interact much with each other, only crossing paths in court from time to time, yet the two truly respect each other!

and while the two both have feelings for you, they are mature enough not to turn this into a childish competition! even though they have nothing to lose, they'd rather stay civil!

of course, phoenix has hopes that you end up dating maya, who he views as the better partner for you, while miles believes you are the person that could truly make franziska happy!

there are a few times that maya and franziska are jealous of each other, hearing how close the other one is to you, yet they never want to let their jealousy get the better of them!

[theallianceofcelestials]

You wanna hear me and Fey's shitty half-dead rambles from friday night? So we have these two oc/sonas, Mine is named Arcade, a 28ft mer that resembles a celestial, just look at my pfp for color scheme and face And Fey's is named Betty, a chaotic terror to humanity that looks like this:

And we ofc decided to crackship them it is lovely Arcade loves his feral bat wife So, Fey had the lovely question of: "is this gonna be SCP shit or normal?" which turned into: "Is this gonna be more SEA bullshit or normal?" The answer is: it's more SEA bullshit So, Arcade and Betty are quite honestly an amazing couple but are absolute terrors, and both like tall men (Funny convo from me and Fey on how Arcade and Betty got married: Betty: "i want to climb your ass like a tree" Arcade: *blushes* -30 mins later- Dr Rey: Now Arcade, do you take Betty as your wife-) yeah, Betty likes tall men and Arcade just has a thing for creatures that will fight him if ya know where this is going lol Blah blah blah, chaos, Arcade is bored and terrorizes researchers, they have already munched 4 (in his defense, they deserved it) and Kc, being part of security, appears. Anyways Arcade found a new creature to court then, he goes back to Betty and we get couple bonding time of polyamorous shits figuring out the best way to flirt with a scp 13666-1 Fey said Betty's flirting style is direct as fuck: as in "I want him in my bed-" or "im gonna climb that bitch like a tree" and Arcade's flirting style is slow and formal: "Why you look quite nice today" and such so, yeah, uhm. Me and Fey are very stupid, and also a funny scene we made: Eclipse: Istfg if that fucking fish and bat keep flirting with my dad im going to have a aneurysm. I think you are the only person in this site who isnt scared of my father or simps for him! Dr Rey: heh... y e a h . . . and another one: Eclipse: rating my coworkers based on how they view my dad, first we have Dr Rey, 10/10 isn't weird in the slightest. Dr Rey's only notes on SCP 13666-1: H O T Omg another one?!: *containment breach siren going off and the fam staying in the room cause it's easily defendable* Arcade: *flops up to the door and easily opens it* Hiiiii have you guys seen my wife anywhere? the fam: ??? Eclipse: Please dont tell me she's following kc again Arcade: ...i mean u can like look up and figure that out yourself- the fam: *looks up* Betty: Hiiiiiii *hanging from the ceiling* We also have Flare being me and Fey's fav character so we have multiple shitty rambles of Arcade and Betty kidnapping Flare and just pampering him for a day Either Kc can get married to the hard-headed shits or have a custody battle over Solar Flare <3

(if u want to ignore this its fine, me and Fey just thought this is to gorgeously stupid that we had to share it)

Rey what the fu-

KC is not settling down for them lol. He'd much rather chew up his own nightcap than get with people who kidnap his kids and want to climb him. He doesn't like it, thanks, and he WILL run for the rest of his life if he needs to

Also at this point he'd just gather everyone and decide to move somewhere in the woods where no one can find them. Or go and live in a different dimension.

He'd also get so good at the whole: No, I don't see you, I don't care, leave me alone please

And then he'd just say he's gay (he's pan but ignore that), to get them off his back, hoping they'll leave him alone.

And if all else fails, the holy cross which he doesn't believe in is his only chance left. Maybe they're like demons and will leave them alone

/silly

[okminer07]

Mice Among Beasts Pt 4

Belle opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a low grumble. The ground shook as Teddy got to his feet and lumbered over. His eyes fixed upon Willow. She backed away as he lowered himself down towards her, getting right up in her face. Before she could react, a long pink tongue slammed into her and licked her head to toe.  

“Ugh!” she threw herself back, frantically wiping at the hot and sticky saliva now all over her. 

“He’s saying thank you” laughed Belle, giggling at the sight of her positively drenched sister.  

