#even if she doesn't really want any enemies mortal or immortal

[thevalicemultiverse]

Is Mortal Enemies be the correct term if both parties are undead?

Alice: Hmmm -- I guess in that case you would have to call them Immortal Enemies, wouldn't you? Or, at the very least, I would. What's the point of living forever with a hated rival if you can't indulge in wordplay along the way?

[kerubimcrepin]

Liveblog - Dofus, livre 1 : Julith [PART 3]

+ Joris analysis

Since Simone left, it seems that Kerubim has gotten back into his habit of having weird, sloped bookshelves that look like they are going to kill someone someday.

Also, there are more deadly possessed demon swords everywhere.

VAX

So real.

I think a lot about how aggressively chill Kerubim is about Joris constantly going on and on about his birth parents.

You just know that on the inside he was seething. Just a constant mantra of "it's natural at this age, it's natural at this age," inside his head as he tried to be supportive. While Joris was trying to guess who his dad was, Kerubim was going through an IRL psychological horror game where he would die if he stopped thinking good thoughts.

While I am putting this in my usual funny meme terms, I am enamoured by the messy and uneven nature of Kerubim and Joris's father-son relationship. There's nothing particularly special or unique about the way it hurts them, — but the immortality and fantasy elements really let the usual hurting of a parent-child bond shine. It's all about romanticising the mundane to me.

I think it shows an interesting disconnect that Lilotte won't call Kerubim "papycha" (and the way, later on in the movie, she does). She doesn't entirely feel like she fits in between Joris and Kerubim, and the dynamic the two have, — which is understandable, because she really doesn't, in my opinion. It's not a bad thing. She and Joris aren't exactly siblings, and Kerubim isn't her dad, — he's a caring adult. It doesn't mean they aren't a family to her, but it does mean she feels awkward. Her dead family, and fear of losing people, aren't exactly helping.

Here's my analysis of the situation:

From Lilotte's POV, as I've already said it, there is a disconnect from the bond she feels with Kerubim and Joris, and the bond those two have, — as well as how untraumatized Joris is about the whole orphan thing. She doesn't want to get too used to this because this can always end, — and likely, she doesn't want to be forced into a fully familial role, because she doesn't feel that way about Kerubim and Joris.

From Kerubim's POV, she is an orphan, just like himself and Joris, and he needs to help her any way he can. He'd like it if she lived with them, — instead of living out in the streets, without the safety of the roof over her head. He wants her to feel at home, and become a part of the family, but doesn't have any delusions about "adopting" her as if she were his daughter (his definition of family includes a maid he met 20 minutes prior, a mortal enemy, and a brother who wants him dead, mind you). She's far too old, and she does have a family, even if it is a dead one, while he is perfectly happy with just Joris as his son. Basically, he just wants her to be happy, warm, and fed, but understands that she has her reasons to be wary, and will not overstep her boundaries.

This all is easy enough to imagine or deduce through what we know about their characters. But Joris is a bit more complex, because even as a child, he is kinda emotionally closed-off. So, this following thing is mostly delusion, throwing darts at the wall while blindfolded, and me just straight up hallucinating:

In my opinion, Joris is not happy about anything that is happening. He needs consistency and stability, and, as a single child of a single parent, he probably feels a certain degree of ownership towards Kerubim. It's likely that he feels jealous, like Lilotte's presence is threatening.

He isn't feeling these things consciously. He doesn't know he is jealous, or that he feels threatened by her presence. A childhood of unknowingly putting Kerubim's emotional needs before his own for the sake of their survival had divorced him completely from his own feelings.

But it does show in the little, subconscious gestures, like fighting with her, or making fun of her, — especially his complete silence on the issue of wanting or not wanting her to move in with them, and the happy reaction he has to her confirming, once again, that she will not live with them. (As well as the way he switches the topic immediately to himself, before Kerubim can attempt to console her about the dead family issue).

Joris tries really hard not to have opinions on things he doesn't like, especially about himself and his feelings.

It's interesting that Joris needs reassurance here. What we just saw is Kerubim making a grand gesture (a huge, elaborate breakfast) and a plea towards Lilotte, out of his care for her, and immediately, Joris is trying to usurp his attention with a question of whether Kerubim is going to give him a grand gesture too.

And it's not the first time he's asking! (Also yes, I noticed Lou. I was just too busy typing analysis to point her out)

For a huge part of his childhood, Kerubim neglected him badly (and himself too, the man had clinical depression), so Joris's anxiety and subconscious jealousy is pretty logical.

Suddenly, despite being his literal father, Kerubim is putting in more effort in caring for Joris's friend than he ever did with Joris himself, y'know?

AND not to mention, how Kerubim usually keeps his promises (he doesn't, but Joris is used to it.)

Anyway, the cover says "Brocante". Other text, I am not sure.

[feartoxinjelloshot]

honestly i am not a fan of how this drawing turned out BUT i did invest some time into it so i would be amiss not to post it for posterity if nothing else.

context:

so, i spent a long time ruminating on what to do with the league of assassins in my au. obviously, a lot of the canon material concerning it is staggeringly racist, not to mention just kind of stupid overall, so i knew that i wanted most of it to go out the window off the bat. at the same time there were certain aspects of it that i knew i wanted to retain - the immortality, the lazarus pits, talia's original antihero stuff, damian being a weird little knife child, etc - so eventually i decided that the "league of assassins" as it were doesn't really exist; ra's has simply operated im plain view for long enough that people who were paying enough attention went "hey, what the hell, he has a guy lined up for everything, surely he's running some kind of secret evil shadow organization?" he's not. he's really not. he's just been alive long enough that he has a lot of personal favors owed to him at this point. his actual "organization" is like, at maximum three people who owe him life debts at any given time. he's also not really evil per say. he's just really weird.

what ra's is actually doing (amidst some good old garden variety ecoterrorism - if ivy can do it so can he, and it was a core aspect of his motivation for several decades) is acting upon the pathological obsession he has with the lazarus pits. the lazarus pits in my au are a mix of the birth of the demon and BTAS lore surrounding them: they are natural deposits that must be manually dug out from underground wellsprings to be used, but they are also deeply connected to earthly magnetism and can be located via complex leylines and other ambiguously supernatural means. ra's, from his first discovery of them, has been dedicated to obsessively cataloguing and "deciphering" what he perceives to be the grand mystery of the natural world we live in, and that once he "solves" it, he can show the truth to others and the planet will be transformed into a paradise. (you may note this is not dissimilar to the riddler's pathos concerning patterns - more on that point later probably). this also has ties to his mortal occupation as a physician. he has a strong lingering investment in finding new ways to cure ills, and sees death as the ultimate ill, and therefore he wants to find a way to universally cure death.

now, a lot of this is directly informed by his backstory from birth of the demon, which happens to also contain the sole appearance of the other character in this image, Huwe (we aren't given another name for him to my memory, so i'm forced to assume that's his only one). huwe was an enemy-turned-ally of ra's who eventually became immortal alongside him up until the mid 1800(???)s, where they had a fight that ended in ra's killing huwe by stabbing him with a fire poker. i thought the dynamic between them was really interesting and underutilized in that comic so i decided to bring it back - it goes pretty differently in my au but i have not worked out the specifics to any degree of clarity yet so i will leave that for another post.

there is also more going on with talia and damian in this au, but this is getting long and they aren't even in this post so ill give the cliffnotes version: talia was raised to be more or less a 'warden' of the lazarus pits and she is immortal like ra's, albeit much younger chronologically. she has a vested desire to lead a "normal" life and live and die as a mortal. after having damian, who is ostensibly supposed to be her successor, she sends him away to live with bruce as a form of achieving her dream vicariously through him - as long as he remains mortal and lives as he wishes to, away from the inherited responsibility of the pits, she can bear the weight of it knowing he's out there somewhere. ra's's side of this is a whole other thing about immortal loneliness and his family being the only ones who he can relate to at all after all that he's done and a weird amount of parallels to the joker of all people but this is getting WAY TOO LONG.

TL;DR ra's (long hair) is a strange immortal doctor and the other guy is huwe, his totally-not-gay-and-also-immortal friend.

[yoki-loves-stars]

i heard the words techno centric au 👀 i'm listening

the moment which i desired but was never prepared to face came...

this is very messy but...

an AU where Tech is immortal and every now and then he meets the same 3(4 if you count Kristin) people. They all look the same, have the same names, act the same, treat him the same, but have different stories, perceive him differently and most importantly don't remember him.

there is also no way for him to find them. He watches them die and tries to look for them as time passes, but he never can find them. They are always the ones to find him first no matter what he does. So he just has to wait no matter how hopeless it is.

First he met Phil. For Phil he was a son, a comrade, a follower, a friend. He taught Techno a lot and gave him the ideals to live with and to stand for. Phil was the only one who Techno once told about his immortality, about Phil's past lives. The lives of him being a warrior, a leader, an artist, an architect, a loving father and an angel of death. All these lives he had a soulmate, Kristin, and sometimes Techno wondered if she's also immortal, but never asked.

He met Wilbur then. Wilbur was a brother, a leader, a friend, a musician, a traveler. Tech liked to change his story just to see how would it change Wilbur. Sometimes he liked to play an older brother role, sometimes they were twins, sometimes he was younger, sometimes he was just a friend of Phil's, but Wilbur always treated him with the same taunting smile even though Will himself always was changing.

He spend time with these two the most. If he could he would give his life for them, but he couldn't, so instead he would give them the world, slaughter anyone who'd stand on their way, that he could do.

He met Theseus last and didn't think of him much. He thought that this child was yet another mortal and was quite surprised to see him once again as time passed. He was already so used to Phil and Will and now he had to put up with someone new, understand their habits, understand them. Tommy had the most serious roles for the most unserious person to ever exist. But he did treat Techno with a huge amount of respect.

the AU doesn't focus on SBI that much thought, but on Techno's life without them. Slowly he realises that he doesn't really understand who he is as a person. He's been the blood god, a soldier, a warrior, a prince, a leader, a follower, a brother, a son, a friend. But in between that? Before Phil found him centuries ago? He was nobody. His life came to constant waiting.

(Another thing to mention is that as immortal he doesn't really change visually either. He looks like a young adult, people usually think he's in his 20s.)

So he decides to try and become someone. He travels, learns to farm, to cook, craft, (there are things taht he could do already but they weren't a choice but a necessity during wars) write, study. He finally settles down and find a place for himself. He learns how to handle grieve, trauma, loneliness, old habits, voices and his own emotions.

