#Evernight Series

[hatetoseeyourbookbend]

The only form of exercise you'll ever see me do is carry around #stacksofbooks in to lines such as #GrayandRouxinPH

[susanhannifordcrowley]

A Sleepy Paranormal-Scope

[leer-reading-lire]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge

March 17: Predictable

YA novel = Love triangle

[rigelmejo]

I will say if you're learning chinese to read novels, it's a win win in some ways. To improve? You gotta read. What do you want to do? Read. Is there adequate interesting reading material just a literal glance in any direction? Oh wow you bet. You can't even fathom how many good novels await you in whatever genres you're looking for, many of which will be free and accessible online, with audio books too!

[mermaidsirennikita]

Im pretty sure you had an enemies to lovers list but I can’t find it 😭 so can I request a list of the best enemies to lovers you’ve read?

Sure! I will say, I definitely have gotten a bit stricter about what constitutes enemies to lovers for me. There's dislike, and then there's being an ENEMY.

Paranormal:

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. Enemies in that, though they are fated mates and he knows this, he hates her because she's a vampire and he's been trapped under the Parisian catacombs for 150 years in eternal flame, tortured by vampires. She does not love the fact that he kidnaps her, her family comes to kill him, it goes on.

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole. Enemies in that her brother rules his stolen kingdom and she is enlisted to seduce and kidnap him, and subsequently get him to impregnate her with the heir to the throne so they can like... kill him. Again, they know they're mates, but THE GAME IS V MUCH ON.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole. They're fated and have actually been lovers in all of his previous lifetimes... but each time they do consummate it, he dies shortly after and gets reincarnated again. She intended to avoid him to spare him, but oops, in this lifetime he's a militant anti-immortal warrior who's kidnapped her and is now holding her prisoner on an island. This is inteeeense.

Lothaire by Kresley Cole. He's an evil 3,000 vampire, she's a 24-year-old human who he believes has been possessed by the soul of his fated mate. His intent is to have her own soul taken from her so his mate can stay there permanently—her intent is to not have that happen. By any means necessary. Very much a Clash of the Titans type EtL in terms of willpower.

Evernight by Kristen Callihan. Victorian paranormal, the heroine is like... a witch who manipulates metal and also a mad scientist lol... the hero is a vampiric demon type. She was used to warp his body by an evil villain, he's out to basically force her to fix him, BUT THEN it turns out that the only way he feels peace is when she's touching him, oops!

Fantasy:

The Winter King by C.L. Wilson. After her brother kills his entire family, their nations go to war and he wins. As a part of the peace treaty, she's forced to marry him, but it's with the understanding (on her end) that she'll probably be an agent from within, and he's aware of this. Also, there's a lowkey threat that if she doesn't get pregnant within a year, he'll put her on like. A glacier. Lmao

The Witch Walker Series by Charissa Weaks. Begins as this for the core hero and heroine; he's the "witch collector" who takes witches to some mysterious locale from which they're never heard of again, he took her sister years ago, she intends to get her sister back and also kILL HIM. Even after they fall in love, however, you've still got a great secondary romance going on between one of the main villains (an evil prince with amnesia) and one of the main good guys (a hot disaster bi winter king who's like "but what if I healed his heart with the power of love").

The Kingdom of the Wicked Trilogy by Kerri Maniscalco. The heroine is a witch who wants to get vengeance for her identical twin's murder. There are tons of spoilers I can't give away here, but suffice to say... the hero..... has a lot going on that leads to EtL situations lol. Throne of the Fallen is a standalone spinoff that also has these vibes. Very much "enemies who reluctantly have to work together" throughout these novels.

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon. Very classic EtL, hero and heroine are on the opposing side of a war, he's all shadow she's all light, an arranged marriage MIGHT be on the table...

A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane. Another reluctant EtL situation, but their enemy deal is pretty heavy because her dad killed his parents. Recently! However, she also wants her dad dead, so they enter into a betrothal situation with zero trust.

Historical:

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught. They're very literally on the opposite sides of a political conflict (he's English, she's Scottish, it's medieval times) and he has her kidnapped at the beginning of the book. The king does force them to marry, and they're not happy about it!

The Widow's Kiss by Jane Feather. She's a Tudor era lady who's recently been widowed for the fourth time, each time enriching her more. He's the guy Henry VIII sends in to investigate her for murder, essentially... also, he benefits if she loses her lands (which would likely also end in her execution). There's a ton of distrust here, and it is very fun.

A Rose at Midnight by Anne Stuart. He's sorta responsible in part for her family dying in the Reign of Terror, she's become a cook in his cousin's house, and when he shows up there (because he's waiting out whether or not this guy he shot in a duel will die, he's the worst) she tries to kill him! And then goes on the run when it doesn't work! Definitely pretty damn dark, a true enemies to lovers book, TW TW for dubcon and past noncon and a ton of of other shit.

Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale. The hero takes the heroine and forces her to marry him as a part of his political scheme. He's crazy and murderous, she hates him... until she starts to learn from him. TW for noncon first encounter.

The Viper by Monica McCarty. The hero and heroine had an almost-thing years ago, but then he basically dropped the ball and she ended up being imprisoned and separated from her kid for years. Now they're reunited, and the beef remains VERY real and the trust is ZERO.

When a Rogue Meets His Match by Elizabeth Hoyt. The hero is the henchman for the heroine's evil uncle; and he's about to quit his job when the uncle is like, "do one last thing for me and you can marry my niece". To which the hero says "GREAT! LOVE THAT FOR ME!" She does not love that for him, and in fact begins plotting. If he dies, he dies.