She groaned, glaring up at Teddy. His face fell into a pout as he laid down, resting his head upon his paws. For whatever reason, that look tugged at her heartstrings. She rolled her eyes but smirked.

“You’re welcome,” she muttered. His eyes lit up and he let out a content sigh.   

“Willow?” Her sister tugged at the bottom of her shirt, “You said you learned that sort of thing when you were my age, right?” 

“Well, give or take a few years but yeah,”  

“Can you teach me?”  

Willow simply stared for a moment, before raising a brow. Her sister had always been one to constantly ask questions, the curious sort, but had never shown interest in learning magic. 

“Why do you want to learn?” 

She shrugged, “I’m interested.” 

“Well…” she crossed her arms, thinking, “It isn’t really something that can be easily taught.” 

“But someone taught you. Grandpa, right?”  

Willow fell silent. The girl was right, her Grandpa had taught her, but he had spent many long hours doing so, and he had a purpose for doing so. He too had been a Green blood, one of the reasons why she was surprised Belle even knew about him for their mother and father would have certainly made sure their Blue blood daughter would keep her distance.   

“He taught me because he knew I’d probably need it.”  

Belle crossed her arms, “Well, don’t I need it?”  

If she had been asked this ten years ago, she would have immediately responded with no. But with their… unique circumstances, perhaps there was some merit in teaching her blue-blooded sister a thing or two.  

She sighed, looking down and placing her hands on her hips, “As I said, it takes years to probably learn this stuff, not to mention an actual competent teacher. But… if you’re that interested…” She reached her hand into her pouch and brought out two seeds, “I’ll see what I can do.” 

Belle beamed up at her. She hastily sat down, still smiling, and stared up at her expectantly.  A bit taken aback by her sister’s enthusiasm, Willow paused. She shook her head and cleared her throat. 

“Right, So…” how in the Hells should she go about this, “Well, first and foremost, there are a few basic principles or laws when it comes to this sort of magic. Do you… do you know what makes it different from most other mage’s?”  

Her sister thought for a moment, “Because… something to do with Mystra?”  

Willow nodded, “Right, or better put it, how it doesn’t have to do with Mystra. Most mages outsource their magical abilities from her. Now, I’m not sure how correct this is but Grandpa used to tell me that long ago, Mystra had a falling out with Titania. As a result of this feud, Mystra refused to grant magic to any fey. So, Titania, in response, gifted her subjects their own magic, ensuring they’d never need to call upon anyone outside of her court.”  

“So… what does that have to do with laws and principles?”    

“Because this magic has a different origin, it has its strengths and weaknesses. For one, it is not bound by spells or incantations. Some refer to it as wild magic ”. She tossed one of the seeds into the air. With little effort from her, the seed burst open and transformed into a fully grown daisy. With just as little effort, she caused it to shrivel up back into a seed right before it landed back in her hand. 

Belle was bouncing in her seat, on the verge of no longer being able to contain her excitement, “So you can do anything?” 

“Well, not exactly. There is a catch.” she kneeled down and held out the seed in front of her sister, “A starting off point is required. Unlike with most magic, something can’t be created out of nothing.” The seed sprouted in her hand, “It’s best to use things that are willing, even eager to change; fire, water, air, things that are easier to manipulate.”  the seed began to grow a stem, “Plants though, seem to respond best to it. With enough focus and practice, you can turn any little seed into a tree that pierces the sky or turn a daisy…” she covered her hands for a moment, before opening them, “into a rose.”  

“Woah.” mouthed Belle, reaching out and taking the red flower from her hands, “So, how do you do it?”  

Willow stood up and sighed, “Well, that’s the hard part to explain, it’s uh…” She paused. The ground shifted beneath her as Teddy inched his way closer before plopping himself down right beside Belle. He simply lay there at attention, as if wanting to hear the lesson as well. 

Belle giggled and held the rose up under his nose, “Teddy’s also impressed.”  

She rolled her eyes and smirked before continuing, “As I was saying, it is hard to explain really how it’s done. Of course, Grandpa had much to say on the topic, the only thing I can come up with is… well… you just think hard.” 

“That’s it?” 

“Well… no, but that’s the simplest way I can put it. Here,” she took out another seed and placed it on the ground between them, “Let’s uh… let’s start out simple. I want you to try and make this seed sprout.” 

