#Guilty Crown Character Appreciation

[krowlovesinazuma]

INAZUMA BLOG INAZUMA BLOG INAZUMA BLOG INAZUMA BLOG IM LOVE YOU

How do I do the special anon thing do I ask for emoji identification here or in messages or... and can I choose my emoji? Bird🪶?

Also, can I ask for Kujou Sara with a Kujou Sara Main!Reader? I'm talking C6, max friendship, would basically follow her around as she does her Army General stuff, triple crowned, and takes her pretty much everywhere in Teyvat? I'm sorry my bird girl's so underrated if I can't have a hangout event with her I'll have to request content for her from blogs. I don't know if maining a specific character is allowed or not because of the "altering traits" rule but if so, thank you for taking the time to read this request!

Thanks for the enthusiasm! Also, you only needed to ask, welcome 🪶 anon!

Scenario: How it is to be your favorite

Character: Kujou Sara

Being taken out on so many adventures before you appeared in Teyvat was... Certainly an interesting experience! At first she was really unsure about this being a proper way to use her time, but she couldn't help but warm up eventually.

At first, exploring foreign lands with your lead made her uncomfortable and unsure, and she definitely questioned it heavily once she realized what was happening. Seeing other Inazuman people alongside her did help with this, but overall it takes time to get comfortable.

Seeing so many diverse parts of the world helped her appreciate it more, and how to be more efficient with whatever jobs she had to do by herself, so it was a win/win for her. She also noticed how much stronger she was becoming, which was surprising!

She started to long for your attention when she made the connection to the creator myths, and couldn't help but be glad that you showed her just as much attention as she began to show you. Definitely helped her divide her attention between you and the Shogun!

Speaking about her though, sometimes Sara felt conflicted about following two divine beings by separate, but knowing you also favored Inazuma made her slightly more relaxed about this. Slightly.

When it's finally time to see you in physical shape she's far from ready, although she was eager to meet you. When you come to her however, she tries to show herself as she always is, which fails when you show her fascination. She wasn't ready.

It's going to take a while for her to be fully prepared to accept your compliments, as they were so different from what she usually experienced. Everything you do for her is so different, it takes some time to get used to! Just give her time, and start slow.

She tries to offer you her service to make up for it, but it's hard when she's still active in the Tenryou commission. She'll appreciate it if you accompany her during work instead, and try to convince her that you only need her company. It'll help a ton.

While at first she's overwhelmed by what you throw at her, she'll get used to it over time, and you can tell just how much more relaxed she is in her daily life with your presence to energize her. The others in the commission notice it as well, and they appreciate her better state!

The Shogun will also notice, and before long, she does try to know more about it. Sara does feel guilty about showing you so much attention, even though she was solely devoted to the shogun. You should help her out with speaking with Ei directly for this!

All in all, your presence in her life is such a change of pace that it takes her some getting used to, but once she does, it helps her get through life much more relaxed, stronger and better, and she can't thank you enough for it. She just wishes she had more time to show you her thankfulness!

[littlemisspascal]

2023 & Me

Been thinking a lot these past few days about everything that's happened with me in 2023. Hard to believe it's coming to end--time seriously does fly 😮

There's been some heavy losses this year. Several family members passed away to illnesses and old age, including my grandfather who I had a strained relationship with to say the least. I also had a shocking family drama bomb dropped on me earlier this month that has had a huge ripple effect I'm still navigating, but fingers crossed things will find a way of working out for the best.

I had some severe mental health depression episodes throughout the year, made me reevaluate priorities and also doubt pretty much every choice I've ever made in life, but I do truly believe I'm entering 2024 in a positive mindset so that's something to be happy about :) I'mma try this crazy concept called self-love and not think the worst about me, myself, and I.

My writing took a hit this year. Word count wise, kudos wise, engagement wise--but I also made progress on several wips and even finished a few which is a big accomplishment for a snail writer like me 😊 I want to enter 2024 not feeling guilty for being self-indulgent or trying new kinds of writing styles. I also want to shake off the belief a low note count equals it was a bad fic/waste of time -- I don't believe that for anyone else, yet my brain always uses it as a weapon of insecurity against myself and enough is enough brain 😠 no more I say!

On a more positive note, I was fortunate enough to attend several conventions this year and improve my cosplay skills (2024 Ahsoka is gonna be my best look yet I just know it 😁). I got to meet total sweethearts Jon Bernthal and Charlie Cox, Steve Burns my childhood hero, the dear Jodi Benson, the gorgeous Rosario Dawson and beautiful Ming-Na Wen, and of course I can't ever forget Andrew Garfield 😱💗 And most importantly of all I did each these cons with my sister and made some lifelong memories! (Also bought a heckin lot of stickers. A heckin lot 🥰)

And then of course the crown jewel of 2023 1000% hands down was attending the United States Formula 1 Grand Prix. Good lord y'all it was one of the best weekends of my entire life! If you had asked me a couple years ago if I'd care about a sport--any sport--I'd have laughed in your face but there's just something so addictive and captivating about the world of F1 and its cast of characters. And having the luck of getting Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo's autographs on my dumb lil frog bucket hat was just *muffled screaming* I literally was a shaking mess lemme tell ya--just ask @beecastle and @undercoverpena who were there with me on my phone every step of the way 💜 thanks for putting up with my addiction y'all! Much much love to you both!!

AND THE FRIGGIN FACT SOMEONE GOT A PHOTO OF ME AND DANNY TOGETHER 🥺😭😭 NEVER BE OVER IT NOPE

There are so many people on here that made 2023 a bright and kind and fun one for me---@oonajaeadira @something-tofightfor @wheresarizona @trinkets01 @kyberblade @sofasoap @grogusmum @writeforfandoms @psychedelic-ink @kteague @prolix-yuy @wildemaven @the-blind-assassin-12 @practicalghost @gnpwdrnwhiskey @bishtrouille @nothoughtsjustmeds @kirsteng42 @miraclesabound @radiowallet @harriedandharassed @hopeamarsu and dozens dozens dozens more!

Thank you to everyone who's liked, reblogged, commented on my blog + sent me messages! I appreciate and love you all so much more than words can ever express 💜💗💙🧡

2024---let's bring it on! 🥳

[lizzybeth1986]

Reader Fatigue

Book: The Royal Romance

Rating: G

Pairing: Hana Lee x Kiara Theron

Word Count: 2, 501 words

Summary: Over a year after she has settled in with her wife in Cordonia, why does Hana not feel the same joy when she reads??

Tagging @hanaleeappreciationweek and @sazanes for HLAW Day 3: Bookworm, @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW and LGBTQ Archive, and @choicesmaychallenge24 for the theme "Athena: Wisdom".

Three months.

Hana stirs in her bed, frowning drowsily at the abandoned book on her bedside table. The thought is small, fleeting, a tiny grain of doubt that could be swept away in the wind. Yet it persists, in the harsh, too-bright sunlight streaming in from the French windows in her bedroom, reminding her that it's mid-afternoon; the time she typically would use to enjoy a cup of tea and a light read.

Hana allows herself a small smile as the figure next to her groans and inches a little closer to her, her arms still wrapped loosely around her waist. It's usually Kiara who gets up earlier from their afternoon siestas, teasing her over wanting to read "when your eyes aren't even half-open yet, chérie!"

On weekends, Kiara would encourage her to sleep in a little more. She knew Hana would appreciate the opportunity to binge-read cover-to-cover - perhaps re-read if she really liked the material.

It's been three months now since she's been able to complete a chapter, much less a book.

Hana stretches, catlike, before blindly groping for the book she'd left abandoned on the bedside table. The Crown and the Flame. It's an abridged version, one she'd carried from her childhood home and always found herself devouring in less than two hours...yet somehow she hasn't been able to move past Dominic Hunter's account of his first encounter with a young Princess Kenna at a Beltane festival.

Hana wishes she know how - when! - it had come to this.

When she got married to Kiara last year, it was almost as if the floodgates had opened on everything. Whatever Esther had predicted in that patisserie in Paris - maybe you're fated to be a prim, girly girl adventurer who has unknown depths just waiting to be found! - seemed to be on the cusp of becoming a reality.

Back home in Shanghai, almost every morsel of literature Hana managed to devour was a guilty pleasure; she'd hidden books in secret corners, savoured words and worlds unknown underneath the comforting cocoon of a blanket, uttered half-truths to keep the more scandalous material out of her parents' hands, weaved happy endings and bright futures for favourite couples and charactes, long after she had put the books down.

Hana wonders now if half the fun, back then, was in the secrecy. If half the comfort had come from sharing space with Father and Mother, and knowing they would never truly be able to capture the joy she experienced from reading or make it their own. There was a freedom in that - and for Hana, any freedom would be a luxury to be savoured, like a bonbon from a visiting relative, savoured bite by tiny bite just so the pleasure could last a bit longer.

That shift in circumstances when she married Kiara, had been overwhelming. And perhaps the way she had just gone rogue the minute Kiara gifted her her own personal library, was to be expected.

No rules, no restrictions, no restraints on what she could or couldn't read. The cocoon of her blankets gave way to the vast expanse of her library, with its wide welcoming spaces, its winding staircases, its comforting, velvet seats that allowed her to sink into them, whenever she felt like having a reading marathon.

(Which was often).

Hana had spent so much of her childhood looking over her shoulder as she devoured her books, that the idea of just reading whatever the hell she wanted felt overwhelming. But she grabbed it. With both hands. And embraced the prospect. With all her heart. Hours and hours perusing over every possible scrap of reading material she could find - history, mythology, mystery fiction, true crime, even gothic horror (which she didn't expect to wholeheartedly love the way she does now!).

Whenever the two of them got even a sliver of free time, Kiara would come to expect that Hana would suggest sneaking into the library first.

(For a reading session? To ravish each other against the bookshelves, sending an entire pile of French Renaissance literature tumbling to the floor? Both possibilities held equal appeal)

Hana would even give the occasional gossip rag the once-over, though the abysmal editing and the awful typos made her grit her teeth on occasion.

It was glorious. Novels, poetry, essay collections, her favourite mythological retellings. There was nothing Hana wouldn't read; this library was her oyster. Some evenings when Kiara came home later than Hana did, she wouldn't even bother searching anywhere else in their manor - she'd just make a beeline to the library.

That was a year ago.

Wearily, Hana places a bookmark (handmade, laminated, with pressed dried flowers she had selected herself) on the very page she'd opened, letting out a soft sigh. It's almost as if - after the exhilaration of reading whenever and whatever she liked - her brain has decided it's had enough, and has shut down.

In the first two weeks of this strange predicament, Hana had tried to put it down to different things. Overwork, or the aftermath of juggling all her new roles and all the new skills she'd managed to learn. Perhaps her reading has suffered because she doesn't have the time.