Dark:

Mafia Mistress/Darling, Mafia Madman, and Mafia Target by Mila Finelli. A guy who kidnaps a girl to have her marry his son, then decides to make her his mistress! ANOTHER kidnapper, this time with more hatred and both of them deciding to destroy each other! An assassin falling for his target while still vowing to kill him! This is the stuff fairy tales are made of.

King's Captive by Amber Bardan. I mean. He kills her dad in the beginning of the book and keeps her on his private island for years. She's not thrilled, and she does want out.

In Sierra Simone's Lyonesse series (MMF), Tristan and Mark are not enemies... and Tristan and Isolde are not enemies... But Mark and Isolde are in an arranged marriage in which she is trying to learn his secrets to take him down from within, and he is Terrified of Feelings while also being like I ALWAYS WIN, ISOLDE. So. Yeah. Begin with Salt in the Wound to find out Why They Are The Way They Are.

[incorrectlotm]

Klein: My life has become a series of… necessary sacrifices. Just one after the next. I don’t resent it… but it would be nice to keep something for myself. Something that couldn’t be taken away. To have—

Evernight: One good thing. That would be wonderful.

Klein: Sounds like you know what I’m talking about.

Evernight: I know exactly what you’re talking about.

[sarahshot1st]

"I hate you!" Raven screamed, hurling a bowling ball at the infuriating firebrand.

"Aw, you know you love me," Cinder cooed, easily dodging the projectile on jets of flame.

"I. Do. NOT!"

The Branwen chieftess punctuated the statement by slamming her fist into the rack, causing a half-dozen heavy ceramic balls to flick up into the air. A few quick strikes of her sword - drawn in the blink of an eye - left the spheres cloven in half, making them more susceptible to the gust of wind she summoned with her Maiden powers.

Cinder laughed, turning aside the attacks with bursts of superheated air. She danced around in the air, playful, inviting, and Raven rose to meet her.

"Next time I see your daughter, I'll tell her you're alive and well - just as much the selfish prick she remembers."

Raven felt an uncontrollable spike of anger flash through her. The power burning from her eyes flared to life as she growled:

"You stay away from Yang, you bitch."

"Oh but of course, that's how you raise a child, isn't it? By ignoring them?"

Raven screamed, an incoherent howl of rage. She dashed forward, swinging Omen in a brutal arc that could have easily decapitated three ordinary foes - but Cinder was no ordinary foe. Her own blade formed in her hands as she raised them to intercept the attack, and there was an explosion of sparks as the two weapons met.

What followed was a devastating series of blows, faster than the eye could track. Raven cycled through each of Omen's dust cartridges, attacking with Ice, Gravity, Lightning, and Hard-Light in an attempt to keep her opponent off-guard. Cinder, however, was familiar by now with the unique properties of Raven's blade, and adapted her own weapons each time to counter Raven's attacks. Eventually the chieftess settled on Fire, her blade burning with a wicked glow that matched Cinder's own. The exchange ended with their swords crossed, each struggling to overpower the other.

The pyromaniac grinned wickedly. "You can pretend you hate me all you want, Raven - but the portal you used to come here tells the truth. You can only bond them to people you have a strong emotional connection to - isn't that right?"

"I find hatred to be the strongest emotion of them all," Raven spat. "I keep one on Qrow so I can keep track of his bullshit."

"Well, if you ever decide to do something about that bothersome brother of yours, hit me up, will you? I've got a score to settle with that drunkard too."

Raven pulled back, huffing condescendingly. "You know what? Fine. That's actually the most reasonable suggestion you've made all night."

Cinder smirked. "We'll call it a date then."

Raven's face contorted into a snarl. "Fuck. YOU."

"Fuck me yourself."

"RAAAAAAAARRRGGHHHHHHHH-"

***

"So how'd the date go?" Vernal asked innocently.

Raven strolled out of the portal, not even sparing her lieutenant a second glance. "Shut it, Vernal."

"Yes ma'am." She didn't even try to hide her smile.

***

"You know, I don't know what you see in that woman," Watts said, voice laced with ridicule.

Cinder smiled. "I think she likes me."

"Oh please," the lanky man scoffed, not even bothering to turn from the ensemble of Scrolls he had laid out in front of him. "Every time the two of you meet, you inevitably end up holding swords to each other's throat. That is hardly what I'd call a romantic display of affection."

"And that just shows how little you know of romance. Swordplay has always been considered a suitable form of foreplay - or have you forgotten how our Mistress and her lover courted?"

Watts sniffed. "I'd hardly call theirs a model for a healthy relationship."

"And what would you know of relationships?" Cinder asked, waving a dismissive hand as she strolled through Evernight Castle. "You can't ever be bothered to become entangled with someone - always so busy with your toys. Face it, Watts." She paused, eyeing the back of Watts' always-impeccable suit. "You're a sigma."

"Just because I prioritize our Lady's goals over my own pursuits doesn't make me a 'sigma,' as you so crassly put it." The mustachioed man finally spun around in his chair to face Cinder directly. "My work is more important than any simple 'fling'."

"I see. Well then, I suppose there's no need to tell you I received an update from Tyrian this morning."

"What? Where is he? How is he doing? Is he all right?" The questions tumbled out of Watts' mouth faster than Cinder could answer, and he stood so quickly that his chair nearly toppled over.

Cinder smiled. "Deranged, psychotic, and nihilistic - in other words, Tyrian's doing just fine."

Cinder's tone was knowing, and Watts actually had the decency to blush. "Yes, well, that is very good. I worry about him when he's out on his own, given his penchant for self-inflicted pain. Do make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

"I'll be sure to tell him you asked after him."

[hp-fanfic-archive]

Summer Fic Reading Challenge Bingo [1/?]