Belle hurriedly crawled over. She stared down at the ground, her eyes fixed upon the seed, “How?” 

Willow knelt down beside her, “Just… try and concentrate on it and what you want it to do. If you can, try to… connect with it.”  

Her sister turned to her, confused, “Connect with it?”  

“Maybe just the first part for now. Go on, give it a shot.”  

She watched with bated breath as her sister focused back down upon the seed. Handing over the rose to Willow, she scooped up the seed and covered it up with both her hands. She closed her eyes, bringing her hands to her chest and screwing up her face in concentration.  

With a loud exhale, Belle opened her eyes and excitedly opened up her hands. Willow looked down, only to see the seed looking the same. 

“Try again.” 

She did. No changes. She tried several more times. Still nothing. 

“Can you show me again?” Belle held the seed up to her sister. 

She took it from her and covered it, this time thinking through how to explain what she was doing as the seed popped open. “Try not to only imagine what you want it to do, but egg it on to do it.” She handed the seed back over to her sister who stared at it for a moment before covering it up once more. This time, she kept her eyes open which fixed a glare upon her clasped hands. 

Her sister’s brow twitched and her temple pulsed as she strained her mind. A second later, she peeked through her hands and shrieked with excitement. 

“I did it!” she cried, holding her hand right under Willow’s nose. The seed, just barely, had sprouted.  

She smiled, placing her hand on her sister’s head and roughing up her hair, “Nice work.”    

Belle batted her hand away, giggling, “Can I try-”  

A loud growl pierced the air, causing the two to freeze where they stood and peer over at the source. Teddy was getting to his feet, eyes alert and ears perked up.  Following his example, Willow strained her ears and listened. Voices. 

Her face paled as they quickly grew in volume. She grabbed Belle and pulled her close. Above them, Teddy lumbered his way forward in front of the pair and plopped down, once again obscuring them from view. 

“I swear to you! It came right for us!”   

“Ridiculous, what would a snake be doing here?” 

Willow looked down at her sister and pressed her finger to her lips as the dungeon doors burst open. The ground rumbled beneath them as several pairs of feet headed their way, followed by the familiar stench of goblins.  

“Where did you say you saw it?” asked an older, yet still guttural voice. 

“It came from in there.”  

Someone out there took a few steps forward, likely to peer in the cage, “Furball here seems might calm for there to be a snake running loose.”  

“Well, it wouldn’t be in there anymore. It came out and after us. It's probably lurking around here somewhere!”  

There was a scoff, “Well then, why don’t you lot find something better to do with your time other than throwing rocks. Besides, I think it’s about time we provide the worgs with a fresh meal.”  

Belle let out a gasp. Willow slapped a hand over her mouth but it was too late.  

“What was that?” 

“What was what?”  

“I heard something. Sounded like- AH!”  

The ground shook harshly as the mass of fur over top of them sprung to life. A deafening roar filled the dungeon along with the clang of metal. The goblins began to yell, there was a screech, and then a tremendous thud that threw Willow and Belle off their feet.  

She looked up, turning pale at the sight. Teddy was standing at his full height, fur bristled and growling. The cage doors in front of him were on the floor, where a single goblin lay crushed beneath them. 

The bear let out another roar of fury before it bounded forward towards a small crowd and shocked goblins. 

“Go!” screamed Willow, seeing their opening. Dragging Belle along, she sprinted forward and out of the cell. Chaos was all around them. Goblins were running every which way, grabbing and holding up their weapons. The metallic smell of blood filled the air as Teddy rose from his feet, muzzle stained red and beneath him, the ripped-up remains of a goblin. Belle screamed as he bounded towards and over them, slamming into and pinning down another goblin. 

Willow paid little mind to the carnage ensuing and instead set her sights on the doors out. She ran forward, dodging out of the way as several pairs of feet slammed down all around them as goblins ran around in all directions, yelling.  

“Get the True soul! Get our Mystress!”  

A shadow began to fall over them. She looked up to see a body about to fall on top of them. In a split second, she whirled around and threw her and her sister to the ground and out of the way. The floor rattled as the body fell, but Willow forced the two of them back onto their feet and continued her dash for the door.  

They came up to the stairs and stopped. Willow’s eyes darted around before she dug her hand into her pouch and pulled out a seed. She dropped it and it landed at their feet as it began to grow.  

