#belladonna series

[rosiethorns88]

Dropping the latest Sketch-a-Wish, voted on by my lovely Patreon members for December!

An enchanting scene from Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, featuring Signa and Death (with a bit of his masquerade mask peeking through) watching the bridge on the shore. (or maybe not watching…)

I've had this series pre-ordered and in my hostage pile since the beginning because I KNEW I would love it, but I didn't want to hang off that dreaded cliff 😭. I originally thought it to be a duology, but then Wisteria was announced and I thought I could hang on longer. 🫠

Alas! My Patreon members pushed it up my TBR with this request and I devoured it! I knew it I knew it I knew it! I'm making my way through Foxglove now, and I'm eating this up like a dark raspberry cake on a gothic spoon.

[emmcarstairs]

BELLADONNA, Adalyn Grace

❝You are not cursed—you are a reaper. You are the night incarnate, the ferrier of souls. You are the bridge between the living and the dead—a caged bird that's ready to fly. So spread your wings, Signa Farrow, because you are limitless. Spread your wings, and oh, how we'll fly.❞

[rainingriversofyou]

Signa Farrow - Belladonna - Artist: lotusbubble

[maddiesflame]

signadeath headers

like/reblog if saved © maddiesflame

[thatonespriteobsessedbitch]

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace has me in such a chokehold, I read the entire thing in one day and opon finishing it, I immediately started looking for fics and fanart and edits of it because god fucking damn it, it's phenomenal

[mariamcarreno]

So I made signa Farrow and death❤️❤️💌

[quoteablebooks]

"Because death is only a reprieve for the dead, Mr. Thorly. It cares little for those it leaves behind."

Signa Farrow Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

[pipperoni32-blog]

Maelin

by Mel Torrefranco / 4 stars

My name is Blimmery Owding, and I dug Maelin's grave.

With that chilling sentence, we step back into the Belladonna series, and I was hooked already.

I am so glad this novella happened. It gives a whole new look at Blimmery, but I also had so many questions about Maelin when she was mentioned in Nightshade Academy. While I would have loved to get more of her thoughts (we do get one chapter slightly told by her), getting to see her from an outside perspective adds a lot. With Yashi we already have someone who isn't so quick to believe the lies of the Force, and who is ready to stand against them. With Blimmery, we have someone who uncovers secrets, but isn't brave enough to act on them.

I feel like it's so easy to want more from Blimmery, to expect him to stand up in a losing battle. Even though we see that's not his personality, we see his hesitation and how unsure he is in himself. And we see how hopeless his situation is in trying to save Maelin.

One thing's for sure - if you're new to the Belladonna series, this is an excellent starting point, or novella to pick up while you're waiting for Underground Royalty. I'm so excited to get back into this world, and I'm definitely going to be reading this book again in the future, along with Nightshade Academy, to see all the easter eggs I missed and get ready for the next book!

Thank you to Mel and Lost Island Press for the ARC. Can't wait for this one to be released! Expected release date is May 11, 2024.

[tumblingxelian]

Near Uniquely RWBY - Main Characters

I was chatting with my sibling the other day and we were joking about the fact in 90% of the media I consume I generally don't like the main characters.

Not in the sense I necessarily hate them, but I generally don't find them to be the most interesting, engaging or enjoyable person on screen or page. Instead I tend to gravitate towards secondary or minor characters and even minor antagonists before any of the big names.

Some of this is rooted in my often rooting for what tends to feel more like a real underdog or characters that feel like they got dealt a bad hand by the author unfairly. But its also that in a lot of media the main characters tend to immediately, slowly or quickly go into personality lockdown.

Becoming less a personality and more the embodiment of expected tropes and themes, or they lose their unique edge or circumstances because the plot demands one benefits or personality changes be heaped on them to keep the tone and story going.

Some examples of this would include say:

Ichigo from Bleach, with him and his supporting cast being very unique and super interesting during the initial arc. But as Soul Society came in, he became a much more standard Shounen determinator a the expense of his personality and his supporting casts were largely watered down & left behind.

Or how in Naruto or Dragon Ball the whole underdog/hard worker aspect of the characters felt undercut by legacy power ups and an endless wellspring of natural talent, alien biology, ETC.

I know these are just two examples, but they cover the general gist of what I mean.

So, what makes RWBY different?

Well, off the cuff, is simply that the four main characters are women.