Bingo Number 1 on my summer reading challenge card from @ficreadingchallenge. These are all works that I've read and commented on since getting my card. I used to get really competitive over finishing my summer reading challenge every summer at the library so this is really fun :)

Canon Compliant: This Word Lies at the Bottom of a Lake by berhanes [Remus/Sirius, T, 7k]

Briefly he'd considered going to visit Remus, but Sirius has too many stacked up feelings about him to add any more, and he doesn't trust himself not to ruin their carefully patched situation in the wake of the incident – it's only been a year, after all, and there's no better way to shatter a barely recovered friendship than by doing something stupid like throwing out a declaration of love in the middle of explaining the myriad ways in which your family is deranged and terrible. So instead Sirius had hailed the Knight Bus and requested Bowness-on-Windermere.

No Powers AU: the horoscope by lirians [James/Lily, T, 14k]

James stops momentarily to give way to a bunch of rambunctious teenagers on the pavement before he regains his step. Lily has come to a halt a bit further, waiting on him. “Horoscopes?” he asks as they move onwards. He’s relieved that any awkwardness between them is apparently gone. “How so?” “Marly sent me mine this week because it said I would meet someone from the past again,” she explains. “I’m still not sold on the idea of it, but isn’t this weird?”

Free Space: don’t want to miss our little talks by dukeaubergine [Severus & Lily, T, 1k]

Lily breaks the news of her pregnancy to her best friend.

Work In Progress: Evernight by LilRinnieB [Harry/Severus, E, 331k]

It's Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts and the new strategy in the war against Voldemort is "Fight darkness with darkness." Harry goes through a series of changes that has him questioning everything he thought he ever knew about magic, darkness, destiny … and a certain snarky Potions professor. (I've rec'd this before but it just updated so...)

Sports AU: Learning How To Fall Properly by FivePips [Remus/Sirius, M, 60k]

Remus Lupin meets 2/3 of the Marauders while getting harassed by a few homophobes. He meets the third at the skatepark and soon falls into this group of friends, who are so much more than just the delinquents the residents of their town think they are. This story goes out and beyond their teen years, following accomplishments and heartbreaks and maybe a gold medal or two.

[nninoxasaur]

fic tid bits

alrighty so ive been working on this fic for awhile now and I wanted to talk about it a little bit

(i dont have a solid release date or anything but I have written the first few chapters)

its based off of these designs i did a few months ago

i will be changing them all a little bit to better fit the tone of the fic but those are the general vibes

its a dark fantasy setting with inspiration pulled from stuff like the witcher 3 and Castlevania (the series)

the first few chapters are more focused on rapunzel but it moves into all of their povs as things go along

as for the characters heres a quick summary

Rapunzel has lived all her life in a tower kept safe from a "broken world" by her dear mother. For 18 years she believed that the world was overrun by creatures created from a magic historical event known as the Evernight (that name might change). When her Mother doesn't return home on her 18th she fears the worst and quickly learns that her Mother's version of history isn't quite accurate.

All Merida ever wanted was to be free. Her Mother had always blathered on about the cost of that freedom but it took first-hand experience to really make the point clear. A terrible mistake set a curse on her clan with Merida the only one left to escape and pick up the pieces. Now she hunts a Fae who can fix what she's done.

Nearly dying is bound to leave a sour taste in anyone's mouth. And let's just say Hiccup has had his fair share of experiences. He left his old life behind a long time ago to pursue the one thing that's really important, stopping his clan, the hunters. When a typical trade bust goes sideways he ends up the unwilling guide of some rather strange individuals.

You'd think being a powerful fae's apprentice would be an amazing deal, but Jack might have to disagree. For the last six years, he's studied to become a mage in the Capital, invisible to the public eye until his graduation as tradition calls. But his studies are frustrating and the path he walks is lonely until a favour pulls him into the life he's always wanted, one where people see him.

if you guys have any questions pls lemme know I rlly would love to talk about this thing its been rattling around in my brain for awhile now

[sofarsofastmp3]

we are so incredibly back to literacy.

the footman and i by valerie bowman (the footmen’s club #1) 

the premise of this series got me so good. the first 3 books are all about three nobleman who go undercover as servants at the same house party, all for different reasons. the earl of kendall came into his title after his older brother's untimely death and he wants to find a wife who actually wants him for himself, not his new title. he has baggage from being left for a baron while he was still a "second son." it's a really fun book! it ends kind of abruptly, but i enjoyed it- especially considering books 3 and 4 had my main interest anyways. (book 4 is a prequel about how the friend who agrees to host this house party met his wife. i have not read it)

scoundrel of my heart by lorraine heath (once upon a dukedom #1)

i didn't really care, to be quite honest with you. kathryn wants to marry a titled man so she can conditionally inherit a family cottage in the country. second son griffin stanwick is bitter that he cannot have her, but enables her to be courted by a duke shortly before his father is convicted of treason. he and his siblings go away for a bit, and kathryn is still being courted by this duke when he comes back changed by his circumstances. this all sounds great!!! and yet! i found myself totally apathetic. i'm intrigued by the other stanwick brother, who appears to have a much more interesting thing going on in book 3, but griff is just kind of boring to me. same with kathryn. fun idea, bland execution.

the duchess hunt by lorraine heath (once upon a dukedom #2)