“Hang on to me,” she told Belle. She focused back onto the plant which had begun growing several long and waving vines, one of which she ushered towards them. It sped towards them before slithering its way up and around the two’s bodies. Once snug, Willow held up her hand and the vine began to carry them upwards and forwards. A few seconds later, she lowered her hand and in response, the vine lowered and placed them at the top of the stairs.  

She closed her fist and the vines began to shrivel up and back into a single seed which she hastily scooped up before continuing her run for the exit.   

Just as they were approaching the opened doors, she skidded to a stop as a figure walked through them. It was a dark elf, with lavender tinted skin and a scowl painted into her features. 

“What is going on here?!” she boomed, her voice raspy. There were a couple of shouts of reply that quickly were replaced by screams as Teddy continued his rampage.  

We can still make it, thought Willow, slowly making her way closer to the door. Unfortunately, the drow for whatever reason, looked down at just the wrong time.  

“What the…” she mouthed, nose scrunched up at the sight of them. Without warning, she raised her foot and sent it crashing down towards them. 

Willow just barely pulled her and her sister out of the way as the boot crashed down right next to them, sending a cloud of dust up. For a fraction of a second, she looked at her sister’s face before shoving the seed into her hands. It burst into a blizzard of vines that entangled her sister before crawling away with her like some deranged green spider. 

Belle screamed after her but she ignored her as she turned away and looked up.  The drow sneered down at her before raising her foot once more. In a flash, she dug out and tossed to the ground several seeds which promptly sprouted into more vines.  

She focused her will upon them and commanded them forward as she pivoted out of the way of the incoming foot. As soon as the foot connected with the floor, the vines began to slither up and around her legs, all the while growing and multiplying.   

The drow yelled and kicked at the vines, breaking a few only for more to take their place. Willow screwed up her face in concentration as she held out one hand to continue to command the existing vines while her other pulled back, causing several more vines to sprout and begin to climb up the drow’s other leg. 

She kicked and broke free only for a few seconds later to be ensnared once more. The vines continued to grow and slither up her body, guided by Willow who was starting to sweat from the amount of effort.  

With a frustrated growl, the drow went to grab her holstered weapon only for dozens of vines to slither around and strangle her fingers. They continued upwards until her entire arm was covered before promptly turning their focus to her chest, finding the openings in her armor, and slithering inside while continuing to wrap around her tighter and tighter like a bunch of snakes. 

Willow gritted her teeth as she strained her mind and body, sending the vines up and around the drow’s neck. When they began to wrap around it, the drow’s face paled and she finally began to look afraid. 

She struggled violently, thrashing around, desperate to get free. Willow braced herself and held the vines tight while causing more to grow and wrap around with the others. Her hand trembled as she held it up, making the vines go taunt and inciting a choked-out gasp from the drow.  

The dark elf stared down at her, letting out pitiful raspy gasps of air. Willow glared back, beads of sweat dripping off her face. She closed her fist. Within an instant, all the vines entangling the drow sprouted hundreds and thousands of thorns. Not just small prick-your-finger type ones; long and sharp ones like daggers. They tore through that lavender skin which began to seep out blood.  

Scarlet eyes darted around frantically before coming to a snapping stop as thorns pierced the drow’s neck.   

Willow dropped her hands and the vines along with the drow fell to the floor with a deafening clatter and squelch. Her eyelids fluttered and she stumbled over to the nearest wall, gasping for breath. 

“No! No, my mistress!”   

There was a loud cry of anguish followed by the sound of something being fired. Willow looked up and caught a glimpse of a crossbow bolt half the size of her body before feeling the air flooding out of her lungs. She looked down, trembling at the sight of the bolt embedded through her torso. She felt behind her and let out a strangled gasp when she felt the other side poking out. 

When she withdrew her hand, it was doused in green blood, her blood. She looked up, the world around her growing blurring. Belle, Belle where are you? She made it two stumbling steps forward before she collapsed onto the floor.  

Her eyelids grew heavy. She felt cold like she’d never be warm again. Just as everything faded away, she saw a blurry blue figure hurrying towards her, screaming her name.  

[the-nosy-neighbor]

Rules of the Fae and Welcome Home

Right after I posted that this was upcoming, I saw a post with the same subject on r/welcomehomearg.  So great minds think alike; if you like this idea, you might go and read that post.  I didn’t read it, because I wanted to finish my thinking first, but I apologize if this is repeated information. This is getting pretty long, so I will present it in sections. This post will be background info: the rules of the fairies.