But she knows in her heart that that isn't quite true. Hana isn't sure she has been as free in her life as she has been these past few months. Her calendar has been freed up considerably; she's managed to have more romantic dates with Kiara in the past month than they'd had all year. It can't be a lack of time or even general fatigue, because these days she doesn't do much else that taxes the mind.

No - she has the time. She has the resources - thanks to Kiara, far too much of the resources. And there's no question that she has the desire to keep reading. She just can't ever bring herself to finish.

As she places the book, dully, back on the bedside table, Hana feels a slender arm snaking its way around her waist, a chin nestling against her shoulder with a murmur of approval.

"Mon ange," Kiara whispers, her voice rough, grainy, deep, like freshly-ground coffee. She plants a kiss on Hana's shoulder, lacing their fingers together.

Lazily, Hana turns in Kiara's arms and moves her hands so she can lightly finger her curls, marvelling at how soft they feel in her hands. Kiara takes a long, hard look at Hana as her vision clears, probably wondering what she's hiding. Hana wishes her wife wasn't so good at guessing when something doesn't feel right.

She tries hard to school her features into something more neutral - more fitting for someone who just woke up and wasn't ruminating over something she has lost - but Kiara has never been that easy to fool.

"Everything's okay?" Kiara says, "You've been looking a bit...off for the past few weeks."

Hana looks down, pretending to busy herself with the crocheted fringes of the blanket. Could she laugh it off? Claim that her wife is probably overthinking, that she is worrying over nothing?

Because in the grand scheme of things, it is nothing. She's been doing well. She's never been happier than she is now - she has a home, a purpose, a wife she is madly in love with, passions that she's never felt more free to pursue!

She curses herself as she begins to feel that tell-tale burn in her throat. Struggling to read a book shouldn't affect her this much.

She looks up at Kiara, and almost begins to lie. But Hana knows she's not the best of liars, that most times her eyes give her away. Kiara's fingers are already moving towards the corners of her eyes, brushing the teardrops away.

Hana sniffles. "It's silly."

"Humour me," Kiara nudges her gently. "I don't care how stupid it sounds."

Hana sighs, and tells her. Midway through it all, Kiara props up two pillows against the bedstand and gets them to sit up, Hana safely ensconced in her arms. She tells Kiara everything. How much joy she'd had every time she'd picked up a book. How that joy would spring up double fold if it was about something she barely understood. How easy it was, a year ago, to speed-read the first time, then savour re-reads. How - whenever she felt a little bit naughty - she'd read a book backwards, from the last chapter to the first; giggling as she came to the beginning of the book knowing how it would end.

How...of late...she can find no fun, no joy, in turning to the next page - much less the end of a book.

"It's a stupid, stupid thing to worry about," Hana rails on, "I can just imagine my people at Krysanthe looking at me and shaking their heads and thinking 'oh, the Duchess and her first-world-problems'."

Kiara laughs gently, snuggling Hana closer to her. She passes a small handkerchief to her free hand. "That's all of us, with our people. And they're not completely wrong - of course our lives have always been far better and easier than theirs...most times through their labour. But that doesn't mean that you have to ignore things that confuse or distress you, ma moité." Her hand caresses Hana's shoulder in an attempt to give comfort. "And learning that a pastime so beloved no longer gives you the joy you always got from it...is bound to confuse you."

Hana blows her nose into the handkerchief. "I think a part of it is that...I'm beginning to wonder if I was lying to myself about loving reading books, this whole time."

She takes a deep breath, running her hands back and forth over the soft blanket for comfort. "And if I did...what else have I been lying to myself about? What else will I find I don't like, now that my parents can't dictate the way I live my life? Fashion? Poetry? Music??" Hana takes in a deep breath, almost shocked at the things she's revealing because she hardly ever allowed herself to dwell upon any of this before, much less say it out loud. "What if there's nothing that I liked that I can't put down to parental pressure? What if I keep unraveling, and peeling off, everything I thought I was and find that I'm...well...nothing?"

For one moment, Kiara's eyes seem to search her face, frowning deeply. Then her body goes slack, only her hands enfolding her in a tight, comforting hug. She sighs softly against Hana's hair. "Oh, Hana."

For several minutes, Kiara says nothing - just cradles Hana in her arms, rocking her back and forth, her hands moving in a light caress up and down her spine. When she feels Hana go calmer, she moves her hands to her face, cupping her cheeks.

"What you're facing right now...that's something almost every book lover will have gone through, sometime or other. Especially if their passion was something they had to keep a secret, and they suddenly find that they're no longer bound by any rules or restrictions."

Hana raises her eyes to Kiara's face. "Even you?"

Kiara laughs. "I'm not exactly as passionate about reading as you are, but I've seen that fatigue in Baba often. And I've faced that often with my translation work too. It's what happens when you haven't learnt yet how to regulate your passions. You do too much, you overtax your mind. And maybe this phase...maybe it's your brain and your body screaming for you to find a little bit of balance, darling."

It's now Hana's turn to frown. "What do you mean?"

Kiara's eyes dart upwards, in that way it does whenever she is pondering deeply over the best way to convey a thought. And then she suddenly smiles, almost as if she's found the perfect way to get it across. "You do love chocolate, don't you?"

Hana takes a long, hard look at Kiara's face, then bursts into delighted laughter. "Well, it's impossible to argue about or deny that!"

"What if you gave yourself unlimited access to it...no restrictions, no holds barred, allowing yourself to have as much of it as you've wanted all the time? Would it always taste the same?"

Gazing into her wife's face, Hana marvels at how perfect this analogy is. How fitting. "Of course not. I'd maybe even grow a little sick of it at some point!"

"Does that mean you'd been lying to yourself about loving it this whole time?"

Hana throws back her head and laughs, a full-throated joyful sound this time. "You could even say I'd probably get back to remembering how wonderful it tasted if I spent a little time away from it."

Grinning, Kiara bumps her forehead playfully into Hana's. "Only a bookworm would understand a metaphor that quickly. I wasn't even halfway through explaining that."

Hana slips her hands into Kiara's curls again, just the way she knows her wife likes it. She lets out a watery giggle. "That's very nice to hear."

Kiara exhales and shakes her head. "So much has changed for you, Hana. And it isn't your fault that you found freedom in a thing you loved and pushed yourself into it so much. It's natural for someone who was expected to live her entire life on someone else's terms." She holds one of Hana's hands tight within her own. "When we got married, you approached your reading the way a child would approach a shop full of bonbons for the very first time. Now you're learning the more adult way of doing it - enjoy it... but never too much all at once."

Smiling, her eyes a tiny bit watery, Hana gently cups her wife's chin. "So wise, for one so young," she teases gently.

Kiara playfully punches her arm, pursing her lips in muffled laughter. "Stop sounding like my Baba and act more like my mrati."

In higher spirits now, Hana gives Kiara a quick kiss, then makes a move to get off the bed. "All this talk of chocolate is making me hungry. What do you say I make us a mug each of my special hot chocolate, now that it's almost teatime?"

Kiara smiles, sighing in relief. These are not the words of a woman who is trying to move away, unsuccessfully, from thoughts that disturb her, or an attempt to change the subject. Just a sign that her intrusive, self-flagellation thoughts are moving in a different direction. A better direction.

She nods, eagerly. "Hayati," she says, giving her wife a saucy grin, "when have I ever said no to your hot chocolate?"

--

Translations:

Ma moité - French for "my other half"

Hayati - Darija/Arabic for "my life"

Mon ange - French for "my angel"

Baba, Mrati - Moroccan Darija terms for addressing one's father and wife, respectively

A/N: Post the pandemic I've been struggling a lot with my reading, and had a lot of the same questions my Hana had running in my head. I guess this fic was an attempt to make sense of that, but using Hana's post-marriage context as a springboard.

[yoongis-pillow]

I am yours, As you are mine

(Fushiguro Megumi x reader Drabble)

TW : s a d, (I might've cried a little), big sad, major character death, happy ending??, implication of self ending (idk man up to ya), romantic or platonic soulmates (you decide), NO BETA WE DIE LIKE THE REAL ONES 🫡✊🏼

Snow collecting on the windowsill, the scent of incense wafting through the air. So many people gathered in a small, dingy apartment, yet the silence was deafening. They were dreading to make a single sound, break the quiet. Fushiguro Megumi wasn't one of them. He had no idea what was happening. Even if he were to disturb the atmosphere, what would he even say? No tears formed, he wasn't sad or guilty either. How would he be, when he hadn't anticipated this in the least? All he could think about, was how cruel the universe was for playing this horrible, horrible joke. Loneliness had consumed you, yet here they all were, here he was. Where was all this when your chest still rose and fell, when you graced him with that melodious laughter of yours? All these people were at fault, and he was no less of a perpetrator either. But you wouldn't have blamed anyone, because you didn't have anyone to blame, that was your vicious predicament.

But, seeing you now, you looked warm. all bundled up, with flowers and cards in your midst. Something you would've cherished had you not looked so pale.

He wished it was all a bad dream, and that when he woke up, you would still be there at the frozen pond, standing beneath the hemlock, indulging in the fantasies in your head while you waited for him.

You looked warm, all bundled up to be lowered into the snow covered ground.

A cool breeze blowing, carrying the leaves with it. Just like the day he had first seen you, trying to huddle into your coat, your breathing laboured and blowing in smoky wisps. Exactly like the day he had first laid eyes upon you, except now, there was a slab that greeted him on the spot where you had once stood. It was a lovely day, and the universe had been kind enough to grant you a spot on a hillside, overlooking the city. It had been a few months now, with every visit, your grave was always adorned with a fresh and vibrant assortment of flowers and sweets. Megumi bent down to place a brand new candle. He was sure you would appreciate the sweet, homely scent of vanilla wafting through the cool spring air. Just like he'd always cherish the faint smell of vanilla that clung to you the day you both ditched school and raced to the top of the hill, to savour the baked goods you'd brought along. Rolling around on the grassy hillside had definitely tired you out, your chuckles and soft laughter mellowing into soft snores. He'd planted a kiss to the crown of your head and intertwined your fingers, heart and belly full. He only hoped that you were stuffing your mouth full of sugar and rolling around on grassy hillsides to your heart's content, as he glanced at the other untouched plate of pastries that lay beside him. He could only wish, that in another lifetime, your soft hair would send pleasant shivers down his neck as your head lay on his shoulder.

No, he knew, in another lifetime, your cheeks would be flushed, your skin would glow, and you'd be his, as he is yours.

//Yes I dragged this out of my notes

Don't ask.