I've often felt simply putting anyone other than a cis-het guy into the main character slot of say, a battle Shounen, or Isekai stands a good chance of making it more interesting by default. Even if the author does nothing with it the audience reaction would be different because the MC would be an exception to the norms.

In that vein, while one can call RWBY some sort of Shounen or adventure fantasy or magical girl show the main four are unique in how they manifest on screen at the very start. From how they participate in action, to how said action is structured and framed and the kind of adventures and topics they tackle.

But being unique alone is not enough, that would simply make it more interesting than the bog standard but what elevates RWBY is the execution and exploration of such elements and its characters.

Going into every aspect would be difficult, but in light of what I said above would be how each of the main four are initially presented as familiar archetypes, only to subvert or deconstruct them.

Ruby is a peppy goth who just wants to be normal but has inborn powers from her mysteriously vanished mother and serves as a beacon of optimism to others.

Except Ruby's version of normal still involved fighting death monsters with a sniper rifle scythe and she is actually one of the more ruthless characters. Her peppy persona obscures that she can have a pretty vicious temper when pushed and has displayed strong bloodknight tendencies.

Her unrelenting optimism and desire to fix the world is a complex mix of true beliefs, coping mechanism for trauma and her grappling with positions forced on her against her will. Her inborn power is potentially useful but also not that much of a game breaker outside specific contexts & said power sure as hell didn't save her mom.

Weiss Schnee is the Tsundere heiress of a powerful family, with a haughty attitude that hides her loneliness.

Except the "Tsundere" is more of a defense mechanism born of coming from an abusive home where every member of her family manifested a different trauma response. Freeze (Mother), flight (Sister), Fight (Weiss) Fawn (Brother).

Despite her upbringing & some projected trauma, she's far from ignorant as to the worst excesses of her nation early on, and her journey was more about overcoming the impacts her abuser had on her and finding a family in her team that let her be safe enough to let down her walls. Also despite being "The ice queen" she's actually one of the characters least inclined towards more ruthless actions and is extremely empathic.

Blake Belladonna is a mysterious and silent rougish woman, something of a shrinking violet even, but she carries with her a wounded heart thanks to her old flame, the edgy Adam Taurus.

Or more accurately, Blake is the daughter of activists and politicians who represent the worlds main discriminated against minority. She spent her youth on the road as a protestor and where even her father could be nearly killed by a lynch mob. She was targeted & groomed by a man who claimed to want to fight the same injustice she did but who was only interested in using the movement to grow his own power.

Her initial aloof-ness was a trauma response to having spent years under his thumb and overcoming him and the idea she had to 'save' him was one of the main corner stone so her character. Also, despite the "Revolutionary fighter" backstory she like Weiss is much less inclined towards ruthlessness than her team in large part because her past experience with it.

Yang Xiao Long, introduced as the fun loving big sister of Ruby & boisterous bruiser of the team who loves to party & flirt.

Except no, Yang was parentified as a child and forced to raise her own sister as their family unit fell apart. Her "Party girl" persona was outright framed as judging a book by its cover in her own trailer and something she put on or took off as she needed.

She became disabled over the course of the series run as well as entered a Sapphic romance with her partner Blake. Unlike the stereotype of characters with her design, Yang is actually an excellent student, fighter and engineer/mechanic. Plus much like her sister she tends to be of the more ruthless and pragmatic persuasion despite being from the "Normal" background.

Character Conclusion

So, all the characters break out of their initial archetypes, which already makes them more interesting. What's more, these sorts of characters just being oput together and made the main characters rather than circling a dude is in of itself unique.

But there are other aspects of the writing which endear me to how it handles the main characters and what keeps them interesting.

Anger & Violence

See, while in various media women do express anger at times it is still often far less so than men. What's more, often women's anger tends to be presented in... Less flattering lights.

With the anger obscuring fragility while in a man it conveys strength. Or implying a sort of hysteria rather than an appropriate or controlled response. Or worst of all being demonized in general unless its rooted in or coming from traditionally feminine places.

The same tends to be true when it comes to violence with a lot of media either trying to find some way to make women in battle less... Brutal than their male counterparts. (More more like fanservice) Along with rarely letting women fight men, unless they are a special exception to the norm.

RWBY does not do this.

The main characters, hell, all the women in the series express a multitude of different forms of anger and violence. They battle men, they battle each other, they battle monsters all with no distinction nor fanservice shot in sight.

What's more though is that said anger and violence are not presented as, for lack of better words, wrong. The writers don't draw overt attention to this fact, they don't hang a big sign up saying "Girls can fight & shout too" or the like.