What kicked off this idea for me was W drinking the Joy soda.  Having spent significant time with a supernatural romance series about fairies 10 or 15 years ago, the idea of eating or drinking something given to you by an unknown, potentially supernatural entity is a very bad idea.  So first, we will look at common rules of fairy/fae and characteristics of the fae and then we will look at how those might apply to the world of Welcome Home.

I’m going to use fairy or fae, but there are other names to consider:  fey, fair folk, good (guid) folk, sith, wee folk, the gentry, etc.  I am going to stick with ideas about fairies from Scottish, English, and Celtic traditions, but many different cultures have a similar concept.  Japan has yosei and yokai, Africa has the Aziza, Germans have elves, etc.  Maybe we will explore the concept at some point.

Characteristics of European folklore fairies

The European version of fairies includes both good spirits and bad spirits, though most are both at the same time.  While fairies aren’t necessarily out to get humans, humans often violate their territories and belief systems, which leads to a negative outcome.  There is an understanding of two fairy courts, originating with the Scottish:  the Seelie and the Unseelie.  The same concept exists in Irish folklore with the Sidh as the good fairies and the Sith as the bad ones.  The Seelie are the bright and beautiful fairies with an affinity for humans, while the Unseelie are the fairies that really have no positive associations for humans and don’t hesitate to bring them to harm.  To be fair, all fairies in the UK tradition are inclined to trick humans and bring them to bad ends.  This has a lot to do with the rules of their culture. 

There is also a division of classification of fairies in the UK region (and France) based on their cultural habits.  The Trooping Fairies (as described by William Butler Yeats) are known for singing and dancing and have no particular beef with humans.  Outcomes vary.  Solitary fairies live on their own and are more likely to be harmful to humans and associate with witches.  Leprechauns and banshees are considered solitary. 

Relevant characteristics of fairies:

Known to animate or enchant objects:  dolls, natural elements, magic mirrors, food

Can transform things:  changing of seasons, making plants bloom, create storms.  Sometimes they can transform themselves

Can provide humans with protection and benefits:  of humans, their families and properties

Also included in fairy classification are fairies that live in small groups and fairies that are somewhat integrated into human culture, like Brownies, who are part of human homes and communities and perform work.  Other forms of fairies take a more common worldwide focus on nature and the forest, in the same vein as Greek and Roman nymphs and demigods. 

Known rules of the Fae:

Don't tell them your real name—May I have your name? is a common expression in these fairy stories, and it is more literal with fairies than with humans.  Fairies believe that names have power, and knowing someone or something’s true name gives power to the owner of the name.  In this particular phrasing, you are ceding control of your name/identity to a fairy.  The correct response would be to say “you can call me X,” and they would be satisfied with that.  They aren’t going to give you their true name either.  This is famously a major plot point in the story of Rumpelstiltskin. 

Don't accept gifts from the fae –Gifts, from either side—fairies to humans or humans to fairies—come with an obligation.  The value of exchanged items are to be equally valuable, or else one party owes a debt to the other, without oversight of what will absolve the debt.  Gifts from fairies are often tricky, having unintended consequences.  It’s like making a wish with a genie or monkey paw; there are often catches that go along with it.

Don't thank them for anything as that can cause them to become offended—There are multiple reasons for this, but it is closely related to the rules for gifts.  Thanking someone is an acknowledgement of a debt for a service or item.  In addition, fairies have a rigid power structure and thanking someone can redefine the level of someone’s authority.

Don't step into fairy circles as it can anger the fae and cause then to curse you –this is that fairy circles are hallowed ground and related to magic and therefore dangerous for humans to disturb.  (traditionally a ring of mushrooms)

They like offerings of milk and honey if you want to gain their favor—not sure why those things in particular, but it is a common understanding.  I have also heard spirits as a gift, but mostly in Terry Pratchett’s depiction of the Nac McFeegle, a very Scottish version of a fairy.