[choices-binglebonkus]

The Crown & The Flame: An Exceptionally Rare Critical

I have made no secret of how much I love The Crown & The Flame. One of the three original series that accompanied the launch of Choices back in 2016, it holds a very dear place in my heart as one of my all-time favorites. However, I value objectivity, and am fully aware (and even appreciative) that all of my favorites, no matter how much I love them and no matter how good they are, have flaws.

The Crown & The Flame is no exception to this, and though I think the books have held up remarkably well, they’re definitely very flawed. Particularly book three. Most of my gripes with the series come from book three, actually, and that is the very subject of this post: the issues that came with the final book in the series.

As always, these are just my personal opinions. So if you love TC&TF, that’s great! I love it too. I just thought that, since the series gets so little criticism, I would take an objective stance and take up that role.

Pacing and filler

The first issue I’d like to discuss about book three is its pacing. Compared to the first two books where everything was go, go, go, this book doesn’t really do that. And I’m not a huge fan of that since the stakes are arguably larger in this book since Empress Azura has literally threatened to kill everyone in the Five Kingdoms should they not submit to her.

A lot of the chapters are positively BLOATED with fluff and filler. The first three chapters take place in Ducitora and the only major plot points that occur are that Kenna meets Azura, Leon is killed, and Azura wages war on the Five Kingdoms as Kenna and co. make their escape. I think that the first three chapters could have been condensed into one and a half chapters bridging onto the next major plot point. At the very least, we should have gotten to see more of Ducitora and Marossi. We got to see very, very, VERY little of it, and with little substance to show for it all.

Dom’s chapters didn’t have a lot of substance to them, either. It’s mostly just Dom fighting Hex’s mind control, making some semblance of progress, immediately failing and succumbing further to her control, and getting frustrated or feeling guilty. And, while I’m thinking about it, what purpose did Dom being captured by Hex serve? In what way does it further the main plot? It honestly just felt like the writers had Hex capture him just so he and Kenna wouldn’t be together 24/7 to keep them separate for their dual-lead chapters. In other words, his capture seemed to serve primarily as filler as well.

My biggest complaint regarding filler comes from chapters 13 and 14, which are E N T I R E L Y filler, no two ways about it. Chapter 13 focuses on Kenna speaking with all the allies she’s amassed, and the chapter time is seriously cut down if you haven’t recruited any diamond allies. Chapter 14 is the exact same thing, but this time, Dom is the one who talks to all the allies. Why they needed two chapters of pure filler, I’ll never know. But I’ll tell you what: back when TC&TF was still releasing on a weekly basis, I was so annoyed that we had two whole weeks of filler. There was no need.

The worst part about all the filler was the impact it had on the buildup to the final battle. Compared to book one and two where we fought tooth and nail for the entire book to get Stormholt back or to prepare for Luther’s return, the buildup to the battle with Azura felt very underwhelming: the book was mostly just a little bit of plot here, filler there and there, here we are switching POVs to one of the side characters for a couple of chapters, here’s some more filler. In books one and two, there was practically NO filler, and the buildup to the final battles was much better for it.

A lot of books are pretty notorious for filler and fluff, but TC&TF book 3, dare I say it, may have been the worst about it given the high stakes and the generally fillerless precedent set by the previous two books.

POV flipflopping

In books one and two, you got to play as characters other than Kenna and Dom in diamond scenes, plus that one time where Val infiltrated the Nevrakis stronghold masquerading as a handmaiden. Other than that, the writers stuck religiously to the Kenna/Dom POVs, and the story was much less choppy, confusing, and generally less all over the place because of it.

This is not the case in book three. You play as Kenna and Dom, yes, but the POV flip-flops around between other characters as well. Leon, Val, Raydan, even Whitlock. I’m shocked as hell that they didn’t somehow manage to cram in a chapter where we played as Annelyse or Sei.

Of these different POVs, Raydan’s was the most important and by far the least filler-y. It still didn’t really sit well with me, though. The Crown & The Flame is Kenna’s (and Dom’s, but mostly Kenna’s) story. Book 3 is 17 chapters. Kenna—the main freaking character—is either unplayable or mostly unplayable for nine of them. Nine! But she gets off much better than Dom—the deuteragonist, mind you—who only gets three chapters where he’s the main focus. And, of course, you’ll recall my previous complaints about how Dom’s chapters were filler. So.

Having all these different POV switches was not graceful in the slightest. It was unnecessary for the most part, and at times, it really came across as a Wattpad POV fic where the pre-teen author interjects every few paragraphs with <{[CHARACTER A’S POV]}> and ~{[CHARACTER B’S POV]}~ because, like I said, it wasn’t graceful, and it wasn’t necessary. Especially since TC&TF is a dual-lead story.

The allies

I actually made a ranking list from worst to best of every recruitable ally in TC&TF across all three books. It’s currently unpublished on my blog, but it’s been sitting on my computer for a while. At any rate, most of the book three allies were ranked very, very, VERY low. There are 32 recruitable allies in all, and numbers 32-27 on my ranking list are all book three allies.

Aurynn Amanth, though I liked her as a character, doesn’t do shit after you recruit her and is only in a grand total of two extra chapters if you recruit her, and for 25 diamonds, that’s so goddamn steep. Clover Hapley also serves no real purpose for 23 diamonds, but somehow appears more than Aurynn and for two fewer diamonds. Florian Tartassis and Zenobia Nevrakis were recruited just to fill the allies roster, plain and simple. Anton Luno was just kinda…there. And Luther—the Blood King who mercilessly slaughtered the royals and nobles of the Five Kingdoms, who conquered the realm and waged war against any who dared to rise against him—does fuck all unless you give him control of the Nevrakis army, then tries to murder Kenna at the end regardless.

There were only a few book three allies I ranked higher than #27. The Mechawolf Pup, who didn’t do much, and who I also found annoying as hell, but he was kiiiinda cute I guess. Lia really stuck her neck out for Raydan by translating the anti-magic book for him, but she doesn’t do much when you recruit her. And I love Madeline to pieces, but she’s 30 diamonds and only appears in five chapters.

Hex was the second highest ranked book three ally on my ranking list at #6 overall because she was such a complex character, and though she was incredibly morally grey, recruiting her nudged her towards active atonement and the chance to actually do some good in the world. Diavolos was ranked #3, and I think he really could have been an awesome character in the series if we had gotten to know him sooner because the dynamic between him and Kenna is impeccable, and he’s such a vulnerable character when you think he wouldn’t be.

Unfortunately, most of the book three allies are just there to fill the ally roster or do damn near nothing once you recruit them. The only allies we got who were heavy hitters were Hex and Anton (recruited jointly to fill the ally spots) and Diavolos. Since book three is the highest-stakes book of them all since we fight an entire fucking EMPIRE, we should’ve gotten some seriously powerful allies. Instead, most of who we got were characters who couldn’t fight: Aurynn, Clover, Madeline, Lia, the Mechawolf Pup, Zenobia, and Florian.

What kind of sense does that make?

Finishing things off…

The Crown & The Flame, to reiterate, is one of my favorite series in Choices. I’ve replayed it time and time again and never get tired of it because it’s just that kind of story. And I do like book three. I’m not saying it’s a bad book at all: it’s actually quite a good book. I just think it’s much less of a good book than 1 & 2, which were absolute titans to compete with.

Even my faves are imperfect. But that doesn’t mean I love them any less. And TC&TF book 3 is a shining example of that: flawed, but still perfectly lovable.

With all that said, I think I’ll give the series another replay soon.

[paperlovesadness]

I'm sitting outside in the sun in wet jeans - following advice on how to stretch denim to better fit you - making breathing room for myself and my thighs who are hated by jean sizing everywhere - and I'm getting sappy about Tumblr and fangirling and this community of lovely, unapologetically excited people I've met here.

This is something not many will probably read (long posts can be tough, I get it) - it just kind of all spilled I guess? Incoherently but with passion. So why not set it free when it's already here.

You see - I can't help but credit Tumblr as this huge part of my inner child healing journey. And particularly the girlhood part of it all.

Subconsciously & even consciously I've felt so so ashamed of these "girly" sides of me all my life. Especially in their "prime time" of my tween and teen years. I'd love things secretly - or at most - talk about them only after loudly labelling them as "guilty pleasures" (quite a terrible concept) or acting like it's all done with a tinge of self-aware irony.

But being a hopeless romantic; loving your favorite characters with your whole being; squealing over your favorite music and the musicians who make it; talking about your favorite songs and lyrics and photos; drawing, editing, making fanart of things that make your heart sore; sharing your fantasies and dreams; crying about quotes and big ideas; writing stories - those are all such beautiful things.

I've immersed myself back in the worlds of blogging and fanfiction and musical fangirling and... In many ways I haven't felt this good since I was a kid - still untouched by society and it's shaming of the endless supply of passion I had in me towards the things I loved.

And fangirls are a force. Fangirls are what made the music industry what it is. They're who discovered the Beatles and Leonard Cohen and Frank Sinatra and David Bowie - amongst so many others - and when they did the hard work - only then was it all taken over and appropriated by men who claimed only they can "truly and objectively" appreciate it.

It's girls - bright, unapologetically excited, passionate girls who care for pretty things and things with a soul and things with a story, with romantic connotations - girls who love to curate aesthetically pleasing landscapes and spaces around themselves - it's those girls who contributed hugely to an actual analogue photography and vinyl pressing revival & re-popularization.

I'm in my late twenties. I've only recently let myself pierce my ears and start wearing makeup sometimes. And care openly about my appearance and fashion choices. It's very much still all queer coded and slightly gender-mixed. Because that's me. But caring about these things has always been categorized as a "girl thing" = therefore = shameful, shallow, not something to be proud of.

I'm continuously curing my incredibly hurtful and internally misogynistic complex of "not being like other girls". There are still biases and automatic-judgements I'm fighting on the daily. But it's become so much clearer and easier to do so.

Im more ways than one I want to be exactly like other girls. I want to grab the hands of all the fangirls around this site and dance with them in a circle and tell them they look great whatever they choose to look like and I want to sit down in a meadow and make flower crowns together and squeal over our favorite things.

And to be clear I'm not saying be girly. I'm saying embrace you inner girlhood.

And that could be so many things. Just... Never be ashamed of the parts of it that society deems shallow and embarrassing or worthless.

And just... Thank you for being girlies with me 💗

(girlies & girls as usual used as more of a state of my mind and being; not a strictly gendered term. This applies in all, most or many ways to queer people & of course non-binary and trans experiences).

[feudalconnection]

The Nomination Period for the 1st Quarter 2023 Inuyasha Fandom Awards is now CLOSED!!

Hey everyone!

Below the cut you’ll find a complete list of all the nominations received for this quarter!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this quarter for taking the time to do so. We hope you enjoyed your experience! If you do not see your nomination, please reach out to us as soon as possible!

We strongly encourage that when you view a work of art or read a fanfiction, please reblog or leave a review to let the creators know how much their work and talent is appreciated!