During that time he encountered other people too. Some became his friends, followers and students, some became his enemies. Also Floof is here :D

And then his soulmates find him once again

i apologize for the rambles. I also apologize if this post has an unbearable amount of mistakes I started writing it at 1am

ill see if i have any art of this AU but i probably don't...

i always can make more tho😼

tech is one of my comfort characters ever (i also want to add that he's anything but cold here. he's always laughing and taunting and joking)

[freshlybakedspiderbread]

looping right back around from too cool for eosd hipster to too cool for eosd hipster hipster, lets hear it for remilia

General opinion/How much I care about them: eosd is absolutely overexposed but that doesn't have to affect how much I genuinely like the sdm crew, and Remilia 🧛‍♀️! its a little funny how the og (well og windows) final boss has somewhat faded into the shadow these days, but then again you kinda cant predict who will suddenly become relevant in canon anymore

Either way, I like Remilia! the devil who insists on playing up her castlevania aesthetic to outsiders whenever possible. Despite general fandom playing her up as a spoiled sort, I do believe in her dignity as head of the household at least to the extent that she cares about her entire makeshift family dearly and has long since carved a proper place for them all in gensokyo...

A ship I love: There's really only two big Remilia ships for me, and those are with Patchouli, her oldest and dearest friend, or Sakuya, her devoted human maid. what I like about remipatchy is a lot to do with the implied history and closeness they have, but that's not as easy to just get into on the spot, so i'll instead talk about remisaku.

They're really funny, and bizarrely sweet in ways thats quite unlike any other ship. A lot of it has to do with Sakuya in particular being the most youkai-like being in the whole mansion despite being the only human. The imagery of the dark vampire mistress and her loyal servant is something that they both enjoy playing up and only get more into it whenever the other starts encouraging it. And yet its definitely Remilia who probably has trouble sometimes keeping up with Sakuya...

also remisaku is also a staple for that melancholic ageless creature x mortal human relationship, ever since Sakuya said that thing about wanting to live as a human... Many fans of gone into depth in it in many different stories over the decades, because its a good cliche!

i know technically you can do that kind of story with just about any human x nonhuman, but in my opinion there are only two touhou ships that genuinely warrant and fit with it. One is mokou/keine, because being unable to die is obviously mokou's entire deal (while the other immortal characters explore other facets that come with living forever), and the other is remisaku, even if only because of one iconic line of dialogue, and because they came first 😛

A non-romantic relationship that I love: I think the only people Remlia would trust to take care of Flandre (as in both caring for her and also being capable of doing so) outside of sdm (so basically sakuya, patchouli and meiling) are Reimu and Marisa. while i don't think Reimu's ever actively offering to do so, Marisa's frequent visits to the sdm probably makes as a sorta surrogate big sister to Flandre, which maybe annoys Remilia to some extent especially when Flandre jokes(?) about only having one sister who is also blonde, but i think she's pretty happy about it otherwise n_n

although of speaking of blonde people visiting Flandre and acting as a surrogate something! I really love to imagine what madness is going through Remilia's head when it comes to Okina, this sage who basically abducted her little sister who is not supposed to casually go ouside and take her on as some weird protoge

The NOTP: i mean aside from the obvious 'dont ship with her sister', i guess i dont have any feelings for remilia/reimu. I know Remilia was basically the first of Reimu's enemies turned recurring visitors, but there's also been so many more exciting examples since (which uh even include Sakuya!)

My biggest headcanon about them: you know, it is also funny how koumakan doesnt entiiirely gel with touhou's worldbuilding since then. like what role do they even serve in gensokyo? how are they maintaining their wealth? I know they were already rich when they arrived, but its been a long time since, andthey're gonna run out of trinkets or old hierlooms to sell eventually, right? Though I guess if the sdm crew want to claim the entirety of misty lake belongs to them, uuuuh whos gonna care enough to stop them? Yeah that's my headcanon, Remilia and her crew have claimed everywhere within like a hundred square feet of land of their mansion as their private property.

An idea for a fanfiction I would like to write/read about them: gosh i think any kind of fun or interesting story involving remilia or sdm i can think of, I've probably already seen it somewhere! that's the power of eosd popularity!! Not that a good idea can't be done more than once but it means im not exactly left wanting 😄

Something that makes me think of them: i kinda cant think anything this moment and trying to force it would probably be really unnatural, but i will say Remilia is the only member of the aristocracy i would respect. probably.

[spidersmiceandeverythingnice]

Thinking about Morally Gray characters.

...

A good example of a morally gray hero is Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho. He's an ancient, immortal fox demon who turned to thievery out of boredom with his long life. A remorseless killer who has no true friends or loved ones, he winds up on the wrong side of the law and winds up hiding his soul in a human body after he's injured; knowing that he'll need at least sixteen years in the human world to recover, he chooses a newborn baby as his vessel.

This human woman, Mrs Minamino, dutifully raises her son even though it is clear to everyone that there is Something Weird about this kid. He's unnaturally smart - a genius! They say - and Kurama is barely able to disguise his apathy and hate for humans in this form. He is actively planning his escape to the demon world at every moment.

Until one day, Mrs. Minamino rescues her son from a falling tree.

There was no danger to Kurama - even in the body of a human child, he has unnaturally fast reflexes and would have walked away without so much as a scratch - but Mrs. Minamino still put herself in mortal danger to protect him. Because he's her son.

Kurama realizes that his "mother" truly does love him. And through her selfless love, he grows a conscious.

Those sixteen years pass and Kurama no longer has any intention of leaving the human world; he's completely devoted to caring for his mother as she battles a life-threatening illness. He even intends to sacrifice his life to restore her health and protects the protagonist from demons who want to harm him. As he joins the main team, he acts as the wise guy, the hypercompetent strategist who has a plan for everything.

And then we actually see him fight - and it becomes extremely clear how DANGEROUS Kurama still is.

His magic extends to all plant life, so he can grow poisonous flowers in an opponent's bloodstream by inflicting simple wounds. He has an arsenal of carnivorous plants which gleefully would eat him alive along with his opponents. When he fears he no longer has enough power in his human body to keep up his win streak, he resorts to taking dubious magical medicines to boost his strength temporarily. Its all for a good cause, of course. They're saving Human World! Kurama really is so self-sacrificing, huh.

Eventually, we see how far he's actually willing to go in the Chapter Black arc. Chapter Black is a legendary video tape which is said to record all of the worst atrocities that humankind has ever committed. Most demons want to get their hands on it to justify their hate of humans - but we learn that it's fallen into the hands of a human named Sensui, who has now started a genocidal death cult dedicated to ending the human world forever.

Kurama has no interest in watching Chapter Black - anymore. After all, his mother is human and he loves her. He wants to protect her, and the world that she lives in. He's grown to care for his human friends, too.

So, eventually Sensui engineers a situation where the gang may have to kill a child - this child was groomed into joining Sensui's cult and doesn't really understand what he's signed up to do.

Kurama kills the child without hesitation once he understands Sensui's purpose. He even volunteers to do it so no one else has to.

He then immediately goes on to trap one of their enemies in an eternal mental prison of anguish, where they won't be allowed to expire and die - just out of anger, that he was put in that situation to begin with.

And THAT is how you do morally gray. We understand that Kurama is one of our heroes, a good guy who loves his mom, values his friends, who makes jokes and offers advice. But every time the gang has to make a tough choice, Kurama is the one to suggest the most ruthless and cutthroat option - which sometimes means sacrificing himself, to save the others, yes, but Kurama also has one of the highest kill counts of our characters. He habitually is the one to kill his opponents in ways that are tailor-made to torment them and cause pain. He's so dangerous that even our Token Evil Teammate who calls murder a hobby respects and admires him for his violence. (At one point in the story, both Kurama and the Evil Teammate guy are trying to tough up one of their human friends and Kurama says, "Your weakness and his honor cause him to hold back [in training you] - but I will not.") Kurama often feels guilty about his choices - but he never accepts pity from the others. He's always fully aware of what he's doing and why. The fact that he has morals now is just another layer to the character's psyche.

Anyway this post was about Rhysand and the type of character he COULD have been if SJM was a good writer.

[for-dramas-sake]

The Starry Love ep 23, 24 thoughts

Foxy and Yetan are both playing the long game. We know her goal is to get the 3 soul shards together, but we don't know his. It can't just be sex, can it? It is, isn't it?

Fortune Teller: True love is right next to you! So keep it in your pants. Foxy: Huh? Fortune Teller: or you'll die a horrible death. Foxy: Huh?!

What is Qingkui doing going to the enemy with this information? Ah… throwing them off the scent. Girl, don't even try.

Looks like Foxy's girlfriends are getting payback for his affairs! Poor guy, wait, no, he deserves it. A chastity belt! Hahaha!

Di Lanjue has started to care a bit about Ziwu! Have we started to see the beginnings of love for our Puppy Couple?

LOL! Foxy is horny but doomed.

I'm shaking my head. Foxy has had so many girlfriends and kept their stuff. It's only been a few years. Yetan has to work extra hard to keep his mind clean and his house free of love tokens.

Qingkui is too pure to think of a good lie to tell the Void Army. She just wings it and I cringe. Girl, you're not evil enough to get away with this lie!

I don't mean to quibble, but didn't Chaofeng lose his powers? How is he able to..? Oh, it's poison activate by his powers. I get it now.

No no no! Haichou is going to give his life for his friend! Nooo---oh. Yes. They just left. phew I was about to get upset there.

I get the feeling that Yetan has grown closer to Foxy then the other 2 shards. I think it may be due to her spending more time with him (presumably) than Greed and Bowser. They did things together and not just saved a town or made money.

uh-oh. An earring is missing. I had things were going too easy for Yetan. Aw, poor Yetan and poor Foxy. He feels betrayal and she doesn't know what to feel.

Everyone in the Immortal gang is excited because Youqin is coming back, everyone except Yetan that is. Her mind is whirling now that the end is near. She's going to have to tell the 3 shards the truth as well as face Youqin, who may or may not remember what happened.

Yetan can't do it! She really has fallen in love with all 3 soul shards and doesn't want to hurt any of their feelings yet the debt to finish her journey is heavy on her shoulders. Not only are her friends counting on her, but so is the Immortal Realm (though they don't know what's happening).

I can't choose which of the 3 shards is my favorite. I just know that Chen Xingxu is killing it with playing 4 different and not so different men! He's incredibly talented.

It's not Chaofeng's end, but I would like him to live as a mortal, get out of the running for Void Crown Prince. He and Qingkui could settle down in the Beast Realm, raise a family and Haichou could babysit their kids and complain about it the whole time.

Yes! Yetan realizes what her heart has been trying to tell her: she's in love with Youqin. She doesn't want him to come back and suffer, but live freely as he wants. But fate will have other plans.