Fairies also cannot lie but are experts in trickery—Fairies are sometimes depicted as incapable of lying and other times lying is depicted as a very high crime in their culture that can get you exiled or worse.  (Though often, exile for fairies is said to be worse than death because it cuts them off from a source of power and they are very community/court focused.)  However, because of this restriction, they are often very crafty and have become experts in not technically lying without being exactly truthful.  One should never expect to trust what a fairy says.  There is also an element of manners to it, with gentility levels rivaling the English monarchy.

Weakness is iron—Faries are weak to iron (and some other materials as developed by humans.)  The logic here is that human invention leads to these compounds, so they aren’t natural, and fairies are closely connected to nature.

Must be invited into a place—As soon as I thought this, I wondered if I was confusing fairies and vampires, but it is a supernatural trope.  Fairies can’t violate the boundaries of a space without invitation.  I think this is also related to manners in a way, but is probably related to human stories providing a barrier to a supernatural entity that is presented as all-powerful.

Known for swapping babies—Fairies will steal babies if they are particularly beautiful or swap out babies with humans, if their baby is sickly or undesirable.  This is where the concept of a “changeling” comes from.  It’s pretty sad really, as a baby that cries a lot or isn’t conventionally attractive or a young child that behaves in an odd manner is considered to be not your baby, but a defective fairy one.  Changelings were sometimes considered to be soulless.  I would have to guess that neurodivergent (or otherwise different than the established norm) children in the past were a reason for this kind of logic.  Fairies are also known to kidnap older children and attractive adults.

Eating their food may trap you in their environs—This rule is what kicked this idea off, as said previously.  This would have been important for the kidnapping of humans, as eating would bind you to them/their realm. 

Politeness and diplomacy are important—as is mentioned in earlier rules, manners and custom are of utmost importance and kind of serves as the basis of their morality, which makes them hard for humans to understand and leads to humans violating the rules

Don’t dance with a fey—Dancing with a fey is also a way to either fall under their spell, bind you to them, or to have to keep dancing until they release you, which could result in death.

Don’t stray from the path—related to fairy circles.  Violating territory is dangerous and some fairies or supernatural creatures are known to lead humans to their deaths by leading them away from paths and to their deaths (bog fairies and will-o-the-wisps)

Look out for glamour—glamour is a supernatural intense beauty that can charm or bespell a human, can also be a spell or innate power.  Glamour often hides what is truly there.  Humans are advised not to look directly at them or get too close.

[jules-writes-stories]

Eris Week 2024 | Day 6 | Modern AU | Read Chapter 1 on AO3

The Night Court Lounge | Tribeca NYC

The beautiful man knew Azriel was studying him. Broad shoulders tapered down to a long body beneath a perfectly tailored suit. He wasn’t built like Tamlin Rose or Helion Day. His strength was something different. This man was far more dangerous. He was like smoke, a viper in waiting. When he struck, one would not see it coming, and it would be deadly. 

Azriel’s hazel gaze met those gilded eyes. Bid on me. His eyes and body were betraying him and screaming out to this dangerous stranger. He looked at the long, pale fingers slowly making circles along the rim of his glass. How would those fingers feel inside him, slowly opening him up, pulling his hair, wrapped around his throat… 

He shifted, uncomfortably hard now. The male clocked the movement and slowly lifted his glass to his lips. He cocked his head to one side, seeming to study Azriel like one would a specimen, something rare and beautiful. It was somehow both demeaning and sexy, and Az would, at that moment, kneel at this man’s feet to have those eyes study him all night. 

“I hear ten thousand from Ms. Suriel.” Azriel snapped back into the moment. His eyes moved towards the elderly woman holding up her white flag. Oh god. Ok. He could sit with her. It would be like going to Bingo secretly with his aljada.

“Thirteen,” Tamlin called out again. And it went on for quite some time. Back and forth. Grandma Suriel had dropped out at twenty thousand. Lord Kal Winters topped out at twenty-five.

An androgynous figure wearing dark shades and a hooded sweatshirt joined at thirty thousand. Azriel could not tell their gender or age beyond the loose-fitting hoodie and sunglasses that dominated a round, pale face. A tuft of dark hair peeked out from beneath the hood. Their mouth was wide and painted purple, and their voice almost had a plurality to it. 

“Thirty thousand for Bryaxis,” Feyre called out. Bryaxis. The famous electronic DJ from Amsterdam. No one had ever seen their face before. Azriel was intrigued, wondering if he’d be the first. What would be this enigma’s kink?

“Forty thousand,” Helion immediately countered. 