The voting period will begin January 29th and end February 12th.

In order to be able to vote, you’ll need to register so we can keep it all neat and clear. We will be posting the link to the voting form on the first day of the voting session.

Got a question? Check out our FAQ or send us an ask.

Message one of the mods directly: @classysassy9791 @ruddcatha @umacaking @yukinon-writes

Thank you to everyone who nominated for making this 1st Quarter absolutely wonderful, and happy voting!

Nominations Q1 2023

Best Action/Adventure

“Swimming in Jade” by @lavendertwilight89 “Little Red & the Silver Beast” by @sagemcmae “Friends with the Monster” by @chiaztolite “One Truth” by @wheremydreamsliethereyoullfindme/Sugarrum (Ao3) “Guilty Hero” by Eggry (FFN)

Best AU/AR

“The Unfortunate Queen” by @elkonigin “Cast Off the Crown” by @mrfeenysmustache / AshMish111 (AO3) “Switched” by @sagemcmae “Irredeemable” by @anisaanisa & @boflicker “If We Fall Anyway” by @soliska / Evilillusions (AO3) “Demons and DJs” by Menacingmenace (Ao3)

Best Canon Universe

“Seeds to Sprouts” by @lazy8blog “With a Kiss I Awaken Thee” by @fawn-eyed-girl, @lavendertwilight89, & @ruddcatha “The Other Side” by @sereia1313 “Kagome’s Power” by @mayarab/maybarros (Ao3)

Best Angst

“That Night” by @effinsusie “First Comes Marriage” by @chiaztolite “Technicolor Dreams” by @dawnrider “On a Bridge” by @yukinon-writes “Lest the Past Haunt Me” by Mauigurl809 (FFN) “I Can Be Your Reckless” by @lutelyre

Best Dark

“A World Alone” by @lazy8blog “Legacy” by @fandomobsessions016 “Macaria” by @mythicamagic “Haunted” by @witchygirl99 “You Were A Fist Fight” by @lutelyre “Lest the Past Haunt Me” by Mauigurl809 (FFN)

Best Drama

“In/Cohesion” by @uissuteffu “The Art of Falling in Tandem” by @shikonstar “Conversing with Emotion” by @mythicamagic “Switched” by @sagemcmae “Love Affairs” by @wheremydreamsliethereyoullfindme/Sugarros “I Want You to Come and Say Everything to Me” by @shade-without-color/streamsofstoriesandcolour (Ao3)

Best Humor/Parody

“Resolutions” by @moon-ion / thetroll (AO3) “Nuts About You” by @shikonstar “Kookaburra” by @deadlyglacier “Play With Me” by @cat-zchen “Three’s a Crowd” by @superpixie42 “Nugs” by @roseheartwhitefox “The Scent” by @lucymorningstar257

Best NSFW

“Come Hither” by @moon-ion / thetroll (AO3) “The Bond” by wonderbug (DK) “Stripped Bare” by @effinsusie “Play with me” by @cat-zchen “Shy” by @ninmenkaspeaches “Nuts About You” by @shikonstar “Atelier” by cloudscloudlet (Ao3) “Caught with HIs Pants Down” by @uissuteffu “Kneel Before Me” by @clearwillow/BrigidtheFae (Ao3)

Best One-Shot

“The Other Side” by @sereia1313 “Veil” by Mynameis_human (AO3) “Cast Off the Crown” by @mrfeenysmustache / AshMish111 (AO3) “Stuck in the Rain” by @cstormsinukagblog/C_Storm “Constellation Consolations” by @cannibalsforbreakfast/Laeoukka “Your Guess is as Good as Mine” by EchoHuntress (Ao3)

Best Character Portrayal

“Regret” (Kohaku) by @elkonigin “Vita Nuova” (Rin) by @serial-doubters-club / hakomorebi (AO3) “Dog Guardian” (Inuyasha) by @alannada “Holidate” (Miroku) by @skyelara and @violetasteria “New Horizons” (Kagome) by Hallow777 (Ao3)

Best InuKag Romance

“Love, Death, and Chocolate Cake” by @heynikkiyousofine “all night long I feel his presence hover” by @doginabirdcage “Always by Your Side” by niahime98 (AO3) “How Does Your Garden Grow?” by @dawnrider

Best SessKag Romance

“First Comes Marriage” by @chiaztolite “The Bond” by @wbficaholic / wonderbug (DK) “Impermanence” by Mynameis_human (AO3) “Letters Through Time” by @cat-zchen “It Takes Time” by Moongoddesslee (Ao3)

Best Romance

“Not to Her” by @serial-doubters-club / hakomorebi (AO3) “Undertow” by @violetasteria “The Art of Emotion” by @mynightshining “Summer’s a Knife” by @savethelastdan/SheSpitsfire (Ao3) “The Fortuitous Effects of Working Out” by @nikkxb/Monophobian (Ao3)

Best Fluff

“The Magic of Sledding” by @ruddcatha “Friends With the Monster” by @chiaztolite “Midnight Kiss” by @mynightshining “Coffee, Kisses, and a Side of Christmas Cake” by @clearwillow/BrigidtheFae (Ao3) “The Little Craftsman” by @inuyashamybeloved/Inuscarlett (Ao3) and @hopidoodle

Best Serial

“Blank Space” by UntappedChaos (AO3) “Lae’s IY Ficlets” by @cannibalsforbreakfast/Laeoukka “Wicked Wednesdays” by @witchygirl99 “One Moment in Time” by @jeremymarsh

Best Ficlet

“Brewed For You” by @sereia1313 “Words at the Well” by @mamabearcat “A Remedy for Insomnia” by @inuyashamybeloved/Inuscarlett (Ao3) “Make a Wish” by @cstormsinukagblog/C_Storm “Reconnecting Signals” by Cherisenae (Ao3)

Best Mental Illness/Disability Depiction

“The Voices in my Head” by @fawn-eyed-girl “Guilty Hero” by Eggry (FFN) “Taking Flight” by @willowandfog “The Horse Whisperer” by @roseheartwhitefox “To Feel the Unseen” by @yukinon-writes

Best Completed

“The Voices in my Head” by @fawn-eyed-girl “The Peculiar Tale of Two Maidens” by @alannada “One’s True Bond” by @jeremymarsh “Demons and DJs” by Menacingmenace (Ao3)

Best Action/Adventure

“𝒊̲̅𝒏̲̅𝒖̲̅𝒚̲̅𝒂̲̅𝒔̲̅𝒉̲̅𝒂̲̅” by @ink-dot-kay “Jewel of the Seven Seas” by @stardust414 “Untitled” by @boflicker “Untitled” by @fallen-beelzebub

Best AU/AR

“Inuyasha the Librarian with the Fat Ass” by @mrfeenysmustache “Moroha as Mutt Williams” by @nikelaos87 “Skating Sesshomaru” by @weeeting “Blade Runner” by @pachworldx-1 “Guardian” by @heavenin--hell

Best Canon

“caught holding hands” by @wishgrub “Sesshomaru” by @razdazberry “Untitled” by @kalcia “Come Hither” by @yumanichan "Sango" by @shroomrealm

Best Angst

“𑁍𑁍𑁍” by @herbiwh0re “Kagome’s Power” by @razdazberry “Kikyo Looking In” by @nartistadigital "Remember to Smile" by @weeeting

Best Dark

“Inuyasha for Spooky Season” by @shadowpuppetteer "Reflection" by @v-poreons "The Mark" by @thornedraven "On a Bridge" by @heavenin--hell

Best Humor/Parody

“relaxation drawing” by @shoujobees “Dog Dad and Dog Kid Shenanigans” by @anacarolinaflr “Tiny Lord (Part 3)” by @daikiidokii "Has This Been Done Yet?" by @briizer "Face Masking" by @rannyunny

Best Kiss

“gross married couple alert” by @artsy4nne “Love, Death, and Chocolate Cake” by @eliza-faust-diary "Kagome's Dream" by @geda-art

Best Character

“The Girl Who Overcame Time” by @nerd-e-artist “Sleepy Kilala” by @avianfae “Sango” by @chamomilelamb “Fukai Mori” by @geda-art "Kagome" by @clementinesgulag "Her" by @thepadawanartist "Kagome Higurashi, my Beloved!" by @mxellaneousfandoms​

Best Duo/Pairing

“The OG pspspsps couple” by @cookiesketches​ "InuKag" by @bre-draws​ "Untitled" by @thegreatanso​

Best Doujinshi

“The Most Precious Gift of All” by @memilylove​ "Let it Snow" by @sayuri-liu​ "First Things First" by @valgreys​ "InuKag's One Braincell" by @artsy4nne​ "Sess and Naraku Go to Modern Japan" by @lucymorningstar257​

Best Redraw

“Shippo” by @thunderpot​ “Kagome y Moroha ❤️” by @fatylovesart​ “Kagome” by @walcraftart​ "Kagome" by @classysassy9791​ "Kagome" by @thepadawanartist​ "Kagome Redraw" by @takaobata​

Best NSFW

“Best Laid Plans” by @mamabearcat​ “Story art” by @alicepupurred “Sess with glasses” by @sayuri-liu​ "Skin/Pink" by @eliza-faust-diary​ "Roll the Dice" by @valgreys​ "Technicolor Dreams" by @takaobata​

Best InuKag Romance

“Cinnamon Hearts” by Zarkanen (TW) “Kagome’s Power” by @razdazberry​ "Happy Holidays from the Happy Couple" by @nartistadigital​ "Starry Night" by @katballesteros​

Best SessKag Romance

“Midnight bribe, moonlight bride” by @elevenharbor​ “Yoga Part 3” by @mama-ino​ "First Things First" by @valgreys​ "You'll Do" by @tmetta​

Best Romance

“human Sess and Kikyou” by @vixeria​ "All I Want for Christmas is You" by @classysassy9791​ "SessKik" by @cati-art​ "Two Sides of the Same Canvas" by @valuvi​"

Best Fluff

“hugs and kisses from mommy Kagome” by @harunnn​ "How to Train Your Dog Demon" by @kalcia​ "Homecoming" by @elevenharbor​ "Starry Night" by @katballesteros​ "These Two" by @katballesteros​

Best Group Depiction

“watching all of Inuyasha” by @ofcourseimdoingwork​ "You'll Do" by @tmetta​ "Mirsan Family" by @yukinodara "Untitled" by @sweepingtree​ "Picnic" by @astrearte​

Best Overall

“Untitled” by @reirei-art​ "Jewel of the Seven Seas" by @stardust414​ "Kagome" by @yumanichan​ "The Wandering Feather" by @sweepingtree​ "The Hanged Man" by @babypears​

[doomed-prophetess]

Man... I've already blasted through like fifty chapters and—

I liked Verona at first, I still do, despite everything, but man I need her to lose.