Those clever Immortal siblings! They read my mind: get these 3 together and force Yetan to tell the truth. I'm getting impatient. I want my Immortal Turtle back!

More thoughts here!

21, 22 / 19, 20 / 17,18 / 15,16 / 13,14 / 11, 12 / 9, 10 / 7, 8 / 5, 6 / 3, 4 / 1, 2

[violetsareblue-selfships]

3 and 5 from each section!

-yoimiyas-soulmate

ty! struggling to pick who to answer for so i'm answering for two (it's my blog and i make the rules here lol) - so for xiao and scaramouche! <3

3. Did any of their friends or family want them to get together?

Xiao: Aether supported it so badly - like he would specifically take easy commissions so that I wouldn't have to help out and could spend the day with Xiao; he shipped it from the moment I told him about my feelings for Xiao

Scaramouche: I doubt most of the other harbingers even really paid attention to the growing feelings. Signora probably would have been iffy about it (until she realizes that Scara does care about me.) But mostly neutral here.

5. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Xiao: He did. He didn't want to hurt me with his karmic debt. Plus there's the whole him being immortal and me being mortal thing (that I do find a solution for :D)

Scaramouche: He did, 100% like he's in a one-sided enemies to lovers fic here. He never wanted to feel human emotions again so for her to make him feel so many? clearly they're all negative and blah blah blah - he eventually came around :3

3. What was their first kiss like?

Xiao: I have a fic for this one! But to put it simply: incredibly soft. Like it's soft and sweet and we were cuddling and <33

Scaramouche: haven't written it yet... but i didn't want to push him too early (even if i wanted to kiss him so bad) and he noticed and like sassed me until i kissed him <3

5. What’s their height difference? Age difference?

Xiao: Height difference: like one inch. Age difference: Physically? Not much; maybe a year or two; other than that uhhh he's like 2000+ and I'm 23-24 so yeah.

Scaramouche: Height difference: less than I thought - I think we're the same height lol (w/out his sandals making him 5'4" he's about my height) Age difference: again physically a year or two; other: he's less than 500 (exact age idk) and I'm 24 currently

3. Who uses cheesy pick-up lines?

This is me for both of them. Lol and I feel like they'd both react the same way - getting flustered and/or scowling at me depending. Xiao might even teleport away if I fluster him too badly.

5. Who initiates kisses?

Me again for both! Xiao's shy with affection (again, doesn't want to affect me w/ the karmic debt) but he gets more confident as time goes on. For Scara, it also evens out as time goes on but he doesn't want to seem too needy at first.

3. How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like?

Haven't thought about kids, tbh... For Xiao it's possible but he wouldn't want to pass the karmic debt on to a child (adoption could be possible there...) and I hc Scara as being infertile (since he's a puppet lol) so again adoption could be possible...

5. Who’s the stricter parent?

Xiao: He would be. Like the child would still have him wrapped around their finger but he would be overprotective in a way I wouldn't be so... yeah

Scaramouche: I think it would be me actually. He seems the type to spoil someone he loves and he would let them do literally anything they wanted so I'd have to put my foot down more.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #196

Today on Fate and Phantasms we're building the last of the Three Goddesses Alliance, Ereshkigal! (It took her long enough to show up.)

Eresh is a Grave Cleric for relatively obvious reasons, as it lets her do pretty much everything she does- raise the dead, care for the dead, raise the dead properly, cause earthquakes, and start pandemics. Maybe don't do that last one right now, we're kinda busy with one already. It's a shame Soul Cage is a wizard spell, but pobody's nerfect.

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: Now all of China knows you're on the naughty list.

Race and Background

Ereshkigal is part chthonic god, part human thanks to being a pseudoservant, that means Fallen Aasimar is a pretty good choice for her. You get Darkvision, Celestial Resistance to radiant and necrotic damage, Healing Hands to heal with your hands, and the Light cantrip to help the mortals with their dumb mortal eyes, using Charisma to cast it.

She's also the Three Goddess' Representative on behalf of humanity, trying to squirrel some away to prevent them from being entirely wiped out. This gives her proficiency with Intimidation and Religion, as well as an extended spell list we'll go over as it comes up. If you're wondering about the Intimidation: Yes the fandom thinks she's cute now, but you have to remember she's still a god of death. Most people aren't going to be as chill with her.

Ability Scores

Wisdom is first, Ereshkigal spent millennia honing her art alone in the underworld, so either she has a super high wisdom or an incredibly low one. But high wisdom works better for the build, so we'll go with that. Second is Charisma- some people love you, some people are terrified of you, those are both charisma. Your Dexterity is also solid, because your armor is not. Your Constitution is above average because while we don't need it for the build have you SEEN her HP stat? Your Intelligence is okay. You're not dumb, we just need other stuff more. Finally, dump Strength. You're a bit awkward with that spear, but we'll get some stuff to make it work later.

Class Levels

You're 100% Grave Cleric, so we'll just get into it. Starting off in this subclass gets you proficiency with Wisdom and Charisma saves, as well as Persuasion to show off your awkward charms and History because you're literally older than the written word. At first level you also enter the Circle of Mortality, so your healing spells automatically heal for max HP on creatures with 0 HP, and you get a suped-up version of the Spare the Dying cantrip that uses a bonus action and has a thirty foot range. You also get Eyes of the Grave, meaning you can sense undead creatures within 60' of you if they're not behind cover. It won't tell you about their identity though, so make sure you don't pick a fight with Strahd, you're still only level one. You can do this Wisdom modifier times per long rest. Starting in a spellcasting class also gets you Spells, surprise surprise, and having a Ravnica background gets you even more. Being a grave cleric gets you Bane and False Life for free, giving you easy access to curses and HP boosts early in the game. Something I want to bring up about the ravnica background before we move forward: I misread how these backgrounds work before. They add spells to your class' spell list, not your spells known. That means builds where you pick spells every level only get the opportunity to learn those spells, they don't just get all of them for free. Clerics can prepare spells from their spell list every long rest anyway so it's not a big difference here, but it is something I'll have to go back and fix for the other members of the alliance and Ishtar. Anyways, you get Illusory Script added to your spell list, not exactly something you'll probably use. For spells you can actually choose, grab Resistance for a goddess core that adds 1d4 to your next save, Thaumaturgy for when you need to get dramatic with extra magical effects, and Toll the Dead to do just that for some necrotic damage. You can also choose to prepare spells like Command to flex your authority and Protection from Evil and Good to flex on your sister.

Second level clerics can Channel Divinity once per short rest in two flavors. Turn Undead takes care of undead that fail their wisdom save, and Path to the Grave will clear out anything else. Spend your action to curse a creature, giving vulnerability to the next attack that hits it. Rules as written you can't target a mountain with this, and you definitely can't get the bonus for an Earthquake spell, but I'd allow it for the cool factor. Alternatively, you can Harness Divine Power to spend one use of Channel Divinity for an extra spell slot which is a level equal to or less than half your proficiency bonus. You can do this once per long rest, but that will grow as your Channel Divinity uses do.

Usually your third level doesn't get you much of anything as a cleric, but since you're a fallen aasimar you get a Necrotic Shroud, spending an action to get really spooky for a minute. Mechanically, this is your big ghostly form, and it'll frighten nearby creatures that fail a charisma save, and for the minute you're transformed you'll deal an extra bit of necrotic damage once per turn. You can go ghost once per long rest. You also get second level spells now, including your freebies Gentle Repose to prevent people from rising back as zombies and Ray of Enfeeblement, which weakens a creature's weapon attacks for up to a minute. They can make a constitution save to shrug it off, but not until the after the spell's already hit, so at least you'll get your money's worth. Thanks to your background you can also learn the spell Enthrall, making it harder for people to notice anyone but you. As someone who's existed in this fandom for any period of time, I can confirm Ereshkigal definitely has this ability. You can also prepare spells like Spiritual Weapon to have a spear that actually hits good and Protection from Poison for more goddess core shenanigans. Finally, make sure you pick up Silence. I'm still not entirely sure how we'll build Tiamat, but that should help shut off her immortality.

At fourth level you get your first Ability Score Improvement, which won't actually be improving your ability scores. grab the Eldritch Adept feat for the Armor of Shadows invocation so you can cast mage armor on yourself for free. You also learn how to cast Friends to make it easier to make friends and terrify your enemies.

Fifth level clerics get third level spells, including your freebies Revivify and Vampiric Touch. You're the god of the dead, so people should only really die when you want them to. Alternatively, you can Animate Dead to summon some skeletons for your own uses. You can also use Spirit Guardians to get more ghostly defenses. They'll slow down creatures of your choice in your area, and if they fail wisdom save they'll take radiant and/or necrotic damage, with it getting halved if they succeed.

At sixth level you get a second use of Channel Divinity per short rest, and a second use of Harness Divine Power per long rest. You also become a Sentinel at Death's Door, shutting down a critical hit near you as a reaction, turning it into a regular attack Wisdom Modifier times per long rest. Sure, you can bring people back later, but this is way less expensive.

Seventh level clerics get fourth level spells, like Blight and Death Ward. It is really hard for flowers to grow in the underworld. You can also use Leomund's Secret Chest thanks to your background, or you can prepare Banishment to throw Tiamat back where she came from, use Guardian of Faith for more ghosts, and leave an Aura of Purity around you to give your allies the blessings of Kur.

Eighth level clerics get another ASI, and this one will improve your ability scores. Kinda. We're grabbing another feat, but being Shadow Touched will improve your Wisdom by one point. It lets you cast Invisibility or Disguise Self once per long rest for free, or you can cast either spell as if it were a normal spell on your spell list. Now you can really make yourself look ghostly, if a bit undersized for your boss fight. Your destroy undead also bumps up to hit CR 1 creatures, but that'll blow up your skeletons as well, so be careful with it. Finally, Potent Spellcasting adds your wisdom modifier to your cleric cantrip damage. Nobody can toll the dead harder than the god of the dead.

Ninth level cleric, fifth level spells. Antilife Shell prevents anyone from getting too close to you, though it also means you can't get close to them without breaking the spell. It's almost poetic. Anyway, you also get Raise Dead, which is like revivify but with a more lenient time frame. You can also instigate your very own christmas event now with Contagion! This spell poisons a target, and at the end of each of its turns it has to make a Constitution save. After succeeding three throws, the spell ends. If it fails three throws, it gets a disease for the rest of the week. The closest thing to Sumerian Flu is probably Filth Fever, which gives disadvantage on saves, checks, and attacks that use strength, but there's all sorts of diseases you can give people. Technically this isn't a contagious disease, but talk to your DM, I'm sure you can work something out. You can also use Hallow to turn your room into a little slice of the underworld, shutting down your sister even further.