BANGER! if you've been paying any attention (first, i love you), you may have noticed i've been feeling kind of bleh about a solid chunk of the historicals i've read for the last couple months. i think evernight and soulbound were the last ones to really make me Feel Something and that was in MAY. but now, this gorgeous thing. the duke of kingsland had women apply to be his duchess because he, of course, does not believe in love. after his first choice marries another man (hey kathryn), he entrusts his secretary with the task of choosing a new duchess. his secretary who he spends most of his time with, who he trusts above all else, who he insists take breakfast with him each morning. do you see where this is going. penelope, the aforementioned secretary, has been in love with the duke basically since she met him but above all else she does! her! job! i love these two so so so much. i spent so much of this book smiling like a FOOL. there are some complicated topics handled, particularly with penelope's past, but i think they're tackled fairly well and with care on heath's part.

duke looks like a groomsman by valerie bowman (the footmen’s club #2)

i liked this more than i thought i would, and that's the gist of my feeling on it. this is a second chance romance; both rhys and julianna think the other person jilted them, so there's a kind of irritating miscommunication element at play. i'm not anti miscommunication in a romance (it's real! it happens all the time! it's conflict!), but bowman has so much dialogue of them accusing each other of being the selfish one that it starts to feel insane how long it takes anyone to start asking questions.

the valet who loved me by valerie bowman (the footmen’s club #3) 

the end of this book made me so mad after i finished it i had to go downstairs and get a glass of water. it was by far my most anticipated book in the series, and the first 70% is so fucking good, i was LIVID. i still kind of recommend it, because it’s really fun and maybe the end won’t piss someone else off the way it did me. it just happened to do something i'd recently been complaining about, and after such a good setup the ruination of my payoff felt monstrous. i basically gave up on the series, and that's saying a LOT because book 4 is called save a horse, ride a viscount, which is the kind of silliness i crave in a histrom.

foster by claire keegan

oh i love a little book that packs a punch! in foster, a young girl is sent to live with distant relatives while her mother is pregnant with another child. it takes maybe two hours tops to read, but it pulls you in so tightly that when you're done it feels like you've been with this story for much longer. i immediately put more claire keegan on hold at the library and i'm really looking forward to reading more of her.

blue nights: a memoir by joan didion

didion's choice to reckon with her daughter's childhood and death alongside her own aging and mortality is so interesting. i can't fathom what it must be like to lose your husband and your daughter within 18 months of each other, and while as a book i prefer the year of magical thinking, i also really appreciated the explorations here. it's a bit messy, but i don't see a world where it isn't. i always recommend didion, and i'm endlessly working through her backlist.

the library of shadows by rachel moore

this is not something i'd typically read! it's a ya paranormal romance between a girl and a ghost (okay, it is definitely in theory something i would read. love a ghost.), but my sister and i are trying to read at least one book by every author attending a romance book festival. there's a spreadsheet and everything (and the spreadsheet is split into two pages to separate adult and ya authors! we mean business!). this is moore's debut and you can feel it. it's a little half baked in both the paranormal mystery and the romance. definitely a compelling premise and fun characters, though, and i enjoyed my time with it. i have her second book downloaded and i may circle back to it if i get to every author in the spreadsheet and feel ambitious enough to go back around for seconds.

homesick for another world by otessa moshfegh

first, otessa moshfegh has an incredibly bizarre hang-up with fat people. it's impossible not to notice it here. i also agreed with a friend of mine's take that some of these stories, unchanged in the hands of men, would not be nearly as well received. they aren't bad on the whole, but so many of them feel incomplete. i do like how unafraid moshfegh is of being gross and unkind, and the latter half of the collection is much better than the first. short stories can be so hit or miss, even from my very favorite writers, but the worst of this is so middling in a way i found boring? i'd rather she make a huge swing and miss than meander around average the way she does in here.

cleopatra and frankenstein by coco mellors

i keep going back and forth on this. i really liked mellors' writing, and i enjoyed most of this book, but there's something about it that pulls me back from totally raving. cleo and frank meet at a holiday party, and they're married by the next summer. the book follows the next year and some change of their relationship and some of the people in their orbit. cleo's best friend, frank's sister. i think the resolution of cleo's arc in particular still kind of rankles me. i won't go into detail, because i do think it's a book worth reading (and i'm planning on reading mellors' newest, blue sisters), but i was unsatisfied by how a good chunk of the conclusion to this novel plays out.

crazy salad and scribble scribble: some things about women and notes on media by nora ephron

so this is two essay collections from the 70s. because it’s nora ephron, so many of them are so sharp and funny (and frankly still applicable today). however. because it was the 70s, it is incredibly dated in a lot of its feminism. particularly, the last essay in crazy salad is just ephron absolutely ripping a trans woman a new one for having a “girlish” idea of womanhood. it’s not a pleasant reading experience.

boy on ice: the life and death of derek boogaard by john branch  

oh man. oh man. literally just thinking about this for too long still makes me a little misty eyed. it’s such a hard read; i finished it on a plane and just about sobbed my brains out next to some strangers. but i think it’s an important book. there are so many details i keep thinking about. how derek boogaard's dad thought his son's hands were what he had to worry about long term. how many prescriptions were written, seemingly without a thought. how young he was for some of the most brutal fights described in this book. i don't think it's immoral to appreciate the occasional hockey scrap, but i do think it's important to be confronted with this kind of visceral reckoning, the same that's found in major misconduct by jeremy allingham or any of the books that delve into other toxic aspects of the sport and its culture. especially as, nearing ten years on, bettman's stance on cte has stayed the same: outdated and willfully ignorant.

okay thanks for sticking around love you bye

[golddragon387]

Fanfic 20 questions!

Thank you to my brainrot bestie, my comrade in delusion, @resplendent-chungus for tagging me.

1. How many fics do you have on AO3?

12 at time of writing, which is certainly more than nothing!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

72,197. Again, non-zero!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

That I've published, RWBY and Steven Universe. That I haven't... Miraculous Ladybug, Sunless Sea, Dark Souls, Discworld, Samurai Jack, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fire Emblem, the Locked Tomb...