I don't know what the truth is yet but Jester is the King's nephew. In my heart. Even if it isn't canon. How would that affect things? Not sure yet.

Do I necessarily want Lux as queen? Kinda debatable, I don't know if the manhwa is finished— it's only got like 60+ chapters I believe, and I'm already past the 50 mark. Would there be a believable way to showcase her growth that she'll become a worthy monarch? Her heart is in the right place, for sure. A lot of Verona's policies and whatnot favor commoners too but... she herself does seem to harbor biases. She deems the slums and the Ransi people as lowly scum, and associates the two of them rather closely when we the audience are never shown if that's true.

The king is a useless buffoon.

What the fuck is up with Cicero, I'm sus of him but I hope he can be a good ally for Lux.

Rest in peace, Ophelia.

woah you are a fast reader, I'm impressed!

I also liked Varona at first and I still appreciate her character. She's a villainess sure but you get where she is coming from. Varona was wholly raised to be the future Queen and put her lifework into that singular goal and now she's about to lose everything to a child just because the king felt guilty about the death of her mother. The author didn't make her a mustache twirling villain or anything and I like that. She's a perfect example how a bad person can be a good ruler. If she wins I want it to be a phyrric victory where she finds no joy in her triumph over her sister.

The Jester will always be the King's nephew in my heart. His name is never revealed, so I just choose to believe that's the reason. I also love it when children are nothing like their parants. Cold and pragmatic Varona who looks down on the Ransi people comes from the kind first queen who was adored by the common folk. Kind and naive Lux is the daughter of the crazy mad Queen Catherynne. And the fool for love is the true son of King Klaus who used to burn down villages.

I'm torn if I want Lux to be queen. I just want Varona to lose. Lux doesn't even seem to want to be queen. She only does it to survive and to fullfill her mother's wish. I bet the crown would make neither party happy. Fenton could be the secret third option if he'd undergo character development and overcame his asshole personality. He isn't that bad. So far he's just been an arrogant noble. But I want the future ruler to be a woman actually.

The manhwa isn't completed yet. Hypothetically Lux had the time to become a good Queen with the right guidance. She entered the palace when she was 12 and the King would chose his heir when she's of age. I assume when she's around 18 or 20. I have my doubts if she could manage that realistically. The trauma, the loss of her beloved maid and her self-harm/suide attempts along with the manipulations and sabotage from Varona undoubtedly take their toll on the young princess' mental state and would slow down any progress in her studies.

Varona could have taken her under her wing and used her as a puppet like the red haired girl. It'd be even easier because back then Lux was an impressionable child longing for a family, but Varona was too much blinded by her hatred for Catherynne to use the opportunity presented to her. She prides herself with her outstanding education and intelligence yet many of her decisions are driven by emotions rather than rationality. For example her plan to turn the lady-in-waiting into a carbon copy of her own mother, counting on her father to fall in love with her and marry her was a very stupid plan that made me seriously question her intelligence🤦. I also found her comparision of a dog that died because she starved him in the first place and then overfed him, to commoners that would ruin themselves if you gave them too much money tone-deaf. Why are the dog and the commoners suffering? Because of the crown. And what gave her the idea that commoners aren't able to budged? That they'd get wasteful reeks of bias. Poor people are some of the most economical people you'd met, because they are used to saving things and having to live off little food when times are hard. Even after they get out of proverty those habits persist even years later. They aren't animals. Can you be a truly good queen if you treat some of your people as second-class citizens?

The king is an idiot except for one thing: Varona really is just like his brother. She would burn down entire villages during a time of plague if she considered those people expandable and a burden on the public purse who didn't deserve her help for the sole reason that they are unable to be of use to the kingdom.

[thephantomcasebook]

I think these news are worse for team green than to team black, they still need to end a season with Rhaenyra taking KL but this time Jace will live and Otto and Aemond will look like complete fools by the end

Yeah, Agreed, 100%

A shortened season means that, unlike Game of Thrones, they're just going to go full light speed ahead with the plot and events. It'll be more spectacle than character driven to justify the budget that is bankrupting WB.

Season 1 is gonna be the template for the characters. Which means that there won't be a character correction for Aegon. They're going to gloss over Aemond and make him the character in the book with absolute no explanation for the sudden ruthlessness. Criston Cole is just gonna be forever a rage-monster. And They're just gonna introduce Daeron to introduce Daeron without giving him any appreciable introduction or characterization.

10 Episodes is perfect for slowing the war down and reestablishing characters, giving them arcs, and defining their relationships. 8 Episodes is just the writers hitting their marks for events in sequential order.

Season 2 should climax with Rook's Rest and move over "Blood & Cheese" to be the season finale. And end the season with the call for Dragon Seed Riders.

Season 3 should climax with Rhaenyra taking King's Landing and end with Daeron destroying the Southern Black Army in Detail at the Honeywine.

Season 4 should climax with Aegon being poisoned, and end with Aegon III and Jaehaera being named King and Queen. And have bonus scenes with Alys ruling Harrenhal with Aemond's son at her breast. Meanwhile Daeron leading a horse with Alicent mounted upon it as they're seen on the road to Starfall.

But instead, we're going to get a warp speed telling of the Dance like a 6 year old playing with Toys.

"And then, they're going to get Dragon Seed Riders. And then, they're going to attack king's landing. And then, boom! They blow up King's Landing! And then, Rhaenyra is crowned queen ..."

See what I mean ... you never want any story to be "And Then" it should always follow "Therefore"

Example:

"Rhaenyra slept with Criston. Therefore, Criston was guilty. Therefore Criston proposes to the princess to get his honor back and Rhaenyra rejects him outright. Therefore, he confesses his guilt to Alicent. Therefore Alicent realizes that she can't trust Rhaenyra. Therefore, Criston asks to be put to death quickly but Alicent spares him. Therefore, Alicent's mercy and clemency in sparing his life, keeping his secret, and restoring his honor, makes Criston ever loyal to Alicent."

10 episodes gets you "Therefore"

8 episodes gets you "And then"

See what I mean?

[evilprince-puppet-translation]

They have updated all the characters profiles, so here's one again for Dia.

Dia "Devil Prince"

Race: devil

"I have coexisted with perpetual solitude. I have no need for either your solace or your forgiveness."

CV: Kobayashi Yuu

An aloof youth who has become a devil, he lived in perpetual nothingness. He was once loved as the prince of Colchicum Kingdom which was also known as [The Farthest Land], but 1000 years ago, he caused a wicked calamity called the [Scarlet Disaster] that destroyed the Kingdom, his guilty conscience and despair towards the world has turned him to a devil. Although a willful and fickle prince, his life of longevity has cultivated his wisdom and dignity, he's now a worthy existence that stands above people. He's weak for sweets, showing a childish side.

Birthday: November 26th

Age: 1012 year old

Height: 150 cm

Weight: 39 kg

Dominant hand: left

Weapon: magic

Special skill: painting unique paintings

Hobby: arts, arts appreciation

Likes: crown, games (specifically puzzles and chess)

Dislikes: situation that he's too used to, death

Favorite food: stained glass cookies (honey flavored), sweets

Least favorite food: black coffee, bell pepper

Favorite place: the top of the castle's tower

[the-toybox-general]

Okay, I may have already sent a bunch of asks and stuff like that but...

I wanna talk about how I discovered Boss in the first place, and why he's my favorite.

It was 2021, a few hours after I caught a Guzzlord in the Max Lair (Crown Tundra, Pokémon Sword).

Out of curiosity, I was like "hm, I kinda wanna make a Guzzlord character. Let's look for inspiration!!"

It was a trial and error type situation, with most people's Guzzlord OCs being very uhh... disturbing .

(because some people are fetish driven creeps)

Then BOOM, Boss appeared, preferably this drawing of him:

And I was like "WOW!! That's a really cool OC!!!"

I never made a Guzzlord character after that, because I didn't want to copy yours.

buuut I got just a little bit inspired and created my beloved non-Pokemon character Eli, who is one of the characters for a story I'm currently working on

This is Eli:

I think I was mainly inspired by the dragon theme and the fur-lined jacket

I've been drawing him for almost 3 years, so...

Is it okay if I say thanks??

For creating Boss and inspiring me to make a character I love???

Because I honestly wanna thank you, like a lot.

And also I enjoy learning more about Boss, since I was very interested in learning about him when I first saw the drawing, so I wanna thank you for being open to talking about him :]

IM !! UNDERSTANDING YOU SENT THIS A FEW DAYS AGO!! I've been trying to respond to this in a way that isn't JUST me rambling /complimentary BUT !! MY WORD!!!

I appreciate you sharing all of this and it really really touches my heart!!! The fact that I can create characters and art that inspire people to also create their own original works and characters is something I've always wanted to embody with my work !! Hearing about all of this is so so very sweet!!! Remember that even with the inspiration my work may have given that YOU'RE a big person to thank all the same!! without you Eli certainly would never have existed!! ( and what a slightly darker world we'd be in without the light of another amazing character out there!!!! )

Thank you so much !! and the kind words and implications that my design for Boss stood out to you so much even compared to some of the other baller Guzzlord ocs I've seen out there!! ( side-stepping any conversation on the nature of nsfw designs as I usually avoid such topics here on my blog - but here's to hoping public SFW searches can one day be a little more safe-guarded from NSFW content if that's how you came across them! it can be shocking in SFW spaces! )

As a final!!! I absolutely loved seeing Eli and sort of meeting him!!! I hope that passion definitely continues on for you! and you can NEVER go wrong with fun themes and a fur jacket (❁´◡`❁) !! ( oh so personally guilty of giving many ocs fur jackets )

Thank YOU for sharing and being amazing ( and all of the kindness!! )

[barthelsea]

My Idol-Tom Hiddleston

TW: I do not own any copyrights of the interview, this post is merely for school homework

Tom Hiddleston, 41, became a household name as part of the Marvel universe, playing the god of mischief, Loki. Alongside many high-profile film roles, his TV credits include The Hollow Crown and The Night Manager, for which he received two Emmy nominations. In 2021, he began starring in the Disney+ spin-off series Loki.

What was it like to make the transition from the big screen to the small screen in your first Marvel spin-off? I was just really honoured to be asked. We all wanted to retain the integrity of the character – I wanted to make sure we didn’t lose the bits that people loved, while doing something new. I also hope Loki coming out as bisexual was meaningful to people who spotted it. It was a small step, and there’s further to go. But it was definitely important to all of us.

What would you be doing if you weren’t an actor? I think there would be something very rewarding about teaching. I would teach drama or Shakespeare.

