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The cast of Blades of Light and Shadow is waiting to be crocheted..

Valax came from another realm just to pose for this project.

And some of the process

Inspired by @petalouda85 post

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The heroes of Blades of Light and Shadow, dressed as characters decided by the picker wheel

Aerin — Beauty (Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo); They would get along, especially the “What am I doing here, amongst a bunch of weirdoes” (“They are my weirdoes”)

Kade — Mareeta (Fire Emblem, Thracia 776); The adventure runs in their blood, the lad protecting and rooting for his friends, the lass wielding the blade and protecting her loved ones.

Tyril — Froud (Lamento: Beyond the Void); They have nothing in common, a treacherous devil who finds joy in the pain of mortals and the proud elf who fights to defend his honour, his friends and the light. They make a killer combination though.

Nia — Supreme Luminose (Gormiti); Both fighters of peace, defenders of light and great supporters of their friends. Nia feels like a superhero.

Imtura — Izana (Fire Emblem, Fates); She loves pretending to be a chosen, guided by gods themselves. “Divine lies are common, anyway”.

Dillon — Sky (Ascension); They have a common journey of personal growth, each of them maturing under dire situations and finding love in unexpected place.

Mal — Sesshomaru (Inuyasha); Again, not many things in common, except Mal’s new love for big furs. Playing the mysterious is one of his expertises.

Eirwen — Argandea (Oathbreaker); Both pretty, supportive, flirty. They would get along so well, having long conversations about being the parental figure of the team, creating crafts of wood and mixing herbs.

Valax — Maltazard (Land of the Minimoys); Insert villain era.

The Watcher — Umi Sonoda (Love Live!); That is a wild combination. They are both good, calm, collected, believing in the power of one person who can change the world (through music and kindness each).

Midys — Luna (Harvest Moon); A little bit of sass, they have a sibling they love. And they’re stylish.

Nirthax — Dr. Facilier (The Princess and the Frog); Welp, not much in common either, other than they are both fun to watch. The one is plotting and scheming and making alliances while the other just likes swords and fights and showing off.

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Illustrations by Anne Yvonne Gilbert for the Books Illustrated edition of The Starless Sea, 2024

Limited edition prints are available here

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"We're gonna make a great Raider out of you, Shank!"

The Raiders have taken a big liking to ‘Shank’, their newest addition. They are telling jokes and toasting on his name and throwing knives and scalpels as darts.

As Troy likes to say: “They're like kids, Troying around”.

———

Wake the Dead Appreciation Week @choicescommunityevents

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Thothopolis

“Thoma and Thomasin, the twins who travelled through the stars to see the world from above, found its wounds and healed its pain. They created a world were there was only love• for nature, for people, for life. That world was named Thothopolis”.

Betty’s favourite tale, although written in French, held the name behind the Colony. Vollin remembers the tale and cherishes the memory of his sister’s storytelling. Troy and Dirk immediately proposed ‘Thothopolis’ as the best name candidate, a way to honour Betty.

The Tower feels more like a prison than a livable home. In contrast, Thothopolis thrives on teamwork, freedom, and a clear view of the world beyond its walls: a place where prosperity is built, not enforced.

Research

Research is on a greater focus, as study and science continue to drive humanity forward. Shannon’s passion, combined with the support and eagerness of those around her, is bringing them closer to discovering a cure for the deadly disease.

Food Supply

One Raider has an appetite for three stomachs. Moreover, there’s Troy’s enthusiasm for food, the Ironmounts who know traditional recipes and cooking procedures, and the elderly and children of Sunflower Creek who need the best nutrition for a healthy diet. Thus, food gains top priority on the list.

Also, bonus for Eli’s reactions for every time they present to him new —not always edible— recipes to try.

Morale

Everyone’s doing pretty good while they take care and think of one another’s needs. Children playing in gardens and with animals, people working together in the cannery, hanging out in the pub, reading books and training in plenty of ways.

Fortifications

Fortifications are pretty strong, because the people supervising the barriers are strong• There’s nothing to fear when there is Skyweld’s knowledge of strong metals, knights on warhorses, Raiders in edgy cars and motors, rangers with a keen eye —and Angel.

Fighters

If there is hope, there are fighters to strive and to protect it.

Presenting the Colony, Thothopolis, @choicescommunityevents

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Vollin Napane

A complete presentation of Wake the Dead mc, for the @choicescommunityevents

Vollin is an inventive young man, dedicated to regular and daily work. Consistent in constantly working on some personal project, either by drawing new tools or struggle to repair a machine. His every day is devoted to personal work; he is engaged in repairing engines, motors, electrical devices, batteries, etc. Stubborn and tenacious over his work. Mostly a mechanic, but will get his hands dirty with other smaller devices.