A lot of things I've had thoughts on, I've written down those thoughts in prose somewhere. Maybe I should dust some of those off and share them. Hm.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Drabble Roulette (Steven Universe) is in my number 1 spot, but seeing as it was a shortfic collection I took part in with several friends, I'd hesitate to call it mine. With apologies to Chungus; we all did a short fic every week based on the same one-word prompt, and God we kicked ass.

Stress is Bad for the Baby (RWBY) is my number 2; it's a fun little oneshot where Yang crashes her airship while out on a mission and calls Blake, who is on maternity leave and antsy, about it.

Sleeping In (Steven Universe) is my number 3, a oneshot based on that "wake up sleepyhead" vine which I though was funny at the time. I'd still stand by it, even if the prose isn't exactly up to my current standards.

You Can Always Call On Me (Steven Universe) is my number 4, this one is (surprise surprise) a oneshot, which was based on my (at the time positive) reaction to the sequel series, SU Future. ...We'll just say there's a reason I stopped writing for that fandom after the finale, and leave it at that.

There is a Hell (RWBY) finishes out my top five, and is a fanfic of a fanfic, written for my aforementioned good buddy Chungus. give it a read, after you've read the fic it's based on, I Can Almost Hear the Hounds, then yell at us in the comments! We appreciate it!

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yeah. I like attention and I like talking about the thing I made with the people who read it. I comment on the things I read too, when I've got the energy.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The aforementioned There Is A Hell, for sure. Pure Whump. Nobody is having a fun time at castle Evernight.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Shit, I don't know... the majority of my stuff is oneshots, so there's like four angsty ones and six happy ones, I think? This question is better for someone more prolific.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes and it is also unpublished. We'll see if that ever leaves the Mind Hole, too.

10. Do you write crossovers? If so, what's the craziest one you've ever written?

One of my unpublished WIPs is a massive crossover shoving the RWBY characters into basically the plot of Star Wars, featuring Ruby as Luke, Yang as Han but with Leia's personal history, Blake as Leia but Han's personal history, Weiss as a very reluctant imperial traitor, and Salem as the evil Emperor of the Galactic Empire. It's planned to cover the equivalent of the Original Trilogy. I really don't want to publish it until at least the New Hope-equivalent is done.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope, not popular enough for that.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

See above.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, though I've made overtures to a couple of friends but aside from the prompt roulette fic mentioned above, it's never panned out.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I'm not a huge ship guy... I'd call Connie & Steven from Steven Universe a very formative ship for me, however, and Ruby Rose & Penny Polendina from RWBY is the biggest thing I'm into right now.

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Gosh, what isn't, for me? I have more words in unfinished, unpublished works than I do published ones by an order of magnitude. The big one, though, is a little something I like to call Another Stranger Me. Let's do the time warp again, baby.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Word choice/diction, and flow. I love prose and I love writing prose.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing what I start. Help me ADHD medication, you're my only hope...

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Not fluent enough in anything to be confident in it, though I don't usually mind it when I read, if it's done right.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Steven Universe, yup.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Out of my published stuff? So Much For Stardust (RWBY). Now that's what I call an angsty oneshot!

Thanks again to chungus for the tag. Since I see mercy got you, I guess I'll tag... ah, @h-a-d-i-t-h-i, @loveluckylost, and @tunafishprincess. Have fun, gang!

[m1d-45]

(writing a blurb about other fischl despite not knowing that much about the background of the ein immernachtstraum skin lore. forgive me if its off🗿)

other fischl (who im naming night or something similar(maybe nyx?)) who maintains her identity as the true prinzessin but would throw it all away for the sake of the creator. night who can see danger coming from miles away thanks to oz and his ability to be her eyes in the sky.

her electro might not be as volatile as red's pyro but she can still protect the creator just as well as he can! (maybe even better than red!) seeing that she uses a bow and has oz, she can better fight the knights of favonius in long ranged combat.

when red comes back bloodied and bruised, which she knows is on purpose to get creator's attention, she gets a little jealous. why can't she get that attention and love? obviously she should be getting more attention, she's the prinzessin der verurteilung! the two of them are on rocky ground but for the sake of the creator, they're willing to (mostly) put aside their differences. (and she hates to admit it but red does make for a good teammate)

night and fischl don't have as much drama as red and diluc do but that doesn't stop her from acting superior to fischl. after all, who protected the true creator during the hunt? not fischl. thats who.

all things aside, she'd lay down her life and her title as the prinzessin for the creator.

- curse anon

lotsa talk and fischl lore spoilers below!

Ein Immernachtstraum translates roughly to ‘an ever night dream’ (and i’d anybody who actually speaks german thinks that’s wrong, take it up with google translate <3) so i think ‘night’ works well!

also, i went back to the event (shout out to the genshin wiki. genshin wiki my dearly beloved. if nobody got me i know the genshin wiki got me) and reviewed the dialogue from the other-fischl—who’s referred to as ‘immernacht fischl’ or ‘evernight fischl’ which is a useless fact but here—and have essentially gathered this:

‘fischl’ is a persona. we’re aware of this—or i assume everyone is? or was that info revealed in the event??—and know that her real name is amy. the event (summertime odyssey, part 3 for the dialogue i saw by the way if you wanna read it yourself) takes this a step further, but first i’ll quickly recap some fischl lore. i’ll put a ‘recap over’ if you know and don’t wanna read it.

so! as i said, ‘fischl’ as we know her is actually amy. fischl is a character from an obscure book series titled “Flowers for Princess Fischl.” now, this princess fischl is the one that rules over the immernachtreich, this princess fischl is the one with a soulbond with a raven familiar and an entire kingdom.

amy, as a child, read these books and was, expectedly, a massive fan. her parents played along, calling her ‘fischl’ and playing into the essentially very advanced roleplay. as she grew up, she kept with this persona, even as she—i assume, her lore was a bit vague—was bullied for this persona. but her parents didn’t really say anything, and were assumedly supportive.

however, on her 14th birthday, when she went to her parents for comfort after another round of bullying, they said that she needed to drop the act. she was incredibly upset by this, naturally, and went to the library to console herself with her favorite books. that night, she received both her vision and oz.