Have you ever been mistaken for anybody else? I was mistaken for Michael Fassbender once in New York. The guy who stopped me was really disappointed – it was just so awkward and embarrassing. I said: “I’m sorry to let you down, let’s just both pretend this never happened.” I didn’t tell him I was an actor.

What is your TV guilty pleasure? Blackadder. I watched it when I had my tonsils(1) out when I was about 12 or 13 and it really cheered me up. Going back to it now, there’s that nostalgic(4) quality.

What do you eat in front of the TV? I don’t eat in front of the TV a lot. But a chocolate digestive with a cup of tea is a winner, especially in the winter.

If your life were a TV show, what would the title be? Keep Calm and Carry On [laughs]. Bouncing From Here to There. Or Just Keep Swimming … that's a line from Finding Nemo, isn’t it?

What makes you reach for the remote (to turn the TV off)? Sometimes you just need to ration(2) your news intake. Which isn’t to say that we don’t need to know what’s going on, but you have to have a boundary.

Who is the most famous person in your phone contacts? The Avengers. I think they're pretty well known?

Are you Succession’s Team Shiv or Team Tom? I find that relationship excruciatingly(3) painful. It’s a tough call. Do I have to choose one of them? Shiv could have been more considerate and generous to Tom, but you see how brutality is baked into the experience of that family.

Interview adapted from TheGuardian.com- Tom Hiddleston’s year in TV: ‘I hope Loki coming out as bisexual was meaningful to people who spotted it' by Hannah J Davies

Vocabulary

(N)

(1) tonsils　扁條線

(2) ration　定量分配

(Adv)

(3) excruciatingly　極端地

(Adj)

(4) nostalgic　懷舊的

Ｇ

It’s a tough call. = It's a difficult decision to make

Reflection

　　Tom Hiddleston is a famous English actor, he gained fame after his role as Loki in Thor. What makes people fall for his charms?

　　There are several reasons why people love him. From the outside, the Greek god-like face of his is a gift from the god. When you meet his eyes, you will often find yourself lost in those forest green eyes, and when you look closely into them, you will find a river of stars in the shade of blue and eventually get lost in. His glazes are always non-judgmental, but amicable and genuine caring. Moving on, the beautiful body figure of his is another reason worth appreciating, not too masculine and not too thin, especially when the three-piece suit brings out his well-shape body. On the inside, he is a fine man, he is always kind but also gentle to everyone. For example, there was once he was taking photos with Emma Watson in GQ's affair. He purposely bent his thumb away from her waist so that he won't touch her skin inappropriately even though she was wearing a crop top. Another fun little fact is that there was another time when he brought soup for the reporter who tagged him on Twitter, jokingly requesting Tom bring some soup to him at the affair later that night due to the cold weather. Finally, he is a fountain of wisdom. Of course, many actors are intelligent and bright. However, the word he spoke brings delight and reassurance, to tell you though the cruelty in this world, choose to believe in the bright side of it. Because they will give you courage to overcome the hardships in life. Tom Hiddleston’s words had supported and inspired thousands of people, including me. I appreciate the courage he gave me to put myself together and face negative emotions.

　As warm and soft as the sun in the winter, he had brought hope to many who are confronting fierce. To sum up, Tom Hiddleston is a person who has a kind heart and is intelligent, these traits make him more adorable and admirable than just looking at his gorgeous appearance. I believe that if we could learn these wonderful characteristics from him, our life will be more elegant and graceful.

[tiodolma]

In response to their latest reply of this post because they already blocked me.

I will push back on this. You always invoke the writers (doylist) and yet push for watsonian (in universe) headcanons. That's unfair. But I'll roll with you.

Merlin wants to be treated with respect.

-i agree

I'd I think what Merlin is fighting for is to get those advantages without those positions, as he also believes it’s what everyone deserves. Not just him. To say that Merlin wants these positions is to disregard what he is fighting for. These privliges for all.

- "Merlin wants democracy but he won't be happy if he got to that position first" is what I'm getting here. Let's be clear: Democracy- equal representation in court, power to the people, the ability to have collective power and to choose or elect a leader" This is a bold claim which I will get back to you later. On one side, yes he wants magic not be banned anymore, that is true. But like I said, given his experiences in court, it would be big damned lie to say that he would not have appreciated at least a position where the king would seriously listen to him without him getting punished. Only nobility, knights and council members had that.. There is no evidence that he would hate that, op it is you who keep pushing this narrative;

And you could say that he could get that to happen from being a council member witch is a fair point,

- i agree with this;

But again, merlin as a character is designed to say no to taht and to dislike the position and know we are back to square one.

- disagree. He was happy when he was given the seat in the first round table even though he politely and jokingly refused (he has manners jfc), and was disappointed when Arthur demoted him; OP HE WAS HAPPY TO BE REGARDED AS ARTHUR'S EQUAL IN THAT SHORT SPAN OF TIME THAT WAS S3 EP 12-13. How can you say that he disliked it???

Everyone must be tested fairly for merlin to be happy, as in nto descrimanated against.

- debateable. this is the same guy who'd kill for the monarchy no matter what the cause. This is the guy who uses magic in service for the oppressors and persecutors of his people. Merlin is as complicit and unfair as they come. If you think about it Democratic form of government isn't even on his agenda. But that is what the rebels like Kara wanted. What Merlin (and Gaius) were pushing for was a meritocracy= the ability to serve your rulers basedyour on merits, good deeds and past efforts or result of state exams. Meritocracy is Arthur's thing when it was convenient for him btw! Then you are right! Magic users must prove their loyalty, their goodness, their right to live! Guilty until proven innocent! They must be TESTED and ensured that they won't turn evil before Camelot accepts them! Merlin actually agrees with that! Remember how he keeps saying "I will only use magic for good?" What is good? WHO DECIDES WHAT IS GOOD? What if the version of "GOOD" isn't in tandem with the wants of the crown? Who'd be the judge? Who would be the executioner? ARTHUR? Yes. GAIUS? Yes. MERLIN? YES. Gaius and Kilgharrah trained Merlin for that! It's what Merlin has been doing the for the whole series! IT'S IN THE TEXT.

Merlin is as loyal to the throne as they come DUDE. Merlin (and all his backers) is pushing for Arthur to be the KIng of Everybody (this is "divine right of kings" sht. Higly monarchist AND Imperialist.)

That is in direct opposition to what what the many of the non-prophetic factions of the magic folk wanted: THEY DON'T WANT ARTHUR TO BE THEIR KING. THEY DO NOT CHOOSE ARTHUR AS THEIR KING so they turn to radical solutions, assasination! They aren't represented in court or in the seat of government, remember? Their existence alone is illegal. That's the only option left for them! But Merlin's job is to protect Arthur's goddamn throne! For Merlin, ARTHUR HAS TO BE THE ONE AND TRUE KING. He won't be "happy" if Arthur was not king! That is Merlin's definition of success! THAT'S IN THE TEXT TOO.

So!!! what Merlin is pushing for is not the true liberation of his people. He does not realize this yet. He never had the chance. MERLIN DOES NOT SUPPORT TRUE EQUALITY even though he has been led to believe that he was.. Merlin hopes for everyone to accept the Arthur Pendragon regardless. The magic-folk who don't agree with that are going to get killed, usually by him. In fact he has been ordered to Kill Them, since season one. MERLIN DOES NOT SHARE THE SAME WISHES AS ALL OF THE MAGIC FOLK. I beg you to stop claiming that he does. IT'S IN THE TEXT.;

Merlin does not want nobility. He wants to be happy.

- I TOLD YOU That does not mean that he does not want or would not appreciate a similar position of respect and influence. I TOLD YOU HE WAS HAPPY THAT ARTHUR REGARDED HIM AS AN EQUAL. A NOBLE (technically). IN THAT VERY SHORT MOMENT AFTER THE FIRST ROUND TOUBLE. Your claim is not an absolute truth because MERLIN WAS HAPPY IN THAT EPISODE. HE WAS PROUD OF IT. HE EVEN REMINDED ARTHUR OF IT. Until that absolute asshole of a shit boss pulled the rug under him. But sure yeah as headcanon, then go on;

There is a difference. The text also goes great lengths to show taht nobility does not equal happiness, especially with showing how unhappy Arthur is by playing on the classic neglected rich kid trope.

- Are we still talking about Merlin here or how you project Merlin's ideas of nobility to be? Fine it was shown that Merlin does not desire the harsh political life of nobility, criticizes it even. But he lives with a nobleman, a freeman, a respected member of the high court: Gaius. Merlin is living the perks of that charmed life, of being the ward of a high council seat and also being a favorite of the King. He enjoys some protections and comforts that nobility affords. He's in much better living conditions than all the druids combined. And he is relatively content in that privilege!THAT'S IN THE TEXT TOO. AND YET!!! Merlin had been always frustrated that he could not speak as freely as Agravaine, as Guinevere, as the Knights do, that he is never listened the first time he gives cautions to his own damn boss too, and you know what? THAT IS ALSO IN THE TEXT!;

Again, it doesn’t matter what you think about it morally, it is the moral message the writers are pushing.

- now you resort to doylist arguments to defend your headcanons? And then use "morality? Where the hell did that come from? I just wanted to dispute that your claim contradicts canon. Come on. But I'm listening to you.

So

That "I'm happy to be your servant Arthur. I was born to serve you." is your basis then. Fine. I concede. But that's all there is. Your claims that MERLIN IS NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH A COUNCIL SEAT WHERE MERLIN COULD SERVE ARTHUR MORE EFFECTIVELY' is still headcanon at best.

Because at the end of the day, if Arthur asked if melrin wanted to be a knight or apart of the council, we would say no. It doesn’t matter what you think, and it doesn’t matter what i think. Merlin woudl say no. Merlin would always stick to what he has alwyas said. No matter how terrible he is treated, he would say no. There is no debate. It doesn’t matter how much happier you think he would be, and it’s not a “good” thing and it’s not a “bad” thing, it’s a Merlin thing.

We never had a scene where Arthur offer to knight him though? much less him VEHEMENTLY refusing Arthur as you claim. Arthur just said that he wasn't a knight and therefore had no obligation to defend him to the death. WHY ARE YOU CLAIMING ON SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAPPENED? You realize that this is headcanon territory right? So what if he told Will, Daegal and Lancelot that he just wanted to be a servant? The scenario we are tackling is his reaction and response if he was going to being GIVEN a position OF RESPECT within ARTHUR'S COURT by ARTHUR.

We had an ACTUAL SCENE where he got promoted by Arthur though! a chance to be the King's and the Knights' Equal! A FANTASY COUNCIL SEAT! Fine he refused at first, JOKINGLY AND WITH DISBELIEF! but he accepted it. I TOLD YOU. REPEATEDLY. MERLIN LIKED IT. HE GOT TOTAL JOY AND FREEDOM FROM IT. and HE WAS DISAPPOINTED when it was taken back. (IT'S IN THE TEXT. OHMYGOD.)