Tenth level clerics can invoke Divine Intervention with a 1 in 10 chance of getting a free favor from your god. Your god is you, technically, but it'll make more sense later. You can use this once per day, but it takes a week to recharge after it actually works. You can also cast the Light cantrip now. You could do it before, but now it's stronger.

Destroy Undead grows to hit CR 2 undead, and you can cast sixth level spells. Create Undead makes stronger undead for your army. Sadly dinosaur skeletons aren't available, so you'll just have to settle for ghouls. At higher levels you still won't get dinosaurs, but you can get ghasts, wights, and even mummies! Just be careful you don't stop recasting the spell, mummy rot can be rough. You can also summon a Heroes' Feast for more blessings from Kur, and you can take on an Otherworldly Form for another ghost transformation. This spell makes you immune to fire and poison damage as well as the poisoned condition. You can fly 40' per round, get +2 to AC, and you can attack with weapons using your wisdom twice per attack action. You're stuck with the UA version of this spell, so it takes an action, but on the plus side this just gives you an excuse to use Spiritual Weapon more.

Use this ASI to bump up your Constitution for more health. Health gets added retroactively, so you get +12 HP now instead of just +1. It's pretty nice.

Seventh level spells! Resurrection further cements your control over death with a time limit of a century, and you can also Plane Shift yourself (or an enemy) into the underworld.

Destroy Undead hits CR 3 creatures now. Not even mummies can stand up to your power!

Fifteenth level clerics get eight level spells. If silence won't keep Tiamat down, Antimagic Field should do the trick. The one problem there is it's only a 10' sphere around you, and you rely on magic way more than Tiamat does. You can also cause Earthquakes, turning a very large area into difficult terrain, disrupting concentration, knocking creatures prone, and destroying structures in the area. The one problem here is that you can't fly, so be careful where you're pointing that thing.

Yet another ASI. Use this one to finally max out your Wisdom for super strong spells and better protection from crits.

If you make it to level 17, you get the super powerful ninth level spells. Also, Destroy Undead hits CR 4 creatures, and you become a Keeper of Souls, stealing away some of a dying enemy's soul to heal an ally based on the creature's hit dice once per turn. Right though, ninth level spells. True Resurrection brings someone back even if they've been disintegrated 199 years ago. It's expensive, but you can always grab some gems from your sister if you're pressed for cash. The benefits of sharing a body.

At eighteenth level you get a third Channel Divinity and another use of Harness Divine Power. Really get those paths to the grave filled, it's kind of your thing.

Use your last ASI to grab the Tough feat for 38 HP now and another 2 next level. You have one of the highest HP stats in the game, this only makes sense.

Your capstone level is an improvement to your Divine Intervention. You know how I keep bringing up multiclassing as a con when we include cleric levels? This is why. Your divine intervention now always succeeds. Period. I mean, it makes sense. You are the god giving you power. But yeah, you get guaranteed god-level power freely given as an action. You truly have the power of god and anime on your side.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Clerics have a good variety of spells, and you take it even further with your background. You can heal but you're not completely hosed on your own like Medea Lily, you can deal damage and still do stuff outside of combat unlike your sister, and you have utility without your build being dominated by it like Hundred Personas.

You might not be good in a one on one fight, but you don't get into those that often thanks to your skeleton army. If you just dedicate harnessing divine power to keeping them in line, you can have nine extra bodies on the field to turn the action economy in your favor.

Even when we're not talking about spells, you're still really supportive of your team. Shutting down critical hits and stabilizing your allies quickly will seriously improve the longevity of your party.

Cons:

Dabbling in so many areas of magic means you're unfocused, so you won't excel in any one. You won't heal as much as Medea, deal as much damage as Ishtar, or be a skill monkey like Hundred Personas.

You also rely on magic completely for combat, which means stepping into an anti-magic zone can be deadly. This is especially bad for you, since an anti-magic zone will probably be the best way to deal with Tiamat.

You might have an undead army, but your best spells are area of effect and you're a cleric. Destroy Undead is kind of a big deal for you.

[evielallemxnt]

"There are T W O types of secrets: those we hide from others ─ and those we hide from OURSELVES."

have you seen GENEVIEVE 'EVIE' LALLEMENT strolling around central park at lunchtime? rumor has it they’re actually A HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE years old, but i’m pretty sure they’re only TWENTY. they’re currently posing as a PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR at LALLEMENT LAW, but when dusk falls, you can usually find them heading home to MANHATTAN by TOWN CAR. apparently they DID attend the met gala this season! @duskintro

* / CHARACTER INFLUENCES: Jake Peralta ( Brooklyn 99 ) + Veronica Mars ( Veronica Mars ) + Nancy Drew ( Nancy Drew ) + Claudia ( Interview With The Vampire ) + Rebekah Mikaelson ( The Originals )

* / ANTHEMS: PRETTY SAVAGE | YOU MADE A MONSTER | 7 RINGS

*** PENNED BY BRI FOR DUSKFELLHQ ***

FULL NAME: GENEVIEVE "EVIE" LALLEMENT

FACECLAIM: Savannah Lee Smith

AGE: 20 ( estimated @ time of changing ) physically | 135 mentally

SEXUALITY: Lesbian

PRONOUNS: She/her

POSITIVE: Intelligent, charming, loyal, brave.

NEUTRAL: Spontaneous, trustworthy, daring, cocky

NEGATIVE: Impulsive, self-destructive, snide, and Machiavellian.

ELEMENT: Fire.

MBTI TYPE: ENFJ.

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral.

HOGWARTS HOUSE: Slytherin

AESTHETIC: Breakfast at Tiffany's, fine tailoring, diamonds and pearls and rubies, late-night bubble baths with red sangria, Chanel No.5, bubbly stocked fridge, penthouse parties, drinks @ The Blond, exclusive social club, wigs and disguises, sly smiles, bad decisions, midnight sleuthing, gossiping until dawn, closets filled with Birkins, eyes that hold secrets, smudged lip gloss, devilish temptations

TW: Death, dying, blood

* / BIOGRAPHY: The history of Genevieve Lallement is a tricky one. If you ask her, she became a creature of the night in some whirlwind fashioned tale filled with love, betrayal, and sacrifice -- all the makings of a heart-clenching closed shut story. But the reality? That's much more of a mystery.

Her genesis is one filled with darkness. No memories. No family. No nothing. The only solace coming in the form of her sire -- Cassius. He saved her from a fever that took many in late 19th century England and told her as much as he knew. That he had found her bedridden and sickly in a run-down isolation ward where patients were sent to die more than to be cured. Apparently, she had reminded him of a sister he’d once lost and he acted on an inner impulse to save an innocent. The staff had told him that she had admitted herself under what they proved to be an alias, so there was no way to notify family or even prove she existed.

She was a ghost. Alone in the world. And dying.

So, he gave her new life. Eternal life.

When she’d awakened from the transition, the ripe young vampire found herself unable to remember, well... anything. It was as if the transformation erased everything human about her, wiped her slate clean as she re-entered the world as someone else. Something else. Cassius said that vampirism isn’t a perfected process. There are some ailments that the immortal blood which now ran through her veins can’t heal. By the time he’d found her, her mind had already been overcome with the sickness that was moments away from snuffing her out completely. To drag her back from the depths of near-death, she had to lose some parts of herself along the way. There were some upsides, though. She clung to Cassius like a newborn, and he grew to coddle her as if she were his own. Being inducted into the Lallement family allowed her to see a world that was previously unattainable as a mortal having had come from the dregs of England. He’d brought her to New York at the turn of the century, and it was a sight to behold as she realized…this was HOME.

As the decades passed, the new Lallement glided through life. The adjustment to vampirism wasn’t as hard as it probably was for others. Sure, she had her hiccups, but it was almost as if the lack of memories helped. There was no other way of living for her to remember or to acclimate from. In some ways, there was no true loss. Her new family filled the voids ( even helped her pick out a new name ‘GENEVIEVE” ) showered her with endless love ─ and the bloodlust helped pick up the slack. For a while. As an immortal, it is easy to become distracted by the power, privilege, and play that is now bestowed upon you. But eventually, the semblance of loneliness and eternity creep in. For Evie, it was plaguing thoughts of the unknown that haunted her. Did she have a family when Cas took her away? Did they look for her? Mourn her? Soon all she could think of was the possibility that they somehow survived the plague and managed to continue on. This led her to try to trace their footsteps back to the town Cassius found her in to look for anything, any semblance of a clue that pointed to her previous human existence. Only for Evie to be faced with the harsh reality that the one hospital in town, the very town she’d believed herself to have been raised in, had burned down not long after they’d fled. Along with the patient records. Any possibility of tracing back her roots had been destroyed in a reckless accident and something in Evie c r a c k ed. Never again to be fully healed.

But if anything, she’s a survivor. Evie turned her sadness into something productive, going on to study criminology and criminal justice in the ’70s and '80s, along with a myriad of other majors she probably got too distracted to finish. Evie figured, if she couldn’t figure out the mystery of her own life, then the least she could do is help others figure out the mysteries in theirs. Becoming a private investigator sort of just happened, but it soon became her life’s joy. Piecing things together, going on recon missions, and doling out the truth was something that Evie not only excelled at but truly found fulfilling. At least ─ during the day. When the sun goes down, she resorts back to her party-girl ways, needing to find some sort of entertainment as a method to keep herself distracted. Because, you see, the only thing Evie hates most in the world is being by her lonesome. It leaves time for that inner sadness and loss to come creeping back in, to remind her that there’s nothing in the world to truly call her own. That the Lallement name is a placeholder for the truth. And that’s the one truth she cannot face.

So, she parties, boozes, pushes the limit because she has none, and there is always a need for M O R E. Because boredom is never on the menu. And when the town car arrives eventually to take her back to Manhattan, merely a few hours before she must be up for work, Evie revels in the few minutes of silence and thinks ─

‘Another day down. Only an eternity to go.’

* / PERSONALITY: Evie is, more than anything, fun. She likes to have a good time and to look good while doing it. Sure, her deviousness occasionally gets her into more trouble than intended, and in some ways, her childlike need to be paid attention to can be exhausting to people, but she is not all play. Evie truly enjoys being an investigator and will isolate herself for days, weeks even, if that means cracking a case. Her job and lifestyle have been carefully cultivated to always keep her busy so the facade can stick. No one knows about her growing concerns with the idea of unlimited time or the feeling of wanting a connection with someone -- anyone. Evie doesn't really give into supernatural politics or bias, and her ruthless side only comes out when hangry or when you threaten someone she loves. Then it's all-out chaos.