(and then they had dinner with her parents and oz complimented her parents’ beans which is hilarious as a sentence)

recap done!

now, the ‘immernacht fischl’ is essentially the actual fischl, not amy. she’s a manifestation of all of amy’s insecurities, in essence, and in the event oz actually switches sides because, to paraphrase, “isn’t she my master too?”

all of this to say that night, the personification of ein immernachtstraum, which is the outfit that the immernacht fischl wore, is essentially the real fischl that amy has based her entire identity off of.

to finally get to your point: you are 100% correct on everything. night is better for long range, and fischl in canon can see through oz’s eyes so i assume the same for night, so she’s better for reconnaissance and looking out for threats. her and red make for a powerful overload team, but she’s 1000% jealous of the attention you pay to him. she never gets such injuries because she’s significantly less tanky, has less combat experience most likely, and is long-range, but she feels like it might be worth it to have you dote on her.

her and fischl have significantly less animosity than red and diluc, but there’s a fairly large caveat. whereas red hates diluc for his choice of priorities (and for the hunt) and diluc hates red because 1) he fuckin growled at him when they first met what the fuck 2) red just isn’t a good guy to anybody but you, night and fischl have a more one sided sort of hate.

fischl hates night. she views herself as the real fischl, and oz doesn’t even recognize night as the (a?) princess! there’s something severely wrong here, and she hates it.

but night could not give less of a fuck about fischl. she does not care. she views her as a cheap copy, one not worth paying any mind to. why would she? she has everything, and fischl had to make up what she has. she has the real ozvaldo hrafnavins, she rules over the real immernachtreich, and she had all of them since the moment she was brought to life by you. she doesn’t need a vision to give her copies- psh, its an insult to imply she’d ever be jealous.

oh, and to clarify the point i made about her being an illusionist: in the event, fischl’s domain—it’s hard to explain, but each of the characters involved had their personal domain like based off of them—involved a lot of perspective tricks! so i figured night would be able to make illusions with electro, or be able to manipulate her surroundings in impossible ways via said perspective tricks. i’m thinking of her like holding a pebble up to her eye and with a flash of magic, suddenly it’s a boulder blocking off the hunters’ path! her and morax make for a team when trying to cut off the hunters, and her and barbatos can be clever together to get you out of sticky situations.

oh, but of course, since she is a princess, she has an incredibly strong sense of loyalty. her and oz are more than willing to lay down their lives for you—but then again, so are the others.

[susanhannifordcrowley]

A New Way Paranormal-Scope

[thegreatandpowerfulversy]

Ao3 First Lines

Not actually tagged by @anonymousdandelion but I saw yours and tagged myself.

Rules: post the first lines of your 10 most recently published ao3 stories (if you have less than 10 fics posted, post the first lines of all your fics).

I am interpreting the word "lines" a bit loosely here. Also the words "most recent" because I'm skipping a couple, but it's close enough.

In Gold Everlasting (Elden Ring/RWBY, 43k of estimated 53k)

Pyrrha Nikos did not expect to wake up.

When Other Talents Rise (RWBY/Warframe series part 5, 61k ongoing)

Despite all evidence to the contrary, Whitley Schnee does not want to be here. He did not mean to apply to Atlas Academy. He was not expecting to pass the exam to get in. He is only here now because he has had his opportunities upon opportunities to back down, and he, foolishly, hasn’t.

Divided Loyalties (Babylon 5, 21k)

In a waterlogged tunnel beneath Syria Planum, late in November 2259, a dying man staggers forward calling the name of a trusted friend.

Gender Turnabout (Ace Attorney, 9k)

It’s an odd hour for visitors, late after a full day of exhausting cases, and yet a knock comes at a certain judge’s office door.

Because Someone Must (RWBY, 11k)

This isn't fair. How can he let this happen? How can he know about such great injustice, see it every moment of every day, and yet do nothing? There on his throne, high above the common folk, idolized by the privileged and the lucky as their guiding light, a paragon of civilization. 

From Ashes (RWBY/Warframe series part 3, 21k)

Tai’s watering his sunflowers, a small black and white dog panting at his heel. The dog looks happy. Tai does not.

Mercy in the Dark (RWBY, 5k)

“Welcome to Beacon. As you all are about to be aware, my name is Forsythe Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, and if you ever repeat that first name in my presence you will be either A, expelled, or B, promoted to assistant headmaster. Needless to say, neither of these options is very good for you.”

Between the Candle and the Star (RWBY, 5k)

It’s dark in Evernight Castle.  It always is, to some extent – otherwise the name wouldn’t fit – but this is a darker night than usual. And right now, this is not the calm, comforting dimness of Salem’s sanctuary, but nearly pitch black in every place not in direct view of a window to the pink-tinted skies beyond.  What happened?

Vox Faunus (RWBY/Warframe series part 2 (but really the main one), 254k)

They’ll say it was an accident. They always do, regardless of whether it is in fact an accident or something far more purposeful.