Azriel was getting tired. A third of that would be plenty to pay his rent for a few months. And the Days seemed normal enough. He could handle them for a few hours. Besides, his legs were starting to go numb. 

He and Fey had devised a plan where he would tap his thigh three times when he was done, or tug his leash discretely if he felt uncomfortable with a bidder. He tapped his leg. One. Two. Three. 

Feyre looked down and nodded imperceptibly. Az looked up one last time at the golden eyed stranger. The sting of disappointment and a little rejection coiled through him. It was silly. He didn’t even know if this red-haired stranger was into men. But Az swore he’d seen the heat and sheer possession in those amber eyes… 

Feyre called out, “Forty thousand going once, twice, and—”

“Fifty thousand.” A smooth voice called out from the corner. Azriel clenched at the sound. It was like velvet and so sure of itself. 

Feyre’s shrewd eyes immediately clocked Azriel’s body language, the way the winged man sat up on his haunches at the red-haired man’s single bid. She smirked knowingly. “Sold to Eris Vanserra for fifty thousand dollars.”

Read all of Chapter 1 on AO3

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[kuschelkissen]

Ok so. Actual predictions I make about Yingdu

List under cut

Cheng Xiaoshi dies on screen at least once.

Cheng Xiaoshi dies in a dream and/ or flashback

Xia Fei dies (bonus points if he actually dies in the fire that killed Cheng Xiaoshi at one point. Based on the opening lol)

the two chapters will be split between actual prequel (3 years ago) and the present (current timeline? Or maybe the previous one. Probably somewhere before s1)

(Basing this entirely of 2 things, the 2 different outfits and the fact that Lu Guang said in the first trailer "i think he might be in Yingdu" and "he can't go to Yingdu", which sounds to me like something happened on their overseas trip?)

(Not sure where the flashbacks with the Qiaos or the basketball scene will be in this)

Lu Guang almost drowns (bonus points for cpr. YES I KNOW IT'S NOT A KISS BUT THEIR LIPS TOUCH AND I'M DESPERATE, OK?!)

full scene of the meet cute at the basketball court (but it's not the first timeline)

Vein can control dreams

Xia Fei will betray... someone. I hope it will be Vein and Liu Xiao, but my gut tells me it will be ShiGuang

Xia Fei and the blonde woman are related¹

(If my gf is right and he is her in disguise, I'm gonna scream and laugh, it would be funny)

Xia Fei probably has powers. Whatever they will look like

Vein is not an actual cannibal (praying for this one, I don't want to mute more artists I like)

we will see the Qiaos taking care of Cheng Xiaoshi (bonus points if the whole "I'll give you a ten year loan for rent" is shown as a joke and papa Qiao's way of trying to make cxs think they're not pitying him, so he let's them help him.)

Cheng Xiaoshi gets his powers (gets them or they awaken)

idk if there will be actual backstory for Lu Guang, but I hope so. I wish to see their actual first meeting, though I don't think we will get that in Yingdu. At least not if the white hair theory will be confirmed, what I assume won't happen before s3 when Qiao Ling confronts Lu Guang.

(WELL? We got at least some background on him yet??)

"thank you for your cooperation, sweetie" is said to either Lu Guang or Cheng Xiaoshi after he helped Vein with something that seemed harmless, but lead to something horrible. (Bonus points if he says it to Lu Guang after whatever he did to help lead to Cheng Xiaoshi dying)

we learn something about Cheng Xiaoshi's parents

- a few questions will be answered, but in the end we will be left with more

every episode will end with a cliffhanger so bad I'll cry

I think that's all for now, need to sort my thoughts more for the rest

EDIT after seeing the final PV

Lu Guang's conversation with Liu Xiao about controlling the future has actually nothing to do with Cheng Xiaoshi's death because it hasn't happened at that point. It is the beginning of the Loop, though

Lu Guang's power turns out to be actually different than what we thought it was

EDIT2 after seeing the ending

the man and woman you see from behind are Xia Fei's parents who died in the big fire (blonde woman is his sister and part of me wants to say she thinks she's the only survivor but her brother survived, too. Adding this one solely based on that cipher reading "there is more than one survivor to this disaster". But in the end it doesn't make sense with XF being so prominent as a famous model, so... UGH. There is, again, more to this.)

(still dunno what his agency is though lol)