Song: Firestorm - SIAMES

Personality

In general, he’s tense and hard on himself. From the moment he loses his sister Betty, all his flaws begin to surface: he won’t admit that he’s anxious or afraid—not because he’s ashamed, but because he doesn’t want to hear it himself. He hides his worries as much as he can, but his body betrays him: sweating, shaking, staring at specific places or people. He lashes out under pressure and loses self-control. In battle, someone else almost always ends up saving him. He freezes, stutters, and blames himself for not being good enough. His rebellious spirit, however, still burns—especially toward authority figures.

Background

When they were children, Vollin and his older sister Betty lived with their father and mother somewhere around Reno, Nevada. The day the pandemic started, he and Betty were on a daily school trip, each with their own class. He was very young to remember details of the gory images, but Betty held him in her arms and shielded him from the violence. He holds the memory of a madness and nothing more.

On that fateful day, chaos ensued and the drivers and teachers tried to return the children back to their families. Yet, they never made it back because two of the three buses crashed and the third, where Betty and Vollin were, derailed. Many children lost their lives and only one teacher managed to gather as many children as she could and led them to safety out of the city. She helped the children into the caravan as it headed toward The Tower.

Betty remembers it more clearly, maybe some of the other survivor kids do too, but all Vollin is left is the awful feeling of separation, when the road that would have brought them back to their parents was torn like paper. He still can't say for sure if they are alive or dead.

At The Tower he still socialises with the children who survived the accident. But he could not fit in with any of them despite their common trauma, clinging constantly to his sister. One young man, who once happened to take a glimpse of Vollin's drawings and has since been greeting him and asking him if he has any progress, managed to take the role of 'Vollin's friend', who holds it with pride; and that is none other than Troy Hassan. Troy and Betty liked each other from the first moment; Vollin remained true to his introvert self, though his sister could tell that he liked Troy as well. They started hanging out at approximately six years after Napane siblings' welcoming to The Tower and Betty loved that her brother finally found someone who shared the same enthusiasm as him (because she knew her brother's obsession and passion for creating and connecting wires and gears). Perhaps she was also a little relieved that Vollin was spending time with others and not constantly clinging around her (as much as she could tell, she grew a little tired of it).

As he grew older, Vollin began questioning Blacksock's authority which Betty did share but tried to keep him quiet and not draw attention to himself. There were many noteable incidents where Vollin would spit in the cups of the officers or act disobedient toward commands, getting a hit or two, though Betty was always there to free him of charge —she and her dear friend and later partner Dirk.

When he turned eighteen years old, Vollin was put by an officer with a grudge to join the Scavengers, in an effort to get rid of him, claiming that he did nothing to help the colony other than randomly toying with machines. However, Betty went and transferred him to Pest Control, in an attempt to postpone and help him learn to fight with melee and ranged weapons and become prepared to join the Scouts in a few years training. Vollin didn't know about the Scavengers and was angry with his sister who forced him to train for an upcoming battlefield team, but didn't slack off. When he finished his Scout training years he went on his first mission with the Scouts —not the best fighter but headstrong nonetheless.

Relationships

Troy Hassan

Vollin’s relationship with Troy is simple on the surface, but quietly complex. Neither of them talks openly about their romantic feelings. Neither has been with anyone else, because they’ve never liked anyone the way they like each other. They share a deep comfort, the kind that allows them to talk about everything, from nonsense to genuine concerns. Even when tensions rise and rivalries flare —often sparked by Vollin’s sometimes harsh words— Troy rises above it. Deep down, he knows that if their roles were reversed, he’d probably say the same thing, maybe even worse.

Troy loves Vollin’s inventive mind: the way he finds opportunity in things that seem completely lost. Vollin can bring a wrecked engine back to life, turn a pile of scrap metal into a makeshift table, or repurpose the bulb of a burnt-out lamp into a spice container. It’s not just his skills that Troy admires, but the way Vollin thinks: the spark in his eyes and that sly little chuckle when he figures something out —whether it’s realizing the odds are actually in their favor, or making a sudden connection that leads to a clever, unexpected solution.

On Vollin’s side, what’s not to love about Troy? He is like a walking pre-apocalyptic encyclopedia, always ready with some obscure fact or bit of knowledge from what the world used to be (Vollin could listen to him talk for hours.) He discovers new ways to cheat the system. He listens to others and respects their opinions, even if he disagrees. He is endless with jokes. And most of all, he's incredibly handsome.

Betty's loss has certainly brought them closer together, despite all the crisis that Vollin is going through.