* / FUN FACTS:

She's gone to college several times and has studied many things but only holds a degree in Criminology and Interior Design

Currently paying a witch to figure out a way for vampires to get tattoos

Obsessed with all things horror and true crime

Officially identified as a lesbian in the late '60s

Has two poodles named Khaleesi and Drogon

Manhattan PD knows her by name

* / WANTED CONNECTIONS:

SCOOBY GANG/HARDY BOYS/7 RINGS - These are her people, her confidantes, her ride or dies. Can be supernatural or human, mortal or immortal. Whether they met decades ago or the night before, tipsy, in the Cosmopolitan bathrooms, they instantly clicked and have been loyal to each other ever since.

ROOMMATE(S) - Evie lives in one of the many ritzy buildings Manhattan has to offer. While having an entire floor to yourself has its benefits, it can feel quite isolating. So, the vampire opened up her doors to allow in some roommates -- free of charge!

ASSISTANT - As a private investigator, sometimes certain cases can become quite tedious. While her work rarely ventures away from mild cases Cassius needs help with, Evie does also take cases from anyone who needs help. Keeping everything organized, going with her on recon, and even offering their own input and theories is what they provide for her.

PLAYTHING - Now Evie isn't evil, she doesn't play with people's emotions ( at least not intentionally ) but she does indulge in the power and influence that comes with vampirism. Not only would this person be someone to go to for the occasional midnight snack ( where they're the snack sowz ), Evie would also indulge in their life. Making sure they're well taken care of, listening to the things they're going through, and being there for them whenever they need her.

FOES/ENEMIES - When you live forever you might make an enemy or three. Evie has ruffled a few feathers over the past century, that's for sure, and she has no problem continually poking the bear if she finds herself bored enough to do so.

also: literally anything else pls plot with me i'll send you kit kats and a coupon for a free taco.

[lilmissbacon]

Why Jelsa is Ridiculously Stupid

Let me start off by saying that the idea of this ship was cute at first, I have nothing against it. In fact I have a few ships myself that have nothing to back them up. I am not making this to convince people to be anti, stop the ship itself, or spread any form of hate what so ever.

But this Jelsa fandom has gone too far. And when I say "jelsa shippers," of course I don't mean ALL of them, just about 80% of them.

In fact, I'm very appreciative of the few jelsa shippers who don't go around harassing others because "jelsa is life."

Also, allow me to correct you in saying that I'm not a jelsa hater, I'm a jelsa loather. There's a difference. Most jelsa haters, hate jelsa for the sake of hating it.

I genuinely hate it.

And don't go commenting about, "how do you know you don't like it if you've never tried it?" Because you see, that's where you're wrong. I did used to ship it, when I was 11. I was a child, I was new to the internet, I didn't know better. But I do now!

I am writing this so that some who may not know, will now understand why jelsa is bad and because I need to get all of this out of my system. I am slowly dieing inside.

First; I'm gonna go into how all the excuses to ship this are pointless. Next, I'll talk about just how these two would never work out as a couple. Then, will be what the toxicity has done to not just to the ship itself, but to the big four as well. And finally, I'll go into how uncreative the shippers are and just what horrible/stupid things they've done and are still doing.

1) Excuses are Pointless

Excuse #1: They have the same powers.

...Yeah, that's like saying you ship Lavagirl (Sharboy and Lavagirl) and Bolin (LoK) because they can both control lava. That's not a valid reason to ship anyone. There needs to be actual substance and I'll only say that once because that sentence applies to every excuse here.

Excuse #2: They look alike

🤦🤦🤦 First of all: that's also like saying you ship Tiana (Princess and the Frog) and Frozone (The Incredibles) because they're both black. Second of all: no they don't. It may be because I'm an artist so I notice small details, but here's how it is; Jack's hair is white, Elsa's is platinum blonde. Jack has a square chin, Elsa has a round face. Jack is much paler! THEIR EYES AREN'T EVEN THE SAME SHADE OF BLUE!!! Your excuse is null and void. Even so, if characters do look alike, then they're most likely to be related. Especially in animation.

Excuse #3: Jack can teach Elsa to have fun and Elsa can teach Jack to be serious

This clearly proves the point that jelsa shippers don't know these characters. The job of teaching Elsa how to be social and have fun is already taken by Anna. So if anything, Elsa will see Jack as a younger brother. And Jack wouldn't have been chosen to take on such a responsibility of guardianship if he didn't know when to quit. I don't know what it is about playful characters that make people think they're obnoxious. Jack is an immortal teenager with the heart of a child, that's what makes him a good guardian. But he's been alive for over 300 years, he bound to have the mind capacity of an adult and he does know better. He doesn't play when he's in battle, he's dead serious.

Excuse #4: They understand each other because they were both isolated for a long time

I don't know where you come from but people don't really "bond" over their trauma. Infact, if anything, that would make the relationship more unstable. Plus, Elsa isolated herself for 13 years because she was afraid of her powers. Jack was forced into isolation for 300 years! He has never been afraid of his powers and Elsa could still be seen throughout the day by parents and servants. They would never be able understand what the other went through.

Excuse #5: They both have a sister they love

SO WHAT?! At least half of the population have sisters. Simple as that. It's a horrible excuse.

Excuse #6: They both have an enemy in fear

Bruh, almost every fictional character has to deal with their fears, literal or mental. It's not at all unique to these two.

Excuse #7: Jack can teach Elsa to control her powers

She already has control of them by the end of the movie. And even if you mean prier to that, the reason she couldn't control them was because she feared them. I doubt that even if she could see him and if he showed her his powers, she's be irrational, believing that their powers were different.

Excuse #8: William Joyce says he ships it

Really, you're going to base the possibility of a ship because the writer of the 'books' that "inspired" rotg says he likes it. First: the books and movie are not the same worlds. Two: he most likely stated this in order for jelsa shippers to shut up to him about it. And three: his own canon with the books is a mess as it is. With him adding a bunch on random/unnecessary details on twitter that have no relevance or reference in the books. Even if he does ship it, everything that's going on with Jack's character in the books is weird enough as it is. Plus he's physically 14 in the books. I know age doesn't really matter but Elsa would definitely feel weird about dating someone who looks so young when she's currently 24 by the second movie.

Excuse #9: They could've met before the events of rotg

Not a reason to ship them but whatever 🙄 Even if their stories were based in the same world (which it isn't), Elsa never would've believed in fairy tales. Having to grow up so soon and all. She believes in magic, of course, but you need to believe in the individuals themselves in order to see them. Plus it is very clear in rotg that Jamie is Jack's first believer.

Excuse #10: Now that Frozen 2 is out, they are both spirits who followed the memories of their loved ones. They can live forever together!

Once AGAIN, how does this factor to them being a good couple? Plus the title of spirit is different in the Frozen-verse than the Guardian-verse. Guardian-verse; they are un-aging beings who keep the entire world in balance. Frozen-verse; never confirmed to be immortal (especially since 3 out of 5 spirits are inanimate objects), magical things that keep a single forest secure. The only reason the elements needed a fifth spirit was most likely because the one before Elsa died of old age. Plus the idea of Elsa outliving Anna goes against the theme of sisterly love that both movies strive on. This can be changed in fanfiction but I hate how people lie about her mortality for an excuse to ship.

Excuse #11: They're both single

So what? People ship characters who aren't single with other characters all the time. That's not a reason to ship them. Especially since your statement is false because Tooth is Jack's canon love interest.

It is true that jelsa haters will give reasons to not ship that I necessarily don't agree with.

•Like the age gap — Jack has the mental capacity of an adult, as I've said before. He's smart enough to make his own choices.

•Elsa not being immortal — that doesn't mean they can't still date, even if he outlives her. Plus you can change that in fanfiction.

•They come from different studios and will never be canon — Again, this is fanfiction, we can do whatever we want.

•Elsa is independent and shipping her with someone takes her independence away — for one: most of the world is bound to find love at some point in time. I would imagine that Elsa would want to find love like her sister. Two: Mulan, Pocahontas and Jasmine are very independent and they all still ended up with men. Three: she's not that independent to begin with. Independence isn't relationship status, it's your ability to make it on your own and Elsa is clearly, very dependant on Anna and her safety. Which is actually what pushes her to being a bad sister in Frozen 2. In fact it is because they made her more 'independant' in the sequel that Elsa clearly, no longer loves Anna as much as Anna loves her (you can check out Watso Videos' video on YouTube about how Elsa is a bad sister bc I'm not gonna go into it here).

My god that was ALL just part one. This is gonna take forever 😰

2) How they would never work out

For Elsa, she needs someone who is calm and collected. A rock for her to stand on when she's being irrational. Possibly even someone who is very stoic and straight to the point but with enough sense of humor to lighten the mood. And now that I'm thinking about it, Honeymaren fits that description to a tee. I'm not one to push LGBT+ in anyone's face, but I'm not gonna judge ships on characters assumed sexualities either. Even though Honeymaren didn't have much screen time, her personality still showed through and Elsamaren could very well work.

Jack on the other hand needs someone who would be able to keep up with his playful nature as well as be a rock for him to stand on when he's emotional. Tooth is a good suitor even though I don't really ship it myself. Hiccup, Merida and Rapunzel could also fit in this description.

They don't have the ability to be each other's rocks. They can't be stable if they both need someone to keep them so. If they were to date, the relationship would crumble before it even began.

Plus Jack has to be a guardian and there are a lot of fanfics that go into this idea of Jack being the king of Arendalle? First off: I'm fairly certain that you can't marry into royalty to become king. At least in the real world. Second: Jack wouldn't be able to handle that responsibility with him already being a guardian. And he can't just leave guardianship either, it was what he always was and was ment to be. And Elsa has the responsibility of keeping a magical forest in check, she can't leave to become a guardian.

3) The Toxicity

Oh my God! The fanfiction! As I usually say, you can do whatever you want in fanfiction. But if you have to butcher all the characters so much in EVERY fanfic in order to make the ship work, then there's clearly something wrong here! In every fanfic I've ever seen, the characters are so out of character it's insane. Not just Jack and Elsa, every character.

Olaf for example, is practically in love with Jack first meeting, in every fanfic. If he were to actually meet Jack, he would be apprehensive of him.

It's horrifying in not only that, but jelsa shippers will add Rapunzel a lot, just in spite of Jackunzel. They turn Rapunzel into a needy ex-girlfriend of Jack's when in reality, she's a very sweet and kind soul. Even if she and Jack had dated, they would've split on good terms and stayed friends after. There have also been cases where they do the same but with Tooth. Sometimes even both and it's honestly sick.

And let's talk about the sexism as well HAHA! I swear to God, they will rewrite Frozen but where Jack will save Elsa instead of Anna. They write Elsa as a hormonal teenage girl who falls in love with Jack within seconds.