They just present these women with a range of emotions, motives and actions that are treated according to what fits the theme of the show rather than hewing closer to gendered lines.

This isn't to say anger & violence are lionized, but more that the experience and usage of them is not demonized or undermined because of the characters gender.

I suppose what I am saying is that CRWBY by and large lack double standards when it comes to exploring these things that I see so often in other media. The women in the main cast, among the villains, both sides respective allies and beyond can be flawed, or angry or do both good and terrible things.

But the writers are always treating everyone's pain as equally valid regardless of gender or situation. Which means that the situations that cause anger exist within a tone of respect that forms the depiction and framing of anger itself.

Which is just something I really enjoy.

Thanks for reading!

[set-wingedwarrior]

I love my blondes and their cat girlfriends :)

[itsouttherenow]

Team Mom: Kali

It was another day at Beacon within the dorm room of team RWBY. Their first year of Beacon went off without a hitch, mostly. Fighting mechs, criminals and terrorists is not something that you can really just brush or mention casually. So what is a girl to do on a Friday afternoon. What possible exciting activity could these adventurous girls do?

“GUYS! Mom is coming!” Entering the scene is our resident cat, Blake Belladonna. 

Sitting up from their respected beds, the rest of the girls quickly started firing off questions.

“When is she coming?”

“Are dad and Ghira coming too?”

“Snuggles?”

The last question had eyes drawn at Weiss. 

“Hehe, just, you know, asking.” She replied sheepishly.

“Aside from Weiss touch starved condition (HEY!), she said that she be coming soon to visit us here at Beacon. Tai and my dad are staying in a hotel in Vale for the time being.”

“Cool, what time is she supposed to be coming then?”

“She said around 6.”

“It’s 6 already! Why didn’t you call us instead?”

“Forget about that, we need to hurry. QUCKLY! THROUGH THE WINDOW!”

“No Yang wait I c-“, before Ruby could say otherwise, Yang had leapt through the window of their dorms

“We can worry about her later when we’re outside. The bullhead could be arriving any minute now.”

Using her semblance, Ruby quickly took the girls to the bullhead landing pads, picking up, more accurately digging up, Yang from her earthly confinement. They eventually made it to landing pads 5 minutes late.

“Do you see her?”

“No I can’t, I’m too short.”

“Blake, what about you,?”

“No. Yang?”

“Negative captain.”

“Where could she b-“

“YOO HOO! Girls, I’m over here!”

With Weiss question answered by their target, the four girls quickly rushed to a woman with similar cat ears to their feline friend. The woman was quickly enveloped in a group hug from the girls.

“Oh oh my, eager aren’t we today?”

“Why wouldn’t we? It’s been a sooo long since we’ve last meet you in person.” Replied Yang.

During a break in they second year, the WBY of RWBY meet Kali and Ghira Belladonna, the mother and father of Blake. There, the three girls quickly took a liking to Kali, considering she was the first real motherly figure that they have had in a while. While the three may be her daughters by blood, she treats them as if they were her own.

“(giggles) That is true. And we have a whole week to spend together!”

“(gasping) A WHOLE WEEK!?” Exclaimed Ruby.

“A whole week? What’s the occasion?” Inquired Blake.

“Why the parent conference. They’re going to  discuss on how our little ones are doing and behaving.”

“Well, it is with great pleasure to say that we have all been model students.” Booster Weiss.

“We’ll see. Now, how about you girls give a quick tour of the area. I don’t want to be getting lost.”

“Alright Team RWBY, let’s lead the way!” Yelled Ruby as she jumped into Kali’s arms.

“Ruby” chasted Weiss, “get off her. You are not a child!”

“I don’t mind dear. I’m quite comfortable.” Said Kali she nuzzled Ruby who laughed.

“(Laughs) Hey, that tickles.”

“Are you sure? I can take Ruby.” Offered Yang.

“Yes, I’m quite sure. In fact, I quite like it when you girls jump into my arms. Reminds of when Blake was a little kitten.” Answered Kali.

“If it’s alright with you, then I guess she can stay.” Said Weiss.

“Good. Now let’s go and give mom the best tour of Beacon!” Exclaimed Ruby.

“I’m looking forward to this ‘awesome’ tour girls.”

(Like break.)

An hour into their tour, Ruby had fallen asleep in Kali arms so it was up to the rest of the girls to decide on where to take her next. Walking underneath an arc way of vines and growth, they enter the gardens.