Betty Napane

Vollin often hid behind his sister, who was confident and composed. He was the brains, and Betty was the action. When he was assigned to the Scavengers without his consent or knowledge, Betty managed to delay the process and had him signed up for Pest Control instead. At the time, he had no combat training whatsoever. Over the next seven years, while preparing for the Scouts, he learned the basics of both close and ranged combat. He also learned to keep his mouth shut—to avoid openly challenging The Tower’s authority.

That is, until the day of his first mission, when a single unwelcome question landed him on the blacklist.

Betty always took care of Vollin, so much that he relied on her for almost everything. When she is gone, his world collapses to pieces, and he must struggle to find a way to reshape it.

Dirk

Vollin trusts Dirk's judgment, though he is angered by his abrupt manner. Dirk loved Betty and they shared a common revolutionary ideology. However, a rivalry is born between him and Vollin after Betty's loss, since there is no one to remind them that they believe in the same thing —wanting the best for those they care about.

Later, as Vollin becomes more audible than Dirk, Dirk is shaken and becomes more vicious against him.

Shannon Fox

They share their favorite obsessions, Shannon for medicine and Vollin for repairs. He helps her with the equipment and maintenance to encourage and keep her studies alive.

He sees a little bit of himself in her —not being strong enough for this violent post-apocalyptic world. Though, through Shannon’s perspective and dedicated nature, he manages to strive for the best.

Eli Sipes

Eli is much more measured than Vollin, so Vollin prefers to let Eli announce orders and plans. Vollin trusts his judgment and admires his restraint. And also finds him the best partner for missions.

Vollin reminds Eli of his lost brother, they had the same eagerness to avoid danger, but somehow always ended up in it.

Angel Savage

Although they didn't start off very well, as Vollin agreed to kill her "parents", over time they develop an unlikely friendship. The girl’s straightforwardness inspires Vollin to act without letting second thoughts get the better of him. At the same time, Angel feels how much more beautiful life is when she has friends to drown in alcohol and cry about their misfortunes. It is a way to appreciate the joys of life.

Their shared love of repair work gives them endless topics to talk about and plenty motivation for deeper conversations.

Sledge (and the Raiders)

Vollin prefers to hang out with their motorcycles rather than them, but they’re better allies than enemies.

Others

From all the alliances, his favourite is Skyweld.

Other

Weapon of choice; hand axe;

Vollin is a good strategist, not a good fighter, so he stays hidden or climbs in high places to avoid battles. If a drone comes near him, it is a bad sign and he must move quickly to shove it off. (Also a hand axe can be used as a hammer if needed.)

Compatible weapon of choice; crossbow;

At their escape of the Tower, Betty thought the crossbow was a good weapon for him. He was hesitant but kept it anyway. Now he is using it to assist as a sniper from the roofs or other high places. (Better than doing nothing – would prefer a shotgun though.)

Notes:

Chews on thumbs, eats his nails; wears gloves to avoid hurting his fingers.

Gathers his hair into his aviator hat when adventuring or fighting.

Has an obsession for metal nails and wires.

About the colony

The colony; Thothopolis

The role of the leader

Vollin doesn’t try to maintain a fair judgment, because he doesn’t see himself as the leader. He lets Dirk take responsibility, openly agreeing or disagreeing with his decisions.

In every alliance they’ve formed, it’s been Vollin and his team (Troy, Shannon, Eli and Angel) who have led them to victory. So, when the alliances are introduced to the official leader, Dirk, they don’t show the same level of support as they do for Vollin’s team’s judgment. This boy and his team are the ones who fought to secure the alliances, so the loyalties lie more with him than with the supposed leader. Dirk is clearly stressed about this—and so is Vollin.

It feels like The Tower is repeating itself: one authority figure (Dirk, the so-called leader) standing against the rebellious and risky ideals of Vollin. But this time, Vollin isn’t afraid to voice his disapproval—there’s no longer blacklists and the fear of sacrifice.

Motivations

First it was his need to rejoin with his parents. He wanted to survive for a chance to see what happened to them, still hoping they could reunite after so many years.

After Shannon’s research grows larger, it renews his faith to find a cure for the epidemic.

———

@kokoretsaki you’re a shining star

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Wake the Dead Appreciation Week

Welcome to Wake the Dead Appreciation Week! Since the zombie parasite emerged in 2025, I figured now would be the perfect time for a WtD Appreciation Week! Prompts and Rules below the cut :D

Day 1: Introducing…

Introduce us to your MC (and their LI(s))! What motivates them? Do they like being a leader or did they become one simply out of necessity? What are some of the hard choices they had to make? Do they have any long-term goals?