Burnt Sienna (RWBY/Warframe series part 1 (really a prequel), 26k)

Paranoia pays off, far more often than not. Trust is important, but sometimes, one of the few people you thought you could trust kills you. For most people, once you’re dead, you’re dead. For Sienna, a carefully curated network of lies, half-truths, and her semblance mean that, if she’s careful, death isn’t permanent. A side effect of this is knowing all too well when her paranoia is proven right.

Tagging @ofstormsandfire because you have so many fics that it doesn't matter that I used most of our co-written ones here, and also any other writers who follow me, you do what you want.

[farsight-the-char]

Thinking about my Grey Rose setting.

There was the Evernight Storm, where the Magi-Phage first arrived, and for 11 years caused untold havoc. Disrupting the magical balance, causing climate change, killing several gods and cultures, and more.

Then The Saint arrived, and lead the 11 year campaign against the Magi-Phage, culminating in the death of the "Primarch Kaiju" the mightiest of the Phage.

The Saint brought industry, guns, trains, and helped establish the Collective Cities Constitution and Guilds. She disappeared, claiming other realms meeded her.

This began The First Age in the "People's Era". The 2 centuries long process to which the cultures that Survived Evernight joined the Collective, connecting to the Arck Train Railway Network, and built Armoured Cities. The Magi-Phage were still around, but manageable.

The "Shards" rise during this time, born of the fragments of dead gods. Some want to live peacefully, others desire their Divinity back.

..

After that, we have the Magi-Tech Era.

A series of booms and busts that went on-and-off for about 150 years, as many cultures experimented with unrestrained technology and magics.

Evil Vampires experimenting with the Blood, Shards attempting to recapture their lost godhood, energy testing, medical improvements, engineering projects, and more, all resulting in catastrophic damage and/or life-saving discovery.

This era ended in a new large scale invasion from the Magi-Phage, which was dealt with in a rapid and destructive fashion thanks to the new technology, and the Collective Cities stood Stronger then ever. (More effort was then made to monitor/regulate tech development, after this.)

...

The current age, when our heroes are introduced, is the so called "Third Age", the era of information.

Basically, Internet was invented towards the end of the last conflict with the Magi-Phage (30 years before), and the Collective Cities had recently decided to make it a public service to those living under Constitution Territories.

A greater rise in personal freedoms, and better sharing of ideas, occur.

...

Vivian is 57 when introduced, a Vampire for 5.5 years.

Esther is 33, a Vampire for 5.5 years.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Caro's August Book Rec Wrapup

Books! I read a lot of them in August, as I read a lot of them in basically every month because wow life is life.

I really loved beginning (still have two books left!) Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series. It was all the Gothic romance + paranormal + historical romance trends + hot sex shit I want out of historical paranormals. I also knocked out two great queer ARCs, Fly with Me by Andie Burke and A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles. And I conquered a classic. Check out the recs!

Firelight by Kristen Callihan.

I love historical romance. I love paranormal romance. So it's no surprise that I love both; but I really can't emphasize how excited I am about this series. It's a bit dark, a lot adventurous, and lushly romantic with a solid dose of angst. You have a tortured hero who ruined himself in pursuit of immortality, the innocent but bold heroine he can't resist (who has a big secret of her own) and this really Gothic vibe that I find irresistible. I am. Obsessed.

Moonglow by Kristen Callihan.

Although I do think they definitely benefit from being read in order, the Darkest London series can technically be read as standalones. I'm so super impressed by this series, and Moonglow is such a standout. Even stronger than the first book, it's funny and hot and heartbreaking. You're basically pairing the two slutty, slutty side characters from the previous book, bringing in some werewolf politics and trauma (and an extremely hot carriage scene) and topping it off with some of the most romantic shit I've ever read. Such a good werewolf book. Such a good romance novel. I was riveted, and I was surprised by some of the bold swings this book took. An absolute banger.

Baron by Joanna Shupe.

One of the funnier, sexier "rich upper crust man can't believe he's falling in love with a poor" books I've read. Will Sloane is in fact... kind of the worst, but in a way that's both sexy and endearing. And I really appreciated that, as a heroine, Ava was undeniably susceptible to his charms--but very aware of her personal responsibilities, and self-respecting enough to take control of the situation. Also, love the backdrop of the medium frenzy in Gilded Age America.

Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan.

My new favorite marriage in trouble book, made all the better by the fact that there's like... a Rumplestiltskin issue involved? here, we have a very hardcore, very mercenary heroine and the man she's been married to for fourteen fucking years and really had no idea what was going on in her personal life. They love each other deeply; and their love is deeply complicated. He withholds himself out of anger, and then loses his shit when she wears a pink dress because the pink of the gown against the red of her hair reminds him of her vagina, and he sure does lOVE that vagina. It's amazing and I severely recommend it.

Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan.

This series is nothing but winners; and this book takes a darker turn, as, heads up, both the hero and heroine are survivors of sexual assault, among other things. He's hard-edged and determined to protect her from The Truth, which makes him quite a bit of a dick, and she's secretive and cool and remote, but also desperate to Know him. It's an angsty, at points difficult read, but still quite impressive.

Evernight by Kristen Callihan.

A demon man is turned into a mech-type atrocity by a woman who was forced to act, and is now bound to said woman because her touch is very literally the only thing that soothes his mind and body. Fucking amazing premise and she follows through. Will calling Holly "My Evernight"? Lol I'm fucking gone. Ill-advised sex, cage fight adventures, orgasmic biting, an incredibly tense last 25% or so where I was near tears because how will they work this shit out??? Yes yes yes.

In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Scandalous Reputation by Alexandra Vasti.