This is from an actual jelsa shipper, my dude. WTF!!! They make Jack super dominant as well as a douche who cheats on Elsa half the time. Jack is not that dominant, he's a very emotional guy. And he'd be the most faithful boyfriend on the planet. He was alone for 300 years! If anything, he'd be clingy but not too clingy because he also understands personal space.

And if you like angsty fanfiction where a character cheats on the other, there are literally no fanfics where Elsa cheats on Jack. As if a woman couldn't possibly cheat. This is very sexist towards men and women and is toxic as hell.

If anything, Elsa would cheat on Jack, she's not exactly trustworthy in keeping promises or being loyal.

I swear, half of the jelsa shippers has never even seen rotg and just go by what they read in others fanfiction.

Jelsa shippers have gotten so bad about this ship that they've low-key harassed people for not shipping it, as well as start shipping wars within the big four fandom. That's the reason the fandom truly shrunk after 2013. I've seen posts about people admitting to leaving the fandom because it got so bad.

4) The Shippers

Jelsa shippers have literally threatened lives, not just to other fans but even to the creators of the movies. Literally threatening them into making the ship canon. They've made patitions to make it canon as if that would work. They've even harassed a lot of recent shippers to Elsamaren because "jelsa is canon."

Oh look at that, they're homophobic too...

...

...

...

... That's great 🙃

Isn't it a bigger sin to love a celestial being though? Therefore the fact that you –as a toxic christian– ship Elsa with a spirit it worse.

THEY'RE DELUSIONAL!!! So many of them have shipped jelsa so long that legit think it's canon!

Not only all that mess but there are literally more jelsa games on the internet then there are Merida games. I'm specifying this for personal reasons (aka Merida is my fave Disney princess)

And let's continue on with what really aggravates me as an artist. Jelsa shippers, stealing artwork, mostly from Jackunzel. This is not just a rumor, it's very much real.

And it doesn't help when all of their actual original fanart is just them taking scenes from Frozen and adding Jack. Then to add more salt on the wound is that almost all the fanfiction is the same, whether it'd be based during Frozen, rotg or in a highschool au.

There's literally nothing original about or going on with this ship, even after Frozen 2 came out, the shippers and fanfiction haven't changed. If anything it made the shippers spike up again.

The only thing that could say is original about jelsa is the frost daughter fanon. Oh boy! What we have to unpack here.

This is something that I recently heard about...

...

I am mortified.

Frost daughters is this little thing that jelsa shippers came up with, believing Jack and Elsa (if they could get pregnant) would have nothing but girls. What's scary about it is they're designs. Like they're trying to be original... But it's not really going great.

Most of them are just young!Elsa copies, some are edits of Elsa with Jack's hair color.

For example:

This is fine, this follows genetrical rules. I'm fine with this.

But what has me low-key petrified are some of the other designs.

Like... WTF IS ALL OF THIS!!! Where are this colors coming from?!! I don't understand 😭 You can see in the screen shots that these are literally titled as daughters of jelsa.

The white haired ones are fine. The ginger is understandable. Got it from Elsa's dad's genes. That's okay. A few are wearing pink? They can wear what ever they want. But wtf I'd going on with Nevada? Why is she black? Jack and Elsa the pastiest of white! And you cannot tell me that she got it from Elsa's mom because this was made BEFORE Frozen 2 and her mother is still white as an adult.

Where tf does the blue and pink hair come from? None of these make sense!

I want to kill myself, just looking at these!

That's gonna be the end of this rant

Now I'll say it again, I really have nothing against the ship itself. I too have casual ships that make no sense. But with ALL the fanfiction and fanart being so unoriginal and most jelsa shippers low-key being dangerous, it's hard for me respect people's opinions about it.

I try, trust me, I do! But it's become so murky in my brain that I can't tell the difference anymore and I'm also just not a fan of Elsa's character in general. And I like ships that actually make sense.

And being that I'm an equalist... it's really hard for me to look at this stuff and not get pissed off. I'm sorry if all of this comes off as aggressive because it kinda is.

I'm just very passionate, okay?

I hope you understand where I'm coming from. None of the pictures I used are mine. And I hope you have a good day?

[phantaloon-books]

(some) Riordanverse characters (bc I never read TKC) and which Hogwarts House I think they would be in

Warning: this is a long one

Nico: the dude is definitely Gryffindor without a doubt. Like Sorting isn't about some traits and some characteristics, it's about core personality. He may have gone through some of the roughest stuff when he was 10-12, and he was resentful and bitter, but he was brave and bold af throughout everything he did. From learning about his powers, to using them relentlessly despite knowing how exhausted he is afterwards, to his willingness to do whatever is necessary to do what has to be done, because it has to be done. You can't change my mind that he's Gryffindor lol.

Grover: Do I even need to explain why he's Gryffindor? He's a satyr, and even if we're shown strong satyrs, they're not really supposed to be brave fighters. Yet he is one of the strongest, bravest nature spirits we've ever encountered in the Riordanverse, and one of the bravest in general. Like he's so passionate about doing what is good, he's a hero, and the only thing he doesn't match with common Gryffindors is that he's humble and as far from arrogant as could be possible, but it doesn't take his courage away.

Hazel: She's Gryffindor, and core personality-wise, she and Nico are very much alike. They don't ever think about themselves, like Hazel really always does what has to be done, no matter the cost, I mean she literally died preventing Gaea to rise the first time, and she freed Thanatos while believing he would take her back to the Underworld. She's brave af, and she has one of the most strong willpower we've seen in the Riordanverse. She's a passionate hero, and she's the closest thing to a real knight in shining armor.

Lester: I'm gonna place him in Gryffindor because I don't think he fits in in the other houses lmao. That said, as Apollo he's very shitty, but as Lester, he's one of the most courageous people. He's grown so much, he's so willing to actually do stuff now, and sacrifice everything to do what's right, including his life, even if he doesn't know he's gonna survive. Hell, he really went most of TTT with an incredibly painful wound that nearly turned him undead, and he cared more for the future of Camp Jupiter than his own life. Additionally, he's a bit arrogant and cocky, but he truly means well, I love Lester so much.

Clarisse: Look look, all I have to say is that no one could have pulled off less than half the stuff Clarisse has done, she's so Gryffindor it hurts. She's reckless and impulsive, but she's driven by her passion to do good, even if she's the daughter of war, and was bullied by her own father. She's daring, she's bold and she is the hero. She's also arrogant and thinks she can solve everything by herself, something characteristic more of the canon Gryffindors in the books, rather than what the fans have shaped. In fact, she's very much like Gryffindors in the books, who are actually very rude to other houses and think they're the best. Still, at heart, she's in this house.

Alex: I'm in a huge dilemma about where to put them, but I reckon they'd fit pretty fine in Gryffindor. Not only are they daring and courageous, they're proud of who they are, but not in a too full of themselves kind of way, rather in a 'I am who I am, and if you can't accept me, fuck off' kind of way. They can get carried away rather easily though, and very arrogant, thinking they don't need anyone else, when they do in fact need some company. They are one of the kindest and at the same time most ambitious characters we've met, but they are brave beyond understanding in a very personal way, thus, Gryffindor.

Percy: I think it's fair to say he'd be Hufflepuff, because loyalty is literally his fucking fatal flaw, and he is the kindest sweetheart to all those who deserve it, he goes out of his way to help those who need help, whether that be mortals, halfbloods, gods, magical creatures or even his own enemies. He's too good for this world, and even if he's grown a bit bitter, he always looks to fight justly for what is right, and never loses faith in others. That, and the fact that he turned down immortality so that the olympians were more inclusive of minor gods, and their children were treated better. He's just a lovely soul, he's like 80% Hufflepuff so that's enough for me. All that and he's stubborn as hell.

Jason: Hufflepuff. Just, undoubtedly Hufflepuff. Like he seems to be this cold and self centered hero with a superiority complex (bc of all the son of Jupiter stuff) but he's the softest guy there is. Not only is he hardworking, open minded and kind, he appreciates justice but he doesn't seek for revenge or anything, he makes sure people are treated fairly and wants everyone to be accepted. Proof of that is how he continued Percy's job of including more gods, and made sure Nico felt comfortable with who he was. He truly has a heart of gold. (He deserved better btw)

Meg: God I can't decide between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, but I think I'll go with the former. She's so strong, my baby, she's faced so much wrong, but she's still so kind and understanding of others, especially those who deserve kindness. She puts up such a hard facade, but she's so patient and warm and inclusive. She's brave and strong (as strong as the big three kids, if not stronger), but she's also so loyal to her beliefs despite how she was forced someone else's beliefs for years, so I'll keep her in Hufflepuff. Also, she's stubborn af, and she can be lazy, so that settles it.

Will: I KNOW some people will say Will could be in other houses that are not Hufflepuff, BUT I won't have it any other way. Will is literally the warmest person ever. He is kind and sympathetic and enthusiastic and patient and inclusive. Like Helga Hufflepuff would take one look at him and lose her shit screaming "mine". He's the guy who saw the son of Hades so many people were scared of and immediately grabbed his hand and transfered him some warmth and didn't let him go ahead and get himself killed. He's also the one who everyone loves and likes, so much that Clarisse gets along with him and he can calm her down. He's the ideal Hufflepuff, you can't change my mind.

Magnus: I mean, what else can you expect from the son of the god of summer? He's literally a guy who heals others with warmth. He's also the guy who spent years on the street with the most difficult situations, and accepts every single person the way they are. He's inclusive af, and tolerant of everything. He's the guy who's closest include a deaf elf, a Muslim valkyrie, and a black dwarf, and he's dating a genderfluid person. Yes he's brave, and he's kinda smart, and he's ambitious, BUT none of those qualities overpower his Hufflepuff nature.

Piper: Kinda debated whether Gryffindor or Ravenclaw fits more, but in the end I went with Ravenclaw. Even though she isn't a fighter, she's very very brave, yet her bravery isn't compared to her wits. Like others in the PJOverse, she wins her fights by outsmarting her opponents, but unlike others that's one of her strongest traits. She's witty and creative and a little on the negative side, she really struggled to work in a group rather than by herself. On another note, she's able to keep calm in crazy situations and come up with the craziest most unthinkable solutions (I'm talking borderline ridiculous) that always somehow work. She's not booksmart, but she knows so much about everything, and she's lifesmart you know?

Reyna: Why are some of these so hard? Deeply debating whether she'd be Ravenclaw or Slytherin. In the end I'd go more for Ravenclaw though. Reyna's smart as hell, she's strong and sharp, and she always sees the best way out of a situation. She's witty and observant, being able to keep her cool in battle and lead others in the best direction. She's always looking to grow, and she prefers to do things on her own, but she's a great leader. She has some Slytherin qualities, and she's not learning as learning oriented as others, but she's definitely Ravenclaw.