“And here” Weiss gestured around, “is the Beacon Garden. Used by most to study but many can often be found eating and aswell as hanging out.”

“My, how gorgeous.” Awed Kali as tucked Ruby closer to her body.

“Gorgeous indeed. This garden is actually the newest addition to Beacon, having been made thirty-seven years ago. Furthermore, th- (BOOM)- What In Monty’s name was that?” 

The answer to Weiss’s question came in the familiar form of Beacons resident dork Knight, one Jaune Arc, who was coursing throw the air, straight into a tree. After face-planting into said tree, his limp form sliding down onto a branch. 

“Ow. Note to self, make sure that Nora does NOT help in the kitchen *ever* again. *EVER*.” muttered Jaune to himself.

“wa-wa-what’s going on?” Ask an awoken Ruby.

“Just Jaune flying into a tree. Nothing new.” Answered Yang.

“Jaune? Blake, isn’t he the boy you mentioned to me? The blonde?” Asked Kali to her daughter.

Smelling blood, Yang seized the opportunity to tease her partner. 

“Oh, keeping secrets are we now? And here I thought we were family. I’m hurt.” 

Blushing, Blake whined, “Mom. I thought I told you to keep it between us.”

“Oh my Gods so it IS true. You’ve Fall for that dolt.” Exclaimed Weiss

“Well I think it’s sweet.” Chimed Kali.

A second later, said boy fell off the branch.

“Oh, this is a perfect time to talk to him dear. HELLO dear.” Yelled Kali out to Jaune.

‘What? Who is that. I didn’t know Blake had a si-‘

Jaunes thought we’re immediately cut short when the branch he was on earlier fell on top of him.

“Oh no. That branch just killed Jaune!” Yelled Ruby.

“You bastard.” Followed by Yang.

“No you dolts. He’s just knocked out.” Explained Weiss.

“My oh my. What a shame. He needs to be tended to. And who better to wake up than you pretty face dear.” Said Kali.

“No mom, you don’t mean-“ Questioned Blake.

“Yup. Let’s take him to your room. He’s needs to be well rested on a nice comfy bed. Next to a beautiful lady.” Kali said as she picked up Jaune.

“Mom no.”

“Mom yes” 

Blake was then handed an unconscious Jaune.

“Come along girls. The day just getting started.”

Three of the four girls ran to catch up with Kali as Blake just stood in place dumbfounded.

Looking down a Jaune, she blushes abit.

“Well, I guess it would hurt to give it a try.” And then placed a kiss on Jaunes forehead and quickly caught up the others 

‘That’s my girl. Grand kittens here comes Grandma.’ 

[bumblebydyke]

i am... slightly late! happy belated birthday blake!

[tornadoarts]

Sketchbook stuff!

[rainingriversofyou]

Signa Farrow - Belladonna

Artist: penell__ope / @penell-ope

[blake-me-up-inside]

My RWBY physical media collection

With the shutting down of RoosterTeeth, I finally committed to getting a full set of blurays. So here’s my RWBY physical media collection.

[rwac96]

(Ask, Original Male Stud AU, Crossover AU: Avatar Series - Legend of Korra, Tonight...You Meme: Implied Sexual Threat, Jaune is in Danger, Korra got Zero Shame) "Tonight...You." Korra said with a smile and threatening tone in her voice to Jaune after their first meeting him in front of Team RWBY and Team_NPR

*Yang Xiao Long was glaring daggers at Avatar Korra, the former being held back by Ruby & Pyrrha*

Yang: *red-eyed* You wrecked my bike! I oughta clobber ya!

Korra: *annoyed* I said it was an accident! But, if you want an ass kickin'-- *her fists become surrounded by flame* then bring it, bimbo!

Jaune: *steps in between the two* Stop, stop! Look, looks like we all got off on the wrong foot.

Yang: I'm gonna shove my foot up her--!

Ruby: *pulls her sister back* Yang!

Blake: *sarcastic* This is going well.

Jaune: Listen, how about we each said sorry to one another. Is that alright?

Yang: *huffs, eyes turn back to lilac* She better.

Korra: *blinks, letting the flames dissipate* What's your name, scraggily?

Jaune: Jaune Arc. *smiles sheepishly*

Korra: *smiles* Tonight...you.

*Both Teams RWBY & JNPR stared with widened eyes, Jaune blushing and Pyrrha now glaring daggers at the woman in blue*

Yang: ...Can we go get Bumblebee fixed?