Day 2: Olympus

Tell us about your colony! What’s it called? How does it run? What are its core values? What structures did you build? How damaged was it during the solstice?

Day 3: Allies

How does your MC (and their colony) get along with their allies? Are there certain allies they support more than others? With whose values does your MC most align? Does your MC outwardly show any biases or do they try to be a fair leader?

Day 4: Three Years Later

It’s been three years since WtD was released. How is your colony doing three years later? Preparing for the next solstice? Enjoying the relative quiet before then? Searching for a cure? What are their plans for the future? Do they have any?

Day 5: Crossovers!

How did your MCs from other books handle the Z25 parasite outbreak? Did they get infected? Did they survive? Did any of them form or join colonies of their own?

Day 6: In An Alternate Universe…

What would your MC (and their LI(s)) be doing if the zombie apocalypse hadn’t happened? What would their childhood have been like if it had been normal? Do you think they still would have found their LI(s)? Or would they be with someone else?

Day 7: Free Day!

Share with us anything you didn’t get the chance to share yet this week!

Rules

This event will start on Monday, May 26 and end on Sunday, June 1. Late submissions will be accepted through June 5.

While there are prompts, the use of them is not required. You also do not have to follow the prompts on their given day. If you want to submit something for day 1's prompt on day 3, you can.

Submissions must include some form of a title

Submissions must include the characters full name and which Choices story they are from. GOC characters must also include a gender tag (ex. m!MC, nb!OC). If you do not include this information, please send me a dm @peonyblossom to let me know how you would like your character's names and such to appear on the masterlist.

If your work contains a relationship it must be labelled correctly, using "x" or "/" for romantic/sexual relationships and "&" for platonic relationships.

NSFW/mature submissions are allowed, but must be tagged properly and have the proper community label.

You cannot submit AI generated content for this event.

Tag this account on all submissions. If I don't reblog within 72 hours, please DM the post to @peonyblossom as sometimes Tumblr tags can be unreliable. In addition, you can also use the #wtd appreciation week

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It’s a kinda weird take but it gave me some thoughts so: It is a fantasy world where men and women aren’t separated from each other, elves and orcs and dwarves and goblins and the ashen, everyone has soldiers with both sexes and both men and women are seen in higher ranks. In humans it would be interesting to see more medieval-like ideals but there aren’t. We see a female soldier in King Arlan’s palace when MC materialises in the throne room in Book 2 chapter 1.

So, in our modern ideals and real world society we might think that Aerin is treated like a woman or find toxic masculinity stuff in his relationships with his brother and father -even in himself- but he belongs to a fantasy world where it doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman. The way other characters treat him is entirely up to his behaviour.

Also, about his proposal; It is just a suiting thing for his character, for the love of his life MC to kneel in the proposal instead of him, because he is still struggling with his confidence and expressing comfort. If he was the one proposing, he would kneel, but not through the time of the series. It would happen in a few months or years instead, in a time where his self-doubt wasn’t confining him.

AERIN VALLEROS i s so crazy to me bc his entire arc is related to his own toxic masculinity ultimately culminating in the symbolic rape of the pure in a concentrated act of suppressed patriarchal rage and then for the rest of the books he literally gets oppressed like a woman . and treated like one

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Castle in the Mist

The cover of Ico with acrylics, that I spent a whole month making 🌟

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Apollo is so doomed by the plot, like, he was just a narcissistic prince living his grande life and being happy just by himself, he even said “no marriages” before that Nocte Everending event. And then Evangeline just came as Jacks’ plaything and put a curse on him and then he gets another curse and in an attempt to cure the curse he dies instead and then as the only solution left he has to kill Jacks only to get consumed by an immortal tree. Like, boy got double cursed, his whole character is him under spells give him a break.

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Portraits of Crows (+ one who is not a crow)

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In the third book most of Mal’s lines are about Tyril, and with an MC who didn’t romance any of them, I feel like they made Mal’s character all about Tyril. Like, yes, he has his moments with his mother, but most of the time in the main scenes (and not the diamond ones) he refers to Tyril.

So they slightly forced the Mal x Tyril relationship in the end, which personally I don’t quite enjoy. Indeed, they can be put in tropes for ships, but for me it just doesn’t fit for these specific characters.

I mean, Mal’s diamond scenes for the Elite Skill and the last one for the decision are great and complementing for his character. And his whole teasing Tyril that started from book one should remain, but just, it’s kind of intentionally done with even more teasing so that it’s not a surprise in the end.

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No longer you

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I want a "Betrayal runs in the Valleros blood" joke in the next chapters.