Sam: Let's face it, Sam has the only active neurons in all of MCGA, she's definitely Ravenclaw. I'm gonna be honest though, I've only read MCGA once, so I can't remember much of their personalities, but Sam is witty and clever, pretty much the only one who can come up with competent plans, while the others rely mostly on luck and whatever plan they can cook up in 5 seconds. She's loyal and true to who she is, and she's extremely courageous and proud of who she is, but her sharpness is what she stands out for me, which is why I put her in Ravenclaw.

Annabeth: I know the obvious option is Ravenclaw, but I genuinely think she's also Slytherin. Yes she is booksmart and wise like Ravenclaw, but her personality matches Slytherins' ambitious, cunning and resourceful nature. She's smart as fuck, but she's calculative, she always finds a way to end up winning, and while she does so by outsmarting her opponents, she wouldn't need to outsmart them if she weren't so competitive. I feel like there's this 40/60 odds on Slytherin rather than Ravenclaw, but it's that small difference that counts. Plus her leadership skills are so powerful that people don't ask, they just know she's the boss.

(Also just picture the sweet and loyal Hufflepuff boy with the strong and cunning Slytherin girl, like it should be as opposite as it is with Poseidon and Athena, but they're so cute)

Leo: Idk what you can expect that's not Slytherin. This boy is the embodiment of ambition and determination. Reminder that not all Slytherins are bad btw (I'm slytherin myself), but like he's life smart and cunning, and he can analyze situations faster than anyone else. He's charismatic and talented, and there's no one to stop him from triumphing. I don't have much to say, I just know he'd be in Slytherin.

Rachel: She's kinda a difficult one, and I struggle between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and tbh I'm still not sure. But I think I'd place her in Slytherin, because even if she's brave af (especially since she was a mortal fighting in a war out of her power), her main trait is her determination. When she's set on something, she gets it done. You can't tell her she can't do something, because she will find a way to do it. She's kind, and she's only a mortal, but she still has incredible power unlike any other. I don't think I can really name it, but I think she'd be put on Slytherin with much difficulty from the Sorting Hat.

Luke: Where else could Luke possibly go? On the meaner side Slytherins have created themselves, Luke would be part of those misled by who preceded them, by those who want to take advantage of their mistreatment (bc let's face it, Slytherins are mistreated by both students and Hogwarts staff), and turn them cold and bitter. Luke is ambitious and manipulative, being manipulated himself, and it comes easily because of his natural charisma and talent. He's very freaking determined and cunning too. He'd fit right into Slytherin, but he'd be viewed as one of the rotten lot.

Thalia: I don't have much to say about this, but Thalia is the girl whose fatal flaw is their desire for power (or smth along those lines), just like most Slytherins. She's ambitious, she's smart, she's truly talented, she stands out between the rest, and she knows it, and she actually kinda likes it.

(Also I put Annabeth, Thalia and Luke in the same house because they're all kinda similar, even if their beliefs and postures are different.

Frank: Ngl I'm having more difficulty with Frank than anyone else. I'm kinda torn between Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. I literally can't choose. He'd fit perfectly in any of them lmao, I just can't decide where he'd go. You decide this one yourself.

Please keep in mind, this is my personal opinion and my take on the characters, and not all of you will agree, and that's fine! You can let me know what you think (kindly please, don't come at me), and if you want to, send me an ask on a character you want me to do the same as these (as long as it's not TKC, I'M SORRY I haven't read those) go ahead, don't be shy!

[pixeldolly]

I love Walden (as it inspired my own BaCC😃) and there is so much we still don't know about Larkin, I love how mysterious she is! 

Can you answer for Larkin? 😇

❤️: OTP

💔: No OTP

😊: Friends

💀: Enemies or Rival

👜: What's always on their bag

📰: Section of the Newspaper they read

🎒: University Major

🔮: Something Random

Was so hard to not ask everything! 😂 Thank you in advance for answering! 😇

Ahh, thank you so much! I have loads of headcanons about Larkin (some of them made it into that Lookbook Challenge I did with her) - even though the mystery is part of the character. I'll do my best to answer these, sorry if they're a bit rambly 😇

❤️: OTP - It should come as no surprise that nobody in Walden qualifies. 😂 Her flighty nature is part of her character - and that of many fae - but it isn't as simple as her being a player. The tragic truth is that Larkin can no more help the effect she has on mortals any more than they can help being drawn to her - it's a parasitic relationship, and it goes both ways. She is also incredibly old - 3500 years lived in the mortal world, but it's impossible to say exactly how old she actually is - time flows differently in Faerie. She has tried all kinds of relationships since then - including committed, monogamous ones - but they were all at least partly tainted by her unnatural influence, and sooner or later she's had to watch those partners destroy themselves and/or ultimately die. So it's really little wonder that she now takes a casual, live-in-the-moment approach to her relationships. Not that she is actually remorseful either - she does enjoy indulging her love of companionship and new experiences. The only person she could really have a healthy relationship with as equals would be another of her kind - a pureblooded fairy. They are extremely few and far in between however...

💔: No OTP - just about anyone could be listed here but I'll go with Tess because it illustrates the divide between Larkin and "regular" people best of all. They are both immortal, but Larkin is old and jaded; Tess is young, recently turned into a vampire, and hasn't yet experienced the tragic aspects of immortality. Tess still wants what she wanted as a mortal - a home, domesticity, a family. Larkin has done all that many times before, she knows that such things can only be temporary, and ultimately doomed to fail. Even her daughter will be gone one day, but her reasons for procreating were stronger than the painful knowledge that she will have to watch Vernoraxia die some day.

😊: Friends - Larkin has many many acquaintances and admirers, but nobody she can really call a friend - she hopes her daughter can become one. As it turns out however, Vernoraxia seems to take more after her human father than her.

💀: Enemies or Rival - Julius Merridew (she doesn't count Fiona as one, due to her youth) Larkin disdains warlocks and witches, she thinks them children playing with forces they don't understand, on the other hand magic users are among the few mortals not susceptible to her powers, which makes them dangerous.

👜: What's always on their bag - Her makeup kit, of course. ;)

📰: Section of the Newspaper they read - I don't think Larkin reads the newspaper much. :))

🎒: University Major - Being what she is, she's never actually been to university as a student, but she did write a volume of sonnets which gained some critical acclaim in the 60s, and was invited as a guest lecturer on comparative literature at Britechester. After she was gone, it was remembered as one of the weirdest semesters in living memory, when several students and members of staff produced some of the best material the college had seen for a long time, but at the same time started acting very erratically and out of character...when the mysterious poetess Honoria Sweet (her name at the time) vanished, one of them quit his job and proceeded to try and track her down, to the point of obsession. Two of the brightest students in the year burned out and were unable to finish their degrees.

🔮: Something Random - She sailed with a band of pirates for a while - yes, really.

[brooklynislandgirl]

❔ What crime of passion could any mortal or immortal commit that would cause the loss of your affection? From Mischa

It came from the Lost, Lost, Lost Meme Pile || Not Accepting

Though she doesn't really like the Dark, she's learning to live on its periphery of shadows for Mischa's sake. Dim lights. No fire in the hearth. Only meeting him after the sun has well and truly set. It wasn't wholly comfortable at first but she's easing into it. Maybe the wine helps and her fingertips hover on the side of the glass, her head tilted as she contemplates his question. The first thing that comes to mind happens before he even finishes the question is easy and so it’s the first of her litany. “Harmin’ a keiki...a child...for any reason. I swore an’ oat’ t’ nevah do harm but when someone decides to be a monstah, den all bets are off.” She knows predators exist. She knows some people are sick beyond curing. She knows others simply get off on tormenting the weakest and most vulnerable. She sees the permutations of it in her clinic and her ER day in and day out. In her opinion, those people have given up anything they may be entitled to under the banner of humanity. She sees them as true agents of the Wyrm, and the litany of her cousins dictate that they combat the Wyrm wherever It may dwell. She only sees herself as doing right by Gaia when she dirties her hands with them. “Same goes for animals, da elderly. Anyone vulnerable really.” The second item is along the same vein. “Supportin’ shark finin’, doin’ it demself, pretty much anyone involved in it. I know you know about skin changers. You know dey my kin. Or dat I am kinfolk to dem. Eiddah way you slice it, dey family an’ family is sacrosanct. I would be jus’ as unrelentin’ if harm came to my braddah or members of my cabal. My close friends. Family is family, after all.” She took a sip. A long, thoughtful pause. “I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you, eiddah. Make of dat what you wish.” She moistens her lips, taps the glass again. “I dunno if your kine have dis but amongst my kine, some turn...evil. No oddah way t’ describe it. Dey deliberately choose to use mana to do awful kine. Some for pleasure, some in service of unfathomable masters. Dey spread corruption, despair, destruction. Worse, very bad ones...when dey come to an end...are reborn. An’ so deep was dat ruination dat deir soul ...avatar ...eidolon... daemon... wha’ever ya wanna call it... is still so dark, so enthralled to deir worst, dat dey return same as dey died. We call one Nephandus. More dan one are Nephandi. As an entire faction dey are so bad dat we as one will turn aside from our own paradigms of tradition versus tradition....like your clans, if I understand right, even to da point of putting aside da Ascension War...Tradition versus Technocrats, an’ will work togeddah to destroy one.  “Even a rumour of one runnin’ around is enough. An’ now you know more about my kine dan anyone would be comfortable with. If dey wanted to press da matter, dey could go to our leadership an’ claim dat I have conspired wi’ an enemy of Ascension. Which would be a deat’ sentence at best, an’ dere’s worse kine dey could do. Since I’m riskin’ life, limb an’ soul... care to share about your kine? Do you have a litany...a series of laws? Are dere any crimes amongst yours dat are too terrible to stomach?”

[rhysand-vs-fenrys]

What are some of you face books?

Any recommendations for books similar to acotar/tog?

I am so happy to answer this question, but I do want to preface it bc most of the people reading this will discount my answers immediately as me being back on my bullshit.

When I recommend something once, it means I think Maas fans might enjoy it.

When I aggressively shove something down your throats, it means I *know* Maas fans would ABSOLUTELY enjoy it.

So, that being said, here are my 4 favorite books that I think Maas fans would really like if they enjoyed ACOTAR and TOG. All have similar elements and devices, but pulled off in interesting new ways that I think people would really enjoy--

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS) by MXTX

Also adapted into a live-action show available on Netflix and fully subbed on Youtube (official production page, not an illegal rip) under the title "The Untamed"

Wei Wuxian was once one of the most outstanding men of his generation, a talented and clever young cultivator who harnessed martial arts, knowledge, and spirituality into powerful abilities. But when the horrors of war led him to seek a new power through demonic cultivation, the world's respect for his skills turned to fear, and his eventual death was celebrated throughout the land.