A fabulously funny and sexy debut novella which you can get for free (along with the other Halifax novellas) on Alexandra's website! The thing I love about Margot is that she is kind of in a state of arrested development, which is rare to find in heroines, especially historical heroines. Like, she should be progressing a lot faster than she is. She needs to grow the fuck up; but she doesn't quite know how. It's honestly a pretty affirming messy girl book in that sense. But it also perfectly encapsulates not only how important pacing is in a romance, but the aching, pining yearning of a good brother's best friend book. Henry wants this crazy bitch so bad. It's glorious. God bless him.

In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint by Alexandra Vasti.

Controversial but brave--this one may have worked for me even more. Which, shocker, I prefer the one with the (light) BDSM and the grumpy older hero. But the romance had me sold as soon as it became clear that Matilda is a Secret Freak and this older gentleman is soooo into it and sooooooo guilty about that. The terse note exchanges, the play, the cat shenanigans, Matilda hiding out at this scary man's big house. Just. Loved it. So much.

Salt in the Wound by Sierra Simone.

This prequel novella to Sierra's upcoming Lyonesse trilogy should be required reading before said trilogy. It's rich, it's dark, it's intensely erotic, and it establishes a fascinating push-pull between the kind of calculating and kind of innocent Isolde and the threatening, but alluring man she's being forced to marry. Mark is... a fucking lot. And in a lot of ways I think this book is a good intro to Sierra's ouvre, because it's on the shorter side, it's very much entrenched in her world, and it's a little taboo but nothing compared to say, her Thornchapel series. It's extremely hot, extremely angsty, and I can't wait for the rest of the series.

Snow Place Like L.A. by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy.

I really like these Christmas Notch books. They're so cute and, even when they aren't super Christmassy like this one, weirdly festive. The kind of romcoms I enjoy, where much sex is had and the vibe is cheery but emotional. This is a m/m second chance novella, with a very good bathtub scene, much love for romcom excellence, and a satisfying conclusion in every sense.

Fly with Me by Andie Burke. ARC; read my full review here.

Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster.

McMaster creates a really interesting paranormal-steampunk world, where there are monsters everywhere and a social structure curving around them. I really enjoy a "heroine sells her soul to scary hero to save her family but then it turns out he's like, obsessed with her" setup, which is what this book has. There's vampiric eroticism, a hero with a cockney accent named BLADE who actually is extremely soft for the heroine (except not where it counts). It's very solid.

Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster.

In some ways I liked this one more than Kiss of Steel, because the hero is a vIRGINAL WEREWOLF BODYGUARD and the heroine is a flirty debutante type who's in way over her head. It's a great clash of uptight man x flighty girl, and there's a lot of tension because... the werewolf virus can be spread through sex, and if she gets the virus she probably won't survive. So they can't have sex. But they really want to have sex (and there is a great scene where they get creative). A great setup, love werewolf STIs.

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing A Scoundrel by KJ Charles. ARC; read my full review here.

Knockout by Sarah MacLean.

My favorite Hell's Belles book yet, because Tommy Peck can absolutely not handle this whirlwind of a woman who literally blows up his life. While there is a plot arc and all that, this book is very focused on the romance and character development, which I love. Imogen is such an amazing heroine, and Tommy fully rises to the occasion (in every sense). I also really love the scene where he has to suck on her tits in front of people ("has to") because they're pretending to be a sex worker and a john, bye.

In Which Winnie Halifax is Utterly Ruined by Alexandra Vasti.

The Halifax brother gets his book, and he is! Hot! This is a "I didn't know I had a wife" book, which I love, and the heroine is a sheep farmer? How fun. Because Winnie isn't quite as fucking balls out insane as Margo or Matilda, I think this is probably my least favorite of the trilogy, but it's still really fucking good. Our hero is both sweet and hot, a difficult combination, and he's younger than her? SCANDALE! Lovely, romantic, so good.

Scandalous Passions by Nicola Davidson.

A quick, super hot Tudor-era FFM menage romance with a sizable helping of femdom. One heroine is a domineering, sexually liberated widow who used to be the king's mistress and is now being booted from court by his wife; the other is a shy but curious virgin who's been locked in a convent all her life. Their escort? A big dangerous knight guy who's actually a FUCKING SWEETHEART and doesn't want to talk a lot because of his stutter. Which. My fucking heart. Lachlan. He got me immediately, and his relationship with Janet and Marjorie was kind of incredible. They all fall in love with each other, to be clear, and it's both super sexy and remarkably pure. I loved it.

Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese.

This is one of those fake dating contemporary setups which is objectively insane, but it's a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing so it's fine I'm good with it. Adding to the story is a hero whose tenseness is actually anxiety, and a heroine on the spectrum with sensory issues. It's quite sweet and the writing has a brisk, refreshing tone I liked a lot. The last quarter or so does have a contrivance I wasn't a fan of, but I still came away from the book really liking it, which is difficult for me with normal contemporaries.

Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale.

I've loved every one of the three Kinsale books I've read (and I'm taking it slow... she only has about a dozen books out and doesn't seem to write anymore) and while Shadowheart remains my favorite... Holy shit, this is so good. A masterpiece. Beautifully written, gorgeously romantic, hot in a unique way I can't even get into... (Suffice to say, if you have a thing for when a religious heroine is corrupted~ by a slutty slutty man, you'll like this.) It's everything people hyped it up to be and more.

Give the Devil His Duke by Anna Bradley.

I went into this with no concept of Bradley or her work, and it was so good! Not super complex in terms of plot, but with enough heft to make it matter. Funny, sexy, and it sold the rake hero who has his big Clueless "I'M BUTT CRAZY IN LOVE WITH JOSH [FRANCESCA]" moment only after he basically pitches himself to the floor begging her to stay with him. I had a very good time, and I'm happy to have found a new author.