OP OP OP OP .... Your claims aren't adding up.

You cannot assume what the writers's motives are unless you give a straight reference that they said it. Even then. That begs the question. What if the writers' don't tell us their true motives? Are we wrong to headcanon that Merlin would be happier and more effective if he was given a better social position? I have discussed all the evidence in the work. You're not wrong to reach that conclusion yourself that Merlin would say No to that either, because that is Your Headcanon and you have basis to draw from in canon too!

Yet you start your statement with "I think a lot of people miss the point...." and then you proceed with "And as a character that is written to not like those jobs, he woudl be written to be unhappy in those jobs." by just assuming that is what the writers intended and then arguing that you are right, even when "THE TEXT" is contradicting you.

If you are right, then show us the producers explictly saying that! It's not wise to just make claims because that's what YOU FEEL the writers were making. Show me an interview then, or a comic-con answer if you are that confident of your claims. Word of God matters in this discourse after all, since you are so adamant to be doylist when the narrative fits you.

These fluctuations between your diegetic and extra-diegetic reasonings is exhausting. Just say that they are your headcanons and move on.

[qwainte]

Did you change your mind about posting art of your other bully characters? If so, could you perhaps give some details about them even without the art?

Asdfghjkl no I didn't. I just take forever to finish a drawing because I'm super anal about everything. I also keep experimenting with new art styles so I'm not completely sure how I want my finished drawings to look like. I was lucky to even post Brandi because if I thought about if for a second more I would've changed my mind and never posted her.

But I'm happy to share some info about my other OCs without any accompanying art if you're really interested. They're all girls because boys drool I have an easier time drawing women and Bullworth needs more female students.

So far I've only provided 3 (with an update to Brandi who I posted like a month ago) because these are my most developed and favorite characters. I hope you appreciate them!

Fiona Montague

Basic Info:

Full name: Fiona Sloane Montague Age: 16-17 Grade: Junior Clique: Preppy Extracurriculars: sideline cheerleading, golf club, Spanish club Skills: ice skating, viola, painting Cultural background: East African ancestry, English Appearance: dark brown eyes, medium length curly brown hair, dark skin, 170 cm Family: Maureen (mother), Lucius (father, deceased), Archibald "Archie" (older brother, deceased), Carlisle (step-father, missing), Noah (younger half-brother)

Bio:

Fiona was born and raised in Richmond, London and grew up as the introverted younger sibling in a British aristocrat family. Tragedy struck when her father and brother died in a car accident, and shortly after her grief-stricken mother remarried, uprooting Fiona to the United States. Facing abuse from her step-father, Fiona found solace in her friendship with Tad Spencer at Bullworth, where she initially struggled to fit in with the American preppy crowd. She's known for her aloof and cynical demeanor and is an accomplished ice skater, pouring her passion into the sport, whether practicing alone or with her partner.

Character Info:

She is the only preppy who is legitimately English and finds their faux accents annoying. When she is hanging alone with Tad she makes him drop the accent.

Her stepfather went missing while on a family vacation to the Amazon.

She loves birds and owns 3 ducklings.

She's lesbian. She's not out but many rumors circle around school about her sexuality due to her lack of interest in dating.

Really wants to kill Mr. Spencer

She feels very guilty about not being able to emotionally connect with her half-brother.

She's very mild-mannered

Meta Info:

Her middle name, Sloane, was what I originally named her, which is a reference to the term "Sloane Ranger"; British slang referring to an upper class Londoner

Initially designed as a goth but I reworked her into a prep. Enoby rolling in her grave rn.

Her original surname was "Regis"

Beverly Grier

Basic Info:

Full name: Beverly Grier Age: 17-18 Grade: Senior Clique: Jock Extracurriculars: sideline cheerleading, competitive cheerleading, yearbook committee Skills: physical fitness specifically gymnastics, dance, surfing, mathematics Cultural background: Mostly Scottish and German ancestry, some Hawaiian ancestry Appearance: grey eyes, long wavy platinum blonde hair, pale skin but usually tanned, 177 cm Family: Claire (mother), Robert (father), Stevie (younger sister)

Bio:

Beverly was raised in Santa Monica amidst wealth and privilege, and she harbored a mean spirit that led her to becoming a quintessential "mean girl". After her parents' divorce, she and her sister were divided, with Beverly placed under her mother's care and relocated to Bullworth a year later when she remarried Derby's father, Mr. Harrington. Initially aligned with the Preppies, she later gravitated toward the Jocks, becoming the team captain of the sideline and competitive cheerleading teams. She took a young Mandy Wiles under her wing and eventually promoted her to captain of the sideline cheer squad and crowning her the new "queen bee".

Character Info:

Does gymnastics and wants to compete in the Olympics

Her little sister is a musical prodigy and excels at wind and string instruments. She's the favorite of her parents which causes Beverly to resent and mistreat her

She believes her mother did not want custody of her, but rather her sister instead

Beverly is really likes to surf and competes in competitions every summer when she visits he father and sister in San Andreas California

Her paternal grandmother is Hawaiian. She learned how to surf from the daughter of her grandmother's best friend

After promoting Mandy, she now serves as the co-captain for the sideline cheer squad

Her mother's marriage to Derby's father lasted 3 years, and he immediately got back together with Derby's mother.

Derby and she did not share any real sibling connection before or after the divorce and he is a bit smitten with her (not like it would matter to him considering his family's marriage customs :P).

Despite joining the Jocks, she's currently on good terms with Derby. It did sting his ego and he was initially very salty about it for a while.

Great friends with Bif and they regularly hang out or go on dates

She sees Mandy as the little sister she always wanted, primarily because she does what she wants

She used to bully Lola a lot until she became a greaser and Johnny and the others started protecting her

Mean girl with no heart of gold. She's an ice queen.

All around horrible person but she can rock bangs

Dina Irving

Basic Info

Full name: Geraldine "Dina" Irving Age: 17-18 years old Grade: Senior Clique: Jock Extracurricular: sideline cheerleading, competitive cheerleading, cooking club, dance team Skills: physical fitness, dance, geology Cultural background: Irish American, African American Appearance: brown eyes, medium length dyed blonde hair, light skin with freckles, 175 cm Family: Jennifer (mother), Michael (father, deceased), Benjamin "Benny" (uncle), Matthew "Matt" (older brother)

Bio: Dina Irving had a challenging upbringing as a child. Being a socially awkward tomboy she faced isolation and endured intense bullying from her peers. However, her life took a significant turn in middle school when Beverly Grier, out of pity and a desire to have a yes-girl, reached out to Dina and transformed her into the girly social butterfly she is today. Under Beverly's guidance, Dina flourished, acquiring popularity among the boys at Bullworth Academy. However, this attention came at a cost, as her eagerness to please others led to a reputation that she was "easy." Despite this perception, Dina longs for genuine connections and a meaningful relationship, yet many of the male students fail to treat her with the respect she deserves and dismiss her as merely a conquest. Despite her clique's arrogant attitude and her admiration of her best friend Beverly, Dina has a kind and gentle nature. Her submissive disposition often puts her at the mercy of others, causing her to prioritize their needs above her own.

Character Info:

She's on the spectrum, specifically diagnosed with Asperger's. Her perceived oddness is what led her to being bullied for most of her childhood.

She likes comics and video games which she keeps a secret from most friends. The nerds sometimes allow her to hang out in their safehouse despite her being a jock.

She and Dan are friends and sometime play video games with each other.

Good friends with Bo as well and they often study together and share notes

Dina is still a bit of a tomboy but she is very afraid of being ostracized again so she keeps up her girly persona.

She is bisexual but doesn't exactly know this yet. She's been on "dates" with girls without realizing they were dates.

Loves geology and has a rock collection which Beverly loathes

Obsessed with the static feeling that comes from CRT TVs and fines it comforting.

Meta Info:

Damon and Bif both have a voice line mentioning a female student who has been with the entire football team and I decided to base Dina around that concept.

"Pretty in Pink" by The Psychedelic Furs was also a big inspiration when creating this character

I used to loved pressing my hands and face against our old CRT TV back when we had one so I incorporated that quirk into her character. I love giving my OCs small fragments of my own personality.

And for here are some minor character updates for my #1 girl Brandi (preppy):

She's a skilled singer, but extremely annoying about it

Is a member of the Glee Club and personally kicked Chad out

She is on both cheerleading teams

Uses Donald as lackey

She's been in a few Broadway productions. They had to cut her mic off one time because she was doing the most

[multifandomwriter56]

600 Follower Celebration Gif Drabble 3

A/N: This is the third gif for my celebration. Also a square filled for @anyfandomfluffbingo 

Square Filled: Flower Crowns

Request by: anon (I hope you like this love and that I included John’s kids enough for you. Thanks again!)

Characters: John Shelby, Katie Shelby, Tommy Shelby, I named John’s other kids George, Henry, and Robert

Summary: Y/n is John’s eldest kid and her birthday is coming up. Will her father remember or will she go without celebrating it? This is set in season 1

Warnings: language

Word Count: 2,102 (Yeah, this isn’t a drabble but we’re just keeping it that way so it can match the rest)

*gif is not mine*

To be a queen would be a dream come true for Y/n Shelby. 

“Y/n, Robert pooped again!” A young girl’s voice shouts.

Or maybe just to be treated as one would satisfy the eldest John Shelby child. 

To be anything but a nanny for a day, would make the thirteen year old happy. Just one day of not being the only person in charge of her four younger siblings. That’s all she wants. 

If her father remembers her birthday, that’s what she wants to ask for. She loves her father but he is not the most involved father. Not since he came back from the war and her mother died. Usually he leaves after breakfast and she doesn’t see him until all the kids are in bed and she’s reading a book on the sofa. Most nights, he carries her to bed since she falls asleep while waiting for him to come home. 

And tonight is no different. Once her siblings are asleep, she grabs the newest book her Aunt Polly bought for her before snuggling up in the corner of the sofa. Two hours later, she jumps awake when she hears the door swing open. Her father is never home this early.

“John!”

Y/n’s eyes widened in surprise. He never comes here. 

“Joh- Oi, what are you doing awake?”

Y/n stares up at her uncle, her eyes narrowing as she asks a question of her own. “Where’s my dad?”

Tommy raises his eyebrows at his niece but answers her question. “If I knew I wouldn’t be shouting his name in his own house.”

Y/n couldn’t argue with that. “If you don’t mind, Uncle Tom, I would appreciate it if you didn’t shout again. I don’t want to deal with a crabby two year old.”