Years later, he awakens in the body of an aggrieved young man who sacrifices his soul so that Wei Wuxian can exact revenge on his behalf. Though granted a second life, Wei Wuxian is not free from his first, nor the mysteries that appear before him now. Yet this time, he'll face it all with the righteous and esteemed Lan Wangji at his side, another powerful cultivator whose unwavering dedication and shared memories of their past will help shine a light on the dark truths that surround them.

Heaven Official's Blessing (TGCF) by MXTX

Eight hundred years ago, Xie Lian was the Crown Prince of the Xian Le kingdom. He was loved by his citizens and was considered the darling of the world.

He ascended to the Heavens at a young age; however, due to unfortunate circumstances, was quickly banished back to the mortal realm. Years later, he ascends again–only to be banished again a few minutes after his ascension.

Now, eight hundred years later, the twice-disgraced Xie Lian ascends to the Heavens for the third time as the laughing stock among all three realms, the God of Junk and God of Misfortune.

On his first task as a god thrice ascended, he meets a mysterious demon who rules the ghosts and terrifies the Heavens, yet, unbeknownst to Xie Lian, this demon king has walked in his shadow for a very long time.

The Twelve Kingdoms by Fuyumi Ono

Yoko Nakagima was the most boring person in the world. Class president, she let others walk over her and did whatever she thought out make other people happy- even if it was something that went against her own conscience.

One day, a mysterious man appears, bows, and swears fealty to her. He forces Yoko to accept his oath, and then kidnaps her, whisking her away to another world while under attack from terrifying creatures.

Yoko and the mysterious stranger are separated, and she falls in a shower of blood. With only a strange sword to protect herself, Yoko must navigate a bizarre new world of immortals, monsters, and magic.

But enemies are gathering on the horizon. The man who brought Yoko to the Twelve Kingdoms- Keiki- was none other than the divine beast known as the Kirin of Kei. Which means Yoko is Queen Kei.

Forces within the Twelve Kingdoms will seek to keep Kei weak and without a ruler. They have already captured Keiki, and they will stop at nothing to hunt Yoko down and destroy her.

But there is something else Yoko must contend with. Another human has entered the Twelve Kingdoms along with Yoko. Her bullied and belittled classmate Sugimoto, who comes to believe that Yoko's death is the only way to secure her own happily ever after.

Dumb Husky and his White Cat Shizun (2ha) by Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat

** A lot of stories out of China are actually posted as webnovels, so the author names aren't names but rather the profile names of individuals. So, that's why the author name here is quite silly.

*** This book is quite a lot stronger subject-matter-wise. If you need TWs, ask and I can tell you if it'll be an issue with this book.

Mo Weiyu was the most despised creature in existence. The Dark Emperor of the Cultivation World, there is no taboo he has not committed. Including seizing his teacher- the cold and imperious Chu Wanning- and making him his sex slave.

But then Chu Wanning dies, broken in body and spirit. Mo Weiyu has everything, can be challenged by no one... and wants none of it.

So, he prepares a grave for himself, drinks a vial of poison, and lays down to finally sleep.

... and wakes up in the body of Mo Ran- his own self at age sixteen, before he took the first steps on the road to becoming the Dark Emperor.

This new chance at life offers incredible opportunities to Mo Ran. Every dark feat he achieved still has yet to be realized, every delicacy in life has yet to be tasted-

-and the tragic death of his beloved friend Shi Mei has yet to happen. The betrayal of Chu Wanning that made Mo Ran hate him so much has not yet happened.

Mo Ran is determined to change his past. To save Shi Mei's life and expose Chu Wanning as the heartless monster only Mo Ran knows him to be.

But the more he tries to use his knowledge to change the past, the more he realizes it was never what he believed. Shi Mei wasn't as perfect as the young man who lived in Mo Ran's memory. Chu Wanning wasn't as cold and immoveable.

In fact, a lot of the sins Mo Ran attributed to Chu Wanning were misunderstandings of a man who wanted to be warm and friendly, but had no idea how to be anything but cold on the surface. Every kindness Mo Ran thought of as coincidence and luck... were the actions of Chu Wanning.

As the years pass and Mo Ran sees his life play out through new eyes, he begins to understand the true horrors of what he did to Chu Wanning in his original life. See the doting and warm man who hides behind Chu Wanning's exterior.

But after what he did in his past life- making Chu Wanning his sex slave and humiliating him for years until he finally died a pitiful death- it disgusts Mo Ran to no end, the weight of the guilt threatens to destroy him.

But Mo Ran isn't the only one who remembers the past. Someone else has come back to live their life again- and they are hell bent on turning Mo Ran back into the dreaded Mo Weiyu to lead a second reign of terror.

The spell that brought Mo Ran back had an unintended ripple effect though. Ever since that day when Mo Ran woke up in his 16 year old body, Chu Wanning has felt... strange. When the boy bumps his arm he feels an electric echo shooting through him.

And as Mo Ran grows into a dashing man in his 20s, Chu Wanning begins to have flashes of... something that is certainly not proper at all. Vivid dreams of being taken violently- and even worse, of enjoying it. Dreams so disgustingly sinful they should never have crossed the mind of the chaste Chu Wanning.

As Mo Ran and Chu Wanning fall slowly in love with one another, the truths of the past life will come out, the darkness that surrounds them will be made clear, and they will have to find a way to hold one another through the storm if either hope to make it to the other side.

[mistwraiths]

3.5 stars

Every seven years, nine Greek gods become mortal on earth, and the bloodlines of past Greek heroes hunt to kill and take their power for seven days. Lore Perseous escaped that life years ago after the brutal murder of her family and she has no intention of going back to it. However, when this year's hunt begins, Lore's asked for help by two shocking faces. Castor, her friend who she believed to be dead, and Athena, the goddess herself. To defeat a shared enemy and stop evil itself, they'll have to work together.

While I enjoyed Lore, I found myself constantly just being rather disappointed and wanting more. I have a lot of slight dislikes that just build up and really impact me from really enjoying this book. The plot of this book is fascinating and interesting, and unique. There were so many twists I honestly didn't see coming which is very impressive. I'm a huge fan of Greek Mythology and I'm pretty knowledgeable about a lot, but at times it did feel hard to follow. I also have several questions that just don't get answered.

Firstly let me address the worst bit. There's a lot of sexual assault mentioned or hinted at, and even an attempt of rape, and threat of and implied pedophilia. All to women and girls. Look, I don't fucking care if marriage at twelve was something that happened in Greek times, IT DOESN'T EVEN NEED TO BE IMPLIED OR BROUGHT UP THAT IT HAPPENS IN PRESENT TIMES. Just don't write it. This is an urban fantasy involving the Greek gods and mortals killing them to take their power and immortality. And you choose to have this society continue to be misogynistic??? I'm so tired of it.

This book also has a lot of dark material like graphic violence to children described, lots of violence, and gore and blood, etc. There's absolutely more than that too so if you have any trigger warnings, you may want to check first before reading.

Despite the book having lots of action, lots of twists and turns, I found myself feeling like this book was slow. But I actually think most of the time I was bored. I think this was partly because sometimes things just seemed to happen too easily. They're just a little too capable. It just never felt like there was enough of a struggle. Oh, Lore and Castor got wounds, but that's it. I just was never on the edge of my seat like OMG. There would have been one really great shock if it hadn't been reversed so quickly. It just felt like all the characters were Special™️.

But I think that was mostly in part that I didn't really care about any of the characters??? Also all of the characters just never felt consistent?? For example, Lore's pretty kick ass in the beginning, fierce and violent but that gets smacked down hard because a singular character goes "that's not you" or some bullshit even when they haven't seen each other in *checks notes* seven years? Also, if people are actively trying to kill you, I think the MC should be allowed. Lore wants revenge but also doesn't want a part in it. She wants glory so bad but also doesn't. Honestly, Lore's thoughts and feelings sometimes felt like it was too much. Let's not forget the part where for SEVERAL pages she's thinking I MUST LEAVE and proceeds to not leave and tells Castor he's not safe and there's not time. And no he can't come with her. And guess what? They run out of time and they leave together.

Castor was okay I guess?? I can understand that for some people it must be really awesome to have a character who has gone through cancer and survived and was facing remission, and come into power and be a freaking god instead. I actually thought he died during one part and that shocked me but it was quickly reversed and if you hadn't realized yet you know that he was Different Than The Other Godkillers™️. I have some questions about him. We're told that in older people it turns the mortal body to their prime and I believe brings out the strongest parts of them? Or something like that. It's not quite clear how the split of godly self and the godkiller mortal self is. However, Castor was TWELVE. And it's implied he was like an incorporeal form unable to really do anything?? So how did this twelve year old age well?? Or at all?? Mentally is he really 17?? Or 12?? Or older because of Apollo? I did find him a little too preachy and mainly he was the one always like policing Lore the most with not killing or not being violent. And then he's also like I WILL KILL THEM at one point. Consistency who??? I'm all for a character knowing they might have to do something against their beliefs or changing their minds, but write it well don't slap it in there.

Also, I could have just done without the romance of Lore and Castor. Y'ALL HAVEN'T SPOKEN IN SEVEN YEARS??? You barely know each other anymore. It just really didn't bring anything to the table and while it isn't central at all, I was rolling my eyes.

The side characters are okay. The whole "leave" "No I'm helping." "You can't do this" "Yes I will" struggle between Miles and company became a little monotonous. Iro could have been an interesting character but she's barely around. She also KILLS CASTOR on purpose and that's quickly forgotten and forgiven WAY too quickly.

Which also sums up the ending. It kind of just happened so fast and like... it's so bizarre to me to have the person who murdered your entire family give you their godhood? Like are you implying she forgave her? Both Castor and her are gods and they're just like "Please let us go" and... that's it??? Also like I DO HAVE TO SAY IT'S ABSOLUTELY FUCKING WILD TO PUT ZEUS IN THE GOOD CATEGORY??? Or at least the one not being punished because he needs it the MOST.

There's also one thing that took me out of the story, which is that for some reason during a treating the wound scene, instead of simply moving a bra strap or removing the bra, they snap it. And then the main character proceeds to have to fight and run around ALL WITH A SNAPPED BRA STRAP. Excuse me???? If my bra strap snapped, I'd immediately have to fix it. It's just haunted me until she finally changed clothes.

Anyways, this sounded like a LOT but it still is pretty enjoyable. Greek mythology meets The Hunger Games with more death. So much death.