The teenager is surprised when she sees a small grin on her uncle’s face. Just like her father, her uncle changed after the war. He’s not the same man who used to take her on walks and buy her sweets; or tell her stories using the different voices he could make. She tries to stay away, knowing the man has better things to do than to waste his time with his niece. She may not dislike her uncle, but she definitely is not a fan of him either. 

“Why is a thirteen year old still awake at this hour, eh?” He asks as he lights a cigarette.

“I’ll be fourteen in two days.” She mumbles.

“Fourteen, eh?” Y/n nods. “And what are you doing for your special day?”

Y/n looks down at the book in her lap, guilt rising as the anger starts to boil. “I have to take care of my siblings, Uncle Tom; so Dad can do whatever it is that you need of him that day.”

Tommy studies his niece, seeing the battle of selfish and selfless fighting each other in the young girl. No child should feel guilty for wanting to have a special day on their birthday. 

Before the older man can continue their conversation, the door opens to reveal one John Shelby.

Not wanting to chance her temper to burst through, Y/n hugs her father and tells the two men goodnight before heading upstairs. 

The next day starts out normal but as the morning turns into the afternoon, Y/n notices her siblings acting strange. They’re whispering to themselves and will completely stop talking when Y/n gets too close. Katie was gone early this morning but returned by the time breakfast was on table and is now following her older sister around everywhere. Usually Katie is playing in the lane with her brothers or Finn. 

“Okay, out with it. What are you and your brothers up to, eh? You know if you do something under my watch, Aunt Polly will box my ears and tell Dad. So tell me now so I can make sure you lot don’t get caught.”

Katie smiles up at sister, trying her best to look as innocent as possible. “It’s nothing to worry about. We won’t get caught. Promise.”

Y/n wants to trust her, but the last time Katie said that, they ended up caught at the cut by Arthur and Y/n was lectured by him and her father. She definitely does not want to see disappointment on her father’s face ever again. 

That night as she kisses Robert’s forehead she hears the door open. With a concerned frown, Y/n slowly makes her way down the stairs. Even though her body relaxes, her frown remains. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean, what am I doing here? I live here.”

Y/n rolls her eyes at her father. “Dad, it’s only been dark for an hour. You’re never home this early.”

“What are you? Me mother? I decided to stay in tonight. Now, what are you reading?”

Y/n shows him the title, still confused. 

John sits on the sofa in the spot Y/n usually occupies. He pats the seat next to him, a silent order to sit. 

Y/n does.

The older man leans back as he pulls a cigar out of his pocket. “Read it to me.” 

Y/n stares at her father as he lights the cigar but when he teasingly elbows her side, she opens the book.

Soon the fourteen year old is leaning against her father, her words slurring and her eyes fighting to stay open. 

John gently pulls the book from her grasp before lifting her into his arms. He settles the teenager on her bed, tucking her in and kissing her forehead. “Goodnight, Y/n.”

“Night, Dad.”

“Happy Birthday.” 

Y/n frowns, her eyes remain closed. It’s not her birthday. That’s tomorrow. She grabs John’s old pocket watch from off her night stand. She brings it close to her face so she can see the time. “Huh. It is my birthday.” She whispers to herself.

She sets the watch back on the table, her eyes closing as sleep starts to take over. Y/n couldn’t remember the last time she fell asleep with a smile on her face. Maybe her birthday won’t be so bad after all.

She was wrong. So very wrong.

Robert woke up early, throwing up. Her father and Katie were already gone for the day. So that means she has the youngest Shelby to herself. She sends George and Henry out to the lane to play when she hears Finn and Isiah running by; ordering the two older boys to watch them.

“I hate birthdays.” She mutters as she puts her sleeping brother in his crib. She hopes that was the last of the throw up. She doesn’t know how he could have anything left in his stomach. 

“Y/n Shelby, come here!” John’s voice booms through the house.

“Fuck.” She mutters when Robert wakes up crying. She picks the two year old and heads downstairs; the famous Shelby glare set on her tired face.

“Dad, was that fucking neceassary? I just got Rob- What’s going on?” Y/n stops mid rant as her eyes land on her whole family in the kitchen. 

“Err, sorry for waking Robert, but we have something for you.” John says, showing no remorse whatsoever.

“What is it? Another pregnant woman?”

“Y/n Shelby!” Polly scolds. 

The now fourteen year old blushes, shame rising to her heated cheeks. “Sorry, Dad. I’m just tired.”

John waves away her apology, feeling like he deserves worse than a few harsh words for all the responsibility he’s put on his eldest. 

Deciding it would be a good idea to move things along before it gets too awkward, Tommy gets his youngest niece's attention. Once he has Katie’s attention, he gestures for her to go to Y/n.

Katie smiles, nodding to her uncle before heading in Y/n’s direction.

Y/n watches her little sister, wondering why she has her hands behind her back. “That better not be flour.” She warns, ignoring the chuckles coming from her family.

Katie shakes her head. Slowly, she pulls out the project she was working on yesterday morning. “This is for you. It’s your crown.”

Y/n stares at the crown made from flowers. “H-How?”

“I stole the flowers from that crazy lady by Garrison who sells them.”

“Katie!” Polly admonishes, but turns her glare to her nephews. John and Arthur ignore the glare as they bent over with laughter while their leader just smiles at his nieces. 

Polly rolls her eyes, knowing there’s no point in saying anything else on the matter.

Y/n doesn’t hear her father and uncle’s laughter as she stares at the crown of flowers with tears in her eyes. At some point, Robert wiggled out of her arms and went to Ada who picked him up.

“Put it on, eh?” Tommy encourages.

She slowly reaches for the crown and gently takes it from her sister. A single tear slides down her cheek as she sets the crown on the top of her head. 

“From this point on, you are Queen Y/n, ruler of Small Heath.” Katie announces. “But tomorrow, you are back to Y/n, my big sister.”

“Thank you.”  

“Oh, we’re not done yet.” John informs his eldest. “We still have presents and cake. Everyone to the living room!”

Y/n waits for everyone to leave the kitchen before turning to the man now standing next to her. “I’m assuming this was your idea?”

Tommy shakes his head before lighting the cigarette in his mouth. “You can thank your sister.” He takes a puff before answering her silent question. “She heard us the other night. She came to me the next day, saying I should order everyone to come to the house on your birthday. I told her to do it herself.”

Y/n snorts. “And how did that go?”

“She ordered me to be at the house by noon before doing the same with everyone else.” He tells her, not able to hide the mirth flickering in his eyes. 

Y/n laughs. She should’ve known better than to doubt her baby sister. “She’s going to rule the world one of these days.”

“Aye.” Tommy agrees. “But not today. Today, Queen Y/n is our ruler.”

Y/n smiles, glancing in the direction of the living room. “Well, I better join my subjects before Henry and George open all my presents.”

Tommy dips his head, his left arm stretched out. “After you, milady.”

* * *

Y/n sighs as she lets her body go limp. Today was a good day; a day she will never forget. 

“Good day?”

She opens her eyes, smiling when she sees her father leaning against the entryway to the living room. “Yes. Very good day.”

John smiles, happy with her answer. He makes his way to his daughter, sitting next to her. His smile widens when she leans against him and he wraps his arm around her, pulling her close.

“Thank you, Dad.”

He drops a kiss on the top of her head. “I would do anything for you. Anything.” 

Y/n’s smile falls at hearing the guilt in her father’s voice. “Dad, it’s okay. I’m okay. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I shouldn’t have said it.”

“I don’t want you to be sorry. You’re fourteen. You shouldn’t be playing mother to your siblings.”

Y/n opens her mouth to argue, but a finger under chin stops her. The finger turns her head to face her father.

“I promise you. I will find someone to be a mother to your siblings… to you.”

Y/n knocks his hand away. “I don’t need a mother. I can take care of myself; and I can take care of my siblings.”

This time, John grabs her chin. Once he has her attention, he speaks. “I know you can. I have no doubt you can. But that doesn’t mean you should. You’re fourteen. You’re still a child, and I want you to be able to act like one.” He gently releases her chin, his mirth coming back. “Besides, you can’t get married until your thirty, so you don’t need to worry about being a mother for a long time.”

Y/n rolls her eyes, but she can’t stop the smile from tugging at her lips. “Very funny, Dad.” 

“It’s true.” John insists. His little girl may not be so little anymore; but he will still cut any boy who even thinks about touching his daughter.

“Thank you. I needed that promise.”

John lands another kiss before whispering, “It’s a promise I plan on keeping.”

Forevers: @desiredposion @theseakrakence @simonsbluee

Peaky Blinders: @psychkunox @theshelbyclan @supermouse @lilymurphy03 @findinghisredrighthand​

[randoimago]

vox machina reacting to you giving them flowers on valentines day (or whatever exandrian equivalent)

Gifting Them Flowers on Valentine’s Day

FANDOM: Critical Role

Character(s): Grog Strongjaw, Keyleth, Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, Pike Trickfoot, Scanlan Shorthalt, Vax’ildan, Vex’ahlia

Type of Request: Headcanons

Note(s): This is super cute and I hope you enjoy what I did with the request!!

“Ooh can I eat these?” Grog would ask as you give him a bouquet of flowers. You explain to him that it’s a gift and so technically he could but they’re really just to show appreciation to him today. He tells you that he thinks they’re very pretty and will eat them daintily just for you.

Keyleth just lets out an adorable little gasp when you gift her the bouquet. She thinks it’s super sweet and is ready to gush about the different flowers you brought her. Probably knows flower language so she’s ready to see what exactly you have to say to her! Will give you a flower crown as your own, cute present.

Percy looks at the bouquet, not quite taking it yet. He hasn’t been gifted flowers in quite a while so he’s thinking how best to react. Of course he lets out a comment about how, “Lilies are so yesterday” but he takes them and gives you a thanks. Would set them in his workshop so he can glance to them when he takes breaks.

“These are pretty!” Pike really enjoys the flowers as you gift them to her. While she is a total badass, she loves being able to feel soft so these definitely put a warmth in her chest. She promises to try to keep these alive as long as she can.

Scanlan takes the flowers with a wide grin as he makes a comment like, “I knew you couldn’t resist me!” before bringing out his own present. He probably gifts you with a piece of jewelry that he thinks matches your eyes. But he gladly takes the flowers and uses them to hide the fact that he is a blushing mess at the cuteness of the gift.

“What’s the occasion, peach?” Vax would ask when you hold the bouquet to him. A soft smile is on his face because this is a sweet gift and he loves it. He honestly forgot about the holiday so he feels a tad guilty you got him a gift and he didn’t. So he gratefully takes the bouquet and grabs a flower out of it to put behind your ear.

Vex is torn between asking if you got a deal on them or if you made sure to get her the most expensive flowers. She deserves expensive, but gold should also be hoarded. So instead of asking she just gives you a bright smile and presses a kiss to your cheek as thanks.